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OUR WEEKLY COLLECTION OF SHORTER REVIEWS
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Jetenderpaul,
86,
Rolling Meadows: Songs About Our Past, Vol. 2,
The Parcels,
The Templars,
The New Amsterdams,
Encore,
Ninetynine,
dZihan & Kamien,
Todd Butler Group,
The Wrong Way Home: A Tribute to Supertramp,
Proxima,
Red Stars Theory,
Lucky Motors,
Bugs in Amber,
Silent Radio,
Stephen Pearcy,
Jebediah,
Books Lie,
Browning
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Jetenderpaul / Jetenderpaul Presents The Modal Lines /
Burnt Toast Vinyl
(CD)
You know something's up when a band's press materials mention graduate
school about seventeen times. Whether it's a good something or not is
unpredictable; in this case it's sort of a neutral something. The songs
on Jetenderpaul Presents The Modal Lines are creative and quite
varied, with influences ranging from the Beach Boys to Fountains of
Wayne to the Elephant 6 folks, which I guess isn't really that
varied... There's a definite '60s thing going on, which is sort of
charming at first, although the effect seems to be wearing off with
time and I find myself wondering how much more clever, cutesy,
semi-psychadelic sixties pop music we really need. Don't get me wrong --
some of the tunes, like "Hudson Bay Drive" are fine, quirky pop songs,
and "All I Wanted to Remember" has a chorus that's pretty hard not to
sing along with. But in general I'm finding that there's something just
not right about the earnest/cute/clever ratio on the disc. Then again,
Theodore Defosse went hogwild over the last
Jetenderpaul CD, so maybe I'm just a cranky old fart. You'll just have
to decide for yourself. --
ib
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86 / True Life Songs and Pictures / Fresh Corn
(CD)
This quartet from San Francisco serves up a wholesome, down-home romp
through America. By referring to their sound as "jug rock", the band
creates a vivid picture of a barn full of people clog dancing and knee-slapping while
a bunch of bearded, burly men kick out the barnyard jams. While the band is
actually a bit on the thin side and completely clean-shaven, the rest is
pretty accurate. Opener "How To Get There" is a foot-stomping reply
to REM's "Can't Get There From Here", with the added bonus of a snappy banjo
line. The rest of the album varies nicely between rural romps
("Unidentified Fiddling Object") and sylvan slow-dances ("Don't Close Your
Eyes"). Although nothing here is likely to rise to the level of the
all-time-best in country-folk music, the results are extremely good and
full of life. Because of this all-encompassing exuberance, 86 deserves a
spin at the next family reunion. -- rd
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Various Artists / Rolling Meadows: Songs About Our Past Vol. 2 / Sunday (CD)
For those who already know about Sunday Records, this is a smartly crafted,
hour-long collection of their early indiepop, and it's a bit more consistent than
the scarce Sarah Records comps. The Sweetest Ache gets the plaintive humming
going with "A New Beginning", their 1993 song about being "blinded by life"
and "wounded by beauty". The
song, a perfect first track ever there is one, sets the tone for the
consistently quiet, slightly melancholy pop which is to follow. Po!, a group
I'm unfamiliar with, do a remarkable song about a gal named "Fay" and Sugarplant comes across like a female-led Velvet Underground. I wasn't that good in
chemistry, but it sure seems to me that sadness wrapped in light pop equals
sweetness. Among my favorites here are tracks by Slumber ("I'll Never Know
Another Christmas Day") and the Proctors (a previously unreleased duet
called "Snow"), both of which could be marketed as Field Mice song.
The Slumber track has a similar melody as "Willow", but
with a strong guitar part closing it out, while the guy from the Proctors
sounds pleasingly like a Bobby Wratten ringer. Most of this collection will be essential to anybody who agrees with the "emo" philosophy in concept (i.e. songs should be emotional), but appends, "Just like ABBA and Aztec Camera before us." This is highly recommended if you're looking for a pop record to play
repeatedly. -- td
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The Parcels / Have a Go with the Parcels / Brentwood
Estates (CD)
That bleeping noise you hear in the background is the Twee
Alarm, which hasn't been quiet since Have a Go with the
Parcels found its way into the office. Yep, this is a
pretty damn sugary record. Fair warning is provided when
Melissa Wysocki mixes off-key singing and a faux
British accent on "Snappy New Haircut", but things really go
pear-shaped during "Jessica Pancakes". This tune, about a
friend who uses her occasional visits as an excuse to be
taken out for pancakes, is actually quite hummable --
perhaps because the melody appears to have been borrowed
wholesale from a far-better-known song. However, the
superlative silliness of "Jessica Pancakes" makes the songs
that follow it seem more serious. That's fortunate, because
there are some worthwhile songs here. "I Could Be a
Dinosaur" and "Green Means Go" hint at a penchant for
instrumental invention, while "I Stole a Star" and "Measure
Me Sky" sparkle by downplaying the bounciness in favor of
mannered maturity. I wound up liking Have a Go more
than I thought I would, though Wysocki's off-key vocals
still grate a bit. -- gz
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The Templars / Biaus Seignors Freres / TKO (CD)
This is a compilation of sorts, and looks like it's all about The Templars and
related projects with other international bands. "Who are The Templars?"
you ask? Well, this NYC, Oi! charged trio likes gritty hardcore without the
abusive, low-end metal frequencies that have permeated the genre's sound
of late. The band's sound is reminiscent of early '80s hardcore, as The
Templars are more concerned with verbal abuse than an epic musical
discharge, giving your eardrums a well-deserved break. With lyrics sung in
French and English and a powerful three-chord schpiel, a run through all
nine tracks will set the record straight on the state of Oi! today. -- am
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The New Amsterdams / Never You Mind / Vagrant (CD)
Sparse acoustic guitar work and moments of placid reflection are not
the first things that spring to mind when someone mentions The
Get Up Kids. On the first listen, Never You Mind seems creepy or
even just plain wrong. I had become so accustomed to hearing Matt
Pryor’s voice cutting through walls of racing guitars and bleeping
keyboards that the stripped-bare, acoustic nature of The New Amsterdams
took some getting used to. But once I was acclimated to this new musical
terrain, I found myself enjoying it just as much, if not more so than any
of my Get Up Kids records. Pryor’s impassioned pleas on “Slow Down” and
“Never Treat Others” have that rare ability to reach into your memory
and pull out those pieces of your past that you’d just as soon forget.
His tales of lost love, broken promises and forgotten friendships are
instantly memorable, not to mention extremely personal -- both for himself
and the listener. The group’s simple take on the Afghan Whigs’
“When We Two Part” reveals a delicacy and poignance seldom heard in
music today. With its spirited performances and crafty songwriting,
Never You Mind shows the New Amsterdams to be a fine musical outfit in
their own right, and not just the Get Up Kids on Valium. -- jj
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Encore / Love and Hate (The Mellow Drama) / 75 Ark (CD)
The original album version of "Love & Hate" reminds me somewhat of Rakim's
comeback album from a couple of years ago. It's mellow, highly controlled
and articulate. The Nextmem Remix is jazzier and vaguely reminiscent of Guru's Jazzmatazz projects, particularly in the little guitar licks that
surface from time to time. The flip side tune is "Considadis", a
minimalist, funky specimen that isn't much more than a gussied-up bass line.
For sheer cool factor, this one is the album winner. Fine hip hop is a
often a careful balancing act between street cred, verbal prowess and subtle
inflection. At this feat, Encore succeeds brilliantly. -- nw
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Ninetynine / 180 Degrees / Radio One/Patsy (CD)
Xylophone/vibes-induced retro sounds dominate this Australian band's
Radio One release.
But while incorporating these unusual instruments into indie rock are a good way
to attract
attention, Ninetynine's two gals and two guys take turns stunning you with melodic
and moody
droners and ridiculous poppy bits that would've been just as potent without the
mallets and keys.
Laura MacFarlane’s voice carries several songs with a remarkable confidence, flooding the area
with shimmering musical beauty. Ninetynine is entertaining without becoming
intrusive,
massaging your mind and tickling your senses. These 14 songs are like
listening to
Macha-lite; the band is willing to explore unfamiliar rock territory
with a sound that's
highly developed and musingly motivating. -- am
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dZihan & Kamien / Freaks & Icons / Six
Degrees (CD)
I don't know why, but this pairing of producers dZihan
(pronounced "zhee-hahn", I think) and Kamien struck me as a
conscious allusion to Arling and Cameron. In fact, Kruder
and Dorfmeister would be a far more appropriate starting
point, as dZihan and Kamien specialize in smooth,
R&B-flavored chillout grooves rather than frenzied techno
workouts. Freaks & Icons is a sort of international
late-night club-hopping travelogue, pairing exotic
atmospheres and instrumentation with mid-tempo beats and a
smoothly funky sensuality. Most of the time it sounds like
the soundtrack for an unexpected romantic liaison in the
middle of an otherwise uneventful trip to Ibiza...but every
now and then, it just sounds like yuppie makeout music.
There are definitely a few cheesy bits, though this wouldn't
be a bad CD to keep on the nightstand, "just in case". On
the whole, stunning chillout tracks like "Streets of
Istanbul" and "Slowhand Hussein" make Freaks & Icons
worthwhile, and the slow-burning Massive Attack groove of
"Smile" is an added bonus. Just be warned that it's
mellower than you might expect. -- gz
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Todd Butler Group / Lockout / TBG (CD)
John Barth, a good musician himself, once advised writers to steer clear of
epitaphs, since they make your reader know what he could be reading instead.
The same probably applies to music. Here, besides a handful of originals,
Baltimore's Todd Butler Group perform pieces by such notables as Wayne
Shorter ("Witch Hunt") and Joe Henderson ("Serenity"), along with the
brilliant work of somewhat lesser known artists like Benny Golson (whose
"I Remember Clifford", a tribute to bop trumpeter Clifford Brown, becomes
the centerpiece here). The band's versions of these classics are all
beautifully done -- sometimes with more energy than the originals themselves --
but still, anyone with a light wallet must ask this question: why put your
money down on the Todd Butler Group? The answer lies in compositions like
Butler's own "Lockout", Kyle Coughlin's "Like Vertigo" or Darius Scott's
"The Meltdown. All of these stand head to toe with their formidable covers,
and the playing is so boisterous that it delights the part of you that wants
traditional jazz to carry all the spirit from the streets of New Orleans. Running 69 minutes, the results might be too much of a good
thing, but the Todd Butler Group should find avid supporters among those who
like their jazz midway between Steve Coleman and Maceo Parker. Their brand
of jazz is not too adventurous, but the pieces are complex enough that they
don't yearn for vocals, or possess the slightest air of disposability. -- td
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Various Artists / The Wrong Way Home: A Tribute to Supertramp /
Urinine (CD)
Supertramp is not the sort of band you think of when the term "tribute
album" is being tossed around. When’s the last time you saw them
name-checked as an influence by, well, anybody? Still, regardless of
their past musical atrocities here's a tribute to Supertramp. The Wrong Way Home (their hit of the same name
is noticeably absent) is a four song EP that features performances of
‘Tramp hits by Not Funny Anymore, Free Range Pilgrim, Hell on Wheels and
the Panoply Academy of Engineers. And befitting a band of their
diminished stature, the majority of the performances here are actually worse than the originals. The Panoply Academy of
Engineers manage to absolutely slaughter both “Dreamer” and “Crime of
the Century”, transforming them from radio-friendly hits into sludgy,
squalling and lackluster pieces of art-rock shit. Free Range Pilgrim
and Hell on Wheels fare no better, trotting through insipid versions of
“Breakfast in America” and “The Logical Song” respectively. The only
saving grace here is Not Funny Anymore’s speed-metal rendition of
“Bloody Well Right”, which manages to sounds like the original hopped up
on amphetamine crackers and Red Bull. Even Supertramp doesn't deserve this. -- jj
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Proxima / Music For Pleasure / Alcatraz
(CD)
Hard rock isn't dead -- it's only sleeping in Paris. How else to explain
Proxima, who sound like Night Ranger after a twenty year nap? This trio
keeps the faith that Bon Jovi lost when Nirvana rose, pounding
out arena-sized riffs and choruses made to be sung along to by massive crowds of
kids in denim jackets. Although this formula of guitar-bass-drums has been
done a million times, the reason it remains popular is because it still
works. It's hard not to tap along to something that sounds so familiar,
which is Proxima's blessing and curse. While the band was wise enough to
leave some rough edges in their songs, I still can't escape the feeling
that I've tuned in to a classic rock radio station. This is an album of
honestly-felt nostalgia -- solid, but containing no surprises. -- rd
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Red Stars Theory / s/t /
Touch and
Go (CD)
Featuring members of bands people have actually heard of, like Modest
Mouse and 764-hero, this four song EP sort of screams "SIDE PROJECT!!!"
It's not bad, though, and the dancing lambs on the cover are
particularly inspiring. The music is sort of ambient-proggy, but with
occasional slacker vocals thrown down to take the edge off. I imagine
Red Stars Theory has some pretty good guitar noodle-fests happening in
their rehearsal space. A 'cello adds some lovely flourishes to "Our
Nearest Neighbors", and someone called "Sientific American" has done a
fine job of sonically weirdifying the remix of "Parts Per Million", the
original version of which appeared on RST's 1999 Life in a Bubble Can
Be Beautiful. This is a nice disc, although
I'm finding it hard to get very excited about it -- maybe because it's
only four tunes, two of which are remixes. I'm not going to go out and
buy the Red Stars Theory back catalog, but I'll definitely keep my ears
out for their next full length, which I imagine will provide more clues
as to the true the nature of this rather mysterious and intriguing
ensemble. --
ib
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Lucky Motors / The Package and the Prophet b/w
Ashtray of Kisses / ojet (7")
As 7" singles go, this Houston trio's effort is likable
stuff. "The Package and the Prophet" bounces along with a
pleasantly jangly sixties swagger -- it's the sort of song
that makes you anticipate the bit where the horns come in,
but (unfortunately) ends before they arrive. There's a
tinge of southern-rock twang in there somewhere, but the
chorused vocals are sunny and cheerful and the lyrics are
blurry stream-of-consciousness stuff, like a less precious
Of Montreal. Flipside "Ashtray of Kisses" owes more to
Dinosaur Jr. than dinosaur rock; frenetic, angular and
seething, it cleaves to an indie-rock aesthetic that, while
somewhat out of favor these days, still makes great
listening. With such divergence between tracks, I wouldn't
be sure what to expect if I went to see Lucky Motors play.
-- gz
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Bugs In Amber / Rocketship Letters / Sign Language (CD)
On the simplest level, Sonny Votolato's soprano/alto voice is unique enough
to grab your
attention. Not only can Sonny carry a tune and invoke a true sense of
liveliness with each
track; he even does it in a manner that agrees completely with your aural
senses.
Fortunately, this minimal layer meshes with six other musicians,
matching emo-styled
vocals with a thrilling orchestration of violin, flute, occasional horn and
keys. Whether
it's orchestra-pop or orchestrated pop is debatable, but what's undeniable
is the ability of
Bugs In Amber to carve out a unique niche in contemporary indie rock. The
band's sound is
recognizable enough to keep those unadventurous types from frowning upon
the non-rock
instrumentations, yet its sound is neither a monotonous drone nor a one-trick
pony. I prefer the
band's more upbeat numbers, as each instrument fights for its own voice
while still
recognizing that a compromise between all members is obligatory in order to
produce a
coherent sound. The band succeeds marvelously as dense numbers like "Friend
or Foe" and "I
Need a Beverage" will enlighten, entertain and envelop you with a sound
that's commendable not only for its daring stab into unfamiliar territory, but for its
stark and charming
tunefulness. -- am
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Silent Radio / Rhythm and Glue Smokey City Sweet New Age Soul Music / Instant Credibility (CD)
Here are some quick descriptions of a few Silent Radio songs: "Sleep Death"
recalls ZZ-Top era Meat Puppets, and "Harmonica Interlude" reminds me of
solo Mike Watt. "Straight to My Heart" is a straightforward rocker and "Why
be Blue" has an infectious NRBQ groove. Pittsburgh's Silent Radio is not a
band which brings much new to the table, but they revive the best from all
your favorite bands from your past. "Everything Everything"
is rock at its finest, and "Annie Says" is a ballad that Tom Petty would
snap up in a second. "White Rose" brings to mind the actual ZZ Top imitating
Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, while the hilarious promotional bonus cuts
truly "bite the wax tadpole"! That is, in surfer speak, a good thing, though
God knows how I sat through the 8-minute finale. A mindless piano ditty
drawn out to nine minutes, it's probably played in concert whenever you piss
the band off. Trust me, if you're a music lover, there's no reason to be mad
with these guys. Their CD is quite an enjoyable affair, and insurmountable
proof that you don't need to ape Bruce Springsteen to light up the clubs
in a steel town. -- td
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Stephen Pearcy / Before and Laughter / Top Fuel/Triple X (CD)
There has never been a more appropriate time than now to quote Kurtz from Heart
of Darkness: "The horror! The horror!". Those of you still
living in the
cellar will need to know that Mr. Pearcy was the front man for '80s
metal sensation,
RATT. Anything goes on this best-of retrospective, as Pearcy's home
recordings, ranging from
1978 to 1998, combine the familiar stinging sounds of his royal RATTness
with high-octane
metal-rock riffs and soulful, lonesome ballads. Whether or not you have any
opinion on
Pearcy or his past, it's impressive enough that he's kept what could have
been a
"has-been career" alive and kicking. Is the real horror that Pearcy has
joined
forces with Triple X Records, or that in some fiendish, teenage time-travel
kind of way, I
find Before and Laughter both amusingly and musically entertaining? -- am
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Jebediah / Of Someday Shambles / Big Wheel (CD)
I hate to say this, but even though they might be huge down under,
Jebediah are destined to get lost in the shuffle here in the USA.
Their brand of punchy, emo-leaning rock n’ roll isn’t bad, but then
again it isn’t great either. Of Someday Shambles meanders down the musical
middle of the road, its car filled with crisp guitars, pretty melodies
and pleasant vocals that never really manage to go anywhere exciting or
different. Songs like “Star Machine” or “In Orbit” sound like they
could have come from any one of 100 bands currently making the rounds.
Jebediah's impending tour with the Get Up Kids certainly won’t hurt their
standing here in the States, but at the same time it's unlikely to endear
them to the whole of the nation. Jebediah are a good band, but when
compared to homegrown powerhouses like Elliott, Alkaline Trio and the
aforementioned Get Up Kids, they -- as well as Of Someday Shambles -- simply
fall flat. -- jj
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Books Lie / It A Weapon / Satellite Transmissions
(CD)
This is prime D.I.Y. hardcore punk -- short, sharp, abrasive
and aggressive, encompassing aspects of Big Black and Black
Flag. While infinitely preferable to most of that goofy-ass
SoCal stuff, Books Lie may initially seem to lack -- for
want of a better word -- fun. But it's there if you bother
to look. It's present in the galvanizing power of these
chugging guitar anthems, and in the wide-eyed
performance-madness present here (and undoubtedly
overflowing from their live shows). The lyrics do more than
simply channel unfocused aggression, though a few of the
song titles ("Capitalism is some kinda crazy-ass vampire"
and the soundclip song, for instance) smack of conspicuous
cleverness -- as does "Only One T", the oddly interesting
instrumental that closes the album. Running less than 24
minutes, It A Weapon is shorter than some
songs I've reviewed in the last few months, but
that's a good thing; it took 100 minutes of top-volume
listening to give me a headache, but by then I was pretty
well acquainted with Books Lie. -- gz
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Browning / Astride the Shadow Line / Luminous (CD)
Dishing up six songs in 40 minutes, Browning would fail if their playing didn't
exceed the abilities of typical indie band, or if their vocals turned listeners off. Most
everything here is roses, though, with "Red Kimono" matching anything
from Picture Centre's stellar debut. "This Place Was to be a Hearth", an
instrumental employing piano, packs the same punch as those scary little
tracks by the Cranes. "Mal De Mar" is saved by a phenomenal guitar attack in
the middle, while the "Heart is a Lonely Hunter" signals just a short
descent. That song moves along sincerely but not successfully; imagine a
slowed down version of early Braid, or a kid trying to cram a yell into a
yawn. Thanks to some great guitar, "Soldier Bridge" doesn't continue the
collapse. The song accentuates all the gifts Browning can offer in an epic
format, with their song able to retrieve one's real or imagined memories of
war in its tight guitar solos. "Last Drinks" ends the CD on a note slower
than it should, but the moody babble of a sea shanty chorus keeps the
patiently uttered vocals from getting annoying. It's still a bit
overdramatic, I guess, but the guitars are once again luminous. The sadness
shines, baby. -- td
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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 | js - jenn sikes | rg - rodney gibbs
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