Gesner by The MOTES

all hail the motes

Subject: all hail the motes
From: "James R. Covey" <JRCOVEY\!/ac.dal.ca>
Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 11:08:45 -0400

this is a review of the new cassette by the motes.
it's on their own little label, ant records, and
it's called _gesner_. it's designated "ant 009",
and if anyone could tell me what the other eight
releases are on this label, i'd appreciate it!
(ant: 93 normandy TRURO ns b2n 3j6)

i've never seen the motes play or met them in
person. so they are as mysterious to me as they
might be to most of you. this tape is the first
thing i've ever bought by them, and it is really
wikked! pavement is the most obvious influence on
the band, but the next most obvious would be
eric's trip. fans of either band will not likely
be disappointed.

_gesner_ is a 13-song cassette (sorry if i'm
repeated a lot of stuff that was already said
by mike and mark) with a *wicked* bass sound.
i can't believe how good this tape sounds
when it's cranked. it definitely rivals
eric's trip for sheer quality in "amateur"
recording.

following on mark's example, here's my
song-by-song response:

"understanding space rock" gliding bass-heavy
moody instrumental. the cassette cover art
is a treated version of a famous "flying saucer"
photo, so the name of this track and the
overdubbed announcer talking about alien
invasions pick up the ufo theme nicely.
it somehow seems appropriate to a band that
seem intent on invading a music scene from
outside, in fact, from truro, which may as
well be another planet. :-)

"rotting corpses or something" this sounds
like it should have had some kind of hit-single
melody over top of it, but the melody got
stolen or something. it's a defaced pop anthem.
*great* bass sound, spooky distorted vocals.

"red pipe" is this the one mark said sounded
like polvo? it does have that non-melodic, busy
quality about it. short, abrupt ending. you
begin to hear the eric's trip guitar influence
here, actually.

"the framer" this track is like the first three
put together and edited down into one track.
it's got an atmospheric, bass-heavy instrumental
intro with muttered speech in the background,
and then it breaks into this short, pavement-like
ditty like some of the short, loud ones collected
on _westing: by musket and sextant_.

"more ghosts" they finally let themselves break
out into a full-fledged anthem. very pleasing guitar.
it sounds kinda like how i imagine rick white would
have written and arranged "summer babe".

"road song" this sounds like one of the stripped-down
acoustic numbers that rick sings on the trip's records.
the fading, slowing ending is *very* reminiscent of
the trip, although i can't remember which song it
reminds me of.

"shanklin fair" weird, moody little instrumental track

"the end of me" a sort of consciously cheesy ditty
with minimal lyrics and a neato bass line.

"all four (required) elements" this one is tres
pavement again. it's got an interesting structure,
though, it's like a short pavement rock-out song
followed by a long repetitive instrumental section,
almost spliced in.

"the secrets haven't disappeared" a slow lush ballad
with a cool screaming bit. i keep saying how excellent
the bass lines are, but i have to say it again on this
one. very tasteful. the song is quite remniscent of
"fillmore jive".

"shipment eventuality" a quiet meandering instrumental
with overdubbed announcer again.

"station(ed)" *very* eric's trip, like one of rick's
ubermoody numbers.

"the final order" this song redefines lugubrious for
me. it's just so weird, you have to hear it to believe.
one of the most original tracks on the cassette.

james

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_James R. Covey <jrcovey\!/ac.dal.ca>_ sloan net is a discussion of the
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Indie rock with industrial leanings and progressive aspirations.