Album Reviews

SONS OF CYRUS
Monkey Business: Singles & Rarities
(Dead Beat)
Sons of Cyrus is from Sweden and plays fucked up, arena rockin' garage punk. Big shock there, right? As advertised, Monkey Business collects various singles, B-sides, covers, comp tracks, etc., though the dirty recording quality, unrefined hard rock hooks and raving enthusiasm make the songs sound as if they were all recorded in the same caffeine bomb-fueled night. It's got no more originality than most bands working this turf (and it's especially indebted to the Hellacopters album Payin' the Dues), but it rocks like two teenagers gettin' it on for the first time, so who cares? Michael Toland

SOURVEIN
Emerald Vulture
(This Dark Reign)
New Orleans' Sourvein crawls out from under the debris left by Katrina with Emerald Vulture, four slabs of extra-crusty agony. "Witch Rides Out…" and the title cut drag poisoned filth across the most tender parts of your body (you can use your imagination for details), while "Heart of Ebon" ends with several minutes of ghostly static and feedback. "Blessed" sounds anything but. Emerald Vulture is a special delivery…of pain! Michael Toland [buy it]

SOUTH AUSTIN JUG BAND
Dark and Weary World
(Blue Corn)
I have been waiting for this record for a while. I was not disappointed. The South Austin Jug Band's second album is beautifully produced with blazing picking and James Hyland's relaxed, smooth vocals. Dark and Weary World is an energetic, charged-up bluegrass record that balances the breakneck playing with tender ballads and smart, concise lyrics. "Overdrivin' the Mic" is an instrumental and a celebration of the band's talents and continuity. Every song on Dark and Weary World is well executed. You will not want this record to end. Lance Looper [buy it]

ANGELA STREHLI
Blue Highway
(M.C.)
Blues maven Angela Strehli's Blue Highway is a Texas record through and through. Her voice is pained and passionate and the songs are mini-tributes to some of the state's most influential blues artists. The first track, "Austin's Home of the Blues," is about Antone's, maybe one of Austin's most beloved music venues. Angela also gives a soulful shout out to Stevie Ray Vaughan with "SRV." Marcia Ball actually lends her own voice to "Blue Highway," which Strehli wrote about Ball. Strehli delivers a great blues record with Blue Highway, and her companions on the trip make it worth taking over and over again. Lance Looper [buy it]

SUPLECS
Powtin' on the Outside, Pawty on the Inside
(Nocturnal)
Suplecs hits a peak with its latest album Powtin' on the Outside, Pawty on the Inside. Incorporating everything from metalcore aggression and arena pop choruses to psychedelic whimsy and hard funk into its already formidable stoner metal, the New Orleans trio gracefully shows off its versatility without stinting on its awesome power. And, of course, there are riffs for miles. Not every band can claim to be on an upward curve throughout its career, but Suplecs boasts honestly. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE THIEVES
Tales From the White Line
(Liquor and Poker)
Power trio the Thieves may be based in Los Angeles, but it migrated from Oxford, England. As such, the Stokes brothers and drummer Jamie Dawson meld the singalong melodies of British pop with the Detroit-fed noisemongering of American heavy rock for a predictably enticing confection. The Canadian band Sea of Green attempted this hybrid a few years ago, failing miserably due to inadequate songwriting. The Thieves have no such problem, as tracks like "Oh No," "It Still Goes On" and "The Road (It Never Leads Us)" balance pop finesse and rock & roll fury extremely well. Michael Toland [buy it]

TOKYO DRAGONS
Give Me the Fear
(Escapi)
Despite the name, neo-hard rock act Tokyo Dragons hail from Merry Olde England. Emboldened (and perhaps revolted) by the success of the Darkness, the quartet plays back-to-basics, 70s/80s hard rock as if UFO and Thin Lizzy had never left the hit parade. No winking, are-they-kidding-or-not insinuation here; this band means every power chord, boogie rhythm and guitar solo. Oddly, the album leads off with the group's weakest material, but once you get to "Teenage Screamers," "Johnny Don't Wanna Ride" and "Come On Baby," it becomes a rocket to the same nowhere inhabited by the Datsuns, the Young Heart Attack and the Rockland Eagles. Which ain't a bad place to hang. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE TOMS
The Toms
(Not Lame)
Tom Marolda originally released his one-man-band's debut in 1979; power pop specialist label Not Lame reissued it first in 1997 and now once again, with so many bonus tracks it requires another disk to contain them all. Disk one contains the original 12 songs, plus seven outtakes, and is jangly, melodic guitar pop a la Nick Lowe or the Records. The second disk collects tracks Marolda has recorded since the first record, mostly from the 80s but including one track from 2001. To my ears this is the stronger set; the multiple eras give the songs a variety of sonic flavors (including some surprising and successful dance beat experiments), and Marolda's melody pen has only sharpened over the years. The Toms is a nice treat for power pop fans, no question. Michael Toland [buy it]

TRIBECA
Incident at the Metropolis
(Granada)
On Incident at the Metropolis, Tribeca brings to life a form of sophisticated pop music seldom heard anymore. With a strong jazz foundation, lush Bacharach/Webb textures and a dash of progressive rock melody, the NYC ensemble evokes such venerated cult acts as China Crisis, the Blue Nile and David Sylvian, not to mention the later work of pop powerhouse Steely Dan. It may take a few listens to truly appreciate cuts like "North American Laundromat" and "Monument Today," but the easygoing tunes of "Popular Summer" and "People Need to Know" hit instantly. Lush and sophisticated without losing its testicles, Tribeca brings class back to pop without a whiff of snobbery. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE VILLAGE GREEN
The Village Green
(Hidden Peak)
With a name like that, you just know this band is gonna be into the 60s. Surprisingly, the Portland quartet isn't out to be the new Village Green Preservation Society; if there's any Kinks influence, it's that band's scrappy early work. The snarling hooks of "The Way I Want It to Be" and "C'mon!" would fit in nicely on a Nuggets compilation, though "Get Up, Get Out, Get High" shows a nascent British arena pop sense brewing. The Village Green is a teaser EP, with all the brimming promise six short songs imply. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE VIRGINIA SISTERS
Last Pathetic Fool
(Not Lame)
Not Lame continues to fly the flag for no-frills power pop with the Virginia Sisters, a band from its own Colorado backyard. The Va. Sisters come straight from the old 70s school, taking their cues from the Nick Lowe style that evolved out of pub rock. It's pretty simple stuff: catchy melodies, stripped-down trio arrangements, earnest vocals. That's not to say it's dumb, mind you. This is simply a band that appreciates the basics when it comes to guitar pop. Michael Toland [buy it]

WUSSY
Funeral Dress
(Shake It)
For those wondering whatever happened to Chuck Cleaver, leader of cult darlings the Ass Ponys, Funeral Dress is your answer. Sharing the singing and writing responsibilities with guitarist Lisa Walker, Cleaver works much the same territory as the Ponys, delivering quirky roots pop with a distinctively bent countenance. Walker's delivery is fairly straightforward, though, and the arrangements streamline to power chords and likeable melodies more often than not. "Don't Leave Just Now" is probably the most nakedly emotional—and, not coincidentally, striking—song Cleaver has ever done. Michael Toland [buy it]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
A Dark Cabaret
(Projekt)
An interesting underground trend is the folding of cabaret music into Gothic rock. It's a pretty logical pairing, and Projekt celebrates the union with A Dark Cabaret. Some of the cuts included relate only tangentially. Audra's "Cabaret Fortune Teller," despite the title, is straightahead dance rock, while Pretty Balanced's "Simon's Sleeping," is a typical Goth ballad (albeit a good one). But the Dresden Dolls' "Coin-Operated Boy," Revue Noir's "Sometimes, Sunshine" and black tape for a blue girl's "Knock Three Times" fit the form perfectly. Even better is the Brides' "Audience to the End," which perfectly splices postpunk, Goth rock and cabaret. And it wouldn't be a cabaret comp without Nicki Jaine, the talented young artist who pretty much bred this mutation. Not everyone will warm to this kind of spooky melodrama, but those that do will raise a glass to A Dark Cabaret. Michael Toland [buy it]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Fins, Chrome and the Open Road‹A Tribute to the Cadillac
(95 North)
Behind women and booze, cars have been one of the most popular inspirations for songs. And no automobile captures the imagination more than the Cadillac. It is iconic, with its recognizable lines and those fabulous fins, and has been the standard for "cool" for generations.Fins, Chrome and the Open Road‹A Tribute to the Cadillac is a collection of 21 songs inspired by the Caddy. The tunes on this disc range all genres, from the smoky blues of Charles Musselwhite to the rocking and rolling "Ride" by Tom Gilliam. The disc also features "I Ain't Got You," the final track ever recorded by late blues legend Little Milton. Like the car itself, this disc is fast and fun. It's a great way to pay tribute to one of the most recognizable staples of America. Lance Looper [buy it]