deathray “deathray” Capricorn
Records
Sometimes music just doesn’t match its makers. Cinderella
didn’t sing fairy tales. R.E.M. doesn’t put you to
sleep. Barry “isn’t” White, Clint
“isn’t” Black and Al is hardly Green. See where
this is going? Greg Brown and Victor Damiani, formerly of Cake
fame, confirm this by cooking up a new sound in their recent
brainchild, deathray. Now don’t let the name send you running
out to stockpile fishnet stockings and black lipstick. With cheeky,
upbeat pop tunes, deathray is more Backstreet Boys than Nine Inch
Nails. To some this may be a bad thing. Luckily deathray takes a
potentially cheesy, manufactured boy band sound and infuses twangy
guitar and electric synthesizer to produce a few solid, well
written songs. The self titled album doesn’t have any
breakthrough hits like “Going the Distance” or campy
cover tunes like “I will Survive”, from Brown and
Damiani’s famed “Fashion Nugget.” What it does
have is a consistent groove that flows through each song, making it
very hard to not bob one’s head to. And with each song
averaging just under three minutes, it doesn’t take much of a
commitment to listen to the 13-song CD. The first few bars of
“My Lunatic Friends” plays like the opening theme to
“Beverly Hills, 90210.” It does get better though,
incorporating crunchy guitar and trippy harmonization, thus
eradicating its shoddy beginning. The second track, “Only
Lies,” sounds like a bad Beatles song. But even a bad Beatles
song is leaps and bounds better than any Top 40 song. So throw
caution to the wind and groove out to this catchy tune. In fact,
most of the songs have a bad Beatle-esque feel to them, which is
only reinforced by the inside flap of the album, suspiciously
similar to the cover of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely
Hearts Club Band.” “Check it Over” and
“Someone After You” sound like fluffers, only there to
fill space and cushion the albums three or four quality songs. Not
all hope is lost, however. “Now that I am Blind” makes
the whole album worth buying. Slower than the rest, it soars above
the other tracks. It’s the type of song you want stuck in
your head for hours after listening to it. It’s doubtful that
this album will supersede the success that Cake brought Brown and
Damiani, but it does possess certain qualities that could reserve
itself a space in even the toughest critic’s CD rotation.
Sarah Monson Rating: 7 Â
Saint Etienne “Sound of Water”
Subpop
True to the title, Saint Etienne’s latest album is a
subduing ensemble of electronic meets acoustic handicraft. Though
formed in the early ’90s, the trio has played the part of
spectators in a genre they helped create. Saint Etienne’s
atmospheric pop concoctions, rich with soothing keyboards and lithe
vocals, won them critical raves but album sales didn’t
reflect the high praises. You can hope that American radio will
pick up “Sound of Water,” but you might as well hold
your breath. Unfortunately, the sweet voiced, pure pop niche is
brimming over with the likes of the Cardigans, Air, and
Hooverphonic. Compared with Saint Etienne, these acts are
superstars who still have a hard time cracking the U.S. So what is
America missing out on? Just some really warming pop music created
from very unlikely sources. Melody-makers Bob Stanley and Pete Wigg
prefer the Moog Synthesizer to the Stratocaster and use the
synthesizer to create lush, natural sounds, right down to the
chirping of birds. Stanley and Wigg deftly marry piano, guitars and
strings to the blips and rattles of drum machines, sequencers and
synthesizers. The sound produced is eerily ersatz. Breathing life
into the melodies is Sarah Cracknell’s solid and deep voice.
She is to Stanley and Wigg what Beth Orton was to the Chemical
Brothers. “Sycamore” is a whimsical ode to playing in
tall grass and running through streams. Cracknell’s voice is
oh-so wispy and the piano helps flush out the feeling of actually
being in the country. Listening to the album is listening to all
the stress and trepidation in your body seep away. The music is
just too comforting and mellow to stay tense. For the few who dig
toned-down melodies Saint Etienne will leave you begging for more.
Trinh Bui Grade: 7 Â
Lee Rocker “Lee Rocker Live” J-Bird
Records
Pile your hair up high and slap that bass silly: Lee
Rocker’s back, yet again. In a live effort, the former Stray
Cats bassman returns in force. His post-Cats career has been well
reviewed, but has yet to gain him the same level of fame he
attained in the ’80s rockabilly revival trio. That’s a
shame, because he’s capable of turning out some good time
rockabilly tunes, just like his models Gene Vincent and Eddie
Cochran did long ago. He’s not exactly going really far out
on any musical limbs, but it’s still strong, well done music.
Juggling rockabilly, country and good ol’ Southern rock, the
bassist-singer does a good job of mixing it up, making the album an
interesting ride throughout. By jumping around, he avoids falling
into any ruts, while at the same time staying coherent and not
branching out too much. The Lynyrd Skynyrd-ish “Redneck
Mama” contrasts well with the genteel Western swing of Hank
Williams’ “Mind Your Own Business.” To support
him Rocker’s surrounded himself with some tough soloists.
Adrian DeMain and Brophy Dale both sound focused and slick on
guitar. They’re not going to help Rocker break out of the
shadow of his days with the Cats, since neither one can even come
close to Brian Setzer’s wizardry, but they certainly put on a
good show. Drummer Jimmy Sage is dependably steady, though his
drums are slightly under mic-ed when compared with the other
instruments. Rocker is also impressive in his own right, shining
both on bass and vocals. His slaphappy attack on
“That’s All Right” is intoxicating ““ a
tough feat on a standup bass. But hey, that’s the reason why
it’s his name on the album cover. Aside from the underdone
drums, the production of “Lee Rocker Live” is almost a
little too good, since it doesn’t quite capture the raw
energy of a live show ““ it comes across almost like a studio
compilation. Nonetheless, it remains a catchy, exciting album that
rockabilly devotees will welcome. Brent Hopkins Rating:
7