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Modern Skirts: All of Us in Our Night

January 16, 2009 /

The Modern Skirts’ second full-length, All of Us in Our Night, bridges the gap between ‘70s AM gold and early ‘90s modern rock – which isn’t surprising once you take a look at the album credits and see that the producers assembled for the disc include David Lowery (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, Counting Crows) and Mike Mills (R.E.M., duh). It probably goes without saying that none of All of Us resonates as strongly as the best work from any of the above-named bands – heck, maybe not even strongly enough to remain lodged in your memory banks after the disc is finished playing – but none of it sucks, and in some places (particularly the brightly loping “Radio Breaks”), it hints at a brighter future for the young Athens outfit. Not greatness, perhaps, but why get greedy? This is a dozen-song set that hearkens back to a simpler, more innocent time, and even if its chances of ending up on your year-end best-of list are rather slim, it’ll help you while away a few bitter winter weeks hearkening back to a simpler, more innocent time. If you need a little more jangle and/or gentle, sunny harmonies in your musical diet, look no further. (self-released 2009)

Modern Skirts MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Cash Cash: Take It to the Floor

January 16, 2009 /

For most music fans, a band name like Cash Cash probably provokes mental images of DJs, bling-flashing MCs, and bangin’ beats – and even though this New Jersey quartet delivers on that last front, and got its first big break from the DJs who turned “Party in Your Bedroom” into a dance hit, they’re actually a pack of power pop-dealing honkies whose sound has more to do with the Click Five than Lil Wayne. Obviously, wrapping rock guitars in a hard candy shell is nothing new; bands from Cheap Trick to New Jersey’s own Fountains of Wayne have tried to make a commercial go of it for decades, with spotty results (to say the least). But to their credit, Cash Cash manage to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that recent like-minded acts such as Swirl 360 and the aforementioned Click Five have stumbled into; their songs are pretty uniformly solid, for one thing, and although they rely heavily on programmed beats and trendy, analog-sounding synths, their sound isn’t quite as brightly colored as it could be – which is a very good thing, because it staves off ear fatigue long enough for the album to draw you in. The whole thing is decidedly lightweight, but it’s a lot of fun, and it bridges the gap between power pop, dance, and New Wave more successfully than, say, the Killers. During the dead of winter, relentlessly sunny tracks like “Your Love” should provide reason enough for plenty of repeat listens. (Universal Republic 2009)

Cash Cash MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop

BeauSoleil: Alligator Purse

January 16, 2009 /

Michael Doucet’s bayou crew is still going strong after 30-plus years and 20-plus albums – as evidenced by this sprightly 13-song set of new songs, Cajun classics, and unlikely covers. BeauSoleil bills Alligator Purse as “the funkiest history lesson ever created,” and although that’s a pile of publicist hyperbole, this is still a typically strong set, bolstered by appearances from famous names both obviously complementary (Garth Hudson, Roswell Rudd, Bill Keith) and not (Natalie Merchant, John Sebastian). The popular knock on BeauSoleil has always been their willingness to tinker with the traditional Cajun formula, and the band’s detractors will find plenty to grouse about here; Alligator Purse maintains the spirit of freewheeling experimentation that has infused their music since the beginning. The band’s detractors are miserable sticks in the mud, though – every BeauSoleil record is the soundtrack to a party waiting to happen, and this is no exception. Highlights include a woozy take on the classic “Marie” and covers of Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ & Tumblin’” and J.J. Cale’s “The Problem” – not to mention Merchant’s saucy vocal cameo on “Little Darlin’” – but the whole set is stronger than any new album from an act that’s been around this long has a right to be. Never mind the purists – just turn this up and stay awhile. (Yep Roc 2008)

Official BeauSoleil site

Cajun, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Paul Van Dyk: Hands On In Between

January 16, 2009 /

Paul Van Dyk has been releasing music since the early ’90s, and in the world of electronic music that’s a very long time. He’s a trance pioneer, but if his 2007 album In Between was any indication, he’s getting a little tired of the genre. This was his most non-trance album to date, embracing house, techno and even some pop-friendly dance music into the mix thanks to guest appearance by Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta. If you thought that the departure from trance was a mistake for Van Dyk, then you’ll probably eat up Hands On In Between, a remix album that trances up the original in a big way, with mixed results. Trance is in its very nature a droning and repetitive genre, and that’s not helped here by the fact that multiple songs are remixed multiple times, while others tracks from the original In Between are left off entirely. Why include two remixes of “New York City” but none of the far superior “Sabotage”? Even more maddening is the snub of “Fall with Me,” the David Byrne-featured track that served as a perfect closer to the original album. It’s a scientific fact that David Byrne makes everything better, so why he was needlessly cut out here is insane. But even though Hands On In Between is Byrne-less, it should still satisfy the fans of Paul Van Dyk, even if they were lukewarm on the original version. (Mute Records)

Paul Van Dyk MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Electronica

Friendly Foes: Born Radical

January 16, 2009 /

Just a couple years old and enthusiastically brewing up some fresh power pop noise, current trends be damned, Detroit trio Friendly Foes come out swinging on their first album, and it’s clearly a first. “Full Moon Morning” opens the album with the band’s story in song, a song that’s more for themselves than the rest of us. With that short burst of intra-band self-reflectivity out of the way, we hear a group that is still very much rooted in the present – at no other time would a power pop trio be heard playing a song called “Couch Surfing.” Singer/guitarist Ryan Allen achieves an irresistible vocal blend with bassist/vocalist Liz Wittman (especially on the album’s standout, “My Body (Is a Strange Place to Live)”), who herself turns in a confident, elastic lead vocal in the tradition of indie power pop forebears like Juliana Hatfield and Kay Hanley on “Get Ripped.” If Cheap Trick ever decides to tour rock clubs again, this band should be at the top of their list for potential opening acts. (Gangplank 2009)

Friendly Foes MySpace

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

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