REVIEWS BY JIM TESTA
GINGERLYS – “Summer Cramps” EP
(gingerlys.bandcamp.com)
Is it too late for another chillwave band of Brooklyn kids?
Not when they’re this talented, when the melodies
glide like swans across the sky, when the jittery percussion
literally forces your head to bob along happily. Maria’s
gossamer vocals shimmer above new-wavey plucked guitars
and swaddling synths. Pure ear candy. A
MINT400
RECORDS PRESENTS THE BEACH BOYS’ PET SOUNDS (Mint
400 Records)
Tribute albums can be a trick proposition. Stay to faithful
to the originals and you’re doing karaoke; stray too
far and you’re desecrating the memory of a beloved
classic. And when you’re talking about a near-perfect
career high like Pet Sounds, the idea of improving on the
original seems absurd. Seven acts from the Mint 400 Records
roster (Fairmont, the One And Nines, the Ashes, Cropduster,
Multi-Purpose Solution, Michael Ambrose, and The Duke of
Norfolk) each take a swing at these iconic songs, emphasizing
the psychedelic weirdness beneath those candy-cotton harmonies,
and it works. Mint 400’s flagship band Fairmont reimagines
“You Still Believe In Me” as a power pop Christmas
carol, the Duke of Norfolk brings Jonathan Richman geekiness
to the sheen of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
and “Caroline No,” the Multi-Purpose Solution
rocks out “Sloop John B” as Springsteen might
have played it, the One & Nines bring their Motown swing
to “I’m Waiting For The Day” and “Here
Today,” and Cropduster ‘s Tom Gerke croons “That’s
Not Me” backed by a miasma of lo-fit guitar fuzz.
A-
DR.
SKINNYBONES –
A Last Hurrah For The Glory Of Drinking Alone (drskinnybones.bandcamp.com)
All dirty guitars, caustic vocals, and garage thump one
minute, Dr. Skinnybones (which, for the purposes of this
album, consists of singer/multi-instrumentalist Jake Williams
and drummer Miles Joris-Peyrafitte) can turn on a dime and
put over a schmaltzy yet non-ironic piano ballad the next.
The duo’s irrepressible fuck-you attitude ties it
all together (nowhere better than on the anthemic “Fuck
Everyone,”) whether Jake’s telling an ex-date
to drop dead or telling us what to do with his possessions
after he drops dead. And despite being overdubbed up the
wazoo (with Jake handling vocals, guitar, bass, and piano,)
the DIY production has an organic, live energy. Neutral
Milk Hotel’s Julian Koster drops by to add theramin-like
pulsations on singing saw, while Amanda Palmer contributes
not only vocals but the inspiration for a turn towards baroque
cabaret-folk. Listen carefully and you might even catch
all the in-jokes. A-
BATTLEME – “Weight On The Brain”
EP (El Camino Media)
Matt Drenik’s solo acoustic-y emo project morphs here
into a choogling rock’n’roll dynamo with a heavy
Seventies vibe and thick, psychedelic guitars. Drenik’s
sensitive high-pitched vocals recall Flaming Lips at their
Pink Floydiest; extra points for the surf ‘n’
spy guitar chug on “Shotgun Song.” B-
THE CREEPSHOW - Life After Death (Sailor's
Grave)
Whoa-oh punk in the style of Bad Religion of Bouncing
Souls, only with a (very good) female singer and lyrics
that focus on the macabre. Happily the band's ghoulish proclivities
come across as far less silly than the Misfits (or even
the Lillingtons.) Dress like a goth and sing along. B+
DISMEMBERMENT PLAN – Uncanney Valley (Partisan
Records)
Welcome to the Kobayashi Maru, the unwinnable scenario:
Make an album that reflects your age (40-ish,) infused with
wit, insight, humor, regret, and enjoyable tunes, and you’re
accused of making “dad rock.” Yet had DPlan
screamed and jived and spazzed out like a 20 year olds,
they’d have been told to act their age. Say I: Leave
the next “Ice Of Boston” to some college kid
in Bushwick to write; I’m fine with the pithy rock
of “No One’s Saying Nothing,” the funky
rhyme schemes of “White Collar, White Trash,”
the way adolescent angst gives way to adult regret on “Daddy
Was A Real Good Dancer.” Recommended. A-
EZRA FURMAN – Day Of The Dog (Bar-None)
We already knew the guy could write from his tenure with
the Harpoons and his first solo album, The Year Of No Returning.
Now he’s showing us he can rock out too, with a mastery
of Sixties idioms, a skronking sax player, and some joyously
gonzo Nilsson-esque vocals. Way more fun than anything he’s
done before, and everything he’s done before has been
okay. A-
KARYN KUHL - Songs For The Dead (karynkuhl.com)
Songs For The Dead alternately recalls the fiery
Zeppelin blues wail of Kulh's 90's band Sexpod and the innovative
indie-pop of the college-rock era Gutbank, with forays into
sensuous bossa nova, jazz, and torch songs, all spotlighting
one of the most distinctive female voices of modern rock.
B+
LOS CAMPESINOS! – No Blues (Wichita
Records)
The LC!s sound more and more like the Gareth Campesino show,
with the other individual voices in the band (vocally and
musically) melding into harmonic choruses and symphonic
orchestrations. That said, few bands can do twee and miserable
simultaneously, and none do it this well. Inspirational
verse: “I feel like I'm the host of a terrible game-show
and the guests on today's quiz are celebrities/Won't respond
to any clues, they're just cracking jokes for views, but
the answers to these questions mean everything.” B+
LOVERS - A Friend In The World (Badman
Records)
The seventh album (and second with this lineup)
from feminist/LGBT-friendly folk rock trio Lovers strips
away much of the electronic embellishment of earlier work
for sparse production, clattery percussion, percolating
synths, and warm harmony vocals. Dancey tracks like "Modern
Art Museum Of The Modern Kiss Goodbye" and "Oh
Yeah" suggest Bananarama cross-pollinated with the
sexy urban grooves of the Bush Tetras. A-
MARC & SHANE - "New Things Come"
EP (marcandshane.com)
Two part harmony never gets old; Jersey teens Marc
Ambrosia and Shane Rojas know that, and keep things simple
on their debut EP, focusing on exquisitly matched voices
and Rojas' nimble acoustic guitar. Sadly the songwriting
rarely rises above easy-listening platitutdes, but at only
16 and 18, they have plenty of time to learn. More Paul
Simon and Bob Dylan, guys, and leave the Phillip Phillips
and John Mayer at the open mic. C+
PATCHES & GRETCHEN - Who The Hell Is Richard
Manual? (patchesandgretchen.com)
Gretchen Seichrist blurs the lines between folk
and jazz, cabaret and rock, Patti Smith and Amanda Palmer,
with a spoken/sung/cat shriek delivery that's as distinctive
as Lou Reed's. So uncompromising as to be off-putting at
first, Seichrist imbues every track with emotions, from
the panicky "Paramedic" to the mournful "Grandma"
to the sardonic "Rollypolly." A
THE SWELLERS - The Light Under Closed Doors (No
Sleep Records)
Flint, Michigan's hard-luck lifers return with
an impressive and walloping declaration of intent: "Give
me something I can finally believe in, give me something
I can finally sink my teeth in," wails frontman Nick
Diener, and it's pretty clear that this crew believes in
the redemptive power of rock 'n' roll. Ten concise, no-filler
tracks deliver powerful melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and
the power of those whoa-oh-oh gang vocals to transport even
the most jaded old fuck back into the pit. Docked a few
points for Diener's occasional lapses into Pinkerton-esque
emo, but overall a solid listen. B+
UPSET – She’s Gone (Don Giovanni)
Two twenty-something riot grrls and a fortyish Alt-Rock
survivor combine forces to turn back the clock to Lookout
Records Girl-Pop Circa 2000 or so. It’s light, it’s
airy, it’s fun; but I already own Cub records, and
I can’t help thinking these women might have a little
more to say in 2013. Tweest Song Title of the Year: “Don’t
Lose Your Dinosaur” C+
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is an independently published music fanzine
covering punk, alternative, ska, techno and garage
music, focusing on New Jersey and the Tri-State
area. For the past 25 years, the Jersey Beat music
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