Album Reviews

THE 100th MONKEY
Looking at My World
(Narcofunk)
The Pacific Northwest is still the heartland of grunge and flannel-clad indie rock in the minds of the masses, but there's a thriving hip-hop scene between the mountains as well. The 100th Monkey works much the same territory as the Roots, with live instrumentation and raps that indicate that life is much more than bitches and benjamins. The interplay between MC Dave Deveraux, singer Miss Loretta and DJ Cladd sits comfortably atop the warm funk of the band, leading to a nice balance between relaxed groove and aggressive proselytizing. Fun and funky. Michael Toland [buy it]

PLEASURE FOREVER
Alter
(Sub Pop)
Gnarlier than a keyboard-based album has any right to be, Pleasure Forever's second album puts melodies derived from both garage rock and classical sources through the post-modern ringer, with vocal distortion as a primary device. The flamboyant trio contrasts the aggression of "White Mare" with the beauty of "Hymn Harmonia," coming off as a smartly-conceived blend of Rufus Wainwright and the Hives. Like a lot of genrefuckers, Pleasure Forever maintains a bit too much ironic distance from itself to be totally engrossing, but the band definitely has the goods. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE SHARP THINGS
Here Comes the Sharp Things
(Dive)
The concept of the rock balladeer has been much used and abused over the past couple of decades, and all it takes is one crappy one (hello, Fiona Apple) to make the whole idea of combining Tin Pan Alley craft with rock energy and imagination suspect. Which is why when an artist comes along that does it right, it's cause for celebration. Sharp Things leader Perry Serba hasn't reached the level of consistent brilliance yet, but when he's on ("Lies About You and I," "Demon of Love," "It Took Forever to Get Home Tonight"), he's beautifully, melodiously devastating. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE STAR SPANGLES
Bazooka
(Capitol)
Bazooka is such an unabashed rip-off of classic Replacements it had me checking the credits for Paul Westerberg's input. Then I remembered that Westerberg hasn't been inclined toward this kind of raw-throated power pop since Tim, and isn't likely to be anytime soon, so if someone's gotta do it, it might as well be the Star Spangles. They've got the right blend of toughness and tunefulness, at any rate—when they're firing on all cylinders, as on "Which One of the Two of Us is Gonna Burn This House Down," you'll gleefully let them punch those buttons. But what's up with "Get Her Back," a putrid take on the ancient Hoodoo Gurus gem "I Want You Back?" Michael Toland [buy it]

THE TURBO A.C.'S
Automatic
(Gearhead)
This NYC trio can't be faulted for enthusiasm; the guys play each song as if their lives depend on a certain level of adrenalin. But greasy-fried punk tunes like "Nightmare," "Perfect Crime" and "Way of the Devil" don't boast many attributes beyond attitude. It's not that the Turbo A.C.'s are a bad band, it's just that there are dozens of bands that do this punk rock & roll thing better than they do. Sad but true: turning it up past 11 is no longer enough. Michael Toland [buy it]

VALIS
Vast Active Living Intelligence System
(Abstract)
Mark Lanegan may get all the press (as much for joining Queens of the Stone Age as for his own sporadically brilliant solo career), but he's not the only former Screaming Tree workin' it. Bassist-turned-guitarist Van Conner leads this cosmic heavy rock troop with notables from other Seattle bands like Tad and Kitty Kitty, and together they blaze straight into the heart of the sun. To be frank, this is a near-perfect album of heavy psychedelic space rock, a beautiful blend of Hawkwind, Sabbath and, of course, the Trees. Magnificent. Michael Toland [buy it]

VIRGIN BLACK
Elegant...and Dying
(The End)
Let's face it: this is a damn silly record. But it's also an extremely well-crafted one, and you gotta give Virgin Black credit: the Australian quintet is probably the only Gothic orchestral black metal ambient Hollywood soundtrack opera rock band on the planet. Whether focal point Rowan London's ultra-dramatic vocals—which range from a haunted croon to an anguished shriek—inspire a wave of empathy or a flurry of giggles depends on your suspension of disbelief, of course. But if, like me, you have a weakness for emotional melodrama writ large on a canvas of blood and roses, Elegant...and Dying is your draught of hemlock. Michael Toland [buy it]