Category: Rock (Page 42 of 241)

Melissa Auf der Maur: Out of Our Minds

June 8, 2010 /


RIYL: Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, Danzig

As a former bassist for alt-rock icons such as Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Auf der Maur has been through the grunge wars. She’s been lying low for a while, but she’s clearly put a lot of energy into this new album. The album seems to have a vague theme about using the power of music to transcend dark times, and Auf der Maur has put together a collection of powerful tunes with strong production value and artistic flair.

“If there’s a fire, a need, a desire, are you willing and able to set the stakes higher?” asks Auf der Maur on the darkly-tinged title track. She’s set the bar higher with this album, inviting fans to go along for a ride. All of the tunes are minor key songs that veer from moody to hard rocking, and she navigates between those two areas with great skill. Many of the songs seem to have a cinematic vibe, as the album was apparently designed to accompany a graphic novel and film. The tunes stand alone well on their own, though.

“Isis Speaks” is a hard rocker that conjures the image of a dark goddess. “Follow the Map” is a highlight with its dark, edgy riffs and lyrics about a pirate’s journey. “Meet Me on the Dark Side” is another dynamic hard rocker, interspersed with some melodic guitar lines to create some extra sonic texture. The tune conjures the image of a character like Kate Beckinsale’s Celine from the “Underworld” movie series. Glenn Danzig joins the fun for a dark duet on “Father’s Grave,” which delves into a more subdued but freaky territory. Auf der Maur amps it back up with two more killer rockers toward the end of the album in “The Key” and “The One.” Then she closes it out with “1000 Years,” which seems to allude to an epic storyline.

The material is strong and could make for an intriguing theatrical style performance in the live setting if Auf der Maur should decide to go that way. (PHI-MAdM/EMI 2010)

Melissa Auf der Maur MySpace page

Alternative, CD Reviews, Rock

The Purrs: Tearing Down Paisley Garden

May 31, 2010 /


RIYL: The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Velvet Underground, The Brian Jonestown Massacre

The Purrs Tearing Down Paisly GardenThere’s much to be said for a band like the Purrs, with ten years together and six solid releases under its belt. They might not be household names, but they’ve never compromised their music to raise their profile. This is where the music comes out ahead, and Tearing Down Paisley Garden is yet another winner.

At seven songs, Paisley is not quite an EP, though had it been released in 1972, it still might have been considered a full-length album. And then, looking at the makeup of the songs themselves, Paisley could even be called an “odds and ends” kind of collection. “Only Dreaming” and “I Move Around” are covers of songs by ’80s goth rockers Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and the late Nancy Sinatra collaborator Lee Hazlewood, respectively. And “Just a Little More” and “It Could Be So Wonderful” are new recordings of old songs, which explains the oddly out of time reference to “the president” in the former.

In spite of what could easily have been a set-up for a major bomb, Paisley plays like a strikingly cohesive collection, exhibiting all the Purrs trademarks – Jason Milne’s cutting lead guitar lines, Jima’s lackadaisically cool detachment and sarcastic wit, and that reverb-laden, psychedelic shoegazey sound married to seasoned pop songcraft. If there’s anything different about the Purrs this time around, it’s a subtle but noticeable uptick in their mood compared to last year’s excellent Amused, Confused and More Bad News that comes through even in a downer like “I’m Slipping” – which in this case keeps a song about sexual transgressions against a friend from devolving into a pity party. And in the case of the disc’s closing tune, “Always Something In My Way,” the title ends up coming across less as a complaint and more as a celebration of the challenges that would crush a lesser person. Clearly, these Seattle stalwarts are having more fun than ever, which is exactly how a good rock record should sound. (self released 2010)

The Purrs MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Psychedelic, Rock

Me, Myself, and iPod 5/26/10: Legendary Scottish band, ahoy!

May 26, 2010 /

esd ipod

The Trashcan Sinatras – People
I love the Trashcan Sinatras. I’m not sure when they went from the Trash Can Sinatras to the Trashcan Sinatras, but oh well, but I’m guessing someone at SPINart fucked it up when putting the artwork for Weightlifting together. Anyway, they’re a fabulous bunch of guys, and God love them for sticking with it after all these years of relative obscurity. This is the first single from their new album In the Music, and it’s another smoove slice of literate jangle pop. If you like this, you should know that the rest of the album is even better.

Kathryn Calder – Slip Away
The newest member of the New Pornographers (she’s lead singer Carl Newman’s niece, and she joined during the sessions for Twin Cinema), Calder is picking a curious time to release a solo album, since she’s tied up with touring with the New Porns for the summer. But one listen to this track from the album Are You My Mother?, due out in August, shows that perhaps Carl and Dan should bring her to the writing table, because I’ll take this over anything on the last New Pornographers album any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Donn T – Look At
Two words: Female Kenna. If that doesn’t immediate ring a couple bells, then I have one word for you: Kenna.

See Green – I Can Change
Well, that didn’t take long. Courtenay Green, who’s fast becoming a regular in these parts, covered “I Can Change” from LCD Soundsystem’s new album This Is Happening. Man, is James Murphy the new Neil Young, where his songs sound infinitely better when covered by other people?

La Roux – Bulletproof (Hyper Crush remix)
Armed with a bass line that will set off car alarms, this mix of La Roux’s “Bulletproof” is totally ADD madness, but it’s cool. And I still haven’t grown tired of that Macintosh voice program.

Clubfeet – Teenage Suicide
If you’re anything like me, you saw that title and immediately sang the words ‘Don’t do it’ in your head, since that was the name of the hit song the DJ played in the movie “Heathers.” Well sure enough, immediately after the breathy male lead sings “Teenage suicide,” two girls shout, “Don’t do it!” Bonus points for reading my mind.

Shadow Shadow – Is This Tempest in the Shape of a Bell
Gotta give some love to the guitar pop set. Man, this would have been huge in 1975.

Alternative, Artists, CD Reviews, Dance, Downloads, Hipster, Me Myself and iPod, Pop, Power Pop, Rock, Steal This Song

Stone Temple Pilots: Stone Temple Pilots

May 26, 2010 /


RIYL: Pearl Jam, Incubus, Silversun Pickups

The new album from Stone Temple Pilots represents a rare throwback in more ways than one. The album’s vibrant sound is a bit of a flashback in how it recalls the early ’90s heyday of grunge. But the fact that it’s a major label release with full publicity push from Atlantic Records is another throwback – such releases are increasingly rare these days, with more and more bands opting for the indie route. But STP came out of the 20th century’s last significant musical revolution, so it seems fitting somehow.

The album definitively reasserts the band’s status as one of the best in rock. It mixes up hard rock with hooky melodic power-pop and a sonic majesty that should please any longtime fan, while also winning new ones. It’s the band’s most diverse collection of tunes yet, demonstrating an unwillingness to play it safe. Lead singles “Between the Lines” and “Take a Load Off” mine that classic STP sound – hard rock with a groove that makes you wanna move. Dean DeLeo is one of the best guitarists of his generation, while brother Robert on bass and Eric Kretz on drums make one of the tightest rhythm sections around. Scott Weiland’s distinctive vocals catalyze the tunes in a way that he could only do in hit-and-miss fashion with Velvet Revolver.

Stone_Temple_Pilots_02

“Huckleberry Crumble” stirs things up a bit with a swaggering ’70s groove that recalls classic Aerosmith, and some melty wah-wah from Dean DeLeo. “Dare if You Dare” and “Cinnamon” bring in a heavy ’60s influence, with a swirl of psychedelia and Beatle-esque melody mixed into a modern rock stew for a couple of tasty sonic treats. The bright and uplifting sound of “Cinnamon” is a hit single in waiting, but the song still brings more rock flair than most of what you’ll hear on pop radio.

Another highlight is “Hazy Daze,” which opens with with one of the DeLeo brothers’ best grooves, power trio riff rock at its finest. Robert’s dynamic bass line makes the groove really stand out and Weiland’s vocals surf effortlessly on top for an instant STP classic. Then there’s “First Kiss on Mars,” a melodic gem with a laid back vibe and Bowie-esque vocal. The song highlights the unique range of both Weiland’s voice and the band’s overall sonic character, both of which make STP far more than just another hard rock band. “Maver” is another unique tune, with an R&B vibe that shows a band willing to stretch out and not rest on its laurels. “Bagman” is another great rocker, with a fat groove and a restrained but tasty guitar solo, while “Peacoat” digs into some funky, bluesy riffage and features a guitar solo that sizzles. “Fast As I Can” is an appropriately titled up-tempo flyer with a down and dirty vibe that recalls Guns ‘n’ Roses, and a deliciously twangy solo from Dean.

Critics have long slammed the band for being derivative of the grunge peers that preceded them (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains), and some still do. A friend used to kid me that the band should be called Stone Pearl Garden. But the fact that STP blew up on the heels of those bands’ success doesn’t diminish the fact that this was and is a kick ass rock ‘n’ roll band. If they weren’t, legends like the Doors’ Robbie Krieger wouldn’t be sitting in with them (as he did for a smoking “Roadhouse Blues” at SXSW.) This album is a triumphant comeback for STP and almost surely one of the top 10 rock albums of 2010. If Weiland can stay clean, it should herald a new peak era for the band. (Atlantic 2010)

Stone Temple Pilots MySpace page

Alternative, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Psychedelic, Rock

Truth & Salvage Company: Truth & Salvage Company

May 25, 2010 /


RIYL: Black Crowes, Georgia Satellites, Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Hail, hail, the gang’s all here / With our heads full of reefer and our bellies full of beer,” begins Truth & Salvage Company’s excellent debut album, but this six-piece outfit has more on its mind than the munchies; in fact, this sinewy 12-track collection wastes no time in getting down to the business of delivering a dirty boot to your rock-starved ass, and keeps it there for a solid 46 minutes and 12 seconds. Laced with Wurlitzer and Hammond organ, shot through with loud guitars and punchy drums, and recorded by guys with tons of hair and names like Walker and Smitty, Truth & Salvage Company proves you can still make a damn fine record with nothing more than a few chords and a healthy stack of amps.

As a songwriting unit, the band doesn’t really offer anything you haven’t already heard from the Loud ‘N Shaggy section of your record collection – it’s clear they’re no strangers to the Allmans/Skynyrd/Faces axis – but their rock swagger feels more like a real attitude, not a pose, and even if there are already a million songs about hard-livin’ dudes on the road and the slutty-yet-totally-respectable babes who love them, these guys cover the territory so well (and with so many plaintive, drawl-tinged harmonies) that it’s hard to question their logic. Why did bands stop making records like this, anyway? Can these guys maybe do something about all that Godsmack and Drowning Pool on the radio?

Anyone who loves rock & roll knows the road is littered with the corpses of bands with tattoo-ready logos and song titles like “Pure Mountain Angel,” and with a debut as hard to top as Truth & Salvage Company, odds are high that these guys will join that list sooner than later. In the meantime, though, this sure is fun to crank at full volume. (Megaforce 2010)

Truth & Salvage Company MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

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