The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

In the mid ’90s the Mountain Goats released a series of lo-fi boom-box recordings on cassettes. Many of the songs featured only singer/guitarist John Darnielle, who became known for his highly literate lyrics, prominent ultra-nasal vocals and frantic guitar strumming.

Some things have changed drastically since Darnielle’s days of tape hiss. The passion, the anger, the heartbreak and the cinematic storytelling with larger-than-life characters are all still there. But along the way, starting with Tallahassee in 2002, he abandoned the homemade aesthetic and started making studio-grade headphone albums filled with subtle layers of sparse instrumentation that compel you to invade a song’s personal space. The production has the effect of forcing the listener to hear every word, whether solemnly or vigorously delivered. The songs are rarely packaged in bright wrapping paper with a big bow, but the gifts reveal themselves after closer inspection. For me, a particular phrase usually latches onto my brain, and from there the discovery process begins.

Heretic Pride follows in the same vein. It’s filled with engaging stories about an imaginary cult (“New Zion”), Prince Far I (“Sept. 15 1983”) and a persecution fantasy (“Heretic Pride”). As usual, Darnielle is not one to use common metaphors or analogies in his songs. “Autoclave,” a reference to the gadget used to sterilize surgical instruments, came about after Darnielle learned of a bacteria that can not only resist an autoclave, but thrives in the high temperatures. “This got me thinking about people whose hearts involuntarily pulverize any good feelings that come within a city block of them,” Darnielle says in an illustrated companion to the album. The song’s hook explains further: “I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam. And no one in her right mind would make my home her home. My heart’s an autoclave.” Like most of the album, it’s an upbeat song--a stark contrast to last year’s hushed Get Lonely.

Heretic Pride takes more than a casual listen to fully appreciate, as do most Mountain Goats releases, but there are some weaknesses that place it below The Sunset Tree and Tallahassee, two of the band’s strongest records that also follow Darnielle’s trend of writing concept albums. Sunset Tree focused on an abusive stepfather, Tallahassee explored a couple’s misfortunes in Florida and Get Lonely was a somber coming-to-grips breakup album. After a few listens to Heretic Pride, a strong interconnecting theme never emerges. It’s purposeful for sure, but there’s not as much payoff for the investigative listener as there was in previous albums.

The Mountain Goats’ sound is also becoming predictable. While the subject matter varies wildly, the instrumentation, subtle production, vocal phrasing, etc. has stayed fairly constant between the last few albums. It’s so familiar, in fact, that it doesn’t have quite the impact that it used to. Part of me relishes the band’s oeuvre and never wants Darnielle to change, but it has also reached the point where I think I’ve had too much of a good thing, and it’s time for the Mountain Goats to branch out and experiment more.

Still, even if Heretic Pride doesn’t come together in a nice, tidy package, the crackpot characters Darnielle cooks up still hold enough interest individually to make the album a worthy addition to the Mountain Goats catalog.

Heretic Pride is out now on 4AD.

mp3: The Mountain Goats - Sax Rohmer #1

Feb. 14

I've never cared too much about Valentine's Day, and my wife doesn't take it too seriously, either, which works out well for me since I'll be spending the evening with Vampire Weekend at the Wexner Center. Hopefully it's not one of those situations where she says she doesn't mind, but in reality has visions of roses and dinner by candlelight.

For those who do embrace the day of candy hearts, here's a fitting V-Day track from the Drive By Truckers' 2006 album A Blessing and a Curse.

mp3: Drive By Truckers - Feb. 14

British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

So I listened to this album again, thought about it some more, then listened some more. Here's the "official" review I came up with, which will be in the The Other Paper on Thursday:

Arcade Fire is the elephant in the iPod when you listen to British Sea Power’s Do You Like Rock Music?, so we might as well talk about it. It’s so impossible to avoid that on the first few listens I had a hard time giving the band much credit. After all, since Arcade Fire released Funeral in 2004, its influence is felt more and more every year. Some bands take inspiration from the Canadians and merely pay homage, while others all of a sudden want every song they write to be “epic.” And even though British Sea Power was around before Win Butler’s group, Arcade Fire is now so pervasive and glorified that it’s hard not to think of it the other way around.

British Sea Power does sound more like Arcade Fire now than Arcade Fire has ever sounded like British Sea Power. (It’s probably not coincidental that one of the album’s producers, Howard Bilerman, has worked with Arcade Fire.) But after acknowledging that fact, I realized that endlessly playing the influence game with Do You Like Rock Music? would do a disservice to the band. Because, in answer to the album title’s query--yes, yes I do like rock music, and this is pretty good rock music, no matter who came first or who influenced whom.

For this disc, British Sea Power abandoned most of its post-punk leanings. You’d be hard-pressed to liken this album to anything by Joy Division. This is also the band’s most melodic and therefore its most accessible showing yet. Though there’s an eight-minute closer, you won’t find much similar to the meandering 14-minute track “Lately” from the band’s 2003 Rough Trade debut. Some of the melodic quirkiness and surprising turns are gone, which in theory might be something to mourn, but fortunately they’re replaced by well-constructed pop tunes. “Open the Door” could even be a James song. And yes, it all feels brazenly epic, especially “Waving Flags,” which is supposedly a tribute to Polish plumbers. The album even kicks off with a two-minute, swelling chant of, “We’re all in it and we close our eyes.”

British Sea Power certainly hasn’t lost its quirkiness lyrically. The boys from Brighton, England, are known for their diverse and bizarre subject matter. “Atom” tackles physics: “When you get down, down to the subatomic part of it, that’s when it breaks you know, that’s when it falls apart. Oh caveat emptor, open the atom’s core.” Offbeat lyrics make British Sea Power more interesting in some ways, but it’s probably also why Do You Like Rock Music? doesn’t make quite as much of an emotional impact as Funeral or Neon Bible, both of which have a specific theme and mood. The opening track, “All In It,” does come full circle with the last one, “We Close Our Eyes,” but Rock Music could use a little more thematic glue to hold together all its anthems in between.

It would be tough to find tracks more epic than these, and who doesn’t like epic rock music? But even if you like it, the next question becomes, do you care about it? For me, it was a resounding, “Usually.”

mp3: British Sea Power - Waving Flags

Heads up

The Daytrotter folks will be hosting Times New Viking and A.A. Bondy in their studio this week, so be on the lookout for four free tracks from each. Nice.

A.A. Bondy will also be in Columbus Sunday at the Basement with Kevin Devine and the Jealous Girlfriends. If you still haven't checked out Bondy's underrated 2007 album, American Hearts, do it. It's good.

mp3: A.A. Bondy - There's a Reason

Winter soldier

It's getting to be that time of year when I'm sick of wearing layers and bracing myself every time I go outside. It's nice to finally have some sunshine today, but the high tomorrow is 16. Boo.

Today also happens to be the day I gave Jason Collett's Here's to Being Here its first spin, and there's a bonus track called "Winter Soldier," which is exactly what I need to be for the next month. Or maybe two months here in Columbus. Judging from the lyrics, Collett probably didn't write the song with this in mind, but its peppy Americana stylings and warm recording tones give me hope for sunny days with summery temps.

And if you're lucky enough to be in warmer climes, you'll still find some good stuff about love, death and letting go of the war.

mp3: Jason Collett - Winter Soldier

Oh, and I like this album better than Prodigals so far. Check it out.

Year Long Disaster, The Suede Brothers, Sounds Under Radio - Ravari Room

Few things get under my skin more than aging music fans who claim that rock music hit its peak in the ’60s and ’70s and has been going downhill ever since. I certainly don’t deny the influence classic rock has had on music today, but when someone maintains that Zeppelin, Hendrix, etc. are the last rock bands worth listening to, I think of this as more of a character flaw than a difference of opinion. Chances are, we just won’t get along.

But Monday night’s show at the Ravari Room just might have been the perfect sanctuary for this hypothetical person and I to coexist peacefully, and maybe, just maybe, throw up a rawk fist together.

Headliner Year Long Disaster is the type of band that has appeal for bitter baby boomers, ironic collegiates and impressionable high schoolers alike. First off, the three-piece is led by singer/guitarist Daniel Davies, the son of the Kinks’ Dave Davies. Plus, bassist Rich Mullins founded Karma to Burn and drummer Brad Hargreaves comes from Third Eye Blind. The band released its debut on Volcom last fall, but the recording didn’t quite capture Year Long Disaster’s big sound. Live, however, these guys are a testament to the fact that sometimes all you need is a distortion-drenched guitar, bass and a steady beat to put on a good rock show.

It’s impossible not to mention Led Zeppelin and Wolfmother when describing YLD’s sound, but keep in mind they’re just guidelines. There will never be another Zeppelin. (I know, I’m sounding like my aforementioned nemesis, but it’s true.) Zeppelin’s tunes were built around big blues riffs, but Page and Plant also knew a thing or two about spicing up tunes with enough dynamic ranges that the songs weren’t (usually) nonstop guitar onslaughts. Year Long Disaster only played one tune that mixed it up stylistically, or at least had a quieter interlude.

As for Wolfmother, the fellow stoner metal band’s singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale doesn’t have half the chops that Davies has, though Stockdale probably does have the better voice. Davies mixes just a bit too much phlegm into his glammy howl. But YLD showed a sense of authenticity that Wolfmother has yet to capture. I like this band; I don't like Wolfmother.

Davies also could use a few lessons on pop hooks from his dad, but Year Long Disaster was that rare combination of seasoned, ultra-skilled musicians who could still communicate something raw and powerful. Davies coaxed just the right gorgeously overdrived notes and squeaks and squeals out of his guitar, and his solos were impressively restrained. Oh yeah, and it was really, really loud.


Cleveland’s The Suede Brothers could be Year Long Disaster’s kid brothers--stylistically and literally. Singer/guitarist Dylan Francis is 20, bassist Kevin Naughton is 19 and drummer Mick Varga is 16. The band includes former members of the Black Diamonds, but in its current form, the Suede Brothers have been playing together for less than a year. So imagine my surprise when they opened the show with a terrific set. In fact, I think I enjoyed The Suede Brothers more than Year Long Disaster.

Francis is a downright nasty guitarist. He’s obviously taken lessons from the Jimmy Page handbook, but he dredges it with a little Soundgarden sludge, resulting in seismic riffage tailor-made for Guitar Hero. Plus, the kid has some vocal chords. He can hit those high notes, and he doesn’t shy away from them, either.

Like YLD, the tradeoff for these monster tunes was little diversity, but they’ll have plenty of time to develop that. I’m just a sucker for youthful rock-and-roll exuberance, and I expect to hear much, much more from this band in the coming year.

Sandwiched between these two trios was Austin’s Sounds Under Radio, who recently landed a song on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack and subsequently signed to Epic. Apparently this has made them take themselves quite seriously, because they had tons of gear (including lights), were endlessly unsatisfied with the monitor volume and obsessively re-tuned their guitars between every song. They also enjoy dramatically raising their arms at the beginning of songs.

This band was the odd man out on the bill. Alongside the other two ballsy performances, Sounds Under Radio felt like wuss-rock. Pointless samples, singer Lang Freeman’s excessive falsetto and an overenthusiastic but unimpressive bassist all made for an utterly forgettable performance. Not surprisingly, the band played to mostly an empty room. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but as is the case with so many newly signed major-label bands, Sounds Under Radio tried so hard to be loved they forgot to be compelling.

More photos.

mp3: The Suede Brothers - Shotgun Philly
mp3: Year Long Disaster - Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu

Arcade Power

With all the praise heaped upon Arcade Fire since the debut of Funeral, it only makes sense that the band's trademark epics are influencing the current crop of indie rockers. Last year, I thought Okkervil River's Will Sheff matched Win Butler's emotional-without-being-emo intensity on The Stage Names, and check out Josh Ritter's "Empty Hearts" (from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter) at around the two-minute mark to hear a melody copied note for note from Funeral's "Neigborhood #2 (Laika)."

Fortunately, I'd argue that both those releases were tastefully influenced by Butler's Canadian crew rather than being carbon copies. My skepto-meter, though, hits higher on British Sea Power's upcoming Do You Like Rock Music?. Granted, I've only given it a couple cursory listens, but these Brits seem to have completely abandoned their post-punk leanings for the purpose of aping Arcade Fire's grandeur, especially on "Waving Flags." The strings, the rhythm... even the background vocals could be mistaken for a bunch of Regine Chassagnes bathed in echo.

I don't really dislike the tune, but it does rub me the wrong way, tripping over that quivery line between influence and mimic. Perhaps the tune and the album as a whole should be listened to as a work set apart from all those preconceptions, but I can't help thinking about BSP's intentions. What about you?

Do You Like Rock Music? is out in the U.S. Feb. 12 on Rough Trade, and British Sea Power will be at The Basement 3/27.

mp3: British Sea Power - Waving Flags