High Bias aural fixations
March 9, 2003

BACKDRAFT
Here to Save You All
(Abstract/Lunasound)
Backdraft revels in unabashed cock rock, its themes, image and bluesy hard rock emulating the Southern side of 70s boogie. Only thing is the quintet isn't from the American South but from Stockholm, Sweden. Apparently living in a climate so far removed from the Georgia/Florida/Mississippi environs that originally brewed this particularly longhaired strain of rock & roll isn't at all a hindrance; Here to Save You All is as convincing as anything to come out of the Deep South swamplands. As the California-bred, Boston-educated Gillian Welch is to mountain music, so the Nordic Backdraft is to Southern rock. Guitarists Robert Johansson and David Nordlander whip up the requisite blues-based firestorm, peeling out chunky riffs and sizzling solos, while bassist Mats Rydström and drummer Niklas Matson provide the thump and swing. Vocalist Johan Åhlen is the band's vanguard, and his charismatic growl is equally effective with aggressive blowouts ("Penetration," "See You Burn"), strutting braggadocio ("Wicked Man," "Goddamn Man") and lighter-waving ballads ("Angels High"). The group doesn't do anything particularly new with the form, but the bandmembers are having such an obviously great time playing it the music sounds fresh anyway. On Here to Save You All, Backdraft proves that you don't have to have a Southern accent to play the Deep South boogie. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Four Horsemen, Lynyrd Skynryd, Molly Hatchet

THE MINUS 5
Down With Wilco
(Yep Roc)
Tune in tonight, my friends, for the latest chapter in the continuing story of the Minus 5, a mysterious group of ne'er-do-wells who in their street clothes look vaguely familiar from their time in other, more infamous bands. Episode five, Down With Wilco: in which Lonesome Scott McCaughey, previously and currently seen with the long-running Northwest cult heroes the Young Fresh Fellows, travels the long road to Chicago in order to commune musically with the young scamps in the well-regarded ensemble known as Wilco. Collaborating on songs with Wilco figurehead Jeff Tweedy, using Tweedy's ruffians as his backup band and letting his old running mates Peter Buck (A.K.A. Mr. Guitar of R.E.M.) and Ken Stringfellow (A.K.A. Mr. Colored Hair of the Posies) add their two bits, McCaughey (né McCoy) immerses himself more fully in psychedelicized pop melody than ever before. Calling to mind various icons of 60s popular music, while adding his own special herbs and spices, McCaughey magically brings to life such winsome gems as "I'm Not Bitter," "Life Left Him There," "The Old Plantation" and "Where Will You Go?" Analog keyboards, 12-string guitars and glockenspiels fill the air with succulent sound, while the maestro himself croons like unto an angel. (Young Mr. Tweedy gets in on the act as well, vis "The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply" and "The Family Gardener.") Verily, Comic Book Guy (from competing entertainment The Simpsons) must be paraphrased: "Best episode ever." Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Beatles, the Kinks, the Flaming Lips

PANIC IN DETROIT
Panic in Detroit
(Silverthree)
Houston's Panic in Detroit plays its collective heart out on its five-song debut EP. Singer/guitarist Ryan Chavez has a wonderfully husky baritone, perfect for portraits of love and loss that are heart-on-sleeve without being grossly oversentimental. It also helps that his band has a tough, melodic punk/pop sound that's instantly appealing without crossing over into commercial dreck. The guitars roar but do so to a catchy tune, as Chavez moves from pained screech to gruff croon. "We Own Everything" and "Young Attraction" are the pop hits, while "This is Why We Can Never Have Nice Things" and "A Major in Biochemistry" are the deeper cuts that resonate long into the night. The brief length of this disk doesn't allow for any bullshit, and the group keeps things streamlined, with nary a bum note or bad track to be found. Panic in Detroit is an excellent introduction to a band with a bright future. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: China Drum, Down By Law, All

RONDELLUS
Sabbatum (A Medieval Tribute to Black Sabbath)
(The Music Cartel)
Sabbatum is like the answer to a question nobody asked. In this case, that query would be: what would pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath sound like as interpreted by a traditionalist medieval music ensemble? The Estonian group Rondellus covers selections from the Sabbath catalog quite faithfully—well, as faithfully as possible when the instrumentation consists of lutes, psalteries, frame drums and something called an organistrum, and, oh yes, all the lyrics are sung in Latin. The band is smart enough to dig deeper into Sabbath's oeuvre than just the hits; "Verres militares" (AKA "War Pigs") is the only thing a casual observer would recognize right off the bat. Tunes like "Funambulus domesticus" ("A National Acrobat"), "Architectus urbis caelestis" ("Spiral Architect") and "Planetarum vagatio" ("Planet Caravan") sound more like centuries-old traditional pieces than metal covers. Which begs the question: for what audience is this album intended? Medieval music enthusiasts won't recognize the difference between these renditions and actual early music, and Sabbath fans will be disappointed that they're not getting the sledgehammer riffs and rhythms. Rondellus undoubtedly had a good time with this project, but ultimately Sabbatum feels like self-indulgence rather than self-expression. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Miranda Sex Garden, Istanpitta, monks chanting

THE SADIES
Stories Often Told
(Yep Roc)
The Sadies' fourth album is, unsurprisingly, much like their previous three. The Canadian quartet's patented blend of spaghetti western soundtrack music, surf rock and tradition-minded roots music goes down as smoothly as a cup of perfectly-warmed hot chocolate, even if it leaves about as much of a lingering impression. The Good brothers integrate C&W, surf and rockabilly riffs so seamlessly it's impossible to tell from which genre a lick originally came, and the rhythm section follows right along their lead. Frontman Dallas' voice is a bit too plain to make any real impression other than something to convey the words, but the guitars are more the point in the Sadies' music anyway. Songs like "Lay Down Your Arms," "Such a Little Word" and "Mile Over Mecca" are perfectly serviceable roots rockers, unlikely to be covered by likeminded artistes but not bad tunes either. The best songs come from outside the band; Grace Braun's exciting "Tiger Tiger" and producer Greg Keelor's graceful "The Story's Often Told" (from Keelor's band Blue Rodeo) have more backbone than the Goods' cuts, and gain roughhewn resonance in the Sadies' hands. Only the 60sish, 12-string driven psychedelic folk song "Of Our Land" (co-written by Elevator/Eric's Trip leader Rick White) has the same power as the covers. While there's ultimately little special about Stories Often Told, there's nothing unlistenable either. Sadies fans will eat it up; everyone else flip a quarter first. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Ennio Morricone, early Old 97's, the Reivers' cover of "Hill Country Theme"

SOLACE
13
(MeteorCity)
There's a moment on Led Zeppelin I when Robert Plant begins to sing lyrics from John Lee Hooker's "The Hunter" in the middle of "How Many More Times," and the band sounds exactly as lean and hungry as they are, squeezing their eyes shut and throttling the groove. Solace more often than not brings to mind that same sense of abandon. Anything is possible at any time. 13, their second CD, shows that Solace is master of grande tempo Changes and muy grande riffs. Sometimes the band drops way back into sludge of the earth territory, and sometimes it hits hyperdrive. It's always effective.

"Loving Sickness, Burning Fuel" is built on one of those already satisfying, bottom-feeding riffs before its vertebra-snapping launch into the double-time bridge. And the apocalyptic harmonica fits better than you'd think. "Indolence" opens with grade A beef, spiced with wah wah bursts. This is about the point where you start to think, "Oh yeah, I could listen to a whole bunch of this stuff." "King Alcohol" is nicely layered, with a simple but cool vocal melody. In his upper range, singer Jason sounds like he could lead the band into straight prog rage a la Tool, though they never become that self-conscious.

Need more convincing? "In the Oven" is a full-band workout built on halting riffs and thundering hooks. "Theme..." is a trippy skronk, feedback and echo workout. Theremin may even be buried in there somewhere. And "Toy" opens softly, the way los Natas do sometimes on Corsario Negro. You just wait for fissures of riff to open, and they do, they do. God, these guys have probably never seen a guitar without a humbucker in it, and let's hope they never do.

To summarize: Damn (pronounced with two syllables). Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: Spiritu, Los Natas, Kyuss

WARREN ZANES
Memory Girls
(Dualtone)
Warren Zanes played guitar in the 80s-era, Boston-based roots rock combo the Del Fuegos. He left the Fuegos in the late 80s, ceding the music career thing to his brother Dan (who's since become a respected children's singer) and going back to school to earn a slew of degrees. Suddenly, though, he's back with Memory Girls, singing his own songs and playing music as far from the rockabilly-informed heartland rock of the Fuegos as it is from the mainstream country that dominates Nashville, the city in which the record was recorded. Memory Girls instead heralds a new voice in mature pop, with sweet melodies, groove-driven rhythms and an adult perspective. Though quite the guitar-slinger in his old band, here he focuses the arrangements on his beguiling tunes and plainspoken vocals, relegating six-strings to another texture in the fabric. A wise move, apparently—prominent guitar solos would sound clunky in such smoothly crafted, soulfully performed tunes as "Sidewalk Sale," "First On the Moon" and "If You Could Stay." "Soulfully" is an apt adjective, in fact, as the liquid grooves and R&B vibe of tracks like "Hey Girl," "Have You Once Recalled the Days?" and "World of Concrete" points to the blatant influence of classic 70s soul. Strangely, "Where We Began," the bland first single, and "Everybody Loves You," the overly fussy opener, are the weakest cuts on the record, possibly leading to a false impression of Zanes' full capabilities. Better to skip to "Did You Recognize My Love?" or the lush closer "When the World Gets Weak;" either will make plain that Warren Zanes is a major talent coming to light at last. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Jay Bennett & Edward Burch, Chuck Prophet, Joe Henry

Copyright © 2003 High Bias