Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 09:21:30 +0000 From: Andrew Norman (nja@LEICESTER.AC.UK) Subject: Re: Lababrador or something I found the second album "The Long Arm of Coincidence" at the weekend, and it is every bit as good as the self-titled debut. Jessamine are a bit difficult to describe - they use antique synthesisers, distorted guitars, complex rhythms, male and female vocals. Imagine Stereolab's more experimental side (but without Stereolab's repetitiveness), Sonic Youth's improvised side (but without Kim "Grunter" Gordon ruining everything by trying to sing), and Sonic Boom (Jessamine have been his backing band on occasion, and recently released an EP with him). And the packaging for the new one is superb - that "post-rock" embossed wholemeal cardboard envelope style, but with really beautiful artwork. Fellow Kranky bands Bowery Electric and Magnog are also worth a listen if you like this sort of thing (both a bit more guitar-oriented than Jessamine, and Magnog are a bit like a watered-down BE/Labradford mixture, but still pretty good). -- Andrew Norman, Leicester, England nja@le.ac.uk