DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI – Page 30

HIGHASAKITE: SILENT TREATMENT

(PROPELLER RECORDINGS; 2014)

The Norwegian band, Highasakite, is somewhat of a pop conundrum. They are very much a group of elegantly precise musicians with a sublime vocalist in Ingrid Helene Havik. At the same time, the precision that makes so listenable and so enjoyable is seemingly undermined by a lyrical obliqueness… allusive lyrics that leave you stumbling through the songs, trying to catch the meaning. I’m going out on a limb here by saying that this album is a quasi-concept piece about familial relationships (husband/wife; parent/adopted child/step-child). As dense (not thickheaded dense; more like a molecular type of dense… I don’t know… now I’m doing it!) as the lyrics are, this is still an exceptionally fine album. And… I think that pretty well covers the “conundrum” aspect; let’s look at the songs one-by-one, shall we?

Up first is “Lover, Where Do You Live.” The song is majestic… orchestral… ethereal. The only thing I can think to say is, “Hauntingly beautiful.” Even though the second song sounds nothing like it, the rather loopy “Since Last Wednesday” somehow kinda reminds me of Lorde’s “Royals.” Lyric sample: “No one has seen or heard from him since last Wednesday.” So… on to “Leaving No Traces.” It’s kinda like a Nordic take on an Irish reel. I’ll give you some time to digest that statement, let it congeal at the bottom of your brainpan for a bit. Alright… I got it! The Lorde comparison (and, there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!) has more to do with Havik’s phrasing and timbre. “Hiroshima” is a gauzy, percussion happy tune about “carelessly walking around Hiroshima.” It’s kind of a nonsense song lyrically (at least, to these ears), but still a nice listen. “My Only Crime” features minimal instrumentation and a nice vocal performance. The first line, “I dreamt I was the devil’s child” sets the lyrical tone. The song melds into “I, the Hand Grenade,” in which Havik refers to herself as “the real terrorist.” I’m guessing (“hoping” would be more accurate) this is some sort of protest song. There is an elegant soft to hard juxtaposition in the vocal delivery as, later, the protagonist declares, “My ignorance is a tool to justify.” And, so, the meaning is obvious: By looking at the differences in each other, we are blind to the likenesses. Or, maybe, it’s about five-speed transmissions.

Highasakite (photo credit: TONJE THILESEN)

“Darth Vader” is next, wherein the musical question is asked, “Am I the real Darth Vader?” The listener answers, “Uhhh… nice melody, though.” “Iran” might be another politcal song. Either Ingrid is very confused or I am totally missing something in the translation” “It’s common news/It’s common sense/If I could choose/I’d go to Iran” even though “I could lose a hand.” The tune has a kind of Celtic Middle Eastern vibe… whatever that means. With “The Man On the Ferry,” we’re back to basics (maybe… kinda sorta). It’s a gently rolling tune about love – I think. The last line stymied me: “It made the Indian in me cry.” At least, that’s what I think it is. The last track, “Science and Blood Tests,” is another head-scratcher. It could be yet another song about acceptance or it could be about loving an adoptive parent or a step-child. Let’s go with that last one, as a lyrical sample reads, “Science and blood tests doesn’t say anything ’bout how I feel.” Overall, strangely allusive lyrics aside, SILENT TREATMENT is a pleasant musical experience. Having said that, I think the next time I listen to it, I’m going to do so with a linguistic major beside me to explain the squiggly bits.

SCYTHIA: …OF CONQUEST

(SELF-RELEASED; 2014)

Canadian metal-merchants Scythia’s third full-length album (and fifth release overall, including a Christmas single called – what else? – …OF SANTA) is an impressive display of power, melding progressive metal with ancient folk balladry and a medieval Dio-like mysticism in an hour-long conceptual piece, recalling the nomadic Scythians, a people who, through the second century, inhabited what is now Central Asia. The breadth and scope of this epic piece (the twelve tracks flow seamlessly together) lays out like a latter-day heavy metal primer, touching on everyone from fellow Canuckians Rush to Iron Maiden to Kamelot to Lamb of God and everything from power metal to pagan folk metal to orchestral metal. In other words, if you’re a metal-head, this is the album for you!

Scythia (Dave Khan,Celine Derval, Jeff Black, Terry Savage) (photo credit: CRYSTAL LEE/VANDALA CONCEPTS)

“Fanfare 1516” opens, offering an epic Maiden sound. Dave Khan’s vocals, in particular, brings to mind the powerful voice of Bruce Dickinson. As the first song melds into “Merchant of Sin,” the comparison momentarily shifts to late ’80s/early ’90s Alice Cooper (TRASH and HEY STOOPID) before the progressive power metal evokes the mighty Maiden. Lyrically, a nod to the legendary Ronnie James Dio, as “Bear Claw Tavern” blends a Saga-like pomp rock sound with a cool Irish reel vibe. Bassist Terry Savage adds his harsh vocal delivery to the track, sounding very much like Conrad Lant (better known as the leather-throated Cronos) of famed black thrash metal icons, Venom. There’s a wickedly funny video of the song available at the band’s web-site (www.scythia.ca), proving that, while the music is seriously good, the band doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Later, “Reflections,” again ramps up the pomposity – in a kinda Rush overload – and introduces a female voice to the mix (drummer Celine Derval perhaps, or a guest vocalist?). “The Kraken,” amazingly enough, is heavier than anything yet heard on …OF CONQUEST, with an abundance of power chords and drums that relentlessly pummel your brainpan ’til you’re fairly certain that you can feel gray matter oozing out of your ears. “Into the Storm” follows suit before the folky, Maidenesque “Land of Scythia” brings you back to the ancient, legendary feel of the album. There’s plenty of guitar shredding, harmony work (everything overdubbed by Khan, the only guitarist in Scythia), nice acoustic playing and rhythm work on this record, but for me, the solo on “Land of Scythia” stands out as one of the best. “Wrath of the Ancients” is yet another progressive piece, with definite Kamelot overtones and an acoustic part that reminds me of Ritchie Blackmore’s work with his band, Blackmore’s Night. “Path Through the Labyrinth” is a 13 minute tour-de-force, incorporating every style and genre previously mentioned in this review (and a few others, to boot!), with layers of textured guitars and keyboards (by musical wunderkind, Jeff Black). It may not be the centerpiece of the album (as most longer tunes are), but for pure pomposity, it does have everything that you could possibly want in a metal record. …OF CONQUEST is the kind of record that you can listen to over and over again and evoke a different emotion each time. And, that, good friends, is a good thing!

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | February 22, 2014 | Concept Album Folk Metal Heavy Metal Music Power Metal Progressive Metal Scythia

THOSE DARLINS: BLUR THE LINE

(OH WOW DANG RECORDS; 2013)

BLUR THE LINE, the third album from upstart Nashville band Those Darlins, is the ultimate in outsider Americana. Years ago, this music woulda been called “cowpunk.” After the Darlins’ second full-length, SCREWS GET LOOSE, the face of the band changed as co-founder Kelley Anderson left, replaced by Gentleman Jesse and His Men bassist Adrian Barrera. The band’s sound has changed and evolved with each release, from a rollicking country-tinged rockabilly sound on their debut to a more rocking alternative country sound on SCREWS… to a more restrained insanity on this new album, incorporating rockabilly, country, girl group pop, alternative rock and a myriad of other musical styles. The addition of Barrera has given the group a somewhat tougher sound… a – if you’ll pardon the expression – ballsier sound. However, where the Darlins may have attacked the songs with a certain reckless abandon in the past, they may still perform with abandon… just not quite as reckless as on previous releases. How much of this is due to a maturation within the group (or the comings and goings of members) or, as has been posited elsewhere, better production values will undoubtedly be debated at least until the release of their next set. I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that the more controlled attack is a combination of everything cited above. Certainly, in a live setting, the band is still as over-the-top raucous as they’ve always been.

Those Darlins (photo credit: VETA AND THEO)

Right from the album opener, “Oh God,” what is obvious is that the phrase “screaming guitars” fits as well as any forty dollar word that I can drop here. “That Man” has a girl-group-gone-dreadfully-wrong vibe – including the ubiquitous spoken-word interlude – that immediately makes it one of my absolute favorite tunes from the Darlins yet. The sticky sweet harmonies (from the other two-thirds of the original trio, Jessi Zazu and Nikki Kvarnes, longtime drummer, Linwood Regensburg and new guy, Barrera) throughout BLUR THE LINES’ 12 tracks belay the more-often-than-not venomous intent of the lyrics, which makes for an enjoyably subversive 45 minutes. High spots (uh… higher spots than the overall high spot that is BLUR… ) include (aside from the already discussed “That Man”): the wicked guitar tune, “Oh God”; the lyrically ambiguous “She Blows”; the downer vibe of “Optomist”; “Can’t Think” and its slow grind; the painfully slow, yet powerful “Western Sky” with its sludgy tremelo-drenched guitar; and the strident, walking guitar sound of “Too Slow.” Though I have thoroughly enjoyed Those Darlins’ previous releases, if this is where the band is heading, then… sign me up for album number four!

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | February 21, 2014 | Adrian Barrera Alternative Country Cowpunk Jessi Zazu Kelley Anderson Linwood Regensburg Music Nikki Kvarnes Those Darlins

TEAM ME: F IS FOR FAKER

Norwegian band TEAM ME and Propeller Recordings have released a new single in advance of their follow-up to 2011’s album, TO THE TREETOPS. The track is called “F Is For Faker.” The band will be playing a couple of shows in Austin for the annual South By Southwest festival. If you’re planning to attend, check out this sextet. Until then, here’s “F Is For Faker” for you to enjoy.

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Streaming Audio | Darren Tracy | February 21, 2014 | Alternative Rock Music Propeller Recordings Soundcloud Streaming Audio Team Me

REACTA: REFRACTION

(ALARIC RECORDS; 2014)

Reacta is a… let’s call ’em an alternative prog rock band, shall we… hailing from a small town in Mexico called Aguascalientes. They started a couple of years back as an instrumental project, but have taken their intense fusion of sounds (rock, jazz, ambient, pop) to a whole other level since adding American lyricist and singer, William Merritt Hendricks to the fold. To say that this band’s musical style and influences are hard to pin down is a huge understatement. I guess that, to some people, saying that REFRACTION is simply good music just won’t cut it. They wanna know who Reacta sounds like. Well, good luck with that one, chum. Each of the ten songs, while offering a coherent whole, has so many things happening that just when you think, “I’m hearing a bit of the Edge’s guitar style here,” the entire vibe changes and you’re thinking, “The vocal phrasing kinda reminds me of Adam Levine.”

The opening track, “Lost,” is a gently rocking ballad with a smooth Maroon 5 vibe and a guitar part that is vaguely reminiscent of Big Country’s Stuart Adamson. “Back Home” continues the alternative pop feel, featuring swirling guitar textures and powerful drumming. The one comparison I’m getting is, again, a mish-mash of current and classic artists: Bruno Mars (with better lyrics) fronting early U2 or NONSUCH-era XTC. The track segues into “Puzzles,” which offers a more muscular sound, while maintaining the Bill Nelson/Robert Fripp sonic washes. The rhythm guitar is a staccato chatter throughout, which gives the tune a kind of heavy jam band feel. The Adam Levine reference comes in again while, musically, I’m hearing an Incubus influence.

With “Stay Here,” the U2 connection returns, at least lyrically and melodically. The guitars and keyboards interact well here, more as tonal effects as opposed to specific notes. This device is prominently displayed over the course of the album’s 54 minutes. The drumming is, again, very powerful and dynamic. The centerpiece of the entire disc is the 12 minute long “Complication.” An electric piano leads into a strident, anthemic first section. A powerful, heavy middle bridge leads into a funkier groove before transitioning into a kind of prog rock rave-up. There are at least four stylistic markers before (at about the 8:40 mark) the song morphs into a loopy, pastoral ambient soundscape. The track is rather schizophrenic, but the several disparate pieces actually make for an enjoyably cohesive whole, making it one of my favorite tracks from REFRACTION. “Skyscraper” is another slab of Maroon 5 style alternative soul funkiness, with power chords aplenty dominating the choruses.

“City of Lights” has that light and easy groove of the perfect summer windows-down, radio-up car tune. If the powers that be at Alaric Records are listening, save this one as an end of May single release! Until then, this album version will have to keep us warm through these colder-than-usual winter months. “Sound of Drums,” the first single, is another feel good anthem, though I’m not too certain as to the meaning. Apparently, it’s… an odd ode to the perfect drummer? The lyrics and melody line are easy and memorable, making a perfect sing-a-long song. The track also features an exceptional guitar solo in a sea of great solos. A dirty display of pure hard rock power kicks off “Last Train” before the artsier (almost jazzy) musical leanings are introduced. The vocals, like the music, are more forceful. If I had to compare the track with anything… maybe a more melodic, less grating Limp Bizkit fused with the more jam band like tendencies of Incubus. Uh… so there’s no mistaking what I’m saying here, this is more a stylistic comparison: This tune is more accomplished than anything LB ever produced. The final track, “Storyline,” offers a strange casio-cum-calliope rhythm and a sleepy, laconic vocal. A very nice way to end a thoroughly enjoyable debut.

Id like to say that Reacta needs to find that niche sound that will hold them in good stead with a certain stylistically like-minded group of fans. However, I think the fact that they can’t be so easily pigeonholed will enable them to cross genre lines and become an across the board success. There aren’t too many of those around these days. I just wish that somewhere (a web-site, an album cover, something) they would give us more info on who is in the band and who does what!

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | February 9, 2014 | Alternative Rock Mexico Music Progressive Rock Reacta Rock and Roll William Merritt Hendricks

BARBEZ: BELLA CIAO

(TZADIK RECORDS; 2013)

(This review is a long time coming. I’ve actually started and abandoned at least seven different pieces. The problem is this: every time I listen to Barbez’ BELLA CIAO album, I come away with a completely unique take on the music. After the first listen, I had a definite feeling about the music and what this review would entail. It changed after the second listening… and after the tenth… and after the twentieth. So, here finally, is an amalgamation of the seven different reviews along with some even fresher thoughts on this utterly mesmerizing collection. Strap yourselves in, kiddies… this ride, like the music, is going to get bumpy!)

I may be wrong (I have been before, so don’t look so shocked!), but I’m fairly certain that the term “son, you be trippin’” was coined expressly for use when discussing this album. First of all, look at the names of those songs (“Yoshev Beseter Elyon,” “Keter Ittenu” and my personal favorite, “Channun Kerov Rachamav”). It’s like they’re written in some foreign language or something. And, what few lyrics there are, though in English, are equally incomprehensible. I wholly understand how BELLA CIAO came to be released on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. I mean, he is the guardian of the avant-garde.

Okay, so… enough bad jokes and worse puns! I’m really not too sure about the language, but as far as I can tell it’s some derivative of Slovak, although the record is based on liturgical music and songs of the Italian Resistance during World War II, all coming from Roman Jews. It still makes perfect sense for this phenomenal album to be released on a label formed by John Zorn, a man who embodies the concept of “outsider music.” You can file BELLA CIAO next to such albums as LUX VIVENS by Jocelyn Montgomery and David Lynch and just about anything by Zorn (particularly his spaghetti western period). The first track, “Shema Koli,” is a riot of calamitous medley and off-kilter instrumentation (theremin, clarinet, violin and some eerily dissonant voices). The entire album, actually, seems to pull from so many different genres that saying that it is this kind of music or that type of music does no justice to the overall intent of the work. Throughout the 11 tracks, there are elements of classical guitar and violin, a definite jazz feel to the drums and percussion, a bit of the avant-garde in the clarinets and vocals and an overall feeling of Eastern European folk styles, with each piece intricately woven to form an unforgettable whole.

Barbez founder, Dan Kaufman on stage (uncredited photo)

The history of the music and the people responsible for it’s existence is as important as the music itself. In July 1943, Benito Mussolini was overthrown and a new Italian government was set in place. This new government quickly signed an armistice with the Allies. The Nazis didn’t really like that they were losing a staunch ally and retaliated by occupying Rome. The city’s large Jewish community was threatened with deportation unless they came up with 50 kilograms of gold in two days. Amazingly, the gold was secured, but – as is the case with most power-mad despots – the invaders reneged on the deal and more than 1000 Roman Jews were sent to Auschwitz by the Gestapo. Only 16 of those people survived. The album’s title track and the central theme of the song cycle, “Bella Ciao,” came out of the resistance movement; the poem (by an unidentified author) used as the lyrics became one of the most important rallying cries and an enduring artifact of the city’s defiance. The album also utilizes poems by Italian writer/filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini and wartime poet Alfonso Gatto to great effect. Barbez founder and guiding light, Dan Kaufman, has constructed an important musical history of the Roman Jews, the oldest continuous residents of the city, using their liturgical music and their fierce resistance and struggle during World War II to tell their story. To that end, BELLA CIAO must be heard!

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | December 28, 2013 | Alfonso Gatto Ancient Liturgical Music Avant-Garde Music Barbez Dan Kaufman Italian Resistance Music John Zorn Music Pier Paolo Pasolini Roman Jews World War II

PSYCH-OUT CHRISTMAS

(CLEOPATRA RECORDS; 2013)

I can’t listen to Christmas songs anymore. Not the cutesy ones like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or “The Christmas Song” or “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”; not the Carols heard in church like “Noel” or “Away In a Manger.” I just can’t do it! I ain’t no Scrooge… I’ve done my share of caroling and was even a member of my church choir (okay, so I was asked to leave because I started singing the Hoyt Axton song when we did “Joy To the World”), but it just is not happening for me anymore. Why? It mostly stems from the absolute mindless inundation of the “holiday spirit” from, basically, the end of September through New Year’s Day. As an example, I was shopping for Halloween candy (something I usually put off ’til the last minute, but in an odd act of responsibility, I was about three weeks early) in a large box store (the Mart with all the Wals… you know the one) and, walking past one of those goofy inspirational music kiosks, I heard – I kid you not! – “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Seriously? Christmas songs the first week of October? You can understand, then, my trepidation regarding this new holiday offering.

Iggy Pop (photo credit: JEAN-PAUL GOUDE)

But… guess what? I like it! I really like it! It isn’t as dark and menacing as, say, CLAWS (the twisted 1980 macabre masterpiece by Morgan Fisher’s Hybrid Kids) or anything produced by that stable of demented kiddies over at Disney, but it does have an underlying sense of… let’s call it familial claustrophobia, shall we? The songs are fairly standard Christmas fare, but tweaked just enough to give the listener a rather ominous vibe. The set starts off with a piece of warm and fuzzy lunacy, the opening track from Len Maxwell’s 1964 bizarro A MERRY MONSTER CHRISTMAS album. From there, we’re treated to some of today’s best psychedelic and space rock bands (with a few surprises tossed into the mix) waxing musical over the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ or the birth of Sol (for the pagans among us) or over that jolly elf favored by capitalists the world over, Santa (that last one, I suppose, works for everyone else, too). Anyway, I suppose that’s my lummoxed way of saying that you don’t have to celebrate the Christ Mass to enjoy this record… just grab your favorite – uh – whatever and give her/him/it a big ol’ smooch under the mistlethumb and dance like you’re in the mud at Woodstock!

Quintron and Miss Pussycat (uncredited photo)

Elephant Stone’s version of the Beatles’ “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” is as trippily poppy as you would expect from such a high-end pairing. We are off to a great start here! “It’s Christmas Day” by the Cosmonauts is an odd jangle-pop thingy, kinda like an utterly drunken Tom Petty fronting the Byrds… so, it’s got that goin’ for it. The first “traditional” Christmas hymn follows. However, “Silent Night,” as performed by synth-puppet show duo, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, is anything but traditional. The beloved tune (in instrumental form) is hardly recognizable and is more psychotic (in a bossa nova sort of way) than psychedelic. I’m not too sure that this one belongs on a compilation like PSYCH-OUT CHRISTMAS, but I’m glad it is… I would have hated to miss hearing it! Hailing from Sweden (where we swiped a lot of their Solstice “rituals” and turned ’em into our Christmas “traditions”) is Dark Horses, weighing in with “Jul Song,” an original that totally oozes psychedelia, from the guitars to the vocals to the (if not indecipherable) vaguely incomprehensible lyrics. It could be that the meaning was lost in translation, but it really doesn’t matter; the beauty of the piece as a whole makes it a favorite.

Sleepy Sun’s take on “What Child Is This,” with its creeping bass line and minimal, plodding instrumentation and “sold-my-soul-to-Satan” type vocals from Bret Constantino, introduces a new kind of not-unwanted menace to the proceedings and, when the guitar duo of Evan Reiss and Matt Holliman kick in, they drive the tune to new psychedelic heights. A cover of Suicide’s “No More Christmas Blues” from the Vacant Lots is over almost before you know it. It offers a bouncy little synth riff and an airily (or is that “eerily?”) tripped out vocal. It’s a fun track (but then, aren’t all Suicide tunes?) but pales in comparison to the surrounding offerings from Sleepy Sun and Sons of Hippies. It’s somewhat fitting that, regardless of the apparent thematic disconnect (although, as is pointed out in the press release, Christmas is indeed “the season of loving”), these Hippies should cover a song by a group of Zombies. Hippies front-woman Katherine Kelly sums up the song best: “’Time of the Season’ was fun to cover. We replaced the organ parts on the original Zombies version with layers of distorted guitar leads and gave the drums an eerie, echoed intro. The PSYCH-OUT CHRISTMAS compilation is unique and spooky and we wanted to be part of that vibe.” Sons of Hippies aren’t currently one of my favorite bands for nothing and this spectacularly atmospheric cover is just more evidentiary proof of that statement (double negatives aside).

With “Santa Claus,” the Fuzztones offer the first dose of overtly “traditional garage psychedelia,” with the obligatory farfisa organ, the dirty guitar sound (you know what I mean, like it’s being played through a blown amp) and a vocal that sounds like it was recorded with 1960s studio equipment. In short, all of these aspects make “Santa Claus” another favorite. Eli Cook”s “Christmas Tears” has a great bluesy stroll vibe, with Cook doing an awesome approximation of Hendrix channeling the great bluesmen of the past, both vocally and on guitar. The song also features a piano part that would have made Johnnie Johnson (the REAL “King of Rock and Roll”) proud. The Movements’ take on “Little Drummer Boy” is all swirling guitars and synths and a disjointed, ethereal vocal from David Henricksson. The one thing the song doesn’t have is… drums! Which just makes the thing all the more spooky and enjoyable. Quintron and Miss Pussycat are back (the only act to appear twice) with a more traditional vibe (or, at least, a more recognizable one) on “Jingle Bell Rock,” which clocks in at just under a minute-and-a-half. Candy Store take on Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” with their version of “Frosty the Snowman,” from a 1969 album called TURNED ON CHRISTMAS. The similarities between this anonymous studio concoction and Ronnie and the other girls is amazing, but then that’s what these “knock-off” acts were supposed to do – sound as much like the originals as possible so the record label (in this case, Decca) wouldn’t have to pay licensing fees to someone else. Anyway, it’s still a fun song.

Psychic Ills’ “Run Rudolph Run,” while remaining relatively true to Chuck Berry’s 1959 classic (even the vocal phrasing sounds like Chuck), muddies and sludges things up with enough over-modulated surf guitar to make Dick Dale blush. Tres Warren, the Ills’ guitarist and vocalist says of this recording: “I always liked ‘Run Rudolph Run’ because it was a song that I’d actually want to listen to regardless of what time of year it is, and Chuck Berry is as mythical as Santa Claus in my mind.” Somewhere, Don Ho is frolicking in his grave, listening to the echo-laden Hawaiian Christmas offering from Dead Meadow, “Mele Kalikimaka.” The band’s laconic approach is perfectly attuned to the odd vibe of this collection. The only thing missing is a ukelele! Another bizarre track from 1969 follows. It’s “Here Comes Santa Claus” (though it’s listed as “Jingle Bells” on this record and on the original, MERRY CHRISTMAS PSYCHEDELIC SOUND) by Korean instrumental gods, He 5. It’s really rather indescribable, which – I guess – is the entire point of PSYCH-OUT CHRISTMAS. After doing some checking, I did find this band’s version of “Jingle Bells” (the whole of their above named album is available on YouTube) and it is AWESOME! At a smidge under twelve-and-a-half minutes long, the traditional song morphs into “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida,” including a lengthy drum solo before shifting again to the Stones’ “Paint It Black” and then back to “Jingle Bells.” Probably the strangest, creepiest track on this entire compilation is the last, a fairly literal take on “White Christmas” by everyone’s favorite (latter day) Stooge, Iggy Pop. Mister Osterberg’s nearly gutteral baritone and morose, funereal reading of the Irving Berlin classic is sure to keep the kiddies up, fearing ghosties and hobgoblins will be coming down the chimney instead of the dude with the bag of toys. Ah, yeah… I guess Christmas music ain’t so bad after all.

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | December 25, 2013 | Avant-Garde Music Candy Store Christmas Music Compilation Dark Horses Dead Meadow Elephant Stone Eli Cook He 5 Iggy Pop Len Maxwell Music Psychedelic Rock Psychic Ills Quintron and Miss Pussycat Rock and Roll Sleepy Sun Sons of Hippies The Cosmonauts The Fuzztones The Movements The Vacant Lots

BLACK OAK ARKANSAS: BACK THAR ‘N’ OVER YONDER

(ATCO RECORDS/ATLANTIC RECORDS/WARNER MUSIC GROUP; 2013)

Those wild men from the hills of Arkansas are back. Well… sorta! Half of the original Black Oak Arkansas have reunited (with a few old friends and more current members) to record five new tracks for BACK THAR ‘N’ OVER YONDER. The album also features 10 unreleased tracks, produced by the legendary Tom Dowd and recorded during the band’s hey-day of 1972-1974. That means that the most successful and well-known incarnation of the group (with Harvey Jett playing guitar and Tommy Aldridge on drums) is featured prominently in the final two-thirds of the disc. Of course, what would BOA be without the vocal stylings of Jim “Dandy” Mangrum? I gotta tell ya, boys and girls, the man can still deliver that distinctive gutteral growl, nearly 45 years after the band’s debut album!

Black Oak Arkansas (uncredited photo) — Black Oak Arkansas on stage in 2013 (uncredited photo)

The new tracks are rather reminiscent of the group’s three MCA albums (the awesome X-RATED and better-than-average 10 YEAR OVERNIGHT SUCCESS and BALLS OF FIRE), eschewing the raunchier sounds for a more balanced, more streamlined sound. Think “Strong Enough To Be Gentle” (the band’s last single to chart, in 1975) or “Fistful of Love” (a duet with Ruby Starr, featuring members of BOA, as well as Starr’s Grey Ghost, including the dominating – some would say “over-bearing” – keyboards of Marius Penczner). If all you know of Black Oak Arkansas is HIGH ON THE HOG and RAUNCH ‘N’ ROLL LIVE, this newer, gentler version may take some getting used to, but the band’s MCA output ranks among my all-time favorite albums and are well worth checking out. But… you’re not here to read about the distant past (except for the unreleased early ’70s material featured on this new release). So… back to those new songs, huh?

Black Oak Arkansas, 2013 (George Hughen, Johnnie Bolin, Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, Rickie Lee Reynolds, Hal McCormack) (uncredited photo) — Black Oak Arkansas, 2013 (George Hughen, Johnnie Bolin, Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, Rickie Lee Reynolds, Hal McCormack) (uncredited photo)

“Plugged In and Wired” is reminiscent of and references one of the band’s best tunes, “When Electricity Came To Arkansas.” Track two, “Sweet Delta Water,” is one of those swampy ballads that Mangrum and co-founding guitarist Rickie Lee Reynolds do so well. “15 Million Light Years Away” is in the same vein, but kicks up the tempo a bit. The band (original members Mangrum, Reynolds, and bassist Pat Daugherty alongside longstanding guitarist Jimmy Henderson and current members, former Grey Ghost bassist George Hughen, drummer Johnnie Bolin, and guitarists Buddy Church and Hal McCormack) mashes the raucous and melodic styles together to fine effect on “I Ain’t Poor.” The “reunion” closes (a deluxe downloadable version of the album features one more new tune, the rather disposable instrumental, “G Wiz”) with a nice cover of Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.” It should be noted that original guitarist Stanley “Goober” Knight was planning to be a part of the reunion, but died before the recording sessions began.

Black Oak Arkansas, circa 1976 (Stanley Knight, Pat Duagherty, Tommy Aldridge, Jim "Dandt Mangrum, Rickie Lee Reynolds, Jimmy Henderson) (publicity photo) — Black Oak Arkansas, circa 1976 (Stanley Knight, Pat Duagherty, Tommy Aldridge, Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, Rickie Lee Reynolds, Jimmy Henderson) (publicity photo)

As cool as the new material is, it’s the archival stuff that will most excite die-hard BOA fans. Here’s how these lost tracks found their way out of the void: Upon the death of producer Tom Dowd in October of 2002, his daughter came across what amounted to a holy grail of unreleased material. These 10 tracks (13 on the deluxe edition) were part of that stash. So, in no particular order (other than chronologically), let’s look at what coulda been. For me, studio recordings of three of the group’s most-loved live tunes make BACK THAR… a must have. “Gigolo” is the first and is every bit as loud and snotty as the well-known RAUNCH ‘N’ ROLL version. Later on, we have “Hot Rod” and, like “Gigolo,” it sounds as good as the live version. The final piece of this triumvirate is “Up, Up, Up,” which somehow has gained a couple of “Up”s since 1972. Again, the studio version rivals the live version, even to the point of featuring a three minute plus Tommy Aldridge drum solo. I know it’s been done before, but an in-studio solo by the guy at the back of the stage is a pretty ballsy move! The fact that it’s interesting and listenable is certainly a testament to the talents of both Aldridge and Dowd.

Black Oak Arkansas, 1976 (Pat Daugherty, Rickie Lee Reynolds, Jimmy Henderson, Jim "Danady" Mangrum, Stanley Knight, Tommy Aldridge) (publicity photo) — Black Oak Arkansas, 1976 (Pat Daugherty, Rickie Lee Reynolds, Jimmy Henderson, Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, Stanley Knight, Tommy Aldridge) (publicity photo)

Jim Dandy and the boys were never afraid of a challenge and prove it by covering one of the Glimmer Twins most well-known songs, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” It ain’t Devo, but it is an enjoyable romp through a classic (as it was, even in 1972). The last of the five 1972 recordings is a song called “Evil Lady,” a tune that has a bizarre bubble gum kinda vibe. When the harpsichord starts a-pumpin’ at the beginning (provided by Harvey Jett?), all I can think of is “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies. It ain’t bad, though… just a little weird coming from the Black Oak guys, especially Mangrum.

Black Oak Arkansas with Ruby Starr, 1976 (screen capture from THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL)

Well, the band must not have found the sound too weird for them, because one of the two holdovers from 1973, “Dance To the Music” has the same type of groove going, with some really cool backing vocals and a nifty slide guitar featuring throughout. This is a song that Reynolds really wanted to use back then and was excited to be able to add it here. I fully understand his excitement; the song isn’t standard BOA fare (at least, it wasn’t for that era), but it shows a promise of things to come, as well as highlighting the fact that the guys were not the lunkheads that most members of the press made them out to be. As much of a genius as Tom Dowd was, I can’t believe that he didn’t push for the inclusion of this song on HIGH ON THE HOG or STREET PARTY. It had “hit single” written all over it. The song that did become the band’s biggest hit, the LaVern Baker cover, “Jim Dandy,” has been re-mastered to isolate the vocals of Mangrum and Ruby Starr at the beginning. It’s a cool concept, but the vocals sound compressed and Ruby’s voice is way down in the mix. The full band kicks in after a minute or so and the vocals seem to even out. Had Atco Records followed this one up with “Dance To the Music,” the band’s career may have taken an entirely different trajectory.

Black Oak Arkansas and Ruby Starr, 1976 (Tommy Aldridge, Pat Daugherty, Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, Marius Penczner, Ruby Starr, Jimmy Henderson, Stanley Knight) (publicity photo) — Black Oak Arkansas and Ruby Starr, 1976 (Tommy Aldridge, Pat Daugherty, Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, Marius Penczner, Ruby Starr, Jimmy Henderson, Stanley Knight) (publicity photo)

The three remaining tunes are from 1974 sessions for, I would assume, the STREET PARTY album. “The Snake” has a swampy, creepy-crawly Jim Stafford thing happening. This is classic Jim Dandy, all snide innuendo and tongue-in-cheek wordplay. “Legal ID” is a tune that could well be the precursor to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “What’s Your Name,” though it’s subject matter has been written about by more artists than you can shake an angry parental fist at, including Uriah Heep, Jim Croce, Sam Cooke, Aerosmith, Angel and the Police, to name a few. “Summer Swing” is a gentle little number that really does evoke the images that the title implies. Over all, there are far more hits than misses on BACK THAR ‘N’ OVER YONDER, and not just for all of us nostalgic old farts with fond memories of DON KIRSHNER’S ROCK CONCERT, THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL and AMERICAN BANDSTAND. The music presented here – both old and new – is every bit as good as much of what the latest batch of rockers has to offer. I’d go for the standard version, though, as the four “bonus” tracks really don’t add anything necessary to the album (although the eight minutes of insanely politically incorrect studio banter-cum-embryonic song “Arby’s (I Want a Woman With) Big Titties” did have me giggling like a 12 year old).

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | November 28, 2013 | Black Oak Arkansas BOA Buddy Church Classic Rock George Hughen Grey Ghost Hal McCormack Harvey Jett Jim "Dandy" Mangrum Jimmy Henderson Johnnie Bolin Marius Penczner Music Pat Daugherty Rickie Lee Reynolds Rock and Roll Ruby Starr Southern Rock Stanley Knight Tom Dowd Tommy Aldridge

DUST: HARD ATTACK/DUST

(LEGACY/KAMA SUTRA/BUDDAH/SONY; 2013)

Oh, how I loved Dust the first time I heard the awesomely epic (or was it “epicly awesome?”) “From a Dry Camel” on the radio in the early ’70s! Unfortunately, I only had two choices when it came to actual record purchases (I’ve always loved the serenity of a small rural community, but I sometimes had to give up certain things – like a vast sea of vinyl for my music fix): the local Radio Shack (which didn’t do too bad supplying some of the more obtuse music that I craved) and a Woolworth’s in a town 20 miles away (I was occasionally surprised by some of the things found in the bins there). So, it was somewhere around 1978 when I actually found and bought myself a copy of the band’s self-titled debut album and their second offering, HARD ATTACK (for 99 cents each, in a cut-out bin!). Ah, the memories that those pristine slabs of sound brought me! Now, through the graces of the fine folk at Legacy, those memories are rushing back, with the reissue of both albums on one CD.

Oddly, HARD ATTACK features first here, followed by DUST. I guess it makes a certain amount of sense as, in my opinion, the first album was the stronger set. It rocked a little harder, while HARD ATTACK was a more refined collection, with better production values, softer song structures and melodies that bordered on Rundgrenesque pop. Now, don’t misunderstand me here. Both albums are good, but DUST is just a cut above.

HARD ATTACK (original album cover with FRANK FRAZETTA artwork)

The “Pull Away”/”So Many Times” doublet opens HARD ATTACK and the difference between this album and the first is immediately obvious: this is a band who, through becoming more familiar with the studio process and more adept at the art of the song, are stretching limits beyond the sludgy confines of the psychedelically meandering “From a Dry Camel.” Marc Bell (who, if you didn’t know, would grow up to become Marky Ramone a few years later) propels the song(s) forward at near breakneck speed while vocalist/guitarist Richie Wise (who was well on the way to becoming the Richie Wise half of the famed Kenney Kerner/Richie Wise production team who helmed the first two KISS records) found a nice Nazzy pop groove to play over Marc and the thundering bass of Kenny Aaronson (who has played with just about everyone, though the time he spent in the band Derringer may be my favorite), stepping out of that pocket to offer a couple of sonic-speed solos. “Walk In the Soft Rain” is more of the same style of melodic pop played at rocket-like velocity and, actually, is a better tune than the first pair. “Thusly Spoken” is the band’s attempt at a hippie ballad with spiritual imagery that falls well short of the mark. The melody and the playing are fine, but the lyrical content make it rather laughable by today’s standards (well, by any standards actually, though it must have sounded awesome to the drug-addled brains of high school and college aged kids back in 1972).

Dust (Richie Wise, Kenny Aaronson, Marc Bell) (publicity photo)

Things are back on track with the riff-heavy “Learning To Die,” the only song from the sophomore release not to feature a Kenny Kerner/Richie Wise songwriting credit (Kerner shared credits with Kenny Aaronson). This one song probably had as much influence on up-and-coming metal bands of the mid-to-late ’70s (I think of Judas Priest, in particular) as anything by Black Sabbath or Budgie. “All In All” continues the pummeling, though the lyrical content isn’t as dark. “I Been Thinkin’” is the second attempt at a ballad on HARD ATTACK, this time with considerably better success. Aaronson’s pedal steel and dobro work coupled with the laid-back vibe of the (unfortunately) short piece gives it a nice country feel that should feel out of place, but doesn’t. Wise’s everyman vocal delivery adds the cohesive thread that ties the tune to the more aggressive sound that Dust was best known for. Richie has stated that the only reason he ended up singing was because the other guys couldn’t sing at all. Now, nearly 45 years after DUST was released, I can’t imagine another voice on these tunes. The instrumental, “Ivory,” follows and – in a glimpse of things to come – features a very Ramones-like drum intro. The tune allows each musician to shine. Aaronson underpins everything with a solid, heavy bass sound while Wise punctuaties the proceedings with a beefy rhythm track and some wicked soloing; “Ivory,” however, belongs to Bell. If it wasn’t, this should have been the song that the band used to showcase Marc’s abilities in a live setting. I mean, it’s almost a drum solo as it is.

“How Many Horses” mixes early rock ‘n’ roll piano (courtesy of guest Fred Singer), some folky guitar playing and singing and Aaronson’s dobro and slide guitar to create another rather country sounding tune. It’s kinda like the country-tinged stuff that the Stones were doing about the same time (with considerably less polish and sounding all the better for it). The crushing, heavy vibe returns on the next track, “Suicide.” The song is, basically, a rough draft suicide note to a former lover, in which the author lays forth several options for his self-inflicted demise. After hanging and poison are discarded, he tries, “Electrocution I thought would make me a star/I stood in the rain with my electric guitar.” You may be disturbed by the subject matter, but you gotta admit that the lyrics are pretty awesome. Kenny Aaronson offers up a nice little bass solo about half way through. “Suicide,” for me, is the high mark on HARD ATTACK. “Entrance” closes out the second album (and the first half of this collection), a 26 second classical guitar solo that I wouldn’t have minded seeing expanded and further explored as a full-blown Dust tune. Ah, what could have been!

DUST, the band’s 1971 debut, kicks off with “Stone Woman,” a fine, rocking tune to start a career with. Kenny Aaronson immediately makes it known that he is a musical force to be reckoned with, supplying not only bass but slide guitar to the proceedings. “Chasin’ Ladies” is one of the few times on either album that Richie Wise truly shines. I want everyone to understand that while Richie was a fine singer and a more than competent guitar player, he was never a flashy frontman, allowing Aaronson and Marc Bell to take the accolades. So, the chugging guitar leads, crisp solo and multi-tracked vocal performance really highlight the (intentionally) downplayed talents of the reluctant Wise. Richie chose instead to focus on his songwriting abilities and to hone his production skills, both of which would serve him rather nicely in the years following the HARD ATTACK album. “Goin’ Easy” offers a standard blues riff, with more flawless bass, slide and dobro work from Aaronson. The song leads right into the charging “Love Me Hard,” with Marc and Kenny pushing each other into near punk rock speeds, even during the slower, acoustic guitar break. That thrashy melodic middle section leads into a manic instrumental breakdown, with cymbals crashing, drums and bass thundering and a guitar solo that can only be described as “belligerent.”

Marky Ramone (Marc Bell) with the Misfits on the 2001 VAN'S WARPED TOUR (photo credit: DARREN TRACY) — Marky Ramone (Marc Bell) with the Misfits on the 2001 VAN’S WARPED TOUR (photo credit: DARREN TRACY)

A gong signals the start of the classic “From a Dry Camel.” The track is highlighted by the sonorous bass of Kenny Aaronson and the unique guitar tone used by Richie throughout much of the track’s nearly ten minutes. Bell’s drumming is, for the most part, understated and subdued, as befits the near-dirge like tempo of the song. There is no denying his powerhouse approach, however, especially on the long instrumental passages. If you’re looking for a comparison, I’d have to say that the song “Black Sabbath” (do I really need to tell you who performs that one?) was probably a starting point for the sound of “From a Dry Camel.” The subject matter, lyrically, may be worlds apart, but the musical vibe is as close as you can get. “Often Shadows Felt,” with its languorous pedal steel, lilting bass lines and shimmering guitar, is the sole ballad from DUST. It definitely shows a maturity in songwriting from the Kerner/Wise tandem (who wrote all of this first album except the final track), which would become more evident on later projects. The final track is a Kenny Aaronson-penned instrumental called “Loose Goose.” It’s highlighted by an instantly recognizable bass riff and could very well have been the template for “Flying Turkey Trot” from REO Speedwagon. As “Loose Goose” charges to its end, it is evident that DUST remains one of the true masterpieces of American hard rock and, coupled as it is with HARD ATTACK, is well worth adding to any collection.

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | November 17, 2013 | Classic Rock Dust Hard Rock Kenny Aaronson Kenny Kerner Marc Bell Marky Ramone Music Ramones Reissue Richie Wise Rock and Roll

FIREHORSE: PILLS FROM STRANGERS

(SELF-RELEASED EP; 2013)

Firehorse is, essentially, the vehicle which singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Leah Siegel uses to drive her tunes. This short (seven songs in less than 27 minutes) release is an odd conglomeration of indie rock and pop excess – think Lady Gaga channeling Liz Phair with a dash of Pink for just the right dose of snottiness and a dollop of Tom Waits for just the right amount of strange. All of this is over a new wavey, synth-fueled bed that brings to mind the good (Gary Numan) and the bad (Peaches, referenced here just to keep the band honest and making a concerted effort not to swerve in that direction) of the genre.

PILLS FROM STRANGERS is the follow-up to the band’s 2011 debut, AND SO THEY RAN FASTER… and features the same players (Siegel, drummer Brian Wolfe, bassist Tim Luntzel and guitarist Steve Elliot) with the addition of keyboardist/programmer Mendeley Wells, whose presence is felt immediately on the quirky opener, “Bloodstream,” with its bizarre, blippy synthesizer coda that could be majorly annoying. Toss in a delivery of the line “Get in my bloodstream” that immediately conjurs up visions of Mike Myers and “Get in my belly!” and the song comes very close to tanking in a disastrous, Peaches kind of way. But, you know what? It works, thanks in part to several other attributes, including the lyrics. A fun way to kick things off!

Firehorse's Leah Siegel (photo credit: WILL O'HARE) — Firehorse’s Leah Siegel (photo credit: WILL O’HARE)

The new wave synth pattern and drumming are the real highlights of the throwback sound of “Good,” a nifty little number that has that certain something that makes it immediately appealing, if not exceptional. “Wave” is the first song on the disc that would actually prompt me to buy the thing. Again, a bouncy new wave vibe turns into the perfect setting for Leah Siegel’s Siouxsie Sioux-cum-Kate Bush vocal delivery. The first two and a quarter minutes of “Any Other Day,” with Leah’s soulful gospel inflections and a choir behind her totally makes the tune work. When the full instrumentation is introduced, the transition to the rather menacing final minute is quite a fine piece of musical structuring. Really nice!

The metallic clang and sparse percussion of “Scarecrow” transforms the tune into a minimalist nightmare. Siegel’s lyrics and voice are perfectly menacing. Without a doubt, this is the single most impressive song on the record! Though not as overtly ominous as the previous track, “Walls” keeps the quality high and the instrumentation stripped to a bare minimum, with a nice acoustic lead driving the tune. “Fool” maintains the minimalist feel going with a strange funk vibe, evoked more than anything by Leah’s vocal performance… kinda like a soulful Nikka Costa thing filtered through Prince at his most funky purpleness. I do like this record, but… I can’t help wondering what an entire album of material like the last three… make that four… songs, ’cause “Any Other Day” has the same less-is-more ambiance that seems to propel Leah’s vocals to whole new level. PILLS FROM A STRANGER is available at the usual download places and at the band’s website, thisisfirehorse.com. Physical copies of AND SO THEY RAN FASTER… are also available from their site. Go ye forth and consume, my brethren and… uh… sistren!

DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews | Darren Tracy | September 24, 2013 | Alternative Rock Brian Wolfe EP Firehorse Leah Siegel Mendeley Wells Minimalist Music Pop Music Steve Elliot Tim Luntzel

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