Category: Physical Digital

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Eddie Japan – Modern Desperation, Part 1 (2012)


Eddie Japan
Modern Desperation, Part 1
2012

Eddie Japan have a new EP out. It’s wonderful. Modern Desperation, Part 1 puts the band’s flair for genre-bending front and center. This stellar release opens with the power pop of “You Will Find Me Dead In My Comfort Zone” and “Let Me Bleed,” a pair of songs that showcase the sextet’s ability to write straight-up tunes with the best of ’em. “The Bridges I Have Burned” and “This Married Life” follow, with Eddie Japan layering on the more adventurous colors of their sonic palette. The horns and strings come to the forefront with the insightful lyrics. These guys have an unbelievable collection of textures at their disposal. More impressively, they know exactly when to use each one. Nowhere is this more evident than on the mesmerizing closing track. Infused with drama, intrigue and a spaghetti western arrangement, “A Town Called Nowhere” is as good as it gets. What an exceptional release.

Full Disclosure: The lovely and talented Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative did the artwork for this remarkable EP. It looks as good as it sounds.

Where to get it:

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Star Ghost Dog – Underdrive EP (2000)


Star Ghost Dog
Underdrive EP
2000

Star Ghost Dog’s Underdrive EP is a hip little CD. The disc was released in anticipation of The Great Indoors. The first 2 tracks are from that record. The slick indie rock of “Underdrive” gets things started before yielding to the beautiful melancholy of “Holiday.”

The other two songs on the EP make it truly special. “The Only One” is a power pop gem, complete with tight harmonies and “bop-badda” backing vocals. This song was previously unreleased and is one of my favorite Star Ghost Dog tunes. Closing out the 4 song package is a remix of “Plus De Vaches” that was previously only available on a 7” single.* Master Cylinder gets his hands dirty to create a ten minute disco epic. “Plus De Vaches (Qui Remix)” is undoubtedly the definitive version of the song. Local radio DJs take note – this remix makes for great bathroom break material.

Star Ghost Dog’s Underdrive EP is worth picking up if you can find it.

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* The original version of “Plus De Vache” appeared on the band’s 1998 release, Happylove.

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We’re All Gonna Die – Kiss The Ground, Curse The Sky (2008)


We’re All Gonna Die
Kiss The Ground, Curse The Sky
2008

We’re All Gonna Die brought the thunder on Kiss The Ground Curse The Sky. The album opens with “Brown Rabbit.” The instrumental serves as a fitting intro to the dark, heavy rock on the rest of the album. “Bled Out” is in the number two spot. It has a sludgetastically catchy hook that most metal bands would kill for. Damn near perfect. The bulk of the record flows from the same vein. Heavy riffs, gritty solos and powerful grooves are the rule here. “Elevator Down” has Kiss The Ground Curse The Sky‘s most devastating guitars and a swaggering vocal. “Burn” and “Shank” are as a brutal as their names imply. It’s not heavy for heavy’s sake, though. These are bona fide songs. Good ones at that.

Jim Healey and company also knew when to pull back a little. “Nothing To Say” has a Jimmy Page-esque guitar part. The dark ballad “Dusk And Done” uses female vocals to nice effect. The melody of “On The Sea” lingers long after the record ends. These are not power ballads; think Alice In Chains in EP mode. These are melodic songs with lots of tension.

We’re All Gonna Die was a powerhouse band. Kiss The Ground, Curse The Sky is a testament to that.

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The Russians – EP.02 (2007)

The Russians
EP.02
2007

The Russians are the brainchild of Scott Janovitz. On this 2007 EP, Scott and his comrades-in-rock created 17 minutes of musical escapism.

The songs here are exceptional. Scott’s songwriting has always been a cut above. These songs ranked among his finest work at the time. “Your Only One” is an instant attention grabber with its piano and vocal intro. “Taking Noise Away” has a beautifully evolving chorus. “Talking To Yourself” has a gentle verse and a power pop chorus.

Pianos, guitars, accordions, handclaps and “aaahs” weave an intricate musical tapestry. It’s a complex mix and The Russians make it sound easy. The vocal layers call Brian Wilson’s production to mind. The seamless song transitions wouldn’t be out of place on Wish You Were Here. The guitar leads in “Your Only One” sound like they came straight off of Revolver, the bassline of “Crashing The Party” from Abbey Road. The Russians look to the past to create their modern rock sounds.

Half of this four song EP would end up on 2010’s stellar Crashing The Party. The other two songs, as well as the thoughtful sequencing, make EP.02 worth checking out.

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The Den Mothers – Borrow Beg And Steal (1999)


The Den Mothers
Borrow Beg And Steal
1999

Borrow Beg And Steal by The Den Mothers found former Boy Wonder bassist Paul Natale stepping into the spotlight fronting his own band. It comes off like a late ’90s post-grunge version of The Kinks. It’s equal parts clever and cool, making for a good listen.

There’s a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor to the lyrics. Paul’s wit is evident in “The Fake Song” when he sings “I don’t mean to sound negative/I’m best when at my worst.” He describes a new romance during “Kind Of In Love” that I don’t believe, but I do find entertaining.

The Den Mothers didn’t take themselves too seriously on this four song EP. Like a lot of bands I like, they kept it simple. Just write some catchy songs and have fun.

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Township – Coming Home (2007)


Township
Coming Home
2007

Township continued the retro-rocking ways of their early EPs on their first full length album, Coming Home. These songs sound like a mix of every ‘70s AOR act you can think of. Foghat? Check. Thin Lizzy? Hell yeah. Heart, The Doobie Brothers, Styx and Kansas? You betcha. Kiss? Check out the “100,000 Years” breakdown and Ace Frehley guitar licks in “Big Bad.” How you feel the big bands of that decade will be a good gut check for how you might feel about Coming Home.

Township dishes out solid classic-rock-inspired fare throughout the record. Coming Home still has the big rock songs you expect from the band. “Millions Of People” has hit single written all over it. “Highway” has some nasty guitar riffs (reminding me of Witchcraft during the breakdown). “Round The Dust” has some cool tempo changes. We also see the guys spreading their wings a bit more.* “Baby Rock Me” is an adventurous ballad with a long slow build. “With You All Along” ventures into Pink Floyd territory.

Township nails the sound of ’70s rock on Coming Home. Check it out if that’s your thing.

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* …and song length. Two of the songs exceed eight minutes in length.

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Noble Rot – Noble Rot (2006)


Noble Rot
Noble Rot
2006

Noble Rot played a raucous brand of rock n’ roll. It was loud, crude, sophomoric and unapologetic. They shot from the hip and tried to take out as many unsuspecting listeners as they could.

On their self-titled disc, the band made a great first impression with “Kicked To The Curb”. The song is an adrenaline fueled rocker with some fantastic backing vocals. “American Hangover” followed, upping the catchiness without losing any edge.

Digging deeper into this full-length, “I See You Coming” is on par with the first couple of tracks. “Mission Hill” and “Leave The Lights Off” work well with just a hint of street-punk anthem in the mix. The lyrics to “Menace,” “Big Bottle Of Love” and “Detox Bitch” are sordid, even by sleaze rock standards. Not your thing? They didn’t care.

Noble Rot never deviated from their Mötö-copter formula. They stuck to their loud fast rock n’ roll manifesto. Rich Hoss’ distinctive vocals provided an identity for the band. Adi Luv and Rodrigo Van Stoli’s guitars could rip and tear in a way that would make Tracii Guns proud. The rhythm section (Hoss on bass and Wes Narron Jr. on drums) was solid throughout. Noble Rot may not have been reinventing the wheel, but they did a good job rolling it recklessly down the road.

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Reverse – Monkey Mind (2009)


Reverse
Monkey Mind
2009

You know that game where you put together your dream band from people in bands around town? Wait, what? You don’t play that game? Sure, you do. Anyway, sometimes when I play that game I end up with Reverse.

Monkey Mind is Exhibit A of what said dream band can do. Let’s start with Mr. Ian Kennedy. The man is one of the most creative guitar players in town. Have you ever heard a Telecaster make such sounds? It’s like he sprinkled it with magic riff dust. Then you’ve got Mike Piehl behind the drums. He’s a beast. Look no further than opening track, “Fluorescent”, for proof. Mike Quinn is about as solid as they come on bass. The kicker is that his backing vocals mesh perfectly with Ian’s croon-meets-scream vocals.

All of this would be for naught without some songs to back up the sonic fury. Thankfully, Reverse don’t let us down there, either. Monkey Mind is one solid record in the songwriting department. The aforementioned “Fluorescent” is in-your-face, melodic and has a heavy groove. I think I’ve mentioned in the past how much I love “Victoria”. “Slow” alternates achingly beautiful verses with a devastating chorus. “January” is a great example of how well Ian and Mike Quinn’s vocals work together. The title track and “Helicopters” are as frantic as “Good Cop Bad Cop” is deliberate. Every song has hooks to spare.

Monkey Mind came out some seven years after Reverse’s debut, The Jersey Switch. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait that long for their next record.*

Full Disclosue: The lovely and talented Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative did the artwork for this record.** That doesn’t make this record any less of a monster. Just letting you know.

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* Seriously, guys, don’t make us wait that long again.

** I think the artwork was done some 4 years before the record came out.*

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Star Ghost Dog – The Great Indoors (2000)


Star Ghost Dog
The Great Indoors
2000

The Great Indoors is easily Star Ghost Dog’s finest work. The record sheds the indie scrappiness of its predecessor to become a polished, twinkling gem. The songs are all top notch and the production is dazzling.

It’s hard to pin down Star Ghost Dog’s sound. At times you may be reminded of Liz Phair, Apples In Stereo, Luscious Jackson or even Stereolab. Overall, however, they’ve managed to create their own sound. Ginny Weaver’s vocals sound detached, but that’s part of what makes them so engaging. Synthesizers manage to add layers that you now realize were missing from their debut, Happylove. The rhythm section of Chris Foley (drums) and Owen Burkett (bass) provide a solid groove on every song.

The opening track, “Underdrive,” is like a sunnier version of Elastica. That’s where the good vibes end, however. A cloud of beautiful melancholy hangs over The Great Indoors. “Knock Down” is a broken love song with a simple keyboard line that anchors the verse until the overdriven guitars jump in during the chorus. “Holiday” became one of the band’s best known songs with it’s slow burn. “Megafauna” continues Star Ghost Dog’s infatuation with near-disco, this time with a super-saturated guitar hook.

The album closes with its haunting title track. Ginny sings “Just pretend we don’t know how it ends . Never heard it all before.” Unfortunately for us, we do know how it ends. The Great Indoors would be Star Ghost Dog’s last album. What a beautiful way to go out.

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The Kickbacks – Even The Blues (2008)


The Kickbacks
Even The Blues
2008

The Kickbacks return with another batch of slice-of-life roots rock. Even The Blues is largely a collection of mid-tempo tunes with a fair number of quieter numbers for good measure. There are no barn burners, like “Lazy Eye” from their 2006 release Motel Stars. Tad Overbaugh and his band seem content to play things a little closer to the vest this time around. What the album lacks in reckless abandon it makes up for with a stellar album closer in the ballad “No Guarantees”.

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