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Album Reviews
[Minmae]
Microcassette Quatrains
BlueSanct Recording Corporation, 2003
In their bio, [Minmae] cites as influences Sebadoh, GBV, and Robyn Hitchcock. Their second CD, My quiet life, seems like a logical extension of this one. Both are moody, lo-fi, visceral, and less refined than the albums that gave it inspiration. A rough in the diamond, one might say, if one were inclined to lame ironic musings.
But that is exactly what this album is. MQ has the sound of a guy with minimal equipment and (as they say in their bio) copious amounts of "artistic substance" making what he wants to be a polished album. Anyone that has sat down with a four track (which is what this recorded on, believe it or not) understands what that can mean. Hours of laboring over the pan knobs, EQing until you don't know what sounds muddy or clean, a little more reverb? No, that's not the sound I want! Fuck it! Move on to the next one! You've got ideas and enough material and cassette tapes to fill six albums. So you do it because you love it and it shows. We can hear it in every detail: the hope, the confusion, the excitement. It's these albums that we love as a listener because we don't have to be critical because there is nothing to be critical about. Umma Gumma, Bleach, the CD in the 99-cent bin that you listened to for two weeks straight, Microcasette Quatrains and My Quiet Life. Albums that remind you that you too can create a great album without the meddling of someone that "knows how to make a great album".
A warning for the pure of sound: this album is full of samples and highly effected vocals. Nothing sounds clean, and it lacks a certain concision. Also, a few songs on this album make it onto My Quiet Life but the passive listener would be none the wiser as those particular songs are rendered so differently. [Minmae] define themselves with style and substance, giving us listening experiences; a conscious presentation of sound that is never dull or unimaginative.
-SH
www.minmae.com
thebeforepicture.
a sense of urgency
post436 records.
I'm glad to hear bands coming out of P-town, fresh on the scene, with music you'd normally hear comin' out of D.C. I saw them live and thought they played really tight and rocked the house.
thebeforepicture has all the reverb/distortion and rocker attitude you can ask for. I loved the dissonant post-punk guitar lines and song structure. In their bio they mention bands such as Jawbox, and Shiner, to name a few, as some of their influences. I concur. I was excited to get a band to review that I was into.
I enjoyed this album very much; their arrangements were complex and rhythm driving. But they sounded exactly like the best things about Jawbox, Shiner, and June of 44; which isn't all bad. I'm glad they took their best songs and put out their debut, a 5 song EP. Their 1st album since forming in October of 2001. I anticipate hearing their next record. -MD
www.post436records.com
The Very Foundation
The Final Moments of Paola Mori
Velvafonic Records, 2003
A lot of work went into making this EP. The band is tight and solid, yes. The hooks are hummable, the instruments sound great, and there are lots of cool noises and effects. The production is well choreographed. Dynamics, thy name is The Very Foundation. Put into the right hands, track two, Facsimile, is destined for the radio. There are a lot of good things happening in The Final Moments of Paola Mori. It is an interesting mix of psychedelic, indie rock and straight-ahead pop.
For some reason, however, I don't want to like this CD, but I just can't help enjoy the offering The Very Foundation puts forth. It makes sense to my rock and roll summer personality. The side of me that wants a good time on a boat with my friends in some brand name beer commercial but doesn't want to admit it. This EP does for me all the things that a Hum CD does for me. Not musically, mind you, but in style. A paradoxically distant yet immersing and visceral production. It rides the ever increasingly line between the Major and Independent "sound". The guitars are nice and crunchy, the drums are spot on, the bass lines are interesting and the vocals are emotive. Good things, I predict, will happen for The Very Foundation if this EP is just the beginning of what they are capable of. -SH
www.veryfoundation.com
The Tuftees
Self-Titled
The Sleepyhouse NW Records, 2003
This family of Tuftees comes together on their debut CD, coincidentally entitled "Tuftees". In some respects, this self-entitlement is par for the course in this rainy city of ours, where we all feel the need for a little self-stroking. Their particular blend of stroking and positively indulgent perkiness lends itself to those pop enthusiasts who need a boost beyond the strategically placed mocha. Snippets of piano and keyboard accompany the standard rock trio configuration on the more pensive tunes, much to my happy surprise.
One might say that the Tuftee brothers have always been a band. They were born into it. As I personally am not a huge fan of “brother” bands (i.e. BeeGees, Beach Boys, Miami Sound Machine, et. al.), I can only say that to everything, turn, turn turn, there is a season turn, turn, turn. My autumn sensibilities, however, keep me from jumping into their spring frolic, but I’m sure there are listeners who desire the sort of soundscapes this cd has to offer. Frolic away. - TB
thesleepyhouse.com/tuftees.html
Jeff London
Harm's Way
Self-Produced, 2003
Jeff London and Company have crafted an album that is beautifully textural, wonderfully produced (if not a bit sculpted), and melancholy as they come. Full of heart wrenchingly bemoaned vocals and witty introspection, Harm's Way injects it's watery sadness directly into my inner artist in pain. Jeff's voice, acoustic guitar, bass, and keys, all of which he played himself, are ever present on this somber CD. Tove Holmberg's violin playing is a treat in that Dave Gilmour sort of way, honest and direct, notes that drip like dark honey from a bee that, after giving her his all, never really feels the love of the queen. The drumming of Rachael Blumburg, when it’s present is beautiful and drippy in it's own way; spare and minimal and full of gravity.
On the cover, Jeff suggests to us that his "greatest hope is that you sacrifice one continuous period, in a dimly lit room, with a pair of headphones or separated speakers for the stereo sound." So that's what I did, with a glass of homemade mead and some orange slices and a head full of woes, I laid down on my bed and plugged my headphones into my CD walkman and pressed play. I'm sorry, Jeff, but I don't have that kind of attention span anymore. I blame MTV or something else. But his suggestion isn't a bad one if you have the time and/or inclination. Like I said, this CD is textural, layered and rich in stereophonics that fall short of maybe THX surround sound. Most every sound is crystal clear and at times it is almost as if London is whispering directly in your ear his most delicate secrets like a friend that needs somewhere to turn to for the evening.-SH
www.jefflondonmusic.com
The Key
Self-titled EP
Stephouse Records
The Key's eponymous release is available at their shows for free. Definitely worth the price. They sound like Bright Eye's with bigger balls, although not quite as big as Desparcido's. Connor Oberst references aside, I go back and forth with this recording. At times I'm nodding my head and at others I'm checking my watch. It’s your general 4-piece line-up, full of straight up, neo-indie rock. In places I'm surprised with the complexity of the arrangements. There's a slightly off-rhythm guitar part on Altar Boy which is really cool. It lends an eerie sense of paranoia to an otherwise radio-friendly rock song. Look deep into the left speaker and tell me if you agree.
When I saw the band live two things impressed me. The first was that this is probably the sexiest boy band in Portland's history. These guys look like models. The second is that front man Luke Janela dances like Guy from Fugazi without even taking off his guitar. Ok... Three things impressed me; they play really well, too. And the last song of the set (the most recently written I found out), showed a lot of promise. It seems like this young band is in a stage of figuring out what they do best and refining it. If they stick to it, they'll do really well. -DA
www.stephouserecords.com/key
Rm. 101
Half of What You Wanted
Indecisive Records, 2002
Granted, Rm. 101 was highlighted last month in 20-2, but the quality of the band's performance and recording ability made ignoring the submission of Half of What You Wanted simply impossible. Besides, they've just released a live album available online and at their upcoming shows.
If you've been at all disappointed in the last 3 Radiohead albums, then this band is what you've been looking for. Rm. 101 has picked up where the cheeky Brits left off. With only 7 tracks, it still stretches 49+ minutes long, and it's packed with surprising chord arrangements and instrumentation. Seriously though, the guy couldn’t sound more like Thom Yorke if he tried. If that bothers you, stay away. But if The Bends was one of your favorite albums ever, you can find this rocking cd online, at shows, and probably in some local record stores. -DA
www.rm101.net
System and Station
If You Find Me Let Me Know
Crustacean Records, 2003
This band completely blows me away. The title of the EP comes from the last song of this 6-song recording. It is mellow and washed. Ryan Heise (singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and promoter) sings the title over and over again with reverb giving you the Grand Canyon treatment. It's a cool song, and perfectly placed on the album as an epilogue to the jolting, calculated sharpness of the previous 5 tracks. In fact, I would say the arrangement of the entire album is pretty good, but as I eluded to, the songs all seem to have been fashioned with the same intention.
Though each song is unique unto itself, the writing style varies so little that I wonder if From Fiction to Truth? is my favorite track only because it's the first one on the album. Had it been arranged differently, maybe Graduation Day, a really killer song with opening line, "You do anything to feel like you fit in," would have been my favorite. I don't know. Because by the time I've listened to 4 songs, I realize that I need a break from the constant tempo. I think Ryan is very close to the perfect record though, and that's pretty damn good. For example, track number 4, Coasts Shore, is certainly the sweetest song on the record. It's neat that he's able to write a ballad song with the same driving energy as his other recordings, but I can't help wondering what it would sound like slowed way down. How would that affect the album as a whole?
Anyway, don't take my criticism too seriously. System and Station is one of the best bands I've heard in years. The songwriting seems like it's a combination of pro-football and baroque classical. There's a lot of energy, tight as a duck's ass, and rock doesn't get any smarter than this when it comes to time signature/key structure. Buy the album. See the shows. You won't be disappointed. Just make sure you've got some Katlyn Ni Donavin on hand for when you're finished. -DA
www.systemandstation.com
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