Album of the Day

The one-man recordings Gordon Zacharias was making in early 1990s Boston were originally intended for the soundtrack to a movie the songwriter envisioned about imaginary American pop star “Fandemian Kirk Modine”; the film never saw the light of day, but Zacharias' musical efforts coalesced into a similarly named band a couple of years later in New York City. Privately pressed in 1997 and picked up for release a year later by Rykodisc, Fan Modine's debut SLOW ROAD TO TINY EMPIRE features melodic indie pop whose love of psychedelic eclecticism and effects-laden sonic textures recall such bands as The Flaming Lips or The Swirlies on fuzzy, spacey treats like “Cardamom Chai” and “Rhubarb Pie.” The album gets its first digital release today, and adventurous alternative rock fans will find the journey down the SLOW ROAD TO TINY EMPIRE a rewarding one.