Mush Records
1742 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone (323) 876-6679
Fax [323] 876-6689
Daniel Lanois
Belladonna
(Anti)
I've always thought of Daniel Lanois as a folkier Brian Eno. His long history
with Eno probably has something to do with that, as does his involvement with a
couple of the great "modern folk� albums of the last decade: Dylan's Time Out
of Mind (not to mention his earlier, most excellent Oh, Mercy) and
Emmylou Harris's Wrecking Ball. The music on this album is wonderfully
conceived stuff that exists somewhere in the world music/roots/folk
continuum.
Lanois has long shown a real feel for the use of electronic processing
(keyboards, effects, drum machines, etc.) to create a strikingly organic sound.
He uses every weapon at his disposal, and in so doing creates canvases that seem
denser and richer than is humanly possible.
These impossibly gorgeous tapestries are, nonetheless, often simple affairs
consisting of just a few lines at any given time. Sparse riches, I guess. That's
the genius of Lanois: Use everything, but never overwhelm.
The soundtrack to one of those indie movies set in some magical backwater.
Simple people who aren't so simple. Everyday events that have lasting
consequences. A flash in the night; reconciliation by dawn. That sort of thing.
Except that Lanois tells the story much better than I ever could.
Contact:
Anti
2798 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
www: http://www.anti.com
Miss
Mary
Ready2Pop
(Waxfruit/Dren)
That would be Mary Stopas, who led the Oscillators back in the late 1990s and
has since embarked on a solo career. Her songs are jaunty, hook-laden treats,
served up with a heavy dose of sly, sultry pop vocals. Feel free to think of the
Pastels or Letters to Cleo.
Is she that good? Oh, probably not. But these songs are wonderful bits of power
pop fluff, borrowing heavily from 60s surf and garage. Throw in plenty of fuzz
and some nice volume dealing, and we're talking about first rate stuff.
Miss Mary does this sound exceptionally well, but I can't say I'd be able to
pick her songs out of a crowd. That's the blessing and curse of pop, I guess.
Originality isn't always rewarded--but then, neither is quality.
So I guess I should be spending more time praising the spot-on writing and fine
sound of these songs. Lovely and subtly moving pieces that are worth more than a
few minutes of anyone's time. Pretty and substantial. That's always a good
combination.
Contact:
Dren Records
P.O. Box 22496
Philadelphia, PA
19110
e-mail: drenrecords@yahoo.com
www: http://www.drenrecords.com
Sixty
Acres
Banjos and Sunshine re-issue
(Dren)
I rarely give full reviews to re-issues, but I wasn't familiar with this album,
and it really knocked me out. So there.
How's this for a line-up: Matt Felch, Niall Hood, Dana Kelly, Brian Seith and
Mark McKay? Not bad. Flech and Hood are still plugging away today with the
band--Hood, of course, is also the person behind Dren Records--and Mark McKay
has a number of outstanding solo works (which feature some of his old bandmates)
out on Dren.
Sixty Acres obviously listened to a lot of Uncle Tupelo (and even contributed a
version of "Gun" to a UT tribute album), but these boys softened the punk edges
and added some serious technical chops. These songs are wonderfully-crafted
pieces, with every ringing guitar line and raggedly-sweet harmony falling almost
casually into place.
I dunno, this just speaks to me. Maybe it's because Uncle Tupelo was the house
band for my college years at Missouri, but I prefer to think it's simply because
the music is awfully good. Six years haven't taken the luster off this album. It
still shines--and with six new tracks, it might glow that much brighter.
Contact:
Dren Records
P.O. Box 22496
Philadelphia, PA
19110
e-mail: drenrecords@yahoo.com
www: http://www.drenrecords.com
Smallspace
No
Matter
(Speedywagon)
I did a year in Battle Creek, Mich., from September 1, 1993 to September 20,
1994 (and yes, there's a reason I remember those specific dates). If I wanted to
catch a show, I had to haul over to Kalamazoo, or, more often, up to Grand
Rapids, to hear something cool. Smallspace hails from that metropolis on the
semi-frozen tundra, and I can't say I'm surprised I like this so much.
The prog-laptop feel of the songs is intriguing. Kinda like Air meets Radiohead
by way of (you knew it was coming!) the Beta Band. Not exactly the sort of thing
I usually dig, but these boys have a nicely abstract way of approaching their
material that really appeals to my ears.
The sound is wonderful. Not too spacey, but certainly not of this world. Plenty
of room for shoegazing, but still leaving plenty of activity for more exuberant
listeners. The production is subtle enough to allow all sorts of minor ideas
entrance into the songs, making the results that much more fulfilling.
There are a lot of good things about western Michigan. Bell's beer. The
lakeshore. A number of good bands--a number which has been joined by Smallspace.
Something interesting going on here.
Contact:
www: http://www.smallspacemusic.com
Wydown
Message from the
Yes Man EP
(self-released)
And then there's prog prog. Wydown approaches this classic sound from the
post-rock side of things, adding all sorts of interesting bits of
instrumentation (strings, etc.) and often reverting to basic rock song
construction. Still, the loping melodies and technical approach to playing are
prog all the way.
Five songs, each of which has a decidedly different feel. And yet, each is
decidedly a Wydown song. That's the sort of thing that is impossible to teach. A
band just has to figure it out. And Wydown has.
These guys still have to figure out where they want to go in the future. The
tracks here lay out any number of potential roads--many of them not prog in the
slightest, of course. Who knows? The next disc I get from these guys might be
pop hardcore. Um, probably not, but I do know one thing: It will sound like a
Wydown album. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.
Contact:
www: http://www.wydown.com
Also recommended: ...Bender
...Bender (Satellite/TV)
Moody, occasionally disturbing music from
the wilds of east London. Yes, yes, there are echoes of Black Box Recorder, but
with more of a Nick Cave chaser. These folks like to get weird, and then wallow
in the moment. Kinda cool that way.
Bronco Busters Pulse Racing (Big Dipper)
Just another Swedish
female power pop act. Well, there is one unique bit: this one's a trio. All
joking aside, Bronco Busters play with real fire--more grit than perkiness,
which is a real plus in my book. Decidedly ephemeral, to be sure, but awfully
nice for top-down days.
Cat and Dog Deluxe/Red Pony Clock split CD (Gabe & Lizeth Records
+ Crafts)
Two bands who like to use a lot of instruments in order to make a
lot of noise. Red Pony Clock is somewhat more coherent, and while that doesn't
generally get my vote, it does here. This set of 22 songs is a real boon to fans
of off-beat fare. Lots of odd moments here--makes me smile, it does.
Contact:
www: http://www.catanddogdialogue.cjb.net
www: http://www.redponyclock.com
FM Bats Everybody Out...Shark in the Water EP (Vinyl Dog/TKO)
Raucous and spartan, this album is all about treble. I'm guessing that mix is
intentional--it certainly does lend a garage feel to music that's actually a lot
more polished. These boys bound along, rarely stopping to think about
consequences. Nice instincts.
The Kallikak Family May 23rd 2007 (Tell-All)
Three folks
contributed tapes (noise, improvisations, musical thoughts, samples, whatever),
and then one of the three (Andrew Peterson) put them all together. I'm not sure
how collaborative the process was (were the tapes sent between all three, or
just to Peterson?), but I guess that doesn't matter much. Peterson has done a
fine job of assembling the pieces on this album into something just the other
side of this world.
Joe Kile Kings Avenue (Dren)
Understated Americana
melancholia that sounds more pretty than perverse. Even when his lyrics get
quite dark, Kile's voice still sounds like he's smiling. That adds a menace to
the songs that may--or may not--be intentional. either way, it's unnerving. I
like music that shakes me out of my comfy chair, and this is most definitely
that.
Adam McIntyre Nothing Means Anything (Headphone Treats)
Sunny, introspective pop in the manner of a stripped-down Matthew Sweet.
McIntyre cycles through many feels, adapting his sound to the needs of his
songs. He's got a good feel for writing, though his final presentation is a bit
faceless. Nonetheless, songs this good deserve to be heard.
New Estate Considering... (Kittridge)
Ah, the sounds of
modern indie rock. Even when the band slows down, these folks sound like they're
pushing themselves just a hair too far. Strained vocals, slightly muffed guitar
licks...you know, all those endearing tics that make indie rock so much fun. I
suppose you might complain that New Estate doesn't do a whole lot to distinguish
itself. I would, but my head keeps bobbing along. Can't do a thing about it.
Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
(Hydrahead)
Does that title scream prog, or what? And, yeah, this stuff is
vaguely proggy...but more in a post-rock manner than, say, Hawkwind. Quite
meditative and introspective, in fact, the sort of album that challenges the
notion that you've got to be utterly abstract to truly exploit the recesses of
the frontal lobe.
Dug Pinnick Emotional Animal (Magna Carta)
I've been a fan of
King's X since forever, and I consider Pinnick's voice to be one of the finest
in the entire history of rock. This latest solo effort is solid, but not as
incendiary as some of the band's finest moments. I can't get enough of the
voice, but at times I wish the music had been more inspired. Quite listenable,
certainly, even if I was hoping for a bit more.
David Schultz David Schultz (Triple Stamp)
Not everyone is
able to make jaunty roots music vaguely apocalyptic, but Schultz tries his
damnedest. Kinda cool...sorta like a train wreck, except more severe. Schultz
doesn't hurtle into the abyss with every song (that would be boring), but when
he does, he creates one hell of an effect. Intriguing.
So L'il Dear Kathy, (Goodbye Better)
The Kathy in question
would be avant garde novelist Kathy Acker, someone whose work just doesn't work
for me. So L'il, though, isn't nearly as unusual and arcane as their
inspiration, and these loopy, lush pop songs lilt by on scented air currents.
Not conventional by any means, but hardly warped. Just a fun, unconventional
album.
Uncle Fucker Usurpers of the Tradition (Hairball 8)
First I
thought the name was, indeed, "Uncle Fucker." Then I thought it was "Uncle
Tucker." Turns out my first read was correct. The sound is Paul Stanley meets
Ralph Stanley meets crystal meth. Hard rockin' bluegrass is actually one hell of
an idea, and these guys pull it off better than you might imagine. The
musicianship is solid, and the sound is quite crunchy. Most amusing.
