Quixotic/Taxidermy. 2007. Produced by Jonathan Durlam and Thomas Comerford.

Out on Backward Masking Records NOW! Cover art by Becca Taylor!

Recorded by Kris Poulin at the L@b East, Scott Adamson at Semaphore and Jonathan Durlam. Mixed by Kris Poulin at Semaphore.

• FOSSIL • King Pop • Glass Case Full of Dead, Stuffed Birds • Mercenary • Holocaust •

• Mercury • Without a Word • Roar or R.I.P. • Crackdown • Pilgrim •

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PRESS:

• "Comerford ... sings in a nasal tenor that reminds me of Bill Callahan (the artist formerly known as Smog), ripping through shambling, melodic rock tunes with a bored swagger. There’s a definite shot of the Rolling Stones here, particularly in the looseness of the arrangements, but Kaspar Hauser doesn’t seem particularly concerned with using classic rock ‘n’ roll riffery; the guitars sputter and clamber more than they groove. A few ballads embrace a darker, more atmospheric vibe—including a surprisingly good cover of Big Star’s 'Holocaust,' a tough tune to mess with—but ultimately Comerford’s writing and the way he comfortably wears the skin of these warmly familiar songs is what puts the band over. Even when the songs seem like they’re about to fall apart, his singing threads them back together." -Peter Margasak, Post No Bills/Chicago Reader

• "The latest from the group, this year's pretty much stellar all around Quixotic/Taxidermy, finds Comerford crafting swagger-filled vignettes and empty motel room crooning ballads ... This is certainly a must-listen." --Jeff Meltz, The Culture of Me

• " ... Quixotic/Taxidermy is a strong elemental journey through basic but effective pop songs. Comerford's voice is at the forefront pretty much the whole way through--his slacker-rock spew matched with pieces of Southern twang make a nice vocal concoction. When he includes electronic parts, such as the strange back-up keyboard effects in 'King Pop,' it never distracts, only adds to the live instruments. Everything is very, very loose--so much so that it seems the songs will devolve into nothing at any moment--but that's what makes the album exciting, full of worry, and though everything works out OK, unpredictable. 'Glass Case Full of Dead Stuffed Birds' features a chorus that could easily be found in a Califone song--but with Comerford's voice, it's more of a celebration." -Tom Lynch, New City (print)

• "You'll find that this newer album is quite a development from previous records showing a more mature style of both multi-instrumentals and thought provoking lyrics. But all in all, after sampling several albums, I've decided they collectively make a satisfying bouquet of sensible, Southern-dipped time-worn tracks." --Christy Mannering, Bring Me Up

• " Kaspar Hauser, the product of singer-songwriter Thomas Comerford’s lo-fi, indie rock sensibilities and a stable of more-than-capable musicians, bristles with energy and hooks galore on the 10-song Quixotic/ Taxidermy. Comerford lends his warm crooning to guitar-driven rockers such as 'King Pop,' 'Glass Case Full Of Dead, Stuffed Birds,' and 'Without A Word,' at times evoking Sebadoh, Lou Reed, and even The Meat Puppets." -Jason Scales, Illinois Entertainer

• "Quixotic / Taxidermy ... is an extremely tight sounding album, with glimpses of Jay Farrar, Neil Young and J. Mascis throughout. The liner notes recommend that you play it loud, and that’s excellent advice because this album is chock full of rip-snorting rock and roll. The album kicks off with 'Fossil,' a Rolling Stones style riff that attacks the listener right away, and pins him to the ground to make sure he keeps listening. 'King Pop' introduces some slightly new-wavy keys and handclaps, but it still manages to have an alt-country bite to it that sounds out of this world, along with lyrics of one who would 'trade his kingdom for a song.' Which is what pure country is all about, isn’t it? ... My personal favourite song is 'Mercury,' a hooky tour de force full of passionate harmonies. Actually, my other favourite song is the excellently titled 'Roar or R.I.P.' which reminds me a lot of the aforementioned Farrar, with a real cool sounding honky-tonk piano backing up this fanatical rocker. In fact, the best moment of the whole album is at about 1:51 into that song, the part where a highly infectious bridge leads into the climactic dénouement, the music stops … briefly … drum roll … explosive ending!!! Awesome!" -Bob Battams, Itsnotthebandihateitstheirfans

• "When I saw the words Kasper Hauser in the subject line of the email, I immediately thought of Werner Herzog and decided to give it a go. And it was surprisingly good. I recommend checking it out if you dig on some Rolling Stones or Kinks tunes." -Michael, 15 Minutes to Live

• "Kaspar Hauser knows that you really can't go wrong when you set the 66-key Casio to 'Harpsichord,' add a good measure of some hand claps, sing about trading "your kingdom for a song," and top it all off with repeating falsettos and a harmonica at the end. It's a recipe for success every time." -John, The Smudge of Ashen Fluff

• "QUIXOTIC/Taxidermy, is a completely DIY affair ... You know the type of disc I'm referring to: the kind with the hand screened artwork, cardboard sleeve and an under produced, 'local band' sound. Consider this an exception to the rule ..." -Craig Bonnell, Gapers Block--Transmission

• "Imagine my surprise, then, upon seeing the name of a band we were sharing a bill with last July - Kaspar Hauser ... KH were a blast to watch, and their new release QUIXOTIC/Taxidermy is terrific." - David Roth, Sharkforum