This post isn't a rant about the fairer sex but a post about an album called Women by a band called Women. Who are all men. And Canadian! Reveling in lo-fidelity it was recorded on old tape machines in a variety of locations - a basement, a culvert (I had to look it up) and a crawl space. Whether these places added some hidden ambiance to each song is debatable but the variation in style is instantly apparent. 'Black Rice' is glorious, a proper West Coast pop song nicely buried amidst guitars and things. 'Woodbine' on the other hand is three and a half minutes of what sounds like someone running a very large finger around the rim of a very large wine glass. Its reminiscent of the earliest Pavement tracks. A total neglect for standard studio, or even musical, practices; and trust (or disregard) in the listener's openness to experimentation, even if its sometimes for experimentation's sake. It sounds refreshingly real.
Go here to download 'Black Rice' and 'Group Transport Hall' from the album.
UK release is 19th January 2009 but you can sneak an early copy from Rough Trade right now.
