Tag: Eat Sleep Drink Music (Page 30 of 31)

Sunny Day Real Estate: Diary/LP2 (Reissues)

October 1, 2009 /

Diary

LP2

RIYL: Smashing Pumpkins, Polvo, Mineral

Even if you haven’t actually heard the music of Sunny Day Real Estate, chances are you at least have seen them name-checked in countless record reviews and interviews. We’ll spare you all of the “they helped spark the emo movement” hoopla and just dig into what’s really important here. The folks at Sub Pop have just re-released the first two albums by this almost mythical Washington state outfit. Both collections are filled to the gills with angular guitars, prog-rock styled rhythmic arrangements, and unorthodox yet infectious vocal melodies.

Originally released in 1994, Diary sounded like nothing else when it first crept its way onto college rock playlists. For starters, Jeremy Enigk’s vocals seem to come from another planet completely. His ethereal singing style had his notes often floating through the guitars and drums much like a keyboard or orchestra would. Imagine the Cocteau Twins’s Elizabeth Fraser fronting Smashing Pumpkins during the Gish era, and you would be close to what SDRE sounded like at the time. As layered and dissonant as the material on Diary was, the band’s hardcore punk roots definitely sprout up in moments. “Seven” and the bombastic chorus in “In Circles” were straight-forward and crunchy enough to hook in Sick of it All fans, while the introspective parts of the music appealed to the indie kids. This album changed a lot of people’s lives, and a million bands were born out of its influence.

In 1995 SDRE released LP2, which their cultish following quickly dubbed “The Pink Album.” The record came out posthumously as the combo had broken up earlier that year. It seemed like the adulation and mounting pressure that came along with the left-field success of Diary had done the guys in. Luckily SDRE managed to finish the sessions for LP2 despite the personal struggles they were going through at the time. The album’s nine songs span everything from King Crimson-esque guitar spaz-outs to gentler ballad-like moments. It’s a tougher listen than their debut album, but once you dig deeper into its heart, it’s an even more rewarding experience than anything else they’ve ever recorded. (Sub Pop 2009)

Click to buy Diary from Amazon
Click to buy LP2 from Amazon

Artists

Dressy Bessy: Holler and Stomp

October 17, 2008 /

This sassy little outfit from Denver has been slugging away at the rock n’ roll game since ’96, and Holler and Stomp is the sixth full-length album Dressy Bessy has pumped out since then. Everything about it screams kitsch – from the cover art donned with pink graffiti and busted trash cans and vintage 1970s stereo equipment, to lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Tammy Ealom’s sometimes off-pitch but always spunky vocals that mix equal parts Debbie Harry and Joan Jett, to the Ramones-like punk blast of the music that comes straight out of “My Boyfriend’s Back” territory. They’re like the harder-edged second coming of the late D.C. combo Tuscadero, and “Automatic” almost sounds like it could have been written with that even more obscure band in mind. This isn’t important music, or even “great” music. But it’s damn fun for the little while that a party-time helium-suck lasts, and deflates the pressure one’s brain may be under after listening to too many political commentators or prog records. Save it for when your favorite cool rock chicks come over to play your old childhood board games… with shots of tequila. (Transdreamer 2008)

Dressy Bessy MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Punk

Josh Rouse: The Best of the Rykodisc Years

October 17, 2008 /

His sales have never quite caught up with the critical accolades his albums have piled up over the last decade, but for lovers of gently introspective singer/songwriter folk-pop, Josh Rouse has been one of the last decade’s most trustworthy artists. He’s been one of the most prolific, too, racking up an impressive eight “official” releases over the last 10 years, plus an array of EPs, digital collections, and other assorted goodies – which is why, even though you may have never heard of Rouse, this two-CD best-of both fills a need and serves a purpose. The first disc collects 18 tracks from Rouse’s five Ryko full-lengths and adds a song from his collaboration with Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner for good measure. The track listing leans slightly heavier on Rouse’s more recent stuff, which is a good thing, as it means more room is devoted to the sunny 1972 and stellar Nashville; meanwhile, on the second disc, fans are treated to the entirety of 2001’s rarities compilation, Bedroom Classics, Vol. 1, as well as a smattering of demos and outtakes. There probably isn’t much here that Rouse fanatics haven’t already found one way or another, but it’s still nice to get it all in one place – and as a primer for one of the most sweetly melodic artists of the genre, it’s just about flawless. (Rykodisc 2008)

Josh Rouse MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop

Elvin Bishop: The Blues Rolls On

October 17, 2008 /

The blues are about nothing if they aren’t about overcoming adversity, and Elvin Bishop has surmounted more obstacles than most – he is, after all, an Okie cracker whose biggest hit came packaged with a lead vocal from future Starship captain and professional sucktard Mickey Thomas. That hasn’t stopped Bishop from acquiring something like god status in the blues pantheon, however – or from enjoying a critical and commercial renaissance over the last 20 years, churning out a series of solid sides for Alligator and Blind Pig. The Blues Rolls On finds Bishop on a new label, Delta Groove, but he’s surrounded himself with some old friends, including B.B. King, Tommy Castro, James Cotton, George Thorogood, Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band. Yep, it’s one of those albums – a kinda-sorta tribute to a living legend, heavy on the special guests – and as you might expect, The Blues Rolls On is a decidedly uneven affair. Bishop is in strong form throughout, and all of his guests acquit themselves admirably (particularly the Homemade Jamz Band and their nine-year-old drummer), but the record is drawn from a wide array of sessions, with some guests laying down parts in completely different studios, and as a result, it’s lacking the live feel and cohesion it really needs. Still, it’s a fun listen, and some of these tracks (like “Struttin’ My Stuff,” recorded with Haynes and Trucks, or the solo “Oklahoma”) are among the best of Bishop’s late-period work. (Delta Groove Music 2008)

Elvin Bishop MySpace page

Blues, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere: Nudge It Up a Notch

October 17, 2008 /

Add all the right elements and you’ve got an effective formula…right? Especially when the combination includes guitarist Steve Cropper, singer/keyboard player Felix Cavaliere and a set list that mines the old Stax sound. Certainly you won’t find more impressive résumés – Cropper helped helm Booker T and the MGs, backed up Otis Redding and the Blues Brothers and wrote such soul standards as “Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour.” Cavaliere, as the voice of the Rascals – Young and otherwise – literally defined the concept of blue-eyed R&B. Yet for all its promise, Nudge It Up a Notch doesn’t quite live up to its title. Boasting all originals, including a handful of instrumentals, it offers an air of authenticity, but without the credence that implies conviction. Cropper remains a singular guitarist and Cavaliere clearly possesses one of the most emotive voices of all time, but these new songs pack neither the fire nor the magic of the material they’re emulating. Back in the day, “One of Those Days” and “If It Wasn’t For Loving You” might have fit the formula, but now they represent a recycled sound that long ago was played to perfection.

Ultimately it’s not surprising that Nudge It Up a Notch doesn’t fare better. After all, these songs recall templates that have been indelibly etched, making any attempt to raise that bar a daunting challenge at best. But where Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples and Al Green recently rekindled old glories with albums that moved them forward, Cropper and Cavaliere seem content to glance backwards and retrace well-trod terrain. Although an admirable attempt, it lacks a necessary quotient when it comes to daring and distinction.

Steve Cropper MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock, Soul

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