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Family Fodder, The Asteroid Number Four, Park, Todd Terry
Pathos, The Get Up Kids, Velvet Crush, Dallas
Lift, Gene Loves Jezebel, Flanger, Monolithic Minds 2
Tarwater, Quasi, Dixon DeVore II, Sometime Never
Haven, Amanita Music
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Family Fodder / Savoir Faire: The Best of Family Fodder / (CD)
I'd completely forgotten Family Fodder. Shame on me. A phenomenon mostly limited to the late seventies and early eighties, Family Fodder mixed analog keyboards and occasional French vocals (why does that sound familiar?), New Wave peculiarity and an energetic sort of free-form Residents-style weirdness, as well as a dogged willingness to have a whack at any genre, style or musical methodology. In addition to singles, tracks from the Monkey Banana Kitchen album and the Schizophrenia Party EP, there are a couple of unreleased songs from the late eighties and early nineties. Whatever you do, don't miss the fabulous "Dinosaur Sex", the marvelously sloppy "Sunday Girls" (yes, a sort-of Blondie cover) and the title track. If we all buy this, perhaps Dark Beloved Cloud will rerelease the full-length albums...hint hint. --
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The Asteroid Number Four / Apple Street / Audio Information Phenomena (CD)
The Asteroid Number Four delve right into snappy guitar psychedelia on their new EP, the first release since their critically acclaimed debut introducing...The Asteroid Number Four. From the first note, you get the sense that these boys have been studing their rock and roll history books. With sha-la-la guitar chords keeping in time with The Kinks, deep male vocals ala Paul Marsh of The Mighty Lemon Drops and smidges of The Who and Nick Drake, this Philadelphia four-piece are carving their own niche into the rock and roll encyclopedias. With Kurt Heasley of Lilys fame behind the knobs adding his own psychedelia, the Asteroid Number Four take a step back to the 60's, while keeping intact the 90's sensibility that has been lacking in recent rock and roll releases. If this is any indication of what's to come from their upcoming album (to be released next spring), keep your eyes on these boys -- they're certainly headed towards stardom. --
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Park / Alligator!! / Blackbean (CD)
This is a treat: five cuts of archetypal indiepop, complete with slightly tinny Casiotone loops, anemic keyboards and scratchy, understated guitars. In short, it's perfect. Park are a little too sonically pervasive to come off as entirely low-fi (at least compared to Blackbean's profoundly low-fi efforts in years past); if anything, they're what Goldilocks might call "just-right-fi". The music will wrap itself around you like your favorite sweater, and for the duration of these five songs, all will be right with your world. --
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Todd Terry / Resolutions / Astralwerks (CD)
To the masses, Todd Terry is perhaps best known as the perpetrator of the monumental club remix of Everything But the Girl's "Missing" a few years back. Insider's know that he is also a premier DJ and producer of house music. Resolutions is a manifesto of sorts. It shows Terry breaking out of the niche-ism that so often plagues dance music. With heavy leanings towards old school hip hop, Terry also nods in the direction of IDM, D 'n' B and dub. "Blackout", for example, is a fury of breakbeats and phat basslines -- very jungle-y. On the other hand, "Let It Ride" is actually a bit on the big beat side; it reminds me of Future Sound of London with its fuzzy synths and crashing beats. Folks who only know Terry for his remixing credits will find Resolutions an interesting insight into his other side. --
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Pathos / PAX / Youth Inc. Records (CD)
I'm not going to bet the family emu farm on it, but I have a strong hunch that at least one member of Pathos has done some time in that most troubling of all the arts, Musical Theater. Most of the tunes on PAX have a theatrical/rock opera vibe, which to me means complex arrangements, very controlled playing and singing, and a certain emotional distance between the performers and the material. This format can work very well in some situations -- Queen, for instance, had just the right combination of theatricality and campy goofiness to pull it off. Pathos has the theatrical part down, and their tunes are polished and well played, but something about them just doesn't work for me. "40 Hour Life" is a perfectly respectable rock musical type affair, complete with catchy verses and nice harmonies, but the performance feels acted, like something that a drama major might use in an audition. Similarly, while "Expense" sports a complicated arrangement, tight harmonies and sharp playing, I can't help but feel that the "desperation" implied in the lyrics and performance are put on or acted rather than actually felt. There's nothing inherently wrong with acting the music -- that's the whole point of musical theater. It's just that on PAX the elements of the music never seem to gel in the way that makes some theatrical music so compelling. --
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The Get Up Kids / Something to Write Home About / Vagrant/Heroes and Villains (CD)
All hail the new kings of Pop/Punk...ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present the Get Up Kids. Those of you not yet familiar with the Kansas City quintet should prepare yourself to get acquainted, and quite possibly astonished. On Something to Write Home About, the Kids sprint through 12 of the most potent pop/punk tunes to come down the pike in a long, long time. Songs like "Holiday" and "Ten Minutes" contain hooks big enough to snare a marlin -- hooks that stick in your brain like a javelin through the skull. Lyrically the album is an emotional rollercoaster, conveying joy, sadness, confusion and fury, at times all in the same bated breath. Musically it's no less engaging: guitars race, chime and buzz, keyboards provide subtle backing melodies and the rhythm section pummels its way into your subconscious in a full-on sonic assault. Something to Write Home About is as good a pop/punk album as you'll hear all year. No, strike that; Something to Write Home About is as good an album as you'll hear all year, period. --
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Velvet Crush / Free Expression / Bobsled (CD)
Ten years old and sporting a slimmed-down lineup, the Velvet Crush launch their fourth album (on as many labels) with something of a return to form. Longtime friend Matthew Sweet mans the boards (as he did on their debut, In the Presence of Greatness), and his deft touch has helped the band create another perfect slab of yesterpop. Just add some scratchy vinyl effects and you could easily pass Free Expression off as something you pilfered from your parents' record collection -- as long as they dug the Beach Boys and were around to experience Big Star. In these days of Elephant 6 madness and the pop renaissance it has caused, the Velvet Crush finally have a shot at the success they deserve...so make sure you give them a chance. --
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Dallas / Dallas / High Park (CD)
With tinny organs and trebly guitars, this Estonian group delivers a lighthearted brand of Euro-pop that's a fitting combination of funky grooves, danceable rhythms, and twee rock. Wispy vocals (sung in English) are delicately delivered over complex, keyboard-infused tunes that call to mind a dreamy, romanticized version of My Bloody Valentine's best. An enticingly enjoyable display of cross-continental musical cultures, Dallas has a fantastic rhythmic sense that’ll hook you right through the cheek and keep you wriggling happily. --
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Lift / September EP / Lift (CD)
The latest release from this Georgia three-piece is suitably Autumnal, due largely to some nice shoegazer-style guitar work from vocalist Molly Bancroft. While the five tracks on September should find an appreciative audience among the Lilith crowd, they're a good deal more robust than that festival's staple weedy cartharto-folk. Solid musicianship and production goes a long way here, as do Bancroft's strong, confident vocals -- this is a rock album, not a recorded therapy session. All that's missing here is hooks -- nothing is wrong with these songs, but you probably won't be humming them for days after hearing them. When I listen to September, I hear serious "can't get this song out of my head" potential, and I can see it happening soon. --
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Gene Loves Jezebel / Voodoo Dollies: The Best of Gene Loves Jezebel / Beggers Banquet (CD)
It's difficult to review a release like Voodoo Dollies. Since it's a retrospective, none of the material hasn't been reviewed before. Furthermore, some of the material is already "classic" (tracks like "Desire (Come and Get It)" and "Jealous"). The best I can do is to say that Voodoo... contains 18 tracks ranging chronologically from 1983's "Upstairs" to 1993's "Break the Chain" (plus the "bonus track", 1999's "Who Wants To Go To Heaven") and that it makes an adequate representation of Gene Loves Jezebel's career. I'll add that as far as '80s-style, post-punk, rock 'n' roll bedlam goes this stuff, is archetypal. There was such fire in the belly of the Gene Loves Jezebel beast! Finally, perhaps it's just nostalgia for headier days, but I like most of this album. It's only the last couple of tracks that seem to loose that fire a bit. --
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Flanger / Templates / Ninja Tune (CD)
I've spent a couple of weeks listening to this disc. I'm still not sure I've got a handle on it. The music, which falls into the quirky jazz-slash-techno category, sits so deep in the low end of the audible spectrum that you've almost got to listen to it with your subconscious. Attentive listening is like playing catch with a greased ball while wearing a teflon-coated catcher's mitt -- there's nothing quite solid enough for your ears or mind to grip. So there you sit, with jazzy little Rhodes melodies and vibes and stuff percolating below your radar, unable to connect. I guess these Templates could do with some filling-in. --
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Various Artists / Monolithic Minds 2 / Monolithic (CD)
As Swedish guitar rock ravages the North American continent, Monolithic does its best to expose the homeland’s thriving drum & bass scene to music fans worldwide. Don't expect a bombardment of high BPM and reverberating bass; rather, this is a more intelligent mix of artists who mesh complex sound artifacts with a solid drum & bass foundation. A mesmerizing trip of thumps, thuds and rattling that'll pass through your body with therapeutically relaxing results. --
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Tarwater / Silur / Mute (CD)
Subtle, elegant and surprisingly warm, Silur should please those who've bemoaned electronic music's sterility. Mid and down-tempo grooves provide the foundation for intricate layers of textured sound; keyboards and orchestral samples mix with low, muttered vocals, creating an almost hypnotic effect. Even the requisite electronic bleeps, blips and squelches seem more fleshed-out and deliberate. This isn't a "happy" album -- most of these tunes dwell in the interstitial space between extreme emotions, leaking mood like escaped segments of a film soundtrack -- but its seductive richness should leave you smiling and satisfied. --
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Quasi / Field Studies / Up (CD)
Despite major press hype, perhaps due to connections to Elliott Smith and Sleater-Kinney, or even Sam's insane live keyboard playing, Quasi's releases do not live up to any standards placed on them. Repetitive, grating keyboard tracks, drab vocals and songs that don't seem to go anywhere...Field Studies is just lacking. Even the addition of a small string section doesn't add life to this release. Very disappointing. --
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Dixon Devore II / Stories With Music: A Collection For Children / Cricket Power (CD)
Are you a third grade teacher looking for a musical production for your pupils? (Believe me, I never thought I would be starting a review this way!) Yes? Then Stories With Music: A Collection For Children is what you're looking for. The CD collects 2 elementary school musical productions written by Dixon DeVore II, "Mortimer the Very Rich Mouse", "The Kingfisher and the Catfish" as well as a "bonus single", "Eudora May", a song about young pianist and the moth that lives in her piano. "Mortimer" is the story of a "very rich" mouse and his human friend, Woody, and the sorrow of being separated at Christmas. "The Kingfisher and the Catfish" is a based on the fairy tale "The Fisherman and His Wife" and has as its moral "be grateful for what you have". As elementary school musicals go, DeVore's are clever enough, if perhaps a tad old-fashioned. --
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Sometime Never / There Is No Time for Idle Dreaming in My Life / Cadmium Records (CD)
Although "derivative" is usually used as a pejorative judgement, many young artists start out by imitating their heros. Chris Reynolds, who seems to be the main force behind Sometime Never, has clearly spent some quality time with his Smiths albums, and I'm pretty sure he's got a good collection of sensitive mope-rock (I'm thinking especially of Red House Painters) CDs on his shelf. A few of the songs on There Is No Time for Idle Dreaming in My Life come off as not-too-confident covers or collages of mope-rock classics -- "Desperation", for instance, is awfully Smithsy, from its minimalist ebow guitar part to Reynolds's faux British accent. Even so, the songs seem so earnest and sweet that it's hard to not like them, and there's no doubt that Reynolds and friends are a talented bunch. It will be interesting to hear what happens when Sometime Never move out on their own and begin creating music influenced by, but not derivative of their heroes. --
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Haven / Cease to Be EP / (CD)
Haven is a band that wears its influences on its sleeve...its flannel sleeve, that is. Cease to Be is heavily influenced by Seattle stalwarts like Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. You know the sound: heavy riffing, pounding drums, dark bass lines and feeback aplenty. That, in a nutshell, is Haven; from the murky riff-fest that is "forget..forgive" to the screaming guitar lines of "Cease to be," this is music circa 1992. Even though the band shows considerable talent, they fail to really bring anything new to the table. A more streamlined sound and bolder, more diversified arrangements could potentially help this band make music as inspiring and important as their idols did. --
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Amanita Music / The Sound of One Hand Clapping / Amanita (CD)
We reviewed The Sound of One Hand Clapping two years ago. At that point it was only available in cassette format. We've now procured a CD-R version and so I'll add a word or two to what we've said already. The Sound of One Hand Clapping is still a "percussive tour-de-force". Its intricate textures are produced by layering an assortment of eastern folk instruments. I particularly enjoy the way this music requires you to listen at a different "pace" than other more "accessible" music. If you sort of just sit and let it waft over you, you'll find much rewarding detail beneath the surface. "Portraits of the Dead" is still "a tribute to the stylistic intent" of departed composers like Kurt Cobain, Jaco Pastorius, Edgar Varese and others. I find it even more intriguing than "The Sound ..." I am particularly impressed with the successful integration of electronics and traditional acoustic instruments. --
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gz - george zahora | nw - noah wane | am - andrew magilow | ib - irving bellemead | jj - jason jackowiak | ha-n - heidi anne-noel
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