Go Metric

Are You Receiving Me? Post-Ergs Recovery Act Pt. I & II

Night Birds
4-song demo (CD-R)
Self-released

Psyched to Die
Sterile Walls 7” EP
Grave Mistake/Firestarter

Questions Frequently Asked About the Post-Ergs Recovery Act Parts I and II

1. How best to deal with the demise of the Ergs?

It's been nearly a year since the news of the late Jersey trio's demise and many of us are still grappling with what to do, recognizing the need to move on yet uncertain of the proper steps. We suggest focusing on the quantitative, the numbers. Convince yourself that a post-Ergs world has the potential for more Ergs-related records (given that all three members are in new bands). It's kind of like when Husker Du split up and there were records from Bob and Grant. Big windows to let in the sun. Again, focus on the quantitative.

2. Do either of the bands featured in the first two parts of the Post-Ergs Recovery Act sound like the Ergs?

No, but the Night Birds and Psyched to Die do sound similar to each other.

3. Are either of the bands any good?

Yes. Quite good. Let's start with the Night Birds, a.k.a. Joe Erg's new band. Their 4-song demo draws a lot on 80s punk like the first Dead Kennedys album or Agent Orange. There is also a hint, just a hint I say, of '60s garage rock (especially the "I'm ready to go go go" chorus on "Send Me Home" and the "ahh ahh" backing vocals on "Can't Get Clean"). It's like the middle ground between the Monkees and Minor Threat versions of "Steppin' Stone," only the guitar leads sound surfy now and again so throw Dick Dale in the mix. Knowing, of course, that the Night Birds are mostly punk—fast, intense, earnest, catchy but not poppy. Next: Psyched to Die, a.k.a. Mikey Erg’s new band.He’s still singing (some of the leads, not all) and he’s on guitar rather than drums.Gone are songs about girls.Now it’s songs about dying, swift and imminent.And tongue in cheek. Sonically Psyched to Die draw heavily on Minor Threat (and like minded 80s hardcore bands)—the fast tempos, the hoarse vocals, the Jeff Nelson fills across the toms.The songs are catchy and witty (“New Hampshire Man’s Quandry” is a great title if you’re in the “songs about dying” racket) and pretty similar until the last song, “Sterile Walls,” which breaks in a different direction and suggests that Psyched to Die are going to rise about the trappings of concept band status.

Night Birds: myspace.com/NGHTBRDS, joey_erg@hotmail.com

Pronto: All is Golden

Pronto
All Is Golden
Contraphonic

A band that comprises current/former members of established acts is a great addition to the Six Degrees of Steve Albini game, but doesn’t always speak to how the group sounds. Mikael Jorgenson, the full-time keyboardist for Wilco, formed Pronto with Greg O’Keeffe and a cast of musicians snagged from the ranks of Iron & Wine, Cat Power, Childballads, and Califone among others. If “indie Americana” is screaming at you right now, put on the breaks. Or at least start coasting. It’s a solid line-up, but what it amounts to when you throw in the album is that this is simply a group of professionals. Not an up-and-coming bright-eyed band, not a “one-off” project. This stuff is well executed 1970s AM gold, sincere in it’s intent and successful in their endeavor. Nicely layered vocals, keyboard (natch), and gentle (but not wimpy) guitars glide out of the speakers very evenly. It’s a pristinely mixed album, with no one facet dominating over the others. Fans of the quintessential John Sebastian or the sound more modernly mined by the Webb Brothers will dig this release. There’s some fluff/pap/rock-lite material but overall it’s pleasant, and when the band connects with some rich melodies (“When I’m On The Rocks”) and hooks (“Monster”) it’s going to perk up your ears like only a classic radio hit does (or used to do).

-- Mark Hughson

Pronto at Santos Party House, NYC, NOV 2008

German Art Students: 79 AD 7"

German Art Students
79 AD 7”
Autobahn | CDBaby

Easily my favorite band from Wisconsin, the GAS provide pure pop for scholars and gentlemen, and despite having some ridiculously passé subject matter, have been able to rock out for years a la the court jester without actually playing the fool.

“Reginald on the High Bike” is indeed a tune about the adventures of the mustachioed Reginald and his, you know – that-bicycle-with-the-huge-front-wheel. Annelies Howell’s vocals are of solid pop/rock quality (think Kim Warnick/Fastbacks perhaps), but it’s even more impressive that the lyrics are presented with genuine feeling for the content and character. It allows the band to be humorous without a wink and an elbow in the ribs.

“Pompeii” starts off with a Vapors-esque riff, but quickly restrains itself during the verses, so that when the Students break rock’n’roll out of the basement it’s been locked in they can really burst forth with Kool-Aid Man wall-busting energy. If that seems like a quirky description I apologize, it’s hard to listen to this music without wanting to join the club.

-- Mark Hughson

German Art Students on MySpace: www.myspace.com/thegermanartstudents

Velouria: Kiss it Better

Velouria
Kiss It Better CD
Eskimo Record Label, 2008

This power pop trio was part of the Silver Lake, Los Angeles, scene in the '90s along with bands such as Possum Dixon, the Negro Problem, and the Geraldine Fibbers. This CD was released 11 years after their debut, and it's about time! Fans of early Elvis Costello or the Kinks will get a kick out of the first two tracks, and the next two—especially "Launi Legs"—should even appeal to fans of poppier fare. Scott Taylor sure can write a pop song. Velouria can do melancholy and longing as well as jangle and bash, and the CD's song sequence takes listeners through the paces. "Juliette" pulls the record out of an almost too-produced middle, and then it's all sun-drenched southern California pop to the end. Like Ugly Stick, Velouria shows that sometimes, reunions can result in music as good as—or better—than the original. I wasn't there in 1997, but I'm glad I'm here in 2008.

-- Heath Row

Velouria Myspace

Frank Turner: Love Ire & Song

Frank Turner
Love Ire & Song CD
Arbor Records, 2008

More folksy than his work with the Million Dead, Turner's second solo album is earnest, heartfelt, and almost too clever. While comparisons to Billy Bragg come to mind, the first few songs are more geek rock by way of Jim's Big Ego. Turner's no Atom and His Package, but his tongue is as firmly in his cheek as his heart's in the right place. Things really kick in with the sixth song, and the title track is a fine example of what Turner's capable of when he's not being silly. That song gives me chills. Also, "Imperfect Tense" is an aggressive rocker that also captures that anger and malaise of aging and disillusionment. The American release features two additional songs, and in the end, the album is excellent. Turner's sense of humor and playfulness is as powerful a weapon as his idealism and hope.

-- Heath Row

Frank Turner Myspace

The Organ: Thieves

The Organ
Thieves CD EP
Mint Records, 2008

This Vancouver, BC, five piece might have parted ways in 2006, but it took until last fall to release their final six songs. Recorded during a brief reunion in 2007, the songs are dark, delightful Easter eggs in the vein of early Cure, the Smiths, and Joy Division. Each band member's contributions—throbbing organ, jagged guitar, rhythmic bass, surgical drums, and Katie Sketch's distinctive singing—add up to a whole that seems something other than mere music. And the songs pass by too quickly. "Let the Bells Ring" or "Can You Tell Me One Thing," which reminds me slightly of HUG's "Texas," might most accurately capture what the women were going for. What beautiful songs.

-- Heath Row

The Organ Myspace

Record Reviews: Alternative Tentacles

Disaster Strikes
Liberty Toast CD
Alternative Tentacles

This is punk/hardcore/metal(?) with a message, man. They sing/scream about exploitative labor practices, corporate sponsorships, apathy of hipster punk poses, the educational system, and more. Sounds pretty exciting, right? If you like angry/aggressive music and you’re into politics, this will be right up your alley. It’s not up my alley, but I do like the cover art (by Winston Smith). Oh, I almost forgot…! Jello Biafra makes a guest appearance on one song (“Mission Accomplished”), and that’s the only thing I really found interesting on this CD. Hooray for Jello!

Fleshies
Scrape the Walls CD
Alternative Tentacles

I like the sound of this CD. It’s raw and roughly recorded, and that’s a good thing. The vocals are often distorted, and that reminds me a little of Toys That Kill. There is no general sound or style here. Sometimes there’s fast and energetic punk rock, sometimes there’s sludgy rock, and then there’s “Runner’s Legs,” a song that sounds like it’s from the 1980’s. I don’t usually like 80’s songs, but it’s my favorite track on this CD. Jello Biafra makes a guest appearance (imagine that!) on a cover of Sparks’ “Happy Hunting Ground,” and that’s pretty entertaining. Otherwise, there’s not much here that’s memorable. It’s the kind of thing I hear and think “oh, this is pretty good,” but I can never really get into it. 

-- Justin Kearbey

(Alternative Tentacles – PO Box 419092 – San Francisco, CA 94141-9092)

Happy Ashtray: Weathervane

Happy Ashtray
Weathervane
(Kitchen Sink Records)

Any double album will raise an eyebrow, but the fact that this 24 song opus is the work of one man leaves my head shaking. John Swamy under the Happy Ashtray moniker wrote, performed, and recorded the material last year, and rather than stagger out releases he let out a barrage in four parts over two discs. Overall Weathervane is long on ideas and thankfully matched in length by talent, but where the album comes up short is obviously the in editing department, as even well-played alt-pop needs room to breathe and move and dance without tripping over it’s own two dozen feet.

Points of reference are somewhat easily found, but only snippets at a time, as the melting pot of sounds gets stirred at a pretty even pace. You can hear some Beck in specific songs like “Mississippi,” but also his influence is felt in the sense that Swamy has similar chameleon-like characteristics, blending in with various genres as if by nature. Roots rock, folk pop, and indie jangle tracks all sound genuine and far from forced. A smoother John Fogerty mixed with a less-trippy Wayne Coyne will put you in the right vocal ballpark , but I wouldn’t really plug CCR or the Flaming Lips into the equation outright. There certainly is a sense of prolific-ness, and a few tracks sound like half-songs, but again the unabashed pop of Guided By Voices is a just a sliver in the overall sound. The college-radio friendliness of R.E.M., Van Morrisson’s blue-eyed soul (or possible a less deadpan Soul Coughing), and Uncle Tupelo’s twang-tinged rock all seem like points that will help orient a listener, but as it all gets deftly swirled around it simultaneously sounds like all of them and none of them.

The sprightly shuffle of “Cold So Cold” is a superb choice for an opener, the smoky groove of “Sold My Flavor On” is great, and the back porch pop of “Starlight” could’ve been big back during the alt-country boom. “100 Down” is a effective straight-ahead rocker, “His Mind Is Reeling” sounds like Elephant 6 fuzz pop/rock without the psychedelia or tounge-in-cheekness. “Solution” is nice and slinky, while “Set Alive” reaches near Atlantic R&B levels of soul rock. Disc highlight and shoulda-been-a-hit “Five Fingered Friend” (finally) appears at the last quarter of the album. It’s one of those catchy tunes that has a rock/pop melody that isn’t mined very often, so it’s got that hummable and fresh quality that makes for a classic mix tape song or radio smash. All aforementioned tracks already make a solid single album, but on top of these you’ve still got another 16 songs that lie somewhere amongst all descriptors for more enjoyable listening. It’s a big undertaking for both performer and audience, and in this day of cherry-picking mp3s instead of “sitting down with an album” it’s a bit risky to present this much material, but in the end I’ve got no complaints. It’s time well spent.

-- Mark Hughson

Happy Ashtray Web site | MySpace

Lucika: Unnerving Depth of Black

Lucika
Unnerving Depth of Black CD (Buy from CDBaby)
Stolen Ghost Records

This is “Oregon Hauntcore”! It’s heavy metal, basically. The recording is pretty rough, but I like that. The guitars are extremely distorted and the vocals are mostly screamed/shouted. The vocals kind of remind me of Paul Baloff’s vocals on Exodus’s classic album, “Bonded By Blood,” but less silly. While it’s definitely not something I’d listen to these days (I would’ve really liked it when I was younger and in my “metal phase”), I like that they remind me of classic metal. Maybe it’s just the rough production, but it’s all right!

-- Justin Kearbey

(Stolen Ghost Records – 1715 West 12th #7 – Eugene, Oregon 97402)

Lucika MySpace

Dateless: Everything Could Turn Out Right This Time

DATELESS
Everything Could Turn Out Right This Time CD
(self-released)

Dateless provide further proof of the Mutant Pop-style pop punk revival! If this band existed in the mid-90s, they’d be on MP colored vinyl, no question. In fact, they’d probably have a split with Dirt Bike Annie. And since Mutant Pop is releasing records again, Timbo, take notice! Please provide us with a 7” by this band! It is your duty! However, here are my all-important recommendations: more girl/boy vocals, more back-up vocals, and stronger choruses! And Dateless, I think you’re up for the challenge! The best songs (“Janel” and “Body Heat” in particular) are awesome! Super sappy lyrics, in a good way! I love sappy pop punk lyrics! Plus, in the grand pop punk tradition, they have a song about a girl named Janelle, but unlike the Queers, they spell it Janel! Curious! If this were a cereal, it’d be Rice Krispie Treats! Sugary! Yum!

-- Maddy Baran

Dateless MySpace