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The Lava Children: Taylor Clark and Sherri West
April 23, 2009 - In addition to a lengthy and diverse list of musicians like The Kinks, Brian Eno, Nirvana, and The Sugarcubes, Sherri West and Taylor Clark of Tulsa, Oklahoma's The Lava Children cite "mythology, perverted fairy tales, nature, and kitty cats" as influences for their upbeat, funky, and varied sound. Though The Lava Children marks their first official release and was apparently recorded in a garage in Altadena, Calif., the two cover a strange and wonderful mix of sounds and tones on their short, five-song mini LP.
"I Am A Pony," the opening track, kicks things off with a bang by combining the zaniness of Deerhoof and the electro-techno vibe of Graveface label mate Black Moth Super Rainbow. "Particles" is dreamy and intoxicating like a glitchy version of Beach House, and "Firefly" is heavier and places a heavier emphasis on bass and percussion than on bizarre sound effects. At times inexplicably cheerful and other times slow and gloomy to mirror the cadence of the woozy instrumentation, West's vocal styling is diverse and complimentary to the particulars of each song. Whether West and Clark are experimenting with strange sound effects and beats or with traces of washed out surfer rock, the result is fanciful, unique, and intriguing.
Download this song in the Second Stage podcast.
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