Everybody Hold Your Hands Up High, Everybody Should Be Touching The Sky

In 2011, the indie rock world was rocked to its foundation (see what I did there?) with the news that lo-fi mad genius Robert Pollard would be reuniting the 'original (basically touring) lineup' of Guided By Voices. Consisting of himself (duh), guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tobin Sprout, just guitarist Mitch Mitchell, bassist Greg Demos and drummer Kevin Fennel, they spent the early 2010s putting out brand new material and touring with a vengeance. The question on longtime GBV fans' minds was, of course, would the revival live up to the band's legacy? I personally think it overall did - but let's look at the gory details, shall we?

Right at the start of 2012, Guided By Voices came out swinging with their first reunion LP (and #17 overall), Let's Go Eat The Factory. Seriously, the official release date was January 1! Recorded at the homes of Sprout, Mitchell and Demos; and with production work credited to the band. 

What I Liked:

Generously peppered with classic pop gems - Pollard's writer's block isn't keeping him out of the game this time. Song length is the familiar mix of typical 3-4 minute rockers with 90-second wonders and half-bakers. Anyone who missed the band while they were away will feel right at home listening to LGETF, with the garage stomper 'Laundry And Lasers' making a strong start. The album's big single, 'The Unsinkable Fats Domino' (which turns out to have been inspired by the aforementioned blues legend needing a rescue from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina) is a poppy, jangly high water mark in Pollard's songwriting. A few strangely ominous tracks get scattered around the disc - the slightly gory 'The Head' and the suspicious, nay, paranoid 'Hang Mr. Kite' on side 1 and the noisefest of 'Either Nelson' on side 2. There are some nice balladish strumfests ('Doughnut For A Snowman', 'Chocolate Boy') and some other bright pop-rockers ('God Loves Us', 'How I Met My Mother', 'Waves'). Some tracks have that delightful 4-track lo-fi charm, others (and generally where appropriate) have bright studio polish - and aside from the last quarter, the track arrangement provides a thorough back-and-forth arcoss this variety.

What I Didn't Like:

Robert Pollard sometimes needs a second opinion on what makes sense to even release. As an example from this album I give you the quasi-psychedelic murk of 'The Big Hat And Toy Show'. If it were a 30-60 second transitional snippet, it might get away with being on this disc. Nope. It's over two minutes. And while we're at it, Tobin Sprout contributes a counterpart in 'The Things That Never Need' - which is less janky at just 1:11. And if only the track order was slightly different - something else should've closed out the album besides the plodding 'We Won't Apologize For The Human Race'. Speaking of, those last five or six songs all have a rundown, goof-offish mood to them (except the strangely moodless and cumbersomely-titled but otherwise listenable stomper 'Cyclone Utilities (Remember Your Birthday)'. Needs a reshuffle or a track dropped. 

In Conclusion:

While there are enough gems in the mix to earn my approval, in the long run this was a warm-up for the next couple of albums - a chance to see what the band could still do - and not a wasted chance, either. Only giving a few hints at what lay ahead, jumbled with some missteps. Still, LGETF is a good album on its own merits. 

Only six months later, GBV popped out (the beginning of a furious pace of releases) their reunion follow-up, the strangely nostalgically-titled Class Clown Spots A UFO. Released on not-quite-clear vinyl (it's green like the glass in an old Coca-Cola bottle! That's too cool) as standard (even cooler), this album, as hinted before, would take the band's sonic achievements to a new freakin' level my mind is blown oh my god 

What I Liked:

THIS. ALBUM. IS. FANTASTIC. I have no idea how but Pollard and crew have crafted CCSAUFO perfectly. This album is basically a new Bee Thousand, and better yet, the songs flow into one another as though there were no other way to do it. 'He Rises! Our Union Bellboy' cracks things open in its own quirky, shambolic glory. 'Blue Babbleships Bay' hits like the footfall of a giant, and fills up the room - probably the most fantastic bombast to ever be crammed into a mere 78 seconds or so. 'Jon The Croc' is at once heavy, plaintive and reptilian ominous. 'Worm W/7 Broken Hearts" (dafuq) comes at you with explosive anguish, 'Forever Until It Breaks' charmingly plods, 'All Of This Will Go' is a perfectly sad/poppy track, and 'Billy Wire' is a a basic, stupid (yes that's a compliment) and unnecessarily catchy power pop-rocker. Interestingly, 'Chain to The Moon', 'Fly Baby' and 'Be Impeccable' all have this interesting hollow, depressive sound that's hard to describe, but interesting. And that brings up another thing that I think makes this album stand out among GBV efforts - the sequencing. If these tracks were in any other order, I don't think they'd have quite the same effect on me. Like I mentioned before, the album flows from idea to idea not predictably but still appropriately. If you front-loaded this album with the rock and the best-executed ideas like a U2 album tends to be, it wouldn't work and I'd be saying this might have been better as a pared-down EP. But no. Hell no. This. Album. Works. And last but most definitely not least, I cannot spend enough time lionizing the title track. 'Class Clown Spots A UFO' might just be the absolute perfect GBV song. Yes, it's a reworking of the older 'Crocker's Favorite Song' (wonder what Crocker, whoever he is, thought of the new version) but it's so much more than that. It's that growing-up sort of emotion,  that Pollard surely has drawn from his teaching experience and distilled, crystallized in the lyrics. I mean, think about that title just by itself - what does that say? What does being caught in that position feel like? I'll tell you - it feels like this song. The melody strikes exactly the right tone to match the lyrics, and I cannot get enough of it. Robert Pollard may have thrown one no-hitter in college baseball; but 'Class Clown...' is surely his furthest musical home run. 

What I Didn't Like:

Short list. The album drags just a bit around the last quarter. Either 'The Opposite Continues' or 'Be Impeccable' could have been left off and wouldn't have been missed. And it's obvious that the horns on 'Class Clown...' are synths - but it honestly doesn't bother me. It's just... obvious. And that might bother some out there (but I'm telling you, don't sweat it!).

In Conclusion:

Easily in my all-time top ten albums. There's no question about that. Everybody should hear this one.

One more for 2012 - The Bears For Lunch came out in November, with Class Clown... only just five moths previous. This one's much more rock-oriented, and I can't quite call it a match to Alien Lanes as Class Clown... was to Bee Thousand. That said, it's still to a very high standard. 

What I Liked:

There's still a lot to like here. We kick off strong with the blazing 'King Arthur The Red', end in epic bombast with 'Everywhere Is Miles From Everywhere', and hit most of the usual GBV high notes in between. The first half actually slows down for a while after the opening assault - the slow burn of 'Hangover Child' being a high point, followed by the quirky 'Dome Rust'. 'Finger Gang' and 'The Challenge Is Much More' bring us back to rocking; we get the folky but anthemic 'Waving at Airplanes' and then the strangely somber 'The Military School Dance Dismissal'; and 'White Flag', an upbeat rocker, finishes out side one. Side two, I think, is paced a little better (although 'TMSDD' really comes out of freaking nowhere at the end of side one) and I can't find a bum track here either. 'Skin To Skin Combat' has a poppy beat; 'Tree Fly Jet' and 'Amorphous Surprise' are weird but break things up interestingly; and 'She Lives In An Airport' is a somewhat dark hard rocker that surely must be one of GBV's longest songs (not that there's anything wrong with that). Two acoustic tracks slow things down a bit, both decent gems - 'Waking Up The Stars' is a Tobin Sprout-penned ditty (almost like a lullaby) and 'You Can Fly Anything Right' is basically Pollard's intro to 'Everywhere...'. 

What I Didn't Like:

I dunno, there's just not that much to say that I dislike, but that's part of the problem. It's a great album, but something about it just keeps it back from being as great in my mind as Class Clown... and I can't quite put my finger on it. I guess one could say that it's highs aren't as high, although maybe they're a little more consistent? Not sure. 

In Conclusion: 

A very respectable effort from from Pollard & Co. Certainly a must-hear, probably a must-own, but I don't see it as making anybody's top five albums anytime soon. 

I Am A Scientist, I Seek To Understand Me, All Of My Impurities And Evils Yet Unknown

GBV! GBV! GBV! Dayton, OH's own indie and lo-fi rock demigods Guided By Voices have racked up quite an impressive tally of albums thanks to lead singer Robert Pollard's inability not to write songs; and the two albums that put them on the map in a big way were the '94 Bee Thousand and '95 Alien Lanes. I really don't think they had any finer documents of their sound besides these two albums - at least until the vaunted original lineup reunited in 2011.

This is where it began for so many music fans and for me as well. Bee Thousand got the band noticed, by an order of magnitude greater than the previous albums Propeller (1991) and Vampire On Titus (1993) had. The lineup isn't quite represented in a solidified form, as some of the tracks are home recordings made years earlier. Really, the group largely worked like a collective before this album, with informal meets to rock out in various members' basements and garages; whoever showed up to play got a chance. The usual suspects are all here: Robert Pollard on vocals and some guitar; Tobin Sprout on vocals, guitar, bass guitar, and piano; Mitch Mitchell on guitar; Greg Demos on bass guitar; and Kevin Fennel on drums. Others, who came and went on the early recordings are Robert's brother Jim Pollard, and also Dan Toohey on bass guitar; Don Thrasher on drums, and Randy Campbell on backing vocals. Funny thing - this album almost didn't get made since Pollard considered breaking up the band after Propeller's middling success; and the disc had several proposed track listings which variously included about 30 additional tracks that largely didn't see the light of day until the 10th anniversary 'Director's Cut' version of the album. The version I own is the recent Scat Records re-pressing of the original track listing, in a very nice gatefold. So how should I try to explain one of the greatest indie rock albums of all time to my readers? Dunno, but I'll attempt to anyway!

What I Liked:

First of all, you have to understand what the lo-fi aesthetic means to certain people. For those making records this way, often it means that the record gets made at all. Others have found that the sound has a certain, unique character. One of the early GBV records (Sandbox, I think) was in fact done clean and polished in a proper studio, and Pollard found the sound far too sterile for his tastes. By comparison, Bee Thousand has a sort of earthy, pleasantly janky honesty to it's weird echoes, unavoidable bits of feedback and distortion, and occasional glitches (e.g. the guitar dropping out on 'Hardcore UFOs'). But all by itself, this vintage home-movie aesthetic wouldn't be enough to lift this record to the prominent position it holds in my collection. Robert Pollard has such a knack for penning wildly out-there lyrics that seem to be an enigma yet to be comprehended or layers to be peeled away (as opposed to a Dylan-esque word salad). He doubles down by pairing that with truly fine power pop (often like The Who or possibly The Rolling Stones; but with a fair amount of post-British Invasion garage and psychedelia blended in) melodies and killer power riffs - e.g. 'Hardcore UFOs', 'Gold Star For Robot Boy'. This is balanced with Tobin Sprout's contributions of more gentle, intimate acoustic-driven tracks with hints of Lennon/McCartney-esque lyrics ('Awful Bliss', Ester's Day). While it's a very garage-rock sounding record, in the end it's the emotional resonance that makes this record work. It's a difficult mood to describe, but the feeling of a complete flight of fancy takes root in a lot of the tracks. It's somehow a very daydreamy, or uplifting record at times! Some of the tracks paint vivid pictures ('Peep-Hole', 'Hot Freaks') while others just beg to be given a meaning or be deciphered (the majority, but especially 'Tractor Rape Chain' and 'The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory'). Even so, king on this record is possibly Pollard's greatest achievement, 'I Am A Scientist'. With echoey guitars, a riff that exudes memorability and coolness, and a delightfully enigmatic set of lyrics that I've always felt to be the definitive statement on the complexity of the human condition. A glowing description, I know; but seriously, just listen to it already and tell me I'm not on to something. When so much of this album is so intriguing and nothing short of a treat for the ears, singling out best songs seems rather unnecessary. 

What I Didn't Like:

There's so little, but in a few spots, anarchy seems a bit dominant; see 'A Big Fan Of The Pigpen', 'Her Psychology Today', and the slide whistle (or something) that disrupts 'Demons Are Real'. Besides that, things that would detract from the sound for almost any other band manage to add to the charm of this disc, as I described above. It's very counterintuitive.

In Conclusion:

Look, it's high on lists of great albums for a reason. The title of this post uses lyrics from 'I Am A Scientist' because I couldn't think of anything more fitting. It's a fantastic listen, and unless you end up with more than one GBV album in your possession, you'll never hear anything like it. Everyone, and I mean everyone, should hear this once. 

One year later, GBV found themselves in a contract with Matador Records for the follow-up to Bee Thousand. With the lineup consisting primarily of Pollard, Sprout, and Fennel, and partially of Demos, Mitchell, Toohey, Jim Pollard, Larry Keller, Gary Phillips and (future rock critic) Jim Greer, the band (such as it was!) delivered Alien Lanes, a more consistent record with a little bit more to chew on - both in length and depth of ideas. Greer would report in his GBV biography that the advance Matador gave the band was close to the six-figure mark, while the cost to actually record Alien Lanes was about ten bucks (beer doesn't count). So how does $99,990 worth of PBR sound What do I think of it? Read on! For reference, this is the Matador 20th anniversary release, and I suspect it may now be out of print.

What I Liked:
Still utilizing the same weatherbeaten sound, GBV puts out a record with more consistency, and Robert Pollard brings his songwriting to a more mature and complex level with this album - as far as iI know, none of these recordings are rescued from ten-year-old tapes; Alien Lanes was the first major GBV album to be recorded in one go. And I mean that literally - most of GBV's tracks are first or second takes. One of the advantages of this approach is that earnest undercurrent that much of their best material possesses. Moving from Bee Thousand to Alien Lanes, the boys bring out a blend of harder rock and far more jangly power pop that's unmistakable. It's probably best exemplified by 'Motor Away', the hard-rocking super-upbeat linchpin of the album; immediately preceding is 'Auditorium', which presents a nice lead-in and the change between the two is delightful mood whiplash. 'Blimps Go 90', 'Closer You Are', 'A Good Flying Bird' and probably 'Little Whirl' are some of the most pleasant pop gems I've ever heard - perhaps a bit fluffy, but decidedly nice. The epic 'King And Caroline' and loomingly martial 'Striped White Jets' provide some depth and danger. Meanwhile, 'Game Of Pricks' and 'My Valuable Hunting Knife' hits some of the relatability and vulnerability of 'I Am A Scientist' on the last disc. Pollard begins to assemble a real collection of mature and insightful lyrics. Opener 'A Salty Salute' and closing quasi-instrumental 'Alright' make nice bookends for the experience with very similar sounds (and the former being a legit tribute to the drunks of the world!). It's certainly the equal of Bee Thousand, and taking the two together is probably the best introduction to GBV possible.

What I Didn't Like:
'They're Not Witches' and "Chicken Blows' don't sound finished (always a danger with GBV) and 'The Ugly Vision' (how apt) sounds too slow for this disc. And the two real shorties, 'Hit' and 'Gold Hick' are both rather bizarre, even thought they're listenable. Oh, and whoever slept through 'Ex-Supermodel' should drink more coffee.

In Conclusion:
A second fantastic album from the Dayton boys and a most worthy follow-up to Bee Thousand. If you're going to listen to one, there's no reason not to hear the other. What more can I say about Alien Lanes that I haven't already said about Bee Thousand?

Forget The Invitations, Floral Arrangements And Breadmakers

Last year, Toronto indie rockers Alvvays made their debut in a fantastic way with this self-titled effort. Thanks to the World Cafe on WYEP, I was introduced to this quintet of retro-jangly pop-rockers; vocalist/guitarist Molly Rankin, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan, guitarist Alec O'Hanley, bassist Brian Murphy, and drummer Phil MacIsaac. So how do they stack up? 

What I Liked:

Y'know, I keep writing these gushing reviews. One of these days, I really should listen to something that sucks. I mean, dang but if Alvvays' sound doesn't sound perfectly assembled! Molly's lead guitar and vocals mesh perfectly with Kerri's ivorys and Alec's rhythm guitar; Brian and Phil hold them together simply and subtly, but still solidly. I can't think of a moment where anything sounds out of place and I daresay the aesthetic is one of the best crafted I've ever heard - it's very, very jangly and late-60's pop sounding, like the sound of a bubblegum group that's grown up and matured after a decade or two. And those moods! It's such a delightfully plaintive record from start to finish (a little more on that later) and it's a wonderful sort of cathartic melancholy. Even songs meant to be happy-sounding have just that latent twinge of sadness, like a knowledge that it's all temporary. I don't know how to say it any better. And thanks to creative space management in the stereo mix, it's a pretty fun album for headphones. And those lyrics! Molly's vocals, largely unassisted, are so wistful and yes, plaintive (I love this word for this album), that I can't find a better metaphor for it all than (and I quote [myself]) 'beautiful heartbreak'. 'Adult Diversion' has that stalkerish spookiness; 'Archie, Marry Me' is the most wonderful heartache I've ever heard on vinyl; 'Ones Who Love You' and 'Red Planet' is superbly unrequited; 'Next Of Kin' is the poppiest I've ever heard tragedy sound; 'Party Police' is the sort of thing that closing time at the bar was made for; 'The Agency Group' is so delightfully mournful; 'Dives' is slight but memorable; 'Atop A Cake' is almost the anti-'Archie...' but has such a very similar emotional resonance that it's like they're two sides of the same coin. And one thing that really makes this album so interesting is the transitions between certain songs; it's almost like they went into the studio and did it in one take, largely without any break in sound. It's a nice reminder of the continuity of the disc. 

Best Songs: All of them?

What I Didn't Like:

My only serious complaint is that 'Red Planet' seems underproduced. It's just missing something, like the hook is underdeveloped or something. I dunno. Especially for the last track of the album. It's a go-out on a whimper rather than a bang. Even so, I can't think of another song on the album that could take that penultimate spot without leaving a hole in its current spot. Maybe one more track would have done it. 

An Observation: 

In this case, a literal one. 

Molly Rankin, you're adorable.

I made sure to see Alvvays at the Pittsburgh Arts Festival last year on WYEP Day. I came away very impressed with them live; and is it just me, or is lead singer Molly Rankin a delightful little blonde Canadian elf? Seriously, she's cool. 

And a wonderful time was had by all. 

And a wonderful time was had b-hey! That's MY line!

...actually, I do have one observation I'd like to make, something that I don't quite understand. When Alvvays came to WYEP to do a Live & Direct session, Molly explained 'Archie, Marry Me' as being "pro-young-love but not pro-marriage", which doesn't make sense to me. Primarily because there's nothing in the song that seems to indicate such a thing. I swear, that statement threatens to subvert the song. 

In Conclusion:

Although I disagree with NME's assertion that it's a soundtrack for a summer romance, I am in love with the perfect sound and mood of this band! It's such a fantasically jangly and melancholy record that I can't help but be sucked right in, never to return to the world of the non-Alvvays. Please listen to this and understand why I am so obsessed with this band!

I am no stranger to modern unironic rock demigods The Black Keys, but their latest release, Turn Blue, was a little, well, stranger than I expected. Did guitarist Dan Auerbach, drummer Patrick Carney, and some other dudes brought in for the session keep to their arena-rockin' new sound from El Camino? Not... really. I'll explain. 

What I Liked:

This album is a vivid departure from the boys' usual blues-rock sound. Turn Blue reminds me a LOT of Pink Floyd between Syd Barrett's departure and Dark Side Of The Moon. They've gone very spooky here. This is smoky 70's nightclub music with a fearsomely enveloping dark side. My personal favorite has become the soaring, near-psychedelic 'Bullet In The Brain'. I think it's the finest example of this record's strengths. A killer riff with the soaring psych guitar line, a surprise shift into a faster-paced tack than the intro predicts, and a tense (almost suspenseful) bass. The songwriting is great, and the super dark mood is largely unavoidable all over the record. 'Weight Of Love', 'Turn Blue', and '10 Lovers' all have a great slow, Motown-soul sound; while 'Fever' is surprisingly danceable with its frantic riff, and so is 'It's Up To You Now' with its boogie beat. The multi-paced, piano-driven (also some organ - on the solo, especially) 'In Our Prime' is great melancholy, as well. The only real anomaly is the closing 'Gotta Get Away', which has a power blues-rock riff pulled straight from the Akron boys' last record, El Camino; the track is easily one of the most fun in the Keys' discography, being so Midwest-roadtrip sunny. It's a real shift in gears for the capstone of the whole experience. 

Best Songs: 'Bullet In The Brain', but you already knew that; 'Fever', 'Turn Blue', 'Gotta Get Away', and as a real dark horse I'd say 'In Our Prime'. 

What I Didn't Like:

I dunno, despite how great this album is, a few tracks just aren't unique enough to be completely memorable to me. In particular, I have trouble remembering 'In Time', 'Year In Review', and 'Waiting On Words' if they're not playing. The caveat being that they're good songs, but they just don't have the same kind of hook or energy that 'Bullet In The Brain' or 'Fever' do. And as far as energy goes, it tends to be the more energetic (or powerful, e.g. 'Weight Of Love' or 'Turn Blue') songs that are the more memorable.

In Conclusion:

In my opinion, Dan and Pat haven't made any serious missteps yet (aside from letting Brothers drag on a bit; but that's just hipster me showing my alleged pop bias) and I say that Turn Blue comes as a full success. It's a great change of style, and yet as surprising as it was when it came out, it makes so much sense after repeated listens. A must listen!

Let's go back to 1973, and spin an album regarded a classic. Deep Purple's immediate followup to the epic Machine Head was the gold-selling album Who Do We Think We Are!, which made it to number 15 on the US charts and featured the hit single 'Woman From Tokyo'. This album was also the last to feature the 'Mk. 2' lineup; with Ian Gillian on vocals, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. I mean, at this point, we've all heard 'Woman From Tokyo', being one of the band's signature songs, but how does the full disc stack up?

What I Liked:

I recall that the Eastern Roman empress Theodora once said that "The purple makes the noblest shroud.". Well, replace shroud with album, noblest with epic, and The with Deep, and you've definitely got a good idea of what's great about WDWTWA! as much as any of Deep Purple's classic albums. This is the band at a real musical peak! It's mainly a showcase for the talents of Blackmore and Lord - guitar and keyboard drive this album in equal measure, and both musicians show off their capabilities in classic form. The crowning achievement here is 'Woman From Tokyo', no two ways about it. A big rock anthem for the ages, the track might be the greatest display of what made Deep Purple a true rock tour de force.The meaty riff, the teasing build of the intro, the spacey bridge, and even the wordplay-filled allusions to Japan - how could this not be a huge hit? 'Super Trooper's phased vocals make it pretty cool, and the driving 'Smooth Dancer' is pretty fun too. 'Rat Bat Blue' has a super fun boogie-feeling riff; surely it must have been as fun to play as it is to listen! It's actually pretty danceable, too! A fantastic deep cut from the Purple's discography, even if the solo gets a bit crazy. And 'Our Lady' is an epic cut, awesomely bombastic (which is how I always thought an album should end) and with some neat keyboard work from Jonny Boy. 

What I Didn't Like:

Remember when I complained about 'Eat The Rich' by British Lions? I feel the same way about 'Mary Long', except it's got the major star power and it just doesn't help! It's actually wearisome to listen to. Musical tirades are still tirades. Bonus points for some clever and witty turns of phrase, but they're not enough to save it. 'Place In Line' starts off kinda metallic-sludgy; it does nothing for me until the big change - which is pretty peppy blues-rock in comparison! If it were the other way around, or if the metal sludge beginning had been dropped or played like the second part, it might be different. 

An Observation: 

A bonus is to be found on gatefold editions; the newspaper clippings of reports about the band and some of their shows actually makes for an interesting read! One is simply the headline '[Deep] Purple Devastate Edinburgh'. 'Nuff said. Also, for some reason, my copy has the track (mis?)spelled 'Woman From Tokayo' on the sleeve. Huh?

In Conclusion:

May I never be separated from Deep Purple. Despite being the penultimate album of what is arguably their creative pinnacle, Who Do We Think We Are shows no sign of the changes that were to come; I can only imagine that they came as a surprise to the fans. If they had stuck to this sound, and not changed the lineup, maybe rock history might be different. But even so, this is a great album despite a few minor blights, and one I'm glad to have in my collection. 

You Can't Blame The Cynic's Pride

From 2006 until earlier this year, Brooklyn-based quartet Obits had a raucous, surf-tinged punk sound. With Rick Froberg - formerly of post-hardcore bands Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu - as frontman, that should come as no surprise. So how does Moody, Standard And Poor stack up?

What I Liked:
Let me dispel one prejudice you may have about this album: it's definitely not a pegged-dial hardcore album. It's pretty hard-hitting, but it's not extreme. I'd say it's really no harder than early Ramones records, and it's generally more melodic, actually. Froberg and Sohrab Habibion are on rhythm and lead guitar, respectively; Greg Simpson hammers out the bass; and Scott Gursky rounds out on drums. It's a very simple sound; with garage rock and punk beats and riffs (more on that later). The most memorable song is 'Shift Operator', with a Pixies-like attack/retreat for a melody and one of two vocals by Habibion. A high-voltage bass, catchy surf-style riffage, a sweet backbeat, and a plaintive vocal make a nicely dark track that I keep getting stuck in my head - this is everything they do right. 'Naked To The World' is a brighter track that contends for second place. 'Spot The Pikey' is an instrumental that sounds randomly tossed off, but still manages to be a fun ride - and when the band shouts the title in the middle, it just makes me smile. I like 'New August' too, getting a little more sinister and with a real edge. It's also cool how it builds from the long instrumental intro to the verses. 'Standards', the other Habibion vocal, works well despite a cookie-cutter setup.

What I Didn't Like:
The sound is somewhat tinny! It's one of the few records I've heard that I can say was too underproduced, of all things. The force of the music is borne by Froberg's vocals and his and Habibion's guitars and that's not quite strong enough. There's no presence from the rhythm section; Gursky pounds out his part all right despite a pretty stock performance in general, but there's certainly not enough thud from Simpson. It ends up sounding somewhat lo-fi, but without the lighthearted charm that made Guided By Voices fun to listen to. This record sounds sloppy in some other ways; there's some overly loose changes in melody and riff, even in 'Shift Operator' (although it kinda works there). Riffage tends to sound underdeveloped or simplistic or unoriginal somewhat often. Of the songs not mentioned above, they tend to sound very similar, especially Froberg's vocals. He almost never lets up in belting it out. I do find myself getting weary of his voice after too long.

In Conclusion:
It's not too bad an album, but I think in places it tries too hard to be a hard-fi locore album (if that is such a thing). If you're not feeling brave or ready for a challenge, you could just cherry-pick the best songs.

Last year saw the release of The New Pornographers' sixth album, Brill Bruisers. I've heard key Pornographer A. C. Newman call it a 'celebration record' - that he wrote much of it without anything in his life dragging him down. And I have to say that it lives up to such a description! How so, exactly?

What I Liked:
The New Pornographers seem to have a talent for hooky and simply beautiful pop harmonies and melodies, and it shows in spades on Brill Bruisers. The production is bright and very smooth; it makes the record sound genuinely fun! Virtually the whole album is great; so I'm just going to pick out my personal favorite tracks. With a wonderfully bombastic title track as an opener, the album starts really well. The slower beat does nothing to indicate the high energy pop that's coming later on, but it's funky and fun. 'Champions Of Red Wine' is dreamy and delightful but energetic; 'Fantasy Fools' is great bright power pop. The track that has managed to become my favorite on the album is 'War On The East Coast'; it's energetic, bombastic, soaring superpower pop with a subtly sinister undertone. You wouldn't think that a harmonica would find a place in a song like this, but here it works nicely!And the first single and the track that keyed me into the band, 'Dancehall Domine', simply is fun frantic danceable pop; it's got a killer riff, a killer hook, a funky instrumental bridge and honestly, I just can't help but enjoy it!

What I Didn't Like:
Very little. Side B does slow down, relatively speaking, but that's tempered by the presence of 'Dancehall Domine' and the comparatively soaring power pop-octane content of Side A in general! I really don't know what to complain about - nothing about this album really bothers me in any way.

In Conclusion:

This is a fantastic album. It's the most fun I've heard committed to vinyl in a very long time! Does that sound good to you? Seriously, check it out!

Got Mashed Potato, Ain't Got No T-Bone

One classic rock legend, and one future indie-folk legend: we're checking out Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Re-ac-tor and First Aid Kit's Stay Gold.

In 1981 Neil Young and Crazy Horse were working on Re-ac-tor, a rock followup to their monumental 1978 classic Rust Never Sleeps. The previous year, Neil had gone solo on a country-heavy release called Hawks And Doves, giving Crazy Horse a break. At the same time, Neil and wife Pegi were having difficulty with a program intended to help their son, Ben - the experience of which would inform Neil's next album, Trans, although it certainly seems to have had its effect on this disc as well. So what did they accomplish?

What I Liked:
Neil, 'Poncho', Billy and Ralph are always rocking as hard as they can. They never fail to pull out all the stops when they go to record an album. And here, on the hardest rocking tracks, it shows! Although a bit goofy, 'Opera Star' is pretty wild and nicely polished for the band; 'Southern Pacific' is as mournful and serious as it is loud; and closer 'Shots' nigh-upon flips out. The vocal hooks in 'Opera Star' kinda make me giggle, by the way. 'Surfer Joe And Moe The Sleaze' sees the boys playing it cool for a track, and they do it pretty well. The songwriting is on when it's on; 'Southern Pacific' is probably the best-written track of the effort, with that spooky refrain. 'Shots', for it's madness, paints an evocative picture. I swear, this song is like a car crash. It's messed up, but you can't look away. And you can feel the continuity between this album and Rust Never Sleeps; 'Southern Pacific' and 'Rapid Transit' especially feel like sequels to 'Hey Hey My My'.
Best Songs: 'Southern Pacific' without question; probably 'Opera Star', 'T-Bone', and 'Surfer Joe...' for the next tier.

What I Didn't Like:
Neil's voice shows some signs of aging here - he's a little more strained at times. It's most evident on 'Opera Star'; you can really hear him push his voice. If anything, 'Get Back On It' and 'Motor City' aren't so spectacular; they kind of feel like 80's-tinged filler. They're not quite as full throttle as the other tracks here. Hell, 'Motor City' is Neil tricking the rest of the band into playing a shitkicker's ode to the American automobile; and 'Get Back On It' wouldn't have sounded out of place on Everybody's Rockin' a couple of years later. The treatment of most of the material feels somewhat disheveled. I have seen this album described as 'Neil Young going slumming' or 'trash-rock'; and it does have a schlocky feel at times. 'Rapid Transit' has a vocal hook that seems uninspired; Neil hisses his way into each line, and the verses aren't consistently full thoughts. 'T-Bone' and 'Shots' seem interminable; the latter in particular having a maniacal streak that I've never heard before or since from Neil. It's actually disconcerting listening to Neil having a paranoid meltdown of sorts; which is offset somewhat by it's cathartic value. Meanwhile, 'T-Bone' is so repetitive that it almost could be a Zen mantra. I don't mind so much; but your mileage may vary, especially as the song ticks towards ten minutes. The quality of the songwriting being off may be the most visible sign of Neil's distraction with the effort he and Pegi poured into caring for Ben. Otherwise, there's really nothing else to give one any clue to the situation.

In Conclusion:
While not Neil and Co.'s most substantial album, it's got a few oft-overlooked gems (all these reviewers that praise the hell out of 'Shots' - did their copy mysteriously lack 'Southern Pacific'?). Neil diehards probably already have this; fans who prefer Neil's hard side should at least try it out; and punk fans, of all people, might get a kick out of some of the craziness.

Hailing from the Stockholm, Sweden suburb of Enskede, sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg are the lead singers and songwriters of indie folk band First Aid Kit. But here's the thing - even the DJs on WYEP agree that they sound like they're from Nebraska or something! So how do they stack up?

What I Liked:
Oh my God, these ladies know how to create the most heartbreakingly beautiful harmonies. Their voices, and especially their voices together, make one of the most numinous listening experiences I've ever had the pleasure of understanding. Arrangements are lush, but still with a delicate feel; and the music is a very worthy background to their vocal performance. That is to say, vocal melodies tend to carry the songs; much of the music is there to set the overall mood, and the girls fill in everything else. Klara handles guitar, while Johanna takes care of keyboards and, on at least one track, autoharp. There's a lot of lost love and sadness in their lyrics; enough fading and ending - and fear of it - that I'm tempted to recommend this album to J.R.R. Tolkien. 'My Silver Lining', which starts the record, is probably the most affecting example; the contrast between the dark atmosphere of the music and the steely resolve of the lyrics gives the proper emotional punch. The title track has just the same impact; a wonderful lament of the passing of good things and good times. 'The Bell' is actually very similar; but seems more introspective, more subjectively focused - and also a little less dark. 'Cedar Lane' and 'Waitress Song' are both more wistful; but I personally prefer the clearer message of lost love in the former. Each side ends in a counterpoint to the previous songs; Side A ends with 'Shattered And Hollow', a reprise of the resolve and fortitude of 'My Silver Lining' with a more openly optimistic build-to-climax; while Side B builds more upbeat and hopeful until 'A Long Time Ago', the ultimate lament for love gone and never to return. Remember how I said heartbreakingly beautiful vocals? This is the song to think of. Speaking of Side B, 'Heaven Knows' is the song that introduced me to Klara and Johanna; and it's such an upbeat and country-folky jam I can't help but tap my toes and sing along. It begins so peacefully that when the girls stomp right into the chorus, it catches you utterly off guard after so much quiet and contemplative music that came ahead of it. It's a future classic, if you ask me.
Best Songs: Yes. Yes they are.

What I Didn't Like:
Aside from 'Heaven Knows' the album is uniformly languid and melancholy. For me personally, that's just fine; the depth which  their voices give the music makes it worth it. But for somebody not under their spell, it may be a bit of a downer.

In Conclusion:
I really like them! If you have a soft spot for new things in folk or really like wonderful vocal performances, you're going to like them, probably just as much as I do.

Like Some Doll You Thought You Could Throw Away, I Found My Legs

So my favorite girl rockers of the past few years broke up after a single LP. Wild Flag called it off in early 2014 because of difficulties getting Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, Mary Timony, and Rebecca Cole in one place to record a follow-up. Am I sad? A little, but I feel a lot better after the end of last year. That's when I discovered that Brownstein and Weiss got in touch with Corin Tucker and got Sleater-Kinney back together, and Timony formed Ex Hex with Laura Harris and Betsy Wright. Better yet, both bands had albums on the way! Now that they've both finally dropped, we're blogging about them today.

A reunion album by the last, best-known, and possibly most accessible band of the riot grrrl movement? Tch-yeah! This one seems to have taken the hipster music world by surprise. No record leak, no buzz or hype, almost no hint that the girls had gotten back together to make new music. So let's see what we got!

What I Liked: 

Okay, it's official. The Sickest Riff Of 2015 Award is quite likely to go to S-K for 'Bury Our Friends'. The song is an epic allusion to their comeback; and a blistering, aggressive piece of punk rock. And the ladies don't stop there - the whole album is a rockfest of dramatic proportions. Tucker and Brownstein haven't lost their ability to wield a hard-hitting guitar sound, backed by Weiss' tight drumming. I like how they can make atonal licks sound so good at times. They write lyrics that make you think, give you something to chew on mentally. 'Price Tag' starts the disc with its theme of overextension - or buyer's remorse, more likely. 'Surface Envy' and 'No Cities To Love' both put a troubled and slightly gloomy verse together with an upbeat chorus, to good effect - the former being the more dualistic of the two. I like the super upbeat and poppy feel of 'A New Wave' - which I could actually see being on the Ex Hex disc reviewed below! It's such an energetic song, with a neat vocal hook (...but a fit would be more FIT-TING! FIT-TING!) that I keep getting stuck in my head. The irony of a true rock anthem being titled 'No Anthems' is not lost on me, but it's a true face-melter, and prepares you for the sinisterly cathartic 'Gimme Love'. My personal favorite from the album is, as you probably guessed, 'Bury Our Friends'. It's just so heavy and makes such an impact when it hits you - and I dare say it blows AC/DC's 'Back In Black' out of the water as a comeback statement! 'Hey Darling' brings the mood up again with a touch of melancholy. If that wasn't in there, it'd just be too sugary. And 'Fade' sends the album out on a big rock ballad sound. It has a very Doors-like or Wish You Were Here-era Pink Floyd quality, somehow. It's spacey and dark and delightfully transcendent. 

What I Didn't Like: 

Y'know, this may be as close to a perfect album as I can think of. Nothing truly offends me, although I can see how their occasional atonal moment might turn off some people. 

An Observation:

I sprang for the deluxe edition of the vinyl, which is pressed in white, has a really nice slipcover and inner package, and a two-song bonus 12". The bonus disc is the songs 'Heavy When I Need It', a sunny ode to adaptability; and 'The Fog And Filthy Air', a spooky, gnarly rocker that sounds just as it's title indicates. 

In Conclusion:

I think I enjoyed this too much. It's one of the best albums of 2015, at least so far. I don't know how this could be topped.

What I Liked:
Side One gave me the impression of a punk cover band for Canned Heat. Every track is so upbeat and sunny - sunny! - that it's got this sunshiney hippie vibe, after a fashion. Much of both sides sound very three-chord caffeinated - there's no lack of energy here. It's largely well-done, simple, stripped-down rock, if not strictly punk. Timony can shred like few I've heard - if all those solos and licks are completely off-the-cuff, I'm impressed, and if they're not, they still sound damn good! The slightly slower 'Waste Your Time' has a nice hook that gets better when the vocals join in on it, and opener 'Don't Wanna Lose' features a delightfully fun chorus. While Side Two slows down at first with the stomptastic 'Hot And Cold' - seriously, the song is all epic, big, meaty 70's hard rock - it's just as good. 'Radio On' is another classic, if comparatively low-key rocker, and 'New Kid' is the closest to punk that the ladies get. It's the only song that I could hear the Ramones cover! Most of the lyrics are pretty clever, if about somewhat pedestrian stuff like parties and overdoing it at same and relationships; but 'Everywhere' seems to hide a transcendent double meaning I haven't deciphered yet. 'Outro' is kind of an opulent almost-arena-rocker with a slow beat leading the album out; I like that it's a little dreamy-sounding. Best Songs: 'Don't Wanna Lose', 'Hot And Cold', and 'Waterfall', although the rest of the album is a great second tier.

What I Didn't Like:
The downside to having the greater part of the album be so upbeat and sunny and fast-paced is that the songs are all very similar. It can be hard to tell some of the lesser material apart in memory. There's a lot of what seems to be riffs all in the same key. Timony wrote much more complex and interesting material, musically speaking, with Wild Flag - where has that gone? Next album please, Mary? The lyrics, like I said earlier, could also use a little more depth, but I consider that a nitpick.

In Conclusion:
While I still think Mary Timony had a sonically better deal in Wild Flag, Ex Hex promises to be an awesome act, and I hope they can stay together for even just a little longer than Wild Flag. This has proven to be an eye-opening debut and an unabashedly good rock album.

Thrown Down To The Wolves, Made Feral For Nothing

I enjoyed Jack White's first solo album, Blunderbuss; so I wanted to see what he'd done for his sophomore effort. And I hate to say it, but Jack's vinyl nerdiness has gotten the better of him. It made listening a little problematic. In addition, this album seems to be all over the place sonically. Details? Keep reading.

What I Liked:
Jack White will always be able to rock. Anything on here that's rock, or at least half rock, is worth the time to pay attention. He's not too shabby at country either, as it turns out. He's got a rock-hard attitude that runs though the hard songs, and the countrified portion is classic country, thank heaven - with all the good things about it present. Meaty riffs, hooks, and even some fair melodies are all over this album. Calling the record 'Lazaretto' (and the title track too) was a very appropriate move; the record often feels like the introspective writings of a man released from long solitude. I guess White's had some time to think about what he wanted to say on this disc (I support this approach. It's worked!). I'll be honest, I was ambivalent about this at the first few listens, but I think after coming back to it, I get it. Best tracks: definitely rockers 'Would You Fight For My Love?' and 'Lazaretto', 'Alone In My Home' and 'Just One Drink' for the country-rock sound, and surprise instrumental 'High Ball Stepper'.

What I Didn't Like:
White goes all over for this record - a bluesy stomp in slot one, followed by a a wild post-rocker and a country-rocker, heavy on the country. It feels a little incohesive, but it's not quite so bad. A little readjustment of the tracklist might have helped. Oddly, 'The Black Bat Licorice' seems to have borrowed parts of the riff and hook from 'Alone In My Home'. Not helped by the fact that they're right next to each other on the disc.

An Observation:
I actually have to get technical for a moment here and explain why White's vinyl geekiness made this tricky to listen to. I've had problems getting the first side to play. Firstly, the first side plays from the center spiraling outward; and secondly, according to some reports, there are hidden tracks under the disc's labels. I haven't listened to them yet, as I'm wary of peeling the labels off. However, it looks like the lead-in grooves for the regular first side and the hidden track are fighting each other. I only got the thing to start playing by dropping the needle almost right on the beginning of the first track. Some other gimmicks that appear on the record didn't impress me either (locked groove sounds at the runouts and the pair of lead-ins - one acoustic, one electric - for 'Just One Drink').

In Conclusion:
Hmmm. While I like White's solo work, it was kinda rough trying to listen to the vinyl copy with all of the gimmicks. Seriously, they got a bit in the way. Pick it up, but stick with digital if you don't feel up to the challenge of listening or have a turntable with an automatic tonearm.

I've been looking for this album for a while now! The disc that gave 'Making Plans For Nigel' to us at the shed, I've wanted to check the whole thing out for quite a while now. On a recent trip to Jerry's, I happened across it in the alternative section's new arrivals. I think I even said 'yoink' out loud when I grabbed it.

What I Liked:
'Making Plans For Nigel'. 'nuff said. A brilliant, if subtle send-up of parental expectations for a child's future, it's a truly classic track. Bassist Colin Moulding knows how to write hooky and melodic, engaging pop, and most of the first side is testament to this fact. From the nostalgically upbeat 'Life Begins At The Hop', to the subtlety of 'Nigel' and 'Ten Feet Tall', and the hard-then-softness of 'That Is The Way', he's got a distinctly refined style that I find irresistible. I'd guess that a little more of the 'smart' in XTC's 'smart pop' formula is due to Moulding. Meanwhile, the rest of the disc is a showcase for guitarist/keyboardist Andy Partridge, whose songs have a bit more of a poppy bounce or drive to them, with a little New Wave-ish mania; some feel like caricatures ('When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty', 'Outside World'), occasionally a sinister undertone creeps in ('Millions', 'Complicated Game'), and a little bombast isn't unwelcome here and there (especially on 'Roads Girdle The Globe' with its choral backing). This is one energetic record as a result. If it isn't purely upbeat, it's interesting enough to keep you listening for one more track. It's more guitar-driven than I'd been led to believe (which is pleasant), thanks to Partridge and other guitarist/keyboardist Dave Gregory. Best tracks: without hesitation, 'Making Plans For Nigel'. Honestly, I can't say there's a truly BAD song on the album - with one exception.

What I Didn't Like:
Okay, I can't not say it: 'Helicopter' is a terrible song. For a band known for 'smart pop', they seemed to have played a nice long game of Hot Potato with the Idiot Ball while working on the track. It's too goofy, annoyingly bouncy, and doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the album. Other songs on the disc that sound similar, e.g. 'Outside World', have more of a message or meaning, and are somewhat more carefully crafted. 'Helicopter' is so over-the-top that it borders on self-parody. The overall bounciness of the record might annoy some; but it's generally upbeat enough to be redeeming.

An Observation:
My copy is an American pressing, with 'Life Begins At The Hop' substituted for 'Day In Day Out'. Also, the first pressing in the UK included a bonus 7" with the songs 'Chain Of Command' and 'Limelight'. The CD pressing from 2001 includes all fifteen songs. It might be a wise move to supplement the LP with this disc. EDIT: The digital version available on Amazon does in fact include all three as well. 

In Conclusion:
A classic album. It's an unusual sound, and it's definitely not the rock I tend to seek out, but it is engaging and more complex than pop-rock from the late 70's is expected to be. It's a keeper.

Normally, I blog about stuff I've enjoyed or at least have rationalized the hell out of my enjoyment; but I finally feel the need to talk about something I can't finish. It's terrible. Dave's Music Mine put this one on the curb, and for good reason. I should've trusted their judgement. It's the 12" single of 'The Men All Pause' from 80's girl band Klymaxx and oh, does it fail. It's stereotypically 80's and not in that charmingly hipster-endearing nostalgic way, either. It's almost abrasive. But the real trip-up for me was the monologue where the lead singer says she wants someone to hit her... Done! Done. That's all I need to hear. Under normal circumstances I'm all about girl-rock but this is as far from normal circumstances as you can get. If you see this, it should make a pretty good Frisbee.

Like A Birth In Reverse, What I Saw Through The Blinds

Had an interesting experience when I found an album at the South Side CD Exchange. It was a 5-song EP in a plain white sleeve, credited to Robert Hazard & the Heroes. Didn't think much of it, but was interested to hear how it played.

A couple weeks ago, I finally gave it a spin, but not before I made two very interesting discoveries. Firstly, it turns out that 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' by Cyndi Lauper was a rewrite, and Robert Hazard was the original artist (hi Drew).

Secondly, when I looked in the sleeve I found these:

Ticket stubs to see Hazard at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh. Less than $20 for two people to go to a concert? What was this, 1983? (Yes, actually.) Makes me wonder about the ~$40 I spent on the last Black Keys show. 

And a poster of Hazard, with the whole band and the lyrics on the back. This is actually a pretty unique find. While there may be other posters that accompanied this disc out there, I doubt that many come with ticket stubs. Of course, I wonder what seeing Hazard live would have been like. So how did it play?

What I Liked:

Hazard's other claims to fame make up the first side of this mini-album; 'Escalator Of Life', a serious-sounding satire on materialism in the New Wave era, and 'Change Reaction' a much more poppy track. Hazard is another artist that has encapsulated what was good about New Wave; he captures the nervous energy that punk made possible, but kept the smoothness and polish - and dare I say glamour? - that put the best of New Wave artists on magazine covers and on the radio (I must confess, I'm thinking of Blondie here most of all, Talking Heads a close second). They're good at sounding serious, although it may not always serve them. Best songs: Escalator Of Life and (I Just Want To) Hang Around With You.

What I Didn't Like:

The problem here with capturing the good of New Wave means taking the bad with it. The record suffers from the same problems that bedeviled New Wave when it began. The chief complaint was always conformity of sounds, and here Hazard and crew sound very much a piece of their time. Only by the first side does the group make any progress on an individual sound, chiefly with 'Escalator'. 'Change Reaction' and 'Out Of The Blue' are nice and bright, but too sugary for my taste. Synths sound cheesy on occasion, and riffs are simple; no real head-turning hooks here. And the cover of Dylan's 'Blowin' In The Wind' is very strange a choice; the faux orchestration as the song proceeds gets cheesy too. 

In Conclusion:

I have to say the disc is a slight disappointment, but 'Escalator Of Life' is worth tracking down, if you can find it on 7". 

Thanks, WYEP. You kept playing 'Birth In Reverse' until I liked it, so I had to pick up St. Vincent's self-titled album. With a sound I keep describing to people as 'quirk-pop', the album officially has me hooked. Anne Erin Clark, who goes by the stage name of St. Vincent, was an alumnus of The Polyphonic Spree, made an album with Talking Heads front David Byrne, and has now released her fourth full-length effort. Details below. 

What I Liked:

St. Vincent and David Byrne made an album together. I see why. Clark brings that strange, awkward nervous energy of Talking Heads- or Devo-esque New Wave to a fresh look at pop music, with very good results. Quirky and alien, with a very subtle wit and will; this is what New Wave should have made thirty years ago. Best showcase is new media commentary 'Digital Witness' with it's neurotic verse and gloriously bombastic chorus; quirk-danceable 'Birth In Reverse' is a close second with its giggly, engaging hook. Slower songs do have a nice sense of polish to them, e.g. 'Prince Johnny'. The synth component of her sound is surprisingly hard-edged - something I expect from a hard rock guitarist. It likewise lends weight; but with a different feel, a different character. Best Songs? Y'know, it's easier to list the exceptions. They're discussed next. 

What I Didn't Like:

I actually had to listen again to remember what it was I didn't like: 'I Prefer Your Love'. I'm not serious about religion, but the strangeness of out-and-out declaring feelings for somebody in specific preference over Jesus is one of the more odd trains of thought I've heard. It feels as honest as it does bizarre, and maybe that's why I personally find it off-putting. Some tracks get musically quiet ('Regret', 'Huey Newton'), and on those she starts to sound like a more grounded version of Ivy. Not a bad comparison, but I'll admit I expect a more individual stamp from Clark. 

In Conclusion:

A fabulously quirky album with a strong female creative force at the helm? Sign me up! Anyone who's not afraid of something truly 'alternative' in music would do well to at least take this disc for one spin. I recommend!

There's been a single hanging around Dave's Music Mine for a while now, and since the picture sleeve features a steam locomotive, it catches my eye every time. It's 'All The Trains' by David Bavas & The Down Comforter, backed with 'Nail In The Wall'. Oddly, The Down Comforter is credited here, but not on the album from which both tracks are taken. For this 7", Bavas presents a slow and traditional country sound, which readers will know appeals to me more than current pop-country. It's well done, with subtle production, and both songs are good - 'Nail In The Wall' being the more upbeat of the two. Both sides sounded very similar, though. Checking out the album might be worth it. 

Flip-Out Skip-Out Trip-Out And Make Your Stand

I officially have the most worn-out copy of 'Green Tambourine' by The Lemon Pipers. No, seriously. I swear you can hear the wear of a thousand hippies toking to the vibes, man. And that's AFTER cleaning the marijuana smoke from the grooves. The B-side, 'No Help From Me', is not bad, but not as classic as 'Green Tambourine'.

And my copy of 'Mellow Yellow' is just as trashed. Donovan never sounded more scratchy, not in his worst case of the flu. That's the trouble with buying loose 45s; they're often the worst-treated records you can find. But for 50 cents, what do you really expect? That said, even a scratchy copy of 'Sunny South Kensington', the B-side, is totes worth it for the price when you discover how neat a piece of 60's pop it is.

So glad 'Susie-Q Part 1' is in much better shape. I'm guessing that my buddy Matt probably has a near-mint copy; he's the biggest Creedence Clearwater Revival fan I know. However - Matt, have you heard the B-side, 'Susie-Q Part 2'? It's an instrumental workout in another key; and damn, John Fogerty can shred! (Matt says yes he has.)

One of my favorite records of all time, the instrumental 'Red River Rock' by Johnny & The Hurricanes, released on the Warwick label in 1958, holds a special place for me as it was one of the first songs I taught myself to play on guitar. Finding a copy on that very original label in the Mill Hall Goodwill, with my very good friend Roi was a real treat. This nostalgia-laden (for me, anyway) disc has a B-side called 'Buckeye' that's also good. Sadly, that side of my copy has a patch of white noise that makes it almost impossible to listen to.

A fair copy of The Status Quo's 'Pictures Of Matchstick Men' can be found in my collection. I remember hearing this psychedelic classic on the oft-mourned Channel 97. Sometimes a DJ would bring it out for something different, or it'd get played on their A to Z Playback when every one-hit wonder and also-ran got their moment in the sun. Less psychedelic and more poppy, but just as interesting, is 'Gentlemen Joe's Sidewalk Cafe' on the flip side. A tale of lost love, it's another side of 60's pop and rock that I wish we could hear more of these days. I think this one came from a visit to Half-Price Books.

Despite some clicks and pops, Wilbert Harrison's 'Kansas City' on the original Fury record label is probably one of my all-time favorite R&B discs. The easy delivery of Harrison, and his smooth voice - combined with one of the most easygoing blues beats - make this a true classic. The flip side is a doo-wop number called 'Listen, My Darling'; unfortunately my copy has a very off-center pressing of this track and at times you can hear the effective speed change.

Another classic early rock instrumental, Lonnie Mack's cover of the Chuck Berry hit 'Memphis' is in better condition than I'd hoped, thankfully. Recorded in 1961, the disc boasts a B-side called 'Down In The Dumps' which easily could've been a hit in its own right. If anyone has a copy of Mack's other claim to fame, 'Wham!' they're willing to part with, would you let me know?

How about a little country to round things out? Dave Dudley rose to fame with this single, released on the Golden Wing label - the truck driver anthem 'Six Days On The Road'. I never noticed that he started his sojourn on this slice of wax in Pittsburgh. Thanks for the shout-out, Dave. I hate to say it about one of my favorite country records, but the B-side is an empty return; 'I Feel A Cry Coming On' is a pretty standard country tale of lost love. Dudley sounds great, but the song isn't much special.

If I need to find a replacement for this Motown classic, I'm sure it won't be hard; 'You Keep Me Hanging On' by The Supremes. I realize I've been ignoring my Sixties soul stacks - I've got a small collection of The Supremes and The Temptations, among others, but just haven't made time to spin them. That's an error I aim to rectify. 'Remove This Doubt' on the flip side is a hidden gem I know I've never heard before.

The Song I Sing For You, Is My Message Getting Through?

A couple of my vinyl finds, bought sight-unseen, as it were, were the self-titled LP British Lions and the No One Sleeps When I'm Awake 7" from The Sounds. I also got off my butt and got ahold of Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside's The Untamed Beast LP after a year of listening to 'Party Kids'. We'll take a look at each of these today.

A brief word on our 7": 'No One Sleeps When I'm Awake' is an interesting, and very polished pop-punk track with a Blondie-like sound, albeit harder edged. The B-side is a live track, and shows that the group has the same chops onstage. I think they'd be a worthy listen. Must do research. 

Apparently this is the remainder of Mott The Hoople after the departure of Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson! Morgan Fisher, Pete Watts and Dale Griffin remained, adding Ray Major (of Opal Butterfly) and John Fiddler (of Medicine Head). They put together this self-titled debut and a sophomore effort titled Trouble With Women and split up after neither album performed at all. The 1978 self-titled release came into my possession thanks to the bargain basement at Jerry's Records (no, seriously). 

What I Liked:

They have energy and fair chops, rock-wise; there are riffs and solos, and it doesn't offend through ineptness, but it settles for competence when it should push for more. John Fiddler has a good voice for hard rock, and it's a shame he didn't seem to go further as a hard rock vocalist. Some songs show flashes of prog rock, but there are still pop hooks in between - sometimes too many in one song though. At best, you could call them generic rock. Best songs: 'One More Chance To Run'; the mostly restrained 'Break This Fool'; debatably, 'Fork Talking Man' and 'Booster'. 

What I Didn't Like:

One of their core problems (and I'm not the only one who has said this) is that they couldn't decide whether to be glam rock (after the subgenre's demise), or go all out on the current hard rock sound. Their sound is in the middle; it's half-hearted in both directions, it can't tell what it really wants to be, it's an average instead of a synergy. As such, it's powerful, but not enough; but it's also showy, and still not enough. The songwriting, though not truly terrible has some awkward or lackluster moments. 'Wild In The Streets' is probably the best example of this dichotomy; a solid verse, but a cheesy chorus, and a disco beat beneath it all. The songs 'International Heroes' and 'My Life's In Your Hands' begin to sound overwrought and perhaps a bit hammy, the latter featuring an obnoxious repeating fill near the end of the song. The saddest example is the album closer 'Eat The Rich', a leaden-riffed social commentary that just sounds preachy and trite. It's Neil Young's 'Welfare Mothers' all over again, without Neil's star power. 

In Conclusion:

If I didn't have such a soft spot for anything rock, this would have ended up in front of Dave's for free. But it's not a total washout, and for those who might feel the same way, you might want to see if any of it's on YouTube and see if you like it before tracking it down. In a word, I would call them listenable, but not very interesting. 

Now sadly split at the time of this review, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside present a brash but well-crafted slice of solidly 60's-sounding rock and roll and pop. The single 'Party Kids' seems to have done well, and even made it to Pittsburgh's 91.3 WYEP. It's kind of strange, and somewhat sad to me, that they've called it quits. Ford herself has since found a new backing band, although it remains to be seen whether bassist Tyler Tornfelt, guitarist Jeff Munger, and drummer Ford Tennis will continue to perform after the split.

What I Liked:
A bluesy, twangy first single? Everything about their song 'Party Kids' is everything they do right. Ford's sweetly brassy voice has both swagger and sex appeal here; either Ford or Munger is responsible for that meat-hook of a riff and I want to hug them for it; the 'big beat' behind everything ties it all together nicely; and it's a truly classic song in every sense. The group shines when following this formula. Outside of this, Ford's voice, while not perfectly versatile, can do sensitive and soulful; see 'Shivers'. Perfect fluency in rockabilly and over-the-top early R&B seem to be the main draw for the band's fans, and I've always liked Best songs: 'They Told Me'; 'Party Kids'; 'Shivers'; and I'll throw in 'Do Me Right' for the perfect 50's popabilly sound.

What I Didn't Like:
Some of the songwriting and arranging gets a bit schmaltzy; see the faux New Orleans jazz outro on 'Addicted'. A few songs, and a few lines in some songs, can feel rushed and don't give Ford's voice the space it needs to do its thing. 'Rockability' is guilty of this (in addition to having Ford howl and yip at times, which I find off-putting). Album closer 'Roll Around' is a clunky and out-of-place acoustic number that should sound soulful and nostalgic, but it's too much Sallie and not enough everyone else.

In Conclusion:
I'm behind this album all the way, despite a few shortcomings. If you want a classy and classic sound, I would eagerly recommend The Untamed Beast.

Don't Hesitate To Give Us a Call

It's actually somewhat notable that Neil Young has recorded on only one record label for almost his entire career - Reprise. What I only just learned is that the label was created by Frank Sinatra and later sold to Warner Brothers. In 1976 almost all of the artists signed to Reprise were transferred to Warner's main label except Sinatra, who would effectively have Reprise as his own vanity label.

Oh, and also Neil Young, who simply would not leave. He is rumored to have protested the phase-out decision until apparently giving in after 1981's Re*Ac*Tor. Signing with Geffen Records, where he was promised artistic freedom, Neil embarked on what is often regarded as the most bewildering and out-of-character phase of his career. Electronica, rockabilly, straight-up country, and even New Wave got a workout at Neil's hands - and David Geffen would not be pleased, suing Neil in 1983 for making 'unrepresentative music'. Well, whatever, Dave. You don't know what you had in 80's Neil, and we're going to examine two of those gems - Trans and Landing On Water.

So in 1982 Neil started work on a new album for Geffen. Originally, the album was to be a Crazy Horse backed effort with a hard rock sound, but Neil made major alterations to the album with synths and a vocoder. As a result, the album took on a bizarre, nigh-upon-robotic sound. Personnel included all the Crazy Horse regulars - Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Frank Sampedro; as well as Neil buds Nils Lofgren and Ben Keith, and session men Joe Lala and Bruce Palmer. 

What I Liked:

Well, I can't really get too enthused or descriptive about the instrumental performances; it's all masked by a digital filter, really. But even so, it's very nicely melodic. Neil can still write a tune, even when he's pushing buttons on a machine. The vocal timing is good, and it alone could make the album; and even with the vocoders, Neil's typically plaintive delivery still calls to my ear, especially on the heartbreaking 'Transformer Man' and the thickly-veiled-digi-lust of 'Sample And Hold'. Best yet, the almost-unintelligible lyrics, if your ear is keen enough to pick them out, often deal with communication, especially the vain efforts to communicate with those that can't receive the message. And here, incidentally is the core of Trans and the reason that 'Transformer Man' is such a tearjerker: Trans was Neil's attempt to express his frustration and all the time and energy and soul spent trying to communicate with his son, Ben; who is handicapped due to severe cerebral palsy. Neil, despite using the seeming coldness of of electronic instruments, captures an amazing range of emotion; other themes he touches on are, presciently, cybercrime; the explosion of technology at the time (which enabled him to make the album!); and, in a sense, nostalgia reimagined, if you consider the cover of 'Mr. Soul'. Of the handful of non-electronic songs on the album, 'Like an Inca' is the best, being a surprisingly interesting counterpoint to the powerful display of technology that the core of the album represents; instead it idealizes the ancient kingdoms of South America. The main villain, however, is The Bomb, rather than the internet. Best songs? Everything except the first track on each side. 

What I Didn't Like:

Bizarrely, Neil includes three songs from an aborted album inspired by Hawaii. These are the outliers, and despite bookending the electronic strangeness, they sound far more out of place here than Trans itself does in Neil's catalog. 'A Little Thing Called Love' and 'Hold On To Your Love' - despite being well-executed, they sound empty and somewhat vapid, for Neil material. 'Like An Inca' is good enough to escape this problem, but goes on longer than necessary. And the key takeaway about the album's failings is that you need to know the story in order to fully appreciate it. That's not a failure of the music itself; even Neil had trouble getting the full message across, in a sadly ironic turn of events. 

In Conclusion:

A surprisingly classic album, despite it's oddities, with a genuine story behind it and solid songwriting to boot. Neil diehards should give this one a second look, if they haven't yet, and anyone who likes electronic music should check out this as a footnote, if nothing else. 

In 1986, Neil released an album that began with a failed Crazy Horse session in 1984 and was completed by Neil as a solo album. Fully embracing New Wave, Neil made a disc almost as bewildering as Trans, and this would be his next-to-last release for Geffen. 

What I Liked:

It's less robotic than Trans...or not. The performances are all fairly cookie-cutter, but well-done. It's extremely polished, and it's not really suffering from that approach. On a couple tracks there's a choir providing some backing vocals, and Neil sounds pretty good both singing and playing. The songs are generally well-written, and tuneful; Neil can't keep his own feelings from leaking onto a record either, despite how much a product of its time Landing On Water might sound like. I like how Neil can still bring a hard rock crunch to some of the songs, despite the New Wave backdrop. He handles pop well enough while he's at it. Best songs have to be 'Weight Of The World', where Neil distills New Wave to its essence; 'Bad News Beat'; 'Touch The Night', and it's TV news aesthetic (and music video); 'Hard Luck Stories'; and 'Pressure'. 

What I Didn't Like:

Probably the general sterility of the album. It's not a complete failing, but it doesn't let Neil break out and pull all the stops; he's kind of restrained. It's like he's holding himself back. (Perhaps a wise move, since Freedom and Ragged Glory came out in '89 and '93 respectively?) Some of the songs get a bit pointlessly sugary, like 'Violent Side' (!) and 'Hard Luck Stories', while others have an overly analyzed feel to them, almost autistic or blindly accepting. In general, the shorter (and comparatively more spontaneous) the song, the better, I'd say: case in point, 'Drifter', the album's mediocre closer, seems to drag, and does, at 5:05, the longest on the album. Last but not least is the only thing that could have truly broken the album for me, and that would be Neil's voice; but in this instance it's this particular context in which it appears. He's not the ideal New Wave lead singer. 

In Conclusion:

I'd recommend this to fans of Ric Ocasek's solo career; as Neil takes the same approach on this disc. Neil diehards should at least hear this once; casual fans should wait. If you need 80's music for something, it would be hard to place this album as anything but a product thereof.