High Bias aural fixations
April 7, 2002

DIXIE WITCH
Into the Sun
(Brainticket)
Denton, Texas, is best-known for North Texas State, an acclaimed music school turning out jazz players by the dozens. Amongst indie rock aficionados, it's also known as the home to several top-shelf combos, including indie rock heroes Slobberbone, centro-matic, Lift to Experience and Brave Combo. Add Dixie Witch to that list. A kickass heavy rock threesome, the Witch reveals not a jot of its roots in Texas space rock ensemble Light Bright Highway. Guitarist Clayton Mills buries classic rock riffs and muscular solos under a ton of volume-spawned distortion, bassist Curt Christenson makes his amp throb with low-rumble pain and drummer Trinidad Leal pounds his kit like it fucked his girlfriend. Couple the band's crushing attack with Leal's whiskey-and-gasoline growl and the band's 70s-inspired riffology and you have a trio that's all power and no puff. The Witch keeps it musical, as well; chunks like "Thunderfoot," "Throwin' Shapes" and the title track keep a manly grip on hard rock melody as well as tonnage. Dixie Witch is a remarkably spry breed of dinosaur. Michael Toland

For fans of: Spirit Caravan, Black Sabbath, Mountain

THE GOBLIN MARKET
Ghostland
(Camera Obscura)
The Goblin Market is the Gothic side project from Green Pajamas singers Jeff Kelly and Laura Weller. In this case, though, "Gothic" has nothing to do with emaciated British boys and a fixation on the color black, but with the Gothic literature from the 17th-19th centuries. This same source of inspiration fuels much of the Pajamas' material as well, but in the Market Kelly and Weller make the connections explicit. To this end, the duo adapts several poems by authors of the period. Elizabeth Siddal's "At Last" becomes a haunting pop song, sung by Weller, while Emily Bronte's "O Mother, I am Not Regretting" and "The Night Wind" transform, in Kelly's hands, into atmospheric folk. (He also pays tribute to the author herself with "My Elizabeth.") The duo also adapts three pieces by Christine Rosetti, whose romantic melodrama ("When I am dead, my dearest/Sing no sad songs for me") will probably appeal the most to the Anne-Rice-and-black-eyeliner set. Even Edgar Allen Poe's "El Dorado" is set to music. The band's originals hold their own with the classic poetry, highlighted by Kelly's "Autumn Leaves" and Weller's "Ditra Flame."

The Goblin Market avoids the musical trappings most associated with Goth; you'll find no echoed guitars or ominous electrobeats here. Percussion is de-emphasized in favor of mostly acoustic guitars and piano, and rock theatrics are replaced by sedate melodies derived from folk and classical sources. The parent band's normal psychedelic pop makes its presence known on "Highgate," part three of a medley dedicated to Rosetti, but overall this is probably the quietest work to come out of the Pajamas camp. Fortunately, quiet does not mean boring, as Ghostland consistently maintains a mesmerizing quality. Its artful meld of poetry and melody creates a minor-key beauty that doesn't announce its presence, but instead lets the curious find it on their own. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Green Pajamas' In a Glass Darkly, Hannah Fury, black tape for a blue girl

GRANDPA BOY
Mono
(Vagrant)
Grandpa Boy is, of course, Paul Westerberg, taking a sabbatical from his overly earnest solo career to indulge himself in some (allegedly) sloppy rock 'n' roll. He issued an eponymous EP under that name a while back; it was spirited but not particularly memorable, save the stunning ballad "Lush and Green." Now he's back with a full album that allegedly includes the participation of former 'Mat Tommy Stinson. To say Mono recalls the Replacements belabors the obvious; it is, however, the 'Mats of Don't Tell a Soul more than the brink-of-self-destruction band of Let It Be. Westerberg has become too accomplished a craftsman over the years to ever recapture the reckless abandon of the early 'Mats days, and frankly, his adherents shouldn't expect him to try. (Though this set's ridiculous self-involved liner notes don't help the cause any.) That said, Mono is definitely looser and less fussy than his regular solo work, with an emphasis on simply-arranged midtempo rockers. A few too many of them ("Eyes Like Sparks," "Silent Film Star," "Kick in the Stall") pass by without leaving much of an impression, and a couple ("Between Love and Like," the Keith Richards-like "Knock It Right Out") sound half-assed even for Westerberg. But the record contains enough winners ("Let's Not Belong Together," "Anything But That," "AAA" ) that recall, if not exactly equal, past glories to make Mono an essential purchase for fans.

Note: for some inexplicable reason, Mono is a limited-edition release, so completists should beat feet to the nearest record store. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Alex Chilton, the BoDeans' Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, Terry Anderson

MR. ENCRYPTO
Hero and Villain
(Death Barney)
Formerly known as Eclipso (before DC Comics issued a cease-and-desist letter), Mr. Encrypto lays out a dozen superbly engaging pop tunes on its debut album Hero and Villain. Songwriter Bruce Gordon brandishes a master's hand in composing exceptionally melodic rock songs—just listen to "What Goes Wrong," "Nothing's Gonna Happen," "The Last Time" and "Allegiance" and try to resist their hooky charms. It helps that Gordon possesses a wonderful voice, pretty enough to do the melodies justice but gritty enough to add a healthy dollop of soul to the proceedings. Crackling mid-fi production by Gordon and legendary producer Earle Mankey lets the guitars jangle and crunch as needed and sets up stacks of heavenly harmonies, creating an irresistible blend of midwestern power pop energy and sunny California sweetness. An excellent batch of tunes and an emotional performance by Gordon make Hero and Villain the latest power pop phenomenon ready for world domination. Michael Toland

For fans of: Doug Powell, Brian Wilson, the Dangtrippers

MARTHA REDBONE
Home of the Brave
(Blackfeet)
She may not be signed to a major or affiliated with Clive Davis, but Martha Redbone deserves to be in the front ranks of the neo-soul revival. Her debut album Home of the Brave has the warm, organic feel of a classic 70s R&B record, with real drums, bass, electric piano and—wait for it—guitars keeping the grooves undulating and the melodies flowing. Her voice possesses neither the gospel-nurtured firepower of an Aretha Franklin nor the gritty melodrama of an Otis Redding. Instead she favors a relaxed, dignified tone that's most reminiscent of the Spinners' great Phillip Wynne and as instantly appealing and comfortable as an old pillow. Best of all, the songs, co-written by Redbone and producer Aaron Whitby, are simply gems of craft and controlled passion, not to mention no small amount of wit. Check out "My Boyfriend," as the song's protagonist, prodded by Ernie Isleyesque guitar, suffers through a potential date's admission "I've got a boyfriend/But I kinda like girls too..." Her characters are also smart enough to question their romantic circumstances, from the protestation of "Don't say everyday there'll be roses in bloom" from "House on the Moon" to "If you knew that you could change the world/Would you really make it better?" from "Perfect Life." She's got brains, lungs, tunes and heart—fans of old-school soul will be asking themselves, "Where have you been all my life?" Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Macy Gray, Nona Hendryx, Dionne Farris

THE SHROUD
In the Garden
(Magpie/Neue Ästhetik)
Though it came wafting out of the Southern California Goth scene nearly 10 years ago, there's much more to the Shroud than brooding on its fourth album In the Garden. Programmed percussion drives "Black," a moody rewrite of the old folk tune "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair." "Let Go" and "Pandora" wrap shimmering sepia tones around undulating melodies and themes of reincarnation and sin. "Vision," "Spiral Back" and especially "Green Velvet" practically revel in catchy hooks and prominent guitars. "Valeriana" and "Psychopsis" provide platforms for keyboardist Hendrik Groger's ambient atmospherics, while nearly every tune makes good use of frontperson Lydia Fortner's detached sirensong. The band still conjures up a nice neopagan atmosphere, but its embrace of melody is more prominent than ever before, and the electronic touches add a contemporary slant without overcoming what made it special in the first place. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: This Ascension, Faith & the Muse, Garbage

TRICKY WOO
Les Sables Magiques
(Tee Pee)
Where was Tricky Woo in about 1984? The lion's share of the "classic rock" bands had disappeared. Led Zeppelin was shattered by tragedy. It had been a couple of years since the Who had roared out on the first of their final tours. No, creeping across the nation like so much musical kudzu were fifty bajillion Flock of Haircuts bands, with their bad keyboard sounds and wounded possum vocal inflections.

We needed Tricky Woo and its shameless nicks and nods. We could have been saved by the likes of "Ring Sweet Mercy," built on a partial riff rip from Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love." "Lil-lay Bank Blues" calls to mind Golden Earring; it's the rambunctious drumming, reminiscent of "Radar Love," though at other times it's a groove-riding, bluesy stomp a la Zeppelin. Maybe only the hardcore stoner set would have realized how much "6 Cats and Podium," owes, both instrumentally and vocally, to Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" and Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic," respectively.

Speaking of vocals (nyuk nyuk), singer/guitarist Andrew Dickson alternately sounds like a young Iggy Pop, or perhaps Blue Cheer's Dickie Peterson, either of which is more than serviceable in this context. And though the songwriting is credited to the whole band, methinks Dickson must be largely responsible for the lyrics; he just sounds too comfortable singing lines like "Fused to the bones of a cosmic camel."

Les Sables Magiques is Tricky Woo's third CD, and while it's certainly guilty of retro fervor, the band's trio format might actually steer it into stoner rock thwack live, so there's potential here. It's just a shame that, due to decades of classic rock overkill, Tricky Woo arrived too late to matter. Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: Black Crowes, the Cult, Ted Nugent

Copyright © 2002 High Bias