Frankie Sparo
Welcome Crummy Mystics
Constellation
2003
Rating: 6.5 lead weights out of 10
I have to admit, I wasn’t terribly excited when I got this CD to
review. I had heard the previous full length "My Red Scare" by Frankie Sparo and it hadn’t done much for me at all. I don’t know if
Frankie is now writing songs that are more along my lines of enjoyment, or if my tastes have changed, but either
way I enjoyed this record much more.
Frankie is from Montreal, so I guess that makes him
French-Canadian (insert jokes here). The foundation most of his songs are built on are simple singer/songwriter fare
– but it’s the flourishes he adds to it that makes it unique. Shades of Tom Waits in his voice (only nowhere near
as gruff as Waits) with highlights reminiscent of a lounge singer; the music is somewhat similar to what you expect out
of Constellation, walking a fine line between the mellower moments of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Dirty
Three, and Barry Black (solo project of Archers of Loaf/Crooked Fingers front man Eric Bachmann).
Some of the songs just sit there as background music, some perk your
ear from time to time, but one is really terrific. It’s called "Akzidenz Grotesk," and it’s Frankie’s
closest foray toward a more classic "pop" song. The rest of his tracks are enjoyable enough in a meandering sort
of way, but this one really seems
like it’s going somewhere. Actually, it did go somewhere, straight into
my brain to get stuck for days on end.
Mystery Girls
Circles in the Sand 7"
In The Red
2003
Rating: 5.5 glasses of Chablis out of 10
Oh boy, I can’t stand the excitement, it’s more garage rock. Nothing
special here, decent enough rock tunes that are an obvious throwback to that now popular era of music. I will certainly
give the Mystery Girls credit, for their age they certainly show promise (I understand that everyone in the band either
just graduated high school or are still in it). By the time they hit drinking age, they might just kick everyone in the
nuts with some kick ass rock and roll tunes.
The Unicorns
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
Alien8
2003
Rating: 7 bloody knives out of 10
Playing the brand of quirky pop music that the Unicorns play can be
tricky business – one small misstep and you go from playing inventive, original pop compositions to trite and silly
pap. Luckily, this Canadian crew manages to keep it on the straight and narrow by being extremely odd and
catchy. They even have a theme song for chrissakes – “I Was Born (a Unicorn)”. They manage to encompass a
number of different styles throughout their album, but no matter how many keyboards and tin whistles and skronky bits they
pile on top, there are always great pop songs lying underneath. If that Elephant 6 crew were still
around, the Unicorns would fit right in – fans of Neutral Milk Hotel and Of Montreal would be remiss in not checking this band
out.
Seekonk
For Barbara Lee
Kimchee
2003
Rating: 6 tweety birds out of 10
Seems like my review box has been overflowing with these similar types
of mellow groups. Fact is, they’ve all been pretty good for the most part, and Seekonk is no exception. With this
crew we find a wide array of instruments (horns and xylophones and even an amplified birdcage for chrissakes!),
but never used in an overbearing way – very much a ‘less is more’ philosophy at work here. Alternating male
and female vocals, both quite breathy in nature, which sometimes harmonize together in a fashion not that
dissimilar to Ida. With only 8 songs and well over 40 minutes of music, you know you’re in store for some long songs, and
that might be my only complaint here – that ‘less is more’ aesthetic that they apply to their music might also be
suited for some of their songs, as they can from time to time go on a bit too long. Other than that, not a bad album
as Kimchee Records continues to put out quality music with each passing release.
The Murder City Devils
R.I.P.
Sub Pop
2003
Rating: 5.5 midnight gang riots out of 10
The Murder City Devils have always been one of those ‘their first record was the best
one’ types of bands for me, and this new
record isn’t doing anything to change my mind either. In fact, it’s not
even a new album per se, but rather a live recording of their final performance before the decided to call it
quits. There is a new song or two on here, but it is mostly made up of tracks from their previous releases. There are even
a fair number of songs from their self-titled first release on the Die Young Stay Pretty label, but they just
don’t pack the punch that they do when you hear them in their original incarnation. Somewhere along the line the
band changed their sound from what they represented on their first release, from the fiery Stooges-influenced
punk to a sound that I might best describe as ‘organ-heavy goth punk’ (although putting emphasis on it being organ
heavy and goth might be a little redundant). Their ‘new’ sound is still ok and listenable, but not nearly as
appealing to me as that first release. As far as live albums go, you can’t argue with the sound quality on this one;
erstwhile Northwest producer Phil Ek manned the boards when laying this to tape, and he keeps things clean and
crisp as you might expect. I can’t imagine this record is going to win over any new fans for this
now-defunct band, but it won’t chase away any either; but for the folks that were already on board with The Murder
City Devil’s sound, this will probably fit just fine into your collection.
Mull Historical Society
Us
XL
2003
Rating: 7 supermarket asylums out of 10
A beautiful pop record is a truly wonderful thing. The sophomore
release by the one man band Mull Historical Society (Colin MacIntyre) is exactly that, taking the rich
and textured sounds that he displayed in his debut ‘Loss’ and fine tuning them into a record that’s
even better. Imagine the morose pop songs that come from living in an isolated area like you might hear
from Grandaddy, mixed with some of the unique British-isms similar to
Badly Drawn Boy and you might have a starting point as to the sound of Mull Historical Society, only it
doesn’t really sound like either of those comparisons all that much. There is also a certain nostalgic feel to
his music, reminding me of some of my favorite bands from the 70’s like Electric Light Orchestra
and Supertramp (two fantastic bands that everyone should go back and listen to again, and you can often find
their records at thrift stores for cheap; check out ELO’s greatest hits record and Supertramp’s ‘Breakfast in
America’ if you’re so inclined). If you’re ever looking to put some beautiful pop music in you life, look
no further than this record.
Bad Brains
Banned in DC: Bad Brains' Greatest Riffs
Caroline
2003
Rating: 7 natty dreads out of 10
A decent anthology of the career of Bad Brains, ‘Banned in DC’ manages to fit songs from their entire career (mostly amazing, but some less than stellar tracks near the end coming from their later releases) into one easy package for us consumers. One listen to this album, particularly the first few songs, should firmly set in your mind why Bad Brains are considered one of the greatest bands of the last 25 years. Their blend of reggae and hardcore was truly unique, instantly catchy, and terribly addictive. There are not only some unreleased tracks on this, but it marks the first time that some of this material has ever been put on CD. If they had only included ‘Don’t Blow Bubbles’, the song Ryan Fabry skates to in the first Plan B video, I could have proclaimed this to be nearly perfect. But as it is, having all of these songs in one place and with this quality of sound is easily worth the price of purchase.
No Doctors
Hunting Season
Cock of the Rock
2003
Rating: 5.5 orange vests out of 10
This No Doctors record is one big noisy mess, which can be great or awful
depending on your state of mind when you listen to it. It’s certainly not going to do when you’re craving some
Dusty Springfield, but it could stand in place of The Stooges if you seek something to work out some anger management
issues. I can’t say that it stands out that much from a lot of the other noisy art-rock that’s being made
these days, but it ain’t bad. Their website has some MP3s to check out, so why not go there and see for yourself?
Cass McCombs
A
Monitor
2003
Rating: 7 alphabetaerobics out of 10
Well, color me stupid. When I got this Cass McCombs CD in the mail to review I was certain that it was a female. Whenever I hear the name Cass, I guess I always think of Mama Cass, or that lady that used to cut my hair growing up. Imagine my surprise when I press play only to hear a man’s voice come out of the speakers; and a really nice voice at that. There’s a quality to his voice that I can’t quite describe, but I really like it. He reminds me of a less dramatic Rufus Wainright, but I have this unsinkable feeling that he really reminds me a lot of someone else, I just can’t place it right now and it’s driving me crazy.
If you had told me that Cass McCombs is some long lost sixties troubadour, I would probably believe it. This record sounds like a relic from the same era as The Kinks or The Zombies or The Small Faces; and more importantly, it doesn’t sound contrived in coming across this way. I’ve heard a lot of stuff the last few years that is trying to sound like it was recorded ages ago, and it ends up sounding like the aural equivalent to fake wood paneling – it might look the part if you get it in the right light, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s fake. If I had to compare the sound to anything contemporary, the best I could muster is a local San Francisco band called The Papercuts (who everyone should check out if they get a chance, they’re great) or possibly Kingsbury Manx; and although he doesn’t really sound like them, fans of The Shins would probably really like this record.
The Thermals
More Parts Per Million
Sub Pop
2003
Rating: 7.5 evidence tamperers out of 10
It would be real easy to lump the Thermals in with all the other
flavor-of-the-month bands whose names begin with ‘The’. Before I had even heard them I had already made
assumptions about their sound based on their name and CD cover. I’m glad I listened to it anyways, because it’s
damn good. It has elements that would make it fit in well with all of the other ‘The’ bands - lo-fi production and sound,
punk sensibilities, relatively simple power chord structured songs, etc. But what sets these guys apart from
the rest are the songs - so very catchy; and the singer - who does the best Robert Pollard impersonation I’ve heard
in some time. These guys combine a little punk, a little jangle pop, and a whole ton of Guided By Voices
into this album(minus the obtuse lyrics that Mr. Pollard usually comes up with, those may never be matched or
topped). At such a young age, The Thermals seemed to have already grasped the concept of what makes a good pop
song - short, sweet, to the point. Thirteen songs clocking in at under 30 minutes, every minute packed
full of goodness, not a down moment the whole time.
The Robot Ate Me
They Ate Themselves
Swim Slowly / Standard Recording
2003
Rating: 8.5 chalky sugar bones out of 10
It is releases like this one that really makes me glad that I get to
write reviews. I get a fair amount of material I already know and like, but there’s something imminently more
exciting when you get a release by a band you’ve never heard of and it actually turns out to be pretty good. Or in the
case of The Robot Ate Me (TRAM), it turns out to not just be good but amazing.
TRAT are a group of youngsters from San Diego that play some
delightfully beautiful music. Try to imagine the amazing Microphones album "The Glow pt. 2" as run through a Wayne
Coyne/Flaming Lips filter, with occasional tinges that will have you thinking of Neutral Milk Hotel and Of
Montreal. These four lads play a wide assortment of instruments in their songs – horns, moog, violin, power tools,
accordion, toy instruments, along with the normal drums/bass/guitar/keys/vocals; but instead of falling into the trap
that so many young bands fall into of trying to jam everything in there at once, they practice restraint, possibly
realizing why a saying like "less is more" is so popular. Some songs can be both upbeat and depressing at the same time; other
tracks are almost ambient in nature, but you never forget that they are there.
For a debut album, this release is nearly perfect. Most veteran bands
can’t even come close to this kind of originality and inventiveness, so it’s especially impressive that it came out
of a bunch of Southern Californians in their early twenties. There’s no doubt the talent is here – it’s just a
matter of whether or not people actually get a chance to hear it.
Nicolai Dunger
Tranquil Isolation
Overcoat Recordings
2003
Rating: 7 Swedish winters out of 10
The press release for Nicolai Dunger states that "in his early twenties he made the choice between a future as a soccer pro or as a full time musician". Not that this has anything to do with his music or even serves as a witty beginning to the review, I just thought it might be an interesting tidbit of information the reader might like to know. I guess this Swedish folkie picked a good a time as any to try and break into the musical market – given the current "return to rock" and immense popularity of a number of Swedish bands, everything’s coming up roses in the great northern part of Europe. But this ain't garage rock - Dunger’s musical inspiration comes not from the Detroit scene but rather somewhere a bit south of there – Kentucky and the folk music of the Appalachian Mountains to be exact.
Somewhere along the line Dunger made friends with Will Oldham and his posse, and when it came time to record this album he took up residence with this gang of ne’er-do-wells, who occasionally help him out in the production. And the album sounds like it too – it creaks and moans in that timeless fashion like you might expect to hear under one of Oldham’s million monikers (Palace, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, etc). What sets Dunger apart from this crowd is his voice – lots of comparisons to Van Morrison abound when you read reviews, and rightly so; but if you’re looking for something more contemporary to compare him to, he sounds a whole hell of a lot like a less theatrical Rufus Wainright.
This album might be a little long winded in places, but it’s still a good listen. Anyone yearning for that feel of listening to someone who sounds like they’re just sitting on their porch playing to the crickets would do themselves justice to pick this up. And I can’t think of a better way to listen to it – put it on the stereo, aim those speakers out the window, grab a cold beverage, and go relax on the porch and watch the sun set. This is the music for those times.
Various Artists
Blue
Dreams by Degrees
2003
Rating: 6.5 lit cigarettes out of 10
Compilations, by definition, are very fleeting things (at least they
always have been to me). The chances of
me listening to one more than a couple of times in a row are slim, and
it almost always has to do with the amount of stuff on the disc that you *don’t” like, not the stuff you
do. I could probably count on one hand the
number of compilations that I’ve listened to a bunch of times on one
hand.
Dreams by Degrees is this very small label out of San Francisco run by
a few folks, most notably Jefre Cantu-Ledesma of Tarentel fame, and they’ve recently taken on the task
of putting out these themed mixes.
It’s obvious right from the start that they take it very seriously,
from the sequencing to the packaging and everything else involved. It’s one of the main things
that sets this apart from the rest of the unwashed masses.
Another positive aspect is the use of, for lack of a better
word, soundscapes as performed by Colophon as buffers between many of the songs. It almost works as
a palate cleanser, not unlike when that fancy restaurant your parents dragged you to served you sorbet and you were just stoked
to get something you recognized.
But this is all moot if the music on the compilation sucks. I can
say with great conviction that I like more of this music than I don’t like. It’s nearly worth owning just to
have the Vetiver and Film School songs alone, and Lazarus and the Stratford 4 also contribute excellent tracks.
There are a couple I had a tendency to skip after the first few listens, but that’s to be expected
as far as I’m concerned. With the effort and quality of this mix, I’ll certainly be curious to see what comes about on their
next go around.
The Twilight
Singers
Play Blackberry Belle
One Little Indian
2003
Rating: 8 biased devils out of 10
There is a reason this made so many top 10 lists at the end of 2003 –
it is one of the best things I have heard in quite some time. For those unfamiliar, The Twilight Singers is
the new project of former Afghan Whig’s singer Greg Dulli, founded after the demise of his former band. Their
first release “Twilight as Played By the Twilight Singers” was a hit-and-miss affair, with some truly great songs and a few maudlin ones. But Dulli seems to have found his second wind, as “Play Blackberry Belle” is not only great but
on par with some of his best work with the Whigs. This album features a smorgasbord of guest musicians, from
Mark Lanegan (of the Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age) to Appolonia (remember an album called Purple
Rain? Prince? She had some connections with all of that). The final track of the album, “Number
Nine”, is one of the most spine-tingling songs I’ve heard in ages and features the low grumble of Lanegan in duet with
Dulli’s soulful sound. Greg Dulli continues to craft his own niche in the rock world, adhering to no particular style
of music and dominating them all as far as I’m concerned.
Lyrics Born
Later That Day…
Quannum Projects
2003
Rating: 7 Mission burritos out of 10
You may not think you know Lyrics Born, but you most likely do. As one of the founding members of Quannum (the collective most famous for producing DJ Shadow and Blackalicious), the artist formerly known as Asia Born has been in and around Bay Area-hip hop for a decade if not longer. As one half of Latyrx (part of the Solesides Collective) and numerous guest spots, his raspy, nearly dancehall-like cadence is easy to identify. “Later That Day…” is his first proper solo release, and it is about as un-hip hop as you can get without being in another genre altogether. There is a lot of R&B/soul influence throughout the record and a number of the tracks sound more like the man is dictating his personal diary on tape rather than actually rapping on a song, but these facts all add to what ends up being a very enjoyable record. Instead of making the same ol’ rap record everyone else makes, Lyrics Born changes things up just enough to make the record sound different, but without detracting from the overall quality of the release by making it “too” different and distracting. A crowd of friends and fellow Solesides Collective cohorts show up for guest spots – Gift of Gab, Cut Chemist, Joyo Velarde, and Lateef the Truth Speaker – all further adding flavor to an already good album. This release is a no-brainer if you’re already a fan of the Quannum camp, and certainly worth a look to anyone who is a fan off non-mainstream hip hop.
