Cementing The Seams

Since day one I've been intending to post this album, because it's one of my all time favorites.  Smart Went Crazy are from D.C. and share obvious connections with other Dischord bands like Jawbox, The Most Secret Method, and the like.  Members of SWC went on to play in bands like Faraquet and The Beauty Pill.  I hear them referred to a lot as "art-rock", a distinction I can't really peg to any other bands, maybe people think Smart Went Crazy are too self-aware.  I think they get the tag because of a certain level of weirdness, both lyrical and instrumental, that the band exudes, but I suppose it works (although more-so with The Beauty Pill, who seem to have taken "art-rock" to heart and upped the weirdness quotient exponentially).  Anyway, this album is killer all over and is absolutely essential for fans of the ilk of post-hardcore you'd find on this blog.  I'm not going to think about it at length, but I'm going to jump the gun and say that "Con Art" probably has the best b-side of any record I own.  It is, however, sort of a grower, so stick with it.  Try not to get discouraged by the artsyness of it all.

For fans of: Jawbox, The Most Secret Method, Shudder To Think

Smart Went Crazy on Last.fm

Get it.