Mike Bennett Capsule Reviews, February, 2004

Scroll down for capsule reviews of releases by Oneida, Scott Laurent, Aerospace, David Dondero, Her Majesty's Buzz, Field Trip, The M's, The Smallgoods and Moonbabies.

Oneida -- Secret Wars (Jagjaguwar): This New York band takes inspiration from all over the place. Can and The Fall are two obvious points of comparison. This is a band that has no problem stretching a two chord vamp over 14 minutes. But they also can write a terrific song, and while melody isn't their strongest point, they can craft one that provides some balance amongst the dissonance and brute force. The primary source of this brute force is their amazing drummer, Kid Millions. On almost every track, he is a force of nature, propelling the songs forward (even when the song seems to be stuck in the same place) and adding so much color, whether it's using tight fills, splashing cymbals or a myriad of other tracks. This is best exemplified on the lengthy drone piece "Changes in the City" that closes the album. With the drummer acting as an anchor, the band layers on the instruments, including a some keyboards, along with bass and guitar, playing a sort of anti-jazz, as instrumental riffs are repeated and discarded. The band creates such a solid foundation, that the track retains interest by virtue of how they keep adding new things to the mix. This marathon is well earned, as the rest of the album is pithier. On "The Winter Shaker", there's a primal garage rock aggression, reminiscent of early Pere Ubu, though the vocals that finally tumble in are somehow amelodic and harmonic. "Caesar's Column" rocks like a sloppier Queens of the Stone Age, with the addition of electronic noise that adds a sheen of Krautrock or 154-era Wire. Wire's art-pop brilliance is equalled on "Capt. Bo Dignifies the Allegations with a Response", which flies out of the gates at a race horse tempo. The band even shows off some straight ahead rock chops on "Wild Horses", which has some strong guitar work, and shows a real ‘60s rock influence. As the comparisons above show, Oneida is definitely following in the paths of many art-rock greats. They earn those comparisons with their inventiveness. What really makes them stand out is their intense and passionate playing, making them perhaps the best combination of vision and visceral since the early years of The Fall. jagjaguwar.com

Scott Laurent -- The Truth Is Lies (No Alternative): Laurent mixes a bit of the singer-songwriter with a sophisticated pop sound that is nearly on par with the best of Michael Penn and Semisonic. Working with producer Ed Ackerson (of Polara and 27 Various fame), Laurent and his band mates create dramatic soundscapes that compliment his winning voice -- gruff in the lower range, smooth and passionate on the higher end. When all of the elements come together, the songs are quite special. While a few songs succumb to mainstream blandness (though still a cut above a lot of the singer-songwriters currently in vogue, since Laurent can really sing), Laurent's engagement with his material is key. By avoiding histrionics and keeping a sense of scale, the big melody of the closing ballad "In the Tears" is poignant and stirring, instead of treacly. The lead cut, "What You See", sounds like a calling card. The song is dynamic, with his intent voice swelling up into a majestic and pretty chorus. Laurent is simultaneously sympathetic and jaundiced, looking at a dog-eat-dog world that is hard to live in: "You created us/we're still doin' it now/and we'll go on forever fighting wars." This is a song with an attractive surface and depth. I had a hard time believing that "Somebody's Baby" was not a cover song, and I'm not referring to the Jackson Browne. What I mean, is that this song sounds instantly familiar, like an old Triple-A radio staple. This song is on par with the fine recent material from The Jayhawks, and really should be a Triple-A radio staple. Laurent cuts loose more vocally here, which fits the more driving nature of the song. This is a great example of how to make a disc that is commercially accessible, without beating you over the head with obviousness. Laurent has some nice skills and he and Ackerson make a fine talent/producer team. noalternative.com

Aerospace -- In A Place Of Silver Eaves (Labrador): A really fine EP from this Swedish quintet. This is certainly a retro disc, drenched in ‘60s soft pop vibes. At times, they remind me of The Boo Radleys (circa Wake Up), due in large part to the smooth vocal stylings of guitarist
Torbjorn Thorsen. Thorsen really delivers on the tender "(You're) Much Too Young", which uses a Phil Spector template, but instead of going for a booming Wall Of Sound, the song emphasizes beauty and stays low key. Even when the instruments start layering in during the final instrumental break, the effect is to create warming ambience, not a crescendo. This is a nice slice of modern blue-eyed soul. The band shows that they've listened to Love a few times, as "December Slow" has some Spanish guitar (a la "Alone Again Or"). The song uses that for a springboard, integrating a light bouncing rhythm track to give the song an Aerospace identity. The other top notch track is "Debutante Love Affair", where a fast strumming acoustic guitar, a twangy lead guitar and a spooky keyboard part create an atmosphere that's somehow percolating and off-putting (in a good way). It's like a juxtaposition of The Zombies and The Woodentops, and very cool. This EP almost plays like three A-sides, with three really good B-sides. parasol.com

David Dondero -- The Transient (Future Farmer): So often fans and critics focus so much on style, that personality and substance are afterthoughts. As a result, a folk singer may get lost in the shuffle. Yes, even a folk singer with as much piss-and-vinegar coursing through his work as Mr. Dondero. This is a superb collection that generally highlights his sarcastic observational lyrics, which are delivered with gusto. Dondero falls somewhere between Dan Bern and, for those of you with long memories, Carmaig DeForest. For all the barbs and jabs, the song that impresses the most is by far the most sober. "20 Years" is a devastating song. Dondero's sings from the point of view of man who just got out of prison. The song is so blunt, so powerful, full of empathy and set in a stark arrangement that amplifies the emptiness and lack of direction any ex-con must have right after being set free: "In 1979/man, I was always high/I don't remember committing the crime/but I remember doing the time." However, most of the time he plays "the skinny indie white boy blues/in scuffed up military-style boots" (from opener "Living and the Dead"), using song forms that have served everyone from a young Bob Dylan to Sean Na Na. On "See it Clear", Dondero's mom plays music critic: "she said ‘you've got too many notes in your songs'/'far too many notes in your songs, son.' Dondero strums away, while the organ in the background allows me to reference The Modern Lovers, which I just did. Dondero isn't all rough edges, as shown on "The Stars Are My Chandelier", which has a whimsical musical structure. And "Vaporize" has an offbeat melody and an intricate arrangement, adding needed variety amongst the more straightforward musical settings. I have not listened to Dondero's earlier recordings, but this disc has piqued my interest. This is an outstanding disc. futurefarmer.com

Her Majesty's Buzz -- One Of Our Astronauts Is Missing (Label Music Group): This title, along with the band's slightly off-beat moniker, may foretell a Guided By Voices type weirdness. However, that's not the case. This record has a true 1978 sensibility, in a very good way. HMB has a strong foundation in melodic roots music, with two evident influences being early Tom Petty (when he really had that McGuinn/Dylan jones) and Graham Parker. Complimenting that is some power pop edge, so you can throw The Plimsouls and Dirty Looks into the comparison mix. Oh, and did I mention that this record is laden with good songs? I would say that the biggest misstep on this disc is the failure to include the lyrics in the booklet. Granted, it's hard to miss gems like the opening line to "Wondering Why": "I took enough pills/to kill Neil Young." This really doesn't mean much, but it sure sounds cool, as does the tune, which starts with a chord progression reminiscent of The Vibrators' classic "Baby Baby", but then heads in more of the direction of Steve Wynn. The tight and lacerating "Jammed in a Shoebox" is one of those songs that matches razor sharp guitar work in the verses with an out-of-nowhere guitar break that not only serves as a hook, but sets up the chorus in a dramatic fashion. (And that guitar break may have been played by the mysterious ‘Astronaut', whose secret identity is Hans Rotenberry, the frontman for The Shazam). Just as there is a fine line between clever and stupid, there's a fine line between retro and classic, and HMB is squarely on the classic side. Songs like "Waiting on Valentine" (with a drawling Petty/Dylan vocal fitting the robust *Blonde On Blonde*-style rock) and "My Big Dumb Heart" are so deeply rooted in fundamental ‘60s and ‘70s rock form, they sound like old friends. While I wouldn't directly compare Her Majesty's Buzz to Walter Clevenger, Michael Carpenter or The Joel Plaskett Emergency, but if you are a fan of any of those artists, you very well may want to check this out. thelabelmusicgroup.com

Field Trip -- Field Trip (self-released): Cord Weiss used to be in Star Collector with guitar whiz Joe Giddings. Giddings fired the first solo shot in 2003, with his JTG Implosion album on Not Lame. And that disc showed that he was the one with the major Jellyfish jones that you heard in Star Collector's recorded work. This project shows that Weiss is the straightahead power pop guy. In fact, the four songs here position Field Trip on the cusp of traditional power pop (things like Cheap Trick, Lolas and The Andersons, for example), and punk-pop (fans of Blink 182 and that ilk might dig "Coulda Been", which is just a bit poppier than that brigade, but chugs in a similar fashion) and Weezerland. The band wisely leads off with its best track. "Into You" starts with a strong lead guitar part (and Weiss's guitar is muscular throughout), and has a chorus that hits a blissful wave which hints of Gigolo Aunts. The band is also effective on the mid-tempo "Glitter". It shares some melodic similarities to the chorus of "Into You", which probably speaks more to the fact that this catches the band early in their development, and not a lack of ideas. Weiss shows off a strong voice on this track, though he can be a bit nasal. The final track, "Angelina Jolie", just isn't my cup of tea, as it is more cute than clever. It will be interesting to see what develops, as Weiss is a talented dude. fieldtriprocks.com

The M's -- The M's: (Brilliante): This is a reissue of a 2002 release. Why so soon? This Chicago band is beginning to generate a bit of a hometown buzz. The reissue appends three tracks to the original four song EP. The M's connect the dots between prime 1966-68 Kinks and T. Rex, giving the songs a fey folkie Anglophile melodicism, set to a sloppy but infectuous glam rock groove. This makes for an interesting combo. The M's don't generally go for the killer chorus, yet their music is insinuating and catchy as hell. On the best track, "Break Our Bones", they do come up with one hell of a sing-a-long chorus, taking an anthemic page from the Mott The Hoople playbook. In fact, the chorus is so good, they pretty much ride it out for most of the tune, throwing in a few cool wrinkles before the end. Not since Lilys have I heard a band channel cool influences in a way that is so evocative without being strictly imitative. While the melodies and music lean towards the Kinks, lyrically, they manage to master the Marc Bolan skill of fitting words together in a rhythmic fashion. So, even if the lyrics don't make literal sense, they lock in with the song, to make it all the more catchy. And they do this without copping any of Bolan's affectations or themes. So on the opener, "Dirty Old Dog", things like "don't come to me for something/that comes so naturally" just stick in the cranium. Equally cool is how they vary the guitar parts as the song goes on, while maintaining the basic groove and melody. Add a penchant for alliterative titles (only the swinging "Banishment of Love" avoids this) and bonus cuts, that, while not essential, show off a spooky side (a la Sparklehorse and Guided By Voices), and this is one heck of an EP that leaves me aching for them to get out a debut full length ASAP. brilliante.tv

The Smallgoods -- Listen To The Radio (Half A Cow): Fun Aussie pop band that mixes smooth tunes with a tongue-in-cheek attitude on some tracks, and generally smart lyrics. They generally dabble in classic pop forms. "Abraham Lincoln" mixes sweet vocals with a latter-day Beatles pop-cum-blues tune: "If I was sporting a beard like Abraham Lincoln/maybe she'll let me in on what she's thinking." Meanwhile, "Capricorn" is a jaunty Big Star pastiche that has the vim of vintage You Am I with half the volume. There are some wonderful things going on with the guitar work of Ben Mason and Lachlan and Gus Franklin, as lead guitar parts decorate the melody, while weaving and meshing in a fine fashion. But the band isn't wholly retro. Closing cut "Take Your Bow" may be cut from ‘60s cloth, but has a wispy feel that isn't far removed from artists like Mercury Rev. Mixed in with these purely pop gems, are snarkier songs that will appeal to folks who like Phil Judd, 10CC, Horizontal Brian or Dynamic Rhythm Device. The prime example of this is "Get Up". The climax of the album is the eight-minute "A Bad Case of the Wilsons", which isn't as Beach Boys-ish as the title may imply, yet is a sweet ambitious little pop symphony. halfacow.com.au

Moonbabies -- The Orange Billboard (Hidden Agenda): The duo of Ola Frick and Carina Johansson don't fall into any easy category, other than the broad arena of ‘pop.' Moonbabies are quite adept in the studio, creating ornate yet simple songs that combine breeziness and intelligence. This leads to an array of charmers. On "Forever Changes Everything Now" and "Fieldtrip USA", the band channels Lindsay Buckingham, with gentle acoustic guitars mixing with a variety of keyboards for some gentle melodies. On "Forever Changes...", the vocal blend of Frick and Johansson is sublime -- neither are great singers, but they compliment each other very well. The bouncy "Crime O'The Moon" puts a bouncy electric piano front and center. The jaunty melody has a lot in common with some of the post-emo pop set, like The Anniversary and Beulah. The title cut is a gem, with a swooning folk vibe, jangly guitar and some Massive Attack like electronics weaving in and out of the song. On the sweet and moody "Slowmono", the band shows that they have a keen understanding how electronic textures can mix with real instruments to make for an inviting mixture of cold and warm. This song pulses like the more pop-rock numbers from New Order and adds some sizzling electric guitar in the instrumental break, propelling the song to an even faster pace. It's my favorite song on the disc. This is a disc that really grows with repeated plays and one of the better recent releases out of Sweden, which is saying something. parasol.com

______________________________________________________

To reach any other page contained in this month's update on Fufkin.com, read the home page for the appropriate link and click on it. You can also search the site from any page using the search box located at the top of each page. Merely type in the word, phrase, name of the band, recording, name of the Fufkin writer that you are looking for or Whatever in the search box, and then click on "Search". If you would like to e-mail us, go to the About Us page for a list of e-mail addresses.

Go back to the home page by clicking here

________________________________________________________________