Record Reviews
MC Lars
originally published April 12, 2006
If you just read MC Lars’ lyrics, or if you heard “post-punk laptop rapper” as a description, you might be immediately turned off - I was - but this is why reality transcends the limitations of blurbs and words. Last year, his song “Signing Emo,” a rapid-paced rap about the vagaries of the music industry with a chorus by an emo band called Hearts That Hate that turned out also to be Lars, made it onto MTV2, and it’s a great introduction to his hyper-verbal, hyper-literate, but also hyper-pop style.
Clearly, Lars likes to take shots at everyone within his long reach: Hot Topic, Jay Z (the chorus of “21 Concepts” goes “I got 21 concepts and a hit ain’t one”), the current iGeneration, Internet relationships, college roommates. Even the title of the album is a swing at one Mr. West. But he manages not to come off like a humorless asshole while doing it, unlike many a backpacker; he does come close, though, on “Generic Crunk Rap” when he whispers “I’m sorry but we’re killing hip hop” in the background, but it’s still so well-aimed, funny and catchy that even a staunch Lil’ Jon fan has to grant him his point.
The vocals (and some of the concerns) remind one of the locals in Fairmount Fair in the way they tend to proceed at about 75 mph while losing nothing in enunciation. And the backing music of The Graduate ranges from the aforementioned perfect fake emo to the Tetris theme to Supergrass to squawky keyboards with a warm overlaid piano line, usually with a chorus drawing equally on hip hop and rock. Is MC Lars a snotty bastard? Yes, but he’s our kind of snotty bastard.
Hillary BrownRecord Reviews
Doctor Casino
originally published April 12, 2006
Local musician and man about town Addison Godel, under the moniker Doctor Casino, makes keyboard- and sample-based music that is much more complicated than it sounds. This album, the product of four years of tinkering and recording, is a 10-track pop treat.
Starting off with “Summer in Athens,” Godel weaves serial observations about the good and bad within the Athens music and social scene, but the moral of the story is that, no matter what, summer in Athens is still a great thing. It’s easily my favorite song on the whole record. From that buoyant number, Godel proceeds to work through a series of sounds from the exotic, lounge-ambiance of “Not Falling For You Anymore” and the sparse electronic western of “Lonesome Road,” to the four-chord groove of “Santiago” and the simple, church-organ beauty of “Bicycle.”
Sure, some of this stuff crosses over on each other and, truth be told, most of the songs combine a few different sounds. Godel utilized Yamaha, Casio and Korg keyboards along with a couple of computer programs to construct this album and it sounds as if he experimented with everything for a long time to create this. Nothing on here sounds as if he just toyed around for a few hours and wrote some songs. There was definitely a work-oriented process going on here.
Godel's lyrics are a cut above the typical, weakly worded stuff that accompanies so much keyboard-based pop. The personification of “Bicycle” (“I’m a bicycle / I dodge obstacles”) and the couplet “hands are clapping in double time / Jazzy Jay is rapping but it don’t make a rhyme” from “Summer In Athens” both just floor me. Sure, the lines have more effect in context than on paper, but you know what they say about context. Orange Blossom Spaceship is fitting even for those who normally avoid this sort of thing.
Gordon LambRecord Reviews
Gasmask & Matchsticks
originally published April 12, 2006
Athens hardcore band Gasmask & Matchsticks is part of a growing breed of bands that are playing thrashy, old school hardcore. By “old school,” I mean the pre-metal-crossover stuff that was ruining hardcore by the end of the 1980s. With a few notable exceptions, the stuff on this record is pure 1985. Of course, the bandmembers were literal babies in 1985, but very little is lost in translation.
The songs are all based around a few sets of guitar chords, a few rumbling bass lines, super fast drums and shouted/ barked vocals. Lyrically, the band is quite in line with its heritage by mixing social and political commentary with a punctuated sense of humor. The tribute to Billy Dee Williams is a perfect example of this, and also one of the cases on this record where the band sounds dangerously close to Richmond, VA band Born Against - both musically and lyrically.
On the track “2 Scared 2 Smile,” Gasmasks & Matchsticks trudges through a snail's-pace, doom-laden intro for a full minute before starting to rock. As the song breaks open, though, it’s a punchy, full-throttle blast with some of the best paranoid lyrics on the whole record. It’s hard to tell where the band is being truthful and where it's being sarcastic - both lyrically and musically. Ultimately, that’s fine, because even though the old hardcore scene was populated with its share of tough guys, there was an undeniable sense of self-effacement and humor in many bands. Still, making fun of oneself and lampooning a genre are two different things entirely. There’s no explicit evidence that Gasmask & Matchsticks is performing the latter, though. And intent doesn't really matter, since as a listener I think Yer Not Payin’ For The Hours, Yer Payin’ For The Name is pretty damn awesome.
Gordon LambRecord Reviews
David Gilmour
originally published April 12, 2006
On the cover of this album comes a sticker that says: "David Gilmour, the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd." That's a smart move, because if the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd is enough to satisfy you, then On An Island is an absolutely gorgeous, hypnotic work. "Castellorizon," the opening instrumental, proves that instantly with its "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"-style soaring leads and spacy keyboard layering. The title track calls to mind even earlier Floyd. The mood and slippery melody of "On An Island" takes me back to listening to Obscured By Clouds in a dorm with incense burning. And that's an immediately comfortable, warm and inviting feeling that makes me want to put my headphones on and go away for a while. The keyboard work of fellow Floydian Richard Wright and the harmonies of David Crosby and Graham Nash only add to the luxury of it all.
Whenever I'm listening to On An Island, I'm deep in an alpha state by the time the dreamy, atmospheric solo of "The Blue" reaches its zenith. It's the most trance-inducing song since Julee Cruise's "Falling." I consider it the audio equivalent of lying on your back in the warm grass of a summer afternoon as you watch clouds transform into faces. It's haunting, beautiful and sticks around in the same way as a fond memory. This opening segment alone makes On An Island a must-have for even a casual Pink Floyd fan. Unfortunately, as you dig deeper, you find that there's not much to latch on to beyond the surface. A lot of this comes from the softness and comfort of the lyrics. The beauty and magic of Pink Floyd's classic albums came from the juxtaposition of the hardness of Roger Water's lyrical "vision" being tempered by the softness of Gilmour, Wright and drummer Nick Mason's musicianship. And that depth is just not found On An Island.
Perhaps it's due to the fact that the lyrics are written by Gilmour's wife Polly Samson. With the comfort zone of a husband singing his wife's lyrics, there's simply no tension to hold up the words to scrutiny. As you go further and further in, this becomes more and more obvious. Saccharine accumulates. And while Samson's perfectly competent at creating vague, pretty couplets, maturing beauty and viewing the passage of time, she's no match for Waters' lamest, most self-indulgent rants much less his life-altering top tier stuff. Bottom line: if you long for the classic Pink Floyd sound and are able to look away from the obvious deficiencies, On An Island is a joy. And from now on, it's probably as close as you'll ever get to the real thing… unless Gilmour's "island" is someday once again surrounded by more troubled Waters.
Chris McKayRecord Reviews
applePaul
originally published April 12, 2006
This weird little EP is probably the Athens-related release exhibiting the most authentic 1980s New Wave sound since anything released by The Capricorns. applePaul, however, doesn’t run in the Depeche Mode/ Cure school of rock; this record sounds much more influenced by the style of Howard Devoto, Gary Numan, Frank Tovey and Stan Ridgeway.
Keyboards and programmed drums are the musical stuff of These Walls. Lyrically, though, the disc leaves something to be desired. The opening track succeeds musically enough. Alternating keyboard melodies support the sometimes-warbled vocals, but the lyrics tend to fail the song with their personal, yet inane, content. Lines like “I saw you sleeping / but your eyes were open wide” just seem clichéd and trite.
“Gravity” begins with a synchronized snare-drum beat and a minor chord keyboard pulse. Again, applePaul sings and speaks his observational lyrics. This time the subjects are a man on a bus, anonymity and detachment. The song breaks at around two-and-a-half minutes for what initially sounds like a bridge, but then heads right back to where it was.
These Walls closes with two covers: “Love to Burn” by Neil Young and “Deliver Me” by Sarah Brightman. The Young cover is competent enough and applePaul makes good use of his instrumentation in translating Young’s music into his own minimal style. The Brightman cover, though, is the highlight of the record, as applePaul finally stretches his vocals into a sincere-sounding performance. The musical range of the song is also perfect for his vocal range, which lies somewhere right in the middle, although he does manage to hit the upper-end notes very well on this track.
These Walls is a weird little record that isn’t totally disappointing, but more tracks could have explained applePaul’s intentions a littler further. This small taste doesn’t seem to paint the whole picture.
Gordon Lamb applePaul is playing at Tasty World on Tuesday, Apr. 11.If you are having problems with the site, or have questions or suggestions, please contact us here. Thanks!
Care to comment on this article? Click here!
You will be the first person to comment on this article.