It’s a gothic sound, but the vocals need better mixing. The high end is fine, but on the low end it gets a little bumpy. It’s not just cute to say “Shake” is shaky in this regard.
“In the Bones” has nothing to do with the TV show but has better balance regardless. The flatter melody and focus on the music during the chorus, especially the booming drums, showcase Metal Mother’s strengths.
“Vices” sounds like Le Tigre when they were on Atlantic. And while that sucked then, because the expectations for Le Tigre were so high, it’s super here. Good track, this. It would be funny if “‘W'” were about Bush 43. I doubt it because the chorus has the word “irresistible” in it.
Lost Story is done in a Kate Bush style and is quite beautiful. “Willow” is a good one for headphones, perhaps while walking through Willow Glen. Try it and get back to me.
Archive for the ‘Music reviews’ Category
Victoria George “Lately I”
July 31, 2011It’s an EP. It’s folky. Victoria George has a voice that reminds me of a younger Liz Phair crossed with Jenny Lewis, but the lyrics are not controversial at all, something those two ladies have no clue about (and hey that’s fine dammit). “Forever” is pop fun, and she is as light as Colbie Caillat. She probably bounds around the stage at live performances while other musicians provide the accompaniment.
The title track is second and has more of a country feel — not an alt country Neko Case way but more of a poppy Taylor Swift way. “Two of Us” has a bit of organ and sounds like Lynn Bobby or Indigo Girls. This EP is great if you’re over 35.
“Lost My Way” is some sort of ode. If Belinda Carlisle were a country singer, it would sound like this. The chorus is particularly radio friendly.
The last track is “Someone You Used to Know.” The standard EP-ending ballad has the same organ that the Wallflowers would use. This whole record is worth a listen, even if you typically only tolerate country as I do. It’s very accessible to diverse groups of people.
The Bewitched Hands “Birds & Drums”
July 31, 2011Some synths and lush harmonies make this a standard indie rock record. “Happy With You” is as good an example as any on here. It sounds as if one of the backing vocalists is female, so you get all of that going on, as well. Although not empty, it’s not the most fulfilling either. It feels like one of those fiber bars with fibber in it instead.
“Hard to Cry” is fun stuff. It has to sound even greater live. There’s just no reason for it not to. Nothing but pure chicory root extract here. This is going to be one of my favorite songs of the year.
Female vocals take the lead in “Staying Around,” and you can tell the slowdown and melodic ballad is meant to be a showcase, but her pipes can’t support it. And if you know me, you know it pains me to say it. It’s not bad, but you really want it to be better. The guitar really helps keep this one going.
A perfect balance is achieved with “Sea.” The power-pop sound works perfectly on this one. This record is so inconsistent it drives me crazy, because some of the tracks are fabby-dabby-doo, while others should have been relegated to B-side status.
Radiohead “The King of Limbs”
July 31, 2011When experienced bands go off in a new direction, they don’t tend to pick the flavor of the month. More often they find another style of music that came of age at the same time they did. Such seems to be the case on The King of Limbs. “Bloom” is the first track, and it reminds me of the same thing Beck did in the late ’90s — that is, go after psychedelic dance music. Some kids called it “trip hop,” but this is too fast to be considered that. It just has a driving dance beat with changing tempo and eerie synths. And it’s not like Radiohead didn’t already make you want to drop acid anyway.
“Little by Little” has a melody that is distinctly Radiohead while still experimenting with this mind-altering phase they’re going through. It’s very light and crisp, like a lemon-lime soda. Also good is “Lotus Flower.”
If you want something a little slower and with pretty backing vocals, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than “Give Up the Ghost.” I think Radiohead really enjoyed putting this record together. Sometimes it’s a small aspect of your sound that helps you make it, and then you’re stuck with performing to that standard for the rest of your successful career. Good for them.
KallocaiN “Between Two States”
July 31, 2011They do the Death Cab for Cutie thing, especially on leadoff track “Firecracker.” Subdued synths and meek guitar create a void that only powerful vocals can fill, but the vocals are just regular strength. So it feels a bit restrained.
“Genesis” has nothing to do with the band. Actually it sounds more like Better Than Ezra but admittedly not as good. “I Fear Us All” moves along in fits and starts. They just need to let it all hang out, even if that’s what their parents would say. Sometimes, they’re accidentally right, and that’s OK.
“I Don’t Know Where We Are” is much smoother, with the guitar towing the song to the finish line. It’s not overly complex, but it works a lot better than most of the tracks on here. I’m also a fan of “The Way to Lose Everything You Own.”
Here We Go Magic “The January EP”
July 31, 2011What a difference a comma makes. If there were one, this could be a record about an NBA team from Orlando reaching the midpoint of the regular season. But there isn’t, and it’s not.
“Tulip” is the first track and has straight-forward jangly guitar, with organ underneath and male falsettos. The female vocals come in on the chorus and sound like something Bono would do with U2 if he weren’t so insecure with his selling out.
If you wanted Duncan Sheik with Steve Miller synths, “Hands in the Sky” thinks about it. “Song in Three” is the third track, natch, and sounds a lot like “Hands in the Sky.”
The title of “Hollywood” has the same melody as “Christmas Time Is Here,” by Vince Guaraldi. He’s the Peanuts guy if you don’t remember. The song itself is slow and meandering, but it is instantly likable if you have a positive association with A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s also only two minutes long.
If nothing, it serves as more of a contrast to the next track, “Backwards Time.” This is one of the fastest songs on the EP, and the synths and percussion dominate this ’80s-inspired track.
“Mirror Me” is the last track, as well as the best one. A lot of times when you have male and female vocals the challenge is finding the proper balance, not just a Fox News Channel fair and balanced. Well, they get it right on this one.
Vandaveer “Dig Down Deep”
July 17, 2011The title track is first. This is fun for alt-country and folk fans. Mostly male vocals, but the female backing vocals are no accident. There’s not much that sets these guys apart, but it’s not hard to listen to either. As my boss says, not everyone has to be an innovator.
“Beat, Beat, My Heart” threatens to use more commas than I do, which is a big challenge. This one does balance the singing duties quite well. “As a Matter of Fact” is above average and worth a listen.
“AOK” channels Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac. There’s nothing that makes you cringe when you listen to this record, but nothing makes me want to get off my ass, either.
Bethesda “Dreamtiger & Other Tails”
July 17, 2011It’s an EP. “A Song for the Peasant Farmer” is first and features female falsettos. “Oh, How We Crane Our Throats!” has a slight country tinge to it. “Homage” is a ballad and, apparently, an ode to Mom. “This Rock” is midtempo, which is as fast as it gets with Bethesda. They’re not here to rock, despite the name, instead being happy with emotional indie tunes. The whole band is set up to focus on lead singer Shanna Delaney, who is merely adequate as a singer. But what makes “This Rock” work are the backing vocals. Delaney needs to be the lead singer, but the band needs to perform more as a unit, rather than a singer with a backing band. They figured it out on this one. “Dreamtiger” is the last track and also holds up fairly well. I have no idea what Bethesda is interested in accomplishing as a band, but if they focus on the faster stuff, they could make some noise with their noise.
Boat “Dress Like Your Idols”
July 17, 2011I saw Boat play at the Rickshaw Stop when they opened for All Girl Summer Fun Band, a band that can ignore the hell out of me but still have my unconditional love. Boat sold handmade baseball cards, proof that they were about the same age as me as well as a sign that they were just as goofy as me. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for them because of this.
So here is Dress Like Your Idols. The lead singer is kind of like Jimmy Pop from Bloodhound Gang, but the difference is that the songs aren’t all about him. Really, this is just another power pop band with good taste in hobbies. So give “Bite My Lips” a listen, but don’t expect funny lyrics. He only sounds like Jimmy Pop.
It’s time to listen to “Forever in Armitron.” It’s very straightforward, upbeat, driving pop rock. It should get its own All-Star card or maybe an autographed insert card with a jersey swatch.
“Landlocked” is a clever song title when your band name is “Boat.” The song itself is just OK. When Boat returns to the Bay Area, I will do the best I can to see them, even without the AGSFB crutch that caused me to see them the first time.
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