Vertical Squirrels / Hold True (Accroche-Toi)
Album: Hold True (Accroche-Toi)   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Vertical Squirrels   Added:Jul 2011
Label:Ambiances Magnetique  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2011-07-24 Pull Date: 2011-09-25 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Sep 25 Sep 18 Sep 11 Sep 4 Aug 28 Aug 21 Jul 31
Airplays: 2 2 1 3 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Sep 24, 2011: Rebop
Leaps Of Faith
4. Sep 16, 2011: razor's edge
¡Ah/Ha!, La Mnémologie/Amnesiaville
2. Sep 21, 2011: Memory Select
Leaps Of Faith
5. Sep 10, 2011: Rebop
Leaps Of Faith
3. Sep 17, 2011: Rebop
(Put Some) Spunk In Your Funk
6. Sep 03, 2011: Rebop
Resurrecting The Good

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2011-07-24
VERTICAL SQUIRRELS: Hold True (Accroche-toi)
Ambiances Magnetiques, 2010

FREE IMPROV – Highly creative and sometimes noisy, this excellent quartet from Canada brings humor, mystery, vision and restless energy to a widely varied set. Lots of krautrock influence here (check out #3), some Zappa, a little Fripp, just a hint of world music. The use of piano in an otherwise electric group adds a nice touch. Very fine stuff.

Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10

1. 2:56 – guitar wails over lopsided thumping rhythm
2. 6:13 – tinkly piano & percussion with exotic flute; falls into mysterious swirl
3. 9:20 – very cool creeping groove sounds like a Can track, builds up steam
4. 4:12 – clattering prepared piano & percussion: ominous start, then goofy
5. 1:42 – ambient percussion, fragile piano, slow fade
6. 10:07 – ambient noises (like an aviary) drift in, French spoken word mixed in with lonely guitar/piano improvisation, percussion rises & falls
7. 7:32 – bright piano/percussion & cool-toned guitar: glides forward, heats up
8. 9:57 – from gurgling improv to folksy-dreamy to insistent minimalist drive
9. 2:51 – cluttered improv starts spare but quickly piles up
10. 5:56 – pipe organ intro, bright upbeat sound drifts in a lazy spiral. Nice!

[ Fo ] 07/24/11

Track Listing
1. (Put Some) Spunk In Your Funk   6. L'impatience Des Poissons (Élégie)
2. Nomads, Sparrows & Machines   7. Leaps Of Faith
3. ¡Ah/Ha!   8. La Mnémologie/Amnesiaville
4. Danse Des Araignées Mécaniques   9. The Nobodies
5. The Shining Sea   10. Resurrecting The Good