Part two of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new or reissued wax presently in stores for June, 2016.
NEW RELEASE PICK: Spain, Carolina (Glitterhouse/ Diamond Soul) For his sixth LP as Spain, Josh Haden cites a turn toward Americana/alt-country, and that’s indeed a tangible thing; check the pedal steel-infused “In My Hour” for evidence. But along the way the style branches out farther than one might expect, with “Apologies” providing a highlight through assured soulfulness of voice. In no way has Haden forsaken his established “slowcore” direction, so those digging the old stuff should like this just fine. But neither is he stuck in a holding pattern, and he’s got Danny Frankel and his sister Petra on board. A-
REISSUE PICK: The Scenics, In the Summer (Studio Recordings 1977-1978) (Dream Tower) Highly worthwhile collection of Toronto-based punk-friendly melodic-rock that’s intermittently injected with an era-appropriate nervousness nearer to Ubu than The Feelies. A lot of these late ’70s punkish reissues present bands best suited as local openers for out-of-town headliners, and that’s cool. However, The Scenics were strong enough that had circumstances been different they could’ve toured the continent’s clubs. This album came out in 2015, but it’s getting a fresh push through Light in the Attic. A-
Ben Lukas Boysen, Spells (Erased Tapes) Merging programmed piano pieces with live instrumentation, specifically drums, cello, and harp, Boysen’s second album (at least under his own name, he’s got a bunch more as an electronic producer under the moniker HECQ) should appeal to those with a minimalist inclination, though it consistently avoids the pitfall of background. First single “Golden Times 1” combines an electronic aura with a chamber classical vibe, while “Nocturne 4” works up a sturdy rock-ish beat connections to Boysen’s previous album. Consider me intrigued. B+
James Brown & His Famous Flames, Try Me (Rumble) This is Syd Nathan using Brown’s follow-up hit to “Please Please Please” as a potential sales hook, and the results basically document the bandleader in search of a consistent sound. Try Me is dominated by straight R&B, excursions into rawer blues and unsurprisingly given the nature of the title cut, shades of doo wop; a few strands of formative soul do emerge in the mix. With a few exceptions this isn’t classic Brown, yet the selections still cohere into a strong whole in part because the tunes haven’t been overplayed. It’s a vivid snapshot of 1959. B+
The Claudia Quintet, Super Petite (Cuneiform) The eighth release by a reliably inventive “post-jazz” group led by drummer John Hollenbeck hits a sweet spot between jazz and notation with emphasis on brevity and comes out sounding refreshingly new. The playing is strong throughout, with Hollenbeck flanked by bassist Drew Gress as Chris Speed blows tenor and clarinet, Matt Moran handles vibes and Red Wierenga’s accordion adds distinctiveness to the whole. Undeniably contemporary, there’s also no anxiety over looking back for ideas; both Charlie Parker and Philly Joe Jones provide inspiration. A-
Reverend Gary Davis, New Blues and Gospel (Sutro Park) Davis was 76 years old and a year away from passing when he cut this LP, originally for Biograph, in 1971; late sessions too often reveal physical limitations or general softening of execution, but this is amongst the finer of Davis recordings, and his discography is sizable. Newcomers should probably begin with the initial rediscovery albums (try Harlem Street Singer aka Pure Religion!) or even dip into the early stuff as compiled by Yazoo and Document, but there is no way a folk-blues fan will be disappointed by this. Side two is especially potent. A-
Deus Ex Machina, Devoto (Cuneiform) There’s no denying the prog state of affairs on this band’s eighth album and first in as many years, but it also rocks up a storm; Mauro Collina’s guitar is appropriately rough and the fiery complexity of bassist Alessandro Porreca and drummer Claudio Trotta insures unswerving heaviness. Vocalist Alberto Piras wields impressive pipes without usurping the instrumental thrust, and this set remains worthwhile across the length of an hour; a couple more Mahavishnu-like violin solos from Alessandro Bonetti would’ve really put this one over the top. B+
Glimmermen, Breakin’ Out (Transduction) When indie bands elect to add horns to their equation the results can often be underwhelming to bothersome, but that’s not the case with the sophomore effort of these Dubliners, in part because they don’t overdo it. Although not as hard-edged as last time out, the execution is assured and the songwriting more accomplished; touches of Burma remain, but I’m again reminded of later-period Dischord action, this time Beauty Pill rather than Medications (notably, J. Robbins of Jawbox produced the band’s first album). Altogether, this is a nice step forward. B+
Thee Headcoats, The Messerschmitt Pilot’s Severed Hand (Damaged Goods) Definitely not just another Childish artifact. Specifically, there is a bit more range on display here than one normally gets from the guy’s long-players, and the live in the studio nature brings this closer to ’77-style punk than to the pile-driving ‘60s garage updates of earlier Headcoats material, much of it licensed in the USA by Sub Pop. Loose, foul-mouthed, and with a touch of prole-poetics, this is amongst Wild Billy’s very best. A
I.P.A., I Just Did Say Something (Cuneiform) Spectacular set of avant leaning but still approachable high energy jazz from a top-flight Scandinavian quintet essentially launching from the glorious platform established by Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. Alte Nymo and Magnus Broo provide the breath on tenor and trumpet as Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Håkon Mjåset Johansen comprise an unusually lithe rhythm section; Mattias Ståhl’s deals a wildcard on vibraphone, an instrument too seldom heard in an avant context. Those requiring a fair amount of melody with their improv should be quite pleased. A
Skip James, Greatest of the Delta Blues Singers (Sutro Park) It’s been said numerous times, but the 18 sides James recorded for Paramount in 1931 are an essential acquisition for any country blues fan. Those songs aren’t on this LP, but his fantastic first rediscovery session is. Cut in Falls Church, VA in ’64-’65 at the home of the great musicologist and WAMU DJ Dick Spottswood, the cumulative atmosphere isn’t as eerie or the playing as fleet, but the man is strong of voice and nimble of finger throughout, and sans surface noise; Sutro Park reissues the 10-track Biograph edition on 180gm vinyl. A
Blind Willie Johnson, If I Had My Way, I’d Tear the Building Down (Jeanne Dielman) It’s basically impossible to argue against “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” as Johnson’s greatest achievement; the song made the OST to Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew, inspired Cooder’s work on Wenders’ Paris, Texas, and was part of the Voyager Space Probe’s Golden Record. This album, a repressing of a 2010 LP on the Italian label Monk, gathers Johnson’s masterpiece and 13 more examples of uncompromising gospel-blues. Mississippi put out a better 2LP, but good luck finding it. A
OST, Blue Velvet Revisited (Crammed Discs) This swell collaboration by veteran outfits Tuxedomoon and Cult with No Name with a little help from John Foxx (he of Ultravox, leader of the Maths, etc.) provides the soundtrack to Peter Braatz’s documentary on the making of David Lynch’s 1985 cult classic. Titles like “So Fucking Suave” and “A Candy Colored Clown” could very easily excite those hoping for direct riffs on the film and Angelo Badalamenti’s score, but that’s not what this is, and it’s almost certainly better for it; the spare, at times jazzy electronics are as relaxing as Lynch’s masterpiece is surreal. A-
Papertwin, “Vacation” (Druyan) Every week brings additional synth pop efforts with contents of varying quality; the combination of guitars and analog synths works in this NYC trio’s favor, as does a disinclination to fall victim to shallow nostalgia. Make no mistake, these six songs are all impacted by the ‘80s; this is synth pop, after all. But the progressive, at times borderline experimental edge recalls the best of the genre’s heyday. “Deluge” is evocative of New Order without blatant imitative swipes, and is the standout. B
Penny for the Workhouse, “Sneaky Peekers” (Self-released) Frankly, I was expecting this London unit to be a lot worse. The impact of The Decemberists, a perfectly fine group that’s potential as a positive influence is next to nil, is far less than anticipated, but there is still a discernibly bardic angle on display here, particularly in the opener. When they’re not succumbing to C&W corn things can turn a little folky in an almost Pogues-ish manner but to decidedly minor result. The band’s best attribute is an energetic and thoroughly Brit pop-rock streak recalling the dawn of the ‘80s; I wish they’d pursue it more. C+
Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, “Delivered” (Fire) The VU-descended garage-pop of the opening title track is the real doozy here, making this Aussie unit’s new EP worth the pickup all by itself. There are three more tunes, however; is the cover of “Bennie and the Jets” better than Biz Markie’s? Nope, but it is pretty good, even if one disdains the original. Fire hooked up with this bunch via the roster of Bedroom Suck, a label with vibes occasionally radiating like a Down Under incarnation of Castle Face; if that reads a promising, please proceed. B+
The Senior Service, The Girl in the Glass Case (Damaged Goods) Those looking for some Medway kicks not directly involving Mr. Childish (though indirectly members have played with Wild Billy in The Mighty Caesars and the Buff Medways) should look into this Hammond-infused instrumental unit listing such influences as Ennio Morricone, John Barry, the Small Faces, and Booker T. The lack of covers keeps this from becoming too much of a throwback and the right amount of string raunch balances out the more sophisto gestures. If they aren’t exactly blazing any trails this still goes down pretty easy. B
Steady Holiday, Under the Influence (Infinite Best) She’s been a working musician for a while, but this is the solo debut of one Dre Babinski, and it’s a largely dream poppy affair thriving on quality songs and vocals (by Babinski) that are pretty without faltering into the precious. Befitting the dream pop angle, there are a few moments nodding back to the ’60s, but overall the production puts me in a solid ’90s alternative frame of mind. Babinski has a lot of room for growth here, but if far from amazing the set is likeable overall. B
V/A, Second Coming of Heavy: Chapter Three (Ripple) Third in a series of split LPs bringing the stoner-ish hard stuff, this edition holds four tracks each from BoneHawk and Kingnomad. The former turn in a solid set complete with the Big Rawking flair, right down to the metallic-anthemic guitar soloing that helped to establish their Albino Rhino as a winner, while the latter outfit exude a bit more psych-blooze pedal gunk and even get a little experimental along the way. Unsurprisingly, nothing really extraordinary happens, but one gets a good taste of each act; I’d like to hear more Kingnomad. B
