Reviews: Magnetic Fields, Ron Hawkins, The Burning Hell and more
Tuesday January 15, 2008 @ 02:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

THE BURNING HELL Happy Birthday (Weewerk)
www.myspace.com/mathiaskom Happy Birthday has a lot in common with the Johnny Cash cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." In successive moments, it comes across as first disturbing, then solemn, then laughably preposterous. Mathias Kom, the creative force behind the ensemble's music, is himself a study in extremes. The deadpan baritone of his almost-spoken-word delivery sounds as if plucked from a graveside eulogy, but it finds balance with the buoyant plucking of his ukulele. This album is more than just kitsch; its pace steadily progresses, banjos, drums and keys find their way into the mix and Barmitzvah Brother Jenny Mitchell appears to add some variety to the vocals. Happy Birthday is the kind of album we'll be throwing on the stereo as the end times draw near and we crowd into our bomb shelters to eat granola bars and have a good laugh over everything that's gone wrong with the world. Scott Bryson

FOND OF TIGERS Release The Saviours (Drip Audio)
Fond Of Tigers are a difficult band to pigeonhole. The term jazz-fusion comes to mind, but jazz purists will find little to placate them on Release The Saviours. At times, the improvisational B.C. seven-piece ventures into the messier regions of Shapes And Sizes territory, and just as often, their jams morph into the more melodic sections of a Do Make Say Think song. They've been described as "post-everything" and that tag seems most apt. To say that their sound is layered would definitely be an understatement. More than once on this disc, the various instruments they employ seem to be doing battle with one another. There's a lot worth picking apart and discovering here, but with several tracks going well past the 10-minute mark, it's a task that'll take a lot of patience. Release The Saviours is definitely meant for a listener that's looking for a challenge. Scott Bryson

RON HAWKINS Chemical Sounds (Independent)
Titled in honour of being the last album recorded at Toronto's Chemical Sound studio, Hawkins' second solo album is a solid effort that showcases his intellect, social conscience and knack for clever turns of phrase. Some of the best songs on the disc, which Hawkins co-produced with Rudy Rempel, wouldn't sound out of place on a Lowest Of The Low album. But since Hawkins announced last month that LOTL had called it quits (again), this outlet will suffice. Opener "From The Alta Loma Hotel" is about a man fallen on hard times, while "Sofa Star" is another rocker that tries to convince someone not to commit suicide. "Smile And Wave" adds well-placed piano to the electric guitar, while the best slow song on the LP, "Peace And Quiet," features Sarah McElcheran's trumpet. "Out Of The Black" continues Hawkins' penchant for name-dropping, even if many of you probably haven't heard of Dorothy Parker or Louis Mayer. "1-800 Radio" takes a shot at ho-hum radio programming, but Hawkins doesn't need airplay to prove his worth as an artist. Steve McLean

HIMALAYAN BEAR …Attacks The Brilliant Air (Self Righteous)
Himalayan Bear is the fur-based alias for Victoria singer/songwriter Ryan Beattie and he uses the moniker to excise his spare, exceedingly gentle folk pop. Decibel levels are kept to a minimum on … Attacks The Brilliant Air as Beattie pontificates on a variety of stark and personal subjects. The disc has appeal for fans of the singer/songwriter genre but that being said, it's so slight at times that the listener is liable to drift off to sleep if they're not careful. Luckily, Beattie's vocals are just expressive enough that he's able to keep things interesting and when he plateaus early on third track "The Captain," he effectively sets the bar straight for what he's trying to achieve on this album. Cameron Gordon

LUKE DOUCET AND THE WHITE FALCON Blood's Too Rich (Six Shooter)
Luke Doucet has always been a bit of a soft touch in the singer/songwriter game so he's decided to enlist the services of a real life White Falcon to help buck this trend. It seems to have worked as this fine, feathered band has added plenty of bite to Doucet's brew on his Blood's Too Rich full-length. The album is full of dense, countrified indie, sometimes quite crunchy, sometimes not so much. The quality of Doucet's songwriting remains intact throughout, especially on such poignant numbers as "First Day (In The New Home Town)" and the twangy "The Day Rick Danko Died." Aside from his backers in the White Falcon, a few other famous friends get into the mix including Jim Cuddy, Ian Blurton and the dudes from Major Maker, making Blood's Too Rich kind of a studio equivalent of The Last Waltz, albeit less the coke and Martin Scorsese's eyebrows. Cameron Gordon

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS Distortions (Nonesuch/Warner)
It's been almost four years since Stephin Merritt and co. dropped i, an acoustic record that mostly expanded on the themes of The Magnetic Fields' magnum opus — 69 Love Songs. Since 2004, the quartet have been fairly quiet, but are back now with their noisy eighth studio album, one that features a complete departure — at least on the technical side — from their last nine years of composition. Distortions sounds aesthetically similar to some cuts on early Magnetics album Holiday, but it's better produced, more refined and infused with the songwriting skill that made Merritt famous on 69. The layers of feedback that permeate every single track elevate his and regular bandmate Claudian Gonson's vocals. Yet, the noise truly benefits part-timer Shirley Timms, whose sweet voice soars over the biting "California Girls" and "Drive On, Driver." I could have done without the Christmas overtones ("Mr. Misletoe"), but the crackle-and-pop production implies a winter theme that makes even that almost appropriate. So then, the only real issue is that it took four years for a new Magnetic Fields album and, sadly, 38 minutes later, the wait begins again. Noah Love

OS MUTANTES Live At Barbican Theatre, 2006 (Luaka Bop)
Back in the '60s famed TV host Ed Sullivan usually began his show by saying something like "Well folks, we have big 'shoe,'" intentionally drawling "show" into "Shoe." After listening to this reunion show by legendary '60s Brazilian rock n' roll adventurers Os Mutantes, Ed would have put the emphasis on "big" if they had appeared back then. Back in the late '60s during a time of political and economic instability, Os Mutantes were producing stunning psychedelic rock-inspired anthems without a blueprint or any idea on how to even work their instruments. By combining elements of American rock 'n' roll with bossa nova beats Os Mutantes created a musical hybrid that became known as tropicalia. This diverse sound captured the essence of psychedelia and inspired the likes of David Byrne, Beck, The Flaming Lips and Super Furry Animals. Their return double disc CD captures Os Mutantes' first live performance in 30 years. Aided by Devandra Banheart and Noah Georgeson, the original members of the band (excluding original female singer, Rita Lee) cover all of the musical bases with spectacular versions of the band's strongest material. Rather than mimicking their studio versions, Os Mutantes re-energizes their greatest hits with new twists. Highlighting the bigness of Os Mutantes musical attack, "Ave Ghengis Khan" morphs from swaying samba-tinged pop hit to rock opera bombast complete with wicked deep voiced vocal refrain. This contrasts with the subtle rendition of the sweet bossa nova "Baby." At the other end of the spectrum, "A Hora E A Vez Do Cabelo Nascer" works with the blaring guitars of early Black Sabbath and Deep Purple in a wonderful tightrope walk between left-field absurdity and nostalgic kitch. Solidifying the affair, updated versions of the LCD-dripping "I Feel Spaced Out" and energetic dance anthem "Bat Macumba" are both crafted pop gems that make show what's great about the Os Mutantes repertoire. Chris Burland

THE SCENICS How Does It Feel To Be Loved? (Dream Tower)
There's really only two ways to go about assessing recordings that were lost in their own time, only to be rediscovered 20 years later. First off, is there any real historical significance behind a Toronto band unearthing an album full of Velvet Underground covers? For The Scenics, you can definitely say yes. They were part of the thriving punk and new wave scene at the time in Toronto, playing the then-high profile Edge and Larry's Hideaway clubs. They even opened for The Troggs' legendary gig at the Horseshoe in 1978. If you grew up on this scene or are intrigued by it, you will like this collection. The other way to judge it is purely musically, and ask the immortal question of does it hold up over time? And to that, perhaps the kindest thing that can be said is that they probably sound about the same as the actual Velvet Underground did when they started in '64. The Mouth

SPROLL Turn On Your Radio (Quadraphonic)
Like Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield fence, Sproll offer an ominous foretelling with "Radio," the first single taken from their debut full-length: "Turn on your radio, something's coming over the air... and there's no way out." Singer Corey Hachey can see the future. He sees his band's music all over commercial radio and he'll probably be proven right. This kinda stuff was made for the masses to gobble up — power pop with gooey lovesick lyrics and simple choruses that stick in your brain. It's perhaps most fascinating that this album was made by a bunch of Canadians without major label support. We've heard it all before, and while these songs will at some point strike a chord with listeners nation-wide, there doesn't seem to be anything here that'll propel Sproll past flavour-of-the-month status. We didn't really need another album like this, but it won't hurt anyone either. We can always turn off our radios. Scott Bryson

KATIE STELMANIS Join Us (Blocks Recording Club)
Medieval modern pop. Ever heard of it? Neither had I until listening to classically trained singer Katie Stelmanis's Join Us, the latest release from Toronto's art-foot-forward record label Blocks Recording Club (home to Final Fantasy and The Creeping Nobodies). OK, so I made the term up, but it's only because there are very few accurate terms suitable in describing this album. It's all dark (with the exception of her take on Carole King's "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman") and synth-heavy with booming, but not industrial beats. It's rustic, but completely crisp and new all at once. Stelmanis's vocals are at times heavy on the aforementioned art-foot, soaked in loud vibrato, making this effort a difficult one to sit all the way through. It's a curious mix of independent woman synth anthems-meets-tortured gothic princess fairy tales and it makes Join Us something both oddly beautiful and enchanting, yet annoying and painful all at the same time. Phil Villeneuve

TARJA My Winter Storm (Universal)
Hipsters be warned — Tarja's My Winter Storm is just about the least cool album you're bound to hear this year. The disc combines the operatic vocals of Sarah Brightman, the flimsy "intrigue" of Evanescence and the ambition of Meat Loaf in a bizarrely putrid package that is actually far worse than it sounds. Tarja's classical training matches up with some corny hard rock guitars and laughably dense backing vocals, and the end result is either pretension overload or a bad joke — even multiple listens haven't netted a definitive answer either way. And clocking in at over an hour, the album never relents until the final refrains of "Calling Grace" are delivered. I'm assuming that Tarja's handlers had something like Dead Can Dance in mind when they hatched this project, but they ended up with something far closer to Lord Of The Rings: The Musical. Avoid at all costs. Cameron Gordon

VARIOUS ARTISTS Disco Not Disco (Strut)
For anybody who's put off by the D-word in the title of this album, relax. This music is not "burnin' up." It won't give you "fever." It's cold and sharp like a switchblade in a New York alley, more like a razorblade across Gloria Gaynor's wrists. The subtitle, "Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986" pretty much sums it up, but I challenge you to reduce this CD to a walk through your record collection. With a generous dose of rarities, remixes and 12-inch edits, it's a feast for the most dedicated DJs and audiophiles. Gems by Delta 5, Shriekback, Material and others play disco without the polyester, punk without the leather, reggae without the weed. This music doesn't try to fill itself up. It holds back. It creates tension in the space left by understated machine beats and sporadic saxophone skronks. By doing less it does much, much more. Evan Dickson

WU-TANG CLAN 8 Diagrams (SRC)
Its been six years since Wu-Tang Clan's last album. There's no ODB this time, and along with him, less of that indelible machismo hype that put Wu-Tang on the map. Tracks like "Campfire," "Take It Back," and "Unpredictable" have a raucous sound synonymous with The RZA, GZA, Method Man, etc., but lyrically, they come off feeling flat. Even on "Life Changes," an attempt is made to pay tribute to ODB, but the kind of unity that once defined the group isn't there. RZA's beats are solid though, and to some extent, they save this disc. But, you have to wonder how George Harrison feels about the "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" sample on "The Heart Gently Weeps." It's not exactly an instant classic. In the end, 8 Diagrams is a fair album, but for a group that once proclaimed they'd last forever, the end is starting to look quite near. Cheryl Thompson