Category: Music

Greg Dulli, front man for the influential 90s indie rock group The Afghan Whigs, has had a pretty good post breakup career with The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins, and solo. He plays lots of small shows in Los Angeles and I try to go to as many of them as I can. His live performances are famous- he always surprises with a cover, he’s as smooth as any jazz man with a smoke and a drink on his mic stand, and he likes to interact with the crowd. At one small Twilight Singers show in Glendale several years ago, he asked the crowd for any requests, and I yelled out, “MILEZ IS DEAD!”. He laughed for a moment and said, “That one will have to wait for an Afghan Whigs reunion.”

I took it as a joke.

See And Don’t See
See and Don’t See

THE AFGHAN WHIGS RELEASE FIRST NEW TRACK IN FIVE YEARS. So says the news section of theafghanwhigs.com, in all caps to stress the importance of the event. The next news item below it? THE AFGHAN WHIGS ANNOUNCE LOCATION OF FIRST SHOW IN 13 YEARS.

Long story short, Greg Dulli hooked up with his old bandmates for a good old fashioned reunion. There’s no new album announced yet, however, and the tour dates are mostly big shows like Spain’s Primavera Sound and Lollapalooza in Chicago, with many being outside the States. So for now you are stuck with this 1970s cover.

There are no tour dates scheduled in Los Angeles just yet but I can’t believe the man will let down a fanbase that has applauded him all along. And when that time comes, I’ll be there, and I’ll be expecting Greg Dulli to keep his promise and play my request.

This EP was released with a whimper. Not any solid radio play or buzz surrounded it and that’s not overly surprising because it is a 3 song digital-only collection. But still, this is a disservice to a great band because the tracks are very good.

Seasick
Seasick

Seasick‘s songs are essentially B-Sides from 2009’s Swoon; similar in sound and feel but perhaps mixed down better without the over distortion and a bit slower in tempo. What really surprises me is that, as good as the last album was, I think it could’ve used another distinctive song or two. Seasick is such a strong song that it would’ve improved the album, but maybe Silversun knew that this was a B-Side that could stand on its own. Broken Bottles has the classic sound the band pioneered and manages to rock out more than is initially apparent. And Ribbons & Detours gives the fans what they expected from Swoon but never got- the token slow tune sung by the female bassist.

Seasick is short and sweet, definitely worth adding to your collection, and the perfect appetizer for a full length album being released by the band later this year.

Carolina Liar is one of those bands that falls into the weird category of ‘you listen to them but you don’t necessarily want other people to know that you like them’ (otherwise known as the Coldplay Conundrum). They are talented and have some contagious songs but it’s hard to defend them as vehemently as other indies. Still, their music, while a bit standard, remains good to listen to. Their first album, Coming To Terms, has some really exceptional songs but my first impression was that it was too sterile. However, it grew on me pretty quickly. The melodies are catchy and surprisingly moving in their simplicity.

Beautiful People
Beautiful People

As with their first effort, Wild Blessed Freedom sounds pretty bland on a first listen. The songs mostly have a very similar sound but perhaps with less character. There’s nothing innovative here or different except for one song that is heavy on a synth drum beat.

It’s hard to get upset about a bunch of happy, 3 minute songs. There’s not a whole lot of variety on this album- you can even notice them using the same song structures across this collection, but again, my brain likes the friendly noise that is coming in. It doesn’t hurt that the singer’s voice is great, crisp, melodic, and brings range from moment to moment.

I Don’t Think So
I Don’t Think So

There’s just a noticeable void of 5 star songs that can change the makeup and emotional resonance of the album. Without them you get the feeling that all you are listening to is filler. What’s worse, a couple of the tracks have hi-energy beats that border on j-pop and threaten to bring the impression of the entire experience crashing down. What results is a compilation that feels wanting. As a fan, I am sure Carolina Liar could do better.

In the end, if you like the first album a lot, then you’ll at least like this one a little. It’s more of the same and probably not as well executed which admittedly isn’t the best case for a sophomore album. I have doubts about the sustainability of the future of this band now but those questions will just need to wait a couple of years for definite answers.

When a singer doesn’t have a great voice it is often said that they have a lot of soul. We can look to Bob Dylan and Stephen Malkmus from Pavement as testaments to this. Greg Dulli, the lead singer of The Afghan Whigs and now The Twilight Singers, is another surefire addition to this truism. A cracking voice, a charming whininess, a slight tonal miss – these are all qualities that endear us to the ever personal heart of Twilight’s music. But in the case of Dynamite Steps I must concede that Dulli slacked a bit on his vocal duties.

On The Corner
On The Corner

Sure, the man smokes and drinks and is getting chubbier and older every day but he shouldn’t have to sound like it. Maybe he is too true to the moment to spend too many takes perfecting the raw output but his voice comes off a bit sloppy and it ends up being one of the weaker points of the album. That’s not to say the soul is gone. Part of Greg Dulli’s allure is that, although his voice isn’t the best musically, it serves to deliver meaningful lyrics with heavy emotion. The mix on this album at times makes it harder to understand the message. Perhaps a producer worked with what was given to him, but another theory is that it was finally time to emphasize the music.

Much like other Twilight albums, Dynamite Steps has variety over its length. I might even be inclined to say the sound has matured past the band’s earlier efforts. More rough and distorted when it wants to be yet more melodic and yearning tracks vie for attention. The drum beats are the result of years of experience and create a jerky sense of hopping back and forth. All the layers complement each other nicely and that’s what Dulli’s collaborations are about- getting veteran musicians together to make something greater than the sum.

I can’t say the second half of Dynamite Steps lives up to the energy of the first but this is a solid outing nevertheless. The Twilight Singers still have their mystical charm. And probably one of the best damn live shows out there.

I’ve talked about She Wants Revenge before, confident the group would be delivering the goods for a while. Even though Valleyheart is a departure from their usual body of work it does not let my expectations down. The sound is more upbeat in an 80s inspired way, sort of like a happy Depeche Mode. Justin Warfield is definitely going for more range to loosen up the duo’s style, and while some tracks are slightly unexpected upon first listen, this is an evolution that works.

Take The World
Take The World

The tracks are overall more dancey, almost a bit poppy. It may initially seem unfortunate to associate She Wants Revenge with ‘safe’ but a lot of acts flirt with the mainstream without damaging their integrity. It pains me to say it but these days pop is less about pandering and more about restyling anyway (think less Rebecca Black and more Linkin Park).

Perhaps it paints the wrong picture to be mentioning all this in the context of this album, which admittedly does end up being the worst of the lot merely due to the fact that the band’s previous work has been nearly flawless. But Valleyheart can stand alone as a great album and will certainly find itself the favorite among some fans. More range than the first album and more variety than the second- there’s a lot to like in this collection. The driving beats and monotonal riffs that define the band are back in full effect. A sense of cool oozes off the tracks and despite the pop tinges this is definitely not top 40 music. She Wants Revenge has cemented their niche perfectly and show no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Bucking my trend of reviewing albums much too long after they’re released, I am determined to get word out of the new Jane’s Addiction album quickly. This is mostly due to the large amount of harsh criticism The Great Escape Artist is getting. Some call it pandering, some call it unnecessary- whatever it is, it’s rubbing people the wrong way. Whereas their last album, Strays, attempted and succeeded at rehashing ‘that same old Jane’s sound’, this effort has different ambitions entirely.

Splash A Little Water On It
Splash A Little Water On It

After an 8 year hiatus The Great Escape Artist is yet another comeback album of sorts and this is most definitely a different Jane’s for a different age. A more electronic sound with a dash of Brit-Pop production sounds like an awful idea at face value but what ultimately matters is the talent and chemistry of old meeting new. This is a case that produces smooth and techie beats along with a softer vocal effort. Dave Navarro admits that his new guitar style is more melodic and simplistic. The end result is what the band wants, a listenable record with a lot of layers.

Irresistible Force (Met The Immovable Object)
Irresistible Force (Met The Immovable Object)

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Did Jane’s Addiction sell out by changing their style and going more modern? Is this unoriginal poppy pandering? A resounding No. An honest listen to Irresistible Force makes this quite clear. There is a lot of purpose and emotion in this song and if a brand new band came out today with this track I think it would get plenty of attention. I am not a single-driven fan, however, but I rest easy listening to the rest of the album. The songs are catchy, smooth, and Perry Farrel’s voice sounds well in place. True fans of this band should find enough familiar here to like.

Death Cab is one of the few classic indie bands that has been around since the 90s and managed to not break up yet remain relevant. But that doesn’t mean everything is roses. Let’s face it- the last album, Narrow Stairs, was a borderline nightmare that I couldn’t make up my mind about. Old school Death Cab was nostalgic, unproduced small label fare, charming and catchy. After time the band matured into a vehicle for longing melancholy that elevated them to a timeless status. Then the last album spun the momentum completely around. What would be next?

Underneath The Sycamore
Underneath The Sycamore

Codes and Keys is very happy and upbeat, almost playful. This is more Postal Service and less 2nd generation Death Cab (you can tell I still miss the deep sadness of Transatlanticism and Plans). After two albums it is clear that we have entered a new generation of the group. Beats are lighter and faster and carry an electronic tinge, and Ben Gibbard’s voice is more filtered than ever before.

Quality and variety wise, Codes and Keys is overall better than Narrow Stairs, although ironically I feel it lacks the ‘killer tracks’ of Bixby Canyon Bridge and Grapevine Fires. This is ultimately a bigger crime. An array of technically orchestrated songs feels good as background music but it leaves the listener unfulfilled upon completion of the album. I had every intention of judging this the better of the two productions but after having trouble simply deciding which track to sample here, I realize just how forgettable Codes and Keys really is.

I mentioned liking the new M83 single before and finally got a chance to preview the new album. Unfortunately, I can’t get into this dreamy, wandering cacophony. A couple of the tracks may be tight but they are hard to find in the dreaded double album format. When you make the needle out of gold, all I’m gonna see is the haystack, and even if I manage to find it, it’s not gonna be worth the time. My amazon sample overview was enough to turn me off to this one.

When it comes to my musical preference, one thing I like to hang my hat on is that I only bother to become a fan of bands when I am confident that I can appreciate their entire catalog. That means I like all the songs on the album more or less, and it means I will continue to get the new releases even if sometimes they aren’t as good as previous material. But hey, since I’m such a great judge of music, that means I never need to buy shit albums, right? Well, as a counterpoint to me knowing everything, here are 3 awful albums from good bands.

Muse – The Resistance
This starts so well- poppy, but clean and tight and catchy. The first few songs on the album shocked me a bit because they felt like a different Muse, almost like a band that no longer wanted to make alternative music. Then the rest of the album happened. Muse has always had a problem with rambling. They were never the type of group that keeps every song on their albums focused. They like to experiment with different sounds and sometimes get downright silly. But that’s ok. They have awesome songs, epic sounds, pretty good songs, and some that I would consider filler. But still, these low points never defined the albums before. For a party playlist you might want to make sure a couple of these are unchecked in iTunes, but that’s the extent of it. The Resistance, however, must have used up all its panache in the first 3 songs and MK Ultra. Every single other song on the album is slow, melodramatic, whinier than usual, hilarious, and if I could somehow not stress the point enough, just plain bad.

Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
As above, this album had a good single packaged with it. There are the couple of surprise favorites that good albums require- the folksy Bixby Canyon Bridge and the snappy Grapevine Fires. It was a bit troubling to first realize that the vocal style got a very slight makeover, almost like a hard to place dialect. Throw in a couple other decent songs and you have an album that is teetering in the balance- which way will the rest of the album lean? Unfortunately, the answer is uninspired and surprisingly unmoving for a Death Cab album. Of the albums on this list I think Narrow Stairs should get a pass because it never descends into completely horrible territory. But after the last couple of amazingly emotional albums, the aloofness of this one is a big disappointment.

Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Apparently not happy with the reception of their previous effort, X&Y, Coldplay tried to go a different direction with this album and give it a different mix. I heard a soundbyte about how the band’s new producer thought they were in a rut and really wanted to break them out of mediocrity. I have never in my life heard someone say they were against something so much and then do the exact thing they wanted to prevent. See, X&Y is a great album that was already a departure from their prior sound and I thought they pulled it off amazingly well. They were ambitious and most of the songs were strong and there was very little to complain about. Yet Viva La Vida turns into a messy mix of sounds that, while not horrible, can not stand alone as anything noteworthy. This is the Coldplay that people who hate Coldplay can make fun of, and people who like Coldplay have a hard time defending. There is nothing original, appealing, or powerful about this album, and if it was up to me I would say it’s time for a new producer.

I’ve previously mentioned Finger Eleven’s disappointing slide from greatness. After two lights out records they would never return to form. Their 3rd album was a large departure – it can definitely be considered good but it remains disappointing because the formula was changed. The band had a lot of success with One Thing, similar to how Pearl Jam’s (later) most played radio songs were among their worst soft crap. This led to the complete lack of creativity in the band’s 4th album. While there were some good tunes and talent on display a lot of tracks, like Window Song, were just trying to cash in on poppy success and as a result the entire album suffered.

Famous Last Words
Famous Last Words

Now their latest album (not quite so new anymore), Life Turns Electric, while still full of pop hooks and their signature new style, doesn’t try too hard for fame. It is a much more solid outing but still a shadow of the band’s initial efforts. Whatever Doesn’t Kill Me and Stone Soul are similar attempts at topping the pop charts but there is more depth put into these songs that makes them more bearable. There is a bit of a rut mid album where a few of the songs get a bit campy but besides these tracks Finger Eleven put together a solid album. For the first time since 2003 the group is attempting to not devote all of their resources into packaging a single. Sure, a couple tracks like Living in a Dream do try to capitalize off the catchiness of their previous single, Paralyzer. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it falls short of true 5 star material.

Living In A Dream
Living In A Dream

But past all this there is markedly more substance to the album. Life Turns Electric is alive with interesting hooks even in the mid-tier songs. This is a collection of fun music that remains engaging and likable. The band has sworn to take more time to produce their tracks and the improvement does show. Still, in the interest of their legacy, I’d recommend taking an extra year for their next outing.