Album Reviews

ANDERS PARKER
The Wounded Astronaut
(Baryon)
The Wounded Astronaut is a six-song EP of tunes that were recorded at the same time as last year's terrific Tell It to the Dust but just didn't fit, didn't have the same feel. At this point, Parker pulls off whatever he sets his mind to, so Astronaut's sweeping psychedelia and cerebral crunch add yet another feather to his cap. These are no castoffs: the title track manages to be demure and forlorn while it soars. "Everyone Will Shine" drones meditatively, carefully picking just the right colors from Parker's palette. Anders Parker seems to have a bottomless well of creativity, so let's immerse ourselves, brothers and sisters. Brian Briscoe [buy it]

RPG
Fulltime/High Performance
(Arclight)
Virginia's RPG is almost legendary in the underground heavy rock community, touring hard, making friends, but rarely releasing anything that might alert the general public to its existence. Finally, we have the one-two punch of Fulltime/High Performance, a CD/DVD combo that heralds the coming of, if not a truly innovative force, at least a very entertaining one. RPG riffs along with the best of them, keeping its tempos moving steadily forward and its attack unrelentingly aggressive, and the singer's got a unique timbre that makes him sound like Jello Biafra indulging in Sabbath worship. "Lose It," "Nazi Mindreader" and "20 Year Old Idiot" hit hard and leave fist-sized impressions, and the whole thing's breathlessly over in 30 minutes. Add the documentary DVD to the package and you've nuthin' but pure heavy rock fun. Michael Toland

SNOW MACHINE
Snow Machine
(Daemon)
I've never been taken with Katharine McElroy's previous outfits Nineteen Forty-Five and Three Finger Cowboy, but the debut by her new outfit Snow Machine makes it clear why: she's never allowed the full range of her talents to be truly exploited. Snow Machine is filled to the brim with beautifully crafted, exquisitely performed pop tunes that take advantage of McElroy's pretty singing and piano-based melodizing. If you're able to resist emotionally-charged delights like "Paper Bird," "Camellights" or "Wrecking Ball," you have a heart of plastic and I don't want to know you. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE SOCIETY OF ROCKETS
Sunset Homes
(Underpop)
An outgrowth of the late, occasionally great Shimmer Kids Underpop Association, the Bay Area's Society of Rockets plows much the same acid-rich earth on Sunset Homes. Reigning in the Kids' edgy chaos just a bit, the Society puts more emphasis on melodies that, yes, shimmer brightly in tunes like "Untitled." There's a lush folk undercurrent to many of the tracks here, giving "Cure For Cancer" and "Never No Fences" a glistening beauty that reflects sunlight and illuminates darkness. When the band combines its assets, as on "Too Many Thorns in Your Bed of Roses," watch out. The album ends on an even more diverse note; "Let's Make a Scene" puts Cole Porter-style tuneage into a psychedelic context without compromising either approach. Whimsical and beautiful. Michael Toland

THEBROTHEREGG
Aortica Mor
(Bingo Lady)
Portland's thebrotheregg returns with Aortica Mor, a culmination of its stylistic forays from previous records, the psychedelic Snowflake & Fingerprint Machine and the acid folky split EP with the 1090 Club. Aortica Mor emphasizes gentle melodies and acoustic textures, with psychedelia peeking in around the door rather than taking up residence on the couch. Sharp tunes like "What the Zoo Did to You" and "Dandelion Wildfires" have relaxed cadences, but shiver with emotion and melody, as if frontperson Adam Goldman was barely holding back how he really feels. This may be thebrotheregg's most polite record, but it's also its most satisfying. Michael Toland [buy it]

UNDERGIRL
My Flash On You
(Scarlet)
If you always thought the Ramones would have been a better band if the film Switchblade Sisters was a key influence, Undergirl is for you. Led by flamboyant spitfire Amy DiCamillo, Undergirl runs three decades of punk rock through its own lipstick-and-platform boots funhouse mirror on My Flash On You. Though the title is an Arthur Lee reference and the band quotes the Byrds' "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" in "Seattle Blue," there's precious little 60s influence here. Mostly it's just simple, catchy melodies overloaded with enough caffeine, volume and punk attitude to keep an army of toddlers pounding on their teddy bears for weeks. "Boys Club?" Yeah, right. Michael Toland [buy it]

PATRICIA VONNE
Guitars & Castanets
(Bandolera)
On her second album Guitars & Castanets, Patricia Vonne gives her storytelling a jolt of good ol' rock & roll energy, letting tracks like "Rebel Bride" and "Joe's Gone Ridin'" (a tribute to likeminded pioneer Joe Ely) kick down the doors, slam you up against the wall and plant a wet one right on your mouth. Acoustic tunes like "La Gitana de Triana" and "Guitarras y Castanuetas," meanwhile, reflect her Latin American heritage without skimping on the energy level. Vonne also brings a much-needed sense of glamour to the proceedings, blowing a lot of the dust off her Southwestern art direction with a sexy glare that reeks of self-confidence. Is the No Depression crowd ready for Glamericana? Let's hope so. Michael Toland

PATRICK WOLF
Wind in the Wires
(Tomlab)
Young Englishman Patrick Wolf puts his classical training to use on his second album Wind in the Wires, putting his droning violin and sophisticated compositions on a bed of chilly electronics and melodramatic Gothic atmosphere. Crooning like David Bowie after an absinthe bender, Wolf invests challenging songs like "Ghost Song" and "The Shadow Sea" with enough simmering emotion to keep the music from sounding too much like an academic exercise. Wolf gets his mix of avant-garde experimentation and melodic accessibility just right. Fans of Rufus Wainwright and John Cale will find Wind in the Wires to be quite rewarding. Michael Toland [buy it]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
A Compilation in 14 Tones
(Chuckbeat)
Chuckbeat is a community artists designed to create exposure for their work, and this CD is the musical expression of that effort. The 14 tracks on this disc are experimental, electric instrumentals and ideally suited for playing in the background at your local coffee shop. If you're at all interested in the sub-funk DJ fare, this disc is pretty solid. These musicians certainly approach their projects with zeal, and that alone makes the record stand out. Plus, the disc is available free at Chuckbeat.com. After you have it in your hot little hands, go ahead and skip to number four, the spoken word "Adventures in Earwax" by El Lloron, the funniest thing I have ever heard. Lance Looper