THE CONTENT PROVIDERS:
J Neo Marvin (X-tal): Songs, vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, tape collages, banjo
Rico Bell (Mekons, Snakehandlers): Accordion
Alan Korn (Catheads, X-tal, Snakehandlers, She Mob): Bass, pedal steel guitar and mandolin
Tim Ennis (Systemwide, 84 Rooms, the Units): Percussion
Carrie Bradley (100 Watt Smile, Ed's Redeeming Qualities, the Breeders): Violin
George Galvas (Creeple People, the Helmets): Bass and 12-string guitar
Bob Bassham (Joshua's Shadow): Drums
Sid Merritt (Weenie Roast, Squirrel Grab, Swive, Barbara Manning): Clarinet
REVIEWS:
"Artist: J Neo Marvin and the Content Providers
CD: Slowly I Turned
© 2001 Ear Candle Recordings
What comes to mind: remembrance - galloping horses - spring afternoon - easy listening - Baghdad marketplace - motorcycle riding - gypsies
My favorite songs: #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10
Overall view: worth living for"
--Keith Savage
"J. Neo (for what, exactly, would "Neo" be short?) sounds like he has been about this whole rock and roll thing for a while; the Content Providers seem more like a roving, rotating band of loosely connected sidemen than a "band" in the "...and the Attractions" or "...and the Heartbreakers" sense. Thus, it is clear that the spotlight is glaring on Marvin and his songs: on some tracks, the only accompaniment is one of those egg-shaker percussion instruments, while other songs feature guitar-bass-drums-and-what-have-you full band treatments.
"Mr. Marvin's music works in both types of setting. It deals primarily with the vagaries of love, the melancholy of getting older, and the inevitability of demise. "Dog Days", in particular, is a strongly evocative glimpse at the musician as he ages: "My precious youth's been pissed away... / I'm not much fun to sleep with / Because every morning / I wake up screaming." Marvin's speaker here is ruefully wise: "I did not want a normal life / I wanted freedom, vaguely defined / I knew what I did not want / That much was crystal clear / I never thought enough about / What I actually wanted." It's not poetic (indeed, it's pretty leaden), but it's honest.
"The best moments on this album have that quality; sure, there are times, as with a particularly bright accordion melody, when the music becomes pretty and lyrical, but the lion's share of Slowly I Turned's pleasures are found in the ugly awkwardness of Marvin's rueful, wiser-for-wear worldview." -- Brett McCallon-SPLENDID E-ZINE
"Look in the dictionary under 'bittersweet' or 'melancholy' and there should be a picture of J Neo Marvin, right next to the one of Elliott Smith. Marvin has built a catalog of songs that blend the tender but twisted feel of the third albums by the Velvet Underground and Big Star with the punk-folk vibe of the Mekons, whose Rico Bell is featured on accordion here. Starting in the late '80s with his highly underrated band X-tal, Marvin has been crafting his in-your-face lyrical vision and spoken-word singing into something quite beautiful. This is his masterpiece."
-Pat Thomas, DEVIL IN THE WOODS
"J Neo Marvin has been an "indie rocker" longer than the term has existed. His San Francisco group X-tal toured and recorded fairly relentlessly in the 80s and early 90s, playing a roughly strummed mixture of dark, intimate pop and sly social commentary. Also a noted rock journalist, Marvin is back on the boards with a new album, SLOWLY I TURNED, and a revolving-door band called the Content Providers. The new record is as good as anything from the X-tal catalog and features superb guest appearances from the Mekons' Rico Bell, Systemwide percussionist Tim Ennis, and Catheads bassist Alan Korn. Marvin has retained his courage and his wit and...should not be missed."
-John Chandler, PORTLAND MERCURY
"There are a lot of incredible songs on the tape you sent. It's stylistically all over the map, but really centered by a very focused personality at its core. It reminds me at times of a much more daring and uninhibited Wedding Present, even a little bit like the Replacements, the Only Ones, or even the Church in spirit, though without the self-importance or attitude. I even hear a little early Freedy Johnston. It doesn't really sound like anything that's coming out nowadays. It seems firmly rooted in late 70s to mid-80s underground rock. It's a really well-textured album with some really interesting sounds coming in and out. The violin work is especially nice."
-Excerpt from an extraordinarily nice rejection letter from Chris Swanson of Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar Records. Thank you, Chris.
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