Saturday, January 7, 2012

Clutch -Strange Cousins from The West

Strange Cousins from the West
CLUTCH “Strange Cousins from the West”, 2009

Rock critics throw the words “Jam band” around a lot these days when it comes to finding a description for Clutch.  The concept of jamming suggests improvisation, which is near impossible to capture on a recorded audio product.  Paying punters have a tendency to attend shows to hear songs that there is a familiarity with.  Sure, it’s a different set of rules with freeform jazz but that’s for other websites to deal with.  Admittedly there is a similar spirit in Neil Falloon’s free-flowing lyrics and on “Strange Cousins from the West” the band feed off each other in a smoke-filled liquor-soaked telepathic connection to deliver the goods so the category isn’t ill fitting.

“Strange Cousins from the West” is one tight platter filled with Falloon’s smooth clear vocals over impeccable riffing and drumming.   From the onset, you’re grabbed by the short and curlies by the bluesy Southern swamp rock of “Motherless Child”.   Throwing down funk peppered with heaviness on “Struck Down” and “Freakanomics” strikes and hits the ball out of the park. On “50,000 Unstoppable Watts” Neil Falloon’s vocals bring Doug Pinnick to mind.  The song really comes up a winner due to the magical combination of ballsiness and catchiness that comfortably drills itself into your head and stays for eons.   Slow small flickering flames giving off a sweet odor can be sensed on “Abraham Lincoln” through the smoke of its heavy Sabbath groove.  

Whilst listening to this disc I kept wanting to smash a Rubik’s cube to smithereens with a sledgehammer as the opposite sides refuse to match up.  Saving the multi-colored puzzle from demolition is a laidback sense of ease as Clutch play funked up blues-rock.  The calming effects will cause rigorously trained medical professionals to prescribe this disc as a cure for agitation.

4/5

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Saints -(I'm Stranded)


The Saints (I'm Stranded), 1977

(I'm) Stranded

For a long time geographical isolation down under was problematic for bringing over international touring bands and those who have the ability and desire to take their music to a more populous audience often relocated in another country.  The raw octane of The Saints first record is at odds with the eternal warmth of their home city and it’s easy to comprehed their move to the colder climate of the United Kingdom.  Pre-dating the heyday of UK Mohawk brigade and dyed hair punk, The Saints contemporaries, in both sound and spirit, were Detroit rockers, MC5 and The Stooges.  “No Time” and “Stranded” are polished recordings but remain catchy as influenza.  The recording on the rest of the album is rough as guts so the strength and hooks of the songs really shines through the grittiness.  The blazing guitar work on “Wild Abour You”  and “Erotic Neurotic” blitzes all and sundry in its path.  Later albums where the band wandered into pop rock territory during the 80’s are shelf fillers.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

MC5- Kick Out the Jams

Kick out the Jams


Towards the end of the decade, the sixties protest movement had increased in volume. Led Zeppelin and The Who, amongst others, were twisting their amplifier dials to ear-splitting full capacity.  There’s the feeling of rebellion on MC5’s opening call for a revolution that precedes the anthemic ZEP-ish “Ramblin’ Rose” however the truly daring band move was releasing a live album right at the starting gate instead of waiting until their were a few more albums notched up on the belt.  “Kick Out the Jams” with its bouncy riffing and drumbeat oozes a primitive appeal. The chaotic dueling guitars of Wayne Kramer and Fred Smith mixed up with strong vocals and catchy sing-along inducing parts on “Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa)” winning combination.  MC5 exercise control and take a leaisurely approach in “I Want You Right Now” and add a slow swaggering blues twist in “Motor City is Burning”. Before their demise MC5 squeezed out two first-rate studio albums.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Alice Donut - Ten Glorious Animals


Ten Glorious Animals *


ALICE DONUT “Ten Glorious Animals”, 2009
(Alternate Tentacles)



Way back when, I remember buying at least one Alice Donut album because I would sometimes purchasing decisions were made based on a record labels output even if an album and band was a largely an unknown beast, there would still be a familiarity with the label.  A number of punk rock gems were unearthed with the aid of disposable income from the SST and Alternative Tentacles roster.  Alice Donut threw me for a loop though with their psychedelic punk as I was expecting the outfit’s punk rock to gnaw through to the insides with raw primal brain bludgeoning speed so their scattered direction wasn’t an instant fit.

A distinct Alice Donut sound has always been tough to nail down mainly because of the variety of styles the band cover.  In the case of “Ten Glorious Animals” the reason is a distinct flavor has been watered down versions of various 80’s and 90’s “alternative” bands.  “No more room” paints by numbers Jesus and Mary Chain and the black clothing is smeared a weak grey and the blame cannot be laid upon Scottish white powder.  It’s impossible to listen to “Don’t I know” and not fight the temptation to yell, “Sonic Youth, you’re snapped”.   The green-eyed monster is staring firmly at David Bowie in the final two original tracks.   The creative well hasn’t completely dried up.  The piano-dominated “Mrs Carradine” reaches and grabs with its Peter Murphy vocals.  “Shiloh” stomps and kicks hellbilly country ass aiming and hitting dirt fair and square in the eye.

While there’s no complaint about overall listenability, Alice Donut’s imitation of past contemporaries is a large problem.  This is an album that could have been made by a much less experienced band rather than a bunch of old hands.    It’s impossible not to think that most of these songs were originally intended as B-sides and only heard by a few hardcore elite vinyl nerds.

2.5/5




Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Subhumans - From the Cradle to the Grave


From the Cradle to the Grave


On the Subhumans second full-length, the band defied their audience’s expectations by proving that a slow punk song can be listenable in “Waste of Breath” and writing songs lengthier than three minutes wasn’t an improbability.  These changes see the band reaching further musically.  The short instrumental introduction on the second full album in no way indicates what is to follow. “Where’s the Freedom” and “Reality is Waiting for a Bus”may be quick blasts but snippy straight to the point punk songs that appeared on the debut are near absent. Although lacking a brass section, ska upbeatness comes up for air in “Us Fish Must Swim”.  The yelping guitar and Dick’s change of vocals ending “Wake Up Screaming’” are the sound of a man who can’t take the injustices in the world anymore and is contemplating ending them by slitting his wrists. Dick’s vocals blare out loud and clear over a number of tempo changes in the sixteen-minute title track as he spits out an anarcho-punk submission for a political science dissertation.  A punk concept album about life may have been attempted five years previously by Sham69 but the musicianship and lyrical content on “From the Cradle to The Grave” are more complex however unlike the Subhumans debut, many of the songs aren’t instantly appealing.  The remastered package comes complete with a stunning lyric booklet and a fold out poster.

3.5/5

Beastwars - IV

After over a year off for various reasons, we have returned solely because we wanted to review the new Beastwars album. I really w...