Electric Shepherd - The Imitation Garden

San Francisco trio Electric Shepherd join the long list of rock trios that once again prove four on the floor isn't always the best way. Listening the great pscychedelic rock these guys produce without knowing anything about their populace, you'd swear by the excellent musicianship that there were far more members and that these guys have been around a long time and witnessed the 70's wave of psych firsthand but further inspection proves that these guys have released one previous album and that they are all still in their twenties.

In the name of research, I checked out their earlier album and heard a heavy Pink Floyd influence although the band didn't sound at all like clones. On "The Imitation Garden" trippy guitar riffs fly at you from the outset of "Totem". Electric Shepherd put a trance over the listener in "The Escapist" and the heavy wah wah guitar that enters the frame only enhances the cosmic spell. The drummer tends towards a more jazzy side rather than traditioanl rock. The beginning of "The Imitation Garden Part I" reminded me of Valkyrie(what's going on with that band these days?) but it's because both bands have similar influences. Electric Shepherd may not be a metal band but both bands have clearly heard more than a little Wishbone Ash (the "Argus" album is the one that really comes to mind)and managed to incorporate it in their own unique sound. "Totem II" has the band in instumental jam mode. A sparseness of sound is used in "Angels In the Grove". The drums sit mostly in the background allowing the lush guitar sound to strongly breeze in through with sung verses coming in and out of the fray. It's unsurprising that a band who choose a name from a sci-fi story have a song entitled "A Mechanical Flower". The song sounds like someone blowing into a large shell with occasional drumbeats and voices inside their head verging on escape. The song leads into the lengthier "Into the Forest, Father/Angels(reprise)". "Heaven Don't Need" opens with a quiet intro then gets slightly jazzy before the dums thud and there's more than a push towards heaviness though eventually the guitar opts out in favour of a hazy trippiness but a head-bobbing rhythm stays throughout the number.

You know how sometimes just slight lyrical similarities can have you thinking of another band? Well, in the case of "Sometimes I About" as there's a lyrical connection to "The House of The Rising of The Sun" with a reference to New Orleans and similar blues guitar and organ to The Animals' cover though there's far more and longer instrumental breaks in this tune.

If it sounds like I'm raving about this album, there's a good reason for it as it's the type of album that reviewers love to get to listen to but unfortunately makes the quality makes it difficult to get other reviews done as it screams out for replaying and on each replaying new discoveries are unearthed. The December 18th release date means "The Imitation Garden". won't show up on many end of year lists but Electric Shepherd definitely make mine as they have managed to make retro psychedelia sound fresh which is no small feat. Oh, yeah by the way, their bio says they're for fans of Cream, Blue Cheer, The Doors, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Dungen and Tame Impala and I'm not going to argue with any of those reference points.

5/5

"Imitation Gardens" promo single is free online music available from their bandcamp

Also check out the electric shepherd site which features spinning vinyl.

Like these guys or after more psychedelia? Then check out Buzzmutt.



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The Memorials - Delirium

The Memorials "Delirium",2012
(Bloodthirsty Unicorn)



Often a mix of various genres doesn’t look good on paper but can still sound great. Take Faith No More for example, their fusion of heavy metal, funk, hip-hop, and progressive rock sounds like the worst concept in the universe on paper however the band themselves are great. Similar to Faith No More, The Memorials are also San Francisco dwellers. The Memorials feature drummer, Thomas Pridgen, who was once in the MARS VOLTA and that alone correctly suggests unpredictability for the group’s song structures and a drummer who bangs the rhythm out hard and steady with the sticks.

The band combine hip hop rhythms combined a no-nonsense garage rock approach although there is an interlude where a brass section lays a downbeat jazzy vibe amongst the angst in “Flourescent’s Unforgiving”. In the song, the band lyrically take on the American prison system using free labour and the illegality of the growth of a sometimes medicinal herb. Funky bass rythms blare out in “Gone” as the soothing soulful voice of Vivecia Hawkens smooths out a smattering of the jagged edges although later in the tune the guitarist suprises due to an allowed permit to go wild. Deceptively “Daisies” starts out like an all to familiar radio rock song but then Hawkins sings in the fashion of the Throwing Muses, Kirstin Hersh and is able convince that she genuinely is sorting out her lovelife by picking the petals off flowers. Deftones style nu-metal weighs heavily in the title track but the band’s potpourri of colliding sounds ensures that there is much more for the listener to be dragged in by with soul and progressive rock all hanging out the bait. “Heavyweight” carries a Mike Tyson punch with steady drumming right through and the soul crooning belies the rock layered underneath until concluding with a strong self-assurance. The close to twelve minutes “Mr Entitled” ensures that the song’s duration doesn’t equate tto edium owing to the band constantly surprising.

Often listening to “Delirium” is akin to peeling an onion with multiple layers underneath. A quirky catchiness mirrored with unpredictability provides the often-lengthy songs with an easy listenability. The vocal talents of Vivecia Hawkins are definitely a huge part of the band’s sound with her ability to provide smooth sultry vocals and then rapidly seethe with rage. It’s tough to pick a highlight or a lowlight on “Delirium” as all the tunes are equally electrifying. Those that need a change from their Bellrays albums will find similar yet far gruntier tunes with this album. I haven’t heard The Memorials’ first album but if it’s of the same merit then ownership is mandatory.

5/5

www.thememorialsmusic.com

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Fugazi - Steady Diet of Nothing

THE HISTORY: At the very start of the Eighties in Washington D.C. Minor Threat rejected the drugs and alcohol sector of the punk scene and pummeling their personal values in their lyricist through fast intense hardcore founded the straight edge sub-genre.  However despite their length of influencing hardcore bands Minor Threat only lasted four years (1980 –83).  Ian McKaye was later in short lived bands Embrace and Egg Hunt before forming Fugazi in 1987.

Rites of Spring were another punk band that were knocking around the Washington DC area around the same time and are often cited as being the originators of the emo sub-genre whether they like it or not. They, of course, don’t like it.  Frontman Guy Picciottio stated that using the term, emo to describe a genre of music is retarded.  When Rites of Spring disbanded in 1986 three members formed a band called One Last Wish with the bassist from Embrace.  These roads led to Fugazi forming as a trio comprised of Ian McKaye, bassist Joe Lally, who was from Rites of Spring and drummer Colin Sears from melodic hardcore band Dag Nasty.   Colin Sears returned to Dag Nasty and apart from their “Field Day” album has stayed with that band.  Rites of Spring drummer, Brendan Canty, replaced Sears.  After playing as a trio, Guy Picciotto also from Rites of Spring found a place that he longed for in Fugazi, since seeing their early practices, as both a guitarist and vocalist despite the band all ready having both although on the band’s first EP he only plays guitar.

  The band released two EP’s  “Fugazi” and “Margin Walker” and then conveniently and keeping prices to a minimum re-released them in album format as “13 Songs”. Then came the first full proper album release of “Repeater” in 1990.  Their second full album “Steady Diet of Nothing” dropped the next year.   FUGAZI took the term independent music so seriously that all their releases are still only on Ian McKaye’s Dischord Records label.  Fugazi refused to sell band-related merchandise like T-shirts.  The best known clothing representation of the band is a T-shirt with the slogan “This is not a Fugazi T-shirt” which was made and sold by an enterprising fan and advertised in a number of magazines during the early nineties.




THE MEMBERS: Joe Lally - Bass Ian McKaye - Guitar, Vocals Guy Picciotto - Guitar, Vocals Brendan Canty - Drums


THE PRODUCTION: Fugazi weren’t able to get their usual producer, Ted Nicely, as he was starting a career as a chef so the band furthered their DIY ideals and produced “Steady Diet of Nothing” themselves so this is much more of an independent album than its predecessors.  The producton itself is sparse but efficient.  Ian McKaye cut his teeth co-producing Rites of Spring’s album in 1987 so at least one member of Fugazi about production techniques, results and the expectations of other band members.  The rhythm section is often the most noticeable feature. The drum sounds are clear and Joe Lally’s bass is high in the mix.  On a song like “Stacks” the vocals are buried in places but that may well have been intentional as on songs like “Long Division”, the vocals are clear, as are all the other instruments.  A remastered version was released in 2004.

THE GUITARS: The guitar sound is thick and full of chunky goodness due to the way guitarists Guy Picciotto and Ian McKaye complement each other.   The riffs recall Gang of Four, dub reggae and jazz while alternating between a tranquil quiet and a distorted wall of noise.

THE RHYTHM SECTION: The combination of Joe Lally’s bass and Brendan Canty’s bass comes off like a high precision tempo keeping roller coaster with starts and stops that can take the listener on an exhilarating surprise ride at any given moment.

THE VOCALS: An admirable tradeoff between Ian Mckaye and Guy Piciotto There is a large shadow of Minor Threat in Ian McKaye’s however there is much more of a laidback approach taken at times as his vocals alternate between talking and gruff shouting.  Guy Piccioti’s vocals are more understated and abstract but the two weave and trade off their vocals together like their guitars.  The use of dual vocals and abstract subtle lyrics come off as another musical instrument adding a further dimension to the band’s sound.


HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO JELLO BIAFRA?   There’s a short route and a longer route.  First, let’s take the scenic drive.  “Steady Diet of Nothing” is a quote taken from deceased stand-up comedian, Bill Hicks.  Hicks’ stand up was often anti-establishment and he described his comedic routine as being like Noam Chomsky with dick jokes.  Jello Biafra has often been described as the Naom Chomsky of punk and there is also a Naom Chomsky spoken word album on Jello’s Alternative Tentacles record label.  The short route is simple and can be summed up in a sentence.  Both Ian McKaye and Jello Biafra are punk icons who emerged in the eighties.

SOME KEY TRACKS:

“Exit Only” This song reveals that there has been quite some thought into song order as it is an opener that gets your attention the way the first song on an album should.  A somewhat quiet intro with some great guitar interplay.  The drum sound always causes head bobbing although the bass sound is the highlight and the dynamics between the bass and drums set the tone for the rest of the album.  The song picks up in speed, distorted noise and ferocity when the vocals kick in.  The lyrics are more than somewhat baffling.  Not that it really matters but I’ve listened to this song more times than I’ve had roast dinners and still have no idea what the song is about.

“Reclamation” Somehow this track manages to open quietly with an intro based on distortion and then nears being a pro-choice anthem and the quiet/loud dynamics in the shared vocals and guitar sound are great.  The vocals start off quiet but finish with an effective short burst of repetive shouting of “Carry My Body”.

“Nice new outfit” There’s great guitar riffing at the start of this song but it’s really all about the chugging rhythm section.   The bouncing tempo is expertly kept and changed a few times but it’s so subtle you don’t really notice until it speeds up a lot at the end of the song.  There are some understated dual vocals on this song that work really well.  Due to this the line “Sorry about the mess” convinces and sticks in the head for days after listening.

“Stacks”   “Language keeps me locked and repeating.” There’s a feeling that imitates a factory conveyer belt in this song.  Hypnotic and always working.  It’s the feel that many industrial bands go for but often can’t attain.  The worker rushes off at the end of the shift and the tempo change at the end of the song reflects this.

“Long Division” Check out that huge bass line at the start of this track!  It carries on all the way through the song and it’s reminiscent of “Oil and Gold” period Shriekback, which had a huge funk element in the bass sound.  The vocals are somewhere between spoken and sung over some great drum and bass work.

“Polish” This one plays out the quiet/loud dynamics in the vocals.  Ian McKaye shouts, then quietens down, shouts again and quietens until the end of the song.

“KYEO” The album closer is easily the catchiest track and most accessible.  There is a steady simplistic rock beat kept throughout the song.  The lyrics are still somewhat vague and open to interpretation but they’re the easiest to make sense of.  Due to the time of the release the song could be interpreted as a statement on the Gulf war but it could also be about more personal battles.

IN CLOSING: Fugazi has always been a band that has been a band that has been about the music more than anything else.  “Steady Diet of Nothing” with its strong rhythm sound differs greatly from their first album, “Repeater” and is the successful experimentation and progression of a band.  Fugazi have since released four albums.  Well, five if you count soundtracks.  The CD doesn’t do Lucy Capehearts photos of deckchairs and a teepee justice.  They look a lot more appealing on the LP insert.  Dischord fairly recently made all of their releases available for download or a free album download with the purchase of a 12 inch record so getting hold of a copy of this album should be easy.

Bad Brains - ROIR cassette

Generally these days cassette tapes are thought of as no good and only really useful if you happen to driving long haul and own an antiquated car stereo that plays tapes.  ROIR was a music label specializing in cassette releases who just happened to release a demo from a band who had traded in playing jazz fusion in favor of hardcore fused with reggae.  Short bursts of adrenalin filled raging punk with H.R.’s Jamacian Rastafarian accent jab straight to the cranium on “I”, “Sailin On and “Attitude”.    The short slow fraction of “Banned In DC’ only serves to highlight the crushing speed of the rest of the song.  The dub of “Leaving Babylon” simmers the mood with reflectful Jah worshipping reggae.    There’s franticness that rivals the most manic bo-polar stage.  No amount of Ritalin could capably sedate“The Big Take Over” or “Pay to Cum”.    This cassette was pressed into vinyl in 1989 after Bad Brains had a few albums under their belt.  “Rock for Light” is a continuation of this album with more polished versions of a few of the songs from the tape release.   In comparison to early works, “I Against I” slowly grooves and stirs metal, funk and soul into the mixture.   The metallic edge continued on  “Quickness”.   Later albums were patchy affairs with the band’s live performance reflecting their studio efforts.  However in 2007 the band climbed back on board with taking the vocal reigns after an on-off working relationship as Bad Brains’ frontman.  Whilst the format may have changed over time, the intensity has not.  Believe it or not, Mr Ripley, after all these years it’s still possible to get this release on cassette.

5/5

Killing Joke - Killing Joke 1980

Flying in the face of the skinny tied new romantics and the easy listening pleasantness new wave bands were dishing out.    Taking the synthesizer sound from their contemporaries “Requiem” and “Tomorrow’s World” gently lull a listener in.  Precision-steady factory worker repetitiveness bangs in “Bloodsport”.   But Killing Joke also marries the sound with primitive tribal rythms soundtracking an oncoming apocalyptical disaster in “The Wait” Warning of impending doom is “The Wait” “Wardance” is bouncy bass driven abrasive affair completed with Jaz’s grizzle-grunt vocals.   Synthesizers drive “Complications”and “Primitive” hiding a dark undercurrent in the driving industrial rythm. The synthesizers nearly vanished completely on the next album album “What’s this for?”.  Killing Joke flirted with commercialism and had a couple of successful singles with the “NightTime” album in the mid-eighties.  This was followed with the synthesizer heavy but poppier “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns”.     Despite threats of lawsuits against Nirvana  for copping a few riffs from one of their mid-eighties tunes,  Killing Joke’s second self-titled is a turbulent attack to the senses featuring Dave Grohl, who proves that he is best placed on a stool behind a drum kit pummeling the complete shit out of it.

5/5

DEAD KENNEDYS “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables”, 1980

The first wave of UK punk was at its tail end with anarchist politics often considered more important than producing interesting music.  In the US the first wave of heavily political punk bands “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” a provocative edge that messed with heads and lead to ongoing debates with right wing organizations.   Due to the speed the band play at some listeners could have been convinced that the record they were playing on 33 was mistakenly pressed and meant to be played at a slower pace.   As punk albums should the recording quality sounds like it was all done in one take using a walkman placed a safe distance away from Dead Kennedys explosiveness.   Jello Biafra’s distinctive nasally voice carries more than a side of biting sarcasm over East Bay Ray’s surf guitar tones and clenched fist tight rhythm section. A natural organicness punches through in the catchy choruses and breakneck speed of “Kill The Poor” and “Chemical Warfare”.  “Drug Me” mows along like a loud lawnmower as it cuts through the air with absolutely no messing around.  A nasty metallic raw edge throws razor blade spikes in “California Uber Alles” and the rapid rollicking classic “Holiday in Cambodia”.    After the similar “Plastic Surgery Disasters”, the band experimented more with speed in later albums whilst pointing fingers at authority figures and mindless sheep in the punk scene.  Short spastic blurs are barely contained within “In God We Trust”.   Despite being mostly filled with short and fast songs, “Plastic Surgery Disasters” feels bloated under a weighty grand total of 21 songs.   Jello kept busy with many musical and spoken word projects after Dead Kennedys split.  When the band reformed this century to do reunion shows Biafra was not involved due to ongoing legal battles with his former band members and many fans viewed this as a farce because the complete package wasn’t up for grabs.  

The Stooges - The Stooges

THE STOOGES “The Stooges” , 1969

The late sixties was a time period were rock was full of drug-taking hippy psychedelic bands who were accomplished musicians due to years spent practicing before forming a band.   A band that couldn’t play their instruments who recorded a full album in less than week would have been sneered at by many of their counterparts.

After much begging while producing the album, Velvet Underground member, John Cale, successful managed to compromise with The Stooges to turn their amps down from full volume to nine.  “Psychedelic” may have been dropped from the full band moniker however there was no escaping the lingering in the lengthy slow-burning “We Will Fall” and “1969”’s wah-wah effects.   The stripped to the bone rawness and punk energy of  “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “No Fun” delivers an unbridled simple swift but shattering kick to the teeth.    The crude unrefined rock would continue into their follow up albums “Raw Power” and “Fun House”.  Despite the enlisting of bass player extraodinaire, Mike Watt, like many recent comeback albums, 2007’s “The Weirdness” suffers from a lack of song-writing chemistry and an incoherent flow that makes the effort misplaced.

Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks

Conversations abound that the Sex Pistols were nothing more than a manufactured pop group from Malcolm McClaren’s manipulating mind.  The debates about who kickstarted punk and perhaps saved rock from overbloated pompousness in the UK without fail include the debut album as the band courted media controversy wherever they were presented with the opportunity and because the opening chords of “Holiday In The Sun” are more than just a warning of an impending ass kicking.  Contrary to popular belief most of the core band members actually knew how to play their instruments but Johnny Rotten’s technical singing ability is dubious but the enraged sneeered vocals.  “Bodies”  is a wondeful distorted noisy abortion of a song with Steve Jones’ solid guitar playing and Rotten spitting out more disgust than a nun scolding a Catholic school boy for reading a porn mag.  “God Save The Queen” “Anarchy In the UK” and “E.M.I.” are anthems with the requisite punk spitting contempt at authority.  Later albums were some of the same songs with a few tacked on extras

The Saints -(I'm Stranded)

The Saints (I'm Stranded), 1977



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.

MC5- 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.

Iggy and The Stooges- In The Hands of the Fans DVD

Through an online competition six fans were sent to film and interview Iggy and The Stooges play the “Raw Power” album at Montocelli New York’s “ All Tomorrow’s Parties” Festival.  The competitors had to submit a HD video clip of themselves with probing questions and reasons for wanting to film that show a passion for the Stooges.

Fans filming a band could have led to dubious quality videoing with the camera operator getting carried with the music as on the average amatuer youtube clip.   However many of these fans come from a background in media and there has been some great editing work using all six cameras done by a non-contestant.

While the video opens with clips from the contestants are first up, of course the meat and potatoes material is the actual concert footage, which is uninterrupted.   Iggy Pop is all over the stage more like a toddler that discovered energy drinks whilst already on a sugar rush rather than a man old enough to be many of the camera operator/interviewer’s grandfather. It absolutely shows that he loves working the stage as Iggy manically twirls this way, that way and almost absolutely any other way that is humanly possible.  Even if he didn’t have his shirt off, it would still be apparent that the guy keeps himself in great shape.  Guitarist, James Williamson and bass player, Mike Watt are much more subdued and don’t move around very much.  Despite being the youngest band member and not displaying much movement Mike Watt smiles like he is having the time of his life and really why shouldn’t he be?

For the song Shake Appeal, Iggy asks for for dancers, spazzers and freaks to come on stage and The Stooges are swamped by a couple of dozen people but the band play on despite the stage resembling an overcrammed bus.  During the shows the frontman dives into the audience a number of times and the real reason security are on the stage is not to contend with overeager audience but to pick Iggy up and get him upright on the stage.  The ever-present primal rawness of The Stooges shows without raw camera work.  There’s more here than just the “Raw Power” material as there are eight other songs taken mainly from The Stooges early works.   It’s impossible to pick a best-performed song but there is a very short moment where Iggy is unhappy about the bass sound and lets everyone know it.

The interview questions in the bonus feature are asked to Iggy, James and Scott.  The fan’s questions provide some interesting answers and Iggy does most of the talking and comes across as a different character with articulate and revealing answers which contrast with onstage unpredictable wildman persona.  Amongst other things the band talk about their average audience in their early days, how they got a bunch of London schoolgirls to listen to their recordings of Raw Power before they released them and how timeless really isn’t a good word to describe their music. It would have been good if Mike Watt had been in on the interview. The other bonus features  are full submitted fan videos,  the original advertisement for the contest and the great touch of physical liner notes by Mike Watt.

The band’s live performance translates well to DVD and it may well have been because the people filming were already passionate about the band or just because the Stooges sizzle because  they are a crack band in a class of their own as Iggy is quoted as saying on the back cover.

5/5

The above review was originally written for dvdholocaust where you can find a few more of my dvd reviews and don't forget to check out the other reviews.