The Ohioan behind these simple demi-psychedelic garage romps is Bradley S. Warner, a resourceful Syd Barrett fan who frequently displays ingenuity yet never quite ascends to the magical heights (depths?) of retro-pop resonance. With minor assists from keyboardist/singer/bassist Louanne Varholick (and, on the third LP, a drummer), the singer/guitarist indulges his nostalgic passions and intellectual interests on songs that have grown from obvious selfconsciousness (e.g., “Can You Hear the Walls Melting?” and “Psychedelic Mushroom Cloud Explosion,” both from the underwhelming Mirror Mind) to broader, more idiosyncratic concerns.
Produced by Glenn Rehse of Plasticland and featuring a guest appearance by John Fallon of the Steppes, Disturb the Air is Dimentia’s most impressive effort yet, a record that drops the derivative pretensions for what seems to be a heartfelt expression of Warner’s sensitive personality and choppy guitar work.
Revealing an intriguing singer/songwriter side, T.V. Screen Head compiles a dozen previously unreleased four-track solo demos into something less like a Dimentia 13 LP than a musical letter from a friend. Accompanying himself simply on acoustic and electric guitar and acoustic and electronic drums, Warner (whose annotation is crucial to enjoyment of the record) muses about old age (“Cannot Compare to This”), quotes at random from a zany magazine article (“The Little Things That Kill You”), takes inspiration from Karl Marx (“All That Is Solid Melts into Air”) and makes an oblique art stab at hip-hop (“Ah! Lightning Bolt!”).