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Lloret de Mar,
Laetitia Sonami/Jocelyn Robert,
The Condors,
Apollo 440,
Daniel Goode and the Downtown Ensemble,
Red Sleeping Beauty,
The Letter E,
Clinton,
Dan Susnara,
Tullycraft,
Lifter Puller,
Tomorrow,
Camden,
Dagmar 41,
Kid Brother Collective,
MU330,
Landis McKellar,
Bill Foreman
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Lloret de Mar / s/t / Pennywhistle
(7")
This fantastic instrumental voyage shows hints of Spanish music and post-rock minimalism, quietly infused with guitars, trumpets and
mandolins. Lloret de Mar is ultimately a peaceful display of individuality that soothes as its stimulates your synapses with speedily
plucked fretboard runs and booming bass clarinet notes. Dorsey and LaDelfa will cure your rock 'n' roll doldrums with a refreshing
blast of creative juices that are alluring and accessible, while steadfastly refusing to rehash the same old riff. It's a brilliant release that calls for your attention. -- am
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Laetitia Sonami/Jocelyn Robert / Le Crachecophage / Avatar/Ohm Èditions (CD)
I'm familiar with (and a big fan of) some of Laetitia Sonami's work -- particularly her live performance pieces, in which she uses a custom-built glove-to-computer interface to control computer generated and processed sounds. This is the first I've heard from Robert, who seems to be quite active in the Canadian experimental arts scene. To create Le Crachecophage, Sonami and Robert started with an object, in this case a videotape, and tried to describe the object with sound. More precisely, they tried to describe the object via its silhouette, the way you might describe your hand by tracing its outline. The result is an interesting but not entirely absorbing, collage of samples, pianos voices and sundry electronic sounds. While I don't get any particular feeling for the exact outline that is being traced, there is a certain quiet, contemplative feeling that makes its way into most of the nine tracks on the disc. Particularly effective are the tracks on which a woman (Sonami I think) speaks. Unfortunately I don't speak French, so I don't know what she is talking about. I had a French-speaking friend translate one of the texts for me -- he had a bit of trouble with it, and eventually told me that it was a difficult job and that the text was "pretty arty." The texts Sonami speaks could well be the key to understanding these pieces better, which would explain why I'm not really drawn into what otherwise would seem to be a very intriguing disc. -- ib
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The Condors / Tales of Drunkenness And Cruelty / Vital Gesture Records
(CDEP)
The Condors were once the Spitfires -- and now, after hearing Tales Of
Drunkenness And Cruelty, I sure wish I could find a Spitfires record.
This CD-EP is a perfect display of Pat DiPuccio's new band, with four
swaggering rockers, a country song and a long, bluesy smorgasbord of a
finale. Titles like "Drinkin' Myself To Sleep" far from convey the
intelligence of the songs, which fit as much within the dark California
landscape of Dave Alvin as they suit the King of Youth, Kim Fowley. The tough,
complicated rhythms from DiPuccio and Mark McCormick are varied and
forceful, and drummer Jay Nowac bangs alongside them with an anger that
suggests he and this trio are pretty fed up with being the quintessential
bar band that no music fan remembers in the morning. Do them and yourself a
favor: buy this rocking bird, and let these Condors tunes snap your fingers
all the way off. Oh, if only every city had a band this good! -- td
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Apollo 440 / Gettin' High on Your Own Supply / 550 (CD)
This is junk food for the ears, pure and simple. Apollo 440 work
the lowest common denominator end of the Big Beat jungle, shoehorning
ultra-heavy, ultra-familiar hard rock riffs into drum-intensive tunes.
As silly and lightweight as these tunes typically turn out to be, they're
also tremendously enjoyable -- there's no underlying message, no symbolism
and no sociopolitical agenda (or similar obligation on the listener's
part). It's just stadium rock for the 2K -- and with guitar god Noko (Luxuria) in
their ranks, Apollo 440 are basically unstoppable. Forget your damn indie cred
and blow a few amps with this one. -- gz
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Daniel Goode and The Downtown Ensemble / Eight Thrushes, Accordion
and Bagpipe /
Frog Peak (CD)
Daniel Goode's "Eight Thrushes, Accordion and Bagpipe" is a 30-minute piece
for mixed instrumental ensemble, accordion and bagpipe. The melodies
played by the ensemble are actually transcriptions of the singing of
thrushes (Hermit and Wood to be precise). The accordion and bagpipe play
"human music" that is "just as rich," to simulate the effect of human
musicians performing in the outdoors to a natural accompaniment of warbling
birds. Indeed, this is the effect this music had on me. The instruments in
the ensemble (in this case The Downtown Ensemble) are quite convincing in
their roles as woodland creatures -- with the right transcribed melody, even a
bass clarinet can sound thrush-like. The bagpipe and accordion alternate
between angular, bird-like, melodies and more folksy ones. The
most striking moment of the piece comes two thirds of the way through, when
we hear a human voice singing some sort of eastern European folk melody.
It lasts just long enough to accentuate the human/nature dualism of Goode's
composition. -- nw
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Red Sleeping Beauty / Singles / Siesta (CD)
The members of Red Sleeping Beauty now devote themselves more fully to their
other bands (Acid House Kings, Club 8, and Starlet), but they leave behind
them this fine collection of Singles that have been largely unavailable
to U.S. audiences. Many of the songs show a surprising resemblance to
Talulah Gosh, as in "The Trumpet Song", and almost all have charm and pop
appeal, particularly the duets between Kristina Borg and Niklas Angergard.
Though my appreciation of them do not reach the same level as their other
bands, or of ABBA, "Cinema" and "Don't Say You Love Me" are pure joy, and
all make you thankful these Swedes are such a prolific bunch. -- td
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The Letter E / s/t / Tiger Style (CD)
Well, for starters, I must say that this EP has one of the most stunning visual designs I’ve seen in quite some time -- it simply looks marvelous. I should also mention that this is the first release from the upstart Tiger Style label, and if its quality is indicative of future releases then we can expect great things from them in the future. That said, let me get down to what you readers really care about...the music. The Letter E is an indie super-group of sorts, featuring members of June of '44 and Rex among others. This four-song EP is billed as the prequel to a full-length (to be produced by Bob Weston) due later this year. Over the course of the EP’s four tracks, listeners find themselves drenched by sheets of beautifully pastoral guitars, lilting melodies and propulsive rhythms. The gorgeously serene “Goodbye” combines tribal percussion with intertwining guitar and bass lines to form the perfect soundtrack to a setting sun. Even if you're not a fan of the members’ other bands/projects, give this a listen -- you’ll find that its collection of gentle soundscape runs is hot enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. -- jj
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Clinton / Disco and the Halfway to Discontent / Astralwerks (CD)
When I heard "People Power in the Disco Hour," the first single from
Disco and the Halfway to Discontent, a few months ago, I
wasn't impressed by its watered-down funk groove. Sadly, the album
has little more to offer. This side project from Cornershop's Tjinder
Singh and Ben Ayres can't seem to figure out what it wants to be;
there's a fair amount of vocoder-intensive Air-aping and a lot of hip-hop
inflected rhythms, spiced with a sprinkling of shibuya-kei style bounciness,
but very little energy and even less excitement. As name associations go,
this Clinton reminds me far more of Bill than of George. -- gz
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Dan Susnara / Maypole / Dan Susnara (CASS)
Dished out onto a TDK XLII 90 minute tape with the recording tabs punched out, and wrapped in a photocopied piece of green paper that's
casually folded to fit in its case, Maypole displays the warped side of this Chicago inhabitant. Dan Susnara's music comes
straight from the heart, but gushes out in waves of surrealism that will smack you sober. Sometimes it's ridiculous ("Sex Without
Condoms In Front of Congress") and sometimes it's purposely deceptive, ("Minion Street") but Susnara's music clearly embodies the turmoil and anguish of his own everyday life experiences. Before you pass off Susnara as a loon who restricts himself to grassroots
media forms, ponder what's really buried on those feet of magnetic tape. You'll discover another twisted realm of fucked up stories and
flaming political rhetoric -- all alarmingly applicable. -- am
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Tullycraft / Singles / Darla (CD)
If you can appreciate the nasal voice of Sean Tollefson, you will be
delighted at the collection of Tullycraft Singles (and unreleased
tracks) that Darla Records has assembled. These 21 songs, hard to find
in any other format, create an amazing tension from cute subjects,
as on "Superboy and Supergirl" and "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend's Too
Stupid To Know About". Tullycraft are punk in the same way that the Modern
Lovers were punk -- and, were riot grrls to keep them from their "Who's the
Boss", I bet the band really would seek vengeance. As for the unreleased
tracks on the CD, the moving rendition of New Order's "Loveless" helps prove
that it is not just Sean's lyrics which make one a Tullycraft devotee, but the energy
that emanates from the band as they play with sweet yet reckless enthusiasm. -- td
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Lifter Puller's influences are all over the musical map. This Minneapolis all-boy four piece draws from Pavement, Les Savy Fav, Modest Mouse, Archers of Loaf and from time to time there's even a little bit of AC/DC. Craig Finn's lyrical bombardment is a repetitious stream of fully understandable terms, a fresh break from the usual mumbling of lyrics that many of Lifter Puller's contemporaries are practicing. It's not a standout record, yet not a complete dud either. A few tracks here and there stand out for one reason or another, be it a solid and catchy bassline or a set of riveting lyrics. Borrow it from a friend or buy it used, but definitely watch out for Lifter Puller's next release, because these guys are on the right track. -- h a-n
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Tomorrow / The Industry of Natural Occurrence / No Idea (CD)
These four tracks of blistering punk-pop rage won't help you if
you're trying to get your mind off Braid. Gorgeously harsh, feeback-
draped melodies and aggro-laden shout-chorus vocals make me wish
I was still young enough to hang out in coffee shops, paging
disconsolately through the want-ads. Lyrically speaking, Tomorrow
is odd; the structure and punctuation of their lyrics seems to be
intended more for reading than singing, and the content leans
Christian-rockward. It's hard to figure out how
the words are meant to be sung at all until you hear them, at which
point it's obvious. -- gz
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Camden comes to us in the grand Milwaukee tradition of “the Beast,” Laverne & Shirley and the Promise Ring, and thankfully has more in common with the latter. On this their debut EP the talented four-piece churns out heartfelt yet razor-edged pop-punk. I feel compelled to point out that lead singer William Seidel’s voice is so reminiscent of former Smoking Popes mainman Josh Caterer’s that I had to check the liner notes to make sure it was not the man himself. But as was the case with the Popes and Caterer, it is Seidel’s vocal delivery that sets Camden apart from the current emo pack. At times his emotionally charged high-pitched croon soars over crunching guitars and hypnotic rhythms, as can be heard on “A Sport & A Pastime” and “Moonboots.” At other times -- incessant album opener “In my New Years Heart,” for one -- he coos gently over a pared-down rhythm and sparkling guitars. In the end, it's Seidel’s stunning delivery, coupled with the band’s inspired playing, that makes this self-titled EP a winner. -- jj
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Under the moniker Dagmar 41, an odd German chemistry teacher named Dagmar
Klein has surpassed Dagmar Awik as the finest Dagmar composing music in
the Rhineland. Her first label release, Ivyation, is a strange,
compelling avant-garde work that combines a love for science, opera, modern
art, neurotic Belgians and Jethro Tull into a mixture that's oddly accessible to
the ears. Using piano as the emotional backbone to her compositions, Dagmar and
her excellent group add woodwinds, plus the sounds of airline spoons,
squeaky doors and the flowing Rhine to accentuate the uniqueness and
intelligence of the lyrics ("The maximum number of voices in a crowd appears
to be sixteen; after that we repeat and sound others' vocal chords") without
preventing the music from moving our hips. While many
chemistry teachers (my mother, for one) are endowed with similar vocal
gifts, few if any declare "life without axioms and men" with this much fun,
making Ivyation the rare artsy album that pleases far more often than it
frustrates. -- td
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Kid Brother Collective / self titled / KBC
(CD)
The debut release from this Flint, Michigan emo-core trio showcases the band's raw talent at applying sonic blows that are
complemented with a jarring frankness that'll drown your woes in waves of terse intensity. KBC has a way with words and is equally
as adroit with its blistering, heart stomping sound, which takes its cues from Dischord Record's DIY approach and Deep Elm's
earnestness. Check out KBC in its rawest form and look forward to future releases that will only solidify the rage, frustration and
emotional release that this band will unleash upon the world. -- am
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MU330 / s/t / MU330 (CD)
Grrrrr. MU330 play "punk rock with horns" -- a curious blend that
mostly manages to avoid turning into ska. That's a smart move, as ska
(as longtime Splendid readers will attest) typically causes me to rip a
CD from the player and hurl it at the wall. Fortunately, whenever the brass accents
start to get a bit too skanky, the band rallies with some punk rock common
sense. It's still damn-near-ska, which isn't pleasing, but it's better than
the alternative. The best moment here is a track called "Rocket Fuel" -- which,
prophetically, begins by whining "It's not so easy gettin up so early every
day/
So much responsibility". What I'm laughing at, incidentally, has nothing
to do
with the band's lyrics. (A familiarity with online zines other than
Splendid --
perish the thought -- is necessary in order to get this joke. - Ed.) -- gz
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Landis MacKellar / Bath, Michigan / Dilettante (CD)
Landis MacKellar is an American musician based in Vienna and Berlin. He describes the songs on Bath, Michigan as indie-pop, but I'd be more inclined to call them folkie-pop. The playing on this disc is quite accomplished, which is even more impressive given that all the instruments seem to have been played by only two people, MacKellar (guitars, vocals, harmonica) and Michael O'Ryan (bass, synth, drum programming, guitars). The musical vibe tends toward bluesy rock, with some jazz guitar licks ("I'm So Shy") and country-folk spirit popping up now and again. Unfortunately the lyrics to these tunes aren't quite as accomplished as the music. Each song is accompanied by a little story about its genesis, and in several cases these stories are more interesting than the songs themselves. MacKellar seems to be going for a semi-political-traveling-social-commentator-who's-not-afraid-to-rock image, and sometimes it pays off, particularly when he focuses on accounts of strange historical happenings ("Bath, Michigan", "A Rose for Edith Thompson's Grave"). More often, however, his songs end up being pleasant but not terribly interesting. -- ib
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Bill Foreman / The Duck Hunter / General Ludd Music (CD)
In a really strange and obtuse way, Bill Foreman is reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum. While Foreman does not quite possess the vocal prowess of Sir Mangum, in terms of lyrical twistedness and musical weirdness the two are like brothers separated at birth. On the seemingly conceptual Duck Hunter, Foreman spins tales of drunks, hunting, sex and wars he’s never fought in, all shouted in a distinctly rural gospel. Off-kilter rhythms and a strange pseudo-country-carnival atmosphere dominate the disc, providing strange platforms for Foreman’s lyrical diatribes. If you follow along with the rather detailed booklet that accompanies the album, you can not only hear but also can read about the story of the fictional title character. Odd in all the right ways, The Duck Hunter should be a welcomed neo-folk addition to any collection. -- jj
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gz - george zahora | nw - noah wane | am - andrew magilow | ib - irving bellemead
jj - jason jackowiak | ha-n - heidi anne-noel | dd - deirdre devers | td - theodore defosse
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