Disc Reviews
by Max Ink Staff Writers
Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends
Portugal. The Man
Album title: Evil Friends
By John Noyd
Posted: Jun 2013
Label: Atlantic
(1469) Page Views
Always willing to go wherever their creative muse leads, P.TM’s seventh release refines the band’s endless pursuit to combine conflicting whims within opposing forces. Tight-rope walkers perched between introspective reflection and extroverted actions, their trademark psychedelic folk-rock blues gets molded with more focus under Danger Mouse’s sterling production but loses none of its enthusiastic compassion, earnest confusion or uncompromising fire. Outcasts and pariahs take center stage in the sinister symphonic sing-alongs and sizzling sympathetic monologues as, “Evil,” delivers angry hooks, wild jams and glorious choruses in what should be a mine-field of over-blown bravado and artsy anarchy but instead is a devilishly edgy treasure of finely-tuned grooves and full-throttled polish. An explosive live act, P.TM visits Milwaukee’s Pabst June 21st along with the spectacular Guards.
Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
Youth Lagoon
Album title: Wondrous Bughouse
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: Fat Possum
(1677) Page Views
Quantum leaps beyond his previous release’s evocative bedroom-studio starkness, “Bughouse” opens the floodgates and inhabits a pitch-controlled palace of retractable passages, ghostly alcoves and hoarders’ hallways. Distorted euphoria wrapped in muffled puzzles, Youth Lagoon’s demonic harmonics layer emotional commotion inside malleable galleries of demented gremlins as deposed gizmos overthrow careening machinery for narcoleptic epics harboring garbled marvels and cathartic sparkles. Flirting from séances to circuses; palsied waltzes, gurgling sermons and phantom anthems traipse between blazing, lazered glazes and lumbering pixie-dusted slumbering while woozy cartoon calliopes and over-stocked music boxes dodge a delectable hodgepodge of fluid confusions rippling in mind-bending splendor. Dive in head-first when YL plays Madison’s Majestic Theater May 16th. Opening for him is low-key, electro-soul dream-weaver Majical Cloudz, debuting the soothingly moody, “Impersonator.”
Camper Van Beethoven - La Costa Perdida
Camper Van Beethoven
Album title: La Costa Perdida
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: 429 Records
(2543) Page Views
For a band who recorded a song-for-song tribute to “Tusk,” it would not be a far stretch to imagine “Perdida” as Camper Van Beethoven’s “Hotel California.” The former West Coast non-conformists wax and warble in wry, disguised ironies tackling bodega-flavored ballads, psycho-groovy blues and gypsy-whipped whimsy for premeditated mayhem held in check by winsome wisdom, tender benders and nostalgic narratives. Hemp-stoked, hickory-smoked, and pining for a paradise lost, CVB’s space-cowboy plaintiffs, wilted trailer-park angels and disenfranchised skater-punk apostles voice a dreamy cheekiness peppered in goofy truths and jaded depravity as smarmy swamis and cantina carnies reveal innocence upended; humanity’s fringe cast out and left to fester. In a rare double-bill alongside CVB singer David Lowery’s other band, Cracker, Camper lands in Madison’s Majestic Theater May11th.
Jimi Hendrix - People, Hell And Angels
Jimi Hendrix
Album title: People, Hell And Angels
By Sal Serio
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: Experience Hendrix / Legacy
(1456) Page Views
When an artist as innovative and revered as guitarist Jimi Hendrix passes away at a young age, the obvious question always is: “What if?”, meaning, what would the musician have done next, had he lived? The beauty of recent releases by the family owned Experience Hendrix group is that we get a glimpse into Jimi’s vision, in the form of unreleased studio recordings. Longtime Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer makes these archival gems shine as if they had just been committed to tape recently, rather than 40+ years ago.
As compared to material recorded with the Jimi Hendrix Experience trio, most of this new set shows Jimi getting back to his black roots, with more swing to the beat (primarily provided by late drummers Buddy Miles or Mitch Mitchell) and an overall increased sense of soul/R&B to the rhythms (ex: “Bleeding Heart” & “Izabella”). Two songs feature horns and soul singers, dramatically increasing this effect - “Let Me Move You” is a loose studio jam featuring saxophonist/vocalist Lonnie Youngblood, and “Mojo Man” was recorded at Muscle Shoals by the Ghetto Fighters, lead by singer Albert Allen. Both songs employ keyboards, another element not typically found on Hendrix records.
Other highlights include studio songs recorded by the Gypsy Sun & Rainbows band that Jimi debuted at Woodstock, literally ten days after that iconic performance. Army buddies Larry Lee on rhythm guitar and Billy Cox on bass allow Jimi a heightened comfort level and foundation over which to employ his six-string experimentation. The deluxe-edition CD also includes a 20 minute studio jam titled “Ezy Ryder/MLK Jam (Captain Coconut)” where Hendrix & Cox go off on unhinged improv anchored by Buddy Miles’ creative use of cowbell as a part of his drum kit.
The Drain - At The Door
The Drain
Album title: At The Door
By Sal Serio
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: The Drain
(1698) Page Views
It’s the Summer of 1988. The Midwest is stuck in a dry, brutally hot stretch of drought and dust. I accelerate my rusted old Buick, driving as fast as I can without drawing unwanted police attention. The windows down, and the stereo blasting out a crisp, snappy beat framed by frantic buzzsaw guitars.
A gathering is in the distance. I draw near and see a makeshift stage with the MTV “120 Minutes” banner drooping from the lighting rig. There’s something oddly familiar about the goofballs onstage, and then the singer’s hair provides clarity. Robert Smith! And the band looks familiar too… the Pixies’ rhythm section… with Daniel Ash and Steve Diggle on guitars! But suddenly I feel like I’m in vortex, being whisked quickly away from this event, like whirling inside an inverted tornado.
It was just a dream. I rub the sand from my eyes and realize that I left The Drain’s CD playing on repeat, and it’s infectious spasmodic soundtrack colored my nocturnal remission. This is no retro trip, yet provides a reminder of music I sorely miss. Throw it on and I dare you to not be drawn in by Justin Polka’s perfect balance of nice/gnarly vocalizations. A crooner with bite, and a band that rocks tight.
The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic - The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic
The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic
Album title: The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic
By Sal Serio
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: Orbit Unlimited Records
(1850) Page Views
Try the latest recipe for a truly heady elixir: equal parts Collyn McCoy (of Otep fame), Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet/The Atomic Bitchwax), and Rick Ferrante (Sasquatch). Shake, chill, swirl, tilt your head back, and pour directly into your ears. Intoxication will be immediate. This strange brew is called The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic.
Another way to describe it would encourage a run-on sentence, like: Head banging psychedelic space jam Hendrix influenced instrumental stoner rock for the lysergic technicolor future. Or, maybe movie imagery mixed with music geek babble would do the trick, so let’s say: sort of like if Hawkwind and Clutch got their DNA scrambled in The Fly’s transporter machine. Get it?
More to the point, if you like solid, hip-swaying grooves with layered guitar pyrotechnics, this is the band for you. What Mundell hinted at when he formed The Atomic Bitchwax as his solo project apart from Monster Magnet, comes more clearly into focus via The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic. Ed’s inspired use of effects and vintage gear, combined with a no-holds-barred fearless attitude toward razor-edged riffing, and his uncanny ability to coax shrieking wails, shivers, and other echoey mutations out of his guitar, puts him into an esteemed class all his own. Jimi smiles!
Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Divine Fits
Album title: A Thing Called Divine Fits
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: Merge Records
(1436) Page Views
A perfect combination of breathless anxiety and bittersweet desire propels the catchy efforts of Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner and New Bomb Turk’s Sam Brown; elevating hungry impatience into tasty time-bombs whose voodoo beats, New Wave bleeps and stripped-down treats bring ecstatic release to pent-up dreams. Framed in casually cagey cool, “Thing,” succeeds when it seems to try the least, an enviable chemistry of laissez-faire despair built from unobtrusive indie-rock maneuvers. A band that obviously enjoys doing what it does, Divine Fits’ resistance to industry hype makes them all that more worthy of genuine adoration, shrugging off the super-group label and getting down to the business of condensing life’s multifaceted appetites into short, sharp, hook-filled joy-rides. DF plays Madison’s Majestic Theater April 3rd.
Jim James - Regions of Light and Sound of God
Jim James
Album title: Regions of Light and Sound of God
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: ATO Records
(1196) Page Views
Based on a 1929 graphic novel detailing an artist’s journey from kindly desires to fame and misfortune; “Regions,” seethes in celestial messages and spiritual suggestions. Cosmic licks from gurgling synths stir modest rock-gospel auras dipped in funky Southern soul as the disc’s mellow electro-secular effects gently build, spill, and blend together in a seamless dreaminess focused on elusive pursuits in a world of yearning impermanence. Playing most of the album’s diverse instruments, James’ transcendent tenderness builds from simple wishes to luminous ruminations to conjure world-weary theater whose choral outpouring begat warms baths of burning concerns and slithery hypnotic epiphanies ringed in restless acceptance. Quietly crafting refreshing confessions dressed in radiant cadence and orchestrated conveyances, the My Morning Jacket front-man visits Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater April 19th.
Charles Walker Band - Relentless
Charles Walker Band
Album title: Relentless
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2013
Label: Ehlona Records
(2730) Page Views
Evolving from its blues roots into its current brand of hair-pin, dance-pop grooves, CWB’s old-school cool unspools pimped-out bounce and pumped-up funk powered by rubber-band bass, kick-ass sax and soulful vocals, Serving up first-class boogie tailored to get-down scoundrels, Milwaukee’s rhythmic ministers’ seventh full-length effort delivers muscle in their message for unrepentant strength to their devilish pleasures, rockin’ foot-loose moves from inner-city sinners and lo-rider vibes for simmering swingers. Hip-grinding heartache turns no-nonsense mandates into silky-smooth, party-hardy booty-shakes as, “Relentless,” placates, eradicates and demonstrates heavenly seventies amenities in form-fitting flash, flirt-worthy sass and trash-talking panache. Catch Walker and company’s steamy teasing hi-energy shows April 6th in Rochester MN and May 4th in Madison WI with stops in between in Racine, Eau Claire, Milwaukee and Chicago.
Mutts - Object Permanence
Mutts
Album title: Object Permanence
By John Noyd
Posted: Apr 2013
Label:
(4011) Page Views
An entirely unplugged affair, the Chicago trio’s third full-length flips the coin on last year’s amped-up companion, “Separation Anxiety,” stripping down to piano, upright bass and drums for a rowdy, rhythmically rich mix of skid row show-boating highlighting biting blues and hootchie-cootchie boogie. Fleshed-out by contributions from This Is Cinema, Hemmingbirds and Lying Deliah, “Permanence,” lurches from sloppy bullfrog bop to crooning juke-joint stomps, spewing nubile truths beneath ragged bar-room ballads while compiling street-wise asides inside scorching carny bargains. Toddling honky-tonk broncos riding grizzled social missiles over melodic boxer’s logic, Mutts’ gruff constructions creep, leap, and enliven, primed in ivory-tickling testifying dancing to rousing vagabond chronicles. Touring this spring throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois, Mutts’ vibrant live shows are not to be missed.
Lita Ford - Living Like A Runaway
Lita Ford
Album title: Living Like A Runaway
By Sal Serio
Posted: Mar 2013
Label: SPV Steamhammer
(1470) Page Views
The queen of arena metal is back! After a long absence from music and a misfire of a comeback CD, the new “Living Like A Runaway” release provides all the elements of classic Lita: big riffs, big hair, big attitude, a big production, and heaping big amounts of scorching guitar and sultry vocals!
Honestly, the beauty of this impressive collection of anthemic rock is an inspired mix of everything awesome about Lita Ford: the energy and pure rock ‘n roll bliss of The Runaways, the simple sex appeal and sing-along choruses of the 80s hits, and a massive modern sound that jumps out of the stereo speakers right in to your lap, like a hungry, runaway ocelot! Welcome back, Lita… and long live the queen!
My favorite tracks? “Hate”, “The Mask”, “Devil In My Head”, the title track… hell, all of them! I hope to hear every single one of these killer new songs when Lita and her band come to the area soon! When, you say? Try this on for size: Saturday, March 30th at the Mississippi Moon Bar in the Diamond Jo Casino, Dubuque, Iowa! I expect to see a solid rock contingency from the South Central region of America’s Dairyland!
Chaos Revolution Theory - Wisconsin Stomp Rock
Chaos Revolution Theory
Album title: Wisconsin Stomp Rock
By Sal Serio
Posted: Mar 2013
Label: Chaos Revolution Theory
(2224) Page Views
I recently caught a live set by local Madison band, Chaos Revolution Theory, and was immediately struck by their bipolar mix of loose/casual “just plug in and go for it” attitude, with a tight, telepathic synergy shared by the three band members. I knew this was a band I should be giving some press to…attention in the way of fly-by-the-seat-of-my pants narrative regarding their latest CD, “Wisconsin Stomp Rock”.
This title is somewhat ironic, since CRT guitarist Nick Stanecki’s swampy reverberated riffs and sexy slide work portray the vibe of musicians from further down south. Maybe Wisconsin swamp rock fits better, to my twisted sensibilities?
This truly is not your typical rock/metal type release. While I find the CD to go down very smoothly as a whole, there are some moments worth individual note. Bowed bass and vibraphone on “Deep” add a sinister intrigue to the already eerie, menacing, slower tempo and ominous lyrics. Although in a different musical mindset, many of these songs leave a Nick Cave or Tom Waits impression via a certain sense of outré, or possibly like if you combined an expressionistic film (say “The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari”) with some weird kinky southern rockabilly akin to the True Blood TV show theme.
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