The
Mommyheads- Delicate Fiction (www.dromedary-records.com)
The Mommyheads were an indie-pop band around in the
early to mid ‘90s, with an emphasis on the pop.
In 2008, they reformed after ten years apart and this
is their first full length from The Mommyheads second
coming. Having heard songs here and there by them,
this was my first album listen to The Mommyheads.
My verdict is that if you like The Mommyheads of old,
you will no doubt dig this, too. They have mellowed
and matured a little, but essentially this is the
same band who were at their peak in the mid 90s. Although
they stick to their schmaltzy pop style throughout
Delicate Fiction, it works in some cases,
and not in others. At times they belt out some big
choruses with even bigger hooks; other times they
are total cheeseballs. There are elements of R.E.M.,
Superdrag and Jellyfish on
Delicate Fiction.
Unfortunately, there are also elements of something
awful like Barenaked Ladies. “Just Give Me A
Reason” belongs on ‘80S AOR radio, while
“If You Wander” is some saccharine, Turin
Brakes level cack. “A Hole in the Wall”
is a strange one, being an instrumental collection
of inane sounds, serving merely as an interlude mid-album.
There is lots to like here though: A World in Reverse
is well-crafted and easy on the ear; the doublehitter
of “Delicate Fiction” and “Another
Crowded House” fizz with bouncy power pop.
Shirk
Circus
This Band Will Destroy Your Life
(www.dromedary-records.com)
Shirk Circus were a punk-y, indie band who released
a couple of albums in the mid-90s on indie label Bar
None. This is their third album, and, although recording
originally began in 1997, it has only now finally
been released. Earlier this year, frontman Josh Silverman
passed away and the remaining band members thought
it would be a fitting tribute to finally release the
lost record
This Band Will Destroy Your Life to
the public. The result, 15 years in the making, is
some pretty great power-pop. I am not sure if it’s
strictly power pop to be honest, but there are hooks-a-plenty
here to combine with the indie aesthetic. Judging
by what I have read, this is a lot leaner and cleaner
than Shirk Circus used to sound, but hearing this
today makes me nostalgic for ‘90s era recording,
when not everything was over-produced out of existence.
Ok, this is an indie band we’re essentially
talking about, but even so there is something very
mid-‘90s about these songs. The punk-y element
keeps things interesting and helps separate them from
the pack. Thinking about it, Shirk Circus kind of
remind me of a ‘90s Epi-Fat skate punk band
crossed with a modern indie pop band. And that somehow
works.
The
Big Sleep- Nature Experiments (French Kiss Records)
Exciting is not a word I would use to describe music
much, but with New York duo Big Sleep’s third
length, I think it’s pretty apt. Nature Experiments
is all over the place, incorporating elements of electronic,
indie and rock. Sounding haunting and Bjork- like
in some places (“Ghosts in Bodies”), anthemic
and bouncy in other places (“Valentine”),
pure rocking out in others (“Four Wishes”).
In general, there’s much to like. Lots of things
are going on at once, and being boring and predictable
is not something you can aim at The Big Sleep. When
the electronica gets a bit much, it becomes overly-synthetic
for my tastes but really that is just nitpicking.
The inter-changing of the male-female vocals works
wonders and the choruses are usually memorable. Recommended.
KILLED
BY THE BULL- Failing is Fun (Koi)
Traditional hardcore punk seems to be undergoing something
of a revival in the last year or so. People are getting
fed up of bro-core style punk rock that dominated
hardcore in the early-mid noughties, and thus a nostalgic
eye appears to be being cast towards the fertile ‘80s
scene. Bands like No Friends are clearly influenced
by the breakneck speed and aggression of mid ‘80s
Californian punk rock. As a fan of this scene, the
increasing citing of bands like TSOL and Dead Kennedys
as key influences is pleasing. Indeed I’m sure
that New Jersey’s Killed by the Bull hold these
two and their contemporaries in great regard. Urgent
vocals and jagged guitars underpin a classic frenetic
hardcore punk sound. The Dead Kennedys influence is
clear, particularly on “Return of the Spell”
and “Anthem for the Dying”. The vocals
are relentless but it is evident that Justin Fullham
(lead singer) has an above average voice, and unlike
a lot of hardcore punk merchants, this is made clear
throughout. His voice is allowed to shine through
the wall of fast-paced noise. There is something different
about Killed by the Bull, too. They have an almost
twang-y, country-ish influence throughout. It rarely
comes fully out, but it is there throughout, underpinning
their whole sound. With most hardcore bands unwilling
to experiment, Failing is Fun acts as an exercise
in demonstrating that you can take influence from
a traditional sound and still make it interesting.
The slight downside to this album is the lack of variety.
There are a couple of stand-outs, particularly “Amanda
O’ Dwyer” and “Let the Sky Glow”,
but overall, lots of the track merge into each other.
Or is that a criticism of that scene as a whole?
HEAVY
YOUNG HEATHENS- Make Room for the Youth EP
(heavyyoungheathens.com)
Californian indie-types Heavy Young Heathens impress
in this free-to-download EP, following last year’s
full length. They are certainly a band with variety.
Make Room for the Youth kicks off with a face-melting
rocker in “Shine”. Whilst the vocals aren’t
my cup of tea, I can appreciate their propensity for
rocking the hell out. Then you have “She Thinks
She Knows” which is ‘80s alterna-pop through
and through. Like if the lovechild of The Smiths and
Joy Division was raised in California. In terms of
contemporaries, it reminds me of the jangly indie-pop
of Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The title track meanwhile
has the groove and catchiness of a Nine Inch Nails
track, without the electronica. They are basically
difficult to categorise; even on their Myspace, they
simply put themselves under a generic “alternative”
label. They take influences from all sorts: ‘60s
pop, ‘80s indie, ‘70s stadium rock. On
the flip side, there isn’t a spine running through
this; you never get to really know who Heavy Young
Heathens are on this short EP. Having said that, this
is a band certainly worth keeping your eye on.
BAD
COP- Harvest the Beast (ROIR)
Rock ‘n’ roll can be a cliché or
a summon of spirit and energy: on Harvest the Beast,
Bad Cop show both sides of the same coin. Very tight,
powerful, melodic guitar work that should please fans
of old and new rock. The singing is note perfect.
The guitarmanship is faultless. The choruses are made
for stadiums. The drumming is probably a machine.
But I feel nothing listening to this; it’s too
“perfect”. It’s like listening to
rock music made in a lab. They wear their influences
on their sleeves (Stooges, The Who), but they lack
any of the zest that these bands did in their heyday.
There is virtually no passion considering this is
a supposed rock ‘n’ roll band. If anything,
this is more like clean, radio-friendly indie with
heavier guitars than normal. Maybe if they sold themselves
as that, I wouldn’t be as disappointed. This
is for people who think Kings of Leon are rock ‘n’
roll.
THE
88 (www.the88.net)
So, apparently this band are getting pretty big: appearances
on various hip TV soundtracks (including Weeds) and
a tour with Ray Davies. The legendary Kinks frontman
even appears here on the gang vocals of one of the
tracks. This is pure unadulterated pop, with a definite
‘60s influence, but I hear more Beatles than
Kinks. There is also an influence here from the modern-day
singer/songwriter/tortured pianist prodigy. The pianos
tinkle and the guitars chime; if you like your pop
melodic and cheese-centred, this is for you. There
is definitely some talent here, particularly vocal-wise,
so I am not knocking it. Just not really for me. At
its best, it’s Ben Folds Five (“As Far
As I can See”) but at its worst, it’s
more like Maroon 5 (“Dead on the Water”).
Your average run-of-the mill over-produced croony
pop. It’ll sell millions.
LEATHERFACE-
The Stormy Petral (No Idea)
Apart from their classic Mush album, I have always
found Leatherface to be rather hit and miss. However,
the new one The Stormy Petral ticks most boxes. This
is Leatherface’s first full length in more than
five years, and whilst a lot of bands lose that original
spirit after a period of time out, Leatherface sound
just as urgent as ever here. Beautifully flowing guitar
leads and hummable choruses; punctuated as always
by Stubbs’s (Frankie, lead singer) gravelly
vocals. This is classic Leatherface. The ton of bands
who play Gainseville’s Fest each year owe a
great deal of debt to the original ‘gruff’
punks. The acerbic, crushing opener “God Is
Dead” immediately draws the listener in, whilst
“My World’s End” will slowly entice
its way into your brain. Perhaps the best song here
is “Belly Dancing Stoat” with its fist-pumping
chorus exclaiming: “When I first saw you in
that alley, you looked anything but ecstatic”.
Indeed, Leatherface’s lyrics are as strange
as ever. There isn’t really a bad song to pick
here, though it ends on a somewhat damp note with
the dull, plodding “Hope”. Despite that,
this is a band that has shown that they are strong
as ever. If you want to check out a classic punk rock
band, this is as good a starting point as any.
TITUS
ANDRONICUS- The Monitor (XL Recordings)
Titus Andronicus is a band who seem to be getting
a large dose of hype on the indie circuit, despite
their apparent inaccessibility. On the surface, a
concept album about the American civil war comprising
of several songs going above the 5-minute long mark
shouldn’t lead to mainstream success. My initial
instinct told me that they appeal to the hipster crowd
who like to listen to “noise” rather than
music. But there is something real behind this buzz.
Comparisons can be made with The Gaslight Anthem et
al, with Titus’ taking distinctive influence
from classic Americana songwriting, with Bruce Springsteen
of course being cited. That might turn you on or off
at this point. But it has to be said that Titus’
do have a lot going for them musically. Driving, catchy
verses leading to toe-tappable, sing-along choruses;
this is punk rock in as many ways as indie. Though
they veer a little towards whiny sometimes, the nasally
vocals are pretty distinctive. Meanwhile, the mix
of folk, indie and simple punk rock makes this a largely
original musical beast. And who can’t help but
enjoy singing along to: “You will always be
a loser!”
The trouble is the songs are too damn long. In particular,
the over-blown pomposity of the closer “The
Battle of Hampton Roads”, which lasts an ear-aching
14 minutes. In making this a themed or concept album,
they have made it a whole lot more boring. All of
the speeches before each song get more dull as they
go along. Really, The Monitor could have been so
much better if they had stripped away the Civil-war
themed pretentiousness. If Titus’ had just
stuck to what they were good at, they would have
achieved a stronger album, instead of trying way
too hard to stand out from the crowd. Everyone’s
trying to be “epic” right now; it’s
boring. Nevertheless, Titus Andronicus have a lot
going for them, which shouldn’t be easily
dismissed, and there are certainly some really good
songs on this record, notably “Titus Andonicus
Forever”. The problem is that these positive
traits are being partly hidden behind a veil of
the unnecessary “concept” album.
THE
MOON AND HER MOTHER- S/T (Authentik Artists)
For fans of Oasis, says the press release. Doesn’t
exactly fill you with confidence does it? The Moon
and Her Mother is singer/songwriter Aaron Wallace
and his folk-pop ideas. Soft piano textures lead to
a gloomy atmosphere, with very emotive vocals to boot.
Not to say this is emo in the slightest. Instead,
this is a one-man Snow Patrol wannabe. This is radio
indie-rock through and through. For fans of Oasis,
indeed. No songs really stand out; this all blends
into one dull, piano-led monotony. This is the kind
of stuff guys are always recommended to play to their
girlfriends to show they have a more “sensitive”
side. Basically, if you like crooning vocals and big,
bashful choruses, apply here. This is nothing offensive,
but equally it is nothing inspiring.
WE CAUGHT THE CASTLE- Skin Dive (EP)
A recently formed band from the UK, We Caught The
Castle fuse the soulfulness of ‘80s new wave
with the intensity of modern day alternative rock.
Taking inspiration from the likes of Blondie and
XTC, there is much in terms of synth-led catchiness
here that fans of The Epoxies et al would enjoy.
However, this retro sound has been made much more
accessible by We Caught The Castle. On Skin Dive,
the emphasis is placed upon vocal harmonies and
slickly produced choruses. Whilst this results in
radio-friendly hummability, there is something lost
here in terms of making the music interesting and
atmospheric, as this sound could once have claimed
to be. The flip-side of this argument is that there
is no point in just imitating musical greats; there
needs to be individuality. Whilst this is true,
and there is much to be acclaimed here in terms
of musical crafting, Skin Dive is just a bit too
trendy for me. Some of what We Caught The Castle
have added to the sound is to pander to a teen,
emo audience. The big, anthemic choruses and drawn
out female vocals recall Paramore, in particular.
The background screaming evident on “Say What
You Want” only serves to further this point.
Thus, from this EP, We Caught The Castle appear
to be a mixed bag, but perhaps their odds will improve
as they mature. Check out “Lips”.
WOMEN
- Public Strain (Flemish Eye / Jagjaguwar)
Art rock has never been my music of choice, with a
couple of exceptions, and Canadian band Women have
done nothing to really alter this. There is not really
even anything “rock” about this art rock
band; arguably this is just art. If you are the kind
of person who despises formulaic music and strives
for music that is totally original, this may be for
you. This is anti-Ramonescore. The trouble is in trying
to be original, they have sacrificed listen-ability.
Why does one necessarily have to cancel out the other?
Instead of being boundary-pushing, they have ended
up just being dull. By no means is this bad, but,
by goodness, Women will probably turn out to be a
great cure for insomnia. I kept waiting for something
to happen, but it just never did. There are sparks
of Sonic Youth’s intricacy fizzing here, but
they fail to ignite. The start of “Heat Distraction”
hints at Television, but ends up being Polyphonic
Spree. Average then, but still disappointing as I
am thwarted again in my attempts to revive my art
rock interest. Art for art’s sake.
FRIENDO-
Cold Toads (Secretly Canadian)
Friendo are an ‘alternative’ indie band
hailing from the Calgary scene. Cold Toads, their
debut album, brims with an assured, arty confidence
that recalls the early ‘90’s alternative
heyday. The likes of Pavement, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur
Jr. come to mind as Friendo blend mourning, crooning
vocals with intricate, distorted guitars to produce
interesting, lo-fi soundscapes. If they had more of
the energy of the aforementioned bands, this would
be praised more highly. Too often, their songs peter
out to not much at all. However, there is enough to
enjoy here, to even the casual listener, and this
not bad by any means. In particular, the soulful intricacies
of “Liners” and “Hailey Omen”
should be heard. One to watch out for.
THE
ROMAN LINE- Morning Portraits (Merman Records)
The Roman Line is a new band, straight out of
Toronto, Canada (with their name referring to
the informal name for a particular road in Ontario).
On their debut LP Morning Portraits, they play
a multitude of styles, combining the snarling
energy of punk rock with the sing-along melodies
of country, but if I were to label this anything,
it would be rock ‘n’ roll. The timeless
songwriting style lends itself to a traditional
rock ‘n’ roll style. There is a
refreshing and honest simplicity to The Roman
Line, that they do without succumbing to being
a Ramones homage, or indeed a homage to anyone.
They are hardly inventing new genres, but equally
there is something quite distinct and refreshing
about Morning Portraits. There are minor similarities
to be made with some modern bands, such as Loved
Ones or Gaslight Anthem, but The Roman Line
manages to capture an earlier sound than that.
The songwriting prowess of Paul Westerburg and
The Replacements particularly came to mind.
Key tracks include the punchy power punk of
“Jimmy” (my personal favourite track),
the country ‘n’ roll campfire sing-along
of “Worst Case, Ontario” and the
rock balladry of “Talbot and Inkerman”.
There is enough variety here to satisfy listeners
who are even slightly into their punk rock or
rock ‘n’ roll, whilst managing to
avoid the clichés associated with such
an album i.e. it will also appeal to those few
people left who still enjoy listening to full
albums. Despite the plethora of styles, Morning
Portraits flows pleasingly from track to track.
Watch out for this band; they can really write
a tune.
THE
DODOS- Time To Die (Frenchkiss)
Speaking of paint-by-numbers indie...No, to
be fair, The Dodos are good at what they do.
It’s just that what they do is so played
out and dull by this point, it’s almost
rendered pointless. Not that it would matter
if this was a fun record of course.
Time
To Die is faux-emotive, Keane-lite indie
pop for those cooler than thou kids who wear
scarves and shit. Some great vocals cannot hide
what is a tiresome, cheesy album. There are
a couple of exceptions. “The Strums”
is an enjoyable piece of uplifting folk music,
with pretty much the only interesting lyrics
on the album, and opener “Small Deaths”
is a well written ballad. But these kind of
moments are too far and in between. All in all,
The Dodos are the archetypal talented band who
offer very little in the way of interest, and
instead decide to play safe. I’m surprised
this isn’t already on the radio, to be
honest.
ULTRA
VIOLENT LIGHTS- Here in Filth (Sidecho Records)
This is a band obviously influenced by ‘90s
alternative rock, as well as a dash of ‘70s
classic rock. UV Lights should have been around
before the rock mainstream became emo-obsessed.
They would have been semi-huge, or at least
been a one-hit wonder.
Here in Filth
has Foo Fighters, Feeder, Smashing Pumpkins
et al written all over it. And it’s good.
There’s some big choruses plastered over
this album that are as good as most from this
genre (see: “Skin & Bones”).
The driving melodies supporting these choruses
also help to make enjoyable rock songs. But
then there are really boring, miserable ones,
like “Some Kind of Reason”. This
is an example of where bands try to diversify
and show that they are more than just a one
trick pony, when actually it turns out that
they should stick to what they are good at.
It cannot be denied that this is a well made
album with all members of the band playing their
instruments to a really high standard. But alas,
Here in Filth lacks a certain spark to put itself
above the competition. As it is, this is rather
forgettable fare.
The
Drums – “Summertime” EP
(Twenty Seven)
The title of this EP is a perfect advertisement
for the songs within. “Summertime”
brims with a sunny, care-free confidence dedicated
to those lazy summer days. Perhaps with this
being released in October, The Drums have made
a glaring error. But, to be honest, it matters
little. Listening to these sunny anthems whilst
it continues to be as grey and dreary as possible
outside is overridden by the sheer quality and
durability of The Drums’ musicianship.
So what do The Drums sound like? Well, they
are poppy to the max, synths an’ all.
The organic vocal-led melodies continue unabashed
throughout; ‘Summertime’ is virtually
catchiness itself. The Drums take a big chunk
of their influence from The Beach Boys, and
similar ‘60s surf-pop. Having said that,
the quirky vocals and use of synths most definitely
do not originate from this era; instead I would
place this in 1980s indie-town, with The Cure
specifically coming to mind. The two influences
strangely go well together, creating sing-along,
toe-tapping anthems for the late Noughties.
Songs like ‘The Saddest Summer Ever’
are virtually begging to be hummed throughout
the day. Even a week after listening to these
pop gems, you will find them stuck in your head.
I’ve heard people say that The Drums are
just hipsters once again riding the nostalgia
train, but I would argue that the blurring of
the genres they are taking influence from, and
their own unique quirky take on a classic style,
puts the band beyond just nostalgia hunting.
Nakatomi Plaza - Ghosts (nakatomiplaza.com)
This is really, really good, and I can’t
help but feel that I am way too late on this
train. Having just embarked on their last ever
tour that included Lemuria and Good Luck, Nakatomi
Plaza are calling it a day, with Ghosts being
their parting gift. They have been going for
over ten years, released four full lengths,
and yet I never felt the inclination to check
them out, despite them being friends/touring
buddies with a lot of bands I like. Damn it,
I’m stupid sometimes. Anyway, they couldn’t
have picked a more fitting tribute to their
time as band than Ghosts. It is accessible enough
to allow new fans like me to check out their
huge back catalogue, whilst also leaving long-time
fans with some of their best work.
Ghosts cuts deep with anthem after
anthem; this really is, in many ways, a masterclass
in that ‘90s based indie-punk sound. If
you think nothing can be added to that sound,
Nakatomi Plaza will prove you wrong. There’s
some Jawbox, a slab of Superchunk and a hint
of Jawbreaker in there, but really this is completely
Nakatomi Plaza’s own record. Quiet, stop-start
verses, soaring choruses and some of the best
vocals in punk I’ve heard. It’s
timeless stuff. The interchange between the
male and female vocalists (my Achilles heel),
Rodriguez and Fair, is simply delightful on
ballad-y sing-along “Words.” Opener
“Bomb Shelter” and “Artificial
Light” meanwhile have a rock bombast that
many would kill for. Minus the screamy parts
and a couple of semi-pretentious guitar solos,
and this is nigh-on perfect rock record. ‘Ghosts’
could be attached to many sub-genres (post hardcore,
emo, indie-punk) but I think this is a band
that goes beyond these labels; this is just
a great rock record.
Finn
Riggins- Vs Wilderness (Tender Loving Empire)
I really don’t like this. This is the
kind of ridiculous, pretentious hip indie-pop
that got me into punk rock in the first place.
You just know there are kids out there attempting
to enjoy this album, in a vain attempt to be
cool. I say that, because I can’t see
a possible way this could be enjoyed. Not only
is this album so invariably pretentious, it’s
also really fucking dull. The first three seconds
of a song pretty much define the rest of the
song, and to be honest, the rest of the album.
I swear there’s only one chord on this
record, so much so it’s almost physically
irritating to listen to. I don’t even
really know how to describe Finn Riggins; they’re
just bizarre in a really bad way. It’s
like Frank Sinatra type vocals, with the female
equivalent chiming in now and again, sung over
an overly-dense instrumental from The Polyphonic
Spree i.e. way too many instruments going on
at once. Finn Riggins are obviously very talented
at doing what they do, but that’s not
the only desirable part of listening to a band,
or we would all be listening to X-factor contestants.
I actually wouldn’t be surprised if this
was an X-factor contestant; it’s that
bland. You know when your dad says that what
you’re listening to isn’t music,
it’s noise? This is the closest I’ve
found to that band. – David Brown
