Coincidoise

Talk about a pleasant surprise: My friend Bob Burnett was busy reviewing Tortoise's A Lazarus Taxon for our music site when he realized that he had been the cameraman for some of the sequences on the DVD. And in the review he talks a bit about the photography the band used for the packaging, and I realized we had blogged about Arnold Obermatt here on T.O.P. a while back. And when I say we I mean Oren.

What it signifies when you emblemize your band with pictures of car crashes, I don't really want to speculate about, but A Lazarus Taxon is a collector's item waiting to happen—if you don't know the band, really fascinating easy-to-listen-to instrumental music in beautifully recorded audiophile-grade sound. At less than $15 for three CDs and a DVD in premium packaging, it's all but free at the moment. Run-don't-walk recommended. Partly for the Obermatt, of course (gotta stay on track...). I bet it will be $150 on the used market in just a few years, if not more. What you call a window.

([Even more] shameless plug:) And while you're at it, check out my little essay on Billie Holiday. (It comes after the Tortoise piece.) Protect yourself from Satin ignorance! (Can you tell I have strong feelings about this?)

Tortoise, by Saverio Truglia

Posted by: MIKE JOHNSTON