Month: September 2009 (Page 6 of 17)

The Shazam: Meteor

September 23, 2009 /


RIYL: Cheap Trick, Raspberries, the Knack

The Shazam have never been shy about baring their retro influences. After all, when you take your name from the title of one of Brit Rock’s great cult classic recordings – specifically, the seminal set by the Move – there’s no hiding that unbridled devotion. This is a band that’s effectively blended their penchant for power pop variety with a hint of psychedelic suggestion, holding firm to their ‘60s sensibilities at every interval.

This time around however, the Shazam alter their palette ever so slightly, veering away from the more lumbering aspects of their sound in favor of a more straight-ahead approach, displaying a clear unabashed exuberance that finds each track a veritable sonic extravaganza. That’s due in large part to producer Mack, whose aptitude for amplitude was nurtured behind the boards with Queen, Billy Squier, Black Sabbath and ELO. Indeed, this is the most opulent effort in the Shazam’s five-album history, but given it’s been six years since their last effort, Tomorrow the World, it also seems appropriate the group should reassert themselves with such singular bravado.

While ringleader Hans Rotenberry can be credited for steadfast stewardship, drummer Scott Bellew, the band’s other remaining mainstay, also deserves nods, specifically for anchoring the propulsive rhythms and non-stop momentum. Songs like the aptly titled “So Awesome,” the sprawling, Beatlesque “Don’t Look Down,” the searing “NFU” and the radiant rocker “Hey Mom, I Got the Bomb” maintain a feeling of giddy euphoria, turning Meteor into the Shazam’s most exhilarating album ever. (New Boss Sounds 2009)

The Shazam MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Rock

Eddie Van Halen reminds us he’s alive

September 22, 2009 /

TWO AND A HALF MEN

In his first acting role since “Frasier,” legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen decided to pop up on the season premier of America’s most popular sitcom, “Two and a Half Men.” In the episode, entitled “818JKLPUZO,” Charlie Sheen’s character is at odds with two women. While excited about his impeding marriage to Chelsea, plans are temporarily derailed when he runs into an old flame, Mia. When she asks Charlie to help her record an album, he’s skeptical at first. It’s not until Chelsea gives her approval that Charlie takes the offer. As their musical relationship blossoms, former feelings naturally pop up. While it’s painfully obvious that Mia is a terrible singer, Charlie’s brain has always been located in his pants. Troubled by his attraction to Mia, he begins experiencing a crippling constipation. At the recording studio, as Mia lays down track after track of aural hell, Charlie runs to the bathroom. Just before entering, however, he’s stopped by none other than Eddie Van Halen.

It’s clear Van Halen’s time out of the public eye was a wise decision. Looking more like a 16 year-old boy than a withering rocker, his cameo was a pleasant surprise. The spot also featured Eddie’s signature “Frankenstrat” guitar as he treated those watching to a juicy riff.

Eddie has mentioned numerous times that a Van Halen lineup consisting of himself, brother Alex, son Wolfgang, and David Lee Roth is set to record a new album. They previously completed a lengthy tour from 2007 to 2008. Eddie, recently married, is also recovering from hand surgery, yet promises to release the new album next year accompanied by a tour.

TWO AND A HALF MEN

Artists, News

Holmes: Holmes

September 22, 2009 /


RIYL: Steely Dan, G. Love, Rufus Wainwright

While the landscape is positively littered with pop culture-spewing, post-ironic hipsters, Roy Shakked, the one-man wrecking crew that is Silverlake’s Holmes, gets a free pass solely for “Let Go,” the opening track on his band’s self-titled effort and easily the best stoner song Steely Dan never wrote. Like Donald Fagen, Shakked is smart and a little bored, delivering his detached vocals over pristinely arranged café pop songs awash in sunny backing vocals. The most unintentionally funny thing about Holmes is how hard it tries to slack; “Gone” quotes Cameo’s “Word Up” just a tad behind the beat in traditional So-Cal hip hop style, and has one of those plinkety-plink hip hop piano bits propelling it along, but the album is far too ornate to be the work of a slacker. Shakked pulls an unpredictable left turn on “Go Computer,” a Weezer-esque guitar stomper with vocals smothered in slap echo. It’s a neat trick, but he’s clearly more comfortable mining mellow gold.

The heart of a showman beats inside these songs – wait until you hear what he’s done to David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” – and the sooner Holmes embraces it, the better off he’ll be. He’s good now, but the cutesy stuff is holding him back. (Groove Gravy Records 2009)

Holmes MySpace page

Adult Contemporary, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Pearl Jam: Backspacer

September 22, 2009 /


RIYL: You’re kidding, right? Recommended if you like Pearl Jam

Backspacer is Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album in their 19th year of existence. Seemingly out to prove that they’re neither resting on their laurels or mellowing with age, it’s one of their most energetic and exciting albums to date, filled with pop hooks and a strange sense of optimism that may scare the die-hards.

Pearl Jam haven’t been very pop-friendly since Yield. Binaural was experimental art-rock, while Riot Act was dark, introspective and depressing. Their 2006 self-titled effort was definitely a step towards the mainstream, but it was also very angry and aggressive, a sign of the Bush-led times perhaps. But Bush is gone, and with his departure Pearl Jam must feel that it’s okay to be upbeat once more, and maybe even popular again.

The album opens with a drug-themed triple-pack; “Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some,” and “The Fixer.” Although dripping in drug references, none of the three are really about getting high. The titular friend in the first track is a buddy that’s helping someone get off drugs, and the ‘some’ in “Got Some” is actually music, being dealt out like the addictive substance that it is. As for “The Fixer,” that appears to be Eddie himself, proclaiming his ability to make you rock out. Through the quick three-minute stomper he lets you know he’s your one-stop cure for what ails you, “When somethings dark / Lemme shed a little light on it. When somethings old / I wanna put a bit of shine on it.”

Eddie must be riding high from all that fixing, because he’s in such a good mood he’s actually written a couple honest-to-God love songs on Backspacer, a first for the band. “Just Breathe” is a quiet ballad about a man who realizes how lucky he is to find the one he loves, while “Amongst the Waves” is a bombastic proclamation of love using surf imagery to convey how love can conquer all. It’s corny, cheesy and about one step removed from a U2 song, but they get away with it thanks to Eddie’s touching lyrics and a powerful closing guitar solo. The musical formula is copied successfully with the following track “Unthought Known,” although this time the lyrics return to typical abstract themes that are more common ground for Vedder. After a brief return to rock with the catchy-as-all-hell “Supersonic,” the CD closes with three more ballads, ending with the exceptionally strong “The End.”

Backspacer is probably Pearl Jam’s best album of the decade, an obvious, but not pandering, attempt to regain some of the mainstream attention they voluntarily gave up over the years. The older fans might balk at the idea of Eddie and company courting a new audience, but whatever man; a stadium full of 40-year-olds is depressing. (Monkeywrench 2009)

Pearl Jam MySpace Page

Alternative, CD Reviews, Rock

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