Kevin Mathews:
June, 2004

So Much Music...So Little Time

I suppose it is impossible to get through this month's column without hailing the remarkable achievement of our gallant leader, Casey Fundaro. Together with Christopher Moll (not to mention Thom Monahan, David Rubenstein, Jason Knapfel & Mike Federline), Casey has - under the moniker of timewellspent - produced one of the truly essential albums of this or any other year. Casey is probably too modest to toot his own horn but certainly, timewellspent is one of those extraordinary recordings where a veritable host of the right influences are collapsed into a sublime whole where the sum is indeed greater than the parts. Wow! Suffice to say, that when you feature tracks like the soft pop heavenly "Probably," the Lennonesque reverie "I Know You," the tongue-in-cheek Wilsonesque prayer "Millionaire," the atmospheric "Minor Poet," the lovely "Deora" and so forth, you know you're on to something special. Indeed. Do yourself a favor and get your timewellspent now! www.parasol.com

Now how do we follow that?

Blurb-O-Rama Forever!

The Davenports Hi-Tech Lowlife (Motherwest)
Not quite as immediate as the sublime debut Speaking of the Davenports perhaps but Hi Tech Lowlife is evidence that Scott Klass (who is the Davenports) is definitely developing his art and craft to the level of greatness. The clever lyrics and the sheer quality of the tunes (which grow deep roots into your consciousness with repeated plays) demonstrate Klass' maturity and pop genius. www.motherwest.com

The Get Up Kids Guilt Show (Vagrant)
I was caught off-guard by the strident power pop evident on *Guilt Show* and here I was thinking the Kids were an emo band - big mistake! The number of wonderful gems here declares the Kids' arrival as premier pop artists of considerable power and significance. By demonstrating the ability to transcend the genre in which they made their reputations, the Kids have secured themselves a place in pop legend, with Guilt Show being easily their proverbial "Sgt. Pepper." www.thegetupkids.com

Say Hi To Your Mom Discosadness (Kinky Star)
The Big Apple by way of Gent, Belgium. Eric Elbogen is a New Yorker & the force behind indie pop one-man band Say Hi To Your Man whose latest release (love its witty title) came to me from Belgian label Kinky Star. Whatever. It's lo-fi, sinister, fluffy, serious pop music for the mind. Hitting all the right buttons, Discosadness is highly recommended for fans of Grandaddy, Bright Eyes and Pedro the Lion. www.sayhitoyourmom.com

Lolas Silver Dollar Sunday (Wizzard-in-Vinyl)
This is of course the Japanese release of that seminal sophomore Lolas album with four exclusive bonus tracks that would fit in snugly next to your copy of the new Lolas disc - Something You Oughta Know. "Back To School" and "Human Error" are primo early 60s pop whilst "Why-ei" & "Love is Something Wild" up the ante on all things Mod. Timmeh never disappoints! www.wizzard-in-vinyl.com

Shalini Metal Corner (Dalloway)
Shalini Chatterjee and Mitch Easter come up with the goods once again but this time with the interesting addition of a metallic edge on those grrl-pop tunes. Metal Corner develops this tenuous premise somewhat and proves that you can marry lilting pop with power metal chords and concepts. www.interbridge.com/shalini

Philip Zoellner Philip Zoellner (Self-released)
So this is rock 'n' roll? Let's take this rock thang out of the garage shall we? I mean, it didn't take the Rolling Stones long to kick the blues habit and strap on a honky tonk six shooter did it? Zoellner is certainly cut from that same cloth where a rock 'n' roll education is limited to that magical era that is 1969 to 1974. Forget about getting your ya-yas out, this is rock 'n' roll with a dash of cosmic American music thrown in for good measure.

E.T. Doolin s/t (Self-released)
I must admit that knowing that E.T. hailed from Israel did not prepare me for the strength of the material on view on this eponymous release. E.T. has cast his lot with the pop music of the late 50s and early 60s and (together with Amit Poznansky) does a bang-up job evoking the era of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Elvis et al. Get in touch with E.T. (etdoolin@yahoo.com) and be ready to be astonished.

Tamas Wells A Mark on the Pane (Popboomerang)
Wistful. Thoughtful. Reflective. Wells treads lightly on melancholy subjects - regret, disappointment and loss - all explored here with poignant soundtrack (ala Nick Drake, Lilac Time or Belle and Sebastian) to match. Not morose or overtly miserable, mind you, A Mark on the Pane perhaps represents best listening for those rainy days and Mondays. www.tamaswells.com

The Like Young I So Serious (Parasol)
Well-intentioned and sincere, The Like Young (viz. Amanda & Joe Ziemba) deals in likeable punk pop and its most immediate reference point is Weezer. Songs involve emotional themes like paranoia ("Out to Get Me"), frigidity ("Don't Know When to Stop"), lust ("Tighten My Tie"), anxiety ("Worry A Lot") and so on. Yeah, loads of angst to be found. Discover why they're so sad and so mad. www.parasol.com

Phil Angotti Juliette Foster OST (Jam)
Okay, so it's a soundtrack to an imaginary movie but that doesn't diminish the significance of this decent collection of baroque songs an iota. Angotti's instrument of choice is his trusty acoustic guitar (and well-placed strings) and he easily betrays an affinity towards Pete Townshend, Neil Finn and John Lennon. Glad to report that Angotti's skills match his obvious ambition. www.jamrecordings.com

Blues Evolution BE (Independent)
If like me, you mourned the recent loss of the legendary Ray Charles, then you may want to pick up this excellent disc, which does the legacy of the great man and the likes of Bobby Bland, Van Morrison and Dr. John no disservice. Solid authentic soul 'n' blues presented here that will satisfy the purists no end. www.bluesevolution.com

Kel s/t (Soundbox)
There are always great new artists surfacing from Australia and Kel is no exception. Kel's forte is her insightful lyrics which are backed by alt-country and indie-rock sensibilities - comparisons to Lucinda Williams & Kasey Chambers abound - which is fair enough. So if that is your cup 'o' tea, come and take a look at Kel. www.soundbox.com.au

Exit Scenes From Next Week (Self-released)
Not to be confused with the plethora of bands happily calling themselves "Exit," this particular Exit focus on slick well-produced modern-day pop-rock that borders on AOR fare. Well and good, but I can't shake the nagging feeling that this is too glossy and superficial to be really interesting. Could do with a little edge. www.exitmusic.com

Gravy Bones (Road Kill)
Anyone out there still remember Bang Tango? Well, Mark Knight was BT's guitarist and he re-emerges with Gravy as lead vocalist and the band's genuine take on classic 70s rock (i.e. Free, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and so on) is refreshing. With elements of psychedelia ("Scared") and funk ("In Deep") mixed in, Bones provides enough chills and thrills for rock lovers of every ilk. www.gravytunes.com

Bob Evans See the Light/I Wanna Be Everywhere (Self-released)
A brace of homemade cookies from the creative juices of Englishman Bob Evans whose excellent guitar skills are worth the price of admission alone. As is often the case with D-I-Y projects, the use of the drum synth is ubiquitous but if you can get past that then the sheer quality of the material here (think: early rock 'n' rollers like Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and the Beatles AND blues musicians like Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix) should satisfy fans of well-produced & well-written rock and pop music. www.bobevansmusic.com

Stunt Doubles Next Generation (Self-released)
These guys certainly don't take themselves too seriously. Take a gander at the costumes on the cover - heh! On disc, the Stunt Doubles parlay a punky surf-rock awareness that is energetic and fun, and the presence of a trombonist in the band doesn't hurt! For those who enjoy their rock straightforward and without too many frills, Next Generation is just the ticket! www.stuntdoublesrocks.com

Battles EP C (Monitor)
With song titles like "B + T" and IPT - 2 you wouldn't be too far wrong if you shouted out, "Math Rock!" In my view, this is our modern version of '70s prog rock where the mix 'n' match of genres is the primary focus. So there's electronica, punk and good old rock 'n' roll represented here as well as a whole dollop of self-indulgent art pop. Not sure how much attention span it can hold though. www.monitorrecords.com

My Chemical Romance Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (Reprise)
"The Story of a Man, A Woman, and the Corpses of a Thousand Evil Man" - finally, an emo band with a Ozzy fixation! But seriously folks, MCR have the chops to go beyond trendy concerns and with song names like "It's Not A Fashion Statement, It's A Deathwish" and irresistible tracks like "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" - which comes across like a emo "I Will Survive"!!! - can world domination be far behind? www.mychemcialromance.com

That's it for now - I'll get me hat! Cheers!

________________________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________