CD review - Various Artists, U.N. Disco (2010)

Kingem Records' has released a heartfelt tribute to the bygone Euro dance music of the 1980s. Italo disco, as it is more properly known, was one of the earlier forms of electronic dance music. U.N. Disco is a blend of old and new, updating the earlier inspiration into a Neo-Italo sound.

Organizer Mark Zonda drafted his manifesto and describes it in the liner notes:

The rules to follow to be part of the project were simple:
* lyrics had to deal with the future, the Celtic world, Russia, Japan, USA or nightlife fascinations, and above all not necessarily having to make sense.
* Rhythm had to be on 2/2 with a hit and a clap,
* the artists has to take part to the project moonlighting with a made up name related to a female Italian name or a reference to a classic book or tale.

Each band participating brought their own take on the classic style, but the overall tone of U.N. Disco is not so far from modern dance music. This is largely because disco elements have been warmly embraced throughout dance pop lately. Some of the bands strayed from the purely electronic sound of the original Italo disco, throwing in a touch of guitar or bass, but most of the tracks preserve a dance pop/synthpop sound.

The album starts off with Into the Night by "Silvia Paradiso" (Friday Bridge). The sound is jaunty synthpop. The breathy vocals are somewhere in the Missing Persons/Berlin style, while the music features some nice keyboard work. The lyrics also set the tone of looking back: "There's a place called Paderborn, in case that you forgot. Filled with moonlight, filled with promise...". The guitar part fits more with early American disco, but that's a small quibble.

One of the prime exemplars of the style was Hot Times by "Barry Bianco with Vanessa London" (Carlos Valderrama of Fitness Forever). The tongue in cheek Barry White reference shows they're not taking this too seriously, but the music calls that into question. It's a tight dance pop groove with a perfect disco bass line. Despite the steady drive of the beat, there's a languid feel. The male and female vocals have a good chemistry, each providing a different feel: serious and cool versus playful and expressive. If I had to pick the perfect Italo disco tagline, I'd be fairly tempted by "Intercontinental playboy, super macho".

Another interesting track is Camoflage Detection by "Nitelife USA" (Sean Rawls from Still Flyin'). It starts out as a reflective arpeggio sliding into a sparse synthpop progression. Before long, some experimental elements creep in. The vocals slide in and out of a hoarse falsetto and the song builds into a low-fi, clipped audio sound before it eventually self destructs. It's a story song, with interesting lyrics.

Zonda's first rule is probably one part of what made U.N. Disco an appealing album. The lyrical content through the songs was a lot more interesting than the fluff I think of in American disco. Musically, the modern dance pop sounds worked well, too. I'm not sure what the appropriate drink is, perhaps a Campari martini...

CD review - Red Mass, Red Mass (2009)

Anarchy as artistic technique. Red Mass is a pick up punk band out of Montreal consisting of whoever is in the mood to play with Roy Vucino (aka Choyce). The uncommitted lineup, the experimental tangents, and rapid mood swings are all part of the plan on this EP. The core aesthetic is a garage punk sound, with psycho undertones (as opposed to psychedelic ones).

Of course, because there are no real rules, the first couple of songs cover a Pere Ubu influenced experimental rock sound in contrast to the other 5 tracks. The first song, Saturn, combines a David Thomas style vocal and music that tightropes between Pere Ubu and Roky Erickson. It's quirky and retro. The frantic energy is great. The second track adds a Radio Birdman vibe to the mix. Overdriven bass and guitar set up a cathartic level of noise.

The remaining tracks start in garage punk, but then push the boundaries. There's plenty of thrash and choppy drive, invoking the MC5, the Damned, a host of classic punk bands. At the same time, Red Mass pulls in a lot of experimental elements, such as the static and noise layering in I'm On Fire or the drum machine under Success For Crime. Another element of the anarchy is the occasional use of funny sounding, affected vocals. Success For Crime is the strongest example, where the vocals make it more of an impression of punk.

Top tracks are the aforementioned Saturn and the simple, pound it out, West Coast punk of Party Till I Die. Some good old frat house suicide punch is a good accompaniment.

CD review - Tumbledown, Empty Bottle (2010)

The sound on Empty Bottle is familiar. Tumbledown adds a country twist to that special genre in my pantheon of music: "snotty boys with guitars". I ought to judge them solely on their own merits, but it's hard to separate their sound from one of my favorite old bands, the Refreshments.

I fell in love with the Refreshments the first time I heard Banditos. They had tight harmonies, a driving beat, and a saturated guitar sound. Frontman Roger Clyne sneered out songs of sheepish losers who fell to forces they just couldn't understand. After the Refreshments broke up, Clyne moved on to a great solo career, maturing as an artist. While I love his new work, I miss the immaturity and attitude the Refreshments summoned.

With Empty Bottle, the first couple of songs set Tumbledown's credentials as a country rock band. But then, the third track, Meet the Devil, triggers the comparison to the Refreshments. It's a simple guitar rocker, choppy and full sounding with a layer of lead guitar to smooth it over. Mike Herrera has that same know-it-all tone that Roger Clyne sings, but a little lower and raspier. When he sings, "I never start from the beginning, I go straight to the end. Always looking for an angle, for a back door in", I hear the same sentiments that the Refreshments could always tap.

This continues with the story song, Arrested in El Paso, which has a nice hard rock start that settles into a rollicking western-tinged rock.

They got my worldly possessions strewn about the floor
And I don't think we're gonna make the show no more
So, don't you mess with Texas, from experience I know
And steer far clear of the US Border Patrol

A classic rock guitar solo is the icing on this cake. Songs like these satisfy my cravings for that Refreshements sound.

Tumbledown throws in enough country rock elements to step beyond the Refreshments comparisons. They have a clear love of traditional country that comes out in songs like She's in Texas (and I'm Insane) ("...I run to her like water down a drain") and Drink to Forget or in the steel tones of guest Todd Beene on Bad News. They may not be perfectly biographical, but their songs paint a picture of blue collar guys just doing their best. That's a big part of what classic country has always been and Tumbledown captures that.

At the same time, Tumbledown clearly gets their "snotty boys" sound from Mike Herrera's other band, MxPx, which is squarely in that New Found Glory brand of thrashy rock. The mix of rock and country may sometimes pull Empty Bottle more into the direction of the Beat Farmers than the Refreshments, but it's a good solid rocker. Line up a shot and a beer and give them a listen.

CD review - Parlovr, Hell / Heaven / Big / Love (2010)

Hell / Heaven / Big / Love is the new EP from Montreal alt rockers Parlovr (pronounced "parlour"). The EP is scattershot, reflecting the open ended process the band used putting this together. They started with one song, Hell, Heaven and then built the remaining tracks in the studio. Each song has its own mood or moods, creating a deliberate lack of continuity. I like the artistic statement, but it's undermined by the EP format, which tends to be weak on continuity anyway. That said, the songs are interesting and full-bodied with sound. Fragments of Modest Mouse and the Pixies crunch underfoot.

According to the band, Hell, Heaven is about growing up in the Middle East. The lyrics are fuzzed and it's hard to pull out all the words. The anthemic chorus transcends words anyway. "Hell, heaven" is enough to understand. The song starts with the patented indie rock intro of a beat, jangly guitars, and wordless backup vocals building into a crescendo. The layers of staccato guitar riffs interlocking create a path to the song proper. I really like the low foundation of bassy synth supporting a pair of contrapuntal guitar parts.

Big Love is more of a post punk/synth rock groove. Shards of Depeche Mode, New Order, and a host of other bands have been swept to the side, but not out of sight. The song is simple as it modulates between two chords. They throw in a single chord bridge to change the pace. The surprise ending during a sudden '80s rock style drum break solves the problem of "where do we go from here?"

Hell / Heaven / Big / Love veers into power pop next, with Where is the Sun. It's jaunty and fun. The bridge/ending vamps on a low vocal that's almost a guttural groan, which builds into a chaotic garage groove.

The EP wraps up with Tehching Hsieh, about the Chinese born performance artist. The music bounces in an upbeat, Adam Ant post-punk sound (a bit like Antmusic). The lyrics describe his life and art, starting with his arrival jumping ship to America. The chorus is wide open and repetitious, balancing the beat of the verses. The vocals are a bit experimental, with laughing and wordless parts.

True to their vision, Parlovr doesn't try to provide or claim a narrative or musical theme to Hell / Heaven / Big / Love. They want each song to be taken on its own merits. As such, the songs are decent, but lack impact - like a serviceable amber ale.