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April Reviews Artist of the Month: Sondre
Lerche During the past two years all I've heard is Sondre Lerche this and Sondre Lerche that. Rolling Stone had orgasms over his first record Faces Down naming it one of the year's best. So who, what and where is Sondre Lerche? For one, he is your new favorite artist. Lerche comes from the frozen tundra of Bergen, Norway, is barely into his twenties and is the rebirth of solo artist melodic acoustic folk-rock. Lerche was signed to Virgin Norway before he was out of school, allowing him to offer several EP's for the Norwegian contingent. Recorded a few years ago, but held off the release for a bit so he could finish school, Faces Down smashed the music world and thus opening a path to the fruitful U.S. Lerche was able to do some extensive touring in the U.S. and since then and has built up a critical mass of appreciation. Instead of getting sucked into the NYC/LA recording prowess (umm, Conor Oberst), Lerche recorded Two Way Monologue in his hometown of Bergen with HP Gundersen and Jorgen Traeen (note:imagine that name with Norwegian emphases). The product is a phenomenal piece of craftmanship that will likely ring up further endorsements. Besides from the dominant poppy folk-rock core, Lerche enjoys molesting influences from past masters of melodic rock including Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, good Cardigans, the Beach Boys and later day Beatles. With a plethora of instrumentation including a full array of strings, horns, electronics and keys, Two Way Monologue is certainly the rebirth of Bacharach (e.g., "Days That Are Over"). Though a jaded listener may accuse Lerche of cribbing too much material from the masters, he does it in such a refreshing and integrated way that he has made it his own. Two Way Monologue starts with a minute-and-a-half instrumental dominated by strings to open the affair. "Track You Down" echoes some serious Beatles with Lerche massaging his vocals and coaxing the acoustic guitar for the full band entrance. When the simple drum beat comes in it adds another layer for sweetness, setting up the dreamy chorus. "On the Tower" is more straight-up pop lounge with a guitar following Lerche singing and heavenly pings about half-way through. Following a more dirty acoustic recording, the title track begins in a plain manner before crescendoing on the chorus and organ to bring you back to the verse. As noted above, "Days That Are Over" seriously sounds like an ode to Bacharach and I envision Lerche singing the song in a lounge in a Las Vegas casino with a sexy red velvet outfit. Oh, the possibilities for a video off this song are endless. "Wet Ground" reminds me of some Christmas carol for a new generation as Lerche allows his vocals to edge on the raspy and some warm melodic vocal overdubs and backup. Back to the folk-rock, "Counter Spark" issues a standard Lerche song with a little strangeness from high octave organ and some ‘bah, ba-ba-bahs' for good measure. "It's Over" starts moderately creepy with Lerche's vocals doubling in each speaker as piano and strings accompany him. As probably the peppiest intro and one of the best tracks, "Stupid Memory" just trances along with simple drums, picking acoustic guitars but then an uber-catchy electronic riff comes in to grab your memory. (There was some electro-group from Scandinavia who had a song that was about with a similar sound and it captured my interest for probably longer than natural.) The addition of steel guitar and female backup vocals only adds to the mesmerization. "It's Too Late" dances around the dial paralleling some Beatles, while "It's Our Job" swings in like a lazy daydream. What makes "It's Our Job" entrancing is the simple guitar riff paralleling Lerche's vocals - I could listen to this song and "Stupid Memory" on repeat for significant amounts of time. The record closes on the mellow, mid-tempo "Maybe You're Gone" with Lerche and guitar pushing the Beatles envelope before he utilizes the full onslaught of strings, accordion, etc. Two Way Monologue is clearly one of the best records to come out so far in 2004 and will likely maintain that status for the upcoming months. Though Lerche will probably dominant the college charts, you should look for him lingering on the billboard. I think that if he and Astralwerks(/Virgin Norway) decide to do a video for "Days That Are Over" in the manner suggested above there would be no end to the record's chart trouncing. I do find a perplexing relationship between Sondre Lerche and Conor Oberst's work in Bright Eyes. It is almost as if they are playing with the same coin but different sides. A tour between the two, though, may cause a tsunami of excitement, not unlike the fat captain of the Mexican cliff-diving team doing a plunge from ninety feet up - oh happy day.
100
Demons What's
with every heavy album starting off with really wimpy instrumentals?
We all know what's gonna happen, SO BRING IT ON! That criticism
out of the way, let me give props to the Japanese / quasi anime
art and design - nice to see some variation. 100 Demons is pretty
much what you think of when you think of hardcore in modern times.
It's the bastard child of Pantera and Sick of it All, and its
pretty damn good. The band is tight as shit and vocally it's of
the grizzly bear thug variety. It works very well together. Lots
of fun break downs and "I'll see you hell" type lyrics.
- 100 Demons wouldn't be my pick for a desert island disc. For
my ears and taste, it's too much of a "normal" hardcore
album. But you can't say these guys didn't do what the set out
to... If you into straight up hardcore of the newish variety...defiantly
check this out, I suspect you'll like it.
Albert
React
I was certainly skeptical of a band name Albert React, even though
they call Eulogy home. Yet on the first track, "Breathe,"
the second guitar work on the intro to the song is alluring before
Gabe Libhart lays down his gut-checking vocals. The multi-segmented
song with equal parts melodic and heavy characterizes the band
- that is, without slighting, the fall into the emo-core world
though one that is tougher. This five-piece from Pennslyvania
formed a few years back as consortium in college. In 2002, the
band released a split with Sadarahu which garnered the attention
of Florida's favorite label Eulogy. Following up on the opening
"Breathe," "Vanilla" drops in with a DC bassline
before some weak reverberating guitars leads to the verse. "Turn"
stands out as one of the best, though is followed by the mildly
generic "The Soundtrack to a Nightmare." The opening
guitars to "The Same Things From Different Lips" reminds
me of the best that Blankface had to offer, while "July's
Memoir" could be used in a dark film. One would do well to
avoid the intro to "On Memory" - though the rest of
the song is strong. "Even," "If Anything"
and "Confluence & Scrapes" close out the record
with the former the best amongst the three. "Confluence &
Scrapes" is a decent enough song, but Albert React seem like
they are trying to do something epic with it without actually
doing something epic. I figure you might as well go all out. I'm
thoroughly impressed by this band and am finally able to fit the
sound to the band that I kept seeing playing everywhere. Visions
of shows with the Long Island contingent abound.
Atom
and His Package My first full-scale introduction to Atom and his Package came during the ascension of Napster. On a whim, after non-stop talking about Atom and his Package from various sorts, I did the illegal and downloaded "Pumping Iron for Enya." That one song, I still think one of his best, made me a big time fan. One of my crazy friends saw Atom open for someone in NYC in the late nineties and told of this insane guy who is a solo act. After hearing more of Atom's stuff I finally connected the two. So who is Atom and his Package? Atom is Adam Goren - a self-referencing Jew from Philadelphia who rocks out like closest case rock star. "His Package" is an electro-box that Atom programs in drums, guitars, keys, blips, sounds, etc. He then sings and sometimes plays guitar to the package. Getting the timing right live with one of those things takes some real skill, simply because if you screw up the timing a tiny bit your just fucked. His sound would be best described as quirky comedic electro-punk - not like the Rapture or something over-the-top like that. He mixes that with an underlying allegiance to lame 80s synth pop. His songs all average around two minutes often containing some of the funniest lyrics you have ever heard - though he maintains he is horrible at and hates writing lyrics. This may partially be a function of the song subjects - from a punk rock high school to a girlfriend who only is a head to hanging out with the Ghetto Boys on Halloween. In addition, almost every song as one section that absolutely rocks your balls off. The song maybe marginal then all of a sudden he drops like the best sound on a chorus and it takes off. Atom has been doing this deal since around 1995 for shits and giggles - or more specifically a way to play and write music without the hassle of having to deal with band members and all the separate issues. In previous endeavors he found himself doing almost everything anyway, so why not go solo. This decision helped add a completely different sound and voice to the punk genre. Between four full-lengths and assorted other releases on labels like Hopeless and No Idea, he has create quite a large catalog of songs. His best are chronicled on this live CD/DVD of his last show ever in Philadelphia on August 29, 2003 at church that was hot as balls. Why was it his last show? A succinct of saying why it is because of life circumstances. The long way is that his wife is pregnant and he has been diagnosed with diabetes. Hence, he needs to find a steady job with full health coverage. The show was with the similar minded the Zambonis, Excelsior and This Radiant Boy. The twenty-five songs played at this show include almost ever thing you would want him to do from all of his material. This includes such classics as "…the Metric System," the aforementioned "Pumping Iron for Enya," "Mind's Playing Tricks on Me," "What we do on Christmas," "Avenger" and "Punk Rock Academy." I couldn't think of anything else I would have wanted him to do except the "Break Down the Walls" cover where he does the Cookie Monster voice. As is explained in the linear notes, Atom was going to use a digital recorder to record the show, but it failed to work before he went on. So, the sound guy mixed the show on the spot and there is less immediate precision, but it quickly gets good - not that it ever sounds bad. Honestly, and I think this partially due to package knocking out all of the sounds from one central place, this is phenomenal live recording. Also, Atom live vocals strictly mirror the recorded in a very sharp way. Though the over-an-hour live CD rocks, the full magic comes on the accompanying DVD. Unlike the growing trend to include the most tangential material on an enhanced CD or a short DVD, this is some great stuff. The DVD includes the entire show shot on digital video by like five cameras set up around the stage. But what makes this one of the best recorded live performances is that it is all in the now and the immediate. For instance, often when you watch recorded shows they have these long shots that make the show look so insignificant and boring - which it may be. Here, one of the cameras is set up the on the mic stand which gives a great perspective when Atom is playing guitar and at the stationary mic. It also helps overwhelmingly that Atom gets totally into it and everyone there knows all the little ins and outs of all the songs. Among the few additions or changes that I wished for was that Atom would play some death metal axe riffs on "Me and My Black Metal Friends." The finale "Punk Rock Academy" is something special that instills the requisite chills. Besides from the extraordinary live recording, the DVD includes a twenty-minute documentary on the pre-last show and what led up do it by Benni Berman. This also includes brief interviews with Atom's wife Jenn Schumow Goren, roommate Brian Sokel and sister Aliza Rabinowitz. There is an older shorter documentary by Katie Akana and some odd 'Philly Music Profile' that is sort of 'who is Atom and his Package.' Though the sound is well off, the DVD also includes Atom doing "Goalie" with the Zambonis and then they bash a piñata of Atom's head. Finally, the video for "Undercover Funny" is included with all the pseudo-Muppets made for free by Keith Scofield. Atom tells the story of how it was made in the linear notes when he went down to NYU to meet Scofield where Atom lip synched the song several times in front of a green screen - which as he denotes accounts for some of the sheer awkwardness. Then Scofield added in all the assuming computer graphics. At
the end of the day, this is a must have for fans, either now or
at anytime, of Atom and his Package. The amount of awesomeness
is immeasurable and it is hard to think of a day going bye with
not watching or listening to it. Yet how long Atom is actually
out of the game appears not to be too extensive. He has been playing
in a band with some friends called Armalite and continues to pen
solo numbers. I would suspect with all that is happening in the
world, we will see an emergence of hot new material from Atom
and his Package in the next few years.
Ben
Arthur This is the now New York-based Ben Arthur's third record and first on Bardic after two on his own Chicken Butter label. At heart, Arthur is a singer-songwriter working in the world of folk-rock and country - not that he tramps on with songs about dogs, guns, beer and pickups. He is only country in the sense of adding tinges here and there, but is mostly on the folk-rock plane. As a literate being, Arthur tries to play the double-meaning game on some of the lyrics here with varying degrees of success. Starting out in Charlottesville, VA, home of UVA, Arthur got some help on his early material/recordings by members of the Dave Matthews Band - which is obviously a bonus. Though Arthur is a solo artist he had a crap load of musicians record for the record. This includes six different drummers and seven different guitarists - that's a lot, really a lot - and a host of different studios. You may think that with so many different guns there would be variance and variation on the twelve tracks. Well, there isn't and that's both a bad and good thing. A good thing in that there is great consistency. A bad thing since the songs sound too ‘professional' and display a plethora of standard and tired constructions. Though this sound on a number of strong tracks will likely get Arthur a good amount of airplay and score some notable sales. With that in mind, tracks to check out include the first single "Mary Ann," the sweet ballad of "Tonight," the alterna-folk "Keep Me Around" and the mildly creep acoustic number "Jesus." "Sight of Your Tears" has a problem with the recording volume on the guitars in the beginning, but is probably the most ‘rock' track here. Currently, Arthur is touring with labelmate Jennifer Marks in probably the strangest tour I've heard in a long time. The duo are playing a slaughter of high schools and coffee shops in California - often several shows a day. I guess it's a strong way of building a core market, but it is quite odd. Also, it is very un-rock star to be playing at 8.30 in the morning to high school kids. This tour could be something to look back and laugh at or something to dread. We'll see.
Days
Like These I
enjoyed this six-piece from NJ a lot more before I saw their video
for the title track. The video is a very 'staged' event where
the band is playing and romping around in requisite tight black
tees shirts with the singer really spinning about. About midway
through the song all of a sudden there are people dancing on the
stage to the emo-punk music. And what's the deal with the drummer
wearing gloves - what are we playing hand ball. It's like the
guys who lift weights with gloves on - you just have to shake
your head and move on. It would have been a much better idea to
get a stage and club to fit the expected club. It's fine if there
aren't a ton of people there, but stuff them into a small place
so the intensity is elevated. As dropped above, these six guys
knock out emo-punk to fit similar minded bands rocking the music
world - and bands that have defined the impressive Lobster Records
(e.g., Yellowcard). Although they perform in a very competent
and talented manner, there is little to distinguish from the rest
of the pack. That they are not old enough to drink makes this
initial impression even worse, since generally their musical upbringing
was laden with this sound. On records like this I'm in a torn
position: I much prefer this sound over most music on the spectrum,
but I wish they were innovative or defining. They try to some
extent by adding a keyboardist/pianist to add foundation and sometimes
more, but it is not enough to push them over the edge. If you
like bands like Yellowcard, then you will probably find much to
enjoy on this debut by Days Like These.
The
Distance
This is a hard hitting, six-song, eight-minute EP from Connecticut's
newest angry band, the Distance. Last year they released their
demo on CA's Takeover Records on vinyl, thus adding something
to their onslaught of live shows. Though the Distance are tight,
quick and in sync, there is little to distinguish themselves on
this EP from the past twenty or so years of hardcore bands. That
is, they are angry, play fast, curse, have some sing-a-longs,
include some pick slides and use a distorted bass to set up segments.
The CD is enhanced with a video for "And If" that you
might have seen on Headbanger's Ball. The Distance are good at
what they do, but that is a very narrow designation.
Drowning
Pool
The hard rock foursome Drowning Pool was smoking with momentum
before the untimely depth of lead singer Dave Williams. After
some time off to recollect themselves, Drowning Pool are armed
with a new singer Jason "Gong" Jones and are set to
release a new record entitled Desensitized. Jones clearly fits
into their agenda and they unleash an expected number on "Step
Up" which will be featured on the upcoming Punisher soundtrack.
Except for this one lame breakdown, the song is pretty balls.
I look forward to experience the entire affair on the full-length.
John
Frusciante WOW. Up-front, I'm a fan. I first bought Niadra LaDes & Usually Just a T-shirt, John's first album, in college on a whim. I had heard it was a must own album of epic proportions...It throughly blew my mind. It sounds like a heroin addict locked in a house recording this thoughts into freaky acoustic song form...and well...it pretty much was just that. Flash forward a few years and John re-joins the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They release an album of finely crafted tunes, devoid of most all of the aggro bad boy rapisms that most everyone had grown out of (you hear me Fred Durst!). It wasn't too hard to figure out that with John back in RHCP his song writing and vocal harmonies brought life back into his former band. After Smile From the Streets You Hold, John released To Record Water For Only Ten Days. One can safely assume that now having kicked the "horse" John was free to write more "song" oriented...songs. To Record Water... was an impressive piece of Depeche Mode tinged acoustic goodness. Next, another RHCP album that yet again made the Peppers an even MORE melodic band with John all over the album.... Which
brings us to Shadows Collide with People as damn near the best
album I've heard in years. 18 tracks of the best rock in ages.
Frusciante has really come into his own. The songs have layers
and layers of beautiful vocals and perfectly found keyboards.
This album is just amazingly good. Frusciante finds new ways to
sing notes in an order that you never thought of until that moment.
The album is peppered (ha!) with appearances from fellow band
mates and friends, but make no mistake this album is ALL John.
Not only does John play some of the meanest, most unique sounding
guitar riffs, he has crafted the most listenable yet original
album in recent memory. You can't call yourself a music fan and
not own this album. Nuff said - go get it!
Barton
Gill This is a sweet eight-song demo from the solo artist Barton Gill out of LA. Growing up in SLC, Gill learned the rock ropes by ear and sat behind a guitar to expel such demons - I love self-taught guitar stories unless we are talking about metal. Playing bass for awhile for LA's Railed and helping on the recording/business end of music, Gill offers up this initial force against the industry. Thankfully, though Gill falls into a mainstream audience, his sound is unique as he draws on varying influences and thus it is impossible to peg him to a genre - on one of the sites the music is referred to "neo-emo hillbilly rasta rock"; yeah, something like that. Gill is at his best when he is being subtle in vocals and making the acoustic guitar central to the song. For instance, take off the wah on "Farther From" and the song is tremendous. Other times when he is pushing the "rock" it sounds too manufactured and generic (e.g., the chorus of "When You're Angry," "Funky Fresh," "Believe"). Besides from "Farther From," tracks to check out include "Tidal Wave," "See You Now" and the powerful "Lovely Armageddon." Though this is a demo, there are a few annoying volume drops that debilitate the track. As a means to get noticed, shows and signed, this demo does its job in a succinct and consistent manner. I'm not sure whether majors will love that it is just Gill so they can add the pieces or whether they would be worried about a strong core. For some tracks, go to http://www.garageband.com/artist/bartongill.
Give
Up the Ghost Now
that scores of people are familiar with Give Up the Ghost through
their two recent full-lengths on Equal Vision, Bridge Nine is
re-releasing their out-of-print EPs and three songs recorded at
the BBC. Back then, these boys from Boston were known under the
moniker American Nightmare before Bush made them change their
name for national security reasons. These songs were the reason
Give Up the Ghost became one of the most buzzed about bands in
the last few years - more astounding given they play contemporary
old-school hardcore. That fact is certainly bolstered by the guitarist
being from Boston legends Ten Yard Fight. Of course, these recordings
were presided over by Kurt Ballou of Converge at his Godcity Studios.
Comparing these sixteen tracks to their last record We're Down
Till We're Underground, it is clear that these are more raw, dirty
and gruff. Though they are still tighter than most bands playing
this style, you can defiantly hear improvement on later material.
Still when they incorporate stop-start, heavy muting with guitar
sweeps it is awesome (e.g., "It's the Limit"). As a
sweet tidbit, they do an honest plattering of MC5's "Kick
Out the Jams." The live recording of "Shoplifting in
a Ghost Town" is flat-out stunning, while the other two ("AM/PM"
and "Farewell") ain't too shabby themselves. Also, it
is worth checking out "Dead and Gone," "Protest
Song #00" and "The Day the Music Died." For fans
of Give Up the Ghost's latest material or if you missed the EPs
previously, this record amounts to being invaluable - a very strong
item to have on your shelf.
The
Hurt Process Not
to be confused with Sondre Lerche's new album Two Way Monologue
- though I hear a split is the works - the six-piece The Hurt
Process launch there first record for Victory (actually just the
U.S. release as this was initially released in the Europe in the
Fall). Probably most interesting about the band is that they come
from the UK, a place best known for brooding, dark rock than melodic
hardcore. But so it is and to some extent it's nice they aren't
from Germany - though there are parallels to Waterdown. Why they
have six members is baffling as there appears to be serious redundancy,
though they all play their specific roles. That is, a melodic
vocalist and screaming vocalist, dual guitarists, drummer and
bassist. I'm not talking the New Main Street Players redundancy,
just a question of feasibility. Touted by the British press, the
Hurt Process is now on a mission of conquering the American market.
This is going to be a tough job that they are going to have to
achieve by means of live performances. That is, while the record
is tight, well-written and conceived; there is little that is
innovative in face of the saturated American market. Though if
they are able to smoke some live shows here, the record should
sell fairly well. The Hurt Process will have their opportunity
this summer on the Warped Tour - as they are the first British
band to the play the tour in its ten year existence. As mentioned
above, the Hurt Process play a melt of melodic hardcore with sweeping
segments pushed by the guitars (e.g., "Clarity"). They
do not do the back-and-forth between melodic and screaming vocals
which is appreciated - typically the screaming adds accents to
song sections. The opening track "This Piece" generally
sets the sound for the other nine songs - roughly three to four
minutes, melodic singing joined at times by screams of support,
one guitar playing rhythmic solos in parts while the other maintains
the core with the bass and drums. Again, if you enjoy the more
straight-up rock songs from Waterdown then you will like this.
As a side note, the Hurt Process got Derek Hess to rock some art
design - particularly the cool cover. I don't see why the Hurt
Process doesn't try to slay American audiences with the other
breaking UK melodic hardcore band Funeral for a Friend. That would
be a pretty awesome display of what the UK can offer besides from
Belle and Sebastian.
Jawbreaker I remember when I picked up this record used for three dollars in 1996 at a record store in western NY. That I night I saw some fellow compatriots for some drinking where upon telling one that I got the CD, he said it was the worst record he had ever heard. And so it was - a telling visceral reaction to what would become one of the most influential records on modern day indie rock. This is the record that would also lead to the downfall of one of the most important groups of contemporary rock music. After the three-piece Jawbreaker released three stunning full-lengths on indie labels, Unfun (Shredder, 1990), Bivouac (Tupelo/Communion, 1992) and 24-Hour Revenge Therapy (Tupelo/Communion, 1994), they did the unthinkable - sign with major label DGC. At that point, DGC was home to bands such as Nirvana and Sonic Youth, but Jawbreaker had always extolled the fact that they were staying indie. Blake Schwarzenbach (guitar and vocals), Chris Bauermeister (bass) and Adam Pfahler (drums) scored a million dollar payday for signing with DGC and they set out to record their fourth full-length. As the story unfolds, Schwarzenbach quartered himself off at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and set to writing the music and lyrics. Bauermeister and Pfahler would come and do their requisite parts, but played a much smaller role than ever before. Another big change was instead of recording the record in a matter days, it became eight weeks - an astonishing long time at that point, especially for Jawbreaker. What emerged from those eight weeks with producer Rob Cavallo was what my friend, the die-hard Jawbreaker fan, would vomit upon. Under the tutelage of Cavallo's sound massaging, Schwarzenbach's once raspy and off-kiltered vocals were molested to sweet perfection. Though still unique Schwarzenbach, the melody and smoothness startled long term fans. In addition, the wall of fuzzed-out guitars also was a departure of previous recordings of the band. Essentially, Dear You (1995) had all the hallmarks of a major label release from a core indie band - and that pissed people off to no end. Stories abound of people going to Jawbreaker shows just to boo the band when they played songs off of Dear You. Though the band was drifting apart to some extent before Dear You, the angry reaction they received and the marginal sales (for a major) finally but the nail in the coffin for Jawbreaker. So what is the deal with Dear You being released again? For one, shortly after its release, it became out-of-print as DGC wasn't about to keep fresh copies of a failed record out in stores. Yet, the so-called failure and sellout of a record was on the verge of essentially starting a musical movement - emo. Scores of contemporary bands from Dashboard to Thursday to Saves the Day cite Dear You as a substantial influence on their sound. Members of Jawbreaker have countered that they were influenced by all the punk and indie bands before them so it is a natural progression. Regardless, Dear You emerged as a kind of required listening for scenesters. In what I wished I had known about, copies were being sold on places like Ebay for upwards of seventy dollars as demand skyrocketed over supply. As Schwarzenbach went on to form Jets to Brazil (Jade Tree) and Bauermeister went to graduate school, Pfahler after some time founded Blackball Records. The first two releases was Jawbreaker's final show in San Francisco entitled 4/30/96 and a compilation of rare material entitled Etc. Since, DGC was not about re-release it, Pfahler through some serious legal wrangling final scored the rights. And now the hot commodity Dear You is presented for your listening. Besides the thirteen original tracks, the re-release includes five extra songs "Shirt," "Into You Like a Train," "Sister," "Friendly Fire" and "Boxcar." Pfahler has also included some awesome pictures in the booklet to accompany the songs. My favorite is a letter from the Oyster Bay (NY) Historical Society - oh, the Long Island connections run deep - requesting information on the song "Oyster" as they are compiling a list of music with word 'oyster' in the title. Now that is the kind of mail that I wished I received. One with Kurt Cobain wearing a Jawbreaker is another favorite. Finally, there is an enhanced portion with the video for "Fireman." Look there is no point in actually specifically reviewing the music contained here. The tracks are all a stunning musically and lyrically dense affair that really is requisite listening. I personally am not a fan of "Oyster" and "Jet Black" (though I love the Annie Hall quote), but I still prefer the two over most other music. For many this reissue is a means to finally buy their own copy and to score several other Jawbreaker songs - songs that smoke. At the end of the day, I'm sure my friend still hates Dear You and wishes it never came out - and others still have similar hostile feelings for it. For those who didn't get sucked into the spectacle originally surrounding the record, there is no reason not to own this. Since a Jawbreaker reunion is not in the cards for the near future, check out Schwarzenbach still keeping the faith in Jets to Brazil. However, never say never as evidenced by the Pixies reunion.
Leatherface The seminal UK post-punk band Leatherface is back with their eighth full-length (and technically fifth for BYO thanks to reissues) as they continue on their re-birth journey. Forming in 1988, Leatherface - whose name admittedly makes you think of some type of grindcore death metal band - sought to combine influences through guitar powered songs and headman's Frankie Stubbs vocals. My first listening exposure to these guys came on the 1998 split on BYO with Hot Water Music, which was quickly followed by seeing them live and checking out stellar earlier albums Mush and Cherry Knowles. Part of the mystique of Leatherface comes from the fact they broke up in 1993 and yet their work influenced such bands as Dillinger Four and Hot Water Music - bands they would later open for. I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that Stubbs pushed for the dissolution because he felt the band didn't have enough commitment and intensity. This was partially stemmed out of the less-than-ideal promotion by quasi-major Seed (subsidiary of Atlantic). The dissolution allowed Stubbs to play in Jesse and Pope, bassist Andy Crighton to form Snuff and guitarist Dickie Hammond to found Dr. Bison. Hammond instigated the reformation of the band, but decided not to throw his own hat back into the rink. So, Stubbs and drummer Andy Laing assembled talent and recorded their first new material for the split with Hot Water. Since then Leatherface has been marching on with their punk onslaught with records such as Horsebox for BYO. Probably the thing that strikes you immediately with Leatherface is the raspy, gravel-lined vocals of Stubbs. Audibly and visually, Stubbs looks like a former coal miner who has had the life beaten out of him and yet perseveres. While grizzled, Stubbs still has elements of harmony and melody pushed out to the front. As noted above, the dual guitars are a mesmerizing affair and complement Stubbs vocals. Other members of Leatherface add vocals from time-to-time but in a very limited manner. The first time I heard Leatherface I found it rather odd that the vocals sounded recorded lower than the music, making them barely decipherable. I figured it was some function of mixing - and also that it was on vinyl. Yet, as demonstrated again here, Leatherface, for whatever rationale, prefers the mix as such - maybe as a means to add to Stubbs gruthness. Often times you can only figure out the lyrics on the chorus as illustrated by the exceptional opener "Hoodlum." As one of the best tracks on the record, one of the lines on the chorus 'you smoke dope everyday, while I drink my nights away…" sums up Leatherface succinctly. Consistent with previous material, the songs on Dog Disco are always driven by heavily distorted and melodic guitars. Other tracks worth your time include "Small Yellow Chair" with chipper guitars, the balls-to-the-wall "Eggbound," the sweet ballad "Plastic Surgery" and the finale "Heart is Home." Leatherface
has been cited in the past for not having any single tracks that
grab you and that are likely to be heard on college radio. Though
this tradition continues, the core of Dog Disco is very tight
and consistent. Leatherface will probably still fly below the
musical radar after this record but that makes them even more
intriguing. Also, you have to see Stubbs do this jig when he is
playing guitar - pure awesomeness. Maybe this time around they
will be able to open for the bands they influenced instead of
the other way around. On an absolutely random note, I'm not sure
if the cover art is one of the worst things I've ever seen or
what. Also, for whatever reason and I love dogs (got 3), bands
having the word 'dog' in their name or record titles makes me
want to boot - I knew there was a reason I didn't like Keanu Reeves.
Loretta If
there was ever a band echoing the initial wave of modern rock
- say 80s mainstream alternative radio - Loretta would be the
band. Contemporary comparisons could be made to British bands
such as the rock version of Radiohead and their minions. The Indianapolis
five-piece's, featuring three brothers Jason, Damon and Jeremy
Weidner, Stan Muller and Jim Shaffer, plan is to orchestrate grand
sweeping guitars coupled with Jason's high flying vocals. Weidner's
vocals undoubtedly characterize the band's sound and push them
beyond the potentially trapping music. These are generally vocals
that you would never find on anything smacking of indie rock,
and thus should make them appealing to diverse audiences. At the
same time, Loretta could be accused of being too over-the-top
with rock power. Meaning as Clay Aiken was almost too much Broadway
for American Idol, Loretta may experience a similar situation
in indie rock - in which they moderately fall into. This could
cause a visceral reaction among some listeners. Though at the
end of the day, Loretta is a rock band. They may do best as pegging
themselves as a straight up rock band then some type of alternative
group. In fact, I have no exact idea of who they are traveling
around with so that may already be the case. The record has already
had success on the CMJ charts with such standout songs as "Slow
Down," "Collide" and the relatively hard rocking
"Stolypin Neckties." If nothing else you get your money's
worth as the twelve tracks come in at over an hour. On a final
note, I haven't seen such bad cover art in awhile. Possibly done
to draw this reaction, don't know, but it is this over-computerized
building/monument in a mountainous desert. It honestly looks like
the design for some bizarre computer puzzle game that propagates
the internet nowadays.
Martyr
AD If that D&D dork that lived down your street grew up to be in a hardcore band, Martyr AD might be the band that he/she made. As their first record for hardcore powerhouse Victory, Martyr AD are set to reclaim the metalcore title they relinquished after temporary lineup changes, etc. Martyr AD released their debut The Human Condition in Twelve Fractions in 2001, but really made a name for themselves on the road. When Holding On disbanded, two of the member joined Martyr AD to bring the group back to life. The album is 30:25 of blistering double bass and octave guitars. There's a definite "chugga chugga" feeling going on throughout the album...Plus the album is called ON EARTH AS IS IN HELL! How metal is that! Up front it's hard to win me over with what passes for metalcore, hardcore, death metal, etc, etc - but Martyr AD does what it sets out to do...make an album that hardcore/metal geeks will like. This is some pretty heavy stuff.
Number
One Fan With
a name like Number One Fan and on a label called Pat's Record
Company it would be understatement to say I wasn't expecting much
from this record. Yet, this Wisconsin five-piece have been able
to harness the power of modern day rock setters like the All-American
Rejects, Jimmy Eat World, Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday. Also,
Pat's Record Company is Pat Magnarella's (Green Day, All-American
Rejects) label distributed by Universal. This is the first signing
to Magnarella's label and it is moderately odd that he was able
to find these guys up in Wisconsin given that he is centered in
LA. Consisting of brothers Nick and Michael Ziemann, guitarist
Matthew Reetz, drummer Jonathan Fries and the recent addition
of Joseph Kirsch on keyboards, Number One Fan knock out ten tracks
of catchy, ultra-indie pop bliss. Though there may be a smidgen
of 'emo,' the degree of pop overpowers all. Sometimes there may
be too much pop in that the songs border on standard genre-specific.
Compromises starts in a very strong manner on "Come On,"
which rocks the pop hard with a fully-developed kickstart with
strings. As much as I dig this song - and it's probably the best
on the record - I can't get over the fact it sounds like a lost
Taking Back Sunday song. If you just played this song for me without
any information I would think it's a new TBS song where they have
gone more pop. Part of this characterization is due to Nick's
cadence and inflection on the uptempo song. Yet, the slower, piano
foundation of "It's Happening" corrects any misperception.
Other tracks to check out include the ballady "Can't Forget,"
"Don't Say Anything" and "The Prettiest Sin."
After spending the year opening for groups like the Rejects, Number
One Fan has carved out a month-long stint on this summer's Warped
Tour. So forget your own reactions to the band's and label's names
and give this a listen - though you may not have to as I wouldn't
be surprised to hear songs on major radio if not MTV.
Ross
Golan and Molehead This is the debut album for this three-piece from L.A. in their initial quest to score a contract - also as a personal quest of their manager. They have decided to release this on their own Insider Trading Corporation and it being distributed by EMI. The neat, though moderately unbelievable story of the group, is that Ross Golan headed out to search for fame and fortune in L.A. from his hometown of Chicago. His grandmother partially pushing for the move told him to go find 'Molehead' - whatever that meant. Through some twists and turns, Golan found Bryan Head to play drums and Billy Mohler to play bass, and thus the prophecy was fulfilled. On this thirteen track debut, the three-piece excel in eccentric song compositions spanning genres - pseudo-rap, rock, reggae…. Golan and Molehead songs revolve around political and social issues - corporate scandal ("Martha Stewart"), war and terrorism ("M.I.A."), Israeli conflict ("Move"), American culture ("Dear Slim"). While the group at time merges on a close Dismemberment Plan sound, I'm generally not a big fan of reggae roots foundation. However, "Dear Slim" is a stunning song and is moderately enjoyable to hear Golan mimic Eminem's cadence. What is nice about Ross Golan and Molehead is that there is so many directions the group can go and there is enormous potential.
Seven
Wiser As
Windup is fond of doing, this CD single is a taste of NYC's Seven
Wiser upcoming album - as well as a taste of their contribution
to the Punisher soundtrack. Consistent with previous Windup releases,
Seven Wiser play mainstream, strong alternative rock. One of the
appealing aspects of the song is that the vocals are less over-the-top
manly and the inclusion of strings adds rich depth to the song.
"Take Me As I Am" is clear top forty 40 radio fodder
- so it will attack you like it or not.
Sex
Positions Right off the bat it's pretty fucked. The design and artwork is very porno punk flyer looking and the music fits. ADD is the best thing to happen to heavy music and it sound like Sex Positions has it. Its spazz punk but the riffs are more grounded (as are the songs) in song structure as opposed to 'look at me play like a mutherfucker." There's a pretty cool electro element to the band as well kind've annoying but I dig it. Sex Positions are a bit like the Blood Brothers, but a bit more rock in their approach. You can do a lot worse. Its big riffs on the verge of spinning totally out of control. I really like this stuff, the songs have a sense of urgency...but it feels like it's an urgency to sniff some glue, or kick someone in the nuts for the hell of it. Check it out.
Single
Frame Admittedly,
I had a quick, visceral reaction to the latest from this Austin
three-piece. Their style of electro-pop weirdness bothered me
in its nonsense, quasi-structure and non-tight musicianship way
- like they were too lazy to do things right. Though, odds are
you are likely to find a couple of keepers from a twenty-track
CD and that's what happened. It required a couple of non-thinking
listens to finally see their vision and not feel like turning
it off. I think part of the love comes from the neat video they
have for "Comm. Jet (Creepykid Remix)" that is on the
enhanced CD portion. Leaning towards the art-school side of the
Texas sun, Single Frame's previous record Burn Radio Airtest and
this record have made a number of critics wet - enough so that
the previous disk is now out of print. Volcom is re-releasing
this CD with the requisite enhanced section with pictures, videos,
bios, etc. - their first onslaught with a serious label. The noise
on the opening track "Floral Design In a Straight Line"
may anger you, before structure takes over. Like the rest of the
tracks "Floral" has this odd existence of melody and
harmony lining a more or less dirty affair. "$7 Haircut"
floats on a similar sound, before "Post Daydream Forecast
Endeavor" raps you with creepy organs and vocals that could
be the bastard cousin of the Doors "People Are Strange."
Looking back, "Post Daydream" is a really good song.
Single Frame likes to add thirty-second bursts of random stuff
between the 'real' tracks - and thus there are considerably less
than twenty full songs. "The Slip" starts like a Postal
Service song and then envelopes into the electro-rock world of
new wave. As mentioned above, "Comm. Jet (Creepykid Remix)"
is the gem in the rough and should appeal to most listeners. Other
tracks of note include "Spacedust and Handcuffs," "New
Car Smell" and "Eavesdropper Goes Solo." Though
I recognize the neatness of this disc, it may border too much
on art school to experience full massive love. However, there
are no excuses that you can't find this record - as in times past
- thanks to Volcom adding them to their growing roster.
Split
Habit As
the debut from this Chicago three-piece, Split Habit excels in
pure pop punk of yesterday. That is, this record could have easily
been a product of the mid-90s Lookout Records explosion falling
closest to the Parasites. While Split Habit fall prey to relatively
weak school-boy compositions, at the very least they do it in
a highly competent manner. Their relatively young age may contribute
to this though separation from that life is continuing. Though
the ten tracks all fall into the pop-punk realm, there are a couple
of deviations that suggest possible alternative and promising
leanings. Particularly, "Days Ahead But Weeks Behind"
has a minimalist, darker sound and "Pictures Frames"
could be the latest from electro-pop greats the Postal Service.
At other times, Split Habit rely on the tried and true, though
not very inspiring - for instance, "Lady Killer," "Higher
Mathematics," "Rebel" and "Ms Vandersanden."
Given the trend of similar minded bands, I wouldn't be surprised
if these do better than expected sales-wise. See them on upcoming
tours with similar minded bands from the Drive Thru contingent.
V/A In
an amazing fit of 'how in the world were they able to do this,'
the punk dominated Law of Inertia Records have released the hardcore
and metal laden tribute to one the best and most influential rock
bands from later-day 20th century - Guns and Fucking Roses. Who
among you would forget the famous phrase, 'I feel like Slash passed
out on the floor with a bottle of JD and pills.' Uniting bands
such as Most Precious Blood, Dillinger Escape Plan and God Forbid
with G&R's songs was probably more legal wrangling than the
Tyco jury decision. I have to admit, though, that I was relatively
disappointed by the covers on the record. Maybe it is just an
impossible level of expectation for these lesser mortals to knock
out covers that triumph the originals. For instance, I was hoping
for blistering renditions of G&R's most popular songs, though
those dreams were left relatively unfilled. Most Precious Blood's
cover of "Sweet Child of Mine" and Time in Malta's cover
of guitar-testosterone "November Rain" don't rock hard
enough, while Zombie Apocalypse's cover of "Welcome to the
Jungle" does stand out as one of the best here thanks to
the stunning guitar work. Dillinger's long live covered "My
Michelle" does smoke, though it is almost annoying when they
add guitar squiggles at the end. Also check out probably the closest
rendition to the original on the tribute by Eighteen Visions on
"Paradise City." I love everything about this tribute
- the bands, the concept, the label - but I'm having a tough reconciling
the diminished fulfilled expectations from the actual music.
Vice
Dolls There is no way to deny that the main attraction of this five-piece hardcore outfit from Illinois are the vocal stylings of the heavily-tattooed Carrie Nance. On their debut full-length, Nance rattles off high-pitched hardcore/punk vocals that are unlike anything else going on. When the cadences don't make you want to punch her in the head (e.g., "Bigger They Are") - or the ballad-esque stuff (e.g., the intro to "American Dream") - it is quite hypnotic. The music itself is old-school distorted hardcore/punk that moves at neck-breaking speed. While the Vice Dolls will not win any awards for ingenuity, everything is done at a tight and competent manner. Actually, the guitars are so heavily distorted that it sets up a nice contrast with Nance's vocals. Save for the finale "Unveil the Truth. Burn the Lies," the tracks average just over two-minutes as they punch you in the nuts. Die Trying starts on "Clenched Fists" as a hardcore anthem with machine-gun guitar mutes on the chorus but with non-generic lyrics. "Clenched Fists" is relatively stereotypical of the rest of the songs on the record. Other songs worth checking out include the Avail-like "Modern Guns," "Poor Me Stories," "What Could've Been" and the closure "Unveil the Truth. Burn the Lies." This record is likely to have a quick visceral reaction for many people that hear it. That is, people will either be attracted to Nance's vocals or find it to be dribbeddy-drab.
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