Metropolitan
"The Lines They Get Broken" (Crank Automotive) Sounds like: D.C. punk going lo-fi.
B+
What is it about pure pop songs lathered with heavy distortion and outdated microphones that make them appeal to college kids more than the same tune recorded with a piano and acoustic guitar? Whether it's finding beauty and warmth in fundamentally cold sounds or the hint of elitism knowing most people would instantly dismiss it, the trend made famous by lo-fi heroes such as Guided By Voices, Pavement and Archers of Loaf doesn't seem to be fading any time soon. Metropolitan's third full length, "The Lines They Get Broken," however, proves that may not be such a bad thing.
The Washington, D.C. trio has thrown themselves full force behind their pop hooks and "The Lines They Get Broken" plays with an almost adolescent energy. It's less abrasive than some of D.C.'s other well known names, like Fugazi and the Dismemberment Plan, but their influence makes itself clear immediately. John Masters, lead singer and guitar player, has a knack for simple vocal hooks, happily yelping over the fuzz.
When not opting for unnecessary and ultimately boring sonic feedback experiments, songs build nicely on fun chord progressions without feeling dumbed-down. The clear standout is "Letterbox," a bouncy lo-fi equivalent of Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" (admit it, you still love this song). All tracks, however, have their own specific charms, including the phenomenally catchy closer, "Made the Cut."
- DAN POTOCKI
Full White Drag
"Everything Will Fall on One Night" (Inter-flight) Sounds like: '80s punk meets emo
C+
At first, listening to Full White Drag's "Everything Will Fall on One Night," the tracks sound like they will be really emo, but once the vocals come in, they sound like punk. The guitars kick in every once in a while with an electronic feel to them, adding yet another contradicting element to the band's sound.
Nearly all of the songs are slower and focus on technical instrumentals. You could call it laid back music, but the vocals and guitars are too harsh at times to classify them as such. The singer's voice sounds exactly like the guy from Rancid and it doesn't exactly match the instrumentals. It is a very interesting concept to mix the two styles (early punk with emo), let alone trying to add in some electronic elements. The mix is tough to pull off and Full White Drag does their best to do it, but it falls just a little short.
- ALICIA KRAWITZ
50 Cent
"The Massacre" (Shady Records/Aftermath) Sounds like: complicated hardcore lyrics with great sounds
B
50 Cent (real name Curtis Johnson) really hits the ground with guns blazing with the release of "The Massacre." These songs have a very distinct sound, lyrics that are very confusing and very much about the streets. The album features talent like Tony Kayo, Young Buck and even Eminen, a plus for fans.
Eminem joins 50 Cent in the song "Gatman and Robin," a hip-hop remix of the classic '60s show, "Batman." It is a very interesting song.
"Candy Shop" is a song that has seduction written all over it, although in a hardcore rap sort of way. Jamie Foxx, best known for his Oscar-winning performance in "Ray," also joins the artist in the song "Build You Up," which is one of the albums softer songs. This is a perfect chance to hear more of the actor's singing voice.
"The Massacre" is the perfect addition to the collection of any hardcore rap fan, yet the abrasive songs can be frustrating after a while, and you may want to switch to Celine Dion or country music, or anything with quieter lyrics and sounds. Otherwise, this album is quintessential hardcore. You need a tough skin to get through all its songs and to appreciate it fully.
-JASON ALREDGE
Danny Howells
"Global Underground #027-Miami" (Global Underground) Sounds like: a softer, lighter version of Darude.
B
On this two-disc mix set, scheduled for release in late March, the DJ from Sussex, U.K. mixes disco, house and trance into one album.
Howells plans to go on tour throughout the United States starting later this month, and will appear in D.C. at FUR on April 16.
This album tends to have more of a "soft" trance feel, but the underlying beats are obviously influenced by disco, as Howells himself admits he is influenced by old-school funk, Miles Davis, the Rolling Stones and James Brown.
The CD set provides a collection of songs that would be ideal background music for listening at a restaurant or lounge-type bar.
Dancing to the music would be all right, but the frequent club attendee would probably prefer something slightly faster and upbeat. Few of the songs have vocal tracks or words, which could enhance the music provided that the right lyrics are set to the tune.
The order of songs is stunning. Every song builds off the beat of the previous one. Sometimes, the transitions are so smooth it is hard to recognize when the music switches from one piece to another. The first song, "Thermal," by Subway, is a light-sounding piece that mimics spring rain. As the songs progress, the music becomes slightly more intense and hardcore, and sound effects are added. There is one scary piece on the eighth track of the first CD, entitled "Mission TF017," where a voice saying "Praise God!" and other religious phrases is laid over techno beats. Besides that disconcerting piece, which could alienate listeners who feel that music and religion should be kept about as far apart as church and state, the other tracks are smooth and mellow. Overall, Howells knows how to spin the turntables, and deserves credit for this mix set.
-JOHN RILEY
John Doe/
"Forever Hasn't Happened Yet" (Yep Roc) Sounds like: a unique, but bland, combination of blues, '80s punk and American folk
B-
Track one: take a more articulate Bob Dylan and give him a blues sound similar to Muddy Waters. Track two: take the same airy Dylan vocals but add a less raw, White Stripes bass line. Mix in a guest artist. Repeat for 30 minutes. Wake up.
Former lead vocalist for the 80s punk band X, John Doe continues his solo work with his latest "blues" album, "Forever Hasn't Happened Yet." Doe collaborates on nearly every track with guest artists ranging from Americana godfather Dave Alvin (featured on a few tracks) to Doe's 16-year-old daughter (featured on "Mamma Don't").
While the guests add their own unique talents and sounds, the one thing preventing Doe's tracks from running together is the alternation of blues and punk. Yet, the interplay of a fair number of instruments (acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar and harmonica) proves engaging and entertaining. While Doe can still play like it is 1981, he lacks the vocal energy necessary to make his lyrics worth listening to.
"Forever Hasn't Happened Yet" is a solid pick for a quick car ride, but only at a fair price. For those who want to hear more of John Doe, keep your eyes peeled, as he is playing in Maryland April 1-3.
- JEREMY KNOBEL
New Roman Times
"International Affairs" (Social) Sounds like: mediocre pop music
C
Orlando, Fla., home to Walt Disney World and Epcot Center, is where New Roman Times got its start in the local indie scene, opening for bands like Death Cab for Cutie, VHS Or Beta, and Rainer Maria.
"International Affairs," their first album, sounds like an average new band with nothing that really sets them apart from others. Josie Fluri does a mediocre job as a vocalist, with the exception of "A Scene from the Disco Era," the only song on which she sings lead. Otherwise she plays backup to lead vocalist Dan Owens, who is just as mediocre as Fluri. The guitars and drums by Ryan Seagrist and Shane Brown, respectively, do a good job in giving the songs a beat to enjoy, but fall short a little too often. The titles of some of the songs are just as uninteresting since they don't seem to have anything to do with their songs' words (for example, "French Prison Haircut" and "Dis-Viscount"). The one song out of the whole album that has the title included in the lyrics is "Consequences."
"International Affairs" also marks Social Recordings' debut release, but judging from the album, it's not off to an amazing start.
- J.A.
Lemon Jelly
"'64-'95" (XL) Sounds Like: slightly harder, looped and danceable Air
A-
Attention, heavy pot-smokers whose music catalogue begin and end with Air: someone made a perfect gateway album into that often misunderstood and under appreciated genre. Lemon Jelly's third LP, "'64-'95," sees the electronic duo shift away from their ultra-laidback lounge experiments to more concisely layered tracks with a bit more testosterone thrown in for variety.
"'64-'95" refers to the span of years from which songs take their samples, with tracks titled after the specific year used and subtitled in most cases with each song's short vocal sample. Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen, DJ and producer respectively, create a surprisingly varied collection of lush, building soundscapes without burying their immediately grabbing beats.
While the diversity in the sound is nice, the subtle, mellow "'68" (also known as "Only Time"), combining yawning vocal loops and organic acoustic guitar, stands slightly above several other impressive tracks. The skeletal clank of "'76" ("Stay with You") should coerce at least some movement into your hips and the explosive William Shatner-sampled "'64" ("Go") closes the album nicely.
The only glaringly poor moments come in the ironically titled "'68" ("Don't Stop Me Now"), with a repetitive and overused clap beat that should have the listener skipping to more interesting options.
-D.P.
Loquat
"It's Yours to Keep" (Jackpine Social Club) Sounds like: Modest Mouse meets The Cranberries
B+
Loquat has so much California Bay area hospitality, they even provide instructions on how to approach their debut full-length album within the lyrics of third track: "Slow, fast, wait and see / wait and see, wait and see / You can connect at your own velocity/ That way you'll have a happier ending." To experience the album, titled "It's Yours To Keep," imagine yourself driving on the California freeway, and let the tech-pop from Kylee Swenson and her boys embrace you.
Swenson leads the group on vocals and guitar, and her robotic yet compellingly soothing voice might be familiar to WB obsess-ees, as the song "Swingset Chain" was featured on an episode of the show "One Tree Hill." Don't be fooled though--this isn't peppy poppy TRL music, though it is stylized wonderfully with Anthony Gordon on bass and bass synthesizer and Ryan Manley on keyboards.
The album's opener, "Take It Back," includes some smooth guitar chords from Earl Otsuka, and Christopher Lautz keeps steady on every track as the band's drummer and backup vocalist. "To The Floor," expresses the numbing, thought-consuming dilemmas going on in Earl and Kylee's heads, and perhaps the heads of listeners. Think this album will consume your thoughts? Take this slick synth-styled album at your own speed, and "wait and see." Then wait and see Kylee Swenson and Isaac Brock (of Modest Mouse) get together and argue over whose album will get more play in your local American Eagle store.
-KAYLA CARTWRIGHT
Apes
"Babas Mountain" (Birdman) Sounds Like: Blue Cheer in a jam session with DJ Krush after their bus breaks down.
B+
There's something earthy about Apes that gives them the edge over many of the quasi-garage bands on the independent scene. Amanda Kleinman's amazing organ work supplants any need for an electric guitar, giving the band's dual bassists more unique phrasing to work under. As a result, Apes operate more freely and looser than many bands who have been trying to merge bass and drum music with blues based rock, adding entire walls of sound to each track.
There's a lot of post-production work on "Babas Mountain," fusing turntable work, organic sound sampling and old school Doors-like garage rock into a cauldron of psychedelic goodness. Lead singer Paul Weil shouldn't be entirely short-changed, though. He keeps the Apes lyrics honest while not trying to upstage the band's strengths, choosing to flow with the music instead of overwhelming it. However, Klein and Jeff Schmid's basses clearly set the pace, as demonstrated on the surprisingly melancholy "Nighttime and Ornaments," and the hard driving improvisation on "The Minds of Mortis."
"Babas Mountain" is the third album by Apes, and shows maturity about the band's direction and unique voice. While many still see this D.C.-based band's records as complements for their fantastic live shows, there's a lot to be found on Apes' recorded work that cannot be duplicated. Listening to only one random track of "Babas Mountain" will tell you that much.
- NEAL FERSKO
