The Failures' Union - "Sinker" cd  (One Percent Press)
I first heard this band a couple years ago when I was really getting into Lemuria (Jason from Lemuria also plays bass for this band); I picked up their first album and thought it was pretty good, but it didn't really grab me. Now we have their second album, and it's an entirely different story. They've taken their Superchunk/Archers Of Loaf-inspired indie rock sound and refined it a bit, creating a much more original and interesting record than their debut. This record is chock full of catchy indie rock tunes, with instant favorites including the title track, "Give Way", "West Coast, NY", "The Worst" and a revamped version of an earlier single, "Friends In Jail". They also show off a bit of a country influence with the poppy "Useless Facts" and the sadder "Carry It Well", both of which feature prominent use of pedal steel guitar. Even with sixteen songs, the album still only clocks in at just over 41 minutes, thanks to the handful of minute-long tracks sprinkled throughout the album - they're not exactly filler, but seem more like song ideas that never got beyond just a single verse or chorus. I quite liked "Step Light", but found the other two to be less interesting. A big improvement for this band, and a rather good record, as well!   MTQ=13/16

The Faintest Ideas - "What Goes Up Must Calm Down" cd  (Magic Marker)
For those who don't already know, the Faintest Ideas is the new name for Javelins from Gothenburg, Sweden - same lineup and classic sound, but now with a name not already taken by lesser bands. Regular readers will be unsurprised by the fact that I completely love this record, both because I've been raving about each of their releases for the last few years and also because this album topped my "best of 2006" list. And that's just the tip of the praise they desreve, as every song on their American debut is a hit! Like their previous releases, these songs tend to be as melodic as they are speedy (with most lasting no longer than two minutes), taking cues from noise-pop bands like Boyracer and Wedding Present, as well as early Buzzcocks. No point in picking favorites, as they're all contenders. I guess my only complaint would be that a few of these songs are taken from earlier releases, but that doesn't matter at all because they're terrific songs and merit repeating, and many folks are unlikely to possess the entire Javelins back catalog (although, really, they should...). An amazing way to spend a half hour!   MTQ=15/15

Fairline Parkway - "s/t" cd  (Lazyline)
Debut album from this duo from Atlanta. I didn't really care much for it on first listen, but after a few more times, it sunk in a little better. It's very morose, quiet pop, similar to early Aden, Brittle Stars, and Vitesse. Maybe a touch of Pinback in places, too, in the sound of the production (see "Road On Fire"). The pair seem to handle the instrumentation fairly evenly, which includes guitars, keyboards, drums (both real and programmed), piano, and other assorted percussion. With the exception of a guest on a few tracks, the vocals are very nice, melancholic male vocals. The record has a very warm, atmospheric feel to it; very dreamy. Their songs aren't especially catchy (with the exception of "This Kid" near the end of the album), but they're not really boring either (well, most aren't). Most of the songs stay under the four minute mark, though a couple do stray into six minute territory. A very nice record, but it's the kind of music that I have to be in a certain mood for...   MTQ=8/11

Fairmont - "Transcendence" cd  (Mint 400)
Apparently, the band sees this record as a bit of a screenplay or novella, and though I might not fully agree with that statement, its opening track, "Being & Nothingness" (a 5½-minute long epic with a jaunty first half and a big-sounding extended coda a la Polyphonic Spree) certainly does fit the description. The rest of the album (despite a few blatantly autobiographical moments) does not have a transparent underlying theme. The band's sound reminds me of a mix between the Smoking Popes, the Prom (especially due to the frequent use of bouncy keyboards) and a little bit of Fountains Of Wayne (particularly in "Prick"), mixing a crunchy guitar sound with occasional fuzzy synths. A couple of the songs at the beginning of the record seemed a bit too "alt-rocky" for me, nearly scaring me off entirely, but digging deeper into the album proved rewarding, with favorites including "Luck Will Change", "True Love Waits For Me" and the final track, "Melt Your Heart", which is an uplifting tune whose outro contains echoes of the coda from the disc's opener.   MTQ=7/10

The Fairways - "Darling, Don't You Think?" 7"  (Matinee)
A long time in the making, but the Fairways have finally released a record! *applause all around* This is pure, gentle pop in the vein of Sarah Records. Imagine an early Blueboy 7" with a pop hit on the A-side and two gentle acoustic songs on the flip, and that describes this perfectly. The cover even looks like an early Sarah single! Pure beauty.   MTQ=3/3

The Fairways - "Is Everything All Right?" cd  (Paris Caramel)
I can't write this review without sounding like a thesaurus' entry for the word "beautiful". Simply put, this is perfect pop with super jangle and strummy guitars and wistful boy vocals. Blueboy, the Sea Urchins, Holiday... you name an indiepop classic, and this disc will sit well alongside. This is the best guitar-pop record since the Brideshead record. Everything about this shimmers. I'm honestly not too fond of the last song, "Let's Go", which is a bit long and slow; but god how I love "Close To Me"!! One of my top ten for the year so far...   MTQ=9/10

The Fairways / Three Berry Icecream - "split" cdep  (Dogprint)
Just in time for these two bands' West Coast tour together in July is this four song ep. It's one of those cool singles, where each band does a song, then covers a song from the other (not the same one). The Fairways songs are, of course, the breeziest soft pop songs this side of Blueboy. 3BI are a Japanese band that sing in English and use many different instruments, such as the violin & glockenspiel. Their soft pop songs remind me quite a bit of that Call And Response single on Shelflife. Very attractive sleeve design, too!   MTQ=4/4

The Fairways - "This Is Farewell" cd  (Matinee)
The Fairways and the word "delayed" seem to go hand in hand. Their first single took a couple years to come out, their second album took so long that it was finally scrapped when the band split up, and this release has been promised for so long that sometimes I worried for its existance - but at last here it is! Compiling several songs from that unreleased second record (some of which were finally completed specifically for this release), as well as the band's three singles (one for Matinée, a split single with the Aislers Set on Yakamashi and a split cdep with Three Berry Icecream on Dogprint), this is the definitive final release for this much-loved indiepop group from San Francisco. If you've not had the good fortune to hear this band, they can be perfectly described as soft and gentle indiepop in the vein of Blueboy, Camera Obscura and Holiday. Piano often plays as important a part as the jangly guitars, and Brent's melodious voice is always the center of attention. One listen to "Winter Song" and you'll know pure joy. The wistful title track reveals the most fragile sadness. And everything in between is just plain gorgeous.   MTQ=13/13

Fake Fictions - "Raw Yang" cd  (Fresh Produce)
I remembered this band and a few of their songs from when they were a Demo of the Week a couple years ago, but I really don't know much else about them except that they're a boy/girl three-piece from Chicago. Their sound ranges from the soft and sweet opener "Mess" to the post-punky "Innards", but most of the songs have a bratty indie rock sound that sounds like a cross between early New Grenada and later Bunnygrunt - mixing equal parts punk and twee. But no matter the style they're playing, the songs have a minimal sound to them (lots of treble and not a lot of extra parts or distortion on the guitars), although the delivery isn't always as restrained. Even though they aren't too noisy, there's still tons of energy coming out in songs like "Impossible You", "We Could Destroy You" and "Stuck In The Tide". This record may not be very deep, but it sure is a lot of fun!   MTQ=10/12

The Fall - "Totally Wired" dbl cd  (Castle)
Re-releasing Fall songs and records is a cottage industry for the band and their label, Cog Sinister. Along with reissues of classic early albums, such as "Live At The Witch Trials", "Hex Enduction Hour", and several others on Cog Sinister, we have this collection of songs from their heyday on Rough Trade Records. There is a lot of overlap, of course, with the album reissues and the essential "Palace Of Swords Reversed" singles collection (an album that would find a place in my top 20 records of all-time list, if I ever got around to making one). Most of their hits are here; personal favorites include "How I Wrote 'Elastic Man'", "Pay Your Rates", "Eat Y'self Fitter", "Tempo House" (the Fall are one of the few bands I allow to play songs longer than five minutes without balking), "Prole Art Threat", "Kicker Conspiracy", "Rowche Rumble", and of course the title track. It's no secret that I'm a major fan of the band's early work (too bad they haven't released a relevant record in ten years), so I am of course incredibly excited about this compilation; even if I do already have most of it on the original albums. For example, I'd never heard "Cary Grant's Wedding", which is interesting because it's referenced (in live form) at the end of "Putta Block" (which is sadly not included). And "That Man" is about the closest to on-key singing (well, singing, anyways) Mark E. Smith came during the band's first several years. Everyone who has heard the Fall already has their own opinion on the band; with their really edgy sound and Mark's insane lyrics and singing/speaking style-uh, they're one of those bands you either love or hate. I personally think they're brilliant, and encourage everyone who hasn't heard them to try them out. This collection (a double cd, that I usually see for a buck or two over single cd price) or "Palace Of Swords Reversed" are the best places to start.   MTQ=27/31