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Jersey Beat Music Fanzine - Celebrating 25 Years of Rock and Roll!

The World According to Wawrzyniak


REVIEWS BY JOE WAWRZYNIAK

THEE SILVER MT. ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA - Kollaps Tradixionales (www.tra-la-laband.com)

Moody and melodic, with an exquisitely rich, brooding, and full-bore orchestral sound (the weeping strings in particular are simply divine!), anguished vocals, and a potent sense of brooding melancholy atmosphere, this album certainly makes a strong and lasting impression. The arrangements are incredibly complex, absorbing, and ambitious, with burning guitars and firm-as-granite drums offset by cutting and frantically swirling violins. The songs shift from slow to fast to slow again with surprising agility while the lyrics express a wealth of angst, pain, and regret with a slight tinge of hope with bracing clarity and intelligence. An extraordinary album.

STATIC OF THE GODS –Knowledge Machine (www.staticofthegods.com)

Right from the sweetly hypnotic opening song “Rest Your Head,” this supremely tuneful and captivating electro-pop album casts a soothing and enchanting spell. The vocals are mellow and pleasant while the melodic arrangements keep the steady tempos and constant beats smoothly rolling along at an alternately gradual or snappy rate with often absorbing and occasionally quite exciting results. Moreover, the songwriting is mature, reflective, and intelligent. Favorite track; the remarkably moving and touching “Mean Streak.” A lovely little jewel.

 

OLD GROWTH – Under the Sun (www.myspace.com/ oldgrowthmusicpdx)

The only thing better than a furiously burnin’ and hard-diggin’ blast of gloriously gritty punk is a explosion of pure punky noise that’s further spiced up with a handy helping of down-home shitkickin’ Southern-fried hillbilly blues music. Yep, that’s exactly what we get here – and man does it rock out with a fiercely intense and aggressive go-for-it thrilling vengeance. Everything that makes punk great is present and accounted for: Passionate full-throated vocals, huge shredding guitars riffs, equally chunky steamrolling drum beats, churning basslines, and an admirable dearth of pretense. What’s not to like?

DIOS – We Are Dios (Buddyhead Records)

This album offers up ten tracks worth of supremely spacey, yet serene and comforting sonic experimental pop-rock breeziness that bubbles along in a pleasingly relaxed and unhurried manner. The vocals are exceptionally graceful and arresting while the arrangements are extremely quirky, melodic, and surprising with wonky keyboards, subdued, yet steady drums, and flaky-riffin’ guitars creating a sound that’s both offbeat and harmonic in equal measure. Those with a taste for something creative, different, and boldly outside the mainstream should totally dig the considerable avant-garde trippiness of this highly original and unconventional one-of-a-kind aural oddity.

P J BOND – You Didn’t Know I Was Alphabetical (www.myspace.com/pjbondmusic)

Neatly mining a fine and flavorsome line in gently melodic and comforting folksy country pop, this album makes for an extremely pleasant listen. P J Bond’s warm and relaxed vocals cast a sweetly soothing spell while his songwriting is sharp, witty, occasionally profane, and always spot-on. The tuneful arrangements are likewise up to par, with plenty of catchy acoustic guitar riffs keeping things bouncy and harmonic throughout. Most powerful song: the harrowing “Skin and Bones,” which is about the grueling ordeal of watching a loved one waste away because of drug addiction. A very nice and satisfying album.

RAINBOW FRESH – Dark Sun (www.myspace.com/rainbowfresh)

Kicking out the coolly rocking jams with a steady succession of nicely diggin’ guitar riffs, chugging basslines, and sturdy, yet subdued drums, this album hits the divinely tuneful spot something sweet. The vocals are smooth and engaging, the arrangements bouncy, catchy, and harmonic, the songwriting smart and thoughtful, and an overall air of winningly upbeat groovy vibes pervades throughout like the always welcome presence of a much-beloved longtime funky friend. A total treat.


RESEARCH TURTLES (www.researchturtles.com)

Getting off to a rousing start with the punchy and infectious “Let’s Get Carried Away,” this album hits the ground running and rolls along at a snappy clip with a steady succession of lively, stirring, and delightfully upbeat songs. The hearty vocals project a certain winningly breezy’n’easy charm. The arrangements are tight, dynamic, and exciting, with the beefy, snappy guitars, smooth, swaggering basslines, and sturdy jackhammer drums delivering a pleasing plenitude of speedy tempos and bouncy beats that rarely let up for a minute. Better still, the prevalent attitude manages to be often sunny and cheerful without ever becoming too cloying or corny. An excellent and impressive album.

ANEURYSM JUNE - Strawberries on the Asphalt (www.aneurysmjune.com)

Delivering six songs forth of pleasantly mellow and melodic pop-rock music, this nice little EP CD goes down smooth and easy. The vocals are sturdy and passionate, the songwriting smart and reflective, the arrangements tight, punchy and harmonic. The beats bop along with considerable panache and the tempos move at a satisfying snappy clip. Better still, the gritty riffin’ guitars and kickin’ drums hit the rockin’ spot. Plus you gotta give extra points to a band who do one song in exquisitely fluent Spanish (the rousing “Ashtray Lips”). Best tune: the supremely moody and haunting “Ghost Horses.” A real bang-up outing.

 

CHRISTY & EMILY - Superstition (www.christyandemily.com)

Emily Manzo and Christy Edwards are a highly creative and distinctive duo whose music defies easy categorization. They’ve been called “psychedelic folk,” which doesn’t even come close to catching the gloriously eclectic array of musical styles featured on this exquisitely rich, dense, and varied album. We’ve got everything from pop to rock to classical music, all mixed together in an achingly careful blend that’s as surprising as it is melodic. Christy and Emily’s vocals are gorgeously serene and angelic, their songwriting sharp and thoughtful, their grasp of harmony exceptionally keen and assured, the arrangements supremely taut and dulcet. The tempos flow along at a hypnotically slow clip while the beats are subdued, yet steady throughout. Best of all, there’s a wonderfully quirky experimental sensibility at work throughout. A lovely and glowing little gem.

THE SWIMMERS - People Are Soft (www.theswimmers.com)


You all know the drill by now. Friday night. Lousiest night of the week at my crappy job. Worse yet, I’m writing this particular review at the height of the hellishly stressful Christmas season. So, I come home from work all tired and cranky, but decide anyway to listen to this album and review it just to take the edge off. I’m so glad I did this. Right from the hypnotic funky buzz of the opening song “Shelter,” this nifty pop-rock album immediately put me at ease. There’s plenty of pleasingly fizzy electronic melodicism to chill to here: The warm and comforting vocals, the tight and tuneful arrangements, the upbeat and thoughtful lyrics, the neatly bumpin’ tempos, and the coolly kickin’ beats are a total joy to hear. Favorite song: the delightfully bouncy and catchy “Give Me the Sun.” A very enjoyable item.

WILL STRATTON - No Wonder (www.myspace.com/willstratton)


Right from the first delicately lovely note, the listener immediately knows that this sophomore album from gifted singer/songwriter Will Stratton is going to be something special. Blessed with a soft and soothing, yet arresting voice and a firm sense of refreshingly bright and thoughtful songwriting, Stratton projects a depth, intelligence, and maturity that seems much richer and longer than his shockingly young age of twenty-two (!) would suggest. Moreover, the melodies are very pretty and pleasant, with the gradual tempos and subdued beats keeping things pleasingly low-key and relaxed throughout. Some of the songs rock a bit harder than others, but overall things are quite serene and reflective. An exquisitely moving and gentle little jewel.


THE VILLAINS (www.thevillainsband.com)

Delivering eight tracks worth of supremely catchy, tuneful, and delightful country pop-rock winners, this Atlanta, Georgia group keep things constantly fun and frothy on their hugely enjoyable and impressive debut album. Eschewing pretense and needless flashy razzle-dazzle in favor of a more straightforward approach, these guys maintain a simple and uncluttered style that still manages a few finely affecting moments of thoughtful reflectivity amid all the bouncy good-hearted merriment. Moreover, the vocals are clear and strong, the playing smooth and proficient, the songwriting smart and concise, and the arrangements tight and harmonic. A neat little album.



NOUVELLE VAGUE - 3 (www.myspace.com/nouvellevague)

Delivering 13 tracks worth of divinely harmonic and positively intoxicating heady French pop-rock, this group blends tasty elements of country, bluegrass, jazz, bossa nova, and even 60's pop into an insanely rich, dense, and eclectic mix that’s as inventive as it is enticing. The breathy female vocals exude a sweet bubbly charm while the arrangements are remarkably lively and tuneful throughout. Better still, this album is entirely made up of inspired and innovative covers of such songs as “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads, Soft Cell’s “Say Hello Wave Goodbye,” “So Lonely” by the Police, “Our Lips Our Sealed” by the Go-Gos, and even “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols (!) Without a doubt one of the most singular and imaginative cover albums ever recorded, it’s absolutely essential listening for anyone with a taste for something unique and out of the ordinary.

CAPGUN COUP - Maudlin (Team Love)

This album gets off to a rip-roaring start with the punchy “Computer Screens and TVs.” The raw’n’raucous caterwauling continues with thirteen more tracks that combine snotty snarling vocals, biting lyrics, gritty diggin’ guitars, seething basslines, and fiercely pounding drums into a mighty ragged, yet dynamic and exciting lowdown dirty noise that’s an absolute blast to hear. Sure, this definitely ain’t the most pretty and melodic music ever recorded, but in its own basic stripped-down nothing fancy way it certainly hits the satisfyingly scrappy spot just the same.


NATHAN XANDER - The Fear (www.myspace.com/nathanxander)

Simple and homespun, with a gentle sense of folksy melody and an endearingly earnest and honest sensibility, this album has a certain sweetly delicate charm to it that’s both refreshing and engaging in equal measure. This is the type of timeless and eminently tuneful music that sounds like it could have been recorded thirty-odd years ago, but was indeed recorded recently, yet commendably doesn’t adhere to any hip trends of the moment. Nathan Xander’s hoarsely affecting tenor and keen grasp of poetically terse songwriting make for a potent double whammy. The bulk of the songs feature gradual tempos and subdued beats that for the most part keep things chugging along at a pleasingly relaxed, but steady clip. An excellent and impressive album.


THE BLACK 100s - Out With The Stars (www.theblack100s.com)

Offering up ten songs worth of spare, yet tuneful and compelling lowdown gritty blues, this album has a certain raw immediacy to it that in its own sweetly simple and straightforward way proves to be quite powerful. Armed with an acoustic guitar, a thin and nasal, but still up to speed voice, and a spot-on less-is-more approach to banging out a tune, singer/songwriter Thomas Handschiegel cuts right to the point in a pleasingly terse and unpretentious manner. The songs are pretty forlorn and poignant, with no needless flashy stuff to get in the way of the eloquently laconic lyrics and Handschiegel’s wonderfully world-weary battered voice. A marvelously low-key and unadorned little treat.

LISSIE - Why You Runnin’ (www.fatpossum.com)

This lovely EP CD offers five songs that are so full of warmth, passion, and harmony that the listener can’t help but be moved to tears while hearing it. Lissie Maurus’ sassy and spirited voice has a twangy spitfire vigor to it that’s downright endearing in its fierce spunkiness. “Little Lovin’” starts things out on a rousing note, “Wedding Bells” and “Oh Mississippi” mine a finely affecting line in melancholy country, and the achingly poignant “Here Before” ends everything in a satisfyingly soulful way. A beautifully sweet, touching, and delicately tuneful gem.


FREE ENERGY - Stuck On Nothing (Astralwerk/DFA)

Bursting out of the speakers with a fresh and engaging blast of joyful robust vocals, crunchy’n’punchy arrangements, and an infectiously upbeat sensibility, this album immediately wins the listener over with its irresistibly bubbly and bouncy boundless vitality alone. The unbridled exuberance of such songs as the stirring title track, the rousing “Bang Pop,” and the jaunty “Psychic Lightning” are a true treat to hear. The catchy and dynamic melodies, marvelously happy singing, and crisp and lively playing keep things hoppin’ and exciting throughout. It’s always a pleasure to hear an album done by a talented group of musicians with a pure incendiary love and wholehearted go-for-it passion for straight-up good-time rock’n’roll music. Free Energy most certainly fits that particular bill to the complete bitchin’ nines – and that’s precisely why their debut album rates highly as an absolute delight from start to finish.

PRESTON GREY - First and Vine (www.myspace.com/prestongreymusic)

Delivering 14 tracks worth of perfectly bouncy and harmonic indie rock sweetness, this snappy album keeps things bubbly and upbeat throughout. The vocals are pleasant and soothing, the arrangements tight and melodic, the playing crisp and proficient, and the songwriting smart, concise, and thoughtful. The songs alternate between low-key and reflective to more lively and rousing while always remaining tuneful and compelling. A nice album.


HOLLANDS - Mother (www.hollands.com)

Offering up six songs worth of extremely moody and introspective pop-rock, this EP CD makes for a compelling listen. The vocals are strong and affecting, the arrangements tight and tuneful, the songwriting sharp and thoughtful, the tempos chug along at a slow, yet steady rate, and the beats are subdued, but constant throughout. The songs neatly alternate between low-key and contemplative to more intense and hard-rocking. A nifty little item.

 

 
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