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Written by Various Wednesday, 30 November 2005 14:23

CD reviews that are quick and to the point.

BEHIND THE STARS: BEFORE YOU LIVE (EP) (self-released)
This Southern Illinois quintet is a young band to watch. They claim influences such as Smashing Pumpkins and Sunny Day Real Estate, and boast the far-reaching vocals of Josh Lagemann and his collection of accomplished musicians: Ben Greeling (guitar), Deseree Zimmerman (drums), Tim Maupin (guitar, keys), and Alicia Shatley (bass). The music is soaring indie rock, the kind you want to play at top volume driving down a summer lane. It’s inspiring and carefully constructed, catchy enough to forgive the occasional awkward line construction. “Falling From the Ground” features a memorable guitar line backed by complicated percussion; “An Afternoon Interview” has a tricky bridge that mixes things up. The quickened pace of “Far Cry” and Lagemann’s truly rocking vocals make it a standout, while “Attempting Reentry” is more of an epic ballad. Despite its challenging guitar work and Bono-esque vocals, “See Sharpen Slide” is dragged down by flat-sounding drums. “Burning Youth” wraps up the package with a toe-tapping, tongue-twisting sing-along. There’s still room for growth, to be sure, but this is a more than impressive offering worth checking out. www.behindthestars.com | Laura Hamlett

HUDSON BELL: WHEN THE SUN IS THE MOON (Monitor Records)
This is Hudson Bell’s pseudo-full length follow-up to his 2002 Captain of the Old Girls. When the Sun is the Moon offers seven tracks of distortion and elongated guitar riffs accenting a timeless tale of misunderstood youth. Quick to adhere to the Connor Oberst–reminiscent how-to-lose-the-girl ramblings, Bell replaces definitive hooks with a toast to literary idlings and preface-style banters of love, loss, and chemical substances. Alas, while Sun’s Neil Young–inspired electric/acoustic folk tales are promising, it gently falls to the irony found in the first and standout track, “Slow Burn.” Such is a collection of songs igniting a violent flame upon inception, only to fizzle and flail upon exit. Bell’s spirit is here, but his head left the relationship somewhere in the middle. | Laura Ann Checkett

COTTRELL GANTT: HERE I GO (Seejee Music)
The five songs on Cottrell Gantt’s EP Here I Go are an interesting mix of pop/rock coupled with sharp—and fun—melodies. Even so, I only loved half the album. Where “Here I Go” is catchy and toe tapping, “Lift Me Up” needs to be amped up. Likewise, “Can’t Catch Me” is a sure-fire single, where “Can’t Help It” is somewhat half-baked. The album wraps up nicely with a smart ballad called “Don’t Worry.” Overall, though, the EP left me wanting more. | Jim Campbell

DRESS CODE: SONIC BOOM (self-released)
Sonic Boom’s an eclectic, five-song EP that relies heavily on hard electronics and an even harder voice. Dress Code goes solo here with Derek Holley, and he turns this one-man band into an exploration of funky beats with an edge. The music takes priority over lyrical content, and at times it feels like a blend of hardcore rock with electronica, which gives it a unique platform for different styles of music. “Just a Party” stands out as a lighter dance track to the much darker “Control.” Unfortunately, Sonic Boom tries too hard at times to be eclectic, which doesn’t always work. | Janelle Greenwood

FLYLEAF: FLYLEAF (Octone)
If you ever wondered what Sinéad O’Connor would sound like in a hard rock band, you need to check out Flyleaf’s self-titled debut. Lacey Mosley’s vocals are powerful, sensual (when needed), and empowering. Backed up by four metal-minded lads, this lass seems ready to take on the world. Not only is the music aggressive and exciting, these kids can write some nifty lyrics. For example, three cuts deep on “Cassie,” Mosley’s vocals are haunting as she repeatedly asks, “Do you believe in God?” As the song ends, the music drops and she simply quips, “And I will pull the trigger.” This is one band to watch out for. Flyleaf has successfully interwoven sharp melodies, catchy lyrics, and best of all, Mosley’s fierce vocals. | Jim Campbell

THE GO STATION: QUIET ZONE (Edge Delay)
The Go Station is going places. This five-song EP delivers a sound that’s New York via a London, filling out each song beautifully. The Go Station aren’t trying to be hip; they’re just trying to do what they do best, which is unifying elevating harmonics with thoughtful content. Each track stands up remarkably well. Stylistically, “Hold on” and “Another Day” are reminiscent of early Oasis, while the opening track “Wandering Away” feels like something Josh Kelly would take a crack at. The Go Station deserves a green light for Quiet Zone. | Janelle Greenwood

GOLDFRAPP: NUMBER 1 EP (Mute)
What’s this? Goldfrapp’s new CD is already out in Europe and all America gets is a five-song EP? Yes. Since their touring schedule with Coldplay will take them near the end of this year, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have released a sort of domestic appetizer to tide us over until the main course, Supernature, arrives next spring. Even the impatient fans should be satisfied with Number 1 as they wait.

Goldfrapp have searched many corridors creating otherworldly and twining music. Number 1 lands somewhere in between the soft and the hard of their preceding submissions. Mostly reflecting the sounds of the ’80s, the title track has a rhythm reminiscent of the Human League’s “Seconds” and the melody of INXS’ “Shabooh Shoobah” barb-wired around Goldfrapp’s undisturbed and confident voice. The B-sides “Beautiful” and “All Night Operator” are actually more evocative of the band’s previous work. The duo has a firm grasp of what they’re doing, although many of their influences (including themselves) shine rather brightly. This is their closest to pop so far, and it’s not a bad place to be; they’re executing it with their style still intact. | Cory Hoehn

THE MEADOWS: THE MEADOWS (Single Recordings)
The Meadows’ debut lives up to both its name and cover art. The classic pop-rock sound evokes a picturesque summer evening on a grassy knoll overlooking a small town or big city—soundtrack material for any heart-wrenching teenage love story. (Not surprisingly, track four, “Younger Yesterday,” is featured in the Fox/New Regency film Little Manhattan.) Contrary to the youthful spirit, this album is nothing but mature. The songs are catchy and take you everywhere a pop song should under four minutes, and the production is phenomenally rich. It’s obvious that the Meadows—Todd Herfindal and Kevin Houlihan—are heavy-hitting veterans: They wrote, produced, mixed, and mastered all 12 songs (with the exception of the first two co-written tracks). At creating a pop hit, these guys should be called “the Masters.”  | Nate Dewart 

MONTY HARPER & THE THRICE UPON A TIME BAND: THE GREAT GREEN SQUISHY MEAN CONCERT CD (BMI)
As a mom who pretty much hates most music specifically for kids, it’s refreshing and almost downright exciting to come across a CD that can keep my kids entertained and not make me want to pull my hair out. Monty Harper and the Thrice Upon a Time Band accomplish just that with The Great Green Squishy Mean Concert CD. Songs ranging from “Loose Tooth” to “Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library” to “The Great Green Squishy Mean Bibliovire” offer up a nice balance between silliness and intelligent humor. Harper has a flair for adding in very grown-up words without alienating his targeted younger listeners. My three- and five-year-old boys adored the “Silly Song” (I heard it six times in a row, thank you) and didn’t seem to notice at all that they were being taught some pretty serious biology in “Horny Toad,” as Harper sings “He’s a cold-blooded horn-headed insectivore.” The entire CD is filled with both humor and stylish educational tidbits. Why it was recorded live is my only question, as children do really seem to be drawn to a smoother, more produced sound. The weak audience participation and the very bare underproduction leave a bit to be desired, but all in all, we say yeah to Monty and his band. | Ellie Feldman

THE OLD CEREMONY: THE OLD CEREMONY (Alyosha)
This quirky little 11-piece Chapel Hill circus of cabaret pop has dipped in the literary well for its name and pulled up noirish poet and singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen’s 1974 album New Skin for the Old Ceremony as inspiration. That’s some lofty shoes to fill. Even if Cohen’s own musical explorations were hit-and-miss, his words were metaphoric mountains, and on that count, the Old Ceremony comes up slightly short. That’s not to say the record doesn’t work, because it carries its posturing better than expected. Centered by vocalist and guitarist Django Haskins, the Old Ceremony’s self-titled debut is brimming with beguiling picaresque tales like the wistful track “Pennsylvania,” whose refrain of “And we can just pretend/This never happened/But we won’t be fooled for long/My love” is as close to the unpredictably high peak as they get. | Shandy Casteel

ONE LONE CAR: VARIETY HALF HOUR (self-released)
Though some of the four members of One Lone Car are still in their teens, this four-piece from Alton, Ill., manages to write sophisticated songs that bring new life to melodic, modern rock. The group’s debut CD is a great mix of keyboards and guitars along with strong vocal performances. The melodies are haunting and there’s no shortage of catchy lyrics and great hooks. There’s a couple spots on this seven-song release where the band really shines, such as “Baby, I’m on to You” and the addictive “Coming Home for Dinner.” | John Kujawski

RIS PAUL RIC: PURPLE BLAZE (Academy Fight Song)
Purple Blaze is a relief of sorts. Solo efforts following the breakup of remarkably radiant bands usually end up being poorly regurgitated renditions of the original or struggle ineffectively to distance themselves from the old material. Ris Paul Ric (aka Christopher Paul Richards, former guitarist and vocalist for Q and Not U), however, nimbly writes his way through this dicey terrain in his solo debut. The record is self-assured, piled with lissome numbers and short whispers of songs communicably sketched through guitar delays and muted vocals. Standouts like the breathless opener “Purple Haze,” the bossa nova seduction of “The Sleeparound,” and the affected jangling of “Valerie Teardrop” are heartening sounds of things probably yet to come. | Shandy Casteel

SEVENDUST: NEXT (Winedark)
During the apex of the nu-metal scene in the ’90s, Sevendust stood out among a sea of angry, pissed-off white guys by featuring a—wait for it—angry, pissed-off black guy named Lajon Witherspoon as their lead vocalist. Oh, the ingenuity of it all. Witherspoon’s voice has formidable range, and the band appeared to be turning a corner with the release of “Angel’s Son,” a mostly acoustic track that hinted at a more melodic future. Unfortunately, with Next, Sevendust is ready to party like it’s 1999 all over again. Boasting 11 tracks of Korn-y, crunching guitars and screaming angst, the album is sure to delight suburbanite middle-school students, but will fall on deaf ears of ageing listeners expecting any semblance of melody. Next, indeed. | Jon Butler

SPIRIT MACHINE: SPIRIT MACHINE (EP) (Vessel)
With a voice that recalls the fragility of the Cure’s Robert Smith, Paul Isaac fronts the new South Beach quartet Spirit Machine. And in an industry in which sameness is celebrated and trends are rapidly followed, Spirit Machine manages to sound comfortably familiar and wholly unique—no small feat. Optimistic, reaching keyboards give way to swirling guitars and Isaac’s soaring vocals on the lead track, “Futureproof”; when Isaac croons, “It’s a wonderful world,” his hopeful words make it so. “Electric Star” is ready for modern-rock radio, backed by a steady beat and pointed guitar licks. “The Things U Can’t C” is U2-like in its grandiosity: stadium-sized guitar symphonies and Bono-sounding vocals. “Habitat,” the EP’s first single, is achingly gorgeous and dreamy. Isaac’s voice is dripping honey as he sings, “You’re beautiful just like a dream to me/You show me something I want to believe.” Though “Zeros and Ones” is a little too U2 for comfort (especially when Isaac sings of a “discothèque”), Spirit Machine redeems itself with closing tracks “Zeir Anpin” and “Something Beautiful”: the former has a more stripped down, primal feel, and the latter a slower groove. www.spiritmachinemusic.com | Laura Hamlett

ROD STEWART: THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK VOL. 4 (J)
Once again, Rod Stewart takes a bunch of classic hits and puts his own spin on them. And once again, misses the mark. Much like Volume 3 of this series, most of the guest singers’ voices just don’t mix with Stewart’s rough voice. Possibly the most odd pairing is Stewart’s duet with Elton John on the sexy “Makin’ Whoopee.” While both men do give nice performances, the pairing just didn’t make me care if they were making whoopee or not. One standout was Stewart teaming up with Chaka Kahn on “You Send Me.” Kahn’s silky-smooth voice provided a nice counter-balance for Stewart’s gravelly vocals. I shudder to think if Stewart is actually planning a Volume 5. | Jim Campbell

TIARA: CHAINED TO THE CROWN (We Want Action)
Bittersweet Columbus, Ohio, indie-pop outfit Tiara soften up their already delicate pop sound with their latest release, Chained to the Crown. Main songwriter and frontman Eric Rottmayer’s voice and wistful melodies mix Michael Penn’s melancholic vocal phrasings with Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood’s reedy timbre to create an assured collection of moodily gorgeous alt-country tinged indie-pop. Standout tracks “We Learned From the Best”¾with its pensive, halting verse exploding into a soaring, minor-key chorus chiming with high-end barre-chords¾and the chugging lap steel ballad “The Next Face” make for heady yet intimate listening custom made for unrepentant romantics who prefer their weekends rainy. | Brian McClelland

UHF: ALL OUR GOLDEN TOMORROWS (Second Story)
UHF, a melodic, modern rock band from Portland, Ore., has just put out a recording that isn’t any good. All Our Golden Tomorrows is not really that bad, either; it’s just not that inspiring. Though this four-piece does have an appealing guitar sound at times, especially on tracks like “Battery,” none of the songs are particularly memorable. Singer Jeremy Lee doesn’t have a bad voice, but it’s not a very striking or distinct one, and it certainly doesn’t allow the listener to feel any kind of emotion. | John Kujawski

VARIOUS ARTISTS: PROTECT (Fat Wreck Chords)
With a frequency that matches Ani DiFranco’s, Fat Wreck Chords churns out compilation records as if those Left Behind books were nonfiction and the end of days was near. All sad attempts at humor aside, this time around it’s for a very worthy cause: Protect is a benefit for the National Association to Protect Children. With 26 bands and 15 unreleased tracks from the likes of Jawbreaker, MxPx, Coalesce, Against Me, Communiqué, Anti-Flag, and others, Protect suffers the fate of most punk compilations. There are some quality tracks, and there are some tracks that aren’t so great. However, given the base purpose of the compilation and the reason for its existence, does it really matter? Buy it for the Jesus Lizard cover alone. | David Lichius

VARIOUS ARTISTS: THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (Soundtrack) (Ultra)
The Squid and the Whale is a drama that focuses on children dealing with their parents’ divorce. If the music director was trying to load the soundtrack with songs as depressing as the subject matter, then he succeeded in spades. If you are feeling at all close to jumping off a bridge, this album is not for you. A couple of highlights include the ’80s hit “Drive” by the Cars and a very nice acoustic version of Pink Floyd’s “Hey You” by Dean Wareham. In fact, Wareham’s stripped-down version of the classic tune is a saving grace for the album. Just be sure to put away anything with a sharp edge before you check out this tearjerker of a soundtrack. | Jim Campbell

VARIOUS ARTISTS: THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN: A 40th ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES' RUBBER SOUL (Razor & Tie)
Cover albums on the whole are a sketchy enterprise, but they get exponentially sketchier when the artists featured on said album are as disparate as the Donnas and Low, as is the case with This Bird Has Flown. The best that one could hope for is to enjoy the songs by your favorite bands and just skip over the rest. As for me, I quite like the Fiery Furnaces’ rendition of “Norwegian Wood” and Sufjan Stevens’ “What Goes On” isn’t bad, but I can do without the entire rest of the album. | Pete Timmermann 

VARIOUS ARTISTS: 20 NIGHTS OF WINE AND SONG (Greyday Productions)
Portland, Ore.’s Greyday Productions has put together a 14-track compilation which is truly a disaster. The CD contains one terrible track after another from bands that attempt to play moody, modern rock, often with acoustic guitars or keyboards. An obnoxious first track by Minmae features a bland melody and lousy singing. Of course, plenty of other atrocities pop up in the mix. John Larsen and the miserable Pablo’s Triangle both contribute tracks that are just obnoxious. With their hideous track “1974,” Done Gone Wrong attempts to draw the listener into a moody, entrancing sound but fails to the point that it’s literally infuriating. The only listenable song is from the Empty, who actually present an appealing melody. | John Kujawski

THE VILLAGE GREEN: THE VILLAGE GREEN (self-released)
Taking their name from the Kinks’ The Village Green Preservation Society, this new pop-rock group from Portland, Ore., is quite gutsy. A talented vocalist and songwriter, J. Nicholas Allard sounds a little scuffed around the edges. An audible sneer is detected (see Liam Gallagher), especially on “Get Up, Get Out, Get High.” Allard is backed by a seasoned group of musicians, and the band’s debut EP recalls such Brit greats as Supergrass and Blur. “Under the Covers” is a radio-friendly single from the first note, beginning with strong guitars and including a nice melody along with a memorable chorus. With dregs of stoner tendencies in the song titles, the Village Green sound like they will be hanging out for quite some time. | Mary Beth Hascall