Starwood – ‘If It Ain’t Broke, Break It!’ (Metal Blade)
Named after the
famous LA club, Starwood take their influences not from the ’77 punk scene that
initially played at this bar, but from the once-thriving LA Glam scene of the
mid 80s. Some of their songs on this debut CD have the catchiness required for
the genre, and are appropriately anthemic/bombastic, but the whole affair comes
up a bit short. While the band is clearly aiming for that 80s style, the slick
production and occasional alt-rock touches here leave no doubt that this disc
was recorded in 2004. A bigger problem is the singer’s occasional forays into
cheesy high-pitched metal vocals (think Dio) that really don’t fit the music.
That said, diehard cock-rockers might still enjoy this disc given the scarcity
of new releases in this style. While I appreciate their desire to bring back
the days when rock stars weren’t angst-ridden or self-loathing, if I’m looking
for a fix of this style, I’ll pull out an LP by Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom or
Zodiac Mindwarp. [Editor's note: Apparently, Starwood is essentially Lizzy
Borden under a different name. Fans of that band take note.] (Russ
Romance)
I
recently got the Victory Records sampler CD for this year, and was excited to
check out Straylight Run, a band formed by ex-members of Taking Back Sunday. I
was pretty impressed with their track on the comp, “Your Name Here (Sunrise
Highway)". The song also appears on their debut S/T album, and is nothing like
TBS. That's a good thing because there's only so much of that you can take. The
songs are slower, longer, and better written. John Nolan, who is the
singer-guitarist, has a great voice, and so does his sister Michelle, who also
sings in the band. One of the best tracks on the record is "For The Best", which
begins with a drum machine beat before shifting into a folky rock mode layered
with piano and acoustic guitars. Fans of Taking Back Sunday may not like
Straylight Run. I, however, found it a refreshing break from their former band,
and a breath of fresh air for the cookie cutter screamo world. It's nice to see
that some of them
realize there's other kinds of music out there. (Eddie Fleisher)
If you don’t already
know, David Thomas is the legendary vocalist for Pere Ubu and Rocket From the
Tombs. This particular project finds Thomas backed by Keith Moline on violin
and guitar and Andy Diagram on trumpets. Thomas also plays melodeon and mesette
in addition to singing. There are no drums, but that doesn’t prevent the songs
from having drive and energy, as “New Orleans Fuzz” and the propulsive title
track proves. Both tracks are sold songs given experimental and somewhat noisy
arrangements that result in a sound that might be called jazz influenced
psychedelic-industrial. “Nebraska Alcohol Abuse” has a similar sound, but is a
slower, darker piece. Much of the rest of the album sounds kind of like a mix
of beatnik jazz, rock, and electronica. This is especially the case on “Golden
Surf”, in which Thomas essentially recites his lyrics like poetry over a trippy
musical backdrop. A lot of experimental/avant garde music can seem pretentious
and inaccessible, but that’s not the case with Thomas and the Pale Boys. The
instrumentation, arrangements, and vocals style are all unusual for “rock”, but
it’s all anchored by good songwriting. With over 30 years of making music under
his belt, it’s great to see that Thomas can still put out something of this high
caliber. (Bob Ignizio)
What we have right here is a truly wonderful bit of rock
‘n’ roll archeology. Zolar X existed from about 1972 until about 1981. Their
music was sort of a mix of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie, Hawkwind, T-Rex, and The
Stooges with occasional forays into prog rock territory ala Uriah Heep. The
band did a few recording sessions, but never released anything officially. Now,
thanks to the fine folks at Alternative Tentacles, this largely forgotten band’s
music has a chance to be heard. And good stuff it is. Whether you’re into
glam, proto punk, space rock, or straight up seventies hard rock, there’s plenty
on here for you to enjoy. The musicianship is great, the songs are well
written, and the band has a truly unique sound and personality. Considering the
material on this album is culled from three separate sessions in 1976, 1979, and
1980, the results are remarkably consistent. Personal favorites on here are
“Timeless”, the Devo-esque “Science”, “Jet Star 19”, and the epic “Plutonian Elf
Story”. The extensive liner notes do a great job of covering the band’s
history, and there’s plenty of photos so you can see how bizarre the band
looked. The only bummer is the lack of a lyric sheet. All in all, a real
pleasant surprise and one of my favorite albums so far this year, even if it is
a reissue. (Bob Ignizio)
Named after the
famous LA club, Starwood take their influences not from the ’77 punk scene that
initially played at this bar, but from the once-thriving LA Glam scene of the
mid 80s. Some of their songs on this debut CD have the catchiness required for
the genre, and are appropriately anthemic/bombastic, but the whole affair comes
up a bit short. While the band is clearly aiming for that 80s style, the slick
production and occasional alt-rock touches here leave no doubt that this disc
was recorded in 2004. A bigger problem is the singer’s occasional forays into
cheesy high-pitched metal vocals (think Dio) that really don’t fit the music.
That said, diehard cock-rockers might still enjoy this disc given the scarcity
of new releases in this style. While I appreciate their desire to bring back
the days when rock stars weren’t angst-ridden or self-loathing, if I’m looking
for a fix of this style, I’ll pull out an LP by Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom or
Zodiac Mindwarp. [Editor's note: Apparently, Starwood is essentially Lizzy
Borden under a different name. Fans of that band take note.] (Russ
Romance)
I
recently got the Victory Records sampler CD for this year, and was excited to
check out Straylight Run, a band formed by ex-members of Taking Back Sunday. I
was pretty impressed with their track on the comp, “Your Name Here (Sunrise
Highway)". The song also appears on their debut S/T album, and is nothing like
TBS. That's a good thing because there's only so much of that you can take. The
songs are slower, longer, and better written. John Nolan, who is the
singer-guitarist, has a great voice, and so does his sister Michelle, who also
sings in the band. One of the best tracks on the record is "For The Best", which
begins with a drum machine beat before shifting into a folky rock mode layered
with piano and acoustic guitars. Fans of Taking Back Sunday may not like
Straylight Run. I, however, found it a refreshing break from their former band,
and a breath of fresh air for the cookie cutter screamo world. It's nice to see
that some of them
If you don’t already
know, David Thomas is the legendary vocalist for Pere Ubu and Rocket From the
Tombs. This particular project finds Thomas backed by Keith Moline on violin
and guitar and Andy Diagram on trumpets. Thomas also plays melodeon and mesette
in addition to singing. There are no drums, but that doesn’t prevent the songs
from having drive and energy, as “New Orleans Fuzz” and the propulsive title
track proves. Both tracks are sold songs given experimental and somewhat noisy
arrangements that result in a sound that might be called jazz influenced
psychedelic-industrial. “Nebraska Alcohol Abuse” has a similar sound, but is a
slower, darker piece. Much of the rest of the album sounds kind of like a mix
of beatnik jazz, rock, and electronica. This is especially the case on “Golden
Surf”, in which Thomas essentially recites his lyrics like poetry over a trippy
musical backdrop. A lot of experimental/avant garde music can seem pretentious
and inaccessible, but that’s not the case with Thomas and the Pale Boys. The
instrumentation, arrangements, and vocals style are all unusual for “rock”, but
it’s all anchored by good songwriting. With over 30 years of making music under
his belt, it’s great to see that Thomas can still put out something of this high
caliber. (Bob Ignizio)
What we have right here is a truly wonderful bit of rock
‘n’ roll archeology. Zolar X existed from about 1972 until about 1981. Their
music was sort of a mix of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie, Hawkwind, T-Rex, and The
Stooges with occasional forays into prog rock territory ala Uriah Heep. The
band did a few recording sessions, but never released anything officially. Now,
thanks to the fine folks at Alternative Tentacles, this largely forgotten band’s
music has a chance to be heard. And good stuff it is. Whether you’re into
glam, proto punk, space rock, or straight up seventies hard rock, there’s plenty
on here for you to enjoy. The musicianship is great, the songs are well
written, and the band has a truly unique sound and personality. Considering the
material on this album is culled from three separate sessions in 1976, 1979, and
1980, the results are remarkably consistent. Personal favorites on here are
“Timeless”, the Devo-esque “Science”, “Jet Star 19”, and the epic “Plutonian Elf
Story”. The extensive liner notes do a great job of covering the band’s
history, and there’s plenty of photos so you can see how bizarre the band
looked. The only bummer is the lack of a lyric sheet. All in all, a real
pleasant surprise and one of my favorite albums so far this year, even if it is
a reissue. (Bob Ignizio)