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SAVAGE SLICES: Reviews by Eric Savage
 TAMMANY HALL NYC - Marathon (www.tammanyhallnyc.com) -
This is one terrific CD by a group which keeps getting better and is clearly worthy of national attention. Why? Well, there are a lot of reasons. First, although you can hear a lot of influences in the group's sound, including Sting, Eels, Jack Johnson, and Wallflowers to name a few, their feel is very original., regardless whether they go hard, or acoustic, or jazzy with a strong saxophone solo and very solid bass work throughout. The melodies are beautifully put together with a strong emotional pull without ever being sappy, sentimental or obvious. Second, and this may sound odd when talking about a power-pop style trio, the work of drummer Dave Femia gives the music an unpredictability. He manages to infuse what could easily be lazily constructed rhythm section work with island and funk beats which work seamlessly with the songs. This is clearly a band which has found a way to write seductive songs without taking the easy way out. Third, the lyric writing of lead singer Steven O'Reilly manages to blend real emotion with a New York City sense of place in a way which is almost irresistible. It starts with the title track, about a guy falling in love with his partner as they watch the New York City Marathon proceed up First Avenue, and proceeds throughout the album. There are no cheesy rhymes or descents into sappiness even when the lyrics are hopeful or positive. In fact, more often, they are thoughtful and genuine. It's hard to see any real weakness in the band or the CD or any reason not to buy it and play it and enjoy it a lot.
NEW ENGLAND ROSES - Face Time With Son (Doggpony www.dnp006.com)
This CD tries to find the space where Cat Power-type minimalist folk music meets ambient electronic sounds, although having listened to the twelve songs, it's hard to understand why finding the space is really necessary. The vocals are beyond deadpan and what occasional nice moments exist are overshadowed by unlistenable semi-rap and a totally funk-less, sex-less cover of George Michael's "Faith". Why - you may ask. Who knows? "Talking 'bout A Revolution", Tracy Chapman's signature number, is a great song, and since Living Colour breathed a different kind of life into it, the song is open to other interpretations, but an expressionless version like the one which closes this CD is painful.
 MONKEY PAW - Honkey Kong (www.monkeypaw.net) -
The best word to describe this disk, the second from this Chicago trio, is "spiky". In the best spirit of punk tradition, it manages to stick its tongue out in lots of different directions, while still managing to be interesting and engaging. How so? Well, although the musicianship clearly has that DIY sound to it, at no point do they ever find a simple groove and stick with it from wire to wire. Instead, the band does a lot of shifting tempos and rhythms, and finds ways to inject off-beats into songs to keep you listening and not have your head banging the same way for an entire song. The singing is bratty, and almost obnoxious, and often seems to deal with various sexual acts, but somehow there's actually a fair degree of melody in the songs which has the album almost veering (but never quite reaching) a pop-punk feel. Add to that a crisp, generally well-produced sound, and you have a release which manages to take a bunch of diverse elements, as well as their opposites, and put them together so they work. I'm still not sure I can figure out how they did that, but it's good, so who cares?
THE DEACONS - Brooklyn Towne (Made In Brooklyn Records, c/o Stremme, 1005 Foster Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230)
Well, the river of punk has grown plenty of little tributaries over the last thirty years, so here's a new one, family values punk. No, not Pat Robertson-style family values, but more like Bruce Springsteen, working class salt of the earth-type family values. There probably is some irony, or historical symmetry here, with the music starting off as a statement of ultimate anti-roots rebellion and, at least with this album, becoming a roots reaffirmation, laced through with a distinct and overtly proletarian political view. In any event, there's something admirable in the fact that the Deacons, a three-piece band with a pretty straightforward Green Day/Ramones approach, choose to sing about subjects bigger than their own neuroses and take on social and political issues, even on a small scale. Granted, we're not talking extremely sophisticated analysis here, but this is rock and roll, not political scholarship. The clearest moment comes n the band's ballsiest move, adding two verses and changing the chorus of "Ohio", which started its life as a bullet aimed right at the head of the Nixon/Agnew administration and has since become an item of political and musical nostalgia for a more engaged time. Whether you like their additions or not, and they tend to be bludgeoning whereas Neil Young was more cryptic, they get points for putting their hearts right on their sleeves. A little more variety in speeds and approach and not using the f-word on virtually every song would have made this a stronger album, but it's still pretty darn good.
 MODEL/ACTRESS (www.thickrecords.com)
This five-song offering is the first release by a band which combines remnants of Bullet LaVolta and Brainiacs, with a guest appearance by vocalist David Yow, formerly of Jesus Lizard. It's a pretty darn good opening salvo, certainly good enough to look forward to seeing what they can do with a full length CD. Overall, the approach is a combination of hardcore and indie rock, accented with some seriously strangled guitar tones, layered on a very dark, bass-heavy foundation. The opening song "Equestrian" pulls in snippets of Bob Mould, Queens of the Stone Age and what Tool would have sounded like with a bit of swing and a sense of humor. Throughout the EP, there is some synth work which provides additional texture, but without really adding much to the song. Where the band shows strength is in the unpredictable song structure. "Dickory" sounds like it's going to turn into a slightly twisted blues structure, but never gets there and heads off into more formless territory. Throughout the proceedings, there are enough melodies and metallic hooks to keep listeners engaged, although the CD should have ended on a higher note. The last track, "Sweep the Day Away", has a strong anthemic pulse, but the distortion of the vocals distances the band from the listener and keeps the song from pulling in the audience as it could have. With all that said, it's good to see these bands' members back in action and going in a direction which has produced some good stuff already and shows some distinct promise for the future.
SONS OF CYRUS - Monkey Business: Singles And Rarities , Rock and Rollercoaster -(www.dead-beat-records.com) -
The word "Sweden" conjures up some very mellow associations, like Nobel Prizes, blondes, midnight sun, global neutrality, welfare state socialism, plentiful fish and ABBA. Whether in response to this mellowness or despite it, Sweden has also started developing a reputation for home growing some kick-ass rock and roll, courtesy of the likes of the Hives and Hellacopters. Well, folks, add the Sons of Cyrus to your list and put them way high up there because these guys are for real, proven beyond question on these newly released disks. The Monkey Business CD is a 20 song collection of various singles, live takes, and other independently produced items going back to 2001. Rock and Rollercoaster is a newer item, produced by Chips Kiesby, known for working with the Hellacopters, Nomads and others, consisting of ten songs plus a video clip produced by Kalle Haglund, who also made videos for the Hives and the Rolling Stones. Normally, given the choice between two comparably priced items, you might normally go with the disk with double the songs, and it may not be a bad choice, but it's not the only one. Both disks are red-hot, high energy defiant rock, slightly heavier on the garage sound than the punk, with echoes of the Hellacopters, Real Kids, Pagans, and Flamin' Groovies. The longer compilation features four well-done covers (Isley Brothers, Stones, Nomads and Mitch Ryder), although you can tell that lead singer Loverboy had to learn English instead of growing up with it - he pronounces the word "baby" much too distinctly. The songs are catchy and well put together and there's not a weak one in the batch. But playing the disks side by side, including the two tracks which appear on both albums (including the only song I'm aware of about the capture and rage of a jungle ape), there are differences. Guitarist Loco Lopez takes a lot of solos on the compilation CD, featuring some piercing double stops and others runs and while they are good, they do run to clichéd sounds sometimes and have little that's very original to offer. By the time they went into the studio for the Rollercoaster CD, his solos had developed a tighter and more economical approach which is actually more effective. The longer CD has a dirtier, DIY sound in the production, while the Rollercoaster CD's approach is just as nasty, but with production values that give it a slightly more commercial sheen and without sacrificing any of the no-nonsense approach. Rollercoaster also features Memphis-based singer Alicja Trout taking the lead on one number, giving an extra dose of variety, but again, without softening what the Sons are up to. You can't go wrong with either disk and of course, the easy way to solve the dilemma is to do the right thing and buy them both. You won't be sorry.
 IRVING - Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers (www.thebandirving.com)
Sounding so British that they have to be American (Los Angeles, in particular), Irving arrives with their third record and a fully engaging indie-pop approach which merits attention. The production assistance they received from the folks who worked with the Shins,. Modest Mouse and Grandaddy helps develop the sheen, but without the songwriting, none of that matters too much. With all five of the band members contributing songs, there is a lot of variety here, based largely on 80's-style guitar riffs with keyboard/electronica accents, and with sneaky grabbing of riffs or ideas from a diverse array of artists. So I hear little bits of melodic pieces of Bruce Springsteen, Sex Pistols, Beatles, Rooks, Cure and a little touch of "I Can't Explain" or "Guns on the Roof", but always in a slightly changed context. so that there is no sense of the band being derivative The emotional feel of the songs, at least lyrically, tends toward the emo/depressed side, but then tracks like "I Want To Love You in My Room", with their 60's urgency, and "Hard to Breathe", where the optimism of the music contrasts with the acid of the lyrics, keep coming along and never let the CD become a drone-fest. The only thing which drags at all is the flat affect of the lead vocals, which betrays some of the energy and sharpness of the songwriting. At least nationally, the band has flown somewhat under the radar, but this CD should, if justice prevails, start to change that.
LANDLORD - Glitterati (www.landlordmusic.com)
A very exciting and enjoyable release from a three-piece band whose spare sound calls to mind early U2, the Police (without Sting's Jamaican affectations and with a harder edge), and the Clash as they moved into their Sandinista period. Despite the rigorous adherence to the drums, bass, guitar lineup with apparently little overdubbing, the band works through a very strong set of numbers with a intense melodic emotion, if such a thing exists, and enough variety that the austere production never becomes an issue. Little elements of Radiohead, funk, Gang of Four, and even Indian scales (the introduction to "Fifth Helena") manage to work their way into the sound, pushed on by the high, urgent vocals of Esfand Pourmand. This is the direction that late 70's post-punk started to take before getting derailed somewhere, but it still sounds good, particularly with the clean sound and urgency that marks Landlord's sound. Recommended.
 IKE REILLY ASSASSINATION - Junkie Faithful (www.rockridgemusic.com) -
The second full-length release from this band displays a rapidly ascending songwriter and a solid band with a deliberately unrefined sound and a humanly emotional core which make them well worth a listen, or two or three. Reilly sits in that dangerous territory occupied by the likes of Dylan, Stipe and early Springsteen --- he has his heart firmly on his sleeve and he's fond of incisive stories with lots of lyrics, imagery and bits of wordplay. It's dangerous ground because it is very easy to sound derivative or pretentious or both, but somehow Reilly manages to pull it off. From the first track, "22 Hours of Darkness", a hymn to hopelessness and isolation to the hopeful coda of "Everything is Gonna Be Alright", he finds a way to tell stories infused with emotion (mostly although not always of the down nature) without getting tangled up in over-poetizing them. Reilly isn't a great singer, but his approach, a little high and little hoarse and pleasantly intense, fits well with the music. The four musicians behind him provide a rootsy base which fits comfortably in various basic grooves and sounds coming from the Stones, Wilco, and verging into power pop. Again, nothing flashy, but the album stands or falls with the songwriting, and it pretty much stands tall. This is a really solid and listenable collection from a band which deserves a wider and appreciative audience.
BREAKING LACES - Lemonade (www.breakinglaces.com) -
The second CD from this New York trio is a highly enjoyable set of tunes in the singer/songwriter vein à la Ben Folds, Violent Femmes, Weezer and Blake and the Family Dog (whom the boys acknowledge in the liner notes). With only three pieces (well, OK, bass player Rob Chojnacki doubles on keyboards and there are some nice cello and string parts played and arranged by Dave Eggar) the band creates and very full and comfortable sound which effectively incorporates acoustic and electric approaches, often within the same song. The tunes themselves are uniformly high quality with lots of catchy melodic and chord-based hooks which manage to be new and comfortable at the same time. Not surprisingly given their influences, the guys' lyrics have a sensitivity and sweetness which goes well with the songs and a heart-on-the-sleeve quality. Most of the songs are of the personal (and often, loser) variety, with the notable and heartbreaking exception of "This World" about (I think) a kid's reaction to the Challenger disaster. Overall, this is a really solid album and if, as seems likely, the band is going to make a push to get known nationally, they are definitely putting their best foot forward.
 TODD DEATHERAGE (www.todddeatherage.com) -
The Dallas native turned New Yorker has completed his transformation from country-oriented guy to nineties' style power-popper with this five-song EP. He touches on a bunch of styles, pulling in bits of Gin Blossoms, smoothed-over Nirvana and a couple of others. The record is produced really nicely with the vocals quite clear. The supporting musicians are first-rate, including Stuart Bradbury, producer for Electric Six, and McKenzie Smith, drummer for Midlake and the music, while not the most original in the world, does a pretty faithful job of echoing the different styles they're aiming for. However, at core, Deatherage is not that compelling a vocalist and hits a couple of clunker notes now and then. Worse, the lyrics and rhymes more often than not tend to the pedestrian, which is kind of a problem if you're trying to sell yourself as a singer/songwriter. The opening groove of the first number made it sound like this EP had a lot of promise, but it never kicked in. Too bad.
THE LOVELY FEATHERS - Hind Hind Legs (www.thelovelyfeathers.com) -
More of an art project or collage than an album, this CD proves that just because you can do it yourself doesn't mean you should. This Canadian band can put together some nice snippets, with pieces of the Pixies, or David Byrne, or Man Man. There is a sense of humor which occasionally surfaces with something enjoyable. And yes, there is a sense of childish play here. That's the good news. Now for the bad. Virtually none of the songs seems to form a coherent organic whole. Instead, they are shifting bits, often without a clear connection from one section to another. There is too much cheesy circus-style organ or organ synth, and a little of that goes a very long way. There is way too much high pitched shouting of lyrics, often in tandem (not harmony) and a lot of repetition of lyrics and saying the same thing multiple times does not make your words more interesting, insightful or enjoyable. The lyrics seem to be aiming at some kind of wise nonsense, but more often than not it comes out nonsensee and ultimately annoying. This band is like a bunch of kids who needed to run around and burn off their energy and now needs someone to tell them what to do. Give them a producer who will force them to focus, and put together some real songs instead of just putting together every idea they have at any given moment, and maybe you have something. They clearly have the ability and energy to do some innovative stuff. If properly harnessed, they have something, but if they can't be bothered to work harder to pull it together, then why should anyone bother to listen?
 THE GREGG YETI -
"The Star Off Machine" (www.myspace.com/thegreggyeti)
If the value of an appetizer is whether it makes you want more, then this four-song sampler from the former leader of the Flaming Astonishers passes the test. Think of this as vaguely like early R.E.M. with the folk element played up more strongly. Yeti has a warm-ish baritone voice which he backs up with acoustic or amplified acoustic guitar and some drum effects. He has a nice touch for writing oddball but evocative lyrics, mostly notably on "How To Make A Happy Robot", which could be early Dylan with a more explicit sense of humor. The approach and instrumentation are pretty similar for the four songs here, meaning that a full-length CD of similar material might start to drag after a while. However, and taken on its own terms, the EP does a nice job of introducing an intriguing performer and creating an appetite for a larger portion. back to jerseybeat.com l back to top
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