Monday, March 25, 2002

Cibo Matto "Super Relax" (Warner Bros., 1997): This probably isn't the best place to start for an intro to Cibo Matto, being an album-length EP with 4 versions of one song plus other odds and ends like 2 covers and a live track. It's usually hard for me to sit through several versions of the same song all in one sitting, but these are sufficiently different that it's not too painful. I wonder how much of their popularity is attributable to the novelty factor ("hey Maw, git a load of them li'l Japanese girls makin' the funky jazz/lounge/hip hop music!") and their famous hipster friends/supporters. It'd be nice to be able to appreciate the music (which is well done) without having to wonder about stuff like that.

Cloudberry Jam "The Impossible Shuffle" (North of No South, 1997): This was actually a semi-recent purchase which I haven't gotten to until now. Add their jazzy version of Dinosaur Jr.'s "Water" to the list of oddly effective covers of heavy rock songs by Swedish pop groups, along with the Cardigans' Sabbath turn (see prior entry). This sounds terribly shallow, but I'm going to have to cite CJ for overuse of Hammond organ and wah-wah guitar, two ingredients I find best used sparingly. Just a personal taste thing. They also seem to be guilty of gratuitous use of turntable scratching. OK, before I sound completely nitpicky, let me add that I enjoy their jazzy style best on their slower-tempo songs.

Cocteau Twins "Four-Calendar Cafe" (Capitol, 1993): This was my first real foray into post-Heaven or Las Vegas Twins. This period of their output wasn't received very well, so I had steered clear of it until now. This is the one where Liz starts singing in English again instead of gibberish, and I can see why people would be disappointed: it takes away that otherworldly feel the previous albums have. In fact, the lyrics that I could make out (less than 10% with all the background noise in the office, though honestly I don't think I would've done much better even in ideal listening conditions) seemed artlessly confessional. It makes you feel for Liz, who obviously had some very personal issues to deal with and things she needed to express. It makes for some awkward listening, though, and it's definitely a dramatic about-face from the feel of their previous work.

The Cranberries "No Need to Argue" (Island, 1993): The Cranberries came around too late for my phase of digging "serious, issue-oriented music" and "passionate Irish bands," but if they hadn't, I might have been pretty into this album. As it stands now, I gotta admit that I find it kind of oppressive. I can't help thinking of Janice & Jeremy's story of seeing them in concert--apparently Dolores' clipped way of saying "thank you!" to the audience after each song made it sound like she was telling them "f*** you".

Darling "Ends in Fantasy" (Guilt Ridden Pop, 1996): Janice called in the middle of this and remarked, "that must be some promo that I got that I decided to keep for some reason or another." Ah, cruel reality. Well, she must have kept it for the music, with its competent and listenable slowcore stylings. It certainly wasn't for the lyrics, which are of the "ooh, I'm so dark and brooding" variety. Some sample song titles should sum it up pretty well: "Graveyard Girl," "Sever," "Faith and Cinders," "In Your Mouth"...you get the idea.

 posted by mike baehr 10:18 AM

Tuesday, March 26, 2002

Delicious Monster "Joie de Vivre" (Flute, 1993): We also have 4 CD singles by this band, but I just brought the album today to avoid overload. I wonder where this band is now...it's easy to imagine singer/bandleader Rachel Mayfield going on to release a series of wonderful solo albums like a slightly less-quirky Björk or Kristin Hersh. (Update: for the real answer, check here.) These songs really have a distinctive and heartfelt voice, slightly edgy and slightly whimsical.

Tanya Donelly "Lovesongs for Underdogs" (Reprise, 1997): Speaking of solo Throwing Muses...this album finds Ms. Donelly really stretching out, showing a stylistic and vocal versatility I never knew she had. None of the songs sound alike, but it all hangs together well and there aren't any lulls at all. Now I really want to hear her new album...I saw her new video on 120 Minutes the other night--the song is great, and she looks like she's embracing her inner Stevie Nicks.

Dream City Film Club s/t (Beggar's Banquet, 1997): Before listening, I noticed that the song titles make reference to "Filth", "Trash", "Porno", and a couple of excretory bodily functions, and I thought, "hmm, this doesn't quite seem like Janice's style." My puzzlement only increased after listening to these emaciated odes to heroin abuse, sado-masochism, and other forms of degradation. Fortunately, it turns out that Janice bought this by mistake, thinking that it was a different band. Whew!! Excuse me while I go wash out my ears now...

Drop Nineteens "National Coma" (Caroline, 1993): Now, I like certain bands that have something meaningful to say (Pedro the Lion is a good example), but I also dig on certain bands that rock out in the spirit of the Pixies or (most) Guided by Voices: "we don't have anything really important to say, but let's say it loud anyway." Bands like this write songs about random stuff like Sea Monkeys, the neighborhood rooster, or in the case of Drop Nineteens, Francisco Franco. It's rocking out for the sake of rocking out. (I had this whole style vs. substance, "Crüe vs. Creed" train of thought going, but, well, never mind.) Of course, to get away with this, a band has to deliver the goods musically, and this CD does not fail in that regard. This album demands to be listened to repeatedly and louder than I can reasonably get away with here at work--as it was I had it loud enough to make me self-conscious (and miss my phone ringing--sorry Janice), but it still wasn't loud enough to do justice to the music.

Dryer "Saturday in Vain" (Paint Chip, 1996): It must be difficult to be a band in a semi-remote area like Albany, NY, with such limited opportunities. Dryer may not have set the world on fire with this likable CD of honest and unpretentious indie rock, but, bless 'em, they rock their hearts out, and for that, I salute them. This CD also has the distinction of having had its sleeve designed by our swell and talented friend Thad.

 posted by mike baehr 11:08 AM

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Delicious Monster "Dull Dull Dull", "Power Missy", "Snuggle", & "Big Love" EPs (Pure Savage/Flute, 1992-93): After I told her I listened to the album yesterday, Janice said "but all the best stuff is on the EPs!", so I brought 'em today. There is some outstanding material here for sure, and also the kind of experimental stuff (12-minute improvisations, backward tracks) which is interesting but ultimately best suited for b-sides.

Dwindle "Present General Conditions" (Guilt Ridden Pop, 1995): Holy cow, where has this band been all my life? Seriously, how come these guys aren't better-known? There's just something about that combination of driving, dynamic guitars and subdued, aching vocals that just knocks me out. This gives me the same kind of exhillarating rush I used to get from listening to Seam and Bedhead. "Recently Okay" (Guilt Ridden Pop, 1997): I hate to sound like one of those snobs who's like "the early stuff is better", but in this case it's true; this CD, while still great, doesn't quite pack the punch of the earlier EP. I think it's because the production isn't as atmospheric.

Electronic s/t (Warner Bros., 1991): No, Bernard, don't rap...please, for the love of...sigh. So has it really been over 10 years since this came out? It sure sounds like 1991...for some reason this makes me remember watching "In Living Color" on my 13-inch black and white TV. How completely random is that? I wonder if, say, Gorillaz is going to sound this dated in 10 years from now. Some guy will be sitting there writing "for some reason this reminds me of watching 'Malcolm in the Middle'..."

Fat Tulips "Nostalgia" EP (Vinyl Japan/Heaven, 1992): My attitude toward most "twee" pop is, "OK, what are you going to do to impress me?" When you're playing music this simple, it's the little things that really make the difference. Fat Tulips won me over with their lack of fear of distortion and feedback, a healthy dollop of reverb (it's amazing how much of an enhancing effect it has), and some cheeky humor, like the last song about fancying your local constable.

Fleetwood Mac "The Dance" (Reprise, 1997): I'm not gonna front: the Mac is the bomb. Take away all my "cool" points if you must, but their excellence cannot be denied. However, the concept of the live reunion album is always cause for alarm. So I approached this CD with some trepidation. Is it possible to love an album whose credits, without irony, include wardrobe and makeup artists? Well, fortunately, the proceedings don't get too bloated or excessive. A few songs are extended a little too long in order to showcase the performers, which I guess has to be expected. And poor Stevie sounds great but she doesn't quite have the range she used to, bless her heart. But Lindsey can be counted on to throw a little edge into things here and there. For the most part this is a good, relatively cringe-free presentation of a whole bunch of great, indelible songs (and a couple of okay new ones).

 posted by mike baehr 12:28 pm

Thursday, March 28, 2002

Frente "Marvin the Album" (Mammoth, 1995): Anyone who's known Janice for more than a few years knows that she is probably one of the biggest Frente fans in North America (just check your back issues of Copacetic). Now that I'm finally getting around to listening to them, it's easy to see why: Frente is Janice and Janice is Frente. They're both honest, unpretentious, sweet, pretty, optimistic, slightly quirky, concerned with the world around them, and Australian (okay, not that last one). "Labour of Love" EP (Mammoth, 1994): If I brought all of the CD singles on our shelf, my bag would explode, so I just picked this one for today. And I'm glad I did because it includes a really excellent Chris Knox cover. "Shape" (Mammoth, 1996): I could tell just from the song titles that this album was going to be exploring some darker territory ("Horrible", "Harm", "The Destroyer", etc.). Not that they turned into Metallica or anything, but some of the bright-eyed innocence is gone. It also finds them embracing some more complex textures and overall achieving a fuller sound--kind of like the leap the Beatles took with "Rubber Soul". It's to their credit that their material holds up in both the stripped-down setting of the previous stuff and this new, fleshed-out format.

Alastair Galbraith "Morse/Gaudylight" (Trance Syndicate, 1996; originally released 1991-92): A challenging listen of electric acid-folk fragments. I can't help but feel that if Alastair took a lot of these ideas and fleshed them out and structured them a little more, he could have something really tremendous on his hands, because he certainly has a feel for the guitar and there are plenty of great moments here. Again, that's probably not really the point though (see my entry on Azalia Snail).

Lisa Germano "Happiness" (Capitol, 1993): I've been curious about Lisa Germano for a while--I mean, how do you start out as the fiddler in John Cougar Mellencamp's band and wind up signed to 4AD? If asked to predict what this would sound like just based on those facts, I'd have said that it'd probably be countryish with some dark atmospherics and idiosyncratic, personal songwriting. And I wouldn't have been too far off. This first one also features some radio-friendly rockish production, which doesn't really suit the nature of the songs. "Geek the Girl" (4AD, 1994): I don't wanna speculate on what may or may not have happened to Lisa in her life, but this album deals with some deeply personal stuff, and if it's autobiographical, well, yikes--poor Lisa. But what she's created here...well, it's a masterpiece. The production (it's the same guy, interestingly enough) is appropriately toned down here and serves the songs perfectly: haunting and at times chilling. Lisa has a way of using imagery and characters in her lyrics which reminds me of Kristin Hersh and Wayne Coyne. "Excerpts from a Love Circus" (4AD, 1996): This one finds Lisa in a bit more of a stripped-down pop mode, and there's some breathtakingly gorgeous songwriting here. It's still somewhat atmospheric and there's some heartbreaking subject matter, but it's not quite the heavy trip of "Geek". (Plus, she's got her cats meowing between some of the songs...can't go wrong with that.) I wonder why Lisa hasn't received more recognition...maybe she deliberately wants to keep a lower profile, in which case, good for her. But I feel like Homer Simpson after he found out there had been a piece of cake in the freezer for 10 years: why was I unaware?

 posted by mike baehr 11:11 AM

Friday, March 29, 2002

The Glee Club "Mine" (4AD, 1994): This is an advance promo CD with no insert, so I have no information on this band other than the fact that they're on 4AD. They do sound vaguely reminiscent of several of their labelmates. The singer definitely has that Liz Frazier thing of switching between the sweet breathy vocals and the more piercing wail. The music sounds pleasant enough, though maybe a little too polished, and aside from a couple of parts with soaring harmonies there's nothing here that really grabs my interest. It's nice; it just lacks some oomph.

Go Sailor s/t (Lookout!, 1996?): I was a big fan of Tiger Trap, but somewhat less enamored of The Softies, who are fine song by song, but too samey to sustain my interest for an entire show or album. So I kind of avoided Go Sailor for fear of a similar letdown. Well, when it comes to simple "I like you"/"I don't like you" pop, I can't think of anyone who does it better than this (I like it best when they express both sentiments in the same song). They totally harken back to the innocence of 60's bubblegum pop, which is groovy. And even though they never veer from the rhythm guitar/bass/drums/vocals formula, they're totally rock solid, and it doesn't get tiresome after 32 minutes. Right on.

The Golden Palominos "Drunk with Passion" (Charisma, 1991): I guess this is more of a producer's studio project than an actual band (kind of like a less-obscure This Mortal Coil), and, well, the producer takes a heavy hand here--every song is drenched in echo. This adds atmosphere to some songs (as the Vaughn Oliver sleeve would lead you to believe), but on most of them it just makes them sound needlessly bombastic. Poor Michael Stipe and Bob Mould sound so out of place in their guest spots here. Janice is going to be disappointed: she thought I would really like this.

Hayden "Everything I Long For" (Outpost, 1995): Now I remember who Hayden is...he was supposed to be like the Canadian Beck, right? His croaky, hangdog vocals are more like J. Mascis, though, except when he bursts into a tenuous heavy metal roar which sounds more like Adam Sandler. This is going to sound really harsh, but I can't tell if his whiny suburban slacker schtick is bad comedy or just comically bad.

The Heart Throbs "Jubilee Twist" (A&M, 1992): In my mind this band was mushed in with the Darling Buds and the Katydids into one indistinguishable mass, but I know that's just my own ignorance. Until I learn the distinguishing features of the other 2, the Heart Throbs will herefore be known to me as "the creepy ones," because they have dead animal parts on the CD cover (eww) and there's one song which seems to be some kind of weird "Boxing Helena" S/M fantasy. With their surreal lyrics and crazy early-90's guitar effects, they definitely have the edge that the Glee Club lacked.

Hot Rod "Speed Danger Death" (Caroline, 1993): Paula Kelly had something to prove, and yes, she can do more than just back up Greg Ackell (leader of her former band Drop Nineteens)--she and her new band were all quite capable at churning out the indie-style rock. There's some good guitar stuff on here, and they play well and with energy, and the only specific criticism I can offer is that Paula's vocals are kind of thin (sort of like her overly-plucked eyebrows in their publicity photo--yikes). Good job and all, but frankly there's just not a lot that hooks me in here.

 posted by mike baehr 10:20 AM