Rodan
Monday, May 18th, 2009
How The Winter Was Passed 7″
Three Little Girls, 1993
Although not as essential as their sole album Rusty, this rarely-heard single from one of Louisville’s indie rock supergroups offers a snapshot of this legendary group in larval form. I was lucky enough to experience Rodan live during their short existence and they left a huge impression on me that’s never been overshadowed by its members’ later bands, like June of 44, The Sonora Pine, Rachel’s, The Shipping News, and Tara Jane O’Neil‘s solo work, even though they went on to acclaim and a prolific catalog of releases. Rodan was often dismissed as a Slint knock off, which was understandable since they were also from Louisville, and they also employed many of the same tools Slint was famous for, like dramatic dynamic shifts in volume and complex song compositions. But where Slint could be harrowing and introspective (Spiderland) or erratic and irreverent (Tweez), Rodan maintained a steadfast composure that was fully realized, beautifully crafted, and in effect, delivered with more force than their Louisville brethren. This may or may not be a good thing depending on how you feel about Slint, but in my opinion, any group that’s able to even approach the sonic terrain Slint mastered is well worth checking out.
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