Milk Music goes where the wandering guitar solo goes. Every song is an adventure. Sometime it stumbles to an awkward halt. Sometimes it explores odd corners of the mind and gets stuck. That’s my favorite outcome.

Cruise Your Illusion (man, I don’t think Axl ever thought that title had such satiric legs) often goes nowhere, and fails to gel. Singing is wrought. Sometimes overly so. And much like Magnum’s little voice, I know what you’re thinking: that doesn’t sound like a good review!

But I like Cruise Your Illusion. I find myself turning over guitar noodles in my mind at odd times during the day. Reminds me a bit of Thinking Feller’s Union 242. Don’t worry if you don’t know who that is. I barely do.

No, Nothing, My Shelter is the song where everything gels and is a great single. And I want to know Lacey’s Secret. It seems like Fat Possum is obsessed with crusty old indie acts, and really, really young bands. Hoping for another Wavves, I’m sure. Which always leaves me wondering what will happen on the next album.

Check’em out!!

Oh, Bob Mould. Where to start?

At the beginning: I really didn’t want to buy this album. You see, I’ve made the mistake of reading interviews of Bob. The guy has a talent of saying the exact wrong words. I think he was born with a parasitic foot in his mouth. If you like his music, don’t listen to what he has to say. And thank me later.

But, I justified it by wanting to kick Jon Wurster some support. Jon is his current drummer, also of Superchunk, and The Best Show on WFMU. In the end, everybody wins.

This album comes out swinging with the hanging power chords that carved a path through the late 80’s, and they’re gunning for the kids of today. Bitter? Oh yeah. Don’t hate Bob’s game.

But the pace doesn’t stop, and there’s lots of catchy parts to like in Silver Age. I like it because it’s a relentless sound train that drowns out all outside stimuli when using earphones. You know, for the bus!

My resident expert on Bob is Art, who wasn’t so hot on this new one. For him, every song is a clone of an older song. Which may be the case. I like Husker Du, I kinda like Sugar. I don’t love them. So I really only have Zen Arcade, and Copper Blue. It’s all I need. I wouldn’t know if these building blocks have been used before ad nausium. Ignorance is bliss. Or at least an excuse to jam out an album.

I don’t think this will make the top 10 this year. But, you never can tell.

Check it out!!

It always gives me a happy fuzzy when I get a CD from CDBaby, and on first listen, I know I’m going to review it. It makes up for listening to women berate their children on the bus. Because that’s the other thing I had going on this morning.

So, the Ribeye Brothers… they’re not completely hurting for exposure, and are not fresh faced hopefuls. They’ve got a band of veteran musicians kicking around New Jersey, and sport a member or two from Monster Magnet. Is good stuff. Stuff deserving of a a wider distro than CD baby.

Their bio claims they do a little of this and that, but I’d call it straight up rock. Yes, there are nods to garage and psychedelia. But I think we’re far enough along the rock spectrum to agree that a backwards guitar track doesn’t necessarily expand the mind. It just sounds good. When done well. Like the Brothers do it.

I wouldn’t lump them in with the revivalists, because they have their own sound and voice, and I love, love, love the opener and closer. And there are lots of high points in-between. The songs I like least are a bit too rock, and are missing some catch, but never bad. And rock might be your thing.

And that’s just, like, my opinion man! Check ’em out!!

I like music. I have a band. I’m gonna tell you all about it. 

 What I look for in rock: guitars, melody, guitars, energy, guitars, and guitars.

The Men are chameleons. And I mean that in the nicest way.

Why to I start with such a lukewarmly divisive statement? Because their new album New Moon continues in their grand tradition of channeling other artists. A bit of Young and The Band this time around. All chopped up and tossed with their own brand of sonic vinaigrette.

It’s the job of every band, young and old, to eat the dead. Especially young, vibrant bands. In fact, just this week I described Parquet Courts to my buddy Art thusly: “Their first song has an entirely Timbuk3 vibe. Seriously. These kids today know not what they do*.”

Sitting down to learn the entire cannon of underground music before writing a single note is not the way to prolific songwriting. Besides, the Ramones took the only three chords worth caring about ages ago.

So on to the generically titled The Men/New Moon. Still a few oasis of sonic assaults, but somebody cranked up the country rock knob in places. With both positive and negative results. There are no train wrecks (always appreciated).

In the end, The Men sound like they’re riding a wave of enthusiasm, buoyed by moderate success and novelty. This feeds their infectious energy. So what if their songs are a bit slight, or may have been heard somewhere before? I don’t care. I like this album.

*Or maybe they do?

Check’em out!!

I like music. I have a band. I’m gonna tell you all about it. 

 What I look for in rock: guitars, melody, guitars, energy, guitars, and guitars.

Now, this is what I’m talking!

Songs. Obtuse, clever lyrics exploring the absurdity of minutiae. Melody plus guitar. These all make Ian happy.

Why can’t Ian be happy more often?

Check ’em out!!

I like music. I have a band. I’m gonna tell you all about it. 

 What I look for in rock: guitars, melody, guitars, energy, guitars, and guitars.

Let me tell you about one of the many ways you know you’re old.

When fresh, young bands start revivals of scenes you saw the first time around.

So, lots of stuff coming out of Australia on the rock front these days. I assumed from the label involved, that Woolen Kits were from Melbourne. And while I listened, I was amazed they weren’t from New Zealand.

Anyway, I knew they were from New Zealand (even though they aren’t) from their jangly, gangly, clean lo-fi pop. The stuff that seems to grow so well in the verdant land of mountains and hobbit folk. Reminds me of the (underground) explosion of the Dunedin Sound, Flying Nun Records, all the stuff you should probably know about.

Four Girls is charmingly shambolic, and probably shouldn’t work as good as it does. A couple really good ear worms, and mind worms stick with me for hours after a listen. I often contemplate how if I look good, I feel good, and if I feel good, I get shit done.

I’m thinking that a few more practices, and a few more songs, and they’ll put out a solid album that isn’t nearly as charming as this. But, I’m often wrong. Don’t listen to me. Listen to Four Girls! And come to your own wrong conclusion!

Check it out!!

I like music. I have a band. I’m gonna tell you all about it. 

 What I look for in rock: guitars, melody, guitars, energy, guitars, and guitars.

Today’s review starts with two thoughts: My Bloody Valentine and Treepeople. Let me see if I can merge them for you.

I asked Rich at practice yesterday if he had picked up the new My Bloody Valentine album, 22 years in the making. He previewed it, and passed. It’s good. But he’s not the same record buyer he was 22 years ago. So the album is probably 18 years too late.

I bought the new Karl Hendricks Trio after hearing a track on the freeform station to the nation, WFMU. Didn’t even know the track title, but I was humming the chorus to The Adult Section while doing dishes. This convinced me that I had to buy it.

And it reminded me of something. And that something was Treepeople. Treepeople hail from MBV times.

Following so far?

So, that means that I’m listening to the same stuff I was 22 years ago, right? I have not evolved one iota. Unlike Rich.

Wrong.

Look, you can’t play a player. The Adult Section drips with the bitter aftertaste of someone who has been playing in a band for 22 years, and not a guy coasting on a ancient breakthrough album. I’m not familiar with Karl, or his past band history. But his music says he had a band in the 90’s. But he’s making music for today. Unlike, apparently, Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine.

The title track is a great pop song, and there’s some fine, meandering guitar all over the place. I’m not so into the bitter stuff, but that’s just a personal thing. I’m bitter enough, and I’d like to not be.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the scenic route!

Okay, now I’m off to Wikipedia to see if I got Karl pegged correctly!

Check ’em out!!

I like music. I have a band. I’m gonna tell you all about it. 

 What I look for in rock: guitars, melody, guitars, energy, guitars, and guitars.

The illustrious Tom Scharpling, he of The Best Show on WFMU, introduced the new Yo La Tengo with a warning: don’t take things for granted, because they won’t be around forever. I think that’s a fine sentiment to attribute to Fade.

For a band that’s been around for 25 years, I don’t have much of their output. Their particular brand of low energy rock has been toned to a very fine edge on Fade. The post-rock kids vaulted YLT to fame, but I never though they really belonged in the category. As I’m not much of a fan of post rock. Ira is always quick to bust out the most tasteful, blistering rock solo in the middle of a wandering song. Keeping the course. Plus, you get some songs where you get to pretend that Mo Tucker didn’t turn out all tea party crazy, and still writes fine pop numbers.

Timing. After all these years, Yo La Tengo knows how to keep a song languid, but not boring. Meditative, but not tiresome. It’s perfect for the winter blues. I know, I’ve been self medicating with Fade.

Check ’em out!

Tagline!: The high-highs far out way the lows.
I’m not going to bore you with another review (as you can read the original), but I will say this: there are some great songs here, and some not so great. Other albums were much more consistent, but Researching the Blues, despite it’s dumb name and low parts, hit lots out of the park. Maybe you can’t achieve greatness if you play it safe?

Tagline!; Hyper caffeinated pop songs with well thought out lyrics.
How many albums manage to get out two or three good songs before reaching into the filler barrel? Answer – many. Not this album. Released on a label much more known for music of the electrical bent, there’s a lot of honest rock here. Did I just called electronic bleep bloop music dishonest? Don’t tell anyone!

Tagline: The funnest album of the year, minus some dumb lyrics.
Yeah, you’ve heard some of these riffs before. Maybe even in a Rick Springfield song. What’s that, you’re way too young to know who Rick Springfield is? Well, rock away, then!

Tagline: The energy is infectious.
This album never lets up. It’s always great to hear such joy in hammering on instruments. Which is always kinda funny with such clean guitar tones.

Tagline: A solid long player I kept returning to.
I found faults, but I played this album all the time. That says quite a bit.

#6 Mind Spiders — Meltdown

Tagline: Another solid album that keeps it’s eye on the prize.
All the songs hum along and kept this album in constant rotation.

Tagline. Takes some risks, takes some stumbles, and puts out some fine songs.
Texas rock-y. Expansive, detached songs about feelings are the rage these days. Give me The Golden Boys.

#8 Mount Carmel — Real Women

Tagline: Nostalgia worship done well.
Joe Walsh is still kicking, and writing crotchety songs about how using a cell phone sucks. If he’d quit playing with his ham radio, and hit the cocaine again with the James Gang, we might have something like this album.

Top Songs:

1. Red Kross – Choose to Play
2. Red Dons – Auslander
3. Pujol – Black Rabbit
4. Golden Boys – California
5. Superchunk – This Summer
6. Torche – Letting Go

Amazing Artists I Discovered This Year that Didn’t Happen to Put Out an Album This Year. And EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE I discovered right after they played in Portland.

• Reigning Sound
• Wussy
• M.O.T.O.

Bands that missed the deadline, but could have been contenders:

• Woolen Kits – Four Girls
• Call of the Wild – Leave Your Leather On