ARTIST: Anton Barbeau
TITLE: In the Village of the Apple Sun
LABEL: Four-Way Records
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 189kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 46m total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-09-00
RIP DATE: 2007-01-11
Track List
----------
1. This Is Why They Call Me Guru 7 3:57
2. Mushroom Box, 1975 3:41
3. Coffee Pot 0:22
4. The Eye on My Hand 3:27
5. On a Bicycle Built for Bicycle 4:01
9
6. Murray Boots Are Conquering the 1:45
World
7. Bane Edit (Sing Gypsy, Sing!) 0:31
8. Bane Projector 0:10
9. The Bane of Your Existence Is 3:17
My Name
10. Seeds of Space 5:11
11. 46 Strings 0:44
12. Creep in the Garden 4:41
13. Eric Has Gone Wrong 1:06
14. When I Was 46 in the Year 13 3:29
15. In the Meadow of the Mellotron 2:04
16. Spoken "Village" Intro (With 0:17
Birds)
17. In the Village of the Apple Sun 3:44
18. My Hair Is Oily 2:26
19. Outro 1:36
Release Notes:
Sacramento singer/songwriter Anton Barbeau's stock-in-trade is "intelligent,
fractured pop" in the vein of The Beatles, XTC, Julian Cope and Robyn Hitchcock.
He has been delivering his witty, idiosyncratic lyrics in his insistent tenor
(and impeccable falsetto) since the early Æ90s, with numerous full-length
releases of clever, off-kilter pop to his credit.
In 2003, between recording ventures with indie psych-rock luminaries The Bevis
Frond and The Loud Family, Barbeau set out consciously to make a "psychedelic"
record. Two and a half years later, the result was his tenth outing, and
arguably his finest work to date: "In The Village Of The Apple Sun."
Though parallels can be drawn between "Village" and the experimental nature of
his previous release "Guladong," what sets "Village" apart from it and the
remainder of BarbeauÆs discography is a definite otherworldliness in lyrics,
sound and vibe. Here mysticism, existentialism and futurism take front and
center, draped in sonic tapestries evoking everything from Æ66-Æ68 Beatles to
early Æ70s Eno to Joe Meek-inspired outer space jaunts to almostùdare we
sayùprog rock of the most elves-andfairies variety.
Certainly rockers abound: there is the opener (and obvious single) "This Is Why
They Call Me Guru 7," a driving, Beatlesque number with spaced-out swirling
noises and sixties-ish guitar hooks; the uplifting jangle-pop "On A Bicycle
Built For Bicycle 9," with its descending raga-like vocal refrain contrasting
and complementing ascending violin lines; the apocalyptic fortune-telling "When
I Was 46 In The Year 13," and of course the dynamic assault of the
Oxford-inspired title track itself, with obligatory backwards guitar solo
courtesy of the Lucky BishopsÆ Alan Strawbridge.
The first-rate craftsmanship of the songs themselves notwithstanding, fans of
classic psychedelia will not be disappointed by the arrangement, production,
contrasting moods and variety of timbres Village offers. The surreal ballad "The
Eye on My Hand" features a warbly lead guitar that sounds as if played by the
reanimated corpse of John Cipollina. Wurlitzer electric piano adds a mellow Æ70s
feel to many tracks, while violins transport one to another plane like the Hurdy
Gurdy Man on a Magical Mystery Tour of India. Through much of the album, the
drums often have an ethereal, disembodied character that sound like a restless
ghost thrashing about on an upper floor. A banjo makes a lovely and convincing
substitute for a sitar, accompanied by sleigh bells reminiscent of Smile era
Beach Boys, while a synthesizer drones and a phase-shifted Anton sings "what if
itÆs true that the seeds of space carry mind information?" The whole shebang is
augmented by plenty of sound effects, chopped-up edits and elements of musique
concrete, a few tastefully recurring musical motifs, and a couple of good olde
pub sing-alongs to boot!
Though Barbeau fully endorses the album as "psychedelic," he emphatically
insists it isnÆt "retro." We at Four-Way can only scratch our heads and agree!
It is indeed psychedelia for all seasons, ages and times, and we are as pleased
and proud as punch to bring it to you.