the Waxwings
Let's Make Our Descent
( Rainbow Quartz ) 2004

Throw away the cigarettes & high class attitudes the term "garage" is associated with - the Waxwings own up to a better area of the house by forging ten tracks of superb production (possibly aided by the Brendan Benson). It now dawns on me that I have missed a step in the Waxwing trilogy, after choosing 2000's 'low to the ground' as a yearly best - their 2002 follow up 'Shadows Of The Waxwings' is now on the lookout list.

Taking a stand from the surefire hotspot known as Detroit, the Waxwings keep a firm stance from what currently encompasses the Motor City. "On for Tomorrow" cleverly plays in equal shadows such as the Cream classic "Strange Brew", as the slower stomp titled "Of Late" sounds very much like an instant classic from anytime pre-1976. Those familiar with the Waxwings past catalog understand these guys know when to turn the volume past the middle (see: "Untied" from 'low to the ground') and when to let the mellow tone play in their favor (see: "Of Late", "Expected of You").

For a band who came together on a last minute trip to NYC (5 years ago) - and have stuck together, the Waxwings have firmly taken their stand. To add to the momentum, they sound as if they have no intentions of letting the current waves in their town taint what keeps them unique - and it doesn't get much more respectable than that.

kaleb :: (07.16.04).

the Walkmen
Bows & Arrows
( Record Collection ), 2004

"When I used to go out, I'd know everyone I saw, now I go out alone - if I go out at all"

Have you ever spotted something that at first glance looked very interesting (a sticker, sign, woman) but upon closer inspection turned out to be not-so interesting? Then, just as this certain object became "as-is", you wished to regain the first impression only to never again fool your mind to revert? Well, the Walkmen are nothing like those meaningless objects, because each time I take a closer look or listen, it sounds better that the time before.

So there was this amazing little release back in 2002 cleverly titled Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone (Startime Intl.) [with equally clever song titles like "Revenge Wears No Wristwatch"] that took my feet right off the soft surface(s) they were at the time resting on, and I have been awaiting this second full-length ever since. From the first listen, you just knew 'Everyone Who...' was something satisfyingly special: those unlikely piano keys, the strategically placed, perfectly "walkmen-tuned" guitars, the drum that had total control of both feet & that singers voice - Hamilton Leithauser, a voice as grand as the name. Need we even get into the advestising scheme of things? That said, chances are you have heard these guys, and even greater is the chance that they deserve to be your new favourite band (at least for February).

Now it's 2004, year of The Vote, and these 5 young men from the Big Apple are set to serve us with another heavenly batch of "the better New York band" songs. It may have been said so many times that it is now irrelevant in most discussions, but this statement certainly pertains to Bows & Arrows - "It's not broke, so damn it guys, let's not fix it". Well put my boy, well put. The drums are certainly back, and they got just that much more complex (See: Little House of Savages, another clever track title - you guys are just too witty). The guitars sound as if the band may have recruited at least 2 more guys to strum alongside them in the studio (See: North Pole, the; Thinking of A Dream I Had), and what was loved on the prior release is now a natural passion. The ivory keys that served as the perfect seam to uniqueness 2 years ago are thankfully carried over to the new (See: New Year's Eve). And that singer and his style, well it now reflects the live intensity that the Walkmen bring to the stage that they own. Hamilton sounds a bit "edgy" (see: The Rat)- if I was Rolling Stone, I'd be a bit nicer in my reviews. This is THE WALKMEN man. Fuck.

Now if you don't mind, Pete's Corner calls.

See: jingle: v: To have the catchy sound of a simple, repetitious rhyme or doggerel., n : a comic verse of irregular measure.


kaleb ::(02/04/03).

the wanteds
let go afterglow
( thewanteds.com ), 2004

Tommy Harrington got the right memo - how did most of the bands in New York miss it? Hey fashion punks - do it yourself.

Not to initially typecast the wanteds, Harrington's one-man battalion of instruments (including, but not limited to drums, guitars, piano, samples) does not belong beside the current wave of no-hype. Instead it is very important that you know Tommy is from the creative nest of Portland, Oregon - where he wrote, recorded and designed every covered inch & second of 'let go afterglow'. The "scene" needs more Tommy Harrington's.

Opening lyric "I can't say no, that's my problem" from 'Can't Say No' may, in itself, describe how the wanteds finally rose to the surface after Harrington spent many years in complete bands - he got the memo. Blending somewhere between what the Eels may sound like if the radio would have them (see: 'Drunken Angel', a grand take on the Lucinda William's original) or a rustic Joseph Arthur (see: 'Bored', 'What I Want'), Tommy has unveiled an album of heartfelt transition that will keep you checking the album notes for how he did it all. Not afraid to kick out the jams every so often, a choice track like 'Afterglow' hints at the early work of Matthew Sweet or everything that made college radio good in the early nineties.

Hear the wanteds, then spend your desolate days seeking the scarce few like him.

kaleb ::(09/22/04)

The Warlocks
Surgery
( MUTE ), 2005

Let this serve as a warning to future generations of rockers: never choose a name for your band that is so fucking cool you will never be able to live up to it. I mean these kids could come out on stage in long black robes, set themselves on fire and devour a fucking herd of vampire bats while jumping on trampolines and you'd still go "that's alright, but.. ." So when I listen to Surgery and I sort of shrug and go "It's alright.. ." - are my expectations just too damn high? Possibly, but there are some problems here.

Most of the albums highs and lows stem from frontman Bobby Hecksher's goal of creating "sonic space age doo-wop." To their credit the Warlocks come close to achieving that goal on a few tracks, especially on the first two cuts "Come Save Us" and "Just Like Surgery." The songs have a noise-jam quality yet still keep the doo-wop song structure - this especially true of the latter song. What ends up happening on the majority of the tracks however, is the creation of a shoe-gazer version of The Ramones' Road to Ruin. It's not bad or unlistenable - just not terribly interesting. When they leave the whole doo-wop thing behind and just go for the noise jam, things heat up a bit; the Sonic Youth, Spacemen Three and Truly psych-punk influences rise to the surface and The Warlocks seems to find their stride, or at least sound like they've changed which drugs they're abusing. Album closer, "Suicide Note" in particular shines among these tracks, although "We Need Starpower" with it's jangly descending guitar line is also attractive. Ultimately, the real disappointment is that The Warlocks seem to lack the courage to push it – to bend genres rather than just lay them side-by-side - to live up to their fucking dope-ass name goddammit!

denis desharnais ::(08/30/05)

Watchmaker
kill.fucking.everyone.
( Willowtip ) 2004

Holy dogshit!! I recently saw this band in Montreal and to say their set was overpowering would be an insult to the band. I was left absolutely floored and knew that I had to get their newest cd in my hands immediately. Those in search of the next Locust, Dillinger Escape Plan or Fantomas need not look here. There's no electronic grind, no obnoxious wanking, no quirky improvization, just straight up death thrash that would leave Slayer quivering in the corner, curled up in the fetal position.

kill.fucking.everyone. is an aural onslaught that doesn't let up even for a moment. Each track is executed flawlessly and with voracity. The opening track 'the burden of choice', starts off with plodding industrial drum noise reminiscent of Godflesh. When the song finally kicks off, it's as if you were Roy Horn getting mauled by that tiger on stage. Guitars are tuned to murder and the drums are unrelenting fast beats, not blast beats. They find no need to mix up their sound with breakdowns or blast beats because it may distract the listener from the overall goal of the disc, which is to level this planet. Vocals are fucking intense and if you ever have the pleasure of seeing this band live you better wear a raincoat in case Brian's head explodes from screaming like he has bamboo shoots being lodged under his fingernails. Like a freight train going 200 mph, they teeter almost to the point of losing control yet manage to keep it together.

There is no ray of sunshine to be found on any of the 19 tracks on this disc. Lyrically negative and tonally discordant, this is human ugliness set to noise.

8 /10 Goat horns.

Disco Pantalones 11.17.04

Jason Webley
Only Just Beginning
( Springman Records ) 2004

I don't know how to write a review for Jason Webley's Only Just Beginning. It is a record that is too good to be summed up in just a couple of paragraphs. It is a record that, once finished, leaves you thinking that the only record that would be good to listen to would be Only Just Beginning. Like all great albums, Only Just Beginning runs the gamut of majestic, original, derivative, fragile, boisterous and perfect. As I write this I am struck with the realization that if only a couple more bands would write a song as perfectly delightful as "Map", "With", or the album closer, "Coda" - I would be able to lay down my arms and retire to a stereo. Symphonies of sound, lush and majestic - I am yearning to write something about Sigur Ròs, but will not, the music is not cold, not electronic, but when it opens up.. .

I feel like I am wronging Jason by mentioning Tom Waits (his last album, Counterpoint was perfect with the exception of it sounding too much like Tom) but it is an important to acknowledge his growth as an artist. Only Just Beginning relies heavily on Jason's accordion (and other gypsy street music sounds), but in recording this album he achieved a conglomerate of absolute beauty - it doesn't sound like Waits, it sounds like Waits took a producing job with a band that I can't even describe. I don't want too - I want only to sit here and listen.

All the stars possible if one does stars. (we'll say out of a possible 5!).

- goe 09.08.05

Greg Weeks
Awake Like Sleep
( ba-da-bing! ), 2001

"Sleep, those little slices of death. How I loathe them." Poe

If you are anything like me, which I promise you would make your life hell, you collect music. Not collect it and hear it - just collect it. I will buy 10 albums in one visit to a shop, and listen to none of them immediately. Some may not get a spin for weeks, months or in most cases a solid year. I have no idea why this is, but I do it all the time. I may have read somehwere that a particular album is of my liking, and on impulse buy it. Therfore, I am just what the distributor / labels want - a chump. So be it.

In step two of our story on my personal interests, I absolutely cherish a certain zine by the name of Sound Collector. It is by far tops in a heap of worthless print. Ok, so what does all this seemingly pointless ramble have to do with Greg Weeks? Well, you see, the gentleman we speak of in this here box of text was first delivered to my CNS via Sound Collector #7 in 2001. It was an unreleased track entitled The Hollowing Heart, and it took top honors on an amazing mix. The search was on - find some Greg Weeks stuff. I did.

The 3rd Step: SO I have kinda been sitting on this cd for like 2 years, the cover art itself scared me into rehabilitation for 18 months. I did download 3 tracks from eMusic (one of which was Made, oh lord what an incredible, intense track - think a Joseph Arthur and Johnny Greenwood collaboration) even after I owned the actual disc. What a chump. When I returned home this January, I was instructed to immediately remove the plastic from the disc and listen, through headphones, to it in it's entirety. I did, I am & I will again. It's addictive. I may now have to seek additional therapy for this condition. Greg Weeks will fuck your mind, but in a gentle, sweet fuck kind of way. Using key instrumentation such as the Mellotron, Omnichord, bleeps & Mini-Moog - this man & a team of talented accompanying musicians (namely Sparhawk) will show you what it takes to make your mind a mushy field of legless mice.

I'm sinking and don't mind in the least.

kaleb ::(02/25/04).

Weevil
Drunk on Light
( Wichita ) 2005 US

". . don't turn around to see - memories will slip away.. ."

Keep in mind this when you hear the kids talking about Weevil's Drunk on Light (and the kids will be talking about this band): This album was crafted (between the summer of 2002 - 2003), mastered and available at least a year prior to the Postal Service's Give Up. Not that these kids have been trying to compare the 2 bands yet - I'm simply trying to forewarn my friends in the know and give credit where it is fact. Given, both bands have a knack for their craft (while dramatically differing) - Weevil are playing a "camera film pot full of brown rice" (it's right there in the credits, folks) - and that in itself defines an artistic difference.

I'd say if there was a proper family that Weevil (a duo consisting of Tom Betts and Jonny Picher) could be linked to, they would be the middle sibling to the younger brother South (the upbeat pattern of "Half smile") and the elder, experienced Hood. Self-described as "an electro-indie-exploit", Weevil not only have a grasp on their own unique texture of electro-atmospheric beauty (see: "handburn", "out of time"), they have also reworked the likes of Super Furry Animals (for SFA's "Hello Sunshine"). Add to that the ingenious iMinds at Apple® have snagged the 'zero's and one's' anthem of "bytecry" to help sell a few million new operating systems (the Tiger, or OS 10.4 ). Growth is on the chart for Weevil.

With 2 years to make-up for since Drunk on Light was introduced to the better part of the world (2003, Wichita UK), a welcome reception and open arms should embrace this spectacular circle of work. Read all about the dazzling duo here - there is still time for you to get in on this amazing offer!

kaleb 06.07.05

"You need an alibi, but I was inside & high". Asteriks. Asteriks usually hang around (for example) items like that great new car price that, upon closer inspection, is going to end up costing way more that the super low sticker price. Now my boys wheat* have finally scored some much deserved attention, they're even label mates with arena rocker John Mayer and all. I read over a year ago that wheat* were recording a new album with 'Hope and Adams' producer extraordinaire Dave Fridman, and I was psyched. Dave Fridman folks - Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse, Flaming Lips - yeah that Dave Fridman. As if wheat* weren't already a superb band on tiny label Sugar-Free, add some major label cash & superior production to the mix and we should have one of the top album's of 2003. Now nothing could have prepared me for the disappointment this album has delivered. The "pop" sound was always apparent, but did I miss the life-changing event that turned wheat* into a borderline CCM group (see "World United Already")?

The cover of 'per second.. ' shows a collage of hands with various clever words such as "tempted" and "pretend" written on them, while the back of the disc has more hands, 3 that are covering much of the bands eyes & mouths, all with a heart and the word "love" on the palm. It isn't until we get to the booklet inside the cd that we see the real band - laughing out loud at something that must be fairly funny. That something is us folks. This cd is so far displaced from wheat*s earlier work that the most part of 'per second' is hardly believable. Opener 'I met a girl' sounds so Counting Crows that each time I listen to it, all I can see is Adam Duritz and his shoulderlength dreads bouncing throughout my mind - not a pleasant site to accompany wheat*s music I must say. It's not until the fifth track on the album, the simplified sound of 'Go Get The Cops', that I get the impression that the band is showing signs of their past work, but I am still having trouble putting any of this sound to producer Dave Fridman. Where is the weirdness we were expecting? Where's "San Diego Part 2"? Then, as if the pictures of the band laughing are playing it for me themselves, "Some Days" opens up a whole new world of "what the fuck?" on this album. The Stones' 'Waitin' on A Friend' inspired " hoo / hoo / hoo / hoo"'s are simply unbearable - what happened?

It truly is not until the final listed track, "This Rough Magic", that wheat* surprisingly seem as if their attempt at pushing 'per second...' on us is over. The track begins with a 'Kid A'-like swirl of sound that leads to a sparse drum & organ soundtrack. The lyrics are finally making sense and the production is beginning to sound closer to something Fridman would put his name on. A beautiful ethereal trumpet fills in when the singing stops - then, it's over. What just happened? Wait - Bonus Track! Damn - this sounds even better. The overdone reverb and backing vocals that haunted most of the entire album are gone. A Marc Bianchi-style programmed beat fills the speakers as - wait - this is a track off of 1999's "Hope and Adams". Damn, it's a remix of "Don't I Hold You" - what is this doing here? How did these 2 tracks end up here - and why is one of the best few tracks unlisted and buried in the back? Wheat, I love(d) you - let me know what's going on here.

The guys are currently on tour supporting comeback girl Liz Phair - and that sadly says alot in itself. What crowd Columbia had in mind for 'per second..." is certainly unclear, but fans of the wheat from 5 years back take note - the asterik is there for a reason. From wheatmusic.com: "I'm glad I'm not as unhappy as I once thought I was," [ singer / guitarist Scott ] Levesque concludes. Here's to being happy I suppose. I miss you guys.

When The Sun Goes Down, Vol. 10: East Virginia Blues
Various Artists
( Bluebird ) 2004

Who'd o' thunk that a couple of movies would add to the momentum of the "roots" (or, as "we" would say in W. PA, "rhuts") music scene? Why, I'm speaking, of course, of O Brother Where Art Thou and Cold Mountain, the soundtracks of which were loaded with olde Americana sounds heretofore little heard outside of non-commercial radio stations. [And you know what? That stuff struck a chord with a lotta folks who crave music that sounded great 45 years or so ago and will likely sound boss next year, too.] Whether or not those cultural phenoms had anything to do with some Major Labels reaching into their histories and releasing compilations like this one, the latest in Bluebird's (a division of RCA/BMG) When The Sun Goes Down series, subtitled "The Secret History of Rock & Roll." The latter subtitle/claim is sometimes a bit of a stretch, yet if that be the Marketing Tool needed to get collections like this into the Marketplace, the so be it. Previous editions of When…Down have primarily focused on various pre-WWII blues styles that, directly or indirectly, laid the groundwork for rock & roll (& the electric blues tradition, natch) -- Vol. 10: East Virginia Blues shines light on the white vector of the equation: early country music, folk, and mountain music (part of the origins of bluegrass), which at times (hell, let's be honest: quite a bit) draws upon/makes detours into the blues.

Herein are the original versions (or close to the original, as some of these tunes' roots reach back into the 1800s) of songs that became standards, and laid the groundwork for country music (which, after a dalliance with the blues, gave birth to you-know-what). Hank Williams Sr.'s (& Merle Haggard's and…) antecedent Jimmie Rodgers (whose music was strongly influenced by blues -- & Louis Armstrong accompanied him on some recordings, though not on this collection) is here as is the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, on his own and harmonizing with brother Charlie. Former Gov. Jimmie Davis is here, singing a blues tune that would prob'ly get the "parental advisory" sticker today – this from the same guy who wrote "You Are My Sunshine." Other artists include Riley Puckett, the fantastic Blue Sky Boys, singing cowboy Gene Autry (who used to do raunchy country blues), Vernon Dalhart, and many others whose primal, lo-fi (though not primitive) sounds make Freakwater sound like Shan-eye-ya Twain and Palace Bros. like Kenny Rogers. [Note: no sleight intended against Freakwater or Palace...really.]

Mark Keresman ::(06.25.04).

WHY?
Elephant Eyelash
( -anticon ), 2004

Curse the thesaurus! Words come with great difficulty when presented with the latest release by Why? on anticon. Elephant Eyelash is eclectic, catchy, free-spirited, and deep. However, to constrain it within those words would be a discredit to what's actually on this album.

Billed as underground folk-hiphop meets indie rock, Why? doesn't really fit within those confines, either. Yoni Wolf is a storyteller, sharing both off-the-cuff observations and stories of the roads he's traveled. It's easy to picture one's self walking down the street talking with him, listening as he talks - instead of popping a disc in the players. Yet this protagonist is a little off-kilter.. . putting things one may have subconsciously noticed into words that evoke memories, little things that seems to pass by mostly unnoticed in one's daily life.

Elephant Eyelash is rife with clever intricacies that speak volumes of a well-crafted songs both sonically as well as musically; the loops are clever, the hooks dig deep, and the groove is very catchy. Some bits are intentionally low fidelity, and layered over them are scintillating guitars, brain-tweaking synths, and shimmering cymbals that might just give one pause.

A listener may very easily find themselves thinking "What?" more readily than "Why?" on the first listen, but after a few more spins the ingenuity sinks in, the groove syncs up with the brain, and the questions dribble away. Elephant Eyelash is familiar without regurgitation, leaving behind the solitary question of where more can be had.

Dr. Dulcet :: 10.04.05

Wilco
A Ghost is Born
( Nonesuch ) 2004

"is anything worth singing? it doesn't help"

Jeff Tweedy was broken. He's been broken. Now he is fixed, but the fact that remains is he was still broken when Ghost was recorded. I thought I liked the broke Jeff. No, I know I like Jeff Tweedy, and his band of brothers known as Wilco.

'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' was never to be the commercial success it was / is / will always be. With that masterpiece, it was also the mysterious content and the records timing. How could a band create music so unbelievably in sync with the turmoil America was about to be cast into? Sure - politics & war are a huge part of all genres, but lines like "tall buildings shake / voices escape singing sad, sad songs" is pretty fucking freaky for a post 9/11 album that had been floating around for quite some time. 'Being There' is where it's at anyway, I will always be the kid in the crowd screaming for an encore of "Blasting Fonda" and "What's the World Got in Store". That's the Wilco I adore.

As for 'A Ghost is Born', I just don't understand it as an entire album. Not like YHF was an album you could put a label on ("I am an American aquarium drinker"?) - but this has some valleys I'm stuck in. 'I'm a wheel', what's this all about? "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 / I'm a wheel / I'm a whee-al". I'm praying I wake up one day and love this song, but for now - I'd rather sleep. Could this be, several albums deep in a fine bands career, their follow-up slump? No, because Ghost does have moments of absolute sunshine on a cold face - like "Wishful Thinking". What begins as the random swirls that later carry this album to a depth-less grave (yeah, those 3 hours of metallic grind at the end of "Less Than You Think") slowly fades in to one of the most promising Wilco songs this side of "How to Fight Loneliness" (from 'summerteeth'). "Muzzle of Bees", not only being a great name for anything, is another fine moment for the boys. "I'm assuming you got my message on your machine / I'm assuming you love me and you know what that means" is the motto, spoken atop a delicate collection of strings and steady, electronic-ish drumbeat - only gaining momentum long enough to startle the neighbors.

Wilco love us, and we love Wilco, so let's give it up for 10 years of "us" and make sweet love to the entire collection.

kaleb :: (07.02.04).

Winter Solstice
The Pusle Is Overrated
( Harvest Earth ) 2004

I have 2 thoughts to share. One of these 2 thoughts is an opinionated statement based on the 4 incredible songs contained in this newest EP by one Winter Solstice - 'The Pulse is Overrated'. To the factual point - it's a damn fine offering by five god-fearing young men. I was beating my steering wheel so fast in a attempt to keep up with the Dukes drumming, I damn near shattered the entire column. It's a slight surprise I didn't set the thing to flames in a fit of live Solstice imitation. The lyrics - they're in there, but the only moment you are not going not need the cheat sheet is midway through 'Malice in Wonderland', when the following is spoken as if a personal message: "We walk everywhere with sheets over our heads / praying they won't recognize us". Heads with sheets on them don't bring to mind the kindest of kids, but reminds me of the type that set fire to crosses.

5+ minute 'L'Aeroport' is the track that will sell you - it comes closer to cusping the blast / spazzcore edge than any track on display here - all at 6 times in length the normal track of it's caliber [see: Daughters] a keeper for damn sure. Vocalist Matt Tarpey (of Norma Jean, Underoath touring support) holds an advantage over a truckload of frontmen on the hardcore scene to date. Only real concern on my part is the abrupt ending to That's How You Debate, seemingly cutting off the final line only to resurface with a "boo-yah" and what-not. Otherwise, this 4-song is virtually glitch-free.

As for the second (edited) though - the Jesus is overrated. It's been a long time coming, and I am sure not the only corrupt individual who thinks so. The hardcore / nu-metal / hostile-scene has it's fair share of bands who proclaim their indebted love to the man in the clouds, but for me - this takes a touch of the bite out of the sound. Yeah - call it lame, call it a "cry for help" - but know that if this opinion hit you as hard I feel it, your dancing evening would be finished. After you swallow that grain - the first thought remains: these guys have crafted a colossal EP.

God bless the Winter Solstice - with JC on your side, there is nowhere to go but up.

kaleb :: (04.01.04).

With Dead Hands Rising
Behind Inquisition
( Life Sentence ) 2002

' we used to be pussweeds ... but now we're metal '

Metal is right ... Metal-fucking-core. This cd will destroy you. Blending elements of BTBAM style vocals and Darkest Hour-swedishesque metal, With Dead Hands Rising tears through 11 tracks of pure fucking metal fury. The lyrics are all pretty much the same for each song, so it's a good thing you can barely make anything out the entire cd.

But for listening purposes, they know what they're doing ... just don't read the booklet. At times it seems like a song is being drug out until they go into an intense fit of breakdown after breakdown that make you wanna spin kick your dog just for tilting its head while it watches you unkowingly headbang to each song. If you don't like bands such as Red Chord (and the aforementioned) Darkest Hour and BTBAM then definately buy this cd and give it a spin ...

ray ::(03.29.04)

Transistor Transistor / Wolves
Transistor Transistor / Wolves split
( Level-Plane ) 2004

The fucking revolution just may depend on one of these two crews of jaded beasts. The FUCKING REVOLUTION... .

Blistering, blinding and breaking - this split gets off on a heavy foot with 'transisitor transisitor vs the narcs' and continues to trounce for the remaining 7 tracks, 4 from NH's transistor x 2 and the final half from MA's Wolves. If the song title weren't enough to light a fire in your barren soul ('I Am the Goddamned Devil'), the sounds will surely make your feet shuffle. Knowing them for the Beatles fans they truly are, 'Paul is Dead' has nothing to do with the rumors. Prepare to fuck or be fucked with 8 tracks - most channelling & heavily amplifying the white noise that resides in your minds 'killer' region. Wolves continue in this vein of maiming - tossing out a streamline of compositions simply numbered 17 - 20. On 19, the lead wolf claims he "want(s) the sound - the sound of the city burning down" - fine then, you've mastered it.

The next Troubleman Mixtape awaits the both of you.

+k ::(06.18.04)

Woody Whatever
The Great Pop
( IONIK ) 2005

Now this is some catchy goodness - Woody Whatever! I'd send (a copy that is - I'm keeping my own) this one to any of my friends who ever mentioned a love for the Twin Atlas (hear: "Drive an Uncle Through the Mountains:), a head nod towards Mazarin or a general fascination with duos that make sounds a band of five wished they could.

Handclaps*, harmonies ("I Booked a Flight") and a steady flow of casio-tinged beats - Woody Whatever are rockin' the proper set of influences from the past 30 years. I'm guessing there are some Zombies, a few Beach Boys and maybe even some Danzig GBV laying around the house. The notes contained in this eleven-song player reveal two Ohio!ans with the last name Schmall - so be it brotherly love or just a really bizarre series of pairings, this album is to be cherished and enjoyed over fancy drinks and choice snacks.

Woody Whatever may be the last American band won't have to worry about drawing comparisons to Radiohead, 'cause it's likely they haven't even heard of Thom Yorke & Co.. If you do get into discussion with front Woody Erik Schmall, bring up the Action - that's where the love begins.

Yes - The Great Pop indeed. If you'll excuse me - there's a Woody Whatever back catalog that needs me to find it.

*Those NOT in favor (bastard) of a healthy dose of "electronic handclaps" may want to steer clear of this one - but I wouldn't advise missing The Great Pop no matter what your preference. Yep.

jesus, keeper of the shovel and axe 05.28.05

WORLD
WORLD
( marriage ) 2005

Adam Forkner from Yume Bitzu and White Rainbow.. . - and Honey Owens from Nudge and Valet - are WORLD. Improvised, minimalist recordings using echo reverb, piano, bells, voice, tabla, and moog and other stuff.

WORLD consists of four songs. "Won't You Let Your Hair Down?" "Now Is Forever," "Come Together (live)" that are between 16-25 minutes long - and an extra song not listed.

"Won't You Let Your Hair Down" is a low, quiet song with interesting drumming, not sure what they are using as drums, and this creepy short repetitive sound thing, like it comes from a monster from some movie that I can't remember at the moment. Lots of sparse sounds here and there throughout the song. And while that is going on there is this thumping, ringing loud sound, I don't know what it is but you can feel the things in the room you are touching vibrate a little from the sound. The song then moves to light drumming and wind instrument/flute sounds. This is my favorite song on the album - just a lot going on throughout the song.

"Now is forever" consists of tinkling piano notes, an electronic low wave kind of sound moving throughout the song, twinkling wind-chime-y bell sounds, drums, and other interesting things that I don't know what they are exactly. "Come Together" was recorded live and starts with a plucking stringed instrument kind of sound and echo-y sounds throughout the song and electric-y sounds around the end.

The last untitled song is louder and shorter than the others. A noisy guitar I think, faster synthesizer sounds, drum beats and yelling vocals. It's a good song to end the album.

This album makes me want to start the improvised/chance music group that I've been wanting to for way too long but haven't gotten around to it yet.

+ with the cd, you get a WORLD poster.

Naoko, leader of the wild frontier 11.16.05