Today's featured shit

How do you not compare this to Julia Lau? I mean, it’s an Asian woman playing a piano and several other instruments. Well, it’s more likely that Tran can play tien len, and that’s the tiebreaker in my awesomeness hierarchy.
One of the reasons I have a lot of respect for her (really, that first paragraph is a sign of respect, honest) is because she took on music late in life, at 21. Maybe she had the same problem as a child that I did, meaning her mom told her she couldn’t sing and had no musical talent. I’m very happy that she decided to take up singing and performing, regardless of what motivated her to do it. It’s a rare regret that I have, instead being relegated to writing about others’ exploits. Well, there’s always Rock Band.
(Writing can be therapeutic as well as transparent. See?)
Perhaps her happy ending is because she is actually from Edmonton, and when she realized that her hockey team was no good, she decided to move to the Bay Area so she could follow a real team. Maybe she will get to sing the national anthem at a Sharks game if Greg Kihn can’t stay up that late.
There’s so many nice things to say about Tran the person. (You should see the one sheet and letter. Why can’t every promoter do it this way? And she is self-promoting! She should consider this as a career, but I bet she has a day job at Lockheed or some shit and makes six figures as a project manager.) But what about Tran the singer/songwriter? I like that aspect of her as well.
“Kites” is fun. It sounds like Aimee Mann. “All” is a bit silly at the end. And I love silly. But it doesn’t really work here. I think her music is naturally serious, so it merely detracts. Perhaps she should make a double album so she can then indulge in her whims as appropriate.
“Love Underwater” is ear candy. This is one you need the headphones for to truly appreciate. The keyboards and cello (is it?) augment the song nicely. This might be the best song on the album. “Trust Me” has the same piano as “Brick” by Ben Folds Five.
The other inevitable piano analogy is going to be the one with Suddenly, Tammy. Generally, Tran does not sound the same as them because she plays the guitar. But for fans of that sound, “Cannot Reach You” will please you greatly.
The tracks at the end are usually the experimental ones, and that’s no different here. “Safety Nets” has more of a Barbara Manning feel. If she wants to go in this direction, she’ll be just as successful. The talent level is undeniable on almost the entire album.

Well, this is fun. Is Minneapolis the new Portland? First Sick of Sarah and now The Shortcuts. It’s what would happen if Dance Hall Crashers stopped pretending to be ska and got rid of their ginging guitars. “Nothing New” is the first track and epitomizes pop punk. “Alienist” does the same thing.
This is an EP, by the way. I’d sure like to hear a full-length. “Omaha” sounds like a Go Betty Go song, although it’s less melodic and sassy. It’s too cold for sass up there anyway. And I’m sure the band is thrilled that Brett Favre stayed retired.
“Die Young” is a standard Fat Wreck Chords punk song, even though this EP is self-released. And “Ghost” exists so there can be five tracks. Maybe I don’t want a full-length. If they can bottle the energy of the first two tracks and make a whole album out of it, The Shortcuts will really be on to something.

This is great stuff. And if you’re wondering, it’s pronounced “dough.” “Playground Hustle” sounds like a happy Le Tigre song, sort of a “Friendship Station” without the sneer. “At Last” sounds like newer Cardigans, but not in an insulting way.
Other tracks remind me of another ’90s band: Ruby. Although this band is much more chipper than they were, the voice is the same. “The Bridge Is Broken” is a good example of this. So is “Tammie.”
The band is French, by the way. So I am guessing that that is the language “Unissassi Laulelet.” It has a similar style to Petra Haden’s “Moonmilk,” except with instruments thrown in.
Perhaps 15 tracks was too many. A few of these songs should have been relegated for EP B-sides. I’m talkin’ to you, “On My Shoulders” and “Aha.”
If you stick with the better songs, there’s something for everyone, especially if you came of age in the mid-90s or are a fan of Evanescence.