September/ October 2007 The Fabulous Kildonans - Bottle Rocket (Transistor 66) Canada’s counter-cultural salad days seemed to have been left behind in the late sixties / early seventies when its status as a safe haven for objectors to the war was emboldened by the steady stream of sensitive socially aware musicians and writers such as Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell making major waves across the globe. In the intervening three decades the country has been better known for harboring Bryan Adams, Avril Lavigne and Rush, and as the butt of cruel humour from the makers of South Park. For the first time in many years, however, followers of quality music are again sitting up and paying serious attention to what’s going down North of the border, as wave after wave of new artists emerge with an ambition and creative passion which simply puts the UK (and much of the US) opposition to shame. While the rapid and wholly deserved ascendancy of the Arcade Fire remains the obvious success story a whole army of stunning talent is marching closely behind including Broken Social Scene, the Stills, Metric, the Dears, Sufjan Stevens and many more. The NME recently issued a whole CD dedicated to Canadian music from art rock to metal, and featuring coming stars such as The Besnard Lakes and The Medway States among many others. Last time this site carried a glowing endorsement of the latest release by the otherwise untravelled Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew which, whilst drawing from a catalogue of traditional sources nonetheless sends out a proud and convincing statement of its own about the rude health of Canadian rock today. Unsurprisingly, (NoMeansNo honorably excepted), Canada has never really been feted for its contribution to the international punk scene. Whilst The Fabulous Kildonans have little in common with most of the aforementioned other than their geographical location, they do very much share the same hallmark of quality. Appearing on the Transistor 66 imprint, Bottle Rocket is the band’s third full length release, and although it clocks in at a lean 33 minutes packs a genuine punch and delivers ten driving and insistent numbers of consistent quality which leave the listener near breathless. They’re heavily indebted to early Replacements and Husker Du on opener ‘He Hates Me’ and “She’s All Fucked Up”, and the Buzzcocks on “On My Own”, but never to the point of dependency. The title track is harder and heavier with a blistering lead guitar, while “Save Your Machine” is close to metal with a featured solo which soars away leaving a spray of notes tantalizingly hanging in the air. Elsewhere, ‘Marktember Rain’ is a riot invoking both Rancid and the Dropkick Murphys, while the closing “Still All My Fault” drops the pace to something more rhythmic and Fugazi-esque (or even recalling fellow countrymen the Constantines). It’s always a joy to hear another top quality committed punk band paying due respect to their forebears while still moving the genre forward, and The Fabulous Kildonans are a very welcome addition to the family. That they seem to be yet another (albeit quite different) Canadian band to be admired is both intriguing and encouraging, and further evidence that it is a creative hotbed which we can’t afford to overlook. www.fabulouskildonans.com Neil B. Brad Brooks - Spill Collateral Love (Mouth Magic) These days, one of the benefits of being an adult is you get to enjoy a better class of pop music than the kids. It’s never been like this before. When I was a mere whippersnapper, too many years ago, I could happily sneer at the old folks listening to their crappy records, safe in the knowledge that I was plugged directly into the good stuff - and there was plenty of it to go ‘round, too. Now everything’s been turned on its head. The kids - poor bastards - get shovelled pre-packaged plinky-plonky arse gravy, and I’m still getting the quality gear. In fact, I’m having to introduce, instruct and educate my own kids in the pure unfettered joy of proper pop thrills, and today's lesson folks is Brad Brooks. A contemporary and buddy of Chris von Sneidern (Chris, long time no hear...), Brooks is the archetypal 21st century pop maverick, beavering away with limited funds and a modest audience, but with plenty of time on his hands to get things just right. He borrows liberally from the past - think Beatles, Left Banke, Brian Wilson and some of Queen’s pomp and splendour - and completes the mix with modern influences like Rufus Wainwright and Thom Yorke at his most melodic. Needless to say, it hardly seems rocket science fusing the styles of some of the most talented and popular artists of the last 40 years, but that doesn’t quite explain why it sounds so damn good, and that so few other people seem to be doing it with quite the same zeal and, dare I say, panache. For those of you with your ears correctly tuned, I suggest that, without further delay, you check out Brooks’ MySpace page, and when you’ve agreed with everything I’ve said, purchase in the manner that suits. www.brad-brooks.com Rob F. Wooden Wand - James and the Quiet (Ecstatic Peace!) It would ordinarily be a brave move for an artist to attempt an experimental album but here that notion is turned completely on it’s head. Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice have for the last few years been one of the leading exponents of American Underground Experimental Folk music and Wooden Wand’s (aka James Jackson Toth) choice to record a ‘straight’ album is probably the least expected and bravest move to make. Still difficult to classify in terms of genre the songs of ‘James and the Quiet’ could loosely compare to some of the artists collected under the Anti-folk umbrella (the overall tone is near to Paleface’s ‘Say What You Want’) yet with a deal more polish. Produced and co-arranged by Sonic Youth’s Lee Randaldo, Toth’s bleak, grotesque and dark (humoured) song writing and the understanding (but not understated) support from backing musicians (mainly of Vanishing Voice) results in a simple, country tinged, accessible, yet by no means intrinsically ordinary outcome. Possibly the last album under the Wooden Wand monicker (future releases to be under Toth’s Christian name) stands as magnificently strange epitaph for such an experimental outfit, owing to direction rather than end product. www.ecstaticpeace.com Will F. Johnnieboy - S/T (Headshop Records) With his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, lyricists eye and New York smarts, like Beck before him, Johnnieboy proves that geeks can be cool. Recorded on budget kit, Casio keyboards and some of the vocals were dubbed on a toy Fisher Price tape deck, Johnnieboy’s indie hip hop never sounds overproduced or too slick, but it hits its mutant disco groove early on and doesn’t let up. It’s a lot of fun. First cut ‘Origami’ has already attracted admirers from the film industry - rightly so, it’s a great track - and if there was any justice in the music industry, it wont be long before Johnnieboy hits the big time. Make sure you’re in the know, right now. Apart from a hideous misstep late on (‘Rock Band’ - what were you thinking?) this is a peach of an album. Another great release from Headshop Records - they’re shaping up very nicely, indeed. www.headshoprecords.com Alex A. The Trucks - S/T (Clickpop Records) These naughty, naughty girls. They have thousands of hits, thousands of friends and the have ‘Titties’ - the great second track on their latest CD. I don’t usually go for ‘kooky’ but The Trucks have wickedness in their wildness that is really endearing and just a little scary. The world of The Trucks is rad; they look fucking ace. It’s a crazy landscape, where Zombies dance at 3 am wearing ‘Big Afros’. It’s hypnotic voodoo. Repetitive, threatening lyrics over electro beats, an adolescent tantrum, tantric orgasmic insistent drumming and that ranting. Slits for the Noughties. www.myspace.com/thetrucks Carl J. Theo Bleckmann & Ben Monder - At Night (Songlines Recordings) The beautiful acoustic guitar that opens ‘At Night’ could mislead the listener to assume that the duo are akin to the current wave of new folk. In a genre where there are similarities between many of the artists under it’s umbrella what instantly put this out on it’s own is Bleckmann’s pure choral style. By ‘Sunny Sunday’ - a Joni Mitchell cover - (track 2) however the outing moves swiftly away from the initial new folk assumption into more electronic, processed ambience. ‘Carbon’, ‘Animal Planet’ and ‘Swarm’ use the synthesised voice (no discernible lyrics) as an expressive instrument of melody and results in remarkable experimental/avant garde passages of great depth and power. (It does come as no surprise to discover that Bleckmann has worked with the likes of Meredith Monk, Laurie Anderson & Philip Glass.) The albums second cover, ‘Norwegian Wood’ really picks up some grit with it’s distortion. Other than the covers the only other lyrics are translations of the Sufi poet, Rami - which offers such insight as ‘Your eyes now drunk with God, mine with looking at you, one drunkard takes care of another’. Moving between the pure, the improvised and the noisy makes this a truly eclectic and fascinating whole. www.songlines.com Will F. Dr Pants - Gardening In A Tornado (Little Weasel Records) I always wondered what the job of a record producer really is. Well, after listening to Gardening In A Tornado I might have an idea. If ever a band needed picking up and shaking then this is it. Dr. Pants are so close to a good thing that it makes you weep to hear the leaden drums and careful vocals of good power pop going to waste. Hit your fucking guitars for fucks sake. There are decent songs here; there is a chance of redemption but Gardening in A Tornado sounds more like a fart in a colander, looking for a hole. www.doctorpants.com Carl J. The Wire Orchestra - Futuristic Hymns and Broken Down Gospels Vol. 1 (MT6 Records) The Wire Orchestra - currently 8 members - add improvised guitar, synth, trumpet, turntable and processed vocals over a steady rock rhythm section of drums and bass. With tracks rarely stretching beyond 5 minutes the tunes arrive, state their aim and end without outstaying their welcome. Highlights are track 6 (the tracks appear to be given rather complicated scientific formulae), a Krautrock tribute with it’s vocal sounding akin to Damo Suzuki and the closer, which at almost 11 minutes is the only track which is allowed to evolve and encompasses a whole musical spectrum. www.MT6Records.com Will F. Mark Donato - I Haven’t Wasted All This Time Alone (Rag & Bone Shop) Accessibly odd or bewilderingly captivating could both be used to describe the work of Mark Donato. Possessed of a distinctive voice, perhaps a little thin, yet still oddly engaging, Donato’s songs, with titles like ‘My Mom Is Crazy’, ‘Help Me Put Some Meat On These Bones’ and ‘Moods Of Extreme Desire’ demand some effort on the listener’s part yet are often surprisingly endearing, darkly humorous, self-mocking, and even serious at times, well just a little. It’s time surprisingly well spent on the whole, although at close to an hour there are a few troughs among Donato’s wry vignettes. Highlights include opener ‘Take A Bullet For My Baby’, about the heroic death a gang member, anticipating a short life, fantasises for himself, ‘My Mom Is Crazy’, featuring some lovely pedal steel courtesy of Jonathan Gregg and ‘Infirmary Ball’, with Gregg again providing much of the atmospherics, an anonymous contributor pitching in some equally fetching fiddle and Donato delivering his best vocal performance. www.markdonato.com Geraint J. Luca - Sick of Love (Funzalo Records) Nick Luca has assembled a tight band and a host of guest stars on this new CD. Luca is the name of the band, and the sheer variety of the styles they pull off shows that although Luca may be the sole songwriter, he is open to the influences of some gifted sidekicks. Sick of Love is a little it country, a little bit rock and roll and that old devil called love is present in the plaintive titles: ‘Sick of Love’, ‘Love Me Too’ and ‘If Love’. Bloody hell, get over it, man! Like many a writer who shoots from the heart, Luca hits the spot when he gets personal over a woman. Check out the high spots, ‘Melody’ and ‘Rosalie’. www.funzalorecords.com Carl J. Jazkamer and Smegma - Endless Coast (No Fun Productions) Smegma, by their very names, purveys that idea that the music made is not to be remembered fondly and this is exactly so. Joining forces with Norway’s noise metal outfit, Jazkamer the collective embarks upon one terrifying white knuckle ride along an endless coast of strange ocean life, harsh terrain and chaos. They leave little time to dwell in any remote, peaceful coves along the way. www.nofunproductions.com Will F. Jessica Fichot - Le Chemin (Self Released) Enchanting, folk inflected, accordion wielding chanteuse, Jessica Fichot has made it in Britain - her delightful bilingual translation of ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ has been featured in the background of a BBC gardening programme. She jingles like Django and banters lke Brassens. Then, just to spice it up a bit, she drops in gentle oriental moods in ‘Le Velours et La Soie’. Opener ‘Le Grenier’ bumps along like a 2CV. With a French / Chinese / American upbringing it is unsurprising that there is a universal charm to her songs.When Jessica sings ‘Je Sais Qu’Tu M’aimes’ I can only answer, ‘Oui, Je t’aime, Jessica Fichot. www.jessicasongs.com Carl J. Janey Todd - Rusty Water (Headshop) When all you need to get to number one is a fruity haircut, a funky / weepy, over-familiar cover song to sing and a chancer label / manager to bankroll the escapade, isn’t it refreshing when an artist wiggles free of the woodwork with a box full of great songs, and the wherewithal to get the job done. Step forward Janey Todd. If singer-songwriters were one big family, she’d be calling Lou Reed “Dad”, Lucinda Williams would be big sister and Rickie Lee Jones would be the strange twin they kept locked in the attic. Rusty Water is pure roots pop gold, with plenty of good vibes and a sound which refers directly back to the genres ‘70s heyday. There’s not an ordinary song amongst the ten here, and the very best ones, ‘The Man Downstairs’, ‘Alcatraz’ and ‘Me & Frankie’ (to name but three), already sound like standards. Give it 10 years and one of those haircuts will be covering these songs - and probably screwing them up. www.headshoprecords.com Alex A. House on Ponce de Leon - Revisitation (EP) (Guevara) An EP of quite separate elements it opens with a rather uplifting slant on Post Rock with its guitars laden with chorus before moving into a relaxing ambience of glockenspiel and is augmented with layers of guitar and keys, track 2, ‘Movement I’ culminates with harp sounding stabbed notes. The piano of ‘Movement II’ moves the EP into a more mournful place which would not be out of place accompanying any of film’s saddest moments. ‘Revisitation’ reintroduces beats, turning full circle to the stylings of the opener. Some of the sound effects used are a little bright but, as undoubtedly their aim, these guys are sure to appear on many future film soundtracks. www.guevaraent.com Will F. The Dreadful Yawns - Rest (Exit Stencil Recordings) The band with a godawful name. Nevertheless, a sumptuous CD to get hold of. Despite describing themselves as psychedelic rockers, Rest is a gentle country rock delight. Hell, there’s even a bit of steel guitar on most tracks, including the sublime ‘When I Lost My Voice’. The gentle vocal style calls to mind The HaveNots and Table Nine. Cleveland, Ohio must have a laidback vibe to have spawned such whole and consuming humalongs as ‘Candles’. Final track, ‘End Of Summer’ talks of boredom in the yard, but here I am in a dreadful Leicester August, happy to hear the sound of Dreadful Yawns. www.myspace.com/thedreadfulyawns Carl J. Greg Hobbs - Thunder & Dust (Puddlethief Music) Greg Hobbs’ voice ain’t the prettiest, but sometimes it’s the grit that makes the difference, and Hobbs’ tales of life and living, usually on the dark side of the street, are greatly enhanced by the sprinkling of gravel. Though a Canadian based in Toronto, his songwriting style is a winsome combination of Texas troubadour and slightly straight-laced, poetic East Coast folk. It works well because the songs are strong. He’s never too obvious, or generous with the hooks and if you listen, really listen, you can’t help but get sucked into his world. He’s been sporadically releasing albums since the early ‘90s, though his is a completely new name to me. CD Baby here I come... www.greghobbs.com Jim P. Tobias Hellkvist - Transports (Self Released) The CD onsets (‘Aching’, ‘When everything Fell Apart’) with relatively simple formulae, slowly building up layer over layer which reach their pinnacle and slowly fade out. Through heavily processing sounds to create unusual sounding drones and pulses Hellkvist creates a stew of sound where each takes on the flavour of the others, inasmuch as one particular sound can no longer be differentiated from another. From ‘Slowly But Surely’ the tracks merge into one organic, continuous piece, the titles simply referring to it’s parts. There are adventurous sections, ‘Moment at Ven’ featuring elegant acoustic guitar backed by bird calls and ‘Nothingland’ culminating in an interesting synthetic choir. ‘Plans’ climaxes with the CDs darkest, noise a nd then fades to a close. Ambient, experimental, relaxing and moving. www.myspace.com/tobiashellkvist Will F. The Johnbenders - The Johnbenders (EP) (Self Released) The strained Cure–esque vocals that greet us in ‘Nine Pound Hammer’, the opening track of the new Johnbenders E.P. show a band confident in their influences. When the beat really kicks in and the benders play straight, they are a tight, pumping machine. Despite looking like a nu–metal outfit, they deliver eighties tinged pop-rock with good melodic hooks. Johnbenders are anything but a typical Seattle band and good luck to them for that. www.myspace.com/thejohnbenders Carl J. Carlos Giffoni - Arrogance (No Fun Productions) This release comes shrouded in a sleeve of beautiful artwork which would mislead any unsuspecting listener into a false sense of expectation. Arrogance is quick to cut straight to the bone with it’s massive, massive wall of unrelenting and terrifying noise divided into 5 pieces. Arrogance is perhaps the inspiration for the CD, yet Giffoni has a certain understanding that what he is producing is described as arrogant by some for it’s extremity and as only self-fulfilling pleasure. One could argue that it’s noise for noise’s sake but there is certainly a paying audience for his output. One could also counter that this is a high art conceptual noise release where the ‘arrogance’ is that noise can sell more than what could traditionally be termed music. This is no new debate with and one that remains opens. Which ever side of the fence you sit it’s great living in a world where music/noise like this exists - if only for the discomfort that it brings. www.nofunproductions.com Will F. Stratospheerius - Headspace (Self Released) Here’s one for the next pop quiz: “How many bands can you name lead by a singing violinist who also writes the songs?” Not many I’ll be bound, but here’s one. Front man Joe Deninzon boasts a CV featuring work with the likes of Ritchie Blackmore, Sheryl Crow, Everclear and the Trans Siberian Orchestra, which probably accounts for the eclectic nature of the band’s fourth album. Basically this attempts to merge rock, bluegrass, folk and psychedelia via a predominantly jazz undercurrent. Inevitably it pays homage along the way to Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra and others, rarely approaching the same level of ambition but settling for something less challenging and easier on the ear. Nice then, if you like that sort of thing. Not, if you don’t. www.stratospheerius.com Neil B. Fivefootnine - S/T (Self Released) I want to live in Chicago. Leicester is fine, but the bands are mostly shit. Chicago has great acts popping up everywhere and my current favourite is the gorgeous Fivefootnine. So, guys, if one of the best songs on your album is called ‘European Tour’, why don’t you hop over to England? Keep an eye out for Fivefootnine if you like 10,00 Maniacs, New Pornographers or are attuned to a great melody and hooky chorus. I love the yearning of ‘Lana Marie’, an understated classic. The boy / girl vocal is never sugary, even on the track ‘Sugar’. A balanced grown-up band and my reason for saving up for a plane ticket. www.myspace.com/fivefootnine Carl J. LA Pals - LA Pals / Hail Mary (Akoustik Anarkhy Recordings) The eponymously titled debut single from LA Pals fills every available space with a wash of pop and lazes in the same sun swathed fields as trampled by the likes of Doves. Track 2, ‘Hail Mary’, is another slice of guitar pop groove with an endearing quality, like an early Primal Scream but with slightly less of the 60’s edge. www.akoustikanarkhy.co.uk Will F. Neil Burrell - Ooompa Zoompa / Evelyn (Akoustik Anarkhy Recordings) A real folk oddity. The opening verses are pretty unnerving and are part hastened ramblings, part pure gibberish and by the final verse Burrell is undoubtedly revelling in a made up language. The elfish, wired oompa lumpa delivery would suggest more than a slight Devendra Banhart and Sid Barrett influences yet ‘Evelyn’ is a more passive, traditional, sweet love song, showing Burrell’s certain eclecticism and diversity. A fine concise debut and an artist to keep an eye on. www.akoustikanarkhy.co.uk Will F. Home and Garden - History and Geography (Exit Stencil Recordings) OK, so there’s the Pere Ubu connection. Scott Krauss and Tony Maimone drive the rhythm of this reissue of the 1982 recording of this Ubu offshoot with an intermittently deft touch. But that’s where the interest sticks. Jeff Morrison’s non-sung lyrics have a pretension to poetry but they just ramble on aimlessly, falling into a repetitive cadence. The instrumental E.P. ‘How I Spent My Vacation’ is reproduced to finish this collection and is a genuinely energetic and innovative jazz-rock explosion. Check this out if you have a completist urge. www.exitstencilrecordings.com Carl J. The Loose Salute - Tuned to Love (Graveface Records) Singer Lisa Bilson was ‘discovered’ singing in a café kitchen by Mojave 3 drummer Ian McCutcheon. Together they have produced a bewitching pop / folk vibe. Pop bopper ‘From Head to Sandy Toes’ is on my ipod and the lolloping charm of ‘Turn the Radio Up’ is lodged in my waking moments. An occasional country moment adds poignancy to the slower tracks and ‘The Ballad of the Dumb Angel’ steals shamelessly from Simon and Garfunkel and The Lemonheads, if I’m not mistaken. I’m looking forward to The Loose Salute playing more live gigs around the country pretty soon. www.myspace.com/therealloosesalute Carl J. Michael Yonkers - Grimwood (De Stijl) Grimwood is a place not a million miles from Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, with its ‘lake filled with lemonade and candy bars trees’ and ‘rainbow smoke’, and a place too that was lost in time at the latter end of the 1960’s. The recording was originally made in 1969 and self released by Yonkers in 1974 and here gets it’s first digital unveiling as the gem of unearthed late 60’s Psych-Folk classic that it is. The follow up to The Michael Yonkers Band’s garage/surf/psych outing, Microminature Love (itself not released until 2002) delivers Yonkers in a quieter, yet still progressive, tone, where beautiful, descriptive ballads are immersed in swathes of phase, echo and drone. A true reflection of it’s time and, gladly, not to be lost again. www.destijlrecs.com Will F. Jakob Olausson - Moonlight Farm (De Stijl) The Swedes certainly have the monopoly on the world of strange folk music and Jakob Olausson is perfect grounding for this notion. The relaxed and loose regard to recording techniques, perfect timing, and possibly even tuning, really does enhance the raw pleasure that he offers. untainted by any hit of consumerism the lyrics detail the natural world, the traveller, love and his life as a sugar-beet farmer - which set him in the uncompromised world of the outsider - are lambasted with many a skewed accompaniment from the likes of sitar, violin and bells. Hastening the comment from Six Organ’s of Admittance’s Ben Chasny ‘Well, no reason for me to make music anymore. This kid hit it.’ shows that Olausson is, and deserves to be, to be canonised in the realm true folk music. www.destijlrecs.com Will F. The Slow Break - Inside the Dark Mountain (Ionik) The proverbial curate’s egg, “Inside the Dark Mountain” is on the face of it at least an eclectic patchwork of underground styles delivered with a somewhat druggy indifference. It’s also quite probably touched with greatness. Shuffling along in some improbable no-man’s land midway between Haight-Ashbury circa ’67 and the Westway ten years after there is little to be taken for granted as you progress through these eleven songs. “Thanks Jasmine” opens up like a new dawn after a long night in Golden Gate Park, raising expectations of a latter-day Quicksilver Messenger Service, until second number, “Interstate Woman” suddenly becomes Courtney Love fronting the Violent Femmes. “Country Crucifix” and “Kick Down the Door” take the deformed blues route through crashing drums, psychotic guitars and demented hollering from male singer Matt Fox, one of two vocalists who’s rasping can only be the result of overdoing some weird sin. “Sleephead” sees co-lead Alison Lee-Whitney doing a fine take on X-Ray Spex supported by the same wailing saxophone that embroiders the scratches and sirens of “Salenium”, and invokes a decent Brodie Daille impression to save the acoustic “Fortunes of Few” from folk club hell. Matt’s closer, “Sky is Falling” staggers and sways in the best Waits tradition before finally spinning out of control and falling over. The whole adds up to something very distinctive and genuinely exciting, a glorious shambles of the kind to don’t hear everyday. If there were any justice a whole generation of teenagers would take this album to their hearts, learn it, treasure it and make it their own. Sadly, not enough of them will even get to hear it. www.theslowbreak.com Neil B. The New Lou Reeds - Top Billin’ (Exit Stencil Recordings) Not quite 'heartland rock' and not what most people call 'punk' anymore, the band owes its sonic debt to a surprisingly diverse array of sources, both musical and literary. But it's their honesty that perhaps best defines them; they may have read a lot, but have their feet firmly entrenched in the mud of the proletariat. There’s a Southern rock feel in here but surely any band that has the word ‘boogaloo’ in a title deserves a slap. Nothing to do with Lou Reed, of course, but they are an honest good time band who must be a thigh-slapping hoot live. www.newloureeds.com Carl J. Various Artists - The Rough Guide To African Blues (World Music Network) We’ve all listened to Ali Farka Toure and come to the conclusion that North Africa rather than the southern US is the true birthplace of the blues, and if further proof is required then those cuddly Rough Guide people have provided it in spades. Best of all, it all sounds startlingly fresh, full of big droney guitar riffs and otherworldly chants. Indeed, it’s a considerable improvement on most of the American blues by numbers that I get to hear, and of course, should you be one of those unfortunate types who believes Eric Clapton plays the blues, there’s nothing to see here. Move along. Rob F. Dave Mehling - How Do I Make You Lonesome? (Self Released) Like an on-form Ryan Adams, Dave Mehling hits the spot with classic singer-songwriter melodic indie rock. He’s only a youngster but you feel that he has already developed a solid grasp of his style. Opener, ‘Idaho’ lays out the blueprint for the rest of the CD with a hooky structure and intelligent lyrics. The title track is a subtle crescendo of energy, building to a mighty climax. There’s a terrific lounge-lizard feel to ‘Mrs. Robinson’, showcasing Mehling’s piano playing. With a nod to Plush, the track has a characteristic melancholy that both charms and disturbs. Here’s to you, Dave Mehling. www.myspace.com/davemehling Carl J. The Big Disappointments - S/T (Hot Cave) There’s no shortage of reference points throughout The Big Disappointment’s debut release on Hot Cave Records, and they’re all of them highly creditable. Fifteen short sharp stabs ripple with familiar sounds invoking The Cramps, The Only Ones, The Cure, The Fall, Green on Red, John Spencer – they’re all in there somewhere and they’re all paying their way. There’s a pleasing spine-tingling edginess about this collection, induced by a sense of John Littlefield and Lisa Mullen’s pounding rhythm section being slashed to ribbons by the jagged twin guitars of Eric Boomhower and Andy Abrahamson, the latter duo being ex-members of Boston post-punk outfit The In Out. Tipped off by spooky stark and distant vocals the four piece span the finest of styles from psychobilly and garage to warped blues with a commendable ambition and clear conviction. www.thebigdisappointments.com Neil B. The Ditchflowers - Carried Away (Sunshine Drenchy) Hailing as they do from the Sunshine State, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the Ditchflowers have come up trumps on their debut, which features a dozen of the most radiant pop songs I’ve heard in quite some time. By no means frothy or superficial, as the cover - a disturbingly beautiful painting, delightful and disturbing in equal measure, ought to make clear, audio delights are promised long before you’ve even hit the play button. And that promise is most assuredly delivered - 21st century psychedelic pop is in rude health if the Ditchflowers are the benchmark. Jointly fronted by Ed Woltil, who solely wrote ten of the tracks, and former Barely Pink front man Brain Merrill who co-wrote the remaining pair with Woltil, the lead vocal duties are split exactly 50/50 which adds yet another appealing dimension. Well worth pursuing, ‘Carried Away’ has quality and intelligent pop coursing through its veins. www.theditchflowers.com Geraint J. Dead Rat Orchestra - Live at St. Martin’s Church (Palimpsest Recordings) Recorded live using matched stereo microphones, in the concert music tradition, gives a total sound wash created not only through the music but the church venue. The set, recorded on 29th July 2004, indulges traditional instruments (harmonium, violin and guitar), scrappy technology (old record players), found sound, improvisation and other detritis (suitcases) with a definite tight musical craft to deliver a stunning performance. It is sometimes folk inflected, sometimes sparse, sometimes chaotic but also transcending and spiritual (helped no doubted by the church’s ambience). Truely underground, experimental and intrinisically unclassifiable. Highly recommended for those with ears for eccentricity and originality. www.fadedwords.co.uk Will F. The Holy Fire - In the Name of the World (EP) (The Militia Group) Motor City angst and guitar frenzy. Compared to Fugazi and early U2, there’s an evangelical earnestness to the indie sound of The Holy Fire. Their latest EP sees the band reaching out for a commercial sound but keeping a firm non–conformist discipline to their rhythmic assault. Great rock is always about the righteous order of riotous passion and this creative tension powers through songs like ‘We’re Not Here To Learn’ and the title track, ‘In The Name of the World’. Opener, ‘Raised on Planes’ is a stuttering marvel, reminding me of Sleater-Kinney. The Holy Fire are hot. www.myspace.com/theholyfire Carl J. Mannish Boys - Big Plans (Delta Groove Productions) I don’t know why I do this. I don’t know anything about music. This was the third blues album I listened to in a night of lonely reviewing. The first two were by virtuoso musicians with the best of blues pedigrees. I wished I was listening to Radio 2. This, on the other hand, made me want to crawl into the CD player to join in with the band. It’s fresh, alive, and rough round the edges. It sounds like a buch of old black blokes having fun - though some of them are white. There are nine band members listed and eight guest musicians. They just let anybody play who wanted to. I wish I’d been there, I could have shaken a tambourine or something. I don’t know much about music, but I know what I like, and I love this stuff. www.deltagrooveproductions.com Paul C. The Weightlifters - Last Of The Sunday Drivers EP (Self Released) Main Weightlifter, Adam McLaughlin, used to play guitar in the Idle Wilds (no, not the Scottish REM impersonators), a classy Chicago power pop combo, best known for their ‘Dumb, Gifted and Beautiful” album. Progress of sorts has been made. Where the Idle Wilds were a touch on the punky side, The Weightlifters plough a far more structured, pure pop furrow. It’s only a six tracker, so it’s far from being the definitive statement, though the best songs here, the upbeat opener ‘Undefined’ and the near perfect title track, promise a great deal. www.theweightlifters.com Rob F. Epsilons - Kill ‘em Deader’n A Six Card Poker Hand (Retard Disco Records) Epsilons make me wonder what Iggy and the Stooges sounded like when they were fifteen. Garage punk in a minimalist style with fearsome attitude. ‘Teeny Boppers’ is two minutes of pure gold and there’s a top video on the myspace site. The Cramps meets The Ramones on ‘My Momma Said’ and the marriage is GOOD. Epsilons keep the chords simple, the riffs obvious and the rhythm pumping…and there’s a sneaky little organ in there to catch a retro turn or two. You’ve got to love a CD which begins with a song called ‘I Hate (Your Face)’. A straight flush. www.myspace.com/epsilons Carl J. Pale Blue Dot - Western Scene (Self Released) The third outing for East Nashvillian extended family troupe, Pale Blue Dot, the core of the band comprises siblings Scott and Justin Collins along with Scott’s wife Kim. ‘Western Scene’ is a remarkably undaunting double CD set that ought to see the band winning plenty of new converts. A ramshackle hybrid of otherworldly pop, occasional country rock and whatever direction takes their fancy, they’re as refreshingly difficult to pigeonhole as they are enjoyable to listen to. A definite keeper, more people should wake up to the fact that there’s clearly a lot more going on around Nashville than the mind-numbingly obvious. www.palebluedot.org Geraint J. Skam - Who We Are (EP) (Self Released) A promising first E.P. release from Britain’s best Flick Rock band. Born out of the ashes of the A.I.D.’s Skam are a pulsating trio from Leicester with a mission to worship at the altar of the God of Rock. ‘Alive’ is the headline track, with Steve Hill’s aching vocals calling out over a classy power rock track. The EP’s highlight is the pulsating ‘Bulsara’, a disturbing exploration of the mind of the killer of Jill Dando. When they crank it up, Skam throb liked a slapped cock. www.skamhash.com Carl J. The Phoenix Cube - Walking The Shore (Barl Fire Recordings) A great selection of home produced psych folk which branches into various musical forms including the found sound of ‘On The Bus (Going Nowhere’) and sound collage and electronica of ‘Working, Not Working’ through to simple guitar repetitions of ‘Love Is An Anchor’ (an ode hippy love reminding a little of Six Organs of Admittance) and ‘The Silence Grows’. It would appear that The Phoenix Cube tries to capture essences of transcendence from varying sources of culture , belief system and dream: He embraces spectres of the rain forest, ‘As Spirits Wake’ chants ‘the shaman speaks / and spirits wake from cold sleep’ before tribal drums emerge and are later joined by pulses of the hallucinogenic experience whilst elsewhere ghosts are summoned as if by Ouija board. ‘Dark Embalming’ is one big trip from deep ghostly depths into a synth pop nursery story read by a child. The low production values do serve to enhance the overall ambience but it would however benefit from better mastering as there’s some distorted buzzing which distracts a little. www.barlfire.co.uk Will F. Pink Martini - Hey Eugene (Heinz / Wrasse) This is good - like a loungey, slightly tipsy, ‘60s pop version of Amy Winehouse. Vocalist China Forbes pulls out all the sultry stops on this sweet collection of classy cabaret songs - some original and some less than obvious covers. In case, from that sentence, you feel you’ve got some sort of handle on what Pink Martini do, and suspect you might be less than sympathetic to their many charms, it’s only fair to point out some of the really interesting stuff. So, the Jefferson High School Gospel Choir turns out to help on a Carman Miranda number, 25 Oregonians tackle Abdel Halim Hafez’s Arabic classic ‘Bukra Wba’do’, in a Bollywood style, and the legendary Jimmy Scott duets on a pretty fine version of ‘Tea For Two’. Other songs are sung in English, French, Spanish and Japanese. So, methinks, champagne cocktails and canapés, rather than chicken in a basket and a pint of Carling. www.wrasserecords.com Rob F. Agatsuma - En (Doma Records) In the main this experiment of east meets west fails. The production seems far too 1980’s and the high energy backing is cringe-worthy. With the exception of ‘Mogami Riverboat Song which is more traditionally Japanese and ‘In the Still of the Night’, which showcases (at a more suitable pace) Agatsuma’s virtuosity on the shamisen (the signature, traditional japanese, 3 stringed lute) the album has the limited appeal of the background music to a magic show!! www.domo.com Will F. The Sorentinos - Volume 10 (The Major Label) They’ve been around forever, The Sorentinos, touring the UK regularly, and building up a healthy fan base and considerable back catalogue. Volume 10 is just that, their tenth album, and as always it’s a sold set of roots rockers, big on melody and hooks, and deeply indebted to everyone from Tom Petty to the Beatles. It’s a winning formula, insofar that we all keep coming back for more, and there are a couple of songs here, ‘Ray Davies Day’ and ‘You Don’t Know Me’ which are as good as anything they’ve ever done. As you can probably guess, I like them - they’re safe and comfortable and unlikely to shock or offend your mum. Sometimes that’s just what you need. www.thesorentinos.com Jim P. Tom McRae - King of Cards (V2) Tom McRae’s fourth studio album sees him back in upbeat mood, heralded by the anthemic ‘Set the Story Staight’. His beautiful voice soars through ‘Bright Lights’ and the world-weary introduction to ‘Keep Your Picture Clear’ steers us to a cool collision between Suzanne Vega and the Arctic Monkeys. McRae has set out to create something energetic and eclectic and he succeeds. Each track stands on its own merits, and while there may be some loss of a consistent sound, there is no doubt that this is the work of a master songwriter. McRae plays an ace with King of Cards. www.tomcrae.com Carl J. Sincabeza - Edit Sur Passage Avant Fin Ou Montee D’Instrument (Distile Records) Without getting into the translation of the album titles (‘Sucre Ma Bete’ = ‘Sweeten my Beast’??!!) this is a fine collection of instrumental rock. Sincabeza inhabits a territory somewhere betwixed krautrock and post rock and could be further likened to an instrumental Fall. The tracks could possibly be considered a little formulaic in their structure because of the continual use of angular melodies, changing tempos, shifting rythms and guitar / bass driven grooves, but this is not necessarily a bad thing (think Pixies quiet / loud formula which conditioned the output of many of their contemporaries and sucessors). www.distilerecords.com/www.five-roses.net Will F. Perry Keyes - The Last Ghost Train Home (Laughing Outlaw) The chaps at Laughing Outlaw consider this to be one of their finest releases ever, and considering they released the magisterial second Orange Humble Band album, that’s really saying something. Of course, it’s easy to talk the talk, because walking the walk is where you usually trip up, but they’ll get no argument from me. Taking it’s inspiration from a host of classic singer-songwriters, from Costello to Elliott Murphy, The Last Ghost Train Home delivers a clutch of story-songs to rival just about any wordsmith you’d care to mention from the last 40 years, and what’s more, it rocks like a fucker, too. The tragedy is that if Perry Keyes called Austin or New York home, he’d be hailed the next big thing. As it is, because he’s a native of Sydney, Australia, he’s going to struggle to break out and get the recognition he deserves. Do yourself a favour and make sure you don’t miss out on one of the top three singer-songwriter albums of the year. www.perrykeyes.com Rob F. Decomposure - Vertical Lines A (Blank Squirrel) Vertical Lines A is essentially an audio representation of a day in the life of Caleb Mueller. Mueller recorded the whole day to cassette and then spent the following year creating tracks to represent each hour, hours 1 to 11. The cassettes were edited and reconstructed into kind of techno tunes (clicking and thumping beats) and accompany lyrics that simply describe surroundings and the weather! To any that have attended any level of art education this (along with ‘the journey’) is the most cliched of stock ideas. With the opening line ‘Today is October 28th 2005’ you can’t help but feel that it has already failed to achieve it’s goal. Bar the packaging this is a, self indulgent low art concept album and really quite horrendous - Sorry. www.blanksquirrel.com Will F. Nick Harper - Miracles For Beginners (Sangraal) I can’t listen to Nick Harper’s voice without instantly hearing his dad. That’s not a bad thing - Roy Harper has undoubtedly been a huge musical influence on his son, they obviously share the same vocal genes - and Harper Jr. can definitely hold his own in the songwriting stakes. For all that, Miracles For Beginners doesn’t quite work for me. On a stage, he’s a consummate performer - a talented singer and musician with a great relationship with the audience - yet whenever I hear him on record it’s a little flat, and it’s the same here. One for the hardcore fans, maybe. www.harperspace.com Rob F. Ju Suk Reet Meate - Solo 78 / 79 (aka Do Unseen Hands Keep You Dumb?) (De Stijl) This reissue of Ju Suk Reet Meate’s output of 1978-9 serves a historical record of the beginnings of the Smegma collective’s. Between ‘Side A’, ‘Side B’ (original album), ‘Guitar & Loops’ and ‘Short Wave’ (previously unreleased tracks) sound collage, found sound, tape loops, organ drones, horns and loose guitar are present. These are notably the staple of today’s underground artists yet Ju Suk Reet Meate never segues into the territory of layer upon layer to crescendo in noise overkill and adopts a much cleaner approach, laying off the murk and darkness. It dips into many musical conventions, traditions and styles - such as Punk, embracing it’s raw quality , (free) Jazz (hear ‘Side A’’s upright bass), Blues and Musique Concrete - without oversubscribing to any. A testament to late 20th century avant improvisation (to attempt any classification) and precursor to the current scene(s). www.destijlrecs.com Will F. Various Artists - Putumayo Presents: Americana (Putumayo) Americana’s a fairly broad church, covering everything from Neil Young to the Carter Family, and the genres eclectic quality is gently reflected in Putumayo’s collection, where the traditional and the contemporary merge with easy grace. Songwriters provide the core of the collection; Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez link old and new on ‘Sweet Tequila Blues’, Terri Hendrix gets better every time she enters a studio, ‘Prayer For My Friends’ providing ample proof, Josh Ritter delivers some craftsman's grit on ‘Harrisburg’ and Ruthie Foster lays down a little soul on ‘Hole In My Pocket’. At just twelve tracks, Putumayo Presents: Americana could have been a little longer, but it’s an extremely enjoyable ride, all the same. www.putumayo.com Rob F. Carp 18 - Bug Rump Joe Fahey - Tote Bag (both Rough Fish) A double release - Joe Fahey is the frontman of Carp 18 - though musically, two completely different animals. Carp 18 first. The band run through a selection of rootsy rock and Midwestern pop styles on Bug Rump, giving the impression that on the right night in the right bar, they’d be a top notch night out. In fact, if they’d been around London during the early ‘70s pub rock explosion, we’d probably be talking about Carp 18 in the same way we talk about Eggs Over Easy or Bees Make Honey. Joe Fahey’s vocal possesses the same awkward lilt as Paul Westerberg’s, though it’s a noticeably gentler voice - which brings us round to Fahey’s Tote Bag. Far more experimental that his band’s recordings, and an indication that Fahey’s record collection is both large and varied. So, we get bits of the Beatles, Bright Eyes, Syd Barratt and the Flaming Lips, and a sound that’s both psychedelic and sparse - which results in mood hops from trippy to forlorn. It’s maybe a little too eclectic for a truly satisfying listen, though it’s not without its moments. Personally, I like it best when it’s spacey and abstract, with ‘Porta One’ my out and out favourite track. www.carp18.com Rob F. Micah Anderson - All That It Is (Self Released) As a fellow sports writer, I have to say good things about Micah Anderson’s new CD. All That It Is is a cagey first half, a stern half–time talking to and a barnstorming second half fight back. From ‘The Patriot’ to ‘Breakdown’ there is a strong midfield with a well organised and rock solid tempo. Sarah Goff adds some tasty vocal delights on ‘In The Blue’. Anderson knows how to hit the target and scores a few bullseyes with an eclectic mix of skill and power. Not quite premier league yet but worth shelling out for a grandstand seat. www.micahanderson.com Carl J. Merzbow, Carlos Giffoni and Jim O’Rourke - Electric Dress (No Fun Productions) Mixing masses and masses of outer space sounding synth and shear noise makes ‘Electric Dress’ no place for the timid. This is the brutal sound of 1st generation arcade games wreaking their destructive, and savage revenge on any notion of corporate music. A single track of over 52 minutes in length beckons for the real noiseniks out there. www.nofunproductions.com Will F. Semion - Help Me I Work In An Office (Self Released) Bloody wonderful. Forget a semi, this is tumescently full on! From the stirring opener, ‘Rum Runner’, through the blistering ‘Year of the Monkee’, this is a gem of a record. Semion site The Band, The Barracudas and The Jam as influences, with a hefty dose of Big Star melodies thrown in. In this latest outing, they turn in a little psychedelic humbug and even veer towards country amongst the power(ful) pop. However, the upbeat numbers overshadow the others and make you yearn to hear them play live. Come on up and see how Leicester bangs some time, lads. www.myspace.com/worldofsemion Carl J. Rhodri Davies / Ko Ishikawa - Compositions for Harp and Sho (Hibari) The CD collects four comissioned compositions - from Taku Sugimoto, Masahiko Okura, Antoine Beuger and Toshiya Tsunoda - specifically for the sho, a Japanese traditional free reed instrument with 17 bamboo pipes. ‘Aka to Ao’ over it’s 18 plus minutes integrates an ever lengthening single note from the sho, (what sounds like) a single note of e-bowed guitar with vast expanses of quiet. ‘Torso’ is organic in it’s growth from single harp and sho notes through percussive harped notes backing the sho tones into longer drones of each, again it’s immense use of space is as striking as the tones from the instruments. ‘Three drops of Rain / East Wind / Ocean’ is a mammoth paean to minimalism and the most subtle and longest piece. ‘Strings and Pipes of the Same Length Float on Waves’ is more conceptual in it’s use of technology (sine waves and gating devices) in conjunction with harp and sho notes sounded in unison and sounded in parallel with a pair of sine wave and contradicts entirely, the ever subdued atmosphere created by the preceding three, and closes the CD on a caustic, piercing, abrasive and aggressive note. Best through headphones to avoid distraction. www.hibarimusic.com Will F. B.C. Camplight - Blink Of A Nihilist (One Little Indian) It’s an admiration for composers such as Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach and Todd Rundgren that create the foundations of B.C. Camplight’s music. In Britain, we might view him as the artist that Mica dreams of becoming. Never twee, but always engaging, Camplight has produced a collection of tuneful, left of centre vignettes. Opener, ‘Suffer for Two’ grows like penicillin to soothe the tired brain and B.C.‘s high, sweet voice is plush indeed on ‘Soy Tonto’. I could love this CD if it didn’t have the world’s worst cover artwork. Listen, don’t look. www.bccamplight.com Carl J. Past Reviews: March 07, April 07, May 07, June/July 07