Album Reviews

THOMAS ANDERSON
Norman, Oklahoma
(Red River)
Anderson is one of the most intelligent, literate and, best of all, funniest songwriters in rock. He balances pungent satire with a heart as big as a blue whale, and laces his relentless verbiage with aggressive folk rock melody. With sharp tunes like "Dollars For Doomsday," "Tough Love," "Football Will Save Our Town" and more, Norman, Oklahoma is Anderson's most potent album yet. If you've yet to partake of his distinctive genius, start here. Michael Toland

GILAD BARKAN
Modulation
(New Step)
GILAD BARKAN Modulation (New Step) http://www.newstepmusic.com Nothing like a set by a good ol' fashioned jazz piano trio, especially when it's as good as Modulation. Barkan tickles the ivories on a set of originals and tunes by Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and the famed Cahn/Van Heusen team, with a rippling touch and a sure melodic feel. He doesn't push any boundaries, but as far as straightahead jazz goes, Gilad Barkan's got it goin' on. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE BLOOD DRAINED COWS
13
(Triple X)
The bull of this macabre herd is Gregg Turner, former sparkplug of the infamous punk parodists the Angry Samoans. Here Turner moves into psychedelic garage rock, recasting the 13th Floor Elevators in the 21st century, complete with electric autoharp and a Roky Erickson tune ("White Faces"). The cuts are solid but nothing special, and Turner's stiff, flat singing can't make up for the lack of truly exciting tuneage. For diehard fans of Angry Samoans offshoots only. Michael Toland [buy it]

GOD DRIVES A GALAXY
Pale Blue Dot
(StrangeLove)
When writers use the terms "moody" and "atmospheric," they usually mean "uneven" and "melodically weak." Austin's God Drives a Galaxy is both moody and atmospheric on its third album, but those are no euphemisms. The band is strikingly consistent in both tune and tone, balancing out its tangled emotions with a high degree of craft. Quiet storm, indeed. Michael Toland

HELLO DEFECTIVE
Kill Us Now
(Element 115)
Gently eccentric psychedelic pop in the Flaming Lips tradition. Lovely guitar textures, plaintive vocals and strong melodies make tunes like "Our Haunted House is Home," "Dim Like a Dog's Life" and the title track shimmer like sunlight on the surface of a placid lake. Frequently quite beautiful. Michael Toland [buy it]

THADDEUS HOGARTH
It Might As Well Be Now
(Higher Ground)
Remember the days when R&B music was created with real instruments, including prominent guitars, and had tunes that were written around melodies instead of rhythm? Remember when soul songs were more than just showcases for the singer's voice lessons? Remember when R&B artists respected roots beyond the last Dr. Dre album? Thaddeus Hogarth remembers. Michael Toland

JAMIE HOOVER/BILL LLOYD
Paparazzi
(Paisley Pop)
Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd may not be names familiar to folks who watch VH1 and listen to Clear Channel, but power pop fiends know them as two of the most well-respected and consistent auteurs in the field. Paparazzi is exactly what you'd expect from such craftsmen: an easygoing, often ravishing collection of wonderfully melodic guitar pop gems. Michael Toland [buy it]

ISOLATION YEARS
Inland Traveller
(Galaxy Gramophone)
Sweden's Isolation Years use a lot of common elements—psychedelic pop, gritty folk rock, expansive arrangements, melodic songs that don't brandish obvious hooks—but do it in a way that seems unique to them. Which is a convoluted way of saying the band doesn't sound like anybody else. The closest analog I can think of is Seattle's Walkabouts, which won't mean much to most folks, so suffice to say Isolation Years cross Echo & the Bunnymen with the Band and border on brilliance, and leave it at that. Michael Toland [buy it]

KNIFE IN THE WATER
Cut the Cord
(Aspyr)
Austin's Knife in the Water have never fit neatly under a genre banner, and that's never been more evident than on its third album Cut the Cord. The band's leisurely, atmospheric melodies and low-key emotional thrust have precedents in other music, but sound like nothing other than KitW music. Leader Aaron Blount's uncliched songs speak loudly without turning up the volume. Plus it's always nice to hear pedal steel in a non-C&W context. Michael Toland

KREISOR
Graveyard of Your Mind
(Rubric)
Formerly Aytobach Kreisor and guitared by Rubric co-founder Kenny Sehgal, Kreisor proves that a power trio ain't no dead horse on its second album Graveyard of Your Mind. There's plenty of crops-razing hard rock here, but Sehgal and his bandmates explore outer space as well. When the trio puts a boot in both camps, as with "Curses," the result liquifies your brain the way the sun melts a chocolate bar on the sidewalk. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE LAST VEGAS
Lick 'em and Leave 'em
(Get Hip)
Just in case you thought Chicago was all about arty post rock and Wilco, the Last Vegas want to kick your ass with a righteously dumb rawk 'n' roll record that's all brazen riffs, slutty vocals and single entendres. This is what gray-haired rockers pretend Kiss sounds like. Michael Toland [buy it]

LIFESMYTH
Music for the Third Ear
(Camera Obscura)
Scott Smith to his mom, North Carolina's Lifesmyth makes quirky prog/psych pop that's pretty impressive for a one-man-band. He could use a little more oomph (maybe using the drummer from his live band would help) and a less drowsy singing voice; way too many of these tunes drag. The gothic "Beyond a Star" and "Sailing on the Way Home," which borrows more than a bit from the Adrian Belew version of King Crimson, stand out. Michael Toland

LIVING COLOUR
Collideoscope
(Sanctuary)
From the sound of it, political outrage as much as musical chemistry brought the great hard rock band Living Colour back together. This is one fierce record; everything—guitars, drums, vocals, production—roars with righteous indignation. Which means that Collideoscope, while hardly a disappointment, isn't as much fun as LC records can usually be, either. Though there is that shockingly faithful cover of AC/DC's "Back in Black"… Michael Toland [buy it]

MAROON
Who the Sky Betrays
(Head Fulla Brains)
Maroon carves out a very distinctive path in the jazz wilderness with its second album Who the Sky Betrays. Whether covering Soundgarden, John Lennon and Radiohead or performing their own strange and beautiful originals, Hillary Maroon and her gang maintain a melodic outlook with an adventurous spirit. There's no one else like Maroon, and maybe there should be. Marc Ribot contributes some kick-ass guitar as well. Michael Toland [buy it]

MR. ENCRYPTO
Secret Identity Crisis
(Silent Bugler)
The mysterious Mr. Encrypto—who's never seen in the same room as multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Bruce Gordon—returns with a second album of ringing power pop. Secret Identity Crisis is even better than the debut Hero and Villain, with sharper melodies, cleaner arrangements and plenty of Encrypto's soulful vocals. Cool taste in covers (the Kinks, the Small Faces, the Byrds, the Apples in Stereo) as well. Be sure to check out his "Let's Be the Beatles" feature on the website. Michael Toland