As your A&R men of the new musical revolution we at IndepenDisc try at times to bring you an "Up & Coming" feature profiling Artists/Bands that have produced a limited track CD or cassette.

    be prepared to stop by worldstallestthing is this month's feature CD. A Maxi EP / Mini LP / Compact 12"; whatever you choose to call it, it's 4 songs of pure musical pleasure.

    worldstallestthing (World's Tallest Thing) is basically the "gifted with talent" Ian Baker with help from his brother David and friends Larry Finn, Andy Schultz, Jeff St.Pierre, & Mark Yurkovic.
   
    These 4 songs form a prefect cycle as the opening and closing numbers rock out while the middle 2 provide a mellow acoustic interlude.

    The opener "free" covers the full gamut of discovering, embracing, and losing love, all in 3 minutes of the most perfect pop sound going. From the gentle hopeful opening, progressing through to the pain and anguish of the failed romance, the music carries the listener as powerfully as the precise vocals. A true gem of classic song writing.

    "the greatest could have been" is labeled a demo - hardly. The minimalistic approach is the draw factor here. Again, precise vocals, this time complemented by acoustic guitar, captivate as the heartbreaking story of self doubt unfolds. And the short synth string bridge 2/3 in is a virtuoso touch of song writing majesty.

    "lollipop up" is the 2nd half of the vocal/acoustic pair. Another cryptic heartbreaker that Ian's delicate vocals and sparse acoustic strumming leave etched in your brain as you try to connect the right emotions brought forth.

    Finally, worldstallestthing brings it home with a rousing cover of an obscure Spooner (now Garbage) tune "where you gonna run." This new wave cum alternative rocker completes the cycle, showing that worldstallestthing is not just a one dimensional project.

    Ian Baker, singer/songwriter, has been compared to Paul Westerberg, Paul Weller, Neil Finn, & Elliot Smith. While I agree with these praises, I also feel that Ian should not be compared to those that have come before - In time, those that come later will most likely be compared to Ian Baker. Baker is a gifted artist who creates music from the heart. He has elected to release this EP of 4 brilliant songs that he believes in, rather than record a full length disc fluffed up with filler songs. He won't compromise the music for the commerce. For that we admire him, but this EP has left us wanting more...

    You are invited to enter the worldstallestthing: be prepared to stop is the ground floor of what we hope to be an on going construction of a towering pop structure in today's musical landscape. We might not yet be able to see the top, but we're sure to enjoy the ride, for be sure, the elevator does not play muzak.