Mike Bennett Capsule Reviews, August, 2003

Scroll down for capsule reviews of releases by Lynchpin, Flashcubes, Friends Like These, The Natural History, The Oranges, The Deal, Volta Do Mar, The George Usher Group and The Model Rockets.

Shutdown 66 -- Welcome To Dumpsville (Get Hip): This is scuzzy, sweaty and salacious R & B/garage rock from Australia. Taking cues from the early Pretty Things, The Seeds and the luminaries and nobodies on the Nuggets and Pebbles collections, Shutdown 66 goes for the kill from track one and keeps going for 12 more tracks. These guys play with extraordinary feel, so despite the fact that this is pretty much homage, it's so damn good that any quibbles are negligible. Though the band prefers to blister your ears with a fury, they show their basic ability to rock and roll old school on songs like "Gone for Bad". Lead singer Nicky Shutdown often reminds me of The Shadows Of Knight's Jimmy Sohns, if Sohns had decided to take singing lessons (?) from The Lime Spiders' Mick Blood and Jeff "Mono Man" Connolly of DMZ and Lyres fame. Connolly would probably approve of pumping organ and hip shaking fervor of "Mr. Johnson". He'd probably be more impressed that it's one of many songs here that may seem to be a cover, but is a Shutdown original -- all thirteen cuts are. Unlike many of the current garage crop, the Shutdowns aren't too concerned with melodic hooks, instead wallowing in gritty Chicago-cum-London breakdowns. However, when they get a good riff, they challenge you to dance (check out "Kellie's Turn to Cry"). The title track is compacted frenzy, Nicky spitting out the words: "welcome to dumpsville/once more/you'd leave/but you can't find the door." This disc benefits from a crisp recording that captures the obvious energy of this band -- this a probably a bit more controlled than what they conjure up on stage, but not to the point of taking away their punky spirit. gethip.com

Lynchpin -- Hand-Picked Words (Pure Pop): Second album from this Australian trio, whose debut was comprised of tunes dating back to 1998. Singer Andy Kirkland often sounds like the Oz version of Glen Tilbrook. Kirkland's effortless white soul voice aches with tenderness. Augmented by the rhythm section of Glen King (drums) and Dave Stevens (bass), the band envelopes with warmth, using temperate mid-tempo grooves as the foundation for the alternatively pleading, sad and wistful/hopeful melodies. For the most part, this album builds on the strengths of the first record, as the songs are in the vein of Squeeze and early Crowded House (falling somewhere in between, actually), and have some nifty observational lyrics. My favorite cut is the spunky pub-rocking "It's All Good", about a guy who is whipped by his girlfriend, if you know what I mean. Actually, he's kind of liking it, yet kind of wondering if maybe it's going too far: "I'd rather shop than go to the game/my season's tickets have gone down the drain." This song would be a good follow up to the single "So Damn Obvious", where Kirkland tells a mate to open up eyes and do a pull on the girl whose been mistakenly placed in the "too hard basket". This song builds from light chukka-chukka guitar to some ringing lead parts in the chorus -- when the summery backing vocals kick in during the guitar solo, you know this song belongs in the winner's circle. Probably the main flaw with the album is that it could use a couple more temperate tunes like these. But this doesn't mean the primarily mid-tempo and slow numbers aren't up to snuff. "Four in the Morning" is augmented by strings and really spotlights Kirkland's wonderful pipes -- a heartbreaker of a tune. Even better is "Why Don't You Face It", which incisively looks at a woman running around with a married co-worker (Squeeze comparisons are very appropo here too). And loping songs like "Under My Guard" just feel good. I would love to see Lynchpin find a producer on par with a Brad Jones, who could allow them to continue to follow their ambitions. This is literate, catchy and full of heart. lynchpin.com.au

Flashcubes -- Brilliant (Northside/Air Mail): A passionate reunion album that opens with a cover of Eddie and the Hot Rods' "Do Anything You Wanna Do" that tells you everything you need to know about this band -- they play power pop that is informed by both pub rock and the working class edge of prime Bruce Springsteen, and NEVER lack for energy. The rest of the album is not a let down after the opening kick in the ass. The band alternates the running order of the songs between the three writers. Guitarist Paul Armstrong is the wiseacre, whether mixing the menace of The Angels (a/k/a Angel City) with a bit of boogie rock on "Stalk" (about stalking, of course) or invoking the New York Dolls on the bromide "Pathetic" while also evoking them and early Graham Parker. Fellow axman Arty Lenin repeatedly shows the ability to write a stirring dramatic chorus, whether it's on the happy yet wistful "Nothing Really Matters When You're Young" or the cautionary and empathetic "Catherine", a song that rings like a bell. Lenin's "You're Not Grounded" has a nice bit of Byrdsy guitar and displays all the earmarks of classic ‘70s power pop. So does Gary Frenay's "Natalie", which brings back memories of the ‘70s edition of The Searchers. The bass player's "I'm a Mystery" is an R & B inflected gem, with horns supplied by producer Ed (Ramones, Smithereens) Stasium. All three writers (and two others) combine on the hilarious "Five Personalities" ("I've got a girl with five personalities/I'm in love with three/but each one of those different personalities/fell in love with me"). Tommy Allen keeps the backbeat going on this triumphant reunion. Last year it was Fools Face, this year Flashcubes -- it's great to hear that some bands never lose the magic. airmailrecordings.com

Friends Like These -- I Love You (Tinderbox): Minneapolis band synthesizes a whole slew of influences, showing off pop savvy in the midst of layers of guitars. To some degree, the band's love of guitars is in the vein of My Bloody Valentine and Ride, which melds well with the band's songwriting mojo -- they delve into psych-pop and even a bit of freakbeat. "Burning Sun" is the gem among gems, with spooked garage riff verses and a Nazzilicious chorus that features a double hook -- the first is the main chorus melody, the second is in the wistful lead guitar part that takes the bridge out of the chorus and brings the song back into the verse. Too often bands are satisfied with a small hook, where here, Friends Like These fully develop their ideas for maximum payoff. Whether it's another whopper of a chorus on "Get With It", a song that starts off with a dissonant guitar part (or is it a keyboard part) -- as any fan of XTC or Crowded House knows, from dissonant beginnings, a super melodic chorus can grow. However, the dissonance here is more measured and the chorus rocks so much more than those bands. Fans of The Lassie Foundation would be advised to buy this album just due to this song. Other highlights include "Heaven", which contrasts dreamy vocals with a doomy blues rhythm, adding one of those mooing cow toys in the background -- the song then speeds into The Milky Way in the fuzz-strum refrain ("I'm sucking on heaven/in the garbage" -- ???). Not everything is juxtaposition. "Troll" builds on a distinctive lead guitar part in one speaker and a ragged rhythm guitar in the other, with both parts getting caught in a wash of harmony vocals and blissful rock drive. The Friends are a duo (John Solomon and Adam Swittick) who get some help from their friends. The best friend of the Friends is John Hermanson, the frontman for the terrific Minneapolis adult-pop band Alva Star, who produces and engineers, along with helping on vocals and a slew of instruments. who-needs-enemies.com

The Natural History -- Beat Beat Heartbeat (Startime): New York band often sounds like The Jam playing unreleased Wire tunes. Which is to say the tunes are jagged minimalist constructions and the rhythm section of Julian Tepper (bass) and Derek Vockins (drums) is punchy and rubbery, making these songs instantly inviting. The band is already garnering comparisons to Spoon, which are probably fair, as there is a certain intersection of sensibilities. Like Spoon's Britt Daniel, guitarist/lead throat Max Tepper is a distinctive vocalist who gets a prominent place in the mix, due to the sonic space carved out the precision attack. But the rhythmic emphasis of The Natural History's music makes it distinctive. Max gets a great ringing tone from his guitar, and like Wire, on their best songs, the band finds the way to take a basic idea and wring all they can out of it without overstaying the welcome. However, there is a bit too much adherence to this approach. Though the Motown-shot-through with gloom jive of the finale "Dance Steps" and the pensive "Beat Beat" show off some different moves, most of this is cut from the same cloth. But that cloth yields big hooks on cool numbers like "Run de Run", which milks a chord change and tick-tock rhythm into memorable urgency, and "Watch This House", which throws a little Gang of Four and late-‘70s XTC into the mix. Thom Monahan contributes his production skills, giving this a steely but human veneer. Like most of the current bands dabbling in post-punk influences, The Natural History is a bit too single minded and the lack of variety makes this merely good. Still, it is energetic and entertaining and, hopefully, they can build on this cool foundation. startimeintl.com

The Oranges -- Bubblegum (Rabbit): Bubbleglam is more like it. The second Oranges full length plays like some alternative universe ‘70s greatest hits LP from a Japanese band that is The Bay City Rollers, The Archies, The Glitter Band and Mud all rolled into one. While the band is shamelessly retro, you have to forgive them, because they have mastered the chewy platform heel polyester groove, making some of the happiest music of the 21st Century. Not only are they more consistent than any of the weenybopper glitter acts in the U.K., the production here is perfect -- modern fidelity that still retains that certain cheesy sound that makes the music that much more fun. As if acknowledging this, they lead the disc off with "Hi Cheese!" -- however, this is the only phrase they sing in English, so I have no idea what the song is actually about. Lead singer Jeff Orange has just the right voice for this music -- it's kind of twinky, but it's not cloying. Instead, it's utterly sincere, in the same manner that Brian Connolly used to sing those Sweet bubblegum hits -- as if every word were penned by Dylan. The harmonies sparkle, the lead guitar parts do likewise, while the rhythm section is compulsively danceable. So bounce to the "Bubblegum Boogie", marvel at the Cheap Trickiness of "Rock Service" (which reworks the "Everything Works if You Let It" riff for The Oranges' own sugary purposes), lament a lost love while listening to the ballad "Lost Love" (what else can you do?), imagine the Banana Splits doing Badfinger on "The Sun is Shining" and spin "Attack!!" and hope that Redd Kross's McDonald brothers get a hold of this and produce the next Oranges disc. Yummy yummy yummy indeed. oranges.jp.org

The Deal -- Goodbye September (Not Lame Archive): Not Lame unearths unreleased tracks from powerpop wannabes, who, due to a variety of reasons, were sort of never wases. Though the sonic quality on here is not the best, preserving songs like "DC-10s", which sounds like a collision between 1978-era Shoes (down to the stiff drum rolls) and Bram Tchaikovsky isn't just a nice gesture; it seems obligatory. Though neither reference would include this fatalist bon mot: "if this is all I have to live for/I want to die." Troy Elliot's liner notes provide plenty of background on a band that was conversant in various pop-rock styles. Their primary weapons were their low key harmony vocals that were smooth and sweet, without being too much of either, and Haines Fullerton, who dashes off an assortment of memorable lead guitar figures that provide little extra bits of catchiness throughout. While the recordings here (two of the sessions at the Bearsville studio) aren't lo-fi, since this stuff was never prepped for release, it was not subjected to the gloss that was glopped on to records of the time. Which means that this stuff actually sounds better having avoided that treatment -- it allows the music to retain its sense of proportion. Whether it's nifty wimp pop like "Hopi" (imagine a twee Mental As Anything) or the intent "Marianne", which has a chord structure reminiscent of Husker Du's "Never Talking to You Again" before heading into sunnier territory, and "Maybe I'll Just Keep Hanging On", which merits further positive Bram Tchaikovsky/Shoes comparisons, the band had the right hooks at the right time. A couple tunes on the latter half of the disc are kinda dull, but songs like "Cinnamon Square" and "5:45" (the track starts like a soulless hit single, but the band's sincerity and heartfelt hook won out) show that songwriter Mark Roebuck never ran out of good ideas. This was definitely worth compiling and preserving. notlame.com

Volta Do Mar -- Murder By Death (Arborvitae): This veteran band is associated with arty genres -- you can call it math rock or post-rock, whatever. Volta Do Mar is a contemporary band who really are a descendent of prog rock (King Crimson division), without a lot of the negative connotations that loaded term implies. The band packs its instrumental and compositional explorations into tight structures, constructing each track with precision. In this, they have much in common with both the more recent editions of the aforementioned Crimson as they do with the latter day Jesus Lizard. Of course, this crew has their own slant on things, which makes for a distinctive record that has more variety than you would expect. "On a Hand Held Sky" has a real emotional edge with a pretty piano part finding space amidst more dramatic instrumentation (slashing violin, militaristic drumming) -- the song pushes and pulls effectively. The rhythm carries "Canyon Inn, Room 16", with the bass players Jeff Wojtysiak (five-string) and Mike Baldwin (six-string) teaming with percussionist Tony Ceraulo to create a rumbling bottom that is compelling and unsettling. The song builds to a crescendo and then drops out of sight before slowly but surely building back up with a steely grandeur. This song has more dramatic interest than most of the movies playing at my local cinema. The band also shows off its chops on songs like the Fripp-y "Search Lights Burn the Cornfields Bright", which never stays in one place too long, but never sounds choppy -- the journey is the destination. Guitarist Phil Taylor dazzles with his lead work driving the song. The band is never showoffy and thus earns the right to one stretched out track, and "Knife Goes In, Guts Come Out" combines warm instrumental sections with bits of minimalist musical parts that counterpoint each other in a call-and-response fashion. The fact that this nearly 10-minute long track doesn't overstay its welcome is an indication of how deft this band is -- though they explode and rock out in parts, they emphasize a deft rhythmic pulse that never plods. team-av.com

George Usher Group -- Fire Garden (Hidden Agenda): The first artists that came to mind when I heard this record were Bobby Sutliff and his work with The Windbreakers and Marshall Crenshaw. Usher has that innate pop sense that Crenshaw displayed throughout the ‘80s. But Usher's music has a bit sturdier rock base that reminds me of Sutliff's Byrds/Television inspired work and some of Richard Barone's solo efforts. Usher could be called an adult power pop artist. His music might be more mid-tempo than that description implies, but if Big Star fits in the power pop tent, then this should also. Usher's nasal voice (which is also reminiscent of Sutliff) may wear on some listeners over 15 tracks. I think that its limitations are more than offset by its sincerity -- Usher feels these songs, they aren't merely stylish show offs. I'm also impressed by the way he injects variety into an otherwise consistent style, often by using different guitar sounds and other instrumental textures. Good examples of this include "There Is No Sleep", which has sting also found on some of Tim Finn's recent work, with both the guitars and the drums giving the song a certain edginess, and the sharp lead guitar lines on "The Lost Fields", a song that has to go over very well live. Another nifty touch is the jazz piano part that is integrated into the chorus of "See You Later, There's the Door", which also has a surprising and effective middle eight. Not that Usher needs any wrinkles to get his message of love across -- "The Day Before I Found Her" is concise and perfect. Usher's sad sack special is a tale of a broken romance, where the despondent guy is right back in the sorry state he was right before he met her. The lyrics are precise and fit the bitter-wistful melody. While most of these songs are similar takes on the travails of the heart, Usher impresses in a subject matter detour on "The Return of Your Loved Ones in Dreams". Much like Pernice Brothers, the surface positivity of the music is contrasted by the thoughtful pessimism of the words: "Is it a heaven you find below/or only a hell you already know?/is it the past/or a little bit more of tomorrow?". This is blues in a jangly form. Not just catchy, but resonant. parasol.com

The Model Rockets -- Pilot County Suite (Book): Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5 co-produces some of these tracks. I'd imagine in most reviews these are the primary comparison points, since The Model Rockets share a skewed love of rootsy music and poppy hooks with the Fellows and the 5. And this would be a fair comparison. And an accurate conclusion is that the Rockets do this stuff better than the Fellows and the 5, or anyone else, for that matter. Maybe it's because the Rockets have a songwriting skill that's on par with Peter Holsapple's best work in the post-Stamey years of the dB's. The songs flow so naturally that it's hard to imagine that they didn't come to the Rockets in one fell swoop, kind of like how Paul McCartney dreamed "Yesterday". Even more amazing is that with the exception of the title cut, which is spirited ‘mini-opera' in the tradition of The Who's "A Quick One While He's Away", all of the other tracks here are leftovers that didn't make prior albums. Oh my. So "Pay for the Girl", with it's bashing mid-tempo rock which slides right into a delightful chorus (harmony vocals included) was an also-ran? And the drawling "Hacksaw Hip Hooray", which would have sounded great on a Monkees record, Mike Nesmith on vocals, natch, just wasn't right (come to think of it, the title would have kept it off a Monkees record...)? What about "Ticket to the News", a chugger that reminds me a bit of The Smugglers, who should immediately cover this for their next record. Suffice to say, this is a criminally underrated band, and if you're at all enticed by the above criticism, by all means jump right in. bookrecords.com

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