CD OF THE MONTH

Weinland- LaLamentor
Recorded by Adam Selzer and Dylan MagierekProduced by Weinland, Adam Selzer and Dylan Magierek

Portland five-piece Weinland (previously known as John Weinland) has made one of 2008’s strongest, most beautiful albums yet with their sophomore release, La Lamentor. Led by frontman Adam Shearer, the bearded boys of Weinland wear their hearts on their instruments and produce exquisite indie folk tunes that provide the perfect backdrop for lost loves. Shearer’s immense talent as a songwriter and wordsmith is undeniable, and while the band has been compared to the likes of Nick Drake, Neil Young and Elliott Smith, Weinland’s strength truly lies in its collective instrumentation. The tracks on La Lamentor may appear minimalist at first, but it quickly becomes evident that this band has a fondness for the progression of a song, and likes to save the big show for the end. This often involves stunning appearances by dobro, mandolin, piano and lap steel.

The theme of love and loneliness is constant throughout the album, yet each song possesses a sonic personality of its own. “The Devil in Me,” which warrants the Drake comparisons the most, has a more retro feel and demonstrates Shearer’s storytelling at its finest. He sings, “Takes up at a hotel down the corner of 5 / Drinks his load of whiskey, he’s got to survive / He knows he’ll always love her so he carves it in his arm / Hoping she will call him and break his fucking heart,” and a bright plunky piano dances in the distance for a moment. On “Gold,” the longest song of the album, Shearer’s vocals are haunting and fragile, reflecting the ghost of a girl he can’t seem to shake from his mind. Then standout “All to Yourself” is more of an upbeat track despite its protagonist’s feelings of isolation.

La Lamentor is such an impressive and rich album, its songs so skillfully written and masterfully produced, that it’s hard not to get lost in its stories and sounds; it’s hard not to keep it a secret. (Badman Recording Co.)

www.weinlandmusic.com

-Jackie Miehls

Thee Oh Sees- The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In
Recorded and mixed by Chris Woodhouse at The Hangar in Sacramento, CA, except tracks 6, 11 and 13, recorded by Chris Moore and Dave Sitek at Stay Gold in Brooklyn, NYC

With a title inspired by Dadaist painter Max Ernst, one might likely suspect something surreal from Thee Oh Sees’ new release, The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In. True, frontman/guitarist John Dwyer’s past work with Thee Oh Sees (a.k.a. The Ohsees, OCS, Orinoka Crash Suite) has played host to a spectral presence of billowing, droning experimental noise and eerie psychedelic folk. (For an astute case in point, check out last year’s Sucks Blood.) However one spin — sure to be the first of many — of The Master’s Bedroom reveals a hard-driving rock sound that hearkens back to the volatile energy of Dwyer’s earlier work with lo-fi garage rock act Coachwhips. Yet The Master’s Bedroom does each element one better by joining them seamlessly, and in doing so, produces one of the best rock albums to come out of San Francisco in recent memory.

Dreamlike waves of atmospheric reverb float above crags and canyons of devilish hooks and lean, mean beats, courtesy of new drummer Mike Shoun. The rhythm section of Shoun and guitarist Petey Dammit are as central to The Master’s Bedroom as Dwyer’s and singer Brigid Dawson’s superbly psyched-out harmonies. Rippers like “Block of Ice” and “Ghost in the Trees” teem with infectious rhythms that easily recall the Maximum R&B days of The Who, while “Adult Acid” and “Visit Colonel” play off equal helpings of sultry twang and Dwyer’s whooping, wailing guitar tricks.

Recorded in separate sessions by Chris Woodhouse (The A Frames) and David Sitek (TV on the Radio), The Master’s Bedroom is an album whose cohesiveness is outweighed only by its raw power. It’s a shining shard of obsidian possessed by freaky fun spirits: don’t play The Master’s Bedroom near a graveyard unless you’re prepared to fight some slam-dancing zombies. (Tomlab)
www.myspace.com/ohsees

-Andres Jauregui

The Pharmacy- Choose Yr Own Adventure
Produced by Brandon Eggleston | Recorded at Audible Alchemy in Portland, OR, Stefan’s Grandma’s Basement and Stefan’s Parent’s House in Vashon, WA, except “Try to Explain,” which was recorded and mixed by Nick Day at Black Lodge Recording in Eudora, KS Mastered by Chris Hanzsek

The second full-length from Seattle’s The Pharmacy is an inspirational example of the glorious and inevitable evolution that happens when a group of musical artists continue to progress and investigate the dynamic possibilities of songcraft and sound. Choose Yr Own Adventure is the defining expression of a seasoned band; not only does it move fluidly, it is epic, heartfelt and thoughtful.

While most of the band’s instrumental responsibilities are shared between Brendhan Bowers, Stefan Rubicz and Scottie Yoder, Choose Yr Own Adventure also calls on the talents of a decent handful of accompanying musicians on cello, violin, viola, trumpet, flugel horn, trombone and bass. There is even a notable appearance by Liz Alex Guy (of Led to Sea fame) on violin and viola.

The songs are cleverly constructed and the production is incredibly thorough. Pieces progress with movement, as any attempts at genre labeling or thoughts on comparable bands and potential influences pinball within tracks and between them. The album touches on lo-fi synthy pop punk, glances off surf rock, and ricochets reminiscently in between danceable compositions, paradoxically feeling sloppy, yet simultaneously refined.

“Tropical Yeti” features an irresistibly upbeat synth-pop progression while the lyrical content suggests feelings of postmodern enlightenment through confused apathy. “Try to Explain” provides a refreshing flavor while maintaining the fluid texture of the album. The distortion on the vocals is reminiscent of early Daniel Johnston tapes, loitering restlessly in loneliness and miscommunication. With the occasional prevalence of cheeky cute rhymes and feel-good melodies, it is not surprising that The Pharmacy has toured with anti-folk trailblazer Kimya Dawson, as well as performed as her backing band.

All in all, through and throughout, The Pharmacy’s Choose Yr Own Adventure is a wonderful compilation that tests and pushes the boundaries of accessible pop music in a finely-tuned album from a diehard DIY band that will continue to impress and evolve. (Don’t Stop Believin’ Records)
www.myspace.com/thepharmacyofficial

-Evan “The Bug” Williamson

Stephen Malkmusand the Jicks- RealEmotionalTrash
No production information available

The new record by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Real Emotional Trash, dives quickly into what an uninterested listener might simply call “jams.” But in an era where Ratatat can make an internet hit out of a sampled panther growl and the soundtrack to Donkey Kong, that tag just might be a little misappropriated. Sure, there are long, windy compositions on this album that stretch the boundaries of what is expected of a four-piece indie rock outfit in this day and age, but they aren’t exactly the “Freebird” wheelings of Skynard or your pop’s classic rock catalogue — or the stoned, in-concert musings of Tre Anastasio, for that matter. Real Emotional Trash might have emerged, wobbly-legged from a house somewhere out in Oregon, but not without governing ideas steering the smokey shuffle. The songs have movements, each one with a clear arc, proof — albeit ostensible — that Malkmus orchestrated these tunes to be sprawling ditties before opening Pandora’s jam jar.

Yet, be they premeditated or spontaneous, ideas flow on Real Emotional Trash like wine at a wedding. Opener “Dragonfly Pie” begins with a solid assertion: “Of all my stoned digressions / Some have mutated into the truth.” That’s a map for the album if there ever was one. But these digressions aren’t the babble that some critics have suggested. In fact, one of the things that is great about this album is the cohesion that each song boasts. “Hopscotch Willie” tells the twisted tale of a hapless accused murderer. “Real Emotional Trash” navigates the listener through one rat race of a midlife crisis (“Daddy’s on the run”) with shifting sonic scenery, replete with climbing, arching riffs. The downside is that, yes, it can get a little tiresome — after a few consecutive listens. But tight, poppy offerings like “Gardenia” provide some short, melodically sweet levity from the album’s epic heft.

Real Emotional Trash is a guitarist’s and a songwriter’s album all at once, which isn’t at all surprising, considering the trajectory on which Malkmus has set himself. (Matador Records)
www.stephenmalkmus.com

-Andres Jauregui

Pleasureboaters- ¡Gross!
Produced by Pleasureboaters and Austin Thomason| Recorded and mixed by Austin Thomason | Mastered by Chris Hanzsek

Eight sparse and naked drum clicks introduce ¡Gross!, the chaotically beautiful debut from Pleasureboaters. While utterance of the word “introduce” may conjure images of a handshake or MySpace friend request, this couldn’t be further from the kick-to-the-face-while-crushed-by-an-avalanche-of-cocaine greeting that Pleasureboaters provide.
Hailing from Seattle, Ricky Claudon (vox/guitar), Erik Baldwin (bass), and Tim Cady (drums), have been stirring up the Northwest Corner for almost two years and have succeeded at generating an immediate response to their maliciously confrontational sound. Music of this caliber demands a binary reaction: love or hate; submit or rebel. However, it’s painfully difficult to resist submitting to the intensity of ¡Gross!. Songs are delivered as a cataclysmic bouquet of drivingly catchy fuzz-bass backbones, shredded vocal chords, and unpredictably fierce gorilla drum beats, all cut with razor-blade guitar incisions, and laced with ribbons of churning apocalyptic crescendos.

Hints of Pixies-influenced vocals mesh wonderfully with mathematic yet danceable hardcore, to create a compellingly interesting sound that resists an easy genre classification. The lyrics are occasionally buried under the glorious madness, but the intentionality of this is debatable. While the meaning behind the words may be lost at points, the textured quality of the vocals works as an additional instrument.

There are few curves on this release, but rather sharp geometrical angles. This is exemplified in tracks such as “Elliptical Realism,” where little over halfway through the song, the breakdown presents a panicked orchestral feel with Claudon’s voice and guitar resembling the staccato delivery of a violin quartet.

The immutable predicament of expressing a band’s live sound within a record, especially a band whose intensely explosive freak-out shows have ranged from packed rock venue to sweat-soaked living room, has been miraculously represented in this recording. Hats off to Pleasureboaters. (Don’t Stop Believin’ Records)
www.myspace.com/thepleasureboaters

-Evan “The Bug” Williamson

The Botticellis- Old Home Movies
Produced by The Botticellis at Tiny Telephone and Pan American | Mixed by The Botticellis | Mastered by J.J. Golden

California may not be as inexorably linked to surf music as it was before the collapse of The Beach Boys, but tenuous threads still connect the waves with the Golden State. The Botticellis’ debut, aptly titled Old Home Movies, is a shimmering analog paean to sun-bleached daydreaming. And like those Super 8 movies your parents dust off, these songs contain plenty of grain and blurry colors. Yet, for the most part, Old Home Movies skirts falling into a sticky nostalgic mire, asserting The Botticellis as a mature band, perfectly adept at both pastiche and melody.

Botticelli means “little barrel,” a surf term Zack Ehrlich (drums) and Alexi Glickman (lead songwriter/vocalist) started using as kids for their favorite California wave. As an aural equivalent, the lovely title track’s hypnotic Vox Continental pulls one in like the vein of a big, roiling wave. “Stay With My Brother” features the same subtle instrumentation as Glickman’s vocals float over sighing hand pump organ. His warm delivery belies the subject matter — summer romance becoming only a sunny memory. “When I Call” vies for the darker veneer of a chamber orchestra. The noodling guitar recalls the work of landlocked surf rockers Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.
The second half of the album provides some relief from Movies’ vaporous tempos and sunny daze with quick swells of percussion. These lessen the obfuscation of Glickman’s memories and drive his emotions home. The bouncy drums on “The Reviewer” propel the cynical tale of a critic. It sounds like the kind of jubilant songs Big Star recorded for Radio City. Anton Patzner’s (Bright Eyes) violin swirls over backward children’s vocals (recorded outside Bimbo’s 365 Club) for the regretful “Who Are We Now.”

Movies took four years of painstaking cultivation, and it shows. Beneath all the reedy organs and reverb is a beautifully subtle debut. (Antenna Farm Records)
www.thebotticellis.com

-Kyle Lemmon

No Age- Nouns
No production information available

Persons, places, things: the possibilities are endless. But the operative term on the Sub Pop debut from L.A. noise punks No Age is textures. The sonic textures on Nouns smack you in the face almost as hard as the album’s raw energy. Last year’s collection, Weirdo Rippers, was pure ear candy for those inclined towards experimental noise. Nouns incorporates the old noise, sculpts some new noise, and adopts more accessible rhythmic and melodic angles that might serve as a Trojan horse for listeners not usually predisposed to this type of music.

Fans of No Age’s pre-Sub Pop work (released on drummer/singer Dean Spunt’s homegrown label, PPM) should not worry. There’s enough “weird” on Nouns to balance out the “rip.” But this time, the nods are a little more recognizable. The moaning, compressed loop on “Eraser” oozes Loveless out from under a light, glittery clean chord progression that gets heavy in the right places. It’s the kind of song that’d make a room explode if the audience were hip to the crunchy, blown-out distortion. The instrumental “Keechie” sounds like a brief outtake from Daydream Nation.

No Age’s noise digressions have the benefit of being interesting and not over-long, and in doing so, reinforce the strength of Nouns as an introduction to their style, which is as good for the band as it is for the genre. Despite all its references, Nouns succeeds in being a thing all its own. And that thing is great. (Sub Pop)
www.myspace.com/nonoage

-Andres Jauregui

Howlin’ Rain- Magnificent Fiend
Recorded by Tim Green at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati and Louder Studios in San Francisco | Mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA

For the follow-up to their self-titled debut, Howlin’ Rain — better known as Comets on Fire frontman Ethan Miller’s “other band” — retreated to the very same concrete-floored shack at Prairie Sun Recording in Cotati, California where Tom Waits cut Bone Machine. Miller took with him a small party of talented musicians from the Bay Area, Santa Cruz and the Lost Coast, with the plan, according to Miller, to make complex songs out of simple building blocks. That’s an understatement, to say the least.

Magnificent Fiend is a phantasmagoric record. It achieves insanity without driving the listener insane in the process. But it’s not a madness of blustery noise and feedback and dissonance. It’s artfully constructed madness: a madness of motion, of hippie hippie shake appeal (in the Raw Power, not Swervedriver sense). But under that motion — or maybe on top of it — is a sense of, among other things, stability. This is a steady album. It’s got nods to tradition. There’s blues and acid rock and gospel screaming from Magnificent Fiend, and it’s not just in Miller’s “crushed velvet” voice.

Deciphering the messages in these songs is like trying to unravel a tapestry by tugging on a thread. There’s so much there musically that the lyrics blend into the larger picture — and that picture can get pretty busy. “Goodbye Ruby” catches Miller at a level of almost Clapton-esque bombast (and his voice certainly lends to that). He starts off constructing a rocking, driving song out of basic parts that interlock very, very well. An icy slick guitar solo climbs out of a muck of rumbling, wah-wah shrouded mid-tones, then the horn section breaks in after a quick verse, followed by some fantastic guitar interplay over a central groove. They jam out until it fades out. (How else?)

Still, Magnificent Fiend is musically cohesive, with enough tradition behind it — enough Hammond organ on it, enough clean, bright guitar harmonics, enough wah-wah pedal — to slip easily into an American classic rock collection. Just as Creedence Clearwater Revival, El Cerrito’s favorite bayou boys, appropriated the vestiges of the South to their advantage, on Magnificent Fiend, Howlin’ Rain has co-opted the ghosts of California’s psychedelic past. (Birdman Records/ American Recordings)
www.howlinrain.com

-Andres Jauregui

The Grouch- Show You the World
No production information available

After nearly six years of inactivity, The Grouch erupts from the West Coast underground with his latest solo effort, Show You the World. Citing the 2006 birth of his daughter, Rio, as the rally point for his inspiration, The Grouch delivers 15 tracks of grown man rap.

There is no mention of flashy whips, Miami Vice drug deals or Spaghetti Western gun battles with the police here. Instead, The Grouch maintains a Zen-like air while giving his fans a glimpse at what the world looks like through his eyes.

Although the title track, featuring Raphael Saadiq, may not be the flashiest song on the album, listeners are quickly acclimated to The Grouch’s “live for tomorrow” frame of mind. The soulful “Breath” is a further testament to his development as an artist and a human being.

Fellow Living Legends cohorts, Bicasso and Scarub come along for the three mile an hour cruise down memory lane that is “Hot Air Balloons.” The lone trumpet backed by a simple but driving bass line really gives this track a soothing feel.

Abstract Rude lends his vocals on the ethereal “God Bless the Elephant” — a song praising the starving artists, who always remember to stay true to themselves and their craft. On the other hand, The Grouch takes shots at those holier than thou hipsters on “Artsy,” which was remixed on edIT’s 2007 release, Certified Air Raid Material.

The influence of the Bay Area hyphy sound is prevalent on “Favorite Folks” and album standout “The Bay to LA,” featuring Murs and a catchy trunk banger one might expect a Snoop or an E-40 to hold reign over. Show You the World leaves no stone unturned, offering a body of work palatable to any and every hip-hop head. (Legendary Music)

www.therealgrouch.com

-Franklin Grimes

Led toSea- Led toSea
Recorded and mixed by Jharek Bischoff

Led to Sea’s self-titled debut album is a thoughtful combination of storybook lyrics and intelligent instrumentals ranging from acoustic guitar to accordion. The original folk lullabies evoke alternately the loneliness of the ocean and the everyday social happenings of country people — scenes that lead singer Liz Alex Guy treads through with lightly measured vocals occasionally reminiscent of Inara George.

Opener “Million Stars” introduces the listener to Led to Sea’s organic accents, which come and go naturally through the course of the song. Bass drums keep a simple rhythm beneath brighter percussion and soaring violin courtesy of Guy. Melancholy strings reappear in “Night Country,” a song that cushions the vocals with intricate guitar work and, later, a sorrowful harmonica.

Low-key songs “Like You Knew Me” and “Concrete Sky” take the album’s folk underpinnings the way of Gaelic traditional music and the resulting sound is like The Corrs’ earlier work. There is something both ominous and beautiful about the flute and decidedly atonal vocals alongside light, rhythmic picks of banjo on the album’s namesake track, “Led to Sea.” In contrast, the funkier sounding “Winter’s Longest Night” dips into the realm of country.

Occasionally Guy abandons her measured restraint and drops into a heady near-growl, adding a different kind of weight to songs. One example of this is “Hitch,” which plays like classic Southern blues and features lyrics emphasizing a basic rhyme scheme around a tale of a girl mistreated.

Even with a wide assortment of contributing instruments, Led to Sea’s composition remains uncluttered. The subtle additions fall seamlessly into the gentle melodies, creating a tranquil space that Guy explores with both voice and violin. (Eleven Records)
www.ledtosea.com

-Lulu McAllister

Years Around The Sun- Inva De Siva
Produced by Ben Moore and Years Around The Sun | Recorded and mixed by Ben Moore at Big Fish Studio | Mastered by Gavin Lurrsen at Lurrsen Mastering

One test of a good song is whether it can be stripped bare and still succeed in its naked simplicity. Though San Diego four-piece Years Around The Sun coats its full-length debut, Inva De Siva, in multiple harmonic layers, the band also demonstrates a knack for crafting an infectious melody — 13 times over — while using minimalist instrumentation.

Boasting an amiable alternative sound similar to Pinback, dual vocalists Ronnie Dudek (guitar) and Dylan Raasch (bass) lay the groundwork for breezy pop jingles like “Roundabout,” lively rockers like “Failing at Art” and cosmic ballads like “The Empyrean Trail,” which is constructed of heartbeat percussion and a dissonant piano line that conjures ‘90s space rockers Failure in its spooky otherworldliness.
With much of the album driven by vocals, the nothing-flashy arrangements — somewhat mechanical bass, guitar, keyboard and percussion — suffer at times in the passive backseat. For example, “Soft Light Serenade” and “The Ghost” employ a robotic structure suggestive of a keyboard demo button.

Yet the band overcomes the moments lacking in instrumental grit with prize songwriting, most obviously on standout “Beyond The Waves,” where the singers meld into a yin yang contrast spotlighting the turbulence of life changes. The melancholy nostalgia of its verses hints at a ship lost at sea, leading into a lighthouse of a soaring chorus: “Oh in the night comes the rain / and I’m the one left spinning out / The lights will lead beyond the waves / as our heart-shaped ships set out / And some will break / but I’ll refrain / ‘Cause I believe we’ll make it back...” The persistent optimism permeating the lyrics complements Years Around The Sun’s aptitude for memorable songs that linger long after Inva De Siva ends. (Manaloft Records)
www.yearsaroundthesun.com

-Julia Cooper

Transfer- Sunken Eyes EP
Recorded, engineered and co-produced by Mario Quintero at Black Box Studios in San Diego (except track 1 recorded, engineered and produced by Brian Karscig at XIV Recorders in San Diego)

San Diego quartet Transfer brings forth a dynamic exploration of sound and melody with its latest five-track EP, Sunken Eyes. With this release, the band suggests a hint of The Beatles coupled with the psychedelic prowess of a Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, while making it uniquely their own and relevant for this day and age.

Kicking off the album is “Sinking, Sailing,” recorded and produced by fellow San Diego musician Brian Karscig of Louis XIV. A fitting introduction, the track starts with delicate serenity, giving way to a raucous and punchy chorus and embodying the band’s adventurous and ever-changing expression. Karscig’s piano is a welcomed addition on the track, lending even more depth to the production.

The standout “You Are The Wolf” follows, launching a syncopated guitar and drum delivery coupled with catchy hooks and a delightful Mexican brass-influenced chorus. Continuing the journey, the gritty, garagey “Bring A Knife” hits hard, while the soft ballad “Bitter Pill” packs less of a punch yet still holds its own, highlighting the dichotomy of Transfer’s exploration of composition.

The EP closes with “White Horse,” an epic tale of an almost fatal accident, highlighted with powerful harmonies and an expressive guitar-driven interlude, reminiscent of psychedelic, guitar-laden tracks of the ‘60s and ‘70s. After four unique and powerful cuts, it is an appropriate ending to a solid effort.

As a whole, Sunken Eyes is a refreshing throwback to what made music classic in past decades — solid songwriting, musicianship, versatility and an ability to take chances. If Sunken Eyes is just the start for what is yet to come, expect Transfer to leave a mark that will not be soon forgotten. (Obscure Magpie Music)
www.transferband.com

-Joey Dean

Star Anna- Crooked Path
Produced, engineered and mixed by Tito Fuentes and Walter Maenhout at Malamute Studios in Seattle, WA | Mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE in Phoenix, AZ

With a voice that combines the passion of Brandi Carlile and the likeability of Sheryl Crow, Star Anna sets out on a journey of heartbreak, realization and remedies for the soul on her new album Crooked Path. In the opening track, “If Wishes Were Horses,” Anna introduces us to a desperate couple leaving behind their old life to start anew. Reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde she sings, “We wouldn’t even have to fight, or say they were right / Nobody’d even have to know where it is we’d go.”

It seems that each song on this album marks a specific point in the journey of these two lovers, and the theme of interdependence runs constant through every word. Anna truly shows her skill as a songwriter with songs like “Crooked Path” where she tells, “I’ve got a pocket full of smokes and a headache full of hopes and a worn down pair of shoes.” Her theme of heartache is supported by lines like “No one knows you like I do / And I can’t be the one to change your ways.” Make no mistake, there is a feeling of pain in almost every song on this album, and Anna does not give the listener an easy way out. While some albums have a “happily ever after” finish, Anna chooses no such route. Her songs are consistent and meaningful, fueled by genuine emotion and hard-fought lyrics.

The strength of this album rests in the fact that Star Anna may write in the style of many country/Americana artists today, but she doesn’t sing like them. Supported by her band, The Laughing Dogs, Star Anna’s lyrics groove with the road-tested sound of a singer comfortable with her musical surroundings. Unafraid to let her voice be the focal point of her music, she delivers her message with strength, significance and earnest emotion. (Malamute Records)
www.staranna.com

-Dave Boodakian

Ricky Lee Robinson- Secret Love Tricks
Mastered by Mike Wells at Mike Wells Mastering in San Francisco, CA

Fortunately for those who dare to venture into one-man band’s land, the days of the backbreaking metal death trap and harmonica headgear are over. The inventions of the loop pedal and the Octaver have not only made things considerably less clunky, but have also opened up an array of new musical possibilities for the solo ensemble.
Oakland-based Ricky Lee Robinson is a member of that new generation of one-man bands, and he’s damn proud of it. Robinson’s live instrumental repertoire usually consists of a three-piece modified drum set, with kick, hihat and snare, and an overdriven acoustic guitar. His third album, Secret Love Tricks, embraces the all-around joys of the recording studio by incorporating his beloved Wurlitzer 200 keyboard into the mix, often left in the shadows at concerts.

Robinson’s songs boast gritty similarity to the lo-fi growl made famous by The White Stripes, except he doesn’t need a soft-spoken Meg to keep the beat. His acoustic guitar softens the occasionally coarse rhythms, and his steady tenor dips in and out of John Lennon’s nasally whine and Paul McCartney’s candy-coated croon. The first track, “Black Diamond Mines,” showcases Robinson’s wicked ability to multitask, even with the technology of the mixer at his disposal. As the album progresses, Robinson alternates between driving bluesy jams and catchy but sensitive ballads. Among those jams is “Hostess Extraordinaire,” with its punchy, syncopated chorus, and “Ideas and Notions,” which layers the vocals to simulate an echoing choir of little Ricky Lees. Of the ballads, “Darling if He Drops You” stands out as a falsetto-tinted homage to a sock-hop slow song.

If a talent like Robinson is pioneering the soloist revival, then the one-man band just might become the new three-piece. (Hypnodisk Records)
www.rickyleerobinson.com

-Stefanie Lee

Raised by Robots- The Auctioneer
Produced, engineered and mixed by John McBain | Mastered by Chris Hanzsek at Hanzsek A/V in Seattle, WA | Recorded at New, Improved Recording in Emeryville, CA

Reputedly composed of two landscape architects and a chemical engineer, San Francisco trio Raised by Robots shares its discovery of the ultimate in after-work creativity on the kitchen sink debut The Auctioneer.

The album at first falls prey to a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder, but further listening reveals a rather fun fusion of genres. Verses may start out in the key of rock, but that’s only before choruses groove into rap, stage dive onto punk and slow dance with soul. The bass-guitar-drums instrumentation remains impermeable throughout the shifting styles and numerous time changes of the album’s 12 high-energy songs, sometimes weaving a hip-hop beat into a surf guitar riff (“The Graveyard Shift”), other times allowing a grave punk intro to spark a catchy indie pop melody (“Cynicism”).
Singer/guitarist Cameron Spies, who often employs talky double-tracked vocals, isn’t afraid to get gutsy behind the mic. He adopts both a Justin Timberlake falsetto and Dose One mile-a-minute rap within the span of “A Corporeal Complex.” However, such a compelling vocal presence paired with hyperactive, attention-grabbing music often leaves Spies’ lyrics lost in the shuffle.

Album standouts include “6ircles,” which seduces with equal parts Red Hot Chili Peppers funk ballad and TV on the Radio soul song, the subtle “White Eyelids” whose urgent breakdowns and Isaac Brock staccato shouts enter Modest Mouse territory, and the contemplative “There Is Always Something Better,” which offers a sparseness that finishes the record on an epic note. While too many ingredients may initially detract listeners looking to taste a more cohesive recipe, The Auctioneer’s unique and infectious spirit makes Raised by Robots’ prognosis look good. (Self-released)
www.raisedbyrobotsmusic.com

-Julia Cooper

Amy Jo Lomas- SundayMatinee on Fire EP
Mastered by Bernie BeckerProduced by Amy Jo Lomas

Amy Jo Lomas composed her first piano pieces when she was 15, shortly after the death of her mother. Inspired by, as she puts it, “the gift of life and the inevitable reality of death,” Lomas continued making music, balancing moody vocals against electronic-inflected jazz. The talented songstress and self-taught pianist makes her debut with a sultry self-produced EP, Sunday Matinee on Fire.

The EP flirts with occasional electronic accents, but what comes across most clearly is the classic jazz in Lomas’ vocalization, which is alternately seductive and serene. Lomas croons about themes she details as “lover’s lament to nostalgic childhood reflections to pro-peace messages.” Her way with smoky harmonies and cool melodies recalls both the drawn notes of Sade and the yearning of Tracey Thorn’s vocals in Everything But the Girl.

In the title track, Lomas’ vocals drip like honey through each musical phrase. She breaks from her even keel only to sing, “If you need someone to love, love me,” subtly insinuating a shade of blue. The subtle brush of percussion and understated piano accompanying her echo a lounge style of jazz. “The Daze” is nostalgic and wistful, slowly sauntering through a memory — in this case the ocean breezes, empty bottles, snowstorms and sleepless nights of Lomas’ past. Playing between sharps and flats within the otherwise simple structure of the song, Lomas practices the utmost control of her voice in “We’re Alive.” The atmospheric “Sancho,” with ambient electronic nuances and meandering xylophone, sounds like Bossa Nova from outer space; meanwhile Lomas’ vocals pick up an exotic feel, becoming playfully coy like those of Erykah Badu or Nelly Furtado. Finally, the album takes a political turn with “Sunset in Baghdad,” which despite the light-hearted melody and up-tempo percussion, carries a serious call for peace. (Self-released)
www.amyjolomas.com

-Lulu McAllister

The KrisSpecial- Alone FeelsLike a Hotel Room
Recorded and produced by The Kris Special at Frequency Out of Range Studios | Mixed by Raymond Richards with The Kris Special at Red Rockets Glare | Mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering

Three-piece L.A. outfit The Kris Special throws out all conventional wisdom with its self-recorded debut Alone Feels Like a Hotel Room, offering up a classic, unclassifiable color and sound that is full of sincerity and ignores trends.

The album starts out dusty, faded and gritty, yet with sweeping melodies, glowing pedal steel and rhythmic simplicity that screams of Mazzy Star. In the opening tracks, “April Loved John” sets the tone with simple rootsy melodies while “Fiasco,” a toe-tapping, lyrically-charged ballad, and “Sleep Alone Sometimes,” a heart-wrenching tale of nights forlorn, keep the theme going.

Then in an instant, the album gives way to a high-energy blast, introducing more of a brash, garage rock feel intertwined with a fitting alt-country sensibility reflected musically and lyrically. The standout track of the album is the spirited “Papers and Such” with Anne Pointer’s catchy chorus, “He leaves the change / But I don’t ever take it.” In the end, it all comes together beautifully, with the different pieces of the puzzle assembling to form a work of art that borders on abstract.

The Kris Special’s split personality — whether intentional or unintentional — works for this album, although Pointer’s voice does seem to get lost in the mix at times when the pace picks up. Recorded and produced at Pointer’s home studio in the Southern California desert, Alone Feels Like a Hotel Room has a natural, dirty yet refreshing sound, as if being played on an old jukebox in the South. Said to sound like the desert itself, The Kris Special shows with this release a dynamic range of temperatures. (No Exit Records)
www.myspace.com/thekrisspecial

-Joey Dean

Brenda Xu- It’sTime
Produced and recorded by Sven-Erik Seaholm at Kitsch and Sync Production in San Diego, CA

The first track on Brenda Xu’s new EP, “Count To Ten” not only sets an interesting tone for the disc but also a high standard for the tracks that follow. As Xu sings a warning to all, the steady and ominous rhythm of her guitar, combined with the distortion mixed into her voice, sends a very clear message that this quiet singer/songwriter doesn’t mess around. Conjuring the energy of witches dancing around a cauldron to tell of impending danger, Xu cautions, “I’d count to 10 before I dive in,” and a small feeling of fright (the good kind) comes over the listener as this tensely hushed acoustic song adds what sounds like a drumstick banging on a kitchen pot.

Drawing off the strength of the first track, It’s Time unfortunately begins to lose momentum, starting to repeat ideas instead of inventing them. In four out of the six songs, Xu uses the exact same rhythm, leaving the listener satisfied with a good idea but a bit disappointed at the lack of variety.

Xu’s lyrics stand as one of the best things about this EP, and despite the guitar parts that could use some developing, Xu shows potential for a striking full-length album with the strength of her thoughtful and meaningful words. She gives both a personal and dark performance in “She Knows,” singing, “He’s there just a little more each day / Too much to put your dirty laundry on the line,” painting the picture of what seems to be a girl being stalked by a man.

Despite its room for improvement, It’s Time features quality vocals, the development of solid themes, and a fiery passion that could burn brightly with the right fuel. (Self-released)
www.myspace.com/brendaxu

-Dave Boodakian