Polvo - s/t ep (1991, Kitchen Puff/1996, Jesus Christ)

I believe it was Alan Alda who coined the phrase, "If it bends it's funny, if it breaks, it's not." Straight outta the glistening hotbed of Chapel, Hill, NC, Polvo's utterly malleable song sculptures were not merely bent, but perhaps a little mangled too. Crooked and sinuous as-all-get-out guitar tunings, somewhat buried vocals, and an uncanny off-kilter stop/start penchant were all seemingly indigenous to perhaps the most original indie-rock troupe ever, at least in the '90s for sure. Many albums and eps were cut for Merge Records, but this self-titled ep commenced Polvo's recorded output.

Originally making the light of day as a double 7" for Kitchen Puff Records in '91, it entered the digital age five years later on the short-lived but substantial Jesus Christ Records label, retaining it's seven tunes but not a shred of the original artwork (I've included jpegs of the Kitchen Puff sleeve within file, swiped from Ebay). The lead-off cut, "Can I Ride" was rerecorded for Polvo's first album, Cor-Crane Secret. For an even greater appreciation of this record, you can read an essay of sorts from Battle For the Earth blog. A solid analytical deconstruction of Polvo's discography can be read here.

01. Can I Ride
02. Leaf
03. Lull
04. Totemic
05. Tread On Me
06. Teen Dream
07. Snake Fist Fighter

Merge Records recently did a nice reissue of this one.