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
Ahh - good point - I will plug them in the appropriate sections.
Yeeee! This sounds so fun! Any word on covers for any/all of these? Maybe SP could spring for punch cards and some discounts if we make it to all, eh?
...and given the lack of smiley emoticons i chose to employ, that reads far more sarcastically than i ever intended (my apologies). i actually find this to be a great article and an interesting discussion, seriously : )
Once it leaves the basement, it is then called what? hmmm…....could it be mainstream? accessible? appealing on a mass-level? POP??? Quickly it will become a fad, over-saturate the media, and piss people off. Then everyone can write articles based on how that shit sucks, too. chickens are…
In general, I think music is much more interesting now than in 1995. I definitely am very glad contemporary music has expanded beyond the four-piece rock lineup that dominated much of the 90’s. The point of the above isn’t so much about a sound or an instrument…
2010 is not 1995. I’m not sure why anyone would expect a music scene to remain stationary as the world of popular music moves around it. Also, today, making popular music with mainstream appeal and being innovative and cutting-edge are usually exact opposites.
bhrama- thanks for the promo. it is true, crane and badger will be playing on friday at mike and mollys w/ the chemicals and tractor kings. we will be playing first. show starts at 10pm. come on out. rock will be had.
Heard there is a new rock band (Crane & Badger-2nd show) playing @ Mike’s this Friday night. Certified rock-styley.
Foreigner had Double Vision, now that’s vision.. It is interesting today how diverse people’s music taste has become. Take 107.1 for instance, depending on what time of you’re listening to it you can hear indie, top 40 alternative, hip hop, and alt country all in the same block of…
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Most Recent Comments
Big Blue will actually be on 6-9, despite what is posted elsewhere. Then, hightail it over to Bentley’s!
Ahh - good point - I will plug them in the appropriate sections.
Yeeee! This sounds so fun! Any word on covers for any/all of these? Maybe SP could spring for punch cards and some discounts if we make it to all, eh?
Ok, just tell me when I can exhale - Just curious, since all the globalists, carbon traders, and pretty much anyone with copious amounts of wealth have weighed in on population reduction in recent years, i was wondering what yer magic number was. Some of the more…
ESPN360!!!!! For those that don’t know, you can watch the ESPNs’ games on your puter.
...and given the lack of smiley emoticons i chose to employ, that reads far more sarcastically than i ever intended (my apologies). i actually find this to be a great article and an interesting discussion, seriously : )
Once it leaves the basement, it is then called what? hmmm…....could it be mainstream? accessible? appealing on a mass-level? POP??? Quickly it will become a fad, over-saturate the media, and piss people off. Then everyone can write articles based on how that shit sucks, too. chickens are…
So John is seeing all comments as being authored by John. I am seeing all comments as authored by me. The first comment was Mysterious McDade who evidently acquired an Optimism Hat and is now seeing how it fits.
No, everyone is me! Muahahaha! I so didn’t make that first comment so I thought maybe someone was trying to get my goat, adding me to the staff. I hope jumping to that conclusion is forgivable. Yeah, uh, I guess I should say that I swear I…
I have reached Nirvana, I guess. Everyone is me.
Something weird is happening.
WTF guys? Does impersonating a user in the comments section run afoul of your commenting policy?
In general, I think music is much more interesting now than in 1995. I definitely am very glad contemporary music has expanded beyond the four-piece rock lineup that dominated much of the 90’s. The point of the above isn’t so much about a sound or an instrument…
2010 is not 1995. I’m not sure why anyone would expect a music scene to remain stationary as the world of popular music moves around it. Also, today, making popular music with mainstream appeal and being innovative and cutting-edge are usually exact opposites.
I didn’t know that the LED was created here. That’s awesome.
It’s a total shame this is only during working hours! It sounds great, but I’m one of those who can’t slip away very readily during the 9-to-5. Next time, a request: weekend events, please?
Nuts. Sorry I saw this, um, 15 minutes before CULitFest (my term!) begins. However, one deficit - no beer. SP.com 1, UIUC 0. In all seriousness, hope it goes well!
This is federal money, yes. But it is money going to a network that is going to be owned by an inter-governmental of the two cities and the University, not by the federal government. If you’re worried about the local governments spying on us, that’s fine, but…
Prediction: Selection Sunday 2011, Illinois will be vying for a real #1 seed.
bhrama- thanks for the promo. it is true, crane and badger will be playing on friday at mike and mollys w/ the chemicals and tractor kings. we will be playing first. show starts at 10pm. come on out. rock will be had.
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Big Blue will actually be on 6-9, despite what is posted elsewhere. Then, hightail it over to Bentley’s!