It’s albums like Midway Still’s latest (Go Team No Hope, their sixth LP, due out
March 18th) that keep me going and the very reason why I love music
so damn much. This band inspired me back
in the early 90s with their brand of punk rock, which was more in favor back in
the post-Nirvana haze, and now,
almost 25 years later, they’re about to unleash their best album yet!
In fact, when I listen to the frenetic
opener, “Wicked World,” I feel like I could be that hopeful younger kid rocking
out to “Wish” or “I Won’t Try” back when turning thirty seemed a world away
(not to mention forty). It’s
refreshing! Yet, at the same time, many
of their songs are written for the older, the downtrodden, and the
hopeless. There’s no reason why we can’t
pump our fists, play air guitar, and try to bounce around to instantly
memorable kick ass songs like “Where’s Your Sunshine?,” “Hey Summer,” and the
momentum gathering “Can’t Take It,” where drummer Declan Kelly goes about beating his drum set into submission (How does he
do it? My arms get tired just thinking
about it). The odd “Insect Limbs”
reminds of SST era Dinosaur Jr, as bandleader Paul Thomson adds a layer of strummed
acoustic guitar to the mix to lighten the sound a tiny bit inside the din of
buzzing electricity. Plus, like on their
last album (2012’s Always Ends),
there are two absolute stunners: the ultra-catchy “Only time Will Tell,” an
earworm that I never want to lose, and the sharp and stuttering “Don’t Walk
Away.” “Only Time Will Tell,” along with
the sort of ballad, “Next Life,” and the closing ode to the lost people of the
world: “Go Team No Hope,” would all make excellent feature songs in an updated John Hughes flick, where the
protagonists are still trying to find their way well into middle age. Actually, scratch that, this album is better
than that – the whole freaking thing should be played on repeat any time one
needs to turn the volume up to 11 and let loose.
I say this about a lot of criminally overlooked
musicians, but it amazes me that Midway Still aren’t more well known then they
are. Music this good – this addictive –
should be heard and enjoyed by the masses.
Dive in now before they decide to disappear on us again.
Oh my, did I
love China Drum from the mid-90s or so until they disappeared from view a few
years later!All of their incredible
singles and EPs leading up to their 1996 debut Goosefair were so stuffed with energy, excitement, and unstoppable
hooks!Don’t even get me started on
their frantic and absolutely electric second album Self Made Maniac, where the songs all flowed into one another –
turning it into an album that could not be turned off.Doing so was a massive crime (there was a
third album under the moniker The Drum,
which I missed entirely).The 90s was
when the UK punk scene exploded with amazing bands like China Drum, Midway Still,
Leatherface, Mega City Four, and Compulsion
and unlike here in the US, they were all unique in their own ways – avoiding
the sameness of the punk-pop Warped Tour
sound that wore out its welcome the second the Warped Tour was conceived.These UK bands were heavier, more
substantive and gifted with better songs.But this isn’t about who was better, this is about the fact that Midway
Still rejoined the fold a few years back with new material, and now, 25 years
after they began kicking ass, China Drum have graced us once again with some
new music – this simple limited edition two song 7” single.
The original
trio is back, but now bolstered with a second guitarist and a new drummer to
allow singer Adam Lee to be out in
front (I don’t know how Lee sang and played those frantic songs live, even
though I witnessed it once at the Satyricon
here in Portland).“Water” kicks in with some muscular mid tempo
drums and serious power chords letting us know that they are back to rock.Each verse grinds along open and spacious,
before the huge chorus kicks in with buzzing guitars and even some female
background vocals from Kate Stephenson,
the new drummer.This is the “sound of
water rushing past your ears” – refreshing as it washes over you.
On the flip,
“Kitty’s Burn” returns the band to their speedier selves and another one of those
killer sing-along choruses.For a three
minute song, it manages to be both hyper catchy, off-kilter with stuttering
drum fills between lines during each verse, and dynamic with a tempo changing
bridge.
This is a
solid reintroduction to a much missed band.Now let’s see what happens next.I sure hope this means they will continue to offer us new material.Now, I’ve gotta go crank up the old
collection and jump around the room.Excuse me.
It actually
took me about six listens to this album before I made it through to the
end.Generally about three songs in, I’d
fall asleep.This may sound like a
slight, but it’s actually quite a compliment.I struggle to sleep – often due to a restless and disruptive mind, so
having music that is so comforting and perfectly performed and recorded is a
very good thing.David Roback’s guitars
are so well played and the notes always seem to hit exactly as they should,
while Hope Sandoval’s beautiful Patsy
Cline inflected voice simply drifts me into a dreamy world, where maybe not
everything is hunky dory, but for this moment in time, everything happens to be
okay.When I ran across Mazzy Star’s “Common
Burn” 7” early in 2012, at first, I actually thought it was two songs from
their early 90s days unearthed for the first time, since the sounds were
exactly as I had always remembered them.Surprisingly, this was brand new material after being away for 16 years
and this album is the result of this reformation.What can I say about it?If you enjoyed any of their original three
albums, then you will like this.It will
act as an old lost friend who has come back into your life.It will remind you of whatever you were doing
at the time that this band first struck a chord inside of you.If this is a new introduction, then you are
in for a treat.Mazzy Star formed long
after the L.A. “paisley underground” had dissipated as a scene, but they drew
from the best of those bands by inflecting their soft mood music with blues,
country western, touches of psychedelics, folk and a remarkable melancholia all
filtered through a gothic mysticism.They capture a certain mood that is uniquely them and very easy to
like.
Strange Pleasures is the second full length from Still
Corners and it is a remarkably different direction, yet a comfortable
turn.While 2011’s Creatures of an Hour was an interesting take on 70s horror movie
soundtracks, with Tessa Murray’s haunting vocals and Greg Hughes’ scary
creep-tactic organs and loops, this new offering contains more gorgeously lush
dance numbers.There is still a bit of a
mysterious edge to their sound, but these songs are much more welcoming.This collection reminds a bit of the retro
80s electro pop of bands like M83, Washed Out, and even at times, Chairlift, but none of them have the
wonderful touch of Greg Hughes’ sterling guitar work, like that which appears
on the epic opener “The Trip.”There is
a definite mood going on here and “The Trip” sets it perfectly, as these songs
are made for driving or riding down an open road late at night completely lost
in the slow glide of the rhythm of the wheels turning.“Midnight Drive,” which should’ve been the
album’s closer, continues this theme to perfection and needs to be added to
anyone’s vehicle’s music machine.The
title track, “Beat City” and especially “Berlin Lovers,” have a definite Kraftwerk vibe underneath, the kind
that played its hand in Depeche Mode’s
early 80s work (especially 82’s A Broken
Frame and 83s Construction Time Again),
while the acoustic “Going Back to Strange” could be a Lanterns on the Lake number, and who can forget 2012’s 7”
headliner, the breathtaking rumbling and breathy “Fireflies”?In other words, Still Corners have actually
been on the move and have broadened their horizons without changing their
special touch that separates them from the rest.This comes highly recommended as company for
those lonely reflective nights on the road, or if you want to find yourself in
that frame of mind, this will transport you there.
Midway Still
have always been a well-too-kept secret.It is so great to have them back and active again, after such a brief
two album stint in the early 90s.Their
last two albums, 2010s Note to Selfand 2012’s Always
Ends, were remarkable reminders that their run was far from over.No matter how old I get, or lost in fluffy
winsome and atmospheric music, I still need shots of rock-n-roll adrenaline and
Midway Still always provide with a plethora of solid sing-a-long anthems.This eight song third album came as a big surprise.Apparently, Paul Thomson and company recorded this lost album in 1993
and for whatever reason; it never saw the light of day until now.Thankfully it has, if only in limited form –
directly through the band’s website (it still shows up on their website, but
I’m not sure if it’s still available.Maybe some sweet talking will be needed to secure a copy).It is a bit of a departure, but never shies
away from their knack for melody and huge sounding choruses.The songs here are longer, more stretched out
and crammed with multiple tempo changes, instead of their reliable three minute
torchers – although “Too Far Near” and “Hyperglide” would be at home with any
of their other work.“Pool of Fire” and
“Face It” gives us a down tempo side and the angry “To Hate, Every Day” fuels
this collection with a metallic edge and an incredible drum-fueled chorus (“and
my revulsion gives me reason to hate every day”).It is the massive sounding opener that really
kicks my ass though.“When You’re Wrong”
is one of their best songs ever and its just now seeing the light of day after
20 years!!Thomson’s guitar work here is
absolutely shredding and phenomenal and the song is always on the verge of
careening out of control.I see on their
website that they’ve also re-released an expanded edition of their stellar
debut album Dial Square – re-titled Redial, so if you’re trying to track
this CD down, you may as well order that one up as well.Thanks for this.
Elizabeth
Morris fronts the indie band Allo
Darlin,’ whose whirlwind and overwhelmingly touching second album, Europe, was my #2 pick from 2012.She has released, through Bandcamp, a bare bones four track digital
EP as a stopover before the next highly anticipated album.With “Tallulah” from Europe, she proved that she
can not only carry the sparest of arrangements, but thrive in them.Her voice is so rich and lovely that it’s
comforting simply to hear her sing.This
EP is made up of two solo piano songs and two acoustic guitar songs and is
jammed with her amazing storytelling, which mildly evokes the early 70s solo Paul Simon, whom she name checks on the
title track (“I had a bad dream last night / that Paul Simon died / and when I
woke up in the morning / I wanted to call you up and cry”).It is in this environment that her stories
pack the most emotional punch.The
opening “Young Republic” envisions a world where “guilt and fear and loss and
shame” are outlawed allowing her to lay herself bare and express her strong
feelings for someone, but she fully realizes that she cannot overcome the
reality of how scary it is to actually open oneself up to such a potential hurt
from being completely open (“and I realize that I’m playing the fool”).The aforementioned “Optimism” is similarly
heartbreaking, as she sings of feeling reluctant to express her feelings for
another during a chance encounter (“then I wrote your name in my notebook / I
had to check you were not looking / the most impressive person I’ve ever
met”).She sings of longing for this
person and needing to lean on them after her emotional dream, but cannot
confront them with her feelings in person (“I don’t know what to do when you
look at me straight in the eye”).It
seems as though the chorus is a message directed inward and comes off as both a
mild pep talk and defeatist (“And I said you’re too young / to give up on
optimism”).The first of the solo guitar
songs has a similar tone to her “Tallulah” with serious long distance
pining.In this case, she doubts that
she’ll ever be able to get beyond the idea of not ever seeing them again.The heartbreak is palpable as she sings of
growing old and never recovering.The
final song is a cover of a Wave Pictures
song, with whom her band toured extensively.The song fits her style beautifully, as she strips the original’s
country flair to its base and sings with that amazing voice which is
occasionally tinged by that emotional quiver that is so effectively
touching.This is a nice surprise to
enjoy while we patiently await the next Allo Darlin’ album.
When I first
fell for the Secret History, with 2008’s Desolation
Town EP, I felt I had stumbled upon the next great thing.When their debut LP came out in 2010, The World That Never Was, evidence was
piling up that this band, led by former My
Favorite indie stalwart Michael Grace Jr., was something pretty
special.Their blend of modern indie,
80s new wave, 70s glam, three main vocalists, and a whole lot of Catholicism
made for an exciting mix harrowing tales and a nice wide variety of musical
arrangements.Now that they’ve released
a second album, I feel that they have perfected their exciting little
niche.This is good stuff.What also strikes me, and I can’t believe I
hadn’t noticed this before, is that this music is ripe for a stage musical or
even a cinematic one.Depending on your
take of such things, this could be a massive compliment or a huge slap in the
face.I am not generally a fan of
musicals of any kind, but the internal short stories and sheer drama that
Grace’s lyrics provide so spectacularly, make the idea of streaming them into a
narrative an intriguing idea.Anyway,
that’s just an observation.As an album,
this is really fun to listen to.It
reminds me of going to concerts in the mid 80s, when it seemed (at least here
in Portland)
that so many barriers between cliques were non-existent.We could go to a show by a minor one hit
wonder and find ourselves mingling with CHR hit radio junkies, Goths, punks,
the older crowd, and of course the new wavers smoking cloves.This kind of music breaks those barriers,
which may be stronger than ever in some ways with the ability of people to shut
out anything they don’t like or don’t want to give a chance, and could, unite
us all.Okay, that’s a pipe dream, but
not a bad one to have and it feels like the Secret History have that kind of
ambition.Every song is titled in some
fashion after a name, so we get short stories about different characters as
told by Grace, Lisa Ronson, and Jaime Babic.“Sergio” was the first single from the album and acts as a perfect
introduction with its insistent bass-line, and Ronson’s plaintive vocal, as she
begins to question what her and this Sergio have been up to. She’s no longer sure that living on the edge
is something that she wants to be involved with anymore (“We stole the
future…your dogs are fed but we are not”).“Age of Victoria” comes on with a shaking and stuttering beat and a fun
groovy bass-line, but continues this theme of growing up and realizing that
there’s a point where youthful fun and abandon needs to turn into
responsibility, whether we like it or not.“Eleanor (The City & Sea)” is as catchy as this band can be with its
spectacular chorus and unusual instrumental twists and turns.The song is propulsive and exciting and tells
a tale of resolute independence, with the underpinnings of self-doubt as the
protagonists are on the run from what they’ve always known.“Age of Marianna” is a beautiful piano ballad
about loss and regret that is a nice musical break and a chance to take a
breath, despite the heavy subject matter.Meanwhile, “Anthony!” is a flashback of going dancing, carousing and
having fun, that has the same fun remembrances and airy vitality of the Kinks 80s hit “Come Dancing.”It will be interesting to see what this band
decides to do next, but I will definitely be on the lookout.
Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
(Barsuk)
Nada Surf’s sixth album (not counting 2010’s covers LP If I Had a Hi-Fi), comes along after four years away and has them sounding refreshed. 2008’s Lucky was a decent album, but a little stiff, and it turns out, not that memorable, which is a let down after their two best albums (2002’s Let Go and 2005’s The Weight is a Gift). Maybe doing the all-covers record gave them a little kick in the pants, because The Stars feels and sounds a lot more alive and loose and vibrant. Maybe it could also be the addition of a second guitarist in the valuable Doug Gillard (Death of Samantha, Cobra Verde, Guided by Voices, etc.) who adds a lot of depth and energy to this recording. When the opening “Clear Eye Clouded Mind” jump starts things, we are immediately welcomed to an added urgency with the extra guitar coloring. The production of the album is mixed with blurred edges in the same way that John Agnello’s work with Dinosaur Jr. does, which gives this a live feel. This works well and is a welcome sign after the hyper meticulous feel of their last album. The highlight here for me, personally, is the reflective “When I Was Young,” which works as a thesis for the bulk of the record overall. Here we find Matthew Caws thinking about his childhood in a dead moment of a late summer afternoon and how his life measures up to his old dreams of the future (“When I was young / I didn’t know if I was better off asleep or up / Now I’ve grown up / I wonder what was that world I was dreaming of”). We find references to lost youth everywhere and a strong desire to recapture the passion of it. “The Moon is Calling,” “No Snow on the Mountain” and “The Future” are all favorites on a consistently enjoyable record. Nada Surf’s sweet melodies will always be welcome.
(nadasurf.com)
Nada Surf-When I Was Young
29.
Black Tambourine OneTwoThreeFour 2x7” EP
(Slumberland)
What a huge surprise! I never ever thought we’d hear actual new Black Tambourine recordings ever again after they re-released their Complete Recordings a couple of years ago – which cleaned out the vaults! Yet, here we get a double 7” release with four brand new recordings, but not four brand new songs, because oddly enough, these are all covers of old Ramones songs. This is a band that never recorded an album – all of their songs appeared on vinyl singles and label compilations and there weren’t very many of them to begin with. Word has it that this recording was done for the 20th anniversary of the Chickfactor fanzine that vocalist Pam Berry helped create twenty some years ago. Anyway, the music is great! These are all inspired choices (i.e.: old Ramones song that I approve of) that fit right in the what Black Tambourine were best at – dreamy, buzzy, sometimes soft, but usually abrasive, short pop songs - in other words, a perfect setting for Ramones songs. This set opens with the “Rock-n-Roll High School” single “I Want You Around,” which along with “Do You Remember Rock-n-Roll Radio” was the first song I ever heard from that legendary band. Such good memories. Here, BT takes the acoustic strum of the original and stamps it with their own fuzzy atmospherics. The next two songs are culled from the Ramones’ second LP Leave Home with the dreamy “What’s Your Game,” and a cranked up version of “I Remember You.” Finally, Side D finds us touching on the most well known song of the bunch: “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” from 1976’s debut album. Here it sounds like a completely different song – a song that could’ve been found on BT’s By Tomorrow 7” EP back in 1991. This is a nice treat.
(slumberlandrecords.com)
Sometimes we all need a good old solid rock band to guide us through the days. Might I recommend the endlessly catchy and straight-ahead band Midway Still? They have been at this off and on for a long long time and have graced us with their 4th long-player. After returning from the obscurity of the early 90s haze of punk and rock out of the blue in 2010 with their 3rd, Note to Self (my 2010 #11 pick – seen here), I kind of figured that they’d disappear back into the ether again, while affirming that they’ve always been criminally overlooked. Yet, here they are with their seemingly effortless ability to write a narcotic laced chorus that leads to addictive repeated listens. This second “comeback” album has the sound of a band refreshed and inspired. Midway Still’s heavy power chords and pounding rhythm section drive us through a batch of angst ridden upbeat numbers that feel comfortingly familiar and fun. How can anyone deny the joys of hearing the big open hooks of songs like “This is How it Ends” – with its huge bring-it-on-home finale, or the frantic punk of “Miss You”? There’s also much to find from the stumbling forward press of “No Guarantees,” and the identifiable and angry “Seeing Red.” I love to simply crank these songs and rock out like a teenager again. The secret weapons on this one though are the mid tempo numbers “Left Behind” and “It’s Easy,” both of which beg to be massive summer time hits that blast from car stereos all over the globe in my strange imaginary world (apparently). The album closes with a cover of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky,” which continues Midway Still’s run of choice cover songs, and shows us that they are truly back, enjoying themselves and hopefully to stay for a little while this time! They’ve set up their own label and have already started reissuing some of their amazing back catalogue and some other bands as well! Check it out.
(midwaystill.com)
Midway Still-This Time
26.
Eux Autres Sun is Sunk EP
“Tilt the Crown” 7”
(Where it’s at is Where You Are)
It’s hard to believe that Eux Autres’ last album was in 2010 (my #19 pick for that year – seen here). It seems like I just took that CD off of my heavy rotation. Of course, that pretty much is true. Their succinct 60’s style pop is quite intoxicating and seems to get better over time. Sun is Sunk, their EP from early this year, picks up exactly where their third LP, Broken Bow, left off. Their sound is fuller now that brother and sister, Nicholas and Heather Larimer, have been joined by drummer Yoshi Nakamoto. This has opened up the songbook a bit. The low-fi two-piece days are past, allowing them to develop their old style classic pop sound. They manage to capture a similar reflective vibe that Amy Linton did with the Aisler’s Set (Yoshi’s former group) with the added bonus of two vocalists. All six songs here are strong with the best being “Right Again,” “Broken Record,” the closing “Ring Out” and the restless “Home Tonight.”
(euxautres.com)
The year ended with a very limited edition single courtesy of the seven sevens singles released by WIAIWYA records this year (see Standard Fare review as well). This three song 7” was a very nice surprise and continues these kids’ winning streak of catchy tunes. “Tilt the Crown” is a jaunty ray of November sunshine with its handclaps, tambourines and delightful chorus, while “Smollis Theme” is a short instrumental. “What it is” closes out this slab of colored vinyl with some interesting old organ sounds and soulful falsettos atop of a timeless piece of pop. This is a band that needs much more attention to their consistently great music. Check it out!
(wiaiwya-7777777.blogspot.com)
Eux Autres-Home Tonight
25.
School of Seven Bells
Ghostory
“Kiss Them for Me” 7”
(Ghostly International/Vagrant)
It was about 5:30 am, on this past Valentine’s Day, and I was driving a big rig on the Interstate taking supplies out to a rainy parking lot for a big work fundraiser and I had on the local “alternative” radio station KNRK. Surprisingly, they broke free of their weird post grunge, hard rock, nearly unchanged “alternative” playlist from their mid-90s creation to play an as of yet unreleased song by New York’s School of Seven Bells. I had only ever heard of them up to that point, but turned up the volume in that rare chance of hearing good new music on the radio. The song was the lead off from the third album, “The Night,” and it immediately got under my skin – in all the best of ways. The chiming guitars, grinding bass and ethereal vocals reminded me of the first time I had heard the Cocteau Twins as a middle schooler in the mid 80s. I loved it and had it stuck in my head for several weeks until it was finally released to the public. Despite the warmth in my heart for the pre-LP single, it took me a little longer to absorb the more electronic aspects of the full album. It’s not that I’m against keyboard driven songs and drum machines; it’s just that over time, I have found the more “human” instruments to provide a generally longer lasting shelf-life. Having said that, the clinical approach to many of these songs, began to reveal a nice fuzzy melodic center that melted its way into my psyche for many repeated listens. These songs are somehow danceable and dream-like while mostly firmly based in strong pop song structures. It is a pleasant noise that the beautiful Alejandra Deheza and Benjamin Curtis make that at times can hint at a less gritty and angry Curve. It still think they’ve found their best moments in the more straight-forward tunes like “The Night,” “Lafaye,” and the fun upbeat drive of “Scavenger,” as opposed to the cold computerized vocals of “Low Times” and “White Wind.” The album closes with the dreamy epic “When You Sing,” which amazingly swipes the dance beat from My Bloody Valentine’s groundbreaking “Soon” and provides a satisfying flourishing finale.
The Record Store Day limited 45 from these guys revealed a very nice cover version and live staple of Siouxsie and the Banshees, apparently underrated 1991 “hit,” “Kiss Them for Me.” I say underrated, because when Siouxsie released that song, I felt it was a devastating garish sellout from one of the most respectable women from the original punk/postpunk days I have always been so fixated on. But, at SVIIB’s show and with this single, this song sounds fantastic. I love the looping dual beats and am incredibly happy to have it. The B-side “When She Was Me” employs a more repetitive straight ahead dance beat similar to that of the Pet Shop Boys with their Introspective LP (think “I Want a Dog”) and it is catchy as hell. Why didn’t this make the album? I’m so happy I decided to turn up the radio that cold, dark, rainy holiday morning instead of switching it off.
(sviib.com)
School of Seven Bells-Lafaye
24.
Hospitality Hospitality
“The Drift” 7”
(Merge)
What a pleasant little debut! This is a sophisticated cosmopolitan sort of album that harkens towards big city lifestyles and crafty day jobs. Amber Papini fronts this New York trio (now a quartet) and her cutesy affected style of singing adds a fun whimsy and dreamlike quality to this collection. This all reminds me a little of the long lost and missed Suddenly, Tammy! from the mid 90s, if Beth Sorrentino played guitar instead of piano, while a couple of favorite tracks, like “Betty Wang” and the perfect “Liberal Arts” evoke a little bit of the baroque pop of Ivy. The album is brilliantly produced as all of the varied instruments (guitar, bass, drums, saxophones, strings, piano, keyboards, etc.) really pop. As a listener, it sounds like you’re completely surrounded and immersed by the dry and live sounding instruments. This is a promising and exciting debut.
Meanwhile, their much more recent recordings, released as a double A-side 45, find Hospitality hitting a looser rock-n-roll vibe and it brings an exciting edge. “The Drift” has Amber Papini taking on a kind of shouting faux British accent sing-speak style that feels like something from the early 80s British invasion, before the song drifts into a dreamy quiet middle and the finally closes with an instrumental jam session! Wow! Fantastic! The other A-side is a song written by producer and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Michel and it too is upbeat and alive with energy. With this new single the anticipation for new material only grows.
(mergerecords.com/artists/hospitality or facebook.com/hospitalitylives)
Hospitality-Friends of Friends
23.
The Frank and Walters Greenwich Mean Time
(Fifa)
I was first drawn to Irish band the Frank and Walters back in 1991 when they drew comparisons to first LP A House (whose singer, Dave Couse, also produced some of their work) with their early EPs on the fledgling Irish record label Setanta. I stayed when their punchy pop songs really caught me. I loved their energy and their somewhat sarcastic way with words. Now after so many years and a lot of albums, they have become pretty obscure on these shores. They disappeared in 2000, with the release of their fourth album Glass, an experiment with electronics that I stayed clear of. They’ve now put out two albums in the last twelve years and after the last, the strong record A Renewed Interest in Happiness, I thought they were finally gone for good. So, here we are, Greenwich Mean Time, is their sixth, and I have to say it is one of their best! To me their peak was with 1997’s The Grand Parade (and the shimmering “Indian Ocean” EP) and the heavy and emotional Beauty Becomes More Than Life (1999), after they dropped the sardonic fun and started making more heartfelt worldly music. This new one finds them recapturing their light-handed seemingly effortless melody stuffed guitar work. Their strength, as always, is the ability to craft hummable tunes and, of course, the good guy vocals of Paul Linehan who has an amazing way of expressing a wide emotional range. Many of these songs rival the best of their work from the late 90s, while the most upbeat songs, like the opener “Indie Love Song,” “20 Years,” and “The Clock,” all remind of their more light-hearted early years. This is a fine and welcome return from these veterans.
(frankandwalters.com)
The Frank & Walters-Indie Love Song
22.
Dinosaur Jr. I Bet on Sky
(Jagjaguwar)
I’m not sure what brought J Mascis and Lou Barlow back together, but it’s been quite a ride since they reformed the original line-up of Dinosaur (with drummer Murph) back in 2005. It didn’t seem possible due to the public animosity on display, especially from Barlow throughout his various touring indie incarnations. However, here we are with three strong albums in, several tours crisscrossing the globe and no sign of an end in sight. With I Bet On Sky, their tenth album overall, we find Dinosaur Jr. discovering some new territory to cover, which is a pleasant surprise. Check out the opening “Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know” and the subtle introduction of momentum keyboards underneath the strumming guitars (they still crunch heavy in the chorus), while the end of the song brings in a soft piano melody paired with Mascis’ feed backing guitar. It’s excellent. There are new touches of this expansion throughout. “Almost Fare” is driven by acoustics and a peaceful trance-inducing minor chord, while “I Know It All So Well,” finds some serious wah-wah guitar work and busy and loose drumming that feels brand new. Don’t be scared by these changes though, because this is still Dinosaur Jr. through and through and maybe their best album since the essentially Mascis solo outing Green Mind (check out the rocking “Pierce the Morning Rain” reminding a little of the sweeping power of “The Wagon”). Lou Barlow’s usual two song additions here for the first time don’t feel like he’s holding back, as they have in the past. “Rude” is a propulsive heartfelt driver that rivals some of his best early Sebadoh work, while “Recognition” truly feels like he’s working with the entire band, with the viciously tight bridge, wild drums and an epic Mascis guitar solo. I’d love to see them continue this upward trajectory.
(dinosaurjr.com)
Dinosaur Jr.-Watch the Corners
21.
Stars The North
(Soft Revolution/ATO)
What a relief this album is. After Stars’ last album, 2010’s The Five Ghosts, I was worried that they were running out of inspiration. Aside from a few songs, it never gelled with me. It also ways felt forced and lacking their trademark all in aspirations. They had been building and steadily improving with each album, from the Pet Shop Boys via The Smiths two piece debut Nightsongs in 2001 to the bigger pastures of 2003’s Heart and then peaking with 2004’s epic and orchestral Set Yourself on Fire. Ever since, the arc has been mildly downward, but hopefully, they bottomed out with The Five Ghosts. This 6th album feels refreshed and reinvigorated. Maybe that’s why The North simply appeared in stores with very little promotion or press, so they could re-introduce themselves to the world and begin again. Musically, they have always taken cues from various 80s pop and indie acts, but their stamp has always been the overwrought melodrama of singer Torquil Campbell and the cool and calming Amy Millan. They are both at their best when they sing together to create romantic narratives – generally of the longing or crumbling kind, as in the closer highpoint of “Walls,” or the outrageously cheesy and fun “Do You Want to Die Together?” The North is not anywhere near their pinnacle, but it reveals itself in a easy and relaxed manner, which is best represented in the oddly mixed together middle section of the album with the aforementioned “Do You Want to Die Together?,” the teenage slow dance “Light Changing Colour,” and electronic atmospheric “The Loose Ends Will Make Knots” – which act as a strange medley. This album for me, however, is front-loaded. My favorite tracks are the first five. The mid-tempo Human League-ish “The Theory of Relativity” kicks things off nicely with a narrative about growing up, while “Backlines” is a stuttering short pop song that explodes into a dreamy atmospheric chorus. That dreamy aspect is revisited on another Millan fronted “Through the Mines,” which is as close as they’ve come to hinting at the so-called shoegaze influence of bands like Lush since her “Ageless Beauty” in 2004. The title track acts as an ad hoc ode to their native Canada and its long winters, as does the piano ballad love song “The 400,” which is a dream song for a stage actor to over sing on Broadway! A song that should really be a hit though is their uplifting song “Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It.” It’s catchy as hell and has that magnificent New Order bass line at each bridge. So glad to have my Stars back.
(youarestars.com)
Stars-The Theory of Relativity
You can find the remainder of the Top 40 of 2012 via the following links:
