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May 2006 - Issue 209

46 Short
Truth Denied
TKO
Street: 04.04
46 Short = Rise Against + The Unseen + Poison Idea + Adolescents
Why is that punk bands are always trying to bring punk back to it glory days (whenever that was)? As far as Im concerned, punk never really went away, and whether its the hardcore punk of the 80s you love or 77 style that got you going, punk rock is alive and kicking; it has created a certain amount of freedom for bands to do whatever they want. 46 Short want to bring back the good ol days of classic hardcore punk, okay, great. Why dont you stop telling me about it and play some music? Luckily, this band does just that, playing fast-paced pissed-off punk that has no time for fashion or bullshit. This is one solid record all 13 tracks leave teeth marks while youre blasted with optically charged, socially conscious lyrics. Its nothing new, but the same old message sounds good on top of this unrelenting hardcore punk rock. James Orme

Against All Authority
The Restoration of Chaos and Order
Hopeless Records
Street: 05.09
Against All Authority = Suicide Machines + Common Rider + NOFX + The Slackers
This album was named after the chimp that is currently is office Freudian slip of the tongue. And I must say Against All Authority did a much better job on this album then Bush will ever do leading our country into anything, even a coke binge. On the majority of the songs AAA appears to have traded in their horns for harder hitting guitar riffs, but those classic AAA ska-style riffs and horns do manage to show up in a few songs, like Radio Waves. My favorite tracks on the album were All Ages Show Tonight, a punk- rock love song, and Silence is Golden but Duct Tape is Silver, an obviously reggae- influenced ska song. The whole album fits together perfectly. The songs are catchy and fun to sing along to, while the heavy bass mixes well with upbeat ska riffs and a horn here and there creates the perfect combination. I listened to this album over and over again in my car and didnt manage to grow tired of it. Jeanette Moses

The Aggrolites
S/T
Hellcat Records
Street: 05.09
The Aggrolites = James Brown + The Wailers + Desmond Dekker + Judge Dred
Who knew that a band made up of white boys from America could master that 60s Jamaican reggae sound? I sure didnt. The Aggrolites blend Jamaican music with the likes of American funk and a pinch of old school ska, creating something truly authentic and infectious. This is the Aggrolites second album and Im sure itd get even the most awkward kids getting down with their bad selves. The tin drums, funky beats, horns, and soulfully smooth vocals make this album easy on the ears and a good pick to listen to whether you want to dance your ass off or sit back and relax. About half the songs are instrumentals, but they are able to stand alone without the vocal tracks. All 19 tracks on this album are great, but some of my favorites were Funky Fire, Countryman Fiddle and Work to Do. Just be careful while driving around and listening to this album. You might be tempted to take your hands off the wheel and groove out to those down-home-style beats. The Aggrolites are real, raw and beautiful. Enough said. (Burts: 05.30) Jeanette Moses

All Capitals
Saturn
Self-released
Street Date: 05.01
All Capitals = straight rock n roll + high school + nave teenage enthusiasm
This Denver band is currently touring extensively in Salt Lake and the surrounding area. Honestly, this EP sounds a little juvenile, like the better bands that I went to high school with. I applaud their sincere political stance, but they will have to keep writing music and learn more before their music and message really start to grip people. The best things All Capitals has going for them are their sincerity and enthusiasm. My favorite track on the album is Neverneverland, probably because its ugly and puts the most on the line. But they have to work on the stale metaphors and callow melodies. Their stated influences are the Pixies, Radiohead, The Sex Pistols and The Ramones, but at this point they have little resemblance to these bands. Spencer Jenkins

Bedroom Walls
All Good Dreamers Pass This Way
Baria Records
Street: 05.23
Bedroom Walls = Elliott Smith + a more sissy Pink Floyd
Bedroom Walls second album is like a narcotic which translates to about a 50/50 chance of being good and entertaining so that you dont end up just zoning out and wasting your time completely. Six Weeks in the Imperial Gardens is especially good and a bit narcoleptic, plodding along and sounding almost like Becks Jackass in parts, then exploding open around the three-minute mark. All Good Dreamers Pass This Way has plenty of juicy surprises, like a song (Somewhere in Newhall) that I thought sounded like something off the score of Interview With the Vampire that is, until the tambourine made its delightful entry. Jamila Roehrig

Beyond Fear
Beyond Fear
SPV
Street: 05.05
Beyond Fear = newer Judas Priest + the definition of straightforward metal
For the love of all that is metal, bow down to Tim Ripper Owens and his new band Beyond Fear. To refresh some memories, Ripper replaced Rob Halford in Judas Priest for quite a lengthy period of time. Filling the slot well, Rippers vocals rank right up there with the legends. Down but not out, Ripper took the vocal part in Iced Earths Glorious Burden record. And now he has come forth with his own project, worthy of metal fans praise. The debut displays influences of the most classical sense of metal with a clean, modern edge. Much like his first album with Priest, Jugulator, Beyond Fear is like Shredder having his way with the turtles. Writing the majority of the guitar parts, Owens who does not actually play guitar in the band shows a knack for songwriting. Younger metal fans may enjoy this album, but there is no doubt that Beyond Fear can play with the big boys. Bryer Wharton

Black on Black
A Tribute To Black Flag
ReIgnition Records
Street: 03.14
Blackon Black = you dont have to know or like Black Flag to enjoy
Im way too young to say, yeah, Black Flag, man; Im cool because I know their name. In all honesty, I have never heard a complete Flag record. Ive actually heard more Black Flag cover tunes than actual Black Flag songs, which only makes me wish I had the cash to dig up the legendary bands catalogue. That doesnt stop me from banging my head to a collection of cover tracks. Recordings range from 2001 to 2005. Most tribute albums that feature music that is different from the band they are covering falter and fail. The slew of hardcore contained on the tribute do Black Flag justice by incorporating a great deal of punk rock into their ferocity. Fans of the groups covering the tunes on the disc will get the most enjoyment out of the tribute. Included on the record are hardcore heavyweights Most Precious Blood, with a killer version of Rise Above, as well as Converge, Coalesce, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Bleeding Through. If anything, it will inspire younger fans to dive into the beast that was Black Flag. Bryer Wharton

Beirut
Gulag Orkestrar
Ba Da Bing Records
Street: 05.01
Beirut = Black Heart Procession + Eastern European immigrant music + klezmer music
A one-man conglomeration of traditional instruments, Beirut transcends everything that is currently happening in underground music with an array of accordions, ukuleles, triangles and trumpets. What is fucking amazing is that the orchestral arrangements are pulled off seamlessly, and the vocal accompaniment is nothing short of phenomenal. A deeply melodic vibrato voice creates the atmosphere of a semi-deserted dock with a handful of immigrants carrying on generations of tradition, but in an underground-rock sort of way. The genuine nature of the song composition makes Godspeed! You Black Emperor seem cheesy and The Black Heart Procession seem half-ass (note: and those are both incredible bands). This album will have a spot on my top five of 2006. Ryan Powers

Candy Bars
On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation
New Granada
Street: 05.16
Candy Bars = Sparklehorse + Modest Mouse
Starting off like something that could be non-threatening and could be on the Garden State 2 soundtrack, Candy Bars debut full-length leaves the others back at that garbage dump in the rain, providing innovative sweetness and vocals that are at once raspy, harsh and effectively gentle. Think Isaac Brock meets Devendra Banhart. What could have been a big old wimp-out is something strangely fierce, yet with all the great chamber-pop elements holding it together. Works Cited is particularly nice, with lyrics like periodicals wrapped in iron, tied behind our fingers. Jamila Roehrig

Cannibal Corpse
Kill
Metal Blade
Street: 04.04
Cannibal Corpse = the gods of gore
Emerging from the tomb of the mutilated two years after their vile wretched spawn, cannibal freaks the Corpse have returned to kill. Bloodthirsty, gore-obsessed, worm-infested fans can once again start the bleeding. This new album marks a fresh start for the butchered-at-birth band. Longtime guitarist Jack Owen departed the band and returning as a permanent member is Rob Barrett, who played on previous Corpse releases. The fresh-yet-familiar blood shows through on the latest opus, straight from the gallery of suicide. Kill still retains the bloody mess that offended and delighted millions in the bands early days, but adds a slicker production and precision in every aspect of the music, instrumentally and vocally. Kill never relents, hacking away at the eardrums one cut at a time. Unlike many death-metal acts, vocalist George Corpsegrinder Fisher can enunciate and provides many moments to growl along to, notably the albums second track Make Them Suffer. Yeah, they talk about murder, mutilation, pain and suffering, but the only killing spree going on here is Cannibal Corpses spree of 15 years. Bryer Wharton

Champion/Betrayed
Split
Rivalry Records
Street: 05.16
Champion = Turning Point + Spirit of 88 Rev bands + the new old-school revival Betrayed = Embrace + Carry On + Champion
Hardcore bands are always compared to other hardcore bands. These comparisons usually suck. Its like youre expecting Minor Threat, and then you listen to the CD and it sounds like some Van Halen side-project industrial-garage band. This split is no snake-oil salesman, its the real deal. The Champion songs on the split sound truly old school, but updated for 06. Drummer Todd Preboski is one of the few drummers in hardcore who realizes great drumming falls just behind the beat. Champion has had a limited output: two 7s, one full-length, and this final split release. Betrayed is comprised of members of Champion and the seminal hardcore band Carry On. The Betrayed half draws their influence from the more melodic side of the old school (Embrace namely). Crisp, clear vocals (reminiscent in places of As Friends Rust), smooth guitar lines, and a good mix of fast and slow tempos make this a solid release. This CD has 12 tracks in my stereo because I always listen to it twice. Peter Fryer

Crystal Skulls
Outgoing Behavior
Suicide Squeeze
Street: 04.11
Crystal Skulls = The Sea and Cake + The Mother Hips
The Crystal Skulls are one of those bands that exist on a slightly higher plane than their fellow pop-indie-rockers by somehow presenting something extra in each song. This sets them apart from the gaggle of bands that attempt to sound like this, only to end up on the shit heap of banality and mediocrity. Calculated hooks and fresh chord progressions are the components of this breezy sophomore release. Perhaps the best way to describe this record would be to employ a lyric from the title track, grape juice with melon liquor. You might not be in the mood for something so sweet, but youll be pleasantly surprised when the mood strikes. Having just seen Crystal Skulls open for John Vanderslice at Kilby Court, I can say that the production on the record emphasizes the melon liquor, while their live set was more vodka and tonic for its crunchy, overdriven guitars and the intensity of their fantastic rhythm section. Tyler Ford

Carla Bozulich
Evangelista
Constellation
Street Date: 05.15
Carla Bozulich = the woman who produced my favorite album of the year
Some albums are like crowds: they are entertaining, excite you a bit, but at the end of the night they rarely offer personal satiation. On the other hand, some music provides the type of rejuvenating animus (or bitter sting) you only find with a soul mate or lover. Evangelista is the latter. Carla Bozulich, whose other bands include Ethyl Meatplow, Geraldine Fibbers, and Scarnella, offers a sometimes furious, oft-times frail delivery that reads like a secret journal that you cant put down. Recorded by Godspeed You! Black Emperor founder Efrim at Hotel2Tango in Montral, the album fuses minimal performances provided by Bozulich, violinist Sophie Trudeau, bassist Thierry Amar and multi-instrumentalist Shazad Ismaily. They deliver breath-holding pauses, drifting drones, crackling radio transmissions, bent circuitry, found sounds and Bozulichs spectral voice into a tragic, terrific and sublime mlange of experiences, pleas and open-chest outbursts. It is as sonically hypnotic and interesting as it is well-crafted and emotionally gripping; Evangelista is that close friend youll call during those lonely nights or perhaps put on repeat during hibernation. Dave Madden

Christopher ORiley
Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute
World Village
Street: 04.11
Christopher ORiley = accomplished pianist riding the indie music wave
We all knew that it was coming, yet another tribute to a fallen artist. It seems as though whenever someone important dies, the light goes on in somebodys head about how they can capitalize on a very sad and tragic death. The validity of this tribute is questionable when considering that ORiley never heard an Elliott Smith album before he died. A true tribute would be done by a group of people as a way to honor the life of one of the worlds greatest songwriters and not one that is seeking commercial gain or personal gratification. ORileys performances of Smiths songs are virtuosic and interesting without taking too much away from the amazing melodies. The one positive thing that can be said about this tribute is that I was reminded of how groundbreaking Elliott Smith was at the art of song and melody writing. If I were to honor Elliott Smith, I would do it the old-fashioned way by listening to the original. Andrew Glassett

Daedelus
Denies the Days Demise
Mush Records
Street: 05.09
Daedelus = The Avalanches + Kid 606
Writing and recording in the shadow of Hollywood seems to have finally had a good effect on someone. After decades of churning out the most heavily postured sound waste on the planet, the City of Angels can finally be proud. Though lumped in with a vast array of bedroom artists, Daedelus sparkling use of luscious cinematic elements and bossa-nova rhythms transcends the often redundant realm of cut-and-paste electronica. In a genre that relies so heavily on the recycling of sound and sentiment, Daedelus operates with a fresh sense of history, channeling a glamorous epoch that legitimately seems forgotten. Additionally, it seems rare for an electronic record to present the genre with more possibilities than limitations, (I mean, what the hell is Warp Records supposed to release now?). If there is hype, believe it. We have the best electronic release of this 33 percent dead year. Justin Thomas Burch

Decoder Ring
Somersault
Bella Union
Street: 05.02
Decoder Ring = Mum + Sigur Ros
Composing music for a soundtrack can be a very tricky thing for bands; it is difficult to come up with music that not only fulfils the purpose of the movie, but also maintains the integrity of the band. In order to make an informed decision on whether or not Decoder Ring fulfilled their purpose while saving face, I watched the movie Somersault, a cautionary tale about young love and the ambience of various emotions. The movie was brilliant and beautiful, especially in its moments of solitude and psychedelia that were made viable by the music of Decoder Ring. Minimalist, calming, picturesque and many other flowery adjectives describe the music of these Zen-thinking Australians. The second test of whether this album is good is if the music stands on its own without the movie, and the answer is definitively yes. Decoder Ring puts you in the moment but with a little less darkness than their Icelandic contemporaries. Andrew Glassett

Dio
Holy Diver Live
Eagle Records
Street: 04.18
Dio = Its Dio, idiot
If you call yourself a metal-head, if you raise your hands in the air giving the devil horn sign at a show, you sure as hell better own Dios masterpiece Holy Diver. Not only is the title track essential metal material, so are the lovely Stand Up and Shout, Dont Talk to Strangers, and the unmistakable Rainbow in the Dark. In the vein of Slayers Still Reigning DVD that contains the Reign in Blood album played in its entirety, Dio has come forth with a double-disc album containing the Holy Diver album played live; its soon to be released on DVD as well. To better things, the second disc contains tunes from Dios long and lucrative solo career, as well as cuts from the time he fronted Rainbow and Black Sabbath. As live records go, one couldnt ask for more. Excellent sound production intermingles with the raging audience and contains everything a live album should. Get off your fat fanny and own another hunk of Dio history, with one of the best metal vocalists to ever grace this place called Earth. Bryer Wharton

Dissection
Reinkaos
The End Records
Street: 05.16
Dissection = Anti-Cosmic Metal Of Death
The most influential Swedish death metal band of all time has completed an album of methodical rhythms and shadows that lurked over the 11 years it took to finally see the light of day. After Jon Ndtveidts (vocalist/guitarist) prison sentencing for murder, most fans grew discouraged that they may never hear a new Dissection album again. Through all of the occult ceremonies, satanic crimes, censorship and over-all banishment from popular media, Dissection managed to reinvent the Swedish sound and begin a new chapter in what could be the terrifying resurgence of the anti-Christian metal movement. This album will make any At The Gates or Dark Tranquillity fan come back out of the basement and begin cheering in the face of social adversity again. Chuck Berrett

Ekkehard Ehlers
A Life Without Fear
Staubgold
Street: 05.09
Ekkehard Ehlers = John Fahey + Tom Waits
When artists claim austere preservation of indigenous musical forms (especially delta blues) or the ability to de-territorialize folk music, I usually want to drop some James Earl Jones or Terrance Mann on them: Oh, youre from the 60s. Peace, love, dope. Now get the hell out of here. I cant say that to a German because of the language and pop culture barriers, and it would also be a terrible way to applaud some amazing compositions. Utilizing the generally extraneous amp hiss as instrumentation, Ehlers and his band (featuring trumpet, balafon, mouthharp and viola among other things) have crafted profoundly dark and moving versions of disparate source material. From South African folk (Misorodozi) to your soon-to-be favorite Ralph Stanley cover (O Death), Ehlers use of the traditional makes Paul Simon look like Art Garfunkel. Justin Thomas Burch

The Fever
In the City of Sleep
Kemado Records
Release Date: 05.02
The Fever = Mars Volta + surf rock + David Lynch + Nick Cave + The Beatles
The Fever are all over the map, from the rockabilly/nearly ska-ish backbone of Redhead and Mr. Baby to the big-top carnival Masque-of-the-Red-Death nightmare Waiting for the Centipede that brings to mind simultaneous visions of Subterranean Masquerade off The End Records and locals Muses of Bedlam. Craziness should be celebrated, because not everyone gets the pleasure of experiencing it and The Fever celebrate that creepiness in a warm n sexy way. Marimba and creaky organ set the stage; the tipsy, melancholy Magnus would be perfect on the soundtrack of City of Lost Children. Things heat up with the dancey Gypsy Cab/Down on Dog Street, like Soft Cell making out with Chris Isaac and the Mooney Suzuki and Gram Rabbit. The International Noise Conspiracy-like, offbeat Do the Tramp is the hottest. Rebecca Vernon

Filastine
Burn It
Soot Records
Street: 05.02
Filastine = Greyboy + Kid Koala + Squarepusher + Politics
This is easily one of the best records that will be released this year, electronic or otherwise. Before beginning to make music under the name in 2004, Filastine spent years gathering sounds and samples, building beats and studying percussion, and his record is dripping with an intelligent and worldly panache. Burn It stretches its Brazilian, African and hip-hop-influenced beats and breaks across genres, creating a record that could be mistaken for a cross-over effort, except that this is simply Filastines method youre listening to all these genres at once, mashed together. Filastine is not content to be only an amazing musician; he has been the soundtrack to countless protests around the world, using counter-hegemonic noise to fuel activism. While lost in the sound of a choir of rhaita flutes on Judas Goat, I realized Burn Its vigorous beauty; this is a thinking-mans record, assembled by the thinking-mans DJ. Tyler Ford

The Golden Gods
The Thorny Crown of Rock and Roll
Control Group
Street: 04.25
The Golden Gods = Tesla (the new shitty Tesla that is) + The Darkness (without the good singer and terrible guitar riffs)
Slug likes to give me really shitty shit to review sometimes. I asked them to give me the shittiest CD that they had up for review this month and they came through with flying colors. The title, The Thorny Crown of Rock and Roll, insinuates that these guys are the new Christs of the rock and roll scene. They are defiantly trying to resurrect (pun intended) shitty classic rock that should remain forever dead and isolated to the Arrow 103.5 FM. Besides, I think Jesus would just be embarrassed to have any association with these dudes. This album would have him rolling off his cross, taking his crown back and wearing it how it should be worn. P.S. Wearing fake fur coats with cheap gas station sunglasses and exposing your immaculate beer gut is a total Vice Magazine DONT! Mike Brown

Hazard County Girls
Divine Armor
Revd Up
Street: 05.02
Hazard County Girls = Black Sabbath + early Bottom + Melvins + Hole
Sludgariffic classic stoner shit packs a punch in a slow, thick, Aunt Jemima-syrup type o way while smooth, breathy female vocals falling somewhere between Kim Deal/Gordon seduce you into a helpless swoon. Hazard County Girls have doomy elements about em, but arent afraid to dress in vintage garb. The music exudes sincerity, appealing simplicity and matter-of-fact, cool-as-a-cucumber toughness. Fine Lines and Insect have nearly sing-along choruses with dark 90s-alt overtones, but then comes metal-oriented bleeders with intoxicating shifts in movement and timing, like Red Light. Theres even some old-school country/matador Raveonettes moments, as in Knoxville Boy. They make wannabe metal girl bands look like gimmicky poseurs, i.e., Kitty, and they just toured with Rasputina and Hank Williams III. One suggestion: Theyre better when hugging the mighty trunk of metal and shedding their probable roots in Lollapalooza 1994. Rebecca Vernon

Honeyhander
Woolly Mannerisms
Strictly Amateur Films
Street: 05.16
Honeyhander = Primal Scream + The Blood Brothers
As evidenced by the fact that official T-shirts were available at Urban Outfitters, CBGBs fell pretty far off the ol street-cred map before its presumed demise. Such is the case with venues that have pinned their entire existence on a specific movement. Time goes on. The Ramones are heard on Greek Row. The best show you can book is Har Mar Superstar. If Providences Fort Thunder wasnt a grocery store parking lot, they doubtlessly would have had scores of chuds with eyebrow piercings showing up to play in cargo shorts too. Providences Honeyhander is one of those hangers-on, pinning their existence on a long-deceased notion of collective creativity. In theory, the band sounds enough like everything that came from Rhode Islands halcyon days to draw flippant comparisons, but this lazily spastic EP wouldnt sound terribly out of place in Zumiez (try to say that about Forcefield). Justin Thomas Burch

Home and Garden
History and Geography
Exit Stencil Recordings
Street: 05.16
Home and Garden = Pere Ubu + David Byrne + Brian Eno
Finally, I get to review something where I wont use words like gentle, sweet, or anything about lazy summer and/or spring days. Jim Jones, Scott Krauss and Tony Maimone formed Home and Garden in 1981 after leaving Clevelands influential art-punk band Pere Ubu, and now Exit Stencil has reissued their History and Geography tracks as well as an EP, How I Spent My Vacation, together on one CD. More than 20 years later, Home and Garden still sounds fresher and more experimental than most of the new crap Ive heard lately. Singer Jeff Morrison sounds so much like David Byrne that its downright hair-raising. Home and Garden create whimsical, psychotic realms of atmosphere, taking their thrift-store grab-bag of random noisemakers and just doing whatever the hell they want. Its danceable; its bizarre; its a virtual cornucopia of auditory delights ready to be harvested. Its schizophresh! Jamila Roehrig

Judas Priest
The Essential
Columbia
Street Date: 05.09
Judas Priest = the metal that inspired a million shredders and screamers
Not to get all Chuck Klosterman on you, but Ive enjoyed Judas Priest ever since I saw the video for Youve Got Another Thing Comin at the tender age of thirteen. This double-disc suits my needs, as have all the classics and stuff I lost track of. However, since Im not a super fanatic, I had to sell both JP albums I owned for gas money a few years back. Ill let some forum kids give you their opinions. The coolest thing about it for me is that the pre-CBS era stuff is being included meaning from Sad Wings Of Destiny. Fuck, if youre going to do a best of, do it right and include shit from every album. Theres nothing off of Rocka Rolla. Looks like most fans that would consider this essential would already have all those tunes on their iPods. Songs they should have removed from this: Revolution, Hot Rocking. How about a rare tracks set? How about a live set? Lost tracks? Priest does rule though, and that's undeniable. Dave Madden

Killing Joke
Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell
Cooking Vinyl
Street: 04.18
Killing Joke = Ministry (circa 1989) + Sisters Of Mercy + Butthole Surfers
Killing Joke are still punching the world of pop music in its confused, weakening abdomen after nearly 30 years. Influencing the entire punk, goth, industrial, metal, post-modern and alternative rock scenes as one of the most underestimated entities of all time hasnt slowed their creative processes a bit. This album has a very driven, yet uncharacteristically melodic sound. Jaz Colemans voice still wails from the same menacing guts it always has, and the buffet of creative sound that stretches outside of any guitar-based rock bands boundaries just solidifies the fact that Killing Joke is far from dead or dull. There will always be a sense of brutality involved in their music, but its not to be mistaken for the clichs that haunt the metal and punk genres their brutality comes from simply meaning what they do and having the teeth to really sink into your head to prove it. Chuck Berrett

Koffin Kats
Straying from the Pack
Psychobilly*US
Street: 04.16
Koffin Kats = Samhain + Nekromantix + Bauhaus
The third release from these Detroit wild men is eight tracks of dark, evil psychobilly. With better production than their previous efforts, the Koffin Kats have really taken themselves to the next level. Vic Victors stand-up bass is phenomenal, his vocals are the perfect mix of growl and croon, and Tommy Koffins guitar work blends creepy melodies into bone-crushing rhythms. Songs like Buzz Kill Bitch, and For Hire show that this band has stepped beyond the regular psychobilly fare to create something highly original and exciting. You wont find this in stores; head on over to www.psychobilly.us to get this release. James Orme

Korpiklaani
Tales Along this Road
Napalm
Street: 05.23
Korpiklaani = drinking metal
Pronouncing the bands name may be a challenge, but enjoying it is another story. Violins, flute and accordion accompany a rhythmic folk-metal that conjures up images of men and women in a tavern dancing, beer flowing like a river. The Finnish groups name translates to Forest Clan, appropriate for a band that brings forth images of the past and snow-filled forests. Metal may get a reputation for being evil or negative, but nothing about Tales Along this Road suggests such a concept. It is as if Flogging Molly morphed into a metal band. Whenever a band incorporates their native influences into their music, it makes for an exotic experience, unique in every right. Jump into a realm that doesnt exist in America, let your brain dream of foreign thoughts, get your dancing shoes on and have a good time. Bryer Wharton

Mindless Self Indulgence
Straight to Video: The Remixes
Metropolis
Street Date: 05.09
Mindless Self Indulgence = the sagging sound of 90 percent of the Metropolis Records roster
How many of you really enjoy remix albums of a single song? I'll wager that even all four of you will grow tired of this album after three cuts. Despite the reconstruction by a whos-who of industrial masters like Front 242, Velvet Acid Christ, Combichrist and KMFDM, Mindless Self Indulgences original "Straight to Video" remains the same for the 70-minute entirety of the album. Add six more minutes onto that for the included instrumental and a cappella tracks and tools so fans can create their own remix. None of the remixers deviate very far from the grinding 4/4 industrial/EBM template, but thats fine. The music isnt the problem. Somewhere in the contract, Metropolis must have said, Please follow the verse/chorus/verse of the original vocals. A little distortion here and a smattering of vocoding there does not the redundancy break! Haujobb (featuring MC Mythos) and Bro Peezy slather on a hip-hop slant, but both mixes are tucked too close to the end of the album to make much of a difference after 40 choruses of like a bad girl straight to video. This is something for completists, but much too trying for mere passengers. Dave Madden

The Nillas
Homewrecker
The Planetary Group
Street: 04.25
The Nillas = Insane Clown Posse + Tweedle Dee (rapping) + the Jay Z and Linkin Park collaboration
Where my nillas at? Oh Christ, I cant believe I typed that. Whats worse I had to listen to this album from front to back. Thats right, folks! They jump, they crunk, they sing, they bling; theyre a perfect act for the 16-year-old Warped Tour ticket buyer. Homewrecker is filled with technical and live backbeat instrumentals. However, both emcees follow the same rhyme scheme and talk about the same infantile shit, almost resembling shock-rap. I cant take someone seriously when they rap hit the hoochie coochie! and then break into a nursery rhyme. These guys are emulating thecrunk genre and twisting it into an annoying sound that is unbearable to listen to. I became even more infuriated wondering how they even got a record deal. The sound of hardcore rock-rap is almost impossible to improve upon, and any attempt at such a bold step leaves this album rooted in annoyance. Lance Saunders

NOMO
New Tones
Ubiquity
Street Date: 05.09
NOMO = Eastern sensibilities + Western jazz
Unless you have the skills to back it up, when you use the words new tones to describe your music you will likely get your ass kicked on any continent. Fortunately, NOMO does indeed possess the eclectic chops and talent to nurture that claim. Dropping everything from trumpet to Fender Rhodes, to electric saw-blade-gamelan and other homemade percussion instruments, this octet steams through their version of jazz, a chronicle that effortlessly looks back yet moves forward into peculiar territories. Their only cover is a swaggering version of Joanna Newsoms The Book of Right-On, if that gives you any indication. They address verses, choruses, heads, hum-worthy melodies and standards. yet infect them with uncharacteristic orchestration, micro-tonal counter-melodies, tricky horn writing, hard-ass funk, subtle electronic manipulation, amplified and overdriven acoustics, intriguing rhythmic tension and analog synth work. This is an equal mix of Steely Dan, Meat Beat Manifesto, Stevie Wonder, Konomo No. 1, Miles Davis circa On the Corner, a Salsa band in a muggy Puerto Rican bar and a Balinese orchestra. NOMO is the sound of todays jazz. New tones indeed! Dave Madden

No Neck Blues Band and Embryo
EmbryoNNCK
Staubgold
Street: 04.18
No Neck Blues Band and Embryo = Ash Ra + whatever Goethe would listen to if he were alive
The great thing about this brand of record is the vivid mental picture of 13 stringy dudes resting on Persian rugs in a dilapidated warehouse full of instruments you couldnt name if you had a gun to your head, plucking away to high heaven. Appropriately, the coupling of No Neck Blues Bands heavy, free psychedelia with Embryos penchant for Middle-Eastern tinged Kraut-rock produces that peculiar religious ambience you assume was present in the recording studio. Overall, the record is remarkably more refined (and dare I say, gentle) that it seems on paper. Compared to NNBBs angular skyscrapers of sound, this effort plays out like a Gothic cathedral, ethereal and mysteriously uplifting. This is an experimental gospel; a cosmic connection of the most sincere quality. Justin Thomas Burch

Ocrilim
Anoint
I and Ear
Street Date: 05.23
Ocrilim = Orthrelm / Crom Tech + Glen Branca + Yngwei Malmsteen long hair dudes
More of a symphonic composition than his previous projects, guitarist Mick Barrs latest incarnation Ocrilim sounds somewhere between the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange and late-70s East-coast minimalist composers. The lack of percussion most definitely would be the main differentiation from aforementioned groups, creating a half-hour guitar solo experience. That being said, this album most definitely takes a trained ear to be appreciated fully, although anyone who has ever played a guitar would immediately appreciate its significance and virtuosity. The utilization of guitar sounds is nearly unprocessed; Micks ability to use unique scales and rhythms instead of banging on a bunch of pedals or parts of the instrument construct the entire feel of the album. I am pretty sure students will be listening to this in a jazz class at some university in the year 2050. Ryan Powers

None More Black
This Is Satire
Fat Wreck Chords
Street: 5.02
None More Black = rock n roll infused punk rock
With a slew of tour dates scheduled, a new album recorded and ready to go and two new group members, None More Blacks three year hiatus since their last Fat full length release is over. This Is Satire diversifies itself by pulling slightly away from a punk sound and veers toward more of a rock n roll vibe throughout the 13 tracks. The result of such a change of course is, well, interesting. Some of the songs like You Suck! But Your Peanut Butter Is OK, and With The Transit Coat On, follow a basic punk formula of short, fast, aggressive and to-the-point. Then there are songs like Majestic, and I See London, that are painfully and agonizingly slow and meander all over the place for what seems like eternities. Basically, if you like NMB you might be interested in hearing this new effort, otherwise dont bother. -Jeremy Wilkins

Percee P
Legendary Status
Stones Throw
Street: 04.25
Percee P = Prince Po + Jazzy J + Cold Crush
After working with countless artists and releasing dozens of 12s, Percee P has finally achieved what many thought would fade away. With guests like Planet Asia, Aesop Rock, Jurassic 5 and Jedi Mind Tricks, you can be assured that the lyrics contained are nothing short of amazing. However, there are about 11 tracks that can also be found on the collaborating artists albums. It seems Percee has been preserving every project he has been a part of and slapped them all on this CD. Some beats resemble sound-clash from the early hip-hop days in the Bronx and some are progressive enough to bring you back to the present in a smooth transition. Percee folds his style over every drum loop and bass thump with change-ups, punch lines, and a voice defining conviction. This album hits all the high points in his acclaimed career and stands out as a collection of collaboration from one of hip-hops most authoritative figures. Lance Saunders

Poetry on Record 1888-2006
98 Poets Reading their Work
Shout Factory
Street: 04.18
Poetry on Record = nothing you have ever heard before + wise warriors on picket fences
This astounding four-CD box set (beautifully packaged, I might add) is packed with personal-political polemic, pretty prose, passive punch lines, pleasurable poetry and possessed parodists reading their work in the way they want it to be read. It is the most comprehensive collection of the most important 20th century poets. The listener is able to hear the immortal voices of Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, e.e. cummings, T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Walt Whitman and (one of my personal favorites) Allen Ginsberg, among other equally talented poets. Every poem tells a story: from romanticism to modernism; from the Harlem Renaissance to black arts to hip-hop; from rhyme and meter to free verse; from lyric to narrative to epic and beyond. In Poetry on Record you can trace trends, transitions, and styles in all aspects of the English language. This is the most engrossing aggregation of its kind; soil yourself in jealousy that I had it before you. Lance Saunders

Queensryche
Operation: Mindcrime II
Rhino
Street: 04.04
Queensryche = Geoff Tate & Co. trying to relive their old glory
Returning with a sequel to the classic concept album Operation: Mindcrime from 1988, Queensryche have overcome odds and created an album that will be dissected by critics and fans alike. There are some decent songs on the new record, but most are horrid. Vocalist Geoff Tate has lost the power and demanding voice that he once had; now it just sounds like something crawled in his throat and died, leaving only a squeak. The records first single Im American is the only tune worth a shit on the record; it brings to mind the classic bands appeal that made them famous. Though not a huge fan of the band, I can still appreciate the timeless tunes that the band once created. The group has faltered lately, releasing poor album after poor album, as well as a solo record by the vocalist that reeked. The album contains a ton of filler; the majority of songs are slow and lack energy and inspiration. There is no doubt that the band can still play, but the songwriting is that of a struggling high-school band. Loyal fans will not lose faith in the band after this album, but as for the record obtaining previous glory, not a chance. (9.30, The Depot) Bryer Wharton

The Selmanaires
Here Comes the Selmanaires
International Hits
Street: 04.25
The Selmanaires = Talking Heads + The Kinks + Steve Miller et al.
The first track, Selmanaire Rock, does in fact rock. No one will argue with me, not even Jamila Roehrig. You can straight up ask her and she wont know what the fuck youre talking about, since she wasnt invited to SXSW. Youd be all like, so the first track totally effing rocks, I heard that In the Direction of Yes also rocks, albeit in a Velvet Underground-meets-Steve Miller sort of a way, and Lets Go There rocks with a bit of garage, but I also heard that sometimes they dont effing rock, like Cerulean Sky and Images, which smack of sentimentalism and redundancy. And then Jammy J would be all like what? And youd be all like so most of this album is pretty alright and Ill bet Ill probably like at least couple songs, but do I buy the fucking album or something? And then The Jamster would be like shut up, and then youd be all like, yeah okay. Andrew Jepsen

Sick Of It All
Death To Tyrants
Abacus
Street:
Sick Of It All = Original New York Hardcore
Twenty years, nine full-lengths, a handful of EPs and live records and Sick Of It All shows no signs of calling it quits anytime soon. These New York Hardcore pioneers have been the guiding light to more than a few hardcore and even metal bands and its no surprise why when listening to what theyve released and Death To Tyrants is no exception. SOIAs new album finds them reaching out with more political themes (hence the title) then ever before and its all done with the ferocity of freight train smashing through a brick wall. Theres no way to misinterpret the overlying message of the album because its lyrics are pounded into the skull with Lou Kollers vocal-grinding delivery mixed with mind-numbing drumming and guitars. Uprising Nation is without a doubt the best and most powerful track. Death To Tyrants is SOIA at their best and most angry. Period. -Jeremy C. Wilkins

Silent Civilian
Rebirth of the Temple
Mediaskare
Street: 05.02
Silent Civilian = Trivium + Killswitch Engage everything that was Spineshank
Miss Spineshank? Well folks, face it, they are gone. The vocalist, on the other hand, is not. Jonny Santos has continued with his style but slightly altered it. His screams are more reminiscent of metal-core acts of late. The clean vocals do resemble his Spineshank style, but are much more fine-tuned. The band may be a small three-piece, but is as heavy as most of the groups peers. Santos has also picked up the guitar, something he didnt do on the Spineshanks three electronic-infused nu-metal albums. The playing is tight and solos run rampant. The 13 cuts contained on the debut are razor sharp, but one cant help noticing the mediocrity and similarities to what many bands are putting forth today. The music is catchy for a moment but is not something to be savored. Curiosity lays claim as to why groups like to add chants of hey into songs. Im all for doing it live, but what is the necessity of adding it to the actual album? The kiddies will eat it up. Someone with more discriminating taste should ignore the obvious imitation. Bryer Wharton

Space Needle
Recordings 1994-1997
Eenie Meenie Records
Street: 05.30
Space Needle = Animal Collective + Coyote Hoods + Optimus Prime
The four-track and tape movements of the 80s and 90s were glorious times for independent music. A wider audience was able to produce their own recordings on their own terms. It is easy to forget the imperfect nature of these recordings when computer recordings have become so ubiquitous. This compilation of the relatively obscure East-coast noise/pop group Space Needle has once again opened my mind to the ideology of limits. The mid-90s was a time of recording technique expansion as technology was catching up with more accepted recording formats. Space Needle ignored all of this and decided to reach back in history for their recording techniques while reaching forward into the future of music experimentation. The result is a combination of pop and noise music that is peculiar but fascinating. This album is essential for anyone interested in the current state of the noise scene. Andrew Glassett

Sodom
S/T
SPV
Street: 04.21
Sodom = imbruing reverberation command
In the spirit of German thrash-metal, Sodom hangs right up there with their peers Kreator and Destruction. Similar but not the same, Sodom possesses the operation to stand alone as an influential source of pure thrash. Since their inception in the early 80s, the band has consistently delivered the goods under the direction of Tom Angelripper. The new self-titled release updates their sound for the new millennium yet retains all the classical elements of traditional thrash. Persistent speed, piercing vocals and intermingled melody permeate mosh-motivating tracks like Bibles and Guns and Lay Down the Law. This latest work marks yet another chapter in the bands successful career. Thrash has established itself as a timeless genre people will still be listening to when theyre 80. Bryer Wharton

Sunset Rubdown
Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Absolutely Kosher Records
Street Date: 05.02
Sunset Rubdown = Wolf Parade + Frog Eyes + David Bowie
This is the solo project of Spencer Krug, the keyboardist, vocalist and co-songwriter in Wolf Parade. It has to take balls to release your own solo project after co-writing Apologies to Queen Mary, arguably one of the best albums of 2005. The highlight of this album is Krugs songwriting. His keyboard leads the band through complex melodies and time signatures with a balance of pop elements and indie pretension. Throughout the album, Bowies influence lingers like one of the ghosts that litter Krugs lyrics. Only a few of the songs on the album are sleepers, but theyre always vindicated by Krugs knack for climax. The comparisons are bound to be harsh when this album is put beside Queen Mary, but with Sunset Rubdown, Krug is able to depart from the Wolf Parade paradigm and draw out the pop structure with more complex diversions. If youre a fan, this album is definitely worth owning. You also have to check out the impressive EP that they put out last January and the few extra tracks on their Myspace page. Sunset Rubdown will support Frog Eyes on tour this month, but unfortunately they wont make it to Salt Lake. Spencer Jenkins

Thee More Shallows
Monkey Vs. Shark EP
Turn Records
Street: 05.09
Thee More Shallows = Lambchop + Grandaddy
EPs are silly to me; what is the point of recording and producing seven songs when you can just record two or three more songs and release it as a full length? Thee More Shallows were destined to answer my conundrum with their most recent collection, Monkey Vs. Shark. The EP brings together some new material, a remake of an Al Green song and a remix of a song on their previous album More Deep Cuts done by up-and-coming indie electro-rock stars Odd Nodsam and Why?. The album is undoubtedly the burial ground for material that wouldnt fit onto one of their other releases, but holds its own as Thee More Shallows most experimental work. The songs work well together because of what they have in common as rejects of More Deep Cuts. Maybe they could almost be considered an addendum and/or a precursor to new recordings. Now I am just making things up to make me feel better about the whole EP situation. Andrew Glassett

Thievery Corporation
Versions
ESL Music
Street Date: 05.16
Thievery Corporation = your big brothers trance collection + your uncles jazz collection
I have to get over something; not all electronic music has to be groundbreaking or something I put on and scrutinize with my techie ears. Some of that mess serves more placated purposes, such as the soundtrack to a sepia-colored sky with wine in hand, or the beat that moves your ass to the dance-floor while you show off your carefully Pilates-sculpted midriff, or even just the tool to get your boo in the sack. Versions is perfect for all of these scenarios. TC mixes their funky, reggae, bossa nova and not-quite-trip-hop rhythms under string swells, subtle Mariachi trumpets and Fender Rhodes that interpret cuts by Nouvelle Vague, Astrud Gilberto and The Januaries, to name a few. The tracks run together with a mellifluous motion, putting you in a trance thats rarely broken by aesthetic standouts such as Strange Days and Dirty Little Secret by Sarah McLachlan. As much as my bias steers me from this sort of electronica, or as I call Banana Republic Music, the production is excellent. TC have worked hard to make these remixes their own and have done their homework on the subject of the cultures they explore. It is low on the innovation chain, but pleasant nonetheless. Dave Madden

Todd
Comes To Your House
Southern Records
Street: 05.16
Todd = a swift kick to the jugular, head, balls, shins, face all at the same time + Botch + High on Fire + Coalesce + Today is the Day
Say goodbye to your plate and glassware collection that you bought at the dollar store. Adios to your fabulous furniture purchased at Deseret Industries. Todd may not actually be in your house, but the record sure as hell can make it seem like they are throwing everything you hold dear around the inner corridors of home sweet home, and theyre enjoying every second of it. Like a buzz saw to the head, Todd eviscerates with noisy blasting furious rompers blurred with electronic murder. When not inundating with speed, Todd bludgeons with melding, slow hate-filled passages. Pop plenty of Excedrin and open up your door Todds come to pay a visit whether you like it or not. Bryer Wharton

U.S. Bombs
We Are The Problem
Sailors Grave Records
Street: 4.04
U.S. Bombs = Beer + Genuine punk rock
The last time I saw the U.S. Bombs, Duane Peters did a front flip off of the lifted platform the drums were on. It was amazing. However, it wasnt amazing because he landed the flip, because he didnt. He landed flat on his back. What was amazing was he jumped right in the middle of singing and when he hit the stage, he kept singing like nothing happened at all. We Are The Problem flows in much the same way. The songs are political and powerful, sung with true punk rock conviction and Peters and the Bombs perform with such force that theres no un-landed flip that could stop them. Heartbreak Motel is something of a jukebox/pub sing-a-long with a peppy piano and group vocals and is a nice addition to the Bombs music. We Are The Problem is a solid album from start to finish. This is a must for the record collection. -Jeremy C. Wilkins

V/A
Project: Bicycle
Ache
Street Date: 05.16
Project: Bicycle = bike sample + underrated studio masters
How do geeky musicians solve the oil crisis? They take a sample of a bicycle and pay homage to the most significant invention since 1800. Though the concept is deeply rooted in political, the artists keep the mood light-hearted. Its kind of hard to portray anything in a heavy-handed manner with a squeaky horn as your subject. Gear spins, thumb-bells, spoke-taps and lots of honk-honks are transformed into a gamut of styles. They range from disco to micro-house and the wildly experimental. Aelters stomps though Roul Brouill with the energy of pre-schoolers at a rave. Secret Mommy drops the tempo to head-nodding with their carefully dissected headphone masterpiece Gas Prices. Usk Niko, whose oeuvre suggests that this project was made for him, performs a more conversational work rife with squeaking miscommunications and shouts. Turntablists Greg Davis and Wobbly both offer a more serious experimentalist approach of plunderphonics and swirling effects. Jason Forrest spoils the mood, however, with the inclusion of Queen samples on closer Breaking Away, but this one slight misstep cant mess up perfection. Dave Madden

Volumen
Science Faction
Wantage USA
Street Date: 03.16
Volumen = Coach Whips + Fantomas + Ramones + Fireballs of Freedom Guitar Wolf
Volumen, along with several other bands from Missoula, have carved out a niche in underground rock that is hard to describe, much less equate to other current rock groups. A shameless melding of popular rock and unique instrumentation and themes, Science Faction is reminiscent of the same ideology used by Mike Patton in his various projects. However, the majority of the garage-rock songs need a little more dirt, the clean recording really takes away from the sound, and unnecessarily highlights the vocals; which are short of amazing. A lot of great elements are utilized in this album, but the overall feel is very studio-produced and could use some more live, loud sound. I dont think Volumen fans will be disappointed with this release; however, I dont find it to be their best work. Ryan Powers

Whirlwind Heat
Types of Wood
Brille
Street: 05.16
Whirlwind Heat = Velvet Underground + White Stripes + Cake + Gang of Four + punk that isnt Sum 41 or Anti-Flag
Hey, record labels! Stop fucking sending me ripped promo CDs that dont work in my CD player, alright? Then I have to listen to your CD at 3 a.m. in a friends car while we pretend to like each other and drink Jaritos outside of a decrepit Circle K surrounded by disillusioned junkies. So, whatever, Brille, alright? Good thing Types of Wood sounds a lot better than Hobo Circlejerks playing outside the car. And yes, this was a good analogy. No, it was not forced, trust me, the album is a lot like what I said. The lyrics are about ejaculation, lost loves and pity, much like the hobos. If Lou Reed had come out say, 20 years later, I think he would sound a lot like this. All the play, plus punk influence that doesnt actually mean plus sucking. Whirlwind Heats third album is another step forward, and even more amazing, since I noticed it while bums wrote Just married on our car with semen. Good album, fucking awful CD. Andrew Jeppson Jepsen

Zach Hill and Mick Barr
Shred Earthship
5 Rue Christine
Street: 05.09
Zach Hill and Mike Barr = Hella + Orthrelm interesting + everything wrong with noise music
Mick Barr, I just dont like you. I know youre good, what with your four notes and how you arrange them with originality. I could tell you were doing something different in each song with Crom-Tech despite the repetition. But youre fucking over my boy Zach Hill. Zachy boys skilled drumming, a la Nervous Cop, gets utterly obliterated by your redundant guitar. I would think this album would be a step forward for both guys, but instead its like peanut butter and mint-chocolate-chip ice cream. Why have 19 tracks when you only need a 15-second sample played over and over again for 45 minutes? Mick Barr, I need you to stop calling Zach Hill. If you can learn to respect his boundaries and let his drumming come out of the quagmire of your own desperate plucking, maybe you guys can get a Sno-Cone together while I watch. Otherwise youll just have to slump back home to Crom-tech and drink Dewars until you forget. Andrew Jeppson Jepsen