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Welcome to A&A. There are 14 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 #288 reviews August 2007
 DrzhivegasGet Down (self-released) Drzhivegas is a Van Halen for this generation. Well, it could be. I doubt these guys are going to break like that (almost no one does), but it seems possible to me. Just like Van Halen took all the catchy bits of 70s arena rock and dolled them up with a wildman singer and (truly) revolutionary use of the guitar, Drzhivegas drops stellar riffage (from almost every side of rock) on top of unreconstructed disco beats, bouncy bass lines and, yes, vocals courtesy of a blonde-mopped wildman. To be sure, the similarity is one of attitude and not sound. Drzhivegas seems to really have hit upon something here. These are serious boogie workouts augmented by loud and crunchy guitars and plenty of soul. Many have tried to fuse all these crowd-pleasing sorts of music--the best, to my ear, was Bootsauce's 1990 effort, The Brown Album--but by the end of those albums there was a palpable feeling of exhaustion. It's hard work making ultra-catchy tuneage. This album sounds utterly effortless. It is a party record, pure and simple, though the lyrics are often slyly clever. The overall sound is sharp, but the bass is nice and round. And Frankie Muriel's vocals aren't the smoothest around, but he sells these songs with aplomb, not unlike a certain Diamond Dave did 30 years ago. I know I'm gonna regret the Van Halen reference, but it still makes sense to me. These guys have style. The band sounds as if it doesn't have a care, and so you get nine pop/rock/r&b/disco raveups imbued with pure pleasure. My teenage throbbing desire, indeed.
Contact:
 Free
DiamondsBy the Sword (Deep Elm) Another dose of modern no wave pop from these freakazoids. I still can't get my head around everything these folks are trying to do, but I have to admit I like it a lot. Much of the allure resides in the ultra-tight rhythm section. While everything might (and often does) go to pot, the percussion, bass and (occasionally) rhythm guitar keep the songs locked in. Which is how you can sound tight and astoundingly loose at the same time. I think that might be the secret of why these folks appeal to dorks like me. Even the madness is calculated, I guess--and it works well enough to make me smile. Oh, hey, I just picked up on something of a Meat Puppets reference--1980s Meat Puppets, mind you. Free Diamonds make little pretense to sophistication. These folks merely make music of the most maddening sort.
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Gringo StarGringo Star EP (self-released) The boys may hail from the Atlanta area, but this music is much more western in origin. The country and blues references have more of a California than red dirt feel, and the piano pop constructions (even if the songs themselves are driven by guitars) are tres-L.A. Every once in while, though, there's a bit of ragged harmony (or somesuch) that just screams Athens. The full production sound boosts these songs out of the speakers with strength and purpose. In other words, this stuff sounds great. Good songs, good playing, good production. Six songs are nice, a full-length would be nicer. Gringo Star bears watching.
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Margo Guryan16 Words CD5 (Pure Mint) The "16 Words" are: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Those are the lyrics of the song. There are also samples from the Prez himself, all thrown together into a vaguely martial existential pop song. As anti-war songs go, this is one of the most brutal in its power. Lying liars and all that, but Guryan doesn't really dwell on that aspect. She simply puts the song out and lets the listener figure out what's going on. It's not subtle, but neither is it obvious. Quite a fine tune. The other song is "Yes I Am," a 2001 song from a previous album. It's more of a Dusty Springfield-style chick rocker, dolled up very nicely. These two songs make me most interested in hearing what else Guryan is up to these days.
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 HawkRock N Roll (self-released) Hawk sticks to mid-tempo rockers (so, um, 80s rock and roll). That does lend a certain sameness to some of these songs. On the other hand, if you ever wondered what Loverboy might have done if it hadn't discovered the power ballad, then this album might tell you. Probably not the reference these boys would like, but this reminds me a lot of that first Loverboy album. Lean, stripped down rock and roll that never gets out of line. Can that actually be rock and roll? Yeah, I think so. The production gives the guitars just enough oomph to carry the day. Otherwise, the mix is fairly spartan, letting the songs themselves do most of the work. And they do. The lyrics entice a few wry smiles, but the real pleasure here is the simple nature of the music. There's nothing complicated in the writing, and Hawk doesn't hide behind studio tricks. The boys just play rock and roll. Or rock n roll. Whatever.
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The LeftoversOn the Move (Rally) Blissed-out punk pop...just skip the first song, okay? It's not bad, but it just doesn't set the table properly. The second track, "Dance With Me," would be much more appropriate. But I don't need to get into a sequencing digression or anything... Ben Weasel had his hands all over this (including, specifically, the sequencing--ouch!), and this does fall into his territory. Ephemeral, perhaps, but when the chords are this muscular and the hooks this sweet, ephemeral can last a lifetime. There's just enough oomph in the production to kick these songs into pop heaven. Not Mass Giorgini style by any means (though his punk wall of sound would probably suit these songs as well), there's plenty of room to breathe here. Makes the songs sound like old friends. And if my enthusiasm doesn't flag, they might well be lifelong buds. The Leftovers don't do anything but play exceptional punk pop. The kinda stuff that makes one happy to be alive.
Contact:
 Marco
MahlerDesign in Quick Rotation (self-released) Exceedingly understated songs, most of them just Mahler and his guitar (with the occasional overdub and bass line). The style isn't really folk, either, but more pop along the lines of James Taylor or Paul Simon. Though significantly more minimalist than either of those guys. Indeed, the stark nature of this recording is its most arresting feature. It took me a while to really figure out the songs. That doesn't make much sense, as they're pretty much right in my face, but then, there's a reason my mom made sure my name had only three letters. Yes, I miss the obvious all the time. And while this album is anything but, Mahler's approach doesn't waver from the first note to the last. He travels through his songs, using each to change course ever so subtly. Not nearly so idiosyncratic as a Simon Joyner or Songs:Ohia or Wil Oldham or whatnot, Mahler has nonetheless managed to notch his own first-rate entry into the minimalist singer-songwriter ledger. Fine work.
Contact:
 Mass
ShiversEcstatic Eyes Grow Glossy (Sickroom) Some fine wackiness from up Chicago way. Mass Shivers plays that rhythm-heavy, math-addled post-rockin' kinda stuff. As if the very nature of songs themselves don't matter much. How do I know? People don't title their songs "Womanizing Metal Studs" or "Quinine Peninsula" (parts one through three, not in sequence) if they're at all concerned with traditional song structure. Okay, so that's a bit of an overstatement. But I can say that these songs hang together by the barest scraps of rhythmic joy. And it is joy, my friends. These are the most kinetic of works, unbridled by any "normal" concept of melody or harmony or, for that matter, key. These things would be an unholy mess if the drums, and often the drums alone, didn't keep one toe in the pool of reality. Yet for all my petty whining, I must say this is one of the most exciting albums I've heard in ages. If you can break almost all the rules and still create an album this engaging and accessible, you just might be on the brink of genius. Play it loud and play it often.
Elegiac pop that sometimes sounds downright majestic. The Minor Canon uses horns
to a wonderful effect and kicks out its underplayed anthems with just enough
slacker grace to convince you they aren't entirely serious about their
pretentious nature.
Got that? Me either. Still, the Minor Canon does an amazing job with the
arrangements of its songs. There's plenty of space and very little clutter, even
at the edges. It isn't hard to imagine this stuff being played in your living
room--there is some drama, but these songs are mostly quiet affairs. With
devastating consequences.
Sometimes, when you want to sound really, really important, the best thing is to
strip everything down to the barest essentials. These songs are fairly complex,
but it's not hard to pick out the different ideas within each. If they didn't
work, this album would be a mess. It's anything but.
Each song sucks you in that much further. Quite an impressive album. The Minor
Canon's quiet intensity is impossible to shake.
Contact:
The third Ms Led album I've heard, and it's just as arresting as the first two.
That said, the formula hasn't changed. Lesli Wood wails and provides the
response to her own call, even when it sounds a wee bit forced. The band is
heavy, but always in motion. The songs themselves are a bit crafty.
Ms Led's energy has always overcome such minor complaints in the past, and it
does here. In fact, I'd say the eccentricities are a bit more under control
here, which makes the stuff a bit more accessible without draining the songs of
their character.
The production sound is full but clean. Space where there should be some, and a
hint of fuzz where that is necessary. The mix is by Kramer, a man who knows
something about that sort of thing.
What else to say? Ms Led is still kicking out ballsy, thoughtful songs. Wood is
in fine sneer, and the rest of the band (including Saeta mate Matt Menovcik)
rips when ripping is in order. Smashing, as always.
Contact:
Sadaharu has always reminded me of the Refused, except not so self-consciously
arty. The power, the anger, the blistering guitar licks...there's an awful lot
to like.
Best of all, these boys don't know how to let up off the throttle. The songs
themselves have somewhat sparse arrangements, but the rhythms pulsate
ceaselessly. This album is constantly in motion.
And while not arty, Sadaharu doesn't really stick to any conventional
songwriting structure. The songs are all over the place, kinda like Rage Against
the Machine at its best. And rather than get stuck in repetitive riffage (as
Rage did more often than not), these guys are always changing things up.
Never a dull moment. Never a quiet moment, either. Sadaharu doesn't go for
introspection. This album is all about anger and action. I can get into that. In
a big way.
CI Records
Brit popsters who sound positively Canadian--a la New Pornographers, of course.
I suppose turnabout is fair play, and these guys play more than fair. Fairly.
Whatever. Freakin' grammar, man.
Thing is, Silver Sun pays attention to the little details like that. The songs
turn on small ideas that you might miss the first time. Could be a wrinkle in
the hook or the lyrics, but these guys are more than willing to shift on a dime.
Muscular riffs take flight, manic harmonies disappear without warning...don't
try this at home, folks.
The production is pleasantly shiny--again, think New Pornographers or similarly
bouncy complex pop fare. That serves these quirky songs quite well; the wacky
ideas bound out with abandon.
Summer might be ready to begin its slow fade, but Silver Sun is on the rise.
Take the top down and drop the pedal. Your ticket to fun is here.
Contact:
Back in the glorious '90s, there was something called modern rock. Not exactly
"alternative," not really punk, not anything in particular. Most of the time,
though, most "modern rock" bands sounded a lot like U2--pick whatever album you
like.
Spanish for 100 sounds nothing like U2, but it seems to me that this is what
"modern rock" ought to be. Vaguely melodic songs played with vigor and intensity
without a commitment to any particular sound.
At times mathy, at others simply nice and stridently anthemic, Spanish for 100
merely plays good music. Stuff that is most definitely rock, not pop. Serious
fare for folks who don't mind thinking about what they're hearing. Like I said,
good music.
I'm still not able to pick out anything particularly distinctive about these
guys, but that should come with time. And I think I'll be spending plenty of
time with this disc.
Contact:
I put a note on this one after doing my first listens: "Keep listening. It gets
better." So I didn't start writing this review until I hit the fourth song. It
does get better, I think, but I also think that Spooner's well-polished version
of latter-days Dylan-meets-mid 70's Paul Simon is a bit out of my comfort zone.
I needed to meet him halfway.
It's not that these songs are bad. They're cool, sophisticated and sublimely
crafted. And I like Dylan and Simon (no matter the era). But something in his
manner didn't sit well with me. I spent a long time thinking about it, and then
I realized that I liked this stuff an awful lot. So I didn't worry about
whatever reservations I had.
Part of it is that the songs in the middle of the album are more complete and
interesting than the ones on the edges. It's almost like the first three songs
are warm-ups--good ones, but still. Then everything takes off before it fades a
bit at the end. Ah, well. Those five songs in the middle are great, and that's
better than most albums.
Sometimes Spooner finds the groove, and sometimes it's obvious that he's working
hard. If he can find that extra gear, that way of getting into the zone on all
his songs, he's got a great future.
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The Action Painters Chubby Dancer (self-released)
All Teeth and Knuckles Club Hits to Hit the Clubs With (Lujo)
Audible Stellar Hypnotic Situations Audible Stellar Hypnotic
Situations (self-released)
Avagami Metagami (Lens/Pravda)
Benzos Branches (Stinky)
Chris Boehk The Day I Realized I Might Not Make It (Has Anyone
Ever Told You?)
Dear Tonight We're Not Men EP (Red Leader)
Donny Hue and the Colors Folkmote (The Kora Records)
Encomiast Encomiast (Lens)
500 Miles to Memphis Sunshine in a Shot Glass (Deep Elm)
Leiana No Going Back (Page)
The Mabuses Mabused! (self-released)
Mr. Smolin The Crumbling Empire of White People
(Nomanclature)
Recoil subHuman (Mute)
Rowan Schuitevoerder Rowan Schuitevoerder EP (Conscious)
A Shoreline Dream Coastal EP (Latenight Weeknight)
Strings of Consciousness Our Moon Is Full (Central Control)
These Modern Socks These Modern Socks (Princess)
The Three 4 Tens Down the Way (Rainbow Quartz)
Tuner Pole (Unsung)
Matt Weston Holler CD5 (7272 Music)
Why Twist the Hair Healthy Skin (self-released)
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