OUR WEEKLY COLLECTION OF SHORTER REVIEWS | |
Cache 2000,
Skrape,
The Red Telephone,
The Shiv,
pHoaming Edison,
The Special Guests!,
The Weakerthans,
Wicketran,
Monique Berry,
Manifold Splendour,
Original Motion Picture Score:
Requiem for a Dream,
Skiptrace,
The David Andrews Band,
Icelandic,
Dani Linnetz,
James Apollo,
The Aislers Set,
Count Zero,
Boycrazy,
Lynnea,
Rocco's Collar,
Paloma,
Endgames,
Panic 12:52
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Various Artists / Cache 2000 / CEC (CD)
Cache 2000 is the CD component of a larger project undertaken by the
Canadian Electroacoustic Community for young sound artists, compiling the
13 top scoring works. Some pieces are of an acousmatic variety, taking
everyday sounds and decontextualizing and transforming them through various
types of electronic manipulation. A fine example of this is Christian
Bouchard's "tonicité", which seems built entirely from a short recording
of a garbage truck. Mr. Bouchard plays with this sound and twists and turns
it, granting us only limited aural glimpses of it at any given moment. The
economy of the piece is wonderful, as is its austere beauty. Other tracks
combine electronics with acoustic instruments. Michael Gurevich's "Soft
White" combines an electronically manipulated, female vocal monologue with a
sort of film noir-ish saxophone accompaniment. It's a powerful, moody and
sensual work -- not a masterpiece, but effective. In fact, there
aren't any real masterpieces on this disc, but as a collection of
interesting work by talented young artists Cache 2000 succeeds admirably. -- nw
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Skrape / New Killer America / BMG (CD)
This is big label metal, with the powerhouse sound you'd expect when a band
records its songs to a zillion-track tape and gets proficient post-production
to boot. The low-end pounding of bass and guitar will violently vibrate
every bone and vital organ in your body. These metal mongers wear their
Pantera influences on their sleeves, as everything from the slick
crunch-riffing to the distorted vocal howling points towards their Texan
brethren. With an occasional nod towards melody, Skrape may have the
crossover potential to pass over to the airwaves at your local
alterno-radio station. However, there's still plenty of street cred with
the band's sound, keeping them from ever becoming the next teen idol
sensation. Is your car stereo in need of some punishment? Perhaps your
neighbors have been a bit too antsy lately? Drop Skrape into the CD player
and prepare for a good metal gutting. -- am
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The Red Telephone / Cellar Songs / Raise Giant Frogs
(CD)
On the surface, this Boston quartet's second release seems like a solid rock album. With repeated spins, however, a twisted heart is slowly
revealed. In the guitar howl of "Last Day of May" and the freaked-out
drums of "Institution Street"'s breakdown, the band displays a disturbing
side that is both instantly hummable and deliciously exciting. If you
have ever heard the solo work of Hüsker Dü's Grant Hart, you have an idea
of what I mean. The ability to take a pop song and make it both ache and
soar is an uncommon gift. The Red Telephone have this gift in spades, and
they put it to damn fine use. If the chorus of "Teenage Mother Earth" isn't
enough to convince you of their ability to write a catchy hook, then the
counter-vocals of "Pollyanna" will. Either way, this is one phone call you
should answer. -- rd
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The Shiv / Short Order Crook / Cosmic Debris (CD)
Who are the Shiv? I still don't really know. They occasionally remind me of
Gary Numan with some emo tricks up his sleeve, but after coming up with
that, I can't even picture the comparison. And when they start mixing French
with their English (successfully too) in "Beirutabega", my finger gives up
and points absolutely nowhere on the World Map of Musical Trends. The Shiv
are a nice anomaly, then -- a truly unique group that seems grounded in indie
pop, but in a pop universe few have ever heard. The singing sometimes
descends into strange scatting, and the lyrics, when decipherable, suggest
that they don't even allow entrance to their planet. Take, for example, these
lines from "Grandma's Permission": "I have my wash/It's
set for three." I assume there's more to this banality than meets the eye,
but I've never used whatever style of washer they're talking about, and
their music never suggests an emotional context. My only guess is
that they're still in the midst of washing grass
stains off of their pants, and that depresses them. Life is tough, and The Shiv's melodies have
toughness too. Musically, most tracks are also full to the brim with some
spacey keyboard sounds, but, when set against glimmers of Pere Ubu and Numan
and Promise Ring, nothing propels you to the skies above. It just leaves you
satisfyingly confused. -- td
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pHoaming Edison / Happy Nap Casino / Dark
Beloved Cloud (CD)
James Kavoussi, the mind behind pHoaming Edison, is in a
handful of other bands as well; he's clearly a bubbling well
of ideas. If they're all as good as the sampling offered by
Happy Nap Casino, the guy deserves to be a hell of a
lot better known. pHoaming Edison's music runs the gamut
between lo-fi rock and hard-edged, unyielding noise, but
most of the songs here fall into the infinitely more
interesting grey area between those poles. Using a mixture
of effects-laden guitar riffs, samples and occasionally
improbable percussion, Kavoussi seems capable of massaging
the most modest concepts -- a pair of alternating chords,
for instance -- into vibrant and intriguing music. He also
includes a couple of lively covers -- in particular, his version of the
"Theme from Casino Royale" spears lounge-inspired
goofiness on razor-sharp riffs. You should own this. -- gz
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The Special Guests! / First Album /
Song (CD)
This is good-time rock and roll music. The video should be a bunch of
casually hip young people having a rock and roll picnic in a park in
Vancouver or something. Everybody is dancing around having fun, some
people are swinging on the swingset, some hotdog girl is showing off on
the jungle gym and a couple of boys are getting busy behind the baseball
dugout. The band runs around being rock stars, goofing with the
partiers, making funny faces. A perfect rock and roll summer day. Cut!
Print it! The exposed, vulnerable vocals of "Gone" make it a stand out
from the rest of the pleasantly poppy but fairly predictable tracks.
Likewise, an acoustic guitar and a catchy vocal help "Love To You" to
stand out. These are well-made songs, but they're not really that
much different from the all the rest of the well-made pop rock
that's out there. --
ib
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The Weakerthans / Watermark / Sub City (CD)
It saddens me that The Weakerthans are constantly and
consistently overlooked by fans and critics alike. Their sheer
brilliance, both on record and in the live arena, should by now have
made this Canadian quartet as well known and revered as say, The Get Up
Kids or Jimmy Eat World. Watermark is a three-song EP that backs the most
infectious and immediate song from the band's recent Left and
Leaving long player with a pair of previously unreleased
live recordings, as well as an enhanced CD-ROM video for the title track.
Particular care was taken by the group in choosing the live tracks,
which were originally recorded for a radio broadcast in Winnipeg. Both
"Illustrated Bible Stories for Children" and "The Last Last One" are
radically different from their original versions, both of which appear on
the group’s debut, Fallow. The barred power-chords and brashness of the
originals are replaced by a roomy "front porch" vibe, with the band
utilizing lap steel, accordion and mandolin to a gorgeous effect. It
will be well worth your time -- and your five bucks -- to treat yourself to
Watermark and to get to know one of the best bands you’ve never heard. -- jj
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Wicketran / Frills and Flashy Finery / Snackbag
(CD)
The first song here is
immediately compelling -- a shuddering rush of low-end sound. Employing
an acoustic drum kit and an electric bass guitar, the duo of
Jeremy Ward (drums) and Justin Ohlander (bass) guide the song like a
throbbing, pulsing river, never pausing for long on any single note or riff.
By the middle of this eight-song instrumental album, however, the
listener realizes that it is the sound itself, and not the songs, that draws
initial interest. Despite some variations in mood and rhythm (the
jauntier bounce of "Effenheimer", the driving tempo of "Smelting at High
Altitudes"), the sound stays remakably consistent, and its initial
inventiveness wears thin over the course of thirty minutes. Ward and
Ohlander's playing is excellent, but the lack of a high end (vocals,
guitar, a horn maybe) results in a slightly unpleasant pummeling
sensation as Frills and Flashy Finery progresses. The titles ("Wiseacre", "Belligerent
Hairstyle") and a few musical passages reveal a sense of humor, but
the album could use a bit more of the promised frills and flash. -- rt
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Monique Berry / Self-Titled / B&M Music (CD)
Monique Berry seems like a nice girl, and she has eyes like Ileana
Douglas. She has a fairly good voice, too -- certainly better than average. However, she's a solo singer who should consider singing backup for a while. She's a bit too vibrato for my taste (a
la Whitney Houston singing the chorus of "I Will Always Love You" towards
the end of the song). Berry writes her own lyrics, and, well, metaphor is not
a gift given to everyone. She might want to limit herself covers while she
takes the time to hone her writing skills and to consult the Orange
Rhyming Dictionary. Hell, even the Beatles and the Stones did covers; no
shame in doing covers. "Pick Me Up", for example, sports the winning line, "Oh God, I feel
like I'm gonna die / Tell me that everything's goooooooonnna be fine." According to her press materials, this debut CD was written in a mere two months, which might possibly explain some of the
lyrical problems. Rushing is fine for Paul McCartney, but maybe not Monique.
She's writing her second album now; it'll be interesting to see what new
territory she explores with her subject matter. -- js
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Manifold Spendour / My Night Time Career / Bandaloop (CD)
My only complaint with My Night Time Career is the limited use of
Alex Brenner on lead vocals. On the group's first release, Swoon, Brenner
and vocalist Emily Borne split leads on nearly half of the tracks. I miss
him. Borne does a fine job on the nine tracks (out of twelve) in which she
provides lead vocals, but Brenner's voice and phrasing come across as more
earnest and pure. There's a stripped-down honesty on tracks like "Pawn Shop
Prize", "Trampoline" and "What I Did" that's missing on the others. In fact, those
tracks sound as if they were recorded by another band entirely. Fortunately,
My Night Time Career has enough positive moments throughout to keep it from being
overlooked. In addition to the minor vocal swapping, Manifold Spendour
weaves a world full of distorted guitars and hummable melodies, mixed with
enough energy to make me think they'll only get better. -- al
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Clint Mansell / Original Motion Picture Score:
Requiem for a Dream / Nonesuch (CD)
The collaboration between filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and
former Pop Will Eat Itself frontman Clint Mansell has been
surprisingly fruitful. As the latest -- and perhaps most
unlikely -- rock musician to make a name for himself in the
movie soundtrack world, Mansell brings all of PWEI's
genre-hopping experience to bear. Eschewing the
frenetic drum and bass of Pi in favor of moody, shifting,
multifaceted minimalism, he has created a series of
haunting, heart-tugging themes. The best moments here are
his collaborations with avant-chamber boffins Kronos
Quartet; they're far from their usual experimental turf, but
imbue Mansell's compositions with a livid, vibrant ferocity
rarely encountered in film scores. Played straight through,
these thirty-three short tracks make for an oddly
repetitive, disjointed listen, but you get the distinct
impression that that's the way Clint likes it. -- gz
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Skiptrace / Self-Titled / Trainwreck (CD)
Messrs. Pribble and Sellwood, along with some hired hands, have created the
six indie-rock tunes presented here, with desirable results. Borrowing from
Dinosaur Jr. and American Music Club, the band roams from track to track
with a consistent sound best described as "progressive college rock."
The harmonizing vocals and choruses of backup vocals suit the modern-day
short-attention-span listener, while a deeper dig into the music reveals a
complex interchange between guitars and syncopating rhythms, separating it
from most freshman offerings. Skiptrace obviously has an aural
target in mind and has already conceived the best path to get there, as its mature
songwriting shows. While the whiny vocals could certainly be called an
acquired taste, they add a distinguishing sound to the band. Favorites
include the upbeat and melodic "Don't Support the Band" and the moody,
reflective number, "The Family Cratered." -- am
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David Andrews Band / Get Me Out of This Place / Self-Released (CD)
There really isn't much punch to this album; decent
rhythms develop into decent melody but the songs are
let down by a complete lack of urgency. The more
reflective songs come off as flat, and not once are you
left revelling in the trials of a seasoned country
sojourn. This could just as easily be a
collection of Light Bullet-era Bob
Seger throwaways as it could be a release from the
twenty-first century. Get Me Out of This Place occasionally attempts to break out
of its mold, bringing in female vocals, an electric
mandolin and a pretty little Rhodes piano, but
instead of a collection of punch-drunk,
tried-and-true anthems we get David Andrews'
adult-contemporary version of The Eagles. -- jw
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Icelandic / The Young Mr. Palomar / Heard in the Dark
(CD)
As Blink-182's "poo-poo, wee-wee" aesthetic indicates, not much pop-punk is
written for adults. Thankfully, bands like Icelandic fill those gaps.
Hailing from New Mexico, the band tempers their energy with quality hooks,
giving the driving bass thrill of early Green Day. Unlike the juvenile
lyrics of that band, vocalist Chuck Jurich turns his whine to more mature
observations. When, in "Scanning the Crowd", he sings "I never did before, but now I look for
wedding rings", he nails one of the many clues that
one is getting older, if no wiser. Make no mistake, Icelandic is plenty of
fun; it's just a little smarter than the "pull my finger" variety of entertainment. If
you still enjoy the energy of power-punk but feel a little over-the-hill
watching the kiddies slam, this is the album for you. -- rd
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Dani Linnetz / Five and Dime / Self-Released (CD)
If you were at all impressed with Shelby Lynne’s performance at this
year’s Grammy awards ceremony, you might want to check out Dani Linnetz.
Five and Dime is her own little slice of honky-tonk heaven, and it
features the sort of soulful country chops that every wannabe in Nashville would
kill for. She wraps her alto croon in blankets of banjo, fiddle and
Hammond organ, giving songs like "Tried" and "Dimestore Complaints"
an unexpectedly rich, soul-bearing complexion. In the end, it will
undoubtedly be Linnetz’s more soulful leanings that set her apart from
the current country/bluegrass pack. Five and Dime hints that perhaps
one day you’ll see Dani Linnetz up on that stage, dueting with Sheryl
Crow. -- jj
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James Apollo / Pull Down the Curtains / Orchard
(CD)
While Pull Down the Curtains definitely has a
country-tinged undertone, it also recalls some of the
better efforts of soul and roots-rock
alike, undulating between the adroit pop constructions
of songs like "31st Floor" and the good ole' country
boy guitar licks of "Hit and Run". It's by no
means a forward-moving listen, but then again, nobody
said it needed to be; as long as guitars and standard
rock drum kits remain prevalent in contemporary music,
there will always be room for heartfelt songwriters
who epitomize the true rock aesthetic. As a
collection, these nine songs make an
honest attempt at being just that -- nine songs. There's no
superfluous string-section or over-the-top guitar
solos; while an organ might sneak into a song or two, this is really
just straight up rock 'n' roll. -- jw
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The Aislers Set / Attraction Action Reaction b/w
Clouds Will Clear / Suicide Squeeze (7")
My enjoyment of the latest material from these Bay Area wonders was
compromised by format failure: both sides of this 7" were
marred by scratches running from label to edge. A brief
bout of Discwasher wet-gate technology later, things were a
little better. "Clouds Will Clear", the AA-side, stabilized
as an unassuming, Elliott Smithy plea for attention -- unrequited
love backed by acoustic guitars. Sadly, "Attraction Action
Reaction" was still beset with skips and cut-off grooves.
Near as I can tell, it's a mystic piece of dreampop,
reminiscent of the witchier moments of sixties pop. The
only bit that played clearly was near the end, and the song
was pretty much over by then. It's a shame, but that's the
risk you run when you press vinyl. -- gz
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Count Zero / Robots Anonymous /
SineAppleSap (CD)
What's great about Beck? Well, one thing that's great about Beck is that
he's a master of taking a bunch of things that don't have anything to do
with each other and slapping them together to create a totally weird,
disjointed mess. It might not make any sense, but it sounds great and makes
your butt move. Amen. Count Zero sounds nothing like Beck, but they
share Mr. Hansen's talent for squeezing disparate elements into a likable,
occasionally butt-moving whole. Combining guitar-based rock
and roll grooves with samples and electronic whatnots is not exactly a
groundbreaking strategy, but it's one that's hard to pull off well.
Count Zero scores at least a nine on "Roach Motel", a super-catchy epic
with nice weirdo synth backing and indecipherable lyrics like "I'll come
back in an instant, With some disinfectant, To spray upon your poodle
(He's sick because I touched him.). "Moon '69" is another really nice
one, with a groovy 1960s vibe, silly techno synth pads and dorky
rock-rap verses. This is slightly goofy, highly creative stuff, and I'm
liking it more each time I give it a listen. --
ib
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BoyCrazy / Foreign Words / Magic Marker (CD)
Foreign Words pulls in some artists from Hush Records (Jeff London
on drums), and although I don't know too much about Magic Marker, I expect great artistry from any CD that has anything to do
with HUSH. Foreign Words immediately rewarded my expectations with
great cheery songs that bounced balloons of good feeling off of each other. If the Harvest Ministers resembled a regular March band,
they would sound like this: acoustic twee with the voice of Bryce Edwards
giving a touch of angelic-boy-may-care. "Stark Street" is not only the best
song here, but also most representative of the band's musical intentions. It opens with plinky keyboards and bouncy guitars, quickly echoed by Bryce
Edwards and a woman (Rachel Blumberg? or Amber Martin?) happily crooning
about -- what else -- coming home from a night of listening to music.
Impressively, they're able to carry this sound and mood throughout the record with
nary a letdown, which means that the only Foreign Words you'll spout after listening to BoyCrazy will be happy ones. -- js
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Lynnea / Self-Titled / Lynnea (CD)
While the picture on the cover of this CD makes me think of Buffy the
Vampire Slayer's "other" sister, I've got to hand it to Lynnea for
authoring three thoroughly independent and interesting tunes. "The Big
Machine" sounds strangely like a gloomy goth tune
backed by restrained metal fanatics who are doing their best to keep from
exploding into some mega-dangerous riff fest. Strong bass lines accent each
track, adding an appealing twist to the mix. Overall, all ears turn to
Lynnea's vocals, which command respect with their confident, fearless lines
reminiscent of the early '80s metal artist, Bitch, crossed with Courtney
Love. Sounds sinister, doesn't it? Don't let the frightful packaging fool
you, there's some solid substance behind Lynnea and this three track CD
does a great job showcasing Lynnea's wares. -- am
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Rocco's Collar / 6 Inches to the Weather / Rocco's Collar (CD)
Rocco's Collar is a hard rock outfit from North Carolina that seems to fit
in well with Quiet Riot and other, similar acts. One
difference, I suppose, rests in the vocals of their singer, Stephen Orr: he
sounds remarkably like that guy from Creed, which might give the band some
sort of edge in the contemporary market. This edge, of course, disappears
each time Orr's voice cracks on the high notes (as in the chorus to
"Fracture"), but no matter. Ninety percent of the time, the band sounds like
a guided tour of the rockier side of the top forty, and they probably do other bands' songs
really well. This debut CD, made up purely of originals, is graced with
good acoustic guitar, and some nice touches of piano, but it's surprising
how low their electric guitars play into the mix. Most hard rock/metal bands
want to play loud, with guitars as their stars, but this offering implies that
Rocco's Collar rocks the joint like Toto. In all likelihood, they're much
heavier, but you mostly can't tell here. Still, their sole pop-metal song,
"If Only I Could Say", marks them as a reasonably hot club act; its chorus will sweep over and into your heart. The
lyrics aren't exactly smart ("If only I could say/Everything is here for you
to run with and take"), but they're set against a wonderful melody that will
have you digging out all the wonderful, wimpy love songs from those
prominent hair bands of yesteryear. -- td
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Paloma / Self-Titled / Acuarela (CD)
You'll think you know what to expect when this six-track EP
begins: it sounds like straightforward country-folk
material, like Palace or Songs: Ohia with a little bit more
glitz. It's not until the end of "Take Care of Me" that
things begin to go ever-so-slightly awry. Is that a Casio
rhythm bubbling and pinging away in the background? Yep.
It turns out that almost all of these tracks boast (mostly)
subtle electronic enhancements, from background loops to
drum-machine percussion. With the exception of the highly
assertive hurdy-gurdy that totters through "Spare Time" and
drowns out the vocals, the electronic elements are sparingly
used, often serving to highlight the intricacy of the
guitar work. The result is a dreamy, twangy folk record
with a distinctly different sound. It's not overwhelmingly
exciting -- the drowsiness of the music prevents that -- but
it's a sound you'll remember. -- gz
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Endgames / Crown Point Summer / Gossett!
(CD)
Although labeling can be a reductive process, it can
also allow insight into a band's sound or feel. It's instructive to
know that Endgames place themselves, unprompted, in the "Style/Genre" of
"Alternative/Indie-Pop." If those categories still carry descriptive
currency, they do in fact aptly describe Endgames' sound: jangly
guitars, keening vocals, the odd keyboard flourish. Crown Point
Summer is the young New York-based quartet's second EP, and there's
a good bit of folk music embedded here as well. You'll hear it in the autumnal stroll of "Ten Gallon Hat," with its chorus of "You're so sad all the time". "Kojak" adds an ominous bass line and
pinpoint guitar, but the songs tend to blend moodily together. This
EP won't get you ready to go out and boogie on a Saturday night, but its
quiet pleasures might make you wish that Sunday afternoon would never
end. -- rt
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Panic
12:52 / Redemption / Hedghog (CD)
Panic 12:52 perform a somewhat generic version of hard rock. It's a take on
Pantera, Megadeath, etc. that lacks fire and never really asserts a unique
voice. It has many of the standard metal qualities you'd hope for: big
distortion, hammering bass/guitar/drum riffs, quasi-evil lyrics, a bass
player who performs exclusively in a black, leather bondage mask, etc. Unfortunately, it's
too slow and comes across as a bit timid at times -- one whiff of Napalm Death would probably knock these guys right out! "Voices" is a fine example of what I mean.
The tempo is only about two thirds as quick as it ought to be and the song
languishes as a result. The vocals are plenty tough enough, but they need
an edge -- they seem too flat, dynamically speaking. I'm also disappointed by the
anemic drum sound throughout the album, though that's an engineering problem more
than anything else. In general, this record doesn't seem quite ready for
prime time. -- nw
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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 | rt - ryan tranquilla | jw - john wolfe | al - amy leach
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