The Idaho Falls – House EP

Glance over at the name of this band. That’s a pretty geographically specific name, huh? The Idaho Falls. It’s kind of sweet, isn’t it? That these musicians love their hometown so much—they named their band after it. There’s just one catch, whatever could it be? Oh yes, they’re not actually from Idaho Falls; they’re from L.A. Stepping proud in a long line of California country pop acts, The Falls are busy shakin’ booties in the pine floor and sawdust set. Their previous LP (2002s Campfire) got the band attention beyond Southern California by putting the delicious blend of sweetly singing pedal steel, charming harmonies, acoustic strum, and rock riffage out for all to hear.

While they might still have the urge to get their rock on, it surfaces only once on this disc, with a fuzzy, psyched-out jam at the end of the epic lead track, “I Take a Drink and the Devil Does the Rest.” With the EP House, The Falls seem to be focusing more on pretty, catchy country numbers than heavy guitar hedonism. Led by the catchy roots-pop vocals of band founders Raymond Richards and Heather Goldberg, they reel effortlessly through all four tracks on the EP, nailing their parts with an effortless, laid-back vibe.

The second track, “Country Song,” is a much slower, light affair, as is “The Ballad of Horatio & Molly,” an incredibly trad number that skillful pedal steel and pop handclaps make memorable. On “Dead Horse,” the Falls get out all the hooks. Incredible harmonization, a catchy melody, and a rolling, shuffling rhythm make this an easy ride, as is the entire EP.

On all the tracks Greg Vincent (pedal steel), Roger Brogan (drums), Kevin Feyen (guitar), and David Koenig (bass) are so completely tasteful and appropriate it’s sick. Even on the first track when things progress into a 70s psychedelic rock area, their incredible skill makes it seem completely natural. For fans of modern country music (i.e. – not from Nashville), a trip to The Idaho Falls is a must.

Broken Hands for Brilliant Minds – Remember the Past, Respect the Future

Boring, boring, boring, boring, boring. Boring. There, I said it. In fact, I was so worried about not getting the message across that I thought that at least the first six words of this review should consist of the syllables “bo” and “ring.” Bo-ring.

Oh, and it’s not necessarily Broken Hands for Brilliant Minds’ fault. I mean, it was probably inevitable that the next low-key, drone-y post-rock band that I reviewed would elicit this kind of response. You see, myself and drone-rock have a long history together.

It all started with Mogwai’s Come On Die Young, which I bought used and cheap, mostly because I had heard good things about the band and the title of the album absolutely killed me. It was low-key, spindly post-rock music that bored the shit out of me every time I listened to it, but I assumed this was because I didn’t understand it. I went back to the roots: Slint. Now that was more like it: some vocals, some bombast, some energy. So I tried again. I got caught up in the mysticism and beautiful packaging of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion. I bought Mogwai’s Young Team. Now I understood.

I understood so well, in fact, that I started working my way into the Eastern minimalism of Sam Shalabi and the stretching, beautiful wash of Flying Saucer Attack. Which pretty much brings us up to date. So what’s the problem? Thing is, I don’t know. I still think highly of all of those bands (although releases from the Godspeed camp have been lacking in the past two years), and in some cases, I still listen to them as well. I just can’t bring myself to buy anymore ambient, wide-screen post-rock.

Broken Hands for Brilliant Minds excited me: the attractive blue-and gold print packaging and the Odd Halo Records logo stirred my bitter blood. The band excited me to the point where I was willing to overlook the childish album title, Remember the Past, Respect the Future, and ridiculous song names like “The Elfman Project.” Popping the disc in ratchets me violently to the first six words of the review.

Broken Hands for Brilliant Minds makes ambitious, sloth-like ambient music. There is no percussion. There are no “lead” instruments. Even mood shifts are few and far between: Clint Lister, the mind behind Broken Hands, seems totally content to let haunted-house whines and electronic creaks “dominate” the mix for 10 minutes at a time. I can’t even say much about individual songs, because they float so listlessly out of the speakers. I can tell you that the repeated, descending piano pattern on “Pickles and Pears” acts as sort of a proxy percussion, tethering the track and making it easily the most discernable. The rest of it doesn’t sound like psychedelic minimalism, or genre-pushing concept – it just sounds like noise.

Of course, sometimes, it doesn’t even sound like noise. The aforementioned “The Elfman Project” opens with 20 minutes of silence. Not a typo, folks: 20. I mean, what’s the fucking point? Is there some sort of high-concept art project behind all this? Like, “What kind of idiot will tune in for 20 minutes of nothingness?” Back when I listened to terrible metal music, the Deftones, of all bands, followed the last track on their album with 30 minutes of silence before launching into the “hidden” track. I didn’t like the wait time then, either, but at least the Deftones gave me a fully-formed rock song for my trouble.

There’s just not enough substance to work with here. Lister isn’t pushing any limits here: He’s simply indulging himself. There’s nothing on Remember the Past, Respect the Future that indicates a desire to be anything more than background music, which puts Lister’s musical ambitions on par with Enya’s. I can deal with experimental, ambient music, but it has to be gripping, creative, and well thought-out to hold my attention. Once you get past the packaging, there’s nothing here even remotely like that.

Antioch Arrow – Gems of Masochism

In the early 1990s, Gravity Records unleashed the post-punk/emo revolution, with Californian bands like Antioch Arrow, Heroin, Angelhair, Clickitat Ikatowi, and VSS. The music was chaotic and could be classified as “screamo” by today’s standards. However, when Gems of Masochism was first released in 1995, Antioch Arrow fans who loved the chaos created on past records stopped paying attention. (This could also be because back in the day, the band was accused by “the hipsters” as having more style than substance.) However, history has looked fondly upon the band, as seven years later, Three One G has reissued Gems of Masochism for all those who in the past years have “rediscovered” their love of art-core, emo, and hardcore.

Gems of Masochism is a drastic departure from the band’s previous harder, louder, more Gravity-esque releases to become darker and more melodic. The second track, “Too Bad,” is tribal, brooding, dark, piano-driven, and incredibly introspective and claustrophobic, bringing to mind early Sonic Youth, Birthday Party, and Lydia Lunch. Other songs blend elements of noisy hardcore guitar with cabaret piano like on “Gotta Love the Lights.” “Introducing Elizabeth” calmly begins quietly but builds to a noisy crescendo, combining elements of Wire’s minimalist guitars with free jazz.

Spastic and dark, Gems of Masochism comes just as it came seven years ago, with no re-mastering and no added footage, but it still stands by itself. If you want to see where screamo got started, here’s the blueprint. This is the best CD released by Antioch Arrow, so start here and see how the band strikes out to create its own sound. And see how the second-generation of bands of this ilk is letting us down by not using Antioch groundwork and building upon it.

Bethany Curve – Pool and the Shine

The Internet is a funny thing. Sometimes you can find bands purely by accident. Do a few random searches, and you’re bound to find a band with a name that somehow fits in. Well, I’ve been longing for the mid-90s textured shoegaze sound, and so I did a search on shoegaze bands, attempting to find a few bands doing it today. And wouldn’t you know, the obvious url – www.shoegaze.com – was linked to Bethany Curve.

This Santa Cruz, California, band has been making music for 10 years and has over five albums to its name. You’d think, after all that, I would have heard of the band before, but half the fun of doing these reviews is finding new bands worthy of attention. The band makes its style of shoegazer music with just guitars and drums, no keyboards apparently, which results in a very interesting and unique sound. The layers of guitars wash over you, at times indiscernible and at others quite clear.

“Pool and the Shine” is a gorgeous wash of sound, a textured lullaby if you will, softly flowing on shimmering layers of guitars and a rich, moody, melodic guitar line that composes the melody. When the vocals come in – suitably textured and pretty – the song manages to pick up some, but the whole track is decidedly laid back and subtle. The addition of angelic female vocal flourishes is a nice touch.

I’d like to hear more from Bethany Curve, but this is the only full mp3 I found online. Still, with so many albums available and a new one, Flaxen, released this year, I plan on seeking this project out.

Ballboy – Leave the Earth Behind and Take a Walk

The Scottish band Ballboy impressed me right from the go. Echoey guitars float in behind booming bass and drums, the vocals all echoed and dreamy, mixing a new-wave sound with lovely shoegaze, “Leave the Earth Behind and Take a Walk” is a lovely song.

The band has been making music since 1999, and “Leave the Earth Behind…” is from the foursome’s Girls are Better Than Boys EP. With three boys and one girl in the band, that title shows who must wear the pants. The formula here is perfect: washes of guitars, moving rhythm, layered vocals all echoey and pretty, and a song length at more than seven minutes.

One listen of “Leave the Earth Behind and Take a Walk” made me fall in love with Ballboy. The repeated line of “Are you happy with your life?” makes me swoon, and when the vocals come to prominence by the song’s end, I’m completely sold. It’s subtle and pretty, yet rich and moody, and in short it’s gorgeous Scottish dream-pop.

The Album Leaf – In a Safe Place

Once known as a side project for multi-instrumentalist Jimmy LaValle’s full-time gig, Tristeza, The Album Leaf has certainly eclipsed Tristeza’s prominence and become LaValle’s primary effort. Without a doubt, In a Safe Place is the album to catapult LaValle into global recognition, not just because it’s the project’s first for Sub Pop but also because it’s the most cohesive and expansive release yet.

For In a Safe Place, LaValle traveled to Iceland to record with Sigur Ros, who he opened for on Sigur Ros’ US tour. And it was a perfect fit, for while The Album Leaf’s flowing music seems perfectly suited for the cold Icelandic setting, Sigur Ros’ production efforts managed to bring out a new and even more impressive side of LaValle’s music.

Joined on this album by members of Sigur Ros, Mum, Amina (Sigur Ros’ string section), and Black Heart Procession, LaValle has crafted a brilliant release that manages to be soft and dreamy while more beat-intensive and intricate. It flows like his previous efforts, but it’s also more up-beat and likely more accessible. It also has LaValle trying out vocals, singing himself and featuring vocals from Sigur Ros’ Jon Thor Birgisson and Black Heart Procession’s Pall Jenkins. Yet he manages the change without compromising the unique Album Leaf sound.

The album opens with the softly flowing, ambient “Window,” a nice way to introduce the album and build into “Thule.” The beats start coming here, giving the song a more up-beat feel while the keyboards and atmospherics sway beautifully around the beats. “On Your Way” is the first appearance of LaValle’s vocals, and they add a new dimension to these songs while maintaining a delicate feel.

While the vocals and beats may liven up The Album Leaf’s decidedly atmospheric feel, LaValle certainly didn’t do away with the soft and dreamy numbers. “Twenty Two Fourteen” is soft and beautiful, some beats adding a unique flair to the ambient song, and “The Outer Banks” puts even more reliance on beats, giving it an Aphex Twin-style approach to accompany the lovely keyboards. The beats are especially fitting on the more upbeat and intense “Another Day,” perhaps my favorite instrumental on the album. And then LaValle forgoes the beats altogether, using acoustic guitar layered with soft strings on the absolutely gorgeous “Streamside.” The closer, “Moss Mountain Town,” is especially moody and soft, the beats gone as on the opener, letting the keyboards and strings take the focus.

Birgisson adds his unique, high-pitched, otherworldly voice to “Over the Pond,” sounding more like an instrument than vocals in a typical Sigur Ros approach. More vocals from LaValle come soft on “Eastern Glow,” another astoundingly beautiful track that makes the best use of the string section and allows the beats to be light and soft.

I don’t normally like going through every song on an album, but there’s not a single track that should be missed here. LaValle has changed things up with this release, adding vocals, more reliance on beats, strings, and brilliant production to make In a Safe Place not only the best Album Leaf album to date but one of the best albums of the year.

Peter Searcy – Couch Songs

From the second I received the album, I had a pretty good idea of what kind of music I was about to hear. There couldn’t be a more descriptive title for the album than Couch Songs. Aside from the occasional brush drums, subtle strings, or piano arrangements and doubling vocals, the whole album is predominantly Peter Searcy (singer of Squirrel Bait, Big Wheel, and Starbilly) and his acoustic guitar. The album was actually recorded in his basement nicknamed “The Litter Box” compliments of his cat.

(Adopting an announcer’s voice) “This episode of the O.C. features music from…Peter Searcy,” as the the album art flashes across the TV for millions of teenagers and 20-somethings across the nation to see. Laugh now, but when you hear this melodic, simple and very clean sounding album, you will understand why the first thing I thought of when I heard the first few songs, was how each song could fit seamlessly into an episode of Dawson’s Creek and/or The O.C. Cue up “Rewind” during a scene in which the two main characters realize that they’re soulmates and get back together after a recent breakup. Play “Loneliest Girl” during that dialogue-less montage for the outcast character searching for a place in her new town. Anyways, you get the idea.

This is sentimental stuff, mostly about girls and relationships, but it’s done with a simplicity that isn’t around much in mainstream music these days. The problem with this album is that it’s the same thing the whole way through. The tempo rarely changes, and you could probably set a metronome to it. So if you’re up for an album of medium paced, acoustic songs powered by Peter Searcy’s acoustic guitar and gentle voice, this might be the album for you.

The James Dean Trio – Getting Scary

It has been a long time since I was fooled into thinking a band would sound different than what I had imagined based on my assumptions regarding cover art alone. The James Dean Trio had me thinking it was some warped indie-rock band by the appearance of Getting Scary. I put the disc into my CD player and, wouldn’t you know it, out came metal. Not just any metal, but super metal. JDT has a vocalist that sounds like he’s been poked with Satan’s cattle prod a few times and loved every minute of it. The band has guitars that change time signatures at the clap of Lucifer’s paws. Complex drumming compliments the whole deal and ties everything into a nice evil little package. Did I mention that, aside from being strange, the artwork is really neat to boot?

“1971: A Year in Review” starts things off with some wicked riffs that seamlessly melt into a jazz-guitar break before coming back in via a heavy chugging part. “2XL on an African Safari” blasts forward with vicious tenacity. Ripping riffage blows through the song “Smee, Get in the Boo Box,” which has one of the best song titles that I’ve heard in a while right next to track seven on this record, “You Better Axe Somebody.”

It is difficult to understand how a band could keep up this pace for the duration of most long-playing records. The James Dean Trio eliminates this problem by keeping its full length short and sweet. Getting Scary lasts little more than 20 minutes but proves that it is plenty of time to annihilate your eardrums. Guitar parts lean over the edge of sanity while power drumming and singer John Terry’s manic vocals pry the world apart at its seams.

Admittedly, I no longer enjoy this type of metal because the scene has been flooded with so many mediocre bands in the past few years. The James Dean Trio could be the exception that brings the pendulum swinging back in the right direction. Many of the newer metal/hardcore bands lack originality and depth, something that JDT seems to have in spades. By keeping its appearance brief, it has managed to sustain my interest and relieve any preconceived notions of what I thought that metalcore had become. In a genre that has become so overgrown and lackluster (except for Converge), the James Dean Trio could be the future.

The Davenports – Hi-Tech Lowlife

The Davenports, almost a one-man act featuring Scott Klass (formerly of Smalltown Criers), assembled an all-star crew to aid in the compilation of the band’s sophomore release, Hi-Tech Lowlife. And the result is entirely entrancing.

The album amplifies the crooner/songwriter’s skill at delivering catchy hooks in a variety of pop styles while requiring seemingly little effort on Klass’ part. The title track employs a farfisa organ as Klass playfully delivers lyrics concerning the embarrassment of watching a favorite porn DVD. The song retains a tongue-in-cheek approach as Klass asserts that “black and blue thighs never looked so color rich.”

Imagine what might happen if Ben Folds and Elliott Smith had combined their individual pop brilliances. Something like “Eric Grey” might have been the result of such a collaboration. The tune coyly combines a somber minor melody and wends its way into a sunnier path, though only temporarily, to complete this pensively beautiful song.

Dan Miller of They Might Be Giants rocked the lead guitar on “Avery Girls,” a dancey number in the style of The Cars. This track particularly features the skilled hands and ears of producer Charles Newman, who has lent his talent to such bands as Flare and The Magnetic Fields. A high-heeled pacer provides the rhythmic background of the ditty and Klass and Newman’s collaborative musical brilliance ensues.

The delightfully simple “A Deadhead’s Lament” is an outstanding gem from Hi-Tech Lowlife with its gorgeous contours and vocal bends. Knee slaps serve as the gently driving percussive force behind this subtle pop ballad and a cello gracefully enters to provide a contrasting line with the vocals.

Hi-Tech Lowlife is the playful pop album of June. The Davenports continually dazzle the ears with the group’s innovative instrumentation and knack for melody. We shall see if the album holds out for the rest of summer, but at the very least, July and August surely have some tough competition ahead.

Son of the Velvet Rat – By My Side

Listening to By My Side, the debut solo album by Son of the Velvet Rat, one cannot help but try to match the musical timeline and puzzle pieces. Is this Austrian – real name Georg Altziebler – influenced more by Leonard Cohen’s morose poetry or Nick Drake’s sensitive melodies? Is Altziebler’s dramatic vocal persona a direct descendent of Bryan Ferry? Each artist brings particular talents, abilities, and personal attributes to his songs, and Altziebler is neither derivative nor completely devoid of similarities to the other three. By My Side possesses warmth, concern, sadness, and stark reality in an organic beauty that rests comfortably along the best work by Cohen, Drake, and Ferry.

This album of alienation opens with a troubling rumble quieted by Altziebler’s desperate but hopeful lyrics: “Can you see me / I’m standing at the gate / I call a friend and say / I know it’s late but / See I’m so confused / I need a place to stay / I hope he understands / I’m on my way / Sha la la la la la la I’m leaving you.” Altziebler’s voice is neither raspy nor slick. His quiver gives the deep tones an aural wisdom as he finishes “Leaving You” by addressing the left person’s perspective on the matter. The gentle organs that raise “Leaving You” feature less prominently on “Play a Ghost Note on My Soul,” as Altziebler hits your heart and memories with stripped, high singing. His stern, slow guitars balance the exposing lyrics and voice. As the song nears its end, it crawls, but Altziebler’s singing won’t let go of the listener.

“Phantom Song” combines a harmonica with lush singing and declarations of “I’m not afraid” slowly, somewhat confidently. Ingrid Moser joins Altziebler on background vocals, and “Phantom Song” sounds like the best song Ferry didn’t record for his most recent solo album, Frantic. It’s a gorgeous ode perfectly performed by Altziebler. Following the troubling instrumental, “Lunapark” (luna park is the international term for amusement parks), Altziebler offers the sad, romantic “Your Sweetest Smile.” He recalls Cohen based on lyrical and vocal choices, especially the important pauses. If the melodies fluctuated more, one could be forgiven for mistaking “Your Sweetest Smile” for a Tim Hardin cover. The guitar and harmonica are perfectly emotive on this Altziebler original.

“Holes” has a 60s feel and more vocal interplay between Altziebler and Moser. The song’s French flair supports its Cohenesque lyrics: “I wish your tongue would feel like pain / And cut my tongue in two / I would not have to speak no more / I’d leave it up to you / And I’d be still like I was born / A cold and bloodless stone / You’d be cold and bloodless too / And I could be alone.” Altziebler’s most desperate song is “I Just Don’t Know,” with the vocals distant and close at different parts. It’s a twisting narrative with an uncertain lyrical conclusion. “Pavé” is a short, direct instrumental befitting a suspenseful scene in a cinematic thriller.

The big surprise on By My Side is Altziebler’s reinvention of “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” I proudly admit that I love Paul Young’s 1983 cover of Joy Division’s classic on his own solo debut album, No Parlez. Young’s lush, romantic version was considered sacrilege by most reviewers, probably more so because of his typical pop-soul repertoire than the mere act of reworking a seemingly untouchable song by Ian Curtis and his mates. For his part, Altziebler has stripped the song down to its bare essence, without Curtis’ angst and Joy Division’s rumble, equally avoiding Young’s electronic sheen. Altziebler’s recording is much slower than the original performance of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and sounds like an intimate café confessional. The entire arrangement is significantly different from Joy Division’s version and lowers the emphasis on the chorus. Such moves by Altziebler show his guts and creativity. It’s a superb interpretation of the post-punk opus.

By My Side wraps up interestingly with “Are the Angels Pretty?” and “Reach Out,” the latter a menacing instrumental with a dangerous beat tempered only minimally by higher tones as it brings the album to a quiet close. The second to last track, “Are the Angels Pretty?” sounds like a dreamy one-off venture with Ferry singing and Drake strumming. While the voice recalls Roxy Music’s lead singer, the lyrics point toward the English folk genius: “Did you know where you were going / Can you see where you are / And is it really a cool place to be / Is it like you expected it to be / And are the angels pretty?” The song’s melody is gentle and simple, like something Drake would have recorded on Five Leaves Left or Bryter Layter.

Few albums focused on loneliness and lost love have hit as accurately with the immediacy of Son of the Velvet Rat’s By My Side. Almost completely solo, excepting Moser’s occasional background vocals, Altziebler has crafted a warm LP of gritty songs about life’s worries and darkest hours. His words, his melodies, his voice all complement one another and simultaneously welcome listeners into his world while soothing their emotional scars. By My Side is not a collection of depressing singles; rather, it’s a fluid, cathartic, aural masterpiece. To his considerable credit, Altziebler never wastes anybody’s time. He hits you with each note on first listen. That’s the best entry Son of the Velvet Rat could have made.

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