June 27, 2007

Albert Hammond Jr. Yours To Keep [3.5/5] Okay, so “In Transit” sounds exactly like some great lost Strokes song (if the Strokes had traded in their Television records for Soft Bulletin and Pet Sounds). And they really could have used that little riff that closes “Bright Young Thing” on Room On Fire. But if Albert...

Bill Callahan Woke On A Whaleheart [3.5/5] Even a cursory trip through the (Smog) catalog shows that Bill Callahan has seen some shit. But while that psychic weight often hung heavy on (Smog), Woke On A Whaleheart brings an appealingly clean and straightforward directness, as if he doesn’t need to hide anymore. His near-naked speak-singing...

Bright Eyes Cassadaga [4/5] It’s interesting to note that Conor Oberst is adored by both earnest emo-immersed youth and white-belt hipsters who sneer at Dashboard Confessional. Fortunately, you don’t need to be young or a lemming for the Shins to see that the latest Bright Eyes opus finds Oberst cultivating a sophistication usually found in...

All Smiles Ten Readings Of A Warning [3.5/5] If you’re thinking of checking this out just because of frontman Jim Fairchild’s connection to Grandaddy (he played guitar in the group from 1995 until 2006’s bitter end), well, chances are you won’t be disappointed. Which is not to say the two bands sound that much alike....

Grinderman Grinderman [4.5/5] Since his early days fronting the seminal Australian outfit the Birthday Party, singer/songwriter Nick Cave’s career has polarized audiences. Well, pick a side, friends, because you’re either with Grinderman or you’re riding the blandwagon. Cave (this time on guitar and organ) and Seeds associates Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos deliver...

The Tossers Agony [3.5/5] With mandolin and banjo propelling their hooks and a full-time tin whistle player on the payroll, the Tossers exemplify Irish instrumental authenticity. The Chicago-based septet’s emotive arsenal is just as genuine as their instrumental one; impenetrable brogue notwithstanding, singer Tony Duggins communicates feelings with acute precision. During the raw blues number...

The Threats God Is Not With Us Today [3/5] Some bands do it for the right reasons. While pampered playboys play goth dress-up and wear prop guitars, other rougher-hewn stock slog it out in the pubs with nary a concern for the gilded limelight. Consider the Scottish-born Threats. They’re four regular Joes banging out quick...

Olympia Emergencies [3.5/5] If youthful enthusiasm is kept at a premium, than you can mark Washington, D.C., standouts Olympia as far ahead of the curve. Granted, enthusiasm is only one aspect of the music, but by placing so much emphasis on it they’re able to make up a bit of the ground lost in areas...

Love Me Destroyer The Things Around Us Burn [3.5/5] In a refreshing reminder that not all heavy bands are polished to a Pro Tools sheen these days, Denver’s Love Me Destroyer offer up a gritty, raw second record to follow up 2003’s Black Heart Affair. Between singer James Wellensiek’s coarse-although notably solid-vocals and the foursome’s...