‘All Tomorrow’s Parties 3.1’ Curated by Matt Groening (ATP Recordings) Released 03/10/05

Before taking on the mantle of God to discerning TV viewers, kids, geeks and stoners worldwide, Matt Groening was a music critic who to this day describes music as his “great solace and inspiration”.  An inspired choice as curator for the US version of the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in 2003, this companion compilation is as enjoyable a collection of American alternative music across the years as it is insightful to what Groening throws on the hi-fi when drafting those story-boards.

Groening’s aim in choosing a line-up for 2003’s ATP was to draw a line from The Velvet Underground (as good a starting point as any, really) to Sonic Youth.  Well, if that objective is to apply to this record also, he fails on two counts.  Firstly, there’s no VU on here, and secondly, his pencil doesn’t stop drawing the line at Sonic Youth, but scribbles indulgently onwards to some of today’s bearers of the alt.rock baton.  Really though, it’s a shame he had to stop at all.  A predictable yet perfectly appropriate opener is provided by Sonic Youth with their fuzzy take on ‘Simpson’s Theme’ before the real shit kicks off with Iggy and The Stooges’ ‘Fun House’. 

Long time muses of Groening, The Magic Band, sound lung-less without a certain Captain Beefheart, but the acts thereafter are monotonously brilliant, reading like a roll-call of American indie, with Modest Mouse, Elliot Smith, The Shins, Electrelane amongst those on board.  Like a fancy ambassador with a penchant for gold-wrapped nuggets of modern music, Mr Groening is really spoiling us.

The peerless Deerhoof go all Kid A on us with the sculpted electronica of ‘Desperaceré’, while The American Analog Set steal the show with the understated magnificence of ‘Come Home Baby Julie, Come Home’.  Quite how Daffy Duck got on to the album is something of a mystery (OK it’s a cheapshot: Daniel Johnston does have a lisp.  But he also has all the poetic articulacy of a cartoon duck and he plays the piano like he has wet feathers for fingers); maybe it’s something to do with the animators’ union?  But after sitting through the ten transcendental minutes of sonic purity that is ‘Drake Hotel’ by Jackie-O Mother****er, we’re willing to forgive Groening for one lame duck.  We’re also willing to consider giving Pontins a swerve and get saving instead for our flights to the US for their ever-superior ATP…