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The Apples in Stereo: Tone Soul Evolution (spinART); The High Llamas: Hawaii (V2)

Erik Himmelsbach, Spin, December 1997

FOR BRAIN-CELL-overloaded teen nerd-boys sitting alone in their bedrooms, grown-up nerdboy Brian Wilson was always a more realistic role model than, say, Steven Tyler. With Wilson, it wasn't about armadillo-stuffing, lighter-flicking guitar wankery, and barely even about words. Instead, he turned generations of outcasts onto the possibilities of sound. And when those nerdboys bought four-tracks and guitars — the '90s low-fi indie-pop movement — they tweaked and twisted and cajoled their instruments to create a musical safe-house far away from unforgiving suburban cock-rock monsters.

Total word count of piece: 425

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