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Day Is Long doesn't quite fit the country-noirish descriptor with which it's been tagged. "Country-tough" seems more accurate, and like any hardscrabble survivor, this album demands that you take Cahoone as she is. -K.c. days nncltights spenl slari*g clf il.llo Bf RFfIT F8X: Qr.Liet sprce i.*.3 co$illri, c{}ttage. Applclacke c1 WI{AT EAt At*ilnnl!{XWl{llf LlSTFl'lll{ff: IS b:con and ru* sardwiches.
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D e D o n d e E r e s {n r o o o s n o r n r c o n o s } Whatever this Brooklyn band qualified as before, file the new work by Cordero under "worldly." In the same manner as bands like Devotchka and Gogol Bordello, with De Donde EresCordero builds songs on traditional rhythms and instrumentatlon-in this case, those of Latin America. The purveyors of"bilingual indie New York dance self-described rock' then go on to tinker with these classic sounds, working in subtle rock effects like shuflling drums and more modem bass lines. The result is rich and infectious. With its happy horns, call-and-response refrains, and hip-shaking rhlthms, opening track "Quique" is an invitation-make that a command-to dance. After that, though, the mood of the album turns inward. Singer Ani Cordero (who, with her husband Chris Verene, is the core of the band) grows more somber; the tempo and volume of the music decreases. Even if your understanding of Spanish is limited, the tonal shift is clear from some of the song titles alone, such as "Ruleta Rusa" ("Russian Roulette"),and "Guardasecretos," "La Vida Sencilla."A prolonged period ofpersonal strife compelled Cordero to write these tunes on her mother's guitar, and her often-mournful voice betrays her healy heart. Forbunately,as the name of one of the more upbeat songs goes,"La Musica es la Medicina."-c.K.w. fER fAl{SEF: licl:cl {iilbcrl*, Dc'vctchiia. F|{ T X f P f f t f f *T $ f i {J t {0 T R & C S R :A {i c r n **n c r r . l i l a i lp ar ti cs rr bul:blc l;alh:.
CI VEI
H ell Ha th No Fu ry { r r r r r c ar nr c onos } Brody Dalle, you have just been tirrmped. Civet hammers home just as much fist-pumping, fuck-you punk as Dalle's band the Distillers, except this quartet is roo percent femme fatale. After catching the eye of Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, the all-girl group-lead vocalist and guitar' ist Liza Graves, guitarist Suzi Homewrecker, bassist |acqui Valentine, and drummer Danni Harrowyn-joined Arm' strong's Hellcat Records in an attempt to keep punk rock alive. Produced by Julian Raymond (Suicide Machines), Civet's debut grabs you by the throat dnd doesn't let go until track r1 has wrapped. Homewrecker's growl is menacing on the album's devilishly sweet highlight, "Son of a Bitch," and the anthem 'A1l I Want" gives a whisky-soaked toast to rrrs everywhere with the line, "We'll be sisters to the end, and what's broken we will mend/ Boys will come and boys will go, fust like streetcars." Equal parts ink, pinup flair, and group vocalizing, the Long Beach, California, foursome has every intention of running with the big dogs; they've already shared stages with labelmates Orange and punkrock stalwarts the Dropkick Murphys. And Hell Hath No Fury packs enough power-chord precision and pop sensibility to send the Donnas back to Songwriting ror. -cLAIRE
A S H T ON
S A MA I { T CRA I N HA
T h e C o n f i s c a t i o n {u r 'r s r u n n r c o n o s } Choctaw singef-songwriter Samantha Crain puts a fresh, youthful spin dn the traditional American folk made wildly popular by the likes of Bob Dylan and |oan Baez almost 5o years ago. Following in the footstepsofher predecessors, Crain s Ramseur Records debut, The Confscation, revives soulfully earthy storytelling that radiates more wisdom ahd worldliness than you might expect from a woman in her early zos. The rp's five tracks are appropriately packaged as chapters, begging to be consumed the way one would a litand from beginning to end. erary narrative-thoughtfully
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Crain's vocai strength and individuality are impressive throughout, and although Eps are often too short to come across as well rounded, The Confscatiornis delectably complete. Harmonica-infused upbeat numbers like "The River" give way to sparse, dusky tunes such as "ln Smithereens, the Search for A{finity" that reflect the wide spectrum of Crain's musical capability. And the infectious "Traipsing Through the Aisles" has enough vocal hooks and hand ciaps to warrant a group singalong. Overall, The Confscationis an example of free-spirited folk at its fin6s1.-6.4. f Sn fAS$ !Jf: \lb Cv Cl11r r lr .f hr ' llr ninu l"ips , Nllrh lr:irl:.S||&n lNG&l{ 8 [ fl J S: 11' r , t ; u. 1' , r r , '1a1; t* - jt lr t lr : \ v r : t l * ; .l 11r* lIrr:rI rrd 1 hr [ v * ; v hod] , ilr lds ,i] r lI is . e
single tear in my eye/ 'Cause everybody knows it/ We're all gonna die/ And it don't really matter how and it don't matter why") are set against bouncy, cheerful rhythms. Elsewhere, "I Am |ust a Ghost" plays up the pity. But though its narrator is rendered hollow by loss, it's the most rocking number here, marked by a fuzzed-out blues garage solo and spiky percussion. Morrison and Lortz don't modernize their music. They stay true to their '6os inspirations with analog production and spare, period-perfect instrumentation. Although they draw from the past, the honesty and clarity with which they relay heartbreak and teenage angst lend their songs a quality that resonates today.-aNNA BRESHEARS TflL Y0URFRlFl,{03: discitvcru:ri r.r:crrclirrs.c tlris YoL; flre cl ol;slur b:inil il vol.rrpilrcn|:;'bascr:c*i. lf Y8U N-;Kf THiS:{.hcr:l'*ut Vciumc l';ilr: ol'{,rvpt Ri:rt;rds'' |i:1:7 ft Sh*t dty:: serie-c.?irn .Ja tr r. lglJerfi lL:a,r:;rl,s a u . i . r ' [ , ] r i z : : J - \ ! ! 'r r i r ; *l i 'tp r e v i t r l p r o ] r i f s . f f re Fe Fi l'lo l;r.rn-c anrl lL* 5tltr;rrar.
I H E IlUTCHESS IHE tlUK E A1{D Sh e 's D utchess, the Duke{nanorv r} the He's nn
Kimberly Morrison and fesse Lortz were born too late: The friends now known as the Dutchess and the Duke were meant to come of age amid go-go boots, shaggyhair, and garage rock. Since meeting as teens, Morrison andLortz have shared a mutual love ofsurfbands, girl groups, and psych rock. After years ofplaying in bands without each other, and inspired by surprisingly tuneful singalongs in the car, the two finally decided to join forces. The resuit is She'sthe Dutchess,He's the Duke, a strikingly authentic take on '6os folk-pop in which Morrison and Lortz jangle and strum their way through the misery and exhilaration of love with requisite sweetnessand sorrow. The duo draws on paisley-pop heavy hitters like Donovan, the Mamas and the Papas,and the Left Banke for inspiration, but ieavesbehind the baroque trimmings. From the "Crimson and Clover"-style tambourine grooves of"The Prisoner" to the Dylanesque delivery on "Back to Me," the duo's raw, nearly acoustic material throbs with heary, emotional lyrics smoothed over with light boy-girl harmonies. The dark-light contrast is also evident on the album's final track, 'Armageddon Song," a sunny Peter, Paul and Mary-styled campfire tune about living in the present. Matter-of-fact, morbid lyrics ("lf the whole wide world was dead and destructedl Baby,you won't find a
THE FIERY FURNACES
R e m e m b e r {r H n r r r l o c r r v } Love 'em or hate 'em, siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger's ambitious, oddball vision sounds unlike anything else. The duo performs a curious amalgamation of blues, rock, psychedelia,and synth warped into whimsical, melodic pop movements, punctuated by Eleanor's English-teacher elocution. For the Fiery Furnaces,tempo changes, mood shifts, and fractured structures are the norm-and, for all their weirdness, they come off as playFul rather than pretentious. The band's last two releases,zoo6's Bitter Tea and 2oo7's Widow City, were its most accessibleto date; those put off by the winding incomprehensibility of zoo4's BlueberryBoat or zoo5's overly conceptual Rehearsing My Choir found solace in the straightforwardness ofthe later releases.Remember a two-co compilation of live perforis mances that allows the duo to explore their epic narrative tendencies while reminding listeners that underneath the eccentric storylines and unpredictable tempo changes, they're iust a rock-'n'-roll band.
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1 { ER D K W EE N
S yne rgy {srrcxrrcunr nr c onos } Only the bespectacled, often Mary fane- and cardigan-clad Monica Arrington could single-handedly mastermind a protect that pits hipster-chic sonic exploration against unassumingly lo-fi production to create songs perfectly suited for her paradoxical stage moniker, nerdkween. In true do-it-yourself fashion, nerdkween has made the rounds in the Atlanta underground music scene for eight years, circulating a series of demos on the down-low. Her full-length debuI, Synergy,is a self-produced nine-track album with a gritty, aurally sparse canvas on which the classically trained vocalist paints sincere, brooding pictures with her honeyed, Pf Harvey-influenced vocals. Synergyshuns glossy editing in favor of refreshingly honest production that reintroduces a much-needed human quality to experimental music, from the clink of the hammers against the piano strings on the track "Icon" to the characteristically charming emphasis Arrington puts on the letter "s" throughout the album. Synergyhits high notes on the vocal stunner "ll' and the l1rically compelling "Earning My Disgrace,"and provides a nice change of pace with "8 Years," a live track recorded in New York City at Harlem's Faison Theater. The self-proclaimed intellectual smartly packages dark sublect matter in an accessible manner from start to finish, redefining once again what it really means to be a nerd. -c.A. g'if *KCRISP&$T: l!r:rChrvetl L:s sh;rrcC rtrgcs wnlr lsiands,thc Qruils, artrj f,irila. LISTEH YflUl"l}{[: 1.ow,R;r.lichcad, lF ti:e Sundars.
There's nothing I can say" wails Erica Quitzow amid squeegee Moog, violin, and triangle in the kind of song you can imagine college deejays immediately consigning to heary rotation (and feline aficionados circulating like cat treats). But just because you have the bright idea to sample your kitty doesn't mean you have the substance to fill out the Iyrics. From questionable moves such as this to her quavering soprano, this successor to Solex is most emphatically an acquired taste. At times, Quitzow seems to be trying a wee bit too hard; at others, she shows herself to be an accomplished instrumentalist, sonic collagist, and pop creative. Tunes like the title track make a case for Quitzow as the fufure sole female member of the Anticon collective. With some heary editing-and it certainly sounds iike quite a bit already went into Art College's one-woman show since she plays the majority of drums, keyboards, guitars, cellos, and violins-Quitzow could prove to be an imagination to look out for. -K.c. lf YS{ILl}{f TXI$:Yrr'11liire Sclex.!{r}r-vl, {"ali]runa, .i!-otr.,,ir Cirribcr-r,lhc l, $ ubt ic, l}itr:1. l F 3 H l $& i " $ U f WC n f A V *f 'l l C l [ ; l t l v o u l c ll ; c a r . i ni c- vc]c ul t u n c n l r s e d l i l n i : h 'l r : r . 'g l a e s cd l i v r l i r , ri t g r o o r'. .. - . stvlr Mr:*g ri.t.sf ro lvrll: I handtri:lxl rrutstache rnd a unrrorn l-silill.
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C a n a d i a n T u x e d o {r ', r r N ra r c o n o s } If reincarnation does in fact occur, I'm tempted to believe that the Cars died and came back in female form to deliver the most perfectly crafted pop-infused rock collection to hit the scene this season. Canadian Tuxedo,the latest release from Vancouver, British Columbia foursome Vancougar, is everything a summertime release should be: super-cute, high-energy, and more contagious than the clap. Produced by Dave Carswell (Tegan & Sara, New Pornographers), Canadian Tuxedo doesn't try to reinvent the wheel but just rolls with it, creating an exciting album that is instantly familiar in a good, girly way. Crunchy garage guitars parallel squeaky-clean synth lines throughout the album, adding just the right amount of gusto to push each memorable chorus along. Lead vocalist Eden Fineday unleashes a
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Art College { r ou rc ro v r} It's way gimmiclcy, borderingon cheesy, you gottalove but the bippity-boppity, purr- and meow-strewn "CatsR People 2," off Quitzow'ssecondalbum, Art College. "This happens everyday The catshavethings to say/ They rearrange the I house/ They want to start a fire.../ This happenseveryday/
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Heavy Flow rangeto be reckonedwith on the punky stunner ,,philadel_ ,,Money"moves (continued'from page87) We should end by talking about ,.Crimson phia," and the downtempo with a your new cD. There are many songs I'd like to ask about, and Clover"vibe, proving that Fineday-along with keyboardistMeganJohnson, bassistBeccaStewart, but since we have limited space, I,d like to hear the back. and drum_ mer CC Rose-is a skilled musiciancapable delivering ground on the song "Ropes," which gets at different layers of versatiletracksthat pack a punch. Reminiscent the eccen_ and manifestations of of depression. tric pop culture of the '8os, CanadianTuxedo one import is "Ropes" is one of the most personal songs I,ve ever writthat should receivea warm welcomestateside. -c.A. ten. Depression is something that's not really spoken ACCtSS0RIIE Fleadl.rands. bangs, WlTll: Lrlunt about in hip hop, and I wanted to make a really personal, kneesocks, rrr.: rbar r et t es . r d n rl h i n g n c rtrr, rt er a vulnerable song. I touch on my family's history with f 0RfAilS0F:The Co-Co's, Carch, the |oan Iett,the cor:l depression. My mom was on lithium growing up and my partsoi.Cali{brnia. father was also manic depressive. The first verse is about how our living room resembled a museum: It was filled RE B E C( I W EI { CA with musical instruments my parents used to play that R ebecca Owe n {srrr - r r r r es r o} Spanning the genres of modern Americana, RebeccaOwen now have broken strings, or they're out of tune because roams a musical range that finds gentle persuasion at its they haven't been played for over a decade. It's like [my uppermost octave and unmuted passion at its lower. With parents] were numb to anything they were passionate roots in New Orleans, but now a regular fixture on New about, just giving up on their dreams and their creative Mexico's local music circuit, she skillfullv weaves together expression. the genres native to the nation's southland and wesf.n In my research for the song, I read an essay about Toni territories. The album opens with the sultriness of ..SideMorrison's work that [noted] how almost every Toni Morriwinder," an upbeat ode to the honky-tonk bad boy, then son book dealswith the concept ofdepression and suicide roams through Southern rock with ,.I Ain,t Living Long in the black community, which is such a taboo issue. I also ..My Like This," the swing tempo of Heart Would Know" started reading R. D. Lang, who writes a lot about indiand a rootsy blues on "Tenderly.,'As with the best country_ vidual mental unhealth being connected to a larger social music lyrics, Owen conveys whole stories in the briefest of twists: "His home is his castle,and mine is a cage,,, unhealth. The concept of one of his books, The politicsof she sings on her cover of Faith Hill's ,A Man's Home Is His Experience, that our society is so fractured and isolating is Castle," the story of a woman trapped with a violent parrner. that we become fragmented as people, that there are so The cp's standout track, "World Without you," finds Owen many contradictions we're constantly grappling with that hopscotching across her remarkable vocal range while it's breaking our hearts. indulging in a host of dark metaphors that leave aside flowThere's actually another song called ,,Thxicab Confesers and candy for searing obsession. The co closes with the sions" that didn't make the album, where I speak about oft -covered-but never so sweetly-,, Unbreakable Heart,,, a dealing with my own personal depression, and having one moment of irony from a gal who can break hearts with just of my family members forcibly place me into an institua glance of voice over guitar. -JULTE cRArc tion. That was a real wake-up call to how the so-called MI0HT8f THI l{fXT:Alt-counrry darling"Or rna,vbe Faiih Hill. mental health situation in this country is very similar to .WIIH A T$tl$T0F: Honey and lenron over sNeel euitar.. the prison system. It's criminalizing. But the story of "Ropes" is ultimately just looking at depression in the larger framework of the hope t feei for what's happening in Detroit and other communities. The hope I feel for the music community. We're all potential changemakers in ourselves and in the world. None of that hope would be possible if I didn't feel such despair at certain points. Where I'm like, this is a necessity,this hope. Not just the hope, but the work that inspires the t op" is a must. O
ShapeShiftersout now on Emergence is (EMERGENCEmusic.net), and you canget moreInvincible bling47.com. at DebbieRasmussen the publisirer is ol Bitch.
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Day Is Long doesn't quite fit the country-noirish descriptor with which it's been tagged. "Country-tough" seems more accurate, and like any hardscrabble survivor, this album demands that you take Cahoone as she is. -K.c. days nncltights spenl slari*g clf il.llo Bf RFfIT F8X: Qr.Liet sprce i.*.3 co$illri, c{}ttage. Applclacke c1 WI{AT EAt At*ilnnl!{XWl{llf LlSTFl'lll{ff: IS b:con and ru* sardwiches.
CllRllE R(|
D e D o n d e E r e s {n r o o o s n o r n r c o n o s } Whatever this Brooklyn band qualified as before, file the new work by Cordero under "worldly." In the same manner as bands like Devotchka and Gogol Bordello, with De Donde EresCordero builds songs on traditional rhythms and instrumentatlon-in this case, those of Latin America. The purveyors of"bilingual indie New York dance self-described rock' then go on to tinker with these classic sounds, working in subtle rock effects like shuflling drums and more modem bass lines. The result is rich and infectious. With its happy horns, call-and-response refrains, and hip-shaking rhlthms, opening track "Quique" is an invitation-make that a command-to dance. After that, though, the mood of the album turns inward. Singer Ani Cordero (who, with her husband Chris Verene, is the core of the band) grows more somber; the tempo and volume of the music decreases. Even if your understanding of Spanish is limited, the tonal shift is clear from some of the song titles alone, such as "Ruleta Rusa" ("Russian Roulette"),and "Guardasecretos," "La Vida Sencilla."A prolonged period ofpersonal strife compelled Cordero to write these tunes on her mother's guitar, and her often-mournful voice betrays her healy heart. Forbunately,as the name of one of the more upbeat songs goes,"La Musica es la Medicina."-c.K.w. fER fAl{SEF: licl:cl {iilbcrl*, Dc'vctchiia. F|{ T X f P f f t f f *T $ f i {J t {0 T R & C S R :A {i c r n **n c r r . l i l a i lp ar ti cs rr bul:blc l;alh:.
CI VEI
H ell Ha th No Fu ry { r r r r r c ar nr c onos } Brody Dalle, you have just been tirrmped. Civet hammers home just as much fist-pumping, fuck-you punk as Dalle's band the Distillers, except this quartet is roo percent femme fatale. After catching the eye of Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, the all-girl group-lead vocalist and guitar' ist Liza Graves, guitarist Suzi Homewrecker, bassist |acqui Valentine, and drummer Danni Harrowyn-joined Arm' strong's Hellcat Records in an attempt to keep punk rock alive. Produced by Julian Raymond (Suicide Machines), Civet's debut grabs you by the throat dnd doesn't let go until track r1 has wrapped. Homewrecker's growl is menacing on the album's devilishly sweet highlight, "Son of a Bitch," and the anthem 'A1l I Want" gives a whisky-soaked toast to rrrs everywhere with the line, "We'll be sisters to the end, and what's broken we will mend/ Boys will come and boys will go, fust like streetcars." Equal parts ink, pinup flair, and group vocalizing, the Long Beach, California, foursome has every intention of running with the big dogs; they've already shared stages with labelmates Orange and punkrock stalwarts the Dropkick Murphys. And Hell Hath No Fury packs enough power-chord precision and pop sensibility to send the Donnas back to Songwriting ror. -cLAIRE
A S H T ON
S A MA I { T CRA I N HA
T h e C o n f i s c a t i o n {u r 'r s r u n n r c o n o s } Choctaw singef-songwriter Samantha Crain puts a fresh, youthful spin dn the traditional American folk made wildly popular by the likes of Bob Dylan and |oan Baez almost 5o years ago. Following in the footstepsofher predecessors, Crain s Ramseur Records debut, The Confscation, revives soulfully earthy storytelling that radiates more wisdom ahd worldliness than you might expect from a woman in her early zos. The rp's five tracks are appropriately packaged as chapters, begging to be consumed the way one would a litand from beginning to end. erary narrative-thoughtfully
e:;aurp1e. 8t TIlAT: lT C0[.,i0 SANil ]oanJettsrt a gac<l rvithlicluor lipstich rerlard.-'-our lf LlSTIU Y0ULlKt:Yor,rr cut tlaininrr wheels.
FA LL.os l l rssun no.l r
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${rgg*s&ed LISTENING
&rMr,4l8Fr THE FIERY FURNACTS
Crain's vocai strength and individuality are impressive throughout, and although Eps are often too short to come across as well rounded, The Confscatiornis delectably complete. Harmonica-infused upbeat numbers like "The River" give way to sparse, dusky tunes such as "ln Smithereens, the Search for A{finity" that reflect the wide spectrum of Crain's musical capability. And the infectious "Traipsing Through the Aisles" has enough vocal hooks and hand ciaps to warrant a group singalong. Overall, The Confscationis an example of free-spirited folk at its fin6s1.-6.4. f Sn fAS$ !Jf: \lb Cv Cl11r r lr .f hr ' llr ninu l"ips , Nllrh lr:irl:.S||&n lNG&l{ 8 [ fl J S: 11' r , t ; u. 1' , r r , '1a1; t* - jt lr t lr : \ v r : t l * ; .l 11r* lIrr:rI rrd 1 hr [ v * ; v hod] , ilr lds ,i] r lI is . e
single tear in my eye/ 'Cause everybody knows it/ We're all gonna die/ And it don't really matter how and it don't matter why") are set against bouncy, cheerful rhythms. Elsewhere, "I Am |ust a Ghost" plays up the pity. But though its narrator is rendered hollow by loss, it's the most rocking number here, marked by a fuzzed-out blues garage solo and spiky percussion. Morrison and Lortz don't modernize their music. They stay true to their '6os inspirations with analog production and spare, period-perfect instrumentation. Although they draw from the past, the honesty and clarity with which they relay heartbreak and teenage angst lend their songs a quality that resonates today.-aNNA BRESHEARS TflL Y0URFRlFl,{03: discitvcru:ri r.r:crrclirrs.c tlris YoL; flre cl ol;slur b:inil il vol.rrpilrcn|:;'bascr:c*i. lf Y8U N-;Kf THiS:{.hcr:l'*ut Vciumc l';ilr: ol'{,rvpt Ri:rt;rds'' |i:1:7 ft Sh*t dty:: serie-c.?irn .Ja tr r. lglJerfi lL:a,r:;rl,s a u . i . r ' [ , ] r i z : : J - \ ! ! 'r r i r ; *l i 'tp r e v i t r l p r o ] r i f s . f f re Fe Fi l'lo l;r.rn-c anrl lL* 5tltr;rrar.
I H E IlUTCHESS IHE tlUK E A1{D Sh e 's D utchess, the Duke{nanorv r} the He's nn
Kimberly Morrison and fesse Lortz were born too late: The friends now known as the Dutchess and the Duke were meant to come of age amid go-go boots, shaggyhair, and garage rock. Since meeting as teens, Morrison andLortz have shared a mutual love ofsurfbands, girl groups, and psych rock. After years ofplaying in bands without each other, and inspired by surprisingly tuneful singalongs in the car, the two finally decided to join forces. The resuit is She'sthe Dutchess,He's the Duke, a strikingly authentic take on '6os folk-pop in which Morrison and Lortz jangle and strum their way through the misery and exhilaration of love with requisite sweetnessand sorrow. The duo draws on paisley-pop heavy hitters like Donovan, the Mamas and the Papas,and the Left Banke for inspiration, but ieavesbehind the baroque trimmings. From the "Crimson and Clover"-style tambourine grooves of"The Prisoner" to the Dylanesque delivery on "Back to Me," the duo's raw, nearly acoustic material throbs with heary, emotional lyrics smoothed over with light boy-girl harmonies. The dark-light contrast is also evident on the album's final track, 'Armageddon Song," a sunny Peter, Paul and Mary-styled campfire tune about living in the present. Matter-of-fact, morbid lyrics ("lf the whole wide world was dead and destructedl Baby,you won't find a
THE FIERY FURNACES
R e m e m b e r {r H n r r r l o c r r v } Love 'em or hate 'em, siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger's ambitious, oddball vision sounds unlike anything else. The duo performs a curious amalgamation of blues, rock, psychedelia,and synth warped into whimsical, melodic pop movements, punctuated by Eleanor's English-teacher elocution. For the Fiery Furnaces,tempo changes, mood shifts, and fractured structures are the norm-and, for all their weirdness, they come off as playFul rather than pretentious. The band's last two releases,zoo6's Bitter Tea and 2oo7's Widow City, were its most accessibleto date; those put off by the winding incomprehensibility of zoo4's BlueberryBoat or zoo5's overly conceptual Rehearsing My Choir found solace in the straightforwardness ofthe later releases.Remember a two-co compilation of live perforis mances that allows the duo to explore their epic narrative tendencies while reminding listeners that underneath the eccentric storylines and unpredictable tempo changes, they're iust a rock-'n'-roll band.
s o t b i tch
F E MrN rsr
REspoNsE
ro
pop
cuLTURE
sugg*s&ed LISTENING
$lX f0- M t r ll,M A $ F { -UC Mp & R l $ # ?l: M i s s ;,"l l icfl & eP l}i ti + WccCl A1lr:t.r tbt iv4tdr.ight . lr,.rr}oy ald ,\rslrlillir
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S yne rgy {srrcxrrcunr nr c onos } Only the bespectacled, often Mary fane- and cardigan-clad Monica Arrington could single-handedly mastermind a protect that pits hipster-chic sonic exploration against unassumingly lo-fi production to create songs perfectly suited for her paradoxical stage moniker, nerdkween. In true do-it-yourself fashion, nerdkween has made the rounds in the Atlanta underground music scene for eight years, circulating a series of demos on the down-low. Her full-length debuI, Synergy,is a self-produced nine-track album with a gritty, aurally sparse canvas on which the classically trained vocalist paints sincere, brooding pictures with her honeyed, Pf Harvey-influenced vocals. Synergyshuns glossy editing in favor of refreshingly honest production that reintroduces a much-needed human quality to experimental music, from the clink of the hammers against the piano strings on the track "Icon" to the characteristically charming emphasis Arrington puts on the letter "s" throughout the album. Synergyhits high notes on the vocal stunner "ll' and the l1rically compelling "Earning My Disgrace,"and provides a nice change of pace with "8 Years," a live track recorded in New York City at Harlem's Faison Theater. The self-proclaimed intellectual smartly packages dark sublect matter in an accessible manner from start to finish, redefining once again what it really means to be a nerd. -c.A. g'if *KCRISP&$T: l!r:rChrvetl L:s sh;rrcC rtrgcs wnlr lsiands,thc Qruils, artrj f,irila. LISTEH YflUl"l}{[: 1.ow,R;r.lichcad, lF ti:e Sundars.
There's nothing I can say" wails Erica Quitzow amid squeegee Moog, violin, and triangle in the kind of song you can imagine college deejays immediately consigning to heary rotation (and feline aficionados circulating like cat treats). But just because you have the bright idea to sample your kitty doesn't mean you have the substance to fill out the Iyrics. From questionable moves such as this to her quavering soprano, this successor to Solex is most emphatically an acquired taste. At times, Quitzow seems to be trying a wee bit too hard; at others, she shows herself to be an accomplished instrumentalist, sonic collagist, and pop creative. Tunes like the title track make a case for Quitzow as the fufure sole female member of the Anticon collective. With some heary editing-and it certainly sounds iike quite a bit already went into Art College's one-woman show since she plays the majority of drums, keyboards, guitars, cellos, and violins-Quitzow could prove to be an imagination to look out for. -K.c. lf YS{ILl}{f TXI$:Yrr'11liire Sclex.!{r}r-vl, {"ali]runa, .i!-otr.,,ir Cirribcr-r,lhc l, $ ubt ic, l}itr:1. l F 3 H l $& i " $ U f WC n f A V *f 'l l C l [ ; l t l v o u l c ll ; c a r . i ni c- vc]c ul t u n c n l r s e d l i l n i : h 'l r : r . 'g l a e s cd l i v r l i r , ri t g r o o r'. .. - . stvlr Mr:*g ri.t.sf ro lvrll: I handtri:lxl rrutstache rnd a unrrorn l-silill.
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C a n a d i a n T u x e d o {r ', r r N ra r c o n o s } If reincarnation does in fact occur, I'm tempted to believe that the Cars died and came back in female form to deliver the most perfectly crafted pop-infused rock collection to hit the scene this season. Canadian Tuxedo,the latest release from Vancouver, British Columbia foursome Vancougar, is everything a summertime release should be: super-cute, high-energy, and more contagious than the clap. Produced by Dave Carswell (Tegan & Sara, New Pornographers), Canadian Tuxedo doesn't try to reinvent the wheel but just rolls with it, creating an exciting album that is instantly familiar in a good, girly way. Crunchy garage guitars parallel squeaky-clean synth lines throughout the album, adding just the right amount of gusto to push each memorable chorus along. Lead vocalist Eden Fineday unleashes a
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Art College { r ou rc ro v r} It's way gimmiclcy, borderingon cheesy, you gottalove but the bippity-boppity, purr- and meow-strewn "CatsR People 2," off Quitzow'ssecondalbum, Art College. "This happens everyday The catshavethings to say/ They rearrange the I house/ They want to start a fire.../ This happenseveryday/
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Heavy Flow rangeto be reckonedwith on the punky stunner ,,philadel_ ,,Money"moves (continued'from page87) We should end by talking about ,.Crimson phia," and the downtempo with a your new cD. There are many songs I'd like to ask about, and Clover"vibe, proving that Fineday-along with keyboardistMeganJohnson, bassistBeccaStewart, but since we have limited space, I,d like to hear the back. and drum_ mer CC Rose-is a skilled musiciancapable delivering ground on the song "Ropes," which gets at different layers of versatiletracksthat pack a punch. Reminiscent the eccen_ and manifestations of of depression. tric pop culture of the '8os, CanadianTuxedo one import is "Ropes" is one of the most personal songs I,ve ever writthat should receivea warm welcomestateside. -c.A. ten. Depression is something that's not really spoken ACCtSS0RIIE Fleadl.rands. bangs, WlTll: Lrlunt about in hip hop, and I wanted to make a really personal, kneesocks, rrr.: rbar r et t es . r d n rl h i n g n c rtrr, rt er a vulnerable song. I touch on my family's history with f 0RfAilS0F:The Co-Co's, Carch, the |oan Iett,the cor:l depression. My mom was on lithium growing up and my partsoi.Cali{brnia. father was also manic depressive. The first verse is about how our living room resembled a museum: It was filled RE B E C( I W EI { CA with musical instruments my parents used to play that R ebecca Owe n {srrr - r r r r es r o} Spanning the genres of modern Americana, RebeccaOwen now have broken strings, or they're out of tune because roams a musical range that finds gentle persuasion at its they haven't been played for over a decade. It's like [my uppermost octave and unmuted passion at its lower. With parents] were numb to anything they were passionate roots in New Orleans, but now a regular fixture on New about, just giving up on their dreams and their creative Mexico's local music circuit, she skillfullv weaves together expression. the genres native to the nation's southland and wesf.n In my research for the song, I read an essay about Toni territories. The album opens with the sultriness of ..SideMorrison's work that [noted] how almost every Toni Morriwinder," an upbeat ode to the honky-tonk bad boy, then son book dealswith the concept ofdepression and suicide roams through Southern rock with ,.I Ain,t Living Long in the black community, which is such a taboo issue. I also ..My Like This," the swing tempo of Heart Would Know" started reading R. D. Lang, who writes a lot about indiand a rootsy blues on "Tenderly.,'As with the best country_ vidual mental unhealth being connected to a larger social music lyrics, Owen conveys whole stories in the briefest of twists: "His home is his castle,and mine is a cage,,, unhealth. The concept of one of his books, The politicsof she sings on her cover of Faith Hill's ,A Man's Home Is His Experience, that our society is so fractured and isolating is Castle," the story of a woman trapped with a violent parrner. that we become fragmented as people, that there are so The cp's standout track, "World Without you," finds Owen many contradictions we're constantly grappling with that hopscotching across her remarkable vocal range while it's breaking our hearts. indulging in a host of dark metaphors that leave aside flowThere's actually another song called ,,Thxicab Confesers and candy for searing obsession. The co closes with the sions" that didn't make the album, where I speak about oft -covered-but never so sweetly-,, Unbreakable Heart,,, a dealing with my own personal depression, and having one moment of irony from a gal who can break hearts with just of my family members forcibly place me into an institua glance of voice over guitar. -JULTE cRArc tion. That was a real wake-up call to how the so-called MI0HT8f THI l{fXT:Alt-counrry darling"Or rna,vbe Faiih Hill. mental health situation in this country is very similar to .WIIH A T$tl$T0F: Honey and lenron over sNeel euitar.. the prison system. It's criminalizing. But the story of "Ropes" is ultimately just looking at depression in the larger framework of the hope t feei for what's happening in Detroit and other communities. The hope I feel for the music community. We're all potential changemakers in ourselves and in the world. None of that hope would be possible if I didn't feel such despair at certain points. Where I'm like, this is a necessity,this hope. Not just the hope, but the work that inspires the t op" is a must. O
ShapeShiftersout now on Emergence is (EMERGENCEmusic.net), and you canget moreInvincible bling47.com. at DebbieRasmussen the publisirer is ol Bitch.
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