Glitter Gutter Trash
Issue 212 / August 2006 More from this Issue
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A psychotic candyland full of glam glitz, trashy pop, new wave, post-everything, retrofuturisms and distorted beautyimpressionistic garble and oppressive opinion by Ryan Michael Painter
Storsveit Nix Noltes
Orkideur Hawai
Bubblecore
Street: 04.21
Storsveit Nix Noltes = The Waterboys had Mike Scott been a mute gypsy
Some of my favorite bands infuse an exotic ethnic sound into their music (i.e. The Waterboys, Wonderstuff, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush etc.) and while I may not know much about Eastern European gypsies, beer drinking music or spontaneous folk dancing I can comfortably say that I find Storsveit Nix Noltes' brand of frantic pop, free-form jazz influenced accordion, cello, violin, trumpet, guitar, banjo and bass renditions of Bulgarian folk songs exhilarating.
Midlake
The Trials of Van Occupanther
Bella Union
Street: 07.25
Midlake = British Sea Power Bunneymen refrences + less hype more substance
I'm always getting Midlake and Clearlake confused. They're both decent bands who make melancholy music light, airy and romantic with a wistful sense of nostalgia; a feat that tends to originate across the ocean but in Midlake's case it comes from a handful of Texans. The Trials of Van Occupanther isn't a retread of their debut Bamnan and Slivercork, in fact it sounds slightly more American in the Americana sort of way, which could be the result of label head and Cocteau Twins' bassist Simon Raymonde's absence from the production chair. The results are mixed; lyrically it's gorgeous in its simplistic plaintive bareness but the music never really swells its passion above a blush (the exception being "In This Camp"). Come September I think the moodiness, stillness and calm will suit me better.
Philip E. Karnats
Pleasesuite
Street: 05.06
Philip E. Karnats = lo-fi experiments in rock n' roll
Despite the fact that I've now listened to this album three consecutive times in the last two hours, not to mention the few times I've put it in over the past month, I've yet to establish a feeling for it. Maybe that in itself speaks volumes. Karnats is mostly known for his work as guitarist in Tripping Daisy and his collaborations with Polyphonic Spree and The Secret Machine, none of which resonates on his debut solo release. Pleasesuite is decent enough with its shifting styles of soundscapes and electroclash moments mixed among somewhat straightforward rock tunes. The vocals are half sung, part gargled in a slightly menacing way but never really step into the forefront.
Amy Millan
Honey from the Tombs
Arts & Crafts
Street: 07.11
Amy Millan = A little bit rock and a whole lot of country.
Amy Millan, female vocalist from dream pop elites Stars, strikes out on her own with a solo debut that was recorded over a three-year period in multiple studios with overdubs added here, there and everywhere along the way. The artwork suggests something dark, glamorous and artsy but the sound of the album is a complete surprise and perhaps a disappointment. Honey from the Tombs is essentially a lazy country album with a rock song stuck in the middle. Not country in the sense of Faith Hill's pop-country crossover or the absolute twang annoyance of a dozen 80s artists that I don't care to remember, but a romantic sort of summer day spent on a porch drinking lemonade and shaking off life's minor disasters. Sullen and beautiful Honey from the Tombs is more akin to Hope Sandoval's solo material (albeit taken a few steps further into the doodling riffs from the acoustic guitars) with a nod towards Mojave 3. Not exactly what I thought I wanted but somehow pleasing nonetheless.
The Bleachers
Suspicion
Village Industries
Street: 06.27
The Bleachers = The Stone Roses' debut John Squire
While I'm not entirely convinced that comparisons to R.E.M.'s early material with the "sinster" of Interpol is an entirely accurate description, I can't fault the observation. Compare them to anything early-90s from the UK and you're likely to get a few raised eyebrows and head shakes. Dropping names like Chapterhouse or any other peripheral British band from that era isn't going to garner raving reviews, whereas comparing them to old standards and newer upstarts is clich but nonetheless safe; which actually describes the band perfectly. Imagine The Charlatans without the organ, Stone Roses without the epic guitar, Ride without the backlash of distortion and insert serviceable tunes with occasional brightly crafted hooks that suddenly fade into more mediocrity. Suspicion's crime isn't a lack of talent, it's simply a lack of importance. With that said, 15 years ago "Invitation" would have probably been a substantial hit in the UK.
Storsveit Nix Noltes
Orkideur Hawai
Bubblecore
Street: 04.21
Storsveit Nix Noltes = The Waterboys had Mike Scott been a mute gypsy
Some of my favorite bands infuse an exotic ethnic sound into their music (i.e. The Waterboys, Wonderstuff, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush etc.) and while I may not know much about Eastern European gypsies, beer drinking music or spontaneous folk dancing I can comfortably say that I find Storsveit Nix Noltes' brand of frantic pop, free-form jazz influenced accordion, cello, violin, trumpet, guitar, banjo and bass renditions of Bulgarian folk songs exhilarating.
MidlakeThe Trials of Van Occupanther
Bella Union
Street: 07.25
Midlake = British Sea Power Bunneymen refrences + less hype more substance
I'm always getting Midlake and Clearlake confused. They're both decent bands who make melancholy music light, airy and romantic with a wistful sense of nostalgia; a feat that tends to originate across the ocean but in Midlake's case it comes from a handful of Texans. The Trials of Van Occupanther isn't a retread of their debut Bamnan and Slivercork, in fact it sounds slightly more American in the Americana sort of way, which could be the result of label head and Cocteau Twins' bassist Simon Raymonde's absence from the production chair. The results are mixed; lyrically it's gorgeous in its simplistic plaintive bareness but the music never really swells its passion above a blush (the exception being "In This Camp"). Come September I think the moodiness, stillness and calm will suit me better.
Philip E. Karnats
Pleasesuite
Street: 05.06
Philip E. Karnats = lo-fi experiments in rock n' roll
Despite the fact that I've now listened to this album three consecutive times in the last two hours, not to mention the few times I've put it in over the past month, I've yet to establish a feeling for it. Maybe that in itself speaks volumes. Karnats is mostly known for his work as guitarist in Tripping Daisy and his collaborations with Polyphonic Spree and The Secret Machine, none of which resonates on his debut solo release. Pleasesuite is decent enough with its shifting styles of soundscapes and electroclash moments mixed among somewhat straightforward rock tunes. The vocals are half sung, part gargled in a slightly menacing way but never really step into the forefront.
Amy Millan
Honey from the Tombs
Arts & Crafts
Street: 07.11
Amy Millan = A little bit rock and a whole lot of country.
Amy Millan, female vocalist from dream pop elites Stars, strikes out on her own with a solo debut that was recorded over a three-year period in multiple studios with overdubs added here, there and everywhere along the way. The artwork suggests something dark, glamorous and artsy but the sound of the album is a complete surprise and perhaps a disappointment. Honey from the Tombs is essentially a lazy country album with a rock song stuck in the middle. Not country in the sense of Faith Hill's pop-country crossover or the absolute twang annoyance of a dozen 80s artists that I don't care to remember, but a romantic sort of summer day spent on a porch drinking lemonade and shaking off life's minor disasters. Sullen and beautiful Honey from the Tombs is more akin to Hope Sandoval's solo material (albeit taken a few steps further into the doodling riffs from the acoustic guitars) with a nod towards Mojave 3. Not exactly what I thought I wanted but somehow pleasing nonetheless.
The Bleachers
Suspicion
Village Industries
Street: 06.27
The Bleachers = The Stone Roses' debut John Squire
While I'm not entirely convinced that comparisons to R.E.M.'s early material with the "sinster" of Interpol is an entirely accurate description, I can't fault the observation. Compare them to anything early-90s from the UK and you're likely to get a few raised eyebrows and head shakes. Dropping names like Chapterhouse or any other peripheral British band from that era isn't going to garner raving reviews, whereas comparing them to old standards and newer upstarts is clich but nonetheless safe; which actually describes the band perfectly. Imagine The Charlatans without the organ, Stone Roses without the epic guitar, Ride without the backlash of distortion and insert serviceable tunes with occasional brightly crafted hooks that suddenly fade into more mediocrity. Suspicion's crime isn't a lack of talent, it's simply a lack of importance. With that said, 15 years ago "Invitation" would have probably been a substantial hit in the UK.
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