MUSIC REVIEWS
Dean's List= Highest Achievers
A= Excellent
B= There may be hope for you yet!
C= Pathetically average
D= Probation: One more like this and. . .
F= Pack your shit bro, the party's over.
By B. Love, DeMarco Williams, John Moore and Sacha Dzuba
On the Dean's List
BROKEN BELLS
Self-Titled (Columbia)
Killer creative collaborations
BL: A former college radio DJ who initially recorded trip-hop under the pseudonym of Pelican City, Danger Mouse’s (a.k.a. Brian Burton) career has become increasingly diverse in recent years. Whether remixing Elephant 6 favorites Neutral Milk Hotel, collaborating with underground rapper Jemini or smashing up Jay-Z and The Beatles on his landmark Grey Album, he has seemed determined to avoid pigeonholing from the very start.
Burton’s more recent work with artists such as animated Brit-poppers Gorillaz, stylistic chameleon Beck and hip-hop oddball MF Doom served to reinforce his remarkable range, while the soulful sound of Gnarls Barkley (his collaboration with Green) showcased his burgeoning skills as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. But his latest album, which finds him collaborating with Shins frontman James Mercer as Broken Bells, reveals Burton to be precisely what he has claimed to be all along: An auteur.
Broken Bells bursts with the promise of being the first chapter in an ongoing musical collaboration between two indie talents most fans would never have imagined together. At its best, the band’s sound is a perfect balance between the Shins’ bittersweet pop melodies and Danger Mouse’s mellow trip-hop atmospheres, with equal emphasis on emotionally intimate songwriting and lush, hazy production. Opening single “The High Road” sets the down-tempo tone, with organs, synth bleeps and blips and warm reverb augmenting what is essentially a really great (but simple) acoustic folk song. Mercer’s vocals remain as strong as ever, with Burton pushing him outside his comfort zone on the surprisingly funky “The Ghost Inside,” but the album at times has the unsure sound of a new band still trying to find its footing. Given their respective pedigrees, however, you get the feeling that Broken Bells will soon add yet another classic album to Burton’s already impressive catalogue.
STARS
The Five Ghosts (Vagrant)
Broken Social Scenesters craft one of the year’s best
MC: The hypnotic guitar tones, the crashing orchestral build, the ethereal synth pop all cultivate an otherworldly atmosphere on the latest Stars album. And that’s just the first track. Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell once again conquer the indie pop/rock genre with The Five Ghosts, the most realized and consistent release yet for the Broken Social Scene members.
Their last release, In Our Bedroom After the War, earned high praise including a Polaris Music Prize nomination. But it’s Ghosts that impresses even more, merging the bombastic sounds of their earlier work with the more understated material from their last. Up-tempo dance number “We Don’t Want Your Body” flows right into the intense “He Dreams He’s Awake,” proof that Stars will push and pull in any direction they please. In a year of musical highlights, this takes the cake.
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
Together (Matador)
Another strong set from indie pop masterminds
ND: With The New Pornographers you always know what you’re going to get: big hooks, meticulous arrangements, clever wordplay and pop that doesn’t lack for power. And that’s the case again on Together the not-quite-supergroup’s fifth collection of indie pop bombast and balladry.
After pushing sweeping melodrama as far as it could go on 2007’s equally-great Challengers, A.C. Newman and Co. backtrack through their catalog on
Together. Clearly more Twin Cinema than Electric Version, even “Moves”, which recalls the tone-setting pomp of that albums titular opening track, distances this album from its nearest predecessor at the gate; a chorus declaring “these things get louder” can be no accident.
Lead single “Your Hands (Together)” exemplifies what the band does best, mixing group vocals with broad choruses in a fast paced romp. Elsewhere, Newman and Neko Case again play off of one another to perfection, especially on “Up in the Dark” where the bandleader grounds the verses while Case lets fly, begging for an answer to a chorus questioning “What’s love?”. Hearing Case outside of her country noir comfort zone is one of the Pornographer’s greatest assets, and she pops up more on this album than in the past, adding vocals to nearly every tune and more than earning her keep on the album’s standout ballad, “My Shepard”. Even Dan Bejar’s contributions, which can often seem out of place or even jarring, feel more at home here than they have anywhere since the band’s debut.
Together truly finds The New Pornographers nearing the perfection of their craft. They have always played delightful pieces of pop, pleasing to the ears and easily loveable, refreshing yet indebted to pop music’s past. Without sounding at all like a nostalgia band, the Pornographers have still obviously aced their pop history lesson, and it certainly says something about the current state of pop music that tunes this inventive and catchy can’t find a place on the radio dial. Power pop just doesn’t get much better than this.
DANGER MOUSE & SPARKLEHORSE
DarkDark Night Of The Soul (EMI)
A fitting swan song for two indie icons
BL: Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse may get top billing on Dark Night Of The Soul, but the album’s actually a cohesive communal effort featuring guest appearances from a litany of indie icons (including film director David Lynch, who contributes vocals to two tracks as well as a book of photographs described as “a visual narrative” for the music).
Most of these distinctive singers fit surprisingly well into Burton’s cinematic soundscapes, although abrasive tracks featuring Black Francis and Iggy Pop are notable exceptions. But the Flaming Lips prove perfect partners-in-crime on the opening “Revenge,” which coasts on a dreamy cloud of hallucinogenic melancholy; the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas lends his hipster croon to the bouncy “Little Girl”; and Suzanne Vega adds angelic charm to “The Man Who Played God.”
Linkous, who had long battled drug addiction, committed suicide in March. When combined with the album’s title and an appearance by Athens legend Vic Chesnutt (who also killed himself) on “Grim Augury,” it’d be easy to imagine this album as a maudlin affair. But Dark Night Of The Soul is an immersive experience rich with artistry and invention, standing as both a tribute to Linkous’ legacy and yet another testament to Brian Burton’s talent.
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WE ARE SCIENTISTS
Barbaraarbara (Masterswan Recordings)
Clever soaring pop, but where’d the dance floor go?
ND: Typically when a band severs ties with its major label, their music takes a step forward. That’s not the case here. For album #4, We Are Scientists have retreated, shunning the obvious ‘80s homages heard on 2008’s Brain Thrust Mastery in favor of a mellowed out, slicked back version of the pop-centric style they patented on their major label debut, With Love and Squalor. The change of pace could be attributed to primary songwriter Keith Murray’s lifestyle shift from the Big Apple to Athens, where he relocated to write the bulk of Barbara. For some, this adjustment may be a welcome look back or satisfying gear-shift, but anyone expecting more of the danceable sweetness offered up on Brain Thrust may be disappointed. Sure, the duo’s clever lyrics and soaring, energetic pop are still mostly in tact—it’s the band’s niche and they’ve consistently nailed it in the past—but without the necessary punchiness of a song like “Chick Lit” or “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt”, much of the album inspires a resigned sigh, rather than an inspired booty shake. A heavily loaded front-end doesn’t do the album many favors either. Singles “Rules Don’t Stop” and “Nice Guys” are two of Barbara’s best, most infectious tidbits, but they can’t shine enough to usher away the lackluster pall that plagues the disc’s midsection. Ending on a high note, the sunny, guitar driven “Central AC” seems even out of place as the album’s closer. Barbara isn’t a terrible album, but it’d be better to see more growing, less stalling from a duo that shows such promise. GRADE: C
GREG LASWELL
Take a Bowow (Vanguard)
Singer/songwriter gets his groove back
JM: With Take a Bow, Greg Laswell’s fourth record (and third full-length), the California-based singer-songwriter has once again found his groove. Coming off like early Snow Patrol (or Coldplay without the pretense) mixed with a bit of late ‘60s Laurel Canyon rock, Laswell has progressively delivered better and better songs with each release. Take a Bow is easily his best so far. Although a bit somber at times (see: the confessional “Come Clean” and the title track), Take a Bow still has its upbeat moments– though not exactly fist-in-the-air anthems– like “In Front of Me” and the sweeping “You, Now.” Laswell’s songs show up regularly on Grey’s Anatomy (six times and counting), so he’s also included a new version of “Off I Go” from the TV drama’s season finale. All in all a completely satisfying release from one of the most underrated American singer-songwriters recording today. GRADE: B+
AM TAXI
We Don’t Stantand a Chanceance (Virgin)
Wearing influences, proudly and well
EM: It must be a tough row for bands musically influenced by the The Clash and The Replacements not have their music sound like those legendary groups. This creates problems for bands that let these influences stick out like power lines in open fields. Chicago’s AM Taxi is one of those bands, and maybe that’s one reason its debut is called We Don’t Stand a Chance: It serves as a sly nod to critics who bemoan the lack of originality in today’s music. But I’m not going to do that here. These guys write some catchy-ass songs, and I don’t care where the genesis came from. I just want to sing along. Following 13 seconds of reverb on the opening “Dead Street,” We Don’t Stand A Chance rollicks through the next 45 minutes at breakneck speed, sporting rowdy choruses and sharp lyrics. Frontman Adam Krier rasps amiably as the power chords and thumping drums coast merrily along. “Charissa” touts its Clash roots with grinding guitars and gang-backing vocals, belied by touching lyrics, while “The Mistake” pumps a Mats’ beat and killer hook against Krier’s halting words (“I am the ambulance that never comes/ I am the anecdote you spill”). There are musical double takes– “Reckless Ways” is Weezer, “Maydays & Rosaries” is The Police, “Fed Up” is Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Eat World is EVERYWHERE– but the imitations aren’t obvious, and the melding of influences creates a genre all its own. Are there bumps? Sure. “Champagne Toast” ends the album on an odd, low-tempo note, while “Shake, Rattle & Stall” is a tired melody you’ve heard a million times before. No matter. AM Taxi celebrates its heroes, but doesn’t ape them. Joe Strummer would be flattered. GRADE: B+
JUDI CHIHICAGO
Bright Lights, Fun City (Aljera Music)
Dancing ‘til the lights go out
BL: If you didn’t know better, you might think Judi Chicago was some long-lost act from the Madchester scene of the late ‘80s, when bands such as the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays combined elements of indie-rock, psychedelia and techno to make dance music fun again.
The multi-instrumentalist trio of James Joyce, Travis Thatcher and British-born transplant Ben Coleman has been reinventing that sound with a modern hipster twist since 2006, notorious for live shows that trod the thin line dividing sophomoric shenanigans from post-punk performance art. On their second album with producer Ben Allen, the band continues to make the party their priority, offering up infectious, groove-centered ditties such as “Fun City,” “Burger Hole” and “Technicolor Silver Chrome & Chicken Bone.”
Their simple songs may not save your soul, but the cheeky irreverence and reckless abandon with which they approach them may help you see the politics of dancing in a whole new light. GRADE: B
REFUSED
The Shape of Punkunk toto Come: DeluxeDeluxe Version (Epitaph)
Groundbreaking album gets special re-release treatment
JM: With just 12 tracks, the Swedish punk-rockers Refused created what may be the most influential hardcore record of their generation. Twelve years later, Epitaph has given the album the much-deserved royalty treatment, including a never-before-released live album and the documentary Refused Are Fucking Dead, which details their tumultuous last year as a band. Released in 1998– the same year the band called it quits– The Shape of Punk to Come is a big step away from Refused’s first two records, borrowing sounds from the drum & bass genre to change things up a bit. The lyrics are still decidedly political, espousing strong anarchistic philosophies. The band ultimately broke up mid-tour, shortly after the album was released, and that building tension just added to the energy in the songs. Epitaph’s re-release of the classic album is a great opportunity for a whole new generation of punk rockers, many of whom associated hardcore with scream-o bands, to finally discover the band. Refused may never have reached Green Day-like punk-rock fame– there certainly won’t be a Broadway version of their album in the future– but they will go down in history as one of the most influential bands in the genre. GRADE: A
ED KOWALCZYK
Alive (Soul Whisper)
Former frontman goes stale on solo debut
MC: Thematically speaking, Ed Kowalczyk’s been on a roll of sorts with his band Live, moving from the highly-successful but sullen material on their multi-platinum debut, Throwing Copper, through the spiritual hope and love found on Birds Of Pray and V. Now, on his solo debut, Alive, he’s finally able to fully express his own personal revelations of the heart and soul. Unfortunately, Alive is anything but uplifting artistically. Songs like the lead single, “Grace,” feel like Christian rock tunes and, at best, the songs come off as stale Live leftovers. Kowalczyk’s potent vocals are unmistakeable, but it all feels tired at this point, both musically and lyrically. “Drive” and “Just in Time” are the best of the bunch here, but really that’s not much saying much. Enlightened Kowalczyk may be, but it hasn’t hit the songwriting yet. GRADE: D
VARIOUS ARTISTS
We Fun: Atlantatlantatlantatlanta, GA InsInside/Out (MVD Visual)
An inside look at an exploding scene
BL: Back in 1987, Athens, GA Inside/Out introduced the world to the musically fertile college town that had given birth to bands such as R.E.M., the B-52’s and Pylon. Now, director Matthew Robison’s documentary seeks to do the same for the Atlanta indie-rock scene that has made stars out of bands such as the Black Lips, Deerhunter and the Coathangers. Robison’s camera follows the bands as move from playing cramped house parties to headlining venues such as the Variety Playhouse. Interviews with band members, journalists and record label owners attempt to put things into historical perspective, but the result lacks much in the way of dramatic punch. Timing is everything: Had he filmed a year later, Robison would’ve been able to capture these bands as they rose to national acclaim, and as they lost one of their own (B Jay Womack, frontman of Bobby & the Soft Spots and longtime scenester) to cancer. Still, it’s a fine tribute to a local music scene that continues to grow and expand. GRADE: B
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