Album Reviews

AXEHANDLE
Axehandle
(Small Stone)
Never let it be said that the members of Alabama Thunderpussy ain't prolific. This power trio puts ATP driving force Erik Larson on drums alongside regular ATP drummer Bryan Cox and guitarist Ryan Lake (doubling on bass) for a sludgified aural nightmare. That's not to say there isn't melody and texture here, but with two drumkits in furious action, this can't do anything but pound, can it? And since the lyrics dwell almost exclusively on pain, torture and violence, this isn't the album to put on when you're looking for action from the pretty girl on your couch. As a soundtrack to beating the holy hell out of your garage punching bag, though, it's just about perfect. Michael Toland [buy it]

BLOOD FARMERS
Permanent Brain Damage
(Primate Media/Leaf Hound)
The Blood Farmers are pretty obscure, even in the annals of stoner metal lore, releasing a single album in the early 90s on the infamous (and now extremely extinct) label Hellhound. Permanent Brain Damage is a set of pre-album demos that includes tunes that never made it onto the official release. An obsession with 70s gore flicks and gobs of acid-spiked Sabbath riffs are commonplace now, but weren't so much when this was recorded. Besides, the quartet does the hemoglobin-soaked tyrannosaur stomp as well as anybody, thanks in no small part to Dave Depraved's inspired ax work. If you're jonesing for a shot of psychosludge, the Blood Farmers are your grue-encrusted fix. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE DEXATEENS
Red Dust Rising
(Estrus)
If the Dexateens are the American South's answer to the Rolling Stones (as their debut album last year suggested), then the band's second disk Red Dust Rising is its Beggars Banquet. Maturing without compromising, incorporating more prominent elements of blues, folk and C&W without scaling back the rock & roll, the Alabama quartet rambles and rolls its way through top-notch tunes like "That Dollar," "Take Me to the Speedway" and "Devoted to Lonesome." It's hard to note what's more charming: the interlocking roots rock guitar licks, the heartfelt tunes or Elliott McPherson and John Smith's homely Jagger/Richards harmonies. Best to just take it all in together and choke on Red Dust Rising. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE EVERYONES
The Everyones
(Tee Pee/Rubric)
Australia has quite a classic pop scene going with You Am I, Augie March and the Sleepy Jackson, and now you can add the Everyones to that list. The five-piece is a bit less reckless about bending the rules than its brethren, but that doesn't make its debut album any less satisfying. Dreamy ballads like "Simple Words" and "Here We Are (La La Land)" and tuneful singalongs like "Trans Highway One" and "Come Around" hit those pleasure buttons over and over again. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE FRAMES
Burn the Maps
(Anti-)
The Frames are back with their fifth record, and in keeping with the Irish quintet's modus operandi, Burn the Maps is an exercise in anger. And this brand of angst is not your typical rock and roll variety. Littered with self doubt and loathing, the record sounds very personal, as do Glen Hansard's sorrowful lyrics. The music is good, led by Robert Bochnik on guitars and Johnny Boyle's rock steady drum beat. In fact, the rest of the band carry a large portion of the load on Burn the Map, with long jams between words. This record is also more balanced than the band's previous efforts, striking more or less an equilibrium between the group's aggressive tendencies and the softer side of rock. Burn the Maps is a strong record and seems a good choice for the band's widespread introduction to us Yankees. Lance Looper [buy it]

GREATDAYFORUP/SOLACE
Blackmarket/Hammerhead
(Underdogma)
These split CD deals make a lot of sense: I get some new stuff from a band I already dig (Solace) and a quick intro to a band I've not yet heard (Greatdayforup). Albany's Greatdayforup hit first with three tracks of good old-fashioned heavy rock, perfect for riffing or spliffing or whatever you do when the guitars grunge and the vocals soar. "Soul of a Motherfucker" is the big-bellied standout. Jersey's Solace does what it does best, namely riff out a near-seamless blend of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Only one original—though "Cement Stitches" is a great one—but the covers top off with a stomping, solo-happy take on Link Wray's classic "Rumble." This should tide metalheads over 'til the bands' next full-lengths. Michael Toland [buy it]

SARAH LEE GUTHRIE AND JOHNNY IRION
Exploration
(New West)
Sarah Lee Guthrie (granddaughter of Woody) and Johnny Irion blend ethereal harmonies and thoughtful lyrics to create a kind of retro-country sound. Exploration is a good record, impressive given this is the debut album of the pair. The cool thing about it is its variety. "Cease Fire" is a traditional folk song from start to finish, but then the duo delivers a pure country tune with "Kindness," complete with a sorrowful steel guitar. Then, just as abruptly, the disc takes a turn for the truly nostalgic with "Dr. King," a kind of Grateful Dead/protest-sounding song. Guthrie takes command of the record on "Mornin's Over" and begs the question of why her great voice is under utilized over the course of the rest of the record. Lance Looper [buy it]

HECATE ENTHRONED
Redimus
(Candlelight)
You'd think the British would be too genteel and tasteful to be good at black metal. But as Cradle of Filth and Akercocke proved, you can drink tea with your pinky up and still desecrate angels in your spare time. Hecate Enthroned is the latest in the line of UK depravity mongers, and one of the best. The coven uses the usual tools—furious double-bass drum percussion tracks, arm-ripping guitar licks, Gothic keyboard swells, acoustic interludes, unholy screams from the pit, etc.—while adding just a touch of melody and the occasional groovy breakdown for a masterful treatise on the art of black metal morbidity. Hell on earth never sounded so accomplished. Michael Toland [buy it]

HERMANO
Dare I Say
(Mine's Bigger Than Yours/MeteorCity)
Fans of ex-Kyuss vocalist John Garcia would probably listen to him sing Pop Tart ingredients just to enjoy his pipes. Thankfully, that's not necessary, since his current band Hermano is damn good. Dare I Say, their second album, finds bassist Steve "Dandy" Brown sharing the songwriting with most of the band. The result is focused and confident; the band embraces stoner rock, but they're not afraid to get bluesy (like on "Murder One" or "My Boy") once in a while. Above all, though, Garcia fans are on board for that bestial wail, always the wail. "Life," "Roll Over," "Angry American"—take your pick and fasten your seatbelt. And be sure to park in front of the Piggly Wiggly to treat everyone around you to "Quite Fucked." Maybe a sacker will come out and help you count how many times Garcia screams "motherfucker." Brian Briscoe [buy it]

THE KNOCKOUT PILLS
1 + 1 = Ate
(Estrus)
Tucson's Knockout Pills take basic pop music and force-feed it enough Red Bull and amphetamines to keep it bouncing off the walls for weeks. The hooks never get thrashed beyond recognition, though—the melodies still shine, even as the quartet furiously pummels the life out of their instruments of delivery. Pop/punk is a pretty spent force these days, but the Knockout Pills resurrect it by pumping more pure Grade-A life into it than it's had in years. Michael Toland [buy it]

JAKE LABOTZ
All Soul and No Money
(Joseph Street)
All Soul and No Money is probably the best debut album I have had the pleasure of listening to. Jake La Botz, who actually spent time as a street musician in Chicago, writes songs in the style of fellow Chicagoan G. Love. Alternating between smokehouse blues and sing-song lullabies like "All Soul and No Money," we are taken on a tour of a hundred years of music—from blues to bluegrass, the record packs in the influences. La Botz seethes the Chicago blues sound, picking his way through caverns of emotion on tracks like "Used to Be" and "The Cold is Coming On." He even manages a gospel sound on "It's Gonna Rain Again," on which La Botz is joined by the Chambers Brothers. But the best song is by far "The Ballad of the Unknown Bluesman," a killer blue note with La Botz demonstrating a million miles of range. Lance Looper [buy it]

LES HELL ON HEELS
Les Hell on Heels
(Bomp!)
From the sun-bleached heart of Phoenix, AZ come Les Hell on Heels, four pistol-packin' mamas with polished chrome between their legs and the wind at their backs. The band's self-titled salvo is so round, so firm, so fully packed with tight, tuneful garage pop 'n' roll nuggets. Frontdevil Paula Monarch and her compadres veer wildly between lust and love, dismissal and devotion on ridiculously catchy cuts like "My Kind of Trouble," "Real Thing," "Broke Down Love" and, of course, their theme song "Hell on Heels." Supposedly Les Hell on Heels was the band about which late Bomp! leader Greg Shaw was most excited before he passed. If so, he went with a big ol' silly grin on his lips. Michael Toland [buy it]

LIVING COLOUR
Live From CBGB's
(Epic/Legacy)
Recorded in 1989, between the multi-platinum success of Vivid and the release of Time's Up, Live From CBGB's finds Living Colour at its butt-stomping best. Live, the band often had trouble reigning in guitarist Vernon Reid and singer Corey Glover's flashier tendencies, but Reid and Glover go over the top only once in a while here. With a strong setlist drawn from both Vivid and Time's Up, plus rips through Bad Brains' "Sailin' On" and "Little Lies" (author unknown) and one otherwise unrecorded original in "Soldier's Blues," this is as much a best-of as it is a concert document. LC fans should cream themselves for this one. Michael Toland [buy it]

MAGNAPOP
Mouthfeel
(Daemon)
It's been nearly ten years since Magnapop made a record, but the Athens, Georgia quartet hasn't lost a step. Of course, it's not like rocket science is required to make this kind of loud but melodic rock. But a sure touch with a hook, tireless energy and a willingness to wear one's heart on the sleeve next to the wit are, and Magnapop's got those by the wagonful. As always, the contrast between guitarist Ruthie Morris' caffeinated riffs and singer Linda Hopper's unhurried phrasing makes for near-perfect guitar pop. Just try not to bob your head to "Satellite," "Think For Yourself" or "The In-Between." Nah, don't bother—you won't succeed. Michael Toland [buy it]