Lawrence's AppleseedCast has been holed up in a local studio crafting its forthcoming effort, TwoConversations. To tide over fans who've waited patiently since 2001's twin Low Level Owl discs, the band recently issued LostSongs, a collection of tunes that fell through the cracks. Basic tracks for the material were recorded in 1999, following the departure of original AC drummer Louie Ruiz and just prior to the exit of bassist Jason Wickersheim. Band buddy Dave Ott handled drum duties on the Lost tracks, but the group scrapped the songs when current skin-pounder Josh "Cobra" Baruth joined the fold and AC began penning what would become its soaring sophomore effort, Mare Vitalis. Those familiar with the outfit's fondness for experimentation won't be disappointed by Lost, which takes the sort of adventurous sonic twists and turns that have become AC's stock in trade. The album opens with the atmospheric instrumental "E to W" and closes with "Novice Ambient Cannibalization," a seven-minute brain-bender. Everything in between is up for grabs as AC cartwheels through its sonic palate. The quartet's recent monthlong tour wraps up on home turf, when the band joins the Belles and Check Engine at the Bottleneck.
