Albums by this artist

The Oswald Cup (1996)

The Technical Jed

The Oswald Cup

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» JONATHAN COHEN | SENIOR EDITOR

The Technical Jed The Oswald Cup spinART, 1996 RiYL: Pavement, Television, Polvo, Sonic Youth

It's a music fan's dream to find a pet record label and adore the majority of the albums said label releases. spinART Records satisfies this particular reviewer's need for a label to love and cherish, now more than ever with the release of the Technical Jed's new album The Oswald Cup.

The Technical Jed has a raw, dark edge that dominates Oswald, and they've welded together slivers of bands such as Polvo, Television and Pavement to keep things semi-recognizable.

The Oswald Cup is a tale of two styles, one dominated by powerful, brooding songs such as "Tribute'' and "Idle Spec #2,'' and the other consisting of slower, plaintive and generally happier songs, like "Two Shots'' and "Seamus.'' Rhythm section and guitars work like they're supposed to here, supporting irreverent lyrics such as "they say we're good together / like gin and rice / sort out the new world order / line by line" in "Edith Peach.''

Don't look for garish, solo-heavy songs or overly abstract math-rockers on The Oswald Cup. Like the bands to whom they've been compared, the Technical Jed succeed because they know what types of songs work for them. Pretty simple, don't you think?

JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"