BLEUBIRD – CANNONBALL!!!

Mixing elements of spoken word poetry and smooth free-styling is Florida-based emcee Bleubird and his new album CANNONBALL!!!. Not being familiar to his brand of hip-hop, my first impression of Bleubird’s style via the first cut on CANNONBALL!!!  (“Fog Rollin”) was that he has been influenced by the likes of Sage Francis. Bleubird’s approach is much like Francis in the way he presents a laid-back flow that easily goes along with the beat of the song.

As the album moves along, I’m struck by the differences in beats from track to track. “Black Sandcastles” features more of an infectious club beat that definitely has a modern mainstream feel to it, while the cut “Pimp Hand” has a deep bass and hi-hat sampled sound (reminiscent of something Jamiroquai would use). Along with Bleubird’s vocals, “Pimp Hand” definitely shines as one of the highlight tracks off of this album.

An odd wrench is thrown into the gears by way of the sixth track, “Christian Wife,” an acoustic guitar duet with Lynne Piper. It’s a really odd break from the hip-hop beats, but works in a way as an intermission with its dry wit lyrical content. Beats laid down for Bleubird’s vocals range from sampled cuts from various sources to live instrumentation of drums, double bass, pianos and acoustic guitars. The album also features special appearances by Radical Face, Astronautalis, and Ceschi.

CANNONBALL!!! has some good material contained in its 11 tracks and provides as a good introduction into the music and artistic styling’s of Bleubird. While I think this album deserves a marginal nod, in the future I would like to hear more faster flows as opposed to the slowed down spoken word segments.

(Fake Four Inc., no address provided)

HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL – Mergers & Acquisitions

Cooking up their own brand of alternative folk, Have Gun Will Travel have released their third album Mergers & Acquisitions. This collection of 12 folk-driven songs break off into many directions including traditional folk, blues, and  roots rock and roll, featuring the stellar vocals of Matt Burke.


On first listen, I thought this was a new side project of Tom Petty (yes, the Tom Petty), as Burke’s vocals are eerily similar to Petty’s singing voice (both outfits are out of Florida, Petty from Gainesville and Burke from Bradenton), with a hint of Bob Dylan thrown in. A majority of the songs on Mergers & Acquisitions tell stories; songs about life on the road, traveling, and days of old.

With Burke’s memorable vocals and the music provided by the backing band — especially with the use of steel guitar provided by Scott Anderson — the album relies on the traditional folk style, but with toe-tapping tunes like “Song of Seven Sisters,” the album cruises along like an Americana road trip through the heart of this nation. This is an all around enjoyable album full of infectiously catchy songs and moving stories beautifully sung by Burke.

(Suburban Home Records, PO Box 40757, Denver, CO 80204)

COMET GAIN – Howl of the Lonely Crowd

Having never heard of Comet Gain, I was quite surprised to learn they’ve been around since the early 1990s. Receiving high accolades in the indie pop scene in the UK, it seems their attraction never really crossed the pond here to the United States, but here they are releasing their sixth studio album in the US.


Laced with keyboards with a stripped-down, indie-pop sound, the opening track “Clang of the Concrete Swans” starts the album in a catchy frenzy. It’s followed by “The Weekend Dreams,” a bass- and horn-driven track that has a retro British soul sound featuring Rachel Evans on vocals. There’s a real nice mix of material on this album that allows the listener to hear all aspects of Comet Gain’s sound. While Howl of the Lonely Crowd has its share of infectiously toe-tapping pop songs, there are also a few mellow tracks that really add some depth to the feel of this albums. “After Midnight, After Its All Gone Wrong” highlights that toned down sound with an emphasis on David Feck’s vocals. The album takes a poetic turn with the track “A Memorial For Nobody I know,” again with Feck on vocals. The shared vocal spot between Feck and Evans throughout the album is also quite enjoyable. The album is nicely balanced between catchy pop and singer-songwriter material.

(What’s Your Rapture? Records, no address provided)

LOVE OF EVERYTHING – Sooner I Wish

Bobby Burg is the brainchild behind Love Of Everything and in this nine-minute-long EP titled Sooner I Wish, Burg teams up with drummer Matt Holland (Air Waves, Vacation) for these four new tracks.


The songs reflect Burg’s recent divorce from his wife, but listening to the upbeat and bouncy vocals, you’d never know it. The lyrics are quite scathing, though, in content. Clearly, the material here is very personal — unfortunately there’s nothing overly intricate or really interesting about the music itself on this EP. The album was recorded live with a loop pedal and no overdubs besides Burg’s vocals, leaving little room for complexity and improvisational.

In the few times I’ve listened to this album, there’s a glaringly obvious feel that the effort was thrown together in a rush (maybe that was done on purpose?). The bass guitar on the opening track “Three Way Answers” really distorts the sound of the song, causing me to check my bass levels on my stereo on the first listen. I will admit that the catchy feel of the songs started to become infectious by the third or fourth listen, but not enough to change my opinions on this album.

Sooner I Wish is undoubtedly a work of personal reflection about the heartbreaks of a marriage gone wrong. While the lyrics tell of that pain, the music does not. It’s too catchy and, dare I say, “indie.” Or maybe I just can’t dig this kind of music.

(Polyvinyl Records, 206 N. Randolph Street, Suite M100, Champaign, IL 61820)

OBNOX – I’m Bleeding Now

Lamont “Bim” Thomas has contributed to quite a few music projects in the past, including Basshole and, most recently, drumming for the band This Moment in Black History. Now this Cleveland, Ohio native has gone solo under the name Obnox, releasing this seven-track album entitled I’m Bleeding Now.
 
Pushing the play button and starting the first track “Cum Inside” startled me a bit. The level of distortion made me question if my speakers were blown on my computer. Maybe I got a bad copy? After confirming the intended sound on the iTunes page for the album, I powered through the gnarled guitars and semi-understandable vocals. The mix of warped guitars and driving drumming continue through the first half of the I’m Bleeding Now, at times almost unbearable to listen to. Thank God I didn’t review this album on my MP3 player…hearing this through headphones could be a new tool used at Gitmo on suspected terrorists.

But the distortion works on a few tracks, including “The Cowboy and Cowgirl,” as the harsh guitars are broken up by a guitar solo and catchy yet distorted vocals. The same formula that worked with the previously mentioned song also works with the tune “Daughter.” The album ends on a wild note with the song “Whaddup Young Bleed (Drum Thunder Suite).” With this track we hear Thomas’s skills on the skins as it drives this four-minute and 41-second blast of insanity. Clearly my favorite cut off this album.

On a personal note, I didn’t dig the whole ear torture aspect of over-distortion on this album, as my ears were proclaiming the title of this album by the end. If you dig Bim’s past work or just dig driving noise backed by a strong back-beat, you may want to give this album a spin.

(Smog Veil Records, 1658 N. Milwaukee Ave #284, Chicago, IL 60647)

QUIET LIFE – Big Green

With a sound based in good old fashioned Americana rock n’ roll come Quiet Life and with Big Green. Grabbing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and The Grateful Dead, the 10 tracks on this album will work well as a soundtrack sitting around a campfire or an accompaniment on a road trip across the big empty spaces of this great land known as America.


The music is stripped down and comes across as straightforward — with the attention placed mainly on the songwriting, especially in the songs “Cave Country,” “Easy To Please,” and the title track. These particular tracks tend to be quite folk-y compared to tracks like “Storm Clouds” (heavy Grateful Dead influence here) and “Nighttime” (with guitar work reminiscent of early Kings Of Leon). The mix of laid back folk tracks with the heavier guitar-laced tunes make for a real natural flow. Can’t say I love the vocals, but I dig the guitar work here. Those who savor the folk/roots rock sound should give this album a whirl.

(Safety Meeting Records, 196 Norton St. #2, New Haven, CT 06511)

FOREIGN CINEMA – Non-Synchronous Sound

There’s something very appealing about the minimalistic sounds of Foreign Cinema’s newest release Non-Synchronous Sound. It’s always nice to throw on an album and have its resonance flow through the space effortlessly until you realize the album has run its course. Imagine the mellow back beat tones of Thievery Corporation mixed with vocal structure similar to Depeche Mode. The track “Ice Machine” has a feel of something out of an old Spaghetti Western film, which oddly coincides with the feel of other tracks on this album. You could picture these sounds featured in old black and white foreign espionage films; obviously a goal, considering the band’s namesake. “Lovers and Killers” closes out this EP, a song which definitely comes through with a Depeche Mode sound. This would be one of those albums perfect for situations when you are sitting around with friends, sharing a bottle of wine or engaging in conversations. A full-length effort would be well accepted by this reviewer but this will be fine for now.

(Parallax Sounds, no address provided)

CARCRASHLANDER – Mountains On Our Backs

Dreamy soundscapes full of tweaked tones meet driving guitars on the newest album from Carcrashlander. This nine-track album rides like an audio road trip taking the listener through scenic ambient lows full soft tones, only to turn the corner and become thrown full-throttle into a raging instrumental barrage of guitars and effects.

The title track opens up the album with a mellow beat and feel but ends in a hectic guitar solo full of twisted peddle effects, all while the mellow beat plays along until the end. The vocals throughout this effort remain calm, even haunting. This remains the case during some of the heavier tracks like “Quoting Dead Comedians.”

One of the simpler but equally impressive songs was “Bone Noose” with its quasi-vintage surf sound, definitely a highlight of the album. Besides the use of peddle effects on guitars, there’s also the cleaver use of electronic feedback and even some trumpets, vibes, and flutes. I was impressed with the fact that even as the members of this band improvise into instrumental chaos on several of the tracks, it all comes to an end with the very mellow beat that started the song. It’s as if the beat survives the madness and continues on into the next track in order do it all over again.

Mountains On Our Backs will take you on a rollercoaster ride of sounds and leave you wanting more. Even through all of the intense musical intervals that dominate this album, you will be left feeling calm, yet musically satisfied.

(Jealous Butcher Records, PO Box 14306, Portland, OR 97293-0306

DANIEL FRANCIS DOYLE – We Bet Our Money On You

One of the most beautiful things about the World Wide Web is the fact that pretty much anyone can self-publish their art and expose it to the masses. Be it audio or visual, the internet allows artists to connect to a world which would have been unattainable in the past.

In the case of Daniel Francis Doyle’s new album, We Bet Our Money On You, it’s a double-edged sword. With Doyle on vocals and drums, the tracks on this album play like an out of tune music box. The majority of the songs featured here end up sounding repetitive, with oddly timed drumming set to a marching beat and random guitar plucking that verge on the boarder of being annoying. There seems to be an attempt by Doyle to style his vocals to that of David Byrne from Talking Heads, but it falls flat from the start. Softer tracks like “Your Baby Is Speaking” actually give some much needed heart and body to this mess of an album, but it doesn’t redeem it enough to be worthy of a recommendation.

By the seventh track entitled “How Can You Work?” I was asking the same thing of my ears, as the same repetitive musical formula was being played once again. Honestly, I’m only one person, and understandably one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but I just don’t see the attraction here.

(We Shot JR Records, PO Box 720291, Dallas, TX 73372)

THE FLYING CHANGE – Pain is a Reliable Signal

Sometimes when you are listening to a certain song or album you can sense the exact feelings being conveyed by the musicians involved. When I listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s “America,” I can close my eyes and picture life crossing the country on a bus back in 1960s. Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here gave listeners an inside look at their feelings towards their friend and former band mate Syd Barrett. The same could be said about Pain Is A Reliable Signal by singer-songwriter Sam Jacob’s The Flying Change. The album tells the story of Erica, Jacob’s wife, and her battle with a debilitating spinal condition that leaves her in constant pain and leaves Sam and Erica’s relationship in near ruins.

The 10 tracks that tell this heartbreaking story hit you like a ton of bricks with their intense emotional tone. Jacob’s voice — especially on the first track of the album, “Broken Bow” — comes across sounding a bit like Leonard Cohen while being backed up by a beautiful choir of female voices. “If You See Something” lightens the mood with playful sounds of ukuleles and scattered horns; all while “St. Mary’s” rock distortion edge throws listeners a curve ball in the midst of all the somber tones.

By the end of the album, you feel as if you watched a movie. You truly feel Jacob’s pain and regret. There’s something brutally honest and haunting about the collection of songs featured here. They will pull at your emotions and leave you in a state of awe. Pain Is A Reliable Signal will not only please the ears but it will also leave your imagination reeling as it rides this emotional musical roller-coaster of pain, love, and fear.

(Scarlet Shame Records, PO Box 20680, Park West Station, New York, NY 10025)

MARMOSET – Tea Tornado

Oftentimes in the realm of independent music, an artist or album comes around and banks on the idea of a gimmick rooted in simplicity and familiarity. A poet recites dark drab stories of love lost, drunken highs, and drugged lows while the band plays loosely along. Songs full of silly childish lyrics are only regarded as “cute” by adoring female fans.

This is pretty much the end result of Marmoset’s newest album Tea Tornado. Their sound can only be described as an attempt to capture the lo-fi post-punk garage sound that’s already been done a million times over. Tracks like “Hallway” catch the band attempting at a pop-psychedelic vibe, but cuts like “”I Love My Things” and “Written Today” are built around repetitive juvenile lyrics based on a garage rock beat. As someone who is new to Marmoset, this album does nothing for me in the way of bringing any excitement of a new musical discovery.

(Joyful Noise Recordings, PO Box 20109 Indianapolis, IN 46220)

SSM - S/T

SSM (an abbreviation for its band members' last names: Szymanski, Shettler, and Morris) delivers music that could be described in many different ways. One word is "quirky," for the keyboards that provide groovy, rhythmic melodies. Rough and somewhat distorted guitars hit hard with a classic garage feel, while the drums keep up a steady beat. Tracks like "Candy Loving" and "Ain't Love" give this album a toe-tapping feeling of joyful energy, while songs like "Dinosaur" brings a psychedelic edge. No matter how it's described or sold, SSM's throwback to the '60s psychedelic sound should have no problem pleasing its listeners.

(Review originally appeared in the July 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

STUTTER - S/T

Their press release describes their sound "like Blondie dry-humping Gwen Stefani in the back of Billy Idol's car." Trust me when I say that I wish I could say the only bad thing about Stutter is their PR manager, but that is truly not the case. In an attempt to relive the new-wave glory days of The Go-Go's and Devo, these Canadian trendoids present us nine tracks of watered-down super pop that makes me cringe at the thought of the pain my ears went through while listening to this album. There's a huge difference between being influenced by the new-wave sound and trying to replicate it. For those looking for a truly original new-wave experience, check out Japan's Polysics. It sure beats this crap.

(Review originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

SNOWGLOBE - OXYTOCIN

Snowglobe are influenced by acts like The Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra. The 14 selections on this disc are lighthearted and upbeat, sure to have you taping your feet and bouncing to the beat. On tracks like "Dry", the use of strong and elaborate brass and string ensembles gives the tune a Beatles-like feel. Another impressive facet of this band is their ability to incorporate instruments like the saw and steel guitar. Snowglobe's ability to create a sound so strongly rooted in classic rock but yet keep things original and fresh really attests to the top-notch musicianship of this band. Thumbs way up for this one.

(Review originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

HOUSE OF HEROES - SAY NO MORE

Playing sounds not too hard and not too soft, House of Heroes new album SAY NO MORE comes off like mainstream rock wet dream. Melodic vocals backed by a safe but strong guitar riffs make this album as a sure fit with fans of bands like Jimmy Eat World. Through the 12 tracks on this album, we really don't get a sense of this band's true potential. This is all too common with bands that play music with media-play potential in mind. Another thing that turned me away from this album was the all-too-sweet and high-pitched vocals. I would have loved to hear the music be a little bit more experimental. I guess you can't always get what you wish for.

(Review originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

TWO GALLANTS - WHAT THE TOLL TELLS

In a world where the majority of music is not about quality, Two Gallants gives us a brand of acoustic storytelling that comes across like a refreshing breeze of fresh air. On this sophomore release, we get a dose of the mellow vocals of Adam Stephens, vocals which are haunted by his emotionally wrenching lyrics. Not all of the songs are Dylan-like, though. For example, "Long Summer Day" brings something a little more upbeat (though the lyrics tell a gripping story). The sixth track, "Threnody in Minor B", comes across as inspired by another influential songwriter, Tom Waits. WHAT THE TOLL TELLS proves that these San Francisco natives are only beginning their musical journey and are sure to produce even more stellar albums. www.twogallants.com.

(Review originally appeared in the May 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE - ETIQUETTE

Electric loops play as the backdrop to the poetic lyrics of Owen Ashworth on this release by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. The music is quite simple, filled with synthesized beats and ambient sounds, while Ashworth speaks words that paint vivid pictures. His delivery reminds me a little bit of Tom Waits. The songs are quirky, and the listener not only identifies with the lyrics but enjoys listening to them. Many guest vocalists appear on this album, including Katy Davidson from Dear Nora and Sam Michens from The Dead Science. Usually something this musically simple would be a downer to me, but the lyrics and warmth of the stories won me over.



(Review originally appeared in the March 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

THE DREADFUL YAWNS - S/T

It's time to slow things down with this self-titled disc from The Dreadful Yawns. This is their first full-length album to be released on Bomp! This title ended up hitting me like a fresh breeze with its Southern folk sound and country twang. The lyrics have a bluegrass feel and are simple but stellar throughout. I was impressed with the use of harmonica and steel guitar on tracks like "You Sold the Farm" and "Get Yourself Back Home". This album hints at influences ranging from Bob Dylan to The Grateful Dead but remains unique to The Dreadful Yawns original sound. I'm still taken aback by the fact that SKRATCH is reviewing music like this. It's fresh, and its different sound is a nice change from the hard punk-rock music I'm used to hearing.


(Review originally appeared in the November 2005 issue of Skratch Magazine)

JOHN DUFILHO - S/T

This is the first solo effort for Dufilho. On this album, he takes on the task of writing, producing, and recording all the music on his own—not to mention playing all the instruments. The music is a mix of quirky mid-tempo power pop. It's clear to see that Dufilho has brought a lot of influences out on this disc, as he uses a lot of electronic loops and silly yet catchy lyrics. I loved the fact that one second you feel as though you are listening to a rough demo album and the next he hits you with a lush stereo soundscape. The one thing I took away from listening to this album is that there are still musicians out there who are talented enough to take their music and do what they wish with it. It's honest music that stays true to Dufilho's intentions as a musician.

(Review originally appeared in the November 2005 issue of Skratch Magazine)

HORSE THE BAND - THE MECHANICAL HAND

If the Super Mario Brothers formed a metal band, it would probably sound something like this. Horse the Band brings us an interesting mix of hard rock laced with synthesized sounds that remind me of the endless hours spent playing Nintendo as a kid. The music is hard and fast, and the lyrics are loud but really hard to understand. This album also reminds me a bit of bands like System of a Down. At times, the keyboards border a Van Halen sound and provide a different sound not found in today's mainstream hard-rock scene. In the end, THE MECHANICAL HAND is a truly original album that isn't afraid to be different-sounding than the rest of the music out there today. It's odd sound kept me amused...but didn't blow me away.


(Review originally appeared in the November 2005 issue of Skratch Magazine)