High Bias aural fixations
August 11, 2002
THE BLACK WATCH
Jiggery-Pokery
(Stonegarden)
In the world of indie rock, persistence is everything, since remunerative rewards are few. Some indie stalwarts may go on to bigger careers with major labels (Sonic Youth) or as part of (relatively) more mainstream bands (Pussy Galore's Jon Spencer in the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion); most just fade away. But then there are bands like California's Black Watch, who have been releasing consistently quality product for nearly 15 years on a variety of small-time labels with little recognition or financial compensation. Still led by guitarist/vocalist/literature professor John Andrew Frederick and violinist/guitarist J'anna Jacoby, the Watch's smart, poetic folk pop simply gets better with age. On the group's latest album Jiggery-Pokery, Frederick's finely-honed melodies are strangely complimented by his dry-as-bone vocal style, while Jacoby's strings accent the riffs and add pretty countermelodies. But the sound itself would be empty with songs to illuminate, and Frederick has a strong batch here. "What is the Color of Happiness?" and "Lovestruck" fly through bright skies, while the moodier "Come Tomorrow" travels darker terrain and "Mr. Ordinary Man" and "Persephone Achieves" float across a field to sit under a tree and contemplate life. Jiggery-Pokery isn't markedly better than the band's other records, but since they've yet to make a subpar album, it doesn't really matter. Once again, the Black Watch lives up to its own high standards. Michael Toland
For fans of: the Go-Betweens, the Lilac Time, the Church
NIK KERSHAW
To Be Frank
(Eagle/KOCH)
A star in the 80s in his native Great Britain, singer/songwriter Nik Kershaw is best known to Yanks as the purveyor of the plaintive synth-pop song "Wouldn't It Be Good." Fifteen years later Kershaw has left most of that oh-so-recognizable and oh-so-dated Reagan-era production sheen behind. That's not to say To Be Frank isn't lush, just that the guitar-driven arrangements sound warm and inviting, even when layered atop gentle pre-programmed beats. Kershaw's personable voice, savvy production and seemingly effortless way with a melody make Frank one of the most immediately agreeable records to cross a jaded desk in some time. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, it shouldn't; there's nothing about the instant appeal of hummable tunes like "Get Up," "How Sad" and "Take Me to the Church" of which to be, and Kershaw's adult perspective and emotional sincerity elevate the tracks from pleasant trifles to solid winners. Even the acoustic version of "Wouldn't It Be Good" comes off as a potent reworking of a fine song, rather than nostalgia-mongering. With To Be Frank, Nik Kershaw proves that he has more to offer than a spot during an 80s flashback weekend. Michael Toland [buy it]
For fans of: David Mead, Duncan Sheik, Neil Finn
MAJOR STARS
Distant Effects
(Squealer)
Led by guitarist/songwriter Wayne Rogers, Boston's Major Stars play loud, frenzied psychedelia on its third album Distant Effects; think the more acid-drenched moments of Cream, or Acid Mothers Temple with a more fully developed pop sense. Rogers and co-guitarist Kate Village (AKA Kate Biggar) have been well-respected figures in the American psych underground for nearly 20 years as leaders of cult bands Crystallized Movements and Magic Hour; while Major Stars doesn't put any new spins on the duo's aesthetic, it shows them in fine, rocking form. "No Higher Meaning" and "Hardly Mention" bury pop melodies under a hail of six-string noise without obscuring either the tunes or Rogers' warm voice; "Are We" takes the same premise and stretches it out a little. But the apex of the record is undoubtedly "Elephant," a nearly 15-minute tour de force of languorous melody, aggressive guitar improv and feedback-ridden sonics. "Elephant" will conjure up the perfect lightshow in your mind. Major Stars aren't reinventing the driving wheel on Distant Effects, but it does the astronomy dominie stomp as well as anyone past or present. Michael Toland [buy it]
For fans of: the Warlocks, the Bevis Frond, Primordial Undermind
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
A Jackknife to a Swan
(Side One Dummy)
THE KICKOVERS
Osaka
(Fenway/Redi-Made)
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have always been more than simply a ska revival band, though the Boston octet has often been unfairly lumped in with substandard skapunk bands like Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. Ska may be the base of the Bosstones' music, but it's still only one ingredient. Pop, hardcore and good old fashioned hard rock also figure heavily into the equation, and nowhere is this more obvious than on the band's latest album A Jacknife to a Swan. The various elements in the combo's sound stand side-by-side not only track for track, but within each song. Guitarist Lawrence Katz is at home with a gentle skank as he is a raging power chord; the three-man horn section (led, as always, by saxman Tim Burton) moves from smooth bluebeat melody lines to wailing rock blurts with ease. Singer Dickey Barrett has stretched his range remarkably since the band's early days; he's as likely to sing sweetly as invoke his trademark growl. Powerhouse rockers like "Sugar Free" and "You Gotta Go!" sound just right sitting next to skankers like "You're Chasing the Sun Away" (which puts upchorded verses to a loud rock chorus) and "Everybody's Better." There's even a mostly acoustic blues tune, "Seven Ways to Sunday," featuring guest star James Fitting (Treat Her Right, The The) on harmonica—and it works. A Jackknife to a Swan finds the Bosstones operating at peak capacity. [buy it]
The Kickovers were formed by former Bosstones guitarist Nate Albert as a vehicle for the songs Albert was writing while finishing a graduate degree. On the band's debut album Osaka, Albert completely abandons the ska-rock he pioneered with the 'tones for an unabashed paean to poppy punk. Tight, catchy tunes like "Fake in Love," "Black and Blue" and "Diamonds to Ashes" run hooks that hit you upside the head through meat-grinder guitars in a style that's become familiar over the past decade but can still sound fresh in the right hands. Albert has those appendages, among other things, like a soulful, raspy croon, a sure way with a melody and an obvious joy in thrashing away on his six-string. He's also smart enough to vary his approach; tracks like "Under You" and the folky "Crash and Burn" go beyond the three-chord stomp, while "Heart Attack" and "Wake Up" go straight for the hard rock jugular. Albert also nods to his 70s roots with a perky cover of Jack Lee's "Hanging On the Telephone," made famous by Blondie. Pop/punk utilizes a simple melody + voltage formula, but it's still difficult to get right. With Osaka, the Kickovers have the formula down. Michael Toland [buy it]
For fans of:
Mighty Mighty Bosstones: Fishbone, the (English) Beat, the Suicide Machines
Kickovers: All, Foo Fighters, Weezer
PLACE OF SKULLS
Nailed
(Southern Lord)
Taking a page from the handbook of Trouble guitarist Bruce Franklin, Knoxville, Tennessee trio Place of Skulls puts its devotion to Black Sabbath-style grunge to the service of its leader's Christian faith on its debut album Nailed. Victor Griffin served in the ranks of underground metal legends Pentagram before becoming a soldier in Yahweh's army in the mid-90s, so he knows his way around a great heavy rock riff, and his work here ranks with that of the masters. Bassist Lee Abney and drummer Tim Tomaselli follow Griffin heartily down the path to headbanging salvation. Griffin's lyrics fall more in the category of personal spiritual transformation than proselytizing, thankfully, but even if they didn't, the muscular riffs that power "The Fall," "Dead" and "Return" will resound in the listener's hearts far longer than any preaching. Besides, some of the old gloom 'n' doom sneaks in—"Dead" proclaims "Now they've laid me to rest/A wretched heart and a mind to match/Finally peace in my death/However morbid it may sound/This world held nothing for me." Apparently the light of Christ shines brightest in the deepest darkness. But you don't have to sing the gospel to appreciate Place of Skulls. Michael Toland [buy it]
For fans of: Spirit Caravan, Black Sabbath, Trouble
SAWT ET ATLAS
Donia
(Tinder)
Sawt Et Atlas (Arabic for "voice of the atlas") is a Moroccan sextet of global fusionists fronted by singers/songwriters Kabel El Habchi and Mounir Mirghani. Rai is at the heart of the group's music, but reggae, funk and Latin music are also core influences. The band creates body-moving grooves over which float lighter-than-air melodies and the sterling voices of El Habchi and Mirghani. The band's easy-on-the-ears style perfectly fits the love songs in which it mostly traffics; "Ya Mra" ("Oh Lady"), "Le soleil de ma Vie" ("The Sunshine of My Life") and the irresistible "Ne me jugez pas" ("Don't Judge Me," which is completed by the phrase "If I love her that much") should melt the coldest of hearts. Love isn't the only thing on the band's collective mind, however, as it also uses its slinky grooves to discuss injustice on "L'Hagra" ("Abandoned"), history on "Andalucìa" ("Eight Centuries Shared" between Spain and Arabia) and even death on "Datna" ("Our Life Led Us"). As clichéd as it sounds, Sawt Et Atlas uses its sugary worldbeat to deliver life lessons that any culture can appreciate. Michael Toland [buy it]
For fans of: Khaled, Rachid Taha, Barrio Chino
THE SHEPHERDS BUSH ENJOYMENT
Stereoactivity
(The Shepherds Bush Enjoyment)
A two-man rock act from Sweden, The Shepherds Bush Enjoyment visits the early 70s for inspiration, fusing elements of prog, psychedelia and bluesy hard rock into a cohesive whole on its debut album Stereoactivity. Bassist/flautist Sebastian F. Sorrow (gee, think that's a pseudonym?) and multi-instrumentalist Fredrik Findahl use their encyclopedic knowledge of 30-year-old rock music to create something new in an old style. Despite the use of familiar elements—phased vocals, distorted Hammond organ, lyrics derived from science fiction and psychology—there's nothing stale on this record; Findahl and Sorrow always make the songs sound fresh. Opener "The Time Bandits" and the epic "Abstract Destract" sound old school, but the classrooms have young teachers. "Lake Acid" and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" add a Middle Eastern influence, with Eastern scales and tables accenting the psychedelic prog melodies. The closing "Gamblers Award" lasts for over 16 minutes of molten guitar, shifting time signatures and dreamy tuneage, yet never gets boring. The bonus tracks are a mixed blessing; the covers of Serge Gainsbourg's "Sorry Angel" (as a power chord-laden pisstake) and Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" (as a menacing acoustic folk song, with an intro lifted from Yes' "Roundabout") show imagination and diverse influence, but sound like another band entirely. But that's a minor quibble. Sweden has been a particularly fertile field for growing new music lately; The Shepherds Bush Enjoyment add another bright blossom. Michael Toland
For fans of: Adrian Shaw, Kansas, Ghost
Copyright © 2002 High Bias
