Far End of the Long Tail: Lost Classics from the Bargain Bin (Orlando Weekly)

Despite the fervent wishes of some pundits to move us right out of the physical-media age, CDs, records and even cassette tapes are still the only places a lot of music can be found. Due to licensing entanglements, lazy publishers or just forgetfulness on behalf of the listening public, there are millions, perhaps billions of songs floating around the nonvirtual world, just waiting to be rediscovered as lost classics. And not all of them are collectors items.

In trawling the virtual bargain bins of Amazon.com and Half.com, one can find many albums that, if released today, would likely receive a warm reception. Yet there they linger, feebly begging someone to put off buying a cup of coffee (or in some cases, a stick of gum) in exchange for an hour or so of sonic pleasure.

To help readers navigate the depths, the following is a list of nine albums – all at least 15 years old – that should be considered alt-rock classics, but aren’t. They’re all out of print on CD, none of them are available on iTunes, and not one costs more than five bucks for a used (good condition) copy. Hell, more than half of ’em cost less than two bucks. Consider it the cheapest music history lesson ever.

@ indicates other albums by this artist are either in print or available on iTunes.

AC Temple, Sourpuss (Blast First, 1989; $2.99 at Amazon.com) An explosive British indie noise-rock band that drew comparisons to Sonic Youth at the time. However, singer Jane Bromley has a full-throated howl that’s far more appropriate to this firestorm of guitars than Kim Gordon’s monotone. Produced by Jon Langford (Mekons), this was AC Temple’s third, final and best album.

Das Damen, Triskaidekaphobe (SST, 1988; $1.22 at Half.com) Das Damen’s pop-tinged psychedelia was delivered in a relentless, guitar-heavy fashion, and the band was renowned among underground cognoscenti for delivering the era’s loudest concerts. Underneath all that feedback and noise, though, were strong and un-retro garage-pop tendencies, and this disc finds the group at the height of its powers.

Flop, Whenever You’re Ready (Epic, 1993; 1 cent at Amazon.com @) The second of three albums by these Seattle power-poppers, Whenever You’re Ready is all anthemic major chords and earworm choruses; if the Posies had balls – and drank like the Replacements – they would have sounded like Flop. Rusty Willoughby’s smartass lyrics go a long way toward defining the band’s greatness, but it’s the breezy boldness of the group’s musical approach that’s the real charm here. “Port Angeles” is the best singalong tune about parental alienation and the apocalypse ever written. And, seriously, it costs a penny.

The Fluid, Glue/Roadmouth (Sub Pop, 1990; $4.49 at Half.com) The first non-Northwest band signed to Sub Pop, Denver grungers the Fluid brought a new sensibility to the label beyond just geography. Sadly, most folks only know them now for sharing a split 7-inch with Nirvana (their contribution, “Candy,” is included). This is a compilation of their 1989 Roadmouth LP and its more polished EP follow-up. The band’s finest moments are here, from the blistering high-octane rock of “Black Glove” and “Human Mill” to pummeling covers of Rare Earth (“Big Brother”) and the Troggs (“Our Love Will Still Be There”). The Fluid is reuniting to play Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary celebration this summer.

Junk Monkeys, Bliss (Metal Blade/Warner Bros., 1992; 75 cents at Half.com @)
Detroit’s Junk Monkeys had a lot in common with punk-fueled, melodic rock bands like Soul Asylum, Goo Goo Dolls and the Replacements, right down to the bacchanalian live shows and sugary hooks wrapped in brawny rock. The big difference: The Junk Monkeys never started sucking, much less reached the taint-tickling, sell-out lows of those aforementioned bands. While their third and best album would be a bargain at any price, snagging it for less than a buck is a steal.

Mary My Hope, Museum (Silvertone/BMG, 1989; $4.50 at Amazon.com) If he’s known at all, James Hall is most likely known for his New Orleans–based Pleasure Club or his work with Jimmy Gnecco of Ours. But Hall’s original stomping ground was Atlanta, as the leader of Mary My Hope. Museum’s sweaty grandiosity is unapologetically pompous and room-filling, so much so that he had to take the band to England for a while to get any attention. Still, the gothic tinges and simmering hostility of the disc predated the approach of the Twilight Singers by a decade.

Poster Children, Daisychain Reaction (TwinTone/Sire, 1992; $1.98 at Amazon.com @) Still going strong after more than 20 years of kicking out their wiry punk-rock jams, Poster Children’s creative high-water mark remains their second album. Produced by Steve Albini, Daisychain compresses all the wild energy of their debut and delivers it as a powerful musical wallop. Tight, angular songs that are as catchy as they are bruising.

Swell, 41 (American Recordings, 1994; $1.89 at Half.com @) In the grunge-obsessed early ’90s, a fucked-up acoustic act didn’t stand much of a chance. But for some reason, this disc from San Francisco’s Swell got a major-label push, which means that thousands of unlistened-to promos have populated bargain bins for 15 years now. Melodic and heavy, incredibly fragile and world-weary, 41 combines languid, semi-psychedelic acoustic passages with occasional flourishes of rock bombast.

Ultramarine, United Kingdoms (Sire, 1993; 75 cents at Half.com @) This crunchy-granola ambient house duo convinced Soft Machine main man Robert Wyatt to write (or co-write) and sing on three of this album’s songs. Alas, the early ’90s was not a kind era to aging progsters, and Wyatt’s presence was seen less as a momentous bridging of psychedelic cultures and more the ramblings of a doddering old artist.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Orlando Weekly.

Neva Dinova: You May Already Be Dreaming CD review (Stomp & Stammer)

The third album from sad-eyed Omaha dreampoppers Neva Dinova starts with a number (“Love From Below”) that’s built around the simple refrain of “It’s so hard, hard, hard.” Little about Neva Dinova is hard – in terms of complexity or heaviness – but the weight-of-the-world vibe the group indulges in certainly makes it seem as if the simple act of facing the world in the morning is, indeed, hard, hard, hard. Owing much to the spacious swoon of mid-period American Music Club – but without the bitingly cynical lyricism – You May Already Be Dreaming finds the group again mixing rural pastoralism with barroom atmospherics. But here there’s also bit of sludgy dirge that’s somewhat surprising. When the band ambles their way into the molasses-thick bridge of “Clouds” or the explosive, shoegazer-y expansiveness that closes out “Apocalypse,” the more reflective moments of cuts like “Tryptophan” and “Funeral Home” are balanced out beautifully.

First appeared in the May issue of Stomp & Stammer.

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Thalia Zedek Band: Liars and Prayers CD review (Stomp & Stammer)

Thalia Zedek should be the Patti Smith for the Nirvana generation, praised far and wide for her raw, street-worn blues poetry. Instead, the Nirvana generation got PJ Harvey and was happy with it. Perhaps they deserve it. Yet, in a just world, Zedek’s evolution – from Uzi to Live Skull to Come to her solo work – would be mileposts in an epochal career. Her latest album is her first since 2004, and finds her continuing to redefine the collision of gutter-rat pain and exceptional elegance. While complex instrumentation and arrangements are brought to bear, the essence here – especially on tracks like “Lower Allston” and “Come Undone” – is that particularly Zedek-ian melodic sensibility that makes her work so instantly recognizable. It’s simultaneously epic and downtrodden, and when accentuated by Zedek’s rough-hewn voice, it’s a completely marvelous thing. This is the blues performed without a hint of I-IV-V regression, rendered both beautiful and horrific in a way that only the inimitable Zedek could pull off.

First appeared in the May 2008 issue of Stomp & Stammer.

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Iron Man movie review (Baltimore Citypaper)

For a comic-book movie, Iron Man is pretty good. If that sounds like a case of damning with faint praise, it’s not. The minefield of comic-book movies is littered with movies that either attempted seriousness unbecoming of them or failed to take themselves seriously enough. The ones that have succeeded–like Iron Man–deftly navigate that minefield by delivering marginally believable human protagonists who get to do some truly wicked shit. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man is the comic-book equivalent of the lovable libertine Johnny Depp delivered as Capt. Jack Sparrow, except, being a comic-book hero, Downey has to evidence something of a moral core. His transformation from playboy arms dealer into armor-clad superhero is quite believable; after all, if you were a weapons genius who got kidnapped by terrorists (who happen to be customers of your munitions firm) and could only escape by fashioning a badass, plate-metal getup to your body, you also might have second thoughts about your original profession. As his long-suffering assistant, Gwyneth Paltrow makes the best of a thankless role, as only she can redeem a line such as, “Come quick! Obadiah’s gone insane!” As the aforementioned insane person, Jeff Bridges is an unconventional bad guy, but it’s unclear if that’s because it takes half the movie to reveal he’s a villain or if it’s because he’s Lebowski as evil puppet master. With astonishing effects and enough gadget porn to keep fanboys in fantasyland until the inevitably disappointing sequel, Iron Man turns out to be pretty good. For a comic-book movie.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Baltimore Citypaper.

Pakistan Zindabad DVD review (Detroit Metrotimes)

A documentary like Pakistan Zindabad may seem, to anyone with more than a passing interest in the politics of the Indian subcontinent, a bit superficial. Covering more than 60 years of Pakistani history in less than two hours, the film breezes through the notable episodes in the country’s brief life with the speed and apparent depth of a Wikipedia entry. However, the sources utilized by director Pascale Lamche and writer Amelie Blom provide illumination, perspective and context that make Pakistan Zindabad a surprisingly rich and informative film. In addition to professorial talking heads, a large number of people with deep understanding of the country’s politics — U.S. ambassadors, former Pakistani government officials — tell their own stories in a way that makes the history come alive. A substantial focus is given to the first Bhutto regime, which is appropriate, since during his rule during the ’70s, Pakistan’s identity — and relationship to the rest of the world — went through a major shift. Bhutto’s dictatorial and authoritarian streak wound up pushing back against him, resulting in his execution and a strong Muslim-oriented military rule that, to this day — despite the secular, democratic attempts of Bhutto’s daughter in the ’80s — deeply informs the country’s politics. Revelations like this are self-evident to many Pakistan observers, but by humanizing the evolution of the country, the makers of Pakistan Zindabad make them apparent to Western viewers who may not have the vaguest understanding of the country beyond its utility to America’s military aims.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Detroit Metrotimes.

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Noriko’s Dinner Table DVD review (Detroit Metrotimes)

Conceived as an accompaniment to Sion Sono’s devastating and intense 2002 film Suicide Club, Noriko’s Dinner Table is far less brain-rattling than its predecessor, but also far more emotionally intense. “It’s a very long movie, but I’m sure it will keep your eyes glued to the screen until the end,” says director Sono in a brief introduction. (At nearly three hours long, Noriko’s is most definitely “very long.”) However, lacking many of the shocking visual flourishes of Suicide Club, it doesn’t exactly keep one’s eyes glued to the screen. Also, by taking the unusual step of making the follow-up less of a sequel and more of an appendix (the movie tells the tale of but one of the 54 schoolgirls who met their demise in the first film, and takes place before, during and after the events in Suicide Club), Sono indulges in copious amounts of languid, narration-driven exposition. Such an approach typically yields middling results, but the movie is bolstered by the sheer strangeness of the world that young Noriko finds herself in as a member of a “fake family” that rents themselves out to different people. Plus, the deep sense of foreboding given that the viewer knows how things will ultimately end up makes it surprisingly riveting. By focusing on the failures of family and the isolation of the digital age — rather than just on the horror of 54 teenagers hurling themselves in front of an express train — Noriko’s Dinner Table is as satisfying on its own as it is as part of the bigger story Sono aims to tell.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Detroit Metrotimes.

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Power Douglas: Pentecostal Fangbread CD review (Reax)

Part krautrock griots, part afro-centric jam band, part psychedelic freakout, part knife-angle punk, the Brooklyn quartet known as Power Douglas is, quite possibly, too hip for their own good. Whenever a collection of influences so profoundly perfect comes together, one’s first critical instinct is to assume the creators are intending solely to impress their neighbors. And when ALL CAPS production and performance credits include the guest artist’s primary band (“vox written and performed by TUNDE ADEBIMPE of TV on the Radio…” for example), perhaps it’s also safe to assume that credibility is something these guys have occupying a good bit of their frontal lobes. But, seriously, whatever. Power Douglas may turn out to be a fictional band, created in a Bushwick basement solely to see how gullible indie hipsters have become, but their bristling, high-energy debut album is the very definition of what contemporary underground music should sound like. Raw and unpredictable melody lines careen across propulsive percussion, while skittering sonic effects blast off in various directions, defying the listener to make any assumptions about where these songs are going. Though the influences are easy to spot, they come together in an utterly organic and unruly fashion, making for a wild ride that’s far more adventurous than it should be.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Reax.

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Brown Jenkins: Angel Eyes CD review (Reax)

According to the biographical materials accompanying Angel Eyes, two members of this black metal band left after Brown Jenkins’ last record – 2007’s Dagonite – because they weren’t “receiving proper attention.” This is perplexing. If the perceived lack of attention was for Dagonite itself, the record received positive notices, even from sources as unlikely as Pitchfork. If the perceived lack of attention was for the members themselves (rather than Brown Jenkins guitarist/mainman UA), well … there’s no crying in black metal, unless you’re wailing against the oppression of the world. Membership shifts aside, Angel Eyes takes up beautifully from where Dagonite left off, extending UA’s use of swampy, miasmic guitars – here played texturally, rather than assaultively – and moving away from the Lovecraft-ian lyrical obsessions of previous releases. The black metal universe is a tough one to crack, especially if you have a sense of humor. But what makes Brown Jenkins stand out is UA’s phenomenally atmospheric guitar work, and his ability to create sophisticated and mature mood pieces that don’t sound like a 19-year-old stuck in his mom’s basement.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Reax.

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Mindless Self Indulgence show preview (Broward-Palm Beach New Times)

There’s absolutely no reason for Mindless Self Indulgence to be around in 2008. For starters, their aggressive, quasi-industrial sound – on paper, at least – is long past its sell-by date. Furthermore, they’ve been up and down the indie-major-indie label rollercoaster and should now be experiencing their inevitable decline into footnote-hood. Yet, here we are, more than a decade after the New York band started getting attention, and they’re still “a band to watch” according to most metal ‘zines. Why? Well, a cynical person would ascribe it to the fact that MSI’s profile has been boosted by the fact that, last year, their bassist married the singer in My Chemical Romance. Anyone with half a brain, however, would recognize that the group has amassed a serious (and seriously intense) fanbase that flocks to see MSI’s propulsive, overwhelming live shows. And with every one of those shows, the fanbase just keeps getting bigger. The band has completely captured the affections of British and European audiences, and with the release of their new album If – and, of course, its accompanying tour – MSI is quite likely to continue being the new band from the ’90s that all the black-clad kids are telling their classmates about.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Broward-Palm Beach New Times.

Public Record: Public Record CD review (Reax)

Hailing from Philadelphia, Public Record is a messy, funky and wide-ranging party band. Weaving afrobeat, dub, indie rock, spazzy post-punk, chunks of driving soul and an atmospheric jazziness into their sound, the instrumental sextet is hellbent on defying any strictures of genre expectation. And they certainly succeed. The 13 tracks on this self-titled debut evoke an ideology of musicians unwilling to chase a sound, and far more concerned with the alchemy of new creation. Whether it’s the evocative, Durutti Column wispiness of “Heavy Ornament,” the pounding, semi-Ethiopiques groove of “French Suburb” or the wiry attack of album closer “Comfortability,” Public Record is as much about sonic bravery as it is about sweaty fun.

First appeared May 8, 2008 in Reax.

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