The phrase “Cemetery Improvement Society” would be a perfect fit for Max
Fischer’s resume of extracurricular activities in Wes Anderson’s
cult-classic film Rushmore, right alongside the Rushmore Beekeepers Society, the Kite Flying Society, and about 200 other oddball organizations.

In fact, The Cemetery Improvement Society
as a name makes sense when you consider Marc Claggett and Russell
Paul’s fascination with zany, self-directed projects, which include
wacky online photo-curation efforts, an ongoing arm wrestling and ice
sculpture competition and, in the case Claggett, a new label called Analogy Records.

The duo’s latest project, a new album called Lonely Dog Island,
is also the product of hours spent plotting, experimenting and goofing
off between multiple day jobs. So too is the track “Sixth Severence,”
which tumbles through about a dozen musical genres in seven and a half
minutes.

What’s compelling about the track isn’t so much its effort to defy
categorization but the fact that is sounds like four songs -- and
perhaps even four bands -- rolled into one.

Once again, there’s a logical explanation for this observation:
These two dudes are truly in a ton of bands. Claggett has a role in
nearly every group on Analogy Records, all of which share a sense of
goofy irreverence, a fascination with electronics and a twin obsession
with randomness and absurdity.

“We’ve never set out to make a specific sound, except for squeezing
our cats in front of a microphone to get good samples,” he jokes. “We
basically push buttons, tweak knobs and pluck at guitars ’til we like
what we hear.”

The track -- the whole disc, in fact -- was also recorded with the
help of some familiar faces: Scott Cannaday and Tyler Commo of The
Projection People, one of Claggett’s other bands, and mixed and
mastered for the low-low price of some Chinese takeout, a few beers and
an Alfred Hitchcock album. Now that’s a bargain.

If a song’s value were the product of its length and its number
musical ideas, “Sixth Severence” would be a great deal as well. But
that would be missing the point.

It’s the unexpected transitions from minimalist instrumental
intros to dramatic, hush-and-swell freefalls to moments of guitar
shredding that would make Eddie Van Halen jealous that make the track
captivating at some times, endearingly confusing at others. In other
words, it’s bit like Max Fischer himself.

An MP3 of “Sixth Severence” is available in the related downloads
section at right. More music by The Cemetery Improvement Society is
available on the band’s MySpace page.
For those seeking a live-music experience, The Cemetery Improvement
Society and Revolving Doors will both celebrate their new albums with a
CD release party at The Frequency on Friday, April 3.