The Hanes Music Review 011
(Originally unleashed the beast September 2008)
I think it is now officially safe to say that Hanes is in the thrall of a deep romance with techno and electronica. After years of listening to old jazz and old country with a little rock interspersed here and there, it’s the techno beats which are currently catching my fancy. Just saying, that’s all, so you realize that this “crush” on the genre probably colors how I look at other types of music. Of course, in the end my opinions are completely objective and correct. That goes without saying. But let it never be said that Hanes is not introspectively fair and impartial in a manner not seen since the days of Solomon.
Maps – Out of the U.K., this one man outfit’s first full album release is 2007’s We Can Create. This is done in the tradition of guitar/synthesizer orchestral drone rock, although it does fall short of “wall of sound” richness. The beat is the core of the music yet it’s those cresting waves of finespun sound that tantalize the most. All the usual comparisons pertain, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Boo Radleys. That’s a good deal of polish to the sound in a positive sense. Rarely would I say this but there’s not a lousy track on the album. They all fit together into a cohesive whole, without an undue sense of sameness. What more could you want? Yes, you damn you! If you believe in the historical merit of the late 80’s to early 90’s indie cum college rock scene, you likey this band. Personal faves are “So Low So High,” “Elouise” and “Back + Forth.” No point in going on and on when you should be out buying the album instead of reading.
Tunng – This is a band I am surprised I like. At base it’s pastoral folk music. I got your glockenspiel right here. Yet, at the same time, it’s as much grounded in electronic errata. Together both elements are scrubbed to a crystal clear openness, there’s not an element in any note or buzz or whirr that you are not supposed to hear 100%. The sparseness of quantity of notes or harmonies at any given moment thus doesn’t diminish the ambient quality of the music. And it does draw you in and surround you without ever closing in on you. Tempo-wise, as you’d suspect, most of the music is slow or mid-tempo in nature. But the pacing fits the vibe, you wouldn’t want them to rock harder. And, in the end, they are probably more of an electronica band with folk embellishments. I waffle here. And elsewhere. The main albums are 2006’s This Is Tunng: Mother’s Daughter And Other Songs, 2006’s Comments of the Inner Chorus and 2007’s Good Arrows, along with a few EPs. From This Is Tunng “Out the Window With the Window” and “Kinky Vans” tickle my fancy best. From Comments it would be “Jenny Again” and “Stories” whereas from Good Arrows the choice cuts are “Bricks” and “Arms.” Not all bands with dumb names are stupid. Or was that not all bands with stupid names are dumb?
Studio – Not sure how best to categorize this Swedish duo. There’s an 80’s alt-rock sound similar to early Love & Rockets or The Cure at times, they blend in a fair dose of “world beats” and it’s mostly instrumental (which Hanes always likey). At times it’s highly danceable, at others more for moody withdrawal into black mascara. Solid degree of diversity among the six tracks on their sole full length album, 2007’s West Coast. Basically it’s electronica but not so strident about the fact. If there’s a bummer about the album it’s that two songs are longer than 12 minutes and two others longer than 7 minutes, which makes them sort of “unshuffable” in today’s music listening parlance. Put if you just put it on in the background it’s supa-chill. Get on the bandwagon!
Monster Magnet – Serious heavy rockers, this is the shit. The tunes hearken back before heavy metal was widely recognized as a category and bands just rocked out hard. Like, is Deep Purple really “heavy metal” or a rock band? I say the latter. Was Guns ’n’ Roses a heavy metal band? AC/DC? Harumph. The singer has a great thick voice for this sort of music and the guitars and drums are always sizzling. Good swagger without getting caught up in it, no preening. So, we have now their latest, 2007’s 4-Way Diablo. Which is a credible effort in their collection and, as one would expect and want, doesn’t deviate much from the general successful template. After all, rocking out is rocking out! That said, “Freeze and Pixelate” has that crazy far eastern vibe that is the shizznitz. “2000 Lightyears from Home” and “Blow Your Mind” also hit it. For newbies, it might be best to check out the canonical 1998 album Powertrip or 1995’s Dopes to Infinity. Pure and uncut.
Digitalism – While it’s not quite the “block rocking beats” of The Chemical Brothers, Digitalism can easily be placed in the same general area of LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk. The drums are perpetually in the forefront and there’s sufficient “scratch-like” notes to give many songs a hip-hop accent. As you’d expect from an intelligent mind working in this genre, there’s a fair degree of diversity among the tunes. Is it the very “best” of its genre, probably not. But they do nail the sound and have a lot to offer those who some rock in their techno. The tracks Hanes digs most are “Pogo,” “Homezone” and “Echoes.” Seems like there’s promise enough too that new albums might improve on the basic formula.
YOU May Like It
Battles – I like this band and I like that I like them. But I don’t love them. It’s like metal prog rock, as has been noted and there’s no other way of really putting it. At times it sounds like Yes circa 90125. This is music made by boys who were fans and now are men. There’s a “look at me” feel to the musicianship but not in the all too prevalent “because I’m a rockstar” vein of today, more so look at me because we’re jamming man! I got no beef with that, as it’s essential to the inventive egoism of most prog rock. And you can’t complain that the music, as basic rock and roll, is simple or ever rests on its laurels. I can see some broad appeal here, even if it’s unlikely their “message” will ever reach the masses. Went through a few EPs and their only full-length album, 2007’s Mirrored, and while it’s not going to get heavy rotation it’s not going into the trash can neither. Would make a good birthday gift for 45 year old hardcore video gamers.
The Knife – Yet another Swedish techno duo, here brother and sister. They’ve been around for awhile now. The chick’s voice has that annoying lilt like Björk. If you can get past that, they establish a cool synthesizer groove with suitable mechanical drum beatbeats. These kids have style and a flair for the dramatic, that’s for sure. And a strong handle on the sounds of their most direct forebears, they borrow but don’t ape. Listened to four of their albums and the music did grow on me appreciably. Yet, in the end, I just don’t think I am down enough with the sound of her voice to be a stalwart fan. I can understand their popularity and critical acceptance, like I said they gots panache. Anyway, from their oeuvre I like best the tunes “Bird,” “Silent Shout,” “Wanting to Kill” and “The Bridge.”
Sybris – At times this band almost sounds like a stripped down Sonic Youth. There’s really crisp, tightly wound tempo to most of the tunes with credible internal to each song cresting and falling. Sometimes the vocalist’s voice gets too high and reedy and breaks up some, she could use a little more oomph in the guttural part of the register. They can slow it down for more melodic tunes which not only suits her voice better but also plays up the guitar work too. A few songs come closer to a metal sound, very full and crashing all around you. Even in a minimalist way, that is, it ain’t no orchestral fullness. I can really see folks digging this a lot more than moi, for me, it’s almost not quite avant-garde, artsy enough given the foundation of the sound they seem to want. Plus, the vocals grate on me after a few listenings. I am sure they will become rock and roll stars. These sentiments based on 2008’s Into The Trees full length album. Of which the strongest tunes may be “Oh Man!” and “The Mary.”
Shout Out Louds – Sigh. Yes, they are from Sweden. The Swedish government must give away millions to the country’s youth to coerce them into forming rock bands. They are basically a mid-tempo pop band that hangs its hat on earnestness and youthful optimism as well as the attendant pain and suffering when s/he eventually breaks up with you. Timeless themes, for sure. Each generation is the first generation ever, after all. And who would want it any other way? So, it’s back to the question of execution. Which is charming, pretty, winsome, jaunty, polished, all that shit. Nothing truly wrong with the band and both 2007’s Our Ill Wills and 2005’s Howl Howl Gaff Gaff are perfectly find within their stultifyingly boring idiom. Thankfully for the band, there exists many kinder souls alive who appreciate these sort of pop ditties.
Minus The Bear – Here’s a band from the Seattle area that’s been around for like 7-8 years without Hanes noticing. How did they perform this trick? Crazy. It’s catchy pop stuff based on jangly guitars which swerve into heavier chord action paired with power drum rolls. The vocals are decent enough and, on the whole, seem content to sneak around behind the instruments. There’s no lack of catchy hooks here, the same for superior production values and innate musicianship. Me, after listening to a bunch of albums and EPs, I can’t get excited. Usually I’d take the same approach as with literary endeavors, there’s just so many stories to tell so success is based mainly on execution. Minus The Bear executes their sound well. But I’ve still read the story too many times before. I could see disaffected college kids liking their quirky song titles, though. I believe this is a popular band.
Thurston Moore – Here’s my problem. I have always both liked and admired the music of Sonic Youth. But I have never been able to warm to the actual human band members themselves. They just don’t strike me as peeps I’d like to hang with. Why? Gut instinct, no real reason. Maybe I should return their incessant invites for dinner. So, the issue is how to approach Thurston Moore’s latest solo album, 2007’s Trees Outside the Academy. Just listen to it as if it’s SY? Or try to dig to see why this is a solo effort, representative of Mr. Moore himself? Which is an interesting experiment because it’s not like Moore is the drummer who never gets to write any songs, he is arguably the centerpiece of SY. One the whole the songs are mellower here but it’s not like SY never offers slower tunes. There’s a few sonic wails to be had, especially on “Wonderful Witches” and the first part of “American Coffin.” To me the songs are good but few really rise to “want to hear that again right now” status. But there’s solid listenability to “Fri/End,” “Frozen Gtr” and “The Shape Is in a Trance.” For a point of comparison, I went back to Moore’s first solo album, 1995’s Psychic Hearts. I don’t find much of a qualitative difference. But Moore was more rocking out on his first album and perhaps more interested in clear production on the latest. Both appear for hardcore fandom alone.
Efterklang – Well, now, here’s a switch! A band from Denmark! Kind of new-agey pop with wafting pretty female vocals laid over sparkling pianos, strings, horns and the more usual accoutrement. I am hesitant to call this rock and roll as it’s probably closer to small orchestral pieces or light free jazz than rocking. Very moody and intent on evoking Scandinavian landscapes and seasons. A lot of it sounds like it could be the soundtrack of a beautifully filmed historical war film, with the virtuous warrior conquering all so he can return to his wife and family back in the village. Again, very pretty, if not downright coquettish at times. But I don’t get it. I am small, nasty and brutish and such tender emotional yearnings and reachings are beyond my ken. I suppose Mel Gibson will never wear a kilt in the story of Hanes.
3 Inches of Blood – OK, it’s metal. But the band’s name is super-sweet! Can’t stand the shouting being passed off for singing/lyrics. That said, the music is a killer throwback to the best 80’s metal, surging guitars and pounding drums out the wazoo. None of that foo-foo hair metal band shit. If you have the need for speed of some new metal in your quiver, check it out. Otherwise, not hard to keep on walking by.
Could’ve Had a V8
1990s – Ouch, this band sucks big donkey dick. One should’ve known better when critics mention them in the same breath as other crappy outfits such as Art Brut and The Libertines. 2007’s Cookies is redundant, unimaginative smarm foisted onto the usual legion of mindless potential listeners. “Pop-punk” is something created on some hidden island by a mad scientist, right? Right now I have so much free time on my hands I am tempted to follow them around and beat the shit out of them after every show just to try and balance the cosmic scales of justice.
Band of Horses – OK, nothing wrong with this band per se. Except that they play entirely toothless, non-threatening pop rock for the masses under the guise of a somewhat “indie” sound. Through in some acoustic countrified sounds now and then, push the lyrics into saccharine territory and, voila, musical darlings. Boring, boring, boring, Neil. As with other bands like this who serve up lowest common denominator pabulum, I wonder if the band members really like the music they play. I mean, what kind of human beings get psyched to play these songs over and over, month after month, year after year? Anyway, 2006’s Everything All the Time and 2007’s Cease to Begin both blow equally, pick your poison.
The Weakerthans – Man, there are a lot of bands out there. From Canada, this outfit isn’t horrible by any stretch, power pop punches and earnest lyrics delivered in sarcastic, knowing tones. Tightly constructed tunes built on crashing drums and jangly guitar wailing, sort of in the mode of Superchunk or Dead Milkmen. Hell, some tunes could have been done by They Might Be Giants. Easy to admire their political stances peppered throughout their songs. Unfortunately, they write a lot of redundant tunes without catchy hooks and/or exemplary musicianship. And we listen to music, not speeches. Plowed thoroughly through 1999’s Fallow, 2000’s Left and Leaving, 2003’s Reconstruction Site and 2007’s Reunion Tour and, alas, there’s not a single tune I’d put on my iPod. That’s no good, man. But, hey, they’ve been around almost a decade so somebody must like them.
Oxbow – Was never the greatest fan of this noise, heavy rock band but figured, ehh, why not give them another try? And so picked up 2007’s The Narcotic Story for a listen or two. They’re still on the clunky side with heavy metal-esque drum rolls and power chords and, naturally, nearly indecipherable lyrics more shouted than sung. Despite the latent energy there seems to be a reluctance to consistently get beyond sluggish tempos and really rock out. As with less personally favored musical genres, maybe the true devotee may dispute the claim that they are boring and basically suck. But I’m not waiting for anyone to step up to the table on this.
M.I.A. – OK, so this woman named Maya Arulpragasam is “M.I.A.” and supposedly her two albums got lots of critical exposure for her blend of dancehall, dub, techno, hip-hop, sub-continent beats and all that jive. Maybe this shit plays well in the U.K. but it sounds like basic, mindless party dance music. Which I suppose has it’s place. Somewhere. Not much for Hanes to draw from 2005’s Arular or 2007’s Kala but if you go to dance clubs maybe your conclusion shall differ. Best I defer judgment with such music.
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Big whoops here. Seriously hardcore metal thrashing with all kinds of crazy beats and staccato rhythms. Mixes in some synthesized sounds and beats to go with all the angry screaming vocals. Sometimes the beats even appear to echo hip-hop. Anyway, tried to listen as much as possible to 2007’s Ire Works with little success. I have some confidence that this is good for its type but I’m not in the eleventh grade anymore and don’t know any eleventh graders I could ask.
The Perishers – When will Swedish people stop forming rock bands??? Aarrggh! This band is kinda slick and over-produced and too often feels “by the numbers.” Something here is reminiscent of early 80’s ballad rock, albeit The Perishers probably have sparser arrangements than most of that fluff. Only really takes a few listens to 2007’s Victorious to figure out that it’s great pop emotional stürm und drang, which is, duh, verboten. I hope the band all looks pretty so the girls will swoon over all the shirt sleeve emoting. The litmus test: how many record stores do you have to go to before one will take the used CD on trade-in? Good luck there.
The Tough Alliance – Screw vodka. The number one Swedish export is music! Hanes is sure to become one of the world’s foremost authorities on contemporary Swedish rock. Anyway, this band isn’t half bad. It’s more or less dance pop. A sizeable portion of the songs blend in reggae rhythms and medium tempo syncopation. The lesson here is that Hanes needs to stay away from music contemporary music writers call “pop.” The “pop music” Hanes likes was popular in an entirely different era by an entirely different listener aesthetic. I am finding that a glowing review of a contemporary pop band is asking for it. Particularly if the word “infectious” is bandied about. From 2005’s The New School to 2007’s A New Chance, including a host of EPs, the only thing halfway worth listening to is 2006’s Escaping Your Ambitions because it is a lyrics-less ambient techno album, very different from their usual modus operandi. I’m getting tired.
The Hanes Music Review 010
(Originally cogitated August 2008)
Yes, that was fast! If not for poverty and utter dependence on others, Hanes could get used to this unemployed shit! Well, at least the time is not being wasted. Applying for jobs online and listening to music to scribble about. The only thing missing right now is a nap! The way my luck is going, there will be another music review done soon. Bless you all.
Psapp – One of so many bands Hanes missed upon release. But I am sincere in catching up! Psapp is a band that just sounds “lovely.” Which is an apt word since they are from Britain and the Brits adore that word. But, seriously folks, they do craft a fragile space age pop sound of almost squeaky clean clarity, there’s not a sound in the vocals nor instruments nor keyboards that does not ring out. It’s not folk although there are scatter shots of acoustic strings and there’s a relaxed earnestness in the singer’s vocals, she often sounds like she is singing to a group of children sitting Indian style around her. Their first full length album, 2004’s Tiger, My Friend, can be lush and sparse at once. Spoken words are stretched out while samples flit in and out like firecrackers. This is nothing to listen to at the gym, more like sitting with some tea while gazing out the window at the rain. Personal faves include “Leaving in Coffins,” “Chapter” and “About Fun.” The follow-up album is 2006’s The Only Thing I Ever Wanted, don’t believe there is anything newer. But the quirkiness keeps on coming here, the major difference being more “singing” in the vocals than speaking. While I tend to favor the first album, here I do like “Needle and Thread, “Tricycle” and “The Words.” Very good band, pronounced “sap” with a silent “P.”
Portugal. The Man – I’m not sure exactly why I like this band. I tried not to. But I failed. Again. Their name is way dumb. But the rock out in a way that is also dumb but very genuine. Kind of like Kiss. I guess I like the way some rock bands think they are smarter than they are and actually benefit from it. They are hard rockers, not heavy. They hit all the standard tropes and don’t really deviate from the norm in any interesting way. Maybe it’s because they are originally from Alaska? Their two album are 2006’s Waiter: “You Vultures!” and 2007’s Church Mouth. I think the second album is the better one but not sure why. As you’d expect, it’s hard to finger favorite tracks. They just are, in sequence or not. Is there such a category as hard rock background music? If so, this fits the bill just fine.
The House of Love – Once in awhile you have to mine the past for neglected gems. Hence, a reimmersion in The House of Love, one of the flavor of the days from the late 80’s to early 90’s. Right up there with Ride, My Bloody Valentine and other “tortured soul” wall-of-sound bands. Complete with smoothly contoured vocals which even Bryan Ferry would be proud of. I can’t say that every song has proven to have legs over the ensuing years but certainly enough have. Which makes them an excellent candidate to revisit, or visit for the first time. Which is why Hanes revisits them. Duh. Their first two albums were both called The House of Love, one released in 1988 and one in 1990. One of the core members left after the first album so maybe everyone else thought the second one was a mulligan and could use the same name. “Christine” from the first album remains a killer track. Same for “Shine On” from the second album. What is best about the band is that they are not objectively great which fits the fragility of their overall sound and mood better than if they were a great band. Wistfulness and introspective melancholy fit the second place finisher more aptly than the winner.
Panda Bear – Comparisons to the sound of The Beach Boys are inevitable, expected and apt. But the vocals, the arrangements and the production values are all there. The man behind Panda Bear, Noah Lennox, is a part of the Animal Collective band, of whom Hanes is very tepid. But the music of Panda Bear is gorgeous and original in its own right. With each listening there’s something new or different to focus on or follow. And the internal structure of the songs stretch out and evolve without ever breaking a sweat. 2007’s album Person Pitch is a collection of seven songs, only one under four minutes as it takes time for each to unfold fully. There’s a sensitivity to blending processed and organic sounds to best mutual effect. The highlights for Hanes are the lead track “Comfy in Nautica” and the twelve minute plus “Bros” which never sounds like it’s that long. Fans of music should give Panda bear a big hug! Ugh, did I just type that?
Wooden Shjips – This is the kind of trippy, fuzz-laden rock that sounds completely authentic and genuine. There’s great rhythmic intensity and enough freak-outs to satisfy any stoner. In many ways the band inherits the legacy of The Doors… and doesn’t fumble the ball. Maybe even Spacemen 3 as well. From what I can glean, from San Francisco, they started out intentionally not looking to be “discovered” and almost reluctantly appear live. Nevertheless the live recordings rock too. The only full album to-date is 2007’s Wooden Shjips plus there’s a compilation album too. While there may be an expectation that “stoner rock” lacks intelligence or thoughtful arrangement (except to sound heavy, heavy, heavy when listening through earphones) there is not the case here. This stuff has legs and will withstand years of listening. That’s right. Years. So there. Among the killer tracks are “We Ask You to Ride,” “Dance, California,” and “Shrinking Moon For You.” Only a total loser dork would not buy this album.
YOU May Like It
Blonde Redhead – Hanes has a lot of friends into this band and he keeps on trying to get with the program. So, checked out their latest album, 2007’s 23. Yes, I will prostrate myself before the world and admit I should like this band more. But I can’t, I just can’t! It’s just too mellow and moody and melodic. Maybe the true problem is that Blonde Redhead’s sound is so close to other, more rocking, bands I like that I can’t help but expect them to do the same. Mea culpa #6,841. But, again, there’s no reason for you not to like them! If pushed, the most attractive cuts may be “Spring and By Summer Fall” and the title track “23.”
Pelican – For some reason I find myself more interested in hearing contemporary metal rock than over the past few years. I think that the genre has spawned as many sub-genres as any other main genre of music, shucks, maybe more. Pelican is a band that seems to specialize in thickly layered, bordering on noise rock, with lots of droning thrown in for good. Pretty sure it’s all instrumentals. Which is admirable since you get the mood from the music not the screaming nor moping vocals. Lots of dirge like cadences, heavy bass lines and music to march into battle to. Plus there’s always these vague electronica notes popping up unexpectedly — this music is orchestrated cunningly, people! After 2001’s eponymous EP Pelican they pick up the rocking pace with 2005’s EP March Into the Sea. 2007’s full length album City of Echoes has a more mature, robust sound, doesn’t sacrifice density to achieve speed and more guitar virtuosity. With a few exceptions such as “Winds with Hands,” I think you have to be knowledgeable about this sub-genre to tell the differences between the songs. So, you’re either down with the sound or not. I like it but can’t see it getting heavy rotation vis-à-vis other stuff I like better. But it’s excellent material for the thinking metal head.
Zach Hill – As with metal, trying to get “au courant” with the noise rock or experimental rock genres. The stuff off of 2008’s Astrological Straits is pure kinetic energy, whirls of sound which, like in free jazz and some contemporary classical works, almost never seem to jell during the first few listenings. Or, shit, ever. These aren’t songs as much as a bunch of fireworks lit at once. Mostly impelled forward by drum arrhythmia, not for the lack of screaming guitar feedback and distorted/synthesized vocals. This music must have its fans but listening to more than ten to fifteen minutes of it wears me out. Not only due to its loudness but also because it taxes your brain in trying to put the pieces together into a coherent whole. Again, I suspect that this is very good work within its idiom. But this idiot no understand the idiom too much.
Good Shoes – Here’s some innocent, up tempo pop music from London with all the jangly guitar and tight drumming to match the earnest sounding vocals. Lots of youthful verve and exuberance, you can see yourself brushing your teeth and tapping your toes in an early morning sun drenched bathroom as well as in a nightclub. Has nice melodic lines and overall the sound is crisp and always on beat. 2007’s Think Before You Speak is a perfectly credible effort and I don’t know why I can’t get more jazzed for it. Hmmm. But others may appreciate it more as it’s not poorly executed at all. If I had to pick, I’d go with the tracks “Morden” and “We Are Not the Same.” Maybe they’ll mature into something more compelling.
Lifesavas – Coming out of Portland, Oregon these rappers are pretty good, lean more towards old skool beats than R&B smoothness. Not a lot of scratching or real turntabilism, the raps are the definite centerpiece. The two main albums are 2003’s Spirit in Stone and 2007’s Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack, the latter being a concept album. While I admit it takes some scratching and big beats to get my juicing flowing, from the first album “Hellohihey” and “Me” are legit tunes. Off the next album the title track as well as “Shine Language” hit it. As per usual, the true diehard rap fan should enjoy this more than moi.
Stars of Track and Field – This must be the indie version of “soft rock,” like finding the contemporary bands who will be played in dentists’ offices 15 years from now, replacing the lite hits of the 70’s and 80’s. There’s nothing wrong per se with this music, the arrangements are fine, the quality of vocals and musical chops more than acceptable. There’s this quivering emotional fragility throughout it all, though, that prevents it from really rocking. In this vein, the digital noodling which plays softly in the background continues to soften the edges and contour. So, we have 2006’s Centuries Before Love and War, a title which, as is frequently the case, should have been the clue. Even the guitar solos, such as during “Arithmatik,” are too restrained and tamed. If you like moody indie rock and bands as much as more solo “singer/songwriter” efforts this is a band to check out. Otherwise, err, don’t check them out.
The Bird and the Bee – Kinda like “Stereolab Lite.” this duo nails the airy, orchestral lushness of so much 60’s pop, naturally mixing in more current advances in keyboard, drum machine beats. It’s like a fluffy croissant that looks solid until you bite it and it’s all golden flakes and air. The chick has an extremely pretty voice that is produced here for utmost clarity, as if she is singing directly into your ear. I think that the tune “Fucking Boyfriend” achieved some notoriety from 2007’s self-titled The Bird and The Bee. And it’s easy to see why as it’s one of the “bounciest” tunes on the album. The lead track “Again & Again” also bounces nicely. It’s easy to see this music have broad appeal and creating a devoted following, it’s deftly layered and maintains an ethereal charm grounded in the vocals. If you are in need of new music for the background soundtrack of sipping tea over gossip with friends, check it out.
Von Südenfed – This is a pastiche sound of techno with indie production values, a sort of freer form amalgam of sounds. The vocals at times sound like they are matched with the wrong music and there’s lots of general quirkiness. I think the dudes who got together to produce this under the name Von Südenfed had a fun time. But it doesn’t do it for Hanes. I mean, 2007’s Tromatic Reflexxions isn’t tripe, there are interesting moments. Despite the overall annoying sound of the vocalist’s voice. If a listener is deeply committed to this genre of music, this album would likely represent a refreshing divergence from the same old. Otherwise you may feel like you kind of aren’t getting the straight, uncut dope here.
Could’ve Had a V8
Frog Eyes – Look, the name itself should have been the needed tipoff that Hanes would not like this outfit. One reviewer mentioned The Cramps as an influence. Wash his mouth out with soap. This is as overwrought as a bad postmodern literature essay by an overreaching undergrad. Listened to 2006’s The Golden River and 2007’s Tears of the Valedictorianmore times than anyone should ever have to. Just make it stop, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know! What kind of person can convince themselves this is worth listening to???
The Cat Empire – This band is a mixture of a lot of sounds: jazz, ska, rock, New Orleans funk, Latin rhythms, “World” music, etc. It’s all put together into one helluva of a boring, lowest common denominator stew. I can’t imagine how sober people can keep their brains from oozing out of their ears when listening to this easygoing, party jam band which most of the time sounds circa 1982. Where’s Billy Ocean when you need him? Anyway, if drunken white people trying to get their funk on during outside concerts can pay The Cat Empire’s bills, more power to them. I listened to more albums and EPs than I care to remember and am trying to forget them all. More grain alcohol, please, barkeep.
Gogol Bordello – OK, gotta love the name. But this very explicit mélange of gypsy music with punk is pure schtick cheese. Maybe it’s a fun band to see live, I’ll definitely give them that. But try to slog through listening to 2005’s Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike and 2007’s Super Taranta! gets to be a bit painful. And I love the accordion as much as anyone. There is a great deal of emotional punch and conviction in this music. It just sucks, that’s all. I hope their shows are sold out and their albums go gold, though.
The Cribs – Christ, this is the lamest derivative dilution of Strokes like rock. Talk about band-by-the-numbers. Listened to three albums charting their career and I am mailing them to Guantanamo Bay now to be used as a new source of insidious torture. No one could keep their secrets under these extreme conditions.
Blitzen Trapper – A curious situation. The more I listened to this band, my assessment moved from “like” to “maybe you’ll like” to “maybe they actually suck.” Their sound centers around basic rock and rolling but they throw the elements together as if they are using whatever ingredients are in the house without going shopping. There’s psychedelic jamming, electronic noodling, folksy country riffs, and so on. It just makes it hard to relax with the music and it lacks the intellectual heft to connect on that level instead. So, 2007’s Wild Mountain Nation ultimately tastes like what it is, food without a recipe. I ain’t that hungry.
Okkervil River – More music in a vein of indie music I don’t go for, the Americana emo scene. Rather than gaze down at the fuzz pedals near the Converse, it’s try to gaze somberly into some sun splashed distance with horns and banjos and shuffling tempos which rise and fall like tortured, deep sighs. This band gets great reviews but after listening to 2005’s Black Sheep Boy and 2007’s The Stage Names I’m not positive they are even superlative within their genre (whether one likes the genre or not). It’s not for a lack of musical competence per se, more so excessive self-indulgence and thus lack of a connection with the listener which bespeaks of a desire to connect and please. Which is pretty much “emo” in a nutshell, I’m hurting or feeling bad, please listen to me! Not. Even if you play a banjo.
Imperial Teen – This is a pop band that appears to have been around for awhile. Somehow snookered into acquiring 2007’s The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band. Which isn’t a lousy album per se. It’s just innocuously uninteresting. There’s no lack of appropriate hooks and light-hearted whimsy. But I can’t find any compelling reason to listen to this versus the 40 or so years or similar music which has come before. There’s always the benefit of being “new” but I remain impervious in this instance. “Do It Better” and “Sweet Potato” are kinda OK tunes. Can’t really say why someone would think they stick out from the unwashed masses.
Dizzee Rascal – A rapper from London, Hanes continues to quest here after rap or hip-hop he can enjoy. Keep searching, keep searching. Actually, I think maybe not. Hip-hop as Hanes knew it seems to be a thing of the past and any comparisons made to the early days of the 70’s to 80’s (even early 90’s) is specious at best. It’s evolved into something which is simply different, not necessarily better nor worse. How’s that for being fair? And, to be fair, Hanes will no longer review rap nor hip-hop unless he actually does find something he likes. Whew.
The Hanes Music Review 009
(Originally served with a smile August 2008)
My gosh, it has been since November of last year since I have made the time to review some music. Naughty Hanes! Not to say I have stopped buying new music, just no time to do what Hanes does best, analyze. Thankfully, being unemployed frees up a few extra hours! Here’s a bunch with hopefully more to come soon! Yippee!
Hanes Likey
Air – Last year a new album came out by the two dudes who make up the band Air, 2007’s Pocket Symphony. So, thought this would be a good opportunity to delve back into their back catalog too (they don’t have a tremendous output). Naturally, it takes Hanes like forever to get the job done. Anyway, my take on the band seems to diverge some from other reviewers, go figure. They are kind of “ambient techno” in sound with a mellow vibe that often belies the complexity beneath, letting strummed acoustic guitar and other acoustic instruments provide counterpoint. I see the noted Brian Wilson influences but there’s also stuff like Peter Gabriel, Suicide and Roxy Music in their tunes. Methinks these are songs best listened to in succession as albums rather than in isolation. They hit the set in 1998 with their first complete album Moon Safari. This spun off minor hit “Sexy Boy” which is, honestly, one of their least compelling songs. As throughout their oeuvre, there’s female vocals which at times actually sing lead vocals but more often act as a soothing instrument of sorts. The latter is preferred by moi. “Kelly Watch the Stars” was also a minor hit and more my speed, more synth-driven with processed voices and a stronger backbeat. The “Moog Cookbook” remix of this tune is also stellar. Again, a lot of peeps are lukewarm on 2004’s album Talkie Walkie but I think it might be their best. Ever the contrarian. There’s a cleaner sound and the layers are more easily discerned, making for a more open, relaxing sound. “Cherry Blossom Girl” has a pleasing pop prettiness to it. “Universal Traveler” also has a cool hypnotic feel. There’s a breezy charm to “Alpha Beta Gaga” as well. The latest album, Pocket Symphony, offers a more “somber” sound overall. There’s a general nervous energy as if a car is going to crash into a wall any second. This more than the other two albums should be listened to the whole way through. That said, I like “Mer du Japon” and “Photograph” best. Easy to request the reader to check out.
The Aliens – Excellent retro-rock sound here, a lot of this could legitimately pass for being done in the 60’s. Most of the band are Scots who used to be in the Beta Band. 2007 gave us their first full length album, Astronomy for Dogs. Yes, even dogs want to go to the stars, man. They rock out extremely fluidly and both express a genuine happiness in playing their music as well as a deep intellectual understanding of the tropes and rhythms which made the original bands back then click. Vocal harmonies appear often and add to the “anthemic” feel of many songs. “Tomorrow” is a great tune, makes you think Roy Orbison could have done it. “Only Waiting” and “I Am the Unknown” also stand out. A band in control of its musical vocabulary and you enjoy it more with each successive listening. Get your air guitar out and get ready to jam!
The Sunburned Hand of The Man – This is sort of a free form collective which specializes in psychedelic jams and vaguely avant garde arrangements and interplay. They’re pretty prolific and have been cranking out the sounds since the late 90’s. It’s hard to focus on any one album or EP because there’s no real “theme” to any album, the tunes are pretty much self-enclosed soundscapes. But if you have a soft spot for stuff like Captain Beefheart, Can, early Pink Floyd or Sun Ra you might want to give this band a spin. While their niche isn’t my most favorite, I do wish I could spend more time listening to music like this. But when each song is like thirteen minutes… Maybe the thing to do is get really stoned in an Arizonan desert and crank up the car stereo while laying on the sand staring at the stars. Yup.
Brakes – Dag, can’t even remember how I heard of this band from the U.K. But they are pretty damn good, playing straight ahead, uncomplicated rock and roll in the style that pays equal attention to rocking out as well as crafting understandable lyrics and some harmony. Throughout the album the keep the tempo fluid, slowly cresting and falling through the songs. Thus, there’s an underlying intelligence in the music which is missing in ever so many bands. Checked out 2006’s The Beatific Visions (their most recent effort it appears) and it’s quality shit, hard to see why they have not achieved wider appeal. Except for the fact that there’s an underlying intelligence in the music. It’s actually difficult to pick the “best” tracks because each one has its own appeal and will connect differently with each listener (deep thoughts). I like the lead track “Hold Me in the River” for its unbridled energy, “If I Should Die Tonight” for its country twang, “Isabel” for its more haunting acoustic echoes and the title track “Beatific Visions” because it is a cool tune. Well done, lads.
Dungen – Sweden ROCKS. Dungen is one of those bands (even though it’s basically one guy) which plays firmly in the 60’s idiom of psychedelia and folk rock without ever sounding derivative. Like, heavy man, if you didn’t know they were contemporary you’d think you just found some long lost vinyl down in the basement. Hanes is not the first to give Dungen its props in this regard and it’s all true. Can’t comment on the lyrics since, oddly, my Swedish has gotten way rusty. But they fit the music well. A few tunes bring to mind Traffic, some are Beatlesque, others evoke Jethro Tull, most are just psychedelic veering into prog rock. Checked out 2004’s Ta Det Lungt and 2007’s Tio Bitar. Picking out tunes is like standing on the beach staring at the Atlantic Ocean and saying which part of the horizon is prettier. It’s one big ocean, dammit! Anyway, on the first album Hanes would go with “Det Du Tänker Idag Är Du Imorn,” “Lipsill” and “Om Du Vore En Vakthund.” On the 2007 effort sticking out are “Gör Det Nu” and “C Visar Vägen.” If you are a fan of top notch classic rock, like Scharf, Friday and Ginsburg, this is a band to trip out with.
YOU May Like It
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – I am in a perpetual jones for music with a political edge or something even vaguely approaching class consciousness. There’s no doubt that Ted Leo fits this requirement and legion are his fans, perhaps mostly for this reason. Unfortunately, I just don’t find the music particularly compelling. He rocks out, for sure, in a “roots rock” kind of way, like he could’ve been hanging out with Jackson Browne or Warren Zevon during the 70’s and 80’s with a slightly updated twist. So, tried real hard to dig 2007’s Living with the Living but, uhh, I can’t listen to a full album of Browne or Zevon either. All this said, I heartily recommend this album because it is very well put together and I sense I’m in the minority in being unmoved by it. I did find it quite humorous that in my iTunes the next band it plays after Ted Leo is Ted Nugent whose politics is probably as diametrically opposite as possible. Sweet!
Matthew Dear – More techno beats here, courtesy of this dude from Michigan. Checked out 2007’s Asa Breed and it’s good but there’s something kind of, ummm, smirky about it. Sometimes it sounds too clever. Not overproduced, more so overthought and tinkered with too much. Most of the songs have a decent beat and have a good sense of rising and falling, allowing for points of rest along the journey. It’s just that the songs seem to refer more to spaces outside themselves than inside themselves creating a distracting sensibility. Then again, no faulting the ingenuity on display here and there’s an obviously active mind behind it all. To this listener “Deserter” and “Good To Be Alive” are the strongest tracks.
Low – I don’t know this band’s other work but 2007’s Drums And Guns is supposed to be inspired in good part by opposition to the Iraq War. Sure, why not. It’s certainly gloomy and moves at a dirge like pace. While I’d call it “alt rock” it’s got enough synthesizer and artificial beats to count as electronica in part. There are some pretty moments, as in poignantly so, especially on “Dragonfly” and “Belarus.” The only real “upbeat” song “Hatchet” and I like that cut best. With any luck Low’s other work is closer in spirit to this tune. No questioning the musical arrangements and skillz of the band but kinda wish they could express their sentiments without making it seem like they are dressed in black shrouds or something.
Papercuts – Another “band” (it’s the product of one dude, really) that eludes me in its appeal. It’s more that dreamy vocals arranged over a lush cascading cornucopia of instruments, rising and falling as if about to faint. Like, from the beauty and sadness of it all. I got an idea, man, put down the guitar and get a job and suck it up, that’s life. 2007’s Can’t Go Back can easily be liked by people who like it. That does make sense, dammit. Especially if you like that wimp, Sufjan Stevens. Some songs have that mid-60’s pop sensibility, plush and soft yet with an up tempo jangle to it. But since can just put an album by The Mamas & The Papas, why screw around with this shit?
Ugly Casanova – Mining the distant, but not too distant, past we have 2002’s Sharpen Your Teeth. This is kind of a side project of Modest Mouse. I don’t know why I thought it would be cool to pay attention to this album after barely listening to it when new. I get like that. Anyway, it’s not a horrible album. But there’s also a reason I don’t listen to much Modest Mouse. Besides the lack of immodesty. This album has a fair degree of earnestness and, that word again, authenticity in a stripped down while cleverly arranged tunesmanship. A few songs are almost Gomez-like. I like Gomez. I’d vote for “Cat Faces,” “Ice on the Sheets,” and “So Long to the Holidays” as the best tunes. If you are a fan of Modest Mouse you might conceivably check this out.
Ozomatli – A band that’s been around for about a decade, out of Los Angeles and mixing the kitchen sink blend of hip-hop, Tejano, rock with other latin sounds, scratching, ska, who the hell knows. It works to a point, especially if one is already a fan of “world” music, which I can’t say I fully am. It’s a fun band to listen to and they certainly seem to be enjoying themselves. It’s simply not connecting with The Hanes Way. Hence, it’s in this category of “you might like it.” Gave the first album, 1998’s eponymous Ozomatli many spins. Gave their latest, 2007’s Don’t Mess with the Dragon many spins. Nothing close to iPod-worthy. Sigh. Sorry, kids.
Could’ve Had a V8
VHS or Beta – A dance oriented band which, on occasion, can jam out in a deeper rock vein. Plenty of repetitive beats based in synth sounds, distorted vocals and drum machines. Or at least drums that sound mechanical. Not my scene at all, even given a childhood weaned on disco. The strongest effort probably their earlier Le Funk from 2002, they had enough of a raw edge to retain a veneer of authenticity and fun (almost sounds like a more disco-oriented !!!). 2004’s Night on Fire moves things into the 80’s with clearer vocals, at times reminiscent of Robert Smith from The Cure. The instrumentation sounds more live too, less synthesized. However, to me, it’s a slight step back. The big step back is on 2007’s Bring on The Comets, where being on a major label like Astralwerks must have proved the final lobotomizing force. Very slick and over-produced, albeit in a semi-subtle fashion to fool the kids. Too much sameness song to song, blah.
Dinosaur Jr – There’s a lot to regret in life. The older you get, the deeper the regrets and the lines on your face. Unless you are a rockstar. Then you don’t know when to leave well enough alone. Witness the weak rehashing of the same tropes of the past DJ slaps on us with 2007’s Beyond. Most critics seem to have started reviews with a few harsh words about how badly J Mascis treated Lou Barlow and then immediately genuflect before this ho-hum effort. C’mon, man, is there one song here you can play air guitar to until you start sweating from an elevated heart rate? I’m not asking for a latter-day “Freak Scene,” hell just give me something as complex as “Poledo.” Beyond reaches its apex towards the end with “It’s Me” and “We’re Not Alone” but this is forgettable. What the hell were we talking about?
The Electric Soft Parade – One band thing about the internet is that you can easily access people’s opinions about things. Like, say, music. And then you act on what you read. Which means, stop reading this now you moron! Lads from Brighton, this band seems to want to create a vaguely psychedelic sound but not in a rocking vein, more like floating on a cloud through a sunny sky over a verdant landscape. Which means it’s lame as hell. 2007’s No Need to Be Downhearted just about says it all, in a condemnatory sense. And, anyway, who the hell says “downhearted” anymore? You ever use that one in casual conversation? Sheet. The obligatory plaintively toned strength resides in the singer’s voice, the arrangements enacted to support said vocals. Besides the basics of guitar, bass and drums there’s some keyboard tweaking and piano. Can’t even call this a latter day fusion of Squeeze and Ride. Send this to The Strand of music forthwith.
The Twilight Sad – It seems that in life really cool cartoon album covers only gets you so far. That’s a damn shame. Because, gosh darn it if this band don’t sound like a whole lot of others one may make the mistake of listening to. The name should have tipped Hanes off. There’s a sort of dance between harder rock and more folk sounds on 2007’s Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, the latter gaining some ascendance due to the singer’s Scottish brogue. Most of the album is a mish-mash, directionless mess where either the reach exceeds the grasp or the dudes are clueless. Maybe they went to art school. That would explain a lot.
Thee More Shallows – OK, how to best describe 2007’s Book of Bad Breaks? Well, good isn’t going to come up. The execution is fine enough, the sound is “familiar” in today’s alt rock idiom. The highlight on the album might be during the second song when there is a spoken reference to a song by the band Whale. A palpable attempt is made to play more noise-oriented, angular songs off versus more melodic interludes but in the end it’s lame. The singer has a limited range so it’s mostly spoken lyrics over the music. By the end of this paragraph I am no longer sure what band I was writing about, that lost in the fuzzy morass it be.
The National – Put it off and put it off but finally had to give 2007’s Boxer a thorough listening. Don’t ask me why, my broad masochistic streak is well known. These tunes are so simple and redundantly boring that if they don’t put you to sleep, the vocalist’s “one whiskey too much” slurring, growling vocals will. It’s like the indie version of Hootie & The Blowfish, maybe sped up to a faster beat. Nothing here rings truly in the lyrics and the music often sounds canned. It’s scary to think that so many people find this to be a collection of thoughtfully emoting songs. The lord has indeed forsaken us.
The Hanes Music Review 008
(Originally banged on the drums all day November 2007)
Yielding to incredible pressure, Hanes will respond to public demand. Rather than the random, in whatever order listened to, presentation of music reviews, sigh, I will now put the music I like first, then the music I don’t like second. So, a reader may then choose to stop when the reviews turn negative. Or, better put, after a review or two. But don’t blame Hanes if you read some other jerk’s review of a band and they sound great only you didn’t realize they in fact suck by reading Hanes’s negative reviews. The blood is on YOUR hands…
Hanes Likey
The Ponys – Despite the inability to spell, this band rocks. Three full albums out, from 2004 to the present. They’ve had some lineups changes but no major changes in overall quality of product. Different singers, the main one seems to sound like a mix between 60’s pop like The Turtles and a more hardcore Sonics warble. A lot of the music sounds like the Sonics too with, gosh, some Sonic Youth thrown in too. But not in a very “experimental” way, more like the songs where SY rocks harder. 2004’s Laced with Romance shows a fair amount of musical range while at the same time not pushing it so far as to hamper developing “a sound.” The lead track “Lets Kill Ourselves” is a fun, full of strumming and wah-wah romp. “Little Friends” and “I Love You ’Cause (You Look Like Me)” among the most solid tracks. 2005’s Celebration Castle was produced by Steve Albini. So, it should be their best album. Except it’s not. It’s the weakest of the troika, the least rocking and “fun.” Then the main guitarist dude left and we have 2007’s Turn The Lights Out, which is, to me, their best effort to-date. Polished but still “dirty” with a focused sleaziness to rock out to. The first song “Double Vision” is a fantastic tune, great tempo switches and pacing. The next song, “Everyday Weapon,” is a sturdy follow-up. “Poser Psychotic” sounds like a Sonic Youth B-Side. “Harakiri” is a winner for slow to mid-tempo boilers. You gots to be checking them outs.
Klaxons – This is a relatively new band and, to me, still finding their way. Albeit they have lots of promise and deserve a solid listen. They have one full album, 2007’s Myths of the Near Future and a bunch of singles/EPs which overlap with the full album. As others have noted, there is a lot of new wave in their sound along with a basic pop punk foundation. They maintain a solid, danceable back beat which is cool but also makes their songs sound a little more the same than perhaps desired (hence the growing part). Any given person may not love them but they’re innocent fun enough that it’s hard to see someone hating them. Myths starts off with a solid one-two punch of “Two Receivers” and “Atlantic to Interzone,” the latter iPod worthy. “Gravity’s Rainbow” is likely the best song on the album, hence the fact that their EP Xan Valleys has remixes of both “Atlantic to Interzone” and “Gravity’s Rainbow” meaning they are the two songs most worthy of getting remixed and also the two songs Hanes likes best, validating once more his superior musical taste. Hah! “It’s Not Over Yet” also a killer tune.
Earl Greyhound – Saw this band last year live with my boy Ron G and it took awhile to acquire studio work to check out. The live show was very good, energetic and intelligently arranged. Venue might not have been ideal but hey. Anyway, listened to 2006’s Soft Targets and it bespeaks of a band still on the way to fully finding its true voice. It’s like they need a great producer to help them gain the clarity to decide on their best direction. Butch Vig, where the hell are you? Not Albini, dammit. This is a trio that rocks pretty hard, you can feel the tug towards “classic rock” but they can provide more contemporary arrangements and hooks as well. There’s something about them that makes me think Superchunk with a more bluesy streak. Among the best tunes are “Like a Doggy,” “Back and Forth,” and “Yeah I Love You” while for an eight minute plus tune, “Monkey” ain’t bad at all. Easy to recommend you check them out and see if they hit the right chord or not.
The Earlies – This is a band with promise. There’s a pop music feel like some of the Beatles stuff around Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s when they moved out of straight-up pop to a more subtly complex sound. 2007’s The Enemy Chorus has a good amount of internal diversity while also maintaining an overarching consistency. Some of the songs are too “pretty” for me but that’s hardly a complaint. There’s judiciously interesting use of horns and strings to embellish the base rock ensemble. The keyboards often hit a twangy 1970’s prog rock backbeat. Given the type of music they play, one might wish that the vocals were sung more but they do try, and wisely stay within the range of their abilities. “Enemy Chorus” is a notable track, as are “No Love in Your Heart” and “Breaking Point.” Definitely worth a listen.
LCD Soundsystem – Finally got around to a more thorough listening to 2007’s Sound of Silver, quite overdue, bad Hanes. Everyone loves the first album except for losers. But what of this second effort? (Not counting the thing done for Nike, fuck Nike.) Taken as a whole, the album is mellower in the sense that it pulls back on the “cool factor” as well as the desire to get up in your face (even if sneakily through the back door as many songs on the first album did). Once more, though, the balance between rocking out and dance rhythms is adroitly mastered, something for everyone. There’s nothing truly canonical here but highlights abound with “North American Scum,” the slow cooker “All My Friends” and “Watch the Tapes.” Of course, there’s the obligatory album of remixes called Sounds Like Silver and the highlights there are “All My Friends (AMIGAMAN Remix),” “Get Innocuous! (Geek Chic’s Harm-Free Retouch)” and “North American Scum (Dunproofin’s Not From England Either Mix).” But, really, most the remixes here are super-solid.
The Field – Good “electronica” or “techno” or whatever the kids call it these days can be hard to find. So sayeth Hanes. Especially when one lives in back of one’s dark closet under a pile of old blankets. Nevertheless, The Field is pretty gosh darn legit. 2007’s From Here We Go Sublime is heavy on the drum beat, rock steady, full and ready and willing to shatter glass. Which is useful for how it contrasts to the layering of the other sounds, which curiously might seem repetitive were it not for the incredible repetitive insistence of the drum beat. Some of the songs are more danceable than others, especially if you’re tranced out or something. “Mobilia” is the most intellectually engaging tune, works hard on the collision of rhythms in a highly interesting manner. The title track “From Here We Go Sublime” is a tricky slice and dice of The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes for You.” But the most complete tracks are probably “Over the Ice,” “Good Things End” and “Sun and Ice.” Grab that black turtleneck and get out there on the dance floor!
Stars of The Lid – It’s not a complete music review without mining the past for some overlooked gem. Thus, we have here 2001’s The Tired Sounds of Stars of The Lid. Now, this is the kind of ambient, droning music Hanes loves! Why, even Brian Eno would be proud. The music cascades across your synapses at the speed of a lava lamp after ten hits of acid – you feel every note but damn if you can feel your toes. The whisper of a warm hum accented by strings, piano, keyboards, guitar, its sense of movement is both deliberate and subtle. This is serious genre music, if laconic droning doesn’t do it for you, please avoid. But if you need a bath in music, check it out. It’s just like watching an iceberg melt over 200 years! Yippee!
!!! [pronounced Chk! Chk! Chk!] – Having caught this band live and loved their act, time to see if it translates well into studio work (usually it’s the other way around). Myth Takes came out in this year of our lord 2007 and, yes, it doesn’t exactly crackle with the energy of their live performances but it is a worthy album just the same, representative of their general sound. Which is hard rock with a danceable beat, danceable in shack your money maker in a dive bar, not techno Sprockets dancing. Very centered on drum/bass rhythms and rhythm guitar, if it wasn’t so dance until you sweat in orientation it might pass for more of a slackers with instruments jam band sound. But !!! brings the funk, hence the final difference. While “Must Be the Moon” may come closest to their live act, the title track “Myth Takes” and “Yadnus” may be the most compelling for home listening.
YOU May Like It
Adam Franklin – Everyone loves Swervedriver, so why not check a new album by former band frontman Adam Franklin? Indeed, why not? The signature voice is there, duh, but on his own Mssr. Franklin is just a touch too mellow and lacks the rich guitar-driven sounds of the best Swervedriver. 2007’s Bolts of Melody is not a bad album by any stretch and those who don’t already adore Swervedriver may like it better as no comparison can be made. “Morning Rain” and “Theme from LSD” are the best tunes and could easily be B-sides or unreleased tracks by Swervedriver. It’s just too damn mellow and introspective.
Bloc Party – Curiously, before I even heard this band there was a part of me that didn’t want to like them. Yet, after listening, why, like them I did. Not all the tunes, ’natch, but when they clicked, they clicked way hard. Even some of the de rigueur “remixes” that sully the musical landscape. In any event, not sure where the band is heading but 2007’s A Weekend in the City seems like a step back, which may be interpreted as a step towards broader acceptance. On the whole, the songs lack the edge and bite of earlier efforts. Prettier, more melodic yet more homogeneous for it. If anyone thought Bloc Party was too noisy or angsty before this may be the album for them. “Kreuzberg” is probably the best tune here, “Waiting for the 7.18” and “On” ain’t bad neither. But nothing hear truly iPod worthy. Sigh.
Sondre Lerche – Supposedly this dude has been famous for some time, like since 2002 or something! How did Hanes miss out on all the fun? Not sure how I got suckered into repeated listenings of 2007’s Phantom Punch but there it is, no sense denying it now. Waaaaay too close to the dreaded “singer/songwriter” genre I despise. But, let’s be fair, it is quite well done and the production values here are excellent without coming off as slick. Lerche’s voice is light and wiry but strong and can carry a variety of types of tunes, a fact not lost on him. Thus, there is a diversity among the songs even if the emphasis remains on clear vocals with pop-oriented guitar work and steady drumming in constant support. I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest some songs over others, that right belongs to those who dig this general type of music. Ack.
Howling Bells – So, here’s something that could have promise to some listeners out there. A band from Australia via London, they feature a female singer who wrings every dreamy note out of her vocal chords and lays them over a foundation of clean, crisp supporting instrumentation that mildly allows itself some quiet “wall of sound” feedback for something like complexity but never comes close to challenging the vocalist’s right to the spotlight. There’s a certain moodiness to the music on 2006’s Howling Bells without it being dark, almost naïve in this regard. The college sophomore reading Goethe? Anyway, nothing here works me up but purely from a qualitative standpoint it’s pretty good. Hence, you may like it better than me.
Could’ve Had a V8
The Coup – Was jonesing for some politically oriented music and decided to hit up The Coup, a second generation hip-hop band with a social conscious and radical left lean. They’re from the mid to late 90’s on the whole but still going these days too. From their debut, 1993’s Kill The Landlord, through to 2006’s Pick A Bigger Weapon there’s a basic consistency of sound and attitude. The problem with that is that they are educated to the point of academic discourse and seem barely capable of having mindless fun. Something most of the first generation political hip-hop bands could be, without sacrificing the message. It’s sad that, even with the funky foundation, this does do it more for me. After all, music with a social consciousness remains ever so in short supply. I’d go so far as to say they wised up and that Pick A Bigger Weapon may be their most complete, enjoyable effort. At least it’s fun to listen to “Laugh/Love/Fuck.” But that’s not surprising.
El-P – A white rapper keeping it real. Regrettably, “real” these days equates to more boring, redundant music. No one can accuse the man of selling out or fronting or pinching twenties from his grandma’s purse. But, at the end of the day, what about the music? Nothing here on 2007’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead breaking new territory, no rhythmic flow nor ingenious layering. It boggles the mind that this is the genre of rap in ascendance these days. Shit’s unlistenable and boring.
Asobi Seksu – A NYC band with a cutie little Japanese girl as the lead singer. I was wondering what all those cheerful little Japanese girls in the East Village were doing and it seems singing in bands. How ’bout that? Songs performed in either Japanese or English. There’s some sparkle in the pop arrangements and some lilting flow in the vocals, at times the songs are like Stereolab Lite. There’s 2004’s self-titled Asobi Seksu and 2006’s Citrus. Seems they swapped out the rhythm section between albums. Not that it makes much difference as both efforts are beyond Hanes’s powers of comprehension. Just not something that I’m qualified to judge, not my cup of tea, and all that. Citrus seems a bit more up tempo and rocking but emphasis on “a bit.” Maybe I need to be a 5’0” Japanese schoolgirl to get it? Hmmm, maybe, just maybe…
Aqueduct – Not sure how this outfit came to my attention. Which is a way of saying I don’t know who to blame. The is pretty damn boring pabulum that reminds me of stuff from the early 80’s like Christopher Cross and his peer groups. Boppy, poppy, synthesizer adorned tunes with no balls and totally incapable of offending anyone, including the family pastor. 2006’s Or Give Me Death is ever so tempting of a title as it’s hard to not want to bestow death upon them. My god, this is horrible shit.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – It’s great how bands are the flava du jour just like in the world of wine. Will a band with a small cult following which eschews the main paths to glory have legs? Can they keep it up despite the grind and the lack of major corporate sponsorship? Hey, what was the name of that band again? So, anyway, 2007’s Some Loud Thunder. Hate to fulfill the cliché but, yeah, this album is pedestrian at best. The vaguely annoying quality of the lead singer’s voice persists but the music has eschewed much of the nervous edginess which made it interesting. It all just shows a lack of commitment and interest themselves, save cutesy tropes and the like. Boring, boring, boring, Neil!
Dälek – Based off of a couple of reviews I had high hopes for this rapper. But, with the exception of a more bursts of semi-layered complexity, it turns out to be the same old, same old speaking rapping over tired, redundant beats with little sense of ingenuity or a desire to musically engage the listener. 2007’s Abandoned Language is an act of pastiche and not vision. Plus, it’s not enjoyable to listen to, to me the best hip-hop achieves its “message” while still pumping out the jams until 5-0 has to hit the set. Thus, the same blah, blah, fucking blah sterility regardless of the actual content of the lyrics or the presence of an incongruous instrument or two. If I had to choose, “Paragraphs Relentless” and “Stagnant Waters” are the most complete tunes here.
Wolf Parade – A band from Montreal with a fair amount of buzz about them, after all, they’re on Sub Pop. So, checked out their most recent schizznitz, 2005’s Apologies to the Queen Mary (seems nothing else done since then). The thing is, though, they’re lame. More of the same-old, same-old, threadbare indie crap we’ve been force fed for the past decade or so. It’s not that they outright suck, it’s that five minutes after you stop listening to them, you can barely remember what it was you heard. There’s no distinct personality and, alas, “cutesy” just doesn’t cut it. Plus the singer has the same whiney voice that plagues so many indie bands. If the kids love this schtick so be it but life’s too short to spend listening to this sort of crapola.
I’m From Barcelona – Sigh, yet another band to elude Hanes’s comprehension. Billed as a 29 member band from Sweden, you gotta at least give it a listen, right? Well, 2006’s Let Me Introduce My Friends is all sugary sweet pop, bursts with sunshine and smiling kittens and random strangers hugging on street corners. All harmony and easy to snap your fingers and tap your toes arrangements, listening to this makes me want to go out and beat up some longshoremen. Makes 60’s bubblegum music seem morbid. Save us all.
The Hives – The Hives have a new album out! It’s called The Black and White Album! And The Hives still suck donkey dick! One of the most unoriginally derivative and clichéd bands of its generation. If you wonder how stupid people must be to vote for Bush consider how stupid people must be the listen to this dross. Stick that in yer pipe and smoke it.
The Hanes Music Review 007
(Originally stage dived July 2007)
OK, I’m obviously be punished for sins in another life. Or should I say, this is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you? Wow, I haven’t listened to this kind of sheer quantity of lame music in a long time. But I guess that’s what taking chances is all about. And you know Hanes, he lives on the edge. Well, hey going nothing. Figuratively and literally.
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Cut Chemist – Hanes can’t get enough turntablism and, gosh darn it, who can? Cut Chemist spins the wax with Jurassic 5 as well as on his own and in many collaborative efforts (including with the ever-so-revered DJ Shadow). His effort with DJ Shadow, 1999’s Brainfreeze is cool and all but as it is comprised of two 25 minute songs it’s a little hard to pick out winning tracks. Unless one plays roulette. His collaboration with Shortkut, 1998’s Live At The Future Primitive Sound Session at least is broken up into digestible bits. Nice deep scratching and basso profundo action. “No Mistakes in This Number” is solid and “Let’s Dance on Planet Rock” is about a fun “who’s who” sample fest as you can find. “Werd!” says it all. Cut Chemist’s 2006 solo album (is there such a thing in the world of scratching?) The Audience’s Listening is a big step up in terms of establishing a thematic listening experience. “(My 1st) Big Break” Is just a plain and simple fun tune and “What’s the Altitude” comes close to an Outkast vibe. Solid stuff for the discerning aficionado of this genre of music.
Chavez – This is another one of those 90’s bands that eluded me, never having explored them when they were extant. Now, in 2006 Matador has released their entire output as one album, Better Days Will Haunt You. I say, what better day to explore them then? Not like I can be anymore haunted. Listened to this album like a zillion times. They are cool and all but I guess there is a reason I didn’t pay much attention back in the day and all. They sound a little like Slint, whom I do like. “Unreal Is Here” and “You Faded” are cool. But nothing makes the iPod. Sorry, ya’ll.
Oxford Collapse – Here’s an “in yo face” to all the haters who say Hanes is the hater! I like this band quite a lot. Great jingly guitar sound with a healthy splash of sarcastic attitude and the ability to craft easily accessible (and thus memorable) hooks. 2006’s Remember The Night Parties should impress even the jaded indie music lover. At the top of the playlist is “Please Visit Your National Parks” which has slacker anthem quality. Right behind that in groovability is “Let’s Vanish,” “Forgot to Write,” and “Molasses.” Hey, man, it’s a lowkey Superchunk for the 00’s! Hanes awards thumbs up.
Fujiya & Miyagi – Listened to this via Miron many months ago but haven’t had the time to really “assess” the stuff until, why, now. Transparent Things hit the world in 2006 and it’s been in full force since. Yo. A band of Howlies from Brighton, England, the name is just tongue in cheek homage to bullshit. Besides genetic makeup of the band, the leadoff song “Ankle Injuries” sets the tone exceedingly well, laying down a steady beat with just enough funk to ground the more “techno” vibe, laconic vocals float above. The next two songs, “Collarbone” and “Photocopier,” are solid mid-tempo cookers. Pretty much the whole album is real polished and this prevents specific songs from standing out too much. “Sucker Punch” has a real Can vibe to it. I think that “danceable” techno has to have a solid enough beat that it can’t quite rock out enough to attract my deepest devotion. That said, this is a very solid offering.
The Future Sound of London – Mining the past once more. The kind of band I used to ignore but, hey, the world changes. Their heyday in the techno, trance, ambient scene was the early to mid 90’s. Snagged their 2006 singles compilation Teachings from the Electronic Brain. It’s still hard for me to listen actively to the whole album (15 songs), as it is for any dance music. But in moderate chunks it’s very good and the band is deserving of the accolades it has received. “Papua New Guinea” is pretty much my fave track, then the CD gets all mellow and shit before elevating back through “Smokin’ Japanese Babe” and “Antique Toy.” “Expander” is an excellent track and “We Have Explosive” not far behind it. Overall, maybe a little dated but, shit, so am I.
Lambchop – Yet another attempt at liking this band. With all due respect to devotees of their sound, it’s just not happening for me. The “singer” can’t sing, he just slowly emotes words. The music is almost over-orchestrated, there’s no doubting the sheer talent of the musicians but most of the time the songs come off more “clever” than compelling. Gave a thorough listening to both 2006’s Damaged as well as 2006’s The Decline of Country & Western Civilization, Pt. 2: The Woodwind Years. Maybe I would like it more if I had a really bad flu and was all medicated and in bed. From the two albums, if forced, perhaps “Loretta Lung,” “Two Kittens Don’t Make A Puppy” and “Smuckers” could count as decent tunes.
Some by Sea – This must be the kind of music the super-skinny boys who work at American Apparel listen to. Is this what is meant by “Indie Folk”? Painfully earnest, often in the face of their musical averageness, their melodies have some prettiness to them but the songs rarely hold your interest beyond the halfway point. Listened to 2006’s On Fire! Igloo like ten times and that’s more than any sentient creature should have to endure.
The Blood Brothers – Here’s a band that is just so gosh darned angry it’s hard to imagine they’ve spent five minutes this year not striking a “punk rocker” pose and sneering disdainfully. For the cameras. They’ve got five albums out so someone must be into the sound. If the sound was like if Jane’s Addiction was a thrash metal band. 2006’s Young Machetes doesn’t offer much to this listener. Been there, done that. Twenty years ago too. As always, please note and take to heart that my musings on music is not a presentation of good music! It’s a mostly comprehensive capturing of what I listen to, in no order, and an exercise forcing me to focus on new bands (as well as some old). By reading of your own free volition you release Hanes from any and all responsibility in the potential affront to your own aesthetic sensibilities.
The Hold Steady – Had this now for awhile but time to sit down and really try to get into their latest, 2006’s Boys and Girls in America. First, it still pisses me off that as of this writing I have not seen The Hold Steady live, as that is supposed to be their forte. So, all I have to go on are their studio efforts. Liked Separation Sunday well enough but that was it. This newer album is about the same. You either like the singer’s voice and accept it or not. Not that he’s a singer per se. The musicians are very good and the arrangements tight, they rock hard without losing sight of intellectual heft nor curious musical embellishments. The more I listen to them, the more they remind me of a band like Dire Straits. Of course, I very, very rarely listen to a whole Dire Straits album. There’s no songs on Boys and Girls in America that stinks but there’s none you need to hear again either.
Built to Spill – Old band, new album. You just can’t stop these fuckers, can you? I’ve always been lukewarm on Built to Spill, never really clicked with them. But try, try again. The coming of 2006’s You in Reverse may be that watershed moment we have all been looking for. This is a very solid effort, lots of guitar-led jamming without the usual navel-gazing or over-dependence on arrangement when the musicians should be rocking out. There’s still plenty of slower numbers for those who dig that shit. The singer still maintains his distinctive edge but doesn’t press it. Per one review, this appears to be their first album in five years and I agree that the time off has helped. My fave tunes are “Conventional Wisdom,” “Goin’ Against Your Mind,” “Liar” and “Mess With Time.” Worth checking out to see if the album clicks with you too.
Cold War Kids – I have to admit that this is a good band. Many listeners will like them a lot more than I. There’s echoes of The Walkmen, Spoon, Gomez in them with a more bluesy patina. Maybe it’s that they try too hard, that’s the reason they don’t fully click with me. I am tempted to use the word “optimistic” to describe many of their songs. Ack. Maybe “earnest” is better. Slightly. 2006’s Robbers & Cowards is their first full-length album after a few EPs. As is always the case, I enjoy the more up tempo numbers best, including “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds.” As said at the outset, this band deserves exploration and anyone kind enough to read this far has a higher chance of digging them than me.
Menomena – Here’s a band that indeed does portray me as a hater! They have this classic indie sound, the singer has this fragile, sensitive artist voice, they blend in all kinds of quirky horns and percussive instruments to broaden the sound. But to me, it’s much more style than substance with no real meat on the bones. It’s music for geeks who like to noodle with computers rather than figure out how to feel their way to creating memorable hooks and music that will prove more than an ephemeral smirk. This is not to say that they are not good at what they do, it’s just that this is where the bar is set these days for musical innovation and newness. Yak. Anyway, 2007’s Friend and Foe must have the three guys who make up the band getting laid in every city on the tour. The tune highlights for me are “Wet and Rusting,” “Weird” and “Boyscout’n.” Probably best you make up your own mind on this band.
Oh No – There’s no doubt that my taste in hip-hop is caught in a time warp, pretty much caught in the late 80’s to early 90’s. But, damn, does every contemporary rapper have to bore you to death? To me, one of the primary signs of the lack of singular vision and ability to create albums with personality can be summed up with the ubiquitous “Feat.” Umm, why the fuck is it that every song “features” someone else? How about, like, doing a song by you? Listened to 2006’ Exodus into Unheard Rhythms about twenty times and that’s a lot of wasted time right there. I could listen to Boogie Down Productions’ “My Philosophy” fifty times in a row and learn more. Just why???
Clinic – Sigh. Yet another band that has been around for like a decade without me adequately checking them out. Well, better late than never. That’s what I get for spending a whole decade listening to little but 1940’s country and jazz. Might as well start with 1999’s Clinic which is a collection of EPs from the previous couple of years by this Liverpool outfit. A band that worships well at the altar of all that is good, mixing in Suicide to Spacemen 3 styled organs with enough guitar virtuoso and staccato backbeats to evoke VU and Yo La Tengo. Vocals similar to The Undertones. But enough of this comparison tripe. “Monkey on Your Back” is a rocker and “Evil Bill” is not far behind. There’s enough planned-out rawness here that no tune is a clunker. 2000 brought the first full-length album, Internal Wrangler. There’s absolutely better production here, crisper and tighter, albeit no always for the better as if oft the case. “Voodoo Wop” starts it off with a quirky groove and this could fit on like a dozen YLT albums. The title track has a lush fullness to it with a menacing rocker bite. Hard not to like a song named “Hippy Death Suite” and “2/4” also top notch. Next up is 2002’s Walking with Thee, another solid effort, pretty seamless with the first true album. Except for the fact that there’s less “garage rock” going on and even more focus on production values over making honest mistakes in the name of rocking out with your cock out. Ahh, we’ve all seen this happen with bands before, no? This said, it’s still head and shoulders above most of the crap out there. “The Equaliser” is a good tune but they don’t know how to spell. Lotta tunes sound like the Archie Bronson Outfit. “Mr. Moonlight” and “The Vulture” also do it for me. 2004’s Winchester Cathedral continues the plateau or backsliding, depending on your taste. It’s just weird how a band can forget what made them interesting in the first place. Sadly, the stasis continues through 2006’s Visitations, which is a pretty fun album if your expectations are nil. See, lobotomies do come in handy sometimes. Nine years of music to review and no progress. At least I was drinking throughout.
The Hanes Music Review 006
(Originally played killer air guitar June 2007)
OK, I’m obviously be punished for sins in another life. Or should I say, this is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you? Starting to catch up on like 6-8 months of musical backlog. Lots more to come when not scribbling wine tasting notes. So many bands, who can keep up?
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The Matches - I’m not sure which genre to place this in, it’s a little more “heavy metal” than pure power punk pop (PPPP). Doesn’t really matter since they suck. Totally formulaic, by rote, nothing new under the sun. The world needs bands like this like it needs another country with nuclear weapons. Although, maybe nuclear Armageddon is the only way to stop the record companies. Whoops, we’re talking about 2006’s album Decomposer here. Just so you know what to avoid.
The Curtains - There’s a kind of 1960’s vibe to this band, sometimes the kind of pop music you’d imagine listening to through an open window as it rains, suited up in a warm turtleneck with stretch pants and a goatee. The album cover would be a semi-blurry image of a woman with thick mascara smiling. At other times the 60’s thing takes on a more bubblegum feel, when not indulging in experimentation for newness’s sake. Other songs lapse into basic sparse indie arrangements with emotion but not the angst. Another, whatever it is, it doesn’t do it for Hanes. 2006’s Calamity is an OK album I suppose. But, really, why do people listen to this kind of music? What do they get out of it? If you have the answer, Hanes wants to know.
Yo La Tengo - 2006 brings us the 4,739th Yo La Tengo album, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. I listened to this album many, many times. This is a good YLT album. Not great but solid. After all, this is a band that really would have to try to suck. Like most of their albums, it is not short, clocking in at 13 songs, two of which are longer than 10 minutes. The album does grow on you, duh. But that’s just further credit to their status as a giant of their era. So, for what it is worth, my favorite songs from this effort are “Mr. Tough,” “The Race Is on Again,” “The Room Got Heavy, “Sometimes I Don’t Get You” and “The Story of Yo La Tengo.” Solid.
Boards of Canada - I thought I had already mentioned this band but I must have been drunk. Note this outfit is two guys from Scotland, not Canada. It’s moody electronica that mostly moves at a languid pace, the music always seems to be alluding to something outside of it, hence, the background noise in many songs. They can pick up the tempo on occasion but the steadiness of the songs are part of the appeal. There’s a curious “mature” feel to their music. First release was in 1998 and think the 2006 EP is their latest release. Starting from the, err, start, 1998’s Music Has the Right to Children, which lays down the basic template but doesn’t quite layer the complexity as later efforts do. “Sixtyten” is an excellent tune and one of the truest to their complete sound. Also, as up tempo as they seem to get. “Aquarius” and “Happy Cycling” also pleasurable to one’s ears. 2000’s EP In A Beautiful Place Out in the Country finds the sound growing into its own. All four songs are superb but “Kid for Today” and the title track are really gems. The full length album Geogaddi came out in 2002 and really represents the band well. It’s like rummaging through a flea market of sounds, the tables and aisles provide a well-known structure but what displayed at any given stand remains unknown until you poke around. “1969” is a drop dead gorgeous song. Other highlights include “Sunshine Recorder” and “Music Is Math.” Three years later in 2005 comes The Campfire Headphase. “Chromakey Dreamcoat” might be my favorite song by them to-date. The album is moodier on the whole and maybe not the kind of iPod stuff you want at the gym but “Satellite Anthem Icarus” and “Peacock Tail” can be moving to hear. A long EP called Trans Canada Highway hit the scene in 2006. Seems “tighter” with a smoother and more focused sound. Good, but to my tastes, a slight notch below previous work. “Dayvan Cowboy” is a good tune.
The Rapture - A band that many people apparently like enough. Dunno, they are good, certainly don’t suck. I think they are for people who like to dance at rock shows. The Rapture doesn’t quite rock the rock but they’re not really a dance band either. Kind of lost in a muddled middle. This based on 2006’s Pieces of the People We Love. The title track is OK. “The Sound” is probably the best track on the album. I dislike songs like “Get Myself Into It” and “The Devil” - if I wanted 80’s music, I’d listen to the real thing. Hanes may be in the minority, but an overrated band.
Planningtorock - Now this is a fun outfit, apparently the creation of a Janine Rostron from the ever-happening Berlin scene. 2006’s Have It All is very fun with a decided intellectual complexity should one decide to pay attention to such things. A worthy heir to the 70’s “prog rock” sound without aping the former. Quirkily inventive arrangements don’t impede enjoyable rhythms. “Have it All,” “Changes” and “Local Foreigner” are the songs most impressing me now but, in the tradition mentioned before, it’s an “album” before a collection of isolatable songs. It’s refreshing to know that there’s new music coming out that isn’t cookie cutter redundancy.
Professor Murder - They only have 2006’s EP Professor Murder Rides the Subway to their credit, but definitely a band worth watching. Highly rhythmic with sparse punk rock arrangements which give clarity to the individual instruments employed, they yet form a meaningful whole. In some respects like a jazz ensemble. Can’t say the lyrics are incredibly moving but they are more of another instrument in the mix than something to pay attention to. All four songs are excellent and iPod worthy. Now there’s something you don’t see everyday! Am quite curious to see what they come up with next. Very fine indeed, dear chap, very fine indeed.
Magic Hour - A band for the true indie cultist. Unfortunately, you know who you are. And we do too. Although not the ones who started the band, Magic Hour is probably most famous (as if) for being the band Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang joined after Galaxie 500 went kaput. Based on that, seemed worth checking out. 1994’s Will They Turn You On Or Will They Turn On You is the album in question. Very much in the same musical idiom as Galaxie 500, Yo La Tengo and that scene. Laconic rocking, heavy on drawn out, dreamy vocals and a strong backbeat, heavy on the cymbals with the periodic guitar semi-freakout solo. Nothing like a “signature song” on this album (e.g., “Fourth of July”) but solid enough throughout. Me likes the lead off tune “Something Else” best.
Whitest Boy Alive - Wow, this is hard to assess. Listening to 2006’s Dreams is like listening to two different elements forced to co-exist. The music can be very fun and rocking and danceable and foot tapping fun. The vocals are almost always annoying, both in their phrasing as well as literary content. The latter is just too “cutesy.” It’s a damn shame they don’t release an instrumental version of the album too. “Burning,” “Figures,” and “Inflation” would be the best tunes on the album if someone gagged the singer. Unfortunately, it’s the singer’s band.
A Change of Pace - Ohmigod! This shit is soooo cheesy! I have no idea what prompted me to check out this band but it’s hilarious! They are so bad in a pop-punk vein, so incredibly cookie cutter, so vapid and redundant it’s making my ears bleed, if not beg for mercy. What blows me away is that I can listen to three albums, Change Is The Only Constant, An Offer You Can’t Refuse, and Prepare The Masses and it all sucks royally. I defy anyone to defend this music. Seriously.
Beck - It’s weird that Beck puts out a new album and you just kind of take it in stride, like, alright, I’ll get to it. No sense of urgency to absorb and assimilate. Ecce 2006’s The Information. Bought it, listened to it, forgot about it until, err, just now. The bloom is certainly off the rose. That said, it’s not like it’s a bad album, he’s too intelligent for that. There’s just a sameness to the songs, however, without the raw emotion that might have forgiven the “same sameness” in earlier outings when he was more viscerally vulnerable. Too high of a percentage of songs are “listenable” versus “memorable.” If only. See how cults kill the rock star? Anyway, “Think I’m In Love,” “No Complaints,” “Soldier Jane” and “The Information” strike me as the best cuts. Decide for yourself. Punk.
Thermals - Here’s a band that you suspect could be better than they are. Instead, they seem to listen to their manager, producer, label because they want to be rock stars. You want to like them but they are just too over-massaged into palatable pabulum. Who knows what they really want to sound like, were this a possibility. Anyway, 2006’s The Body, The Blood, The Machine is what we have to listen to. Tried hard to find the good in the bad. Hence, the lead off track “Here’s Your Future,” “A Pillar of Salt,” and “Returning to the Fold” get honorable mention.
Junior Boys - Hey, this is like listening to dry ice! It’s cold. And yet it’s dry! This is 2006’s So This Is Goodbye. Dispassionately aloof electronica, it has to be well put together since it’s hard to imagine music more over-thought. In some regards not that different from many potential peers, however, it leaves you with like zero sense that people create this music. It’s just really hard to feel a bond with the music even as you can intellectually tell it’s more than proficient. I can’t even pick a favorite song because I’ve listened to the whole album more than a dozen times and each time a different song inches in front of the others. Stop the angst!
The Roots - This band seems to be very popular. Or at least there’s a great deal of buzz about it. Laziness has prevented me from digging deeper into 2006’s Game Theory. Or the fortuitous hand of fate. Rap has fallen on hard times indeed. The Roots seem forced to deal with too many sub-genres of rap, too many disparate sounds they have to “respect” and thus get caught doing a poor job of excelling at any. There’s a hard political edge, a mellifluous soulful sound, a heavy backbeat, an emphasis on sassy vocals, etc. All it leaves you with is a sense of trying real hard while it doesn’t forge an immediate affinity. The closest they seem to come to “focus” throughout an entire song is “Here I Come” and “Long Time.” All this said, it is easy to see why they have a buzz given the current musical climate. That is, they do not out-and-out suck.
Pigeon John - More hip-hoppy rap, this guy obviously wants to have fun rather than impress with street cred. 2006’s Pigeon John And The Summertime Pool Party gets the listen here. It is fun, true, easy to listen to. Is there such a category as background music rap? The beats never get too heavy, the raps are wry and self-deprecatory, minimal attempts at “soulful” posturing. Like “Do the Pigeon” and “I Lost My Job Again” best. Again, not sure Pigeon John will impress hardcore rap fans but could appeal to a broader audience.
Persephone’s Bees - Solid pop music here, nothing for the time capsule but you can give it many listenings before the inevitable wearing out. Their only album to-date, 2006’s Notes From the Underworld, does a good job of highlighting the female vocalist’s very pretty voice and unusual accent and phrasings (she’s originally from Russia and all that). But the band is credible too, they do much than frame her voice and stay within themselves and the chosen musical idiom as well. It’s easy to see why “City of Love” was a minor hit, catchy enough. Same for “Nice Day” and “Walk to the Moon” as both tug at emotions more through the vocals, even if neither are the best songs on the album. “Paper Plane” has more appeal. But that’s just to me. Right? A band worth listening to and getting tired of.
Basement Jaxx - Never quite clicked with this outfit. So, thought I would give the latest album, 2006’s Crazy Itch Radio, a go and see what’s up. It’s not like I don’t understand what they are trying to do. It’s just that it’s pretty rare I guess that dance music does it for me. Even as a child of the 70’s who isn’t afraid to openly like disco. Since the music really is not comprised of “songs” as music as themed samples (it’s a concept album about a date or some shit), it’s hard to pick out tracks to like best. But I do like “On the Train” best for its sampling of a Stray Cats beat. Hanes is not qualified to judge music such as this.
Agalloch - After all that Hanes needed some heavy metal rocking! So, off to listen to this band, Agalloch. They are from Portland, Oregon and apparently there is some feud over whether they are “black metal” or death metal.” Does this have something to do with aging in oak barrels? Anyway, 2006’s Ashes Against the Grain is a pretty awesome album. Yes, the raspy vocals are too over-the-top and kind of make you want to smack the guy across the cheek and tell him to grow up but the music is top-notch and very moving and melodic for what it is, more complex than you’d think too. And the vocals are sporadic and mostly in the background. There’s not a lot of “thrashing” and in many ways it’s close to thickly constructed “alternative rock” as metal, or what I consider metal from growing up. Each song is like five to ten minutes long so you have to be committed to the listening experience, not gonna work on random play. “Limbs” and “Not Unlike the Waves” are the standouts to this listener.
Squarepusher - Again, Hanes avoids the usual more sophisticated categories used by music geeks and calls this music “techno.” Of course, it is more than that and fairly adroitly blends electronic beats with live instrumentation. It kind of reminds me of fusion jazz stuff from the 70’s and 80’s like Brand X. Oh yeah, the album here is 2006’s Hello Everything. Sometimes there’s a bit too much of a “mathematical” feel to the music but when it hits, it hits right. The lead off song “Hello Meow” is pure cheese fun. “Welcome to Europe” and “The Modern Bass Guitar” are also fun. Overall, the music is inventive but the hectic pace and relentless shifting doesn’t make for relaxed listening.
The Mountain Goats - The more specific genre for this band seems to be “indie folk.” I’m less concerned with that than with no falling asleep listening to it. The only thing which separates this from the ever-odious singer/songwriter label is that they appear to be a definite band and not one guy who gathers musicians around him. 2006’s Get Lonely has few highs or lows, a lowgrade depression permeates each song, burst of optimism perhaps fueled by coffee and/or Klonapin. The singer is more of an “enunciator” than singer per se. Someone must like this shit but he’s probably in college and deserves to get his ass whupped by the field hockey team. Boys’ or girls’.
The Hanes Music Review 005
(Originally embarrassed contemporary rock bands November 2006)
Boy Kill Boy – The longer I review music now the more I believe I am going senile and have reviewed a band before. I mean, are you sure I haven’t heard this band before? Gosh, 2006’s Civilian sounds awfully familiar. Pop punk with all the usual clichéd hooks and fake stürm und drang. Ok, let’s cut to the chase. This band blows. Derivative is being kind. No sense mincing words, I’m not a 14 year old boy wondering why Mom doesn’t understand me and Ashley doesn’t notice me.
TV On The Radio – It galls Hanes to have to admit it but, even though this band is from Williamsburg, they are really good. Ouch, that hurt. They seem to have been around for about 3-4 years and have really hit their stride of late. They have an eclectic “indie rock” sound, good thickness with some moments where they stir the pot slowly and others where they rock out hard. The Young Liars EP from 2003 is a good start for them with “Satellite” and the title track “Young Liars” most cool. The cover of the Pixies’ “Mr. Grieves” also fun (first played for me by Dan when I was too wasted to remember). 2004’s Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes keeps the forward progress going, tighter sound with more depth as well, more compositional chances taken. “Dreams,” “Staring at the Sun” and “The Wrong Way” all iPod worthy. Their latest album, 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain is the best effort yet, despite the dumbass name. Lots of tempo shifts, excellent layered sound, good production clarity. Personally, the standouts are “Playhouses,” “Dirtywhirl” and “I Was a Lover.” Hanes recommends!
Brightblack Morning Light – The buzz on this band seems to be growing and for good reason. They’re really good! Apparently they are a bunch of hippies in Alabama or something who live in the outdoors most of the time. The sound is very hypnotic and full of drones, tranced out with a “nature” vibe. A hippie Spiritualized? There’s also an element of 70’s funk at times. The music seems simple at first but it’s truly not, a lot is going on here. Mellow jamming on the bayou, maybe a touch of CCR influence. It’s really an “album” and not a collection of songs so it’s difficult to pick the best out. That said, “Friend of Time,” “All We Have Broken Shines” and “Everybody Daylight” are the shit. Highly recommended.
Particle – Now, this is a real jam band! It’s kind of hard to imagine their studio work being better than them live. While I checked out 2004’s Launchpad, I think their latest album is indeed an actual live album. Smart move. This is a synthesizer/guitar fueled dance rock sound that harkens back to early 80’s style prog rock for those who liked to boogie. Definitely arranged and orchestrated and executed to a “T” without ringing false. Give them credit for that. Most of the songs are over six minutes, definite jam length. I know this type of sound well so it’s not new to me. But their execution is top-notch, even if I can only listen to like three songs in a row without getting bored. The title track “Launchpad” and “Road’s A Breeze (@3am)” are among the best efforts here. Worth checking out. I’d absolutely go see them play live.
Archie Bronson Outfit – This band has grit. Dirt under their nails. Balls. These are good things. A hard rockin’ trio from Great Britain that keeps a heavy beat with thick guitar licks and a reckless abandon in the vocals. They have a rare trait these days: they are believable. And they’re not stupid, even though they play heavy rock it does not lack for intelligence. 2005’s Fur has its bright points in the songs “Butterflies,” “Armour for a Broken Heart” and “Here He Comes.” 2006’s Derdang Derdang shows cleaner production values and a tightened focus to their sound. Here the winners are “Cuckoo,” “Dead Funny,” “Rituals” and “Got to Get (Your Eyes)” although top-to-bottom it’s a solid album. Very much a band to keep an eye on and probably excellent live too.
Grizzly Bear – A difficult band to peg. At times they sound like Dinosaur Jr’s Green Mind played too slowly at the wrong speed. But there’s a country touch to a lot of the songs too. And a certain orchestral theatricality given that the sound can be very dense. No doubting that there’s an “emo” element, albeit not in a “tortured” skinny boy way. It’s not party music, that’s for sure. Horn of Plenty is their first album, released in 2004. Most of the songs are interesting, in an intellectual fashion more than making you feel like you’re rocking. Grad students in the humanities probably own most of the copies produced of this stuff. To me, the highlights are “Eaves Dropping,” “Deep Sea Diver” and “La Duchess Anne.” 2006’s Yellow House shows a bit more variety in the songs and the usual added polish in follow-up albums. More ethereal and the country music edge comes through more often. Hanes likey “Knife” and “On a Neck, On a Spit” best. Some parts here are like a non-electronic Boards of Canada or something. Or something.
Guillemots – This is an inventive pop band that is just quirky enough that they should never achieve widespread fame. That’s a compliment. Distinctive vocals and lush, but not overstuffed, arrangements combine with a pop backbeat to draw you in. There’s horns and piano and all the stuff that made bands like Squeeze, The Go-Betweens and other such intelligent pop bands successful. There’s also plenty of slow, semi-mournful crooning numbers too for those who like to glaze over romantically to music. On the whole, this isn’t a band that would find itself in heavy rotation for Hanes but it’s kind of inspiring to know they are out there. And without too much emo indulgence nor singer/songwriter navel gazing. 2006 brought both the From the Cliffs EP and full album Through the Windowpane. There’s some song overlap. For me, the best songs are the catchy “Trains to Brazil” as well as “Made Up Love Song #43” and “We’re Here.” A band worth checking out to see if they shall tickle your fancy.
Gecko Turner – Pete G. slapped this on me. They’re an innocent enough, loungey band with a hearkening back to 70’s style mellow jam bands like War, Santana or Sly. This especially so when they sing in Spanish. It’s eclectic without being pushy about the fact, rhythmically agreeable to toes tapping. High quality background music for late afternoon summer hanging out outdoors. Don’t know how much close attention one could pay to it in a single sitting. Anyhoo, 2006’s Guapapasea! is the album in question, their sole effort as far as I know. The tunes which jump out at me most are the leadoff “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and then “Monka Mongas” and “Dime Que Te Quéa.” But, like I said, it’s smooth and integrated for easy background listening so the point is kind of individual songs are not supposed to jump out at you.
Slowdive – This was a band I basically ignored back in the day. Their 1993 album Souvlaki was remastered last year (with the usual bonus tracks) and Dandy Dan gave it a spin for me. Real shoegazer stuff, more towards dreamy than “wall of sound” in focus. But that’s why the dive is slow, no? Personally, I’ll take Ride over them any day but it’s not bad music. Nice vocal harmonics, overall warm and inviting sound without losing a sense of architectural arrangement. Won’t have you up and out of your chair playing air guitar but maybe that’s not always necessary. Maybe. “When the Sun Hits” and “40 Days” among the better tunes. The two bonus remixes of “In Mind” are better than the original. Can’t say how improved the sound is due to the remastering but if you are already a fan it might be worth checking out.
Prototypes – OK, I’ll admit it right away. I think this band is great. In a highly cheesy way, but great none the same. Will not be for everyone. Because everyone sucks. First, most of the lyrics are in French. Hanes’s French is very rusty. But it’s saucy, tongue-in-cheek pop rock so maybe the lyrics are besides the point. Strong 80’s influence, couple of songs sound like Falco covers or something. I think 2006’s self-titled Prototypes is their only album to date. I have fun listening to just about every song, my brain starts playfully oozing out of my ears. That said, “Je Ne Te Connais Pas,” “Danse Sur La Merde,” “Medicalement” and “File De Bourge” stand out from the pack. There’s enough diversity among the songs to avoid homogeneity. I say listen to this album. Or I’ll shoot this dog.
Nouvelle Vague – The question here is that of the “sophomore slump.” Is this band a one album phenomenon or does it have legs? The self-titled debut was very good, even if mocked by some. Now comes 2006’s follow-up effort, Bande a Part. Will their insouciance and French pop sensibility carry through again? Will they continue to choose worthy covers to interpret as lounge music/the kind of stuff you’d hear in some bar along the Mediterranean seaside? Well, the answer is yes and no. At first, I was ready to totally trash this album. Initial listenings painted it as a pale shadow of the former effort. But over time it has grown on me. So, let’s just call it a semi-substantial wraith instead. On the whole, it’s mellower than the first album. Thus, to me, the standouts are the songs with some get up and go such as The Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love,” Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” The Cramps’ “Human Fly” or New Order’s “Blue Monday.” All in all, it’s OK but I think you have to be a real fan to get repeated enjoyable listenings out of this over a longer period of time.
Allan Holdsworth – Few of today’s youth recognize the name of Allan Holdsworth. However, for those of a certain age and musical inclination, he is a true guitar giant. He played a sort of rock and jazz fusion sound that captured the essence of that scene’s vibe in the 1980’s and into the 1990’s. Today, it does sound dated. Yet, there’s something about it that can occasionally warm Hanes’s heart. The great synthesized runs, the soaring theatricality and pensive moments of stringed introspection! Hanes recently came into twelve Holdsworth albums, running from 1977 to 2001. Now, this is certainly more Allan Holdsworth than anyone needs. And, frankly, I’m not going to listen to them very often. But it’s nice to know they are there. If you want to check out some of his stuff, Hanes recommends starting with 1982’s I.O.U., 1983’s Road Games or 1987’s Sand. This is when the dude was truly at the top of his game. Perfect for a Sunday morning rock/jazz fusion extravaganza with lox and bagels!
The Longcut – There’s nothing altogether unfamiliar in this basic rock band’s sound. Let by the guitar work, solidly laid down and without excessive bravura. Steady back beat. Vocals come in and out, allowing the instruments to shine. No stupid screaming or preening in the vocals either. The end result: no new ground broken but eminently listenable. They’re from Manchester, England so this might provide some background as to their immediate influences. Checked out a couple of their EPs, 2004’s Transition and 2005’s A Quiet Life. Both have a more earnest sound, more experimental feel than their later full length studio album. In fact, I may prefer these earlier EPs. “Transition” and “Dead Man” are very good tunes. 2006 brought the album, A Call and Response. More polished, more focus on the vocals, less jangly indie guitar. Noticeable as there’s song overlap between the album and the earlier EPs. Anyway, “Holy Funk,” “A Tried and Tested Method,” “Gravity in Crisis” and “Vitamin C” strike me as the standouts. The Longcut gets a Hanes recommendation!
Tokyo Police Club – Dumb name, does not augur well. At least the music follows up on this initial suspicion. Cookie cutter indie rock. 2006’s EP called A Lesson in Crime is pretty much a big yawn. Seven songs of undistinguished, by-the-numbers rocking. This is not to say it’s flawed. Simply that their sound fades into the generalized white noise that is today’s lame rock scene. Easy pass.
The East Village Opera Company – OK, crank up the cheese factor. The band’s name tells you all you need to know. It’s more or less a 70’s prog rock lovefest, channeling the ghost of Queen too. Taking this at face value, it’s not bad. As far as I can tell, and Hanes is no classical music expert, all the songs are interpretations of actual classical music pieces. As one would hope, the abilities of the vocalists and musicians are high quality, clearly able to pull it off. But it’s really a strict matter of taste as to how much of this any given person can listen to. Or how much you like Queen. For me, it’s like 2 or 3 songs. I like “Overture (Nozze di Figaro)” and “La Donna e Mobile” best. It’s a curiosity.
Mew – This is an intriguing ensemble from Denmark who adroitly blend heavy metal rocking with more feedback alt rock from the 90’s as well as a strong sense of prog rock arrangements. 2005’s And The Glass Handed Kites defies easy description. For all of its dense, rumbling guitar and drum work, there’s a lyrical quality to the vocals which relieves a lot of dead weight in the songs. There’s an easy to appreciate clarity to the songs. Whether slowly or swiftly paced. This band will appeal to real rock geeks but it’s 50/50 beyond that. Maybe if you like crap like Radiohead you might appreciate this more. I like the lead track “Circuitry of the Wolf” as well as “Special” and “Apocalypso” best.
Scanners – File this under “close but no ceegar.” Led by female vocals, this band nods strongly to late 80’s to 90’s pop rock before the whole riot grrl thing defined what rock chicks were supposed to sound like. Plenty of synthesizer, leading a tightly bound guitar/drum beat. Very clean production values. There’s an earnestness in the vocals that stops short of screaming or shouting while maintaining its emotional undercurrent. I suspect that this band will appeal to listeners whose taste in late 80’s to 90’s music diverges from my own. And, for what it’s worth, I am tepid on Pat Benatar too, not helping here. 2006’s Violence Is Golden strives for a futuristic bleakness like Blade Runner lite or something. I prefer the tunes “In My Dreams,” “Evil Twin” and “Raw.” You’re on your own with this band, make up your own mind.
Heavens – The year 2006 graces us with the album Patent Pending. That is, minus the “grace us” part. This band was hatched by some record company laboratory. They strive for an up tempo new wave sound while also straining for a quasi-goth emotional aloofness in the vocals. Incredible amount of sameness throughout all the songs, even if they slow it down on a few numbers. Heavens is not evil but it is soulless. I really don’t want to have to type more. Please.
Ratatat – This is a duo from NYC that breaks down some funky beats in an engagingly eclectic manner. That is to say, they are not writing new annals in the history of rock music. But they have a frenetic energy and wry sense of how to push the cheese envelope without getting it too far. There’s really no vocals, it just two guys doodling with guitars, synths, drums, etc. As such, it’s not like you can identify with the songs, more so you just kind of tap your toes or fingers or stare with a smile into the sun. Mindless fun, even if the rhythms are more complex than first gloss might suggest. 2004’s eponymous album Ratatat gets the ball rolling well. Lots of weaving drones and hypnotic drum breaks. It’s hard, though to pick out individual songs, they are too similar. Like an album played at a live alternative rock club before the first band goes on. Not too loud but quietly works the crowd into the mood. In 2006 they released their next album, Classics. Their sound has matured quite a bit. More diversity among the songs, as well as more nuanced instrumental interplay within the songs. Still don’t push this too far, the apple doesn’t fall that far from the tree. I personally prefer “Wildcat,” “Montanita” and “Gettysburg.” Hard to truly recommend this band but worth you investigating if you get the chance.
Be Your Own Pet – Cellarmaster and rock impresario Jason L. recommended this band. Knowing Mr. J’s taste I am not surprised he loves this band. However, it’s not quite my cup of tea. That said, if you like thrashing, “can’t play fast enough” indie punk rock you should like Be Your Own Pet. They are very, very good at what they do. Plenty of rock bravado and brass balls, the biggest balls on the female singer for sure. She rocks out with her cock out. From two EPs, 2004’s Damn Damn Leash and 2005’s Fire Department to 2006’s full length album Be Your Own Pet, it just gets more intense. They should invest in companies that make drum sticks and guitar strings since they probably break a lot. On the main album, I like “Bog,” “Wildcat!” and “Fill My Pill” best. If you can’t rock hard enough, take it to 11 with this band. That means you, Sloth.
My Brightest Diamond – Hanes makes mistakes. It’s true. Ask anyone who knows him. Let’s add listening to My Brightest Diamond to the list. This is the brainchild of a chick named Shara Worden. She has toured as part of Sufjan Stevens’s band, that should be warning enough. This is over-the-top indulgent chamber music rock that is made to be played in a hall of mirrors. 2006’s Bring Me the Workhorse is one song after another of Ms. Worden exercising her ability to feature herself in what she takes for self-flattery. This album is meant to be mainlined by black cashmere turtleneck, $800 glasses wearing hipsters who wouldn’t know reality if it smacked them upside the head. So, let’s leave this to them and call it a day. Ouch, this hurt me as much as it hurt you.
Kudu – I guess this is what the kids call dance electronica or something. It’s pretty much a fusion of different styles, warrants the cliché of being “eclectic.” Checked out 2006’s Death of the Party and it’s a smooth effort. At times they throw a little Prince vibe at you, other times they turn more hip-hop, yet again they really milk new wave synth sounds, sometimes even if in a bluesy way. It’s fun, they sound like they are having fun, and it really grows on you. That said, there is enough diversity among the songs that you may like some, dislike others. It’s a stew where they throw in all the ingredients they can find and mix it all around, a kitchen sink blend that maintains its intelligence. It’s difficult to pick out favorite songs but at the time of this writing “Suite Life,” “Hey 50” and “Love Me in Your Language” doing it most for me. I reserve the right to revise. Check Kudu out, Hanes says.
The Sleepy Jackson – This is a band that has a steady, solid buzz about it. And, of course, Hanes loves to get on the bandwagon whenever possible. Spineless sycophant that he is. So the investment was made in a thorough analysis of 2003’s Lovers and 2006’s Personality (One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird). No shortcuts were taken, every possible approach was exhausted. After such, one can see that the leader of the outfit, Luke Steele, has done his homework. There’s not a single musical type not nodded at or thread into one song or another. So, yes, it’s “eclectic” too. Although it does more or less stay close to a home of folk pop rock or lyrical singer-songwriter emoting. Which is pretty much the kiss of death to Hanes. So, yes, The Sleepy Jackson does put me to sleep. But you may like it if you enjoy the aforementioned abysmal Sufjan Stevens. Lovers starts out OK with “Good Dancers” and “Vampire Racecourse” and then gets blah after that. Personality tries to milk this late Beatles-like dreaminess, more of a lilting, soaring quality to the songscapes. Intolerable. But “I Understand What You Want But I Just Don’t Agree” is an OK tune. Long title, though.
Kasabian – The dreaded sophomore slump. How and when will it strike? That’s the question, see? Kasabian is in the same position as The Strokes were, when the latter was trying to follow up Is This It with Room on Fire. Which The Strokes did with fair to middling success. At best. Being kind. So. Kasabian’s 2004 album Kasabian was a pretty good intro effort. At least half the songs were worth listening to, and while slick, it wasn’t slimy slick. Alas, the latent “we’re too cool for school” smarm in the first album runs rampant throughout their second album, 2006’s Empire. First, it doesn’t rock enough, instead attempting to make “grand statements.” And the production tightens up the sound too much, squeezes or constricts better ways of putting it. Here, Kasabian is just taking themselves way too seriously and need to take a pill and have some fun. It’s not that the album sucks, it’s just a disappointment. Like Room on Fire. Anyway, I like “Last Trip (In Flight)” and “Sun Rise Light Flies” best.
M. Ward – Another mistake. Whoops. My bad. This dude is all singer/songwriter and adds in a country folk edge too. I listened to his 2006 album Post-War about a dozen times, hoping against hope to find something I could enjoy and grow from. I want to evolve! As moody and emotive as he can be, as jingly and jangly as he can strum his six-string, it’s all to no avail. It appears that there will be whole worlds of musical promise closed forever to Hanes and his tin ear. OK, “Neptune’s Net” is a decent tune. Maybe because it’s an instrumental.