Transformer

Having a cold is no fun, I've been coughing like a fog horn for over a week now.
Luckily in the last week or so I've discovered Marnie Stern. I heard her name bandied around a bit last year, I think Plan B magazine made her album In Advance Of A Broken Arm their fav LP of 2007, but never really caught on to her but now I have, I'm hooked.
Transformer is off her forthcoming release 'This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That' (great name) and is a giddy riot from start to finish. Tapped guitar notes crowded the sound initially, each one almost stumbling over the next to reach your ears. It's Stern's flambouyant guitar style that has gain her the most attention, her lightning quick fingers flit around the fretboard like a fly on fruit, but its the way she applies this technique to create pop songs, noisy ones to be fair, that intrigues me the most.
Her vocals invade the party after drums had added a crazed beat to the track, and the way they interplay with the intricate Jazzmaster sounds creates a sonic reaction thats as energetic and explosive as an A-Bomb. I love the way she sings "it's truuuuuuuuuuuuue".
Although it leaves you dizzy and exhausted, at only two minutes nine seconds long, Transformer is only a short hit of adrenaline and you want more. I guess you could just press repeat and listen again but luckily her new album (I can't be arsed to type the name out again), out on Kill Rock Stars in November, is a unwielding cacophony of innovative, six-string shred, wailed melodies and hasty action. Enough to feed the craving and its good against colds too.

Marnie Stern - Transformer

Oh yes, almost forgot. If you fancy voting for me in this BT digital awards thingy, then just click on the logo below or over in the sidebar. Cheers.