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| C-Clamp - longer waves Sleepy rock. Nice. Yawn. Real nice. Like coasting down a rolling river. A duo from Chicago, IL who should be slumbering their way to your town. (Ohio Gold) Callaghan - Paddy Polski 7" You've got to love any band that lists someone named Ogre playing bass. And you've got to love a band that squeezes five fun-filled punk rock sing-a-longs on one 7". You have to love a band that likes The Dead Boys. And you must love a band that sings the line "Up to my ass in emo-core." (Quincy Shanks, PO Box 3035 St. Charles, IL 60174) Calliope - (in)organics Laid-back and catchy as hell, these songs range from Red House Painters-territory slower tunes to bouncy Sea and Cake-ish tunes (without the blips and beeps). In fact, I think Calliope and Sea and Cake would fit well on a mix tape together. That rolling bass, the tenor-Marvin Gaye-meets-Soo Young-from-Seam-on-their-slower-songs feel of the vocals...it's all great to me. If you were searching for an album to put on while you're sitting in the car after the movie ends, put this thing on and make your move, kid. (Thick Records) |
The Clash re-issues and
Joe Strummer album reviewed Clumsy - Center of Attention Deficit Disorder review on AllMusic.com Communique - A Crescent Honeymoon EP In 2001, American Steel released its finest album, Jagged Thoughts. Any comparisons that were made to The Clash or Rancid or Avail at the beginning of the band's career had evaporated into something more substantial as Jagged Thoughts showed a heightened sense of songwriting. Unfortunately, the band broke up the following year. Communique features Rory Henderson and Ryan Massey teaming up once again on vocals and guitars with a new rhythm section. In some senses, A Crescent Honeymoon seems like the logical extension of some of the more poppy moments from Jagged Thoughts, but with a much-more present 80's pop jones. Love songs that are as clever as they are catchy, "Cross Your Heart" and "Ugly Moon" are must-hear tunes for any fans of intelligent pop. (Lookout! Records) |
| Campground
Effect - s/t While not a perfect album by any means, this debut album from this trio certainly worth a listen. The album is jam-packed with tight, palm-muted riffs and well-crafted hooks as well as some extremely passionate vocals. The ability to craft interesting melodies over alternately dissonant and melodic guitar parts will remind some listeners of Archers of Loaf and The Pixies. While The Campground Effect may not be in the same leage as the aforementioned bands, they certainly have tremendous potential. RIYL: Sugar, The Pixies, Hot Water Music, Archers of Loaf, Chavez (Glue Factory Records) Cash Audio - The Orange Sessions Two-piece blues-rock that fits in nicely with a lot of the Fat Possum stuff, except with a finer sense of the recording process...zippy backbeats all around! Dig this record! (Orange) |
Constantines - Shine a Light Shine a Light is a powerful album made by one of the brightest stars to come out of the crowded rock scene in recent years. One listen and you know that you are hearing something truly special in the making. This band may not ever be stars, but that doesn't matter - they are crucial. Crucial in the way that the Clash was important, that Johnny Cash was, that Bruce Springsteen was, and that Fugazi continues to be crucial. And when you consider that those four talents seem to have been the basis for the Constantines and when you combine that with their extreme sense of urgency, you begin to approach the essentiality of this band. What is remarkable is about this band is that are sympathetic to the listener and willing to embrace anyone that will listen as one of their own. There is no posturing here. This is a band that lives in the present, writes songs for the that are both timely and universal, and plays like their every ounce of life depends on the note they're hitting. It's simply awe-inspiring to think that a band of young twenty-somethings could aim so high and succeed so well on this, only their second full-length album. What you hear on this record and see in the band live is a band that is willing to stand up and tell their story of the truth, without pretension or condescension. And that they are able to accomplish this by wrapping all this intelligence and fire and gumption in some of the catchiest hooks of anyone on the list, makes this the best album of the year. (Sub Pop) |
| Casket
Lottery - Survival is for Cowards The cryptically-titled third album from Casket Lottery is a pretty thick cake of tightly wound rock with math-y H/C undertones. The guitars weave and clash, the bass lines are innovative, and the drumming is impressive. Their efforts create walls of sound that build up and break apart in a well-thought-out, complex manner. (Second Nature) The Catch 22's - There Are Only So Many Ways To Break A Circle Hell, yeah! This is something to get excited about. Political lyrics sung over loud, fast guitars with tight, no frills drumming. I guess musically this lies somewhere between the Japanese band Naht and Dillinger Four. My favorite song is "Blood Stained Lips" which goes from a Police-ish intro into a full-on rocker with the lyrics first describing Northern winters (they're from Charlesbourg, Quebec) and ending with the line "the cold harsh weather somehow shaped our habits, let's nurture alternatives based on compassion." The guitars bury the vocals occasionally, but that's okay because I think it's intentional and because you have the lyric sheet to figure out what he's saying. (Everything But Alone Records) |
Cordial - Charmed The debut full-length from this trio from San Antonio, TX. Rumbling bass-lines, picky guitar parts; solid, sometimes jazzy drumming; and laid-back vocals mark this album which is one of my newfound treats. The trumpet accents on "sun, sea, and me" are just priceless. The board packaging is great too. Looking forward to the follow-up. (Tranquility Base PO Box 184, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 or PO Box 120191 San Antonio, TX 78212-0191) Crooked Fingers - s/t As the lead singer and guitarist for the Archers of Loaf, Eric Bachmann was a tornado, spitting fire, making minds wonder. Its obvious that his time since the Archers' breakup has been spent in smoky bars and in his room with a four-track. He's been discovering some new possibilities for his voice and the results are beautiful. The snarl is minimal on this album, replaced by singing that's close to a speaking voice and even a falsetto (!).The melodies are simple for the most part, far more simple than anything Bachmann's previously recorded and are built around guitar parts heavy on repetition and vocals that will have you wondering if this is the same man. As the Crooked Fingers, Bachmann's able to deliver a clean break (for the most part) from his past songs and since Crooked Fingers is Bachmann plus whoever he chooses to flesh out his compositions, it lends him a great degree of flexibility. The accompaniment he chose for this album has a light country feel to it and the lap steel work of Darren Loucas and Jim Roth is a pleasant surprise. In sharp contrast to most bands that have chosen to add strings, the presence of the cello and violin is unobtrusive. The layout is really nice and I appreciate having the lyrics, which are simple, a tad melancholy and even a bit dark at times, but refreshing nonetheless. (Warm Records PO Box 1423 Athens, GA 30603) |
| Cell Block 5/White
Trash Debutantes - split CD Cell Block 5 play Misfits-esque punk with snotty vocals; WTD sound like a throwback to some 1980s female-fronted punk bands...not that interesting. Centro-Matic - Distance and Clime One of the real great surprises of 2001. Pop that gets fuzzy, rock that gets poppy, and the agility to pull off both equally well. Will Johnson and his band have songwriting talent oozing from their pores. While they were probably raised on Guided by Voices and Archers of Loaf albums, on this their fourth full-length album, they've come into their own. (Idol Records) Chase Scene - The Great Divide EP Melodic rock that comes off like Samiam's little brother. Once these guys can do like older brother can and write the explosive choruses, they're going to be one of Boston's best bands. |
Crooked
Fingers - Red Devil Dawn Finally! A Crooked Fingers album that stands up to expectations! Songs written from the depths of the heart about characters as well-drawn as nearly any of Bruce Springsteen's or Neil Young's (two clear influences on the sound of Crooked Fingers). This album gives back more with each listen, which is very refreshing in the modern age. Dear Mr. Bachmann, I knew you had in you and I've been waiting...I hadn't written you off, but damn, was I close. Thanks for this! Thanks for the songs, sir...thanks for this album! (Merge) Crumbox - s/t I really loved some of those rockers on Resident Double-U, their last. It was nice hearing a band that loved the Archers of Loaf as much as I did. (To his credit, singer Scott Bradford opted for a pretty straight-forward vocal approach instead of trying to match Eric Bachman's snarl.) These guys have a great talent for writing songs in the style of their heroes. One listen to the song "crush the star" and you know that Built to Spill's There's Nothing Wrong with Love was a constant in their van's tape deck. Last album's "Novocaine" is to Superchunk as this one's "Fourth of July" is to The Cure. This album comes off a bit tamer than the last album. Is it the new rhythm section? Who knows? I just want to root for these guys to write more original material. (Time Bomb Records) |
| Chick Magnet 225 - '65 EP Punk rawk. Or "shit rock" if you prefer- not my term, that's what these Southern Vermonters/ Western Mass.ers call themselves. They can call themselves whatever they want since they're one of the most active bands in this region right now. They're making some damn fun punk rock music with vocals with plenty of vibrato, for the garage-rocker in all of us...I trust the singer's voice will get even stronger as he learns the art of dynamics. Vicious guitar lines and plenty of ricochet, stop and start drumming make for a fun five songs. My personal fave is "Eraser", which sounds like a lost Replacement garage recording spliced with a down and dirty Estrus band like The Makers. Cheers also to the design team and my since-childhood pal, Chris Edwards for his photo work! (Chick Magnet 225 PO Box 811 North Bennington, VT 05257) Chino - Mala Leche Wow! Montreal hasn't had a rock band like this in a while....It seems as if Alex Soria has taken all his post-Nils grit and pored it into the first song!!!! "Uno Mas" could well be the best song he has written... period. I love it! It may stand alongside some of the finest Replacement tunes. The rest of the EP is great as well and a real treat for those of us that like our rock to have a bit of sugar and a bit of a bite to it. (Mag Wheel Records PO Box 115, Stn R, Montreal, PQ, H2S 3K6 Canada) |
Cub Country - High Uinta High Jeremy Chatelain (Jets to Brazil, ex-Handsome) trades in his bass for a turn up front once more with this collection of poppy country tunes recalling the range life. This is a fun record which makes for great background music while you throw a couple more patties on the grill and kick back on the porch in your favorite chair. (Jade Tree Records) Cursive - Burst and Bloom EP One of my picks for 2001. Devastatingly powerful, heart-wrenching, and beautiful. The addition of the cello to the group is a nice touch provided it doesn't become obsequious. (Saddle Creek) |
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