OUR WEEKLY COLLECTION OF SHORTER REVIEWS | |
Simpatico,
Brassy,
We Talked About Murder,
Car 44,
The Cinematic Orchestra,
Decoded Feedback,
Rainer Maria,
The Vandals,
Bergers With Mayo,
Crimson Voodoo,
The Red Krayola,
Mesh,
Reproductions: Songs of the Human League,
Kind of Like Spitting/Jeff London,
The Places,
The Alice Project,
Nima Majd,
Project K,
Spiv,
Michael Zerang & Raymond Strid
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Simpatico / Of Goodbye Kisses / Best Kept
Secret (CASS)
Sounding like a lo-fi Morrissey backed by Eleventh Dream Day, with the low
budget addition of a heavily effected drum machine,
Simpatico is the work of Australian solo artist Jason Sweeney. Balancing a
noisy underbelly of quavering guitars with dreamy
and depressive vocals, Sweeney stays consistent to his sound throughout
the cassette, letting spacey sounds mingle with shy and self-servicing faux-Britpop frailty. Simpatico revels in the fact that its focused idealism is not
necessarily a performance for others, but a performance by one man who's more intent on transcribing his thoughts to tape
than fretting over how they will be received. Sweeney may be a bit heady, but
his sweet sounds strike a chord of familiarity
that fans of depressive pop can thoroughly enjoy. -- am
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As the soundtrack to some sort of teenage rebellion, Got
it Made's hip-hop punk rock blend works well. Specifically, if you're
a seventeen year-old girl and you've appropriated mom and
dad's credit card for a binge at Bebe, you'll want to
keep this disc close at hand -- especially for the montage
sequence in which you step out of the dressing room in a
succession of outrageous outfits (and lo and behold,
"Play Some D" can be heard in the cheerleader bank heist satire
Sugar and Spice -- not in a shopping montage context, but
close enough). For the rest of you,
Muffin Spencer (yes, JSBX-Jon's sister) and co. will probably
come across as a nice bit of contemporary rabble-rousing.
They use Muffin's proto-hip-hop vocal stylings, samples,
breakbeats, fuzzy guitars, big chewy keyboard riffs and DJ skillz to
create a series of entertainingly boisterous anthems for
middle-class white kids. It's safe and silly and pretty
predictable (formula: Muffin repeats lyrical catch phrase three
times, then delivers a punchline; repeat 'til album is
over) but, like most junk food, what it lacks in substance
it makes up for in simple pleasure. Bouncy energy and post-grrl bravado
can only go so far, and Got it Made ultimately comes across as a
pretty one-dimensional outing, but who looks for depth on this sort of
record? It's just harmless fun. -- gz
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We Talked About Murder really rocks down and dirty; they remind me fondly of the many pinched toes I've endured dancing at too-crowded clubs downtown. It's that sort of "busy club floor" music -- if you stand still (assuming you're not home alone) you will eventually find yourself trod upon. The band's debt to Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth is thoroughly evident, and on occasion -- particularly "Learn" -- they evoke Dinosaur Jr. too. Matt Buie's crisp drums and the hard-rocking guitar licks of Gonzalez and Boyd reverberate 'til you feel it in your hair, and the understated vocals serve as the perfect counterpoint to the fuzzier bass lines. The trend for the late '90s and early oughts seems to be softer, more melodic sounds, and the grittier stuff that these guys deliver makes you feel clean all over -- in a sweaty sort of way. I can't wait for them to make more. -- js
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Car 44 / Platinum Holes / Thirsty Ear (CD)
From the first run through of "Baby It's
Me," there's no doubting the potential power pop and prototypical modern
rock that will follow. John Conkle is the guitarist pulling the strings,
Dahna Rowe is busy lending her voice, and Rob D holds up the bottom end.
This is an extremely clear-sounding venture produced by former Rollins Band
guitarist Chris Hackett. While not completely void of cliche, you might find
this a fitting requiem for the "Rock Star". -- im
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The Cinematic Orchestra / Remixes 98-2000 / Ninja Tune (CD)
Much as its name suggests, The Cinematic Orchestra’s particular brand of
post-modern composition could easily back any frantic car chase,
teary-eyed reunion or drug deal gone bad that you’d care to mention.
Their debut album, Motion, not only garnered the group loads of press, both
here and abroad, but also saw dozens of artists queuing up to request
their skills in the remix department. And as the name implies, Remixes 98-2000 is
a collection of the Orchestra’s rather cinematic re-workings of output from artists
like DJ Krust and Piero Umiliani. Their dense overhaul of Kenji Eno’s
"The Fear Theme" sounds like a trip through a tropical rainforest on
acid, while their version of Umiliani’s "Panoramica" emits a
quasi-classical vibe that wouldn't have been out of place in an eighteenth
century Turkish bath house. And in the spirit of fairness, the Cinematic
Orchestra themselves are given the musical once-over by Tom Tyler.
Tyler’s re-working of "Channel
One Suite" strips the track of its usual silver screen sheen, then marries a slinky Afro-Cuban beat with fat horn stabs and
skittering breaks to create a sound akin to that of Miles Davis’ Tribute
to Jack Johnson. Looking for an album chock full of velvet-drenched
majesty? This is it. -- jj
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Decoded Feedback / Mechanical Horizon / Metropolis
(CD)
The heavy thump of the bass, tickling electronic pads, shimmering strings
and deep, echoing vocals of this duo is enough to send any
darkwave dance floor into ecstatic overdrive. Sure, Front 242 did the same
thing a decade ago, but the sensations the music evokes are as powerful as
ever. While the lyrics are fairly standard ("Coldness, deception / The
anger / How does it feel to be left in the dark"), the album contains enough
punch to keep the focus on the driving beats. Including both a video for
"Relic" and a cover of Fields of the Nephilim's "The Sequel", this album is
highly entertaining, if not exactly indispensable. -- rd
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Rainer Maria / A Better Version of Me / Polyvinyl (CD)
My initial reaction to A Better Version to Me is that
it's nowhere near as bad as a number of
often-credible sources had led me to believe it would be. If the
whole record could be as good as the first ten seconds of "Artificial
Light", it would be great. But it isn't. Not at all. Every time I find myself
about to like one of these songs, some seemingly random
element drags it down. Often it's the vocals;
Caithlin's at her best and most in-tune on mellower songs,
but all those frenzied "emo moments" pull her
gratingly off course (see "Ceremony"). Kyle's vocal
contributions, meanwhile, sound like he recorded them
while running away from a bear. At other times, lyrical
phrases repeat more than is strictly
prudent; while repetition can be the key to a catchy song, it just
doesn't happen here. There are a lot of decent three minute songs on this disc
that have, unfortunately, been padded beyond the
five-minute mark. I gather that A Better Version of
Me was tweaked, revised and tinkered with at great
length during the band's marathon studio session. Something deep within the
music seems to have died during that process. Perhaps they
shouldn't have looked so hard for a better version of
themselves. -- gz
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The Vandals / Oi! to the World / Kung Fu
(CD)
Obviously, Splendid's editor is out to get me. Who else would send a punk
rock CD full of Christmas tunes to a Jew in January? I'm no dummy. Anyone
who knows anything about punk has been subjected to the snottiness of
California's Vandals sometime in his or her life. Originally released
in 1996, Oi! to the World blazes through a variety of genres
ranging from classic, high-speed sing-along-styled punk to tongue-in-cheek
Christmas carols that showcase the band's clever lyrics and unconventional
musicianship. Brash screaming cozies up to quixotic crooning, ultimately ending up on a punk crashcourse that won't make you think that Jesus is the reason for the season. Good for some hearty
laughs, this probably isn't the album to play while everyone prances around
the tree, but after hearing "Christmas Time for My Penis" you probably
already figured that one out yourself. Hold on to this one for many
Decembers to come. -- am
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If your idea of a good time is listening to covers of songs by Jimi Hendrix,
Eric Clapton,
Mark Knopfler, Steve Ray Vaughn and their ilk, this might be the CD for you.
Bergers
with Mayo, AKA The Renovators, delve into these ten songs with accomplished
playing and
a cool swagger. As I'm not a fan of Clapton, Hendrix and the rest, I'd say
the band
does a decent job adapting the songs to a more free-form vibe. It's good
background
music for a club where "older" folks hang out. No song really stands out as
better
than the rest, but each song gets a dedicated "go" by the Bergers/Renovators
guys. If
you're a fan of any of the bands covered, you have my sympathies... but if
you're
looking for low-key covers that actually sound somewhat cool, you could do
worse than Bergers with Mayo. -- tnd
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Crimson Voodoo / Secrets / Lucky Records (CD)
You can't judge a book by its cover, but
you can derive pretension from a band's name. Take northern New Jersey
natives Crimson Voodoo for example -- they're set of brothers whose album begins
with the epic and emotional "The Chainsaw" and quickly degrades into such
condensed tracks as "Angel of the Raven". This new age heavy metal, disguised
as some sort of sonic alternative, leaves the listener wishing for a way out.
The only real mystery with this album is whose parents' house was the setting
for "Passion in the Mansion" and "Prisoner in the Haunted Hallway". -- im
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The Red Krayola / Blues, Hollers and Hellos / Drag City (CD)
The rather eccentric and outrageous Mayo Thompson is apparently still
in charge of the revolving musical circus known as The Red Krayola,
though nobody knows for sure. At any given time the group might
feature performances/production by modern day maestros like Jim
O’Rourke, David Grubbs or John McEntire, as well as a varitable army of
other musicians. Then again, it might not. Some 30 years after its
inception, The Red Krayola is still plugging along, making music
that’s as out of place -- not to mention out of touch -- today as it was all
those years ago. Blues, Hollers and Hellos is the latest entry in the
Red Krayola catalog, and it offers very little by way of insight into
the oddball pseudo-orchestral musings of this art-damaged commune. It amounts to an EP that dribbles from your speakers
like strained peas from the mouth of a three month old child. The album’s lack of
any coherent musical theme, its mumbled lyrics, missing liner notes and
rather inept playing will leave the listener puzzled from the word
go. "Container of Drudgery (Never Had a Name)" lives up to its name
(or lack thereof) by wandering aimlessly for the better part of 15
minutes before ending rather abruptly and unceremoniously. The album's
other five tracks do nothing to distinguish themselves. In the end Blues,
Hollers and Hellos winds up being more than a little disappointing. -- jj
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Mesh / The Point at Which it Falls Apart / Metropolis
(CD)
Fifteen years ago, Depeche Mode created a style of downcast electronic pop
that fed a generation of intelligent, melancholy youths. That band's
influence on Mesh is obvious in the twelve catchy minor-key dance
tracks on this trio's second full-length. Breathy vocals ache with longing
as strings sigh and a kick drum pounds home the message. While tracks like
"People Like Me With This Gun" are somewhat noisier than the Mode, the band
is at its best when it focuses on writing affecting pop. This focus on
hook over harshness makes "I Fall Over" and "Not Prepared" both instantly
appealing and most likely to linger in your memory. -- rd
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Various Artists / Reproductions: Songs of the Human
League / March (CD)
Did Phil Oakey provide the soundtrack to the best years of
your life? If you came of age in the eighties, you probably
have at least five or six Human League songs locked in your
subconscious. So, apparently, do the bands featured
here. More than just an excuse to get as many Stephin
Merritt projects as possible onto a single disc,
Reproductions permits indie-pop's feyest and
finest to show their fun sides. The performances are mixed:
Barcelona's "Mirror Man" is almost too faithful,
while Baxendale's "Keep Feeling (Fascination)" is a bit weak
at the beginning, but builds to a nice mix of re-creation
and creative reinterpretation. Lali Puna's spin on the
immortally cheesy "Together in Electric Dreams" is a tasteful
bit of understated ambience, but I can't help feeling
they've missed a great opportunity to camp it up. Some of
the less predictable participants prove the most enjoyable:
Optiganally Yours dishes up a noisy, lively take on the
lesser-known "Empire State Human", and Clicks (Dave Trumfio,
Sally Timms and Eric Hanna) delivers a punched-up (if
slightly too straightforward) "Seconds". Stephin Merritt,
in Future Bible Heroes and 6ths guises, delivers precisely
the sort of quirky preciousness one expects from him, and
his team-up with Lloyd Cole on the album-closing "Human"
makes me wish the two would collaborate further. The
verdict? Light. Fluffy. Fun. A bit uneven. But
ultimately more worthwhile than you'd expect. And there's no better
antidote to an overdose of humorless DC punk. -- gz
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Kind of Like Spitting/Jeff London / Home: The Post Parlo Records Split Series, Volume 1 /
Post-Parlo (CD)
It costs seventy dollars to subscribe to the entire Post Parlo Records Split
Series, or seven dollars per volume, and Volume 1 implies it'll be a steal
no matter what you decide. Here is a beautifully packaged, phenomenally
played four-track split from Kind of Like Spitting and Jeff London, each
turning in two songs. For me, the surprise comes less from Ben Barnett's
work -- classic KOLS angst with always improving guitar work -- than from the
way Jeff London's songs share kindred spirit with them. I have heard Jeff
before on some of Hush's must-have comps, where he showed himself to be an
extraordinary instrumentalist and a gifted melody maker. The powerful
emotional thrust in his songs is new to me, though, reinforcing the
remarkable influence Oregon's great artists seem to have upon one
another. Three of these songs were recorded by the criminally unknown Chad
Crouch at his HUSH studio, with the oddball tune tracked at the home of Post-Parlo owner Ben
Dickey. Both Crouch and Dickey (Heh heh. Heh heh. - Ed.) prove to have a true understanding of the way these
singer's songs should sound: raw, fragile, urgent, pained and almost
comforting in their honesty. Needless to say, this split is strongly
recommended. I'd be very surprised if this split EP doesn't get a few music fans hooked on KOLS and London, and I expect similar results from future volumes in the series. -- td
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The Places / The Autopilot Knows You Best / Absolutely Kosher (CD)
Have you ever tasted a Chad and
Jeremy sandwich? Well, The Autopilot Knows You Best begins and ends with a sample of "A Summer
Song" and acts as a futuristic interpolation of relations, revelations and
reoccurring reverberations, interlaced with amusing vocal snippets. A soft,
more ripe sounding Cranberries comes to mind, but the way things build up,
with the right mix of viola, tambourine and guitar for lush atmospherics
make me think The Cowboy Junkies with a more indie backbone. The overall
sound is delicate, thanks to Amy Annelle's dreamlike vocal delivery on all
eleven midtempo treats. "Lazy Days & Castaways" is worthy of a single, and
"Ode to the Exhausted" could have Lynchian undertones if the setting was
right. You and your headphones could end up falling in love with The Autopilot Knows You Best if
you aren't currently involved with another artist. Pop The Places in your
pile. -- im
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The Alice Project / Traveling With Lady Berlin / Clown Milk
(CD)
Provocative may be the best adjective to describe this four piece from
Princeton, NJ. The Alice Project's music should split the music world's
interest right down the middle. One half will cling excitedly to namesake
Alice Leon's Sheryl-Crowe-meets-Carnie-Wilson voice; it's peculiar enough
to be noticed as Leon belts out rousing lyrics. The band takes turns
lavishing peaceful acoustic-styled musings and occasional guitar solo
outbursts on your ears. If that doesn't sound particularly entertaining,
you're probably part of the other half, who'll grumblingly wonder when the
mega-produced singer-songwriter schtick, with delicate guitars and a
rock-jam backdrop, will get pinched into oblivion. They're not for everyone,
but at least Alice and Co. will needle you into establishing a crystal-clear
opinion about them after a quick listen. -- am
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Nima Majd / For My Kindred Avalanche / Lithium (CD)
For My Kindred Avalanche shows Nima Majd's love for Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and Cat Power, as well as his knowledge of his roots -- the music of his native Iran. It'd be hard for me to say much about Majd's power with the sitar, although the music's certainly gorgeous in a sleepy mode. His Western-influenced electric/acoustic folk music is slow, with a musical sort of humour that reflects Majd's favourite influences: Blonde Redhead, Gomez and Fun Lovin'
Criminals. At times he pulls in electronic influences as well, including sampled voice loops, bits of commercials and street sounds. Peaceful, lo-fi moodiness abounds in this jam of sources -- it's the aural equivalent of a gorgeous, intricate mosaic. Although Majd's a
Washingtonian now, his biggest fans seem to be in France, so flaunt your cosmopolitan flair and pick up this disc before your neighbours do. -- js
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Project K / Testing Underway / Bong Load (CD)
Imagine the band Versus going through the motions. Imagine that their
harmonies aren't
as good as they used to be. Imagine that they're trying very hard to be
aggressive, while
still maintaining their pop leanings (well, I guess that's already the case
with Versus).
Anyway, Project K, one would think, is trying to be Versus. But the songs
are not as good
as Versus' songs, and the vocals don't play off each other all that
well. The band
does just about everything right in putting their songs together, but they have
nothing new or
outstanding to offer beyond the kind of din that becomes mighty
tiresome
after a couple of songs. "Lullaby" throws a curveball, sounding a bit like
a Mary
Timony song, but why bother? It's probably the best song here, but it's
been done
before, and better. In the crowded world of power-pop, you simply must have
amazing
hooks and you've got to master harmonies. Maybe next time around Project K will
lose the blueprints on the way to the studio and create their own sound instead. -- tnd
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Spiv / Everybody's A Rock Star Tonight EP / Pop
Sweatshop (CD)
Much is made of the Posies' Ken Stringfellow's presence behind the
production desk, but the real star here is the title track.
"Everybody's a Rock Star Tonight" is a flat-out yummy
power-pop tune that'll have you mimicking vocalist Chris
Barber's falsetto after a single spin. You might even get
into the song's lyrical conceit, which addresses the whole
"everyone has a band these days" phenomenon, invoking MP3s
and, of course, the old Fifteen Minutes of Fame concept.
The rest of the EP isn't quite as strong. "Beatley", a
mid-tempo rock ballad, never catches fire. "Seedy Release"
mixes punning XTC idiosyncracy with Fab Four harmonies,
surprising with a big finish. And then there's "VIPs of the
Street", an acronym and abbreviation-laden rap-speak piece
that sounds like a collaboration between Consolidated and
Steely Dan, but with weaker rhymes. Suffice it to say that
"VIPs of the Street" didn't do it for me. Fortunately, I
enjoyed the title track enough to forgive just about
anything. -- gz
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Michael Zerang & Raymond Strid / Scratch Match / Penumbra (CD)
As a friendly warning, I will point out
that this is not wrestling music. Even though it contains the work of
two percussion perfectionists, it is completely void of beat and tempo.
That might come as a bit of a suprise to beat collectors, who would
have a hard time constructing a break from this experimental
mayhem. It is, however, amazingly quiet and unobtrusive, with the exception
of the title track. These seven duets were captured in Stockholm, Sweden and
are audible examples of conflict that will challenge your perceptions of
music and sound. Michael Zerang (Broken Wire) occupies the left channel
while Raymond Strid (Gush) goes to town on the right. Or, for a completely
different interpretation of Scratch Match, you might consider rewiring your
speakers. -- im
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gz - george zahora | nw - noah wane | am - andrew magilow | ib - irving bellemead | jj - jason jackowiak
td - theodore defosse | rd - ron davies | js - jenn sikes | rg - rodney gibbs | tnd - tim digravina | im - iain macleod
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