MUSIC REVIEWS:
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LPs
RAYON BEACH
The Memory Teeth EP (HoZac)
Rayon Beach concoct a highly lustered, if not brightly sheened psychy garage sound on this six song EP. Pitching their tent as well in the Austin HoZac camp, Beach bunnies Tom Sutherland and Mike Naccarato set the tone early with side one's "Wave Pool Ether" but let it get even weirder with the trippy manipulations on the side closing "Dust Will Never Sleep." That all gets outdone by the flipside when the boys bring it to a boil on the raving "Comet Songs" before turning down the heat to let the brain simmer in "Jacuzzi Limo Explosion"—a song which, if someone were to tell me was an early Modern Lovers demo, I'd believe them. In summation, Rayon Beach will knock your memory teeth out and make you forget you ever had them—Joey T. Germ [Rayon Beach]
WOVEN BONES
In and Out and Back Again (HoZac)
Woven Bones is a trio out of Austin, TX who play a stripped down, no frills rock and roll that’s just as likely to take on a psychedelic beach bum beat as get sopped up in a reverby swamp-land, stompy stew. The nine songs on In and Out and Back Again stick to that basic script and the result is as liable to leave a snarly buzz in your brain as a ditchweed fatty. That’s what it does for me anyway. This is music for crappy amps and basements that smell like cigarettes and puke. Those particular smells may not be on hand at the band’s Empty Bottle show on June 24th, but perhaps there may still be a trace sent of stale cat urine wafting in the air to get you in the mood—Joey T. Germ [Woven Bones]
7"s
FEY GODS
“Untied” b/w “Bury Me Standing" 7” (HoZac)
“Untied” sounds like something you might find on an Oh My Gawd-era Flaming Lips record. Sung by the Nick portion of Fey Gods, it's a stripped down, ballady affair that's hardly what you would call a ballad even though I just called it ballady in this very sentence. “Bury Me Standing" is a lot more of an abrasive effort with the Lula portion taking over on vocal duties and scratching out some sort of intelligible ruminations over primitive noisy beat—Michelle Rachmann [Fey Gods]
FUNGI GIRLS
“Turquoise Hotel” b/w “Doldrums” 7” (HoZac)
There are fungus among us, people, and it's Fungi Girls. These boys put the fung back in fungi. Rumor has it these lads ain't even old enough to drive motorized vehicles, yet here they are powering a 60's garage rock jalopy. "Turquoise Hotel" is a decent enough track, but b-side "Doldrums" is the real mushroom on the platter with a darkly moist groove and a nonchalant croon—Jimmy Jack Wombat
[Fungi Girls]
THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE
Make You Understand 7” EP
(HoZac)
The People's Temple is a teenage gang from the Mitten State (awwww!) that kick out a fuzzed in punk rock that will try to make you understand on "Make You Understand." "Machine" may slow the cog roll by a tatch or two but the underlying intensity remains. And a big thanks for reminding the world about Jim Jones and his People's Temple, ya'll. On a related note, Kool-Aid Man turns 35 this year—Marshall "Stack" Applewhite
[The People's Temple]
SLEEPOVERS
Secret 7” EP (HoZac)
The sugar poppin' Sleepovers, add some variety to the HoZac roster with this three song seven inch disc. This four piece band, (featuring a married couple as well as a set of twins!) would have you believe that sleepovers are fun. On the surface that seems like a pretty innocuous statement, but I am here to tell you the not all sleepovers are fun. Some end in tragedy, like in this example for instance: Slumber Party Massacre II! Not so fun. At any rate, Sleepovers aren't concerned with items from the cold case files. They're too busy warming your heart with their infectious melodies, and while I have a very low tolerance for power popin general, the three songs on the Secret EP is a low enough dose—Sara Ailin
Sleepovers
CDs
SELF-EVIDENT
Endings (DPG)
This trio from the Mini Apple have persevered for over a decade, releasing a smattering of records that employ a precise mathy set of arrangements and a sound that hovers somewhere between Don Caballero and the great Fugazmund, even recalling the Minutemen at times in its vocal stylings. What should be evident is that Self-Evident have shown no signs of let up or slow down in their long career, unless Endings means something in that regard, which one would certainly hope not—Joey T. Germ [Self-Evident]
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PHANTOM WORKS
SuitSat b/w Double Krakow 7' (no label)
Phantom Works is a return to the surgical guitar attack of the AmRep days of old. High endy, bass-less, angry. The packaging is a silkscreened cover by fellow noise-maker Jason Fredrick depicting a violent yet heartwarming scene of Russian roulette gone horribly right. A proper match to the tight jawed, that is to say, tightly wound aesthetic of the band. Phantom Works has since followed up with a live EP (Live EP) available as a free download from Power Records. Other than that, I have no idea what this Phantom Works business is all about—Joey T. Germ
MEAN OHIO
Famous Basements (self-released)
Famous Basements is the new eight song disc from Chicago's, Mean Ohio. These transplants from "The Mean State" (I'm sorry but that's the Ohio State Motto, I didn't make it up) are a four piece combo that specialize in groovy rock and pop numbers. With two singer/guitarists fronting the band, vocal duties get traded off from song to song resulting in a variety of styles shifts. This change-up creates a nice contrast of moods and rhythms. The album kicks off with the poppy harmonies of "All Won't Ever Die," (which also features saxophone and a cheerleader) followed by the '60s hints of psychedelia on "Distorted Reflections," Those two beginning tracks are likewise bookended by the funky (if I may use that word) "No Need for Alarm" and the spoken-sung build-up of "Black Box Syndrome." Mean Ohio aren't afraid to shift gears or change horses midstream and while that could potentially be a distraction to the listener, the songs here are all strong enough to blend and compliment each other. Know what I mean, Ohio?—Buzzard Brown
THE MAPES/WORLD WAR IX
Split 7" (Red Black & Blue)
Does the carpet match the Mapes? That's a question that doesn't get answered on these three short blasts of punk rock from Las Vegas, Nevada's Mapes. Snotty and fun with a theme song ("Journey to the Center of the Mapes") is how these gamblers roll. "Rocket in My Pocket" may reference the penis, but The Mapes are not afraid to let their sentimental side show on the heartfelt track, "Tits." Flippin' the split reveals two punk rock tunes from New York City's WWIX. "Empty V" deals with the vacuous wasteland of the formerly music video playing channel, MTV. (I thought Jello Biafra demanded that MTV leave the airwaves back in '85... they must not have been listening). For their second track, WWIX could not resist a song about their favorite past-time which is the consumption of drugs and alcohol. Can a real "Intervention" be far behind? Let's hope not—Office Manager
KASPAR HAUSER
The Sons (Spacesuit)
Kaspar Hauser's been kicking the tin can gong around this town for a decade now, recording and releasing a variety of material on small local labels. Borrowing the name from a Warner Herzog film, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (pretentious much?), singer/songwriter and Ohio native, Tom Comerford formed the band in 1999 in Iowa City, Iowa. Shortly thereafter, Comerford moved to Chicago where the band has employed a revolving line-up of members who have delighted audiences from Duluth, Minnesota to the Cleveland Flats.
Their latest offering to the world is a disc titled The Sons. Like a Midwestern REM fronted by Neil Young (sideburns included) Comferford and company touch on the more obvious elements of blues-inspired rock but also add a rootsy element and a haunting Americana feel. "Prodigal Son" and "MacBeth II (In the Morning)" are two standout tracks on this nine song LP. An unexpected cover of a Kinks classic, "See My Friends," also makes an appearance albeit with an American make-over in the form of pedal steel guitar. The track "Baby Vampire" seems to make light of infantile vampirism which is not a subject I take lightly as I have a niece who suffers from it, however, KH seem to just skirt the line of good taste without stumbling over it.
RoosterCow Records owner, Dick Cockman famously said, after reportedly being duped into signing the band to a one-off seven inch single in 2003: "I've seen sideburns with more talent! That's right, individual patches of facial hair with more talent than this kid." Comerford and crew have certainly proved Mr. Cockman wrong again with The Son—Office Manager
D. RIDER
Mother of Curses (Tizona)
Urbandictionary.com defines 'D-Rider' as "someone who rides dick or is all up on your meat" or alternately, "a dusty kid in your crew". The liner notes to Mother of Curses, the debut record album by Chicago's newest elite music ensemble D. Rider, credits one "Deathrider" as the drummer, vocalist and strings-ist on it's accompanying musical collection. Quite the conundrum. And while we'll have to wait and see if we ever get to the bottom of this, in the meantime we can contemplate the music.
First a touch of background: Tha D, as we shall not call them, are the latest musical manifestation of Todd Allbbertt Rittmann. TAR is known to many as the tall "low" guitar player in U.S. Maple, and he may also be seen fucking around as a member of Chicago supergroup Singer and Northwest Suburban supergroup Cheer Accident. Rittmann (a.k.a. th'forementioned "Deathrider"), once again the tallest member of the band, sings lead and plays all the standard, manly "rock" instruments himself. He is invaluably augmented by Andrea Faught, who also works for Cheer-Accident, on keyboards, coronet and vox, as well as saxophonist/singer Noah Tabakin, of gonzo marching band Mucca Pazza.
Fans of U.S. Maple's singular knotty stumble will find much to like on Mother of Curses. The record represents a clear departure as it eschews USM's small-group naturalism in favor of some tastefully restrained but playful studiobound pot-stirring. As the record opens, the tone and rhythm are set by the sound of a magic marker writing. A minor key electric guitar, stately, not unBonham-ish drums, fuzz bass and a coed duet vocal fall in line one by one–like a tired Skrull regiment marching out to conquer, again. The tension builds but never quite subsides or climaxes. As the record progresses song to song, the sense of resigned dread intensifies. But this is not some sadsack downer bullshit. No it isn't. The assertive nature of the musical and vocal arrangements–there's funky bass, badass horn lines, whawazzat harmonizing, calming spurts of lovelyness, and jaw-dropping axe shredding scattered all over this thing–and the lyrics–vaguely gallows-humorous, mostly impressionistic meditations on war, sickness and isolation–are cut with a celebratory anxiousness.
There's been some talk wherever it is that people 'talk' these days, speculating that the current world reality may well inspire and inform some great musical statements like we saw in previous eras of turmoil. Of course, I'm not sure what's going to happen (major caveat: I haven't heard the new Morrissey album, the one with the cover where he's holding the baby, yet), but I am prepared to go out on a limb and throw Mother of Curses on the pile with Blood Visions and Life...the Best Game In Town as an avatar of 21st century visionary rock and roll music—Shipping/Receiving
COOL DEVICES
Cool Devices (Power Recordings)
Cool Devices pick up where Jason Fredrick's previous group, The Means, left off, or as I should say, he left off with them (The Mean soldier on in their Columbus OH, homebase, with a new singer/guitar player at the helm). After the perhaps less than amicable split with the aforementioned Means, Jason recorded a few records with the more acoustic-based and ballady Love Story in Blood Red. The self-titled Cool Devices CD is a return to the raw form of the aforementioned Means. Recorded before Fredrick packed up and moved to NYC, this seven song disc contains more of the barely contained rage and the ominous, threatening lyrical subject matter that fans of the aforementioned Means have grown accustomed to. Included on this disc, in fact, is a reworked version of "Primitive" from the The Means' 2002 album Vil/Viol CD. All in all this disc is a good primer for, or a reminder of the hard rockin' and screamy energy of the aforementioned Means. Cool Devices keep the creep rock torch burning. Long live rock that gives you the creeps—Steve Stoned
WORLD WAR IX
Brown Baggin It 7" EP (Red Black & Blue)
Skipping several wars ahead, this old school punk rock band from Brooklyn (yeah that's right, Real World Brooklyn!) gives us a future blast from the past. If I must reference a punk band from back in the dizzily day that I would compare WWIX to (and I must), I would have to say Circle Jerks. The singer reminds me of Keith Morris and that dude's snarly, gnarly pissed off punk rock rage, sans the SoCal accent of course. The packaging for this seven inch record is highly conceptual being as it is, a brown paper bag, much like you would pack an egg salad sandwich in for lunch, or a forty of malt liquor for dinner.
World War IX revels in fast, straight forward punk rock with songs about drinking, ("Portrait of Sobriety"), drugging ("Treasure Hunt,"), religious freaking ("Jesus Freaks") and employees of the months ("Employee of the Month") which incidentally, was also the title of a fascinating film which combined the comic genius of Dane Cook with the sultry intensity of Jessica Simpson (their on-screen chemistry is explosive!) Any m*therf*cking way, World War IX will make you forget such things exist in our world and shift your attention back to the drink, drugs and freaks which are much easier to take—Office Manager
