Somewhere around the end of the 1990's, I was forced against my will to listen to a second generation mix-tape of a group called Dustmuffin & the Aluminum Cans. For some reason, I expected very little with such a name, but what I heard changed my life. The swirling Moogs, the prepubescent choir boys, the gothic accordion waltzes - they touched me in ways I had never thought possible... ways I've yet to be touched since. Dance floor sensations such as the undeniable 'Feelings' and 'Diagnostics' stood alongside the cabaret hit 'Beat Me' and the cosmic epic 'Symbiote 4774'. No genre was safe! Later hits such as the mournful folk-rock 'Mr. Revere' or the perverse hip-hop of 'Niceboy' show this to be the case. The group's mystique, often shrouded in myth or intentional misrepresentation, included the irritable lead singer Dustmuffin and his ever changing backing band of mad scientists, robots and female vocalists/witches. The recurring lyrical subplot of an extraterrestrial, predatory race of 'crumbs' did little to clarify the situation. I could only listen on and hope to decipher the truth from the lie. To this day, I have not. It was with all of this in mind that I found myself with the incredible honor of not only directing their videos, but also joining the group on the power duet 'U.S.A.', a new national anthem oddly recorded on September 9th, 2001. Even if by only 48 hours, Dustmuffin & the Aluminum Cans stand ahead of their time. This group stands as one of a scant handful of my favorites to date. With this indispensable collection of truly 'Essential Recordings', they will soon be one of yours as well!
