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shai erlichman

Recent Clark University graduate Shai Erlichman can stand with his Boston compatriots in that he is earnestly lo-fi and earnestly weird when he wants to be, but whereas the Craters want you to groove and Truman Peyote want you to trip balls, Erlichman is more interested in getting you to empathize with him. He has been distributing his home-made CD-R “Home Recordings 2007″ on request for a while now, a strikingly intimate collection of demos he recorded on a summer spent at home from studying. The collection veers through every style of earnest indie pop one can conceive of, from gauzy drone-folk (“That Was All”), through dirgey electronica (“Broken Tapes”), and headfirst into delightful indie pop (single “Origami”). All the while he displays an uncanny knack for evocative imagery, as well as the unique ability to make his esoteric lyrical sketches perfectly fit the contemplative mood from his music. When he listlessly intones, “Martin was a friend/Who used to watch me pick grapes/Off his father’s plate when he turned his back,” you don’t wonder what he’s talking about, but rather you wonder what it means that you know exactly what he means. His themes range from the abstract (“My Love Lies Under the Yellow Sun”) to the mundane (“Running”) but all the while he maintains his relatability. And his ideas all come together on the brilliantly anthemic modal folk jam “Banking Education You Won’t Suck the Sweet Life Out of Me,” an absolutely glorious appeal to someone for something; it doesn’t matter what, the music is an experience. (This track, of course, is not actually available on the Home Recordings CD-R. I am presenting it to you, the readers, as an exclusive.)

Off the record and on the stage, however, Shai’s music is a completely different beast. With his equally quirky band in tow (most often including multi-instrumentalist Mickey O’Hara) the songs take on a massive, gasping life. Drowned in reverb, the simple patterns of the music echo into infinity against the pulsing hypnosis of the beat, samples and sythesizers inundating the sonic landscape. Unfortunately this live experiences currently exists undocumented, but if you don’t believe my hyperbolic description, then be sure to catch Shai opening for recent indie faves Why? at Clark University. Also be sure to check out Shai’s MySpace page an order a copy of “Home Recordings 2007.”

Shai Erlichman – Tunnel to Light (Live in Chinatown, Boston)

Shai Erlichman – That Was All
Shai Erlichman – Origami!
Shai Erlichman – Banking Education You Won’t Suck the Sweet Life Out of Me

EDIT: Shai asked me to call his brand new better-than-MySpace website for more up-to-date information on his music and general goings on. Tally ho!

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