High Bias aural fixations
March 30, 2003

ACID APE
Fleshspa
(Lunasound/Abstract)
On its debut album Fleshspa, Sweden's Acid Ape seems out to prove that not everything heavy, noisy and abrasive out of Scandinavia is related to death metal or Black Sabbath. The trio instead finds its inspiration in industrial sounds—not the bastard cross between metal and disco indulged in by Ministry and its acolytes, mind you, but the actual sounds of factories, freeways, car wrecks, warzones, etc. Eschewing samples, the band simply imitates these sounds on its instruments, with the guitarist's skin-scraping shards of broken glass-riffology attempting to peel the paint off anything within reach. The bassist uses his instrument to nail a groove to the ground and watch it squirm, while the drummer actually manipulates the dynamics of each track, though his fellows pretty much ignore any of his cues. The high-strung noise rock of "Anorexia Nervosa" and "Tetna Shot," headlong boogie chaos of "So Beautiful, So Clean" and the deep-fried groove-grunge of "X-Leg" will be an acquired taste, of course—not everybody wants their ear canals forcibly scoured. But Acid Ape's ripsnorting blasts of unholy racket can be quite bracing, even exhilarating, when in the right mood. If that mood has stricken you, head on over to the Fleshspa. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Scratch Acid, Cop Shoot Cop, King Snake Roost

JEFF FRIEDMAN
Slo & Lo
(Accurate)
Guitarist Jeff Friedman sees no difference between genres of instrumental music on Slo & Lo, and that's a good thing. It means he's equally comfortable with jazzy treatises like "I'm Ramblin' Too," bluesy ballads like "Lonely" and the title track and neo-noir like "Sasja's Tango." He even indulges in some rockist flash guitar on "Way Beneath the Underdog." He's most impressive when he splits the difference, as on the beautifully nuanced "How Late" or "I Don't Know." But the most striking cuts on the album involve his collaboration with poet/bassist Eric Mingus. The gnarly blues rock of "The Swamp" features Mingus in blues growler mode, while the pretty "She Flies Free (Cement)" presents some of his poetry; both benefit from his deep, charismatic vocals. Friedman is a melodic, tasteful picker, not given over to much musical wankery; the cuts tend to emphasize the tunes over the technique. And for that we're grateful. Michael Toland

For fans of: John Scofield, Ronnie Earl, Johnny A.

LONGWAVE
The Strangest Things
(RCA)
New York's Longwave gets compared to the Strokes a lot, and with a similar penchant for driving janglepop maybe that's appropriate. But it's worth pointing out that Longwave's existence predates that of the NYC darlings, and that it has a much wider palette. On its second album The Strangest Things, Longwave uses its guitars as paintbrushes, imbuing its emotional pop songs with all sorts of psychedelic six-string colors. E-bows, tremolos, shimmers, even occasional muscular riffs lend a variety to the sounds employed, giving songwriter Steve Schlitz' often-fragile voice the right amount of support. For all the swirling guitar textures, however, the sonics never overtake the songs; the heartfelt balladry of "Meet Me At the Bottom" and the sparkling pop of "I Know It's Coming Someday" and "Everywhere You Turn" would hold up just fine with just voice and an acoustic guitar. The melodic, emotionally forthright "Tidal Wave," with its fragile vocals and crashing guitars, is the band's quintessential moment; if this record's got a hit single, this is it. It's always good to hear an artist that gives equal time to sound and substance, and with The Strangest Things Longwave could find itself on the receiving end of deserved critical and popular acclaim. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Ocean Blue, Echo & the Bunnymen, Chapterhouse

MATT MUNISTERI & BROCK MUMFORD
Love Story
(Old Cow Music)
Singer/guitarist Matt Munisteri was the primary writer and musical director of the Flying Neutrinos, one of the less novelty-oriented proponents of the swing revival. With Love Story, the first album from his new band Brock Mumford (named for the legendary jazz man Buddy Bolden's guitarist), he expands his repertoire a bit to include waltzes, western swing and other forms of pre-rock Americana. Backed by an acoustic band fronted by accordion, trumpet and his own nimble guitar work and light vocals, Munisteri presents mostly original tunes in styles not heard on the radio since the 40s. From the near-tango of "Sign Me Up" to the hot jazz burn of "Cry Cry Cry" and the solo acoustic jazz/blues of Hoagy Carmichael's "Lazy Bones," Munisteri displays an expert touch with old-time music. There's even a peppy, swingin' version of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." While the sound might conjure up certain feelings of nostalgia, original tunes like "Sparkle," "Let's Do Something Bad" and "The Signifying Rag" expand upon and add to the tradition, not just rehash it. This Love Story is very nice. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: 8 1/2 Souvenirs, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire, the Squirrel Nut Zippers

SNOWDONNAS
Over Now
(Ballyhoo Withdrawal)
Fort Worth's Snowdonnas beautifully evoke the heyday of the early 90s British shoegazer movement on Over Now. All the ingredients are here: loud, crunchy guitars, languid tempos, clear, plainspoken vocals, lush arrangements, pop melodies stretched like bubble gum over a hot sidewalk. Singer/guitarist Tim White knows the ins and outs of this style like the back of Kevin Shields' hand; "Watchful Waiting," "Burn" and "I Can't Breathe" could be taught in university classes about how to do the style and do it right. Which isn't to say the band wears out this particular groove; the quartet is smart enough to lighten things up a bit with the catchy pop tunes "Rocket Cherries" and "Heartache." Both those tunes keep most of the sonic identifiers of dream-pop intact, mainly the overdriven rhythm guitars, so neither cut sounds like a sudden departure. Snowdonnas may not be the most original band in the universe, but there aren't too many other artists around doing this music anymore, and there's probably no one doing it as well as this. Over Now is sheer shoegazer bliss. Michael Toland

For fans of: Springhouse, For Against, early Catherine Wheel

VÄRTTINÄ
Iki
(Northside)
What can be said about another Värttinä album that hasn't been said numerous times already? The Finnish vocal trio and its backing band occupy a unique place even in Nordic folk circles, let alone international music, and its tenth album Iki is an excellent example of a distinctive art ensemble at the peak of its powers. The band has added a dash of winsome melody to its already well-stocked larder; tracks like "Maahinen Neito" ("Earth-maiden"), "Tauti" ("Disease") and "Tuulen Tunto" ("To Feel the Wind") might even be called catchy to ears not attuned to Nordic cadences and rhythms. The arrangements, while not exactly stripped down, aren't as knotty and complex as usual, either; while "Potran Korean" ("A Sturdy, Handsome Lad") boasts the group's typical woven voice tapestry, many of the other vocals go for simpler harmonies. That's not to say Värttinä is making concessions to Western accessibility; it's merely expanding the boundaries of their tradition even further. Iki is that rare example of an album that's both a progression and a perfect starting point for beginners. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Rosenberg 7, Hedningarna, Mediaeval Baebes

VARIOUS ARTISTS
A Fistful of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 10
(Devil Doll)
There have been ten volumes of this Electric Frankenstein-curated series in the last three years, which tells you just how many bands there are out there who haven't given up on rock & roll. This is a perfect way to catch up on the scene, too—so many punk and hard rock-influenced bands have only one really great single in them, and the Fistful series does these bands a service by preserving that one song for as long as the records remain in print. With 25 bands represented, this is almost an embarrassment of riches—it might actually make more sense to listen to this disk in portions, instead of all at once. Then again, if you can't get enough of bands like the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs and Mötorhead (neither of whom appear here), you won't mind such a major-league fix. Highlights of this volume include the melodic grunge of 500 Ft. of Pipe's "So Good," the catchy glam crunch of Lawn Darts' "Later" and Schoolbus Bullies' "Waste My Time," the aggressive power rock of Mothercake's "Fists of Fury" and Speedfreaks' "Walk Away" (both from Sweden—what is it in the water over there?), the charging punk metal of Cosmic Ballroom's "You're the Man" and the crazed garage rock of Muddy Frankenstein's "Captain Moondog." And it's always nice to hear a nugget from punk/pop/rock vets the Real Kids. Not everything is gold here—cuts by the Strap-Ons, Pistolero and Midnight Evils verge on the generic, and the Bulemics' "Plasma Crazed" is just plain bad. But overall this is as rockin' a comp as you could possibly want. Don't forget to crank the volume. Michael Toland

For fans of: punk rock, hard rock, the Rock-N-Roll Au Go-Go series

Copyright © 2003 High Bias