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Like a good scotch, the words and music of Craig Finn are an acquired taste, but a taste well worth developing. He's an enthralling raconteur with a well-aged, sagacious voice — think Urge Overkill's Nash Kato with a slight cold
— sometimes inviting, sometimes menacing, always interesting. Listen closely, my children, and you'll also hear an early "Rosalita"-era Bruce delivery and cadence sneaking out, especially on the tracks "Hostile, Mass" and "Sweet Payne."
Finn's new Brooklyn-based foursome churns out brash yet
amusing spoken word over a thick, pounding groove. Rising
from the ashes of the dearly departed Lifter Puller, Finn
and guitarist Tad Kubler recruited drummer Judd Counsell
and bassist Galen Polivka, tossed aside the art-punk label,
and embraced a more raucous, big chord, barroom sound
replete with lengthy solos (some seem to be a bit tongue
in cheek) and grand, classic-rock statements. Traces of
Lifter Puller are still evident, like the thumping bass
that humps your face throughout the tasty 10-song CD.
Caustic yet self-effacing, Finn takes a look back at the
past decade and skewers a wide range of people and things
he's encountered: obnoxious young posers, guys named Trevor,
DJs, techies, drugs, violence and other general hedonism
or stupidity in which he may or may not have partaken.
Finn is a master of dropping esoteric as well as exoteric
names into his rants, including Neil Schon, Robbie Robertson,
Rocco Sefredi, Rick Danko, Elizabeth Shue, Beverly Sills,
Charlemagne, Mickey Mantle and Andre Cymone. Better fire
up Google to get the skinny on a couple of those luminaries.
"The
Swish" is the standout track, an insanely catchy and
excitable rocker that grabs you right away like an aggressive
teacher barking in your face to tell you what's what on
the first day of class. I think the majority of this CD
was recorded live, and like any memorable live performance
in a crowded, sweaty bar, the energy level ebbs and flows.
So may your attention, but stick with it. The sonic story
telling will eventually suck you in, and in the end, The
Hold Steady will triumphantly live up to its name, captivating
all listeners with a firm grip.
Jeff Lyons
Morph
Morphsville
Your first instinct might be to lump in Northern Ireland's Morph with the legion of current Coldplay clones infesting the British Isles based on their moody, atmospheric and well produced pop sound. While the comparison is not necessarily a bad thing, the fact is Morph has been around for at least as long and adds enough distinctive elements to the sound to separate themselves from the pack.
Collie Stewart is a first-rate singer and wisely, his stylish vocals are right up-front in the mix and the sound is pure. His lush delivery is not overdone with those dreaded studio effects, which seems to be the norm for bands in this crowded genre. Band member Paul Trimble (percussion and "decks") adds some interesting flourishes in the form of atypical sound effects and scratches (um.yeah, don't be frightened away — these guys aren't "The New 311"). This seasoning is used sparingly and ranges from the rousing to the
curious — I didn't necessarily get the Robert Plant vocal samples in "Make Me Mine", but it did make me scratch my head and think, "Now, why would theses blokes do that?"
The solid production gives the CD a comfy, cohesive feel and the very cool stylistic shifts and swings that flow beneath the surface enhance the overall mood, not overpower it. As MC Hammer would say, "Proper!"
The majority of the tunes are either mellow atmospheric musings or tasteful mid-tempo rockers, but "Soul Song" sounds like an update on a 1950's ballad (if you liked Pearl Jam's take on "Last Kiss", you'll love this), "Lazy" has roots in lounge jazz (and it has a great vibe that reminds me of Tears For Fears' "I Believe"). And wouldn't you know it, there are even a few tracks that show a country influence, boy howdy!
In short, "Morphsville" is a durable and enjoyable effort from these lads. Plus, there are some legitimate do-not-miss moments on the CD: the guitars on "Streetlife" are sublime, and the coda to 7th Sun that brings the album to a close hits you like those bittersweet moments on the second half of Catherine Wheel's "Adam and Eve". It was a perfect alternative to listening to hyperactively exaggerating meteorologists on a snowy afternoon in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Russ Starke
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The Lilas
Out Of The Sky, Into The Sea
Attention people! Charlottesville, Virginia based singer/songwriter Lauren Hoffman has a new band, they're called the Lilas, and they're currently playing dates in the east. Go see them.
Being a fan of Lauren's solo releases (her full length discs "Megiddo" and "From The Blue House" are highly recommended), I was pretty jazzed to see that she is not only back writing music after a bit of a hiatus, but has taken a new direction by forming a full fledged band — one that has already attracted positive reviews and landed respectable opening slots.
If you're familiar with Lauren's solo outings, this EP isn't a departure in the songwriting sense (it's as solid as ever) — but the production is more raw and organic than some of her previous work. In fact, this essentially could be a live recording since the four musicians do their thing with little to no embellishment. You can tell Lauren is having a lot of fun playing in a band, and the energy comes through in these recordings, as heard in the passionate closing moments of the title cut. Also, the pairing of Lauren's
voice with the scantily named vocalist/guitarist Karmen adds a beautiful new dimension to the performance.
This EP is a quick taste of what the Lilas have to offer, but let's hope a full-length is on the way. Don't wait to give these tunes a spin though, the bonus acoustic version of "Out Of The Sky" with accordion player Sheer Om is a rare treat, and it also calls attention to Lauren's skill as a guitarist.
Russ Starke
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| Check these old faves now in heavy rotation on the UW HQ hi-fi. |
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| Grab these free MP3s, then buy the CDs and support these bands. |
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Up Up Down Down
I'll Thank You Later
This clever and sweet little ditty from the pride of South Jersey that will leave you wanting more delicious pop goodness right away. |
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Fucked Up
Baiting The Public
If there was a simple term for "insanely awesome, intense, epic, hardcore bad-assness," I would most definitely use it here. This freaking rocks! |
Voxtrot
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives
I'm a sucker for modern bands that can capture the late 80s/early 90s indie pop sound well and update it with something a bit different. This is must for fans of The Connells and Let's Active. |
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