This is a fun and peppy album… for a while. “Cataclysm” sounds as if the leftovers of a few Dead Kennedys, Hole and Green Day songs were mixed together to make a bowl of Bachelor Chow. Philip J. Fry would be proud.
“Hate Beast” is unsurprisingly angrier, with lead singer Tara Gordon snarling her way through the track the way the way that her namesake Nina (no relation… I think) would have done.
I didn’t know what to expect from “Reading Rainbow,” but it hasn’t let me down. “Sleight of Hand” is a tricky number that sets up good times with a simple rhythm. Everything else just falls into place after that.
“Insurance Insurance” is the last track. It’s long and has driving guitar. I don’t know. Maybe it’s like a Led Zeppelin/Aerosmith hybrid? It just feels like I am giving them too much credit by saying that. It’s an OK song, but it’s a little whiny,
Definitely go for the earlier tracks on this one. This should have been an EP because it runs out of gas at the end.
Archive for the ‘KSCU’ Category
Pariah Piranha “People People”
October 25, 2009Ah Holly Fam’ly “Reservoir”
October 25, 2009The spine of the jewel box has a misplaced apostrophe, spelling it “Faml’y.” It’s just like Twitter user fakeapstylebook says: “Y’all” means you’re from Texas, and “ya’ll” means “ya will.”
The band itself seems to be from Portland. It certainly has that sound. It’s music everyone can enjoy. If your friend has those parents who buy the fancy die-cut soaps and put them in the bathroom — but DON’T USE THEM! They’re just for decoration! — they would like this music. It’s very relaxing and is chamomile tea for the ears.
“All Unfolding” has the same melody as “Mr. Kadali” by Sing-Sing. The male vocals are slightly more dominant in this folky delight, and it gives you a lot of texture to listen to.
“Rainstick” is aptly named because the guitar strings sound like droplets falling onto a picture window. Not much else to do but turn on the local sports team and argue about whether it’s pronounced “offside” or “offsides.”
“Lucky Peak” is my favorite song on the album. It has a bit of a jolt that the other tracks just lack. It still has the same farmers market charm, though.
Various Artists “Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome”
October 18, 2009Never seen the show. Every time it is on I listen to a Ramones album instead.
So there’s a ton of songs from the show, I guess, and then interspersed with them are modern rock songs to get people like me interested in the show, or perhaps the parents of the fans of this show get interested in the record. I don’t know. All the songs are short, even the “real” ones.
The Shins do “It’s OK, Try Again” to teach the little tykes that you can’t always win. I would have played this for Tom Brady after the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, but maybe that’s just me.
Money Mark’s “Robo Dancing” sounds exactly as you would expect it to. He’s indoctrinating America’s youth to make them like electronic music! How dare he, indeed. And here is everyone’s favorite flavor of the month, Chromeo. “Nice ‘N’ Clean” makes me want to have a McDLT.
As far as all the Yo Gabba Gabba! music goes, it answers the question, “What would it sound like if Casiotone for the Painfully Alone” sold out?
This album makes me feel old.
Polaroid Fame “We Live Your Life”
October 18, 2009This sounds like an ’80s cover band where you don’t know any of the songs they are covering. Or if you had been listening to the ’80s Underground on KSCU, and you recognize all the rhythms, but none of the songs ring a bell.
This band is likely a lot of fun live. They have no shame about the music they create. You don’t act embarrassed when you name your band “Polaroid Fame,” two words that individually define the 1980s. I suppose “Atari Porky’s” was already taken.
“Wanna Know” sounds like Wang Chung. And I bet lead singer Frankie Kimpton is always telling people to relax. “When I’m With You” has the hand claps you’ve been looking for.
“Caught on Film” sounds a little too much like Duran Duran, who did “Girls on Film,” of course. You have to draw the line somewhere. This was a little too blatant to me.
But otherwise, it all works pretty well. I mean, God knows we don’t have enough real 1980s CDs in the $1.99 bin at Rasputin, so we might as well pay $10 for a new one, right?
The Lower 48 “Everywhere to Go”
October 18, 2009I’m not tired of this yet, but I bet a lot of people are. Everyone and their sister is doing the Watson Twins thing now. The only reason this makes me sad is that we’re six months from a backlash, after which nobody will be doing it at all, including the Watson Twins, who will go on some sort of cocaine-infused hiatus, which truly is the worst-case scenario for my life.
This is a five-track EP. But the first and last tracks are called “Transmission Pt. 1” and “Transmission Pt. 2.” It’s not to say these are inferior songs, but it doesn’t make me want to like them, especially when I can listen to “Mama’s Eye” and be happy with that.
“Bedroom” is the best track because Sarah Parson focuses on singing well. She does all this goofy tricky stuff with her voice on the other tracks the way that Grey Anne does, except Grey Anne knows how to do it in moderation.
“Miles From Minnesota” is also a good track and features Ben Braden on vocals. The thing is, Miles Edgerton is from Newark. How could they get that wrong? I mean, it’s Mr. Miles!
Iglu & Hartly “And Then Boom”
October 4, 2009Yeah, the kids do like this sort of thing. Mad Happy tried to do this electro-rap thing five years ago, and they failed miserably. But it wasn’t the concept that sucked. It was just them. Iglu & Hartly understand the importance of unique keywords, so good for them. And the music is alright, too.
“Violent and Young” sounds like a poor man’s Gym Class Heroes. Maybe this band comprises heroes from a math class. “Tomorrow” sounds like a modernized Duran Duran song.
“DayGlo” sounds exactly like you’d expect it to. It’s upbeat and has zany synths. And yes, that’s “funky free” he says, not “fucking free.” This is the one the radio will enjoy for sure. “Whatever We Like” is definitely laden with “shits,” though. It’s like my neighbor’s lawn.
“People” is a little too complicated. There’s too much going on at once, and it doesn’t flow. Then, about two minutes in, everything shuts down, and we get Faith No More-style piano. It’s not adding up to me. Maybe they are doing it in hex.
Shannon Stephens “The Breadwinner”
October 4, 2009In short, if the lead singer of Stretch Princess did a solo album and folked it up a bit, it would sound like this.
This sleepy little CD gets the job done if you want above-average singing and quiet, slow accompaniment. There’s nothing complicated about this album at all.
“The Most Delicious Hours” is one of the best songs. It would do well with some harmonizing, even if provided by the singer herself. Like a lot of the tracks, it’s so simple and basic, and I feel she is holding herself back a bit.
“Song of the Breadwinner” is a good story if you focus on the lyrics. It’s great for a cool autumn day. “More to Speak Of” is also a lot of fun.
These songs are really long, which is the only knock against them. It’s hard to stay engaged with such long tracks when they plod along so. If this record were a beverage, it would be herbal tea. “The Dream” makes me think I am in one, the kind where you fly through the skies using your four poster bed as an aircraft.
“Seems I’m Never Tired Lovin’ You” is a little bit country. It is your standard final track: a departure. It’s not bad, though.
The Cribs “Ignore the Ignorant”
October 4, 2009This is a fun power pop band in the classic sense, and it’s a four-track EP. “Cheat on Me” reminds me of the Cult, but it’s much better than that. It also evokes images of the Posies. “We Share the Same Skies” does the same thing, but that’s fine. They’ve really caught on to something here. The guitar reminds me of some of Johnny Marr’s work. Oh wait. It is Johnny Marr! Hah. Can you imagine if I didn’t just look at the liner notes just now?
“Victims of Mass Production” is a little more Britpop but falls flat. The passion is missing. “We Were Aborted” is the last track. Now I’m all self-conscious about the review because I realize now the band has my favorite Smith in it. This song has the musical stylings of the Reputation, but obviously with a dude singer. It also reminds me of Franz Ferdinand.
Courtney Yasmineh “Beautiful Lonely”
September 27, 2009I had trouble getting into the beginning of this album, but my defenses were worn down enough to really get into “Daydrunk.” It has those fine pop sensibilities that the kids are always talking about.
“Stars” has good musical accompaniment, but it is crying for a remix. The original version is just a little too slow for it to get going.
“Prison” gets the tempo going, and the results are worth a listen. It’d be nice if the rest of the tracks had the passion and rhythm found here.
Otherwise, there’s nothing lame about the record, but it all runs together, and there’s not a lot memorable to speak of here.
Sarah Fimm “Red Yellow Sun”
September 27, 2009Sold as an electronic performer, I was surprised to hear what’s essentially another singer/songwriter whose voice is too good to end up at a farmers market. “Crumbs and Broken Shells” sounds like something Emily Lord would do, although I don’t know whether Sarah Fimm has any children. The album cover has no baby pictures.
I guess Sarah Fimm could be a Dot Allison/St. Etienne clone, except she isn’t. Nobody can sing as well as Allison, and St. Etienne doesn’t really focus on slow, plodding guitars. But what Fimm does do is great. She is just much better at expressing herself than explaining herself. “Violet” personifies this identity crisis, and she comes off as a lesser Kate Bush. The footsteps she is following require big feet, or something about shoes to fill. Either way, she’s screwed.
There’s another angle to take: Remember B-Tribe? She’s not as ambient as them. (B-Tribe actually weren’t ambient in the slightest, but their only hit was, so that’s what people think.) Fimm is actually too soulful for this comparison. I guess a nice way to say this is that she has a style all her own.
“To Be Alive” is a cross between Portishead and Olive’s slower stuff. Maybe it does have some electronic tendencies, but it’s not something I would have considered it to be on my own. “How Does It Feel” has lush melodies and fitting musical accompaniment. It is the most fundamentally sound track on the album.
You know who she sounds like? I got it. Sinead Lohan. No wonder I like this record so much.
I really enjoy this album, because it reminds me of a ton of disparate stuff that I like, but it doesn’t rip any of it off. I have a lot of respect for anyone who can do that.
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