Kevin Mathews:
August, 2004

Funny how it seems these deadlines sneak up on you…here I am on a balmy Saturday afternoon (is there any other kind in Singapore?), trying to finish up this column so I can register a contribution for August. So forget the niceties, ladies and gents, I present…

The Revenge of Blurb-O-Rama!

Jamie Hoover & Bill Lloyd Paparazzi (Paisley Pop)
Two power pop veterans put their collective (and considerable) talents together to produce a veritable classic album of the format. Aided and abetted on the skins by kindred spirit Dennis (Smithereens) Diken, the results can only be pop bliss. Lovers of early 80s power pop viz. Marshall Crenshaw, Elvis Costello, Squeeze and yes, the Smithereens will positively love this! www.paisleypop.com

Kevin House Gutter Pastoral (BongoBeat)
As the title suggests, House deals with the darker side of life with his rustic folk songs. So, expect such cheery topics as death ("Black Smoke Rising"), loneliness ("Let Me Out"), addiction ("Waltzing with the Hellhound") and more death ("The Fun Side of Death"). Sing along, now - "I'm making love to the fun side of death…" Morbid. www.bongobeat.com

The Welcome Matt Empire Days (Self released)
Matt Langlois (for it is he) has decided to adopt the title of his debut album as his professional nom de plume. Whatever. This time around, there is less emphasis on pop constructs as Langlois focuses on an alt-country blues style that recalls the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Steve Earle. He wears it well on great tracks like "Love Too Much," "Obstacle Course" and "110%." www.welcomemattmusic.com

Raquels Boys Music For the Girl You Love (Jam)
Jangle pop fanatics will be glad to know that Sean Hutton and Reg Carter play Rickenbacker guitars exclusively. I mean, there's no mistaking that sound is there? Though you might quibble with the melodic quality control, you can't fault the attitude here as the Boys put heart and soul into an authentic mid-60s ambience. Strictly for fans, though… www.jamrecordings.com

The Dollyrots Eat My Heart Out (Self released)
All right! What is it about a girl-fronted punk band that makes me all weak in the knees? The Dollyrots sure do know how to hit the right spots with their unpretentious three-chord guitar attack. Highlights include a wonderful tribute to Hong Kong's finest ("Jackie Chan"), a ripping cover of "Be My Baby," not to mention the dynamic "Wreckage" and "Feed Me, Pet Me"…let's pogo! www.dollyrots.com

Braden Blake A Year in Pajamas (Self released)
I've actually had the honour of interviewing Blake back when he was promoting Super Deluxe's debut. Then, I found him (and his music) a little tentative. Some time later, Blake returns as a 'solo' artist with another debut that places him into the 'high potential' category. Chock full of poignant and thoughtful moments, A Year in Pajamas is essential listening for the softer side of rock and pop music. www.bradenblake.com

Thomas Lisa Greater Than Us (Self released)
Lisa is serious about his craft, no doubt about that. In many ways, he recalls the singer-songwriters of the mid-80s where sometimes, over-glossed production values meant the difference between good and great. So there are significant portions of this collection where the skill of a Roger Waters or a Don Henley shines through but equally the excess of a Sting or ugh Mr Mister threatens to drag the entire proceedings down. You decide. www.thomaslisa.com

Tangiers Never Bring You Pleasure (Sonic Unyon)
Hey! What happened to the Tangiers? Have they morphed from a Stones-Stooges amalgam into late 70s post punksters overnight? I mean, suddenly we're talking edgy, hard guitar pop that recalls Television, Gang of Four, Wire and certainly the early Echo and the Bunnymen…it's still cool, but only after you get your head round that stylistic shift! www.sonicunyon.com

The Hiss Panic Movement (Sanctuary)
Oh c'mon! Seriously, folks, hasn't this garage rock revival been taken a tad too far? Hmmm? It's bad enough that Jet rips off "Town Called Malice" (which paid homage to "Can't Hurry Love" to begin with!) and gets famous in the process but The Hiss? Well, if you enjoyed Oasis's faux Beatles knock-offs, you'll love this. It's not all that bad, mind, but c''mon!

Pushing Red Buttons Foreign Film Or Tango Dance (Self released)
Steve Herrig and co impressed with a debut album that referenced Todd Rundgren's Utopia uncannily. Herrig returns with a change in emphasis that focuses a little more on lyrical impact than melodic effect. Thus, the songs don' really come alive in the mind till you get an appreciation of the lyrics. In that light, "Girls Gone Stupid," "Tad" and "Love Jihad" promise to be minor classics. Check them out! www.pushingredbuttons.com

AnaVana Self-titled (Zip)
Trust Zip Records to present the pop scene with another exotic acquisition. AnaVana is a rock quartet like most; save that front woman Annastasia Victory delivers a distinctive other-worldly quality to otherwise competent material. Thus, tracks like "Let Me Be," "You Can't Read My Mind" and "Just Wanted To Love You" an uncommon spark. www.ziprecords.com

Nanook of the North The Taby Tapes (Parasol)
Quirky and twee they might be but Nanook of the North delivers atmosphere in spades. The kind of soundtrack you might find on a Swedish arthouse film. Reflective, morose and severely melancholy. Mood music you might perhaps play on a rainy day or a Monday. Maybe. www.parasol.com

Terry Eason Bees Will Bumble (Jam)
"This is part 2 of the elephant-bee-fly trilogy," Eason informs us in the CD sleeve. Having already impressed with Elephant Garden*, *Bees retains its predecessor's art-rock feel but with less emphasis on neo-prog rock to make its point. With greater freedom & confidence, Eason's eclectic agenda encompasses folk-rock, edgy post punk and even alt-country to touch and enlighten. Now for Fly… www.jamrecordings.com

Dan Politano Back Where I Started (Self released)
First picture I saw when listening to the opening "Smile" was Bryan Adams and voila, Politano pays tribute to Adams (together with the Beatles and the Goo Goo Dolls) in the credits. Not necessarily the kiss of death - in fact, there's much more to Politano than meets the eye. Yes, he's appears to be an unsophisticated heartland rocker but there is a palpable intensity in songs like "Ready To Go," "Innocence Arose" and "(Oh My) Anna" that should dismiss any reservations. www.danpolitano.com

A tad shorter than previous columns, I realize, but there's more next month. See you in thirty…God bless.

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