* reviews by both Keight and AJ are marked as [K/A]. ** reviews by Keight are marked with a [K]. [reviews from 1999] Going Stagg Sink and Dream (7") (Kittridge) Perhaps you dug 'em on the Sidewalk Chalk Adventure comp (from the same label), but Going Stagg now have a release of their own that pops in both rock mode and cute mode. The first song "sink and dream" balances out cute doodley verses and rocky chorus bursts. The hot guitar solo at the end kind of caught me off guard but now that I've listened to this a bunch I can tell you it's entirely essential. They cover Red Dye No. 5's zippy rocker "torn shoe" to round out the A side. "Ryanoceros" has a cool dual guitar action happening, with quiet plink-offs and rock bursts. I really like the way they go from guitar pop to rockness. "Windmill" stats soft the entire stretch... it's a sweet tune from a grade schooler's point of view. Oh, I'd like to point out that I like the singer's voice a lot. So you combine that with their rocking pop style and solid beats, and you have yourself a nicely rounded-out band. The Autocollants Why Couldn't Things Just Stay The Same? (cd) (Shelflife) They were meant to happen, and unfortunately they had to come to an end. This CD is a documentary to their sweet, shimmery existence, cataloging material that spanned five years and four labels. Included in this collection are painfully beautiful favorites "casa", "tennis racket" and "candy coated kisses" as well as previously unreleased new favorites "we can't have it all" and "beyond the reef". Their style ranges from slow and dreamy to bop-bop-bop, and is nicely contrasted and refreshing at every listen... recommended for fans of pretty, shimmery Sarah Records sounds. Port Vale Western Winds (cdep) (Ojet) Straight-up, straight-laced, all systems go and punch punch kick. Port Vale knock out another fresh indierockgoodness release, this time in the form of a 6-song EP. I really like how they include their lyrics in their releases, as if to encourage sing-alongs or possibly nudging us for some finger-pointing shout-alongs like kids do at hardcore shows (especially the part in "north by north" where it goes "...but the south side sucks yeah the south side sucks!" and "...but the west side sucks and the east side's weak!"). Aw, that's so much fun. These guys crank out such refreshing shiny indie rock hits, that, I have caught myself waiting for the CD changer to get to this CD. I suppose I could just hit the >>next>> thang. Horray for modern technology! Horray for Port Vale! (Check out the review I wrote of their 7" further down on this page, if you're looking for something more descriptive of their sound. You know how it goes; wheel, reinventing, not necessarily in that order.) Garlands (picnic, lightning) (cdep) (Mister) If I didn't know these guys were from current day NYC, I would have guessed this CD was from England in the late 80's. We're talking very nice jangly f/x'ed stuff with smooth guy vocals, sort of like St. Christopher and oftentimes downright Wedding Present-ish. There are 6 songs on this EP and currently my faves are the Unrest-y "bird on the make", the sassy beat/croony "hude weeping willows" and "shroot" (because of all the 80's British indiepopness it revs up). These guys play out fairly consistently, so you really ought to keep an eye out. For more info, hop over to http://www.garlands.com. Marine Research Sounds From The Gulf Stream (cd) (K) When a significant band like Heavenly undergoes a major change, there's bound to be drawn-out discussions about what the band was and what they've become. In my tiny opinion, I don't think that a new Heavenly album would have sounded that much different from this album: if you were to listen to every Heavenly record in chronological order, you'll see that they were/are becoming less shambly and chaotic and more down to earth... you could say "mature". They're still as loveable as ever, their songs are catchy and the lyrics are ironic and bittersweet. I love how "parallel horizontal" builds up (and how Amelia does this little dance during the song, live) to the dreamy chorus. There's "hopefulness to hopelessness", my first favorite song off the album, with clever lyrics structure that has each sentence in the verses start with "I still want..." and the swelly chorus that chokes me up every now and then. My current favorite, "at the lost and found", also has a build-up thing, except it's more of a build-and burst into-fabulous chorus deal. Also keep an ear out for the single "queen b" (and the video for it, too!), "chucking out time" ("...and wish I was in Bewitched, I wrinkle my nose but nothing seems ever to change"), and "venn diagram" (of all the songs, I really like Cathy's backing vocals on this the best). These are merely just my condensed highlights, as this album flows very nicely from sea to shining sea. Mathlete The Household Frequencies (7") (Ojet) Hey! Mathlete is Mike from Wolfie and his friend Dan, and bleep-bleep-pow-pow electro-keys and drum machine bops are the making of their new-wavey pop stylings. Among the six songs on this EP there are strong Wolfie-ness in Mike's songs, which might make me lame and redundant to point out, but I figured I'd plant a reference point anyway. I like his "bring me down (I'm a fader)" for being so side-step dancey and "213 arcade lane" because of its swingyness. They both have the ever-awesome casio handclaps. Dan's songs kick up the new-wave settings an extra notch and I really like both of his songs, "asteroid police" and "technology, technology", adding a bonus dimension to an already cool piece of recording. Pay a visit to Mathlete's webby presense, why don't you: http://www.prairienet.org/mathlete. The Sidewalk Chalk Adventure various artists (7") (Kittridge) This is the first release on this Northridge, CA label, and they apparently waste no time seeing how they already recruited some indie pop heavyweights on their maiden voyage. Going on first is Going Stagg with "copycat". I haven't heard them before, but I'd definitely like to check out more stuff by them. They play pretty pop (but rockin' in a cute way, especially the chunkin' guitar jangles) with sweet girl vocals. Sean doesn't disappoint as Six Cents and Natalie (Sean from Tullycraft's casio solo project) punch out "you could be the one", dropping drum machine beats, finger snaps and references to tamagotchi... yet another sweet crush song by one of the business's finest. Busytoby (2/3 of which is Joe and Amanda from Wolfie) bust out with "lkat me", a song that shares a title with a Wolfie song... but it's not a re-creation. I listened for similarities but all I came up with was that the intro sounds like it's made up of the same notes (as the Wolfie song) except they're not in the same order and it's lower. The verdict? Shut up, stop obsessing and just enjoy it! It's got a sinister-sounding organ with a cheery second organ and punchy beats. Very nice. Radio 4 round out the comp with a swingy rock-pop song called "guess it's over". This is whole lotta 33.3 rpm fun, and it's only the label's first release! The Skywriters Self-Titled (cdep) (Brentwood Estates) You saw me gush over their demo tape, so you're probably approaching this review with caution. Well, I can't guarantee anything, but let me just say that The Skywriters are absolutely delightful live and in recording. I was extra psyched when two of my favorites from the demo, "Movie Star" and "Government Out Of My Backyard", made their way onto this five-song EP. As if to say "take us there, Skitch," the EP opens with Bethany's cool-ass intro beat (with reverb, giving it an extra oomph) on "Movie Star". Yeah it jangles, sashays and charms just like it should. "Everytime I Pass The Test" has this cute intro which has everyone introducing themselves by playing this ditty on their instrument. It then picks up to a full trot, breezing by the swooning competition. My super-favorite "Goverment Out Of My Backyard" is the next song and I was even more impressed with how it came out this time around. I *adore* the new "ba-ba-la-la-la" part towards the end, it's just so wonderful. This song is still my favorite. "Maybe Baby" features the girl-boy vocal action of Rose and Neal and you'll agree this should take place more often. It gets a teentsy bit garagey, too! Finishing out the EP is the bright, toe-tappy, hand-clappy "King Of Noise". It urges you to shake your hair side to side, and I like that. Damn, what makes The Skywriters so good? I don't know. Maybe I should listen to the EP again. Dressy Bessy Pink Hearts Yellow Moons (cd) (Kindercore) Every year there are one or two releases that grab my attention immediately and I end up listening to them really frequently all throughout. This is definitely one of those cases. I'm not sure if it's the sort of retro-ness, but there's something nicely familiar with most of their songs that I can't seem to firmly put a finger on (which leaves me running around chasing my pointing finger). It's a challenge to sit still while Dressy Bessy are crunching out rockin' pop hits like "Extra-Ordinary", "You Stand Here" and the radio favorite "Lookaround". And then there are the songs that make their way onto mix tapes I make, like "Jenny Come On" and "If You Should Try To Kiss Her" (that sashay beat and the swingy bass is so fancy... I also like the rhyming on this song too). Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but so am I, and I say you're doing a disservice to yourself if you choose not to check out Dressy Bessy. Supercute Jamie Theakston (7") (Damaged Goods / Sonic Art Union) Yessss! When I found out that Supercute is the genius of John Davies, the casio-disco mastermind behind Teen Anthems, I was prepared to tear the city to shreds to find a copy of his latest 7". It's a good thing I didn't have to. Now, I'm not really familiar with pop icons from across the Atlantic but the word is that this Jamie Theakston is some kind of hot shit over there. So anyway. The song features Rachel from Helen Love and it starts with her saying The Shangri-La's bit "when I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love" and *pow* the casio-disco booty shaker kicks in. The other song on the A side is "Jamie Theakston (version)" and it's a straight-up drum n' bass dance track that caught me off guard but it's still quite a bit of fun. The B side has "Gimme Indie Pop" which keeps up with the frenetic booty casio action Teen Anthems are worldly famous for. After that it's "Supercute", the other dance track on this 7", which starts off with housey beats but skratches into breakbeat mode with stock electronic music sound effects coupled with a short rap pumped through distortion. Hmm? All in the name of being fun and dancey. This is a kick ass 7". [Damaged Goods Records: P.O. Box 671 London E17 6NF ENGLAND] The Ladybug Transistor The Albemarle Sound (cd) (Merge) This was a release with such richly textured orchestration and arrangement that I was, at first, slightly intimidated to write the review. But I listened to this record all the time and in the end I just didn't want to deny myself the opportunity. It wasn't just putting my ears to sounds, it was like taking a stroll through an enchanted forest, while finding new discoveries almost each time through. The lush string section sway like trees in gentle wind, bright horns shine like rays poking through the canopy, all the while the sparkly guitar sounds cause ripples in an otherwise placid pond. Personal favorites include "Meadowport Arch", how it goes from a procession march-type beat and piano-rolls into a slower semi-grindier part, and back; "Today Knows" with its lush orchestral swell at the choruses and lyrics; the western-sounding instrumenal "Cienfuegos"; ... and the strong contention for song of the year "Oceans In The Hall". Everything about it, the melody, the strings (bows and the plucking bit), the flute, the small xylophone part... The melody is so entirely memorable that I've caught myself humming it numerous times. Seeing them live is also an experience you don't want to deny yourself. They really are that good. Bumping Up and Down various artists (7") (Lil' Red Wagon) Pretty-looking and pretty-sounding -- this 5-band 7" compilation has the 1-2 combo. On the outside you have the rather eye-catching cute wagon drawing accompanied by letters in the sparkly font diner font. Inside the sleeve is the clear red vinyl with the sounds tucked away in its grooves. B'ehl leads off with "Mies Pleez", which breezes by with cute girl-girl harmonies and rockin' speedy drum snaps. You can then groove down with the poppy-trip-hoppy soundz of Kitty Craft's "Lo-Fi". I really like her mix of cool sampled beats, pop charms and assorted pretty sounds. Naysay make their recording debut with "Same Old Song": pretty pickins on the guitars, lo-fi guy vocals and gentle tambo(u)rine shakes sprinkling pixie dust across the turntable. And then comes the f/x'ed silly-talk talking about science stuff learned from a guy on PBS, that is Tummybug's "Science Fiction". There's lots of this fuzzed out guitar revs and cool toy sound effects on it. At the very end of this compilation awaits Bunnygrunt, the first post-Jen Bunnygrunt that I've heard, with "I Mock You With My Monkey Pants". It's a semi-raunch garagey thing and it is over before you know it, like it couldn't be much more than 40 seconds. Now if you think this 7" sounds cool, you ought to check out the zine Chris (that's mister Lil' Red Wagon) puts out, Astroboy 5000! [Lil Red Wagon Recordings/Astroboy 5000: 195 Denistoun Street #203 Welland, Ontario L3C 6P1 CANADA] Port Vale There Goes The Patience (7") (Ojet) Is it the shoes? It's gotta be the friendly rock that rolls forth of this 7". Fresh (not in the 80's sense, entirely) guitar chunking causes the needle to dip towards the Vehicle Flips scale on the A side's "There Goes The Patience". This song rocks with slight hesitation, resisting the temptation to kick the pedal into an emo-burst and I think that's good. The B side is "Mass Transit" and it cruises at an early Archers of Loaf pace. There's one part that goes "rocks and rock roxxxanne, you know I wanna be your fan" which has to be a take on the 80's rap hit (which name I can't seem to recall) that goes "roxanne roxanne, I wanna be your man" and I find that kind of reference-humor incredibly funny. You just had to have been there I guess. Even without the witty humor this song stands on its own with noodly-catchiness. Listen to it and you, too, will know what I mean. The Poconos Days Are Getting Shorter (7") (Jigsaw) This is a keepsake of Mike and Tami's somewhat short, but very well-lived, life as a fabulous pop combo called The Poconos. You know, I was really psyched to finally see this exist after the release date kept getting pushed back... but it's out now so I'll stop being a sourpuss. And yes! It is a very fine record, I find a good amount of Mark & Lara (The Moonlings, Nik-L-Nip) influence and that's always nice. My favorites from this 6-song EP include: "Booksmart" which reminds me a little of The Haywains; the steady strummin' BMX Bandits-esque "Waterslide"; and the neat boy-girl singing + simple tribal beats of "Ten Hour Drive" that's reminiscent of The I Live The Life Of A Movie Star Secret Hideout. Most of these songs are sung by Tami in really sweet way, while Mike brings on the bright jangle arsenal. Tami plays bass too. It should also be noted that this 7" is on clear blur vinyl. Mmm. Check out the Poconos webpage at: http://www.tamarama.com/poconos! The Receptionists The Last Letter (cd) (Ba Da Bing!) For various reasons, the release of this collections CD kept getting pushed back and all of us Receptionists devotees aged a few years (literal, and otherwise) in antsy anticipation -- but when it did come out, it was as if all that time whizzed right by like some tricky twist of the Theory of Relativity. The Receptionists were three: Tanya (singing and guitar), Lara (accordion, singing, bells) and Jen (penny whistle, mandolin, xylophone and various small hand-held percussion items), and they played a simple kind of pop that I find comparable to (a stripped-down) The Carousel circa I Forgot To Remember To Forget, and/or Confetti with more instruments. In other words, they have a way of expressing sweetness without falling into a cutesy-ness trap which says something about their maturity and poise. Undeniable make-you-curl-up-in-awwness songs include "You, Me, Sweet" ("who slow danced with me/and stepped on my feet/in a dream/I think it was sweet."), "The Chills" ("the kind I get in a haunted house/and the kind I get holding your hand in a haunted house."), and "Laundry Song" (my new favorite lyrics: "yesterday you said you'd call/and I couldn't help but wait/by the phone/I stepped out to go to the laundromat/when you called I was not home. doesn't this sound like a Greek tragedy/someone get a pillow and smother me."). I feel fortunate that I got to see them while they were still around, but listening to this makes me really miss them and wish they weren't gone. But like the title says, this is like the last letter you received from a former SomeOne that you drag out every once in a while to reminisce the good times. BaDaBinh@aol.com [Ba Da Bing!: P.O. Box 204 Leonia, NJ 07605] Marine Research / Built To Spill split single (7") (K) By now you've probably heard about/read about/listened to this release -- it has both bands covering each other's song (well, BTS covers a Heavenly song) in a (fun to listen to) demonstration of mutual respect. I'm gonna have to be honest here, I haven't heard much of BTS's stuffs before, including this song, but MR covering it has definitely gotten my interest (was that the plan all along?). The MR side, "Sick & Wrong", has a sort of funky groove and has this arms bent at 90 degrees and step front/step back-dance kind of thing going, or at least that what I like to do when I have it on. There's one part where Amelia breaks it down rap-style and that's just fab. BTS cover one of my favorites off Operation Heavenly, "By The Way", and wow, it was really different to hear it sung (a) not in a British accent and (b) by a guy. I like it a lot! My big points of interest go to the guitars that do Cathy's back-up vocal parts, and Scott Plouf's (one of my idols, the reason why I started playing drums) interpretation of Mathew Fletcher's (another of my idols, the reason why I still play) thwacks and fills. This split has quite a bit of meaning for me that goes beyond the musical plane, and for that I salute K. Gaze Shake The Pounce (cd) (K) [K/A] Keight says: The sophomoric effort of this "pretty pop" band seems so soon after Mitsumeru (like they went to summer school or somethin') that I think it'd be hard for me to dislike it. Though Mitsumeru felt a little patched together mainly due to having heard almost half of the songs on the record from prior releases, Shake the Pounce is fresh and catching but not just because it's all new material to me. The album flows together so smoothly and has a nice lasting quality where each listen I tend to pick up on something else that I really like about it. The song titles tend to sound like songs you'd want to hear just from seeing the title: "detail queen"… "mr. oh so suave & debonaire"… "he makes all the girls smile (with his smile)"… Miko's songs are still immediately addictive and beautifully complex in a simple way (ooh, a paradox), and Megan's songs are somehow better than before, but I'm not really sure why. They just are. The first song "so early to tell" strikes me as a totally kick-ass opener, especially the way the chorus breaks down to just a guitar line, no bass, and vocals with Rose's amazingly natural drumming falling in behind like the song was written around it. "From the inside" is one of my favorites if anything because I like the line, "I will come running to you, tripping and falling." Gaze is one of those bands that I just feel compelled to sing-a-long to like all the time, even when I don't know the words and have to sing "mah-fuh-nah" style. (this is in reference to my friend Jena who no one who will read this knows.. but if you knew her, this would make you laugh - ha ha) But I think it's mostly because the vocals are just so nice, especially when there's harmony action going on. "Tea and coffee" is a Megan song about being a stewardess, and it rocks in a sweet, nonassuming sort of way. It's got a real punchy bass line, which I probably only mention because "punchy" is my word lately. My favorite song is embarassingly (?) the cover "nine lives to rigel five," which I guess is a Game Theory song, but I'm too lame to have heard that version. I really can't decide if it's bad to like the cover best. It's just so damn catchy. There's a little controversy in my world about whether or not "Louisiana" is more fun to sing than "Alabama," but then Louisiana doesn't have that extra meaning to it, so I have been training myself the accept the proper lyrics. "Learn the kind of ego I doubt I'll ever use." Eek, I'll move on before I obsess unnecessarily. The best Megan song is undoubtedly "he makes all the girls smile (with his smile)" which has this really tension-filled melody which to me really conveys the emotion of dealing with this guy who gets away with everything, but I could just be ready into it. I like this record because the slow songs aren't like slow songs, which I usually skip over when I'm in an anxious mood, and also because of the pre-stated singing-a-long compulsion. All in all, a really rad album. I think I've listened to it more than I ever listened to "Mitsumeru" which I still find odd because I really liked that album. If I was forced to make a statement, I'd say I like Shake the Pounce better, but only if I was forced. So don't quote me on that. AJ says: When I heard this was coming out the release date was within a year of their first LP. Man, are they one of the hardest working bands or what? You'll hear no complaints outta me, and I'll tell ya why. Miko's "So Early To Tell" is a great lead-off song in my opinion, for no better reason than it being a good pace- and mood-setter. It doesn't hurt that there are the beautiful vocal harmonies, a catchy melody and general upbeatness to prove my point even further. Carrying the momentum over is Megan's "The Snake Song" that has this nifty curly bass melody and lyrics about a soured relationship. This is just the first of the Megan songs that, I think, show her songwriting has gotten better (not to say it wasn't good before). There aren't any particular things I can pinpoint, other than I think there are more things going on in her bass playing than before. I very much enjoy "Tea or Coffee", undoubtedly brewed up (oww, bad pun) from her experience as a flight attendant: "flying so high up in the air, better not look down 'cause you might get scared." Hee. The fast paced beats and string-plinks are very cute. The best song title award goes to "Mr. Oh So Suave & Debonaire" -- and there's more to the song than just witty title-ing. It's upbeat and it's got vocal harmonies with Rose rocking the beats, with one downside being that it's a very short song (a minute and a half!). "Sunday Night Waterworks" is a waltzy one (Keight tells me it might be in 6/8 time... so does that mean it's not waltzy by time-definition?) and I am SO weak against waltzy pop songs. Miko has a way of singing that gets the song's emotion across without being overly dramatic, and couple that with Rose singing back-up and you too will find yourself in an emotional puddle. My favorite song on this album is "In the Midst" and it's the last song. It really draws me in from every aspect: the melancholy notes picked one by one, sweet harmonies, steady rhythms... I guess everything. This album starts off great and coasts to shore with a fabulous closer and the middle certainly can't be overlooked either. This is an excellent record. The Skywriters 7 Song Demonstration (cassette) (self-released) This tape is largely to blame for my being behind on writing reviews, as I haven't listened (and still don't listen) to much anything else on my walkman. Five pop-brilliant kids from the Philadelphia-area form The Skywriters, sort of like how those five anime battle kids came together to form Voltron. Rose's singing comes through very mature and endearing, as Jayme and Neal's charming jangles and plinks entwine Joel's witty basslines and that's all put in their respective rhythmic places by Bethany who rocks it snappily on the beats. There just aren't any weaknesses to their well articulated old-school (mid-80's british) indie pop stylings. "My Friends Say" is such an instant pop hit that you won't know what hit you. It bursts and sparks and shoots across the living room and it totally brightens my day when I hear it. The head bop inducing "Movie Star" is another favorite of mine with its mean drum rolls and cute see-saw plinks on the strings. Keep up with the fast-slow-fast pace of "Glass Bottom Boat" and swing around on the tire swing one more time to "Tiger Tails". This brings me to "Government Out of My Backyard", my absolute favorite of the tape. It opens with these heart-melting jangle strums and subtle organs, followed by tumbly rolls by the rhythm section. The exceedingly sweet (not sweet as in cutesy but more in a "boy, can she really sing" way) vocals kick in, reminiscing a childhood crush (?). I have to stop everything when this comes on. "Harden Your Heart" and "The Bottom Stair" round out this fabulous cassette, totally leaving you wanting more -- which is okay because they have a 5-song EP coming out on Brentwood Estates. Yesss! The Skywriters make me want to do loop-de-loops. Contact them via email: skywriters@yahoo.com. Wolfie Where's Wolfie (cd) (Parasol) [K/A] So Keight's like: Now Awful Mess Mystery being one of the best albums of last year, consisting mostly of two-minute pop gems which totally rocked kids all over, it seems weird that this follow-up starts off so laidback.. with a song called "little bee is dancin'" which doesn't really make you feel like dancing at all. I mean, maybe some kind of shoulder movement, but not really dancing. This might at first feel like a mistake. But things do pick up and the hooks kick in and while it might not be until the chorus of "busy busy busy" that you'll really feel your feet getting kicked from behind, you won't be feeling disappointed. Wolfie has definitely grown into something better, if that's conceivable to sworn fans. There's more of a focus on development, I think, which is not just repeating the same things over again but adding something else to the same idea. Like "on loan to satellite" where each verse and each repeat of the chorus is just a little different from what came before it, a little more embellished. "Buying an engine" sounds like slow Tullycraft to me for some reason, which is odd because Wolfie doesn't make me think of Tullycraft on any other songs. Though I guess I would find similarities if I tried to compare them. I think my favorite song is "it's thursday, not sunday (thank goodness)" with it's "a-a-a-a-m" pseudo-chorus and catchy keyboard part. It totally busts out at the end with a fight of "la-la-la"s against "a-a-a-a-m"s with the catchy keyboard part sailing over the top of everything like an amused onlooker (the "a-a-a-a-m"s win in the end). But one of my favorites is unavoidably "you're lucky I'm skinny," which was released in a slightly different version on a seven-inch just before this album came out. This version is just enough faster to make it "kicky" and is basically a more stripped down version, with just vocals and upbeat drums hits on the verses and all-out jangling and such everywhere else. But how can you resist when Joe admits, "second verse, yeah it's better than the first, but you know I can't write a third"? And then suddenly it's "you're gonna fall back into it, but I'll always love you" with it's real full sound coming out of "you're lucky." This is one of the best songs, and it'll make you wanna dance, but then the record's over. So I guess you'll just have to listen to it over again. ...and AJ was all: I was late on picking up on Wolfie last year so I made sure I wasn't going to miss out this time around! Awful Mess Mystery was one of my favorite releases last year, you see. When their 7" came out earlier I noticed they had changed a little bit from before (see my review of that 7" below). Like I said in that review, if their last record can be described as running around all excitedly and bouncing around, this one can be described as a bit more calm and calculated in their songwriting. I hope you won't get the wrong impression by me saying that because the new one is just as much fun, only the path they take is a less bumpy one. You can totally bop to songs like "Steely Dan", "Busy Busy Busy" (which is my current favorite with its cooooool boy-girl singing part that leaves me shaking my head in amazement), "Ain't No Good News" and "You're Gonna Fall Back Into It, But I'll Always Love You". Those songs get me shamelessly bouncing in place while waiting for the train in the morning. And then there are the songs that make me think they've been listening to a good bit of Elephant 6 stuff, on songs like "Little Bee is Dancin'" and "Mr. and Mrs. Season" where they're mellowed out considerably (that initially got me on the "hey they've changed a bit!" tip). In the end what we have is a largely danc(e)able, definitely excit(e)able, and decidedly fun album that you'd be denying yourself a possible high-point of 1999 if you don't have it right by your stereo. Seven Summers: International Pop Vol. Two various artists (cd) (Kindercore / TweeNet) This compilation is such an exception to my general avoidance of reviewing comps that I had to get over it this time around. I mean, how can there be any denying a collection of such stellar casting? You have here (big breath) cocktail pop stylings of La Buena Vida, the swank strumminess of The Masters Of The Hemisphere, dreamy blinky light charms of #Poundsign#, silvery chimey sounds of Mumbly, the cuteness of rosy-cheeks-on-a-winter-outing of Shoestrings, the sincerity in poppy jangles of Brideshead, the whispery Talulah Goshy The Best Wishes (who are my favorites on the CD), the knock-out pop expertise of Acid House Kings, the swanky boys-next-door charms of kincaid., the Haywains-esque The Silent Boys, the mix of cocktail and dream pops of The Crooner, simple twirly strums by Watoo Watoo, bubblegum bubble bursting bop-bopping Bunnygrunt, the unassuming yet catchy Cessna, the new wavey electro skillz of The Autumn Teen Sound, bicycle riding on the autobahn with Die Elektros, watching the raindrops make ripples in puddles with Gritty Kitty, nodding in sync (and in agreement) with pop legends The Sugargliders, the boy-girl vocals mastery of Red Sleeping Beauty, and The Legendary Bang closing it out on a lovey note. I hope the review isn't too smushed-looking, but I hope to get the message across that this is a key addition to any pop fan's collection. Put it on at slumber parties! Put it on shuffle mode and impress your guests! You can also check out the TweeNet site for information on each of the bands. Now that's handy. Late Night Television 11 Love Songs For Your Shallow, Broken Heart (cd) (Route Fourteen) I was already a fan of LNTV from their 7" and having seeing them live so I was pretty psyched when I got this new full length. So I put it on and the first untitled song was pretty mellow and I'm thinking "hmm... okay" and then out of nowhere ... POW! "Self Destruct Mode" kicked in and floored my ass. It's really pumped up melodic guitar rock with a sweet Carolina (early 90's) flavor, side-swiping the likes of Small (23) and Superchunk enroute to a race to the checkered flag. Blowing by the competition are "Two Seconds Flat", the anthemic "I'll Never Do Anything (As Cool As You)", "Map of New Jersey" and "Trash Can Support". I really like their slower stuff too -- songs like "Taking Pictures" and "The Heart On My Sleeve Was Not For You (But You Took It Anyway)" are heart-felt acoustic angsty ones where they sound like Matt, using every last bit of his remaining strength from dealing with life's pitfalls, pulls himself back up to sing one more time. I saw them before I heard the CD and I really want to see them again, although the stuff they play has so much energy that you don't really need to know their songs to have fun at their show. Recently I was driving around and heard "Map of New Jersey" on a college radio station and my hand was frozen in the devil sign. And that's not good because I drive stick shift. Silver Scooter Orleans Parish (cd) (Peek-a-Boo) The first thing I noticed about the new Silver Scooter album is that the nicks and bumps that made them have that great scrappy sound on their previous full-length, The Other Palm Springs, have been hammered down and polished over to a shine. Now I hope you aren't thinking "aw, naw" because I'm here to tell you about their new brand of rock I absborbed in my repeated listenings. And let me tell you, they rock plenty. Taking the place of loud, lo-fi distortion bursts are carefully calculated rock crafts -- sort of like the difference between ratty exhaust explosions and the hum of a high-powered engine on idle. "Sleight of Hand" is a good example, it has really steady rhythm in the verses and it swells to a flowing chorus (I've found that you can sing the chorus to "Tractor Pull", from their previous CD, to this part and it fits quite nicely!) -- but they keep the rock-reins close and under control. "Cancer & Wide-Eyed Looks" is another strongly written melodic slow rocker that I keep going back to. Again, this song has that nice calmness-to-controled-peaking that works really well. Some of my other faves include "If Nonsense Only Knew", "Deliver Me Driver", and the two songs previously available on 7"s "Tribute to the Phone Calls" (see my review of that 7" under the 1998 reviews section, if ya want) and "Cup & String". This is Silver Scooter with a new mature sound and I like it. Ninian Hawick Steep Steps (cd) (Grimsey) With a revolving cast anchored by John Crozier (who's done stuff with people like Jim Ruiz), Ninian Hawick -- a band and not a person; also it's pronounced HOYK -- have brought in a really cool mixed bag with this latest release. The first song, "Scottish Rite Temple Stomp", was on their split with The Shebrews and if you're not familiar with it, it's an extra-catchy guitar/bagpipe pop explosion that's sure to have found its way onto many-a mix tape. From this point on the CD takes on a less straight-forward approach. "Mon Récit" has these sinister sounding "zoom zoom" keyboard sounds with spoken french lyrics. Echoey drum samples and short bursts of record scratching abounds. "Ballad of the Oread" is made up entirely of computer-produced sounds, mainly electronic drums and effects that sound like alien frogs and rattlesnakes. It sounds like a soundtrack to if a Borg ship crash-landed on Dagobah (yes, I'm fully aware that I'm crossing two different universes.). After that crash-course in Jedi training, hop on an X-Wing and fly back to Scotland ... only to find things aren't how you left them. "Scottish Rite Temple Stomp (Remix)" has made the original vocals much more echoey, a lot of the guitar sounds have been replaced by blips and f/x'ed bagpipes and the handclaps are much more up front. Remixed or not, this song's got charm like Luke's got the Force (okay, enough with the Star Wars already). "Phrasebook Wands" is a beat-driven spoken piece with samples glimmering throughout. Top to bottom there's a lot of genius variations that really should appeal to most listeners, and you should really check it out. Do or do not, there is no try (there is it again!). This release is available in Europe from Dreamy Records. Wolfie You're Lucky I'm Skinny (7") (Parasol) If previous Wolfie recordings are to be compared to running around excitedly, then the new stuff can be described as skipping around and stopping occasionally to enjoy the weather. "You're Lucky I'm Skinny", written and sung by Mike, has that cheery beat and accompanying keyboard toot-toots that are very conducive to side-to-side head flopping. There's a really cool music video hidden somewhere in this song. Flop the single to the other side and what you'll find are parasol-twirls and synchronized foot-to-heel dances on "Ginger Ale Yawn" (well, that's what I find, anyway) written and sung by Joe. There's a really cool beat change near the middle where the piano-poke dewp-dewps are laid to rest and jangly guitar chuggy-chugs get a few moments in the spotlight alone with Amanda's singing. This moment leaves about as abruptly as it came in, and the song closes out with a cute boy-girl duet. Is there anything that can stop Wolfie? They're a Final Four lock for sure. Landis The Water's Electric (7") (Drive-In / Siladi) This has to be the first one-sided colo(u)red (it's white!) 7" I've encountered in a long while. Well, with my lack of living out of the way I'd like to tell you that Landis play that cool, spacey, shimmery pop that orbits in the same system as, say, Buddha on the Moon or Clock Strikes Thirteen. If I were to graphically describe "The Water's eElectric", something like 'trickles of polarized sunshine through frozen galactic waterfalls' comes to mind. This is definitely good, but there's just so much you can say about one song! But just think, you don't have to flip the 7" over when it's done. Ah, that's the convenient life. They have a number of other releases and a fabulous website (via the Siladi Records page) so you should go check them out. Vehicle Flips The Premise Unraveled (cd) (Magic Marker) I haven't had the opportunity to hear a whole lot of Mister Frank Boscoe's stuff (ie: Wimp Factor 14) prior to this CD, but if you're somewhat new to his stuff (like me), I'd say this is a good place to start (and you can work backwards). His songs have really nice, thin guitar ring-ings and honest-to-goodness vocals that sing creative and witty lyrics. I'd imagine a lot of reviews will bring up the first song "Requiem for a Canceled Program" and its topic of what goes on at a TV station that has to ax a show due to poor ratings. It's chock full of TV station terminology like demographics, set design, and 'numbers'. And then there's "Welcome to the Big Ten Conference" -- any pop song that mentions collegiate athletics is key in my book. I do believe Frank has spent some time at Penn State, which I'm sure everybody here knows that they're a Big Ten school. Actually I can't tell if he's mocking college sports in the song, but I hope he's not. But the Supreme Wittiest Song of the CD award goes to "Self-Pity 6.0.1" -- how about some lyrics like: "I am clip art, I live in the public domain. Paste me to your sorry-looking document, without credit, without shame." But see, I can't just go around quoting the whole dang CD because that is what I'd end up doing. Why don't I just shut up and you go see for yourself? Phasers On Stun Chatting Up Birds (7") (Altrokitis Rekords) These four guys from Northern Ontario rock out in that pleasant 60's pop kinda way, and denying that is like turning down a good neighbor's invitation to a backyard barbecue. "Chatting up Birds" gets a little surfy at times but they don't let it drift too far out to sea by casting life-lines of rock-out bursts. "Get Lost" is a nice slow jangler with soft velvet backdrops. I don't know if they get asked if they're fans of Star Trek, but I'm not gonna take any chances. Oh, and I do believe they have a CD out now. The 7" doesn't list a label contact address, but you can email the band at rhynos@baynet.net. Girlfrendo Surprise! Surprise! It's... (cd) (Bambini) If I were to start this by saying Girlfrendo are from Sweden, you'd probably get the wrong idea. Well let me just tell you that they have the perfect balance of doo-wop ultra-swank and knock-you-on-your-ass shoutiness like some ying & yang of awesome pop power. Take "First Kiss Feelings vs. Everyday Sensations" for example: it starts off with a smooth bass poking around, followed by horns, and then comes shoutiness... oh, the shoutiness. A tall, dark, swank guy vocal glides into the scene and soon after a vocal trade-off ensues: the shouty girl vocals argue that the best kind of relationships are the ones that are giddy, new, crush types (i.e. first kiss feelings: "I don't wanna love, I wanna crush"), while the guy vocals ask what's wrong with "old-style affection" and "holding hands and shopping" (i.e. everyday sensations of something long-term). I've said this before but I'm a sucker for songs that have vocal trade-offs, and when there's such a contrast between J Frendo's and Golden Boy's vocal styles, it makes it that much more interesting. There are non-shouty songs too, you know. Take "Cat Heaven" for example. Whether they intended it or not, this one is incredibly cute with ba-da la-la-la's, oooh-ooooh's and lines like "please lick your paws before you enter." If you like cats, or even if you don't, the pure genius (and cuteness) will draw you in. I think this song was written for a kitten that the lyricist once had. I'd advise you to sit down before the sweetness really sinks in. There's the non-stop party atmosphere of "Photosession in a Photobooth", the ever-cool instrumental "Girlfrendo Sound System", the smokey sexy "Hallelujah", a really cool spaced out version of "Crushed" (my favorite off their ...gives you a love bite 7", which I've grown to love since I reviewed it), and the fantabulous cover of "Dumb Head"... I suppose I should end this soon, but I can't until I mention the two absolute favorite songs. There's the title track "Surprise" and that was a bit of a surprise for me because I generally don't like title tracks... but leave it to Girlfrendo to break my rules. This one is sung entirely by the delicious doo-wop vocal stylings of Golden Boy and overall it's got an extremely agreeable retro pop feel. And finally, to bring the Smack Down on the pop listening community, Girlfrendo drops the hammer of Thor with the song of the century: "Delicatessen". Shouty? Check. Swanky? Check. Topic? Try this: it's about a girl who goes to a delicatessen and she sees a guy who doesn't exactly sweep her off her feet with just his looks. But from the moment he asks the dairy person "can I have some more of that Swedish cheese?" she totally falls in love with him and his quirks, and follows him around the store to see what he gets ("went and picked up some broccoli, I think you might have noticed me. as I sniffed the brussel sprouts, I had to swallow joyful shouts."). This is the best song I've heard this year: it's creative, intensely catchy, shouty, cute, and it hits especially close to home with me because I tend to pay more attention to people's quirks than the average person does. Oh yeah, definitely go visit their beautifully laid-out website: http://www.girlfrendo.com. Their site has RealAudio clips from select tracks so it's totally worth your time checking out. This full-length was originally available only in Japan, but it will be available this year on March in the US and Siesta in Europe. God, I totally love Girlfrendo. Girlfrendo Air (cd single) (Piao!) I have a feeling Girlfrendo listen to old-school R&B because their incorporation of smoothness is so non-accidental and extremely well done (and fun). "Air" is very cheery and fun and gives me a warm feeling ("in my mind, at night, it's always sunny"). It starts off quiet, then it builds, then it climbs to cruising altitude, and as the song draws to a close it glides in smoothly for a flawless landing. The tray tables are magically set to their up-right position. They keep up the cheeriness on "Make up" where they give (helpful?) hints on how to wear eyeliner. Hmm, okay. And ironically "Happy Days" is the least cheerful of the bands, as the keyboard sighs out sad notes to lines like "do you remember when 'girl power' was something to be proud of?" I guess you can always go back to "Air" and get your spirits back up. Hey wait a minute, that would cause an infinite loop of Girlfrendo listens. Ah well. Marine Research Queen B (7") (K / Where It's At Is Where You Are) To put it simply, Marine Research is a great new band that happens to have 4/5 of a band we once knew (and will forever remember) as Heavenly. With their new line-up comes new material that takes a more laid back approach, but the songs are still plenty packed with the pop charm that got them to the top in the first place. If I were on a desert island and had to pick one side of the 7", I'd probably go with "Queen B". It could just be that I really like songs that has a really prominent bass part. Whatever it might be, this song has such a charming, agreeable melody to it that it's found a permanent cubby hole inside my head. The plesantly tinkly "Y.Y.U.B." gives us a taste of sweet pop with a grown-up taste. I'm so glad this 7" came out, and I really hope they come over here to whoop our collective asses in live performances across these amber fields of grain. How Embarrassing To Dance Like That various artists (7") (Motorway) If you don't already own one of these Motorway series 7" compilations, you've probably seen it at your local record shops. Out of the five that are out right now, I'd have to say this one is my favorite. It boasts a killer line-up of #Poundsign#, The Moonlings, Rizzo, and Juniper. I shouldn't even have to say that you're looking at an all-star cast here. #Poundsign# jangles it up and throws it down with "Chicken Soup". The Moonlings' contribution "Let's Sell All Our Records And Move Somewhere Else" has become my favorite song by them, and it gets my vote as the suggested theme song to Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. I'm such a sucker for Mark and Lara's trade-off vocals, not to mention the cute bobbing melody. The monster (well, not exactly monstrous) garage-pop duo Rizzo come out swinging with "Apple Pancakes" with more conviction than a pep rally cheer (mmm... pancakes). Anchoring this 4-band comp is Juniper's "I Just Wanted You To Know" -- the last song of theirs released under that name (they're now The Mondo Crescendo). Zippy and punchy as ever, the pop-rock it up with crunchy guitars, defenitive snaps on the snare, fuzzed out bass melodies, and Jenni's smooth-sailing singing. Top to bottom, this is one solid 7" compilation. [Motorway: 3-2-18 Shioyaki Ichikawa-Shi Chiba 2720114 JAPAN] The Aisler's Set Terrible Things Happen (cd) (Slumberland) [K] Ok, let me just start off by saying that it was my lazy ass who was supposed to have written this review months and months ago, but being a full-time student who works part-time and writes zines and tries to have a life, it's easy to get distracted. Let me continue by saying that this album is just an instant classic. I had heard a little about the Aislers Set in random places, but then all of sudden there was this album out and everyone who bought it thought it was great. I couldn't find it in Boston at first and right when I was about to mailorder it, I found it. I think it was the only thing I listened to for a week straight. No, I think it was probably two weeks. The 'Set is mostly Amy Linton of Henry's Dress/Go Sailor fame, and she basically writes two kinds of songs: slow 'n' pretty & fast 'n' catchy. It's a win-win situation. There's so much reverb on parts of this you wind up swooning in these wonderful, echoey passages even the drums have reverb on them. I was probably most impressed by the recording quality of this record seeing as most of it was recorded in Amy's garage. It does not sound like it was recorded in a garage. I also really like the bass part on "California," the vocal harmonies throughout, the chorus of "I've Been Mistreated": "I don't want to be the girl that's driving you home, just to see you in and turn and go back alone. I don't think it's fair, just say you don't care." The melodic phrasing of those lines is just heartbreakingly beautiful. My favorite songs are the fast ones, but I just like fast songs best. "Long Division" is most often my favorite song on this record with it math-tinged love-lost-song bitterness and really awesome tambourine part. Plus there's this part right after the chorus where a keyboard hits one note repeatedly right up until the next verse starts and for some reason it's just perfect. And that's what I really like about this record. There are all these little things that end up making the song. Like I love the way "Mary's Song" is all layered like the doubled vocal parts, one of which is just whispering, and the two guitar parts, one of which is so soft you almost don't hear it. Not to mention the way it ends with the repeating "hey-hey-hey"s while another vocal line starts repeating over that. These songs are just so much more complex than they sound the first time you listen to them. So if you've read any of the countless reviews of this, you know how it's an all-star pop group (the other members are Alicia #Poundsign#, Wyatt Trackstar, and Yoshi Scenic Vermont, and it's really awesome. But none of those other reviewers can say that Amy Linton's brother's girlfriend rang up her copy of "Terrible Things Happen" (it's true!) which just shows the power that this record has. Let me end this by saying that if I this album was stolen from me right this second, I would go out and buy it again tomorrow. (Not that Newbury Comics would actually have it)
	[complete reviews archive]