Disc Reviews
by Max Ink Staff Writers
Venice Gas House Trolley - When In Rome (WI) (Live)
Venice Gas House Trolley
Album Title: When In Rome (WI) (Live)
By Larry Bush
Posted: Dec 2012
Label: self-released
(1141) Page Views
This live effort from Madison-based group, Venice Gas House Trolley, lends an ever-expanding and eclectic listen for musicians and the casual fan alike. Packed with psychedelic soundscapes and boundary exploring arrangements, it hangs its hat on constantly diverting from normative musical behavior, while also providing enough hooks and thick grooves to keep your head bobbing. The group’s mood switches seamlessly from the garage to the festival stage, with an ever-winding trail between the two. Within the 10-plus minutes of the sprawling, “Brain Cells Are Invisible>Didyaseewhatisaw>Brain Cells (Reprise)>Through The Parking Lot Of Silver Spangled Darkness>Whadawedonow Chant>Parking Lot (Reprise)”, we hear the band embrace tones similar to Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade while also inducing sound collages that summon the Butthole Surfers and musical breaks reminiscent of early Mothers Of Invention compositions. On “Japanese House>Streetlamps (Reprise)”, vocalist Adam Gregory Pergament (aka Flowpoetry) mixes Captain Beefheart-tinged poetry with a vocal timbre closely-linked to Frank Zappa’s crooning on “Muffin Man”. Combining multiple styles with unique instrumental prowess, VGHT waves its sonic wand to explain that while in Rome, they did as few modern acts do, and in the process have delivered a live effort which grabs our attention and mangles musical boundaries.
Venice Gas House Trolley Online
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I Am Dragon - The Lucky Ones
I Am Dragon
Album Title: The Lucky Ones
By Larry Bush
Posted: Dec 2012
Label: self-released
(1619) Page Views
I am Dragon wants us to have one hell of a good time. Their 8 track EP, “The Lucky Ones”, cuts the air with big-time riff rock, sing-along choruses, and hook after hook of rock and roll debauchery. The group also mixes electronic elements into their work to create quirky and super groovy tones. On “New Rocks”, keyboardist Luke Crary presents a tasteful ambience as the canvas for a driving band to paint upon, with Jon Stover slicing through with vintage tones and extended lead work. The track’s tasteful solo eventually cascades into a bridge dripping with progressive ambition, which culminates in a dynamic build-back to IaD’s fist-pumping calling card. A tight-knit rhythm section shines on, “No Reward is Worth This”, as bassist Dustin Skelley and drummer Andy Christoffersen split time between syncopation and mirrored fills, in perfect harmony. The release touches the listener’s palate in a variety of ways, from high-gain punk-influenced riffing to subtle and melodic piano work, providing a wide range of timbres to choose from. Dragon has come out of Blast House Studios with an extremely polished and ambitious release, showing that they are a unit with big ideas and a huge sound to match them. The EP is set for release in early 2013 with a release party at The Frequency and a supporting Midwest tour on the horizon. I am Dragon has crafted a raucous EP for head-bangers to latch onto, providing an effort which makes each listener The Lucky One, indeed.
I Am Dragon Online
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Halestorm - The Strange Case Of…
Halestorm
Album Title: The Strange Case Of…
By Sal Serio
Posted: Nov 2012
Label: Atlantic
(1537) Page Views
Still spunky, headstrong, and completely in-your-face, Lzzy Hale and Halestorm are back with both guns blazing on their second major-label release “The Strange Case Of…”. The CD blasts off to the mosh-pit stratosphere with “Love Bites (So Do I)” and it’s relentlessly brutal tempo that teeters on the edge of hardcore, but is balanced by it’s catchy chorus and Lzzy’s trademark tough and tantalizing vocal.
I don’t think anyone would confuse Lzzy for being a fragile, sensitive, “pretty girl”, but this disc seems to be on a mission to make sure everyone knows she’s a badass. Not only is the overall sound and attitude of this release as aggressive as anything the mostly-male metal crowd could create, but the lyrics assure there’s no confusion that Lzzy is 100% in control, and this creative endeavor was made solely on her terms. The songs “Freak Like Me” and “You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing” drive that point home unapologetically.
I’m a little confused why Halestorm is playing such a small venue on their return visit to Madison, but lucky ticket-holders can revel in the glory of the outrageous triple bill of Halestorm, In This Moment, and Eve To Adam at the Majestic Theatre on Wednesday, December 5th. Next time, come back to a bigger room so more fans can get their fix!
Halestorm Online
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Mark Knopfler - Privateering
Mark Knopfler
Album Title: Privateering
By John Noyd
Posted: Oct 2012
Label: Universal
(1994) Page Views
Steering steadily through American roots including hobo boogie, rock-a—billy bop and honky-tonk blues, “Privateering,” is ironically available only as an import.Devoted guitarist, the Dire Straits statesman’s latest journey tackles twenty songs in a double disc he wrote, plays and produces. Sheparding his own crack band with talented guests, Knopfler’s nimble pickin’, whiskey-tinged whispers and casual narratives flower, growl and shine in duffle-bag shuffles, backroom ballads and wistful mariner’s shanties, balancing bayou grooves and sly venting between ruminating kudos and pensive remembering. Arriving with a full electric band and a hour plus set Mark tours beside Bob Dylan playing Madison’s Alliant Energy Center November 5th, St Paul’s Xcel Energy Center November 7th then Milwaukee’s Bradley Center and Chicago’s United Center November 8th and 9th.
Mark Knopfler Online
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Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra - Theater is Evil
Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra
Album Title: Theater is Evil
By John Noyd
Posted: Oct 2012
Label: 8ft Records
(1785) Page Views
Bristling riffs lifts chiseled riddles riding roller coaster explosions between sumptuous lunges, staunch romps and inventive interventions. Subversive purrs turn from personal murmurs into grand slam grandstanding as hauntingly gothic bohemia grows deeper and steamier in the hands of former Dresden Dall, renegade blogger Amanda Palmer. “Evil,” seethes and seizes; operatic cataclysms and catechism cynicism blend wrenching emotional tensions into fascinating ballads and exasperating cabaret, tempting redemptions write caustic subplots through pop-rock pirouettes for lavish, upbeat burlesque as each tune her Grand Theft Orchestra conquers saunters in jaunty confidence, clamoring in clandestine providence as intimate details emerge in coy rejoicing and brazen games. Fresh off the European leg of their world tour Amanda and her band of artful dodgers play Milwaukee’s Turner Hall November 11th
Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra Online
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Matt and Kim - Lightning
Matt and Kim
Album Title: Lightning
By John Noyd
Posted: Oct 2012
Label: FADER
(2157) Page Views
Hyperbolic schmaltz trimmed in punk-pop pow and shouted from the rooftop vocals, the home-studio, self-produced, “Lightning,” flashes athletic treasures from intrepid Brooklynites wielding an almost eerie ability to get to the point. Raw, muscular pep-rally punch chews enthusiastically on funky hip-hop blocks, hook-filled indie-rock and gleeful collegiate moxie as the duo concentrate on succinct synths, robust percussion and restless messages delivering unabashed crashes and colliding calliope mash-ups in an exhaustively polished mosh-pit road-trip from head to heart and back again. Talented battlers, Matt and Kim’s blunt stunts come subtly accompanied by shiny sonic details; calculated grooves, candied candor and dynamic dazzle contribute to the disc’s compact dashes, bubbly rumbles and sequined sequences. The pair plays Milwaukee’s Rave November 8th along with fellow left-field rocker Oberhofer
Matt and Kim Online
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Aimee Mann - Charmer
Aimee Mann
Album Title: Charmer
By John Noyd
Posted: Oct 2012
Label: SuperEgo
(3130) Page Views
Consistently meticulous, sprinkled with wisely concise advice, Mann’s character-driven parables unravel psychoanalytical salvos through a tidy Midas touch. Framing ungainly stations in irony and sympathy rolled together as revealing verses and not unkind choruses map the heroic ascent and inevitable fall we all have experienced, “Charmer,” calmly categorizes in safe house harmonies, delicious jig-saw solid lyricism supported by genuine rapport, clever retorts and savvy happiness. Modest impishness rises from aloof moods addicted to sun-baked heartache, detached backlashes adept in spinning webs of hip wit and long-term retaliation, the California transplant transports imploring metaphors. Wisconsin gets two chances to catch Aimee on tour this time around as she plays Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater November 11th and then circles back to Stoughton’s Stoughton Opera House on November 16th.
Aimee Mann Online
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Field Music - Plumb
Field Music
Album Title: Plumb
By John Noyd
Posted: Oct 2012
Label: Memphis Industries
(2007) Page Views
Fifteen knotty little tunes stuffed with swift kicks, crocheted riffs and hairpin turns, the compact, “Plumb” plummets from Olympic summits toppling punchy, prog-pop grandeur into dive-bombing whammy bars nestled in dreamy Disney strings, waterfall choirs and mischievous literacy. A follow-up to their sprawling double-disc “(Measure),“the fourth album from these British wizards returns to the supple adjustments, abrupt constructions and electric delicacy of their first two releases adding satin cinematic factors to their hot, art-rock hooks, stuttering funk and teasing falsetto. Imagine Yes and 10 c.c. collaborating in two minute intervals, condensing unmentionable eloquence from edgy head-trips, sculpting regal demeanor from evocative monsters. Nimbly swinging military operas prickling with hip-swiveling opinions, FM pumps rhythmic pistons in cat-like grace, always landing on its feet with syncopated dignity.
Field Music Online
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Convoy - Blue Collar America
Convoy
Album Title: Blue Collar America
By Sal Serio
Posted: Sep 2012
Label: Swamp Rock Music
(2505) Page Views
Man, I sometimes long for the days when music truly moved me and meshed seamlessly with my sensibilities… the kind of rock that didn’t need over-analysis, and just made me want to bust an ear-to-ear grin and raise my fist in the air. Music that connects with one’s nether regions, if you get that. Needless to say, I am SO happy I found Convoy! These guys play the rock that satisfies my soul, and their new CD “Blue Collar America” is just what the doctor ordered!
Hailing from Westmont, IL, Convoy formed in 2009 around the riff-heavy songs of singer Brian Corbin, anchored to the beat by the rock solid rhythm section of “Big D” Dan Thompson on bass and wildman drummer Mike Getz. Convoy is rounded off by uber-talented musician Johnny Daniels on lead guitar. I hope they stick around for many years to come, because their first couple CDs show a ton of promise, and “Blue Collar America” is a true-blue hard rock masterpiece!
The songs are about booze, parties, cars, girls, and the military. Stand-out tracks are “Damage Done” & “Need For Speed”, but really the whole disc kicks butt from start to finish. Thank goodness Convoy hasn’t forgotten that rock ‘n roll is supposed to be FUN!
Convoy Online
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Efterklang - Piramida
Efterklang
Album Title: Piramida
By John Noyd
Posted: Sep 2012
Label: 4AD
(1596) Page Views
Named after an abandoned mining colony perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle; “Piramida,” upgrades Danish trio Efterklang from agile art-rock intellects to unabashedly compassionate soul-catchers. The tightly-knitted outfit battles deep-seated ennui with altered electro-acoustics and micro-processed music, subtly manipulating field recordings from an on-site visit into sleek, otherworldly creatures. Stoic vocals focus quiet, kind-hearted care among subtle, understated despair as muted gloom and computer grooves braid icy programmed gloss around math-jazz pitter-patter, drums and bass sandwiched between gilded brass and calculated chasms of subsonic tectonics and wiggling widgets. Chilled post-rock thrills carpet sun-starved tundra in existential trenches and melodramatic castles; thawing memories waking fidgety sympathies inside slumbering wonder while amniotic dawns break from writhing tides of swirling space-age bravery facing handsome post-industrial phantoms
Efterklang Online
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Calexico - Algiers
Calexico
Album Title: Algiers
By John Noyd
Posted: Sep 2012
Label: ANTI
(1743) Page Views
A change of scenery from their native Arizona, “Algiers,” was recorded in the New Orleans’ district that bears the album’s name. Still, border-town tonics, fleet-footed fandangos and forlorn matadors inform the band’s cinematic core and literary visions. Crisp riffs dipped in mariachi brass, soothing grooves rippling in smoky twang and melodic empathy from roaming baritones; Calexico juxtaposes honored promises alongside foolish rebukes and bright advice beside stormy warnings as accurate character sketches marry unbridled pride from stabled stallions to unconfessed regrets from disbelieving seekers. Calming balm for weary travelers prowling speak-easy cantinas and moon-lit misfits pitted in dog and pony rodeos, “Algiers,” provides tempered redemption to troubled hearts and cornered souls. Calexico plays Chicago’s Lincoln Hall October 15th and Minneapolis’ Fine Line Café October 16th.
Calexico Online
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Freelance Whales - Diluvia
Freelance Whales
Album Title: Diluvia
By John Noyd
Posted: Sep 2012
Label: Frenchkiss
(1375) Page Views
A sophomore discourse birthed while non-stop touring promoting their debut, “Diluvia,” is a happily agitated effort orbiting multi-layered contortions of twittering electronics, waltzing harmonics and percussive shuffles. Lyrical alt-rock lullabies fire a mythical sci-fi tale depicting flickering voyagers blissfully drifting into reflective trajectories, purring journeymen seeking peace-keeping equilibrium through calming cadence imbedded in sumptuous comforts. Embroiled chorals guiding tentative sentiments, the Queens-based quintet’s heartbeat-metered breezes blow through joyful noises, gurgling uncertainties and languid plaintive mayhem.. Floating in hopeful limbo, somersaulting through mile-high calliopes and swimming in traipsing relay races wrapped in upbeat dream-pop glazes, ” Diluvia,” flows in radiant cascades of unobtrusive acoustics and soft-spoken cajoling, trippy contrapuntal tunnels caging syncopated dangers.. FW plays Madison’s Redamte Coffee House October 6th along with soulful cybertronic rockers Geographer.
Freelance Whales Online
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