Author Archive for Nick

Review: Transylvania by Creature with the Atom Brain

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Nick
on April 29, 2009
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After two exceptional albums, I think its safe to say that Belgium’s Creature with the Atom Brain are one of the best rock bands out there right now. There are times when I’m tempted to go ahead and say they’re the best. This brainchild of Aldo Struyf (Millionaire, Mark Lanegan Band) is always completely fun to listen to, even though its frayed edges cast a moody, sometimes uneasy aura over the proceedings. Their first album, I Am the Golden Gate Bridge, lyrically and sonically, was the psychedelic embodiment of paranoid schizophrenia. They demonstrated a knack for immediate pop hooks and a willingness to subvert them with layers of menacing distortion and angular chords lying just underneath the surface. Those elements bubbled up more and more as the album drew on, overtaking the more accessible first half. Perfectly fitting for a band named after a Roky Erickson song, that was itself named after a B-horror movie.

The late-night creepiness of Transylvania, presents a madness that is under control, but still is felt lurking, ready to explode. The tone is often darkly psychedelic and sometimes sinister, but almost always maintains a fun spirit that will keep you moving as you listen. This isn’t overly somber, or cerebral. Its rock n’ roll that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that comes through to the listener. Opener “I Rise the Moon,” is immensely catchy with its sing-song quality and the psych-stomp of “The Color of Sundown” continues to pull you in with its 60s vibe. “Transylvania” is the centerpiece, enveloped in a dark groove that breaks into squalling guitars, synths, and processed vocals - reminiscent of Golden Gate. “Lonely Light” finds guest vocalist Mark Lanegan recalling his days in The Screaming Trees in the most light-hearted thing here. The broken, heavy psych-folk of “Spinnin’ the Black Hole” is wonderful. “Sound of Confusion” is a slinky rocker. “The Lonesome Whistle” ends the album with a walk into the ethereal night.

It amazes me that these guys don’t have distribution in the US. Transylvania is currently only available (physically- vinyl and CD) through Dutch label Munich Records. You can find both of their albums on Amazon and iTunes, however. I Am The Golden Gate Bridge might be a little better, but Transylvania is more cohesive and accessible, without sacrificing any of the qualities that make this band great. Highly recommended, and a candidate for my album of the year. Check out the videos for “Transylvania” and “Spinnin’ the Black Hole” below. The former is kinda cool, the latter is…well, its Struyf lip-syncing, staring into the camera. A little scary. But you can hear the song, at any rate.

Record Store Day!

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Nick
on April 18, 2009
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Remember when people still bought music? Or when you had to physically get up out of your chair to buy it? Call me old-fashioned, but I still like going to stores and browsing through the vinyl, and even CDs. I like having something tangible, instead of a bunch of 1s and 0s on my hard drive. Anyway, much of the time the music you download has been ripped at an unlistenable bitrate. Please people, just say no to anything less than 320kbps. Of course, downloading is a great way to find music without blowing a ton of cash, but when you find something awesome, support the people who made it.

And that brings me back to my subject. Today is Record Store Day! So go support your local independent record store! There are some cool exclusive items available today including  a live Tom Waits 7″ (!!), a new 12″ EP from The Breeders, two split 7″s from Sonic Youth - one with Jay Reatard and one with Beck-, a live Iron & Wine CD and much more.

If you’re in Baltimore, go here (In-store performances in parentheses):

Celebrated Summer Records

!El Suprimo! Records (Mopar Mountain Daredevils)

Dimensions in Music

Record & Tape Traders - Towson (The Herd of Main Street - 12pm, Eureka Birds -2pm, Whistling Charlie - 4pm)

The Sound Garden (Youth Group - 4pm)

Review: Little Hells - Marissa Nadler

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Nick
on March 15, 2009
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I’m not quite sure what to say about this record. I’ll say this, first: I like it. And if it was the first Marissa Nadler record I had ever heard, I would probably think it was fantastic. It is a departure from her previous work, which was mostly limited to her voice and guitar. The songs on this album are much more lush in their arrangements and production. This should appeal somewhat more to indie fans. I have to commend her for trying something a bit different. This may help shed the innapropriate freak-folk label she has often been stuck with. Thankfully, Nadler’s folk songs are still the heart of this material. The record takes strength from its novel approach, but neglects Nadler’s greatest assets at times: her voice and guitar.

Nadler is the owner of one of most beautiful voices in music. Its airy, haunting qualities render it out of time, suiting it wonderfully to her tales of isolation, loss, and death (cheery stuff, I know). Opener “Heart Paper Lover,” marries this voice to wurlitzer and theremin to great effect. The only true misstep comes with “Mary Come Alive.” The drum machine just sounds so out of place here. The middle of the album is the highlight. Nadler’s fingerpicked guitar is a thing of beauty. While she plays throughout, “Ghosts & Lovers” and “Brittle, Crushed, & Torn” are really the only two songs that utilize her skill to the fullest. She is accompanied only by a staccato piano on “The Whole is Wide,” maybe my favorite song here. Silvia, one of the characters from her last album, the triumphant Song’s III: Bird on the Water, makes a return appearance on the song. Its a perfect fit in Nadler’s canon. “Loner” tracks her voice against itself to create a chorus of ghosts, and the organ only heightens the effect. A problem on a few of the more arranged tracks is that Nadler’s fluid voice isn’t given enough room to expand. The (relatively) upbeat closer, “Mistress on a Sunny Day,” is an example.

Bottom-line: This is a very good record, and absolutely worth a listen. But my advice is for those new to Marissa Nadler is to listen to Songs III first, then Little Hells, and finally to her earliest two albums.

Also, check out the excellent video for the song “River of Dirt,” below (Nadler isn’t in it, in case you’re wondering). The song works well with the more fleshed out sound.


Marissa Nadler - River of Dirt - Directed by Joana Linda from Kemado Records on Vimeo.

Cool Video: Bomb the Bass - Black River

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Nick
on March 10, 2009
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I’m not a huge fan of Bomb the Bass in general, but I love Mark Lanegan, who sings on this one. Its an interesting video, at any rate.

Review: Witch and Earthless at The Ottobar

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Nick
on March 2, 2009
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Witch at The Ottobar

Witch at The Ottobar, 2/28/09

Question: What if Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis was in a metal band?

Answer: They would play Sabbath-ian doom with hints of punk and classic rock. Oh, and J wouldn’t play guitar or sing. He’d play drums instead.

Such is Witch. Besides Mascis, the band includes bassist Dave Sweetapple, touring guitarist Antoine Guerlain, and vocals/guitar courtesy of Kyle Thomas (of Vermont folkies Feathers). They rocked The Ottobar last Saturday along with tour-mates Earthless.

Two local Baltimore acts opened up the night, starting around 9:30. The Flying Eyes have a  bluesy, psychedelic sound. Its fairly derivative and I felt like the singer was trying a bit too hard to sound like Jim Morrison at times. But there may be something to work with there. Next up was Baltimore punk metal band Vincent Black Shadow. Nothing groundbreaking here. The singer enjoys spitting.

Isaiah Mitchell of Earthless at The Ottobar

Isaiah Mitchell of Earthless at The Ottobar, 2/28/09

Earthless were incredible. The San Diego trio plays heavy, improvisational, psychedelic instrumental jams that stretch for about 20+ minutes apiece. Really fucking LOUD jams. Yay for hearing loss. Guitarist Isaiah Mitchell is prodigiously talented (also a nice guy, as I found out talking to him for a bit after their set) and drummer Mario Rubalcaba and bass player Mike Eginton flesh out the sound exquisitely. I found myself closing my eyes during their set and letting the music carry me off into its own spaced-out world. Many bands who traffic in this sort of music fail to sustain interest for the full length of a piece. Not a problem for Earthless. I was never less than captivated. Oddly enough, they finished with a cover of the Groundhogs’ “Cherry Red,” including vocals by Mitchell. I had been wondering what the mic was for up to that point…

And that brings us to Witch, appropriately taking the stage just after midnight. Having J Mascis along for the ride helps draw the crowds, but the fact is, this band is really good. Their brand of doom is much more interesting than that of most of their contemporaries who are content to just riff on Black Sabbath and Pentagram ad infinitum. The more pronounced influence of punk on their most recent album Paralyzed helps keep things vital. The show was energetic and sounded great. Highlights included “Psychotic Rock,” “Rip Van Winkle,” “Sweet Sue,” and closer “Seer.”

This was one hell of a show for $10. Witch was great, but I must admit I came out feeling that Earthless was the best band on display. Check ‘em out and don’t hesitate to see them given the chance. More photos of the show here.

The Bugs Have a Vendetta Against Dave Navarro’s Goatee

Published
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Nick
on February 28, 2009
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Metal, Literature, and a Comic: A Little Something for Everyone

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Nick
on February 25, 2009
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I’m reading Moby-Dick right now for one of my classes, and at every turn of the page I keep hearing Mastodon’s Leviathan, an album inspired by Herman Melville’s iconic novel. That also made me remember seeing this ridiculous comic about the song “Blood and Thunder” that plays upon the song’s relation to the novel…plus the fact that metal can be, um, violent. I can’t find the original source, but if anyone knows, tell me and I’ll give credit where its due. Be sure to listen to the song (below) if you’ve never heard it, or the comic won’t make much sense.

I’m Bingeing on PJ Harvey Today…

Published
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Nick
on February 14, 2009
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Show Review: The Black Keys

Published
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Nick
on February 9, 2009
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Poster by Print Mafia

Poster by Print Mafia

Last Wednesday (I know I’m late getting this up, but better late than never!), The Black Keys played Rams Head Live. I forgot my camera, I’m afraid, so no photos, sorry! This was the second time I’ve seen the Keys live. Their performance last year at DC’s 9:30 Club was phenomenal, and they came close to matching it here in Baltimore.

The evening opened with Patrick Sweany and his band, playing their soul-inflected blues for about 40 minutes. Sweany is a powerful vocalist and a very capable guitarist, but the songs started to sound a bit too samey by the end of the set. Not a bad opener, but not remarkable either.

The blues-rock duo of drummer Patrick Carney and singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach, hailing from Akron, OH, hit the stage with “Same Old Thing,” one of the singles from their latest album, Attack & Release. From there, the song selection leaned heavily on 2003’s Thickfreakness and 2004’s Rubber Factory. The band seemed to be having fun throughout, which is great to see in a day when many bands seem to take themselves too seriously on stage. Highlights included “Everywhere I Go,” “Have Love, Will Travel,” “The Breaks,” and a blistering rendition of “Psychotic Girl.” Their cover of Captain Beefheart’s “I’m Glad” was sublime, though it seemed to confuse most of the crowd. The Keys did make their recorded version available online for a brief time, but I suspect most of the crowd hadn’t heard it, much less the original song. It would have been nice to see a more energetic crowd, but that’s a minor caveat.

The show was wholly enjoyable, and after the encore of “Set You Free” and “Till I Get My Way” came to a close, I felt I’d gotten my $25 worth. And I’ll certainly be there the next time the Black Keys head this direction.

A Sidenote: Dan Auerbach is releasing his solo album, Keep It Hid, tomorrow, Feb. 10. It’s currently streaming on his Myspace. He’s playing the 9:30 Club on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Go See The Night Marchers 12/15!

Published
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Nick
on December 14, 2008
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In Baltimore and don’t know what you’re doing Monday night? Allow me to make a suggestion: Get yourself down to the Ottobar and see The Night Marchers, San Diego garage-punk at its finest. They’ve put out one of the most fun records of the year, See You in Magic. If you like singer/guitarist John Reis’ previous projects, which have included Rocket from the Crypt and Hot Snakes, I guarantee you’ll like this new band. I saw them over summer back in California, and they put on a great show. So will I be there? No, I will be studying for a physics final. Go have some fun for me.