ESM Rating: 9/10 |
Listen if you like: Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, the entire Fat Wreck Chords catalog, or Bruce Springsteen, all seasoned with a dash of Green Day-esque pop punk.
First impressions: The sweet, epic sound of Scottish highland bagpipes paired with power chords, heavy, distorted guitars, and shipyard worker vocals have always held a tender spot in my heart. Needless to say, Toil, the latest album from Flatfoot 56, is a winner through-and-through in my book.
The nitty-gritty: While Dropkick Murphys and many of their fellow punk stalwarts from the ‘90s and early ‘00s have adopted more commercial sounds in pursuit of musical evolution (and, let’s face it, bigger paychecks), Toil stays true to the grit that made such bands what they are. Consecutive songs “Work For Them” and “Terrorizing Truth” leave little doubt in any listener’s mind that Flatfoot 56 still know how to throw down. Both tracks unleash time-honored punk fury with gruff vocals and a predictable yet addictive song structure. The prominent role played by the mandolin on each highlights this band’s sub-classification as a Celtic punk group, adding dynamism to the otherwise standard instrumentation. Album opener “Brother, Brother” sets the stage for the rest of Toil’s Celtic tinge with the first thing heard being a bagpipe’s drone. Piper Eric McMahon carries the melody throughout “Brother, Brother” and earns his keep on “The Rich, The Strong, And The Poor” as well.
Other recommended tracks: Despite refusing to relinquish hardcore sentiment, on Toil, Flatfoot 56 often adopts a folksier sound reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and not unlike the last two Dropkick albums. “The Rich, The Strong, And The Poor,” “I Believe It,” and the title track all take on this more subdued story-telling format. Subject matters throughout Toil tend toward the daily thoughts and challenges of factory or boatyard workers, but don’t cross into the outright union-promoting protest songs that some of Flatfoot 56’s peers rock. The true revelation on Toil is the band’s winning take on “I’ll Fly Away,” a hymn written in 1929. Traditional instrumentation and vocal harmonies paired with a foot-stomping beat get a shot of adrenaline from Flatfoot 56’s raging electric guitar, rebellious bagpipes, and hoarse hollering on the album closer.
East Coast tour dates? These Chicagoans are mid-tour and will be in Miami tonight, Ybor City, FL, tomorrow, Pensacola on July 29th, Jackson, MS, on July 30th,Houston, TX, on July 31st, Austin, TX, on August 1st, and El Paso, TX, on August 2nd before heading west. The band returns to DeKalb, IL, on August 24th, Peoria, IL, on August 25th, an Shippensburg, PA, on September 15th. Check www.Flatfoot56.com for details. By Alex Lemonde-Gray
|
||||||
 |
ESM Rating: 9/10 |
Listen if you like: Orchestral mid-century pop, The Beatles, John Lennon, Serge Gainsbourg, Elliott Smith, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, and other pop gods.
First impressions: From the swinging, finger-snapping opening bars of “Traveling Shoes,” it’s clear that Lawrence Arabia is taking us on a pleasantly dusty ride through American pop history. And although the song sounds tip-of-the-tongue familiar, James Milne’s whole vibe isn’t just standard imitation. Second track “Lick Your Wounds” sounds like an orchestra-laden alternate gem from The Beatles’ The White Album recording sessions turned up to 11: cinematic horns, elegant strings, falsetto magnificence from Milne, oh my… Pop lovers, you’re gonna be in heaven here.
The nitty-gritty: What I found most interesting was how press for The Sparrow played up its minimal approach compared to Lawrence Arabia’s last album’s “harmony-laden, classic pop production.” Sure, tracks like “The Listening Times” and “Early Kneecapping” are simplistic and straightforward in their execution. But the former song’s plaintive, floating vocals and searing strings are certainly still akin to the best classic pop production, while the latter mixes late-night vibes with creepy lyrics about “kneecapping my friends” and a psychedelic coda. And “The 03” is so effortlessly breezy it could have been an AM radio hit anytime from 1959 to 1989, with the closing noise collage catapulting it into the 1990s and beyond. Of course, the quizzical Sun Ra-meets-Coltrane-meets-Wilco instrumental “Dessaur Rag” certainly elevates this entire project to something above and beyond pure pop.
Other recommended tracks: Consider me sacrilegious, but “Bicycle Riding,” featuring Lawrence Arabia harmonizing with a muted piano, ranks up there with John Lennon’s finest solo work. On the other end of the artistic spectrum, “The Bisexual” is James Bond cool as jazzy horns interlock with twinkling piano to take The Sparrow into London lounge territory. And as if The Beatles comparisons weren’t well deserved enough, “Legends” is simply a marvelous six-minute nugget of pop brilliance, dissonant string arrangements and locked-groove pocket percussion hearkening back to George Martin’s legendary collaborations with the Fab Four. My only question is how hard Lawrence Arabia and his backing band, The Prime Ministers, can rock this material live. It’s preciously perfect on record, but will that translate well to a stage?
East Coast tour dates? Luckily, we get the chance to find out. Lawrence Arabia has one New York show planned for August 14th, with “more to come” promised before he heads to the UK, where this album was recorded with the resplendently named Elroy Finn and Connan Mockasin, on August 31st. Find Stay tuned to www.LawrenceArabia.com — you don’t want to miss this New Zealander’s trip to America. By Nick McGregor
|
||||||
|
|
ESM Rating: 8/10 |
Listen if you like: tUnE-yArDs’ album Bird Brains comes to mind, but Micachu & The Shapes fall more into the carnival circuit. This means that, much like carnies, I will never truly know them or their friends. Fortunately, they can be seen and heard from a distance about once a year and at that time it is best you have a funnel cake in hand.
First impressions: Mica Levi and her band The Shapes scramble through the unusual array of instruments that have come to define their anti-pop sound. Vacuum cleaners and modified furniture form the foundation of several tracks, but throughout Never, there’s never a repetition of a chorus or audible hook.
The nitty-gritty: Mica Levi has no shortage of a career. She was classically trained as a composer and multi-instrumentalist, she has written arrangements for the London Philharmonic, and her DJ work has been highly recognized among the London grime scene. The Shapes seem to be one more resume builder, or symptom of band hoarding, for the talented Levi. Never isn’t so much an acquired taste, but for most of us it will take patience. Most accessible are the areas of the record where the modified guitar, played by a hammer action, and the washy vocal duets are found under the backside of household noise. The pop elements are there so the declaration of their existence doesn’t seem to be a tall tale. The best analogy I can draw between Micachu & The Shapes and reality is with food. If you went to a decent restaurant and Mica Levi was your waitress, you would get a milk cow and some cheese tools even though you asked for a slice of yellow Kraft. I get the feeling that the album is meant to teach as much as it is meant to be enjoyed.
Other recommended tracks: “Nothing” is easy to ease into as a beginning experiment in pop alterations. You could analyze the track on two or three listens and really begin to enjoy the depth of Levi’s work. The band’s video work featuring the other two members is also highly notable.
East Coast tour dates: All in Europe and the on the west coast for now, before Micachu hits Dallas, TX, on September 27th, New Orleans, LA, on September 29th, Atlanta, GA, on September 30th, Columbia, MD, on October 2nd, Philadelphia, PA, on October 3rd, and Brooklyn, NY, on October 5th, all with Animal Collective. Visit www.Micachu.biz for more info. By Will Tunstall
|
||||||
|
ESM Rating: 8/10 |
Listen if you like: Avey Tare, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Suicide, Psychic Ills, Panda Bear, Pantha Du Prince, Animal Collective, and, in a very abstract way, Sublime’s Robbin’ The Hood album and all the crazy sound bits from it.
First impressions: The drugs have kicked in.
The nitty-gritty: This is a short, quirky little EP from Brooklyn, NY’s Eric Copeland, also of Black Dice and Avery Tare’s Terrestrial Tones. And it’s full of hypnotic reverse playback and warped, avant-garde experimental music that will either leave you feeling super mellow and stoked or super wanting to blow your head off, depending on your personality. For most fans of obscure artists, this is a really fun, well-executed piece of art with a sly use of bass and beats, making it fairly more accessible than some of Eric Copeland’s other three previous solo releases. The off-kilter rhythms have a surprisingly bit of funk within them, and the funny thing is there are some really solid loops and hooks hidden in between and underneath the inaccessible layers. This is an acquired taste — not for your average listener — requiring a more discerning ear to pick up what Eric Copeland is doing here. What that is would be hard to define specifically, but it sure sounds pretty close to genius and I like it.
Other recommended tracks: Being labeled as a six-part album as opposed to separate tracks, “Double Reverse Psychology” is the standout “part” at 8:24 long. There’s a great little hooky beat towards the end, while “Tarzan & The Dizzy Devils” has a metallic resonance that contrasts well with the rest of the work.
East Coast tour? Nothing on the radar, but if you live in Brooklyn you might catch him at some obscure venue. Visit www.UnderwaterPeoples.com for any updates. By Peter Viele
|
||||||
|
ESM Rating: 8/10 |
Listen if you like: Mars Volta, At The Drive-In, Kyuss’ softer moments, Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison, proggy stoner rock, psychedelic folk, Eastern raga, Mike Watt & The Minutemen, Drive Like Jehu, The Minutemen, Sandy Bull, Sir Richard Bishop, Vashti Bunyan.
First impressions: Ethereal, soaring, atmospheric, haunting, driving, captivating… a million five-dollar adjectives could be used to describe ANYWHERE’s self-titled debut album. Born out of At The Drive-In guitarist Christian Eric Beaulieu’s open-tuned acoustic explorations and Mars Volta lead singer Cedric Bixler Zavala’s visceral vocals, ANYWHERE also includes guitar from Toshi Kasai of Big Business, bass tracks from proto-punk legend Mike Watt, and several angelic lyrical contributions from former Sleepy Sun singer Rachel Fannan. So if you like Eastern-tinged folk mixed with California econo-punk and global psych-rock, you’ll probably love ANYWHERE.
The nitty-gritty: The instrumental brilliance spills forth on opener “Pyramid Mirrors,” which takes polyrhythmic percussion and fast-strummed acoustic guitar to new heights. Meanwhile, “Rosa Rugosa” relies on Fannan’s crystalline, reverb-swathed vocals to give ANYWHERE a folk-fantastical feel. Although the centerpiece of ANYWHERE rests on Beaulieu’s playing, Fannan’s two songs are the strongest, as the dark corners of Americana are explored with stunning clarity on “Dead Golden West.” But Zavala’s work shouldn’t be overlooked; although “Khamsin” stretches to seven-and-a-half minutes, its wild, unspooling trajectory, punctuated by the man’s primitive howls, is pure auditory delight.
Other recommended tracks: The title track strays from the rest of the album’s mystical, folk-metal feel, but in a Jane’s Addiction alterna-rock sense, it definitely succeeds — especially that buzzing, sonically tense climax. If you’re looking for a more spiritual number, “Shaman Mantra” is obviously your noodling destination of choice. And “Infrared Moses” provides another distillation of Beaulieu’s ANYWHERE aim: stomping acoustic jams, technical percussion, and a haunting quality that pervades all 40 minutes of ANYWHERE. Enter at your own risk.
East Coast tour dates? None of as now. Keep up with the band at www.ATPRecordings.com. By Nick McGregor
|
||||||
|
