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IN THIS ISSUE
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CD Reviews
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ARROGANCE
I got snookered into reviewing this one. Gaff Records sent it
to me along with Walter Egan's "Apocalypso Now" a while
back, and I felt obligated to give it some column space. After
all, like a record or not, a reviewer can't ignore that the work
is someone's labor of love, someone's baby, and I'm not about to
tell Arrogance that their baby is ugly.
COPELAND
Copeland’s web site says that the test of a well written song for the band is whether it holds up when you strip away all the fluff, well that said, Copeland’s all cover songs cd is still fluffy and in most cases too similar to the original to call. Some songs like Billy Joe’s “Always a Woman” sounds like they played that karokie game where you sing over the existing track. They’re, just a new kind of fluff, a better fluff in some cases, making Copeland a superior fluffer, so to speak. They get points for their strong back beat behind Stevie Wonder’s “Part Time Lover”, and their cover of Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” took me back to the days when couples skate time was important. Fluff indeed.Carlye Archibeque CLOUSEAUX
Fun, fun, fun exotic space lounge smooth meets Latin beat makes the perfect background for those long into the night martini soaked conversations. Clouseaux manages to mix up the madness enough to keep you from getting bogged down in the wackiness of it all. Just when you think you’ve heard enough of the space inspired musings, they launch into a matador based tune with horns, and then it’s off to surf island style. The whole time I could close my eyes and feel the thick shag carpet beneath my feet and the heat of the tiki torch on my face. I saw visions of Hawaii Five-0 and Frankie and Annette as aliens…wild, man.Carlye Archibeque DAN COX dancoxrocks@aol.com
In the interests of full disclosure, I admit
that Dan Cox is a former Amélie
Frank HOT ROD CIRCUIT
Reminiscent of the Gin Blossoms with a slight edginess, and I mean that in a good way, Hot Rod Circuit is a pleasing mix of angst and anger with a hint of empathy. Their songs all have a distinct sound unlike some of their more pop driven brethren. SAVE YOU shifts into FEAR THE SOUND with a good jolt, and on to FAILURE with a strong sense of personality. By the time the band hits THE BEST YOU EVER KNOW they’ve fallen deep into ballad territory without missing a beat. It’s always nice to hear a band that can harmonize and play their instruments at the same time. Carlye Archibeque
LEFTOVER CRACK
You have to love a band with ridiculous lyrics like “don’t drink this, it ain’t beer it’s piss” and social commentary about NAZI WHITE TRASH like “money and religion, segregation and division, your dirty cash in the pockets of the wicked politicians, lobbying for slavery in a new and modern way.” Or at least I do. I love a sense of humor coupled with a sense of homicide. Couple that with a real feel for breaking up the monotony of the normal pounding punk rock with good guitar and drum solos as well as the well placed silence and you have a better than average thrash band.Carlye Archibeque
MOSES AND THE GUYS WITH JOBS
Call this Aging Boomer Rock. And I’m
not just talking about the portraits of the balding band mates
on the back cover. Musically and thematically, thisalbum reflects
the experiences and tastes of those who grew up in the 60’s,
and have never quite left that time period.
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PC MUNOZ AND THE AMEN CORNER
A Good Deed in a Weary World manages to be
a very religious album without being overly preachy. It is a religion
of personal redemption, and the questing which goes with it. From
the hero of ‘Skin City,’ the opening track, who got
kicked in the head by a stripper’ and went on to serve the
needy, to the 'High Minded Man' whose glorious ideas proved insufficient,
these songs tell the stories of people who found a higher purpose
in life.
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I’ve always enjoyed Siouxsie and
the Banshees, but never really considered myself a big fan. I don’t
own any of their records. So I figured this CD was a good chance
to really give them a listen, see what they’re
all about.
I found basically what I had expected -- enjoyable goth-pop, with
a dark, minor key atmosphere, and lots of catchy hooks. Still,
nothing really
spectacular. Except...I couldn’t stop listening to it. Every day, one of
their songs would
be caught in my head, demanding that I listen to it again. And every time, it
was a different song. And that, I’ve decided, is their genius -- to produce
dark yet incredibly catchy music.
This collection brings together all their best known songs, which is more than
you might think. Before listening to it, I could have named maybe two of
their songs off the top of my head, yet I recognized most of these. As an introduction
to the band, this is a great place to start. And for the fan, there is a bonus
disc of extended mixes, which has some interesting variations on the theme, even
for the casual listener.
G. Murray Thomas
LINDSAY SMITH
Were You Prom Queen?
Self-Produced
www.lindsay-smith.com
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About a year ago I reviewed Tales from
the Fruit Bat Vat, Lindsay Smith’s first CD, and found her
to be an amazing songwriting talent. Now she
has a second album out, and, while not as immediately gripping
as her first,
it shows she continues to grow as a songwriter and performer.
Smith is more confident as a songwriter now.Musically, she has expanded her palette.
Many of these songs are done with a full band, in a straightforward pop-rock
style. Still she continues to experiment with
different forms. In addition to the rockers, there are songs based on bluegrass
("The Ersatz
Bluegrass Band"), blues ("Love and Airplanes"),
even lullabies ("Are You Sleeping?") and nursery rhymes ("One Fish Two
Fish" and "Mr. McGoo"). The songs are filled with deft, atmospheric touches,
like the mandolin on "New England,"
the banjo on "The Ersatz Bluegrass Band," and
the slide guitar on "Love and Airplanes." Also, Smith’s voice
has become both stronger and
more
expressive.
But with this confidence comes a loss of risk taking. These songs are not as
adventurous, especially lyrically. While her first album was full of introspective
and metaphysical wonderings, on WERE YOU PROM QUEEN?, Smith is much
more interested in basic relationships. These include her relationships with
her parents (as explored in "Ersatz Bluegrass Band")
and her sister ("For Lee"), as well as an assortment of usually unsuccessful
romantic trysts. She is as perceptive as ever about these relationships. Many
of these
songs, such as "Sebastian" and "Runaway
Bride", explore her search for the right man, and her fear of commitment. In “Sebastian” she
sings:
I’m accustomed to freedom
Sebastian likes his cage
I know I can’t change him
And I won’t change at my age
She brings a wry, cynical humor to these dilemmas on songs like
“
Runaway Bride,” and especially, “I Don’t Like Drinking,” about
trying to
get over a
failed relationship:
I don’t like waking up with strange men
In a place I know I’ll never go again
Hung over, wondering how I got there
And how I ended up in my underwear
But at least I’m not wondering if you called.
Like Smith’s first album, WERE YOU PROM QUEEN? is self-released (although
one would never know it from the professional packaging), so it’s unlikely
you’ll find it at your local Tower Records. Instead, go to www.lindsay-smith.com,
and discover this great singer/songwriter for yourself.
G. Murray Thomas
THE SPECTACULAR FANTASTIC
New Equations for the Simple Mind
Ionik Records
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The computer cover art, and the patterns
of 1’s and 0’s on the disc itself, lead one to expect
electronica on this CD. Instead, the sound is much more classic rock.
The most immediate influence is the Beatles,
which comes out in the song structures, uses of harmony, and even
some of the melodies. Pink Floyd and Neil Young also show up, in
the blending of acoustic and raunchy electric guitar; ghosts of both
also seem present in the
often depressing lyrics.
But the images still make some sense when you realize this is the
work of a
home recording whiz. Everything on the disc was ‘written, performed and
recorded
by Mike Detmer in his living room.’
Ah, another guy sitting alone in his room writing songs about how lonely he is.
I don’t want to be glib about it, but it really sounds like Mr.
Detmer
needs to get a social life. And not just to cheer himself up; his music would
improve.
While The Spectacular Fantastic does a good job of imitating the sound of a full
band, especially in the harmonizing with himself, there is camaraderie missing
from the songs. They sound somewhat thin as a result. While the songs
themselves are strong, they need the actual interplay of musicians to flesh them
out and liven them up.
My suggestion to Mr. Detmer would be to consider this a demo, and get a full
band
to play these songs. Then you would probably have a very strong record.
G. Murray Thomas
THE STRANGE
Is Anything Alright
Self-Produced
OFFICIAL SITE
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The Strange’s new release, IS ANYTHING
ALRIGHT? came my way because lead guitarist Seth Turner decided he’d
get to know me on a first-name basis. In other words, he slid me
a CD whose final song is titled “Amelie.” Oh, how could
I resist?
Perhaps I’m getting too old to review contemporary music. Naw,
my ears are fine, and my tastes (however retro) remain open to new
adventures, but my darned eyes just can’t read the tiny type
on CD booklets anymore! Fortunately, Seth also slid me the lyrics
in much, MUCH larger type, so I’m ready to go, now (thank you
Seth, you whippersnapper).
A mellow, up-tempo quartet hailing from Rome, Georgia (not to be
mistaken for Rome, Wisconsin, the setting for the brilliant and much-missed
the series “Picket Fences” or Athens , Georgia, the home
of the B-52s), The Strange consists of Adam Beck (drums and percussion),
Paul Cantrell (vocals, acoustic guitar), Clinton Dillard (bass),
and Seth Turner (electric and acoustic guitar, plus a varietal garden
of other string sounds that sound suspiciously like a Chapman stick).
They are a tight, smooth ensemble, but their whimsical, clever lyrics
and jazz-inflected jams keep their sound safely out of the territory
of immaculately processed New Age crap. Not quite as dark bluesy
as Widespread Panic and less prone to complaint than Counting Crows,
these limber-fingered fellas sound like they’re having a lot
of fun when they play, which drops them right into my all-important
music category of “good stuff to have on a long, open-road
trip.”
My fave tunes (aside from “Amelie”) are the gorgeously
titled “In the Realm of Jellyfish and Time,” the castaway
confessional “Ginger Grant,” and the inventive pot paean, “The
Dumb Bug,” a stoned etymologist’s number that coasts
along with six-legged gusto:
Fireflies light up phosphorescence
Flaunt their presence yellow dot to dot
Growing bolder with the season
There's no reason for us to get caught
And this:
Slugs are sliding leaving slug trails
Salty dinner for the bourgeoisie
All their dreams piled up on platters
Wash them down with a fine chablis
Okay, well, slugs don’t have six legs, but you get the idea—lots
of bugs, lots of color, a little commentary about indulgence, smart rhymes, and
a dandy song.
Aside from an inexplicable (but cute) cartoon on a walrus stamped onto the CD
itself, I can find no fault with The Strange’s second CD release and recommend
it for fans of latter-day Southern jams and songs about sexy French gamines.
Amélie Frank
SUPAGROUP
Self-Titled
Food Chain Records
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It’s hard to tell how seriously to
take these guys. It’d be very easy to assume they’re
a Spinal Tap style parody of hard rock, but they do it with
such a straight face it’s entirely possible that they’re
serious.
Everything about this album screams exaggerated rock’n’roll
cliches, starting, of course, with the title. The songs are all hard,
riff rock, a la AC/DC; the lyrics are built strongly on cliches (including
some blatantly ripped
off
lines), and seem to all be about rock’n’roll. Even the cover
photos are done like classic rock posters. The attitude is all decadence and
braggadocio. Like the best rock’n’roll, it’s all about being
bigger and
better than anyone else.
Supagroup can certainly play their rock’n’roll. There may not be
an original note on this album, but the cliches and classic riffs are played
perfectly,
tight and loud and aggressive. Whether serious or tongue in cheek,
these guys know, and love, classic rock.
The fact is, I hope this album is satire, or at least tongue in cheek. If Supagroup
is really taking these cliches completely seriously, they’re
kidding themselves. The album is much more enjoyable if they’re consciously
kidding us. If this isn’t intended as satire, they’re missing their
true
calling.
G. Murray Thomas
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