Album Reviews

TERRY ALLEN
Amerasia
(Sugar Hill)
Trust this iconoclastic Texan to do something different: Amerasia is a concept album about the aftermath of Thailand's tangential involvement in the Vietnam War (don't worry, Allen explains it in the first track), recorded in the 80s in both Lubbock and Bangkok with local musicians. It's a typically fine set of his rollicking, satirical country rock, interspersed with native Thai snippets. Hard to describe but easy to love, just like everything Allen does. Michael Toland [buy it]

ALL STATE CHAMPION
All State Champion
(Five One, Inc.)
Vancouver's All State Champion works that indie/emo mojo, playing its anthemic rock/pop as if its members were desperate to get their deepest feelings across. Naturally, this isn't anything you haven't heard Sunny Day Real Estate, At the Drive-In or half a dozen Dischord bands do before, but most of those folks are no longer active, so ASC fill the void felt by those who require power chords and tears. Michael Toland [buy it]

TIM BERNE
The sublime and. Sciencefrictionlive
(Thirsty Ear)
On his latest double CD, veteran avant-garde jazzer Tim Berne takes his uncommon quartet through a set of six energetic originals. Berne pushes his alto sax, but never leaves melody completely behind, and Craig Taborn's warmth on electric piano and laptop contrasts nicely with Marc Duret's icy snarl on guitar. Drummer Tom Rainey holds it in the pocket with powerhouse swing chops. It's reminiscent of early 70s Miles Davis (always a favorite around these parts) more than the avant-garde wing with which Berne is usually associated. Good stuff. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE BOTTLE ROCKETS
Blue Sky
(Sanctuary)
Trimmed down to a trio and augmented by producer Warren Haynes of Govt. Mule, the Bottle Rockets' seventh album finds it working its country roots harder than it has since its '93 debut. In fact, it seems to have abandoned loud rock & roll almost entirely, an ill-advised course for one of the few No Depression acts as comfortable with volume and feedback as with subtlety and two-stepping. Fortunately, leader Brian Henneman's working class pen is as sharp as ever, so the songs (almost) make up for the loss of oomph. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE DARKNESS
Permission to Land
(Must…Destroy/Atlantic)
England's most flamboyant hard rock gang finally hits the shores of the colonies with a debut album that's already a huge bestseller in Jolly Olde. How America will react to a band that sounds like Queen if Freddie Mercury had been raised on Kiss remains to be seen. The quartet's musical proficiency is without question; guitarists Justin and Dan Hawkins have that metal god thing down, and Justin's voice is a thing of wonder (with all that that implies). The songwriting is kind of uneven, but when it's on ("I Believe in a Thing Called Love," "Growing on Me," the magnificent "Love is Only a Feeling"), the Darkness is irresistible. Michael Toland [buy it]

FRIFOT
Sluring
(Northside)
Swedish trio Frifot is more traditionally oriented than many of its Nordic brethren like Väsen or the late, great Hedningarna. So while cuts like "Flickan och pastorn" and "Mikkel Per/Kus Erik" don't break crazy ground like some Scandinavian folksters do so casually, they're still enjoyable for those who prefer their native folk music on the unaltered side. It doesn't hurt that singer Lena Willemark bears an alluring resemblance to Sandy Denny, either. Michael Toland [buy it]

GRAND CHAMPEEN
The one that brought you
(Glurp)
Man, Replacements clone bands are becoming a running theme here at High Bias. If the Star Spangles are Let It Be-era 'Mats and Ryan Adams new one is Pleased to Meet Me, Austin's Grand Champeen is doin' the Westerberg stomp Hootenanny style, with a familiar mix of exuberant but tuneful punk ("The Good Slot", sloppy classic rock ("Paid Vacation") and sensitive balladry ("Step Into My Heart"). At least frontman Channing Lewis doesn't imitate Westerberg's howl, opting for Jeff Tweedy's bawl instead. Michael Toland [buy it]

GREENLEAF
Secret Alphabets
(Small Stone)
What is it about the Scandinavians that they can make the moldiest classic rock clichés sound fresh and exciting again? Sweden's Greenleaf aim for the spot between Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, and damned if riff beasts like "Witchcraft Tonight," "Black Black Magic" and "No Time Like Right Now!" don't hit the bullseye. Sometimes retro is a good thing. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE GRIP WEEDS
The Sound is in You
(Rainbow Quartz)
Seemingly unaware that the 70s, 80s and 90s ever happened (though with contemporary production quality, thank goodness), this longrunning New Jersey combo is probably the best of the overtly retro underground power pop bands. Considering how good the songs on this reissue of their second album are— "Ready and Waiting" and "What I Believe is You" are as righteous as anything by their paisley idols—being stuck in the past is no bad thing for the Grip Weeds. Great cover of Neil Young's "Down to the Wire" too. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE HARD-ONS
Very Exciting!
(Bomp)
Australia's pioneering punk/pop wombats are still spanking the plank, almost 20 years after their first album, and ain't nothin' changed. Sweet pop songs ("Killing Me"), raging rockers ("Scared of It All") and snotty satire ("Punk Police," "[Everytime I Hear] Techno [I Pray For Death]") abound, armed with nuclear-powered hooks. This is what Blink-182 and Sum 41 wish they sounded like. Michael Toland [buy it]

HUGE
MMII October November
(Huge)
This NYC rock trio is smashing its head against a low ceiling. Its live EP was recorded in a club, but the band sounds like it wants to send its crashing chords and dramatic melodies to the top of some enormodome somewhere. I suspect that if Huge was given radio-ready production and an opening slot on a Creed tour, it would become annoying pretty quickly, but in this context, its arena rock melodrama sounds exciting and (almost) fresh. Michael Toland

THE LAST HOTEL
The Last Hotel
(The Last Hotel)
Sparkling guitar pop is the name of the game for Columbus quintet the Last Hotel. There's a bit of Radiohead's vocal keen in frontman Ryan Horns' urgent tenor, but he never lets it get the best of him or the songs. Speaking of which, they tend toward the politely dramatic, with shimmering guitars and choruses that hint at anthems to come. But the band keeps the proceedings lively, never falling into overblown melodrama. Michael Toland

LEAVES
Breathe
(DreamWorks)
I'm sorely tempted to peg/dismiss Iceland's Leaves as a Coldplay (and thus a Bends-era Radiohead) clone. But that doesn't explain "Catch," a spot-on imitation of Echo & the Bunnymen circa "The Killing Moon." All of which is to say that Leaves likes soaring melodies and emotional vocals, which, when applied in future to songs that rely less on other bands' past glories, may yet be good things Michael Toland [buy it]

MARAT
Marat
(MoRisen)
Marat is sort of a regional supergroup, made up of North Carolina music vets from Snatches of Pink, Dillon Fence, the Veldt and other local faves. Fronted by Michael Rank's muscular guitar and John Ensslin's bratty sneer, Marat puts enough lipstick onto its grimy face to give tunes like "She," "Startime" and "Salt" a perfectly snotty edge. For Marat, grit + glam = good times. Michael Toland [buy it]

MILTON MAPES
Westernaire
(Aspyr)
Not to slag Joe Ely or the Gourds, but Austin's Milton Mapes puts the "rock" back in "roots rock." Cuts like "Everyone Around" and "Maybe You're Here, Maybe You're Not" bash and crunch while still keeping songwriter Greg Vanderpool's lyrical melodies intact, and quieter tunes like "Palo Duro" and "A Thousand Songs About California" are just as affecting. Milton Mapes is the great roots rock band Austin should have had in the 90s when alt.country was cool. Michael Toland