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PageBellingham, WA's Makers is a rowdy group of bad boys that specializes in high-strung, nasally vocalized, lo-fi garage. It's all about egotism here baby. That's why The Makers speed ahead of all the other second-rate garage bands out there. "Hunger" is a sassy record, a self-indulgent record, a guaranteed weapon to revitalize apathetic ears. The Makers are where it's at...(DW)
These far-out space cadets are back with yet another fine extraterrestrial surf record. It's such a pleasure to have these fine souls visiting our planet--they utilize their time here so nicely. (DW)
To be honest, when I first put this album on, I didn't particularly care for it. I thought it was generic Brit rock, albeit with some great orchestration. Then after I saw the band live a couple of times in August, I put their debut back on and fell in love. Paul Draper, the band's vocalist, is a brilliant musician - he wrote, arranged and produced the whole effort. And he's backed by an incredibly tight outfit (consisting of guitarist Chad, bassist Stove, and drummer Andy). They take hints from all eras and to my content, Chad bears an uncannily striking resemblance to my fave Stone, Brian Jones. This record's most definitely not for everyone, but I suggest that it's best to give it a chance because, well, I turned around. (DW)
These Issaquiah angsters are back with a new album, as brash and brilliant as their earlier releases. Isaac Brock tears at his vocal chords while venting his frustration on his six-string and this effect, supported by the rhythmic dynamic duo of bassist Eric Judy and Jeremiah Green on drums, is a most outstanding one indeed. On the surface they appear to be your typical, aggressive NW unit, but only when people actually listen to their records again and again do they see that there's a whole lot more to Modest Mouse than what first greets the eye. (DW)
Two years later and Portishead's effect is still being felt. This band leans toward the 'wacky' route, with funky/weird little blips and noises, and seems destined to be a dancefloor chill-out standard. Substituting the Portishead mood vocals with Roisin Murphy's nearly-over-the-top flux soul singing adds to that quirky quality. In contrast to the hard-slamming music that's being labeled "Electronica" (proof that Americans can make up dumb names for music movements as well as the British), this falls into the category of 'interesting mood music'. If you really scrutinize, you can play "spot the similar artists", but the blips and squawks will keep you entertained. (AE)
No Knife are one of San Diego's finest. At home, they're seen out playing with the likes of Rocket From The Crypt, Inch, Boilermaker, all those good 'uns. They're upbeat skater punk that's melodic and catchy - do we even dare to call it intelligent? It's definitely one of the more refreshing and enthusiastic records I've heard in a while. It's brilliant; another notch on San Diego's bedpost. (DW)
In my opinion, this is all getting a bit tiresome. You know exactly what it's going to sound like before Liam opens his mouth and Noel's second-grade poetry comes spewing forth. Although if your a fan it does provide you with plenty of opportunities to break the lighter out at the gig. However, the most disturbing thing about this album is the fact that it provides morons with more fodder to belt out down at the bar around closing time. Fortunately, I can rest easy in the knowledge that this Oasis thing will either come crashing down in a drug induced stupor or they'll turn into sad stadium rockers with an audience consisting of guys in Rod Stewart t-shirts and their sad Keds wearing girlfriends pumping their fists in the air. Either way, I can't say I'll be mourning their loss. (TW) (I like 'em - other ed)
I still have yet to figure out why Glasgow's finest export hasn't received a well-deserved premier status in this fine country of ours. Over the last decade or so, they've recorded an amass of the finest pop songs I've ever heard--"Truck Train Tractor", "Anne Boleyn", "Baby Honey"... But perhaps they've always been just a bit too shambly for American ears. Perhaps Calvin Johnson needs to rave about them some more so K fans will cop on and buy their stuff. Perhaps everyone was just waiting for an album like "Illumination". This record could very well be the one to get them the adoration they deserve.
I've always adored The Pastels' rough-around-the-edges quality, but I guess many couldn't get past Aggi's slightly tone-deaf voice. (I think it's endearing.) But things are different on this for sure. Aggi's generally right on key and the whole band have incorporated newly acquired technology to give the record a spacier, fuller feel. And although they've got all this electronic whatnot going on in the background, it's still The Pastels through and through.
And although I love Aggi and Katrina dearly, I just have one question... Stephen, why didn't you sing more on this record? (DW)
Since The PeeChees' debut is still in heavy rotation on my stereo, I had the highest of expectations for this one. So I wanted to give it a few listens before I formulated my opinion. Well, I can honestly say, after listening to it incessantly over the last week, it rocks. The PeeChees are one of the most entertaining, enthusiastic, and yes, quirky, punk bands out there. The lyrics are not to be construed as serious (I mean they sing about penguins), the vocals are perceived by many as grating in their fine nasal quality, and the music could very well be seen as too lo-fi for punk rock. But that's exactly why The PeeChees are so phenomenal. And "Games People Play" is too brilliant of an album to be overlooked. Come on kids, make Chris Applegren happy. Make him a rock star. (DW)
These North Carolina basketball junkies are back with a fantasmical fifth album. "Shapes" is even more left of, left of center than their previous effort, throwing a little prog rock and Indian classical into the mix. It's an eleven-track album that perfectly orchestrates how a band can inform your typical indie rocker that there's a lot more music out there than Superchuck or Unwound let's say, without coming across as too pretentious or wanky. "El Rocio" is my personal fave, a twelve minute track that's instrumentally indulgent. Although the time span between Polvo albums was just a little too long for my liking, at least they came back with a record that made that wait a little more justified. (DW)
Have you been in a "hip" clothing store or restaurant in the last two years? Then you've heard Portishead's debut, "Dummy." Having popularized the "trip hop" movement to a frightening degree, Portishead could have just rested on their laurels & made "Dummy II" and people would have bought it. There might have been a bit of grumbling, but if it's original and highly successful to begin with, hey, why screw with the formula? Instead, well... Portishead got dark. Really, really dark. You can try to listen to the album in a detached fashion, even wallow in the knowledge that (if the stories are true) none of the sampley-sounding things are actually samples-but it won't work. The recording style makes the album resemble something that was recorded decades ago and recently unearthed, with the distortion and crackling giving it a spooky distance. Musically, the beats are slow in coming and the other instruments chime in with a sinister, stark, drawn-out feel. And the vocals...well, Beth Gibbons just does things with her voice that you wouldn't expect human beings to be capable of. And her voice drips with so much anger, sadness, or similar black moods that you feel like you're invading someone's despair, rather than just listening to them sing. Along with being an incredibly well-crafted album a lot of "tricks" here), "Portishead" demands your full attention while it's playing. "Dummy" may have been the wallpaper to many fashionable scenes, but this one can never be wallpaper. (AE)
When Primal Scream took a rather Stones-ian approach to their last record "Give Out But Don't Give Up", I just turned my head and shrugged. I couldn't fathom why, after releasing as aurally perfect of an album as "Screamadelica", they'd want to change their sound so dramatically. Pleasing to me however, the band decided to return to the sound that works best (although "Medication" still has that Rolling Stones influence wielding its ugly head).
By all means "Vanishing Point" is not an electronica record, yet it is heavily influenced by the dance craze going on in Britain right now. (Although Primal Scream sounded similar to this in 1992.). "Kowalski" is clearly the strongest tune on the album, with the slightly dub-infested "Long Life" coming in a close second. And continuing on with the 70s cinema connection, "If They Move, Kill Em" sounds like that brilliant soundtrack to that really bad 70s flick that people watch for comedic value nowadays.
"Vanishing Point" doesn't upscale "Screamadelica", but it does come very close. Glad to see Bobby's changed his drug habit once again... (DW)
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