The Art Museums

by Margaret Reges
Josh Alper and Glenn Donaldson, both members of the psychedelic indie group the Skygreen Leopards, teamed up in the summer of 2009 to work on a series of lo-fi recordings as the Art Museums. Their jumbly, arty sound, influenced by Television Personalities and the Kinks, combined the Skygreen Leopards' psychedelic jangle with gritty production values (thanks in large part to the vintage 1985 Tascam 388 tape machine the duo used to make the recordings) and austere computerized beats. Bassist Carly Putnam (Green Flash) and drummer Virginia Weatherby (the Mantles) were brought into the fold to round out the group's live sound after Alper and Donaldson had recorded what would become the Art Museums' debut full-length album. That disc, Rough Frame, was released on Woodsist Recordings in February 2010. A 7" single, "S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G.," was slated for release soon after.