|
|
 |
 |
|
| |
 |
(Geffen Records; www.beck.com)
On Sea Change, Beck explores the loneliness, heartache, and dry-mouthed passion of a break-up. The cool, untouchable rock-star has become human; he has "seen the end of the day come too soon." And with drifting rhythms, somber vocals, and acoustic guitars, he asks "why" like a folk-singer, reinventing his style once again. You'll still find complex major and minor climbs, but Beck has left behind the purple funk and sultry Tropicalia from past albums. Here, he cleverly blends acoustic, cowboy guitar-twangs with orchestral summits and spacey, rocket-ship sounds. He's honest, melancholy, but optimistic, singing about death and abandonment with a distant, reflective hopefulness. Add that to producer Nigel Godrich's infamously odd, futuristic song-endings and you've got something interesting. Sea Change isn't a sing-along album, but that wouldn't be Beck. It's a well-articulated mood, exploring emotions leftover from a breakup that a lot of us tuck under our sleeves to forget. -Sarah Harnisch
|
 |
(Elefant; www.elefant.com)
In recent years, Latin countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Spain have bred cutting-edge rock sometimes even more exciting than some of the best American indie rock acts. Beef's frontman David Rodriguez started in the late '80s despite the glaring dearth of interesting bands in Spain. More than ten years later, Beef is still running strong with album number six, La Boheme. The album is markedly less noise-laden than previous ones, but it's not without that foundation of low crunchy distortion. On La Boheme, Rodriguez sounds like David Gedge with a heavy Spanish accent as he sings mostly English lines like, "I'm in love with my girlfriend's [something that rhymes with what you do in the fourth quarter with 5 seconds on the clock]" on the experimental surreal "In Liebe." Other notable tracks include "07," New Order-influenced "Avalon," and Cinerama/Sonic Youth-laden "Ayer Te Vi." With such smart updates on late '80s/early '90s sounds harkening back to Wedding Present, GBV, Joy Division, Chameleons U.K., The Smiths, New Order, Lush, and Moose, this puppy's made my "best of 2002" list. -Delphine Hwang
|
 |
(Elefant; www.elefant.com)
Fans of Belle and Sebastian, pick up your latest kick: A six-piece from Glasgow whose debut full-length was produced by none other than B&S head honcho, Stuart Murdoch. Now, don't mistake this Camera Obscura for San Diego's proto-punk outfit of the same moniker: their lawyers still need to "do lunch." Besides, this Camera Obscura is much sweeter, fronted by Tracyanne Campbell, who appropriately sings off-key enough, but isn't overly saccharine to the point where you're throwing flip-flops at the stereo after three songs. Originally released on Scotland's Andmoresound Records in November of last year, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi has just been released in the States by Spain's Elefant Records. In addition to the ten hopelessly catchy tracks on the Scottish release, Elefant's release also includes the b-sides on their Eighties Fan EP, which happen to be two of the strongest tracks on the album. "Shine Like A New Pin" is smart and infectious, while its mellow alter-ego, "Let's Go Bowling," has Campbell likening a neglected My Buddy action-figure (remember those?) with lines like, "my teenage years were wasted all on me." -Delphine Hwang
|
 |
(Green Fuse, www.MellowDrunk.com)
Featuring Stephen Cavoretto and Sean Degaetano from Dora Flood, Everybody Knows You're A Star is relatively mellow, subdued, slow-tempo release. Reminiscent of very early Church, the brilliant "Not Afraid" is sparse and simple and stays with you like a good dream you're not quite ready to leave. Their more recent release, Never Sleep At Night, arrived only in a clear jewel-box. There is no artwork, no track-listing, and in typical indie rock fashion, no phone number - just the name of the band on a computer-copied disc. While EKYAS was a mostly acoustic release, Never Sleep At Night is slightly more upbeat, with trumpet, keyboards, and piano. The first two tracks are my favorites, but much like the argument of whether Sierra Nevada or Anchor Steam makes the best beer, it's a relatively moot point. Mellow Drunk delivers the goods. -Shawn Evans
|
 |
(Bar None, www.RabbitSongs.com)
Hem is the stuff of music legends: Sally Ellyson responded to a vocalist-ad in New York's Village Voice by calling songwriter/musician Dan Messe and, not having a demo, she sang a lullaby(!) into his answering machine. Messe liked what he heard and she, along with engineer/producer/musician Gary Maurer, entered the studio. Since recording takes money, Messe sold most of his worldly possessions (and judging from his great music, maybe even his soul) to finance the recording sessions. One instrument led to the next, and just like bunnies multiplying, Hem wound up with piano, guitar, mandolin, pedal steel, double bass, violin, glockenspiel, harmonium, and some 18-piece orchestration. But the best instrument by far is Ellyson's voice. Clear and soothing, it soars on such songs as "Half Acre", "Betting On Trains", "Leave Me Here", and "Night Like A River". Hem's music will be too hard for radio to categorize: too country for mainstream radio and too slow for the Nashville, so don't expect to hear much of it on the radio despite the fact that it will be on every critics Top-10 list at the end of the year. -Shawn Evans
|
 |
(Jade Tree; www.jetstobrazilonline.com)
I recently read a review by a famous producer who confessed that the problem with music today is that everyone is afraid of failure (bands, execs, labels, and so on). This fear lends itself to a seemingly unending stream of formulaic and unoriginal music. There are bands which push fear aside and strive for something original though, and Jets To Brazil is one of those bands. Perfecting Loneliness, the third release from the NY-based quartet, brings 12 songs, ranging from piano ballads ("Cat Heaven" and "Lucky Charm"), to mournful epics ("Rocket Boy" and "Psalm"), to the standout rock numbers ("The Frequency and "Disgrace"), which display a definite growth in the band since its two previous efforts. Most tracks come in at five to six minutes or more, giving the songs room for instrumentation and orchestration while frontman Blake Schwarzenbach's lyricism is nothing short of amazing. While most of the album is a success, there are some songs which seem to be out of JTB's grasp, but I would rather hear them reach than fall prey to the hands of formulaic success. -Johnnie Wentz
|
 |
(Absolutely Kosher; www.jypu.net)
The last time I visited my grandmother, she asked me if the "young people" were concerned about the impending war and what, if anything, they were doing about it. I responded that most were, but were more likely concerned with being able to pay this month's rent. While she was despondent at my response, the fact that our generation isn't taking to the streets like my parents' is more of an indication of our already jaded realities: our financial woes, our failed and strained relationships, and the overall every- day struggle of surviving. Maybe we are too wrapped up in our own personal hardships, but as heard in The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up's second album, Homemade Drugs, it is these realities that haunt us and are thus reflected in our art. In the opening song, "In Focus," singer Paul Gonzenbach speaks to this very fact: "Lately I've been less than inspired as we cash all the checks just to barely make rent." The slow, pained music of this Oakland-based band swells into a heartaching deluge of guitars and the affected vocals of Gonzenbach, who wages his own personal demonstration as he sings, "Believe me, Baby, this time the truth will set you free." -Kathleen Richards
|
 |
(Broke Records; www.garthsteelklippert.com)
Like fellow local folk-country-blues-rock songsmith, Chuck Prophet, Garth Steel Klippert has a knack for writing songs that tell the story of the every-man for the every-man, to be played in the every-man's bar. Credit that to his former profession-a San Francisco taxi driver-that gave Klippert plenty of real-life inspiration, which his latest album, Suisol, is full of. An eclectic mix of country, blues, funk, and rock, the Oakland-based Klippert and his cast of some twelve backing-musicians incorporate everything from vibraphone to trombone, with plenty of pedal-steel and hand-clapping percussion. In the country-tinged "Hope You're Happy," Klippert addresses the pangs of failed relationships in a biting, tongue-and-cheek manner: "Sorry I'm not the hero you ordered/Sorry I'm not the zero you cornered/But I hope that you're happy/With that bald, fat, older guy/Who loves you for your mind." Klippert also shows he's capable of being sensitive and vulnerable, as on the lone, brass-driven track, "What Happens Here," and that he can get people dancing with the straight funk of "Tailgate." Catch Klippert at Talk of the Town on November 17th. -Damon Mailer
|
 |
(Broke in Oakland; www.onestepshift.com)
This is the third release from this East Bay indie-rock band. Their newest effort is the first with D. Fulton on drums. While past drummers in this band have contributed a light touch and technical exploration, Fulton's heavy hands lend the extra oomph they needed to get over the top (especially in the hectic parts of track #3, "Chemical Burn"-a waltz for all you dance enthusiasts). Bassist A. Litka oozes confidence in his playing and has begun to take a much larger role in the vocal duties. This adds a dynamic while freeing the hands of lead vocalist and guitarist D. Champagne to play more of the contortionist-like straining chords he forces upon his hands. The instrumental track, "Dave's Orbital Theory...", is a great tune ending in a circus feel that I listened to over and over. The track "White Lighter" is a pearl that starts slow and moody but builds to a giant ending with chilling arena-filling guitar. Stay tuned for an unlisted track (#6- w/ hidden lyric sheet) that proves that, if these guys wanted to, they could be the next anthemic punk band. -Chris McBride
|
 |
(DreamWorks)
The artist formerly known as Coby Dick has a new name (his birth name, Jacoby Shaddix), new baby, and new maturity. But on the new Papa Roach album, lovehatetragedy, the singer fights old demons. Many of the same themes from the band's first album, Infest, remain: loneliness, abandonment, loss. At his best, Jacoby hits a nerve with his raw lyrics, husky Joe-Jackson-singing, and something new: a sense of real hope (check out "Black Clouds"). But you still get the sense that he's a scrappy little kid that has fought his way through life and is still fighting through his relationships as husband and father. The album kicks off with metal tribute, "M-80," pummels through the requisite nŸ-metal power-ballad, ("Decompression Period"), and the hit single ("She Loves Me Not"), and ends with "lovehatetragedy," a simple but effective 9/11 tribute. Jacoby himself sums up the album best: "I'm in love with too many things and I hate everything." -Cameo
|
 |
(Lookout!; www.the-pattern.org)
The members of Oakland's The Pattern claim that they got their start playing house-parties, and on their debut album, Real Feelness, the band successfully captures the rawness and energy of their soulful, garage-rock sound. The album's twelve tracks (save the closing acoustic ballad, "Rangefinder") are centered on the driving force of Jason Rosenberg and Andy Asp's dual hyper-active guitars: they simultaneously unload on the track, "You or You," and get playful in "Last Night Called." Retro influences run rampant throughout, as does singer Chris Applegren's whiney vocals that add to the band's tousled and carefree attitude. Though the album lacks in dynamics and diversity, The Pattern's unabashed rock 'n' roll never claimed to be anything but that. -Damon Mailer
|
 |
(Interscope; www.qotsa.com)
With their debut album, QOTSA brandished riffs and warm, fuzzy guitar licks that had practically every stoner rock fan foaming at the mouth. Their second album, Rated R, showed them diversify their sound and push themselves musically, trading Josh Homme's dry-wall vocals for melodic singing, and solid riffs for texture and touch, while still rocking the hell out of the desert. And then the smokey and serious vocals of Mark Lanegan were a promising hope for things to come. Expectations were high with their third album, and, equipped with their secret weapon, Dave Grohl (on drums), QOTSA delivers a sure-fire arsenal of Homme's trademark distorted guitar riffs backed by a staccato, marching-like beat that's precise in it's execution. They still mix it up with tracks like "Song For The Dead," a sinister bass-bouncy romp reminiscent of Primus; and "The Sky Is Fallin'," which shows their ability to inject sensitive, melodic hooks within their militant grooves. But either they were too ambitious or overly conscience of their major label competitors, but Songs is lacking in both momentum and the creative genius of their previous efforts. -Kathleen Richards
|
 |
(Springman; www.therumdiary.net)
This indie-rock foursome from Cotati, Calif., has maintained a fairly low profile while garnering oodles of glowing praise from the media, and with good reason. Their newest collection of songs, a five-song EP released just a few months after their debut full-length album, Noise Prints, shows the band's subtle way of crafting melody that draws the listener into their reflective and beautiful world. Two bass guitars engage in a harmonious dance, weaving melodies in between each other while subdued drumming adds texture, and a moog synthesizer or a farfisa layers other-worldly atmospherics. Though their music takes time to build, the eruption of sound that follows is a moving orchestra of noise, a reason to reflect upon your mortality, or perhaps, to feel that music isn't in such a bad state after all. -Kathleen Richards
|
 |
(Kittridge; www.kittnet.com)
In the world of holey cardigans, geeky glasses with thick frames, and Belle and Sebastian shows, some indie-poppers may think that they don't need anything more. Not so: at least, not without Scrabbel, anyway. The Bay Area multi-instrumentalist duo that makes up Scrabbel shows the indie-pop world that the letter 'S' can stand for words like sweet and shy and not sickly. On Dan Lee and Becky Barron's debut self-titled release, the songs bring to mind Unrest before Mark Robinson's ego got the best of him, Moose before their obscurity made them...well, obscure, mixed in with The Beatles before they became a household name. The letter 'D' doesn't stand for derivative, though: in this case it stands for delightful. I look forward to future Scrabbel tiles...er...titles. -elle a
|
 |
(Asian Man; www.slowgherkin.com)
While ska seemed to have disappeared from the East Bay music scene, Slow Gherkin kept it alive and well in Santa Cruz. Though the band (which had a history of problems maintaining membership) played their last show this past August, they managed to release one final album. Deeply rooted in rock and soul, the band produces an energetic sound in traditional ska-style, via horns and keyboards. Nearly four years in the making, Run Screaming is 11 tracks of what is hailed as their best material yet: raw and danceable music with serious themes about love, life, and maturity. A pleasure to any ska fan. -Johnnie Wentz
|
 |
(self-released; www.slowpoisoners.com)
San Francisco's Slow Poisoners were summoned by the ghosts of early American rock 'n' roll, and traveled to the hallowed hallways of Sun Studios in Memphis, Tenn. to record their latest musical outing: it's called "The Sun Sessions," of course. Don't expect any lurkings from Carl Perkins or the King himself, although there is a lovely western whiff of Johnny Cash on "I Walk A Lonely Road". Overall, the Slow Poisoners have turned out a short romp of songs that are of the hard - to - pin - down - indie - rhythmic - guitar - emotive - warblings - and - piano - key - crashing variety. For those who are interested in further exploration and your own musings on the style, don't mess with downloads. You can request their 3-song EP for free by sending your postal address to free@slowpoisoners.com. By the time you can hum along, the extended version will be released on a five-song 7" single. -Michele K-Tel
|
 |
(www.sonnysmith.com)
Thirty-year old Sonny Smith is one of those hidden talents born and bred in our fine town. But unless you've been to The Rite Spot (that posh, artsy dive at the end of Mission Street) or went to school with him up north in Fairfax, you've probably never heard of him. Smith's brand of old-time country meets lounge might not be for everyone, but regardless of genre, his lyrics tell strange stories that never come off forced. His second full-length album, This Is My Story, This Is My Song, is meant for those late summer sunsets with nothing but cicadas and a lone whistle rocking on the wide veranda out back. The album fiddles with simple traditional banjo songs like "Milk Cow" and lounges with tunes like "I Tumbled," backed by a stand-up bass, xylophones, organs, and a jazz guitar, feeling like Joe Henry or the most recent Lambchop, though his vocal work resembles more the former. -Delphine Hwang
|
 |
(DreamWorks; www.spartamusic.com)
Good music doesn't always have to be groundbreaking to stand out or be worthwhile. Already faced with the challenge of differentiating themselves from their previous incarnation sans two members, At The Drive-In (who themselves had one of the more distinct voices to rise from the indie scene into the mainstream world), Sparta succeeds in writing emotionally charged, guitar-driven melodies that, while not particularly new, stand on their own, because of solid songwriting and accessibility, without being trite. Like ATDI, Sparta's music maintains a similar manic sensibility, but in a much more controlled way. Singer Jim Ward, though cathartic in his own right, is far less intrusive than ATDI's Cedric Bixler, and his churning and cascading guitar melodies form into powerful, sweeping hooks that speak with sincerity and gusto ("Glasshouse Tarot," "Red Alibi," "Cataract"). Throughout, the songs of Wiretap Scars retain an easy consistency, as if Sparta had been together for years. -Kathleen Richards
|
 |
(Ropeadope; www.ropeadope.com)
On their third release, The Rodeo Eroded, the Tin Hat Trio continue to merge the stylings of Argentine tangos, Eastern European folk music, delta blues, country, and classical with a jazz-like approach, but this time with a new level of maturity. While their first two albums are amazing, they could at times be accused of genre hopping. With The Rodeo Eroded, these genres have melted together to create a sound that is truly their own. Guitarist Mark Orton's minimalist slide playing opens the first track, "Bill," a melancholy tune in waltz time, where he is joined by accordionist, Rob Burger, whose feel for melody and improvisation is both sensitive and inventive. "Fear of the South" showcases violinist Carla Kihlstedt's impeccable phrasing and melodic improvisation, as well as "The Last Cowboy" and "Sweep." The influence of John Zorn can be heard on "Under the Gun," a percussive extravaganza that sounds like the soundtrack of some kind of honky-tonk cartoon nightmare. The only un-original track is the beautifully arranged, "Willow Weep For Me," with a moving guest vocal by country legend Willie Nelson. Tin Hat Trio's music is all about mood and texture, but at the same time sophisticated without being pretentious or elusive. They are as enjoyable to listen to as they are hard to categorize. -Johnnie Wentz
|
 |
(Birdman; www.birdmanrecords.com)
Not to be confused with the four-track Phoenix EP released in July of this year, the full-length album under the same guise is ten songs of psychedelic rock 'n' roll bliss. "Baby Blue," one of the strongest tracks, is soaked with late Jesus and Mary Chain mellowness, distortion, and breathy voices. And lulling Yo La Tengo moments linger in the 14-minute closer, "Oh Shadie." Even though this album leans more toward the current hipster-rock sound popularized by bands like The White Stripes and The Vines, it still retains the heavy trips and liquid reverb of their previous work. The LA-based octet (at last count at least) draws frequent comparisons to fellow acid-heads Spacemen 3 and The Velvet Underground, but they come off less vintage than the latter. The Warlocks have toured with The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and headlined their own tours. For more info, check out www.thewarlocks.com. -Delphine Hwang
|
|
|
|
|
