Swearing At Motorists - Number Seven Uptown
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 17 / 12 / 2001

Label:
Secretly Canadian
Format: CD
intro
No longer heard in Guided By Voices, the band's former drummer, Don Thrasher, has got together with Dave Doughman to form Swearing At Motorists. Well most motorists need to be sworn at, but with this
No longer heard in Guided By Voices, the band's former drummer, Don Thrasher, has got together with Dave Doughman to form Swearing At Motorists. Well most motorists need to be sworn at, but with this duo its seems that when they're not cursing wheel maniacs, their swearing isn't particulary aggressive. These are everyday stories told from a slightly different angle. It's an album that's over before you notice. One day in 40 minutes sums it up neatly.Whereas there's plenty of action outside, Swearing at Motorists stay indoors, avoiding the rush and waiting till it is all over. What was all the fuzz about anyway is probably a question justifiedly asked by Swearing at Motorists often enough. Frank Allison has played music in a similar style for many years, but Swearing At Motorists are much less country folk. They're from Dayton, too big for small town wackiness, but not a place with a huge selection of movies either. 'Maybe Zorro' poses such a question. There are just three films to choose from, and the track is, as a result, correspondingly short. A lot of the tracks come on and disappear, leaving just a trace of an impressionistic story. Pizza, guns, pictures 'n booze all get mentioned but only in a very casual way. 'Number Seven Uptown' isn't really about suburban boredom though. It's a very genuine album. There isn't a lot of money wasted on production and mixing but it is done with care. And for the most of it, there were only two musicians to be recorded, a pair of mid-tempo indie rockers getting an occasional helping hand from a lapsteel, mandolin, trumpet and organ, and this way the concept of the album remains true.Swearing At Motorists should be your favourite past-time.
Track Listing:-
1 Flying Pizza2 Inadvertent Christmas Song
3 Thin Man From North Main
4 Prelude To A Miss
5 Numbers Have Too Many
6 Dog WIth The Lampshade Head
7 Bullet
8 Calgon Take Me Away
9 Maybe Zorro
10 Talking Pictures
11 Flying Pizza (Acoustic)
12 Left On Forest
13 Three Wishes
14 Drunk On Monday
15 One More Next Time
most viewed articles
current edition
Peter Doherty - Blackheath Halls, Blackheath and Palace Halls, Watford, 18/3/2025 and 21/3/2025Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Liz Mitchell - Interview
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - Interview
Lauren Mayberry - Photoscapes
Max Bianco and the BlueHearts - Troubadour, London, 29/3/2025
Garfunkel and Garfunkel Jr. - Interview
Maarten Schiethart - Vinyl Stories
Clive Langer - Interview
Sukie Smith - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboNigel Stonier - Wolf Notes
Wings - Venus and Mars
Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn - Songs For The Trees
Only Child - Holy Ghosts
Neil Campbell - The Turnaround
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Darkness - Dreams On Toast
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Charles Ellsworth - Cosmic Cannon Fodder
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart