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Wooden Nickel CD of the Week $9.99 Wooden Nickel (Week ending 9/16/12) TW LW ARTIST/Album 1 – BOB DYLAN Tempest 2 5 Z.Z. TOP Futura 3 4 JOE BONAMASSA Driving Towards the Daylight 4 – BEN FOLDS FIVE Sound of the Life of the Mind 5 3 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND Away From the World 6 – KILLERS Battle Born 7 9 TREY SONGZ Chapter V 8 – GRIZZLY BEAR Shields 9 8 THE AVETT BROTHERS The Carpenter 10 – PINK Truth About Love $9.99 FREAK BROTHERS Vol. 1 The Freak Brothers have won 20 Whammy Awards over the years, three of them for Performer of the Year. Since their formation a decade ago, they’ve established themselves as one of the area’s best live acts and foremost R&B/funk outfits. But covers were their thing ... until now. With the release of Vol. 1, the Bros prove they can create original tunes with the best of ’em. Hear for yourself; pick up Vol. 1 at any Wooden Nickel Music Store. TOP SELLERS @ Sat., Sept. 22 • 4 p.m. All Ages • Free Live AT OUR North Anthony Store: FREAK BROTHERS 3627 N. Clinton • 484-2451 3422 N. Anthony • 484-3635 6427 W. Jefferson • 432-7651 We Buy, Sell & Trade Used CDs, LPs & DVDs www.woodennickelmusicfortwayne.com -----------------------------------------Spins- --------------------------------------- Vandolah One More Minute EP When I first got to know the music of Mark Hutchins, it was his first New Pale Swimmers album that did the trick. Short, simple, messy, memorable, oddly rocking songs with riddles for titles. In those days (and still, in these days) I was a big Robert Pollard believer, and so Hutchins seemed like some lost treasure that only the hippest citizens of northeast Indiana listened to. Soon enough came Walk It Off, Hutchins’ second album under the moniker he’s most known for, Vandolah, and then some more NPS tracks and Vandolah records. And then, finally, in 2010, Hutchins released his masterpiece, a solo record called Sleepy Furnace. Add another solo record, last year’s Liar’s Gift, to the heap, and people hardly remember the days of the New Pale Swimmers, let alone Vandolah. But now, out of nowhere, comes the One More Minute EP, released under the Vandolah assignation. And here’s the thing: I no longer think of Pollard when I play a Hutchins song. Sometimes I remember my favorite R.E.M. songs, but most of the time I hear either The Beatles, Wilco or, especially, Sparklehorse. Good company. And while Hutchins often does bring to mind the great GBV when on stage, it’s more of a mellow Tobin Sprout mood (see 1997’s criminally underrated Moonflower Plastic) than a high kicking, hard rocking Uncle Bob vibe – especially when he’s singing solo or Vandolah selections. Indeed, the five songs and two instrumentals here all register as mid-tempo rockers of the thick, heavily ornamented variety, all built on the fragile, nuanced vocal tracks Hutchins seems to perfect a little more each time out. The voice and, of course, Hutchins’ highly regarded home production sound as good as any other indie rock record currently on the shelves and Neat Neat Neat. (Note: As far as I know, aside from here-andthere contributions from J. Hubner, Hutchins played everything on this EP.) As he’s moved away from his New Pale days, Hutchins’ writing has grown increasingly literate. Once a man tweaking off the art of reflective abstraction, Hutchins’ writing now inches closer and closer to the “artsy classical” appeal of a Jeff Tweedy track, never straying too far from digestible, but still poetic comprehension. Like the many rockers in his past, Hutchins’ writing remains as sing-along friendly as ever, especially on opener “One More Minute” and a bouncy downer called “Something Makes Me Lose My Mind.” On the latter we really get to see Hutchins digging in on the production, ornamenting his track with little details and nuggets like Easter eggs hidden for future listening sessions. In summary, yes, the voice is still king on Mark Hutchins-sung records, whether he intends it to be or not. The lyrics and melodies fall out of the speakers like sweet, calming honey, and the production is as tasteful as ever. As far as I know, Hutchins has not yet released a bad set of songs. Some, like Sleepy Furnace, are better than others. One More Minute, though brief, would probably land somewhere towards the top of the stack, thanks to “Hiding Its Teeth” and the two above-mentioned bits of songwriter bliss. Hugely beautiful tracks, all three. There has been this lingering question for Hutch fans since Furnace was released: “Is Vandolah still a thing” One More Minute possibly tells us that, yes, Hutchins will keep the Vandolah output coming, even if it sounds more like his solo work than 2007’s rocking To the Moon EP. Or will he Is the EP’s title telling us that, hey, here’s the bottom of the barrel. Is Hutchins cleaning house or keeping busy Either way, this latest batch tastes every bit as good as we’ve become accustomed to under the Mark Hutchins brand. Download the EP at vandolah.bandcamp.com. While you’re there, maybe also pick up Vandolah’s excellent, but little known, debut album, 2003’s Please. (Greg Locke) Tin Hat the rain is a handsome animal I’m not sure why I even bought the rain is a handsome animal, the latest album by the multi-instrumentalist cabal that currently goes by the name of Tin Hat. At first blush it sounds a lot like the kind of music played on NPR as BACKTRACKS Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Session (1988) The second release from The Cowboy Junkies seemed so listless when I first heard it 25 years ago. It was formulaic, somber and a little too country for my taste. I realize now that it survives in the galaxy of music between Gram Parsons and Bonnie Raitt, and that’s a good thing. Margo Timmins’ silky vocals remind me of (dare I say) a cross between Patsy Cline and Nina Simone. And throw in a better than average band (her brothers Mike and Peter) and a pretty good bassist in Alan Anton and you’ve got a great Canadian country/folk/blues band. The album opens with the 90-second vocals-only track in “Mining For Gold” which does nothing to make you think you are getting something special. But it comes back with the eloquent Canadian bluegrass in “Misguided Angel.” They cover Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and keep the soft ballads going with the beautiful “To Love Is To Bury.” Soft steel guitars and accordion create a poetic atmosphere that stays true to the theme of the album, as does the road song “200 More Miles.” The band wonderfully covers The Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane” in such a way that you can clearly hear Timmons channel the sultry vocals of Nico, who had passed away just months before the recording sessions. The album, recorded at Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity, closes with Patsy Cline’s ageless, “Walkin’ After Midnight.” This song (which is butchered on a nightly basis by no-talent karaoke performers) is done justice by this impressive jazz-country band that is still around after 17 studio records. The Junkies’ February 2012 release, The Wilderness, is the final album of four albums in their Nomad series, and they are supporting it now with a tour. (Dennis Donahue) they take a commercial break, if you know what I mean (and I think you do). And then there’s the fact that the album is based on poetry by the avant-garde poet e.e.cummings, a man so creative that he refuses to capitalize his name. I’ve got nothing against the man or his poetry; it’s just that I never find myself sitting in front of a warm fire, my favorite pipe firmly in hand and a burning desire to read me some e.e. cummings poetry ensconced in my brain. However, I’ve enjoyed past albums by Tin Hat, and so I forked over the credit card and listened and listened and listened some more. handsome animal is certainly not as playful or as dark as past albums. And instead of being mostly instrumental, this beast is mostly vocal, thanks to violinist Carla Kihlstedt tackling the carefully constructed lines of cummings. Just about the time that I’m ready to write this one off, it starts to reveal itself to me The classical-meets European folk melodies begin to shine through, and what I once thought of as excessive use of the bass harmonica now seems appropriate. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m a non-polka accordion fan and this album is packed with exceptional squeezebox bravado, especially “a cloud on a leaf” where Rob Reich evokes images of accordion virtuoso Piazzolla. Clarinetist Ben Goldberg joins the accordion in “2 little whos” to make a romantic afternoon in Paris, forming gauzy atmosphere in the likes of an impressionistic painting. A funeral arrangement of horns fills “buffalo bill” with a somber spirit, giving Kihlstedt ample room to mourn and flex her expressive vocal cords. Acoustic guitarist and founding member Mark Orton more than holds his own amongst these musical maniacs. “sweet spring,” a beautiful song, features Orton’s impeccable talents, graciously allowing the silences to say as much as the notes played. And, as always, Kihlstedt’s violin prowess is on full display, never more so than on the crazed violin solo in “enormous room,” frantically careening about on silken slippers. These songs are definitely slow growers, but they appear to be paying rich dividends. I was originally planning to pan this album, but dang it if I didn’t instead discover why I bought the rain is a handsome animal: Tin Continued on page 9 8----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com- ------------------------------------------------------------September 20, ’12
Hat never fail to surprise and never fail to please the ars. (Jason Hoffman) Animal Collective Centipede Hz When a creative and like Animal Colective sets out to crete an album that repesents the culmination f its discography, it ill undoubtedly beome a classic. Such s the case with their 009 critic’s darling, erriweather Post Pavilion. That album is where heir most idiosyncratic traits and predominant quirks ere given power, balance, and pop accessibility. Since AC returned to the studio early last year ith returning producer Ben H. Allen III, they basially had two choices as to how they could follow up PP: they could either venture further into pop territory, or revert back to their old ways. Centipede Hz instead strives to be an even more distracted version f 2007’s Strawberry Jam. Listening to this complex lbum, you wonder how they manage to pull these ongs off live without getting lost in the clutter. Perhaps they’re intentionally going off the deep nd to elude mainstream pop and retain their status with hipster kids. After all, the lead single, “Today’s upernatural,” really does not have the appeal of a ingle at all. All of the songs’ goofy and hectic nature ound so uniform that by the time you finish listening to all of the hurried rhythms you don’t come away with many discernible memories of sonic highlights. I’m inclined to say that this is mostly Panda Bear and Avey Tare’s fault because their lyrics and shouting this time around are nonsensical, even by their standards. I could spend this whole review comparing it negtively to MPP, but that wouldn’t be fair to Centipede z. Nearly all of these tracks are messy in their own ay, but some are more beautifully messy than others. Wide Eyed,” “Rosie Oh,” and “Father Time” find AC n familiar and more concentrated ground, making them some of the best tracks on the album. Given their history with long and rambling songs, they could have done worse with length. Most all of he songs average the same five-minute length, and depending whether or not you like how the track opens, ou may get tired of hearing the same incoherent stuters (“Mercury Man”) repeated throughout. It would be easy to say that Animal Collective have finally released an indulgent/subpar album, but the important thing to remember is that the band loves to experiment with what works and what doesn’t, and hat’s how they’ve found success. Centipede Hz is ot the best in their discography, but it’s still far more imaginative than most albums being released today. Colin McCallister) SPINS - From Page 8 Why Sod in the Seed I believe in Yoni olf, the art school ropout turned emcee urned singer/songwritr behind the 11 proper Ps and CDs released ince Why debuted in he late naughts. Many thers, too, believe in the Berkeley, California-based apper turned singer. Hundreds, maybe even a couple housand. While Why discs like 2008’s Alopecia and 009’s Eskimo Snow did receive some strong reviews rom taste makers like Pitchfork.com and TinyMixtapes.com upon their release, the band, or its leader, has never sold big – still playing small clubs and still releasing records on boutique labels. One could easily argue that Wolf has been working towards cult figure status since 1998 when he and Doseone released their first of many collaborations, It’s Not Easy Being …, under their now-long-defunct Greenthink moniker. But with the latest Why release, a six-song mini album called Sod In the Seed, it seems as if Wolf and his Why crew are going for a more focused appeal. Rather than try to lure in fans spanning genres as diverse as alternative hip-hop, pop, indie rock and soul, Sod seems dead set on the capturing the hipster crowd. If the songs themselves don’t sell that point, watching the video (essentially an ensemble of cute, ironic, goofy hipsters in bright, ugly clothing, dancing) for the record’s eponymous track should do the trick. Normally I’d be put off by such a video – not because it so shamelessly takes aim at a certain listenership, but because it seems too obvious for a proven weirdo, and true artist, like Wolf. But then I heard the EP, polished as it is, and it made sense. In a way, Sod is an experiment. It’s not so much a step away from the high art popery of Why’s past as it is a calculated, but still artful step towards the band’s should-be fanbase. It’s more Panda Bear than Kool Keith. Finally, after all these years, all these bands, all the collaborations and all these records, Wolf seemingly wants to settle in and be heard, so he made a very accessible, lean and lushly produced collection of songs that sums up what he does best in a clear, honest way. I dig that. My first exposure to Wolf came in 2000, when I was attempting to locate every Anticon-related release I could find. Back then Anticon was an all-experimental hip-hop label known for introducing the world to such huge talents as Sole, Doseone, Alias and Jel (they’ve since released albums by more mainstream indie acts like Tobacco, 13 & God, Danielson, Safe Francis, Atmosphere, Mike Patton, Anathallo and Buck 65). Along with those initially mentioned, Why was one of the founders of the label, having already self-released a couple of side projects with Anticon figurehead Doseone before the label formed i Berkeley. The first Why release that really got me was Split EP, a record he released with producer Odd Nosdam. On that record was a 13-minute, seven-part composition from Why called “You’ll Know Where Your Plane Is.” It was a tight dose of outsider pop genius for open minded alt hip-hop fans. While those 13 minutes put off most Anticon loyalists at the time, it excited me. Sure, Wolf could rap and even compose hip-hop beats with the best of them, but these 13 minutes proved that he had a lot more to him. He had an urge. A drive to make pop music unlike any I’d ever heard. That was 2001 or so. Along the way Why has released many albums and Wolf has collaborated with some truly big indie rocker types on projects with names like Clouddead and Hymie’s Basement. Scanning through Wolf’s deep catalog I realized that, until the recent release of Sod, he had never been as intriguing as he was on that split EP he did with Nosdam over a decade ago. Wolf has done great work, absolutely, but work that reminds more of 90s indie rock than the outsider art pop I first fell for. Sod is a return to form in that it presents the most ambitious and strange sides of Wolf as well as the most accessible and, ultimately, memorable. If he was once the poppy hip-hop version of Daniel Johnston, Wolf here emerges as a Frank Zappa-like of oddball pop batso, mixing endless ideas as well as his undeniable hip-hop background with a modern style of indie rock in unexpected, fun ways that I’m still wrapping my head around. This first 2012 release might not turn out to be the breakthrough the band had in mind, but when a long-brewing new LP, Mumps, Etc., is finally released this fall, I think we might see a wider interest in Why’s beautiful and strange version of hip-hop-influenced art pop. Then, fingers crossed, fans will look back over the band’s one-of-a-kind back catalog. September 20, ’12- ------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
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