Category: CD QuickTakes (Page 99 of 149)

State Shirt: This is Old

January 23, 2009 /

Songwriter Ethan Tufts is, by his own account, making music when not doing “nerd shit” behind a desk. His musical guise, State Shirt, definitely bears some of that nerdy aesthetic – electronic percussion textures and synth washes, meticulously tracked backing vocals, and a sense of angst that’s polished up Los Fucking Angeles style. And “polish” is the key word here. Though he lists influences like Mogwai, Sebadoh, Fugazi and Neil Young on his MySpace, State Shirt’s music has far more in common with mainstream modern rock. Imagine if Linkin Park decided to buy some indie cred and collaborate with the Flaming Lips and Radiohead. Actually, it’s not quite as outrageous as that description may sound. In fact, this mix of styles is pretty solid, which is just what expressions of hopelessness like the title track (“The finest things in life I will always refuse / The worst things in life I will always abuse”) and “I Hate California” call for. (Los Fucking Angeles 2008)

State Shirt MySpace

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Science Faxtion: Living on Another Frequency

January 23, 2009 /

Bootsy Collins, Buckethead, and Brain join forces with producer multi-instrumentalist Greg Hampton to release the man/robot Orwellian-themed, musically eclectic Living on Another Frequency. As bizarre as the combination sounds, it really isn’t unique. Brain and Buckethead worked together on The Big Eyeball in the Sky, joining Bernie Worrell (who guests on this record), and Les Claypool in the one-off Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains. Buckethead has worked with Collins before in Praxis. The X factor, and ultimately the weakness of the record, are the whiskey-soaked, cigarette-stained and underwhelming vocals of Greg Hampton who provides the lead voice on the majority of the record. It’s a shame because musically, it is as sophisticated as it is bizarre. It has much more structure than a Praxis project, but still roams all around a futuristic funk rock sound to tantalize the listener. The best tracks are the trippy instrumental based tracks which have weird vocal samples (and no Hampton singing like “Sci-Fax Theme” and “Famous”) or “Life-IS IN-Deliver,” featuring a spacey, Hendrix-influenced vocal by Collins, or a guest spot by the distinct Chuck D on “What It Is.” It’s adventurous and interesting, especially on paper, but much like the 2008 Chicago Cubs, being good on paper doesn’t guarantee success. (Mascot Records)

Science Faxtion MySpace page

Blues, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, External Music, Folk, Funk, Reggae, Rock, Songs, Steal This Song

Mobile: Tales from the City

January 23, 2009 /

The Juno Award-winning “Best New Artist” of 2007, Toronto-by-way-of-Montreal rockers Mobile step up their game on their second album. Not content to follow the lead of their critically acclaimed contemporaries back in Montreal, the band’s tack is decidedly mainstream, with Killers producer Jeff Saltzman (not to be confused with Portland, Oregon producer Jeff Stuart Saltzman) in tow. In reality, though, their sound hasn’t changed all that significantly – if anything, the precise, danceable rock beats typical of the band (and of Franz Ferdinand, and, naturally, the Killers too) are even more firmly in place, and the dark dramatic sweep of their productions are more pronounced. Some of the album’s most successful moments are when drummer Pierre-Marc Hamelin gets to breathe with some fills (especially on “No Tomorrow” and in the midst of the ‘80s pop synth beats of “Gravity”), though to their credit, the band does manage to humanize dance rock with just enough dark moods to keep it interesting without devolving into self-parody. They’re at their best, however, when they buck the formula – “All is Forgiven” is a surprisingly unpretentious, low-key three-part epic (who knew such a thing existed?) that bridges the gap between Muse and ‘80s Genesis. Tales from the City may not be earth-shattering, but it does continue to provide evidence that the musical grounds up in the Great White North are still fertile. (Universal Music Canada 2008)

Mobile MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Modern Skirts: All of Us in Our Night

January 16, 2009 /

The Modern Skirts’ second full-length, All of Us in Our Night, bridges the gap between ‘70s AM gold and early ‘90s modern rock – which isn’t surprising once you take a look at the album credits and see that the producers assembled for the disc include David Lowery (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, Counting Crows) and Mike Mills (R.E.M., duh). It probably goes without saying that none of All of Us resonates as strongly as the best work from any of the above-named bands – heck, maybe not even strongly enough to remain lodged in your memory banks after the disc is finished playing – but none of it sucks, and in some places (particularly the brightly loping “Radio Breaks”), it hints at a brighter future for the young Athens outfit. Not greatness, perhaps, but why get greedy? This is a dozen-song set that hearkens back to a simpler, more innocent time, and even if its chances of ending up on your year-end best-of list are rather slim, it’ll help you while away a few bitter winter weeks hearkening back to a simpler, more innocent time. If you need a little more jangle and/or gentle, sunny harmonies in your musical diet, look no further. (self-released 2009)

Modern Skirts MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Cash Cash: Take It to the Floor

January 16, 2009 /

For most music fans, a band name like Cash Cash probably provokes mental images of DJs, bling-flashing MCs, and bangin’ beats – and even though this New Jersey quartet delivers on that last front, and got its first big break from the DJs who turned “Party in Your Bedroom” into a dance hit, they’re actually a pack of power pop-dealing honkies whose sound has more to do with the Click Five than Lil Wayne. Obviously, wrapping rock guitars in a hard candy shell is nothing new; bands from Cheap Trick to New Jersey’s own Fountains of Wayne have tried to make a commercial go of it for decades, with spotty results (to say the least). But to their credit, Cash Cash manage to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that recent like-minded acts such as Swirl 360 and the aforementioned Click Five have stumbled into; their songs are pretty uniformly solid, for one thing, and although they rely heavily on programmed beats and trendy, analog-sounding synths, their sound isn’t quite as brightly colored as it could be – which is a very good thing, because it staves off ear fatigue long enough for the album to draw you in. The whole thing is decidedly lightweight, but it’s a lot of fun, and it bridges the gap between power pop, dance, and New Wave more successfully than, say, the Killers. During the dead of winter, relentlessly sunny tracks like “Your Love” should provide reason enough for plenty of repeat listens. (Universal Republic 2009)

Cash Cash MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop

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