It’s an EP. “My Own World” sounds like Damone, which is fine with me, because it sounds like “From the Attic”-era Damone. I wonder whether her dad was in Pop Rocks Band. For a self-released record, the sound quality is pretty good.
“Haunted” has Magnapop melody with an Inspect Her Gadget punk rock accompaniment. It says here that the band is from Santa Cruz. I bet they’d have been featured in the old jukebox at Saturn Cafe, although it will be several years before they’ll be in the one they have now, bastards. I really miss that jukebox.
“Lost” sounds like Blondie, a little bit. The music is from the late ’90s, but the vocals are from the early ’80s. “Why Me” is slightly aimless, but for all I know this is their first effort. You put the best tracks first. That’s how it works. Looking forward to see what they do next.
Archive for the ‘KSCU’ Category
Jackie Rocks Band “My Own World EP”
May 4, 2010The Like “Release Me EP”
April 30, 2010It’s an EP. The album cover is designed to look like a record from the mid-’60s. And it makes sense, because “Release Me” sounds like one of those girl group songs that would always play at the end of an episode of “Murphy Brown.” I can see the credits rolling now.
It may be too late for these gals, as the Pipettes’ ship sailed long ago, but for those who actually listen to music that they like, it’s a great time to be alive. Moon pie, indeed.
It goes without saying that the Like are awesome live. Sometimes you can just tell. And someday I hope to find out myself. “He’s Not a Boy” is a rock number with very basic percussion that even I could play. The mix is intentionally simple, the way Duplo blocks fit together. God forbid this act only succeeds because of appearance. I could never believe such a thing!
“Fair Game” squeezes a keyboard into the song, and it results in a track that begins a bit rushed but ends in a fairly organized fashion. It might be good for fans of Bis, although the lead vocals are not remotely as frenetic.
“Wishing He Was Dead” has a more modern feel and leaves the listener with a sweet aftertaste. It’s an excellent choice to round out the record. This isn’t bad, and I know I’d be able to round up a few to see this one when they came around my town.
Kate Nash “My Best Friend Is You”
April 30, 2010Let’s not beat around the (Kate) bush. This sounds exactly like a Lily Allen record. And the album title is not a response to an obscure the Bloodhound Gang lyric.
“Kiss That Grrrl” sounds like the Pipettes. “Do-Wah-Doo” sounds like something on the “Glee” soundtrack. It also has the same guitar as “Beautiful Stupid Angel” by the Kirby Grips, which is likely a coincidence but not something I will let slip by. Not a lot of originality here, but it all sounds good.
“I’ve Got a Secret” is more in the Sing-Sing vein, although it is a little too fast to be them exactly. This one would definitely be better if it were a little slower. “Later On” sounds like Sahara Hotnights or Republica. I think this would be a single if this album had such a thing, because it has inexplicable synths mixed in here and there. Nothing ever makes sense in this crazy mixed-up world.
Black Tambourine “Black Tambourine”
April 30, 2010They definitely belong on Slumberland; there’s no denying that. Part C86 and part noise, this act joins other up-and-comers such as Brilliant Colors in resurrecting one of my favorite scenes. “For Ex-Lovers Only” gets this record off to a great start and makes me want to grab a Crystal Pepsi and rock out. “Black Car” has the guitar of old Nada Surf or Velocity Girl. (Indeed, a former member of Velocity Girl is in Black Tambourine.) I want to drive into the middle of nowhere so I can blast this as loud as I can.
I’ve always wondered whether Velocette named themselves after Velocity Girl, but “Pack You Up” definitely makes me think more of the former. (The difference in sound between those two bands lies in the singer anyway.) “I Was Wrong” ventures more into the Marine Research side of things, and it’s just as good. “Throw Aggi Off the Bridge” has hints of Fastbacks; I feel like I am describing a wine. “We Can’t Be Friends” sounds like Talulah Gosh, although it’s really splitting hairs to say that, isn’t it?
It’s just come to my attention that this band was only around between 1989 and 1991. Well, no wonder. Clearly they paved the way for a lot of the other acts mentioned thus far. And it also explains why this band reminds me of the Vaselines as well.
There are also a couple demo versions of two of the tracks on here. There’s just all kinds of fun loaded onto this one.
Drive-By Truckers “The Big To-Do”
April 23, 2010For those of you scoring at home, this is record number 10. Maybe the hair is thinning a little bit, but not much else has changed. They still sound like Soul Asylum’s cooler younger brother. “Daddy Learned to Fly” reminds you of a time when Democratic presidents weren’t automatically considered socialists and instead were just fucking their interns.
“Birthday Boy” puts the Wallflowers to shame. It’s the same rooty-toot guitar, but with more texture and even soul. It’s a perfect microcosm of a band who has generally stayed just outside the glare of the spotlight. You can’t help but feel good about this act.
“The Wig He Made Her Wear” is one of the better ones. It tells a fun story about what has to be done before sex and why these things are important.
Shonna Tucker gets her time in the son as well. “You Got Another” shows a remarkably strong voice and heretofore unheard piano. The rest of the record is good too, although it does start to sound the same after a while. That’s what Drive-By Truckers do, though. This much-anticipated album will not disappoint.
Communist Daughter “Soundtrack to the End”
April 21, 2010The record starts with “The Lady Is an Arsonist” and ends with “Minnesota Girls.” That’s how you get my attention. And the songs themselves are catchy, upbeat and fun, which never hurts.
“Soundtrack to the End” is a little slower but still has pep. It has more of a folk feel, although the whole album definitely would receive a folk rock subsidy if such a thing existed. If Jesus and Mary Chain weren’t so busy trying to be edgy, they would sound like this. The copious use of organ makes this track stand out.
“Fortunate Son” is the most rock ‘n’ roll of the tracks, and if the band ever decides to go in this direction, we’ll all be better off. It feels as if they have relieved themselves of the shackles of being a sleepy rock band and instead have just relieved themselves. It’s as cheerful as the rest, but this one really can get you excited if you let your guard down.
It’s a solid effort, although I fear they would be boring live.
Shearwater “The Golden Archipelago”
April 19, 2010It is hard to write a review of this without resorting to the hyperbole. It has a late ’80s modern rock vibe, full of lush soundscapes and fanny packs. “Runners of the Sun” sounds like a Tears for Fears B-side. Most of the other tracks have rich instrumentation and, although not very adventurous, make for some easy, good-time listening.
“An Insular Life” has more of a Peter Gabriel/Sting bent, but it is still more of the detailed and flavorful music of that era. The rest of the album just kind of goes, striking a chord with some listeners, a nerve with others I am sure. It’s a faithful homage, this.
Benyaro “Good Day Better”
April 15, 2010Pretty standard folk fare here. They are better than you expect, in that nobody has heard of them, but they know what they are doing. “All My Money on You” tells a story with a predictable plot, but the song is put together well. “Dogs” reminds me of Counting Crows and Extreme.
“Eureka” has a classic feel, more Bonnie Raitt than what the modern folkers are doing. It has saxophone straight out of 1987, I swear it. It says here it is a tenor sax. I believe it.
“Mother/Daughter” reminds me of a cross between a standard Barenaked Ladies ballad and Adam Sandler’s “I’m Wasted.” “More or Less” is the last track, and it is an unsurprising slow one to send us all home.
This record is what it is: A slightly upbeat folk album with male and female vocals. It may not make a good day better, but it doesn’t make it suck, either.
The Bundles “The Bundles”
April 14, 2010The lead singer, Kimya Dawson, was in Moldy Peaches, it says here. Apparently, The Bundles were around before that but never recorded anything. This explains the sound, which reminds me of old Rilo Kiley or some of the less-weird Kung Fu U.S.A. tracks, because of the boy-girl vocals.
“Pirates Declare War” has a power-pop sensibility to it, although it isn’t fuzzy at all. It’s very structured and lo-fi. “Shamrock Glamrock” does the thing where one vocalist says one set of lyrics while the other vocalist does the same thing. It’s like when Kelly & Kline would tell the dirty joke in one ear and the clean joke in the other. Or if you lived too far from San Francisco then you didn’t get reception in stereo, so you just heard both no matter what. That’s this song.
“Desert Bundles” has that weird mouth instrument thing that Snoopy would play when he was on the bus going to camp, such as on “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown.” This song would be worth seeing live, if nothing else, just to see someone play it.
“Be Yourself” is the last track and might be a cover. It sounds familiar, but that could be the case because I’ve just heard the rest of the album. Musically, this sounds like Blake Babies, and vocally it sounds like Matt & Kim. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Hildur Victoria “Herringbone EP”
April 13, 2010It’s an EP. “Four Young Sons” sounds like Tanya Donelly. It’s slow but not plodding. It’s very stripped down and sounds like what you’d hear from an opener at Slim’s. Then, as you walk down Ninth to get to Civic Center BART, you talk about how the opener was much better than the headliner, and if only you’d bought a CD because you’re far too drunk to remember her name when you get home to see what you can torrent out there.
“Diamond Eyes” has stronger guitar and some heart behind the vocals. The sticker tells me it is the single. Sure, why not. It could use another chord, but it’s still very accessible. “Palisades” turns the lead singer’s voice (Hildur Victoria is a band, not a she) into Kate Bush’s, but the music sounds like something Paramore would do. At this point you have to wonder what direction the band is going in. They’ve really settled into this midtempo style that focuses on plus vocals and crisp mixing, but I feel that the structure is confining them too much. They need to cover a Ramones song. I can’t picture them being any faster than Pink Floyd.
“Wilder-Ness” would be funnier spelled “Wild-erness” because they are from Minnesota. How did they miss the playoffs, anyway? Their uniforms are so rad! The songs sound a lot alike, and all I hear is raw talent with no glue or fertilizer. We all have to start somewhere. I hope that they continue to grow. Next stop: melody and a Moog.
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