The EP, as a form, has never really been developed. Stuck between the quick, easily packaged single and the extended concept of a full album, the EP has usually been used as a promotional tool for unknown acts who don’t have that many original songs but need something to show to record labels.
There have been some notable exceptions, such as Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown” EP, which created hard-core punk in just over five minutes. Mission of Burma’s “Signals, Calls and Marches” was an important part of that short-lived band’s discography and Alice in Chains’ “Jar of Flies” proved that EPs could sell.
But bands generally release EPs out of necessity rather than out of the desire to create some kind of serious musical statement. The second EP by Eisley, entitled “Marvelous Things,” is an exercise in necessity. Without the personality or talent to drum up any interest during the recording’s 15 minutes, the band probably needs all the promotional material it can get.
In fact, the only thing this recording has going for it is its brevity. Throughout the course of four songs, Eisley aims for a kind of light mysticism, punctuated by vocal harmonies and atmospheric arrangements. However, their attempts at transcendence end up making them entirely forgettable, and their uninspired melodies and bland instrumentation aren’t much help either.
Eisley is such an unimportant, uninteresting group that I almost feel bad knocking them. Almost, but not quite. Their music sounds like the soundtrack for a show on The WB, and it will be a sad day for our already weary and bruised culture if they ever make it to the big time and garner some radio play.
A band that does inspire me with some confidence in our musical future is Yeltsin. With their self-titled EP, they are able to do everything that Eisley fails to accomplish: capture the mood of a particular style and play it as well as possible. In this case the style is independent rock, which is about as indefinable a label as is imaginable. But if it can be said that modern indie rock has a sound, then this is it.

This is music that feels almost custom-made for college radio. I’m not sure if that sounds good or bad, but I mean it in the best possible way. There are musical reference points scattered throughout — a little Jesus and Mary Chain here, a bit of Pixies there — making the songs sound like someone else, just not anyone in particular.
The 17 short minutes of music on this EP feels like a polished, pristine version of every good demo I’ve heard this past year. It’s like a distillation of all that is worthwhile in modern musical trends. If I sound like I’m fawning, it’s because really good music is rare and hearing it from a band based in Eugene is always reason for celebration.
So while the EP may never come around as a true artistic style, it will always be an excellent bearer of the short, sweet bliss of great pop music. Yeltsin plays Saturday at Luckey’s Cigar Club, located at 933 Olive St. Contact the club at 687-4643 for showtime and ticket info.