Category: CD Reviews (Page 215 of 399)

The Wanteds: Failure Looks So Good

September 19, 2008 /

Emo has become so pervasive (and so mall-friendly) that it’s developed a bad rap over the last five years or so, but anyone who weathered the bored detachment and smirking irony of the ‘90s could tell you that a little impassioned screaming isn’t such a bad thing once in a while. The best of the emo bands understand what Springsteen always has: Even if rock & roll can’t really save your life, sometimes it really feels like it can, and that’s enough to get you through a few dark nights of the soul. Tommy Harrington, frontman for Portland’s Wanteds, gets it, and even if he isn’t the greatest singer in the world – or whichever city block he happens to be standing on at any given moment – and his songwriting isn’t always up to par, he’s got the blood-curdling intensity thing down pat, and that – along with the band’s penchant for playing loud, live, and just long enough to keep from wearing out its welcome – rescues Failure Looks So Good from the Vans rock ash heap. Harrington says the record makes him feel the way he did when he heard Appetite for Destruction and Nevermind, which is a hell of a lot more than it’ll do for you, but you can’t fault him for his chutzpah, and he’s got the right idea. Lord only knows what he’ll write about if Harrington ever finds what he’s looking for, but in the meantime, this is a record well worth turning up. (Ultra Mookie 2008)

The Wanteds MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Lee “Scratch” Perry: Repentance

September 19, 2008 /

In which the most influential reggae producer of all time – a man who shepherded sessions for Bob Marley and the Congos (not to mention the Clash) – celebrates his 54th release by hooking up with Andrew W.K., the volume-craving lunatic behind such modern frat-rock classics as “Party Hard” and “We Want Fun.” As the late, great Frank Zappa might say: Great googly moogly. The end result doesn’t alter Perry’s sound as much as you might fear (or hope); the production edges him toward machine-made grooves and away from live ones, but when you get right down to it, Lee “Scratch” Perry is always Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Repentance doesn’t change that. Your mileage will vary based on your tolerance for the non-musical (and the skeevy – “Baby Sucker” is easily one of the creepiest songs to come out in 2008), but only the grumpiest of listeners will be able to make it through all dozen tracks without smiling at least once at Perry’s deranged antics; after all, how can you argue with a 72-year-old man who begs Jesus to give him more pussy? It won’t change the prevailing opinion that Perry’s work has been in decline for the last 30 years, but if you’ve got an itch for some off-the-beaten-path riddims, this’ll cure what ails you. (Narnack 2008)

Lee “Scratch” Perry MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dub, Reggae

Amie Miriello: I Came Around

September 19, 2008 /

Amie Miriello’s debut album, I Came Around, is the first release on Jive/Zomba imprint Bellasonic. In some ways, there are lots of different forces at work, but consider that Miriello’s music most immediately sounds like Alanis Morissette or Nelly Furtado. Add to that production help from Rob Wells (Backstreet Boys), David Hodges of Evanescence and Mitch Allan of SR-71, and this is radio magic waiting to happen. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Miriello has a dynamic voice, despite the fact that she tends to overdo things at times. The best tracks are the catchy opening title track and the second song “Pictures,” the latter of which sounds like Morissette or another ‘90s popster, Chantal Kreviazuk. And the final track, the R&B-tinged power ballad “Hey,” is also decent. But in between, parts of the album tend to grate on the eardrums. In particular, the vocal acrobatics Miriello attempts on “Beauty of Goodbye” and “Mother Cries Wolf” border on annoying. Taken as a whole, though, this debut is better than average and worth checking out, especially if Top 40 or alt-pop are your cup of tea. (LABEL: Bellasonic)

Amie Miriello MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

James Jackson Toth: Waiting in Vain

September 19, 2008 /

Toth’s psychedelic combo Wooden Wand provided a promising template for this, his solo debut, but despite his persistent croon and a decidedly dark ambiance, it’s far less cryptic than that previous project. Toth enlists a back-up band with considerable credentials – among them, members of Wilco, Deerhoof, Vetiver and Geraldine Fibers, as well as his wife and foil, Jexie Lynn. – giving him plenty of room to maneuver within their fluid arrangements. “Nothing Hides,” “Do What You Can” and “Midnight Watchman” seem somewhat innocuous on first glance, but there’s a sinister subtext in Toth’s tales, with shady characters, worrisome encounters and a general air of pervading doom tainting the atmosphere. Indeed, lyrics like “Cocaine and bourbon, pinball and pool – look in on me/Don’t leave me to face the slow death of a fool” and an inside cover photo of Toth cradling a revolver confirm his shaded intents. Swagger turns to stagger on the woozy ballad “Poison Oak” and the aforementioned ode to decadence, “Look in on Me,” but overall, this is a most assured collection and a distinctive one at that. (Rykodisc)

James Jackson Toth MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Music Labels, Rock

Mother Mother: O My Heart

September 19, 2008 /

They’ve been called the Canadian Shins and compared, somewhat inexplicably, to Hunter S. Thompson, but the best and easiest point of reference for anyone who hasn’t heard Mother Mother is the Pixies – the five-piece combo takes that band’s sweetly shrill male/female vocal dynamic, boils off all the aggro noise surrounding it, swaps it out for layers of smart, pleasantly unexpected pop production, and emerges with one of the nicest indie surprises of 2008. O My Heart follows Mother Mother’s debut, Touch Up, which earned frothy raves from the hip-crit elite – but don’t let that keep you from experiencing this record’s deliciously catchy pleasures. They’re boundary pushers, but mainly because they have such a rare gift for combining an eclectic spirit with an unerring sense of songcraft; in the space of a dozen tracks, they manage to run the gamut from the classic pop of “Flaming Pile” and “Wisdom” to the stuttering, angular “Hayloft” without stopping to catch their breath. And here’s the best part: O My Heart actually gets better as it goes along, instead of running out of steam after a few great tracks; the eight-nine punch of “Hayloft” and “Wrecking Ball” – the latter of which finds the band sounding like Rilo Kiley’s estranged younger cousins – is as good, if not better, than anything else on the record. And they’re just getting started – we can’t wait to hear what comes next. (Last Gang 2008)

Mother Mother MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

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