Eva Luna

WANDERLUST starts like a theme to a shark movie including something that sounds like rain, but better. the listener is immediately subjected to Calahan's mood swings as he describes the nobility of being homeless and lapses into a scathing criticism of modern society.

TAR BABY oscillates between Fiedler's sexy babble and loud noise crashes, after which everyone kind of takes a breather before starting up again. brilliantly quirky

LITTLE THING is a warm glowing sound collage that flies off the disc. It's detailed bass line and progressive scales make this a sensual dreamscape. It leads you head-on into the angry wall called CITY POISON which dismembers and disembowels any but the most environmentally conscious and socially responsible. CITY POISON is a classic song for anyone justifiably P-Oed at anything. It's impossibly critical, hilariously livid, and surprisingly accurate.

SWEETHEART is the first Moonshake song I ever heard. I still come back to it years later for it's sensual splicing of grinding guitar, sweet talk and bump & grind rythm. It has the signature "ringy-sounding" guitar, I think, horn samples, and spacey drops that set these artists apart.

SPACESHIP EARTH is beautiful noise that will drive away your annoying relatives during the holidays, but bathes you in a hyped-up kitchy version of Sonic Youth's sound collages.

I highly recommend Moonshake's "First" ep which is hard to find, and "Secondhand Clothes" taken from the original Eva Luna album. "Big Good Angel" is good enough to be an extension of this album into even more ecclectic subject matter including seances and child protective services! SEANCE is a personal favorite about frustrated man trying to make "inner contact" with his deceased spouse and getting ripped off by a charlatan psychic in the process. WHO WRITES SONGS ABOUT THAT?

Moonshake's first full length cd is their masterpiece, and their only full length album to feature the writing/performing talents of both Margaret Fielder and Dave Callahan. On Eva Luna, hers are groovy, trancey, whispery songs that make you want to gyrate; his are disdainful yet brilliant social commentaries, usually bombastic. (Margaret went on after '94's Big Good Angel EP to form the band Laika with Moonshake producer Guy Fixen.)
Callahan's ultra dry vocals do take a getting used to, but are definitely great.

This CD is a collage of muses ranging from Can, PiL, Silver Apples, while mixing in occasional jazz instruments (flute, sax) without ever being jazzy (though later compositions would.)

Highly recommended, though do give it several listens. Margaret actually suggests listening to it with a quality pair of headphones to hear everything.