Rating: 7.2
Imogene is a new band who gave earned some attention for their semi-unique instrument combination and the places they take it, and it’s not hard to see why. Using a distorted eight string bass, a four string bass, keyboards, and drums, Imogene attempt to keep themselves away from retro throwbacks, and, with that goal in mind, have released their self-titled debut. Imogene is a very good album, combining psychedelic elements with strong grooves with atmospheric keyboards and just the slightest hint (at times) of heaviness. In their own words, if one had to reference them to other bands, they might be called “Pink Sabbath” or “Radio Queens of the Stone Head.”
Both of those are certainly good analogies. Every so often (such as in the song “Paper Dolls”), a riff comes by that calls to mind memories of Paranoid, perhaps even backed (again, as in the case of “Paper Dolls”) by the types of keyboards that wouldn’t sound out of place on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” or one of Radiohead’s more atmospheric works. “Seraphim,” on the other hand, is almost pure Radiohead, what with the tight drum beat and the very Hail to the Thiefesque keyboards, admittedly with bass instead of guitar, though that’s a small subtlety that doesn’t really shine through. That song looked more at the atmospheric end of Radiohead, however, and so we also have “Not to Be” and “Wasteoids,” which take their cues from heavier, crunchier Radiohead songs like “Myxamatosis.” I’ve admittedly not heard Queens of the Stone Age, so I can’t compare, but given the accuracy of the first three comparisons, I can only assume it holds true for the fourth. In this sense, they don’t quite succeed at their goal of not sounding retro. They sound different, for sure, but much of what they do finds very strong roots in older, established sounds.
But, as I said, they do sound different. The vocalist gives the music a very drugged-out atmosphere, taking a cue or two from stoner rock. Just give “Wormwood Raindrops” a listen. Or just listen to any random song, and you’ll hear something different. That’s the key success of this album. It manages to reference a lot of well-known and well-liked bands and musical styles, then combines them in interesting manners to create compact, concise songs that simply work well together. Indeed, despite the variety of influences present on the album, it sounds like a remarkably cohesive whole. The quality is almost unchanging throughout (though I will note that the last two songs are significantly weaker than the rest), making for a remarkably even listen. Nothing really stands out (though I do have an affinity for “Wormwood Raindrops” and “Seraphim”), but nothing lets down either (until the end), meaning that I can listen all the way through without ever finding myself bored. That is itself quite an accomplishment.
Thus, even though Imogene haven’t quite conquered the retro aspects of their sound, they have managed to create an excellent CD that stands up well on its own but also leaves plenty of room for improvement. I fully expect that these guys will achieve even greater heights in the future. In the meantime, however, I think I’ll just through on Imogene again.
And again.
Showing posts with label Year 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Year 2006. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Martini Henry - End of the Beginning (2006)
Rating: 7.4
Martini Henry’s latest (and first, I believe) release, End of the Beginning, is an example of an album where the band does everything right. While they base themselves around a fairly standard alternative rock sound, they are able to take it further than any other band I know. Swirling effects, acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, and a tight rhythm section all come together to create a stunning product that is worthy of many listens. This album ranks as one of the very best ProgressiveEars has sent me to review, along with Quodia’s The Arrow and Sgt. Sunshine’s Black Hole. It’s not perfect, but it’s about as good as I’ve seen this style of music done.
Truth be told, I wasn’t too enthused when I read exactly what style of music this band played, especially since they are a power trio (a fine combo of instruments when utilized properly, but one that is far too often used to produce bland music). Once I popped the CD into the player, however, all of my doubts vanished. The music, while not particularly groundbreaking, simply sounds really good. The songs are catchy, perfectly blending standard alternative rock with progressive tendencies (such as shifting time signatures, I believe), creating an uplifting album that always brings a smile to my face.
Even as I say that this is a brilliant album, however, I also point out that the music is fairly standard. How do these two reconcile? Easy: the vocals. It’s not often that a band is graced with such a gifted vocalist as Martini Henry. Not only does Matt Groboski (who also plays guitar) have a beautiful voice, he really knows how to use it. His vocals are dynamic and passionate, pouring emotion into every syllable. They are warm and uplifting, able to take a catchy song that is merely good and turn it into something great. The lyrics that he sings aren’t anything special, but they’re leagues above most of the lyrics out there, which is a relief. Too often I hear a band with a lot of promise whose music is absolutely ruined by the appalling lyrics. Not so here. In part, the lyrics themselves are decent, but there’s also the fact that Groboski makes everything sound better when he sings.
Now that I’ve devoted an entire paragraph to Groboski, perhaps I also ought to mention Garrett Henritz (drums) and Ken Moore (bass), who comprise the awesome rhythm section that backs up Groboski’s wonderful acoustic guitar. I’ll give a particular nod to Henritz, who doesn’t fall into the trap of playing standard, repetitive beats that has really only been used well by the Krautrock greats such as CAN and NEU! (and even CAN weren’t that standard). Instead, Henritz plays varied beats that mesh well with each other while still holding my interest. The result is that the wonderful guitar and bass work is accentuated with an energy that helps (along with the vocals) to lift the music.
So, I really must ask, what are you waiting for? Go get this cd right away. Not sure you want to spend money on it? As far as I can tell, it’s available for free from their website (www.martini-henry.com). For a band named after a type of rifle, Martini Henry show that violence does not always help music, taking reasonably gentle music and making it engaging. The only significant problem with this cd is that “Airaid” noodles for about six minutes before it becomes the awesome instrumental of the last ten minutes. Other than that, End of the Beginning shows an awesome band creating awesome music. There are some similarities to Porcupine Tree (minus the heaviness), except that whereas Porcupine Tree is a grim, almost morbid band, Martini Henry are uplifting. On their website, the band have said, “With the release of “End of the Beginning,” the group feels confident that they have produced a quality product worthy of representing the band after the show is over.” I must say, I agree. Recommended.
Martini Henry’s latest (and first, I believe) release, End of the Beginning, is an example of an album where the band does everything right. While they base themselves around a fairly standard alternative rock sound, they are able to take it further than any other band I know. Swirling effects, acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, and a tight rhythm section all come together to create a stunning product that is worthy of many listens. This album ranks as one of the very best ProgressiveEars has sent me to review, along with Quodia’s The Arrow and Sgt. Sunshine’s Black Hole. It’s not perfect, but it’s about as good as I’ve seen this style of music done.
Truth be told, I wasn’t too enthused when I read exactly what style of music this band played, especially since they are a power trio (a fine combo of instruments when utilized properly, but one that is far too often used to produce bland music). Once I popped the CD into the player, however, all of my doubts vanished. The music, while not particularly groundbreaking, simply sounds really good. The songs are catchy, perfectly blending standard alternative rock with progressive tendencies (such as shifting time signatures, I believe), creating an uplifting album that always brings a smile to my face.
Even as I say that this is a brilliant album, however, I also point out that the music is fairly standard. How do these two reconcile? Easy: the vocals. It’s not often that a band is graced with such a gifted vocalist as Martini Henry. Not only does Matt Groboski (who also plays guitar) have a beautiful voice, he really knows how to use it. His vocals are dynamic and passionate, pouring emotion into every syllable. They are warm and uplifting, able to take a catchy song that is merely good and turn it into something great. The lyrics that he sings aren’t anything special, but they’re leagues above most of the lyrics out there, which is a relief. Too often I hear a band with a lot of promise whose music is absolutely ruined by the appalling lyrics. Not so here. In part, the lyrics themselves are decent, but there’s also the fact that Groboski makes everything sound better when he sings.
Now that I’ve devoted an entire paragraph to Groboski, perhaps I also ought to mention Garrett Henritz (drums) and Ken Moore (bass), who comprise the awesome rhythm section that backs up Groboski’s wonderful acoustic guitar. I’ll give a particular nod to Henritz, who doesn’t fall into the trap of playing standard, repetitive beats that has really only been used well by the Krautrock greats such as CAN and NEU! (and even CAN weren’t that standard). Instead, Henritz plays varied beats that mesh well with each other while still holding my interest. The result is that the wonderful guitar and bass work is accentuated with an energy that helps (along with the vocals) to lift the music.
So, I really must ask, what are you waiting for? Go get this cd right away. Not sure you want to spend money on it? As far as I can tell, it’s available for free from their website (www.martini-henry.com). For a band named after a type of rifle, Martini Henry show that violence does not always help music, taking reasonably gentle music and making it engaging. The only significant problem with this cd is that “Airaid” noodles for about six minutes before it becomes the awesome instrumental of the last ten minutes. Other than that, End of the Beginning shows an awesome band creating awesome music. There are some similarities to Porcupine Tree (minus the heaviness), except that whereas Porcupine Tree is a grim, almost morbid band, Martini Henry are uplifting. On their website, the band have said, “With the release of “End of the Beginning,” the group feels confident that they have produced a quality product worthy of representing the band after the show is over.” I must say, I agree. Recommended.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
La STPO - Tranches De Temps Jete (2006)
I think I'll start with one of my favorite CDs, a masterpiece of an album released just last year. The CD is Tranches De Temps Jete (Slices of Thrown Time) by La Societe Des Timides A La Parade Des Oiseaux (The Shy Society at the Bird Parade).
It can be ordered from www.blrrecords.com.
Comments are always appreciated.
REVIEW:
Rating: 9.6
Imagine that you have this band. Their music roughly consists of the staccato starts and stops of Etron Fou Leloublan (with a similarly awesome rhythm section and also similarly dynamic vocals). On top of this fertile background are post-punk explosions that would leave This Heat in awe. Interspersed into this volatile mix are post-rock (ish) sections a la Kayo Dot. Then, just for extra color, throw in the Dadaist ideals of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, but make them reflect in the music more. There you have a rough approximation of what La Societe Des Timides A La Parade Des Oiseaux (The Shy Society at the Bird Parade) sounds like on their 2006 masterpiece Tranches De Temps Jete (Slices of Thrown Time).
But that really doesn’t tell you much about them. With a band as original as La STPO, such comparisons are utterly useless. You’d be better off discarding everything I (and everyone else) has said and will say, and just hear this for yourself. If my words can’t convince you, their music surely will. Starting with a strange English monologue over a pleasant melody, La STPO create the illusion of calm on the opening track, “I Cuento Blumen.” Don’t be fooled, however. Not all is right at the bird parade, for “my home is dry; I want it wet.” And then we’re off on one of the aforementioned explosions, and from here there’s no looking back as we rocket through the magical world La STPO have created on this album. In this one song alone, I recognize English, French, German, and Spanish. Whatever parts of the album you can’t understand due to the language barrier, however, shine through in the music itself, because, as we know, music is the universal language. And this is a universal album.
Merely captivating me with the opening does not satisfy these guys, however. They still have five more songs full of awesome power and mystique left in which to display their wide array of influences and new ideas. And so we have the highly percussive “Cet à-Mort Vibre L’Air,” which, like its predecessor, provides a brief illusion of beauty before ascending into the madness that so defines La STPO’s existence. There are hints and snatches of familiar melodies here, but none last long enough to allow you a sense of comfort. It is La STPO’s goal with this album, or so I can only assume, to keep you on your toes for fifty plus minutes, never allowing you to guess what comes next, not even after you’ve heard it a hundred times. They achieve this by almost constantly changing tack, developing themes long enough to give the pieces a sense of coherence, but not long enough to allow for any sense of comfort whatsoever. Many bands try this and fail. La STPO try and succeed.
The rest of the album is both similar and vastly different. In its approach to music, the remainder of Tranches De Temps Jete is nearly exactly the same as on the first two songs. It terms of quality, again, the last four songs are the same as the first two (nearly perfect, that is). When it comes to what is actually being played, however, every song is world’s apart from its counterparts. “Jeune Fille Devant Le Miroir” explores the realms of avant-garde jazz similar to but distinct from early Henry Cow (LegEnd and Unrest) as combined with guitar riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place with some of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s less heavy work (the song “Formicary” from In Glorious Times comes to mind in particular, though “Jeune Fille” is far more effective overall). The catchy and the dissonant combine perfectly in this song, creating one of the greatest and most concise musical statements I’ve heard. Percussion is, again, heard in full force, calling to mind Charles Hayward and Pip Pyle in their more “tinkly” moments, but seemingly outdoing both (that’s quite an accomplishment, mind you; those are two of the greatest drummers of all rock/jazz music).
The rest of the album is no less exhilarating than these three songs, combining all the elements I’ve mentioned and more into one fantastic blend. On the whole, Tranches De Temps Jete is a fun and quirky masterpiece that manages to combine humor with fantastic musicianship, a host of formidable influences, and, most importantly of all, a seemingly endless well of innovation. Anyone who believes that modern music is dead needs to hear this album; it has more life than most of the bands of the 1970s combined. Of course, those who understand and appreciate the high level of innovation and intelligence present in modern music also need to hear this album, since it is among the very best of them all. It may be called Slices of Thrown Time, but I guarantee that no time spent listening to this album will be in any way “thrown away.”
It can be ordered from www.blrrecords.com.
Comments are always appreciated.
REVIEW:
Rating: 9.6
Imagine that you have this band. Their music roughly consists of the staccato starts and stops of Etron Fou Leloublan (with a similarly awesome rhythm section and also similarly dynamic vocals). On top of this fertile background are post-punk explosions that would leave This Heat in awe. Interspersed into this volatile mix are post-rock (ish) sections a la Kayo Dot. Then, just for extra color, throw in the Dadaist ideals of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, but make them reflect in the music more. There you have a rough approximation of what La Societe Des Timides A La Parade Des Oiseaux (The Shy Society at the Bird Parade) sounds like on their 2006 masterpiece Tranches De Temps Jete (Slices of Thrown Time).
But that really doesn’t tell you much about them. With a band as original as La STPO, such comparisons are utterly useless. You’d be better off discarding everything I (and everyone else) has said and will say, and just hear this for yourself. If my words can’t convince you, their music surely will. Starting with a strange English monologue over a pleasant melody, La STPO create the illusion of calm on the opening track, “I Cuento Blumen.” Don’t be fooled, however. Not all is right at the bird parade, for “my home is dry; I want it wet.” And then we’re off on one of the aforementioned explosions, and from here there’s no looking back as we rocket through the magical world La STPO have created on this album. In this one song alone, I recognize English, French, German, and Spanish. Whatever parts of the album you can’t understand due to the language barrier, however, shine through in the music itself, because, as we know, music is the universal language. And this is a universal album.
Merely captivating me with the opening does not satisfy these guys, however. They still have five more songs full of awesome power and mystique left in which to display their wide array of influences and new ideas. And so we have the highly percussive “Cet à-Mort Vibre L’Air,” which, like its predecessor, provides a brief illusion of beauty before ascending into the madness that so defines La STPO’s existence. There are hints and snatches of familiar melodies here, but none last long enough to allow you a sense of comfort. It is La STPO’s goal with this album, or so I can only assume, to keep you on your toes for fifty plus minutes, never allowing you to guess what comes next, not even after you’ve heard it a hundred times. They achieve this by almost constantly changing tack, developing themes long enough to give the pieces a sense of coherence, but not long enough to allow for any sense of comfort whatsoever. Many bands try this and fail. La STPO try and succeed.
The rest of the album is both similar and vastly different. In its approach to music, the remainder of Tranches De Temps Jete is nearly exactly the same as on the first two songs. It terms of quality, again, the last four songs are the same as the first two (nearly perfect, that is). When it comes to what is actually being played, however, every song is world’s apart from its counterparts. “Jeune Fille Devant Le Miroir” explores the realms of avant-garde jazz similar to but distinct from early Henry Cow (LegEnd and Unrest) as combined with guitar riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place with some of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s less heavy work (the song “Formicary” from In Glorious Times comes to mind in particular, though “Jeune Fille” is far more effective overall). The catchy and the dissonant combine perfectly in this song, creating one of the greatest and most concise musical statements I’ve heard. Percussion is, again, heard in full force, calling to mind Charles Hayward and Pip Pyle in their more “tinkly” moments, but seemingly outdoing both (that’s quite an accomplishment, mind you; those are two of the greatest drummers of all rock/jazz music).
The rest of the album is no less exhilarating than these three songs, combining all the elements I’ve mentioned and more into one fantastic blend. On the whole, Tranches De Temps Jete is a fun and quirky masterpiece that manages to combine humor with fantastic musicianship, a host of formidable influences, and, most importantly of all, a seemingly endless well of innovation. Anyone who believes that modern music is dead needs to hear this album; it has more life than most of the bands of the 1970s combined. Of course, those who understand and appreciate the high level of innovation and intelligence present in modern music also need to hear this album, since it is among the very best of them all. It may be called Slices of Thrown Time, but I guarantee that no time spent listening to this album will be in any way “thrown away.”
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