OK, so Alarm Will Sound started it. Their orchestrations of the Beatles' "Revolution 9" and various numbers from Aphex Twin to the Shaggs put them on a comp-meets-indie map pretty much their own.
But now, Asphalt Orchestra--a 12-piece ensemble that's best described as some sort of Calvino-esque marching band--plans on recording a full version of the Pixies' seminal 1988 album Surfer Rosa.
Of course, Asphalt already has a foot-in-the-door, having toured with Black Francis & Co. A friend just caught the bill at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and she raved about how cool it was. (Asphalt, that is, not the bastardized, money-grubbing shell of what the Pixies have become.)
You'll recall, back in July, AO performed their Surfer Rosa arrangement (in the rain!) as part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, with choreography by Jordana Che Toback.
In hindsight, it, too, was much cooler than Dan Deacon's app-assisted piece for Kronos.
Apropos, Asphalt's taking their version of Albini's 4AD album to another recording studio. Naturally, they've begun a Kickstarter campaign to cover session costs. Their goal is a reasonable $12,000, despite the actual cost for studio time at some $15,000.
As of this posting, AO has received $2,691 from 73 backers.
So, yeah, Asphalt needs your help. Pledge enough money, Classicalites, and maybe they'll get the embarrassment that remains Pixies 2.0 to stop touring for good.
