What's New?: 1.30.2014

On today's episode: NEW WAVE EXTRAVAGANZA!

Squeeze — self-titled (1978)

The Squeeze's first album is a lot more stock new wave than anything that followed. The rumour is that most of the material was written on the spot, under pressure. So, there you have it. There are some excellent pop songs throughout though: most obviously the hit 'Take Me I'm Yours', but there's also the super catchy 'Strong in Reason.'  I'm also partial to the funky psychedelic instrumental 'Wild Sewage Tickles Brazil.'  Otherwise, there's just not enough of the sort of well thought-out songcraft that Squeeze would become known for.  It's definitely their most "punk" sounding album, but that has more to do with how amateur it sounds, not because that's what they were going for.

The Jazz Butcher — The Gift of Music (mid-1980's)

It's taken me years to track down these Jazz Butcher albums. They are of interest to me because David J plays on them. And, you know, I should have just had some Jazz Butcher albums in my collection before now anyway because it's very British, very jangly music. Right up my alley. This album is a collection of singles and b-sides and it's very whimsical and nice. The first song is 'Southern Mark Smith', so that's an idea of what you're in for here.  There's a cover of the Modern Lovers' 'Roadrunner' which is pure fun, but there's also more introspective moments like 'Rain' that are just excellent.  Overall, kind of goofy music, but plenty of jangly guitars and earnest harmonies for me to dig it.

The Jazz Butcher — Sex and Travel (1985)

Bit more even overall, and that makes sense because this was its own release, not a collection. It kicks off with the sophisticated jangle of 'Big Saturday' and that one just wins over and over again.  The ballad 'Only A Rumour' is a rare moment of venerability and it's also a highlight.  The soundtrack-y 'Walk With the Devil' is an unexpected moment of epic scope that works incredibly well.  Overall, yeah: good stuff.  I will definitely be on the lookout for more Jazz Butcher stuff, regardless if David J is involved or not.

Dexys Midnight Runners — Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980)

Dexys' first album is a full on, horn-sectioned new wave soul album.  Because Dexys first came out of the Northern Soul movement, this makes perfect sense.  At times, the horns blasting away does feel a bit gimmicky, but the tunes are darn catchy and are played at punk speeds, so the whole whooses by in no time.  'Geno' was the big hit and is a worthy song to be remembered for.  Kevin Rowland had others up his sleeve, though.  Not a super amazing album, but darn good fun.

The Waterboys — This is the Sea (1985)

The last Waterboys album I needed to complete my 80's collection.  And it's a good one!  It sounds like A Pagan Place, but with better songs, basically.  Still a very large (arguably overproduced) presentation of the music, but with songs as good as the opener 'Don't Bang the Drum', that doesn't matter.  It's a very big, arena-ready melodramatic sound, totally mid-80's.  There's just some days when I want that borderline cheesy sound and, it seems like, the Waterboys always hit that specific node of sound that I'm looking for most perfectly.  Check out 'The Pan Within' for a preview of where the band would go on Fisherman's Blues.  Overall, not the best Waterboys album, but definitely in the running for #2.

The Mighty Lemon Drops — Happy Head (1986)

The first Lemon Drops' album has eluded me for years, but here we finally have it.  This band definitely does one thing really well, so if you're not a fan, too bad for you.  This thing is kind of top loaded with all the best, and most diverse, tunes up front.  So, by the end of the album, everything starts sounding the same.  But, those highlights are good enough to make up for it.  They have a really rockin' Rickenbacker retro-60's repertoire that's just fun.  Have a listen to 'All the Way' for an idea of what the Beatles would've sounded like as a punk band.  And there's lots of that sort of thing here.  I think the Lemon Drops got lost in the retroactive shuffle because they had a sound that was so reminiscent of other bands, while adding very little of their own.  But they did that sound so well, so I don't mind.  Definitely nice to finally have this album around.

The Jam — In the City (1977)

The Jam's first album is usually considered a punk landmark.  And it certainly is one of the defining albums of the initial British punk era, but it's a little uneven.  Paul Weller hadn't quite mastered a pop hook yet, so only a few really good ones pop up.  Chief among those being the enduring classic title track.  Paul Weller's stinging and ringing Rickenbacker guitar defines the sound of this album, for better or worse (it gets a little samey, after all).  As a debut album by a punk band, it showed absolutely no promise, but most punk bands weren't really meant to last past an album or two anyway, so that makes perfect sense.

The Jam — Setting Sons (1979)

Still blasting out those power trio performances, but the song craft here is amazing.  Just have a listen to 'Private Hell.'  Whoo, that's a great song.  There's a bit more of a produced, jangly sound to some of the songs, so something like 'Wasteland' comes off as a nice reserved change of pace.  And then, of course, there's 'Smithers-Jones' which is so dissimilar than any previous Jam song, it gets by on sheer uniqueness.  This is the CD reissue from the early 2000's that nearly doubles the running time of the album with bonus tracks (and it does include the more conventional arrangement of the single version of 'Smithers-Jones').  All the bonus material sits right in with the proper album and it's a darn fine affair, I'd say.  Not the best Jam album, but certainly one of their better ones.

The Jam — All Mod Cons (1978)

This is probably my favorite Jam album. It still has the punk snarl, but it's like, really sophisticated about it. Not pompous, just maybe a little cocky. Just have a listen to 'To Be Someone' for a perfect example of what I mean.  Of course, there's the enduring ballad 'English Rose' which was the first indication that the Jam meant serious business as far as not being considered just a punk band.  The whole album is just ace and that it ends with the ambitious mini-epic 'Down in the Tube Station at Midnight' is really appropriate because this album really does seem like the Jam fulfilling their potential for the first time.

Throwing Muses — The Curse (1992)

Recorded across two nights in London in support of Red Heaven, this paints the picture of the band as a very loud, nearly shoegazey unit.  The version of 'Fish' is scorching and flailing — I've not heard a better rendition, I'd reckon.  Kristin picks up her acoustic late in the disc, but it's mostly a relentlessly rockin' affair, focusing on Red Heaven, Hunkpapa and Real Ramona material.  Wonderful find after many years of knowing about this one without ever actually having heard it.

Throwing Muses — Firepile EPs (1992)

Released as a two part single in the UK, collectively, you get six b-sides, including the oft-played live Jimi Hendrix cover 'Manic Depression' and the great original tune 'Snailhead.'  Elsewhere, you get a jangly Velvet Underground cover and, all told, this was another super find, as these things have been out of print for a good decade and a half.  Fun stuff to add to the collection.

XTC — Black Sea (1980)

XTC was so damn consistent in the early 80's. Let's just pick a random song from this album and see how awesome it is: 'Paper and Iron.'  There.  Just, there.  See what I mean?  Of course, this one begins with the all-time XTC classic 'Respectable Street', so you know you're in for a wonderful ride.  Everything has that big drum sound and that angular riffing, which you could argue was formulaic, but when the formula was this productive, how could you possibly be mad?  This CD reissue tacks on some extra tracks that only add to the album's appeal.

XTC — English Settlement (1982)

Ask many an XTC fan their all time favorite album and I'd bet at least two-thirds would say English Settlement.  There's a sense of airy space in the production here and it allows you, as the listener, to really focus on the layers and song craft involved in everything here.  When the album begins with the atmospheric 'Runaways' you know there's been a change in thought, of sorts.  Then, of course, there's that one tune you may have heard.  Layered jangly heaven, I'd say.  The whole album is strong and it feels like step up in every aspect.  Like I said, if they were one thing in the early 80's it was damn consistent.

R.E.M. — Daysleeper EP (1998)

Up b-sides?  Yes, please!  The instrumental 'Emphysema' is a strange, vibes and accordion thing that is pure fun.  The winner is the "Oxford American Version" of 'Why Not Smile' which is basically an acoustic version.  Nothing revelatory, but I'm a big fan of this era of the band, so I'm fascinated by it nonetheless.

Edwyn Collins — Hellbent on Compromise (1990)

The sort of stock, overproduced jangle that Roddy Frame was also doing at the time. It is a bit more acoustic-based overall than what Roddy was up to and always with Edwyn's healthy dose of wit and sarcasm. Perhaps more earnest than usual, but the production is a little too slick for its own good. The eerie opener 'Means to an End' is a highlight and it's a shame that the rest of the album's material wasn't given as thoughtful treatment.

The Wake — A Light Far Out (2012) 

How I missed this one, I don't know.  But, man, is it good.  Just have a listen to the opening tune 'Stockport' and realize that this is a new record by these guys.  They do just about everything here: the jangly stuff, the dancey stuff, the dreamy stuff and it's the exact sort of reunion album that you love to see.  It sits well with the band's catalogue and only enhances it in the long run.  The only thing I'd complain about is the inclusion of the old Occasional Keepers tune 'If the Ravens Leave', but it's not even like that's a bad song; just well familiar.  The epic title track is probably the highlight here, but honestly, this thing is so good, there's really not a bad or even sub-par song in the bunch.

The Lotus Eaters — No Sense of Sin (1984)

Fantastic Bowie-inspired synth pop.  "New Romantic" the kids used to call it.  I knew of this band because Mike Dempsey, who played bass on the first Cure album, is present here (though not the main creative force).  This has one of the all-time great (now unfortunately lost) classic new wave singles on it with 'The First Picture of You.'  Pete Coyle's longing tenor croon paints a gorgeous picture of celebrating the moment while you're in it.  There's a handful of these slightly melancholy, transcendent 80's pop songs and I officially nominate 'First Picture of You' into the cannon.  Just perfect.  The rest of the album follows suit with long keyboard harmonies and subtle guitar arpeggios and hooks — just gigantic pop hooks.  Cherry Red has done this album justice with a wealth of bonus tracks that gathers up the band's entire 80's discography on one disc.  Fantastic music.

~Austin

What's New?: 1.1.2013

Been hoarding the "What's New?" lately.  Let's get into it. . .

The Police — Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)

Had a go of it over the years with the Police.  I think I have an initial kneejerk reaction against things where if I'm told I should just simply like them because of what they are.  Took me years to come around to u2 and the Beatles because of this same scenario.  Maybe, in this case, Sting's later career has played a factor in things as well.  Who knows?  Found these few in the dollar bin on a whim, so hey, why not?  By all accounts, the Police should be one of the bands I worship.  I gave it a shot, years ago.  Honest, I did.  But nothing ever seemed to be that great (or even that good) about them.  But, even though I knew the hits, it never would have occurred to me without actually sitting down with this album and hearing it for myself: Andy Summers' guitar sound on this album is absolute perfection.  That's no more clear to me than on 'When the World is Running You Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around.'  Hit those three chords and let them ring forever, Andy.  The sparseness of the song is immediately noticeable.  A lot of that has to do with that guitar part (and that the "guitar solo" is actually a bass solo).  So airy, so floating.  Just wonderful.  I knew 'Voices in my Head' was a sample favorite, but I didn't realize that the initial song was as arty and weird as it actually is.  The faux-reggae that the band got by on is still around, but you can tell they were growing tired with the schtick on the hit 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da' (still, Andy's guitar tone steals the show again).  Overall, yeah: good new wave.  Just fantastic guitar throughout—who cares what any of the songs are actually about?  (but seriously, Sting is actually pretty sharp with his words on this album, making it sound like there was a "punk rock" band that actually gave a shit)

The Police — Ghost in the Machine (1983)

It's a pretty big compliment right up front that I give this album the same score that I did Zenyatta, for a few reasons: 1) Andy's guitar is nowhere near as prominent 2) It's intentionally "weird" and "challenging" (please note the quotes) and 3) I hate 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' with an undying passion.  The verse on 'Invisible Sun' is actually so gorgeous, I'm having trouble coming up with words to properly describe it.  Side two of the album is where things really get going.  'Rehumanize Yourself' finds the return of Andy's wonderful guitar sound and is just heady great new wave, while 'Omega Man' is the greatest punk song ever written by a band that was trying to be anything but punk.  Jeezohman, it's good.  But I don't know.  I'm a self-proclaimed fan of "mess" albums.  And this just seems like one of the better candidates for that category, doesn't it?  Wonderfully bad, keyboard-favoring early 80's production by Hugh Padgham and the cycle is complete: I have a new source of romanticization. 

The Police — Synchronicity (1984)

Fancy little new wave album!  It's actually pressed on very dark purple vinyl (as were all retail, non-record club copies of this album) that is only really legible when you hold it up to very bright light.  Fun!  It's got three big hits on it and, I don't know, maybe enough time has passed between my youth and those songs (coupled with the fact that the Police have not really achieved retroactive credibility). . . but, I. . . .  *long sigh*. . . like 'Every Breath You Take.'  Like, I want to learn to play and sing it.  I don't care if soccer moms know it.  It's a fantastic song.  'King of Pain' boasts one of the greatest vocal melodies of all time (one that Ben Gibbard has stolen a lot from over the years).  But, besides that, it's got to be one of the best songs of the 80's.  Sure, its earnest melancholy tone must have been lost through so many plays over the years, but imagine hearing it for the first time again.  It took me rewinding to age 10 and conjuring up that memory to really appreciate this song.  While, there's no chance any ten year old would ever truly understand the song, it's a weird (and wonderful) thing to recall the burgeoning world with that song in my head.  The album closer 'Tea in the Sahara' is one last jolt of floating faux reggae wonderfulness, Andy's guitar making one more final hurrah.  'Mother' sucks.  Bad.  Full of all kinds of stuff, this is definitely one of the best new wave albums of all time.

XTC — Love On A Farmboy's Wages (1983)

XTC b-sides!  Alright!  First things first: the a-side is one of my all time favorite XTC tunes.  It's one of the rare moments of XTC that captures their Britishness from a rural standpoint.  Heartfelt and political, it's a winner through and through.  Flip it over and three live tunes on this one.  'Burning With Optimism's Flame' mines a similarly faux reggae sound that the Police were famous for, while 'English Roundabout' is as tense and manic as new wave could get (and which XTC had no problem accomplishing), while 'Cut it Out' is played in tandem with its predecessor, almost like a dub version.  Pure fun, and great to hear XTC live at this point, as it was to be one of the last times the band actually played live.

XTC — Great Fire (1983)

Another winner for the a-side here.  If it's been a secret around here previously that Mummer is one of my all time favorite albums —and easily my favorite XTC album— then let me settle that here and now: that shit's about as badass as it gets.  This single has great b-sides.  The first of which is the poppy jump of a song 'Gold' which just goes to exhibit that the band was still as fun as ever in these days.  The other two tunes are Andy Partridge's instrumental ambient/synth side project moonlighting as XTC b-sides.  'Frost Circus' and especially 'Procession Towards Learning Land' are arty and beautiful and chancey and brilliant and ultimately they exhibit why this is my favorite period for XTC: the band did not give a single fuck for anything or what anyone thought.  Amongst the most punk rock-minded moments of the 80's.  Mummer is amazing.  Deal with it.

Pink Floyd — Atom Heart Mother (1970)

Enh, it's not bad.  The side one dominating suite is pretty damned uneventful and just downright wasteful.  Side two is such an improvement.  Just. . . wow.  Why didn't the whole album make use of its time like this?  I guess it should be obvious by now that I prefer the more folky, introspective-tinged Floyd material.  So, stuff like 'If' and 'Fat Old Sun' is more or less awesome.  The second suite on the album, 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' is also nice, if not a bit too much for its own good.  At least it's listenable (unlike the album's first half).

Dick Gaughan — Handful of Earth (1980)

Celtic folk masterpiece from one of the style's sorely forgotten talents.  A friend recently played 'Craigie Hill' for me and when I inquired about Dick, he described Handful of Earth as "a British Isles classic."  Didn't take much more than that for me to become instantly interested.  And the whole album is just about as great as that four word description implies.  Seems every song here is in DADGAD, or a tuning pretty close to it, and is subsequently gorgeously played, in those deep tones.  The blues be damned: Nordic folk music has its own rules.  It is an unabashedly sparse album, with no more than three musicians credited (at most) on any given tune and no percussion of any sort employed.  In that sparseness is where it finds the intimate quality that connects with you.  I didn't think so much of it after one full play through.  But something just got me to play it again.  And then again.  And now, here I am, a week later and I'm pretty much only wanting to listen to this album.  'Both Sides the Tweed' is the one tune on the album that makes use of non-traditional instruments and it's a magically haunting moment.  Folk Roots called it "album of the decade" for the 80's.  And why the hell not?  Clearly a masterpiece for the ages.  You have no excuse for not having heard it at least once: it's on Spotify in full.  Relish in the glorious sounds.  Some of the most "soulful" singing and guitar playing I've heard in quite some time.  This is the really nice (and highly recommended) 180gram reissue on the Dutch 6 Spices label.  Really just fantastic work all around.

Lots more on the way, shortly. 

~Austin

What's New?: 9.20.2012

So far behind.  Still.

Terence Trenty D'Arby — TTD's Vibrator (1995)

*long sigh* When TTD flirted with more traditional rock textures in his first two albums, it felt very natural; a genuine extension of his style. But the gratuitous wah wah and distortion pedals all over the guitars throughout this album just sound cheap and contrived. That's not more apparent than on the otherwise good ballad 'Holding On to You.' Just completely unnecessary. I'm not that crazy about a "soul rock" sound in the first place, but this album just takes it that extra step. The drum loops and horn samples all over 'C.Y.F.M.L.A.Y.?' sound almost cartoony at points. But similar things a few songs later on 'Surrender' work exceedingly well, achieving a point of resonance that the rest of the album seems to be pretending it's capable of. Very next song 'TTD's Recurring Dream' is lush and dreamy. Truly the best this album has to offer. The last few songs end on the similarly overwrought note that the album began on and overall, it strikes me as an overproduced, overly ambitious work that only occasionally reaches its potential.

Bix Beiderbecke — Volume 2: At the Jazz Band Ball (1927/1928)

Early swing collection from one of the architects of the sound. As these sorts of things go, these are recordings in which Bix was a featured soloist. He was the leader of a few of these sessions, but the goofy vocal numbers with Willard Robison are pure fun on their own, without the Bix connection, just because they are so timely. Elsewhere, pure awesome occurs on the title track and 'Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down.' A scattershot collection of stuff, but when it's good, it's really good.

Billy Bragg & Wilco — Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (2000)

While this volume doesn't have the obvious standout that volume one had, it does hang together better as an album. Billy Bragg sings his whimsical heart out on the more playful numbers My old friend Natalie Merchant even stops by here for a tune (and it's great!). Wilco pretty much steals the show with their tunes. The building 'Remember the Mountain Bed', the eerie 'Blood of the Lamb' and the album closing beauty 'Someday Some Morning Sometime' all make for darn fine listening. Overall, I missed it at the time, but the influence of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes looms large over this one. Pretty nice stuff. And fun.

The Jesus and Mary Chain — Automatic (1989)

I've had this one on vinyl for years, but in true late 80's anti-vinyl propaganda, it's missing two songs! The two extras were among some of the first things I ever purchased digitally and that is also when I learned my lesson the hard way: digital media sucks too, because it gets corrupted and they count on you just saying, "Enh, it's only a buck" and buying it again and again and again. . . But, finding this CD for 50¢ finally ended my bitterness towards this album (and made me realize that the things I didn't like it for were not its fault). It's a much more rockin' affair than Darklands (which I still say is their best album), but it's just so relentlessly catchy! The big, crunchy guitars and cheesy drum machines on 'Head On' have become something of a holy grail by this point. It deserves whatever praises it receives. The sludgy textures on 'Gimme Hell' predict grunge, without falling prey to the pompous tendencies (the jay ay emm see were always brilliant songwriters anyway). This never has been my favorite JaMC album, but it's definitely right up there with their initially brilliant 80's run. Really nice to finally have hard copies of the two extra songs.

Stereolab — Sound-Dust (2001)

Some very David Axelrod-esque textures in this album that I hadn't noticed when I heard it before (about seven or eight years ago). After a floaty one minute intro vamp, 'Baby Lulu' breaks into one of the best breaks in modern times. Although I've moved on, my inner-MPC glutton is potentially drooling. The dreamy atmosphere that permeates through the songs, the heavy reliance on vibes. Yeah, I get definite vibes of Axelrod. The arrangements handled by Jim O'Rourke really shine on tunes like 'Nought More Terrific Than Man' and 'Suggestion Diabolique' (really conjuring Seriously Deep here). An oft-neglected Stereolab album. But a unique one, just on the basis of John McEntire and Jim O'Rourke's participation (the material is decidedly unfamiliar for the Groop, as well). Awesome.

The Dukes of the Stratosphear — Chips from the Chocolate Fireball (1985/1987)

In which, our friends XTC masquerade as a Nuggets-inspired retro band. This is actually just the EP 25 o'Clock and the full length Psonic Psunspot collected together on one disc. They totally nail the Electric Prunes with the title track on the EP. And that's the fun thing here: try to figure out who they're copying. But, to even say that they're "copying" feels like it's a shot at them. When in fact, they're just really inspired by the 60's bands they grew up with. 'What in the World?' is obviously straight out of obsessive Sgt. Pepper listening, but it's a darn catchy tune on its own. 'Vanishing Girl' is obviously a 60's-influenced gem, for instance, but it doesn't really have any of those major touchstones and feels more like the real XTC playing what they wanted to play. As great as Skylarking is, the material the band recorded in the immediate aftermath seems more closely pointed towards the direction that they were focused on all along. It's one case in the history of rock music where the band members were probably all much more dedicated to the side project than they were the main gig. For that, it just emits awesomeness.

Lou Reed — self-titled (1972)

Most of Lou Reed's debut album consists of songs that the Velvet Underground had tossed away. The recordings of the Velvets' versions of these tunes are now rock and/or roll history, but when this album came out in 1972, nobody knew them and few knew the Velvets in the first place. This album was recorded in England. Indeed, between a break from Yes recording sessions, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman played on this album. I can't even conceive of the hilarity and awesomeness of that meeting of minds. The versions of the songs that were initially done by the Velvets are generally not as good as what they initially were. The cheesy psuedo-soul background vocals on most of the album are mostly to blame. However, the decidedly more folky take on 'I Love You' is much more interesting than the stock Velvets sound applied to previous takes. And, I have to say, while that initial Velvets version of 'Ride Into the Sun' is pastoral and very resonating, Lou's version here just sounds so much cooler. Maybe I am rockist after all. Lou attempted 'Ocean' here as well and it's still a good song, just didn't pan out with the overproduction. I would say that, in retrospect, this album does play as the next Velvets album, after Loaded. It's just not as good (which merits the question: what is?). This UK edition from 2000 (the only version currently in print) is worthwhile, if for nothing else than the liner notes, which go into very close detail about the surroundings of the album's recording sessions. Certainly Lou at the crossroads, but definitely of interest to Velvets fans.

Fran Healy — Wreckorder (2010)

Jeez, has it really been almost five years since the last Travis album? I am a whore for their brand of MOR jangle, so I have no excuses for just now getting hipped to this mini-masterpiece. I am a big fan, obviously. That this album reminds me of Travis, but hints at a specific mood that I don't feel like Fran's band could have accomplished as well, is a very important sign. Tracks one and two are very Travis-esque, if Travis were a bit more subdued. 'Sing Me to Sleep' then pops up —unforeseen Neko Case cameo and all— and just realigns the entire mood of the album. The otherwise whimsically gloomy 'As it Comes' features somebody named Paul McCartney on bass (who?), while 'Shadow Boxing' is one of Fran's best songs and easily the album's highlight. The piano line and chord progressions are just about too close for comfort, I might venture to say. Absolutely chuffin' brilliant, mate. 'Rocking Chair' is the epitome of the underlying folky aspect of this album, while the closer 'Moonshine' catches a glimpse of Fran as the melodramatic synth and drum machine pop star he so wishes to be. He even hits those excellent falsettos. Of course, it's all much too earnest to be any of what I've just said. And that's what makes it so good. My expectations for the next Travis album are officially in the stratosphere.

~Austin