Scroll down for the latest releases by The Bees, Zucchero, Joy Zipper, A Cars Tribute, Outrageous Cherry and Alva Star

The Bees
Free The Bees

(Virgin)

thebees.info

The second LP from this British band finds them perfecting a ‘60s rock revival sound. To be specific, about 1966 or 67, I'd guess. The Bees mix wonderful psych-pop confections with some earthy R & B laced rock. There is absolutely nothing forward thinking about this record. But when the songs are this good, why worry?

Let me reemphasize that last point -- bass and guitar player (note -- The Bees freely trade off with their instruments, perhaps engaging in a Leninist collective, or simply letting the musician best suited to a part play it -- or both!) Aaron Fletcher writes the songs, and there are at least four or five numbers here that could be seamlessly slipped onto a ‘60s mix disc. Before getting to the pop delights, I have to discuss my favorite track on the disc, "Chicken Payback". This tune is what the ace face and all the cute mod girls would have been dancing to on a Saturday night, a song that could segue perfectly with James Brown's "Night Train" or the latest 45 from The Small Faces or The Action. It is a super stupid rhythm and blues vamp with inane lyrics sung soulfully by the wonderful Paul Butler (he has a wee bit of McCartney in soul shouter mode in his voice): "Payback the chicken, back back/Pay the chicken back". This line works as well with monkeys, donkeys, camels and piggys, as the band funks it up and the horns kick in. Great stuff.

A couple of other songs have a bit more of a bluesy approach, while still retaining a pop foundation. "No Atmosphere" not only begins with some great lines ("There's no atmosphere/on the moon/much like the vibe/in the room"), it contrasts the organ driven mid-tempo verses with some rocking guitar fueled bashing, topped off with a Paul Butler piano freak out. Sounds like these guys are ready to open for Traffic. This is followed by "Horsemen", which sports Butler's strongest vocal – let me make the McCartney comparison again – this guy can flat out howl. Again, Fletcher shows a great ability to stitch together two parts that might not seem to logically go together, as the greasy blues rock verse supports a lovely refrain with melancholy choral vocals.

The choir of Bees is used to good effect on "One Glass of Water", which has a feel somewhat similar to "Listening to You", and like that Who classic, the song is really just a big gigantic repeated chorus. This time just a chorus is good enough to do the trick. The backing vocals are quite haunting on the spooky and soothing opener "These Are Ghosts", a superb slice of psych-pop that sounds like The Stone Roses if you drained all The Jam and Smiths influences out of them. This song instantly sounds like a long lost classic.

Fletcher and company have a few other songs that reach the high pop standard set by "Ghosts". One is the unabashed love ballad "I Love You", a delicate R & B song that sounds like The Rascals with Marty Balin, before he became too suave in his Jefferson Starship days, guesting on lead vocals. This is so underplayed and cool. There's even some horn accompaniment, with Butler and drummer Tim Parkin showing off their remarkably broad musical talent. Warren Hampshire's Hammond organ is the perfect finishing touch. "Go Karts" is a piece of music hall whimsy in the tradition of Madness and Blur. They go back to the psych-pop well on "This Is the Land", reaching a territory that was the province of greats like The Small Faces and The Hollies back in the day.

On top of the excellent songs and performances, this record simply sounds fantastic. And the Butler did it again – Paul Butler produced and mixed each track. He manages to give the disc an authentic ‘60s vibe and makes some choice decisions on where to separate the instruments to make a record that sounds like both then and now. This is a superior achievement in revivalism.

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Zucchero
Zucchero & Co.

by Katherine Kim

(Universal International)

http://www.universalmusic.it/web/index.php

For the Americans out there who have never heard of Zucchero Fornaciari, he's a music superstar in Europe, from Italy, who sings in Italian. Did I lose everyone's attention? Wait! Everyone has heard of the classical tenors like Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli (who, by the way was discovered by Zucchero). Everyone knows how beautiful the Italian language sounds in operas or in contemporary ballads. Well it actually sounds good with soul, blues, r & b and rock! Stay with me...focus. Throughout his incredible career, Zucchero (a.k.a. Adelmo Fornaciari) has collaborated live and in the studio with international greats such as Sting, Paul Young, Eric Clapton, Bono, Miles Davis, and others. In the early ‘80s, Zucchero co-wrote a gorgeous song called "Dune Mosse." It was included on his blockbuster 1987 album Blue. Miles Davis liked it so much he insisted on recording another version of it with Zucchero in New York City. They performed it a number of times live and this is the first track on Zucchero's latest compilation, Zucchero & Co.. It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The rest of the CD is awesome.

Zucchero & Co. is a collection of Zucchero's best songs and collaborations spanning the earlier part of his career. While he sings most of the songs in Italian, he does sing in English on some tracks. One of his best English vocals comes on his collaboration with Macy Gray, "Like the Sun," which is a slow rock song with folk overtones. There is the very mellow "Hey Man", where Zucchero sings in Italian while B.B. King sings in English and plays guitar. Unfortunately, there is the not-as-good-as-the-original English version of his big hit "Blue" (from the aforementioned album *Blue*) which he co-wrote with U2's Bono and performs with Sheryl Crow. But that disappointment is made up for by the cool rock gospel remake of "Devil in Me", which is the English version of "Diavolo in Me", where Zucchero performs with Solomon Burke. And to round it all out there is the very Italian and very uplifting "Miserere" which is performed with the well-known Pavarotti and ultra-famous Bocelli.

International artists know that making albums in foreign languages is the best way to lock oneself out of the American market. Zucchero in the past 20 years has toured in the States only a couple of times. Zucchero & Co. has been extremely well received in Europe and might actually help Zucchero make a dent in the American market, which would be great for Italian artists. I know Americans in general don't like hanging out with Italians because they think Italians complain a lot. And that Italians get annoyed by Americans because they think Americans are too damn optimistic. But there exists some common ground in American music. Nearly all of the top American albums flood the European markets. Hopefully Zucchero & Co., featuring so many American and British heavyweights, will open Americans up to Italian music. Those who do not speak Italian can still enjoy and appreciate the entire CD with the exception of "Pippo." Unfortunately, only those that understand Italian will realize how hilarious it is to hear Welsh superstar Tom Jones, singing Italian with an American accent, repeating over and over "Pippo...che cazzo fai? Pippo...you nasty guy."

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Joy Zipper
American Whip

(Dangerbird)

dangerbirdrecords.com

I can't hold this New York City duo responsible for what the press writes about them, or, for that matter, what the marketing department of their label decides to utilize from their favorable clippings. Still, before I talk about the record, I must note that on the sticker affixed to the jewel case, there are two blurbs that breathlessly compare Joy Zipper to The Beach Boys. In particular, the London Evening Standard declares that this is "the kind of record that Brian Wilson might have aspired to make."

Apparently, there are reviewers who have no clue what the Beach Boys sounded like. Unless Brian Wilson spent some time in the late-‘80s grooving the My Bloody Valentine and the shoegazing movement, and also dreaming of making male-female electro-pop, I don't think he could ever conceive of this record. Moreover, there is not a single moment on this disc that contains even a glimmer of specific Beach Boys inspiration.

Having vented, let me tell you that this is a warm record full of pleasant sounds, although the songs are somewhat dark. It's musical Prozac. Neither Vincent Cafiso nor Tabitha Tindale are great singers, but they both sing in whispered tones that are inviting and soothing. This is compelling when matched with gauzy smooth melodies, found on a number of songs here. The prettiest is "In the Never Ending Search for a Suitable Enemy", a six-minute plus song that is the strongest number on the album.

The track is a modern slice of soft pop, with burbling and sighing keyboards and light guitars in the background. Cafiso and Tindale harmonize in the most relaxing manner. What makes this track are the sad string interludes, with Mick Cooke's mournful flugel horn telling the story of the song even better than the words do.

The strings figure prominently on "Dosed and Became Invisible". This song has a very low key psych-pop feel in the verses and an indelible chorus based on a simple rise-and-fall melody. The song is blissful and resigned, as Cafiso sings of having drugs wipe out his mind. Fans of Kevin Tihista's Red Terror should investigate this song.

The disquieting beauty is equally effective on the tune with the sharpest lyrics, "Alzheimers". Here, Cafiso sings from the point of view of a sufferer: "What was that terrible thing I ate/It tasted like Ivory soap/why are my shoes in the refrigerator?" With his voice betraying no emotion, Cafiso taps into the sense of confusion very well. The chorus is a bit pat, but its glibness does not diminish the impact of the song.

While the band's sound is mainly used to portray the down times, the first full song on the disc is a big time love song. Cafiso wrote "Christmas Song" for Tindale, who is his partner outside of the band, too. The refrain of "I love you more than a thousand Christmases" is impossibly romantic and sounds great stretched out over the relaxed keyboard backing. It's interesting how the band's approach isn't that different when tackling a happy sentiment rather than a sad one.

This is fully evident on "Out of the Sun", an elegy to, logically enough, the sun. Tindale gets more lead vocal responsibilities on this track, with her breathy coo on the verses and her more ‘mature' vocalizations in the chorus. This song hearkens a bit back to the late great Lush, though only slightly.
All in all, this is a swell slice of atmospheric pop. Cafiso and Tindale have a strongly developed style and explore a bit with it. Within these limited confines, this album succeeds admirably. I'm not sure if there's much more they can do with this sound, but I'll enjoy this in the meantime.

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Various Artists
Substitution Mass Confusion - A Tribute To The Cars

(Not Lame)

notlame.com

When John Swenson reviewed The Cars' eponymous debut album, he stated that it played like a greatest hits album. Talk about summing it all up. Indeed, The Cars is one of the all-time great debut records, an album that introduced the world to a band that was both stylized and all about style. The Cars mixed their Buddy Holly with oddball wordplay and the cold romanticism of both Roxy Music and Velvet Underground, yet played with punch and flair. While it's hard to find much that is emotionally meaningful in their work, their musical influence is widespread, from Pixies to Beck to Weezer and beyond.

And for those of you who weren't around in 1978, it's hard to understate The Cars impact for pop fans. They forced their way on to the radio, a breath of fresh air on both Top 40 and A.O.R. playlists. Maybe they were a tad slick for some in the punk and new wave crowd, but they were so different than every Kansas, Foreigner and Journey they shared airtime with, and they arguably made the path easier for Devo, Elvis Costello and The Clash.

None of this would have happened if Ric Ocasek wasn't such a great songwriter. That's at the heart of this swell tribute album. Songs like "Just What I Needed", "Drive" and "Shake It Up" are simply automatic. And here, they are given their full due. Boston's Damone doesn't mess around too much with the template created by their hometown heroes on "Needed". Lead singer Noelle really digs into the lyrics, emphasizing notes here and there and generally sounding really fresh. This is pretty sexy. Chris von Sneidern honors the smash hit "Drive" with an acoustic rendition. This was one of the few Cars songs that was more about feelings than feel, and there are few singers in the current power pop world more steeped in soul than Sneidern. On the original version, Benjamin Orr's warm vocals cut against the icy smooth veneer, whereas this tribute version is direct and poignant. Of course, there's nothing poignant about the simplistic "Shake It Up" -- it's just pure fun. PurrBox turbocharges the song, with Miss Mellie showing once again that she's the next best thing to Belinda Carlisle, while Johnny Million gives a 21st Century update on Elliot Easton's guitar stylings.

Indeed, Easton's playing is bowed to by a number of guitarists -- he had the most distinctive tone and was economical and creative. No offense to the many contributors who do a fine job capturing the Easton sound, but in their real bands they rarely (with Million being an exception) reach Elliot's level. Which isn't a putdown -- few guitarists could.

Most of the songs here don't monkey around with the basic arrangement. A few of the artists here fall back on what has become a tribute tradition -- the slowed down cover. Jon Auer does the best job, keeping the distinctive guitar figure of "Misfit Kid" (doubled up on guitar and keyboards) while drawing out the verses. In so doing, Auer finds the heart of the song, which is less impenetrable than many Ric Ocasek tunes. By way of contrast, The Daybirds turn "Good Times Roll" into a dirge. The competence of the performance is unquestioned. But the decision to slow the song down should have been scrutinized -- it neither serves the melody or the lyrics, grinding the song into dust. Meanwhile, Butch Walker's ‘medley' of "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Magic" (titled "My Best Friend's Magic Girlfriend") is pleasant and he certainly hammers home the compositional similarity between the two songs. But I'm not sure if it's more impressive as a thesis than as an entertaining track.

One other song is toned down quite a bit, as the bouncy "Since Your Gone" is transformed by The Andersons! They throw a change up right away, beginning the track with an homage to the backbeat of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me." Then the song settles into an acoustic dominated lament, with a killer vocal from Bob Anderson (a/k/a Robbie Rist). Much like the Auer track, this is an example of rearranging a song to amplify the impact of the lyrics and this works very well.

Beyond these tracks there are a slew of good-to-great faithful renditions of Cars classics like "Candy-O" (Doug Powell), "Touch and Go" (Jason Falkner, who rightly observes in the liners that this was one of the strangest top 40 hits of its era), "Bye Bye Love" (Spiraling), "Hello Again" (The Argument), "Dangerous Type" (Johnny Monaco) and "I'm Not the One" (Gigolo Aunts with Kid Lightning). Yep, this is so good, it should have come out on 8-track!
Moreover, a portion of the proceeds of this project, spearheaded by Chicago rock photographer Peter Kuehl, go to cancer research, on behalf of the late Benjamin Orr. All in all, a long overdue nod to a pop giant that is very well done.

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Outrageous Cherry
Our Love Will Change The World

(Rainbow Quartz)

rainbowquartz.com

It's yet another chapter in the Outrageous Cherry story. One of the most prolific bands of the last several years, this Detroit psychedelic outfit maintains its standards by shifting its focus from album to album. On this album, the spinner stopped at ‘ultra pop'. So this installment is the catchiest and friendliest Outrageous Cherry album yet.

Moreover, some of the songs have extremely direct lyrics. Many songs are completely free of dragons or witches, and there are no lysergic bathed non sequitirs. Of course, it wouldn't be an Outrageous Cherry album without one true psychedelic rocker and "Unless" is a speeding journey to the center of the mind. Here, Carey Gustafson's relentless pulse beat drumming is steady as she goes, and provides a good foundation for Smith's relatively impassioned vocal and blazing guitar work. The closest thing to a trippy song, titlewise, is "You're a Reflection of Infinite Chaos". "What Have You Invented Today?" almost fits into the OC psych mold, but in the end, it's a mild folk rock chugger. Keeping with the friendlier tone of the disc, the song breaks down into a Mamas and Papa's ‘ba-ba-ba' coda at the end.

Much of the music here is made for basking in the sunshine. The title song is perky beyond belief, with an endearing, simplistic sing-song sing-along melody. This is chipper pop along the lines of Papas Fritas. Now, that doesn't mean the lyrics are simple sweetness and light. Indeed, they seem somewhat conspiratorial. Smith sounds like he's singing a corporate jingle, which radiates positivity yet is laying out some plan for domination, giving "the illusion of being free." Yep, even when sounding so happy, everything is not as it seems.

This holds true for the mega poppy "Why Don't We Talk About Something Else". I have already praised this song when it appeared on the band's pre-release EP, but it's so good, it's worth mentioning twice. While evoking the care free pop of The Turtles and Herman's Hermits, Smith is really dissing a friend or lover, tired of the arguments and rehashing the same problems over and over. This is candy-coated disfunction.

Smith shows off his trumpet skills on the driving opener "Pretty Girls Go Insane". Of course, Smith wants to know what it takes to drive a pretty girl insane. Smith's horn part sounds like he studied the contributions John Entwhistle periodically made on The Who's early albums.

There are a couple of nice quieter tracks. "The Unchanging Frequency" is a sweetly strummed ballad, which seems to be on the level. "You're the only thing/that makes the world alright/when gets so dark/you think they used up all the light/hold on tight/because I love you." The band subtly layers on some keyboards and Smith's lead guitar fills to enhance the sentiments. By contrast, "You've Been Unkind" is a mellow put down of a manipulative so-and-so. The song has a creative instrumental break, as the meandering piano that underpins the track keeps playing while Smith lets loose with a solo. The impact of the scathing lyrics and the laid back music creates a feeling of resignation, as if Smith feels that his words will probably fall on deaf ears.

This is yet another fine Outrageous Cherry release. It is amazing how much mileage they get out of their sound. Having made such a relatively poppy effort here, I'm guessing that the next one will plunge into Velvet Underground-style freak outs. But that's just a guess, and until then, I'll just enjoy this disc.

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Alva Star
Escalator

(Princess)

princessrecords.com

This Minneapolis band first garnered some attention in the late-‘90s. Purveyors of a sophisticated melodic pop sound, they fit right in with like minded artists like Matt Wilson, Semisonic and Frisbie. Their debut album was evidence of that promise. Yet, in a situation somewhat similar to Frisbie, the disc did not fully capture the excellence of the band, which was so evident in live performance. That's because lead vocalist John Hermanson is a powerhouse, and really cuts loose live.

This second album still falls in the confines of the aforementioned ‘sophisticated melodic pop.' However, the band takes a different direction in terms of the texture and thrust of these songs. This arty heartland guitar rock band seems to have been paying attention to contemporaries like Grandaddy, Flaming Lips, Death Cab For Cutie and others. Here, the band uses this inspiration to broaden their sonic pallette -- so the band is not copying these contemporary bands, but adding further dimensions to an established sound. What Alva Star adds is not only their more traditional pop sense, but a soulfulness that none of those acts can match, because none of them have an ace singer like Hermanson.

Initially, this took me aback, as I had a certain sound in mind for an Alva Star record. Thankfully, the quality of this effort melted away any reservations. This is smart, sharp and catchy. It is also a concept album. I can't vouch that it is a beginning-middle-end story -- I'm not totally latching onto full bore exposition. However, can tell you that this is album is a cycle of songs about the fucked up rigamarole that is the music biz.
Musically, this album is very successful, as there are some big hooks and compelling melodies. As a concept album, the work isn't quite as terrific. Some songs gloss by without every conveying whatever message Hermanson intended. However, on a few numbers, lyrics are sharply drawn and blend with the music beneficially.

As seems to happen often with concept albums, the tracks where the lyrics and music come together are at the beginning of the disc. After the anthemic title track gets things going, Hermanson details the life of a struggling musician quite effectively. "Comeback" begins with Hermanson's multitracked falsetto vocals and lovely acoustic guitars, augmented by keyboards. The song is about a musician who is trying to change his sound in order to get another shot at the big time. This parallels a lost relationship that is playing on his mind. The song sounds like a mix of the modern sounds above with the song sensibility of Lindsay Buckingham...or perhaps Nick Gilder (I think the falsetto vocal is making me think that).

On "Cold Calculated", Hermanson goes further on the path of doing what it takes to make it: "I'm in a zone/the label has thrown me a bone/can you create/and re-create?" The song is bouncy – if Grandaddy and Hall & Oates got together, you'd get something like this. This is followed by "Tornado Girl", which has another candy coated pop melody (with a bit of Cars feel), and sounds like a conversation, as the musician tries to explain why he's selling out for his girl and she doesn't seem to care. There is something really sad underlying the peppy and ultra-hooky tune. This is followed by the brilliant "Downsides", which is an atmospheric number drenched in flowing keyboards, with a strong R & B vibe. However, here is where the lyrical thread gets lost. The best way to put it, is that the words don't fully meld with the music, and the words don't stick, despite the wonder of the music.
From this point forward, the album loses some of its impact, as what Hermanson is singing about so passionately is not as effectively communicated as it could be. The saving grace is the strength of the songs, in composition, arrangement in performance. In particular, "Today" is a memorable number with its Eastern folk melody and effective multitracked harmony vocals. Moreover, the rhythm section of Ian Prince (drums) and Erik Appelwick (bass) shines, creating a bottom that his heavy but nimble, all leading into a soaring chorus. Just more evidence of the high degree of talent on hand here.

This is about as good a semi-successful album as you'll hear. In trying to make a statement on the state of the artist in the rock world, the band overreaches, due to their inability to verbally communicate their ideas on a consistent basis. But the reward is that Alva Star's music reaches a new level of sophistication, while retaining its essential accessibility.

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