Won James Won
Theorist Attack

THE REVIEW

If once rock was almost entirely the domain of the Anglo-Saxon world, at least in the collective imagination, we young music consumers of the web 2.0 are used to downloading, listening to, and sharing music from all over the globe. Nowadays, countries like Japan and Scandinavia have become regular suppliers of high-quality music, and each of us knows and follows some unknown band from Tibet or Uzbekistan, whether for nerdiness or because it's cool to say, even just to ourselves, "no one knows these except me because I don't just listen to commercial and uber-famous stuff like others who think they're alternative and therefore I'm the coolest one."

Despite all that, bands coming from the former Tsarist/Soviet empire, especially in the rock arena, are certainly not commonplace. Therefore, it's always a pleasure to be able to add to your listening list (and consequently brag about it with friends) a band from this still relatively unknown realm; especially when it's music of such high caliber as in this case.

But who are the Won James Won? And what do they sound like? Well, they are a musical collective, divided between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and as for their sound offering, if you like the eclecticism of bands like Mr. Bungle, you'll find a lot to enjoy here. Eclecticism that naturally presents itself in different forms, in a more "modern" version, less "metallic," and more electronic (and of course without a singer even remotely comparable to Patton). The influences are obviously just as new, so here you can truly hear almost everything; from Portishead-like reminiscences to bands like Nine Inch Nails and Atari Teenage Riot; plus, rapping parts, post-rock influences, echoes of post-everything. In short, the crossover updated to the 00s.

If I've piqued your curiosity, know that the album is not for sale on Amazon but only through RAIG Records (a sort of label/consortium of the Russian alternative scene), which further proves how cool they are and how your faux-alternative bands are actually crass commercial products of fascist-bourgeois imperialism.

In summary: Great Music from the Great Mother Russia. Listen! Otherwise....