2009 REVIEWS
2008 REVIEWS
2007 REVIEWS

8.30.10
Clubfeet
GOLD ON GOLD--(PLANT MUSIC)- Was a time I would have been embarrassed to like anything so grounded in drum machine settings. But for at least a couple decades (? - not really my scene – but I have friends…) it’s been called Club, not Disco – and then there are Raves… At some point, at least in some quarters, it became, if not cooler, at least okay to like Dance/Trance/Club. Any-jig, Clubfeet is so good at generating these beats that it’s hard to sit still, especially during “D.I.E. Yuppie Scum,” “Edge of Extremes,” “Last Words,” and the “Pull It Together”. One track, “Teenage Suicide (Don’t Do It)” comes off as kind of silly -- somehow the genre doesn’t quite fit (picture a guy and gal; or guy and guy, edging closer on the dance floor, flirting, and you’ll see what I mean). Several tracks just provide nice background sounds – nothing wrong in that. Others, like “Fall From Up Here,” would fit under the “dream pop” umbrella if they employed more “rock” instruments and/or sounded denser. But this is nicely spaced-out, and pleasantly spacey; occasionally evoking a bit of Pink Floyd. Sebastian Cohen, Monty Cooper, and Yves Roberts create icing-luscious harmonies. On “Edge of Extremes” they even remind me of Wings. And, if this matters to people who like this sort of thing (which in this case seems to include me), these Aussies aren’t just programming/mixing digital files. No; Sebastian plays double guitars (gotta see that); Monty fingers the synthesizer and operates the smoke machine (these guys are really growin’ on me), and Yves attends to the bass and “details.” They’ve provided a great starting point for the Club/casual Electronica initiate and a fix for aficianados. On this balmy summer night, it’s just the ticket. www.plantmusic.com MARY LEARY

8.30.10
Concrete Blonde
BLOODLETTING (20th Anniversary Expanded Edition)-(SHOUT FACTORY)- I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for music from my youth. One example is that of Concrete Blonde. Back in 1990, they made a major splash with a song called "Joey," a song written as a lament to an alcoholic lover (fun fact: it was written about the late Marc Moreland, guitarist of Wall of Voodoo, who had been Johnette Napolitano's boyfriend). The song became a hit, was played on the radio constantly, and, thanks to having been called "Joey" as a child, it was one that really stuck to my heart. Getting the album it came from, Bloodletting, was a wonderful revelation. It was a weird amalgam of the dark, 4AD and Goth-ish type music I loved, the alternative rock that would soon become big, and, surprisingly, equal parts blues rock and pop music. The title song kicked off Bloodletting, and contained all the elements that made Concrete Blonde wonderful: death, the supernatural, sex, gothic imagery, and the wonderful vocals of Ms. Napolitano. Throughout the record, there would be laments about lost and fading love ("Caroline," "Joey"), longing ("Days and Days," "Lullabye"), death ("Tomorrow, Wendy, "Darkening of the Light"), and even self-reliance ("I Don't Need a Hero"). Twenty years later, the album's been remastered, with a handful of b-sides added to the record. Of these bonus tracks, two stand out; the first, a wonderful cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," and the long-lost "Joey" b-side, "I Want You," a song I've personally wanted to have on CD, as I listened to it as much as the A-side. I used to play that cassette single daily. Better still, the music still sounds fresh; a lot of the pre-alternative "college rock" music like this didn't age well. Luckily, Bloodletting did; it's a beautiful record, easily the highlight of Concrete Blonde's career, both creatively and commercially. www.shoutfactory.com JOSEPH KYLE

8.30.10
Grand Lake
BLOOD SEA DREAM- (HIPPIES ARE DEAD)- Contemporary Westerners are a pretty jaded bunch. Environmental and human tragedies are so common that one tends to pick and choose where to place one’s sympathies, with the likeliest candidates usually chosen per physical proximity and preexisting ties – i.e., I’m more likely to empathize with someone hobbled by cancer, a natural disaster, or a sudden family break-up if I’ve known them for some time, or they’re close to someone I’ve known for some time. So it’s surprising when I’m moved by the break-up revealing itself through Blood Sea Dream. Emo doesn’t tend to be my thing, and “dream pop,” which threatens to manifest per the album title, can be a catch-all for indulgent meanderings that often fall short of Progressive musicianship and compositional standards while being too drawn-out and serious for Pop. Yet even the first track, which sounds more than the others like that s—t I find so annoying, and which by name alone (“It Takes a Horse to Light a House”) runs a serious risk of pretention, engages me with deep, sincere feeling. Indeed, the pain coursing through BSD could be unbearable if the song-craft weren’t so mature; realized with sensual textures and mesmerizing dynamics. Nearly everything after the opener rises miles above the usual “Indie” acoustic/electric mush, especially ““Black Cloud,” “My Father as a Forest Full of Trees,” “Spark,” and “Oedipus Hex (Hwy. 1 North).” The sublime, single-note guitar on “Our Divorce” could be an advertisement for the thing – don’t tell the lawyers. www.hippiesaredeadrecords.com MARY LEARY

8.30.10
Landing On The Moon
WE MAKE HISTORY NOW-(YOUNG LOVE)-John Klemmensen’s vocals paint the first impression. I’m thinking, “Much too bleaty-goat/Adam Duritz.” But that only lasts for about four bars – then the clickity-clackity drum/guitar/bass kicks in, Klemmensen’s line resolutions start reminding me of Captain Beefheart, there are these interesting little rivulets of dissonance in the guitars, and I’m drawn in by the honesty: (“And it was there—there—I was a little late/I tried and I tried to make it okay,” and “I can’t hesitate – that’s what I always do.”) The song’s about awakening to the fragility of life and love, and by the time it’s escalated into an urgent plea, the delivery seems quite apt. From there, this almost-a-musical (as in the kind with acting weaving between song-and-dance numbers) format just gets better. Klemmensen trades vocal leads with keyboardist Megan L. Morgan, who has one of the purest, least-affected vocals I’ve heard in contemporary music. So it doesn’t matter so much that second track, “Hit The Road,” is relatively undistinguished; there’s a narrative of sorts going on here. LOTM muses on the fragility of romantic relationships, and the earth’s environment and future, in a way that’s fresh and engaging. The verses on the third track, “October,” presented again by Morgan, are a lovely magnet. Yes, songs like “Big E” will appeal mostly to lovers of mid-tempo emo - it’s good mid-tempo emo!. Standouts include the sophisticated dynamics of “Where Have We Gone?” which I would love to hear on the radio (okay, I’m an idealist), “October,” the classic Cardigans feel of “Letter,” and the gorgeous shimmer of “Holding Back.” The sincerity and earnestness with which these guys approach music-making is disarming: Is everyone in Omaha like this? www.youngloverecords.com MARY LEARY

8.30.10
Megafaun
HERETOFORE-(HOMETAPES)- When I scanned the onesheet for Heretofore, Megafaun's new mini-album, I saw a word that instantly sent a shiver down my spine: Phish. Call it my prurient interest in dignity, but I was nervous. Were these guys, who had impressed with last year's Gather, Form and Fly, gone all hippie jam band? It took all of two seconds into the album-opening title track to realize, no, these guys hadn't gone all boring on the world. Instead, what we have here is thirty-eight minutes of laid back, slightly psychedelic, rootsy country folk/rock, music clearly rooted in tradition but owing no direct inspiration to one particular group or artist. And, ya know, it sounds real good. The Phish-compared "Carolina Days" is rather a mid-tempo rave up about living a good life, while "Eagle" and "Volunteers" sound like songs you'd want to hear at a lazy Sunday afternoon cookout by a lake in the hills of Northern Arkansas. Of course, these guys have an experimental side, as witnessed by the thirteen-minute jazzy improvised instrumental, "Comprovisation for Connor Pass," which is an interesting aside from the rest of the record; normally, I would say it seems out of place, but this distinctive change in style works. Overall, Heretofore is a nice, pleasant little record; it establishes a nice connection to their previous work, while expanding on the promise of those earlier records. A fun little late-summer/early-fall record. And it doesn't really sound like Phish! www.home-tapes.com JOSEPH KYLE

8.30.10
Quakers On Probation
EVERY LIVING THING-(SELF RELEASED)- Of all places ,this terrific father/son duo f Daniel Craig(s) hails from Yakima, WA. They are joined by an interesting group of musicians whose names have passed by me over the years including Wrecking Crew drummer Larry Knetchel (who has played with the Beach Boys among others and who passed away during the session for this record) as well as Portland musician Colin Spring and another longtime indie musician Graig Markel. They call what they do “twangle pop” and that fits the music. The songs are breezy, the hooks plentiful and the melodies spot on. Opening cut “Pay it Forward’” was certainly a nice way to open a record with some grit added to the pop while “Your Favorite Song” makes good use of the pedal steel and has a nice melody throughout (as does the cloppity clop of “Sun Country Inn”). There are plenty of quality songs on here but my pick to click is “Marysville.” They even add, as a bonus track, a cover of Sammy Johns 70’s radio hit “Chevy Van” (which Joe Pernice covered on his latest record). The whole record was a pleasant surprise to say the least. Do not miss this one. www.quakersonprobation.com

8.23.10
Chris Brokaw And Geoff Farina
THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE TO ME--(CAPITAN)- These two, while not being household names or anything have both certainly carved out a niche in the indie scene with some terrific bands. Chris Brokaw has been a favorite of mine since the earliest days of Codeine but he didn’t stop there, from there he played guitar in Matador Records favorites (well, favorites of mine) Come and then went on to join the Kadane Brothers (ex-Bedhead) in the New Year (he also released a terrific solo record called INCREDIBLE LOVE on Gerard Cosloy’s other label, 12XU, in 2006). He has been in other bands as well but those are the higher profile ones .Bostonian Geoff Farina was in both Karate and the Secret Stars. I’m not sure if they’ve collaborated before but these 12 cover songs convey and easy balance and would think these two have been playing together for decades. Both sing and playing acoustic guitar (Brokaw adds electric guitar, organ and marxophone…..umm…wikipedia tells me it is a fretless zither). This is a fine batch of cover songs, mostly old standards or traditional, Tunes include “In the Evening” (by Leroy Carr) which is done beautifully with the two acoustic guitars melding perfectly (same with “Make me a Pallet on Your Floor”) while “Ginseng Blues (by The Kentucky Ramblers) updates a traditional tune with the chorus of “You can read my mind” and some ace whistling. “Oh Death” sounds like a tune Will Oldham should cover and “Stagger Lee” tells the story about a bully over a bed of bluesy folk guitar. THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE TO ME is a heartfelt, beautiful collection of tunes by two old friends who I hope have plenty more up their sleeves. www.chrisbrokaw.com

8.23.10
The Gaslight Anthem
AMERICAN SLANG-(SIDE ONE DUMMY)- This record came out two months ago and I wanted to review it sooner but it didn’t immediately grab me like their previous one did THE ’59 SOUND). I wanted to write the band off as trying too hard to go for that elusive gold ring but I couldn’t because their songs are too good. The 10 songs on here took a little longer to stick in my noggin’ but once they did I’ve had a hard time getting them out. They, (ok, they being vocalist/guitarist Brian Fallon) are trying to channel The Boss at every turn with his bellowing soulful vocals and songs about working class heroes from the ‘burbs of New Jersey or that big city across the river (“Boxer”, “The Queen of Lower Chelsea”, “Bring It On”, etc.) but it doesn’t matter because the hooks are too classic to simply write off. My personal favorites are the driving upbeat rockers (“Stay Lucky”, “The Spirit of jazz”, etc.) but even the more anthemic mid-tempo ones have the same kind of lasting power, if not more. The street corner doo wop of “The Diamond Street Church Choir” adds some Springsteen soul to some Billy Joel goofiness but again, coming out of the mouth of Fallon and his trusty cohorts even that one is hard to hate. A mighty nice roll these guys are on. www.sideonedummy.com

8.23.10
Leatherface
THE STORMY PETREL- (NO IDEA)- Hard to believe it but these Sunderland, UK punks have been at it for two decades now. If I’m not mistaken I believe this is their first record since 2004’s DOG DISCO (on the BYO label) but while that and the record before it (2000’s HORSEBOX) were merely good , THE STORMY PETREL finds them back at the top of their game. Vocalist/guitarist Frankie Stubbs still sounds like UK version of Bob Mould pouring his guts out on every song while the return of guitarist Dickie Hammond is certainly welcome and he and Stubbs guitars mix n’ match perfectly and sound like old friends (the guitars, that is) while the rhythm section pummels. Opener “God id Dead” is less melody and more philosophy but the raging “My World’s End” and the super-melodic “Never Say Goodbye” are among the band’s best ever as is the bouncy “Another Dance.” You want more? Check out the fierce “Diego Garcia”, the shredded guitar of “Monkfish” and the rip-roaring “Disgrace.” It seems like it’s been so long that Stubbs and Hammond had this monster they needed to unleash and , well, they did. No more of those extended breaks, ok? www.noidearecords.com

8.23.10
Seth Swirsky
WATERCOLOR DAY-(SELF RELEASED)-This California pop maven released a solid 204 solo record (INSTANT PLEASURE) but it was 2007’s release of his project the Red Button, the duo he did with pal Mike Ruekberg ,that caught everyone’s attention with a batch of 11 fantastic (and very Beatles influenced) songs. Instead of channeling our pals from Liverpool on this 18 song/ 43 minute record he goes more for the musicians that plied their trade right tin Swirsky’s backyard, yup, California. The opening title track adds some pedal steel while the classic “Summer in her Hair” is pure Beach Boys (as is the bouncy “Matchbook Cover”) and the breezy “Distracted” adds some Herb Albert horns to the equation with some classic results. “Movie Set” has some gorgeous strings and is another stunner as is the PET SOUNDS-ish “She’s Doing Fine.” It’s obvious here that Swirsky is aping his heroes here but instead of recording some derivative dreck, Swirsky has one again written a superb batch of songs that stand up to any band currently working in this medium today. If you didn’t think he could top the Red Button record well, think again. www.watercolorday.com

8.23.10
Wavves
KING OF THE BEACH-(FAT POSSUM)- Ok, I missed the boat on this guy. I kept reading the name but never bothered to check it out then once I actually read a review I was curious enough to give it a listen,. Wavves is Nathan Williams (apparently named for his fear of the ocean, now I would NOT have predicted that as the guy appears to be a surfer kid) a 20-something from San Diego who records under that summer moniker. Apparently he has two other records out (his previous one was also on Fat Possum) and this one is hi-fi compared to those lo-fi ones (?!!). I was initially reminded of fuzzed out 90’s pop bands like further and Honeyrider (“King of the Beach”) but there is a bit more going on here: some oddball beatbox numbers (“Idiot”), a few punk blasts (“Baseball Cards”, ala Green Day) and plenty of Beach Boys woo-hoos usually buried underneath a mound of soot (“When Will You Come”, “Take on the World”, etc.). You’d think these songs would’ve hit me immediately but they didn’t, my initial thought was “overrated” but after several listens I think Williams is onto something here. You might want to hate him for all those smug publicity photos but the lyrics are self-deprecating enough where it’s obvious the guy has plenty of self hate. He’s not tackling a new genre here or anything but he’s updating what has been done in a new and exciting way. www.fatpossum.com

8.23.10
V/A
SING ME TO SLEEP-INDIE LULLABIES-(AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT)- This Connecticut label always seems to be doing records which benefit some type of charity which is always a good thing, This particular one is one for the Valerie Fund which benefits kids with cancer and rare blood disorders. Basically it has many of today’s most popular indie bands tackling other bands songs and the results are wonderful. It opens with Canada’s Star taking on a Smiths b-side “Asleep” while next up is Jenny Owens Young doing a spare acoustic one of my favorite Red House Painter tunes in “Have You Forgotten and tune number three is the Real Tuesday Weld doing the Malvina Reynolds chestnut “Little Boxes” with some slippery kookiness added. Elsewhere Seattle faves Telekinesis doing the ELO classic “Can’t Get It out of My Head” and Dean & Britta try on the Jack Early tune “Making Me Smile” and do it more than justice. Mojave 3’s Neil Halstead offers up Kate Bush’s “Cloudbusting” and Papercuts take an AOR turn doing Don Henley’s “Boys of the Summer.” There’s plenty of other terrific cuts from The Cocktails, the (previously unheard) Leisure Society, Portland’s Laura Gibson, Say Hi (doing a quiet version of the Violent Femmes classic “Kiss Off”) and plenty of others. Well worth the money, this. www.alr-music.com

8.16.10
The Acorn
NO GHOST-(BELLA UNION)- Yesterday I was watching a “Classic Albums” DVD in which Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward attributed some of Paranoid’s cachet to how closely that line-up listened to each other (and it feels safe to assume this will be the only Acorn review to reference BS). Despite my tendency to nod out to a lot of “Indie” next-big-snores, the characteristic noted by Ward is, currently, nearly a norm in such circles. The Acorn’s a good example – seems every note, volume shift, and tempo change has been examined as minutely as an embroidery stitch. TA’s main scribe/chanter, Rolf Klausener (try saying that seven times in a row after a coupla brewskis) has a really nice voice – in a world of nice voices, his is clear and pure as a bayou that’s somehow eluded the BP spill. Kinda like distant, mostly-Canadian ancestors The Band, TA makes sounds that could nestle into the “Americana” niche. And gotta hand these guys some “originality” kudos: Jeff Debutte’s and Klausener’s soft wails ring with just enough whininess to evoke Bobcat Goldthwait on “On The Line” before throwing down the ambitious collage of the next track, “Bobcat Goldwraith.” Yeah, you read that right – and are unlikely to read it again, any time soon. Sweet, bright guitars, with some piano chords, provide the calling card of “Cobbled from Dust” before building to a dissonance-spiked mosh pit. “Misplaced” retreats to the first gear of single drumbeats/tambourine shakes, barely-there guitar murmurs, and Klausener’s narrative. But it’s on tracks like “Made the Law” that I want to be invited to the cabin in the woods where TA’s stirring a beautifully pastoral cauldron before wailing like classic Crazy Horse. A recommendation? Hard to say – depends on how much you crave a country sojourn (No Ghost was recorded deep in the woods of Northern Quebec -- you can feel the wind rustling through the leaves); along with your ability to track gently organic twists and turns: From the sweetly pastoral (“Slippery When Wet” could run with the fleetest foxes) to the born-too-late-to-be-Neil Young hoedowns. I’m already loading a knapsack. www.bellaunion.com MARY LEARY

8.16.10
Tommy Keene
YOU HEAR ME; A RETROSPECTIVE 1983-2009-(SECOND MOTION)- Tommy Keene has probably been called underrated so many times that he’s probably sick of it but as talented a songwriter as he is, the guy is probably modest to a fault (and I thought that before reading Matt Hickey’s liner notes). He understands and accepts his place in the music world and thus will have 100 times more respect than the Matchbox 20’s singers of the world (ok, bad contrast, I know) The guy has been producing quality pop music for nearly three decades and for every person who is a fan of his music there are 99 others who say “Tommy Who?” But still, fans in the know know who he is as do musicians you have heard of who he’s recorded with (Jeff Tweedy and Robert Pollard just to name two). His career was revived once in the mid-90’s by Matador and now it appears Second Motion has (smartly) picked up the ball and are running with it. YOU HEAR ME is a 2-cd/ 41-song retrospective from his years of service. Most of disc one focuses on the early years including his two Geffen Records (SONGS FROM THE FILM and BASED ON HAPPY TIMES) while disc 2 covers the 90’s and beyond. Check out the passionate cuts like “Back to Zero Now”, “Baby Face”, “Places That Are Gone”, “Driving into the Sun” and plenty of others. If you’re a fan you already have this but if you’re a newcomer or just plain curious then this is a perfect place to start. It’s all here for you on a proverbial silver platter. If you’re looking for flash then please keep moving but if you are after a consistently talented songwriter (think of him as the Eddie Murray or Brooks Robinson of the music biz) who writes with pure passion then look no further. www.secondmotionrecords.com

8.16.10
Mates Of State
CRUSHES: THE COVERS MIXTAPE- (SELF RELEASED)- This was certainly a pleasant surprise. I do wish bands did more cover though I don’t necessarily want to see more all covers record (having said that though I do want to hear the latest one from Nada Surf). This CT. duo (husband/wife) of Jason and Kori have been around for over a decade now and honestly I have enjoyed their past few records more than their first few (some friends don’t agree). This record has a real melodic, synth-pop sound and they pick an interesting choice of covers. The record begins with a terrific reworking of Girls song “Laura” done OMD style while song number two is a Mars Volta song. I personally don’t like the band but they’ve done some interesting things with their tune “Son Et Lumiere” (like add some cool horns). Next up is one of my favorite Belle & Sebastian songs, “Sleep the Clock Around” which doesn’t sound too completely different than the original. Later on we hear a superb version of the Dear Nora song “Rollercoaster” (off their debut full-length, WE’LL HAVE A TIME) plus other covers by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Fleetwood Mac, Daniel Johnson and others. I’d say worth the price of admission for the Girls and Belle and Sebastian covers, but solid all the way around and I do think it’s time for another tour. www.matesofstate.com

8.16.10
Nixon's Head
ENEMIES LIST-(GROOVE DISQUES)-Geez, speaking of obscure (see Tommy Keene review above) this Philadelphia institution have been making music nearly as long and are even more under the radar than Mr. Keene (if you can believe that). I know I caught this band a few times at Philly’s fabled South Street club JC Dobbs back in the late 80’s so it’s always a pleasure to see one of their cds come in the mail (and guitarist Jim Slade is still the main songwriter) . Not sure what # record this is but while the band still recalls crunchy 60’s Kinks, on this record they get a bit heavier and in these 11 songs. I hear elements of Blue Cheer, the MC5, Moby Grape, and Arthur Lee and Love in addition to their usual Beatles and Byrds influence . The terrific opener “Done Dealin” is a perfect out-of-the-gate stomper as is the heavier “Never Been Down” and the driving, female-sung “The Witness” (featuring The Photo Band’s Art DiFuria on lead guitar, he is another old Philly guy who I caught back in the day in a little known band called Tons of Nuns). The jangly, melodic “English Envy” closes out side one and side two, with six more wired n’ wooly tunes, is just as strong. For a band this good to be so obscure is criminal but that’s ok, ENEMIE’S LIST is well worth your hard-earned money. www.groovedisques.com

8.16.10
Perfume Genius
LEARNING-(MATADOR)- Wow, what an unbelievably sad, beautiful, moving record. I’m assuming this is a debut as I have never heard of this guy before and I don’t know, it just kinda sounds like a debut. Not that he sounds like a beginner, in fact, he sounds like an old soul to be honest but I do think he is younger than his years. The band is essentially the work on one guy, Mike Hadreas. A Seattle native who sounds like he locked himself in his bedroom and sang all of his demons away. The first song, the title track, is basically Hadreas’ shakey voice and a faint piano. The second song, “Lookout , Lookout” is basically the same thing but with eerier lyrics (“Lookout, lookout, there are murders about”). My personal favorite is song number three, “Mr. Peterson” which has the same basic foundation as the other songs but with a bit more melody (It’s the single) and more story-like lyrics (“He let me smoke weed in his truck” and “He made me a tape of Joy Division, he told me there was part of him missing”). A few other haunting gems include “Perry”, “Gay Angels”, “Write to Your Brother” and , well, all of them really. The whole record is unique and spellbinding in its own way and it’s shorttoo as these 10 songs float by in under 29 minutes. The few photos I’ve seen of Hadreas shows an androgynous sort who seems broken but LEARNING is a cathartic affair indeed. We can only hope Hadreas feels the urge to record again and again but until then let’s cherish this powerful, low-key beauty of a record. www.matadorrecords.com

8.16.10
Versus
ON THE ONES AND THREES-(MERGE)- It’s hard to believe that it has been a decade since the last Versus record. I don’t think this band ever really broke up but more like went on an extra-long hiatus. Anyway, the core of the band (vocalist/guitarist Richard Baluyut, his brother Ed on drums and bassist Fontaine Toups) got together and record this record and while not a great record it is solid record with a few great songs. The tunes seem a bit restrained with little of the guitar rage that filled records like LET’S ELECTRIFY or SECRET SWINGERS, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Invincible Hero” is a decent opener with some guitar grit but the real surprise comes next on “Nu Skin” where the band shows the unique shifts between heavy and light that they perfected over a decade ago (some terrific harmonies between Richard and Fontaine as well). “Gone to Earth” is a slithery pop tune with Richard’s subdued vocals (Fontaine comes in on this one too to add some beauty) and “Cicada” shows some o the days of yore with that patented ringing guitar meanwhile tracks like “Pink Valhalla” and “Into Blue” were a bit lackluster. Still, if they have another record up their sleeve then I wouldn’t count them out yet, plus I have plenty of room in my collection for more Versus (and if not I’ll MAKE room). www.mergerecords.com

8.09.10
Cats On Fire
DEALING IN ANTIQUES-(MATINEE)- I have thoroughly enjoyed this Finnish 4-piece , first 2 records so was genuinely surprised to see they had a new record out. This 20 song collection is actually a collection of singles, rarities and the like (basically everything they have recorded that was not on their first two records). One listen and the band’s charisma and panache’ will shine on through. . Leader/vocalist/main songwriter Mattias Bjorkas has been accused of sounding like a certain 80’s UK band (Smifs) and while that is true to an extent, Bjorkas’ voice is deeper and richer and the crack musical cast behind him compliment his vocals perfectly (I also hear bits of Orange Juice and The Wedding Present too, among others). The record begins with the a White Town cover (remember them? C.O.F. cover “Your Woman”) in fact, surprisingly, it’s the only cover on the whole record. Not necessarily a bad rendition but not the strongest way to start the record off but they more than make up for it on the next song , and the next one an next one and…well, you get the picture. They offer a different version of their terrific “Higher Grounds” , “Never Land Here” is confident while “Something Happened” is more minimal but just as enjoyable. The shuffling “Solid Work” was a unique pop tune as was “Don’t Say It Could Be Worse.” It’s a terrific collection and if you’re of the belief that nobody writes ‘em like they used to then give this band your immediate attention. www.indiepages.com/matinee

8.09.10
The Goodnight Loving
THE GOODNIGHT LOVING SUPPER CLUB-(DIRTNAP)- These blokes hail from the working class town of Milwaukee, WI and have a few mighty fine records out on the Dusty Medical label but am glad they are on our own Dirtnap label. At least one, maybe two of the members are in the Sub Pop band Jaill and they get lumped in with the garage scene quite a bit and while their music does have elements of garage they also add liberal doses of country & western, power pop and even some folk as well. This is their 4th full-length and most definitely their best. The record begins with “Ain’t it Weird?’ a sort of side-ways hoedown that’s sounds a bit tipsy so the sonic shuffle of the catchy-as-all-get-out “The Pan” (about the life of a fish). They crank up the organ on the anthemic “Earworm” and get down and dirty on the murky “Candy Store.” These guys, like the Black Lips, understand the true essence of rock and roll and are more than happy to show you how it’s done. If you don’t go along for the ride it’s gonna be a boring Saturday night, I guarantee it. www.dirtnaprecs.com

8.09.10
Jaill
THAT’S HOW WE BURN- (SUB POP)- This Wisconsin band who share a few members with The Goodnight Loving (see above) released a terrific debut last year THERE’S NO SKY (OH MY MY ) on Burger Records and then got a 2 record deal with Sub Pop, not bad fellas. I’ll say right off the bat that I do like their debut a smidge more than this but smidge means that this is a strong record in its own right. It’s kind of hard to categorize the band. The band add some wiry n’ weird guitar work melded to a hyperactive rhythm section and a vocalist set on spazz (or maybe stun?) at times, other times he approaches a croon or a soar. The best examples of this are on the zippy, superb “Everyone’s Hip” (“She’s My Baby” could be described as such as well) , the more mid-tempo, grinding “On the Beat”, the poppy “Demon” and the wildly rousing “How’s the Grave.” Right out of the gate this previously unknown bad has released two solid (and then some) records. Not sure if it’s something in the water in Wisconsin but I wanna hear more (and hopefully visit the cheese state one of these years). www.subpop.com

8.09.10
The Mynabirds
WHAT WE LOSE IN THE FIRE WE GAIN IN THE FLOOD-(SADDLE CREEK)-OK, so I was late getting’ to this band (what else is new) but then saw a preview of their Portland gig a few weeks back. I didn’t make the gig but the review was interesting enough where I needed to hear the record. Clueless me, I was waiting around for the next Georgie James record only to find out that they disbanded and Laura Burhenn, one half of that duo, had a new band The Mynabirds and already had a new record out recorded in Southern Oregon with Richard Swift. The name was taken from an old band that two old Canadians, Rick James and Neil Young had formed back in the 60’s. Where Georgie James took elements of 60’s pop music (think Kinks) The Mynabirds looks to torchier subjects like Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry with a heady brew of soul and gospel as well as a few more rockin’ moments tossed in (“Let the Record Go”). And what a brew it is, who knew that Burhenn had a set of pipes like that?! My god that girl can sing! Listen to gorgeous swayers like the brilliant “Numbers Don’t Lie”, the amazing “LA Rain” and terrific “Ways of Looking” as well as plenty of others. One of the most beautiful records you’ll hear all year, DO NOT miss this one. www.saddle-creek.com

8.09.10
Ty Segall
MELTED-(GONER RECORDS)- Dang, Y'all's, this is what psych rock was, shall and always will be. The opening track from Mr. Segalls new album is a blistering guitar mess with distorted vocals and an incredibly catchy, wonderful chorus. All of the songs on this album(with the exception of "Mike D's Coke", featuring Mike Donovan of Sic Alps, which seems like a bad inside joke to me) are beyond reproach. Track 2, "Caesar", is great acoustic psych with an appearance by John Dwyer(Thee Oh Sees) on flute(?). The third song, "Girlfriend", is garage psych done at a very high level. The same can be said for the remaining tracks. "Sad Fuzz" is so sweet it could rot my remaining teeth, the title track has more echo than I previously thought a band could get away with, "Imaginary Person" somehow throws some new wave into the mix and it is amazing how well it works, "My Sunshie", "Bees" and "Mrs." are all equally exciting as well. The closer, "Alone", features acoustic guitar plucking and strumming as well as an electric solo that easily could have been found on Neil Young's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere album 40 years after the fact. The album finishes as strong as it started and that's saying something. Very good. Thank you Mr. Segall. www.goner-records.com KIP KELGARD

8.09.10
The Shimmies
TO ALL BELOVED ENEMIES-(SELF RELEASED)- If you like layer upon audio layer, building to emotional cacophonies before subsiding into valleys of evocative shoe-gaze, you might want to check this Chico, California posse. Along with its thinking man’s headbanging skills, the band’s growing buzz can be traced to: (1) the addition of Jack Gingerich’s expressive kit banging, and (2) a noticeable surge in growth from previous album, Frogtown (which may be connected with #1). Tinkly little guitars shifting to ferociously buzzing rushes; percussive explosions, and quavery, grunge-seeded vocals: It’s all here for lovers of Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith, Buckfast Superbee, and Radiohead. “The Mountains Are Steep The Mountains Are Cold” (the video of which is called “The Mountains Are Cold The Mountains Are Steep”) is a good example - but, hey, guys, either get your adjectives in line or pass one of those doobies this way, eh? www.theshimmies.com MARY LEARY

8.02.10
Beach Fossils
S/T-(CAPTURED TRACKS)- This band is (was) essentially the brainchild of one Dustin Payseur. A North Carolina native who landed in Brooklyn, NY armed with his guitar, a Tascam 4-track and, possibly, a few Felt records. Signed to the label-of-the-moment Captured Tracks, first came the Daydream/Deseret Sand 7” in 2009 and now, this the band’s debut full-length. Payseur record most of this by himself but had some help on a few tunes (he has a full band now) . In addition to the previously mentioned Felt I hear alight echoes of The Clientele and Galaxie 500 as well (Payseur also said he was influenced by free jazz and McCarthy, Tim Gane’s band before Stereolab while recording). One listen to unforgettable cuts like “Vacation” (with a great guitar riff throughout), “Youth” or the single cut (included here) “”Daydream” (more of that hazy/silky guitar) will make you an instant fan. This record belongs in every pop fan’s collection and after the live show I saw last week they put on one heck of a show on stage as well. Do not miss. www.capturedtracks.com

8.02.10
Fuck Knights/G-Biz
SPLITT 12"-(IONIK RECORDS)- In my experience a split record of any kind generally has a photo of one band on one side and the other band on the other side. The cover of this 12" 45, containing 2 songs each(one live track, one studio track each) by Minneapolis bands Fuck Knights and G-Biz shows a different photo of the same five dudes on both sides. I find this troubling and deceptive. Fuck Knights studio track "i/Primitive" Is fuzzed out rock with distinct touches of punk and garage that mid song breaks down into good old R&B almost reminiscent of early Stones' records. The record could stand alone on just this one song. Unfortunately, it has to because the rest of the record is totally useless. Fuck Knights live track "Teenage Wasteland"(not the The Who classic) is one of the worst recordings ever put to vinyl(yes, I have heard "Still Life"). I very well may have enjoyed a studio recording of this song. I guess I'll never know. G-Biz "Don't Wanna Live". I liked this better when it was called The Butthole Surfers. More like Mike Patton covering the BH Surfers. Very disappointing. The live track, "Tired Of Being Poor" was recorded at the same show as the Fuck Knights offering. This must have been one of the worst shows in the history of shows. Hopefully Fuck Knights will release records to a broader audience, allowing for better production and recording methods. At the same time, hopefully G-Biz dies in a fucking riding lawnmower accident. www.ionikrecords.com KIP KELGARD

8.02.10
Jeremy Jay
SPLASH- (K)- I first gave this K records ambassador of cool a chance on his previous record, 2009’s SLOW DANCE (still have yet to hear his debut) and really enjoyed what I’d heard.. On this, his third record, Jay has up and moved to London from L.A. and it’s no surprise, that with his new locale, he still has that cigarette-dangling, icy cool and luckily for us, a fine batch of songs to go along with it. Clocking in at just under 27 minutes, these 9 songs was no time in planting their gooey little melodies into your noggin. Opening cut , “As You Look Over the City”, actually rocks a bit (for Jeremy) with some tasty guitar grit while my personal favorite, “Just Dial My Number” is a finger-snappin’ synth-pop tune that could/should be a dance hit (and just might be in his new home). On the amazing title track he speeds up the tempo and gets a bit Ian Curtis on us in the vocal department but keep the song moving with an unbeatable hook. A few merely average tunes follow-up and then the record comes to a grinding halt with a few more choice tunes (“This is Our Time” and “Why is This Feeling So Strong?”, reminding me a bit of Bill “Smog” Callahan on that song). From far, far away (if you’re in this part of the world) Jeremy wants to give you his heart. Please accept graciously. www.krecs.com

8.02.10
Locksley
BE IN LOVE-(FEATURE)-These 4 clean-cut dudes , like the band The 88, have songs on all kinds of tv shows and movies but hardly anyone has heard of them. BE IN LOVE might change all of that. They hail from Wisconsin now call BKNY home and on this, their sophomore record, they toss out every roc/pop cliché with lots of ooh ooh ooh’s, hand claps, snappin’ fingers and more hooks than you can shake a stick at. In other words, you might want to hate this record but it’s nearly impossible as the hooks are too irresistible. You want proof? Check out “The Whip”, “Days of Youth”, “21st Century” or “Love You Too” (Beatles reference?). Ok, so not a ton of substance here but honestly, who needs substance when you’re too busy bouncing up and down? www.locksley.com

8.02.10
Phosphorescent
HERE’S TO TAKING IT EASY-(DEAD OCEANS)- Full-length #5 from NYC-via-Athens, GA musician Matthew Houck and this is his first real record with a band and it’s terrific. Houck is obviously influenced by 70’s bands, namely The Eagles and The Band (as well as plenty of those Laurel Canyon cats we’ve heard so much about over the years and current alt-country guys like Dawes and the Fruit Bats) and HERE’S TO… is a rousing affair that harkens back to a time when musicians would gather in the living room and jam for hours (or days) based on a mutual respect for each other. The songs are breezy, catchy and beautiful. This one can be (and should be) put on and played from start to finish. The opening cut, “It’s hard to be Humble (When You’re from Alabama)” has a pop swagger and bounce to it unlike the rest of the record, which is a more laid-back affair with breezy harmonies atop strummy acoustic tunes (the best example being “Nothing Was Stolen (Love Me Foolishly)” and “The Mermaid Parade”). It’s always a major plus when a songwriter can sing straight from his heart and still write terrific pop songs. Matthew Houck is one of those rare birds so please don’t take him for granted. www.deadoceans.com

8.02.10
Thee Oh Sees
WARM SLIME-(IN THE RED)- Warm Slime got pumped out just about a year after Help – apparently, as in classic horror movies, it doesn’t matter how much ya scream – the creepy-crawly ooze is still comin’ to get ya. Since the monster comin’ through this window’s some of the most rabid rawk being emitted on the planet – well, we’re sorry for Thee Oh Sees, but, like the figures jumpin’ around the Flamin’ Groovies’ Supersnazz cover (one with a bucket of fire in its fist; another hoisting a stick of dynamite), we, the insatiable head-wagging groovers, are jazzed --color that super-jazzed. Warm Slime captures Thee Oh Sees’ ecstatic thump-n-jangle even better than Help. The easy star’s the title cut. It employs a frequent John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees’ chief pants-on-fire instigator; a knob-twirlin’ guitar smacker & shriek emitter if ever ya saw one) technique: Taking several elements (garage, mod, etc.) that are true rawkers meat ‘n’ potatoes & reworking so as to recreate the same hit we got from the originals – while feeling fresh as a newborn rug rat. “Slime” manages to blend the Blues Magoos’ manic “Tobacco Road” pitch with Sly & the Family Stones’ “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and the Yardbirds circa “Hot House of Omagarishid” and Over Under Sideways Down.” If that doesn’t sound like the best time you can have legally, I truly pity you. On the other hand, Oh Sees visits are already getting ridiculously jammed-up, so, hey, more for us. Although, gotta admit, for crowded shows, they’re an incredible kick. Everyone’s so goddamned happy at getting a huge dose of what our hungry blood craves, ‘n’ so amazed at the band’s indefatigable zeal; along with its unerring dynamic intuition… can’t imagine a more joyful near-mosh pit in heaven. The album’s other gotta-gotta rave-ups include “I Was Denied” and a three-alarm-fire, “Castiatic Tackle” – that one’s blasting holes in my speakers right now, ‘n’, sweartogod, there was no recourse – minute it slammed on, I morphed into classic headbanger mode: the smile-sneer; the insistently jerkin’ head. www.intheredrecords.com MARY LEARY

7.26.10
Aviation Blondes
EDGE OF FOREVER-(GET HIP)- A bit of a left turn for the normally garage rock-ed Get Hip label (who have been doing their thing for 2 decades and very well, I might add). The record has a mod cover with lots of red, white and blue, arrows, circles, etc but the band goes in a more power pop direction with forays into heavier stuff (listen to the guitar lead at the end of “Catch and Release”). The vocals by Lexi Roberts usually soar and the tunes, written mostly by guitarist Steve Morrison. Then you have a tune like “Don’t Look Down” , with its breezy horns, reminded me of an Ivy track (the male-sung “Duet by Myself” was a cool pop tune too). Only 7 songs here but I hope we hear more from this bunch and kudos to the band for not being afraid to try different styles and not writing a bunch of songs that would have fit into the Garage Rock 101 class. www.gethip.com

7.26.10
Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang
THE WONDER SHOW OF THE WORLD-(DRAG CITY)- I must admit I like Will Oldham’s earlier stuff under the Palace and Palace Bros. moniker (or the records under his own name) more than the BPB stuff but I do like the BPB stuff as well (MASTER AND EVERYONE is my personal favorite). On this one Oldham is joined by The Cairo Gang featuring guitarist Emmett Kelly (who has played with Will before) and Shahzad Ismaily on bass. The sound, for me, is a bit too laid back. The guitar playing is loose and languid and the players seem to know each other’s next move, it’s just the songs I’m having a problem with. Nothing awful here just a bit too meandering though, to be fair, I did really like “With Cornstalks or Among Them” and “Go Folks, Go.” Many have said it’s Oldham’s most austere record and that may be true (in a career full of austere records) but at this point it’s his previous stuff (I still reach for DAYS IN THE WAKE or even MASTER AND EVERYONE) I will grab when looking for my Oldham fix. www.dragcity.com

7.26.10
Carissa's Weird
THEY’LL ONLY MISS YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE: SONGS 1996-2003- (HARDLY ART)- Anyone who’s logged substantial hours in the Pacific Northwest knows the answers to parades of monotonously dark days: 1) Leave. 2) Abandon yourself to pot after pot of tea before curling up with a good book or album, sinking into the pleasures of grey nuances and trees that never seem to stop crying. The sun has an odd way of appearing through the clouds before sunset, making the sky reveal patches of breathtaking color. Of course, there’s a third option, around which Peet’s, Starbucks, et al, have capitalized: If you’re in Bellingham, Seattle or Portland, throw on a hoodie , scurry to a coffeehouse, and puncture all that yin with caffeine and warm bodies. The third option doesn’t seem to have been available and/or favored by the six members of Seattle-based Carissa’s Wierd. Instead, this posthumous retrospective evokes teenagers or young adults stuck in rural or suburban dwellings where gloom-soaked isolation can open the door to insanity. CW’s music isn’t really wierd – it’s mildly offbeat, with occasional quirkiness; like a cloudier, more troubled Innocence Mission. To the novice, the subdued duets of Jenn Ghetto and Mat Brooke can initially resemble vocals by Modest Mouse, a group that, perhaps not incidentally, started resisting men in white coats in Issaquah, Washington around the same time. But CW threw way more space between notes and emotions. It was also fairly digressive (for post-post-punk/folk-rock/whatever) for its sensitive marriage of violin and cello with electric instruments. CW benefited from the freedom of post-punk inheritors, especially the “It sucks in the suburbs, so damn the torpedoes” variety, like Camper Van B. and Beat Happening - it’s in the “whatever instrument works here” intuition, and casual shifts from brooding to more rocking beats, as on “Die.” The themes tend to uncoil from entrapment and/or longing for its alternative. That CW wrests so much from the same-old affirms prolific songwriting and collaborative oomph. Of this compilation’s 16 tracks, the ones I’m squirreling onto my own CW/Innocence Mission/Eliza Carthy/Pink Floyd/Thinking Fellers mix include “Die,” “The Color that Your Eyes Changed with the Color of Your Hair,” “Ignorant Piece of Shit,” and “One Night Stand.” Especially essential: the symphonic majesty of “”Sympathy Bush,” the brilliantly intense “So You Wanna Be a Superhero,” and the beautifully devastating “Brooke Daniels’ Tiny Broken Fingers.” “All Apologies and Smiles, Yours Truely, Ugly Valentine” sounds like it could have been inspired by one of those sublime, misty-sunny Northwest sunsets. And I really like the quiet, piano-dotted interludes on the title track. www.hardlyart.com MARY LEARY

7.26.10
Adam Franklin And The Bolts Of Melody
I COULD SLEEP FOR A THOUSAND YEARS-(SECOND MOTION)-This is the former Swervedriver frontman’s 3rd record released under his own name and his first going back to that noisier style of music, which suits him perfectly. After his well-known band broke up he released a few record s under the name Toshack Highway which was more electronic-based and less guitar (he also has (had?) a project with Interpol’s Sam Fogarino called Magnetic Morning which I have yet to hear but have read good things). Anyway, I COULD SLEEP FOR A THOUSAND YEARS sees Franklin doing what he does best, creating shearing melodic guitar rock. Not as slicing as the Swervedriver material, no, this is a bit more laid back and melodic but no less quality. Opening cut “Yesterday has Gone Forever” is a near-perfect, noisy pop tune. While you’re at it don’t miss other chargers like “Sinking Ships’ and I’ll be Your Mechanic.” But don’t think Franklin and company are all bluster, cuts like “Mary Gunn” and “Guernica” show that they are able to turn the amps down from time to time as well. Whether you were an old Swervedriver fan or if you’re newcomer looking for some ace tunes, I COULD SLEEP FOR A THOUSAND YEARS will fit the bill. www.secondmotionrecords.com

7.26.10
The Loons
RED DISSOLVING RAYS OF LIGHT-(BOMP)- “The Loons are having a guitar orgy – everyone’s invited!” *** “It’s 1967—No, 1966! It’s the Loons!” *** are just a couple headlines that occur as I nod my head along with the band’s latest. But we don’t use headlines at Dagger – nope, our benevolent CEO likes simple, streamlined review formats. Jeez, I’m already kinda strapped – the musicologist & Garage queen in me both want to do a cartwheel over the absolutely fitting marriage of the new Loons full-length with Bomp! Records. Adding to this embarrassment of riches, guitarist/writer/lead vox Mike Stax edits one of the world’s best ‘60s/retro ‘zines, Ugly Things. For those of us into all of the above, the smile on the happy-face doesn’t’ get much bigger. So it’s a good thing the album matches my enthusiasm. ‘Stead of looking like any sort of grand ole retirees, The Loons are holding steady as masters of pop psychedelia with a crisp beat (Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Electric Prunes, Blues Magoos, etc.) the recreation of which is now spreading like a wildfire among mostly younger contenders. Indeed, there’s a groundbreaking resurgence, mostly centered around San Francisco, resulting in new ways of blending these beats with other rock-fanatic elements (the Cramps, lots of new wave, Sonic Youth, the Pixies) in a race to be the most insanely off-the-chain, barely-controlled chaos. Yup, pretty amazing sounds have been emanating from Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segal, Golden Triangle, Leon and his Fiction, and a few others. First time I saw the Loons, I think around ’96, I was initially a bit intimidated by the crowd’s studiedly retro duds and mannerisms (coming from NYC and Washington, D.C., I was used to bohos who were less fixed in their styles and attitudes, who casually mixed retro with whatever). I was relieved to find that, unlike San Diego’s retro jazz scenesters, the ‘60s lovers weren’t afraid to show emotion and shake it when called for – that show was fun! Seeing the Loons is like walking into the kind of record store so bursting with certifiable coolness, there’s a possibility the clerks will be snotty -- to stroll out, an hour or so later, still chuckling over the quips you traded with someone else who sits around comparing the merits of Move and Nazz bootlegs. Good stuff. Good people. Nice vibe. RDROL rox like crazee. The compelling progressions on “Diamonds, Garbage & Gold,” “I Wanna Get You,” and the title track could easily go head to head with Pebbles’s best. Stax (whose impassioned vocals marry Richard Hell, Thurston Moore, Mick Jagger and Cyril Jordan) is a purist. His need for guitars that jangle, ring and buzz; a throbbing rhythm section, and concise tunes, has miraculous shelf life – probably ‘cause he and the other Loons are about breathing this stuff – to them, it’s not history. After giving this a few spins, I’m pretty convinced I could skip to the corner diner for a $3 burger/fry/Nehi special. www.bomp.com MARY LEARY

7.26.10
Truman Peyote/Many Mansions
PEACED TOGETHER/ SPLIT 12"-(WHITEHAUS FAMILY RECORDS)- This record sucks. Here's why: Truman Peyote is a dance/drone/electronic duo who probably couldn't get their own Grandmother's to come to their shows. The four tracks on their side of the record go from strangely relaxing("Numbjob") to absolute vomit inducing crap("Sidewalk Sludge(Airbud)"). The highlight of the EP is "Magentadoor II" which actually has a driven bassline and vocals that you really can dance to. Many Mansions is a solo project of dance/island/pop music. While 3 of the 4 tracks are literally unlistenable, the opener "Mind Island" shows serious potential for a reggae style artist. Though not typically the style of music that I enjoy, it somehow works for me. This is all rendered pointless once you find out that Many Mansions is the stage name of one Shane M. Donnelly, a whiter than white dude appropriating the blackest of black music. Kind of reminds me of Cocorosie on the level of racism disguised as arthouse chic. Absolute shit. www.whitehausfamilyrecord.com KIP KELGARD

7.19.10
The Well Wishers
POST MODERN ROMANTIC-(SELF RELEASED)- Among certain power poppers the leader for this band, Jeff Shelton, is a god among men. For the past decade with his previous band the Spinning Jennies and now this current combo, Shelton and his crew (on here basically he and drummer Nick Laquintano) have been consistently cranking out quality power pop with more hooks than your grandfather’s tackle box and harmonies straight off a Cheap Trick record (they get a lot of Posies comparisons but I think they sound more like The Lolas). POST MODERN ROMANTIC is no different, 11 tunes, each vying for your attention with those tasty guitar licks. First cut “Run Away” is superb power pop as is the next cut, “Hanging On” (don’t let those opening hard-rock opening chords scare you away) and cut #3 , “All For Nothing” too. They slow it down a bit on more mid-tempo cuts like “Someone Else” and “Consequence of Love” but the songwriting is still good. Honestly, there’s no filler on here and near the end they even toss in a Nils cover (“Fountains”). Now that’s good taste! www.myspace.com/thewellwishers

7.19.10
Chain And The Gang
(I'VE GOT PRIVILEGE c/w DETROIT MUSIC-(K)- Ian Svenonius has been making politically charged soul-inspired rock for two decades, and, Chain and the Gang's music isn't terribly different from the Make-Up. They recently released their debut album, Down With Liberty...Up With Chains, which I haven't heard, but this recent single captures in two songs the best of Svenonius. The A-side is a slow-burner, with Ian taking his voice into a down-and-dirty, funky place, with a song about (I'm assuming) white privilege. The B-Side, "Detroit Music," extolls the virtue of Detroit's historical musical scene, with a boy/girl vocal exchange and call-and-response singing that explains how Detroit music is made. These two songs aren't really unsurprising, but they're good, and make me want to check out that full-length! www.krecs.com JOSEPH KYLE

7.19.10
The Contrast
GOD OF MALFUNCTION-(WICKED COOL)- Between 2000 and 2007 this highly underrated band from Peterborough, England, led by the elusive David Reid, released 5 records for the Rainbow Quartz label. All of them low-key (in their own way) and, I dunno, maybe because there wasn’t much variation between the records or maybe because the band name doesn’t scream out, “Hey, pay attention to us!” but, well, the band definitely deserved more respect than they received. On this, their first true full-length for the Wicked Cool label (after 2008’s introductory compilation called PERFECT DISGUISE: INTRODUCING THE CONTRAST) the band sound revitalized and I feel comfortable saying that this is the band’s best record yet. “Underground Ghosts” was a pleasant way to open a record: nice mid-tempo song in the Elvis Costello vein but then they crank up the organ on the exceptional “Coming Back to Life” and the Rockpile-ish “Take Me Apart.” They add some beats on “I Am an Alien” and pure McGuinn jangle on “Gone Forever.” I have just described the first 6 tunes and there are 6 more, most of which are just as good. Maybe something has been added to the water in Peterborough, I dunno. This is terrific. www.wickedcoolrecords.com

7.19.10
Fjord Rowboat
UNDER THE COVER OF BRIGHTNESS- (SELF RELEASED)- I’m not sure why this Canadian bunch (they hail from Toronto) aren’t brought up more in shoegaze and dream pop conversations but maybe this 2nd record will be the one that does the trick. I do remember hearing their debut, SAVED THE COMPLIMENTS FOR MORNING (from 2007) but don’t remember being that impressed but UNDER THE COVER OF BRIGHTNESS made me stand up and take notice. They come crashing out of the gate with three superb tunes. The moody opener, “Even You Out” which then rips into the MBV-ish “Underwater Hero” which buries you in the squall of noisy guitars and then, pure melody. By cut three, “We Are on Time”, which was a good mix of the first two songs, you are hooked. Some other gems are the Echo and the Bunymen-ish “The Only Ones”, the slowly unfolding “Outta My Control” and the driving “When I Speak of Violence.” A few of the tunes were just ok (“Cotton Wood Glacier”, “We Both Know”) but most of UNDER THE COVER OF BRIGHTNESS is a strong sophomore effort and can safely say that these guys certainly deserve the comparisons they have been getting. www.fjordrowboat.com

7.19.10
Foals
TOTAL LIFE FOREVER-(SUB POP)-The first cool thing: cover art of several divers in the deep blue sea. (Btw, what’s not to like about the environmental/finger-friendly trend of paper/cardboard packaging? SubPop’s among the concerns that have been pumping out these texturally-tempting covers for awhile). Whether or not this relates to Futurology (leader/vocalist/guitarist Yannis Phillipakisis’s interest), Foals seems to be saying: Life and/or love are deep, oft- treacherous seas, with infinite possibilities. Foals has so effectively honed its attack that much of this ambitious opus hits its marks. We can feel the depths of hope, destruction, infatuation and betrayal. Yannis’s tenor pokes out of the often dense (still, to these ears) mix with a new urgency not entirely unlike Robert Smith’s. Something that hasn’t changed: these former math rockers are restless as young horses. It’s a testament to the band’s growing cohesion that, for all the rhythms taken, the album works as a unified piece. The title cut cavorts with textures and kinetic tilts. “After Glow” breathes wistfully before upping the dance beats. A wisely-chosen single, “Miami” hits an infectious groove and texture, holding forth like the Talking Heads circa “Girlfriend is Better.” In fact, I wonder where Foals would be without a surfeit of hormones and guitar effects, especially those of the latter pioneered, or borrowed from forms like Soukous, by Robert Fripp, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, and Johnny Marr. At least half of TLF would make a killer soundtrack for a road trip, especially the kind where you can gun it up to at least 70, mile after mile. www.subpop.com MARY LEARY

7.19.10
Mas Rapido!
DUMB IS KING!-(PARASOL)- Frank Bednash and Donna Esposito have been making music together for nearly three decades. They began in 1983 and then formed Cowboy and Spingirl (god I hated that name) for part of the 80’s and early 90’s when the band evolved into Toothpaste 2000 (that name is not much better). Eventually, in the early 2000’s (and most likely with a different drummer) they released a record as Mas Rapido! (ok, now that’s a band name I can live with). DUMB IS KING is record #3 from these guys and on most of these songs they happily bash away like a 80’s garage band doing the 60’s garage band thing mixed with youthful spunky energy (minus the youth). Most of the songs are good but they are both too long and there are too many of them here. At 16 songs and an hour long it’s too much. This is the kind of record you want to come in, knock you around for 25-30 minutes and then leave you stunned, dazed and smiling for a while. Highlights include the rousing “She Doesn’t Care About Me”, the jangly (Donna sung) “Not Normal” and the shuffling “Feelings.” Play to your strengths kids, you definitely got them. www.parasol.com

7.19.10
The Well Wishers
POST MODERN ROMANTIC-(SELF RELEASED)- Among certain power poppers the leader for this band, Jeff Shelton, is a god among men. For the past decade with his previous band the Spinning Jennies and now this current combo, Shelton and his crew (on here basically he and drummer Nick Laquintano) have been consistently cranking out quality power pop with more hooks than your grandfather’s tackle box and harmonies straight off a Cheap Trick record (they get a lot of Posies comparisons but I think they sound more like The Lolas). POST MODERN ROMANTIC is no different, 11 tunes, each vying for your attention with those tasty guitar licks. First cut “Run Away” is superb power pop as is the next cut, “Hanging On” (don’t let those opening hard-rock opening chords scare you away) and cut #3 , “All For Nothing” too. They slow it down a bit on more mid-tempo cuts like “Someone Else” and “Consequence of Love” but the songwriting is still good. Honestly, there’s no filler on here and near the end they even toss in a Nils cover (“Fountains”). Now that’s good taste! www.myspace.com/thewellwishers

7.12.10
Gigi
THE HUNDREDTH TIME c/w SECOND BEST-(K)- Nick Krgovich is the mastermind behind Gigi, a band with a revolving cast of lead singers, a la Stephin Merritt's 6ths, with Krgovich utilizing the talents of K Records and Vancouver-based indie rock stars. "The Hundredth Time" is taken from their debut record,Maintenant, and is a gorgeous little Bacharach-style number, with lead vocals by members of Vancouver-based Ladyhawk. The B-side, "Second Best," continues the pop, though is a little more upbeat than the A-side, with a swinging boy/girl exchange that makes me wish Chickfactor was still publishing. Another winning little slice-o-vinyl from K! www.krecs.com JOSEPH KYLE

7.12.10
Robbie Fulks
ROBBIE FULKS PLAYS THE MUSIC OF MICHAEL JACKSON-(SELF RELEASED)- For fifteen years, alt-country smartass Robbie Fulks has been making some fun, funny, sassy, and sometimes silly records. He's made songs about starlets overdosing, burning in hell for living in sin, and about many other things. With his latest record, he's taken a step in another direction; Happy is a 14-song tribute to the late King of Pop, with songs from every aspect of Jackson's career. It's not as half-assed, irreverent, or as silly as it may seem; Fulks's take on Jackson's music is actually rather respectful. His smooth-as-silk voice actually fits the take on Jackson's love songs, like "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Ben," whereas the take of "The Girl is Mine" is a boy/girl take on the McCartney collaboration, and the use of a female counterpoint makes it an interesting take on gender and sexuality. (I'm not sure who it is on vocals, but it sounds like Kelly Hogan.) The better songs are those that are slightly more obscure; early solo hit "Ben" is plaintive and lovely; "Farewell My Summer Love" sounds like a Fulks original,"Privacy" sounds like a Mr. Bungle record(!!!), but the absolute winner is Jackson 5 song "Mama's Pearl," which is absolutely joyful and bouncy as the original. Not everything works here--"Black and White" is forgettable, and "Billie Jean," while turned into a country ballad, just doesn't quite gel, perhaps because it's such an iconic number--but for most of Happy, Fulks does a bang-up job paying tribute to Jacko. www.robbiefulks.com JOSEPH KYLE

7.12.10
Honus Huffhines
A BRIEF HISTORY OF...- (BRAXELING)- This Portland bunch, the core of the band being vocalist /guitarist Andy Giegerich and drummer Joe Kobjerowski, have been around for a few years playing all of the local dives and I’m truly bummed I have not caught them in a live setting yet. That will come but in the meantime they released a fine 7” a few years back and now this, their debut record. The band has a real loose feel, think of one of Scott McCaughey’s projects (Young Fresh Fellow, Minus 5, etc.) and you’ll be in the ballpark, but I also hear that classic sound of the Modern Lovers a bit too. Mixed with Giegerich’s biting sense of humor what you have is one fine pop record. They happily bash away on cuts like the opening “Blahtown” or the (slightly more reserved) “Grins No Teeth”) and that is what the band does best: have their eager guitars meet up with the even-more-eager drums and it’s a marriage made in heaven (sloppy kisses too) but the band is no one trick pony, “Josh’s Theme” almost has a cocktail feel to it and the terrific “Ron Anderson” adds some twinkling harmonies (and horns!) to the already tasty pop stew (same with “Smirking”). Do yourself a favor and head over to the band’s myspace site listed here and give them an honest listen. Go on. www.myspace.com/thehonushiffhines

7.12.10
The Love Language
LIBRARIES-(MERGE)-Stuart McLamb. The name sure sounds Scottish, doesn’t it? Nope, this guy and his crew hail from North Carolina, the same state that his label, Merge Records hails from. I’m still trying to think if I ever heard the debut on Portland’s own Bladen County Records and for the life of me I cannot remember but as good as this sophomore effort is it sounds like I need to go back and hear it (apparently the debut was recorded by McLamb alone in his bedroom while this one was made in a real studio). Having said all of that, LIBRARIES is a terrific pop record that covers a lot of ground. You hear some Spector Wall O’ Sound stuff (“Summer Dust”), majestic, moody pop (“Pedals”), indie waltzes (“Brittany’s Back”), minimal rock (“Blue Angel”), strummy acoustic gunk (“Heart to Tell”), something that might elicit some Arcade Fire comparisons (“Horophones”) and more. The common theme to all of these songs is, what else, quality songwriting. I was thinking how the songs on LIBRARIES make me swoon and to be honest, I’ve never swooned in my life (and am a bit embarrassed to even say I have). I haven’t even begun to delve into the lyrics yet but I think there’s a lot of heartbreak there. Like a lot of heart-busted records of the past (Dylan’s BLOOD ON THE TRACKS) , his sorrow is our treasure. One of 2010’s best. www.mergerecords.com

7.12.10
Robyn
BODY TALK PT. 1-(KONICHIWA RECORDS)- Dagger is not typically the place where one would read about club music and radio-friendly pop, but the new record by Robyn is something entirely different. Though Robyn's career began around the same time as the teen-pop scene of the late 1990s; her two songs, "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know What It Takes?" were both hits of the era, yet they seemed to have something better than most of the other radio pabulum: substance. Her career pretty much ended after those hits made it out of circulation, and it seemed as if she was destined to one-hit wonderland. But she persevered, had major legal battles with her label, then self-released her "comeback" album a few years ago, which, as most European exports do, became a phenomenon in the US a year or two after it actually was released. Now that she's reestablished herself, she's released Body Talk, Pt. 1, the first of three proposed albums this year(!). It ain't bragging if you can do it, and Robyn most certainly can. At eight songs, Body Talk is more an EP, but that's beside the point. Robyn is an innovator, utilizing humor, talk-boxes (on the deliciously funny "Fembot"), and unique blends of electronica, hip-hop, disco, and reggae. "Dancing On My Own" is perhaps one of the saddest yet most upbeat songs Erasure never wrote, too. And it's not all pop hits, either; her turns at a traditional Swedish musical number "Jag Vet En Dejilg Rosa," as well as the gorgeous ballad "Hang With Me" proves that the woman can actually SING. If you ever wondered what it would be like if Kate Bush collaborated with Giorgio Moroder, or if Alison Moyet worked with Moby, you'll love this record. "Play me some kind of new sound/Something true and sincere," she sings on "None of Dem," and Body Talk, Pt. 1, most definitely is. One of the best records of 2010. www.konichiwa.se JOSEPH KYLE

7.12.10
Thieves Like Us
AGAIN AND AGAIN-(SHELFLIFE)- This type of electronic dance rock isn’t usually my cup of tea but being on the quality Shelflife label I had to take a gander and I have to admit, it has slowly grown on me after several plays. The trio, hailing from all over Europe (2 Swedes and one American based in Berlin, Paris and Milan) , seem to have added some much-needed hooks from their debut (2008’s PLAY MUSIC) and who knows, with some intelligent listeners, they could be on playlists with bands such as Hot Chip and Crystal Castles and owning dance floors. First tune “Never Known Love” has a pleasant, rolling rhythm along with synths that scream “Krautrock” , the song is more chill than dance but still a nice way to open a record. Next comes the perky “Shyness” which could (should) be a single with its stuttering melodies and melodic bounce while “One Night With You” is pure New Order (where the band took its name from) and yes, pure dance floor 80’s (check out “Lover, Lover” too) and “The Walk” is splashy fun . A few of the odder cuts didn’t do it for me (“Mercy”, “Silence”) but most of AGAIN AND AGAIN will strikes that chord within you where your feet begin to shake, your butt turns, hands jiggle and before you know it, by golly, you’re cuttin’ a rug (angular haircut optional)! www.shelflife.com

7.05.10
Flyover States
S/T-(SELF RELEASED)- I knew this fairly new Santa Rosa, California band was gonna be worth hearing when I found out Dave Halbur was a member. Dave pounded the skins for SR’s Grady Sisters back in the 90’s (and did a damn good job of it too) but in The Flyover States he sings and plays guitar and sounds just as talented. In addition to Halbur is transplanted Brit Neil Pinkerton (vocals and guitar as well) as well as ex-Jr Anti Sex League drummer Dan Carls (the quintet is rounded out by Cindy Guliani on bass and J.D. Clem on keys). The band has a nice pop sensibility and seems to harken back to the golden age of indie rock in the mid-90’s when bands like Pavement and Archers of Loaf seemed to be coming out of everyone’s mouths. What’s especially impressive is Halbur and Pinkerton’s guitar interplay, with guitars slithering together like these two have been at it for decades (instead of just a few years) while the rhythm section is certainly solid. For proof just check out wired cuts like “Alex Vs.” , “No Escape” as well as “24” , “Atlas” and the record-ending “Kafka (on the Shore).” If this bunch can avoid the Sonoma County curse and maybe play outside of a 30 mile radius and get their tails up here they might find a whole host of new fans in Portland hungry for this tasty, melodic stew. www.myspace.com/theflyoverstates

7.05.10
Jeremy Messersmith
THE RELUCTANT GRAVEYARD-(SELF RELEASED)- Wow , this is one of those cds the publicist kept asking me if I had had chance to listen to yet and I kept meaning to, but never found the time until last week and I’m glad I did (and wish I had done so sooner). This is terrific folk-pop in the Zombies vein. Apparently this record is the third in a trilogy by this Minneapolis songwriter and it sounds like I need to hear the other two. The guy is a true talent and I bring up the Zombies because musically there are some similarities but occasionally Messersmith’s vocals sound A LOT like Colin Blunstone , like on “Organ Donor.” That tune is one of the best on the record but also check out the tender “Toussaint Gray, First in Life and Death” and the beautiful, soaring, amazing “Violet.” “Knots” beings like a basic indie rock song but when the strings kick in and that galloping melody it reminded me of a classic Belle & Sebastian song and later on there is even a song called “Repo Man” (un-punk-like). If you’ve read this far chances are you’re going to want to pick this up. There’s always room in this house for beautifully crafted pop like this. www.jeremymessersmith.com

7.05.10
The Lodger
FLASHBACKS- (SLUMBERLAND)- ’ve spent the last two Lodger records thinking how I don’t like em as much as I did the first one (GROWN-UPS) but ya’ know, taken on their own, they are both excellent pop records. Something about that first record’s off-the-cuffness was special to me and while the past two have been better produced, that is not a bad thing. Leader Ben Siddall has a terrific pop sensibility and this record is about half tunes that hit you immediately and the other half growers (or grew on me, anyway). “The Back of My Mind” was one of the former (along with “Welcome to My World”) while “The End of the Affair” was in the latter category (complete with lovely strings, “Lost’ too). The record is a perfect mix of bouncy, upbeat tunes and the slower, downbeat ones. I also think it’s cool how they got the digipak cd cover to have an old school, worn look. Not a lot of hoopla here just good tunes and another fine product from the label known as Slumberland. www.slumberlandrecords.com

7.05.10
Oval
OH ep-(THRILL JOCKEY)-Markus Popp is the ingénue behind Oval, and has been releasing mellow minimalist records for well over a decade. Oh is a 12" teaser for his forthcoming double-disc, 70-song opus. Considering that, it is no surprise that the typical running time for the 15 songs on Oh is barely over one minute. Normally I really don't go for artists who release records of a ton of one-minute sound compositions, but Popp's compositions are compelling, and at times I feel as if he simply took one song and cut it up piecemeal. Having said that, I enjoyed Oh. This feels less like a record and more like a sonic sketchbook. Needless to say, on the three songs that are "fleshed out," "Hey," "Grrr," and "Oh!" Popp demonstrates that he is still master of composition. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a starting place, as I know that some listeners might find the brevity of the tracks to be rather frustrating, as they do not necessarily coalesce into a whole, nor does this new stylistic direction have much in common with the previous Oval records. But when experienced completely, Oh is a nice, albeit weirdly brief, taste of a hopefully masterful full-length. www.thrilljockey.com JOSEPH KYLE

7.05.10
The Service Industry
CALM DOWN-(SAUSTEX)- This is record number four by this talented Austin garage pop band (third one I’ve heard) and like the previous ones, it’s a refreshing batch of songs. I don’t use that word “refreshing” very often when describing music but it seems fitting here. The band just seem to honestly play music because they love it (imagine that). They write terrific songs, don’t take themselves too seriously and appear to not give a shit about who or what is the hip thing at the moment. From the band photo it appears none of them have angular haircuts, wear black suits or need to be seen in stylish shoes , I’m guessing that jeans and t-shirt might be as fashionable as they get (my kind people!). Ok, on to the songs, first cut “Heart Repair” has some nice riffage and was a nice way to open a record but the next cut tears it up, “This Town Makes My Skin Crawl’ (about Austin?) with superb harmonies and a sumptuous beat. The title track adds some beef to the guitars and “Honey and Sprayed Hair” makes great use of a tambourine (always a plus in my household) and the band’s lone female, Julie Lowery, takes over leads vocals and she sounds great. They’re not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves (“Windows”) and get a bit GBV-ish on our asses on “I Suppose So.” In addition to Dayton, Ohio’s finest I am also reminded of the New Pornographers a bit as well. But still, you’ve heard enough of those two bands and I’m thinking have not heard enough (or any) of this band. Let’s change that, they deserve an appreciative (and bigger) audience. www.sauspop.com

7.05.10
Tender Trap
DANSETTE DANSETTE-(SLUMBERLAND)- I have been a fan of Amelia Fletcher’s musical projects for a long time now. I love both Tallulah Gosh and Heavenly. Marine Research wasn’t bad and neither were the first two Tender Trap records (on venerable indies K and Matinee) but they seemed to lack the pure exuberance of her earlier bands….until now. DANSETTE DANSETE is the best Tender Trap record yet, stacked with one hit after another in these 10 songs. Part of the reason has been a few line-up changes in which, well, I’m not sure who left but I know that both Elizabeth Morris (from Allo Darlin’) and new drummer Katrina Dixon have been added to the fold and those sweet , sweet female harmonies are to die for on this record. The basic sound is still the same (C86 meets classic 50’s/60’s girl group pop) but the songs are better. I won’t go through each tune song by song but a few of my favorites on here are the fuzzy, mid-tempo “Fireworks”, the ebullient “Do You Want a Boyfriend?”, the peppy “Girls with Guns” (very T. Gosh-ish) and the final tune, the epic, tambourine-crazy “Capital L.” It’s always good to see Amelia back in fine form and regardless of what you thought of the first two T.T. records this one deserves your undivided attention. Me, I’m praying for a tour. www.slumberlandrecords.com

6.28.10
Butcher Boy
REACT OR DIE-(HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE LOVED)- With React or Die, it’s clear that Butcher Boy’s trajectory is trending upwards. That’s a wonderful thing, given that 2008’s Profit in Your Poetry was itself a tremendous effort, caustically catchy (with one of the year’s best lyrics: “I was blinded by the times/when we were fun”) and, despite its careful assembly, soulful. React or Die adds a bit of levity, as least musically, to the equation. The bouncy Carve a Pattern combines a swinging Chills-like romp with an expertly recorded cello and acoustic pattern. While the whole effort is well-produced and performed, the songs take center stage, moving nicely in a Belle & Sebastian/Forever Changes-era Love direction. Perhaps the only nit is that the band isn’t exactly playful, perhaps a trade-off for singer John Blain Hunt’s impeccable delivery of, again, poetic couplets (“I steal the torch from you/I steal the silhouette and the world that's ‘round you” from Clockwork, the record’s standout). Still, this Glasgow group has scored again. It’ll be, yes, “fun” to watch their continued rise. www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk ANDY GIEGERICH

6.28.10
Buzzcocks
ANOTHER MUSIC IN A DIFFERENT KITCHEN, plus LOVE BITES and A DIFFERENT KIND OF TENSION-(EMI/MUTE)- Wow! Mute did an amazing job on these Buzzcocks reissues! Holy moly, they all come in beautiful digipaks with 2 cds each. ANOTHER MUSIC… was their debut record from 1977 and in addition to having classics like “Fast Cars”, “I Don’t Mind” and Love Battery:” on it disc 1 also has 4 of the associated singles (including “Orgasm Addict’ and “Oh Shit” as well as 3 cuts from a John Peel broadcast from 1977. Disc 2 has 14 songs worth of demos (not as great as the real versions but still good and definitely worth hearing) as well as a live show from the Electric Circus form 1977. It also has a nice booklet with some liners form Jon Savage as well as some classic photos. Record number two, LOVE BITES, came in 1978 and was just as smashing. FCirst off it had the amazing “Ever Fallen in Love” a well as “Operators’ Manual”, “Nostalgia” and plenty more. On disc one you have the 4 associated singles (“Love You More”, “Noise Annoys” plus 7 more tunes form John Peel shows. The 2nd disc, once again, has 13 demos of most of the songs on the regular record as well as a gig on their home turf of Manchester from 7/21/77 with a-little-rough-but-still-good versions of “Ever Fallen in Love”, “I Don’t Mind”, “Love You More” and plenty of others. And yup, same deal with record number three: A DIFFERENT KIND OF TENSION from 1979. This record was bit of a different animal, a bit less poppy and more post punk if you will (just listen to opening cut “Paradise”) an probably my least favorite of the three but I still a terrific record and just for the record, I like it a lot. Again, more associated singles and even more singles on disc 2 along with demos and more material form John Peel shows. I know this review does not do these reissues justice but if you want the REAL skinny on these records check out Jack’s review in the latest issue (#66) of THE BIOG TAKEOVER. In the meantime take my word for it and buy these immediately (if not sooner). www.mute.com

6.28.10
GBH
PERFUME AND PISS- (HELLCAT/EPITAPH)- No surprise that Rancid’s Tim Armstrong signed this long-running UK punk act to his label. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had not listened to a GBH record in years (it was sometime in the 80’s, I first caught them in Atlantic City, NJ in the Summer of 1985) but I did notice that both vocalist Colin and guitarist Jock are still in the band not sure about the rhythm section though. I gotta say, this rips from start to finish, nice to see the band has not tried to mature or water down their sound. Some of the guitar work is still a bit too metal for my liking (never liked metal) but still, cuts like “Kids Get Down”, “San Jose Wind”, “Invisible Gun” and “Unique” prove these guys still have a bit of piss left in their perfume bottles and have not taken to the rocking chairs just yet. www.epitaph.com

6.28.10
Kristin Hersh
CATS AND MICE-(KITTEN CHARMER)-Who doesn’t enjoy an evening of Kristin Hersh? For nearly thirty years, she's been entertaining her fans and those lucky enough to appreciate her style, and she's gone from loud to soft to loud again. But she's best enjoyed in a live setting, and can do so so much with just a lone guitar and a PA. Cats and Mice, her latest album, is just such a performance, from a San Francisco performance from last year. It's a rather varied set, with her visiting her solo albums, traditional folk songs, and even a Muses song or two. My personal favorites are the traditional "Banks of the Ohio," her solo take on the Muses' "Pearl," and "The Cuckoo," from her first album. And, of course, any Kristin Hersh show isn't complete without a story or two, and funny interactions with the audience between songs. It is, of course, somewhat bittersweet to hear her talk about her soul brother, Vic Chesnutt—a funny story about him, but still sad. If you've wanted to check her out, this is a great place to start—and if you've wanted a new Kristin Hersh live show to enjoy, you won't be disappointed with this one, either. Besides, it's a nice tide-over until her autobiography comes out this summer, entitled Rat Girl. www.kristinhersh.com JOSEPH KYLE

6.28.10
Research Turtles
S/T-(SELF RELEASED)- “Oh my God. You ever heard this band? Check out this first song. Hear that first chord? Hear how clean that is? Now check it out, here come the vocals. Jesus, sounds like someone did their market research on how to write a perfect melody. And, wow, here comes the chorus: Holy shit, I’m gonna be singing this the rest of the week. Skipping ahead here to the second song: Yeah, more of the same. Sounds like a harder-edged Cretones or another LA power pop outfit from 1979. You know, one of those skinny-tie bands influenced by the British Invasion. No, not like the Knack. Well, kind of like the Knack, but the Research Turtles are way more thoughtful. And far, far catchier. And they actually rock the skinny ties on their front cover. Makes me wish there was radio so kids could hear this stuff over and over. Here, the third song, this is a great example. It’s called Mission. Damn, check it out, this hook’s way better than the last. ‘I’m on a mission to the star/there’s no condition to my har.’ Or maybe they’re saying “‘heart’ and leaving off the “H.” Don’t care. I just had a birthday and damned if I don’t need to feel at least 20 years younger. Thanks Research Turtles. This really helps. Here, you can take my copy. The rest of the album is as equally amazing. See ya’ soon.”). www.researchturtles.com ANDY GIEGERICH

6.28.10
Wild Nothing
GEMINI-(CAPTURED TRACKS)- Yes, his name is Jack Tatum but have no fear , this is not the 1970’s Oakland Raiders player who was known for his vicious hits (and crippling Darryl Stingley). This guy is a mild-mannered Virginia Tech student who used to be in a punk band called Facepaint (ok, maybe not so mild-mannered) and was in some other project called Jack and the Whale. Not sure if those other projects were any good or not but I know one thing for sure, this is good. As in, very good. As in excellent. I guess you could call it dream pop, that would seem to be an apt description: lots of synths, jangly guitars, gentle vocals and superb melodies. First tune “Live in Dreams” has some beautiful synth lines and a rolling melody while “Summer Holiday” is more Pains of Being Pure at Heart-like with spools of fuzz being unwound. “O. Lilac” also has an unbeatable melody as does the dreamy “Confirmation.” A few tunes lose me a bit (“Pessimist”, “Bored Games”) but who cares, there’s some flat-out great tunes on here as well as a host of good ones too. Suffice it to say if you look forward to releases on the Slumberland or 4AD labels (or the Sarah label back when it was active) then you’ll do fine with this. Thank you, Jack Tatum. Thank you. www.capturedtracks.com

6.21.10
Drive By Truckers
THE BIG TO-DO-(ATO)- It’s hard to believe that these Athens, GA mainstays have been releasing records for over a decade. Initially , upon hearing the band name, I thought it was joke and records like GANGSTABILLY and PIZZA DELIVERANCE just added to the joke. I later found out the band is no joke (they just a good sense of humor) and upon the strength of several records they have become a favorite around here. THE BIG TO-DO isn’t their best record or even, in my eyes, as good as their last one (2008’s BRIGHTER THAN CREATION’S DARK) but it is still a solid record with a handful of great tunes. This is their first record for Dave Matthew’s ATO label and as usual, most of the songwriting is done by Patterson Hood but Mike Cooley and Shana Morrison adding some songs as well. Once again, lyrically the songs deal with the struggles of regular folks and that is definitely one of Hood’s strengths, the everyman blues (could be one of their song titles)“Daddy Learned to Fly” is a decent opener with some gritty guitar bite (“This Fucking Job” is one of those as well) while song #3, “Birthday Boy” is the best song on the record and one of their best yet and the Morrison-sung “You Got Another begins with some tender piano and lyrics about a cheating husband. I could have done without the twangy “Drag the Lake Charlie” or the dull “The Wig He Made Her Wear” but still, most of THE BIG TO-DO is strong and at this point it seems this band would have to try pretty hard to make a bad record. I know they haven’t made one yet. www.atorecords.com

6.21.10
Halsted
LIFE UNDERWATER-(ASHBURY)- This band is basically the work on San Francisco musician Ryan Auffenberg. I have Auffenberg’s 2008 solo record, MARIGOLDS, and I enjoyed it but this is step up altogether. The melodies are stickier and the songwriting is stronger and the whole thing sounds a lot more confident than MARIGOLDS. Even in the liner notes Auffenberg said he considered LIFE UNDERWATER, which was recorded in an old Victoria house, “the most dynamic, sweeping and ambitious record I’ve ever made.” He’s right. Opening cut “Cast No Shadow” won’t knock your socks off but the next tune, the jangly “Walking Shoes” certainly will with its perfect six-string strumming and galloping rhythms. Same with the climbing “Rising Tide” and the more downcast “White Hot City Lights’ is an understated gem (as is the terrific “Knock on Wood”). “Sellout” is a bouncy piano pop tune as is “Cabaret.” If low-key, well-written pop is your bag, like it is mine, well, LIFE UNDERWATER has got it in spades. www.ashburyrecords.com

6.21.10
Frank Royster
INNOCENCE IS BLISS- (KOOL KAT MUSIC)- Not sure how long this Charleston, SC native has been making music for but I do know he has at least one other records out on the Kool Kat label. He was smart in getting Mr. Spongetone himself, Jamie Hoover, to produce this record and this it has a real nice melodic pop sound (think Elvis Costello and a bit of Marshall Crenshaw too) but with some occasional rock bite. The opening cut, “Mr. Wonderful” is pure Travelling Wilburys with plenty of (what sounds like) 12-string guitar and Royster’s pleading vocals while “She’s Not Alone” is a nice mid-tempo tune but he speeds things up a bit on the more rockin’ “Life’s a Bore.” Later on he tackles the Beatles tune “Every Little Thing” as well as a few love songs (“I Need You” and “My Girl”). A few of the tunes lag a bit but most of this is plenty solid. This guy deserves an audience. www.koolkatmusik.com

6.21.10
The Pipettes
EARTH VS. THE PIPETTES-(FORTUNA POP)-These three lovely ladies made a splash a few years back with the terrific, 50/60’s pop influenced debut, WE ARE THE PIPETTES. Well, fast forward a few years and out of the original three, Gwenno, Rose and Becki only one, Gwenno (the blond) is still around. Gone are the polka dot dresses and as for the 60’s sound, well , it hasn’t entirely been abandoned but has been cast to the side for a more dance pop (think St. Etienne). Still, line-up changes and a change in sound could spell disaster for most bands but with a batch of terrific songs and help from producer Martin Rushent (the Human League dude) and well, I’ll proudly proclaim EARTH VS. THE PIPETTES to be a winner! They waste no time jumping in with the bouncy “Call Me” (siren and all) and then leap into the snappy, funky “Ain’t No Talkin’” then right into the dreamy bounce of “Thank You.” You want more? Fine, because the hits keep comin’: “I Need a Little Time” could be dance floor hit in the U.K. (assuming they are more on the ball than American music fans) as could the super-catchy “History”. Ok, I’ve just rattled off the first 5 songs and it doesn’t stop there, the rest of the record is just as strong (slowing down to catch their breath on the slower “I Vibe U”). Admittedly, there isn’t a ton of variation in these songs but who care about variation when you’re having this much fun! Hopefully this will get an American release sometime soon, until then, buy the import and support the fine Fortuna Pop label. www.fortunapop.com

6.21.10
The Successful Failures
THREE NIGHTS-(FACE DOWN)- This is the third Successful Failures record and I believe it was the previous one that I have (don’t think I ever heard the debut) and I remember liking it but THREE NIGHTS sounds like huge step forward. Leader Mick Chorba is also in The Dipsomaniacs, another fine combo, but he seems to save his folkier (drunker?) tunes for this band and he seems to have hit the sweet spot on this record. The record opens with the wonderful acoustic tune “Aberdeen” (think Replacements,….in fact the ‘Mats seem to be a big influence on the band in general) and “Armadillo Boy” is all clean, melodic guitars and slap happy drums. Chorba and company offer a more countrified take on cuts like “Waiting for a Ride”, “College Scholarship Blues” and “All You Had” and regardless of the style they do it all with equal talent. In “Houston, We Have a Drinking Problem”, one of the best songs on the record, they reference a famous Cheap Trick lyric with the line “Got my Kiss records out!” so you know they have good taste. I honestly don’t think there’s a bad song on here and I hate to say it but I don’t mind if the Dipsomaniacs are still on hiatus if the ‘Failures are releasing records this good. www.fdrlabel.com

6.21.10
Venice Is Sinking
SAND & LINES: THE GEORGIA THEATRE SESSIONS/MAY 20-24TH 2008-(ONE PERCENT PRESS)- I have heard previous records by this Athens, GA bunch and , reading about the band prior to listening, I wanted to love their records and, well, I didn’t. They are surely a talented bunch of musicians but the songs didn’t hit me the way I wanted them to. I didn’t do backflips over SAND & LINES but I do like it and it is my favorite thing the band has done so far. Taking cues from The Cowboy Junkies on their TRINITY SESSIONS record (and that acoustic Uncle Tupelo record too) , this band set up in an old Georgia Theatre with 2 microphones (the ‘Junkies only used one) and played a set of 10 country-inflected songs and it sounds, at times, absolutely lovely. Opening tune “Sidelights’ was a gorgeous tune with plenty lovely cello while they follow it up with some covers including Galaxie 500 (“Tugboat” , fine rendering not too different form the original which is ok by me as I love that song) , Dolly Parton (“Jolene”, a slower, blurrier version). Band leader Daniel Lawson wrote or co-wrote all of the originals and while a few meander off into never never land (ie: “The Grey Line”, “Falls City”, etc.) most are well-written and go down easily (like “Lucky Lady”, another Lawson original). I’d like to hear the band perform this whole record in a (intimate) live setting. www.onepercentpress.com

6.14.10
Harold Budd & Clive Wright
LITTLE WINDOWS-(DARLA)- Harold Budd and Clive Wright have collaborated on two previous albums, and Little Windows is their third and final installment of their trilogy series. Unlike the previous two records, Little Windows highlights the solo work of each artist, with only two songs being true collaborations. Harold Budd, as you may know, is a master of ambient piano and keyboard--a prodigy of Eno, he did inspire the Cocteau Twins, as well as collaborate with them. Clive Wright is a California New Age musician, but the two make beautiful music together. If two artists can perform together and one cannot noticeably recognize what is solo and what is not, then that's a sign of two minds working in tandem. While I love their collaboration, for this record, I'm personally partial to the three Budd solo tracks, because it's always nice to hear solo Budd, alone on his piano, especially on the gentle "Sweet Earth Flying." Also good is the epic "Queen of Cydonia," which is as close to a Spaghetti western song from outer space, with a talking part that reminds me of The Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds." A nice change of pace with the solo songs, but an unsurprisingly good record, this. www.darla.com JOSEPH KYLE

6.14.10
Jason Falkner
I'M OK, YOU'RE OK-(COBRASIDE)- I haven’t heard a ton of Falkner’s solo stuff but I have liked what I’ve heard. This power pop guy is semi-high profile since he was in both Jellyfish (who were extremely popular , especially in power pop circles, but I was never big fan) and The Grays (The Three O’Clock, too). This record was originally released in Japan in 2007 but for some reason is just getting released here, 3 years later. And a good thing it was, I’M OK, YOU’RE OK, is filled with the type of hooky yet inventive power-pop that brought attention to Falkner in the first place. The songs are compact and melodic with no additional residue left to sour them in any way. Both opener “This Time” and “NYC” are mid-tempo pop/rock tunes with foot-tappin’ goodness and on “The Knew”, the riff gets a bit meatier but still plenty catchy. Elsewhere, “Hurricane” adds some dark keys and “Complicated Man” starts with la-la-la’s then drifts into more of an acoustic tune. I didn’t really hear any songs I didn’t like on this which is nice since it’s a pleasant mix of styles (and Falkner played everything himself on here). I , for one, am glad that Falkner ditched the band thing years ago and went solo as his tunes are too good to be left off band’s records (see Jellyfish) . www.jasonfalkner.com

6.14.10
In Tall Buildings
S/T- (WHISTLER)- In Tall Buildings is the project of Erik Hall, a member of such bands as the world-music funksters NOMO, the lo-fi darlings Saturday Looks Good to Me, and the ever-evolving His Name is Alive, but In Tall Buildings is all Erik. While not as electric or as noisy as his past might lead you to believe, the songs on this self-titled release run the gamut from mellow to lazy, with a hazy vibe that's somewhere between country-rock and jazz. I was reminded of Neil Young AND of The Sea and Cake, but ITB doesn't really sound like those groups. I also personally dig the harmonies on "Suitor," which sounds like a Fleet Foxes outtake. Hall has a wonderful coo of a voice; not quite Young-ish, but appealing in its soft-spoken way. The songs are gentle and mellow, but there are a few songs with a beat, such as "Good Neighbors" and the quietly driving "The Way to a Monster's Lair." But beware of driving heavy machinery when listening to "Twenty One" or the epic closer, "Flemishing." In Tall Buildings is a hazy lazy Sunday morning of a record, one that crosses genres with great ease and a confident style that comes from years of experience. www.intallbuildings.com JOSEPH KYLE

6.14.10
Nick Jaina
A BIRD IN THE OPERA HOUSE-(HUSH)-Low-key Portland songwiritng here offering up his 5th solo record. The guy is a fine, underrated songwriter but his music is so low-key that it could easily be missed. This isn’t some wispy/wimpy songwriter though, apparently the guy has busked all over the place, slept in his car, played in (yup) Alaska, etc. For A BIRD IN THE OPERA HOUSE Jaina was armed with plenty of friends who dropped by (11 others to be exact) and a place to record (a pals’ house he was living at that had a studio in it) so he didn’t have to rush through the recording process and it shows. Opener “Sebastopol” (a town I have spent plenty of time in) unfolds gently with dramatic strings while the rhythm heavy “Another Kay Song” glides across with beauty and grace and the organic, acoustic “Sleep Child” is another understated gem (as is “Officer Schoppe” where he sounds a lot like obscure UK folkie Michael Head & the Strands). “Strawberry Man” adds some kick to its step and “Semoline” sounds like a campfire singalong. Out of the few Jaina records I’ve heard this is definitely his best, now let’s see some more attention/praise sent his way. www.hushrecords.com

6.14.10
Pernice Brothers
GOODBYE KILLER-(ASHMONT)- At this point I’m not sure how many other ways that I can say “Here is another great Pernice Brothers record” without just coming out and saying it (or sounding too kiss assy). Everyone has their lot in life Rachel Ray cooks, Oprah interviews people, Bernie Madoff ripped people off and Joe Pernice, well, he writes terrific pop songs. On this, the bands 6th record (and first Pernice Bros record in four years) , he cooks up 10 more wonderful pop tunes, aided by his brother Bob, indie hall of fame drummer Ric Menck and James Walbourne (a Brit who has been playing with Pernice for a while now) . This record is a lot more straightforward than many of his previous records an there’s no filler in these 10 songs, all zip and no drip. The record takes off from song number one, the melodic “Bechamel” which then zips right into the ripping, rockin’ “Jacqueline Susann” which then melts into the soothing “We Love the Stage.” That is the first three tunes but you also have the country-ish title track , the classic Pernice tune in “Something for You” (the opening riff reminded me of Galaxie 500’s “Decomposing Trees”), the guitar-y “Newport News” and plenty more. In terms of just pure songwriting, this is as good as any batch of songs you’ll hear this year. www.ashmontrecords.com

6.14.10
V/A
TINY IDOLS- VOLUME III: TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE INDIE UNDERGROUND 1991-1995-(SNOWGLOBE)- Third terrific compilation from Mark Griffey and his Snowglobe label where he scans the country and cherry picks the best songs from American indie bands of the 1990’s. As much as I kept my ear to ground back in those days I’ve still only heard about half of these 22 bands. Of the stuff I was familiar with you have Small Factory with the ebullient “What to Want”, The Cocktails with the loopy “2000” (not my fave Cocktails song but still interesting in their development) and Virginia’s Poole with the drippingly melodic “Loon.” You’ve also got the wonderful Honeybunch (Jeffrey from Velvet Crush) with “Endure Me” (from the one sided 4-Letter Words 7”) and the Witch Hazel Sound with the dark n’ fuzzy “Just Don’t Try” as well as other prime slices from Kicking Giant, Crayon (pre-Tullycraft) and Fudge). Of the bands I had not heard of, The Hazeltones offer up the awesome, psychedelic “Delirious”, Vacation Bible School throw down the jangly “Sugar Juice” and Radon kick out the acoustic “Kibbles and Bits.” Other fine cuts come from Glue, Baldo Rex, It Thing, Honda and others. You probably won’t be able to find these hard-to-come-by singles anymore but with Tiny Idols Vol. III you’ve got the best songs from them all on one handy cd and while you’re at it, pick up volumes 1 and 2 as well. All well worth it. www.snowgloberecords.com

6.07.10
Band of Horses
INFINITE ARMS-(COLUMBIA)- A pal who’d heard this before me said it was awful so I went into it apprehensively (thought I loved the first 2 B.O.H. records) but man, that pal was dead wrong as this is yet another terrific record by Ben Bridwell and co (my pal later admitted he was never a fan to begin with). They seem to carry on in the same rustic and rootsy tradition of the first two records but the sound has expanded here. The gorgeous opener, “Factory” employs grand , sweeping strings (or were they just keyboards making string sounds?) while the melodic “Compliments” ranks among the best straight up pop songs the band has written yet (with Bridwell questioning the man above , “If there’s a god up in the air?”) . Later on “Blue Beard” sounds like prime 70’s soft rock (think Autumn Defense) and on “On My Way Back Home” Bridwell lets loose his unique falsetto amid jangly guitars and slowly building drums and “Dilly’ is the band doing straight up indie pop (they tackle power pop later on the crunchy “NW Apt”). I didn’t think they could do it but I think they may have topped their fantastic, out-of-nowhere debut (EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME) here. Skeptical? Give INFINITE ARMS a listen. www.brownrecords.com

6.07.10
Cave
PURE MOODS-(DRAG CITY)- It’s hard not to be charmed by a group that’s cares more about the psychedelic mandala pattern on its Myspace than the legibility of some of its schedule info. With thousands of musicians anxious to appear un-anxious in choosing names and presentations, this feels pretty darned tie-dye/Hacky Sack authentic. The music on Pure Moods bears it out: these high-energy workouts, which are consistently tasty and nicely-toned, could pass for an Iron Butterfly jam. And when the ideas get a bit thin, there’s always repeating the same progression (but with different effects, man) on “Machines and Muscles,” which should keep headphones firmly planted on the heads of whoever’s joined the band in inhaling some killer “Ravenshash.” Cave is trippy enough to induce a contact high among the stone-sober, as long as they’re open-minded. www.dragcity.com MARY LEARY

6.07.10
The Melvins
THE BRIDE SCREAMED MURDER- (IPECAC)- As much as it hurts to say this, the truth must be told. The new Melvins album is incredibly disappointing. I am a big supporter of all the Melvins do and have been especially excited since the addition of Jared Warren and Coady Willis(Big Business) to the band. This lineup has been active since 2006' A Senile Animal, which is in my opinion the finest Melvins album to date. The new offering, The Bride Screamed Murder, opens with "The Water Glass", which has some strange call and response lines that left me with my jaw against my chest. This is not the Melvins that I know and love. Track 3, "Pig House", is in my opinion the highlight of the album. The fourth track, "I'll Finish You Off" is at best mediocre. In my opinion this album seems rushed and thrown together. It's almost as if the band broke up and this is some hastily put together "lost album". Maybe this one of those records that will appeal to me after the tenth or twelfth listen, but I doubt it. www.ipecac.com KIP KELGARD

6.07.10
The Pack A.D.
WE KILL COMPUTERS-(MINT)- If the White Stripes were run by a more cock-rock heavy, less soul-searching version of PJ Harvey, you would have the Pack a.d. Like bungee jumping or going for a hike in City Park, it’s nice, catchy, and a little bit thrilling when they cut loose, but underneath it all, there is a feeling that is entirely too—safe. They have a pop-friendly undertones that are hard to ignore. we kill computers does contain some gems; where they tap into some primal vein that transforms good music into great music, like the track “Cobra Matte” which mixes manic vocals with tight fast drums, solid heavy guitar changes. If they find their own voice, hinted at in the soft, sad, beautiful track “They Know Me” (“People are the worst of all”,) they may yet prove to be a great girl punk band. www.mintrecs.com MARINA MENEGOL

6.07.10
Spencer McGillicutty/The School
GAMES/LOVELESS UNBELIEVER-(SPENCER HOUSE/ELEFANT/MINTY FRESH)- I recently bought the much-analyzed She and Him record on a whim. I like it. I like a lot, actually. It has a great mid- to late-60s AM radio feel and while celebrity singer Zooey Deschanel's voice is quite tricked up by heavy reverb, it has a nice natural matter-of-fact feel. And really amazing songs. However, the record ultimately makes me miss, Essex Green, who did the same thing a little better and a lot earlier. That's just a six-sentence way of saying that these two releases — Games, by Spencer McGillicutty and Loveless Unbeliever by School — cut the same path as She and Him. They're both boppy and light. They could have deftly provided music for Chip's senior prom on the television show My Three Sons. (That's a subgenre in search of a label.) Of the two groups, Spencer McGillicutty, of Minneapolis, has a little better songwriting chops — I hear a bit of Carole King in here, mixed with a healthy dose of the brilliant San Francisco band the Corner Laughers. And, gotta say it, there's a lot of Carpenters going on here. "An Act of Contrition," the opening track, brings the Karen hard, as does "Telephone Signals." Beyond that, Spencer McGillicutty rocks out a bit (the utterly catchy "It's Easy to Fall in Love" and "Secret Best Friend") and turns in a gem of a tune in the introspective and garage-band-like "Claire Carnaby." In all, the four-piece outfit (which had help from 18 contributors chiming in on the glockenspiel and French horn, among other instruments), has released a fine record. The School, from Wales, might be a bit more engaging of the two bands, perhaps an assemblage that's more radio-friendly thanks to the airy production of singer Liz Hunt's rangy melodies. The entire record is punchy, bouncy, happy, beautiful. "Is He Really Coming Home?" hearkens gorgeously to 1971 AM radio (the trumpets make it sound like the Brooklyn Bridge and Hunt sings like a cooler Melanie). Throughout, the piano and acoustic guitars mesh perfectly in a sort of folk-overeager pop mash up. The highlight: "I Love Everything," a simple 1-minor 6th-4-5 that's heartbreaking and gripping at the same time. While I still miss Essex Green, I hope these bands don't mind being in the same sentence as them. It's a compliment, one that I hope Deschanel will recognize as unadulterated praise as well.

6.07.10
Teenage Fanclub
SHADOWS-(MERGE)- Wow, is it me or is it hard to believe that this bunch from Matador’s freshman class of 1990 (A CATHOLIC EDUCATION) are still at it. And not just still at it but making music as relevant as they ever did. I for one have always loved this band, not just their sophomore breakout, BANDWAGONESQUE, but all of their records. I have every one and each one has a handful of the band’s glistening pop songs with melodies too good to ignore. I’m also really happy that the band seems to have a solid home on the terrific Merge label here in the U.S.A. Their first record for Merge was 2005’s good- but- not -great MAN MADE but the band seems to have found its footing and gotten back to doing what they do best: create glistening pop nuggets that demand repeated plays. Of the main songwriters (Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley and Gerard Love) I’m not sure who wrote what but check out near-perfect cuts like opener “Sometimes I Don’t Need to Believe in Anything”, the sweeping “Baby Lee”, the gentle piano-pop of “Dark Clouds”, the crunchier (but no less melodic) “Shock and Awe” and the sublime, harmony pop of “When I Still Have Thee.” Not much else to say here ‘cept they’ve done it again. If you fell off this bandwagon years ago it’s ok to hop back on. The band won’t mind, they’ve been playing the underdog role for years and always welcome fans both old and new. www.mergerecords.com

5.31.10
Hammock
CHASING AFTER SHADOWS…LIVING WITH GHOSTS-(HAMMOCK MUSIC)- This duo of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson have been around since 2004 and have, including this, 4 full-lengths under their belt (their debut was KENOTIC IN 2005) and hail from, of all places, Nashville, TN. But when you hear their gorgeous instrumental drones and majestic waves of music you’d think they might hail from, I dunno, Iceland (Sigur Ros are big fans). Apparently this record is different from their others (which I never heard) as this features live, acoustic instruments and less electronics as well as horns and strings (hard to find sometimes but they are in there) and, as the press sheet says, “thick analog tones.” The thing with this type of instrumental music is that most bands who play it can be overly dramatic for effect but Byrd and Thompson never fall to that once on here, instead they seem to find that perfect place where emotions are on a roller-coaster and running wild but it’s all laid out with a perfect sense of grace and beauty. Song titles don’t really matter as this works more as a whole than individual songs. The band name is perfect, relax and enjoy. www.hammockmusic.com

5.31.10
Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social
LOVE IT TO LIFE-(SIDEONEDUMMY)- I have to admit that even though I’m a big punk rock fan I was never a fan of Jesse Malin’s punk bands Heart Attack (more hardcore, really) or D Generation (more glam ) but once I heard that Ryan Adams had produced his solo debut, THE FINE ART OF SELF DESTRUCTION (from 2003) I instantly became a fan. That debut was superb and definitely his best solo record I’ve heard yet though LOVE IT TO LIFE is a strong one as well. Not sure who makes up the St. Marks Social but I’ve read that Adams and his wife Mandy Moore helped out, if just a bit but who cares, the songwriting on LOVE IT TO LIFE is strong .The first two songs are fairly slick fist-pumping anthems (“Burning the Bowery’ and “All the Way from Moscow”) while he slows it down a bit for the heartfelt “The Archer” (with melodic keyboards). He cranks it back up again on “St Marks Sunset” (another NYC reference, that city is in this guy’s blood) while “Disco Ghetto” shows the guy breaking a bit of new ground with a rock song that’s almost dancey. Still, if you don’t mind your rock music a bit produced but with strong songs (think Gaslight Anthem or Social Distortion) then Jesse Malin just might be a new favorite. www.sideonedummy.com

5.31.10
Matt Pond PA
THE DARK LEAVES- (ALTITUDE)- Year after year, record after record, this Philly band led by, yup, Matt Pond, have released one low-key gem after another and THE DARK LEAVES is yet another one. In fact, honestly, this might be my favorite MPPA record yet. For this, their 7th record, Pond and crew aren’t really doing anything different than they have done in the past, that is create lush chamber pop, but they/he seem to have refined their sound and the songwriting is upped a notch or two. The bobbing “Starting” is a nice way to start a record which then sifts right into the snare drum roll of “Running Wild” (which sounds like the beginning of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, just the beginning anyway) which is a real finger snapper as well (love that cello) . Both “Brooklyn Fawn” and “Winter fawn” are as lovely as their titles and by the records end you want the final song (titled “First Song” just to mess with your indie rock heads) to never end as the crying strings tug at the heart just a little and at that point you realize that this band makes you want to cheer for them. Maybe it’s their underdog status but the songs are too good to ignore. www.altituderecords.com

5.31.10
Seasick Steve
MAN FROM ANOTHER TIME-(ATLANTIC/RYKO)- This guy looks like a Seasick Steve (real name: Steve Wold) , like he was maybe once the captain of a swarthy vessel (“Argh Matey!”) or maybe a farmer. Who knows, he probably has done a bit of both but he was once a hobo as in he left home at an early age and used to ride the rails. You probably think I’m making that up. I’m not. He certainly has had an odd trajectory for someone on his 60’s (maybe 70’s). Back in the day he hung with Janis and Joni then moved to Norway and, oddly (or maybe not), Modest Mouse hired him to produce their first record. This is his 3rd solo record and it’s 12 songs of bent country blues that’s almost, dare I say, danceable. Oh apparently he invents instruments too, like the Diddley Bo (a one-stringed guitar). Anywho, as a rule I usually hate blues songs but I like these tunes. Lend an ear to crackling chestnuts like “Big Green and Yeller”, “Happy (to have a job)”, or the slow and heavy title track. I don’t usually say this about musicians but I’d like to hang and chat with this guy over beers sometime (and I don’t even drink). Seasick Steve, wherever you are, get your ass to Portland! www.seasicksteve.com

5.31.10
Sixteen Deluxe
YEAR ONE-(BUNKHAUS)- You probably don't remember this band, because they were one of the legions of "local bands" that attempted to make a jump to mainstream acceptance, and fell clearly on their faces. So many bands in the 90s weren't good enough in the first place, and I admit, I didn't care much for Sixteen Deluxe. But time passed, and upon learning of their recent SXSW reunion show, I thought I'd check 'em out again. Surprise, surprise, my mid-20s snootiness got in the way of realizing that, hey, they really weren't so bad after all! This new record of theirs, you can't buy in stores, and isn't really new music, because it's demos and live tracks from their first year as a band. It's rough and raw, but the boy/girl vocal interplay between Carrie Clark and Chris Smith over the band's rather loud garage psych noise is oh-so-sticky-sweet, oh-so-blissful. They were signed to Trance Syndicate for a reason, and this demo will certainly illustrate why. "Baby Headrush" illustrates a slicker pop direction, and makes their signing to a major not so surprising. That the band has returned to the live stage is encouraging, as are the videos of their performance. Maybe the times have caught up to them? Would certainly be nice to think so! www.sixteendeluxemusic.com JOSEPH KYLE

5.31.10
Woods
ECHO LAKE-(WOODSIST)- In their 5 short years as a band these two guys, Jeremy and Jarvis, have cranked out records at an alarming rate (this is their 5th full-length and they have plenty of eps too) . I’ve heard very little of their music but what I have heard previously was not as song oriented as what is on AT ECHO LAKE (which means I like this more). Opening cut “Blood Dries Darker” is nearly impossible not to like with its frantic strum and those awesome falsetto vocals over the top while “Pick Up” reminded me of the early lo-fi Sebadoh records (time to break out Weed Forestin’, come on, you know you want to). The guitars on “Suffering Season” were reminiscent of The Byrds (like I’ve read in a lot of reviews) so at least we know these guys have some great role models. On “Mornin’ Time” I was reminded of the Olivia Tremor Control and on a tune like “ I Was Gone” they keep things unhinged enough to still occasionally entice writers to add the word experimental before the word pop and you know what, that’s ok. All is good in the world when this is on. www.woodsist.com

5.24.10
Barton Carroll
TOGETHER YOU AND I-(SKYBUCKET)- You might not immediately know the name Barton Carroll but you might recognize him as the sideman for Eric Bachmann’s Crooked Fingers (he has also played with Dolorean and Azure Ray as well). If you saw him walking down the street you might mistake him for an accountant, shoe salesman or mechanic (take your pick) but the photos I’ve seen he doesn’t look much like a musician (whatever they look like). This is his 3rd solo record (after 2008’s THE LOST ONE) and it’s just as good as the other two I have. One thing is for sure, Carroll does not release party records , his records are usually sad and downbeat about characters on the fringe or just plain down and out. TOGETHER YOU AND I opens with the gorgeous “The Poor Boy Can’t Dance” which slips some horns in toward the end to give it a bit of a ragtime feel while the more spare “Rich as a Rolling Stone” is basically Carroll’s voice along with an acoustic guitar and a slide guitar but the song is incredibly rich in tone as is the equally powerful “Shadowman.” As much as I enjoyed THE LOST ONE I think I might have a new favorite B.C. record right here . www.skybucket.com

5.24.10
Coco Rosie
GREY OCEANS-(SUB POP)- Harp strums… tinkly little bells… carefully-placed percussion… somewhat scratchier; a bit eerier than the usual female protagonist’s, Bianca Casady’s voice spouts the stories, at times embellished by Sierra’s operatic soprano. Streams of evocative words form a dreamy tapestry. Some pop out: mountains, the moon, an undertaker, graves, family tragedy, and eating “ice cream in dessert dream.” A thick, sometimes hypnotic junket, Grey Oceans isn’t what most people, other than Wiccans and the determinedly fey, tend to throw on with cocktails - but the cover shot of the sisters, in heavy make-up (including pasted-on and Photo-shopped mustaches), and cottony, vaguely Medieval headgear, does offer a hint. Spiked by collaborations with minstrels encountered through recent travels, this first SubPop-supported release continues the duo’s bizarro/creative trad. Other than Bjork, Kate Bush, and White Noise, closest thing I’ve eaten is Hail’s ‘88 oddity, Gypsy Cat & Gypsy Bird. CocoRosie isn’t just for seekers of night-blooming hybrids. When Bianca and Sierra reach the grail, they dig in. “Lemonade” is a brilliant juxtaposition of the bizarre with firmly melodic hooks and an arcane, nee in the ‘50s tool: backing “Ooh-ooh”s. “Hopscotch” innovatively merges ghostly vocals with ragtime and samples. Providing a rest from the overall density, the piano-anchored title song recalls earlier, simpler forays. “R.I.P. Burn Face” is a Trance-like interlude. By the rather annoying closer (a male voice over thumping percussion and chanting back-up vocals), I’m torn between being rather frazzled and jonesing for another shot of “Lemonade.” www.subpop.com MARY LEARY

5.24.10
Common Loon
THE LONG DREAM OF BIRDS- (HIDDEN AGENDA)- This is a very nice debut release from Illinois laprock duo Common Loon. It’s a very tight, clean and lush collection of dreamy pop songs complete with layers of smooth vocals and atmospheric guitars and keys. Many of the songs reminded me of a slowly swirling combination of Ride, Pell Mell, the Church and newer offerings from Polvo, but there are also more rocking moments that recall early Lush, the Charlottes, Silkworm and the Bevis Frond. (see: ‘Mexico,’ ‘Ho hum apocalypse,’ and ‘Lisa’s pixie cut.’) The recording is crystal clear, as are all of the vocals and for once the instrumentation is not completely overbearing. Everything is kept in it’s place, and to great effect. All told, a really good first effort from these guys, and worth a listen. www.parasol.com JEREMY GRITES

5.24.10
Dum Dum Girls
I WILL BE-(SUB POP)- I kept hearing about the Dum Dum Girls long before I’d ever heard their music but it seemed to always be in the same sentence as the Vivian Girls so I had a feeling I’d like them from the get go. The band is basically one person, Dee Dee (Kirsten Gundred) who gets some help from her friends (including the ubiquitous drummer Frankie Rose) and she released a bunch of 7”s and some comp tracks last year. For this, her debut full-length, she got famed producer Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, among others) to produce but if you’re expecting something clean sounding and streamlined well, you might want to look elsewhere. These 11 noisy pop nuggets blur by in about a half hour and while they’re not as hooky as I’d like them to be that’s ok. I like most of the songs. The clattering drums that open the first song, “It Only Takes One Night” give you an ideas of the sound, you’ve heard it before in bands like Black Tambourine, Shop Assistants, Dolly Mixture and several others but Dee Dee adds enough bits of weird 60’s psychedelia to it that it gives the songs her unique stamp. “Bhang Bhang I’m a Burnout” is a fine little number as is “Jail La La” (the latter catchy as all get out) and the speedy “Yours Alone.” A few tunes drag a bit (“Rest of our Lives”, etc.) but the record is so brief that you won’t mind. Lots goin’ on in this simple sound so give ‘em your undivided attention. www.subpop.com

5.24.10
Hoodoo Gurus
PURITY OF ESSENCE-(SELF RELEASED)- Honestly, I thought these Aussie madmen were long gone but I guess they released a record as recently at 2004 (MACH SCHAU). The last one I heard by them was probably 1989’s MAGNA CUM LOUDER and I had caught the band live a few times back then and they always were energetic and put on a fun show. I put PURITY OF ESSENCE on with some trepidation, mainly, how are these geezers gonna sound now? The answer: Not bad at all, in fact, pretty darn good. The band, who formed in Sydney in 1981, are still led by main songwriter Dave Faulkner and his (sometimes) songwriting partner Brad Shepherd, and are still sound informed by junk culture but with a hint of , dare I say, maturity. Opening cut, “Crackin’ Up” is a melodic charge of wailing guitars and pounding drums (as is “Burnt Orange” and “What’s in it for Me?”) while “Are You Sleeping?” is dreamy and melodic and the final , record ending, “The Stars Look Down” is a moody, philosophical piece where Faulkner ponders his own life. As I say with a lot of records, they probably could have trimmed some filler here and made a better 10-12 song record but as it stands, PURITY OF ESSENCE, is still la strong record and one that I was not at all expecting from the Gurus at this stage in the game so bully for them. www.hoodoogurus.net

5.24.10
Keane
NIGHT TRAIN EP-(INTERSCOPE)- We have a few Keane cds around the house because my wife is a fan. I could always take or leave them (usually the former) but this new ep is a different animal altogether. When I popped it in I wasn’t expecting a whole lot and that first song (not even really a song but a musical intro) didn’t change my mind. Onto song #2, “Back in Time” with it’s dark, heavy keyboards to open the song is certainly listenable but not brilliant or anything. By song three they had me hooked. “Stop for a Minute” (with a guest spot towards the end by Canadian Rapper K’Naan) , a philosophical meditation on where he (Tom Chaplin) fits into the world with an unbeatable melody and a minute or two of K’Naan from mid song to the end. There was a few weeks back where I could not stop listening to this song. Elsewhere , “Ishin Denshin (You’ve got to help Yourself)” is a bouncy pop song with bubbly synths while “Looking Back”, which also features K’Naan, has some opening horns straight out of ROCKY (and was apparently inspired by the tune) and though a blatant rip, the song is easily likeable. Though Keane have mixed up style on this new record I think it works for them. They may have alienated old fans but picked up some new ones along the way too (like me). Not everything on NIGHT TRAIN works but a lot of it does and taking chances as such on makes the band stronger. www.interscope.com

5.17.10
Johnny Bertram & The Golden Bicycles
DAYS THAT PASSED-(ESPERANZA PLANTATION)- Always nice to be surprised upon hearing someone new and Johnny Bertram and the Golden Bicycles are new to me. I guess Bertram began playing in his native Boise, ID but a few years ago decided to high-tail it outta town and head to the deep south , ending up in Mississippi. On the first listen I was reminded of The Decemberists but with a bit more of a rustic, western feel to it, Bertram sings in a relaxed voice and his backing band isn’t afraid to show off their chops on instruments like trombone, accordion, banjo, mandolin, violin and , of course, the usual guitar/bass/drum set up as well. The songs don’t jump out at you but rather draw you in with a heady brew of pop songwriting and tales of down on their luck folks hoping for better in life. Opening tune “Where I Begin” isn’t the best song on here but not a bad opening cut either while song number two, “Fortification” has a foot-tapping melody and some hummable vocals. “Private Land” is a real porch slapper and the interlude “The Fall” is all accordion mixed with haunting voices and “Good Friend” is probably a fan favorite in the live setting. A few of the tunes are a bit wobbly but hey, this is his debut and still, it’s real solid and then some. Give it a listen. www.johnnybertram.com

5.17.10
Chin Chin
SOUND OF THE WESTWAY-(SLUMBERLAND/MISSISSIPPI)- All-female Swiss trio who I’m not even going to pretend like I’ve heard of but man, this is good! I was expecting something wobbly and jagged like The Raincoats but this is a lot more melodic and punkier than I ever would’ve thought and the songs are strong. The band formed in 1982 but this debut record was recorded in 1985 and has been apparently long out of print (they also toured with the Shop Assistants and had a record out on the fabled 53rd and 3rd label). Still, Esther, Marie-Anne and Karin predated the C-86 movement and I’m sure had to be an influence on it but they also took liberally from the 70’s punk bands out of the UK and USA (Ramones, Buzzcocks, Adverts, etc.) as well as Phil Spector’s girl groups of the day. I’ve read they couldn’t play their instruments but trust me, this doesn’t sound like The Shaggs. Seriously, if hearing opener “Dark Days” doesn’t entice you to want to hear more then this review sure as hell won’t do it. 14 songs and not a dog in the bunch. Oh, did I mention it’s vinyl only? www.slumberlandrecords.com

5.17.10
The Fall
YOUR FUTURE OUR CLUTTER- (DOMINO)- Mark E. Smith and company (whomever “company” is these days) return with their 28th record (yes, you read that right) but having been banging around planet earth as band for 33 years that many records really shouldn’t be surprising. What should be surprising is that Smith and his crack musical cast (let’s hope none of them are using crack) are still relevant and that YOUR FUTURE OUR CLUTTER is as menacing and unpredictable as anything they’ve ever done. The nearly 6-minute opener, “O.F.Y.C. Showcase” clatters about an around but has that jaggedy beat we all love and “Bury Pt.s 1 + 3” has a mangy, low-end lurch that doesn’t stop kicking until the middle part where it goes a bit hardcore on us (I didn’t mind). Later on “Cowboy George” (not a Frogs cover) has a retuned (vaguely Western) guitar set on stun and drums set on shuffle while mark does his best , I dunno, George Jones? Regardless it’s one of the best tunes on the record as is the grouchy-yet-hopeful “Hot Cake” and they do justice to the Wanda Jackson cover (“Funnel of Love”) too. You might not wanna buy the guy a beer next time you see him (he’s had far too many) but a pat on the back might be a nice gesture. Who knows, you might even get a smile back. www.dominorecordco.com

5.17.10
The Gary
THE LOGAN-(CEDAR FEVER)- That The Gary’s climbing out of the talented Austin heap hints at the possibility of something ear-worthy. Still, as musicians get increasingly savvy at self-promoting, I’m thinking the band’s rising profile could be a red herring. Conjecture grinds to a halt a few bars after Logan hits my player. If “gripping,” “provocative mash of song forms,” “energizing” and “incredible tone” (that makes me want to ask guitarist Trey Pool how he’s getting those warm, penetrating sounds) could coexist in one sentence, it would start to convey how good this feels. The way the full (but never too busy) guitar meshes with everything else remind me just a little of The Feelies. Bass/lead vox Dave Norwood could be a more nervous David Byrne/John Doe (Okay, Doe has already sounded plenty urgent – Norwood projects an arresting tension that’s more Byrnesian – with a Curtisian – as in Ian/Joy Division - vibe). This ices the cake especially effectively on “Lost Art,” “Three Point Two,” and “Ancient Music,” which is driven by guitar/drum escalations rivaling X’s on “Nausea.” You’ve known a band for months. You’ve seen them more than a few times. Then, one night, there’s a perceptible shift into a new synchronization; a chemical serendipity. With The Gary, I feel part of just such a more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts phenomenon. Did I mention the earthy element grounding this, something I haven’t heard since the late ‘90s? Never thought music could feel this basement-hot while casually-hewn again (while managing to occasionally erupt a la the Pixies). Yeah, you read that right – man, these guys are in love with making great music. And I’m in love with hearing it. Wonder how much rentals are going for in Austin. www.cedarfeverrecords.com MARY LEARY

5.17.10
Happy Birthday
S/T-(SUB POP)- Boy, this one dropped with a thud. Some pundits seem upset at the signing of a band that slid in with a demo and one-shot appearance that for some members may be about taking breaks from other projects. Others are bothered by how Witch’s Kyle Thomas and crew impersonate rejected/dejected teenagers. After going into nearly a diabetic coma behind a series of “dreamy Pop” Next Big (or already-hyperbolized) Things, HB is like a glass of ice-cold water in my face. When it waxes sugary-sweet, it’s over-the-top funny. Instead of young adults who sing like unctuous children, the snottiest noses on the block whine unto absurdity while throwing some punk leather over intermittently killer hooks. And here’s the thing: It seems like a lot of currently hot Popsters are, themselves, exaggerating the “teenaged” thing. I wouldn’t be so down with HB’s thumbing its nose at the phenomenon if the results weren’t sometimes as good as what’s being roasted. When it stops being as annoying as many true 15-year-olds, HB is hooky and inventive: “Girls FM,” the catchy “Perverted Girl,” “2 Shy,” and “Maxine the Teenage Eskimo.” Only place I intersect with anyone upset that this isn’t a “real” band: It would be great to see HB live (if there’s a God, with Unnatural Helpers). A tour might be the king pie-in-the-face, resurrecting the sense of humor/absurdity that was part and parcel of early alt-wavers like Radio Stars, The Velvet Monkeys, and Tina Peel. www.subpop.com MARY LEARY

5.17.10
Poco
LIVE AT COLUMBIA STUDIOS, HOLLYWOOD 9/30/71-(COLLECTOR'S CHOICE)- This is a band I used to make fun of back in my punk rocks days but then again I made fun of all those AOR (MOR?) bands during that time , some of whom I now have an appreciation for (The Eagles, America and yes, Poco). This is a live set at, as the title says, Columbia Studios right after Poco’s 4th record (FROM THE INSIDE) had just been released. The “audience’ was about 100 people made up of label folks, family and friends. By this point ex-Buffalo Springfield guy Richie Furay was still the band leader but Jim Messina and future Eagle, Randy Meisner, had left the band but another future Eagle, Timothy B. Schmidt had joined and appears on this record. While they still had a pedal steel player on here they seemed to be moving away from the country rock sound of their first few records and into more rock sound. On this 14 song set you get to hear terrific tunes like Paul Cotton’s “Ol’ Forgiver”, Schmidt’s honky tonk “Hear That Music” and Furay’s “You Are the One.” There is also a nice Furay/Schmidt medley with 3 tunes (“Hard Luck”/”Child’s Claim to Fame”/”Pickin’ up the Pieces” crammed into 5 and a half minutes. Well worth hearing for fans of 70’s rock and my Poco-lovin’ pal Keith Brown (resident 70’s music expert at Music Millennium) calls it essential. www.ccmusic.com

5.09.10
Avi Buffalo
S/T-(SUB POP)- It seems pretty brilliant of Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg to opt for a stage name so foreign to the English-speaking tongue – it’s ridiculous and weird and great all at once. Which tells me something about how this 19-year-old ticks: at some point, or points, he caught a belief in wonder (and may have read David and Lisa or Catcher in the Rye, both of which focus on characters who are nearly unbearably sensitive – or their sensitivity makes life nearly unbearable). Avi and his playmates take some of the hyper-sensitive suburban kid thing and combine it with the backyard idealism of what I can only guess may have been really lovely hippie grandparents, mentors, etc. Further, Avi was apparently born with the soul of a cracked but self-affirming poet. How else to explain the confidence of “Summer Cum,” one of the more annoyingly starting tracks—which then convinces me to stay with the chorus-- while documenting gossip, male/female sexual conflict, and, from what I gather, the gaps between love, lust, and Eros? Not many current songwriters have me looking at their lyrics, or comparing their ethereally sweet guitar sounds with those of Danny Kirwan. Or make me pause whatever I’m doing for “Jessica,” a song with which I wouldn’t expect to identify. Something that stopped hurting a long time ago reawakens with the tone of Avi emoting: “I can’t tell when something’s real/and nobody tells me how they feel/it’s always right beneath my nose…” Are there less gripping, and sometimes redundant, moments here? Sure. But AB consistently projects a sense of wonder that’s been burnt out of a lot of people by the time they’re in their late teens, if not sooner. If a sophomore effort can grow from the best stuff here, cutting some of the yada-yada, AB may find itself standing with the best Pop (for lack of a better pigeonhole) outfits around. www.subpop.com MARY LEARY

5.09.10
Club 8
THE PEOPLE'S RECORD-(LABRADOR)- It’s hard to believe this Swedish duo has been around for 15 years but they have. I have been following them since their first record (1996’s excellent NOUVELLE on the Siesta label) and I have found each one to be solid and some excellent , each with its own charms. I had heard they changed their sound a bit on THE PEOPLE’S RECORD and some other friends who have been longtime fans seem to have bowed out after hearing this but not me, I think Club 8 has another winner here. For this record, their 7th, the duo of Johan Angergard and Karolina Komstedt not only brought in an outside producer for the first time (Jari Haapalainen, who has also worked with Camera Obscura, among others) but apparently traveled to Brazil, sought inspiration West African music from the 70’s and brought in a percussionist (yes those are African rhythms you hear on the record). The first three songs on here (“Western Hospitality”, “Isn’t That Great?” and “Shape Up!”) are all bubbly , bouncy and bursting at the seams with an undisputed energy. You’ll hear bongos, funky keyboards and lots of whoah-oh-ohs. They slow it down for the dark but dancey “Dancing with the Mentally Ill” (I’d like to know the inspiration behind this song). The record drags a bit in the middle with a few slower songs (the band is usually known for slower, more melancholy tunes but these aren’t among their best) but then picks up toward the end with the clattery “Like Me”, the absolutely infectious “Be Mad, Get Ill, Be Still” and the happiest-song-with-a-sad-title-ever “We’re All Going to Die.” Don’t judge THE PEOPLE’S RECORD on what you’ve heard about it, give it a listen for yourself. www.labrador.se

5.09.10
Harlem
HIPPIES- (MATADOR)- This Austin, TX trio were on the recent Matador Records collection, CASUAL VICTIM PILE which was a compilation put together by one of the labels co-owners, Gerard Cosloy, to let folks know what is happening, musically speaking , in Austin and beyond (a few bands from Denton) and Harlem was one of the bands on the comp that stuck out for me. Lets forget that for at least a few weeks (maybe a month) I thought the name of the band was the Harlem Hippies (in my defense, I don’t have a full artwork copy of the record so I didn’t see the word Hippies in quotes) but enough about me, Harlem has cobbled together a nice little 16 song record. Nothing fancy here, sounds like they recorded a set in the studio which is more than fine by me and it’s a heady mix of garage rock, straight indie rock, a dash of rockabilly and everything that made that first Modern Lovers record so great. The two main cats are Michael Coomer and Curtis O’Mara and each one seems to have a distinctive writing style as the former is a bit quirkier while the latter ones a bit more standard. Still, no matter who’s writing ,there’s a large handful of gems on this one including “Faces”, “Prairie My Heart”, “Someday Soon”, “Spray Paint” and plenty more you won’t mind spinning at your next Bar Mitzvah or baby shower (or weekly bath). www.matadorrecords.com

5.09.10
Joe Pug
MESSENGER-(LIGHTNING ROD)- This is one of those cds I’m glad that someone took the time out to send me. When you get a ton of cds in the mail to review sometimes they can sort of blur together and it is easy to miss one that might be a gem in the stack, like this one. No surprise that I had never heard of this guy, Joe Pug, before. I guess the story goes he was born in Baltimore, went to college in North Carolina and then packed his bags and headed for the big, city, Chicago to be exact. From there were two self-released eps and now this, his debut full length and it’s a corker. Oh, and he’s only 25. If you’ve read the reviews then you keep seeing the names Dylan and Prine pop up in reviews and it does seem like there is some inspiration from those two classic singer-songwriters. Armed (mostly) with his voice and acoustic guitar and sometimes his harmonica songs like “Not So Sure”, “How Good You Are” (which I have listened to incessantly over the past few weeks), “Bury Me Far (from my uniform)” and “Unsophisticated Heart” come off like instantly recognizable classics that you’ve heard over and over again even though it is the first time you have heard them. It appears Pug is going to have a long and fruitful career as a songwriter but if not, at least we have MESSENGER to cherish. www.joepugmusic.com

5.09.10
Elisa Randazzo
BRUISES AND BUTTERFLIES-(DRAG CITY)- Remember that Youngbloods chorus, “Come on people, now/Let’s get together/Try to love one another right now”? If that’s your sweet spot, best be gobblin’ up a copy of Bruises. Maybe it’s in Elisa’s genes: both parents were successful ‘60s songwriters. Adding to that pedigree is her collaboration with ‘70s folkie Bridget St. John (resulting in two of the tracks here). Randazzo’s circled by as sensitive and gifted a group of colorists as a singer-songwriter could crave. So when these tracks start to merge into one long wash of dreamy color (and I start nodding out), some beautiful pedal steel, acoustic picking, or pin-point single-note bass pulls me back in. And didn’t the Cocteau Twins become loved, more or less, for one long wash of dreamy… ? While there’s a lot more Folk in Randazzo’s approach, I’m rather glad this gentle soundscape came my way. Now I know what to play if I have to get up--God forbid--for a trip, or a fire, at four in the morning. You just put this on while heading for the coffee maker (or, perhaps more fittingly, tea kettle) and watching the sky lighten as the birds start tweeting; somehow feeling that although you (okay, this would be me) are more bleary-eyed than Jesus, a new day might be a good thing after all. Maybe I’ve been overlooking colors like daffodil-yellow and tangerine-orange. More analytically: Bruises has the feeling of late ‘60s/early ‘70s Folk/Pop, and the more nuanced Folk of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake. Speaking of Denny, Randazzo’s rich alto is a refreshing shift from little-girl-voiced singers. Also unusual, and unlike musicians who present ‘60s-‘70s forms with a knowing smirk: This feels goddamned sincere. Having played violin with Prog/Avant/Indie shamans Red Krayola, Randazzo probably doesn’t give a fig about appearing hip – now, that’s hip. www.dragcity.com MARY LEARY

5.09.10
Titus Andronicus
THE MONITOR-(XL)- Straight outta ….Glen Rock, NJ comes the 2nd record from the mighty Titus Andronicus. Their first record, 2008’s THE AIRING OF GRIEVANCES (Festivus anyone?) came out of nowhere (at least on my radar it did) and offered up a brawling, messy mix of The Pogues, The Hold Steady , Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and, after a line like “Cos tramps like us, baby we were born to die!” (from the epic 7 minute plus opening cut, “A More Perfect Union”) the boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. In addition to the 5 Andronici, they got some help from pals in bands as heady as The Hold Steady (them again?), the Vivian Girls,. Wye Oak and a few others and the record, loosely based on the Civil War, come off as the messiest platter of genius since, I dunno, the last T.A. record. What we learn after this (65 minute) history lesson is that the enemy is everywhere (from “Titus Andronicus Forever”), that you will always be a loser (from “No Future Part Three: Escape from No Future”) and that we are all searching for a more perfect union. You want more? “Richard II” is a knee-slapping corker , “Pot to Piss In” is too. “Theme from Cheers” as well. Seriously, a record like this is why you listen to music in the first place (or that you should). Heart, soul, passion, humor and all of the other good stuff. That is the essence of Titus Andronicus. www.xl-recordings.com

5.03.10
The Cole Porters
DURANGO-(PRIMA)- Though this band , featuring ex-Long Ryders guy Sid Griffin, has been around for nearly two decades this is the first I had heard their music (had heard OF them, though). Apparently they used to be an electric combo but sometime in the past decade Griffin reconfigured the band into an acoustic bluegrass unit. Sounds fine to me as the sweet use of mandolin, fiddle, banjo, etc. sounds like it fits the band to a tee. One listen to the (terrific ) opener “Let’s Say Goodbye (like we said hello)” (with the awesome lyrics: “I’m playing the game but I’m long in the tooth, I feel like a beer n’ she’s cravin’ vermouth”) will give you hint whether this batch of tunes is your cup o’ tea or not. Not all of the tunes have that good timey vibe though, , “No More Chains” is a but darker and “Moonlight Midnight” sounds (to me) like a winky love song. There’s plenty of other smart n’ terrific cuts on this one and I must add, Griffin’s got an excellent cast of players (including amazing fiddler Carly Frey) so if you were a Long Ryders fan from the old days or even if you’ve never heard them at all give the Coal Porters you r undivided attention. www.sidgriffin.com

5.03.10
Gigi
MAINTENANT-(TOMLAB)- This Canadian band is essentially the duo of Colin Stewart (who I had never heard of but has apparently worked with Destroyer) and Nick Krgovich (whose work with P:ano I have enjoyed) and what the two did was recruit 15 of their favorite singers to go for a Brill Building/1950’s vibe on these spunky pop tunes. Think Camera Obscura, The School or The Pipettes and you’ll be in the ballpark. The songwriting is terrific from the get go (though I didn’t like all of it instantly, some of these tunes had to grow on me). The record starts with “No My Heart Will Go On” which has a chorus of (mostly female) singers which sounds pure Ronettes, Crystals, etc. while “The Hundredth Time” is a smooth pop number with two crooners (Duffy Driediger and Ryan Peters) and some lovely cascading piano and horns and strings. On “Alone at the Pier’ none other than Rose Melberg takes the mic and turns it into a lost 60’s classic and on “Won’t Someone Tell Me” Mirah takes over vocal chores and again, it’s all handclaps and pure sock hop pop. I think you get the drift here so if you’ve read this far and are still interested then by all means pick this Gigi record up and let’s hope for more. www.tomlab.com

5.03.10
Jason & The Scorchers
HALCYON TIMES- (COURAGEOUS CHICKEN/NASH VEGAS FLASH)- This long-running Memphis, TN band has been around since 1981 and it’s been nearly that long since I’ve listened to them. Let by the erstwhile Jason Ringenberg , he and his Scorchers (ok, so half of the original lineup on board as well as a whole heap of guest musicians) return with their first record in 1996 and I’m not sure if it’s a return to form, or more just a terrific new record. Yep, Ringenberg and guitarist Warner Hodges kick up lots of dust on these 14 tunes that were recorded live in the studio. The record starts off on a fun note with the raucous “Moonshine Guy/Releasing Celtic Prisoners” with the classic line “And he yells and he roars, like the Stones, hates the Doors, thinks the Beatles play for girls, he’s a Moonshine guy in a six-pack world.” On the epic “Beat on the Mountain” the harmonies have some true soul all the while being one of the best J & TS tunes ever. “Mona Lee” has all the barroom fun of a classic Old 97’s song and “Fear Not Gear Rot” has this cool rickety thump to it with some frenzied guitar work. That is just the 4 songs on this one and there are 10 more to knock your socks off. Seriously, if you had told me Jason & the Scorchers would record one of the best records of their career in 2010 I wouldn’t have believe you either but seriously, HALCYON TIMES is not to be missed. * Bonus points for having a drummer named Pontus Snibb! www.jasonandthescorchers.com

5.03.10
Joan Of Arc Presents:
DON'T MIND CONTROL-(POLYVINYL)- Honestly, I haven’t smoked anything other than cigarettes in about 10 years: maybe a few puffs of something more colorful would have me more down with the Tim Kinsella/Joan of Arc genealogy I’ve been puzzling over for the last 5-10 minutes. Sparing you the history lesson: Basically I was reading about 16+ years of creative, intelligent musicians who’ve played with Kinsella, or who make smoothies for him, or who gather around the same campfires. It seems to boil down to something more or less like the Broken Social Scene collective. I guess the difference is that Kinsella and his posse haven’t called what they do a collective, although a promo blurb for this says, “41+ members strong, the Joan of Arc extended family…” (apparently hasn’t heard of birth control). In any case, I have a healthy respect for compilations in general. In particular, Zapped, The Greater Antilles Sampler and the Nuggets collections have turned me onto wonderful sounds. So I’m used to the idea of wading through a bunch of music that might not make it onto record without the surrounding or standout talent. Since there are 18 musical entities/arms to this particular Kali, a blow-by-blow would ensure the injection of Excedrin we’d all prefer avoiding. On the other hand, since this is a case where downloading certain tracks makes sense, I could save you some time. So I’m downing a double espresso and having at it. After the rather jarring, spaceship-sound-enamored meanderings of Litesalive’s opener, there’s the welcome oomph of The Stooges—whoops, I mean Disappears--invading a Broken Social Scene session via “Guider.” If you don’t like the sounds of electronic mutant animals moaning and bellowing through the spoken words of their distracted owners (Privacy’s “Birdshow”), they’re followed by the relatively accessible electro-pop/chant tapestry, “The Doug McComb Over” of A Tundra. Fields of new grass and lilies, or a rest, arrives with the gently lovely “No More No Where,” from Kinsella’s brother Mike, who calls himself Owen here. There’s more electronica, then Euphone’s noisy, rather industrial punk, which might go well with something by James Chance (whose girlfriend Anya once pushed me down a couple of stairs after I drunkenly offered him a Barbie backstage: That’s another story). Slick Conditions is much less anti-social: its ringing guitars and persistent beats somehow adding up to the feeling of driving away from a really good rock show in northern Virginia when I was 23, the cool night air drying sweat into memory. One of the kickin’-est things here, it could also be described as ZZ Top on Crystal, but I prefer my first description. There are a couple of tracks that don’t move me to get out the magnifying glass and a track by The Cairo Gang with a melodic, emo lilt that could pass for a song by Jesse Colin Young’s great-grand-niece. Tim Kinsella contributes electronica seemingly enamored of King Crimson that segues well into Jeremy Boyle’s warmer abstraction, “Second Door from the Left.” There’s a track that I don’t like by The Zoo Wheel and then a Vacations one that I do, “Friday the 13th Part 2,” which is an intriguing combination of banjo, vocals, and percussion. I respect Pillars and Tongues’s experimental attitude but its clatter, which then trickles into cello and/or mellotron tones, may be too much for anyone who isn’t given a hit of whatever the band was on – raising my hand here. Ghosts and Vodka are great at coming up with odd names but its track, “Gameshow Buzzer,” doesn’t sound at all like a game show, although it does make a good prog. follow-up to the Pillars’s pillage. Birthmark got me to thinkin’ about where mine is with “Drivin’ Me Crazy,” a brief wave of warm electronica that will divide listeners into those now able to settle back down in their cribs and go to sleep, goddamn it, from those so stimulated by this rangy collection, they’re plugging into their Cubase systems. www.polyvinylrecords.com MARY LEARY

5.03.10
Miles Kurosky
THE DESERT OF SHALLOW EFFECTS-(MAJOR DOMO/ SHOUT FACTORY)- I had been waiting and hoping that this record from the former Beulah leader would appear. I was a huge fan of that San Francisco band and despite putting out a lackluster final record (YOKO) their other three records were absolutely fantastic. So not only does Kurosky reappear here with his first solo record but he has left the Bay Area and is now a Portland resident (and apparently had some pretty scary health problems over the last half decade). Like previous records he has skippered, this record has a huge array of musicians/instruments and despite being recorded over a number of years, he orchestrates it all into a cohesive final product. Kurosky still seems to be influenced by Brian Wilson (albeit a tweaked Brian) as these 10 ambitious pop songs are comfortable and unpredictable at the same time. Laid-back opener “Notes from the Polish Underground” is a mere teaser for the next few Beulah-esque pop tunes like the superb “An Apple for an Apple” and sounds-simple-but-isn’t “Dead Language Blues” which unfold before your very eyes while the chaos that opens “I Can’t Swim” suddenly turns into one of the best pure pop tunes on the record (with plenty of “bah-bum-bum-bums”). Elsewhere don’t miss the heartfelt “She Was My Dresden” or the shuffling “Dog in the Burning Building.” Miles is back! www.majordomorecords.com

5.03.10
Organ Blues
THIS DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN-(SELF RELEASED)- These Philly dudes, led by guitarist vocalists Gavin Potts and John Bueno, self-released a fine ep a few years ago (THE TANK named, apparently , after the area in Philly they live, Fishtown). Here they reappear a few years later with their first full-length and it’s a fine batch of songs from a band that’s little known now but (hopefully) getting more and more recognition as they deserve it. Their music is hard to categorize but has a healthy dose of garage rock, classic indie rock (Pavement, Pixies, etc.) plus some of what you could call surf music. On opener “Grow Your Grass Greener” has a killer guitar riff form start to finish while “Cosmonaut” was a bit janglier and could have even been something that was released on the Flying Nun label back in their glory days and “El Dorado” has a simple organ riff, which coupled with the snakey guitar line and growly vocals (think Jon Spencer) make up a sweet tune (I’m guessing the band had tongues planted firmly in cheek while recording this one). The record lags a bit in the middle but then picks up again at the end with some fine, fine tunes. Check out the band on their myspace site and if you dig what you hear, well, empty your pockets and buy copy of this so these guys can at least buy some dinner tonight. www.organblues.com

4.26.10
Black Tamborine
S/T-(SLUMBERLAND)- We’d thought we’d heard the last of this defunct early 90’s DC area noise-pop band which included 2/5 of Velocity Girl (Archie Moore on guitar and Brian Nelson on drums) as well as Mike “Slumberland” Schulman himself on bass and gal about town Pam Berry (in too many good bands to name) on vocals. In 1999 Slumberland Records released the 10 song COMPLETE RECORDINGS by this band which consisted of everything the band had done (singles and comp tracks). This new expanded version has new artwork, a booklet with some new liners and photos and in addition to those 10 original songs, 6 more songs. Two of the new songs include demo versions of two of the band’s best songs “(“Foe Ex-Lovers Only” and “Throw Aggi off the Bridge”) as well as 4 (old) songs that were recorded in the Summer of 2009. Two are covers, Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat” and a cover of “Dream Baby Dream” by 70’s NYC band Suicide (this comp also includes a cover of Love’s “Can’t Explain”, which was on the original BT cd). The final two songs are “Lazy Heart’ and “Tears of Joy”, two songs you’d think were recorded back when the original stuff was. BT was influenced by several UK bands (Jesus & Mary Chain, Shop Assistants, MBV, etc.) and though they were not real well known at the time, the band’s recordings have aged very well and it’s incredible to see how many bands have cited Black Tambourine as an influence. Give this record a listen and you’ll hear why myself and others wished they would have stuck around for a few more years , just to see what could have been. www.slumberlandrecords.com

4.26.10
Drink Up Buttercup
BORN AND THROWN ON A HOOK-(YEP ROC)- This Philly, PA (actually Horsham) group could have 5 or 50 members, I have no idea. I do know the first time I played it, it annoyed the crap out of me. So much so that I played it again and a few more times for good measure. Still not sure what they’re on about but seem to take several different genres (all from the UK in the early 70’s) and mix ‘em together for strange brew. Were they shooting for a minstrel show? I have no idea either but give loose-lipped gems like “Young Ladies’, “Doggy Head” or “Even Think” a listen to try and find out. Occasionally I’m reminded of the Kinks weirder bits and that’s not so bad (love the Kinks) but other times like a pack of gypsies that you want off your front lawn now and you’re ready to call the cops to prove it. I’ll bet live they’re a scream. www.yeproc.com

4.26.10
Pavement
QUARANTINE THE PAST: THE BEST OF PAVEMENT- -(MATADOR)- This is the new 23 song best of compilation from Pavement. After a decade since the group had disbanded there has been some activity the past few years, first the expanded reissues came and then a few months back some NYC shows were announced (which apparently sold out in about 13 seconds…other shows have been added including one here at McNenamins Edgefield next month) and now this. This is a solid (remastered) comp and it includes some choice early stuff. When it comes to Pavement, I loved the early stuff, the most. The early singles (and 10”, all on Drag City Records) and first 2 full-length records, SLANTED AND ENCHANTED and CROOKED RAIN, but the final 3 records didn’t do it for me (though now a decade or more later I’d like to try them on for size again and see if songs from those final 3 records might stick where they didn’t before). The comp opens with “Gold Soundz”, one of the band’s best (and most melodic) songs and goes into “Frontwards’ (another fave, from the WATERY DOMESTIC ep). Elsewhere we get to hear the Fall-ish “Two States”, the college rock hit “Cut Your Hair”, the quiet, laid back “Here”, the epic “Range Life”, the goofy classic “Debris Slide” and the first single accidental gem “Box Elder.” About the only thing missing here is the immortal “Forklift” from their 2nd 7”, DEMOLITION PLOT J-7 but Matador covered the bases pretty well on this one. This is well worth owning but you also HAVE to have those first two records too and maybe even WOWEE ZOWEE (one of the ones I’m going to go back to). I wonder what this reunion will bring the band? Halftime shows at Super Bowls? Slots on S.N.L? Soccer mom fans? Ok, so none of those ideas are likely but still, glad to have ‘em back. www.matadorrecords.com

4.26.10
Pistol Whip
TERMINAL-(SMOG VEIL)- More of that early Cleveland rock that the Smog Veil has been unveiling lately (and always, really). This band, however, wasn’t actually from Cleveland but from nearby Erie, PA . Apparently Erie’s first punk band caused quite a stir back when they first formed. Funny thing is when you listen to this now, while very good, it doesn’t sound so extreme. Maybe not even extreme enough to be called punk (ok, a song like “Iron Curtain” with its snotty Dead Boys-ish vocals and raging guitar, could fit into that category but a lot of this just sounds like classic rock and roll). Songwriting was split between 3 of the bands members: vocalist Willie Cotter, organist John Drumm and guitarist Rick Dibello (or a mixture of them, Cotter and DiBell co-wrote 3 of the tunes). Again, the songs are less aggressive than some of the previous Cle bands that the label has released (Easter Monkeys, etc.) but this is a terrific collection, you get the two songs from their first 7”, the Endangered Species single from 1977 and the remaining 9 tracks are from their original 1978 Chicago demos. Also, in between songs is a female voice describing the history of the band. In addition to previously mentioned “Iron Curtain” also check out the title track and “Jooky MaGoo”, two other great tunes but really, there are no bad songs out of the 12 here. Oh, it also includes a dvd that tells the bands history from miscreants of Erie to uh, well, a little more well-known miscreants from Erie. www.smogveil.com

4.26.10
True Womanhood
BASEMENT MEMBRANES-(ENVIROMENTAL AESTHETICS)- When the disc starts again (which it does automatically after the end) I start to feel it’s becoming my life’s soundtrack, at least for that moment, and it grows on me. I can’t really throw shade at TW’s harmonically echoing guitars, or the subtleties opening “The Monk,” although I wish more interesting compositions were meeting those tones and dynamics. But I tend to be bored when, as with “Magic Child,” the music, itself just a repetitive riff, mirrors the vocal. The “A Diviner” riff is pleasant enough for this to work. I never thought I’d say my favorite tracks reminded me of Radiohead, a band with which TW is tired of being compared. But “Rubber Buoys” and several others do. The strutting dissonance of the guitars on “Shadow People” brings to mind another name that’s been dropped around TW: Sonic Youth (to this listener, circa Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star). While some musicians would be stoked by such comparisons, the early-20-somethings in TW prefer being classified with current outfits like HEALTH. Anyway, if I lived with someone who put this on and then fell asleep, and it kept repeating and repeating, I probably wouldn’t smack the “stop” button until it had played through at least three times. There are people who really like TW, who would probably let this keep playing for hours. MARY LEARY

4.26.10
Unnatural Helpers
CRACKED LOVE & OTHER DRUGS-(HARDLY ART)- Pic on the cover’s backside is either a woman with no curves or a little girl in a striped bathing suit, with one hand in a masturbatory position… the other hand’s got a book with a cover pic of a bearded guy's face where hers would be. Inside the case’s a pic of a curvier woman wearing the same striped one-piece, posing provocatively – this time you can see the face and that’s not a good thing, as it looks like Urkel in a poufy blonde wig. Front of the recent vinyl EP has a watercolor of two cougar-ish, swimsuited gals - neither has either hand in a masturbatory position. UH’s Myspace pic is hairy man-legs wearing high heels. From these bits of evidence, and lyrics that rant about loving girls, lusting after girls, being made jealous by girls, and bristling to be free for more girls, I glean an obsession with women and girls. Yay! Or, more precisely, since this is creative, imaginatively arranged, impatient heartbreak/f...k rock, propelled by Dean Whitmore’s David Byrne/Richard Hell/Joe Strummer-tinged vocals (with David Johansen attitude), it’s almost a Christmas-in-July clearance sale “Yay!” While “Sunshine/Pretty Girls,” “I Don’t Belong To You,” “Head Collector,” “Tell Me That You Wanna” and “She Was Your Girlfriend” have me banging the typewriter keys especially hard, this is a case where “It’s all good” isn’t even close to an ambivalent shoulder-shrug. www.hardlyart.com MARY LEARY

4.19.10
John Grant With Midlake
QUEEN OF DENMARK-(BELLA UNION)- In which the former Czars frontman is joined in the studio by Texas’ Midlake and the result are…well, not bad. QUEEN OF DENMARK is an interesting blend of 70’s soft rock and dour, cynical folk. Grant is the same guy who said of his Czars bandmates “We just had so much hatred for each other than we couldn’t carry on.” If he was serious he is one brutally honest guy and if not, well , coulda fooled me. In addition to taking cues from Nilsson and Walker this recorded ended up , maybe unintentionally, also taking cues from Supertramp and John Denver, two of his parent’s favorite artists. Check out the spacey acoustics of tunes like “Marz” , “Outer Space” or “Sigourney Weaver.” While on the other hand “Jesus Hates Faggots” again show Grant’s cynical side and the funky, goofy “Chicken Bones” sums it all up rather nicely, "Some days just chicken bones/you better fuck off now you'd better leave me alone/'cause I'm about to explode just like a Wonder Bread bomb/and I don't care what I know because I can't be wrong." QUEEN OF DENMARK is a strangely appealing record, even times I don’t want to go back to it I still end up doing so. www.yeproc.com

4.19.10
Rich McCulley
STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN-(SELF RELEASED)- I know LA power-pop/roots guy McCulley has been around for quite some time (also in a band called The Mains) so I’m not sure what # solo record this is but who cares, it’s a strong record. The guy has a knack for the right hook at the right time and knows his way around a pop song. But while musically it might sound like uplifting stuff , lyrically the record is dark (the record is in memory of both Amy Farris and Duane Jarvis, 2 L.A. roots musicians who both died in 2009, both of whom McCulley worked with, Farris played on this record). First tune, “Tell Me, I’m Listening” is pure hooky pop as is the excellent “The Last Song.” On the sad “Who’ll Hang the Moon” , his tribute to Jarvis , McCulley shows a more soulful side and on “Nowhere” the guitars are crunchier. With such a stellar lineup of songs on this one I now need to check into McCulley’s back catalog. www.richmcculley.com

4.19.10
The Soft Pack
S/T-(KEMADO)- In the span of a few days I had read a few rave reviews of this record to the point where I decided I had to hear it immediately. Then, out of nowhere, it popped into my po box for review the next day. The record is as good as promised. These San Diego (maybe LA, now?) lads crank out 10 songs in just over a half hour and hit on many different genres (garage, indie rock, punk, surf, etc.) and do them all well. On certain songs I was reminded by the 80’s output of certain (great) bands like X (“Flammable”), The Feelies (“More or Less”), TSOL (“Move Along”) and a few others. “C’mon” is the perfect way to open a record with its chugging riffs, thrashy drums (courtesy of excellent (stand-up) drummer Brian Hill) and raspy vocals by Matt Lamkin (talking ‘bout “Your town could be the next big thing”) while “Down on Loving” has that high-pitched guitar noodle found on those C-86 records and is damn near a perfect pop song. I’ll stop here but suffice it to say if you dig well-written/well-played catchy guitar pop that has smart and plenty of attitude then you have found the perfect record. One of 2010’s best. www.kemado.com

4.19.10
The Superions
S/T-(HHBTM)- I’ve been listening to boring, pretentious claptrap and exhaustively intense rock all afternoon on about three hours’ sleep (don’t ask). Buried near the bottom of my review pile is this EP. I’ve spaced that it’s the B-52s’ Fred Schneider’s new project. So when I start listening I think it’s some goofy Floridians whose promo sheet story (which also starts the CD as a voiceover) about being taken over by aliens will soon have me throwing a sneaker at the player. I don’t expect to start jiggling to mildly industrial disco that would segue well with Devo or Spandau Ballet. Or that I’d be chuckling and occasionally howling at the sly ribaldry of “Those Sexy Saucer Girls” and “Totally Nude Island.” Neither of which engages me as much as “At the Piggly… standing in line,” from “Who Threw That Ham At Me.” Most anyone who’s logged substantial time in the South feels some guilty affection for Piggly Wiggly stores – it’s the kind of working class/trailer park ephemera that makes John Waters fans identify with his work. Since I need regular doses of humor and/or Camp, the Superions refresh like a splash of the latest Avon cologne. Even the Imperial Teens couldn’t repeatedly deadpan, “Disco garbage can - flip your lid.” Schneider still feels compelled to share this brand of booty-tempting absurdity – and that’s a real good thing. www.hhbtm.com MARY LEARY

4.19.10
Paul Winders And The Goodness
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL-(DUNEDIN MUSIC)- Oh how I have missed that sound. When the jangly guitars open up on “Any Man”, the lead-off track on this 10 songs record by this New Zealand band, you will immediately be reminded of those N.Z. bands of yesteryear who in the 80’s filled up the roster of that country’s excellent Flying Nun record label. On this tune I was immediately reminded of The Bats and while the song goes on for nearly 4 minutes I didn’t want it to end. On “Best of Friends” a violin (courtesy of Stephen Hayes) comes into the fold and gives the song an added dimension while the driving “Shine” is another Grade A pop cut. Apparently Winder was a member of the more recent Verlaines so he has a connection with the NZ musical past thought I am not sure how long he has been on the scene for. Give a listen to some others on here as well (“Thank You”, the tender “You”, the more rockin’, very Clean-ish “Insomnia”, etc.). Nice to see in the Southern Hemisphere they are still writing great pop songs. www.dunedinmusic.com

4.12.10
Burning Hearts
NIGHT ANIMAL b/w PEASANT'S DREAM 7"-(SHELFLIFE)- Two more gems from this terrific Finnish band. If you didn’t pick up last year’s ABOA SLEEPING well then do so now as it was one of 2009’s best records. The a-side here is the melodic, gentle “Night Animal” while the flip is a remix from a song on ABOA. Plus it’s on white vinyl! Let’s all pray for a new full-length before the end of the year. www.shelflife.com

4.12.10
Die Wasted
WASTELAND FUGITIVES b/w INTO THE TAVERN/MY LAST DRINK 7"-(SELF-RELEASED)- Three punks from East St. Louis (which I think is the bad part) and one of them is wearing a Turbonegro t-shirt on the back so at least they have good taste. These guys hit that spot right where punk, metal and glam all collide, punch each other out and then, by the end of it all, become friends and buy each other beers. The a-side (“Wasteland Fugitives:”) is the pick to click here. www.myspace.com/diewasted

4.12.10
For Ex-Lovers Only
COFFIN b/w LOVER'S HEART/SCRAPS 7"-(MAGIC MARKER)- At some point when you hail from Orlando, FL you gotta get sick of going to Disney World and you have to, what else? Buy some guitars! These three guy,. Tic, Aaron and Griff (2 of the 3 are fake names) took their band name from a Black Tambourine song and wind up writing 3 ace tunes here. The a-side is all feedback n’ fuzz while both tunes on the flip, “Lover’s Heart” and “Scraps” (what I had for dinner) were both pensive and pretty an acoustic. I need more. www.magicmarkerrecords.com

4.12.10
Go Sailor
LONG DISTANCE (ALTERNATE MIX) 7”- TAKE A DAY b/w I WISH I WAS A SLUMBERLAND RECORD 7”-(SLUMBERLAND)- A one-side 7” on blue vinyl that the band was selling at the Slumberland 20th Anniversary gig. The song, “Long Distance” is as it states, a different mix than what was on the cd (which was a collection of the band’s three singles) but hey, it’s Go Sailor! Rose, Paul and Linton pressed this for YOUR benefit so buy a few there partner. www.slumberlandrecords.com

4.12.10
The Snakes
HIYAHOYA b/w BILLY JACK I AND II 7”-(SLOW GOLD ZEBRA)- These NYC nutjobs apparently like to pour lighter fluid on amplifiers and things which means I need to see them live as soon as possible. “Hiyahoya” is 3 minutes of , well , Chief Jay Strongbow chanting that word over and over. The b-side is like a swift kick to the nuts music style! Plus ,they’re influenced by the U-Men and it don’t get much better than them. www.myspace.com/slowgoldzebra

4.12.10
Teenage Whore Moans
MOAN ALL NIGHT LONG 7"ep-(EAGLEBAUER ENTERPRISES)- Three knuckleheads from Philly who managed to cram 7 songs on this 7” (33 rpm). There’s lo-fi and then there’s no-fi and then there’s …well….this. Goofy punk in the Briefs vein with song titles like “Humiliate Me”, “Sadie Hawkins Dance” and, of course,. “Miss Costello.” Make Philly proud (for once) and buy a few. www.gravemistakerecords.com

4.12.10
Tension Envelopes
HIGH b/w THE ROYAL CHAMPIONS 7"-(FOR THE EAR)- Low-key pop from this North Jersey duo of Pete (vocals/guitar/bass) and D. (drums/vocals). Only two songs here but there are 5 more (different) ones on their myspace site. Nothing mind-blowing here but it is solid ( I liked the moodier b-side more out of the two) and if ya’ dig colored vinyl like me, this is purple. www.myspace.com/tensionenvelopesnj

4.12.10
Welcome Home Walker
WATCH YOUR STEP b/w THE UNTOLD DEATH OF GRADY JONES 7"-(BOOGIE CREEK)- Only 7” this batch that had a big hole. These guys hail from Portland (which I had no idea, never heard of ‘em) and they’re playing in a few days at Satyricon with the Clorox Girls (who I thought were long gone). The a-side is like a 50’s rock and roll tune with some punk swagger while the flip, slows it down a bit and sounds a little do-woppy (lo-fi doo wop) which is fine by me. Bet live they’re a hoot. www.boogiecreekrecords.com

4.05.10
Bad Lieutenant
NEVER CRY ANOTHER TEAR-(TRIPLE ECHO/ORIGINAL SOUND)- This is the new band you might have heard of from New Order’s Bernard Summer who, along with latter-day New Order guy Phil Cunningham and Jake Evan (Stephen Morris and Blur’s Alex James make appearance too) offering up catchy, melodic rock not unlike latter day N.O. The first three songs (“Sink or Swim”, “Twist of Fate” and “Summer Days”) all sound like singles and yes, “Dynamo” (“Life is a precious thing”) does sound like a rewrite of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, still, I like what Sumner’s done with it. Also, don’t forget ace tunes like the soaring “This is Home” or “These Changes.” It will be hard not to want to compare this to Sumner’s old band but give NEVER CRY ANOTHER TEAR a chance. It might be a decade and a half late for Brit pop but the songs are there. www.osrmusic.com

4.05.10
Cabinessence
NAKED FRIENDS-(SPARK AND SHINE)- Between this and the Tripwires label it seems that Spark and Shine label is picking up steam as one of the finer labels going in the Pac NW right now. Having signed these Portland cats only strengthens it all. These Portland bearded weirdos, who took their name from a tracks on the Beach Boys long dormant SMILE, add some twang to their laid back pop and the whole things comes off as pretty effortless. Opening tune “Though./Start” has plenty o’ hooks while “Blown a Test” tucks in some sweet , sweet pedal steel and “Instrumental #2” is simply beautiful. Elsewhere put an acoustic guitar to good use on the lovely “Thumbs” and seem to cop a melody from Supertramp on “The Poet” (I will forgive them as the song is good). This is only record number two but these guys come off as seasoned vets. Seasoned vets who write damn good songs, that is. www.sparkandshine.com

4.05.10
Golden Triangle
DOUBLE JOINTER-(HARDLY ART)- There was a mall in Denton, Texas called the Golden Triangle Mall. But it was kinda sad, and the best thing about it was the Orange Julius. Do not mess with me, Orange Julius is rad. And so is this Brooklyn-based six-piece group. In fact, screw the mall, band member Carly Rabalais runs Beacon's Closet, which is a favorite vintage/secondhand clothing store of mine, and the three girls in the band were recently featured in Time Out New York as "The Most Stylish New Yorkers." But back to the band, they bring a lo-fi garage rock sound to Sub Pop subsidiary Hardly Art. Some of it (like my favorite tracks "Eyes to See" and "I Want to Know") reminds me of C86 girl groups, the kind-of stuff Vivian Girls insist they've never heard. But some of it (like "Rollercoaster") is way more heavy, with crashing drums and gritty guitars. Like the mall, I might not visit this album often, but when I do grab for it, it's some sweet, sweet fun. www.hardlyart.com JANICE HEADLEY

4.05.10
Adam Marsland
GO WEST-(KARMA FROG)- You might remember Marsland’s name as leader of Cockeyed Ghost, the So. Cal pop band that released 4 records back in the 90’s. He has been a solo artist for a while and this new 2-disc set spans 23 songs and it is a nice mix of pop styles but don’t think it’s all happy an carefree. During the recording of this record Marsland suffered the death of two relatives as well as the theft of his gear (damn!). Still, despite (or maybe because of) the trauma GO WEST is an excellent pop record tunes with everything from Beach Boys cops (“Who”) to some Steely Dan influenced material (“Burn Down the World”, etc.) to uplifting Damned cover (?!) in “Stranger on the Town” with its blaring horns. There is also ballad (“December 24”) and what could be a dance hit (house music?) on the surprisingly good “I Don’t Wanna Dance with You.” That is all on disc one and disc two has plenty of surprises as well (the terrific “Halflife” and “Fade Away”). Well worth your time and (hard-earned) money. www.karmafrog.com

4.05.10
Painted Hills
S/t-(BIRD SONG)- Painted Hills is the latest incarnation of Josh Schwartz from the Tyde, Northern Lights and Beachwood Sparks, and honestly, this might be my favorite thing that he’s ever done. That’s really saying something considering how much I love that debut Beachwood Sparks 45… Whoever wrote his press release absolutely drilled it so I’m going to save some time and energy and just quote him/her: “Sun-baked, pastoral psych-pop influenced by the Laurel Canyon scene of the 70’s and the paisely underground scene of the 80’s.” I’m telling you – that is hitting the nail on the head. The guitar work and dreamy vocals on this record are nothing short of stellar, and the slower/quieter tunes are just as good as the rockers. If you like the Rain Parade, Neil Young, the Byrds, Graham Parsons, the Asteroid #4, Buffalo Springfield etc., you will eat this record up. Pretty much only awesome. www.parasol.com JEREMY GRITES

4.05.10
Sambassadeur
EUROPEAN-(LABRADOR)- If it is cool pop music and the band hails from Sweden then what other label would it be on, Labrador! I enjoyed their last record (MIGRATION) and the ep that preceeded it so needless to say I was very excited for this new full-length and the band does not disappoint. Unlike the last record they now seem to have a shiny, orchestrated sound (which appeared occasionally on earlier records) like the opening cut here, the swirling “Stranded” as well as cuts #2 and 3 (“Days” and “I Can Try”)with its swooping strings and gliding keyboards. They bring the tempo down on “Forward is All” and “High and Low” but this approach still works for the band (thanks to Anna Perrson’s strong yet vulnerable vocals). If you like some gloss with your pop then Sambassadeur will be more than happy to pour you a bowl. www.labrador.se

3.29.10
Beach House
TEEN DREAM-(SUB POP)- I think I may have been the only one on the planet who didn’t like this Baltimore’s duo last (2nd) record, DEVOTION (on the Carpark label). Everyone raved about it and I played it several times but didn’t see the big dig. I approached this third record 9and their first for Sub Pop with major trepidation and …..well, I cannot stop listening to it. Opening tune “Zebra” I thought of Band of Horses (which is what it sounds like) and after several listens the song planted itself in my head and would not leave. By song number two, the beautifully eerie “Silver Soul” , I realized that these two, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have their own thing going and I need to be on board now. And the way Scally (or is it Legrand) coos “It is happening again” over and over is to die for. “Walk in the Park”, with its tap tap drum machine and swirling organ, creates even more magic. What you get ton disc 2 is dvd with videos for these 10 songs which creates even more mystery around the proceedings. The songs on TEEN DREAM are still warm and hazy but hookier than the first two records and it makes it easier to get sucked into the bands intoxicating glow. Pure beauty, this. www.subpop.com

3.29.10
Mike Coykendall
THE UNBEARABLE BEING OF LIKENESS-(FIELD HYMNS)- This is Coykendall’s 2nd solo record after 2005’s HELLO HELLO HELLO (on the Hopewell label) and though you might not know this Portland musician by name you might know the folks he has played with (M. Ward, Blitzen Trapper, etc.). In fact, he is an integral part of the Portland music scene and a very respected musician. These 11 songs zip by in just over half an hour and it offers a good mix of styles from the trippy opener (“Good One”) to the Spoon-ish rattle of “Luna Mama Less Dip” to the dark ‘n driving “It’s Raining Inside” to the sloth-like “Spacebaker Blues” with its opening piano roll and opening lyrics of “I get stoned every night.” Later on Coykendall shows a looser side (more like humorous…the record is loose enough) on cuts like “Bye Bye Baby O” and “Sold Your Closet Paintings.” While I have to say this was not what I was expecting form a Coykendall solo record (I never heard HELLO HELLO HELLO) this weird, trippy record shows a talented musician stepping out into the spotlight to give us a (slight) glimpse of what makes him tick. www.fieldhymns.com

3.29.10
Gods Gift
PATHOLOGY 1979-1984-(HYPED 2 DEATH)- This obscure UK duo of Steven Edwards and Stephen Murphy is yet another rare gem unearthed by the H2D label. Even in a scene of trying to dig up unknown bands the ones that H2D label head Chuck Warner pulls up from the earth give obscure a new meaning. As the title implies these two (along with helpers) existed in that final sputter of the 70’s into the first year years of the 80’s and this 17 song compilation includes songs from cassettes (no surprise form this label) and from that same scene that spawned The Fall and Joy Division, well, I think G.G. might have outshone them, at least in term of sheer despair (most of the band member s worked by day at the Prestwich Asylum, then England’s largest psychiatric hospital). Give “Jacqueline’s Admission” a listen (sort of the UK’s answer to No Trend’s “Teen Love”) or the single riff that suspends “No God.” Heck, “Clamour Club” is rosy in comparison. I think you get the picture, PATHOLOGY 1979-1984 is a challenging listen but to folks who dig true outsider music well, this is the real deal. www.hyped2death.com

3.29.10
Alec Ounsworth
MO BEAUTY-(ANTI)- Wasn’t sure what to expect from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah frontman Alec O. but the reviews I had read of MO BEAUTY were generally positive and I was curious. I have to admit I was never a big CYHSY fan and never have I seen a band go from neutral to 4th gear and back to neutral quicker. For this solo debut, produced by Los Lobos Steve Berlin, Ounsworth headed down to the Big Easy, New Orleans, and soaked up some of that town’s quirky culture (he also got the Meter’s bassist and the drummer from Galactic to play on this record as well as a Greyboy Allstar). The first two songs didn’t make me a fan but by song number three, “Holy Holy Holy Moses (song for new Orleans)”, a rolling balled, I was eager to listen to more. “That is Not My Home” is a frenzied number not unlike a Neutral Milk Hotel gem. Also, worth a listen (or 5) are “Idiots in the Rain”, the rollin’ “What Fun” and the gentle “Obscene Queen Bee #2.” MO BEAUTY is a portrait of an artist finding his footing and taking several chances while doing it and no one can fault him for that. www.epitaph.com

3.29.10
The Threads Of Grass
SUN TUNNELS-(SELF)- I bought this record purely on a whim due to its beautifully screen-printed cover and the band & album names. I was delighted when I put the wax on the turntable and totally gorgeous, delicate indie-pop started gliding out of the speakers. If you can imagine a more acoustic-centered Very Secretary melded with Neil Young or a combo of Midlake and the Clientele then you’re on the right track. A vision of +/- covering the White Album also creeps into my mind – especially on tracks like ‘Holiday.’ A case can also be made for a resemblance to the original (and best) incarnation of Clem Snide. The crystalline acoustic guitars and not-too-reverby vocals are accompanied by strings, as well as occasional banjos, piano, electrics and tasteful drums and the next thing you know you are totally caught up in their soothing sway. From the lilting, arpeggios to the songs that shuffle or waltz, the Threads of Grass provide a perfect soundtrack for laying in a field watching summer stars or a late night drive through Big Sur with the windows down, breathing in the cool Pacific air. Yes… www.thethreadsofgrass.com JEREMY GRITES

3.29.10
V/A
CAUSAL VICTIM PILE: AUSTIN 2010-(MATADOR)- This 19 song compilation comes from Matador Records’ co-owner, Gerard Cosloy. Cosloy landed in Austin, TX a few years back and this comp is a hand-picked selection of some of his faves that hail from the Texas capitol (a few bands are from nearby Denton as well). As mentioned somewhere, this is Matador’s first city-specific comp since the terrific New York Eye & Ear Control (remember that?) and I have to say, it’s doozie. Keeping in mind that I listened to most of these songs in my car on the way to work at 6:15 AM on Hwy 26 on the way out to Hillsboro, OR (not that that really makes a difference, just thought I’d mention it, but wait, have any of you ever been to fucking Hillsboro?!) the first few cuts came pounding out of the speakers: Follow that Bird’s “The Ghosts That Wake You” have a tense rumble not unlike Versus, The Youngs “Blister” make a noisier but no less effective racket and Flesh Lights “Crush on You” sound like an early version of another Austin band, The Black Angels. Elsewhere Dikes of Holland make a beautiful garbled mess and The Distant Seconds (who I’ve reviewed favorably on this site before) keep up their winning streak with the terrific “Akron Bureau.” There’s other fine cuts from Kingdom of Suicide Lovers, Bad Sports, Harlem, The Teeners, Love Collector (with the awesome “First 48”) and plenty of others. The only song on the entire 19 song comp I didn’t like was Elvis’ chalkboard-scraping “Mommy’s Little Soldiers”, otherwise, as the kid down the street says, it’s all good. www.matadorrecords.com

3.22.10
Blue Rodeo
THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND-(TELESOUL)- My pal Keith at Music Millenium is the one who should be writing this review as he is a huge fan of the band and has every one of their umpteen million records. Me, I like what I’ve heard but have not heard a ton. Here is what I do know, they are from Canada and have been around for over two decades. They’re huge in their home country but basically unknown here couldn’t get arrested if they tried and on THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND, spread out over 2 cds, songwriters Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy have written another batch of breezy roots rock numbers that most band would kill for. They share songwriting credits on the record but I’m told Cuddy’s songs are the bouncier alt country nuggets while Keelor handles the moodier numbers. For the former check out “Waiting for the World’ while for the latter “One More Night’ will do the trick. The best straight up pop tune on the record is the amazing “Never Look Back” while the gorgeous acoustic number, “One Light Left in Heaven” is close too. All the songs I have mentioned here are on disc 1 and disc 2, which is nearly as good, still has some gold on it (“Don’t Let the Darkness in Your Head”, “Arizona Dust”, etc.). If you ‘re a newcomer you could do a lot worse than starting here in their catalog. www.warnermusic.ca

3.22.10
The Duchess And The Duke
SUNSET/SUNRISE-(HARDLY ART)- This Seattle duo of Jesse and Kimberly made some rumble on their debut form a few years ago but this sophomore effort is a huge step forward. The two are still writing homespun, low-key campfire song but the songwriting has gotten so much better an getting Gris Gris duded Greg Ashley to produce and add some of his magic was an excellent choice. In fact the record would be even better if they had dropped the meandering first song “Hands” (Not necessarily a bad song but not nearly as strong as the rest of the material). “Scorpio” is punk-folk of the highest order as is “Let It Die” while “Living This Life” has an eerier quality to it and the title track sounds like an early (acoustic) Stones track (big Stones influence on the debut but less so here). With some growth as a band (and again, getting the right producer) the Dutchess & the Duke went from being a band trying to find its footing with a pretty good but to a very good band that seems to know right where it wants to go. www.hardlyart.com

3.22.10
Honey Clouds
FALL ON THE-(PEAPOD)- This band (and label) are led by Mr. Ron Harrity who was in 90’s Slumberland band Nord Express as well as some folks from Harpswell Sound. Most of these 12 songs were released (in different versions) on 2007’s EARL GRAY DEMOS but are spruced up here. Opener “Living Room” is scrappy indie pop with scattershot guitar and shuffled drums while “Branch is Green” sound more like weird n’ wired early Pavement and then “Color Spills In” has the jangle of a poppy Silver Jews tune (vocals even sound a bit like D. Berman). The stuff is all over the map but even with the mix of styles they remember the songwriting. Ya’ gotta remember the songwriting. www.peapodrecordings.com

3.22.10
Dave Rawlings Machine
A FRIEND OF A FRIEND-(ACONY)- You might not know the name Dave Rawlings but he has been Gillian Welch’s producer/songwriting partner for quite a while . He has also worked with Conor Oberst and a host of other s but on this , his first solo record, he offers up 9 songs with Gillian helping out (as well as Benmont Tench and a host of others. The records opens with the Stonesy “Ruby” (think “Angie” ) and then zips right into “To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high)” which you might remember as the first song form Ryan Adams solo debut, HEARTBREAKER (some serious fiddle playing on this one). “I Hear Them All” is a gentle acoustic song with a gospel feel. He then does a reworking of the Oberst song “Method Acting” which goes into a Neil’s “Cortez the Killer” (a medley of sorts). “Sweet Tooth” sounds straight out of Appalachia while “How’s About You” sounds piped in form a different era altogether. A FRIEND OF A FRIEND is super low-key and has some excellent songs on it and after hearing it you’ll wonder why it took him so long to do his own record. The guy is a pretty serious talent but he appeared to be more comfortable in a band setting as opposed to leading the pack in a leading man role. Either way is fine, I just hope he has another solo record (or more) in him. www.aconyrecords.com

3.22.10
Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore
DEAR COMPANION-(SUB POP)- Daniel Martin Moore was introduced to the world (or at least my world) a few years ago via his nice Sub Pop debut , STRAY AGE. I heard Sollee’s debut a few years ago as well (he is a classically trained cellist). These two Kentuckyians along with producer Jim James (aka Yim Yames) , team up for these gorgeous Appalachian songs. The songs are mostly gentle folk tunes and their voices mix beautifully, especially on tunes like the first cut “Something Somewhere Sometime” and on the Palace Bros-ish “My Wealth Comes to Me” (speaking of another Kentucky native, Mr. Will Oldham). The relaxed “Needn’t Say a Thing” rolls along like the hills of the homestate while Sollee’s “Only a Song” shows the duos heartfelt modesty (“This is only a song, it can’t change the world”) and D.M.M.’s political “Flyrock Blues” sounds like a Nick Drake outtake. In addition to the terrific songs on DEAR COMPANION, the record is a benefit for Appalachian Voices which is drawing attention to the practice of mountaintop removal. Well done gents, I hope there’s a part two. www.subpop.com

3.22.10
Taken By Trees
EAST OF EDEN-(ROUGH TRADE)- Apparently for this 2nd record Victoria Bergsman and her studio engineer, Andrea Soderstrom went to Pakistan to record it. From what I have read the Swedish government warned them against going because Pakistan is, ya’ know, bit dicey these days (or at anytime) but they went, met up with some guy named Malik (well known in Pakistan from what I’ve heard just don’t ask him anything about indie pop because he wouldn’t be able to tell you) They went , they saw and they conquered and out came a album rich in atmosphere with flutes (which conjures up the sound of snakes being charmed) , light percussion and Bergstroms’s emotive, gentle vocals. You have lilting beauty on tunes like “To Lose Someone”, “Watch the Waves’ and “Greyest Love of All” while other songs like “Wapus Karna” sounds like what might hear at a Paki marketplace with its upbeat, hand-clapping vibe. There is also a big Animal Collective influence here too but instead of copying bands n’ sounds Bergstrom took a real chance while recording and out comes rich tapestry of sounds, unique from what you’ve heard these past few years. www.roughtraderecords.com

3.15.10
The Morning Benders
BIG ECHO-(ROUGH TRADE)- Can these somewhat over-lauded mop-tops rise to the expectations attending this confidently-titled sophomore full-length? Echo responds with the warm sound of a phonograph needle on worn vinyl and a progression echoing one of the Fab Four’s most swoon-inducing (“This Boy,” itself a Doo-wop structure) -- “Excuses” is irresistibly embroidered Pop. Engagingly bittersweet, “Promises” and “Cold War” add the minor-key melancholy of The Cardigans or Spoon. “Wet Cement” and “Pleasure Sighs” pleasantly expand to more than filler. And so it goes as the Benders utilize lessons from Oasis, the Cardigans and Beach Boys; adding to their less addictive riffs atmospheric beauty and divergent textures/codas. With Grizzly Bear producer Chris Taylor the Benders have fashioned a rather Grizzly confection that sometimes realizes the promise of their “Lovefool” cover – never mind the band’s avoidance of the satire in the Cardigan’s original: What can you expect from unabashed romantics? This is half of a Pop classic: for much of the other half my patience is bent as the band strains for the moody import more spontaneously exhaled by Blonde Redhead and Brian Wilson. If the affliction of being over-fuzzed/reverbed were a virus, I’d be in the ICU from “All Day Day Light;” the ponderous “Mason Jar” nearly has me snoring. If the Benders want to keep shoring up their franchise with new flavors, for the next outing I’d like to see Rivers Cuomo helming the no-(gratuitous)-frills ROCK pop release apparently no longer possible from Weezer. www.roughtraderecords.com MARY LEARY

3.15.10
Plastic Soul
PEACOCK SWAGGER-(SELF RELEASED)- Had not previously heard this L.A. band before but when heralded power pop blog ABSOLUTE POWERPOP raised a cold one and toasted this as their pick for #1 record of 2009 I figured I’d better take notice. Don’t wanna be left out in the cold, know what I mean? The band is basically songwriter Steven Wilson and whomever he wants to have help him on the record .Starting out with the Beatle-esque , swagger of “You Sentimental Fucks/Life on Other Planets” is a good way to begin a record which then jumps right into another confident rocker, “Cock Rock 101” with some raucous, over-the-top guitar playing and Wilson’s sneering vocals. “Champion Tragic Boy” is one of the discs best songs and even includes the use of a chamberlain (sounds kinda like a harpsichord) while they add some sitar to the terrific “Fishwife” (you might even think it’s High Dials record for second). Elsewhere the deeply moving “Cancer” (“Cut it out, please cut it out, cancer is breaking me down”) and the alt-country track, “Shame” (with some gorgeous pedal steel) are two gems as well. There’s 12 songs on here and only a few clunky moments (I coulda done without some of the wanky guitar but there’s not too much of it) and while it was not my pick as best record of 2009 (didn’t even hear it ‘til 2010) it’s still a strong record with some terrific songwriting. Stand up and take notice music fans. www.plasticsoulmusic.com

3.15.10
Point Juncture WA
HEART TO ELK-(MT. FUJI)- This record was a great surprise! From the looks of it, I thought it was going to be a quiet folky thing, but instead it’s a great blast of modern indie-pop that’s super catchy and good. PJW definitely take their cues from old school indie-rockers like Yo La Tengo and Pavement along with bands like Radiohead and Death Cab, but I think they may have as much in common with some newer bands like Wye Oak, Psapp, Gildon Works, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and the Swimmers. For the most part the tunes are concise, driving indie numbers punctuated by some great noise/guitar strangling along with some samples and keyboards. There is about a 60-40 split between female/male vocals on Heart to Elk and they are all smooth and clear. The female vocal songs are what remind me of a lot of Wye Oak (see: ‘Biathalon’), but there are also similarities to old faves like Velocity Girl, Stereolab and Belly which sound both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. (Did I really just reference Belly positively? Whoa.) Honestly though folks, the song ‘Melon Bird,’ is worth the price of admission by itself... Excellent. www.mtfujirecords.com JEREMY GRITES

3.15.10
The Sons Of Hercules
A DIFFERENT KIND OF UGLY-(SUASTEX)- While I have heard their name over the years I have never before checked out this San Antonio, TX institution who have been plugging away for 2 decades without a hint of mainstream success (that’s not what they’re lookin’ for anyway). The 12 songs that make up A DIFFERENT KIND OF UGLY don’t vary too much in style but this band is nothing if not consistent. They take elements of The Stooges and the Stones and grind out mid-tempo nuggets with snotty appeal and with vocalist Frank Puglise, a front man who would probably spit in your face, pour your beer on your head and then buy you another one. In addition to the 9 originals here they also had the good sense on to cover The Saint’s (“Misunderstood”), Lazy Cowgirls “Rock of Gibraltar”) and the Mystery Dates (“Easy Action”). Go! www.saustexmedia.com

3.15.10
The Swimmers
PEOPLE ARE SOFT-(MAD DRAGON)- After releasing a stellar debut record called Fighting Trees a coupla years ago, Philadelphia’s Swimmers took it upon themselves to build their own studio, and then write and record a new batch of songs that blows the first record out of the water! (And I LOVE that 1st record by the way!) Anyway, they come out swinging with ‘Shelter,’ and never look back nor do they relent. From the killer, stomping ‘Drug Party,’ to the Devo-esque ‘Give me the Sun,’ or from the sweet, chiming ‘Nervous Wreck,’ to the slinky, pulsing ‘Dresses don’t fit,’ the hits just keep on coming. The record is impeccably played, sung and recorded with layers of great harmonies/backing vocals, guitar lines, key samples and an absolutely top notch rhythm section. The lyrics are even cool. I’ve seen them live a number of times now, and I sure wouldn’t want to go on after them. Why they are not hugely popular and rich by now I have no idea. This is a perfect record for summer kids, so get yours today. www.myspace.com/maddragonrecords JEREMY GRITES

3.08.10
Cheap Red
S/T-(555)- This band is an indie pop supergroup of sorts featuring both Stewart and Jen form Boyracer (Jen has also done plenty of solo stuff) as well as Portland couple Akina and Arland who were in Kanda. This is actually a double cd, the first disc features 14 songs written by the band while disc 2 has some of the songs on disc one but they are remixed by different indie folks (ie; Sisterhood of Convoluted Thinkers, Kid 606, King of Prussia, Simpatico etc.). Disc 2 I can take or leave honestly (not a big remix fan) but the tunes on the main disc are terrific. It doesn’t really sound like either Boyracer or Kanda but does have elements of both bands. It’s basically raw indie pop with some great melodies and some cool 2-part harmonies tossed in as well. There is scattershot pop (“The Mitten”), lovely acoustic with violin (“Red Shoulders”), bouncy pop that goes a little nuts (“Let’s Start a Riot”), synth pop with violin (“Unlucky in Love”) and even a Vaselines cover (“The Day I was a Horse”)! Coming from the 555 label it is going to be super reasonably priced so you really have not excuse not to get this. www.myspace.com/cheapred

3.08.10
Christmas Island
BLACKOUT SUMMER-(IN THE RED)- The cover of this disc shows someone (I assume band member Brian) with the band name and logo tattooed on his leg, just above his left ankle. What that tells me is that they mean it man (and OUCH)! This San Diego duo of Lucy and Brian have a few singles out but this is their debut full-length and they, like a lot of bands these days , are bringing back that crazy lo-fi sound. 2 decades after Pavement’s debut single (Slay Tracks!) bands far and wide are breaking out their 4-tracks and hitting the start button. Bringing back the raw pop tunes that the boys from Stockton, CA perfected early on. These 12 songs aren’t all gold soundz but there is more than a handful of tweaked moments of genius on BLACKOUT SUMMER , namely the title track (which the band released as a single on the Captured Tracks label last year) as well as the simply simple “I Don’t Care” (which has some lead guitar work straight out of “You’re Killing Me”) and the stop/start doo wop of “Anxiety Attack.” If they can stay away from the perils of rock stardom (mounds of coke and loose women/men) and stick around for at least another record well see if they have earned their keep, in the meantime, this is worth a listen or 10. www.intheredrecords.com

3.08.10
The Horse's Ha
OF THE CATHMAWR YARDS-(HIDDEN AGENDA)- Another solid release from Hidden Agenda, this time from Chicago ‘super-group’ collective the Horse’s Ha which features members of the Zincs as well Janet Bean from 11th Dream Day and Freakwater. Mark Greenburg of the Coctails manned the board on this recording and he did a bang-up job – it sounds excellent. Comprised primarily of acoustic instruments (upright bass, cello, acoustic guitar and various brushed drums & percusson), it is a decidedly mellow affair, but not maudlin or predictable. The songs are propelled by a shifty, interesting rhythm section (not unlike what Calexico does) and is filled out nicely by the other players. Both James Elkington and Janet Bean have very disticnt voices, but they compliment each other quite well. At times eerie and creepy, at others hauntingly beautiful, this record seems tailor-made for a humid summer evening’s sunset. www.parasol.com JEREMY GRITES

3.08.10
My Dad Is Dead
A NEW CLEAR ROUTE-(UNHINGED)- 25 years on it’s really good to see My Dad is Dead (ie: Mark Edwards) still releasing records (also good to see that he still has ex-Prisonshake drummer Scott Pickering on board as well, Pickering wasn’t the original drummer in the band but has been with Edwards for probably 2 decades). I had followed his career early on during his days on labels like St Valentines Records, Scat and Homestead and then lost track. It sounds like he left Cleveland years ago and found greener pastures in his new home of North Carolina as evidenced by the lyrics on the opening track , “Carolina Blue” (“I had good friends in Cleveland but I never felt quite right” and then later in the song, “Cleveland, city of struggle and decay, Cleveland I still think of you everyday”). Lyrics still explore relationships, the good and bad that comes with them (usually the latter) while the sound is now beefed up from the days of old, with punchier guitars and Edwards’ vocals more out in front. ). Cut two, the title track, again adds some real kick to the guitar and nice hooks as well. Later on “Old Friends” add some panic to the guitar with a paranoid guitar hook that reminded me of the old days while “Indefensible” starts with a cool guitar lick and some pounding rhythms with Edwards powerful, chant-like vocals (and smart anti-war lyrics). In a world where it’s too easy to put the guitar down, turn on the tube get lost in life it’s refreshing to see musicians like Mark Edwards still out there fighting the good fight nearly three decades on. www.mydadisdead.com

3.08.10
The Orange Peels
2020-(MYSTERY LAWN MUSIC)- 2020, the fourth release by San Francisco’s Orange Peels, came out last fall. The idea may have been to help fans get through a long cold winter (if you caught the reference to the brilliant OP song off Circling the Sun, good for you). The disc works just as well with spring right around the corner in that it helps listeners make it through the last gray weeks until the flowers finally bloom. And if that last phrase sounds hackneyed, so be it. The Orange Peels are just that kind of band, an outfit that asks listeners to, yes, peel back their layers and learn to appreciate pop at its very core. The record contains the Peels’ signatures: captivating hooks, lush production, intricate arrangements and songwriter Allen Clapp’s stellar vocals. 2020 might not be the Peels’ best release — song for song, 2001’s So Far treads on “classic” territory — but contains some of the group’s best individual numbers. Five of those songs come consecutively in the record’s middle. Shining Like Stars, the third song, is crunchy, hand-clappy (Allen-clappy?), invigorating. The catchy title track features Good Vibrations-quality changes while showcasing Clapp’s spot-on melodies. The boppy fifth song, Birds of a Feather, travels down Tin Pan Alley but adds a compelling call-and-response chorus. Jane Lane is classic Orange Peels, with major-minor shifts worthy of the Left Banke. Emily Has Told Me Why effectively channels the Zombies while showcasing the Peels’ instrumental chops on a coda for the ages. 2020 is the band’s first record in four years. Before then, it took four years to complete Circling the Sun. And while it’s logical that it takes a while to release full-lengths given the Orange Peels’
attention to detail, I, nonetheless, can’t wait until 2013. www.theorangepeels.com ANDY GIEGERICH

2.15.10
Brilliant Colors
INTRODUCING-(SLUMBERLAND)- Though music fans in the Bay Area might have been privy to this new trio I had not heard of them until the cd came in the mail. And though these 10 songs clock in at a little over 22 minutes (shades of the Vivian Girls , who they remind me of a bit at times) , with the longest tune being 2:45, it’s a big enough dollop to make me wanting more. With labels like Slumberland as well as smaller ones like Captured Tracks and Woodsist leading the charge, a whole ton of new lo-fi pop bands are out there, recording and touring and taking cues from C-86 bands , 80’s Flying Nun jangle, and early lo-fi (first Pavement single, etc.) and while Brilliant Colors or most of the others ones, aren’t the most original band to come down the block it’s all ok. Ya’ know why? Cos’ they write good songs, that’s why. On opener “I Searched” the three chord jangle is in full effect as is the reverb (I loves me some reverb!) and vocalist Jess Scott has a yelp that sits right in the middle innocent and devilish and the only problem with the song is that it ends way too early. On “Absolutely Anything” the fuzz gets a bit thicker and the C-86 heads should rejoice and on “Yell in the Air” the drums thump away gleefully and Moe Tucker would be proud. There’s plenty more to enjoy here so don’t think about it all too hard, just enjoy it. www.slumberlandrecords.com

2.15.10
Fucked Up
COUPLE TRACKS-(MATADOR)- I’m sure there has to be someone out there who has every Fucked Up record but if there is such a person, I haven’t met them yet. This 2-cd comp collects all of the bands oddball releases, singles, rarities, comp tracks, etc. from the years 2002-2009 and acts as a perfect companion piece to their other comp: EPICS IN MINUTES. On here is 25 songs spread over the 2 discs and if you have yet to dive in to the F.U. pool well, do it, because there’s plenty of room for everyone. Yeah, I guess you could call them a hardcore band but it really doesn’t do ‘em justice, they are so much more than that. I think even if it was just singer Pink Eyes singing over the roar of the guitars I’d love it as well but then pile on the rhythm section and whatever else they feel like tossing in and voila, you’ve got Canadian powerhouse, Fucked Up. Among my faves on here, all form disc 1, is the rip snorting “Neat Parts” (from the Triumph og Life 7”), the heavvvy “Generation” (from the single of the same name), the searing “Dangerous Fumes” (form the single of the same name). Onto disc 2 you have the epic “I Hate Summer”, the hooky “Carried out to Sea” and get this, on this disc they cover the Shop Assistants (one of my favorite S.A. songs, “I Don’t Wanna Be Friends with You”), Another Sunny Day (“Anorak City”) and the Dolly Mixture (“He’s So Frisky”)! Twee never sounded so good. God bless the S.S. Fucked Up and all who sail on her. This is great. www.matadorrecords.com

2.15.10
Kottarashky
OPA HEY!-(ASPHALT TANGO)- With his goatee and hat, the intently hip Kottarashky, a/k/a Nikola Gruev, is a Bulgarian architect by day. On this debut he’s built a compelling collage of rhythms mashing train bells, field samples, accordions, horns, and Bulgarian Gypsy groans and shouts. Since I am a Rom music aficianado, and open to mixers, I can get with a lot of Opa Hey!. Whether by introducing samples collected from around Bulgaria, or from more established Balkans, including Fanfare Ciocarlia and Jony Iliev, Kottarshky blends it all to convey warm urban and rural snapshots. The CD includes near trance-outs (on “Tempe“ the sounds are just shifting/intelligent enough to pull cognition back in, which, while a bit jarring, is a great cerebral muscle exerciser). Tracks like the Latin/gypsy-beat-based “Chethu” provide fodder for what I like to call “interpretive dance. But the whole ends up feeling more contemplative than Club, especially through interludes conveying an organic heart, as with the touching “September,” and, to some degree, the alluring, catchy “Mandra.“ I’d get his next release just to see if he comes up with more like those two. www.asphalt-tango.de MARY LEARY

2.15.10
The Mantles
S/T-(SILTBREEZE)- What can I really say about The Mantles that hasn't been said by Byron Coley, Henry Owings and anyone else in the know? Nothing, so let me just say this: if you have not heard The Mantles self titled LP on Siltbreeze, go buy it right now. From the singles "Don't Lie"(Byrds-ie country-jangle pop) and "Burden"(heavier psych influence), to the tracks "James"(Black Lips-ish garage revival) and "Samantha"(inspiring guitar leads and beautiful vocals) this album totally lives up to the hype. The last time these guys toured it was in support of Ty Segall. I imagine the next time around they'll be the ones in the spotlight. Bands like this validate a trip to SXSW in my opinion. www.siltbreeze.com KIP KELGARD

2.15.10
Real Estate
S/T-(WOODSIST)- This NJ bunch are led by one of the guys from Titus Andronicus (Martin Courtney) and I had read so many positive things about them that I had to check the cd out…..but then I never did. And never did, until finally one day I did and really dug it. They have a bit of a hypnotic sound, a bit akin to Galaxie 500 and The Clean (the hazier aspects o the former and the shambling-ness of the latter) . That guitar leads that seems to go on forever on the opening cut, “Beach Comber”, could go on forever as far as I’m concerned as it’s so damn catchy but then on “Pool Swimmers” they slow it down and murk it up a bit by putting too much chlorine in the pool and now you’re rubbing your eyes a lot. They get a more outright poppy on excellent “Green River” and “Fake Blues” while adding a few weirder instrumentals (“Atlantic City” and “Let’s Rock the Beach”) and have two songs with the word suburban in their title (“Suburban Dogs” and “Suburban Beverage”) and they’re among the best on here. With most of these songs this record comes off more as a summertime record but then they throw us another curveball by ending the record with a song called “Snow Days.” I’m not always sure what Real Estate are on about but that’s ok, I like it (a lot) anyway. www.woodsist.com

2.08.10
Album Leaf
A CHORUS OF STORYTELLERS-(SUB POP)- There are a few things I've come to expect from an Album Leaf record. There will be mostly instrumental songs, many which begin with a simple piano line then slowly build until they are a wall of beautiful sound. There will be a smattering of tunes with vocals, and one or two of them will be sung in awkward yet pleasant harmony. There will be some very effected violin that will make me wonder how even though it barely sounds like a violin, it can still contain all of the wonderful sadness of a violin. So, when I first listened to "A Chorus of Storytellers," I was not really surprised to hear much of what I expected-- a good thing in my book, since this is The Album Leaf I have come to know and love. The instrumental efforts are nothing short of stunning. "Blank Pages" is a prime example of the gorgeous depth of sound and space this band can accomplish, and "Summer Fog" is beautifully orchestral. The vocal presence was stronger on this record and Jimmy's vocals, while still charmingly innocent, were just a bit more polished. "Almost There" is a stand-out radio-ready pop track. The one aspect of this record that I did not like was the preponderance of glitchy electronic drum sounds. Past releases seamlessly blended the live and electronic drums, but on this record, the bleeps and clicks just stand out on the songs and are more distracting than anything. That aside, "A Chorus of Storytellers" is another lovely, well-crafted work from a consistently excellent band. www.subpop.com LAURA WATLING

2.08.10
Dawes
NORTH HILLS-(ATO)- It’s hard to believe that Taylor Goldsmith, the leader of this L.A.- area foursome is only 23 years old. Listening to these 11 songs he sounds much wiser than his years, an old soul he is. The songs on NORTH HILLS are all relatively simple, soothing keyboard liners here, plunked-out guitar chords there, gentle, rolling rhythms all over and on top of it all is the whipped cream: Goldsmith’s old soul vocals. The quartet, which also includes Taylor’s younger brother Griffin on drums (Wylie Gelber and Tay Strathairn round out the band) hail from a town called, you got it, North Hills, and they seem to have adopted the Laurel Canyon sound originally delivered by bands like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young (solo) as well as that of The Band too. With an earthy, reflective sound the band recorded these 11 cuts live in the studio (to analog tape) and the record sounds warm and melancholy, a perfect record for late night drives. “That Western Skyline” is a superb opener, slowly unfolding with snail-paced drums and acoustic guitars while “Love is All I Am” brings those C.S.N. comparisons to mind and the ramshackle, sorta honey tonk “When You Call My Name” is probably a live favorite with some nifty guitar grit. “When My Times Comes” is one of my favorites on here as it mixes philosophical lyrics with shuffling drums and glistening melodies while the gorgeous, stunning “Bedside Manner” examines the narrators last days on earth (“And then I’ll be ready to leave when the whole world is taken with me”). With this being only their debut record, it would appear this bunch has many more wonderful musical moments ahead but until then, bask in the glow of NORTH HILLS. www.atorecords.com

2.08.10
Sarah Elizabeth Foster
GARDENING FROM THE GROUND UP PART 1-(STUDIO SARAH)- With the immediate intimacy of her sweet, classically-trained voice, Foster sounds nearly as depressed as A. Camp on the Cardigans’ “Step On Me” or “Nasty Sunny Beam.” Lacking Camp’s sense of humor and irony, Foster burrows into the misery as if it were an immeasurable pit, and the unrequited or lost love that threw her in were her only friend. Still, “Wake Up,” which most reminds me of the Cards, is a compelling stand-out. Apparently love on its way over for dinner is also a problem -- on the title song Foster’s lost herself in a relationship but is unable to “pull this weed.” “Missing You Now” offers a more straight-ahead bounce (Carole King and Sheryl Crow can emit deep emotion while making listeners tap their feet and sing along). However radio-friendly that and “Wake Up” may be, it’s the simple, startling vulnerability of “Be My Friend Always” that could make Foster a contender for the This Generation’s Laura Nyro title. We just need Foster to continue to be, as a cheap fortune might say, “unlucky in love,” or to imagine herself so; swimming around in that pretty murk long enough to put together some new strokes. Then I might be impelled to wallow with her in something really splendid, a taste of which is given with “Be My Friend.” www.sarahelizabethfoster.com MARY LEARY

2.08.10
Le Loup
FAMILY-(HARDLY ART)- Wow, this sounds a lot of different than the band’s debut (with the really long title that I don’t feel like typing here but it probably would have been shorter than typing out this sentence). It seems that founder/leader Sam Simkoff found a bunch of new members via Craigslist (or so I heard) and the ensuing 11 songs on FAMILY have a real warm, organic feel to them. I’m serious folks, there are some seriously inspired parts on here that are absolutely magic. It’s ambitious but doesn’t feel pretentious at all, instead if feels like 6 musicians who are completely in tune with what the other is doing (or going to do). Think of Sufjan Stevens’ ILLINOIS and you’ll be in the ballpark but it’s more experimental than that in the best way possible. First cut “Saddle Mountain” is all 60’s British folk (Bert Jansch) while “Beach Town” has chanting and bongos and comes off as tribal in a similar way to the last Ruby Suns record and “Grow” tweaks a Beach Boys influence like a few others have been doing lately (Nurses, Animal Collective, etc.) but I like Le Loup more than any of ‘em. I’ve just described the first 3 songs but the rest of the record is filled with so many more fascinating, inspired gems. On only their sophomore release this band is one many others will start being compared to (as opposed to the other way around). www.hardlyart.com

2.08.10
Pylon
CHOMP MORE-(DFA)- I was first introduced to Athens, GA 80’s art school bunch Pylon via the DJs at my local new wave establishment in Southern NJ circa 1982-’83 (the good old days of fake ids) . The dj’s at The Ivory played mostly good stuff and they played two Pylon tunes on most weekend nights: “”M-Train” (which is included on here) and “Feast on my Heart” (which isn’t but is on the reissue of GYRATE). While I always dug the catchier new wave synth pop (and some punk) the Pylon tunes, which weren’t particularly catchy, not in a traditional sense anyway, wormed their way into my psyche. Shortly thereafter the band broke up and there went my chances of seeing them live (though I did catch them in Trenton , NJ when they reformed, around 1988). CHOMP MORE is an extended version of the band’s 2nd record, CHOMP that was released back then and features 16 tunes including a few remixes. I guess the closest comparison I could make would be the Talking Heads but even that isn’t super accurate. They mixed elements of new wave, funk, post punk all the while keeping their songs interesting and original. On vocals you had Vanessa Briscoe whose howling growl was unique to say the least while Randall Bewley (who , sadly ,died last year of a sudden heart attack) eeked out snakey lines on the guitar and the rhythm section kept both guessing . Give a listen to classics such as the riveting “Beep”, the angular “K”, the bottom-heavy “M-Train”, the jangly “Crazy” (that REM covered) and plenty more. Major props to the DFA label for putting this band back in the public’s consciousness ‘cos that’s where they deserve to be. www.dfarecords.com

2.01.10
Sam Bisbee
SON OF A MATH TEACHER-(LE GRAND MAGISTERY)- Apparently this guy has been around for nearly two decades and has several other records out. Well, this is the first I’ve heard of him (and this record is over a year old at this point) but SON OF A MATH TEACHER is full of the kind of emotional, soaring pop that many other songwriters have tried but failed at. On these 14 songs Bisbee seems to do it so effortlessly and bring to mind everyone from Lou Reed to Matthew Sweet and several songwriters in between (think Ron Sexsmith too). The guy definitely wears his heart on his sleeve but not in some weenie way as most of these tunes have some bite. Opening cut “Goodbye” is more of a mid-tempo rock/pop tune with some meaty guitar while the anthemic “Never Fall in Love” (“Letter B” is a good one too) is a cascading , piano-led tune where Bisbee shares vocals duties with Leona Naess and the results are marvelous. He also offers up some straight singer/songwriter tunes on the heartfelt “Verge of Extinction” or the low-key “Vermont.” A few of these 14 songs are a bit innocuous but most of this sounds quite inspired, enough to definitely make me search for his other records. www.magistery.com

2.01.10
Curtains For You
WHAT A LOVELY SURPRISE TO WAKE UP HERE-(SPARK & SHINE/ THOSE I LIKE!)- Whoah…what the hell?! Where did these guys come from?!! Wow! A few friends from Seattle bust out every 60’s and 70’s pop hook/cliché they can think of and end up making one of the best records of 2009. Ok, forget about the uninspired band name and the 7th grade artwork on the cover (and if the person who did the artwork is older than a 7th grader I apologize) or the fact that the record was recorded in the same studio as early Pearl Jam and Soundgarden records and just listen to these 10 songs. The first three songs are pure pop genius: opener “The Nuclear Age” has 3 and 4 part harmonies and more melody than you can shake a stick at (think early 70’s Beach Boys) while “Dead World” is more grand, more majestic (think Queen) and rocks a bit harder and “Dumb Angel” (sounds like a Beach Boys reference to me) could be the fan favorite. Aw hell, let’s add song #4, “Title Bout” to the great category too with its verse (or is that a chorus?) bop bop shoo op.” There’s some other stellar tunes in the rest, like the shuffling “Road Trip to Disaster” (with a guitar hook to die for and more “bah bah bahs”) and the rock opera-ish “Clanging of the Masses.” Pull out $10 out of your pocket and drop this band a line, if it means you don’t eat for a few days, well, it’s well worth it. www.sparkandshine.com

2.01.10
The Lucy Show
…UNDONE-(WORDS ON MUSIC)- Prior to hearing their reissued sophomore release a few years back (MANIA, also reissued on the Words on Music label) the only thing I knew about The Lucy Show is that Jack Rabid had raved about them for years. Once I heard that record I dug the band’s bottom heavy post-punk sound (think The Cure and Joy Division but with more melody ) so I was psyched to hear this, the debut by the UK quartet (but songwriters Mark Bandola and Robert Vandeven are the core of the band) which was originally released in 1985. I have to admit this isn’t as good as MANIA but that doesn’t mean this record is not without merit. The opener “Ephemeral (this is no heaven)” has a great low-end churn mixed with Bandola’s arching, reedy vocals while “Resistance” , sung by Vandeven, is quicker, more frantic and more paranoid sounding and one of the band’s best songs. Elsewhere, “The White Space”, “Remembrances” and the title track are a bit lighter and have more room to breathe than any Robert Smith song (“The White Space” is especially Cure-ish). A few songs murk-out a bit too much for my liking (“Come Back to the Living”, “The Twister”) but most of this is solid. I’d recommend MANIA first but you’re probably are gonna want the pair. www.words-on-music.com

2.01.10
National Flower
AFTERNOONS-(SELF-RELEASED)- 2nd release (3rd if you count leader Michael Sheridan’s solo record from 2004) by this unsung Portland band who deserve a lot more recognition than they currently get. Michael himself produced these 10 songs and his songwriting has gotten better with each release and AFTERNOONS is definitely the best yet. He/they start off with a wonderful trifecta from the shuffling, acoustic opener “Good for Me” to the pedal-steel soaked (courtesy of Richmond Fontaine’s Paul Brainerd, the song itself sound very Ryan Adams & the Cardinals-ish) while cut #3, starts with some serious handclaps, a resounding “Woo!” and then some groovy organ. I love Sheridan’s soft, emotive voice while the playing on the record is top notch. My only complaint is a small one, there are a few moments of some sax that sounds a bit Saturday Night Live-y (if you know what I mean). Still, the songs are very well-written and in addition to the three I mentioned also check out the hushed “Sleeping Babies Lie”, the melodic, upbeat “Dead for Days” and the rockin’ “Bad Ideas.” Good stuff here, folks. www.nationalflowermusic.com

2.01.10
Nibleck Henbane
..AND WE FALL-(DISCONNECTED)- I remember these NJ oi-sters from back when I still lived there (they were on the Headache Records label, along with the Wretched Ones). This 23 track collection includes all of their 7”s from the late 80’s /early 90’s as well as some demo tracks and a few live cuts too. If you dug the gruff sound of Boston’s Slapshot then this will be right up your alley. Gravelly vocals and hooky, 3-chord tunes and even the demos don’t sound bad (meaning in sound quality) but my fave stuff here is the early 90’s stuff like “We Don’t Want to Play”, “Danny’s Song”, “Andy Bought a Gun”, “Angel” (a Donna Fargo cover), “Hoodlum”, , etc. Props to the Disconnected Records label for unearthing these tunes which otherwise, could have been footnotes in history. www.disconnectedrecords.com

1.25.10
The Action
COMPLETE PUNK RECORDINGS 1977-1978-(SUDDEN DEATH)- It seemed like just a few year ago I had hear about the UK band The Action who existed in the mid-60’s and were signed to EMI by George Martin. Well, here is another band called The Action but this band hailed from Canada (Ottawa) and existed in the late 70’s and had a real punk snarl to them. Though it says in the press sheet that they were equally influenced by The Ramones, The Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers (??!!) and I also hear some glam influences like The NY Dolls as well as the snottier side of things ala The Dead Boys. These 17 tunes are comprised of an early ep from’77, a live cut from 1977, an unreleased 2nd ep (1978) and 8 more live cuts from a gig in Ottawa in ’78. Vocalist Tex Axe has a great snotty howl while the twin guitar bros, John & Paul Fenton, sounded like they could tear the roof off of large buildings (listen to “Do the Strangle”). In addition to that one lend an ear to ragers like “TV’s on the Blink”, “Down Town Boy”, “”Let You Down (all the way)” and at least a few others (including a cover the “Midnight Rambler”). www.suddendeath.com

1.25.10
Boy Genius
STAGGERING-(SELF-RELEASED)- This NYC’s band debut, ANCHORAGE , from a few years ago was a solid enough effort to be eager to check out this sophomore effort. On STAGGERING the band has definitely stepped up their game and released a better 2nd record. Lead guy Jason Korenkiewicz and the other three (2 gals and 1 other guy) decided that North Carolina jangle- meister Mitch Easter would be a good choice to produce and he was right as his distinctive style is all over the record with jangly guitar occasionally giving way to burst of 6-string dissonance. One interesting note is that this record literally pick up where ANCHORAGE left off as the guitar line that closed that first record opens this record on song one (along with a maelstrom of other instruments , all crashing together). The record opens with a fine trio of pop tunes: Scatterbrain”, “Blame Love” and the Pavement-esque “He Can’t Hit.” On “Ramona Saves the Day”, the title track and the excellent “The Hardest Part” they seem to mine influence from The Feelies in the best way possible. And as much as this is an improvement this over the band’s debut, I still think they have a better record in them. Until that day comes give STAGGERING a listen or 10 and just simply enjoy it. www.myspace.com/boygeniuses

1.25.10
Cass Elliot
CASS ELLIOT/ THE ROAD IS NO PLACE FOR A LADY-(COLLECTOR’S CHOICE)- This is a two-fer reissue of two of Cass’ three RCA records from the early 70’s. According to the liner notes by Cass daughter, Owen, Cass had tired of the bubblegum she’d recorded for years with the Mamas and the Papas and felt that these recordings were the most representative of her as an artist. The original version of the self-titled first record had 10 songs but here is upped here by adding 3 bonus cuts. The record is a mix of Cass originals as well as cuts written by other L.A. notables (Randy Newman, Bobby Darin and even Beach Boy Brice Johnston, she also does a cover of the Judee Sill classic, “Jesus was a Cross Maker”) and the record has a real laid back feel of a singer/songwriter record but with some added bits of light orchestration and , of course, Cass’ gorgeous, booming voice. It’s a real easy record to like. The next record, THE ROAD IS NO PLACE FOR A LADY, released in 1972, is 10 songs and sports a bit of a fuller sound, this time with more orchestration and the songs are just as marvelous. Here she puts her stamp on tunes written by Jimmy Webb (“Saturday Suit”), , Albert Hammond (“If You’re Gonna) Break Another Heart”) , Paul Williams (“Say Hello”) an several others. Once again her voice is booming in the most gorgeous was possible and the backing instrumentation is near perfect. This one needs to be in your collection. www.ccmusic.com

1.25.10
Richard Hawley
TRUELOVE’S GUTTER-(MUTE)- Hawley is one of those guys I had been meaning to check out for years, it seems. Had always ready great things about his records and had friends recommend his stuff to me but alas, it always eluded me until now. Even this record sat in a box of promos for quite some time and when I finally listened to it I was blown away and couldn’t stop listening to it. These 8 songs have a real late night feel: reflective, poignant, melancholy and intimate. He has an amazingly deep croon (which reminded me of Scott Walker on his solo records, as many others have pointed out) while the record is mostly sparse but occasionally sweeping into stunning bits of orchestration. The opening cut, “As the Dawn Breaks”, slowly unfolds but never really picks up the pace while “Open Up Your Door” is strong on the Walker-isms and a grand statement on loneliness all wrapped up in the comforts of piano, vibraphone and the Red Skies String Section. Tune number 3, “Ashes on the Fire”, is my personal favorite on the record, as it lopes along with some tasteful Spanish guitar and Hawley sounding a bit like the King himself (yes, Mr. Presley). The rest of the record follows suit and includes one nearly 11 minute tunes and a 10 minute cut as well so be sure not to miss “Soldier On”, “Remorse Code”, “Don’t You Cry”, heck, who am I kidding, this whole record is marvelous and not to be missed. I may have waited until the end of 2009 to listen to TRUELOVE’S GUTTER but that’s ok, it’s one of the last year’s best. www.mute.com

1.25.10
Old 97's
WRECK YOUR LIFE.,..AND THEN SOME: THE COMPLETE BLOODSHOT RECORDINGS-(BLOODSHOT)- On this 23 song collection (double vinyl only)Bloodshot Records has taken the band’s sophomore record, originally released in 1995 and added the EARLY TRACKS records to it (which included some early singles and such) for an expanded version of said record. For us longtime fans who already have the records it’s not much of a trophy but if you are new to the band then by all means jump right in. Old 97’s were, and still are, a great band who seemed to effortlessly blend cow-town country rock with the spirit of punk and superb songwriting (more hooks than you can shake a stick at). This includes a few of their classics like “Doreen”, the Roy Orbison-esque “”You Belong to my Heart”, “Victoria”, “Big Brown Eyes” and plenty of others. Hope you got both a spoon AND a fork for this one. www.bloodshotrecords.com

1.18.10
The Breakaways
WALKING OUT ON LOVE (THE LOST SESSIONS)-(BOMP/ALIVE)- It seems that Alive just issued a Nerves record (ONE WAY TICKET) and the reason I mention that is because the Breakaways were the duo of Peter Case and Paul Collins who were 2/3 of the Nerves (along with Jack Lee). Case and Collins went on to form The Plimsouls and the Paul Collins Beat respectively but this quickie band is certainly worthy. After The Nerves split came this short-lived duo (thought plenty of other musicians played on these songs) who not a lot of folks knew about (I sure as hell didn’t) and it carries on in the Nerves spunky power pop tradition. In these 13 tunes you have buzzing pop energy of cuts like “Little Suzy”, “One Way Ticket”, “USA” , and, of course, “Walking Out on Love” (which Portland’s sadly deceased Exploding Hearts covered). The sound quality isn’t the best on some of the cuts but heck, for us fans of the genre that’s a minor quibble as the energy and hooks on these tunes more than make up for it. Pick this unearthed gem up and thank the good folks at Bomp/Alive for its existence. www.alive-totalenergy.comww

1.18.10
Face Value
RODE HARD, PUT AWAY WET: CLEVO H/C ’89-’93-(SMOG VEIL)- Had these Cleveland hardcore kid existed 5 years prior I undoubtedly would have gone to their gigs and thrashed away happily but they began in 1989 (first record in 1990 , the COMING OF AGE ep) and by that time, at the ripe old age of 25, I was moving onto other things (more Am Rep, Touch & Go and Sub Pop bands and much less h/c) . These guys, however would have gone good on a CBGB hardcore matinee bill with Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and the like with their tough, take-no-prisoners, no-nonsense style. I can’t say it’s the most original thing I’ve heard back then there were a hundred Minor Threat clone bands anyway. Still, these 31 songs have boundless energy and contributed to the scene that was Cleveland hardcore. The package also comes with a dvd of some over-the-top live performance from the early 90’s. (put your t-shirt back on there, young man!). www.smogveil.com

1.18.10
I See Hawks In L.A.
SHOULDA BEEN GOLD, 2001-2009-(AMERICAN BEAT)- Can’t claim to have ever heard of this bunch but from the sound and looks of it maybe they were Southern California’s answer to the Flatlanders? Just a guess there ..anywho, it seems they appeared on the scene in L.A. at the dawn of the 2000’s (during, as they say, “mellow’s last gasp”) armed with a batch of terrific songs and a political agenda hidden in the lyrics (ok, maybe not so hidden). Vocalist/acoustic guitarist Rob Walker and guitarist Paul Lacques decided that , after 4 records, they needed to release a great hits records only none of their songs were ever hits (at least not in the traditional sense) and it’s a good thing too as their other 4 records probably aren’t the easiest things to find. American Beat Records stepped up and on this 17 track collection you have 5 previously unreleased songs and the record includes the very Flying Burritos-esque opener, “Sexy Vacation” (not sure why this gem was previously unreleased) , the gorgeous, haunting title track, the pedal-steel-soaked “Humboldt”, the gentle, rolling acoustic “Byrd from West Virginia” and that’s just the first 4 tunes. They probably could have cut 5 or so of the tunes and made a real killer 12 song record, but really, I’m being picky here. SHOULDA BEEN GOLD is a marvelous record full of intelligent and well-written songs and if you’ve worn out your copy of SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO and need something new then this is a perfect choice.www.ccmusic.com

1.18.10
The Mary Onettes
ISLANDS-(LABRADOR)- The Mary Onettes debut from 2007 (also on the Labrador label) was a low-key affair that mixed the atmosphere of Echo & the Bunnymen with some of Sweden’s best jangle pop (ie: Shout Out Louds, etc.). It was definitely a solid effort sprinkled with some truly excellent songs but record #2 here is an improvement all the way around. The record begins with three grand stunners: “Puzzles”, “Dare’ and “Once I Was Pretty”, all swooping orchestration and soaring vocals (courtesy of Philip Ekstrom). They then slow down to take a breath and then you realize the subject matter might not be all puppy love and sandy beaches (I find it hard not to think otherwise when the music is so upbeat) . On the contrary, both “Cry for Love” and “The Disappearance of My Youth” were written during the time of his girlfriend’s mother’s death while the philosophical “God Knows I had Plans” again soaks more introspective lyrics in majestic arrangements. The final four songs follow basically the same path (including the excellent “Century”) and while I believe ISLANDS is a good record I still think the band has a better record in them. Let’s see what record #3 brings but until then bask in the glow of ISLANDS and don’t miss their next trip to the states (as I missed their previous one) as I heard the bring it live. www.labrador.se

1.18.10
Pants Yell!
RECEIVED PRONUNCIATION-(SLUMBERLAND)- After records on Soft Abuse (their terrific ALISON STATTON cd) and Asaurus this Boston trio has found a home on Slumberland, which certainly makes sense. Having said that, I don’t like this one as much as the previously mentioned disc (Alison Statton). Leader Andrew Churchman hasn’t changed his style drastically or anything, it’s just that I don’t like the songs on this one as much (and just to be clear, this is not a bad record) as it’s a more stripped-down affair. They seem to have dropped some of their C-86-isms in favor of slower, more pensive cuts or occasional forays into slight experimentalism (drummer Casey Keenan was in Boston psych rockers Major Stars). On some of the cuts, however, they still do bring the jangle (see “Rue de la Paix”, “Someone Loves You”, “To Take”). If you dig the earnest pop of bands like True Love Always or Aden (or if you want to go a little further back, the Go-Betweens) then give this band a chance (both of those bands are on Mark Robinson’s Teen Beat label and it was Robinson himself who did the layout for the cd cover on this). Also, at 9 songs and clocking in at under a half hour the record is a bit light (the one Keenan song is only 51 seconds) but again, I still do recommend it, I’d just suggest picking up their previous one first. www.slumberlandrecords.com

1.11.10
The Scruffs
CONQUEST-(SCRUFFSVILLE)- It was nearly 2 years to the day that The Scruffs released POP MANIFESTO, their terrific comeback record of sorts. Here they are again, head Scruff Stephen Burns with a few Glaswegian friends (and just like on POP MANIFESTO, it’s recorded at Cava Studios in Glasgow and Burns gets some of his famous friends to contribute: a few Belle & Sebastians (Stevie & Bobby), a Big Star (Jody Stephens), and an ex Teenage Fan Clubber (Frank McDonald) and the batch of songs, is , once again, fabulous. Incorporating his own wall of sound (while Phil is locked up) Burns gets things going with the majestic opener “Conquer Me” while “Curse of the Mau Mau” is what you want playing at your next luau instead of some cheesy Don Ho soundalike (at least get the real thing, right?) and just to show he’s up to date Burns offers up “Ipod Girl” which has more bah-bah-bah’s than any other song in recent memory. Later on he and the gang offer sultry sax pop in “Demon Mine”, Beatles pop in “One More You” , gorgeous acoustic tune in “Days of Silver and Gold” and maybe some inspiration from Teenage Fan Club on the fantastic “Treasure Girl” (and “All the Pharaohs”). Burns and his crack musical cast have done it again, let’s hope it doesn’t get forgotten about when the best of 2010 list come out. www.thescruffs.com

1.11.10
The Shadow Kabinet
WORLDS APART-(SELF RELEASED)- I am glad, so glad, that XTC-influenced bands are finally starting to make records. The Shadow Kabinet, apparently a single guy named Steve Somerset, is not only one of them, he's a terrific talent whose taste — I'm guessing he listens to a lot of Martin Newell and the Move, as well as those Swindon fellows— is impeccable and whose songwriting chops are nothing short of captivating. In the end, Somerset picks up where late-80s to early-90s Robyn Hitchcock left off, before Hitchcock entered a folk-like phase that eventually worked for him (just not quite as well as his Element of Light to Queen Elvis phase). Somerset sounds like Hitchcock had J. Demme's favorite embarked on a Dukes of Stratosphere path and channeled his preferred 60s bands into a faux-concept disc. Gosh, all those words and nothing really about Shadow Kabinet, other than they sound like a lot of other great acts. Here goes. "There Must Have Been a Moment," the disc's first track, is beautiful and full, with lush hooks occupying each of its several parts. "What Am I Supposed To Do?" comes straight from the heart of industrial Great Britain, with Somerset channelling any one of a number of Merseybeat bands, including the best known of them all. "Sylvia the Psychic" might be the release's best track, sounding like a Magical Mystery Tour-era single. Trouble and Strife sounds like, yes, Hitchcock again, in this case, with Somerset gently encouraging an acquaintance to hang in there despite what sounds like a world of gloom. The disc even includes an outstanding instrumental surf track.Through it all, Smiling Worlds Apart is very consistent, with no fluff weighing it down and no reason at all to wish anything less for Mr. Somerset than that his music, like that of his heroes, simply be heard.www.myspace.com/shadowkabinet ANDY GIEGERICH

1.11.10
Those Darlins
S/T-(OH WOW DANG)- Nikki, Jessi and Kelly (all with the last name Darlin’) make up this female trio and I unfortunately ignored this record for far too long and when I finally popped it into the cd player I was bummed I didn’t do it sooner. The Tennessee trio do a fine job of mixing the attitude of punk with good timeyness of country music, more of the latter though, actually but then again, I’m not even sure if you’d call it country but it has elements of that genre as well as rockabilly and whatever it is that Southern Culture on the Skids does (also check The Knitters for a reference point). Opening cut “Red Light Love” revs the engine right out of the gate while “Wild One” is more low key but no less effective. The swelling strings were a perfect addition to the heartfelt “Mama’s Heart’ while the sassy, raucous “Hung Up on Me” would be a perfect tune to get the party started (who’s got the whiskey?). I just described the first four tunes and I’m happy to report that the other 8 are all worthy of your time as well (no filler here). A pleasant surprise to say the least. www.thosedarlins.com

1.11.10
J. Tillman
YEAR IN THE KINGDOM-(WESTERN POP)- Year in the Kingdom is the 6th solo album from J Tillman. Tillman has garnered recent attention through his involvement with Fleet Foxes and their acclaimed album from 2008, however he is a artist in his own right. Year in the Kingdom shows a maturity of songwriting and a confident voice featured on a beautiful yet austere musical stage. The album opens with the title track, where Tillman and his guitar quietly reminisce about the past. The second track more fully opens the door to the journey that Tillman takes you on, with a slow marching dirge drawing you in. The track howling light finally unveils the musical theme of the album, with strings and hammer dulcimer playing counterpoint to Tillman's guitar and stripped down vocals. With a quiet and introspective sound reminiscent of Nick Drake or Damien Rice, Tillman has created an album that takes the listener to a peaceful and thought provoking place. With his involvement with Fleet Foxes and his solo projects we can expect many more good things to come. www.westernvinyl.com SHELDON NALOS

1.04.10
Bunnygrunt
MATT HARNISH & OTHER DELIGHTS-(HHTBM)- Always good to see what these St. Louis yucksters are up to and glad they are still recording. They dropped the cuddle core sound (not sure if they ever wanted that tag to begin with) and offer us 10 songs housed in a homage/parody cover of Herb Albert’s WHIO CREAM & OTHER DELIGHTS (Soul Asylum did it too, back in the late 80’s). The core of the band is still Matt Harnish and Karen Reid along and they get a few friends to help out here (including Mario Viele from the Sex Robots) and these 10 songs are big on guitar grit but don’t forget the hooks either. Opening cut “665 & ½ Won’t Do” actually kicks into a little r & b lick (sorta Stonesy) while “The Limits of Southern Hospitality” and “Shotgun” are more buzzsaw guitar with plenty of oooh-oooh’s (as is “1000% Not Creepy”, my favorite song on the record). As fun as the record is, these are the kind of fist-pumpin’ tunes you wanna hear in a live setting, so come on, hop back in that van and point in toward Portland. People here are waiting for ya’. www.hhbtm.com

1.04.10
Carcrashlander
WHERE TO SWIM-(PARKS AND RECORDS)- Carcrashlander is the nom’ de plume of Mr. Cory Gray. You might remember him from Portland emo kids Desert City Soundtrack (who originally formed in Santa Rosa, California but relocated to Portland in the early 2000’s) but he has recorded with tons of other Portland bands including Norfolk & Western, Laura Gibson, etc. etc. On this, I believe his 2nd full-length, it is musically all over the map but held down by Gray’s unassuming vocal style. Opening cut “Landmines’ is wigged out n’ weird while “House Arrest” has some soulful keyboards and “Overgrown” has some spraying horns and smooth keys. “Rosie” has distorted vocals and marched at times to a Calexico beat. At times Gray’s style, both vocally and musically, reminds me of Lou Barlow’s solo work though with a bit more attention paid to experimentation. Gray is one of those guys who ,despite prodigious talent, will most likely never become a household name but will be invaluable to a music scene like Portland where , in addition to helping out tons of other musicians, he also releases terrific low-key records like this one. Good music is always out there , you just need to find it. Find this. www.parksandrecords.com

1.04.10
The Hex Dispensers
WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE-(DOUCHEMASTER)- Anyone who heard this Texas band’s terrific debut a few years ago (on Alien Snatch Records) had to be aching for more. It was that good. This follow up is at least as good, maybe better (there might even be a record in between that and this one that I don’t have) . Vocalist/guitarist/leader Alex Cuervo has upped the lineup from a trio to a quartet, adding bassist Dave Bessenhoffer (who even sings lead on one song, “Buy You a Ring”). They get lumped into the garage rock category (probably as good as any place you’re gonna lump ‘em) but there is a definite Ramones/Misfits influence going on here (similar to another Lone Star State band, the Marked Men) with the buzzing, hooky guitars. Give a listen to prime cuts like “Doomsday Romantic”, “O-B-I-T, “The Mutiny”, “Lose My Cool” and several others. They even do a more than worthy cover of one of my favorite bands/songs of all time in their take on Devo’s “Gates of Steel.” And while Douchemaster is a mighty fine label I’d love to see these guys find a home on our on local Dirtnap Records, where I think they’d be in some fine company. Still, regardless of labels, WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE will definitely perk ye ears up. www.douchemasterrecords.com

1.04.10
Nirvana
BLEACH (DELUXE EDITION)-(SUB POP)- When this initially came out in 1989 I was 25 years old and knee deep in the spirit of Sub Pop. I thought that Mudhoney could do no wrong and caught my fair amount of Tad gigs as well but I could never sink my teeth into the music of Nirvana. A few years later, of course, they made rock history by selling millions of records and becoming the biggest band in the land but I still paid no attention. When this came into my hands I figured why not, I’ll give Nirvana’s debut record a chance and you know what, it is not a bad record. In fact it’s a darn good one. This sort of riff rawk has never been my style, not even in high school. Oh sure, I had my fair share of Led Zeppelin records but always preferred geeks like Devo or those sweet, sweet Beach Boys songs to the heavier stuff. It’s obvious that listening to these songs that the early 20-something Kurt Cobain was a seriously talented individual as tunes like “School” and “Love Buzz” attest to. This 20th anniversary edition is remastered and comes in a fold out digipak that includes a 50 page booklet. On the cd , in addition to the original 13 songs on the record comes a 12 song set live from Portland’s defunct Pine Street Theatre from February of 1990 playing many of BLEACH’S songs as well as some covers (Vaselines, etc.). While not being a lover of the music, I can now appreciate and respect it for what it is and I’m glad I finally gave BLEACH the time of day. www.subpop.com