OUR WEEKLY COLLECTION OF SHORTER REVIEWS
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The Yayhoos, Iffy, Pulseprogramming, MJB, Hot Water Music, David Singer, Three Japanese and One Chinese Friendee, Patti Rothberg, Annie Lin, The Grand Prize, Farm Team, Nocturne, The Droo Church, Pylon, Super XX Man, Maciré Sylla, Eska, Adult Rodeo, Total War, Clan of Xymox, Fluffy Porcupine, Lazycame, Kevin Hannan, Topaz, Trash Wednesday, Pookey Bleum, Full Frequency, Kammerflimmer Kollektief, 84 Nash, Tex La Homa, Walter Trout and the Radicals, John T. Baker
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The Yayhoos / Fear Not the Obvious / Bloodshot (CD)
From their name, you know to expect a beefy dose of gap-toothed, low-down rock and roll from this quartet, and they deliver it with a side of fries. Headed by Dan Baird, formerly of Georgia Satellites, the band offers song after song of hard rocking, tongue-in-cheek country-rock. With song titles like "Monkey with a Gun" and "Hankerin'", the boys can't be accused of overwrought philosophy, but that's not the point. Instead, the focus is on old-school fun, and they nail this target time and again. If you aren't convinced by the first eleven tracks, just give a listen to their cover of Abba's "Dancing Queen" and try not to love it. --
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Iffy / Biota Bondo / Foodchain (CD)
This is quintessential summer blockbuster movie music -— the stuff soundtracks are made of. In fact, it would have been perfect for the car wash scene in Bring It On, and everyone should take that as a really big compliment. Iffy’s album is funky, listenable dance music. While I’m sure it’s better to shake your butt to it, you can actually sit around and listen to it and feel energized. There’s a bit of electronica, some house, rhythmic Latin flairs and even moments of mellow jazz that don’t make me want to gag. There's something to like in every song on the album. Maybe dance music isn’t all bad after all! --
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Pulseprogramming / 1 of 2 in 1000, 2 of 2 in 1000 / Aesthetics (2x12")
Perhaps because so-called "intelligent dance music" has grown so quickly, and become so trendy, few listeners are willing to admit that a lot of it is boring as sweet fuck-all. These two twelve-inch EPs prove that the "I" in IDM can also stand for "interesting". Released separately -- 1 of 2 in 1000 has been available for a few weeks, while 2 of 2 in 1000 just hit the street -- they employ a similar aesthetic, but create vastly different moods. 1 of 2 in 1000 is the "beat" disc, offering six tracks of glitchtronic rhythms, ambient textures, conceptual drum and bass and even some straightforward techno. Seriously, there's stuff here that you can actually dance to -- an assertion you can't make about much cutting-edge electronic music these days. 2 of 2 in 1000 is far subtler, offering nine slow, luxurious and gentle textural explorations; if Eno had recorded them, he'd call them Music for Wombs. Both EPs are friendly, warm and welcoming, very much the opposite of the cold, brittle sounds currently in fashion. Stuff like this is why the genre matters. --
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MJB / Feed / Semper LoFi (CD)
While I have a giant soft spot in my inner mind/ear for weirdo DIY projects, I also have a strong desire not to hear any more songs that use Macintosh voices as a clever gimmick, or that feature uninspired rants by angry boys. MJB gets a lot of things right on Feed, including the really cute hand-made packaging, clever song titles ("My Posthumous Baptism", "Meatiest Rotisserie Chicken", "Australian Puppet Show") and some nice sample manipulation, but in general, these cut and paste, sample-heavy tracks tend to go on too long, without the kind of hyper-musicality or deep subtext that's needed to make projects like this work. That said, "Jerusalem" is wonderfully demented and strange, so I'm confident that MJB has a really good weirdo DIY project in there somewhere, just burning to get out. --
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Hot Water Music / A Flight and a Crash / Epitaph (CD)
In the history of hardcore, few bands have achieved the widespread acclaim that Hot Water Music currently enjoys. Over the last seven years, both critics and fans alike have fawned over the band’s barbarous mix of hardcore intensity and top-notch songwriting. A Flight and a Crash is a bid to widen the band's exposure; they've left the cozy confines of Some Records in favor of the relatively higher profile Epitaph imprint. Not a whole lot has changed in the two years since the band released No Division, and as a result, the majority of A Flight and a Crash mines familiar musical territory. The band's trademark dual guitar/vocal style remains intact, as full-bore rockers like "Paper Thin" and "One More Time" will certainly attest. The full on blitzkrieg of "Choked and Separated" exposes the band’s obvious hardcore roots, while "In the Gray" is the closest HWM have come to writing a love song. Filled from start to finish with voracious thrills and a sense of detached sentimentality, A Flight and a Crash might just be the record that pushes Hot Water Music out of the basements and into the public consciousness. --
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David Singer / The Cost of Living / Deep Elm (CD)
Is Kid Million's David Singer the American Harvey Williams? That's definitely what shows up on the astoundingly catchy, mesmerizingly pretty pop tune "The Cost of Living". The lyrics ("Amy's not having any fun/Fishing for compliments from anyone") are more descriptive than one usually finds these days, adding a cohesive skin to the song's body of emotions. And as for the piano: magnifique! Other songs of near-equal caliber include "The Accident", "That's Not Me" and "The Base of My Skull", all of which make The Cost of Living a worthy purchase. While I loved the album, I was disappointed by Singer's compulsive need to experiment and branch out. When he incorporates hip hop elements into "I Need to Be Able to See You", and goes 99 percent instrumental on "I Don't Mind", he impresses us with his range and skill -- but those are the album's least interesting songs, too wrapped up in their innovations to transcend them. Singer, a veteran of the Chicago scene, seems to do classy British pop best, and a bigger platter of that next time around would be delicious. --
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Three Japanese and One Chinese Friendee / How to Cook Sushi-Wook / Promenade Fanzine (7")
Stay with me, as this will get confusing. Three Japanese and One Chinese Friendee are actually a Swedish, female-fronted fright, with vastly inappropriate faux-Japanese-accented-English vocals and a penchant for minimalist hardcore and grooving, porn-ridden guitar riffs. You'll either be deeply offended or smirk in joyous amusement, as noisy numbers like "Sayonara Motherfucker" (its lyrics relegated to "Sayonara Motherfucker/Don't mess with Three Japanese!!!") and the destructive scream-fest, "Hello Kitty" ("Hello Kitty go to Hell!/Go to hell/Go to Hell") are utterly fantastic jabs at pop culture. Each of the markedly unmanageable ten tracks on this 7" is a cacophony of earsplitting, jabbering and blaring distortion that usually gets its point across in little over a minute. Politically incorrect and flagrantly irritating to anyone in the room, How to Cook Sushi-Wook is one of the most outrageous and mesmerizing releases I've dropped onto the turntable in quite some time. --
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Patti Rothberg / Candelabra Cadabra / Cropduster (CD)
Patti Rothberg certainly isn't the first artist to find herself screwed over in the wake of major label mayhem. After her 1996 major label debut, Between the 1 and 9, Rothberg found modest success, but she all but disappeared when the label closed its doors and she found herself without a home. Now that Rothberg's "next big thing" phase is over, she's back with a new collection of songs, many of them in the same spirit as her previous effort. While some tracks, like the hook-heavy title track and the new wave "Eggshells", show a promising glimpse at a more mature Rothberg, the majority of the album fails to venture beyond ground she has covered before. There's no doubt that Rothberg is talented, but it wouldn't hurt her to take a few more risks. --
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Annie Lin / Math Pope / Ariadne (CD)
Annie Lin's folk pop recalls the coffee-house girl revival sound of the early to mid '90s. Actually, Math Pope is the quintessence of this sound. Lin is more cheerful than mournful, although her lyrics are less quirky and funny than they could be. It's a strange mix: pissed-at-my-insensitive-boyfriend lyrics delivered in a chirpy soprano, accompanied by strummed (and occasionally drummed) acoustic guitar. Lin's phrasing is a bit off-kilter as well, which adds to her charm; she breaks lines in strange places, which makes you listen to the words a bit more than you otherwise might. She also has some great lyrical imagery: "I watched your fingers curl/ around your violin bow" ("Speak"). Sometimes I believe that all female folk-guitar-singer/songwriters are failed poets who loved their undergrad creative writing class; if that's so, Annie Lin would've gotten a B+. Her first full-length is due in November; pick up this demo while you're waiting, if you're a fan of skinned knees and bruised hearts. --
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The Grand Prize / Venice / Landmark (CD)
The Grand Prize play folky, pop rock that occasionally delves into '60s psychedelia. The album opens with "Ghosts of You", a catchy pop song with a refreshing Latin groove and a feel-good chorus. The Prize show their range by going from Latin to the Polka pop of "Sleep On It". "The Edge of the World" and "Hey You! My Love" incorporate some trippiness, to good effect, with vocal effects, treated pianos and feedback guitars, while the beautiful country ballad "Married to a Soldier" sends your mind down long desert highways at sunset, traveling in opposite direction of an old lover. The album ends on a low note with three relatively long and unexciting solo acoustic numbers. While the songs are delicate and lush, the recording quality doesn’t do them justice; peaking guitar solos make you cringe during moments of serenity, and quiet, tinny vocals miss the mark, buried beneath the murky sound. What these guys need is production that can support the weight of their musical visions. This is a really nice set of songs, but I’m expecting bigger and better things from this talented outfit in the future. --
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Farm Team / Dargons / Pensamplivox (CD)
Chicago's Farm Team takes the leash off its pet dog, Rock 'n' Noise, and lets it roam through the neighborhood. Unfortunately, said animal hasn't eaten lately, and proceeds to knock you down and maul you with such numbers as "Thematic Farm Theme" and "Drunk Mall". With a bit of Halo of Flies' punk energy and influences as diverse as Bastro and The Soft Boys, Farm Team sifts through noisy anthems and ear-wrecking guitar blasts that create a wall of focused aggression and tongue-in-cheek flamboyance. This Farm Team sampler, if you will, epitomizes the disgruntled and raucous angular rock of a band hell-bent on cranking the amps as its boisterous temper overwhelms you in a torrent of scarring domination. You may never be the same after a Farm Team listening session. --
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Nocturne / Welcome to Paradise / Triple X (CD)
Goth/industrial/metal hybrids aren't a new idea. Hell, you'll find more than a few of them on the radio, though most of them have evolved into nu-metal bands -- that's where the money is, after all. So what makes Dallas-based Nocturne better than average? It's mostly vocalist Lacey Conner, whose vocals run the gamut from schoolgirl sweetness and succubus seduction to flat-out hellish bitchiness, with an occasional fake British accent thrown in for good measure. We're all tired of the bog-standard raw-throated male howling, so Conner's witchy, theatrical performance offers an entertaining, highly varied departure. Of course, without the capable support of guitarist/programmer Chris Telkes, not to mention drummer Ivan McRoy and bassist Erik Gustafson, Conner's act wouldn't work. Fortunately, everything clicks. I was also impressed by the band's website -- not by all the damn Flash animation, but by their refreshingly down-to-earth attitude and good-natured self-promotion; it's not what you expect from a band that sounds like Nocturne, but it's a pleasant surprise. I hope good things happen for Nocturne; they're a 45 Grave for the 21st Century, and I mean that as a compliment. --
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The Droo Church / In a Pasture Built for Lovers / Hall of Records (CD)
In this debut full-length, the Droo Church combines a knack for AC/DC-style shredding with the sloppiness of early Social Distortion. The band comes across as a competent group of musicians who just couldn't find a second guitarist and had to settle on the weird punk from the record store; tracks like "You Gotta Be Kidding" match over-the-top classic rock vocals with garishly dancing guitars and sloppy drumming, resulting in an album that comes across as surprisingly modern. Further altering the band's sonic hodge-podge is the group's second vocalist, who refuses to whine like anything from the early '70s and instead thrashes along like an American version of Johnny Rotten fronting Aerosmith. They're weird, they're wacky, and they ain't AC/DC -- at least not yet. --
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Pylon / Rocks and Whips / Boing Being (CD)
If musicians reflect their surroundings, what can we say about the besieged people of Finland? On their third album, the Finns of Pylon create a soundscape overwhelmed with clutter, harshness and serrated frequencies. The vibrating tones of "Battles of Happiness" become grating well before the end of the more than three minute track. Unfortunately, the clanging "mw1600" immediately follows; if you didn't have a headache already, you will. If nothing else, Pylon are evocative within the frame of their repetitive electronic manipulation: a helicopter lands with chopping propellers in the short "Taivaan Monikulmio"; a CD rack is flipped through at a furious pace during the equally short "Angels of Space." An industrial sound -- in the sense of pneumatic machinery -- defines many of these tracks. Sonic ferocity isn't the real problem here, though; rather, it's a lack of movement within the songs themselves. The unlisted final track lays an ambient bed for a strummed acoustic guitar that builds slightly in volume, but increases only marginally in intensity -- in exactly the same way that the first song, "Guns of Joy", builds an ambient foundation for a sound like electronic bagpipes, which gain in volume but never coalesce into anything more than undulating noise. The material in between, unfortunately, follows suit. --
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Super XX Man / Volume V / Post Parlo (CD)
Scott Garred, otherwise known for fronting the indie pop band Silver Scooter, exposes his soul in this solo side project. Though similar in style to his previous efforts, Volume V adds a hi-fi sheen to Garred's personal ruminations. For a twenty-something dorky white guy (Super XX Man) to hook a 20 something dorky white guy (Me), he either has to live a sufficiently riveting life to warrant my giving a shit, or make up something interesting. Sadly, Garred does neither. I’m not so ignorant as to think that all records should be made with me in mind (though that might be cool), but there’s no denying that this is an album riddled with self importance and nauseatingly smug humility. Though the album is purposefully confessional, I found myself longing for at least one song without "Me" "My" or "I" in it. I’m not knocking Garred's songwriting ability, because many of the songs here are actually quite well done, with simple-yet-compelling creative flourishes; it’s the emotional baggage that turns me away. Maybe I’m reacting so harshly because I’m reminded of my own dorky (but not so miserable) white guy life. Or maybe XX just represents the side of indie rock I just cannot swallow. I’m looking at the pastel heart on Volume V's cover, and wondering if anyone ever told Garred not to wear his heart on his sleeve... --
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Maciré Sylla / Maya Irafama / Trace (CD)
Thanks to High Fidelity, the term "world music" will forever be associated with aging hipsters who think they can cook Cantonese cuisine and who sport ponytails in an effort to defy male pattern baldness. With that in mind, Maciré Sylla's music isn’t exactly of the world variety, though it proudly wears its African and Indonesian influences on its metaphorical sleeve. Contrary to any pre-conceived notions, the majority of Maya Irafama is a funky brew, consisting mainly of Sylla’s sultry vocals accompanied by a wide array of instruments, including guitar, flute, saxophone, bass and keyboards. Album standout "Aidara" emits a positively Caribbean vibe, while the genteel "Diabana" could certainly double as a child’s lullaby. A thoroughly enjoyable album filled with plenty of punch, Maya Irafama is a timely reminder that world music is more than just another genre cliche. --
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Eska / Invent the Fortune / Gringo (CD)
I had some problems after listening to Invent the Fortune's first few tracks; the songs kept changing tempo, and while this seemed necessary due to the music's simplicity, it grew annoying. The tempo changes grew more and more disconcerting, making it difficult to settle into each track -- call it SchiZophRenic puNk. Luckily, this changes as the disc enters its second half. Track four is a worthwhile punk instrumental, in which everything seems to settle in nicely; it's followed by a good punk song and a shorter instrumental called "Between Kings". At this point, Eska's tempo-changing tricks begin to work well; they're less dramatic and remind me of the short attention span of early Guided By Voices. Eska isn't quite at the level of the Microphones and Guided by Voices, let alone Built to Spill, but if you love those bands, there's a good chance you'll like Eska. --
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Adult Rodeo / Long-range, Rapid-fire / Four States Fair (CD)
This viciously unusual group is best placed in the same category as the Pixies and the Danielson Familie. This reference is due more to the idiosyncratic vision Adult Rodeo shares with the aforementioned groups than to an overt sonic similarity. Hurdy-gurdy sounds, acoustic guitars and oddly inflected yelps create a folk music quality -- but this is folk music from a very, very odd planet. This affectation can strike you as delightful or demonic, and I found that my impression changed a bit from song to song. On the plus side are "Pegleg Jackson", which features a stoned feline chorus, and the downright poppy "Monticello". Over the course of an hour, however, the band's unique approach becomes a bit much, suggesting that the disc is best consumed in small portions. --
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Total War / We Are...Total War / Necropolis (CD)
Coming to terms with past interpersonal conflicts, Necropolis and guitarist Blackmoon Parland have agreed to re-release the best of both out-of-print War releases. Besides the obvious repackaging, all tracks have been remastered and the band has changed its name to Total War due to legal issues with American rock legends WAR. We Are...Total War rips through a wealth of devilish black metal and unnerving thrash, just as Blackmoon always intended it. There's no hiding the album's Satanic bent; tracks like "666" and "Satan" are about as obvious in intention as a shredded goat carcass on your doorstep. Evil-stricken, scratchy vocals and high-speed guitar licks dominate these fourteen tracks, giving any metal fan a promising pummeling. Total War even pays tribute to classic metal band Sodom, capping the disc with a cover of "Bombenhagel". However, it's amusing to note that Necropolis has issued a disclaimer in the liner notes, insisting that it doesn't share the beliefs expressed in the lyrics. Since when does a label that promotes Impaled's disgusto-rama-shock-techniques care about its association with Satan's musicians? --
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Clan of Xymox / Subsequent Pleasures / Metropolis (CD)
Back in 1984 -- prior to signing to 4AD, moving to a major label, shortening their name and enjoying modest commercial success -- Clan of Xymox self-released their Subsequent Pleasures EP. The old "early self-released EP re-released by a new label" is an essential rite of passage for any cult band, and Metropolis has duly stepped up to the plate, padding the CD with a handful of previously unreleased demo recordings. Subsequent Pleasures is very much a product of its time, musically threadbare and gloomier than the band's subsequent efforts, full of the sinuous guitar licks that characterized mid-'80s synth-goth. You may recognize "Muscoviet Mosquito" from its appearance on 4AD's seminal Lonely is an Eyesore compilation. The demo tracks are cheerier and more electronic, hinting at the increased emphasis on keyboard textures that would characterize the group's PolyGram days. As with any re-release of an early self-released EP, Subsequent Pleasures is far from essential for casual listeners, but it's an interesting historical document. --
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Fluffy Porcupine / Pointed Little Quill / Self Released (CD)
You know how keyboards in the mall have an autoplay feature, where you can pick a style like "bossa nova", "hard rock" or "Latin" and it will start jamming out for you at the press of a button? Or perhaps it just plays the beat and you can play chord progressions just by holding down a key once in a while? There's usually a cool "drum fill" button too. Well, Pointed Little Quill sounds like it was recorded directly from a wack version of one of those keyboards -- one with preset styles like "1980s industrial", "Magnum PI Theme" and "Step Aerobics". That isn't to say that these purely synthesized ditties aren't fun to listen to, at least the first few times -- but after a while, their earnest squareness and absolutely quantified nature makes it tough going. --
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Lazycame / Finbegin / Hall of Records (CD)
Recording as Lazycame, William Reid, previously of Jesus and Mary Chain, is capable of making really nice, soft, slow and even sweet acoustic songs...but too often chooses not to. The song songs sandwich an all-too-large pill of experimental sound, which could easily serve as a soundtrack to the madhouse. There are, however, a few gems; if you listen close enough, your face might even turn red. "Complicated" is a catchy love song with Reid mumbling, as though in a drug-induced stupor, "too bad we got complicated..." "510lovers" starts with a description of a lover and melts into "...yah, yah, yaaah, yah, yah, yah, yaaaaaah...don't go away..." These songs have a certain charm, similar to Syd Barrett's solo stuff; you can't really make out what it means, but it's catchy and you understand what he's trying to say. But in what must be interpreted as a modern tragedy, the experimental stuff takes over the album. --
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Kevin Hannan / Bridge to Atlantis / Self-released (CD)
It's difficult to find much good to say about Bridge to Atlantis. The music is generic rock, the sort of thing you'd expect to hear as filler between the Top 40 hits on any commercial radio station. Hannan's voice is nothing special, either, recalling Moist's David Usher at his most boring moments. This is a concept album without anything to say, a problem compounded by the fact Hannan is also a published poet, and thus prone to rambling. Unless Disney's Atlantis has you caught up in feverish enthusiasm for all things Atlantean, give this a pass; it's not so much a mess as a dull blur. --
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Topaz / Listen! / Velour (CD)
Though its cover art might lead you to believe otherwise, Listen! is a well-constructed post-modern jazz-funk record. Tracks like "Rez" and "Dharma" make it clear that this New York-based octet sees itself as the missing link between Sorcerer-era Miles Davis and the wild experimentation of current groups like Ken Vandermark’s Sound in Action Trio or Isotope 217. In reality, the group has much more in common with jam band icons Medeski, Martin and Wood than it does with anyone currently operating on the jazz circuit. "Let Go" features laid-back spoken word vocals and fat Wurlitzer stabs that any upstanding funk band would be proud to call its own. Topaz's take on Donald Byrd’s "Emperor" is a fusion-fueled call to arms, while the wandering "Peyote Eyes" shows off the group’s softer, more introspective side. While it never really manages to conjure up images of Coltrane or Mingus, Listen! is a cohesive record that genre-hopping jazz, funk, rock and soul-lovers are sure to enjoy. --
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Trash Wednesday / Self-Titled / Self-Released (CD)
The thing I like best about Trash Wednesday is the fake matchbook packaging, although I liked it better when Doo Rag did it with their 1996 release, What We Do. That’s sort of the story of this band, I think; if the Third Bardo were five years ahead of their time, Trash Wednesday is at least 10 years behind theirs. Their album is eleven tracks of well-produced, catchy, melodic, yet incredibly anachronistic and unoriginal pop. Heavy with New Wave and Britpop elements, this album would have been huge in 1987 or something. There’s some pretty cool Cult and Cure lifting throughout the disc, particularly on "Into the Sun" and "The River Flows". --
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Pookey Bleum / Lo-Fi Rainbow / Bi-Fi (CD)
A minute and a half into the great "Lo-Fi Rainbow", the song breaks down into "white man rap", circa 1980. Therein lies part of the band's charm: they're lighthearted and fun, and quite willing to fall on their faces. Of course, it's ideal when the band is simply "willing to fall", but the hip-hop break in "Lo-Fi Rainbow" wears thin so quickly that the band ends up with more facial disfigurement than they intended. The second track, "Everyone Loves Delaware (Going to Wilmington)", avoids that mistake, but it's not fully realized, and could be funnier; also, I don't think Delawareans -- close to both the Orioles and Phillies ballparks -- really pine for a baseball team. One can nitpick about every other track, too -- "Tasty" should be funnier, "Let Me Introduce Myself" is nothing without its chorus, and "Really Believe" is great, but has pointless guitar solos -- but the source of this nitpicking is love. Like Albany's more fully realized powerhouse, the Orange, Pookey Bleum is a fun young band with a wonderful future, and I bet they're already a great concert act. --
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Full Frequency / Momentum / Gonzo (CD)
Here's a tricky situation. If this was 1992, Full Frequency would be riding the coattails of latter-day Nitzer Ebb or pre-grindcore Ministry. Fast forward to 2001; raging testosterone, backed by keyboards and industrial guitar riffs, headline here, reliving the heyday of KMFDM's keyboard harassment. However, unlike many other industrial stalwarts, Full Frequency relegates the guitar to the background, letting computerized synths and colorless vocals take over. The band has carefully planted itself somewhere in between post-industrial dance and the resurgent alterna-metal that clogs young folks' radios. Hip enough to wipe the kids out on the dance floor, yet beefy enough to intrigue those looking for a rage outlet, Momentum distributes its punishment with a definite leaning towards pugilistic programming. Retro lovers will probably enjoy it, but there's nothing particularly innovative or aurally enticing to interest thrill seekers. --
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Kammerflimmer Kollektief / Mäander / Temporary Residence, Ltd. (CD)
For those who have been searching in vain for the Kammerflimmer Kollektief's hard-to-find EPs, Mäander will come as a great relief; all of the tracks on those two 12" releases are included here, as well as five new works. Thomas Weber, the brainchild behind Kammerflimmer Kollektief, has quite an obsession with creating music that eases casually from ambient sound-washes to flat-out noise. Moving from sounds that will trick you into thinking that your speakers are blown to serene instrumental lullabies, Weber weaves an album of experimental soundscapes that, while impressive, probably aren't suitable for everyone. It's not Full Metal Jacket by any means, but like most experimental albums, it takes a while to sink in. --
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84 Nash / Bright Orange Hearts / Insect Siren (7")
Here's a seven-inch EP that'll remind you why you buy seven-inch EPs. For your modest financial outlay, you get eight brief-but-impressive pop songs -- jangly guitar fun mixing aspects of Guided By Voices (of course) and Elf Power with a healthy dose of originality. The playing here is above average; bands who make jangly rock songs usually have at least one member who got in purely by being a friend/relative of someone else in the band, but 84 Nash comes across as a thoroughly competent quartet. The entertainment factor is high, too -- not only are the tunes catchy, but you'll get a good laugh out of the Mark E. Smith imitation in "All-Like Fall-Like", which slathers its modest guitar melody in an overbearing analog keyboard loop. Well done, 84 Nash. --
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Tex La Homa / You the Listener EP / Superglider (CD)
Marrying trip-hoppy beats to acoustic guitars and downcast lyrics, Matt Shaw's one man band, Tex La Homa, offers a beautiful excuse for feeling lousy about yourself. The first words, "What would you have me do?/What would you have me say?/I'm not proud of the state I'm in/At least I can feel this way", begin the five-song EP with an echo from fellow-countrymen Joy Division ("I'm ashamed of the things I've been out through/I'm ashamed of the person I am"). Things don't look up from there. "Cold" rejects reassurance, as Shaw whispers "I'm feeling much worse today/You assured me I'd feel OK/I'm not working as I should/I must put an end to this/I need to end this". The well-crafted music, produced in Shaw's home studio, provides a slight respite from the overwhelming melancholy, as a catchy groove and burbling Moog cloak the rainy "Ordinary Day". The live reprise of "Never Gonna Go Away" is uplifted by the presence of a live band, who increase both the tempo and the volume, producing some much-needed catharsis after a quiet, harrowing journey. --
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Walter Trout and the Radicals / Go the Distance / Ruf (CD)
Trout and his Radicals know damn well that it's only rock n' roll, but they like it. Sporting receding hairlines, jean jackets and gaudy Stevie Ray Vaughn guitar antics, the band emerges with their ninth full-length, a self-assured collection of thirteen blues-rock songs that are as technically competent as anything the genre has to offer. With four skilled musicians and instruments galore, the band makes up for their perceived lack of forward thinking by simply concentrating on what they do best -- creating dynamic blues. The record is obviously created with guitar aficionados in mind, and once set, it rarely deters from its path -- but if this is the sort of music you dig, you can't do much better than Go the Distance. --
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John T. Baker / Little Rock Songs / Best Kept Secret (CASS)
John T. Baker might just be the Graham Smith of the southern indie pop scene. He has the same wry sense of humor and relentless self-belief as the diminutive Kleenex Girl Wonder frontman, and knows how to pen a catchy tune or two as well. Little Rock Songs collects eleven Baker originals, delivered in a lo-fi fashion that would make Big Poppa Pollard proud. From the twang and strum of "Nail" to the hilarious "Fabio Buys his Madonna", the album rocks and sways along a dusty country-pop road, propelled by both Baker’s guitar and his mood. His most blatant Graham Smith-ism is "Masterpiece", a rather self-explanatory tune in which Baker ruminates about writing a bona fide classic. If you like your pop music short and sloppy and your pop stars short and stocky, and you don't mind dusting off the old tape deck, give Little Rock Songs a whirl. --
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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 | rt - ryan tranquilla | al - amy leach | jw - john wolfe
az - alex zorn | ea - ed anderson | jk - josh kazman | mp - matthew pollesel
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