angst

Success or Suicide

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:58:00 +0000

In the beginning, there were two: brothers Jeff and Chris Cannon. These Michiganders, transplanted to the Land of Enchantment otherwise known as New Mexico, started a band–a boisterous beast named Vertigo Venus. With their first release in 2004, they commanded (like the bossiest of stage mothers) that we listeners Sing Pretty! Then in 2007 with their second album, new band members came on board and things got a little ominous, as we were told to Run for Your Lives.

Now in 2010, Vertigo Venus' latest five-member incarnation comes at us, teeth bared, as their new album fiercely proclaims Success Or Suicide (also known by the abbreviation S.O.S.). In addition to the Brothers Cannon, the band roster also includes bassist Ken Cornell (also the mastermind behind experimental noise outfit Alchemical Burn); drummer and noted solo electronic artist Brian Botkiller; and lead synth/keyboard player Jessica Crockett.

It's appropriate to refer to this most recent Vertigo Venus album–which features four re-releases, two new original tracks and one cover–by either its full title or the abbreviation; both get the point across. The full title conveys the group's absolute determination to give this rock band thing everything they've got, while S.O.S., better known as the Morse code distress signal, shows a band anxious to be seen, heard, and ultimately rescued by discerning listeners from the miasma of today's musical landscape.

Vertigo Venus is certainly gifted at getting attention, most notably during a 2009 mini-tour of California, and as opening acts performing with such groups as Mindless Self Indulgence and The Birthday Massacre. The accolades have started coming in, too. S.O.S. opening track “Spy Vs. Spy” won a production award at the 2010 New Mexico Music Awards.

As a band, Vertigo Venus defines itself both by who they are (defiant metal-infused synthpunk monsters) and who they hate (phonies, corporate America, and brooding self-indulgent whiners of the goth/emo persuasion). Lead singer/synth player Jeff Cannon cheerfully spits antagonistic vitriol on every song. Highlights include “Monday Mourning” (with the ranting chorus “Shut up and die/ Everybody hates you”) and “Boob Tube” (which smacks apathetic distractable hipsters in the face and reminds us that “you can't say shit without big tits”).

Their most noteworthy song, however, would have to be “Punk Rock Cheerleader,” originally released on Sing Pretty! Described in a press release as a “sing-along-like-you-mean-it” anthem, this scathing indictment of phony mall-bought rebellion is the song for which they are best known. Auto-Tune and vocoder abound in the emo-mocking bridge before transitioning into a rallying cry complete with claps and stomps. There is a certain glorious irony in shining an accusatory spotlight on poseurs with rousing fist-pumping anthems.

Not everybody's going to like Vertigo Venus. They're loud. They're angry. They're bratty. That's okay, though. Vertigo Venus doesn't need–or want–mass approval. Which, in my mind, is exactly what makes them so likable and so deserving of fame.

Written by: M. Brianna Stallings, July 17th 2010

Heart of the Old Country

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:01:00 +0000

By Tim McLoughlin

Akashic Books

Mike’s life isn’t going anywhere quickly. A townie car service driver who lives with his widower father, he barely tolerates his girlfriend of four years, Gina, and spends most of his time contemplating an escape from his South Brooklyn stomping grounds. After a friend is brutally murdered with Mike driving the assailants’ getaway car, Mike doesn’t flee. Instead, he accepts a coveted job working for one of the local mob bosses running packages—contents unknown—between an Ethiopian hustler and a house full of Hasidic Jews.

His tough guise doesn’t last long, though. While some of the guys on the block take his avoidance and silence for stoicism and strength, Mike has never been so unsure of himself. But if there’s a feminist lesson hidden in this novel about macho neighborhood alliances and the strains of father-son relationships, it is that being uncomfortably pushed to understand the essence of your place in this messy world can yield a breakthrough in personal consciousness—and maybe a bit of happiness in the end.

Writer Tim McLoughlin, a Brooklyn native, has a keen eye for detail and balances romanticizing class stasis, mid-20s existential dilemmas of upward mobility, and being true to one's past. His writing is engaging without extraneous detail, and his fiction is so wholly believable that it almost reads as memoir.

Heart of the Old Country is a thoroughly enjoyable novel that kept me up reading into the night on several occasions. It’s easy for a writer to slack off at the end of a book—after all, your audience is either still with you or long gone. But a final plot twist mere pages from the story’s end was such a perfect, genuine surprise that I nearly clapped my hands in glee. Rather than being depressed by the novel’s potentially disheartening themes, I could barely put this book down and was genuinely disappointed when it ended. I highly recommend this page-turner to anyone looking for a tale of youthful angst, unfulfilling work, and complicated relationships.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, February 24th 2010

It's Not Me, It's You

admin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:04:00 +0000

By Lily Allen

Capitol Records

I had never heard any of Lily Allen's songs until "The Fear," the first single off of It's Not Me, It's You, was released in January. I was hooked instantly; I could hardly wait until the U.S. release date for this album.

Lily Allen doesn't disappoint. She has just the right combination of angry femme, biting social commentary, and humor, paired with a talent for musical arrangement, to make this album a keeper. Part of what makes the album so strong is that you can literally feel how much of herself Allen has put into it; indeed, she told reporters that she feared her own family's reaction to the record. "Everyone's At It" makes not-so-veiled references to a family that stays up past dawn using drugs and taking their children along for the ride, and "Back to the Start" is a heartfelt apology to Allen's estranged older sister, whom she acknowledges "will always be the taller and the prettier one." "The Fear" is a sharp jab at female consumerism. In "Fuck You," Allen minces no words when telling a neo-conservative guy where to go. The beauty of that song, in particular, is that she pairs harsh lyrics ("it's people like you/who need to get slew") with a pitch and tone that is reminiscent of a bubbly 1940s radio commercial.

Although Allen verbally slices up men who have obviously irritated the shit out of her: "Oh I lie her in the wet patch/in the middle of the bed/I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by/I've spent hours giving head" (from "Not Fair). She hints in other songs, like "Chinese," that she wouldn't mind a bit of domestic bliss.

What's not to love?

Written by: M.L. Madison, March 17th 2009

The Jealous Girlfriends

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:25:00 +0000

By The Jealous Girlfriends

Last Gang Records

When the package arrived in the mail containing The Jealous Girlfriends' new, self-titled album, I had just been laid off. Requesting to review the album solely on what I deemed to be an excellent band name, I've been in the mood for quiet lovelorn angst, I suppose. If both the words “quiet” and “lovelorn” may reside in a territory of artistic license and open-ended transition, that is. And, apparently, this is a conducive bedroom state to be in for entertaining a record such as this one.

Capturing summer's moody ambivalence in lyrics both embittered and smartly upbeat, “How Now,” the second track on the album, manages to skirt the trap of love song with lyrics like "You can bury me with your bullets and your crime/They're one in the same/And I won't blame you for trying." “Organs on the Kitchen Floor,” a slower-paced, bluesy track, maintains the somewhat seedy femme fatale-esque element of love equated with crime and entrapment: "So don't leave your organs on the kitchen floor/And don't forget to close the door" is just the kind of simple lyric capable of tuning in to the cruelty of keeping distance heavy. The heavier ballad, “Gift Horse,” offers more warning with "You said your name's a secret/Although you're dead... or so you claim."

Balancing itself with uptempo pop, chord progressions reminiscent of The Breeders, and slower songs to seek out bluesy vocalist-based ambiance, The Jealous Girlfriends is an excellent mix for representing stand-still as thoughtfully hesitant pop. If The Jealous Girlfriends mean to soundtrack benign, underlying numbness with synth and psuedo-surf riffs, they've succeeded - and given us heartache-prone listeners something to long for.

Written by: Sara Holy, June 11th 2008

I Wouldn’t Trade That for Anything

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:52:00 +0000

By Agent

Iron Pier

I didn’t know what I was in for when I agreed to review Agent’s I Wouldn’t Trade That for Anything. Self described as melodic hardcore, rooted firmly in the Long Island sound, but strongly influenced by '90s indie rock bands like Braid, my initial response was mixed. The music has a very punk feeling to it - hard driving guitar riffs with vocals that were barely audible unless you turn up the volume to ear-splitting decibels that could permanently alter your eardrums. As someone who is old enough to remember the emergence of the punk scene in the late seventies, the band has a retro feeling, but with an updated grunge outlook.

After a second listen, I found that it was starting to grow on me, although I still wished the vocals weren’t so muted. True to its punk roots, the songs were short and quick and seemed to almost merge into each other into one long continuous, but not monotonous offering.

After reading the titles of the songs, I surmised why the lyrics were somewhat inaudible with titles like “Anywhere is Better than Here,” “Trying My Best,” “This is Getting Old,” and “Too Close for Comfort.” In spite of the angst that is suggested by these titles, I found that the music had a certain energy and originality to it that I found refreshing. Check it out if you’re willing to crank up the volume and turn down the lyrics.

Written by: Gita Tewari, April 20th 2007

She Rocked Me

admin — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:35:00 +0000

By The Fury

I wanted to like this album. I like rock and roll, and The Fury is a straightforward rock and roll band. Perhaps the songs are too straightforward, which explains my failure to really enjoy the work. There are no surprises here. Each song sounds like what one would expect from a bar band. The vocalist has a slightly bluesy, weathered voice with little in the way of range. The guitar breaks are short and predictable, with a muddied sound. The songs deal with very basic topics - failed relationships, life on the road, and general angst. The production is good. No one instrument drowns out the others. There is some use of keyboard which I thought was a nice touch. It was disappointing that I could not hear the bass guitar. I did visit The Fury's website, and I get the idea that the band can most be appreciated live. If the members can translate some of that energy into the studio, future albums might not be so bland. There is nothing to hate here, but there is also nothing to make this band stand out from any other band of their ilk.

Written by: Steve Watson, March 25th 2007