Trinkets – The Old Museum

Hailing from my old haunt Brisbane, Australia, Trinkets are a four-piece instrumental post-rock behemoth, and The Old Museum, their debut album, shines a bright light on a band with a long and hopefully successful road ahead of them. Recorded live at the Old Queensland Museum, a semi-Gothic glory that I used to walk by most days, The Old Museum captures Trinkets’ ethereal spirit, their cohesion lending itself to large-scale excursions into chaos, brought subtly back under control with a deft touch and a sublime understanding of their instruments.

Due to their emphasis on Jo Lack’s violin, early comparisons have brought up the name of The Dirty Three, Australia’s most well-known instrumental outfit, and home of Bad Seed’s violinist Warren Ellis. This initial judgement, however, fails to fully account for the scope and beauty that is laid out before the listener’s ears, and closer compatriots might be Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Calexico, or even Ennio Morricone’s more orchestral soundtracks. Track six, “Failed Businessmen,” sounds like a Paris, Texas out-take, guitar notes eked out over a threatening yet barely audible bass, mimicking the buildup of the tropical storms Brisbane’s summer is famous for, unleashing its vengeance over five minutes, and then, suddenly, gone. The 11 minutes plus of “Improvisation in E” trawls the limits of near-silent plucking to the ravages of an all-out assault on Thomas Madden’s bass, Ben Tolliday’s guitar, and Lack’s machine-gun-like violin, whilst drummer Gray knows exactly how to tentatively tap out the quietest rhythms that let the track ebb and flow to its graceful climax.

For a debut, live work, The Old Museum is an incredibly assured release, and its 67 minutes encompass realms of passion, peace, and sheer violence that when it’s all over and done with, you, like the audience, are left breathless by the fury yet wanting so much more. Trinkets are currently planning to record their next full-length release in the QLD rainforest, a challenge that, if this is anything to go by, will be just as rich and textured. Trinkets have managed to capture a cross-cut of sub-tropical life, where the veneer of lush beauty only barely covers the ground-swell of utter chaos residing beneath the canopy. The Old Museum is truly magnificent.

The Old Museum can be purchased for $15.95 (Australian dollars, which equals around $8.50 US) by contacting Ben Tolliday at btolliday@operaqld.org.au.

Various Artists – Redefine the Rockstar, Vol. 5

Usually, every compilation has at least a couple of bands that you’ve heard of before. However, when I received Redefine the Rockstar, that wasn’t the case. The New York label, 3:16 Productions, self-dubbed as “The bottom line in underground and indie talent,” has assigned itself the purpose of putting out compilations chuck-full of unsigned bands (and they’re always accepting submissions, so check out their site). This particular volume of Redefine the Rockstar features songs from Stations, Gutter Poet, Born, Medea Connection, Burn Guitars, Putrid Flowers, 20 Oz. Nothing, Mylar, Aberdeen, Quadrant 77, Cryptic Visions, Kronically Inkorect, Feltsideout, NME, Excitebike, Sloth Frenzy, Jet Orange, Crambone and Seeing Red.

All right, let’s take this one band at a time. The Virginia-based Stations kick things off with “Domesticated,” a relatively well-produced, snotty punk track that is actually quite good, as compared to what I expected. Next comes Gutter Poet, a female-fronted hard rock band from Long Island that sounds like Tori Amos fronting Iron Maiden. Born follow, a Queens, New York hardcore band with just a touch of melody, and the duo that is Medea Connection, from Boston, Massachusetts, proceed them with a grunge/punk hybrid that is bound to kick any mosh pit into full gear. What comes next is the triple-bass sound of New York City’s Burn Guitars, which is rather lethargic and easily disposable. Bouncy rhythms, sing-along choruses, and catchy hooks are the trademark of old-school punk band The Putrid Flowers, and they’re followed by the generic metal sound of 20 Oz. Nothing. The chicks of Brooklyn, New York’s Mylar prove they can scream and rock out with the best of the boys in their genre, and they are followed by the odd, grungy rock stylings of Aberdeen, who are also from Brooklyn.

New York City’s Quadrant 77 stand out as one of the more unique bands here, blending funk, soul, and dance to create the instrumental, “Majenta,” but things quickly get back to the generic metal theme with Cryptic Visions. Kronically Inkorect take the rap metal sound and crank it up a few notches but still fail to impress, while Feltsideout do pretty much the same exact thing, only with a voice that sounds like that guy from Collective Soul on steroids. NME’s “Dinner Through a Straw” is a truly frightening digital metal romp, and Excitebike’s three-chord punk effort, “Finger Snappin,” sounds like a million other punk bands, but is still halfway tolerable. Patterns of Fiction provide more metal, but more in the 80s thrash vein than the other bands offered. Jet Orange stick out like a sore thumb in this testosterone-filled heap, with a quirky bossa nova beat blended with punk-rock aggression to create one of the better songs on the album. Crambone take the sound of someone like Rollins Band and blend it with a little funk, sounding kind of like a beefier version of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and New Jersey’s Seeing Red close things out with a Godsmack-esque, boring, modern-day metal track.

This compilation covers the whole spectrum, ranging from rock to metal to goth to punk and pop-punk to art-rock to hard-rock to alt-rock and more. Unfortunately, there aren’t many tracks here that would make you want to go check out these bands, but I guess that’s why they’re unsigned, right? Nonetheless, it’s good exposure and a chance for you to check out some possibly up-and-coming acts.

Garrison – Be a Criminal

Bear with me for just a minute, please. This will eventually make sense. At least I hope it will …
Picture the band Garrison as a blank Mr. Potato Head doll: just the potato, with no face or limbs. Laying next to this musical Mr. Potato Head is a pile of eyeballs, arms, legs, noses, hats, ears, and so on. Now, take the potato and add some black Doc Martin’s for a bit of the dark, stomping sound of a band like Quicksand. Then, give it flailing arms, capable of the screeching guitar work and spastic rhythmic experimentation of someone like At the Drive-In. Next, Mr. Potato Head needs a few tattoos, preferably of sexy ladies, which will help him achieve the edgy punk-rock sound of a band like Face to Face. Lastly, we give our little man a t-shirt with the eye-catching logo of any popular skate or surfboard company, to give him just a touch of that oh-so-trendy melodic pop-punk appeal. Then, you let this little bastard go into the studio and cut a record. The result would be something like Garrison’s Be a Criminal.
A Boston four-piece with a penchant for crime and deviance, Garrison have been around since 1998, infecting people with their pissed off yet intelligent brand of punk rock. They take the best parts of multiple genres and craft them together in a sinister yet poppy fashion. And it doesn’t hurt that the fury of the band and the polish of the production blend together quite nicely. The first track, “Recognize an Opportunity,” is unrelenting in its off-kilter punk rock fury, and it raises the bar for the nine tracks that follow, which all seem to be up to the challenge. “AND I THINK I HEARD ABOUT IT ON THE RADIO!” You’ll just have to listen to understand. “Choose a Weapon” follows, proving that the first track wasn’t a fluke, with its intense, foot-stomping energy. Even more standard, straightforward punk songs like “Focus, Focus, Focus” and slower tracks like “Commit, Commit, Commit” don’t even come close to the brink of boredom. Those two tracks are also examples of the odd song titles that the band plays around with, while others include “Dump the Body,” “Catch Your Breath and Have a Cigarette,” and “Accept What You’ve Done, Accept Who You Are.” “I COULD POINT A FINGER, BUT I’D RATHER POINT A GUN!”
Anyway, you get the point. Be a Criminal is crisper and clearer than any of the band’s previous releases, but they continue with their dark and disturbing themes of everything from petty crime to crimes against all of humanity. This is the type of aggressive, loud punk-rock that will cause your parents to wonder about your sanity and how much of it you have left. But for you, this will be the type of listening experience that will have you pouncing around your room, air guitar in hand, screaming along.

Various Artists – Coming Up: Independent Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney

This is the second of two CD tributes to one of the greatest songwriters in the history of rock, Paul McCartney. The first disc, Listen to What the Man Said, featured an excellent array of McCartney solo classics performed by artists such as Matthew Sweet and the Barenaked Ladies. That disc focused on bands from either the major label ranks, or bands about to be there due to their success in the indie scene. Coming Up is a nice companion to the first disc as it features all independent artists. These are groups and performers who are on their way up in the music scene but have not gotten quite the same amount of attention. This disc gives them a great chance to show off their talents by paying tribute to the pop virtuoso.

As with the first CD tribute, the majority of the tracks on Coming Up are solid covers that keep the spirit of McCartney’s tunes intact. Not every track is a must hear, but there are many solid attempts to equal McCartney. If nothing else, none of the attempts will bore the listener. A few of the versions may even brighten one’s day.

While every song is worth a listen, about half of the tracks stand out above the rest. The first track, “Let ‘Em In,” is a rocking headnodder courtesy of Starbelly. The drums and bass continuously move the number along as the guitars cut in sharply to add to the rhythmic feel. Although not quite the equal of McCartney’s version, the song is a solid attempt and provides an excellent start to the disc. The Jellybricks deliver some reggae-tinged guitar at the start of “Take it Away.” The song then nicely flows into more straight-forward pop. They show what they have learned from McCartney and combine genres to bring forth a nice blend. Mark Bacino offers up an acoustic version of “Every Night.” Imagine sitting near a fireplace as the warm tones of the instruments and vocals put the listener in a very comfortable place. After hearing this version, one wonders why McCartney didn’t try more of his songs acoustically as they translate very well. Star Collector delivers with the anthemic “My Brave Face.” They do a nice job of keeping one of McCartney’s catchiest numbers bouncy and fun. One can’t help but smile when this tune dances out of the speakers. “Mull of Kyntyre” gets a country-flavored treatment from Kyf Brewer. The cut drifts between traditional folk sounds, bagpipes, and a slight twang in the vocals. An interesting take. The Gadget White Band performs a happy, yet soulful “Maybe I’m Amazed.” The vocals are a bit too bluesy at points, and at times the song loses its pop roots, but overall the song is an enjoyable cover.

Having two entire CD tributes to one artist shows the massive influence that McCartney has had on the entire music scene. It’s almost as if he is a grandfather to all of these artists and now he can sit back in his rocking chair and take a look at all of his descendents. His influence covers all music. These two tribute CDs are more recent examples. Artists as different as Nirvana and even Boogie Down Productions have shown glimpses of McCartney flavor at different points in their careers. It seems that almost no musician from the last 35 years can deny McCartney and the Beatles influence, either directly or indirectly. Now, looking back at his lifetime of work, McCartney should sit back in that rocking chair, kick his feet up, and admire a job well done.

Rectangle – Bunker

The year is 1997, and Sonic Youth and Pavement stir fans of their very different, but equally influential, music to either start-up or join a band. In Urbana, Illinois, one such group of individuals eventually unifies, starts to practice, and performs as an entirely unique indie-rock group. In the years that have passed since this genesis, Rectangle’s original sound heard on their first, full-length release, Bunker, is as much a step forward for one band as it is a milestone for members Victor Cortez, Orion Layton, Matt Mitchell, and Timothy Read.

“The Bunker Song” starts off a loose, but cohesive record of appreciated recordings that give a solid nod to an admitted Pavement influence. Smart, quirky lyrics like “I can make it myself I can do anything / I make my own soup base without bullion cubes or anything / I’m well known in the bunker for my good chess games” bounce around a slightly tired song of guitar, drum, little tikes piano, and cello as if stated by Stephen Malkmus himself.

To leave the idea with you that Rectangle is simply making music with a singular influence would not be fair, and just the opposite can be heard on Bunker’s multi-regional appeal. Chapel Hill’s mighty influence is apparent in songs “Kilowatt Per Hour Counter” and “Angstroms Versus Hemispheres,” when Polvo-like song structures collide with an Archers of Loaf more straightforward brand of indie-rock. From the other side of the country, Rectangle also finds various influences from the Northwest, and perhaps that is on account of one member’s high, modest voice sounding similar to Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch. Certainly though, fans of the Northwest indie esteemed will find Rectangle’s own brand of eccentric indie-rock very appealing, and songs like “The Crow Flies in a Crooked Line,” “The Eights I See You Make,” “Polar Bear,” and “John Canoe” will sound completely new but not entirely unfamiliar.

At their most original, Rectangle compliment the very angular and guitar rocking “At The Facial Counter” with scratching and spinning turntables. This is perhaps the song from which Rectangle will continue to develop. This is not to say that they need turntables on every future song. Just the opposite in fact; take that element away from what is heard in “At The Facial Counter,” and you definitely have a band putting influences aside and stepping forward to establish their own sound. This sound I hope to hear again from Rectangle.

Soap Star Joe – Handstands for Love EP

Isn’t the best stuff always just an EP? This five-song glimpse of Sydney, Australia’s three-piece Soap Star Joe is short but sweet, lyrically and instrumentally. Youthful best describes this release in the best essence of the word. Like a gold memory that takes you back to the good and innocent times of love, friends, and cherished struggles overcome.
It opens with the pop-punk and catchy “Met Drunk in a Corner,” which surely sounds like an experience we all have had and derives a story in its title alone. I am down for titles like “Handstands for Your Love” and lyrics like “She’s my long island iced tea and I don’t care if it’s happy hour.” The photograph of the boys and their skateboards on the insert doesn’t hurt much either. I mostly enjoyed the honesty and the songwriting style and variety.
Soap Star Joe use a majority of indie-pop rock, but the best song is the third track, titled “Miranda Boy,” which, unlike a lot of poppier punk bands, is a wonderful slow song full of emotion and sincerity while singing about the stuck up kid at school and friends moving away. Lyrics like “Sitting with your knees all crossed, your knees are faced inwards. Looking like a coffee table that’s never been seated” make the song even better. It sounds like good advice delivered in a calm and soothing manor, and the arrangements and vocal track are great.
Only the fourth track, “Air Hockey,” doesn’t thrill me, and this is the only song that is also co-written with an outside source. It’s a bit faster then the rest of the album, and I just don’t feel like it fits in. It isn’t bad for fun, but I appreciated the other songs a lot more for their honest attitude and outlook. I feel like I can trust that this EP is a natural extension of what singer/songwriter/guitarist Mick Wilson is about. The keyboard and cello additions also add to the sound nicely, although the accents barley make an appearance.
Honestly, I’ve had this CD on rotation since I received it (not because I have to review it), and I’m not expecting a time soon where I will find something better to fill it’s spot. It’s very relative and nothing far and surpasses what every musician is instrumentally capable of, but the changes, build-ups, and lyrics really feel like home to me. There isn’t a level of immaturity when I say youthful, its just an acceptance, and an adult outlook that things are hard even if they are the same troubles we’ve been kicking around since our teen years. If I could suggest something to the label and the band it would be to stick with the melodic style of “Miranda Boy” and “Dance for You,” and I look forward very much to hearing more from Soap Star Joe.

Radio Berlin – The Selection Drone

A musician about my age – in his late-20’s – told me once that Prince’s Purple Rain was the most important album for his and my generation. For a while, musicians have been rejecting the scourge of 80’s music – that synth-driven punk-influenced pop sound that spawned sexual androgyny and breakdancing. Yet, just recently, there seems to be a resurgence of the innovate qualities of 80’s pop mingled with a more modern sensibility. That began to manifest itself through the resurrection of the keyboard in a prominent role in indie rock, and now synth-driven pop music is again making a comeback.

Perhaps the band that most wears their 80’s influences on their collective sleeves is the Nebraska-based band The Faint. Like that project, Radio Berlin’s influences appear seeped in heavy doses of New Order, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and, yes, even Prince. Radio Berlin would rather comparisons be made to The Cure or Joy Division, and those are apt as well. What’s important to note here, however, is that these songs clearly harken back to a time when new-wave was the rave and yet still manage to sound modern and urgent. Ah, the days of high school dances…

They didn’t play anything like “Change Your Mind” during my high school dances, however. This kind of urgent, angry combination of guitars and sung/spoken vocals sounds a bit too much like early punk and modern hardcore to really fit those dreamy keyboards, but the mix is definitely intriguing. They bring to mind the 80’s goth-rock bands like Modern English on up-beat but eerie songs like “Eyes Like Lenses” and the spacey yet epic-sounding “Electric Halls.” One of the band’s best efforts, “Glass Horizon” is a stellar example of the best new-wave styles and modern punk-influenced rock. More up-beat and danceable, “Kill the Moment” is more along the lines of The Faint, and it also demonstrates the band’s ability to change course in the line of a song, starting off with one style and continuing to a totally different feel. This happens on the mostly instrumental “The Sequence is Over” as well. “Twelve Fingers” takes off on an up-beat keyboard-driven track of pop that breaks down into a nice, gothic-style bass-filled interlude.

It’s important to note that this resurgence in new-wave and synth-driven pop/rock is not necessarily a new thing. The Faint have several albums under their belt, and Radio Berlin have been performing since 1998. There’s also the resurrection of interest in 80’s music in general to help gain more recognition for these types of bands. As someone who can barely stomach the pap on the local pop station turned 80’s revivalist, I’m relieved that these bands have taken the best of that era’s music and made it their own in a modern sensibility. Radio Berlin deserve to be at the forefront of this group. This is a spectacular album, urgent and momentous, but there’s no doubting they listened to a lot of Prince and Cure in their days.

The Witch Hazel Sound – The World, Then the Fireworks

I probably wouldn’t have bought this album based on any reviews I would have read, simply because any description of it wouldn’t sound like something I would normally enjoy. That being said, this will go down as one of my favorite releases of the year, undoubtedly, and perhaps the best purely pop album that I’ve heard in years.

The Witch Hazel Sound are clearly influenced by 60’s popsters like the Beach Boys and the Byrds, but they’re equally fitting into the more psychedelic pop circles of such Elephant 6 luminaries as Of Montreal and The Minders. Centered around their use of organ on every track and adding in horns to compliment the guitars and drums and perfectly smooth pop vocals, The Witch Hazel Sound have created music that’s light and fun yet intricate and freshly unique. Never before has something made me want to know all the lyrics so I can sing along and dance along at once on just the first listen, and this release just gets better with repeated spins.

The stellar opening “Music Becomes Vibration” has gorgeous, swirling keyboards/organs and beautiful female vocals that lend it a charming and light feel. It’s a nice introduction for the more 50’s influenced “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her,” with its smooth male vocals and slightly more up-tempo beat. The lyrics show their psychedelic bent: “maybe next year / or in the future / I’ll hold fast to her.” But the band also has a more playful side, as shown on “Fireworks,” which has hints of a Neutral Milk Hotel feel to it. Occasional spacey atmospherics merge with the wistful pop melodies and textures to give the band a dreamy feel ala Mercury Rev on songs like “Blue City,” and “Sun Horse Moon Horse,” in addition to sounding like the title of a Neil Young song, also has a strong acoustic element to its more subtle feel.

The light horns and poppy feel to “Kiss Tomorrow” is vintage 60’s, and it’s a wonderful pop song, perhaps my favorite on the album. “Halo of Brass” pours on the organ heavily, which works surprisingly well with such slick instrumentation and vocals. More than just the opening line, “Hello darkness fill my soul,” makes “Kiss Me Monster” sound like a folk-influenced pop song ala the Byrds. The light guitar and soft rhythm and vocals helps too. When the organs kick in and the song picks up, this turns into one of the coolest, most unique pop songs in recent memory. Again, the band shines on “Ballad of Constance Money,” perhaps the catchiest and more light-hearted, playful pop song on the release. The lyrics have a bit more of a serious side, however: “When you feel unhappy / there’s no pill to take its place / rely on empty promise / cut down the human race.” Piano and soft horn close the album with “The Boy with Green Hair.”

Sometimes the best music comes from areas you’d never expect. This album has been on constant rotation in my CD player, mostly for its relentlessly poppy and charming melodies and wonderful vocals. Catchy and fun yet dreamy and slick, this is a fantastic release that will make any Beach Boys or Elephant 6 fan swoon for sure.

Messyheads – Say Something Stupid EP

We’ve talked a lot about how the advent of new recording equipment, high-powered computers, and the Internet have made it possible for any single person with some musical talent and something to say to release an album. Sometimes, you get a singer/songwriter doing the whole pouring his heart out over an acoustic guitar thing, and sometimes you get an effort that sounds like a complete rock band. Also, at times you get one person trying to sound like a complete band and not quite making it.
That’s what happens with Messyheads. The project is basically New York City resident John Connor with the help of a few friends on various tracks. Using synthesized drums and a nice mix of electric and acoustic guitars, some of the songs here are quite good, showing off Connor’s ability to write a strong, emotional pop-rock song. Yet on others, he sounds like he’s moving into David Bowie territory, likely the result from too much reliance on equipment as opposed to organic instrumentation. And don’t even get me started on the reggae track…
The best track here is the title track, which I keep thinking should be written Say Something, Stupid (it’s not). This track has gorgeous guitar over drum machines and a light electronic beat. The guitars sound like a combination of acoustic and electric, and Connor’s vocals are stellar here, sounding like a rock star doing a quieter track. There’s a lot of emotion packed into his vocals, and that’s what makes this song so good. This one song alone convinced me to keep listening to this album, and it shows so much promise. It probably helps that he got some assistance from Daniel Ray (Ramones producer), Roger Murdock (King Missile), and Paul McQuillan (Hope Sandoval) among others on this track. Unfortunately, the sister lovers mix of the song included later on the album is good but not vastly different.
The rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to the title track. “The End of All Things” is nice and subdued, with the guitar subtly behind the rhythm and Connor’s vocals all deep and David Gray-ish, especially during the nice chorus. The drums sound real on “Don’t Care,” and piano and a more poppy beat make this song unique. Connor’s vocals aren’t mixed high enough in the mix, but this is a fun little song. With “The Answer is You,” Connor piles on the guitar and ups the tempo for the most rocking track here, sounding akin to a Replacements track. It drags on a bit long at over eight minutes, however. Then we get the extremely unfortunate almost seven-minute reggae track, “Take My Life.” Skip it and head to “Sh*teater,” a more electronic track, both in beats and the industrial-style vocals. There’s a hidden track, too, but it doesn’t add much.
Connor was previously in the Irish punk band The Golden Horde, and he’s clearly branched out with his own project. There’s definitely a British pop influence here, at times feeling like the 70’s punk-pop are just eeking in the corners of this release. That’s a good thing, and it makes his sound quite unique. The recording and production needs work, however. A bit better recording and more songs like “Say Something Stupid,” and this will be a phenomenal project.

The Hokkaido Concern – S/T EP

The Hokkaido Concern are a four-piece band from Philadelphia that plays instrumental, driving rock tunes. Their songs are all around three to four minutes, which is nice when most bands in this genre tend to go on and on for seven minutes of the same old thing, and they clearly have a lot of energy. Falling somewhere between the math-rock tendencies of Volta Do Mar and the instrumental rock of The Fucking Champs, The Hokkaido Concern are quite good.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a track listing for the album, so I’ll have to identify the tracks by number. The first song has a more melodic nature, and the focus is clearly the multiple guitar parts, that blend together nicely while still having a very distinct sound. It’s not till the end that they pick up a more math-rock pace and complexity. The second track is more urgent and rocking, the pace picking up a bit while the guitars again lead the way with blasts of riffs and nicely picked sections. Something about the rhythm makes me think of metal, although the song never quite goes that far. From there the band really speeds things up, pouring on blasts of guitar assault and high-powered drumming for their most powerful track.
The thing that sets this band apart is the multiple guitar parts that are clearly distinctive, unlike many bands that seem to play the same parts on multiple guitars. That’s especially evident on the fourth track, which has that electric guitar sound – crisp, pure, driving – that’s unmarred by the usual effects bands feel the need to pile on. A bit quieter, the next track has more melodic parts and a more calm approach with some kick-ass bass, and the EP finishes off more electronically. Suddenly, the rhythm is supplied by a drum machine and keyboards fill out the song. Only the bass keeps the song consistent with the rest of the album. It’s a nice change of pace, one I probably would have put in the middle instead of the end.
The Hokkaido Concern remind me more of the rock nature of The Fucking Champs than most of the complex instrumental bands I’ve been hearing lately. They don’t have all the jazzy elements of a band like Tortoise or the sheer complexity and ever-changing nature of Volta Do Mar. While they are clearly extremely talented and really know how to pour on the rock, I keep waiting for vocals. The songs don’t quite stand well enough on their own, yet. I think an instrumental band has to go an extra step or two if they’re not going to include vocals, and while this band is on the right track, they don’t quite take it far enough.

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