Stick Music

Chamber-prog/post-rock, solid and pretty (or wimpy, depending on perspective). The music is in the vein of Rachel's, Gatto Marte, or parts of Interference Sardines, though there are fewer "out" moments than in the first. For the most part the music here falls squarely into the "nice" category---that may sound like damning with faint praise but it's not meant to be; just be aware that these guys aren't as into the crescendo/diminuendo thing or wide dynamic range as many "post-rock" are (no GY!BE them!).
Most of this could fairly be characterized as music for bedsit melancholics, and, as with black metal, playing it in the middle of a sunny day would be incongruous. Still, at night, or if you have a more ambient or moody set, most of this would work well. Standouts:
4, 6. 9.

NB: album is Stick Music, artist is Clogs--atm the zookeeper entry reverses this.

All tracks FCC clean.
1. Solo violin; lilting melody---short and pretty.
2. Starts with some mild insectoid buzzing in the background; moves into some pizzicato string-hitting. This is one of the more energetic tracks. Fairly repetetive and minimalist on the whole, with some nice violin soloing on the top.
3. Moves back and forth between fairly rhythmic, active sections and spacier, more static sections emphasizing the guitar, which plays chords at uneven intervals. I find it fairly uncompelling.
4. String "strumming" and striking over and over again. Much more static than the above and also much better. Very repetetive (this is praise). Like some of the tracks on Ogurusu Norihide's "Modern", or Charlemagne Palestine's "Duo Strumming". The sound is all produced by striking strings with sticks (hence track title), which produces unusual tones. What melody there is is fairly drawn out; nice use of dynamics.
5. Nick Drakean guitar beginning, and some unfortunate singing. Avoid! Neither lyrics nor Newsome's voice is worth your while. Too bad, the arrangement is good.
6. Snaky sustained strings, even a little ominous, some pleasantly dissonant guitar picking, then a similarly queasy violin solo, ending with what for these guys counts as some fairly frenetic playing. One of the standouts.
7. Starts out mostly violin/viola duo, not unlike the first track, except for some intrusive but brief percussion (feels like Trio S's "Davy Lowston"), and moves into, after 2:03 has elapsed, essentially a different track: over a watery-sounding bed of pizzicato strings, an emotional violin solo, then just the rhythm bed. You could fairly easily play just one or the other half of this track; I prefer the second.
8. Prepared guitar and strings. Fairly melancholy feel (this is true of Clogs in general) Probably a bit too long to sustain interest for its entire duration, but there are ample opportunities to fade out if you have something appropriate to fade in. You could pair this with Michael Chorney & Polly Vanderputten's perp. guit. & cello album to interesting effect.
9. Is that a slide guitar? This has, dare I say it, a bluesy feel in the guitar intro, even though the violin part has a more Mediterranean vibe. Reaches a nice crescendo.