Niacin Sun [coll] – [Bananafish]

Max Level   1/29/2006   A Library, CD

The provocative Bananafish magazine never fails to amaze me with the wide-ranging compilation CDs they release to accompany each of their issues. On this one, Joe Colley becomes sort of a master of ceremonies, interspersing his 8 pieces of found sound (thrift store cassettes) among the tracks by the other artists. The Colley pieces range from amusing to heartbreaking, giving us peeks into the lives of people we’ll never know. The Track 13 piece is a continuation of Track 3. Burning Star Core whips up a whooshing mass of processed voices and instruments. Monotract gives us a fast-moving slice-and-dice-fest, Nelson Gastaldi offers a warped musical collage, and Mecca Normal does a nice job of improvising with voice, piano, and guitar. Jim Leftwich and his 6 minutes of incomprehensible mumbling doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but it’s there for those who appreciate his work. As usual, a challenging yet rewarding listening experience from the Bananafish folks.