Category Archives: MP3 Review

Material Issue: International Pop Overthrow [20th Anniverary Edition]

Leave a reply

Expanded reissue of a power-pop classic

In celebration of International Pop Overthrow’s twentieth anniversary, and in memory of the group’s late leader Jim Ellison, Hip-O select has issued this greatly expanded version of Material Issue’s first full length release. By the time the record dropped in 1991, Material Issue had been together nearly six years, had issued an EP and a few singles, and had toured extensively throughout their native Midwest. The album itself was recorded in Zion, Illinois, the home of another great power-pop band, Shoes, and produced by Shoes’ Jeff Murphy. IPO fit well in a year that was dotted with key power-pop albums from Matthew Sweet (Girlfriend), Teenage Fanclub (Bandwagonesque), Velvet Crush (In the Presence of Greatness), Adam Schmitt (World So Bright) and Richard X. Heyman (Hey Man!).

The album sold nationwide, launching a video for “Diane” on MTV’s 120 Minutes and pushing “Valerie Loves Me” into the top ten of Billboard’s modern rock chart. The group completed two more albums and toured heavily, but never recaptured either the bittersweet poignancy of IPO, or its commercial success. Ellison committed suicide in 1996 amid rumors of romantic and artistic disillusion, but he left behind an album that captures the very core of power pop: melodies whose hooks resound with the craft of the Brill Building and lyrics whose heart-on-sleeve emotion drew a map of joy, heartbreak, anticipation, angst, satisfaction and disappointment.

The anniversary edition of IPO adds eight bonus tracks, six drawn from the pre-LP promo-only Eleven Supersonic Hit Explosions, one (the thundering “Sixteen Tambourines”) taken from a College Music Journal sampler album, and the previously unreleased “The Girl with the Saddest Eyes” to close out the set. Among the bonuses are three covers: an emotional rendering of Thin Lizzy’s “Cowboy,” a glitzy version of Sweet’s “Blockbuster,” and a brash live take on Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” IPO is an essential element of a complete power-pop collection, and this expanded reissue is a great upgrade for fans that haven’t previously picked up the bonus tracks. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Slithering Beast: Delicious

Leave a reply

Punchy country soul from Louisville quintet

Slithering Beast is a Kentucky five-piece that formed around singer/songwriter/guitarist, Nick Dittmeier. Though Dittmeier initially explored country and honky-tonk as respites from years of punk rock, the group has evolved a blend that pulls in the Southern soul of Wet Willie, the funky blues roots of Little Feat, some Muscle Shoals-styled horns and even a few moments of Allman-esque guitar and E-street saxophone. You can hear the band’s country-rock roots in “You/Me” and a bit of Bobby Fuller in the closing “Everywhere I Go.” This five-song EP is mixed with the punch of AM radio and the melodic hooks to earn it, but also enough rough-edges to keep things down home. It’s not clear if the band’s name really sells the rootsy warmth of their music, but a fourteen-minute spin through this new EP will tell you what you need to know. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Fool Out of You
MP3 | You/Me
Stream Delicious on Bandcamp
Slithering Beast’s Home Page
Slithering Beast’s Facebook Page
Slithering Beast’s MySpace Page

Dengue Fever: Cannibal Courtship

Leave a reply

Intriguing 1960s Cambodian rock influences

This Los Angeles combo continues to make some of the most unexpected music of the decade. Formed in 2001, Dengue Fever grew out of organist Ethan Holtzman’s interest in 1960s Cambodian rock. Originally setting out to cover the obscurities he’d collected on record, the addition of Cambodian vocalist Chhom Nimol gave the band an elevated sense of authenticity and set them evolving into something more original. Nimol originally stuck to singing in her native Khmer, but here she takes the step to switch between Khmer and English as the each song demands. The music remains anchored to the mix of psych, jazz, pop, garage, exotica and Indian flavors that came together in 1960s Cambodian popular music, and the seamlessness with which it all fits together continues to amaze.

The album opens on a cool note with “Cannibal Courtship.” The guitar and electric piano initially riff quietly behind Nimol’s cooing, but a bouncy, wordless chorus ramps up the volume and tension as the vocal gains passion and the music explodes into a buzzing, electric backdrop. The group overlays deep bass lines with hard fuzz guitar, free saxophone solos, and group vocals that recall the Jefferson Airplane’s ballroom days. Nimol snakes her vocal around the guitar and bass riffs of “Uku,” with finger cymbals and a flute solo adding a period feel. The group edges into the mood of spy jazz with “Sister in the Radio” and late ’50s exotica with “Kiss of the Bufo Alvarius,” leaving the listener to wonder not just what they’re listening to, but even more beguilingly, when. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Cement Slippers
Dengue Fever’s Home Page
Dengue Fever’s MySpace Page

Richard X. Heyman: Tiers and Other Stories

Leave a reply

One-man power pop band expands his musical and thematic horizons

Since breaking into the underground of power pop aficionados with 1991’s Hey Man!, Richard X. Heyman has released a consistently excellent catalog of pop records. Even more impressive is the singular voice he’s developed by writing all of his own material and playing nearly all the instruments. He augments his bass, guitar, piano, organ and drums with harpsichord, marimba, mellotron, vibraphone and a brilliant array of percussion. He’s sufficiently comfortable as a player, producer and singer to keep his work from sounding like an overdubbing fest, and he expands on his core instrumental talents with guests who add strings, horns and woodwinds. His early proficiency on drums provides his one-man band a sense of time that’s steady but not tensely metronomic; there are musical and rhythmic conversations among his instruments, he just happens to be playing them all.

Heyman has deepened his craft over the years, but he’s done so without sacrificing the basic joys of music making. This double-disc (which he views as two albums, rather than a double-album) is an introspective look at married life, from the earliest days of courtship to the comfortable settling of a life partnership. The sketches of serendipitous meetings, romantic premonitions, youthful left turns, twenty-something freedoms, maturing emotional needs and realized commitments tell of a relationship whose circuitous route turns out to be a circle. It’s a path that will be familiar to most anyone who’s looked into the mirror of their own long-term relationships. Along the way, Heyman has a chance meeting with his future wife, develops the acquaintance into a relationship, leaves to make a career in Los Angeles, makes a name for himself on the West Coast, gets burned by the music industry, flames out and realizes that the life he wants to live is 3000 miles away.

Heyman’s an excellent storyteller (see a few examples of his prose here), and his feel for the longer form translates nicely into a pop opera whose songs form chapters in a larger arc. The second disc of this set, And Other Stories, provides a coda for the song cycle of Tiers, looking at the contented doings of a married couple, the characters of city life and the rhythms of passing seasons. Even Heyman’s consideration of mortality, “Baby Boom,” is inquiring and philosophical, rather than dark or fearful. Both discs tint Heyman’s pop roots with complex changes that draw his voice from its usual Stevie Winwood-esque sound to the more unusual style of Donald Fagan. There are touches of country, baroque-pop (reminiscent of the Left Banke’s Michael Brown), and even some Rockin’ Berries-styled harmonies on “Yellow and Blue.” And Other Stories hasn’t the thematic focus of Tiers, but the quality of Heyman’s work never wears out its welcome. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Fire in the Country
Richard X. Heyman’s Home Page

Rod Rogers and the Travis Jay Jones Orchestra: Las Vegas Souvenir

Leave a reply

Las Vegas-themed song-poem concept album

The world of song-poems is one in which an amateur songwriter’s lyric (or “song-poem”) is run through a music mill’s assembly line of melody, arrangement, performance and recording. The result is a stack of singles, albums, cassettes or CDs delivered to the aspiring songsmith, and not much else. These are vanity recordings for which the recording company has no marketing plan and no expectation of profit beyond the few hundred dollars “seed money” paid by the lyricist. A deep underground of song-poem collectors have churned out album compilations [1 2 3 4] and websites like the American Song-Poem Music Archives, that collect the best (and the best of the worst) records and shine some much deserved light on the industry’s more interesting characters.

The genre’s unparalleled superstar is Rodd Keith, an arranger, musician and vocalist whose productions often managed to transcend the banal lyrics with which he had to work. Keith recorded under a number of aliases, including this album’s Rod Rogers. This full-length LP appears to be a vanity recording, but it’s not entirely clear for whom. The bulk of the songs are credited to combinations of Jones, Riley and Vandenburg. Bandleader Travis Jay Jones is also listed as the president of the record label, Planet Earth, itself a division of Travis Jay Jones Enterprises. So one might guess that Jones was the recording mill’s proprietor, and Riley was the funding songwriter; or Jones was the songwriter and Riley or Vandenburg were the arrangers. In a large sense it doesn’t matter, as part of the charm of song-poem records is their everyman anonymity.

These are top-notch song-poem productions, featuring a tight pop combo of guitar, bass, drums, piano and odd instrumental touches likely produced by Keith’s Chamberlin. The lyrics are notable for their lack of polish – phrases that don’t quite fit the rhythm, moon-spoon-June rhymes, half-baked similes and oddly fantastic word choices. But wedded to catchy melodies (several of which lean to country-and-western) and Keith’s talanted singing, these productions are surprisingly memorable. The song cycle finds the album’s protagonist welcomed to Las Vegas with an invitation to gamble and drink that quickly leads to empty pockets. Along the way he encounters Sin City staples: lucky charms, neon lights, nightlife, quickie weddings, and (twice, yet) fortune tellers. There’s little here to make you forget “Viva Las Vegas,” but you’ll be hard-pressed to get “Lucky Vegas Gamblin’ Man” out of your head. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

See the PBS documentary Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story

Thelonious Monk Septet: Monk’s Music

Leave a reply

Monk gains both critical and popular acclaim

By 1957, Thelonious Monk had been on the jazz scene for more than a decade, but his genius wasn’t yet recognized by much of the listening public. His compositions had found favor with other musicians, and he’d gained some notice as a sideman, but his unique style – both as a musician and as a person – obscured the depth of his invention. Having signed to Riverside in 1955 he recorded standards, Duke Ellington covers, and a widely recognized album of originals, Brilliant Corners, but it was this 1957 session that really solidified public opinion in his favor. Working with a septet that included both Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane on tenor sax, you could hear history’s page turning between the former’s warm-toned balladry on “Ruby, My Dear” and the latter’s modern improvisation. Coltrane was also just emerging as a star, having established himself with Miles Davis, and having led his first session the previous month.

The septet was anchored by the steady swing of Art Blakey and Wilbur Ware, and the horn section is filled out by Ray Copeland on trumpet and Gigi Gryce on alto saxophone. The four-horn lineup creates more solo variations; when playing as a section they could sound orchestral, or with Monk and Blakey pushing the rhythm, like the front-line of a big band. The selections mostly revisit tunes from Monk’s catalog, giving the pianist an opportunity to rethink his compositions, and the band an opportunity to create new interpretations that, in a few cases (such as “Ruby, My Dear”), might be considered definitive. The album’s one new composition is “Crepuscule with Nellie,” a song written by Monk for his wife, and the source of some frustration in the studio; the album’s original take is complemented here with an alternate that edits together pieces of two other takes. Alternates of “Off Minor” and a studio blues jam are also included. OJC’s 2011 reissue features a new 24-bit remaster by Joe Tarntino, new liner notes by Ashley Kahn, and the album’s original liner notes by session producer Orrin Keepnews. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Cal Tjader and Stan Getz: Sextet

Leave a reply

Two giants of jazz meet for a 1958 West Coast date

This is a sweet 1958 West Coast jazz session that brought together vibraphonist Cal Tjader and tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Also playing on the session is noted San Francisco pianist Vince Guaraldi, guitarist Eddie Duran, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Billy Higgins. Each of the side men were starting to stir up some notice, though they were each a few years away from their breakthroughs. Getz stands at the session’s center, but leaves room for the others to solo; Guaraldi and Duran offer some particularly interesting lines on “Ginza Samba” and “Crow’s Nest.” Tjader swings a few tunes, but it’s his breezy touch on the ballads that partners most fruitfully with the cool of Getz’s sax. The band creates a relaxed mood for Lerner and Lowe’s “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” and swings warmly through Tjader’s waltz “Liz-Anne.” The seven tracks recorded here turned out to be all there is – no alternates, no outtakes – a remarkable occurrence for an ad hoc band that recorded with no rehearsal. The ability of the players to cohere in such short-order (the entire session was three hours) is a testament to both their talent as players, and their shared vision as musicians. Those with an earlier reissue might still want to check this out for Joe Tarantino’s 24-bit remaster and new liner notes by Doug Ramsey. Ralph J. Gleason’s original notes are included in a reproduction of the album’s back cover, as well as in a surprisingly error-filled transcription within the set’s booklet. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: Ugetsu

Leave a reply

24-bit remaster of 1963 live jazz classic

Art Blakey’s June, 1963 Birdland date with the Jazz Messengers (Freddie Hubbard-trumpet; Curtis Fuller-trombone; Wanye Shorter-tenor sax; Cedar Walton-piano; Reggie Workan-bass; Art Blakey-drums) has been reissued several times before, and deservedly so. This was one of Blakey’s best line-ups of a band that had a wealth of talented musicians pass through its ranks. It’s also a superb live date, supplemented by the introduction of original material that remained in the group’s repertoire for years. This latest CD reissue features a fresh 24-bit remaster by Joe Tarantino, new liner notes by Neil Tesser (in addition to the original notes by Ed Sherman and Orin Keepnews) and a fourth bonus track to augment the three offered on previous editions. The sound quality of this recording has always been very good, though not great; the soloists are crisp and out front (Fuller and Hubbard, in particular, really shine), but the backing combo can get a bit muddy when Blakey really gets moving. The previously unreleased track is a cover of George Shearing’s late-40s classic “Conception,” featuring both drum and bass solos, and interesting unison horn playing. This album remains a real treat for jazz fans, and with a new 24-bit master and an added bonus track, it’s a tempting update even for those who own another recent digital edition. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

The Band of Heathens: Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son

Leave a reply

Austin quintet lays down another slab of funky country soul

Settling into their third studio album, this Austin quintet’s gumbo of funk, soul, blues, gospel, country and rock may no longer be a surprise, but it’s just as entertaining as on their previous outings. Better yet, having toured extensively, fans can imagine how the concise jams of these four-minute songs will play out on stage. Little Feat, the Band, the Jayhawks and the rootsy side of the Grateful Dead remain touchstones, but working across multiple genres with three singer/songwriters and a solid rhythm section, the band creates their own unique sound. The Gulf Coast is much on the songwriters’ minds as they harmonize for a cover of “Hurricane” and ruminate on the nonchalant consumerism underlying the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on “Free Again.” There are touches of Dr. John’s New Orleans funk in “Enough,” echoes of Memphis in the horn chart of “The Other Broadway” and a riff on “I Ain’t Running” that echoes War’s “Spill the Wine.” The set closes on a rustic note with the vocalists trading verses for the acoustic gospel “Gris Gris Satchel.” The album feels more like a moment of artistic consolidation than a new step forward, but the group’s breadth of influences and depth of musical grooves are still fresh and rewarding. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Polaroid
Stream Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son
The Band of Heathens’ Home Page

Daniel Romano: Sleep Beneath the Willow

Leave a reply

Lee Hazlewood meets Gram Parsons

Lee Hazlewood or Gram Parsons? A little of each, with a hint of Johnny Cash’s gravitas thrown in for good measure. On the opening number Daniel Romano sings in the deadpan style of Hazlewood, but by track two he embraces the sweet and sad melancholy of Parsons. There are low twanging guitars and period touches to suggest the former’s Phoenix years, but also slow waltzes and country-rockers that evoke the latter. At times the two combine as Romano reaches down from his middle range to darker notes at the bottom end. The ghost of Gram Parsons is inescapable, but it floats through a lot of musical variety. There are gospel harmonies, a Celtic fiddle melody and subtle organ backing for “Louise,” and the broken-hearted “Lost (For as Long as I Live),” is waltzed along by acoustic guitar strums and fiddle. The lonely “I Won’t Let It” suggests a downcast, morning-after ‘50s country ballad, and the dark lyric “there are lines in my face that don’t come from smiling” is matched by the song’s emotionally spent vocal tone. There are countrypolitan touches in the harmony backings of Misha Bower, Tamara Lindeman and Lisa Bozikovic, and several of the songs, particularly the fiddle-led “Paul and Jon,” sound as if they could have been collected by A.P. Carter. This is a fascinating record with roots both familiar and obscure. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Time Forgot (To Change My Heart)
Daniel Romano’s Home Page
Daniel Romano’s MySpace Page