Banana Nutrament

4/15/2006
I Blame Nick Sylvester


No, I don't. Not really. But for a while there I thought it strange that the February 7th release of Psychic Ills' Dins didn't merit even a passing mention in the Voice or Pitchfork (where Social Registry is an advertiser). I figured the review had been assigned or claimed by Sylvester, who had, uh, more pressing concerns in early March. I had given up on seeing a review until a stray googling revealed one done in late March, by a Sam Ubl, who dropped a 7.4 and pretty much phoned in the rest of the review.

I don't know if a Sylvester review of Dins would have been kinder, or more revelatory, but I did do some math:

(Some kind soul calculated these averages, I'm not that dorky)


Sylvester's critical ear averages, err, averaged out to a 6.563, actually beneath Ubl's 7.003. Accounting for this, Dins' 7.4 dips to a lowly 6.935. Don't forget to add his DFA/Social Registry modifer though, which tacks on +1.5 points to arrive at a theoretical Sylvester score of 8.4. Sounds about right.

Good news is dude isn't moping in his parents' basement, or worse, gone Hollywood on us. He's keeping the flame alive at his new blog Riff Market, and he's even revisited his first one for a self-interview.

All of this has very little to do with Psychic Ills' live act, and for that I'm sorry. I made a fool of myself raving about them here, probably could have used a couple days of critical distance from the performance. Psychic Ills are soon performing again in NYC, this time headling, at the Knitting Factory on May 20th. Opening will be labelmates Telepathe and Electroputas. Caitlin Cook and Calder Martin, formerly of Excepter, are also on the bill with their Vizusa project.

Psychic Ills - Red-Split
**Buy Issue #6 of Galactic Zoo Dossier at Drag City**


Everyone pulls out the tired though apt Hawkwind comparisons when describing Pyshic Ills' sound. I hear something older than that, maybe Henry Flynt? The Dia Foundation builds a dream house for crusty old LaMonte Young, so where's the Flynt Fun Factory?

Henry Flynt - Echo Rock
**Buy it from Fusetron**