AC/DC reissues feature review (Orlando Weekly)

The old joke goes that the reason AC/DC has sold so many copies of “Back in Black” — it’s currently up to around 19 million — is because every day, at least one redneck discovers that his Trans Am tape deck chews up cassettes. And it’s true that many warm beers have been drunk and many skinny joints have been smoked in millions of drivers’ seats while some mulleted goofball pumped his fist belligerently to “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.” AC/DC’s relentlessly midtempo bombast, their thunderously basic riffage, their puerile lyrical innuendo: It’s the stuff that typically indicates the high watermark of taste for trailer parks full of wife-beating crackers permanently “between jobs.”

For this reason alone, many might cast the band as a guilty pleasure of a misspent youth. In truth, AC/DC is one of the best post-Stones rock & roll bands ever. Beyond the rarified pantheon built on the four cornerstones of the MC5’s raw politics, Aerosmith’s melodic swagger, Van Halen’s big-tent bravado and AC/DC raunchy bluster, you would be hard-pressed to find any bands that have more clearly defined and inspired rock & roll. Each group built reputations based on intensely populist music, and it’s that ground-level appeal that powered AC/DC’s tremendous impact. Having never shied away from the easy joke or the gut-punching riff, it makes sense that, of all four of those bands, AC/DC is the one from a prison colony.

Founded in December 1973 by the Young brothers — Malcolm and Angus — in Sydney, Australia, the membership of AC/DC went through no less than six permutations by the time vocalist Bon Scott joined nine months later. The band recorded its debut, “High Voltage” — in 10 days, no less — soon after. The best tracks from that album and its Australian follow-up, T.N.T., were combined in America and Europe as “High Voltage” in late 1976. Though a song with a bagpipe solo might seem an inauspicious debut for a rock band, AC/DC quickly began to establish themselves among rock aficionados in the States. (But not among enough, according to their label, to warrant releasing 1976’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” until 1981, after the success of “Back in Black.”)

During the whirlwind between the American release of “High Voltage” and the 1980 death of Bon Scott, AC/DC delivered one seminal live recording (“If You Want Blood [You've Got It"], two excellent studio albums (Let There Be Rock and Powerage) and one certifiable classic, the full-on, rock overload of “Highway to Hell.” The strongest (and last) Bon Scott studio album, Highway to Hell is also the group’s strongest. On this release, the bar-fight hooligans became full-fledged rock monsters, from the starting title track through the closing “Night Prowler.”

It was only a couple weeks after the close of the band’s fourth European tour for “Highway to Hell” that Bon Scott would be found in the back of a car in London, having choked to death on his own vomit. The primary chapter in AC/DC’s history came to a close. “Back in Black” — recorded less than two months after Scott’s death — both maintained and culminated the band’s legacy, as new member Brian Johnson’s uncanny vocal resemblance to Scott helped keep the fire alive a bit longer. Later recordings would show a marked decrease in quality, and though AC/DC still continues to bash out essentially the same three songs (the fast boogie one, the raunchy midtempo one, the loud, anthemic one), the magic has gone.

Nearly 30 years later, we’re still excited about a band that has essentially been rocking in place for their entire existence. AC/CD is due to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next week, and they’ve just seen their catalog moved to a new label and excellently remastered. The first batch includes “High Voltage,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “Highway to Hell,” “Back in Black” and “AC/DC Live” (a 1992 beast that captures the arena mechanics of current AC/DC), while the rest of the archive will be doled out in April and May. Beefed up with amazingly superior sound, Epic has treated AC/DC’s material like the musical treasure it is. So even though rednecks will always be losing their “Back in Black” tapes, for those of us who take their music more seriously, these reissues are a godsend — not a guilty pleasure.

First appeared February 27, 2003 in Orlando Weekly.

Alias Clark feature (Orlando Weekly)

There’s a fine line between bands with a sense of humor and bands that are just a joke. The 99-cent markdown bins are filled with the recorded output of the latter, while those that fit the former are faced with the often difficult task of maintaining their sunny dispositions while slogging it out club show after club show.

Though they’ve been at it for less than two years, the Orlando boys in Alias Clark are managing to keep a cockeyed smile on their collective face, while dishing up infectious, high-energy punk rock. Live performances are peppered with various in-jokes, toilet humor and jaw-droppingly juvenile props (a recent night at Will’s Pub prominently featured a blow-up doll … don’t let it be said that this band avoids obvious jokes). But the thing that keeps audiences smiling is the band’s obvious enthusiasm for what they’re doing. The four members of Alias Clark are positively gleeful onstage, clearly thrilled with what they’re doing. And that, perhaps, is what keeps ‘em so happy.

“We kind of have a dual personality where we’re serious about the music and the recordings, but it’s all shits and giggles for the live show,” says guitarist and vocalist Jim Tramontana. “It’s a double whammy. Hook ‘em with the good tunes on the CD, and then you put on a fun and different live show every night.”

“We’ve definitely got the lunacy, but we’re not a novelty act or anything,” adds drummer Andy Wambach.

Even without the pervasive humor in an Alias Clark show, the music stands on its own. Their two recorded EPs are both surprisingly strong musical statements from a band so young. Yes, Alias Clark is working a pop-punk sound that — thanks to its combination of catchiness and chunkiness — is hard to ignore. But the limitations of the genre seem to invigorate the band rather than limit it, and Alias Clark is prone to injecting a healthy dose of rock power into their songs (check the top-down classic rock-isms of “Nasty Reputation” for a prime example).

Formed by Tramontana, Wambach and bassist Adam Williams after the dissolution of the previous band — the somewhat more straight-ahead Hidden Children — Alias Clark worked for nearly a year as a trio, recording a self-titled EP in the process. With the addition last summer of second guitarist Matt Woodruff, the group’s sound was beefed up considerably; and though Woodruff is notoriously shy in person, he definitely gets in on the act when the band hits the stage. (“I met Matt in speech class,” says Williams. “Which is funny when you realize that neither of you guys ever talk,” adds Wambach.)

The addition prompted the now-quartet to head into the studio for another round of recording, resulting in the four-track “Florida EP.” Live shows play a big part in the Alias Clark story, but the band is also intent on getting as much material as possible preserved on tape.

“Initially, we wanted to record every month, because we write all the time,” says Tramontana. “It turned into every other month, and then the problem of money came in, and we really haven’t recorded all that much lately.”

When the band does go back into the studio, it’s unclear exactly what they’ll emerge with. After all, following two EPs of solid punky pop, perhaps Alias Clark is ready to conquer other genres. Perhaps it’s time to broaden their horizons. Perhaps it’s time to explore Broadway.

“We’re gonna do a whole CD of show tunes,” says Williams, tongue protruding from cheek.

Tramontana concurs: “We were gonna do “Little Shop of Horrors,” but now I think we should do “Annie.”" He then busts into the chorus of “Tomorrow.”

“Yeah, nobody will think we’re a joke band then,” sighs Wambach.

First appeared February 27, 2003 in Orlando Weekly.

The Bloodthirsty Lovers: The Bloodthirsty Lovers CD review (Orlando Weekly)

Veteran Memphis swamp-pop band The Grifters can claim probably a dozen side projects between its four members. Some — notably Those Bastard Souls — claim a fairly close allegiance to the Southern Gothic ethos espoused by the band. Others, like The Bloodthirsty Lovers (also a dalliance of TBS founder Dave Shouse), are a bit more far removed. A guitar/drums/keyboard trio, the Lovers explore the dark, electronic corners of Shouse’s songwriting and many of the songs on this 11-track “datapunk” album (their genre term, not mine) are quite new wave in nature. Though it’s obvious Shouse didn’t intend to hop on the electroclash bandwagon — this album was recorded over 18 months ago — tracks like “Telepathic” and, er, “Datapunk” definitely come off like the twisted, ugly cousins of the latest techno-glam superstars. Of course, there’s still a creepy undertone to all of the tracks, because no matter how cyber a Southern boy gets, he’s always got that crazy aunt in the attic that keeps him from forgetting where he came from.

First appeared in the Feb. 27, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

Various Artists: Being Black CD review (Orlando Weekly)

Angel Kyodo Williams crafted a contemporary, holistic paean to modern blackness with “Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and “Grace”,” a book that offered Zen principles as a possible remedy to the personal struggles African-Americans face on a daily basis. Intensely spiritual (Williams is a Zen priest), the book has, in the two years since it was published, resonated deeply within “alternative” black circles. On this CD, some of the brightest, most forward-thinking personalities in underground hip-hop pay “tribute” to the book by offering both previously released and brand-new tracks that reflect Williams’ vision. Though it might be unsettling to hear the brainy, profane rage of Mystic’s feminist power-rap reconstructed into a nearly gracious flow, her contribution is a perfect fit among tracks with Jurassic 5’s rap revisionism, Dilated People’s groupthink and other stellar songs from Rob Swift, Bahamadia, King Britt, DJ Spooky and others. The primary presence on “Being Black” though is the recently recognized (and perpetually amazing) poet Ursula Rucker. Featured on six of the 17 cuts, Rucker not only helps stylistically coalesce what could be a quite disparate album, but also provides a very real lyrical window into Williams’ original work.

First appeared in the Feb. 27, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

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Aereogramme: Sleep and Release CD review (Orlando Weekly)

In the same way that Porcupine Tree and Tool are finding intelligent bliss in the outer realms of prog-metal, Glaswegian band Aereogramme flies in the face of expectations that heavy music necessarily must be retarded. “Sleep and Release” is the quartet’s second album, and it expands greatly upon the epic swell of their 2001 release, “A Story In White.” Equally capable of chiming bombast (“Black Path”), melodic swoon (“Yes”) and all-out chunky power (“Indiscretion #243″), Aereogramme is one of the few groups that’s found comfort in the post-Radiohead landscape of British music by not checking their brains at the studio door. Some songs — “In Gratitude,” with its lush string arrangements is of particular note — nearly wander into the ether with their spacey atmospherics, while others (like the aforementioned “Indiscretion #243″) present a positively grandiose thundering assault. It’s a tricky path to tread, and occasionally the group does get a little too smart for their own good. Nonetheless, “Sleep and Release” is nothing but encouraging for the future of guitar rock.

First appeared in the Feb. 27, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

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Strapping Young Lad: SYL CD review (Orlando Weekly)

Providing further proof that bald Canadians are indeed the future of music, Devin Townsend (in his long-standing role as leader of Strapping Young Lad) has again upped the ante on intense and progressive heavy music. For the past eight years, Townsend’s SYL have been at the vanguard of metal’s future, combining the epic pomposity of symphonic metal with an unrelenting, cyber-grind that out-heavies, out-speeds and out-hates pretty much any other band that dares call themselves “metal.” “SYL” (the fourth album from the group) is their most hatefully punishing, a misanthropic romp through a post-9/11 landscape that’s as frightening in tone as it is fascinating in invention. With lyrical flights of fancy that ranges from extreme violence (“I want you for your body/I want to see you fucking dead” from “Rape Song”) to extreme absurdity (“dripping … leaking/dripping … cabbages” from “Dirt Pride”), Townsend proves a facility with words that far outstrips the Neanderthal rantings of most metal lyricists. (Thankfully, Townsend also manages to frame his war imagery in a distinctly left-wing position, condemning the war machine in “Bring On The Young” and unmasking the arrogance behind America’s anti-Arab warmongering in “Aftermath”; it’s truly refreshing given the gung-ho stupidity of many of his peers.) It’s been five years since Townsend last loosed a Strapping Young Lad album into the world. Hopefully, he’ll stay sufficiently angry to do the next one sooner.

First appeared in the Feb. 27, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

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Triple Threat: Many Styles CD review (Orlando Weekly)

Although the novelty of turntablism has worn off a bit, the movement — though still resolutely underground Ðhas maintained its artistry and grown creatively in ways that rap as a genre only wishes it has. This three-strong group of San Francisco vinyl cut-ups — Vinroc, Apollo and Shortkut — combine the frenetic collagism of deck antics with a strong sense of rap purism. What emerges is an avant-garde party. “Many Styles” weaves in and out of old school and underground mindsets, featuring guest shots from a strong clutch of compadres like Mystic, Black Thought, Roc Raida, Talib Kweli, Zion I and the almighty (and underappreciated) Planet Asia. Unfortunately, though the Triple Threat DJ’s are a formidable presence in a live environment, they chose for “Many Styles” to yield much of the sound to in-studio production, rather than on-the-fly mixing. Certainly, the album is drenched in live scratching, and the overall vibe — especially on hot cuts like the Mystic-featuring “On and On” — comes off like a block party. If Triple Threat would have actually cut the record live (a difficult feat, I’m sure), the effect would have been that much more intense.

First appeared in the Feb. 27, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

The Rough Guide to the Music of Turkey CD review (Orlando Weekly)

The 500-year reign of the Ottoman Empire was the most pervasive — and progressive — influence over Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the upper Arab peninsula. Though the dissolution of the empire and the resultant colonial redistricting of the region was a major destabilizing factor in the Middle East and Balkans, the cultural linkage established between the previously disparate groups is still very much alive. And nowhere is that culture collusion more apparent than in modern Turkey. As the hub of the Ottoman Empire, the country has been resolutely Muslim in tenor for centuries, yet has consistently absorbed the effects of being an object of European affection. The result is a modern, culturally rich land, where old ideologies are deftly merged with the pace of progress. This 15-track collection of newer Turkish music illustrates this, via a diverse mix of songs that range from traditional gypsy ballads to a modern interpretation on the music of the whirling dervishes. All of the songs — even the most pop-oriented ones from artists like Sezen Aksu — display the unmistakable strains of centuries of hardwired musical history, heard in both the instrumentation and in the construction of the music itself. So, yeah, you get some rock and you get some pop and you get some jazzy improvisation, but they all sound equally comfortable among belly-dancing tracks. Though Turkish guitar god Erkin Koray is sadly unrepresented, this is yet another installment in the Rough Guide series that does more for cultural enlightenment in 70 minutes than any amount of history research could.

First appeared in the Feb. 20, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

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Ronin: Ronin CD review (Orlando Weekly)

This Italian quintet — led by Bar La Muerte label owner Bruno Dorella — has been inspired by one of their country’s more famous musical exports, Ennio Morricone. All five tracks on this instrumental EP are cinematically evocative, possessed of the same illustrative effectiveness as much of Morricone’s work. Yet the influence of post-rock and the use of stark instrumentation (guitar, sax, accordion, bass, drums) means that those grandiose ideas are presented in a quiet, organic context. Thus, the songs (two of which are solo guitar pieces by Dorella) sound more like a mournful clash between the Dirty Three and Taraf de Haidouks — the merging of dirge-rock and gypsy chic. It’s effective and bodes well for the group’s future endeavors.

First appeared in the Feb. 20, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

Clue to Kalo: Come Here When You Sleepwalk CD review (Orlando Weekly)

With a reputation built upon underground hip-hop, Mush Records has made a name as a boutique dedicated to progressive, quality-oriented beat music. Thus, the emergence of this delicate flower of a record on this label is a bit surprising. The solitary creation of Australian Mark Mitchell, Clue to Kalo merges dream-pop atmospherics with laptop digitalia, and the results are impressive, if not somewhat disorienting. Typically, the gauzier facets of indie pop tend to be handled by guys with overeffected guitars. To have the same ethereal grace generated by “cold” synth patterns and blip-hop beats requires a readjustment of expectations. Sure, we’ve all heard new age and Eno-style ambient before, and if Mitchell would have created monochromatic lusciousness, “Come Here When You Sleepwalk” could easily be classified as such. Yet CTK is a different mission and Mitchell piles track upon disjointed track of synthetic noodlings, corrupted samples and arrhythmic beats, every now and then dressing it up with a bit of a whispered vocal line. Sounds obnoxious, but it’s not. The sheer haziness of it all makes the overall effect deceptively pleasant. While most bedroom auteurs seem to be interested in purging their souls or pushing the envelope, Mitchell, with his Clue To Kalo project, seems to have done both.

First appeared in the Feb. 20, 2003 issue of Orlando Weekly.

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