REVIEW: Hilly Eye - Reasons to Live

As a devoted, if not obsessed, Titus Andronicus fan, I must admit that I was a bit concerned when I learned that Amy Klein was leaving the band after the tour for The Monitor.  Why change something that was seemingly perfect?  Why risk harming, in any way, my favorite live band?

Thankfully, Titus' great performances with a new lineup in 2012 and the fantastic Local Business combined with the newly released Reasons to Live by Hilly Eye (featuring Klein on lead vocals and guitar and Catherine Tung on drums) (Don Giovanni Records) allow me to rest easy knowing that I did not lose a favorite, but gained one.

On Reasons to Live, Klein and Tung make beautiful noise together.  From droning, fuzzed-out guitar noise to angry and sometimes epic guitar rock, Hilly Eye's debut never disappoints.  Summoning the spirits of Sleater-Kinney, early P.J. Harvey, Patti Smith, Sonic Youth, and My Bloody Valentine, Reasons to Live excels at hypnotizing listeners and then jarring them back to reality with powerful and magical moments and riffs.

Importantly, this is not just noise rock.  Sure, the noise on this record is most immediately apparent, but what makes Reasons to Live great is what lies underneath the noise:  strong songwriting, Klein's skilled guitar work, and Tung's powerful and straight ahead attack on her drums.

Hilly Eye is a talented and exciting new band, Reasons to Live is an exceptional first effort, and I cannot wait to see what they do next.

REVIEW: The Breakup Society - So Much Unhappiness, So Little Time...

Ed Masley, singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Phoenix and Pittsburgh's The Breakup Society, has been writing some of the best hooks and lyrics in rock since, at least, the early 90's.  From the early days of his previous band, Pittsburgh's The Frampton Brothers, through The Breakup Society's 2004 masterpiece, James at 35 (which remains near the top of my best of the 00's list) and 2007's Nobody Likes a Winner, Masley has consistently rewarded listeners with addictive and unforgettable melodies, thoughtful and witty lyrics, and characters whose stories are compelling and, frequently, heartbreaking.  The Breakup Society's new release, So Much Unhappiness, So Little Time..., is no exception and is an early 2013 "must have" record.

From the opening title track through the thundering epic sadness of "She Doesn't Cross Against the Light," So Much Unhappiness is just about everything that is great about rock and roll (which, to me, can pretty much be summarized as follows:  catchy melodies, guitars, memorable lyrics, guitars, a great drummer (in this case, Bob Hoag), and an occasional piano and bittersweet love song.)  With elements of Elvis Costello, the Zombies, and the Kinks, and even bits of the Beatles, each track draws you in quickly and then rewards you for sticking around and paying attention.

The title track kicks things off with a surprisingly not completely unhappy message:  "love is all around you/would have found you/but its also blind/and you'll find/that only you can leave your tears behind" and reminds us "don't let the good times slip away."  The second track, "Your Invitation to Quit," (video below) is a pounding and bittersweet breakup song which is equally relevant to the breakup of a band (like, maybe, The Frampton Brothers) or of college sweethearts.

Other standouts include the John Wesley Harding co-written "The Way We Weren't," power pop anthem "Here Comes Floyd," and the sharp and biting "He's Supporting the War," which takes us on a ride through the mind of that guy at the bar who is "supporting the war and every mother who's lost/the little baby who used to say "I love you" every day/and he's accepted the cost."

Learn how to get a song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

I know it's only January, but given its consistent quality from start to finish, I have no doubt that So Much Unhappiness is and will remain one of the year's best and most entertaining records.

REVIEW: Delay Trees - Doze

What if the Beach Boys had been a dream pop/shoegaze band from Finland?  They might have been Delay Trees.  Originally from Hameenlinna, Finland and now based in Helsinki, the group has just release their second full-length, Doze, on Finland's stellar Soliti label.  Try them out with showcase track "HML" is about their hometown --



On Doze Delay Trees launch from their pop song template into varied melodic dream pop improvisations.  The result is a melange of hazy, melancholic soundscapes that tugs at the listener's emotions and memories.  Each track boasts its own personality -- "HML" has a pop feel, "Dream Surfer" is dream pop, while others verge on the post-rock boundary.  "Future" simply rocks.  So it wouldn't be fair to any of them to declare a specific track to be typical of the album.  Its gentle nature means that it doesn't demand more than the listener is willing to give, but that means Doze is the perfect background for a number of situations, including a late night meditation or an afternoon in the sunshine.


The members of Delay Trees are Rami Vierula, Lauri Jarvinen, Sami Korhonen, and Onni Oikari.  The band was formed in 2007 and has released two EPs and one LP prior to Doze.

Website
Facebook
Blog
Soundcloud
Twitter ( @delaytrees )
Soliti

REVIEW: Revolt Revolt - Latah Nights

Revolt Revolt is a Boise- and Seattle-based guitar rock band - heavy emphasis on the guitars, but with a strong rhythm and some fairly prog-leaning bass lines... In fact, while I think they are closest in sound and approach to Built to Spill, I definitely get the comparison to Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and Guided by Voices, and in places I hear echoes of Jane's Addiction. But the guitars predominate, and that's just fine with me.

Revolt Revolt has released its second album Latah Nights, on the heels of a recent tour with Built to Spill, and this is definitely recommended to anyone who's a fan of BTS's sprawling guitar rock.

Lead singer Chris Bock has fronted the band since it first formed in 2007, but some of the members on this record are different from their debut album Chordata. This time around, it's Bock and Ben Brunn (original members), joined by drummer Ben Wieland of Jumping Sharks, and guitarist Ralph Mugot of Hungry for More.

Here is the video for lead track "Flares" off the new album Latah Nights:



This album is really a scorcher. Even when they stretch out on songs like the 4:56 "Gold" or the 5:16 "Hell Has Its Roads", there is no letting up on the excellent lead guitar work. Some of the songs are a little softer - "Sattelite" for example, is at a slower tempo and a little more acoustic-guitar based. But even on that one, there's plenty of guitar feedback.

Overall, Bock's vocals are a good counterpoint to the sometimes-meandering, sometimes-raging guitar leads. He's in the Neil Young/Doug Martsch area for the most part - higher register, really well-integrated with the band's overall sound.

Here's a video for an older song, "Golden Age":



This is an exciting band - to have undertaken a 43-city tour with Built to Spill with one album under its belt and a revolving membership, and then to have recorded an album as strong as Latah Nights portends very good things for their future.

The record was released August 21 on Spark And Shine Records.

REVIEW: The Bohannons - Unaka Rising

The Bohannons are a Chattanooga band that combines swamp boogie, hard blues, full-on glam rock, and punk -- and it's just as bracing and crazy as that sounds. If you've enjoyed some of the proud Southern rock varietals we've blogged about this year: The Alabama Shakes, The District Attorneys, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Patterson Hood - this is something you will want to check out.

On Unaka Rising, they're loud and way up front with shouted vocals, slashing electric guitars and a rhythm section that swings like crazy. The Bohannons consist of  Nick Sterchi, Marty Bohannon, Matt Bohannon and Josh Beaver.

Here's the lead track "Goodbye Bill", available for free download:



They're dipping into the Southern folk tradition, too... listen to Marty Bohannon describe the genesis of "Goodbye Bill": "It's an ode to martyred labor organizer Joe Hill approaching the 100th anniversary of his death. The words are from his last will, as well as from Ethel Raim and The Pennywhistlers' song 'Joe Hill'."

And here you can stream "River Above", a haunting hard rock track with guitars layered on top of guitars:



And here they are playing "Built A World", a plaintive song of lost love as only the Bohannons can play such a thing - with a little bit of a ragtime feel and of course a scorching electric guitar solo:



The whole record is good, but I think the last two tracks are the highlights: "Ponchatrain", a call-and-response, foreboding blues song about an oncoming storm and "In The End", which races along at a punk rock pace and finishes this album by letting me know this band is just starting to shake things up.

Unaka Rising is out now on This Is American Music - produced by David Barbe and Drew Vandenberg.

REVIEW: Détective - However Strange

LA-based band Détective is Jim Greer (a former member of Guided by Voices), Rory Modica, and Guylaine Vivarat, a wonderful female vocalist. On their latest record, However Strange, they are playing an engaging brand of artistic, Velvet Underground-influenced postpunk that old-school fans of 90's indie rockers like GbV, Sonic Youth and The Breeders will certainly recognize - but one need not be a GbV fan to enjoy this music.

To give you a sense of their sound, here's a video from their immediately preceding EP, Basket of Masks, "Rhodesian Man":



And here's an audience video of "Holy Ghost Citizens Club" from However Strange:



Really, anyone with a taste for high-quality guitar rock ought to give this record some attention. Of course, if you already know the song "Trendspotter Acrobat", well, that doesn't hurt... Check out this link for Greer's description of how he wrote that song for Sunfish Holy Breakfast. There's an updated version on this record, and it's terrific.

Before that, though, there are eleven delightful slices of guitar rock. "Man Near the Surface of the Earth" starts out with Vivarat humming, jumps into a jangly guitar line, and then her vocals rise over the guitar to achieve a sort of transcendent effect. "Basket of Masks", which was also on the EP we wrote about earlier this year, has a nice strummed guitar line that builds tension and an understated Greer vocal, and in the middle is a noisy guitar solo. "Amber" continues the interplay between Vivarat's high, sweet voice and the ragged, jangly postpunk guitar. "Telephonia" is sung as a duet, and as on the rest of the record, features strong guitar lines throughout. Further on, "Cuba" is an instrumental, a very cool guitar soundscape.

You can listen at Bandcamp:




And you can buy the cassette from Burger Records, click here.

I see on a recent date, they played a triple bill with Seapony (read Scott's review here) and Sweater Girls (keep an eye out for a review on their delightful new record soon). If you're familiar with those bands, and the kind of music Burger has been putting out, you've got an idea what to expect from Détective. Good stuff. Vivarat's voice is engaging, the guitars are great, and the songs are consistently good. The record holds up very well.

REVIEW: Robert Pollard - Jack Sells The Cow

Robert Pollard's latest release, Jack Sells The Cow, is a demonstration of a property that his fans are very familiar with: that Pollard is capable of putting out a high-quality album almost monthly.

In what might be a bit of a theme, several of the songs swing between beat-heavy, sludgy verses and catchy, almost poppy guitar-laden choruses... "Heaven Is A Gated Community" hammers home the line "I wanna go with you" over and over, until it releases with a plaintive "Will you go with me? Will you let me know?" The second song, "Take In" features jangly guitar and a soaring multi-tracked Pollard vocal, but again, over a pretty heavy rhythm section.

"Who's Running My Ranch" is probably the best example, and perhaps the best song on the record: there's the solid drum/bass line propelling the song along until the release - again, jangly guitar and that glorious British accent intoning lines like "But if you want to/but the ass won't kick" add texture to the heavy rhythm base.

But wait until you hear some of the surfy guitar lines in "Up For All That" (echoes of the Drifters' "Up On The Roof", anyone else?) and the super-jangle of "Pontius Pilate Heart", the best song on the record. Wait, didn't I just call "Who's Running My Ranch" the best... oh hell, they're all favorites. Or, more to the point, they all will be, in time. You will tap your feet to "Big Groceries" - you won't have a choice.

Here's "The Rank Of A Nurse", which features a somewhat tremulous vocal and one of the more restrained guitar lines (for the first half!):



It's an interesting record - all the songs clock in between 2:00 and 3:30 and I'd say this is a little poppier, a little catchier - but at the same time, a little heavier - than Mouseman Cloud, Pollard's previous 2012 solo release... and they make a nice pair.

Get it at Rockathon.

REVIEW: Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray - We're From Here

Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray have put together a debut record that is simply stunning in its scope and in the sheer size of its sound. We're From Here is a title that apparently grew out of an answer to the question, often asked, "Where are you from?" Shevaughn grew up in Arkansas and Louisiana, and Wray internationally, but their most recent permanent home was Chicago, as good an American music melting pot as you could think of. In working out the songs that comprise We're From Here, they apparently took up residence in their van and travelled the country. Similarly, they imposed no limits on their music.

On beginning to listen, I am reminded of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, but that's probably too easy a comparison - after all, anybody can see that the band consists of a female folk/country/rock crooner and an ace guitar player. Although it would appear Shevaughn's an ace guitarist herself... Another comparison that came to my mind in listening to this record a few times over was "kd lang fronting Uncle Tupelo". But then, there are those guitars...

"Make It Out Alive" is an amazing song, one that owes as much to Springsteen as to, say, Emmylou and Gram. It's roots rock with some big-time guitar slinging. Similarly, "Lost My Way" reminds me of Eleventh Dream Day or Sonic Youth, just some tremendous guitar work.

But on songs like "The River Made Me Do It", Wray provides some fairly restrained picking over the first two or three minutes, which allows Shevaughn's voice to stay right on top. She's an excellent country-rock vocalist, seemingly comfortable with any type of song... and Wray's always ready with some wicked, ragged electric guitar to punctuate things in between choruses.



And there are dead-on folk songs like "Factory Clock":



Check out the guitar work on this instrumental, "Mi Burro Esta En Fuego" - a rough mix from their recording process:



There's not a bad song on the record - Wray's a good vocalist, too, and he takes lead vocals on a few of the songs here: "Make It Out Alive", "Keep On Wailin'" and "Cloin's Lament".

Mostly, though, this record is recommended if you like guitars. Whether plucking and bending the strings, as on the pretty "No Grave To Brush The Dust From", or shredding, as they do throughout most of the rest of the album, the quality of the fretwork is uniformly excellent... this is a tremendous debut. It's out today (9/11) and you can learn more at their website, or buy it directly from the band here.

REVIEW: Will Johnson - Scorpion

Scorpion, Will Johnson's new solo record differs from Centro-matic records in that it is quieter - a really hushed affair. It differs from his South San Gabriel side projects in that it is more raw. And in Johnson's own estimation (read interview with Dallas Observer here), he intends it to be a "grower". And it is.

Scorpion starts out slow, quiet and intense... and stays that way. It's a record whose vocal intensity forces you to pay attention, but that is so musical and listenable that you find yourself lost in it. Johnson's vocals are, as always, a highlight. He conveys so much with slight changes in tone and tempo, that he's one of the best acoustic artists working today (electric, too, but that's for a Centro-matic review).

Check out the just-released video for "You Will Be Here, Mine":



And you can see our previous post here, with a link to download that song, too. Just an amazing vocal. Special thanks to "The Galassi Brothers", who are credited with filming it.

Some of the songs sound like demos - "Winter Screen Four", for example with its slowly plucked acoustic and whispered vocals - and that is due to the process employed on these songs, which Johnson describes: “A lot of them were written in the studio, right then and there, in the moment. I enjoy capturing those initial gut reactions in songwriting. It doesn’t always work, but when it does — you capture the song in such a raw, unique form.”

Helping him with the record are Matt Pence (at whose studio it was recorded) and Scott Danbom from Centro-matic, Howard Draper (Tre Orsi, Shearwater, Okkervil River) and Magnolia Electric Company’s Mikey Kapinus.

Other highlights include "It Goes Away So Fast", with what sounds like a looped synthesizer slowly morphing into a raw-but-restrained electric guitar solo over the last minute or so of the song, and the 7:00 "Bloodkin Push", an alternately pretty and difficult song, featuring mostly just acoustic guitar and piano, that really takes its time.

This record rewards your attention, especially your repeated attention. It's going to be out Tuesday (9/11) but you can stream it now at Paste.

Johnson has self-released the record, and you can get it at his website, or via the usual sources. At his website, you can also check out tour dates.

Will Johnson Website

Centro-matic Website

REVIEW: Patterson Hood - Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance

Patterson Hood's new album features a title that couldn't be more apt. Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance summons thoughts or memories of hot, languid nights spent reflecting on things far away... and that's kind of what the record is about.

A little background: According to Hood, the album started as a book, based on his turbulent experiences after moving to Memphis in 1992. “I was 27, my band broke up, I got divorced… my car got stolen, our band’s truck got stripped and I fell in love. I fell out with my family (who I was very, very close to) and had my heart broken.”

So it's been in the works for a while - in essence, most of Hood's adult life. And the consistently high quality of this record shows that. Hood, again: “The songs begin in the period that the book was set in, but don’t end there, as they really just were the impetus for writing about the life I am living now and contrasting it with the troubled times of two decades ago."

Living a good life - while reflecting on a distant past when life wasn't so good but we lacked the perspective to know better - what better material for an artist as talented and reflective as Hood to make into his best record? The record is rich, deep and beautiful. I could write paragraphs about how many wonderful little touches embellish this record - the :45 intro to the title track is as good as R&B-flavored Southern rock music gets, for example, and then it gets better. And I believe the bass lines merit special attention. I'm not sure I could tell you which lines are played by his dad, and which by Hood himself, or which by Cooley, and I'm not sure it matters. They are all wonderful, yet somehow understated, and create a very comfortable atmosphere for every song on the record. But I really don't know how much you need me to tell you about this record. If you like storytellers, if you like Southern rock -- or any kind of rock, or country, or R&B, this record is well worth your time.

Here's a video of Hood singing and talking about "Depression Era", which was actually written and recorded for a film in 2010:



When we first got word of this record, we put up a post featuring a free download of "Come Back Little Star", Hood's ode to dear departed friend Vic Chesnutt. You can find that post here.

In fact, you can stream the record right now at Rolling Stone.

Hood is not holding anything back on this record. As good as his previous work has been, consider that he's held back some of this work for 20 years while he polished and honed it - and it shows. And he's assembled a cast of bandmates, friends and family to help him realize his vision for the record: Drive-by Truckers Mike Cooley, Jay Gonzalez, Brad Morgan and John Neff, as well as Scott Danbom and Will Johnson from Centro-matic and Kelly Hogan (who co-wrote "Come Back Little Star" and whose vocals on that song are a highlight). Hood’s father, famed Muscle Shoals bassist, David Hood also plays on the record. [As do David Barbe and Jacob Morris - thank you to commenter "Anonymous" for pointing out my oversight!] In short, Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance is a masterpiece - as much as I've grown to like the Truckers and Hood's other work, this is simply the best record he's ever made.

The record will be out next Tuesday (Sept 11). Hood and his band The Downtown Rumblers are going on tour to support this record:

Sep 14 Jomeoke Music and Arts Festival – Pinnacle, NC
Sep 15 The Southern Cafe and Music Hall – Charlottesville, VA
Sep 16 World Cafe Live Downstairs – Philadelphia, PA
Sep 17 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
Sep 18 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
Sep 20 Club Helsinki – Hudson, NY
Sep 22 City Winery – Chicago, IL
Sep 23 City Winery – Chicago, IL
Sep 24 Fine Line Music Café – Minneapolis, MN
Sep 27 Star Theater – Portland, OR
Sep 28 Star Theater – Portland, OR
Sep 29 Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
Oct 1 Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
Oct 2 Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
Oct 5 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – San Francisco, CA
Oct 6 Masonic Lodge @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Los Angeles, CA
Oct 7 Anthology – San Diego, CA
Oct 10 Cactus Café – Austin, TX
Oct 11 Cactus Café – Austin, TX
Oct 12 Austin City Limits Festival – Austin, TX

REVIEW: Bob Dylan - Tempest

Bob Dylan, perhaps you've heard of him?

Tempest, Dylan's 35th studio album, is a dense, compelling work that is going to take many listens to fully unravel. What could drive a man to make edgy, tough-to-categorize music 50 years into his career? Who knows, but we are damn lucky to be here to experience it.

Dylan resides in his own musical space, one where the rock'n'roll of the past 50 years, including his own, doesn't exist. Instead Dylan plays with the building blocks of rock'n'roll - the blues, jazz, folk and string bands of the '20's, '30's and '40's. But Dylan's Americana is not rooted in rosy nostalgia, and instead lurks within the dark underbelly, the margins, the hard times.

Take the title track for example, a rambling 11 minute retelling of the sinking of the Titanic, a story so rich with images of horror, avarice, class warfare. Or the one nod to the rock'n'roll era - "Roll On, John", an ode to the only real musical peer Dylan ever had, his friend John Lennon. In both cases, great seemingly undefeatable forces of progress come to a bad and violent end - a loss of life, innocence and greatness.

Is this all a commentary on modern America?

Another song "Early Roman Kings" suggests the fall of a great empire from greed and corrupt leadership. One line in that song is particularly hard to ignore: "I ain't dead yet, but my bell still rings."

That may be the only thing that need be said about Tempest. Bob Dylan's bell still rings. He is making new and compelling music. He is making it strictly on his own terms.  And there's an undeniable groove and swing to this stuff that makes me want to listen to it all night long. Check out "Duquesne Whistle":

Special kudos to my friend Scott Litt who engineered this record and gets just the right sound.

Tempest will be available in stores on September 11 and can be streamed now in its entirety on iTunes. It's dark and weird and wonderful and you should buy it. Tempest

REVIEW: French Wives - Dream of the Inbetween

Those of us that follow Scottish indie music have been hoping for a full length album from Glasgow's French Wives since they began capturing our hearts, and ears, in 2008.  Finally, via the Electric Honey label, we have Dream of the Inbetween.  And the album is just what we had hoped for.

French Wives make glorious indie pop.  The melodies please the ear and the instruments and vocals build into soaring anthems.  The songs are varied, packed with hooks, and convey an infectious sense of energy.  All five members contribute to the vocals.  And in addition to the typical drums, bass and two guitars, the band features a violin.  While their music always has been pop music, some of their earlier work contained folk elements.  But Dream of the Inbetween  is a pure indie pop album from the opening note.

Numbers, the second track on the album, is an example of the fine sounds produced by this band --


French Wives are Siobhan Anderson (violin, vocals), Chris Barclay (bass, vocals), Stuart Dougan (vocals, guitar), Scott WD Macpherson (guitar, vocals), Johnathyn Smith (drums, vocals). They all met while in college, and have only recently finished their studies.  Previously, they released a few singles and an EP.  The band was in North America this spring for SXSW and Canadian music week.

"Younger" is track nine.  It was intended to be a big track, and it succeeds --


Dream of the Inbetween was produced by Tony Doogan (who regular readers will recall also produced Hey Rosetta!'s album that drew our praise last week). It should be available at all the usual online places, including the band's Bandcamp site.  By the way, Electric Honey is the in-house label of Stow College, and released the first work from Belle& Sebastian.

"Sleep Tight" --


Website
Facebook
Bandcamp
Twitter ( @frenchwives )

REVIEW: Hey Rosetta! - Seeds

Hey Rosetta! packs a lot into an album.  Seeds has crunchy rockers, folky pieces, anthems and introspective musings. And most importantly, it has a lot of really good songs.  So good, that I'm more than a little surprised that Seeds hasn't received an avalanche of positive press.

So what is the sound of Hey Rosetta!?  Tim Baker's excellent vocals have a melancholy tone reminiscent of Beirut,  but the songs themselves soar joyfully on a full, almost ornate, indie pop tapestry.  In addition to drums, bass and acoustic and electric guitar, the band boasts a violin and cello.  While the band has drawn comparisons to fellow Canadians Arcade Fire, to my ears the better comparison is British band Fanfarlo, although I think Hey Rosetta! may have a wider sonic range.  Try album track "Yer Spring" --




Hey Rosetta! is from St. John's, Newfoundland.  The members are Tim Baker (vocals, guitar), Adam Hogan (guitar), Josh Ward (bass, vocals), Phil Maloney (drums, percussion), Romesh Thavanathan (cello), and Kinley Dowling (violin).  While their prior recordings are similar, Seeds reflects an expansion of the bands sound.  There is more variety in the structure of the songs, and a greater willingness to rock from the opening note.  I can't say whether the approach reflects greater confidence, but if it does, it is justified.


The reflective musings of "Bandages" --



Seeds is released today on Sonic Records.  It was produced by Tony Doogan (Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai, Teenage Fanclub, The Delgados and many more).  It already has been nominated for a Juno prize in Canada.

New Sum (Nous Sommes)


Overall, this album is warm and uplifting.  It seems to me that if I feel good and energetic every time I listen to and album, I've got an album that will be on my year-end list.  This is such and album.

A live acoustic version of "Welcome" --





Website
Facebook
Twitter ( @heyrosetta )

REVIEW: Allo Darlin' - Europe

If the world of pop music were fair, Europe, the new sophomore LP from London-based foursome Allo Darlin' will make them famous. Of course, the world of pop music isn't characterized by fairness, so we'll just do our best to tell you why this album should soar. Allo Darlin' produces the intelligent brand of indie pop which is the trademark of bands such as The Lucksmiths, the Go-Betweens, Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura. Moreover, frontwoman and songwriter Elizabeth Morris possesses a rare, crystalline voice reminiscent of Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura, Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays and Wendy Morgan of the Popguns. I can think of no better introduction to the music than to introduce you to the sweet, jangly deliciousness of "Capricornia", which I consider one of the best pop songs of the year so far.


Europe delivers a collection of upbeat melodies, wistful and literate songs and excellent musicianship and vocals. This is at the top of the twee side of indie pop. So if -- like me -- you relish that sound, this album should be on your list.

Allo Darlin originally was the solo project of native Australian Elizabeth Morris, who moved to London in 2005. Additional members were added in 2009 and 2010, bringing the project to its current lineup of Morris (songwriting, vocals, uke and guitar), Paul Rains (guitars, lapsteel, vocals), Bill Botting (bass and vocals), and Mikey Collins (drums and vocals). The band's debut album was deservedly well received, but everything about this album -- including the songwriting and performances -- is a step up.

"Tallulah" is a track on which Morris goes back to her roots--just a girl and her uke:

Allo Darlin' - Tallulah from Will Botting on Vimeo.

Europe was released this week by Slumberland Records in the US and Fortuna Pop in UK/Europe.



Website
Facebook
Twitter ( @allodarlinuk )

REVIEW: Robert Pollard - Mouseman Cloud

Shall I rave about the perfection of album opener "Obvious #1"? Or the slightly more perfect perfection of closer "Chief Meteorologist"? Or the fun to be had savoring the wordplay in title track "Mouseman Cloud"? I urge you to listen for yourself and just try to pick a favorite. That's part of the fun of a new Pollard album like his current release Mouseman Cloud - trying to pick a favorite. It changes, you see.

"Obvious #1" is a fully realized pop/rock gem with one of the best vocals he's tracked in some time, and it was the track released in advance of the album (we posted it here). But it's nearly surpassed, on repeated listens, by the immediately following "Picnic Drums" - it's got multiple changes and an irresistible chorus to close out the song. "Mouseman Cloud" is another song with the trademark Pollard changes - I count 6 changes and the song is only 1:29! And go figure the lyrics - here's a representative couplet:

"Picture the oyster dip
Squeal for the oxygen drip"

"Dr. Time" is power pop at its best, tension release on the guitar lines, crashing drums racing along and a bombastic vocal in Bob's fake British accent - in a little less than a minute.



There's "Human Zoo", another power pop gem in 0:48, and "Bats Flew Up" which veers into glam territory. You get the idea - it's all here and it's all well done.

Often, reviewers will make note of the volume of Pollard's musical output, and make vapid statements to the effect that he needs an editor or should somehow pare it down. I get it, I do. But, unburdened by the shackles of "impartiality" (as though such a thing were possible in matters of musical taste), I would like to say for the record that the world owes him a debt of gratitude for taking the time to craft great records like this as often as he does. It is a lot to take in, but in my experience even the songs that don't grab me on first listen will come back and smack me later. Just listen to "Smacks of Euphoria" which on first listen sounds a little unfocused and meandering. But listen again, and pay attention to the gorgeous guitar line over the end of the song. And stick around for what is now my favorite song on the album: "Science Magazine" - it's just beautiful, as good a pop/rock song as you'll hear this year... or until he releases his next record, I suppose.

Buy at Rockathon

Robert Pollard Website

REVIEW: Pallbearer -- Sorrow and Extinction

With guitars tuned so low it sounds like they're strumming bridge cables -- gloriously distorted bridge cables -- set against soaring, perfectly keyed vocals, there are moments on this beautiful and intense record that almost sound like Mass. Indeed, the Little Rock quartet's highly anticipated debut, following on the buzz of their 2010 three song demo, feels gothic -- not in the sensitive, eyemakeup sense, but in the traditional, anti-classicist sense. Simon Schama captures it when he quotes Bishop Warburton: " 'Our Gothic ancestors had juster and manlier notions than modern mimicks of Greek and Roman magnificence,' for they were more concerned with spiritual exaltation than civic pomp." Pallbearer's brand of doom metal is gothic in that it's earthy and slow, but that's merely redolent of the genre conventions. On Sorrow and Extinction, though, there's always something else pushing it further, whether it be singer guitarist Brett Campbell's Osbourne-meets-Halford wail or the beautiful, linear leads strewn throughout these five epic-length songs.

Come on, have a listen. Here's the centerpiece of the record, "The Legend", which, satisfyingly, begins (after the distorted intro) on the same two half-notes that formed the basis of the dominant theme of the preceding song. It makes it sound like they're about to head back into that song, and then erupts into something entirely different. I promise it's really cool even if you haven't heard the earlier song



Again, you'll get that gothic, arboreal sensation taking in the last track, "Given to the Grave", where waves of bar chords support a slow lead, then retreat to a quiet guitar and drum interlude before exploding into the most chaotic and unhinged segment of the record. The double solo of the last three minutes could pass for a couple of Steve Howes ripping leads across the end of "Siberian Khatru." Brilliant.



Pallbearer are brought to us courtesy of Ontario's Profound Lore Records, which consistently produces some of the most interesting, challenging, yet listenable extreme music being recorded today (think Yob, Agalloch, Krallice).

Go see Pallbearer live. Not a lot of dates right now, but you can check them at the Pallbearer website. Here's a very decent live video of the band playing the album opener, "Foreigner".

REVIEW: Young Prisms - In Between

My earliest introductions to San Francisco's Young Prisms suggested that their music would be categorized as Bloody Valentine shoegaze, or perhaps the garage pop shoegaze of The Jesus and Mary Chain. But on their sophomore album, In Between, the five-piece has hit a productive and delightful dream pop groove, albeit a dream pop groove with some satisfying displays of muscle. All it took for me to be charmed by the approach was one listen to the seductive "Four Hours (Away)" --


This is more Cocteau Twins or Slowdive than Dinosaur Jr. or Ride, and the influences reach further into post punk than shoegaze. As we head into spring, it is a great soundtrack. The dreamy shoegaze of "Floating In Blue" reminds me a bit of Lush in at the height of their career --

Young Prisms - "Floating In Blue" Video from stereogum on Vimeo.

Young Prisims is Gio Betteo, Matthew Allen, Stefanie Hodapp, Jordan Silbert, and Ashley Thomas. This album is releases on Kanine Records today (March 27).

We'll leave you with one more track to enjoy: "Runner" --




Facebook
Twitter ( @youngprisms )

REVIEW: Margot & The Nuclear So-And-So's - Rot Gut, Domestic

Rot Gut, Domestic is Margot and the Nuclear So-And-So's third album. Their leader is singer/songwriter Richard Edwards, and this record is a set of songs that he labels "panic rock". We recently featured an advance single, "Prozac Rock" and I remarked on the punk content. That's certainly in evidence on the rest of the record, but so is a real sense of musical variety. The rock songs rage on, and the ballads are sweet and affecting. There's a real sense of humor - if you find an artist with this kind of musical talent and a sharp sense of humor as well, hold onto him. From the ballad "A Journalist Falls In Love," a sad tale told from the perspective of a reporter who falls in love with a death row inmate only to have to witness his execution, this is the story of his opening line, as it were:

"Yeah, I know I killed a few
But none of those women were you"

And there's a really good rock song featuring the chorus "Arvidas Sabonis/ Come back, we miss you" - I mean, really good.

Edwards' voice is strong enough to carry real buzzsaw rock songs like "Shannon" and "Disease, Tobacco Free" but clear enough to carry the ballads here. In addition to the aforementioned "Journalist" the band also slows down for "Frank Left" which reminds me of a Paul Westerberg ballad, and the really beautiful album closer "Christ".

Here's a free download of "Shannon" via Soundcloud, where you can also stream a couple other songs, "Frank Left" and "Prozac Rock":



And here's a video for "Prozac Rock":

Margot-Prozac Rock from Margot Cloud on Vimeo.

This is an excellent rock album with a big sound - it's ambitious, and there's nothing better than hearing a talented artist aim high and hit the target. They'll be on tour all over the country starting March 31. The album will be out March 20.

Margot Website

REVIEW: Damien Jurado - Maraqopa

Damien Jurado's Maraqopa is a haunting, beautiful record. The treatments on the vocals, the juxtaposition between a loping, easy pace and some searing electric guitar (which is played almost as backdrop, seemingly to create a sense of unease) and the overall quality make this one of the best records of 2012.

Yeah, I guess it's folk. I certainly understand why any release from Jurado is going to carry that label, but this thing is so much more layered, has so many different ways to grab you than just the lyrics and an acoustic guitar, that the label seems inadequate. But what do you call it? Perhaps citing Ennio Morricone, Stephen Stills, Stevie Wonder and Buffalo Springfield as influences might at least grab your interest enough to get you to give a listen. I hope so... this record certainly deserves it.

Here's the video for "Nothing Is The News" - love the reverb on the vocals:



And here's a free download of "Nothing Is The News".

The next song, "Life Away From the Garden", recreates the Eden motif from "Woodstock", and you can certainly hear CSNY as a touchpoint... but with a children's chorus. Later, "Museum of Flight" takes a Jurado falsetto on the chorus and layers it on top of treated guitars, an easygoing rhythm section and a well-placed piano. The last song, "Mountains Still Asleep" reminds me very much of the similarly layered Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield) song "Expecting to Fly"...and that's pretty high altitude for a singer/songwriter.

In places you will hear folk, psych (including the searing guitar solo behind "Nothing Is the News"), country rock, gentle '70's style soul and a wall of sound approach... but throughout you will hear Swift's creativity and Jurado's haunting voice, and the soundscape they create here do justice to both.

Damien Jurado Website

Damien Jurado Twitter

REVIEW: Jonathan Segel - All Attractions

All Attractions is an old-school California rock album with some terrific guitar work from the multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel, part of what was always great about Camper Van Beethoven.

The record was started by Jonathan working with fellow Camper Van Beethoven bandmate Victor Krummenacher on bass and guitar, and their SF Bay Area cohorts former King Missile/Moth Wranglers' Chris Xefos playing some bass and doing the recording and mixing, and John Hanes on drums. The lead guitar on the track "I Know You Know Me (Hey You)," you'll say "this sounds familiar" and you'd be right. It's Brett Netson from Built to Spill. This record carries a lot in common with BTS records - long songs, impeccable chops and good melodies.

The first song, the 8:30 "Ever and Always", starts off with about a 5:00 instrumental introduction, reminiscent of maybe "Interstellar Overdrive"... and the album takes off from there. It's heavy on the psychedelic guitars, well-played and Segel's understated vocals grow on you. But the guitars grab you from the start. That's what you'll come back for.

As a bonus, there's a 7-song EP called Apricot Jam which is included if you buy a physical CD. From Jonathan's website: "After the last basic tracks were recorded for the accompanying CD All Attractions, John Hanes (drums), Victor Krummenacher (bass), Graham Connah (organ) and Jonathan Segel (guitar) jammed for several hours. These were 6 tracks, which started there, taken home and made into composition out of the improvisation, (which is always super fun.)"

Read more about what Segel's been up to, and sample more of his music, at the Magnetic Records website, or check out downloads at Bandcamp:



If there's anybody out there who still likes extended-length guitar rock songs, this record is good news. Out today, and recommended.