CD review - We Have Band, WHB (2010)

British trio We Have Band are like Janus. They look back to the keyboard focused new wave pop from the '80s and early '90s, but still look forward to more modern dance rock. Their debut release, WHB fuses this into a fine electro pop, worthy of obsessive repeat listens. I can hear a lot of Tears For Fears, a little New Order, and some Depeche Mode.

The unexpected treat of the CD is Buffet, a raga groove with a constant sense of unfolding. It's deliberate, hypnotic, and trippy, but not in an acid rock way. The mesh between the electro rock flow and the reverberating drone of electric guitar is perfect.

The dreamy repeat at the end of Buffet gets elbowed aside by the funky techno drive of Divisive, We Have Band's single. The tight, relentless beat drops out for a sparser verse start to open up a Duran Duran dance pop sound. The fluttering guitars hiding in the background provide the continuity from the previous song. None of the little scraps of influence (Duran Duran, Tom Tom Club, et al.) stick around long enough to lull the ear into passivity: We Have Band keeps their listeners fully engaged.

There are other great tracks, like the arty OH! or disco influenced Hear It In The Cans, but the closer, Hero Knows, is probably the most satisfying. It starts off with a Tears For Fears feel (quite a bit like Shout), but this gets buried under a loose sediment of fill sounds and rhythms. Eventually the song walks through a number of sections, picking up different moods. The arrangement occasionally overlays the pieces to create a deeper structure.

It might be a bit heavy, but We Have Band has a dark streak that sounds like a great match for Bell's Expedition Stout: black, sweet, and rich.

CD review - The Royal Chains, Bear Island EP (2010)

This new EP from the Royal Chains is a great reminder that music is supposed to be fun. They bring a sweet indie rock/pop vibe to a very listenable set of songs. Musically, the Bear Island EP hits a retro Cheap Trick vibe and a strong Replacements feel, along with a few other older bands. They're not earnest enough to be a tribute and they don't seem to be trying to prove anything. The Royal Chains are just sharing a few nice songs.

My favorite track, Lucy Takes the Dare, is a pretty love song. The lyrics are short enough to print here:

Actions are actual when truth is factual
Summer slips by as we swing through the lights
Pushing back the dawn as we draw out the nights
Ask that colleague her name, ask that colleague her name,
And she's taking the dare

Timing means everything if time means anything
Summer slips by as we swing through the lights
Pushing back the dawn as we draw out the nights
Ask that colleague her name, ask that colleague her name,
And she's taking the dare

Lucy takes the dare...

I like the one line verses and the clever turns of phrase. The bounce between ideas nails a certain youthful naivete. It evokes Trip Shakespeare's Lulu period music: well crafted, lush, and romantic.

Both of the above songs can be heard on their MySpace page.

Shifting gears, Wolf channels that Replacements vibe, with maybe a touch of Hüsker Dü. The overamped guitar, throbbing bass, low-fi groove come together for a loose, live sound. Lyrically, this has some of that Paul Westerberg fell, too.

The only odd note is the title cut, Bear Island, which has a folky, Neil Young feel. The vocals are echoed and distant. Sonically, it breaks the mood of the other songs. Changing up the song order might have helped.

A good simple beer, like a fine ESB, would complement the Royal Chains well. Fuller's on tap is what I'd recommend.

CD review - Scanners, Submarine (2010)

Cheeriness is for suckers. Scanners don't suffer, they luxuriate in their low key mood. It's not quite simple depression, but more of a sense of dissatisfaction and ennui. Submarine has a pervasive '80s synthpop veneer, with vocalist Sarah Daly drifting from Terri Nunn (Berlin) to Dale Bozzio (Missing Persons) to Deborah Harry.

At the same time, they've updated the synthpop aesthetic to include some more club oriented dance beats. Jesus Saves grafts a disco rhythm and tight repetitive fills onto a Berlin-style vocal and a New Order bass line. The upbeat groove contrasts with the resignation of the lyrics:

The weight of your ambition
Has worn the carpet thin
With no cure for your condition
So far under your skin

It's a shame, we all have a sell-by date
Shop where Jesus saves

It's a compelling combination.

My favorite track, though, is the single, Salvation. The staccato guitar drives the song forward against a moody vocal. When the drum beat comes in strong, it concentrates the intensity. There a deceptive simplicity here. It reminded me of some of Patti Smith's work off Easter, except Daly's voice is less expressive. This is music for late night driving - what are you running from? Listen to this too long and it might be the stalking singer of Salvation.

Dark eyes become divine
I need the love I crave
Your hands they burn like mine
I'll take you to my grave

The mood shift from Salvation to the following shimmery Beatles sound of Baby Blue is like a refreshing digestif.

While Baby Blue offers a little taste of Blondie, it's stronger in Sleepwalking. Here, the insistent beat and call-and-response vocals create a tension that opens up into a pretty Blondie pop feel. The drum beat stays steady, but a change in the instrumental backing and vocal tones go a long way to creating a more hopeful sound. The balance between the parts is more interesting than either part would be alone.

Scanners have made a well crafted album, but that might be its biggest flaw. The parts fit together so well, that there's not much spontaneity or expressiveness. Depending on the mood, Submarine may or may not satisfy. Mix the perfect G&T and give it a listen.

Concert review - Morning Teleportation, Scout Niblett, Sleepy Sun

23 March 2010 (Hi-Dive, Denver CO)
Is it hard being a music fan? 60 miles and a blizzard between you and the music? You just do it. But, it's even harder for the touring musicians. Sleepy Sun asked the crowd for a place to crash for the night and all of the acts were probably thinking the drive to the next gig.

Braving the snow was worth it for us, I only hope the three bands last night felt the same. Despite the snow, the turnout was decent.`

Morning Teleportation

Playing a jam band mix of funk, indie rock, and a morsel of free jazz, Morning Teleportation started off the show. They had a great stage patience, with some theatrics that made them fun to watch. At the same time, they were sort of a stunt band -- they seemed to have a gimmick for each song. In one, it was a talk box; in another, they resorted to gratuitous sax for the horn punch intro. Their vocals were out there, too. Most of the time they talked between songs, it sounded like they were using some kind of funny voice. They also favored odd vocal arrangements, like weird harmonies, quavery tone (think Tommy Bolan), or football chanting.

Musically, they had a number of songs that seemed to join a number of smaller unconnected songs into a whole. It was very psychedelic and experimental, but often sounded like it was trying too hard. They were very tight on the harmonic and rhythmic shifts forced by this approach, though. The frenetic beats fit well with their party stage show. The drummer stayed on top of it all, with some tasty fills. The bass player was also standout.

I'd like to catch Morning Teleportation in another year or two and see if they can shrug off some of their stilted approach. They have some nice songs, like Boom Puma that I think will stand up over time.

Scout Niblett

It was quite the bill: the first act, the stage was packed, the second act was more minimalist. Scout Niblett played alone for the first couple of songs. Later, drummer Dan Wilson joined her, setting up a superficial comparison to the White Stripes. True, Niblett could play some heavily distorted guitar, but she's more of a grungy Pavement meets Liz Phair. She had a sweet and achy voice that seemed deeply emotional and revealing.

Her songs were largely sweet-and-sour. Her vocals might start out with a Rickie Lee Jones drawl over a sparse guitar. Then, as she triggered the overdrive tone on her Fender Jaguar, she'd almost wail in pain. Her lyrics were very evocative:

Sittin' on the banks of a glassy river
Mercury flew down to tell me a story
As he began it sounded familiar It starts with the sound of a lonely girl
- Scout Niblett, Hot To Death

This was over a Stephen Malkmus style chromatic progression that shifted back and forth into hard, noisy grunge.

My favorite song of the set, though, was Kiss, which is a sweet ballad with a edge of detuned suffering.

A kiss could've killed me, if it were not for the rain
A kiss could've killed me, Baby, if it were not for the rain

And I had a feeling it was coming on
And I felt it coming for so long
If I'm to be the fool then so it be

It was cathartic and satisfying like probing a toothache. It was one of the few songs that didn't rage into fuzz-fueled angst, but it was intense enough anyway.

Sleepy Sun

Sleepy Sun has no use for little boxes like "genre". They've got a retro feel, mixing acid blues, progressive rock, psychedelia, and vintage hard rock. There's an element of Fleetwood Mac and more modern Wilco in there, too. Any given song might bring an influence to mind, but, just as quickly, the song insisted that it be judged on its own merits.

The male-female vocal mix was a central part of their sound, . Bret Constantino and Rachel Williams played off each other effortlessly. Williams conjured up haunting and soulful sounds, while Constantino immersed himself, sometimes evoking an expressive Bono vibe.

The rest of the band is tight and focused. The guitar arrangements were especially cool. The two (sometimes three) guitars filled up the space and traded roles in a natural flow. There was plenty of blistering lead, but any given solo was relatively short before trading off, so Sleepy Sun avoided the pitfall of self-indulgence. With songs like Desert God, a Grateful Dead psychedelic groove had a moody start. One guitar played a meandering melody while the other layered in some noisy, floaty riffs. Eventually, as the ritual unfolded, the song picked up energy into Malkmus-grunge, then sliding into progressive rock.

Sleepy Sun finished playing way too early. I wanted the night to keep on going.

Lost Abbey's The Angel's Share is the perfect pairing for Sleepy Sun's show: barrel-aged, unique, and strong.

More photos on my Flickr.