Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid: "The Exchange Session, Vol. 1"

Last year, Sean went to see Four Tet on their Everything Ecstatic tour. Instead of performing the lovely, gentle electronica he is known for, Kieran Hebden delved straight into an off-putting blend of electronica and free-jazz. It failed miserably; Hebden was heckled, and a good portion of the audience walked out on the set. Even Sean's patience was tested--and he's been known to tolerate even the most abrasive of music. At the time, it seemed quite inocongruous, but later that year, he was a featured performer on Spirit Walk, the latest album by legendary jazz drummer Steve Reid. That record is an instantly impressive collection of modern jazz, and Hebden surprisingly fit right in. It's no surprise, then, that the two men would decide to collaborate.

The cover boasts that these songs are "live takes with no overdubs or edits," and it's instantly obvious. The first track, "Morning Prayer," starts off slow; considering Reid's connection with Coltrane, it's also not surprising that the song sounds not unlike Coltrane's final period; though there are definite patterns to the composition, it's quite difficult to make them out. . Track two, "Soul Oscillations," finds the two men building each other up. At times, it feels as if they are allowing the other to showcase their abilities; a few minutes into the song, the percussion falls into the foreground, and Hebden's twiddling takes over. Though there's a groove, it's a rather rough groove that feels slightly off and out of sync, but maybe that's the point. It's on the third track, "Electricity and Drum Will Change Your Mind," that the true magic of this collaboration is found. Hebden's twinkling electronics and throbbing bass drone mixes quite well with Reid's joyous drum beats, and unlike the previous two tracks, here the drums and electronic combination melds into one solid, addictive groove. For the next fifteen minutes, the two men mix their talents together, and this grand finale makes the previous fifteen minutes seem less self-indulgent. At times, it would be easy to think that the first two compositions were nothing more than rehearsals for the final number.

If you're expecting this to be a breezy Four Tet-style record, you might be in for a bit of a shock. Don't be afraid of The Exchange Session, Volume One; it's a wonderfully complex record that will reward those brave enough to listen. That this record is listed as being "volume 1" certainly whets the appetite for the second volume.

Note: it simply seems wrong to attempt to post an mp3 from this record, as it is only three tracks. However, to give you a taste of the spark of this collaboration, we've included a track from the Steve Reid Ensemble collection Spirit Walk. While not quite as intense as The Exchange Sessions, Vol. 1, "Bridget" does drop a very big hint as to what would come next. Enjoy!


Artist Website: http://www.kieranhebdenandstevereid.com
Label Website: http://www.dominorecordco.us

Cross Words: Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!

And now, for your entertainment pleasure, it's the very first crossword puzzle of hate! Today's victim, the inexplicably critically-acclaimed band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! So get out your pencils, gather up your animosity, and have fun! Click on the puzzle for zany wackiness!

SXSW Report #9: The Chalets @ the Parish

Once Luminous Orange's set finally ended, I walked to the Parish to catch the Young Knives. When I got there, I found out that they were to play an hour later than advertised, with unnamed “special guests” assuming their original time slot. These “special guests” were a quintet from Ireland called the Chalets.

The band was fronted by two impressively dolled up women: a blonde named Peepee and a brunette named Pony. They sang honeyed harmonies and occasionally played xylophone and keyboard. Of course, all of the photographers (including myself) paid more attention to Peepee and Pony than they did to the three guys in the band.


However, the guys provided rousing backing vocals and formed a hard, driving rhythm section that provided a necessary counterpoint to the girls’ stereotypical tweeness. My favorite song of theirs was “Two Chord Song,” which lived up to its name and threw in some sarcastic lines about how easy it is to form a band. The band’s Betty-Boop-meets-the-Fall sound won me over quickly. The only reason why I didn’t buy their CD Check In was because they were selling it for a ridiculous $20.

It was during the Chalets’ set that I had my week’s first encounter with an obnoxious drunk. The guy next to me kept extending his hand to Pony, shouting “f*ck you” to her every time she refused to shake it. He then saw the notebook I was writing in, and decided to give me some suggestions.

“Are you a writer for a magazine? Well, here’s something you should write: SXSW SUCKS BALLS FOR LOCALS. Why? ‘Cause if you go outside to smoke a cigarette, you can’t get back in without waiting in a long line!”

SXSW Report #8: Luminous Orange @ Habana Calle 6

After the Double’s set, I walked to the Tonevendor/Clairecords showcase at Habana Calle 6. Tonevendor is my favorite online record store, hands down, and it was great to meet owners Dan and Heather in person after giving them so much of my money over the last few years. While I chatted with them, Japanese quintet Luminous Orange was on stage checking the sound. They played the introduction to the first song of their set over and over again until they were satisfied with the mix.

I have been a fan of Luminous Orange ever since I heard their most recent album Drop You Vivid Colours in 2003. That album (and the band’s music in general) is a seamless synthesis of every great noise, shoegaze and dreampop band of the 90s, from My Bloody Valentine to Stereolab to Sonic Youth. Singer/guitarist Rie Takeuchi writes pop songs of prog-like complexity, with an attention to detail and order that only Japanese bands consistently muster. Her band’s live show followed suit by sounding exactly like the records, but louder.

Their set drew mainly from Vivid Colours and the two EPs that preceded it, with a promising new song or two thrown in. Unfortunately, they exceeded their time limit and forced the soundman to cut off all of their microphones in the middle of “Starred Leaf,” my favorite song from Vivid Colours. They kept playing anyway, and even though Rie could barely hear her voice over the din of guitars, her pitch never wavered.

SXSW Report #7: The Double @ Mrs. Bea's Patio

Although the Double’s set at Mrs. Bea’s patio was technically part of an afternoon show, I consider it the first evening set I saw on Wednesday because the sky was completely dark when they started playing. Last year, this Brooklyn quartet came into its own as both a recording entity and a live band. Their latest album Loose in the Air garnered many Interpol comparisons (due mainly to bassist David Greenhill’s throaty warble) but, in my opinion, both the band’s ear for melody and distortion fetish put it closer to mid-period Flaming Lips. I find it strange that one of Matador Records’ best and newest bands didn’t land a spot on the official showcase that the label held at Stubb’s that evening. They’re certainly a better pick than, say, Jennifer O’Connor. Alas, merely setting Mrs. Bea’s ablaze would have to do for them. They played a much noisier (and sloppier) set than they did the last two times I saw them. The second song, “What Sound It Makes the Thunder,” couldn’t have had a more appropriate name. During it and many other songs, the band sounded like their amps were about to secrete streams of liquid fuzz at any moment. There were some technical difficulties and off-key vocals, but overall the Double wrecked shop!

SXSW Report #6: I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness @ Emo's Outside Stage

Once Meneguar’s set ended I walked back to the outside stage of Emo’s to see local band I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness. This awesomely-named quartet has been creeping on a come-up for the last three years. I realized how long I’ve been following this band when I started arguing with the guy standing next to me about how much one of their original members sucked.

Chosen Darkness has slowly built up a fan base large enough to command headliner status (at least in their hometown), while simultaneously honing their sound to the point where they now do a better Interpol than Interpol themselves. It helps that, unlike Paul Banks, guitarist Christian Goyer can actually sing.


Their set focused exclusively on songs from their recently released debut album Fear Is on Our Side. It was the first Chosen Darkness show I’ve seen in a while in which I could actually hear all three guitarists in the mix! As much as I love going to shows at Emo’s, I have to admit that their soundmen usually can’t handle lineups more complicated than a power trio. It was beautiful to finally hear the swirling reverb-drenched interplay exactly as it was intended to be heard.

SXSW Report #5: Meneguar @ Mrs. Bea's Patio

After the Skeletons' set on Wednesday afternoon, I walked back to Mrs. Bea’s to see Meneguar. I’d been looking forward to seeing this Brooklyn quintet live ever since a friend turned me on to them about a month ago. Their debut EP I Was Born at Night is a thrilling blend of the hooky hollering of Superchunk and the pitch-imperfect guitar interplay of the Swirlies. Why they didn’t get an official SXSW showcase is beyond me. They made up for it, though, by playing four day shows this week, of which this was the first and only one I saw.

Their sound wasn’t as huge live as it is on CD, but that was probably because none of their instruments were miked. Nonetheless, they played with just as much energy and precision as I expected them to. Their EP’s first two songs (“House of Cats” and “Kids Get Cut”) are their best and, fittingly, they got the most response from the crowd.

NYC indie-pop scene queen Shirley Braha filmed their set for her “New York Noise” program. I'm pretty sure it was tough for her to keep still while holding the camera.

Meneguar are already on the verge of greatness, and I have the feeling that they’ll only get better from this point. By this time next year, music bloggers all over the country should be creaming over them.

SXSW Report #4: Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys @ Emo's Inside Stage

After People's set, I returned to the inside stage of Emo's to see Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys. I’ve greatly looked forward to seeing ever since I heard their last album Git. However, their set barely resembled the Xiu Xiu-like blend of gamelan, synth-pop and rock that characterized that album. Instead, they played a bunch of long and swirling songs that would've pleased more open-minded jam-band fanatics. Singer Matt Mehlan (who alternated between second drums and third guitar) possessed an ethereal tenor that recalled My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. Whenever one guitarist laid down a funky Afro-beat riff, Mehlan and the third guitarist would scatter atonal chords and shards of noise all over it. It was a disorienting yet danceable experience, one that I hope to relive when they release their next album.

SXSW Report #3: People @ Mrs. Bea's Patio

Once the Arm’s set ended, I walked across Interstate 35 to the Todd P/Rambler party at Mrs. Bea’s. It was odd to see the bar’s regular patrons, most of whom were old Mexicans, intermingling with the young white hipsters. The music, though, was even odder.

“We are People,” drummer Kevin Shea said, “and we are playing music on the stage while you are sitting in front of us. People often ask us, ‘What is music?’ Well, we’re not here to answer that question.” He and guitarist Mary Halverson then launched into a set of songs that suggested what the Shaggs would sound like if they were music majors.

Mary sang awkward melodies in her pitch-perfect alto while playing obtuse chord progressions. Meanwhile, Kevin played constantly shifting rhythms that resembled an endless Max Roach solo at triple the speed. He’s the kind of drummer who always knows where the one is, but frequently disregards it. Mary’s guitar playing did more to outline the rhythms of the songs than his drumming did. Kevin is also able to generate a multitude of tones from a shockingly minimal setup (kick, snare, cymbal and hi-hat). He’s just as weird, though, as he is talented. He referred to the first song as their “encore,” and narrated the rest of the set in reverse order. He also undercut his own stage banter by beginning songs in mid-thought.

Overall, People struck me as the kind of band that takes joy in confusing everyone who hears them. Of course, this means that I love them to death!

SXSW Report #2: The Arm @ Emo's Inside Stage

I began Wednesday (the first official day of SXSW) by watching local favorites the Arm play an afternoon set. I have frequently referred to them as Austin’s best answer to the Fall, but they’ve become so much more than that over the years. First of all, they play with the kind of speed and force that Mark E. Smith and company could never muster, not even in the late ‘70s. Second of all, front man Sean O’Neal can actually sing when he sets his mind to it. On one of their new songs, he hit notes that I never thought he was capable of reaching! It also helps that they’ve gotten better at utilizing dissonance without becoming unlistenable. Because of that, their sophomore album Call You Out (which comes out next month) is my most anticipated local release this year. Despite the fury of the Arm’s performance, though, I ended up paying more attention to the young child dancing in front of the stage as if Emo’s was his favorite playground. Between songs, he shouted “Yay, Daddy!” at the drummer. It was the festival’s most heartwarming moment.

My Newest Song Obsession!

I now have a Best Song Ever. I heard this song this morning, obsessed over it from listen number one, realized the song's true greatness this afternoon, and decided to share it with you this evening. The band is The Orchids, an indie-pop band from Scotland who were one of Sarah Records' flagship acts, and were one of the best indie-pop bands of the late 80s and early 90s. I'll write a much more extensive review of their records in a forthcoming post, but I wanted to share this little nugget:

Listen To: "What Will We Do Next?"

This song is two minutes and fifty-three seconds of pure aural ecstasy. The chiming guitars recall--but never merely imitate--the classic West Coast sound of the mid 1960s; the lyrics are revelatory of a young man's confusion and frustration, yet the words are somehow uplifiting and idealistic. The music is as bright as a sunny day, grey as a foggy morning, and just damn near perfect. This song--I know it's cliche to say that a song should have been a hit, but in this case, it should have been a hit--and considering the British music scene was dominated by bands making anthemic, retro-inspired pop like The La's and the Stone Roses makes the song's obscurity even more puzzling. The song was released in September 1989, but it doesn't sound dated, and my hope is that passing it on to you now will make it come alive again. Music is the best, of course, and it deserves to live.

So take a listen, and become obsessed, and pass it on!

Apologies

I'm sorry that I was not able to post about yesterday's SXSW happenings; since Friday afternoon--and for part of last week, too--I was not able to log in or access the site, due to a server problem. This is most unfortunate, because I wanted to tell you about some great stuff that involved our writer Sean Padilla.

Sorry 'bout that....

Mary Lou Lord SHUT DOWN in Austin!

Over the past few years, Mary Lou Lord has grown from shy and sweet folkie to beloved SXSW character. Sure, she'll be a part of label showcases, but if you really wanted to see her in action, all you had to do was just go down Sixth street--usually around 6th and Nueces, and there you'd find her. She would be perched out on the street, singing songs (both her own and covers), bothering nobody, smiling at all the passers-by, cracking jokes and being just downright charming.

You'll note that I used the past-tense in that previous paragraph. See, yesterday--the unexpected happened....Mary Lou Lord's busking was silenced. As shocking as it may sound, it's quite true; yesterday afternoon she was informed by the Austin police department that she was in violation of a "no amplification" law that had recently taken effect. Thus, her performance yesterday afternoon didn't happen. While we have no idea whether or not she was issued a ticket or was given a warning, it doesn't really matter; there's no busking Mary Lou on Sixth street.

Regarless of what Austin city officials think, we happen to love Mary Lou Lord here at Mundane Sounds. Here are three excellent songs from three of her excellent records, and while this isn't quite the same thing as a Mary Lou Lord busking performance, we just want to give you a little something special. Interestingly enough, the lyrics to all three songs unintentionally seem appropriate for this whole damned affair.

BE HER FRIEND!. And, if you're a record label, GIVE HER A DEAL!

SXSW Friday Night Recommendations!

Tonight's an insanely wonderful night, and there's TONS of great bands playing. Let's just say that after compiling tonight's recommendations, I'm glad I'm not attending, simply because I know that there are at least two other shows I'd regret missing. Still, there's plenty of magic to be found, and I slightly pity those poor bastards who have to choose!

7:00
(7:30) Bettye LaVette -- La Zona Rosa, 612 W. 4th St.
7:45 Mum (DJ Set) Fox and Hound, 401 Guadalupe St.

8:00
The Mendoza Line -- Maggie Mae's, 323 E. 6th St.
The Brunettes -- Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River
The Loved Ones -- Redrum, 401 Sabine St.
The Amzing Pilots -- 217 E. 6th St.
(8:30) The Last Town Chorus -- THe Velvet Spade, 912 Red River

9:00
(9:15) Oxbow -- Emo's Jr, 603 Red River
(9:25) STorsveit Nix Noltes -- Fox and Hound, 401 Guadalupe St.
(9:30) Billy Bragg -- Cedar Street Courtyard, 206 W. 4th St.
(9:30) Rapider than Horsepower -- Lava Lounge, 405 E. 7th St.
Tilly & The Wall -- Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto
Howard Hello -- Whisky Bar, 303 W. 5th St.

10:00
Eric Bachmann -- The 18th Floor at Capitol Plaza, 500 N. IH 35
Over the Rhine -- Antone's,213 W. 5th St.
(10:45) Jolie Holland -- Cedar Street Courtyard, 206 W. 4th St.
(10:30) Lucero -- Red 7, 611 E. 7th St

11:00
Eef Barzelay -- Habana Calle 6, 709 E. 6th St.
(11:30) Zolar X -- The Jackalope, 404 E. 6th St.
The Evangelicals -- Maggie Mae', 323 E. 6th St.
Odiorne -- Nuno's Upstairs, 422 E. 6th St.
Drums & Tuba --Opal Divine's Freehouse, 700 W. 6th St.
Band of Horses -- Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River
(11:30) TODD -- The Velvet Spade, 912 Red River

12:00
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings -- Antone's. 213 W. 5th St.
(12:45) Th' Faith Healers -- Blender Balcony at the Ritz, 320 E. 6th St.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre -- Bourbon Rocks, 508 E. 6th St.
(12:40) Animal Collective -- Fox and Hound, 401 Guadalupe St.
Spinto Band -- Friends, 208 E. 6th St.
Jack Rose -- The Hideout, 617 Congress Ave.
Shearwater -- Maggie Mae's, 323 E. 6th St.
Lab Partners -- Molotov Lounge, 719 W. 6th St.
The Silent League -- Nuno's Upstairs, 422 E. 6th St.
The Elected -- Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River
The Drift -- Whisky Bar, 303 W. 5th St.

1:00
El Ten Eleven --Friends, 208 E. 6th St.
The Black -- Bourbon Rocks, 508 E. 6th St.
Centro-Matic -- Maggie Mae's, 323 E. 6th st.
Caroline -- WHisky Bar, 303 W. 5th St
Rogue Wave -- Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River
Savage Republic -- Room 710, 710 Red River
The Aeroplanes -- Spiro's, 615 Red River

SXSW Thursday Night Recommendations!

Well, it looks like Thursday’s going to be an exciting day, what with tons and tons of great bands performing! There aren’t many shows of interest in the early evening, but the ones worth noting are quite exciting! Former Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson will be performing, as well as Richard Hawley and one of our favorite new bands, Brothers and Sister!

For those who like mellow, LA-styled country-rock, you’re in luck, as you can be entertained by such artists as The Tyde, Bobby Bare, Jr, Milton Mapes, Jay Bennett, Damien Jurado, and Magnolia Summer. Speaking of LA, also performing tonight is the soulful Twilight Singers, led by the incomparable and unforgettable Greg Dulli.

For those who want more experimental fare, you’re in luck. The wonderful His Name is Alive will be performing, as well as DeVotchKa, The Starlight Mints, Man Man, and Islands. Tonight schedule also features NOMO and Groupo Fantasma, two bands that mix world music with all sorts of things, making music that’s simply without comparison. Vague Angels blends hip-hop with indie-rock, as does Aqueduct, but Busdriver is straight-up hip-hop.

But for those who simply want to rock out, there’s something for you, too! Check out sets by Chin Up Chin Up, Dixie Witch, The Gossip, and, of course, the legendery dEUS.

There’s plenty of fun to be had tonight, now go and have it!



8:00 PM
(8:15) Richard Hawley -- Austin Music Hall, 208 Nueces St.

9:00 PM

(9:30) Brothers & Sisters -- Emo's IV, 601 Red River
(9:30) Rob Dickinson -- Friends, 208 E. 6th St.

10:00 PM

Vague Angels -- Latitude 30, 512 San Jacino St.
The Starlight Mints -- THe Parish, 214B E. 6th St.
Dixie Witch -- Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.
DeVotchKa -- The Velvet Spade Patio, 912 Red River

11:00 PM

The Tyde --Buffalo Billiards, 201 E. 6th St
(11:30) The Twilight Singers -- Friends, 208 E. 6th St.
Magnolia Summer -- Habana Calle 6 Patio, 709 E. 6th St.
Function -- The Hideout, 617 Congress Ave.
The Happy Bullets - Karma Lounge, 119 W. 8th St.
(11:15) Man Man -- The Velvet Spade, 912 Red River St.

12:00 AM

Bobby Bare, Jr -- Bourbon Rocks, 508 E. 6th St.
(12:30) Islands --Emo's IV, 601 Red River
Chin Up Chin Up -- Emo's Jr, 603 Red River
His Name is Alive -- Habana Calle 6, 709 E. 6th St.
Milton Mapes -- Habana Calle 6 Patio, 709 E. 6th St.
(12:40) Aqueduct -- The Parish II, 214 E. 6th St.
(12:30) Busdriver -- Zero Degrees, 405 E. 7th St.

1:00 AM

Skeletons & The Girl-Faced Boys -- Blender Balcony at The Ritz, 320 E. 6th Street
Groupo Fantasma -- Cedar St. Courtyard, 208 W. 4th St.
The Gossip -- Emo's Annex, 600 Red River
NOMO-- Habana Calle 6, 709 E. 6th St.
Jay Bennett -- Habana Calle 6 Patio, 709 E. 6th St.
Damien Jurado -- Redrum, 401 Sabine St.
dEUS-- Spiro's Patio, 611 Red River

SXSW Wednesday Night recommendations!

The first night of South By Southwest is an eclectic affair, with "mellow" being the word that seemingly links all of our suggestions together.

Folk-rock isn't a rare commodity, with showcases tonight from longtime veterans Mary Lou Lord, Beth Orton, and Kathy McCarty, as well as a few newcomers, such as Jose Gonzales, Jennifer O'Connor, and Robert Skoro.

If you're a fan of the rock, there's plenty to be found tonight as well, with showcases from great acts like The Sun, Knife In The Water, Single Frame, and Bound Stems all taking the stage.

For those who want to check out more experimental fare, check out Brian Glaze, Rachel Goldstar, Luminous Orange, or The Weird Weeds.

Also, a number of bands that are aimed towards the "next big thing" status will be performing their tunes tonight as well. You can catch some really great sets from really great bands like Voxtrot, Zykos, Irving, Saturday Looks Good to Me and Midlake, as well as a rare US appearance from Canadian orchestra popsters The Heavy Blinkers

Finally, a few veteran acts will be performing, either in solo form, or with a new band, including Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood, Maritime (one-half of The Promise Ring), the legendary Jad Fair, and a rare reunion of The Plimsouls!

Have fun!

8:00 PM
Luminous Orange -- Habana Calle 6, 709 E. 6th St.
Jad Fair & Lumberob -- The Hideout, 617 Congress
Robert Skoro -- Nuno's Upstairs, 422 E. 6th St.
Coaxial -- Room 710, 710 Red River
Mary Lou Lord -- Soho Lounge, 217 E. 6th St.
Jennifer O'Connor -- Stubbs, 801 Red River
The Sun -- Velvet Spade, 912 Red River

9:00 PM
Kathy McCarty -- Caribbean Lights, 614 E. 6th St.
Single Frame -- Elysium, 705 Red River St.
Headlights -- Emo's Jr, 603 Red River
Voxtrot -- Emo's Main Room, 603 Red River
(9:30) Jose Gonzalez -- Eternal, 418 E. 6th St
Rachel Goldstar -- Habana Calle 6, 709 E. 6th

10:00 PM

Pilotdrift -- Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St.
(10:30) Bound Stems -- Lava Lounge, 405 E. 7th St.
Knife In The Water -- Spiro's, 615 Red River

11:00 PM

Curt Kirkwood -- The 18th Floor at Capitol Palace, 500 N. IH 35
Beth Orton -- Antone's, 213 W. 5th Street
The Weird Weeds -- Karma Lounge, 119 W. 8th St.
(11:45) The Jai-Alai Savant -- Room 710, 710 Red River

12:00 AM

(12:15) Brian Glaze -- Club Deville, 900 Red River
WHY? -- Emo's Annex, 600 Red River
The Plimsouls -- Exodus, 302 E. 6th St.
Midlake -- The Fox and Hound, 401 Guadalupe St.
(12:45) Maritime -- Lava Lounge, 405 E. 7th St
Irving -- Velvet Spade Patio, 912 Red River

1:00 AM

The Heavy Blinkers -- The Copa, 217 N. Congress
Saturday Looks Good to Me -- Emo's Jr, 603 Red River
Zykos -- Friends, 208 E. 6th St.

SXSW Report #1: Sleater-Kinney @ the Guerrero Produce Warehouse

On Tuesday evening, instant messaging company Imeem sponsored a party that doubled as both a closing party for film conference attendees and a welcoming party for music conference attendees. During this party, the Independent Film Channel presented a performance by none other than riot-grrl pioneers Sleater-Kinney. It was the first time they played in Texas since their showcase at last year's SXSW.

"We're basically playing inside a big cinder block," singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein joked between songs, "so I hope everything sounds good." The cavernous acoustics of the warehouse did drown out most of the vocals; only singer/guitarist Corin Tucker's banshee vibrato managed to rise about the instruments and the reverb. Despite that, they sounded much better than they did last year. Carrie's guitar playing was both cleaner and more abrasive, especially when the songs from 2005's overwhelming The Woods mutated into extended jams. As always, it was a blast to watch her slide, leap and high-kick around the stage. Janet Weiss' perpetually virtuosic drumming never lost control of the beat, and she even added some harmonica solos to the occasional song (most notably, their brilliant Bruce Springsteen cover). Last but not least, Corin has finally gained full control of her voice, hitting every note right at the bull's eye.

Carrie's stage banter was timid, yet funny. "I'd like to thank the projectionists for not showing videos of us on the screens," she said. "I don't mind looking at Corin and Janet, but I'd feel like I was staring at my 12-year-old self, practicing my moves...wearing clothes that make my torso look too long and my legs look too short."

Although most of the material they played was from The Woods, they threw in many old chestnuts, dating all the way back to Call the Doctor --- can you believe that album came out a decade ago? When they launched into "Get Up" (from 1999's underrated The Hot Rock), I was reminded once again of how melodic and challenging the band's music has always been. All tolled, Sleater-Kinney's set was a perfect way to begin this year's week-long city-wide scavenger hunt for exciting live music.

The Weird Weeds

Our friends The Weird Weeds have been wowing the blogosphere for some time now, and for good reason--payola! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that they're REALLY GOOD, too. They're winning the hearts of those who fell for the 'freak-folk' trend, though that tag's kind of insuting, of course, because they're not really folk. They've released an album, Hold Me, and an EP, This Is Not What You Want, and they're currently working on their second album, which is due for release later this year. That that other website made them a 'buzz' band isn't surprising; in fact, it's about damn time.

Listen To:"In Your Arms"
Wednesday, March 15th @ the Karma Lounge
8:00 - Jasmine Star
9:00 - Kris Gruen
10:00 - Dreamend
11:00 - The Weird Weeds
12:00 - Gena Rowlands Band
1:00 - Peter & the Wolf

Friday, March 17th @ Spiderhouse Cafe
I Eat Records/Austinist party

12:00 - The Weird Weeds
1:00 - Fluffer's Union
2:00 - The Hidden Cameras
3:00 - The Casting Couch
4:00 - Greg Ashley/Gris Gris
5:00 - The Handsome Charlies
6:00 - The Low Lows (formerly Parker & Lily)

South by Southwest 2006!

This week, Mundane Sounds will be focusing its focus on that overwhelmingly popular music festival, South by Southwest! I'll be holding down the home front, recommending artists and showcases of note, while our own hepcat Sean Padilla will be braving the crowds and bringing you the low-down on the haps. So tune in and enjoy!

Sunday Evening Shorts: The One-Man Show

One man bands? For a reviewer, seeing that description in a press kit can be the kiss of death; for the unsuspecting listener, it can be a disaster waiting to happen. Many, many, many one-man bands are simply awful. Being able to play every instrument doesn't mean you can play them well. But there are exceptions, of course; Paul McCartney practically invented 'lo-fi' with his debut solo album, McCartney, which was recorded almost entirely in his home studio and with him playing all the instruments; Boston's greatest hit "More Than A Feeling" was the work of just one man, and, of course, Prince isn't called a genius for his fashion sense. Still, here are a few recent 'one-man' bands that are defintely the exception to the rule.



First up, we have The Wiggins. Billing himself as 'super-raw anti-pop,' his music pretty much fits that description. What it doesn't cover, though, is the gritty garage-rock blues sludge that makes up a goodly portion of his music. Don't worry, that's not a bad thing at all. One might be tempted to judge The Wiggins' book by its cover, and dismiss them as a joke band--especially considering the number of mediocre one-man acts out there--but that would be terribly presumptuous. The songs on his debut EP The Greatest Apes EP are all dirty and raw and shambiotic, but there's defintely a charm that will definitely bring you back for more. Maybe it's because this music sounds so raunchy and dirty and lusty, or maybe it's because the songs hint at a darker, bigger storm to come, I can't really say. The Wiggins sound like very early Primal Scream and even Jesus & Mary Chain without the shoegaze or the Beach Boys fixation, and that's a totally good thing in my book. Definitely a young band to keep an eye on.

Listen To: "Lying"
Listen To: "Cold"

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We're proud to call Colin Clary our friend, and his records are always welcome here, and for good reason--he makes fun, funny, and charming pop. He's also terribly prolific, too. In Mundane Sounds' previous incarnation, he starred on four of our five mp3 samplers, because those songs deserved to be heard. An affable guy who makes affable music--what could possibly be better? He has a multiude of friends who help him out in a multitude of ways on his multitude of musical projects, so a Colin Clary record is usually something much more than just a Colin Clary experience. His latest record, Sweater Weather or Not, These Are the Songs I Got, captures that Colin Clary sweetness; the cover for this record is...a sweater! No, really, it is! Mine is an adorable green felt sweater. The music inside is just as fuzzy and as soft, and he sings about everything from being in love, missing his favorite drummer, car problems, and just about anything else he can think of. In fact, one of the songs appeared on our sampler series, "Some Of My Favorite People are Consigners." If you like unpretentious indie-pop, then Colin Clary should be your one-stop.

Listen To: "Some Of My Favorite People Are Consigners"
Listen To: "The Mixtape On My Mind"

* * * * * *

Faris Noruallah? We love him here. He impressed us with his second solo record, Problematico. He embodies a really wonderful ethic--making music because he wants to make music, and allowing his music to stand on its own. He doesn't tour; he doesn't play shows, and he doesn't do anything other than make music. That may doom him to obscurity, but I have a feeling Nourallah just doesn't care. He's released three solo records, and an album with Nourallah Brothers, a collaboration with his equally-talented brother Salim. Obscure he may be in the American music scene, Europe loves Faris, and he has a steady, loyal fanbase there, and his records recieve glowing reviews. Thus, Spanish label Green UFOs has compiled a handy, 20-song 'best of' from these four records, entitled Near the Sun: The Best Songs of Faris Nourallah. This might be an unecessary release for those of you who are already in love with Faris's music, it's still a handy compendium. I recommend his four albums first, but if you're on a budget, or are simply curious, this collection can't be beat.


* * * * * *

LA's Mellowdrone follows in the grand tradition of bands like Boston and Whitesnake. Not that they sound anything like them, mind you, but that they're a heavy rock band with a major label budget that is, in fact, a one-man band. It's surprising as hell, too; listening to their debut album Box, you'd never know it. Jonathan Bates recorded everything on the album by himself, only enlisting friends here and there and hiring a band after the fact.To be honest, I have mixed feelings about their music. On one hand, they ape the post-OK Computer Britpop sound, but on the other, their sound isn't that bad. Trendy-sounding rock bands have always come and gone, so who knows if Mellowdrone will even get a chance to make a second record for Columbia? Cynical? Perhaps. But then again, my Smoking Popes, Bluetones, Semisonic, Tripping Daisy, and Menthol records justify such cynicism. Regardless of their destiny--and here's hoping Mellowdrone escapes such a stereotypical fate--it's hard to deny the ear-candy appeal of songs like "Fashionably Uninvited" and "Madison," two songs that are awaiting their future "one-hit wonder" status. And considering Jonathan Bates's ability to write a catchy song, maybe Mellowdrone's fate is not so doomed after all. Good luck to you guys; Box is a great beginning.

Listen To: Fashionably Uninvited"

* * * * * *

If you're a fan of bands like Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Lassie Foundation, or Richard Swift, then you've probably heard Frank Lenz. He's an accomplished musician, and his music wonderfully represents the width of his musical skills. Hidden Agenda recently released his third album, Vilelenz and Thieves, and it's a unique and diverse record. One minute, he's simply playing a song on an acoustic guitar, the next minute he'll pull out a string section, and then, for the next, he'll pull out the penny whistle and the French horn! It's all so mellow and so lovely. His singing voice is lazy and soft and lush; it kind of reminds me of the better moments of David Crosby, Neil Young, and James Taylor, but his music is never 'retro' sounding. Syrupy sweet songs like "I've Got Other Things To Do" and "Weekend Friends" sit next to odder numbers like "All God's Children" and "Lou Lou Bye" and "Bad Art," but it's quite okay, because it all just plays together quite well. Vilelenz and Thieves is a low-key affair, but it's an enjoyable experience.


Listen To: Bullets In The Wall"

Emperor X "Central Hug/Friend Army/Fractal Dunes (and the Dreams That Resulted)"

After a murky vinyl-only debut album, Emperor X’s 2004 follow-up Tectonic Membrane confirmed Chad Metheny as one of the more talented children of the last decade’s “lo-fi” movement. On songs like “Florencia Tropicana” and “Garbage Shaft Floor-by-Floor,” Chad demonstrated a knack for catchy melodies that pushed his adenoidal voice to its limits, lyrics that were too vivid and funny to be dismissed as collegiate navel-gazing and arrangements that enabled the music to transcend the meager setup on which it was recorded. In short, it was DIY done right. In the eight months after its release, Chad moved from Florida to New York, and quickly assembled his third album, Central Hug. Although nothing on Central Hug will shock those who’ve heard Chad’s previous work, it still finds him making major strides as a singer, writer and arranger.

Central Hug is smartly sequenced; the songs with the fullest arrangements open and close the record, with a block of more minimal songs filling up the middle. Opener “Right to the Rails” is one of many songs that betray Chad’s newfound love of travel. With little more than Chad’s voice, a delayed guitar and the pitter-patter of tom-toms, the song works itself into lather until Chad repeatedly shouts “Go! Go! Go!” like a gambling man urging on his favorite racehorse. Second track “Shut Shut Up” is an anthem that rises slowly out of a morass of hissing cymbals and guitar harmonics, as Chad rebukes an apathetic friend with the fervor of an angry John Darnielle.

Things calm down a bit with “Raytracer,” on which Chad augments the quarter-note strum of his acoustic guitar with the kind of lyrics that couldn’t have been written by anyone but a post-collegiate indie-rocker: “Did you ever get sad on your bed late at night, crying, listening to Either/Or?” “Use Your Hands” is about a building so structurally sound that it inspires an already crazy man to start bombing other, lesser buildings, and “Sfearion” laments the fatigue that sets in after constant traveling; both are dinky synth-pop songs that sound like lost Postal Service demos. The last third of the record is highlighted by the Swirlies-style whammy-bar abuse of “Edgeless” and the arid psych-rock instrumental “Coast to Coast.”

Chad has already followed Central Hug up with a new EP called Dirt Dealership that reportedly has a folksier feel than his previous work. However, it’s a 7-inch vinyl record that’s limited to 300 copies, so for most of the people reading this, Central Hug remains the best and most recent entry point in the Emperor X discography. I hope to grab a copy of his new EP at the day party that his record label’s throwing on the week of South by Southwest. If I do, I’ll definitely give you my thoughts on it. For now, Central Hug is the perfect tonic for anyone who wishes the Nineties never ended and ProTools never existed!

---Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.emperorx.net
Label Website: www.discosmariscos.com

Sicbay "Suspicious Icons"

I admit that I’m not as familiar with Nick Sakes’ pedigree as I should be. The guy who runs the band’s record label told me that Nick “revolutionized post-hardcore” with his first two bands, Dazzling Killmen and Colossamite. I only own one Dazzling Killmen CD, the odds-and-ends collection Recuerda. If that album’s bludgeoning opener “Medicine Me” is any indication, the Dazzling Killmen were exactly what their name implied: dazzling musicians who wanted to kill people through the sheer power of rock. I still haven’t heard Colossamite, but they must’ve been pretty tough to listen to as well if Nick’s current band Sicbay is being touted as his most conventional yet. Although Sicbay’s music will never be confused with Death Cab for Cutie’s, you can still tell that Nick has mellowed out a bit over the years.

Sicbay’s third album Suspicious Icons runs through 10 brief songs, all of which are constructed from the same building blocks. Nick plays meaty power chords that are as close as the band gets to having low end (Sicbay lacks a bassist), and his gravel-throated hollering infuses his lyrics with an indignation that they’re often too terse and oblique to convey on their own. Lead guitarist Dave Erb nimbly plays winding guitar lines that are often more melodic than Nick’s vocals. Drummer Greg Schaal navigates odd meters without being flashy or awkward.

Occasionally, the band switches things up for variety. Dave takes a lead vocal turn on “The Rise of Phantom White,” and his sweet Clint Conley-like tenor serves as a nice contrast to Nick’s yelling. “Tears of the Siren” is the album’s lone “ballad,” with chiming guitar arpeggios that could almost lull the listener to sleep. Once those songs end, Sicbay doubles back. “Riposte in Pieces” and “Suffering Submarines,” the tracks immediately succeeding them, are the album’s most aggressive. Nick’s voice doubles in urgency, and the band follows suit by speeding up the tempo.

Suspicious Icons takes getting used to, but it definitely rewards multiple listens. At 26 minutes, the album doesn’t last long enough to wear out its welcome, but it doesn’t feel incomplete either. It’s a solid collection of odd yet propulsive rock songs that makes me want to delve more into Nick’s previous work. 54’40” or Fight, already one of the most consistent labels in indie-rock, continues its winning streak with this one!

---Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.sicbay.com
Label Website: www.fiftyfourfortyorfight.com

Snowden Signs to Jade Tree

When a strange band appears on a label showcase, it’s usually a good sign that said band is about to sign to the label. Such is the case with Snowden. I noticed this band appeared on Jade Tree's South by Southwest showcase. So I figured I'd swing by Snowden's website, and it took all of one listen to the band's music to realize that this band is one that deserves your attention. Their music is pretty and lush and atmospheric and a little bit dance-worthy; you can download their debut EP Snowden in its entirety, too, as well as an excellent cover of The Zombies' classic "Time of the Season. Snowden will be releasing its debut album, Anti-Anti, this summer.

The band will also make several appearances at SXSW:


WED MAR 15 Austin TX,
Gothamist.com/Austinist.com Party (free)
@ Red , 7611 East 7th
Snowden 3PM


SAT MAR 18 Austin TX,
@Home Slice Pizza
1415 S Congress
Snowden 2 pm

SAT MAR 18 Austin TX,
Jade Tree SXSW Showcase
@ Emo's Jr 603 Red River
New Mexican Disaster Squad 8:15 PM
Paint it Black 9:00 PM
Snowden 9:45 PM
Micah P. Hinson 10:45 PM
Ester Drang 11:45 PM
David Bazan 12:45 AM



Listen To: "Anti-Anti"
Listen To: "Time Of the Season"

Saloon "Lo-Fi Sounds, Hi-Fi Heart"

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I’ve always felt that Saloon got a raw deal. Comparisons to Stereolab were apt, but a little unfair, as it’s a little too easy to compare any band that makes Moog and farfisa-driven music and features a bilingual female singer to Stereolab. For those of us who were following the British indie-pop scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s, then Saloon’s handful of limited-edition singles showed a young band with great promise and the ability to pack magic into a small seven-inch slab of vinyl. Yep, they were a really great band, and they only got better with each single released. But then something most unexpected happened, when they released their debut album—they lost something. Over the course of a single, Saloon’s music was poppy and upbeat and powerful. Over the course of an album, though, their music weakened, and the magic and sparkle of their singles just disappeared—and, worst of all, the band seemed lost in the Stereolab/Broadcast comparisons. Their debut, (This Is) What We Call Progress was okay, but their follow-up If We Meet In The Future was boring. That they broke up not long after releasing the album didn’t seem like much of a surprise. It was sad, this promising young band just didn’t seem able to deliver on the promises of their first few records.

For those of us who loved early Saloon, Lo-Fi Sounds, Hi-Fi Heart is a much-welcomed compilation of all of Saloon’s seven-inch singles and compilation appearances, because those singles were indeed quite special. Their early releases, such as “Electron” and “Futurismo,” highlighted a band that was having fun with their music. Those early tracks highlight a beauty and a youthful innocence that makes listening to them quite enjoyable. Personally, my favorite of the bunch was their excellent “Freefall” single; it captured the band at a really great crossroads; they’d honed down their early, lo-fi sound into a glorious pop sheen, and it seemed as if the band would and could soon conquer the world. The A-side, “Freefall,” was pure pop; the B-side, “Movimiento,” was a swirling psychedelic pop treat. But other songs, such as “Have You Seen the Light,” taken from a split tour single with Dressy Bessy, the wonderful organ grinding of “Impact,” and later songs “Pink” and “I’ve Found a Way” show the band’s maturity was a fertile breeding ground for mature, beautiful indie-pop.

Maybe Saloon never had a chance. Maybe they were simply a band destined to be beloved by only a few, to escape the world’s eye, and to be dismissed by the cynical as imitators. Lo-Fi Sounds, Hi-Fi Heart is a wonderful collection for those who know better.

Listen To: "Shopping"
Listen To: "Impact"

Label Website: Darla Records

Keith John Adams "Pip"

This English troubadour’s set at last year’s Happy Happy Birthday to Me Popfest in Athens renewed my faith in live music, single-handedly erasing the cynicism that crept into me after having to sit through hundreds of mediocre bands. Athens crowds are even worse than Austin crowds when it comes to talking through shows. Undeterred, Keith silenced the hipsters by standing on top of the bar to perform the first few songs, with nothing but a ukulele and a toy piano as his accompaniment. Once he had the crowd’s attention in the palm of his hand, he jumped off the bar and ran on stage to perform the rest of the set with his backing band (the men of Japanese label mates Elekibass). They wore matching top hats and danced around in unison while playing Keith’s songs. Every song was performed with a vibrancy that made even the most jet-lagged attendees jump around. In a just world, there would’ve been major-label talent scouts throwing money at Keith as soon as he walked off stage. Why, then, isn’t this man famous, especially considering the Anglophilic turn that rock criticism has taken over the last couple of years?

Probably because he doesn’t sound like the Arctic fricking Monkeys.
Ugh! Can Alex Turner PLEASE give David Gedge his book of lyrics back?
Anyway, moving on...

Pip is Keith’s second album under his own name. His debut
Sunshine Loft was recorded with a full band, and was recorded with all of the musicians huddled around a single stereo microphone. The album sounded crisp despite this lo-tech working method. Pip, on the other hand, was recorded in a professional studio with Keith playing all of the instruments himself. Not only has the production improved but, strangely enough, so has the musicianship! It’s a rare one-man band that can play all of his instruments equally well, but Keith does, adding to his already formidable talents as a singer, songwriter and performer. The sound is spacious yet lush. Acoustic and electric guitars frequently double each other to gorgeous effect. Keith’s voice placed front and center, sounding as if he’s singing directly to you. He’s got a croon that is simultaneously snot-nosed and refined; it’s the kind of voice that Spoon’s Britt Daniel would KILL to have.

Every song on Pip is crammed with clever rhymes about sentimental subjects, and boasts a hook that won’t leave your head for days. On opener “Inconsequential Thought,” Keith sings, “I love every particle I can find/in every article of your mind,” against a backdrop of tinkling toy pianos and whammied-out fuzz guitars. “Dad,” which is built off a memorable four-note guitar riff, finds Keith getting closer to his father after the death of his mother: “When you lost a wife, then I lost a mother/But she’s kinda here when we’re with each other.” He chastises people who aren’t proactive on “Keep an Eye” and people who let their jobs consume their lives on “Man Overboard.” He sings of being reinvigorated by the presence of new love (“Torch”) and being depleted by the loss of love (“Memory”). He sings of the inevitability of death on “Matter of Time,” and even uses reality TV as a metaphor to prove his point: “It’s only a matter of time/’til viewers on you doted/then off the show you’re voted!”


Not every song on Pip is a classic, but even the weaker ones (and there aren’t many) require little effort to enjoy. There are McCartney-like “silly love songs,” and songs in which Adams engages in cleverness for its own sake, but even those songs culminate in choruses that are catchier than the common cold. If the words “Beatles,” “Costello” and “XTC” mean anything to you, you need to buy Pip the very SECOND you finish reading this review.

--Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.keithjohnadams.com
Label Website: www.hhbtm.com

Sick Bees "The Marina Album"

When the Sick Bees released their debut album in 1998, I was a high school junior. I used to make mix tapes for the few friends of mine who shared similar taste in music. I didn’t put the Sick Bees on any of them, though, because I knew that even my most open-minded friends wouldn’t like them. Singer Starla’s guitars were tuned strangely, even by Sonic Youth standards, and her voice frequently switched from an off-key lilt to a drill sergeant’s holler. Julio’s drumming sound lopsided, and he often sounded like he was playing with junk percussion instead of a real kit. Together, they sounded like kids making a racket in a garage…which they probably were! I didn’t have a problem with it, though. Their songs were catchy, and when they set their mind to rocking, they did so with a power that compensated for their rudimentary musicianship and slippery grasp of pitch. Not many people seemed to agree with me, though. Their sophomore album, 2000’s awesome My Pleasure, received a 3.6 rating in Pitchfork and was dismissed as “twee metal” by Fakejazz.

That was the last I’d heard from the Sick Bees, and I was forced to spend my college years without them. Apparently, the first half of this decade has been rough for the Seattle duo. Julie Knolin, one of their closest friends (and an occasional musical collaborator), died while they were making My Pleasure. Then, Chris Takino, the founder of the band’s record label, died five months after the album’s release. Understandably, the band had no motivation to promote or tour behind it. If that wasn’t enough to cripple them, the medical problems certainly did the trick. Julio had back problems that made playing music physically painful for him; he eventually had to have surgery to correct them. Starla also had an operation performed on her throat for some undisclosed ailment. Eventually, they eked out The Marina Album, which was released last summer. If I hadn’t found a used copy of this CD at a record store in Ohio while on my last tour, I probably wouldn’t even know that the Sick Bees still exist!

The title is a misnomer, if not an outright joke: The Marina Album is a 16-minute EP that runs through 13 tracks, only half of which sound like the same band that made My Pleasure. On “Paint My Apartment,” Starla sings of a house in disarray (“And my bedroom’s tilted/and my chimney’s wilted/and my toilet’s leaking/and my porch is creaking”), her voice getting more and more unhinged as the song progresses. “Rat Traps” continues the domestic theme. On this song, Starla’s voice intentionally veers off key, on top of a bed of fuzz guitars and rubber ducks (??!?) used as percussion instruments. On “Yer Cat Loves Me,” the “cat” in question is revealed to be a vagina halfway through; it’s a juvenile trick, even by the band’s standards, but the song rocks harder than anything else on the EP. “Prepare to Be Dazzled” consists of Starla singing two lines: “If you’ve never heard me sing…,” followed by the title. Her voice goes flat during the word “sing,” which is hilarious to me, and the horns that pop up during the last 20 seconds are even more so. Then, there’s “God Will Stop Yer Party,” a 23-second punk blast that’s shockingly infectious despite its brevity.

The other half of this EP finds the Sick Bees indulging in the kind of experiments that most bands wouldn’t even use as B-sides. The best examples of this can be found on what I’m going to call “the interracial trilogy.” “Le Beat O” is a found-sound recording of a personal ad made by a woman seeking “a woman of color to look past my white skin, and see my black soul.” On “Chikikwa,” which sounds like lounge music played in the key of Z, Starla sings the refrain “Show me love/my white skin/my black blood.” On the spoken-word rant “My Beard,” Starla adopts a thick Southern accent and drawls, “You’re a sweet brown sugar…I’d talk black to get you back!”

Of course, a 16-minute EP is a tease when it comes from a band that hasn’t released anything in five years --- especially when half of it initially sounds like they’re having a laugh in the studio at our expense. The more I listened to The Marina Album, though, the more I felt like I was being let in on the joke. Plus, the EP’s brevity and diversity certainly keeps it from getting boring, which might make it the best entry point for people who haven’t heard the band before (i.e., probably everyone reading this). Welcome back, Sick Bees! Please give me a real album before I turn 30.

---Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.sickbees.com
Label Website: www.uprecords.com

grandma take me home, i wanna be alone

Click here to read a review of Nirvana's best release ever...

Tera Melos self-titled

Full disclosure: I opened for Tera Melos when they played Houston and Denton last fall, and they blew me away. Their music took math-rock to new levels of speed, aggression and unpredictability. The drummer nailed every change in meter and dynamics perfectly; even when he sounded like he was about to lose the beat, he never did. The guitarists crammed the songs with as many jazz chords, fret-board swoops and fleet-fingered finger-tapped runs as they could. They sped up and slowed down at seemingly random moments, stretching the rhythms of their songs like rubber bands. Every time I was able to spot a pattern in their songs, they’d throw in a one-time-only fill or tangent that kept me off balance. If the music wasn’t enough of a shock to the system, their onstage behavior put me in the kind of physical danger I hadn’t been in since the Fatal Flying Guilloteens’ last South by Southwest showcase. The guitarists swung their instruments around like swords, scaring the crap out of everyone standing within a few feet of them. In Houston, one of the guitarists played the last song of the set hanging upside-down from the ceiling; in Denton, the other guitarist climbed up a tree, only to discover that he couldn’t get back down! Their album wasn’t out yet at the time, and I wondered if it was even possible for them to replicate such boundless energy and constant subversion in the studio.

Now that I have a tangible copy of their self-titled debut in my hands, I can say without a doubt that they’ve done it. Not only do they play with just as much fury in the studio as they do on stage, but they also utilize the recording studio to make the music’s hyper take on mid-period Don Caballero (“Melody 3,” in particular, is a total What Burns Never Returns tribute) even more of a head trip. There are songs that get swallowed whole by white noise (“Melody 3”), songs that get interrupted by fade-ins from completely different songs (“Melody 4”) and songs that abruptly morph into cutesy synth-pop twins of themselves halfway through (“Melody 5”).

Then, there’s the closing 29-minute freak-out “Melody 8,” which takes up almost half of the entire album, and is already polarizing critics (if the reviews posted on the band’s website are anything to go by). I love the last seven minutes, in which a gorgeous Hototogisu-style drone emerges from the wreckage, but I still think the track could’ve been whittled down to half its length without compromising its intensity. When self-indulgence is a band’s stock-in-trade, though, who can truly say how much is too much? All tolled, this album is still a fine debut from one of the most exciting instrumental bands in the underground. The next time they come to Texas, I’ll be right up front, banging my head and dodging the guitars!

---Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.teramelosmusic.com
Label Website: www.springmanrecords.com

Sub Pop Gets Pissed Jeans After Liz Phair Shenanigans!

Damn cobnobbling lamestains! It was reported--much to this writer's shock,a nd to the shock of those that heard this little bit of fiction--that Sub Pop had signed a one-night stand with the infamous Blow Job Queen and, on March 14th, would be releasing an EP entitled The Living Corpse. This EP, consisting of outtakes from her most recent album, was to pair up Ms. Phair with Jack Endino and John Goodmanson (aka the Matrix of Grunge). But, of course, it turns out that such a thing wasn't true. After all, Poneman is a true gentleman and he has a sense of decency, Dwarves records notwithstanding. (This prank, while funny, wasn't as funny as the Mary J. Blige/Henry Rollins Sub Pop Singles Club duet on "Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing" hoax.) Here's the track listing, losers!


The Living Corpse tracklist

Clark
The Knowing
Compromising Positions
Stop By
Detone
Emission
Astaticism

After seeing those in the know to piss their jeans from utter shock, Sub Pop decided to capitalize on the urine-stained wack slacks of the rock journalist intelligentsia, by signing...Pissed Jeans! Yep, that's right, Sub Pop has decided to revert to the days of yore, wherein they would sign utterly unknown bands with limited commercial appeal and make them huge superstars. Though all we really know about this band is that they're from Allentown, Pennsylvania, they've released a single and an album, and that Sub Pop recognizes the commercial appeal of a band that considers themselves avatars to making music "to bludgeon the listener with dull, monotonous droning rock music that just sucks the energy out of you, the musical equivalent to watching a toilet flush." They will be releasing a seven inch single in the summer and a full length in the fall. So, congrats to Sub Pop! It seems as though Poneman's found this generation's answer to Earth...

Listen To: "Closet Marine"

You can also download some more noise-rock goodness via their MySpace site....

Melodium "La Tete Qui Flotte"

Melodium is the pseudonym of 30-year-old Frenchman Laurent Girard. He lists Autechre, Greg Davis and Boards of Canada as influences on his MySpace profile. He writes on his personal website that he doesn’t play live, and prefers to make music alone in his room. As expected, his fifth album La Tete Qui Flotte sounds like the work of a “folk-tronica” shut-in. Girard plays acoustic guitar (and occasionally sings) atop a bed of programmed drums, keyboards and melodica that, even at its most densely layered, never gets loud enough to wake the neighbors. If you’ve heard any of the aforementioned artists, you won’t be surprised by anything on La Tete Qui Flotte. If you own any record on the Morr Music label, you don’t need this album in your life at all! Nonetheless, if you seek this album out, it’ll charm you...the first half of it, at least.

Opening track “Hellomusic” introduces the building blocks of the Melodium sound one by one. A circular four-chord progression is picked out on an acoustic guitar as programmed drums click and pitter-patter behind it. Squelching keyboards, tinkling xylophones and wheezing melodicas play simple yet effective melodies. Each instrument is removed from and inserted back into the mix, which makes the song feel like it’s being remixed in real time. Wordless vocal harmonies bring the song to a climax shortly before the coda. The next track, “Les Psychotropes Sont Mes Amis, Puis Mes Ennemis...,” is even better. During the first half, Girard’s sad, croaky singing gives the music a Black Moth Super Rainbow feel. Then, the drum programming is run through a series of meter changes, beat displacements and utter disruptions that show off Girard’s love of Autechre. He then begins to cut up his own vocals with the same enthusiasm. It’s as close as Melodium’s music ever comes to being abrasive. On a couple other songs, Girard runs his keyboards through woozy Boards of Canada-style vibrato. Overall, the first seven songs do a great job of synthesizing all of Girard’s influences into a cohesive whole.

Unfortunately, the second half of La Tete Qui Flotte makes me think that the guy may need to get out more. Many of the songs start sounding like sloppier remakes of each other. Whereas the keyboard fugues on “Hellomusic” sounded majestic, the keyboard fugues on “Mon Barometra Mental” fall out of sync with each other every few seconds. Whereas Girard’s voice sounds pleasant on “Les Psychotropes...,” his singing on “La Fin De Tout” is so out of tune with the music that when my little brother caught me listening to the song on my boom box, he glared at me and shook his head. The album finishes strong with “La Vie Est Plus Belle Depuis...,” a song that pairs a jig-like flute with a kitschy Jew’s harp. By then, though, it’s a case of too little too late. La Tete Qui Flotte is Melodium’s fifth album; therefore, it’s not unfair to expect Girard to have mastered the art of sustaining the listener’s interest by now. As it stands,
though, his music may still be best suited for the EP or 7-inch format.

--Sean Padilla

Artist Website: http://melodiumbox.free.fr
Label Website: www.autresdirections.net/inmusic

too much coffee and the Fenton solution

Ugh. I drank way too much coffee today. Heck, it was the first time in a while that I had some coffee, but it seemed the right time. Visiting friends who are soon to set off on a two-and-a-half month tour...it was worth it then. Not so much now, thanks to my caffeine-induced headache and post-bender jitters. I feel like crap, and I tried to go to sleep, but it's just not happening. But the music I'm listening to is rather relaxing and it's helping me drift, even if it's not knocking me into the land of Nod as quickly as I'd like.



I can't tell you much about Fenton, other than the fellow who is Fenton is named Dave Abrams, he is an American, and he recently released a wonderfully obscure album entitled Pup via Plop, a record label from Japan. I know that's sloppy journalism on my part, yet I really don't have the drive to look up a full biography for him right now. His music is soothing; it's electronica that errs on the side of ambient, containing all of the elements that make Kranky and Brian Eno records so enjoyable--and that's all that matters to me. Besides, I like to keep my enigmas enigmatic. Or something like that. Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to give you a few songs, so that I can get back to enjoying this beautiful record.

Listen To: "Forever Awkward"
Listen To: "Once Upon a Forest"

On another note--thank you for making this a great week, and I hope you come back real soon.....

RIP Charlie Hodge 1935-2006

I received word this morning that legendary guitarist and singer Charlie Hodge passed away yesterday after a long battle with lung cancer. It is quite understandable if your reaction to the previous sentence is "Who is Charlie Hodge?" Hodge is a name you might not know, but you've probably heard his work. Hodge was a session musician for the one and only Elvis Presley, but more than that, he was one of Presley's only true friends. Presley met Hodge during his Army days, and after both men served their tour of duty, Hodge was an occasional part of Presley's studio band. When Presley made his triumphant comeback in 1968 and 1969, Hodge became a permanant fixture in his band, performing as a guitarist and a backing vocalist, and he worked with him in both the studio and the concert arena until Presley's passing in 1977. Since Presley's passing, Hodge continued to work in the music business, especially in the Gospel circuit. Hodge was 71 years old.

A touching memorial page can be found here.

Site Feed Problems fixed

There were some problems with our site feed, but they have been fixed....

Holy CRAP! Rocketship!

I can't contain my overwhelming surprise and joy at this....there's a new Rocketship album! Their debut album, A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness was one of the best records of the 1990s, period. But then Dusty Reske seemingly disappeared...releasing one or two sporadic singles, but nothing of great substance...and it seemed as if that brief moment in 1996 would be all that we would have.

Now, the man is back, with a new album, and I have to admit I'm...speechless. His second record is available through the unique concept of Nonstop Cooperative. Check it out!

And check out these lovely songs:

Listen To: "No More Tomorrows"
Listen To: "Our New Track"

You want to hear some more? Yes, yes you do....there are four tracks on the other side of this link, including three from their debut album....

Rocketship's Epitonic Page

Cocker Spaniels live in Houston tonight!

if you are in the Houston area, then you should make a trek out to Northwest Community Unitarian Universalist Church to attend the third annual Rock and Roll Bake Sale! Here are the details:

5920 Hwy 6 North in Houston, TX
Doors open at 5 PM
All Ages
Admission, $5

also starring:
Sarah Allen
The Dimes
Jody Seabody and the Whirls
Chordata
Cartwheels in Central Park
Difurri
Toxic Shocks

Interview: Tacks, The Boy Disaster

When a band like Tacks, the Boy Disaster comes along, it’s hard not to keep your fool mouth shut. This Austin quartet’s music is lush and soft and pretty and folky and gentle and pretty and lush and so on and so forth. Though they’ve recently completed their full-length debut, those lucky enough to stumble upon this band’s Myspace have had the good fortune to hear a revolving playlist of utterly beautiful songs. About the only band I can truly compare them to is The Earlies, but even this comparison doesn't seem quite right. This band sounds like every thing you’ve ever wanted to hear in a band. Pure, unadulterated sonic bliss—which, of course, makes their debut album HIGHLY anticipated around here. It took a bit of searching to find it, but here’s a little taste of the Tacks experience:

Listen To: "Matilda"

We recently corralled leader Evan Jacobs to give us a little rundown of the Tacks experience:


It's a cheesy question, but what's the story behind the name?

Tacks is a character from a book that I had a chance encounter with at an antique mall in Nowheresville, Texas. I later returned to buy the book with our namesake after we had decided that it was the band's name.

Tell us a little bit about the rest of your band.

Jason squints a lot and we play jazz together. Nathan is a scientist that I met over the internet. Alán is the best-dressed of us all, by far. These guys are the best people to be in a band with, ever.

You were once a member of The Polyphonic Spree. What are some of the lessons learned from working with Tim DeLaughter?

Delegate, delegate, delegate. And trust your band mates.

Have you completed a record, and do you have a label yet? What can you tell us about your debut?

We recently finished mixing our first (as yet untitled) release. We've been working on it since we became a foursome in September, recording it all ourselves at my house and Nathan's. It'll be released by us sometime within the next few months. We're very pleased with it. The recording started as a three-song experiment, evolved into a ten-song album, and then was streamlined back down to seven songs to make it a more cohesive, organic listen.

We have no label or website or anything of the sort just yet. No time for that thus far. It's felt like we've been trying to build Rome in a day, every day up until this point. Our main concern thus far has been finishing the release, and I believe that we've had our priorities well-aligned. We'll let our listeners be the judge.

Beatnik Filmstars "In Great Shape"

The Beatnik Filmstars were not only a quintessential band of last decade’s “lo-fi” explosion, but also one of my favorite British bands of all time. From 1993 to 1998, they released a steady stream of albums, EPs and singles that fused the brevity and tape hiss of Guided by Voices, the lackadaisical hooks of Pavement, the Sprechstimme of the Fall and the guitar abuse of Sonic Youth into a cohesive, singular sound. They recorded five sessions for John Peel, and released their last two albums on the esteemed American label Merge. Despite all of this, they continued to live on the dole, and broke up just as they had eked a small following on both sides of the Atlantic from their efforts. This is why I don’t mention them as much in my reviews as I do Boyracer and Guided by Voices. (The mediocrity of the band members’ post-Beatniks projects didn’t help matters either.) That’s all about to change, though.

In Great Shape, the Beatniks’ first album in eight years, represents front man Andrew Jarrett’s return to music and his victory over the depression that partially caused the band’s breakup. Although four other members are credited in the liner notes, Andrew wrote all the songs and played a large portion of the instruments; thus, the album feels a bit more like a personal statement than a collaborative effort. One could even consider it a concept album about Andrew’s ascent from the depths. The crotchety man responsible for the noisy pessimism of 1994’s Astronaut Houseresurfaces often on this album. He complains about getting harassed by religious crackpots and drugged-up teens on the street (“Sha La La La La La La (No Rok)”), and makes fun of people who use odd diets and plastic surgery to boost their self-esteem (“…And Here’s One I Made Earlier”). He criticizes his homeland for becoming too Americanized (“I Thought I Was Shot at in a Drive-By Shooting”), and laments our obsession with bland pop stars and untalented celebrities (“I Eat Healthy Food”). On the hilarious “The Radness of King Anders,” he even writes about getting dissed by his own shrink! Fortunately, the last decade has given Andrew a maturity that has widened the emotional palette of his songwriting. Sincere love songs like “Ocean Breeze” and “When You’re Dead” would have been anathema to the Beatnik Filmstars of 10 years ago, and even the crankiest songs are sung and played with a bounciness that keeps them from being bummers.

In Great Shape is the Beatniks’ cleanest album yet. Andrew still puts the vocals and bass through a light blanket of distortion, but nowadays he’s more willing to leave space in the mix. There are just as many keyboards and samples as there are guitars. There’s even turntable scratching! (Yes, you read that correctly.) The cleaner sound is matched with some of Andrew’s most straightforward and infectious songs ever. With a younger singer and a Matrix-style production job, “It’s Not What You Know” could be a radio hit --- which is ironic when you consider that the lyrics are about the fickleness of pop audiences. “The Greatest of Minds” is a jaw-dropping slice of punk-pop that makes me turn up my stereo every time I hear it. The fact that “Supremer Queener,” an improved remake of an older Beatniks classic, isn’t even the best song is a testament to the album’s overall quality.

Of course, the band’s appetite for subversion hasn’t completely disappeared. There are one or two moments on In Great Shape that will test the strength of your stereo (the grinding drone that ends “Sub D-D-D-Disco,” the wah-wah solo on “I Eat Healthy Food”), and a number of criminally brief songs that end after a verse and a chorus. Out of 23 tracks, only five reach the three-minute mark. There are also a few songs that betray the band’s Fall fetish. “Hipshakers and Acrobats” is what The Wonderful and Frightening World would’ve sounded like if Mark E. Smith could sing, and “Seven Years” pays tribute to the dub-influenced cacophony of Levitate. On the latter song, Andrew admits what we already knew: “Seven years is a long time to be absent on leave.” Well, I’m glad that he came back, and I hope that he sticks around for a very long time. The Beatnik Filmstars are In Great Shapeand they’ve given us a second chance to jump on the bandwagon!

--Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.beatnikfilmstars.co.uk
Label Website: www.rawbw.com/~aelison/555

Interview: Head Like a Kite

Listen To:"Noisy At The Circus"
Listen To: "Tell Mommy You Want a Sip of Beer"

Enjoyment is easy with a record like Random Portraits of the Home Movie, the debut from Seattle “supergroup” Head Like a Kite. The project of Pattern 25 records mogul Dave Einmo. Enlisting friends from bands like Crooked Fingers, Smoosh, and Preston School of Industry, Einmo built a record based upon and inspired by his parents’ home movies, sampling some here and taking inspiration there. Sure, at times the concept runs a little bit thin, and you wouldn’t recognize the concept based upon cold listening, but that doesn’t really distract from the fact that this is a really great record. As for the music, it’s a healthy and heady blend of new wave, post-punk, R&B, dance, and atmospheric alt-rock. The band blends these different sounds together in a really nice way; at times, they’ll present dark, almost gothy new-wave (as on “Words of a Friend” and “Your Butt Crack Smile”) but then, just as you think you’ve pegged them for being dark-hearted, they’ll pop some sunshine on you, with the wonderful “Noisy At the Circus” (featuring excellent singing from li’l Asha Smoosh) and the New Order-esque “Injecting 10 CC’s of Temptation.” It says a lot that they cover so much ground in only 30 minutes, and they never sound overwhelmed by their stylistic diversity. Random Portraits of the Home Movie is, simply, an excellent debut record.

We recently provided head Head Dave Einmo with a brief excuse from packing for his current West Coast tour:



What inspired the concept of building songs around old Super-8 movies?

I love how natural environmental sounds mix into music. If you walk around with headphones listening to music, you hear songs mixed with the sirens and airplanes, passing people, and cars around you. The random environmental sounds become additional instruments that add excitement to the music. I wanted to capture that, and sampling sounds from my parent's Super 8 home movies seemed a natural source. You only had about 3 minutes per reel in those days, so people would capture on film these short snapshots of what they thought were important events. Often the random things happening around them, the unexpected things, proved to be the most telling. I think live music is that way, as well. It's the surprises around the hook that often are more interesting than the hook itself. So I started experimenting with the Super 8 home movies, and mixing the sounds into the songs, and manipulating them with old analog guitar effects.

When you write, which comes first--writing music or watching films?


Some of the ideas came from watching the films and then responding to what I was watching -- sort of like creating a soundtrack. Other songs were created with me coming up with some independent ideas and then pulling samples from the movies to accentuate the songs.

From what I've read of your live performance, you present the films with music. Is there any plan to bring this multimedia experience—not necessarily a 'live' performance, but the blending of film to music--to DVD?


I gave a VJ, Tony Nelson, copies of all the films I used to create the record, and then he edited them into short clips. Live he joins us and triggers the clips to synch up with us while we play. He's a genius. Really cool stuff. We've talked about maybe editing some of this stuff into a DVD to accompany the record. I don't know. It's kind of cool to have a separate live thing, too. We'll see. Speaking of live, we are leaving early in the morning for the West Coast tour, and of course, I have not packed anything yet. It's midnight. I need to start packing. I'm methodical about producing music. But packing? I hate it.

Thanks, Dave!

Band Website: http://www.headlikeakite.com
Label Website: http://www.pattern25.com

Boyracer "A Punch Up the Bracket"

One of the toughest things for me to do is admit when one of my favorite bands makes an underwhelming album...which is why you won’t find a review of Boyracer’s 2004 full-length Happenstance on this website. By no means was it a bad album — after more than 15 years of consistently making music, head ‘Racer Stewart Anderson has honed his craft so thoroughly that he’s practically incapable of sucking. However, there were a number of flaws that kept me from latching onto it as quickly as I did to previous Boyracer releases. Some songs suffered from a lack of synergy. The lyrics looked good on paper and the music sounded good on the stereo, but when put together, the results often felt incomplete. Other songs suffered from a strange timidity. Happenstance was the first album that Anderson and his wife Jen Turrell recorded on the solar-powered studio that they recently set up on their cattle farm in Arizona. (Let the sentence marinate for a minute so you can understand just how COOL that is!) You’d think that such autonomy and isolation would remove their inhibitions. Unfortunately, Stew and Jen sang as if they were afraid to disturb their nonexistent neighbors, and played as if they were scared of breaking their equipment.

Fortunately, the three EPs they released in 2005 signaled a gradual rebound, as if Stewart and Jen were slowly getting accustomed to their new surroundings. Now, they’ve given us a full-length that makes good on the promise of those EPs in every way. A Punch Up the Bracket is English slang for “a punch in the throat,” and that’s exactly what both longtime fans and newcomers will receive from this album...at least metaphorically.

First of all, Stewart and Jen deliver their most spirited singing and playing yet. On “The Toilets of Northern Europe,” “Contradictions” and “Kids Don’t Follow,” Stewart’s loud and strained crooning harkens back to the man who struggled to make himself heard over layers of distortion and feedback a decade ago on classics like the Pure Hatred EP’s “He Gets Me So Hard.” His wife matches him with equally aggressive singing. She hollers behind Stew like an overeager schoolgirl on “Geordie Lout,” and her lead vocal on their cover of the Petticoats’ “Normal” is probably the best Kathleen Hanna impersonation I’ve ever heard! Stewart’s guitar playing has become more intricate, and his drumming is faster and flashier than ever. Jen’s bass lines boast a McCartney-esque tunefulness on “No Tears,” “The Desperate Hours” and “Kids Don’t Follow.” There are a few songs on the album that were recorded with a full-band, but if you don’t read the liner notes you won’t know the difference.

Second of all, the duo takes more chances on this album with their production and their arrangements. Many songs put cheesy keyboards in the places where Stewart would normally insert more guitar feedback. “Yr Silent Years” is a dreamy slice of synth-pop that betrays Boyracer’s under-acknowledged shoegaze influences. “Pleasantries” is a successful experiment with beat displacement. “The Desperate Hours” is built off a disco rhythm that would normally be associated with the kind of bands that Pitchfork classifies as “dance-punk.” On the verses of “Perennial Underdog,” Boyracer even does a convincing impersonation of rumba! Occasional songs also employ psychedelic production tricks like backwards recording and phase shifting. Aside from “Stand By Your Words,” which sounds like it was recorded in a well that was soundproofed with tinfoil, every instrument and voice on this album sounds crisp and distinct.

Last but not least, Stewart’s lyrics fit much better with the music, forming hooks that rarely require more than one listen to sink in. Boyracer didn’t call one of last year’s EPs Insults and Insights for nothing! Every song boasts either a brilliant dis (“All your pretty moves, fake shyness and expensive guitars won’t save you from tedium”) or a profound nugget of wisdom (“You should always live your dreams whilst you have all your limbs/30 years from now, you’ll be cramming all your enjoyment/Into what you have left of yourself”) — and most have both!

Bands as prolific as Boyracer, regardless of how many awesome songs they have lying around, often have trouble organizing them into cohesive full-lengths. With A Punch Up the Bracket, Stewart and Jen have made their first truly great album, an all-killer/no-filler bonanza that makes me jump around the room like an idiot for 45 minutes every time I play it. It’s too early to start making year-end lists, but I’m pretty sure that this album will be on mine.

—Sean Padilla

Artist Website: www.indiepages.com/boyracer
Label Website: www.rawbw.com/~aelison/555