Some Velvet Sidewalk

The Lowdown (K)
by Bob Ham

From the K stable lumbers a new disc from longtime indie gods, Some Velvet Sidewalk. This release features three remixes from their last full-length, Generate!, as well as four brand-spanking new songs. The new tracks expand on the newfound groove that frontman Al Larsen has gotten stuck in his craw, with off-kilter funk beats propelling Al’s vocal and guitar work into a boot-shaking frenzy, but the remixes put forth some great interpretations of the SVS sound. One takes “Valley of the Clock” into near-dub territory, while another adds a frighteningly good drum’n’bass-ish vibe to “Split the Scene.” The last turns “Valley…” into a veritable sludge roar, slowing down the song to tar pit speed and letting the groove bubble out slow and sure.