David Yow

Fans of David Yow's past work in Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard are sure to be jarred by this primarily instrumental album of surreal, sinister, cinematic music he began making on a whim years ago, but, in many ways, it encompasses the entire breadth of his expression. Born in 1998, when Yow began messing with Pro Tools recording software, Tonight You Look Like a Spider was originally created for Mike Patton's Ipecac imprint. Close to a decade later, Yow finished the strange, computer-y, vaguely classical, horror-movie-tinged, screeching, stomping LP, but, when Ipecac altered their plans, he took some time to find Joyful Noise. The no-stakes happenstance of the story is palpable on "Opening Theme." Yow's first solo composition, it's a ten-minute suite dripping with midi sounds and is searching and exploratory. Its dark humour and harrowing elements appear throughout the record and are definitely Yow trademarks. A confrontational frontman, he possesses a charismatic theatricality, which he's been utilizing of late as a working actor. A graphic and visual artist, Yow created limited edition concrete blocks for this record, gleefully lining the cement with nails and dead flies. So, in a sense, this project is as close to inside Yow's twisted mind as fans have gotten, And it's a compelling, nightmarish realm for certain.