As I made it clear with a previous review of the Koji Kondo | Eat Avery's Bones split, I love the 7-inch format. I mean who doesn't, even if it's just a novelty to you or part of the tacky silk-screen image on a ruined vintage button-up from Counter Culture? However, if there is one digital format that can rival the 7-inch for me it's the 3-inch compact disc. How damn cool are these things? They're humorously tiny and the brief statement an artist or band can make with one is oftentimes an integral part of the art.

Take for instance the new 3-inch release by local duo, D and N. The statement here seems to be a challenge of sorts for the artists to transcend the limitations of this particular format. The disc comes with two folded little sheets of artwork and the imagery is more intricate and rich than you might find on a double gatefold vinyl LP. The duo consists of Nevada Hill (of Idi*Amin and Zanzibar Snails) and David Price, a collaborator of Hill's in the visual project Corn Kit Dot Not, the hard copy of which I enjoyed more than most of all of the work I've seen hanging in galleries in the past 12 months. David has also played some random percussion in live Zanzibar Snails' performances.

The music itself seems to be one slowly flowing piece that is segmented across eight concise tracks that collect new bits of sonic debris with each numerical passage. For instance, the warbling ambient tone that starts the CD still continues in track 2, but an added desolate minor-key melody is picked on an acoustic guitar. Distant percussion disrupts the serenity of this brief folksy respite and welcomes an onslaught of alienating buzzing sounds, while the percussion only gets louder and more industrial. There really aren't any actual jarring moments on the disc and the music overall seems subdued and subtle, especially when compared to Hill's other projects, including a much-discussed five minute performance on improvised guitar and saxophone opening for Deep Snapper at the Fra House last weekend. This might be one of the most accessible pieces of music released by local noise artists that I've heard and it would probably make a good introduction to those who are wary of improvised or experimental music. There are even outright pretty passages with lowly humming keyboards and the aforementioned acoustic guitar.

So I recommend the less-is-more ideology behind the D and N project and I'd like to see an entire series of similarly terse statements by other local artists. It seems that the limits of such a small format can be unexpectedly liberating. Just don't try to put one of these motherfuckers in your Mac Mini.

I bet going to Chicago to record was fucking amazing!!!! I love that city!

not if we can't come up with the happy conclusion for ourselves, rather than have it pushed in our faces over and over.

Fucking sour grapes all around. Can't you just be happy for someone once in a while?

Hey dude check it out look what ALBINI said about my band...

Wait didn't you guys hear what ALBINI just said? My band dude! He's talking about my band! ALBINI!

Dude.. ALBINI said we are the future. Fucking ALBINI man!

Where's your ALBINI? Oh you don't have any ALBINI? You can come over to my place and play with mine, but make sure that we pretend its not a big deal all the while we spread the word about how much ALBINI likes us.

Remember when the band was what mattered? Oh wait did you just say ALBINI? Holy shit ALBINI! Fuck yeah!

great review defensivelistening. i anticipate finding a copy of this. sounds like a very delicious kiwi. taste it.

Sweet! Got some new cred!
I needed it real bad since I cashed my previous cred bank last night after enjoying the shit out of Transformers (TM), and then shopping for a new Optimus Prime at Walmart whilst sipping on a delicious Starbucks Ice Coffee post-movie! Make mine a Venti! Room for Albini cream? Only if it's going straight into my belly and ass and tummy! He's FINE!

BRING ON THE
KREE-KRAW-KREE-KROO-KREW!
ANONS! ROLL OUT!

New Record Hop album
Fall 2007
Title- "Nokia presents
Michael Bay's Record Plop by Record Hop featuring Mountain Dew"

RECORDED in Chicago and Duluth
by your mom with tech assistance from Greg Albini (Steve's brother. We're really tight with his whole fam now) and Justin Collins! WOW! I Know!

Your're're goings to luv it!

Come on out tonight to SHQ and sing some Underground Karaoke! Prove to the world once and for all the raw POWER of your RECORD COLLECTION! I'll be doing "Touch Me I'm Sick" since I never left the early 1990s.

www.karaokeunderground.com/songlist.html

crEd!

(that's Christian Teenage Ed to you)

albini eats alot of kiwi...

...

...

...

...or so i've heard.

Albini has competitive rates

Nevada is great.

The D and N 3-inch is for sale (or will be soon!) at the MAYYRH Records site at www.mayyrh.com. .... you can hit us up at info@mayyrh.com or on the Zanzibar Snails' MySpace.

D and N will also be available Saturday night, along with other MAYYRH releases (the Zanzibar Snails' Introdewcing and iDi*amin's B.C.E.) at Hailey's. CornKitDotNot propaganda will be there as well, and some great (and probably various) Nevada Hill original show posters.

Cue (Austin)
The Zanzibar Snails
Balmorhea (Austin)
Slackbeat (Sinevil + Bucky Loops)
Hailey's
Saturday 7/7/7
$5, 9pm

imagine that. he actually expects to get paid for working!? what an asshole.

Ok Ed.

Dude is taking musicians to the bank on some sort of name cred.

That's what's so goddamn special about it!

Well duh.

I'm gonna go with funny. There are too many albini bands in this world.

It's nothing special, he'll record you if you pay him.

I'd suck it. And swallow.

for sale: stomach pump, $20.

*used only once to remove steve albini's semen.

threadjerk about a hard working band that you love/hate. I like them as friends and as a hard-working band:

from quickdfw blog:

In other news, Stereogum did a Q&A with influential music producer Steve Albini. An interesting excerpt:

ARE THERE UPCOMING BANDS CARRYING "THE TORCH OF ROCK AND ROLL"?
"Dude, I hear them all the time. Just did a record for a band from Denton, Texas called Record Hop, and they were terrific."

http://blahblahblah.beloblog.com/

Is it for sale/ mail order? If there was a link, I must've missed it.

david and nevada both kick total ass.