03
May
2007
There
is always some experience that acts as starting point inspiring an
artist to begin a work. It could be the light on a surface, a
gathering of forms, or the mood of a face. It might be the work of
another artist, or a memory. There are thousands of sources. The best
beginnings are those that, when filtered through the artist, turn the
eye inward, causing discovery in and communication with the viewer.
The
concept of record-label samplers is to introduce a listener to the sound
and artists that a label offers. But too often, these compilations
are nothing more than a hodge-podge of material tied together by a
company name: Either everything sounds the same, making it difficult
to tell one artist from the next, or the compilation is so disparate
that it's impossible to settle in and sit through all of the songs.
If
you were one of the 1,200 or so people who squeezed into the Bucktown
Center of the Arts for Venus Envy either of the past two years,
here's some good news: The celebration of women and the arts will
be expanding outdoors this year.
Returning
with its most pop-friendly album to date, The Marlboro Chorus knocks
out nine rock-and-roll numbers on American
Dreamers. Drawing influence
from Buddy Holly, Pink Floyd, and Bill Haley, American
Dreamers sees The Marlboro
Chorus putting aside art rock in favor of a straightforward album
complete with guitar solos, magnificently simple lyrics, and a raw
sound. From the black-and-white cover to the title of the record
itself, American Dreamers
feels so easy, but it was a long time coming.
