Carina Round – “Want More”
There’s a passing similarity to PJ Harvey's vocal style here, but where PJ would layer on the devil snake moan blues Carina pastes in some post-punk vibes. Has that way-too-professional major label sheen to the package, so I won't feel guilty about being pulled into their lair. The trill she slathers across every drawn out note is darn annoying. Spun this as the show closer on 6/11/07.
Ann Magnuson – “Art Professor”
Ann’s new album is called Pretty Songs and Ugly Stories. Unfortunately there’s too much of the former and not enough of the latter. The album is made up of lushly produced AAA pop songs for the most part, surprising in their unabashed attempt to please a seemingly mainstream crowd. However, this spoken word gem is everything I adore about Ann, a possibly true/possibly false remembrance of her art school days that uses an intriguing situation as a set up for a revealing response, eventually creating more questions that it ever answers.
Metric – “Soft Rock Star”
So the story is … these Canadian retro-new wave poppers recorded a debut album that nobody wanted to put out. But now that they have some money-making steam behind their No-Doubt-without-the-ska-beats sound this first record makes it way to offical status. This particular tune has a Broadcast/Delgados feel to it from the press-a-note-and-hold keyboards to Emily Haines’ tweaked vocals. Only the occasional jangly guitar gives it away. Played on 6/11/07.
Moonbabies – “Don’t Ya Know?”
Another Swedish band that’s enthusiastically trumpeted by Parasol, see below for example #2. Moonbabies are a one-song-an-album band for me and here’s the one song, dancefloor pop with insistently robotic drums and a guitar that is only able to show up in short bursts behind super-sugar-coated female vocals. It runs just short of 4 minutes but my patience was taxed by 2:30 as the same idea was repeated over and over and over and over …
The Chrysler – “It Was 1982”
There’s a certain Spanish vibe to this tune, the guitar is not flamenco but it has a similar sweep. The Swedes can skillfully cadge whatever sounds they please and here it’s mated with a rollicking handclap driven pace. Quotes Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” in the breakdown. Personally not sure about some of the 60’s folk-pop aspects on the lp but there are definitely at least a few songs to love.
Loveninjas – “The End of a Dream”
There’s much to like about the Loveninjas. After all they’re on Labrador, a label that rarely fires a blank. But the vocals hold me back here, there’s a certain edge of emo earnestness which occasionally surafces through the otherwise pleasantly expressive Swedish bleat. Musically it’s super-tight rapid-fire indie pop from the Poole school of execution, the kind I unabashedly love. But with these gentleman, I can’t quite pull the trigger.
Minus Story – “Parachute”
Didn’t find much to like on this new Minus Story disc, the fractured songs struggle to coalesce into anything meaningful. It has an unscripted feel to it, the songs never find a consistent pace though an airy tone is present throughout. This selection is the most cohesive they get, and the last half of the song sounds like a tacked on instrumental running counter to the vocal portion of the first half.
Velcro Stars – “B-Side of Love”
A rather unassuming indie pop band that could comfortably wear a 1991 copyright instead of 2007. The breadth of their first full length suggests they’ve been socking away ideas for quite a long time, but when time came to edit down the running order the though of excluding even one song was far too heartbreaking. Surprising then the consistent high quality on display despite the rather humble aspirations. Sounds like they had a whole heap of friends to draw upon for the occasional backing instrument.
Get Him Eat Him – “Diminutive”
Rhode Island area supergroup (members are recruited from Dismemberment Plan and the Wrens amongst others) that thanks WMBR in the liners. Don't ask, I dunno. Earnest power pop vocals mated with ebullient pop/rock stop/start music. For some reason I just can’t love it … too precious perhaps? The songs want me to really really like them, they’re almost offended by my lack of enthusiasm for their enthusiasm. Played a different track on 6/11/07 in hopes of changing my opinion … didn’t work.
The Lodger – “You Got Me Wrong”
Nobody’s happier to see Slumberland putting out music again, though I’m not sure this band is worth that comeback release honor. Simple pop in the Boyracer vein, plenty of energy but not much passion as they execute it cuter than I’d like. Spun on 6/11/07.
The Intellectuals – “Go To The Beach With Cinnamon Girl”
Very similar to Pittsburgh’s the Kill-A-Watts, even more impressive considering they’re actually Italian. Traded guy-girl vocals behind a garage punk setting with some organ thrown in there for spice. Plenty of slurred English-as-a-second-language lyrics to make you wonder what the heck they’re saying beyond the part of the oft-repeated chorus that aligns with the titles. Loose and fun, one of the places where my taste and Joanie’s will intersect.
The Knack – “Time Time Time”
No, no, not the 70’s power pop Knack, this is the 60’s UK psych-pop version. There’s a new Rev-ola disc chronicling the brief career of this band, and since the compilation was named after this song it seemed like a good bet. Solid mid-tempo tune, it seems like you can hear every string on the very precise guitar. Plenty of background vocals chiming in with the lead as well. Very likable.
Decomposure – “Hour 7”
Odd, just odd. I have no other way to describe it … the torn cardboard handmade packaging, the rather simple naming convention (if you haven’t guessed this is the 7th song on the album), the glitch-pop songs. The leadoff track on his first record had an amazing killer chorus, but the overwhelming speed of the beats made me weary. There’s a similar vibe here, the impressively intricate construction of vocal upon vocal upon vocal interrupted by rapid fire beats machine-gunning the heart of the songs. Obviously the work of a mad genius, I’m slowly getting comfortable with it.
Montag – “No One Else”
Their previous record was much more extemporaneous than this effort … here we have cohesive songs with vocals and lyrics. This particular song falls into the Ulrich Schnauss school of new wave with ebullient Hammond-esque synths and chimey foreground and backing vocals repeating basically the same three words over and over. Fluffy I admit, but delicious nonetheless. Played on 6/11/07.
Diagram Brothers – “Bricks”
Another re-issue compilation, this one from LTM covering these Buzzcocks contemporaries. Putting the art into art-punk or the wave into no-wave, the rhythms are sparse yet jerky with song titles ranging from succinct to dissertation. Could've used some better production but I'm sure they did the best with what they had. If you've ever come up short with uses for some extra bricks laying around the year this song has plenty of ideas for you.
Mansbestfriend – “Spin The Humans”
Modest experimental record or Anticon side project? In this case both, as the cut-and-paste construction has a laid back “oh what the hell, just release it” vibe. Very much appreciated the inside liner notes which detailed the sources for each of the samples as well as some thoughts around the music. Overall the album is underbaked but this combination of a youtube sample of a boy’s plea for peace from the Middle East (the region, not the club) and Wheel of Fortune struck a chord. Has A Silver Mt. Zion type of feel to it, but with a beat.
Arthur & Yu – “The Ghost Of Old Bull Lee”
Had a tough time finding a song I liked in full … there are pieces and parts of each which are interesting but as a whole it’s always sabotaged by some cutesy xylophone part or steel drums or whatever 'gosh that would be so neat' touch they tossed in the mix. One of those records that finds itself incredibly interesting, I feel like the principals have a chapter’s worth of jumbled artist statements which need to be shared to truly understand it. Instead I’ll just press the eject.
Artanker Convoy – “Ejector”
Quite a few viable background music discs came in, including this one melding some free-form jazz with psychedelic jamming. Sounds rather tedious when written down like that but I predict I’ll find some time for them during the concert report.
The Dynamics – “I Don’t Want Nobody To Lead Me On”
We received a reissue of this LP on Hacktone, so I grabbed the opening track of horn-laded late 60’s soul. I’ve often said this period and style of music has a brilliance hitrate of about 50%, this album falls right into that definition. Strong vocals with equally impressive execution.
Meg Baird – “The Waltze of the Tennis Players”
Ok when I’m using the word folk here I’m not talking about faux-folk or any of the tree-hugging types trying to populate the term’s definition. This is straight up acoustic guitar and lilting vocals with some lovely backing. This one’s an obscure cover, there are a few others as well as some traditionals and originals too.
Centro-Matic – “All This Fresh Mutiny”
The first two songs are the killers on this new import-only ep from these WMBR favorites. This one bats leadoff, its a sparse haunted track with percussion that either mimics a heartbeat or oncoming thunder, a guitar where you literally can hear every string ekeing out its sorrowful note, and some piano, bells and strings to punctuate the maudlin energy. Needless to say the 2nd track is a storming alt-country rocker. Both are worthy of the repeat button.
The Golden Boys – “Remember Georgia”
Some Neil Young throwbacks crunching out solid roots rock with plenty of spiraling guitar solos and even a little harpsichord in this particular song. Sounds like it was recorded live in an Elks Lodge somewhere. What it lacks in fidelity is made up with volume, this tune sprawls across its aural canvas with an earned importance.
Bellavista – “Carve Our World”
What I hoped Black Rebel Motorcycle Club would be when I first heard the concept. Has the drawling vocals, the rat-a-tat drums, the Swervedriver guitar hooks. If you like a rock sound that’s druggy and massive yet with plenty of pace here’s a band to investigate. If the Brian Jonestown Massacre actually wanted to try and snag a decent deal this is what they’d attempt.
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