The White Bitch Cometh

The White Bitch

The White Bitch’s Prey Drive

(Independent)

Like most of those who are familiar with The White Bitch’s tunes, I immediately picked up on its early-Prince era influence. However, upon meeting Michael Patrick Welch, the man behind the Bitch, I learned that it was not only the Great Purple One that inspired his falsetto-heavy funk-rock, but also 90s alt-rockers, Shudder To Think. When considering the band’s propensity toward skewed and broken pop melodies, it became clear how it fits within the context of The White Bitch.

His music is equal parts alt-rock, funk, abrasive punk, indie, pop, and R&B –which he somehow manages to do without overloading your senses. His debut album, The White Bitch’s Prey Drive, opens with “hep!,” a guitar-drenched soundscape that is enhanced by Ray Bong, who adds trippy atmospherics throughout the album. Bong is a tireless nitrous oxide-loving local noise-rock purveyor who plays a toy guitar and an assortment of effect pedals. The two surprisingly have a balanced relationship; Bong’s intangible electro embellishments balance out Welch’s workman-like alt-rock. Their collaboration works particularly well on “a confectioner’s dream” and “Attn. 2,” a song which Welch dedicated to fellow redheads during his performance at this year’s Voodoo Festival, or as he puts it, “my people rise up!”

Elsewhere on Prey Drive, Welch showcases clever lyricism on “What is Natural?,” a cryptic album gem. “No, it ain’t natural that you follow me around/The way you cry when I leave and make that bleating sound/No, I’m not putting you in a cage,” he sings. Which may raise eyebrows upon first listen; however, as it turns out, it is a charming ode to his beloved pygmy goat Chauncey. While those songs, and others like them shine, “creamy daemon” and “ASSTRAkt” are lower points on album—which luckily there are few—that suffer from conflicting sonic structures and lo-fi recording quality.

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For more info on The White Bitch, please visit: http://www.myspace.com/thecreamywhitebitch

Wow.

36 Crazyfists
The Tide And Its Takers
Ferret Music

Fitted black t-shirts, angst, pleading vocals, and screaming matches are the perfect makings for a band in the modern hardcore scene. Fortunately, 36 Crazyfists have all these characteristics. Unfortunately, you probably can not differentiate this group from the plethora bands within the burgeoning hardcore scene. Their latest album, The Tide and Its Takers, desperately attempts to deviate from the hardcore format by throwing in a forlorn voice-over (“Only A Year Or So”), and acoustic guitars (“The Tide And Its Takers”). Instead of being sentimental, which was probably the original intent, the two songs come across as confusing. What's worse is that this experimentation, not only fails miserably, it does not keep the album from being extremely monotonous and formulaic. The clichéd hard-rock breakdowns, lifeless riffs, and harsh vocals make this album forgettable, at best.

Grade: F

Formation of Damnation

Testament
The Formation of Damnation
Nuclear Blast Records

An album's artwork says a lot of about the music inside of it, and after one look at the cover Testament's “Formation of Damnation”, it may leave you confused. The dark, brooding landscape and a burning, war-torn White House below an army of flying angels, personally, had me hooked because I couldn't tell if they were anti-Jesus or pro-Jesus. With song titles like, “Dangers of the Faithless”, “The Persecuted Won't Forget”, “Afterlife” and a band name like Testament it was pretty ambiguous.

However, upon listening to the album it becomes increasingly apparent Testament are, in fact, not pro-Jesus. “Dangers of the Faithless” talks about the lost of faith in religion, and there is a biting revengeful rant on “The Persecuted Will Not Forget.”

Strains of Metallica's brand of thrash metal brute can be heard throughout the album, particularly on tracks like “Henchman Ride and the anthemic “More Than Meets the Eye”, which would have been awesome on the Transformers movie soundtrack. However, it must be noted that the simple fact that they are not Metallica makes them cooler by default.

Like Metallica, this band has been together for than two decades with the battlescars to prove their journey has been tumultuous at best. Testament has gone through multiple lineup changes, label switching, and lead singer's Chuck Billy's battle against cancer. It is important to remember they didn't completely sell-out and make a crappy movie and a crappy CD. Armed with four-fifth's of their original line up (with Paul Bostaph of ex-Slayer fame on drums), the group has come back after a nine year hiatus with 2008's Formation of Damnation. Simply put, Testament moved on and have continued to rock out through the hard times.

The lyrical content is probably the major downfall of this album. There are moments when song lyrics read like something out of a Spinal Tap B-side: “I will fight relentlessly/ I stand tall defiantly/ I fulfill my destiny”, and “Smell the blood/ Smell the death/ Smell the stench of demons' breath.” Because of this, songs like, “Dangers of the Faithless” and “Leave Me Forever” are pretty laughable.

Elsewhere, the lyrics deal with topics not typically found in metal, such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (“The Persecuted Will Not Forget”) and the death of a loved one (“Afterlife”). Unfortunately, this does not keep the album from sounding quite linear. Although, the guitar work is outstanding and the drums are driving and brutal, many of the riffs and vocal lines seem like they were cherry-picked from metal albums of yesteryear.

Nonetheless, fans of bands like Slayer, Anthax, and Megadeth will not be able to get enough of the album's thrashing metalcore on songs like "F.E.A.R.", and the album title track as the drums kick into full force with distorted guitar chugs and Billy's hell-bent cookie monster-style vocals. Testament's relentless brute, and face-melting guitar riffs are certainly not for the faint of heart.

When It Rainz, It Pourz

AmpLive
Rainy Dayz Remixes

How often do you find music that's good, free, and legal? If you often wonder this, then Oakland, California-based DJ, AmpLive (half of hip-hop duo Zion I) has answered this perplexing question.

AmpLive has managed to take Radiohead's landmark, pay-your-own-price album, In Rainbows, and turn it into something that is equally as innovative. While the concept of mixing rap music with rock-and-roll is certainly not a new concept, AmpLive deserves props for transforming a beautifully floating song like “Nude” into an infectious, beat-driven remix. Instead of completely changing song structures, AmpLive leaves the essence of the songs of in tact. “Weird Fishez” builds on the loop-like nature of the original with added hip-hop pizazz. If you are a fan of DJ Dangermouse's 2004 mash-up, The Grey Album, then Rainy Dayz is for you.

Radiohead vocalist Thom Yorke’s spliced vocals work extremely well with AmpLive's ridiculously catchy, stabbing beats. Codany Holiday's vocals on "15 Stepz" are well-executed, sexy, and smooth. The change from the original musical texture provides quite a nice variation. Other tracks on Rainy Dayz include guest appearances from Del the Funky Homosapien, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Too $hort, and MC Zumbi.

The album's release was halted after AmpLive received a 'cease & desist' letter from Radiohead's publishers, and his tracks almost never saw the light of day. Amplive made some of these remixes a while back with the intention of giving them away for free. After much protest, via YouTube clips from AmpLive, on February 13th it was announced that an agreement was made by both parties. AmpLive was given permission to release the album as a zip file free of charge here.

Grade: A

Recommended Tracks: “Nudez” and “Weird Fishez.”

For more on AmpLive visit: www.myspace.com/amplive.

I Want To Suck Your Blood.

Vampire Weekend
Self-Titled
XL Recordings

Some of you may be very well aware of Brooklyn, New York indie-rockers, Vampire Weekend, who released their self-titled debut last month. The band's supercharged single “A-Punk" has been getting a ton of play on MTV and YouTube. The song perhaps best exemplifies the group's breezy African-pop infused indie-rock. The two-minute ditty is filled with a march of jangly guitars, a whimsical flute melody, yelping vocals, and a ridiculously catchy bassline.

In similar way that Weezer made geekiness cool in 1995, Vampire Weekend revels in their preppiness. The four members of the band met while attending Columbia University. This academic background is extremely apparent the lyrics. In fact, you probably need a dictionary to understand half of what vocalist Ezra Koenig is singing about: “You spilled kefir on you keffiyeh” or “Charm your way across the Khyber Pass” among other things. Although, it should be mentioned that Vampire Weekend has managed to create quite possibly the coolest song ever written about commas (aptly-titled “Oxford Comma”).

While the hyper-literate wordplay may have English buffs foaming at the mouth, at moments it seems the band is going out of its way to prove their wits. However, it's nice to see they have a sense of humor about it: “Oh your collegiate grief has left you dowdy in sweatshirts/ Absolute horror,” sings Koenig on “One (Blake’s Got A New Face).” College students will probably find the lyrical images of academia as quite a nice touch (“Then I see you, you're walking cross the campus/Cruel professor/Studying romances/How am I supposed to pretend/I never want to see you again”).

Musically, the band stands out from their indie rock peers by delivering a refreshing blend of ska rhythms ("Mansard Roof"), classical music, and the aforementioned genre of Afro-pop. Strains of The Police's early-era sound can be heard throughout the album (particularly on “One” and “M79”). Keyboard melodies and sprite violin parts also add nice textures to the band's sonic landscape on “I Stand Corrected” and Walcott.”

While some music bloggers may see Vampire Weekend's release as somewhat akin to the Second Coming of Christ, this is most certainly not true. The album is undeniably enjoyable, but it is not the best 2008 has to offer. As far as one of the best singles of the year "A-Punk" is a strong contender. It is arguably one of the best tracks I've heard all year. However, I don't think this band, or this album is anything more than what it is –meaning it sounds like exactly what it is-- a couple of New England prepsters who listened to a few Afro-pop albums and started a band who managed to put out a decent debut.

Grade: C+

Recommended Tracks: “A-Punk” and “Oxford Comma.”

For more info on Vampire Weekend visit www.myspace.com/vampireweekend or www.vampireweekend.com.

Sophomore Slump.

The Diggs
Ctrl-Alt-Del

If you're going to listen to this album be prepared to take a nap. That being the case, I'm going to tell you exactly what it sounds like: If any band could best exemplify the musical epitome of sleepy indie rock, it would be The Diggs (and about 10 bands I can't recall at moment). Influenced largely by the buzzing guitars of 90s alternative, the band has created a sound that is so incredibly derivative you consistently feel like you've heard it all before –and that's probably because you have.

After listening to several tracks, Ctrl-Alt-Del begins to blur together into a hodgepodge of everything you don't miss about 90s rock (“Careen” and “Collide/Collapse”). Vocalist/ guitarist Tommy Lannen tries his best to emulate Bloc Party's post-punk cool (who are really just ripping off Gang of Four, but at least they do it well) by pumping out some of the most jangly reverb-drenched guitar lines he can fathom, but unfortunately, his results are tepid.

The closest this Brooklyn, New York three-piece ever gets to exciting is the intro of “Brightness Falls” which comes off as a watered-down Strokes' single. What may be the band's most unnerving quality is the inability create appealing or captive music, resulting an incredibly passive record. There is nothing conceptually, aesthetically, lyrically, musically, or texturally interesting about this album. Not one moment of the album will jar listeners or invoke...well, anything; making this album fall completely flat.

Grade: D-

Rivers of Yesteryear

Rivers Cuomo
Alone

Are you tired of listening to over-produced power-pop? Do you like music that sounds like it's been recorded in a bomb shelter? Well, you are in luck. Alone deviates from Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's recent brand of slick commercial rock (Make Believe and Maladroit) by venturing into lo-fi territory with vocal experimentation (“Ooh”) and stripped-down melodic structures (“Longtime Sunshine”) among other things. The 19 home-recorded tracks span Cuomo's career from 1992 to 2007. Throughout that 15 year period Cuomo wrote and recorded several hundred songs, the majority of which have never been released until now. Although many of the songs featured on Alone were recorded before 1996, it illustrates his growth as an artist over the years.

Strains of angst and frustration that are found on early Weezer albums, can be seen in the emotional rawness of “The World We Love So Much.” This song is particularly refreshing because it showcases a vocal range that is seldom heard in his other recorded music. However, while there are some hits, there are a few are misses, like the awkward R&B synth ballad “This Is The Way” and the barbershop quarter-inspired harmonies of “Dude, We're Finally Landing.” Because the sound quality varies so throughout the album, it is truly surprisingly to hear due to Cuomo's penchant for perfectionism. A gritty synth-tinged demo of Weezer's biggest hit, “Buddy Holly” made the cut. On Alone the song is played at a considerably slower tempo, showing the changes made in the final cut on 1990's Blue Album. There is also a hazy Beastie Boys-styled cover of Ice Cube's 1990 hit “The Bomb.”

The hodge-podge of musical styles combines pop melodies, synthesizers, and just enough twee to keep hipsters in tow. There are moments on Alone (particularly on“Superfriend” and “Blast Off!”) when it sounds like an early-era Weezer album. Among the album are several undiscovered gems, like “Lover In The Snow” and “I Was Made For You” that showcase the bespectacled rocker's uncanny ability to write songs with great pop-sensibility and diary-honest eclecticism. One can only hope that some of the elements on Alone will be seen in future music releases from Weezer and Rivers. Until then we can only wonder what he's hiding amongst the vaults.

Grade: B

Recommend Tracks: “Lover In The Snow” and “I Was Made For You.”

In Rainbows.

Radiohead
In Rainbows

Brit-rockers Radiohead have always been known for pushing the boundaries of music and now they're pushing the boundaries of music distribution thanks to their forward-thinking decision to allow fans to pay as little or as much as they want for their latest album, In Rainbows (which is available only by download via their website inrainbows.com). Radiohead feels that their fans should choose the price they feel the album is worth.

Apparently, this decision has been paying off well, because the band is getting people to pay for something they can readily get for free. According to a British survey about a third of the first million customers paid nothing, but the remaining two-thirds paid about $10 on average for the album.

Not only does the name-your-own-price tag make this album irresistible, but the music rocks as well. While their last album, Hail To The Thief, had themes of disaffection and cynicism with song titles like "We Suck Young Blood" and "A Wolf at the Door", their latest release offers a more uplifting message. In Rainbows also takes steps toward more straightforward territory with vocalist/songwriter Thom Yorke penning his most direct lyrics in years.

The album opens with "15 Step", a busy, clicky and profoundly addictive song that comes across something like an upbeat version of Hail To The Thief's "Sit Down, Stand Up." The next track is "Bodysnatchers" in which the band launches into rock mode with guitarist Johnny Greenwood delivering a deliciously fuzzed-out guitar riff. Here you see Yorke's theme of paranoia and fear of control that is present on previous albums. "I have no idea what I'm talking about/I'm trapped in this body and can't get out" he yelps.

On next the couple of songs the band slows the tempo beginning with the beautifully floating "Nude" on which Yorke's milky reverbed voice sails on a cloud of strings swells and choral overdubs. Following it is the gentle melodic structures of "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" and "Faust Arp", which sounds eerily like the Beatles' "Julia."

Although In Rainbows is certainly not Radiohead's most guitar-oriented album the sparse and simple riffs should not be taken for granted. This song structure works particularly well on the romantically direct "All I Need" which features almost no guitar. The undercurrent theme of eroticism ("I'm an animal trapped in your hot car" and "I'm a moth who just wants to share your light"), droning synth backbeat, and climatic ending make this song great for headphones. It is followed perfectly by the cymbal-crazed "Reckoner” and "House of Cards" with its lazy, clipped guitar chords coasting on waves of reverbed feedback.

The closing track is "Videotape" with its slow burning piano elegy playing against a stuttering, off-kilter drumbeat. "When I'm at the pearly gates...This is my way of saying goodbye," Yorke sings. Other themes of death and mortality run throughout the song. There is also mention of Mephistopheles, the Faustian name for the devil. It's perhaps the most rueful songs on Rainbows, but it is truly beautiful in it's sadness.

The main downside, is that the album is on the short side lasting about 43 minutes. However, the upside is that the songs on the album flow together as a tight cohesive unit. It is a great album to put in the CD player and let go --then again, most of Radiohead albums are this way.

Grade: A

For the record, I paid $0 for the album. Radiohead is great, but I am in college after all.

Take A Walk...

Hanson
Cooking Vinyl
The Walk

It's hard to believe that Hanson is still making music after a mid-90s explosion on the pop scene with their hit-single "MMMBop." On their latest release, The Walk, Hanson has created quite a compilation of sappy piano-laden rock ballads, power pop, and watered down blue-eyed soul numbers. That makes is easy to that this album will be in the CD players of many soccer moms all across the country. And for those of you clamoring to get your paws on the Hanson's latest release you can rest assured that Walmart has it in stock.

This time around its seems the Hanson brothers have tried to deviate from their bubblegum pop past. However they've only to succumb to creating a brand of non-threatening soft-rock that unfortunately breaks no new ground. Their middlebrow adult contemporary streak can be best heard in the trudging wannabe anthem "Watch Over Me" and the Coldplay-esque "Fire on the Mountain." On another track, "Running Man" the group tries to channel their best Maroon 5 impression with a shimmying rhythm that sounds like something straight out an 70s soft rock compilation CD.

Sadly, It’s not too much of a stretch to say that among the artists that emerged from the teen-pop boom that Hanson has not strayed far from their roots. And if the slick pop production isn't nauseating enough the group has managed to make an album with enough mounting piano chords and tortured soul vocals to make James Blunt look like Barry White --seriously.

Grade: F

Pavement 2.0?

Rotary Downs
Chained To The Chariot
reapandsow, Inc.

From the start of this album start the influence from 90s alt-rockers Pavement is plainly evident. From lead singer James Marler's deadpan vocals to the off-kilter, swirling textures of guitarist Chris Columbo, to the eccentric, but catchy choruses. For this reason, it is entirely appropriate for their appearance on this years' Voodoo Music Fest lineup which features 90s rock giants The Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against The Machine. However, there is more to this New Orleans band than Pavement comparisions.

Their lo-fi sound combines funky grooves, alt-country, and quirky rhythms a la Odelay-era Beck. The lyrics flow freely between being the quizzical and cebebral. With that, the band has created a unique sound by using the musical textures to blur and bend the lyrics to create a flow of sounds with syllables. For example, "Drink up, drink up the kingpin tin cup/ For a pistol of tricks sir a crystal exlir/ blissful breath from a rock bottom riser" does not make sense literally. However, when its put in context with the music all the words fall together like a row of dominoes, and despite Marler's laid back vocals and sing-a-long choruses, many of his lyrics bear a greater depth than one might first expect. Hurricane Katrina is an obvious influence in songs like "The Big Parade" and "A Feast in Squalor." The addition of horns and keyboards really fill out the sonic landscape on this album, creating a rich and full sound. Although, at times, the horns do make it hard not to conjure Cake caparisons.

Bury Me.

Between The Buried And Me
Colors
Victory Records

Colors is a 64-minute prog-metal rollercoaster that incorporates free jazz, acoustic pop, arena rock, and polka among other things. The opening track, "Foam Born: The Backtrack", begins with a gentle piano melody as vocalist Tommy Rogers sings tenderly over it. However, don't let his soothing Ben Folds-like vocals and lulling piano chords fool you. Approximately fifty-five seconds later, the drums kick into full force, along with a distorted guitar chug, and Rogers goes into full metal mode delivering hell-bent cookie monster-style vocals. Listeners may find themselves wondering what they just witnessed, and rightfully so. The entire album reflects this pattern: one minute the band is slapping you in the face with brutal thrash, the next they're gently caressing you with sweet melodies --kind of like the musical equivalent of a crazy ex-girlfriend.

While the constantly changing time-signatures and various music stylings keep this album from being monotonous, there are some moments where songs seem unsettled. Nevertheless, it is refreshing to hear a young band pushing its creative limits. The strongest track on the album is probably "Sun of Nothing", a ten-minute sonic voyage complete with laughing babies, Pink Floyd-inspired melodies, and a guitar interlude that would make Brian May smile. For the most part, the blending of music stylings on Colors work, but sometimes fails miserably. For example, the bizarre polka breakdown in "Ants of the Sky." Polka does not belong anywhere on a metalcore album. On the whole, Colors comes across as being deliciously weird, horrifying, and enthralling. If you can stomach the guttural vocals and metalcore brute, Colors is definitely worth giving a listen to.

Driver Side Impact

Driver Side Impact
The Very Air We Breathe
Victory Records

Lip rings, hoodies, pleading vocals, and anthemic choruses are the perfect makings for a band in the modern hardcore scene. Fortunately, Driver Side Impact they have all those characteristics. Unfortunately, you probably would not be able to differentiate this band from any of the other 23536363 hardcore bands on Myspace.

The Very Air We Breathe desperately attempts to deviate from the hardcore format by throwing in electronic elements; however, this just comes across as confusing. What's worse is that the electronic experiementation does not keep this album from being extremely formulaic and monotonous. The bizarre electro drum kicks and sparse keyboard melodies were probably best kept off the album. Vocalist Branden Langhais' sounds eerily (and ironically) reminiscent of label mate Geoff Rickly of the successful emo/screamo outfit Thursday. (On high notes he conjures AFI's Davey Havok.) Instrumentally, the band fails to step up to the plate; lacking intricate guitar lines and vocal harmonies found in the music of their peers. One can only hope that since this is their debut album that they will improve next time around.