garage rock

Baffled and Beat

caitlin — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

There must be something in the Oxford water that breeds talent. How else could you explain the abundance of good, great, and truly classic music that has emerged from the southeastern English city over the last twenty-plus years? Need examples? Ride, Supergrass, and Radiohead all hail from there. I say it is not an overstatement to also count raucous duo Little Fish among these ranks.

This wouldn't be the first time I've sung their praises; earlier in February I wrote a glowing review of their “Darling Dear” three-song maxi-single for Elevate Difference. Little Fish's particular brand of intense swaggering rock, which has drawn comparisons to fellow garage punk group The Kills, has landed them on the video game “Rock Band” and helped to earn the duo opening spots on tours with Placebo and Courtney Love's latest incarnation of Hole. Now there's Baffled and Beat, Little Fish's highly anticipated full-length debut engineered and produced by Linda Perry, and released on Perry's Custard Records.

Perry's handiwork is as visible on these tracks as fingerprints on a cell phone touch screen. In keeping with her well-established professional reputation as a singer, songwriter, and producer, these twelve songs are the perfect blend of radio-friendly and rock-tastic. That's not to say that Little Fish sound like hapless puppets under the sway of some Svengali. Quite the contrary, singer/guitarist Juju and drummer Nez came to the party prepared, with their own fine-tuned ferocity at full throttle. Juju bellows, growls, and pleads her way through a barrage of breathless sweaty angst, while Nez pounds the ever-loving daylights out of his drum kit. Perry just happened to come along and give it all a little spit shine.

Sometimes, a band can crank out a smattering of quality tunes to attract the attention of radio and record folks, but are then incapable of sustaining said quality for a whole record. It would seem as though they had only those singles in them, and that was it. Unfortunately, many tantalized listeners don't figure this out until they dive in for more, only to come up thoroughly disappointed. Happily, that's not the case with Little Fish.

The three songs from the “Darling Dear” MP3 single—“Darling Dear,” “Sweat & Shiver,” and “Whiplash”—each find their passion and intensity put to good use within the overall context of a full-length release, and most of the album's other nine tracks are just as stellar. Stand-out songs include wailing banshee love song "Am I Crazy?," night-on-the-town rocker "Bang Bang," and proletariat anthem "Hallelujah," as well as the astoundingly sexy, self-destructive swagger of "Die Young."

Sadly, not every song can be a winner. "Luck's Run Out" practically implodes under the weight of its own tragicomic pathos. The lyrics "My records are old/My cat’s dead/I’m bored of the radio/I’m waiting for promises/Of something that never came/Don’t push me now/I am the life of the party" sound as though they were lifted straight out of some mournful "tear in my beer" country ballad. There's also the final song, "Sorry State," which features the following chorus: "Why does misery like company?/You’re such a sorry state/Throw your anchor out at me." Downright maudlin, it's an anti-climactic note on which to end an otherwise outstanding debut.

Written by: M. Brianna Stallings, December 3rd 2010

Ribbon of Fear

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:52:00 +0000

By Hornet Leg

K Records

Ribbon of Fear is a totally solid K Records release that places emphasis on humble production and a certain lo-fi artistic quality. My partner, endlessly amused by my penchant for unsophisticated music, asked if K Records isn’t “that label that will put out anything.” While I did mockingly protest, for a band on the label, the difference between recording in a studio or a basement is negligible. Hornet Leg—a band comprised of Portland, Oregon transplants—is no different.

The album title—and the title track—refer to the lyric, “Sometimes she cries a ribbon of fear.” In fact, most of the songs are named after their own lyrics. “Wait” talks about waiting. “Ruined My Life” is about how “It’s so hard to say/But I think I ruined my life.” I’m also pretty sure there’s a reference to unplanned pregnancy in there—a feminist topic if there ever was one. “Snake Oil” references nostrums. You get the idea.

The band mixes elements of 1960s rockabilly with influences like the New York Dolls and The Shaggs. While the Hornet Leg pastiche may not be wholly original—the vocals are not always harmonious, and the production is not always tight—that doesn’t stop Hornet Leg from having fun making a hell of a nice debut album. Listening to their jams on a chilly Sunday night, curled up with a mug of chamomile tea and my knitting, I felt like the house party had come to my place. Not bad for a drowsy evening on the sofa.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, October 27th 2009

Rainwater Cassette Exchange

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:25:00 +0000

By Deerhunter

Kranky

Deerhunter's latest album, Rainwater Cassette Exchange, is just five songs in fifteen minutes. Five songs perfectly placed and executed, there is nothing superfluous and nothing lacking. The five-piece group creates an experimental synthesis of noise pop, shoegaze and psych rock to produce an incredibly refreshing and complete masterpiece.

Rainwater Cassette Exchange is vivid, mesmerizing and transcendent. Ethereal vocals and fuzzy guitars coalesce with heart-pumping bass lines as they transport the listener to another world. The band draws on bells, slide guitars, organs, synths, theremins, and more to produce a disorienting and stunningly beautiful sound.

Ghostly echoes and ambient reverb are offset by dark lyrics charged with raw human struggle. When singer Bradford Cox asks, "Do you believe in love at first sight?" the response is taunting resignation: "Oh yes my son, I did before I died. And now it does me no good on the other side." The vocals are sweetly hypnotic, but they are also foreboding and tormented.

While it seems impossible to choose a favorite, "Disappearing Ink" is one of the best tracks on Rainwater Cassette Exchange. The song fearlessly drives the album with untiring guitar riffs, pulsating bass lines, slurring vocals and airy moans. Despite using disappearing ink, "the words still sting." The song leaves no room to escape the inevitability of pain and suffering. Thrashing drums finish the song with a naked moment of self-loathing, "What was I thinking? What was I thinking?"

Each song on this album cleverly develops complex themes of impermanence, mortality, futility and our susceptibility to life's merciless unpredictability. Cox gives us a taste of his own experience struggling with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by abnormally long limbs and a proneness to heart disease.

What's truly gripping about this album is that with each listen, there is something new. What at first sounds distorted and chaotic becomes deliberate and clear. What sounds encouraging and optimistic is fraught with conflict and distress. There is something in these carefully crafted songs, traversing the gamut of competing human thoughts and emotions, that is both disturbing and cathartic. The depth and complexity of each song make every listen better than the last.

Deerhunter has composed an album that intoxicates listeners as it gracefully navigates beyond contradictions. It is upbeat and drenched in anguish. It is confident and exposed. It is both deer and hunter.

Written by: Sofia Marin, September 28th 2009

Fuckbook

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:52:00 +0000

By Condo Fucks

Matador

Nineties alt-rock favorites Yo La Tengo have released a new album of cover songs under the moniker of Condo Fucks. Presumably taking its title from their 1990 album Fakebook, this eleven-song effort has been christened Fuckbook. A refreshing slice of lo-fi garage/grunge, these covers are the raw and dirty antithesis to today's pro-tooled mania.

Their cover of the Small Faces' “What'cha Gonna Do About It” kicks off the album and firmly establishes the stripped-down approach with its feedback and fuzzy guitars. “Accident” continues the noisy, in-your-face vibe and makes me feel like I should be at a party drinking beer. “This Is Where I Belong” is a little more mellow, but just as loud.

This is followed by two covers of Beach Boys classics: “Shut Down” and “Shut Down Part 2”. The rough punk approach works pretty well for re-interpreting surf music, and I especially enjoyed their spin on the instrumental “Part 2”, which is easily my favorite cut on the record. I also quite liked “The Kid With The Replaceable Head”, which I thought really nailed the perfect combo of in-your-face distortion.

Sixties and early seventies music dominates the setlist here, continuing with covers of the Troggs (“With a Girl Like You”) and Slade (“Gudbuy T'Jane”). The inspiration of these classics is evident in the way the Condo Fucks embrace such a raw method of recording—it sounds like the band were actually in the same room playing at the same time when they made this album! Imagine that! I just love hearing this kind of primal rock that hasn't been polished or prettied up. I know not everyone will share my enthusiasm; Fuckbook will probably be unlistenable to a lot of people. But I think that's the whole point.

Written by: Beeb Ashcroft, July 24th 2009

Scramble

admin — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:29:00 +0000

By The Coathangers

Suicide Squeeze Records

Scramble is the fresh and inventive sophomore album from The Coathangers. This all-girl band will impress you with the witty lyrics. Their sound is an enjoyable blend of surf music and underground garage punk.

Scramble is a great mood lifter and will get you in the mood to slam dance the night away before you head out for the weekend. The lyrics are easily relatable for any girl who has stood up for herself or thought about taking action against those who are oppressing her. The unique do-it-yourself sound of the album makes the listener want to find all her musical friends and make an album in her parent’s garage. The band also keeps you guessing by throwing in short clips from cult films and changing the tone of the songs periodically so as not to bore the audience.

There are several songs that could easily become your favorites. “Dreamboat” is a throwback to fifties pop with outrageous female vocals and a catchy melody that does not annoy but empowers the listener to change the way she thinks about traditional pop love songs. Another favorite is “Stop Stompin’,” which is a song about annoying upstairs neighbors and is recognizable to anyone who has had to live in cramped, cheap apartment housing with a lead-footed neighbor. I will often find myself singing it when I am annoyed with my current neighbor, thus channeling all of my righteous anger into a healthy outlet.

The Coathangers have made a fantastic contribution to girl rock history with this musical compilation that will pump you up before heading out to your next underground feminist shindig.

Written by: Jenny Greenfield, May 23rd 2009

Sittin’ in a Tree

admin — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:39:00 +0000

By Juliana Hatfield, Frank Smith

Ye Olde Records

If you’re like me, you were totally shocked to learn that Sittin’ In a Tree is Juliana Hatfield’s eighteenth recording. I say this mainly because 1) I’m amazed to hear how her voice is as clear and youthful as it was in 1992, and 2) her sound has evolved just enough for fans who put hits like “Supermodel” and “Spin the Bottle” on repeat till their parents threatened to disown them (like they really would have); to know that underneath the languid banjo, mellow steel guitar twang and soft male backing vocals of Frank Smith, the same poppy and almost profound Juliana Hatfield is there singing past it all.

Though your iTunes player might categorize Sittin in a Tree in the genre of country, don’t believe it for a second. Songs like “364” and “On Your Mind’ stand out as particularly well-wrought hybrids of alt country and garage rock, but “Don’t Wanna Be the One” is far too upbeat to make this album too much of a departure from Hatfield’s fundamental sound. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make it harder to appreciate the gentler string arrangements over the ubiquitous and sometimes excessive distortion. I’ve always enjoyed the organized chaos of Hatfield’s guitar-fest, but there were songs in which I felt it could have been used a little more sparingly, like “If Only We Were Dogs.” I know, it’s a dirty song, but let’s face it: Hatfield’s strength is not her rawness. “Kitten” basically negates any lyrical edginess, since it’s about, well, losing one’s kitten. And that’s that. Overall, this EP is well worth listening too, especially for long time Hatfield fans and those of us new to Frank Smith, which is a band, not a man. Otherwise, you might want to start with 1993’s Become What You and hang out till you do just that.

Written by: Heather Brown, August 28th 2007

Destroy Me I’m Yours

admin — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:00:00 +0000

By Shellshag

Starcleaner Records

Move over Sid and Nancy. Free form rock is the new black and Brooklyn, New York do-gooders Jen and Johnny from Shellshag are the ultimate musical couple. Years ago while performing in separate bands, they were involved with a public arts warehouse and living experiment in San Francisco called Starcleaners. Fast forward to present day, where Starcleaners has become a haven for the artistic community, releasing limited edition music including Shellshag’s first full-length album, Destroy Me I’m Yours. For a band that has performed at buzz-festivals like CMJ and SxSW and boasts a high-energy live show, there really isn’t anything lost in translation on this recording.

Released on 12” vinyl with a CD included for those who refuse to part with their iTunes, Destroy Me I’m Yours encompasses all of the garage-rock glory of the duo’s influences, Sonic Youth and Pavement. For what this release lacks in instrumental complexity due to the pair’s duo status (think White Stripes and Jucifer), they make up in personality and execution. Guitarist, Johnny tends to take the microphone on the album’s grinding sludge-punk tracks like “Shut Up” and “123,” while drummer Jen steps forward on minimal, pubescent sloppy-pop numbers like “Magnet” and “Make Love.” Charmingly off-key and occasionally spastic, Destroy Me I’m Yours will motivate you to drop by your local indie dive bar to see Shellshag in action.

Written by: Claire Ashton, July 1st 2007

Hats Off to the Buskers

admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:36:00 +0000

By The View

Columbia Records

The View’s Hats off to the Buskers opens with “Comin’ Down,” a ruff and raw garage sound with a catchy hook and muffled vocals. “Superstar Tradesman” is no different and continues along in the same vein. The comparisons swirl overhead as the music continues. I hear Jet, Phantom Planet, The Strokes, The Sex Pistols and Fishbone. “Same Jeans” and “Don’t Tell Me” are lighter and more mainstream. The hard riffs have been replaced with whistles and thinner, gentler music. “Skag Trendy” rocks like the earlier tracks with vocals reminiscent of Johnny Rotten. “Claudia,” the band’s version of a ballad is sweet and sentimental.

Overall, this album seems to lack consistency. Their punkier, garage rock tracks shine. “Wasteland” is powerful and magnetic. When the band teeters into soft, dragging territory, it does not suit them. In a sea of comparisons, The View needs to find their own voice and decide what they want to play and how they want to sound. For now, The View manages to hold my interest and keep me listening.

Written by: Jill M. O’Malley, June 17th 2007

Cornucopia EP/DVD

admin — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:01:00 +0000

By The Color Guard

Suziblade Music

I must admit, on the first couple of listens to the Cornucopia EP, the music brought me back to high school when I had bands like Veruca Salt and Throwing Muses on heavy rotation in my Sony Discman. The question is: was it solely the nostalgia for my high school listening habits that lead me to appreciate this largely estrogen-laced pop metal? Kind of.

The first song on the EP, “Capture,” is a largely disjointed mess of a melody that switches time signatures in a way that simply makes the song unlistenable. To top it off, Lalena’s somewhat nasal and weak voice was severely off key on an already off-key and disjointed melody. Additionally, the song is accompanied by lyrics that are ripped straight out of a bad teenage poet’s notebook: “All seems clear if I could capture this/with the sun exactly where it is.”

Okay, so it gets better.

“I Had a Dirty Dream About You” could be the band’s first single if they emerge from the New York art-metal scene ghetto. Forgoing the complicated yet poorly executed “math rock” time signatures for straight up Pandora’s-esque garage rock, this song combines a simple chord progression, dynamic drum rhythms and mischievously sexy lyrics to create a… well… highly danceable rock song. And yes, I did find myself dancing.

The rest of the album, continuing to remain in the vein of dark prog-pop metal, is neither as unfortunate as “Capture” nor as delightful as “I Had a Dream About You.” I was impressed at their ability to make dark yet danceable metal songs without veering into Lacuna Coil territory. There are some weak spots on the album, but they manage to cover them up quite well with an excellent ear for harmony.

The Color Guard is not likely to break any major boundaries in music, either generally or in the prog-metal genre. However, the DVD accompanying Cornucopia--a live performance at CBGB’s gallery--showcases an exceptional live band that combines a love of theatrical performance with solid musical ability. Perhaps through their live performances, and not their records, is where they will transcend musical expectations.

Written by: Theresa Anasti, June 16th 2007