|
Hot
Hot Heat - 'Knock Knock Knock' EP (Sub Pop)
 Canada’s
rock and roll reputation has been dragged through the mud more times than anyone
cares to remember, but Hot Hot Heat are trying to set everything right. These
Vancouver lads spazz it up on a keyboard happy, nearly perfect EP on Sub Pop
whose reputation could use a makeover as well. Vocalist/Keyboardist Steve
Bays sounds a lot like Robert Smith, but the music is so energetic that any Cure
comparisons are irrelevant. Hot Hot Heat make the most of their five songs on
'Knock Knock Knock'. You can dance if you wanna, but I prefer to just rock
out. Overall it’s an encouraging piece of work and has definitely got me
looking forward to a full length. (Dave Ignizio)
Hot
Snakes - 'Suicide Invoice' (Swami Records )
 The
Hot Snakes equal more than the sum of their parts. Featuring current and former
members of Drive Like Jehu, Rocket from the Crypt, Mule and others, their resume
is impressive. Unlike some side projects that are content to throw down
marginal material, the Hot Snakes make sure you get your money’s worth.
'Automatic Midnight' was their first album. It came out of nowhere and was one
of the best albums of 2000. On 'Suicide Invoice' they slow the tempos
down just a little bit and craft better songs. The ferocity of Rick Froberg’s
vocals remains unchecked, cutting through the mix like a blender on kill. His
misanthropy is so complete and palpable it will win over even the most absolute
curmudgeon. Fans of John Reis (aka Speedo) will recognize his guitar work,
although he doesn’t lend his voice to as many tracks as on 'Automatic
Midnight'. The record starts off with “I Hate the Kids” a lurching number
featuring the line, “I wanna see you all crossed up and hung.“ “Gar Forgets his
Insulin” targets Hot Snakes bass player Gar Wood and unsympathetically imagines
his death. The title track tells the tale of an unfinished suicide pact.
Suicide Invoice is a bitter little pill that pulls no punches. It’s a
collection of twelve songs that assault the listener with an onslaught of bile,
disregarding any innovations that would get in the way of keeping a song under
three minutes. (DI)
Jawbreaker - 'Etc.'
(Blackball Records)
Jawbreaker departed far too soon and a b-sides and rarities collection was
sorely needed. Finally, six years after their demise as casualties of the major
label punk clusterfuck of 1995, we got it. In 1995 when 'Dear You' was released
it received untold amounts of shit for being the biggest sellout of all time.
In retrospect the material from that album stands out as their most innovative
and impressive. 'Etc’s chronological track order makes that all too apparent.
Early songs like “Caroline,“ “Shield Your Eyes,” and “Equalized” suffer from
poor production, but they’re also little more than East Bay punk-by-numbers
tracks. Jawbreaker hit their stride on '24 Hour Revenge Therapy', and the five
representatives from that era are strong enough to have been included on any
album. “Housesitter,” “Kiss the Bottle,” and “Sea Foam Green” stand out as some
of their best material period. When 'Dear You' hit, the smoothness of Blake’s
vocals was widely ridiculed. Nonetheless, the album was a showcase for the
best songwriting of the band’s career. Of the songs from that era “Sister” is
the standout. “Into You Like a Train” is a Psychedelic Furs cover that
was a b-side for a European single. It’s one of the better songs on here and an
amusing nod to Richard Butler whose voice Blake’s came to resemble after his
throat surgery left him unable to scream quite so much. 'Etc.' is absolutely
worth picking up if you cared at all about this band. Jawbreaker was a band
that meant a lot to a lot of people and now we’ve finally gotten some closure.
(DI)
Sonic Youth - 'Murray Street'
(DGC)
‘Murray Street’ is at least SY’s twentieth album and probably the best since
their peak in the late eighties/early nineties. It contains only seven songs,
but several are stretched out over seven minutes providing ample room for guitar
experimentation. This time Jim O’ Rourke adds his axe and production talents to
the mix, becoming the first new member of Sonic Youth in over a decade. “The
Empty Page” is one of the more accessible songs in Sonic Youth‘s career and
would be a hit in some sort of alternate universe. “Disconnection Notice”
features a fairly straightforward guitar solo, but then makes up for it with a
second solo of pure feedback. The group benefits from turning the amps down a
bit and revealing intricacies that were often overshadowed on earlier records.
For some reason the songs that Lee Renaldo sings are often my favorite. His
monotone delivery through an off-key verse chorus verse structure on standout
track “Karen Revisited” ultimately degenerates into five minutes of
self-indulgent guitar antics. Kim Gordon’s vocals don’t show up until the very
end as she takes to the mic on the last two tracks, “Plastic Sun” and “Sympathy
for Strawberry” providing the most discordant moments on the album and a fitting
conclusion to one of the best records of the year. In five years Sonic Youth
will be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As scary as that thought
is, it’s comforting to know that twenty years into their career they are in no
way a museum piece. (DI)
|
