Album reviews

Who's Who in the reviews:
JP = Janine Papp, editor of Temple of Sting and Queen Bee of the universe
JB = Josh Boughey, loverbee of Janine, excellent musician, and soon to be editor of Pimpmobile
TB = Tom Billings, whose favorite band is the Magnetic Fields, since he too is gay and lives in NYC
BT = Bob Toevs, who has an obsessive knowledge of music and many records in all genres

Black Box Recorder - England Made Me (Jetset) 5 bees
This amazing band reminds me of a cross between The Sundays, The Cardigans, Portishead, and the Smiths. The singer's voice is sweet, and the music is crisp and clear yet meloncholy... England Made Me is a polished gem, with intelligent lyrics and a quintessential British feel to it. "Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it," is just one sure-to-be classic lyric from this album. (JP)

Banjo Spiders ­ Banjo Spiders ­ (Spinning Records) 4 bees
Listening to the Spiders' debut CD brings to mind the energy and wry spirit of Joe Jackson back when he really rocked, and The Kinks, well whenever. There's also an element of classic grind-core along the lines of The Lyres and The Smithereens, and I'll bet the frequent Stones comparisons garner eye-ball-rolls from the band. The first track, Gilligan's Daughter, is a frantic stumble down the stairs of l-o-v-e straight into the arms of c-o-n-f-u-s-I-o-n, "I'm so pissed and I really only want the reason" Tone, the second song in this fine assortment of rootsy rock songs, is my personal favorite: "And the pencil weighs a ton/'Cause the songs are never done/It makes me want to throw 'em away." Slightly reminiscent of Buffalo Tom's Taillights Fade, it features some really nice slide guitar and the strongest vocal performance on the CD. Overall the playing is impressive and the songs diverse, making me wish for a fuller sound from the production to really do the material justice. An impressive debut. (TB)

Calendar Girl ­ Cool Rocketships in Space ­ (self-released) 4 bees
With a fistful of dusty Playboys in one hand and a "Dear Johnny" letter in the other, Mr. Anguish pours it all out for us with a sigh. A quick fistful of guitar crunch, then: "I feel so dirty/Looking at your
body/Now that you're gone." Necro-pop? Naw, it's just about a picture of an old girlfriend. The singer's laid-back vocals sit calmly in the eye of an effects-laden guitar hurricane, whispering personal tales of longing and desire. The melodies haunt and the lyrics keep coming back like bad Mexican, "Hey Girl/You got those dirty jeans on." A throbbing rhythm section and yah yah backing vocals keep the energy flowing throughout. The power ballad Cadaver features tremolo-rich guitars, a lovely meandering bass-line, and an awesome lyric: "If in the morning I don't get up and walk away/Who's to blame me I'm so damn lame/In the morning I might stay in bed/Who's to say I'm more than one step from dead/Who's to say I'm not dead?" The band claims the song is about a knee operation involving a cartilage transplant. Really. Yet another excellent recording job by local tube-monger Daron Burke, this debut 6.2-song release is a talent-soaked appetizer that's gonna leave you hungry for more. (JB)

Dealership - Secret American Livingroom (self-released) 3 bees
Dealership make guitar-based indie-pop circa 1992. Guy-girl vocal harmonies are employed but not overused. "Jungle Gym," the first song, is probably the best one on here- a fuzzed-out guitar-pop song. The album gets a bit bogged down in the middle on some of the slower numbers, but I would say there's definitely potential here. (JP)

Family of God "We Are the World" (Sugar Free) 2 bees
Clued in by the band name and album title, the listener might expect either a gospel ensemble or a band of smart-asses with a taste for a good put-on. This cd isn't nearly that obvious, however. The songs are credited to Adam Peters and Chris Brick, with guests chiming in on various tracks. The opener, "Our Permission", brings to mind Pink Floyd circa "The Wall" and after-loads of reverb on orchestral drums, layers of swirling synths and guitars, plodding tempo and ominous vocals. Nothing to follow changes this perception; the arrangements are complex and anthemic, the mood theatrical and foreboding. This grandiose presentation projects a seriousness on par with bands like Floyd or the Cure, and includes a prog element reminiscent of the early-to-mid 70s, as evidenced by the spare, spacy "The Observer is Observed". Even in Family of God's most up-tempo moments, I can't help but envision Duran Duran on some serious downers. (BT)

The Fly Seville - Carousel (Sealed Fate) 5 bees
The Fly Seville make really great majestic, emotional pop music. The bittersweet lyrics, catchy songs, fab lous keyboard and violin touches, and an ever-so-slightly distraught- sounding singer have found just the right combination. (JP)

Gitbox! "Soulsharks"(Brinkman) 1 bee
If you've seen "The Muppet Movie" you'll recall the whimsical opening scene in which Kermit the Frog, lounging on a lily pad, serenades the forest with that delightful classic, " The Rainbow Connection." The charming amphibian plucks his banjo in earnest and melts hearts with his sweet tenor vocal. If I was to choose between this lovely ditty and any of the songs on Gitbox's new release, Soulsharks", with the criterion of sheer rock and roll power as a basis for judgement, well, it wouldn't look good for Gitbox!. I'd go with the Frog, hands down. From the last names of the band's members and the Dutch address of their label, I assume that Gitbox! hails from the Netherlands. It's apparent from the twee pop stylings of "Soulsharks" that this group finds more inspiration from their country's windmills and tulips than, say, Amsterdam's prostitutes and drug policies. I don't mean to sound callous, but really. If you like your pop treacle with extra sugar, by all means give Gitbox! a shot; you'll no doubt swoon at the achingly timid vocals of singer Roeland Van Niele in songs such as "A Nice Walk Home", "Bubble", and "Peas and Carrots". Roeland's voice seems just short of cracking, mostly, and the vocals are right up front in the mix. He may have his tongue in cheek here and there, but I'm sorry, I stopped caring too soon to take notice. The band is certainly competent, but I find no evidence of rock, much less "soul" (in the musical sense), or "sharks", for that matter. (BT)

The Go-Betweens ­ Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens ­ (Beggar's Banquet) 5 bees
Uplifting rhythms and violins reminiscent of The Waterboys, touches of The Cure in the keyboards and guitar sound, a hint of Television and Human Sexual Response in the vocals, an oboe, strategic female harmonies, not-overly-lush production, intelligent lyrics... "Feel so sure of our love/I'll write a song about us breaking up" (Man o' Sand to Girl o' Sea). It all weaves together into a post-punk tapestry that makes me wish I lived in Sydney, Australia in 1983. How did I miss these guys? Probably because they never achieve much in the way of commercial success. Well, I'm glad found them, now. Better late than never! Go get this, you won't regret it. (JB)

The Go-Betweens ­ the lost album: '78-'79 ­ (jetset) 3 bees
Discovering the Bellavista Terrace collection made me want to seek out the early albums, so I popped in the lost album: '78-'79. Apparently these songs were recorded for Beserkley Records and were never released due to a contract dispute. It's apparent from the start that this one's a pretty patched-together collection of early demos, not the cohesive album I'd imagined. Nonetheless, I quickly found myself getting into the garage-ey rhythms and bratty lo-fi honesty of these power-pop songs. Contrasting the upbeat, airy quality of the material on Bellavista, these early songs rock hard and have a real edge to them. The lead track, Lee Remick, immediately pulled me in with its catchy chorus lyric, "Ayiyiyiyi/Love Lee Remick/She's a darlin'." The stripped-down arrangement and spoken-sung vocals of Karen invoke the spirit of The Velvet Underground. Off-the-cuff guitar solos, loose drum fills and an overall late-night rehearsal-space sensibility grace the remainder of the disc. There are some really great songs here (Lee Remick, Love Wasn't Made For You + Me, Obsession, People Say, Don't Let Him Come Back). It'd be nice to hear this record as it might have been, but
it's pretty cool as it is. (JB)

The Icicle Works ­ The Best of The Icicle Works ­ (Beggar's Banquet) 2 bees
What was it about the mid-80's? Even at the time, it seemed pretty cheesy ­ the anglophilia, the bad hair, the bad clothes, those keyboard-drenched epics wailed into the wind with oh-so strangled angst They'd probably try to call it "goth" nowadays. And, ok, it's still kinda cheesy. As Ian McNabb says in the liner notes to this 16-song retrospective, "Try not to listen to it all in one go, it'll do your head in." I actually quite enjoyed the first few tracks, both as a pogo down memory lane and as a discovery of songs I'd never heard at the time (or if I did I didn't know who played them). I probably danced myself into a sweaty mess to Birds Fly, (better known as Whisper to a Scream) at Spit back in the days when I owned and actually wore a gray leather tie. Also noteworthy is Love is a Wonderful Colour which got them to the Top 40 in 1983. After track 5, though, the disc gets a bit bland as the collection attempts to demonstrate McNabb's exploration of a broad range of musical styles (they even try to sound like Prince on one song). My personal favorite among these is the entirely uncharacteristic "Shit Creek," a rocking tip-of-the-hair to heavy metal that could be an AC/DC cover. This lack of commercial "focus" might arguably be what led to the band's eventual extinction. Buy it used. (JB)

Knocked Out Loaded ­ Knocked Out Loaded ­ (Self Released) 4 bees
I happen to know that this album was recorded at home on one of those new digital eight-tracks, and I'm really impressed with the results. Being a Blonde Redhead fan, at first I was taken aback by this more-than-homage to that band. But being influenced by Blonde Redhead is certainly not a bad thing, and this album succeeds on its own merits, despite the inevitability of the comparison. The opening track features a barely audible male/female spoken-word dialog over a really nice instr mental with a wide-open mix that had me reaching for my headphones. After the first track the material gets really quite B.R.-ish, mostly due to the singing style. Further in, though, it gets (and I HATE comparing bands to Pavement) a bit Pavement-ish. Again, not a bad thing. I found myself drawn in and mesmerized, and I wanted more when it was over. Nice dreamy songs ­ a great recording job ­ an enjoyable listen. I'll keep this one on top of the stack for a while. (TB)

Ben Lee - Breathing Tornados (Grand Royal) 2 bees
I used to love Noise Addict, Ben Lee's old band - they had just the right combination of indie rock and punk rock spi it, they had energy, and they combined a youthful innocence with a cleverness and a musical ability that defied their young ages. Well, it's clear that Ben Lee has matured, but Breathing Tornados sounds more like that other dreaded Ben (Ben Folds Five). While Ben Lee still has a fine voice and there are some sweet ballads on this album, it's a little too AAA for my taste. I know Ben has money and a girlfriend and everything now, but he's not 50! The production on this is very slick, and in addition to Ben on guitar and vocals, there are lots of keyboards on many of these songs, making it just a little too mainstream and slick for my taste. (JP)

L.E.G. Slurp - Foolfifingo! (Sergeant Dan's records) 1 bee
Get funky! And add some extra cheese! The big gimmick of L.E.G. Slurp is that Leon Gruenbaum, the main guy behind this cd, invented an instrument called the "Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee" which he describes in the liner notes as "a patented musical keyboard device... this results in extremely rapid, rhapsodical riffs and spiraling patterns." Well, it sounds like cheesy '80s keyboards to me. This guy wishes he were Prince or Mr. Bungle or something, only it's worse than the Purple One even on a bad day. It's noodly, wanky, and cheesy crap. (TB)

Luscious Jackson - Electric Honey (Grand Royal) 3 bees
You know the LJ formula by now: soulful singing, funky beats, etc. A lot of the songs on Electric Honey sound a bit more commercial/produced than previous efforts, perhaps a bit more dancefloor than street. Nontheless, most of the songs on Electric Honey sound like they're already familiar - is this because they're hits in the making, easily accessable, or is it because LJ have become predictable? It walks that fine line between the two in my opinion, but is an enjoyable cd in the same way that comfy pajamas always feel nice. (JP)

Macha "See It Another Way" (Jetset) 5 bees
"Riding the Rails", the lead track on Macha's second Jetset release, "See It Another Way", chimes with the exotic sound of what I believe is a hammer dulcimer. With such unique instrumentation, as well as an ecstatic percussion section, Macha seems distinctly foreign, if not otherworldly. The band does live in Athens, albeit the Athens in Georgia, USA. It is difficult to fit Macha into any kind of well-defined rock idiom; they use guitars, drums, and vocals, but that's where any similarities to traditional rock bands end unless you expand the parameters to include Eno, Can, Tortoise, and any band you can think of that might at one time have utilized a sitar. The metallic groan of a slide on strings joins with shrieking violin lines on "Between Stranded Sonars", an epic that would sound at home in any cd changer along with the Velvet Underground. "See It Another Way" is a real treat, summoning up an intriguing atmosphere where dust hangs in the warm air, exotic tongues are spoken, and strong, dark smoke emanates from every long-stemmed pipe. (BT)

Magnetic Health Factory - Don't Postpone Joy (Blank Stare Records) 2 bees
The muddy quality of the recording on this cd really obscures the sound of the band - a case of a little too much in the lo-fi department. MHF seem to border on the emo sound. The singer has a mediocre voice, and the playing is mostly solid, straightforward rock/indie/emo playing. There are way too many songs, however, on Don't Postpone Joy - a whopping 26. The songs are mostly in the jilted-love category, and the real potential here is to be found lyrically. There are a few clever, scathing lines to be found such as "I brought brand new clothing at the same old store/a sucker for self-loathing, but I don't want yours" on "Weight of Snow." Unfortunately, the lyrics are hard to hear (a lyric sheet was included.) I would say that if this band learned to cut out some of the more plodding numbers, got some better recording equipment, practiced a lot, and played a lot of live shows, that they could be on to something. (JP)

Marine Research - Sounds from the Gulf Stream (K records) 4 bees
Marine Research is basically Heavenly regrouped, minus a few old members and with a few new ones. Here is everything you'd expect from a post-Heavenly project: silky vocal harmonies, ooh la las, and what not. There's even a song called "Queen B." However, I didn't like it quite as much as Operation H.E.A.V.E.N.L.Y., which had silly yet clever lyrics that I found to be more easily discernable (and sing along-able) to the listener than those on the Marine Reseach album. Still, a fine effort here. (JP)

The Minders ­ Cul de Sacs & Dead Ends ­ (spinART /Elephant 6) 4 bees
This CD, similar to some of the other Elephant 6 offerings (Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel), took a couple of listens to really grab me, but now I'm hooked solid. At first take I was reminded of Guided By Voices' Alien Lanes, particularly in the way many of the songs clock in at under 2 minutes and both start and end abruptly. But by the 3rd track, Chatty Patty, it's clear that the album is an homage to Paul McCartney and the early Beatles, if not an unabashed Beatles ripoff. Not that that's a bad thing. It's kind of neat to hear the pretty progressions of Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper coupled with krispy Pavement-style guitar sounds. The production is delightfully faithful to the early stereo recording style of the fab four, with the pan controls pegged fully left and right, making you think you're deaf in one headphone 'til that 2nd guitar kicks in. The songs are bouncy and catchy, and in fact my girlfriend did a very sexy impromtu dance to Hand Me Downs. Yeaaaah baby! On the down side, I found the tempo of the first 8 songs to be somewhat hectic and unvarying, causing the songs to blend together. It was a relief when Weigh the Anchor kicked in with it's slow groove, lazy guitar line and psychedelic backing vocals. The 14th track, Step Right Up, also broke the mini-ditty formula with Rebecca Cole on vocals and an extended outro full of noodling recorders and bird noises. I love stuff like that. One tip these guys could take from the Beatles is to allow for more dynamics when ordering the songs. After the 5th track I was starting to wonder if the whole record was going to be in the same vein. The second half of the album flows much better than the first, though it's no Abbey Road... (JB)

Propaganda - A Secret Wish (Universal) 1 bee
This is really boring synth-pop electro stuff. I think they're German, and I think this is a reissue from 1985. Maybe it was groundbreaking at the time (although it seems that Kraftwerk beat them to it eons before), but it has not withstood the test of time in my opinion. (JP)

Stratotanker ­ The Miracle of Flight ­ (Anisette) 1 bee
Song 1: What a waste of really good musicians! The drummer can really play but, ack! The last time I heard vocals like that was when my cat fought a skunk. The lyrics in the sleeve (which are actually kind of cool) seem to have no connection whatsoever with the painful yowling which permeates this fairly good song. Well, maybe it's just one of those "artistic" songs at the beginning of an otherwise cool album. Song 2: Uh, yeah, GROOvy, baybay, but you are just so NOT John Spencer, dude. Nice try. Song 3: Wedding Present-esque guitar. Kind of impressive Uh oh. Danger, danger! Tom Verlaine impersonator on vox! Now he's trying that Jon Spencer thing again ok, now for some random guitar progressions, performance-art slash Zappa harmonies yeah, we've heard this one before in 1972! [FF>>] Song 4: The groove thang again. Nice bass line. Okay, now change. C'mon, CHANGE Aw c'mon, the dumb bass line's not THAT good! I can't BELIEVE you're still playing it. Jeeziz! Is this a soundtrack to a student film? Ok, now it just sorta peters out, I see wait, what's that off in the distance? Huh Wha? Sounds like some vocals are coming through the guitar pickup Gee, that's a new one. Wonder what's for dinner? Did I remember to take out the trash? Maybe I should invest in a Roth IRA [STOP] (JB)

Swingset - self titled (mt recordings) 4 bees
At times, this heavily instrumental album reminded me of TOS faves such as Modest Mouse and Mogwai. The vocals are off-key, but in an endearingly Pavement-esque way. If you like the boy-meets-indie-rock music, this is for you. Uh, I think there's also a DJ named Swingset, this is not that guy.

Various Artists - Go Deep with Julius Papp (Maxi) 2 bees
Any cd that uses the word "house" in describing itself in the liner notes is not going to be too great, in my book. However, this also had the name "Papp" on it (my last name) so I figured it had to be kind of good. Anyway, Julius Papp is not related to me that I know of, but we do share the same initials as well as the same last name. Although this compilation had some cheesy "diva" vocals on it, which I really don't like, it is kind of relaxing and put me right to sleep the first time I listened to it. If you're into the housey kind of dancefloor music, you would probably like this. (JP)

Vinnie and The Stardusters - Novelty Music for Casual Sex (Gourmandizer) 1 bee
This album sucks. Novelty music is right: These guys think they're being really funny. What they're doing is taking hackneyed songs and parodying them, and doing it badly at that. Songs that are referenced here are the Sesame Street theme song, The Doors' LA Woman, The Girl From Ipanema, Que Sera Sera, Walking on Sunshine, and more. The singing is bad, the playing is sub-average, and overall the whole disc is really annoying. Does anyone really need to hear songs like "Quesadilla: A Tortilla with Cheez/Walk Around Naked"? I think not. Oh yeah, and these pale, hairy, paunchy geeks had the audacity to put themselves on the cd cover in the nude. Oh, please... they should have included free earplugs and Pepto-Bismol with this cd. (JP)

Wheat "Hope and Adams" (Sugar Free) 5 bees
Wheat has quietly and steadily grown into a band of distinction among the throngs of Boston bands fighting it out in the trenches of local clubs and on local college radio outlets. Signed to Chicago's Sugar Free Records after their second gig, the band lets its music do the talking, relying less on hype than on inventive head music they displayed on their debut album, "Medeiros"(Sugar Free). Subsequently, a 7" released on the UK label Easy! Tiger has led to a European licensing deal for their current cd, "Hope and Adams". Recorded in upstate New York by Mercury Rev's Dave Fridmann and Michael Ivins of the Flaming Lips, "Hope and Adams" is a quirky, personal record, thoughtful and and strong-willed. With such a pedigree, expectations run high and are rewarded in kind. Wheat seem to relish experimentation with textures and sounds as in the noisy, static buzz and feedback of "More Than You'll Ever Know". Still, the craft of songwriting is the foundation of this record. Every track offers something to the careful listener, and the palette of emotions displayed throughout left me sighing with satisfaction at the cd's end. Wheat makes an excellent case for intelligent, psychedelic pop as relevant and vital, not simply a throwback to the 60s. Rock can have guts and be pretty, too, you know. (BT)