In the mid-'80s, there was a small but lasting musical movement on the West Coast called the paisley underground. Made up of a handful of bands (the
Bangles
,
Dream Syndicate
Three O'Clock
, and
Rain Parade
) who looked to the garage rock and psychedelia of the '60s for inspiration and then added their own idiosyncratic spin, the scene crumbled quickly, but the bands involved all released classic recordings and built a lasting legacy. In 2013, the groups got back together to play a benefit show and it went so well that they decided to commemorate the occasion by doing covers of each other's songs. After a few years of back-burner planning, they finally made it happen, and
3x4
is the result. Each band covered a song by the other three bands, and unlike many projects that are this steeped in nostalgia, the record is a joyful trip back to the past instead of a hollow reminder of better times. It helps that all the bands had already been playing together in some form, so there wasn't much rust to knock off. It also helps that they all loved each other's music, and judging by their liner notes, were all overjoyed to have the chance to revisit and recast them in their own image. The
take the top honors, sounding like they are having a blast throughout as they give
the Dream Syndicate
's "That's What You Always Say" a high-powered kick in the pants thanks to
Vicki Peterson
's ripping vocals and nasty guitar solo, then turn the
's "Talking in My Sleep" into a lilting nightmare ballad, and strut through
the Three O'Clock
's "Jet Fighter" with supersonic power. The other three bands play to a draw, each giving their chosen songs a subtle twist along the way.
The Three O'Clock
's mysterious take on
's "Tell Me When It's Over," is impressively Baroque, the
totally remake the
' bouncy "The Real World" into something melancholy and psychedelic, and hearing
Steve Wynn
of
sing lyrics written about him on "Hero Takes a Fall" as the guitars blaze and the
themselves sing background is a meta pleasure. It's almost a relief that the bands sound as good -- and as relevant -- as they once did. It's clear that their legacies have been absorbed by the bands that came after them, and it's suddenly possible that each of the four groups might yet have another great record left in them. Even if none of them manage to crack the code and recapture the sound and style that made their best music timeless, at least they show on
that they know how impressive and important the music they made was and have celebrated here in delightful fashion. ~ Tim Sendra