Album Reviews
SUNN 0))
Black One
(Southern Lord)
This isn't the first time extreme metal dronemeisters Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley have included throat noises on a Sunn 0)) release. But in keeping with the title Black One, all the vokills are of the black metal variety, including a set allegedly recorded in a closed coffin. The node-scraping rasps seem tailor-made for the duo's bowel-vibrating feedback excursions, contributing to the sinister ambience of "CandleGoat" and "Bathory Erzsébet." Play this at your next Hallowe'en party to send everyone home to their nightmares. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE SUPAHIP
Seize the World
(Big Radio/Not Lame)
The Australian division of the power pop underground is justly celebrated, due in large part to Michael Carpenter, the multi-instrumentalist who is one-half of the Supahip. Joined by Hitchcock's Regret leader Mark Moldre as co-writer/performer, Carpenter conjures up a dozen guitar-based pop gems, full of melody, hooks, harmonies and all that good stuff. I don't know if Seize the World is genuinely exceptional, but tunes like "Let Go/Around the Sun," "Everything's Alright" and a winsome cover of Nik Kershaw's venerable "Wouldn't It Be Good" are too easy to like to pick nits. Michael Toland [buy it]
THUNDER EXPRESS
We Play For Pleasure
(Razzia)
Thunder Express is the side project from guitarist Robert "Strings" Dahlqvist of Sweden's magnificent Hellacopters. Unsurprisingly, We Play For Pleasure fills up with the punk-informed arena rock of the 'copters, with less emphasis on that band's Southern rock leanings. Dahlqvist doesn't have the vocal charisma of head 'copter Nicke Royale, but he's a strong songwriter and, of course, a fine picker. Having buddies from fellow travelers The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Diamond Dogs helping out certainly doesn't hurt. "Coming Back," "I Don't Understand At All" and "Always Up to Something New" rock, roll and remind that the Hellacopters' talents aren't confined to one person. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE TOM COLLINS
Daylight Tonight
(Terminus)
Georgia power trio the Tom Collins has been knocking around for a few years now with little national attention, and after hearing the band's third album Daylight Tonight, I find that baffling. Guitarist/songwriter Fran Capitanelli and his co-conspirators distill the guitar rock of the last four decades into a sparkling, streamlined laser beam of melodic rock/pop. The TC can go from snarling blues rock ("Cycles," "That Town You Love") to soaring power pop ("Back of Your Mind," "Talk You Down") without sounding like it's shifting gears. Daylight Tonight is all about hooks and guitars, without making a fuss about whether it's classic or indie rock. Pretty damned impressive. Michael Toland [buy it]
VAILCODE
Vailcode
(Times Beach)
Sam Vail is a Detroit music scene veteran, doing time with everybody from Ethan Daniel Davidson to Rooster to the Glasspack; Vailcode allows him to assert that he's more than just a sideman. Radiohead seems to be a guiding spirit on Vailcode, but there's little plagiarism here. Vail's creations rely more on intimacy than widescreen effects, and his session experience gives him a degree of taste not always present in debut works. So he's able to channel his passion into controlled bursts instead of over-the-top displays. "Out On Their Own" and "Silver Cloud" are excellent examples. Michael Toland [buy it]
JOHANNES WALLMARK & THE WILDFLOWERS
Akron, Ohio
(Grammfonbolaget)
Johannes Wallmark comes from Sweden, but his influences are American: the Jayhawks, Tom Petty, Big Star. There are a million bands in the world borrowing from those sources, but it would be hard to find one who does it as well as Wallmark. Sparkling power pop and rootsy folk rock holds hands in the park at sundown here, giving Akron, Ohio an almost instant appeal. Wallmark's songs practically wallow in melody, and his bittersweet singing (reminiscent of the Posies' Ken Stringfellow) is the perfect delivery system for them. "Miss J," "Arlington Road" and "Anybody There" will induce instant smiles. Michael Toland
WHISKEY DAREDEVILS
Greatest Hits
(Drink and Drive)
The Whiskey Daredevils rise from the foul-smelling ashes of Ohio's Cowslingers. Unsurprisingly, the Daredevils swagger through the same filthy back alleys and run-down kicker bars as the 'slingers, two-stepping down the fine line between mocking the redneck world and reveling in it. These sneering cowpunks pack more white trash hooks and middle finger humor into 33 minutes than many likeminded bands do in an entire career, and they turn the Dead Kennedys' "Let's Lynch the Landlord" into a honky-tonk honey to boot. Where's that PBR? Michael Toland
NEIL YOUNG
Prairie Wind
(Reprise)
Neil Young albums come in cycles these days: a Crazy Horse record (usually, but not always, a guitar-crazed freakout), a country rock record a la his biggest hit Harvest and an experimental (for Young) project. As might be divined from the title, Prairie Wind is another variation on Harvest, with mostly acoustic guitars, blatantly melodic tunes and rhythms and vocals that stay far away from anything resembling aggression. Aside from the surprising presence of horns, a distinct Southwestern (as opposed to strictly Californian) vibe and a strange spiritual ("When God Made Me"), the album stays the course set by Harvest, Harvest Moon, etc., though with an exceptionally strong set of songs. For many people, this is the definitive Neil Young sound, and those people will be ecstatic with Prairie Wind. Michael Toland [buy it]
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Uptight Tonight: The Ultimate 60s Garage Collection
(Big Beat)
I don't know if you can really call Uptight Tonight the ultimate 60s garage rock comp. It has some of the acknowledged classics, like the Music Machine's "Talk Talk," Mouse & the Traps' "Maid of Sugar, Maid of Spice," the Seeds' "Pushin' Too Hard" and the Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction," plus tunes by garage underground stars the Sonics (the great "He's Waitin," maybe the first black metal record), the Wailers (the Sonics' primary inspiration), the Vagrants (starring future Mountain man Leslie West) and the Moving Sidewalks (featuring ZZ Top majordomo Billy Gibbons). But it's missing some essential icons, like the Standells, the Electric Prunes and the Amboy Dukes. However, the set makes up for it by unearthing gems like the Litter's "Action Woman" (which some enterprising contemporary garage punk band needs to cover ASAP), the Express' "Wastin' My Time" (from Norman, Oklahoma, future breeding ground for all manner of rock eccentricity), Denise & Company's "Boy, What'll You Do Then" (which probably singlehandedly inspired the Pandoras), the Sparkles' "No Friend of Mine" (the fury of which belies the band's sweet moniker) and the amazingly unhinged title track, performed by Flash & the Memphis Casuals but written by infamous producer/bon vivant Jim Dickinson. And let's not forget the Wilde Knights' amazingly lewd "Beaver Control" and Dean Carter's irresistibly demented take of "Jailhouse Rock," which would have killed Elvis ten years sooner if he'd heard it. There's a lot more where these come from, so if you're a fan of this breed of rock & roll, Uptight Tonight must be yours. Michael Toland [buy it]
