THANKS FOR THE ETHER

Modern music history probably isn't as clear-cut as one would think considering the glut of documented information available today about virtually every band that has ever existed in the past fifty years or so. Musical genres and trends are even less cogent, although it seems reasonable that the sort of dark cabaret / steampunk practiced by Rasputina could be seen as a non acid-induced, pop influenced logical progression of what Comus wrought so many years ago, possibly by way of glam rock (which itself grew out of psych and acid folk thanks to artists such as Marc Bolan and Roxy Music), as well as a little goth courtesy of acts like the Dresden Dolls and to a lesser extent Apocalyptica.

Melora Creager may not be as technically innovative as most of those folks, but the debut of her cello-fronted group more than fifteen years ago signaled yet another odd and creative musical shift that combined poppish original tunes, well-known rock covers and traditional songs with Victorian-era costumes and a small-stage attitude that resonates warmly today with her rabidly loyal fans.

Is Rasputina a proper progressive rock band? Probably not, but who cares really - this is fun stuff to listen to and Creager's attitude and hands-on management of her band's musical direction is both refreshing and so diametrically opposed to commercial pop as to likely appeal to most open-minded prog fans even if that band's main claims to fame are an irreverent use of classical instruments and a healthy appreciation for odd renditions of songs her fans' parents probably listened to in their original forms.

This debut album runs the gamut from classical string movements set to modern lyrics ("Crybabies", "Sister Sleep") to Kansas Joe McCoy's 1936 blues-standard "Why Don't You Do Right?" to Melanie's 1971 pop smash "Brand New Key" (aka the Rollerskate Song), to dark indie goth in "My Little Shirtwaist Fire" and a faux psych trippy ditty dripping with name- dropping humor ("Kate Moss"). The band also recorded the first edition of their signature tune "Transylvania Concubine", a song that would appear in various forms several more times in the band's future records as well as their live albums and in a regular rotation in their stage recitals.

Creager finds inspiration all over the historical landscape, cranking out songs about Howard Hughes, the Donner party and Kennedy clan maven Rose Kennedy, the latter of which is the subject of a wrenching tale of Alzheimer's and aging that will melt the heart of anyone who has had a family member suffer that cruel disease.

Rasputina do their best to piece together an epic with the nine-minute plus "Trust All-Stars", a meandering string orgy with weird and sometimes awkward tempo and mood shifts, spacey vocals and a slightly disappointing ending in that one would have expected something more grand than a quick fade to black.

This is a band that will either grow on you or not, and honestly I would find it difficult to predict who this music may or may not appeal to. If you are even slightly interested this is the one to start with; if you are intrigued after that I'd recommend the live recording 'Melora a la Basilica' and her latest 'Sister Kinderhook' next. Four stars may be a bit too much for this record, but as I have with other albums I'll err on the side of the artist and go with that. Well recommended.

peace