Viva Caramel - s/t (2002, Viva/Molecular Laboratories)

Groomed on the noisier strain of period Chapel Hill indie conglomerates, most vividly Archers of Loaf, Cleveland's Viva Caramel seemed to have a good thing going here.  Unfortunately, this quartet (which btw featured alumni of the band Grain, if that means much to you) may very well have hung it up after this release.  Thus far the only pertinent online chronicles I've been able to undercover consist of a long outdated website and a 2003 interview.  Robust arrangements, frenzied execution, and ample guitar crunch comprised the building blocks of VC's mid-fi motif, but what set them apart from the typical strum and bang was an incisive dollop or two of melody (albeit a tad strained) demonstrably evident on "Russian Wheelchair," "Baby Jessica," and "Radio."  Think Superchunk with a little more dissonance baked into the cake.  If any of you can advise if other Viva Caramel recordings may exist, guess what I'd like you to do?

BTW, Doug Gillard contributes guitar to "...You Still Love..."

01. Russian Wheelchair
02. Option 3
03. We Have Answers, You Have The Ca$h
04. Can You Take Me Home?
05. Habit
06. A.R.C.
07. Friday Night
08. Radio
09. The Fall of the House of Us
10. Baby Jessica
11. Turpentine
12. ...You Still Love Rock and Roll

Hear