After the fantastic Volume Four (his best studio album in almost two decades) back in 2003, Joe comes back from a five-year silence with another terrific album, though a fundamentally different one from its predecessor. Instead of harking back to his first three albums, this one reminds me more of his early ‘80s albums like Night and Day and Body of Soul. Much more piano-heavy than its predecessor, this one also reminds me of the live album Summer in the City, which showcased Joe leading a trio with GRAHAM MABY on bass and GARY BURKE on drums. Maby, his long-time bassist, returns here, but instead of Burke, DAVE HOUGHTON returns on drums (he also played on Volume Four along with Maby and guitarist GARY SANFORD, who is absent here). Lyrically, much of it seems to deal with love and loss. His move from New York City to Berlin also seems to have inspired him as well with his new hometown given a shout-out in one of the songs.
Yes, what you’ve read is true. STEPHIN MERRITT loves THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN (and in particular Psychocandy) and on this album, he isn’t afraid to show it. I really didn’t expect this kind of noise-pop record from him, but it’s a treat nonetheless. Even at this very early juncture, this may very well end up as one of my favorites of the year.
While I don’t love this quite as much as others (most notably our own JACK RABID) seem to, this compilation (available via CD Baby) is well worth owning for such standouts as “Bad Memories Burn,” “Everybody Wants to Be My Sister” and “Something in the Water”. Like a mixture of THE GUN CLUB and early R.E.M., this Ohio band essentially invented their own sub-genre of “jingle-jangle crunch” and I can’t describe their sound any better than that.
The most recent in a long line of limited edition 7” releases (now sold out) from this great Toronto band, this one (as the title implies) is a holiday-oriented benefit release that features a slew of guest backing vocalists (ranging from NELLY FURTADO(?) to JAY REATARD) on the B-side that reads like a punk rock version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas”?
I have to admit that before I saw the movie Juno, I never really listened to The Moldy Peaches, though I’d liked the few songs I’d heard over the years. After enjoying the KIMYA DAWSON solo tracks peppered throughout the movie, I decided to check this album out and I’m in love with it. Yes, it’s sloppy, crude (both lyrically and musically) and amateurish, but somehow, it all works with the sweet harmonies and pop sensibilities of Dawson and ADAM GREEN belying the (very funny) toilet humor of songs like “Downloading Porn with Davo” or “Who’s Got the Crack”?
Impossibly nasally vocals? Check. Lots of lyrics about girls? Check. Hooks that stick in your head for days? Check. I love this album. If you’re a fan of THE UNDERTONES, THE DICKIES, BUZZCOCKS or even the more fast-paced material by fellow Vancouverites THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, you owe it to yourself to get this as well as the singles compilation Waiting for the Real Thing. Sure, a few of the songs here (like the great opener “Marching Song” and “Waiting for the Real Thing”) are better and rawer in their alternate versions on the compilation, but this is still a terrific album that successfully bridges the gap between new wave, power-pop and pop-punk in the best way possible.
This is a lost early ‘80s classic that, for all the comparisons to THE CLASH, more resembles (and almost matches!) THE REPLACEMENTS’ Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash or even THE HEARTBREAKERS’ L.A.M.F. in the great genre of what I call “punk and roll”. Unfortunately, it’s out-of-print and thus has lots of collector cachet, but hopefully it’ll be reissued someday.
Playing first in a lineup of all local Philadelphia bands, The Trolleyvox started out the night with a low-key set mixing songs from both their latest Your Secret Safe and 2006’s The Karaoke Meltdowns. The Photon Band really stole the show, however, with a thunderous neo-psychedelic/shoegaze attack that reminded me of the muscular power of SWERVEDRIVER or even Chrome-era CATHERINE WHEEL because of its heaviness!
Although nowhere near as energetic as their live show, these two songs (one of which can heard on their MySpace page) still make a case for Greyhounds being a band to watch. They’ve only played 8 shows so far (including one opening for CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH back in November and a great set at The Khyber last month), but already they’re good and they’ll only get better. This is a 7” EP that has a hand-crafted cover, is on white vinyl and limited to 300 copies. I don’t know if there are any copies left, however.
After recently watching a TV broadcast of a show from 2000 at Madison Square Garden with THE E STREET BAND, I’ve been on a Springsteen kick and for whatever reason this is the album I’ve been listening to the most.
