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 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
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