Category: Alternative (Page 83 of 155)

What Laura Says: Thinks and Feels

August 15, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Dumbest band name of the year? Maybe, but once you listen to the Phoenix quintet’s marvelously messy debut, Thinks and Feels, it almost makes sense. There’s nothing conventional about this outfit; even by experimental post-rock standards, they’re too weird to fit in, because you never know when they’re going to ditch the alien arrangements and whimsical time shifts in favor of some Marvin Hamlisch piano, Beach Boys vocal stacks, Neil Young space travel, or good old-fashioned classic rock. Calling them Menomena meets My Morning Jacket isn’t really accurate, but then, neither is pretty much any other point of reference you could come up with for this stuff. What matters most is whether or not it sucks, and Thinks and Feels decidedly does not. Woe to the listener who tries to absorb any of it out of the record’s context – this isn’t a pick-and-choose type of album – but give it a few front-to-back spins and feel yourself slowly being drawn into the weird, wonderful world of What Laura Says. Give them an “A” for originality, and join us in wishing best of luck to Terpsikhore when it comes to promoting any of this. (Terpsikhore 2008)

What Laura Says MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Computer Vs. Banjo: Computer vs. Banjo

August 15, 2008 / James B. Eldred

King Kong vs. Godzilla, Alien vs. Predator, Freddy vs. Jason. These are the eternal battles that have captured the imagination of the American public. Now you can add Computer vs. Banjo to that list of epic duels. The computer half of this musical duel is Johnny Mann of the little-heard Nashville funk band Gran Torino. The banjo is represented by Beau Stapleton, formerly of the slightly successful southern jam band Blue Merle. To be honest though, there isn’t much in the way of “vs” on the duo’s self-titled debut. Much of the album is simply a low-fi electronic album, songs like “Low” and “Outer Space” have nary a country influence in them. On the flip side, country ballads “San Joaquin” and “2Heavy2Hold” don’t have much a computer presence to them. When the two do team up, the result is more like a Grandaddy album than something that you would expect from a name like Computer Vs. Banjo. Where’s the 21st century version of “Dueling Banjos”? What about a hardcore rave anthem with some line dancing influence thrown in for good measure? This is a good album, but there’s a lot of untapped potential here. Hopefully Mann and Stapleton will really embrace their novel concept on their next album and truly give us a battle between the technological majesty of electronic music and the down-home charm of classic country. (Diagram 2008)

Computer vs. Banjo MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Electronica

David Ford: Songs for the Road

August 15, 2008 / Mike Farley

When David Ford released his 2006 album, I Sincerely Apologise for the Trouble I Have Caused, we gave him a pass. That’s because his brooding folk/pop was novel, and it was fun to hear a guy like so pissed off showing us just how anger could translate into humorous yet powerful songs. Kind of like, “Take that, bitch.” But this time around, Ford’s Songs for the Road, while more of the same fare, just comes across as, well, bitter. And you’ll be like, “Dude, shut the hell up already.” The British singer/songwriter knows how to craft a song, so we’ll give him that. But this time around, Ford is like an angry James Blunt—well, slightly cooler than Blunt but a little less fucked up than Amy Winehouse. Songs for the Road has two tracks that especially bring out Ford’s inner bitter—“Go to Hell” and the musically uplifting yet slap-in-your-face “Nobody Tells Me What to Do.” Anything beyond that, and you’re going to wish this dude would just go away. And the sad thing, really, is that you know that if David Ford fell in love and wrote some heartfelt songs that reflect that, he could be amazing. But for now, dude just needs to lighten up. (LABEL: RED/Independiente)

David Ford MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Rock

Middle Class Rut: MC Rut EP

August 8, 2008 / James B. Eldred

A band’s press release almost always relies on a simple “A + B” statement to define their sound, and usually the equation involves two bands of such regard that the results are laughable. It’s always the garage band from Gary, Indiana who considers themselves to be the magic combination of Radiohead and Led Zeppelin. Middle Class Rut ambitiously describe themselves as a combination of Jane’s Addiction, Refused, Rage Against the Machine and the Foo Fighters. Now that is a ballsy statement. Not only is Middle Class Rut comparing themselves to three of the biggest bands of the ’90s (and Refused, a hardcore post-punk band from Sweden) with the release of their (somewhat) self-titled debut, they also hold the ideal that people actually want to hear another band that is wearing said influences on their sleeves. Surprisingly though, that ridiculously hyperbolic description is spot-on. And the fact that the result isn’t half bad is even more surprising. “Let It Go” and “All Walks Of Life” recall the anger and energy of their influences, with a hardcore punk edge that explains the somewhat questionable inclusion of Refused in their equation. Sure, they may run out of steam later on, with “So Long” and “I Don’t Really Know” feeling a bit too much like Jane’s Addiction for their own good, but this is one of the only bands who have managed to draw influence from mid-’90s alternative rock and not suck outright. And for that they deserve something. Also with ten songs (one secret) and over 40 minutes in length, this has to be the longest EP ever. (No Label)

Middle Class Rut MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

ism: Urgency

August 1, 2008 / David Medsker

The band’s name is a reference to the many ‘isms’ that they feel are tearing at the fabric of society (racism, terrorism, etc.), but we see the band’s name as an acronym: It’s Sub-par Muse. Lead singer and songwriter Andre Mistier is clearly a big fan of Matthew Bellamy & co – a quick glance at the band’s top friends on their MySpace page confirms this – and the band’s sophomore effort, Urgency, feels like one long mash note to the UK power trio. There is no questioning the band’s talents as musicians, and lead single “Sacred Cows,” with its Morello-esque octave-jumping guitar riff, could pass for a leftover track from the Black Holes and Revelations sessions. The problem is the band’s slavish devotion to replicating Muse’s style. The title track alone is three Muse songs rolled into one, combining the music from “Time Is Running Out” with the lyrics from “Apocalypse Please” and “Butterflies and Hurricanes” (“If you’re wondering what you’re made of, now’s the time to see / Bring on Apocalypse”). Oh, and their bass player uses a lot of effects pedals, just like a certain Muse bassist. These guys could be dangerous once they find their identity, but for now, they’re just a group of highly skilled copycats. (STM Records)

ism MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica, Rock