Metric Live It Out (Last Call)
This is their best album so far and it reminds me of THE BREEDERS and early PJ HARVEY. I like the more guitar-heavy sound on this one and I can’t wait to see them live this weekend. Screw Pitchfork, who gave this album a dismal review. I like this better than BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE for sure.
The Dictators – Manifest Destiny (Wounded Bird)
This 2004 reissue of their 2nd album doesn’t have great sound quality, much like other Wounded Bird reissues, but since getting it I’ve come to realize that this album is quite good and underrated. It’s a shame that it’s still so overlooked. Check out “Hey Boys”, which is absolutely beautiful (not something one usually associates with this band), and “Exposed” for more power-pop fun. This album showed The Dictators could make a more serious record with reflective breakup songs, but still not lose their sense of identity and fun. The recording quality could’ve been a lot better, but it really forces you to listen.
Voxtrot – Voxtrot EP(Cult Hero)
I love this EP and I can’t wait for their new EP Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Wives to come out at the end of the month. I’ve only heard the title track thus far and it’s amazing. I also can’t wait to see them live again in April.
The Fiery Furnaces – Bitter Tea (Fat Possum)
Although critics will predictably say that this is the “real” follow-up to 2004’s Blueberry Boat and last year’s EP collection, the truth is that while on the surface this album is comparatively more accessible than last year’s Rehearsing My Choir, it’s every it as challenging and just as rewarding. Sonically, it’s somewhere in between the aforementioned EP collection of singles and their breakthrough Blueberry Boat. However, with some of the incomprehensible backwards vocals on some tracks, it breaks new ground for them as well.
Still magical and utterly unique, The Fiery Furnaces exist in their own world and while they invite listeners in, they don’t make any concessions to them, either.
The Sound- All Fall Down (Renascent)
Their 3rd album often gets overlooked in favor of their previous album, the 1981 masterpiece From the Lion’s Mouth, as well as their later efforts, but for my money this is a really underrated gem. Darker than From the Lion’s Mouth, the territory mined here isn’t too dissimilar from THE COMSAT ANGELS’ similar Sleep No More with its dark, rhythmic, plodding textures and ADRIAN BORLAND’s haunted, passionate vocals.
What’s really interesting to me about this record is that back when it was released, their record label (Korova/Sire) considered it to be uncommercial and from what I understand, almost refused to release it. Thus, with little support, the album stiffed. What’s remarkable is that with recent bands like INTERPOL and others mining similar territory, the album sounds quite contemporary. If it came out now, I think it would actually be a hit, at least in indie-rock circles. It just shows that despite his tragic end and the fact that his band was underappreciated in his lifetime, Borland and The Sound were way ahead of their time.
Punk Attitude (NR)
Overall, this is a really good documentary that attempts to trace the punk movement from its origins in the garage bands of the ‘60s up through the present day while focusing on the late ‘70s New York, Los Angeles and UK scenes. It features interviews with punk luminaries and legends such as DAVID JOHANSEN, WAYNE KRAMER, HENRY ROLLINS, PAUL SIMONON and many more. The bonus disc features a short film on the late ‘70s LA scene along with featurettes on women in punk, punk fashion and the D.I.Y. aesthetic. I like that instead of just covering the late ‘70s, the film attempts to follow punk’s development into different factions like post-punk, no wave, new wave, college rock and grunge up to the present day, though it doesn’t always succeed.
If I have one other complaint, though, it’s that director DON LETTS could’ve used a better fact-checker. For instance, in one segment on the bonus disc where Henry Rollins is talking about IAN MACKAYE’s 1st band TEEN IDLES, a graphic flashes showing the logo of a different but similarly named band (‘90s Tennessee pop-punkers TEEN IDOLS). This is just inexcusable and this sloppiness mars an otherwise good documentary.
The Beach Boys – Friends (Capitol)
This is my favorite Beach Boys album. Clocking in at only 25 minutes, all of the songs are short (some even not being over a minute and a half; take that WIRE) and the mood is peaceful, calm and serene. The highlights on here are many, including the title track, “Anna Lee, the Healer” and “Be Here in the Morning” (featuring the highest falsetto I’ve ever heard courtesy of BRIAN WILSON). Brian is a magician on this record, turning the on-the-surface banal lyrics of “Busy Doin’ Nothing” into a compelling and emotional song.
This album is also significant since it marks the emergence of DENNIS WILSON as a creative force in the band. On this album, he contributed the songs “Little Bird” and “Be Still”.
With its 2-minute songs and peaceful mood and lyrics being a direct counterpoint to the trends of 1968, it’s easy to see why this album was ignored when it was released. However, much like another 1968 masterpiece (The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society) that was ignored at the time of its release, time has been very kind to it and it’s now justifiably regarded as one of the finest albums of the late ‘60s and as well as one of the very best Beach Boys albums.
Simply Saucer – Cyborgs Revisited (Cargo)
Thanks to Kevin for sending me an extra copy of this awesome disc. If you like mid ‘70s pre-punk stuff like ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS, you’ll love this. Its influences, ranging from late ‘60s SYD BARRETT-era PINK FLOYD, BRIAN ENO-era ROXY MUSIC, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART and THE STOOGES, are obvious. However, it must be remembered that very few bands during this time were doing anything like it. A total anomaly in Canada (and in most other places) for its time, this album is a crucial precursor to the late ‘70s Toronto punk, new wave and power-pop scenes that would produce bands like THE VILETONES, DIODES and TEENAGE HEAD. Eventually Simply Saucer would be embraced by that scene and become a part of it, but if you really wanna investigate what they’re all about, start here.
BUZZCOCKS – Flat-Pack Philosophy (Cooking Vinyl)
Yet another solid album by a band who’s celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, this one breaks no new ground, but who cares? It’s not like they have anything left to prove at this point. This one picks up right where 2003’s self-titled album left off with searing punk anthems like the title track. While this is solid stuff, there’s nothing of the caliber of their late ‘70s and early ‘80s work. Then again, this is quite respectable and much like the last album, I can see these songs fitting in really well with the older material when they tour behind this record.
The Fall – Grotesque (After the Gramme) (Sanctuary)
Well what’s a Top 10 list of mine without an appearance by The Fall? I picked this one because I finally got around to getting the UK reissue of this amazing album. This reissue from last year restores the album’s original running order while placing the 4 bonus tracks (the amazing singles “Totally Wired” and “How I Wrote Elastic Man” along with their respective B-sides) at the end of the disc. The 2002 reissue, on the other hand, placed the bonus tracks first.
Starting with the smoldering “Pay Your Rates” and chock full of amazing songs like “New Face in Hell”, “C’nC Smithering”, “English Scheme” and the closing “NWRA”, this may be The Fall’s finest hour and has always been a big favorite of mine. Although their previous albums were excellent as well, I think that this is also their 1st out-and-out masterpiece as well, setting the stage for future triumphs like 1982’s Hex Enduction Hour.
