Finberg, Lars

Finberg, Lars

Tinnitus Tonight

Mt. St. Mtn.

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  Tinnitus Tonight is the latest & sneakiest full-measure serving from LARS FINBERG, world-class bon vivant and prolific Panic Rock artiste. Why so sneaky? Here’s the dirt: Finberg developed a nerve rash leading up his 2017 tootle, the TY SEGALL-assisted Moonlight Over Bakersfield. Rather than blindly leap from the comfy zone, he tip-toed in secret to a friendly but far-flung (cough*Sacramento*cough) studio to capture a reserve of slanted tunes with a proven-effective team of buds. Those comrades --- the glorious LAUREN MARIE MIKUS on keys, frequent collaborator & forever-gent KANNAN TUPPER on drums and, at the controls and elsewhere, the indestructible CHRIS WOODHOUSE --- all fostered a supportive framework that first allowed Finberg to “think” beyond THE INTELLIGENCE, gearing him up for a life in the spotlight (or moonlight, as it were). So yes indeed: what appears to be an adventurous follow-up also doubles as a prequel. Keep accurate score or you’re dusted.    The core of Tinnitus Tonight centers on an assemblage of Finberg’s most golden riffs –- trash-coustic but driftwood-smooth, naughty and infinite, all of ‘em bangers and/or buggers. Tunes sprout and move matador-like until an inevitable goring. The past-it grunt that kicks off “Burger Queen” prompts a mimed chef’s kiss. “My Prison” and “The Doors” are quintessential, truly distilled Finberg moments, compounding his trademark acerbic, out-for-blood wit with these absurdly cool, whip-crack guitars. The massively impressive “Public Admirer” is unequivocally the loudest, most damaged blurt from this doggie in at least a...

Finberg, Lars

Moonlight Over Bakersfield

In The Red

“Deep breath: It’s been nearly 20 years of high marks for Mr. Lars Aldric Finberg, shocking as that calculation may be to make. Whether a basher in A-Frames and Thee Oh Sees, secret weapon of Wounded Lion, architect of Puberty and administrator of The Intelligence, his whirlwind presence has been a reliable one; that of an artist whom people look for and look toward. With outlets as varied (be they casual or all-consuming) as this, what, oh what, then prompted the emergence of a solo offering? In truth, In The Red’s outta-nowhere green-lighting of the concept sent Finberg’s brain bubbling toward Moonlight Over Bakersfield, a statement of entirely his own concoction… A truly swirling step from a guy who’s always movin’ diagonally.  “Followers of Finberg’s recording history will immediately detect a plume of confidence around this album, an air that each successive offering has inched toward but now, at long last, has taken full bloom. It’s legitimately wonderful to witness Finberg ordering off the top shelf across every aspect of the album, recognizing this as a collection of experiments and bangers deserving of such treatment. This assuredness carries over thematically, as he tackles both personal and political obsessions with equal honesty and sophistication.  “The favors called in for this occasion bolster the offering as a whole. Frequent collaborators now stew with notable heavies from La Luz and Melvins / Big Business, creating Finberg’s Whole New Sound. The great Mikal Cronin even guests on sax, offering sophisticated bleat as needed. Ty...