TonyDoug's CD Reviews

by tonydoug wright

Steve Almaas and Ali Smith, You Showed Me (Parasol Records)

The Artists: Steve Almaas and Ali Smith

The History: You Showed Me is the second album from the New York City duo of Steve Almaas (Suicide Commandos and Beat Rodeo) and Ali Smith (Speedball Baby).

The Review: I’m not familiar with the pre-duo musical resume of Mr. Almaas and Ms. Smith so I cannot compare You Showed Me to the albums of Suicide Commandos or Speedball Baby. This is my first exposure to Almaas and Smith and I’m impressed with You Showed Me because it is a great album that is strongly influenced by the likes of Graham Parsons and The Byrds country rock era. Both Almaas and Smith compliment each other vocally and they really caught my attention with their cover of ‘You Showed Me’, which was written by Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark. Although they impressed me with a cover, they did not disappoint me with their own material such as ‘Absolutely Free’ and ‘Before the Other Shoe Drops’. Almaas and Smith definitely have a great musical chemistry and You Showed Me is a wonderful album.

Website: www.parasol.com

Josh English, Scenes From A Bathroom Window (DVP Records)

The Artist: Josh English

The History: A solo musician from New York City, Josh English’s Scenes From A Bathroom Window is his second album released on his DVP label.

The Review: As a former owner of a four track, I respect artists who take the DIY route of recording, producing, and distributing their own albums. It’s a major risk, and success can be found for those who have the talent to produce a fantastic album. Josh English’s Scenes From A Bathroom Window is a trip down the DIY pathway of the tormented folk singer/songwriter. It has been a real effort trying to listen to this album because Josh English is an absolute downer who puts the listener though the “Woe is me in my twenties” decathlon. There are so many songs you can take about frustrating relationships and it does not help matters when the vocals get close to the irritating zone. On one hand, I respect Josh English for releasing an album on his terms, but on the other hand, I have to criticize Josh English for releasing an album that sounds like a rough demo rather than something palatable.

Website: http://cdbaby.com/cd/englishj2

The Lesser Birds of Paradise, Space Between (Contraphonic)

The Band: Mark Janka, Tim Joyce, and Greg Thomas

The History: The Lesser Birds of Paradise have been together since 1998, and Space Between was released in 2006.

The Review: Lately, I’ve been reviewing CDs that fall into some sort of minimalist genre where a band or artist creates an album of songs prominently featuring acoustic guitar and electronic noise. I’m familiar with this style of indie music and it is definitely hit or miss. The Lesser Birds of Paradise have made a hit with Space Between because they are able to take a very simple rhythm, add on some good vocals, and top it off with attention-grabbing titles. ‘Do You Remember When (We Overthrew the Government)?’ and ‘Clare Danes, If You Ever Get a Nose Job, I Swear to Jesus I’ll Hang Myself’ are two examples of the winning formula used by The Lesser Birds of Paradise. The strangely beautiful album Space Between is pretty solid from start to finish.

Website: www.lesserbirds.com

Ada Jane, Never Been Better (P.A.W. Records)

The Band: Matt Marka, Charlie Wilson, and John Taillon

The History: Formerly known as the Matt Marka Band, Ada Jane has been part of the Minneapolis music scene for almost two years. Never Been Better is the band’s debut.

The Review: I’m a fan of The ‘Mats and Ada Jane’s Never Been Better unquestionably has the influence of Minneapolis’ favorite sons Paul, Bob, Tommy, and Chris. ‘You’ll Never Be Satisfied’, an early 80s post punk influenced track, opens the album and quickly moves to ‘On Your Level’, a song about the frustrations of being “just friends”, which is reminiscent of ‘Mats era Tim and Pleased To Meet Me. If you think this band is strictly a copycat act, then you’re wrong. Sure, Ada Jane goes into ‘Mats territory on Never Been Better but they move out of that all-familiar terrain into a place where listeners get to hear another great rock band. Additional album highlights include ‘This is My Broom’, ‘Tally Up’, and ‘Show ‘Em Your Teeth’.

Website: www.adajane.com

Lamexcuse, All Important Little Things (Self Released)

The Band: Tom Reiterer, Gerfried Brunner, and Reinhard Shilcher

The History: The group Lamexcuse hails from Austria and should not to be confused with the Australian band with the same name. All Important Little Things is their fourth release.

The Review: Lamexcuse is the only Austrian indie rock band that I know of, and I’m pleased to say that they are good. Their album All Important Little Things is straight ahead nasally folk rock devoid of self-importance and overproduced tracks. I particularly enjoyed ‘Diary’ and ‘Two Windows’. A negative for All Important Little Things is a repetitive sound that pops up on every track, but it does not get to the point of irritation.

Website: www.lamexcuse.com

Iron Hero, Safe As Houses (Self Released)

The Band: Lawson Grice, Sam Gunn, Nick Hasty, Ben Simpson, Jimmy Taylor, and Thomas Wilcox

The History: Iron Hero is a band from Athens, Georgia.

The Review: I’m really digging Safe As Houses by Iron Hero. A friend at work said it’s because I’m an Iron Man fan, but I don’t think that’s the case. Safe As Houses is really good and it’s somewhat hard describing Iron hero’s sound. I would call it an infectious cool dreamy popscape style that immediately grabs you on the first spin. Comparisons could be made to bands like My Bloody Valentine, but Iron Hero has taken a different shoegazer route, and that route does not involve a distortion pedal. ‘Wearing a Wire’ is the opener for Safe As Houses and it sets the pace for a fantastic album that stays strong until the last track. Similar in sound to fellow Athens band Michael, Iron Hero has an amazing self-produced album. ‘Pilot’ and ‘Spy Versus Spy’ are currently my favorite songs on Safe As Houses, which is one of the best albums I have heard this year.

Website: www.myspace.com/ironhero

James Cooper, Second Season (The Paisley Pop Label)

The Artist: James Cooper

The History: A Sydney, Australia native, James Cooper has earned his stripes as a solo artist and a session musician. Not only is Cooper a musician but he designed the record sleeve for Paul McCartney’s single ‘Fine Line’.

The Review: At times I receive CDs from bands and artists who come off as overly pompous with their imitation sounds. Every so often, an album comes my way and it impresses the hell out of me. Second Season is an extremely remarkable pop rock album from James Cooper. I’m a John Wesley Harding fan and this album reminds me of Harding’s classic album Why We Fight. Vocally, Harding and Cooper are similar but Cooper’s lyrics deal more with relationships than Harding’s witty tales of lost weekends and war follies. Cooper’ folk driven pop numbers such as ‘Love in London’ and ‘Christine’ makes Second Season an incredible debut album. Cooper has everything right with this release, so hopefully we will be hearing some new music in the not too distant future.

Website: www.james-cooper.com