MUSIC
Section By Jeb D.
TREATS
Sleigh Bells
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Well, finally, here ’tis. I’ve seen people adore this album, others dismiss it as perfect shit (and it’s not even out yet). Me, I like it well enough as a concept: Alexis Krauss’ sugary vocals laid over dirty noise guitar and borrowed beats, with what could be almost mistaken for genuine teen experience (“wonder what your boyfriend thinks about your braces?“). Plus a lot of doorbell chimes. It does go on a bit, though, and if there’s anything to be learned from any of the songs, that’s dispensed with in the first thirty seconds or so, leaving you to ponder whether borrowing beats is really as interesting as is used to be. Loud, though, I’ll give it that.
TO THE SEA
Jack Johnson
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“I’m too tired to try.” Talk about blowing your cover. I can’t come down too hard on the guy, since I actually liked the film Thicker Than Water, and anyone who learned to play guitar by alternating Cat Stevens with Metallica gets slack from me. But when he goes all Michael Franks, it can get pretty cloying: I’ll agree he’s never written anything as appalling as “Popsicle Toes,” but “My Little Girl” is at least in the same area code. Elsewhere, he manages something that might be mistaken for bluesy (“Red Wine, Mistake, Mythology”), rocks ever so tastefullly on “At Or With Me” and throughout keeps his guitar playing just interesting enough that you don’t quite give up on him. But you won’t remember a single lick afterwards, if that matters.
WAKE UP THE NATION
Paul Weller
The Modfather continues to be massive in England, virtually forgotten here in the States. Things might be different this time, since there’s a hook to hang a story on: a mini-Jam reunion! Of course, it’s just two tracks, and it’s only him and Bruce Foxton, but still: while Americans tend to lump The Style Council in with hordes of anonymous one-hit 80’s fashion bands, they equate The Jam with the legendary days of punk rebellion which are so hotly nostalgic today (I love The Jam, but they were as calculated a piece of marketing as London produced in the late 70’s– Weller was still living with his parents in those days for god’s sake), which might make for better copy. Anyway, it’s the usual mixture of soul-inflected rock and the occasional stab at Scott Walker/Brian Wilson “genius.” If you liked 22 Dreams, no reason to think you won’t like this. If you didn’t even know Weller was still around… then… um…
CALIFORNIA HITCHHIKE
Iggy Pop
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Maybe I’m biased because this album was recorded the same week I saw Iggy at San Francisco’s Old Waldorf, but this is easily the most exciting post-Stooges band he ever assembled: Brian James from The Damned, Glen Matlock (the Sex Pistols’ actual bassist) and Ivan Kral (from the Patti Smith Group). Given that he was promoting the Solider album, the song selection is pretty good, including obvious choices like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “No Fun”, the rarely-heard “Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell” and the otherwise unavailable “Hitchhiking in California.” The sound? Somewhere between Metallic K.O. and TV Eye, but fuck that: you need this album. Period. Buy the download version, though, because fuck that stupid “deluxe packaging,” too.
Other Noteworthy 6/1 Releases
Molly Hatchet, Justice. Frank Frazetta’s gone, but these guys carry on. And they call that justice?
Cherryholmes, Cherryholmes IV Common Threads. The last band I can recall titling their albums with roman numerals was Chicago, and we all know how that turned out.
Jeff Lorber Fusion, Now Is the Time. The time to re-record your back catalog, it seems.
Steve Howe, Travelling. Guy does get around.
Tift Merritt, See You on the Moon. Not if I see you first.
Karnataka, Gathering Light. Celtic prog-rock: just what you were waiting for.
Melvins, Bride Screamed Murder. Loudly, too.
Futureheads, Chaos. I dunno… this might have sounded chaotic about twenty years ago. Now it sounds like formulaic post-punk: not great, not bad.