Plastic Bag in the Tree

[bobsticks]

Alright, I've been a bit of a stranger lately and so it is completely possible that I missed the party on this (wouldn't be the first time). Has anyone picked up Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble's Plastic Bag in the Tree?

Decemberist's guitarist Chris Funk's "solo" outing is anything but. This collection contains the requisite multi-instrumental voicings to pull off some pretty convincing psychedelic alt-country.Included are some decidedly un-country remakes of Radiohead, Fleetwood Mac and Pretenders tunes. The highlight of the rehashes for me was a version of the Cocteau Twin's Teardrop aided by a mandolin and mellotron for that twangy gossamer feel.


If yer lookin' for Decemberists-redux this isn't for you. In place of eloquent prose and storytelling are magnificent acoustic sounds as forward as a new set of twelves on a Martin. There aren't even any vocals until the finale, "The Turtle's Voice Rests In Peace Just Outside Salem", which is buried like a hidden track many, many minutes after a jingle-jangley culdesac.

For those that care it is recorded magnicently.

[Slosh]

Have you heard Tarkio? It's Meloy's college band and has it's moments and even a few songs that would later find their way on Decemberists albums. I have the two-disc Omnibus set which is basically most of their songs repackaged as a single album. I also downloaded an even earlier Meloy band called Happy Cactus - Cricket from 1992 but haven't really listened much.

[bobsticks]

I think I've heard of Tarkio in passing, possibly in one of Davey's screeds, but never actually heard them. Somethin' to birddog the next time I'm out and about.