Mike
Bennett
Capsule
Reviews:
June, 2006

Band Of Horses -- Everything All The Time (Sub Pop): In the late ‘80s, the Sub Pop sound was characterized by bands like Mudhoney, The Fluid and Nirvana. Big time heavy rock music. But now the Sub Pop sound is being driven by airy melodic pop bands. While it is unfair at one level to say that Band Of Horses are following in the tradition of The Shins and Rogue Wave, the comparison is unavoidable. Fortunately, this band is up to the task on this winning debut platter. The songs are consistently well arranged, with strong melodies. "The Funeral" is an instantly memorable song. It starts with lead singer Benjamin Bridwell singing over light guitar accompaniment. The whole band kicks in during the second verse, and then the band uses dynamics well, building drama at every turn. Hmm...maybe an Arcade Fire comparison is also worth making. This is particularly appropriate with the energetic ending of the song (though it's not at the furious tempo of the Fire). Not that the band can't just knock out a song with some insistent strumming and a loping backbeat, which they do quite wonderfully on "Weed Party". They add some drama to the mix on "Wicked Gil", which has verses that are reminiscent of Idlewild. There are also some beguiling quieter numbers, such as "I Go to the Barn Because I Like The". Perhaps they need to carve out more of their own identity, but with so much talent, it's likely that will evolve over time. One of the year's best debut records. subpop.com

The Elms -- The Chess Hotel (Universal South): This southern Indiana band is no longer being marketed as a Christian rock band, which isn't such a big deal, because they certainly tended towards the less overt end of that spectrum (a la Starflyer 59 and Pedro The Lion, though a bit more straightforward, lyrically). The big deal is that the rock that was hinted at on their second album, and obvious on that tour, is a bigger part of their sound. From an instrumental standpoint, this is a smooth transition. However, it's not quite as seamless when it comes to the songwriting. Charismatic frontman Owen Thomas tries a bit too hard on some of these songs, and a few of these tracks are fairly hamfisted and strident. The worst offenders are "She's Cold!" and the title track, which sound like, I dunno, Billy Squier rejects. Thankfully, elsewhere Thomas achieves a better balance of bluesy rock fire with his considerable melodic gifts.
This is best exemplified on "The Way I Will", which has a nice swing to it (kudos to Christopher Thomas for his snappy drumming) -- this is in the vein of early Black Crowes, with a much better hook. Thomas Daughtery's easy and accomplished lead guitar work -- a cool bluesy jangle -- fires up the smooth mid tempo "Black Peach". The song is an empathetic look at a young woman who is troubled (some might say a slut). This song plays to the band's strengths. And not all of the hard rockers struggle -- "Nothin' to Do With Love" is a trusty ol' riff rocker that would have sounded as good in 1975 as it does now. This band is clearly in transition and need to realize that they don't have to go overboard to rock. This is the least of their three full length disc to date, but with a bit more work, the best may be yet to come. universal-south.com

Stingray Green -- Hard Numbers (self-released): This power pop trio features Dan Sarka, the main man behind the terrific Vandalias. Sarka still has the knack for sugary-sweet tunes that sound tailor made for AM radio. His bandmates, Dan Boardman (bass and keyboards) and Robb Burnham (drums) provide a few of their own compositions and a good amount of muscle. This gives the album a bit more versatility than the Vandalias had, which is neither good nor bad, just a difference. Still, it's a kick to hear Boardman's crunchy "Go Home", which percolates with Thin Lizzy and Sweet influences, followed by "Good Intentions", another one of Sarka's killer ballads that show that you can take the wimpier side of The Raspberries and make it sound a heck of a whole lot better. Burnham's two songwriting contributions are swell, and more in line with Sarka's pop leanings, best evidenced on "All Over You", which is keyed by a pithy lead guitar hook. Another highlight is "Christmas Lights", a bopping mid-tempo ditty, with a raw vocal from Boardman -- get some lozenges, Dan! The song navigates between the happy verses and a nice guitar drenched chorus. The finale, "When She Comes", typifies what keeps Sarka's tunes from becoming too bubblegummy or retro for retro's sake. His melodies and his engaging vocals infuse his songs with emotion, often, as in love and life, a sad emotion. A real hearttugger of a tune. The only thing that this album is missing is an anthemic rocker from Sarka, on par with numbers like "Hey Now!" and "Get to Know You", from his Vandalias days. That being said, this is a refreshing debut, by a band that already has a distinct identity. stingraygreen.com

Various Artists -- Messthetics Greatest Hits (Hyped to Death): An excellent compilation of D.I.Y. British post-punk from the late ‘70s. The songwriting and instrumental ability of the artists here is quite variable, but there is a consistent challenge to orthodox rock and roll. The lyrics are forceful and cutting, the music dissonant and choppy. I recently saw a BBC documentary on The Fall where one commentator noted how the post-punk scene evolved from a confluence of folks into Captain Beefheart, Can and other off-beat artists. While I don't know how many of these artists listened to such music, I would guess that most of them did. There are tons of cool songs. Puritan Guitars may have anticipated the more polished off-kilter rock of bands like Stump with "100 Pounds in 15 Minutes", a cheeky look at celebrating a gig by spending too much at a bar, with the words "rock and roll" and "drink up" chanted over and over a primitive blues rock rhythm. Take It's "How It Is" has a minimalist sensibility akin to second album Wire and early Devo, with sqwonky keyboard noises and a lurching rhythm ruling the day. Rejects were a early version of the band Homosexuals, and "Vision Smashed" plays like Brian Eno with too much caffeine and a whole lot less melody. The Monks would have been proud to come up with a number like "Shark Fucks", which has the same repetitious catchiness -- Tronics' golden moment in the sun. Not everything is so basic. Reptile Ranch's "Saying Goodbye" treads a bit closer to the territory of Comsat Angels and the early Cure -- the song has two hooks, one in the chorus, and the other a pretty instrumental keyboard break that is simply sublime. Steve Treatment's "Change of Plan" sticks out in this collection, playing a bit more like a bouncy T. Rex knock off than anything arty. Walking Floors featured two members of Lemon Kittens (the band who spawned Danielle Dax), and "No Next Time" is a mid-point between garage rock and Joy Division. Of course, there is plenty more where this came from. One of the year's best compilations. hyped2death.com

Eleventh Dream Day -- Zeroes And Ones (Thrill Jockey): The venerable Chicago band sounds fresh on their eight album. Since coming up during the halcyon days of alt-rock, the band has explored a variety of textures and sounds, always fueled by Rick Rizzo's stellar guitar work. In some respects, this album really harkens back to the band's major label albums, when they were considered descendants of Neil Young & Crazy Horse. The sound here isn't quite as in your face, and it is tempered by a drony melodicism that reveals a very strong Velvet Underground vibe. This is aided by the outstanding work of keyboardist Mark Greenberg, who apparently has Modern Lovers and Eno settings on at least one of his instruments, based on the familiar lines he plays on some of these songs. He also plays vibes on "Lost in the City", which sounds like a great lost Go-Betweens song in the beginning, with a clipped cadence. The song is shaped in Eleventh Dream Day's character, but it has the feel of that great Aussie band -- an inadvertent tribute, I suppose. The Modern Lovers (and Roxy Music) allusions that I made earlier are strongly evident on "The Lure" and "For Everything". The former features drummer Janet Beveridge Bean on vocals, and her artless plaintive singing works very well. "For Everything" drones from the get-go, and if this were glammed up a bit, it could definitely be an early Roxy song -- instead, it's more like the Day's contemporaries Poster Children. Fans of the old school riffing can enjoy a few tracks, especially the cooking "Lately I've Been Thinking", while Rizzo burns off an outstanding solo on the mid-tempo "New Rules". This album is simply great from start to finish, and ranks favorably with their classic early work. thrilljockey.com

Mary Kate O'Neil -- 1-800-Bankrupt(71): The only Mary Kate who really matters is back with more melodic singer-songwriter material. Again, she teams up with Jill Sobule, who is a kindred musical spirit. Sobule and co-producer Roger Moutenot provide a rich, textured background for O'Neil's tunes. This augments O'Neil's fine compositions. "Things Are Too Good" is a head bopping charmer, a simple melodic mantra with O'Neil in a good place...yet waiting for the inevitable downfall. With James Haggerty's sturdy bass and Mickey Grimm's lively drumming moving the song along, guitars and keyboards and backing vocals add layers and layers of tasty musical meringue to the proceedings. Great stuff. "A.D.D." is great in a different way, as O'Neil sings about the distraction of a new love. This acoustic ray of sunshine sounds like a collaboration between Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles and Lindsay Buckingham. I think of The Bangles again on "You'll Be Sorry", but even more so, the classic British pop sounds of bands like The Zombies on this swell ‘60s-ish sounding track. O'Neil's "Stay" is a great demonstration of how you can take a song that would probably sound fine as an coffeehouse strum, and polish it into something even more special -- add Brad Jones on mellotron and a bridge where O'Neil goes into her upper range and sounds angelic. As good as, if not better, than her last effort. marykateoneil.com

Tim Lee -- Concrete Dog (Fundamental): The former Windbreaker keeps chugging along with his muscular melodic rock. Lee is a contemporary of Steve Wynn's, and his music is like a Southern variation on where Wynn has taken his heady mix of roots rock and Velvet Underground inspired tunesmithing. Lee's pop roots show a bit more readily than Wynn's, and he's not as creative a lyricist (Lee is simple and direct -- nothing wrong with that) -- those are the biggest differences I can discern. Lee's band is terrific, fueled by the superb drumming of former Superdrag skin pounder Don Coffey, Jr.. You can always count on Lee to write good songs, and I think he's raised his considerable game a little bit higher to keep up with the quality of his players. The result is what may be his best solo disc yet, full of passion and hooks. A great example of this is "Threw It All Away", which is grounded in a intently strummed rhythm guitar riff. Lee chronicles a man in decline: "went to the halls of knowledge/but I could not stay/but I threw it all away." The guitar interplay between Lee and Greg Horne is thrilling. I could hear Eleventh Dream Day taking a crack at this. There are plenty more barn burners where this comes from. These are balanced by tracks like "Half-Life", which show that Lee can still pen drawling pop on par with contemporaries like Peter Holsapple. Even better is "Here One Minute", which has such an automatically appealing melody, nice lines like "she made a mark on me/like a bad tattoo," and a memorable chorus. It's really hard to find anything wrong with this disc -- okay, maybe Tim could find a way to get his wife, Susan Bauer Lee (bass), some vocal turns, since I like what I hear of her voice on here. Other than that, I'd just say keep up the good work. fundamentalrecords.com

La Peste -- Better Off La Peste (Bacchus Archives/Dionysus): This is a very full chronicle of a Boston punk band from 1977-78 who only properly released one single. Demos, live tracks, the whole shebang. La Peste more than held their own with the mostly British punk bands who inspired them. In fact, the A-side/B-side combo of "Better Off Dead"/"Black" has a sophistication that foreshadows where American post-punkers like Mission Of Burma and Effigies would be going only a year or two later. Some of the songs are pretty typical of the era, and in some cases, quite good. The best kind of remind me of Radio Birdman and other Aussie acts of the time. "Acid Test" is a great use of dynamics, as the song builds up to some shredding guitar work. Meanwhile, "Spymaster" has a bit of tricked out surf rock vibe. The live songs are more of a mixed bag, as not all of the songs are up to the group's usual standard. Still, songs like "Rock Rots" and "Johnny You're a Rocket" are fine rock and roll. dionysusrecords.com

Various Artists -- Great Lost Elektra Singles, Volume 1 (Collector's Choice): While not the most essential compilation ever, most of these tracks have some historical interest. The first two songs are from The Beefeaters, a pre-Byrds combo. Both "Please Let Me Love You" and "Don't Be Long" hint at the future Byrds sound, but also show that Gene Clark and Roger McGuinn were trying hard to ape The Beatles and The Searchers, among others. Next up is Judy Collins taking on Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine", which suffers from a less than forceful arrangement, and a nice cover of Sandy Denny's "Who Know Where the Time Goes". There is a full band version of Phil Ochs' "I Ain't Marching Anymore", which probably isn't as good as the more familiar rendition, but it's still pretty cool. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's "Come On In" is an unremarkable blues rock tune. David Ackles's "La Route a Chicago", a French version of "Road to Cairo", is a guaranteed mix tape change up track -- it's a-okay with me. Eclection later contributed members to Fotheringay and Fairport Convention, and "Mark Time" is folky psych-pop. The disc concludes with two tracks from Stalk-Forrest Group, a precursor to Blue Oyster Cult. The first track, "What Is Quicksand?", sounds like The Band meets The Lovin' Spoonful, and is distinguished by some great lead guitar work. The second number rocks out more, but in a hippie organ driven someday-we'll-be-prog rock fashion. It's competent. Good thing they evolved. Great liners by Richie Unterberger, and worth a flyer for ‘60s rock fans who want some extra deep cuts. collectorschoicemusic.com

Fellaheen -- The Excommunicate's Canzonet (Egads): The third album from this Bruce Hanson project moves into a less rock and more psychedelic direction. On the first two Fellaheen records, Hanson sounded like an American analog of groups like Love & Rockets and The Jesus and Mary Chain. There is still a bit of that vibe going on here and there, but a lot of the music here is earthier and spookier. On a few tracks, he ventures into Tom Waits territory. This is at turns kind of dreamy, in a nightmarish sort of way ("My Machine"), and bluesy ("That Thing Up on the Wall"). What is impressive is that these forays into different sounds come off as very natural and blend well with the few songs that are more consistent with the prior albums. The few rockers are rays of sunshine amidst the cool murk, the best coming on "Tricks of Light", which has a ton of guitar firepower and a great lead guitar line hook that strings throughout the entire song. Still, atmosphere dominates the record, but even when Hanson mellows out, as on the slow Western waltz of "Don't", there's a grimacing intensity that is comparable to some of the latter day work of The The. A fascinating and involving piece of work. fellaheen.com

Various Artists -- 3 X 4 (Pox World Empire): The title sums up the compilation -- three tunes apiece by four artists. That three of them are from the always terrific band The Sames makes this immediately worthwhile. This North Carolina band offers further proof of its mastery of making memorable indie rock on its entries here. The guitar blasts that get "Coney Island of the South" going are typical of this band's approach -- reel you in with a memorable guitar part and work everything off that. The floaty melody in the verses fits right in the lockstep rhythm and snaking guitar leads. "Seagrove" is haunting, working a simple chord progression that flows into the delicate chorus. Finally, "I Hear Angels Coming" is wistful indie rock. All three of these songs are as good as anything on their album from last year, which means they are all great. The other three bands here aren't chopped liver. Schooner gets things started with "Indian Summer", a stately number keyed on an organ and an acoustic guitar part that could have come from the songbook of Judee Sill or Andy Partridge. The song is indelibly sweet and sad. Meanwhile, "Birds and Other Creatures" is a playful acoustic folk-pop tune with a yearning melodic hiccup that has a bit of a Beach Boys feel. Erie Choir are downright playful on their cheery "My First Ocean", while "Impolite" is a mellow mood piece. Summer Set fashions campfire music for the smart set on "New Year's Eve". The soothing vocals remind me a little bit of Pernice Brothers, but the song has more of a soothing drony melody, ornamented by simple guitar fills. And they bring the proceedings to a swell end on the wonderfully titled "Crackhead in My Car". poxworldempire.com.

Magneto -- Resistance Is Futile (Popboomerang): A comfortable power pop record that is full of customary Aussie geniality, mixed with some genuine feeling that resonates. The songs here sound to me like a combination of the poppier side of punkish bands like Mega City Four and The Doughboys with a more classic pop sound, a la Gigolo Aunts and Splitsville. On "Not a Day Goes By", John Baxter sounds a fair amount like MC4 frontman Wiz, with a passionate, pleading vocal on a melodic ballad that packs some sting. It gets even better on "Incomplete", which pulses in the verses and powers through the choruses, Baxter singing "don't you wish that you could be someone/now that all my world has come undone" as if his life depended upon it. There are lighter moments, like the lovely "Shooting Star", which is swoony and moony. And "Falling" is simply a swell piece of grand mid-tempo modern power pop. A winner all the way around. popboomerang.com

Gnarls Barkley -- St. Elsewhere (Downtown): This collaboration between Danger Mouse and Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo is one of the best albums of the year. The mighty Mouse goes even further on this disc than he did on the last Gorillaz album, whipping up a variety of cool backing tracks which blend old school R & B, hip-hop, funk and various forms of modern dance music, into a cohesive whole. While this might not seem hard, since they all share some DNA, no one else can do it as well as DM. I'll confess that I'm familiar with Cee-Lo, but don't actually know his music, but I'll have to rectify that. He is an amazing soul singer, with a buttery expressive falsetto and heaps of personality. This varied collection conjures up memories of Was (Not Was), with bizarre lyrics married to dance beats and some amazing hooks. Many of you are probably familiar with "Crazy", the lead single which was a much deserved hit. There are other R & B pleasures on this disc, such as "Smiley Faces", which is a modern slice of Motown and "Just a Thought", which plays like church music taken into the 21st Century. There is a big surprise in the form of the twinky synth-pop rendition of Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone". And some stuff is just strange, in a good way, like the psychedelic blues of "Boogie Monster" and "Necromancer", which is about a guy who...well, let this line tell you: "She was cool when I met her/but I think I like her better dead." The mid-tempo hip-hop beat and the distant noodling of a jazzy electric piano meet up with ghostly backing vocals to make a song that Screaming Jay Hawkins would approve of, if he were around to do so. And who's to say he isn't? downtownrecordings.com

Young And Sexy -- Panic When You Find It (Mint): More wonderful pop ditties from this Vancouver act. With winsome male and female vocals, they combine a classic ‘60s feel with songs that are often reminiscent of early Everything But The Girl. The opening song immediately lets you know what is going on -- dual vocals from Lucy Brain and Paul Hixon Pittman, in a song that shambles along, when suddenly "Your Enemy's Asleep" swirls and soars into another dimension. It's like Laura Nyro fronting Zumpano, which could also be said about the superb "Conventional Lullabies". Pittman's compositions are quite sophisticated and emotional. A melancholy highlight is "5/4", which begins with Brain and Pittman harmonizing over doleful piano accompaniment. The structure is simple, but there are a few different melodies and the great harmony singing throughout. The Everything But The Girl sound shines through on the sumptuous "Trespass on a Thought". The melody is swoon worthy, and it is augmented with tasteful guitar accents and lots of subtle percussion. All in all, a very accomplished disc. mintrecs.com

Def Leppard -- *Yeah* (Bludgeon Riffola/Island): There had been some buzz about this disc for a while. Def Leppard reveal themselves to be major fanboys, which shouldn't surprise those in the know. Leppard's foray into the all-covers album is pretty successful, and certainly a better record than the LP that inspired it, David Bowie's alright *Pin Ups*. The band goes heavy on the glam rock that got them into rock and roll in the first place, with a smattering of selections outside the genre. The renditions are generally very faithful, with Joe Elliot proving to be quite the mimic. This especially true on the cover of Thin Lizzy's "Don't Believe a Word", where he sounds very much like Phil Lynott. Elliot may not have the most distinctive voice, but he always sounds good. While he is nowhere near as rangy as Sweet's Brian Connolly, like Connolly, Elliot thoroughly engages the lyrics of every song. This is a major reason why the band's version of The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" comes off so well. The arrangement is true to the melody, but the band turns it into a mid-tempo Leppard song, aided by Elliot's connection to Ray Davies's amazing words. Every rendition is entertaining, but I like it best when they do songs that don't seem to be obvious choices -- like the great version of Roxy Music's "Street Life" and their spunky run through Blondie's (by way of The Nerves) "Hanging on the Telephone". I also dig Phil Collen's ‘let it rip' singing on The Faces' "Stay With Me". Not only is this disc entertaining from end-to-end, but the packaging is even better. Each band member is presented in a take off on a famous album cover. And the liner notes show what true music geeks these guys are. One more point -- I've always found that one drawback of Def Leppard is that their songs could be a bit more concise. That's no problem here. I hope that the band finds a way to marry their fine melodies and riffs to tighter songs (which they did in the beginning). Anyways, good show, mates! islandrecords.com

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