8IN8 – Nighty Night

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palmer folds gaiman kushianBilled as ‘Tomorrow’s supergroup today’, 8in8 is an impromptu project spearheaded by sometime Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer. Palmer’s dark cabaret works can sometimes be an acquired taste, but amongst the sharp edges and quirkiness, she often demonstrates a fun side. This was never more obvious than on her 2010 EP ‘Amanda Palmer Plays the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele’, which (aside from an occasional appearance of a broken piano) does exactly what it says on the tin. Her work on 8in8’s ‘Nighty Night’ has none of the novelty factor of that EP – nor does it feature a ukulele – and Palmer herself does not appear as harsh or challenging here as perhaps she once did.

Also appearing as part of the project are the legendary Ben Folds (who previously made extensive appearances on 2008’s ‘Who Killed Amanda Palmer’), OK GO frontman Damian Kulash and writer Neil Gaiman, who also has the distinction of being Amanda Palmer’s husband. According to Palmer’s online blog, it was Gaiman who contributed the lion’s share of the lyrics to this project.

For Ben Folds fans, ‘Twelve Line Song’ is the EPs essential track, as aside from a backing vocal from Palmer, musically, it could easily be a demo of an unreleased Folds number. His bouncy piano work is augmented by a marching drum (also played by Folds), over which his vocals are sparky. In all, despite the unpolished nature, it’s a track which could be better than most of the material from Folds’s disappointing ‘Way To Normal’. As it pulls to a close, the dominant drums and piano line shuffle along with just Palmer’s ‘do do do’ refrain for company. As it ends, if you’re a Folds fan yourself, you’ll undoubtedly want more. If your listening preferences favour Amanda Palmer, ‘I’ll Be My Mirror’ pushes her distinctive vocal upfront on a number which features an even more dominant drum line. The lyrics are hard, concerning a homeless asian woman shouting at her own reflection; a lyric which offers the suggestion that one day it could be any one of us. Palmer’s slightly harsh voice is given suitable accompaniment from crashing guitar chords from Damian Kulash and as far as straighter rock vibes are concerned, it’s one of the EP’s best offerings.

The rest of ‘Nighty Night’ is decent, though not quite in the same league as those numbers. ‘One Tiny Thing’ features Kulash’s lead vocal weaved around a very seventies inspired stomp and handclap arrangement. It doesn’t really deviate from its opening groove and after a few listens becomes rather ordinary. ‘Nikola Tesla’ features stabbed piano and a harsh, Lene Lovich style vocal from Palmer. Augmented by Ben Folds on drums and a warm bass line from Kulash, it grabs the attention but is certainly a number for Palmer fans only. This is balanced out by the soft ‘Because The Origami’, a gentle piano duet between Palmer and Folds, whose voices blend rather well. Palmer’s solo voice retains a few ragged edges, but Folds’s piano line remains sympathetic throughout. Closing the EP, ‘The Problem With Saints’ finds Neil Gaiman stepping up the microphone to deliver a very music hall style vocal in a slightly flat, yet charming tone. It shouldn’t work, but is given a lift by Folds’s stabbing piano work, giving way to a almost silent movie esque solo in the centre. It’s certainly a memorable way to end an already quirky release.

This six song EP is the result of a plan to write and record eight songs in eight hours as a benefit for the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The fact that it was recorded almost off-the-cuff really shows, as the tracks featured have a great in the studio sound. Although some tracks are better than others, it’s a marvel they all turned out as well as they have, given there was little time for quality control. ‘Nighty Night’ is an unmissable and rather unexpected rough diamond.

You can stream or download the EP from the widget below.

May 2010

DUFF McKAGAN’S LOADED – The Taking

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duffThe previous album by Duff McKagan’s Loaded, 2009’s ‘Sick’, was a partly enjoyable romp through a selection of trashy hard rock numbers. However, it was one of those albums which could be easily forgotten once the tunes ended. It was very much a case of enjoyable, yet ultimately, inessential listening. Duff McKagan never pretended to release thought-provoking music, but even so, a little more groove and a couple of heavier riffs might not have gone amiss. 2011’s offering, ‘The Taking’ – proposed to be the soundtrack for a ‘Slade In Flame’ and ‘Hard Day’s Night’ style film featuring the band – certainly has a much darker edge on a few numbers.

The darker approach can be heard on the opening track, ‘Lords of Abbadon’. Mike Squires delivers a grinding guitar riff, which in part, resembles some of Jon Hudson’s work on Faith No More’s swansong ‘Album of the Year’ (particularly ‘Naked In Front of The Computer’). This is joined by a solid drum part from Isaac Carpenter. Duff’s vocals are of their usual raggedy style, but are rounded out by some decent backing on a more upbeat chorus, which is incidentally one of the album’s best (for that, read one of only a few memorable ones). There are a few twin guitar moments thrown into the mix which work well and Squires’s featured solo is also great, making full use of effects pedals. The slightly threatening vibe carries through to the following number, ‘Executioner’s Song’ which crashes in with a suitably weighty riff. It has a slow pace resembling many stoner rock grooves, though without the fuzzy bottom end. Over the almost monolithic chug, McKagan stretches his vocal to his limit. The band are in great form, with Carpenter’s drum sound, once again, being particularly pleasing. ‘Your Name’ is the greatest of the harder numbers, with Mike Squires’s down-tuned riffs creating a suitably menacing atmosphere during the opening. McKagan’s vocal is sneering, which combined with the riffs would have made a decent track, but Loaded up the ante for a mid section, where Jeff Rouse plays a few great bass fills and Squires offers a fantastic old school melodic metal guitar solo.

For the rest of the album, Loaded revert to the kind of trashy hard rock which they’ve delivered previously. ‘Dead Skin’ is an upbeat hard rock number which shifts the focus away big riffs and delivers a great, upbeat vocal performance from McKagan. McKagan’s rhythm guitars are far more evident throughout, with Squires taking a step back. Similarly, ‘Indian Summer’ finds a space neatly in the hard rock pigeon hole, with slightly distorted rhythm guitars against a punchy, yet simple drum pattern. Some solid backing vocals flesh out a chorus which, after a few spins, proves to be a definite highlight. ‘King of The World’ features some solid bass work, a meaty hard rock riff and another decent-ish chorus. It’s not quite in the same league as ‘Indian Summer’, but a good performance nevertheless.

‘Cocaine’ shifts sideways from trashy hard rock, bringing in a slightly bluesy element via Squires’s vibrato filled lead work. On this kind of swaggering material, McKagan’s sometimes limited vocal style sounds far more at ease. For those who wish the blues tint had been played up a little more, the album closes with an acoustic reworking. On the acoustic version of ‘Cocaine’, Loaded fully embrace a bar room blues groove, with Squires’s lead work adding a few nice lines (no pun intended).

‘Wrecking Ball’ sounds, at first, like it may bring the listener something as good as ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘King of The World’, but aside from a good bass line and another of McKagan’s better vocals, it falls a bit flat. A better chorus certainly would have helped. Although it’s not great, it’s miles better than ‘Follow Me To Hell’, which marries a dirgy riff with a really bad vocal. It makes the sleazy moments of Loaded’s previous album sound like polished, meaningful rock music. The ugly riff could have scraped by (even if it couldn’t quite muster an enjoyable quality), but there’s something about McKagan’s vocal which pushes the ugliness a little too far.

If it’s riffs you’re after, parts of ‘The Taking’ present Duff and co at the top of their game. Riffs aren’t always enough to get by though, and there are times when Loaded could really benefit from better hooks. Like Loaded’s previous works, ‘The Taking’ is not always a consistent album, but the good parts certainly outnumber the bad…and even with their faults, this is a band which still manages to sound more vibrant and enjoyable than Velvet Revolver.

April 2011

MARCEL LEGANE – Heart Life EP

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leganeMarcel Legane’s second release has a striking clarity; his well-crafted songs are given a great boost by crisp production. The solid drum sound and sharp guitars lend themselves well to his brand of radio-friendly brand of emo influenced pop-rock. We’re not talking instant gratification though; Legane’s song writing style is one where those great moments only really present themselves after two or three listens…but once you’ve familiarised yourself with his sound, it’s obvious he’s a man who knows how to mix occasionally quirky arrangements with memorable hooks.

The opening number ‘Heart Receding’ has a sound which captures the listener’s attention from the start thanks to a great drum sound courtesy of Ollie Waton. There’s great interplay between his spiky drum pattern and Ross Chapman’s ringing guitar chords, which are both under pinned by a semi-busy bass line from Adam Double. Legane’s vocals have elements of softness throughout the verses, but as the choruses kick in, his voice sounds strong. There’s a small amount of auto-tune at play (as a stylistic choice, I think), but the track didn’t really need it – I’m sure Legane’s natural delivery would have shone through. The second number builds on the strengths of the opener; Legane sounds more confident delivering an extremely tuneful vocal line over slightly quirky pop-rock. The musical high points here come courtesy of another busy bass line and new wave inspired keyboards.

‘Superior/Inferior’ is this release’s absolutely essential track. Waton delivers a playful drum part which has a very percussive style. The verses are built around sparse rhythmic qualities, but for the pre-chorus and louder sections, his pounding drum style echoing the lyrics “don’t cast my dream aside/the sound of your judgement pounding out”. Legane’s vocal range isn’t especially broad, but his style is well suited to the musical style. The simplicity of the vocal line is at odds with the relative complexity of the drum part, but the result is one which seems effective. It’s a track which stands up to many repeated listens.

After a strong intro dominated by Waton’s drums, ‘Games’ becomes a little sickly, as Legane launches into a tune which sounds a little too boy-band, but that alone may have been okay (as far as these things go), but the whole of the opening verse is drenched in auto-tune. If you imagine the kind of auto-tune Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump has to help him with those long notes, only slapped across absolutely everything and you’ll get the picture. It’s a couple of notches short of the inhuman qualities explored by Cher on ‘Believe’ (and utilised on countless hideous pieces of r ‘n’ b), but it still has an unnecessary inhuman quality. As the music progresses, things don’t seem so bad, particularly on the slightly rockier moments, but even so, the over commercial edges of this number don’t capture Legane at his best. ‘Friendly Fire’ closes the release with something mellow. Legane’s performance is okay (substantially less auto-tune than before) and it’s more of a slow-burner than the first couple of tracks, but Ross Chapman and Ollie Waton shine throughout – particularly Chapman’s crystal clear guiltar lines.

Compared to his previous release (2010’s ‘Battle EP’), Legane has improved greatly as both a song writer and arranger. In becoming far surer of the sound he wants to achieve, on this EP he finds himself in a position to enlist better musicians – and this alone ensures ‘Heart Life’ offers a decent listening experience, even despite those auto-tuned elements.

March 2010

THE CLICK FIVE – TCV

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tcv-lojinxRound about 2006, The Click Five started to make a buzz with their debut ‘Greetings From Imrie House’, a disc that had been likened by some to a largely ignored power pop band from the mid-90s called The Loveless.  By a strange coincidence, The Click Five were discovered by talent scout Wayne Sharp, who back in the 80s had discovered a power pop band called Candy, who would later evolve via Electric Angels into The Loveless. [Candy also had the distinction of launching the careers of sometime Guns n’ Roses man Gilby Clarke and power pop icon Kyle Vincent.]

While that album, indeed, carried a vague similarity to The Loveless, The Click Five seemed far too lightweight – more Busted and McFly than the power pop for which they were so clearly aiming. The hooks were there, but they were really sugar-coated. Factor in Eric Dill’s vocals, which appeared horribly auto-tuned throughout huge chunks of the album and…well, let’s just say it could have been better. The Click Five definitely seemed more in tune with the world of teen-fodder than destined for a place in the pantheon of power pop cool.  The album made a few waves in the US, eventually shifting over two million units worldwide (with about thirty copies sold in the UK). All seemed to be going well until Dill quit the band.

They found a replacement in vocalist Kyle Patrick, a man who personally knew the band, but allegedly didn’t care for their music at that time. 2007’s ‘Modern Times and Pastimes’ ushered in a new phase for The Click Five. While they retained the knack for the kind of hooks that’d always been part of their music, with Patrick on vocals, they dispensed with the auto-tune elements somewhat and brought in better, stronger arrangements. Music with a potentially broader appeal, a shift away from the teen market. The slight new wave influences that crept into The Click Five’s music was a welcome addition, too. Things definitely seemed to be improving.

Produced by Mike Deneen, whose previous credits include the fabulous ‘Flippin’ Out by Gigolo Aunts, this third Click Five release takes the promise of ‘Modern Times’ and ups the stakes even further. Within minutes of the opening number ‘I Quit! I Quit! I Quit!’, it’s obvious the band have finally found their niche. Kyle Patrick’s vocals are so much better than those of Eric Dill, and everybody appears far more confident with the slightly tougher, Fountains of Wayne-esque sound they first experimented with on ‘Modern Times’. The rhythm guitars posses the best kind of power pop punch, against which Kyle Patrick’s effortless vocal delivers a stupidly catchy hook. The power pop greatness carries through ‘Fever For Shakin’, albeit in an even harder way. The harmonies and hooks are prominent, but somehow, Joey Zehr’s drum kit maintains a bigger presence. The guitars are chunky, occasionally lapsing into slightly raucous rock ‘n’ roll soloing near the tracks end, while the keyboards really round out the sound. Easily one of the album’s best numbers – especially after it rather cheekily throws in a few unexpected Beatles inspired riffs during the bridge. ‘Nobody’s Business’ is another number which goes squarely for a feel-good approach, chock-full of new wave keyboard lines and handclaps. If you’re a power pop fan, you’ll certainly have heard it all before, but The Click Five deliver these hooks in such an infectious way, it’s a track that’s almost impossible to dislike.

The softer side of The Click Five presents itself on the acoustic based, ‘Good as Gold’, a mix of power pop and Americana. Gentle shuffling drums pave the way for an easy vocal, slightly retro twanging guitars and an arrangement which evokes Ryan Adams at his most syrupy. While there’s a definite difference between this and material like ‘I Quit! I Quit! I Quit!’, The Click Five show they’re equally adept both styles. Sharp harmonies and rhythms drive ‘Way Back To You’ and while a simple chorus provides another highlight, take a listen to the arrangement – it’s impossible to not smile at Ben Romans’s keyboard line which comes straight out of the Greg Hawkes school of playing.

Big harmonies swamp the chorus of ‘Be In Love’ which turns the feel-good factor back up to 11; against the memorable hook, there’s a string sting and horn sounds which come straight out of the 1970s. As the track falls apart at the end with in-studio clapping, there’s a sense that The Click Five know they’re onto something special. In terms of seventies inspired pop gems, this may just equal parts of The Silver Seas’ 2010 masterpiece ‘Chateau Revenge!’. ‘Just Like My Heart Falls’ is full of crisp rhythm guitars and features yet another great chorus. Perfect for radio, this summery tune presents nothing complicated or fussy – the band really tune into their knack for arrangements; something which becomes especially obvious once the counter vocal harmonies kick in at the end.

Seriously, ‘TCV’ is an album which aims high throughout and barely misses. Occasionally, there’s a lapse into teeny inspired power pop a la ‘Imrie House’, but generally speaking, this album showcases the work of a far sassier Click Five. The sappy ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ gives the nod to the likes of Maroon 5 and in doing so, possibly presents the album’s weak link – but even then, that’s solely down to personal taste, since (as far as the arrangement is concerned) it’s great at what it does. ‘TCV’ shows The Click Five have come a long way since their early days. Maybe you didn’t like them either back then. If so, maybe you ought to forget the band that made waves with ‘Imrie House’ and try this “other” Click Five too. On ‘TCV’, they get it just right.

[The UK issue on Lojinx rearranges the tracklisting and omits two songs from the original US release. These are replaced by two new tracks.]

Visit Lojinx Records here.

April 2011

“Nothing Art-I-Ficial: Poly Styrene: 1957-2011”

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Often seen to be a figure who ushered in punk feminism, Poly Styrene (aka Marianne Joan Elliott-Said) has lost her battle with cancer. She revealed she had been diagnosed and had been receiving treatment for her illness in February 2011.

Styrene will be best remembered for her work with X-Ray Spex, a band whose debut album ‘Germ Free Adolescents’ (released in 1978) is seen as one of the greatest albums to stem from the British punk movement. The album was preceded by a single, ‘Oh Bondage! Up Yours’ (arguable the band’s best known track, although it was not included on the original album release). The album itself spawned three other singles – ‘Identity’, ‘The Day The World Turned Day-Glo’ and ‘Germ Free Adolescents’, all of which were successful, breaking into the UK Top 40 singles chart. The band broke up prematurely, after Styrene suffered hallucinations on stage. She was originally misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, but was much later diagnosed as being bi-polar. The band reformed seventeen years later and released a second album, which was not a commercial success.

Outside of X-Ray Spex, Poly Styrene stayed largely out of the spotlight, but released solo material sporadically, none of which ever gained the level of success achieved by X-Ray Spex. Her last work ‘Generation Indigo’ was released on March 28th 2011.

Poly Styrene remembered in video:

 

X-Ray Spex – Identity (promo video)

X-Ray Spex – Art-I-Ficial (Old Grey Whistle Test)

Oh Bondage! Up Yours! (Punk In London documentary)

Poly Styrene – Virtual Boyfriend (official promo video, 2011)

Poly Styrene talks about her 2011 album, Generation Indigo

April 2011