Category: Alternative (Page 82 of 155)

Cavedoll: No Vertigo

September 3, 2008 / James B. Eldred

Cavedoll has released ten albums this year, 13 in all, and this review is as much a criticism of that mind-numbingly stupid idea as much as it is of their release No Vertigo. (It’s hard to tell if it’s their latest, keeping track of 10 album releases in a seven-month period isn’t easy.) The group is mostly a one-man show, with Camden Ray Chamberlain serving as the band’s guitarist, bass player, keyboardist and lead singer. He is also the sole creative force behind the scenes too, as he writes, produces, mixes and masters nearly all of the band’s songs as well. If you were to rank control freaks on a scale of 1 to 10, one being the communal vibe of Pearl Jam and 10 being the dominant assholery of Billy Corgan, Chamberlain has to be an 11 – he probably makes Roger Waters look like an open-minded ray of sunshine. It should be no surprise that No Vertigo is a massively uneven affair, filled with songs of varying in both style and quality. There are a few amazing tracks here, but there are also several duds, and the covers of “Paint It Black” and “Heroes” are filler on an already long album that has more than its fair share of useless tracks. Chamberlain probably thinks he’s doing something genius by releasing nearly every single song his band records, but he needs to remember that B-sides and outtakes exist for a reason. (Kitefishing 2008)

Cavedoll MySpace page

Alternative, CD Reviews

Inara George With Van Dyke Parks: An Invitation

August 29, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

A reconnection in ways more than musical, Inara George’s collaboration with the legendary Van Dyke Parks takes her into new terrain but, in a sense, brings her back home. Parks was a pal of her dad, the late Lowell George and was even there at her birth. Still, the biographical details will likely get less attention than this current outing, a swirling collage of orchestration, pop opera vignettes and contemporary classical motifs. Consequently, the sound checks proved equally ample, given influences that name check Kurt Weill, Edith Piaff, Aaron Copeland, Gilbert and Sullivan, Annette Peacock and Carla Bley. The lack of distinctive melodies and an overall flow that finds sets of strings dominating the musical landscape makes passive listening a bit of a challenge, at least for those who like their songs simple and succinct. Still, those looking to hear more from the man who helped bring Brian Wilson his Smile will find this Invitation worthy of an RSVP. (Everloving Records)

Inara George MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Indie Labels, Rock

Biography of Ferns: Pastel Gothic

August 25, 2008 / James B. Eldred

Biography Of Ferns is a Seattle-based band who formed in the late ’90s, but they obviously want to be a British post-punk from the late ’70s. One listen to Pastel Gothic and you’ll be sure to pick up hints of Public Image Ltd., Wire, Joy Division and most obviously Gang of Four. That’s cool, those are good bands to use as a starting point (God only knows more bands should), but there’s a difference between “being influenced by” and “trying to sound exactly the same as,” and Biography of Ferns far too often fall into the latter category. It’s not that they’re bad; there are a quite a few good tracks here. The first half of the album is especially strong; “Join the Barber,” “The Charmer” and “Accidental Town” all deftly combine the dance-friendly vibe of Gang of Four with the general insanity of more experimental acts from the time like Public Image Ltd. But Pastel Gothic is one top-heavy record, and the steam runs out quickly. By the time things wrap up with “Ring of Oaks” and “First Kiss” the catchy melodies are long gone and all that’s left is a boring excursion into post-punk masturbatory shoegazing. And someone needs to slap the hell out of their lead singer until he dumps the ridiculous fake British accent. On a completely unrelated note, these guys should tour with Unicycle Loves You. Not because they sound anything alike, but because they’re both two of the stupidest band names you’re likely to hear. (Tellous 2007)

Biography of Ferns MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Woven: Designer Codes

August 22, 2008 / James B. Eldred

Listening to Woven can be extremely annoying, and not just because their lead signer can’t sing (although that plays a large factor in it). Woven is so annoying because each of their records are textbook examples of how to squander potential. They’ve shown promise ever since their 2001 EP debut EPrime to become a great electronic act, maybe even a mainstream version of Aphex Twin. However, instead of embracing their inner glitch, the group continues to try and combine their natural talent for breakbeats and killer loops with generic, utterly boring alt-rock straight out of the late-’90s post-grunge handbook. Much of the blame for the band’s failure to successfully merge the two decidedly very different genres should be placed on singer Ory Hodis. There hasn’t been a signer this bad in a band this good since Einar’s days with Bjork in the Sugarcubes. Hodis seems to have two styles, whisper sing/speak and falsetto yelling/whining, and he can’t pull off either. Songs on Designer Codes are completely ruined by him. “Perception Whore” and “Inhale” are awesome IDM-inspired bits of insanity, kind of like Radiohead’s Kid A with some balls. But the second Hodis opens his mouth and unleashes his inner sensitive alt-rock bitch, the songs are totally ruined. Hodis should shut his mouth and Woven should either recruit a new lead singer or seriously consider reinventing themselves as an instrumental act, since that is one area they need no help in.

Woven MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica

Mugison: Mugiboogie

August 15, 2008 / James B. Eldred

Mugison is a weird dude. Of course he is, he’s an Icelandic musician. This is the country that brought us Sigur Ros, Mum and the queen of all things WTF, Bjork. But Mugison is a little different from his decidedly very different musical countrymen. While his compatriots prefer to dabble in the realms of experimental noise, electronica and whatever the hell Bjork is doing right now, Mugison seems determined to keep his decidedly off-center music firmly planted in American-influenced blues rock, making him slightly more accessible than the throngs of batshit crazy artists from the land of puffin. Slightly being the key word, because while Mugison’s latest release, Mugiboogie, is pretty bluesy, it’s still pretty damn weird. The title track, for instance, buries the blues riffs behind a sea of wacky keyboard sounds while the insanely freaky “I’m Alright” pairs up a soundscape of near-random noise with a shocking example of Cookie Monster death metal vocalizing by Mugison, who otherwise maintains a cool, slightly throaty, blues singing style through most of the album. When it all comes together, though, it works beautifully, the best example being the brilliantly abrasive “Jesus Is a Good Name to Moan,” in which Mugison angrily demands his girlfriend tell him who this Jesus guy is and why she’s yelling his name while they do it. Yeah, that may sound funny, but there is no humor in the surprisingly dark and powerful tune. Other highlights include the anti-government “The Animal” and almost-metal “Two Thumb Sucking Son of a Boyo.” This is one wacky album. Fans of Beck and Soulwax should definitely take note of this Icelandic kook. (Ipecac Recordings)

Mugison MySpace page

Alternative, Blues, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock