If there was a concert to see which band in Halifax has the coolest name, Windom Earle would win hands down. Taking their moniker from the bad guy in cult TV show Twin Peaks, theyve been making cool indie dance music under the leadership of Stephan MacLeod since the late 90s. Their reputation has been built on their raucous live shows, but theyve also been slowly building a solid CD library, most of which can be downloaded from their website. Goldwave, their fourth album, doesnt quite manage to capture the energy of their live show, but comes close enough on occasion that anyone who has been lucky enough to see a concert wont be completely disappointed. Combining equal parts the Go! Team, Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet and New Order, Windom Earle make music that makes you want to dance. The majority of the tracks are instrumentals, driven by a mix of synthesisers and guitars although the occasional glockenspiel and trumpets helps to fill out the sound thats the advantage of having 11 people on hand to help out. Goldwave might not be a classic album by any means, but it is a lot of fun and a good way to pass the time until the band pass through your town again.
(Wintage Records and Tapes)Windom Earle
Goldwave
BY Michael EdwardsPublished Oct 1, 2006