Scroll down for capsule reviews of releases by The Sunshine Fix, E.T. Doolin, k.d. lang, The Oranges Band, The Citizens, Animal Collective, Olympic Hopefuls, Soap Star Joe, Marlboro Chorus, Glorious Day, Jason Walker and The New Blind Nationals

The Sunshine Fix -- Green Imagination (SpinArt): This is the second album from the band led by former Olivia Tremor Control member Bill Doss. The band's embrace of more traditional notions of recording fidelity immediately separates it from Doss's Elephant Six past. This is retro ‘60s pop with some psychedelic elements, played with contemporary polish. While touring on their debut, the Fix showed some cojones, setting forth the possibility of a harder hitting second album. Sadly, that is not the case here. Instead, this is a competent record, with above-average playing and decent songwriting. However, nothing really grabs the ears right away. Repeated plays have allowed me to develop an affection for the subdued and gloomy (but not too gloomy -- this is The Sunshine Fix) "What Do You Know", and the jaunty "Papers Fall" (v. Brit pop circa ‘67). Yet songs that have appeal are flummoxed by the subdued playing, such as the rockers "Afterglow" and "Face the Ghost", though the former is such a good song that it still works. I'm certainly not saying that every song must rock, but this album could use more punch and it's frustrating when I know that almost every track on this record probably sounds much better in a live setting. So go see the Sunshine Fix on tour and then decide if you want to pick this up. spinartrecords.com

E.T. Doolin -- E.T. Doolin (self-released): A mid-fi recording steeped in traditional 50's and early 60's rock. Doolin's music comes from the same place as greats like Buddy Holly, Gene Pitney and Roy Orbison, and more modern artists like Chris Isaak, Billy Swan, Marshall Crenshaw and Billy Burnette. Doolin has a terrific voice -- he's not a powerhouse, but his vocals are well suited for the terrific trad songs he has whipped up. One song shows that he can equal those names. "Dreaming" is a moody ballad somewhere between Isaak and The Everly Brothers, which moves from harmony inflected verses to a crooning chorus that builds beautifully, to a melody that rises and rises with a heartbreaking drop at the end. It is simply a great song. He is also good at the mid-tempo rock and roll shuffle, as shown by "Why Do You Remind Me of Someone?" Again, Doolin sticks to the demands of the genre, but he does it so well, both in terms of the song (great middle eight, by the way) and his performance. His voice is perfect for playing the hurt guy and his guitar playing is clean and sharp. He does a pretty good job of reminding me of Ricky Nelson on "Traveler". One of the things about rockabilly is that the best artists have a swing to them, showing that rock isn't just power chords; it can be a hip shake and a swagger. Doolin has all of that in spades. This is excellent, and I hope that Doolin finds an audience for music that still sounds great in the 21st Century. http://www.merryrecords.com/etDoolin.htm

k.d. lang -- Hymns Of The 49th Parallel (Nonesuch): Lang is simply one of the best singers on the planet, possessed with power, range, phrasing and a superior sense of how use all these incredible tools. Yet this doesn't necessarily yield the best albums, and lang's post-country music career has been spotty. On this album, lang tackles songs from some of Canada's finest songwriters, including Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Jane Siberry, Ron Sexsmith and herself. Working, as always, with compadre Ben Mink, lang tastefully arranges well known chestnuts like Young's "After the Gold Rush" and Cohen's "Hallelujah" with lesser known numbers. And, as with some of lang's other work, it's this tastefulness that may keep things from taking off. While these are all well-written songs, treating them like standards does not necessarily make them sound like standards. Everything is turned into a serious piano piece, and certainly, none of the renditions are below average. Still, this is an album where things do tend to blur together. This is exacerbated by the fact that the songs take their own sweet time, which is not well suited for the somber arrangements. This project would have been better served by injecting some sort of variety into the proceedings, whether it be in the style in which the songs were performed, or maybe just some different production colorings (a la Mitchell Froom's work). That being said, I've realized that there should be a moratorium on covers of "Gold Rush", but "Hallelujah" is pretty awesome. Moreover, more artists should cover Sexsmith ("Falling") and Siberry ("The Valley"), although I'm indifferent to the latter as a performer. If lang decides to do a second volume, she might want to explore the catalogs of Randy Bachman, Hawksley Workman, Moe Berg and Joey Shithead. That might loosen her up. nonesuch.com

The Oranges Band -- Two Thousand (Morphius): A nice little bit of backtracking by this Maryland band, who reissue two EPs on this disc, with a few extra songs. Both 2000's *Five Dollars* and *Nine Hundred Miles Of Fucking Hell* from 2001 further confirm that The Oranges Band write nifty little pop-rock songs that have enough muscle to stand their own amongst contemporaries in the indie-punk circuit, yet definitely have some connections to cool new wavey music from the early ‘80s (and I mean the stuff played on college radio, not MTV). Lead singer Roman Kuebler has a voice just shy of whiny, two parts David (Pere Ubu) Thomas and one part Colin James Hay. The band's playing is so crisp, as on "What Got You Off the Hook". On "Hook", the band mixes tight rhythm guitar chords with colorful lead fills while the rhythm section keeps things locked in, creating a nice spy movie tension, in pop song form. Other swell tracks include "Nextstopexjock", which relies on repeated musical themes and guitar effects, sounding somewhat psychedelic and evincing a bit of kinship to The Fall; the original recording of "OK Apartment", a cracking good pop tune that surfaced on their last proper LP; "Sweater Weather" which brings back memories of cool indie bands like Big Dipper and The Embarrassment; and, the previously unreleased "Take in the Scenery", which shows that the outtakes ain't chopped liver. This disc pointedly illustrates that these guys have had the right idea from the start and have been refining their sound ever since. Keep it up. morphius.com

The Citizens -- Are We There Yet? (Yellow Ball): Jeff Buckley left a lot of disciples in his wake, tending to business, that because of his tragic death, that was quite unfinished. Based on some of the songs on this disc, Mark Lesseraux had to be inspired by Buckley, and he has a stunning voice that allows him to do something wonderful with that inspiration. Thankfully, Lesseraux and his bandmates have a pallette full of many colors that makes for an entertaining album of melodramatic numbers. The opener, "What's Happening at the Seams", is an insinuating mid-tempo number that is stylistically similar to some of Robert Plant's moodier solo work, which is a good thing to me. Then there's the closer, "Are We There Yet?", a song that sounds like a spot on homage to fellow Canadian Hawksley Workman, down to the oddball lyrics: "Girl in the boat/made me a fruitcake/it's your favorite/she'd say." "Deck Full of Jokers" is also very similar to Workman. The band is capable of driving rock, best exemplified by "Catch You on the Way Down". And there are lush songs that they let stretch out, with winning results, like "Kaleidoscope (Do You Recall?)" and "King Kong". This is a top flight effort from a band that is capable of breaking into the mainstream on their own terms. Their identity is a work in progress, but they are pretty far along. citizensmusic.com

Animal Collective -- Sung Tongs (Fat Cat): Truly psychedelic music. If you liked the more off-beat floating moments of Elephant 6 bands like Olivia Tremor Control, you might really get into this. While I'm not sure if I'll still be spinning this a couple of years down the line, this twee atmospheric music has beguiled and intrigued me ever since I picked it up. There are only a few tightly constructed songs, but this isn't an impediment to enjoying the disc, because the band is great at crafting memorable parts, an acoustic guitar riff here, and whiff of a melody there, that manage to coalesce into compelling tracks. The All Music Guide lists, inter alia, The Residents, The Holy Modal Rounders, and Julian Cope as influences. And you could probably come up with a couple dozen more. On some of this, I was reminded of Chris Knox and Tall Dwarfs. What's special about this record leaps out immediately on the opener "Leaf House", which mixes a wispy (i.e., makes Donovan look like Andrew W.K.) melody with faux tribal chant backing vocals that are repetitive and hypnotic yet disturbing. Then "Who Could Win a Rabbit" sounds like a demented children's record, it's so insanely simple (and, if I had a radio show, I'd segue it into The Ophelia's cover of Burl Ives's "Mr. Rabbit"). Contrasting the short punchy tunes, there are a some drifting soundscapes that go on for awhile, and, to my amazement, they work really well. If I was the type of person to get stoned, these are the type of songs I would listen to whilst getting stoned. The only thing that would make this better, perhaps, would be to meld the insane ideas of a song like "We Tigers", another tribal rock tune, with way out production, like Lindsay Buckingham used on his Go Insane. It would be the ultimate hi-fi mindfuck. Until they hit the 48-track digital studio, the mid-fi mindfuck will do fine right now. paw-tracks.com

Olympic Hopefuls -- The Fuses Refuse To Burn (2024): Minneapolis rock veterans of limited notoriety (Erik Applewick of Vicious Vicious and Darren Jackson of Kid Dakota) make a modern power pop CD that deserves a lot of attention. This band melds the meat-and-potatoes melodic rock aspects of fellow Twin City-ites Semisonic and Gin Blossoms with a witty, post-Cars new wave slant similar to bands like Fountains Of Wayne and Weezer. That means it's crisp and clean, with robust and ringing guitars, pleasing melodies and strong vocals. This, of course, makes it instantly appealing. Even better, the lyrics are sharp and the hooks are distinctive, making it one of the better records to be released this year. The first three songs are good, but things really get cooking from track four forward. Suddenly, the gems start tumbling out. "Drain the Sea" is the first Grade-A track. The song has a bouncing rhythm guitar part (a la "My Little Red Book" or The Swingers' "Counting the Beat"), with Jackson's droll vocals managing to be both romantic and sardonic on a fetching blend of power pop and Motown bounce. Throw in the super clever arrangement that adds fresh twists throughout and the result is a winning and smart love song. Even better is "Motobike", a Midwestern variant of Britpop, extolling the virtues of speeding around on the ol' two wheeler. This romanticization of the motorcycle is perfectly matched with the song's wide-screen sound, while the pithy lyrics are proof of superior intelligence: "Riding fast/on down 13th/and Francois the shopkeeper smiles/while he waves his fist/because he's jealous/oh yeah he was young/in the streets of Paris/back in ‘63/with a haircut/just like James Dean." This is simply sublime. This is followed by "Whisper", where The Cars and Weezer comparisons really hit home, especially in the chorus. Yo ho it's magic, indeed. Really, every track is a pleasure, as there are no throwaways in the bunch. This is one of the strongest power pop debuts to come out in a long time. 2024records.com

Soap Star Joe -- ...tell her on the weekend (Laughing Outlaw): Australian band marries observational lyrics to music that sounds like a mix of Big Star at their most straightforward and the more contemplative side of The Replacements, along with an array of college radio favorites of the past twenty years or so. The production on this album is excellent, placing Mick Wilson's voice right in the center of the mix while allowing for an intimacy that demands a focus on the words. For example, "Stuck In Traffic" is an analogy for a relationship going nowhere, a song that is somewhat stream-of-consciousness yet structured, which builds up in intensity as Wilson sings "I'm just a phase/that she's going through." Is that realism or rationalization? The Joes are a smart bunch of guys -- who'd think that you could bash out a rocker like "BBQ Police" and lurking underneath is the story of a guy who's just a bit too into having people over for dinner: "have you ever looked yourself in the mirror/and wondered how the hell did I get this anal?" The band creates memorable songs in subtle ways, often through distinctive lead guitar figures that key songs such as on the opener "Bus Stop" (which begins with the line "suckin' cock for rock/at the bus stop", one of the best opening album lines since Lee Harvey Oswald started their first full length off with "Born to rock/with a rhino's cock"). Indeed, in a manner similar to the Boston band Francine or the more geeky, but wonderful, Nothing Painted Blue, Soap Star Joe manage to create pop songs that aren't obvious, yet they remain pop songs. Though I don't think those bands could pull off a blue-eyed soul number like "Raguletto". Granted, they sound awfully...white, but it's a nice mix of indie-pop and retro bounce. Smart stuff throughout. laughingoutlaw.com.au

The Marlboro Chorus -- "Entangled" (Future Appletree): The Chorus flashes some ‘60s inspiration (in particular, The Kinks), with a bit of a nod in the direction of contemporaries such as Grandaddy. But mere imitators they are not. I don't think The Kinks ever laid down a loping groove like the Chorus does here on "Song for L" (almost R & B like), to go with tenor vocals, a swirling keyboard that enters on the second verse and a chorus that flows brilliantly from the bridge, and ends with the lines: "Thought it's home/Oklahoma is a vampire state." Don't know what it means, but it sounds cool. The band musters up some friendly energy on "Entangled", and singer B. Patric sounds perfect for this modern take on chugging folk rock. I'd surmise that this song really gives this trio a chance to bust out live, as they sound like their about ready to run off the rails, but manage to keep things under control. Indeed, the instrumental break is subtle and creative, a total 90 degree turn, before heading back into the action. I'm still trying to suss out if there is any meaning to "Hymn of the New Republic", or maybe it's an inside joke. Still, the song is less than two and a half minutes, and goes a few different places, and I like it. I'm sure there's plenty more where this came from. futureappletree.com

Glorious Day -- Welcome To The Front (Peace Land And Bread): Sometimes punky, sometimes sludgy, sometimes both, Glorious Day rock and rumble quite well. This music seems to rest between quintessential punk sounds of bands like The Clash and D.O.A., a wee bit of Detroit inspiration (MC5/Stooges) and some all out sonic assaults reminiscent of the hey day of Touch & Go Records. The biggest hook comes on "Useless", a song that turns vitriol into a virtual anthem. Brad Klausen gets a great thick buzzing sound out of his guitar, playing a relentless rhythm while singer Kenneth Grooms declaims, and there is just enough melody in the song to leaven the proceedings. Or maybe the biggest hook comes on "Out Tonight" -- it certainly has the strongest melody -- this sounds like something Grant Hart might have penned in his Husker Du days, or, to get more obscure, fellow Twin City-ites Man Sized Action. Great song. The title cut is all slash-and-burn rock, with Mark Laflace attacking his drum kit with vigor, and his bandmates take it as a challenge. This is the type of song you end a set with, that likely leads to an encore. Meanwhile, "Big Fat American" may go over well internationally (due to the lyrics), and really spotlights the band's ability to interlock its three instruments in a precise manner that is deft and monolithic at the same time. This is really good heavy rock record, that shows you can be loud without falling into either a metal or punk camp. gloriousdaymusic.com

Jason Walker & The Last Drinks -- Ashes & Wine (Laughing Outlaw): Walker is an Aussie alt-country guy. This disc shows heavy doses of inspiration from Uncle Tupelo and Steve Earle. Based this album, I'd say that Walker is a talented artist who still needs to carve out his own distinctive identity. I say that because too often when I listen to this album, I can easily pigeonhole a track with a direct comparison to another artist. In particular, (see above) Jay Farrar and Mr. Earle. Thankfully, Walker is quite the credible country-rock singer, with a voice that is soulful and passionate. So everything sounds committed and sincere. Even when he sings of drowning in a river of whiskey or "please save your tears/for someone who cares". If you're going to pen standard issue country lyrics, sing them with feeling. And he does. He has some nice songs, to boot. "Dissatisfaction" is a nice piece of country rock that would not sound out of place on the new Steve Earle record, though he'd have to retool the lyrics to make them an anti-Bush statement. The title is a good start. He can belt out a weepy ballad with the best of them, as shown on "Dead Leaves". My favorite track is "Letdown", a song that could easily be recast as a ‘70s Rolling Stone song, particularly in the chorus, when the backing singers back up Walker on the R & B fueled chorus. This album is evidence of a significant talent who just needs to raise the songwriting bar a bit higher to really make an impact. laughingoutlaw.com.au.

The New Blind Nationals -- Bury The Pattern (Sparkler): Milwaukee band forges on in the tradition of likeminded bands on Touch and Go and Dischord, playing tight yet noisy rock tunes that rely on equal parts energy and precision, with enough catchiness to demand repeat plays, yet never coming close to being pop or mainstream. The closest they come might be "Sadie Hawkins Day", which sounds like a more menacing Archers Of Loaf or Arcwelder. On the other hand, particularly early in the proceedings, the band matches foreboding rhythms with sharp trebly lead guitar and shouted vocals to make some organized chaos that is memorable if not exactly accessible. I hope that lead singer Kyle Altadonna had plenty of Sucrets on hand. In fact, his anguished vocals made me think that someone should ring them up if there are any plans for a Killdozer tribute. This is just a small part of their sound, and most of this adheres to basic song structures. Altadonna is a key here, too, as even when things are less rocking, he automatically gives the tracks an edge. Moreover, with ample guitar power, this music will never lack for muscle. When the hookiness equals the menace, as on "His Desperation Is So Attractive" it's a potent combination. There are a few respites from the fury, though they aren't happy, as on the mid-tempo "Forfeit", which opens like this: "If I had a choice/I'd choose hell". Actually, that sentiment fits this bitter break up song. The New Blind Nationals have a sound and an attitude, but don't let that limit them, making for a record with a fair amount of depth. newblindnationals.com

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