Kramer's recorded output has been less prevalent lately than in the early years of this decade, when his production talents had as much indie credibility as his label, Shimmy Disc, and his space-folk band, Bongwater. When rumors about Shimmy Disc's business practices tarnished Kramer's image, he withdrew to produce a who's-who of the New York scene -- including Galaxy 500, whose drummer (Damon Krukowski) appears here.
"Songs from the Pink Death" is a churning mixture of layered guitar and toneless vocal harmonies -- a style where no sound, no matter how unintentional, feels out of place. Kramer's influences surface frequently. The descending guitar riff from the Beatles' "The Continuing Adventures of Bungalow Bill" closes "Buddy Holly Will Never Die," and a lazy rendition of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" does strange justice to the Lennon/McCartney penned song.
This recording has plenty of retro appeal for those who followed the Shimmy Disc label, and enough millennial mopery to sound fresh in 1998.
