Trans Am - The Red Line

Year: 2000

Label: Thrill Jockey

I had almost forgotten about this band, which is odd because I went through a "Trans Am phase" about 1997 when I really liked them and kept up with their activities, then around the time of this record I had my fill of their epic sci-fi rock stylings, making this my final Trans Am acquisition.  The band didn't make the jump from the record collection to the Ipod, hence them falling out of favor...out of sight out of mind don't you know?

Recently I was flipping through an old book of cds and came across the Trans Am honey hole, and rekindled the flame. It's truly great music that appeals to a wide variety of moods and name checks a wide survey of musical mileposts. You go from the drawn out prog glory of Hawkwind through the exotic polyrhythms of Can, past the fantasy space rock of Gong, to the Teutonic krautrock of Kraftwerk. More modern references might be Brainiac, Add N To X, Oneida...I don't know, shit that's repetitive, driving, spacey, all at once. 

DL