Album Reviews

HAMELL ON TRIAL
Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs
(Righteous Babe)
I was one of the few dissatisfied with Tough Love, Hamell on Trial's last album of music. (He released a hilarious spoken-word record called Yap shortly after Tough Love.) I didn't care much for label owner Ani DiFranco's heavy production hand, and the songs didn't do much for me either. I don't have any such gripes with Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs. DiFranco finds just the right balance with enhancing the tracks while letting Hamell take center stage. More importantly, the songs are almost uniformly strong, as Hamell ruminates on the ups and downs of family life and parenthood ("Inquiring Minds," "Father's Advice," "Mommy's Not Talking Today"), takes potshots at politics ("Civil Disobedience," "Values," the rude but funny "Coulter's Snatch") and looks back sardonically at his own past bad behavior ("Pretty Colors," the funny but harrowing "Apartment #4"). Seeing Ed Hamell on-stage, bald, black-garbed and barking like a junkyard dog after mainlining Daily Show reruns, remains the perfect Hamell on Trial experience, but Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs successfully takes advantage of the recording studio while retaining the essence of Ed. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE HI-FREQUENCIES
Money Isn't Everything
(Teen Regime)
Brian Wilson would certainly SMILE upon hearing the 60s-style surf songs created and covered by the Hi-Frequencies on their sophomore album Money Isn't Everything. Lead singer Jayson Brooks begins the record by belting Chuck Berry's "I'm Talking about You." After that, nearly half of the songs on the CD are instrumental. Although they have a different sound, the five H-F musicians from Pittsburgh have found their niche. In recent years, the group has even opened up for mainstream acts like the White Stripes and Guided by Voices. Deirdre Walsh

HILLSTOMP
The Woman That Ended the World
(Hillstomp)
Once again, Hillstomp plants North Mississippi Hill Country roots into the Pacific Northwest landscape. The Portland duo works its RL Burnside/Junior Kimbrough jones with more dynamics this time, cutting back on the intensity from time to time with cuts like "Jackson Parole Board Blues" and "In the Hole." The contrast is nice, and it helps blazers like "Momma Told Papa" and "Shake It" (with guest harpist David Lipkind from I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House) really get the heart rate pumping. John Johnson's percussion and Henry Kammerer's picking and singing perfectly conjure that back porch vibe—if your back porch is adjacent to a swamp, that is. Michael Toland [buy it]

DANIELLE HOWLE
Thank You Mark
(Valley)
Danielle Howle is back with her first record in four years. Thank You Mark is heavy on melody and Howle's voice is a gem. Her southern sensibilities come out big time on "I'll Be Blue" and it's as charming as can be. Most of the songs are very narrative and you can tell she's an intellectual by the thoughtful lyrics. The record is damn good, and begs the question: why did she stay away so long? Hopefully we don't have to wait another four years for her next record. Lance Looper [buy it]

SHOOTER JENNINGS
Electric Rodeo
(Universal South)
Waylon Jennings' boy follows up his rollicking debut with a solid set of songs that proves that the young outlaw is no fluke. He and his loyal road band shitkick the same Southern rocked-up C&W as before, with all the grins and grit intact. Jennings' songwriting verges on cliché more often here than on the debut, but his ingrained soul and no-bullshit meter keep the lighter-waving ballad "Gone to Carolina," anti-drug burner "Little White Lines" and the various life-on-the-road tales from sounding stale. His subtle sense of humor helps as well—you have to listen to get the joke of the seemingly sappy ballad "Aviators," while Jennings gives Hank Williams, Jr.'s classic "(The) Living Proof" a sly, funny twist at the end. (The intent of the bizarre "Alligator Chomp [The Ballad of Martin Luther Frog, Jr.]" is open to debate, however.) "The Song is Still Slipping Away" is another excellent country ballad, while "Some Rowdy Women" finds Shooter paying explicit tribute to his dad. Electric Rodeo isn't the same revelation as Jennings' first album, but it's still more fun than anything called "country" has been in years. Michael Toland [buy it]

TOMMY KEENE
Crashing the Ether
(Eleven Thirty)
Tommy Keene is a power pop legend for a reason: consistency. His tenth album Crashing the Ether is as tightly tuneful and soulfully shimmering as any of the records he's made in his two-plus decade career. Keene recorded most of Crashing by himself (joined only by drummer John Richardson and the occasional guest), and the platter boasts the usual Keene attributes: easygoing grooves, a bit of distortion, his distinctive reedy voice and jangly guitars for miles. And, of course, melodies to die for. Check "Quit That Scene," "Alta Loma" and "Lives Become Lies" for some of the best pop music you'll hear this year. Michael Toland [buy it]

CHRIS KOZA
Exit Pesce
(Chris Koza)
With his smooth lyrics and rich vocals, Chris Koza will be the new coffeehouse king. Like Beck or Bright Eyes, this indie artist has the talent to be on the next Starbucks compilation CD (if he can just stomach the corporate bureaucracy). In 2004, Koza recorded his debut album, Exit Pesce, in a friend's apartment in Minneapolis. Since then, the talented singer-songwriter has developed a strong Midwestern fan base with folk rock hits like, "Tired Eyes" and more chillax tunes like "Chicago Avenue." Look for Koza's next record, Patterns, releasing later this spring. Deirdre Walsh [buy it]

LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR
The Ultimate Destroyer
(Southern Lord)
The third album from this Chicago crew begins with a bit of self-mythologizing: "Juggernaut of Metal." Mythology, particular the Greek flavor, figures into the trio's sonic assault, as titles like "Behead the Gorgon" and "The Hydra Coils Upon This Wicked Mountain indicate. But "Grisly Hound of the Pit," "Engorged With Unborn Gore" and the blunt "Horror" and "Cannibal Massacre" point to equal time spent watching Hammer fright films and Italian gutmunchers. Not that the words matter much in any case; the band's furious blast of drums, riffs and ravaged vokills scream everything louder than any libretto ever could. The Ultimate Destroyer is pure roar. Michael Toland [buy it]

LANDLORD
Glitterati
(Landlord)
I love it when a band describes its music by comparing it to what it wishes it sounded like. In Landlord's case, it's "the Police meets U2." Nothing to live up to there. The thing is, they are kind of on the nose. While the music isn't going to be mistaken for those iconic acts, it's not hard on the ears. The third track "Awful State of Limbo" is far and away the best cut on the record. Esfand Pourmand's vocals kick Glitterati up a notch—his voice should be featured more, which would pump up the otherwise pedestrian rock album. This is the Police and U2 at their most benign, but with a little spark Landlord could really take off. Lance Looper

SCOTT MILLER & THE COMMONWEALTH
Citation
(Sugar Hill)
Break out the bottle rockets and beer. Scott Miller's Citation is a ticket to America's heartland. This classic country rock album is perfect for backyard BBQs and road trips to the ranch. While the Bruce Springsteen influence is overwhelming on "Freedom is a Stranger," the rest of the record is perfect for good ole boys driving their Fords and Chevys. Specifically, there is a strong, patriotic cover of Neil Young's "Hawks and Doves." Deirdre Walsh [buy it]