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Stardeath and White Dwarfs: The Birth

August 28, 2009 / James B. Eldred

Can nepotism be a genre? Seriously, these guys are the Flaming Lips Jr. Supposedly frontman Dennis Coyne is Wayne Cone’s nephew, but maybe that’s a cover story (kind of like how Jack Nicholson was led to believe his mother was his sister) and there’s some deep-seated family secrets hiding the truth and he’s actually Wayne’s secret son. Whatever the case, these guys don’t only sound like the Flaming Lips, they even seemed to have employed the same design team, as the cover art and liner notes ofThe Birth look like rejects from the the Yoshimi cover design sessions. Dennis worked as a roadie for his uncle’s band for a few years, so maybe the Flaming Lips are the only band he’s ever heard. It would make sense. Stop me if any of this sounds familiar; Beach Boys-style vocal harmonies, occasional psychedelic freak-outs, oblique lyrics about space, lasers and even a Superman reference. Really? Musically there is nothing wrong with this record, there is even one stand-out track, the bass-heavy “Those Who Are from the Sun Return to the Sun” but…it sounds just like the Flaming Lips! What’s the point? If I wanted to hear the Flaming Lips, I’d listen to The Flaming Lips, not their junior varsity squad. (Warner Bros 2009)

Stardeath and White Dwarfs MySpace Page

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Seventh Void: Heaven Is Gone

August 28, 2009 / R. David Smola

Kenny Hickey and Johnny Kelly have two fairly high-profile gigs: they are half of the Goth Metal band Type O Negative and the touring guitarist and drummer for Danzig. Hickey not only plays guitar in Seventh Void but also provides lead vocals on the record. Those expecting a Type O Negative record, go look somewhere else, this is a doom metal record which has much more in common with Down and Black Sabbath than the bizarrely delightful and original sound of Type O’s progressive goth spliced with bits of the Beatles under the influence of Satan. Seventh Void does a very good job of creating a great vibe; they nail the musical soundscape for the genre, but the vocals and the songwriting are sub par. “The End of All Time” stands out with its Sabbath riffing and a bit of a tone change in Kelly’s vocals. Far too often he sounds the same verse after verse, with a higher but raspy vocal delivery that lacks the character and richness that would have improved the material. After the album is over, you may think that the guitar playing was good and the overall sound of the record captured the genre, but you can’t really remember any one particular track. Pantera’s Vinnie Paul (who also owns the record company) and Sterling Winfield do a decent job producing and mixing the record; they just needed better material. It’s not fair to ask, but I wonder if this would have sounded better and more interesting if Peter Steele was singing? (Big Vin Records 2009)

Seventh Void MySpace page

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Tim Easton: Porcupine

August 28, 2009 / Lee Zimmerman

After four albums of portraying himself as the sensitive singer/songwriter type, Tim Easton returns to his roots and offers up a kinetic collection of jittery, frayed and unhinged rock ‘n’ roll clearly designed to usurp any more melodic impressions. As its title implies, Porcupine is embossed with a jagged edge and a prickly sensibility, given there’s only two actual ballads to speak of – “Stone’s Throw Away” and “Long Cold Night in Bed” – and they’re a moribund selection at that. “Seventh Wheel” offers the most orthodox attempt at conveying purely catchy choruses, but the rest of the set comes across as a cache of edgy, agitated, insurgent leanings, with at least a pair of tracks – “Get What I Got” and “Baltimore” specifically – suggesting that Easton may have sourced his inspiration from two of rock’s better-known procurers of angst and outrage, John Lennon and Steve Earle, respectively. And speaking of influences, it’s hard to avoid the comparisons churned through “Northbound,” a deft reflection of Creedence Clearwater Revival in early swamp-infested mode. Still, Easton also manages to maintain his knack for pointed – and poignant – observation, via what ultimately gels as the album’s standout selection, “Broke My Heart.” “There are only two things left in this world / Love and the lack thereof,” he sings, oozing a combination of resolve and recognition.
Fortunately, for all its unsettled, topsy-turvy miasma, Easton finds some stability residing at the heart of this foreboding beast.

Tim Easton MySpace page

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Pint Shot Riot: Round One

August 28, 2009 / James B. Eldred

Hailing from the West Midlands and cribbing from the best of britpop, post-punk and pub rock, these
guys are so British they probably shit the Queen. On their debut EP, the aptly titled Round One, the foursome delivers with a trio of tracks that are rawer than Arctic Monkeys and made of pure, Union Jack energy. First there is“Punches, Kicks, Trenches and Swords,” which is the anthem to a violent night out if there ever was one. It’s followed by the equally energetic “Holes” and “Start Digging,” all of which are rowdy stompers tailor made for filled pubs and small clubs full of sweaty maniacs. Those three songs are great, but unfortunately Round One is a six-track EP. The other half consists of slow to mid-tempo acoustic tracks, which are labeled as “acoustic versions,” implying that the plugged versions exist somewhere. These quieter songs are interesting and still upbeat and full of energy, but they’re not the same as the explosive, hard-rocking numbers that accompany them. They sound neutered, as if they removed the energy from them for the sake of artistic diversity. If electric versions of these tracks exist hopefully they’ll get put on Pint Shot Riot’s first proper LP, because diversity is nice, but fast-paced fist-pounding rock is preferable any day of the week. (Life In The Big City Records 2009)

Pint Shot Riot’s MySpace Page

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R.I.P. Ellie Greenwich

August 27, 2009 / Christopher Glotfelty

Beloved singer, songwriter, and producer Ellie Greenwich has died at the age of 68. With her husband and musical partner Jeff Barry, Greenwich composed hits for the Ronettes, the Shangri-Las, Tommy James & the Shondells, and Manfred Mann.

In 1962, she was discovered by songwriter-producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in the historic Brill Building when they heard her playing piano in a waiting room. Greenwich began writing hits with others and was often used as a session singer. Later on, when she met Barry, her career took off as the team composed such classics as the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and Manfred Mann’s “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy.” Unfortunately, their marriage ended, but they continued to work together through 1966 after they discovered Neil Diamond and helped launch his career.

In 1986, the popular Broadway show Leader of the Pack , which focused on her life and music, opened at Bottom Line. Greenwich even appeared as herself in Act Two. The musical continues to experience revivals.

She seemed like a great woman. I’m familiar with so many of her songs yet never knew she wrote them. Samples of her work are available below for your listening pleasure.

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