* reviews by Keight are marked with a [K]. ** the review by Tara is marked with a [T]. [reviews from 1998] The Mondo Crescendo California Sun (7") (Blackbean & Placenta) This is the first single released since they changed their name from Juniper and, from what this 7" tells me, they're still bruisin' butts like they did under their previous name. Their A-song, "california sun", on the surface, comes off cheerful and downright sunny with the bursting fuzzy guitarness (not to mention that 'chunka-chunka-chunka' guitar sound Jenni makes right before the song kicks in [for reference try Juniper's "making gerard smile", "supercat", and "you don't hide so well"] that I flip out over every time) and the tight rhythm section, but from what I understand it's about being bored in this one place (hmm... in this case it would it be the east coast?) and wanting to move out west. Ah well. The song is still really good, though. And just to be sure we understand that they like it out there, they serve up the b-side "on the beach" like an over-head jump serve in a game of beach volleyball. The tempo here is decidedly bouncy and the melody-groove settles in and gets comfortable from the get-go. I keep going back and forth which song I like better but I suppose that decision doesn't really have to be made. Yeah, this is definitely worth getting. They're also on some comps, like one of the more recent Beikoku Ongaku magazine bonus comps (I think it's the San Francisco feature one) and the stellar ZUM Audio Vol 2 comp CD. Glossary Southern by the Grace of Location (cd) (Champ) What has two guitars, a bass, a keyboard, a drumset, rocks like Wolfie and pops like Icky Mettle-era Archers? I'll give you one guess. Anyway, this amazing quintet haul their brand of rocky-pop all the way from Murfreesboro, TN and you had better be ready. I got to see them at CMJ in this den-like room at some hotel -- and, hot damn -- they rocked the knots right off my shoelaces. I vividly remember them playing "AOK" (which is the lead-off track on this CD) and the amount of rock they put forth while maintaining pop charms was quite outstanding. I really like this song but this full-length is chock full of memorables: the tinkly-dreamy "transmitting a.m." (that inevitably rocks out at the end); the laid-back relaxed fit of "stormy weather"; the al dente noodly "bake a cake"; the steadiness of "driving me home" (like the home stretch, going southbound on I-65); "half mast" with its entirely sing-along-able chorus; that Aisler's Set-ish "summertime"; and the fittingly sad closer "l.a. ambience"... but *theee* song that blows my mind is "truth about you" as it cleverly pulls off an amazing boy-girl vocals trade-off trick. It tells a story about a date from both the guy's and the girl's points of view. The guy sings about being all cool asking her out and "hitting a homerun" while the girl claims he was really lame in asking her out and when he made his move she got out of the car and ran home. And then the KICKER, the very sing-along-able catchiness fest that is the chorus: (she) I ran on home / (he) I took her home at 12 o'clock (she) I stayed awake until dawn / (he) she probably dreamed about me all night long (both) I'm gonna tell my friends the truth about you (both) I'm gonna tell them all the things that you do, do-do-do. I especially like the "do-do-do" part. So, to sum it up, I think they're really good inside and out and upside-down. They have have other stuff out as well, like a split 7" with Kissing Book. I don't have it but I've heard it and it's rather good. Oh yeah, they also have a really sweetwebpage. You can also email them at glossary@death-star.com. [Champ Records: P.O. Box 5022 Murfreesboro, TN 37133] Silver Scooter A Tribute to the Phone Calls (7") (Peek-a-Boo) I saw these guys for the first time at CMJ this year and, holy crap, they are SO good live. They launched their set with "biting my nails" (which was the first song of theirs I ever heard) and then they, rather mercilessly, tore right into "tractor pull" (one of my favorites off their debut full-length). Oh, so yeah, the 7": I remember them playing "a tribute to the phone calls" and I liked it a lot live and it appears I like the studio version too. It's got classic Silver Scooter rhythmical steadiness and the sweet tinny guitars. The song is about waiting for a phone call but he falls asleep, and when he wakes up there's her voice on the answering machine. Pardon me for thinking that rocks ass. They chunk out a Cure cover of "in between days" on the b-side, and it could almost pass for a Silver Scooter original. Hey, you can rock out and be poppy at the same time too. That's their lesson for today. The back of the 7" sleeve says there's a new full-length due February '99, and I'll be sure I won't be sleeping when the release date comes around. Kissing Book / Cherry Ice Cream Smile split single (7") (Record Lovers) Well here's a nice treat from Portland OR! I like splits to begin with and splits like these are what fuels my affection towards them. I've heard and read stuff about Kissing Book before (like their interview in in Only One Tongue #2 -- thanks to Tommy for finding & sending me this 7"!) so I was pretty psyched to listen to this. Kissing Book are an all-boy all-pop three-piece. To describe them, the words "good, strummy" comes to mind. Their first song, "teen club", has this "ba-ba-ba" part that you just can't deny. It's very "good, strummy" and pleasantly simple. The other song they have is "just another pop song" which they give the song writing props to Joey and Brian from Glossary. Again, this song has a nice head-tilty strummy thing going and I like it a lot. On the other side of the split you'll find Cherry Ice Cream Smile. What I really like about them is how well their simultaneous dual-singing goes over (at least that's what I think they're doing... it could just be one of the singers recorded twice but it would be fabulous if it's dual-singing action and I won't look like an ass) and when they break off it sounds really nice. I really like their "amelia earhart" song, a definite mix tape pick. The more I listen to this split the more neat things I find in it. [Record Lovers: P.O. Box 42387 Portland, OR 97242] Sterling Silver self-titled ep (7") (Slowdance) I first heard and was instantly impressed with them on the Zum Audio Vol 2 comp, so when I heard they had a new 7" out I was really excited... and then I saw it in the store and -- yeow! -- the "sleeve", I guess, looks like a silver bound book (read: it looks very nice). The few pages inside has each song title listed as its own chapter with lyrics typed out on the opposing page. As for their sound, they mainly play a really tight early-rocky Versus type of stuff (although they slow it up on two songs). My favorite song is "sandcastles on sunday". It has this tremendous build at the end and this one line that really stood out, "you will always change like the weather. Boy Crazy Last Thursday (7") (Magic Marker) Holy smokes, they have a member whose job is to play tambo(u)rines and the egg shaker! I immediately noticed prominent soft tooty keyboards, and that's always a plus. The three songs on this 7" have this Brita-clear honest-to-cuteness quality to them that can be appreciated from the very first listen. 99% contaminant-free pop for the otherwise pepsi generation? Boy Crazy won't let you down, especially with their shoulder tilt/finger wag-inducing "pro fun ditty". [Magic Marker Records: P.O. Box 9342 Portland, OR 97207] Wolfie Awful Mess Mystery (cd) (Mud) This album is as staggeringly good as I am lame. This came out in early 1998 and it took me until August to check it out, but once I heard it and bought a copy I've listened to it in its entirety at least a few times every week. After listening to it religiously for two months I think I figured out the secret formula to why they were so damn good (something I like to refer to as Wolfie's secret foruma to indiepop stardom): rock 'em sock 'em upbeatness + honest-to-goodness boy vocals with cute, occasional girl vocals + really sweet keyboard sounds/playing + short length of songs + really tight instrumentation as a cohesive unit. Often times when I put this CD on, I feel like a dog that keeps chasing its tail round and round (you probably saw a clip of something like this on America's Funniest) because the songs are just so good that I don't know what to do with myself. There's "hey it's finally yay" with the intro beats that grab you immediately, quickly followed by an entirely danceable keyboard melody and guitars. Michael and Amanda have equal amounts of singing duties on this one, almost. The la-la-la's toward the end is worth the price of admission. "mockhouse" also grabs you immediately with the beats and the keyboards (this song was the 7". its b-sides are really good too) and never lets go, really. There's a nice sha-la-la part in this that I've caught myself singing while on the train. "lkat me" has really neat march-y keyboards and beats. It also has cowbells (or something that sounds a lot like them). There's a really nice groove in "everybody ought to know" that's lead by steady guitar jing-jing-jingling and solid drumming. The maracas add a nice touch. "i know i know i know" is the first song, and even though I've pretty much run out ways to tell you how good a Wolfie song is, I have to mention that it's also quite stellar with the aforementioned Wolfie's-secret-formula-for-indiepop-stardom with seriously infectious (infectious like the monkey in Outbreak) n-o-ow and oooh la-la-la singing parts. Really, I could go on (it has a total of 13 songs), but I think you get the point. Spare us both the trouble and go get this CD (also available on 10" with bigger photos) now, unless you've done so already. Oh, and if they're playing near you, by god do go see them because I hear their live shows are spectacular in monolithic proportions (monolithic like the thing in 2001/2010. what's up with these movie references? I dunno). You should also visit their super fantastic webpage. The Teacups This Will Come Back To Haunt You (cd) (Kindercore) This criminally cute poppy threesome have done it again, this time with a full-length to charm their way into hearts and mixtapes of the world. What I find extremely aww-inducing about them is the boy-girl vocal trade-offs and harmonies between sweethearts Stephen and Melissa. His really deep voice and her voice are so far apart but they somehow work out really well when sung together. I really like the sad lyrics in "she doesn't like my glasses" ("she doesn't like my glasses, but I only wear them to see her better"), I like how "red light, green light" has the cute vocal trade-offs in verses, and I really like how "count to ten" rock their little cupboard like it's nobody's business. And speaking of rocking out, "tie my shoe" is a distortion pedal and and few faster clicks away from being an emo song (no, that's not a bad thing). And then there's the semi-surfy/garagey "your best friend" with wavy guitars and bap-tap-bap drumming. So, okay, I started off this review telling you how cute this CD is, but as cute as it may be the album is not as minimally plinky-sounding as the 7" EP they put out last year (as seen in my reviews from 97) as there are more things going on in the songs. The Teacups have it goin' on. Their webpage has it goin' on as well! Club 8 The Friend I Once Had (cd) (March) After repeated listenings to this CD and frequent trips to IKEA, I decided that the Swedes are simply genetically inclined to be super charming. The rest of us sit enchanted as they conquer the world through their sweet pop music and creative home furnishings empire. Club 8 are actually just two people: Karolina on vocals and the multi-talented Johan (Acid House Kings) playing every instrument on the record. I'm usually not one to pick the first track to be the favorite, but the knock-out lead-off "everlasting love" is so catchy it's dizzying. We're talking symptoms of mid-tempo tush-shakings caused by vibraphone ping-pongs, gentle plinks on the guitar, generous beat build-ups, and of course the dimple-laden croons. Club 8 cover various aspects of POP, as they bust out the proverbial martini shakers on songs like "all I can do", "holiday", and "tomorrow never comes"; to the more traditional up-beat stylings found in "someday" and "the end of the affair" (a close second to my favorite song of the album); to the electro-beaty "I wish you'd stay", "karen", and the shamelessly housey "missing you" (hands clap samples, my my). Oh, and just because I didn't breakdown the songs like I did for "everlasting love" doesn't mean they're not deserving of equal amounts of attention. I just know how corny I can get with wordy descriptions and these songs are too damn fun and catchy to be tagged thusly. This CD is easily in my top 10 picks of 1998. Belle & Sebastian The Boy With The Arab Strap (cd) (Jeepster/Matador) [K] This is most definitely the most anticipated album of the year. "If You're Feeling Sinister" created a fanatical following for B&S last year, and several e.p.s kept the dedicated fans demanding more while gushing over them at every moment. I had a faint notion that this was coming out, but I wasn't really paying attention. I loved the album, but I bought the "Lazy Line Painter Jane" 7-inch and was pretty disappointed. I lost track of them for a while, and even though people said that "LLPJ" was the lesser of the e.p.s, I just faintly acknowledged them in the record store and passed on. I saw that B&S were playing in Boston in October, called my friend Joe, and found out that the album had just come out that day (though it *still* hasn't got to CT). The next day I went out and bought it. I was so prepared to be disappointed, but, fuck, this blew me away. The songs are so distinctly beautiful. Right now my favorite song in the world is "Dirty Dream Number Two," a driving song with a gorgeous string arrangement, and the best example of why this album rocks... If you focus in on any one part of the song (lyrics, harmony, the melody of the cello in the instrumental, the way the drum part keep everything moving, etc.) it's all awesome. People who listen to a lot of music will find so much to enjoy on this. You might think that bringing eight people into a band together would create such ego conflicts and musical differences that it would be impossible for everyone's ideas to all compliment each other this well. They make it work so well. This album features songs fronted by members other than Stuart David which was really interesting (although since I haven't heard the e.p.s, this might not be that integral of a point to mention). His songs are definitely the most poetic. I like the songs about traveling: "Seymour Stein" -- "LA to New York -- San Francisco back to Boston" ... "Chickfactor" -- "What was it I saw in New York? ... When I get back to London from outer space, Will it fall into place?" ... and even "A Space Boy Dream," a song with a spoken vocal part about a dream of a travel to Mars. The end instrumental bit of which leads straight into "Dirty Dream #2," the best part of the entire record. I could go on and on about this album, but I'm sure most of it wouldn't make a lot of sense since I'm still devouring the record for the most part and since I'll be talking about this record for a long time yet anyway. But if you've heard any of the hype and been interested in hearing B&S, don't hesitate to pick this record up (especially if it's on sale on the NEW rack) because it might be exactly what you didn't know that you wanted to hear... Busy Toby Me, My Drums, and You (7") (Parasol) [K] busy toby is Amanda and Joe of the pop band Wolfie and Rachel of the pop-punk band Sarge, and if you know anything about either of those bands, then you'll know that this is a rad record right away. busy toby is a totally keyboard-driven outfit (the instrumentation is keyboards-drums-voices.. plus guitar on one song) and this 7" smacks like a saturday afternoon in the late fall when all there is to do is hang around and think about running outside to frolic in the leaves (although maybe i'm just looking a little too farward to fall).. the kicker on this 7" is most definitely the first song on the "busy" side, "me, my drums and you," a song by Amanda (who, by the way, does not sing enough on Awful Mess Mystery) which, of course, features fine drum parts throughout. a keen, lo-fi version of "Put in the Reel" (a Sarge song -- for the nonbelievers) which somehow makes Rachel sound so much younger to me. It's one of my favorite songs on "the Glass Intact," so it's really cool to hear a different version of it. The "Toby" side is "Number One," a slower song fronted by Joe. It's a rather dynamic, layered song, changing feel and starting a new layer before you can figure it all out. i bought this 7" right before i went home, and taped it because i couldn't conceive of living without it for a few days. The No-No's Secret Luminaries (cd) (Chromosome) [K] I sat down to write this review, listened to half of the first song, and had to get up and walk. So I put this in my discman and walked for about an hour and a half, just soaking it all in. I got home and put it right back into my stereo.When "Jupiter Girl" kicks in, I get such a rush.. and very few songs have that effect. I know I'll be listening to this song to wake me up before early classes this year. It's notable to mention that one of few other songs that can get my blood running faster is Tiger Trap's "Words and Smiles".. being that Heather Dunn plays the drums in the No-No's. I really hate name-dropping in reviews because it makes the other members seem less important if they don't have the "Robin (ex. That Band)" thing going on. Though in a Kissing Book interview in Only One Tongue, someone mentioned that Mike the guitarist is the reining Sassiest Boy in America because they stopped doing it, which is almost cooler than once being in some ex-band. Man, this review is going to be long. As with the 7" (elsewhere reviewed on this page), there are so many lines in the songs that stick out because they're so clever and they'll end up ringing through your head later on (like on "the Softest Shoe": "sashay faster into disaster".. although that one relies a lot on the melody, or "I hear the knocking of my heart on my sleeve.."). This whole album is a study on how a band can be both pop and punk while still rockin' up the sock hops. It's great to hear this band on a longer format to really know what they sound like. Most of the songs have this quality that I have yet to figure out the right word for.. almost snotty or negative or super-confident, but none of those words sound right when they're written down. It's almost like being punched in the face by someone you didn't expect to get hit by and instead of being mad, you're proud of them for doing it.. except I was kind of expecting this album to really strike me because I liked the 7" so much. (I'm not doing well with the metaphors today.) Anyway, I really like this record because I like hearing how everything clicks together in a way that makes me think that maybe other bands really don't listen to each other, but THEY do. I haven't really talked much about the songs themselves, so I'll just mention that the first three songs are three of my favorites of the whole year, "Brusha Brusha" is the best song with a "perfect teeth ain't all that" theme that I've heard (ever), and both "The Other" and "Goodbye Turpentine" really make me wonder who "the other" ("..a modern day Audrey Hepburn, a female Morrissey") and "turpentine" are.. Oh, yeah, Ralf's part in "The Other" totally scared me the first few times, especially when I was listening on my headphones I guess mostly because it comes in unexpectedly but also because it's kind of a creepy backup. "The Point of Diminishing Returns" makes me get "Twin Peaks" on the brain ("plastic, you're all wrapped in plastic") even though it has nothing to do with Laura Palmer. The record ends with "Pinesap," an unrequited love song, the only distinctly romantic-themed song on the record. Sheesh, this is a rather long, babbly review. But, wait! There's more... This record, like the 7", is self-released and Robin is real worried about distribution, so you should write to her if you can't find this record anywhere and make sure that you get it.. (littlemissnono@hotmail.com) [Chromosome Records: 3559 S.E. Francis St. #B, Portland OR 97202] Gaze So Sad (to watch good love go bad) (7") (Septophilia) Bounding through the forest like the kitty-bus in "My Neighbor Totoro" comes this 3-song single from one of the hardest working pop groups (one full-length and two 7"s in less than a year!) in Vancouver. Megan's bittersweet "dragon's lair" starts things off, as she takes us through what went on inside her head when she ran into a former love interest ("I hadn't seen you for so long, I thought all of my feelings were gone"). On the other side are two covers, "pedal" by Crayon and "so sad" by the Everly Brothers. They change things up on "pedal", where on the original Sean sang it in the first person "I'm not the boy..." and they sing it in the third person "he's not the boy...". Another really neat thing Gaze do is where Sean originally sang the entire "dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy girl" part by himself, Miko & Megan switch off "dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy girl" (they both say the last one). Needless to say I love their rendition of this song... and their swoony interpretation of "so sad" with their endearing harmonies is enough to send me back to 1960. All of this is printed on pink vinyl that looks good enough to eat, almost. This is probably why you need to get the Septophilia t-shirt that says "don't eat the records / but they good!". [Septophilia Records: pob 63058 st. louis, mo 63163] Capsule Giants / Rocketship split single (7") (Darla/Cardinal) Japan's Capsule Giants stir up quite a head-bobber in their "single edit" of "since you broke my heart" on the a-side. They have an agreeable 60's tinge to their brand of pop, that had me shamelessly dancing in the waiting line at the Japanese Consulate while getting my passport renewed. I know they have a full-length out, and I'm sure it's good, but I haven't bought it yet. On the other side is Rocketship, who keep leaking out one song every so often to let us know they are still "keeping it real" on the ambient-pop front. Their song "love so estranged" keeps up with their tradition of dreamy ambient-pop played on keyboards, pushed off the shore by soft, thumpy electronic beats. This is a fine split single. [Cardinal Records c/o Bloody Dolphins Co.: 1-32-10 Daizawa Setagaya-ku Tokyo 155-0032 Japan / beikoku@pisces.bekkoame.or.jp] Late Night Television I'll never do anything (as cool as you) (7") (Route Fourteen) Screeching out from the outskirts of Philadelphia and skidding around your corner come Late Night Television! Buzzy guitar punk-pop is the 93-octane fuel that makes this rock vehicle tear through the winding backroads of this band's hometown, as "I'll never do anything (as cool as you)" rocks out in a "slack motherfucker" sort of way and the b-side's "a.m. radio" has the catchy qualities of "hyper enough". Sound like something you're into? You can write them electronically at lntv@mailexcite.com or by hand: [Route Fourteen Records: 6228 Sterling Ave. Bensalem, PA 19020] the grubbies self-titled (cassette) (demo) Hop in the buggy, kick the gear in high and GO! the grubbies are four kids from from Knoxville, TN and their five-song cassette is the most fun I've had with poppy punk in a long time. What kicks my butt about them is their super-energetic punkiness, with strong lead vocals supplied (mainly) by Emily. I reeaaallly like their first song, "falling apart", the way it starts off slow and poppy and jumps into hyper-space. Another one on here I adore is "forevuh" because it's got some neat lyric-writing (along with the melody, of course) where the word at the end of the sentence is shared by the word at the beginning of the following sentence. Example: "will you promise me that I will feel no pain at all I know is when I'm with you..." Plus it's got the catchiest chorus. "only dreaming" is the (broken-heart) rocker led by Tommy and it's also a can't miss. Tommy and Emily do a zine called "Only One Tongue" and it's really, really good. Write them at grubbieboy@webtv.net! The grubbies are go! Rose Melberg Portola (lp) (Double Agent) [K] I was among those impatiently awaiting the release of this record, tensing with every change of the release date, and making jokes about how I might as well ask for it for my birthday (August 15th). I guess it's obvious that I like it; I enjoy listening to Rose Melberg too much for me to dislike it. But I must say that it's a disappointing debut solo work if anything because it just seems too early due to lack of material. There are really only four new Rose songs and a couple of covers. For some reason this record is padded into an "album" by adding on a couple of Three Peeps songs and the Dustin Reske duet (all of which were earlier released on none other than Double Agent). Maybe I'm just being silly, but if "My Heaven, My Sky" and "Mr. Spaceman" were originally released as Three Peeps songs, they don't really constitute "solo" songs. Maybe I'm just bitter that I was led to believe some "rare songs" were going to be on this when it turned out to be something most everyone I know in the pop scene already owns, myself included. A lot of people have been asking why "Cupid" isn't on here, and "My Day," both of which fall a bit more into the "rare" category. I honestly feel that this record came out too early and I feel that it would have been so much more enjoyable a couple of years down the road when Rose had a strong and full collection of songs. Instead, this record feels forced and too short. And even though I love the unrecorded Tiger Trap songs and the hint of drawl in Rose's voice on "Loose Talk" and countless other aspects of this, I don't feel like this record is the answer to so many of my life's gaps, like I usually feel when I find Rose on my stereo singing fresh songs. So I'm disappointed, and with both the Softies and Go Sailor on apparent hiatus, I will probably be disappointed for a long time. I really don't mean this to sound so harsh, like Rose owes it to me to be my musical angel or something, because the songs are definitely all beautiful on their own, but together into a special debut album with 1000 limited edition vinyl copies, they are unfortunately disappointing, and maybe that's partially because I expected too much. It's a nice, sweet record, and I don't doubt that it will be spinning on my turntable (yes, I got the limited edition vinyl.. they were all out of cds) near constantly for several weeks, months, the entire next year even. But my overwhelming emotion right now is disappointment. Ego The Question Mark ep (7") (Matinee) This ep contains three Morrissey-esque moody songs from these French pop-sters who sing en anglais! All three of the songs on here are delightful, but I can't let this review go without pointing out the song "what am I supposed to do?" specifically. It has this dreamy piano & violin intro that bursts into a scrumptious upbeat head-bopper -- this song is definitely mix-tape material. All the song titles are in question form, and I suppose that's why it's called what it's called. It requires a change of RPM speed from one side to the other, but we'll just have to live with that. [Matinee Recordings: pob 76302 Washington DC 20013] Musical Chairs Wits' End (cd) (Raindate / Harriet) [K] I don't think I listened to anything else the entire first week that I owned this. It's just so good. Whenever I see Musical Chairs reviewed somewhere, they're compared to someone else generally in this format: "CT's answer to..." Incredibly ironic since this record sits with me as no other record ever has, so I don't see it as an answer to anything (since answers generally contain part of the question). It starts out with a short and sweet acoustic song and then is off onto the well-constructed, generally melancholy pop songs with catchy choruses. There's a instrumental called "No, Not Yet" about halfway through the album which sometimes I find myself skipping over only because the following song, "Pretty as a Picture," is my current favorite. And although there are so many dispirited songs on this record, with pictures of an old factory (in my hometown) that is falling apart and falling down (seriously, too.. the roof fell in last winter), it ends with the hopeful "Brand New Day." A positively sparkling first full-length album. I could pretty much guarantee that this will be on my "top 5 albums bought in 1998" list, should I make one. I really think everyone should at least listen to the first half of this record. I'm sure that once you get through that, you will have to listen to the rest and take it home and listen to it again. Aikagi Piggy Bank (7") (Blackbean & Placenta) "Aikagi" means spare key in Japanese, and it's also the name of this boy-girl minimal-pop duo from Japan. To me, they're sort of like a Japanese Toki Doki (which is a Japanese for "once in a while") and that's not just because they're both minimal boy-girl duo bands. Their toy pianos, organs, and pop charm (including accents) are sure to rack up some fans with this one-sided 7". Write to Aikagi at fwih4392@mb.infoweb.or.jp! The label, Blackbean and Placenta can be reached at bbptc@ix.netcom.com. We Can Still Be Friends various artists (cd) (Magic Marker) [T] We Can Still Be Friends is the first release from Portland's Magic Marker Records. While this 20 song compilation features some of your current favorites (Tullycraft, Nothing Painted Blue, The Ladybug Transistor, among others), the stars are those that might be new to you (well, they were new to me, anyway). W.C.S.B.F. opens with "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" from Denver's The Minders. The bassline that begins the song will be in your head longer then "It's a Small World" after a trip to Disney World. For more catchy tracks, program your CD player for #3 Boy Crazy, #4 Lunchbox, and, well, of course, #9 Tullycraft. The Tullycraft track is the 'Empty Set Mix' of the City of Subarus favorrite "Ticket Tonight". But the only thing the Empty Set Mix has over the album version is a more pronouced "Everyboday say ho". For those of you who keep a little book of the funniest quotes from your favorite pop songs, you'll much enjoy Mad Planets' "Phineas Gage", which has many quotables -- including "He had a car made out of soy". Don't miss Tizzy's cover of Rick Springfield's "I've Done Everything for You" (disclaimer: I happen to enjoy TIzzy's vocals, but they're not for everyone). Gumption's "Stop Not Red" is the best Nothing Painted Blue song that Nothing Painted Blue never wrote -- minus any really big SAT words. Kickin' the smooth jams are Frankin Bruno, The Ladybug Trasistor, and Guppyboy, all great contributions. Magic Marker 001 closes this fine comp with Benji Cossa doing two versions of "For Tom's New Wave Movie". Benji, if you're reading this, there's a boy in Burlington named Josh Henry who you've gotta meet. If We Can Still Be Friends is any indication of what we can expect from Mark, Curt, and Pete at Magic Marker, the West Coast has provided us with yet another fantastic label. Mirah Storageland (12") (YoYo Recordings) "I'm looking up through the telescope lens, I'm wondering 'Where does the universe end?'." That's how Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn opens this beautiful one-sided 12". This first song is called "telescope" and it's just her and an acoustic guitar. The following four songs are with a full-band set-up and they're full of charm and her sweet, yet very mature, vocals. You have to listen pretty carefully to these sogns because the instrumentations can get quite intricate (like the violin parts in "in a sailboat" and the subtle organ parts in "storm"). But the one song that has me singing the chorus over and over is "1982 (atari)" (thanks to kev for playing it for me over the phone that day). It's Mirah on a synthesizer singing about playing Frogger against her brother on an Atari! Yes!! On the back of this one-sided 12" are neat-o etching by nikki mcclure. This is very nice. Red Monkey Make The Moment (cd) (Slampt / Troubleman Unlimited) POW! I didn't stand a chance. I went to their show at NYU without previously hearing any Red Monkey stuff (up to that point I was only familiar with Peter & Rachel's earlier works in Avocado Baby) and not knowing what to expect, really, except I was told it was a lot more rock and perhaps a bit garagey. As soon as they started their first song, I couldn't believe how much they rocked. Before this becomes a show review, I'll just say they floored my ass DC style. Okay, so this full-length... it's still punk in the spirit of AB (while retaining every bit of their charm -- can you tell I'm still hung up on them?) but this time they totally have this Dischord-y/DC hardcore thing happening. It doesn't help that Peter plays a Gibson SG either (okay, I promised this won't be a show review). Rock out and shout along to songs like "activity book", "pro choice", "not for rent", and "the way I peel oranges" (my vote for the best song title of the year). Sonny Sixkiller I'm In The Band (cd) (Vital Cog) It was about a year ago when Moped puttered to a smokey stop and was wheeled into the garage. Enter Sonny Sixkiller (named after the star quarterback for the Univ of Washington from the 70's), led by former Moped Kara Lafty, to start the ignition and take it out for another whirl. Fans of Moped surely won't be disappointed (or if you're not familiar with them, I'd say if you are into Superchunk) with songs like "starting gate", "bottom feeder", "number one", and "prize fighter". Kara shares lead vocal duties with Matt, whose songs range anywhere from Track Star-esque ("I wish this was funny") to Pavement ("hello, goodbye, and everything in between"). Currently they're playing as a two-piece, Kara and drummer Lance, but they still rock as hard. You should write them at s6k@vitalcog.com. The I Live The Life Of A Movie Star Secret Hideout Atom Blast (cd) (Radio Argot) If you thought their last 12" was good, Adam puts out another scorcher of an EP (how are my cliches? please call...) titled Atom Blast. This 12" opens with a very refreshing strummy instrumental called "it's always summer". Soon after that is "charlemagne", the perfect soundtrack to a summer-time ride on a rollercoaster. The Beat Happening-esque "taffeta lipstick kiss" will rock your boots, while the sweet boy-girl harmonies on the title track "atom blast" will leave you dizzy. The sand instrumental "10,000 unmemorable goodbyes" is anything but unmemorable... but they don't leave you on a down note, as "a fine time for a holiday" cheers you up with lyrics like "outer space is tops on my list." This is a really enjoyable one-sided 12" EP and you should seek it out. [Radio Argot: 235 E. 50th St. #37 New York, NY 10022] Gritty Kitty Mistaking Planes For Stars (cd) (Kindercore) [K] this band is rad because they're the first band that i cite a definite Bunnygrunt influence. not to say that this sounds like a bunnygrunt record because it actually goes a lot of places bunnygrunt wouldn't go (some songs remind me a lot of orange cake mix too -- how's that for opposite ends of the pop spectrum?) in any case, the best gritty kitty songs are happy-sounding with girl/boy vocals.. which is basically every song on this record. "I-85" is a jangly jaunt of a song with the keenest chorus: "my dreams are only nightmares without you." the song "radio towers" is sung entirely by polly and is pretty slow, but is still one of my favorites even though it doesn't fit into my previously defined "best g.k. song." just to prove how i can contradict myself. "Be my monopoly" is a lovesong/analogy spun around everyone's favorite game.. or maybe just certain people's favorite game (my dad hates monopoly). One of my most favorite songs is "crushworthy," and it falls into the "awesome pop songs that are just too short" catagory. One verse & one chorus repeated once; it smacks like my favorite henry's dress songs. i have to listen to it several times to get my fill. the first chorus has some real nice harmony action going on with the two sets of girl vocals. "spica" is apparently about a star in the Virgo constellation, but the song has some of the best background vocals and best dancing potential... it's so hard to pick songs to mention because i want to mention everything! Ok, one more song. "one if by train, two if by train" is largely instrumental, and Lissa liked it over the phone. Hey, Lissa digs GK! what more proof do you need? i got hooked onto the GK tip by Arianne of the zine kickstand, and the newest issue has a interview with the kitties. It's rad!! Tullycraft City Of Subarus (cd) (Cher Doll) This CD is SO much fun from beginning to end! Blasting off with "8 great ways", a blazing crash course teaching us guys the eight ways to "get the girl you want" (now if I can only figure out the words...). "Belinda" is less hyper-fast but still nicely melodic with tooty keyboards (courtesy of Chris Incredible Force Of Junior). It starts off "can't seem to get my mind off you..." which leads me to think this could be about Belinda Carlisle (hey, who just said duh?). This one has a really cool keyboard solo. They pick up the pace again for "ticket tonight" which is currently my favorite song on the CD. Everything from the pace to Jen Rizzo's "oh-oh-ohoh-oh!" back-ups to the killer keyboard solo to the "everybody say ho" to the mention of Steven J. Cannell to the false fade near the end with Sean kicking it, "one, two, let it go!", it's such thee kick ass song. Another song I totally love is "godspeed" which is another zippy one with some more of Jen's awesome singing. Well, okay, "miss douglas county" is another great example of why Tullycraft kicks more butt with the addition of Chris IFOJ on keyboards and Jen Rizzo singing. "The lives of cleopatra" has this hip-hop drum loop that caught me off guard at first but I quickly fell in love with it as well. Think six cents and natalie with baggy pants. Anchoring this full length is "vacation in christine, ND" which, according to the liner notes, was inspired by a song by David B. Bean (I think I know the song but I can't remember the title... it sort of sounds like the song Tom Hanks plays in the movie Big with that giant piano thing?) and it's good too. You know what? I think I love this CD... and now I'm gonna go listen to "8 great ways" again and try to learn the ways in hopes of... :^). Write to the label at nancy23@scn.org. Trembling Blue Stars Lips That Taste Of Tears (cd) (Shinkansen) I found it really difficult to sit down and write about this release objectively (not like I give objective reviews to anything, but anyway). Rob Wratton, formerly of The Field Mice and Northern Picture Library, delivers a full-length that is like a response (written and re-written a million times over) to a break-up letter. The songs are carried by soft strums across the strings and smooth trip-hop synthesizers, or sometimes an excellent combination of both. Strongly recommended for the weak-hearted. Pop Goes The World various artists (7") (Love Me Not... Records / Catch That Beat!) This is a really nice four-band split 7", it's a co-release by Love Me Not...Records, based in the Boston suburb of Framingham, and Catch That Beat! in Japan (thus the name "pop goes the world"?). Batting first is Beanpole with "Now I Know" treating us to Verna's sweet reassuring vocals that mingle nicely, as always, with the accompanying jangly strums... throw in the tambo(u)rine and the fluffy keyboards and you'll know what time it is! Wack Cat kicks it lo-fi style with their song "Retail Vacancy". There's a healthy helping of shouty girl vocals and muffled guitars and drums, and I'm certain the lyrics are cool (she's mad about her job in retail ... or ... something) but I couldn't really make out the words. Recycled Pop's near-Boyracery "No. 9" blazes its way across the Pacific (they're from Japan) and sets fire to the amber waves of grain here in the States. The chorus of "number 9! number 9!" sounds like the guy's saying "nandemo nai! nandemo nai!" which means "it's nothing" in Japanese, and ... well, I thought it was funny. Either way, I have a feeling this song will make its way onto mixtapes in the future. Speaking of amber waves of grain, the pride and joy of St. Louis, Bunnygrunt, close out the comp with their rendition of Dinosaur's "Repulsion". I can't say I've heard the original, but it's adequately 'gruntified with plenty of noisy pop jubilations. If you'd like to know more about 'gruntification, keep reading and check out Keight's review of their full-length. [Catch That Beat! Records: Maison 101, 2-16-8 Minami Nagareyama, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba 270-01 Japan] Bunnygrunt Jen-Fi (cd) (No Life Records) [K] I've been looking forward to this record for a long time with a mixture of curiosity and uneasiness since "Action Pants!" left much to be desired as a full album and since I was worried that maybe a full album would be boring or just bad or something. What was I thinking? "Jen Fi" kicks bum! Not only are there plenty of the catchy songs that we've come to expect from Bunnygrunt, but the record is very mature and accomplished without sacrificing that certain cuteness they exude. Most of my favorite songs are Karen songs, but I really dig the Matt song "the Big Fake Out" which takes up the issue of fake wood "I can't help thinking something's missing" (yeah!) and the woes of renting for pet owners, "that must be what the ad meant, no pets in my apartment!" One of my very most favorite is "Jenny Not Any Dots," a short but endearing tune about "thinkin' and wishin' and longin' for kissin'." This record is full of rad pop songs with wacky titles. "Future Home of Planet Reptile" is real weird, but I dig it all the same. "I Just Had Broken-Heart Surgery, Love Won't Bypass Me Again" has the great chorus of "unrequited love is a bore..." There's a cover of a Northerns song "Names of Trees," sung by Matt which I don't really get, but still like. The song "Constantly Fighting" is a nicely complex song about relationship hardships (well, fighting). "Good Tiger, Bad Tiger" brings up the issue of pets again (I think this song is probably about the cat Roger featured in one of the Bunnygrunt newsletters), namely the way they misbehave, "you are so bad..." But this record definitely is not! Bunnygrunt still holds the title as the cutest pop band, I believe. Just don't call them c*ddlec*ore. The No-No's The New Species Anthem (7") (Chromosome) [K] This 7-inch is notable because Heather Dunn (ex. Tiger Trap) plays the drums on it, but also because it kicks ass. This is probably the first record of the year that has grabbed me from the very start. "The New Species Anthem"(my new favorite song) just rocks completely. It's what some people might call booty shakin' pop, and every other line is just so clever/humorous ("I'm so jealous of your dangerous look"..."You're so evolved"..."I must learn to be a jerk like you!"). "Stargate in A" is a bit slower with quiet verses and a screaming chorus of "We were born to leave these places (behind)." And how can I not like a song that mentions Connecticut? (Even if they spell it wrong in the lyrics.. or does "connecticuit" have a double meaning.. hmmm.) I really dig Robin's vocal stylings: she has a nice way of yelling and growling. I really dig most everything about this record. Pop-punk for the masses. Write to the No-No's at: littlemissnono@hotmail.com. Buddha on the moon The Last Autumn Day (cd) (Drive-In / Wurlitzer Jukebox / Farrago) BOTM are d r e a m y from any which angle you wish to approach them: hypnotic resonance from shimmery guitar effects, keyboard oscillations at friendly cycles, and sad lyrics sung in soft, yet certain vocals. Some of the songs on this CD are from singles they released from the past (but are either out-of-print or pretty dang hard to find), including a remix (would "remix" be the right word here?) of "Losing" which I totally love. Stratospheric and atmospheric, BOTM floats you through all the different layers of clouds and makes you wish that the alarm clock will never sound, waking you from this dream. Bella Vista / The Best Wishes split single (7") (Turn Up The Treble!) You can never fully appreciate the term "short and sweet" until you've experienced this split (both bands have two songs each, and even though it's 45rpm, there's plenty of space at the end). bella vista's "un ours mal leche" has soft guy vocals gliding over smooth cascades of light, syrupy guitars... mmm... while "I've only ever dreamt of you" cuddles you with girl vocals sweetly cradling in Beat Happening-esque beats and see-saw jangles. the best wishes' "I never wanted any of this" is as endearing and cute as you'd expect. They slow it down (slow by the best wishes' standards) on this song, to the point where I think I can figure out what she's singing. Oh, and the singing... *sigh* ... it's very soft and hushed and sweet as ever (how do they pull it off live without getting feedback?). Their second song, "beautiful morning", was originally written by a band called the snowbirds. This one's zippy and somewhat Talulah Gosh-y and features the most adorable plinky guitar solo... I don't know how many times I listened to this, but it's made me get all fetal every time. [turn up the treble!: 29 Concolor Ave. Newton MA 02158-2511] Trackstar Removable Parts (7") (Suicide Squeeze) This... single... is... SO amazing. The a-side, "removable parts", has this very quiet and intense strum-strum-strum-tap thing going back and forth, between drums and guitar, backing up some whispered vocals that's repeatedly asking "could I be the one?" to a former significant other. Then, for a few extended moments, they drop the hammer and crank it to let the more impatient listeners know of their intent to rock. I think we're looking at a new favorite Trackstar song here, folks. The original version of the b-side song, "the view from space", appeared on their 10" on Silver Girl Records. This version is slowed down quite a bit and the more I listen to it, the more I think this pace is better fitting to the song. It still remains to be one of my favorites from that 10". Between their soft strums and whispered vocals, these guys truly know how to ROCK it. I totally love this single. [Suicide Squeeze: 4505 University Way NE / Box 434 Seattle, WA 98105] huffy No High Five (cd) (Me Too!) I've been waiting for this to come out for close to a year and a half! The demo cassette version I had all this time, I took with me almost everywhere I went (including two trips to Japan)... yah, you could say I'm a fan. Very rarely these days do straight-up indie rock releases totally knock my socks off, but after all the Superchunk, Archers, Meices, and Dinosaur Jr references get cleared off the counter I'm still left happily barefoot. What I think makes huffy so damn special is that the songs are refreshing like a really kick ass soft drink that you will never get tired of. I'm so glad this didn't take any longer to come out because the poor old cassette is just about history. Sadly, speaking of history, these guys went their separate ways a good while back... You can write to the label at liz@metoorecords.com Gaze Mitsumeru (cd) (K) Luckily for the fans, Gaze didn't keep us waiting too long with the follow-up to the stellar 7" they released last autumn on K. This full-length contains previously released (personal) favorites like seedless, x-reel and peeking shows his ignorance, while introducing us to new delights like shady, jelly-bean, and preppy villain. I can't seem to come up with analogies other than "it's like eating grapes!" like the one I made for their 7"... I mean, the melodies are still very sweet and the lyrics are tart/sour with relationship-related stuff. It was a good thing this release arrived in the stores ahead of schedule, because it gave some of us something to curl up to on Valentine's. The I Live The Life Of A Movie Star Secret Hideout Cherrys Constantine (12") (Radio Argot) This beautifully silk-screened sleeve contains in its folds a delightful single-sided 12" EP. Movie star is primarily a one-man show, run by this fellow named Adam Bayer (thanks to Caught in Flux #6 for that tidbit), with a few of his friends helping out. This is all that's needed to get his simple, old-school K record s beats happening (if ya know what I mean). My favorites from this EP were Teenage Dream Circuit, Gale Wind Transistor, and Radio Argot. I liked how a bunch of the songs had lyrics with dreams in them... if the band name doesn't get your attention, the music surely would. [Radio Argot: 235 E. 50th St. #37 New York, NY 10022] Rebuilthangartheory / Bermuda split single (7") (Scribblehut) This glorious split single gives us a taste of Rhode Island (two Providence bands, two songs each) and it tastes even better than a tall, cool glass of coffee milk (autocrat rules!). Um... on with the review. rebuilthangartheory play in an up-tempo strummy style that reminds me very much of Versus, especially on "agharta". The primary singer here is Frederick Prior, whose frenetic singing is kept under control by the cool vocal stylings of Margie Wienk (who's also in Difference Engine). There is a refreshingly magnetic quality about the fast-paced groove they set forth, making this an ideal soundtrack for a breezy drive over that bridge that takes you into Newport. bermuda, with their steady dynamics and intensely crisp drumming (by Cara Hyde, also of Difference Engine!), calmly hit all of your pressure points in a systematic fashion. It isn't until after you listen to the songs that you realize they beat you all up. References made to Red Stars Theory definitely aren't off the mark, but bermuda take you even farther out to sea (so far out, in fact, that there may be glimpses of particular Chicago-based bands with oceanic references). Oh, and all of this comes in a smart blue-grey wrap around sleeve. Write to Scribblehut! scribblehut@earthlink.net Moped The Horrible Truth About... (cd) (Vital Cog) As you may have already known, Moped have split up and gone their separate ways. This CD is a collection of eight previously unreleased tracks, as well as b-sides, compilation tracks, and the entire Naked, Sharp, and Plastic EP -- a farewell gift to all their fans, if you will (besides, how else would we get to hear the unreleased material?). They Superchunked their way into your hearts, but still rocking in the distinct Moped way, with tracks like Squalla (the first Moped song ever recorded, back when it was just Bret and Bob), Krusty, and Few and Far. There was Kara's singing debut with Patty, as well as other Kara-fronted faves like Avaricious Abe and Making Enemies... this CD is more than just 18 songs bunched together, but a compilation of memories spanning their three years in existence. And even though Moped are no more, be sure to keep an eye out for the new projects Sonny Sixkiller (Kara) and the Diane Linkletter Experience (Bret -- they already have a 7" EP out on the same label). Trembling Blue Stars The Rainbow (cd) (Shinkansen) Subtle dancy beats, emotion-stirring synthy waves, and lulling, pure female vocals that are like the sunset reflecting off raindrops -- those qualities make up the beautiful single track "the rainbow" (the version that won't be appearing on their up-coming album, Lips That Taste Of Tears). Songs of unrequited love can never seem to grow old when sung by Rob Wratton (formerly of the Field Mice and Northern Picture Library), proven on the b-side with "though I still want to fall into your arms". This song follows a slight country-ish 1-2 beat, with a playful slide guitar thrown in. The full length is slated for a late January release. Tim German Engineering (cd) (Vital Cog) The long-awaited full length from these Lexington KY indie rock heavy weights is finally out! After putting out two singles and one split (w/ the other reason to go to shows in Lexington, Massey Ferguson - now defunct) on their own label X-ray Hip (named after the former Univ. of Maryland power forward Exree Hipp, not a Grifters reference), these guys have put together a long-player of precise guitar dynamics. Adding more to the theory connecting quality rock to prominent college basketball programs, Tim's sound is comparable to that of early Archers of Loaf (UNC) and Vitreous Humor (Kansas U.). What else can I say about them?
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