Review: Static Of The Gods - Knowledge Machine

Static Of The Gods - Knowledge Machine
2010, DelVerano Records

Boston trio Static Of The Gods is back with their third album, Knowledge Machine, on March 23, 2010. Recorded at a secluded farmhouse in Vermont, Knowledge Machine mixes natural inspiration and modern technology for Static Of The Gods' most intimate work to date. Building off their previous work with producer Matthew Ellard (Radiohead, Weezer), Static Of The Gods layered sounds and effects in an effort to bring out deep nuance in each song.

Knowledge Machine turned out to be a confounding experience as a reviewer. If you listen closely to Static Of The Gods, there is real talent here. Vocalist Jen Johnson doesn't have a perfect voice, but when she stays within the workable portion of her range she has a good, strong, clear sound that works for her. Guitarist Ben Voskeritichian is very talented and ready to bust out and show off at most anytime; unfortunately those opportunities don't often come on Knowledge Machine. What we get instead is a monochromatic set of songs that never vary much in dynamics or approach. Rest Your Head, the opening track, is the highlight of the album and is only mildly intriguing at that. Rest Your Head is ethereal, passive art-rock, and would stand out on a more varied album, but loses out in light of the sonic continuity of Static Of The Gods.

The more I listen to Knowledge Machine, the more I suspect the sound of the band is tailored to fit the vocal limitations of Jen Johnson, a constraint most bands face to one extent or another, but one might argue that the limits placed here aren't really fit to her voice at all. Johnsonis very competent within her comfortable range, but loses both pitch and tone in her upper register (Talk You Down, Mean Streak). On the other hand, White Flag is a high point for Johnson, although the sound is too static. And that's the big complaint about Knowledge Machine, the sound and dynamics on the album are just too constricted. As a listener this is a real turn off, lending to the impression that all of the songs sound the same. Some of the tunes (Talk You Down, Fire-Eater) want to rock but aren't allowed to, and much of the album falls into a bland somnolence that is catching.

Static Of The Gods has some real potential and real liabilities. Every band does, but I'd argue that neither are managed effectively on Knowledge Machine. Shoe gaze rock thrives on the disconnect from the outside world, but even the most avid shoe gazer has a heart beat and reacts to external stimuli they claim to ignore. This sense of vitality is missing from Knowledge Machine. My one wish for Static Of The Gods is that they get back in touch with their own beating hearts the next time around; the talent level here is sufficient to do some surprising things if this band ever plugs in.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Static Of The Gods at www.myspace.com/staticofthegods. Knowledge Machine is due for release March 23, 2010. Keep checking the band’s MySpace page for availability.

Photo by: Alicia J. Rose

Review: Molly Thomason - Through The Static

Molly Thomason - Through The Static
2009, Molly Thomason

Molly Thomason carries with her the sort of polish and maturity of an established artist whose been writing and performing professionally for a number of years. She’s been writing for seven years by now, but the fact that she’s all of fifteen years old will come as something of a surprise if you hear her before you see her. The Antigonish, Nova Scotia resident who was born in Kent, England into an artist family was singing practically before she was talking; if there’s ever been someone born to make music its Molly Thomason. Thomason makes a big impression with her debut album, Through The Static, showing poise beyond her years.

Through The Static opens with Untitled #2 (Kiss Me), a solid Pop tune in an acoustic arrangement with a killer chorus. Thomason establishes herself early as a center-of-the-road mix of Ingrid Michaelson and Lisa Loeb; sweet with just a bit of edge to her. Textbook Cute is a tough read. After several listens I am still not sure I'm with the text, but the arrangement is great. The song seems to be about involvement with someone who is dysfunctional and up-front about it; either the dysfunction is catching or the narrator realizes that she, too, is given to the same sort of dysfunction. Streetfight didn't catch me hard the first few listens, but the more I hear it the more weight it has. It's a song about the tension and anxiety of growing up and enmeshing your life with another. Thomason plays around the edges of sharing space and establishing boundaries in very artful, musical terms.

Break My Heart is a dash of Urban Folk-core, ala Ani DiFranco, but with a slightly harder edge. The song is catchy and memorable, and among Thomason's better offerings. Summer Rain is another highlight, capturing that moment in a relationship where things come to the brink of falling apart before the wounds heal. All relationships go through these moments; even the ones that work out. Thomason shows a deft lyrical touch here. All That I Would Like To Say is a heartfelt ballad that leaves nothing unspoken. The abject honesty could be either refreshing or too much depending on the listener's perspective. Thomason returns to Urban Folk-core for Sister Sarah. Again, I didn't quite stay with Thomason on this one, but the song has a great sound.

Thomason shows a lot of vulnerability on Through The Static, touching on the realization in a relationship that her partner would be okay without her. It's a crisis of confidence borne of insecurity, asking the key question: Do you love me? One Anthem Girl confronts a behavior that can and likely will tear apart the relationship (in this case drugs). The song seemed a little flat, nowhere near as emotionally intense as you might expect given the emotional range shown elsewhere on Through The Static. Thomason saves her best for last. Little Bones features Thomason at her most poetic; crafting a delightful Folk arrangement with Jazz accents and instrumentation that bring the song to life.

Molly Thomason's Through The Static is a very solid effort, providing consistent quality songwriting and performance throughout. Just when you think Thomason will soldier out as she came in, she throws you a wink and a curve with the final track; an invitation to come along and see what else she has up her sleeve. Thomason isn't about you to blow you away, but she has a very affable voice, a knack for telling stories and guiding them through compact Folk/Rock arrangements, and the ability to pull the rug out from under you when you least expect it. Through The Static is a solid listen you'll come back to. You might even find yourself sticking around to find what comes next.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Molly Thomason at http://www.mollythomason.ca/. You can purchase Through The Static as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: McCabe & Mrs. Miller - Time For Leaving

McCabe & Mrs. Miller - Time For Leaving
2009, McCabe & Mrs. Miller

McCabe & Mrs. Miller is the nom-de-guerre of the union of Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Monks Of Doom) and Alison Faith Levy (The Sippy Cups, The Loud Family), taken from the 1971 Robert Altman film. The two have played together over the years between projects, but decided in 2009 to formalize the partnership. The resulting album, Time For Leaving, features deep influences from the worlds of Folk, Country, Americana and Rock N Roll. Krummenacher provides a somewhat grittier facade, while Faith Levy comes across as worldly-yet-demure on a quietly exciting album that should make some impact on the Americana charts.

Time For Leaving opens with the energetic yet low key instrumental Union City Blues. It's a soft segue way into an album ripe with Americana, Folk and Country accents. Come Back Home To Me is a plainspoken entreaty born of love and need. The song is steeped in a beautiful arrangement, and Alison Faith Levy has a gorgeous voice. Fare Thee Well takes a pragmatic look at moving on from the perspective of the one about to be left behind. The song is well-written and the performance is gritty and melodic. Playground is sultry and playful and leaves little to the imagination; done up in a jazzy arrangement that's a fun tease.

On Couldn't Sit Still, McCabe & Mrs. Miller wax poetic on love and its costs. The song isn't so much forlorn as matter-of-fact in its cynicism. I Remember California is solid Folk songbook material, a remembrance of times gone by in everyman terms. Faith Levy takes flight on Your Magic Fingers, a classic country song in the old Nashville style that sounds like it could have been featured at one time on the Grande Ol' Opry. Time For Leaving closes with the title track, a sublimely melancholy tune that is something of an ellipsis for an album with a timeless feel, as if suggesting the cycle of songs is something that repeats as regularly as human love and human heartache.

Time For Leaving isn't an album that bowls you over. Krummenacher and Faith Levy emanate the relentless feel of life with songs that chip away at your psyche like desert winds over a rocky butte. The brutality and grit of a hard life mix with its minimalist rewards in the words and notes of McCabe & Mrs. Miller. The result is exultantly melancholy, a treat for the ears.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about McCabe & Mrs. Miller at http://www.mccabeandmrsmiller.com/. You can purchase Time For Leaving as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Audio-OK - Good Men

Audio-OK - Good Man
2006, Pussycat Kill Kill

Berlin quartet Audio-OK has its roots in early post-Soviet East Germany, where high school friends Torsten Volkmann (guitar/vox), Bjorn Volkmann (bass) and Niels Scherer (guitar/vox) got together to listen to illicit import albums from the likes of B52's, The Fall, Fugazi and Sonic Youth. The trio formed a Joy Division cover band before turning to their own material, gigging for the first time in 1993. The band split up a few years later, but reunited in the era of computer-based recording and have released their debut album, Good Man, adding Berlin drummer Eric Fessler in the process.

Good Man opens with Bad News, a Lo-Fi, Alt-Garage tune built on one riff. The talk/sing style and bare-bones instrumentation creates a stark sound that's mildly appealing in doses. Keep It is overly simplistic Grunge/Garage that leads into the musical misadventures of Between The Lines. A comparison had been floating around in my brain for several days but I couldn't come up with the name. It finally struck me today; Audio-OK reminds me a lot of 1980's Pop/Punk outfit The Pressure Boys, although MLV sounds a bit like Bobby "Boris" Pickett (The Monster Mash); this is most apparent on The Good Man, which also happens to be the best songwriting on the disc. Audio-Ok closes out with Higher and a live version of Gush; the former a rant and the latter something of a mess.

Audio-OK has some nice moments on Good Man, but it's a fifty-fifty proposition. The talk/sing style will be a matter of taste; the music in general is highly simplistic, and melody is more of an afterthought than a central theme of the songs. Audio-OK gives it their all on Good Man.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Audio-OK at www.myspace.com/audiook.

Review: Social Code - Rock N Roll

Social Code - Rock N Roll
2010, Fifth Season Music

Edmonton, Alberta is the home to Social Code, the quartet led by vocalist Travis Nesbitt that has created waves in the Canadian Rock scene since their 2004 debut, A Year At The Movies. Social Code return with their third album (and US debut), Rock N Roll on March 23, 2010. Social Code is already impacting heavily on Canadian Radio with the opening single, Satisfied, and the future looks very bright indeed.

Talk about melting your face. Social Code doesn't just hit a home run with Rock N Roll, they tear the cover off the ball and pound the cork core into smithereens. Opening with the title track, Social Code eschews cliché by thoroughly failing to break into the big rock sound you expect to explode part way through the song. Travis Nesbitt’s tortured, needful vocal is more a song of longing than celebration; raw in emotion and powerful. It's a surprising and compelling start, and is likely to be talked about as one of the best Rock songs of the year. Nothing Left To Lose will put to rest any questions about whether Social Code is for real, ripping into a big Classic Rock sound that's part Aerosmith, part Whitesnake and part Bob Seger. Add in the big rock chorus and Arena-rock harmonies and you have something bordering on an instant classic.

Satisfied is an honest, up-front one night stand song. It's full of the testosterone-laden braggadocio and big hooks; a well-written tune with a high commercial ceiling. Perfect Grave is a sharp left turn, focusing on the death of a loved one at their own hand. It's a song of mourning as well as a statement of strength and perseverance. Creed fans will love the big open sound, which does sound a bit formulaic, but the content is meaty enough to avoid a purely "commercial rock" label. Social Code hits radio gold on Buy Buy Buy, a highly danceable dose of Rock N Roll that get you moving from it's opening notes and will stick with you.

Fight For Love is a strong Rocker with real Mix Tape potential; a romantic hip-shaker that's just great songwriting. You Never Know You Got Until It's Gone reminded me a bit of Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen because of the guitar work. The song itself is built on a great melody and a big hook, and is likely to be a fan favorite. I'm Not Okay goes a bit above and beyond the usual rock ballad; dealing with heartbreak in unvarnished terms. The songwriting here is surprisingly good, producing a song that's not only memorable but meaningful. Social Code close with Too Late For Tomorrow, a bit of a comedown from the rest of Rock N Roll, but decent for all that. I guess you could call it a safe, soft landing.

Social Code manages to put forward a highly commercial sound on Rock N Roll without sounding like they're trying to. There's a talent to this that some artists simply possess. It can't be taught or acquired, it's more of a touch. Whatever you want to call it, Social Code has it and exploits it thoroughly on Rock N Roll. It's hard to predict the next ten-plus months, but it's hard to imagine Social Code not landing on year-end lists with Rock N Roll (the album), and if there were ever a breakout Rock tune waiting to happen, it's Rock N Roll (the song). Make sure you introduce yourself to Social Code. I have a feeling they're going to be sticking around the party for a long time to come.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Social Code at http://www.socialcodemusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/socialcode. Rock N Roll drops March 23, 2010. You can pre-order a copy from Amazon.com, but expect wide availability across traditional and virtual retail as well digitally.

Review: Annie Automatic - Fighting Chances

Annie Automatic - Fighting Chances
2010, Broken Seal

You might think that California rockers Annie Automatic have an air of mystery about them. Their lead singer (French) and guitarist (Cash) have eschewed patronymics, and the band’s logo offers up only an oddly scripted letter A in the crosshairs of a rifle’s scope. Despite the affectations, it would be hard to find a more elemental Rock N Roll band than Annie Automatic, who returns to basics on their second album, Fighting Chances. The result is flat-out great Rock N Roll.

Fighting Chances opens with Nepenthe, exacting an intriguing sound that balances on the precipice between Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Psychedelia and Punk. The song features basic Rock construction reminiscent of The Police's early work; a soaring chorus with clear honest vocals and a creative spark that's anathema to modern commercial radio. Suffice it to say Nepenthe is a great start! Something Sacred is a strong ballad with a highly likeable chorus. The emotion implied in the lyrics doesn't necessarily translate well into the arrangement. The result is something of a disconnect but still a very solid song.

A Song For Billy is a mournful tune featuring ethereal voices mixing with string instrumentation to build a creepy baroque feel at the end. An intriguing listen, the song takes a little while to get there and then resolves fairly quickly back into the melodic sense of the chorus. It's a haunted song that will stick with you, although it won't grab you right off the bat. Annie Automatic closes with Candy Apple Kisses, the potential hit of the EP. The melody here is absolutely infectious; the sort of song you hear on the radio and then search furiously to find out who did it.

Annie Automatic makes a big splash with Fighting Chances. This is the sort of EP that can seriously raise the profile of a young band. Four out of five songs are strong comers with real commercial legs, but Annie Automatic does commercial by making great music rather than by trying to be commercial. Fighting Chances will leave you wanting to see what Annie Automatic will come up with next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Annie Automatic at http://www.annieautomatic.com/ or www.myspace.com/annieautomaticmusic. You can purchase Fighting Chances as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com. The album may also be downloaded from Amazon.com or iTunes.

Review: ThreadSpinner - Night Chorus

ThreadSpinner - Night Chorus
2009, ThreadSpinner Music

ThreadSpinner encompasses all sorts of Rock N Roll stories. Vocalist/keyboardist Sarah Zeibarth is the Midwestern girl who hopped a ride to the West Coast to chase her dreams. Her husband Jon (guitar) is the research scientist whose love for making music makes him never entirely comfortable in his white shirt, tie and lab coat. Warren Crone (bass) left the army to be a Rock N Roll road warrior and Jesse Cardin (drums) gave up his Canadian band to be a part of the SoCal music scene. Together, the quartet forms one of the more talented bands to come out of the Southern California scene in some time. This is why Night Chorus ends up being something of a disappointment.

Night Chorus is afflicted by its own continuity. ThreadSpinner writes simple, basic arrangements designed as a platform for Zeibarth, but somewhere along the line took over from their own muses, forcing their own will on their songs rather than allowing the song to come to fruition. Consequently, Night Chorus, an EP with real potential, becomes an over-produced, highly layered cell for both the musicians and for the voice of Zeibarth. Nothing highlights this more than Liar's Chair, which contrasts nicely with the first three tracks on the EP. The first three tracks are heavily layered, even the ballad Where The Game Begins. Emotional weight and a wall of sound are given precedence over melody, contrasts and unaffected feeling. Liar's Chair backs off a bit, allowing more room for the musicians to create, and more room for Sarah Zeibarth to let her voice go just a bit.

This is not to say that the rest of the album is bad, it's just not anywhere near what ThreadSpinner is capable of. The setup here is much too constricted, perhaps seeking out a commercially acceptable sound but choking out the band's more creative and dynamic elements in the process. ThreadSpinner has more than they show here. A start would be to strip things down a bit and give Sarah Zeibarth a little more room to let go with a voice that's rich and beautiful in tone and is just begging for an opportunity to soar. Just check out the last track, Running Away, to get a hint of what I mean.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about ThreadSpinner at http://www.threadspinner.net/ or www.myspace.com/threadspinner. You can purchase a digital download of Night Chorus from Amazon.com or iTunes. CD copies exist, but I was unable to find any for sale on the net. If you need a hard copy, contact the band through their MySpace page.