I remember listening to the first Sea Donkeys record ("Volume 1") shortly after its release a couple years back and thinking, "OK, this is going to take some getting used to." Parts of it sounded like Burl Ives screaming in the bathroom as he tried to pass Tony Snell through his urethra. I filed it away for a rainy day. The next thing I know, a second Sea Donkeys full-length is arrived at my doorstep. This one, entitled "Live At The S.S. Marie Antoinette," has the additional distinction of being the first release on a new label, Assophon. I poured myself a glass of wine, and sat back in the rocking chair and listened to it straight through. The twangy, burnt-out opener with its cobbled bridges, rusty hooks and halfjapped vocals put me in just the right mood, transporting back to the glorious days of yesteryear when the In The Pineys 10" was as fresh as a slap in the face. The Sea Donkeys' version of "Rainy Day" sounds more like an independently discovered riff and lyric than a Faust cover. They now own the song. Midway through the electric drill solo, I'd forgotten I'd ever heard of silly labels like "krautrock," "jazz," or "music." Side 2 begins with another album highlight, "Ethnic," sung with the deranged righteousness of a jug-empowered wino relieving himself against the side of your house. The entire album is perfectly recorded for my ears, room mic'd without any evident post-production baloney or pre-production pretensions. And rumor has it that there's a different drummer on every track. I like them all. You can order direct from Assophon by clicking here.
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