If you’ve ever meandered through the hallways that surround the music venue at Schubas in Chicago, the ones where the bar and restaurant meet the venue itself, it’s easy to get swept up in the nostalgia of all the acts that have graced the stage at the venue as you admire each unique poster, most of them signed, and wonder, at least I did, what it would have been like to see some of those shows.

It was one of those posters, on one of those walls, that reminded me to revisit Dead Knowledge, the recent Moviola album out on Catbird Records. I had listened to, and quite enjoyed the album upon receiving it, but as the influx of music acquisition rises, sometimes good records get swept under the rug, only to be rediscovered later on.

I’ll loosely categorize this album as “Americana,” it’s got all the elements that make up a great Sunday afternoon driving record. In fact, as I sit here listening to this record for the second time this morning, I have a pretty great daydream of a carload of friends driving across the expansive Arizona dessert, waiting for the sun to rise while the hand-claps and unison vocals on “Tears In A Jar” quietly accompany the silent riders and their big thoughts.

This is the only Moviola record in my collection, but it’s my understanding there are more, perhaps many more. I’m not sure how many of the original 500 copies of Dead Knowledge are still available, but it’s some of the best money I’ve spent, and for an additional dollar it came with a really captivating DVD featuring five songs. If you find yourself a fan of Calexio, a young Willie Nelson, or looking for a little variety to your collection, I’d say this record is a safe bet.

Without digressing too much, it deserves to be mentioned that Catbird Records has become a “safe bet.” Much in the way we’ve always held Merge, Secretly Canadian, and a handful of other labels, I can always feel comfortable, while knowing virtually nothing about an artist, that a purchase from Catbird Records equates to a satisfying listen – sometimes just a touch of the beaten path, but a record I wouldn’t have heard otherwise.

MP3: Moviola – Rudy