Hermanos Guzanos - "UFO Executives"
(Orange Entropy Records 2001, OE 072)
Hermanos Guzanos - "UFO Executives"
(Orange Entropy Records 2001, OE 072)
From Aural Innovations #18 (January 2002)
When I first listened to Hermanos Guzanos, their sound took me back to my early days in college radio, circa 1983. I was into Pink Floyd and Hawkwind in those days. Most of the other programmers at the radio station were into stuff that sounded like Hermanos Guzanos. Imagine a lo-fi sound that's sort of a cross between The Cramps and Alien Sex Fiend (hey, throw in a little Pressurehed and just a touch of Syd Barrett while you're at it) and you'll get an idea of what to expect, perhaps. With its "tape recorder in the bedroom" production values, unrelenting quirkiness, clunky playing, and brief tunes (many fall short of the 2-minute mark), UFO Executives can be a tough listen for the uninitiated.
The band, consisting of Gary Wray, Darrell Draeger, and Brain James Riedel (with guest vocals by Slim the Drifter), cover a lot of strange territory on UFO Executives. She Rides Her Bike has a bit of that Syd Barrett, psychedelic sound, and Nuclear Powered Family generates some whacked out spaciness. Deep Blue Sea is a pure noise-fest, while Leather Lovers is tongue in cheek, early 80's kinkiness. Baldman is pure, wasted blues, and Backside of Your Glove, the longest track on the album at 4 ½ minutes, is laidback, sleazy rock n' roll. Those Cowgirls is something like country musicians trying to do techno and Waste of Time is a soulful ballad!
Like I say, a lot of strange territory. It's an oddball album to be sure, and probably not to everyone's tastes, but if you remember college radio in the early 80's with a certain degree of nostalgic fondness, you may find something here to enjoy.
For more information you can visit the Orange Entropy web site at: http://www.orangeentropy.com.
Contact via snail mail c/o Orange Entropy; 327 Evanston Drive, East Windsor, NJ 08520.
Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald