Kevin
Mathews:
May,
2006
I apologize in advance if this month's column
goes past like a blur as I dive deep into a mountain of CDs
that have simply been overflowing from 2005 and I'd feel guilty
for not addressing them in some way. Thanks for your kind
indulgence.
Yeah, you know the drill. I come across really
cool alt-country and I get all misty-eyed about Gram and Gene.
Maybe throw in a reference or two about Neil. So sue me. Rich
McCulley continues in his rich vein of form with Far From
My Angel (Self released) - another sublime collection
of country-rock gems that fans of the genre will enjoy. Can
I also mention Dylan, Petty and McGuinn? www.richmcculley.com
Awfully pretentious lyrics and disturbing
sleeve imagery should not get in the way of good music. The
Looking's Tin Can Head (Astraea) is a fine blend of
80s new wave and 60s folk rock, with Todd Carter's operatic
voice (think: Morrissey meets Roy Orbison) the highlight.
www.thelooking.com
Blessed with a distinctively fragile voice
that favours the higher register, singer-songwriter Randy
Coleman whilst expressing a love for classic 70s rock translates
his talents well into a modern rock idiom on his excellent
debut album, Last Salutation (Self released). File next to
Radiohead, Coldplay and Keane. www.randycolemen.net
There is an innocent, earthy quality to Kathy
Goldholdt & the Edsel Brothers' traditional country-folk
approach on Wisdom Days (Self released). Precious little
edge but by the same token very little filler. For those who
like their country-folk rock fairly authentic. www.kathygreenholdt.com
Nice. The Small Change's eponymous collection
of late 70s rock (Unsmashable) finds easy comparisons with
garage & pub rock. Clean guitar rock that relies on 12
bar blues and a sneering vocal for maximum effect. Never really
goes out of fashion. www.unsmashable.com
Well, there's definitely an Asian angle to
play off with Dengue Fever. On Escape From Dragon House(M80/Birdman),
vocalist Chhom Nimol is actually singing these brassy garage
blues-rock songs in Vietnamese! Doesn't get more exotic than
that! Man, this really sounds like something from my childhood.
Well, that's what I call different… www.denguefevermusic.com
As the shoegaze/dream pop revival gains momentum,
it's always a question of which band is able to up the ante
on the ambience and sonic impact. The Slow Signal Fade with
Steady (In Music We Trust) does a better job than many
of its peers (Stellastarr, please sit down!), in my
opinion, of creating its own sound despite obvious debts to
My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver and the Cure. www.theslowsignalfade.com
Their bio info describes Luminar as 'alt-country'
but really the songs on this self-released six-track EP sound
like Beatles songs sung by Ringo! Which means, a whole bunch
of "Act Naturally" and "Don't Pass Me By"
knock-offs? Not really but I do hope you get what I'm trying
to say… http://www.garageband.com/artist/luminar
Hate to say this but Dave Matel's Woman
mini-LP is pretty clunky with its drum machine and cheesy
synths. Which makes the saving grace of containing a couple
of solid, well-written numbers ("Skies Are Falling"
and "Woman") good enough reason to give Dave Matel
a second look. http://www.davematel.iapla.com/
Not sure how many will be enraptured by Aussie
trio's visceral brand of Fall-AC/DC punk-metal but there's
enough method in the madness to suggest that there should
be many head-bangers and punks out there who will cotton on.
Even if it beings getting past Andrew J. Cantwell's somewhat
colloquial larynx. www.highroadno28.com
Drummers who have abandoned the hot seat
to take up lead singing roles are not confined to prog rock
bands it seems. With The World Inside(Blind), Jesse
Sprinkle of Poor Old Lu steps forward to make his case as
a solo singer-songwriter. The evidence here is not compelling
and Sprinkle is in danger of losing the argument completely.
Insubstantial songs and dodgy vocals make for a decidedly
iffy proposition. Back to the drum set methinks! www.theworldinside.com
In the face of fresh-faced 'indie' bands
who would like you to believe that they were the second coming
of Joy Division and New Order, it is perhaps comforting that
authentic pop-rock outfits like John Larson's Marlowes continues
to walk the road less traveled with melody & power chords
on its latest album, Glue, Glitter and Shine (Shiny
Fly). Rather functionary at times but always dependable to
provide the right pop-rock action and thrills. www.themarlowes.com
The textured guitars on Robert Jordan's Gypsy
Curiosa (Camden) are certainly the central highlight of
this heavily 70s space-rock influenced collection. Allusions
to Pink Floyd and the Alan Parsons Project are strong without
the same depth of songwriting and production. It's a good
approximation nonetheless and fans of the era would do well
to check this out. www.camden.com
"We Can Get Along" - the second
track of The Diary's Separate(Presswork 13) - reminds
me so much of the Beatles and New Order that the hybrid references
are uncanny. The rest of Separate plays around well
with that Fab Four-punk-electronic vibe. Cool tunes, Lennonesque
vocals and a strong 80s alt-rock sensibility make for an intriguing
aural pleasure. www.thediary-separate.com
On his website, Alan Pollard dubs himself
"the musician's musician" and hearing his debut
See It For What It Is (Peachfuzz), it is not too hard
to imagine to trace the gleam of truth behind that assertion.
Earthy, basic and honest, the songs and performances, whilst
competent, never quite rise above that description to be truly
inspired. A little too laid back for it's own good. www.alanpollard.com
The Crayon Fields hail from Melbourne and
straddle the fine line between twee and atonal pop directions.
On The Good Life EP (Shock), thankfully, there is enough
melody to suggest that these six tracks are worth the exploration.
Not by much mind you although one suspects that songs like
"Lovers in Your Carpets" and "Soak With Me
In The Sun" will yield rewards upon repeat listens. www.shock.com.au
So the opening lines go - "See you sitting
in your meditation/Your intellectual masturbation" -
and the song, "Chant" is basically a commentary
on Buddhism! Not what you may expect from an all-girl trio
I suppose. Which is what you get (and more) with Raw
(Starshine), the debut release from Gia's Fix. Good musicianship
and fine Chrissie Hynde-channeling is always great if you
can get it. www.giasfix.com
This 2004 Fractions EP (Spin Wheel)
comes from one of the better British shoegaze bands residing
in L.A. viz. Cerulean! Recalling the wonder of those 80s 'big'
music bands like Modern Eon, the Comsat Angels, The Lucy Show
et al, not only does Cerulean have the sound down pat but
the fragile emotive songs do justice to the shimmering form.
So why aren't Cerulean as big as Stellastarr*? Why indeed.
Highly recommended. www.ceruleanmusic.com
Sometimes it's all about the power and the
glory. Vocoder understands this and with The Collapsed
Stars EP (Popbooomerang) gives the modern rock scene four
incisive reasons why it should sit up and take notice of this
Wellington, NZ combo. That and together with the umpteenth
version of the Kinks' "This Is Where I Belong" guarantees
fans of punk-rock-pop-garage music a rollicking good time.
www.popboomerang.com
The Telegenic rocks out something fierce
- name checking Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen - and hankering
for a time when writing and performing a rock song was a straightforward
affair without a tinge of irony. The debut album asphaltgasolinechromefleshbloodnbone
(Lockstep Music) is a solid & shining example of how great
70s rock can be. www.thetelegenic.com
A little too much for your jaded synapses?
Know what you mean. …and still there's more…cheers.
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