Category Archives: alternative

REBEKAH HIGGS – Odd Fellowship

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Five years in the making, 2011’s ‘Odd Fellowship’ is second solo release (third overall) from Nova Scotia songstress Rebekah Higgs.  Produced by Brian Dreck – best known for production duties with Modest Mouse and Iron & Wine – the record manages to sound full and shiny in places, while remaining relatively clanky and sparse in others.  This range of sounds consistently provides Higgs with a good base from which to weave her sometimes odd, but often strangely compelling vocal melodies.

The guitar driven indie pop of ‘Drunk Love’ provides the best entry point into this second album, as Higgs’s slightly lazy voice sounds fabulous against fuzzy guitars and an almost marching beat.  Ringing lead guitars provide an excellent counterpoint against the bottom end, resulting in something guaranteed to thrill those who love music of an alternative 90s persuasion – Belly, in particular.  Similarly accessible, ‘Youth & Beauty’ is loaded with a pumping bass and almost danceable groove.  That provides enough brilliance to ensure it’s a track which works well enough, but once that’s topped by guitar – introcate on the verses, fuzzy on the chorus – the tune elevates to a new level.  A great example of alternative pop/rock, this track could best be described as a cast off from Rilo Kiley’s ‘Under The Blacklight’ swansong, and as such, it’s easy to see this appealing to fans of that much missed indie-pop outfit.

Elsewhere, things aren’t always so direct – or indeed hook driven – but the results are mostly interesting.   ‘Stick & Poke’ is home to a great example of Higgs’ quirky and occasionally mechanical stylings.  Her multi-tracked voice sounds endearing harmonising with itself; simple but effective, that voice is backed by programmed drums marking time and organ sounds for extra colour.   To avoid the track descending into absolute coldness, a live bass can be heard adding plenty of flair.  By the time the live drums make a belated appearance, the track gathers pace as it motors into the coda.   Here, the band adopts an all round fuller sound which quickens in pace, faster and faster, headlong into a chaotic climax. The repetition of vocals may endear or irritate depending on the listener, but for those heavily into alternative female fronted music, this could have plenty of charm.  The coda is, perhaps just a little too full on – overdone even – but in terms of something which takes the pop core of Dressy Bessy and then spruces that up with deliberate eccentricity, it’s all extremely well executed.

‘Lazy Morning’ brings a minimalist drone punctuated by piano notes.  By the time the chorus rolls around, things flesh out with string sounds and more percussion, pushing Higgs into a similar musical mood to Mirah (only more polished) with a nod to Amanda Palmer (but far less scary).  Higgs’s vocal is hushed – an approach which suits the partly orchestrated musical backdrop. At just over two minutes, it’s brief but doesn’t feel as if it needs to be any longer; no does Higgs sound like an artist attempting to be deliberately out-there.  For its quirks, the end results sound surprisingly natural, providing another decent example of this particular artist’s more experimental side. The electronic ‘Shoop’, on the other hand, could be accused of pushing experimentation too far.  Bleeping keyboards and disjointed rhythms are very much the order of the day.  Lacking anything resembling a likable tune, Higgs’s voice is sampled and looped, repeating the word ‘shoop’ as a vocal punctuation for what feels like forever.  By the time the main part of the song appears, her vocal is in French and sounds almost unfriendly against the jagged and ugly backdrop.  Higgs gets full marks for trying something different but it really, really spoils the flow of the album.

Without question, one of the album’s most endearing tracks is ‘Little Voice’.  Featuring a great, waltzing arrangement led by a stabbed piano, the number teases the listener in an almost carny style (reminiscent of bands on the fringes of the “dark cabaret” movement).  In an almost perfect accompaniment, Higgs’s lead voice commands a presence while remaining slightly whimsical throughout.  Tinking percussion adds plenty of musical accenting throughout, but it’s the wordless backing voices which are sure to leave the strongest lasting impression, heavily filtered to sound like theramins.  There’s not much of a chorus, but the lolloping arrangement carries the piece more than well enough, and it’s the music which feels the most important here.   Perhaps even better still, the pop-edged ‘Gosh, Darn, Damn’ is a slightly sugary piece rooted by a very strong bassline which hints at old soul tunes.  Across nearly four minutes, Higgs’ stylised vocal performance may not appeal to everyone, but she sounds very comfortable.  The main hook is one designed to be infectious, and while the chorus is relatively successful in its quest to stick in your head, it’s the wordless refrain combining vocal and brass which follows providing the most instant gratification.

It’s fair to say that as good as it is, parts of ‘Odd Fellows’ aren’t always designed for mass appeal, but it’s the deliberate contrast between the slightly experimental (‘Stick & Poke’) and the instantly likable (‘Gosh, Darn, Damn’) which gives it strength. As such, those who like things with an interesting female voice should find themselves almost instantly attracted to most of Higgs’s work.  It’s probably not everyday listening for all, but there are enough interesting ideas lurking within to warrant returning to the album on a regular basis.

Purchasing mp3s of ‘Gosh, Darn, Damn’ and ‘Youth & Beauty’ are strongly advised.

January 2012

ANGRY SALAD – Angry Salad

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Angry Salad’s self titled release (and swansong) from 1999 is a re-recorded and re-sequenced version of their ‘Bizarre Gardening Accident’ full length from two years previously.  By this point, eight years into a ten year career, the Rhode Island band had finally gained a little recognition from the industry after years of hard work and extensive touring schedules.  Re-titled ‘Angry Salad’, the Atlantic Records release is, naturally, somewhat of an improvement over the independent release, but the band’s gift for song-craft – and Bob Whelan’s vocal abilities, especially – were always more than evident.

With a heavy use of drum loops, ‘The Milkshake Song’ does not – at least to begin with – do this album any favours with regard to first impressions.  Its mechanical nature adds too much of a throwaway air.  Listen beyond that, though, and you’ll find a great pop number bristling with energy.  Its ringing guitars have a strong presence, while the lyrics bring a strong sense of reminiscence.  Dress that up with a sharp production and sharper chorus and ‘The Milkshake Song’ screams “summer hit”.  It was not.  Once you can get past those drum machines, ‘The Milkshake Song’ is a more than reasonable opener, but in some respects, it sets the listener up with a misguided idea of what follows…

The poignant ‘Rico’ – a track recorded by the band three times in total – captures the Angry Salad “sound” in a near-perfect four minute nugget, as well as highlighting their knack for a well-phrased lyric.  A warm bass and melodic guitar riff that’s tailor made for radio – kind of Matchbox Twenty-esque, but harder – would have been enough to ensure this number stands out, but the lyrical content concerning a man who lost his life in a car accident gives this a real sense of poignancy.  Angry Salad’s deep storytelling is in a style which Matchbox Twenty (and so many other similar bands) could only dream of writing.  The fact that Bob Whelan is able to deliver sad lines regarding loss (“It’s coming back to me in my dreams; bad news never sleeps, bad news never heals”) alongside more flippant lines like “you don’t make snow angels with your face down” while making  everything feel so natural is rare talent indeed.  Even sadder than ‘Rico’, ‘Saturday Girl’ recounts the thoughts of a hospitalized teenager after a misadventure with drugs.  Once the life and soul, she’s now comatose in a hospital bed watching car lights streaming past her window, dreaming those lights belong to her friends who’ve come back to take her back to her old life.  This heartbreaking tale is given a suitable send off, with clear ringing guitars and an emotionally fuelled vocal which, in another world, would have suited Counting Crows man Adam Duritz.

Rather more uplifting – but ultimately throwaway by comparison – is a top-notch cover of Nena’s 80s hit ’99 Red Balloons’.  In the second half of the 90s and beyond, a few punk bands gave this well-worn tune the once over, but none of their energy could match the great version featured here.  The lead synth translates exceptionally well into a jagged guitar riff, which Angry Salad use to their full advantage.   Since they don’t really deviate too far from any other version of ’99 Red Balloons’, there’s little else to add regarding the bulk of their performance.  Listen carefully during the fade-out, though, and you’ll catch Bob Whelan amusingly name checking a few other German exports: “autobahn and sauerkraut, Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine”…

Bringing the band’s rockier tendencies to the fore, ‘How Does It Feel To Kill?’ opens with an acoustic guitar and piano intro followed by an electric guitar riff shamelessly lifted from the KISS classic ‘Detroit Rock City’ (not just inspired by – it actually is the ‘Detroit Rock City’ intro replayed by Angry Salad!).  This then transpires into a no nonsense rocker – all crashy rhythm guitar chords and slightly distorted lead guitar lines.  The trebly ringing sounds are put in their place by some well arranged, wordless harmony vocals across the chorus and a somewhat out of place bridge which, surprisingly, reinstates the piano and guitar last heard during the intro.  In honesty, it’s more than a bit cut ‘n’ paste (especially once you factor in a few funky hard rock riffs), yet somehow Angry Salad make this hotch-potch of sounds work in their favour.  Another upbeat track, ‘Empty Radio’ contains some top lyrics (“I was kneeling before the parts on the floor / Of the radio I took apart to find Elvis”), and a great tune, but it’s real stroke of brilliance comes via a stupidly, stupidly infectious hook, as the band fill musical passages with catchy “woo-woos”.  Sure, it doesn’t sound so special on paper, but in reality, they’re possibly the most effective set of “woos” since The Rolling Stones’ ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ thirty years earlier.  Those combined with a great jangly guitar riff should be enough to keep you listening.  It’s a shame this wasn’t enough for Atlantic Records to keep listening and give the album a decent promotion.

The rock numbers are good, but once you’re acquainted with Angry Salad, it becomes obvious it’s the more reflective moments which show the band in their most positive light.  While not as perfect as ‘Rico’ or ‘Saturday Girl’, ‘Red Cloud’ has a great atmosphere.  Most of this is down to Alex Grossi’s guitar work which is full of muted chords working in near perfect harmony with Hale Pusifer’s understated drumming, lending the arrangement a strong vibe of mid-80s U2.  This is strengthened to the nth degree with a big key-change and chorus which sounds unavoidably like ‘The Unforgettable Fire’.  Rather than sounding like total plagiarism, it’s actually really flattering and Whelan’s lead vocal finds a perfect balance between big notes and breathiness – possibly his best ever performance.  “And what Red Cloud wants, you can’t give back…”

The only track on ‘Angry Salad’ which could be considered filler is ‘Scared of Highways’, but even then, the track is better than most similar bands could care to write.  Granted, a lacking chorus puts this in the weaker category of Angry Salad’s output, but the musical arrangement has some really strong moments – namely the subtle, vibrato edged guitar during the bridge section and Brian Holland’s fantastically busy bassline, which fills as much musical space as possible throughout.

Angry Salad manage to pull off something very difficult with this release: they combine wonderfully heartfelt, emotional songs alongside numbers which feature elements of quirky song writing and humour, without said humorous moments ever cheapening the whole package.  The whole album is a joy (even the weaker moments), and it’s an absolute travesty it has often languished in bargain bins across the US, destined for a life of relative obscurity.  Do yourselves a big favour and seek it out – and soon.

September/October 2011

THE GREAT VALLEY – Ruthless

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The Great Valley was originally formed as an imaginary band by brothers Louis and Nick Matos when they were 11 and 13 years old.  They dreamed of playing music in front of real audiences and like other people with drive and self-belief, The Great Valley eventually became a reality.  ‘Ruthless’ is their debut full-length, although the idea of full-length is relative, since this releases eight tracks barely scrape twenty-six minutes.  Still, if you’re looking for a bunch of chorus driven numbers which provide more quality than quantity, then this does the job.

While the songs are strong, those who dislike the use of auto-tune as a stylistic choice (as per Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, Relient K and many others) may find themselves struggling to enjoy The Great Valley at first, but if you can make it past that, there are some enjoyable (albeit very similar sounding) songs featured here.  By the third track, it becomes possibly to ignore the vocal filters and auto-tune elements – and The Great Valley’s emo-pop-rock starts to get under your skin.

‘Yesterday’s chorus vocals utilise a crowd-pleasing whoah – the kind at the centre of ‘This Is War’ by 30 Seconds To Mars, but unlike those guys, The Great Valley have the good sense not to include them on every song. Combine those with some decent guitar chimes and the album gets off to a good start.  The arrangement is as solid as Louis Matos’s drumming style; less auto-tune on his lead voice would have given the track a more organic sound, but such auto-tuning almost seems de rigueur in the world of emo and post-90s pop-punk.  ‘Sweeter Side of Life’ is not a great departure from The Great Valley’s previous works, the end result is tight, with another great use of harmony vocals and driving, staccato-ish chords from Nick Matos.  Many of these elements are also featured effectively during ‘Like We Do’ – a track which, thanks to a huge hook and elements of angst, create something which stands one of the album’s true gems, despite featuring little in the way of musical variety from anything they’ve offered previously.

The title cut is a great slice of sugar-driven pop-punk with a firm emphasis on the pop elements, delivering a sound heavily influenced by New Found Glory (yes, with a similar use of auto-tune throughout).  Musically speaking, though, this hits the spot with its crunchy guitar chords and crashy drums providing the heart.  The Matos Brothers’ voices blend well throughout, although that’s hardly surprising with the help of studio tweaking; a couple of moments featuring an almost call-and-response style work well.  The track is topped by Nick’s slightly spiky but very short guitar solo.  ‘Me, Myself & Time’s verses provide a slightly more off-kilter rhythm than some of TGV’s other numbers and also includes a gratifying lead guitar during its intro, but pretty soon, things settle into an all too familiar groove.  In spite of this, vocal harmonies, a tough yet bouncy guitar riff and very strong chorus pull together extremely well, in what’s undoubtedly the album’s strongest offering as far as song writing is concerned.  It’s a number which could rival Sum 41 at their peak.

Despite being very formulaic, and completely lacking in variety after the first couple of numbers, somehow, ‘Ruthless’ still manages to be very agreeable.  It really helps that it’s an album loaded with fantastic hooks and solid playing.  If you’re a fan of this style of rock, this all leads to a very pleasing experience, but for everyone else, The Great Valley are likely to appear to be dismissed yet another identikit emo/pop-punk package.

March 2011

THE BYGONES! – Radio, Ready Or Not!

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Brooklyn three-piece The Bygones! are a band whose main musical thrust is garage rock.  Their debut EP ‘Radio, Ready or Not!’ has a DIY approach which gives everything a slightly rough around the edges feel.   As debut releases go, it’s far from perfect, but to be fair, it is home to a couple of great numbers.

‘Gimme Some Space’ is a trashy piece of goodness which sounds like a cross between a ragged version of The Real Kids and Boston four piece Watts, if they were in a particularly shouty mood.  Dan McGuinness’s drums are crashy and live sounding, which sound great placed against Billy Janisewski’s particularly urgent vocal and guitar work.  Pulling everything together, Colin Van Deusen’s bassline is a bit lost under the raucousness, but in just under two minutes, The Bygones! clear the cobwebs on this number, proving that at full pelt, they’re a band with a lot of promise.  Likewise, the rock ‘n’ roll twang which carries the title cut shows a great energy, with Janiszewski’s slightly warbling vocal line fitting the bill rather well.  Van Deusen’s bass is audible on this track too, which is a major plus considering his playing is busy throughout. It’s also rather tight for this type of garage-based arrangement.

When The Bygones! slow things down, the cracks start to appear in their performance.  ‘Sour Apple’ begins with a very retro guitar, while the bassline is solid and high in the mix.  The basis for something decent is very much there, but the vocals are a little waily, never really settling in.  A counter backing vocal does its best to make everything gel but, fact is, Janiszewski’s lead vocal just doesn’t blend as well as it should.  It may work better live, of course, but here it’s in need of a bit of polish up, particularly when it comes to a particularly unrestrained ad lib just before the fade out.  ‘Begging’ is musically better all round, with a stronger lead vocal.  The real star on this number is Van Deusen, whose bass line really carries the piece with its unwavering approach.  The end section where the band cut loose is just a little too rough around the edges once again, but it’s a minor point.

‘The Lonely Ones’ expands The Bygones! range to include a little 60s style power pop.  The rhythms and general arrangement appears pleasing enough, but it’s a simple lead break which provides the track’s strongest element.  This track also features the EP’s most memorable chorus, but stepping back and looking at the whole package, their sound isn’t terribly original.  If you need a firm pointer for  what to expect here, The Bygones! sound like a budget version of The Flamin’ Groovies.  There’s not a lot wrong with that for a musical basis, but The Bygones! would have achieved better results if they’d been able to inject a little more of their own style into the recording.

Based on this debut EP, The Bygones!  have lots of potential when it comes to a full-pelt approach, but generally need to work at their craft with regards the more mid paced stuff, or those tunes which require a little more subtlety.  The DIY nature of their recording means The Bygones! are not necessarily ready for radio yet, but some the foundations are firmly in place.

Listen, or download the EP using the widget below.

September 2011

REGURGITATOR – Superhappyfuntimesfriends

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As with so many of their peers, Regurgitator haven’t made much of an impact outside their native Australia.  However, after years of hard work, half a dozen full album releases and a bunch of singles, they’ve become cult heroes among the alternative community.  They’ve even secured support slots with Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Prodigy on their Aussie tours.

Regurgitator’s seventh album, ‘Superhappyfuntimesfriends’, presents a mix of jangly indie-rock, pop punk and occasional electronica vibes, served with a frivolous and sometimes uncompromising attitude.   There are various words which best describe the album, but if it were best described by one, that one word would be inconsistent.

That’s not to say that it doesn’t have some good moments hidden among its messier elements, of course.  In fact, ‘Into The Night’ could well be one of 2011’s best individual tracks.  With a blend of electronic pop and sullen vocal, it’s the kind of track US band The Killers should record, if only they weren’t so horribly bland (and possessing such middling levels of talent).  It may be down to Regurgitator’s country of origin, but there’s a more than welcome hint of The Church during this number.  This could partly be the use of some very 80s keyboards, but it’s just as likely to be its slightly underwhelming vocal style – delivered in a way which would make Steve Kilbey proud.  Electronic treatments also provide the heart of ‘Devil Spell’, a short and wordless, yet brilliant piece; full of breakbeats and loops, it makes the band sound like The Go! Team reworked by Beck Hansen.  Simple but effective, never outstaying its welcome, it’s a number which works best with the volume properly cranked.

Most of Regurgitator’s other great moments on ‘Superhappy’ aren’t as reliant on retro pop or electronic features.  Their pop-punk tendencies – present on tracks like ‘No Show’ and ‘Uncontactable’ – prove them to be an outfit with great energy (and this also explains why they supported the much-missed CIV on tour).  On the former, a tuneful vocal is well suited to the bouncing riff, while the main hook of “it’s a no show!” is an effective one.  You’ll have heard a lot of similar material throughout the 90s and beyond, but Regurgitator more than hold their own in this department, making it a great three minute number designed to clear some cobwebs.  Due to a slightly more off kilter chord structure, ‘Uncontactable’ could potentially be the more interesting of the pair, though still doesn’t veer too far from punk pop.  A mid section featuring a phone call also demonstrates a silly sense of humour.  Overall, energy plus a reasonable hook more than carries this number off with ease.  ‘All Fake Everything’ is best described as “oddball”.  At first, it presents itself in the Ben Folds vein: a gentle-ish piano ballad intercut with jarring bad language.  Just as you think you’ve got it sussed, it’s all change…The second half of the track is loaded with fuzzy bass and a big groove, dressed up with rough-round-the-edges rap (a la Beastie Boys) – in short, a world away from where it began.  It might just work.  Even if you decide it doesn’t, at least you can’t say Regurgitator don’t kept you on your toes!

Moving things into more accessible territory, ‘Punk Mum’ is an upbeat indie-rocker with a throwaway feel, saved by some great bottom end on the bass and almost marching band drumming in places.  It’s maybe not as good as the likes of ‘No Show’, but manages to be great fun nonetheless.  ‘Outer Space’ brings some retro sounding, almost new wavish edges.  A strong and simple arrangement plays host to some muted guitar chords which recalls the best stuff by The Cars.  However, it’s downhill from there – with such a strong tune, it’s a pity Regurgitator couldn’t have backed up this good tune with a memorable hook of any kind.

Although there are some top tunes, ‘Superhappyfuntimesfriends’ suffers a little from too much filler material. As with any hit and miss albums, there’s bound to be stuff which passes the listener by without making a great impression.  In addition to a couple of such numbers, Regurgitator fill other parts of the album with near pointlessness.  For example: ‘Game Over Man’ fuses 8-bit computer noises with hardcore punk to create a thirty seconds distraction, while ‘D.M.T.42’ spends almost two minutes doing precious little. There’s a Daft Punk style electronic loop, a fuzzy noise and then a little shoegaze thrown in for good measure (which all adds up to a band definitely trying too hard) and ‘8PM’ is a short lo-fi acoustic piece which could have been a Smudge b-side.  None of these offerings reach this band’s true potential.

Given Regurgitator’s inconsistencies and attempts at squishing so many styles onto one release, it’s much better to approach ‘Superhappyfuntimesfriends’ as an individual collection of songs as opposed to a complete album.  Individually, you’ll certainly find some great tracks here, though it’s possible that these standout moments will vary wildly from listener to listener – and depend entirely on mood.

You can download the album on a “pay what you want” basis from the widget below.

November 2011