Reviews: Cat Power, Matt Costa, Evangelicals and more
Tuesday January 22, 2008 @ 02:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

BAJA Wolfhour (Other Electricities)
While a number of instruments make appearances on this disc — from guitar to glockenspiel — it would be hard to argue that Baja should be categorized as anything but electronica. German composer Daniel Vujanic admittedly puts his music through a staggering number of editing stages, and the pristine arrangements on Wolfhour act as evidence of that. One of the hardest things to accomplish in making music of this sort is to craft songs that sound like they were composed by people and not just generated by technology. To their credit, Vujanic and his loose collective of musicians manage to inject a decent amount of humanity into their third disc. Where Wolfhour ultimately fails to impress, however, is in the feeling that it's all been done before. Those who claim this genre as a favourite will likely find a lot to love on Wolfhour, but dabblers should still be encouraged towards Caribou's Start Breaking My Heart when the mood strikes. Scott Bryson

BLOOD ON THE WALL Liferz (The Social Registry)
Some bands feel the need to make strides in their songwriting from album to album and some say, "If it ain't broke, why do the fixin'?" Blood On The Wall definitely fall into category number two as Liferz isn't so much a departure from 2005's Awesomer as it is a logical extension of it. The riffs are a little chunkier, the hooks are a little hookier and the LP, overall, is a little awesomer. Brad and Courtney Shanks still aren't too interested in taking anything very seriously, which gives this grunge throwback the kind of humour it needs to be lovable. If you don't get entirely nostalgic listening to the title track, "Junkee... Julieee" and "Sorry Sorry Sarah," I'm guessing your musical education didn't include a detour through the '90s. Plus, the "Acid Fight" is the most appropriately titled song of this or any other decade. That's what makes Blood On The Wall so much better than so many other bands of this ilk — they're just too fucking clever to be lifeless imitators. Noah Love

BUZZCOCKS 30 (Cooking Vinyl/Koch)
These Manchester, England punk-pop pioneers celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2006, when this album was recorded live at London's Forum, and now it's finally been packaged for wider consumption. The concert featured a good cross-section of their catalogue but, unfortunately, they put a lot of their weaker choices at the beginning. Things pick up beginning with "Reconciliation" and go through a few more ups and downs before ending on a very high note with six early tracks, including "Autonomy," "Ever Fallen In Love?" and "Orgasm Addict." Singers/guitarists Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle still have lots of vim and vigour as they race through 28 songs in 78 minutes, but this album unfortunately can't match the thrill of actually seeing them perform in person. Still, sometimes you have to take what you can get, so I'll happily take 30. Steve McLean

CAT POWERJukebox (Matador)
The Greatest was certainly a decent Cat Power record, but it could just have easily been titled How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Accept My Starbucks Audience. With Jukebox, Chan Marshall is pandering to the coffeehouses once again. Her second covers record, though not recorded with the Memphis Rhythm Band (but members appear), has all the same cadences and melodies as its predecessor. This time, however, her performances do little to elevate the source material. Take, for example, Covers Record's "Satisfaction," which broke one of rock's best-known songs down to an acoustic guitar and a haunting melody that would stick in your mind for days. While the rest of that LP's spare arrangements are more indicative of Marshall's old modus operandi, Jukebox is rife with her new one. The issue here is that songs such as "New York, New York" and Bob Dylan's "I Believe In You," while pleasant-sounding and vocally rich, are nothing more than that. Plus, the absence of live staple "House Of The Rising Sun" and the completely unnecessary retooling of Cat Power classic "Metal Heart" border on foolish. Noah Love

MATT COSTA Unfamiliar Faces (Brushfire/Universal)
Matt Costa's first love may have been skateboarding, but the accident that shattered his leg did him a much bigger favour than he probably realized. In fact, it did us all a favour, since his year-and-a-half long rehabilitation is what pushed him to first pick up a guitar. With this second record, the Huntington Beach, California native stays close to the sound of his first without seeming stagnant. Songs as catchy as "Mr. Pitiful," with its prominent key-pounding, and "Never Looking Back," with a lilting acoustic guitar accompanying Costa's effortlessly crisp vocals, make for a perfect mix. And simple, straightforward lyrics like those found on "Vienna" ("I'm running through the streets of Zurich/I'm calling all the trains in Europe/To bring her to me") are exactly what this album needs to feel complete. Costa's music is sure to end up more familiar than the faces he sings about. Jill Langlois

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Brighter Than Creation's Dark (New West/Fontana North)
Last year's departure of singer, songwriter and guitarist Jason Isbell would likely have been disastrous for lesser bands. But these Georgian roots-rockers, quite appropriately, just kept on truckin'. Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley wrote the bulk of the 19 tracks, but bassist Shonna Tucker makes her songwriting debut with the somewhat ambient "The Purgatory Line," "I'm Sorry Huston" and "Home Field Advantage," and also sings them. While she does herself proud with these mellower efforts, the Truckers put the hammer down on such rockers as "3 Dimes Down," "The Righteous Path" and "That Man I Shot." Veteran keyboardist Spooner Oldham makes his valued presence known on the excellent ballad "Daddy Needs A Drink," and it was worth the several years' wait for Hood to find an ending for the acoustic-based "The Opening Act." The lyrics of the light-hearted "Bob" and "Lisa's Birthday" will both put a smile on your face, while weightier issues related to the war in Iraq are tackled on "The Home Front." DBT rank among the most insightful musical storytellers of the past 10 years, and Brighter Than Creation's Dark is the best new release I've heard so far this year. Steve McLean

EVANGELICALS The Evening Descends (Dead Oceans/Sonic Unyon)
The Evening Descends is bound to be one of 2008's most noisy and magnificent records. Though the Evangelicals impressed a lot of listeners and critics with their 2006 debut, it's with this even weirder and more layered follow-up that they'll truly win over the lot. With psychedelic Flaming Lips influences still in place, TED certainly is a musical acid trip. It's almost as though the listener doesn't actually need drugs! This album is the drug! Get it? Though much of the effort sounds slightly conceptual and because of that, clear and memorable song structure isn't always easy to come by. But most of TED makes up for that with enthrallingly epic synth anthems like "Party Crashin'" and the gorgeously angelic choruses of "Bloodstream." It's hard to describe a piece of work so varied, dream-like and smile-inducing, but if Broken Social Scene made out with Pink Floyd after getting drunk with Animal Collective, you might begin to understand the magic that is Evangelicals. Phil Villeneuve

THE FLESHTONES Take A Good Look (Yep Roc/Outside)
The Fleshtones are acknowledged by most people lucky enough to have seen them as being one of the most purely entertaining live bands in existence, and that remains the case more than 30 years after they first debuted at New York City's legendary CBGB. Unfortunately, for the most part, their magic hasn't transferred to the studio as well. That's not entirely true here, however. The quartet dub their music "super rock," and it's an apt description of their blend of garage rock, power pop, vintage R&B and punk. Opener "First Date (Are You Coming On To Me)" sounds like a classic '60s song. There's some nifty retro organ in the bridge of "Ruby's Old Time," and it's more out front in the Peter Zaremba shouter, "Shiney Hiney." While Keith Streng's guitar work is efficiently effective throughout this 12-track effort, the hand claps and saxophone on "New York City" are a welcomed addition. Take a good listen to Take A Good Look and, unless you're allergic to fun, you'll find yourself bopping along with a silly grin on your face. Steve McLean

HAYDEN In Field & Town (Hardwood/Universal)
Since his 1995 debut, Hayden has drifted in and out of the public consciousness. When he puts out a record, it seems like he's everywhere. Then, for two or three years it seems like he's nowhere. After every absence, a new Hayden returns. Following the meandering pop of 2004's Elk Lake Serenade, In Field & Town is a more crisp and catchy effort. As usual, the lyrics range from poignant ("You've had it up to here with both hemispheres/With no one left to revere"on "Worthy Of Your Esteem") to goofy ("Could make a cricket from a parking ticket/Can make a bird from some thrown out words" on "Lonely Security Guard"), but credit to Hayden for sticking to mixing the two seamlessly. Look, it's not as good as Skyscraper or The Closer I Get and it's not as bad as Elk Lake. It's a pretty good Hayden record, and fans better enjoy it because it'll probably be another four years before he shows his face again (although, I've heard rumours to the contrary). Noah Love

LOVE IN OCTOBER Pontus, The Devil, And Me (The Musik Group)
The world wouldn't especially need another disc of this nature, were it not for the fact that this sort of band spends a relatively small amount of time in the spotlight. Pontus, The Devil, And Me is the kind of record that high school girls fall in love with overnight and discard just as quickly. For the most part, Love In October stick to a familiar formula of radio-friendly pop-rock with a punk edge. But vocally, they get a little more adventurous than most of their contemporaries. The Minnesota-based four-piece — whose core membership is Swedish in origin — bucked tradition and recorded one of the album's tracks in their native language. Oddly enough, it's the best song on the disc. Their guitar work is decent and catchy, but it might be a little too cookie-cutter perfect for discerning ears. Look for Love In October to be a teenage flavour of the month in the near future. Scott Bryson

MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Red Ink/Sony BMG)
MGMT are set to challenge MSTRKRFT in the battle for vowel-less supremacy and a solid album such as Oracular Spectacular is just the type of ammunition they'll need. The album is full of burbling keyboards, gnarly guitars and hissy vocals, recalling Flaming Lips and various Elephant Six bands along the way. For what it's worth, "Weekend Wars" even sounds like a modern piece of ELO balladry. This is 100 per cent hipster kid fodder and might actually sound fresh to anyone born after 1986. To the rest of us, it's a companion piece to any slab of '70s, '80s or '90s psychedelia and/or prog, albeit with more contemporary production values and an eye firmly planted on the sounds of today. Look for these guys to break big in 2008 and at least they'll be able to do so with an album of some merit. Cameron Gordon

THE PACK A.D. Tintype (Mint/Outside)
Pack A.D. singer/guitarist Becky Black seems to think she's Muddy Waters and there's really no reason to disagree with her. It takes a select breed of individual to make the blues sound good, and whatever the traits required, Black and her drummer bandmate Maya Miller seem to fit the bill. Tintype was originally released in early 2007 — when the two were known as The Pack — but its Mint reissue is definitely warranted. Take the sonic minimalism of Young Marble Giants, add Andre Ethier's countrified lamenting and a dash of Sleater Kinney's anger, and you'll have a fairly accurate notion of what these Vancouver-based gals sound like. With The White Stripes setting a standing of success in the guitar and drum arrangement, it'll be understandably difficult for these two to make an impact. But so far it looks like they're set up to exceed expectations. The Pack A.D. are living proof that a keep-it-simple attitude can still prevail in an age of layered sound. Scott Bryson

JASON RINGENBERG Best Tracks And Side Tracks 1979-2007 (Yep Roc/Outside)
The 20 songs on disc one represent what this country-punk pioneer considers to be his strongest solo material, while the 10 tracks on disc two feature the most interesting rarities from his non-Jason And The Scorchers repertoire. The wide-ranging collection showcases Ringenberg's softer side on "For Addie Rose" and "Last Train To Memphis." He offers sterling covers of Merle Haggard and Tom T. Hall songs, while the singing brakeman wouldn't recognize "Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel" as his own song after hearing Ringenberg and British band The Wildhearts tear it up. Steve Earle on "Bible And A Gun" and Los Straitjackets on "Link Wray" also prove to be fine collaborators. "Punk Rawk Skunk" and "Moose On The Loose" are from the Farmer Jason kids' project, but they're just as entertaining for adults. "Tuskegee Pride" — about the renowned black learning institute's WWII fighter pilots — shows that Ringenberg knows his history and isn't just some hick from the sticks. This set is both a good introduction for newbies and a valuable resource for longtime fans. Steve McLean

SHAKIN' ALL OVER: CANADIAN POP MUSIC IN THE 1960s (EMI)
This 90-minute documentary aired on CBC-TV two years ago, and is now available on DVD with an extra hour of interviews. The film looks at the rich music scenes that developed across Canada four decades ago and features performance footage from household names like The Guess Who, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen as well as talented bands who enjoyed some success but are little known today, including the kilt-wearing Great Scots and Three's A Crowd — who spawned both Bruce Cockburn and David Wiffen. There are interviews with figures as well known as Gordon Lightfoot and as forgotten as a member of The Haunted. Additional interviews with more current artists — including Matthew Good, Sarah Slean, Sarah Harmer, Hawksley Workman and Sloan's Jay Ferguson — help put the work of the Canadian pop, rock and folk pioneers in perspective for younger viewers. Even if history isn't your favourite subject, you should be shakin' and stirred by this fine piece of work. Steve McLean

VARIOUS ARTISTS Juno Soundtrack (Rhino/Warner)
Part of what made Juno such an adorable little film and the biggest surprise hit of 2007 was its thoughtfully selected soundtrack. Unsurprisingly, when listened to as a whole, it manages to match the movie's warm heart and soul perfectly. Each track evokes the tender, awkward and emotional scenes from the movie, especially those between Canadian stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera. You can practically hear the nervous conversations between the two in Belle And Sebastian's "Expectations," and all of Kimya Dawson's contributions mirror the titular character's personality. The disc is rounded out by tracks from Sonic Youth, The Velvet Underground and Cat Power. Even if you haven't seen the film, this is more than worthy of a few spins on a sunny day. Shehzaad Jiwani

WE OWE YOU NOTHING: PUNK PLANET COLLECTED INTERVIEWS EXPANDED EDITION (Punk Planet/Akashic)
Revered for its punk rock staples of honesty, sincerity and ambition throughout its 13 years, Punk Planet Magazine was an essential force in understanding the inner workings of the music and politics of this unique force of art. The reprinting of select Q&A interviews in the 2001 edition of We Owe You Nothing was refined insight that offered the purest form of relating the creative drive of underground visionaries, innovators and inventors such as Black Flag, Frank Kozik, Jello Biafra, Steve Albini and others to the world through other means than their muse. Closing the "book" on this now-defunct publication, the expanded version adds insightful and emotional discussions with newer forces such as Jawbreaker, G7 Welcoming Committee and Sleater-Kinney. Engaging, prophetic and slightly depressing as it is the final word from the rag that pulled no punches, We Owe You Nothing is as vital to any anti-establishment spirit as Please Kill Me or a subscription to Maximumrocknroll... possibly more. Keith Carman

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