a public service

i've had to review a fistful of albums for the station and thought i'd post those reviews here. i didn't choose these cd's because i've been too busy to go into the station during regular office hours, so i panned a couple:

Bell X1 - The Syndicate - YepRoc
Carrying on the great Irish tradition of naming bands after U.S. military aircraft, Bell X1 originally formed with Damien Rice on vocals before he went solo. Now Damien-free, the band lives on. The music can be a little vanilla, but if you like sweeping arena-ready music and/or heartfelt acoustic ballads (think Travis, Coldplay, The Frames, etc.) then you should be happy with any of the safe-for-airplay tracks. track 3 hails from the O.C. Soundtrack.

Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long - Sub Pop
Only As The Day Is Long makes you wish Music Row would get off its ass and quit selling out before it’s too late. Sure, Nashville gets some great singer/songwriters, but there was a time when someone like Sera Cahoone (former Band Of Horses drummer) would have moved here in an instant to make records. Enter Sub Pop. The Seattle label put this album out and it’s a terrific part of the alt-country / neo-folk movement that has been building for years in such faraway places as Nebraska, Chicago, Minnesota, New York, etc. Most of the album is slower tempo fare with a familiar Lucinda Williams-esque burn to tracks 7 and 9. From beginning to end this is a great album.

Plants And Animals - Parc Avenue - Secret City Records
Parc Avenue starts out by scaring you into thinking it may not offer anything new. Track 1 sounds like a Coldplay song for the first 30 seconds. But it quickly swells into a grand chorus reminiscent of The Polyphonic Spree and before you know it the song slows back down. As goes most of this album. Montreal’s Plants and Animals put a few very good songs on Parc Avenue with plenty of twists that work. Unfortunately, around track 8 the songs take a turn for the worse and fall squarely into jam band territory.

These United States - A Picture Of The Three Of Us At The Gate... - Self-Released
These United States are hard to pin down. There are definite influences of Daniel Johnston and Andrew Bird in the vocals. Some of their guitar work has hints of old Mississippi blues types like Robert Johnson and gospel sounds weave throughout the album, but it’s impossible to pigeonhole this group into any one sound – which is a good thing. Make no mistake about it, this is an indie band with a focus on quiet beauty. Sometimes the lyrics are a bit too wordy, but that’s a small price to pay to hear an interesting and pleasant record.

Yoav - Charmed & Strange - Verve Forecast
Sonically, this album sounds fantastic with percussive acoustic guitar, middle-eastern strings, and catchy melodies, but it falls short on lyrics and substance. It’s hard to get past corny phrases like “can i have another hit of adrenaline?” and “i turn around and breathe you in”. A nod to The Pixies on track 11 is a nice touch, but you’re still left feeling that if you didn’t understand English this might be a pretty good record. Yoav gained fame by touring with Tori Amos and has often been compared to her. You can also hear bits of Nine Inch Nails beats on this album. Unfortunately, Top 40 style lyrics and shallow themes cripple Charmed & Strange from being an inspiring or unique album.

Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge - Domino Recording
This is the first solo effort by ex-Test Icicle member Devonte Hynes and it's a significant departure from his former work. Recorded in Nebraska with producer Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Falling Off The Lavender Bridge features many of the same instrumental elements found on Bright Eyes albums (steel guitar, violin, etc.) and, as a result, sounds more alt-country than indie post-punk. Disappointingly, the album comes off as contrived far too often and some of the best tracks aren’t fit for airplay.

Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping - Polyvinyl
Headlights’ latest effort is more pop than punk and they execute it with great acumen. There are obvious nods to Death Cab For Cutie and Stars, but this album does have its own sound. Sweet 60’s bubblegum vocals and Beach Boys telecaster hints are sprinkled throughout this lush indie album and even if you’ve heard this kind of Pitchfork crap before, Some Racing, Some Stopping deserves a chance. Yes, every track is worth a listen and no, I’ve never heard of Headlights before this.

Head Of Femur - Great Plains - Greyday Records
Head of Femur’s sophomore effort is a decent example of modern prog-indie rock. There are musical references to the likes of Menomena - but the melodies are not quite as catchy, the hooks not quite as evident, and the beats aren’t really there. Still, it is a worthwhile listen if for no other reason than because it can keep you engaged. On the whole, Great Plains changes tempo and/or instrumentation and/or time signature every minute or so which works often, but sometimes seems a little too forced.

and today's video: