Is This It

Gordon Raphael recorded this thing in a basement in Hell’s Kitchen with a budget that wouldn’t cover a catering lunch for a major label act. They didn't even use a real studio. Just an 8-track digital deck and a bunch of stubborn kids who refused to listen to anyone with a suit. It sounds like cheap beer and nicotine. That's exactly why it works. You’ve got 132 records and a weirdly wide net between Thelonious Monk and Wu-Tang. You clearly don't care about genre silos. This album is the pivot point where indie rock stopped trying to be art-school experimental and remembered how to be a street-level menace again. It’s the sonic equivalent of a hangover at 2 PM. Don't look for polish. There isn't any.

source: the clerk