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Staff pick of the week...
This week...Sally picks it!
Well,
it’s my turn to convince you why you need to own
my “staff pick.” Sounds easy enough, right? Well
I thought it would be easy to write about my favorite record
of 2002 The Aislers Set’s “How I Learned To Write
Backwards.” Unfortunately, upon further planning I realized
that it would be hard to do justice to an album that I love
so much.
“How I Learned To Write Backwards” is the third
full-length album by the San Francisco indie group The Aislers
Set. The Aislers Set have always offered up a unique style
of melodic pop with a 60’s flare. However, frontwoman
and producer Amy Linton’s voice and lyrics are what set
this album apart from your average pop record. In fact, it
is her voice in conjunction with a jangly twelve-string guitar,
which sets an ambiance perfect for any mood. Just when you
thought it couldn’t get any better, Amy plays a trumpet
sparingly on a few songs including the first single “Mission
Bells.” It is Amy’s contributions that seal the
deal for me with this album. However, this record would not
be the same without the backing of the other members including:
guitarist-vocalist Wyatt Cusick(trackstar), bassist Alicia
VandenHevvel, organist Jen Cohen, and drummer Yoshi Nakamoto.
As a final note, I was lucky enough to catch the Aislers Set
live in Chicago a few months ago. I know that they are touring
with Yo La Tengo over the next couple of months and highly
recommend that (in addition to buying the new album) you try
to catch that show. It will be worth your time, I promise.
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