"EVP Sounds That Make You Shiver & Shake!"
I don't personally review a lot of solo artists here in No-Fi "Magazine", because I prefer to focus on the music I like rather than tearing down up-and-comers (even when they deserve to be torn down which is a pretty strong statement from me). Plus it is easier to "spread the blame" through an entire band than to tell somebody, "Hey, I don't like what you're doing." In Ethan Daniel Davidson's newest EP, I find it easier to review because while I don't like some of the song styles (blues or country rock is a personal no-go with me), I do like the spirit behind the songs and there are a few good tunes in here that don't fall in some of the genres I dislike. There is some controversial stuff here too and I hope it get's heard by a lot of people because he puts things in a perspective that you never get to hear in the mainstream media these days. My favorite track on this EP is the most controversial of all, "Terrorist" and it lays out the similarities between the people fighting in Isreal and Palistine is a very bold way that no radio station in the states would even touch. It is very different from the rest of the songs on this album with electronic beats and spoken word vocals. So, I'm impossibly far from being won over to the country/blues rock genre, I think that Ethan is a very capable singer songwriter and I think with more genre hopping songs, he will be far better known than he is so far.
Like Atom And His Package and Creekbird, Brandon Adamson sings along to self programed synthisized music. While he may not have the experience of those one-man-bands, the songs on this album still have their charm...if not a little bit long at times. You get the idea right away with the first track "Outer Space", lo-fi keyboards with pretty melodies that seem like they could fall apart at any time, but seem to keep it together for most of the song. Brandon's vocals can only closely be compared to Rivers Cuomo, had he realized how empty Weezer had become and decided to chuck it all for a couple keyboards and a tape recorder. The songs really can get monotonous at times. They just don't change very much. The title track "Springtime In Paris" is a good example of this. My favorite song on the album is "Moving Day", but even that one could use a bit more. (No-Fi "Radio" program director) Quin put it best when he said that this album is cheesy, but almost cheesy in a good way. We both agree that we'd definitely play some of these tracks on No-Fi "Radio" so there you go. Plus both Quin and I listened to this ALL the way through the first time we put into the CD player so there is something there...maybe the next album will hit that level that this one almost reaches. Worth listening to, but I'd like to hear more from this guy...maybe experimenting with the sound a bit more, Brandon's next album will be better. 
The first track on this CD is very accessible meaning that it's easy to listen to and even easier to forget. It's not bad, these guys are even good musicians and they have good voices, but it's just like all the other songs you hear out there. Dwine comes from Sweden and is clearly influenced by American music and in a sense they make pop music a little better, they just need to loosen up a bit. I really like this band's use of keyboards. Track 4 on the EP "Maybe not" starts out with a Grandaddyesque synthesizer, but then when you hear the vocals you think...maybe not. Then the last song "Mirrortalk (Before the Robbery)" starts off really quiet and then gets really loud. OH and hey!!! There's a secret song that could be clasified as an outro and it's very pretty and the best part of the album.
Sometimes you can judge a book by a cover, and while that can suprisingly be very true in the music world, it's very true in the case of this album...and luckily it's a good thing for them AND us. The first thing I thought when I got this CD in the mail a week ago is that I like the CD art. The music inside is even better. The Henchmen are a true garage band who you can tell would be really exciting to see live. The first track on this CD "Perpetuate The Continuance" starts off rockin just the way I like it when it comes to that garage sound. It flows seamlessly into the second track "Mike In The Middle" which has some nice guitar work and progressions. This band really needs some go-go dancers. Maybe they have some already. I think the sound lays somewhere between The Cramps and The Oblivions and those are some heavy acts to follow, much less stand in between. I really like the keyboards in all the songs. Very cool stuff. I may just have to see if this band wants to play live on No-Fi "Radio" sometime. Get this album for your next burlesque party!
I love getting CDs like this because it's different from a lot of the other stuff. The first track reminds me of something that would be on the "From Dusk TIll Dawn" soundtrack. Then it changes on the next one with an upbeat country tune called "Pretend". This song sets the pace for the rest of the album and rminds me alot of Camper Van Beethoven and The Ol' 97's. Chris says it reminds him of the emo version of the Country Bear Jamboree wearing flannel and beards on top of their bear beards. I really love the song "Devil", it's fast and bluesy at the same time...kinda like George Thorogood And The Destroyers meets Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds. If you enjoy the country tunes with the rock, then pick it up for a bar-b-que with your hillbilly friends.
I love this CD a lot. It's all so pretty and good, and exactly the kind of thing I want to hear. When i listen i hear bits of Belle And Sebastian, The Church and Love. The mood is dark and sad, but still very full and beautiful. This is also one of those albums where the cover fits perfectly with the music. It's black and white with an old photograph of a ghostly looking girl, probably about to make her first communion.
This EP takes me back to all the stuff i didn't listen to in the early 90's... like Taylor Dane and Lisa Stansfield and the wide array of VH-1 divas. I just really had a hard time getting into this and didn't find it very intersting. The lyrics are incrdibly bizarre, and for some reason that actually turned me off. The one song on here that i found to be the most tolerable was the third track "Bye Dad". But directly after that one is the last track "One Lost Sperm (remix)". That's right, they remixed the first track on the EP. I HATE remixes. And this one is no exception. So if you own all of Lisa Stansfield's albums then you might as well add this one to your collection too.
I've been holding onto this CD for way too long and I have to let you know about it. This is a young man by the name of Will Sartain. Some of the tunes are pretty upbeat and others a somber. His voice is sincere and nice and I love his lyrics. "Face Against the Glass" reminds a bit of a Beck song but i can't put my finger on what. The third track "The Piano Song" is really pretty and slows things down alot. I love the instruments on "Coma". My favorite song on here is "The Keyboard Song" but every song on this CD is realy good. Watch out for this guy, because you are sure to see more of him. He's young and talented and he's going places.
This band comes out of Nashville, Tennessee and the CD is quite punkish from start to finish. You can hear the influence of old punk bands as well as a hint of Babes In Toyland and Red Aunts. By listening to it you wouldn't think of Nashville. My favorite tracks are "Someone I Used to Love", "Lame Excuses" and "Look Them Over". There is alot of energy that comes through in the recordings and the band is really super tight. And I love the album cover. It has a picture of a maniquin wearing a Trauma Team t-shirt and holding a radio with lips and the band photo inside features some great facial expressions. Get this one to rock out in your car to.Send Tapes, CDs, or Demos to: For any other information, E-Mail Chris Beyond at the link below.
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