{"id":616,"date":"2011-10-06T08:31:59","date_gmt":"2011-10-06T13:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=616"},"modified":"2011-10-06T08:31:59","modified_gmt":"2011-10-06T13:31:59","slug":"indie-roundup-october-2011-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2011\/10\/06\/indie-roundup-october-2011-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie Roundup: October 2011 (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s another in my occasional series of \u201creview roundups\u201d in which I take a quick look at a stack of CDs that has found its way onto my desk. Each disc is worthwhile in its own way; otherwise I wouldn\u2019t waste your and my time. But because there\u2019s so much other material I want to cover in depth, I\u2019ll restrict myself to brief summary remarks about these titles. Note that most of these are indie\/self-released efforts; no major label releases here. So these are almost certainly titles that would otherwise slip by unnoticed by most listeners. They deserve better.<\/p>\n

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Dan Miraldi<\/strong> \u2013 Rock N Roll Band!<\/em>
\nIt takes some moxie to title your debut release EP Rock N Roll Band!<\/em> (The exclamation point is Cleveland-based Miraldi\u2019s, not mine.) \u201cWe Both Know\u201d is a sort of mainstream take on \u2013 of all things \u2013 Nevermind<\/em>-era Nirvana<\/strong>. \u201cYou\u2019ve Got to Hurry\u201d is a swaggering 70s rock-styled number reminiscent of J. Geils Band<\/strong>. \u201cMystical Queen\u201d sounds like a Van Morrison<\/strong> influence filtered through 90s rock. With its handclaps, the title track feels like a rewrite of The Music Explosion<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cLittle Bit O\u2019 Soul.\u201d The disc closes with \u201cGive & Take,\u201d which takes too long to make its musical point. But when it does, it sounds a lot like Material Issue<\/strong>. (It helps that Miraldi\u2019s voice is more than a little similar to that of the late Jim Ellison<\/strong>. Overall this is fun stuff, competently (if not inspiringly) played.<\/p>\n

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Michael Heart<\/strong> \u2013 Unsolicited Material<\/em>
\nAt the other end of the humility-in-titling spectrum we have Michael Heart\u2019s self-released album. With an earnest sound that would be right at home as the soundtrack for any number of angst-laden young-person TV dramas, the songs on Unsolicited Material<\/em> have that ineffable quality that suggests they\u2019d work equally well rearranged as modern country, hard pierces-and-tats rock, or powerpop. Put another way, Heart writes catchy, memorable songs. Here they\u2019re delivered in a mainstream rock idiom, with soaring, sustained power chords, impeccable harmonies and solid arrangement. There\u2019s enough variation and texture across the album to keep things musically interesting, and Heart\u2019s lyrics (often \u201cstory song\u201d variety) encourage more close listening.<\/p>\n

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Bodega Satellite<\/strong> \u2013 Bodega Satellite<\/em>
\nHere\u2019s something a bit outside the mainstream. The prickly, angular and aggressive trio from New Jersey sings en Espa\u00f1ol<\/em>. Well, when there\u2019s vocals, they do, anyway. Bassist Christopher Rosseau<\/strong> suggests the band sounds \u201ca bit like the Pixies (if they sang in Spanish)”. It\u2019s true that guitarist Alberto Rios<\/strong> does have a voice similar to Black Francis. Musically, the sounds on Bodega Satellite<\/em> are well-textured, balancing a nasty sonic attack with just the right touch of melody. The melody of \u201cAl Fin\u201d swings, almost, but the heavy delivery keeps it firmly in rock territory. The changeups in meter on a few of the songs \u2013 see \u201cAbrazame\u201d for a prime example — suggest arty aspirations form this trio, but again the muscular playing keeps things firmly planted on the grimy street.<\/p>\n

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The Handcuffs<\/strong> \u2013 Waiting for the Robot<\/em>
\nIn researching this release, I decided to pull out my copy of the 1992 album Now Dig This<\/em> from the Elvis Brothers<\/strong>. That late-period powerpop gem is an overlooked classic that synthesized the Rembrandts<\/strong>, Squeeze<\/strong> and other critical favorites. The reason I mention them is that half of the Handcuffs duo is one Brad Elvis<\/strong>, drummer in that trio. The other half is one Chloe F. Orwell<\/strong>. Sartorially speaking, the handcuffs are a glam outfit. Muiscally, they\u2019re not so much powerpop as plain ol\u2019 (if very good) rock. \u201cDirty Glitter\u201d sounds like Wolfmother<\/strong> with a chick singer; \u201cMiss you on Tuesday\u201d sounds a bit like Divinyls<\/strong>-meets-The Muffs<\/strong>. As it turns out, Elvis and Orwell were the prime movers in Big Hello<\/strong>, a band that sported a sonic approach halfway between the Elvis Brothers and the Handcuffs. Many of the tracks on Waiting for the Robot<\/em> are piano-centric \u2013 and a few sport some tasty horn charts — but there\u2019s a sexy, swaggering street vibe throughout.<\/p>\n

More in my next entry.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s another in my occasional series of \u201creview roundups\u201d in which I take a quick look at a stack of CDs that has found its way onto my desk. Each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-review","cat-65-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}