Having been a massive fan of LA rock band The Icarus Line for over a decade, as well as the associative music-zine that is the caustic Buddyhead, what initially drew my attention towards Winkie was Buddyhead's "Killer" review of the band's latest album - Come To My Party. With the album being produced by The Icarus Line's Joe Cardamone, whose own self-produced Slave Vows received numerous plaudits from critics and stands as being my all-time favourite album from the band, Buddyhead's "Killer" approval ensured that Winkie's Come To My Party would come highly recommended.
As someone who considers digital downloads to be inherently disposable in nature, I really wanted a physical edition of the album. And whilst a CD would have been preferable (as these take up less space and don't need to be flipped over once a side finishes), I however opted for a limited edition vinyl copy from Winkie's Bandcamp page. Partly because I liked the front cover, but also because the vinyl's only limited to 300 copies.
Hailing from New York City, Winkie consist of two individuals - Peter Santiago and Gina Spiteri - whose sound is much like a conventional pop band that's been put through an industrial strength meat grinder in an abattoir. As such, what ...