REVIEWS BY JOE WAWRZYNIAK
 SHRUBS
– Forgotten How to Fall (myspace.com/shrubs)
Representing pop-rock at its most infectiously
bubbly, catchy, and upbeat, this album makes a
sweet and strong impression just like a bright
sparkling beam of sunshine piercing through some
storm clouds in an otherwise gloomy sky. Better
still, the band’s basic sound has this very
groovy and engaging retro 60’s buzzing garage
rockish quality to it, with snappy riffin’
guitars, neatly chugging basslines, and sturdy
drums supplying a steady succession of snappy
tempos and hoppin’ beats. The lively vocals,
simple and straightforward lyrics, and refreshing
dearth of needless artsy-fartsy pretense are all
up to speed as well. An excellent album, produced
by Glenn Mercer of The Feelies.
 JAVELIN
– No Mas (www.luakabop.com)
For those looking for an insanely eclectic album
that encapsulates everything from lowdown funky-bumpin’
R&B to breezy pop to groovy disco to wonky
instrumentals, then this baby is just the supremely
eccentric and unconventional item for you. The
wildly creative duo of Tom Van Buskirk and George
Langford eschew some standard tried’n’true
proven generic formula approach to music in favor
of a more remarkably bold, imaginative, and unpredictable
“screw it, do it” attitude that results
in a deliriously diverse array of songs that are
often surprising and always enjoyable. Whether
it’s the spacey electronic funk of “Oh!
Centra” (dig those crazy Chipmunks-style
falsetto vocals!) or the coolly syncopated shuffle
of “Off My Mind,” this album never
ceases to deliver one delightfully quirky and
catchy track after another. A total treat.
 JEN
OLIVE – Warm Robot (myspace.com/jenolivemusic)
Sweet-voiced singer/songwriter Jen Olive makes
a strong and impressive debut with this extremely
harmonic and absorbing 12 song album. Getting
off to a pleasant start with “Boulevard,”
hitting a nifty zenith with the neatly syncopated
“Set It On Fire,” working an insanely
catchy shuffling groove for all it’s worth
with “Querquehouse” (gotta love that
simply divine soaring chorus, too!), and going
for the shimmering sonic gold with the supremely
soothing “All My Heads Meet,” Olive’s
artful blend of clever and thoughtful lyrics and
rich, complex, and always tuneful melodies are
a total treat to hear throughout. Favorite song:
“Franscrams,” a truly stunning and
beautiful number with a terrific and haunting
chanted chorus. The oddball arrangements mix bouncy
acoustic guitar riffs with all kinds of wonderfully
wonky forms of offbeat percussion with often surprising
and frequently delightful results. A real winner.
 SIRS
– The Black Friday Sessions (www.musicbysirs.com)
Dynamic and unpretentious, with a winning surplus
of smart lyrics, catchy’n’bouncy melodies,
crisp playing, and plenty of good ol’ fashioned
go-for-it gusto and energy, this album really
hits the satisfying sonic spot. The vocals are
smooth and vibrant, the songwriting concise and
intelligent, the arrangements snappy, varied,
and consistently tuneful throughout. The songs
neatly alternate between straight-up rousing rockers
and more low-key and reflective numbers. Best
tune: the funky-groovin’ “Grocery
Store.” A very enjoyable album.
 EARL
GREYHOUND – Suspicious Package (www.earlgreyhound.com)
Big and bold, with an amazingly rich, complex,
and full-bore blazing sound that comes on like
ferocious gangbusters right from the get-go, this
marvelously beefy and aggressive slab of swaggering,
yet melodic rock soars straight to the heavens
with a tremendous go-for-broke berserko verve
that’s truly something to behold. The fiercely
cutting guitars, churning basslines, and relentless
steamrolling drums lay down a positively incendiary
plenitude of savage pounding beats and unceasing
snappy tempos that rarely let up for a minute.
Moreover, the passionate raw-throated vocals shout
and holler up a wonderfully raggedy-ass storm.
Better still, amid all the joyful noise there’s
loads of bang-up musicianship (these cats can
really play!) and a strong grasp of tuneful music
that’s as impressive as it is expansive
and ambitious. A seriously awesome album.
THE BURNING HOTELS – Novels (myspace.com/theburninghotels.com)
Coming through loud and clear with a pleasing
sonic package of bright, peppy vocals, dynamic
arrangements, clean, tight, and tuneful arrangements,
and smart and thoughtful songwriting, this album
hits the spot in a nicely spirited and straightforward
manner. The snappy tempos and constant beats keep
the music flowing along at a properly steady clip.
Moreover, the ringing guitars, chugging basslines,
and sturdy drums blend together to create a smooth
arresting, and often excitingly kickin’
sound. It’s this latter welcome and engaging
element of youthful get up and go vitality which
in turn makes this baby such an enjoyable listen.
A fun album.
 THE
FLETCHERS – Lights Out Loud (www.thefletchersmusic.com)
After a hard day’s work, nothing picks my
spirits up better than listening to an album of
straight-up catchy’n’crunchy no-nonsense
rock’n’roll that gets right down to
business and delivers the kickin’ goods
with a winning blend of skill and energy. Well,
this album certainly fits that particular bill
somethin’ sweet: We’ve got clear and
robust vocals, snappy and melodic arrangements,
ringing guitars, persistent forward-ho drums,
and concise songwriting that gets to the point
without wasting a word. The songs alternate between
full-bore rockers and more low-key and reflective
numbers, but are always captivating and enjoyable.
What’s not to like?
 APRIL
SMITH AND THE GREAT PICTURE SHOW – Songs
for a Sinking Ship (www.aprilsmithmusic.com)
A delightfully sprightly burst of incredibly bouncy
and catchy retro pop exuberance, this album quickly
endears itself to the listener with its irresistibly
sharp and energetic wealth of tunefully dynamic
melodies, lively vocals, witty lyrics, and sheer
sonic giddiness. April Smith’s big, hearty,
and gloriously full-throated wail of a sweet voice
and marvelously sassy personality make for a potent
double whammy. The music for the most part harkens
back to rousing old swing numbers that one would
probably hear in a rowdy juke joint or smoky cabaret
back in the 30’s or 40’s, but the
brash’n’brassy sensibility is totally
modern and wickedly acid in equal measure. An
absolute treat.
NYMPHOMATICS – The Treatment (www.myspace.com/nymphomaticsmusic)
This short’n’snappy four song EP CD
gets right down to thrilling brass tacks and delivers
a pleasingly pumpin’ serving of straight-up
unpretentious rock’n’roll. The robust
vocals, kickin’ guitars, sturdy drums, and
concise songwriting all hit the right-on tunefully
ringing spot. A neat and enjoyable little item.
 STANDARD
FARE – The Noyelle Beat (www.myspace.com/standardfare)
The name of this group is totally misleading.
This Sheffield, England power-pop trio are actually
quite damn good, with bouncy melodies, lively
and hoppin’ tuneful arrangements (gotta
love those snappy-riffin’ guitars and constantly
hammering drum beats), perky guy-gal vocals, sharp
songwriting, and an infectiously bubbly, upbeat,
and dynamic sensibility making this baby a total
effervescent joy to hear. The pervasive happy
sunshiney vibes manage to be genuinely sweet and
charming with ever becoming too sticky-cute cloying
or excessive. A delightfully bright and energetic
blast of pure sparkling and uplifting sonic bliss.
POST HARBOR – They Can’t Hurt
You If You Don’t Believe in Them (www.postharbormusic.com)
Moody and melodious, with a strong sense of
intricate and involving harmony, exceptionally
rich, complex, and often surprising full-bore
orchestral arrangements, and passionate vocals,
this album makes a lasting and immediate impression
that’s mighty tough to shake. The thick
and brooding atmosphere of despair and melancholy
(the weeping strings are simply gorgeous) further
enhances the overall sterling quality. Kudos are
also in order for the smart and thoughtful songwriting.
A hugely satisfying and impressive artistic achievement.
 FYFE
DANGERFIELD – Fly Yellow Moon (www.fyfedangerfield.com)
Getting off to a funky-bumping start with the
neatly syncopated “When You Walk in the
Room,” this breezy and tuneful pop-rock
album hits a pleasing chugging groove early on
and rides it for all its worth throughout the
subsequent nine tracks. Fyfe Dangerfield’s
smooth and lively vocals go down nice and easy.
His sharp songwriting and firm grasp of catchy
melodies likewise hit the sonorous spot. The relaxed
tempos and subdued, yet steady beats make listening
to this album a very pleasant and soothing experience.
A lovely little item.
 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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