Bombco, a label that some Chicagoan friends of mine used to run, lived by a sarcastic but apt motto: “Indie-rock isn’t a sound; it’s a business model.” Let’s be honest, though. When most of this site’s readers hear the phrase “indie-rock,” they think of white guys with odd singing voices playing guitars and drums unconventionally and recording on cheap equipment. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that --- THIS black guy will certainly fly the flags of Pavement, Sebadoh, GBV and Boyracer until he dies. Nonetheless, if one must get technical about it, any rock band that operates without the aid of major labels and/or corporations could be called “indie-rock.” Virginia quartet Conshafter definitely fits this looser definition, but even a cursory listen to their debut album Fear the Underdog gives their ambitions of mainstream success away. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that either --- what band WOULDN’T want their music to reach as many people as possible? However, this band makes an unconvincing case for itself by emulating the styles of as many radio-friendly unit shifters as possible without adding anything of their own that could be considered distinctive or substantial.
Conshafter’s basic sound is what Weezer would sound like if their songs were played at Superchunk speed, with choppy power chords, a muscular rhythm section and an off-key lead singer whining on top of oodles of wordless background harmonies. It isn’t the most original sound on the planet, but it would be tolerable were it not for the endless supply of unforgivably bad lyrics and stylistic clichés. “Love Song Hypocritical” begins by bemoaning its own existence: “I know it’s sort of kind of lame. All these stupid love songs --- they sound the same!” However, self-awareness isn’t its own reward, and Conshafter don’t do anything to make the song stand out among the trillion others of its kind…four more of which appear on their own album! The lyrics of “Enjoy the View,” “Autopilot” and “Joey Ramone” are filled with rhythmic placeholders (“Wait for a second, I reckon, before you throw me out/I’ve got something to say, without a doubt”) and obvious internal rhymes (“Think it’s time for a change/Feel deranged, estranged and chained/And it all ends up the same”).
The band uses up every trick in its collective sleeve by the middle of the album. There are two tracks that begin with menacing spoken verses and climax in loudly sung choruses. There are four tracks that abruptly shift into disjointed breakdowns that sound nothing like the rest of the song, yet don’t make the song any better. Then, there are the ill-advised attempts to sound like completely different, yet equally popular, bands. “Springville,” a piano-driven song about small town decay, sounds like the band’s attempt to pull of a Rufus Wainwright. The even worse “Autopilot” is crammed with tired drum loops and turntable scratching. It sounds like the Dust Brothers remixing an Oasis outtake, which made it all the more shocking when I read that the song was co-produced by Keith Shocklee of THE BOMB SQUAD!!! Somebody needs to reissue the classic Public Enemy albums soon so that Shocklee won’t have to associate himself with bands this bad just to get a check.
The best thing that Conshafter has going for it is its rhythm section. Drummer Craig Nelson has an endless supply of cool fills, and bassist Rob Teague inserts some really tuneful melodies into otherwise excruciating songs. Singer Chris Konstantinos and guitarist Dave Cykert aren’t necessarily bad at their instruments, but I wonder how much better the band’s music would be if the other two guys wrote the songs instead of them. Unfortunately, Conshafter inspire pity more than they do fear. I know that they’re reaching for the brass ring, but right now they don’t have what it takes to become more than underdogs. This may be one of the blandest albums I’ve heard all year.
--Sean Padilla
Artist Website: http://www.conshafter.com
November 04, 2004
dizzee rascal 'showtime'
East London rap superstar Dizzee Rascal’s debut album Boy in Da
Corner was such a breath of fresh air. I know that I wasn’t the
only one rabid enough about the CD to purchase a steep import of it in 2003, months before Matador released it domestically this past January. Boy in Da Corner was three years in the making, with at least one song (the single “I Luv U”) created when Dizzee was merely 16 years old. Traces of the MC’s youth appeared all over the album; Dizzee spent almost as much time being silly as he did issuing stark reports of ghetto reality. Times have changed, of course, and Dizzee’s sophomore effort Showtime reflects these changes, revealing a portrait of the artist as what Cedric the Entertainer calls “a grown-ass man.” Like Tupac, Biggie and many legendary emcees before them, Dizzee has developed a rep for sick lyrics, even sicker beats and a checkered past that threatens to catch up with him at any moment. This 19-year-old has lived through things that not even most superstars in his age group could fathom. Although Dizzee’s sense of humor hasn’t completely evaporated, his new album unsurprisingly finds him in slightly heavier spirits due to these experiences.
Many critics have already called Showtime an attempt to appeal to a broader, more mainstream audience. The lyrics are occasionally peppered with American slang (“word is bond,” “what’s really good”) and multiple allusions to Jay-Z. “Face” ends with an angry woman watching Dizzee on TV and begging someone to change the channel to a Jay-Z video, and closing track “Fickle” sports a sped-up soul sample a la The Blueprint. It also has to be said that none of the beats are as flat-out weird as, say, the gamelan-meets-garage hybrid of Boy in Da Corner‘s “Brand New Day.” Despite all of this, though, I am happy to report that said mainstream ambition proves unsuccessful. Dizzee’s thick accent (from his mouth, the word “paper” becomes “pay-paw”) will still render many of his words unintelligible to unprepared listeners, and the speedier rhyming style he adopts throughout the record doesn’t help matters much. Furthermore, at least half of the beats on this record are minimal and dissonant enough to make the Neptunes blush. (Be sure to peep the cybernetic Miami bass of “Stand Up Tall” and the synthesized sitars of “Learn.”) Calling Showtime a more mainstream version of Dizzee’s sound is almost like calling Quadrophenia a slightly less ambitious record than Tommy.
As insinuated in the previous paragraph, Dizzee’s skills have grown by leaps and bounds on this album. He’s slightly toned down his crackly squawking, and his delivery is crammed with hyper-kinetic syncopation and internal rhyme. Even when the beats are slow and menacing, as on “Graftin’” and “Respect Me,“ Dizzee raps in double-time. You’ll find none of the slow limericks of Boy in Da Corner’s “Vexed” here. Lyrically, Showtime‘s three main themes can be broken down as such: 1) The streets from which Dizzee came are still as gritty and grimy as ever, and 2) The list of closet haters and public enemies has grown since his rise to fame, therefore 3) Dizzee will hurt anyone who poses a threat to him without thinking twice.
“Graftin’,” “Get By” and “Imagine” fit under the first category, as they outline Dizzee’s internal struggle between transcending his upbringing and alienating the people he grew up with. “Hype Talk,” my personal favorite, addresses the various rumors that have sprung up since Dizzee’s ascension. It boasts both the album’s most memorable hook and a beat that sounds like it is running forward and backward simultaneously. “Face” addresses leeches who try to use him for his fame. On two songs (“Respect Me“ and “Knock, Knock“), Dizzee vows revenge against the unnamed man who stabbed him shortly before the release of Boy in Da Corner. Ironically, the threat on “Respect Me” is followed by a verse in which Dizzee pleads with his acquaintances to stop trying to drag him back into an illegal lifestyle. You can hear the desperation in his voice when he commands, “Stop that so I can do this!” “Knock, Knock” finds Dizzee ranting about promoters and bouncer who hassle him at his own shows, and audiences that consist of men who want to shoot him and women who ignore him. I’m not even going to count the number of songs in which Dizzee threatens an imaginary antagonist physical harm.
The two songs that stray furthest away from defensive braggadocio are sequenced right next to each other. “Dream” is a beat-less ditty that’s cheeky enough to sample Captain Sensible. The sample reeks of intentional treacle, but Dizzee counters it with a rap that thanks and encourages his fans with all of the sincerity he can manage. “Girls” is a typical ditty about having sex with gorgeous women in the club, but Dizzee manages to be lascivious without being misogynistic (Ludacris is one of the few American rappers who can pull this trick off). Also, “Girls” boasts a guest appearance from Marga Man, whose light, octave-leaping voice delivers some sorely needed comic relief. Judging from his contribution to this song, I look forward to hearing an entire full-length of Marga Man material.
Showtime isn’t a perfect record. First of all, a couple of songs suffer from hooks that aren’t up to the quality of the beats of the verses. Second of all, Dizzee created most of the album by himself in the studio, and it sounds like it. There aren’t as many guest appearances as there were on his debut. The solitude in the music and the paranoia in the lyrics occasionally make Showtime sound claustrophobic. These quibbles aside, the album is definitely an improvement over Boy in Da Corner, proving once and for all that the cross-continental hype attached to Dizzee Rascal’s name is completely justified. Discover his genius for yourself. The album’s available in the States NOW at a reasonable domestic price.
--Sean Padilla
Artist Website: http://www.dizzeerascal.co.uk
Label Website: http://www.xlrecordings.com
Corner was such a breath of fresh air. I know that I wasn’t the
only one rabid enough about the CD to purchase a steep import of it in 2003, months before Matador released it domestically this past January. Boy in Da Corner was three years in the making, with at least one song (the single “I Luv U”) created when Dizzee was merely 16 years old. Traces of the MC’s youth appeared all over the album; Dizzee spent almost as much time being silly as he did issuing stark reports of ghetto reality. Times have changed, of course, and Dizzee’s sophomore effort Showtime reflects these changes, revealing a portrait of the artist as what Cedric the Entertainer calls “a grown-ass man.” Like Tupac, Biggie and many legendary emcees before them, Dizzee has developed a rep for sick lyrics, even sicker beats and a checkered past that threatens to catch up with him at any moment. This 19-year-old has lived through things that not even most superstars in his age group could fathom. Although Dizzee’s sense of humor hasn’t completely evaporated, his new album unsurprisingly finds him in slightly heavier spirits due to these experiences.
Many critics have already called Showtime an attempt to appeal to a broader, more mainstream audience. The lyrics are occasionally peppered with American slang (“word is bond,” “what’s really good”) and multiple allusions to Jay-Z. “Face” ends with an angry woman watching Dizzee on TV and begging someone to change the channel to a Jay-Z video, and closing track “Fickle” sports a sped-up soul sample a la The Blueprint. It also has to be said that none of the beats are as flat-out weird as, say, the gamelan-meets-garage hybrid of Boy in Da Corner‘s “Brand New Day.” Despite all of this, though, I am happy to report that said mainstream ambition proves unsuccessful. Dizzee’s thick accent (from his mouth, the word “paper” becomes “pay-paw”) will still render many of his words unintelligible to unprepared listeners, and the speedier rhyming style he adopts throughout the record doesn’t help matters much. Furthermore, at least half of the beats on this record are minimal and dissonant enough to make the Neptunes blush. (Be sure to peep the cybernetic Miami bass of “Stand Up Tall” and the synthesized sitars of “Learn.”) Calling Showtime a more mainstream version of Dizzee’s sound is almost like calling Quadrophenia a slightly less ambitious record than Tommy.
As insinuated in the previous paragraph, Dizzee’s skills have grown by leaps and bounds on this album. He’s slightly toned down his crackly squawking, and his delivery is crammed with hyper-kinetic syncopation and internal rhyme. Even when the beats are slow and menacing, as on “Graftin’” and “Respect Me,“ Dizzee raps in double-time. You’ll find none of the slow limericks of Boy in Da Corner’s “Vexed” here. Lyrically, Showtime‘s three main themes can be broken down as such: 1) The streets from which Dizzee came are still as gritty and grimy as ever, and 2) The list of closet haters and public enemies has grown since his rise to fame, therefore 3) Dizzee will hurt anyone who poses a threat to him without thinking twice.
“Graftin’,” “Get By” and “Imagine” fit under the first category, as they outline Dizzee’s internal struggle between transcending his upbringing and alienating the people he grew up with. “Hype Talk,” my personal favorite, addresses the various rumors that have sprung up since Dizzee’s ascension. It boasts both the album’s most memorable hook and a beat that sounds like it is running forward and backward simultaneously. “Face” addresses leeches who try to use him for his fame. On two songs (“Respect Me“ and “Knock, Knock“), Dizzee vows revenge against the unnamed man who stabbed him shortly before the release of Boy in Da Corner. Ironically, the threat on “Respect Me” is followed by a verse in which Dizzee pleads with his acquaintances to stop trying to drag him back into an illegal lifestyle. You can hear the desperation in his voice when he commands, “Stop that so I can do this!” “Knock, Knock” finds Dizzee ranting about promoters and bouncer who hassle him at his own shows, and audiences that consist of men who want to shoot him and women who ignore him. I’m not even going to count the number of songs in which Dizzee threatens an imaginary antagonist physical harm.
The two songs that stray furthest away from defensive braggadocio are sequenced right next to each other. “Dream” is a beat-less ditty that’s cheeky enough to sample Captain Sensible. The sample reeks of intentional treacle, but Dizzee counters it with a rap that thanks and encourages his fans with all of the sincerity he can manage. “Girls” is a typical ditty about having sex with gorgeous women in the club, but Dizzee manages to be lascivious without being misogynistic (Ludacris is one of the few American rappers who can pull this trick off). Also, “Girls” boasts a guest appearance from Marga Man, whose light, octave-leaping voice delivers some sorely needed comic relief. Judging from his contribution to this song, I look forward to hearing an entire full-length of Marga Man material.
Showtime isn’t a perfect record. First of all, a couple of songs suffer from hooks that aren’t up to the quality of the beats of the verses. Second of all, Dizzee created most of the album by himself in the studio, and it sounds like it. There aren’t as many guest appearances as there were on his debut. The solitude in the music and the paranoia in the lyrics occasionally make Showtime sound claustrophobic. These quibbles aside, the album is definitely an improvement over Boy in Da Corner, proving once and for all that the cross-continental hype attached to Dizzee Rascal’s name is completely justified. Discover his genius for yourself. The album’s available in the States NOW at a reasonable domestic price.
--Sean Padilla
Artist Website: http://www.dizzeerascal.co.uk
Label Website: http://www.xlrecordings.com
November 02, 2004
Cheval de Frise "self titled"
If you think that Hella is the final frontier of math-rock, have I got a surprise for you! Cheval de Frise is an instrumental duo from France that, on the surface, bears a couple of similarities to Hella. First of all, both bands are aptly named. The guys in Hella live up to their name (a slang adverb used to connote extremity) by playing their broken-metered riffs “hella” loud and “hella” fast. The guys in Cheval de Frise live up to theirs (which, although it means “Frisian horse” in French, is used in English to describe any spiky obstacle) by turning each of its songs into discursive journeys that aren’t always easy to listen to. Second of all, both duos consist of a guitarist and a drummer who have a chemistry and tightness that borders on telepathy. When listening to either band, I don’t even THINK about the absence of a bassist because I’m too busy wondering how they manage to keep up with each other. Both duos sound so close to spinning out of control that the addition of another instrument would most likely push their music into total chaos.
However, Cheval de Frise carve out their own niche in an increasingly cluttered sub-genre through a mastery of texture and timbre. Thomas Bonvalet uses an acoustic guitar instead of an electric, a strategy that reaps dividends on many levels. For one, his choice of guitars underscores his sheer technical mastery of the instrument. Most guitar geeks will agree that it’s harder to play well without amplification, Bonvalet’s ability to do tricks that most guitarists would need electricity and distortion (which Bonvalet uses rather sparingly) to accomplish supplies the requisite “wow” factor that even the least egotistical math-rockers strive for. Playing acoustic allows the band to execute dynamic changes that most musicians can’t when they’re playing with amplification due to compression. On many songs, the band’s dynamic shifts are smooth enough to sound like engineered fadeouts. Bonvalet’s playing style is just as percussive as comrade Vincent Beysselance’s drumming, which makes the duo’s rhythmic lockstep sound positively effortless. Vincent’s no slouch himself --- he has the ability to wring a nearly infinite array of tones from his cymbals, and his jazzy yet firm grip on the endlessly shifting meters posits him as a kinder, gentler counterpart to Hella’s Zach Hill.
By no means are Cheval de Frise neophytes --- their first two albums were recorded in 2000 and 2002, respectively, but neither of them hit American shores until earlier this year. Their self-titled debut is the more energetic and raucous of the two. Opener “Connexion Monstrueuse Entre un Objet et Son Image” begins with strumming so hyperactive that the guitar sounds like it’s being run through a delay pedal (although it isn’t); the drums later follow suit with equally stuttered rhythms. From that point onward, the song goes through more changes than most bands put on entire albums: metallic drop-D riffs, Gastr del Sol-style meandering, pointillist finger-tapping, etc. “Constructions d'Écorces d'Arbres” is dissonant enough to suggest being composed in “just intonation.” Its rhythmic accents are so lopsided that even when the band’s playing in 4/4 it feels like they aren’t. The contrapuntal finger-picking on“Incliné et Chenu” sounds like an out-of-tune harp. Throughout the album, every strange riff that Bonvalet ekes from his guitar is matched by an equally outlandish rhythm from Beysselance.
The duo’s second album, Fresques Sur Les Parois Secretes du Crane, is a more even-keeled distillation of the group’s sound. The production is damper here than on their debut, with more reverb filling in the open spaces. There are more moments of quiet nothingness; the changes in key, meter and volume aren’t as frequent, which makes tham sound slightly more violent when they actually occur. On this record, both musicians seem a bit more eager to use their instruments as noise generators. For instance, the midsection of opener “Lucare des Combles” sounds like a factory of broken watches, and the grinding slides that Bonvalet makes on his fret board can make unsuspecting listeners seasick. Later on in the record, “Deux Nappes Ductiles” finds Bonvalet bending his strings so subtly that his guitar sounds like it’s being run through a chorus pedal (although it isn’t), and on “Songe de Perte de Dents” his palm-muting technique makes his instrument sound like an orchestra of plucked violins.
Whereas the self-titled record sounds like two musicians trying to outdo each other, Fresques is Bonvalet’s show, with Beysselance restraining himself in order to follow the guitarist’s lead. That’s not the real surprise, though. On the title track and “Phosphorescence de l'Arbre Mort,” Cheval de Frise are augmented by a third musician. Simon Quinoillant, who contributes bowed drones and tape manipulations that sound like anything from hurdy-gurdies to howling cats. The result sounds like a jam session between Storm & Stress and Pelt. The combination shouldn’t work, but it does, mainly because Bonvaley and Beysselance step back and let the drones take center stage. In fact, these two songs leave me hoping for more collaborations with Quinoillant on future releases. The songs on Fresques are spacious and deliberate enough to withstand additional instrumentation without sounding cluttered, which can’t be said for those on their debut.
Overall, both Cheval de Frise albums are proof that subtlety doesn’t have to be anathema to math-rockers. If I’d have known about Cheval de Frise during the era of “freedom fries,” I’d have tried to use their music as a catalyst for cross-cultural unity. Somebody tell those guys that all is forgiven, and that they should tour here soon!
---Sean Padilla
Label Websites:
http://www.sickroomrecords.com
http://www.freneticrecords.com
However, Cheval de Frise carve out their own niche in an increasingly cluttered sub-genre through a mastery of texture and timbre. Thomas Bonvalet uses an acoustic guitar instead of an electric, a strategy that reaps dividends on many levels. For one, his choice of guitars underscores his sheer technical mastery of the instrument. Most guitar geeks will agree that it’s harder to play well without amplification, Bonvalet’s ability to do tricks that most guitarists would need electricity and distortion (which Bonvalet uses rather sparingly) to accomplish supplies the requisite “wow” factor that even the least egotistical math-rockers strive for. Playing acoustic allows the band to execute dynamic changes that most musicians can’t when they’re playing with amplification due to compression. On many songs, the band’s dynamic shifts are smooth enough to sound like engineered fadeouts. Bonvalet’s playing style is just as percussive as comrade Vincent Beysselance’s drumming, which makes the duo’s rhythmic lockstep sound positively effortless. Vincent’s no slouch himself --- he has the ability to wring a nearly infinite array of tones from his cymbals, and his jazzy yet firm grip on the endlessly shifting meters posits him as a kinder, gentler counterpart to Hella’s Zach Hill.
By no means are Cheval de Frise neophytes --- their first two albums were recorded in 2000 and 2002, respectively, but neither of them hit American shores until earlier this year. Their self-titled debut is the more energetic and raucous of the two. Opener “Connexion Monstrueuse Entre un Objet et Son Image” begins with strumming so hyperactive that the guitar sounds like it’s being run through a delay pedal (although it isn’t); the drums later follow suit with equally stuttered rhythms. From that point onward, the song goes through more changes than most bands put on entire albums: metallic drop-D riffs, Gastr del Sol-style meandering, pointillist finger-tapping, etc. “Constructions d'Écorces d'Arbres” is dissonant enough to suggest being composed in “just intonation.” Its rhythmic accents are so lopsided that even when the band’s playing in 4/4 it feels like they aren’t. The contrapuntal finger-picking on“Incliné et Chenu” sounds like an out-of-tune harp. Throughout the album, every strange riff that Bonvalet ekes from his guitar is matched by an equally outlandish rhythm from Beysselance.
The duo’s second album, Fresques Sur Les Parois Secretes du Crane, is a more even-keeled distillation of the group’s sound. The production is damper here than on their debut, with more reverb filling in the open spaces. There are more moments of quiet nothingness; the changes in key, meter and volume aren’t as frequent, which makes tham sound slightly more violent when they actually occur. On this record, both musicians seem a bit more eager to use their instruments as noise generators. For instance, the midsection of opener “Lucare des Combles” sounds like a factory of broken watches, and the grinding slides that Bonvalet makes on his fret board can make unsuspecting listeners seasick. Later on in the record, “Deux Nappes Ductiles” finds Bonvalet bending his strings so subtly that his guitar sounds like it’s being run through a chorus pedal (although it isn’t), and on “Songe de Perte de Dents” his palm-muting technique makes his instrument sound like an orchestra of plucked violins.
Whereas the self-titled record sounds like two musicians trying to outdo each other, Fresques is Bonvalet’s show, with Beysselance restraining himself in order to follow the guitarist’s lead. That’s not the real surprise, though. On the title track and “Phosphorescence de l'Arbre Mort,” Cheval de Frise are augmented by a third musician. Simon Quinoillant, who contributes bowed drones and tape manipulations that sound like anything from hurdy-gurdies to howling cats. The result sounds like a jam session between Storm & Stress and Pelt. The combination shouldn’t work, but it does, mainly because Bonvaley and Beysselance step back and let the drones take center stage. In fact, these two songs leave me hoping for more collaborations with Quinoillant on future releases. The songs on Fresques are spacious and deliberate enough to withstand additional instrumentation without sounding cluttered, which can’t be said for those on their debut.
Overall, both Cheval de Frise albums are proof that subtlety doesn’t have to be anathema to math-rockers. If I’d have known about Cheval de Frise during the era of “freedom fries,” I’d have tried to use their music as a catalyst for cross-cultural unity. Somebody tell those guys that all is forgiven, and that they should tour here soon!
---Sean Padilla
Label Websites:
http://www.sickroomrecords.com
http://www.freneticrecords.com
November 01, 2004
Malachai "These Sounds of the Spirit World"
Lexington, Kentucky native Malachai (pronounced ‘mala-cha’) a.k.a. Mike Fossum brings you 14 tracks of snarky, lo-fi indie pop reminiscent of Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, and early Beck. To put it simply: the man’s short on songs and even shorter on humor, the latter of which he uses amply to make up for the lack of memorable songs. “O’Amy” is a great Sebadoh-inspired tune, while the Gary Wilson-ish “Draw These Legz” is a fantastic little synth-driven number that brings the personality and hooks in spades. But it seems that it’s all downhill from there for Malachai as each successive track descends into irritating frat boy humor (“I just got to get in your business/Like Harrison Ford did to Kelly McGillis” goes “Who-Shot”) and bland, hookless mid-90’s indie rock. Even worse is the group’s embarrassing Har Mar Superstar-like attempts to incorporate hip-hop (“Love A Man”) into the fray. My suggestion for Malachai would be to leave the 3rd bass and Superchunk records in the garage and focus on writing some decent songs instead.
--Jonathan Pfeffer
Artist Website: http://web.qx.net/malo/malachai/malachai/index.html
Label Website: http://www.4xbeaver.com/
--Jonathan Pfeffer
Artist Website: http://web.qx.net/malo/malachai/malachai/index.html
Label Website: http://www.4xbeaver.com/
Gunshy "No Man's Blues"
An artist's voice can often be a factor that makes or breaks a band. Some artists have such a unique sound that, though grating at first, can often grow on you--think Stephin Merritt, Nick Cave or Will Oldham. Some artists possess a singing voice so wonderful that they can sing any crap (and often do) because they can, and they'll make said song sound totally, utterly beautiful--witness Scott Walker, Marc Almond or Jeff Buckley. Some artists sing in voice of such unique quality--like Joanna Newsome, Danielson Famile or Jandek--that you're polarized instantly.
I mention this because the first--and most overwhelming--thing you'll notice about The Gunshy is Matt Arbogast's voice. It's rough...to say the least. It's extremely rough. It's extremely gruff. At times, I can't tell if he's singing or if he's grunting, because his music is so...hard...to listen to. Going for a rustic country sound, with a little bit of folk and a hint of Dylan, No Man's Blues is a record of painful songs sung by a voice that's painful to listen to. Seriously, it was difficult listening to songs like "Congratulations" or "Stories" because his voice is just so overwhelming rough and harsh. Sure, it's one thing to have a gravel-rough voice, but it's an entirely different matter to sound like a pile of rocks.
Complicating the matter is that a. the songs themselves are really good and b. the musical accompaniment is even better. I wonder what "I Will Die Alone" and "Breakin' Some Bad Habits" would sound like with different vocals. Those songs are quite pained and touchingly wonderful, but they're hard to listen to due to the vocals. The backing musicians are quite excellent, too; the accompaniment is quite varied and accomplished, too--with banjo, flute, acoustic guitars, strings, harmonica and piano. And, to be fair, when he tones down his vocals on "Mistaken" and the title track, the results are quite excellent and rewarding. When he doesn't tone down his voice...well...
I don't know how tolerant you may be towards really rough singing, so be warned: No Man's Blues is a rough patch. Complex and pained, The Gunshy's music isn't for everyone, but if you like rough, painful songs written by a man with an even rougher singing voice, then you might find something to love here.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.thegunshy.com
Label Website: http://www.latestflame.com
I mention this because the first--and most overwhelming--thing you'll notice about The Gunshy is Matt Arbogast's voice. It's rough...to say the least. It's extremely rough. It's extremely gruff. At times, I can't tell if he's singing or if he's grunting, because his music is so...hard...to listen to. Going for a rustic country sound, with a little bit of folk and a hint of Dylan, No Man's Blues is a record of painful songs sung by a voice that's painful to listen to. Seriously, it was difficult listening to songs like "Congratulations" or "Stories" because his voice is just so overwhelming rough and harsh. Sure, it's one thing to have a gravel-rough voice, but it's an entirely different matter to sound like a pile of rocks.
Complicating the matter is that a. the songs themselves are really good and b. the musical accompaniment is even better. I wonder what "I Will Die Alone" and "Breakin' Some Bad Habits" would sound like with different vocals. Those songs are quite pained and touchingly wonderful, but they're hard to listen to due to the vocals. The backing musicians are quite excellent, too; the accompaniment is quite varied and accomplished, too--with banjo, flute, acoustic guitars, strings, harmonica and piano. And, to be fair, when he tones down his vocals on "Mistaken" and the title track, the results are quite excellent and rewarding. When he doesn't tone down his voice...well...
I don't know how tolerant you may be towards really rough singing, so be warned: No Man's Blues is a rough patch. Complex and pained, The Gunshy's music isn't for everyone, but if you like rough, painful songs written by a man with an even rougher singing voice, then you might find something to love here.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.thegunshy.com
Label Website: http://www.latestflame.com
October 28, 2004
Kill Yourself "soft touch of man"
England’s a cold, grimy place, which might explain why in recent years a number of English bands have taken a shine to that dirty, grimy Midwestern sound spearheaded by groups like The Jesus Lizard, Tar, Shellac, and maybe even Dazzling Killmen. And with the recent successes and quasi-successes of Giddy Motors and McClusky (who actually might be Scottish), could this Chicago infatuation eventually turn the British Isles on its head? Will all the Radiohead baby bands who have populated the airwaves here and there now become worshippers at the altar of Steve Albini and David Yow? From the looks (the cover features a stark portrait of a muzzled canine) and sounds of Kill Yourself’s debut recording, it could very well be so.
Taking most of their cues from the growling, hard-hitting intensity of Shellac, the trio run through an industrial, gray set of 7 songs in an equally industrial, gray 26 minutes. Factory-like, staccato, heavy-handed rhythms sit alongside weird chords that don’t quite sit with you. Every few minutes a guy whose voice falls somewhere between a less provocative Steve Albini and a gravelly English longshoreman appears to rant and rave about moustaches, coffee, computers, ribs, and ID’s. Check out these colorful excerpts and you might get the picture: “I am a watchtower/I am a real man” (from Computron 2000); “I have a moustache/but I ain’t no homo” (from “Moustache”).
While Kill Yourself may be the obvious product of their influences, the group manages to put enough of themselves to keep it interesting and, judging from the lyrical content, damn entertaining. The Soft Touch Of Man is a respectable debut in my book.
--Jonathan Pfeffer
Artist Website: http://www.obscenebabyauction.tk
Label Website: http://www.gringorecords.com
Taking most of their cues from the growling, hard-hitting intensity of Shellac, the trio run through an industrial, gray set of 7 songs in an equally industrial, gray 26 minutes. Factory-like, staccato, heavy-handed rhythms sit alongside weird chords that don’t quite sit with you. Every few minutes a guy whose voice falls somewhere between a less provocative Steve Albini and a gravelly English longshoreman appears to rant and rave about moustaches, coffee, computers, ribs, and ID’s. Check out these colorful excerpts and you might get the picture: “I am a watchtower/I am a real man” (from Computron 2000); “I have a moustache/but I ain’t no homo” (from “Moustache”).
While Kill Yourself may be the obvious product of their influences, the group manages to put enough of themselves to keep it interesting and, judging from the lyrical content, damn entertaining. The Soft Touch Of Man is a respectable debut in my book.
--Jonathan Pfeffer
Artist Website: http://www.obscenebabyauction.tk
Label Website: http://www.gringorecords.com
Quintron "The Frog Tape"
Frogs.
You may think you know what they sound like, you may think they simply go 'ribbit', but in all actuality, they're the source of some of the more disturbingly mysterious sounds you'll hear at any forest or lake. Emitting a low-cycle hum, mixed with other odd, inexplicable noises, if you're ever in the presence of a large group of frogs, you'll hear a sound that's most...unsettling.
Of course, it would require a swamp-raised musical marvel like Mister Quintron to fully realize the potential of frogs as musical collaborators, but he's done it, and here it is. Actually, The Frog Tape was first released as a tour-only cassette, but then some people complained that this surprisingly ingenious collection needed to be reissued, and here it is. Enlisiting the assistance of the Boys Club Swamp Frogs, Quintron and his cast of thousands has created what is perhaps the best Halloween mood music since The Exorcist soundtrack.
True, there aren't very many 'songs' on here; a cover of "Stray Cat Strut" is nothing more than the melody line from the song repeated over and over on organs with the frogs in the background. For the most part, it's just haunting-sounding organ and the frogs. As novel as the concept may seem, The Frog Tape is far from a novelty record. In a weird way, it's quite the entrancing listen; the frogs are heard throughout, providing a disturbing hum over Quintron's signature organ accompaniment. Sometimes you can't really hear them, sometimes their presence is overwhelming, but those frogs, they're there, man. If you don't like frogs, then I highly suggest you skip over the final magnum opus, the 15-minute frog symphony entitled, quite simply, "Frogs."
The world needs more halloween music--and The Frog Tape would actually be quite the compelling soundtrack for haunted houses, twisted parties and just plain old weird folk. And, true, you might not listen to it outside of the last week of October, but then again, do you really listen to your Christmas records after the 25th?
Didn't think so. All Hallow's Eve just got a new addition to the canon.
--Joseph Kyle
Label Website: http://www.skingraftrecords.com
You may think you know what they sound like, you may think they simply go 'ribbit', but in all actuality, they're the source of some of the more disturbingly mysterious sounds you'll hear at any forest or lake. Emitting a low-cycle hum, mixed with other odd, inexplicable noises, if you're ever in the presence of a large group of frogs, you'll hear a sound that's most...unsettling.
Of course, it would require a swamp-raised musical marvel like Mister Quintron to fully realize the potential of frogs as musical collaborators, but he's done it, and here it is. Actually, The Frog Tape was first released as a tour-only cassette, but then some people complained that this surprisingly ingenious collection needed to be reissued, and here it is. Enlisiting the assistance of the Boys Club Swamp Frogs, Quintron and his cast of thousands has created what is perhaps the best Halloween mood music since The Exorcist soundtrack.
True, there aren't very many 'songs' on here; a cover of "Stray Cat Strut" is nothing more than the melody line from the song repeated over and over on organs with the frogs in the background. For the most part, it's just haunting-sounding organ and the frogs. As novel as the concept may seem, The Frog Tape is far from a novelty record. In a weird way, it's quite the entrancing listen; the frogs are heard throughout, providing a disturbing hum over Quintron's signature organ accompaniment. Sometimes you can't really hear them, sometimes their presence is overwhelming, but those frogs, they're there, man. If you don't like frogs, then I highly suggest you skip over the final magnum opus, the 15-minute frog symphony entitled, quite simply, "Frogs."
The world needs more halloween music--and The Frog Tape would actually be quite the compelling soundtrack for haunted houses, twisted parties and just plain old weird folk. And, true, you might not listen to it outside of the last week of October, but then again, do you really listen to your Christmas records after the 25th?
Didn't think so. All Hallow's Eve just got a new addition to the canon.
--Joseph Kyle
Label Website: http://www.skingraftrecords.com
Styrofoam "Nothing's Lost"
Nothing's Lost is the third album by Belgian electronica composer Arne van Petegem, better known as Styrofoam. A staple of the German scene (based around influential label Morr Music), Styrofoam's sound is a gentle atmosphere pulsed by a soft undercurrent of electronic beats and various electronic sounds. For this record, he's enlisted the help of several notable musicians, including members of American Analog Set, The Notwist, Lali Puni and Death Cab For Cutie/The Postal Service. Considering the help he has, it's no surprise, then, that Nothing's Lost is an interesting mesh of both electronica and more traditional rock influences.
Styrofoam's stylistic blend is nowhere near as awkward as that description might lead you to believe. After all, Ben Gibbard impressed and surprised a lot of people with his new project The Postal Service. Indeed, "Couches in Alleys" sounds very much like a continuation of the ideas found on Give Up, and this song finds Gibbard in particularly rare form. His naturally sad lyrics play well against Styrofoam's gentle, heartbreaking beat, and it's quite clear that Gibbard is a man who can tackle any style with great aplomb. Though it would not be unsurprising that Gibbard's track would serve as the album's focal point, that doesn't mean that the rest of the album pales in comparison, nor would such attention serve justice to Styrofoam's music, because "Couches in Alleys" is not the best song on Nothing's Lost
"Inspired" is perhaps the best adjective to describe Styrofoam's selection of guest vocalists. Lali Puna's Valerie Trebeljahr's detatched singing on "Misguided" is a must-hear, and the rap of Anticon's Alias adds a certain depth that most electronical lacks. "Anything" follows up on that initial blast of boy/girl vocal exchange; Das Pop's Bent van Loy's lead vocals are rough and are nicely accompanied by the song's beat and the utterly heavenly vocals of Pitchturner's Miki make the song even dreamier. Perhaps the best moment would be "Front to Back," which features the vocals of American Analog Set's Andrew Kenny. He sings with a very lush croon and he sounds quite at home with Styrofoam's gentle, soft world.
Indeed, Nothing's Lost is an invitation to a sensual, dreamy world of sound; it's a record full of meaningful moments and quiet reflection and gentle yet heart-poundingly soft rhythms, sure to set your slow-dancing emo heart on fire. A gentle pleasure, this record--so gentle, in fact, it made me forget the fact that I generally can't stand the music of Ben Gibbard.
--Joseph Kyle
Label Website: http://www.morrmusic.com
Styrofoam's stylistic blend is nowhere near as awkward as that description might lead you to believe. After all, Ben Gibbard impressed and surprised a lot of people with his new project The Postal Service. Indeed, "Couches in Alleys" sounds very much like a continuation of the ideas found on Give Up, and this song finds Gibbard in particularly rare form. His naturally sad lyrics play well against Styrofoam's gentle, heartbreaking beat, and it's quite clear that Gibbard is a man who can tackle any style with great aplomb. Though it would not be unsurprising that Gibbard's track would serve as the album's focal point, that doesn't mean that the rest of the album pales in comparison, nor would such attention serve justice to Styrofoam's music, because "Couches in Alleys" is not the best song on Nothing's Lost
"Inspired" is perhaps the best adjective to describe Styrofoam's selection of guest vocalists. Lali Puna's Valerie Trebeljahr's detatched singing on "Misguided" is a must-hear, and the rap of Anticon's Alias adds a certain depth that most electronical lacks. "Anything" follows up on that initial blast of boy/girl vocal exchange; Das Pop's Bent van Loy's lead vocals are rough and are nicely accompanied by the song's beat and the utterly heavenly vocals of Pitchturner's Miki make the song even dreamier. Perhaps the best moment would be "Front to Back," which features the vocals of American Analog Set's Andrew Kenny. He sings with a very lush croon and he sounds quite at home with Styrofoam's gentle, soft world.
Indeed, Nothing's Lost is an invitation to a sensual, dreamy world of sound; it's a record full of meaningful moments and quiet reflection and gentle yet heart-poundingly soft rhythms, sure to set your slow-dancing emo heart on fire. A gentle pleasure, this record--so gentle, in fact, it made me forget the fact that I generally can't stand the music of Ben Gibbard.
--Joseph Kyle
Label Website: http://www.morrmusic.com
October 27, 2004
Tree of Snakes "Peanut Butter & Smelly"
Columbus, Ohio’s Tree of Snakes have finally released something. The band’s beer-soaked three-chord-basement indie punk has been getting Ohio drunk for the past three years or so, and now we get a release from them. 8 songs, each clocking in at under 2:00. Yet, much to our surprise….it’s acoustic! While quite a departure from their usual stylings, Unplugged really works for them. It sounds wonderful, too. It showcases the band’s songwriting in a different light. These guys are not out to prove anything; they’re having a great time, and it shows. One listen to this disc will tell you that Tree of Snakes are definitely a great time. The songs are catchier than the flu, most notably “Serious Knife Fight” and “Earl”. The album’s closer, “Beerless in Seattle” comes all too quickly (each song being under two minutes), but word on the street is that these dudes are going to release a rock album at the beginning of the year. Keep your ear to the ground for that, and while you’re waiting, pick up Unplugged.
--Kyle Sowash
Label Website: http://www.usedkids.com
--Kyle Sowash
Label Website: http://www.usedkids.com
DJ Krush "Jaku"
Jaku, the thirteenth album by reknowned Japanese electronica genius DJ Krush, is an amazing blend of beats, blissful ambience, traditional Japanese instrumentation and many other hypnotic sounds. The resulting mix is so contageous and narcotic, I seriously do not recommend you listening to this while operating heavy equipment. That sounds like record reviewer hyperbole, but it's not; Krush's trance-like rhythms can easily lull you into an enlightened, distracted state.
Instead of a pulsating, schizophrenic dance beat, DJ Krush has opted for a much more cinematic landscape, in the literal sense; almost all of Jaku feels theatrical, but it's never melodramatic. As a result, it's not uncommon for you to feel as if you know these songs already; you'll swear you've heard "Still Island" before, even if you don't know where. Jaku is an album of heady incidental music, but don't let that term put you off, because it's easily some of the darkest, foreboding incidental music you'll ever hear--the jazzy "Stormy Cloud," for instance, sounds like a dark alleyway on a stormy Wednesday night. If you feel uncomfortable, that only means DJ Krush has done his job right.
As is often the case with such music, it would be rather easy for Jaku to become monotonous, and Krush wisely breaks this tendency by using several guest vocalists, including Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock and Akira Sakata. While Sakata's contribution is traditional Japanese folk singing, both Mr. Lif and Aesop Rock add a hip-hop touch. Krush's choice of collaborators is inspired, and both songs--especially "Kill Switch"--are some of the better hip-hop tracks I've heard all year. Despite their quality, because of the general nature of the rest of the album, both songs are incongruous with the mood of the Jaku; the beat is amazing, the rhymes even more so, but for this record, they simply feel out of place.
That's a minor quibble, though; Jaku is still an excellent record, even with those songs. If you're looking for brooding mood music for a dark, stormy Sunday night, or you simply want to liven things up in the bedroom by creating a tense, near violent atmosphere, then DJ Krush will serve you well. Just be warned, though, if things get disturbing.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.djkrush.com
Label Website: http://www.sonymusic.com
Instead of a pulsating, schizophrenic dance beat, DJ Krush has opted for a much more cinematic landscape, in the literal sense; almost all of Jaku feels theatrical, but it's never melodramatic. As a result, it's not uncommon for you to feel as if you know these songs already; you'll swear you've heard "Still Island" before, even if you don't know where. Jaku is an album of heady incidental music, but don't let that term put you off, because it's easily some of the darkest, foreboding incidental music you'll ever hear--the jazzy "Stormy Cloud," for instance, sounds like a dark alleyway on a stormy Wednesday night. If you feel uncomfortable, that only means DJ Krush has done his job right.
As is often the case with such music, it would be rather easy for Jaku to become monotonous, and Krush wisely breaks this tendency by using several guest vocalists, including Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock and Akira Sakata. While Sakata's contribution is traditional Japanese folk singing, both Mr. Lif and Aesop Rock add a hip-hop touch. Krush's choice of collaborators is inspired, and both songs--especially "Kill Switch"--are some of the better hip-hop tracks I've heard all year. Despite their quality, because of the general nature of the rest of the album, both songs are incongruous with the mood of the Jaku; the beat is amazing, the rhymes even more so, but for this record, they simply feel out of place.
That's a minor quibble, though; Jaku is still an excellent record, even with those songs. If you're looking for brooding mood music for a dark, stormy Sunday night, or you simply want to liven things up in the bedroom by creating a tense, near violent atmosphere, then DJ Krush will serve you well. Just be warned, though, if things get disturbing.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.djkrush.com
Label Website: http://www.sonymusic.com
Monorail "A Whole New City"
I don't know what the story is about DC-via-Florida band The Monorail, but I really would like to learn more. This Jacksonville-based foursome has just released A Whole New City, which I am assuming is their debut, and it's an interesting, if not wholly satisfying, collection of fresh new sounds. It's quite clear that these guys have some major pop druthers, and it's also quite obvious they're quite fond of le Indie Rock, but they have enough talent to blur the lines between those styles, and they do so with very little effort.
Seriously, though--it's rare for such a young band to sound this..this...TIGHT, especially on their debut. These guys have some great singing (think Clem Snide's Eef Barzelay meets Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison, if you must), their rhythm section is top-notch and always on the beat, and there's plenty of hard, crunchy guitars--so soundwise, they're quite varied. From the tight, funky rhythm of "The Shizampah" to the mellowed out dance beat of "The Club" and the jazzy "Writing Has No Volume," these guys clearly prove that they can deftly take on--and master--fast-paced rockers and mellow ballads.
Normally, I'm not keen on emo-ish rock, and there are moments here and there that kind of edge towards that direction, but thankfully they move away from those murky waters quite quickly. Though The Monorail's sound is great, I'm also a little bit antsy about the singing. While Andy Matchett occasionally sounds a lot like Braid/Hey Mercedes' Bob Nanna, it's not a problem that makes me dislike their music. There's also a really, really cool Dismemberment Plan-style vibe running through the entire record, most obvious on "Writing Has No Volume." Making this song even more interesting is that it was written in 1998, and though I have no history of this particular song, I can't help thinking these kids beat Travis to the punch.
I'm impressed by this little record. The Monorail's a great little band, and I think it's time you help out a great little band by checking these guys out. You'll enjoy this little record, and there's enough evidence that their forthcoming album, A Thousand Reactions is going to be brilliant.
--Joseph Kyle
Label Website: http://www.milquetoastrecords.com
Seriously, though--it's rare for such a young band to sound this..this...TIGHT, especially on their debut. These guys have some great singing (think Clem Snide's Eef Barzelay meets Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison, if you must), their rhythm section is top-notch and always on the beat, and there's plenty of hard, crunchy guitars--so soundwise, they're quite varied. From the tight, funky rhythm of "The Shizampah" to the mellowed out dance beat of "The Club" and the jazzy "Writing Has No Volume," these guys clearly prove that they can deftly take on--and master--fast-paced rockers and mellow ballads.
Normally, I'm not keen on emo-ish rock, and there are moments here and there that kind of edge towards that direction, but thankfully they move away from those murky waters quite quickly. Though The Monorail's sound is great, I'm also a little bit antsy about the singing. While Andy Matchett occasionally sounds a lot like Braid/Hey Mercedes' Bob Nanna, it's not a problem that makes me dislike their music. There's also a really, really cool Dismemberment Plan-style vibe running through the entire record, most obvious on "Writing Has No Volume." Making this song even more interesting is that it was written in 1998, and though I have no history of this particular song, I can't help thinking these kids beat Travis to the punch.
I'm impressed by this little record. The Monorail's a great little band, and I think it's time you help out a great little band by checking these guys out. You'll enjoy this little record, and there's enough evidence that their forthcoming album, A Thousand Reactions is going to be brilliant.
--Joseph Kyle
Label Website: http://www.milquetoastrecords.com
October 26, 2004
AM "Francophiles & Skinny Ties"
With a swagger straight out of 1979, Brooklyn band AM rock and rock hard on Francophiles & Skinny Ties, their debut mini-album. With a sound that's torn someplace between that whole 'new rock and roll' thing from a few years ago and pure British punk--Buzzcocks, not Sex Pistols--this threesome blend unapologetic rock riffs ("Sex N Drugs") and hard yet gracefully melodic moments ("Quiet N Dayglo"), AM deftly pulls faces at all that come in its wake. Poppy at times, full of drunken swagger at others--and James Jones is easily the best snotty singer since Mclusky, the eight songs on Francophiles & Skinny Ties does exactly what it needs to do and then get the hell out of here--not a moment of the eighteen minutes on here is wasted in the least. Could they offer more than that? Probably, but too much would weigh it down. A quick blast of rock and roll music, just like they used to make it.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.amtheband.com
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.amtheband.com
Silver Sunshine "silver Sunshine"
Silver Sunshine prove to be a bit of a confounding little group. They're a tight little four-piece who, unintentionally or not, are a retro group. It's clear they've got a sweet tooth for the Sixties, and it's also quite clear that they've got a penchant for the indie-rock bands of the 1990s who had a sweet tooth for the Sixties. So which are they-- are they inspired by the inspired, or are they inspired by those inspired by the inspired? Think about it.
Thought about it?
It's hard--if not nearly impossible--for a young band to avoid sounding like those who inspire them, and though that's true, it's hard to listen to Silver Sunshine, because the songs occasionally sound too similar to more familiar tunes. "Trinkets," for instance, sounds a bit like The Beatles' "Rain," and it doesn't help that the singer sounds a dead ringer for John Lennon. But don't think they're going for a Beatles style, either; "If I had The Time" sounds too much like "Last Train to Clarksville" for my taste, and let's hope that the lawyers of the writer of "Happy Together" don't hear "Way Up In the Big Sky," either. What makes these blatent rip-offs so frustrating is that it's obvious these guys can play quite well. Good musicians shouldn't resort to such...thievery?
When they're not sounding like the hitmakers of the past, they tread the same territory as Beulah, Stereolab and Of Montreal, and though they might not have the most original sound, it's on songs "Velvet Skies," "Miranda May" and "Greenfield Park" that they start to form their own musical identity. It's not always prevalent, but it's there. In the future, Silver Sunshine should focus on less distinctive styles, so that their next record won't seem so--unoriginal.Silver Sunshine means well, but a little more work should be spent on developing their own identity.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.silversunshine.com
Label Website: http://www.wishingtreerecords.com
Thought about it?
It's hard--if not nearly impossible--for a young band to avoid sounding like those who inspire them, and though that's true, it's hard to listen to Silver Sunshine, because the songs occasionally sound too similar to more familiar tunes. "Trinkets," for instance, sounds a bit like The Beatles' "Rain," and it doesn't help that the singer sounds a dead ringer for John Lennon. But don't think they're going for a Beatles style, either; "If I had The Time" sounds too much like "Last Train to Clarksville" for my taste, and let's hope that the lawyers of the writer of "Happy Together" don't hear "Way Up In the Big Sky," either. What makes these blatent rip-offs so frustrating is that it's obvious these guys can play quite well. Good musicians shouldn't resort to such...thievery?
When they're not sounding like the hitmakers of the past, they tread the same territory as Beulah, Stereolab and Of Montreal, and though they might not have the most original sound, it's on songs "Velvet Skies," "Miranda May" and "Greenfield Park" that they start to form their own musical identity. It's not always prevalent, but it's there. In the future, Silver Sunshine should focus on less distinctive styles, so that their next record won't seem so--unoriginal.Silver Sunshine means well, but a little more work should be spent on developing their own identity.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.silversunshine.com
Label Website: http://www.wishingtreerecords.com
Absinthe Blind "Winning Is Our Business and Business Is Good"
Champaign, Illinois' Absinthe Blind were one of those great bands you never heard about. Led by members of the Fein family, this sibling group blended indie-rock with Britpop and shoegazer, mixed it all together with a great deal of melody and stunning atmosphere resulting in obscure album after album of really beautiful music. Their last album, Rings, was easily their best; that it was their final farewell makes the album's excellence even more frustrating. It should have been a bigger album; it should have been one that established Absinthe Blind as more than a really good regional band. It didn't; leader Adam Fein left the band, and they regrouped as Headlights.
Winning Is Our Business and Business Is Good is a wrap-up of the band's loose ends; this double Cd-R package is a labor of love from the band, and is a fitting farewell. That it's compiled on handmade cd-roms with printed-up sleeves only adds to the intimate, labor-of-love feel that made the band so likeable in the first place. It doesn't really seem right that the band would have to revert to such budget-string tactics, especially considering the quality of their music, but such is the fickle nature of this business. It's a shame, for if any record deserves lush packaging, it's this one; there should be an ornate cover with detailed history and photographs and recollections and song descriptions...but alas, it is not to be.
But where to begin? There's plenty of ground to cover, but, ultimately, the sound always remained the same. Like all good bands, they occasionally experimented with their sound, but they never strayed from their post-shoegaze Britpop-inspired dreampop style. From loud, powerful rockers, such as outtake "So You're The Hero" and B-Side "Doing Exactly What You Want" to quiet, atmospheric acoustic numbers (witness the title track, "Worth The Time" and "Phoenix") to blissed-out numbers that were heavy on both power and beauty ("Orphans,""Small")--they could handle it all. Heck, even two risky dance remixes--"It's Your Life"and "The Threat" (based on "The Truth That Paints Your Eyes" and "Do You Know What You Mean To Me, respectively) work quite well. The only time the collection really falters are on the good-but-you-shoulda-been-there-instead live covers of "Shout" and "Don't You Forget About Me." They're well-performed, but in this collection, they seem out of place.
So as the final chapter of Absinthe Blind closes, a new one begins; from the remnants of their career, Winning Is Our Business and Business Is Good not only shows that Headlights have a lot of work ahead of them if they wish to better Absinthe Blind's greatest heights, but it also gives ample evidence that they should have no problem carrying the torch. A fond, fitting farewell to a really great band.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.absintheblind.com
Winning Is Our Business and Business Is Good is a wrap-up of the band's loose ends; this double Cd-R package is a labor of love from the band, and is a fitting farewell. That it's compiled on handmade cd-roms with printed-up sleeves only adds to the intimate, labor-of-love feel that made the band so likeable in the first place. It doesn't really seem right that the band would have to revert to such budget-string tactics, especially considering the quality of their music, but such is the fickle nature of this business. It's a shame, for if any record deserves lush packaging, it's this one; there should be an ornate cover with detailed history and photographs and recollections and song descriptions...but alas, it is not to be.
But where to begin? There's plenty of ground to cover, but, ultimately, the sound always remained the same. Like all good bands, they occasionally experimented with their sound, but they never strayed from their post-shoegaze Britpop-inspired dreampop style. From loud, powerful rockers, such as outtake "So You're The Hero" and B-Side "Doing Exactly What You Want" to quiet, atmospheric acoustic numbers (witness the title track, "Worth The Time" and "Phoenix") to blissed-out numbers that were heavy on both power and beauty ("Orphans,""Small")--they could handle it all. Heck, even two risky dance remixes--"It's Your Life"and "The Threat" (based on "The Truth That Paints Your Eyes" and "Do You Know What You Mean To Me, respectively) work quite well. The only time the collection really falters are on the good-but-you-shoulda-been-there-instead live covers of "Shout" and "Don't You Forget About Me." They're well-performed, but in this collection, they seem out of place.
So as the final chapter of Absinthe Blind closes, a new one begins; from the remnants of their career, Winning Is Our Business and Business Is Good not only shows that Headlights have a lot of work ahead of them if they wish to better Absinthe Blind's greatest heights, but it also gives ample evidence that they should have no problem carrying the torch. A fond, fitting farewell to a really great band.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.absintheblind.com
October 25, 2004
the eames era 'the second ep'
The Second EP by The Eames Era is a quick blast of jangly mid-1990s indie-pop, and boy, does their sound take me back! Lead singer Ashlin Philips could pass for Velocity Girl's Sarah Shannon, and that crunchy guitar work and occasional boy vocal reminds me a lot of Mr. Archie Moore. Philips sings softly ("I Said"), sweetly ("Could Be Anything") and sassy ("All of Seventeen"), and I'm not complaining about that one bit! The only thing I'd want to warn this young band is that they should probably work on a sound that's a little more varied from song to song, else you could get trapped in your style--just like what happened to Velocity Girl.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.theeamesera.com
Label Website: http://www.cstudentrecords.com
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.theeamesera.com
Label Website: http://www.cstudentrecords.com
oRSo "my dreams are back and they are better than ever"
Chicago's oRSo, the free jazz-slash-country-slash-whatever the hell you want to call it project of Phil Spirito (Rex, Red Red Meat) has delivered yet another utterly wonderful little record filled with all sorts of sounds, and it's about time. Bearing the same sort of pleasantly unclassifiable roots folky whatever songs that made them so appealing with Long Time By, the appropriately titled My Dreams Are Back and They Are Better Than Ever proves to be a wonderfuly confounding yet always quite enjoyable listen.
When I say oRSo is unclassifiable, I do so with amused and impressed confusion. Each listen yielded a different interpretation of what they were setting out to accomplish, and as this review is being written, it's impossible to say with any certainty that any of these particular interpretations are right or wrong. On one listen, songs like "Wedding Day," "Everyman's Blues" and "Old Times" made me think of oRSo as a jazz band with a banjo. At other times, such as on "Milanesa Two," they sound like a country band that's inspired by early 1960s jazz innovators like John Coltrane or Eric Dolphy. After hearing "Oh Look Singing I Can Watch This" and "Crown Point," I thought oRSo sounded like an experimental string quartet who were augmented by a very distinctive folk singer. Each listen to My Dreams Are Back And They Are Better Than Ever differed ever-so-slightly from the one before,
That oRSo's stylistic inspirations are so incongruous makes their music so appealing. You really can't be sure of what's going to come next, and it's the anticipation that comes from listening that makes My Dreams Are Back And They Are Better Than Ever such an enjoyable listen. Throw in just a slight lo-fi quality to the songs, and you'll quickly discover a traditional sounding record that sounds wonderfully out of this world
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.bintofamily.com
Label Website: http://www.perishablerecords.com
When I say oRSo is unclassifiable, I do so with amused and impressed confusion. Each listen yielded a different interpretation of what they were setting out to accomplish, and as this review is being written, it's impossible to say with any certainty that any of these particular interpretations are right or wrong. On one listen, songs like "Wedding Day," "Everyman's Blues" and "Old Times" made me think of oRSo as a jazz band with a banjo. At other times, such as on "Milanesa Two," they sound like a country band that's inspired by early 1960s jazz innovators like John Coltrane or Eric Dolphy. After hearing "Oh Look Singing I Can Watch This" and "Crown Point," I thought oRSo sounded like an experimental string quartet who were augmented by a very distinctive folk singer. Each listen to My Dreams Are Back And They Are Better Than Ever differed ever-so-slightly from the one before,
That oRSo's stylistic inspirations are so incongruous makes their music so appealing. You really can't be sure of what's going to come next, and it's the anticipation that comes from listening that makes My Dreams Are Back And They Are Better Than Ever such an enjoyable listen. Throw in just a slight lo-fi quality to the songs, and you'll quickly discover a traditional sounding record that sounds wonderfully out of this world
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.bintofamily.com
Label Website: http://www.perishablerecords.com
October 24, 2004
Auburn Lull "Cast From The Platform"
The artwork of Michigan quartet Auburn Lull’s sophomore album Cast from the Platform consists of blurry but nonetheless strategically positioned photographs of nature scenes and architectural designs (bridges, satellites, windmills). Many of the song titles (“Jersey Narrows,” “Trenches,” “Direction and Destination”) allude to geography. After releasing their wonderful debut Alone I Admire in 1998, the band waited nearly five years to begin recording a follow-up…at a studio called the Simultaneous Workshop, no less! Take all of these facts into consideration, and you can conclude before even listening to Cast from the Platform that the members of Auburn Lull take their time crafting songs, putting careful consideration into every note, word and beat. The actual music on the CD underscores this conclusion by sounding just as hazy and deliberate as its artwork would imply.
Even from the beginning, Auburn Lull were even more reliant on pure atmosphere than their dreampop/shoegaze ancestors. The songs on Cast from the Platform sound as if they’re being recorded from the bottom of a well, with reverb serving almost as a fifth member of the band. The reverb is so thick that even when singer Sean Heenan’s breathy tenor is in the front of the mix, the lyrics remain mostly indecipherable. In a peculiar sonic role reversal, the guitars are completely stripped of their attack so that they sound almost like keyboards, and the keyboards are often percussive enough to resemble guitars. Bassist Jason Kolb keeps his presence subtle, almost to the point of being subliminal. Some of the songs don’t even have a discernible bass line. Every instrument is light and airy when heard individually, but when put together they form a dense and foggy web of sound.
Where Cast from the Platform differentiates itself from its predecessor is in the band’s occasional employment of minimalism. A number of this album’s songs use space and silence to great effect, suggesting what dub versions of long-lost Slowdive songs would sound like. On the appropriately named “Season of False Starts,” Jason Wiesinger’s brushed drums are rendered unbearably heavy by an even thicker cloud of reverb than usual, as well as the constant stops and starts in his own playing. Heenan’s voice shares center stage with the drums, while the other instruments play just enough to outline the barest sketch of a chord progression. None of the musicians play an actual chord until the last minute of the song, but by then most listeners will have already filled the blanks of the song in their heads. “Direction and Destination” begins with waves of guitar that slowly rise, ebb and disappear. Halfway through the song, Wiesinger starts playing at twice the speed of the rest of the band, unleashing a series of jazzy, machine-gun drum fills. Despite the aggression and virtuosity of his playing, the drums still sound light as feathers in the context of the rest of the song.
Most of the album’s songs, though, continue the expansive layering that Auburn Lull perfected on Alone I Admire. “Jersey Narrows” begins with a scratchy drum loop and faraway keyboard drones. Heenan’s voice is slowly run through an ever-increasing amount of delay. As this happens, the drum programming gets exponentially intricate, the guitars start getting louder and higher and the bowed celli of producer/guest musician Andrew Prinz (who, by the way, runs the Simultaneous Workshop and is a member of the equally brilliant outfit Mahogany) starts ricocheting from speaker to speaker. The song ends in a much more intense state than it began in. “Deterior” does the same trick almost in reverse: first it builds up a mass of guitars and keyboards, then it lets splashy drumming and lush vocal harmonies provide the big finish. Even on the comparatively conventional album closer “Shallow in Youth,” on which the band sounds like they’re playing in a gymnasium instead of a well, they make room for a brief outburst of hissing cymbals and white noise before saying goodbye.
It took a while for Auburn Lull to return, but it was well worth the wait --- every second of Cast from the Platform is a pleasure to listen to, a soothing soundtrack for sweet slumber. Once content to be compared to great dreampop bands from 10 to 20 years ago, Auburn Lull has now become the kind of band that can influence its own generation of neophytes. I would definitely be willing to wait another six years for a third album that will be as much of an improvement on Platform as Platform is on the band’s debut. Keep up the good work, guys!
---Sean Padilla
Artist Website: http://www.auburnlull.com
Label Website: http://www.darla.com
Even from the beginning, Auburn Lull were even more reliant on pure atmosphere than their dreampop/shoegaze ancestors. The songs on Cast from the Platform sound as if they’re being recorded from the bottom of a well, with reverb serving almost as a fifth member of the band. The reverb is so thick that even when singer Sean Heenan’s breathy tenor is in the front of the mix, the lyrics remain mostly indecipherable. In a peculiar sonic role reversal, the guitars are completely stripped of their attack so that they sound almost like keyboards, and the keyboards are often percussive enough to resemble guitars. Bassist Jason Kolb keeps his presence subtle, almost to the point of being subliminal. Some of the songs don’t even have a discernible bass line. Every instrument is light and airy when heard individually, but when put together they form a dense and foggy web of sound.
Where Cast from the Platform differentiates itself from its predecessor is in the band’s occasional employment of minimalism. A number of this album’s songs use space and silence to great effect, suggesting what dub versions of long-lost Slowdive songs would sound like. On the appropriately named “Season of False Starts,” Jason Wiesinger’s brushed drums are rendered unbearably heavy by an even thicker cloud of reverb than usual, as well as the constant stops and starts in his own playing. Heenan’s voice shares center stage with the drums, while the other instruments play just enough to outline the barest sketch of a chord progression. None of the musicians play an actual chord until the last minute of the song, but by then most listeners will have already filled the blanks of the song in their heads. “Direction and Destination” begins with waves of guitar that slowly rise, ebb and disappear. Halfway through the song, Wiesinger starts playing at twice the speed of the rest of the band, unleashing a series of jazzy, machine-gun drum fills. Despite the aggression and virtuosity of his playing, the drums still sound light as feathers in the context of the rest of the song.
Most of the album’s songs, though, continue the expansive layering that Auburn Lull perfected on Alone I Admire. “Jersey Narrows” begins with a scratchy drum loop and faraway keyboard drones. Heenan’s voice is slowly run through an ever-increasing amount of delay. As this happens, the drum programming gets exponentially intricate, the guitars start getting louder and higher and the bowed celli of producer/guest musician Andrew Prinz (who, by the way, runs the Simultaneous Workshop and is a member of the equally brilliant outfit Mahogany) starts ricocheting from speaker to speaker. The song ends in a much more intense state than it began in. “Deterior” does the same trick almost in reverse: first it builds up a mass of guitars and keyboards, then it lets splashy drumming and lush vocal harmonies provide the big finish. Even on the comparatively conventional album closer “Shallow in Youth,” on which the band sounds like they’re playing in a gymnasium instead of a well, they make room for a brief outburst of hissing cymbals and white noise before saying goodbye.
It took a while for Auburn Lull to return, but it was well worth the wait --- every second of Cast from the Platform is a pleasure to listen to, a soothing soundtrack for sweet slumber. Once content to be compared to great dreampop bands from 10 to 20 years ago, Auburn Lull has now become the kind of band that can influence its own generation of neophytes. I would definitely be willing to wait another six years for a third album that will be as much of an improvement on Platform as Platform is on the band’s debut. Keep up the good work, guys!
---Sean Padilla
Artist Website: http://www.auburnlull.com
Label Website: http://www.darla.com
Method and Result "The Things You Miss"
The husband and wife duo The Method and Result have really made a mark for themselves. On their debut EP, The Things You Miss, they offer 6 songs of excellence sure to make you remember them by. The group succeeds at what the Dismemberment Plan tried to pull off during the latter part of their career with the help of their drum machine’s precision. As you'd expect, tricky time signatures and clever lyrics run rampant on this disc. Frontwoman Megan Wendel tackles topics from admiring strangers “Party List” to playing it safe “Safety Scissors”. Lyric of the week (from “Party List”): “I think I like you but I don’t know why/it comes and goes”. All in all, a wonderful release. My only gripe is that its too short. -
--Kyle Sowash
Artist Website: http://www.methodandresult.com
--Kyle Sowash
Artist Website: http://www.methodandresult.com
October 22, 2004
point line plane 'smoke signals'
Last year, Point Line Plane's self-titled debut really impressed me. I raved about their wonderfully fun screamy parts, their entertainingly weird, robotic new wave noise parts and their general devil-may-care attitude that vibrated through their music. Even though the music was far from a bold statement of artistic genius, Point Line Plane thumbed its nose at the oft uber-serious noise-rock scene. As silly and noisy and fun as Point Line Plane may have been, It wasn't hard to hear that the band have a talent that runs deeper than their music would lead you to believe. Secretly, though, I worried; it didn't seem like the band's style would translate into anything more than one fun album. I wondered if they would find a way to mature their style without losing the elements that make their music enjoyable.
Smoke Signals, their second album, isn't that grand statement, but it's certainly a step in that direction. Gone are the loud screaming blasts of noise has been replaced with a refined focus on mellower--almost gentle--ambient waves of sound. The band's expanded sound isdue to the addition of a third party, Howard Gillam. This isn't the only change to the band's style, though. The singing has gone from insane yelling to a nearly gothic/blues-based croon, not unlike a more disturbed Gary Numan. Point Line Plane's restraint and maturity over their previous records is reminiscent of Black Dice's transformation from screamo/grindcore to electronica. True, some elements of the band's past remain--check out "Descender" and "Adult Contempt" for those moments, but throughout the rest of the album--such as on the lovely "The Messenger" and "B.U.G.S."--you could be forgiven for thinking this wasn't Point Line Plane at all! So, I'm happy.
The final song on Smoke Signals, "Lights Out II," is a number that's brief, but it gives hope for their future. It's a mellow instrumental, with a gentle, repetitive rhythm. It's somewhat Eno, somewhat Low-era Bowie, and it's not really like the rest of Smoke Signals, either. If expanded by more than the 1:36 time length, Point Line Plane could easily take their music into beautiful galaxies that are far, far away from anything they've done before, and this little snippet shows that such an adventure would more than likely be quite worthwhile.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.pointlineplane.net
Label Website: http://www.skingraftrecords.com
Smoke Signals, their second album, isn't that grand statement, but it's certainly a step in that direction. Gone are the loud screaming blasts of noise has been replaced with a refined focus on mellower--almost gentle--ambient waves of sound. The band's expanded sound isdue to the addition of a third party, Howard Gillam. This isn't the only change to the band's style, though. The singing has gone from insane yelling to a nearly gothic/blues-based croon, not unlike a more disturbed Gary Numan. Point Line Plane's restraint and maturity over their previous records is reminiscent of Black Dice's transformation from screamo/grindcore to electronica. True, some elements of the band's past remain--check out "Descender" and "Adult Contempt" for those moments, but throughout the rest of the album--such as on the lovely "The Messenger" and "B.U.G.S."--you could be forgiven for thinking this wasn't Point Line Plane at all! So, I'm happy.
The final song on Smoke Signals, "Lights Out II," is a number that's brief, but it gives hope for their future. It's a mellow instrumental, with a gentle, repetitive rhythm. It's somewhat Eno, somewhat Low-era Bowie, and it's not really like the rest of Smoke Signals, either. If expanded by more than the 1:36 time length, Point Line Plane could easily take their music into beautiful galaxies that are far, far away from anything they've done before, and this little snippet shows that such an adventure would more than likely be quite worthwhile.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.pointlineplane.net
Label Website: http://www.skingraftrecords.com
October 18, 2004
Year Future "The Hidden Hand"
Sonny Kay's (Angel Hair/The VSS/GSL Records) newest project, Year Future, offers us three new songs, and from the quality of the material, I wonder why these guys simply haven't gotten around to going full-out for a full length. These songs are hard, in-your-face and compelling, but with a difference--they're dark and they're coated in post-punk atmosphere. It's not screamy, it's not preachy, but it's some of the most politically informed commentary I've heard in quite some time. "Nature Unveiled" is a song about society's tendency to drug itself into submission in order to simply cope with life: "If our senses served our sentences then 'truth' wouldn't be the consequence of prescription-written invitations." Deep! The other two songs, "Police Yourself" and "The Hidden Hand," are rants about the government, and though they're as in-your-face as the first song, music-wise they're not as strong. Still, The Hidden Hand shows that they're growing and maturing quite nicely; if they keep it up, they'll wind up leaving a nice impression on the bland, boring "punk rock" scene. God, I hope so.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.yearfuture.net
Label Website: http://www.goldstandardlabs.com
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.yearfuture.net
Label Website: http://www.goldstandardlabs.com
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