CD OF THE MONTH

Richard Swift — Dressed Up for the Letdown

Recorded by Elijah Thomson and Richard Swift at Liberte Nationale and Sonikwire Studios

Mixed by Chris Colbert at Sonikwire Studios

Richard Swift’s Dressed Up for the Letdown is filled with the type of music one can’t help but listen to track-for-track as it plays over the local coffeehouse stereo; it has a quality that will stick with the listener long after the dregs of the coffee cup are reached.

What’s missing from the album is just as engaging as the intoxicating potion of guitars, violins, piano and Swift’s Joseph Arthur-like vocals. He eschews recording cartwheels like over-dubbing and the whirring of keyboards for a rich, all-enveloping, lo-fi sound.

The self-deprecating title track leads the album and examines Swift’s feelings on the early sputtering of his infant career. The handclaps at the beginning of the song are like the taunting of a circus crowd, with Swift — the sad, painted clown — loathing the idea of smiling and goofing his way around the three rings.

“Artist & Repertoire,” however, makes it clear that Swift is no clown taking pratfalls, and in fact understands the music industry all too well, as he sings, “Sorry, Mr. Swift / But there’s no radio / That likes to play the songs of your lover’s sorrow / Just sing us a jingle / And we’ll float you some bread / All it’ll cost you is your heart and your head.”

One could say Swift is channeling Rufus Wainwright — as there are certainly such elements in his drowsy crooning and piano arrangements — but he comes off as much more life-weary and knowing. He pours his experiences into exquisitely wrenching songs that require repeated listening before the lyrics and instrumental arrangements really pop. When he sings, “I wish I was dead most of the time, but I don’t really mean it,” it is clear that his head isn’t hung because he has accepted what life has dealt, but because he is hunched over his piano, channeling those experiences into a tale.

And so, perhaps Swift won’t get the widespread radio play he deserves, but maybe — just maybe — people will ask the barista what’s playing overhead. (Secretly Canadian)

www.richardswift.us

-Kristen Schaer

The Parson Red Heads — King Giraffe

Produced by Jason LaRocca, Zach Schrock and The Parson Red Heads

Engineered by Jason LaRocca

Mastered by Rob Dennler

The energy on King Giraffe can barely be contained — it’s as if the album can’t wait to blast through stereo speakers. From the bright and shiny beach-party swelters of “Days of My Youth” to the hectic, crashing waves of acceleration and stillness on “Mossback,” The Parson Red Heads tailspin listeners through a joyous mix of early ‘60s psychedelic-inspired rock.

Evan “Parson Parson” Way leads this group of troubadours and writes the band’s upbeat ditties about chilling with family, loving all and enjoying life. In “Forever,” there is a smile in his words as he instructs listeners, “Stand up straight, follow the rules / Don’t do wrong, don’t be a fool / There are things you don’t know.” This optimism comes straight from the music.

“Explore the Mayhem!!” reads from the scribbled notes for “Sister” inside King Giraffe‘s cover, and the first fluttering guitar strum paves the way for the six core Parsons and various contributing members to do just as the song’s title suggests. Tom Shelton and Way mix their high-pitched guitar twang with deeper rock rhythms in songs like “Say Goodnight.” “Full Moon” exposes the weighty thumps of Dane Garrard’s bass, foiled by Evan’s sister Erin Way and her light organ keys, and the chaotic dimension that is created as everyone in the band rises together.

Group harmonies and a library of knockers, shakers and tambourines swirl around every song, culminating in the explosive vortex of (wife of Evan) Brette Marie Way’s fierce drumming. Mellowing down on “Ball and Chain” and “Hey, Man (Dry Off)“ with a contemplative, peaceful tone allows the Parsons to relax their warm, sandy voices on blankets of smooth folk. The respite is brief though, as The Parson Red Heads ultimately make a big splash, jumping into the deep end of mayhem with King Giraffe. (Yukon Records)

www.theparsonredheads.com

-Megan Clinard

The Fucking Champs — VI

Recorded at Louder Studios and Boudoir Studios in San Francisco

Mastered by John Golden, J.J. Golden and Tim Green

There’s little disputing The Fucking Champs’ mastery over the “Total Music” genre, which they claim to have created after stumbling upon a mysterious nine-string guitar floating down Santa Cruz’s San Lorenzo River.

Since the band’s inception, Tim Green and Tim Soete have undertaken a multitude of side projects (The Fucking AM, TransChamps, Golden, etc.) as a departure from their original sound: metal infused math rock with plenty of high-flying guitar pageantry. On VI, they return to their true form, harnessing powerfully cerebral guitar arrangements and instrumental rave-up glam-prog. Ever the genre benders, TFC’s passion seems to straddle the line between accessibility and experimentation with compositions as guttural as they are ornate.

“A Forgotten Chapter in the History of Ideas” is a reaction to the Sabbath-laden stoner rock of bands like Om, Sunn O))) and Sleep that is still gaining ground today. Add to that a dash of Dead Meadow’s atmospheric drawl and a loving bite from Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” and you have The Fucking Champs’ blessing for today’s Orange amp-wielding sludgers.

While few would deny the formidability of TFC’s technical approach, it’s not uncommon that instrumental rock albums like VI ultimately saturate the listener with sheer guitar wizardry and angular time changes. While these are great tracks to spice up a mix tape, it becomes difficult to digest the entire CD as a whole. Aware of this trapping, The Fucking Champs build on their narrative with interludes like “Champs Fanfare” — a major nod to Brian May — and the new-age dreamscape “Insomnia.” In the end, VI is a gold mine of heaviness and grace all at once for those with the requisite attention span. (Drag City)

www.thefuckingchamps.com

-Geoff Shiner

Panther — Secret Lawns

No production information available

Portland has a reputation for encouraging DIY projects. The inevitable result of such a climate is the one-man guerilla outfit Panther, and when Portland’s Charlie Salas-Humara takes on this musical persona, crazy things happen.

Picking any Panther song at random off of Secret Lawns might be a bit of a risk, considering the broad spectrum the album encompasses. From effects-addled disco and futurism to sheer randomness, it has its painful moments. Many of the lyrics are delivered in falsetto and have no real meaning — although there are some potent songs like “How Well Can You Swim?” which (appropriately) discourages listeners from plagiarizing the album.

Listening to Panther’s CD is a bit of an interactive experience in the way that it plays with one’s perception. There are the more radio-friendly songs, like the relatively straightforward “How Does It Feel?” Alternatively, “Tennis Lesson” and “Chanzz” are not only completely arrhythmic, but they also lack any sort of intelligible lyrics or structure.

The album played front-to-back offers the fullest experience, slowly evolving from normal structure to utter chaos. If listeners can survive the final stretch of nearly nonsensical songs, they are aptly rewarded with “Tiger’s Touch,” a song which slowly and rhythmically increases in intensity until it climaxes with a sweeping keyboard solo that closes out the album. After the craziness that precedes it, the cogent structure of “Tiger’s Touch” can even be a bit jarring, adding to its strength.

Secret Lawns will do little to draw in listeners unfamiliar with DIY tendencies. However, Salas-Humara and his musical project Panther will likely find many friends who understand that this album is what doing it yourself is all about. (Fryk Beat Records)

www.panthertouch.com

-Bonwell Parker

Brazzaville — East L.A. Breeze

Recorded at South China Sea Studios in Barcelona, Spain except “Londres” and “Lazy Boy” which were recorded at the L.A. River Shack in Los Angeles, CA

Mastered by Christian Vogel at Studio 55 in Barcelona, Spain

Former runaway and Hollywood street dweller David Brown has lived the vagabond life of a born musician, traveling Asia, South America and Europe on a shoestring budget in the extremity of his youth. He formed Brazzaville based around songs he began writing while a touring saxophonist for Beck in the late 1990s.

The latest Brazzaville recording, East L.A. Breeze, reflects the band’s unique marriage of Southern California roots and European romance. Brown’s deep voice and acoustic guitar form the album’s sonic foundation, with diverse instruments layered for additional ornamentation. Well-placed violins suggest gypsy caravans and the demimonde of Paris, while electric guitar, banjo, and rock piano introduce New World ingredients.

The opening track, “Peach Tree,” is a lovely reflection on the briefness of life, a theme repeated throughout the album. “Star Called Sun” is a haunting number that describes a death in lines of poetry. The title track is almost a troubadour song set in an urban landscape.

The loneliness of modern life is deftly symbolized with a walk by an isolated freeway and a brief glimpse through a coffeehouse door to the laptop denizens within, inches from each other but resolutely not interacting. Many of Brown’s topics are anecdotal, featuring characters that come to life over the course of a song. Reminiscence without regret is a good way to describe his lyrical approach: that of a world traveler, though not world-weary, and a riveting storyteller through and through. (South China Sea Music/Vendlus Records)

www.brazzaville-band.com

-Susan Brooks

DRATS!!! — Welcome to New Granada

Produced by Jared “Fester” See and DRATS!!!

Recorded by Jared See at Haywire Recording

Mastered by Kevin Nettleingham at Nettleingham Audio

Prog rock has become something of the new punk, at least in the Northwest. The latest band to incorporate elements of the much-maligned subgenre is Portland sextet DRATS!!!, whose new album is a “rock operetta.” The initial reaction to that phrase could be visions of 10-minute keyboard solos, costumed band members and song cycles about Merlin. These fears are dispelled by the album’s punk economy (11 songs in 27 minutes) and the band’s source material — the 1979 youth-gone-wild/teenage wasteland film, Over the Edge.

Welcome to New Granada, which takes its name from the planned community in the film, is a spirited, eclectic, off-kilter album that avoids all the traps usually associated with such an ambitious undertaking. Like The Thermals, DRATS!!! make the concept album in their own image, which means restless attitude, spastic music and a twisted pop sense. As in opera, the focus is on the vocals, which have a jittery croak that evoke art-rock heroes Captain Beefheart and Pere Ubu.

They are faithful to the film’s narrative, basing songs around characters and incidents. The band adjusts its sound appropriately depending on which character the song features. For the love interest, there’s the yearning “Recreational Blues (Julia),” and the nasty cop gets the squiggly, hard-charging “Doberman’s Theme,” in which the sneering, harsh vocals capture the cop’s arrogance. The album culminates in the teens vs. adults anthem “The March (Trash the Place)“ and then ends with a faithful cover of The Five Stairsteps’ uplifting soul classic, “Ooh Child,” played over the closing credits of Over the Edge.

DRATS!!! pulls off their rock operetta with aplomb and without a jot of pretension. They have applied punk/indie tools and energy to prog/art rock forms in a way that is original and entertaining. (Self-released)

www.dratslive.com

-Lukas Sherman

Alias — Collected Remixes

No production information available

Nobody is exactly sure where they came from, but remixers are everywhere. New technology now allows 12-year-olds to re-crunk the Ying Yang Twins. Still, in this sea of homemade mash-ups and overly produced tie-ins, it is a rarity to see a remixer go outside his/her comfort zone. Alias, known by his mother as Brendon Whitney, is a hip-hop junkie with the appreciation and daring to put his stamp on songs outside his familiar genre. Pet Shop Boys remixing Madonna this is not. Rather, it’s the best of his rare remixed work.

Bedroom electronica outfit The One AM Radio’s “What You Gave Away” is given a little more drive, although Jane Yakowitz’s violin is dearly missed. The dark and minimalist elements of Alias’ The Other Side of the Looking Glass appear on indie rocker John Vanderslice’s “Exodus Damage,” unraveling into a “dance revolution” that makes Vanderslice’s plans for an uprising sound not so convincing.

But that’s the point — Alias’ remix signature itself isn’t revolutionary, but some of the best mixes are the ones that are restrained. The minimalistic and icy “Alienation,” for example, builds a chaotic techno beat into the indie-tronic original by Lali Puna. Still, the remix of electro-pop group Boy in Static’s “Stay Awake” shines just long enough before being swallowed up by the album’s darker currents.

The CD concludes with Alias’ remix of his own work as Tarsier lends her vocals to “9:24 Cigarette,” which fits the collection well, putting its deeper grooves around sporadic and sped up trip-hop beats. Alias’ style stays consistent and recognizable throughout, giving the album cohesiveness but also dampening the original music a bit in order to grab new listeners. Like most remix compilations, it’s interesting and at times thrilling, but surely no dance revolution. (Anticon)

www.myspace.com/alias

-Mark Szakonyi

Dept. of Energy — Held by Waits

Recorded, mixed and produced by Johnny Sangster at Chroma Sound in Seattle, WA

Mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI CD Mastering

The first thing that jumps out about Dept. of Energy’s Held by Waits is how much lead singer Robb Benson sounds like Harvey Danger singer Sean Nelson. Even Benson’s arch phrasing and sometimes diatribe-like/not-quite-singing style evoke Nelson. Unfortunately, his lyrics just don’t have the charmingly irascible cynicism that Nelson has branded.

Dept. of Energy favors the keyboard and jaunty guitars to create a good-time boogie. The deedle-dee of the keys on “Emote” distracts from the “if it rhymes then go with it” lyrics that end the song: “Emotion, commotion, devotion, erosion, emotion, the motion, causing a commotion.”

Without a bassist, the combination of Benson on guitar/vocals, Cassady Laton on drums and Ty Bailie on keys/gong makes for a warm, poppy sound and produces the kind of music that creates a smiling sway at shows. Benson is formerly of Dear John Letters and The Nevada Bachelors and brings the same keyboard hooks and power pop sensibility to Dept. of Energy.

Held by Waits is the band’s first effort and certainly will garner some attention in the Seattle and Portland tour circuit, but a little extra something is required to really make it raise some eyebrows outside the Pacific Northwest. As Leo Tolstoy once said in Anna Karenina, “All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Though becoming unhappy is not recommended for the band, Dept. of Energy might benefit from further defining and refining its sound. (Roam Records)

www.dept-of-energy.com

-Kristen Schaer

The Switch — Hello Today

Produced and recorded by Joe Napolitano

Mixed by Chris Colthart and Joe Napolitano

Mastered by Kevin Bartley

Formed two years ago, Los Angeles’ The Switch sports some ragged, booze-soaked vocals courtesy of one Aaron Kyle, and plays with a bouncy rock ‘n’ roll soul that commands attention. Think Greg Dulli’s Twilight Singers with less pathos and more laughter. Kyle has a similar R&B-singer-via-drunken-rocker vocal delivery with a less-is-more approach to rhythm guitar. In fact, apart from the opener, “Tongue Tied,” and “Living in Another World,” the band’s debut five-song EP, Hello Today, actually leans more on Joshua Charney’s piano for its foundation than Kyle’s guitar.

On “Crazy,” a comfortably slow tune, Maria DeLuca’s viola unforgettably renders the song’s sad tone. DeLuca actually turns out to be The Switch’s MVP — her background vocals define the band’s sound as much as Kyle’s lead vocals, as does her trumpet playing on the bouncy opening rocker “Tongue Tied” and the closing instrumental “Vaudeville.” The trumpet leads the way on the latter, a great little piece of music which would be a perfect backdrop for a lonely cowboy sauntering off into the sunset after losing his horse to a hustler in a poker game.

There’s strong potential in this track that deserves further exploration in the band’s next outing. (Self-released)

www.theswitchhome.com

-Michael Fortes

Chrisopher Blue — Room Tones

Produced by DC Cooper

Like the curiously absent “t” in his name, there’s something slightly but noticeably amiss in solo artist Chrisopher Blue’s full-length debut, Room Tones. Perhaps it’s the awkwardness of an arranged sonic marriage between Radiohead and Tom Waits-lite. Or maybe it’s that the album’s themes are scattershot and prone to platitudes — “higher consciousness” beating out digital and silicon “gods,” while “Ms. Crazy” has Blue’s “pleasure centers ... coming alive” as sinister crows seek to divest him of his eyeballs.

The new album is a product of several years’ worth of writing, from Blue’s time in Seattle after the breakup of his former band, Sensation Junkies, to his move to idyllic Mendocino, California where he lives now. He credits ex-Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan’s few choice words of encouragement in a 7-Eleven parking lot for keeping him going musically at a time when he was ready to call it quits.

Blue erupts into Lanegan’s raspy, booze-soaked howl at times, but opts more often for a rueful grouse that hasn’t quite decided whether it’s comfortable in its own skin. The best songs here are the most straightforward. “Such Love” is a wonderfully slow-burning, bluesy affair that strikes a rare balance, while “Alone” showcases the soulful dexterity of Blue’s smoky baritone over a plush backdrop of brushed snare and upright bass.

Nevertheless, it is the inclusion of ill-advised filler (“Outtake” and “Scarecrow”) and derivative, Thom York-esque caterwauling (“After All I’ve Heard You Say” and “These Thoughts”) that keeps this album from being the rare and dust-covered gem for which it shows potential. (Sarathan Records)

www.chrisopherblue.com

-Andrew Kersey

HIJK — EP
Engineered, produced and mixed by Enrique Gonzalez Muller
Recorded and mixed at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, CA

If one had to pigeonhole the up-and-coming Oakland trio HIJK (formerly known as Hijack the Disco) into a genre, math rock would come to mind; but the group delves into so many other artsy realms that it’s truly impossible to limit them to just one.

The songs on HIJK’s full-length debut, The Pen and the Letter, seem to flow effortlessly together like a well-planned symphony, but add a few unexpected clashes of sound to keep listeners on their toes at all times. Tracks such as “Hey Sleepy Smile” showcase the band’s ability to create peaceful, breathy tunes, whereas many of their other songs highlight their usage of dance-synth, angst-fueled guitar riffs, prog tempos and powerful, dueling melodies.

In addition to the conventional musical instruments that most current groups employ, HIJK also finds creative ways to add splashes of viola, accordion and trumpet without overpowering their intricate lyrics. Though the band’s sound might be reminiscent of early Pinback and Texas Is the Reason, their latest effort truly defines their own unique niche in the indie music world.

Vocalists Mike Mahony and Dave Tsui engrave their distinct warblings cautiously and methodically into every song, while drummer Trevor Wencl seems to inflect his crashing drums at random points, somehow making the unexpected also seem carefully planned. HIJK may not be ready for the profit-driven world of mainstream rock, but they seem pretty intent on taking the indie world by storm for the time being. (Self-released)

www.hijkmusic.com

-Katie Burnett

Gowns — Red State

Recorded by Erika Anderson and Ezra Buchla

Mastered by mixture151 at Recombinant Media Labs

With its chilled, autumnal drones of noise-folk and psych-fuzz, Red State, by North Berkeley trio Gowns, feels like the exhale of a frosty breath while lost in the wilderness on a moonless night. From start to finish, the group — Ezra Buchla, Erika Anderson and Corey Fogel — crafts spooked tonalities with flustering roars of drugged feedback and damaged electronics that make the album an evocative and exotic listen.

What’s startling about Red State, however, is the calming temperament it kindles. Though songs such as “White Like Heaven” and “Mercy Springs” erupt into tantrums of sonic tumult, the fraught moments are scarce. Rather, the band etches ghostly vocals, decayed piano and creepy fizzles and hisses into a bedrock of scratchy acoustic guitars.

Recorded in both Los Angeles and Anderson’s native South Dakota, Red State‘s rustic, yet eerie appeal makes perfect sense. While “Cherylee” and “Fake July” evoke an agrestic touch of backwoods living with their prickly chords, mollifying string work and looped chamber static, the threesome tweak the song structures into an emotional and raw-sounding betterment of basement noise.

One exceptional track on the full-length is the haunting, a cappella “Clawless.” Sounding like it was hymned in a desolate church, Anderson’s divine, naked voice chimes in and fades listlessly like a flickering candle about to burn out. “You were clawless / Fangless / You were the only thing a gambler needs / You were flawless / Entertainment / You were the apple falling from the leaf,” murmurs Anderson over stark quietness until a faint synth hum segues her vocals into a choir-like echo. Nevertheless, Red State is for those uncanny seconds when you’re alone, but feel like something is looming in the darkness just outside your bedroom window. (Cardboard Records)

www.myrobobedroom.com

-Chris Sabbath

Art & Ransom — We Couldn’t Even Believe What We Saw

Produced by Art & Ransom, Christopher Scott Cooper and Marc Dickow

Recorded by Christopher Scott Cooper at Blue Seven Audio in Fremont, CA

Mastered by Tom Carr at The Annex in Menlo Park, CA

In keeping with the literary rock movement that has come to the forefront thanks to bands like The Decemberists, San Francisco indie rock outfit Art & Ransom’s debut album We Couldn’t Even Believe What We Saw offers English-major indie rockers 11 tracks dedicated to such diverse topics as authoritarian regimes and jaded ravers.

The band has an undeniably orchestral sound brimming with experimental piano and violin. When coupled with their ethereal album art, Art & Ransom deliver exactly what their name might imply — smart, aesthetically pleasing rock in the same vein as British Columbia band The New Pornographers. We Couldn’t Even Believe What We Saw has jazzy, vacillating elements that enable the album to flow together like one continuous, symphonic piece. The vocal styling of singer Matty McBride is reminiscent of Graham Wright of Tokyo Police Club, giving the music more of a rocking edge.

The lyrics throughout the album have a free-verse quality. This element is exemplified in such lines as, “Keep the clouds in the soles of your shoes so you can / Float above the heaven that’s taking all our friends in” and speaks volumes about the depth and creativity of Art & Ransom’s songwriting ingénue.

We Couldn’t Even Believe What We Saw is a breezy debut that is both effortless and orchestral, exposing a fledgling band with limitless potential. (OpenEye Records)

www.artandransom.com

-Jen Tartaglione

Music For Animals — Music For Animals

Produced by Music For Animals

Mastered by Chris Cline

When vocalist Jayson Martinovich and bassist Eli Meyskens formed a new band after splitting ways with Bay Area band One of Many, they had a simple task in mind: go back to the basics, with a more straightforward rock ‘n’ roll approach to music. The result was Music For Animals and their self-titled debut full-length. The boys accomplished their mission on this album, which is, quite simply, basic.

The songs are well written, the CD is well produced and cleanly mastered, and the performances are solid. No track stands out as any better or worse than the others, though the feel changes a bit with the Pixies-esque “Bi-Curious” at one end and the modern rocker, “Apartment,” at the other. The advantage of Music For Animals’ basic style is that there is a great level of continuity, with seamless transitions between adjacent tracks and songs playing off each other — the most obvious instance being the closing song “Redder Cells,” a sequel of sorts to the earlier track “Red Cells.”

This album, though easily listenable, has no edge, making it a decent addition to anyone’s library but unlikely to be many people’s new favorite. Martinovich sings with a man-from-nowhere accent, giving the songs enough spice so as not to make them flat. Every base is covered on this album except one — no risks are taken. (Three Ring Records)

www.music4animals.com

-Bonwell Parker

Throwback Suburbia — Four Play

Produced by Mark Plati and Tom McKay

Recorded and engineered by Mark Plati with assistance by Josh Millman at Dead Aunt Thelma’s Studio in Portland, OR

Mixed by Mark Plati, with assistance by Josh Millman at Alice’s Restaurant in New York, NY

Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York, NY

Throwback Suburbia’s first show was just one year ago in February, but in a short span of time the band has managed to cover a wide swath of musical turf, performing to full capacity crowds and securing radio airplay along the West Coast. Possessing credits for the likes of David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, Hey Gravity, Joydrop, and The Cure to name a few, producers Mark Plati and Tom McKay were back and forth between New York and Portland working on Throwback Suburbia’s new four-song EP, Four Play.

Joining the project’s high-profile roster is mastering engineer and recent Grammy nominee Greg Calbi, who has worked with some of the most influential and legendary names in rock ‘n’ roll. The result is an explosion of prodigious power pop marked by commanding performances and arrangements on an EP that sticks to the intelligent side of the brain while keeping the pleasure side entirely entertained.

A hard-hitting arsenal of guitars, sterling vocals and highly-evolved lyrics power Four Play. In a multi-faceted pallet of instrumental and melodic hooks, these songs make themselves forever yours as they lodge themselves into life’s cerebral hard drive. From the compound intricacy and punchy, upbeat keyboard hook of “Circles” to the deep space guitar reverb intro and pounding rhythm of the Bowie-esque “Lonely With You,” this EP condenses the essence of a remarkable CD into just four songs.

The performances of Mike Collins (drums), Jimi Evans (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Paul Bond (lead guitar), and Eric French (bass) all merit individual recognition. Throwback Suburbia as a unit proves to be a balanced, tuned, ported and blueprinted machine in the studio as well as onstage. (Self-released)

www.throwbacksuburbia.com

-Fran Gray

Olin and the Moon — Olin and the Moon

Recorded and mixed by David LaBrel and Travis LaBrel

Additional tracking by Alex Pavlides

Mastered by Anthony Focx

Three Idaho boys bring their rural charm to the Los Angeles scene with a little help from a pretty face along the way. Olin and the Moon’s self-titled album is a promising start for these old friends as they attempt to stand out from the crowd they’ve chosen to surround themselves with.

Drummer Marshall Vore allows the band to reside confidently in between the overtly fast and the unconsciously mellow, while singer David LaBrel shines with storytelling skills that stand up to the likes of Bright Eye’s Conor Oberst. Invoking images of a rock star retiring to the moon, “Moon Man” is like a monotone ballad version of “Ziggy Stardust.”

In “Home,” the band conjures up fond memories of simple farm life protecting innocent love: “I wanna take you to the trees / Where the forest and the farm lands meet ... Where you can lay out on the grass all day / Where it is safe.” Songs like these benefit from acoustic guitar strums, heavenly bells and sweet piano undertones.

Tracks like “Oh Bells” and “Song of the Summer” are focused more around the band’s own experiences on the road as musicians, referencing sound guys and getting drunk while singing. Olin and the Moon’s adolescent drive comes via David LaBrel’s brother Travis and his powerful lead guitar. His chord formations draw in ears to his trickling melodies — most notably on “Changin’“ and “Take It To Hell” — but they often overtake the songs, drowning out Erica Wheeler’s bass and David LaBrel’s vocals.

Olin and the Moon desperately strive to engage listeners in music that expresses their love for the art form; with an album like this, they just might succeed. (Self-released)

www.olinandthemoon.com

-Megan Clinard

The Dying Californian — Coarsegold

Recorded at 271 Fair Oaks

Additional recording by Jeff Pinn at Zilla Studios and the Nelson Compound

Mixed by J. Hall at Theta Rhythm, with additional mixing by Liam Nelson

Mastered by Brad Blackwood at Euphonic Masters

Produced by Liam Nelson

At first it sounds like a funeral service, an eerie dirge in an echoing chamber. The instruments break into major, unexpectedly creating a full, inflated space that rings in the ears. From the start, The Dying Californian’s Coarsegold has promise.

Halfway into the first song, despite a compelling melody and arrangement, a dulling repetition sets in and becomes its primary, unavoidable feature — and that’s generally how the whole album goes. Repetition can be a genuine and expressive force, but the danger is the ease with which it slips into banality. Coarsegold generally walks this line, alternating between effective and washed out.

Bookended by parts I and II of “The Cry Inside the Stone” and combined with grand titles like “The Martyrdom of Perpetua” and “The Last Spectacle,” Coarsegold has the sense of an epic tale, complete with the Homerian invocation of the muse. Unfortunately, due to the unrelenting fight against tedium, it is difficult to experience the middle and, one would hope, the meat of the tale.

“The Ballad of Coarsegold,” understandably perceived as the cornerstone of the album, passes up the chance to shine amidst the low-energy collection. Acoustic guitars and an alt-country beat suit this outfit, but varied expression would increase its dynamic range. Intended as a portrait of a central Californian town, the album is sure to ward off the tourists.

Highlights of Coarsegold include some clever engineering (panning the lead guitar and various harmonies) and the occasional addition of violin, which works well in the mix, serving to both emphasize the already well-composed melodies and draw the listener’s attention back to the foreground. (Turn Records)

www.thedyingcalifornian.com

-Ali Marcus

The Michetons — The Michetons EP

Produced and engineered by Sep V. at FM Recorders in Oakland, CA

Michetons, or les michetons, were the gorgeous and flawlessly dressed young men of Paris who hung around the affluent, making their “services” available to the lovely yet lonely wives of the area. In a similar vein, the band The Michetons offer up their diverse musical services with style and ease on their self-titled EP. Matt Heath’s voice is commanding.

On all tracks, his ability to blend sharp-as-a-tack lyrics with pleading and sonorous vocals is a win-win situation. The fourth track, “Separate,” has a few fantastic solos where the guitars come in with a garage-like, old-school sound. This effect makes for a nice touch and is also a way to avoid excluding audiences with varied tastes.

The opening track, “Game of Chess,” is a relationship song that manages not to sound cheesy or unbearable. It features hard, masses-friendly rockin’ throughout, proving that these five swank gentlemen are masters of more than just one genre.

The Michetons tackle the indie crowd with their creative lyrics: “You got yours / And we forfeit / When did you think you could say it was over?” They have the ability to croon and be contemplative while voicing a bit of protest with “Radio,” a song that is delivered calmly enough to be enjoyable, but focuses on the artist’s battle with creating and selling out: “Fragments of this song spark memories / You hear songs / But they hear dollars roll in.”

The album also basks in the glory of good solid rock. All five of the tracks feature huge, room-filling guitars and bass lines that act as a beckoning finger, luring the listener in. With sounds like these, The Michetons can “offer their services“ anytime. (Bright Antenna Entertainment)

www.themichetons.com

-Allison Foley

The Welcome Matt — Right Outside Your Door

Produced by Matt Boudreau and Matt Langlois

Recorded, engineered and mixed by Matt Boudreau at Broken Radio

Mastered by Ken Lee at Ken Lee Mastering

Think of Paul Westerberg or Ryan Adams in their twenties — a couple of guys still fighting to find their voices. This visual comes to mind while listening to The Welcome Matt, a San Francisco foursome led by singer/guitarist Matt Langlois that clearly draws from a large palate of Americana-tinged roots rock.

The Welcome Matt plays relatively simple, often formulaic songs that have the catchiness and golden tones to nestle the band nicely into Top 40 alternative radio. Expect lots of guitar strums, anthemic choruses and upbeat hip shakers.

Langlois also injects heavy doses of palpable boyish vigor and blitheness into his lyrics, singing on the tongue-in-cheek “Painkillers,” “Maybe all you need is more sex / More rest / And more money / To temporarily let you drive home without crying.” The highlights — “Into Your Own” and “Where Have You Been?” — showcase the territory where Langlois’ voice shines: Amidst simple chording and a relaxed tempo rising faintly in the background, he sings with an effortless, near conversational tone.

From a songwriter’s standpoint, it’s easy to want to turn every song on the album into a single — adding hooks, signature changes and tempo turning-points to each track. And while it seems that The Welcome Matt tried to do just that, the most memorable songs are the refined, straightforward and less complex tracks. Right Outside Your Door is a sturdy debut that largely hints at the band’s future potential. (Betterment Letters Music)

www.welcomemattmusic.com

-Christopher Petro