Unimaginative but passable female modern rock. When your boyfriend says “no more Pretenders” you can double-cross him by playing Ursa Minor instead. “Lead & I Will Follow” won’t become the new introduction to The Rush Limbaugh Show, but it still provides an excuse to drink iced tea you made on your balcony on a cool summer afternoon. Global warming, my ass.
“Guerilla” is better in the singing quality department. I’m placing the fault on the musicians as to why this record isn’t better. Michelle Casillas sings just fine on these tracks.
I can always listen to “Always Someone.” The guitar picks up a bit on this one. It can stand on its own. “No Other” is like no other. It’s OK. The guitar is best on this one. The lyrics depend too much on a chorus that runs a bit flat.
It would be so awesome if “Come to Me” were like “Come to Butt-head,” but it isn’t. More of an Alannah Myles feeling here.
The Chrissie Hynde comparisons peak with “What Good Is a Song.” This one gets it right, in that it focuses on the vocals. Not bad at all.
Archive for the ‘KSCU’ Category
Ursa Minor “Showface”
August 7, 2011OK Go “180/365”
August 7, 2011It’s a collection of live recordings from their tour last fall. Pick the songs you like the best and expect that they will sound good here as well. It seems that the band is fading from recognition so you might even be able to pull off playing “Here It Goes Again” if you’re so inclined. The ones that stand out to me are:
“I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe,” from Terminal 5 in New York City
“This Too Shall Pass,” from Northern Lights in Clifton Park, New York
“Needing/Getting” and “In the Glass,” from Club Nokia in Los Angeles
“Here It Goes Again,” from The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina
“Skyscrapers,” from Tipitina’s Uptown Club in New Orleans
“Get Over It,” from The Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado
Elliott Smith “An Introduction to…”
August 7, 2011No one picked this one up, which of course is just the sign of the times. Today’s college students have no reason to know who Elliott Smith is. He is from Portland, so I figured I might as well save the record from whatever we call the reject pile these days. I don’t give a shit about Jethro Tull, so I imagine it’s the same thing. Three cheers to Kill Rock Stars for putting this out.
At any rate, Smith died when he was 34, right around when we began to invade Iraq. Like a lot of Portland residents, he was depressed and drank a lot. And like a lot of Portland residents, he made music. This record should explain the rest.
“Waltz #2 (XO)” is a waltz. It sounds like any other mid-’90s “alternative rock” song with 25% of the beats missing. “Alameda” is not about the city in California, or is it? This one has haunting background vocals that you’re sure to enjoy.
Also good is “Last Call,” which is even more depressing than most of his other efforts. If you can handle it, it’s great stuff. Put the knife down. Don’t even be in the same room as it.
The vocals are mixed a little higher on “Twilight,” which has nothing to do with the movie or the KSCU DJ. These louder vocals give you louder backing vocals as well, and all told it makes for a better song.
The last track is the single version of “Happiness.” This might be the one to help you identify with Smith the most. It takes a lot of the melancholy characteristics of his music and puts them all in the same song.
Fereshta “Global Citizen”
August 7, 2011Straightforward female-fronted rock ‘n’ roll here, right down to the guitar. Maybe two rungs below heavy metal on the ladder, but make no mistake: There’s no pop here.
“Motherland” has a melody I’ve heard before and guitar that screams U2. Put it together, and it could be like The Lightfighters or Picnic. The familiarity continues on “Wonderlust,” which has the same bass line as “Stray Cat Strut” by the Stray Cats. When Juliana Hatfield did the double album, a lot of stuff from Juliana’s Pony sounded like this stuff, although Juliana couldn’t sing at a level this mediocre if she tried. No, Fereshta’s strength is in the mix and consistency. It’s not necessary to sing the way Hatfield does to make this style successful.
Maybe the attempt is to be goth with “Untie My Hands,” but it’s not synthy enough for that. At any rate, this track is darker than you’d expect, so maybe you can sneak off and have one clove. They’re called carcinogens for a reason, though.
“Tombstones” sounds like “Harden My Heart” by Quarterflash. “Body Heat” stands out in that it’s a rock song that sounds like a rock song but not any one in particular.
Predictably, the last track is a ballad, in this case “Warm Gentle Breeze.” Every rose may have its thorn, but such gimmickry is not needed on an otherwise satisfactory rock album.
Bell “Diamonite”
August 7, 2011Straightforward mid-90s post-industrial sounding stuff. Little bits of M.I.A. and Republica can be found if you look deep enough into tracks such as “Bulgari.” You can also hear Information Society in “Meaninglessness.” This one stands out on its own merit as well. Frenetic yet controlled, it’s like Bis without the shrieking.
“River” musically is like a Super Nintendo take on “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight.” And why shouldn’t we have a 16-bit craze now that the 8-bit craze has run its course?
More whimsical music can be found on “Junior.” It’s as happy as a Mormon boy singing along to the Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira.” The last track is “Eat Seeds,” and I like to pretend that this is about ensuring you eat enough fiber. It’s actually a metaphor-filled concoction that completes what Bjork wishes she could do.
Imperial Mammoth “Imperial Mammoth”
August 7, 2011Just another indie rock band, but they get it. The piano accentuates the rest of the act, rather than defining it. Calming music doesn’t have to be calm — it can sound like this instead.
“No Time” has similar guitar as Adam Ant’s “Wonderful” and a Paula Kelley song I can’t place. The backing vocalist doesn’t sound like Kelley, don’t get me wrong. Actually he doesn’t sound like Adam Ant, either. Just the guitar. Very good composition at any rate.
The Auto-Tune gets a workout on “Real People (Parts 1&2),” but it seems to be part of the artistic statement, rather than a coverup for lousy-ass vocals. Like any two-part song, it’s a bit long, but the pace gets you through it painlessly.
If you’re looking for whistling and hand claps, “Ultra Violet” is the track for you. The woman does the lead vocals on this one, and it sounds pretty good. She also leads on “Christmastime in London.” Amazing that two of the most depressing things on earth — Christmas and England — can combine to make such a happy-sounding song. The chorus really brings this one home, as we finally get to hear the singer’s vocal range. It puts Jolie Lindholm to shame.
Sci-Fi Lovestory “Electrocutie (Single)”
August 7, 2011The album version is awesome because the song is awesome. Male singer with female la-la-la-ing in the background. Very basic indiepop done right. I would like to hear more. The B-side is “Get Away.” It is slower but still fun. These guys should be able to get on some romantic comedy soundtracks with this stuff.
The dance radio edit is just that. I like it better. These guys were born to rock this way anyway, so you might as well get the full effect, even without Reggie. Kramer’s mix is OK, but it sounds too much like a sitcom theme. Stick with movie soundtracks, not TV, guys.
The last track is the 12″ extended dance mix. Usually these versions have some sort of unique component, which is why I love Book of Love so much. In this case, the song is just longer. But hey, that’s why Burger King has more than one size of onion rings, right?
Various Artists “Music That Changes the World”
July 31, 2011This is from the David Lynch Foundation. You know him as the Twin Peaks guy. Most of these names are already familiar to you, so I’m not going to waste your time. Here are the ones that stood out to me, however.
The Jakob Dylan/Daryl Hannah duet, “Won’t You Stay,” sounds exactly as you would expect it to. It sounds as if they really enjoyed recording this one. Maybe someday he’ll invite her up on stage to improvisationally perform it.
If you ever wondered what happened to Arrested Development, well, at least for five minutes they recorded “Let It Go” for this comp. It sounds like any other R&B song, but good on them for still putting it together.
Peter Gabriel is timeless. Here is a good excuse to listen to a different song of his. It’s “Curtains,” I tells ya. The Heather Nova track is a live recording of “Doubled Up.”
The Tom Waits submission, “Briar & the Rose,” is recorded live and pretty good. Maybe he’s doing a Bruce Springsteen impression. Maybe that’s what Waits sounds like. Maybe it’s a Springsteen cover. I won’t pretend to know, and I won’t look on the Internet. I want you to see how ignorant I am.
Slightly Stoopid give you the obligatory reggae track, “Wiseman.” The Neon Trees song is “Animal.” Even I know that song.
Au Revoir Simone pick up the rear with “The Boys of Summer.” Remember Bryan Adams? Is it a cover? Oh yes.
Oh Mercy “Privileged Woes”
July 31, 2011A mature pop outfit in the vein of Tegan and Sara, Oh Mercy make liberal use of piano on tracks such as “Lay Everything on Me.” However, if you’re interested in a song about someone who met a comic book price guide, then “Met a Wizard” will disappoint you. Otherwise, it’s a breezy song with awesome guitar. Guitar and piano rule this album and make it even more better than it was.
“By the Collar” is also fine. It uses organ and isn’t sleepy despite being a ballad. I really like “Broken Ears.” It’s a complete song yet very relaxed throughout. The whole album is this unassuming for the most part. Easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl.
The tracks do all start to run together as the record plays through. You can do a lot of things with this many vocal options, but they don’t really explore this in as great a detail as they could. “Can’t Fight It” is fine on its own but could have been personalized to stand out better.
The last track is “What Good Is That.” There’s nothing new to add about it. This would have been better as an EP. I hope they can diversift a bit, because they have all the parts, but they keep assembling them the same way every time, just like a Gobot.
The Book of Knots “Garden of Fainting Stars”
July 31, 2011It’s a rock band that occasionally focuses on the Alanis Morissette-style vocals of Carla Kihlstedt. I like this band because the guitarist is named Joel. “Microgravity” has mid-’90s music and early-’90s sampling. A bit of Garbage and “Mexican Radio”-style Wall of Voodoo rounds it out.
“Moondust Must” features special guest John Vanderslice, a man that I don’t see what the big deal is about him, but I do adore that last name. At any rate, there is some David Bowie inspiration in this, but he was Stardust, not Moondust. Still, I imagine this is not a coincidence.
“Garden of Fainting Stars” is OK but somewhat forgettable. “Yeager’s Approach” has nothing to do with handling a pitching staff. It does feature Mike Watt, and it’s got some spoken word stuff with the dude in the band, all laid out over some semi-psychedelic music. It’s fun in a trippy way, but whether the discombobulation is intentional is beyond me.
The whole record gets trippier as it wears on. “Nebula Rasa” is very dark and makes me want to head to the inner city with a $20 bill.
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