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OUR WEEKLY COLLECTION OF SHORTER REVIEWS
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The Judas Factor,
Penelopes,
Sounds Like Sunset/The Lassie Foundation,
The Waxwings,
Decoder,
Monkey Paw,
Tarwater,
Landing,
Cinemaphonic,
Rocket from the Crypt,
Even Song,
The Davenports,
Stereolab,
Los Infernos,
Thrones,
The Moon Dance Experiment,
Brad Dutz,
The Queers,
Wolfie,
Urban Dance Squad
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The Judas Factor / Kiss Suicide / Revelation
(CD)
Overdriven, both mentally and musically, the force of Kiss Suicide
is like a catastrophic disaster waiting to happen. "One Fine Day" aptly
fits in with the Revelation routine -- dissonant guitar work and
piercing-and-prickly vocals designed to let loose the rage that's
inside not only the band’s collective head, but the listener’s as well.
There are five brutally raging tracks here and one menacingly long song that
capably builds up a ferociousness that parallels the gung-ho
disposition displayed by the band on the other tunes. What’s most worrisome is
that these six tracks are angry enough, but what happens when the band
releases a full-length recording of this intensity? Perhaps it's time that
you recheck your safety shelter for stability, because something very
wicked is headed your way. -- am |
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Penelopes / A Place in the Sun / Vaudeville Park (CD)
I’m not that old, but I vaguely remember the days of 70s AM radio...well, the tail end of them, anyway. And what I remember makes me believe that the
Penelopes would have been a perfect fit in such a format. The majority of the songs on A Place in the Sun are reminiscent of the schmaltzy-yet-catchy radio ballads that dominated the airwaves during that period. All these tunes were penned and performed by veteran Japanese pop-meister Tatsuhiko Watanabe, who also founded the Vaudeville Park label in order to secure a home for his releases. Songs like “Golden Summer” and “Chocolate
Train Part 5” sound like the Beach Boys meeting Fleetwood Mac, loaded with light-hearted melodies and cooing vocal harmonies. Elsewhere, as with “Magic
Mirror” and “My Dog Became the Clear Blue November Sky this Morning”, Watanabe swaps his lilting melodies for galactic synth runs and odd instrumentation, suggesting a less complicated Olivia Tremor Control or a less shimmering Flipper’s Guitar. So if good old fashioned cheese pop is your bag, find yourself A Place in the Sun. -- jj
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Sounds Like Sunset/The Lassie Foundation / split /
Quietly Suburban (7")
Though separated by the Pacific Ocean, Sounds Like Sunset
and Lassie Foundation are clearly kindred spirits. Both
favor a dreamy, droning take on sixties pop harmonies, very
much in the My Bloody Valentine vein. The Lassie
Foundation's "Promise Ring" is a good example of their work,
dishing up breathy vocals and gorgeous feedback over a
hummable chorus. "Before It Blows", Sounds Like Sunset's
contribution, is in the same vein, though distinguished by
an assertive bass guitar rhythm. Both songs are thoroughly
enjoyable, assuming the shoegazer thing is your bag, though
newcomers will have difficulty telling them apart. The
whole Trans-Pacific split single concept is an interesting
idea. Hopefully Quietly Suburban will make this an ongoing
series -- though it'll take some effort to top the first
volume. -- gz
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The Waxwings / Low to the Ground / Bobsled (CD)
As a regular visitor to the Detroit area, I am really surprised
that pop acts like the Waxwings aren't on a triumphal march across
the country. The kids in Detroit not only love pop music, they also
make great pop music. After several name changes and a some time to
polish their sound, the Waxwings have released their first full length
album for the world's consumption. If you want wonderful two-part harmonies, the
Waxwings deliver. Want guitars that wouldn't sound out of place on
either of Big Star's first two albums? The Waxwings provide. Lead
singer and main lyric writer Dean Fertita does a fine job heading the
charge into pure pop music bliss, but the band's secret weapon is
guitarist and vocalist Dominic Romano's voice. Romano,
who provides harmonies throughout the album, provides vocals so sweet and moving that I'd hug him if I met him on the street (This Emo Moment was brought to you by Bobsled Records. -- Ed.). It would be a shame if Low to the Ground went unnoticed by those outside Detroit's city limits. -- jkb
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Decoder / Concussion / Tech Itch
(CD)
This is sleek, stylish, techno -- the kind of thing that
wouldn't be out
of place in an indie film with lots of good looking youths
running around doing seedy-but-glamourous things. Underworld certainly
comes to mind on a
few of the tracks, although there aren't really any vocal
parts on
Concussion. Decoder keeps the drums upfront and zippy
on all twelve tracks, avoiding the drippy synth pads that are often
overused in this
sort of polished techno. The beats aren't super inventive,
but they're fun, and they keep the songs moving along even when they
start to get a
bit too repetitive. And although the songs are pretty
uniform in terms of beats, samples and structure, there's enough detail to keep
things interesting over repeated listenings. Concussion is
an accomplished
and enjoyable, if not terribly adventurous chunk of techno. -- ib
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Monkey Paw / Hating You Is So Easy / Four Alarm Records
(CD)
On this, their debut release, the Chicago three-piece Monkey Paw provide about forty five minutes of testosterone-fueled alt-leaning rock. Sounding somewhat like Billy Corgan without all the angst, lead singer and guitarist Eric Amir Hemmat tells you to go “Fuck Your Mother” on the album’s lead cut, and later goes on to obscenely berate producer Bryan Mitchell in a little studio outtake that is probably parody but not really funny. In fact, that just about sums up the whole of Hating You Is So Easy -– Monkey Paw undoubtedly have their tongue planted firmly in cheek, but don’t use it to say much that’s worth hearing. -- bl
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Tarwater / Animals, Suns & Atoms / Kitty-yo
(CD)
Animals, Suns & Atoms begins with a skittering robot voice and the
slightest of heartbeat rhythms until suddenly the music springs to life
with a rudimentary keyboard melody and almost spoken vocals. This is a
fitting start to an amazingly organic electronic record. The loops are
earthy and warm. Unlike many electronic outfits, this German duo uses
blips and squiggles to augment their more natural samples rather than to bury
them. Additionally, whispered vocals appear on almost all of the tracks,
further highlighting the men behind the machines. With its Animals, Suns & Atoms' dub rhythms and
rain forest textures, I could draw comparisons to albums like the Orb's
Orbus Terrarium, but the results here are unique enough to make such
references more suggestive than reflective. Melodic, interesting, and
bursting with life, this is an electronic record that stands out like
splash of color in a monochromatic crowd. -- rd
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In a little less than thirty minutes, Landing throw a swirl of dirgey melody
into a wall of droning atmospherics and come up with the perfect soundtrack
for anyone stuck under five feet of snow. Increased adherence to song
structure is such a smart move on the band's part, as it does not detract
from the mood; rather, it just keeps listeners thoroughly involved. Aaron,
Adrienne and all the musicians are tremendous, not only on the chords they
hit, but on all the spaces that rest between them. This keeps the emotions
flowing in the songs and lets us lose ourselves repeatedly within them.
While the voices of Aaron and Adrienne Snow occasionally make their presence
felt, the purpose behind the singing seems minimal here. As a more
melodically complex version of the Picture Center's debut, this one is all
about the guitars, and the way they can pick and pluck your way through a
lifetime's worth of bad weather moments. -- td
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Cinemaphonic / Electro Soul / Emperor
Norton (CD)
Long before prog, there was "prod": production library music.
Though by its very nature derivative -- intended to evoke the spirit of current pop
hits and movie soundtracks, it shamelessly copped hooks and transposed melodies -- the best production music could stand up to the popular music of the day. Not long ago, sixties production beds
were all the rage; Electro Soul moves forward, mining the
pimptastic days of Blaxploitation flicks, disco fever and 70s
detective shows. After digging the thumping bass riffs and bad-ass cop vibe of tunes like "Mellow Dancer", you'll be growing out your sideburns and shopping for a red
and white Ford Torino. Yeah, the music's disposable -- but then, it never pretended it wasn't. -- gz
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Rocket From the Crypt / Dancing Birds / Glazed (7")
I've got a confession to make. I gave up on Rocket From the Crypt after
Circa Now. Looks like I may need to pay San Diego's horn blowin'
powerhouse another visit, however, as these two songs bust out everything I
used to love about RFTC: driving tempos, pulsing full-throttle rhythms and
horn-injected madness that plays off Speedo's raspy and prominent vox. Both
sides are triumphant as the fervor of the band enters your room, dominating
from wall to wall with a distinctive mass appeal that’s hip without
pretense. It's almost like jumping back in time eight years and hearing
some previously undiscovered RFTC tracks. With the first pressing already
sold out, you'd best be advised to get a copy of round two while it's still
available! -- am
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Even Song / Demo / Seek (CD)
Though it doesn't have anything to make it stand out from
the rest of the
pack, this is a very solid demo from Rich Smith's New York
pop band. The
strengths lie in the melodies (chiming brightest in the song
"ESP") and the
strong band surrounding him (which includes two fellas from
amiable metal act STRETCHER). The lyrics are merely serviceable
("So you tried to
knock me out/Then you heard me scream and shout"), but Rich's vocal range is
sufficient to make each of these 4 songs sound quite
distinct, suggesting
the group's upcoming full-length could boast anything from
hard rock swagger
to bubblegum pop. -- td
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The Davenports / Speaking of the Davenports /
Mother West (CD)
For Beachboys-inspired power pop, you need look no further than the Davenports -- that is, of course, assuming you don't already have a favorite Beachboys-inspired power pop group. The opener, "Girls Night Out", is a harmonious, witty, modern barbershop pop ditty. The next track, "Object in the Mirror", opens with a riff that sounds like it comes from That Seventies Show's soundtrack. With inexplicable lines like "I'm the Death Star of the year..." it's got that mildly inscrutable quality that seems so tied to modern pop music. "Dog Run" has a hint of country twang, while "Nowhere After All" has a sort of Ben Folds Five vibe. In summary I'd say that the Davenports have a nice, if slightly derivative little pop album on their hands. -- nw
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Stereolab / First of the Microbe Hunters /
Elektra/Duophonic (CD)
Let's see...it's been, what, six or seven months since Cobra
and Phases Blah Blah Blah came out, right? Somewhere in
Elektra's offices, there's a calendar with "Remind world that
Stereolab exists" scrawled on it, round-about the mid-May mark.
Unfortunately -- and I say this as a fan, mind you -- First
of the Microbe Hunters adds little to the
"bossa-nova-groove-with-breathy-vocals-and-analog-squelching"
canon that's been Stereolab's oeuvre of choice for the
last few years. "Retrograde Mirror Form" takes a more oblique
approach to the Lab's standard songcraft, muddying it with
reverb and other effects, then allowing the track to mutate
completely in its final minutes. "Outer Bongolia" starts
promisingly, then lapses into a marimba-assisted groove that's
pretty cool until you realize it's going to repeat -- with
mildly varied accompaniment -- for the entirety of the song's nine and
a half minutes. If you're a johnny-come-lately vis-a-vis
Stereolab, I can understand being fascinated by this stuff...but
if you've known them for a while, you'll be excused for wondering
if they're stuck in a rut. -- gz
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Los Infernos / Rock and Roll Nightmare / Alternative Tentacles (CD)
Here’s an odd listen from Alternative Tentacles that will surprise you if
you're expecting
jarring and noisy punk. Southern California's Los Infernos are deftly armed
with variety, as a
slice of The Cramps is crammed into Dick Dale's clean and guttural surf
guitar runs and topped off with a bit of X-styled cred. The description sounds chaotic, but Los Infernos
shoot out a systematic
racy gearhead sound that's low-down and nasty without falling into the
garage-rock trap of
un-production. Opting for some sharp, charismatic vocals and crisp musical
backing, Rock and
Roll Nighmare recommends that you slick your hair back with some ol'
fashioned pomade, but also that you also keep those combat boots on, as punk-a-billy rides a fearsome
journey of pumped up guitar lines and speedy, foot-stompin' tempos. -- am
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This album is the sonic equivalent of a big, juicy steak: beefy, heavy,
probably bad for you...but a pleasure nonetheless. A former bassist for the
Melvins and Earth, Matt Luken has since gone the Trent Reznor route by
locking himself in a room with a drum machine and a lot of distortion
pedals. Tracks like "Manmtn," which begins with forty seconds of feedback
squeal, wield riffs so thick that they would make Tony Iommi run for cover.
Given Luken's roots, quirks like kooky voice processing and closing the record
with thirty minutes of croaking frogs come as no surprise. Despite this,
things are so unbelievably heavy that they take on royal
proportions. The closing "Obolus" sounds so majestic that it's easy to
envision it as the coronation tune for Conan the Barbarian when he finally
claims his throne. This is a big record that packs one hell of a punch -- and
a must-have for anyone who thinks they've heard the limits of heavy
music. -- rd
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The Moon Dance Experiment / Fall Awake in Your Dreams Tonight / MDE (CD)
Ever been to The Nature Company Store? You know, that mall chain store that sells wind chimes, hipster outdoor gear, CDs of birds chirping and little fountains that you can put near your bed so that you can pretend you're camping near a stream? Ever notice the music that they play in there? I wouldn't be surprised if they put on The Moon Dance Experiment from time to time. Hippie, celestial sounds with chimes, organs, lulling piano, the occasional bongo beat and moaning vocals give this Columbus three-piece mastery over the coffeehouse crowd looking to move away from the typical singer-songwriter fare. It's more background music than anything, and recommended only if you're into the above-mentioned matter. -- ha-n
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Brad Dutz / Heat the Grill Cook Loin / Household Ink (CD)
You might not expect it, but Los Angeles has a very active and vibrant
new music/jazz scene -- one that overlaps, but is in many ways
totally distinct from, the world of "industry" music and musicians. Brad
Dutz is one of the many fine players/composers with an ear in both
worlds, though Heat the Grill Cook Loin finds him exploring new music
from a distinctly jazz-based perspective. Dutz is a percussionist, and
on most of these tracks it shows -- all manner of percussion instruments
(gongs, marimbas, tabla, kidi, bongos, rainstick, etc.) provide these
tracks with a subtle but energizing complexity. Winds (flute, sax,
trumpet, clarinet), acoustic bass and occasional guitar round out the
ensemble. Dutz's music is a combination of written-out and improvised
material, and his players easily switch from one to the other. The
fixed/free switching technique helps keep the music from getting bogged
down on either side, and clearly keeps the musicians involved and on top
of their playing. Jazz fans looking for something non-traditional but
"friendly" will probably enjoy this CD, as will anyone interested in
pretty, pleasant, energetic instrumental music. -- ib
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The Queers / Beyond the Valley...Of the Assfuckers / Hopeless (CD)
Joe Queer sounds a lot like Mike Ness, that guy from Social Distortion, and
he can write a killer song too, as evinced on "Strangle the Girl" and "I
Wanna Know". These two are oddities on the record, as they never rhyme "cunt"
with "cunt" in the lyrics; instead, they showcase the potential behind the
Queers by coupling Joe's always-self-hating lyrics ("I'm a joke, a loser, and
a waste of time/I've tried so hard to be her friend, but she ain't mine")
with his wonderful voice and those simple but awfully catchy Queer melodies.
In the realm of their genre, I don't think any band can be more emotionally
affecting. The Queers seldom even come close to their potential, though, and
nothing else on this album, save the titular theme song, is worth a snot.
They are, however, lyrically disturbing throughout, making the Queers seem
like a perfect candidate to do the soundtrack for Neil Labute's next
unsettling film. -- td
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Wolfie / Wolfie, and the Coat and Hat / Kindercore
(CD)
I can't honestly pretend to have paid much attention to Wolfie
in the past. From what I heard of their last album, Where's
Wolfie, that's probably a good thing. Wolfie, and the
Coat and Hat is apparently the first output from the new,
mature Wolfie. It goes a bit lighter on the cheesy organ riffs,
applies its power chords more sparingly and doesn't sound nearly
as much like a bunch of kids loose in a recording studio -- not
much of a change from the old Wolfie, a definite step in the
right direction. Amanda Lyons still sounds like a little kid,
which some will appreciate more than others, but when she, Mike
and Joe sing together, she softens their quasi-Britpop nasality quite
nicely. All the tunes here are infectious, poppy and short,
with the Beatles/Apples-styled "Two Birds" a particular gem.
Wolfie will need a bit more muscle (and a few more ideas) to
sustain a full-length album, but this is a promising rebirth. -- gz
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Urban Dance Squad / Artantica / Triple
X(CD)
Yes, it's the "Deeper Shade of Soul" people, and they appear to
have been listening to Rage Against the Machine. Now, the tricky part is
that this is not necessarily a bad thing. UDS still have their
trademark funky sound and interesting samples. Songs like
"Craftmatic Adjustable Girl" cover a wide array of sounds
from all types of genres. Rapping, poppy singing and dance
beats are heard within in a matter of minutes. Some of the harder vocals
and the techno beats might very well be the hook that wins some new fans for this once-thought-dead band. -- jp
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gz - george zahora | nw - noah wane | am - andrew magilow | ib - irving bellemead | jj - jason jackowiak | ha-n - heidi anne-noel
jkb - jason broccardo | td - theodore defosse | rd - ron davies | bl - beth lucht | jp - jennifer perkins
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