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December Reviews Artist of the Month: Band of Horses Developing national and international notoriety with 2006’s Everything All the Time, Band of Horses have become everyone’s favorite indie rock band over the past couple of years. With a move across the country and the replacement of a guitarist, BOH continue to gallop along with memorable Americana-flavored indie rock on their sophomore full-length Cease to Begin. Initially created out of the ashes of Seattle’s Carissa’s Wierd – needless to say a bad name – the four-piece of Band of Horses presented their debut Everything All the Time for the hometown label Sub Pop. Some of it indeed paralleled the Shins’ indie pop catchiness, but it was also rife with Americana indie rock that felt more like it came from a hip southern college town than the overcast Seattle. And that resonance actually had more truth to it than initially thought. Turns out that in the time between Everything All the Time and the release of Cease to Begin, the core of Band of Horses, Ben Bridwell, Rob Hampton, and Creighton Barrett, moved home to Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. So, not exactly a college town, but still fits the general motif. The band member that they lost along the way was guitarist Mat Brooke who parted with the band to launch out on his own. With all that occurring, or possibly because it was occurring, Band of Horses managed to top their debut and offer one of the best records of 2007. A couple of things, at least, remained the same for BOH with Cease to Begin – it was again produced by Phil Ek at Seattle’s Avast Studio (as well as Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Studios). And where Everything only hinted at Shins’ parallels, Cease to Begin is chocked full of them; and that’s a good thing. Opening on the slow mover “Is There a Ghost,” Bridwell’s vocals and BOH wisp along with ethereal effects before rocketing the indie rock powers to heaven. Catchy as all get out, “Is There a Ghost” is terrific way to open the usually dreaded sophomore record. Follower “Ode to LRC” is more angular and shushes with 80s pop rock riffs, while “No One’s Gonna Love You” moves in the same form as “Is There a Ghost” with indie pop brimming out of the top of its lid. On ballad “Detlef Schrempf,” the name of the former NBA player but no other connection, Bridwell flexes his lyrical prowess and adds a smart chorus to break potential monotony. Hand clapping kicks off the fun-loving “The General Specific” that shimmers forward though doesn’t crest to the magic level. After the short instrumental interlude “Lamb on the Lam (in the City),” BOH kicks up the intensity with the stellar “Islands on the Coast,” where again Bridwell’s vocals parallel the Shins like no one business. Well these boys are from South Carolina and in honor of that, they offer the countrified ballad “Marry Song.” Bristling against the rest of the album, “Marry Song” grows on you like fungus but here you don’t want to get rid of it. Cease to Begin closes on the harder though not magnificent “Cigarettes, Wedding Bands” and the soft rolling “Window Blues.” Cease to Begin is a level above Band of Horses’ debut and one of the best indie rock albums of 2007, though not necessarily amongst the best indie albums ever. But, given their trajectory Band of Horses still have time to sort that one out.
Alex Karweit This self-released ten-song effort from Alex Karweit features his musings on a wide spectrum of rock and pop influences that don’t do enough to settle your interest or make you a believer. Using a studio musician backing band, Karweit has the ability to exist as a professional musician, but the question is whether he should be writing the songs as sub-par is the norm. It is almost like the acting on Beverly Hills Cop 3 – yes, they made that sequel – where a ton of poor actors bring the whole thing down. With the right direction, Karweit will be around music for awhile but he may need to rethink his current strategy.
Athletic Automaton Oh snap, another drunk fuck fest from Athletic Automaton. Another mind-bending sonic assault to fill your noise-devoid cranium and make you want to wet your bed. On AA’s second full-length, Steve Mattos (ex-Arab on Radar) and Patrick Crump (ex-Pellum 123) don 70s basketball outfits and knock out eight tracks of high intensity noise-core over the course of fifty-three minutes. As before, AA are fixated on crazed guitar riffs matching hard drumming with the occasional noise enhancement floated. If you are a fan of Skin Graft and past AA and AOR releases, well, then you know your stance on this.
Babyshambles Ticket touts were hardly at their cockiest upon Babyshambles’ last visit to Manchester to play the revered Apollo Theatre, seating tickets were easier to obtain than parking tickets. Therefore, to announce a tour incorporating the MEN Arena and other venues five times the size of those on the previous tour. Led you to believe that this second album would be akin to the record that Paul Weller (vocals/guitar), Paul McCartney (Bass), John Squire (Guitar) and Chad Smith (drums), always intended to make, but never got round it because they couldn’t decide who was going to drive the van to the studio. However, this is Pete Doherty and his self belief obviously leads him to the viewpoint that if people didn’t get it first time round then they will surely not miss it second time. Opener, ‘Carry on up the Morning’ is the Pete of old and it leans heavily on a slow percussion push and dawdling, slightly intoxicated stop-start vocal toe. Much like the approach his old outfit The Libertines adopted with ‘Tell It to the King’. Lead single, ‘Delivery’ picks up the tempo and has all the ingredients of a solid pop-song. A more acoustic vibe is prevalent this time around. ‘Unbilotitled’ leans in a blues/folk direction to deliver another sordid tale of seedy life that Doherty can still adeptly put his hand to, despite his increasing life of glitz and glamour. It is ‘Side Of The Road’ that is going to draw more people in and help to fill places like the MEN Arena, for its bounding guitars and whistling frivolity that helps Da Shambles embrace pop, but not lose their rugged edge. ‘Crumb Begging Baghead’ represents a return to the rough edged indie of the first album, but it doesn’t really take things forward. Naturally, the pissed-off poetic lyrics are what draw many into this quartet’s lurid world and ‘Baddies Boogie’, represents this quality at its sharpest. Increasing in effectiveness by being delivered from a rustically melodic guitar-led base; “It’s a lousy life for a washed up wife and a permanently plastered pissed up bastard.” Those fearful that the rock n’ roll spirit has been left on the shelf this time around, will welcome ‘Deft Left Hand’ like it’s the prodigal son. Generally speaking, this full-length is more insular than anything Doherty has ever done before. With the odd exception, more attention is given to tune-crafting and emotion building. It represents a growth spurt, but whether it is what the Doherty faithful had in mind is quite another matter. (- Dave Adair)
Benzos New York’s Benzos are highly proficient masters of mid-tempo rock pop that moves towards spacey and ambient moods without actually attaining such instrumental nirvana. While moments here and there highlight strong attraction, Benzos are much more interested in bass heavy, single-note hitting sound effected guitars, and vocals designed for mass consumption. Shoe gazing with more electronics and not the parallel of mid-career Radiohead, though not entirely dissimilar, Benzos are likely a solid live attraction and may need to emphasize that angle in order for their recorded material to resonant.
Blaqk Audio ‘Wait, when did Depeche Mode put out a new album?’ That’s a common question that you hear when folks first take a gander at Blaqk Audio’s Cex Cells. In actuality, most fans of contemporary rock and punk probably know more about who is Blaqk Audio than what they actually sound like. Blaqk Audio consists of Davey Havok and Jade Puget from goth-punkers AFI, and this is their electronic new wave side project. Several years in the making, it is easy to be skeptical of Cex Cells – a million side projects get floated by bands making strides and often then not they’re withering messes. Of course, to enjoy Cex Cells you have to enjoy electronic new wave that’s designed for dance floors and clubs. If you don’t like that stuff, then you will hate Cex Cells even if you dig AFI. For those who either love 80s electro new wave or are simply a fan of electronic pop, you are going to love the twelve-song Cex Cells. Within the album there is a full spectrum of speeds, moods, tempos, and vocal ranges. You want upbeat movers, check out “Snuff On Digital”; you want more introspection, check out “Between Breaths”; you want middle-of-the-road electro new wave, check out “Where Would You Like Them Left?”; etc. Oh dear, it is possible that Blaqk Audio could still some of AFI’s thunder.
Calvin Harris When you eye the moniker Calvin Harris and the title of the record I Created Disco, you aren’t thinking good things – really. But within a minute or so of the opening song “Merry Making At My Place” and the funky electro beat disco begins in full mode you begin to foot tap and the rest just folds like a chair. With a gaggle of vocal guests, Calvin Harris slides through a fourteen-song album filled with club, party, and home anthems – enough to get the least likely to move their feet. I Created manages to couple every electronic sound ever made into one tight package – beginning with the 70s and simply expanding to encompass the 80s, 90s, and 00s (sounds like a light FM station line, but this is actually good and good for you). Besides from the strong opener, tracks to hit your go spot include “Colours,” the hot smoking “The Girls,” “Acceptable in the 80’s,” “Vegas,” “Disco Heat,” and the title track. It would be a shame if Calvin Harris doesn’t explode in the US, at least in the electro club arena; otherwise Euro clubs and Ibiza are the stately fair.
Commonwealth Coming from Louisville, and thus the moniker Commonwealth (as in the Commonwealth of Kentucky), this thirteen-song self-titled album features the quirky indie-folk songs of Daniel Duncan played out by a large contingent of musicians. The one-sheet includes an interesting quote from Chriss Sutherland of the odd Cerberus Shoal, and that parallel is quite fitting as Commonwealth shares much with the acoustic folk strangeness of CS but with more concentration on song structures. The problem, though, with Commonwealth is that their acoustic numbers are absurdly dense for an enjoyable listen, save for the weird poppy “Mirror,” that you feel like you are working when you listen to Commonwealth. That’s not fun. However, fans of CS and others, like Bonnie Prince, will find solace with Commonwealth.
Creature Feature When the Greatest Show Unearthed opens on the title track, you fall in love with the odd, carnival nightmare scare horror goth of Creature Feature. If there were ever a song for Halloween or to be part of a new soundtrack for Nightmare Before Christmas, the title track is it. However, as you move onto to enjoy the next ten songs, you are greeted with less interesting songs that convey a pure picture of averageness. Out of LA and lead by Curtis RX and Erik X, the rest of the Greatest Show Unearthed continues on the same themes as mentioned above but without the quirky fun of carnival goth. The only song to reach the same levels as the opener is “A Gorey Demise” – a harder rocker that trips lyrically strong. For a good time, download the title-track but leave the rest of the album for intense goth fans.
Darkest Hour Once upon a time, Darkest Hour gorged and ripped out the heart of the metalcore world with brilliantly shifting guitars matched with timely rhythm and perfectly-situated throat. And while Deliver Us continues to deliver on Darkest Hour’s core sound, the band has lost that something special, that thing which pushes them past the rest and crowns them champ. Again employing uber-metal producer Devin Townsend, Deliver Us follows the previous Undoing Ruin with a heavier reliance on heavy metal and loses the wild abandon Gotenburg sound demonstrated on DH’s first two records for Victory – So Sedated, So Secure and Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation. As on Undoing Ruin, DH has followed Townsend’s Strapping Young Lad with the inclusion of straight up metal solos instead of the hybrid metalcore rhythmic solos. Progressing through the eleven-song, forty-minute Deliver Us you get the clear sense of a solid album that needs the inclusion of exclamation points to define Darkest Hour as unique.
Division Day Since the release of Beartrap Island in early October, Division Day have become indie rock darlings among the hipsters and the online judges. Initially out of Santa Cruz but now more wanders of the West Coast, specifically LA, Beartrap Island is Division Day’s debut full-length after a couple small EPs spread out earlier on in their career. The four-piece worked with Scott Solter to craft this epic fourteen-track, near-hour long record. Yes, indeed Beartrap Island is an hour long. At this length and given Division Day’s straight forward, yet intricate, indie rock sound, Beartrap Island often wears on you; you often find yourself looking to see how damn long this thing is. Usually you want to get more for your dollar as a music fan, but the gaggle of tracks here could have been trimmed. Still, with songs like “Hurricane,” the rocker “Ricky,” and “To the Woods,” Division Day are here to stay – whether in shoegazer paradise of Silver Lake or the dirty streets of NYC.
Eleventyseven Imagine a lesser Blink-182 adding elements of space exploration and robot stuff, and what you have is eleventyseven. (The band’s newspaper from 2025 one-sheet is one of the coolest displays of band information we’ve come across in a long awhile). These guys really know the ins-and-outs of catchy and poppy punk rock, and even though their sound isn’t exactly a form of evolution, it is very easy to bob your head to the rock coming forthwith. As such, eleventyseven fall perfectly into early 00’s melodic pop punk explosion that Blink led and many followed. Whether or not people are still pumped up on this sound is a different question, but given the construction of their sound it doesn’t seem eleventyseven really give two fucks about that. Among the songs that keep the pulse at high volume are “Love In Your Arms,” “Fight to Save Your Life,” “Retail Value,” “Feel Ok,” and the absolutely Blink riffs of “Conan.” Eleventyseven may get some play from high school themed films looking for little know high-tempo pop punk bands for soundtrack material; and you can easily imagine them fitting perfectly into these situations.
Expo ‘70 Expo ’70 is the invention of the multi-instrumentalist Justin Wright – former guitarist in Living Science Foundation. Similar in thought to groups like Om and SunnO))), Wright is a guitar extraordinaire more interested in creating feelings and soundscapes than rocking out man hooks – though some do sprinkle in. Wright has released scores of CD-Rs from his home base in Kansas City; mainly as a means to feel productive and some of these have been picked up for wider release by Aquarius Records. Amongst the seven improvised instrumental tracks, a handful standout as splendid including the relatively short opener “Outside In,” the spacey mood “Mahogany Lake,” and two extended droning numbers “Entering the Night on a Highway of Astral Projection” and closer “Shape-Shifting Mountain Mover.” If nothing else, Expo ’70 will serve as excellent soundtrack material for indie films.
Fjord Rowboat Fjord Rowboat are strangely good and have brilliantly sweet record design for an independent band; something that isn’t likely to last unless purely by choice. With their moniker, press photos, and hometown of Toronto, you are indeed thinking cold, frigid nights filled with contemporary lights of a city. Fjord Rowboat fill the shoe-gazing indie rock mode, but also include expansive guitar atmospherics that lull like soundscapes across desolate rolling snow-covered fields. Among the songs to get Fjord Rowboat recognized are the opener “Carried Away,” “Through the Morning Light,” the mostly instrumental “Paragon,” and the rocker “Taking the Pass.” Look for Fjord Rowboat hitting the American indie circuit with due diligence in the near future.
Four Year Strong These young punkers flash in with catchy pop punk in a similar vein to early New Found Glory but with a much harder edge – allowing them to tour with harder outfits like Alesana and As Cities Burn. Out of Massachusetts and with horrible album art (though potentially cool in the sort of Darkness’ video way), Four Your Strong immediately get to the rock on “The Take Over” and progress through the following ten songs in due manner – a combination of catchy vocals, choruses, along with walls of heavier guitar chugging. Though the hardcore element shows in smatters, it is minimized due to the lack of tough guy posturing that ordinarily accompanies such anthems. Four Year Strong are a solid act and fit right at home with contemporary intertwining pop punk bands, but for those of us who’ve been around the blocks probably too many times they simply sound like another band where you’ve heard it all before.
John Fogerty In the years since Creedence dissolved, John Fogerty has been a tortured rocker – trying to work outside the shadow of Creedence, create a new sound, and not try to trample over his “swamp rock.” After decades of difficulty, Fogerty returns to form and offers up Revival – his best record since CCR. Over the past few years Fogerty has come to agreement with the contentious split with CCR and reembraced the power of swamp rock; so much so Revival is being released on CCR’s initial label Fantasy Records (under entirely different ownership). It is quite possible that Fogerty reserves his best work for times of turmoil in America – as original demonstrated with CCR and now with regard to the Iraq War, War on Terrorism, and the Bush administration. Like other classic rockers getting invigorated by the current environment, Fogerty launches out against politics, culture, and society in a wave of spectacular tracks including “Don’t You Wish It Was True,” “Gunslinger,” “Long Dark Night,” and the punk rock “I Can’t Take It No More.” Revival certainly isn’t all geared to speaking out against politics – as Neil Young’s Life in War was – and there are a smattering other motivated songs including “Broken Down Cowboy,” “River Is Waiting,” and “Somebody Help Me.” In a nod to his settlement with CCR, Fogerty indulges his past with “Creedence Song” with the choice repeated line of “can’t go wrong if you play a little bit of that Creedence song.” If you are a fan of CCR, and really who isn’t, you will love Revival.
Kids in the Way If you simply rely on a quick listen of Kids in the Way’s A Love Hate Masquerade you’ll disparage them as testosterone-driven, cock-rock shams. But that’s just the essence of the opening number. As you progress through this Indianapolis quartet’s eleven songs, you realize the Kids are way more pop rock than Wind-up knock offs; and thank God for that. Kids aren’t going to knock you off your couch due to amazingness, but they have the elements to get some heads nodding and knees tapping along. Songs such as “Better Times,” “The Innocence,” “We Kill at Midnight,” and “Farewell” push the pop element over the rock riff. One can easily imagine Middle America getting into the Kids.
Mayday Parade After shaking the melodic punk tree with the Tales Told by Dead Friends EP, Tallahassee, FL based Mayday Parade are back with their debut full-length – an album that sticks to the core formula of appealing, catchy melodic punk and comes ready made for smiles on your face. As such, A Lesson in Romantics are made for the heart-on-the-sleeve high school boys and the eye-twinkling teenage girls. To emphasis such a point, the twelve songs on Lesson generally revolve around the theme of relationship and the like; a common theme of such music but in some ways feels so minimally important given today’s world – but people need escapism and this is perfect for that. In locating the high points, check out the terrific opener “Jamie All Over,” “Jersey,” “Walk on Water or Drown,” the strong chorus on “Ocean and Atlantic,” and “You Be the Anchor….” And at all costs avoid “Miserable At Best” and “I’ll Be the Wings...,” as you may be compelled to stick pencils into your eyes. Not unlike other bands out there, Mayday Parade do have staying power.
Megadeth This expansive two-disc live set from Bueno Aires, Argentina is the audio accompaniment to Megadeth’s previously released DVD of the show. The show took place in 2005 and the insanity of the DVD, as well as heard here, illustrates how crazy South American metal rock crowds are. Even if you’re a fan of classical music, you got to admire how amazing the guitar work is from Megadeth. Among the Megadeth thrash metal offerings on this night are opener “Blackmail the Universe,” the speed metal “Wake Up Dead,” “Peace Sells,” “In My Darkest Hour” and “Reckoning Day” with all of the thousands of fans jumping and singing to the galloping guitar riffs, “Hangar 18,” and uber-classic “Symphony of Destruction.” Obviously, That One Night is ideal for hardcore fans of Megadeth as well as fans of superb thrash metal. If you picked up the DVD version of the show, this audio companion is perfect to blast in your car.
Motion City Soundtrack When they first started unleashing their bubbly brand of colourful pop punk and mild rock that builds around the demonstrative and clearly lofted vocals of the quirky character, Justin Pierre many thought that whilst they were fresh, spirited and uplifting they had a slight throway nature and their chances of consistency were slim-to-none. A few years ago, through ‘Commit This To Memory’ the seeds were planted a for more serious and brooding direction, but it still possessed enough of their quaintness and guitar driven alternative nudge that was prevalent enough to appease their grassroots crew. Now, third album territory brings about the full transition to serious, searching mid-tempo rock and tactically placed mournful and streaming piano touches. It clearly shows that Motion City Soundtrack now want to be taken seriously. Although, ‘Fell In Love’ eases people into their new way with tenderised subject matter. Moog, guitar and percussion bolstering represents traces of the pace switching indie punk that has littered their previous two albums. The chorus bursting base is still very much prevalent, ‘This Is For Real’ and Joshua Cain continues to boost his reputation, as a roving guitar craftsman to match almost any contemporary. This coming of age full length, draws together the vocal power and instrumental range, thrust and tempo switches to decorate the presence of a deeper and mature lyrical searching. A streaming piano trickle that leads into ‘Broken Heart’, provides the subtle cushion for Pierre to eloquently convey their proud lyrical advances with an autobiographical kick; “I’ll devise the best disguise. A brand new look & take them by surprise. They’ll never guess what’s inside.” ‘Hello Helicopter’ uses the swooning and intimate impact that an acapella approach affords to lead upp to the catchy and simple chorus that M C S have been famed for and have built the lion-share fan-base upon. A trio of expressive guest vocalists inclusive of the calming femme stroke of Rachel Minton, gives even more impact to this important aspect of their song-structure. ‘Even If It Kills Me’, uses Saves The Day impact and potency to complete thirteen tracks of variety and heart, in a punchy fashion. Should this Minnesota based quintet continue to grow in broadness and impact then the future will no longer freak them out. They will look forward to it as they reach a wider audience in both age-range and background. (- DA)
Mustard Plug The long-fabled 90s ska band Mustard Plug are in the process of staging a comeback, and In Black and White is their latest assault. Mustard Plug strongly rode the mid-late 90s ska wave to all epic levels, particularly achieving heights with 1997’s Evildoers Beware. The last we heard from Michigan-based Mustard Plug they had just released their greatest hits album Masterpieces: 1991-2002 and were in the midst of planning a comeback. When you scan through the thirteen-song In Black and White, you obviously find the ska element ranking high, but you also find Mustard Plug replacing the heavy reliance on horns with a harder punk edge. Save for a couple of track like “Hit Me! Hit Me!,” much of the album reflects the current preference for more punk and less ska. Ska is riding under the tide with a decent following still existing, and with Mustard Plug’s greater push towards punk elements they may have the ability to draw in new converts not part of the ska wave.
New Idea Society Multi-instrumentalist Mike Law from Brooklyn, leads a broad and winding troupe of musos armed with an aching soul, a Conor Oberst skirting voice and a catalogue of searching, life discovering lyrics. Despite the departure of previous writing partner Stephen Brodsky (of Cave-in fame) that combined to produce a bracing, rustic and pulsing debut album ‘You Are Awake Or Asleep’ using simplistic, basement based recording techniques, Law still follows the same ethos. ‘Single Thread’ epitomises this with a yearning, country blues slant and shows up the longing lyrical pit that Law has at his disposal; “All I need is a way through, All I want is what you said. All I want is an answer; All I need is a single thread, To catch this falling weight." An uncharacteristic, digital toe gives the fuzzy ‘Don’t Sleep’ extra energy and a quaint lift. The fuzzy guitar and percussion volume seems to build up along with the aching feeling through ‘Where Are You Now’, as Law seems to be indulging in catharsis. ‘The Only Sound’ unashamedly brandishes a cutting lyrical edge and conceals frustration behind a winding and deftly drawn out backing range. Stunning atmospheric touches peppers this searching full length and the work of producer Andrew Schneider is prevalent throughout and keeps the mood growing. Matching the poetic touch and bleeding heart of acts such as Bright Eyes and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. through ‘Waking Dreams And Rooms’ and continuing into ‘Part 11; The World Is Bright And Lonely’, slows things down to a pondering level. This allows Law and his backing band to show a colourful instrumental touch. ‘Medicine Show’ is psychedelically glossed over with a Bob Dylan coat and trickles neatly into the weeping, acoustic and string fuelled ballad ‘Let It Be’. Law has made sure that the New Idea Society is not changing course despite shedding one half of its creative body. (- DA)
Orange If their debut album, ‘Welcome To The World Of Orange’ was an incarnation of late 70s feral punk and a battle-cry for youthful exuberance, then this follow up by the cutting Californian based Orange, represents a mature reflection upon it. However, it still contains gusto and bite. ‘Not Coming Home’, features sturdy riffs and a fuzzy bass slot that flits over to good old R N’ R and Rockabilly, showing that their defiant edge is still present, but it has been grooved out slightly by some reflection. Joe Dexter’s voice has grown in depth and controlled heart, as he makes the musical of obstacle of playing bass and singing at the same time, easier than finding a legal technicality to keep Pete Doherty out of jail. ‘Get The Fuck Out Of My Way’, uses Sham 69 backing to revive that ‘balls to it all’ philosophy that punk once so proudly proclaimed. Overall, the grit and grizzle of Rancid is dipped into an old school punk pot and sprayed with that Less Than Jake frivolity to represent a kind of guide to the different impact that punk has had over the years. That said, ‘What I’m Looking For’ represents the sort of song you can imagine The Cribs writing during a moment of clarity. Orange still very much dips into their ever broadening pit of influences. ‘The Last Punk In LA’, bears out a tightness that bands of this ilk can take three albums to achieve. In this instance, drummer Zak Glosserman controls the beat, tempo and pace as well as an accomplished DJ. Romantic cynicism and discovery makes ‘Too Scared To Fall In Love’ a High School anthem to be proud of. A Johnny Rotten spirited spit out at Bush and company in ‘Republicans’, proves that politics can be made simple through punk, don’t listen to what Janet Street-Porter says. The winding rip through Culture Club’s ‘Karma Chameleon’, displays proudly, an adventurous you’d expect from four explorative, attitude gushing young scamps. This album is a good a black-lash against the falseness often associated with LA from guys who live their lives there. It presents a perspective that you don’t often appreciate through the media’s representation of the place and the people who live there. Pop-punk, punk, rock n’ roll or rockabilly? Whatever it amounts to for Orange, they’re not scared to speak out and have fun while they’re at it. (- DA)
Pink Floyd In honor of the 40th anniversary of the 1967 release of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd offer this reissue – with only mild enhancements. Most particularly, this 40th anniversary includes two discs – one that is the album in mono (original type) and the second as a stereo version. In the world of mind-blowing extras, this only marginally measures up. There is also a 3 CD set that includes some extra songs and inner materials, but that also costs a bunch. At the time of the Piper’s release, the western world was in the midst of the Summer of Love and rock music was deeply under the influence of psychedelics. Pink Floyd’s existence reflected this culture, but that was never so obviously demonstrated than on the eleven-song Piper. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios during the same time as the Beatles were working on Sgt. Pepper, Piper is the shinning light of original Floyd songwriter Syd Barrett – before he went off the deep end, and was pushed out the band and into a life of isolation. When folks who didn’t grow up with or were contemporaries of the time listen to Piper it seems of only mild enjoyment. But, what is not obvious is how much of a break and an expansion form the normal Pink Floyd offered. Also, it hints at the spacey rock that would be forthcoming in the following years. Bottomline is if you have The Piper at the Gates of Dawn already in CD form, then pass on this reissue; if you are super hardcore you may want to take a look at the 3-disc set.
PRE With a penchant for flying the middle finger, London’s PRE favors a female-fronted screaming noise band that usually inhabits the southern California locations of San Diego and LA. The five-piece assault your ears with fifteen songs in only twenty minutes and do their best to trash up the urban art noise scene. Again, that this comes from the land of fog and scones, it is more surprising; and further surprising that Skin Graft in their new location of West Bumblefuck St. Louis (aka, O’Fallon, MO) got them on their label. Assessing the sonics, PRE fits the aforementioned SoCal and Providence sound, but doesn’t offer much to push past or distinguish themselves from those scenes. Flying monkey spit.
Remi Nicole Just as Siouxsie Sue is being re-inventing through a belated solo career, she doesn’t have to look into the past to remember how fresh she was in her heyday, all that is needed is exposure to the first two tracks from fresh and sometimes tormented femme, Remi Nicole. Mingling in with this Siouxsie Sue kick is the attitude and lofty pounce of an early Thea Gilmore, with the spiky punk and retro 70s rock licks accompanied ‘Go With Flow’, providing an edgy and forceful commencement. From the primal rock and punchy punk/new wave driven beginnings, this debut full-length expands and turns up some potent anti-folk. As the emotion swirling journey continues, the cockney taint to the 24 year old’s vocals starts to grow. Naturally and unfortunately so will the Kate Nash and Lilly Allen comparisons, as a result. This will be especially the case for ‘New Old Days’, name-checking childhood memories such as Fun House and Byker Grove. These are programmes that have been the backbone of the culture of people Remi’s age, as she gives the offering enough nostalgic power and pull to make George Orwell seem an amateur. More importantly, through this the material starts to broaden out. By making way for some brooding and mournful reflection, ‘Lights Out’ a crisper and heart led vocal projection starts the material leaning towards the searching side of Tori Amos. Sobering thoughts resulting from a philosophical acceptance of a romantic dead-end are scattered around, resulting in a fresh departure from the brazen commentary on seedy life. This song’s placement bang in the middle of the album is as shrewd and effective as some selections made by the manager of Remi’s beloved Arsenal. It paves the way for an accentuated impact to the new wave lash out at gutter press, ‘Tabloid Queen’. Swooning piano ballad of ‘Right Side Of Me’, takes us to the other end of Nicole’s spectrum from the visceral punk spirit opening. It is like the songs are years apart and this is now a contented loved up lady celebrating a new found completeness. “I sold my soul to the soul man it’s announced, he gave me a cheque for a hundred quit and it bounced.” This snippet of pathos from the blues/folk slow riding epic of ‘Soul Back’ is sung with Leonard Cohen-esque languidness and it is what is going to help Remi connect with those looking for genuineness, as her dawdling projection tells you that she is singing from experience. A balance is struck between authentic and earthy conveying of life at a low, without judgement and feeling forced to sing about thoughts resulting from a poor background just because you have got one. Catchy pop moments illuminate a free spirit and an ability to bring a fun and bounce to the solving of everyday trivialities and problems. This earthy and foraging life summariser has a down-to-earth love of what she does that is endearing and at the same time, enlightening. (- DA)
Revenge of the Psychotronic Man The [Spunge] spirit seems to have taken over Manchester’s dysfunctional punk quartet, Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man (ROTPM), since their last raw and ripping self released album. This is in the sense of their independent minded approach to punk production and band promotion. Having recently completed a tour of the UK and regularly hosting punk showcases in Manchester, as well as penning an irreverent and informative Zine; That’s Not Skanking. This sauntering six track offering is a reaction to their months on the road that has seen them lose their guitarist; Andy, a spot that has just been filled Matt Woods (any Gizmo fans will recall that name instantly). Musically, they have certainly expanded atmospherically and it is going to be a challenge for Woods to adjust to this. Sub-two minute opener ‘Awful, Awful Business’, uses their new approach to build up to their controlled, Rise Against veined angst and social commentary that bounces off the trundling bass and wiry guitars, promoting the extra grizzle that main vocalist Dave now possesses. Psychobilly and rockabilly fits and starts decorate the more driven aspects on show, ‘Magic Monkey Juice’, as the Tiger Army in ROTPM, clambers out of their pit. The streetwise, football chant styled, Sham 69 backing approach gives energy and urban ambience to the 90 second tour diary in ripping song form of ‘No Sleep Till Guildford (The Tour Song)’. This back to punk basics song and these six tracks in general, will continue to give momentum to ROTPM’s continuing campaign to bring punk back to the common man and woman. (- DA)
Sadaharu This Lancaster, PA punk hardcore band rocks the shit out of the ten-song Resist. Revolt. Reclaim. with wild abandon and the desire to be hard while relatively catchy. After the band’s previous record, 2005’s The Politics of Dancing, got Sadaharu noticed and labels requested their attendance, the band stayed indie and manage to weld a cadre of punk, riff-rock, and hardcore into one continuing sound. This amalgamation is more impressive than you may believe at first. Allowing the four-piece’s penchant for absurdly titled songs (e.g., “A Change to the Status-Quo is not Only Long Overdue, but Requisite”), a main knock to be made on the album is the slightly less than stellar production job. It is not bad, but a measure of slickness on the guitars would have made a better recorded sound. Released in late August, RRR should place Sadaharu among the more desirable punk hardcore outfits in the country.
Sea Wolf Given the cavalcade of superior indie rock bands these days incorporating ‘wolf’ into their names, I’d be super hesitant of adding that word to my band’s moniker. Yet, Sea Wolf, aka Alex Church, is charming enough to gain acceptance for the use of the wolf inclusion and not for winding up watering down the power of the wolf. So, you can continue to believe that pretty much any band with wolf in its name is going to be good. Some people may recognize Church through his exploits with LA band Irving. After realizing a couple years back that his and the band’s vision of songs were on diverging paths, Church went out on his own with the moniker Sea Wolf and played a smattering of LA shows with friends. Working with Phil Ek for the ten-song Leaves in the River, Church now has a steady cadre of musicians to fulfill his live vision of the songs. Let’s get to the heart of the matter with Leaves in the River – “You’re A Wolf.” Already an indie/college rock radio favorite, “You’re A Wolf” is such a standout track that you may prefer to simply buy the single due to its overwhelming awesomeness. With up-and-down picking acoustic guitars and Church excelling on vocal tone, “You’re A Wolf” is catchy as hell and you just have to keep hitting repeat. If the rest of Leaves in the River neared the excellence of this song, you’d be listening to the best album of the year. A few other songs offer solace to the wandering soul including “Winter Windows,” the compelling “Middle Distance Runner” (which sounds destined for a film by Zach Braff), the Murder By Death-esque “Song of the Dead,” and “The Cold, the Dark, & the Silence.” Church and his Sea Wolf does offer a persuasive debut full-length, one that blends the heart-tugging indie strings and makes you fall in love all over again.
Sigur Ros You may quickly caste Iceland’s Sigur Ros as ‘sleepytime music’, but there is little here not to enjoy as your mellowing music, concentrating music, background music, or as, indeed, your sleeping music. On Hvarf/Heim – a collection of two EPs – Sigur Ros are offering a bit of odds and ends instead of a true new package. The five songs on Hvarf – roughly translated to ‘disappeared’ or ‘haven’ – are composed of three songs not included on past recordings for various reasons (“Salka,” “Hljomalind,” and “I Gaer”) and two reworkings of “Von” and “Hafsol” from past albums. Heim – roughly translated to ‘home’ – features acoustic live versions of past released material recorded in sorts throughout 2006 and 2007. These include “Samskeyti,” Staralfur,” “Vaka,” Agaetis Byrjun,” “Heysatan,” and “Von.” In what to make of these eleven tracks, well, it is simply quintessential ethereal Sigur Ros and it’s amazing. Past fans will love it and the uninitiated should minimally find solace on the offerings. Along with this release, Sigur Ros is releasing the DVD Heima which chronicles the band’s series of free concerts offered throughout Iceland in the summer of 2006.
Switches As another new rock band out of Britain, it is easy to initially poo-poo the Switches existence; as in ‘the world needs another British rock band like I need another hole in the head’ type stuff. Yet, the Switches manage to keep things interesting, novel, and catchy as they merge the stripped-down rock and more contemporary pop rock. Following the increasingly resurgent practice of rock bands releasing singles before actually albums, the Switches first got people’s attention with the super-catchy dance rock number “Lay Down the Law” and the rocker “Drama Queen” which opens this full-length. Both of those tracks move the Switches to popularity, but the rest of the record is not devoid of enticing numbers either. Among those that shine higher than average are the crescendoing “Coming Down,” the 70s rock chorus buildup on “The Need to be Needed,” and “Every Second Counts.” The end of Lay Down the Law somewhat drags, but the opening salvo is enough to get you moving.
The Dykeenies Maybe it’s a determination to show that they don’t sound like or are not influenced at all by Travis that this Scottish quintet opens their debut album with the percussion pelt and frantic, The Rezillos pitching ‘Panic’? Brian Henderson pushes his vocals to the limit to add paranoia and punch, it will get the attention of listeners from the off. It doesn’t take them long after this, to settle into a mid-tempo melodic groove, with the keyboard kick of The Editors flirting ‘Stitches’ and high pitch vocal toe of the loved up, previous single ‘Dry Your Eyes’. Synths are like money and power to indie bands these days, if you know how to use them then they are potent and powerful, but often they can seem clumsy and a token gesture in the wrong hands. For The Dykeenies, a fuzzy, squiggling touch added by courtesy of Brian Henderson to ‘Pick You Up’, certainly harnesses the mood switching touch of the ever fashionable tool that is the synthesiser. It allows the mood to rise slowly and effortlessly increases the song’s potency. Fear of commitment is a theme creaking at the hinges of this moody musical structure throughout and it comes out to dominate ‘In & Out’, giving Henderson’s vocals a hurried feel that he seems more than comfortable with. The spindling and spiky guitar trundle of Alan Henderson, allows the tempo of the songs to increase, often adding to the brooding nature of the material. This tactic is cunningly deployed in the searching ‘Lose Ourselves’. Haunting backing adds to the experimental tilt of this number and it keeps the freshness ticking over. The Dykeenies are certainly more energetic and impassioned than a number of their peers and there is a hardworking and sincere vibe that comes through. Something that probably means they may not have the same commercial appeal, but listeners will no doubt take to their honesty and range. (- DA)
The Fiery Furnaces The queen of quirky couplets and the king of the rustic, rugged and stark accompaniments, siblings Eleanor and Mathew Freidberger have been victims of their own prolific song-writing tendencies. For example, the Chicago born pair could have toured the world and ate like royalty for a decade on the back of the bitter/sweet pop experiment of 2003’s debut album ‘Gallowbirds Bark’. Instead they chose to throw their energy into writing and recording the darker narrative and epics containing follow up ‘Blueberry Boat’, a year later. Da Furnaces seem to be on a mission to create their own dark, mysterious, adventurous and geographical referencing tunnel that is now insulated by five albums. By way of introduction to the continuing quirkiness, ‘The Philadelphia Grand Jury’ delivers a sparse, but biting and decisive vocal verdict that is emboldened by winding, rustic folk/blues backing. It is something that is often illuminated by the stark grand organ effects sporadically produced by Matthew, whose rustic touch, if anything, has emboldened over the years. This thirteen track parade represents the kind of sound that would be produced by The Beatles had they continued evolving, as far as the musical adventure is concerned anyway. ‘Clear Signal From Cairo’, illuminates the oblique life view and wandering mind of these two Chicagoans. Such is the out there attitude of this guy and gal, even the twelve track format that many bands hug these days is rarely complied with. ‘Widow City’ is no exception to this, with 16 tracks each having their own life and tilt that there is not a sign of a labouring lag. For ‘Restorative Beer’ we see the pair and their now established backing band at their most conventional folk/blues/pop merging best and the catchy lyrics make this a possible single that even radio stations wouldn’t grimace at; “I knew I wanna restore the beer, to take my mind off these tears.” It is towards the end of the album, through ‘Cabaret Of The Seven Devils’ and the mournful ‘Pricked In The Heart’ that Eleanor’s ability to stammer her vocals provocatively is most prevalent. It enables her to get her tongue around the off-kilter, archaic terms that feature in their tantalising tales. Matthew’s deft key dexterity coupled with his ear for the discordant conglomeration of rustic sounds emboldens the title track and shows a playful, experimental side. The well of woe-begotten tales and off-kilter instrumentalism, it seems, has hardly been skimmed. The Fiery Furnaces are likely to continue to produce their alternative pop pearls until discerning musos decide they have had enough. Even that probably won’t stop them, come to think of it. (- DA)
The Hives For reasons not quite obvious, people, namely the music press, have had a love affair with the Swedish punk band The Hives. But as you progress through the Hives latest record The Black and White Album and you encounter a requisite number of catchy songs, you get the clear sense that the band is only slightly better than average. Hitting the musical consciousness during the height of the stripped down rock comeback a few years back, The Hives quickly got people’s attention with high energy, quirky but catchy punk, enhanced by riotous live shows. After several records and several years, The Hives are still kicking around and commercially doing decently well. The problem with the B&W Album is that the catchy songs sound like they could have come from a million other stripped punk bands that float on the bottom of the barrel for major labels. Further, the pop punk songs sound extremely similar to the swath of European pop punk bands – the Lookout Records type. As typically, The Hives will draw people’s attention with their live show and this record should serve as a vehicle towards that end.
The Pattern Theory Every once in awhile having this music review job pays off in epic spades and listening to The Pattern Theory is one such case. This Leeds, UK four-piece move to smooth soundscaping instrumentals that brings to mind the best on Temporary Residence – not the least of which Explosions in the Sky and By the End of Tonight. EP1 is a four-song demo the band is currently using to draw interest and help book shows. But simply the many moods of the opening number “Lakes” is enough to make you a believer. The next three – “Trees,” “Cities,” and “Fields” – follow in form of “Lakes” and the expansive rock instrumentals has you all excited. The Pattern Theory might be slightly timid in their sound currently, but look for great things from these guys in the near future.
The Pope Like others before them (e.g., Lightning Bolt), The Pope launch off on short blitz of noise punk that typically features thrashes of epic speed crunched in fuzz and beats. The California two-piece rock out seventeen tracks in thirty-two minutes all to steady beats of someone getting injured or likely to be injured just around the corner. This sort of music is best experienced live with the recorded material serving as means to relive the excitement and intensity. So proceed in such fashion.
The Press This fun indie rock band from NYC trades in poppy, catchy songs that draw your ear in without much effort. The Press have a solid base in the jangly indie rock that was once the norm, but now is less and less heard – as demonstrated in the excellent opener “The Kindly Woodcutter” and “Bruised Male Ego.” The reason why The Press aren’t flying on high across the rock universe is their penchant for quirky joking music and lyrics in the midst of the fun as heard on “I Still Make” and closer “Yosemite Sam Morning.” One can have fun without the need to make explicit and clear joking in music. Mastering the element of having fun while being moderately serious is what The Press need to accomplish.
The Set of Red Things Taking the acronym SORT, The Set of Red Things comes from the art noise bastion of Providence, RI, and features the multi-lingual vocals of Senia. Not the sort to throw pure random crap around the room, SORT instead flexes basic rock structures with a cavalcade of segmentation and experimental sections. And, thus, SORT don’t get on your nerves like the barely audible gaggle of experimental noise bands out there. In fact, on songs like “Hand Grenades Next Month,” SORT are more like an tortured indie punk band that noise creators. Keeping the noise angles a game, SORT would do well to incorporate the indie punk stuff more in order to draw in a wider appreciation of the noise.
The Show Is the Rainbow With a brief description and basic knowledge of quirky music you will know exactly what the Show is all about. The Show, aka Darren Keen, is a one-man electro-beat, noise act that have toured with acts like Yip Yip, Cex, the Locust, etc. In my mind, The Show is like Dan Deacon but less mentally deranged and also that I don’t know Keen from high school. Recorded with the Faint’s Joel Petersen, Gymnasia’s up-moments include “I Am the Decline,” the bizzaro dance crazy “Do the Skinny,” and the rap styling “Waiting Not Working.” For Pitchfork summer festival action, The Show is the Rainbow is made.
Tiger Army The rampaging resurrection of psychobilly has been accredited largely to this soaring Californian trio over the years, by many a revered critic. ‘Prelude; Signal Return’ features the combative slogan that has long been their focus and signature; “Tiger Army never dies” It firmly pins their colours to the racing psychobilly mast. Incorporating the full throttle and force of upright bassist Jeff Robredo. They then hotfoot onwards into ‘Hotprowl’ that sees a metal ridge attach itself to Nick13s already feeling laden vocals, to represent Tiger Army at their most intense to date. However, on this latest full-length they also proudly display a more explorative side. An aching mysteriousness and a slightly morbid, Morrissey lag lurks around the offering like a shadow and comes unashamedly to the fore in aching hearted ‘Forever Fades Away’ and the tenderised ‘As The Cold Rain Falls’. With the latter snippet displaying Nick13 at his most poetically restrained. Contrasting neatly with the bouncy punk and pre 70s Rock N’ Roll conjoining ‘Pain’, encapsulating the most high-profile and pounding performance from percussionist, James Mezza. Despite the fact that Tiger Army have been going strong and getting stronger since their inception in 1995, Nick13 is the only ever-present in the current line up. Mediterranean vocals and a booming backdrop makes the Breed 77 territory touching ‘Hechizo de Amor’, the most experimental and broad influence bearing that Tiger Army has ever been. This offering is adventurous and impassioned, something that is lacking in the Man United attack at the moment, eh? Tiger Army continued to rile pigeon-hole connoisseurs with their expansive and explorative leanings. 4 albums in twelve years may seem a touch tardy, but da Army are from the Grolsch school of thinking; they won’t produce anything until it’s ready. (- DA)
Tyler Ramsey At first blush on Tyler Ramsey’s extended thirteen-song album A Long Dream… you aren’t thinking there’s anything particularly novel about Ramsey’s work as an indie folk singer-songwriter. Yet, Ramsey’s somewhat painful stretched vocals on opener “A Long Dream” soon stitch into your mind and you find yourself hitting repeat. And after some misses, you find that the album A Long Dream… is pretty enjoyable fair, even for those not living the indie-folk South. Ramsey, long a solo act in his hometown of Asheville, NC, is more recently known as the new guitarist in the exponentially favored Band of Horses. Through Band of Horses most recent tour, Ramsey was playing double duty also working as an opening act. After the aforementioned “A Long Dream,” Ramsey drops off a spell on “Ships” and “Night Time,” before bringing the level back up on the terrific multi-segmented “Once In Your Life.” You need to hang on past “Ships” and “Night Time” to discover the rest of the album; because it’s easy to bail quickly on those two. Ramsey continues to offer strong numbers with “No One Goes Out,” “Worried,” and “These Days.” Ramsey’s new solo album makes a strong statement for the beginning of the 2008 indie folk season.
Yeasayer All this racing indie and bleeding heart emo leaves a hole for some much needed shoegazing and reflective full bodied empiricism. Brooklyn’s Yeasayer throw the likes of Mum, Bjork, Grandaddy, The Rapture and Four Tet into a melting pot and then stick it in an industrial fridge for contrast. Epic tune-writing draws emotion out more dramatically and effectively than most modern films. Tone mixing clatter and ambient backing vocals add a contrast to the uplifting lyrical push of ‘Sunrise’, as the lyrics are delivered with Anthony & The Johnsons’ styled, eloquent quaintness by Anand Wilder. Digital dabbling stomps over a cushy folk base to be topped off with joyous handclapping, giving ‘Wait For The Summer’ oomph and pounce, rubbing against the bleeding hearted subject matter and desperate vocal delivery. The latter element leaps up from a fuzzy spring for ‘2080’, similar to that which Tunng have used to swooning effect in the past, but is delivered with a more topsy-turvy wobble, merging the boundaries between shouting and singing. However, calming soulful backing is used to keep the polished push going at the same time. For a quartet, the accompaniments are extremely broad and well orchestrated in the sense that they change tempo to match the mood without losing impetus, seemingly leaving few instruments untouched. A gospel touch filters through the likes of ‘Ah. Weir’, adding a touch of The Polyphonic Spree inspired euphoria, pitching it at more of an ambient level. As the album builds so does the theatrical nature of the material reaching a nadir through, ‘No Need To Worry’ and the eerie, soul trickling ‘Forgiveness’. Lyrically the band seem a little subdued, often hiding them behind strands of cosmopolitan instrumental foraging, but through ‘Worms’ they seem to hit a defiant philosophical groove; “The things I should have known, I’ll find my way around.” Yeasayer use expansive, shuddering music to search for and communicate simple solutions and life views. They are a band who needs to be bold in their choice of venue in order to fully capture their searching and mood implanting, instrumental poise in a live setting. Venues like churches are the key and the result will lead them to discover many worshippers. (- DA)
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