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OUR WEEKLY COLLECTION OF SHORTER REVIEWS
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Alice Despard Group,
Steve Von Till,
Holy Mary, Mother of Bert,
Beth Custer,
Television Personalities,
Q and Not U,
Fin Fang Foom,
The Migs,
Get Hustle,
Bluetip,
Portastatic,
Oxes,
The New Rising Sons,
Dropkick Murphys,
Bebel Gilberto,
Meisha,
Garrison,
Glossary,
Sunday Smoke Kit,
Cock Robot
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Alice Despard Group / s/t / Arlingtone (CD)
If Alice Despard sung "Old McDonald had a farm",
she would get you
to focus on the words "old" and "had", and bring up feelings
about
mortality, absence and loss. Her songs are simply hard-pressed to fail, so good
is her vocal ability to saturate a song with feeling. That
said, I always feel a bit bad when I praise a record's cover song
(in this case, East River Pipe's "Times Square Go-Go Boy")
as far and away
the best track. It's such a good song, though, and Alice in
all her
world-weariness makes it reach heights that F.M. Cornog's
voice was, at
least back then, unable to fully suggest. As for the
self-penned tracks on
this 30-minute EP, the odd-numbered songs ("Sweet Release"
and "Blind
River") tend to work best, and make one recall strong rock
bands from the
past, like Corndolly. "My Jo", the lyrics of which are exactly 100
letters long,
goes after a similar effect as "Go-Go Boy", but drags itself
out too far,
bringing up the only possible complaint about an Alice Despard
record: her
songs are no tighter than untied shoelaces. Sometimes that
makes the song go
on too long, but most times, its leisurely, half-drunk
rhythms just help to
pierce your heart. -- td
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Steve Von Till / As the Crow Flies / Neurot (CD)
The Bay Area's sonic powerhouse, Neurosis, has always scared the hell out
of me for some
reason. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Von Till severs himself from the aural
assault approach of
Neurosis and instead accompanies his voice with guitar (both electric and
acoustic) on As
the Crow Flies. Von Till's hushed vocals are eerily haunting as he
calmly punctuates his
ruminations with simple yet exceptionally precise guitar notes. In fact,
Von Till reminds me a little of Low as he delicately balances the silence in between each
note and chord and you strain to hear the whispering vocals that are on the verge of revealing
ungodly profound
secrets. And like Neurosis, Von Till is just as frightening; you'll
catch yourself
holding your breath and realizing that the odd thumping you hear is
only your heart
picking up the pace, as your body anticipates the arrival of something
powerful and
soul-shaking from Von Till's words. Prepare yourself. -- am |
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Holy Mary, Mother of Bert / Mainstream Mayhem!!! / Self-released
(CD)
The instruments favored by Holy Mary, Mother of Bert are definitely folk
(accordion, viola, acoustic guitars, upright bass and simple drums), but
the band is assuredly not. Instead, they roam in the quirky territory They
Might Be Giants once ruled. With smart arrangements and songs populated
with strange characters, this quintet makes music for honors students who
are too weird for pop and not alienated enough for goth. Relaxed and
funny, the songs are appealing in the way the easy-going guy down the hall
was: unassuming and just nice. With lyrics that refer quite
lovingly to Sesame Street ("Sancta Maria Mater Bertis") and offer up vital
organs as tokens of affection ("Spleen"), the band draws links between
itself and "Weird" Al Yankovic. Yankovic, however, has made his career out
of parody, while these guys do fine with simple charm. -- rd
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Beth Custer / Vinculum Symphony Live / BC (CD)
Beth Custer is known mainly for playing clarinet for bands like Club Foot Orchestra, Clarinet Thing, Trance Mission and Eighty Mile Beach. She also has a couple of solo records under her belt. Vinculum Symphony Live is a recording of a September, 1999 performance of her chamber work. The ensemble consists of several Bay Area groups, including a group of 10 instrument builders. These home-made instruments, in the tradition of Harry Partch, bring a unique sound to Custer's free, flowing music. My general impression of this piece is that while it presents some interesting timbres, it generally seems to ramble and sounds like it is more interesting to the performers than the listener. -- nw
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Television Personalities / The Boy Who Couldn't Stop
Dreaming / Vinyl Japan (CD)
Though still maddeningly obscure and underappreciated, the TVPs
are well-loved by fans and critics, which perhaps explains the
dizzying output of competing TVPs Best Of and singles
compilations over the last few years. The Boy Who Couldn't
Stop Dreaming has a lot of stuff you won't find on those
other compilations, much of it from Vinyl Japan's batch of TVPs
singles. Other than "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives" (offered
here in two versions), "How I Learned to Love the Bomb" and a
couple of others, most of the tunes here come from the
mid-nineties -- a point at which Daniel Treacy eschewed jangly
pop hooks for dreary, echo-laden, almost-folkish minimalism.
However, all the songs here -- even the dreariest ones -- seem
to work well together, giving a good impression of the more
intimate side of Treacy and the TVPs. The Boy...
certainly isn't essential, but newer TVPs fans shouldn't let the
relative obscurity of these tunes scare them off, either. -- gz
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Q And Not U / Hot and Informed / DischordDeSoto (7”)
If there's one thing that the boys in Q And Not U will never have to worry about, it’s punk credibility. Hot and Informed was recorded by Ian Mackaye at
Inner Ear Studios, boasts graphic design by J. Robbins and is being jointly released by Dischord and DeSoto records. Plus they've got the goods to back up that cred, which of course is more important. This three song 7” is a teaser for a full-length (also to be produced by Mackaye) to be released later this
year. Side A begins with “And the Washington Monument Blinks Goodnight”, a tuneful romp through a strange guitar wonderland filled with odd effects and
plenty of distortion. Next up is “Busy Lights Busy Carpet”, a straight-ahead rocker riding a crest of staccato riffs, smart lyrics and a bombastic rhythmic assault. Hot
and Informed ends with the wandering B-Side “Kiss Distinctly American”, a hypnotic mid-tempo groove augmented with harmonic guitar frippery and laid-back
vocals. This is proof that Q And Not U are the leaders of the new breed of D.C. rockers -- and it just might make you forget how long you’ve been waiting for that new Fugazi record. -- jj
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Fin Fang Foom / self titled / Tritone
(7")
Comic book fans should recognize the name Fin Fang Foom as belonging to
that of the famed Marvel Comics fifteen-storey tall sentient dragon, alien
starship navigator. Tritone Records (now Moment Before Impact Records) has
fortunately not released his evilness upon the music world, but instead
opted for another classic revival of sneaky math rock teamed up with the
forces of good-natured emo. This superhero threesome enjoys toying with
subtly and dramatics, as piano notes are replaced with rumbling guitars on
"Ravenous" while "Blood and Iron" plows straight ahead, staying resolutely
focused on constructing a wall of chords while impossible drumming flails away
mercilessly behind it. Iron Man may have flattened our fictitious space
dragon with some power rings in issue #275, but this Fin Fang Foom gives a powerful rendition of complex rock that'll
leave your head spinnin' and your ears ringin'. -- am
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Thanks to a heavy, intoxicating dose of theremin and synthesizers from Kevin
Lee, this new Bernard Yin project could be one of the
summer's breeziest releases. It starts off, on "Sweet and Sour", with a
woman being told that she makes "the finest brownies", then being asked to
get off her ass! It's a fine start, yes, and one which holds up through most
of the record. Each of the eight tracks reveals different strengths of the
band -- "Muchacha #3" could be played to cheers at any bull fight, while
"1600 Armadillos" could fit within a Cracker record -- and it also shows
the band's taste for mainstream bliss ("Too Many People" is Smashmouth redux).
I think these Los Angelenos bear more than a passing
resemblance to Alien Crime Syndicate, especially when the theremin work
brings a spacey vibe to the entertaining instrumentals "Jet Wash' and
"Honolulu". Though their take on a French song is surprisingly dull
(especially to a Francophone like myself), it's hard not to be won over by
the Migs' ability to enter any song style, and come out as if they've been
swinging to that beat since birth. Granted, some might object to their
throwaway lyrics ("Remember how we found it funny when we rode over a
bunny"), but they seem so casually tossed off that you're leftwith the
vibe that this band is about partying, not working...and there's nothing too wrong
about that. -- td
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Get Hustle / Earth Odyssey / 5 Rue Christine
(CD)
Perplexing and pleasureful, Earth Odyssey reveals something new to me each time I hear it. Like most experimental or experimentally-inclined music, The Get Hustle take some repeated listenings to worm their way into your brain. Once you descend past the surface chaos to discover the patterns underneath, it’s easy to find yourself charmed by the band’s dramatic combination of chanteuse, piano and rock instrumentation, which could have been borrowed from half the bands on Dischord. A little bit of Art Bears and a wee pinch of Tom Waits' more abrasive slump-and-stagger moments take this L.A. four-piece into fringey jazz territory, but they remain pretty clearly an alt-rock combo. Their rock ethic is a good thing -– it keeps them from wandering too far into what could easily become coy or pretentious in the wrong hands. -- bl
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Bluetip / Hot Fast Union / Slowdime (CD)
Bluetip's latest -- a preview culled from unused material from their upcoming Dischord full-length
-- is suitably incendiary. Their dissonant
aggression has been turned up to eleven, its payload driven home
by sharp, minimalistic guitar rhythms. Production from the
ubiquitous J. Robbins is up to his usual standards for the
instruments, capturing the power and intensity of a live
performance, but the vocals seem a little underpowered; on
"Persistent" in particular, they verge on inaudible (at least on
the systems I used to listen to the disc). Bluetip close the EP
with a cover of the Damned's "Anti-Pope", which sounds more
"complete" than any of the originals. "Anti-Pope" is arguably a
different, more anthemic sort of song than Bluetip's original
material, but the fact is that while they've nailed angular
aggression, the melodies here are inconsistent -- they just
don't get your blood up like "Anti-Pope" does. "Compliment the
Negative" is a step in the right direction, though. Presumably
the stuff that made it onto the full-length is a bit better. -- gz
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Portastatic / De Mel, De Melao / Merge (CD)
Portastatic has always been Mac McCaughan’s escape from the rather traditional guitar-based nature of Superchunk. It's a project in which he is able to explore the more
distant reaches of his songwriting and showcase an uncanny ability to utilize unique and strange instrumentation. De Mel, De Melao is no exception. Not
consisting of the usual McCaughan originals, the EP instead takes five of Mac’s favorite Brazilian artists and runs them through the Portastatic wringer -- which
basically amounts to injecting large doses of melody, buzzing guitars, spacey synths and Mac’s high pitched croon into the primarily Latin-tinged mix. Far
from sounding like Santana, the songs gain new life while retaining their original flair and tropical exuberance. Particularly potent are the version of Os
Mutantes’ "Baby", filled with low-slung Latin backbeats and dirge-like guitars, and the ominously languid take on Arnaldo Baptista’s "I Fell in Love One
Day". The ever-evolving Portastatic have yet again managed to produce a record which is certain to surprise and amaze listeners with
its fantastically warped brand of pop music. -- jj
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Oxes / s/t / Monitor
(CD)
In their press kit, Baltimore's Oxes include a handy little chart for
understanding their music: up to five feet away, it sounds like jazz and
after that, it sounds like ZZ Top. Although the music is a little too
pre-planned to qualify as true jazz, this isn't a bad description. This
instrumental album is too heavy to be math-rock, too intelligent to be
metal and too complex to be explained. This leaves the trio in exciting
territory which they use to their every advantage. My only complaint is
that the sound on the disc doesn't live up to the size of the music.
Because of this, I am left with the sensation that these guys are good on
record, but must be downright amazing live. If that sound can be captured
on tape, then the Oxes will roam the streets like gods. -- rd
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The New Rising Sons / Thieves and Angels / GrapeOS
(CD)
Two things about Thieves and Angels struck me right
away. First, everything about these
guys screams "rock stars". They look like rock stars, and
they've got the sort of rock star names that cause you to
furiously scan the press materials to figure out where you've
seen them before. Second, they spell like rock stars,
too, as the EP's spine (labeled Theives and Angels -- and no, I don't really blame the band
for this, so back off) will
attest. So how do they sound? Pretty damn good. Ignore the implications
of Garrett (Texas is the Reason) Klahn's presence; it's a red herring.
The New Rising Sons play Stones/blues-derived, Del Amitri-ish rock that's major label
glossy but maddeningly catchy, especially when their dead-solid
riffs are backed with soulful organ harmony on "Falling Out".
Let's hope the majors don't find a way to turn them into crap.
-- gz
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Dropkick Murphys / The Singles Collection '96-'97 / Hellcat (CD)
Boston's favorite Irish-punk-hardcore band compiles its many singles onto
one handy CD. The Singles Collection '96-'97 certainly grows on
you, so if you're unfamiliar with the band's sometimes humorous, bagpipe-riddled approach to loudmouthed, sing-along punk anthems, make sure you give
it a few fair listens before delivering a final judgment. With a couple of
Clash covers, lots of uncut live material and of course those rare
singles that you wish you'd bought back in the day, this 24 track
extravaganza lets you peer into the band's early history and documents
what it's like to be in the front row at the show! You've probably come
across some punk rocker lately who made a fuss about the Dropkick Murphys
and it all makes sense when you discover the energy, vigor and crass
attitudes that these guys pump out, tune after tune. Make sure you play
this one on the home stereo with the volume cranked for the full
experience! -- am
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Bebel Gilberto / Tanto Tempo / Six
Degrees (CD)
If Gilberto sounds familiar, she should; she has worked
with Caetano Veloso, David Byrne and her father, bossa nova
master João Gilberto, to name just a few. Despite the
presence of such high-profile collaborators as Amon Tobin,
Arling & Cameron, Thievery Corporation and (Beastie Boys
producer) Mario Caldato Jr., Tanto Tempo is a faithful
update of Brazilian pop style -- lots of swanky sambas and
bossa-nova beats, with electronic elements lurking quietly in
the background. There's even a rich, luxuriously sexy version
of "Summer Samba" here. If you can't afford a vacation this
summer, Tanto Tempo will make an agreeable substitute
when blended with friends, a rooftop deck and an ample supply of
gin and tonic. -- gz
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Meisha / Meisha Returns Meisha Forever / Music Fellowship (CD)
Pianos, keyboards, and guitars (lots of guitars!) help form the complex
musical landscape woven by the members of Meisha. Originally, these seven
tracks (which clock in at 72 minutes) were but part of a larger 3-CD project
that, great as it might have been, surely would have tested the limits of
most listeners' concentration. All the songs which made the cut, despite
their seemingly tossed-off titles ("Ill Chihuahua", "The Most Perfect
Pancake"), conjure the same whirl of emotions you might get from Joy
Division, except for surging moments of guitars that allow for
happy endings. While the tracks sometimes blend together, the songs are
bonded less by this arguable failing than by the way each places heavy
intellectual demands upon the listener. I always think an instrumental CD
might be nice to play at bedtime, but listening to Meisha can be like
reading the prose of Joyce or William Gass: when it strikes you, it strikes
so hard that your brain becomes wired with mental activity, and your eyes
open wide enough to let bursts of light pour through you. Translation: the
Meisha experience is cool! -- td
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Garrison / A Mile in Cold Water / Revelation (CD)
Sometimes I find that it's better to know nothing about a particular album before hearing it for the first time. Garrison's A Mile in Cold Water is one of those
albums. Before actually hearing this band I had read countless articles and reviews about how amazing and groundbreaking they were. Needless to say, my
expectations for this record were quite high -- perhaps a little too high. Sadly, in contrast to all the pre-release hype, A Mile in Cold Water is a bit of a letdown. It seems as though all Garrison tried to do was recreate the emotionally intense sound pioneered by label stalwarts Texas is the Reason, but something
was lost in the translation. Songs like “Selective Hearing Loss” and “Fuel” fall flat, their structures collapsing on top of them, the actual songs reduced to hissing heaps of power chords and yelping. The album’s solitary triumph comes in the form of “Favorite Goodbye Fuck’s” sweeping, Sonic Youth-ful guitar
histrionics and focused vocal wallop. Overall, A Mile in Cold Water proves to be just another emo record in a world that's overflowing with emo records. -- jj
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Glossary / This is All We've Learned About Living /
Champ (CD)
The opening strains of This is All We've Learned About Living seemed
promising. I dug the gentle strum of acoustic guitar and the subdued slide guitar. This,
along with the pastoral images on the CD's liner notes, led me to think that
perhaps Glossary was some neo-country outfit, or perhaps a kind of
hippie-folk-rock band a la Blind Melon. How wrong I was!
Glossary's music derives more from the work of bands like The Pixies, Of
Montreal and Ida. It has a sort of mild country flavor, but the
indie-rock and pop sensibilities are overpowering. So am I disappointed?
Yes, a bit! While there are a fair number of alt-country-type bands in the
world, they aren't even a hundredth as numerous as alt-pop-rock bands. My
advice to Glossary: accentuate the slide guitars, lolling melodies and
shuffling rhythms -- in short, go country! -- nw
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The Sunday Smoke Kit / The Hardest Things are Often the Simplest to
Unwind / Planting Seeds (CD)
Produced and engineered by Xavier Pelleuf, the Sunday Smoke Kit have created
a full-length of alternative rock which is catchy, extremely accessible and
full of phrases like the one in the title, which you'll either love or hate.
Personally, I'm not too fond of the lyrics, and think the band is sometimes
guilty of borrowing images from melodramatic cinema ("She wants to see the
ocean before she dies") or from Breakfast Club philosophers (yes, I'm not
too keen on the title). However, more honest and heartfelt bands (like the
increasingly neglected Silos) can be so undramatic as to be boring, so the
Sunday Smoke Kit can be criticized only so much. The music behind the
lyrics is always pretty enjoyable, and you'll find yourself swaying to these
melodies in no time. All of the Sunday Smoke Kit's influences seem
to come from popular sixties and nineties bands -- put the Byrds into a
blender with Fastball and perhaps you'll get The Hardest Things... -- which altogether helps
makes the CD very welcoming. As for its best moments, they seem to
come ag those rare times when the guitars are let out in the wild, making the
rampaging "My Japanese Girl" one of the better pop songs that I've heard in
this (young) millenium. -- td
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Cock Robot / Electric Young Men / Roger
(CD)
It's a little bit no-core and a little bit no-wave. M.P.
Lockwood, Carl Diehl and the enigmatic "Toaster" use elderly
Casio keyboards (I think I hear one of their early sampling
units), crispy guitars and an array of samples to create
sounds that are almost, but not quite, difficult listening.
While there's an effort to keep the actions of guitar and
keyboards unrelated, Cock Robot's song structure seems pretty
solidly rooted in rock and roll convention. Efforts to abrade
the ears often turn out to be pop gems in hiding -- see "Robots
on Parade" for a prime example. Ultimately, Electric Young
Men is only a failure if Cock Robot were deliberately trying
to be inaccessible. -- gz
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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 | bl - beth lucht
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