One-minute rock reviews
Artist: The Starfolk/Typsy Panthre
CD: Lemon-Lime EP
Label: mpls ltd
Just like the title, this EP is a little lemon-lime gem, a box of tangy, crunchy Nerds. With one bite, you get the citrus-fresh Starfolk. With the other, you get the sour zing of Typsy Panthre. Both bands — fronted by the Owls' Allison LaBonne — are composed of veteran Minneapolis musicians. While the Starfolk has a shinier rock edge, Typsy Panthre dabbles in string-accented trip-hop, like a sunny Portishead. The EP serves a double debut, full of LaBonne's breathy vocals and Jacqueline Ultan's trembly cello. My only complaint is that it's four songs long. The Starfolk is more to my liking — the two tracks swoop and swirl with melody and a touch of foreboding — but fans of Confessions on a Dance Floor-era Madonna will enjoy Typsy Panthre's dance-oriented fare.
Artist: Wiretree
CD: Luck
Label: Cobaltworks
With the first notes of this album's opener, "Across My Mind," I was immediately reminded of Elliott Smith or A.C. Newman — artists that prove you don't have to be loud to rock. But Austin-based Wiretree's mastermind, Kevin Peroni, stands just fine on his own, without the comparisons. A versatile multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Peroni sings and plays most of the album, including drums, bass, guitar, and Wurlitzer. His smooth, friendly vocals are perfectly suited to catchy tunes like "Days Gone By," the driving "Rail," the minor-key assertiveness of "Information," and the Beatles-tinged "Satellite Song." Wiretree's second full-length album (after 2007's Bouldin), Luck displays a knack for melody and Jeff Lynne-style production.
Artist: DaVincis
CD: See You Tonight
Label: Olympic
Frankly, I was stunned when I popped this CD in my computer. Why? Jackson, Mississippi's DaVincis are kids! The trio — singer/keyboardist Andrew Burke, drummer Gavin Fields and bassist Peyton Randoph — are no older than 17. And it shows — "Friend Request" just might be the first song I've heard about Facebook: "Please accept my Facebook request/ It's really quite simple, click 'accept'/ Cause if you don't my status will be depressed/ And we don't want that." Along with a classy innocence and French pop flair, the DaVincis' songs communicate a wistful joy, whether Burke is lamenting a past he's never experienced ("50's Film") or crooning about a dream girl ("Standing in Line") in his Andy Partridge baritone. With eight songs, See You Tonight moves fast. A fun surprise!
Artist: The Black Hollies
CD: Softly Towards the Light
Label: Ernest Jenning
Some would call the Black Hollies' third offering a blatant rip-off of Pretty Things and Small Faces. And I say they'd be right-it's awesome. While the Beatles, Kinks, and the Who get their due constantly, these are two often-overlooked treasures of the British Invasion. Songs like "Lead Me to Your Fire" and the slower, steadier "Everything's Fine" showcase the band's propensity for echoey Wall of Sound production. From Jon Gonnelli's command of psychedlic organ to Justin Angelo Morey's watery vocals, you'd swear you were listening to an album straight from the vaults of 1966.
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Listen to Cristy Scoggins' rock scholarship on Rock Geek FM, Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. on WEFT 90.1 FM (weft.org).
Most Recent Music Comments
Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…
sux
whats a zmick?
Here is a link to download the aformentioned 2007 show at Red Herring, a true gem from the early Zmick archive, again recorded by Ben Valocchi: http://www.archive.org/details/zmick2007-11-02.logitech
My biggest concern is that the free Caribou show at the Krannert is now not at the Krannert and no longer free. But then, I guess if that’s my biggest concern, then I’m doing pretty well—at least I still have potable water! Still, I would prefer it…
Who’s got the crack?
Any band that makes the effort to pay homage to ! = Metallica @ = Beatles # = 2pac $ = Moldy Peaches % = Grateful Dead ^ = Dave Clark 5 All in one show! (with Herb Alpert interpolations to boot) That’s what tasty jams is all about
THE CAKE IS A LIE
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Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.
Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…
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Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…
Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
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Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…