Scroll down for reviews of releases by Gigolo Aunts, Midstates and RD Roth.

Andy Partridge
Fuzzy Warbles, Volume 1
Fuzzy Warbles, Volume 2

(Ape)

xtcidearecords.co.uk

While neither of these discs is essential, they are extremely significant for two reasons, one artistic and one capitalistic. First, this represents the first time I can think of a major songwriter, and few songwriters are more major than XTC's Andy Partridge, releasing what promises to be an epic series of demo recordings. Both of these discs are comprised of a mix of songs that made XTC albums, works in progress, a bit of screwing off, and a substantial number of completed songs that, for various reasons, never saw proper release. There doesn't seem to be any master plan as to how Partridge put these collections together, other than to provide a bit of variety on each disc. But you really get a glimpse of the man behind the curtain.

Now, the capitalism angle. After XTC was finally released from its onerous contract with Virgin Records, they ultimately decided to form their own label. Then they unveiled the first official XTC website. Now they are learning the benefits, particularly for a cult act with a sizable devoted fan base, of being able to directly market to their fan base. These discs go for roughly $20 a pop. While Partridge had to license most of these tracks from Virgin (NOTE: One aspect of a recording contract that folks might not know, is that frequently the label has the rights not only to the properly released material, but to the demos, since they were created whilst under contract), the profit margin must be pretty good on these discs, since there was no expense that went into creating the recording. I think this could be a portent for other artists, especially artists like XTC, veterans with fan bases that are large enough to financially support them, but not big enough for a major label to want to have anything to do with them. For some artists, demo packages like these will be the trick to getting the cash to do new projects, and others could release concert recordings or radio appearances, or whatever.

O.K., let me focus on the music. As I said above, neither of these are essential -- unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool XTC fan. With only an exception or two, the programming on these discs is inspired, and they both have a flow that ensures repeat plays. The mix of the familiar and unknown seems to be just about right. If these collections are indicative, Partridge's leftovers are weighted heavily towards the light-hearted, ‘clever bastard' side of his persona. In other words, there are more cousins to numbers like "I Like That" and "Dear Madam Barnum" than big productions like "Easter Theatre" and "Rook". This speaks to Partridge's absolute facility with melody and the amount of craft that goes into weightier material. Whether this means that it is simply harder to write the ‘difficult' songs or that when Partridge has an idea for such a number he devotes more time to it, I guess you'd have to ask him.

If there is one outright gem, it's on the first volume. "Don't Let Us Bug Ya" was part of a series of songs Partridge composed for the soundtrack of the Disney movie James And The Giant Peach. Due to onerous (there's that word again!) contractual conditions, Partridge refused to go forward with the project. "Bug Ya" is a boppin' pop number with jazzy inflections and a vocal showing off Andy at his most playful. The "we're enough to make your bald head curl" refrain is an indelible hook. While the other movie song, "Everything's Alright" (on the second volume) isn't quite so magical, Partridge shows that he is a much better choice than Phil Collins or Elton John to do cartoon music.

Other highlights include "Born Out of Your Mouth", integrating strings, vibes and some odd Afro-jazz rhythm, "Young Marrieds"(one of his typical songs that reminds you a bit of The Beatles and The Beach Boys, but is wholly XTC), "Ship Trapped In The Ice" (contrasting an ominous keyboard with a Hollies-meets-sea-shanty melody), "Wonder Annual" (pretty low-fi, this is a reject from Wasp Star that would have fit in splendidly on that disc) and "Everything"(an Oranges And Lemons wannabe that applies a blues structure to English folk style with a superb melodic bridge -- yep, another Andy goes from amelodic to melodic twist that succeeds spectacularly).

A few tracks are snippets and oddities (a radio jingle, an answering machine message), with one utterly worthless track. "That Wag" captures Partridge rehearsing the Nonsuch song "That Wave" and engaging in some tomfoolery that gets pretty annoying over the course of four minutes. Please, no more of this.

The demos for released tracks kind of serve the same purpose as putting a few big hits on a mix tape, giving the listener some beloved tracks and providing some necessary context. All of these sound pretty good, with the most interesting demos being "All of a Sudden", which is in a more premature form than many Partridge demos (i.e., song is not finished), "Miniature Sun", which is much more potent than the final Paul Fox-produced version, "Chain of Command" and "Complicated Game", the oldest demos on the two discs and "Then She Appeared", another track that sounds fresher in its pre-big studio rendition.

These are two collections that may not be awash in revelations, but are both very entertaining. It will be interesting to see if Partridge adheres to the format on these two discs or tries other formats (lyrical themes, musical themes, chronology). Whatever he does, his talent certainly merits this extensive examination.

______________________________________________________

Gigolo Aunts
Pacific Ocean Blues

(Q Division)

parasol.com

By the time the Gigolo Aunts had their major label distribution deal in the post-Nirvana ‘sign-anything-that-might-be-considered-alternative' sweepstakes, they stood out as one of the few power pop bands with the stones to duke it out with the flannel and Marshalls set. While they never were grunge meisters, some of their mid-‘90s records had crunchy guitar sounds, while remaining true to their pop essence.

The band's evolution led it to purifying their presentation. On 1999's Minor Chords And Major Themes, this resulted in a pristine album that may have been just a bit too self-conscious for its own good. For whatever reason, this album just breathes a little bit better, the performances, while still precise and making their outstanding craftsmanship evident on every note, are just a bit more organic.

This befits a album full of power pop for adults. Though the genre is derided for being a mere vehicle for primordial but sensitive adolescent urges (unrequited love and lust, often blurred), the same chords and melodies only need to be bent and stretched a bit to cover a much more mature wistfulness that may have nostalgic roots, but applies to current moods and situations. Tommy Keene is a prime example of this approach and The Gigolo Aunts put their own stamp on it.

In using these themes, it's sometimes revealed that being older doesn't mean there isn't a scared or worried teenager inside. This comes through strong on the tender "My Favorite Regret". The initial acoustic guitar part sounds like vintage Lindsay Buckingham. The song is quiet, pithily laying out why one should overlook heartbreaks past, since love could happen this time: "will you be my favorite regret/cut the strings attached/but save the thread". This song demonstrates how presentation can affect a lyric (and these are the best on the disc, as sometimes the Aunts are a bit mundane in the word department). The vocal, the acoustic guitars, the buttery harmonies and subtle swelling Hammond organ all convey utter empathy – this guy's been hurt before and understands why who he's is singing to is hesitant. Yet this could be rocked up into some sort of Bryan Ferry come on. However, irony is not part of The Gigolo Aunts game plan – they want to deliver straightforward sentiments.

These come through soft and clear on mellow magic tunes like the title cut and "Lay Your Weary Body Down". The latter is kind of the Aunts' "Bridge Over Troubled Water", with a familiar chord progression and an automatic melody. This track highlights the band's formidable arranging skills, as the song starts with plaintive acoustic guitar and piano, ascending with a full backing vocal chorus, electric guitar and drummer Fred Eltringham, who demonstrates how a drummer can push along a mellow song without distracting in any way. He has one fill that takes the band into the lovely instrumental coda that takes the song to a fade and it's so right.

The band takes one detour into the land of ‘70s-A.O.R. bliss on "Even Though (The One Before the Last)", with a blissful top-down-along-the-Pacific Coast Highway feel. Sloan has recently been exploring these type of songs, and this sound fits The Aunts to a ‘T'. "Maybe the Change Will Do Us Good" is a bit more menacing, and even has an early Tom Petty sound in the lead guitar figure, and sounds equally classic.

What brings this album together is that the band is rocking at maximum effectiveness, finding a mid-point between the louder sound of their lauded Flippin' Out LP and the slightly denatured rock on the last platter. "Stay" and "Let Go" both have a nice earthy feel and use horn sections to great effect, maximizing the drive of both numbers. "Mr. Tomorrow" jangles like mad in the verses and then lays the chorus melody over a clean yet chunky riff, and spirals out of the chorus with an even more memorable melody. And don't skip the ‘bonus' track, "Long Scattered Day" which balances the smoking and the catchy with aplomb.
This is the optimum Gigolo Aunts album. Every strength of the band is maximized. Not much more to say, huh?

_______________________________________________________

Midstates
Shadowing Ghosts

(Mental Monkey)

mentalmonkeyrecords.com

The core of Midstates used to toil under the name Novasonic Down Hyperspace. And a lot of people dissed the name, despite the fact that it does evoke a sense of their sound. This disc contains a spacious blend of the lusher side of shoegazer dream pop with a melodic sensibility that is at times akin to Elephant 6 bands and some ‘60s legends.

Every song on here is grounded in a solid foundation. Sometimes the band likes to mass an array of keyboards and guitars and hide, blur or obliterate the foundation. This isn't done in a sudden fashion. The guitars don't so much explode as they slowly rise to the surface, like a sea monster in a horror movie (or Martin Sheen rising out of the water in Apocalypse Now). So the brief bouts of noise aren't jarring but add a rugged majesty to the generally pretty proceedings.

This album lifts the listener like a friendly cyclone, offering a pleasant respite floating above the tumult. "Independency" shows off a lot of the band's virtues. The melody is so basic, and then embellished with keyboards and bells. Yet there is a wee bit of an underlying drone. It's not quite psychedelic, though I'd understand if someone called that. A lot of attention is paid to weaving various instruments around the rhythm and melody, whether it's a piano part or lead guitar. And the song isn't content with being pretty, it goes somewhere, slowly building to a final chorus where an entire barroom of people join in, before fading off into a sweet instrumental ether.

The band is equally adept at working in space. On "Hit the Blues", a delicate and captivating melody is enrobed in a slightly echoey keyboard, little hints of guitar and even a cello (guest Melissa Bach). The feel the band produces is akin to some of the work of Starflyer 59 or Calexico, though Midstates's instrumental approach and songwriting thrust is different than either. This song shows how less can be more, as this track has remarkable resonance (aided greatly by Paul Heintz's vulnerable soft lead vocals).

Some songs take a page from the Jesus and Mary Chain playbook, by taking a conventional song structure and then bringing the noise. However, the noise isn't buzzing guitars; instead, the full Midstates arsenal of keyboards and guitars rises like a wave and the steady rhythm section (Adam Province on bass and drummer Dan Chambers) keeps things from flying apart. On "Clear the Clouds", the song begins gently for one verse and then the band just takes off. The sheer propulsiveness is devastating – Kitchens of Distinction once knocked me on my ass like this once, as Midstates caught me in their maelstrom. "Not Sure" is a bit more conventional, as the swooping melody is allowed to fully breathe before the band swells nearly beyond the capacity of many audio systems.

Not every song goes to the full wall-of-sound approach, but nevertheless applies a lot of layers to a simple and pretty package. I can definitely conceive of "Better Tomorrow" getting a straightforward two guitars/bass/drums approach. Instead, the verses float into a driving chorus, where the effects-heavy guitar accompanies Paul Heintz's hushed vocal. The guitar break out of the second chorus melds the wobbly keyboards with some real fiery playing from Heintz and Michael Dahlman that reveals the rock and roll teeming underneath. On "Sound Lake" (with a very representative opening lyric – "I don't think about anything worthwhile/they (secretive types) have a lot on me in their files" – let's just say none of these songs are paragons of self-confidence), the band begins with a winding instrumental section, Chambers' drums syncopating with the guitar rhythm, before moving into keyboard territory – there is an effective part after the first verse where Stephen Munoz's electric piano does a call and response with a light electric piano part. This section ebbs into Melissa Bach multi-tracked on her cello. The song hits three or four points of interest on the way to the final destination.
The album does flag a bit near the end, but the abundance of stellar tracks makes this easy to recommend. This is an inventive album by a band that knows when to stick to the song and when to let things just flow.

_______________________________________________________

R D Roth
From The Ears Down

(self-released)

rdroth.com

Roth writes great lyrics and has a plaintive voice that he enhances with delicate phrasing. I guess I'd call this a folk record, as Roth's songs are definitely in a troubadour tradition, but Roth and producer Ellis Clark of the psych-pop band Epicycle couch Roth's voice and acoustic guitar in musical settings that ornament the stark beauty of the tunes without ever outshining them. The effect is more Roth and some compadres performing on a starry clear night in the woods, rather than a hootenanny.

The songs are a nice mix of personal tracks, regarding relationships and stuff, with witty and concise observational numbers. One of the most immediately compelling tracks is "I Need a Guru", kind of a post-modern homespun wisdom gallop, as Roth's plea for a mentor is belied by his trenchant observations indicating he doesn't need one: "keep away from all those right wing critics/they just want us/to take the blame/and you can keep all those left wing cynics/they throw discipline/down the drain." The song lopes along, guided by Marc Gratama brushing the drums, Chico Welch sawing on the fiddle and Gus Friedlander providing the right amount of rustic underpinning on the banjo. And while the rhythm carries the verses, the bridge to the chorus has just the right amount of melody.

Roth's most ambitious piece may be "Just North of Canada". The song is kind of a character study of an area. The mood is again cast by the wonderful musicians working with Roth (and including Roth, who plays a variety of guitars on the track). The song gives the feel of riding in the passenger seat with a native, who is parsing out details that leave space for interpretation. The song exudes desolation and Roth sings with strength. The song seems to be not so much nostalgic for what this place might have been as it is a eulogy.

On many an album, "Canada" would easily be the most powerful track, but that distinction goes to the laconic "Crutch". The song is told from the point of view of man in a one-sided relationship, and he's the one taking advantage of his lover. Roth's lyrics are supremely economical, as the protagonist is clearly in love, and is struggling with his inability to contribute much of substance to the relationship: "If I were a better man/I'd show instead of tell/But I can't seem to find the strength/or the discipline to face/all my efforts just go washing down away." This song allows the listener to create a back story. Why can't this guy do anything? Is there a valid reason, and he's just feeling guilty? Or is he hoping that by merely acknowledging his laziness, that will absolve him? Roth's vocal and the swell of the chorus (with Clark's piano and Wendy DeBias joining in on vocals) seem to be empathetic and suggest the guy here is just helpless, but still...

While many of the songs are couched in instrumentation that is traditionally associated with folk and/or country music, one of the real assets of this album is the variety of approaches Roth uses. "Draw the Light" is particularly creative. The song incorporates some jazz touches into the mix, though this sounds nothing like a jazz song. The reverb on the piano, the subtle rhythms played by Gratama and guest Paul K.'s lead guitar licks all seem to come from a jazz mode. Yet they serve a haunting number that reaches a refrain that sounds like a symphony without strings. Roth's tremulous vocals are a perfect fit for this musical mood.

This is an album that is, at times straightforward, yet retains mystery on some tracks. Roth is not a one-trick pony, but a performer whose attention to detail reaps rewards. Interestingly, after the final song winds down, Roth finishes things off by performing in a classic picking folk-blues fashion (Woody Roth?). This serves to show how, even though the sounds of this record aren't stuck in the past, they share the same essence of those who came before to sing of their joys and frustrations. It wasn't necessary, as the essence is palpable on every track, but it is so fitting.

______________________________________________________

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

____________________________________________________