Charalambides, Market Square (side C)

1995's Market Square doesn't resemble much else. Charalambides' trio line-up with Jason Bill was dark and sometimes dense. The most recognizable quality is the blues element of Tom Carter's overt lead guitar playing. There's some repetitive lines under his freak-outs, and Christina Carter's vocals float somewhere in the mix, often in more than one overdubbed layer. The dark, impenetrable quality sets it off from a folk idea, while it's far too grounded in guitars and blues riffs to fit any electronic/noise concept. Market Square sounds as distinctive in 2010 as it did on its release, when the group's memorable tour with Harry Pussy and the Shadow Ring helped to draw attention to them.