It's Not A Contest

Foxy Shazam - The Church Of Rock And Roll

2012-01-28T19:01:00.002-05:00

Foxy Shazam is a retro-glam rock style group from Cinci. It's more of a send up than say, The Darkness, who I would say recreated a sound in a serious attempt to bring it back. Foxy is not a joke band, but they clearly have a sense of humor about themselves. For example, while several of the tracks are straight ahead rock tunes, a horn section plays prominently, and even takes solos. Rock tune, trumpet solo. Funny.

Most of the songs have that big rock anthem feel to them. The back-up singers come out in full force to make the chorus huge. A pseudo-ballad in the middle, "Forever Together" plays with the classic styling a little bit with fast paced mush mouth vocal delivery that could very well be a drunk cousin of the Barenaked Ladies. Another straight up Queen knock off "(It's) Too Late Baby" keeps it together even down to the Brian-May-homemade guitar tone. But are the parenthsis really necessasry?

When they stray from the comfort zone, I think they falter. "Wasted Feelings" is nothing better than a bullshit pop-crossover attempt. Unnecessary auto-drums and a lilty voice about a break-up. "The Streets" too tries to overcompensate with some gospel overtones. It's lyrical expression of "coming from the streets" would actually be cool, except they repeat the chorus too much to keep it from sounding redendant.

Overall, it's a decent record. The concern that the band has to have is that a band who takes itself so lightly will also attract fans who will never be serious about you. A tightened-up songwriting team would be beneficial. (3 of 5 stars)

Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat The Factory

2012-01-22T16:11:00.004-05:00

There's a good handful of us that are ultra-excited like a large-hearted boy to hear some new GBV. Sure, maybe most of it amounts to little more than another Bob Pollard solo record, but he's generally been good in the past about keeping his more avant garde experiments for side projects and keeping the truer-to-form rock for the New Who. And GBV have, even with that, still been a little hit and miss at times. I mean, when you put 24 songs on a record, each listener is simply not going to connect with each one. The new one's not so different. Already seeing some great song titles. So, how does it sound?

Well, it did take me to track five before I connected with anything. And it just so happens that the song, "Hang Mr. Kite" is the most un-GBV like song in their catalog. Short, but orchestrated with a string ensemble, it resembles REM more than anything else. Departure that works? Check. This is toyed with again in side two as "Old Bones" takes an organ-synth sound with vocal echo to make a Auld Lang Syne rip-off that applies to anyone who's youth has passed them.

A couple more quality tracks, "God Loves Us" and the single "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" pass by until what is probably the weakest track on the album comes across. The psychedelic dream-pop Nico-throwaway "Who Invented The Sun" surely won't be on anyone's top 10 lists. GBV continue this psychedelic scene with a few more that aren't half bad. The slow-Hendrixy blues of "The Big Hat and Toy Show" and thunderpussy "Imperial Racehorsing".

"How I Met My Mother", "Waves". These are worthy of classic GBV groupings, but I'm finding myself more in love with the oddly experimental tracks. "Either Nelson" is driven by a piano riff, but clearly either by post-production delays or by perfectly sloppy jamming, everyone is half-a beat off from each other. A mess of noise that drives the album better than the more straightforward rock tracks.

I wouldn't call this return "stellar" by any means. But it's a quality album with just as many memorable tracks that you'd find on Isolation Drills. (3.5 of 5 stars)

The Little Willies - For The Good Times

2012-01-14T17:32:00.003-05:00

Trying to recreate classic songs is going to be hard for anyone. You usually end up using modern technology and professional musicians. The end result too often come out sounding sterile and practised when the reason we loved these songs in the first place was because of their guttural instinct sloppiness.

Having said that, I'm pleased to report that the Willies mostly get it right. It's not overproduced nor too polished. Having a vocalist as awesome as Norah Jones in your band could actually be a detriment in this kind of group. But when she gets mellow, she's downright sultry. See the opening track, Ralph Stanley's "I Worship You" and Kris Kristofferson's title track. When she's upbeat, "Fist City", she may lack the sass of a Loretta Lynn, but has more of a Dolly Parton playfulness.

"Lovesick Blues" is a version I could have done without. Maybe I'm just too close to the previous versions. Hank's original and Ryan Adams' excellent cover, but the tandem lead vocals don't work some heart is lost. Also, "Jolene". After hearing Jack White turn it into a bi-curious garage jam, it's hard to hear Norah bring it back down again. On the other hand, the cover of Willie's "Permanently Lonely" is on the money. Sweet, short and sentimental.

Mostly though, the criticisms I have are my own prejudice. I simply don't listen to a lot of country music of any era. I can praise the Little Willies for being true to the form and the sentiment, even if it won't be burning up my playlist in general. (3.5 of 5 stars)

Vesen - Goat Carcass Rising

2012-01-07T16:32:00.001-05:00

It's difficult to commit yourself to such a lofty goal as listening to a new album every week. Especially in weeks like this, where only three new releases exist and you only have access to one of them. And that one is a Norwegian black metal album called "Goat Carcass Rising". What am I doing with my life?

Altogether though, I honestly don't have much negativity to say about this record. It's real simple. Whereas others in the genre might try to employ some vast instrumentation and dark forboding tones, Vesen keep together some simple old-school thrash riffs and little more. I'm going to bet that they're not masters of the English language, because when they grab a phrase they like, like "Mindfield Paranoia", they simply repeat it a lot.

Sometimes its even fun. "Spotlight Junkie" for example is just a repetition of the phrase "Whores on parade!" However, I still wouldn't call it a great record- even if you do like gravelly barkers and thrashy guitar rock. There are plenty of better metal records out there. (1.5 of 5 stars)

Common - The Dreamer/The Believer

2011-12-21T20:03:00.001-05:00

As we finish the calendar year out, very few new releases come out. Record companies focus on their catalog artists/greatest hits shit at retail. But both Common and Jeezy got a new one out and I jumped on this one as I know nothing about the other.

Common is clearly taking himself more seriously here, focusing on a lyrical theme of dreaming and reaching past your limits. For example, after the opening track runs through its mellow, decidedly non-hip-hoppy shuffle beat, it ends with a coda of Maya Angelou reading a poem. The album ends with an inspirational speech by Chicago b-baller Lonnie Lynn.

He sometimes throws out some shitty similes. "Get my drink on like coasters." and "friends' pass out like pamphlets" and on the other hand he blows out genius lines like "blows a breath of fresh air for you asthmatic rap addicts". But his themes are always sincere; whether about being the voice of optimism or by tracking the obligatory pro-strong-will-ghetto-woman song. The positivity is a plus without being ridiculously boastful like the Beastie Boys last piece of shit. And the rhymes are cool without being awe-inspiring.

I was also a little disappointed altogether with the production. One of things I like about the more underground rap that I listen to is the interesting ways that whichever crew can manipulate a beat. On TD/TB, there are no big name producers, and it shows. The tunes mostly seem ready-made/corporate. A steady-beat over some mellow soul or some smooth jazz.

Being the hopeless romantic, my favorite track is going to be "Lovin' I Lost"; which laments and praises the past relationship all at the same time. And is bedded with a fantastic Curtis Mayfield mix to bring some old soul to the bedroom. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Stage Whisper

2011-12-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

While a Beck fan, who has worked with Charlotte in the past; and also a fan of Gainsbourg as an actress; this will be my first foray in to her music. Although I'm not generally the biggest fan of indie-electronic music led by women, my curiosity got the better of me. (I did just watch Melancholia...)

The Depeche Mode influence is obvious. There is an effort here to bring the dark dance vibe. The addition of Beck, I'm going to assume, adds the additional flavor of something more fun; something more funk. Without him, I'll bet that Charlotte would just have chosen straight-ahead dance beats to carry her songs forward. And that may have been enough for many people. But I appreciate the playful poppiness of "Terrible Angels" and echo-y drums of "All The Rain".

Outside of Beck, Charlotte's performance is largely unnoticeable. Her voice is monotoned in the upper register and muddled by enough echo to make her cloudy/smokey... veiled. Her personality does not come through. Maybe I'm being prejudiced against a singer/not-songwriter, but lines as interesting as "into the eye of a needle you can fly like a mosquito and turn into a million different people" should be able to be sold without too much effort. This becomes especially evident in a couple of non-Beck tracks, "Anna" and "Out Of Touch", which seem electronically lifeless.

The standout, though, is a tremendously written track by Conor O'Brien, aka Villagers, who I am a big fan of. I can hear his voice when Charlotte sings his "Memoir" as if it were her own. If Beck's not going to carry you with jams, she should have been doing this with the rest of the tracks. Something more organic. The album comes with a live disc which shows a much more dynamic performer playing livelier indie-pop tunes. Decent, but not what I'm basing this review on. (2.5 of 5 stars)

The Black Keys - El Camino

2011-12-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

I do have to hand to the Keys on one standpoint. They have gotten out a product by themselves or a side-project virtually every year of their existence. Plus, they are consistenly good. Amped-up garage blues is a tried and true format and they haven't run it aground quite yet. I do see, however, a pattern of sameness in the last couple of releases. I do not blame the common element of producer Danger Mouse for this, as he seems to be the one who has pushed their sonic boundaries beyond their two-man limitations. It's more of a songwriting stagnancy that I see. As if Dan were leaning on the production to compensate for playing virtually the same riffs. It all sounds great, but will it always sound great? This will weigh on me as we proceed with their newest.

For example, the first single has taken the old feel, and added a shuffled-up surf beat; pushed up the chorus to arena-sized singalong status and created a ready made radio hit. The same kind of thing that I loved about "Next Girl"; but still without teeth. "Gold on the Ceiling" employs the same synth-hum that made "Howlin' For You" a distinctive sound - which makes this less disctinctive.

There are highlights. "Little Black Submarines" begins with Dan alone and acoustic. Singing with a passion he hasn't in some time about the losses that broken hearts take from us. The melody reminds me vaguely of Bob Dylan's "Love Sick" but feels good. Then, the crunchiest electric wave crashes on the proceedings. "Hell of a Season" is more of a Patrick highlight, giving us the strongest backbeat of the record. And for some reason, everything that makes me roll my eyes at the new Keys comes together all at once in "Nova Baby". Clearly the poppiest thing they've almost ever done, but somehow one of my favorites.

The same things that made a favorite of Brothers are all here too. Decent songs. 3:00-plus minutes. The anxious blues riffing of old Keys's music have been traded happier sounding sing-alongable structured tunes. The basement production of old has been rounded out to include full pop instrumentation and background vocals. And at a paltry 38 minutes long, easily digestable. I'm afraid they're going to get bored to a Rolling Stones level. My worries are completely founded on this record- it's still a recommended listen. That old El Camino still has that old smell of nostalgia, even if you're less excited to drive it now. (3 of 5 stars)

Blut Aus Nord - 777: The Desanctification

2011-11-29T21:22:00.001-05:00

From my calculations, it appears that there were three new-material studio releasess today. A Trey Songz EP of American R&B; Hot Chelle Rae, which is sugary sweet bullshit to make Maroon 5 look like Led Zeppelin. And this... black metal.

A collection of droning minor chords and growling muted vocals. Each song is named "Epitome", as to make you aware that this is one story. And it starts with "Epitome VII" which makes you understand that this is a continuation of their last album, which ended at "The Fall: Chapter VI".

First of all, horrible production. And I'm not saying this because of the vocals; because I'm sure that this is what they were going for. But the drums sound like pitter-pat on tupperware. The drummer is clearly doing some damage, especially on double bass. But it sounds like shit. The guitar as well has, not a good buzzsaw sound; but a childish tinny buzzsaw sound.

The riffs themselves are not bad. "VII" suffers from reminding the listener too closely to Manson's "Sweet Dreams", but "VIII" has value- as a riff. Altogether, I don't know who this music is for. Where value is put on droning on so long that there is seemingly no end. Where vocal is so purposefully muddled to the point of subliminal "Head On" informercials underwater. This all makes "IX" - the drumless, vocalless, 2-minute guitar ballad my favorite. (.5 of 5 stars)

Chris Cornell - Songbook

2011-11-22T20:29:00.000-05:00

I am not in the habit of using this space to cover previously tread ground. Greatest hits, live records, reissues, songs that have been released before. But this week saw a lack of any new album released that I'm going to have any thoughtful response too. So, I chose the new live, acoustic release by Chris Cornell. It helps that I love Cornell. It also helps that I got the record for free for buying a concert ticket. Win-win. (Unless it sucks)

The album opens with what I considered the only saving grace from his Timbaland-produced Scream album. Then, it was a blues-ballad hidden-track called "Two Drink Minimum" - now inexplicably called "As Hope and Promise Fade". We also lose, for some reason, the John Mayer co-writing credit. This is the kind of song that serves much better in an acoustic format, ditching the uptown high-class studio buzz of 90's-Eric Clapton-style "blues" for something a little grittier.

More quality versions exist with the Audioslave covers. Because, even with the excitement of a Tom Morello et. al. performance, the songs chosen from their catalog here are amoung the more placid and mid-tempo. So we're not really losing that much and we get to focus on the dynamic voice/lyrics of Cornell.

That's not always true. I'm going to side with the original releases on some of these tracks. "Can't Change Me" for example, gained a lot from the arrangement of Alain Johannes. The Songbook version is certainly good; but we are missing a key element. Same goes for the Temple Of The Dog tracks. Maybe I'm just romanticizing my childhood; but I'm going to side of those sessions- which I consider still to be magical.

Cornell's set, taken from several shows, run the gamut across his career. Pretty evenly spread between his solo career and his various bands. Rounding out the record are a cover of Lennon's "Imagine" and a new acoustic-studio track called "The Keeper". Mellow, but still inspiring despite a lack of any vocal gymnastics. Cornell provides an interesting setlist of career-spanning tunes and delivers them effectively. The recordings are good and Cornell's voice is still in top form. (3.5 of 5 stars)

Childish Gambino - Camp

2011-11-15T17:36:00.001-05:00

The opening track to this album is a great introduction for anyone. A firm declaration of not only blackness, but a blackness that doesn't often get rapped about, much less portrayed anywhere. A ghetto-less existence in middle-class white schools with parents who work hard together to bring a better life to their kids. That opener, "Outside", also includes a decidedly anti-soul gospellish hook. It defines the indie rap flow he'll be going for in the rest of the record/career. Even later on, he declares himself, "the only black dude at the Sufjan concert".

Later on, the beats and loops get more traditional hip-hop, but the lyrics never let up. Glover's a comedy actor/writer of course, so you would expect straight-up jokes or simple dick-joke Mickey Avalon style bullshit. But no. While Gambino's rhymes have a distinct sense of humor, it really just runs the quality MC route. Sometimes boastful, sometimes introspective. To give a list of accomplished examples would be futile here- there's simply far too many of them. "Kids" for example, has one of the best lines.

"There any breakage in that Trojan?"
She see what she wanna see
So I make her take Plan B in front of me
Women talk shit on men like all day
But it's Pete Wentz, goes both ways

The whole song, dealing the with ego flip following the female influx once a man becomes successful, is as clever as "Golddigger". But CG delivers it mournful and angry, as if he's lost something more pure by winning what he fought for. It's not the party jam of Kanye's ilk, but just as satisfying. Especially for a baller like this writer.

CG is sure to have a hit with "Heartbeat" which I cringed when I fist put on due to it's typical radio-beat and Usher-stlye club-sexy hook. But then the sexual politics of a broken-up couple who still cling to their physical whims are story-told in the lyrics and I was sold. "I'm a ghost and you know this. That's why we broke up in the first place."

When we get to the end, Donald is telling a story; a poem, almost; about this whole "Camp" idea. It's written for one woman, or girl- more to the point, a rememberance of one of those important declarations. The story is wistful, childish, romantic, dark and lonely. And it's a perfect ending to a great record. (4 of 5 stars)

Atlas Sound - Parallax

2011-11-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

A side project of Deerhunter's Brandon Cox. Apparently, the guy's a little off-kilter in the headdome. But I wouldn't pretend that this music paints the picture of an earless Van Gogh.

He's a dreamy pop guy in his day job and he doesn't stray from that too far off hours. The first two tracks especially are bland as they are pretty. Sunny indie-pop. After that we see a certain amount of texture. Some electronic programming that plinkos through your ear's sky rather than riffage that you can either dance, mosh or jam to. I'm not trying to be hippie-dippy on purpose, but for god's sake- he's got a song called "Modern Aquatic Nightsongs". He's asking for a little mocking.

But those texture moments are few and far between. For the most part, he seems to be fixated on one sentence fragment that he somehow think deserves two chords and additional musicians. "Everywhere I look, my angel is broken..." Now say that say five times, add on some "oohs" and "ahhs" and that's the gist. I'm sure it will fit somewhere neatly at your next... I don't know... pottery art class. But you'll forget about it when you leave. (1.5 of 5 stars)

Lou Reed & Metallica - Lulu

2011-11-01T22:54:00.004-04:00

"Frustration is my lexicon of hate."

Metallica plays behind Lou Reed at one concert; he asks them to do a record with him; they say yes. The result, even before I get started, is getting a buttload of shitty reviews. I have to quote one of the best lines I saw, by Chuck Klosterman: "If the Red Hot Chili Peppers acoustically covered the 12 worst Primus songs for Starbucks, it would still be (slightly) better than this."

This is okay, I'm saying to myself. I assume Metallica fans were the first responders here, being Napster-loving downloaders. And those guys are not the most open-minded of art-lovers. They freak out at the slightest of production-style changes. They're not going to understand a guy reciting poetry of over riffy jams with no chorus or lyrical melody to speak of.

So, while I'm still a big enough fan of Metallica, I was going to put on my Lou Reed fan-hat for this, because the view will probably be better. He really started this whole thing off, writing the basic tracks, while Metallica heavied-up the arrangements.

And for the most part... I'm okay with the collaboration. Metallica is as heavy if not heavier than they have been in years. Particularly on "Mistress Dread", which is an unrelenting thrash concrete wall. The harshest part is the vocal stylings of a rambling of a bum on the street waltzing Mathilda. Granted, I DO believe that Lou is more important than that, but his style is of course, one of a particular taste. And I'm actually happier than he's got a good, heavy band behind him. Otherwise, the 11+ minute repetition of "Why do I cheat on me?" would have been more unbearable than it otherwise is.

It's not all that repetitive though. I mean hell, the opening line is "I would cut my arms and tits off when I think of Boris Karloff." That's... interesting. And later on, "to be dry and spermless like a girl"... And I'm not ashamed to admit that it's all a little abstract. Based on a 19th century playwright, Lulu is definitely a desirable girl who gets shit on. And surely learns to do a lot of shitting on. And then there's apparently a Jack The Ripper element. It's way dark and hateful, which adds a good flavor.

There's a lot of quieter, feedback-laden passages where Lou tests our patience. The aforementioned "Cheat On Me" and "Little Dog" where we're comforted in knowing "as long as you can raise that little doggy face to a cold-hearted pussy, you could have a taste."

But there are good spots. The first four tracks in particular are strong, heavy, lyrically interesting and vocally strong (as strong as a near-70 year old bitter guy can drum up). It's an odd collaboration to be sure, but a kid today could just as easily have thrown out "I wish that I could kill you, but I do love your eyes." and it wouldn't seem as pure as someone with a lifetime of asshole women in his memory. "The one who rejects you is winning." I might have pushed it to 4 stars, had they removed the drone feedback and the "Cheat On Me" track. But, as it stands, (3.5 of 5 stars)

Tom Waits - Bad As Me

2011-10-25T02:11:00.000-04:00

Another big release from one of my favorite artists. Tom Waits' first new album in seven years. I always expect big things. But what I got even exceeded my expectations.

The first thing you notice from the onset is the big-out-frontedness of it all. This is in comparison to his most recent works. The melodramatic-eerily romantic Alice; the bleak cabaret of Blood Money and low howl of Real Gone. All were presented pretty much under the vest. Bad As Me is bigger than that. Rolling Stone just shouted out Swordfishtrombones here, and while I don't want to paint that avant garde of a picture, it certainly has that brightness. For example, the opener "Chicago" is a fantastic rewind to the "Midtown" instrumental off Rain Dogs. Lots of horns and harmonicas and guitars and not the calliope drones that has been a key instrument in the last decade.

Plus, his vocals are way up and at 'em. The title track is a perfect example of that. His gruff growl is ever present as always, but it's constantly enunciated and clear here.

But the focus for any Tom Waits' review will always be directed toward the pen. As one of the most prolific songwriter in American history (not an exaggeration), Tom - and increasingly, his wife, Kathleen - have provided a tremendous amount of lyrical shelter for the emotionally homeless. They keep it clever several times throughout the collection including a new confusion epic, "Talking At The Same Time" where he observes, "We bailed out all the millionaires / They’ve got the fruit, we’ve got the rind". And a completely experimental march of "Hell Broke Luce" scissors to bits everything furthering the war machine, asking "How many ways can you polish up a turd?"

But there are also times that the duo keeps it simple, which also works. The almost-straight rockabilly "Get Lost" is about little more than getting in the car and driving. And the jazzy "Kiss Me" is deeply romantic in its simplicity of a couple whose newness is behind them.

Another great collection which will no doubt be in my best of the year. (5 of 5 stars)

Radio Moscow - The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz

2011-10-18T01:44:00.000-04:00

When the word "Magnafuzz" is in your album title, you're pretty much giving away the ending right away. Radio Moscow made waves with their Dan Auerbach-produced debut. No Dan in sight here, and also nothing in sight even remotely resembling control. In a good way...

The frenetic hippie-biker jams evoke some horribly scary speed-acid freak out scene that would only be found in the darket alley Austin, Texas bar. (Even though they're from Iowa).

"Creepin'" is their closest effort to a slow jam. A blues harp being amoung the soloist instruments here, it kicks back with a sexy blues groove. I almost called "Turtle Back Rider" a more reined-in commercial effort, but even a minute after the Black Keys-ian opening riff, everything gets sped back up again, And they throw in the whole kitchen sink, washtub and lazy susan.

It's this lack of abandon which is going to hinder Radio Moscow from acheiving any mainstream success. It's certainly not directionless, but it's also crazy and too colorful. But judging from the jambandy "Densaflorativa", you might be able to find them enjoying hippie summer fest success. And there enough of those jams to idicate that that is what the band has in mind. Being The Who in a sea of San Francisco-hair-flower-children.

The highlight of the collection is "Misleading Me". An acoustic-based riff which is no less whacked out than the rest of the record, but does imploy more blues vocals than any other tune here. (3 of 5 stars)

Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire

2011-10-11T17:34:00.006-04:00

A friend of mine has been posting a plethora of Ryan Adams videos in the past weeks. I've been watching them amiably and even liked some of the offerings. I am certainly well aware of Adams' reputation much more than I've ever listened to him. And with a career as prolific as his, it's hard to get started. But nonetheless, with a new album out, I thought now would be a good time as any to update my singer-songwriter iPod repertoire.

Having said that. This album is SO fucking boring! I mean, so crazy dull that I don't exactly how to shit on it. This is simply not the same Ryan Adams that I have gotten in brief chunks in the past.

First of all, every song follows the same acoustic guitar verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-chorus form. Even if I had some personal connection to the lyric: "kindness don't ask for much but an open mind" (I don't); I'd still wonder to myself why I needed to hear it four times with the same inflection with the same musical accompaniment. The songs don't build from anywhere to anything. They start, the etch-a-sketch pin follows the etch-a-sketch line, and then the song ends. A lot of dead space on that board.

There's also no value in these lyrics. I mean, he has a song using one of the biggest clichés ever with "Chains Of Love". He's also certainly concerned about growing old and not being the kid he once was. But his only ability to verbalize this comes in:

"I'm lookin' through the rubble tryin' to find out who we were"
"standing by the ocean like I'm frozen here in time"
"Am I really who I was?"
and simply enough in one song... "What am I?"

That song, "Save Me", is the one that offended me the most. His expressionless voice sings that he's in "so much pain" but never describes anything in the rest of the song that explains that. I have a 30 second audio clip of Aimee Mann farting and that, on a scale of artistic expression, is still halfway between this song and "Brahm's Lullaby" (1 of 5 stars)

We Were Promised Jetpacks. - In The Pit Of The Stomach

2011-10-04T17:27:00.000-04:00

Not a lot to say about this one. If you heard WWPJ debut album, you heard a plucky Scottish band playing post-punk rock with thick Scottish accents. Basically the same thing here. This album is decidedly heavier than the last. Darrin Lackie, especially, who has seem to have taken a page from Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys. Faster, heavier.

Quite unlike the Monkeys, though- WWPJ take themselves über-seriously. And while Alex Turner would play with a clean guitar tone to keep it bouncy, and to give space for his mile-a-minute lyrics; WWPJ crack the guitars to buzzsaw levels. It makes the end result sound less post-punk and more post-grunge. Like Bush, but faster.

The odd part is the sameness of most every song. I actually looked at my computer player at one point to see if a song was skipping. Sixteenth notes played constantly, rarely changing chords whatsoever. And Adam Thompson's vocals do not evoke any counter melody either. Monotoned tunes with monotoned vocals undermixed behind the rev of grunge guitars. Not bad, just uninspiring. The closer, "Pear Tree", is a standout amongst the others. If only because shows somewhat uniqueness against the remainder of the album. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Chickenfoot III

2011-09-27T00:12:00.000-04:00

If you know or don't know... I'm a huge Sammy Hagar fan. This review will be bigger than usual. You're welcome.

"Last Temptation"
The opening track innediately reminds you of your first thought on the debut Chickenfoot record: Joe Satriani is made for more than just virtuosity. The man can write a dirty classic rock riff. And like Joe says, this could feel like a re-worked '50s blues song; but add in the Chad Smith power drums and the Van Halen chorus and it becomes completely updated. The lyrics have a great concept of having that marital relation temptation, and even ties it biblically. I could have stood to see Sammy rework the second and third verse/chorus to change up those words slightly. Keeping the tone, but being less repetitive.

"Alright Alright"
Very much a Rolling Stones revue here. A great one. Joe's riffs combine the best elements of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Start Me Up" And while the lyric is about the end of a relationship, Sammy doesn't let the funness of the music get away from him. The chorus is a perfect party harmony that was a little late to be a great summertime jam.

"Different Devil"
I'm going to assume that this is the poppiest tune on the record. And that's fine. This could easily be a late-80s rock tune with a video of black-and-white images of the tired band on the road, missing their ladies. It gains interest as the key and the tempo changes in the solo.

"Up Next"
Written for a long time confidant of Sammy, John Carter died of cancer during the recording of III. Sammy has written a tune about the ramdomness of death, and his own expectations about arriving on death's door. A heavy riff by Joe is followed by a psychedelic, whammy-barred out solo fill this tune out. It's got the high harmony chorus, but other than that, a great metal marching stomp.

"Lighten Up"
A Deep Purple like pipe organ intro kicks off this '70s-vibe number. And while that organ effect doesn't last, the vibe does. A straight ahead rokcer, that once again sees Sammy getting angry about romantic entanglements (his wife better be watching out). But within the straight-ahead rock, Joe does a LOT of signature noodling. Sammy called it the "Free Bird" ending, but it's so much faster.

"Come Closer"
A romantic blues tune, I hesitate to call it a "ballad" because Chad uses a train-shuffle rhythm. So it's mellow, but not necessarily slow. Sammy said it, and he's right; it's a '70s R&B tune. It's really left field for anything that any of these guys have ever done in the past. And to that they should get a lot of credit. It is true to that old vibe. And when you start out with that as a lyrical basis, the whole band could have messed it around until it became classic Chickenfoot again. But they let it exist as that R&B sound and it works magically.

"Three and a Half Letters"
An odd political statement of Sammy talking, reading letters he's received about people facing financial hardships. He reads the letters and then screams the chorus: "I need a job!" Easily the heaviest tune on the record, this could have been your neighborhood punk band, if I didn't tell you. Recorded live in the studio, you can hear Sammy's voice giving in toward the end. His definitely pushing it to eleven here.

"Big Foot"
This one is the closest to the first Chickenfoot album. Because it's the most upbeat and fun. A straight-up driving tune. Got my Big Foot on the gas and driving home to you. It's the most simple and I may have placed it somewhere else in the track listing, because next to "...Letters", it seems too simple. But that's a big part of classic rock- is the breezy driving "Radar Love" thang.

"Dubai Blues"
A great lyric about a rich man lamentin his lack of the proverbial "she". "Dubai Blues" is a great title for this. A laundry list of high-end possessions followed each time with, "...but I ain't got you."

"Something Going Wrong"
This is the only track on the album that makes me question its inclusion, much less how it became the closer. It starts with an acoustic riff that sounds somewhat like "Can't Find My Way Home" except that Joe is using a slide to give it a delta swamp feel. But the song doesn't progress much from there. And lyrically, its the vaguest of the vague. "My baby can't breathe the air" is the only indication that the point is supposed to be environmental. It's not bad, it just doesn't fit in this collection.

Nonetheless, a steller effort from the 'Foot. Even better than the first record. (5 of 5 stars)

SuperHeavy

2011-09-20T19:05:00.000-04:00

A new supergroup-ish collaboration whose heart is really in the right place. A desire to make eclectic pop music has all of the ingredients. And from the view of the sonic landscape, what was desired was completely achieved. Next to that, all the participants could have spent another week re-working the songwriting angle.

Heading up the group is, of course, Mick Jagger. Which also brings me to another beef with the record. The vocals are WAY overmixed. This is true of all three vocalists, but is especially apparent at Mick's mic. This is mostly because Damien's vocals are meant to be basically solo reggae breakdowns. And Joss is a great vocalist, whereas Mick is not. All vocals are generally bleeding out what Stewart and Rahman are putting together, but it's more obvious with Jagger, whose voice the listener is more familiar with. I'm avoiding using the word "annoyed" because you won't be. At times, Jagger is quite impressive- spilling out mile-a-minute raps as he does in "Energy" and "Hey Captain". Another time, on the ballad "One Day One Night" it seems that Jagger is playing some alcoholic Tom Waits-type character. The result is definitely weird, but I enjoyed it.

Outside of the vocals is where the band is going to make most of its press. A.R. Rahman is an Indian film composer, which is the bedrock for most of these songs. Dave Stewart then adds some traditional pop and rock elements and puts it over a danceable beat. This is most evident in the title track for the group, which works well as a statement of purpose. Other tracks fair similarly well and will probably go over great at your next mixer.

Lyrically though, I was unimpressed. Most tracks are stuck in the rich-guy-wants-good lyrics that ask for world peace and implore the listener to do their best. It's all a little to general and cliché for me to grab on to emotionally. A couple of exceptions mix the best of every one's performance to create some standouts. The aforementioned "One Day One Night", in all of its oddity, really does leave me with more a feeling of wonderment than of annoyance. And easily the energetically strongest track, called obviously enough, "Energy". It's huge dance vibe will take over whatever room its in.

All in all, the group is surely just a one-off. And that generally comes out without thinking about the details. What they turned out was a good one-night stand moment, but isn't going to be the basis for a lasting relationship. (3 of 5 stars)

Astronautalis - This Is Our Science

2011-09-13T13:06:00.000-04:00

I caught Astronautalis at a SxSW show years ago. He rapped over his laptop songs, did some very good freestyling. I came home and fell in love with one of his albums. He's a rapper, to be sure. But his style strayed from straight hip-hop and he was basically rapping over indie rock music.

Andy's lyrics are very literary. Not remotely the boasting MC at all. He tells stories and explores the human condition. The title track talks about how we would live our lives differently, if given the chance. "For the rest of us with our hands on our hips, our work is never done, we are Sisyphus." He's very wordy, fitting as much in as his mouth will allow.

A fantastic mellow number questioning the morality of what comes naturally may have arrived to me just in time to be included on my own next album. "Measure The Globe" doesn't end with answers. The singer is still not sure if he's driven by goodness or evil, but is sure that there's no easy way to judge.

This isn't party jam rap. The closest he comes is with a dance music coda to the otherwise mellow "Midday Moon". A track that effortlessly compares the end of a relationship to mortality questions faced at the end of our lives. That, and the lead single shown below, which does have a very upbeat ground and a huge chorus, backed by Tegan (without Sara).

I never say this, but sometimes I think Astronautalis would serve himself better if he popped it up a little. A perfect example is "Secrets On Our Lips". An excellent romantic story of a one-time hotel fling. It starts out with a simple, poppy piano underlay. But then during the chorus he lets the drummer go nuts. It's perfect for the album, but a single remix could easily be a radio hit.

In the end, I just want to see a great artist get more of the recognition he deserves. This is another great album and I love to see another one in less than three years. (5 of 5 stars)

Peter Wolf Crier - Garden Of Arms

2011-09-06T18:57:00.007-04:00

Just read a review which compared this to Amnesiac, Bowie's Berlin era and the Black Keys. Three things that see completely at odds to me, which leaves me excited to start. And I see the Amnesiac part, kind of. There's plenty of atmospheric drums crashing all about without regard to the mellowness of the keyboards or guitars that may be the anchor of the written song. Even amoung the most ballady of the collection, "Having It Out" pits a weepy Pisano trying to croon like Chris Martin at a piano all while Brian Moen keeps the pace moving with a frenetic tambourine.

It's still way too indie to really be sat alongside those previous examples. These songs are little more than a basic piano or guitar structure with drums that get about a layer of effects overdubs. I get the feeling that Pisano would like to be regarded as a Jim James or Conor Oberst. He's trying to come acoss that earnestly. He lacks a little in the way of dynamic writing, vocal inflection and simple ability to get there.

Still, the pair are able to chalk up a number of successes on the album. The riff laden "Hard Heart" and the more subdued U2 influenced, "Haunt You". (2.5 of 5 stars)

Beirut - The Rip Tide

2011-08-30T20:17:00.006-04:00

Having my dreams dashed of listening to the new RHCP record (not on Rhapsody...) I turned my sights to indie folkers Beirut. I liked their debut release, but that was several years ago. Let's skip ahead to see what they're up to now.

Beirut is an indie folk band, which means that they've got all the instrumentation of an Arcade Fire, except that they are way bigger pussies. Which is expressed with casualness all over this record. A thankfully brisk nine songs, the rolling theme seems to be the isolation and loneliness of the musician's wandering home.

It doesn't have that morbidity though, nor is it as clever, as the Magnetic Fields; but I'm still reminded of them through mostly Zach's monotone vocal delivery. On the contrary to Mr. Merritt, who has often fairly fascinating wordplay; Zach is sparse and leafy. "Sound is the colour I know... is what keeps me looking for your eyes."

But I don't want to be too critical. The songs are very pretty. And it's rare that I get comfortable with a horn section that's not funky. A throwaway electronic track, "Santa Fe" which sounds like The Killers were falling asleep, the songs sound like northeastern coastal cities with Ralph Lauren jackets. It's got a mood that fits, but you won't be driving to it. Standout track attached, "Goshen". (3 of 5 stars)

Muppets: The Green Album

2011-08-23T23:28:00.005-04:00

It may sound too perfectly precious, but I'm going to go ahead and celebrate the new Muppet movie with their non-soundtrack. A collection of Muppet classics done by indy-rock's current finest (and has-beens and who?s). It's hip and sentimental, but Muppets are still awesome, no matter how you look at them.

That being said, covering awesome is not always successful.

The theme song to the show is of course kicked off first. And I'm happy that OK Go supplies their own version than a faithful cover. A crazy break beat is the bed of this classic. It's fun, and brings the rock more than any other in this collection. The Fray's "Mahna Mahna" is fun (how could it not be) but certainly brings no rock. Speaking of rock, it is inexplicable that the post-hardcore group Atreyu is represented here, as the drummer/singer Brandon Saller takes credit for the metal rendition of "Night Life".

Alkaline Trio stays in their comfort zone with their "Moving Right Along" cover and keeps the upbeat swing of the original in their pop-punk version. But again, it comes across as filler- and there's no reason to continue the film dialogue in your cover.

Two surprises are included in the middle, the first being My Morning Jacket's Emmet Otter song choice of "Our World". The perfectly represents an MMJ song and is performed with the same integrity that they would tackle their own Jim James' written tracks. That's a good cover. Similarly, if less effectively, is Amy Lee's cover of "Halfway Down the Stairs". I wouldn't say that I like this version, but I can say that it was approached as Amy wanted to approach it and the original is barely noticeable.

Sondre Lerche is a highlight, bringing a fun "Mr. Bassman" that fits his childishly playful style. Weezer, on the other hand, takes the Muppets best song and turns in the most one-note vocally indescript wastes of time of their career. Rivers Cuomo is subtly auto-tuned for whatever reason, because he's not evoking any emotion at all and neither is his duet partner, Hayley Williams.

Weezer should have taken Andrew Bird's approach, who took the other of Muppet's most-classic tracks, "Bein' Green". Some might call it too precious, but I would aruge that it would be difficult for anyone to take on this song without sounding like you're holding back tears. It's so well written, and whomever took on the violin solo here nailed it.

Similarly sentimental, but no less effective, comes Matt Nathanson, who has to this point evaded my musical knowledge, turns in a perfectly lamentful lovers' quarrel "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" without any of the playful duet-ness of the Kermit/Rowlf original.

For the most part, like all tribute records, you'll wonder why you're not just listening to the originals. But there is plenty of inspiration of the Henson camp to make for some great listening. (3 of 5 stars)

The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient

2011-08-16T19:32:00.005-04:00

I remember seeing The War On Drugs open for somebody in a club. (TV On the Radio? Hold Steady?) I remember them being a little too loud and sloppy. But they are on Secretly Canadian (not generally the home for loud and sloppy). So, I'm picking this album to listen to instead of Jeff Bridges'.

And I can declare through even just the second song that it is neither loud nor sloppy. Maybe it was the loss of Kurt Vile that mellowed them out. (Or maybe I'm just remembering wrong) But Adam et. al. keep a sunny, mellow upbeat folk rock feel.

"Brothers" which begs the wonderment of "where my friends are going? Wondering why they didn't take me." It's all vaguely Dylanesque, especially the vocals. I get the feeling that Adam's favorite song ever is "Lay Lady Lay". The band itself is a little more modern. Without much multi-instrumentation to use, they otherwise sound like a stripped down R.E.M. at times. Wilco at others. And while I can't place the song, I feel like "I Was There" sounds exactly like some '70s AM Radio Gold track.

Having said all that, right about halfway is about the time Drugs turns the tables and channels their inner Arcade Fire. And then their inner U2.And another that's a little new wave-y. They've got the rock in them too. And I'm okay with eclecticism of the album. Like I said, it's not as sloppy as another band might do with this much diverse material. The only part that slighted me at all was this "Ambient" part of the title. There does seem to be some riding out on waves of sound a good minute or two after each song should have been completed. It may be someone's cup of tea, but that was a limiting factor for this listener. (3 of 5 stars)

Trivium - In Waves

2011-08-09T22:59:00.009-04:00

I've never been the biggest advocate of the heaviest metal. Love, however, the classical metal form. My favorite genre, as a matter of fact. But once they start growling, drumming 64th notes, I get lost. But I haven't heard new metal forever, so I'm taking this on today.

But they're not kids. Trivium is on its fifth record and have had some success. And I can't complain too much; this one is actually quite well put together. It's definitely thrash; not quite death, but it is quite morbid. And while growling is prevalent throughout; it also runs up into the mainstream a little bit. Some post-hardcore heaviness.

A new drummer helps the proceedings, conjuring visions of Dave Lombardo (more Grip, less Slayer) but still... There's plenty of old school Maiden-like metal grooves, and when the thrash takes over; it's earned. Not speed for speed's sake, but some real compositions that jam.

Vocally, unfortunately, there's nothing there. Growlies aside, Matt Heafy just doesn't have the chops to do anything else. Which could be forgiven if he also wrote with a little more dexterity. But he keeps it close to the vest; general malaise and morbidity. "You taught me what it feels like to feel pain for the first time" and others that tie directly to the sense of drowning that the title alludes to.

It's good though, to find that I haven't lost faith in the genre. Horns up. (3 of 5 stars)

The Ettes - Wicked Will

2011-08-02T03:03:00.000-04:00

The Ettes (great name, by the way) are a garage rock three piece from LA with five albums under their belt. It's 2/3 women, which explains why I haven't heard of them before. And while no-chick-music is a general good rule of thumb; I'd say I've missed out here.

The album opener is a Nancy-Sinatra-like acoustic strut, showing an influence perhaps to their move to Nashville. But that's where they pick the acoustic up for the last time. The songs all are formed with a basic structure. A bass riff followed by that late '60s garage rock reverb filled guitar. Simple thumping drums and plenty of tambourine. As a vocalist, Lindsay Hames can sound like a snottier Ronnie Spector and other times a snottier Wanda Jackson.

To that end, "My Heart" is a highlight where the Ettes get out of the strictest of garages and make a little twang rock. It's got the spunk of Wanda Jackson, and I'm sure they're hoping that Jack White is listening.

It's all mostly good, if it keeps itself from being a necessary listen. Sure, the album barely breaks 30 minutes, but at 13 songs, I could still suggest to throw out two to keep them free from the repetition feel. (3 of 5 stars)

The Horrors - Skying

2011-07-26T00:36:00.000-04:00

I had a cousin who would always describe my favorite band Van Halen as having "an FM verse and an AM chorus". His point being that they were heavy but got poppy with the choruses. I was reminded of that with the start (at least) of this Horrors disc.

They come off as a cross between Bends-era Radiohead and the Strokes. It's got experimental electro-waves of sound. Even Doves-like. But then a chorus comes in an its built up big and with a rainbow, even if it's through a sloopy Ramones-loving singer. Now personally, as a rocker, I could have traded the Depeche-Mode synths for some fuzz tones, but that's not a problem.

"Endless Blue" is a great example of the whole record. It builds on its new wave overtones and the picks up the pace with a great riff and a danceable backbeat. The lyrics will tell you that you're never certain of anything unless you go in. A great metaphor for a perfectly titled record.

Now after I sell you on all of that modern hipsterosity, the album actually ends on a pair of truly uncharacteristically psychedelic tracks. The zombie freak out "Monica Gems" and the drowsy Pink Floydian "Burning Oceans". The former in completely excelling the listener to a scary riverboat in Wonka's midget slave dungeon. The other a mess that the band can use to stretch out if they need to fill festival times slots. A good collection. (3.5 of 5 stars)

Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain In The Cloud

2011-07-19T10:49:00.005-04:00

I remember listening to "Censored Colors" years ago and I remember not liking it. Which is odd, because I saved a good three tracks from it. Maybe it was 15-song length that made it seem worse. Because "Mountain..." is delightful.

It kicks off with the best track, "So American". A song that, for some reason, has me convinced that this is what the Beatles would have done if they had another 10 years of life. If they shaved their beards and got glammy.

That feeling is echoed through some other tracks on the album. Vocal harmonies, lush orchestration, John's (may I call you "Portugal"?) falsetto. Songs about light/sun/mothers/children. It's hippie, but the psychedelics are toned down and we're left with a mellow indie rock with a scoop of Ziggy/E.L.O. thrown in.

I may altogether keep the same number of songs from "Mountain" as I did from the album of old; but this record feels more cohesive and fully realized. (3 of 5 stars)

Incubus - If Not Now, When?

2011-07-12T23:00:00.000-04:00

For a band I first saw tripping over the singer's ankle-long dreads while playing a didgeridoo during an opening slot for Pantera, it's odd that the first song of their comeback album sounds like U2 needed a sit down song. It's fuckin' mellow. And it conitinues its dreamtime state with one of the first singles; which sounds a helluva lot like an adult-contemporary song from Brad years ago, "The Day Brings".

On and on. So once you get over the style-shift; you'll either grow into the songs or you won't. I didn't. You've all known Brandan Boyd before. He sings of existential questions of finding one's place in the shirtless world and the idea that somehow; with you here with me baby, it's a little easier. He sings that thought in different ways, but with this new laid back style, it seems a little insincere. Like there's no fire to inspire such questions or resolves.

The single "Adolescents" fits most into the Incubus of old. And to fans hearing that on the radio, they may expect more of what they love. "Switchblade" provides some up-beatitude, but that's it. But what they'll find is ambien-induced dreamscapes of California sun-soakers. In a way, the heaviest track on the album is the most acoustic one, "Defiance".

I guess when a man says, "I was lost, but now I'm found" and "Face the fire, come into your name" I, as a listener, should feel like a revelation has occurred. But instead, I feel like Incubus are telling someone else's story that they're bored of telling. (2 of 5 stars)

My Epic - Broken Voice

2011-07-05T15:28:00.000-04:00

This holiday being a slow one for record sales; no one really releases anything this week historically. So finding something of interest to me is difficult. My Epic has no history to speak of, so I can't even tell you anything about them.

But simply, this record is acoustic pop music. It doesn't even really fit in the indie folk scene where you might find a Fleet Fox or a Bon Iver. It's like Counting Crows without the instrumentation of a talented band. Leader Stephen Price fingerpicks a nylon string guitar instead of strumming anything. And musically, I find it hard distinguishing one song from the other; except that here and there the producer adds some percussion and cello.

Vocally, Price is again completely non-descript. He sing/speaks with a boyish one-octave range and makes sure not to wake the neighbors. As if Jack Johnson stopped smoking weed. What are the songs about? I don't know. The one below is decidedly Christian. But I'm sure that every song had the words "darkness" and "rise" in them. (1 of 5 stars)

Jolie Holland & the Grand Chandeliers - Pint Of Blood

2011-06-28T21:18:00.008-04:00

I first heard Jolie years ago on a petite jazzy vocal kind of thing called "Springtime Will Kill You". And as close I was to listening to the new Limp Bizkit album released today (no... really)- I decided to go an alternate route.

The draw here is really Jolie's voice. Her singing style is unique and runs the gamut. Like there's seven different accents at once. It's jazzy and bluesy, but also folky and country. Imagine a throat like a big tree saw you shake for that wobble sound. Not vibrato. Wobble. She's doesn't have the dynamic range of a Björk, but you can tell it's an influence.

The songwriting- I'm seeing as less of an asset. I remember that playful breezy rhythm of that first song I heard and in comparison, this is just simpler folk-rock. I've got Neko Case on the brain because I heard her not too long ago; but it fits. Lyrics like "It brings a smile to my lips when I think of your fist" are great, but few and far between. The rest of the album is just general mellow frustration. "If disappointment is like a drug, I've overdosed again" Could be more imaginative. But it is pretty. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Bodies Of Water - Twist Again

2011-06-21T19:03:00.010-04:00

This is supposed to be the pared-down minimalist record from a duo that generally prides itself on large, grand arrangements. Having not heard the past catalog of the two; I would not say that this was too pared-down. As we get started, it seems that on the songs where Meredith takes the most lead, it's actually still real full-bodied sounding. Horn arrangements over upbeat riffs.

But there is another half or so which focuses on a mellow walking chord progression harkening back to beach ballads or even some slow Leonard Cohen jams. But I may be confusing myself as the dude side of this duo coin has one of those deep Johnny Cashy vocals.

I appreciate the mellower tones on the album. It's not indie-rock. These lean more toward wall of sound than basement tapes. Production is is lush and clear. Favorites include the galloping bass track "Like A Stranger" and the wistful rememberance of the final track, "You Knew Me So Well". But the best track is a Meredith-led ballad, "Lights Out Forever". An acoustic murder-ballad (almost) with a taps like trumpet solo and a great lyric:

"I am forgotten already by someone
My image is fading from their mind."

"Tonight our loves will cancel each other out."

(3 of 5 stars)

Vetiver - The Errant Charm

2011-06-14T19:06:00.005-04:00

Named after the place where camels shit, Vetiver is a folk rock group from San Francisco who have been around a few years. This is their second album for Sub Pop. ...and sounds like nothing that which I grew up remembering Sub Pop bands sounding like.

Which is okay by definition; but by and large Vetiver are not my cup of tea. For example, the opener, "It's Beyond Me" is a good enough California dreamscape wave of mellowness, but then it spends two minutes at the end droning on like they forgot they were still plugged in.

I'm not sure when this Fleet-Foxy trend started occurring, but Vetiver is acheiving only polish here, not originality. "Hard To Break", for example is merely a reworking of Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down The Line". Nor do they have the vocal prowess to handle FF's type-of harmony. It also sounds just like it's pretending to be organic. If the percussion here's isn't completely digital I'll be shocked.

I'm posting the official video, the best track, which is an uncharacteristically upbeat track from the record. Enjoy, but don't be fooled. (1.5 of 5 stars)

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

2011-06-07T21:35:00.011-04:00

After having their opium freak-out a couple years ago with Josh Homme on Humbug, the Sheffield speed freaks are back with a new one just in time for the summer festival circuit. It has opening track which feels like a hug opening number from an outdoor live set. "She's Thunderstorms" also speaks of that hugely influential impenetrable girl. And with a line like, "She does what the night does to the day"; it's going to be favorite among the panty droppers in the crowd.

And after a lazily executed "Black Treacle"; comes a slipshod frat-guy bullshit song called "Brick By Brick". It couldn't be any more obvious if they had just covered, "I Wanna Be Your Dog". "I wanna steal your soul / I wanna rock and roll / I wanna feel your love". It's unbecoming of the otherwise outer-worldy wordsmithing of Alex Turner. Fuck that shit. The next track doesn't help. "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" is just a fangled-fancy way of titling your song out of your insipid "Shalalala" chorus. That's all it fucking is.

A saving grace is the first proper single, "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair". A straight-up desert-groove homage to their prior producer, Josh Homme. And say what you will about the Beck-like non-sensicalisms of "Library Pictures"; but it fucking rocks.

We move on through a couple more mid-tempo songs which are fine, if unremarkable, like the awesomely-titled title track. It's decent pop, but not great AM. But we are brought to a standout romantic ballad. Surprisingly not as pandering as the rockers on the album; "Love is a Laserquest" holds up with other sentimental Monkey favorites like "Cornerstone" and "Only Ones Who Know".

It's not the psychedelic tones replacing the pub-rock that has me irked. God knows, I love Queens. But the sentimental slow stuff used to augment the snotty rockers. And we don't get any of that attitude here. Don't get me wrong, the great tunes on here are GREAT. But there's far too many cross-over appealing tracks to be able to pump my anti-Coldplay fist with Alex et. al.

I sucked it and saw. It's a C. (3 of 5 stars)

Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs

2011-05-31T22:10:00.007-04:00

The title does not lie. 16 songs sung by Eddie with little to no accompaniment; little help from guest performers. Most are originals. Some covers. But as Eddie sings alone, this feels like "alone" music. I suppose like all ukulele music. Without the benefit of a Hawaiian shore to walk barefoot down, I'll settle for a front porch in the rain.

The romanticism of being alone. An emotion perfectly expressed throughout this collection. An angsty opening track aside, these tunes are mostly romantic love-lost songs. "Broken Heart", "Goodbye", "Without You"; the song list goes on. It's simple. Songs about love generally are. And everytime I think I'm going to tire of this same uke-style song after song, Eddie hits some minor chord and I'm immediately back in.

While I've always been a Pearl Jam fan, I cannot immediately say why I love this record so much more than his last solo effort. But when I get the words, I'll come back and revisit- as I'm sure I'll be listening to Ukulele Songs a lot. (5 of 5 stars)

White Denim - D

2011-05-24T19:49:00.010-04:00

I had just happened to have listened to a previous White Denim album after a local radio station played "I Start To Run" a couple of times. I had no idea that they would have a new album this week. A Black Keys comparison would seem way off to you, but White Denim are garagey and singer James Petralli has an Auerbach kind of voice if Dan were on psychedelics and speed at the same time.

But let's be clear, it's not blues-rock. It's avant-garde psychedelic jazz rock. There's little riffing going on. It's spaced-out lead fills with a very jazzy bass player and odd-time signatures. But it was still raw and rock-y to me.

"D" is more levelled than that. The vocals are more controlled. The songs are less rock-club sounding than they are studio-crafting. "At The Farm" sounds downright Phishy. "Street Joy" sounds like My Morning Jacket are covering Pink Floyd. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to paint a derivative picture. But it's clear the band is maturing... which is leaving me a little on the side of disappointed. Even though, the album is still clearly good. Progressive even. What keeps them from touring with Dream Theater is just amplification at some point.

Okay, wait- is that jazz flute? Okay, White Denim have completely jumped out of the jammy rock band pool and into full on hippies. "D" has none of the fluid post-punkiness of "Fits". This is for a different audience that doesn't fuck as much. It's a drag to say for something so theorhetically sound, but it's simply less fun. (2 of 5 stars)

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome

2011-05-17T23:20:00.007-04:00

An album inspired by spaghetti westerns may sound as cheeseball as many spaghetti westerns were. And while I didn't know anything about Luppi going into this listen, I do know quite a bit about Danger Mouse. He's certainly a guy who take an inspiration and turn it into something true. Like a musical Tarantino.

Which is a good analogy, really. The music has a perfectly visual feel. And while the interludes sometimes feel like filler; an instrumental like "Roman Blue" is perfectly paced and would create the same awesome no-talking moments at your dinner party that some Beastie Boys' funk jams provide.

Of the guest vocalists; it's a pleasure that they don't try to belabour some common lyrical theme to match the film-score feel. All the songs stand on their own. Jack White and Norah Jones, while never duetting, each provide an emotive story and fit each performance matching the mellow landscape that is painted by the music. (3.5 of 5 starts)

Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

2011-05-10T23:00:00.011-04:00

As I have discussed here before, I've always liked Okkervil River based on the constant literary expression... Will is very wordy. It's a rare band under the folk-rock banner that pass through my headphones. So I have expectations on this record.

The album starts out with "The Valley", an epic tale that feels like it could have been inspired by the Decemberists' "Hazards Of Love". Others like this include "White Shadow Waltz" where Will seems to be be trading his lyricism of painting celebratory anthems (almost) to a darker story-telling imagery. The wordplay, while impressive, finds the listener (re: me) with less to relate to.

There are also some experimental jaunts musically, where the band expands beyond the singer-songwriter form. This includes "Piretess" as a foray into Roxy Music soul - and "Show Yourself"; which I assume they were going for Radiohead, but happens to sound more like Dave Matthews. The single, "Wake And Be Fine" strays farther into the Arcade Fire- big number band member thing. Farther than I am comfortable with. Hopefully, it will garner them a hit, but that sound is not generaly their forte - even if Will's lyrics are more bookish than ever.

"Rider" is a return to form and hooks me with the line:

I fly out on my silver, scissoring wings
With the other sardines
Over cities of things mommies need
Light as gas, and half-assedly free
Like I was in nineteen ninety three

And before I can finish writing the sentence that it's going to be hard to top "We Need A Myth" for "Best Song of 2011" award, we get to "Hanging From A Hit". With its Beach Boys meets Phil Spector perfection of orchestral build-and-recede, Sheff produces a heartbreaking account of lovers with a wall between them.

A day she spends the night
And I can hear her sighing
As she's almost asleep on one side
I lie back on my pillow
And ask what her husband is like

(3.5 of 5 stars)

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

2011-05-03T23:53:00.010-04:00

I realize that this is a long-anticipated, highly sought-after seven-year follow up to the BBs last new release. I further realize that we almost lost a good man to cancer and that this should be the feel good triumph of the year with Yauch, already a positively outlooking Buddhist, being even further exasperated by life.

Trouble is... the record's just not that good.

Maybe I got myself spoiled on the live calypso-funk jamming of Paul's Boutique / Check Your Head and the rock of Ill Communication. Seriously, where is Caldato these days?

Hot Sauce just picks up where they've been since then. Hello Nasty / 5 Burroughs regressed all lyrical content to hip-hop boasting. All of it. And the rhyme's are not without merit, it's just after three albums, it's like- I get it. You like your style of rapping more than any other rappers'. I know that they have the ability to conquer more. It does not bode well for the three that my favorite track on the album is the instrumental.

"OK" is easily the worst song in the BB catalog since "Girls". And there's simply a LOT of filler. Unrealized song fragments. "Funky Donkey" "The Larry Routine" "Crazy Ass Shit" and they even close with a bullshit 1:30 tune that declares quite emphatically that they "Get down Grade A ground round."

The beats too, are not awful, just mostly electronic humdrum. Less, "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun"; more "Intergalactic". I think what they do well, rhyming, comes easy to them. But that eclecticism that paved their return from backlash of their debut is lost again. Maybe their content with that. (2 of 5 stars)

Times New Viking - Dancer Equired

2011-04-26T17:41:00.000-04:00

Decided to try a new thing on this time. TNV is a lo-fi garage band from Columbus that sounds like every other lo-fi garage band anywhere. It's being said that this is the most "produced" album of the eight they've put out, which sounds odd considering is still slipshod and muddy.

The drums are low key and mostly quiet. The guitar is a mild fuzz Fender. The vocals are doubled by guy and a chick and are always distantly echoed. Each vocal melody follows the guitar melody exactly. Prototypical, all of it. And boring. I could stand the sameness if the songs had any individual dynamics. But they don't.

One possible exception is "Try Harder". The riff here includes bending guitar strings, producing a wobbly effect. Then the rolling grunge riff moves along like a lawnmower that slightly dies, then restarts. But other than that, you won't find much to point to with any affection. (1.5 of 5 stars)

O'Death - Outside

2011-04-19T21:42:00.000-04:00

O'Death is an "alternative country" band from Brooklyn, but you should be making no comparisons to any Uncle Tupelo, or really anything branching off the rock weather vane from the Hank Williams source. O'Death - or at least this release - focuses more on a dark, murder-ballad tradition of Ralph Stanley with a booming orchestration. The traditional elements are there. Violins, mandolins. And an echo chamber and seventy-two percussion instruments. That's what I'm talking about when I say "booming".

I can also draw comparisons away from the current crop of folk stars, the Avett Brothers, Mumford And Sons, etc. The tone is decidedly morose, for one. (Can't wait to hear the first romantic prom sung by O'Death) And the harmonies and pretty sounds that come from the aforementioned Grammy performers is also lacking. Not that it's a bad thing. Greg Jamie's vocals are tinny and small. I maybe even feel like it's deceptively so. As if he's constantly trying to sound like he's hiding in the woods, too close to impending danger.

But the album doesn't rest in the same murky puddle throughout the entire record. "Pushing Out", for example, has all the same elements as its predecessors, but seems brighter and hopeful somehow. Like Decemberists, or even Margot & the Nuclear So and So's. There's an awkward vocal breakdown in the middle, that somehow makes the track more childish and endearing. It's not as precious as "Home", but nice nonetheless.

A haunting collection that should be a part of your next child's funeral. (3 of 5 stars)

TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light

2011-04-12T19:37:00.000-04:00

TV's latest unfortunately gets marred by tragedy as bassist Gerard Smith died soon after it's release. But the lung cancer surely did not weigh on the minds of anyone as the album was being written and recorded. This new one balances on the fence between the nation's financial frustrations and otherwise lightly dances romantically in the moonlight.

The album is bookended upbeatly by opening and closing tracks, "Second Song" and "Caffeinated Consciousness" respectively. Nothing hits as frantically as "Dancing Choose" did last time around, but they are strong tracks nonetheless.

On the other hand, I was a little disappointed at the lilting romantic tracks. In the past, TV have hit the nail on the sensual head with songs like "Wear You Out" and "Lover's Day". This time, they move to a more commercial element with "Keep Your Heart" and "You". And while I wouldn't call "Killer Crane" commercial, I am confused by its inclusion. A mellow hippie excursion about a crane crossing the sky after the rain with rainbows. Cosmic.

There are some standout tracks though. While the aforementioned "You" is decidedly commercial, it's also quite good, successful in its prom themed intentions. Also, "No Future Shock" is a scathing dance track lamenting a serious lack of hope. Still a well-rounded enough effort that's worth a spin. (3.5 of 5 stars)

Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On

2011-04-05T17:15:00.000-04:00

At the onset of this new Polaris award nominated record from this Canadian band, I immediately think of another Indie Folk group, Indiana's Murder By Death. Both have that flavorful storytelling gene. Both employ the dark side of human nature and express with minor chords and violins/cellos and low-registered vocals.

And at the end of this record, I don't mind saying that I give MbD the edge. They're a little more dynamic musically. Virtually everything included on Creep is based around lilting '50s pop kind of piano chords. So, everything has a similar flare. The exceptions are the three instrumentals. Which is a lot of instrumentals when you only have ten songs and they serve no purpose but to further along a swampy imagery.

But amoung the other songs are some real standouts. Clearly (if you know me) I'm going to pick the most obnoxiously wordsmithy of the bunch to call out as a favorite. The title track kicks off it's lyrical tale with the phrase, "From your chair, my narrative tonight is your dickless cousin, brother, father, pet, friend, husband or wife" and then goes from there.

On the contrary though, I'm also suprisingly enamored by the simplest tune on the record, "Woman". It's got some of that creepy romanticism of the Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes For You" mixed with an uncharacteristically psychedelic stomp. Maybe its the filthy implications behind his description of putting the "mouth to middle", but I think that my next conquest might just say yes if my seduction followed this soundtrack.

The only true throwaway is "Too Old to Die Young", which does little more than repeat that he's "givin' it all up." Sound like he gave up trying to finish a song. So I guess I'd be surprised that someone considered giving this an award... but is worth a spin. (3 of 5 stars)

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

2011-03-29T02:21:00.005-04:00

As someone who quite liked In Rainbows, and... hell - basically a little bit of everything the band has put out, I was prepared for an exciting collection of songs again this time around. Plus, it's eight songs - which could mean that they've trimmed the fat and delivered the top round of their material. However...

Starting with track one, I would call "Bloom" fairly uninspiring. Thom pines on the meaning or non-meaning of life or non-life while an incandescent electronic rhythm lays underneath. Odd time signatures makes not a great song. Neither does throwing in visions of jellyfish. And then, it's track two and I'm afraid that this collection is going to be all animal references and crazy rock-less beats.

The polyrhythmic landscapes continue throughout. Songs are non-descript trance-like electronic collages. It feels like Yorke's "The Eraser". Only the single, "Lotus Flower" feels like a fully realized song, but the rest sound like they tried to make Lotus a 15-minute song and then convinced themselves to break it apart. This half of the album gives us bastardized sons of one song.

The other half gives us a morbid piano ballad, which- and I'm sorry - could be on a Coldplay record and no one would know the difference. A lazily remixed acoustic guitar track and another quiet pop tune.

So now, instead of thinking they trimmed the fat, I feel like the band got together and rushed out the first thing that came to their collective heads. Next time, instead of aspiring to be the king of limbs; you should try being the Assistant Director to the heart, mind, body & soul. (1.5 of 5 stars)

The Strokes - Angles

2011-03-22T23:54:00.000-04:00

In all honesty, I have not been following the Strokes since they became hipster darlings at the onset of their debut. So what I see as progressive movement from a band of mush-mouths and muted guitars to a band way more polished and produced may actually be a more natural progression than I am otherwise willing to witness firsthand. Because I wasn't even that big a fan of the debut...

So instead of the post-punk riffage that made up "Is This It?" the sounds are more dynamic. And instead of the muddled vocal, Casablancas is way out front with a huge melodic presence. The first track has a Duran Duran vibe, another sound like a Radiohead demo. The best example is "Two Kinds Of Happiness"- which comes off like the best Cars in the verse but lets go as frantic awesomeness in the chorus. That and "Gratisfaction" are over-the-top pop goodness that should propel the group to a wider audience.

And while none of these tracks may make it on to my year end Top 10 list, I was pleasantly surprised by the growth of the Strokes and I would have to assume the band's fans are going to rave over it. (3 of 5 stars)

The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

2011-03-15T17:32:00.000-04:00

Someone liked the Smashing Pumpkins a whole lot growing up. Being as how that can be a polarizing comment, I'll explain. As I mean it in only one sense.

Think of that moment when the song "Today" goes from quiet guitar plinking to full on seven layers of guitar noise. The Joy Formidable do that in every song. The quiet/loud dynamic is pushed to the highest digital levels on the board. They also love to play out those monster-chords for a long time at the end of the song.

For example on the first track, "The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie", the proper song ends at around the 5:00 mark. But then they stretch the thing out another 2:45. When listening to that track for the first time, I thought to myself that there was no reason for this. But then around the middle of the album, this concept started to grow on me. As if the JF were getting lost in their own recording. It felt like a good live performance.

Having said that, The Big Roar is lacking the dynamics to maintain your interest for 12 songs. A lot of it comes out sounding the same. It's good, but you'll only walk away with the pieces you connect with, and the rest will seem like lesser versions of that. (3 of 5 stars)

Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

2011-03-08T22:28:00.004-05:00

A surpise of quality or disappointing levels could come, I have no idea which. Having been a BIG fan of The Seldom Seen Kid, I was far less thrilled with one of the older releases. I'm a little afraid that my oft-played "Kid" was simply a fluke.

Track one starts pleasantly moody and unassuming and while I grit my teeth at discovering it's 8 minutes long, it wasn't too long until they really let go musically. A trait that I must say sets Elbow apart from their other Manchester (or London) breathren; they have real artistic ambition. Additionally, I can lay bets that if Elbow release "With Love" they should see the same hit radio results that Edward Sharpe and Mumford similarly enjoyed with spirited high-praise positive songs last year.

A pair of ballads placed perfectly in the middle creep the record down to heartbreak-wino levels. "Jesus in a Rochdle Girl", while whistful and romantic; seems every bit as tragic as the more straight-ahead sad "The Night Will Always Win".

The album continues with more excellence, including what may or may not be my favorite on the record. But it does incite me to really consider jumping a train so that I can sing along with it in a British stadium. A must. (5 of 5 stars)

DeVotchKa - 100 Lovers

2011-03-01T15:39:00.000-05:00

"100 Lovers" may suggest here that Nick Urata got laid a lot more after DeVotchKa's success. Because it's a little more upbeat than previous efforts. Which is not better or worse, just a little different.

Each album has a feel to it, and over the course of 12 songs or so, that feel is manipulated to the greatest extent possible. So, while each record has 3 or 4 favorites, it may leave a little more to be desired to round out a fantastic full effort.

100 Lovers is no different. Like I said, it's more upbeat. There's no "Dearly Departed" haunting lullabies in this effort. But it's certainly not a pop crossover either. The band is playing more with texture, where each instrument is applying throughout the whole song. Not to mention, Nick's lyrics are a lot more robust here. He's trading away some of the operatic heartbreak tones in previous vocal performances, but it's getting a lot more in intellectually. And that has value. Previously, DeVotchKa may have painted a portrait more with melody and mood, and here there's more going on. Here, the tunes are not as dark and the themes are less mournful. Nick is still biting in some of his female descriptions, but the overall feel is one of hope. That it's worth the trying, as oppose to it already being a lost cause.

My concerns deal with the two wasted minutes of "Interludes" and the throwaway whistle track "Exhaustable". It reeks of an Edward Sharpe pleasant bullshit rip-off. And I can understand the motivation to do that, but know that I'm calling you out on it. But don't get me wrong. We've got a good 3/4 of album to chew on and it's got teeth. (3 of 5 stars)

Slug Guts - Howlin' Gang

2011-02-22T23:00:00.006-05:00

As it opens, stuff like this is always going to remind me of Jon Spencer. And that's not a bad thing. Dark garage echo, Hollow-body electric twangy Link Wray guitar. These guys difinitely have "mood" down. But, in all honesty, I defy you to distinguish one track from another. In contrast to the exhuberent Jon, the vocalist here has zero presence and is virtually behind the bass in the mix. His low talking style makes Julian Casablancas sound like Celine Dion. (1.5 of 5 stars)

The Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps

2011-02-15T18:46:00.000-05:00

Greg Dulli has never been a garage-type riffer. His brand of alternative always leaned more toward the "chugga-chugga" and not so much the "chuck-chuck-chuck". (What? That makes complete sense to me...) And when the Twilight Singers was formed, he didn't change much. He just added some layers to stylize the sound and make it more uptown.

This album is the same TS vain. A collection of sonic landscapes that would rock out the martini crowd at your favorite corporate hotel bar.

A killer opening track starts, by way of "Last Night in Town" which builds from a piano ballad to a "Crime Scene"-like frenetic ride. His declaration of "being there" feels less romantic and more like an urban Tom Joad promising to be the inspiration in your fight.

"Waves" is the heaviest track on the record. A person better than me could remix this track to loop just the bass groans at the beginning of the song and make it the grooviest sex grind of the decade. As it stands though, the guitar drives the song into some kind of Smashing Pumpkins distortion piece. Awesome, if less fuckable.

In the middle comes a pair of clunkers, the first single "On The Corner" and "Gunshots" display a similar "Use Somebody" feel while still staying trapped in Dulli's low range disembodied voice. The "woah-oa" background's are there, but every lead syllable is drawn out until the words become boring.

Some famous pairings are listed in the notes but neither Joseph Arthur nor Ani DiFranco makes any attempt at adding anything unique to the recording. Each background vocal could have been anyone. I mean, I'm glad they got a paycheck and all...

More good than bad, here. Maybe not a dynamite step- but bigger than baby. (3.5 of 5 stars)

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Tao Of The Dead

2011-02-08T20:55:00.008-05:00

Big ol' self-indulgent experiment here by the Trail. It's being released in really three different forms. Once, with the songs all tuned in D. Another with the same songs tuned in F. And then a collection of the songs is presented as one continuous track. All in a Dr. Parnassus sized booklet. How does it fly, then?

Not unlike the previous Trail record, "Century Of Self". In other words, a wall of sound. A wall of garage sound. The opener, "Pure Radio Cosplay" is a great methed-up "Jumpin' Jack Flash". But there's more than that...

Can't think of a proper band, but "The Wasteland" sounds like a post-grunge modern rock radio band. 70s big pop Wings/10cc harmonies with Nirvana crunch verses. Complete with a throwback ELP Moog solo. You're seeing the self-indulgence, right? They're either reeling themselves in from experimenting too far, or they're "staying true" to their roots. Regardless, mixing old school Trail with a Decemberists-style written song like "Weight of the Sun" is a difficult listen. And we get that a few times in this record. "Ebb Away", on the other hand, is a straight aheader that this writer would have like more of.

This is all capped by a 16-minute groove epic mini opera called "Strange News from Another Planet" which is actually good stoner progressive space rock. It'll be hard to give many listens to, due to its length and drone. But if you like the weedpot, I'd highly recommend. (2.5 of 5 stars)

The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts

2011-02-01T15:20:00.006-05:00

I have a feeling in my head that I'm going to hate the shit out of this record. But it's almost the only thing that was released today that's actually available to me to hear. And it's called "Rolling Blackouts", which I expect to see here in my midwestern-Planet Hoth tonight. So, by all means, Go! Team... Go.

Kicking off- all right, I'll admit my surprise. "T.O.R.N.A.D.O." has an insane break beat. Disjointed and cacophonous. Which was cool. What's it about, I have no idea- but on the drive to work, it would keep me awake.

Another highlight is the instrumental "Bust-Out Brigade". It's a university pep squad marching band funk jam! To an album I'm still not considering higher than a two-starrer, I can see this hanging on to be a best of 2011. Another brief instrumental "Super Triangle" is a mellow synthesized piece that would not be out of place on a Wings record.

Having said all this praise-y stuff; it should be noted with a big exclamation point that the engineer on this record is a deaf person. Every bit is blasted over the top with all the noise a studio can provide plus the kitchen sink. Nothing is distinguishable and the vocals/lyrics are ridiculously undermixed and unintelligible. I'm sure that the performances are not as sloppy as the sound, but all the sounds bleed together in the worst way. (2 of 5 stars)

Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours

2011-01-25T18:03:00.005-05:00

Even though their last album was not received well, I still liked it and would argue the everlasting hotness of "Against Privacy" until I die. So, I'm giving this album a listen even though initial reports have CWK trying to bank on a Kings Of Leon-style crossover. I'm afraid we're going to mire too deep in the pop and the insipidness. No offense to KoL, of course.

But that's what they do throughout the whole record. Any experimentation is downplayed. Songs are tight and streamlined. Choruses are big. And the band that has written songs about artist culture, alcoholic fathers, till-stealing homeless, and... isn't their biggest hit just about clothes? Anyway, they now stick feet firmly planted in lover's lane.

Now, I don't want to be a mopey unromantic type. I like a good love song like any good Hagarite should. But it's still a bummer pop-calculation move. And unlike the Kings, whose hooks on their breakthrough were absurdly undeniable - the CWK doesn't play things up that big. I still think that "Finally Begin" and "Bulldozer" has every making of a Train / Maroon 5 hit- but it's too far away from what I like about them.

There is one that got me. A pop tune with admittedly silly lyrics that inexplicably I'm a fan of. Just as inexplicable, is whatever reason some skaters made "Broken Open" their backing track to the video below.

So, the album has the stuff that could make it successful; but it won't make the Kids into Kings. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Fergus & Geronimo - Unlearn

2011-01-18T19:43:00.005-05:00

First post in a while and I've decided to start with a completely new discovery. When doing so, I simply scour the new release list for the word "garage" and give it a listen. Whether it's an adjective for rock/punk/dance. A "garage" descriptor is better than "neo-" anything.

You're going to admire their pluck. They have chops to create some memorable minimalist tunes. Maybe they lean a little too heavy on that flute-sound from their distorted Casio. Also- the title of the songs themselves is all the irony they need to project. I get it; you're disdainful of the hipster scene that you're damned to all eternity to play for. You don't have to sing with that monotoned bored-to-death vocal as you do on "Wanna Know What Would I Do If I Was You" to over-emphasize.

But this is a duo (ish), and that's just one of the guys. The very next track, "Powerful Lovin'" does a fine job conjuring up the psyche-surf ballads of someday gone by. Send-ups, yes- I'm in. Parody-type plays to form some ironic pretense, I'm out. I would've said the same to Frank Zappa, but he's a much better musician than you guys.

Don't get me wrong. I'm just a little sensitive to people who get that chance to make a record use the opportunity to bitch about the people listening to their record. These guys aren't really bad at all. If there's a Top-10 Lof-Fi list of 2011, "Michael Kelly" might be on it. And the title track is the best (if only) doo-wop influenced track I've heard in years. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Birds Of Avalon

2011-01-11T20:27:00.000-05:00

The self-titled NOT debut from the Birds Of Avalon is reportedly a departure. Previously a garage-rock band, this new one is decidedly more psychedelic. But unlike, say, a Portugal. The Man- the Birds are quite sloppy. Not the Beatles-influence at all. Actually, at their best, these guys can even resemble an early '70s Aerosmith. But not the boogie part. This album's "Invasion" sounds like a Rush-infused "Seasons Of Wither". Make sense?

There some backward guitar leads of basic rock riffs. Someone will have maracas to keep the beats less intense. And sometimes a keyboard is underneath it all. Sloppy, like garage style - but a lot more instrumentation than garage rock. And the song lengths are more on the psychedelic end of the spectrum (+5:00)

Another thing needed by garage rockers that is lacking here is attitude. Singer Paul Siler is one of the most matter-of-fact singers I've heard this side of Britt Daniel. And if you're going to lack attitude, you should at least bring some songwriting and melody to the table, which is not here either. What's left is a collection of songs that is trying to focus on the instrumentation to get it through. And the Birds are not jammy or qualified enough to make that dog hunt. (2 of 5 stars)

Antony And The Johnsons - Swanlights

2010-10-16T13:26:00.005-04:00

Word on the street is that the new album by my old friend / bitter balladeer / morose master Antony is actually more on the positive end of the rainbow. A change I don't have to be too afraid of. Yes, Antony does darkness better than most, but his falsetto wail could be just as effective in songs of praise.

One of the additions that may have lead to an emotional shift is that the Johnsons, a small set of multi-instrumentalists focusing on bass registers, have employed a full classical chamber orchestra. This is apparent on album opener, "Everything Is New"- which has no other lyrical dimension than just to set up the feel.

And that orchestra is fairly dynamic and adds a film score like quality to the proceedings. But Antony's lyrics this time around seem to be even more oblique than usual. Having said that, this album has two of probably the most straightforward songs of Antony's career. "I'm In Love"- almost sounding R.E.M.-like with the Mike Mills organ underlying the effort. And the previously released single, "Thank You For Your Love", which could have been a cast off from Ray Lamontagne's horn-soaked days.

So other than a little less than half, it's not overly "happy". But the songs are not so easily defined and the dynamics of both Antony's vocals and the chamber orchestra are too confined. I would have expected Antony, and the Johnsons, to burst in the light with as much aplomb that they wallow in the darkness. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Torche - Songs for Singles

2010-09-21T12:55:00.004-04:00

Released as an EP, it's still 8 songs long. And I call that a motherfucking album. I saw these guys in a small bar last year and look forward to the jams this cold icy afternoon.

And Torche really brings it. They have two other full length albums and are a great example of uniqueness. They've got a stoner rock sensibility in their deep fuzz tones, but they play fast with ~1:30 length songs (not a lot of droning). Plus, singer Steve Brooks has a knack for catching a good hook and singing it well. He's not pop, mind you. His voice is reminiscent of Helmet's Page Hamilton. But within that range is a great pop smidge.

This collection is that kind of good. Fast blasts of greatness fill up your first half. "UFO"; "Hideaway"; "Arrowhead". You won't go wrong. Drummer Rick Smith comes from a Keith-Moon-via-Dave-Grohl school; which is meant to be a total compliment.

"Shine On My Old Ways" reminds me somehow of a pop-metal Priest song, "Solar Angels". I can't really explain it past that. "Face The Wall" is the one that does drone on a little bit. A bit too far on the side of tedium. The closer "Out Again" is nearly fantastic, with the biggest chorus, but rides the riff out for six minutes when it doesn't need to.

I'm nitpicking though. Break this out at your next backyard beer & bbq. Before the bonghits. (4 of 5 stars)

Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song

2010-09-14T22:20:00.005-04:00

Being late in my blog updates, I do get the benefit of knowing a reputation of some late-year releases that already have a good reputation. And this is going to be one of the rare country albums in this blog forever. So...

Come track 5 of disc one and nothing has blown me away yet. Nothing's offensive. I certainly appreciate a well-played minor chord in "Cover Your Eyes". Everything's generally smart and Jamey's vocals are true. He's a baritone, but it would be awesome if he were more gruff. But none of these songs on the "black" disc are really that dark. He misses his daughter, he drinks and dances to the classics and L.A. is a fake city. Whoopittee-doo.

A few more tracks and I still see the juxstaposition of a guy who uses phrases like: "You can take my word but you can't cash my checks" (good line) next to "the rooster crowin' reminds me I need to fee him" (dumb line). And I don't know what "Heartache" is. Kind of like that god-awful "Lullabye" song.

At the end of the day, I think everyone got so excited at an anti-Hollywood Nashville singer that they considered him the second coming. I was hoping for as much. What I got was just a mostly well-written country record. But... it's still country. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Fabienne Delsol - On My Mind

2010-09-11T18:10:00.005-04:00

Retro-sounding '60s psychedelic pop, like Tommy James with a chick singer. Or take any one of your British pop songstresses from the 1060s: Lulu, Lesley Gore, what have you. Now, obviously Fabienne is French, but sings mostly in English. Her voice is sweet and fun, but doesn't jump around the scales too much. Not a requirement for this kind of music- just sayin'.

Listeners to this are going to fall in one of two camps. People who love this style in its entirety. They will see no wrong with any of it and will probably be girls. They'll even stick around for the ballad that really could have been skipped in this collection.

Others of us will see some pleasantness here. We'll put a song or two in our iPods, especially the French-language songs, play it at parties. Our friends will be impressed. Especially once Wes Anderson puts a song or two in a movie (he simply has to)- proving we're ahead of the game. But we will also know that overall, the style of each song doesn't change too much and not a lot to differentiate one song to the next.

Or maybe you're a full on rocker, who isn't into sweet pop. Check out "I Feel So Blue" for some jammin' surf guitar riffs. Fun will be had. (3 of 5 stars)

Film School - Fission

2010-09-04T21:34:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since I heard something new that was also a Pitchfork darling. I've been turned off of the "scene" for a while which is why you're seeing reviews of Zakk Wylde, über-popular Arcade Fire and one of my faves, Eels. Film School I know only by reputation and anyway, not much else of interest was released this week.

And when the opening chords started to play, I rolled my eyes and prepared for another boring upbeat chipper-guitar indie pop-rock collection and songs about nothing. But then the first verse kicked in on "Heart Full Of Pentagons" and I saw a change. Just a kicked over tempo, but it seemed to breathe some eccentricity to the proceedings.

Film School certainly has Jesus And Mary Chain leanings and the distorted wall of sound makes that most apparent. It's not all guitar and it's not all rock. Plenty of synthesized chords and drum machines. And all of this is executed well. Hell, "Meet Around 10" is a fucking jam on par with Radiohead's "National Anthem".

Where you're going to lose this writer, and I can assume many of this writing's readers, is the undercut, undermixed and underwhelming vocals. Krayg Burton seems to be channelling alternative and new wave singers of yore with his melodies; but is not stepping up to bat in the performance level. All of those guys like Gahan and Robert Smith and Morrissey still had some effervescent delivery. The closest he gets out of his closet is on "Distant Life"- maybe because he thought it was a cover of "American Girl". And when the chick sings, it's no better.

So if you like your background music to have jangly guitars and nicely toned dance beats, this is for you. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Eels - Tomorrow Morning

2010-08-28T14:47:00.002-04:00

A trilogy is completed with this effort, which follows Mark's paranoia of Hombre Lobo and sorrowful (excellent) End Times. This one, as you can imagine from normal storyteller lineage, is more of a rebirth. A rejection of the burdens that were carried by the men in the previous albums.

Just like me, your enjoyment of these albums will come if you enjoy classicist pop and rock structure; done largely by one man with a studio and the appreciation for simple gestures. Also just like me, you'll rank each release based on which of your moods dominates your definition of "self". I'm not just wasting words, I think it's important to point out before I make a blanket statement like "Tomorrow Morning is not as good as End Times". Because that's not true in any sense other than I relate more to the wallowing, blurry-eyed sad sack on End Times more than this new guy with the praise in his heart over the girl with the bearded-man tattoo.

The music on Tomorrow Morning is still very good. Mostly shiny electronic lightness (as opposed to the fuzz of Hombre and acoustics of End Times.) But E's voice is just as gruff and sincere as ever. The highlight is the sexiest Eels song ever, "This Is Where It Gets Good". Romantic and builds to a classic crescendo and even sticks around past the foreplay straight into some of the good stuff.

On the other hand, there's a couple of sappy or silly inclusions. The Baptist gospel-tinged "Looking Up" - which is too obvious an expression of rebirth than is needed for this collection. Also, the closer, "Mysteries Of Life" is a prime example of why you want women to keep leaving good artists. Because when they're so satisfied that they're singing full choruses of "La la la"s- you want to smack them like a clown that is acting alone. But those are minorities. Still a great bookend and a great ending to a tragic/warm/inspiring story. (4 of 5 stars)

Ray LaMontagne - God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise

2010-08-21T15:04:00.001-04:00

I've never been a big fan of LaMontagne. While the overall feel on the songs generally paint that gruff warmth that I can usually get behind; I've also always been distracted by Ray's voice. Girls may love it, but I find it overly breathy, contrived, unnatural and way too far up in the mix. However, all that aside, I heard a new song that I liked on the radio and just, on a whim, decided to check out the album.

For a guy who apparently got into music after hearing Stephen Stills, this is probably the most Stills-ish thing he's released. Ray adds "Pariah Dogs" as a name for his backing band on this one, certainly to drum up visions of a southern style folk rock band. And it is. The opener "Repo Man" rocks more than anything else on the record. It's more expansive in sound than his almost-alone debut. And nothing here touches upon his soul leanings that he took in follow ups.

After "Repo Man" wallows in some Grateful Dead style rave up jam, Ray kicks back and becomes a one-voiced version of CSNY. My favorite, the single, "Beg Steal Or Borrow" borrows heavily from "Old Man". Another highlight shows Ray singing about a relationship in the phase of separation and very cleverly relating it to the distance between "Rock & Roll And Radio".

And other than that, everything is a derivative of music of old. Nothing has originality, even the nuggets of creative lyrics. Which is okay. I appreciate interpreters as much as originators sometimes. And one day, Ray's going to break through with something really unique and blow everyone away. This isn't it, but it's perfect for your backyard beer-glossed bonfire. (3.5 of 5 stars)

Black Label Society - Order Of The Black

2010-08-14T15:41:00.001-04:00

If there's one thing that Zakk Wylde will never get wrong, it's riffs. Either he was born with the genius-at-riffage gene or he has enough metal knowledge in his caché to fake it. I've seen him play, I assume the former. But it seems on this latest album, he's taking the Bad Company road. And not that anything here sounds like BadCo., it's just that I think of them as some of the mellowest, simplistic rock in the genre. It's not bad, just... typical. And if this album was a review of just riffage, BLS would be pulling a A-.

But the songs though, are not following through. All of them follow a perfect rock pattern of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-chorus. All the lyrics paint a a broad portrait of oppression, strength, power, darkness, struggle. All without really making a point about anything. He's definitely channelling Ozzy in both songwriting and throat work.

There are three ballads on the album that are a little more lyrically realized than the rockers. But again, they suffer from songwriting redundancy. Zakk's emotional output is clear, but I've heard him be more thoughtful than this before. All of this plus an excellent 50-second acoustic solo called "Chupacabra" leave us with an album that's "good"- but nothing you'll feel enticed to spin repeatedly. (3 of 5 stars)

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

2010-08-07T21:11:00.000-04:00

Before your eyes roll and you get all ho-hum about another blogger espousing some magic bean fairy dust miracle savior baby praises upon the new Arcade Fire release, be aware of this: I never really cared about Arcade Fire. Hadn't really listened to them, but saw them on the late night shows and thought: okay, sure, whatever. Usually, I do that, and the darlings in question leave the door the arrived in. (I'm looking at you, Vampire Weekend). But since Arcade Fire seems to just be getting bigger, I'll try again. When I've made these value re-judgements in the past with Beck and Radiohead, I was pleasantly surprised. So...

I still really don't care about them. I can certainly appreciate the conceptual theme of youth reminiscing in the calm safety away from a city, where cops have nothing better to do than to shine lights in curious kids' eyes. But it also seemed too precious. It doesn't challenge the listener like a "Jesus Of Suburbia". It doesn't bring the true love like a "Summertime". It doesn't inspire anything in me but the thoughts that Modest Mouse has done all of this much more interestingly. Except for that one song that sounds like Queens Of The Stone Age. Brightest corner of this town is below: (2.5 of 5 stars)

Social Studies - Wind Up Wooden Heart

2010-07-31T17:16:00.002-04:00

While Menomena's new one hasn't been given to the online resources, I opted for an unknown instead. ("unknown" = they don't even have a wikipedia page!!! *gasp*) I'm trading Portland experimental rock without boundaries to a San Francisco chick-fronted outfit.

Alright, it still has its experimental moments. Being compared to Deerhoof is not out of place. Opening strong with dirgy two-step complimented by a strong break-back back beat. "Charioteers" and "Drag a Rake" are indicative that someone in the band has some world music knowledge and is bringing it forth in the arrangement. Hooray for fiddles and people on roofs!

But that is too often replaced by a keyboard purchased by someone who wanted to recreate Sega video game music and a singer who sounds like a virginal Nina Persson. "The Good Book" for example is a good definition of the whole record. Good song with a great arrangement being performed by completely bored kids who need a drink, smoke and lay before tackling this thing called performance.

The Goodnight Loving - The Goodnight Loving Supper Club

2010-07-24T23:12:00.005-04:00

Another of the big-instrumentation folksy collectives that are permeating all over Adult Alternative radio right now. Magnetic Zeroneans doing countrified waltzes with indie-rock vocalists. Minimalist songwriters who, because they've invited extra friends to the party, get credited for being musical landscapists. Someone remembers that echo and reverb are important to create "texture".

So what are the songs like? Pleasant, really. Unobtrusive and without anyone getting emotionally attached to anything. There's a song about a fish's perspective as it becomes lunch. Another one about those earworm songs. "Candy Store" has a fantastic riff straight out of Duane Eddy's songbook. BUT... it's about babies picking shit out in a candy store. Nothing coy nor clever.

Sometimes the pare it down to a minimum of garage rockers, not unlike the Jayhawks, but the sound basically still remains the same. I'm left without the excitement of a garage party. "Ramble Jamble" gives us some fun sixties Hullabaloo romping; but it's too little and too late for this collection. (2 of 5 stars)

Mystery Jets - Serotonin

2010-07-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

British pop rock with some quality and style. But in comparing it to other British pop-rock, it either over-shoots the mark or glides completely by you. The first two tracks for example...

The album opener, "Alice Springs" blows up like a Pulp Top 10. "I'd stand in the line of fire for you..." has the rocked-up singalong chorus and the sentimental lyrics, but I still feel like we're just writing a modern day "Oliver Twist" musical. Too much.

The second track, "It's Too Late To Talk" - glides over you without digging in anywhere. It's verses are wordy without reason, which you forget all about when we pass the "doo doo doo doo" bridge and arrive at the one-line-title-repeated-four-times chrous.

That and the third track smacks cool into smooth synth-pop of old Spandau Ballet. And then, the album begins rocking less and driving up the pleasant pop. And that's not bad per se, but the choruses do get awfully repetitive in pop this poppy. And if keyboards aren't riffing or droning, they tend to grate on me. These '80s synth effects don't add anything to the songwriting- which really isn't bad.

A great example is a song called "Melt" which is simple, nice. "All I want to do is melt, melt, melt, melt into you..." The hook is total fun. They just drive it around too many times. They rarely dive into the deep end of the shit waters

Outside the synth effects, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that "Waiting On A Miracle" is a straight up Coldplay throwaway. Avoid.

The best track is clearly the last, "Lorna Doone". And it's about a movie character. Remember when I asked for droning, before? I got it. The Jets provide an Arcade Fire inspired break up song that hits all the right notes, takes itself seriously and walks away when its supposed to.

Dirty Little Rabbits

2010-07-10T21:15:00.000-04:00

With very little being released mid-summer, I pulled an unknown out of the hat. Come to find that Dirty Little Rabbits are a side project of Shawn Crahan, who is a percussionist in Slipknot. ("The Clown" - not the dead guy, who was "The Pig") I would have expected that a sideman in Slipknot would follow the singer's direction and take up a more commercial group and collect bigger songwriting royalties. And while DLR is farther away from metal than even Corey's Stone Sour, I'd still be hard pressed to call it commercial.

Joining Crahan (who is playing drums here) is an organist named Michael Pfaff and a very dynamic/enigmatic chick singer named Stella Katsoudas. Guitar/bass round things out, but the arrangements are clearly led by Pfaff; and Stella is so clearly the band leader that even Jeff Beck would sit back and take direction.

But on a first listen, I must admit, I'm at a bit of a loss for words. Crahan is not afraid to beat the skins, but leans back when he's supposed to. The organ takes me back to Billy Joel's pre-fame heavy metal effort Attila. 70s, Deep Purple, power rock. And then, to throw everything for a loop is Stella.

First of all, she's WAY over the top in the mix. Vocals are never muddled. She runs the gamut from cute and poppy like Letters To Cleo... to wordsy and poetic like Fiery Furnaces or Dresden Dolls... to just full on annoying like Juliette Lewis.
I think I like it. (3 of 5 stars)

Peter Case - Wig!

2010-07-03T16:52:00.002-04:00

An old power-popper has a intrusive heart operation and comes back with an unexpected response. A bare-bones garage blues rock recording from one day-long session.

It's hard to differentiate these recordings when talking about this album project. There's not a lot of room for experimentation during a day-long session. "New Old Blue Car" for example is an update from Case's own "Old Blue Car" from 1986 but ends up sounding like Tom Waits' "Goin' Out West" with Robin Zander on vocals.

A lot of the album has that same feel. Electric blues, electric piano, amplified/distorted harmonica. You can imagine Case sweating these out live and it feels great. I also just wondered then why he didn't cross the line and record it in front of a barroom full of friends.

The slow, acoustic Lead Belly cover, "Thirty Days in the Workhouse" breaks up the album into halves before we enter "Ain't Got No Dough", which (purposefully?) rips off the piano riff to "Money (That's What I Want)".

The album's end gets acoustic again with "House Rent Party", which may be my favorite of the set. The whole thing was great fun, and I'm sure I'd love to see Case live at the Slippery Noodle. But from an album, point of view, it will suffer in my eyes to what all of modern electric blues suffers from. Sameness in style that unless your adding an element to get lost in, can lose you. This is better than most, though. Don't let me fool you. (3.5 of 5 stars)

22-20s - Shake/Shiver/Moan

2010-06-26T12:16:00.007-04:00

I thought I remembered the 22-20s from hearing at least a song before, and I remembered it being more garage-y. Maybe I made that up in my head, because the 22-20s rarely get rambunctious on this latest disc. And nothing is remotely sexy enough to make me want to shake, shiver OR moan.

Now, I love Arctic Monkeys, and I wouldn't call them a garage rock band either, but at least Alex seems like he's always half in the bag and is only coming around to have a go at your girl.

The problem seems to mostly stem from singer Martin Trimble. When he doesn't seem tired or bored, he's at the very least too proper for a rock band. Standing him next to Jack White would be like standing Hugh Grant next to Marlon Brando (1950). The answer is obvious. Also, production is entirely too clean. For his part, the drummer is trying to let go and rip it up here and there. But even on those tracks, like "Oceans", he's masked by a producer who wants everything to be heard a little bit. Every strum, every cymbal hit. No distortion whatsoever.

The benefit to playing and singing this lazy is that when you have a slow, lazy, snake-in-the-desert-sand song, it works. "Bitter Pills" is included for your enjoyment. Otherwise- spiritless. (1.5 of 5 stars)

The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

2010-06-19T18:14:00.000-04:00

After seeing The Gaslight Anthem at Lollapalooza last year, I finally caught up not too long ago with their breakthrough, The '59 Sound. And it's true that I got caught up in it. With the look and every bit as much intention as Social Distortion; their sound was considerably more whispy, even poppy. If they get too big, there will be a backlash and people will start calling them girl punk, but that'll be a misnomer. Yes, Brian Fallon is pretty and his voice emotive and clean. And yes, the songs are hooky. And yes, the songs have a sentimentality about them. But it goes back to the whole Jersey aesthetic- this idea of honoring your home and family, even as you are leaving them.

On the new record, we get more of the same formula. Only this time I feel a little less connected to it. It feels like the characters that are being sung to are the ladies. "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" as one of the titles goes. Nothing as ferociously heart-straining as the full-speed eulogy of the last album's title track.

No real low-points per se, just way fewer high points. Like a new collection of songs that were probably worked on 5 years ago and not completed. But hey, ya gotta keep workin'. One high point brings my favorite track to the front. "Orphans" is another lost-children anthem that we come to this music for. "We were orphans before we were ever the sons of regret." It's a line as worthy of our attention as "Tramps like us, baby we were born to run".

And it's true. These songs were created for us to form a kinship with. And even if the kinship is stronger with your kid sister, you should still invite 'em to the table. At least they're not 30 Seconds To Mars. (3 of 5 stars)

Villagers - Becoming A Jackal

2010-06-12T13:55:00.009-04:00

Not a lot going on this week. I almost made my review this week of new releases by Christina Aguilera or maybe even Hanson. But opted instead for an artist I'd never heard of before. Based only on the description of "alternative singer/songwriter" and "Irish".

Good thing. Because these are some well-written songs. Songwriter Conor O'Brien is certainly alphabetically close to Conor Oberst. But you would have resembled the two anyway. The latter being among indie-folk's most prolific entities this past decade. But beyond their love of wordplay, Villagers employ some of the dramatic build-ups of orchestration that I've recently heard from other British-isle exports like Frightened Rabbit and the Rumble Strips.

Having complimented that though, my favorite song is the mellowest, quietest one. "The Meaning of the Ritual" is a confession of our inherent selfish nature in the realm of love. A close second is the exploding "Pieces" - which starts out stark, with a minimalist clinking of a 1950's style doo-wop piano, but the dynamically shifts to a orchestration wall-of-sound overload; complete with Conor actually howling to a moon. It might as well have been followed by an excerpt of Paul McCartney singing about brushing his teeth or something.
(4 of 5 stars)

Gemma Ray - It's a Shame About Gemma Ray

2010-06-05T11:09:00.006-04:00

A complete covers album by this neo-soul singer from England. The track listing is pretty eclectic, showing only 3 song titles (of 16) that I even recognize. Most tracks last under 3:00 and the production is altogether sparse. Apparently different than Gemma's previous soul works.

To that end, the "soul" end, I could hardly see how this Gemma would qualify. Her voice here is lilting and wispy. I could not imagine it carrying some soul backed effort, where some outward emotion is necessary. But Gemma sounds completely appropriate with her accompaniment here. Mostly a single guitar and the vocal echo chamber. It's clearly a distinctive eerie atmosphere, almost film music. To this point, check out the Mudhoney/Nirvana cover, "Touch Me, I'm Sick".

But if I'm not completely sold on these tracks, I'm sure I can revisit their original songwriters. "I'd Rather Be Your Enemy" has some drums thrown on it here, and sounds not unlike ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. But more than that, it was well written and I went back to country singer's Lee Hazlewood's 1971 version and found a gem.

On the other hand, Buddy Holly's "Everyday" becomes morbid and therefore, lyrically ironic. It's a shitty and obvious way to cover a song, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the impetus for this whole project. Because it is a successful effort, generally. But to take a ultimately happy song like this and turn it inside out just for the sake of doing so is weak. It's like when pop-punk bands cover '80s songs just to be douchey.

But that's a rarity on this record. It is mostly straight ahead mood music. Maybe you'll sit on your porch with rum runners and watch it rain. Or maybe you'll play while you make love to that guy who not-so-secretly hates you. Your tragedy becomes you. (3 of 5 stars)

Stone Temple Pilots

2010-05-29T18:01:00.000-04:00

For their reunion album, their first in nearly a decade, the band get back together for probably the only reason that makes sense: They can't make anything else work. Sure, Velvet Revolver was successful, but Scott has clearly burned that bridge. For that reason, I'm going to assume that this album is going to sound hastily completed, with clichéd song structures that will exist more to feel familiar to the elder listeners than it will serve any progressive "let's be a band" purpose. They even told famed old-friend producer Brendan O'Brien to stay at home. And fuck, they couldn't even manage to muster up a title. But let's listen before we judge...

And from the first track / first single, I start to prove my point. Probably chosen because it hearkens back to days of greater risks. I have to admit, the line "You were my favorite drug even when we used to do drugs" is a good line worthy of the radio play it will surely receive. But other than that, it's fairly pedestrian and simple.

Not so of track two, which Weiland pushes well beyond his everyday range to great success. "Take A Load Off" also has an odd 6/8 time signature, so it falls around in certain places in a way that the listener has to catch up to. A much more satisfying boundary-pushing experience.

As we keep going, it's clear that STP are not above taking any chances, even if they don't stick the landing as hard as "Load". And sure, both may sound like Extreme song titles, but "Huckleberry Crumble" is some psychedelic storytelling and "Hickory Dichotomy" sounds like Aerosmith were back on the injectibles.

The absolutely awful "Cinnamon", which is destined for single release not on modern rock radio, but rather the Top 40 Owl City-friendly variety. A chorus which is nothing more than "Yeah- come on- come on now". This is matched with the "First Kiss On Mars" which sounds like the poppiest dreamiest Matthew Sweet track ever.

So, I admit that it's not as superficial as I would have originally expected. But on the other hand, I'm not going to give this a lot of listens either. Maybe I was hoping for more No. 4 and got more Tiny Music. That's all personal taste. Maybe you'll love it. (2 of 5 stars)

The Black Keys - Brothers

2010-05-22T13:50:00.007-04:00

It's been two years since the Keys' last proper effort, but it's been a full two years. A couple of side projects (both of which I saw live) and the Blackroc collaboration (which I have yet to hear). And unlike that last effort, the Keys reign in all the psychedelic experimentation by adding themselves as producers.

And while there is only so much a blues-rock duo is going to perform, I can still say that the guys do not completely revert back to a simple guitar-drums combo all of the time. They still include some overdubs and some simple song texturing, but certainly nothing as distracting as Attack & Release.

"Everlasting Light" for example, is as brilliant an opening track as I've heard in years. Not even a riff. Just a 2/4 break beat to keep the hand claps going doubled with chugga-chug guitar that lays the bed while Dan sings with falsetto what amounts to a sexy gospel prayer. It's got a jesus feel, but chances are you'll be fucking to it. Trust me.

But Danger Mouse is still in the house, and there are a couple of songs that feel like hold-overs from the DM-produced record. A poppy-mellotron slow jam that does not work me at all called "The Only One"... But then on the other hand there's one I like a lot, "Too Afraid To Love You", which employs some harpsichord-voiced instrument. Which may not even be necessary, but I still love Dan's vocal delivery anyway.

So there are several great songs on here with an excellent old-school garage vibe. But there are 15 tracks over one hour. I say this a lot: trim down your fucking record. Songs start to bleed under a full listen. You'll remember that there's an instrumental and an Isaac Hayes cover but the listener will confuse them with other tracks. It's a small request, especially with how good this record is, but people will be more willing to buy their records if the percentage of greatness is larger. (3.5 of 5 stars)

The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards

2010-05-15T01:25:00.000-04:00

Less than a year after their debut, Jack White's 2nd side project gets another full release of basement blues jams. Or in this case, the band probably riffed these out on a mobile studio in soundchecks and bus trips. It's all on youtube via a posted concert on the band's official site. Go look that up.

While reviewing Horehound, I mentioned my aversion to chick singers and apologized for that in any less-than-positivity in my review. It's not that Alison was ruining anything, I just assumed that I was experiencing some unrelatability due to her decidedly feminine poise.

This time... fuck that, she's totally ruining something here. She certainly get some kind of Jagger swagger and a genuine sexuality. Her vocals are gruff and fit the fuzz tones of the dirty bass riffs. But her songwriting is lazy. She's "mad", she's the tired old woman that wants to be left alone... Great, but the thoughts aren't remotely formulated enough to even call it a song.

The jams require something to sing along with- and it should inspire something more than "I can't hear you... but I'm gonna take you to my house so I can hear you." The best track, "Gasoline" isn't poetry, but at least it conveys the sexiness in the lyric with the sexy vocal she's delivering with.

For his part, Jack White doesn't play anything as incendiary as "Hang You from the Heavens", but he keeps the blues on a heavy footed pace. Although when he gets out the synthesizer and the sampler and the scratch effects, it gets a little self indulgent. Which is fine... because its a side project. (2.5 of 5 stars)

The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

2010-05-08T15:28:00.000-04:00

The Hold Steady return with their next album about the sentimental love between music lovers. They also inch a little closer to crossover territory from a success perspective, which changes the production a little but not too dramatically. At their heart, THS are still a bar band like the Replacements on E Street.
The album kicks off with an almost-Black Crowes vibe on "The Sweet Part of the City". An excellent tune to kick off where we introduce the guys as regular kids who partied with other lovable people before they "got bored and started a band."

The best track avoids Craig Finn's sentimental stories of youth altogether. "The Weekenders" focuses on some adults making some questionable decisions in their secretive relationship. "In the end, only girls know the real truth" Here is also where you'll hear some of that crossover effort I was talking about. Nothing as dramatic as the Kings Of Leon shift, but it's still features more background harmony vocals that previous albums.

And there are a couple of straight up poppier tracks that take us out of the bar and into the summertime car radio. The most obvious example here is where the album title comes from in "We Can Get Together". A near-ballad pace where "heaven is the whole of the heart" and the riff is actually a repeated angelic lady-vocal choir. This is also the track where Criag's legendary shout-outs reach it's most fevered apex. In one song, he references Pavement, Hüsker Dü, Meat Loaf and others.

But don't let me scare you; the album is not far enough away from classic bar rock that the Steady deliver with excellent song writing. The closer, "A Slight Discomfort" toys with the 7-minute epic format, but comes across as sounding downright "Afghan Whig-y" which is pretty awesome. (4 of 5 stars)

Gogol Bordello - Trans-Continental Hustle

2010-05-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

"Gypsy punk" is what they call this. And it seems like a tremendous amount of fun. Eastern European/Russian folk traditional base, with polka rhythms, lots of violin and accordion. Mix this with some punk swagger, blast it through a PA and get it produced by the guy who did Danzig and all of a sudden the Americans sit up and take notice.

You'll draw comparisons to another European-folk based act, DeVotchKa. I may side of Team DeVotchKa because of their darker mood, but I also feel like their music is more direct influence stylistic choice than Gogol, who often feels more kitschy, like a fun gimmick. Like The Darkness instead of Sword. I'm aware of my inherent contradiction, as DeVotchKa is made up of Americans and Gogol is made up of straight-up Russian implants. But still, listening to a whole Gogol album and I keep waiting to find out that Eugene Hutz is actually being played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

Eugene is the party leader here. And while you don't need the video to make this distinction, it's easy to see that his presence is a heartwarming and fun as Borat's native cultural dance on the streets of American ghettos. Even when singing about revolution and loss of country in his broken English, the triumphant will of the human spirit comes forth and you'll find yourself dancing arm in arm with your neighbor. It will make for a great live setting, even if it doesn't lend itself to multiple listens in your headphones. (3 of 5 stars)

Roky Erickson - True Love Cast Out All Evil

2010-04-24T14:38:00.007-04:00

I did not have the knowledge of Roky Erickson's history or music when I first heard about this collaboration. But I love Okkervil River. And Roky's tale of psychedelic-turned-schizophrenic made for a great enough redemption story for me to give this record a try.

What should have occurred to me immediately is that the reason that I love Okkervil, was for Will's songwriting. And, of course, he is not writing anything on the album. So there is no wordy-word-word over-done-it stories that include a million a minute references to hipster impressives. And that's okay, just different. Roky is doing his country gospel thing. So lines are repeated 3 times per verse and choruses are heavy.

But it fits the style of Roky's songwriting, and it's great. The opening track for example, "Devotional Number One" is an archived recording. Scratchy, cut up and distorted in its age. It would have been better if Will had produced the album with that same sense of lack. Instead, the vocals are clean and way up in the mix; when Roky is not young nor does his voice have the dynamics that it once did.

Funny, it seems that the biggest problem I have with the album is not with Roky, but the guy I was most excited to see. I would expect that Will Sheff would produce his own band with the crisp of sunny California soft rock or even Philly soul. But Austin acoustic gospel deserves to sound like it wasn't produced at all. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Please, Judge - Okkervil River...

Coheed And Cambria - Year Of The Black Rainbow

2010-04-17T11:16:00.000-04:00

I was in the mood for something metal today, but my first two choices were not available on my trusty Rhapsody software. So I move on to the third heavy release. And I'm familiar enough with the C&C music factory, I just haven't listened to an album all the way through yet.

And yes, I know that this is a prequel, a fifth album in a storyline of the history of Battlestar Galactica or something like that. I realize that some of the lyrical themes may have been foreign to me. But a review on allmusic assures me that the themes are vague enough for the the average listener to latch onto.

All the while of course, knowing that the price of admission is really supposed to be going to the daring prog-rock instrumentation. The adventurous landscapes and broad Matisse paintings to embolden the colors in our ears' collective palettes.

So... where is this instrumentation? This is no ELP or Genesis or even Dream Theater. I can't see anything in this album to differentiate C&C from 30 Seconds to Mars or My Chemical Romance except that Claudio seems more like a Zappa-type storyteller than the Jared Leto or Gerard Way's version of frontman, which leans to the flag-waving pansy jihadist side.

"Pearl of the Stars" is nice enough turn on the ballad side, which even turns a hopeful-ballad lyric on its ear: "And when the world burns apart there'll be a place for your car." But other than that, it still follows basically the same path as any general alt. rock ballad track. It's scarcely different than that Hoobastank song.

And aside from the random cool riff here and there it's straight ahead emo rock. A high point is "World Of Lines"- but it's too slow a work in progress to build to that point only to have it drop to nothing again. Maybe I just don't get it, but if you want heavy and progressive... go here. Or shit... even here... (2 of 5 stars)