Can Can - Widowmaker

Can Can - Boreska Mines

Picture a group of angsty 15-year-olds who have all just purchased 60-dollar guitars from Wal-Mart, a plastic drum set to match, and karaoke microphones. Now imagine throwing all of them into a basement, starting a mosh pit, flinging all of the instruments around, and telling them to scream random things. That experience might be close to what will happen when you listen to All Hell by Can Can.

All Hell is the debut record for this trio of punk rockers, and if nothing else, it has a tremendous amount of energy. With drummer Josh Lamar’s explosive beats, the album has a lot of punch. Mary Frances Collins’s guitars are simple and raw, and her breathy backing vocals sound like something you might hear from a shoegaze band. However, I could hardly get past the annoying shrieking from lead vocalist Patrick A. “Widowmaker” is a great example of this. The song begins with Collins’s flowing, dreamy melodies, and then Patrick A. comes in, screeching, “DON’T MAKE ME A WIDOW!” It was really hard to get through the whole album in one sitting, and the only track I could halfway tolerate was “Locked In,” where Patrick A. sings in a whisper through most of the songs over simple but catchy guitars and drums. This track just has a rawness that is hard to ignore.

While I appreciate what the trio was going for in their minimalist, stripped-down approach, it ends up sounding like something your cousin recorded in his basement in one night and posted on his Myspace for all of his high school buddies to listen to. It is, however, impossible to deny the energy in these tracks, but instead of knocking me on my ass like a good punk record does, it just left me searching for the Excedrin.

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After a long day exploring San Francisco, I walk into Hemlock Tavern and realize I should have gotten there earlier. The place is packed and I don’t see how I will make it to a position for photos. As I politely work my way through the crowd, I have to get by that one guy who has is elbows out to his side, posted up in an unnaturally rigid stance as to prevent my passing. This is the first of a few run-ins with the “show (insert expletive)”. I eventually make my way to the front as the music begins.
Yeah, the music… Akron/Family has a sound that is tough to describe. With a mix of various styles, what begins as three core members eventually becomes an all-out jam with 10 plus members, playing their folk-leaning classic rock/jazz influenced psychedelia backed with occasional bleeps of the synthetic variety. As the smell of a certain California crop wafts through the air, the band sings along with the crowd… “I wanna’ live, in Woody Guthrie’s America” again and again, uplifting the spirits of those in attendance and presumably many within a few mile radius. From Native American chants to the thought provoking “Everyone Is Guilty”, which turns into a knee-slapping, heart smacking frenzy, Akron/Family invites the participation of the crowd like few shows I’ve seen… and let me tell you, it’s a riot! I felt as if I was transported back a few decades, when the fight for America’s soul was being fought for in nearby streets. I sang until my chest was pounding and my voice was fading, in an uplifting experience which set the tone for the rest of my trip. If you have the opportunity to see them, I assure you it will be good for your being.

Set Em Wild, Set Em Free - Order on Amazon

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Metric - Stadium Love

Metric - Blindness

We’ve been asked to remove out mp3s as they aren’t sanctioned.  We will be glad to put up any mp3s that are cleared by the band’s label.

UPDATE: No tracks performed by the band are sanctioned, only a remix.  We’ve choosen not to inlcude it as it was not found on the album reviewed.

For a title like “Fantasies,” Metric’s latest offering is surprisingly prosaic. And I mean this in the best way possible. Metric exists in that all too common limbo between the wildly successful mainstream and the underground Indie darlings (although they were lucky enough to grace the frames of “Grey’s Anatomy”).  When band’s such as these  take almost half a decade in between full length releases, there is a tendency for “reinvention” and general hogwash. But in this case, Emily Haines and company are sticking with what they do best: vaguely-grungy, deliciously- bittersweet synth pop. A dark chocolate-covered jolly rancher, if you will. And, while this often leads to accusations of an overly “formulaic” sound, it is a successful formula, dammit.

Instrumentally, the album definitely leans more on a guitar heavy sound than synth, but both always ride shotgun to Haines’ vocals. They are the driving force in the tracks, but her (relative) softness provides a nice contrast to the stronger instrumental sound of the majority of the album.  Lyrically, there is a simultaneous simplicity and ambiguity which allows for some very acceptable pretensions to be mixed in.

The infectious single “Help, I’m Alive,” is an intense need to drive into a neon-light jungle, dissociated cigarette hanging from you pouting lips.  However, the song that has stuck with me has to be “Blindness,” the second to last track. It’s less catchy than the more up tempo numbers (I skipped over it the first three times i listened to the album), but once given a chance, it burrows into your subconscious and hangs there tenaciously. The song has a tone of sincerity, which can be uncommon for music of this type.  After all, It’s terrifying to let go of one’s disaffected irony life saver.

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Part Bear - Send the Rich

Part Bear, on their confusingly titled debut, Par Bear, jump out the gates blasting mid-tempo rock with a tasty crunch. That first song, “Send the Rich,” changes ever so slightly for the chorus, ensuring that the slower more vocal focused melody will get stuck in the listener’s head. It’s a positive energy that fills the room with a rough but undeniably pop sound. File Part Bear in the category of three piece bands that create a sound much bigger than the sum of their parts.

Part Bear is a well rehearsed bar band that’s fun and catchy with an inclusive “us against them” free spirit. Who’s “them”? A clue can be found in the enigmatic “sounds like” section of their myspace page. It reads, “Rock that’s not born in NY or LA…” That is, they’re not concerned with being trend setters. It’s a substance over style ethos raging against those who take themselves too seriously.

The members of Part Bear present themselves as music lovers who are sincere without being serious and are ready to have a good time. This combination has often led to embarrassing results. That is, it can sound like a shtick (think Barenaked Ladies and Cowboy Mouth). It’s hard not too err on the side of Weird Al when the motto is “join in and have fun.” Based on reading the three song title sequence of “Fun Fun Fun”, “Yo Mamma”, and “Alcohol” from Par Bear, I was skeptical that Part Bear could pull it off. But with tight riffs that balance pop polish with a falling off the hinges energy, they pull it off with ease.

The songs on Par Bear create a raucous yet well organized party that leaves you wanting more while happy with what you got (9 songs clocking in at less than 30 minutes). This collection of songs lets the listener escape to a not so far away world of hanging out with talented and well meaning energetic friends. You can’t ask for too much more from a fun loving straight forward rock album.

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This is unfair. While this obsessive scene exists to the point where it’s healthy to question a fan’s motivation, good music cannot be denied.

After breaking up in 2004, Phish got back together in early March 2009, starting things off with a three night stand in their old stomping ground, Hampton, VA. For a while, they put these shows for download on their website, LivePhish.com for free. By the time you read this, they’ll be charging $9.95 for it. So the question I’m going into this review is: Is the price for downloading their first show back worth it for the general fan of rock music?

Phish does epic rock and roll as good as, if not better than any of their arena contemporaries. Extended solos take their time to soar as high as possible only to free fall, caught by a cushion of blue grass and otherwise feel good vibes. The minimal reaction to a Trey Anastasio guitar solo has to at least be, “wow, that’s good.” More likely, it’s going to be, “good gracious, where did my brain go for the past five minutes.”

The barbershop quartet and hootenanny moments may be a bit silly for casual observers, but fans of Badly Drawn Boy and Ben Folds will recognize piano driven ballads with a nasal troubadour’s earnestness. At these moments, an artist’s good humor can sometimes translate into naïve amazement. Phish thrive in these moments. There are also elements of straightforward rock and roll. Phish give give their rockers room to breathe, something that non-jam bands too often look past. See “Sample In A Jar” for an example of this.

For the majority of 3/6/09, like any other Phish show, the music meanders through an all but forgotten enchanted forest. Yearning guitar notes are cheered up by piano progressions searching for a purpose. Meanwhile, the percussion and bass make sure the music never loses the hop in its step. Vocal harmonies offer lovely digressions that humanize the experience.

This collection isn’t the tightest versions of Phish songs. In fact, many moments are down right sloppy. But it’s a sloppiness that somehow enhances the moment. For this night, at least.

The first of three Hampton shows catches a unique energy between band and audience. At times it’s thrilling, at other times it’s rusty. Mostly, it’s unabashed joy in the name of music. For example, the staple, “You Enjoy Myself” requires a re-start and no one’s in a position to complain. Trey’s laughter during the mishap is reassurance that past grudges have been worked out. And the fans aren’t going to complain. They’re just glad the band’s back together and aren’t ready to take it for granted. Everyone should be so lucky that their favorite band plays a reunion show with this atmosphere of shared significance.

Not a perfect show, but it captures a perfect moment.

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103

pushing oars

erase the lines

Overall I like this CD. It sounds like a lazy summer afternoon in the shade. No worries, soft breeze. Very cool and easy going. It’s got some charm to it, lyrically, vocally and instrumentally. There’s also an organic quality about it that’s nicely captured in the recording. One of the best things is how natural the whole batch of songs sound. It’s kinda like hanging out in a rocking chair with time to kill; having a long, roundabout, multi-topical conversation with friends.

The opener ‘103′ is a catchy song in the vein of When I’m 64. The lyrics bounce through the melody and draw you in. In addition to 103, the opening trio includes ‘Done With Love’ and ‘Pushing Oars.’ These songs set the tone/mood for most of the album. It’s nice to have that mood tested, or altered a bit, later on with ‘Lock and Key’ (a shuffle rocker with attitude), or ‘Jamboree’ with it’s barn dance appeal. ‘Ebb and Flow’ drags us in another direction that’s almost Pixies-esque and a little punky. ‘Mountain’ closes the album with its acoustic and vocal not so unlike the earlier Pushing Oars for feel. Nice way to bring the conversation back around. That front porch feel runs through everything.

While the songs tend to change rhythmically from track to track, they have a continuity in the key signatures that let one song blend easily into the next. Pretty much all the songs share a similar key signature (or its relative minor) creating a familiarity in the chords and melody ranges. While too much of the same key signature can be boring, Whispertown 2000 change enough in feel and rhythm to keep it all vibrant and listenable. Lyrically the songs have an unpretentious quality to them, and a reflective mood. The musician ship is adequate, if not strong, and nobody’s playing steals the spotlight from the songs - where it belongs for TW2000- leaving tremendous room for beautiful vocals, and musical hooks, to float in and out of the larger arrangement, each part complimenting the other.

There’s a couple of things I’m not a fan of from a production standpoint. Some of the balances seem a little off in headphones, and some of the sounds could use a little more sparkle here and there, but these are ultimately semantics. These little quips don’t change the overall appeal the recordings have. Would I recommend purchasing this CD? It’s worth hearing a few tracks to decide. It’s lighter stuff, so if you’re into airy arrangements, well crafted songs and a straight forward, down-to-earth kind of approach, you’ll dig this. Swim is an easy, comfortable listen.

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If you take that proverbial New Orleans road trip, you’ll spend most of the drive listening to “The Mountain,” an utterly fantastic first track built around loosely stacked chords, an electric guitar yelp recorded in a mile-long studio sound booth, and Erika Wennerstrom voice.  As with most Fat Possum releases, the recording and mixing of this album is amazing (is Fat Possum good because they sign great bands, or because they’re a fantastic studio?), and Heartless Bastards’ instrumentals sound even better than in their previous two Fat Possum records.  But, as with every other Heartless Bastards release, Erika Wennerstrom’s voice is the real highlight here -  she sings clearly, heartbreakingly, and with the sort of technical ability you’d expect from a singer twice her age.

Heartless Bastards - I Could Be So Happy

Heartless Bastards - Be So Quiet

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Dejected and sulking out of a bar after being stood up on an afternoon date, Lloyd Christmas does a double take. He scans the framed newspaper from 1969 hanging by door and his mood changes to optimistic astonishment. Walking with a swagger now, he exits and exuberantly announces to the streets, “We landed on the moon!”

I’m not sure if “We Landed On The Moon!” got their name from that scene, but remembering that classic Jim Carrey moment from Dumb and Dumber is by far my favorite part of listening to their album, These Little Wars. While that moment came out of nowhere and took the viewer by surprise, the album lacks this anything-can-happen free spirit. That is, it isn’t exciting. Every note is hit at just the right time and nothing is out of place. This would be a promising description of a factory, but with rock music it means that practice and good intentions have left the audience feeling empty. Empty and midly entertained.

With These Little Wars, “We Landed On The Moon!” have made a competent collection of danceable pop rock songs. Lead singer Melissa Eccles’ has a strong and dramatic voice, which is matched by driving rock ingredients that create a series of all too familiar breakdowns and climaxes. While not unique, these are well-crafted tunes that sound like a blast to play or maybe even hear live.

But once the songs end, they disappear. There aren’t melodies or an attitude that resonate and stay with the listener. The female vocals and seamlessly woven in synth elements keep things from getting too generic. But the element of generic rock can’t be ignored, which ultimately makes the album forgettable.

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William Joseph - Beyond

William Joseph - Kashmir

William Joseph’s Beyond is completely epic. This instrumental album, produced by David Foster, sounded like the perfect soundtrack to a multi-million dollar Hollywood legendary blockbuster. It made me feel like driving on I-75 in rush hour traffic was a life-changing adventure in which I was doing something important!

Most of the tracks on Beyond, especially “Standing the Storm,” and “Beyond,” begin with William Joseph’s beautiful piano and then build into these grandiose songs with drums, synths, and an orchestra. The arrangements are well-crafted, and all of the musicians backing William Joseph are precise and talented, but most of these songs are overdone. The album had moments which I really loved, but the poignant piano melodies would be more effective with less orchestration behind them.

By the time I got to the tracks towards the end, I felt like I was watching the three-hour long film, Australia again: I was ready for the epic adventure to be over. Also, I really did not understand the cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” on this album and I found their version to be indulgent, although I did appreciate Lucia Micarelli’s violin solo.

I really enjoyed the more simple songs on this album, especially “A Mother’s Heart,” which featured William Joseph soloing on the piano, without the over-the-top orchestration behind him. Songs like this one showcase Joseph’s talent as a pianist. Overall, I fell in love with some of the melodies on Beyond and appreciated the talent of the musicians involved, but, for me, it was a little bit too much.

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Thing One - Move It

Thing One - Through the Winter

Kick ass dance-rock: I can’t think of a better way to describe You’ll Be Fine by Thing One. With upbeat tracks like “Mop Yards,” and “Move It,” all I really wanted to do was dance when I was listening to this EP. At times, it reminded me of The Killlers (in a good way), David Bowie, specifically Joey Palestina’s vocals, and Bloc Party. However, these comparisons really don’t do the EP justice. This quartet from New Jersey definitely has a unique sound, and you absolutely have to smile when you look at the cover art. I mean, come on.

This EP is something you can play loudly in your car when you’re driving to a party, something you can dance to at the party, and best of all, you don’t have to be drunk to enjoy it! It’s not overdone like some dance-rock tunes, the songs are catchy and well-crafted at the same time, and the lyrics are clever. It’s a lot of fun to listen to, and yet, the songs aren’t meaningless. You can hear emotion and passion just underneath the surface of these songs, especially in “Goodnight Jenn” or “The Kid With Pointy Shoes.”

You’ll Be Fine has a little something for everyone; upbeat, accessible songs you can jump around to, memorable guitar riffs and vocal melodies, and meaningful, artistic expression.

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