Audio By Carbonatix
For the most part, it’s pointless to take a band’s name too literally. For example, I’ve stopped hoping that I’ll receive a coin every time I’m forced to listen to Nickelback. Occasionally, though, a group’s appellation perfectly captures its aesthetic, as is the case with Musee Mecanique, which headlines a bill featuring Doo Crowder and 200 Million Years. This Portland, Oregon-based combo, led by the tandem of Micah Rabwin and Sean Ogilvie, shares its moniker with a San Francisco museum filled with antique music boxes — and while listening to the songs on the act’s latest recording, Hold This Ghost, the image resonates. Take “Like Home,” a wistful air whose bits and pieces mesh together in a manner that’s craftsmanlike but bracingly organic. Electronic instruments are part of the mix, but so are accordion, glockenspiel and brass that call to mind a time when the phrase “cranking it” meant gently turning a handle, not maxing out the volume.
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