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Rot Shit
The Worst Kids Ever 7” EP
(Big Neck)
Tempos? Break neck. Vocals? Snotty. Recording quality? Indecipherable. Their covers (Loli and the Chones, the Queers) kind of sound like the originals but these kids have lost me in their pursuit of making the worst sounding record possible. – Mike Faloon
The Feelies
Bowery Ballroom
9/21/08
I've never quite understood the purpose of publishing show reviews. Space
fillers? Throw away assignments to occupy cub reporters? There's always an
air of "Dude, you missed it!"
This review is as a plea, a favor: if you hear of an upcoming live appearance by the Feelies please contact me. Prior to the date in question would be best. I saw the Feelies recently, for the first time, nearly 20 years since first hearing Only Life, and they were fantastic.
I've never been able to accurately describe the Feelies without evoking bands that I loathe. The Feelies use two drummers, just like the Allman Brothers. The Feelies' songs are mellow and repetitive and often drone, just like the Grateful Dead. And their live set, based on a recent Bowery Ballroom show, sound just like their records, a phrase I first uttered when, in my youth, much to my shame, I marveled at how much the "Eagles Live" version of "Hotel California" was just like the studio version of "Hotel California." The Feelies sound like none of those bands. They indulge in a bunch of seemingly misguided practices and they end up sounding like a beautiful mix of the the Velvet Underground and the Ramones.
Aside from two or three quietly rendered "Thank yous" from bassist Brenda Sauter, there was no stage banter, no direct interaction with the crowd. No one seemed to mind. In between songs there was a lot of talking--What record was that from? How does this compare to their 4th of July set? Are they going to record again?--but the audience was relatively quiet awaiting the next song. No shouts for obscure songs. Just an apparent trust that the Feelies were always going to make the right choice. It's amazing how delicate loud, fast music can be. I can only hope there is more to come from the rejuvenated Feelies. Please write if you hear of anything.
-- Mike Faloon
The Feelies "Barstool Blues" Live at the Bowery Ballroom (9/21/08)
The Feelies "Crazy Rhythms" Live
Blowtops
P.S. This Is A Zombie
Big Neck Records
In a word: Plodding. The amateurish artwork on the cover suggests short-on-talent, sloppy punk but sadly, that’s not the case. Instead you get a Wharton Teirs-produced snooze-fest that brings to mind a third rate Speedball Baby, which would mean something to you if you were 37 years old and lived in NYC in the 90s. Big Neck has put out some fun stuff but this ain’t their high-water mark. -- Matt Braun
Fish Karma
the theory of intelligent design
Alternative Tentacles
Suffice it to say that it is not due to Go Metric’s unreasonably tight deadlines for reviews that I still find myself unable to make it through this CD in its entirety. The Winston Smith album cover is great but that’s about it. Really, really, really, like seriously, unlistenable dreck. Seriously, what the fuck is AT doing? -- Matt Braun
The Transmissionary Six
Radar
(Buy from CD Baby)
In the first few moments of The Transmissionary Six’s fourth album, vocalist Terri Moeller sounds eerily like T-Bone Burnett. Her voice is low and reedy with a Northwestern twang. Moeller shares songwriting credits with Paul Austin, best known for his work in the Willard Grant Conspiracy. The album is produced by Tucker Martine (Jim White, Bill Frisell, Laura Veirs). If you don’t already see where this is going, the T-six sound wears a back veil, a shuffle of 90s alternative and Americana. Reverb tanks get their fair share of use. Producer Martine does a fine job of juggling the two musical ideologies, introducing steel guitars to slightly overdriven drums without incident. That’s not to say the album is all doom and gloom. “When Rowan and Martin Saved the Day” and “Top of Your Lungs” share a pretty note, even when their lyrics shrink in despair. (“If you’d only give an inch/I’d crawl that extra mile/It wouldn’t be the first time/My knees changed my mind”) “Radar” “Wires to Rust” and “Pod Bay Doors” are nearly pop songs, ala Belly. Moeller’s voice, while an appeal for some, might be too much an acquired taste for others. Her over-pronunciation of vowels in the album’s closer, a dramatic cover of the American standard “Bye Bye Blackbird” was a little too much for my East Coast ears. I will add that the great lengths traveled to achieve this moody dreamscape of an album were undermined by the cheesy Photoshopped artwork and the inside band photo, which shows the band hanging out on a couch, Austin wearing a “Strong Bad” sweatshirt. C’mon guys. Hire a decent package designer for such a respectable piece of work. -- Jesse Mank
"Infrared" video:
Period Three
Gone Fishin’ 7” EP
(DNH Records)
I first heard Period Three on a CD-R. I couldn’t make out everything clearly—Was it my copy? Was it the recording?—but I filled in the gaps and predicted greatness. This EP is the next step. The sound is a bit better, so there’s less guess work and what emerges is really good punk Midwest style, which, truth be told, is me trying to compare Period Three to the Replacements without dropping the lords’ name in vain. But there it is, that sense that they could figure it all out if only they could just get out of Dodge, or Milwaukee or Minneapolis, but kind of resenting those who have already done so. – Mike Faloon
Little Brazil
Tighten the Noose
(Mt. Fuji Records)
Little Brazil, an ambitious four-piece from Omaha, Nebraska have knocked out a doozy of a sophomore record here, but in order to know if you're going to like it, please take the following personality test. Do you consider yourself a hopeless romantic? Do you find break-ups just as romantic as falling in love? Do you purport to love to rock, but secretly want all songs to be ballads that sentimentally wallow in a state of heartache? If you've answered yes to one or more of the previous questions, get your credit card out. Tighten the Noose is one of those records that sound simultaneously sad and triumphant, ala Maritime or the sweeter side of Weezer. Landon Hedges' boyish, pop-perfect (and I do mean perfect) voice makes this album an absolute pleasure to listen to. Comparisons to Ben Kweller would be easy, but unfair as Hedges thankfully never gets coy (and ultimately too cute) like Kweller, and for this reason he's all the more likable for it. While the band has knocked out a wholly pleasing album of guitar-driven, midtempo indie-pop, few songs stand out as notable, making this a fantastic find for fans of melancholic pop/rock, but an otherwise bland experience for you hardened, cynical indie-poppers. With their exemplary musicianship and talent for accessible pop beauty, mark my words, this is is a band to watch. - Jesse Mank
Little Brazil Web site | MySpace
Listen: "Last Night"
Listen: "Shades"
Video: Little Brazil EPK
The Resistors
My Own Worst Enemy
(www.resistorsonline.net)
The quick back story of this band is that they’re middle-aged punkers who’ve been playing since circa 1983, but only recently have recorded and released material. This type of career path always intrigues me and usually results in what I like to call “authentic” material. It’s one thing to be influenced by 80’s punk, but to actually recreate the sound of that era is rare (and a definite bonus point earner for this reviewer). This album surpasses their debut from last year – a lot more melody, hooks, vocal prowess, and less wanky guitar solos. -- Mark Hughson
Video: "Song About Nothing":
