The Rubber Room column is a weekly look at recent and notable releases that don’t fall into the rubric of traditional reviewed material—namely 7”’s, 12”’s, 3” CDs, EPs, cassette-only, DVDs and MP3-only releases.

Clearlake
Wonder If The Snow Will Settle EP
[Domino, 2005]

Clearlake's new EP serves two functions: to remind us how good Cedars was and to make us expect something equally good from this fall's upcoming release. Three remixes open up the band's sound—what was dark and enclosed before is now sprawling. "Almost the Same" takes on a slow freeze (it's the Winterlit Mix) adding a new tone to a wonderful song. Clearlake also throws on a cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" that's more fun than insightful and a few b-sides. Sure, it's a stopgap, but it does what too few EPs do—it expands our understanding of the band and its music.
[Justin Cober-Lake]

Common feat. The Last Poets
The Corner 12"
[Okay Player, 2005]

It feels good to have Common back. This track has Kanye's production all over it (check the sped-up soul sample), but with the Common flow and lyrical content we'd come to expect after his early releases. As a bonus, the Last Poets drop in to drop a spoken-word reprise (40 years plus of spitting their messages). The a cappella tracks here are worth a listen, too, revealing just how technically good Common can be. But he needs it—the Kanye production lacks the hook necessary to make this the astonishing track Common deserves. Still, good news: no Electric Circus.
[Justin Cober-Lake]

The Track Record
The Track Record EP
[Rushmore, 2005]

An excellent five track debut EP and a fine example of earnest American youth combining a proper understanding of tunes (not just songs thrown up around a single pop-punk riff) with a nod to emo and a smidgen of Senseless Things easy on the ear thrash and harmonies thrown in. Intelligent and energetic, the band get emotive without slipping into overwrought (hear the fine balancing act on “Plans to Wake up on the Beach”) and even create a level of intricacy (and intimacy) in the high end guitar work via some low profile melancholic melodies.
[Scott McKeating]

FULC
Destroy.Embrace
[Stunted Records, 2005]

FULC are a hard pigeon to pigeonhole. If they were indeed pigeons it’d be easy to imagine leather, intense beady stares and pitch-black feathers. Taking Soundgarden’s unashamed rock vocals, Vedder’s growl, and Pumpkins dips into trippiness, FULC have processed a post-grunge sound by keeping the balls and punky spirit while still making good old fashioned rock music. The eclecticism of this mini-LP shouts a rejoinder to the one-dimensional ‘we’ve got a style and we’re going to use it’ rock acts around at the moment. “Wasted”s bouncy riff and evil bass brings to mind Therapy? at their evil rock peak, as well as some of Roadrunner Records finest. The minute the UK finally recognises its own rock scene FULC will get a seat on the board.
[Scott McKeating]

Nurse with Wound
The Little Dipper Minus Two (Echo Poeme Sequence 1)
[Tour CDR, 2005]

Its time to get on eBay and pay silly money for nearly twenty minutes of some new extemporaneous Nurse with Wound material taken from the (we are led to believe) forthcoming full length Echo Poeme. Looped overlapping wordless (maybe there is a bit of really badly enunciated European languages in there too) disconsolate spoken word and singing over an expanding and deteriorating black electronic wave. As it progresses it diversifies into different strands of sound, including their usual Surrealist influence via some arguing dogs, panting steam sounds, and a percussive recurring structure of reverberating tickertape clicking. Also: beware the Stuka that goes past your face at around sixteen minutes. It’ll pop your eardrums.
[Scott McKeating]

Self Against City
Take It How You Want It EP
[Rushmore, 2005]

Where much of this young band’s first release is near generic indie punk rock with lifting rousing choruses, it takes the last track “Always” to find a voice. This slower number takes Coldplay guitar lines in its chorus run-ups and pushes them up against buzzing thumping hooks, creating something a little more involving than the rest of the EP. If they can draw from this well, instead of the other, for their full-length debut then it’s probable we’re looking at a band that both the kids and middle-aged couples will like.
[Scott McKeating]