Marco Machera – One Time, Somewhere
This was an interesting review set-up. We tend to get stuck on random email lists by random labels that obviously don’t know our magazine and think we will want to review their next teen-bop wannabe. Marco actually contacted us himself and knew our names when asking for a review (pro-tip #1 right there random labels). So I grabbed the download and gave it a listen. One Time, Somewhere is a bit different than most albums we review, but there was a lot to like about it. The first track is a bit on the modern pop side for me, but the second track “Stories Left Untold” is where the quirky stuff I like kicks in. The bass line could have been lifted off a Daniel Amos track from the 80s. But the song itself is a collection of spoken word bits, percussion samples, and random stuff that is just… different. In a good way. The rest of the songs bounce between pop (but not quite as modern sounding as the first track) and quirky. The almost industrial driving rock “Bright Lights Big City” pops up in the middle for a nice surprise. The last three songs are cool instrumentals. Overall, an interesting and well-performed effort by Mr. Machera.
Doug Burr – Trembling Lips and Pale Fingertips
Doug Burr returns with an EP of re-recorded versions of songs from his O, Ye Devastator album. The difference between these songs and the original ones are that these are stripped down numbers with interesting “version names” added on the end. On the 7-inch vinyl you get “A Black Wave Is Comin’ (Forest Fortress Version)” and “Chief of Police in Chicago (Indefinite Surveillance Version).” The bonus digital download comes with both of these songs plus “Do You Hear Wedding Bells (Low Down Version)” and the album version of “A Black Wave Is Comin’.” Fans of Burr will probably already have a copy of this, but those that enjoy Americana/folk/sparse music will want to add this to their collection. And hunt down Mr. Burr’s older albums while you are at it.
either/orwell – either/orwell
Expansive minimalism from Jeff MacKey of Writ on Water and Jarod Weldin of Dangerous Trap. The majority of the music on this self-titled album is created using ambient guitars, with just a slight hint of percussion and pianos/keyboards here and there. This is mellow music perfectly suited for contemplation, meditation, reading, and relaxing. No song really ends… they all just fade slightly into the next one, with almost every song clocking in at well over the five minute range. With interesting song titles like “tell them to unprepare” and “the ineffable art of puppetry”, you kind of almost find yourself wishing for some lyrics just to see what they have to say. But ultimately, that is for you to fill in as you enjoy the rhythm of the music. Despite there being very little percussion to speak of, you can still discern an intentional structure to the music. Where some meditation music gets lost in random improvisation for the entire album, either/orwell uses riffs and structured melodies to keep the music moving forward between moments of improv. Or do they? There is a subtly to the musical minimalism that makes you wonder if you just heard that riff, or wonder if it was slightly different. Available at most digital stores and as a physical CD.
The 77s – Sticks and Stones re-issue
It is hard to find anything to say about Sticks and Stones that hasn’t already been said a time or two in the last 22 years. On a personal note, this was my introduction to the 77’s as a band. It wasn’t until years later that I checked out their albums prior to this one, but Sticks has remained a favorite of mine for years, not just because of the absolutely beautiful songs that are contained here, but also because of the memories that are associated with it. Sticks was a truly alternative album when it came out, it was the alternative to pretty much anything else in the Christian market at that time. Tracks like “MT” come rolling out with this sonic wave of guitar that stands up and demands attention, then the tempo changes into a refined and laid back groove that sounds absolutely beautiful because Roe’s vocals are so fluid and intensely emotional that they add a dimension to the music that makes this real art. If tracks like “MT”, “The Days to Come” and “This is the Way Love is” get stuck in your head, then tracks like “Nowhere Else”, “Don’t, This Way”, “God Sends Quails” and “Bottom Line” will break your heart. The music here is so intense and really provides a perfect vehicle to Roe’s lyrics and singing. As “The Loop” testifies, you don’t always need to have singing to hit the mark. All these tracks and more comprise the first disc of the re-issue.
Disc number two is called This is the Way Love Was and is a compilation of demos and live tracks. The really cool thing about these tracks are that unreleased rarities – like “Problem Girl”, “Cross the City Sky” and “Walk Through the Door” – were written by Mark Tootle and are a great chance to hear Mark singing lead vocals as well as showing just how formative his style and sound were in the early days of the Sevens. There are a couple of pretty amazing versions of “This is the Way Love Is” on disc two as well, but all in all you get another 11 tracks of really solid music on the second disc.
If you bought the “Ultra Deluxe” package, you also get the third disc titled Seeds and Stems (insert your own reference here). There are another cool 10 tracks on this disc – which is one of my favorites, because I can never get enough of favorites like “Ba Ba Ba Ba” or “I Could Laugh (But it’s Not Funny).” This disc is also built up with original mixes, demos and live tracks that make you sing along, reminisce, and I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that the guitar on this version of “God Sends Quails” is unbelievable brilliant. There is also a bandcamp exclusive live version of “You Don’t Scare Me” at the end of the digital portion of this package. “You Don’t Scare Me” is a bluesy, rocking track that lives up to everything you know and more in this live setting that has Roe at the top of his game.
Just to make this release even better, the guys have released this in as many formats as you could possibly want. There are the hardcopy pressings, the digital releases, the individual digital tracks and then there are several packages that come with different merch options like t-shirts and other assorted goodies. I’m really excited about this re-release; it is from a classic album that sounds so much better with the digital restoration and remastering. This is a must have for any fan, casual or die-hard alike, there is something here for everyone. Hearing these tracks has reminded me once again of just how stunningly good this band was, and still is. My hats off to the guys who preserved this stuff, and to the ones who restored it to sound so good all these years later, and thanks to Li-Fidelity Records for releasing this in so many different packages.
[2012 Lo-Fidelity Records | Purchase: the77s.bandcamp.com]Dann Good Music
A Review of Losing Steam by Gord Wilson
While running on the treadmill, I wait to see what song Iggy, my iPod shuffle, will choose next. Most of the songs I don’t recognize from the first few strains. Some I click ahead to find something wilder for the warm-up or mellow for the cool down. But one artist I can always recognize, and often anticipate when I hear the first few, unmistakable bars. Sometimes I even help Iggy by clicking to the next song, hoping against hope that it’s Dann Gunn.
Why? I don’t really know. The punk rawk of MXPX gets the blood pumping and I run faster and harder. That compelling guitar of Third Day, at the other end of the spectrum and the workout, cools down into rest and rejoicing. The U2 songs lift the heart. Steve Scott awakens the brain. The Alarm rejuvenate with their rousing anthems. Everyone on the lineup does their part, but when Iggy brings up Dann Gunn, something special happens. Something in my soul resonates with the music and the words. Some answering reason affirms an unspoken question. You’d think it would get old, as so many things have. But it doesn’t. At least, not for me. It’s still as fresh as the first time I heard it, when an album by a previously unknown artist gripped my heart, and stirred my blood, and made me realize I was alive. And it does that every time.
“Losing Steam” is what an indie album ought to be. It doesn’t sound commercial. It’s not “unplugged”, but it sounds homemade. Part studio and part live, but not overburdened and smothered by effects. Then there are Dann Gunn’s soaring, passionate vocals, suggestive to me of the late Michael Been of the Call. If his simple, creative, inventive dreamscapes and visionary lyrics bring to mind anything, it’s Alan Parsons Project, probably for the deft use of synthesizer, so subtle and understated. If I think of anyone when listening, it’s Pascal and his famous phrase, “The heart has its reasons which reason does not know”.
In the requisite history, this 1997 album falls between his earlier release as Velocipede, entitled Sane in 1994 on REX Records, and his 2010 six song MP3 available on Amazon entitled Easy. More music spills over both of these arbitrary boundaries, as well as sloshing about in the middle, but they serve as convenient signposts to consider this set of songs, and also give an insight into his way of working. Some of the music on the third song of Sane inspires or is reborn in a wonderfully crafted song on Steam, “Secret Language”. The next Sane song is entitled “I Catch My Breath, I Let it Go”. This marvelous line finds its way into one of my favorite songs on Steam, an invitation of welcome to a newborn called “Waiting for You”.
There’s also a six song EP from 1999 recorded by Ed Sharpe with the working title of Floating, Spinning, Upside Down, also reflected in the themes of several songs. Song one is called “Unwinding Song”. There’s a completely different song called “Unwinding” on the 2010 album, Easy. Clearly, Dann knew that was too good a title, or idea, or image to let go. Since Dann sent them to me together, I think of Easy and Steam as one album, despite slight stylistic differences. When the Choir put the entire EP of Shades of Gray as a bonus on the CD of Chase the Kangaroo (itself already a perfect album), it seemed to meld together as one unimaginably perfect thing. Ditto for Dann.
Mostly, the music on Easy is (ironically) heavier, but Dann’s sailing, versatile voice is the same. At first this was a bit jarring, accustomed as I was to the smoother mix of Steam. But now when Iggy brings up an Easy song, it’s a welcome shift to rough and ragged, yet another facet of the ever inventive Dann Gunn. I realize, of course, that I’m setting up some readers and listeners for a let down. One man’s cup of tea, and all that. But I like Dann Gunn’s music by contrast with what I consider the way overdone soulless, mindless, heartless business-as-usual pop which envelopes radio like an octopus, regardless whether its first name is Country, Rock, Contemporary, Alternative or CCM.
In closing, what about this album is so different for me? Maybe it’s what’s the same. Maybe it taps into a primal stream, an old and ancient vein, something ordinary and universal. Maybe it’s about something so near that I generally can’t see it, and so far that I give up seeking to find. For me it strikes a responsive chord as Dann sings, “This is how my heart unfolds/ I catch my breath, I let it go”. Unforced, effortless, sailing over the abyss, sounding the depths of the soul, echoing in the infinite yearning. Robust, rousing, evocative, confident, unique, memorable, quotable, unforgettable, yet deceptively simple.
“But I could sink beneath the sum of all my deepest fears
and live in greatest comfort there as long as you are near.”
Those lines come from “Hide” on Losing Steam, a song that at 1:43 is far too short and almost stops my heart every time I hear it. What’s next, Iggy? I hope it’s Dann Gunn.
[1997 Independent | Download: Danngunn.com]Emotional Tourist: A Steve Scott Retrospective
Emotional Tourist is probably the best way to describe the experience of consuming the art of Steve Scott. Scott takes you on a journey through the heart and soul of human emotions like no other can. So how do you go about creating a retrospective of a career starting in the 1970s that spanned many forms of music as well as spoken word and poetry reading? While there are volumes of brilliant material left off, what you do have on Emotional Tourist is the cream of the crop. A crop that could have easily been an 8-10 disc box set (if you could get some of the unreleased albums out of the dustbins). The people responsible for this compilation probably gave themselves insomnia just trying to contain it all on one disc.
The songs are brilliantly divided into rock music and spoken word halves. Any fan of 80s style alternative/new wave/pop will love the first 9 tracks. My personal favorite is “Love in the Western World”, but fans of The 77s will love Steve’s rendition of a tune he wrote for the band (“A Different Kind of Light”). But all of classics are here – “Ghost Train”, “Sound of Waves”, “Not a Pretty Picture”, and so on.
Steve’s lyrics are just as brilliant as his poetry, so the transition to spoken word is not as jarring as one might think. And it is the spoken word poetry readings on the second half of the disc that take this collection to the next level. Scott has always excelled as a poet. “This Sad Music” was one of his earliest recorded readings, a profound song based on what he saw one day while flipping through channels. My favorite is still “No Memory of You”, probably because actual recordings of the subjects of the poem are used to create the sonic bed that supports the spoken word. Scott never just reads a poem by itself; he always creates a music soundscape that plays along with the poem. This is what ties the second half of the disc with the first half – his readings sound almost like deconstructed songs, as if they are the evolution of what happened on the first part of the album. Or maybe his songs were always just poems set to music all along? Either way, they flow together well.
The packaging on this collection is well done, with recollections on each song written by Scott himself. Fans of Scott that have all of his CDs will want this disc for the booklet alone. Now we can only hope that this album will be the catalyst to getting the powers that be sitting on top of the unreleased Moving Pictures into gear.
[2012 Arena Rock | Purchasing Information: Emotionaltourist.com]SLIDE – Auto Tune Massacre
Something tells me that the guys in SLIDE are not afraid to speak their mind. Which is a good thing, because the lyrics of Auto Tune Massacre go straight from the hearts of the band members right into your soul…. sometimes in a harsh light, sometimes in a fun light, but always with a healthy dose of “stop and think about this for a moment.” Those afraid of brutal honesty might want to take a deep breath before diving in.
I’m not sure exactly how to describe the sound of SLIDE, but I think the best arena to place it in would be guitar-heavy alternative rock/pop/electronic music. With a huge chunk of bonus dance remixes tacked on at the end (seven on the physical CD, six on the digital version). You may think that hearing seven remixes might get boring, but Mdavsto is a master remix artist and even being a minimal electronic fan I still found myself enjoying all of it.
So I guess the biggest question you are asking is “I have heard some songs from SLIDE in the past, so I know exactly what to expect right?” Yes and no. Half of the (non-remix) songs have been out before – four singles and one Partridge Family cover. The four previously released singles have all been upgraded – some slightly, some majorly. “January” sounds almost like an entirely different song. If possible, these songs have gone to a whole new level with these upgrades. The never-before-heard songs live up to the new level, and The Partridge Family cover is just cool. I still find “Dime Store Queer” to be the highlight of the album – such a catchy song with a much needed message. But then they go and save the best for last. Or, kind of last. The closing (non-remix) song “Auto Tune Massacre” in many ways serves as a good summary of the album as a whole, decrying the trend in modern society to give up real life interactions for fake digitized copycat methods.
The band is incredibly tight all around, the vocals are spot-on, and the production is crisp and clear. You would be hard pressed to find a better album out this year on a major label that satisfies like this independent gem.
[2012 Independent | Purchase: slidemusicgroup.com]Scott Silletta – The Life And Times Of…
This is one of those great timeless records that’s good from beginning to end. “Break In Rhyme” opens the Kickstarter funded album with a very reflective piece, echoing the line “So it goes, what we have could be gone in the blink of an eye” – something we can all relate to. “I Can’t Wait” rolls in next. With it’s building uplifting rhythms it took me back a bit to the classic Commonwealth album from Scott’s earlier band Plankeye, but with a more modern sound. Throughout this album you hear the singer/songwriter that Silletta has had in him all these years coming to fruition. The Life And Times Of… has a very relaxed vibe, with great vocal harmonies, layered chiming guitars, and country-esq shuffle beats. “Closer To This Moment” is my favorite on this release, a great tune about reconnecting and hope all wrapped up in a cool Americana/Indie Rock feel. “Do You Believe Believers?” is the rocker on the album, again showing shades of a modern Plankeye. Beautiful songs are all over the record from “All Because Of You”, an ode to the joys of fatherhood, to “It Shows That I Am Weak”, and the closer “This Life’s Worth Livin’ “, a humbling spiritual. “This life’s worth livin’, so get with the givin’ ” Amen Scott, Amen.
Bill Mallonee – Hard-Scrabble Dreams
I never expect to go long between Bill Mallonee’s releases, and I am grateful for that. Bill’s writing has long been a source of comfort and inspiration to me. His music is always relevant and fresh, lyrically he is the best in the game and he is one of the most prolific storytellers around. I hold the hope that one day he will write a novel – I think it could be a notable work considering the years, the history, and the traveling experience that he has in this art form of Americana. Back to the music…
This collection of songs was inspired by three things according to Mallonee. I took the liberty to quote him directly from his website about Hard-Scrabble Dreams. The three sources of inspiration according to Bill, “One was John Steinbeck’s eloquent work, “The Grapes of Wrath,” the second inspiration was a gift from Muriah, a photographic essay, called, “Bound For Glory” (America In Color 1938-1943) It is an arresting testimonial. The images of “just plain Americans,” I believe, are some of the most heroic and inspiring you’ll ever see. The last inspiration was a gift as well. It was a gift from the American people. It came from the folks I’ve played for over these past 22 years. This land & its great people have always been the frame of reference of my work, from the day I first crawled into a rattle-trap van to do my first US tour in 1991. They, and their stories and lives, have been inspiring me ever since.”
I am a huge fan of Bill’s work; I own it all in abundance. I honestly believe that this WPA is a testament to the words referenced above. Bill’s inspiration for this album comes through in every way through these songs. I think lyrically it is stripped down and honest, and musically I think it is quite possibly the best he has ever done. These tracks shine with renewed vigor, and a rustic intensity of grace. The first song here “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (I Got Faith like a Butterfly’s Wing) is possibly one of the most beautiful songs that I can recall from Malone’s recent work. Thematically many of these tracks center around the topic of faith, and in true fashion they are riddled with an honest intensity and a trusted fragility that pushes the listener into deeper truths that really ache and ebb inside every one of us.
One of the things that struck me when reading Bill’s notes about the album was when he related, “But the poor also live inside of us. We are them. They are a reminder that a man is not the measure of his possessions.” That struck me because Malone has scratched out a somewhat sparse living for years now. But what he has done is to take the talent and the gifts that God granted him and dug deep and found the majestic in the mundane of daily hardship and toil. He has taken the stories and the questions from over twenty years of documenting life on the road, and he has fashioned them into ragged stories about struggle and grace, beauty and desolation; about the hope that we still cling to and the perseverance that pushes us on. This is the stuff of life.
Hard-Scrabble Dreams has a total of ten tracks. We get treated to “Bakersfield” from The Power and the Glory sessions (and WPA Vol. 9 Drifter Songs), and it actually fits perfectly into the spirit of the other songs here. There are three alternate tracks and seven brand spanking new songs on here. One of the most effective songs on here for me is “Faith (It All Comes Soaked in Gasoline).” This is one that I think can rival favorites like “Blister Soul” or “Welcome to Struggleville” because of the accurate acknowledgement of the bitterness of life, of choices we are confronted and conflicted with, and with the paradox of something bigger than ourselves that begs for our reliance and trust. Bill brings these truths home in a way that we can understand. Again, I think lyrically this is the heart and soul of an American poet at his best. Mallonee creates because he is compelled to, and I think if none of us were listening he would still be doing it… fortunately for us we are listening, and I believe that this WPA offering is the best of the bunch.
“I dunno what you heard before to got here
dunno what you thought you’d see
one thing about faith, you can be sure of
It all comes…soaked in gasoline
It all comes…soaked in gasoline”
Head over to the BandCamp store and drop a few coins on this release. I know that you will be pleased with this, it is a solid and seasoned release from an artist that truly embodies the very story that he captures so well through his music.
[2012 Independent | Purchase: billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com]Nate Houge – Reform Follows Function
I don’t know about you, but the title of this CD always makes me sit and think for a while. The music on the disc has the same effect – take for example the line “Where have all the heretics gone?” So many “heroes of the faith” through the centuries were branded as heretics. Are the people we label as heretics today actually speaking blasphemy or reform? At first I wasn’t sure if I liked this album or not, but listening more it has become quite the grower. Houge has an alternative Americana folk rock vibe going that falls somewhere between Daniel Amos and Bill Mallonee. This album is indie all the way but with clean and clear production qualities. A great find that deserves a wider audience.