Review: Elin Palmer - Postcards

Label: Suburban Home

Released: October 23, 2009

When I think of an album that tells a story, I tend to think of concept albums where the story often takes precedence over the music, resulting in weak, but often needed filler. Elin Palmer's Postcard has a very narrative nature to it, but in a far different way than a concept album or a rock opera. Instead of imposing narrative conventions on the music, Palmer's music itself seems to be a story.

Postcard wanders between folk and post-rock, visiting chamber music and jazz and dabbling in polka, cabaret and even twee pop along the way. Palmer draws on these traditions almost like sub plots that are interwoven throughout, peering out subtly at times and taking center stage at others. Like any good story, this one has many pulses that at times are in sync and at others run counter to each other and Palmer's ability to both sensual and vaguely eerie leave the meaning of this work ultimately in the ears of the listener. She facilitates this by letting the songs, and the album as a whole, follow their own muse. Even the final track, which seems at first to be the album's dénouement, ultimately runs its own course and becomes the climax.

Even an album with an explicit story often fails to really tell it well. Music is simply more engaging when the listener participates in the art. Few albums do that as successfully as Elin Palmer's Postcard.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Elin Palmer: Swedish folk by a Denver rockstar from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

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Review: Rachel Taylor Brown - Susan Storm's Ugly Sister and Other Saints and Superheroes

Label: Cutthroat Pop Records

Released: April 29, 2009

On the surface, Susan Storm's Ugly Sister and Other Saints and Superheroes is an album of bold piano pop that at times dabbles in showtune pomp, proggy complexity and Beatlesque near perfection. The songs have the nature of a musical soliloquy as they meander between upbeat and melancholy, never being fully one without the other. On the surface, it's a very good record. But what's beneath the surface is where the album's soul is. Brown draws parallels between superheroes and saints that finds some truths about being a good guy. Whether predominantly bold or subdued, violent or peaceful, each song is a vignette that shows the loneliness of the righteous path, but also delves deeper into what saints (and superheroes, in fiction) have found, a joyful asceticism. Few books on the subject could express as succinctly and easily what this album does about the peculiar happiness of humility and self-denial and Brown pulls it off in a quirky, down-to-earth manner that speaks endearingly to the soul.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!

Label: Lujo Records

Released: April 14, 2009

It's not unusual to hear a new record and think, "Here's a band to keep an eye on. This is really good, but the next one could be amazing." What is unusual is for that potential to actually pan out. Considering the frequency of this scenario, there is surely a lot of ground to cover between potentially great and actually great. But don't ask Pomegranates about the unlikelihood of making good on the promise of their previous recordings, because they clearly don't know. Both their debut Two Eyes EP as well as last year's Everything is Alive full-length set high hopes. They were excellent albums, yet they didn't quite break free of their moorings. But now they offer Everybody, Come Outside! which finds them free and open and seemingly limitless.

The album is experimental. It has tremendous movement over the course of its 45+ minutes. From the big echoey chords that kick it off to the the 13 minutes of folkiness and ambient sound that close it, one thing is clear: This is not just a collection of songs. It is a single work, a musical story. To be sure, any track could stand on its own and no one is like another. Yet, the album is far more cohesive than any formula could produce and its wild energy comes from experimentation in not just the music, but the soul.

Most bands are contained by the genres from which the draw their influences. Pomegranates effortlessly ingest guitar pop, walls of jangle, sweet indie pop, punk aggitation, gentle folk, mathy precision and wild psychedelia, yet the album is so big that it contains these rather than being contained by them. Likewise, the musicianship is amazing on Everybody, Come Outside!, yet that is easily lost in the work itself, because each note, each passage serves the bigger picture. As with all great art, the work takes precedence over the artist, despite the work's artistic ambition.

Like many bands, Pomegranates made a promise with their first two releases. What makes them such a rare find is that they fulfill that promise on Everybody, Come Outside!. In fact, they exceed it. It strives and yearns, is desperate and joyous and is huge and personal. Oh yeah, and it rocks!

mp3: Corriander

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Review: Fall Horsie - Devil (e) Danger

Label: Youth Club Records

Released: October 28, 2008

There is a lot of music out there that isn't rock music in any way, shape or form...and yet it thoroughly rocks. None of this is headed for mainstream success, but it is often some of the most interesting music in even the broadest sense of the rock sphere. Fall Horsie is one of these bands. While the music itself ranges from chamber music to cabaret (having moments reminiscent of the Decemberists) and uses the very un-rock violin and viola, yet in its wildness and boldness it is very much a rock record. Fall Horsie's style will make them difficult for the average rock fan, but rock fans (albeit not average ones) must make up the core of their audience. That may not turn into a big cash in, but it has turned out a fine album.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Master Slash Slave - Scandal

Label: Free News Projects

Released: November 18, 2008

Having grown up in the 80s, the current indie pop obsession with Casiotone pop is more annoying than charming. Of course, some bands pull it off and some don't. Master Slash Slave is, overall, the former, but not without keeping at least a foot in the latter. The 80s pop-tronics of the opening track get off on the wrong foot and Scandal suffers a bit each time the band returns to those tricks. However, its quirky twists and turns and its ability to layer shallow pop with both crunchy and ambient passages makes it easy to get past the nods to the lesser qualities of the music of my own youth. The hipster snobbishness of Matt Jones' voice finds its perfect hipper-than-thou vehicle. At his best (particularly on "Nastasya") he manages to pull off dramatic storytelling approaching the likes of the Decemberists, but at other times he devolves into Conor Obesrt's not-so-believable lo-fi whine. Drug references in "High Heels" are too affected to take seriously, but on the aforementioned "Nastasya" and the album's closer, "Wouldn't Hafta," the lyrics have as much pull as the music. Scandal is erratic, but the annoyances are minor next to times when everything comes together. It's not a perfect album, but in some ways it is on the right road.

The album art is pretty cool, making this a great one to pick up on vinyl.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Lanterns - Apocalypse Youth

Label: self-released

Released: July 19, 2008

What would happen if the unabashed rock of the Who and the spunky power-pop of Cheap Trick took a drive down the twisting sharp turns of post-punk? Lanterns. If there is one quality that persists their Apocaplypse Youth EP, it would loud. Loud in the way mastered by big rock bands like the aforementioned Who and Cheap Trick. Their layers of guitar can crank up the volume no matter how quietly you may try to listen. But these aren't just loud, arena-sized riffs. They have the quirky, twisty, turny (and almost danceable) sense that post-punk drew from disco while remaining a safe distance from actual dance music. The wall of sound, sometimes paper thin and others thick and dense, dominates the sound without taking over, leaving plenty of space for the pop sensibility that makes the album's ear-crushing volume such a pleasant experience. Lanterns sound as if they could take on the arena, but the arena would be left in rubble (and all to a sweet, sweet melody).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Copper Sails - Hiding Place

Label: self-released

Released: January 13, 2009

Copper Sails seems like one of those bands that could be poised for the big time. I mean, this thing they're doing worked for Coldplay, didn't it? Hiding Place is carefully thought out, constructed and performed. They steal form all the right indie and alt bands on both sides of the Atlantic. The melodies are catchy and the smooth vocals (and Thom Yorke-y falsetto) float on top of just the right mix of jangles, angles and crunch for those who enjoy the least common denominator served up over easy. At times, "Sleeping Giant" for instance, it's almost like an indie rock take on AOR. The problem here is that Copper Sails have been too careful. They never throw caution to the wind. They never cut loose. As a result, Hiding Place is safe and light, pleasant, but placid.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

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Review: The Dark Romantics - Heartbreaker

Label: Lujo Records

Released: September 9, 2008

In the early 80s, Wall of Voodoo made some dark, moody and strangely captivating music out of a peculiar meeting of post-punk, synth pop and the roots of rock n roll. On Heartbreaker, the Dark Romantics find themselves at the same point where these influences flow together and they make music that is deliberately at odds with itself, nervous, pleading vocals and trebly guitar or stark piano poking through smooth synth textures.

It is an album that comes together only to pull itself apart into an unsettled restlessness. "The Death of You" is part synth pop and part "Ghostriders in the Sky," like a post-Armageddon cowboy song. "Never Been Loved" is reminiscent of "Careless Whispers" (yeah, the Wham song) only with a tangible madness and even the slick disco of the chorus doesn't diminish its humanity. The album's darkness grows into the coldness of the title track which knocks on Nick Cave door to insanity.

These songs believe that joy exists, but only in someone else's world. They are love songs for the unloved, breakup songs for those with no one to break with. Heartbreaker is for the broken heart that never had the opportunity to fully love. The discord yearns for beauty in a way that is, as the band name itself explains, quite romantic and entirely dark.

"Hush Your Mouth" mp3

"Let's Ride" mp3

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

Label: Secretly Canadian

Released: June 17, 2008

Just because an artist has done all that can be expected of him and has earned the right to rest on his laurels, doesn't mean the work he started is done. So it is with Bob Dylan and The War on Drugs has picked up the cause and put their own spin on it with Wagonwheel Blues.

The album doesn't always sound just like Dylan (though the vocals always stick to Dylan's crazy, can't-sing-but-I-can-still-pull-it-off-better-than-anybody style). At times the band sounds like the meeting of the Jayhawks and the Velvet Underground. At others, they lean toward the Smiths (fronted by Dylan and not so mopey) or space rock (also fronted by Dylan). They get big and bombastic like Springsteen (if he had Dylan's voice) at one point. They even deal in noisy guitar pop at times. But whether they're being laid-back and folky or echoey and noisy, the Dylan in them rings true.

It's tempting to assume that it's just Adam Granduciel's voice that draws those comparisons, but the reality is that goes beyond that. The cadence of his voice with the music is off-kilter and the words forced to break the meter and rhyme which really serves to emphasize the lyrics that are rich with imagery and clear pictures of places I've never been, but feel like I now know. Of course, Dylan did that too. Around each corner, the album offers some subtle or not-so-subtle angle, staying both interesting and true to itself. Again, that's Dylan.

It's interesting, because a Dylan rip-off would just be annoying, but that's not what we have here. Wagonwheel Blues is just picking up the unfinished work of a great artist and forging ahead in its own direction with that artist's spirit and with a good bit of his creativity as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Sharks and Sailors - Builds Brand New

Label: self-released

Released: August 1, 2008

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so the physicists say. You cannot effectively defend your position without understanding the opposition, so the orators say. You cannot know up without down, dark without light, good without evil, so the philosophers say. Ours is in many ways a world defined and understood in terms of opposing forces.

Sharks and Sailors understands this. The very fiber of Builds Brand New is built around this concept. It is these opposites, contrasts if you will, that are the texture of the music: sweet melodies versus grating noise, ambient fluidity versus sharp angles, technical skill versus emotional release. While this is a fine technique, it is hardly unique in and of itself. But there is another wrinkle to Sharks and Sailors: They don't use these opposing forces against each other as a means of creating tension. Instead, they are more like yin and yang, forces spinning around the Taoist center of the overall album.

They have clearly taken a few lessons from the Smashing Pumpkins in their prime, but these songs voice something more cerebral than Gen X brattiness. "Metes and Bounds" stretches out so far that it feels epic as it alternates between sharp art-punk angles and airy prog spaceiness. It manages to compress time almost, concentrating what should be a 20 minute opus into six minutes. It is like the ocean dripping into the dew drop. And that's how this album goes, wide and expansive, yet it would nearly fit onto one side of a 90 minute tape (for those of us who remember those days).

Without getting into the realm of the nearly unlistenable, Builds Brand New manages to find an unturned patch of ground in rock music. What they've sown there is both musically and philosophically compelling.

Ratings:
Satriani 7/10
Zappa 9/10
Dylan 8/10
Aretha 8/10
Overall 8/10

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Interview: Cory Gray of Carcrashlander

Formerly in the sadly underknown Desert City Soundtrack, Cory Gray's current endeavor is Carcrashlander. This is a band so good that even I can forgive their love of Randy Newman. Their self-titled debut came out earlier this year on Parks and Records. I got the chance to talk with Cory about the past, present and future (and the piano versus the guitar).

RnRnMN: How has the response been to the new album?

CG: People at least usually say thanks when I give them a copy. The campfire stamp seems to delight my fellow camper friends, although it's hardly the kind of music to play around a campfire. Last time I tried to take a piano camping I had to leave it in the woods.


RnRnMN: Do you see Carcrashlander as a progression form what you did in Desert City Soundtrack or as an entirely different part of who you are as an artist?

CG: There's a Chinese proverb that says you can be cautious about the future but not about the past. I just sold el vaño, the DCS Econoline. It was a very sentimental moment, but I needed a new ride.


RnRnMN: How is working on this project different that projects you've done in the past?

CG: The band members I have currently seem to all come from such completely different musical backgrounds that when I bring a song to the group it's like dropping a twig in the gutter during a rainstorm. It's anybody's guess where it will end up.


RnRnMN: If you had to place Carcrashlander in a musical tradition, what would it be?

CG: Myspace says we're healing/easy listening. I would be tempted to doubt the sincerity of that categorization, but that would require me to doubt Myspace, which is getting into some seriously dangerous territory.


RnRnMN: Is the piano really a good substitute for the guitar? I mean, it's rock n roll after all.

CG: Is it? rock and what? And we got a guitar, shit.


RnRnMN: The album strikes me as one that is even better at the right time of day or in the right season. If you had to suggest the right time and place for the album, what would it be?

CG: If and when it grows would probably depend when you planted it, and what the conditions of the soil are like.


RnRnMN: What's coming up for Carcrashlander over the next year?

CG: After some western states shows through October, I think it will be time to make another record.

RnRnMN: Pick your favorite from each pair:
Beatles versus Rolling Stones:
CG: Beatles
Hüsker Dü versus the Pixies:
CG: The Pixies
Randy Newman versus Bruce Springsteen:
CG: Randy Newman singing Nebraska
Mike Patton versus John Zorn:
CG: John Zorn

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Review: Annabel - Now That We're Alive

Label: self-released

Released: Summer 2008

My wife is a great cook. When she makes something, it tastes great, but it also looks great. She tells me that the appearance is important, that the appearance shows that she cares about what she's prepared for us to eat. I may never have thought of that had she not brought it to my attention. I'm too busy stuffing myself with Hippy Burritos to notice, so she doesn't do it to entice me to eat, she does it because she cares about what she's doing.

What does this have to do with record reviews, you ask? Everything if the record is Annabel's Now That We're Alive. You see, before even playing the album, it's clear that they care about what they've done. The CD and card come in a handmade cloth pouch. When was the last time you got a CD in something like that? Probably never, because you just don't come across that many bands who care that deeply for what they've produced and choose to honor their work in a similar fashion. So, before even listening, I'm already impressed.

Of course, the album (like the burritos) has to have more than just a nice exterior or the appearance, no matter how much care went into it, is meaningless. So the question still remains: How is the music?

Annabel play a low-key indie rock that combines hints of both noise and twee pop. The jangley guitars and throbbing bass line of the opening track are instantly engaging, but that does nothing to prepare your ears for "Castles in the Air," a more understated twee-oriented song whose sublime pop sense would make Brian Wilson jealous. They push the pop envelope even further on "Bouquet Mines" whose Woo-ooo's layer pre-Bealtes AM pop over angular rhythms. It says a lot about those two tracks that the Casiotone pop of "...And Elsewhere," which is nearly on par with the Postal Service, is actually a bit of a let down. While the album finishes, as it began, on an edgier note, it's the pair of songs in the middle that make it.

So, like one of my wife's meals, Annabel not only shows that they care enough about their music to wrap it up in a unique and personal package, but that the music itself is worthy of that honor. Better yet, it's great in a way that's almost impossible to pinpoint, so don't bother thinking, just let the pop wash over you.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Contact me if you want the recipe. They're seriously good.

Toyota Yaris and Urban Outfitters announce latest Free Yr Radio concert dates to benefit independent radio

The Secret Machines, Dave P, Dan Deacon, and Tokyo Police Club added to concert series lineup

Seattle, WA – July, 25 2008 – The Free Yr Radio campaign, created by Toyota Yaris and Urban Outfitters to generate awareness and support for partner independent radio stations, today announced three additional concert dates that will benefit independent radio stations in Philadelphia, Omaha, and Salt Lake City.

Hosted by each partner station, the upcoming Free Yr Radio concerts are free to the public and include:

Philadelphia – Princeton, New Jersey-based WPRB will feature DJ Dave P with The Secret Machines on Tuesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. in the Urban Outfitters store located at 110 S. 36th St., Philadelphia, PA.

Omaha – KIWR will feature Dan Deacon on Sunday, September 7 at 8 p.m. in Slowdown, a bar and club next door to the Urban Outfitters located at 745 N 14th St., Omaha, NE.

Salt Lake City – KRCL will feature Tokyo Police Club on Wednesday, September 24 in the Urban Outfitters located at 12 S. 400 W. St., Salt Lake City, UT. The time of the show is TBD.

Secret Machines, Dan Deacon and Tokyo Police Club join previously-announced Free Yr Radio 2008 artists White Williams, !!!, Mudhoney, No Age and Yeasayer.

Each aspect of the Free Yr Radio campaign is designed to give partner independent stations tools to build awareness and help raise additional funds from their listener communities. Partner stations co-host concerts as a means to increase exposure, introduce themselves to new listeners, and generate support.

The campaign also features a vehicle sweepstakes that enables stations to award a brand new Yaris to one listener during their fundraising or awareness-boosting activities. The final component of the Free Yr Radio campaign is the benefit compilation album. Slated for release in late summer, this year's compilation will feature tracks donated by participating bands and other artists interested in the mission to support independent radio. All proceeds from the album are divided equally among the participating stations.

All Free Yr Radio concerts are free of charge, though show-goers must print and present an e-ticket (available from www.FreeYrRadio.com) for entry. Guests will be admitted until the venue is full. This year's Free Yr Radio concert series will run from May through October. Details about more of the upcoming concerts—including participating bands and cities—will be announced in the coming months.

"We are very excited to continue building buzz and awareness for independent radio stations across the country by providing fans with unique and memorable concert experiences," said Keith Dahl, National Marketing Manager for Toyota. "Between the exceptional Free Yr Radio concert series and the Yaris giveaway sweepstakes, we’re hopeful that our partner independent stations around the country will generate excitement in their listener communities that will translate into new listeners and additional support."

Another previously announced Free Yr Radio concert is set for Minneapolis on Wednesday, July 30 when independent station The Current hosts a performance by Yeasayer at 7 p.m. in the Urban Outfitters located at 3006 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN.

Annabel - Summer of Fun Tour (July 23 - Aug 02)

* Tour of Southeast with Delay begins today
* In support of debut EP Now That We're Alive


Beginning today, Annabel (Kent, OH) is hitting the road for a little southern lovin' in support of its well-received debut EP Now That We're Alive. Playing an infectious brand of indie pop laced with feverish melodies, Annabel balances it all with post-punk dynamics that convey a heightened sense of urgency. The trio takes the best from several different genres, forging their own unique path as Now That We're Alive shines a bright light on the band's future.

Check out a free mp3s for the song "Boquet Mines."

You can also watch Annabel's Pink Couch Session where they perform a great acoustic version of "Parade Rest." The video comes courtesy of the always entertaining and endlessly explorable If You Make It.

TOUR
-------------------------------------------------------

JUL 23 - Durham, NC @ Bull City Headquarters w/ Delay, Friendly Fire, Resist Not
JUL 24 - Saint Augustine, FL @ Nobby's Sports Bar w/ Delay, The Winslows, Cough, Dark Castle
JUL 25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Shanty Town Pub w/ Delay, Monikers
JUL 26 - Orlando, FL @ The Black Box Collective w/ Delay, Monikers
JUL 27 - Naples, FL @ TBA w/ Delay
JUL 28 - Tampa, FL @ Skate Park of Tampa w/ The Tim Version, New Bruises, Inertia!, Crow's Path
JUL 29 - Gainesville, FL @ Wayward Council w/ Jammy Dodgers
JUL 30 - Tallahassee, FL @ Oafhouse
JUL 31 - Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo's w/ Delay
AUG 01 - Atlanta, GA @ 141 Moreland w/ Delay, Shang-A-Lang, Jonsin'
AUG 02 - Athens, GA @ The Hangar w/ Delay, Nana Grizol

A collection of infectious indie pop tunes with sharp melodies, released just in time to serve as the soundtrack for the spring and summer months. - Absolutepunk

Packing in driving, spiraling shoegaze guitars with the vocals hidden behind the ever so pleasant sounds they deliver. Highly recommended! - Collective Zine

Songs explode with lush layers of harmony vocals that take your breath away. This is a record you should own. - Jersey Beat

Annabel have the cojones to stand with some of the powerhouses in indie and post-rock. - Pastepunk

Review: Son of Dave - 03

Label: Sparks Music

Released: August 12, 2008

In a world that is so often style over substance, it's easy to get caught up in something clever only to find that there's no substance under the covers. Having been bit more than a few times, it's also easy to go to the other extreme and forget there are artists out there like Beck and They Might Be Giants and the late (and sadly underknown) Logan Whitehurst...and now, Son of Dave.

Son of Dave (ex-Crash Test Dummies guitarist/mandolin player, Benjamin Darvill) creates a quirky melting pot of folk and funk, country and hip-hop with a healthy dose of blues and ZZ Top Texas boogie. From the gospel-heavy "Your Mercedes (Intro)" to shuffling blues of "Roller Boogie," the album takes gritty, everyman folk music and mixes it with funk and hip-hop beats. The thing is, this isn't folk music with samples of funk hits or synth beats. The loops themselves are as organic as the pure folk elements, just used in a manner that still manages to be as funky as the best hip-hop can deliver.

Son of Dave's cover of "Lowrider" discards the most common interpretations of the song and re-creates it in a way that exhibits a deep understanding of its nature. That really illustrates what makes Son of Dave more than just some novelty act. Sure, the music is clever on the surface, but beneath that, there's something real, an understanding and appreciation for music, to come back to long after the novelty wears off.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Moving Mountains on tour

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollface)
Moving Mountains is currently touring to support their fantastic Pneuma album.

JUN 21 - Yorktown Heights, NY @ First Presbyterian Church,
JUN 25 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft (Chance Theater)
JUN 29 - New York, NY @ The Mercury Lounge
JUL 11 - Croton-On-Hudson, NY @ The Black Cow
JUL 18 - Bellows Falls, VT @ Kyle's House
JUL 19 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey Bar
JUL 21 - Yonkers, NY @ The Haunt
JUL 23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Galapagos Art Space
JUL 24 - Worcester, MA @ Tammany Hall
JUL 25 - Peekskill, NY @ Peekskill Elks Lodge
JUL 28 - Washington, PA @ Citizens Library
JUL 29 - Bath, PA @ Brenda And Jerrys
JUL 30 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
JUL 31 - Trenton, NJ @ Mill Hill Basement
AUG 01 - New York, NY @ Fontanas
AUG 02 - Boston, MA @ The Middle East
AUG 03 - Torrington, CT @ Club Serenity
AUG 24 - Williamsburg, NY @ The Trash Bar
AUG 29 - New York, NY @ The Lit Lounge

Daily Updates

Review: Shuteye Unison

Label: Parks and Records

Released: Spring/Summer 2008

About six or seven years ago, I bought a 7" on whim. It was only a few bucks and on colored vinyl, so I couldn't go wrong. Still nothing prepared me for what I was about to hear. That 7" was Rum Diary's Mileage EP and the title song so rejuvenated my interest in music that I began buying more music based on wild guesses than on research. I even bought an extra copy (just in case, you never know). The promise of that little EP was tremendous, but, despite several really good albums, Rum Diary never fully delivered on that promise until 2005's We're Afraid of Heights Tonight...and then they broke up.

Needless to say the reunion of Rum Diary's Jon Fee and Daniel Mackenzie in Shuteye Unison was ripe with excitement for me. After all, it was going to be another chance to hear one of those beautiful unknowns. But time had past and the lineup had changed, so how would Shuteye Unison fit into the legacy?

Shuteye Unison shares Rum Diary's ambling indie approach with wild movement beneath the surface. It's full of odd time signatures and layers that work as counterpoint to each other, giving the album a very non-pop buoyancy and driving it into post-something/anything territory.

The album is flexible on many levels. It's complicated enough to be dissected if you're so disposed, but can just as easily be experienced as a passive ride. It's broad and expansive, yet simultaneously intimate. It is every bit as complicated as you want it to be, yet no more so than you'd like (no matter where you choose to draw that line). Shuteye Unison is one of those rare bands that seems poised for film scoring. They capture moods without being focused on hooks or cleverness. It's not a riff, but a feeling that this album burns into your brain.

So, does Shuteye Unison deliver on the promise of Rum Diary, embodied in that little EP I bought years ago? Yes, absolutely. But more importantly, it makes new promises, not tied to its roots, but to its wide open future.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Thao with the Get Down Stay Down headlining tour dates announced

July 2008
19 - Columbus, OH @ Milo
20 - Newport, KY @ Northside Tavern - w/ Tune Yard
22 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway - w/ Tune Yard
23 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews - w/ Tune Yard
24 - Denver, CO @ Hi Dive - w/ Tune Yard
25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court - w/ Tune Yard
26 - Stanley, ID @ Pioneer Park
29 - Portland, OR @ Holocene - w/ Horse Feathers, Harper Simon
31 - San Francisco, CA @ Independent - w/ Horse Feathers
August 2008
1 - Irvine, CA @ Phoenix Grille @ UC Irvine - w/ Horse Feathers
2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour - w/ Horse Feathers
3 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah - w/ Horse Feathers
4 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture - w/ Horse Feathers
5 - Lubbock, TX @ Bash Riprock's - w/ Horse Feathers
6 - Austin, TX @ Emo's - w/ Horse Feathers
7 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada - w/ Horse Feathers
8 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline
9 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline
11 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg
12 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg
13 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg
14 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg

Thao, who released her much acclaimed Kill Rock Stars debut - We Brave Bee Stings and All - in January, is on a serious roll. She and her band, the Get Down Stay Down, have been on tour since March traversing the U.S. and Europe with such artists as Xiu Xiu and Rilo Kiley. They have had heavy support from NPR, KEXP, Interview, Washington Post, Brooklyn Vegan, etc . Thao's latest video for the single "Bag of Hammers" was recently featured on the front page of YouTube.

Check out Annabel

Kent, Ohio's ANNABEL self-released their fantastic debut EP, NOW THAT WE'RE ALIVE, earlier this year.

They play an infectious blend of indie pop with post punk dynamics. Echoes of The Get Up Kids, Superchunk and The Anniversary are present on the band's debut EP, Now That We're Alive. But, Annabel take the best from a number of different genres and forge their own unique path instead. Now That We're Alive was recorded, mixed and mastered by Aaron Rogers. The EP comes in beautiful, handmade, DIY packaging.

Annabel is fresh off a Pink Couch Session courtesy of If You Make It. You can check the band's acoustic performance of "Parade Rest" out here as well as an mp3 for their song "Boquet Mines" here.

Video: Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers

Here's a cool video from Thao's very cool We Brave Bee Stings and All album.

Review: Moving Mountains - Pneuma

Label: Deep Elm Records

Released: May 13, 2008

Pneuma is an album that works more in noise than structure. Ambient layers and ambling indie rock rhythms are grounded by a more common vocal approach that alternates between whining and screeching and screaming. There is nothing pretentious about Moving Mountains' deconstruction of rock though. It is experimental, but not simply for the sake of experiment. They haven't spent time forcing complexity so much as simply following a different path to great songs.

They can be stark and thin as the quiet heart-beat, piano and murmurs of "Fourth." They can build layer upon ambient layer in "8105" and occasionally break through the density with horns. They can be more structured in an acoustic ballad like "Sol Solis" and bring soul to a genre that often forgets it. They can be beautifully imperfect in the closing moments of the album. They can be grand without being grandiose. They can be both esoteric and inviting. They can do all of these things, because they focus on the music, not the experiment. They do push the boundaries, but that is only incidental to making great music. Moving Mountains succeeds at what many have failed it. Pneuma is ambient music gone wild.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Deep Elm is running a contest to win a copy of Pneuma (plus 22 other CDs). Click below for details.


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Review: Pomegranates - Everything Is Alive

Label: Lujo Records

Released: May 13, 2008

The liner notes of Everything Is Alive sent me into a wonderful daydream. As the opening drum loop circled through my ears, I read the line, "We experienced the hospitality of strangers letting us spend the night on their couches or their floors." I was immediately taken to a pleasant picture of the band curled up in sleeping bags amidst my menagerie of fuzzy dogs, basking in the afterglow of a great show at the Ottobar as we all took turns playing our favorite albums on the crappy little stereo in my living room.

Then the vocals kicked in, and my fantasy fell apart. Even though I listened to their EP, Two Eyes, I forgot about the singer with the really cute voice. My goodness, I really forgot how cute her voice is. Where will she sleep? Does she get my bed? If so, I guess I have to sleep on the floor, and my back gets all wonky when I sleep on the floor. And what if she's dating one of the guys in the band? I don't really want them getting it on in my bed, but I'm not going to be a jerk about it either. Who am I to stand in the way of young love?

And then I remembered. There are only guys in Pomegranates. Great. So Everything Is Alive is a near-perfect indie-pop gem that has me totally questioning my sexuality.

Okay, seriously, I really like this album, but it is a bit disconcerting that one of the singers -- I don't know if it's Isaac Karns or Joey Cook -- has an incredibly cute voice that makes me think of holding hands and running through the park in summertime. Don't get me wrong, he's got a good voice. It just reminds me a lot of Palomar. And that's cool, because I like Palomar, and frankly, getting compared to Palomar is a high compliment coming from me. Palomar knows pop, and Pomegranates know it almost as well. Pomegranates are a little bit heavy sometimes and a little jangly at other times, but at their core, they make fun and upbeat indie pop with the kind of hooks that you don't remember until you put the album on for the second time, and then you sing along with every single song because you remember them all. This is pop, in a way that crappy American Idol wishes it could be pop.

Everything Is Alive is a very good record. It makes me excited for their next album, because these guys just might have a great record in them.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go call my shrink and tell him why I'm having dreams about skipping through Central Park as I'm holding hands with an indie rock boy in a sundress.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Label: Atlantic

Released: May 13, 2008

You and I are about to engage in the most intimate act that a critic and a reader can share: the record review. But before the door closes behind us and I lift my shirt to reveal four stars tattooed on my chest, you need to know a secret that will color every word of this review.

You need to know that I love Death Cab for Cutie.

If I had to pick the best band of the past decade, Death Cab would probably be my choice. The 2003 album Transatlanticism is a masterpiece that can connect with a troubled 14-year-old boy as effortlessly as it can reach out to a 40-year-old housewife. 2005's Plans doesn't take as many risks musically, but it's a simple and charming gem.

DCfC albums take a while to sneak up on me, though, and Narrow Stairs is no exception. Death Cab tends to hide little presents in the dark spaces of their music, which makes it difficult to critique their albums after a few quick listens. Sure, I've made some initial observations, like the fact that the band is taking more musical chances and Chris Walla's production is a bit more urgent than usual. This album is obsessed with the failures of uninspired relationships, and though that's not new territory for Death Cab, lyricist Ben Gibbard delves deeper into the subject than he has before.

Death Cab's greatest strength lies in Gibbard's lyrics. The man can take simple words and use them to paint portraits. He's subtle about it, though. Most lyricists beat you over the head with how smart they are, but Gibbard... he just paints the scene and trusts that you'll see it. It takes a brave artist to do that.

Like I said, DCfC albums take a while to sneak up on me. I haven't had this CD long enough to see all of Gibbard's pictures, but I have a pretty good idea they're there. For now, I'll reservedly give it eight out of ten; it's very good, but it doesn't have the broad appeal of their last two records. But ask me again in a few months, and I may tell you it deserves a perfect 10/10. It all depends how many more gifts are hidden in the dark spaces of Narrow Stairs.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Interview: Jon and Mimi Fee of Parks & Records

Every indie label has its niche, but Parks & Records also has a mission. They've combined a commitment to great music with the broader purpose of making the world a better (and greener) place. Having just made their first release, the self-titled Carcrashlander album, earlier this year, Parks & Records is now poised for the release of the debut of Shuteye Unison, featuring label-owner Jon Fee and other alumni of the great but often overlooked Rum Diary. In addition to his time in Rum Diary, Jon also released on of the great compilations series of all time: Translation Music. He has now formed Parks & Records with his wife Mimi and they recently welcomed the latest member of the Parks & Records family, their son Charlie River. In addition to using cardboard sleeves rather than plastic jewel cases, Parks & Records also made donations to the National Arbor Day Foundation, National Forest Foundation and Friends of the Urban Forest. Theirs will hopefully become a model of a successful and ethical business strategy for other like-minded labels. I recently had the chance to get some insight into Parks & Records from Jon and Mimi:


RnRnMN: Parks and Records seems to be unique in its focus. There have been plenty of labels where community took precedence over profit, but your particular focus on the environment seems like a new angle. How did you come up with the idea?

Jon: Our focus didn't come to play until we started to model our business plan. I was actually in business school at the time pursuing my MBA. From previous experience and interaction with labels while playing in The Rum Diary, I knew two things were certain about indie labels; 1.) they don't last and, 2.) the cash outflow always leads to the demise. With that in mind, Mimi and I set hard defined budget constraints and then backed in our business model. The following steps involved a lot of "what if" scenarios and questioning what it really means to be a label and how we could add the most value to our bands. Anyway, when all was said and done we had developed a model that worked within our budget constraints and the output was a very eco-friendly product. We like to think we found the balance between planet and profit.

Interestingly enough, I recently read a quote from Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) that said something like, the lack of resources breeds innovation. Although Parks and Records would never claim to be an innovative label, we would agree that the lack of cash flow forced us to think out of the box. Just think about how much great music came from the lack of resources – instruments, recording equipment, etc.

Last but not least, we always wanted to give back and it just made sense to work with non-profit organizations like the National Forest Foundation or Friends of the Urban Forest. Both Mimi and I love to be outside, hike, and explore national parks. Fortunately this is something we also have in common with a lot of musicians - probably because touring is a lot like camping.


RnRnMN: Are there any labels that have inspired you in your vision for Parks and Records?

Mimi: Lots of labels have been inspirational. Especially those that consistently release great albums while staying true to their bands and fans. If you want specifics, I would say our greatest inspiration comes from the courage of K, the brains of Dischord, and the heart of Merge.


RnRnMN: What effect do you think your environmental goals have on the music you release?

Jon: From a business perspective, our environmental goals set interesting boundaries for the label - especially when it comes to packaging. The whole existence of Parks and Records relies on the quality of each releases - quality in terms of song writing, musicianship, recording. At the end of the day we are selling music and if we compromise the quality, we compromise the label. Because of our size and commitment to eco-friendly packaging, every release must be solid.

From a community perspective, any artist we work with is going to be passionate about the great outdoors and their carbon footprint. Working with bands is much more enjoyable when you get along on multiple levels, not just music. So, anything we release will come from like minded artists who share our environmental perspective.

Along the way we have noticed that a lot of bands are quite resourceful and eco-friendly. My favorite example is when Cory from Carcrashlander has to recycle all of his beer cans so he can gas up his van to head out on tour. It's no wonder Carcrashlander was our first release!


RnRnMN: What do you look for in a band when you consider releasing their music?

Mimi: Well, we are an eco-friendly label with an emphasis on friendly. The band must share the ethos of the label, be good friendly people, passionate, and great song writers. It is very important to us to build a community amongst our roster so we like to make sure the current roster approves the new addition - kinda like an indie Board of Directors. Unlike other labels, we could careless about how much you tour, who you know, and how cool you look.

Jon: It's much more important for us to work with artists who are capable of writing and recording great songs versus doing whatever is hot at the moment. People love good music and love their alone time with good music. As a label, we are really targeting the headphone brigade first and show goers second. I really want us to release those songs that people really hold on to for their own reasons.


RnRnMN: If you could have five bands, past or present, on your dream roster, who would they be?

Jon: (Mimi's list would be all classic rock: Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, etc.)

American Analog Set - It's hard to believe that such a gentle and brilliant Farfisa driven indie pop band was spawned from the same state as W. I guess it's big enough to have both heaven and hell.

Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime! Need I say more?

Fugazi - Own all their releases and have only seen them once. The show was unbelievable. Ironically, Anthony Keidis was watching from the side of the stage and the next Chili Peppers album started sounding like Fugazi! At least to me.

Superchunk - I recently met their drummer. He was a very nice guy. I should have asked when the Chunk is going to return with a new album and tour, but I didn't. Superchunk has always been a staple in our music collection.

The Wrens – Love these guys. Just a bunch of old indie rockers playing every note like their life depended on it.


RnRnMN: Who is the greenest candidate running for president in 2008?

Jon: Who knows? There's a lot of motion on various green topics, but it's just hot air if it doesn't turn to action. I think all candidates right now are telling Joe Public exactly what he wants to hear and since "green" is red hot, a lot of promissory statements are being made.


RnRnMN: What are five easy ways that the average person can be more eco-friendly?

Mimi: Without regurgitating the most common tips like recycle and don't use plastic bags, the following five are still just as easy.

1. Get involved with a non-profit like Friends of the Urban Forest and donate your time. It's not going to cost you a cent, you're going to meet some really great people, you're going to learn something, and you're going to make a difference.
2. Plan your days to ensure you drive less and still manage to get everywhere you need to go.
3. Consume less. Think about stuff before you buy it. Do you really need it? Can you make do with the old one in the back of the closet? Can you borrow one from a friend? Can you just go without?
4. Shop at thrift stores. Goodwill not Landfill!
5. Support Parks and Records. All of our releases are eco-friendly, affordable, and of the highest quality!

RnRnMN: Congratulations on the recent birth of your son. Does becoming a parent change anything about the way you view the label as well the label's broader goals?

Jon: Thank you. A parent? (lol!) That one can still catch us both off guard. Believe it or not, the birth of Charlie River has really encouraged us to work harder at growing Parks and Records into a viable business. It's something we are both really proud of and would like to see our son participate in.


RnRnMN: Right now, you have the Carcrashlander out and Shuteye Unison is coming soon. What else is on the horizon for the label?

Mimi: A Christmas/Holiday Compilation is on the horizon! We are currently accepting songs for consideration. Thus far we have a healthy handful of great artist committing songs from the US and the UK. Compilations are a little tricky because they are like herding cats so we both have our fingers crossed on a successful 2008 release. Other than the compilation, we are always looking for bands and if time permits we may make our way into the studio and record a Mijuanito album.


RnRnMN: How do you measure success for Parks and Records?

Mimi: Hopefully we always measure success based on how much fun we are having. Of course Jon monitors the metrics of the business, but that is all secondary to having fun. Our current goal is to make sure every new release either raises the bar of the previous release or at least meets the bar. We are also looking to build a core fan base of 100 like minded individuals. Maybe you would like to be one?


Thanks to Jon and Mimi for the interview. Check out the Parks & Records website and befriend them on Myspace.

Review: M83 - Saturdays = Youth

Label: Mute

Released: April 15, 2008

Saturdays = Youth is promising when it opens with "You, Appearing." The piano is as warm and embracing as a fireplace on a cold winter day, and it seems to be laying the groundwork for an incredibly rich album. When the vocals finally kick in, they're slightly urgent and desperate but pleasant and intriguing; they build on the promise that this is going to be a great listen.

Then the second track, "Kim & Jessie," starts, and it's like hearing an alternate-universe version of the Psychedelic Furs, one where Richard Butler couldn't write memorable songs.

Years ago, when I was an aspiring rock star, I had a fight with one of our producers. She said that every good pop song should still sound compelling if it was played on acoustic guitar. I told her that she was full of crap, and that Nine Inch Nails is a perfect example of a band that would sound awful if some twit picked up a guitar and sang one of their songs.

Johnny Cash proved me wrong on that one.

There's nothing on Saturdays = Youth that Johnny Cash could sing. The lyrics are bad poetry, and the melodies are completely forgettable. The only time the album works is when the band moves away from dull '80s pop, like they do on "Couleurs" and "Midnight Souls Still Remain." The rest of the time, it follows a recipe of 1/3 annoying Kate Bush (without the intelligence), 1/3 smarmy Martin Gore (without the pop sensibility), and 1/3 (enter overwrought '80s never-made-it pop band here, e.g. Dream Academy, All About Eve, Icicle Works). The end result is a stew of everything that was lame about '80s synth pop, without any of the elements that made it so charming the first time around.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 3/10
Dylan: 4/10
Aretha: 3/10
Overall: 4/10

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Review: Carcrashlander - s/t

Label: Parks and Records

Released: January 2008

I've seen Carcrashlander compared to Randy Newman and I can't stand Randy Newman. After listening to the debut album (and first release by green-focused Parks and Records), one of two things must be true: Either the Randy Newman comparison is inaccurate or I need to reconsider my feelings about him. Or perhaps there is a third possibility: Carcrashlander gets very close to a line (that Newman crosses) which divides good from cheesy. One thing I know though, is that this album is really, really good.

Carcrashlander is really Cory Gray who played with the haunting Desert City Soundtrack. While this is somewhat of a departure from that band's work, it maintains the same quirkiness. The piano-driven music is dynamic, countered by low-key, droning vocals. Dissonance tugs on the album's pop elements, making it colorful and multi-dimensional. At times, the ambient noise behind the piano gives it an airy trippiness reminiscent of pre-Dark Side Pink Floyd's more mellow moments. At other times, it shifts back and forth between poppiness and moodiness. Sometimes the songs fall into schmaltzy piano pop and other times they expand out into a bit of free jazz.

Occasionally, Carcrashlander falls into the singer-songwriter trap of craft taking precedence over emotion, but more often it finds a way of being oddly comforting in its sadness and moodiness. Both musically and emotionally, the album seems to be on different pages at the same time, but it somehow finds an alternate synchronization that is pretty amazing.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Mouse Fire - Wooden Teeth

Label: Lujo Records

Released: November 6, 2007

If I tell you that a band reminds me of ELO in any way and you're turned off, it's understandable. When I say it this time though, don't tune out, because you'll miss something very cool. Here I go. Mouse Fire reminds me of ELO. Now let me allay your fears a bit. There's nothing on here that sounds like "Evil Woman." What Mouse Fire really learned from ELO was how to make slick pop, but they made that their own by maintaining an intimacy that often eludes even the most down-to-earth bands. In other words, Mouse Fire is slick without being bloated, fake or light. The music ranges from low-key ballads to guitar-driven rock to angular post-punk. They even take a few lessons, not from disco, but from disco's effect on rock music at times when their pop perfection becomes vaguely funky and danceable.

Mouse Fire builds lush layers that never become overbearing, because nothing, not even its synthiest moment, ever gets detached. They fit right in with the resurgence of post-punk's sharp corners, yet they even those corners out into something far easier to digest. "Slick" is so often a derogatory term that implies a style over substance approach is hiding something. Not on Wooden Teeth though. This slickness is a strength. Rather than hiding shortcomings, it enhances everything else that they do right. Mixed with the album's angularity, these hooks aren't the sort that let you know you're being hooked. They come from all sides too. Any layer is easy to get caught up in while another makes its move for attention. The album wraps its smooth and rough sides into a package that is at once more palatable and more satisfying.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Los Campesinos! - International TweeXcore Underground video

Check out the review of their 7" over at FensePost.

Review: Russians - s/t EP

Label: self-released

Released: October 2007

The Russians' founder Scott Janovitz is a veteran of the Boston music scene and recently lent his talents to Graham Parker as one of the Latest Clowns, so the well-crafted pop of their second EP should come as no surprise. They aren't shy about their love of the Beatles (even segueing each song into the next a la side two of Abbey Road), but they draw on a range from vaudeville and baroque pop to power pop to ambient. The best part is that they find their own voice in their hooks. They might draw a lot from some great bands, but in the end, it's their signature catchiness that makes this EP a great listen.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Thao Nguyen on tour

The following dates are with Xiu Xiu. Check out my review of Thao's latest album We Brave Bee Stings and All here.

Mar 07 Portland, OR - Someday Lounge
Mar 08 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
Mar 10 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Mar 11 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
Mar 13 Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop
Mar 14 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
Mar 15 Chicago, IL - Reggies
Mar 16 Mount Pleasant, MI - Rubble's Bar
Mar 17 Toronto - Sneaky Dee's
Mar 18 Ottawa - Babylon Nightclub
Mar 19 Montreal - La Sala Rossa
Mar 20 Bennington, VT - Bennington College
Mar 21 Boston, MA - Museum of Fine Arts
Mar 22 Annandale, NY - Smog, Bard College
Mar 24 Purchase, NY - SUNY Student Center
Mar 23 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Mar 25 Bronx, NY - Fordham University
Mar 26 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
Mar 27 Washington DC - Black Cat
Mar 28 Columbus, OH - Skully's Music-Diner
Mar 29 Newport, KY - Southgate House
Mar 31 St. Louis, MO - Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center
Apr 01 Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Gallery
Apr 02 Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory
Apr 03 Fort Worth, TX - Lola's
Apr 04 Houston, TX - Orange Show Center
Apr 05 Austin, TX - Mohawk
Apr 07 Santa Fe, NM - College of Santa Fe Sub
Apr 08 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
Apr 11 Los Angeles, CA - Echo
Apr 12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill

Check out Parks and Records

Parks and Records was started by Jon (Rum Diary) and Mimi Fee who were responsible for the amazing "translation.music" comps from the early 00s. The label has a focus on DIY as well as green ideals. They have one release out and apparently will be releasing the new album by Shuteye Unison, featuring Jon and Daniel of the Rum Diary. It sounds like they a lot to offer both our ears and our consciences.

Review: The Out_Circuit - Pierce the Empire with a Sound

Label: Lujo Records

Released: February 12, 2008

For this review, Chuck and I decided to collaborate. We both queued up the album at the same time and had a conversation about our thoughts. It came out more as the anatomy of a review, but the result was at least interesting. We'll be trying this again (maybe every other week) to see how it goes.

The Out_Circuit is the work of Nathan Burke (ex-Frodus). The album includes guest appearances by a variety of artists, including Sean Ingram (Coalesce) and Dustin Kensrue (Thrice). If you don't have the patience to read the whole back-and-forth of our discovery process, skip to the summary. And now, here's what we had to say about The Out_Circuit's Pierce the Empire with a Sound:


taotechuck: The thing I like about these guys is they seem to have a very unusual set of influences.

bob_vinyl: Yes… Fugazi and Eno. That's eNo, not eMo.

taotechuck: The first track reminds me of Skinny Puppy, but then he goes into this Linkin Park part in the chorus. Linkin Park is a good band, as commercial pop-metal bands go, but the whole scream/sing thing was played out when Taking Back Sunday's first album came out, and that's been what... almost 10 years?

bob_vinyl: The Linkin Park sound doesn't bother me, because it's part of a larger whole. This is just one piece here, but it's a whole album for Linkin Park. Out_Circuit has a lot going on. Like at the beginning of “Passchendaele” with the throbbing ambiance. I like the whisper vocals...it's a nice contrast to “Come Out Shooting.”

taotechuck: I agree. The first four tracks show many different sides of Burke's personality, yet they all sound like the same band. I'm torn on the vocals, though. He's not a great singer, and drowning his vocals in reverb then burying them in the mix was annoying when all the crappy indie bands were doing it 15 years ago, and it's still annoying.

bob_vinyl: I think he makes it work well, because at times it fits with the fluid nature and other times, it cuts through it.

taotechuck: The transitions between songs work well.

bob_vinyl: I agree and I think the album is better than individual songs.

taotechuck: The problem with the album, though, is the same problem that bands like Tool have. By the fourth or fifth song, you've pretty much heard all of the band's tricks, and the songs become redundant.

bob_vinyl: There aren’t many bands that that isn't true of, but if the tricks are good, I'm fine with a second and third look at them.

taotechuck: Sure, but a ninth or tenth look?

bob_vinyl: I didn't feel like it was that redundant. The songs themselves move very subtly with layers moving in and out. You should like that, because it's what good dance music does.

taotechuck: Good point. But good dance music does more than shift layers of sound. The tempos change, the keys change, the energy changes. The beauty of a good DJ set is that the DJ takes you on a journey. You build up, you climax, you recover, you chill out, and you start over.

bob_vinyl: The whole album is mellow, but it also finds ways to cut through that mellowness and it's interesting to wait and listen for those things. I found it to be a very cool ride, but not like a roller coaster. “The Contender” has more ability to stand on its own than most of the others.

taotechuck: Dude, that's totally some comment that you recorded on your little voice recorder. "This is bob_vinyl, today is February 6, I'm listening to out_circuit, and I find that it's a good ride but not like a roller coaster. That's a roger, Roger. We have clearance, Clarence."

bob_vinyl: Actually, it's not, but I understand why you suspect that. I haven't been referring to my notes.

taotechuck: Wow. Spontaneous thinking. Look at the big brain on Bob.

bob_vinyl: I like how “The Contender” was harsh in and harsh out, but “The Hexagon” eased in, got a little uppity and then eased back out.

taotechuck: “The Hexagon” does stand on its own, which is especially surprising since it's an instrumental.

bob_vinyl: Holy crap, it didn't even occur to me that there were no lyrics. “The Fall of Las Vegas” has the alternating harsh and melodic vocals, but at least the melodic side isn't whiny.

taotechuck: Do you have some kind of magic equalizer that lets you turn down the whiny?

bob_vinyl: I don't think the vocals are whiny. Mopey perhaps, but not whiny.

taotechuck: No. I mope. Morrissey mopes. This is whiny.

bob_vinyl: The strings at the end seem a little disjointed.

taotechuck: Yes, they are a little disjointed. And now, with “We,” we're back to the same sound as on “Passchendaele.”

bob_vinyl: I don't know what you expect. Is he short on ideas or did he show his hand too soon? I have yet to get bored.

taotechuck: The guitar in “We” is another one of those little surprises you were talking about earlier, how if you are patient and listen, you hear something really nice.

bob_vinyl: Patience, young Skywalker. Or dogwalker, as the case may be.

taotechuck: This is definitely an album that requires patience.

bob_vinyl: But it rewards you for your patience.

taotechuck: It does. But do you know what I'm missing? This sounds like an album that was recorded by one guy, with help from some friends. And frankly, he’s not Eno. I don't think his imagination or talent runs that deep. I'm missing the rewards that come when two or three people put their ideas together, and the cream rises to the top. This sounds like one guy's ideas, with no checks or balances.

bob_vinyl: Well, not being Eno isn't a very harsh dig, because Eno is the gold standard for this stuff, but I have come across the same thing before where it's a one man show and I agree that it usually comes up short. It also has a tendency to not feel very organic, because there's no life and no interaction, but this album does not suffer from that latter flaw at all.

taotechuck: No, it doesn't. It feels very organic and alive. And I don't expect him to be Eno. He has good ideas, but if he were more involved with someone else who has compatible but different good ideas, he could conjure up some magic. Like the vocal collaboration on “Across the Light.” That's the strongest vocal performance on the album, and it's where he had someone else to complement him.

bob_vinyl: I'd rephrase to say more magic, because I think there's definitely magic. There were a lot of people involved here, but I don't know how deeply. I think it was performances, but it sounds as if you're looking for collaboration in the writing?

taotechuck: Yes. I think the collaborative performances are why the album doesn't feel lifeless and synthetic. But the writing is very monotonous. The chord progressions are all very similar, the key signatures are all similar, the tempos feel very close... his songwriting is decent, but it's not strong enough to carry an entire album.

bob_vinyl: I'm not with you. I think the songs are strong enough that I stay interested and want to return. That doesn't mean that more collaboration wouldn't help, but I don't think it's as necessary as you seem to.

taotechuck: The child's voice on “Scarlet” gave me chills the first time I heard it.

bob_vinyl: Wow. That's cool. That's a big deal.

taotechuck: I wonder if this is his kid.

bob_vinyl: That's interesting. Maybe. It's well done if you even ask that.

taotechuck: If this had been an EP that went “Come Out Shooting,” “We,” “Across the Light,” “The Contender,” and “Scarlet,” I think it would've been bordering on great, maybe a 9/10. As it is, I'd probably give it a 6. There are some weak points, and “The Fall of Las Vegas” should've been cut completely, but the strong songs make up for the weak ones.

bob_vinyl: I loved it and I don't share your reservations. I'm giving it an 8/10.

taotechuck: One other thing. I hate what they did on the packaging, with the lyrics printed in a blue/gray text on a black background.

bob_vinyl: I agree. I tried to look at the lyrics and just gave up.

taotechuck: If you're going to put lyrics in the notes, especially for an album where the lyrics are treated more as part of the overall sound than they are words to be understood, at least make them legible. If you want form over function, then don't include the words. This is the kind of graphic design that really irritates me.

bob_vinyl: The cover itself is well done, so the lyrics thing is a surprise.

Summary: Overall, I think we both thought Pierce the Empire with a Sound had a good bit to offer. If there was a weakness we could agree on, it's that the album may have benefited from more collaboration in the early stages of its development. Nonetheless, I found it to be a compelling ride through an ambient, post-hardcore soundscape. Chuck felt there was too much repetition down the stretch that distracted him from the album's truly great moments. Chuck found the vocals to be grating at times whereas I saw them as one of the many ways Burke found to create harshness in an overall fluid album. We both agreed that the album, being largely the work of one person, was still able to be very organic and while it took patience, it did provide a return on that investment.

Rating: 8/10 (Bob); 6/10 (Chuck)

Virb

Video: Teletextile - ampm2

Brooklyn’s Teletextile have just released two new music videos, and the latest, from photographer Jessica Attie, is for “ampm2” from their debut LP, Care Package. It's a pretty neat video. Check it out.

Review: Juno Soundtrack

Label: Rhino

Released: January 8, 2008

When I first saw Kimya Dawson several years ago opening for They Might Be Giants, there was nothing that made me think that her music would eventually be the soundtrack to a successful movie. Don't get me wrong, I liked her...a lot. She can't sing, she can't play, her songs are simple, yet she has an undeniable charm that comes from a bizarre off-color and childlike innocence. As such, she is perhaps the perfect person to make the music for a film with characters whose innocence isn't candy-coated.

For those not familiar with Dawson or the anti-folk movement in which she is quite prevalent, the songs are typically off-key little ditties with a point of view that may seem a bit skewed to the rest of the world. It would be easy to dismiss her work, yet so many people who actually get to hear it can't. Why? Because in all of her quirkiness, there's a charming honesty, an honesty we can admire even as we wonder if she's for real. Dawson contributes five songs to the soundtrack plus one with Moldy Peaches and two with Antsy Pants, all odd little tunes that are as awkward and beautiful as the journey through adolescence. The soundtrack actually begins with "All I Want Is You," a tune by children's artist Barry Louis Polisar which forms a nice bookend with the Moldy Peaches' "Anyone Else But You" as performed by actors Michael Cera and Ellen Page at the close of the film. The open, naive beauty of the first fits almost perfectly with the irony and sweetness of the closer, bringing the album, like the movie itself, full circle. In between, there are, as with most soundtracks, songs that fit the album without the movie and songs that don't. The Kinks' "A Well Respected Man" and Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" are surely perfect in the film, yet they stick out like sore thumbs when the soundtrack is taken on its own. Just in case you didn't catch the indie credibility of including Kimya Dawson, Jason Reitman and company make their claim with everyone's first choice in instant hipper-than-thou cred, Sonic Youth. Frankly, I could live the rest of my life without hearing "Superstar," the noise rock version here or any other, and its inclusion only hurt the soundtrack. At least "I'm Sticking with You" wasn't the typical Velvet Underground pick, redeeming at least a little from that Sonic Youth misstep. A couple tracks from Belle & Sebastian fit in nicely as does Buddy Holly's "Dearest." While Cat Power's take on the classic "Sea of Love" isn't essential, it's a worthy effort that's worth hearing.

As with all soundtracks, it is difficult to make something that stands on its own outside of the film. A song that may fit perfectly within the context of the movie may be lost without the visual and the story. The Juno soundtrack is no exception. However, instead of the typical b-side quality music that ends up in so many films, Juno provides mainstream exposure to the work of an amazing yet unknown artist to a broad (and hopefully receptive) audience. It's a bit of an erratic ride, but worth the effort to hear nonetheless.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Bowmans - Far From Home

Label: Mother West

Released: April 10, 2007

The Bowmans aren't your typical Americana band. Like the more widely known Avett Brothers, they work from a broader palette than many of their peers. The Bowmans maintain a rootsy feel throughout despite breaking away from traditional folk style and augmenting their sound at times with electricity.

The vocals are the centerpiece of the music. Sarah and Claire Bowman's harmonies are rich and colorful. Best of all, they really use those harmonies to make the songs bold. It's not just something they save for the chorus, but something they use to create the ebb and flow of their music. They often incorporate a hint of jazz and it's the cadence of their voices that makes everything swing. While it may all revolve around their voices, the music behind is often responsible for some of the subtleties that make the album shine. Much of the album's understated catchiness and quirkiness is in the backing band. It is these very things that make it sneak up and grab you. In addition to the indie folk of their Americana base and the jazziness that runs through it, the Bowman's also manage to throw in some rock, with one flat out rocker, and even dabble in chamber music and vaudeville at times. They finish it all off Abbey Road-style with a fun little ditty called "Porker Song" (although unlike "Her Majesty," this one actually has a message).

Far from Home is essentially a rootsy Americana record, but it isn't old-timey by any means. At its worst, it's still fine folk music for the indie crowd, but at its best, it brings a lot more to the table and has a much broader rock appeal that throws out the limitations typically seen in the genre.

Rating: 7/10

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Review: Pomegranates - Two Eyes

Label: self-releassed

Released: 2007

Pomegranates have crafted an EP that knocks on the doors of Casiotone indie pop, pop punk and everything in between. The first few bars of "The Children's Progress" sound an awful lot like Postal Service, but before you can get settled into that, it takes a turn down a crooked post-punk street. They follow that with the core of their indie pop sound. There are more layers than it's worth counting, because the place they meet is so satisfying it doesn't matter how they got there. Just when the sweet melodies lull the album into complacency, ringing guitars and quirky rhythms keep everything from falling into that misplaced comfort.

Two Eyes is the kind of record that shakes you, but gently. As it meanders from happy to dark, from melodic to noisy, it avoids typical pop conventions to invent its own direction. Such endeavors often spell disaster, but not here. Pomegranates have found a way to make the gentle every bit as wild a ride as many more jarring albums. Even after multiple listens, I'm still not quite sure how they managed that.

They've already recorded their full-length debut, due out in Spring 2008 on Lujo Records.

Rating: 8/10

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Review: Cheater Pint - Dark Side of the Pint

Label: Kinger Recordings

Released: September 11, 2007

Considering the album cover, a not-so-clever Pink Floyd parody, I had relatively low expectations for Cheater Pint. It didn't take long for the music to change that though. Cheater Pint play raw tunes that at times conjure up images of X, the Replacements, the Ramones, Cheap Trick and late-Angry Samoans even. The common denominator is that all of these influences strip away the pretensions of more complex bands, exposing honest what-you-see-is-what-get music.

The simple melodies are delivered with an edge that is engaging and even angry at times, but never bitter. The musicianship isn't what comes from a book or a school, but from playing together and knowing each other and its loose ramblings must work even better live. Like the cover implies, there's a drunken, devil-may-care nature to Dark Side of the Pint, but while that's often shakey ground, Cheater Pint manages to stay on solid footing throughout. This isn't an album that will change the face of rock music, but it may just remind you of why you started listening in the first place.

Rating: 7/10

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Review: White Noise Supremacists - Shadows

Label: I Eat Souls Records

Released: 2006

A clever name like the White Noise Supremacists could be a blessing or a curse. If the name's that clever, how clever must the music be just to live up to it? While the name may be the best thing they've done thus far, their off-kilter rhythms and subtle melodies shouldn't be dismissed.

Their sound is rather thin, seemingly by design. Over the first three tracks, the music changes just under the conscious radar, ranging from the noise pop of My Bloody Valentine to the controlled chaos of Husker Du, all the while picking up the subtleties of the Smiths' melodies. This makes for an interesting listen and leaves the verdict out as to whether this versatility is their strength or just the result of an effort to find their voice. Starting off the second half, "Glare" lends credence to the latter explanation. There's nothing wrong with it other than the fact that it's indie singer-songwriter sound has been done too many times already. Just when WNS made me doubt though, they finish the EP up with two rather subdued rock songs whose light airy, emotive vocals are vaguely reminiscent of the Cranberries. These two tracks move around a lot more, rather than ending just where they started as the first half tracks do. "If You Go," the last of these two and the album's closer, struggles to take off as the end draws near, but their restraint creates tension that makes for their finest moment on the EP. The greatest promise of all is WNS's good sense of pop music which always seems so baffling, because it is almost pure art and not be understood so much as enjoyed.

Ultimately, Shadows asks more questions about the band than it answers, but based on its early subtlety and its late pop mastery, there's good reason for positive speculation about what's coming next.

Rating: 6/10

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Review: Awake and Alert - Devil in a Lambskin Suit

Label: Five One

Released: September 11, 2007

Awake and Alert's music centers around Maya Peart's voice. She has great range and movement and is as dynamic and smooth as a jazz vocalist, but at the same time, her voice is down to earth as if she's singing right to you. Unlike many gifted singers, she also trusts her voice enough to let it sneak into and around the music rather than showing it off selfishly. That's what really makes Awake and Alert special. Peart's voice may be the core, but it never tries to stand alone. It works with the band and is inseparable from it.

Like the subtleties of Peart's voice, the music is surprisingly intricate when you listen closely. Blake Kimball's atmospheric echoey guitar has shades of the Edge and its interplay with the rest of the band is often delicate, but never safe. The music moves around a lot, with parts coming and going. They facilitate this by abandoning the standard verse-chorus-verse structure and instead packing a lot of music into average length songs. The various parts don't have clear boundaries, but transition smoothly, almost unnoticed. It's interesting that each great component becomes clear while something else great is occurring and they manage to fit it all in without overload.

Awake and Alert have managed to create something complex without being ponderous. If I had to peg it, it'd be indie rock, but that definition, as much of a catch-all as it is, is just too limiting. It fails to account for jazz and blues and their sheer ability to ignore barriers and go where the music takes them. It is living music that flows within itself like blood flows within the body.

Rating: 8/10

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Review: Papertrigger - Riot Lovers

Label: self-released

Released: 2007

Papertrigger's Riot Lovers EP is an odd pop record that does more than just dabble in cabaret music. It is dense and often organ-dominated with jazzy rhythms and a dark, seedy undercurrent. While they play it loose and perhaps even a bit sloppy, the album shows their innate sense of being a band instead of a group of musicians operating independently. They do tighten up a bit at times, but even the fuzzy, psychedelic guitar breaks of "Fox Hunting" don't stray outside of the album's musical motif. Any bits of polish don't constrain the album's random feel either. They are in particularly fine form as the dragging rhythms of "The Inner Party" pull on the crescendo that tries to soar as the song draws to a close. It is this tension that makes the music so vivid. As if the album wasn't a peculiar enough affair, they close with a quiet piano piece whose false ending segues into a hidden track. That little bonus sounds as though it could be straight out of a documentary about deep space. It's an finale that is about as open-ended as they come.

In a way, Riot Lovers has the same spirit as the Doors' version of "Alabama Song." Papertrigger takes a very un-rock style and make it rock in their own way, not by making it loud or throwing guitars at it, but by shaking up its core with their own quirky point-of-view.

Rating: 8/10

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Review: Patty Winters Show

Label: Vacuous Pop Recordings

Released: October 29, 2007

This two song limited edition white vinyl 7" features two songs that straddle post-punk and indie pop. "You Are Wrong" contrasts quick rhythms and grating guitar with the low-key melancholy of indie pop vocals. At times, it has shades of Joy Division, but doesn't fully tap into the cold emotion that characterized that band. "You Can't Force People to Care" sticks more to the indie side, but edgy guitar crops up almost insidiously to poke at the superficial sweetness. The second track doesn't seem to explore its musical possibilities in the way the first one does, making it consistent, but unspectacular.

Rating: 5/10

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Review: De Novo Dahl - Shout

Label: Roadrunner Records

Released: 2007

I'm gonna cut to the chase here. "Shout" is the biggest slice of musical joy I've heard since U2 released "Beautiful Day" seven years ago. The song bursts with unadulterated happiness. It's hooks and harmonies grab you right from the start. A tide of pop beauty rolls in on driving rhythms, infectious bass lines and waves of guitar, organ and voice and it flows out on low-key verses whose soulful vocals clear the way for the tide to return.

"Shout" acts as the mission statement for the EP (and perhaps the band as a whole), but the other two non-remixes don't give up any ground. They follow the same undeniable plan that makes the whole experience nothing short of exhilarating. Their mix of pop and soul in the vocals and keys with a rock edge, courtesy of a big guitar sound and an animated rhythm section, and the electronic details of the omnichord rocks as hard and passionately as the White Stripes, yet is as quirky and fun as Devo or They Might Be Giants. While the songs build from quiet to explosive, the actual energy never lets up, not even for a moment.

The second three tracks on the EP are remixes of the first three. While they do a few interesting things, the originals cannot be contained by their tricks and therefore the remixes never seem to capitalize on the strengths of the originals. The quality of the songs in their purest form makes the remixes expendable.

Let me leave you with one warning about this EP: If you play "Shout" really loud, be careful. You're liable to experience pure ecstatic joy.

Rating: 9/10

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Papermoons tour!

Houston, TX duo Papermoons is leaving for a short tour tomorrow in support of their debut 7-inch. Released in July on Team Science, the record was pressed on gorgeous blue and orange-splattered vinyl and is limited to 500 copies. The 7-inch also comes with a CD version of the four songs and includes a fifth bonus track. Check out the review.

TOUR
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OCT 12 - Houston, TX @ Proletariat w/ Buxton, Buckly
OCT 13 - Alma, AR @ Damico’s Music Hall
OCT 14 - Lawrence, KS @ The Replay Lounge w/ Cavaliers
OCT 15 - Ottumwa, IA @ Flipside w/ Story Changes, Kineticut
OCT 16 - Macomb, IL @ Day Old Basement w/ Call it Radar
OCT 17 - Highland Square, OH @ The Matinee w/ The Strange Division
OCT 18 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The DAAC w/ Nathan Kalish & The Wildfire, Meneguar
OCT 19 - Akron, OH @ 403 Kling St. w/ Titles + Talons
OCT 21 - Knoxville, TN @ Old City Java w/ Gamenight
OCT 22 - Mobile, AL @ The Mug w/ Hospital
OCT 28 - Gainesville, FL @ FEST 6 / 1982 Bar

Review: Bert Susanka - Onward Christian Slater

Label: Cornerstone RAS

Released: February 13, 2007

I once saw an interview with a pro surfer. When asked who was the best surfer in the world, she replied, "The one having the most fun." Bert Susanka might be the musical embodiment of that surfing ideal.

Onward Christian Slater takes the harmonies of the Beach Boys, the down-to-earth grittiness of the Replacements and the quirky eclecticism of They Might Be Giants and wrap it up into a charmingly imperfect package. There are hints of surf, ska, power pop, hip-hop, pop punk, doo-wop, even psychedelia, so the album doesn't really have a lot of musical continuity. However, it's laidback spirit ties it together in a way that can escape even the most single-minded albums. The songs are so close to pop brilliance at times that you might think with just a bit of polish these songs would be amazing. But don't be fooled. Polish would suck the life out of them. It would destroy their beauty. It would crush their spirit. This is an album that's right even when it's wrong.

It's more than just the surf theme that crops up throughout (most notably on the story-song, "The Trip That Needed to be Took") that makes this a surf album. The Beach Boys had far more of that. It's really the essence of surfing that makes it ultimately a surf album and that's something that speaks to more than just actual surfers. In a sense it may also be similar in character to the Dude from the Big Lebowski. This is not an album about the pristine, but the laidback, the easygoing, the happy (even when it's sad). It's an album that "takes it easy for all us sinners."

Rating: 8/10

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Review: Building the State - Faces in the Architecture

Label: Amnot Records

Released: October 2, 2007

Both indie and math rock can easily degenerate into dispassion on their own. Combining the two should increase that possibility exponentially, making Building the State's latest EP all the more remarkable.

Ringing guitars, complex bass lines, precision drumming, indie rock vocals and ambient sound make up layer upon layer of distinct, yet intertwined noise. Unlike most vocal music where the instrumentation just provides backing for a voice, Building the State is made up of strictly equal parts. In a sense, they seem to be conceptually more like an instrumental group. They capture the ambling pace of indie rock and have just enough pop sense to mask their math rhythms. With only four tracks over its 20 minutes, the songs have room to develop into multi-part pieces, but the transitions are so smooth that the movement from passage to passage is almost imperceptible, moving from the calm before the storm to the storm itself before anyone even notices. This is a pristine album without being cold. It feels loose, but is actually incredibly tight and that's no easy feat.

In a nutshell, Faces in the Architecture draws the best from both indie and math and the combination is on par with the best that both genres have to offer.

Rating: 9/10

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Review: Shocking Pinks - s/t

Label: Astralwerks

Released: September 25, 2007

The latest project of New Zealand's Nick Harte, Shocking Pinks' self-titled album is actually songs collected from the two previous albums. It's a rhythm-based indie rock affair whose ambling beats support yet don't drive it's layers of ambient noise and dream pop. The album has bits of Joy Division and pieces of My Bloody Valentine, giving it both a dark undercurrent and a good pop sense that grounds it despite its oddness. There are only a few outright dance tracks, yet the whole album is in a sense vaguely danceable. When they succeed, the songs are near perfect snippets of moods. When they fail, they are merely disorganized pop songs. Luckily, there is enough of the former to make this album worth hearing.

Rating: 7/10

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Review: Brazzaville - East L.A. Breeze

Label: Vendlus Records

Released: 2006

Brazzaville is the project of David Brown, saxophonist for and longtime friend of Beck. The band is known for layering lyrics about the world's forgotten souls -- the lost and lonely, the whores and addicts, the killers and the soon-to-be dead -- in sultry musical canvases that conjure images of South American beaches and salty, sun-warmed skin. They are arguably the greatest unknown band of the past decade, and every serious music lover should check them out.

With that said, East L.A. Breeze is Brazzaville's worst album. This is a shame, because they've changed and, in some ways, grown for the better.

East L.A. Breeze starts out incredibly strong. Brady Lynch's string bass and Josep Terrecabras' percussion set up a quiet rhythm on "Peach Tree" that hints at something both sensual and dark; Naomi Webman's violin rolls in like a lazy, late afternoon storm; and Brown's plain but compelling voice slides into gentle observations about mortality, loss, and lifetimes of loneliness.

But it goes down from there. The second song, a reworking of Russian rock band KINO's "Star Called Sun," is dragged down by clichéd soft-rock beats, cheesy keyboard swells, and a syncopated guitar that lacks any emotion whatsoever. It's frustrating, because it's so easy to hear what could have been... the lyrics and the vocal melody are wonderful, the simple chord progression lends itself to the kind of haunting arrangements that Brazzaville does so well, and the band is talented and emotional. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is dominated by generic rock performances, dull drum machines, and lackluster arrangements. There are a few gems scattered throughout, but even some of those -- like the forlorn ode to past mistakes, "Madalena" -- are a bit flat and lifeless compared to the music Brown is capable of creating.

The lyrics on East L.A. Breeze are among the best that Brown has ever written. Brown understands desperation and loneliness, and he has a sense of his own mortality; not that death has ever been far away from Brazzaville's music, but it feels more inevitable this time around. The desolate victims of globalization aren't here this time, but the muted character studies abound. As always, Brown does a wonderful job of not only portraying the untouchable members of society, but respecting them and even loving them.

Brown's intentions to push his musical boundaries are noble, but the road to mediocrity is paved with good intentions. East L.A. Breeze is a good enough album that any Brazzaville fan should own it. If you want to hear Brown's vision at its finest, however, you're better off with Rouge on Pockmarked Cheeks.

(For what it's worth, it hurts me to write a less-than-glowing review about Brazzaville, because I've been a fan for years. David Brown has been an influence on my writing about Baltimore, and I strive to learn from his ability to see the beauty in what most people find hideous.)

Rating: 6/10

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Review: D'Edwin - No Prognosis

Label: Action Rezults Records (Available from CD Baby)

Released: 2007

To some extent, D'Edwin can get away with his unabashed mimicking of Morrissey, because he hasn't graduated into the big leagues yet, but there has to be some substance to his music beyond a good Morrissey impression. On No Prognosis, that substance is erratic at best.

The opening track, "Secret Assassin," does have some of that substance with an Eastern influence and wind instruments providing an ambient backdrop. However, even this, the album's best song, falls into the trap that so many find themselves in when artists work alone in these days of inexpensive electronic effects. (It's the same trap that D'Edwin falls into as a graphic artist when he committed his Photoshop sins on the album cover.) If you're bothered by the double-tracked vocals, that's nothing compared to the birds singing in "I Don't Recall." The bottom line is that you can't fill out your sound with effects in lieu of a band. If in doubt, err on the side of simplicity and D'Edwin, albeit far from the worst offender, errs on the side of over-processing. He takes a decent song like the opener or the EP's more organic final track, "I Abhor," and makes it sound more amateur than it is.

However, most of the songs do remain listenable if you have any affinity for 80s alternative music and you're willing to grant D'Edwin a few indulgences for inexperience, lack of funds or any other excuse that seems plausible. There is one track though that cannot be excused. Anyone with any ear at all can recognize that "Lazy Train" should never have seen the light of day. D'Edwin's small foray into techno, the song displays a book knowledge of how techno songs are built and absolutely no ability to actually build one.

All that being said, I actually enjoyed this album on some level, partly because I like the Smiths and partly because it reminds me of some of the underground post-punk experimentation of the 80s. Plus, D'Edwin isn't without talent. The first and last tracks have real potential and assuming that his well isn't dry so much as it isn't fully tapped for a consistent flow, he certainly could grow. Still, none of these things actually make No Prognosis good.


Rating: 4/10

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Picastro on tour

Picastro is on the road in support of their latest album, Whore Luck:

9/29 Antwerp, DE, EUR @ Arenbergsschouwburg Kleine Zaal
9/30 Amsterdam, NL, EUR @ De Nieuwe Anita
10/03 Utrecht, NL, EUR @ ACU
10/04 Brussels BE, EUR @ KultuurKaffee
10/05 Paris, FR, EUR @ Fleche D'or
10/07 Chioggia, IT, EUR @ Chioggialab
10/08 Oficina di Buenaventura Castelfranco, IT, EUR @ Basmental
10/10 Vienna AT, EUR @ Vorstadt
10/11 Prague, CR, EUR @ 007
10/14 Leipzip, DE, EUR @ UT Conewitz
10/15 Hamburg, DE, EUR @ Haus 73
10/19 New York, NY @ Piano's (CMJ)
10/22 Portsmouth, ME @ The Red Door
10/23 Toronto ON, CAN @ Silver Dollar
10/24 Montreal, QC, CAN @ Le Divan Orange
10/25 Somerville, MA @ Pa's Lounge
10/26 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
10/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
10/29 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
10/30 Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
11/19 Gothenburg SE, EUR @ Cafe Publik
11/22 Aberdeen, Scotland, EUR @ Lemon Tree

Free Foreign Born mp3

"Into Your Dream"

Check out the review of On the Wing Now.

Review: Brian Buta - False Colors

Label: self-released (available through CD Baby and iTunes)

Released: September 2007

The whole idea of rehashing the 80s never quite sat well with me. Now that it's been redone to death by so many hipsters with more fashion-sense than creativity, I'm even less receptive. That being said, Brian Buta must be doing something right, because he is almost completely stuck in the 80s and I still found time to listen to his CD multiple times.

False Colors is a solo effort in every sense of the term. Buta wrote, recorded and mixed the album himself. He even did the artwork. As such however, the album lacks the humanness of an album where at least the performance is a social effort. Buta's overly processed approach often feels synth-laden even when he's using real instruments. Granted, he intends the album to be cold and dark, but it often comes across as synthetic instead.

Still, the album has some very listenable elements. It is rooted in the late 70s/ early 80s, but Buta hasn't bought entirely into borrowing the most common pieces. Sure, there is plenty of U2 and Depeche Mode on the album, but he also dabbles in the likes of PiL and early Elvis Costello. The result is an album that shows Buta as a musician who hasn't entirely grown out of his influences rather than just a genre surfer who jumps on the best wave he sees at the moment. While he's sometimes mopey, sometimes angry, he's always emotive. You just have to pay more attention to gather it from under the effects.

Brian Buta seems to be an artist with a good bit to offer, but working entirely on his own, nothing is pushing him to explore. He also needs a producer to steer him away from the cheap effects and into a more natural sound that will better display both his songwriting and performance. All in all, this isn't a bad effort for a self-released solo album and there are some tracks that bring me back for repeat listens. However, it also feels somehow incomplete and short of his potential.

Rating: 5/10

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Review: Foreign Born - On the Wing Now

Label: Dim Mak Records

Released: August 21, 2007

A lot of bands these days have been rehashing the 80s, but very few of them bring anything particularly new to the table. For me, it's really dull to have your own teenage years spit back to you as if it's new, so it's refreshing to hear a band do something interesting with it. Foreign Born are pretty steeped in the 80s, but they are most definitely not regurgitating it back. Instead, they take that era of post-punk, new-wave and pop, dig back to its influences and come up with their own sound.

Foreign Born's guitarist, Lewis Pesacov, has a degree in Composition and considering how carefully their songs are constructed from influences ranging from the Beatles to Mott the Hoople to early INXS, it's really not a surprise. Unlike many trained musicians though, Foreign Born don't find themselves constrained by that training. Instead, they've created an album that ebbs and flows in layers, from thin to thick and back again. They don't rely on overt hooks, but instead on an implied catchiness that makes the songs memorable as a whole rather than just a riff here and there.

After releasing two EPs, On the Wing Now is Foreign Born's first full-length. Not only is it full of material that could share a stage easily with indie, emo, punk or post-rock, but it also makes an open-ended promise for the future.

Rating: 8/10

Website

Myspace

Review: Overlord - Ticker Symbols

Label: Storm Tower Records

Released: September 5, 2006

Awhile back, I wrote a review of Overlord's music from their MySpace page. Recently, I was contacted by George Pasles, who it seems pretty much is Overlord, who asked me to check out the CD since the tracks on MySpace were demos that he posts periodically to keep the page fresh. Knowing that and hearing Ticker Symbols put a lot in perspective.

Unlike the raw tracks from MySpace, the album is carefully crafted and downright irresistible. It draws on happy, jangly pop from both the 60s and the 80s and creates something very near to perfect in its own realm. This isn't an album where any single element stands out. Vocals, guitar, rhythms, none of these stand up on their own, yet together they fall so perfectly into place that it's mind-boggling. This is the stuff for which you can't take lessons. You either have it or you don't and Overlord has it.

The drums are minimalist; the bass lines sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate; the guitar, clean and ringing, never overdriven. The vocals are the key though. Their sweet harmonies conjure up visions of the Moody Blues or Herman's Hermits' big hit, "I'm Into Something Good." But this isn't a 60s revival. Overlord also shows an affection for the 80s guitar pop of the Church, REM and, most importantly, the Smiths as well newer elements of pop that have developed over the last decade or so.

The Smiths turn out to be both a musical and spiritual guide to Overlord. Not only does Ticker Symbols interpret the Smiths ability to make hauntingly upbeat guitar pop, it also runs with the Smiths' clever idea of matching such pop bliss with sadness. However, Overlord is far less maudlin than Morrissey and that makes the effect more subtle and in a sense more conflicting.

In a sense they bridge the gap between the 60s and 80s and make it all current with a touch of ambient electronics, used sparingly. In addition, the album vaguely dabbles at times in psychedelia, punk, even country. These almost unnoticeable forays are bigger than they seem in the scheme of things. They keep it interesting without even seeming different.

A term that would often be used with a band like Overlord is "pop sensibility." It usually refers to an uncanny ability to incorporate hooks into the music. It doesn't quite apply to Overlord though. Theirs is more of a pop consciousness or pop being. Ticker Symbols doesn't merely understand how to use hooks, hooks are its very essence. Like the groom on the album cover, you might feel like you've been left at the altar, but the cake still tastes great.

Rating: 8/10

Website

Myspace

Check out my review of the album cover at Whole Lotta Album Covers.

Review: Rachael Cantu - Run All Night

Label: Q Division Records

Released: February 7, 2006

A number of years ago, I bought a 7" from a band I'd never heard on a whim. The band was okay, but the thing that stayed with me was the voice. It was rich and mature, yet young and optimistic. It was beautiful. The band was Quite Satellite and that voice was Rachael Cantu. I got in touch with her and she hooked me up with a CD-R of some stuff she recorded after that with Robb MacLean of Limbeck. I bought Limbeck's first album just because she sang backup on it. Then it seemed like not much was going on and, while I still listen to those songs, I lost touch with her career. So, while I was perhaps early to appreciate her talent, I'm late in hearing Run All Night. About four years have passed since I'd heard anything new from her and in that time some things have changed and some have stayed the same.

Rachael Cantu still plays low-key, indie, singer-songwriter material. Therefore, the instrumentation is still sparse, but more polished. The music on its own is generally good, though nothing jumps out immediately, but a closer listen shows that there's more variety. Her voice is still the focus, but it's changed a little.

The album doesn't quite get off on the best foot. The opening track, "Hear My Laughter" lacks even subtle elements of interest. But the flat start is misleading. The upbeat, but not too upbeat, "Saturday" easily gets past the false start of the opener. It's not immediately apparent, because she's so subtle over most of the album, but there's a lot going on beneath the surface. Sometimes, Cantu sticks to her old folky, voice-and-a-guitar ways, but at others she dabbles in a variety of genres. They rise subtly from the album's basic form. She's soulful on "Sweat & Bones." There's jazz in her voice on the dark title track which closes the album. She really hits stride in the middle with "Blood Laughs," whose ambient drone proves the best backdrop for her voice; "This Breath Won't Hold," with an evocative jazz feel to her vocals over the indie/folk guitar; and "My First War," whose strings ebb and flow and which hints at her younger voice.

Run All Night is certainly a more mature recording than Cantu has made in the past, but there's both an up and down side to that maturity. The songs are better written and the arrangements help bring out her voice which is every bit as beautiful, but is missing the youthful optimism that made it even more striking in the past. The songs have long had a sadness that permeates them, but the optimism always added a yearning that this album is missing.

Rating: 6/10

Website

Myspace

Myspace: Covert

UK-based Covert has been making their dark post-punk since 2006. In that relatively short time they've proven that they are capable of producing moody, edgy, moving music seemingly influenced by the better bands that followed the initial punk explosion of the 70s rather than the watered-down new wave that was digested by the masses and is now seeing quite a revival. They have recently recorded their second demo, a five song EP entitled Songs for the Lost, and four of those songs are available on their MySpace page.

"Cry Answers" starts off with a fluid bass line and grating, trebley guitar and moves into big chords and almost operatic vocals. The chorus breaks into a fast, prog/metal riff bringing a solid rock sound to the song. It touches a lot of influences, but remains cohesive. They move into darker, moodier territory with "Let's Go Out," suggesting some love for Joy Division. Its quiet bass line, sparse drums and piano builds to an edginess reminiscent of Gang of Four. Still in the Gang of Four vein, "Hope" is angular and unsettling, putting it very much at odds with its title. A mellow, moody piano piece with pleading vocals, "Favourite Star (For a Lover)" has a stark nature that even the ringing guitars of the chorus can't change.

In a world where it seems that so many bands want to seem dark and moody, Covert is the real thing. Their artistic, though not yet commercial, success stems from their influences, who were bands of substance themselves rather than chart-toppers. Covert may have the same fate, but it's better to tap into the darkness of your soul than to sell it. They sing, "Gotta move in your own direction, / take control of your own skin." They seem to practice that as well.

DVD: Various Artists - SXSW Live 2007

Label: Shout! Factory

Released: August 21, 2007

John Lennon once said, "If there wasn't a fight, it wasn't a good gig." So, what is it if no one even moves? Lennon was clearly arguing that a sterile show is never good and sterility is exactly the problem with SXSW Live 2007. The DVD is a collection of songs from shows at two Austin venues, the Bat Bar and the Lonestar Lounge, during SXSW back in March. While some of the artists offer decent performances the clubs and the crowds hardly have a pulse.

The Bat Bar was certainly the lesser show space. The stage was right out of Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve and so was the crowd. Most of the performances were stiff, likely dulled by the lifeless audience. The Automatic Automatic's Alex Pennie jumped down into the crowd, but even this failed to invigorate them as he returned to the stage almost untouched. An impressive performance from Aqualung, pushing the boundaries of pop, didn't fare any better. Bowling for Soup, a band I'm sure well used to a rowdy crowd, had a few people jumping up and down, albeit carefully as not to crowd their neighbors. Even Polyphonic Spree's revival-fueled show got nary a heartbeat from the crowd. I have to wonder, do those people even like rock music?

Things got a little better at the Lonestar Lounge. It's really a sad comment on the Bat Bar that a place that looks like a Texas Roadhouse restaurant is a step up. The filming is much better during this segment, because it focuses on the artists rather than this lackluster crowd. Marc Broussard hits his groove with no help from the audience. Annuals push the envelope as if everything depended on their set. Mando Diao feed off of each other for an energetic performance. Joe Purdy manages to separate himself from time and place and lose at least a little control. But Lee "Scratch" Perry seemed as old as he is even if his message was current. His band, though younger chronologically, seemed even older. Kraak & Smaak had a soulful groove, but their stage presence was almost non-existent. Mostly, the artists lacked any of the edge that you'd expect them to have in the make-or-break environment that an event like SXSW supposedly is.

With all the hype surrounding SXSW each year, I expected that it was a great event, but if this DVD is indicative of what it's like, and worse yet what the future of rock and roll holds, we're in for some lean years. Most of the bands probably expected to make an impression with the right clothes and a safe set rather than taking the chances that have traditionally driven rock music, and all art, forward. The best I can say about this collection is that you might find a few artists to check out if you can try to picture what they would they be like at a real show.

Rating: 4/10

Review: Papermoons - 7 inch EP

Label: Team Science Records

Released: July 24, 2007

Houston's Papermoons, the duo that is Matt Clark and Daniel Hawkins, make music that is soft and gentle on the surface, but moves with subtle power. Their debut EP contains four songs (five on the CD) of indie folk beauty that mix layers electronic drone and traditional instrumentation. In just a single listen, the ride travels deep under the surface, touching far more than just the ears. The band really seems to be on its own path. It's a similar vein to the Postal Service perhaps, but by no means derivative. Each track is a big lush soundscape without losing its small folksy, rootsy feel. The best recommendation for approaching Papermoons' music comes from the record itself: "I think we think too much about everything..." This isn't a record to over analyze. Abandon yourself to its flow and you'll just understand.

Rating: 9/10

Note: Place your mouse over the album art to see the beautiful vinyl.

Papermoons Myspace

Review: Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start - Worst Band Name Ever

Label: self-released

Released: June 2007

They certainly got the title right. Pop culture Nintendo reference aside, the name is just awful. But the music is another story and that's how they get away with it. Building on their layered indie rock past, Up Up Down Down (I'm skipping the rest for the sake of brevity) take significant strides forward with their latest release, Worst Band Name Ever.

Several free internet-only EPs offered up by the band over the last several years are as solid as they are ordinary. There's nothing wrong per se, just nothing that stretches beyond the confines of the genre. That can't be said about Worst Band Name Ever though. The songwriting strives for Death Cab for Cutie and while it fails to reach that level (like everyone else who tries to match Ben Gibbard), it does reach a much higher bar than most of Up Up Down Down's peers. Best of all though, Up Up Down Down is much more than just a poor man's Death Cab. They mix up the rhythms with some odd time signatures and a general sense of being slightly, though certainly not entirely, off-balance. It feels like a lonely music geek in physics class (and understanding it).

Much of the album alternates between soft and loud, but the music is so carefully understated that even the loudest parts seem like a wall of quiet. Up Up Down Down are so laid-back in their craft that the songs are memorable without any distinct hooks. Rather than rely on a simple phrase that sticks, the band weaves a web of layered sound between the soft, sweet and vaguely sad and the nervous, edgy and clearly unsettled.

There is no question whose records have spent a lot of time on Up Up Down Down's turntable, but unlike so many others, while they wear that influence on their sleeve, they don't just spit the same thing back out. Their road, while parallel to Death Cab's, is still very much their own.

Rating: 7/10

Review: John P. Strohm/Dylan in the Movies - So Long City Skies

Label: American Laundromat Records

Released: July 23, 2007

One of American Laundromat's latest split 7 inches, So Long City Skies finds unjustly lesser-known alt rocker John P. Strohm (formerly of the equally unjustly lesser-known Blake Babies) channeling the Jayhawks. "The Long So Long" is a mild countrified indie rock song that's so subtle you might not catch it on the first listen, but its sublime soul picks away and works its way in with sparse perfection and sweet harmonies.

The flipside, "City Skies" is well-crafted emo/indie pop from Boston's Dylan in the Movies. It's a decent match for Strohm's contribution, but lacks the balance between clean and raw of the first side, erring on the side of being just a bit too nice and neat. Certainly for the right mood (maybe late at night and alone, but not lonely?), it's a nice fit, but it doesn't have the subtlety of "The Long So Long" which finds its way into life in general.

While this record won't have as much in store outside of its target audience, it does hold a good bit of appeal for lovers of both alt country and low-key indie pop. Vinyl lovers can pick up one of 500 hand-numbered copies. The less fortunate can still get it on iTunes.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Picastro - Whore Luck

Label: Polyvinyl Records

Released: September 11, 2007

Some albums are great, because you always want to listen to them and others are great, because sometimes you want to listen to nothing else. Picastro's third album, Whore Luck, is the latter. It's a questionable state of mind that would want a steady diet of this album, yet there are likely times for everyone when it's perfect.

The Toronto-based band combines elements of classical, folk and rock into a unique mix of low-key songs for those less than excitable moments. Straying away from typical rock instrumentation, Picastro employs cello and violin in addition to guitar, piano and drums to provide their odd comfort to the melancholy. Though frequently compared to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the connection is little more than tenuous, based only on both band's low-key rock that dabbles heavily in avant-garde classical. Okay, that's a little more than tenuous, but the comparison should not be overstated. The mood for Godspeed is not the mood for Picastro. Whore Luck is more personal, emotional and accessible than anything Godspeed has offered and that difference is significant. Picastro's sound is so uniquely theirs, that they pull off covers of both Roky Erickson and the Fall seamlessly, almost as if they weren't covers at all. Attempts at comparisons will always fail, because there really is no good fit. While this may not make them a hit, they have the potential to appeal to anyone willing to either take the time to pay close attention or abandon themselves to Picastro's sad beauty.

Liz Hysen's vocals are subdued and range from shaky and nervous to haunting. Her thin voice doesn't exhibit a lot of range, but proves to be deceptively dynamic as the cornerstone of the music. The strings provide the drone that drives the songs (to the extent that they are driven) often at several layers, with articulate, but understated percussion acting more as off-kilter accents. The piano is a vehicle of dissonance rather than harmony and guitars add both reassuring jangle and grating noise. Each part on its own would fall, which is likely the source of the music's madness, while together they buttress each other, which is in turn the source of its comfort. The album's controlled noise is the soundtrack to being centered in a wobbly world.

Don't expect this album to be in constant rotation. It doesn't work that way. But when you need it, when you're sad or lonely or out of sorts or even just generally melancholy, there will be few albums better than Whore Luck. It won't pick you up out of your funk, but it will sit with you like a good friend who knows when things need to run their course.

Rating: 7/10

Note: Check out Whole Lotta Album Covers to see my review of the album cover.

Review: 31Knots - The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere

Label: Polyvinyl Records

Released: March 6, 2007

Often a great album is one where everything comes together in ways unimagined with hooks that make one wonder how anyone could write something that instantly likable. Other times, great albums take effort. The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere, 31Knots' fourth full-length release, is like that. A consistently unsettling work, it achieves this by juxtaposing different styles, creating discord that runs deeply throughout the album. The result is an uncomfortable listen, yet one that is not to be missed.

From the opening moments of electronic noise on the first track, “Beauty,” 31Knots manage to challenge. With its agitated vocals, simple piano bass pattern, harsh staccato guitar and odd math rock rhythms, it creates a blueprint for the album as a whole. But that blueprint is very general, because the tension it creates is never done in quite the same way from cut to cut.

For instance, “Savage Boutique” mixes alternating vaudeville and baroque pop and a subtle hook in the horns with vocals that sound as if they’re sung straight from a padded cell. Call and response vocals and fuzzy, jangly guitar pull at the loose ambling rhythm of “The Salted Tongue” while smooth interludes break the tension. Cold electronics give way to hints of pop and then let loose with prog guitar riffs on “Hit List Shakes.”

The rough vocal melody of "The Days and Nights of Lust and Presumption" is just shy of having single potential, yet the quick guitar blasts and a simple bass drum rhythm keep it off kilter. It leads into the album’s most accessible song, the near pure prog of “Imitation Flesh,” but it’s only accessible insofar as it’s perhaps the only song on the album that can be pigeonholed into an existing genre.

The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere closes with the low-key, but still disturbing, “Walk With Caution.” Thin, dirty vocals suddenly give way to a cleaner, impassioned voice (somewhat reminiscent of U2’s Bono) and echoey church bells. The sounds of a scratched record and sad, but heavenly voices join in before the song, and therefore the album, closes with the soft ambient dissonance of an old sci-fi flick. It is perhaps a perfect finish even if it leaves more discomfort than satisfaction.

This is an album that borders on both pop and sanity, yet both seem to (diliberately) elude it. It is so often just a hair shy of pop perfection and manic collapse all at once and that is what makes it brilliant. The musicianship is deceptively strong, but never indulgent and the absence of glossy hooks forces the music to be taken on its own merit, exposed in a way that’s bold and honest. The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere is not the kind of album that is easy to like. It’s not really even the kind of album that can be enjoyed. But it is definitely the kind of album that is worth experiencing. It is difficult, but isn’t that the road to enlightenment?

Rating: 8/10

Myspace: Overlord

Overlord has an image problem. Their myspace name (overlordisnotmetal) shows that they are consciously aware of it. Even though I found this band through one of my favorite indie rock bands, Palomar, I still wondered, "Is this a metal band?" The answer is most stridently "no." While that might put off those who find them haphazardly, this band's catchy, sixties inspired indie rock is worth a listen.

Overlord has four songs on their page, three of which appear on what seem to be actual releases* and the fourth on a demo. "Oh My Mechanical Heart," from 2007's Pictures from Anhedonia, has slight country tendencies that call upon the days before rock had seperated itself from its parent. The song is memorable without relying on an overt hook. Another 2007 release, Alps, I Did It Again, offers "Nothing is Wrong," another sixties influenced pop piece that captures the smooth balladry of the Moody Blues without seeming quite so light. Overlord pulled "The Family Plot" from last year's Ticker Symbols. Once again, the band reaches back 40 years for their influences, but this time they filter it through 80s jangle a la the Church. The final song, "Back to the Big Lie," comes from a recent unreleased demo recording. At first, it seems to drag a bit, but its subtle atmospherics make it the strongest track posted on their page.

Overlord is more established than the other bands I've reviewed from Myspace, but they're still not a major act by a long shot. Still the expectations should be higher for a band at their level than for a band that has just formed. Overlord are clearly better than a lot of what's out there, but perhaps not quite as good when experience is considered. While they were a good listen, I don't see anything that will necessarily change with more time under their belt. Indie rock fans who like a healthy dose of sixties pop should check out Overlord, but don't expect them to get their big break anytime soon.

*Their myspace page indicates that they are from albums, but their regular website makes no mention of the first two of these albums.