Author: James B. Eldred (Page 20 of 21)

A Kiss Could Be Deadly: A Kiss Could Be Deadly

June 13, 2008 /

If a kiss is deadly, then that is one intense case of herpes. Still, don’t hate A Kiss Could Be Deadly for their idiotic complete-sentence band name. Hate them for their crap music instead. Instantly forgettable and boring, each song on the band’s self-titled debut features the dangerous one-two punch of bland music and utterly generic and forgettable lyrics which only become memorable when they fall into the realm of self-parody, like on the chorus to the puntastic “Poison IV,” which beings with the line “And you – you’re so cliché.” Irony isn’t strong enough of a word. Lead singer Lauren Baird’s whining howl of a voice doesn’t help things, either. She can’t sing, and no amount of harmonizing keyboards or the ever-so-subtle effect of an auto-tuner is going to hide that. The only thing that makes AKCBD (wow, even their abbreviated name is too long) stand out at all is their reliance on keyboards. But adding annoying synthesizers to annoying pop/punk songs doesn’t make them any better. And their electronic edge will probably be their undoing, as it makes them not emo enough for the emo kids but not electronic enough for the electronic kids either. AKCBD (yeah, that doesn’t stop being annoying) is just Paramore with a keyboard fetish. (LABEL: Metropolis 2008)

A Kiss Could Be Deadly MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Unicycle Loves You: Unicycle Loves You

June 6, 2008 /

These Chicago-based indie rockers site classic ’60s pop and psychedelia as big influences, but one listen to Unicycle Loves You’s self-titled debut will probably remind most listeners of Canadian power pop powerhouses the New Pornographers with their harmonizing male/female vocals, chiming jangle pop riffs and upbeat keyboards. They even got the quirk factor down with songs like “Great Bargains for Seniors” and “Woman Bait for Manfish,” the latter of which gets bonus points for featuring a marimba intro. Don’t mistake them for clones of that supergroup from the Great White North though, because their ’60s influences do eventually make their way to forefront with it all coming together on the wonderfully psychedelic closing track “Dangerous Decade.” They also stand out from their Canadian contemporaries thanks to their lyrical cynicism and dark wit, both of which are delivered perfectly via the ever-so-slightly sneering vocals of lead singer Jim Carroll (no relation to The Basketball Diaries guy). Now all they need to do is work on that truly awful band name. (LABEL: Highweel Records 2008)

Unicycle Loves You MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Love Psychedelico: This Is Love Psychedelico

June 6, 2008 /

Psychedelic music is weird. The Japanese are weird. You’d figure that the two combined would be an awesome black hole of insanity filled with feedback, two dozen synthesizers, kazoos and other wackiness (and some Hello Kitty references). If Love Psychedelico are any indication however, the two just sort of cancel each other out and you’re left with good-but-not-great slightly-psychedelic blues/folk rock. (However, the fact that there’s a Japanese folk-rock girl group is in itself a little weird.) While the group has been around for over a decade in their native country and had success in other parts of Asia, This Is Love Psychedelico is the band’s US debut, and is actually compilation of their previous releases. Lead singer Kumi sings in both English and Japanese on most songs, sometimes switching back and forth between the two so fast that it’s hard to keep track. The girls wear their influences on their sleeves, especially the psychedelic-era Beatles with tracks like “Lady Madonna” (which is not a cover of the Beatles song) and “Fantastic World.” Lead singer Kumi’s voice is one-of-a-kind and not always in a good way, sometimes she sinks into a talk-sing voice that sounds flat and off-key, especially in the otherwise excellent “Unchained.” They’re definitely not J-Pop but Love Psychedelico’s sound is still probably something that works a hell of lot better in Japan. (LABEL: Hacktone Records 2008)

Love Psychedelico MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, Rock

Young Knives: Superabundance

June 6, 2008 /

One part Arctic Monkeys and a lot more parts Adam Ant and Gang Of Four, Young Knives are a British band who garnered some critical attention in their homeland with their 2006 full-length debut Voices of Animals and Men. While their off-kilter post-punk tunes and overall oddness (they call their bass player “The House of Lords”) is the kind of thing that makes the British press go gaga, the only crowd they’re liable to get in America are disaffected Weezer fans and They Might Be Giants fanatics looking to branch out. That’s a shame, because while their sophomore effort Superabundance is a little uneven at times, it’s a thoroughly entertaining record filled with bouncy jams like “Turn Tail,” “Fit 4 U” and the excellent ‘Terra Firma,” which features the awesomely nonsensical chorus “Fake rabbit / Real snake / Terra firma, terra firma.” Other highlights include the “‘The’ band” track “Dyed In The Wool” and “Counters,” one of the most enjoyable songs about offing yourself you’re likely to hear. Young Knives are brought down by their own wackiness, though, on the ballads “Flies” and the immensely grating “Mummy Light the Fire,” the latter of which repeats its title ad nauseam. This album is just too weird to ever break through to the mainstream, but fans of Britpop and geeks the world over should enjoy it. (LABEL: Rykodisc/Warner UK 2008)

Young Knives MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

DJ Dolores: 1 Real

June 6, 2008 /

He may have DJ in his name, but the Brazilian-based turntablist would probably be at home next to world music compatriots like Balkan Beat Box and later-day stuff by David Byrne. Whatever Dolores is spinning on his third album 1 Real, there aren’t any tracks that are going to get the raver kids bouncing up and down or end up on any Aphex Twin nerd’s playlist. Most of what Dolores is doing here is infusing traditional Brazilian music with his own electronic flavor. One can only imagine that dance houses across Rio are banging to track like “Deixa Falar” and “Cala Cala” but the songs don’t mean nearly as much if you aren’t familiar with what Dolores is sampling and drawing from. Occasionally though, the turntable/electronic influences are brought to the forefront and the traditional South American themes are taken back a bit. “Flying Horse” is built off of a strange vocal sample and even stranger beat; it would fit right in on an U.N.K.L.E. or DJ Shadow record. “Mutant Child (Run, Run, Run),” which according to the liner notes was inspired by a Wolverine comic book story – is a slow groove deep house kind of track, and the haunting “Wakaru” is trance, pure and simple. Dolores is politically active in his native country, and that is reflected in the lyrics of his music. However, since most of the songs on 1 Real are in Portuguese, that really won’t matter much to the American audience. Still, electronic music fans might want to check 1 Real out; it’s intelligent dance music of a different variety. (LABEL: Ziriguiboom/Crammed 2008)

DJ Dolores MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica

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