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Welcome to A&A. There are 13 reviews in this issue. Click on an artist to jump to the review, or simply scroll through the list. If you want information on any particular release, check out the Label info page. All reviews are written by Jon Worley unless otherwise noted. If you have any problems, criticisms or suggestions, drop me a line.
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A&A #287 reviews July 2007
 Art in
ManilaSet the Woods on Fire (Saddle Creek) The latest project from the Omaha half of Azure Ray, Orenda Fink. This is something of a follow-up to her solo effort Invisible Ones, as she has populated Art in Manila with folks who toured in support of that disc. The music isn't that different. Fink still travels in opalescent pop country, tripping through shimmery sounds and bounding through raucous thoughts. And she does it so damned well. The band is stellar, and it seems to have coalesced into something more than a backing unit. There's a sense of community in the arrangements and the verve of the playing. This may be Fink's project, but her mates have plenty to say, too. At its most mundane, this disc is merely brilliant. At its best, it is mind-bogglingly transcendent. This is the rare album that gets the excitement going early and then follows through with enough heft to last a lifetime.
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War With SelfActs of God (Sluggo's Goon) This album is dedicated to the memory of Piggy (Denis D'Amour of Voivod). That got my attention right off the bat. And then the disc started. A lot more proggy (perhaps I really mean "wiggy;" hard to say) and somewhat less intense that Voivod (what isn't?), At War With Self plays largely instrumental pieces that blast through the edges of the hard rock universe. One piece might remind you of the Fucking Champs, the next one Hawkwind. Which leads to my main quibble: This is stellar music, but I really couldn't put my finger on anything resembling a band sound. That's never a dealbreaker with me, but when you're doing a lot of unconventional things, it's often best to leave a touchpoint. These guys are so confident that they don't. Like I said, that's fine with me. I'll take the good music every time. There's always room on my shelf for talented musicians tiptoeing a high wire--especially when they make it to the other side.
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 EloineShort Community Green Stump Sagebrush/Deimos (Digitalis Industries/Unread/Stentorian/Public Eyesore) Eloine is a quartet led Bryan Day, who is Public Eyesore. Day is heading out on tour soon, and he wants to make sure folks know he has discs out there. He tells me that he's reissuing these discs, but whether or not they have the official PE imprimatur, I'm sure you can get them through him. And the average Public Eyesore fan (whatever that means) will want to do that. Judging by the variegated PE releases, Day's taste in music is eclectic, but he tends to favor contemplative improvisational fare and really messy Japanese stuff. Eloine is straight out of that first category. Contemplative, but not dull. Each piece on each of these discs has at least one--and generally many--exceptional ideas. Day's intriguing use of percussion and (occasionally) guitar often sounds like rats scraping at the inside of your brain. And once these pieces get in there, you'll never be able to get them out. I'm not sure how all this translates live (I love this kind of thing when safely within my house; not so much on stage), but these albums are proof that some folks not only know good music, they know how to make it as well.
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 FridgeThe Sun (Temporary Residence) The original home of Kieran Hebden, Adem Ilhan and Sam Jeffers. While Hebden and Ilhan have made somewhat larger names for themselves in recent years, this return to the Fridge works for the first time in six years is hardly an exercise in nostalgia. First, because not that many people have heard of Four Tet or Adem, and even fewer are aware of Fridge's output. Second, because this is the work of three guys who are still young (a lot younger than me, anyway) and have plenty to say. Fridge tends to lay down some sort of percussive layer and then play off that. Sometimes, though. Ilhan's folkish-guitar leads the way. In any case, the guys play off each other beautifully. Each song is a series of actions and reactions--and sometimes it's hard to tell which is which. Well-orchestrated chaos. This album sounds wonderful, and the richness of that sound really complements the music. Fridge resides in a different world, to be sure, but it's quite a nice one to observe. Contact:
 Grace BasementNew Sense (Dren) Kevin Buckley (with a few strategically-placed friends) is Grace Basement. He does a more-than-passable version of the pop one-man band. Not one of those emo things, either. I've got nothing against that sort of thing, really, but this is really straight pop, with just a hint of roots. Pretty hooks, jaunty verses, slightly-raggedy vocals. All that good stuff. This album begins nicely, but it really takes off after a couple songs. Kinda like Buckley wanted to warm up the room first, so that his manic energy wouldn't scare folks off. The whole frogs-in-boiling-water thing--even if that's a myth. Buckley, however, is anything but a myth. He's got real skill as a writer, and he imbues his songs with just enough of an off-kilter perspective to shear off the sharp edges of craft. Ease in and let Buckley take the reins. He'll steer you right.
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HillstompAfter Two But Before Five (Fuzzmonster) Two Oregon guys who sound like they wish they'd been born in the Delta. Or, at least, some twisted Pacific Northwest version of the Delta. These tracks were recorded live, and most of them are something along the lines of blues standards. Henry Kammerer does a nice electric rendition of Robert Johnson-style rural blues picking (with slide, natch), and John Johnson mans the buckets. PVC. Food-grade. With what appears to be a frying pan or Dutch oven on top. If you ever saw the Flat Duo Jets as a duo, you might begin to understand this. There's a certain manic energy to a guitar and, um, percussion duo, and it helps to play down and dirty music. The less refinement, the better. Hillstomp is anything but refined. Let's hope they never get it in their minds to clean up and become respectable. Because this world is too pretty as it is. We need all the muck we can get.
 Reed
KDThe Ashes Bloom (Dirty Laundry) It's been a long time since I've heard someone try to sound like Simon and Garfunkel. It's not just that Reed KD plays simple songs written with voice and guitar on the verse and overdubbed harmonies and extra instrumentation on the choruses. The whole sound has that fullness-with-echo that, particularly, the first three S&G albums have. KD (Reed? I dunno) is no Paul Simon. His songs aren't as perceptive. But he's got a nice feel for the hook, and in truth, this stuff stands up reasonably well to the comparison. I like folks who are willing to make their songs stand up for themselves. There's not a lot adornment here, and these pieces work quite well. More pretty than insightful (Am I repeating myself? Sorry), but not insipid. The songs flow along nicely, every once in a while registering a fine moment. A real pleasure to hear. I just can't tell how much this is going to grow on me. It might become one of my favorite albums, or I might forget about in a couple months. I wish I had a feel for that, but I don't. Oh well. I'll take my enjoyment now and see where that takes me.
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Leyode Fascinating Tininess (Eastern Development) Eastern Development is Prefuse 73's imprint (Herren himself guests as Savath y Savalas), which makes a whole lot of sense. The songs are less collages and more cohesive pieces (just about everyone calls this stuff cinematic, and I can't disagree), and there are lots and lots of pretty moments. And yet, there's plenty of the trippy and experimental fare that folks might expect. Imagine the Flaming Lips (of recent vintage) hooking up with Stereolab and dropping some slinky--if occasionally disjointed--beats, and perhaps this will begin to make sense. It took me a half an hour to write the above two paragraphs. That's a long time for me, and part of the problem was figuring out a way to explain this stuff properly. I think I'm gonna give up. It's great. That's enough for me. And if it isn't enough for you, well, you know the pedigree. If that doesn't impress you, then there's not much more I can say. Otherworldly just doesn't do this justice.
KJ Sawka Cyclonic Steel (Wax Orchard) There's techno for the dance floor, there's techno for the geek and then there's the rare techno that manages to be both experimental and accessible as all get out. Alright, some of these pieces are probably a bit diffuse for the floor. They're still packed with punchy beat work and the occasional solid vocal. Sawka doesn't reinvent the sequencer or anything, but nonetheless, these pieces are most impressive. Mostly a case of good music done well, I suppose. There isn't anything surprising here, just an obvious attention to craft and an inquisitive mind wandering into new scenarios. Oh yeah, and it sounds nicely chilly. It fits with today's music, just as it would have fit in just fine 15 or 20 years ago. Well turned out.
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 Alina
SimonePlacelessness (54-40 or Fight) Alina Simone has a bit of that Ani DiFranco affectation to her delivery. I'm not a fan of that. Her songwriting, though, is another story completely. The songs themselves are more along the lines of Joni Mitchell or (particularly) Alice Despard, perfectly encapsulated episodes with fully fleshed-out characters and story arcs. Simone's occasional wailing actually helps, making these songs seem a bit more unformed than they really are, which lends a greater emotional impact to the pieces. By and large, the instrumentation is sparse. Guitar (electric, most often), percussion (sometimes electronic, sometimes not), bass and maybe a little piano or other keyboards. Simone's voice is always front and center, and even though I'm not in love with her singing style, that's the sort of arrangement these songs need. Perhaps this album sounds a little more important than it is. I don't think so, though. Simone demands attention from the very start, and most of the time she earns it. A most solid first full-length.
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 Josh
SmallTall by Josh Small (Suburban Home) At first listen, music doesn't get much more simple than this. Josh Small whips out his banjo or guitar or resonator (guitar) and sings along. Of course, from time to time there's some bass or drums or something, but again, at first listen this stuff sounds primitive. That's the secret to its effectiveness, I think. The songs themselves are anything but "classic" folk or bluegrass. The folks at Suburban Home detect a 70s vibe, and I heartily concur. Sometimes it's more Elton John than James Taylor, but that sense of solid melody and harmony rolls through. Oh, yeah, and there's the Fender Rhodes that drops in from time to time. That kinda completes the sound. In short, Small writes great songs and then has the presence of mind to present them in the best light possible. Hardly simple, really. There's more sophistication here than on any other album I'm reviewing this set, I'd say. And yet, most of the time this sounds like Small is singing out on my back deck. That, friends, is genius.
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SnowglobeDoing the Distance Me & You (Makeshift/St. Ives) Doing the Distance is a 2004 album by these guys (newly re-issued), while Me & You is a new vinyl-only (except for the promo CDs, I guess) release that consists of odds, ends and just plain doodles. Of course, Snowglobe doodles are still most fascinating. I'm not entirely sure of the point of putting all this stuff out here like this (and I can't find the press notes, of course), but then, I kinda like the mystery of it. I suppose all you really need is good music, after all. And if there's one thing you can be assured of with Snowglobe, it's mind-bogglingly good pop music. Noodly and doodly at times, but almost always unspeakably gorgeous and yet still grounded. You know, like if you walked into your local and Kate Beckinsale (or George Clooney; take your pick) sat down next to you and just hung out for an evening. That has to be the strangest simile I've penned in some time. Nice to be inspired, I guess. Snowglobe is good for inspiration, not to mention whatever else ails you. Large doses are much better than small.
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 Various ArtistsA Purge of Dissidents DVD/CD Art and storyboards by Dalek Animations by Jesse Olanday Soundtrack by Haze XXL (Ipecac) Haze XXL, of course, is another name for Tom Hazelmyer, the man behind AmRep and who was mixed up in just about everything that made the upper Midwest punk scene of the 80s so goddamned great. Which explains why folks like Buzz Osbourne and Grant Hart played with him. Oh, and why folks like Jon Spencer and David Yow dropped vocals for some singles. That's just a hint at the mind-bending music (everything from pile-driving terror to frontal-lobe-seizing keyboard bits) contained here. But then, of course, there's the art. The movies. Whatever. I've watched them twice, and I haven't figured them out yet. They're not surreal and they're not realist...I can't remember anything from art appreciation, so I can't really explain much except to say that there's a lot of carnage surrounding something that looks like Mickey Mouse after he spent a night partying with Hunter Thompson. Thompson, not Ralph Steadman--these pictures are computer-precise. As for the story, I dunno. I couldn't quite figure out if there was symbolism in anything or if the story (such as it is) should be taken as is. In the end, I watched it again. And that didn't help, either. But it sure looked cool and sounded better. Let's hope projects like this are the future of entertainment. Beats the shit out of Shrek 10: The Donkey Is an Ass.
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Old Friends: New albums from artists previously reviewed in A&A
Copperpot WYLA? (EV Records)
Moses Guest Best Laid Plans (Aufhepen/Montrose)
The Stone Coyotes Dreams of Glory (Red Cat)
Woosley Band Follow Fire Exit Signs+The Thundermug Eulogies
(self-released)
The 7-inch file:
The Awkward Stage/Young and Sexy split 7" (Mint)
The Dead Betties Malls of the Midwest 7" (self-released)
Derek Higgins + Dino Felipe Properties 7" (Public Eyesore)
Nick Krgovich One Woman Show 7" (Mint)
The Mishaps Rock and Roll 7" (Hall Ride)
The New Flesh Dog 7" (Terra Firma)
Ovo/Smut split 7" (Public Eyesore)
Temp Sound Solutions Pain Based Lifeform 7" (Terra Firma)
Also recommended:
Airiel The Battle of Sealand (High Wheel)
Arizona Fameseeker and the Mono (self-released)
Arks The International (High Wheel)
Black Before Red Belgrave to Kings Circle (self-released)
Sexton Blake Plays the Hits! (Expunged)
The Dead Betties Nightmare Sequence (Cordless)
The Original Mark Edwards The Doom Loop (Princess)
Kleveland Kleveland (self-released)
Last November All the Gory Details... (self-released)
Mancino Manner Matter (self-released)
Maserati Inventions for the New Season (Temporary Residence)
Glenn Mercer Wheels in Motion (Pravda)
Nagaoag Yama Labam A (Eh?)
Nihil Communication We Are Violent (Edgetone)
Shelf Life Duct Works (Public Eyesore)
Solar Fire Trio Rise Up (Foreign Frequency)
Teletextile Care Package (self-released)
Various Artists The Trials of Daryl Hunt soundtrack (Young
American)
The Vincent Black Shadow Fears in the Water (Bodog)
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