So L'ilRevolution Thumpin' ( Goodbye Better Records ) 2004 There's been a drought of good electronica as of late, and not since Air's 2004 album, Talkie Walkie, have I heard trip-pop dreamy enough to listen to. And then, there was So L'il - of course I was deceived by the band's name. With a surge of rap artists and their need to add L'il to their names-including Lil' Kim, Lil' Bow Wow (apparently not so little anymore), Lil' Jon.. . oh my, the list goes on - I dreaded the thought of listening to this other L'il (although the apostrophe after the L may be some alteration). Revolution Thumpin' is Brooklyn-based So L'il's first full-length release on label Goodbye Better. Male and female vocals sing songs that could have been inspired by magnetic poetry: "Palm open finger spread, knuckle bent toe stretch". "Swell" is one of the finest tracks on the album, reminiscent of Air's 1998 success Moon Safari. Revolution Thumpin' sometimes combines electronica with R&B in tracks like "De Apocalypso" and early 80's and 90's British dance-pop. The album is very diverse, as there is more a hint of Sigur Ros in "Bye Bye Zooey", whereas you'd swear Right Said Fred was singing the male vocals in opening track, "Revolution Thumpin'". On "Agitated", male vocalist Rashmi sounds akin to Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes doing bizarre 70's electronica. Much of the album carries an overtone of sexual frustration and agitation, climaxed by the indiscreetly named track, "I'm Bored, Wanna Fuck". Revolution ends on "The Great Uplifting", a poor reincarnation and continuation of the albums opener. Nevertheless, the idea is great - it creates closure and the sense of the album being as circular and continuous as life. Although the phrases on most songs translate broken and incomplete at times, Revolution Thumpin' culminates in such an undivided manner that you can only indulge in its presence and grandness. Caroline 02.28.05 |
So L'il Dear Kathy, ( Goodbye Better Records ) 2005 A year and five acid trips later, So L'il is back with a letter written to an apparently dear friend, Kathy. Whether or not Kathy wants this letter addressed to her is questionable, but surely irrelevant, as this Brooklyn-based band is one of the most peculiar you'll come across in this day and age. The words of the songs on Dear Kathy, are mumbled and unclear, resembling water spilt on the fresh ink of the letter. However, the outcome created is as pleasant as the effect the blurry blue college-lines and smeared ink make. The Brooklyn mates have progressed significantly from their debut Revolution Thumpin by expanding instrument base and moving away from more electronic/machine based sounds (though still strongly present). "Enamel Animal", the album's opening track surprises the So L'il fan with a twisted Latin beat alongside a Jamaican-80s keyboard, if there were such a thing; "Birds" is one of the best songs on the album, which creates an air of a merry-go-round gone awry with its off tune magical nature, it sounds like Peter Pan is playing his wooden flute-like instrument in the background. So L'il is able to keep up your attention level more often than on their previous release. When you think you've had enough, the band surprises you with a Richard Cheese-induced "bagel and cream cheese" chant (or.. . weirdest trip since 2001?) at the end of the seventeen-minute last track, "The Outwardly Ugly Secretly Beautiful." The weirdness of the male vocals is balanced by the beautiful, good-hearted notes of the female vox. So L'il is moving trip hop in a direction it hasn't really ever taken. It's definitely a weirder one, but I'm sure Kathy wouldn't mind. Caroline
08.16.05
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 soltero The Tongues You Have Tied ( Three Ring Records ) 2004 "But if these walls could talk they'd just be laughing" So you want to amaze me? Create an album that can adjust its tune from the Bottle Rocket-esque polk (not the band - the soundtrack ; see Wes Anderson) on a track like "coattail ronnie", and end up with a John Fahey-meets-Slowdive (but how you ask?) number called "fourth of july" - that'll etch a mark in my clouded mind. soltero has done it - and that's just speaking for 2 of the albums dozen compositions, both instrumentals. It's Tim Howard and his just above an ache of a voice (see: "nella madeline") that will land 'the tongues you have tied' in a constant rotation from Winter to Summer to the dawn of mankind.. The liner notes (ie: the part you can't download)are most crucial to capture this albums charm, as they reveal the grueling daily routine Tim and co-engineer/performer Steve Mayone went through to get the tongues you have tied to 8-track. We're talking the winters of the beast called Massachusetts here - recording in an apartment with no heat, as the oven was sacrificed for warmth. Tim Howard had a near-hour trek he had to make on foot to get to Mayone's "studio" - again in the cruel winter crisp. What was to be an EP developed over time into this wonderful being that is the tongues.. . Both "the tongues you have tied" (for reference, the 'title track') and "the good times" may bring to the left frontal lobe memories of the late Elliott Smith (shamefully, yes, I just had to use his name) - but it's both vocal similarities and charm that will bridge this justice. Hell, "loredena, it's easy" - the albums closer - skirts the line for beauty as well. A brief dual-tracked acoustic / vocal piece with faint a chorus draws this impressionable blessing to an end. Albums this startling ('startle' as in "to astound", not the scary stepbrother to the term) don't come along every day, and if they did, I'd relocate without hesitation. Closing line is if you are fond of talented singer / guitarist albums, and guys who'll risk frostbite and showers for the sake of song, soltero is the band I dedicate to you. lonely boy charlie 01.25.05 |
Sons and DaughtersThe Repulsion Box ( Domino ) 2005 Glasgow's
Sons and Daughters were my 2004 "have you heard?"
band, my pretentious name-drop and hard-to-find record that I would
recommend to my less musically enlightened friends. Love The Cup,
the Glaswegian band's debut EP, was a blustering mix of Celtic country,
death-rattle Folk Implosion post-blues and skittering, dance-y post-punk.
And now, with their first full-length in hand, Sons and Daughters
have made my 2005 list as well, with The Repulsion Box as
my new recommend to my friends who love music. The album moves away
from the thick guitars and boy-girl harmonies of the EP, and into
a more dynamic blend of acoustics, snapping, cracking drums with singer
Adele Bethel's voice roaringly leading the band. Tyler
McCauley
09.20.05
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 The Soundtrack Of Our LivesBehind The Music Universal, 2002 " Nevermore - everybody wants to see you fall ". Hey, I love it. Ah, The Soundtrack of Our Lives (for the remainder of this review, we will refer to the extended-named band as TSOoL). These hip cats know their past. Hell, the future's even one nomination brighter for this Gothenburg crew, as by the time I heard the entire album, the polka-nominating-scenesters at the Grammy's 45th want to give em' an award. You may have heard the US single "Sister Surround", as it has been getting frequent play on the FM radio, maybe even seen the video on real late at night on the MTV. While that is a damn fine song in itself, you will be hard pressed to find another song even come close to it's "4/4 time, play me on the radio" approach. By the time you finish the fifth track (and have heard the "monsters-under-my-bed" creepiness of 'In Someone Else's Mind'), you have been exposed to obscure instruments such as the sitar, mellotron and dulcimer. Try finding that shit on any 21st century album in Amerikka, and when you do, try to find em' played as well as TSOoL do. While the "other" Swedish cliques are ass-deep in their Stooges & Stones vinyl vaults, TSOoL approach the Floyd & Love side of the turf, and come off with one hell of arecord. Your 'soundtrack' has been ready for you, over seven years in the making, & it seems TSOoL have finally been exposed to the ass-clowned Amerikkan listeners. One can only hope they find time to listen.
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The Spelling BeesSnake On A Bicycle ( Agriculture Records ) 2005
The Spelling Bees, made up of siblings Pearce and Liza
Dietrich, have put out a wonderfully nice collection of songs. They
had stopped playing as the Spelling Bees for a short while and started
back up when Agriculture Records wanted to release their music which
is good since it would be sad if the Spelling Bees had stopped and never
released any music. This is a collection of material from four previous
albums when they were called ...And Then Depression Set In
- and I'm not sure if those are really available or not.
Pikeu
10.08.05
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 The Spinto Bandnice and nicely done ( Bar-None ) 2005 Queen, circa A Night at the Opera, would be enchanted and damn proud of the Spinto Band on "Direct to Helmet" - a little past mid-album keeper on their Bar-None release nice and nicely done. Whistles, possibly a singing saw (no instrument credits are supplied here.. ) and that Freddy Mercury-inspired chorus that made Queen the "something" they remain to til' this day. The Spinto boys aren't likely jumping at the nod to the 70's glamorous icons, but the structured wealth of influence shown here is a quality list that could also include "now bands" such as Hot Hot Heat ( but much more fun, hear "did i tell you" ) and Fiver ( in a reverse way, by the helium-vocaled "oh mandy" ). Add these to the already name-dropped list including the Kinks, Pavement and the Cars. This delightful album is a well-invested selection of home-baked cookies that range from the high-hat rockers of opener"did i tell you" and "trust vs. mistrust" to the multi-strung lounge synapse of "oh mandy" (this being the absolute gem on the whole lot). With seven guys eating & surviving off the profits of well constructed albums like nice and nicely done, you owe it to them as well as yourself to hunt these ten (shh.... . hidden track on 14!) catchy, impressive confections. A super warm basket of Snickerdoodles to Vanessa Lauria for some exceptional artwork. The album cover features a canvas-like print with a handstitched young lady and bicycle (complete with handlebar basket & 70's dress material). The inside of the digi-pak continues the design with the underside of the needle & stitching. The track titles and label information is sewn as well. A fitting touch to a special little album of overall "niceness". Fun. kaleb 07.08.05 |
 St. ThomasI'm Coming Home 2002 (Misra)
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 StarsSet Yourself On Fire ( Arts&Crafts ) 2004 It's a soft-revolution, hell - they even name a song after it - but unlike the 80's version of this movement, this one is steaming with sincerity. Montreal's quartet Stars do a proper job of blending electronic hooks with catchy indie rock-esque melodies to make great soft pop music on Set Yourself On Fire. Like their 2003 release Heart, they create a solid album as a whole with sparse lagging moments that seem to be production misjudgements to the listener (such as the orchestral component to "One More Night", which is beautiful in its own, but just doesn't seem to fit). Though, most of the time their production creates a great musical atmosphere one in which the lyrics and instrumentation blend flawlessly. I mentioned sincerity before didn't I? Perhaps frontman Torquil Campbell has a great imagination for creating realistic situational lyrics, but it seems like wherever he draws his inspiration from is too blunt, too specific, perhaps too close to home to be simply imagination. I just wish that Torquil would let co-frontwoman Amy Millan sing every single lyric. Many of the songs are written for their collaboration, but her calm and confident voice is like silk to my ears - seems like they knew it too by choosing to release "Reunion" as their single. I love it. It's pop that you're able to listen to without the guilty pleasure or antipathy of a radio hit, but with a deeper meaning that scratches below the superficial surface of mainstream music. It's beautiful both lyrically and instrumentally and I recommend you pick up Set Yourself On Fire. Track Picks: Jordan 01.14.05 |
 Static FilmsLove of Light ( BlueSanct ) 2004 "Believe me when I say your voice is a fire, it's a fire" Lights, birds and bodies consume much of the lyrical content on Static Films opus (yes, ultra-creative) Love of Light, their latest on the grand Indiana label BlueSanct - home of Drekka, Elephant Micah (who lends vocal assistance on Love of Light) and then some. One haunted piano and the melodica serve as the musical foundation, as Static Films paint an impressionable atmosphere of late night / early am alertness. This being my first Static Films experience, I must say I am totally taken with surprise, as this band of brothers & sisters (no relation as far as this one can tell - there are over a dozen castmembers listed) have crafted an sophomore album of near-endless wonder. From the delicate, single strums of "Calling" to the entire sound surround of (listener fave) "Song for Birds" - Static Films is playing on many more than a one-card deck, and a formula that works very well for such a young band. Opening track "Loss of Light" had me conspiring to toss a comparison vocally to Jim James of My Morning Jacket, but when Love of Light draws to a close - it's quite obvious Static Films and lead man Mark Trecka are best left to a category of their own: one to be heard. "Bless the ones who don't need better sense". + k 01.09.05 |
 Stationary Odyssey / El Boxeo 7"Spongelike Wonderland / My job at the party is... ( Boyarm : 2004) Boyarm wins on many levels with this 7" release - impressive. Let's begin with the eye-pleasing packaging, better yet the Lifesaver candy Orange vinyl - it's delicious looking, and sounds just as great (which I will get to..). The clever fellas at boyarm have made the excellent decision to include with this 'oh-so limited & hand-numbered to 250 release' a cd in an equal coating of 165c. They say it's in case you don't have a "turntable in your car", but we all really know it's because once the nations catch on to both of these bands - the unplayed vinyl will fetch much more on your online auction sites. Clever. As for the sounds grooved in the gloss - we win there too. On the A side it's Stationary Odyssey with 'Spongelike Wonderland'. Who you are going to compare these cats too is totally up to you, I'm going with an improv Euphone - and that's weakly based on the fact that they play the Xylophone. A twisted, jangled beat is encompassed by a narrative Dr. Spock explaining the cons of faulty human airways. It's a slow builder that does not end Hollywood style, in other words - death lurks. What could be better than learning pre-med all while bobbing the head to an original composition? A-side number 2 (or listening to the second track on the accompanying CD!), we get Detroit trio El Boxeo. El Boxeo travel the instrumental path on 'My job at the party is...', cross-pollinating a unique species of "rock" with a fantastic classical violin. Not to make it seem like a solemn affair, for by the minute-fifty mark the guitars have crawled under a deep layer of fuzz - making the track end like a session lost from Primal Scream's sonical XTRMNTR recordings. Wait, I need to hear more.. . Last I checked, this 7"+CD was $4 - when you see & hear it, you'll wonder how you got it for so damn cheap. Forge on Boyarm - you are either the first of a new breed, or the last of the dying. kaleb :: (06.02.04) |
 Still BreathingSeptember Solid State, 2002 As I was looking through my massive cd collection, trying to find something to review, I decided upon a cd I just recieved not to long ago. Still Breathing. Chick fronted hardcore. Now, back in the day whenever I heard a band had a chick singer, I would immediately discredit them. Especially if they were tying to be metal, or hardcore. But, after hearing Walls of Jericho a while back, I look for bands with chick singers. Alright, on with the review. One thing that I look for in a great cd, is the artwork of the album. This album has great artwork! The booklet has an old, archaic feel to it with lots of distressed looking photos. Really cool looking. The music, is nowhere near archaic. (By the way, I seriously hope I'm spelling that word right, and using it in the correct context, if not, fuck it I'm not an english major.) This cd has bludgeoning riffs and maching gun drums. And Dacey, other than being amazingly hot, has a great scream. When I saw them not to long ago, I had no idea what they sounded like. I knew they were chick fronted hardcore, I knew they were on Solid State, and I knew that they wouldn't be able to top Walls of Jericho. And I was right. They're totally different than Walls. Except for the fact that both bands broke up. Back to the cd. I loved it from the first track to the last. Sweet Wound Sour was the first track I heard from them, and it's probably my favorite of all the tracks. If you have not heard them, you're too late, cuz they already broke up. But buy their cd anyway!!
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 Ken StringfellowSOFT COMMANDS ( YepRoc ) 2004 Whether playing solo at an outdoors barbeque in Austin, Texas, while fighting the humidity to keep his six-string in tune, rocking out with the many incarnations of his beloved powerpop band the Posies, or onstage with Big Star or REM, holding his own (both musically and metaphorically) against the likes of sacred monsters Alex Chilton and Michael Stipe, charismatic singer-guitarist Ken Stringfellow knows how to work a crowd. His studied nonchalance makes the whole thing seem effortless, almost like anybody could, and maybe should do it, too - and endlessly endearing. And happily, his very direct connection with the audience is something quite apart from the usual "hey [inset city here]! It's great to be here!" pose peddled by many performers. He means it, and it shows. On SOFT COMMANDS, Stringfellow's impeccable songwriting mixes the best of classic 60s popcraft (endless hooks, brevity and precision, choruses to die for) with a strong feeling for the confessional first-person lyric that routinely transcends standard singer-songwriter clichés. Best of all is his crystalline tenor voice - by turns fragile and sexy, soaring and exultant - which draws from a deep emotional well that is pure and seemingly bottomless.
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 The SubconsTime Has Come ( www.theSubcons.com ) "Only something this sweet could ever trip my senses" Have you ever had your heart handed back to you, or at worst - trampled upon? I take it from the sound of 'When I Was 13', one of the Subcons guys has had a time or two. The tale of 2 busted relationships - one early teen, the other a high school fling - ends in an all out guitar bash, but not before the guys add a few of the sonic bits that filter all through their full length album 'Time Has Come'. Fletcher Foti and Richard Bruno make up the duo known as the Subcons, and together they have released an album that recalls those of wheat (the early days, mind you) and Philadelphia home-recording team the Twin Atlas. It's the details that will win you over, but the Subcons acoustic craft is what will initially draw you in. As for details, it's moments like the studio applause that is structured in on 'Head for Home' that give Time Has Come it's very own personality - songs that desire repeated listens. From the Lo-Fi / front Speaker switch of 'Making Up The Rules' to the goodnight lullaby of 'Four Girls', the Subcons have created and album that blends a multitude of sounds and leaves you wanting to hear more. As the untitled bonus track sets you on the beach with your found love, the same crickets that introduced the Subcons on 'Preludio' fade. An album for a perfect summer night with all the house windows open, or a drive to find the unknown - it's self-released albums like 'Time Has Come' that make the search worth it. kaleb :: (06.25.04) |
It was just about a week ago that I proclaimed to a friend that Sufjan Stevens was most likely my current favorite singer/songwriter under the age of 30. I then revised that statement to the age of under 40, and then I even went ahead and declared that Stevens might very well be my current favorite singer/songwriter flat out. I've had the fortune of following his progress from the start, and although that debut disc (A Sun Came) didn't exactly signal greatness, it was the stunning leaps and bounds that he made with his follow-up of Enjoy Your Rabbit that marked him as a musician I should keep my eye on. After his stylistically varied and somewhat auspicious first two CDs, I'm not sure that anyone could have predicted the wealth of treasures that was Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State. Over the course of 16 tracks and almost 70 minutes of music, Stevens tackled joy and loss and hope and hope and just about every other emotion with a grace that made it almost seem easy. Using a huge variety of instrumentation and writing tracks with both traditional and hardly-used timing signatures, it was a lovely ode to his home state and a glorious album in general. Because of the dizzying scale of Michigan, it seems logical to set up Seven Swans as possibly being an album full of cast-offs or b-sides from the same sessions (they were recorded around the same time). On the first couple listens, I even fell prey to wanting the same sort of release, and it wasn't until I'd really settled in with the 12 tracks that they really began to sink in as deeply as they should. The main reason for this is most likely due to the more stripped-down instrumentation and arrangements, but once again Stevens shows he's a master of the word (he has a masters in creative writing) as well, with Seven Swans being an even more spiritual and personal release than its predecessor. Although Seven Swans is less musically complex than his previous work, it does highlight his deft banjo playing and features the vocal harmonies of Elin and Megan Smith on many tracks. "All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands" opens the disc and builds gracefully, opening only with the vocals of Stevens and banjo before vocals by the two Smiths join along with a quiet piano and finally drums to punctuate the ending. "The Dress Looks Nice On You" opens with guitar and vocals, but moves through several gorgeous sections punctuated with banjo and organ. As with Michigan, one could go through the entire album and highlight nearly every song. In fact, the only track that sticks out musically is "Sister," which features some dirty electric guitars that don't quite fall in place with the rest of the release (which is for the most part acoustic). A personal favorite track of mine is "A Good man Is Hard To Find," inspired by the short story of the same name by Flannery O Connor (my favorite writer). Stevens narrates the song from the the perspective of The Misfit, and as always makes the whole thing seem almost effortless. I'm still not sure whether this release is better than Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State, but in the end it doesn't really matter. Sufjan Stevens is a musician who seems to just be reaching his creative peak and shows no signs of slowing down. Rating: 8.25
aaron, 03.19.04. almostcool.org
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Sufjan Stevens SuffocationSouls to Deny ( RELAPSE ) 2004 To what cavernous abyss has he gone? Fear not, my faithful worshippers of brutality, for I have awakened and similar to an anti-Gabriel, I have a message to bestow upon all who are worthy to receive. The flock has waited patiently for the shepherd to return. Amazingly enough, with [Souls to Deny] they've picked up exactly where they left off. Should I be surprised? Well, yes and no. They've certainly lost a tiny bit of talent when Doug Cerrito departed to join tech-death heavyweights Hate Eternal. I was also a little concerned that the lengthy hiatus might have affected the chemistry between the members. After hearing the new release (finally!), I've found that the pros assuredly outweigh the cons. Terrence Hobbs is quite simply a god to all six-string slingers. His fret board prowess is unmatched as far as I'm concerned and his ability to write crushing riffs seems never to deteriorate. Frank Mullen has never sounded better than here. There was a noticeable difference between the cupping technique displayed on [Effigy of the Forgotten] and the surprising comprehensibility heard on [Pierced from Within], his maniacal bellow is fine tuned on [Souls to Deny]. In my less than humble opinion, he is the greatest death metal vocalist of all time, and his performance here solidifies that claim. Mike Smith has returned to the kit for the first time since [Effigy..] and new edition Guy Marchais definitely proves his worth in the place of Cerrito. Following their founding of the tech-death genre fifteen or so years ago, their debut full-length Breeding the Spawn seemed so prophetic, for imitators began converging and massively grew to dominate the scene. I find it absolutely astonishing, however, that the founding fathers return to raise the bar once more. (Track 5: 'Demise of the Clone' seems a most appropriate title.) Quite simply, there is not a single sub-'brutal as fuck' moment on this disc. From Scott Hull's flawless mastering to Dan Seagrave's surrealistic artwork, Frank's assessment was absolutely correct. I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for and faith in Suffocation, and though I expressed a tiny bit of doubt in preparing to purchase this disc, I've seen the error of my ways and eagerly followed my shepherd once again into the depths of depravity quite 'Subconsciously Enslaved'. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to listen to this for the 13th time in 24 hours. the egg ::(04.28.04). |
 SupergrassLife on Other Planet's (L.O.O.P.) ( Parlophone ); 2002
If you are already a fan, then you have been waiting for this for 3 years and owe it to yourself. If you aren't (yet), you may want to wait for it to be released in these-here states, cause' for now it's import-only, and start at the beginning with I Should Coco on Capitol.
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