Dan Deacon: Spiderman of the Rings

Label: Carpark

Ever wondered what goes on in underground Baltimore? Welcome to “Wham City,” the offbeat arts-collective/loft-show space that is home to the creative bearings of the uber-zany mix-master Dan Deacon. Spiderman of the Rings is like one long manic episode fueled by break-core tempo electronic noise, bouts of bubblegum hardcore, sprinkles of playskool-glock-music-box magic and the twinkling euphonies of a baby’s mobile gone awry. It’s a sound so kinetic and giddy that even the most cerebral person will surrender to at least a head bop, while the rest take off on a unbridled ride spinning high into pink clouds. The listening experience brings me back to the days of brightly colored 45s on a Fisher Price record player, only in this case, stuck on high speed. A smorgasbord of Sesame Street (on hallucenogenics), The Muppets (on meth), and Fraggle Rock (on helium). Buy it or die. (Tammy)