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3 December 2006 -

Album Review
Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers
Lucero
by Lauren Fincher

This one will be a little more on the serious side due to the fact that I adore this band and have been following them for a number of years and have spent the equivalent of six months rent at the 12 shows I've been to. (I swear I don't have a drinking problem - I just turn into the beer fairy when I get a buzz.)

With Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers being their fifth album, I was very skeptical about what I was in for. I was skeptical because - and someone will probably smack me for saying this, but oh well - I haven't been a fan of anything they've put out since That Much Further West. Another reason I found myself nervous about this release was because a little birdie who had the opportunity to hear the album months before it was released informed me that this album was going to be "Born to Run without the horns".

Okay, with that being said, you might understand why I was feeling like a little kid trying to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. Born to Run is probably hands down one of my all time favorite albums. Hell, anyone that's into Lucero probably views Born to Run as one of their all time favorite albums as well.

Lucero had placed a couple of their news songs up on their MySpace page a month or so before the release of the entire album and at first listen I found myself saying "WFT is this shit, this isn't Born to Run!" Well, after some lurking around on the interweb and my favorite downloading site (which will remain nameless) I was finally able to get the album in its entirety.

Hell, I thought I was pulling off another miracle in getting an album leak before its release but apparently those sneaky bastards had made some deal with people that if you purchased their album before its release you would be able to download the entire thing before everyone else.

Lucero 1, Lauren 0.

Getting back on track now. After giving the entire album what I like to call a 30 second listen I decided that this in fact was going to be worse than the last album Nobody's Darlings. I was beyond over Lucero and even joined in on the bashing of the new album in some conversations.

This was one of the more idiotic things that I'll own up to doing this year. I have this horrible habit of judging pretty much everything upon first glance/listen. I write albums/bands/people off all the time just because of being so damn stubborn.

One drunken night I decided to give the album one more shot. I can't tell if it was the alcohol talking or if I just really decided to open my ears up, but this time around the album actually made me regret any and every negative thing I had ever said about the album. True, it wasn't the same sad bastard sound that put Lucero on the map, but it was damn good.

(If you need reference, please listen to the following Lucero albums: The Attic Tapes, Self Titled and Tennessee.)

This album has raised the bar for any band coming out of Tennessee or anywhere else in the country that's trying to go the route of alt-country/Americana/sad bastard. The song writing on the latest release doesn't stray far from their earlier writings, but the music behind the lyrics has definitely gone in a different direction. It's more of a stomp your feet and clap your hands beat. Which I'll admit is a good time and a good thing if you've seen them live because it's about the only damn thing that's going to keep you moving due to the amount of alcohol yourself and the band has consumed.

I'm not a huge fan of the new crowd this album has attracted. I know that just came out of nowhere, but this has to be said. This will come off very high school music snob, but I've been watching this band along with hundreds of loyal followers for years play in small bars with maybe a crowd of 25 to 50 people. The crowd was diverse, but everyone got along. Old, young, frat boy, scene kid, whatever you want to label them; everyone got drunk and had a good time.

With the latest release we now see a crowd of "kids" that are just that. They are 20 something jerk offs that have no tolerance when consuming massive amounts of alcohol and go straight into "bro" mode where they think it's hilarious to rush the crowd and knock people over and talk shit to people that aren't of their group of friends.

Bitter? Why yes. Jaded? A tad bit. Over it? HELL YES.

I won't make this entire review about the new crowd, but I’ll say one last thing just because I like to have the last word:

A) Don't come to a Lucero show hoping you'll be able to rough up some kid you used to see sitting in your art class that wasn't in the popular crowd.

B) Don't come to a Lucero show with the thought in your head that you've just discovered the next big thing and you don't care who you piss off by spilling your beer all over them. They've been around for awhile now and your kind isn't welcome.

With that being said, I’m going to give this album a 9/10. I'm only deducting one point because of the fact I had to endure two hours of complete dipshit kids that don't know their ass from a hole in the ground to watch my favorite band a couple of weeks ago.

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30 November 2006 -

Album Review
The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
Brand New
by Lauren Fincher

Brand New released their new album, finally. They dropped off the face of the earth about three years ago after touring for their very popular album Deja Entendu. Apparently their singer had multiple things wrong with him which led to him having to have surgery. I guess that is a valid enough reason why it took so damn long to release this new album.

Everyone knows that I'm a bit of a fucking retard for most anything considered "scream-o" or "pop-punk". It was a huge skeleton in my closet for years, but it feels better to have them out in the open. I'm a girl I'm allowed to enjoy that shit!

Moving on though to what I'm supposed to be writing about.

So, here we are with their new release, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. I don't know what the fuck happened while that kid was on the operating table, but all I can say is thank god something took place because this album is a 10/10.

Warning: If you were a fan of their earlier releases, you might not be into this album. Especially if you were looking for something to sing along to in the car - and don't act like you don't do that.

This album is definitely a must listen. Even those that refuse to think that a band that was categorized as "pop-punk" could ever put anything out they would enjoy have sworn by this album. I might go so far as saying that this album will be nominated for something, somewhere, because of the songwriting. I'm not saying this is like the holy grail of new albums released this year, but it's damn close to it.

I haven't mastered this reviewing of an album yet, but just bare with me. I'm guessing you guys were hoping to read some long winded biography about this band with a bunch of cool links and shit like that, but I don't have the attention span to search that shit out. Do it yourselves. Also, do your self a favor and either download the album or go buy. I don't buy albums that often because of my compulsive cd shopping problem, but I might just have to venture out and pick this one up.

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22 October 2006 -

Girls and Corpses Magazine Launch Party - 10.13.06
Center for Abnormal Arts (CIA) - North Hollywood, CA
By Hollie Stevens

Girls and Corpses Magazine (G&C) threw quite the party to celebrate its upcoming debut issue in January 2007. I will be writing a column for the magazine, so I’m very excited.

The party started at 8PM but I didn’t show up till 10PM - not to be fashionably late - but because I was feeling sick the entire day. I had to suck it up though because I knew a lot of people would be pissed if I didn’t show.

I met Robert S. Rhine, Editor-in Chief of G&C, at the front door. He gave me the grand tour of the CIA, which has to be one of the most psychotic looking venues I’ve ever seen. It’s very difficult to describe this place. Inside, all of the walls are neon colors and look like the inside of a circus tent. They had a mummified clown by the bar in a glass case along with shrunken heads and old creepy photos. I’m pretty sure the clown was real.

There was also a main stage with some announcer telling really bad jokes and raffling away miscellaneous circus crap that you’d find at a flea market. I was pissed that I didn’t win anything.

Outside was a bunch of old movie theatre seats scattered about and a large screen playing old horror movies.

I ran into some friends of mine from the cast of Clown Porn. It seemed a little awkward because none of us were wearing grease paint to the event. I did bring the clown costume - I just didn’t put it on because I wasn’t in the mood. (The event was supposed to be a costume party.)

I also met several other people for the first time including Ed Gein, who was very cool. He creates the corpses for the magazine. I also ran into Belladonna and her husband and met a lot of very cool fans.

By the end of the night, my stomach was turning and I had to sit in the corner with my sprite trying not to hurl while watching Night of the Living Dead. I finally decided that it would be a very appropriate time to leave. But first, we had to present Robert with the famous Fred the Wonder Chicken. I think he almost cried.

For more information on Girls and Corpses Magazine, visit: www.girlsandcorpses.com.

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28 September 2006 -

An evening of doing visuals with Keith Hillebrandt of Nine Inch Nails
Die Maschinen in San Francisco, CA - 09.21.06
By Hollie Stevens

I have to start by saying that this has to be one of my favorite clubs in San Francisco. It’s a once a month event that plays nothing but hard industrial music. I was very excited when asked to do my visual set there (I use a Korg KAOSS Pad entrancer and a Roland MD-P1-S, if anyone cares) especially on this night, which was the club’s two year anniversary party.

The night started out with Makita in the main room on the decks. His style is loud, fast; bang your mom kind of music. Very underground stuff that nobody’s usually heard of. My favorite, although nobody dances to it because god forbid someone would dance to a song that they’re not familiar with.

Next up, DJ Thermal Detonator. Don’t remember too much during his set. My favorite bartender showed up and I was concentrating on the booze he was giving me rather than the music. I did notice more people dancing though.

Once midnight hit, there was a champagne toast and Keith Hillebrandt stepped up. I started with a clip of the shower scene from American History X as Keith started with the Speedy J track “Balk Acid”. The crowd’s response was either dancing or pointing at the screen. I found this all very entertaining. The set lasted for about an hour and fifteen minutes and ended with Ministry’s “Stigmata”. A classic.

Last DJ of the night was Shatter. (Photo above) At this point my feet were hurting and I was well buzzed so, I took my obnoxious boots off , stood on a cinderblock and continued with the set for about another twenty minutes. Shatter found all of this very amusing. I finally called it quits, went home and passed out. Hope I can do it all again next month.

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17 August 2006 -

Concert Experience: Silversun Pickups with Elevado and Dirty on Purpose
The Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta, GA - 08.16.06
By Manu Muraro

I first heard the song "Kissing Families" on a promo CD I got while shopping at Urban Outfitters. It was a friendly-feeling, good rock song with catchy guitar and smooth vocals. That is, of course, until the singer started screaming like I've only seen women on PMS do. Yeah!

Since then "Kissing Families" became one of my favorite songs and very popular in my play lists and mixed CDs.

When I heard Silversun Pickups were playing the Drunken Unicorn I was excited to check them out. I did my pre-show ritual which consists of going to the bands MySpace page and listen to all the songs and downloading the ones that are available. Then I go off to the bands official page and hear the extra ones that are on there. Finally, I search on iTunes for previews of their most popular songs.

With that done - I was ready to go.

Around 9:45PM, the Drunken Unicorn was already getting packed. My friends from the local band Elevado opened, but I was late for their set thanks to my friend Sam's veggie wrap at the Local. Luckily, they always play my favorite song last, "Our Turn Came Tonight", to which you can't help dance.

After a quick break, Silversun Pickups came on. Still recovering from the shock that the lead singer was a guy - instead of a girl on PMS as I was lead to believe -I enjoyed every bit of their set.

I have no idea what they opened with, but soon I recognized a great song from their new album Carnavas, "Well Thought Out Twinkles". Overall all the songs were consistently good. The backing vocals didn't impress me (like they do on the studio versions) but the girl rocks out the bass.

Another cool thing about this LA group is that even though they were way out east, they still played like they were playing in a friends party. The third band, Dirty on Purpose, played well and had good songs, but by then I had already gotten the music fix I was looking for and my ears were calling it a night.

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15 august 2006 -

The Pipettes
We Are The Pipettes
Catchy and fun, the Pipettes are a mix of Lush, the Raveonettes, the Go Team and any one of a number of doo-wop groups. The title track relentlessly bounced in my head for hours. The Brits usually do it better - and the Pipettes do.

The Knife
Silent Shout
Swedish ambient/goth/dark wave bliss. It's probably not like anything you own, but if it is, then you might own a disc by Mesh. While a few songs have a moderate dance tempo, most are the types of songs that you'd listen to 2am on a Tuesday while fighting insomnia. You'd swear you understand it, and wonder why you didn't know about is sooner.

Judah Johnson
Be Where I Be
DeadJournalist was lucky enough to get an advance of this group's new CD. If Muse was more daring with there sound, they might make a good comparison. The group's disc is easily accessible to all audiences, but their blend of melancholy indie rock, synth and studio effects should make this a sleeper hit of late-2006. If Judah Johnson makes it on to the soundtrack of one of the new shows on the CW, just remember, we told you first.

Don Williams and Pozo Seco
Spend Some Time With Me
This 2005 re-issue of the 1970 album by Pozo Seco is absolutely amazing. DeadJournalist is a huge fan of Don Williams, and this album record in his pre-country days is an amazing collection of covers that range from "Strawberry Fields" to "Always Something There To Remind Me" to "Ruby Tuesday". The songs are recorded from vinyl. The gentle giant has an amazing voice, and his work with this folk-pop group is an absolute must for an serious music fan.

Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS)
Cansei de Ser Sexy
By now you've heard "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above". If not, you are living under a rock. This Brazilian dance-pop group's latest album is top-shelf. Don't sell the band short because there are at least three other songs which provide as much dance-bliss as their current single.

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24 july 2006 -

I'm working on numerous interviews and should have at least one up this week.

In the meantime, here are two retro-reviews of the Replacements from earlier this year. With several re-releases of their albums out over the past couple of months, now is a good time to revisit one of the most underappreciated bands of the 1980's.

We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
If you are under the age of 25 you may not have been exposed to the Replacements. Fronted by Paul Westerberg, the Replacements created the kind of straight-ahead rock that has long-since lost its place in the American musical lexicon.

Throughout the 1980's, the Replacements' music sat in stark contrast to the new wave and power-pop that dominated the airwaves. Although gaining commercial success in the latter part of the decade, the band's early albums Let It Be, Tim and Pleased to Meet You provide a glimpse into the post-punk, pre-grunge era that has often been overlooked.

Crafting infections hooks with well-writen lyrics, the Replacements have a way grabbing a part of your brain and not letting go. Songs like "Kiss Me on the Bus", "Bastards of Young", "Alex Chilton", "I Will Dare" and "Can't Hardly Wait" prove that sometimes good songs can get stuck in your head.

Although Westerberg is more well known in many circles for his post-Singles career, his work with the Replacements stands out. At their best, the band produced rock music much like Tom Petty, Dinosaur Jr. or Lucero - void of trend and full of vigor.

Pleased to meet you, too
The last of the great three Replacements records, Pleased to Meet You, was released in 1987. (This album is the reason to go used CD shopping.) Early in 2006, I was back-filling my collection with XTC, Material Issue and the Lightning Seeds because Ihave a big gap in my late-80's/early 90's true alternative collection.

Pleased to Meet You is a CD that you should own. The tracks "Alex Chilton", "Valentine" and "Can't Hardly Wait" headline a classic alternative album

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21 july 2006 -

Since DeadJournalist.com isn't yet on the mailing list of every record label in the world, we're still doing things the old fashion way - going to a record store, buying a disc, and writing a review. Could we download it? Yeah, but we like album art. And bands need dollars, too.

With that said, we finally bought some albums recently, and a few we're going to recommend:

Johnny Cash
American Recordings V
The last of the man in black - a man we revere. We would have bought it even if it only covered Barney songs, but it's as good as any of the five albums Cash did with Rick Ruben.

Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Honestly, we didn't like the few tracks we downloaded with the album first came out. The more we heard, the more we liked the band. Their parents must have had Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Rush and The Who albums, because Wolfmother sounds like they stepped right out rock 'n roll history. All we could do when we hear this album is repeat, "shit - g'damn" over and over again.

The Duke Spirit
Cuts Across the Land
We've been following this band for a while and we love the CD. The UK always knows the time, and the Duke Spirit is intense, raw and full of energy. We hear a little Concrete Blonde in them.

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10 june 2006 -

voxtrot
mothers, sisters, daughters & wives ep
a little stone roses and a little robbers on high street; good pop sensibility and lyrics. peaceful excitement. best ep of the year.

white rose movement
kick (import)
so what if it sounds a little like IAMX and VHS or Beta with a faster tempo? every year needs a band with two or three danceable hits that make you feel a dirty, remember how much you loved Bloc Party before "everyone" knew who they were? go ahead and jump on the bandwagon before everyone else beats you to it.

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26 may 2006 -

enjoy these recommendations.

Grand National
Kicking the National Habit
so what if it came out in 2004? similar to a primal scream of this decade, melodic and sometimes danceable, this album is worth a listen. take "talk amongst yourselves" for a test listen.
- recommended

Islands
Return to the Sea
islands formed from the ashes of the unicorns and their debut cd is quite good. although the unicorns "who will cut our hair when we're gone?" was a critical success, i wasn't in love with it. i think the islands debut is just as solid as the unicorns, if not better.
- recommended

Gnarls Barkley
St. Elsewhere
okay - if you don't know who gnarls barkley or if you don't already own this album - where have you been? cee-lo and danger mouse finally got their album released and it will be the album of the year.
- recommended

Eagles of Death Metal
Death by Sexy
the second release by eagles of death metal didn't disappoint. what's not to love about fun, high energy rock 'n roll? i wish there was more of a bass line so it'd be dance-friendly, but that's a minor detail. even though i can only listen to a few tracks at a time, it is still a worthwhile album to own.
- recommended

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11 may 2006 -

today begins a slightly different music review format here at deadjournalist. rather than review the albums, deadjournalist will now recommend/not recommend albums. this will make it easier to get to more music. if you are interested in deadjournalist reviewing your album, send an e-mail and you'll get a mailing address to send your cd.

DeVotchKa
Curse Your Little Heart (ep)
one new song and five covers are masterfully done by this denver-based group. if you don't know them, they're sound is part folk, part eastern european and all pretty good. the ep is nice but dig a little deeper so you don't miss their original work.
- recommended

Compilation
Future Retro
remixes of classic '80s tracks ranging from the cure to inxs to howard jones fall a little flat because nearly every song has a two minute techno/house intro. if you can get past that, then there are some delightful mixes including alphaville (forever young) and book of love (boy). however, if you aren't a dj then don't bother with the whole thing.
- not recommended

Mylo
Destroy Rock & Roll
while the demise of dance music is greatly exaggerated, this cd certainly is the best album to come out since bloc party's last offering. great beats through the album make it an instant fav.
- recommended

The Streets
The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
despite wanting to like this album a whole hell of a lot, it was nothing but disappointing. why go into more detail? it just isn't worth it.
- not recommended

Baby Dayliner
Critics Pass Away
if you want an album that you can do any one thing to - this is not your album. if you want a quirky mix of spoken word, dance-pop, soul and a tick of hip-hop then check out baby dayliner's third offering. if you are on a limited budget, there are better albums out there. if you like his previous work and have the money and time to get, then it is very much worth your time.
- not recommended, but recommended

Controller.Controller
x-amounts
the album was a little disappointing, but only because of lofty expectations. the perfect album to play when you are doing something else but want to stay distracted by music. a great driving album as well.
- recommended

The Baby Huey Story
Living Legend
a 2004 re-issue of the classic soul/funk album from the late baby huey is certainly worth borrowing from your friends and teeters on being worth spending $18 of your hard-earned money. however, if you aren't a student of modern-music history you might not want to waste your money.
- recommended, but not recommended


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7 may 2006 -

deadjournalist.com show annoucement

Kicking off the Summer 2006 concert season will be a benefit show for Rivers Alive on June 10 at Fortuna in Atlanta. The line-up for the show is teaming with some of Atlanta's best acts: Snowden, A Fir-Ju Well, Kill Gordon, Deerhunter, All the Saints and additional special guests.

Doors for the show open at 6PM with the show starting promptly at 8PM. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance via Ticket Alternative beginning May 20, 2006. Tickets will be $12 at the door.

Rivers Alive is a long-running Atlanta non-profit focusing on keeping Georgia's waterways clean of trash. In 2005 Rivers Alive held 153 registered events that involved more than 24,500 volunteers who collected more than 684,000 pounds of debris. Rivers Alive is held annually in early October. For more information or to become involved in Rivers Alive, visit them on-line at: www.riversalive.org.

This show will be a showcase for Fortuna, Atlanta's newest premium music venue which holds 700 people in a soon to be renovated church in the Reynoldstown neighborhood in Atlanta. Fortuna is located at 569 Ezzard St., Atlanta, GA 30316 or on-line at: www.fortuna-atl.com.

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24 april 2006 -

yeah yeah yeahs
show your bones

i was probably the only person not to be overwhelmed by the yeah yeah yeahs' fever to tell when it came out a few years ago. so i was apprehensive when they're new album show your bones came out.

i'll be a contrarian's again as i like this album although many people i've spoken to don't like it as much as fever to tell. the current album is less exploratory and more honed.

from gold lion to honeybear to phenomena i like most of the songs on this album which is a lot more than i would have thought.

man man
six demon bag

the decemberists on acid. impressive but boring. maybe its the time of year but despite many tries i can't love this album. i like it a lot, but i don't love it.

clearlake
amber

i was looking forward to getting this album but it was as flat as a week-old coke. there are a couple of nice songs, but mostly it lacked descript and was bland.

the long winters
ultimatum (ep)

i love eps. i really do. two really amazing songs in ultimatum and the commander thinks aloud. worth a listen.

artic monkeys
whatever it is people say i am, that's what i am not

with so much hype about this band (and a lackluster ep) i figured this would be a one weeks listen and then i'd toss it in with a pile of similar cd's i through money away on.

but for a change, this album stands up to the hype.

if there's a cd you are going to buy this spring, and you don't already have it, buy this disk. talent, attitude, good writing and good music is a top-shelf combo.

morrissey
ringleader of the tormentors

why, moz? why?

antlerand
branches

a disc that breaks away from a lot of what is heard on the radio these days. a couple of really nice songs carry the album. with several lead singers, the band may be one album away from finding their best sound.

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7 april 2006 -

retro-review: teenage fanclub

teenage fanclub
bandwagonesque

if you were walking down the street and someone stopped and asked you what band had the album that spin magazine named the best album of 1991, what would be your guess?

nirvana? my bloody valentine? U2? REM?

the answer: teenage fanclub. (NME had it at #2 behind nirvana's nevermind.)

scotland's teenage fanclub won acclaim because of their early-alternative/power-pop sound which dominated college radio pre-nirvana. from 1989 to 1993 there were many now forgotten bands creating great records during the post-wave, pre-grunge hey-day. notables included the posies, the charlatans, the ocean blue, the connells, aztec camera, camouflage and a dozen more worth naming.

at the top of that list is teenage fanclub.

the aptly titled bandwagonesque was a highlight of the era. with a sound quite similar to big star, the band churned out an amazing album with their first release on geffen.

the single "star sign" may have been the albums best known track, but "the concept", "alchoholiday" and "what you do to me" are also top-shelf tracks.

the band is still together and still putting out albums. their 1995 album grand prix and 1997's songs from northern britain were more commercially successful than bandwagonesque, but as is typically the case, they are also less relevant.

with the resurgence of the classic alternative sound beginning to happen, check out teenage fanclub and bandwagonesque. you'll be delighted that you did.

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26 march 2006 -

while on the road yesterday i heard of the passing of one of my heros, buck owens. part of my saturday night routine was watching hee haw, of which owens hosted with crossover artist roy clark.

owens struggled with his role on hee haw over the years because it came at a high price to his recording career. while clark was a successful artist in his on right (as a guitar player primarily), owens was a bona fide star.

his southwestern roots played a large roll in his unique honky tonk sound. with his back-up band, the buckaroos, owens found success on such songs as "tiger by the tail" and "act naturally".

although taking the gig as co-host of hee haw (which is the longest-running syndicated show in television history) exposed owens to a larger audience, the novelty of the show cast a cloud on his recording career. other than a successful duet with dwight yoakam in 1987, owens recording career has been sadly overlooked for the last 40 years.

i have always been drawn to the tight harmonies found in honky-tonk and appalachian gospel (think statler bros.). part of this fondness is thanks to buck owens.

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25 march 2006 -

review: hank williams iii - "straight to hell"

three weeks ago, on a whim, i ordered hank williams iii third country release "straight to hell" on amazon. the album was just out and i wanted to listen to something different. i had no clue what to expect. was this going to be kid rock all over again? was it going to be a milestone album that starts bringing outlaw attitude to a genre lost in pop-lust?

over the last few weeks i've listened to the album several times and i'm still not set in my opinion. one minute i think it's a nice resurrection of classic honky tonk and outlaw country. the next minute, i think it's nothing more than an feeble attempt to exploit a name for commercial purposes.

i think i've settled on it being a little bit of both.

williams does sound a lot like his grandfather, american song-writing legend hank williams, and wants everyone to believe that he's living harder than his father, good ole hank williams jr. "smoke and wine", "pills i took" and thrown out of the bar" offer intriguing looks inside the life of this american legacy. but williams' sometimes gets his testosterone revved too much, like in "crazed country rebel". not surprising for a guy who spent years as a cow-punk artist before cutting his first country album to pay child support bills to the daughter of a nashville record executive.

many of the songs on "straight to hell" reference the early-70's country outlaws. this isn't a valed attempt to tap into displaced country music fans either. while it's great to hear the names of waylon jennings, johnny cash, merle haggard, willie nelson, david allen coe and hank william jr. mentioned in the song "country heroes", it looses it's novelty quick.

williams sets out to prove that he's an outlaw and that he doesn't care about the nashville establishment. hank 3 also calls out kid rock to help further establish his heritage - both by birth and by location.

billy joe shaver he isn't, but hank williams iii does provide some of the outlaw spirit that's been missing in the americana/country realm for years. "straight to hell" isn't going to become a landmark album but it is an album to which you can drink cheap whiskey.

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20 march 2006 -

the high violets
to where you are

this portland-base band has a sound that is part the sundays, part mazzy star, part ride, part my bloody valentine and part the cure.

kaitlyn ni donovan's vocals are amazing and the band's music is strong and defined. what the high violets have created is a sound that hasn't been heard in 12- to 20-years.

all nine songs on "to where you are" are strong with "invitation" and "sun baby" being among the best.

this is the best album i've listened to in quite a while. listen to it as soon as you can.

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20 march 2006 -

show review: Electric Six/She Wants Revenge
February 21, 2006
The Earl - Atlanta

With an increasing amount of hype, She Wants Revenge performed a sold-out show at the Earl with the underappreciated Electric Six and the forget-me-now band Rock Kills Kids on February 21, 2006.

Although the Earl was sold-out, the back room was far from packed. The venue's recent capacity issues surely played a role in under-selling the show.

Atlanta radio station 99X sponsored the show, which led to a crowd of frat-boys, soccer moms and interns. Distracted and uninterested, the crowd seem displaced from a Scott Stapp concert.

Hopping on stage first was LA-based, Rock Kills Kids. They provided reason for optimism with their opening song, but quickly smashed those hopes by playing a set that was redundant, uninspiring and bland.

Taking the stage next was the band most of the crowd had come to see. She Wants Revenge, another LA-based group, was playing Atlanta for the first time since the release of their debut full-length. With their first single, "Tear You Apart" receiving heavy commercial radio airplay in Atlanta, the band's hype led to this sold-out show.

She Wants Revenge's goth-dance-pop sound has been critically dismissed as too similar to Interpol, Joy Division and New Order. While accurate, the band's pop sensibility and timing in the market are sure to translate into commercial success.

Front man Justin Warfield's vocals are strong and unique, drawing comparisons to Prince, Joy Division's Ian Curtis and Placebo's Brian Molko. The band's performance was adequate and acceptable. While their stage presence was lacking, they performed their set flawlessly.

The crowd responded well to She Wants Revenge's up-tempo songs but seemed to bore quickly to several longer songs such as "Out of Control". Upon hearing "Tear You Apart", the last song of their performance, the crowd quickly regained their energy and showered the band with a loud and lengthy ovation upon leaving the stage.

Then the Earl became a ghost town.

The sold-out show was a detriment to Electric Six, who are best know for their 2002 electro-pop dance smash, "Danger! High Voltage". Because of the interest in She Wants Revenge, many people who planned to come out to only see Electric Six were unable to attend the show. Those who only came to see She Wants Revenge quickly scampered back to Buckhead and Sandy Springs before Electric Six could get their gear on stage.

The obvious lack on interest in Detroit-based Electric Six prompted the group's sometimes controversial, always entertaining lead singer Dick Valentine to ask, "How many of you came out to see She Wants Revenge and don't know who the (expletive deleted) Electric Six is?"

The question drew snickers from the half-full room.

Playing primarily songs from their new album, Electric Six entertained the crowd with their own breed of rock 'n roll disco. Their high-energy show was boosted by Valentine's entertaining stage presence. The six-man group was a finely-oiled musical machine revving up the loyal following of ardent fans.

Electric Six provided exactly what a good band should provide: high energy, a stellar performance and an a high level of entertainment. Maybe next time around the band will come out to find their audience near the stage and not at home.

If you missed this show, She Wants Revenge will be back in Atlanta on March 28 playing a show at the Loft. Electric Six will be back, but not on this tour.

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20 march 2006 -

love is all
nine times the same song

sax! loud, blazing, straight-out-of-1982 sax!

it was just a matter of time before someone decided that twenty-plus years was too long to wait around to bring back the sax (the 1995-1997 ska movement not included). sax is what hits you as soon as you hear "talk, talk, talk, talk". but after a couple of listens you will find a lot of energy, horns, punk, latin-beat, crisp vocals and the channeling of bow bow bow.

that's what love is all is about.

used goods will make it into rotation at most next-clubs as well busy doing nothing. they have just enough of that le tigre sound that people will clamor for it on a weekly basis.

don't let that stop you from getting this album. there's a good variety of songs - even several down-tempo tracks - which will keep your interest. also, you'll find that the more you listen to this album the more you'll enjoy it.

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20 march 2006 -

jenny lewis
rabbit fur coat

although pitchfork didn't have a nice thing to say about it, everyone i know loves the album. i found it to be masterfully crafted and melodically infectious. if you like female folk/country singer-songwriters from the 1960's than you'll love this album.

for the three of you that don't know, jenny lewis is the frontwoman for rilo kiley. she also leant her voice to the postal service. this is her solo debut, and boy is it a doozy.

honest, emotional and refeshing, her songs remind me of emmylou harris and dolly parto - masterfully written yet effortlessly embraced.

the title track "rabbit fur coat" reminds me a great deal of parton's "coat of many colors". lewis' abilitiy to tell a story in four minutes shines through on eight of the twelve tracks (one is a cover of the traveling wilburys).

if there's such a thing as a true american album, this is it. what continues to strike me about this album is how simple, clean and perfectly produced it is.

and what's with jane magazine? my girlfriend buys it, and honestly, it has better reviews for new music than the music magazines. it reviewed the jenny lewis album (released 01/06) in the october issue! and this month? measles mumps rubella, clearlake and more. what gives?

the elected
sun, sun, sun

this album was released on the same day as the jenny lewis album (blake sennett is the other half to rilo kiley) although i just picked it up used at ella guru. i really enjoyed the first album but the follow-up left me wanting. it's flavored with glossy doo-wop rock that's more billy jo royal and marie osmond than anything. i reserve to right to change my mind once i've listened to it a few times but i don't think i will.

matt pond pa
several arrows later

although this album has been out for a few months i hadn't really heard any tracks off of it. welcome to the last few months of my life. i've always been impressed with matt pond pa and this album is no exception. the title track several arrows later, city song and the album's first track halloween are impressive. this is a great rainy day record so go ahead and pick it up today so you'll be ready the next time it rains.

artic monkeys
when the sun goes down (ep/maxi-single)

what happens when a band gathers so much buzz that you decide to buy a three song ep because they are sometimes better the full-length? often you get disappointed. unlike eps by the wolf parade, nine black alps and to a lesser degree, she wants revenge, the artic monkeys did not live up to the hype. don't bother with this disc, wait for the full-length next week.

the replacements
pleased to meet you

if you are under the age of 25 you may not have been exposed to the replacements. fronted by paul westerberg, the replacements created the kind of straight-ahead rock that has long-since lost its place in the american musical lexicon.

throughout the 1980's, the replacements' music sat in stark contrast to new wave and power-pop. although gaining commercial success in the latter part of the decade, the band's albums "let it be", "tim" and "pleased to meet you" provide a glimpse into the post-punk, pre-grunge era that is often overlooked.

crafting infectous hooks with well-writen lyrics, the replacements have a way grabbing a part of your brain and not letting go. songs like "kiss me on the bus", "bastards of young", "alex chilton", "i will dare" and "can't hardly wait" prove that sometimes good songs can get stuck in your head.

although westerberg is more well known in many circles for his post-"singles" career, his work with the replacements stands out. at their best, the band produced rock music much like tom pretty, dinasaur jr. or lucero - void of trend and full of vigor.

released in 1987, "pleased to meet you" is the last of the great three replacements records. this album is the reason i go used cd shopping.

pleased to meet you is a cd that you should own. the tracks "alex chilton", "valentine" and "can't hardly wait" headline a classic alternative album.

while i personally favor the album tim, if you are out and see this disc in the used been, go ahead and pick it up.

the juan maclean
less than human

now i know what i've been missing. i passed over this disc for too long and now i wish i had bought it months ago. and that's the bottom line, because the chuck said so. this is one of the strongest dancefunkelectro happy-happy-happy albums of 2005. if you like dance music for making out - this is the album you need. plus, it's on dfa, so you know it's good.

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