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7
The Album Leaf
A Chorus of Storytellers
Sub Pop
Street: 02.02
The Album Leaf = Lymbyc Systym
+ Arms and Sleepers + American
Analog Set
A simple Internet search reveals that over
28 of Jimmy LaVelle’s compositions
have appeared on television. His contributions
range from obama Public Service
Announcements, Britney spears
television documentaries, Hummer
commercials, to The o.C. (six songs
total). There is something about LaVelle’s
layering of vintage Rhodes piano, bowed
strings, mournful guitars, and live drumming
over skittering programmed beats
that screams SUBTEXT! SUBTEXT!
SUBTEXT! A Chorus of Storytellers
follows a similar trajectory but reigns in
Into the Blue Again’s obvious daytime
soap overtures and builds quiet climaxes
around classical compositions. “Summer
Fog,” with its full string orchestra and
horn section, is as majestic as an Album
Leaf song has ever been— enjoy it
now before it finds its way into a Nicole
Kidman period piece. LaVelle’s best
moments are when he steps away from
the mic. Fortunately, only four songs
have vocals, leaving the rest to wander in
wordless beauty. –Ryan Hall
Blood cult
We are the Cult of the Plains
Moribund Records
Street: 03.02
Blood cult = Darkthrone + venom +
satyricon + Guns N’ roses
What do you get when you take dank,
murky, basement-styled production,
tremolo black-metal riffing, solos that
could very well have been written by
Slash and dirty n’ gritty punk and
Venom-fueled beats? You get the sophomore
album from Illinois’ Blood Cult.
It’s an odd combination at times, but if
you’re not a crier and devout worshipper
of true black metal, We are the Cult of the
Plains is a bluesy, psychotic rampage
into a backwater brainwashing alcoholic
demonic cult’s worship circle. The record
has moments reminiscent of more recent
Darkthrone and Satyricon, meaning
it’s very black n’ roll, and did I mention
Venom? But it’s got mud and coagulated
blood churning in the wine of Satan’s
spawn—traditional true black metal. If
you’re looking for a tantalizing, sadistic,
Southern-fried grim bastard child of the
coldest Norwegian father and a trailertrash,
hillbilly truck-stop hooker, Blood
Cult is that child. –Bryer Wharton
Bomb The Bass
Back To Light
!K7 Records
Street: 03.10
Bomb The Bass = coldcut + The
Beatmasters
I have to confess that when I first gave
legendary Tim simenon’s new Bomb
the Bass release a spin in early January,
I didn’t know what to think about it and
put it away for a bit. Perhaps it was the
omnipresent digitized voice reminding
me exactly what I was listening to every
few minutes (and while I can appreciate
the industry’s need to protect its releases
from being leaked early, it doesn’t make
it any less annoying) that left me undecided.
Or maybe it was the frequent
Bomb the Bass vocalist Paul Conboy—
who is featured on four tracks here, with
his voice that’s hard to warm to—that
did it. Revisiting it now, as it is finally set
for release, has made me appreciate it
a little more. Certainly the music is great
(being both bouncy and melodic) and
Simenon picked the right co-producer
in Brazil’s wondrous Gui Boratto,
who definitely enhances the tracks he
touches. I really enjoyed “Price on Your
Head” (featuring the more agreeable
vocals of Richard Davis) and while the
Conboy-sung tracks really aren’t horrible
(especially the delicious “The Infinites,”
from which the album’s title is derived)
it would have been interesting to hear
someone else’s vocals on them, or even
none at all. The pretty instrumental track
“Milakia” rounds the album out and not
too surprisingly, features Martin Gore
on keyboards (since it was originally
demoed after Simeon produced Depeche
Mode’s Ultra album) and is a
pleasant conclusion to the proceedings.
–Dean O Hillis
Brendan Kelly/Joe McMahon
Wasted Potential
Red Scare Industries
Street: 03.16
Wasted Potential = The Lawrence
Arms + Smoke or Fire - electricity
The announcement of Wasted Potential
a few months ago undoubtedly resulted
in many a ruined pair of jeans for dorky
punknews.org perusers and Fat Wreck
fans, and for good reason: Brendan
Kelly has become the prototypical poppunk
vocalist in recent years and Joe
McMahon ain’t too shabby, either. This
split features 14 songs split down the
middle as Kelly and McMahon render
acoustic versions of some of their bands’
best songs, plus a cover apiece. Kelly’s
side is charmingly sloppy, especially
his take on fellow Lawrence Arm Chris
McCaughan’s “Blood Meridian,” which
features a Smoke or Fire shout-out in
its closing moments. Speaking of Mc-
Caughan, he’s shafted in the credits,
but appears on three of Kelly’s songs,
totally stealing the show. Joe McMahon’s
side is more straightforward (and
probably less drunk), but it definitely left
me clamoring for a new SoF full-length.
This one’s strictly for Lawrence Arms
and Smoke or Fire fans, but it’s definitely
something to be excited about if you fall
into either camp. –Ricky Vigil
Crime in Stereo
I Was Trying to Describe You
to Someone
Bridge 9
Street: 02.23
crime in stereo = Brand New +
cave In + able Baker Fox
Crime In Stereo could’ve played it safe
with their new album. After polarizing
fans with their 2007 album, Is Dead,
Crime in Stereo could’ve written an easy,
by-the-numbers melodic hardcore album
more attune to their first two full-lengths
to win back old fans and convert kids
discovering Kid Dynamite and Bad
Religion for the first time. Instead,
Crime in Stereo made the album they
wanted to make—and it’s awesome.
Using Is Dead as a foundation, CiS
has stretched further away from their
roots while remaining firmly planted in
them, creating a cold, sparse and darkly
atmospheric sound that is anchored in
melody and driving intensity. Much of the
songs on the album deal with feelings
of distance and loneliness—“Drugwolf”
and “Not Dead” ain’t exactly pick-me-up
tunes, but they’re great songs worthy of
any band’s musical canon. This album is
Crime in Stereo’s album, and something
tells me they don’t really care whether or
not you like it, but you definitely should.
–Ricky Vigil
Dessa
A Badly Broken Code
Doomtree Records
Street: 01.19
Dessa = Fiona Apple + Lauryn Hill +
Atmosphere
At first listen, this jazzy, subtle piece of
hip-hop wasn’t upbeat enough for me.
Now I can’t get enough of its emotionally
demanding soul music. This woman
pours herself—sarcastic wit, throaty purr,
brick-wall honesty and all—into these
songs. There are hymns here, jumpers,
and floaters too. Listen to her croon on
“The Chaconne” and then shake your
fist to “Dutch.” Several songs read like
someone’s stolen diary, or an obscure
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