NO-FI "MAGAZINE"
presents
HOW TO STRIP FOR YR MUSIC REVIEWS!
This is a re-release of an early lo-fi project by Ben of Death Cab For Cutie from 1999 and I've actually found myself liking it much more than his bigger work. Perhaps it is the lo-fi guitars, cheesy keyboard beats, or Ben's smooth, yet unsure, voice which gives it a definite "please discover me" kind of feel. It hooks you right from the beginning with "Plans Get Complex" a song about how you thing you're going to lead your life a certain way until age gets in the way of everything. Also including on the CD is a funny quicktime music video of "Plans Get Complex" with Ben in England getting all sexually frustrated from all the examples of open sexuality he sees in the UK. Definitely one of the best videos I've seen in a long time...and he doesn't do that "raise the roof" thing you see in every video on Mtv. Get this CD for a nice drive through the countryside, but don't forget to brush your teeth first!
First off I am very impressed by the cool fold out sleeve that this CD comes in. Nice artwork and striking use of silver ink on brick-red cardstock (hey, I'm a designer, what can I say?). This isn't your typical band lineup. You got drums and the occasional guitar, but up front are a cello, contrabass, and violin. It all comes together great too. The album moves from seemingly dark seriousness to playfulness with each track. I could imagine them playing these songs 50 years from now and they would still be good since there is a timelessness to their sound. My only quirp with the album is that I wish that Madigan went off a little more with her voice, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't sound great. Get this album for a gray day at the beach. The water may be too cold, but it's still fun to run your bare toes through the sand.
From New York comes three girls and a guy in a band and it's not a sitcom...but it could be... The opening notes of "The Race" on this new CD draw me in right away. I'm not fully drawn in, though, until I hear the chorus of "Not My Valentine" (I wish we had this CD when we did our valentines episode of No-Fi "Radio"). I have a feeling that although it all sounds good, that something may not be translating from their live version. There are definitely strong elements of each song I like a lot, but the studio process may have dampened the sound a little bit by a little overpolishing. You can tell they would sound great live, though. But, hey, this is still a good album. If this album and the latest album by HOLE were on the edge of a volcano and you could only choose one, you would choose this one without any hesitation (and probably kick the other one down as you leave while throwing this one in your walkman).
Taking their name from a Kama Sutra position, the first song on this album blows you to the back of the room right away with its chants of "Consume! Consume!" The next track "ice age" keeps you hooked and kind-of reminds me of a better version of The Get Up Kids. The third and forth tracks "Shame" and "Sidewalk" are so-so, but they hook you back in with the Pixies-esque guitar of "Fin Del Dia." By the 6th track, you are a little more used to them and just sit back and enjoy the rest taking the good with the "ok." The CD artwork is interesting and they include the lyrics which is always a bonus and you can read it to the rest of your class and claim it was a poem you wrote for your homework assignment. Get this one for your next scuba diving trip.
Most bands I hear, I usually know if I love or hate within a minute or less. I liked this demo from Docter, but it actually got better after a couple listens. They are almost like musical caffeine and now I find myself sort of addicted to this short e.p. - especially the first two songs- "Ride" and "Firecracker". I find myself singing the "Firecracker" lyrics in my head an awful lot- "I'm gonna look deep in your eyes, like it's a dream, like the first time...Can you bring me love, I'll bring you flowers...I feel a change coming, change coming soon. I'm gonna take you when I go to the moon. Don't wanna be your friend, I wanna be your firecracker!" Whoo- sounds good to me; I want someone to be my firecracker now! They seem to enjoy making abrupt soft to loud changes, which sort of interrupts the flow, but it sounds like that is exactly what they intend to do. And I actually like it. It's like a spider web- they silently lure you in and then they ensnare you for a kill.
To be honest, I don't really get into this CD until halfway thru with the excellent "She's A Thief" which I can definitely imagine cracking regular radio if they get the word out there. It's like they switch styles halfway through the album...saving the best stuff for last instead of what most bands do which is put their first 2 or 3 good songs up first then make you wade through the muck for the rest of the album. The next track after 'thief' is called "All Alone" and it's great too. I can relate to the vocals on "Old Speaker Wire" from personal experience. The last track "Radiate" sounds like Lenny Kravitz meets Fugazi. This band recently changed it's name from Twig due to the other bands named Twig out there and I suspect they are in the middle of developing a new sound for themselves if this CD is any evidence. Get this one for robot wrangling on a Sunday afternoon.
So you're sitting there in bed looking at your Pixies collection and thinking, "Ahhh...this is the life. I have every Pixies album released. How cool am I?" Well, you better get outta your jammies and get yourself to your local record shop cuz here's something that you probably don't have... Back in the day before they released their first E.P. "Come On Pilgrim," the Pixies had a 17 song demo (known as "The Purple Tape") from which they chose the songs that would end up on 'Pilgrim.' Finally the rest of the songs from that demo have been released here on this new/old CD. Most are songs we've all heard before, but not like this. I personally have never heard "Rock A My Soul" and the version presented here of "Subbacultcha" is actually an early combination of itself and "Distance Equals Rate Times Time." Crazy! Anyway, there are 9 songs on this CD and it's a must-have for any respectable Pixies fan. I think the people at the record store will be ok if you show up in your bunny slippers.
This CD is nothing short of gorgeous. It's truly lovely. Some of the drumming and guitar work reminds me of The Red House Painters (gee- can I mention RHP enough this month?) Then toss in a little Slowdive and This Mortal Coil (that is a HUGE compliment by the way) and Beachwood Sparks and thus is a taste of the beauty of The Six Parts Seven. That said, this is an instrumental band and I can't help saying that I often wished some vocals and lyrics might chime in now and again. Don't get me wrong- I am a fan of Indie instrumental music- like Bowery Electric, The Rachel, The Dirty Three, etc., etc.- I just thought it would be awfully lovely to hear some singing in there as well and preferably a female. But I do I love how The Six Parts Seven tosses in some beautiful subtle slide guitar- and not in the manner of so many Indie bands these days- going for the overly popular Indie Country sound- but more like a sweet Hawaiian Tropic vacation sound. I can almost smell the orchids. Yummy. I love it.
Wow- God and Buddha and Goddess bless this band! I just cannot sing the praises of Vaportrail enough! Whew! I want to just crawl up and live deeply inside of their songs! When I die-I want to go and be every groove on their CDs. Sheer Paradise. The lead singer, Roger Anderson's voice is so very soft and soothing- he'd be the perfect voice to have read you a bedtime story. The lyrics are such that anyone can relate to- most of them like romantic love letters from a shy and slightly awkward soul. They are the words we all wish we could so eloquently say to our soul mates or loves lost. And the ones not dealing with love are beautifully encouraging of a new space age world- a fresh dawning for all tired and lost souls. Vaportrail is a perfect seducing, love making, candles burning band to listen to- as the music and lyrics sweep you away to a world we all wish existed- it reaches so high and far- to something unearthly and immortal and peaceful and affectionate and caressing. Grab your loved one tight, turn out all lights, burn glowing candles, light some incense and breathe deeply- let this gorgeous ride take you over- you can trust it, it won't leave you disappointed. It will stay with you and interweave a sensual beauty into your heart and mind. Perhaps it should come with my personal warning: "you may find some very intense emotions you have long lost or were scared to ever find in the first place". When it comes to any art form- I am the type of person who looks for something to sweep me away- far away from this all too often crushing world. It can be a movie, a song, a painting, a play- but if in the end I have a hard time rejoining the "real" world because it has created a natural drug that is a lovely temporary escape- I know I have found something truly worthy of my time. For example- if it is funny and sarcastic or so rocking hard -you forget all about your lame job or boss or making you feel not so alone in your lifetime of pain or anger, or if it is dreamy and talking to your hidden soul, or if it is poppy powerful-so catchy and beautiful- you can't get it out of your head- all of these things are great art to me. Vaportrail does this so flawlessly in the dreamy, passionate sense-and they make it sound so easy because it flows and enfolds you- you may question who you were before the experience of letting it overtake your spirit. Give into this hypnotic beauty- you will feel like you have meet your best friend or true love in this all-encompassing slow core/moody enchantment. I dare you actually- to slow down and relax and shut your eyes and give yourself completely to the trustworthy hands of Vaportrail- like a lover kissing your hand, ears, neck- touching the deepest parts of you that you may deny or be scared of. 
When I first saw the press picture that came with this CD, I said, "Who the hell are these jackasses?" Seriously, I did. Ask Holly-tron. So I wait a few days...fuming about the silly man in the silly Pippi Longstocking wig in the picture and finally throw it in for a listen. The music is actually not that bad. Kinda like a cross between Sonic Youth and Sex Gang Children, but that is my first problem with this record (I pretty much HATE Sex Gang Children! Well, hate is a strong word since I'd listen to them if I had a gun to my head). Anyway, the song titles are all pretty interesting with songs called "Period Face," "She Stole My Astronaut," and "Dead Celebrities Are Dead," but the songs themselves never live up to the titles. In my opinion it's due to the singing and that in itself is more of a preference thing since I'm just not into it, but the music itself is great. Maybe I'll throw this into Quin's karaoke stereo, remove the vocals, and make up my own lyrics.
