Hagpop – I Bid Them Farewell

Hagpop seems to be just some guy with a guitar/keyboard and a computer to record and twist some sounds around. It appears he has only recorded one song, like a collection of ideas which never quite came to fruition as a bigger project. These audio notes that he has taken conjure up a lot of images though, and they are almost beautiful in their simplicity. While not really a band or performance group (or even a fully realized singer-songwriter/solo artist), Hagpop is some enjoyable food for thought, andit is fun to stick on your soundtrack to a lazy summer day BBQ.

“I Bid Them Farewell” begins with a solo acoustic guitar and a man’s voice singing along under his breath almost inaudibly. Artificial room ambience is used effectively, giving the piece a dreamy reflective feel. After one round, the opening section begins to play over again with a watery chorus effect (the same one Medicine used on their contribution to the Crow Soundtrack). The effect lifts, and the guitar detunes and fades out. After an unusual moment of silence, something that could be the guitar (pitch shifted down several octaves) returns, playing what seems to be a different melody with a similar chord pattern. This gives the effect of having awaken into a dream or having now entered the viscous foggy past after a more lively stint in present time.

It will be interesting to see what, if anything, these brief and truncated musical ideas manifest themselves as in the context of a more serious investment of time and effort. The ability to capture or create mood is difficult for many artists. To listen to how effortlessly Hagpop applies colors to stress particular emotions is a pleasant experience, even in what appears to be an unfinished form.

Grandáma – I Woke Up

Grandáma’s music is a cup of hot soup, laced with codeine. The perfect soundtrack to a dreary overcast day, the band is uplifting in a subtle, almost lazy manner. “Shoegazer” labels are probably impossible to avoid with their thick dreamy sound and heavily strummed intro riffs. Allowing their tracks to reach their chorus reveals that the band is much more adept at songwriting and overlaying interesting melodies with contrasting layers of guitar than your typical MBV clone. Fairly well recorded, their latest songs have good separation of the rhythm and lead guitars as well as a nice thick bass to round out the sound. Drums are provided by a machine, and one wishes they would lay off the phase pedal a little bit at times, but otherwise this is an impressive debut.

“I Woke Up,” is drony headphone music with an insistent melancholy which brings to mind both Interpol or Spiritualized. The vocal track is painted over with a warm cloud of delay, and the rhythm guitars pump and churn without distinction. The lead guitar plucks out a melody that follows, precedes, and mirrors the vocals while threatening to dissolve back into the mix at any point. Rather than obviate the need for vocal melody, the guitar serves as a timbral counterpoint … a remote treble to the creamy omnipresence of the singing. In the chorus, the vocals are doubled, and the chord changes break up the relentless forward drive of the verse momentarily to revel (in a reserved way of course) in the hook. The lyrics match the atmosphere well, with references to falling back asleep and dreaming a complete world into existence. Rather than jarring awake, the singer (and the listener) is lulled back into a groggy (and a little druggy) state where dreams are perhaps better than reality.

The two songs that constitute their first limited CD single are available on their site. Judging from this material, if they get around to recording an LP, it has the potential to be one of the best releases of the year.

Various Artists – Estrus Double Dynomite Sampler, Vol. 3

Estrus Records, one of the pre-eminent labels in the Pacific Northwest, has been going strong for many years, serving up bold, gritty, and diverse rock and roll. No matter what sub-genre or category that you have a taste for – from surf to psychobilly – Estrus dishes it up with a growl. For the third volume of their Double Dynomite Sampler series, Estrus mimics one of the hallowed music traditions that they have helped to keep alive; the 7″ single. The comp is like getting 11 in one and never having to flip a slab of vinyl, a great introduction to the label and an excellent motivation to pick up some of the quality records they put out.
The album starts with two tracks from North Carolina band The Cherry Valence that provide great, somewhat raucous garage rock reminiscent of The Stooges or MC5. Fatal Flying Guillotines follow with their own pair of screamy, clangy, and highly danceable rock ‘n’ roll songs. Continuing the streak of arrhythmic, stop-and-go garage rock is the creepy folk-core group, Federation X. Their tracks bring a unique level of originality and quality production to the compilation. The Fireballs of Freedom supply pure power on the catchy rock tracks “We Dolt Everyday” and “The Halls of Sonic Splendor.” Gas Huffer changes the pace significantly with two straight-up punk songs that pack plenty of punch in their short timeframes. Gasoline follows up with rootsy sounding rock and roll that is full of guttural doleful vocals.
Liberal doses of feedback and deeply varying tempo changes characterize the stripped-down rock sound of Immortal Lee County Killers. Coming right on their tale is the simple surf-rock sounds of Man or Astroman? who contribute a smooth pair of laid-back songs that breaks the monotony of frenetic rock and roll. Monkeywrench continues to carry the slow-down torch on their songs “Black Plastic Tarp” and “Low on Air,” which each have a gut-wrenching bluesy element. The Soledad Brothers begin the ascent into rock and roll power with their unique brand of gritty garage rock. Finally, rounding out the comp in a wave of snarled vocals and eclectic arrhythmic bells and whistles are the two tracks by Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee.
While quite a few of the bands sound the same, this comp provides a pretty effective showcase of the talent on Estrus. For fans of true blue rock and roll, it doesn’t get much better, and it adequately informs listeners of each band’s sound. Including two songs from each group also helps to give a better idea of each artist and showcases the diverse talent that has been collected by Estrus. All in all, The Double Dynomite Sampler provides a raucous and full-spirited summertime listen. It’s only rock and roll, but I like it.

Pere Ubu – St Arkansas

Pere Ubu has held up surprisingly well for the past 11 albums. While it is likely that many a “hardcore” Ubu fan was turned off by the more poppy affairs of the late 80s and early 90s (particularly the straightforward Cloudland, even though it was an excellent album), the band has remained credible for its entire career. Though perhaps not as spastic as earlier works from the Pere Ubu catalog, St Arkansas sounds like the Pere Ubu that made the band so important. Sure, the album may not be as “artsy and abstract but still rocking and listenable” as The Modern Dance and Dub Housing, but it makes a worthwhile twelfth album. This far down the line, Pere Ubu has remained true to its sound.
But who cares about The Modern Dance and Dub Housing? It’s silly to compare this album to the band’s first two “classics.” Because, really, Pere Ubu’s entire career is rock-solid. Any avid follower will not be surprised to find that St Arkansas is a winner. After all, Pere Ubu is the most consistent band I can think of, especially considering they’ve been around since the mid-70s. I can imagine that most people who say that Pere Ubu went downhill after the first two albums have never even heard the other 10-ish albums. I mean, New Picnic Time was released in ‘79. How could it be that much worse if it has the same lineup and if it was released in the year that followed Dub Housing’s release? The fact is that it is on par with the previous two efforts. The remaining albums are strong as well. If 1998’s Pennsylvania was still in print then maybe music fans would buy it and realize that there is more to Pere Ubu than the first two albums. Fortunately, listeners are given a second chance with St Arkansas. If the fact that it features the original guitarist, Tom Herman, doesn’t sway you…
Off the bat I will say that there is really only one track that fails. Located at the album’s center, “Hell” is a little too sparse and uninteresting to hold my interest. The track is loosely held together by the pounding of a drum and by David Thomas talking instead of singing in his huggably high-pitched voice. An organ and EML synthesizer provide background atmosphere. Still, I favor a song that may not be as gripping as the rest over an ear-grater. And besides, I will argue that no Pere Ubu record has been without one song that left something to be desired. At least “Hell” contrasts with the buzzing synth-rocker “Lisbon” that follows. That song is no less than ominous.
“Steve” is another rocker that consists of a simple guitar lick with a bassline to match. Thomas sing-talks, “my brodda (brother) Danny / he walks in a zoo / he travels there daily / for something to do.” Of course the synths are as present and unpredictable as ever. For the record, St Arkansas plays with stereo sound, giving it a home-y feel. No instrument is ever drowned out by another. This makes for an album that is meant to be heard loud. “Phone Home Jonah” rocks for its two-minute and 39 second entirety. The bassline is to die for, and the guitars crash. And is that a horn that I hear in the background? The nine-minute album closer “Dark” works surprisingly well. The guitar, looming bass, and even lyrics are repetitious, but somehow it doesn’t matter. The song feels no more than five minutes in length. Thomas is as personal as ever as he croons, “All my friends don’t understand me / and my wife begins to fear / that I’ve lost some sense of balance / and I’ve lost a way to live.” Of course I don’t know Thomas personally, but I can sure understand his music.
So the latter half of the album is practically without flaw (“Where’s the truth” is a tad linear). The four songs before “Hell” are equally rewarding. The album opener, “The Fevered Dream of Hernando DeSoto,” is unrestrained. It improves with every listen as you are able to pick out more and more that is going on in the barrage of instruments. As the track abruptly comes to an end the blues-y “Slow Walking Daddy” kicks in. The mid-paced number relies on the (again) bass playing and the cabana-style organ. “Michele” is one of Pere Ubu’s odd whisper-over-noise messes that one cannot help but grow to love. Finally, “333″ is a four-minute masterpiece. If you’ve never heard Pere Ubu and wish to sample a song from St Arkansas, the bass-, guitar-, and drum-heavy “333″ is the song to get.
St Arkansas has an excellent sound. To my liking, the bass is always in the forefront. Like I always say, a bass needs to be heard. Then again, all the instruments tend to sound like they’re right next to the listener. Pere Ubu got it right from the start. But, more remarkably, they continue to do it right 27 years later. They even have that weird artwork thing going on. You know, all those colorful pictures with the bold fonts. Everything about the band clicks. I have confidence that it will continue to do so on upcoming releases, because we all know that there will be more to come.

Buffalo Tom – Besides

Whilst 2000’s Asides collection documented the most rocking and best remembered highlights from Buffalo Tom’s six studio albums to date, this sibling set of flipsides and obscurities shows a different side to Boston’s most enduring power-rock-trio.
It represents a looser, more experimental edge to their oeuvre. Which is, of course, a typical trait of many rock groups’ off-cuts – even when it comes to the wretched likes of Oasis. And as every hardy Buffalo Tom fan should know, the band can be stubbornly straight-laced in the choice of their own mainstream album and A-sides material. There’s always been too much of an obsession with cementing a ‘classic-rock’ character – a frustrating facet of a band that has otherwise been impeccable in making the ordinary feel extra-ordinary. So it’s fortunate that this 18-track rarities retrospective helps to reveal the hidden depths and dimensions of the Buffalo Tom back catalogue.
A scattered smattering of covers betray the band’s influences in a lopsided but amenable fashion. Some work brilliantly; notably an off-the-cuff live acoustic rendition of the early Stones’ scorcher “The Spider And The Fly,” a psyched-out sprawl through the Velvets’ “All Tomorrow’s Parties” and a brutally bashed-up live bawl through George Harrison’s “Wah-Wah.”
Another revelation on “Besides,” is that bassist Chris Colburn’s songs are horribly misrepresented on the band’s regular releases. Usually restricted to two or three lead vocals to Bill Janovitz’s seven or eight average per album, Chris’ songs normally slip into saccharine and cloying tweeness. Yet his cuts culled here are some of the most forceful and fulsome in his and indeed the group’s repertoire. Ranging from brightly-lit power-pop (“Witches”) to ambling acoustic balladry (“Butterscotch”) through to sweet shambling piano-driven playfulness (“Bumble Bee”).
But of course the band really does belong to Bill Janovitz’s passionate weathered larynx that perfectly embodies Buffalo Tom’s rugged romanticism. And it’s doubly potent here when the band strips back the heavy guitars. The previously unheard “Anchors Aweigh” shows how well the trio can adapt to astonishingly lovely atmospherics when they turn down the noise and “The Way Back” contradicts Bill Janovitz’s well-documented belief that an all-acoustic Buffalo Tom album wouldn’t work.
With all this talk of diversity put aside, there’s still room for some trademark trailblazing Tom numbers with Bill at the helm of his flotilla of guitars. So tuck into “Never Noticed” for meaty no nonsense indie-rock and “For All To See” for the band’s blend of melodic Hüsker Dü hardcore pop layered with electric and acoustic guitars.
Naturally, Besides has a few false-starters and a selection of stillborn ideas, and purists will no doubt besmirch the absence of additional oddities. However, as rarities compendiums go Besides is a remarkably comprehensive release that will warrant almost as much listening as a regular Buffalo Tom album. Moreover, it shows several avenues that the group could further explore should their self-imposed hiatus through solo records, nappies and proper jobs ever come to an end. Here’s hoping.

Sonic Youth – Murray Street

Sonic Youth. The very name evokes a pictorial sense of nostalgia: washing machines on blue shirts, candles, Muppets, blue jeans, slow-motion b/w videos; these genre defining images of the late 80s and early 90s will forever be imbedded in our brains. However, in the status quo, Sonic Youth is no longer the poster group of underground music. Its name has become synonymous with a transient generation that has since graduated college, found a dead-end job, settled for a mediocre spouse, and is battling alcoholism in a 12-step program. But where that generation traded its jeans for slacks and freedom for marriage, the band has continued to prolifically churn out music on a consistent basis, keeping critics and fans on their tippy-toes. Rather than images, Sonic Youth of present lets the music speak for itself.
From the late 90s up until now, most Sonic Youth releases have met with divided criticism; predicting if the album will receive praise or denunciation is near impossible. But despite the alienating potential of each release, the band has retained a devoted following and, more importantly, artistic credibility. With Murray Street – Sonic Youth’s 16th album – the band showcases its ability to funnel the sounds of the past into a fresh perspective. The album is the second release in the supposed trilogy of lower downtown Manhattan. NYC Ghosts & Flowers was the first, an album relegated to the used bins soon after its release. The band derived the title Murray Street from the location of their studio in New York. Around the release of NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Sonic Youth also erected its own record label, SYR, and released a series of avant-garde pieces dubbed SYR Musical Perspectives. Because these esoteric recordings are the band’s most recent releases, the question whether Murray Street is rock or avant-garde arises.
Upon the first few seconds of opener “The Empty Page,” you’ll realize that Sonic Youth has, in some ways, returned to its rock roots: it’s melodic, sophisticated, and extremely elegant. Most tracks are guitar-based, honing the melodic guitar lines and use of counterpoint heard on previous albums, such as Washing Machine (1995) and Daydream Nation (1988). This time around, the guitar usage seems less rambunctious and more focused. But the trademark guitar-induced feedback and catastrophic rhythms are not completely lost; they drag them into the fore on songs like “Karen Revisited.” It’s this brilliant execution of balance that has matured the most in their 20-plus years as a band.
I can only speculate that the biggest influence on Murray Street is imbued by the band’s recently added member: the prolific and omnipresent Jim O’Rourke. This addition isn’t surprising considering O’Rourke’s production and performance on SYR3 and SYR4: Goodbye 20th Century. But while those two releases dabbled in the avant-garde domain, O’Rourke’s newfound interest in the pop medium (see Insignifcance and Eureka) may have directed Sonic Youth toward the road of melodies again, which is, ironically, opposite of what he had done with artists like Wilco, John Fahey, Gastr Del Sol, and previous incarnations of Sonic Youth. Even the seven-song tracklisting seems like a signature stroke of O’Rourke. But these assumptions are as dubious as they are trivial because no matter what influenced the band, they don’t dilute the notion that Murray Street is one of the strongest and most poignant statements the band has issued in recent memory – at least in the rock sense. And subscribing to a seven-song length is very inviting opposed to the sometimes overbearing number of tracks on previous releases – just long enough to become entranced by the music and just short enough to curtail boredom.
Though O’Rourke’s production techniques are crisp and clear, the raw element that has become a necessary force in Sonic Youth’s previous albums is retained. Ranging from missed notes to out-of-tune guitars, the album has a palpable edge replete with a healthy cache of personality and enough bandwidth to cover a wide array of musical territory. Album closer “Sympathy for the Strawberry” is a perfect example of this indifferent musical style while still showcasing a transcendent quality. The song sounds simple and straightforward, but a high degree of complexity is also apparent, melding this dichotomy into a sophisticated and uplifting experience.
Adequately describing the music on Murray Street, without resorting to minute-by-minute analysis, is difficult: it’s not quite pop, and it’s not quite avant-garde. The avant-garde aspect of the album is heavily based on added sounds and song structures, and the pop side is primarily due to the melodic appeal of the singing and guitar riffs. Using inductive knowledge, one could say that it’s a blend between pop and avant-garde, yet it still doesn’t fairly describe the music. Maybe this inability to label the album is because of their constant genre-jumping; maybe it’s because each sound is used tastefully and never hackneyed; or maybe the reason is as simple as this: Sonic Youth has taken existing elements to create what can truly be called a new musical perspective in the rock domain, a feat that is often strived for but rarely ever achieved.

The Get Up Kids – On a Wire

I will be the first to admit that when I saw The Get Up Kids a few months ago and heard them crank out new song after new song, I was unimpressed. Actually, disappointed is a more appropriate word. Still, I tried to forget that while putting On a Wire into my stereo for the first time, and it worked.
Right from the start, it is obvious that this is a different band. There is temptation here to make some joke about how much more mature this album is than the band’s previous work, and whether or not they can call themselves The Get Up Kids anymore, but I’ll leave that for some other zine. “Overdue” is a dark and folky opener that makes you wonder if the wrong disc somehow got put in the case, but frontman Matt Pryor’s unmistakable vocals and tragic lyrics (“You’re a few years overdue / I spent them waiting here for you”) make you realize this is indeed the right album. “Stay Gone” is a little more upbeat, being one of the songs that closest resembles anything from Something to Write Home About, but with an irrefutable back porch twang to it, making it and countless other songs on the album sound more like Pryor’s solo work with The New Amsterdams than any previous Get Up Kids work.
“Let the Reigns Go Loose” shows off the talent of famed REM producer Scott Litt as it is crafted into a lush pop song suitable for adult contemporary radio. The jangly and throbbing “Fall from Grace” is one of the best songs offered, followed by the gritty “Grunge Pig,” which sounds as though it came straight from the garage, received a good coat of polish, and sent out the door. “High as the Moon” is a cutesy and bouncy little Beatle-esque tune, which shows off the new strategy of pushing James Dewees’ keyboards higher into the mix than ever before, often playing out an entire melody rather than just punching out a few notes here and there. “All that I Know” is a similarly chipper tune, with guitarist Jim Suptic taking over on lead vocals this time.
The sly and seductive title track builds around a throbbing bassline and Pryor’s scratchy vocals to create something perfect for late-night lounging, while “Wish You Were Here” is a pretty straightforward Midwestern rock love song. The nifty and lo-fi “Campfire Kansas” sounds like a demo, as if the band is trying to show it can craft a clever song whether in an expensive studio or sitting around a campfire. “The Worst Idea” competes with “Fall From Grace” for the title of best track here, showing off the band’s newfound sophistication in proper fashion, and closing things out is “Hannah Hold On,” another love song that wavers on the edge of sappiness.
Like The Promise Ring’s Wood/Water, On a Wire marks the completion of a band’s transition out of emo and into plain old pop. Sure, things like the punchy keyboards, dueling vocals, and overall aggression are gone and will be missed, but a band can’t keep writing the same songs over and over. The new textures here show The Get Up Kids have put some serious effort into their songwriting skills, and it seems to have paid off. From bouncy 60s pop to dirty 70s rock, there are influences and layers here that the younger indie rock kids won’t recognize, and so they’ll quickly dismiss the album altogether, with many of them blaming Vagrant, citing evidence like Saves the Day as proof that the label poisons its bands. But this is not a band trying to be something it is not; rather, it’s a band that has done some serious growing up since it started out with Four Minute Mile. And so what if some of the songs make you want to grab an acoustic guitar, build a campfire, and sing “Kumbaya?”

Secret Primper – Alliteration and You

Secret Primper’s style ranges all over the map. Instrumentally, the band is solid. The drums are consistent, though they could be a bit louder in the production mix. The guitars and bass are the best instruments on this record as they shine through raucous and rowdy. The main problem with this record is the vocals. On a few occasions they blend in, but the majority of the time they just do not flow with the rest of the band. It seems as if the singer is trying to hit too many different styles. One song its whiny, another song its more of a yell. Whatever the case, some work could be done to improve this area.
In terms of production, the record could have been a bit more smoothly handled. In some cases, the mix doesn’t quite seem right. The overall effect is that this record sounds more like a demo than a true full-length release.
“Blamed on Altitude” starts off with a solid blend of indie-rock chords and tight musicianship. However, when the vocals come in they sound quite off-key. It’s almost as if the vocalist is going for a Bob Dylan-esque whine, but that style does not fit in well with the material at hand. “Also-ran” is another solidly crafted cut that shows off the band’s talent. Again though, the vocals seem to need a bit of fine tuning before this song truly takes form.
“Safetylocked” is one track where the vocals are close to fitting the tone of the song. This cut is a bit lighter in mood, and the vocals follow suit and are slightly restrained, which makes this song a notch higher than the majority of the rest. “Declaration Day” gives off the same feel as well. If the rest of the record were a bit more honed down, the results would have been better.
Overall, Secret Primper has some potential. They prove that they can write solid indie rock on most of these tracks. They really only need some tweaking in terms of production and vocals. After that, the sky is the limit.

The Switch – S/T EP

The Switch are a five-piece band of college students coming out of Providence, R.I. The group of band members met in college and decided to get together and take a shot in music. They mix in some new-wave synth/keyboard sounds to their poppy music. This quick three-song EP, without titles, doesn’t really change from song to song, staying in the same musical territory through most of the disc.
The first track is a jumpy tune led by some chiming, rolling guitars, and soaring synth The vocals are sung in a squelched, choked manner that give way to some skittering synth chimes. Track two has the singer sounding like a more restrained Perry Farrel croak. This song also uses up-front floating and croaking synth squalls to lead the music on it’s journey. Track three has a fuller sound to it that isn’t as dominated by the synth, though it is clearly present. It attempt to reach a point that the band is not capable of attaining and falls short of its goal.
The Switch pull of the music pretty well but come out sounding too much like a lesser version of a band like The Get Up Kids. They use more synthesizer too brighten the music and to make it a little more compelling, but it is too restrained. It would be interesting too hear what the band would sound like if they would let go on more occasions. The music is not that bad, and with less restrain could be much more appealing and make better listening.

First Night on Earth – No One Knows Everything For Sure

First Night on Earth are a five piece dream pop/shoegazer band out of North Carolina. They are led by Wes Grasty formerly of Laburnum, but they have a much more pronounced shoegazer influence. The band harkens back to the glory days of British shoegazer bands like Ride, Chapterhouse, and My Bloody Valentine. They revel in feedback drenched washes with electronics thrown in.
“Misunderstood” is a cascading waterfall of sound with guitars crashing and electronic bleatings. The vocals come prominently over the sound, and they avoid being drowned out unlike some other groups. “The Thrill” carries a slower, simmering, cloud-like melody that is not as drenched in feedback and distortion. Tina Cargill’s backing vocals fit very nicely accompanying Grasty’s. “Someday” is hindered by some stiff drum programming, and bland programming and vocals.
“Get It Out” is a nice soaring psych-influenced song with spacey guitars and ever-present keyboards. The song soars along with the intertwining vocals wailing overhead. “I’ve Been Told” has a very good walking bass line while also utilizing effects laden guitarwork. “Tradition is Boring” uses blistering electronics and a wavering vocal effect to make for a different soundscape. The guitar flows on the top, throwing out haze filled shards of noise. The disc ends in a rehash of “Misunderstood” that doesn’t change much and only adds some effects.
First Night on Earth has a darker sound than many of the prior shoegazer bands and one that doesn’t really catch the listener. There are some limp moments, and it occasioally becomes grating though not terribly bothersome. They do their best when the music has more of a dreamy quality to it and reach for a higher quality mark. The music doesn’t have the majestic soaring qualities of some of the other like-style bands, which hurts them a little. The disc drags a little in spots and is a little limp – though a good listen, it isn’t very compelling.

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