Launie Anderssohn

Currently residing in the "What the Hell Was That File?” is Launie Anderssohn. Theirs is a "style” that one might liken to the warped perception Picasso had on reality. Stylistically, one is hard-pressed to come up with associations of the upbeat horn-based rock of Rocket from the Crypt trampling the laidback plodding of the Band. To make matters stranger, they take a touch of old ragtime, blister it with scorching rock and then cool down through funky art-infused jams worthy of the Ohio Players. Oscillating between these various styles — and further scrambling the mixture when they can — Launie Anderssohn have created an album that is lush. Harmonies abound on virtually every song and the overall feel is as destructive, jarring and weird as it is delicate and intricate. Then, just when you think they’ve slipped from artistic into dangerously prog territory, they lash out with straight-ahead rock bravado. It’s a keep-’em-guessing affair that is more entertaining than cumbersome, or strange for the sake of alienating. And most importantly, even when the band are landing on the far reaches of sanity, they still know well enough to anchor with an unforgettable riff.