Broken Spindles

Joel Peterson, aka Broken Spindles, logs plenty of miles as the full-time bassist for Beep Beep and retro-dance supergroup the Faint. As a minimal solo artist, the Omaha native also makes time before and after shows for what seems to be his favorite pastime: self-interrogation. In this third installment of...

By John La Briola

August 18, 2005

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Joel Peterson, aka Broken Spindles, logs plenty of miles as the full-time bassist for Beep Beep and retro-dance supergroup the Faint. As a minimal solo artist, the Omaha native also makes time before and after shows for what seems to be his favorite pastime: self-interrogation. In this third installment of laptop-assisted electro-gloom, Peterson turns up the hot, blinding lights to meditate on loneliness, estrangement and his own dwindling mortality. Poor bastard can't even enjoy his own birthday, opting to watch himself age in the mirror rather than enjoy that free meal at Mr. Steak like a normal person. Go figure. At least ol' Mopey had the good sense to enlist Bright Eyes' sound whiz, Doug Van Sloun. Seamless and airtight, this dismal offering features fey piano nods to Mike Oldfield ("Inward," "Desaturated," "Valentine") and synthetic trance beats with vocals that sound like the Cure's Robert Smith talking in his sleep. Pass the Zoloft.

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