Clawjob

Manifest Destiny

Recorded and mixed by Clawjob at The Winter Island in Brighton, MA and Short House in Somerville, MA | Mastered by Colin Sapp at Specialized Mastering

Descending into a subway tunnel was the perfect environment for my first listen of Clawjob’s Manifest Destiny. Opening with a haunting synthesizer and subdued vocals, the album soon explodes with instrumentation as dark as the story Clawjob tells – of human evolution post manifest destiny, of industrialization and spoiled hopes in the era of a broken American dream, but done from the point of view of the optimistic American. The first lines sung on the album are an ironic foreshadowing of its content: “Things weren’t always this way / Things weren’t always great.”

“Slice Me Up” charges in with an intricate arrangement of harmonic blasts and angular guitar spurts leaping between channels, while Nick Burgess screams in a vaguely predictable pattern. On first listen, the vocals are slightly more out of key than they are endearing – sometimes an asset to the type of proggy punk Clawjob play, but an initial detractor. As it sinks in, his voice makes more sense in the overall context; the arrangements absorb the melodies, rising as the focal point of the album. And although it’s sometimes hard to look past the vocals, everything makes sense with “Diamond Hoax” – a dirty mélange of Pixieish guitars and guttural vocals. Burgess offers his most convincing performance and his most engaging punk snarl, while a scathing lead rips apart the left channel and chugging power chords hold down the song’s body.

Manifest Destiny is an intelligent, expansive concept album of the sort not often seen, especially from the local scene. And although there are still a few kinks to be worked out (sometimes off-key vocals, awkward chord progressions) the album is more than the sum of its parts and a great indicator of what’s to come from Clawjob. (Creative Commons)

www.clawjob.com

-P. Nick Curran

Muy Cansado

Stars & Garters

Produced by Jon Lupfer at Q Division | Engineered by Jon Lupfer and Joe Tooley | Mastered by Matt Azevedo at M Works

Muy Cansado’s wastes no time in Stars & Garters, hitting the ground running and swinging for all they have. Lead singer/guitarist Chris Mulvey’s vocal delivery champions the first track as well as most of the ensuing ones. Mulvey puts himself through multiple vocal contortions, roaring and caterwauling and ranting his way through the program, nestled in a blanket of noisy guitar.

Bassist and vocal counterpart Lisa Libera provides a melodic counterpoint to Mulvey’s excitable vocals and guitar work.

The cool tones of her voice pop up in more than one chorus. Libera’s voice does not seem to be a “background vocal” in the classic sense of the word – her voice is loud as Mulvey’s, and she often has her own parts, whether it’s the cool “ooh-ooh-ooh” vocal interlude of “Revolution” or her “lead bass” work in third track “Couldn’t Have Said It Better.” Libera is the melody. Mulvey is the energy. Drummer David Fine serves as the fulcrum for the band, simultaneously propelling and keeping in place his bandmates.

The two leads of Muy Cansado do an admirable job of never getting into each others’ way. Rather, they work together effortlessly, especially in the chorus of the aforementioned “Couldn’t Have Said It Better,” which plays out like two separate congruent songs played in unison. This happens more than a few times – “Stockholm Syndrome” is another Magic Eye picture of a song with Libera and Mulvey doing different things but ending up in the same place nonetheless. Libera takes the lead for one song and it is a treat that displays both her finely-fingered bass work and her personality-laden vocals – one can hear Libera smile and smirk as she sings about leaving a trace of her fist across some poor soul’s face.

Muy Cansado is a noisy yet melodic high-speed trip through local streets and tunnels in a super-charged convertible with Mulvey, Libera and Fine all talking to you at once. At times it may seem that they are all saying different things, but in the end they are three parts of the same story. (Self-released)

www.muycansado.com

-C.D. Di Guardia

Corin Ashley

Songs from The Brill Bedroom

Recorded at The Brill Bedroom, Cambridge, MA | Additional recording by Roger Lavalee at Tremolo Lounge, | Mike Quinn at Moontower Studio, Cambridge, MA | Ducky Carlisle at Ice Station Zebra, Medford, MA | Mastered by Chris Zembower at M-Works

Corin Ashley’s Beatles fixation is obvious. He’s even recorded at Abbey Road Studios - and since that’s out of the way, I can say Songs from The Brill Bedroom is simply an amazing effort mixing Ashley’s clever lyrics, catchy melodies and folk yet ornate production.

Tunes like “Foolproof” and “Gin & Panic” are acoustic-driven gems with soaring choruses while “Hill School 1978” is a lush song about divorce with poignant lines such as “She demands all the period furniture / He’s bequeathed all the guns / What shall we do with the boy?” The song features some dramatic chord changes in mid-verse that are refreshingly unexpected.

The real highlights are the jaunty “Her Mercury Smile/Foggy Meltin’ Breakdown” and “Ladybug” with former featuring an ethereally saccharine verse/chorus. Also there’s a vocoder, which always takes guts and smarts to use properly.

“Ladybug” could be a 1965 Lennon/McCartney outtake if the writing credits didn’t prove me wrong with its saccharine pop mastery.

Production wise, Ashley gets some great sounds with layered keyboards, Jeff Lynne-esque (think “Free As A Bird”) detuned, thick snares, warm acoustic guitars, etc.

Songs from The Brill Bedroom is a sound effort from a guy who knows the craft of good pop music. The real question is, when are we going to hear those Abbey Road sessions? (Corin Ashley/Murray Hill Records)

www.myspace.com/brillbedroom

-Brian E. King

The Simple Carnival

Girls Aliens Food

Recorded by Jeff Boller at his home

Todd Rundgren + Burt Bacharach + Brian Wilson = The Simple Carnival’s Girls Aliens Food. High praise, indeed.

Besides the unnecessarily childish artwork - which almost cheapens the album – Jeff Boller, the one-man-band behind The Simple Carnival, has created a quirk-pop effort that shines with Boller’s at-home production complete with tingling tack pianos, bossa nova rhythms, effortless harmonies and unpredictable melodic twists.

“Flirt” is a bizarrely catchy groove with backward reverbed vocals and a catchy wordless refrain at the tail of the verse - a definite highlight.

The Jobim inspired “Over Coffee and Tea” sounds game show-ish but is has some pleasant melodies and homey lyrics.

“Misery” is easily the standout with a driving beat and call and response chorus punctuated with some nice synths. Boller’s vocals are very Rundgren-esque with a little blue-eyed soul (but not too much!). The middle-eight of the tune is an unexpectedly awesome snippet of phasered, spacey Rhodes and a strong turnaround.

Girls Aliens Food is an outstanding effort with lyrics seemingly about the one Boller can’t have/lost but the tunes and the production though played somewhat timidly and not with more energy. The lesson? Do not judge an album by its deceitfully goofball artwork. (Sundrift Records)

www.simplecarnival.com

-Brian E. King

Baker

Bike Ride

Produced by Baker | Recorded by Justin Pizzoferrato at Wellspring Sound in Action, MA | Mixed by Brian McTear at Miner Street Studios in Philadelphia, PA | Mastered by Paul Hammond and Paul Sinclair at Fat City Studios in Blue Bell, PA

Baker blends indie pop and Brit rock for an infectious - if sometimes unfinished - sound. Band members Conan Skyrme, Steve Lord, James Tracy, Nicole Boudreau and Andy Casey bring their influences together with a young, fast and versatile sound that’s still finding its foothold.

Their album Bike Ride begins with “Gotta Get Out Of This City,” a catchy, upbeat track. “Fingers” follows with a guitar riff reminiscent of Interpol, addictive and brooding. A standout track, it combines good vocals, great instrumentation and thoughtful lyrics.

Conan Skyrme, the vocalist, has enough depth to his voice, but maybe not the control required to belt out a song like “Autumn.” He does better on songs where his voice softly glides over music without competing for volume. The vocal harmonizing on “Autumn” also doesn’t work in a rock song, sounding more like a collegiate a cappella group.

The album recovers immediately with a strong beginning to “Lighthouse.” Skyrme’s British accent comes to the fore in “Reputation,” and the backing vocals work this time around. “All The Time” sounds like a continuation of the previous track, with even stronger accents, very much like the Arctic Monkeys.

“Perfect Day” is the track to watch for in the second half of the album, standing out with some piano flourishes, a thoughtful beat and clear vocals. The title track, a slow number with synthesizer sounds and soft vocals, reminds one of the collaboration The Postal Service. The album ends on a soft note with a dreamy “Crosshairs,” which builds into a climax of clashing guitars.

Bike Ride borrows inspiration from everywhere, with Skyrme’s vocals adapting to each song’s demands, and succeeding most of the time. The band offers a spectrum of sound that shows their youth; they haven’t found their signature sound yet. Through that versatility shines the talent of Baker. (Topshelf Records)

www.myspace.com/baker

-Priyanka Boghani

Stuntditch

Stuntditch

Recorded, engineered and produced by Walter Bass | Mastered by Tom Volpicelli

Stuntditch’s self-titled album spans an array of musical genres from rap-rock to reggae to punk rock. Musically, the band – consisting of Dom, John and Greg -- has potential and usually straddles different musical types without a problem. The lyrics are hit and miss. The fact that the Philadelphia quartet can’t settle on a single style seems to indicate that they are still growing and maturing as a band.

Maturity is an issue that is taken up directly on the second track of the album, “Consent,” which is about statutory rape. Subject matter aside, the song just doesn’t resonate – it has potential, but lyrics (ranging from assuring the conquest that VD isn’t a problem to “Fuck the law” to “In the end we’re all the same”) are almost too ridiculous to take seriously. “Tattooed Mother,” the most overt example of Stuntditch dabbling in rap-rock, is about a woman “who likes to party” and is also blessed with a “big blue bush, just like Krusty the clown,” which will make you laugh out loud. It makes me wonder if the band is trying too hard. “Broken Foot” is the band’s try for punk rock, and it falls flat. It could be that Walter Bass’ production is too clean, but believing that Stuntditch is a punk rock band is a hard sell.

“Army Of One” comes out of nowhere when put in the context of the rest of the album. Dom’s lyrics are solid but unconvincing. Like the rest of the album, “Army Of One” is built on a solid musical base – check out the bass and guitar solos on this track; they’re unexpected and are the highlights of the album.

Stuntditch comes across as a collection of singles that could be put out by a different band for each song. The fact that the band is actively trying to change its sound is admirable, and likely bodes well for future releases. But for the time being, Stuntditch would be best served locking down a single song and focusing their considerable talent on that pursuit. (Self-released)

www.stuntditch.com

-Brian Kraemer

Eroica

Hisen the Architect

Produced by Eroica | Mastered by Leon Janikian and Eroica | Recorded and Mixed at Side Two Studios

When one lifts the actual disc of Eroica’s Hisen the Architect from its digipack-nest, one reads a claim (or disclaimer) in small print: “This project is intended for documentation … each section comes from the one before it.” And while this suggests a concept record - and that’s what Hisen the Architect ostensibly is - this reviewer struggles to think of any decent record that is not both “documentation” of some kind and has songs that speak to one another.

The first track, titled “The Beginning of the End,” establishes what will be the story of the record: fully instrumental progressive rock jams that lead into one another, sometimes making demarcation of where one song ends and another begins difficult. This is no doubt done intentionally, and successfully so, but connecting to the overall emotional concepts that Eroica aims at communicating is sometimes challenging, especially with the absence of vocals.

“Panthalassa,” a 10-plus minute odyssey, ends with one of the record’s most satisfying rock breaks, soaked in delay and complete with an “Edge meets Hammett” solo and some nice feel changes. The untitled “[]” is the prettiest song on the record with gentle guitars, chimes, and a clean and comforting atmosphere. But this song, even more than the others, leaves the listener wishing that Eroica would hire a vocalist (preferably Billy Corgan, with hair, circa 1993).

Eroica’s Hisen the Architect is no doubt a collaborative musical expression that the band should be proud of. What Eroica captures (remember, the record is “documentation”), is a musical dialogue between the three members of the band. And while this can often make for the most warm, personal records, some of the songs on Hisen the Architect feel as though you are listening to a conversation you aren’t meant to understand. (self-released)

www.myspace.com/eroicamusic

-Andrew Sgro

The National Rifle

Wage Life

Recorded by Chris Pierce at Technical Ecstasy Studios in Milltown, NJ | Produced by Chris Pierce and The National Rifle | Mastered by Dan O’Hare

Trying to describe The National Rifle’s sound is difficult. Catchy? Yes. Upbeat? Certainly. Humorous? Definitely. The music maintains the same characteristics, yet the instruments change in timbre and type frequently, sometimes a great amount of times in the same song. The first track, “Baby Stole my Gun,” features a marimba effect on keys for one phrase. “Kickin’ Dogs” requires an organ and horn, while “Girls at the Clinic” even includes a saxophone, and “Crustache” boasts a synth and multiple percussion instruments. How do these peculiar instruments fit into indie rock? Quite well, actually.

There doesn’t seem to be a definitive, constant sound to the electric instrumentation. At times the guitar is simply playing light, clean chords, and at times kicking in the overdrive and rocking out. The effect quality to the eighth note strumming on the first track sounds majestic, and the echo on the palm muted intro is so subtle but so perfect. It gives the song a dreamy feature. Then during and after the chorus “I know you know / I know you know why,” we get a Strokes vibe, with light and choppy distortion. This band knows how to use pedal effects in their music. The bass follows pretty much the same: clean one moment, heavy the next and always just right. He’s getting all the tone he can out of that instrument. Vocally, the frontman’s voice is well suited to the style, with an offbeat, quirky approach to singing that truly fits. The drums (or percussion, rather) always sound crisp and clear, especially the floor tom part, and all these descriptions in sound are on just the first track.

To attempt to describe The National Rifle’s sound is futile. The sheer amount of instrumentation and changes in sound, while overall pleasing, is a mystery to those not in the know. Wage Life breaks all the rules, and then rebuilds them again in a fun, happy sound. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/thenationalrifle

-Sean Mahan

Bronze Radio Return

Bronze Radio Return

Produced, engineered and mixed by Doug Derryberry

It’s easy to tell when a band has been playing together for a long time. Each player feeds off the others and you can hear the resulting connection in their music. Bronze Radio Return has the tight, well-rehearsed musicianship of a seasoned blues-rock band, yet they are shockingly just a bunch of twenty-somethings.

Opening up with “Mirrors and Smoke,” listeners are introduced to a laid-back, youthful rock band that is best enjoyed on a summer night with a cold beer in hand. After listening to this first song, I placed the group in the category of MOR pop rock like Howie Day or even Matchbox Twenty.

However, I had to rethink this by the next track, “If The Roof Is Leaking,” which immediately obscured the earlier categorization as it opened with a big ol’ guitar twang. In a matter of seconds, BRR donned a cowboy hat and became a country rock band, with a sound similar to an upbeat Lyle Lovett.

The next song seems to be in direct response to John Mayer’s hit “Waiting For The World To Change.” “Don’t Wait Any More” features lyrics like, “There’s too many people in the world today / Waitin’ on the world to change / They’re standing around with heads in the ground / Hoping things’ll rearrange” Interestingly enough, BRR’s producer also worked for Mayer. The song conveys an important message in a world full of seemingly overwhelming political, environmental and personal problems.

“Shade Tonight” is an assurance that BRR is definitely an old-timey roots band at heart. The name Bronze Radio Return comes from the old radio lead singer Chris Henderson’s father used to use, and the band tries to let this vintage feel show throughout their work.

The EP ends on the nice acoustic jam “The Truth.” Drummer Rob Griffith is tight throughout the album, especially when he plays with brushes on this song. Combined with the sweet sounds of a finger-plucked guitar and Henderson’s friendly vocals, this song ensures a knee-slappin’, foot-tappin’ good time.

Keep an eye out for this band. If they continue producing quality music, make the right connections - and of course, have a bit of luck - I wouldn’t be surprised if Bronze Radio Return popped up on your radio in the near future. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/bronzeradioreturn

-Sara DeForest

The Fashion Failures

Don’t Make Me Kiss You Motherf---er

Mastered by Joe Moody at Danger Studios, South Providence, RI

The first clue for a potential listener that The Fashion Failures don’t take themselves too seriously is the name of their record; the second is the way they credit themselves in their liner notes, with a lead vocalist called ‘Dirt Cougar Meloncamp’ and a bassist named ‘Hey-Zeus.’ But mostly The Fashion Failures use gritty musical style and randy lyrics to color Don’t Make Me Kiss You Motherf---er with a careening-out-of-control-and-loving it feel that corrodes from rocking to a little redundant as its songs progress.

Opening track “No Sleep” sets the album standard with crunching guitar lines that butt up against vocals steeped in cigarette smoke, and much of the record sounds similar. “Sad Boy” has the same tempo and style but emphasizes guitarist Damian Puerini’s talent through serrated riffs made to rip and tear. Puerini must have a busy mind and fingers to match.

The bluntly titled “Mercy F---” allows guitar and drums to build into a syncopated frisson of horniness. Decidedly un-punk doo-wop vocals hide in the background an octave up, sending subliminal messages that whisper “Beach Boys” and lending the track some interesting texture. Rough and sexy “Rugburns + Bruises” takes a sudden upswing after two minutes, building momentum with mounting drums. And the irresistible “She’s Back To Men,” features Meloncamp letting loose a lithe and muscled howl, playing call-and-response with lean guitar solos and a strong, catchy beat. His voice changes its mind as often as the song’s main character, Jackie, who, as we hear, is “back to men.”

The finale, “Nowhere Fast” features an exciting, propulsive tempo, although vocals and instrumentation are nothing new. Despite its musical sameness, “Nowhere Fast” grows on the listener, as does the album it completes. “I ain’t got no future, I live in the past / My ass is going nowhere fast / That’s the way I want it to be,” Meloncamp insists repeatedly in this anthem to slackerdom. By the end you might just start to believe him. (75 or Less records)

www.myspace.com/fashionfailures

-Alissa Greenberg

Laura Vecchione

Girl in the Band

Produced, mixed and engineered by Jim Scott

Emerging national act Laura Vecchione’s second full-length release covers musical ground from contemporary pop-rock at home in a big city radio station (or satellite FM) to a New Orleans shuffle to an a cappella Native American sacred song, with detours through Magnolia country down south. At each of these stops, it is Ms. Vecchione’s strong, soulful voice that gets off the bus first and makes it presence known. On Girl in the Band, Ms. Vecchione is backed by stalwart Nashville session players such as George Marinelli (Bonnie Raitt) and enriched by back-up singers that lend the songs levity. The record starts with a resonating mid-tempo rock number, “How We Choose to Hold,” follows that with the more up-tempo “Better Run,” and throttles back with “This Town,” a bittersweet piano and acoustic love song anchored by intricate imagery of a moonlit Boston. While the opening three songs may be at home in modern Boston, the tour heads southwards and into the past for the next three tracks: “Indian Red,” a spine-tingling number sung a cappella; New Orleans, for the vampish “Fly Home Flag Boy,” one of the CD’s highlights and a mainstay at Ms. Vecchione’s live shows; and “Don’t Come Creepin’” a slavery narrative that combines a swampy hook, that soaring voice, and a lyrical commitment to social justice. Big city or small town, north or south, modern or old-fashioned, Girl in the Band is an excellent follow-up to “Deeper Waters,” and will surely lead to more TV placement, awards and critical notice for this talented dual citizen of Boston and Nashville. (Selkie Records)

www.lauravmusic.com

-Chris Gorham

Rick Berlin

Old Stag

Produced by Rick Berlin | Recorded by Joe Stewart | Mixed by David Minehan at Wooly Mammoth | Mastered by Dave Locke at JP Masters

For what may well be his most completely realized and thoroughly beautiful album, Boston’s legendary Rick Berlin has gathered another team of talented youngsters (most notably the string section of Joseph Simcox, Katie Franich, Christina Hornby and Meredith Cooper and Sand Machine singer Jay Dave Jeremy) in his Jamaica Plains apartment and an empty Boston University classroom and emerged with a baker’s dozen of musical treats. While the cracking heart-rending vocals and poetic pathos remain Berlin’s trademarks, the strings (arranged by Brendan Cooney) give the ensemble of lyrical observations a story without words. Whether laying a bass foundation for his Lady Elaine Farichilde whine or wafting along with him as he reaches for the most emotional shades of each note, the strings offer Berlin a base and a goal and provide support when things turn personal and introspective.

Though titles like “John Lennon’s Nose” and “Happy Lesbians In The Snow” may seem frivolous, they give Berlin room to play and often lead to insightful inspiration. Other titles, such as “How Can I Hate People I Don’t Know,” are clearer in their intent, but they are not the only songs that deserve close listening. In fact, whether it’s in the subtlety of the music or in a heart-felt passage, nearly every song invites listeners to leave the noise of the street (which is also used here to subtle but great effect) and join the musicians in Berlin’s apartment. There, they will not only be surrounded in swirling strings, but will also have the pleasure of meeting characters (which is the right word) like the mysterious ex-roommate “Michiko, “ the even more mysterious (yet somehow more human) “Unknown Soldier,” and an uber-groupie known simply as “The Fan.” As he is so comfortable inviting people into his room and into his life, Berlin tells it like it is, using frank language and sometimes sacrificing tonality for emotionality. Shock value? This is way beyond that - this is a set of keen observation steeped in well-considered lyric and wrapped in a musical package that invites repeated listening and deeper contemplation. (Hi-N-Dry)

www.myspace.com/rickberlin

-Matthew Robinson

Creeping Weeds

We Are All Part of a Dream You Are Having

Produced and Mixed by Creeping Weeds | Mastered by Paul Sinclair and Paul Hammond

The first time you hear Pete Steward’s voice, it’s difficult to not imagine Modest Mouse. But on We Are All Part of a Dream You Are Having, Steward seems just as influenced by indie gods such as The Pixies and Pavement as by Modest Mouse (a band they are no doubt oft compared to). With a laid back, puffy-eyed sensitivity, Steward creates an atmosphere that he revels in destroying with cocky guitar lines.

The arrangements are more intelligent and sprawling than clever and concise. While there are pop-sensibilities to the songs, most of the guitar lines are long and twisted. In “Billy Pilgrim,” an allusion to the protagonist of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, Creeping Weeds find their most success, devoting equal time to a moody, acoustic pop and a brand of heavy indie-guitar rock that almost evokes live Jeff Buckley recordings.

Each song holds up as its own listening experience, but the vast width of sonic landscape Creeping Weeds creates occasionally leaves one lost. The clearest example of this is “I Wanted To Live (Die)” where songwriter Pete Stewart gives the listener an ambivalent and bouncy acoustic tune with two instrumental breaks. One is a world music percussion jam and the other an utterly bone-crushing space-guitar attack. You can guess which is more agreeable to the song and to the focus of the record.

Creeping Weeds’ playing is excellent throughout the record, and their ability to bend genres is a testament to their skills. The overall feeling of the record is, as the title implies, an inundation of different faces and moments. Sometimes those moments feel disconnected and alienating, but Pete Steward would probably argue, “So do dreams.” (Hot Horse)

www.creepingweeds.com

-Andrew Sgro