MIKE REP AND THE QUOTAS
A Tree Stump Named Desire (Anyway Records)
Ohio must be one of the strangest (and hippest) places on Earth. Not only is it the home state of well-known esoteric favorites Jarmusch, Thomas and Mothersbaugh, it's also where Mike Rep (a.k.a. Hummel) chooses to call home. Although Rep isn't exactly a household name like his native counterparts, he recorded his first 7" in 1976, the year Pere Ubu debuted itself to the world, and has been at it ever since.
After assisting Guided By Voices with "Propeller" in '91, things have gotten a little busier for Mike, who has put out four releases in as many years. His newest is about as individualistic and freaky as it gets, sounding as though he gets equal inspiration from Wild Man Fisher and Brian Eno. "A Tree Stump Named Desire" has the lovely sound of an immensely overdriven home recording. You know, the warm, fuzzy distortion of a 4-track with all of its meters pegged in the red producing a rich, noisy, yet harmonically pleasing listening experience. -DM
UNWOUND
Repetition (Kill Rock Stars)