Parts & Labor
Mapmaker
2007 | Jagjaguwar/Brah
I
was in Guitar Center in San Francisco a couple of years ago, waiting to
be rung up for some pedal I couldn’t afford, when I noticed these two
guys in front of me buying a bunch of cables. One of them looked like
that crazy guitar player for Faith No More, the one with the ‘fro,
beard and glasses, while the other guy was a seriously tall redheaded
guy. “These two are interesting looking,” I thought to myself, “I bet
they’re in a good
band.” I struck up a conversation with them, and
they revealed to me that were on tour with their group Parts and Labor.
I had heard a little of P & L via their first album, Rise, Rise,
Rise, at least enough to know they were good. And so my theory that
you can oftentimes evaluate the quality of band simply by the
appearance of the members was once again confirmed.
If
you’re familiar with Parts and Labor you would probably guess that they
guys behind it were some interesting cats, as capable as they are of
summoning shrieks out of an old Apple IIE as of writing a great chorus.
Indeed, they create anthemic, vaguely Scottish-influenced noise rock
built around the use of junkyard electronics. There are obvious
parallels to Amps for Christ, whose leader also crafts instruments out
of circuitry and has an affection for the Highlands, as well as to
stuff like Husker Du and Neutral Milk Hotel, in terms of B.J. Warshaw’s
sincere, forceful vocal delivery. Parts and Labor have emphasized
melody a bit more with each release, albeit in a seriously noisy way,
and Mapmaker continues this trend. Just as their last album had an
undisputed best song in “The Great Divide,” so too does Mapmaker with
opener “Fractured Skies,” a perfect intersection of noise, harmony and
energy. In fact, if someone was to ask me about this album, I’d
probably say “well, it has this one great song.” There a couple other
worthy numbers, notably “New Crimes” and “Brighter Days,” but nothing
quite as stunning as that first one. The Scottish influence is more
subtle on this album than on those past, and truth be told I miss the
bagpipe-sounding effect that was applied so liberally on their first
release. Still, on the whole this is solid stuff, and probably a good
entry point to a band that is as loud as they are melodic.
-Chris Holmes
Grinderman
Grinderman
2007 | Anti/Mute
Through the years Cave's outlook remains a constant; songs of despair,
abuse, and shattered love. For his new project he enlists 3 of his Bad
Seeds to do the dirty work that makes up Grinderman. As the project
began to take shape the bands self-description was "Foul-mouthed,
noisy, hairy, and damn well old enough to know better." That's a great
thing to know before putting on 40 minutes of some of the most hardcore
rants you will hear all year. When I first heard about this project in
passing I mistook it for the soundtrack for the new Tarantino/Rodriguez
Double-Feature "Grindhouse," which would make perfect sense as the same
techniques were applied. A simple story told in the most brutal form
possible. This album sounds like it was made to be a soundtrack to a
snuff film.
The album opens in typical Cave fashion. An acapella monologue followed
by a basic bassline mutilated by distortion and some faint bongos. The
tone for the album is set when Cave sings, "He Drank Panther Piss and
Fucked the Girls You're Probably Married To." I wasn't joking when I
said this album was hardcore. The next track (and first single) "No
Pussy Blues," content-wise is pretty much exactly what it reads. Fuzzy
distorted wah-wah guitar makes up the chorus in Sonic Youth drone
freak-out fashion without being too intrusive. That quality has to do
with the amazing production done by Nick Launay (Talking Heads, PiL,
and my little radio co-host Bobby Alt's previous project) who takes a
whole lot of power and each band member's dominance and balances it
perfectly. The album itself is made up of basic sharp parts played by
seasoned musicians who do a great job of keeping it tamed so the rest
of the space can be filled with attitude dished out by the tone of the
songs.
You may not expect it, but there are also some mellow
tracks on the album that are still heavy and haunting. "Electric Alice"
and "Man In The Moon" are reminiscent of Cave's contribution to last
years Rogue's Gallery album which was aptly dubbed, Pirate Ballads, Sea
Songs and Chanteys. Simple backing sounds to accompany the deep and
dark thoughts of Cave equipped with his patented handlebar mustache and
mullet. This album rocks like if John Cale made a record after enduring
any more of Lou Reed's criticism. It's great to see Cave returning to
his roots, hardcore pain and despair.
-Perfik
Restaurant is a band who are in Los Angeles by way of Victoria, Tx that describing their music only gets more complicated when trying to explain the instruments these boys play.
Take Bobby "State" Penn for instance. At first glance,
he's the drummer in the band. On closer examination, his kick drum is a
cardboard box filled with women's bras, his high-hat is a stack of
Texas license plates, his snare is a sheet of metal and his floor tom
the wheel of a car. Craig, the band's frontman, can be seen pulling
strings on what looks like a cigar box with a guitar neck strapped to
it. Restaurant led the party outside at last years Summer Camp festivities, prompting our only visit ever from the LAPD. Look for a repeat appearance again at Summer Camp this June.
Recently, Bobby "State" Penn, (aka Jonathan) has begun an interesting side project called World Fame Project. Click HERE and give the song 1981 a listen.
Tycho
Past is Prologue
2006 | Merck
Past is Prologue is basically an upgraded re-release of 2005's Sunrise Projector. It includes four new tracks as well as remixed/remastered versions of songs from the original record. What makes this release extra special is Scott Hansen’s incredible art and CD packaging that actually looks like it was designed to accompany the music
Tycho floats right alongside the brilliant ambience and careful synth work of Boards of Canada, there's no hiding that. The album consists of chilled beats and filtered drones created to induce an uncomfortable yet calming effect. “Dictaphone’s Lament” recalls Seefeel’s More Like Space EP, which turns me on in every possible way, while “The Disconnect” is an experience close to staying up all night and witnessing your first sunrise. Scott Hansen’s understanding of rhythm also helps the record soar on “PBS” with a smooth transition into a mid-tempo groove. Every song is like living in someone's daydream.
There are millions of colors and shades in the music, I know that sounds totally cheesy, but the record has this indescribable feel. Past is Prologue conveys the importance of imagery, and possibly, slowing down your routines and relationships to a complete stop.
The Little Ones
Sing Song
2006 | Astralwerks
The latest Sing Song EP from L.A. kings of pop The Little Ones, formerly known as “Little One” if you must know, is a piece of music you need to own. Sing Song is abundant with shiny, bouncy, pop melodies and a tropical feel that is freeing, like you're on a vacation.
Let's begin with the Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yeah of "Lovers who Uncover." Imagine you're trying to walk across the dance floor at Cinespace, trying desperately to get to the bathroom. Once you make it to the center someone smacks you on the booty and you suddenly recognize hundreds of people who are actually enjoying the music and having a great time. "Cha Cha Cha" reveals some sharp guitar work and a keyboard melody that reminds me of stepping off an airplane onto my own private island in the South Pacific. Then there's the catchy riffing on "High on a Hill," reminiscent of many Elephant 6 bands with its anthemic, marching rhythm.
The "new" banger, and standout, is "Face the Facts." It's slightly more streamlined and less "happy," not that being happy is a terrible way to feel. The opening warped melody and stomping drum rhythm pulls you closer and closer. But what makes it so special is how loose and driving it feels compared to the rest of songs. You can sense a new direction in their arrangements.
The Little Ones are reminiscent of Built to Spill and The Shins but sound bigger and full-of-life, like they have something to celebrate. What sets these bands apart is the positivity and triumphant feel that shines through in every song. I would bet that you could play Sing Song for an entire Elementary School and they would like it for many of the same reasons that would initially come to mind. That's a quality rarely experienced in music these days.
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