a faulty chromosome
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a faulty chromosome

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""children's music for restless adults"-- einstein music journal"

Eric Dalke from A Faulty Chromosome sent us a wonderful email last week, complete with a link to download his band’s new album and information about a pledge drive they’re doing to raise money to pay for making it. It’s great then that A Faulty Chromosome’s music is extremely good, spinning a cutesy pop buzz in line with The Unicorns, The Zookeepers and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

The four piece band from Austin, Texas make a kind of children’s music for restless adults, mixing casiotone keyboard bleeps, drum machine beats, fuzzy guitar drones and playful lyrics, complete with the excitement young boys get from rolling around in a muddy field and girls get from playing in the school sandpit. It’s smooth and ambient and for the most part moves at a gentle pace, being only occasionally interrupted by dialogue from an old black and white film and the odd collision of instruments.

Their new album (Craving To Be Coddled So We Feel Fake-Safe) has more of a playful vibe than their last (As An Ex-Anorexic’s Six Sicks Exit), which was heavy on drone and had less precarious keyboard parts. And it’s packed with pretty imagery and a sense of dreaminess, achieved by balancing the melodies and noise on par with each other. A Faulty Chromosome like to sound fuzzy and mysterious; it’s part of their charm, and it sets them apart from many other bands who achieve the sound by recording on lo-fi equipment. - einsteinmusicjournal.co.nz


""you have been touched""

a slopbucket of shoehaze tremolo", what the hell does that mean? regardless of what it means, i mention this in reference to a trio called a faulty chromosome and their music, well, it's far from being faulty. it has flaws, but those little mistakes and quirks is what makes as an ex-anorexic's six sicks exit,... (self-released) work. it helps to begin the album with a nice 'ukulele solo, but then you hear a pulsating beat with ambient vocals with chimes and distorted, out-of-tune guitars. it reminds me a bit of sebadoh, sonic youth, or some local band at the vfw next to the abandoned supermarket that had huge shopping carts. they sing songs about feeling stuck, fears of tomorrow, and to be honest, sometimes i can't tell what the hell they're singing but it sounds good.

imagine if you had some dinosaur jr. or a replacements bootleg, and you wanted to run it through your older brother's amps so that it would sound more fucked up. this is the sound of a faulty chromosome, where nothing sounds right but you're compelled to sit and listen to the whole thing. it's a bit geeky but somehow after the first listen you smile because you somehow "feel it". you may not understand it 100 percent, but no need to, because it sounds good. you have been touched. - therunoffgroove.blogspot.com


""velvetUnderground on Krecords""

"This is what The Velvet Underground might have sounded like if they came of age in the nineties listening to K Records, combined with just a smidge of the new warm electronica sound that's been bubbling up for years.." - wired.com


""sonic wash""

No, I didn't mistype the name of the album, but I'm not going to attempt to say it out loud because then I will accidentally spit all over my computer, and I don't want that. I will, however, continue to listen to this album. It features my favorite components of "indie rock": loud, thrashing guitars that march through each song, hastily encouraging the other instruments to follow in its wake of confusion, hazy vocals that never quite punch through the gauze of the overlaying instruments and non-formulaic structures and melodies that play with rhythm, such as the continuous staccato call of "...what do you want?" in the chorus of "Want" . "Them pleasures of the flesh", particularly, uses electronic blips and bleeps and a heralding guitar call to ratchet up a frenzied sonic energy reminiscent of the magnificent Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah's debut album.

The lyrics are arranged in unexpected and often clever ways: in "Frozen Lake", the singer tells the person that their words have become nothing more than "phonetics floating in [his] ears". The same lyrical ingenuity can veer a little bit to the precious: in the same song he says that the person's pleas for forgiveness are insincere "regardless of soakings in spurious tears". I'm all for objectification of a complex emotional reaction, but soaking it in tears might've taken it a little too much to the emo side for me. A little bit of lyrical over-stretching is part of the deal, though, when you have a songwriter so clever with wordplay. He immediately impresses me again with the line comparing trust that was once warm to "a frozen lake" and informing the person that his/her attempts to reflame the trust--the "bonfires"-- are a big mistake.

The songs cascade through the album, drenching the listener in a sonic wash of electronics, with vocals that float over the songs, disembodied from the music but complimenting it also, in the way his voice matches the tone of the music so well. This is a solid release with no lackluster moments to drag it down; an album you can either consciously appreciate or listen to while drifting off to a sleep filled with very surreal, very atmospheric dreams. - lobster.blogspot.com


""a decidedly lo-fi recording spirit""

A Faulty Chromosome is a Texas band that has recently hit my ears in a big way. They self-released their debut earlier this year, the infinitely weirdly titled An Ex-Anorexic’s Six Sicks Exit, which has basically been on playing on repeat in my car all week. I featured the album’s lead-off track, “Them Pleasures of the Flesh”, earlier this week among my favorite tracks of March, as it’s found its way onto nearly every play list I’ve made over the past few weeks.

The album itself is a dense and caustic mix of sweet indie-pop, atmospheric MBV-styled shoegaze, and a decidedly lo-fi recording spirit. The guitars are sometimes harsh, sometimes chiming and are supplemented with all sorts of cool electronic sound effects. And barely noticeable on first listen amongst the murk are the strength of the Dalke-penned lyrics, which veer from heartfelt confessionals (“Them Pleasures of the Flesh”) to melodic and irreverent pop songs (“Anomie’s The Enemy”) to comically insightful character sketches (“The Lonliness Of The Short-Distance Walker” imagines its narrator as a drunken old man trying to make it home from the donut shop). All in all, An Ex-Anorexic’s Six Sicks Exit is a solid debut album from a promising band. It deftly balances its cloudy sonic layers with bright, strong melodies as it demands repeated listens. - popheadwound.blogspot.com


""the soundtrack to heaven"-- forest gospel"

I think A Faulty Chromosome’s debut, As An Ex-Anorexic’s Six Sicks Exit, …, should be the soundtrack to heaven by which I mean the soundtrack to eternal joy. Sound outlandish? Fine, if you don’t like it, go to hell and see how long you can endure that most recent Mammal record. In contrast, Ex-Anorexic’s Six Sicks Exit is infinitesimally replayable and immediately enjoyable. There is simply no end to which the album can be appreciated. So let’s run through some quick reference points because A Faulty Chromosome seemed to materialize straight out of thin air. Imagine the deep production and general joy of Evangelicals’ The Evening Descends coupled with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s general low key slackery and Blonde Redhead’s kind of daydream pop achieved on last year’s 23; then add to that the awesome techno that Steve Zissou pipes into his diving suit in Life Aquatic and I think you are just about there. In reality, I could use any number of indie rock and pop standards to make comparisons to A Faulty Chromosome, however, In the end they are going to come up short because there is an x factor here that is so subtle, if you blink you’ll miss it. A Faulty Chromosome aren’t here to bash you over the head with their pop perfect enthusiasm, on the contrary, on As An Ex Anorexic’s Six Sicks Exit the band is that geeky, soft spoken kid at the party who is kind of half dancing in the corner of the room and though no one at the party knows it, he is the kid who is going to end up getting the girl; he’s the coolest one in the room. Yep, humble, layered, shoe gazing indie pop/rock; not a revelation in the Moses and the burning bush sense, but more like the general realization that you’re smiling and you didn’t even know it. With A Faulty Chromosome life doesn’t seem that bad and you know what? While it isn’t the only album up there, it is definitely on the playlist in heaven. I don’t know if I can give this a higher recommendation - get this album…you’ll be glad you did. - forestgospel.blogspot.com


""Tiny Kaleidoscopes of Melodic Noise""

Equal parts Caribou and Suicide, Austin's A Faulty Chromosome create minimal electronic music that, if they were physical objects, would fit comfortably in your pocket. "Jackie-O" and "Them Pleasures Of The Flesh" from their self-released As An E-Anorexic's Six Sicks Exit,... are tiny kaleidoscopes of melodic noise that are perfect to fall asleep to on some faraway beach. Damn, I need a vacation... - walrusmusicblog.com


""gem of a pop record" -- dusted"

A Faulty Chromosome's As An Anorexic's Six Sicks Exit... just might become your next favorite loser-pop record: it's as drippy and heartening as most Marches, with the promise of more sunlight and warmth lurking just behind the chilly, pretty surface of things. Stand by for a review of the thing in which we explain a little more clearly what it is we're on about. - dusted magazine


""soapy rock""

Out of Austin, Texas, creepy shoegazers, a faulty chromosome, are pegging us with soapy rock, watered down distortion, and sleepy, lulling melodies. It’s a vacuum of the senses. It’s a soundtrack to an abandoned home. It’s probably something you’re expecting if everything has already happened. What the hell does that even mean?

With a driving force of three, a faulty chromosome is a rigid excuse for saving a dying genre. Shoegaze, the uber-depressing field of music that started in the UK, is a rarity these days and that’s when it’s even done right. To be honest, it’s not hard to see a comeback on the horizon, when bands The Jesus and Mary Chain and Britain’s exceptional My Bloody Valentine are licking sore wounds and have recently come out of “retirement.” These Texas gloomers might just have a shot, especially if their style is any indication.

Borrowing from those aforementioned bands, a faulty chromosome churns out some sad medleys on their debut, as an ex-anorexic’s six sicks exit (say that three times fast). “JackieO” speeds along with a bass line that could slide into any song by The Strokes and vocals that reward and honor Jim Reid. Then there’s some more modern sounds like the pop cultural “Anomie’s the Enemy”, it’s instrumentation streamlining The New Pornographers, only warped and more melancholy.

Scribble drawings and neon artwork suggest this is a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Why should it? That would be detracting. Most of this music isn’t rocket science, so to keep a tone that’s tongue in cheek, well, that’s honest and rewarding. This is, after all, a band selling their album for $6.66, it doesn’t get any more cheeky than that.

But it does…

“I am sorry,” it’s written in the band blog. “The album is not perfect. There are many mistakes. There are so many ways it could have been better. I agree with all your criticism.” Such humility is comedic, which actually makes for a better listen. On a song like “This is Far From a Belle Epoque”, a slushier number, it’s that witty bite that keeps you going.

Even their music videos inspire some off the cuff humor. Directed by Mike Ambs, the video for “Jackie O” features what must be old footage of some outdoor restaurant band, entertaining a crowd of seventy year olds. The music is great, but far from fitting with the only thing keeping it in touch being the steady drum beat and the random shots of applause.

Something tells me this awkward juxtaposition is working. While the band is only confirmed for a few shows out of Austin this month, it does have a thick schedule of dates for the summer penciled in. Everywhere from Florida to New York, Idaho to Nebraska are covered. Did I mention they’re unsigned? That’s just crazy.
- consequenceofsound.com


""instantly likeable!" -- ink19"

What could be better than shoegazing drone? Mmmm, nothing? No, let me think. Toy drone! The instantly likable a faulty chromosome craft a ramshackle and bratty, homemade drone that sounds like Spacemen 3 if they had a fucking slingshot in their back pocket. Yep. So yeah, little pocket-sized sonic art projects dominate the whole of as an ex-anorexic's... but it's not what you think, all overly cutesy and earnest. This shit is utterly charming and individual, like a collaged zine, but communicated in sounds; it's a threadbare recasting of all the fearlessness and hooks and sense of self-possession inherent in the best of early British postpunk and new wave.

"Them Pleasures of the Flesh" has the same battered, bruised majesty of early New Order demos, simple guitar lines join forces with buzzing synths and weary, almost elegant vocal harmonizing for something that's much more than the simple sum of its parts. "What" is a thing of strange and tender beauty, beginning with a bouncy xylophone line coupled with found recordings of a baby gurgling and sputtering, and then the drum machine, organ, and broken guitar unobtrusively phase in, sounding nearly as primitive and unselfconscious as the child's "singing." And check out the singer's lazy drawl, making up playground rhythms on the spot, with his bandmates chiming in, with calls of "What do you want," alien doo-wop style -- it's a blissed out, minimalist creep with a long, wonderful coda of everything falling apart, until it's just the baby again.

The peppy zip and tumble of "The Loneliness of the Short Distance Runner" is way more invigorating than it has any right to be, with the falling-down-stairs guitar solo, the classic chorus tossed out casually at the end, down to the Smiths-y chime of the rhythms. Sometimes you're almost like, "Fuck, this is toy orchestra Field Mice or Suicide's Second Album or Seventeen Seconds," but I'm glad they keep the scale purposely small and homemade, school play instead of major motion picture, everything doesn't have to be for everyone, ya dig? There can be so much happiness and nuance found in cheap sonics.

So if you can listen past the static, the clicks and pops and ringing, fizzling guitar amps, and buried vocal wonder, you'll be fucking amply rewarded. What, you want everything handed to you?

-- Matthew Moyer

- ink19.com


Discography

"as an ex-anorexic's six sicks exit,..."

"our druthers is to be smothered under 120-thread-ct. covers."

"craving to be coddled so we feel fake-safe, ..."

Photos

Bio

A faulty chromosome is a slopbucket of sing-sung-alongable-songs full of spazzy tremolo, sock-hop hand-claps, water-damaged cassette tapes, mashed casio chords, collapsing guitars, fuzzy 8-bit bleeps and drum machine'd beats all bundled up in a warmish childhood memory of hiding underneath your grandma's kitchen table watching an episode of Mister Rogers on an old discolored television with her overweight cocker spaniel (what was his name? Keebo? Keeno?).

People have called it "loser-pop," "hip-plop," "jangle-slop," "lo-fi-college-rock," and "shoegaze-bop." They've also been described like "the Velvet Underground if they grew up in the 90's listening to K records," and "Dinosaur Jr. or the Replacements if you played it through your older brother's amp so it would sound more f*cked up." Just don't call them quirky (what does that even mean?).

They have snuck their way onto bills with acts like: Dan Deacon, Atlas Sound, The Radio Dept, the Vivian Girls, HEALTH, Ariel Pink, Half Japanese, BlackMothSuperRainbow, and other such-sounding indie heartthrobs (though they'd like to make a point to say that these names are included in this bio merely as a frame of reference, and the reader should not be impressed because none of the bands watched A Faulty Chromosome play), and have also been subjected to the festival messes of CMJ and SXSW.

Their first album, "as an ex-anorexic's six sicks exit" was a cult favorite of many bloggers last year, and exhaustive touring, as well as great support from friends on myspace, college radio and the BBC helped broaden their exposure.

The new album, "craving to be coddled so we feel fake-safe," is a swirling journey through a blur of childhood lies in order to uproot and dissect all the fear that currently consumes us all, and manages to be simultaneously thought-provoking, affecting, and witty at every turn. And thanks to the kindness of their fans and successful pledge drive at kickstarter.com, the album will be available in glorious colored vinyl in January 2010.