These came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got ’em. Here’s what I said about them back then (with some minor editing):
Does the name Mark E. Robinson ring a bell? Didn’t think so. But don’t feel bad; the only song of his you might know is World Cup Fever, a minor hit a few years back for Air Miami.
If that rings a bell — and I admit it’s a big if — you might be interested in these reissues from his previous outfit Unrest. The N.Y.C. combo dealt in the quirky, early ’90s art-punk typified by the likes of Pavement or Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Singer/guitarist Robinson was the classic example of a talented misfit who lived in his parents’ basement, writing eccentric little ditties and recording them on the cheap. But on both these discs — released in ’88 and ’90 — he shows he was a precursor to both the acts I mentioned earlier, spitting out songs that toggle between the skewed eccentricity of the former and the garage-rawk skronk of the latter. If you’re looking for the missing link between Slanted And Enchanted and Orange — assuming those titles ring a bell — Unrest should be on your want list.
