Fog

Andrew Broder and his Minnesota-based musical cohorts, known as Fog, have made a career of departures. What began as an idea for a "mix-tape with a guitar solo" by a then-unknown DJ Andrew, has blossomed- several LP's, Ep's, 12inches and 7-inches later- into a unique musical vision?

Loss Leader EP is the latest installment in Fog's train of thought, and of course there are unexpected twists around every corner. Kicking off with Inflatable Ape's Electro-drones, augmented with bluesy guitars and some Broder's most evocative imagery to date.

It also, notably, contains the first (and definitely not the last) guitar solo on any Fog record. (Picture a 12-year old Andrew tweaking out to Vernon Reid's solo on "Cult of Personality").

"The Us Beneath" finds us in less frantic sonic territory, channeling Levon Helm, Neil Young and G-Funk / G-Folk, while painting a simple, intimate portrait of domestic turmoil. ?Then Mike Lewis and George Cartwright blast into the room with their saxophones and turn it all upside down.

"10th Avenue Freakout pt.2" features the vocals of Markus Acher (Notwist / 13 and God), who gives Broder's lyrics a beautifully understated reading over live bombast from all the boys in the Fog band- Broder, Mark Erickson, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Tim Glenn and Mike Lewis.

At a recent Fog show in London, someone asks Dose, "where are the turntables?" He replies, "They?re in the guitar." Listen for this at the end of the track see what he means.