Dead Wax by Loren Friedman

Dead Wax

Loren Friedman

From the darkest, dankest, dirtiest recesses of Carleton College’s regionally renowned record repository they COME FORTH. Rarely spun by anyone save for a few humble Record Librarians, for eons these deserted disks have been damned to hermetic solitude. It is the hope of this humble crate digger that this spread will serve as the means for their liberation. May the following blurbs encourage you to seek out these or any other fuzzy warbles housed within the cozy confines of the KRLX Record Libe. Be warned: not all of these titles can be described as good, listenable, or particularly interesting; however, I believe they represent a certain attitude, a credo, a vibe inseparable from the unparalleled atmosphere of the Record Libe and its caretakers. Yours truly, Loren “Yer Ma’s Pierogi Sucks” Friedman

Free Life, Free Life

Imbued by its producer (Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey) with the cosmic funk of the elements, this album is nothing short of absolutely delightful. Sweet, sweaty, and sticky, the steamy sonic jungle of Free Life’s syncopated brilliance inspires a sense of romantic passion like no other. Perfect for lovers, the heartbroken, or the perpetually lonesome, tracks such as “Stomp and Shout” and “Say You Do” inspire visions of hugging, kissing, missing, squeezing, and pleasing. If you find yourself in want of glide for your stride or dip for your hip, let the lush, knee-jerk, dance-thenight-away funk of Free Life provide a potent remedy. Photo: Loren Friedman

Photo: Loren Friedman

The Works, Queen

*dutifully transcribed from a series of liner notes on this album’s cover*

Dj1: “Freddy Mercury, perhaps rock’s greatest facist (sic), rails in the first against “Radio Gaga”. It is ironic that the perpetrators of some of the worst songs on the radio in the last 10 years should protest the state radio is in. Various forms of Radio Gaga on this album: synthpop, metal, ballads, funk. Do the world a service and play the real thing, not these feeble rip offs.”

Dj2: “Disregard liner notes, Queen’s unique style is only displeasing to those unable to accept a novel, new approach to music.”

Dj2: “Disregard liner notes, Queen’s unique style is only displeasing to those unable to accept a novel, new approach to music.”protest the state radio is in. Various forms of Radio Gaga on this album: synthpop, metal, ballads, funk. Do the world a service and play the real thing, not these feeble rip offs.”

Photo: Loren Friedman

Up Side Down, Fela Kuti and the Africa 70

This is cool. In a world of needlessly esoteric and pretentiously packaged repressings, records like this one serve as a reminder that behind all of the affected hipster posturing, there is some truth. Full of rich horns, dry drums, and wailing moans, Fela and his band embellish on this cut, crackling with a raw power. This is Fela in his finest form. Thundering with the Africa ‘70 into the fray of Afrobeat glory, Fela touches upon a nerve few can. Simultaneously minimalistic yet decadent, boisterous yet reserved, jubilant yet somber, this single, shipped to KRLX from the oh-so-cool London-based label Phase 4 in the heady days of 1976, deserves to be cherished, respected, and danced to.

Photo: Loren Friedman

Sammy Hagar VOA, Sammy Hagar

This album is a turd. Pictured here in the reddest of leather jumpsuits, with this disk the man responsible for the slow, grim demise of Van Halen offers up his particularly mindless brand of crotch rock. Particularly grating is the track “Dick in The Dirt”. Following the exploits of what appears to be Hagar’s favorite appendage, this four-minute exercise in actual masturbation serves as a manifestation of Hagar’s unique ability to suck harder than the average bear. Beat to death and encrusted in what I can only hope is dirt and spit, this gem stands out as among the worst pieces of property KRLX possesses. Photo: Loren Friedman Photo: Loren Friedman

Photo: Loren Friedman

NoFi