Mike Bennett Capsule Reviews, September, 2003

Scroll down for capsule reviews of releases by The Deanna Varagona Trio, Asteroid No. 4, Freddy & the Four Gone Conclusions, Crash Into June, Danny McDonald, James Kirk, The Fugs, The High Dials, The Pulltops, Kraftwerk and Big Kid

Toothpaste 2000 -- Catch-22 (Parasol): 22 tracks of adrenaline rush guitar pop from a band that carries on the tradition of bands like The Undertones and Fastbacks -- music that is informed by punk and pop, and marries the best of those two worlds. As usual, the two singer-songwriters in the band alternate tracks. I tend to prefer Frank Bednash's tracks, primarily because he's the stronger vocalist. Guitarist Donna Esposito is breathy and girly, which seems to limit where her songs can go. Of course, Esposito is responsible for the dazzling array of guitars on this album, whether she's playing precise lead figures on tracks like "Cleopatra", which sounds like Lush at its cutsiest (and features both Bednash and Esposito singing, something they should do more often), or laying down the riffage on "Count Choc-o-lot" (where drummer Kirk Jamieson gets to break out his "Mississippi Queen" cowbell). And anyone who can conjure up memories of The Primitives, as Esposito does on "Just Because", is doing something right. But Bednash rules on this disc. "Party Girl" is bouncy jangle with a tender middle eight that comes out of nowhere to put a lump in the throat. This 2-minute wonder is what the repeat button is for, just to hear that middle eight again. On "You Don't Love Me Anymore", Bednash and Esposito harmonize wonderfully, leading into an intent mid-tempo number that sounds like a lost ‘70s AM radio classic. The album opener "Walking Out the Door" mixes buzzy punk with a frat-rock R & B bass line -- the song sounds like a collaboration between Buzzcocks, The Bangles and The Fleshtones. The tendency of records crammed with so many tracks is to lose interest, but Toothpaste 2000 simply has so many good tunes that this breezes by. parasol.com

The Deanna Varagona Trio -- The Goodbyes Have All Been Taken (Gadfly): Varagona is known to some for her work in Lambchop. In Chicago, she has managed to stand out as a fine solo performer, who is one of the few singers who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as fellow Chicago residents Neko Case and Kelly Hogan. Varagona is a more earthy and rustic singer than Case and Hogan, but like those two she has power and range, and knows when to and when not to display it. Of course, when you can sing like this, and have an easygoing Southern twang, it's almost mandatory that you sing music rooted in folk, blues and country (with a hint of bluegrass at times). And she can write those songs, whether they be dusty laments or concise narratives that offer a glimpse behind the closed doors of normal folk like you and I. A lot of Varagona's songs focus on hopes and dreams -- the protagonists have hit a dead end, and some will overcome it ("Folding the Clothes"), while others I'm not so sure about. She also knows of broken hearts. On "Dag Rag" (as in ragtime), a stylized Victrola simulation production is perfect for the tale of a woman who comes home to find her man done gone. Varagona is somewhat torchy on "Better Stay Away", where the extremely spartan arrangement creates a lot of space that her wonderfully measured vocal to bring you into her misery: "There'll come a day when my heart can say goodbye/won't have to see you two and sigh/but for now, I'll walk on by/you're not a part of my life." The only thing the talented Varagona has failed to do here is come up with a signature tune, though she comes close. Other than that, this is a high quality release. gadflyrecords.com

Asteroid No. 4 -- Honeyspot (Rainbow Quartz): This is not alt-country. This is country rock. Whereas the former takes the traditions of country and then infuses them with rock perspective, country rock did things in reverse -- throwing country elements into a more rock format. That this is country rock from a band who made their name playing psychedelic rock...well, this is a good first foray into the style. The record is a bit uneven, as some songs kind of lay there, but the overall relaxed pace makes those junctures go by smoothly. If anything, it is really impressive that Asteroid No. 4 shifted gears so well. It is a real credit to their skill as both songwriters and musicians. A great example of this is "One Time", which sounds like a great lost song by The Band. Every element works, from the world weary vocals and the distant pedal steel to the loping drumming and the pithy but dramatic guitar solo. Other good reference points are The Flying Burrito Brothers (inevitably), Poco (in the sweeter moments) and Rank And File. So you get a nice mix on this record. You have "Runnin' Away", which puts a twangy gloss on a song that has an R & B structure more akin to The Rascals or Dion and the Belmonts. On "California", the band plays a basic blues rhythm, with a haunting Western plains feel. In fact, there are a few other tracks where the band does a great job of blending R & B or blues with a cowboy drawl. One of the interesting things about this disc is that there's nary a straight honky tonk beat to be found. This gives this record a much different feel than probably any other country inspired record you will here this year. I was skeptical the first time I heard this disc, but Asteroid No. 4 won me over, and I hope that they can explore this direction further, as it seems to suit them pretty well. parasol.com

Freddy & the Four Gone Conclusions -- Wigged OUT Sounds (Get Hip): This band sets the Wayback Machine for about 1965, and mixes originals with a few well chosen covers on some (very) old school rock and roll. The band scored a major coup when it got an extremely special guest for their inspired cover of Del Shannon's "Stand Up" -- keyboardist Max Crook, who breaks out his vintage Musitron to reprise his classic solo. Bossville! While a lot of this is poppy Merseybeat, FFGC can get a bit dirty, as evidenced on the rocking "Fell From Grace". In a nifty touch, they add a pretty guitar part near the end, while the rest of the song is primo R & B in that nascent 1963 type style. Or they can even freakbeat, as "I Can't See You" takes a lot of the ingredients of *A Quick One*-era Who and recombines them to make for an outstanding new song. Then again, maybe you like pure jangle bliss in the manner of The Searchers. Then "Today" will hit the spot. As will "Little Purple Bird", which hatched from the classic "Little Black Egg". If you want a crisp clean mod rock tune, head to "Why Can't it Be Me?" -- this Ian & the Zodiacs number is performed in a manner that is akin to the recent work of The Insomniacs. This is one of the most well rounded garage records that I have ever heard, touching a lot bases. And FFGC seems to have mastered them all. gethip.com

Crash Into June -- Another Vivid Scene (Craven Hill): This Memphis band plays a variety of guitar pop styles, and they are stunningly effective when they combine influences from some of the big British guitar rock bands (think Catherine Wheel and Adorable, the latter whom is covered on a nice version of "Homeboy") with a melodic sense that, at times, is quite winsome. This creates an interesting sound, since it is not as heavy as some of their UK influences, yet it still has a similar sense of scale. This really comes through on the second cut, "Breakthrough", which is brimming with great ideas and has a superb arrangement that allows each one to pay off. Not everything is so dramatic. In fact, the next tune, "Read Me Wrong" is sweet and insinuating, augmented by guest Doug Easley's pedal steel, creating a feel akin to The Velvet Crush during their Gene Clark-inspired phase. Meanwhile, ‘Fairmountebank" is pithy and impressive, with Dylan Cramer making like Johnny Marr on the chiming guitar, and the song folding in a nice Southern pop melody, with a very cool bridge coming out of the chorus. Dave Norris gets a showcase for his slightly reedy and affecting vocals on "Looking for an Out". The song could be an emo ballad from The Get Up Kids, but Crash Into June adds some distinctive touches, aided by producer Neilson Hubbard, who adds a haunting spare piano part and simmering Hammond organ. The song is chillbump inducing. This disc is immediately attractive, but needs a few plays to grasp, since the band's ability to integrate a wealth of influences and their well-thought out arrangements don't necessarily reveal themselves immediately. Ultimately, this leads to a much more rewarding collection. Hubbard and Crash Into June have collaborated on an album that is as hard to pigeonhole as it is easy to enjoy repeatedly. crashintojune.com

Danny McDonald -- Summer City (Zip): The former frontman of Aussie power poppers P76 (and also ex-Jericho), McDonald continues writing big hooky songs that follow in the footsteps of The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" and Bram Tchiakovsky's "Girl of My Dreams". This album basically mixes barnburners in that mold with some wrinkles that provide a change of pace. This is a good idea, since McDonald's consistency is both a plus and a minus. On one hand, he can belt out an anthemic power pop tune as well as anyone nowadays, but on the other hand, a handful of these numbers come perilously close to sounding like each other or past P76 songs. So McDonald wisely stretches out. There's the pithy surf instrumental "Mermaid Beach", which sounds like Brian Setzer fronting The Hoodoo Gurus. McDonald goes in the direction of the heavier side of the Gurus (and more towards Lime Spiders/Scientists territory) on the careening "Sandy Harrison", though the resemblance is purely musical. This sports some heavy lyrics, with McDonald bent on revenge against a rapist and having to kill someone in self-defense. McDonald shows that he is quite capable of handling darker material. This is corroborated by the empathetic acoustic number "Since the Old Man Shot Through", a piercing look at single mother whose man has left her in over her head: "And she's living in hope/that the prick's coming home/with a wallet so fat, he don't know." These sober observations cast McDonald's summer celebrations in a new perspective; if anything, the perfect "Soaking Up the Sunshine" (In 1:18, he captures a perfect day at the beach -- drinking beer and listening to The Sunnyboys and The Saints) really has resonance, because McDonald is celebrating a brief escape, not running away from the real world. It is great to see an artist who retains his essential virtues while conquering new musical and lyrical ideas. ziprecords.com

James Kirk -- You Can Make It If You Boogie (Marina): Former member of Orange Juice maintains the sensibility of his old band. Basically, this is a much more subdued version of the Motown-inflected indie pop that made Orange Juice the center of the influential Postcard Records scene. So this disc is relentlessly tuneful. Kirk vocals are adequate and keeping with the mid-tempo beats and light jangly electric guitars. Indeed, the proceedings here are so cheery and good-natured, that I almost feel guilty in pointing out that this disc could use a bit more variety, both in song structures (Kirk writes some nice melodies, but locks them into a simple groove structure from which they don't deviate) and tone (which may be unavoidable due to his limited vocal range). When Kirk does raise the temperature a bit, on "Liggin' Around Again", it is extremely effective. If anything, the white funk (more Monochrome Set than Red Hot Chili Peppers) is a good match for the sung-speak vocals. A couple more tracks like this would have given the album better balance. As it is, the album is hit-and-just-O.K.. One of the highlights is "Outre", which steps back further than the ‘60s for its inspiration -- it is the type of swoony ballad that could have appeared in a ‘40s movie musical -- post-modern Cole Porter. This is unabashedly romantic. The album opener "Get on Board" might be part of the reason I feel occasionally underwhelmed -- it's low key charm is so superb that other songs that mine the same vein don't work as well. Kirk's lyrics are generally clever. The song "Rehab" is a joke that doesn't quite work (lover needs to go to rehab after break up), but other songs make up for that in spades, in particular "Fruitier Than Thou" ("Grand machismo don't do anything for me/maybe I'm just a prisoner of subsidiarity" is one of the year's best couplets). Kirk revisits the Orange Juice classic "Felicity", and now makes it sound like a demo for The Beautiful South. Despite my criticism that it lacks variety, this record almost makes it, and certainly shouldn't be such a stranger in the studio. parasol.com

The Fugs -- The Fugs Final CD (Part 1) (Artemis): What was radical back in the late ‘60s can't help to sound fairly tame in the early 21st Century. This is jokey folk rock that sometimes blends the sensibilities of hippies, Alan Sherman and Lenny Bruce. Which means it is alternatively silly (and hit-and-miss), serious (not enough for my taste, because they direct their anger well) and profane (which is lame). The low point has to the parody of "Teenager in Love", titled "Septugenarian In Love", which shows that senior citizens (singer Tupi Kupferberg is 80 years old now) can be as fascinated with sniggering dirty jokes as pre-teens. And it's even less amusing as one gets older. It is followed by the equally unfunny "Where Is My Wandering Jew", which is observational humor without any observations. However, the band scores on "Advice from the Fugs", which sounds like a hymn from an old Latin Catholic mass, and is a procession of one-liners, some which score pretty well, particularly in the REALLY old school context: "Don't let anyone from the New Yorker...into your kitchen...or your bathroom..." O.K., maybe it's just me. The political numbers are impressive. "A Western Ballad" is a folk rant in the tradition of Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs, with smooth vocals belying scalpel sharp invective: "the only law/buy low, sell high/free marketeers come out to play/while 40,000 children die." Maybe a bit heavy handed, but usually very articulate and passionate. "Go Down, Congress" is its companion track, with a strong anti-Iraq war bent. The album leads to an epic track, "Perpitude", which is a musical history lesson, dealing with everyone from John Lennon to Joan Of Arc, and chronicling how heroes are villianized by those in power. Not something you throw on every day, and pretty static musically, but impressive nonetheless. It's actually kind of sad that in these turbulent times a reformed band of AARP members provide more trenchant political commentary than most younger acts. artemisrecords.com

The High Dials -- A New Devotion (Rainbow Quartz): This Canadian band used to be known as The Datsun Four, and changed their name due to the glut of Datsun bands. They also used to be more of a mod act, and have, like some of the original mods, shifted into more psychedelic territory. They certainly have the moves down, whether it's on "Save the Machine!", which is strongly evocative of The Pretty Things in their mind expanding glory, or on quite a few songs that come off like a slightly trippier take on the sweet pop of The Zombies and The Bee Gees. This is ostensibly a concept album, based on that old sci-fi staple, man dealing with a scary mechanistic future. As often happens with concept albums, the need to serve the narrative sometimes overtakes the needs of each individual song. This means that quite a few songs, as wonderful as they sound, fail to hook into the brain fully. Moreover, since this ambitious work clocks in at over an hour total (18 songs), this problem is exacerbated. I also think there are times they could rock out a little more, and they hold back, wanting to be precise in their ‘60s homages. This isn't to say that this is a bad listen, and after eight spins or so, there are some great tunes here. I particularly favor a few of the mellow numbers on the second half of the disc: "Assassins" wafts in on an incense cloud, showing off a strong Love influence (which I love), and has a restrained drama and majesty; "St. Marie" follows with some jangle guitar, mellotron and a nifty *Odeyssey And Oracle* feel. While not an outright success, The High Dials show an impressive range and are capable of dropping a great album in the future. parasol.com

The Pulltops -- 8-Track (Independent): Drummer Mark Pierret and guitarist/kitchen sink Tom Crowell provide The Pulltops with an immediately distinctive sound, due to their outstanding harmony vocals. These harmonies, when combined with a dramatic song and spacious production, as on "Peace" makes it hard to avoid a comparison with *Dear 23*-era Posies. And a favorable comparison at that, as the band eschews a typical verse-chorus-verse structure, instead building the tension and letting the intensity boil over. "Voices" is more conventionally structured track, but the Posies come to mind, and part of the song reminds me of some of John Entwhistle's early tracks with The Who (in the bridge and chorus). Top notch stuff. That they can follow that with the mid-‘60s Merseybeatish rocker "On My Way (Small Town)" shows that they have a lot of tricks up their sleeve(s). Very enjoyable. IndieRec.com

Kraftwerk – Tour De France Soundtracks (Astralwerks): The first new Kraftwerk album since 1986's hit-and-miss Electric Café and first new music since the sublime "Expo 2000" single from four years ago. In some ways this album is more reminiscent of the earliest efforts of Ralf Schneider and Florian Hutter, in that it is less song based and more experiments in electronic musical impressionism. The concept goes back to their 1983 "Tour De France" single, which appears in a new version at the end of the disc. The bulk of the album is Ralf and Flo's attempt to set the visceral experience of bicycling (both are fanatics and Flo was in a serious accident years ago) to the dance beat aesthetic that the band perfected in the late-‘80s and ‘90s. It is particularly interesting in that they apply their mechanistic techniques to a pursuit that, though steeped in technology, is a physical endeavor (as opposed to past Kraftwerk themes such as driving down the Autobahn, taking a train, or the world of computers). As such, the album is a diverting failure. What I mean by that is that I don't think they simulate the world of bicycling very well, so, at that level, the concept doesn't succeed. However, with each listen, the disc further ensnared me into the unique Kraftwerk world. There is no doubt that their influence is pervasive, yet few can match the weird fusion of icy and warm that pervades this album. The record isn't catchy, for the most part. But it is full of inviting atmospheres and compelling moments. Now, I'd rather listen to *Man Machine* or *Computer World*, but this record certainly is nothing to be ashamed about. Well, maybe "Elektro Kardiogramm" could have been left off the record, as the electronic voices intoning the title and "beats per minute" sound a bit absurd. But characteristic Kraftwerk melody lines crop up in places, the incorporation of house music works much better than I would have expected, and songs like "Aero Dynamik" are just structured enough to keep this album a bit grounded. Allegedly, this album is a harbinger of more regular work from Kraftwerk. This record, at the least, makes me curious what else they have hidden in their silicon chips. astralwerks.com

Big Kid -- You Must Be Kidding (self-released): Bright sounding left coast power pop band. Guitarist Damian Hagger obviously got an A in Riffology, as he lays down a thick chord pattern on "Pop Song" that is as hooky as all get out. Meanwhile the all-Clark rhythm section (Doug -- bass, Steve -- drums) compliment the riff with a swinging counterpoint. The chorus is pretty damn good too, but man, the verses are addictive as hell. Surely one of the best power pop songs of the year. While polished rock is the band's bread-and-butter, Steve Clark jumps on the keyboards for "Change Your Mind", a winning foray into bouncy light pop in the vein of Jellyfish (especially) and Owsley. Singer Ken Stacey really shows off his effortless range, and the middle eight is silky smooth and well arranged. Dig the harmony vocals that creep in midway through the tune. "Extremes" is a mid-tempo rocker with a sturdy melody. It's the type of song that has served bands like The Gin Blossoms and The Sighs very well. Big Kid is occasionally too slick for my tastes, but if some of the comparisons above have your mouth (or your ears?) watering, then this may be totally up your alley. bigkidband.com

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