What I'm Listening - January Edition

January has been a relatively slow month for punk, but I've found that its indie offerings more than made up for this reality.  January 20th was a pretty big day.  The New Pronographer's frontman A.C. Newman put out his second solo indie-pop album, Get Guilty - and I like it.  I was introduced to Andrew Bird through his most recent outing, Noble Beast, and it's a really nice lazy, peaceful, outing good for background music.  The day also introduced me to a new band, Fiction Family, and their pleasant acoustic minimalism.  But the real show stopper was an oddly named band, Coconut Records, who released the year's first must have indie-pop record, Davey.  It's a mere 28 minutes long, but every second is undeniably catchy and original.  On the punk front, the only thing that really caught my eye was Lucero frontman Ben Nichols' debut solo EP.  It's a solid country album that doesn't stray too far from Lucero's signature sound, but differentiates itself by featuring a more stripped down sound featuring acoustic guitars and accordions.

I also just realized that Franz Nikolay, one of the masterminds behind The World/Inferno Friendship Society, just put out a solo record, so I'm gonna have to catch up on that.  Otherwise, I'm quite looking forward to February's offerings, with new albums by The Loved Ones (Feb 3), Fake Problems (Feb 17), and of course Ben Kweller (Feb 10).

Monster Klub - Not Dead Yet

Artist: Monster Klub

Album: Not Dead Yet

Label: Raucous Records

Little to my knowledge, France's Monster Klub has been quietly producing addictive horrorpunk psychobilly tunes for a little over ten years.  But only after signing to globally distributed psychobilly giant Raucous Records for their forth album Not Dead Yet have I have the pleasure of running across this firmly established act.

While I was initially underwhelmed after sampling a few tracks, a complete runthrough reveals a psychobilly band with good control over the genre.  Monster Klub essentially sounds like a more traditionally influenced version of Germany's Bloodsucking Zombies from Outter Space.  The band keeps their style simple, and rather than incorporate punk-rock or metal influences, Monster Klub plays a classic 80's style psychobilly with a dash of country.  Their lead vocalist, singularly referred to as "SEB," has a thick French accent distorted by a deep throaty growl, making for an unearthly vocal delivery.  Further like the Bloodsucking Zombies, Monster Klub playfully sings about ghouls, zombies, and the undead.  But to their benefit, their songs and melodies are never dark enough to turn the casual listener off, but also not goofy enough for die hard horrorpunk fans to completely disregard.  

The band keeps a certain horror movie essence, reminiscent of bad b-movies and horror classics.  Simply skimming the track list reveals playful track names including "Zombie Dance Klub," "Gore Star," and (my personal favourite), "Godzilla can't Surf."  Some songs even throw in a few stock horror movie sounds.  For example, "Billy's Last Run" adds a subtle chainsaw buzz during the final bridge, and in the surf inspired instrumental "Godzilla can't Surf" the band sprinkles in a few of Godzilla's unmistakable cries.  Thankfully the band guides their songs through their own instruments, only drawing upon sound-bites as tasteful flourishes.

Monster Klub plays at a frantic pace across the entire album, only slowing down for the pair of haunting acoustic tracks "The Witches Hill" and "Voodoo Barbeque."  Fittingly, the album opens with the instrumental introduction "Crash (intro)," finishing 16 tracks later with its conclusive counterpart, "Crash (outro)."  The continuation of the intro track frames Not Dead Yet as an album with all the intensity and danger of a fatal car chase - an effect successfully sustained by the band's furious guitars and thickly strummed upright double bass.  

Simply put, Not Dead Yet is one hell of a ride.

3 Minute Warning - Tramps Jackpot

Artist: 3 Minute Warning

Album: Tramps Jackpot

Label: Do The Dog Music

With Tramps Jackpot, UK ska-punk group 3 Minute Warning has produced ten songs of bouncy ska-punk goodness.  While there are moments throughout the album that draw immediate comparisons to The Specials, The Clash and Rancid, 3 Minute Warning generally sounds original and fresh.  Rough but understandable vocals, an optimistic guitar upstroke, and various musical influences make them everything a ska-punk band should be.  

The band's use of keyed instruments is of particular interest.  I often criticise many ska bands for abusing their organ.  Naturally an interesting instrument, when a band's organ simply drones in the background the sound becomes obnoxious and repetitive.  3 Minute Warning address the issue by swapping back and forth between an organ and piano.  Consequently, the piano's gentle key strokes provide a welcome contrast to the organ's traditional hum.  While in some songs the band strictly uses the piano or organ, some tracks, like "In Your Face," "Can of Worms," and "TV is On," feature both instruments.  The result is a rich, layered soundscape providing just enough diversity to fully appreciate both instruments.

Lyrically the band doesn't push the envelope, but they also don't offend their listeners' intelligence.  They have their songs like "Hangover" and "Weekend Waster" about hangovers and being lazy, but they also have tracks like "Can of Worms" and "Lost Cause" that briefly discuss social issues and societal problems.  These tracks won't likely motivate listeners to take up arms in defense of their ideals, but they do help characterise 3 Minute Warning as a band with a social conscious.

Tramps Jackpot provides a playful ten song playlist suitable for light hearted afternoons.  Ska-punk enthusiasts won't find anything terribly new here, but the organ-piano combination makes 3 Minute Warning's debut an interesting and memorable listen.

Ashtray - The Power of Positive Drinking

Artist: Ashtray

Album: The Power of Positive Drinking

Label: Silver Sproket

In 2008 Leftover Crack's lead singer, "Stza," put out a collaborative side project named The Star Fucking Hipsters. The album, Until We're Dead, debuted to positive but reserved reviews. Many praised how female vocalist Nicol De Gaillo crisp voice nicely rounded out Stza's crusty wails. However, as many critics commented, many of the tracks were hit or miss, and that with a little more editing and trimming the album could have been something really special. Oh well, I guess we'll have to wait a few years for their next album. WRONG. In fact, I barely had to wait a couple months before stumbling upon an album sounding like how Until We're Dead should have.

Based in Santa Rosa, California - geographically opposite from The Hipsters' home base in New York - the band I speak of is Ashtray, and the album is 2009's The Power of Positive Drinking. Ashtray features lead vocalists Dave and Sarah-Jane trading off every few lines and choruses. While immediately comparable to The Hipsters, Dave's voice sounds decidedly more coherent that Ctza's crusty croak, and Sarah-Jane's voice has a rougher quality and higher pitched squeal than with Nicol. Consequently, Dave and Sarah-Jane's voices sound stylistically closer to each other than with Ctza and Nicol, and they just seem to have more "chemistry." Such chemistry results in exchanges and dialogues easily comparable to Minneapolis, Minnesota's Awesome Snakes - a style that sounds like banter between friends, complete with humour and expressivity.

Throughout the record Ashtray plays punk-rock songs about the cornerstones of a traditional "punk" lifestyle. Songs like "Cardboard Dan," a track about a "real" punk who lives by his ideals, describe colourful characters which, based on the fine details, were presumably inspired by scensters encountered by the band. Furthermore, based on their brutal honesty about cramped living conditions, struggling to turn a dime on tour, and having their van breaking down in songs like "Tour Song," Ashtray sings about what they know - no more, no less. But they have a certain humour about it - one in which they ultimately show how much they love their band despite such inconveniences. 

The Song "Favourite Things" fires off the band's favourite things to do - a list of irresponsible, defiant, and juvenile pleasures including, "hanging out with friends with beer and cigarettes and playing video games," "star wars and riding bikes," "Harry Potter and ice cold water, and Operation Ivy songs" - the band even makes another reference to Cardboard Dan. It's a list so obscure and random that I can only imagine Dave sings with complete sincerity when asserting "these are a few of my favourite things."  Since many of these items, particularly bike riding and Cardboard Dan, reoccur throughout the album, "Favourite Things" serve's as the album's thematic glue.

One of their most endearing songs, "Back in the Day," attempts to refute the age old complaint that "new" punk could never aspire to the highs of "old" punk.  The band compares references to the glory days of Husker Du and Operation Ivy in the 80's with Green Day and Rancid in 1994 - the year typically cited as "the year punk rock sold out."  Because "Back in the Day" is one of the last songs on the album, the listener already knows about the band's rough lifestyle.  Thus, when a band as honest and sincere as Ashtray asserts that punk is alive and well, I find myself inclined to believe them - compared to when multi-platinum Hot Topic branded acts like Fall Out Boy speak for the genre.

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year than by picking up Ashtray's The Power of Positive Drinking.  The album should reassure punkrock fans that despite the continually popularizing face of punk, 2009 has the potential to deliver the goods.

I Hate Kate - Embrace The Curse

Band: I Hate Kate

Album: Embrace The Curse

Label: Glassnote

My introduction to I Hate Kate started with their 2005 Act One EP.  The most endearing track, "Bed of Black Roses," combined electronic synthesizers with bouncy pop, rock, and punk.  Before long I fell victim to the song's infectious rhythms, and for the life of me, I just couldn't get that catchy chorus out of my head.  Their 2008 (or 2007, depending on where you're from) full length followup, Embrace The Curse, finds the band drawing upon those same infectious melodies for a more formal debut.  

Upon starting up the album, my first thought was "haven't I heard this before?"  And since the first song is actually a rerecorded version of "Bed of Black Roses," I mean that in the most literal sense.  However, the band has significantly tweaked their catchy gem.  While the original version opened with guitars, the new version eases the listener in with mellow violin strokes.   But the biggest difference is actually the track's highs and lows.  Vocally the lead singer doesn't hit notes quite as high as in the original - particularly during the chorus - and instrumentally the bass packs significantly less "punch."  The changes don't necessarily detract from the song, but as someone who found the original version addictive, the alterations made the song less a little memorable.  The 12 track album actually includes two more Act One rerecordings as well.  "I'm in Love with a Sociopath" and "It's Always Better" both fall victim to tweaking, but emerge catchier and more addictive because of it.  "I'm in Love with a Sociopath" adds some fancy opening vocal flourishes and superior piano work, and "It's Always Better" evens out some rough patches.  But new songs make up the bulk of the release.

Generally, the new songs follow the band's basic blueprint, but this time the band more clearly defines I Hate Kate's focus.  The result resembles a combination of A Kiss Could Be Deadly's elecro-pop ditties, with a healthy dose of Mindless Self Indulgence's darker, more chaotic electronic side.  The combination comes together most noticeably in "Then You Kiss" and "Major Tim (Coming Home)."  "Then You Kiss" grabbed me the same way "Bed of Black Roses" did three years ago - hard and without mercy.  While I doubt it'll penetrate my dreams like the latter did, it still put me in musical high.  However, the album also has a few stinkers.  When the band slows down their tempo and strips away their electronic flourishes they write some pretty boring radio rock.  "It's You," "Love Association," and to a lesser extent "Story I Can't Write," crawl along at a painful pace, "boasting" some of the most cliched break-up lyrics anywhere - in other words, they're songs best avoided.

Overall, Embrace The Curse does a fine job of introducing newcomers to I Hate Kate.  Retaining only their catchiest three tracks from their EP, the band writes a handful of equally memorable tunes.  While some tracks don't quite make the mark, they certainly don't ruin the album.  Hopefully the band eventually finds a way to increase their slower tracks' listenability,  but for now, simply cropping the album by a few tracks makes for a quite an enjoyable listen.

Announcement

Well, it's 2009 now, so happy new year! But that also means that in a few weeks I'll be starting the "Professional Development Program" (PDP) which will eventually lead to me realizing my career goal of become a high school teacher. It's an intense five day a week program with an 8:30-4:30 daily schedule and (from what I've heard) mountains of homework. I'll also be working on the weekends to help make ends meet (gas money, car insurance, music budget, etc...), so I'll be busy seven days a week. Naturally, the first time consuming leisure activity to go will be writing these reviews. But I've been planing for this reality, and in the past few weeks I've already written ten reviews to help keep this blog alive. The only catch is that I'm going to make reviews a weekly affair, so starting next week I'll be using the auto-post function. Tuesdays at 10:00 AM will have my weekly album reivew. As of January 1st I have enough pre-written reviews to cary this blog into March, so this blog won't see any down time in this transition.

I'm not sure yet, but in leu of decreased activity I may start posting a monthly "What I'm Listening To" column detailing which new releases have caught my ear. It all depends on how my school/work load balances out, but if I find the time to write the column I hope it'll keep this blog current and relevant.

Oh, and my free music blog will continue seeing weekly Saturday updates :)