speed of dark

No Wait Wait!

That's exactly what I wanted to say when I found that the band I'd recently discovered has already broken up. Ironically, that's the name of the band.

This foursome from Duluth, Minnesota, fronted by Marc Gartman (vocals, guitar), with Russell Sackett (vocals, keyboards), Steve Garrington (bass), and Eric Pollard (vocals, drums) formed No Wait Wait in 2003 but had an eventful 2006 that included releasing their second CD, About You and deciding to go their separate ways. That is unfortunate because in my opinion this lineup had a great deal of potential.

Play "Amends" and think of the Beatles (one of their influences) with the raw darkness of Cop Shoot Cop. Lots of drum, bass, and synth here. "Faith and Words" and "Beaches of the World" recall early R.E.M. "Roses" adds piano and tambourine to a loping beat. "Lost in the Bottle" is another winner. "The Score" has a sinuous synthesizer riff and an upbeat melody. I like all of these so much I had difficulty narrowing down my choices.

My favorite is definitely "Don't Give Up" with its insistent rhythms and Indians-in-warpaint bass. I especially like the lyric change at the end of each verse, which demonstrates a higher level of imagination than usual. A songwriter of limited skill will take a single good line and ride it into the ground. Not so here, and each version adds its own nuance:

Get away from your man...

Don't wait up for your man...

Don't give up on your man

Hopefully this is not the last we'll hear from No Wait Wait or Marc Gartman. The group recorded a third album before the breakup, and with any luck they will release those tracks. Meanwhile, get into these and go get more.

From About You (2006)
Don't Give Up (On Your Man)
Amends

From No Wait Wait (2005)
Beaches of the World
Roses

No Wait Wait on MySpace
Buy at iTunes and emusic

For my first installment of Time Travel Tuesday, I chose New Orleans-based band Better Than Ezra. Still revered by quite a few rabid fans, BTE continues to rock after nearly 20 years. The band formed in 1998 while the members, singer Kevin Griffin, guitarist Joel Rundell, bassist Tom Drummond, and drummer Cary Bonnecaze attended LSU. After the death of Joel Rundell in 1990, the band took a year-long break before reuniting in Los Angeles.

In 1995, BTE released their debut on a major label, Deluxe, on Electra Records, and the first single from that album, "Good" hit the airwaves. Even though the band might be stigmatized as a one-hit wonder, the Deluxe album, and their later releases contained some great songs that will never be heard on commercial radio. "Teenager" is a timeless song about teenage angst, railing against the parents who just don't understand. The Fresh Prince doesn't have anything on these guys.

In 1996, original drummer Cary left the band and Travis McNabb joined the trio that continues to this day. Friction, Baby was released following the lineup change, and featured another semi-hit, "King of New Orleans". This was not one of my favorite BTE albums, and I think at this point, the band just had a sophmore slump.

How Does Your Garden Grow? was released in 1998, and although I feel it was one of their strongest and most diverse releases, it suffered from poor sales and the band was dropped from their record label following the release. At this point, the band was influenced by Brit-pop, including Bjork, Radiohead, and DJ Shadow, and they experimented with some different sounds. The influences are obvious, and the band had another near-miss with "At The Stars".

In 2001, BTE released Closer, on the Beyond Music label, and featured yet another change in sound for the boys: more of a laid-back, softer side. A lovely song about constructing a meaningful memorial for a friend, "A Lifetime" saw some modest airplay, and I still hear it on the "alternative" music station around here (hearing it the other day inspired me to pull out my BTE CDs, actually).

After a bit of a break, BTE released Before the Robots in 2005 and have seen a modest rise in stock after their song from this album, "Juicy" was featured on Desperate Housewives. The band continues to tour, although more locally to New Orleans, and contributes quite seriously to charities, including those geared to clean up after Hurricane Katrina.

Check out these songs through their history, and buy their excellent albums, which are especially great turned up loud on car trips. Find more Better than Ezra music on hype machine.

from deluxe:
better than ezra: good

from how does your garden grow?:
better than ezra: at the stars
better than ezra: live again

from closer:
better than ezra: a lifetime
better than ezra: closer

official website | buy albums | buy music and merch

Two Chicago bands have recently come to our attention for review. Neither employ any tricky rhythms, synthesizer weirdness, or enigmatic lyrics. They pursue good old pop-rock in the time-honored tradition.

The Safes

The Safes are the brothers O'Malley: Frankie, Michael, and Patrick. Nice Irish boys who were brought up by their dad on the likes of Chuck Berry and Hank Williams. The chemistry between them is evident in the harmonies and melody on "Phone Book Full of Phonies." Cute song title, that. "Only In Your Mind" is nice too. They might remind you of Weezer minus Rivers Cuomo's angst.

You can stream the album's tracks on their website, and go to their MySpace page for spring tour dates in the eastern U.S.

From their second full-length CD Well Well Well (2006):

The Safes: Phone Book Full of Phonies
The Safes: Fairy Tale Tomorrow

The Safes' website | myspace


Dearborn

Dearborn are a four-piece band led by soap-actor-handsome Pino Farina (lead vocals/guitars) with John Cwiok (bass), Mike Poupko (lead guitar), and John Schiller (drums). They received the 2004 Chicago Music Award for Rock Album of the Year for their debut release, Prepare To Qualify, and they have earned nominations three years running for Chicago's Best Rock Entertainer Award.

I'm not surprised to see Van Halen on their list of influences. Of the artists they cite, this is the one I hear the clearest in their songs, although Poupko has some catching up to do to equal Eddie's searing, high-speed licks. Dearborn also remind me of Bon Jovi. Both Van Halen and Bon Jovi are very successful, commercial, mainstream-rockj bands, and if these are the models Dearborn wish to emulate, they are well on their way.

From their soon to be released debut CD Always in Disguise:

Dearborn: Already Down
Dearborn: U-Turn

Dearborn's Website
Stream more songs and buy CDs at Dearborn's MySpace page

I love soundtracks. Sometimes I even like the movie to which the soundtrack is attached. Although I didn't like Garden State much, I appreciated Zach Braff's organization of songs and how he kind of crafted the story around them, instead of vice versa. Other movies, like The Wedding Singer, featured music that was almost a character on its own (remember George singing Culture Club? or rapping Granny?).

Enjoy some songs that can be found on great soundtracks and the great movies that accompany them.

the cure: burn from The Crow
buy the soundtrack | buy the movie

radiohead: talk show host from Romeo + Juliet
buy the soundtrack | buy the movie

team america: america, f*ck yeah from Team America: World Police
buy the soundtrack | buy the movie

brothers johnson: strawberry letter 23 from Jackie Brown
buy the soundtrack | buy the movie

psychedelic furs: love my way from The Wedding Singer
buy the soundtrack | buy the movie

colin hay: i just don't think i'll ever get over you from Garden State
buy the excellent soundtrack | buy the so-so movie

air: playground love [vibraphone version] from The Virgin Suicides
buy the soundtrack | buy the movie | or better yet, buy the book

My brother, Indie Mom's Uncle T is also a music-lover. He recently supplied his own list of Top 10 CDs of 2006 for Speed of Dark, and he is our Dallas connection. A week ago he attended a show by the Heartless Bastards and sent me a detailed review and several photos. I've had to edit it somewhat for our format, but otherwise the words below are his.

I was not familiar with opening band Pleasant Grove, so I looked them up and found they are from Austin, not Dallas. Their sound is somewhere between My Morning Jacket and Midlake, but even more laid-back than either, so it is understandable that they suffered a bit in comparison to the hard-rocking Bastards.

Heartless Bastards and Pleasant Grove
Sons of Herman Hall – Dallas, TX - January 20, 2007

Sons of Herman Hall is an old place, with a nice wooden bar on the first floor and a ballroom upstairs for performances. It has hosted many great Texas country and roots acts. My old friend, fellow programmer and mutual music lover, David, and I saw a brilliant show there by Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men several years ago. The acoustics are great, because it’s all wood floors and walls. It’s not huge either, and makes for very intimate concert viewing. It’s recently been voted as the best concert venue in Dallas, and is noted for the quality of the artists that play there.

Once the crowd was let in, we were able to get great seats in front to the left of the stage. There was only a small table in front of us with three people, but once the Heartless Bastards started playing those guys were in front of the stage dancing to the music (allowing me an unobstructed view from my seat -- sweet).

Opening band: Pleasant Grove

• Marcus Striplin - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bells, Omni-chord, Pick-axe
• Bret Egner - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bells, Percussion
• Joe Butcher - Pedal Steel, Hammond Organ, Moog, Rhodes, Mellotron
• Tony Hormilosa - Bass Guitar, Triangle, Copy Machine
• Jeff Ryan - Drums, Percussion

Local concert promoter Mike Snyder introduced Pleasant Grove as Dallas’ best band. And they were a pleasant surprise to me. I don’t get out much these days and wasn’t familiar with their music. Their songs were pretty decent; not great, but not bad. However they played really well together as a band, and elevated the songs to dizzying heights at times. Everything they played sounded good, and their music was always engaging and interesting. So musically, they set the bar pretty high for the evening. However, the Heartless Bastards greatly surpassed them in every way (songs, singing, and musicianship) once they came on.

Pleasant Grove: Solid System from Pleasant Grove (2000)
Pleasant Grove: Tug of War (Twenty Arms) from The Art of Leaving (2004)
Pleasant Grove's Official Website (under construction) | MySpace | Buy music

Main act: Heartless Bastards
• Erika Wennerstrom: Guitar, piano, and vocals
• Mike Lamping: Bass
• Kevin Vaughn: Drums


Erika got up on stage right before their set and tuned all three of her guitars herself, while the other guys in the band waited in the crowd. I briefly spoke with them at that time, and they said they’d be opening more shows for Lucinda Williams soon, including a March show in Dallas at the Granada Theatre.

Erika is still a little nervous on stage, quickly introducing songs and acknowledging appreciation of the audience, but she got a bit more comfortable as the set went on. What little she said between songs was often inaudible due to the cheering crowd, who clearly loved the performance. But Erika and the band really focused on the music, putting on an infinitely tighter and better show than the 30-minute one I attended in October 2005 when they opened for the Detroit Cobras.


Tonight they quickly and adeptly went from one song to the next. Everything they played was excellent, and the crowd cheered, sang along, danced, and grooved enthusiastically throughout. Erika’s singing was great throughout. Kevin Vaughn is an excellent drummer, and Mike was pretty good on bass as well. In short, it was a great show. They played all the songs off their latest (All This Time) CD, most from their first, and even introduced a great new little song.

Set List (in this general order):
• No Pointing Arrows: Nice song from All This Time to start off with.
• Done Got Old: Great cover of this Junior Kimbrough blues song, with Erika singing the hell out of it and the band slamming down the riff.
• Brazen: Excellent rocker that got the crowd moving and grooving. This sounded great in concert. (One of gramma's favorites too.)
• Blue Day: Erika switched guitars for this one.
• All This Time: Nice version off the 2006 CD.
• Came a Long Way: They did a great version of this, with Erika singing her heart out.
• Into the Open: This was wonderful in concert. It sounded more powerful than on the CD, and the crowd loved it.
• Valley of Debris
• New Resolution: Great.
• Searching For the Ghost: Ditto--Super great.
• I Swallowed a Dragonfly
• My Maker: Excellent rocker off their first CD, Stairs and Elevators. They didn’t play it the last time I saw them, and I’m glad they played it tonight because it’s a favorite of mine.
• The Will Song: Good version of this, but in my mind they played it better in concert during the 2005 show. At any rate, she sang it great again tonight.
• Swamp Song: Nice rocker that kept the crowd in front of the stage moving.
• Finding Solutions
• Runnin: Another favorite of mine from their first CD. They did a great version of this to end their set. Afterwards, Mike Snyder took the stage and rallied the crowd for a few more songs.
Encore:
• New song: Erika played a great new song, or at least a portion of it, by herself on guitar. Not sure if this is a song she’s currently developing. At any rate, it was pretty short and she segued it into the opening chords to “Lazy” with the others joining in.
• Lazy: This was their heavy blues-rocker that ended their first CD, and the band slammed it down perfectly. This was another one I wanted them to play, and it was super.
• Gray: They ended their set with this nice rocker, just like the 2005 show.

Afterwards the band exited the stage. I congratulated drummer Kevin Vaughn on a great show, and told him I’m looking forward to seeing them again when they open for Lucinda in March.

Heartless Bastards will soon be appearing:
Jan 26 2007 8:00P - 12 Galaxies - San Francisco, California
Jan 27 2007 8:00P - Blue Lamp - Sacramento, California
Jan 30 2007 8:00P - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, Utah
Jan 31 2007 8:00P - Neurolux - Boise, Idaho
Feb 2 2007 8:00P - Bluebird Theater - Denver, Colorado
Feb 3 2007 8:00P - Trilogy - Boulder, Colorado
Feb 5 2007 8:00P - The Bottleneck - Lawrence, Kansas
Feb 6 2007 8:00P - Mojo's - Columbia, Missouri
Feb 7 2007 8:00P - The Picador - Iowa City, Iowa
Feb 8 2007 8:00P - Cowboy Monkey - Champaign, Illinois
Feb 9 2007 8:00P - Jake's - Bloomington, Indiana
Feb 10 2007 8:00P - Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, Kentucky

See the Heartless Bastards' MySpace page for a complete list of their U.S. spring tour dates and venues.
Buy at Amazon, emusic, and iTunes
Click here to watch a video of Erika Wennerstrom in a live performance.

In the 80's Indie Mom was a big fan of the Cure. I liked a lot of their songs too. Oddly, I even had a college instructor who was a doppelganger for Robert Smith except for being female. Her hair was black-black-black and teased out to here, she was pale and drew kohl-black rings around her eyes, and she wore red lipstick. At least she didn't smear it across her face. To top it off, her last name was Smith. I swear I did not make that up. She was a cool lady, and I liked her a lot.

The Cure were the original cultivators of Goth. Many of their songs were spooky or morose, and with his ruined make-up, Robert always looked like he was about to cry. And that is why I love "Da Hype" even though I'm not usually into dance music.

Robert Smith, happy at last! Can you picture him dancing around and waving his arms, squealing with joy? No? Well, you can hear the squealing anyway! Seriously, what an unmistakable and remarkable voice he has.

Junior Jack: Da Hype featuring Robert Smith (2004)

Birdmonster is playing some dates around California, and despite the fact that they scheduled some sort of close to us (within 100 miles), Indie Mom and I did not go to those in the L.A. area Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

It's really tempting to try to make tonight's Long Beach show, but that would mean facing some really ugly numbers: 15...91. Nasty! Remember in the movie Clueless when Dion accidentally got on the freeway? If you don't live in Southern California, you probably thought that was absurdly funny. If you DO live in Southern California, you shook your head in sympathy. All that screaming was just too familiar!

Let me just remind you that Birdmonster supplied one of my Favorite Songs of 2006). In the weeks since then I've come to like several others from their 2006 album No Midnight nearly as well.

Birdmonster: All the Holes in the Walls

Birdmonster: Cause You Can

If you are within reasonable range of these venues, I hope you will see the show that I'm not seeing.

Jan. 25 Prospector, Long Beach, CA
Jan. 27 The Dome, Bakersfield, CA
Feb. 2 Last Day Saloon, Santa Rosa, CA
Feb. 3 Oakland Metro, Oakland, CA
Feb. 5 Club Pow, Sacramento, CA
Feb. 8 Bottom of the Hill (18+) SF

Website | MySpace | Birdmonster's blog | Buy at Amazon or iTunes

For me the most fun thing about Time Travel Tuesdays is that I'm now able to find information about the bands I was listening to over a decade ago. As I scrounged through used CD stores or listened to my scratchy tapes of Spin radio broadcasts in the early 90's, I had no idea about the members or histories of the bands or whether anyone else liked them. Now when I take one of these old CDs off the shelf, the Internet is chock-full of information.

So it goes with the Dambuilders, who were brought my way via Spin radio. I was able to figure out that somebody in the band (Dave Derby and Eric Masunaga) must have been from Hawaii because of certain song titles on their album Encendedor, but I didn't know the band had originally formed in the 80's. I didn't know they were widely considered to be one of the most unique and highly innovative bands of the early 90's. I didn't know that drummer Kevin March later became a member of Guided By Voices.

What I knew I liked was that Joan Wasser's violin took the place of lead guitar in most of the Dambuilders' songs, which was highly unusual. Listen to it wail on "Collective" and wind around and through the more traditional rock sound of "Smell." Although violins are hardly a rarity in rock music now, you still don't hear them used much like this.

While "Shrine" (a cross-cultural love story: "If I learn the language, she could tell me all her dreams") may have been the hit of the album, my favorite is still "Slo-Mo Kikaida." The lyrics read like the plot of an animé comic or a Japanese monster-movie. Who cares if there are hardly any words that rhyme?

You might say that I'm a hero
But I am zero without you
Every day I will save you from evil monsters
'Cause that's my job
It's time to switch on to save Kyoto
'Cause I know you live there
I am happy you're around
When things that I can't double chop
Come down on you
I'm a robot made of steel
If I can tell you all the things I feel for you

The Dambuilders from Encendedor (1994) | Buy it

Slo-Mo Kikaida
Shrine
Collective
Smell

Former members of Dambuilders live in the New York/Massachusetts area and are still in touch with each other. Dave Derby co-founded a music production company based in New York. Violinist Joan Wasser has released a solo album. March was with GBV until their breakup. There has been talk of rereleasing material and even of performing together.

Dave Derby has current music to stream on his MySpace page.

Sources: Wikipedia | Boston Phoenix | epitonic

How I imagine Dogs Die In Hot Cars strategizing the release of their new CD

High on my anticipation list for new albums in 2007 is a long-overdue release by Scotland's Dogs Die In Hot Cars. All I have is wishful thinking instead of news at this point; the group is laying low and keeping mum. There's been no new podcast since last June, and they haven't logged into their MySpace page for a couple of weeks. I hope that means they are busy getting something ready soon.

It's been way to long since their first CD Please Describe Yourself" popped onto the scene, with its quirky lyrics, yelping vocals, and wry observations of human behavior. Although they sound a bit like XTC, they have a style and charm all their own, and I think they are funnier. And I just adore those accents.

"I Love You Cause I Have To" is one of my favorite songs of all time and the first DDIHC track I got into. The words flick by so quickly that you have to look them up--and they're worth it, so I've provided a link below to a lyrics page. The video features the group in synchronized activities, including vacuuming. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it. After that standout song, I have a hard time narrowing down my choices because I like so many of them, so you'll have to settle for just a few fine examples from all the good stuff. Stream a couple more at their MySpace page, and you'll see what I mean.

From Please Describe Yourself (2004)
I Love You Cause I Have To | (watch video)

Green are my eyes, they've seen so much compassion
I couldnt have changed but too much suffering inside so now I'm said and done
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you 'cause I have to

Lounger (Steve Mason Remix)

I get up when I like
Wear anything I like
Don't keep up with the cool
I make up my own rules
Don't have to eat my greens
Or keep my bedroom extra tidy
'Cause nobody is around to tell me off

Glimpse At the Good Life

We're watching our weight and watching our hairline
Burning it off and spraying it on
Five portions of fruit and veg and flotation tanks
Are keeping us balanced, and keeping us strong
So where would we be without pilates
Feng shui and breathing and organic bread
Manic attacks and panic depression
Missing the point as it goes over our heads

Official website | MySpace | lyrics
Buy at iTunes, eMusic, or amazon

David Reiss, Victoria Cecilia & Martin Klingman of Gliss

I don't watch television, but if you do, maybe you've noticed a MasterCard commercial that features "Huh, What?" by Gliss, sounding a little like the old 60's band, the Seeds. They don't always sound like that, however. They are more likely to sound atmospheric and dark, sort of gasping/groaning out their lyrics like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with whom they have toured, or some old 80's glam band.

My favorite is the dreamy "Velvet Stars" from their 2005 EP, Kick In Your Heart, but the trio have punched things up quite a bit on their full-length CD from last year, as you can tell from "Kissing the Boulevard" and the other songs you can stream on their MySpace page. I melt over cymbal-drenched "Peeping Tom" however. It takes me on a time-travel-trip back to my favorite stuff from the Dambuilders.

Gliss: Velvet Stars

From Love the Virgins (2006)
Gliss: Kissing the Boulevard
Gliss: Peeping Tom

Attention, Angelenos!
Gliss will be appearing at the Viper Room this Monday, January 22, at 10:45 p.m. with Gosling and Modern Memory.

Official website: gliss tv | MySpace | blog | Buy at eMusic or iTunes

Another song to stand out on my MP3 playlist is "Bright Lights" by Chow Chow from their debut four-song EP released in December. Although the record company, iTunes, and eMusic call the EP "Chow Chow," the group steadfastly refer to it as "Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow E.P."

Although based in London, Chow Chow is made up of two Canadians and one New Zealander. These are: Nathan (drums/vox/spacedrum), Iain (guitars/vocals/303) and Stu (bass/korg/vocoder). That's Stu in the middle, above.

I did not know what a Korg was, but a quick Internet search reveals that "Korg delivers the ultimate sonic arsenal with a full line of keyboards..." That explains a lot when you listen to Chow Chow. But what is a 303? The only thing I could come up with was some kind of gun.

A review of a Chow Chow performance last September from their MySpace blog is knee-deep in adjective-heavy phrases like "anthemic indie perfection," "whooshing squirts," and "splurging synth slews." Sorry, ol' Gramma doesn't write such tongue-twisty prose. But also in that review lurks a list of influences that reflects the darker past of my taste, which is probably what draws me toward Chow Chow's songs: Tom Verlaine, Television, the Pixies, Bauhaus, Joy Division. I would add Iggy Pop to that list, thinking especially of the furious energy of his live shows.

Imagine any of these performers with synthesizers, and you've got a pretty accurate idea of what goes on with Chow Chow. Interestingly, each of the four songs presents its own distinct version of those influences. Stream the other three songs at their MySpace page, and you'll see what I mean.


Chow Chow: Bright Lights from Chow Chow EP (2006)


The group are recently featured in the Brit magazine, Dazed and Confused. A new 7-inch vinyl is due out in March.

Londoners, please note these upcoming Chow Chow appearances:
Feb 2 2007 8:00P Montague Arms, New Cross London
Feb 15 2007 10:00P Hope & Anchor, Islington London
Feb 22 2007 8:00P The Macbeth, Old Street London

Buy at iTunes or eMusic
or at their label: Fantastic Plastic Records

The Cheat might be the best band I've found through myspace yet. Sam Alexander, Stephen Edelstein, Jesse Nolan, and Keith Patterson met while attending UC Berkeley, but now call Los Angeles home. I contacted the band after devouring the three songs they have available on their website and nearly sobbed when I saw that I had missed their show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood back in October. Thankfully I see that they've got another show planned in February.

The Cheat list Radiohead, Interpol, Pixies, Talking Heads, The Beatles, and Nirvana as influences (all favorites of mine) and explain that their varied taste in music gives them their own unique sound. I have to agree - one of the best things about the three tracks available on their myspace page is that the songs all sound very different from each other, and more original than other music being released today. It's evident from the band members' favorite albums of 2006, which include Joanna Newsom, TV on the Radio, Deerhoof, The Rapture, Grizzly Bear, Lupe Fiasco, and The Knife, and their all-time favorites, like Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Q and Not U, and Aphex Twin, that their sound has a strong and diverse background from which to emerge.

The band toured back in 2005 with blog favorites squirrel vs. bear and continue to play shows in the L.A. area every month or so, and will appear at the Troubadour on February 11. Click here for more information on the show.

Check out these songs from their EP, Drunk With Power, released in late 2006. These three tracks are available on their myspace page, and you can stream their first self-titled EP on their website. For now, the band is looking to do some touring and are working on a video for the great song "Diet Coke at the Gap". Thanks guys, for being so nice and making excellent music. See you in February!

the cheat: diet coke at the gap

the cheat: sooner or later

the cheat: not so bad

official website | myspace | buy the EP and other merch

Following advice that we should include some sort of regular column in our blog, and inspired by the near-simultaneous events of reading the wonderful novel The Time Traveler's Wife (click here for review) and watching all three Back To the Future DVDs in one weekend, I present to you the first edition of Time Travel Tuesdays at Speed of Dark!

Although both Indie Mom and I enjoy introducing exciting new bands, we've been listening to music for a long time and have plenty of older stuff we'd like to write about. This will just give us a formal rather than random way to do it. Please let us know by your comments what you think!

Today I'm flipping the calendar years back to 1995--which I think will turn out to be a very popular time-travel year--when my only methods of finding the alternative and indie music I craved was to listen to and record on cassette the weekly Spin radio broadcasts on Sunday nights and prowl used CD stores with my portable player in my jacket pocket. I'd paw through shelves and boxes of CDs, playing whatever caught my fancy, either from the name of the group, the cover art, or the name of some song. After several hours, I'd bring a pile up to the front desk and figure out how many I could afford to buy.

I found Are You Going To Eat That by Hazel in one of those used CD stores. No, not Sister Hazel, just Hazel, the punk/pop band from Portland fronted by Pete Krebs (vocals, guitar), accompanied by Jody Bleyle (drums, vocals), Brady Smith (bass), and Fred Nemo (dance).

Formed on Valentine's Day, 1991, the band's blurb on their SubPop label's website cannot be paraphrased or improved upon: "Hazel blooms forth in a disorienting swirl of phosphorescent melody, preternatural power, cleve-the-scalp-of-the-shortstop line-drives of pure rhythm, and simple rabid tutu-shredding apoplexy." Yeah!

Most of the songs follow the punk guidelines of being less than 3 minutes long. They are bristling with tension but contain much better lyrics and melody than the usual punk fare. I was mesmerized on first play by the "backwards" chord progressions, the slightly off-kilter harmonies between Krebs and Bleyle, and the odd rhythms that sometimes gave the impression of a beat left out. What I did not learn until researching this post is that Krebs and Elliott Smith were friends and occasional collaborators (when Smith was in Heatmiser). Strangely, I did not come across Smith for many more years.


When I pulled this CD off the shelf recently, I was surprised that I still liked so many of the tracks. I ripped 7 of the 13 and had a hard time selecting 3 for this post. Believe it or not, this little gem of an album can still be purchased from Amazon vendors of used CDs. You might have to pay as much as 35 cents for it (not including shipping). That's a bargain. The insert contains all the lyrics scrawled in tiny handwritten print, plus cover art supposedly rejected by the label as "too ugly."

From Are You Going To Eat That (1995) Buy it

Hazel: Green Eyes - (My favorite and highly recommended)

This is for my dear departed

Now and forever - whatever!

I couldn't for the life of me prove to you

Though I'm wanting to tell you

I'm a mess without you

I lost the best friend I ever had

I'd give this world and all its answers

To be held in your eyes again

Green Eyes

Hazel: Ascension
Hazel: Sparkle Finish

Pete Krebs is still living in Portland and making music with the Gossamer Wings. Check his MySpace page to listen to new tunes. Music can be purchased on iTunes

Let me take you back to a simpler time, a happy time, before the nightmare of GWB, when all we had to worry about was the OJ trial taking forever. It was a time when indie.mom was graduating from high school and learning about the wonders of music outside of the Top 40. The year was 1995.

Kevin Smith, auteur du jour, released Mallrats, his second film and follow-up to the brilliant Clerks. That year, we had somehow managed to talk our photography teacher into letting us watch Clerks in class, unedited, and he was in major trouble because someone's parent complained. But I digress. Mallrats was seen as a failure, and Kevin Smith even apologized for making the film (although this apology was made in jest). It definitely did not receive the critical acclaim that was heaped upon Clerks, but has maintained a cult following on video/DVD.

In 1995, most of the actors were relative unknowns - the most famous was Shannen Doherty, of Beverly Hills 90210 fame. Since then, several other actors from the film have risen to stardom, most notably Ben Affleck, who plays a small part as a seriously sadistic men's store manager in Mallrats. Others include Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee (who star in ABC's stellar My Name is Earl), Clare Forlani (whose career seems to have stalled since her role in Meet Joe Black), Jeremy London (who starred in Party of Five and 7th Heaven, both shows I've never watched), and Joey Lauren Adams (who starred in Smith's next movie, Chasing Amy, also great). Who could hate a movie featuring Stan Lee, creator of Marvel Comics? And of course, the runaway stars of the show, Jay and Silent Bob!

This excellent movie also featured some great music. The soundtrack not only includes all of the music from the film, but also several sound clips with some great lines. Kevin Smith is a master of hilarious dialogue and quick one-liners. Enjoy some of the music from the film, a great clip of Shannen Doherty telling off Jason Lee, and go rent/buy the movie tonight!

weezer: susanne
elastica: line up
bush: bubbles
squirtgun: social (song over the opening credits)

shannen doherty: taken with a grain of salt

watch the opening credits (highly recommended)
buy the movie | buy the soundtrack | official site

I am starting to find out what artists and albums I missed in 2006 with the help of my new best friend, the MP3 player I received as a Christmas gift.

Just in case I am not the last person on the planet to have one, I can highly recommend the Creative Zen V player for those who don't want to shell out the bucks for a tony iPod. I don't find it a problem that I can't walk into any mini mart and find hundreds of pricey accessories for my little pet to play with like you can with iStuff. Compatible items for Zens are easy to order online.

Although I'm no technophobe, I'm obviously not lusting after an iPhone. And, no, Idolator, to my knowledge Speed of Dark did not get any free iPhones! If we did, we'd certainly be giving them away as prizes to our valued readers (see comment).

During my after-Christmas vacation, City-State, a foursome from Washington D.C., became a quick favorite on my Evaluation playlist with "Wolves." It turns out that the other four songs on their EP, aptly titled Wolves + 4, are darn good listening too--a little bit like Interpol or British Sea Power, with dark melodies and strong vocals. There's a lot of promise in these tracks.

Despite losing one of their founding band members (Matt Kalinowski, apparently on amicable terms) in 2006 and training his replacement (Forrest Yingling) on guitar, vocals, and keyboards, City-State expects to have a new release early this year, according to their MySpace page. I'll be looking forward to it.


Wolves
Atrophy

Buy at iTunes, eMusic, or Rhapsody
Official Website | MySpace

I was one of the last to the Arcade Fire bandwagon, I'll admit it. It wasn't because I didn't like their sound (Alt-gramma hates them), it's that I avoided listening to them because of all the hype surrounding them. I figured that they couldn't possibly be as great as everyone was saying, probably because I had been burned before on big hype and little substance. But Arcade Fire lived up to and exceeded the merits heaped upon them. I can compare them to The Decemberists, another fine band which I love, but only due to the varied instruments and the skill in which the musicians work their magic with them. But both bands stand alone, in a world of their own.

Enjoy some rare(r) tracks and count the minutes with me until Neon Bible is released in March.

the arcade fire: old flame

the arcade fire: burning bridges, breaking hearts

the arcade fire: in the attic

buy arcade fire albums | official website | us kids know fansite | myspace | 1-800-neon bible

I was almost finished writing another post when I saw Indie Mom's iPhone lust post below. Hey, I can't resist a theme...

Adult: hand to phone (cordless remix) from Resuscitation (2001)
Buy the album | Website | MySpace


Earlimart: Nevermind the Phonecalls from an unnamed new album to be released this year!
Buy Earlimart albums | Website | MySpace


the Notwist: Pick Up the Phone from Neon Golden (2003)
Buy the album | Website | MySpace

All artists are also available on iTunes

I want an iPhone! These things are awesome, terribly expensive, and require even more expensive service contracts through Cingular. But I still want one. Click here for more awesome pics of my new phone.

Another new band next in line to hit the big time is The Graduate, coming to you courtesy of Illinois. The band, consisting of lead singer Corey Warning, guitarists Matt Kennedy and Max Sauer, bassist Jared Wuestenberg, and drummer Tim Moore released the excellent EP Horror Show in April 2006, and plan to follow up with their first full-length release tentatively titled Anhedonia in April 2007. They've scheduled a killer tour for the spring, launching off in the middle of January.

I first heard The Graduate via myspace, and I really enjoyed the four songs they have posted there. But when I bought the EP, I listened to it repeatedly (as I do with new music) and I found myself toe-tapping and head-nodding and hitting the back button to listen to it again. The songs are arranged very well, the lyrics intelligent, and the sound excellent. The band lists their influences as U2, Third Eye Blind, Mute Math, Coldplay, and Death Cab for Cutie, which are some tough acts to follow. However, I think this band has potential and I am definitely looking forward to their album this spring. My favorite track from the EP:

the graduate: confidence is everything

buy the EP on iTunes | official website | myspace | purevolume

Check out The Graduate if they come to your town this spring:
* = with Waking Ashland/The Fold/Jonzetta
** = with The Fold/Sound the Alarm

Jan 21 Jerry's Pizza Pub Bakersfield, CA
Jan 22 Troubadour * West Hollywood, CA
Jan 23 That One Place * Phoenix, AZ
Jan 25 The Refuge* Amarillo, TX
Jan 26 The Sanctuary* San Antonio, TX
Jan 27 ellum * Dallas, TX
Jan 28 Juanita's * Little Rock, AR
Jan 29 Outland Ballroom * Springfield, MO
Jan 30 The Bottleneck * Lawrence, KA
Jan 31 Beat Kitchen * Chicago, IL
Feb 1 The Loft* Madison, WI
Feb 2 Mac's Bar * Lansing, MI
Feb 3 Mad Hatter * Covington, KY
Feb 5 The Icon ** Buffalo, NY
Feb 6 Webster Underground ** Hartford, CT
Feb 7 ICC Church ** Allston, MA
Feb 8 Hamilton Street Cafe ** Bound Brook, NJ
Feb 10 Crocodile Rock Cafe ** Allentown, PA
Feb 11 Mr. Small's ** Millvale, PA

Self Against City is a Sacramento-based band which is currently on tour in support of their album Telling Secrets to Strangers, to be released January 9, on Rushmore Records. The band was recently in my area, opening for Hellogoodbye and I was unable to score tickets to that show, and out of town for their record release shows shortly after Christmas. Their 2005 EP, Take It How You Want It shows the band developing their sound and finding their own voice.

Last year seemed a rocky time for the band, with some departures among original band members and some new members joining the fold. The album was recorded prior to bassist Patrick O'Connor and drummer Chris Trombley leaving the band. New bassist Blake Abbey, who had filled in with the band in the past, and new drummer Justin Barnes have picked up the pieces nicely.

Self Against City has a really nice myspace page, kept well-maintained and up to date. Their entire tour schedule, some history about the band, and band news are regularly updated, and lead singer Jonathan Temkin was friendly and nice enough to communicate with me very briefly via myspace. I'm sure the band's pretty busy right now, with the album coming out next Tuesday, January 9, and with the busy tour schedule.

You can stream the entire new album on Pure Volume, and I've been listening to it a little bit. My favorite track is "Tequila Moonlight", comparable to a Jimmy Eat World song, with lovely guitars and ooh-ing in the background. I can see them enjoying the spotlight that's currently shining upon bands such as Plain White Ts and Fall Out Boy. Another strong track is "Disappearing Act", and the more I listen to this album, the more I like it.

Enjoy another great track from their upcoming release, and look for the album Telling Secrets to Strangers on Tuesday.

self against city: ready and willing

buy the EP | buy the album | official website | myspace | stream album
watch video for "The Process" | watch interview with the band

My brother, Indie Mom's Uncle T, is also an avid music connoisseur. He has excellent taste, but he leans more toward blues and country than I do. He has made an annual Best list for years that he distributes to friends and family. I have learned to pay attention to the artists he takes notice of. Over the years he has turned me on to Cat Power, Warren Zevon, Joseph Arthur, Lucinda Williams, the Heartless Bastards, and Alejandro Escovedo. For an entirely different take on 2006 from our usual Speed of Dark fare, here is Uncle T's list of Top 10 Albums for 2006, with his own commentary on each.

10. Various Artists: Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys
Producer Hal Willner put together 2-CD’s worth of sea songs sung by contemporary artists (Nick Cave, Joe Arthur, Lou Reed, Jolie Holland), actors (John C. Reilly), and other oddities (Baby Gramps). Some of the songs are a bit risqué, some are stamped by the singer, but most of the songs are done fairly traditionally. Very cool collection. Willner previously put together similar works on the music of Kurt Weill.
Buy at Amazon



9. Joseph Arthur: Nuclear Daydream
Nice CD of modern pop and folk, mining desperate corners of the psyche. This one’s done with a bit less of the layers-of-sound production of his last two CDs.
Buy at Amazon



8. Cat Power: The Greatest
The Moon
On this one Chan Marshall is backed up by a band of crack Memphis musicians. This is nice mellow stuff that definitely casts a spell.
Buy at Amazon



7. Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Neko’s on a roll, with the New Pornographers last year and this year’s solo CD backed by Calexico, the Sadies, Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) and Garth Hudson (the Band). This one’s full of unique torch songs lifted off by her powerful singing.
Buy at Amazon



6. Bob Dylan: Modern Times
Thunder on the Mountain
This is pretty good, but nowhere near its brilliant predecessor “Love and Theft” (appropriately released on September 11, 2001). Both CDs were produced by Dylan, and both contain up-tempo blues workouts coupled with mellow crooners. On this one, he reworks three classic blues songs with his own lyrics with pretty cool results. But the slower songs mostly prevail. But this being Dylan, the CD is still heads above most of what’s out now.
Buy at Amazon



5. Heartless Bastards: All This Time
The band manages to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump with another great CD. Here they explore new musical directions, expanding their sound with more piano and strings. The (all original) songs are a bit mellower than last year’s bombastic debut, but the band still rocks it hard in spots and Erika’s vocals continue to be amazing. This is one band to watch.
Buy at Amazon



4. Alejandro Escovedo: The Boxing Match
Notes On Air
Back in the pink, with hepatitis and alcohol behind him, Alejandro teams up with producer John Cale (ex-Velvet Underground) for another nice CD of interesting rock and soft root songs. Cale throws in a few modern musical curves to Alejandro’s rootsy style. It’s Alejandro’s best produced work to date.
Buy at Amazon



3. Golden Smog: Another Fine Day
Strangers
This collaborative alternative supergroup (made up of members from Wilco, Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Run Westy Run) reconvenes again after 8 years to save the world. They’ve moved from their previous alt-country leanings to a more Beatlesque power-pop formula. And it works well, with another fine CD.
Buy at Amazon



2. Calexico: Garden Ruin
Letter to Bowie Knife
On this one Calexico expand their sound from space-age mariachi to a broader pop-sound, with wonderful results. Great CD whose music sneaks up on you. It really captures the zeitgeist of the times.
Buy at Amazon



1. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat
Handle With Care (Traveling Wilburys cover) with M. Ward and others
Rilo Kiley’s front woman goes solo with this great country-pop gem. All of the songs work, and she’s obviously ready for a solo career.
Buy at Amazon

Following up with the second part of my best songs that didn't appear on my 2006 Best Of list (see part one here):

memphis: i'll do whatever you want
buy the album | myspace

Memphis' incredible album slipped my mind as I was compiling my final list of 25. The album, A Little Place in the Wilderness, was released in August 2006 by Torquil Campbell and Chris Dumont, the former also a member of Stars. The soft, dreamy guitars and soothing piano that dominate these tunes are simply wonderful. This song gives just a taste of the 10-song album, with the title track also a favorite of mine.


joseph arthur: too much to hide
buy the album | official website | fansite

If you hadn't noticed, Alt-gramma has quite a thing for Joseph Arthur (see posts here, here, and also here) and so I haven't given my opinion on much of it yet. A lot of what I have heard is very dark and sad, but at the same time, sweet and lovely. I like his voice a lot, and this song exemplifies for me what Mr. Arthur can do best. What I have heard from this album, Nuclear Daydream, is excellent, and I am sure that he not only has a great future ahead of him, but many, many more mentions in the future by alt-gramma on this blog.


mellowdrone: fashionably uninvited
buy the album | official website | myspace

This song was left off of my list because I didn't realize that Box, the Mellowdrone album from which this song came, was released in 2006 until the list was halfway posted. When Alt-gramma and I went to see Silversun Pickups, we stood next to the kid in the lazy eye video and both he and his friend were wearing Mellowdrone hoodies. I remember thinking, "I've got a Mellowdrones song...but I can't think of what it is..." and so when I got home, I checked. Dammit! I love this song and their probably more well-known song from the same album, "Oh My", which I have heard getting some radio airplay. I haven't heard enough of their songs yet...must hear more.


It's very very late and I'm very very tired. I will post the final "best of the rest" soon. Enjoy!

I mentioned in my Final Four Favorites post some pre-2006 songs that I discovered because of the influence of Thom Yorke's CD The Eraser.

Usually when I have a new Radiohead song or CD, I don't want to listen to anything else for a while because nothing else is like it. Radiohead songs don't fit well in mixes, at least not to my ear. The Eraser, however, is different because there IS music that is similar or that goes pretty well with it.

My first example is actually an older Radiohead song that I was not aware of until this year. A B-side of the Pyramid Song single, released in 2001, it had escaped me because I normally do not buy singles. It has several similarities to its Eraser kin: the use of vocals as part of the percussion, skippy dance beats, and the clarity of Thom's lyrics.
Radiohead: Kinetic

"Breather" by Laika, the electronica/dance duo of Margaret Fiedler and John Frenett, makes a refreshing opener for the title song of The Eraser. Their "Sugar Daddy," from the album Spin magazine noted in their "Top 10 Albums you didn't hear in 1995," fits this groove too.
Laika: Breather from Sounds of the Satellites (1997)
Laika: Sugar Daddy from Silver Apples of the Moon (1994)

Weird sounds weave around underwater vocals in this charming polyrhythmic dance ditty. I like this track even better than this year's favorite, Needle and Thread
Psapp: Calm Down from Tiger, My Friend (2004)

Alt-gramma and I would like to wish you and yours a very happy new year. I spent mine enjoying way too many tequila shots and by calling my friends in the middle of the night, repeatedly, to wish them a happy new year. I spent most of today sleeping and watching the Rose Bowl with a bowl of the Mexican soup pozole to fight la cruda (hangover), which wasn't that bad, considering the amount of alcohol I consumed. I hope yours was as great as mine.

Enjoy the following "happy new year" songs!

nada surf: happy kid from let go
kings of leon: happy alone from youth and young manhood

interpol: the new from turn on the bright lights
eels: old shit/new shit from blinking lights and other revelations

sufjan stevens: year of the tiger from enjoy your rabbit
nada surf: blankest year from the weight is a gift