Headphones On

I like to look around the venue when the Polyphonic Spree get revved up to full spectacle during a live show. I love seeing the look of amazement on the faces of the people who until that moment had never experienced Tim Delaughter's crazy band of musicians before¹. Last night at The Vic lent to some amazing people watching... the huge toothless grin on the elderly man to my left², the tween girls³ perhaps receiving some much needed schooling on what a rock show could be, the girl behind us tripping out of her mind and barely standing upright amidst the strobe lights. I actually rather like that the Spree pull out a completely different crowd than the jaded indierock kids I'm used to seeing shows amongst. At least this crowd was smiling and having a great time.

The Polyphonic Spree - Section 29 [Light To Follow]

¹ A huge thank you to Polyphonic Rick!
² I still attest he was at least 70!
³ Obviously attending this gig to see either Rooney or The Redwalls.

Buy some: Polyphonic Spree

Posted by Liz at 8:30 AM | Permalink

Once upon a crowded club in San Francisco, I spent two hours listening to Mark Ronson spin records. I wasn't there to hear Mark Ronson. I didn't particularly like what I heard anyway so I didn't care in the least. I was listening to kill time. I was waiting and I don't wait well.

I read better than I wait, but I tend to read too fast. I sat down on American flight 1493 and cracked open "After Dark", the newest novel from my favorite Japanese author Haruki Murakami. In less than two hours I was finished and staring out the window at the blanket of clouds floating beneath the windows of the airplane. So now I am waiting again. Two more hours left on the airplane to kill. My entertainment has become the coffee grounds left lingering on a dying coffee filter. It's left the caffeine in my brain, but is essentially all used up. Re-reading a brilliant book doesn't generally make it better in my mind. I am a first-impressions-really-matter kind of girl.

Mari nods. The record ends, the automatic turntable lifts the needle, and the tone arm drops onto its rest. The bartender approaches the player to change records. He carefully lifts the platter and slides it into its jacket. Then he takes out the next record, examines its surface under a light, and sets it on the turntable. He presses a button and the needle descends onto the record. Faint scratching. Then Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" begins to play. Harry Carney's langorous bass clarinet performs solo. The bartender's unhurried movements give the place its own special time flow.

~ Excerpt from "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami

So here I am, killing time and waiting, back with Mark Ronson. In the approximately two years since Mr. Ronson and I stood in the same San Francisco club, he's become all manner of hit-maker. From Lily Allen¹ to Amy Winehouse and soon to be Candie Payne², Mark's understanding of groove has made him one of the hottest producers on the other side of the Atlantic. So here I sit, the first-impressions-really-matter kind of girl, giving him a second chance and actually listening to his record Version.

Continue reading "American Flight 1493 (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love Mark Ronson)" »

Posted by Liz at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Concretes photo by Marius Hansen

It may not be the summer anthem but the new Concretes single is rather fabulous. I was hooked the second the horns kick into the big shiny HUGE pop chorus.

I hope the world still gives them the credit they deserve now that Victoria has left the band. Personally, I think it's probably a better thing that she's doing her own thing. Not only does she seem a bit, um, up her own arse¹, BUT every time I've seen The Concretes she has KILLED the live show. I haven't ever understood what it is about her that does it. The moping? The frowning? The standing in front of the hot stage lights in an 80 degree + room shivering under a wool pea coat made for a man three times her size? The visual displeasure with being forced to stand upon a stage and entertain you oh-so-undeserving people?²

A couple of years back I saw the Concretes in London (along with The Magic Numbers and Saint Etienne) to ring in the new year of 2005. New Years Eve shows should be UP UP UP and fabulous right? Well for the most part it was, but The Concretes... man they could have slowed the Energizer Bunny down to a dying-of-dehydration-in-the-Sahara crawl. It wasn't the fault of the whole band, anyone watching could have seen that. Who stands on stage at the Shepherd's Bush Empire during a New Years Eve show with a 3' tall Macy Gray wig and a frown? Victoria Bergstrom. It didn't matter how much enthusiasm the rest of the band gave off but it all got sucked into that wig and stomped into submission.

I know the world is all high on her because of "the whistling song" (even if her contribution to the song is minimal). But me? I'm glad she's not in The Concretes anymore. I'm not sure that with her we'd have songs this poppy and fantastic to show for the summer of 2007³...

The Concretes - Oh Boy
The Concretes - Hey Trouble

¹ Yeah, I do realize I shouldn't print this but a little truth every once in awhile never hurt, right?
² This is not an isolated incident. I try to keep giving The Concretes the benefit of the doubt live but after 3 shows with Victoria all but throwing a temper tantrum on stage she will now only EVER rub me the wrong way.
³ While the new record isn't out in the US yet you can buy it on sale right now from Parasol for the same price as the average domestic release.

Buy some: The Concretes

Posted by Liz at 12:37 PM | Permalink

Photo by HHJack

What's that going on at the Apple Store? Is it a pre-release of the new iPhone?!? No, it's Swedish indiepoppers Peter Bjorn and John causing more lines everywhere they go! It seems everyone wants a glimpse of "the whistlers".

The late show at The Empty Bottle on Tuesday night was no exception having sold out months in advance. One person we talked to had scalped tickets for $75 a piece (on a $16 face value) and the room buzzed with anticipation.

But first.... we stood in front of the sound board and shuffled along to the beat of the opening band, Fujiya & Miyagi. I wasn't thrilled with their set at first but it did build into very dynamic performance as they hit their stride during "Collarbone". To our right was Peter Morén (of PB&J eh) along with two of the girls from Au Revior Simone (openers at the early show). To our left was one of those incredibly annoying show going guys who is quite vocally annoyed with everything around him during a concert. He was there, it appeared, on a date¹. He therefore thought he owed it to this girl to vocalize his every thought, including how rude people are who send a text msg or take photos during shows. He went on at length about this for 10 minutes at least and didn't seem to notice the irony of his constant talking and commentary. More than one guy in front of me turned around to glare at him, but he never took the hint. How exactly it is he figures it's more rude to spend 20 seconds not interrupting anyone around you by taking a photo than talking loudly during a gig I have no idea. Regardless of not being able to see and barely being able to hear Fujiya & Miyagi over the rude guy, what I did take in of their set was great. We had to move to see PB&J so that I could a) see anything other than the shoulder blades of the 6' guy in front of me and b) not be forced to confront the rude guy.

It should be noted at this point that I could feel myself coming down with a cold all day and my sinus' were quickly filling up with smokey air inside the empty bottle. I knew to appease my heart, my head would have to suffer through for a few songs at least. After much delay they finally look the stage to "Let's Call It Off"... and showed Chicago's hipster² crowd how much more they "rock" live than on record. I stayed for a few more... Start to Melt, The Chills, Amsterdam, Big Black Coffin, and Paris 2004. The crowd seemed to absolutely LOVE them with the enthusiasm radiating outward from Peter and Bjorn on stage. The show was stomping along perfectly but I saw my moment to skip out. Having already seen them do an amazing performance of Young Folks at Red- Eyed Fly down in Austin, I didn't need to see the mayhem that the Empty Bottle would erupt into once Peter started whistling. I was out the door in a flash and into the back of a cab where I was home 10 minutes later (probably about the time Heather of Au Revior Simone would come up on stage to stand in for Victoria Bergstrom to do Young Folks).

Despite having seen probably about half of the set, I think they suitably impressed the Chicago audience. Unless the whole thing tanked after I left (which I heard it didn't) there's no way that everyone in that room didn't melt at the extreme showmanship of Peter Bjorn and John. The friend I took with me has now completely fallen in love with the band and is spreading the word of PB&J like the gospel. Vive le Difference³ PB&J Revolution!

¹ Sorry random annoyed guy, she wasn't that into you.
² The crowd was a bit older than I expected actually. It wasn't quite like Scritti Politti where I was quite obviously one of the youngest folks in the room, but it definitely wasn't entirely the kids of wicker park either.
³ I keep forgetting that I haven't explained why I feel like Peter Bjorn and John are the second (and more successful) coming of Eggstone yet.

Buy some: Fujiya & Miyagi, Peter Bjorn and John

Posted by Liz at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"Now there are a few ways you can give in to musical obsession. You can give in suddenly and briefly – such as when, over a course of a few weeks or months, you find yourself hooked on a particular album (especially a debut album or a breakout album) and start talking up the artist to everyone you know; but then, after seeing a boring live performance or hearing someone you don't respect gush about the music, you just as suddenly denounce the artist as being annoying or unoriginal¹⁰.
Or you can give in sporadically. This might happen if you are dealing unfamiliar real-world concerns, such as a new job or mouth to feed, when you have neither the time nor the energy to satisfy the rigors of a full-blown obsession;¹¹ it might also be that your passion peaked years ago and is only at the edges of your synapses now. But the mania is merely in remission, it is still there, waiting to flare up: a release of a new bootleg, an anniversary of a hero's death, a reunion tour, a simpatico comment by a bartender; a delivery of killer weed."

¹⁰ There is always a whiff of embarrassment in this kind of obsession. It might be better to pretend that it never happened.
¹¹ In other words, you have become totally lame.

The above is just one juicy nugget from John Seller's just released book "Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life". Normally, I don't do book reports but then again normally I don't read books about indie rock obsession. In fact I tend to shy away from all the juicy tell-alls and last gasp efforts to sum up a music scene in 400 pages or less. Something about this book appealed to me, enough to convince me to buy it in hardcover¹.

I don't know John Sellers, and that's probably a good thing. If I did know him, I think he'd hate me for one very simple reason... I do not care for Guided by Voices. In fact, while being a self-professed indierock snob I don't care for GBV (or it's million offshoots) so much that I had no idea "Perfect From Now On" was a nod to the Akron Dayton, Ohio legends⁴. Oops. I perhaps might not have bought the book had I known.

But, if I had assumed the whole book was GBV blabbering and not purchased it, I would have been missing out. Although the last half of the book is chock full of Guided By Voices ridiculousness, the rest of the book is pretty funny². The stories of his Manchester/New Order/Joy Division days are something that every one I know could probably relate to. The lists, appendices and footnotes alone are worth buying this book for...

"But just before leaving for college, I was again left to fend for myself. I made the young man's mistake of revealing my feelings, late one night at a party while drunk on vodka and orange Fanta. When I came to, that first month at college, I realized that Sarah had given me a musical STD – an interest in something regrettable. While I will always be thankful that Sarah introduced me to New Order, which in turn led me to discover songs that indeed saved my life, she also left me with a mean case of Erasure. It turns out that their is a cure for "Oh L'amour." But as I can tell you from gross, painful experience – namely watching Andy Bell flit around a Detroit stage in gold lamé hot pants on a night when I could have seen Ministry instead – it leaves lifelong scars."

The Radio Dept. - I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band
Art Brut - My Little Brother
Ben Folds - Rock Star
The Radio Dept. - Worst Taste In Music (Extended)

¹ Yet another thing I do not do that I apparently do now is buy hardcover books.
² I should preface this by saying it's funny if you a) ever lived in or near Grand Rapids, MI³ or b) ever fancied yourself a music journalist or c) are quite commonly assumed to be a bit obsessive about music.
³ It hadn't occurred to me before reading this that GR actually had suburbs but I suppose Wyoming, Kentwood, etc aren't neighborhoods but separate city entities. Strange, the whole place is so small I have no idea why it has suburbs really?
⁴ I am actually wrong. It's a Built to Spill reference but uh... yet another band I am not so keen on. Oops.

Buy some: The Radio Dept., Art Brut, Ben Folds, John Sellers

Posted by Liz at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

As the weather turns my thoughts turn to music. To be fair, my thoughts normally turn to music and I love having my seasons defined by records. While Teenage Fanclub, Todd Fancey and Bart Davenport saw me through the magical summer, a few talents have returned to entrance me as the leaves begin to fall.

Mew - And The Glass Handed Kites
These Danes have intrigued me since the release of their debut "Frengers" some years ago. While it wasn't the first record they actually put out it was the first with any real distribution outside of Scandinavia. The debut was chock full of potential, so much so that the boys decided they wanted a more worldly outlook for the next record. As they packed up their bags and moved to London, to set their sights on a higher music plain. Mew and the Glass Handed Kites has more than achieved that. With one continuous sweep they have recorded 60 minutes of pure prog rock bliss. Prog rock? But Liz you're saying... you're a tweepop kinda girl? Well I'd be careful not to stereotype me or this band. They may hit spacey highs, create more bizarre chord progressions than a 13-year-old with a new Fender and leave people with a solid verse-chorus-verse background scratching their heads in confusion... but they are more, so much more than a label.

In the weeks since this record has seen a release (UK and Europe only at this point) I've listened over and over... almost becoming obsessive. I'm intrigued with every new listen because every time something new pops out of the experience. And to say it's an experience is not an exaggeration. The 14 tracks on offer have a continuous flow to them that immediately makes the critic in me think 'concept album' but as far as I can hear, the only concept on the table here is to blow each and every listener's mind. There are moments of individual beauty (1. the progression from track 5, Apocalypso, through Special to track 7, The Zookeeper's Boy; 2. the perfect integration of vocals from J. Macsis [Dinosaur Jr.] in Are You Looking Grave? without losing their touch on the song) but this is one cohesive odyssey from every vocal high to bass low. Each song segues from one mind-fuck (pardon the language) into another displaying Mew's interesting sense of song structure... they don't subscribe to the layers of glass and steel song building we've come to know (think Mies Van der Rohe) but show a more warped and twisted metal design (ala Frank Gehry). You can stare at it and aren't quite sure how it's standing up but can be completely at ease that it's one of the most beautiful and original buildings (errr... sounds) you've ever heard.
Official Mew website

The Clientele - Strange Geometry
The world might be justified in initially thinking that The Clientele play in a monochromatic palette. If it was monotone I would imagine it to be the color of tea; no milk, no sugar, just a warm wash of sepia. But The Clientele don't do this, that would be a gimmick and this sound is the opposite of distracting trickery. There are no keyboards, no special effects, no light show or cheerleaders. What The Clientele have always done is to strip down their sound and leave the effect up to deceptively simple guitar harmonies and vocals for a new level of purity. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals (and on this record subtle yet highly effective strings arranged by former él Records artist Louis Philippe). There is nothing oooh-oooh-lookit-me as the contrived lays by the wayside and they are left with undiluted tone.

The world of The Clientele isn't a monochromatic cup of tea, it's a world in which seemingly banal daily cuppa becomes anything but mundane. This new existence brought to life through Alasdair McLean's poetic verse and voice is fresh. Much like visual artists obsess over the tiniest details, it's the minute poetics through which we can see a full picture of the universe through their eyes (or "my own face within the trees"). Glimpsing into this new world they've created, it's the shadows on the leaves that catch your eye not the perspective of yet another tree in one's path. They explore new territory with the spoken wanderings of "Losing Haringey", they make simple statements of love in "Step into the Light" somehow more profound with wistful guitars, they show us a whole new darkness in "E.M.P.T.Y." with an almost hallucinatory beauty. While each and every song could bring a tear to your eye or a smile to your lips, this is most notably a record and as a whole, this album is absolutely magnificent and easily pronounced as their finest to date.
Official Clientele website

Originally published at Excellent Online

And now I'm off to see the delectable Jens Lekman.... oh fall fall fall.

Posted by Liz at 9:10 PM | Permalink

Describe a band or record as twee and suddenly it's gotten the short end of every stick around. The stigma of creating precious or quiet pop is unfounded in the indie rock world. I will never understand why every reviewer feels free to love Belle and Sebastian but anyone compared to the Scottish supergroup is automatically boring and crap.

The Morning After is a record that can hopefully break a few of those indier-than-thou mindsets away from the twee=bland equation. England's Would-Be-Goods, led by famed-in-certain-circles el recording artist Jessica Griffin, have created a new album of elegant and timeless guitar pop. At no point in time does guitarist Peter Momtichiloff (Heavenly, Talulah Gosh, Razorcuts and Scarlet's Well) break into major rock chords and strum as if his hands are afire... but nor is his guitar polite or apologetic. There should be nothing conciliatory about creating a sound this beautiful and soulful, even if it's not going to shift enough units to hit the charts. This playful record bounds between charming songs of identifying with a caged lion ("Big Cat Act") to French ballads alternating between patient chords and a surf rock anthem ("Le Crocodile").

On the album's title track, Jessica proudly puts her regret to the forefront on singing of a one-night stand that woefully didn't lead to more, "I should have known love would go to my head, all of those things I should never have said. Why did I get so carried away? it looks so different by the cruel light of day." The delicacy and remorse of Jessica's vocals are starkly contrasted by the positiveness of the pop ballad that got me dancing around my living room. That divergence doesn't really sees itself play out throughout most of the record. For instance on "Too Old" the downtrodden nature of the lyrics, "Your hair is getting thin, and mine is going gray. You've known me for so long, you've nothing left to say." The backing harmonies and reflective guitar play up the melancholy wistfulness of an ill relationship. On "The King of Lace", a crooning Jessica reminisces in the style of many Ye-Ye artists before her (read Francoise Hardy) to a quiet guitar comfortable in my idicilic visions of Paris side streets straight out of April March drawn dream world.

Jessica was once quoted as saying she had a "lack of confidence in my confidence", but that certainly doesn't come forward in any of the material on this new record. Smart, sexy and classic The Morning After is a record to revel in your own sugar high.

Matinee Recordings
Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:19 PM | Permalink

After about 10 hours being out and about on the Chicago city streets, I found myself walking about 9 blocks home from a strange bus stop without my usual accouterments. Accouterments, being the ipod. In my silence of sirens, traffic and sprinklers I was given a good chance to reflect upon the hours of beaches, urban jungle, rare sites and general weekend merriment when I realized that I was humming. It took me a second to place the song, but it was "For Your Sake" by Ken Stringfellow. I thought to myself about the oddity of a full day of noises, films, conversations and how strange it was to have Ken's song pop into my head. That song was not what i had been listening to earlier in the day. It was nowhere near the top of my mind... but it was reverberating... and doing so of it's own accord. This, I determined during the rest of my walk home, was the sign of blissful song writing. When the song could detach itself from the source and become so ingrained as to be your company in the darkness... the artist had done something right. It shouldn't surprise me that I came to this through Ken's music. I'm not sure what it is about his songwriting, but it has a rare quality that makes his music immediately personal. It does surprise me that I was so moved by Ken's new record Soft Commands. Released earlier this summer on YepRoc, I was originally drawn to only a few songs but not the whole record. I adored his last release Touched in it's entirety with it's ballads to suicidal friends and depressing odes of solitude. His honesty on record with Touched was missing the usual cleverness artists have of hiding their true intentions in catchy beats and subtlety written lyrics. It was an open view into his world... and an admirable one. My first few listens of Soft Commands didn't leave me feeling the same way. Sure, he had those some well written hooks and i immediately adored the Spector-esque sound in Track 4 ("When U Find Someone") but it seemed too finished, too mature. The rawness and simultaneous clarity of Ken's voice and solitary guitar has a lot of power that I thought was overdone with Soft Commands... but what it took was to let the record settle. It's merits were not instantly recognizable, but they were there in the darkness when all else was stripped away. Soft Commands is an uneven record and I initially faulted it for that. It seems more of a collection of afterthoughts than an organized view into an artist. It contains strange dub songs (so appropriately titled "Dawn of the Dub of the Dawn feat. Gaffa Man"), harmonies pulled directly from "Surfin' U.S.A.", and French piano lullabies owing quite a bit to Michele Polnareff and Burt Bacharach. But who among us has merely one style in us, only one way of drawing a picture and painting a view of ourselves through words? In it's diversity, Soft Commands excels... even if it leaves the average listeners saying 'Who in the hell is this?'. This record contains some awe inspiring individual songs, particularly the synth heavy "For Your Sake" laced with layers of Ken's pristine tenor in a song of wandering and salvation.

"If you grimly go ahead... If you gaze with longing... If you grip the crumbling edge... If you gallop towards the horizons... If you gawk at the spectacular... If you gauge your success... If you gorge yourself... If you're greedy all the time... If you gain no new ground... If you're grinding to a halt... I'll come around."

Not afraid to take a stance with the current world political climate... Ken takes a momentous stab at the Bush administration with "When U Find Someone" as he paints George W caught in a lover's obsession with the former dictator of Iraq...

"Breathing in that desert air, somewhere, where no one can touch us. Sharing a dream as a prisoner screams hands on the switch as we throw it - together. When you find someone who loves you like that, you want them back in your life."

But Ken's ode to political destruction is wrapped up so succinctly in a wall of sound that he's created an all together new creature cooing in Wilson-esque harmonies with Sarah Shannon (formerly of Velocity Girl) on backing vocals. The beauty and peace of this song overwhelms the strange weave of political stalking. Soft Command's range is the perfect glimpse into the Ken Stringfellow of today... the boy from Washington who is now a man of France. He has been at the helm of so many of indie's precious bands and despite his own songwriting ability and history hides himself behind more famous names on stage like R.E.M. and Eddie Vedder. Ken has become more than he once was as a struggling kid from Seattle... he is now a musician of the world recording and writing this record on more continents than the average person sees in their lifetime. He's to be commended on Soft Commands for showing an artist can mature by demonstrating the joy and peace someone can find in growth. YepRock Records
Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:17 PM | Permalink

"Just because they knew your name,
Doesn't mean they know from where you came."
- I Don't Blame You

Chan Marshall has always had a raw and emotional voice that leaves her a glow in a wash of power. You Are Free is her first new material in almost four years, and she's more confident and calculated than with her 1998 release Moon Pix. Beauty in haunted melody and frantic strings; Alluring ballads as addiction itself.

Give a strong woman a guitar and you'll hear about Liz Phair, Anna Waronker, and a bunch of riot grrls. I don't care to do that. Chan can stand on her own two feet. She may not be the best woman out there with a guitar in hand, but her song writing ability is touchingly personal, even if her lyrics don't always tell a succinct story. There's no affect to Chan's voice. There's nothing but unadulterated emotion and truth to her tones, which makes his album so endearing and hard to take out of the cd player without just one more listen... or five. The honesty of You Are Free is clean and refreshing in this world of overloaded sound and convoluted noise. Everyone seems to be screaming to be heard... yet all Chan needs to do is whisper to get noticed.

"Come along Fool, a direct hit in the senses, you're disconnected"
-Fool

This is not a perfect disc but only because it runs a bit long. The last 2 or 3 songs are not unnecessary per say, but they are a bit much since they aren't quite as strong as the rest of the cd. A song like "Keep on Runnin'" just doesn't have the same power as "Fool" or "Speak For Me". The albums' minute faults only make it all the more real. It may be early to call this, but this is a contender for Album of the Year.

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:02 PM | Permalink

This will not be the typical review. I won't go on about songs, I will not go on about reproduction live vs on record, I will not even really discuss the members. I will tell you few basics, because that's all the information I have. ASSASSINS are the current project of Joe Cassidy (Butterfly Child) and four Chicagoans. They consist of two guitarists, (Joe and Merritt Lear), one bassist, one drummer and one bloke on several keyboards.

Typical or not, I know magic when I see it.

January 16 in the bitter cold, these five musicians took the stage at a sold out, crowded to the brim show at Schubas with no record deal and nothing more than a basic listing in the Chicago press. The room was a buzz with electricity because the other people in the room knew something that I would find out... what it's like to catch a band at the beginning.

I hear outsiders talk about what a good indie music scene Chicago has and I know they can't possibly live here. There normally is no scene. Aluminum Group shows don't sell out. Kevin Thistia plays to a room of a dozen people. Archer who? Perhaps that's what makes it so miraculous the kind of attention Assassins has been getting from the underground. In the past month I have seen Schubas music room with 5 people in it, 10 people, perhaps a high of 40. Thursday night? God knows. I'm not good at math so don't ask me to count that high. For their first headlining show, the crowd came. It almost makes me wonder how many other shows they've opened for where they've blown the headliner out of the water. I didn't see them with Zwan last week but last time I saw them open for Soundtrack of our Lives I knew the music couldn't get any better once they'd left the stage.

So all this hype am I eventually going to tell you what they sound like? I wish it was that easy. Finely layered atmospheric guitars over space age keyboards and harmonized vocals doesn't do them justice. They aren't stereolab. I get an image in my head of birds... circling in perfect unison all going different directions until they converge in beautiful formation. It's swirly pop, but heavier. It's electronic yet wholly infused with guitars. It's scattered yet working together. It's dreamy yet grounded by bass and drums. It's mesmerizing, breathtaking and altogether pop inspired. Assassins have the force and power of rock at it's best, yet the sophistication of electronica and all the sensibility of (future) pop superstars.

Joe Cassidy's had this sort of praise forced upon him before. After nearly 10 years of recording he's had numerous Melody Maker and NME singles of the week, a record deal with Rough Trade, recorded with Tortoise, shared a stage with John Cale, Neil Hannon, god knows who else. I'm really hoping Assassins is the project that finally puts him over the edge because on that Thursday night... it was perfection.

"You've got a first class ticket to get you out of here" - Mile High Club

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:36 PM | Permalink

I'm a sucker for Farfisa and Hammond organs. Add in a bit of harmonized vocals and intricate arrangements, and I'm a goner. Chicagoan KEVIN TIHISTA apparently has my number. I must be honest, Kevin plays my favorite bar quite frequently and yet somehow I never managed to go check him out. It wasn't until an acquaintance in London went on about him that I realized there might be something actually going on here in Chicago. What a shame that it takes a Brit to make me appreciate my own musical backyard. I must have seen Kevin's previous band Triple Fast Action at least half a dozen times during the mid 90s yet never had their rock show given me any indication that their might be more to their silent, smoking guitarist.

Who's going to let me cry on their shoulder?
Who is going to dust me off when everything's over?
- Come On Now

Swimming in a sea of melancholy and guitar picks, this album leaves me slightly breathless. While he adds a bit of alt-country swagger to songs like "You Don't Have To Be Sorry", overall this is grandiose, orchestral pop at it's finest. Is that a genre? As I stare at my cd racks to attempt to find anything similar in my collection, and the best I can come up with is a few Pernice Brother's albums, the Smiths, Rufus Wainwright, Bart Davenport and a Ken Stringfellow cd. Somehow jumble all of that together... and you will still be nowhere close to Kevin Tihista, but it's a start. The sound is soul bearing, lonely and addictive.

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:00 PM | Permalink

"You know me, I take nothing seriously.
I can see a laughing face in every willow tree."
- Losing Your Affection

I think people often get confused by the many guises that Stephen Merritt shields himself in, I know I certainly do. The always haunting, never off the mark music of Mr. Merritt has entertained us as the Magnetic Fields, the 6ths, the Gothic Archies and yes, the Future Bible Heroes. Until this new release, The Bible Heroes were Stephen's collaboration with Boston DJ Christopher Ewan. These two have now transformed into three with vocalist Claudia Gonson (Magnetic Fields contributor).

Music that can only be comprehended through headphones or the dark pounding of a club should be celebrated, and this album is no exception. Something about my stereo speakers being too far removed from my aural sensors would make this sound a little hard to process. Out of 16 tracks and only 39 minutes, six songs are Chris Ewan instrumentals (instant Enoesque classics). The remaining ten tunes hold steady with the eerily sung lyrics of romance, vampires and aliens. Aliens? Yes, I think that's what he's going for. This is not quite the Bacharach inspired pop songs I love about the 6ths, et al.

"You're from some dying star, I don't know what you are...
You're not human, too beautiful to be human."
- From Some Dying Star

The goth tone to this record is a little disconcerting to me. It's sparse, it's dark... and perhaps a few songs too long (Can I actually say that about an album of 39 minutes?). There are highlights. I'm a Vampire is a surprising gem as Claudia deadpans Stephen's off kilter lyrics... "I have all the love I need/It is your blood I crave/I am the bitch goddess/from beyond your grave." The sadness and utter depravity exhibited in "Find an Open Window" are surprisingly tender and juvenile... "When you're lying face down in the snow/find an open window/Then without a sound/Climb through and just let go". I do like this album, it's not bad. While the album does exhibit moments of synth genius, it doesn't have as much heart as other material. Eternal Youth will end up on my list somewhere at the end of the year, but probably not in the top 10.

(Instinct - US Release 20 Aug. 02)
Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 10:50 PM | Permalink

I'm drawn to music that sounds like I could do it myself, with the help of a techno-geek friend and some software. There is something very hands on, totally accomplishable within the new Ladytron album, Light & Magic. Yet the talent and skill needed to create such an overall diverse and consistently refreshing album are definitely not easily recreated by just anyone with a mac. There's more to this album than Ladytron boasted with their 2000 release 604. The sounds are similar, yet the band has taken it to a higher plane.

Electronica to me is all about ambiance. With Ladytron's first album 604, I was transported to a dilapidated Berlin side street, standing drenched in the rain in front of a dreary discotheque. Light & Magic seems to draw out Pacific sunshine from somewhere high in the Hollywood Hills. We are now focused on the mid-century architectural Hollywood of old. This isn't glam, it's the seedy side of glamorous. Creating an industrial pop atmosphere out of analog beats and dreamy programming is not easily accomplished, yet Light & Magic handles it well and manages to comes off as polished and totally accessible.

Out of the 15 tracks, "Seventeen" has to be the closest thing on the album to the Ladytron of old. It is the song that will bring you back to the glorious sounds of "He Took Her to a Movie" and "Playgirl". Quite enamored with the dirge of underage models, Helen and Mira's raspy vocals would only egg on the dirty old man turned on by the sexually dysfunctional lyrics. "He only wants you when you're 17, when you're 21, you're no fun." This song could be Lolitapop's take on the Lolita- complex as a whole.

I could drop in the references here about 'oh this sounds a bit like Blondie', 'that sounds a bit Chicago house', 'this is clearly their nod to Ian Curtis', but why bother? Ladytron has always recycled their influences, so whom does it hurt that they wear their references proudly? Overall they've created a solid and varied album that could help the tag of 'electroclash' break out of the clichéd ambivalence it gets from the indie rock scene.

(Emperor Norton - US Release 19 Sept. 02)
Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 10:59 PM | Permalink

"Baby nothing lasts forever."

So one child, two marriages and two years later, they return. Their lives have been all about change, and titling their newest release Finisterre (the end of the world) is a departure from the escapism of Sound of Water. I was not a huge fan of the last album. I needed them to get that German minimalism out of their system, as I've always loved St. Etienne for that perfect pop song they're able to write. If I'd wanted to hear To Rococco Rot with Sarah singing, I'd find a bootleg mix. They've gone a bit further back to their roots with Finisterre. It's always intriguing to me which influences they're wearing on their sleeves during each album. The campy Dusty and Motown influence of Good Humor was such a departure from the Pet Shop (and Beach) Boys perfection of where they'd started with Fox Base Alpha and So Tough. I feel like this disc melds all their musical passion into one glorious beat box anthem.

"Our father who art in heaven, please, stay there."

The first thing that strikes me as distinct about this disc is the between track banter. Notorious for strange samples used as a mood blender, this is a bit different. As opposed to random comments about rum by Marc Almond or stolen lines from classic film noir, the samples on this disc sound more like snippets of some upcoming novel all narrated by the mature voice of Michael Jayston. There is definitely more of a story here than the previous cut 'n paste utterances.

"Back in sweet suburbia, middle of the road, Iooking for the action everywhere I go."

The much anticipated "Action" single (and track one on Finisterre) IS the summer anthem I was looking for. Finely layered and building to a fabulous climax, this song will get you off your ass and up on the dance floor. The toe tapping and head bopping is contagion itself. As I sat on a plane 30,000 miles up, it's was hard to sit still... and at only 8:30 in the morning after a long night of drinking. I can already imagine the remixes that'll hit the dance floors of Ibiza and Berlin soon.

"I loved to draw when I was a little girl. It helped me see the world the way that I wanted it to be."

Perhaps the boys have gotten tired of cult obscurity in England. With "Soft Like Me", they've written a song that could give the Kylie a run for her money. Working with British rapper Wildflower, Sarah's harmonic chorus is offset by the harder-edged hip hop rhymes during the verses. The only thing holding back this track for overplay on XFM is the length. At 4 and a half minutes, it might lose the interest of the casual radio listener, but that's what radio edits are for right? The amazing thing is that they didn't only put up one radio friendly track, there are several. I've never heard material as commercial friendly from St. Etienne before. Tracks like "Shower Scene" and
Action" could actually take the band from cult status to ACTUAL pop stars. Perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself because I want to see Sarah's face plastered over all those stupid Kylie adverts. Then again, I've never understood why they weren't already gazillionaires and flying around the world on a Tiffany blue private concorde.

"The boys are back in town and nothing can stop us now. Oooh, this is our wall of sound."

Two years is a rather long wait for new material from one of the busiest bands in England. The time seems well spent, as the coats of noise are so perfectly applied it would be impossible to peel apart the wall of sound. It's so perfected, I almost wonder if they had resorted to using a paint-by-numbers formula on the past few albums. As always they employ some new tricks, different sounds and instruments. The overall popish flamboyance made it fun to simply watch my equalizer bounce along with each song. It's not entirely rhubarb and custard keyboard music anymore, there's a fair amount of guitar work (including an appearance by Jez of the Doves).

"Could it be we'll stay together, will I ever know? If this night could last forever, maybe then I'll know."

So, onto the end of Saint Etienne question. I have to firmly take my place in line as a fan and say that I hope this album isn't broadcasting the finale. I can understand where the last album question is coming from. Other than the finite nature of the album name (and last track), there is an element of fighting back and wrapping up lose ends. While I hope it's not because they want to move on to greener pastures, it does make this one of Saint Etienne's most solid releases EVER. This album wouldn't be a bad note to go out on. But if they are making music this good... why? Perhaps music isn't all they want out of life anymore... but I don't think they are willing to cut their losses yet.

(Mantra - UK Release 30 Sept. 02)
Originally published on Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 10:56 PM | Permalink

When I was in Tokyo earlier this year, I found a fantastic compilation called 'Airpop Terminal 2' with a rather frightening photo on the cover of a 'jet blue' plane flying in front of the twin towers in NYC. Despite the ominous image of the cover art (released on the German label "Apricot" at the beginning of 2001), I was intrigued by the huge diversity of musicians on the 2-disc set. I was pleasantly surprised that my favorite Chicagoans INSTA had rated well enough to get on a comp with BIRDIE, EGGSTONE, CINNAMON, et al. Yet above all else, the biggest joy on the album was a little Motown inspired ditty by THE SHERMANS... so 2 shermans cd's and a single later... I'm hooked.

THE SHERMANS - HAPPINESS IS TOY SHAPED
(Shelflife 035)

The Shermans are entirely Swedish (including a former member of Red Sleeping Beauty) but wear their Phil Spector, Beach Boys and Motown influences on their sleeve with definite pride. Their sunshiney 3rd album "Happiness is Toy Shaped" came out in the US on Shelflife last fall. Fitting in nicely with many of the current twee-indie bands, THE SHERMANS could live happily in the same sphere as artists like THE AISLER'S SET, CALL AND RESPONSE, THE LUCKSMITHS, GIRLFRENDO, BIRDIE, THE SATURDAY PEOPLE, THE LESLIES, CLUB 8, ADVENTURES IN STEREO, etc etc. Strumming guitars, simple piano melodies, and multi-tracked harmonies on the vocals of Ingela Matsson create beautiful stories of melancholy and the complexities of human behavior.

I realize that sticky sweetness is enough to make many people gag, but it's not the least bit pretentious and comes off as absolutely charming. The dreamy optimism of songs like "What Life's About" and "Adulthood for Beginners" are second to none. I'd love to live in a world where materialism takes a back seat to "kisses in the dark" or "a long hot bath" because "that's all i need, that it's for me what life's about, not all the money in the world". Call me a hopeless romantic, or simply fed up with the commericalism in the world... but at least I know that THE SHERMANS would love to live with me in utopia.

Originally published at Excellent Online.

Posted by Liz at 10:55 PM | Permalink

Music definitions are constantly changing, as is each artist's place among those definitions. Every once in awhile, a record will come out shifting a band in an entirely new direction. Welcome to the "new" Aluminum Group. Once classified as guitar-driven tweepop, the Aluminum Group sound has begin to shift gracefully towards an electro-lounge atmosphere. The number of new elements introduced into the band's repertoire on the new PELO release is astounding. Rarely can a band take such drastic change of direction without falling flat, but the new sound is well executed and works well.

I was a little taken aback when I initially pressed play on PELO during the early am wait of an airport departure lounge. It was 5:30 AM at O'Hare, the sun was rising warmly to the east over rows of plans nested next to the terminal like rows of corn. When the atmospheric synth started up on 'Pussycat', the feeling was almost other worldly. I was not expecting what I heard, but was very pleased with the sound none the less.

John & Frank Navin have always had a collective voice that lends itself more to the Tindersticks than Everything But The Girl, yet this album leans further towards a trip hop disc than any previous Aluminum Group concoctions. The string section is gone and in it's place are two DJs (John McEntire & John Herndon) that make the Aluminum Group a new experience. With the help of two female vocalists, new sound begins to make even more sense.

Considering the Aluminum Group is named after a group of Herman Miller furniture designers from the 60s, be prepared to hear plenty of influence dropping. The arrangements are meticulously done with a quiet nod to Sean O'Hagan. The samples practically breathe out attention to artists such as Momus, Bjork, To Roccoco Rot and Air. The entire album is seamlessly intertwined with the current atmospheric electronica and electro lounge movements. Unlike previous Aluminum Group albums which appeared to be lose steam about halfway through, PELO kept me yearning for the next song.

Despite having a hard time defining this cd, the sounds coming off of it are amazingly fresh. Everytime I hear PELO, a mental picture comes to mind of a little music-loving robot who bops his head in tune to the music despite having rusty and painful joints. PELO contains notes of sadness and melodrama (i.e.. goodbye goldfish, hi piranha) among an overwhelmingly positive release. The new direction that The Aluminum Group has turned in should pan out to be a good one, particularly if this cd is to be the judge.

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:49 PM | Permalink

Sitting quietly at work, diligently working away I press play on my cd player. I'm confronted with an overwhelming mass of emotions that pull at the very thing that holds my being together. I feel as if I'm falling in love only to have my emotions squashed and my heart broken as each song ends. My feelings are not within my grasp. Each chord pumped the blood through my body. My heart races.

"I try to wake up but my mind is still foggy".

Am I dreaming or am I actually awake? I know I've been here before. I turn up the volume to block out the idle chatter around me. As the drum machine kicks in, the beat just eggs them on... bringing more motivation to take the world and proclaim it their own. I'm in an empty field.. surrounded by nothing by the yellowish tint of dying grass in the quiet autumn cold. Suddenly there is a rain shower... first slowly dripping onto the empty field around me ... and then faster, faster... as the lightning and thunder crashes around me.

"it seems to me that we've got it all"

The storm is violent now... a steady pounding of lightning brings the trees to their knees. The earth is almost shaking with the violent force of sound. The birds fly south dashing between the sheets of rain. Then it's quiet. We've reached the eye of St Etienne and Sarah's quiet whisper fills the meadow.

I close my eyes. There's a piano behind me. It has all of the depth of a baby grand, yet as I turn and open my eyes it's no longer there. The clouds are starting to break apart and the sun is shining through. I reach for my sunglasses and feel like a popstar in the smokey dank of a Paris bar. This world they've created is quiet and moody but always glowing with a self confident flourish. Surely this kind of effortless hallucination is illegal.

"Lost in a dream I open a door to find somebody there."

There is truth in their world. I don't want to leave, but a meeting has been called and my mac reminds me faithfully a few minutes before. I'd like to squeeze the rest of the cd in, but the songs are too precious to rush.

"Oh it's all gone horribly wrong. What am I going to do?"

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:47 PM | Permalink

We are on a journey, chronicling the life of a movie star heroine. She speeds through the Belgian countryside in a '65 E type, totally enveloped in the wall of sound she's driving towards. Our starlet slouches in the driver's seat, her silk dress scrunching into unflattering shapes on her hips. She eases her foot off of the gas pedal. The car slows to a standstill on the dark road. Ahead of us we see, The Magnificent Tree. What brought us here is unknown, but this is quite obviously the end of the line.

"Feel the vibe, feel the terror, feel the pain - it's driving me insane - I can't fake - for god's sake why am I driving in the wrong lane - trouble is my middle name - but in the end I'm not too bad" - Mad About You

Back with their 3rd album, Hoover (as they're known overseas) has completed a grandiose cinemaworthy un-soundtrack. The movie plots may exist purely in their heads, but the accompanying feeling has been captured in sound. The timpani, keyboards, strings and theremin intermingle so well that the listener's ear is teased with musical emotion. Never has the trip hop sound managed to sound so full without coming off as over-produced. Hoover managed to pull off a children's chorus during "Jacky Cane" without sounding the least bit pretentious. While the strings and percussion are drawing the listener towards a path of tender emotion, the keyboards kick up enough sinister tones to provide a swell of imagery. Layering each song with the high hat and drum machine backings is practically hypnotic. Hoover might not be doing anything new but they are doing it so well, this feels like a new experience.

The mid-90's girl groups are still out there, yet most seem to be splintering off into their own directions. Massive Attack and Tricky remain the critic's choice with every cd they release. Dubstar have finally created a cd equal to their debut leading them away from Trip Hop and more towards the rock/dance elements. St Etienne have been following their own sound and experimenting with other musicians for over 10 years now to retain their cult following. Portishead are still wallowing in their ever-depressing world. Everything But The Girl have followed their mainstream success of Missing with their latest album Temperamental. There were very few whom hadn't regained the spotlight at some point in the past few years. Hooverphonic did begin working with a new singer and put out a cd in the meantime "Blue Powder Wonder Milk" but the latest disc might be the necessary catalyst to push them over the musical hump to becoming mainstay artists

I used to listen to Hooverphonic as background noise. I wasn't paying them the highest of compliments, but I never felt that their music requested my full attention. With the birth of this new album, Hoover are taking baby steps towards center stage. Unwilling to hide in the orchestra pit anymore, Hoover have developed the sound necessary to capture my attention and my imagination.

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:45 PM | Permalink

I've always believed in Dubstar. I've had more than one "Sarah Blackwood" haircut in my lifetime, yet I was left disappointed with their last full length release, "Goodbye". I didn't feel they were living up to their potential. So I raised the bar. I hoped that they could get back to the land of 'no-wrong' they were at with their freshman release "Disgraceful". I didn't realize they could actually surpass it.

"Make it better" was what the fans asked for, and Dubstar didn't disappoint this time. Three years have passed since their last album and I finally feel Dubstar have shown us their true talent. Sliding between pure pop and timid ballads, I'm reminded why I originally fell in love with the Dubstar sound. Sarah's voice is once again reaching new heights and the lads behind the keyboards and guitars demonstrate what brought them to the become musicians in the first place.

The line between trip-hop and dance is a narrow one, yet dubstar walk this highwire with extreme grace and certainty. The keyboards are less Pet Shop Boys and more industrial now. The guitars have drowned out the old string section, leaving the listener feeling refreshed. The social messages of "just a girl" aren't gone, but have become slightly jaded. Take a lyric from "Rise to the top" as an example, "But with the way that you look at everyday, you know that things are going to get worse". The rose colored glasses have obviously clouded, but the band isn't quiet ready to give up. They've moved on, and are looking at music from a fresh perspective, "I'm a liar, you're a cheat, I'm tired, you're asleep, times change and so must we" (Swansong).

Dubstar have returned to their roots, the One Dove influences have come back to the forefront of the celestial sound developed years ago. "When the world knows your name", originally titled "when the world knows your gay", gives us a shadowy glimpse into the past the band has finally come to terms with. "The self same thing" shows us why the "just a girl" Dubstar are a thing of the past, "it's the self same thing, I hope one day you'll understand we've an equal stake in all we plan, So put aside the divide you see, I'm a girl, You're a boy, It's so simple to see that .... we are the same."

In a decade when too many bands put out intriguing debut cds, yet couldn't follow them up with substantial sophomore sounds, Dubstar may have finally jumped ahead of the pack. The Mono, Hooverphonic and St Etienne comparisons can finally fall to the wayside, as Dubstar have honed their talent into a sound of their own. I remember in 1995 when 'Disgraceful' wouldn't leave my cd player. At the time, Dubstar were creating a hazy alter universe that I felt safe in. That alter universe isn't gone, but may have melted into a kinder reality.

Originally published at Excellent Online

Posted by Liz at 11:44 PM | Permalink

The British music press is notoriously fickle. Their treatment of female-led pop bands has always been consistently weak. However, bands like Dubstar will make the media stop and take notice. Dubstar's singer, Sarah Blackwood, is ready to stand up and be counted among the best new acts in Britain.

Sarah may be a stunningly beautiful blond, but her aceface isn't the only thing leading the band. There is more behind her seductive eyes including a talented poet and lyricist. Giving up graceful pop melodies will prove Dubstar in a different class than the average (and still ignored) female-fronted bands.

Sarah's swan-like vocals weave amongst the songs on their Debut album, Disgraceful, as she darts fowl across the UK's musical pond. Her graceful vocals are backed by the sounds of extraordinary synthpop. The band may play poppy disco melodies but Sarah doesn't want to be a disco queen. Rather she's a graceful swan, a cut above the rest, who won't let her contemporaries clip her wings.

The words of 'just a girl she said' will echo for quite awhile in the male ego. The lyrics are a far cry from RIOT GRRL, but more the wit any cynicism of a sexy pop diva. They show Sarah as a touchable, personable singer. This swan tells it as she sees it, and that is a more attractive characteristic than her acegirl looks. Listen up, she has something to say:

"It's alright I'm just a girl she said. Talk down to me and take me to bed. I don't think, I don't feel and I don't really matter at all. I'm a person who speaks, I'm a person who thinks but you hope I forget as you ply me with drink. You cannot buy me and you cannot use me, but I know that you want to try."

I will admit that I am commonly more attracted to female-led melodies. My list of top groups reeks with female influences, but Dubstar are the epitomy of it all.

As established English bands split up (ie. Verve, the Stone Roses, Ride) the future isn't as grim as it could be because of new acts like Dubstar leading the charts. Their latest single 'stars' is currently staying strong on the UK Top40 charts. It's easy to hear why.

Dubstar's music doesn't rely solely on Sarah's lyrical genius. Melodically beautiful keyboards and simple pop tunes provide excellent accompaniment. The other two band members, Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie, do a wonderful job...but still the focus of this CD is on Sarah's voice and on the stories she tells. The music doesn't overpower and it easily accentuates her powerful vocal tracks.

This is still the beginning of Dubstar, but with the grace and beauty their music portrays, this will certainly not be the end. Sarah will always be waiting to thrill: "I'll be around and waiting for your call"

Originally published 1996 TapOnline
©COPYRIGHT 1996 Marketsource Corporation, all rights reserved.

Posted by Liz at 11:42 PM | Permalink