The Tubular West
(Torpor Vigil Industries) CD $14.00 (Out-of-stock)
Avant garde pop with a modern composition vibe by Canadian multi-instrumentalist who plays everything from heckelphone to synth, stylophone to piano, oboe and English horn to, of course, wooden plank. Aided and abetted by bassist Andrea Agostinti; Ayako Okubo on piccolo and bass flute; Olivier Maurel on drums and vibraphone; his brother Léo on bass guitar, fiddle and, ahem, a box of bumblebees; and Steve Venright doing the real-time electronic modulation. Recommended if you like the song cycles of Van Dyke Parks, Club Foot Orchestra’s soundtrack to Metropolis, Andy Partridge’s recent collaborations. Includes twelve-page book.