I never thought I would be posting about Pearl Jam on SAL. But, as I have rediscovered the past lately (REM, The Smiths, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, etc), I’ve also delved back into Pearl Jam. “The Fixer” is off the band’s new album, Backspacer. It’s being proclaimed as the “fun” Pearl Jam album and I think that is a fair statement. The album is solid and this damn song has been stuck in my head all week.
Posts Tagged ‘The Smiths’
01.10.2009
25.09.2009
Can we put a moratorium on bands taking their names from Morrissey and/or Smiths song titles? Apparently not but I guess it could be a lot worse. Certain People I Know is the new band from Braid/Hey Mercedes fellas Bob Nanna and Damon Atkinson. The band is definitely borrowing more from Hey Mercedes’ pop chops, but CPIK adds in the element of female vocals as well. I am kind of shocked that this band hasn’t been more talked about considering the similarities to Hey Mercedes. Either way, I can appreciate those similarities and the subtle differences as well. You can download the band’s demo right here.
Neverlasting
Neverlasting.mp3
Our Lady Guadalupe
OurLadyofGuadalupe.mp3
17.09.2009
My first thought? Shark Speed sounds like The Long Winters…mixed with Mouse Fire…? There is a pop sensibility that hides behind all of the dancey, jazz inspired grooves. And the phrasing of the vocals is very similar to John Roderick’s; most of the vocal rhythms mimic the rhythms of the songs, usually making for a more unique experience. The occasional use of drum machines and lo-fi electronics reminds me a bit of Kid, You’ll Move Mountains. The problem is, I’m becoming a tired of all the Minus the Bear rip-offs and these guys are definitely taking a page from that book. But while Mouse Fire can literally sound like b-sides from Planet of Ice, on Seasick Music, Shark Speed manages to at least infuse a bit more bar rock and some interesting arrangements into their overall sound…though, sadly, it’s still a sound that’s been done before.
These guys sound their best when they keep it simple. “Battle Born” grabs and keeps my attention with it’s impassioned vocals and urgent rock feel. It sounds like a shinier, more complex Henry Clay People, which is a great thing. Like taking the moody smoothness of The Smiths and combining it with The Replacements.
The problem with these bands usually lies in the vocalist and such is the case here. Shark Speed need a distinctive voice in order to stand out from the pack but they just don’t have it. The Smiths had Morrissey, The Replacements had Paul Westerberg, and Shark Speed have that guy at the mic. Maybe a bit harsh, but while the vocals are competent and the delivery on point, the overall tone is a bit forgettable, which is unfortunate. If they don’t need a new singer, they need a new approach to the vocal melodies, whether it be denser arrangements or a bit more call-and-response…I don’t know, but something there needs to be switched up. Fix that, and you have a killer band, but until then, it’s another band that sounds like other bands.
Label: Self-Released
Cast Off Dance Off
01%20Cast%20Off%20Dance%20Off.mp3
Battle Born
04%20Battle%20Born.mp3
26.06.2008
If you don’t know the name Mike Law, you really should. He fronted the amazing, but truly underrated Eulcid. Now Law mans the helm for the equally great, but remarkably different New Idea Society. Mike was kind enough to answer some questions for SAL.
12.05.2008
For people who have followed Face To Face over the years, it sure is wonderful to hear the familiar vocals of Trever Keith once again. As the blitzkrieg of opening track “Cross Your Heart And Hope To Die” blasts from the stereo it feels like a warm embrace from a long lost friend. Melancholics Anonymous is Keith’s unfortunately titled solo debut. Thankfully, the album sheds the singer/songwriter tag, instead going for a full band approach the majority of the time.
It becomes apparent half-way through Melancholics Anonymous that the album owes a great deal to Face To Face’s most controversial release. The ill-received 1999 album, Ignorance Is Bliss, was the band’s attempt to move out of from under the melodic pop/punk constraints. The album was seen as a failure at the time by many fans. So much so that the band let the fans pick the songs for the next record which was sarcastically titled, Reactionary. Through the subsequent years though, Ignorance Is Bliss has won quite a few Face To Face fans over, including myself. And fans of that album and Face To Face in general should find a lot to love in finally hearing Keith again on Melancholics Anonymous.
If you study Face To Face’s excellent covers album, 2001’s Standards & Practices, you can really see where the band’s influences were birthed. On that album, the band covered artists as diverse as Jawbreaker and Fugazi to The Smiths and The Psychedelic Furs. On Melancholics Anonymous those influences become even more apparent. The hints of British pop are coated all over Keith’s solo debut. Perhaps the most telling cover of Standards & Practices is Sugar’s “Helpless.” Bob Mould who had previously fronted melodic punk band Hüsker Dü moved into more accessible waters with Sugar’s finely coated pop rock. Keith emulates that movement here as he settles into a successful groove of pop bombast mixed with brit-pop tenderness. It results in an album chock full of alt-rock nuggets.
Despite Face To Face’s recent reunion shows, Melancholics Anonymous prove that Trever Keith will be just fine when he finally decides to leave Face To Face completely in his past. Granted, if you never liked Face To Face then you might want to move on before you start. But, if you ever had a soft spot for the band then you should at least give Keith’s Melancholics Anonymous a try. It might just surprise you.
Genre: Indie/Alternative/Rock
RIYL: Face To Face, Bob Mould, Samiam
Label: Self-Released
Cross Your Heart And Hope To Die
1crossyourheartandhopetodie.mp3
Half Asleep
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