James
Baumann:
March,
2004

Scroll down for reviews of the latest from Ric Menck, The League Bowlers and Magnolia Summer

The Bigger Lovers
This Affair Never Happened and Here are Eleven Songs About It

(Yep Roc)

www.thebiggerlovers.com

With their third record, The Bigger Lovers just might have a breakthrough on their hands. Their first disc was a youthful, joyful pop explosion and, while their second still boasted a number of good tunes, it sometimes sounded like they were thinking about it a bit too much. But here on This Affair Never Happened… the band has merged the two feelings.

Kicking off with the first great song of 2004, "You (You You)," the band announces their presence with authority. While the guitars certainly power the album opener - as well as other tracks like "You Don't' Feel Anything At All" and "I Resign" - the band isn't afraid to open up the arrangements here. "Blowtorch" is a sparse track, interrupted with the occasional wall of noise. Meanwhile, "For Christ's Sake," a plea for a love to come back, lets light piano playing fill in the blank spots.

Finally, the band just sounds more confident in their performance. The album boasts strong musicianship and offers up a greater variety in tempos from song to song. The backline of drummer Patrick Berkery and bassist Ed Hagarty delivers the goods and then some while the vocals of
Bret Tobias, with their definite Robyn Hitchcock leanings, blend nicely with Scott Jefferson's, creating a distinctive flavor.

The Bigger Lovers are purveyors of an "old school" pop sound, and it makes perfect sense for them to cover The Only Ones' "You've Got To Pay" on this disc as well as tunes by Wreckless Eric and Big Star (on a bonus disc that will be available at shows and with orders through the Yep Roc website) or The Move's classic "Do Ya" (in concert). They carry the torch and do so proudly.

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Ric Menck
The Ballad of Ric Menck

(Action Musik)

www.parasol.com

Of all the musicians I've had the chance to meet and interview, very few have approached the subject of music from a place as passionate and well-informed as Ric Menck does. It seems that he absorbs music with the fervor of a fan, but with the educated ear of a true musician.

Menck is best known as the drummer for Velvet Crush and an in-demand session musician, playing in the studio and live with everyone from The Tyde to Liz Phair to his buddy Matthew Sweet. This re-released and expanded disc collects songs he did in various bands before Velvet Crush and the extensive liner notes offers background and insight into each track. The effect is like an audio scrapbook where he almost half-embarassingly divulges tidbits like describing a song as "a half-assed attempt at writing something pretty like 'Don't Go Back To Rockville' by REM."

He also describes the song "Reachin' For the Stars" as signifying "the end of the pure pop era for Paul [Chastain, his Velvet Crush partner] and me." It shows the growth that he was undertaking as a songwriter and musician (Menck sings and plays guitar on many of these songs along with drums). And that sums up this record as well; a chance to witness his growth.

The album doesn't sound dated, but it certainly does sound of a certain time - the jangley guitars and production qualities tip that off. But a good song is still a good song, and this disc has plenty of them. There is "Are We Gonna Be All Right" which was donated by Sweet. "Sunflower" is fresh and chimey. "The Bicycle Song" and "Wonder" both offer ringing guitars a la Roger McGuinn. And even though he discounts it in the liner notes, "Million Tears" is a great piece of bubblegum pop. Sometimes coy and cute aren't a bad thing.

Reports say that 2004 is going to be a big year for Velvet Crush with new records and maybe even a tour. If that is indeed the case, then this look back by Menck is a nice way to start off the process. Listening to the songs and absorbing the liner notes - and the names dropped throughout - are an excellent education in pop music's backstory and a must have for all students of the genre.

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The League Bowlers
Some Balls

(B-Minus Records)

www.watershedcentral.com

When a band called The League Bowlers puts out a disc called Some Balls decorated with amazingly accurate parody artwork that features ball bags rather than Charlie Watts in a wig, you can sorta guess this isn't going to sound like OK Computer. And thank goodness for that, I say.

The League Bowlers are a semi-side project of the Columbus band Watershed that serve up ten slabs of loose barroom rock that sounds a lot like a drunken Tom Petty. "Pretty In a Slutty Way" is a rave-up ode to their favorite bar maiden and her acid washed jeans. "Been Thinkin'" takes its bass-heavy groove to better contemplate drinkin'. "Half of Me" takes an old Watershed song and dresses it up in Dwight Yokum's clothes. And "Here I Am" is a murky rocker backed with vocals from Scrawl's Marcy Mays.

This record isn't rocket science (I don't think rocket scientists spend this much time thinking about girls and beer), but it's not dumb either. Its secret weapons are the off-the-cuff, mic-it-and-rip-it charm as well as Mike Parks hot guitar playing. You're probably going to have a hard time finding copies of this disc in a record store outside of Columbus, Ohio, but for fans of bands like the Georgia Satellites, or any other act that feels comfortable playing in a room with a sawdust floor, it's worth searching out.

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Magnolia Summer
Levers and Pulleys

(Undertow)

Magnolia Summer offers up sounds as light and airy as their band name
might suggest. Violins, Nashville guitars, and Wurlitzers breeze through most of the songs while slow to mid-tempo numbers give a lazy-hazy vibe.

The St. Louis lilt in Chris Grabau's voice helps make the songs on this collection sound a bit more alt-country than pop, but there is enough flavor of each to cause it to defy pigeonholing. Occasionally the ballads remind me of The Chamber Strings, but with a less soulful sound; instead it's more from the heartland. "Baton Rouge" is more like your traditional country travelin' on song, with lightly picked guitar opening and fills. One isn't surprised when the freight-train drum beat kicks in. "Wish You Well" reminds me of the hook and feel of the Gin Blossom songs that were all over the radio. And "Unlock The Door" wouldn't sound out of place on Wilco's A.M.

Levers and Pulleys is one of those discs that sound better when listened to in its entirety. Individual songs might not jump out and grab you, but it sets a comfortable mood over the course of a dozen tracks.

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