Friday 7/17: John Vanderslice—“Lure Mice Condemn Erase”
Today, we share our thoughts on a new track from the L.A.-based experimental songwriter John Vanderslice
Welcome to Endless Scroll, the brainchild of Eli Enis (he/him) and Eric Bennett (they/them). Since Feb. 2019, we’ve been a weekly podcast about music, the internet, and where those two things intersect. Now we’re, also a M-F newsletter about songs. Our format is simple: a link to a song and a short take from each of us about what we think of it. Each day of the week has a corresponding genre: Monday is indie, Tuesday is punk, Wednesday is hip-hop, Thursday is pop, and Friday is misc.
Today, we share our thoughts on a new track from the L.A.-based experimental songwriter John Vanderslice
John Vanderslice—“Lure Mice Condemn Erase”
Eric Bennett:
Despite knowing the depths of his contribution to one of my favorite bands, The Mountain Goats, I have never listened to any of John Vanderslice’s solo music, nor anything from his band MK Ultra. His first single from the music he made in quarantine, “lure mice condemn erase,” is a sparse, pulsating electronic cut. Swaying slowly and pacing gently, I find myself entranced by its hypnotic patterns. A cursory dive through his work shows this to be a common thread, but here he only had access to Ableton and a guitar. The strums at its core feel robotic but are maybe better for it. His lyrics feel heartfelt, but upon further inspection come up either meaningless, or coded in a way I can’t crack. I sort of love that about them.
Eli Enis:
In a conversation with Brooklyn Vegan about “Lure Mice Condemn Erase”, John Vanderslice namedrops JPEGMAFIA and the late David Berman as influences. He’s a real one like that, a chipper stalwart who joyfully talked my ear off last year about Spirit of the Beehive and Tierra Whack. The man has a hefty discography dating back to the early ‘90s and he’s a well-regarded analog producer, but his upcoming EP, amusingly titled Eeeeeeeep, is his first foray into all-digital recording. “Lure Mice Condemn Erase” is a sleek transition that doesn’t feel like Vanderslice treading uneven terrain. The track’s blend of swift acoustic guitar licks, a thumping drum machine, and glitchy bleeps and bloops literally sounds like an analog vet being indoctrinated in the digital domain in real-time. It’s a sweet tune, a perfect soundtrack for shuffling around the house to. Lord knows we need more of those these days.