Monday, April 01, 2002

Danielle Howle "About to Burst" (Simple Machines, 1996): Even though this is a style of music I don't regularly listen to, Danielle is so original and authentic that I couldn't help but enjoy this and feel rewarded for having listened. There's a lot of stylistic diversity here, from Southern-style rock to bluesy folk to quirky, country-fied pop; Danielle does them all equally well and puts her unique stamp on all of it. For some reason I was expecting the lyrics to be more oddball narratives a la Ass Ponys, but they're actually quite poetic. ...and the Tantrums "Do a Two Sable" (Daemon, 1997) Wow, what other artist can honestly thank both Hootie and the Blowfish and Kill Rock Stars in their liner notes? That actually speaks volumes about the rootsy Southernness and the fierce individuality of Danielle's music. Here she gets a bit more of a "professional", studio-polished presentation (thanks to some Indigo Girls largesse), and she and her band are definitely up to the task, but it seems to me like the more free-spirited feel of "Burst" is better suited to her nature. (We've got a live CD by Danielle that I'll come back to tomorrow.)

The I Live the Life of a Movie Star Secret Hideout "Gale Wind Transistor" (Hit or Miss, 1998): If you can imagine Rocketship stripped of all the layers of organs and bass and everything but one guitar, drums, and the boy-girl vocals, you'll have a fairly good idea of what this sounds like: repetitive, rhythmic, kinda twee. I totally dig the songs and the imaginative lyrics, but the presentation is so polite and timid, I think I'd groove on this even more if they had more of the confidence and energy of, say, Mates of State (to name another boy-girl duo).

Insides "Euphoria" (Guernica/4AD, 1993): The music on this CD is gorgeous and hypnotic; it's spare and subdued, and the use of electronics sounds really ahead of its time for 1993. The vocal phrasing is totally reminiscent of Bjork. The only thing that keeps me from raving unequivocally about this is the lyrical content. I don't think Janice has picked up on it, because it's a bit, um, exhibitionistically intimate in places. In other words, kinda dirty. It's not, like, Li'l Kim or anything, but it's a wee bit creepy...T.M.I. there, kids.

Jale "Dreamcake" (Sub Pop, 1994): The cover of this CD is making me hungry! This is a lot heavier and more minor-key than I expected--the intro to the first song reminded me of Iron Maiden, for goodness' sake (it's them that do that song "Livin' After Midnight", right?). I thought this would be more pop and less, well, grunge. This is just an observation and not a gripe, but Brad Wood's production on this just sounds so...mid-90's. Something about the guitar effects and occasional megaphone vocals. That's kinda sad that the mid-90's already sounds dated. More Jale tomorrow, and hopefully my comments will be less superficial...

 posted by mike baehr 10:46 AM

Tuesday, April 02, 2002

Danielle Howle "Live at the McKissick Museum" (Daemon, 1995): You get some great mostly-solo acoustic performances of Danielle's songs here--she's a great performer who sings and plays with a lot of heart and soul, which you might not get if you only heard "Do a Two Sable" (see below). The icing on the cake is Danielle's hilarious and spontaneous banter, on such topics as her '78 Camaro and "butt shift". She's got a hyperactive mind, that Danielle.

Ivy (UK) "Avenge" EP (Sarah, 1994): Oops, I somehow overlooked this in my alphabetic scheme yesterday. I don't know how I got the preconception that all Sarah bands are "twee", or maybe I've just misunderstood what "twee" means. This isn't music for playing stuffed animal parade or moping in the rain, that's for sure. They may be poppy with sweet melodic vocals, but this Ivy isn't afraid to turn up the guitars, and they've got a driving drum-machine beat. (Hmm, loud distorted guitars, drum machine...dare I compare a Sarah band with Big Black? Ha!)

Jale "Closed" EP (Murderecords, 1995): Oh my gosh, they just sound so much better without the "big rock record" production (see my observations on "Dreamcake" from yesterday). I don't know if the songwriting is actually better or if it's just because it sounds so much more genuine, but I enjoyed this so much more than "Dreamcake". I'm impressed that all 4 members write songs and they maintain such consistency, too. This left me wanting more... "So Wound" (Sub Pop, 1996): ...and here it is. Back to Brad Wood producing, though fortunately he takes a much less heavy hand here. I really wanted to like this so I wouldn't sound like a snob again ("I only like the one hard-to-find EP that came out on the foreign label"), and there is some great stuff on here, but not every song connects for me, either.

The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" (Minty Fresh, 1995): Not to be confused with the Grammy-winning mega-selling movie soundtrack. Oh what the heck, I'll make the stretch and compare this to a Coen Brothers film: behind their pleasing, deft, and usually retro exteriors (in TLJRG's case, their breezy, jazzy pop stylings and Latin/island rhythms) lies an understated and offbeat, yet razor-sharp, satirical wit. Whew, how's that for a leap? Seriously though, the lyrics totally elevate this beyond being just another pleasant lounge-pop album. "Sniff" (Minty Fresh, 1998): In typical 2nd-album fashion, this features a broader palette of instruments and styles, embracing disco, soul, 60's-California-style pop, and cowboy music. The lyrics are still fairly witty but tend more toward the sincere than the sardonic this time--there's something about Jim's easygoing voice that makes him totally convincing no matter which way he goes.

John Linnell "State Songs" (Zoeuml;/Rounder, 1999): I like an artist who picks a concept and sticks with it, though for the record the Dambuilders actually beat John "Might Be a Giant" to this one: songs that all include state names or are named after states. John manages 15 here, plus a "theme song" for the whole album/concept. He cheats by making a few of them instrumentals, though. And why not all 50? Where's the 3-CD set, John? Stephin Merritt did "69 Love Songs"...get on the ball! I kid because I love, but seriously, that would've made for a very impressive presentation. As it stands, this is a fun listen which doesn't stray very far from They Might Be Giants territory.

Lois "Butterfly Kiss" (K, can't find a release date): I suppose I ought to recognize Lois for embodying the "anyone can be a rock star" DIY indie ethos--I am a big supporter of the idea that rudimentary technical skills should not be an obstacle to anyone who honestly wants to express themselves. But I have to admit a bias: to me she always seemed a bit too eager to embrace her own iconic status. Maybe I've gotten that impression unfairly, though. This is the first time I've listened to an entire album of hers (if 23 minutes can be called an album--oh sure, why not), and I have to admit that she's starting to win me over. This definitely has its charms. I can see how legions of aspiring young songwriters would be empowered to start expressing themselves by hearing this, and that's cool. 2 more Lois CDs to go tomorrow...

 posted by mike baehr 10:22 AM

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

Lois "Strumpet" (K, 1993): See, here's the kind of stuff I was talking about yesterday that rubs me the wrong way: "You say I'm walkin' around like I own the whole place / Well I do / And anybody can have it all too." Sure that's empowering (and catchy), but as someone who's never had a desire to "own the whole place," I find it just a bit obnoxious too. Can you imagine a whole roomful of people trying to "own the place"? Yeesh! And I can feel perfectly validated without having to "read all about my scene in a magazine," thank you very much. But hey, that's just me. I dunno, is Lois being ironic here? The other songs are real purty... "Bet the Sky" (K, 1995): Let me get my superficial quibble out of the way first: maybe I've just listened to too much Lois all at once, but the songs are starting to sound pretty samey to me. Anyway, it's kind of hard to believe that someone who writes lyrics of this much sensitivity and sophistication could have been responsible for a bratty song like "Strumpet". I'm so conflicted.

Mary Lou Lord s/t EP (Kill Rock Stars, no release date again...nutty punk labels): Speaking of bias, well, I'll try to be fair, but it's probably going to come through anyway. Mary Lou sings and plays these songs okay. Her taste seems to run toward cutesy rhymes and wordplay, which fits her one-dimensional little-girl vocal delivery. Okay, I'm just gonna quit here before I succumb to hateration. I think Janice probably shares my feelings here, so this CD must be a remnant of a previous, more innocent time...

Lush "Split" (4AD, 1994): I was a fan of Lush's early stuff, but I was a little underwhelmed with "Spooky", and I had pretty much lost interest by the time this came out. Which was my loss, because this is a consistently good CD. There's an originality and authenticity to the songs which shows that they're coming from someplace true, you know? Sonically the music fits the mostly-dark subject matter perfectly--you can really feel the anger, loss, fear, and loathing in the serrated guitars (uh oh, rock-crit cliché alert) and doleful strings. As with Lisa Germano, I find myself hoping that some of these songs aren't autobiographical, because they seem to deal with some pretty nasty traumas.

Madder Rose "Panic On" (Seed/Atlantic, 1994): I'm not sure if I've actually heard this whole album before or not. There are a handful of amazing songs on here which I know I've heard, but then there's some other stuff which is still good, but if I have heard it before, it obviously wasn't as memorable. The best stuff on here is about as good as it gets, though, with great guitar work and absolutely indelible hooks, and Mary's soothing voice floating over everything. "Car Song" EP (Seed/Atlantic, 1994): 2 album tracks and 3 b-sides here, of which 2 are just OK and one ("Holiday") features a great slide guitar hook, kinda like their first single. "The Love You Save" EP (Seed, 1995): The title track, originally performed by the Jackson 5, is a must for any compilation of unexpected cover songs. The Roses show a quieter, more toned-down side here, to great effect, as the 2 originals and 1 other cover are all winners as well. I really don't know why I never got into this band when they were still around. We have 2 more of their albums which I'll definitely have to revisit.

 posted by mike baehr 11:30 AM

Thursday, April 04, 2002

Marine Research "Sounds from the Gulf Stream" (K, 1999): I liked Heavenly OK, but they never were very large on my radar screen, so I can't really give an informed comparison here. I'm sure that angle's been covered & smothered already, anyway. I'll compare this with Cinerama instead, because they have some strong similarities: the retro pop, the narrative, conversational lyrics, and the cheeky British humor. Marine Research are more varied stylistically and a bit less posh-sounding, though. It seems like some of these songs could even form a sort of cinematic split-screen with Cinerama songs, with one side showing "her" POV and the other showing "his" POV. Has there ever been an Amelia/David duet? There sure ought to be. [Update 5/22/02: Okay, I've got a terrible memory: I'm pretty sure that's Amelia singing backup on the Weddoes' "Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft" from 1987. Still, it's not really a duet, y'know?]

Mazzy Star "Fade Into You" EP (Capitol, 1994): I didn't realize this was just a single until I was about to pop it in the player. The a-side is the song they used in that creepy Diet Coke ad that Janice & I hate so much where the voiceover guy is extolling the virtues of his girlfriend's granny panties. Ew. The second song is a cover of one of those old-timey dirty double-entendre blues songs, this one being about masturbation, seemingly. Ew ew ew. Song #3: Hope runs over her boyfriend. The last song is pretty nice, though.

Medicine "The Buried Life" (American, 1993): I was a big fan of the first Medicine album, so why did I wait so long to listen to this? Give me crazy guitar noise married to solid pop hooks and I'll eat it up with a spoon. There's plenty to feast on here, though unfortunately some of it strays a little too far into industrial territory. Even though some of this is pretty harsh and menacing-sounding, I still have the sense that it was really fun to record. Whew, my ears hurt, but it's a good pain, like after eating spicy food.

Rose Melberg "Portola" (Double Agent, 1998): Good thing I took a break between the Medicine and this! Shucks, who could say anything bad about Rose? She's just so gosh-darn earnest and wholesome--I mean, she sings about drinking milk, and she recorded an old-timey song with her parents for crying out loud! Plus she sings and plays real good--I like how she injects some twang into her voice for her Buck Owens cover. Some might find Rose's innocence nauseating, but I find it refreshing. Angst is overrated: I'll take Rose over a million Shirley Mansons any day.

Melting Hopefuls "Space Flyer" (Shanachie/bigPoP, 1994): Hey, it's the second masturbation song of the day! Ding! (I seem to be picking up all the salacious content that Janice misses.) I'm being flip, but it does illustrate something about this CD: the lyrics are kind of stream-of-consciousness and seemingly autobiographical, and while they're honest, it can also be a little bit T.M.I. These tales of messy relationships and messy apartments are backed by big, crunchy guitars and some good pop hooks.

Mojave 3 "Ask Me Tomorrow" (4AD, 1996): Now I'm sleepy. Poor, sad Neil. I hate to say it, since there's obviously a lot of feeling being expressed here, but slow, spare, quiet music like this tends to just become ambient sonic wallpaper to me. I think that says more about me than the music, though. I don't want to take anything away from this CD, because it's quite well done. I just can't stop yawning...

Mollycuddle "Non-Fiction" EP (Guilt Ridden Pop, 1997): This is how I imagine the Mollycuddle story goes: Band gets together, starts playing shows, makes a minor splash on their local scene, their friends tell them "you guys rock!", they play an opening slot for a national band like Seam, maybe they throw a party when this CD comes out, and then one of the members maybe moves to another city and they call it a day. And now the former members pull out this CD every once in a while and remember their indie rock glory days. Or something like that.

 posted by mike baehr 10:29 AM

Friday, April 05, 2002

The Mommyheads "Coming Into Beauty" (Simple Machines, 1992): Janice recently went on a Mommyheads kick, thanks to the recent Jenny Toomey album (on which she covers one of their songs), but this is my first real exposure to them aside from a stray song here and there. This is arty as heck, but it's so idiosyncratic and gee-whiz that it's not pretentious at all. It's cheaply recorded, which I think actually helps with it feeling "real". It's a little bit psychedelic and the lyrics are pretty surreal. They use some traditional instruments like mandolin and autoharp on some songs, but it's not really folky. It's so unique, it's hard to describe without resorting to an unwieldy comparison: sort of Robyn Hitchcock meets Of Montreal meets Frank Zappa meets TMBG? "Bingham's Hole" (Dot Dot Dash, 1995): Now we're into more categorizable territory: call it "prog pop", like XTC or if Yes decided to become an AM-radio pop group (or, conversely, Al Stewart/the Little River Band started embracing 7/8 time signatures). Not to say that suddenly they're stylistically tied down: there are still forays into funk, lounge, 1920s ukulele, etc. It seems like the lyrics get less mythological and more directly involved in human affairs. "The Mommyheads" (Geffen, 1997): So how does it happen that a band goes from totally idiosyncratic and uncategorizable to releasing a fairly straight-ahead pop album produced by big-shot Don Was in the course of 5 years? Did they compromise their artistic vision for a stab at "success"? It's to their credit that even though they've reined in their quirks, the songwriting is still quite solid and sophisticated, although the lyrics start to show signs of cynicism. I sure hope this story didn't end with the band broken up, disillusioned, and owing money to Geffen.

Moonpools & Caterpillars "Lucky Dumpling" (EastWest, 1995): I believe this was an impulse purchase from the $1 bin at Half Price Books. Did you ever pick the oaty cereal bits out of your Lucky Charms and just eat a big spoonful of those crunchy marshmallows? This is the sonic equivalent of that. I totally recognize the vocal hook on the chorus of the first track, "Hear"...was it used in a movie or a commercial or something? Now that's gonna bug me. [Update: according to Janice's photographic memory, it was a Fruitopia ad.] How old were these kids anyway? They're just so dang wholesome and energetic and optimistic, they must be young enough that they haven't been crushed by the weight of the world yet. I hope their sudden thrust to semi-stardom didn't ruin 'em.

Moonshake "Eva Luna" (Matador, 1993): These songs are constructed on a rhythmic bed of drums and dubby basslines, with jagged interjections of guitar, horns, or other noises, all overlaid with either hushed-female or snarling-male vocals. All these elements are fine in and of themselves, but the overall effect here is kind of overbearing. I think if you're going to be repetitive and abrasive you need to change things up a little more often, or throw in a hook or melody here or there. And can I just say that I really, really hate it when the only place you can find a track listing is on the actual CD itself? Hello, I can't spin at 600 RPM to read it!

 posted by mike baehr 12:03 PM