Michael Yonkers - "Microminiature Love"
(Sup Pop 2004, SP 0508)
Michael Yonkers - "Microminiature Love"
(Sup Pop 2004, SP 0508)
From Aural Innovations #30 (February 2005)
Ever hear the unwritten rule that unreleased material ends up being unreleased for a reason? Michael Yonkers, a musician from Minneapolis, had apparently recorded tracks 1 through 7 here on 'Micro...' in 1968 and the album never did the light of day, until here recently on the Sub Pop pressing. Yonker's vocal performance is okay, but his guitar playing is really pretty good. I would describe his work as low-key psychedelic rock & roll, with some energy that seems to show itself even more so on the disc's cuts 8 through 13, that are in fact demos that Yonkers had recorded in 1969. So, if they're only demos, why are they better than the CD's first seven songs? I was sort of caught off guard with "The Clock In Running", the rocking "Hush Hush", "The Thunder Speaks" and "Scat Jam" (that somewhat resembles Zeppelin's "How Many More Times?"). Just might appeal to fans of Sonic Youth, The Fuggs, Stooges and Geordie.
Reviewed by Mike Reed