High Bias aural fixations
November 18, 2001

DEMOLITION STRING BAND
Pulling Up Atlantis
(Okra-Tone/KOCH)
With the likes of Greg Garing, Laura Cantrell and the Hangdogs twanging away, New York City seems to be the latest hub for a country rock resurgence. Add the Demolition String Band to the list, preferably somewhere near the top. Fronted by singer Elena Skye and guitarist/banjoist Boo Reiners, the DSB plays bluegrass-inflected C&W which is informed (but not dominated by) rock 'n' roll. The band attracted notice outside of the Big Apple for its bluegrass cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer," included here, but the true strength of Pulling Up Atlantis is its original songs. Skye writes catchy, smart and emotionally satisfying tunes that keep tradition close at hand without leaning too hard on its shoulder. "She Went Outta Town," "Beggar" and "Gone So Long" gallop like mustangs, while "A Career of Loving You" and the title track canter like ponies; Skye knows exactly when to give the band its head. While not terribly distinctive, her voice never fails to hit the right notes, technically and emotionally, and Reiners' six-string licks eschew flash for tasteful support. The band knows that it's the songs that tell the real story here, and do it eloquently. This version of Atlantis is one in which you'll want to take up residence. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Kelly Willis, Blood on the Saddle, Rosie Flores

FU MANCHU
California Crossing
(Mammoth)
On California Crossing, Fu Manchu's seventh full-length CD, the SoCal quartet once again marches out the rock, that hair-in-your-face, ride-the-chunk sound. It's mostly about riffage your dog could play, if only he could follow the damn backbeat (bad dog!). The "stoner rock" label isn't a poor fit, but Fu Manchu shows signs of evolving. The four members all lock into gloriously distorted unison when they can, but they don't back away from the chance to have some creative counterplay between guitarists Scott Hill and Bob Balch. They've also arranged the material to focus on some catchy verses and vocal hooks. Hill is a serviceable if limited singer, and no musician in this outfit will be giving workshops anytime soon; only the groove gets to indulge here. The title track is a surf-boogie sortie, with layered vocals and armor-piercing snare work. Listening to Hill sing the "Hang On" title refrain over a drum and guitar windup is a reminder that rock 'n' roll doesn't have to be reinvented to work. California Crossing is a clear declaration of intent: prepare to have your butt kicked. You'll like it. Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: Kyuss, Mother Superior, Black Sabbath

NICK LOWE
The Convincer
(Yep Roc)
Lots of things mellow with age; only in rock 'n' roll is this considered a detriment. The suave, wizened Nick Lowe, however, turns that truism on its head. The author of such cheeky gems as "Cruel to Be Kind," "When I Write the Book" and the ghoulish "Marie Provost" (not to mention "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding") has spent the 90s going through that dreaded portion of a rocker's life called maturity. Rather than poke fun at everything that crosses his sight line, Lowe puts his extraordinary songwriting abilities toward serious meditations on adult romance. Using a luscious mix of country and soul on The Convincer, Lowe's characters take hard looks at themselves and their relationships in thoughtful tunes like "I'm a Mess," "Cupid Must Be Angry" and "Only a Fool Breaks His Own Heart." The mournful, unsentimental "Lately I've Let Things Slide" is easily the best C&W song of the last 20 years. All is not gloom, however, as the aptly-titled "She's Got Soul" and the warmly romantic "Let's Stay In and Make Love" testify. Old fans may be taken a bit aback by the complete lack of brash pop songs, but give them a few spins of The Convincer and the title will become prophetic. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Arthur Alexander, Charlie Rich, John Hiatt

MAD FOR THE RACKET
The Racketeers
(MuscleTone Records, Inc, 8949 Sunset Blvd, Suite #203, West Hollywood, CA 90069)
Originally known as the Racketeers, Mad for the Racket grew out of songwriting sessions between Wayne Kramer, formerly of the MC5 and current solo artist, and Brian James, founding guitarist of the Damned and the Lords of the New Church. Joined by various friends in the studio (Stewart Copeland, Clem Burke and Brock Avery on drums, Duff McKagen on bass), James and Kramer make loud rock 'n' roll for adults on The Racketeers. For the most part, they succeed, though with some caveats. James frankly isn't much of a singer, and while his strangled bark isn't an impediment in concert, when the burning guitars drown everything out anyway, on a record as cleanly mixed as this one it's a problem. Kramer will never be mistaken for Pavarotti, but he's learned to make the best use of his limited larynx over the years, a skill James hasn't yet acquired. Also, while James is a fine six-string wrangler and tunesmith (he wrote the Damned's "Neat Neat Neat" and "New Rose," after all), he's simply not in Kramer's class in either category, which leaves the record feeling one-sided. Too many of the James-fronted songs like "I Want It" and "Ooh Baby" sound like badly sung rock 'n' roll filler; only the noir tale "Trouble Bones" rises above mediocre. The Kramer-centered tunes are much better; "Prisoner of Hope" and "All Fired Up" rock righteously, though only the dark political commentary of "Czar of Poisonville," with an awesome Kramer vocal, rises to the quality level of his solo albums. The Racketeers isn't a bad record, but it doesn't fulfill the potential inherent in this meeting of minds and amps. Consider it a calling card for the band's infrequent concerts, which truly smash it up and kick out the jams. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, the Godfathers

MUNK
Anime Sweetheart
(Waxboy)
Formerly a member of popular Boston combo super-G, Munk lays down the funky electronic ear candy on his debut solo album Anime Sweetheart. The multi-instrumentalist pulls together strains of techno, rock, hip-hop and funk for a steamy concoction that may evaporate after the disk quits spinning, but sounds awfully fine while in revolution. "Specimen," "Supersonic" and "Quite Happy" head straight for the dance floor, with Munk's gritty vocals riding the backbeats like he's teaching the rhythms about their paternity. "The Lie We Tell" ups the guitars and the rock quotient for a grungefunk good time. He sums it all up with the final track, "Kick in the Butt Feel," the title of which is virtually his philosophy of life. Munk has a stronger sense of melody than most electronica artistes, which is to be expected from the winner of the ASCAP Popular Songwriting Award two years in a row. But gettin' funky is ultimately what's important here, and no matter how much Munk relies on samples and programming, you can still smell the grease. Michael Toland

For fans of: Goldie, White Town, Lenny Kravitz

THE STROKES
Is This It
(RCA)
Few bands have to contend with the tower of hype that overshadows this young NYC quintet. They've endured comparisons to venerated names like the Velvet Underground, the Stooges and Television, and been labeled "saviors of rock 'n' roll" more than once. No artist could possibly live up to this kind of hyperbole, especially not one as green as this, and the Strokes are no exception. Adding pop hooks to the V.U.'s patented drone is nothing new and makes musical repetition unavoidable; bands with more experience than the Strokes have succumbed to tedium with the same approach. While too many songs on Is This It blur into a two-chord haze, the band's youthful energy and easy sex appeal keep them mostly out of trouble. Frontman Julian Casablancas has a brooding intensity to his performance (though the constant vocal processing mars the effect) and the band keeps the rhythmic drive in constant motion. "Someday," "Barely Legal" and the title track (which sports a terrific bassline hook) are irresistible by any standard. But while the album stays at a constant simmer, it never fully comes to a boil; you keep expecting a climax of rock 'n' roll frenzy that never occurs. The Strokes are a genuinely promising group, and Is This It is by no means a bad record, but after listening you may find yourself taking the title phrase to heart. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Feelies, Spoon, the Psychedelic Furs

DALLAS WAYNE
Here I Am in Dallas
(HighTone)
Nashville needs Dallas Wayne the way Philip Knight needs a soul. In today's squeaky-clean, bombastic, videogenic, bare bellybutton, arena-rock country world, Wayne is more than an iconoclast—he's an anachronism. Blessed with a sardonic wit, a classic rough-edged baritone and a heart as big as his black cowboy hat, the Missouri native sticks to C&W fundamentals. Wayne's music is marked by prominent pedal steel and fiddle, two-steppin' rhythms and a whiskey bottle full of twang. These are marks he bears proudly on Here I Am in Dallas, his second album for HighTone after a fruitful career as an expatriate in Finland. "Happy Hour," "The Stuff Inside" and "Not a Dry Eye in the House" are great crying-in-your-poison tunes, while "Bouncin' Beer Cans Off the Jukebox," "I Hit the Road (and the Road Hit Back)" and the title ditty ("Here I am in Dallas/Where the hell are you?") make you want to take your partner for a spin on the hardwood floor. One listen to this and you'll never go back to contemporary country radio again. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Dale Watson, Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard

KIM WILSON
Smokin' Joint
(M.C.)
On his fourth solo CD Smokin' Joint, Fabulous Thunderbirds leader Kim Wilson dives headfirst into the Chicago-style blues he learned by rubbing elbows with the likes of Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers during his formative years at Austin's blues Mecca, Antone's. The CD, which was recorded at a handful of shows in early 1999 and late 2000, taps into the smoke and energy of an intimate blues show. Wilson plies his trade well: he's a perfectly capable singer, a sterling harpist, is backed by sharp musicians, and offers up a show chock full of good songs that aren't warhorses. "Got to Let You Go," one of four solid originals, finds him wailing like Little Walter did on Waters' "Evans Shuffle." The instrumental title track could be a bookend to Walter's "Juke," with his tone hinting at times of organ and horns. Considering that a pair of two-guitar bands provide support on this CD, it's hard to say just who's responsible for what, but certainly one or more of the pickers explores some cool, squawky vintage tones. Sure, the band stretches out here and there, frequently topping the six minute mark. The musicianship never gives way to senseless noodling, though, and groove and mood prevail. Smokin' Joint is the next best thing to seeing a crack blues band live at Antone's. Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: Lazy Lester, Hubert Sumlin, Big Jack Johnson

Copyright © 2001 High Bias