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August Reviews Artist of the Month: Limbeck
As the second album from this Southern Californian four-piece, Limbeck has truly out done themselves with a spectacular offering on twelve tracks of rock goodness. Taking a stronger turn towards the alt-country branch of the family, the theme of Hi, Everything's Great is the greatness of the American road (get it - the title is what you write on a postcard). As will be dutifully described, this is an album that is hard to get tired of listening to. Limbeck first broke onto the scene with This Chapter Is Called Titles in 2001 and took their place amongst the other hundred pop-punk orientated bands in Orange County, CA. Probably deciding that they wanted to distinguish themselves a bit more from the fold, singer-guitarist Robb MacLean and the band took the memories of the road and put them to song. Crossing the Rockies to spend time in the plains of Kansas, Limbeck recorded Hi with the ever-amazing producer Ed Rose. Ed Rose is noted for a number of projects, but is mostly associated with producing the Get Up Kids releases. Taking a lesson from country and alt-country bands like Old 97's, Uncle Tupelo and Hank Williams, Limbeck sought to put some of this Americana flavor to a new set of tracks - and a new musical life. Patrick Carrie fiddled with MacLean on finding the right sound for the guitar work and Justin Entsminger and Matt Stephens filled out the rhythm sections. And thus, Hi was born. Hi starts off on "Honk + Wave," with MacLean describing a lost love and now he finds himself in her state, the Beehive state, Utah. Out of this song you get the memorable line in the chorus of "if we drove side-by-side on a highway in the Beehive state, then we can honk and wave." While MacLean doesn't lament on this, he is more out to inflict a sense of sorrow on this unfortunate soul. Regardless of meaning, "Honk + Wave" musically sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Silver Things" starts out slow then builds admirably with a bit of country guitar fills and well-timed and quick-tempo hi-hat taps. Both of these tracks sets up the stellar track "Julia." "Julia" is featured on the latest Doghouse sampler and for good reason. As another song concerning traveling and the like, this one revolves around the ex-goth kid Julia and their conversations. While entrancing, there is a bridge on this song that gets your fists pumping like in "Dr. Worm" from They Might Be Giants. After a bad start to "This Place Is Deserted," Limbeck is able to revive the patient - by later chorus - but you may be inclined to skip past this one. "I Wrote This Down" only shows off its greatness after the opening salvo where Limbeck use a quietly-distorted guitar in an up-tempo pace chorus. While the use of the distortion is strategically planned, a wider use throughout the album might have been charming. After the solid "The Sun Woke the Whole State" and "Tan + Blue," "Gamblin' Man" truly goes after the road warrior spirit in country music. This is in no doubt amplified in the use of lap steel guitar and telecaster-driven solo fills. This is followed by the acoustic-focused "In Ohio on Some Steps," where MacLean is joined by Rachael Cantu on vocals and Chris Cron on keyboards that fill the room. The title of the song is what you might write on a picture that you took - and the song is a literal description of a day in Ohio. After the upbeat "Brand New Orange" and "Albatross + Ivy," the record closes on "Comin' From Tucson." Like "Julia," "Gamblin' Man" and "In Ohio on Some Steps," this song stands out as one of the album's best. "Comin' From Tucson" is a simple description of driving back to OC late at night from Tucson while everyone sleeps in the van. Again utilizing lap steel guitar, MacLean - with the help of Carrie on emphasis - describes the drive with wistful and longing lyrics that can only produce wide smiles for listeners. Having just gotten off a tour with their superstar label mates the All-American Rejects, Limbeck have been able to plant their foot firmly in the rock world. Yet, with the release of Hi, Everything's Great their stock will surely rise faster than a crackhead with a just-scored twenty-rock.
Asterisk*
Dogma contains all the recordings of Swedish noise-core band Asterisk.
That amounts to forty-one tracks in about forty-two minutes. Right,
so given that information and that this is on 31G, you have a
good idea of what it sounds like. Though make no mistake, Asterisk
is no art band. The three-piece of Jonas, Andre and Sterde take
the dark route in their songs punching out a bunch of evil. Probably
the most defining element to go with their spastic explosions
of drums and guitars is Jonas's use of a variety of voices in
the "vocals." It is mostly a split personality of deep
and evil versus a high-pitched screaming in the key of evil. Look,
thirty songs have just gone by after reading the above. Oh happy
day.
Bad
Brains
As one of the best and earliest hardcore punk bands known to man,
it is hard to overstate Bad Brains' influence on the scores of
bands that have flowed forth since. Working in the same atmosphere
that spawned bands like Minor Threat (and later Fugazi and the
early Dischord lineup) and pushing Henry Rollins to the helm of
Black Flag, many an influential artist attribute strong influences
from Bad Brains including Flea, Rollins, etc. Even more impressive
was that Bad Brains were black rastas bustin' out some of the
most rawest and hardest music at the time and in a white-dominated
arena. While visually Bad Brains came across as Rastas, only in
passing do your stereotypical Bob Marley-esque song compositions
seep through the music (e.g., "I Luv I Jah"). Across
the twenty-two songs representing their entire career can you
fully appreciate the blistering pace and intensity of a Bad Brains'
show. Most people are familiar with the powerful and talented
voice of HR, but what is most illuminating here is the amazing
guitar work from guitarist Dr Know (Gary Miller). The guitar work
is so clean and tight, yet incredibly fast when it needs to be.
Though the guitarists from other hardcore punk bands from the
time (e.g., Minor Threat) could match Dr Know's speed, I don't
think any could match his talent. Of course, the speed element
to Bad Brains was in no small part due to the rhythm section of
Darryl Jenifer on bass and Earl Hudson on drums. The record's
songs come from their various releases including Omega Sessions
(which was re-released a couple of years ago on Victory), Black
Dots, Bad Brains, I Against I, Rock For Light, Quickness, Youth
are Getting Restless and I And I Survive. The record contains
two bonuses as well: the unreleased track "Riot Squad"
and a video for "I Against I" shot in Providence, RI
in 1987 by Paul Rachman. Not that one would need extra reasons
to get this but the video (accessed via computer) is a great demonstration
of the passion of Bad Brains. For many of the songs, the producers
of the record had to transfer a significant amount of material
from the original vinyl to digital format. This digitization obviously
helps preserve the material and more directly allows individuals
who have the old scratchy vinyl to score mastered versions on
CD. There is no need here to list all the songs because the album
simply contains all their best matter in one spot. This is a perfect
record for people just hearing of Bad Brains and wish to get a
taste for the original. I would suspect with the right amount
of buzz coming from various sources, most specifically and importantly
the big time rock musicians of today, this record should move
quickly and Bad Brains will experience a resurrection of interest
and acknowledgment.
The
Break/Let It Burn
This is a sweet split EP by two of New Jersey's up and coming
punk bands, The Break and Let It Burn. Both bands push and work
to present an image of intensity and aggression across the EP's
six songs. This past April the Break and Let It Burn entered the
studio with producer Matt Squire to rock out three songs each
for this EP. The Break released their self-titled album on Doghouse
last Spring with a warm reception by all. Here, the four-piece
jumps into the action with the quick and dirty hitting of "We
Live Without Sleep." Yet, the next two songs "Alone
With You" and "I Name You Disaster" demonstrate
the Break's unique melody underpinnings. Both songs' structures
and harmonies draw a strong parallel to the finest of the Foo
Fighters. This is a very good thing and both songs absolutely
rock. Let It Burn, coming from the same scene as the Break, put
out their second full-length last winter on Coalition Records.
While noted for their intense live show, Let It Burn work hard
here to establish their recording appeal. Let It Burn take a more
dressed-up - as opposed to slacker rock - garage punk approach
to their music. Their three songs have a closer relationship with
the Break's opening track than the other two. The first song "I
Believe in Love" indeed has a memorable refrain of "I
believe in love," while the "Guzellugh (Celebration
of the Sun)" opens with a sweet and mellow guitar line. The
finale "Fade Away" is more reminiscent of the late-70s
NYC punk sound than the previous tracks. This EP was a good plan
and demonstrates both bands potential for a long future - especially
if the Break keep up the melodies.
Dead
Letter Auction
Since 1998, Dead Letter Auction (from recently flooded Fort Wayne,
IN) have been playing and working as many young bands on sort
do. Yet, over some fall outs and ins, the core of DLA has stuck
together through a variety of EPs, 7"s and tours to finally
knock out their first full-length with Cancer of Time. Starting
off on "Foreshadow" like Jazz June's cousin, DLA begin
their quickly defining sound of swirling guitars, mid-tempo drums
and whiny distant vocals of the indie breed and reminiscent of
the cadences of ATDI. The most characteristic aspect of their
sound is no doubt the vocals and the guitars. Specifically, the
guitars are sans distortion throughout most of the record's twelve
tracks and only come in sparingly otherwise. As you might expect
this adds to the indie feel of the record and unfortunately a
somewhat tin-like sounding recording. However, I think this does
not necessarily detract from the sound that DLA is attempting
to tackle. That this is case is probably more impressive since
they did the recording and had the mix done in 20 hours in Chicago.
Cancer of Time is one of those albums where it is hard to pick
out a song or two because the twelve fit well together as one.
One drawback to that is it is hard to differentiate between songs
so if you played them on shuffle it would be hard to know what's
what. DLA have come out with a solid first full-length on Cancer
of Time and if they are able to stick around long enough, they
should come out on top after getting their just exposure.
Divide
By Zero
This is the first EP for this punk band from Chicago. However,
the core of the band comes from the fall of Chicago's Logan's
Loss, so it is just another release in a long history of outings.
While concentrating on the basics of punk, Divide By Zero have
a bit of love that is hastingly being called "screamo"
by such stalwarts as the New York Times. And, hence, Divide By
Zero wouldn't be out of place with such bands as Taking Back Sunday,
Thursday and Glassjaw. The four-piece is really carried by the
vocal range and honesty of lead singer T.J. Milici. Part of this
comes from the wisely used procedure of dropping music in the
middle of songs to allow just vocals to shine before the music
comes in full-tilt. Hot Water Music are the kings of this process
and Divide By Zero are trying to capture some of the magic from
early HWM records. This description is sweetly demonstrated on
the best track of the EP "One More Reason." This track
should get picked up college stations looking to add quality to
their rotation. Other noteworthy songs amongst the five include
"Was It Worth It" and "Drive These Roads."
Given this debut I would be surprised if you don't hear a lot
about Divide By Zero by this time next year.
Down
By Law In an amazing but true story, Down By Law has punched out another album. Over the past twelve years, with Dave Smalley at the helm, DBL have established themselves as one of the most respected punk bands in the world. Most of DBL's notoriety came during the mid-90s with several awesome records. Since then DBL has spurted but has not fallen. With this release, their first in four years and sixth overall, DBL looks to fight up the punk rock mountain. The first thing you must do is get passed the awful magician and Greek warrior cover and Austrian-style process of not separating words - there must be some kind of story about this picture; at least I hope. The first track "Next to Go" throws you right into the DBL mix, but they add to the scope by intro guitar effects. The rest of the album picks up the tempo with "Put the Boots In" and gives a similar feel to past records such as Punkrockacademyfightsong and All Scratched Up. A number of tracks have mature guitar sections with a smattering of compelling solos. Though Smalley's voice can grate a bit in some spots (see "Capitol Riots"), the punk veteran delivers a solid and tight piece of work. Some of the album's highlights include "Going Wrong" (with Sam Williams on lead vocals in a Bad Religion sounding number), "(I Wanna Be In) AC/DC" (though DBL could have probably develop something a bit hotter in this tribute), "Kickdown" and "Accelerator." With this latest release, it should put Down By Law back onto the punk rock map for some of the youngings.
Eels This album from Eels is a bit more relaxed. There is less hand waving for attention here. This is a more mature indie rock/soul-blues side of mysterious E. The son of many-worlds physicist Hugh Everett III, E (Mark Oliver Everett) now shows us one of his many worlds in an honest and revealing album full of autobiography and songs about love. Thus eschewing the bombast and hard rock reveling of the earlier works, this song-oriented album kicks back into lush but not over-powering arrangements of a rock combo with keyboards, horns, harmonica and Lisa Germano on violin. (-Tom Schulte)
Embrace
Today
In the uncompromising and unrelenting world of abrasive straight-edge
hardcore, Embrace Today can count themselves among the top shelf.
As their first full-length and second release - they released
the FxYxIxE 7" in 2002 - this five-piece from Boston move
from the first song "Hope" to the last "Believe
In No One" at a neck-breaking pace that encompasses fifteen
tracks in twenty-two minutes. Produced and engineered by legendary
Kurt Ballou (Converge) at the famous Boston studio God City, Soldiers
has the wild, manic and wild-abandoned feel of many Converge tracks.
Probably the first thing that you are struck with by the album
is the worked-over pictures of ground zero on the covers and fold
out. Done by J. Bannon (also of Converge), the pictures present
an image of intensity before you hear one note from the album.
All of the fifteen songs carry on consistent themes including
being straight-edge and a considerable amount of internal torment
(not necessarily associated with the later) where the f-bomb is
dropped in basically every line. Musically, Embrace Today come
in hells-bells with ultra-fast old-school guitars and drums layered
with screamy, just as fast vocals. Happily, the vocals are not
tough-guy gruff and not pure noise screaming, but fall somewhere
in-between and accompany the music quite well. For a band relying
on old-school constructions and leaving the metal alone, they
are able to add separability with the hardcore pack. Embrace Today
will be rolling on by in the next months to support the release
and with the support of people like Ballou and Bannon they should
do admirably.
Every
Time I Die
As their second release on Ferret, Every Time I Die present the
listener with a unique amalgamation of sound on Hot Damn! Coming
out of western New York, ETID was essentially founded through
violent means due to various predicaments. This foundation has
carried on throughout their five-year history and this new release.
Though you can question the odd title of the record, you cannot
question this five-piece's intensity or passion. Each member of
the band blends so many different types of playing that each track
is a journey. This is not pure randomness that almost always ends
badly; it is more subtle with slight changes on playing. The core
of each of the ten songs is noisy hardcore, though each track
branches out in a multiplicity of directions. None of the songs
would be classified as power violence or the sort, though most
take pages from raucous light-winged metalcore. For instance,
on the opener "Romeo A Go-Go" the guitars, drums and
vocals swim in crazed speed spirals, before breaking down to a
simple pure rock riff and vocals - though with heavily distorted
guitars. This construction is quickly taken to the next track
"Off Broadway" that is most memorable for the end of
segment that is repeatedly stamped on - containing Boy Sets Fire
imaginary of "release the dogs." This is how the next
eight songs come in and notably each song has something to it
- like a small line - that keeps the specific song ordered in
your head. In a genre that tends to have records just bleed together,
ETID having this quality is always a valued commodity. This is
partially generated by most of the songs having a very specific
breakdown where vocalist Keith Buckley changes styles. If Every
Time I Die can bring this intensity every night then they should
have a good run at it.
Gameface
This is the debut on Doghouse for this veteran rock group from
Orange County, CA. After spending a considerable amount of time
married to the lovely folks at Revelation, Gameface has moved
over to the rock-friendlier people at Doghouse. Though Gameface
has traveled in the hardcore and punk networks, from the twelve
songs on Four To Go you would never have believed it. While the
songs contain an element of punk, much of it is straight up rock.
The foursome are all gifted musicians and while they are quite
able to lay down harmonious tracks, the record suffers from forgetfulness.
After listening to the record a number of times, I'm not able
to tell one song from another. So there is this element of forgettable
song placed next to forgettable song. Most of the tracks contain
the same moderate-tempo pace with very little changes - and clearly,
tempo changes would have helped dramatically. Four To Go will
likely find a mainstream rock audience and increase Gameface's
recognition, though is that something that they or the listener
wants?
Glasseater
Here comes the fourth album from these newly labeled stalwarts
of melodic punk. Blending the variety of genres encompassing the
indie scene, this five-piece from Miami have spent the last five
years perfecting their craft. Though it is hard for Glasseater
to improve on their Eulogy release, this latest album kicks the
ass of 2002's self-titled release on Fearless (when Glasseater
was a four-piece). Produced by James Wisner (Dashboard, New Found
Glory), the ten tracks on Everything snap with intensity and precision
every step of the way. Though without a strict comparison formula,
the lyrical content on Everything appears more emotional and deep
than previous releases. The album begins beautifully with a long
metallic guitar-driven intro before a slow-down and vocals from
Julio Marin on "Greetings…Goodbye." The song contains
harmonies on the chorus that echo Glasseater's best work. After
the fast-tempo "Art of Communication" comes the diamond
in the ruff of "Falling Apart." "Falling Apart"
instantly has a star quality to it through Ariel Arro's and J.C.
Lopez's guitars and screaming and quickly ingrains in your memory.
After the first onslaught the song settles into a strong structure.
Clearly, "Falling Apart" will rise up college radio's
charts swiftly and exponentially. The only downside to the album
is following the first few songs, including the strong title-track,
Everything somewhat slips into monotony. It is not a swift fall,
just like a little slippage here and there. Nonetheless, "At
Your Own Risk" and "Recurring" deliver on the goods
on the rest of the record. As an extra bonus, the CD is enhanced
allowing you to access (via computer) a cool documentary on the
making the album and a video for "At Your Own Risk"
- though hopefully a video for "Falling Apart" will
soon materialize. With this latest release on Victory, there is
little doubt that Glasseater will add to their popularity and
accessibility.
Grey
AM
Here comes another EP from the calmly veteran indie-punk Grey
AM. Their discography, since forming in 1997, reads like a laundry
list which includes splits with Mid Carson July, The Juliana Theory
and One Line Drawing. Based on their wide and varied discography
and numerous national and regional tours, these boys from Pennsylvania
have established themselves as one of the most respected bands
around. This six-song EP starts with a Dischord-esque explosion
on "Trickle Effect" with the refrain "got a trickle-down
theory tonight." The connection with sound and lyrics calls
back memories of Reagan and the Dischord Family circa mid-80s.
This charge into the ever-melding worlds of punk, emo and indie
rock continues throughout the rest of the five songs. Amongst
the highlights includes "Realize the Fake Out" with
memorable and distinctive guitar fills throughout and the final
song "Breathe On Your Own Time" that contains several
melodic-laced sections. With the creeping claim of Grey AM's style
of indie-punk on the rock world, Grey AM should be climb higher
in notability and respectability with this EP.
Jane’s
Addiction It’s been 12 years since Jane’s Addiction 1.0 broke up. Their was the relapse tour, a celebration of a cleaned up band ( well kinda clean ) & and the 2001 Jubilee tour ( which was...a greatest hits tour ? ) Both featured revolving bass players, and was generally fun, with zero new material. Now with a new bass player ( Chris Chaney) and the original 3/4 in place we have an album to celebrate. Its about 50 minutes long, so lets break down the songs. True Nature – Kicks of with a bang, I must say it’s a bit weird to hear NEW Jane’s Addiction material, but this song kicks ass. Strays – Title track, classic Jane’s lead-in bassline and it continues to be a really great song on a really great album. Just Because – OK, its the modern rock radio hit !, but it still kicks the ass of anything currently on the dial . Price I Pay – DISTORED BASS !? Nice. This song really REALLY rocks. Mr. Farrell’s voice stands up pretty damn well after all these years. I think this is the first classic post 1991 Jane’s Addiction song. The Riches – My personal favorite. I can see this being a single…its starts off slow, but when it kicks in, wow…too good! Superhero – Hmmmmm…weakest track on the album, but ist fun. Its got a very rockin’ yet breezy, loungey feel to it. Wrong Girl – Starts with a half way bluesy donkey rock riff..but its good. Dave Navarro is ALL over this album. Its defintley the most guitar oriented Jane’s Addiction album. Great classic Jane’s break down too. Everybodys Friend - The acoustic somber song…I like it, not very deep, but a nice break from the almost non stop rocking. Suffer Some – a left over Janes Addiction song ( it was on numerous bootlegs back in the day, it never got past the demo stage ), well it FINALLY gets life on Strays...Its updated but it REALLY owns. Again more impressive Dave rock goodness. Hypersonic – When the album was gonna be called Hypersonic, this was gonna be the title track. Now it’s fast quasi punk song with vaugly pissed off lyrics about politics about alternative fuel? To Match the Sun – AWESOME! Totally TOTALLY rocking and pretty. Perry sounds the best on this track, it shows off all his strengths. Beautiful way to end the album… The lingering question…What impact does NOT having original bass player Eric Avery in the mix have? A good amount. The album is VERY straight forward. No long epics, and theres dare a say it a real "pop" sensibillity These song don’t seemed designed to really enlighten, but you wont find a more FUN album this summer. This is defintley Jane’s Addiction 2.0, but that’s not a bad thing at all. With the current situation of Rock, Jane’s might be what we need. With uber producer Bob Ezrin ( Pink Floyd, Kiss, to name a few ) in toe though this Jane’s Addiction defintly stands up to the CLASSIC 86 –91 version. At the the end of a listening, one can only hope Jane’s will continue to record and put out albums. This is a great re-introduction to a classic band…now…we want more! Mindfield
When I first put this latest release from this four-piece metal
assortment from Germany into the player, I was stunned by the
crazy awesome sound gracing the entrance of the first track "Made
to Measure." After some static, this haunting - yet dancey
- bizarre keyboards bust through and you can only look like deer
caught in headlights. As the rest of the instruments accompany
the keys, the song moves to a more stable metal-core foundation
- though the opening riff comes in now and then to capture your
attention. Why start a review harping on the first song? Simply,
it is the best song on the album by far and after several strong
numbers in "Destination 666" and "Desperate (Death
Parade)," the album falls off like a body in the ocean with
an anchor attached to the big toe. The other songs on the record
fall into what many people despise about some metal, draggingly
long songs that don't deliver on what they promise. It pains me
so to hear the opening lines of the ballad "Gallery in Black,"
after such a powerful and awe-inspiring opening to the record.
I think that Mindfield, in the opening, are onto something magical
- dance metal (do I hear the ghosts of Atari Teenage Riot screaming?).
Seriously, intense sections that are supported by a cadence-like
salsa attraction will only bring goodness and happiness to all
the land. If Mindfield does this then they become international
superstars - guaranteed.
Murder
Weapon
Playing aggressive, cutthroat hardcore, Murder Weapon seeks to
knock their notch in the hardcore world on this debut EP. This
five-piece from Richmond have only been kicking around a few months,
but the members of Murder Weapon have been around awhile in such
bands as Dead Serious, Nothing Personal and Down to Nothing. As
such, they are very tight and deliberate, though not groundbreaking,
in their song pursuits. The seven-track EP, which goes for eleven
minutes, plays on tough-guy familiar themes in songs like "Your
Pain," "Bad Blood" and "Army of the Dead."
I have the sense that Murder Weapon is more like a band that dazzles
live, and that makes you appreciate their recorded material considerably
more than just sitting down to hear them.
Nicotine
This four-piece of Howie (vocals), Yasu (guitars), Full (bass)
and Naoki (drums) have been punching out fat-wreck beat punk since
1993. It has only been a short amount of time since Nicotine released
Samurai Shot on Asian Man - an album that contained like a million
songs. Nicotine has strongly established themselves in Japan as
a fairly well selling punk band (the christened Japanese NOFX),
now they set their sights on conquering North America. Talent
wise, particularly Howie's vocals and Yasu's guitar, Nicotine
is as good as any American pop-punk band. Most prominent on School
of Liberty is that Nicotine have worked to make the songs less
monotonous and basic than the plethora of songs on Samurai Shot.
While a number of songs here may be drawn out a bit too long,
overall the album is much more hard hitting and tight. The record
starts on "Perfect Crime" with the fat beat and stumbling
guitar riffs - as characteristic as possible. The flair and momentum
that the album starts with is carried threw on standout tracks
like "The Missions of Rising Sun," "Get the Liberty,"
"Freak Me Out," "Dirty Tricks" (very Pennywise
and containing this weird background vocal of an evil "Whazzuup"),
"Kick Against the Pricks" and "In the Rising Sun."
This record is an improvement over Samurai Shot and should help
get Nicotine noticed on this side of the ocean.
Polysics
Neu was initially released in Japan in 2000 where the Polysics
were quick to make a name for themselves as the Japanese Devo.
It took some time to get the Japanese label Ki/oon Records to
allow Asian Man to release this record in the U.S. - via securing
the rights. As demonstrated in the 2001 release Hey Bob! My Friend!
(Asian Man), the Polysics play fast punk-new wave that echoes
Kraftwerk and Devo but with a stronger attention to pure speed.
Hey Bob was an awesome release with an assortment of fast, short
and danceable tracks. Hence, the arrival of Neu initiated quite
some excitement here. Though Neu provides evidence for the sound
in Hey Bob, it is clear how much the Polysics had improved on
the later release. The songs on Neu have all the right pieces
(blips, beeps, robots, synths and the normal set), but many are
long, monotonous and clumsily arranged. This is indeed unfortunate.
The two that really standout are where synth player Kayo takes
over vocals duties from Hiroyuki. The two, "Each Life Each
End (Sputnikless Mix)" and "Black Out Fall Out,"
provide the light that fully blossoms a year later on Hey Bob.
"Each Life Each End (Sputnikless Mix)" has this great
80s John Hughes' movie feel to it, while "Black Out Fall
Out" has a touch of grand processional leading up to Kayo's
sweet vocals. Regardless of what may or may not be missing on
Neu, collectively the two albums make for a great body of work;
and something that will be finally demonstrated on American shores
this fall - don't miss out on the fun!
Roy
As their first release on Initial, Roy serves a secret alterna-life
for its members. Specifically, the four-piece from Tacoma, WA,
hail from Botch, These Arms Are Snakes and Harkonen. On this five-song
EP, Roy sets out to dominate the indie world with lanky and swirling
song structures and, more noticeably, guitars. Roy's influences
spread far and wide though they limit the range of variance in
their own songs. For instance, on the best song on the EP "The
Bolivian Army Lays Siege to Seattle," the echoes of the Pixies
fly far and near - that helps bring it to the top. The poppiness
to the song underlies the stop the coke snortin' in the NW message.
Probably one of the best-named songs seen around in several months
of releases is the opening track "T Town Concrete."
I assume it's a play on E-Town Concrete, everyone's favorite hoodcore
band from Elizabethtown, NJ, which makes it all the more funny
given it's coming from an indie band. "We Didn't Evolve"
pursues the acoustic mellow track to rock, while "Tell It
True" is considerably poppy and has an element of Beach Boys'
harmonies squeezing out. The EP concludes with "Lightweights
Exclusively" - another mellow song with a slow Promise Ring
harmony. Roy possesses so much talent that hopefully they will
devote more time to their indie pursuits from their hardcore day
jobs.
The
Sabians This is the second full-length on the Cartel for the San Francisco-area rock outfit the Sabians. After a very interesting history, most specifically that their guitarist/singer studied for seven years at a Russian Orthodox Monastery, the Sabians collected themselves in 1999 to lay down some songs. While none of the nine tracks here are going to change music as we know it, they all offer a refreshing take on modern mainstream rock. Lacing somewhat complicated guitar parts with a strong rhythm foundation, the Sabians are able to create a good amount of separation between themselves and bands that you might find on a label like Wind-Up. Given this situation, the four-piece could really help their cause by adding some variety to song construction and layout. For instance, a number of tracks end on almost the same second, giving the listener a feeling of simple cookie cutter songwriting. With a forthcoming support tour, the Sabians will certainly gain name recognition over the next year.
Semiautomatic
Coming in under the radar, but slow exploding, Semiautomatic have
stumbled through several years and they now bring us their most
rock-orientated release to date. While the two-piece from Brooklyn
still knock out the electronics through many songs, the cores
are all rock. Cool enough, Semiautomatic did the soundtrack to
the hotastic film Better Luck Tomorrow. The eleven tracks on Wolfcentric
cover many musical stylings with better success at some points
than others. For instance, the album starts off with the powerfully
rock scored title track, but falls into bland monotone in the
following song "This Place Does Not Exist." The short-bursting
of "30 Second for Orbit" fits in well with crazed bands
like the Polysics. Probably the best track on the album comes
at number four with "Marion Barry." The first line is
"I want to smoke drugs everyday" - how telling. Vocalist
Akiko Carver appeals to DC mayor Marion Barry to run for president
and clean up the world, while she mellows out with the pipe. Several
other notable songs include "Gimme Yours" and "Ride
Through." On two tracks, "Execution" and "Stushpuss,"
Semiautomatic are joined by Ari Up from the Slits. While in principle
it is good idea to have Ari join in with reggae-flavored beats,
both songs seem so out-of-place and strange in how they are sequenced.
Actually, I'm not sure whether you would be able to find a superior
sequence for the two tracks. This latest offering from Semiautomatic
is a fun-time, but the wide variance in song quality tends to
drag down the overall importance.
Shuttlecock
Overcoming an unfortunate name (though it's a game), Shuttlecock
offer four post-modern indie rock numbers on their second release
Existing Bridges. Relying on a smattering of drum machines, synthesizers,
guitars and occasional vocals, Shuttlecock come across as randomly
esoteric, but they are not arrogant about it. At times, it has
a Moby feel to it like on "Analemma" - and I guess you
can't go wrong with that. While vocals are not absent, they only
come sparingly in songs like on the second track "Landmark."
These songs work great as an EP, though I don't know if I would
want to hear a whole record of this sort. Simple reason being
is that without large tempo and structure changes, the songs can
come out monotonous. Fans of Temporary Residence Ltd.'s releases
should definitely dig this offering from Shuttlecock.
Unearthly
Trance
Seeing the cover of Unearthly Trance's first full-length on Cartel,
expectations run high with an attack of some variant of metal.
Yet, the six so-called songs do not back up this promising visual
spectacle of darkness and evil. Honestly, I really think I'm just
missing the point of this record. Unearthly Trance play ultra-slow
grind doom music with distant rumblings and whispers of vocals.
With several songs reaching the nine-minute plateau, you keep
waiting for UT to bust out some speed metal to complement and
add song girth and depth. However, that never happens and you
are just left out in the rain - though a couple of moderate tempo
segments are laced throughout. While one must go on the assumption
that UT can competently play their instruments, one probably needs
about a week of training to play the guitar riffs. I can't imagine
watching these guys live as they would have to work wonders to
make the songs from the record less boring.
V/A As with any tribute album, there is always a trade off between replicating the original song honestly and putting a new touch on it. If a band is doing a straight replication, you want them to kick it in the ass so you don't find yourself saying the original is much better. Often times, in the generic punk genre, it is not enough for a band to just play the original straight-up in their own style because there are so many commonalities. In addition, the quality of the cover depends in no small way on the quality of the original. On this tribute, to one of the best bands in the past decade, we find a little of everything. Most difficult for these eighteen bands to accomplish is to match the distinctive voice of Jawbreaker and, now, Jets to Brazil frontman Blake Schwarzenbach. Though a variety of Jawbreaker releases are represented here, almost all of Dear You is covered. Among the best tracks on the record are Duvall on "Busy," The Travoltas on "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault," The Aeffect on "Boxer," Sparta on "Kiss the Bottle," Nerf Herder on "Chesterfield King" and Goodnight Bad Guy on "Jet Black" - which contains the original sample of Christopher Walken from Annie Hall. Probably, the biggest disappointment on the tribute is Fall Out Boy's cover of probably Jawbreaker's biggest "hit" "Save Your Generation." All in all this is a good tribute album, but the originals are hard to beat. A more conceptualized reworking of the original songs could have spun the tribute in a breathtaking direction - something that is indeed due for a band like Jawbreaker.
V/A As most labels these days do, this is a sampling of tracks from seven Doghouse releases from this spring and summer. Since, except for one case, there are two songs from each band from their just released or forthcoming albums, the notable tracks are often from the good albums. Far and away the best samples come from Limbeck's new album Hi, Everything's Great and Sunday Driver's A Letter Bryson City. Without a doubt, the four songs from these two bands make you want to go learn more about them. Feable Weiner provide two tracks of good humor, while the Motion City Soundtrack/Schatzi split closes out the sampler in hot fashion. Basically, the good things you heard about certain bands are here and the band things you heard certain bands are here as well.
V/A
As the name implies this is a sampler with sixteen tracks from
the latest releases on both labels - and most of these bands will
be playing at Krazy Fest this year in Louisville. Of course, there
are a ton of bands playing that are not featured here - for the
obvious reason they are on different labels. Moreover, this sampler
and Krazy Fest are a continuation of the collaboration between
Initial and EVR. If you have the recent releases by the sixteen
bands here than you don't gain anything from the sampler. However,
and this is most people, if you don't then this is a great introduction
to what two of the best indy labels are releasing. Among the best
for Initial are songs from Criteria, Helicopter Helicopter and
Roy. For EVR, standout tracks come from Bear vs Shark, Blue Sky
Mile, Coheed and Cambria and Fairweather. Though I've heard tons
of pomp and stories about Bear vs Shark and Coheed and Cambria,
I'd never actually heard them before. After the single track offerings
from both of these bands, I'm instantly a fan. Though I'm not
sure how you can get a copy of this, it is something that is sweet
on your shelf.
The
Vanity Set
As a bizarre take on vaudevillian glam rock mixed with Tom Waits-esque
song production, the Vanity Set from New York offer a strange
and long journey on their second album. Drawn to make every song
its own thick and dense story as in the old storytelling way,
the ten tracks contain such a wide musical variance that it's
amazing. This seven-piece of musical misfits - including violin,
theremin, tuba, and the normal set - are lead by the inordinately
tall James Sclavunos. Sclavunos is best know for his work as drummer
for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - which has certainly rubbed off
on the Vanity Set - as well as adventures in Sonic Youth, the
Cramps, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Here, Sclavunos is the lead
vocalist and primary songwriter, while leaving the actually musical
execution to the other six members of the Vanity Set. Little Stabs
was released in the Spring in the UK by Cargo, but for some reason
its US release is only upcoming now. Could it be that the UK has
a wider audience for this sort of material? Probably not, there
are less people on that island. As mentioned above, each song
is very thick musically and lyrically, with each song containing
almost enough lyrics to serve as its own short story (see, particularly,
the finale "The Bell Song"). A well-timed chorus, adding
to the album's carnival-like atmosphere, joins Sclavunos on most
songs (see "Some Little Bird"). Though "Imp of
the Perverse," "The Bell Song" and a cover of the
Bee Gee's "I Started A Joke" are solid tracks, "Little
Stabs of Happiness" is far and away the best track on the
album. "Little Stabs" has a strong melody foundation
that is accompanied by a strong rock arrangement - particularly
accentuated by the guitar work. While the Vanity Set is extraordinarily
talented, unique and commanding, one needs to be in the right
mood - or simply to love the eclectic of music - to truly enjoy
Little Stabs. Probably the bottom line is if you like Nick Cave
and Tom Waits, then you will like this.
William
Upon first hearing this thick and sensitive offering from Will
Goodyear (ex - Between the Buried and Me, Prayer For Cleansing),
I immediately wrote it off as something trying to catch the solo
singer/songwriter wave generated by such acts as Onelinedrawing,
the Rocket Summer, the Lyndsay Diaries, Jack Johnson, etc. Yet,
after several repeated listens trying to decipher Goodyear's motivation
amongst the eleven tracks, I found some seriously good craftsmanship
and development. Though granted a few tracks are a bit hokey (e.g.,
"Bride to Be"), all in all it's a noble effort. The
collection of songs could easily be the soundtrack to a virtuous
film like Nicholas Nickleby. Tints and Shades starts off with
the very pop rock and harmony-laden "Come Around." The
song is quite up-tempo and is in contrast to the rest of the mainly
acoustic-driven songs on the record. Several of the standout tracks
besides from "Come Around," include "More Than
You Know," "Seeing Myself," "For Brothers"
and "Patient of Patience." "For Brothers"
is an exceptional song that begins with guitar muting and Goodyear
softly singing, before the song breaks open to uplifting rock.
I could play the opening to the song over and over again and never
tire of it. I look forward to hearing more from William in the
upcoming year and so should you.
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