|
Mike Bennett
Reviews: April, 2001, Part I
Scroll
down for The Spanic Boys' latest and The Supers. Click
here for the new Linus of Hollywood, Chamber Strings,
Orange Peels, New Pornographers and Shoes Tribute
The Orgone Box
The Orgone Box
(Minus Zero U.K.)
www.minuszerorecords.com
"I'm not into psychedelia/I've got a psychedelic mind - whatever."
Though Rick Corcoran may sing otherwise (on the tune "Anasthesia"),
trust me - this is psychedelia - electric kool aid acid pop
of the highest order. Appropriately enough this 2001 release
is actually a flashback, Corcoran recording it back in 1996.
Corcoran is clearly inspired by the great British psych-pop
of 60's, with The Beatles, S.F. Sorrow-era Pretty Things,
Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and Butterfly-era Hollies
numbering among just some of the reference points that are
appropriate. And you could also mention The Orgone Box in
the same breath as modern eccentric psychpopsters like Robyn
Hitchcock, Martin Newell and The Chrys&themums. But unlike
that trio, the music here is more accessible, making it a
best of both worlds - great tunes with some occasional wiggy
edges.
None of those edges are needed on the brilliant "Find The
One", in which Corcoran becomes a balladeer, making a song
that blends the paisley tones of John Lennon circa 1967 with
pure drama on par with Roy Orbison. The little George Harrisonish
lead guitar fills and final dramatic choruses just make this
all the more classic.
Other songs rock in a manner that will win over fans of like
minded groups like Guided By Voices, Photon Band and The Ringles.
"World Revolves" has a circular melody, a variety of jangling
guitars snaking in and out of the mix, leading to the type
of chorus that makes you want to cruise down the highway in
a convertible with the top down (presuming you've already
come down in the acid tent and are fit to drive!). Whilst
on "The Song Formerly Known As Mirrorball", Corcoran adds
a tad of reverb on his vocals, which in combo with his thick
bass line, gives the song a heavy feel which contrasts with
the airy melody.
Corcoran also has a bash at plain straightforward pop. "There'll
Always Be Attitudes" has a jaunty early Bee Gees feel, which
gives its indictment of the class system an extra sting. Likewise,
the splendid folk rock arrangement of "Ticket With No Return",
with the strummed guitars, moody keyboards and deftly placed
backing vocals supports forboding lyrics ("there's a point
of no return I wanna go to/not the harsh reality I have to
face").
This disc demands repeated listens and rewards them, as this
obviously low budget recording is bursting at the seams with
sounds and ideas. In fact, I don't even think a producer like
Brad Jones could improve on the product here - the tunes are
here, the production is here and finally, The Orgone Box is
here - let's hope Rick Corcoran comes back with more musical
gifts for us.
__________________________________________________
The
Spanic Boys
Torture
(Checkered Past)
www.spanicboys.com
The Midwestern roadhouse stalwarts are back and sounding fine
on their seventh album. The father and son team of Tom and
Ian Spanic play basic rock and roll in the vein of trad outfits
like Rockpile and The Morrells, but with a more rustic, back
porch feel. This is primarily manifested in the duo's drawling
harmony vocals, giving the Spanics a unique signature sound
- they rock, but in a most relaxed fashion.
A great rhythm section was imported to fill out the band,
and not from another roots or country band, like you might
expect. Instead, Brad Elvis and Melanie X of Chicago power
pop giants Big Hello handle the drum and bass chores on this
disc. And for those acquainted with Elvis's wild drumming
on Big Hello records should marvel how perfectly he adapts
to a band that generally needs a much simpler approach on
the skins.
Which isn't to say Elvis doesn't get the opportunities to
show off his chops - "Gotta Get Back" is a terrific rock and
roll number, where Elvis's fills provide able support for
the great guitar soloing. Elvis gets to play an ominous, military-style
beat on one of the more adventurous numbers on the album,
"The Man Who Hates The World". The song actually conjures
up a psychedelic vibe like you probably haven't heard before
-- the contrast of the family harmonies over Melanie X's repetitive
Psychedelia 101 bassline is terrific. Furthermore, it's illustrative
of the subtle wrinkles that make this such an endearing album.
Another example is the album closer, "She The Kind Of Girl",
with a pretty flamenco-type guitar part at the beginning of
the song.
But the main reason to listen to the Spanics is to hear the
marvelous interplay between two wonderful guitar players.
Producer Ian made sure that both guitars each got a speaker,
so you can hear how well they play off each other. Check out
"Doing What They Tell You", where both dad and son play lead
based rhythm parts, highlighted by a fantastic solo that will
delight fans of John Fogerty. It's swampy!
It's
been too easy to take the Spanic Boys for granted, seeing
how they've managed to knock out one fine platter after another.
It's great to have 'em back, and this disc shows why.
__________________________________________________
The
Supers
Spklanng!
(Permanent Press)
www.permanentpress.net
A quintessential example of the powerpop genre, the only thing
that pegs Spklanng! as a contemporary record instead
of some swell nugget from the 70's or 80's is just a slightly
more rocking attitude. But the tunes and chops that comprise
the foundation of this disc are well-established. And when
a band delivers the goods with the enthusiasm displayed here…let's
just say that while The Supers may not end up in my year end
Top 20, I'm absolutely certain I'll be playing it 10 years
from now.
Which is another way of saying there is some timeless stuff
on this puppy. Who could get tired of an instantly winning
tune like "I Don't Want To Sleep", which has a bouncy pub-rock
(Brinsley Schwarz/Squeeze) rhythm and a deft ascending and
descending melody that smacks of Badfinger and Myracle Brah.
The song is almost one extended hook. This mellow bliss is
followed by the snappy mod rocker "So Many Crooks" that hearkens
back to The Jam and Dirty Looks, but with a much sweeter chorus
than you'd associate with those 80's stalwarts. And a few
tunes traverse Gin Blossoms territory (i.e., solid medium
tempo pop-rock), such as "Secret".
The playing and singing are uniformly swell. Fine lead vocals
(bassist Maury Lafoy and guitarist Graham Powell share the
duties), fine backing vocals, fine ensemble sound (Jeffrey
Macpherson's crisp drumming is a particular treat) - what's
not to like? Hmmm…..well, even though the production is equally
fine, I wouldn't mind if the guitars were beefed up a bit
more in the mix on a few tracks, which is probably more indicative
of my mindset than anything remotely resembling a flaw.
So
I'll hit Track 8, and bliss out to the loping "Even Fools",
with its extremely slight country rhythm and a McCartneyesque
melody, marveling that they can find a fresh take on the "Tears
Of A Clown" lyrical theme: "I've been tryin' to make you smile/but
now I'm cryin' out your name/and as you slapped me in the
face/a jester took my place." The Supers are pure pop for
everyday people.
__________________________________________________
|
