h
Heartworms-During
(Pop Factory)
The Heartworms are back with their second full-length and I couldn’t be happier. Archie Moore and gal pal Trish Roy have returned with an armload of pop-kissed sweetness. 11 tracks of ethereal melodies make up During and although I hate to make a comparison, I have to say that The Heartworms are a dreamier, less shambly Pastels (perhaps the likening comes from the Archie and Trish’s alternating vocals). It’s a brilliant record, but I didn’t expect anything less. (DW)
Hum-Downward Is Heavenward
(RCA)
Champaign, IL's Hum has this
wonderful penchant for combining the most heartfelt of lyrics with
the angriest of accompaniment. Four albums in and vocalist/guitarist
Matt Talbot finds that there's still a lot out there to love, hate,
feel frustrated with, and downright enjoy. He's got a lot of issues
surely and luckily for us, he's in a band--voyeurs we are indeed.
And Downward Is Heavenward may very
well be the album to make these lovable Midwestern boys superstars.
They'll never become jaded by fame, nor will they sacrifice their
music to achieve success. And that is precisely why Hum are one of
the best bands out there. But the band's strength doesn't lie solely
with Talbot. Guitarist Tim Lash may be considerably younger than the
rest of the band, yet you'd never know it by listening to him
play-he's better than most guitarists out there-trust me. And the
rhythm section of Bryan St. Pere (drums) and Jeff Dimpsey (bass)
provide the depth that make each track sound so powerful.
With Hum, you can tell the music
means a lot to them-every song is honest and genuine. And when a band
put that much effort into their releases, you know it's got to be
worth it.(DW)
j
June of 44-Four Great
Points
(Quarterstick)
Four Great Points is June of 44's
third masterful album (fourth release overall) and it successfully
continues on in meshing an artistic aesthetic with a not-so-typical
yet quite typical, punk rock formula. And this comes as no surprise,
for mainman Jeff Mueller was a member of Louisville underground
heroes Rodan. But unlike the band's other various offshoots (most
specifically Jason Noble's Rachels), this sounds the most like Rodan.
Yet to assume that Mueller has not evolved, it to assume wrongly. Not
only do June of 44 (w/Sean Meadows of Sonora Pine, Fred Erskine
ex-Hoover, and Doug Scharin of Rex) fuse classical with rock styling
(Of Information and Belief), they also incorporate a little bit of
dub into their work (Lifted Bells) and experiment with a typewriter
for instrumentation (Air #22). The band also continue to top
themselves with each release, for Four Great Points is, by far, their
greatest effort to date. Let's just face it, Jeff Mueller is a
musical genius-let's all revel in his
accomplishments.(DW)
l
Libido-S/T
(Velvel)
The finest in English pop. That's the
easiest way to describe the debut lp from this promising trio. Only
Libido aren't from England, they're from Norway. But they live in
London, which probably has a lot to do with their sound. They're
brightly melodic, not mundane, not Oasis-ed out, and highly
addictive. They don't sound as if they're trying to hard, they're so
far away from pretentious (not that pretense is a fault), and they
could really be this year's superstars if the right people get a hold
of this album. So all you anglophiles out there and even you adorers
of fine pop, seek out this record now. You'll be happy you did once
everyone starts talking about it.(DW)
Lo-Fidelity Allstars-How To Operate With A Blown Mind
(Skint)
Lo-Fidelity Allstars is one of Britain’s greatest assets right now. The Brighton combo incorporates a techno ethic with an indie attitude and the effect is one of sheer brilliance. Essentially they’re dance music, but it’s a sort that appeals to the masses—even the most jaded trainspotters. Their 11 track debut long player combines hints of hip-hop, soul and funk with basic guitar stylings. Name a genre and they’ve got a bit of it in there. They’re simply amazing. And US A&R folks…sign this band already.(DW)
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