Small town desperation and boredom can bring out the worst in folks—small-headedness, celebrated ignorance, and regression. It can also bring out the best in folk—the blossoming of creation out of what would most consider “absolutely fucking nothing.” And that’s what Spidder and the accompanying Rise Up Howling Werewolf 7” is all about. It’s an examination of “a place where nothing ever happens,” where there are heavy forces in place (culture, family, jobs) that make sure that it stays that way. And not only is it a scream in the middle of cultural wilderness, it’s a beautiful testament to building your own home (culturally), wherever you are. From the silk-screened cover (on the other side of a Life cereal box), to the comics about a penguin helping out a cat, to crude but effective drawings and the Slacker-like shuffling of Howling Werewolf’s cancelled first show, to the ghost-like, home-recorded sounds of that band, I can’t help but feel like something special’s in my hands and my record player. It’s a steal for $5. –Todd (Arkam, 1925 Hwy. 69, Savannah, TN 38372)