Gale Wind Transistor is a hodgepodge of early recordings by the band known as I Live the Life of a Movie Star Secret Hideout. The duo of Maria Pitallano and Adam Bayer originally released most of the songs on Gale Wind Transistor on vinyl on the Radio Argot label. The first six tracks were culled... [+] Expand

Gale Wind Transistor is a hodgepodge of early recordings by the band known as I Live the Life of a Movie Star Secret Hideout. The duo of Maria Pitallano and Adam Bayer originally released most of the songs on Gale Wind Transistor on vinyl on the Radio Argot label. The first six tracks were culled from the Cherrys Constantine EP, while the next six tracks were taken from the Atom Blast 12" record. Three previously unreleased tracks are included at the end of the disc. The minimalist pop instrumentation, blended with Pitallano's sensitive and self-assured vocals, creates a low-key lo-fi pop sound. The simplicity of the song structures might turn off some listeners, but fans of Wussom Pow! and Beat Happening should find the duo's music charming and inventive. Bayer's deadpan and offbeat voice checks in on songs like "Daydream December," "You're the Star of My Favorite Nightmare," and "Charlemagne," adding a quirky quality to the band's songs. On the title track, a gentle guitar line, along with Bayer's softest vocals on the disc (similar to vocals of Jason Taylor of the indie pop band Gritty Kitty) give way to Pitallano's bittersweet vocal stylings. The pair's choppy back-and-forth vocal repertoire is also featured on "Atom Blast." It features a playful dichotomy between the band's sometimes-sloppy instrumentation and the unusual beauty of their music. The new tracks on the disc follow the band's standard formula. On "Stereo Syndicate," Bayer waxes poetically over a steady bassline and jangly guitar, while on "Automatic" the band experiments with synthesizers. On "Shake Earthquake Shake," Pitallano's monotonous vocal exercises dance over carefully crafted music. Gale Wind Transistor was released in 1998 on Portland, OR's Hit or Miss Records. ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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