Fontaines D.C.
Dogrel
Partisan
2019
Rating: 8.5 unavailable connections out of 10
The timeline of my history with “Dogrel”:
1. I listened to this debut record from Ireland’s Fontaines D.C. a few weeks ago. Though it was fine if unremarkable, falling comfortably in the margins of the post-punk style a lot of the kids have been mining lately, particularly across the Atlantic in the UK.
2. Noticed they were the opening act at the Idles show I would be attending the first of May – even though they didn’t blow my socks off with that first impression, it still seemed like it would be worth getting there early to see them live.
3. I was completely blown away by their performance – so visceral and agitated and tense, and it really made me want to revisit this album.
4. Unsurprisingly, spurred on from the strong feelings their live show left with me, I’m now listening to “Dogrel” almost obsessively, to the point that it’s definitely one of my favorite records of the year so far.
5. Now when I listen to them all I can hear is the second coming of the Fall. Perhaps after he died some part the spirit of Mark E. Smith passed directly into Fontaines D.C. singer Grian Chatten. Much like Smith would sometimes do, Chatten paced the stage like a caged tiger while staring at the crowd ominously; unlike Smith, he didn’t spend half the set fucking with the levels on his bandmates’ amps.
What’s the moral of the story here? Listen to “Dogrel,” and even if your first impression isn’t strong – listen to it again. And go see Fontaines D.C. live if you get a chance.
Spiral Stairs
We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized
Nine Mile
2019
Rating: 7 inky fingerprints out of 10
With two albums in three years, this is what Spiral Stairs (aka Scott Kannberg) working at an unrelenting, breakneck pace looks like. Much like his last release “Doris & The Daggers,” it’s impossible to escape the Pavement comparisons – too much baggage at this point (both for Spiral Stairs and long-time listeners like myself), and given his penchant for “covering” Pavement songs live, Scott appears to be happy (or at least content) walking towards the comparison, not away from it. With his own material, he’s taken that quintessential Pavement indie-slacker vibe and paired it with an attempt to create modern classic rock – lots of eighties-esque horns & keyboard arrangements, chiming guitars, and a clear nod to the legacies of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and their ilk. Second track “The Fool” is an especially strong offering, as is the album opener, the pseudo-title track “Hyp-No-Tized.” The rest of the album might not be great but it’s still pretty damn good. I’m by no means claiming this is a groundbreaking piece of art, but I know I like it while I’m listening to it, and sometimes that’s good enough. Not all good rock music needs to require a lot of thinking (or words written about it).
Epic Beard Men
This Was Supposed To Be Fun
Strange Famous
2019
Rating: 7.5 prepaid marshmallows out of 10
Today in breaking news: middle-aged dude who historically loves rap but doesn’t understand the appeal of modern hip hop, greatly enjoys album by fellow middle-aged dudes. That Epic Beard Men sounds like a throwback to a past era I’m sure is just a coincidence. The group is Sage Francis (who I’ve enjoyed for a long time) and B. Dolan (who I didn’t know at all and is apparently big in the slam poetry scene, which I guess is still a thing?), and the combination of the two feels like a more cerebral version of Run The Jewels. Being close to my age, these cats came up on the same style of rap that shaped me as a teen – Gang Starr, Eric B & Rakim, EPMD, all the Native Tongues groups, Wu-Tang, etc – and much to my delight they’ve held true to that aesthetic. These songs often tell stories, frequently employ jazz samples as the foundation of the music, the guest stars (members of Atmosphere, Wu-Tang, and a few others) fit nicely in the flow…shit, there’s even goddamn record scratching! I’d be hard pressed to a name a release that felt so immediately familiar even upon first listen. “Pistol Dave” and “Shin Splints” are the stand-outs here, but truly the whole of “This Was Supposed To Be Fun” is great.
