I am happy to report that the second consecutive American Music Club album on Merge (following on almost 10 year absence), the follow-up to the excellent 2004 album Love Songs on Patriots, matches the standard of that album even though they’ve replaced their rhythm section and moved to Los Angeles. On initial listens, nothing stands out quite like “Patriot’s Heart”, but I’m sure that further listens will change that.
I have to confess my lack of familiarity with the Dirtbombs’ previous albums, so I have no idea if this album sounds like their previous albums or if it’s something different. What I do know is that I really like it, though. In an interview from a few years back, main man MICK COLLINS (formerly of THE GORIES) said that his initial inspiration as a teenager was hearing WIRE’s “12XU” being played at a dance attended by African-American kids in his native Detroit. As such, this album combines crunching garage rock with a distinct post-punk vibe.
This book, edited by Chris Duncan, includes short essays by a number of different musicians, writers and others affected by punk rock by chronicling the experiences at each of their first punk shows. Our own JACK RABID has an entry, as does Duncan as well. In any case, it’s a must read if you can still remember what it felt like to be at your first show as a teenager or a pre-teen and to be surrounded by like-minded music fans, perhaps for the first time.
As the title suggests, this album contains twelve songs, all of which are covers. I missed this last year, but finally got around to giving it a listen after seeing JEM COHEN’s amazing video for her version of NIRVANA’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (one of the songs on this album). First off, the song choices aren’t particularly adventurous, mainly featuring ‘60s and ‘70s classic-rock staples (albeit great ones) like NEIL YOUNG’s “Helpless” and THE ROLLING STONES’ “Gimme Shelter” mixed in with more modern fare like the aforementioned “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and TEARS FOR FEARS’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”. However, Patti fills these songs with so much zest, vigor and life, completely reinventing each and every one of them, and though the backing is more folk-based than on most of her other records, one can hear Patti trying to shout (barely contained) above the minimal backing. If you can find it, a limited edition version of the CD release features her cover of REM’s “Everybody Hurts” and there was also a promotional EP featuring her takes on LOU REED’s “Perfect Day” and THE DECEMBERISTS’ “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect”, neither of which are on the album. I’ve only heard the Decemberists cover (which is my favorite song of theirs, incidentally) and it’s well worth tracking down.
Don’t let the title fool you. Initially, I thought this was a long-lost archive tape of an early ‘70s live show from when the venue in question actually existed (it’s been a bank for many years now) in the East Village. Instead, it’s a recording from two shows they did last December at the then newly-renamed Irving Plaza (its technical name is The Fillmore at Irving Plaza). As such, it’s a fine representation of the current lineup, highlighting performances from both shows that focus mainly on their two ‘70s Lps but with two newer songs (“Rainbow Store” and “Dance Like a Monkey”) included for good measure.
Initially, they were supposed to open for LIARS at the First Unitarian Church, but after Liars cancelled the show due to singer ANGUS ANDREW being under the weather, No Age decided to play anyway and the show just happened to be in a venue a few blocks from where I live. You can read the full show review here.
Another album from last year that I ignored until recently, this is an absolute must for any fan of power-pop or fans of indie rock that’s explicitly indebted to the sounds of the ‘60s and early ‘70s without sounding retro in the slightest. A band formed by former Q AND NOT U member JOHN DAVIS and singer-songwriter LAURA BURHENN, this is extremely different from Davis’ previous band’s politically-minded post-punk.
Instead, catchiness is the name of the game here. “Need Your Needs”, which sounds simultaneously like the UK band THE LODGER and a cross between CHIC, THE COWSILLS and CHEAP TRICK, is the best song here and honestly one of the best pop songs (indie or otherwise) I’ve heard this decade. However, the rest of the album, mostly sung by Davis but occasionally by Burhenn as well (like on the new single “Cake Parade”), doesn’t contain any duds, either. This stuff is so catchy that I woke up with the chorus of “More Lights” stuck in my head one morning after having listened to the album the day prior. Highly recommended!
Considered an emo classic in some circles, this is Jawbreaker’s finest album. Recorded by STEVE ALBINI, it’s also the rawest the band ever sounded with singer BLAKE SCHWARZENBACH sounding even more raspy than usual, perhaps due to Albini’s unique recording techniques. One song, “Outpatient”, even addresses the surgery Schwarzenbach had to remove a polyp from one of his vocal chords during this time period. Amongst the usual songs concerning romantic disappointment and frustration like “Condition Oakland” and the incredible “Do You Still Hate Me?”, several songs (namely “Indictment” and “Boxcar”) notably take aim at the self-righteousness of the Berkeley punk scene of the time. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that Jawbreaker signed to major label Geffen after this album, releasing Dear You in 1995, the commercial failure of which led to their breakup in 1996. Nevertheless, the band’s reputation and stature has grown in the time since their breakup and with new reissues of this album as well as the rest of their pre-major label catalog on the way on their own Blackball Records (_Dear You_ was reissued back in 2003 with bonus tracks), the time is ripe for a reunion!
The last Roxy Music album, this is reviled by some fans of the earlier, artier, weirder and harder rocking earlier records, especially those whose preference is for their first two albums (the ones where BRIAN ENO was still in the band). However, while For Your Pleasure is my favorite album of theirs, I love this album as well. “More than This”, the opening track, is also the most well-known song here, having been covered by 10,000 MANIACS, THE CURE and ROBYN HITCHCOCK, amongst others. However, the entire record makes me wanna sip expensive champagne, smoke cigarettes (even though I’m a non-smoker) and just relax. It has the sophisticated, supper club, lounge lizard vibe that BRYAN FERRY (who wrote most of the songs by myself, reducing the group to a mere backing unit instead of a band, which is understandably another complaint of those who dislike this record) had cultivated for a decade prior to the release of this album.
Sounded not quite like anything from the time period (despite the band’s notable influence on the then burgeoning New Romantic movement) but yet fitting the time period completely, this record’s production style both anticipates later Ferry solo hits like “Slave to Love” as well as the arena rock of mid ‘80s groups like MR MISTER. If you’ve never heard this album, though, don’t let that scare you off, though. If you don’t mind a more adult-oriented, smoother sounding Roxy Music, Avalon remains a great album.
The follow-up to 2005’s excellent Escape from Dragon House is another winner! With the Cambodian music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s a pervasive influence, the notable change here is the lessened influence of the Afrobeat. However, as if to offset this, the songwriting is slightly stronger and thus the album sinks in better. The highlights are “Tiger Phone Card”, which is about a Phnom Penh/New York relationship, and “Sober Driver”.
