REVIEWS FROM DAGGER
5/4/07:
COLIN BLUNSTONE- ONE YEAR- WATER- Ah……Mr. Colin Blunstone. He of the velvety voice that Joe
Pernice has probably taken a few cues from .He being the man other bands have written songs about.
He being the man behind the mic on The Zombies classic: ODESSEY AND ORACLE. Just his name alone
sounds like he should be knighted (love the way it rolls off the tongue). Anywho, ONE YEAR is his
solo debut from 1972 and it was produced by Zombies cohorts Rod Argent and Chris White and it’s an
nice blend of breezy pop (with a nice samba-esque Tropicalia bent) like the suave’ opener “She
Loves the way They Love Her” and the bouncy “Mary Won’t You Warm My Bed.” The other half are
more subdued , spare numbers like the gorgeous “Misty Numbers” or the dreamy “Caroline Goodbye.”
This is a real treat for Zombies fans (like me !) …some of the songs feel like they could be part
2 of ODESSEY AND ORACLE , like a long lost friend who just showed up at your door. Once again the
Water label has done us all a great service by reissuing this and the 16 page booklet has some
great liners and photos and quite honestly, it’s a superb package all the way around. (
www.midheaven.com )
THE DARK BEAKS- SPILL YOUR HEART-
FISHRIDER- Every once in a while I get records by bands I’ve never heard of (actually, happens all
the time) but when that record comes from the little island of New Zealand (ok, NZ is actually two
islands) , namely Dunedin and claim inspiration from some of my faves like The Bats, The Clean and,
most importantly, The Chills….then ol’ Daggerboy sits up and takes notice (I had a boss who , when
I asked him how he was he would say “Able to sit up and take nourishment !”). The trio, led by the
songwriting of Andrew Jamison ( all around stand-up guy Ian Henderson on drums and Andrew Last on
drums round out the corp) aren’t all brittle pop (thought I wouldn’t mind it if they were !) as
some of the song seven recall the soupy turmoil of the X-Pressway (Dead C, etc.) but these guys are
mostly about melody and strong cuts like “Spill Your Heart”, “Dream About You” , “Roll Along” and
the light n’ drizzly “Open the Window” show a strong pop sensibility. This bunch has already
garnered plenty of rave reviews in their homeland and if Americans are smart (ok, many are not )
then they will begin to take notice (or take nourishment ). It’s been too long since I’ve heard
something this inspired come out of New Zealand so get while the gettings good. (www.darkbeaks.com
)
THE INNER BANKS- S/T- DAG !- Not sure
what they’re putting in the water in Brooklyn, NY but I want some of whatever The Inner Banks are
having. The little sticker on the front says they sound like Air, Japancakes and Azure Ray. Ok,
that was enough to get me to wanna check it out and it’s a real nice n’ easy listen. The druggies
at my high school would have called this “headphone music” (‘cept that was in the late 70’s/early
80’s so they would have been grooving to Rush or Pink Floyd ) but I could never handle music with
headphones on….i was always too afraid that my sister was going to sneak up behind and yell, thus
scaring the crap out of me. This is basically the work of David Gould, some guy from NYC with way
too much time on his hands and a Tascam in his dorm room . I’m guessing he skipped a year of
classes at NYU to record this and bully for him ! He has his priorities in the right place (though
his parents are quite bummed) and his gauzy, hazy orchestral ditties are impressive. The ethereal
vocals on “Glittering Sky” were swoony while the piano on “Siberia” reminded me of my days
ice-fishing in that butt-cold country. He’s got a whole host of folks playing on this and these 7
songs slide by in under 34 minutes so you can’t use the ol’ excuse “not having enough time.” No
time ??? YOU MAKE SOME TIME (and please forgive me if the info about David going to NYU was
completely wrong ..i mean I gotta make up some stuff, right ?). (
www.dagrecords.com )
LET’S GO SAILING- THE CHAOS IN ORDER-
YARDLEY POP- Long live twee pop !! Twee pop..…..that disgusting term that everyone hates
(including the bands that are called it ) but I don’t mind it, it’s descriptive. L.G.S. leader
Shana Levy spent some time in L.A. indie-pop outfit Irving (and has helped out Rilo Kiley, and
dios (malos) on recordings ) so she had some good training prior to recording her debut cd.
Luckily she had already dipped her big toe (make that whole foot ) into the L.A. pop community
and , thankfully , those friends did not mind lending a hand . With help from members of Silversun
Pickups, Beachwood Sparks and others (Tanya Haden on cello ), Levy and her merry crew have
created a terrific pop record with songs about icicles and too many stars with Levy’s tender
voice telling the stories. It’s easy to see why the band has such a devoted following with a slew
of interesting melodies (informed by her classical piano training ) on songs such as the dreamy,
“It’s As Clear” , the bouncy “Sideways” and the jangly “We Get Along.” The cover art (created by
Levy herself ) looks like something off of a Beat Happening record so you know that L.G.S. is in
good company. If any of the above words mean anything to you then ask grandma to buy you THE CHAOS
IN ORDER for your birthday (or your bar mitzvah) hell…..i think even granny might dig it. (
www.yardleypoprecords.com )
4/30/07:
DINOSAUR JR.- BEYOND- FAT POSSUM- I hear a lot of young un’s talk about how much they love Dino
Jr. but when I ask what their favorite record is they usually mention one that came after BUG
(their 3rd record and last one with the original lineup). Some of those records aren’t bad (I do
like GREEN MIND) but they ain’t Dinosaur Jr. As far as I’m concerned to call a record “Dinosaur Jr”
. you have to have J, Lou and Murph and BEYOND is the first record from these three in 18 years and
it sounds great. J’s long hair has turned gray, Murph is completely and Lou….well, Lou still kinda
looks the same (lotsa hair in his eyes in one recent promo shot…just like the old days). The
perfect opener, “Almost Ready” opens things up in classic Dino Jr. style and it sounds like nothing
has changed. Next up is my favorite song on the record the gorgeous “Crumble”, a bit reminiscent of
“Severed Lips” off their first record (or “Quest”). It then goes right into the guitar-heavy “Pick
Me Up” which shows Mascis has not forgotten how to play a guitar and Lou and Murph can still pound
out that rhythm. Elsewhere you have two Lou songs, the wonderful “Back to Your Heart” and the
meatier (but just ok) “Lightning Bulb.” Of all of the reunion records coming out this was the one
that I was most anxious to hear (screw The Stooges) and they did not disappoint ! Thank you. (
www.fatpossum.com )
THE HIGH LLAMAS- CAN CLADDERS- DRAG
CITY- I must admit, after hearing their sparkling debut, GIDEON GAYE, I had high hopes for these
Llamas. The next record, HAWAII, was terrific as well if a bit far-reaching but after that…..they
lost me. On later records like COLD & BOUNCY and SNOWBUG the warmth of the sun seemed to turn more
into a chilly coldness, like an old friend that’s snubbing you. I must say though, on CAN CLADDERS,
it’s great to see leader Sean O’Hagen back in a radiant pop mode. It’s also great to see him
back in the sandbox (ala’ Mr Beach Boy, Brian Wilson …..O’Hagens’ hero) ) and CAN CLADDERS is full
of what made O’Hagen’s songs so enthralling in those mid-90’s: strings, pianos, horns and a harp.
Tunes like the chiming opener, “The Old Spring Town” (which begs the question, “How many times have
you been to Mexico ?”……..me ? twice ! ) , the gentle “Honeytrop”, which skips along without a worry
in the world or the sublime, tentative title track (with adds some gorgeous female vocals, which is
actually a troupe of four females: Winnie, Tania, Sylvia and Kelsey ) and the very baroque
“Clarion Union Hall” show O’Hagen and his cronies have regained their previous magic. Perhaps it
was an inspirational trip to Mexico…I’m not sure where the new batch of fine songs came from, I’m
just glad it’s here. ( www.dragcity.com )
THE ELECTRIC POP GROUP- S/T-
SELF-RELEASED- Never had heard of this Swedish bunch before Chris on the indie pages gave it a
good review and likened it to some of the old classic stuff on Sarah Records (which I love) m plus
they have a cool name so I just thought I’d like it.….and I do. I do have to say that they sound A
LOT like the old Sarah Records band Brighter (and thus, much like Brighter’s current incarnation,
Harper Lee). Bit I have never minded if a band garners a lot of inspiration from another band as
long a they do it well and the E.P.G. do it well. The band, at least for this record, was made up
for two brothers Martin and Erik Aamot who do most of the songwriting on guitar/vocals and bass
respectively with Linnea Nillson on electric organ (Linnea has since left the band and two other
guys have joined). If you have heard stuff on labels like Sarah, Sunday, Matinee, Shelflife and
Claire then you know the sound; jangly guitar, gentle vocals about heartbreak , simmering
keyboards, a drum machine and a mid-tempo sound. Superb cuts like “Popgirly”, “Don’t Bring Me
Out”, “Walk Away” and “Sweeter Than the Rest” are pop nuggets that will give you more cavities than
a million Oreos. My only complaint, and it’s a small one, if that the band stays the mid-tempo sure
for the whole record and the sound doesn’t veer too far from that. Next time guys toss in a few
faster rave-ups ! Just an idea…otherwise, this is terrific. (www.theelectricpopgroup.net )
MARIA MCKEE- LATE DECEMBER- COOKING
VINYL- Most folks know of Maria McKee as being the singer for the roots band Lone Justice (and
being the half-sister of the late Love guitarist, Bryan McLean). While her previous record 2005’s
PEDDLIN’ DREAMS was a return to her rootsier days, LATE DECEMBER is anything but that. McKee who
either wrote, or co-wrote (with guitarist/husband Jim Akin) all 12 of these songs, includes
influences of the more pop variety. Many of these tunes have a majestic sense of urgency and even
include a soulful, Motown influence (mostly in the backing vocals). The opening title track is
moody n’ soulful while the Bacharachian (as in Burt ) “No Other Way to Love You” swings and jumps
and probably sounds just as great (or better) in a live setting. On “A Good Heart” McKee lays bare
her feelings and the rootsy, “Too Many Heroes” is probably the closest they come here to writing a
Lone Justice-esque tune and it’s one of my favorites on the record. A few lovely piano ballads
offset the more rockin’ moments (tho’ “Destine” which starts off like a quiet piano ballad, does a
fake-out move the slips into Queen territory and truly comes alive !). Having not heard much of
McKee’s music I was not quite sure what to expect with LATE DECEMBER but in room full of hundreds
of new cds to listen to (not even counting the thousands of old ones I have) I’m glad I grabbed
this one and actually decided to play it. A fantastic ride all the way through. (
www.cookingvinyl.com )
4/20/07:
ASOBI SEKSU- CITRUS- FRIENDLY FIRE- They hail from NYC (not Tokyo….but they do have a Japanese
singer) and the whole thing is wrapped in a brightly colored sleeve , plus it’s called a CITRUS so
I knew it was gonna be good and sure ‘nuff, it is ! The band lays down it warm groove complete
with chiming keyboards ,fuzzy guitars ( courtesy of James Hanna ) and the stunning vocals of
frontwoman Yuki. A tune like “New Years’ starts off innocently enough, tromping through an almost
Stereolab territory (or Lush ) by then at a certain point they hit the gas pedal and a raucous My
Bloody Valentine vibe kicks in. Elsewhere, I gotta say that I love that jangly guitar lick in
“Strawberries.” Ok, you want dreamy ? Just listen to the swoony “Strings” and think of every
beautiful dream you have ever had or the equally as stunning “Pink Cloud Tracing Paper.” Not sure
how long this bunch have been around for or how many other record they have out but I think you get
the picture that’s it’s right up my alley. If your bag is England in the early 90’s then you’ll
definitely make room for this somewhere in your collection. (www.friendlyfirerecordings.com )
THE BASEMENT- ILLICIT HUGS AND
PLAYGROUND THUGS- ZEALOUS- Irish quartet led by the elusive John Mullin who apparently had spent
years in the studio creating their debut record and it’s a doozie. Remember that tune called “Lily,
Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts “ on Dylan’s BLOOD ON THE TRACKS ? Well, this is like a whole
record full of that kind of rich, organic rock that so few bands do these days (or at least do
well). The first cut, “Do you think You’re Moving On” has that feel of a classic. Like a tune
you’d heard hundreds of time when in fact it’s the first time you have ever heard it but it sounds
all so familiar. “I Just Caught a Face” is another one…..and “When Tomorrow Comes “ is another.
ILLICIT HUGS AND PLAYGROUND THUGS is full of them. It has that jangly guitar, the cardboard box
drums (a compliment), whirring organ, nimble bass and the 3-packs-a-day vocals of Mullin who
sounds like he’s been around the block a few times (even if he is only in his early
20’s…..actually, I have not idea how old he is). The Saw Doctors attempt this kind of stuff and
occasionally hit the mark but The Basement hit it more times than any band this young is supposed
to. And for that, I commend them. ( www.zealousrecords.com )
PAPERCUTS- CAN’T GO BACK- GNOMONSONG-
Pot-smoking, Birkenstock-wearing hippy Jason Quever was raised in a commune in Humboldt County,
Calif. but don’t hold that against him. Instead of following that muse (ie: hopping along on the
Phish tour) he must’ve surrounded himself with good music ‘cos CAN’T GO BACK is a true winner from
start to finish. He has played with both Skygreen Leopards and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
but as Papercuts he has the room to stretch his toes a bit. As always, I’ll start with the first
song, “Dear Employee.” On here Quever sounds like a young Dean Wareham (when he was just starting
Galaxie 500) but Wareham was born in New Zealand and raised, at least in part, in NYC and not the
backwoods of Northern California. What amazes me about Quever is that he doesn’t seem to run out
of ideas….most of these 4-track Johnny Comes latelys usually have a solid ep’s worth of good to
great material but Quever is able to pack nearly 40 minutes worth of solid to great music. Whether
it’s the haunting “Summer Long” or the slightly traditional “Take the 227th Exit” or the bucolic
“Sandy’ he’s got a winner here. Don’t let this one go by unnoticed folks. ( www.midheaven.com
)
PEACHFUZZ- CATCH YOUR SNAP-
TEENACIDE- I dug the previous Peachfuzz cd ( on Orange Sky Records) from a few years ago but CATCH YOUR SNAP, on the great punk/bubblegum label Teenacide has some real charm to it. Between the four of them they’ve got enough hair to make the Redd Kross’ McDonald Bros. (who they remind me of) damn proud and they take their cues them, as well as older timers like The Knack and Cheap Trick as well as more recent power-pop knuckleheads like The Lolas and just about any band on Not Lame label. Right from “Silly Act” this record begins thumping with hook-heavy guitar and a rhythm section who seem to love what they’re doing. Vocalist/guitarist Anthony Chojnacki (fake name) just wants to have a good time and ain’t nuthin’ wrong with that , in my book, as long as you got the songs to back it up and he/they sure as hell do. The band is no one-trick pony either, listen to “L.A. is Where I Belong” with it’s psych/western feel and the slower/70’s soft pop of “Muscat Wine” and it’s nice to hear a band change up every now and again. But still , what this band does best is put your ass to the seat of your 1971 Pontiac GTO and make you want to do well over the speed limit. Cuts like “Hero of Ninetheen Eighty Three” , “All that is Obscene” and “Find Out” do that perfectly. Hey, they know what they’re good at and they like to show it off….can’t blame em’ for that. ( www.teenaciderecords.com )
4/16/07 (DVD reviews):
AMERICAN HARDCORE- THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN PUNK ROCK 1980-1986- SONY PICTURES- For the most part I enjoyed Steve Blush’s book of the same name . True, the book had some factual errors, plenty of typos and Blush’s own occasional obnoxious personality throughout but the array of folks he got to open up about the early days of hardcore was pretty amazing. The same can be said of the AMERICAN HARDCORE documentary (written by Blush and directed by Paul Rachman). I first started listening to hardcore in about 1983 and I loved it, loved everything about it. For several years i was addicted to it and couldn’t listen to anything else. Rachman ties together the beginning of h/c with Reagan’s reign in office when you had a whole host of bands from all over the country forming and speaking out against the man with the plastic hair. The documentary here is sorta all over the place but we do get to hear some interesting (and occasionally funny ) stories from the likes of H.R. (Bad Brains), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat), Henry Rollins Black Flag), Keith Morris (Circle Jerks), as well as others from Zero Boys, Die Kruezen, SS Decontrol, MDC, The Adolescents, etc. etc. You wonder why there’s barely a mention of heavyweights like the Dead Kennedys, or Husker Du while we see an overflow of the aforementioned Black Flag and Bad Brains but hey, it’s Rachman’s film, not mine or yours ,and since I eat this stuff up I’m happy that it exists in the first place and have watched the dvd countless times since buying it (and am still amazed at some of the stories Jack Grisham (T.S.O.L.) tells and wonder why he’s not doing 10-20 in San Quintin and why is that Pantera bonehead, Phil Anselmo , even in this ??!! Will someone please tell me ?!). ( www.sonyclassics.com )
TIM BUCKLEY- MY FLEETING HOUSE- MVD-
Wow…really glad to see this. Sometimes I wonder that of it weren’t for the fame of his son , Jeff, Tim Buckley could easily be forgotten and that would be really sad cos’ eh was such a true talent (and left this world way too soon). MY FLEETING HOUSE is a terrific look at the man, his music and his life as told through interview clips, videos, tv appearances and interviews with some of his closest confidantes like his guitarist Lee underwood , song co-writer Larry Beckett and author David Browne (who wrote “Dream Brother: The Lives of Jeff and Tim Buckley”). You get to see some amazing stuff like Buckley being interviewed by Steve Allen (with Allen’s female sidekick (can’t remember her name) making some decidedly trying-to-be-hip comments) , playing “Song to the Siren” on THE MONKEES television show (and being introduced by Mickey Dolenz), to him chatting politics with CATCH 22 author Joseph Heller to him doing “The Dolphins” on the UK tv show THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST . Watching Buckley grow from a young, afro’d folkie to the jazz-influenced guy with the dad-looking hairstyle (well, for the early 70’s, anyway) is quite amazing. The guy, a lot like Michael Bloomfield, hated playing the game and in those few tv appearances he seemed not wholly comfortable (and refused to play songs off his records to help “sell” the recor d he usually would play an unreleased song when he appeared on tv) . But the music is as far as it goes, we hear next to nothing of his childhood, his early marriage (to Mary, mother of Jeff) and his drug overdose ,from heroin, at the age of 28 . Still, that aside, you’re not going to find amore comprehensive bushel of Buckley material anywhere (not much exists) so break the credit card out now. ( www.musicvideodistributors.com )
THE DECEMBERISTS- A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK-
KILL ROCK STARS- It took me a while to warm to The Decemberists. They’re given lots of love here being a Portland band so I definitely felt like I was in the minority on not instantly liking them. But I have finally come around. The main issue I had was the sound of singer/guitarist/leader Colin Meloy’s voice…which still isn’t my favorite but the band does so many other things well, that I can get past it. This docu is broken into three parts: a live gig, a 25 minute documentary, and 5 of the band’s videos (including two of my favorites: “The Soldiering Life” and “16 Military Wives”) . I thoroughly enjoyed the live set (from Portland. Roseland Theatre from November 2005) and the videos were artsy and entertaining but the 25 minute documentary was even more interesting. They interview the different band members (including multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk and keyboardist/accordion player Jenny Conlee who toss off some interesting yarns ) and they all explain how they met each other and how they were grateful for anyone to come to their early gigs . How Meloy began writing songs just to entertain his girlfriend and how they are all baffled by their stunning popularity. Umm….me too. Here it is early in 2007 and bands like The Shins, Arcade Fire and these guys are getting on the charts ! If you’re a fanatic you’ll cherish this and even amore casual fan (like me ) will find plenty to like here. They’ve earned their keep. ( www.killrockstars.com )
MISSION OF BURMA- NOT A PHOTOGRAPH: THE
MISSION OF BURMA STORY- MVD- Of all the band reunions these past few years I think the Mission of Burma one had to be the most unlikely (ok, The Pixies one was probably the most unlikely). Not because Boston’s M..O.B. broke up in a haze of anger and drug abuse……that couldn’t be further from the truth. As far as i know the band broke up being singer/guitarist Roger Miller developed tinnitus, (the constant ringing in his ears). Not only that but it seemed like the band had accomplished all they had wanted to do. Even in this new documentary, Miller states, “I still am not sure why we are doing this.” The amazing thing is, the band has lost nothing in twenty years. While this documentary focuses on the band’s out-of-the-blue (to me , anyway) 2002 reunion there is plenty of old footage to ogle over and even some of their previous band, The Moving Parts. But it all leads up to the band members are currently doing. Bassist Clint Conley works for a local tv station where some of the younger employees are giddy this “rock star” status, Peter Prescott works at a Boston record store and Roger Miller has continued to play music all of these years. The original tape loop guy , Martin Swope, has been replaced by the able Bob Weston. In interviews before their big 2002 reunion gig in NYC the band members seem a bit bemused by it all but seem happy at the same time. One of the best bits on here is when drummer Prescott mentions how The Ramones wanted to keep it simple with three chords and not complicate things, yet how with M.O.B. they wanted to complicate things and with their edgy, arty brand of angular rock they sure did. It took along time but it seems like this bunch are finally getting their due. ‘bout time. ( www.musicvideodistributors.com )
4/8/07:
CLOROX GIRLS- J’AIME LES FILLES- BYO- I have a feeling this Portland trio could release a new record every month if they could find a label that would bankroll them, and who knows, maybe their new label, BYO is it ! I think they go through bass players about as often as vocalist/guitarist/leader Justin chugs a beer (or goes shirtless at a gig). Having said that, main guy Justin Maurer is back with a new rhythm and while I dig their debut cd and kinda dug their last one this is the one where they climb up on top of that banana split and proudly put that cherry on top (after having proudly trudged through the whipped cream ) ! 14 songs dance on by in less than 28 minutes and on J’AIME LES FILLES is where they slow it down (just a bit) and add more hooks n’ harmonies but still rock the house. “Do You Know That” starts off like The Buzzcocks “Harmony in my Head” and it’s funny I mentioned a banana split cos’ they have a great bubblegum pop tune on here called “Le Banana Split” (a song originally done by Lio….don’t worry, I’ve never heard of them either). “Stuck in a Hole” sounds like it too coulda been offa SINGLES GOING STEADY or maybe DAWN OF THE DICKIES (big Dickies influence on this record ) and I don’t know about you punk, but this is the record I was waiting for them to make. Let’s raise a tall one to these yucksters, they’ve done us proud. ( www.byorecords.com )
THE FRATELLIS- THE FLATHEAD ep- CHERRYTREE/INTERSCOPE- Can’t tell you much about this Brit. band (from Glasgow) save to say they have been garnering quite a following and with good reason, THE FLATHEAD ep rocks and is a blast ! It sounds like one big party….i always like it when bands are able to create that kind of atmosphere in the studio (and thus, on record) and not have the songs come out like goofs. Joe, Mince and Barry have hit upon a sound that has been done in their native UK dozens (ok, maybe more) of times (let’s start with The Libertines…only the Libertines never sounded like they were having thus much fun) but they add a bit o’ magic and while this only has 4 songs it’s enough of a dose for me to want to go out and buy the full-length. The title track is the hit single, all smiles, cranky guitars and woozy rhythm and the fists don’t begin pumping till the chorus kicks in and on “Henrietta” they do more of the same. “Stacie Anne” sounds like it coulda been off of UP THE BRACKET and the real party begins with “Cigarello” (as long as no one sticks anything in the mashed potatoes). Ok, I’m sold……..and hey, they even scored an opening slot on the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club tour so for once in my life I may have to part with some hard-earned cash and buy a ticket. Here’s to hoping I get my money’s worth. ( www.cherrytreerecords.com )
MEMPHIS- A LITTLE PLACE IN THE WILDERNESS- GOOD FENCES- Ok, how many bands is this Torquil Campbell in ?? I mean, we all know (and love ) Stars and ….umm…..ok., I know he has to have some others (or maybe I’m mixing him up with someone else). Anywho, I have the 2 other Memphis records and quite like them and A LITTLE PLACE …..is better than those. Torq (cool nickname…..i’m gonna start having people call me T-Bone, like George Costanza) and his pal Chris Dumont whip up dreamy pop tunes that the average punk rocker might denounce (but secretly play in his or her bedroom) but the rest of us who know what’s really going on dig this stuff and always have. Ok, the high points: the opening , heavenly “I Dreamed We Fell Apart”, the upbeat swagger of “Incredibly Drunk on Whiskey” (I still do not understand how people can drink that stuff…..it’s like the devil’s piss or something) , the perfectly relaxing “Time Away”, the brittle melodies of the title track and the Shoestrings-ish “I’ll Do Whatever You Want.” Out of the ten songs there were a few snoozers (they could have left off “A Ghost Story” and I wouldn’t have minded) but hey , no one’s perfect (not even someone named Torq) and there’s enough high points on A LITTLE PLACE…. to keep me coming back time and time again. ( www.goodfencesrecords.com )
KEN MICHAELS- THE LAST OF ITS KIND- ZOMO- Ok, who in the hell is this guy and where did he come from ??? Well, I have very little to go on (no press release…argh ! ) but he hails from the Boston area and I think he had a few other records out (judging from the webpage I may even have one of his eps….umm….one that I have never listened to). The guy is one hell of a songwriter, mixing a lot of PET SOUNDS, folky music and tossing in some electronic gunk too. No, I’m not saying this is as good as PET SOUNDS (my 2nd fave record of all time) but you can tell that record was an influence here so now that we have that out of the way onto the songs. The opening riff of the first song, “Little Fish” sounds like the opening lick from Mission of Burma’s “That’s When I Reach for my Revolver” (and hey, Ken does hail from the Boston area) but then gets all soft n’ ethereal and the next song (“So So”) you get more of the same (minus the Burma riff) . “Be Whatever” sounds like it could be a Yo La Tengo tune (when Ira decides to get melodic and drop the feedback). From one song to the next I’m amazed at the level of quality songwriting on this record and to add onto that, I’m glad Ken sent it to me and I’m glad that i took a chance and decided to listen to it (ummm…I get a lot of records and cds to review). I’m one of the lucky ones…you could be one too by checking out the website to my right: ( www.kenmichaels.org )
home
news
current issues
reviews
short reviews
interviews
top tens
best of 2006