Mike Bennett Capsule Reviews, March, 2004

Scroll down for capsule reviews of releases by Green Circles, Action Now, The Rubinoos, Descendants, The Mighty Stars, The Evaporators, Hindurodeo, Pyramidiacs and Ric Menck

Green Circles -- Brass Knobs, Bevelled Edges (And In 23 Different Positions) (Off The Hip): This Australian band has made giant strides since early demos they made two or three years ago. Though named after a Small Faces song, some of the tunes here lean more towards garage rock than mod. The final cut on this disc is an actual live recording ("Get on the Outside of This", a nice cruising R & B number in the vein of the early Who or Rolling Stones), but frankly, a lot of these songs sound like they were recorded live. This is a tight rocking band and that comes through loud and clear. They balance that ability to rock with some great pop-rock. While they don't sound like the Hoodoo Gurus, their ability to bounce around different styles is very similar to that band's early records. The disc openers, "Knee Jerk Reaction" and "Colour Me There" are simply smoking, and the fuzz-toned "Lena" really plumbs into Nuggets territory, with clever lyrics: "when she starts to speak in tongues/then I know it's just begun." The band successfully dons psychedelic garb for "Jasmine T", which has a twee-meets-heavy blend reminiscent of not only The Small Faces, but The Smoke. The pure Brit-pop of "Brown House in Stepney" is cut from the pastoral bounce of past salvos from The Kinks, Madness and Blur. The terrific "You Think I Don't Know" is one of those great slices of pop mixed with a bit of garage attitude that has worked for bands like The Vertabrats, The Stems and newbies like The Sights (a band that the Circles compare favorably to). The song that may become their calling card is "Black Vinyl Heart", which is a pub rockabilly song with a great title and a hook worthy of such a title. This is the great song about a crush on that cute record store clerk that the world has been waiting for. Bravo! offthehip.com.au

Action Now -- All Your Dreams...and more, 1981-1984 (Avebury): This L.A. band served as a training ground for guitarist Paula Pierce, who went on to form the noted garage-pop band The Pandoras. This adds interest to this reissue, which spiffs up their sole LP, which was only released in France, and then adds a slew of bonus tracks, most of them live recordings. The album is a slice of ‘60s inspired rock that just barely predates the Paisley Underground movement. Action Now was in step with bands like The Last and 100 Flowers, offering a fresh take on classic basic rock and roll. Some of the songs, thanks in large part to Mike Lawrence's bass playing, have a bit of a mod orientation. The proper album is chock full of good songs. On a few tracks, the performances are a bit stiff, which was a common ailment affecting bands on low budgets in the ‘80s (I'm guessing one or two takes and it was on to the next track). Still, the charm of the classic power poppy "This One Chance" and the garage rock power of "I'm Not Trying to Hurt You", to name just two fine tracks, can't be denied. These are all nicely written songs. And you also get to hear the original version of "Stop Pretending", which Pierce later waxed with The Pandoras. There is a nifty compilation track, followed by a lot of live stuff. And here, the band really shines. The band is decidedly light hearted, but have a enough rock backbone to never come off as wussy. They jangle and pop and hook quite well. They also throw in a few inspired cover choices, including the Bobby Fuller Four classic, "Never to Be Forgotten." The other striking thing about opening this time capsule is the innocence of the whole thing. While the retro nature of the songs is evidence of deliberation and contrivance, there is still a lot of feeling here. Would you hear that nowadays in a band of high schoolers doing Linkin Park and Nickleback covers? aveburyrecords.com

The Rubinoos -- Live In Japan (Air Mail): The Rubinoos are a terrific live band. In fact, I never really thought much one way or another about them until I saw them live at the Troubador in Los Angeles. This record captures what I experienced when I saw them a few years ago. These are top flight musicians who have developed a special chemistry from years of playing together. They know rock and roll and love the sweet poppy side of it. All the better to stun with their ridiculously accomplished vocals. Not just strong lead vocals, but dazzling harmonies that bridge the gap between ‘50s street singing and the Beach Boys. The set list for the gig represented here mixes old school Rubinoos favorites, some fine covers and a few more recent songs which reenforce the notion that they are still ace tunesmiths. Indeed, Tommy Dunbar's awesome "Early Winter", a late ‘90s compostion, is a testament to the Rubinoos mastery of classic pop with rock and roll roots. From the ringing guitars to the superlative vocals and a melody that is perfect in its wistful beauty, this song is easily up there with the likes of past classics like "I Want to be Your Boyfriend" and their cover of "I Think We're Alone Now." And those songs get a fine treatment on this disc, by the way. There are quite a few covers on this disc, including Looking Glass's "Brandy" and The Flamin' Groovies' "Shake Some Action". But nothing tops the excellent version of The Raspberries's "Tonight". Of course, the ‘berries were an obvious antecedent to The Rubinoos, and they pay back any debts in full with this performance. The band also shines on "Amnesia" and the R & B flavored "Hard to Get". The recording here is great and the warmth and excitement of the crowd and the band's excitement are palpable. This is one of those rare live albums that a fan will probably play as much as the proper albums. airmailrecordings.com

Descendents -- 'Merican (Fat Wreck): The five songs on this EP were recorded two years ago and offer a taste of the upcoming disc from these legends. A band that still doesn't get it's due for its influence on the current crop of pop-punkers, they still are superior to almost anyone they have inspired. "Nothing With You" is an ode to couch potato romance, that is crisp and melodic in the classic Buzzcocks-gone-to-the-Valley style that is typical of Descendents. It's the next song that really shocks. "‘Merican" is a lacerating political number that finds singer Milo Aukerman indicting blind patriotism. Musically, the song is very much in the style of Down By Law/Dag Nasty (two bands associated with Dave Smalley, the original lead singer of Descendents spinoff band All). Both those songs will be on the upcoming full length. The two extra cuts are swell too. "Here With Me" is a nice mid-tempo chugger, with Stephen Egerton getting a great sound out of his guitar, simultaneously tough and tender. And Aukerman's vocals are so strong. On par with Bad Religion's Greg Graffin and Naked Raygun's Jeff Pezzati, Aukerman sings with true authority, and I wish more of the bands inspired by Descendents would take note of how vital Milo's vocals are to the mix. If "I Quit" is any indication, the LP will be terrific -- this is a strong song and it's a leftover. The song is pretty much the punk equivalent of a boogie tune, slashing along while Aukerman sings about rock as a career. Let's just say he has a jaundiced eye about the whole affair. There's a final hidden track that's OK, but it's the primary four cuts that make this a very worthwhile purchase. fatwreck.com

The Mighty Stars -- The Mighty Stars Are Go! (Avebury): Not only are The Mighty Stars go!, The Mighty Stars are the shit, they are the real deal, they are rock and roll. This Bristol, England quartet just plays stripped down rock and roll with a calculated innocence. In many ways, this reminds me of the early Pooh Sticks, toughened up a bit. Matt, the lead singer, is enthusiastic and off-key in a winningly naive way. This pays off on the charming "Susan", which is the closest this band comes to a ballad on this five song EP. But there is charm all over the place. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" is a moony Merseybeat love tune, played with the right mix of tightness and puppy dog enthusiasm. The band's rocking side is riff fueled, as shown on the opening track "Small Wonder". The song suggests a poppier Billy Childish (Thee Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesars, et al.). The songwriting chops on display throughout indicate a bright future. aveburyrecords.com

Hindurodeo -- Nalladaloobr (Awkward): Three bands come readily to mind when listening to Hindurodeo: Dada, Utopia and The Bears, the latter two in particular. This is literate power pop with superior musicianship. In particular, guitarist Dirk Freymuth is an extremely talented guitarist, nimble fingered and nimble minded, coming up with inventive lead parts using a variety of techniques and effects. Frontman John Sayles has a sardonic voice, which fits his sardonic lyrics. For example, there is "McLife™", a song that simply addresses the complacency of people in this corporate society. The song has a nice groove to it and a great melodic chorus (which really made me think of The Bears and the related bands, The Raisins and Psychodots). This is followed by the more sober "American People", which catalogs all of our differences but preaches unity. Importantly, Sayles preaches without being preachy or strident. I won't say that either song features the most incisive social commentary, but the songs display intelligence and are performed with passion. We need more pop like this. We also need more pop like "Band With My Dad", which is a hilarious tale of a high school senior who needs his dad in the band (since he owns the gear and the space), but finds that this creates other pressures: "Dad gets home pretty late/I haven't studied my rehearsal tape/I'll be grounded for sure/if I don't write him a good middle eight." Or "Strip Bar" (with guest Jeff Victor's rock and roll piano): "Take a look around/at all the lonely faces/of the sexually frustrated/getting sexually frustrated." Brilliant! The strongest criticism to be levelled at Hindurodeo is that while their music is quite consistent, not enough individual tracks stand out. They could stand a bit more variety in styles or how they structure their compositions, particularly over a 13-track album. But everything else here is so well done, including Sayles's production and the excellent album packaging (which is consistent with the first part of their name). hindurodeo.com

The Evaporators -- Ripple Rock (Mint): One of the many reasons to love Canada is Narduwar the Human Serviette, a Vancouver radio personality who is unlike any other in the world. A serious rock and roll fan who is otherwise silly as a loon, Narduwar's band reflects his loopy personality and his fine taste in rock. Fans of The Smugglers will immediately embrace the music on this record, as it contains hooky high-octane garage-punk, played for giggles, not menace. This is not a coincidence. Smuggler Dave Carswell is one of the Evaporators, along with former Smuggler/current New Pornographer John Collins. While Narduwar is barely adequate as a vocalist, his kooky lyrical sensibility lets him get away with that. These titles should tell the story: "I Feel Like a Fat Frustrated Fuck", "(I've Got) Icicles on My Testicles", and "Barney Rubble Is My Double" (which would make a good medley with The Dickies' classic (I'm Stuck) In a Pagoda with Tricia Toyota"). Food is a major concern of Narduwar's, as he encourages you to "eat like a beast/it's a salad bar feast." That's from "Salad Bar", which combines a dance craze worthy chorus with some screaming rock. On "Addicted to Cheese", Narduwar makes it perfectly clear he is talking about food: "L.A. Guns or E'Nuff Z'Nuff/they come to mind/but that's not the stuff/I ain't talking a group of fellas/I'm talking mozzarella!" Other cool songs include "Nard Nest" and "I Quit School". The disc not only features guest appearances by Rahzel of The Roots and Snoop Dogg (really!), but five bonus tracks from another Narduwar project, Thee Dubliners. How can you not like a disc with a song called "I Say That on Purpose to Bug You"? mintrecs.com

Pyramidiacs -- Teeter Totter (Off The Hip): This is a reissue of a 1997 album by this Australian power pop band. Co-produced by the band and Michael Carpenter (who later teamed up with the drummer, Mickster, in The Finkers), this is quintessential Oz-pop. Which means that if you have a special place in your collection for bands like DM3 and You Am I, this disc will settle in very well with those artists. This album serves as further evidence to support a theory of mine that an unusual number of Plimsouls and Bram Tchiakovsky records made their way Down Under. I hear the latter in a lot of the majestic guitar leads that cascade through the songs. I hear the former in the rubbery R & B structures that the Plimsouls trafficked in. A fine example of this is "Waiting", which has falsetto backing vocals reminiscent of the early Who and Bob Susnjara's bass moving all over the place, daring you to stand in one place. On "Fickle", the band starts out soft before heading into buoyant territory similar to latter-day Replacements and You Am I. The band douses their jangle pop with rocket fuel on "Take A Bow", with robust lead guitar parts and more moving melodic bass. Throw in a swell ballad ("Don't Keep it From Me") and a few nods in the direction of Big Star and Teenage Fanclub (like "There's Always Something"), and you have one heckuva an album. offthehip.com.au

Ric Menck -- The Ballad Of Ric Menck (Action Musik): The Velvet Crush drummer (who also mans the kit for Matthew Sweet, among others) has done plenty of solo work under assumed names. This reissue of songs he recorded between 1985 and 1990 under names like Choo Choo Train, The Paint Set, The Springfields, Halliburton Sucks, etc. (yeah, I made up the last one...) adds even more tracks, making this a heavenly experience for fans of airy jangle pop that owes a big debt to the Beatles, Byrds and Big Star. Those of you familiar with Menck's rare vocal turns on Velvet Crush records know that this tall guy has a limited voice. But he knows how to put it in settings that maximize his ability to capture longing and vulnerability. So he can pull off sweet numbers like "Wishing on a Star" (which he co-wrote with the late Jim Ellison of Material Issue), which has a nifty twee-pop hook, and "Delaware Rain". On "Big Blue Buzz", Menck seems to have channeled the early-dB's. In fact, this song sounds like a mid-point between Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple, which is no mean feat. It is no surprise that a music geek like Menck would cover some cool tunes. He acquits himself nicely on Syd Barrett's "Golden Hair", but the best cover is probably his version of The Pastels' "Million Tears". Menck also does tunes by Primal Scream, the obscure Scottish band The Clouds, a Hollies album track ("Clown" -- Ric has such good taste) and a Matthew Sweet song. For a collection of songs recorded over a number of years, this plays rather cohesively and is easily recommended to Velvet Crush fans. parasol.com

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