Demorama Reviews for April 2001
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| ALVA STAR: Alligators in The
Lobby.
651-336-9045 It is rare that something so well put together comes across our paths. Alva Star, who works in the Semisonic sound vein, not only has a quality product in the sense of artistic genius, but this piece of art is also well mastered and engineered. John Hermanson is polished and smooth; the total effect combined with Peter Anderson, Brian Roessler and Darren Jackson is commercially sound. There are many delightful surprises within the tapestry of magic that Alva Star weaves. Listen to '74' and tell me if this doesn't transport you to the days of Elvis Costello. Alva Star certainly has a bright future in store for them. (Y-Von)
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| COLOURTIDE.
On first listen, this Irish band has an initially interesting combination of drum machine, acoustic instruments and adult-contemporary vocals. John Brennan (vocals) has the potential to be a next John Martyn or Mick Hucknall or whatever 'white soul group' out there -- "One Day" sounds (on the surface) like a Roxy Music song. Aidan O'Driscoll's guitar work is more textural than musical and sounds very good, and the bass is competent and stands out where it should. This group should be one that I would be into, but something doesn't gel. Most likely, it's a little bit of almost everything. The lyrics are trite and the heavy-footed programming hurts. Take "Driving Home" - great guitar, but the inane vocal melody and 4/4 rhythm track kill it. Of the song snippets provided for review, it is these problems that weigh down the strength of the overall sound and concept. (Might I also insert a suggestion that future Demorama submissions include entire songs, not cdnow.com-style 1m40s extracts ? ) As for ways that I think the band could improve, I would like more complex and varied programming, more vocal range and originality (less Bryan Ferry emulation) and some more compelling melodies. But after repeated plays, I think that Colourtide will be an important band with the proper amount of seasoning, experience and age. Now, if they could just hire Brian Eno... (Dusty Backlund)
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| COMMON TIME
Drew Chial and Cory Kalinosky hope to 'live outside the confines of music theory' with the music found at their website. For the most part they succeed, yet remain surprisingly listenable and at times even charming. Probably the most immediately accessable piece is "Here is Your Man", which mixes up loops from Al Gore and George W. with fun retro keyboard samples and a Drum & Bass undercurrent, a-la Negativland, and sports a sample of George W. sounding like a Dahlek from Dr. Who that had me in stitches. "The Storm Before the Calm" is also a highlight, showing off some flashy sequencing tricks, yet also immediately danceable, and with a gritty guitar melody that really helped the song stand out. The 'Welcome To the Machine'-like special effects at the end certainly were welcome, as well. My favorite sample overall was found in "Laid To Waste", with a keyboard part that sounded straight out of "Green Acres". Not all of the pieces worked here, though- some sounded as if they were created while doodling with a sequencer, just picking samples at random then plugging them in to see what would happen. Also, I wonder if these guys could pull this stuff off live. If so, I would love to be at one of their parties. (Scott Olson)
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| DOWN-STARES.
This, apparently new, Texas based band currently has a web presence consisting of one lonely mp3 file. As we typically indicate, one song isn't really enough to base a review on, but I shall do my best. Claiming influences such as Smashing Pumpkins, REM, Radiohead and Ben Folds Five, Down-Stares (one song) came across as a band gazing at the shoes of shoe-gazing British-Folk/Pop with less emphasis on the Pop. The structure (of their one song) is pretty linear -- basically failing to play variation against repetition to create tension. As a demo, It was just OK, it needs some work, and in a nutshell, did not rock my world. (Conrad Teves)
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| DOWNWELLER.
What do you get when you combine late 80's metal with the dark and serious aura of early 90's grunge? Apparently you get Downweller. This band is sort of Creed without the Cross, delivering the sort of stuff that I had hoped that bands had gotten over by now. To be fair, they're pretty good at it: the sampling of songs they have available all sound like they got exactly what they were aiming for. They clearly know what they're doing, and this is all nicely performed and so on, but these days I must admit to being rather turned off by this sort of thing. If you, gentle reader, are still into this stuff, by all means check them out, but me? Maybe in fifteen years or so I'll be nostalgic for it. Check in then, I'll let you know. (Conrad Teves)
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| LAYA FISHER
Well, she's an American living in Australia and she's good. To quote some information on her site, Laya signals "the beginning of folktronica: alternative rock, funk, electronica, and folk all combined with a new sound with gutsy vocals and even gutsier lyrics." Okay. I can go along with that. She is trying, and succeeding, for the most part, on carving out a new little niche. Her voice is soulful and erotic, and the music really combines all those genres listed (you can actually hear them!). She's got good reviews pouring in and (if I understand this correctly) the support of the Australian government. AND she co-wrote and performed the title track for the feature film "Hell's Kitchen," starring Angelina Jolie and Roseanna Arquette (I'm guessing that was before Ms. Jolie's Academy Award and marriage to superhick Billy Bob Thorton). All this from her own little home digital studio, and the sound quality is impressive. Where she stumbles, though, is where she seems to take the most pride: her lyrics . Not that they're bad, but I wouldn't call them gutsy. Being "gutsy" implies taking some serious chances at the risk of embarrassment or, at worst, self-destruction. Laya is certainly provocative, but not gutsy. Perhaps I've just gotten jaded in my old age (you know, 31 is getting up there, I've got a tooth that bothers me) but I just don't find the in-your-face style as stimulating anymore. I found myself thinking about Roland Barthes's "The Pleasure of the Text" as I read Laya's lyrics. "Neither culture nor its destruction is erotic," says Barthes, "it is the seam between them, the fault, the flaw, which becomes so." It's not what Laya is writing about, but HOW she's writing about it that lacks some innovation. Take "Dick and Jane," declared as "THE bisexual anthem": "When you have your pick from the cream of the crop/Do you like it on bottom, do you like it on top/Today you want Dick, tomorrow you'll have Jane/Sex is sex, we're all one in the same." Yeah. Okay. It's a hit with the college students. Big shocker there. Like I said, it aint bad, but what really makes the song interesting to me, lyrically, is the narrator/singer, at the end, wishing she could be as brave as her subject: the girl who easily crosses the lines. It's these hints at complexity in that song and in others like the "Stepmother Song" that make me believe she has the potential to become a first rate songwriter, capable of easily blowing a half-wit like Alannis Morissette out of the water while also providing challenging music. (Mike Mi tchelson)
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| F.O.B: Forgettin' Ain't Easy.
"Critically acclaimed as being the song/sound that proves real soul music is alive and well." Yes, this is the claim from the webpage where you can purchase this song. Actually, I would agree even though 'Forgettin' Ain't Easy' is a little more Lionel Richie than Stevie Wonder (but then who am I to say that Stevie would kick Lionel's ass up and down Soul street, which he would). The song has a dark beginning (reminiscent of Lionel's 'Hello') and explodes into a huge chorus. The music and vocals really capture the spirit of soul music. One suggestion, give us some more material to work with. A little more than just a sneak preview of one song would help spread the word. (mayerle)
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| HOUSEFLOOR.
One of the joys of the internet is stumbling upon music from around the globe, and 'Housefloor' doesn't disappoint with their bouncy deep house rave-ups. Sticking heavily to the house formula of repeated bass lines, horns, and disco-like rhythms, the intrepid Tim B, who handles the production and sequencing, shows a real talent for the type of music that shakes the walls and probably has the club kids jumping up and down in unison all over Europe. For me, however, it was when 'Housefloor' moved slightly out of their genre and added jazzy melodies that they created their own musical identity- specifically the guitar melody in "Perfect Day", which would work well as the theme song for a TV show like 'Entertainme nt Tonight', and the keyboard part to "Filter Family", evocative of the 'Charlie's Angels' theme. Although perhaps a bit too repetitive for listening to in the living room as opposed to the dance floor- like in the Human League- sounding sample from "Filter Family"- 'Housefloor' do make serviceable, fun dance music, and the downloads are still free at MP3.com. For now. (Scott Olson)
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| KARAMAZOFF BIKE. http://www.mp3.com/KARAMAZOFFBIKE We here at Demorama do not get paid per column inch, word or positive review. That is why I feel safe in saying that the only words this band inspires me to say are 'oh god damn you suck'. I guess you need a reason why they suck, though, so I'll just say that they're middle of the road easy-listening cheesy crap. Sure, it's RUSSIAN middle of the road easy-listening cheesy crap, but that doesn't make any difference anyway. Waste o' bandwith, man. (Nate Patrin)
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| KURGAN'S BANE
ARRRRGH! Yet another frame-based website. Yuck. But at least it only has two frames, rather than three. Again, why shortchange your potential viewers on screen space unless you are getting banner ad revenue? Duh. Plus it's on one of those sites where every time you hit a button, a stupid pop-up ad for the host shows up. If I was serious about my band, I would pony up the ducats to have my website hosted by a service that doesn't do pop-ups- goddamn, are they annoying! So just what is Kurgan's Bane? A prog-rock power trio with a talented female vocalist added to make a fou r-piece. And they certainly have done a lot of woodshedding-fine musicians all. I personally prefer when the guitarist leaves behind the pretty clean sounds and cranks up the grind, but he is quite versatile. The bassist and drummer, god bless 'em, lock in tighter than N'Sync fan with her first cucumber. Thankfully, the singer eschews warbling histrionics, and has a hint of soul that creeps through when she lets it. Although none of them will win a beauty contest, this band seems not to care about much besides their music, which unfortunately for them, is about as unfashionable as legwarmers on parachute pants. But who cares about fashion? These folks are so unhip they are UBERHIP! Now dump the frames and pop-ups! (Dylan Ritalyn)
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| LATSHAW
No, no, NO, NO, NO! I can't take it! This is why I HATE this job sometimes! Yes, this was another online submission, and, yes, as I have ranted before, I understand it's economic for bands to do this. Nevertheless, it remains a thorn in my side, mostly because I live in fear of the one-in-four site that is a mess and forces me to spend a half-hour or more just trying to get to the damn music, only to find that the rat-bastard musicians HAVE a CD they could have PUT IN THE MAIL. In this case, after fumbling around for a disturbing amount of time on a site that was hacked into (okay, that stuff happens in cyber society) I was told to go to Amazon to hear some "clips," which I did, and, after spending 20 minutes to download an updated version of RealPlayer (why mine didn't work, I don't know) I listened to some shitty sounding 30 second snippets of exceedingly below average metal. The CD that contained these snippets, of course, was on sale for $9.99. Fuck you guys. I was going to suggest you send a copy out here, you know, but don't bother. (Mike Mitchelson)
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| MDM
A 3-piece industrial band from Ontario, MDM, or Martyr Diabolos Martyr, has an okay sound and a lousy website. Why is the website lousy? Let me count the ways. First and most importantly, it loads SLOW. I have an ethernet connection thru the U of MN T3 pipes, and this sucker took 2 minutes to get to the home page after I hit the "skip intro" button. That is just plain lousy. Secondly, it is frame-based. I HATE FRAME-BASED WEBSITES!!! If you are trying to reach the public, you gotta remember that not everyone has a huge monitor, and frames just reduce the space you have to convey your message. Let me repeat myself to all you indie music websites: FRAMES SUCK! The only reason to use them is for advertising purposes (like on Demorama itself), but if you don't have any banner ads, what's the point? Okay, on to other niggles. The bio section is just plain whiny. Oh, the trials and tribulations of MDM! Poor NuX got his '71 Beetle destroyed by a unlicensed driver. Boo Hoo! And they got some equipment stolen from a member's apartment. Boo Frickin' Hoo! Poor NuX even bemoans their lack of success in 1998, because as he puts it, "kids loved their punk rock and weed and there was no way around it." Goddamn Boo Frickin' Hoo! Sheesh. I thought industrial music was supposed to be about power and strength, not crybaby bawling. But what about the music? Actually, it is pretty strong. Good rhythmic surges, some effective guitar-chunk stabs, some interesting samples. If industrial is your bag, there is much out there that isn't as good as this. MDM should take the time to do RealPlayer encoding, though. Simply posting the mp3's will prevent a lot of potential fans from tasting their work. (Dylan Ritalyn)
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| MEMBRANE CONSPIRACY.
I'll just take the lazy-ass other-band-analogy route and say that they sound like pre-"Loser" Beck after suffering massive head trauma, or Morphine doped up on their namesake, or Tom Waits gone insane from being stuck in a prison cell for months on end with nobody to talk to but Roberto Benigni. The site calls it "Experimental goth-hop, electronic psych-folk, art-pop and freaky brain music for children of all ages. An intensely personal allegory encoded with dark humor for protection; the lo-fi, chanted lyrics are surrounded by sparse cha-cha space-drum treatments and assorted dark nights of the soul." I call it ASS. (Nate Patrin)
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| DENNIS RAMBO: The Loneliest
Time.
This could be the greatest song Tom Petty never wrote. The Loneliest Time has a great melody that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head which is unbelievably impressive considering that this is the first song Dennis Rambo has written. He has a knack for putting all the minor chords in the right spots. Sure it has the patented folk-pop guitar tones and tempo but who can bash a great song. The vocals and backgrounds Dennis provides are superb. It sounds as if he was born to sing this type of music. But wait, the guitar solos he plays are perfect as well for this song proving that he really can carry his weight in songwriting. The production values are top notch, which actually do not make up for a mediocre song in this case as they frequently can. Let's hope that this is not just beginners luck and that Dennis can keep providing us with great pop songs we can sing along with. (mayerle)
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| RED LABEL REVOLVER: Eat The
Demo.
P.O. Box 860685, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35486 205-347-3604 We have here a demo of what sounds like southern rock. The only interesting thing about this piece of crap was one line in the last song: "The only birth control is puking in a naked girls bed." Enough said. (Y-Von)
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| SMOKE
Smoke's 5-song self-titled EP boasts tight harmonies and completely hummable hooks containing just enough disaffected lyrics to hold your interest. Globe-trotting Howie Statland fronts a New York-based rock threesome displaying some pretty damn good rock-ish talent skating the more rancid edge of grunge. Most guys are satisfied just making music. Not Howie. When he's not writing/directing/scoring films (1998's "Low F lame" and 2000's "New York City's Aria"), playing solo gigs in Paris, duets (with Philip Glass) in Luxembourg, or recording film soundtracks, you'll find him working on his full-length release due out this summer on HIS OWN LABEL (Soundarte). After looking through Howie's bio, I'm convinced THIS guy never sleeps. Smoke is one of those groups that defies a straight "sounds-like" classification. It's certainly rock, and good rock at that. Smoke manages to combine influences from several different styles into one of its own, and thankfully one that works well. Howie takes us from Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) to Paul Westenberg (Replacements) to Bille Joe Armstrong (Green Day) in one verse, and it sounds awesome the whole time. This is also music meant to be served at decibel levels designated to large aircraft, so secure any loose objects on or around your speakers before enjoying. (thesource)
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| SONUS UMBRA.
Mexico = prog rock! Well, most of the members of Sonus Umbra originally hail from Mexico City, but are now based in Maryland. This group is part of the tradition of long instrumentals, mid phrase tempo changes, synthesizer and guitar scales, weirdly placed drum breaks, and a dominant surreal/fantasy theme (complete with floating eyeballs on the new album). The album Snapshots from Limbo shows much improvement over the original demo Laughter in the Dark. Off of that demo, "Ahab's Sorrow" is a 7-minute instrumental that's not so great, but "March of Folly" is pretty good. This song shows dynamic, interesting solos, an appropriate epic scale that brings one visions of topographic oceans and a slight but influential Latin-American sound. In any case, it's the newer, current material that needs to be rated - "Insects II - Metamorphosis" was my favorite. This song shows off the strengths of the group - delicious chord changes, balance of male/female vocals, competent usage of synthesizer and appropriate bombast. There's even a political bent with "The Eagle Has Landed," ostensibly a commentary on the state of US/Mexican relations. As "Metamorphosis" states, "in the end, nostalgia never pays," but ironically, the "progressive" moniker is (and has been for some time) synonymous with "retro". Nothing new here, but the material is solid , and will definitely interest genre-fans, and perhaps even attract some amount of crossover interest. (Dusty Backlund) |