Your Favorite Music

by Clem Snide

Overview

Rock critic Robert Christgau calls Clem Snide's music "true American deadpan," and group leader Eef Barzelay says he believes their obscure first album "did in fact seep into the collective unconscious and caused millions of people worldwide to feel a vague sense of resignation." Such comments notwithstanding, it would be a mistake to dismiss Your Favorite Music as some sort of put-on. Like the albums of, say, Jonathan Richman, this music has a homespun quality and a twisted worldview that can bring a smile. But there's serious and rather wonderful stuff going on here, too. A lot of this is not quite like anything else out there, though if you need a reference point, think of the softer side of Velvet Underground -- or at least Pearls Before Swine -- with touches of the Fleetwoods and the Left Banke. On this latest release, Barzelay is a seductive vocalist, and cellist/violinist Jason Glasser shines throughout. The original compositions are almost uniformly terrific, moreover, though the album's greatest achievement may be its reverent cover of Ritchie Valens' "Donna." Clem Snide takes the song at an even slower pace than Valens did, adds moody strings, and turns it into a near-perfect four-minute meditation on lost love. ~ Jeff Burger

Product Details

Release Date:	12/02/2022
Label:	Dotmatrix
UPC:	0090771562913

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Clem Snide   Primary Artist
Ambrosia Parsley   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Andrew Hollander   Keyboards
Jason Glasser   Cello,Violin,Vocals,Bassoon,Sampling,Keyboards,Bass (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Eef Barzelay   Guitar,Vocals
Phil Hernandez   Percussion
Martin Brumbach   Recorder
Jeff Marshall   Bass (Upright),Bass (Electric)
Mary L. Rowell   Violin
Eric Paul   Drums

Technical Credits

Brandon Mason   Engineer
Jason Glasser   Group Member,Art Direction
Dick Kondas   Assistant Engineer
Eef Barzelay   Composer
Ritchie Valens   Composer
Emily Lazar   Mastering
Chris Buck   Photography
Martin Brumbach   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Master Cylinder   Mastering
Tom Hutten   Assistant Mastering Engineer
Ryoji Hata   Assistant Engineer
Bill Synan   Assistant Engineer
Dante de Sole   Assistant Engineer
Edward O'Dowd   Design,Art Direction
Steef Van De Gevel   Assistant Engineer