Kevin Mathews:
May,
2005

So Much Music, So Little Time

Please forgive me, faithful readers, as I indulge in shameless self-promotion.
Still there…? OK.

Come May 12th, a humble Singaporean movie (cost - around US$122,000) will open Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival 2005. My good friend, Eric Khoo, directed and co-wrote the film and I wrote the music. I did it as a personal favour to Eric and after he showed me a very rough cut, I was inspired to write what I hope is the soundscape that will do justice to his artistic vision. To be honest, never in my wildest imagination would I dream that this little movie would grace the screens at Cannes but there you go. I understand that Eric has managed to secure European distribution for his labour of love and as to the rest of the civilised world, who knows?
Oh, the name of the film is Be With Me and more information can be obtained at http://www.zhaowei.com/bewithme.html. All right, scheduled programming resuming….

Blurb-O-Rama: More spunk, more punk, more funk, more chunk (Andy Partridge)

Guitar Wolf Loverock (Narnack)
Oh my. Rock 'n' roll is indeed a universal experience. Take Guitar Wolf for example - this Japanese trio makes no apologies for singing in its native tongue, but the fact that you may not understand a word the band is singing is irrelevant (despite the English translated lyrics) in the face of the undeniable power of its in-your-face punk rock 'n' roll. Produced with a distorted & 'dirty' buzz that resonates throughout, Loverock goes for the jugular and never lets go… www.narnackrecords.com

Prettymess Greyscale Broadcast (Shock)
Australia has a knack for giving to the rock world; vital contributions to the melodic pop quotient that every rock listener requires to sweeten the whole rock 'n' roll experience. Prettymess has a firm grasp of the kind of adult alternative rock that the likes of Crowded House has parleyed into commercial success. Greyscale Broadcast is a good start with tracks like the jangly "Never Let You Down" and the grandiose The One showing promise for greater things to come from Prettymess. www.prettymess.com

Gliss Halfway Gone EP (Mountain Lo Fi)
LA band Gliss has its glam formula down pat. The affected vocals, the slight keyboard effects, the electric boogie and oh yes, the androgyny. All right, so we've heard this all before with T. Rex, Suede and the Dandy Warhols, so what does Gliss bring to the table? Well, Gliss is simply this year's Glam model, meaning that as much as the aforementioned bands represented their own specific generations, Gliss is well and truly 2005 and deserve as much success as the Killers, the Bravery, Interpol and all other bands taking a leaf out of rock history to make their own mark. www.gliss.tv

Atticus Finch Everywhen (Earthology)
With 80s music rearing its head in virtually every new band now, it seems appropriate that the influence of Japan, early Simple Minds and the Blue Nile begins to present itself in bands like Atticus Finch. Thoughtful, deliberate and erudite, Atticus Finch delivers the artier side of the 80s "new wave" movement - perfect for those quieter moments in life. www.earthology.net

Lola Dutronic The World of Lola Dutronic (Bongobeat)
This collaboration between chanteuse Frankie Hart and music man Richard Citroen is a welcome distraction from the harsh guitar attacks that make up the main agenda of the pop underground. With straightforward beats, sensitive instrumentation and memorable melodies, Lola Dutronic is perfect chill out music and will certainly fiond a home in most clubs and lounges. With sympathetic covers of "Walking On Sunshine" and "To Sir With Love" as highlights, The World of Lola Dutronic is an electronic treat! www.bongobeat.com

Brian Hartzog One-Way Ticket (Self released)
I did not see this coming… "Play that funky music, white boy" … indeed! Imagine the Boss and the E Street Band playing Prince songs - heh! - that would do the visual trick. Still the core of *One-Way Ticket* is its non-funk center viz "Amy's Run Away" is a great country folk-rocker, "Don't Say No" is a thoughtful Dave Gilmour-styled acoustic ballad and "Fast Girl in a Pretty Car" is a ballsy garage-y track the Glimmer Twins would be proud of. Between you and me, the funky numbers did nothing for me and I prefer to see this album as half-full… www.brianhartzog.com

Bryon Thompson Get On With It (Self released)
An album of guitar instrumentals with fairly solid tunes and arrangements that suggests that if Thompson can hook up with a competent lyricist and vocalist, some of the tracks on view here could get more attention! Treading a fine line between pop-rock and progressive rock, Get On With It is a great showcase of Thompson's song writing and guitar playing skills. www.bthompson.net/cd

The Get-Outs Get the Message (Avebury)
Old school punk rock from this Bristol (UK) power trio, which doesn't raise eyebrows or temperatures, but hey you probably know what you getting. Loads of energy, staccato attack rhythms and melodies that hum are the order of the day. Economical in its use of chords and tunes, the Get-Outs carries its punk agenda to its logical conclusion. Fans of 1977 British punk will not be disappointed. www.thegetouts.com

Art Carter Unbound (Self released)
Lo-fi country anyone? Ignore the austere production work and (especially) the cheesy synthesizers because there are some authentic country songs here that deserve better quality treatment but still manage to shine through the murky sound. Prime examples: the breezy "Next To You," the heartfelt "I Can And I Will," the jocular "All I Want Is A Living" and the dramatic "The Dream." www.artcarter.com

The Stragglyrs Downhill Sunset (Self released)
Even more lo-fi country? Amazing - have we stumbled on to a fledging genre? Better yet, Downhill Sunset appears to be a concept album of sorts! Well, you cannot fault the ambitious on view here despite the disappointing low-grade sound, there are enough high points here to justify some curiosity. www.thestragglyrs.com

Dropzines Between Sheets and Walls (Self released)
Indie pop-rock is a delicate balance of critical and commercial considerations. And the conflict is always never resolved. The Dropzines is yet another power trio with a clutch of songs it hopes the pop underground initially and the mainstream ultimately will embrace. Whilst I cannot speak for the latter, there are moments of inspiration here that helps to lift Dropzines above the run-of-the-mill faceless indie band, not much, mind. www.dropzines.com

"The Microphones" Live in Japan, February 19th, 21st and 22nd, 2003 (K)
Yes, boys and girls, there's a song here called "After N. Young" which I guess puts things in perspective. This is an intimate performance of what were then new songs by Microphones leader Phil Elvrum in Japan (in the style of Neil Young, naturally) with witty moments thrown in (renditions of "Silent Night" and "My Favourite Things" (from *The Sound of Music") along with the epic recitals of "Universe Conclusion" and "I Love You So Much!" A little unsettling and musically shaky at the best of times perhaps, but the talent of Elvrum is worth the minor irritations. www.krecs.com

Some hits, some misses - but let me just say that every single album must be appreciated on its own terms and in its own context. Keep that always in mind, my friends. Cheerio!

_____________________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________