5 Rue Christine
2005
Buck Dharma
About This Album
Psychedelic troubadour Wooden Wand (aka James Toth) has presented his neo-folk songwriting in many contexts, and the most polarizing has always been with free music collective the Vanishing Voice. Some listeners will enjoy the free-form sonic exploration to which the band and its peers (Akron/Family, Sunburned Hand of the Man, No-Neck Blues Band, Jackie-O Motherf**ker) subscribe, while others may find the deconstructed arrangements a major distraction. Buck Dharma is no exception. It begins challengingly on "Hideous Whisker and His Woman," a static-and-drone instrumental layered over with deep noodly bass and meandering blooz guitar, and continues with the 8-plus-minute "Rot On," an extended dual-guitar and flanged vocal lament that brings to mind old American spirituals testifying that "the world done me wrong." "Risen from the Ashes" matches female vocal counterpart Satya Sai with wailing electric guitars and not much else. "Reverse Jam Band" is an overlong (ten and a half minutes) rumination of tremolo guitar and bass trudging lonely through the dark swamp dragging heavy chains (providing a touch of musique concrète). On "Owl Fowl" a wah-wah guitar battles screeching feedback (it's indeterminate who wins) while a lurching dirge slowly builds, unfortunately without climax.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,6 and 7)

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