High Bias aural fixations
October 20, 2002

AENIMA
Never Fragile
(Equilibrium)
Never Fragile, the second CD from Portuagal's Aenima, will make fast friends with fans of ethereal Gothic music. Guitarists Rune and Nor and bassist/keyboardist Paulo spin glistening webs of soaring melody, leavening the sparkles with the occasional wash of blackened distortion. Drummer Hugo keeps the rhythms simple for dancing, but adds dynamic fills that prevent monotony. Singer Carmen gracefully moves from a keening soprano to a cutting low tenor, as she deftly manipulates the emotional moods of songs like the driving, gorgeous "The Light" or the complex, shimmering "At the Edge of the Cliff." Unlike a lot of acts of this stripe, Aenima knows how to support the ethereal side of its nature with a solid rock backbone; in the songcraft/atmosphere balancing act, Aenima tends to err on the side of the former. This is a record with a core of strength, which makes the title Never Fragile entirely appropriate. Michael Toland

For fans of: Numeralia, Cocteau Twins, Brave

THE BLASTERS
Trouble Bound
(HighTone)
I have a confession to make: I've never liked the Blasters. I know, I know&the shame, the horror! How can I show myself in public, calling myself a music critic, and not like the Blasters? Especially when I'm willing to declare my devotion to Blasters guitarist/songwriter Dave Alvin to all and sundry. How can one be a devotee of American roots music, and its patron saint Alvin, and not like the band that jump-started the whole roots rock movement? What the hell's the matter with me?

Well, to be honest, the problem is twofold. Firstly, I've never been a rockabilly fan. And while calling the Blasters rockabilly is kind of like calling the Rolling Stones a blues band&both bands use the music as a jumping-off point more than a style&the fact remains that the Blasters' core is a music for which I've never had much use. (More blasphemy!) The other problem, for me, is what most fans and critics consider the group's great asset: Phil Alvin's voice. Most folks think it reeks of authenticity; to me, it's always sounded like a parody of rockabilly singers, aping Sonny Burgess without the charm. This is just a personal preference, and as any music fan can tell you, if you don't connect with the voice conveying the music, you just ain't gonna get it.

My personal feelings for the band are beside the point, however, when it comes to Trouble Bound, a live record documenting the band's recent reunion shows. With the original lineup in place&the Alvin brothers, pianist Gene Taylor, bassist John Bazz, drummer Bill Bateman, minus the late saxist Lee Allen, to whom the CD is dedicated&the band rips through a selection of its classics, from "Long White Cadillac," "Marie Marie" and "American Music" to lesser-known tracks like "Blue Shadows," "Common Man" and "Hollywood Blvd." The band adds some choice covers to its performance as well, including Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" and Sonny Burgess' "Sadie's Back in Town." The band is tight and rocking, never hinting that its members haven't played together in nearly two decades, and Phil's voice sounds strong, whether I find it appealing or not. Brother Dave's fiery guitar doesn't get nearly the display space it deserves&this is an ensemble, after all, not a showcase&but when he does let rip, it's inspiring (see "Dark Night"). Still, I'd rather hear Dave applying his limited but soulful baritone to a song like "Common Man"&Phil's voice just doesn't sound right on the bluesier numbers, at least not to me. But longtime Blasters fans will be thrilled with Trouble Bound; it's proof that some reunions can indeed recall former glories. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Sonny Burgess, the Spanic Boys, Bill Haley and His Comets

THE FLAMING LIPS
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
(Warner Bros.)
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the latest record from Oklahoma City eccentrics the Flaming Lips, could be subtitled "The All-Important Follow-Up." As the band's first album following the much-lauded opus The Soft Bulletin it comes under more scrutiny than it would if it was just another Lips release. Fortunately, the record proves itself worthy of the attention. The trio (plus producer Dave Fridmann, who seems to have made a career out of producing the Lips since leaving Mercury Rev) continues its pop odyssey, with melodies that are its most immediately appealing yet. "Fight Test," "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" and "Do You Realize??" constitute the group's some most memorable tunes, and with lyrics like "Do you realize/That you have the most beautiful face" and "I was wanting you to love me/But your love it never came," they're some of the band's most emotionally open as well. Of course, the Lips are still the Lips, which means the album's catchiest song is the headline track, which is about exactly what the title proclaims. (Plus it's followed by an instrumental coda full of crashing cymbals, Bernie Worrell-like synth bass and unearthly shrieks.) The band has also come an awful long way from its guitar-squall days; most of the music here is provided by warm electronics, burping rhythms and flatulent analog synths. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is more of a continuation of The Soft Bulletin than a true progression, but it contains enough tweaks to set on its own pedastel as another Flaming Lips triumph. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Mellow, Sparklehorse, Gorillaz

LOUDERMILK
The Red Record
(DreamWorks)
Loudermilk's sophomore album (and major label debut) The Red Record is the great Smashing Pumpkins record Billy Corgan never made. The Pumpkins were many things, but at that band's heart it was a hard rock band, though it never seemed to be completely comfortable with that influence. Loudermilk, on the other hand, has no problem cranking its amps to fifteen and just rocking like muthas, as befits a group with roots in a Guns 'n' Roses cover band. The raging guitars and snarling vocals of tracks like "Elekt," "Estrogen Oxygen Aches in the Teeth Again" and "The Twisting" would make any headbanger snap his neck. But, like the Pumpkins, there's more to Loudermilk than just power chords. Strong melodies, raw vocals and a complex emotional thrust give The Red Record its power. The basic theme is a self-destructive person trying to overcome his own impulses while helping his friends do the same&the sneering "California," angry "Kreates a Presence to Blush" and anguished "97 Ways to Kill a Superhero" present angst that sounds well-earned. "All that is good should come from your love," singer Davey Ingersoll pleads in "Juin," but he doesn't sound like he believes it will save him. The lush melancholy of "Ash to Ash," pretty pop of "Goldie Ella" (a tribute to Ingersoll's stepmother) and the back-to-basics garage rock of "Rock 'n' Roll and the Teenage Desperation" punch a few holes in the band's black cloud, not to mention give it a bit of stylistic variety. The quartet isn't so pretentious as to believe anthemic depression is the only engine that will drive its art. The Red Record breathes fresh air into alternative metal's atrophied lungs. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Smashing Pumpkins, the Vines, American Pearl

MOTHER SUPERIOR
Sin
(MuscleTone)
Mother Superior gets kudos for lending a groove to Henry Rollins' literate bile. As the current edition of the Rollins Band, MS dole out texture and dynamics behind the Man, both live and on CD. On the side they still rock on as MS, and Sin is their fifth. And whereas it was possible to overlook the obvious on 2001's eponymous CD, somehow it's not now. The problem is that MS unflinchingly embraces arena rock clichés.

The band could be great on its own. Jim Wilson is a tornado of a guitarist, and a soulful singer as well. Bassist Marcus Blake and drummer Jason Mackenroth are tight. The arrangements are professional, and the sound is beefy, but man, those lyrics and those obvious rock moments just get to be too much.

"Strange Change" bodes well, kicking down the door with that great drums, guitar and vocals combination. It worked for Mountain's "Mississippi Queen," right? It's a bestial groove, and it's almost enough to make the listener ignore Wilson as he sings, "I ain't no junkie but I'm lookin' for a fix." Heck, the bridge is full of funk sheen, and how can you argue with funk sheen?

"Pretty in the Morning" is built on one head-bobbing riff, but there's no ignoring that about a third of this song is built on a variation of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" riff. "Jaded Little Princess" is thick, plodding electric-acoustic pop that only needs Tom Petty to be a Traveling Wilburys song. Weird. The bluesy "Spinnin'" feels like it's working, but one's left with the feeling this is a Robin Trower outtake (think "Too Rolling Stoned"). And Trower ain't exactly packin' 'em in these days himself.

But out of the blue (nyuk nyuk) comes "Fool Around," which manages to work in spite of itself. It's an R&B chord progression, the sort of structure that sounds like it's constantly building up to something big, though the message is beyond interpretation: "Get that gun away from your head/Do you wanna fool around?" Still, Wilson sings with soul, the band feels the spirit, for what it's worth, and 5:03 later it feels like the CD has finally accomplished something.

But wait.

During the final song, "Fade Out, Wounded Animal," there's this eerily familiar feeling. The band is chugging along, Wilson is ripping, and it's clear that this is MS's attempt at cashing in with a rock epic. "I'm a wounded animal/I have a bleeding heart/Got sucked into your crippling grip/Can't pull your teeth apart," he sings with seriousness befitting Spinal Tap. Not only that, but the melody is just a little too similar to "18 and Life" by Skid Row. It goes on for over 10 minutes, and it's painful, just painful.

This CD is valuable in one very clear way: It demonstrates to the average listener what all rock & roll sounds like to elderly people. Sin indeed. Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: Aerosmith, Robin Trower, Black Crowes

CHUCK PYLE
Affected By the Moon
(Bee 'n' Flower)
Though Affected By the Moon is his seventh album, and he's had his songs turned into hits by artists including Suzy Boggus, Chris LeDoux and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, singer/songwriter Chuck Pyle is hardly the household name he arguably deserves to be. Maybe it's because of his unusual confluence of cowboy wisdom with zen philosophy, not that those two things have so little in common, if you think about it.. Pyle definitely thinks about it, and it leads him to pen introspective, uplifting tunes like "If Not Now" and "Romancing the Moment" and darker, more sardonic ditties like "Inside of My Face" and the memory lane trip "97 Hillside Road." While his head may be in the clouds, his heart maintains its earthly residence—see tight, romantic love songs such as "Laurie Ann" and "I Love You Back" and the would-be seduction "I'll Think I'll Go to Texas." He also visits the cowboy side of his personality more explicitly with a cover of Jack Williams' "Outlaw's Dream" and the witty, wistful original "Cowboy's Christmas Dream" ("Santa's elves are bringing a pony he can ride," so "He hides him in the treehouse and feeds him after dark"). His gentle, jazz-laced country folk suits his husky, conversational voice perfectly, and Doug Haywood's simple production lets every word be heard in perfect clarity. Some of the music can be a bit, shall we say, mushy, but Pyle's intelligence and warmth nudge sappiness to the side with little difficulty. You may find yourself as easily affected by this record as Pyle is Affected By the Moon. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Butch Hancock, Fred Koller, Pierce Pettis

THE TURN-ONS
Love Ruined Us
(Bop Tart)
Seattle's Turn-ons have been adding accolades in its hometown for a couple of years now, even getting a shout-out from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck in his Q column. Sort of a low-fi glam band, the Turn-ons make ambitious music on a low budget on its second release Love Ruined Us. The pouted vocals, simple, repetitive guitar riff and handclaps of the Bolanesque "So Damn Queen" pretty much telegraph the band's influences, which is fine&some of us might argue there aren't enough bands mining this vein. The Bowie-like balladry of "Losing My Mind" and Velvets-ish drive of the title track also wear the stamp of the quintet's record collection proudly, but hey, it's a cool collection. Thanks to the relative dearth of artists exploring this sound, this EP will continue to sound fresh, at least until there are a ton of groups stomping all over the same territory. It also helps that the Turn-ons aren't afraid to wallow in overtly emotional anthems like the string-laden "Humanunkind;" the over-used phrase "Hold on" hasn't sounded this sincere in two decades. Besides, if the songwriting on display here is any indication, once these guys get a decent recording budget they'll may very well match, if not surpass, the work of their idols. The Turn-ons have an epic in them, just waiting for the right surgeon to extract it. Michael Toland

For fans of: the Strokes, T. Rex, early 70s David Bowie

Copyright © 2002 High Bias