Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

STEF CHURA – ” Messes “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Stef Chura’s debut studio album, Messes, is born of her years of experience playing around the Michigan underground clubs, setting up DIY shows in the area, and moving around the state—nearly 20 times. “Right when it starts to feel like home/It’s time to go,” she sings literally on its opening cut, ‘Slow Motion’, a twisty, dim-lit guitar pop song where she curls and stretches every word. There are worlds of emotion in the ways Chura pronounces phrases with twang and grit, alternatingly full of despair, playfulness, and abandon. Chura calls her music “emotional collage,” eschewing start-to-finish storylines in favour of writing intuitively about feelings, drawing from experiences and references related to a certain sentiment.

Originally from Alpena, Michigan, Chura moved to the Ypsilanti area in 2009, where she began playing shows before ultimately then moving to Detroit in 2012. Chura has been home-recording and self-releasing her songs for six years, playing bass in friends’ bands as well. With a trove of demos and 4-track home recordings, some of which she’d released on small runs of cassettes over the years, Chura says she wasn’t sure what to do with her life before heading into the studio. “One of my best friends passed away and I thought, what do I have to do before I die? I have to at least make one record.”

She recorded the entire album with Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good To Me) throughout 2015. Thomas plays bass on most of the record, and a bit of guitar and drums. Drummer Ryan Clancy of Jamaican Queens and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. adds the bulk of the drums. Through intricate guitar work and warm, textured production, Messes finds her trying to make sense of life’s ups and downs. “It’s about emotional mess, not physical mess,” Chura says. “The title track is about knowing that you are going to do something the wrong way, but you’re doing it anyway because you want that experience. I’ve had to do a lot of things the wrong way in order to figure out how to live my life.”

RON WOOD & RONNIE LANE – ” Mahoney’s Last Stand “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The backstory goes that this was recorded — at least partially — when Rod Stewart failed to show up for various 1972 Faces’ sessions. The rest of that band, along with some high profile players such as horn men Bobby Keys and Jim Price, Pete Townshend, and Family’s (later Blind Faith’s) Rick Grech among others, recorded tracks which were spliced into the titular film. The movie was never given a proper theatrical release, but the soundtrack was finally made available on vinyl in an inauspicious 1976 release that quickly went out of print. 

While the music, much of it instrumental reflecting the nonchalant sessions, isn’t always compelling, it’s consistently listenable. Given the iffy circumstances of its creation, these (mostly) jams catch fire more often than not. And the sheer quality of the names involved, most of which were arguably at the height of their powers, make even the most unfocused moments worth hearing.

Veteran producer Glyn Johns likely edited the music into shorter spurts, keeping the best bits so even the more directionless improvisations such as “Car Radio” blast out with a scrappy yet inviting energy. Acoustic flashes such as “Hay Tumble” featuring Grech’s fiddle, along with “Woody’s Thing” and the bluesy country honk of “Rooster’s Funeral” spotlighting Wood’s slide work capture a rambunctious vitality comparable to the first four Rod Stewart albums and the Faces’ at their peak. Some selections such as the unpromisingly named “Title One” sound like background music to a typical 70’s TV cop show, albeit above average for that scenario. The swampy slow blues of “Mona the Blues,” one of the vocals, which contains biting slide guitar from Wood is a lost gem. Along with Ronnie Lane’s heartbreaking, lovely roots folk/pop “Just for a Moment” — also included in an instrumental version — they justify the price of this labor-of-love remastered reissue. Freshly penned liner notes fill in the blanks about both the obscure movie and its music, but get out the magnifying glass to read the individual track credits, reprinted in frustratingly tiny type.

Those familiar with Ronnie Lane and Pete Townshend’s far superior Rough Mix or the instrumental “Apple Jam” sessions tacked onto George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass will hear and appreciate similarities in this disc’s freewheeling pieces.

Mahoney’s Last Stand may not be a lost classic, but for fans inclined towards the music of Wood, Lane, Stewart and the Faces during these years, it’s undoubtedly enjoyable and a minor delight to have back in print.

The SOFT MOON – ” Criminal “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The Soft Moon Criminal review Album of the Week

The Soft Moon‘s career has been something of a slow reveal. The gradual evolution from Luis Vasquez’s humbler, dreamier darkwave origins into a fully blown post-punk doom machine is akin to watching an eerie fog dissipate,It turns out the seething monster inside The Soft Moon has only grown hungrier. Criminal, Vasquez’s fourth full-length, is the heaviest he’s ever sounded, a twitchy, tormented network of pretty hate machines. Each of its 10 tracks is built on punchy full-band arrangements, the once-subtle synth-grooves of the past now usurped by furious, mechanized drum patterns and gut-churning fuzz basslines. It still sounds like The Soft Moon, but a version of the band that sounds more dangerous and tortured than before, bolstered by some of the most direct and anguished lyrics of Vasquez’s career. “I’m learning about myself and it’s kind of freaky,” he said , reflecting on the darkness he channels. “I’m kind of messed up, you know?”

The idea of darkness leading to great art is an old cliché, but in Vasquez’s case, it’s one that sticks. He plays that darkness like an instrument, his manipulation of atmosphere and menace essentially virtuosic. The pounding rhythm of lead single “Burn” reflect a more corporeal, full-band sound for The Soft Moon, though the intensely—if seductively—unsettling ambiance remains. Vasquez chants “I can’t control myself” against a snakelike bassline that climbs and snaps back, always on the verge of breaking. Yet its chorus is one of the catchiest moments in The Soft Moon’s entire discography—a moment of tortured triumph that stacks up to vintage Nine Inch Nails. There’s a similarly wretched groove to “Choke,” its carbon-monoxide-poisoned bassline juxtaposed in perfect balance with its freak-funk industrial beat.

Deeper cuts only lead to deeper wounds. In the woozy psychedelia of “Give Something,” Vasquez hints at a potentially destructive codependency as he sings, ”I don’t want to lose my mind, that’s why I keep you so close.” It could be drugs he’s reaching for, or it could be sex, but there’s every reason to believe that it’s only a temporary salve. Over a robotic synth march on “Like A Father,” his patriarchal-directed rage festers: ”This hate is a problem… something’s got to give.” And when Vasquez gives a screeching reading of the title phrase in the driving goth rock of “Born Like This,” it sounds like a fatalistic acceptance that nurture can’t overcome one’s fucked-up nature.

Good vibes are in short supply on Criminal, and frankly they’d probably just get in the way. There’s no celebrating on Criminal, just gnashing and brooding, manifested in the form of some of The Soft Moon’s most urgent, intense material.

From ‘Criminal,’ out February 2nd, 2018 on Sacred Bones Records.

OF MONTREAL – ” Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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of Montreal White Is RelicIrrealis Mood Pre-Order

Time to dance like nobody (or everybody) is watching. Kevin Barnes sure is! . of Montreal just released a video for their latest single “Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia,” off their upcoming record White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood.
Directed by Jennifer Juniper Stratford, the clip features Barnes undergoing multiple costume changes as he dances and sings in an all-white room.

“Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia” is taken from of Montreal’s new album, White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood, out 9th March

A CERTAIN SMILE – ” Fits & Starts “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Raised on a steady diet of sarah records singles, slumberland noise pop, and creation-era shoegaze, Portland’s A Certain Smile work hard to find that balance between the sweet twee, the fuzzy gaze, and punky pop

Thomas Andrew, band leader of A Certain Smile, is a man on a mission to keep the Portland indie-pop scene alive; whether he’s playing records at the Toffee Club Sunday Brunch, or putting out his radio show on Freeform Radio or fronting his band, he’s always keeping the jangly, fuzzy, indie-pop flame burning. Originally formed back in 2002, A Certain Smile are in some ways an homage to the music Thomas loves, labels like Slumberland and Sarah’s Records, bands like Velocity Girls and McCarthy; their influence is all over the band’s upcoming debut album, Fits And Starts. That record is out next month.

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Discussing the inspiration behind the track, Thomas suggests that it is,  “about long distance love and the inequities of separation.” Atop a backing of energetic blurring drums, reverberating guitar lines and driving bass, Thomas’ vocal carries a tale of missed phone calls, changing lifestyles and the joy of getting the call and slipping right back into love. It’s a perfect blend of the melancholic and the romantic seemingly free of musical fads and trends.

There are those who will argue this record is some sort of retro-throwback, the final dying scream of a genre on its last legs, yet when it is done this well, it’s hard to do anything but embrace the jangle and enjoy a perfect indie-pop song.

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ULTIMATE PAINTING – ” Not Gonna Burn Myself Anymore “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Ultimate Painting, the duo of Jack Cooper and James Hoare, are back with their fourth album (and first for Bella Union). After cranking out albums at a pace of one a year over three years, the boys decided to take a break. That led to some second-guessing, scrapped sessions and overall confusion on where to take this project next. Up! is where they wound up. Here’s some info on the lead track.

First single “Not Gonna Burn Myself Anymore” reflects that. Cooper says, “I wrote it in one go and disregarded it as I thought it’d come too easy or that it was too much like something I’d obviously write. Over the next few days I kept singing it to myself. Sometimes the best songs are completely spontaneous and pure. I wrote the words to reflect that… not everything worthwhile has to be hard work.”

Taken from the new Ultimate Painting album “Up!” due for release 6th April via Bella Union Records

ELIZA RICKMAN and JHEREK BISCHOFF – ” Riches and Wonders ” From I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats by Various Artists

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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John Darnielle has written almost 600 songs now, and some of them are very sad, dealing with hard drugs and tragic ends,hurting yourself and others, sicknesses of both body and brain, off-brand alcohols. They are told in beautiful, unnerving, specific detail because he is a very good writer, and also some of them are just true stories about his own life.

Last month, my cover of “Riches and Wonders” with Jherek Bischoff was unleashed on the world via the podcast “I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats”. It’s receiving a lot of praise from Mountain Goats fans, which means a lot to me. Jherek and I churned out both the arrangement and recording in only a few days last summer, then recorded the podcast with John Darnielle and Joseph Fink a few days later. It’s been hard to keep the project a secret for all these months! Such a fun gig! And an honor. 

You can listen to the song Here I am going to be extremely “tacky” and suggest that if you like the song enough that you think you’ll listen to it more than once, Please download it – Jherek and I receive a portion of the royalties, and I personally am insanely broke finishing up my epic music video and covers album without the help of a day job . Buying the song also supports the podcast. We are all busting our asses to make things, and I can speak for all of us when I say we appreciate your support.

Meanwhile, my covers album is taking forever , Although it’s Very close to completion – two more songs need a bit more mixing, and one of those songs is giving us a lot of hell, as it’s a pile of just Eliza voices, I’m open to input. I’m all ears – no pun intended). As a result, I’ve decided to release a song or two from the project as singles prior to completion and release of the album as a whole. Because not getting content out into the world regularly is making me feel completely insane. So keep your eyes’ n’ ears peeled for the first single, a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “The Art Teacher”, another epic collaboration with Jherek Bischoff. 

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ROAMING HERDS OF BUFFALO – ” The Bugbears “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Roaming Herds of Buffalo, Alien Canyons (out now, self-released, roamingherdsofbuffalo.com) With their second record, Roaming Herds of Buffalo has delivered a fresh indie-pop statement that’s equal parts thought-provoking and sonically rewarding. On the whole, the music will inevitably draw comparisons to the school of indie rock (the Shins, the Fruit Bats, Ben Gibbard’s various vehicles), but the album itself actually sounds like it could be two different bands. The record’s first half is marked mostly by vast swathes of sparseness, which allow both the music and the listener breathing room to think and reflect. The large amount of reverb laid across the vocals, especially on the album opener “Wild Oats,” goes a long way to enhance this effect. Canyons’ second half is marked by more bombast—balls-out guitar solos and cacophonous background vocals; the shift is quite dramatic, but also a welcome change. “Neutrinos” is a guitar wah-inflected, overdriven, doo-wop mindbender, while “Glitter Mastodon” is catchy, galloping pop perfection with a grunge-era guitar solo that’s more fuzzed-out noise than an executed flurry of notes. Nothing is direct about Canyons; it’s all about the sonic imagery—and the journey, perhaps. Overstuffed with lyrics like “Fill a crater with expensive scotch/Tie on an extinction buzz” and “Explosions reach under chassis and tickle out trucks,” Canyons wants you to see with your ears, and the lyrics go a long way toward helping you visualize that strange landscape.

The band is William Cremin, Jared Fiechtner, Neal Flaherty, Scott Roots and Joe Shultz.

Roaming Herds of Buffalo is the project started by Seattle’s Scott Roots, also of Skeletons with Flesh on Them, who enlisted other Skeleton Neal Flaherty along with William Cremin of the Torn ACLs and Jared Fiechtner of Stencil to help realize his vision. But where Skeletons can tend toward frenetic noise rock, Roaming Herds of Buffalo, as you’ll hear from today’s featured song, favors a lighter, catchier, janglier pop. “All of Them” opens with buzzing guitar and earnest vocals, which soon concede to the song’s bright, melodic piano riff. From there on out, the band adds driving snare drums, soaring gang vocals and rhythmic hand-claps one by one to create a fully-formed, beautiful song. However, taking a prompt from the time-tested formula of lyrical and musical dichotomy, the music belies the dark lyrical content, filled with clever laments like “We swim in pools of leaking batteries/New world shaped by old diaries” and “Closer now, to the drowning sun/Than we ever were to the hotter one.” It’s a classic page from the indie-rock playbook that never fails, and combined with Roaming Herds of Buffalo’s encompassing arrangements,”All of Them” is a terrific introduction to a fresh local face.

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The MYRRORS – ” We Are The Resistance “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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On Facebook, the Myrrors describe their work as “Sonoran Trance Music,” which is about as apt a self-description you’ll see from a band today. It’s apt despite the Myrrors of 2017 sounding much different than the straightforward, guitar-rich Myrrors who debuted with Burning Circles in the Sky in 2008. By 2015’s magnificent Arena Negra,they had taken a multi-year break, added a violin, toured Europe, and committed themselves to Indian street instruments and ocarinas, sounds not usually heard on psychedelic rock records, at least by American psychedelic rock bands, who’d be smart, like the Myrrors, to move away from electric guitar and into the majestic acid territory of Popol Vuh, Ghost, recent Goat, and latter-day Boredoms.

On their 2016 effort Entranced Earth, guitars seemed to have taken a final step back in favor of clarinet, recorder, and ocarina; yet each song still retained a chewy guitar center amid the Myrrors’ hypnotic sprawl. But on new tracks “Somos La Resistencia” and “Organ Mantra,” from the Myrrors’ 2017 release Hasta La Victoria, guitars are almost fully removed as any sort of central instrument. “Somos La Resistencia” remains in the same trance territory as past releases, yet not; for one thing, it’s fully sung in Spanish. For another, it has giddy-up, compared to past Myrrors tracks; a circular 2/4 stomp bolstered by a stuttering electric bouzouki. Electric bouzouki (best guess) also appears on the head-nodding “Organ Mantra,’ but duels with clarinet atop a swaying bassline.

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JOE PERRY – ” Aye, Aye, Aye “

Posted: February 4, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Sweetzerland Manifesto marks Joe Perry’s sixth solo album outside of his day job as guitarist / songwriter / producer of Aerosmith. Comprised of 10 new tracks, they were all written or co-written by Joe Perry (along with the album’s guest vocalists), except for a cover of “Eve of Destruction” which features Joe on lead vocals and Johnny Depp on drums. Highlights include “Aye, Aye, Aye,” which Joe co-wrote with Robin Zander (Cheap Trick); three collaborations with David Johansen (New YorkDolls), who sings “I Wanna Roll,” “Haberdasher Blues,” and “I’m Going Crazy”; and rock-and-roll survivor Terry Reid, who lights up “I’ll Do Happiness,” “Sick & Tired” and “Won’t Let Me Go.” Cover art courtesy of year “1991.

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