Search - Kjehl Johansen :: Pieman Vs the Lightbulb Men

Fantastic!

03/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kjehl Johansen is a seminal punk/indie icon, although many people don't seem to realize it. He was the co-founder of no less than three highly influential bands: Urinals, 100 Flowers, and the ever-underrated Trotsky Icepick. That fact alone would grant him his place in punk rock/indie/pop record books.But here we have his first-ever solo work, and I'm thrilled to say it's on par with any of the best stuff the bands mentioned above had to offer. The four songs on this e.p. are chock full of variety and bountiful ideas. "Cool" is a wicked cover of a song originally written/performed by Pylon; "Perfect for the Underground" is a, well, Perfect pop song with hilariously self-depreciating lyrics; "Good Enough" is a haunting acoustic guitar/piano lullaby; and "I'm having a total fiasco" is an indescribably weird but melodic instrumental in 6/8 time, and the title of the song is taken from an answering machine message that plays like a mantra through the song... listen to it and you'll understand better.Overall this e.p. definitely has a "Poison Summer" vibe (my favorite Trotsky lp, and an undisputed pop masterpiece), and should be heard by anyone who loved Trotsky, Urinals, or 100 Flowers. Hell, anyone who appreciates true artists at the top of their game (such as Kjehl here) needs to hear this. Thank you Kjehl!!!"