Album Reviews
NEBULA
Atomic Ritual
(Liquor and Poker)
Psychedelic metal trio Nebula has yet to make a start-to-finish satisfying album; blame uneven songwriting, hit-and-miss vocals and a frustrating inability to translate its explosive stage presence to tape. The band's most consistent slab yet, Atomic Ritual doesn't quite hit the mark either, but there's still plenty to like. Aggressive blasters like "More" and "Carpe Diem," smoky incense rockers like "Paradise Engineer" and "The Beast" (a tribute to Aleister Crowley, whose sampled voice graces the coda) and frontman Eddie Glass's lightning-in-a-bottle guitar work easily tip the scales in the record's favor. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE SUMMER PEOPLE
The Summer People
(Garage D'or)
Loud, grungy, guitar-soaked psychedelic rock from Minneapolis. Frontman Clayton Klein's rather, uh, casual relationship to melody is a bit off-putting, but this record is really about axeman Aaron Robertson's feedback worship, which lends both rockers ("This Time," "Rock Star") and epics ("Beer Run," "Urge") the right touch of red meat. Enthusiasts of 60s/90s acid rock should find The Summer People a yummy snack. Michael Toland
SUPAGROUP
Supagroup
(Foodchain)
To its credit, New Orleans' Supagroup was taking its new school arena rock riffola to the clubs before the Darkness or the Datsuns were gleams in their respective creators' orbs. That said, the band has never really connected with a crowd larger than its own cult following, and no wonder: the Lee brothers have the sound and attitude down, but frontman Chris' vocals lack punch and most of the songs sound like they were scribbled down on rolling papers right before the session. Supagroup won't be replacing the "a" with "er" anytime soon, I'm afraid. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE TELESCOPES
As Approved By the Committee
(The Committee to Keep Music Evil)
The committee issuing the approval is chaired by Anton Newcombe, head head of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and selector of the cuts herein. The album divides itself in half, with the first seven songs emphasizing the squalling noise and metallic pound of its early years and the rest the quintet's poppier work. It's hard to imagine that the grungy, ugly-as-a-baboon's-butt "I Fall She Screams" and "Suicide" and the soaring, shimmering "Flying" and "Everso" are the work of the same band. Whether or not this is an accurate portrait of the 'Scopes (who now traffic in electronic psych pop) is a question for fans more familiar with the group than I. Michael Toland [buy it]
THROTTLEROD
Hell and High Water
(Small Stone)
Dirty, ugly, smelly Southern metal from South Carolina. Not sure what's up these boys' bumholes—angry bobcats, from the sound of it—but it makes them revel in the monster truck-heavy stomp of "In the Flood," "Snake into Angel" and "No Damn Fool" like they're as happy being pummeled as pummeling. Which isn't to say they don't have sensitive souls as well—the acoustic "Been Wrong" is downright purty, with no apologies. Skip the out-of-place opener "Marigold," which might give you the false impression that Throttlerod is another Korn/Slipknot wannabe. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE WHITE LIARS
Pharmacia
(24 Carrot)
The White Liars are from Stanton, California. I know nothing about Stanton. Never been there, never heard or read anything about it, got no plans either way. So I have no explanation for why the Liars sound so damned pissed off. Frontdude Barry Stevenson attacks each word as if he's trying to kill it before it can get away, and the musicians support his aggression with throbbing, grungy punk & roll. "Count to a Million" stomps all over a Crampsian rockabilly riff while "Let Me Ride (Your Rollercoaster)" leaves no doubt that it's a deranged demand, not a request. The acoustic ballad "GMT" turns on the light, but it's too late for that. If Pharmacia is any evidence, living in Stanton fucks you up. Michael Toland
THE MICHAEL YONKERS BAND
Microminiature Love
(Sub Pop)
Though first released only on vinyl in 2002, the tracks on Microminiature Love were recorded in 1968, when the Minneapolis-based Yonkers was experimenting with his own hand-modified guitars and electronics as well as psychedelic rock. Yonkers' angry politics ("Sold America"), personal imagery ("Boy in the Sandbox") and blunt rock tunes ("Jasontown") aren't exactly unique elements, but, like any good eccentric, the guitarist assembles them into a model that doesn't look quite like what you'd normally find on the showroom floor. If you're like me and you revel in obscure psych relics, Microminiature Love will scratch that acid-fried itch. Michael Toland [buy it]
