23
Dec
2002
You know the big stories of 2002: Eminem is the King of Most Media. The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Vines, and The Hives are cool (or at least music magazines think so). Springsteen can still matter (or at least newsmagazines think so). Britney is the new Mariah Carey, with her meltdowns and dropping stock (and about damn time, too).
But we were struck by a lot of records that might not have drawn enough attention from critics or the album-buying public. Here are 10 of our favorites.
A.I., Artificial Intelligence: This Los Angeles trio features some of the most inventive stylistic combinations and musical arrangements that I've heard in some time. While its debut incorporates a large amount of electronica and technical apparatuses into the group's edgy rock undertone, nothing is sampled or sequenced; it's all played live. And there's definitely musicianship in the blood, as keyboardist Pablo Manzarek is the spawn of, you guessed it, The Doors' legendary keys player Ray. Interestingly, Pablo also plays the synth-bass with his left hand like dad used to. Brothers Nick (vocals, guitar) and Zach (drums) Young (I don't think Neil's involved with this one, but maybe Neil himself doesn't even know) round out the group, and their musicianship is also phenomenal. While Zach's kicking the beats, Nick's Perry Farrell-meets-Prince vocal stylings are a familiar yet unique complement to a genre that the band has dubbed "rocktronic." This album is worth checking out for the originality alone, but when the songs are good too, you've got a real winner. - Tom Swanson
Badly Drawn Boy, Have You Fed the Fish? : Most folks prefer his The Hour of Bewilderbeast debut or his songs for the About a Boy soundtrack (also from 2002), but one-man-band Damon Gough's third record seems to me his most accomplished. It starts with a joking acknowledgment of his sudden ubiquity in the indie-pop world and then kicks into pop music of the sort Pee-Wee Herman might enjoy - fast, loose, and more than a touch demented. It sounds on first listen like an over-produced concept album - and it is - but its sparkling Brit pop mingles effortlessly and effectively with '80s cheese, earnestness, and symphonic swells. "Born Again" is as clear-voiced and -headed upbeat rock ditty as you're ever likely to hear. - Jeff Ignatius
Neko Case, Blacklisted: Neko Case is the kind of woman that, to borrow one of Beck's lyrics, has "a thousand lonely husbands," and because of this album, I'm one of the latest. Well, we're engaged. Okay, I'm just really, really smitten. On her third effort, following 2000's Furnace Room Lullaby and 1997's The Virginian, Ms. Case's crooning sounds like she has summoned the soul of Patsy Cline and invited her out for a whiskey-sour with Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval. With about six minor chords, loads of atmospheric ambience, and the barstool ramblings of a heartbroken nymph, she's created a powerful body of work that's one of the year's best. Wait and see. The jewel case is sure to be sitting on top of your CD player for months to come. - Tom Swanson
The Epoxies, The Epoxies: Roxy Epoxy and company have created a new-wave/punk Frankenstein, and it wants to be your best friend. And what a friend this one is. With an energy unrivaled since their parachute-pants-clad predecessors were making waves, Portland, Oregon's Epoxies have been able use very dated genres as the vehicle of choice to express emotion that's been traditionally showcased in alternative, grunge, and emo. (See "An End-of-the-World Party," River Cities' Reader Issue 400, November 13-19, 2002). Synth-soaked, fast-paced, and to-the-point are the orders of the day for the band's self-titled debut, and it's all wrapped up in a tidy 29-minute package that delivers very competent musicianship lathered in flashy hooks and Roxy's soon-to-be trademark vocals. A blast from the past and a look to the future, the Epoxies come out swinging, and they don't stop until you're rolling on the floor giggling and weeping simultaneously. - Tom Swanson
Gomez, In Our Gun: This British five-piece continues to turn out great albums with its third proper release, In Our Gun. Keeping in step with their much-touted debut, 1998's Bring It on, and the well of creativity on Liquid Skin in 1999, Gomez has been able to incorporate all sorts of stylistic influences into its bluesy and percussive rock base. Utilizing organic instrumentation as the root, Gomez blends in fat, lush effects and strategic interludes with truly unique arrangements to accentuate Ben Ottewell's and Tom Gray's harmonies, culminating a sound all their own. An audio treat. - Tom Swanson
Jackpot, Shiny Things: Jackpot's follow up to 2000's Weightless showcases the Encinitas, California, band's honed brand of alt-country-rock-meets-slightly-sweet-pop. By using lyrics that run from melancholy to playful atop infectious hooks via the use of shimmering guitars, a buoyant rhythm section, and even the slight inclusion of electronica, Jackpot has really come into its own with this one. Shiny Things is a refreshing alternative to what popular music has become. - Tom Swanson
Bree Sharp, More B.S. : This singer-songwriter is biding her time before she becomes the next Sheryl Crow. She scored a cult hit in 1999 with the hilarious "David Duchovny," but she hasn't gotten her due for two terrific records, including this gem from the summer. Sharp's honeyed voice isn't terribly distinctive, but her delivery and songwriting are pop-perfect and worthy of her last name. Sharp is also fearless, kicking the ass of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" and also showing a keen understanding of need on the easily misunderstood roadhouse twang of "Dirty Magazine." - Jeff Ignatius
Sleater-Kinney, One Beat: Although dubbed the best rock band in the world by Time a while back, this punkish trio is still looking for a wide audience. After years of polishing a distinctive blend of harmonized vocals and a precise, bordering-on-delicate twin-guitar attack, Sleater-Kinney returned this year after a two-year break with an angry, ferocious record, its loudest since 1997's Dig Me Out. The sweet girl-band pop of "Oh" is the exception rather than the rule this time out, and although some post-September 11 politics make for some wince-worthy lyrics, the band has never sounded better or rocked harder. - Jeff Ignatius
Sonic Youth, Murray Street: Art-rock pioneers Sonic Youth haven't gone anywhere; they just slipped seriously under the radar after grunge threatened to turn them into rock stars in the early '90s. Murray Street is nothing less than the culmination of a career, a focused, rock-solid record full of tension between delicate textures and squealing noise, structure and chaos. There is no better example than "Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style," which starts as twisted, strangely tuned pop before exploding into a wall of patented Sonic Youth discord. With only seven songs, the album clocks in at just over 45 minutes, and I wish it would go on forever. Murray Street might be the group's best effort ever, perhaps even topping Daydream Nation. - Jeff Ignatius
Tenki, Red Baby: Despite the fact that Chicago's Tenki hasn't technically released a full-length album, this seven-song debut is a gem. With a firm grasp of pop sensibility, these guys cover a vast territory in terms of mood, but they've also carved out a definite congruency in their sound with a unique combination of sparse guitar lines, snappy percussion, airy keys, and even the lonesome drone of a trumpet to top it off. But the instrumentation really acts as the support for the lyrics and vocal delivery, and I'd contend that former Quad Cities scenster Jamie Toal (guitar, vocals) has a good deal to do with that. There's a lyrical intuition present on this work that allows it to strike a deep chord even though the content isn't particularly complex, and the presentation suits the subject matter perfectly. This prize practically fell into my lap, but I'd venture to guess that it might be difficult to find, so check out their label's site, (http://www.futureappletree.com), for more information. - Tom Swanson
But we were struck by a lot of records that might not have drawn enough attention from critics or the album-buying public. Here are 10 of our favorites.
A.I., Artificial Intelligence: This Los Angeles trio features some of the most inventive stylistic combinations and musical arrangements that I've heard in some time. While its debut incorporates a large amount of electronica and technical apparatuses into the group's edgy rock undertone, nothing is sampled or sequenced; it's all played live. And there's definitely musicianship in the blood, as keyboardist Pablo Manzarek is the spawn of, you guessed it, The Doors' legendary keys player Ray. Interestingly, Pablo also plays the synth-bass with his left hand like dad used to. Brothers Nick (vocals, guitar) and Zach (drums) Young (I don't think Neil's involved with this one, but maybe Neil himself doesn't even know) round out the group, and their musicianship is also phenomenal. While Zach's kicking the beats, Nick's Perry Farrell-meets-Prince vocal stylings are a familiar yet unique complement to a genre that the band has dubbed "rocktronic." This album is worth checking out for the originality alone, but when the songs are good too, you've got a real winner. - Tom Swanson
Badly Drawn Boy, Have You Fed the Fish? : Most folks prefer his The Hour of Bewilderbeast debut or his songs for the About a Boy soundtrack (also from 2002), but one-man-band Damon Gough's third record seems to me his most accomplished. It starts with a joking acknowledgment of his sudden ubiquity in the indie-pop world and then kicks into pop music of the sort Pee-Wee Herman might enjoy - fast, loose, and more than a touch demented. It sounds on first listen like an over-produced concept album - and it is - but its sparkling Brit pop mingles effortlessly and effectively with '80s cheese, earnestness, and symphonic swells. "Born Again" is as clear-voiced and -headed upbeat rock ditty as you're ever likely to hear. - Jeff Ignatius
Neko Case, Blacklisted: Neko Case is the kind of woman that, to borrow one of Beck's lyrics, has "a thousand lonely husbands," and because of this album, I'm one of the latest. Well, we're engaged. Okay, I'm just really, really smitten. On her third effort, following 2000's Furnace Room Lullaby and 1997's The Virginian, Ms. Case's crooning sounds like she has summoned the soul of Patsy Cline and invited her out for a whiskey-sour with Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval. With about six minor chords, loads of atmospheric ambience, and the barstool ramblings of a heartbroken nymph, she's created a powerful body of work that's one of the year's best. Wait and see. The jewel case is sure to be sitting on top of your CD player for months to come. - Tom Swanson
The Epoxies, The Epoxies: Roxy Epoxy and company have created a new-wave/punk Frankenstein, and it wants to be your best friend. And what a friend this one is. With an energy unrivaled since their parachute-pants-clad predecessors were making waves, Portland, Oregon's Epoxies have been able use very dated genres as the vehicle of choice to express emotion that's been traditionally showcased in alternative, grunge, and emo. (See "An End-of-the-World Party," River Cities' Reader Issue 400, November 13-19, 2002). Synth-soaked, fast-paced, and to-the-point are the orders of the day for the band's self-titled debut, and it's all wrapped up in a tidy 29-minute package that delivers very competent musicianship lathered in flashy hooks and Roxy's soon-to-be trademark vocals. A blast from the past and a look to the future, the Epoxies come out swinging, and they don't stop until you're rolling on the floor giggling and weeping simultaneously. - Tom Swanson
Gomez, In Our Gun: This British five-piece continues to turn out great albums with its third proper release, In Our Gun. Keeping in step with their much-touted debut, 1998's Bring It on, and the well of creativity on Liquid Skin in 1999, Gomez has been able to incorporate all sorts of stylistic influences into its bluesy and percussive rock base. Utilizing organic instrumentation as the root, Gomez blends in fat, lush effects and strategic interludes with truly unique arrangements to accentuate Ben Ottewell's and Tom Gray's harmonies, culminating a sound all their own. An audio treat. - Tom Swanson
Jackpot, Shiny Things: Jackpot's follow up to 2000's Weightless showcases the Encinitas, California, band's honed brand of alt-country-rock-meets-slightly-sweet-pop. By using lyrics that run from melancholy to playful atop infectious hooks via the use of shimmering guitars, a buoyant rhythm section, and even the slight inclusion of electronica, Jackpot has really come into its own with this one. Shiny Things is a refreshing alternative to what popular music has become. - Tom Swanson
Bree Sharp, More B.S. : This singer-songwriter is biding her time before she becomes the next Sheryl Crow. She scored a cult hit in 1999 with the hilarious "David Duchovny," but she hasn't gotten her due for two terrific records, including this gem from the summer. Sharp's honeyed voice isn't terribly distinctive, but her delivery and songwriting are pop-perfect and worthy of her last name. Sharp is also fearless, kicking the ass of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" and also showing a keen understanding of need on the easily misunderstood roadhouse twang of "Dirty Magazine." - Jeff Ignatius
Sleater-Kinney, One Beat: Although dubbed the best rock band in the world by Time a while back, this punkish trio is still looking for a wide audience. After years of polishing a distinctive blend of harmonized vocals and a precise, bordering-on-delicate twin-guitar attack, Sleater-Kinney returned this year after a two-year break with an angry, ferocious record, its loudest since 1997's Dig Me Out. The sweet girl-band pop of "Oh" is the exception rather than the rule this time out, and although some post-September 11 politics make for some wince-worthy lyrics, the band has never sounded better or rocked harder. - Jeff Ignatius
Sonic Youth, Murray Street: Art-rock pioneers Sonic Youth haven't gone anywhere; they just slipped seriously under the radar after grunge threatened to turn them into rock stars in the early '90s. Murray Street is nothing less than the culmination of a career, a focused, rock-solid record full of tension between delicate textures and squealing noise, structure and chaos. There is no better example than "Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style," which starts as twisted, strangely tuned pop before exploding into a wall of patented Sonic Youth discord. With only seven songs, the album clocks in at just over 45 minutes, and I wish it would go on forever. Murray Street might be the group's best effort ever, perhaps even topping Daydream Nation. - Jeff Ignatius
Tenki, Red Baby: Despite the fact that Chicago's Tenki hasn't technically released a full-length album, this seven-song debut is a gem. With a firm grasp of pop sensibility, these guys cover a vast territory in terms of mood, but they've also carved out a definite congruency in their sound with a unique combination of sparse guitar lines, snappy percussion, airy keys, and even the lonesome drone of a trumpet to top it off. But the instrumentation really acts as the support for the lyrics and vocal delivery, and I'd contend that former Quad Cities scenster Jamie Toal (guitar, vocals) has a good deal to do with that. There's a lyrical intuition present on this work that allows it to strike a deep chord even though the content isn't particularly complex, and the presentation suits the subject matter perfectly. This prize practically fell into my lap, but I'd venture to guess that it might be difficult to find, so check out their label's site, (http://www.futureappletree.com), for more information. - Tom Swanson
