BEARS
AND GUITARS – I GOT IT WAY, WAY TOO LOUD
(OR,
IN SOME CASES, VERY VERY QUIET AND WITHOUT GUITARS)
14 Iced Bears, In The Beginning CD (Slumberland
Records, P.O. Box 19029, Oakland, CA, 94619, www.dropbeat.com, info on band at www.althree.co.uk/misc/bears)
There was a time when it
seemed all one needed to put out a good pop record was a wall of noise, some
feedback, an obvious love of the Velvet Underground, a somewhat
propulsive, bass-heavy groove and a certain romantic moroseness.
Of course, you only sold
that vinyl to the person who ALSO thought that all you needed to put out a good
pop record was…
Case in point. I had never
heard of the 14 Iced Bears (I know it’s hard to believe – on
which point, I am now putting them and Jules Shear and the Polar Bears
on my apology list for omitting them from my Bear Band list – but I was trying
to keep to three pages…), but I can hear what they heard. I detect the
influence of and kinship with Primitives, Shop Assistants, Pastels, Mighty
Lemon Drops, Chameleons, early Cure and so much more – common heroes
for a lovely but sparse sound based around a desperate need for self-expression
and the life-saving vigour (or immature-death-longing ennui, for that matter)
of rock ‘n’ roll, postpunk style. I finally heard OF them because of a cover on
an Aislers Set CD (who are on the label which issued this retrospective
and pushed for it). It sounded intriguing – anyway, I just had to find out WHY
that name (no reason given in the liner notes, darn it all!).
This collection gathers
the British band’s three singles, plus some Peel sessions, live recordings and
demos. Thrill to the moody but melodic vision of Robert Sekula, the
vocalist/guitarist (he and Kevin Canham, guitarist, were the center of
the project – the rest changed frequently). Don’t leave them Iced any
longer…discover a band you never heard then and will wish that you had…
John Ashfield, Distance To Empty CD (www.poppoprecords.com,
www.johnashfieldmusic.com
Sometimes it’s a bad thing
to make the same album over and over, or to pursue a certain sound/genre until
it transforms into a dead horse that has been beaten once too often (I think
I’ve lost control of this metaphor).
How many times after Avalon did Bryan Ferry pursue
that same sonic profile, for example? (Hint: too many).
And then there are those
occasions on which it is not. Much like
its predecessor, reviewed below, Distance to Empty specializes in three
minute pop gems that scream of a legacy in, oh, The Partridge Family or The
Free Design, though I can also hear Barenaked Ladies and any number
of 70s power pop ensembles.
“Come Along” will make you
want to write a rock song and sing along.
“Lenz” is bittersweet and will make you cry in tune. Twelve other little gems accompany them,
full of enough hooks to catch a Bear, er, fish. As an old cub/bear, I remember this CD’s antecedents – but am
grateful for the slightly lower sugar content on these extrapolations. One must watch one’s sucrose, after all…
John
Ashfield, Harmony Bunny CD (www.poppoprecords.com, www.johnashfieldmusic.com
A super-power-pop fest, as
sweet and decorated as the bunny that graces the cover (which gets to be eaten
by the big ol’ Bear who made this disc, lucky lapin!). I was pleased to
discover that Chris Xefos helped John in the production of
this disc (John plays the overwhelming majority of the instruments), as
he is one of the first Bears I remember seeing in music (he was in King
Missile), and is also in Moth Wranglers, another most favoured band.
It opens with "Why
Not Smile?", a tribute to Joni Mitchell, thus hooking me right away
(Canadian, don’t ya know?), urging her to smile more (though I submit that the
fact that she has ‘smoked since she was nine years old’ means that she DOES
have difficulty ‘doing the hard parts’). "Crush" has a Barenaked
Ladies feel (oh, to feel the Barenaked Ladies – but I digress…).
"I Don’t Know" is vaguely jazzy/Latin, with catchy guitar fills.
"All Over You" opens with synth strings and piano, then guitar comes in, and it ultimately comes off as Depeche
Mode or OMD covering a boy band (this is a compliment). "Dream
32" is jaunty, with an elegant piano and a most unusual time-signature (I
still can’t quite figure out what it is).
BEAR TRACKS 1, 2
AND 3 cd/cd/2xcd (Woobie Bear
Music, www.woobiebearmusic.com,
Studio 912, South 4th Street, Ironton, Ohio, 45638)
I must admit that I’m not much of a dancing bear (the
requirement for a ring through the nose has always been a deterrent to me J). However, these three volumes are full of
mostly electronic/furry-leg-shaking tunes, done by the kind of stocky gents for
whom I suspend my general suspicion of identity politics and say ‘Woof on,
brothers!’
Because
it’s not a genre about which I know much, I feel ill-prepared to comment on the
dancier stuff, though I’m sure it’s wonderful (and MusicBear’s take on
“If I Only Had A Brain” (2) is sheer ursine earworm bliss, while Leroy
Lamb’s “What It Feels Like For A Bear” (2) is a belly-shaking pisstake on Madonna
– as to the latter gentleman’s “Dominate Me”(3)…having seen him perform it,
there ought to be laws against such a cubtease). However, the rockier material, such as Elijah Black’s “We
Roll” or “Is Anybody Listening” (both 3), not to mention Barnes’ “Loud
Boy Radio” (3) and “If I Was Inside Out” (1), makes me grrr with pleasure,
while the more song-oriented electronic stuff, such as (for two extremes) the
dark industrialism of The Fundamentalists’ “WWJD?!?!” and the campy fun
of “Hot Drunk Guys” by Kendall (both 3), get my deep-in-denial toes
a-tappin’. All three volumes are
stuffed with bearish goodness, and even those of you who scream at the sight of
a single chin-hair may be able to stomach the contents (by the way, yes, we DO
bite, and we aren’t shy about doing it – but we bite nicely…).
Gary Floyd, big ol' snugglebear of Dicks/Sister
Double Happiness
fame, is back with a new band and his most rocking material in a long time (he
has done some work in a country-blues context recently - goodness knows he has
a voice as big as all outdoors to do it with) (ed. note - saw him at the Folsom
Street Fair in September, 2000, outdoors - sigh, and woof... :) ).
Some
of the lyrics here reflect his interests and faith in mysticism - but not in a
preachy or tiresome way. The music is pretty much straight-ahead
Southern-flavoured boogie-rock, as befits a man originally from Texas.
Selections
like 'Angel Face' (about how a culture of violence begets violence), 'Remain
Awesome' (about masculinity and its insidious imposing of closetry) and 'Moving
On' (among other things, about Matthew Shepard) are topical, while
'Evil Clowns' and 'Price We Pay' are more generally about the dehumanizing
effects of a consumer society. Therefore, while the music allows you to boogie
and mosh and jump up and down, the lyrics make you think - which is as it
should be.
Rock
on, Gary!
Flare,
on CD, is a project by LD Beghtol (vocals); Damian Costilla (guitars, tapes,
etc.) and Ernest Adzentoivitch (bass, tapes, samples), with contributions from
a drummer, keyboardist and string player. It's generally fairly dark stuff,
though very pretty and eerie. Titles like "Last Call",
"Celebrate The Misery", "Lack of Better" and
"Tangle" (not to mention a cover of Moby's "When It's Cold I
Like To Die") should be a hint as to the tone. Though it can be a bit too
gloomy and slow, especially if you are sick when you listen to it, as I was,
LD's languid, long vocal lines and Damian's wondrous guitar more than make up
for it. Sadly, the band has lost Damian since this was recorded, but continues
with some line-up changes.
Flare,
Celebrate the Misery/Another
Bridge 7"(www.motherwest.com,
Mother West Records, 132 West 26th Street, NYC, 10001, USA)
The A-side is a stripping
of a track from Flare's debut album, BOTTOM, with the credit going to Stephin
Merritt of Magnetic Fields fame. His strategy seems to have been to peel away,
or at least severely reduce, everything but the vocals, by the lovely, large,
talented fellow LD Beghtol, and add sleigh bells, to result in what could be
described as the dark-period Brian Wilson doing a single with Nico circa 1974.
Way disturbing, but way beautiful too.
The B-side is an
Everything But The Girl song with which I am not familiar, by the band's new
lineup that features strings. I am reasonably certain that the original does
not sound like this - but that's okay - it's better off this way...
Flare, Circa CD-EP (band at Box 1532, Madison
Square Station, NYC, NY, 10010, beata_virgo@usa.net)
Flare has re-surfaced in another
line-up!!
Like the first release,
BOTTOM, this six-song EP is chiefly slow, gentle acoustic music, topped (no pun
intended) by the touching, leisurely, precise vocals of the magnificent LD
Beghtol (who also plays ukulele, percussion, guitar and keyboards here,
unlike the first album where he 'just' sang).
He
is joined by: Charles Newman (keyboards, co-producer); James Jacobs (cello);
Jon De Rosa (guitar, banjo, voice); Mark Gunderman (violin), Joel Hirsch
(percussion) and Miss Ida Pearle (violin). Most are bearded and biggish, with
the probable exception of the latter. I could pretend this is irrelevant, but I
am more shallow than that...
WOOF!!!
But seriously...of the six
songs (Triumph of the Pig People, Circa, Measure of A Man, Item: June 16,
Anywhere and Save Me, Save Me), none of them fails to have an
interesting hook or line, with standouts for me being: "Item: June
16", with its nearly chanted monkish harmonies; "Anywhere" for
its tinkling piano delicacy and high vocals; and, conversely, "Save Me,
Save Me" for its rougher edges and lower voice.
You gotta love a guy who
drags out Marxophones, stylophones and ukuleles and brings them back to
respectability. :)
Flare, Definitive CD-EP (Mother West Records, 132 West 26th
St., NY, NY, 10001, USA, www.motherwest.com, info@motherwest.com)
LD Beghtol (vocals/guitars/ukulele/keyboards/percussion)
and his melancholy gang of pranksters (this time consisting of: Charles
Newman on keyboards and percussion; Jon De Rosa on voice and
electric guitar; and Mark Gunderman on violin, with guests including: John
Wesley Harding, voice; Ernie Adzentoivich, contrabass; James
Hirsch, cello; Joel Hirsch, drums; and Ida Pearle, violin)
produce their little tribute to the Eighties maxi-single with this three-song
offering (plus an uncredited bonus track that I am hardly going to ruin the
surprise of by naming).
"Definitive",
the main offering, is a lovely, romantic, swirling and downright Morrisseyesque
epic (in fact, everyone’s favorite narcissist nancy is even mentioned in the
lyrics), with delicately strummed guitar, slowly sawing cello and pizzicato
violins, and the gorgeously sexy swooping vocals of the above-mentioned woofy
wonder, its strangely effective percussion courtesy of "The Mighty Seeburg
Select-A-Rhythm" (ah, the joy of preset drum patterns – this and Helen
Love do wonderful things with such a limited palette…). It is also about
unrequited love and longing, big Eighties themes, as typified by those
oh-why-couldn’t-they-be-fags? bands in the Depeche Mode and Tears For
Fears mode, though the final line throws a bit of irony and bitterness into
the equation for good measure (I daren’t give it away, but a song that mourns
that a boy cannot be "definitive" to his would-be fella could not
conclude otherwise).
"Course" was
originally available in some Italian magazine, and is also slow, string-laden
and sad, and full of the smooth yet passionate vocals of L.D. It has a
sort of Low quality, in that it is very laid-back, orchestral and quiet,
but also disturbing and commanding. It also goes on at infinite length, my
dear, but is well worth the linger.
"You’re The Only Star
In My Blue Heaven" is recorded deliberately to sound like what the Gene
Autry original doubtless approached – very wobbly, lo-fi and with maximum
warble and vibrato on the voice. Being a fan of vintage cowboy/army ditties
covered by large homosexuals (cf. "Soldier’s Sweetheart" by Tranquility
Bass), I approve.
And then there’s the bonus
track, but, even if you threaten NOT to torture me with a hot curling iron, I
shan’t tell…but it’s purty…
Yes,
children - if you read the title first and then the artist's name, you get
"getting off Scott Free". This is the lightest humour here, however,
since it is a grim recording, if, ultimately, powerful and affecting.
Scott
is responsible for the instruments, voices and production on this CD, and does
everything with more than adequate skill. There is no jazz here, and the
general sound is grungy rock/No Wave, but "Bad Dream" and
"Prayer" have a bit more sublety to them.
Scott
was a falsetto soprano in a gay choir at one point, or so his bio says, and
I've been assured by him that he wasn't kidding; this CD contains no evidence
for this in his gruff, howling vocals, except for the whispery quality of
"Prayer".
There
is, by the way, a stab at "Streets of Philadelphia" by that
picket-line-crossing, friend-of-the-working-man singer Bruce Springsteen
on here. I tell you this because you certainly wouldn't be able to tell without
following along the track listings on the back of the CD; it is more a burial
than a cover.
The
track "We Chose This?" is a good set of arguments to present to those
who would argue that homosexuality is a choice. The gist of the case is: would
we opt to suffer so?
Of
course, I would argue that the solution is in tireless fighting of homophobia,
rather than going for the 'be nice to me - pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?' approach - but,
let's face it, I get worn out some days too, and wish people would just leave
us alone.
As
I said, this CD is dark and harsh in its thrashy tempos, processed voice and
justifiably pissed-off lyrics about religion, doctors, child molesters and AIDS
(Mr. Free happens to have AIDS). It is also very real and compelling.
The
packaging is great, featuring several glory holes from an art display by Mr.
Free.
Scott
Free, The Living Dead CD (Leather/Western Records, POB 11980,
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, USA, mrscottfree@lycos.com,
www.scottfree.net):
In
which the angry youngish man of 'Getting Off', his first CD, learns to keep
worrying but love the hooks.
TUNES!
CLEAR, SOMETIMES GORGEOUS VOCALS!! PIANOS AND SYNTHS AND PROGRAMMING!!! OH
MY!!!!
While
there ARE harsh numbers, like "Pride", "The Living Dead"
and "Fight About It", they have much more subtle and textured
approaches, and the pain of "Not Good Enough" (vaguely martial pop
tune) or "Worthy" (piano bar jazz!) or "Meet You At The
Church" (Morrissey meets Elvis Costello) is made more bearable (if you
will) by their catchiness. Scott even has a guest musician or two this time to
leaven it out, though the bigger production reveals he is a truly skilled
multi-instrumentalist.
AIDS
and homophobia remain his big subjects, for reasons both personal and
political, and "Leather Ghosts", in particular, is an utterly
heartbreaking and darkly funny disco dirge about both, but he makes them more
approachable by being so attentive to a more inviting sound.
The
cover this time around is "San Francisco", a Village People song he
seems to have far more affection for than his deserved annihilation of
"Streets of Philadelphia".
Oh
- I'm thanked in the credits *blush*.
Scott Free, They Call Me Mr. Free CD(Leather/Western
Records, P.O. Box 11980, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA, mrscottfree@lycos.com, www.scottfree.net)
Scott Free returns with his first album in
five years, expanding on the themes and sounds of the last record, The
Living Dead (1999), which was much poppier than the fierce Getting Off
(1997).
The elements of more complex arrangements and hope that crept in between his
first and second albums were occasioned by improvements in his health, I would
speculate; in the case of this third album, the emergence of love and impending
matrimony have doubtless contributed to its increased breadth and focused anger
(I think it was Elvis Costello who said falling in love increases your
determination to rail against evil and stupidity).
This
explains why an album which includes such touching lyrics as are found in “Who
Do I Thank?” also incorporates the appropriately biting “Ronald Reagan’s
Funeral”and “Fair Trade”, and music which veers from the alternate history pop
of “John Loved Paul” to the pounding “Gospel Singers” (right up there with Diamanda
Galas’ “You Must Be Certain of the Devil” in terms of using the genre’s
tools to expose its contradictions). In
terms of the middle ground, there are such tracks as the catchily rocking
“Muffin Song” and the hopeful rap of “Another Day of the Cruelty”, while
“Mouthful” and “Battle Hymn of the Intolerant” manage to muster a bitter
chuckle or two in their brutal satire, and “Disco Divas” as well as “When
Queers Become Rock Stars” and “The Emperor’s New Song” lay boots to some of the sad ironies and realities of
the music industry.
For
what amounts to a one-man recording, with some guest spots, it sounds quite
organic and just polished enough to lure you in.
Fundamentalists, Exiles From Clubland CD (self-released,
www.soundclick.com/thefundamentalists,
www.myspace.com/thefundamentalists)
These 40ish, Bear-like gentlemen specialize in electronic music with some crunchy, wheedling guitar thrown in.
Jim Marker (keyboards/vocals) and Chris Taylor (guitars/keyboards/vocals), to my ear, produce catchy tunes that set my foot tapping, but, then, I don’t go out clubbing, so perhaps the observation from a drag queen made about their product as to how playing this sort of material would get them exiled from clubland may be accurate.
There are: hints of industrialism (in material like “wWjd?!?!” - the friendlier side of it – not the death shrieking of, oh, Throbbing Gristle at its most out there – more the vaguely warped pop sensibilities of “Something Came Over Me”, with a more lively beat and more enthusiastic, tuneful vocals); moments of chirpy melody/doomy lyrics that would do Depeche Mode or Book Of Love proud (“Dyin’ Day”); and even some love songs, with varying degrees of romanticism (“Touched By U” and “Lover 2 Lover”).
After 7 years of mp3s and the like, it was nice to actually have Fundamentalists in my hands. Oh, wait – you’re twisting all my words…(but not by much). 38 minutes of toe-tapping electro-woof, in short. J
Don
Harvey, Just having some good,
clean, fun! CD (advance copy, contact DrDonaldMD@aol.com for more info)
This
gentleman wrote to me after hearing some of my music on Bear Radio. That he enjoyed my tunes should have been a
warning sign – but I pressed on, sending him my material as per his request.
In return, he sent me HIS project in
progress (as well as another CD to which he contributed).
This is a
very entertaining and funny (in a good way) collection of rootsy,
semi-acoustic, bluesy and countryish tunes, delivered in a voice remotely
reminiscent of Allen Ginsberg (and, yes, this is a compliment) and
performed with a very simple set-up of guitars, bass and pump organ into
microphones and a digital eight-track recorder.
I was particularly taken with the sex-soaked sea shanty “Sailing
To Constantinople”, the vaguely unplugged-Pansy-Division bar tale
of “Cruising”, the extended metaphor of “Otter”, the sardonic ‘tude of “Leather
Arm Band Song” and the down-home down-going blues of “I’m Just A Good Old
Boy”.
On the less-queer tip, “Dear
Peter” is an ode to a departed friend, Peter Laughner of early Pere
Ubu fame, who tragically died young, another victim of the stupid
better-to-burn-out myth.
All told, a rough diamond that doesn’t need much polishing.
KENDALL, Rekindled CD (Woobie
Bear Music, www.woobiebearmusic.com, www.kendallshead.com)
This is a
retrospective of Kendall’s work over the past nine years, which has
ranged from rock-funk fusion a la Prince to delightfully cheesy pop-rap,
mostly performed solely by the man himself.
After a few seconds of “Hot Drunk Guys” or “Booty Song” or
“GI Barbie”, you will be his helpless music-love slave, though the whole
collection has its delights and quirks and, yes, moments that may disturb you
(art should provoke a reaction, after all).
Evidently,
the man has recently managed to place a song with an established female dance
artist, for which I can only say: ‘kudos!’ It would be nice to have a furry big
fellow in the dance/rock genre who ISN’T Fred Durst (cute as that latter
gentleman may be, his mouth cries out for duct tape).
LD & THE NEW
CRITICISM, Tragic Realism CD
(Darla Records, www.darla.com, www.thenewcriticism.com)
I must
confess to a terrible sin (yes, yes, I know, book the booth for the whole
year…moving on…).
I received this on
October 24th, 2005, thanks to the kind generosity of the label, and
intended to review it very shortly afterwards.
However,
October 24th, 2005 also corresponds to the day I learned that a friend of
mine had died the night before, and, having looked at the promotional material
for this CD, and seeing it was largely about death, I just COULD NOT listen to
it then. My usual morbid sense of
humour was in hiding, let us say.
And
then work got insanely busy, and I had to go to the wake for said friend, so
many things conspired against my rapid critique and analysis of this little pop
disc’s many (fatal) charms.
Now that
my mother has emerged from the hospital (another period in which my tolerance
for guffawing at potentially serious illness was low), I am ready to plunge
into this release’s innards and examine its entrails for meaning (now, doesn’t
THAT just sound WRONG!?).
Surface
observations – packaging very cute, be it the jackelope on the front or the
plastic-sealed segmented smiley-face on the back. Very thoughtful for the lyric sheet to include both the keys and
the BPMs of the songs (though I suspect some of the latter may be off a bit,
since fairly slow songs seem to have a kick to them judging from the tempo
markers).
As usual, the lovely and
talented Mr. L.D. Beghtol, on various strummy instruments, keyboards,
vocals and percussion, has woofin’ style, be it his stripey jimmies or his
little monocle, and the other band members are also very cute (I’m sure Miss
Pinky Weitzman (strings) would be attractive to my
heterosexually/bisexually afflicted male colleagues, and there are two other
woofy bears in the lineup (Mr. Jim Andralis (accordion, whistle, vocals)
and Mr. Douglas Quint (bassoon)), while Chuck Plummer (be still,
my trollish heart (VERY still, since, according to my latest comminique with
the auteur of this work, he is one of THOSE people...the stiff-wristed kind...)
is a cubby guitarist/mandolinist/vocalist).
There are also special guests on other instruments, such as Jonathan
Segel (from Camper Van Beethoven) on violin, Doug
Hilsinger on banjo/electric guitar/pedal steel and Miss Shirley Simms
on lead and backing vocals.
As to the
songs themselves? Well, the Morrissey comparisons will be perpetuated by
“Elegy To An Ex”, thanks to both its morbidly vengeful lyrics about a former
beloved (actually, in the real world, it would seem to be about an ex-CELLIST,
but the listener imposes his own interpretations, after all...) and the
inclusion of the chant ‘bye, bye, baby, bye-bye’ (“Girlfriend In A Coma”,
anyone?), but it has a lovely tune and a harsh beat that will both stick in
your head. Phil Spector
(speaking of morbid aura of violence) would love the beat and piano figure of
“Always The Last To Know”, though lyrics about subjective reality, Derrida
and hagiography might put it outside the pale of his preferred subject
matter. “Apathy” is just mean, but
crooned so sweetly. “When We Dance At
Joe Orton’s Wedding” – oh, what fag with a fatal taste for rough trade couldn’t
love this number? “Burn Burn Burn In Hell” – have the Southern Baptists
adopted this number into their hymn book yet?
On which subject, perhaps the life-at-any-cost Christian fundamentalists
might want to lend an ear to “(If You Love Me, Baby) Pull the Plug”.
In terms
of musical approach, these tunes are all very melodic and within pop parameters
(tambourines, strings, big backing vocals).
The lyrics, of course, make these numbers radio poison – but maybe the
radio SHOULD be poisoned. However,
compared to the dark and slow tendencies of Flare and Moth Wranglers
(LD’s other projects of note), this is sheer joyful bliss (only
one piece is in a minor key, and it’s only a minute long), so perhaps just the
right sentimental video could get “If You Love Me Baby” all over folk or
country channel programming. J
If
you buy just one death-obsessed record of classic pop this year, make it this
one, okay?
Moth Wranglers,
Never
Mind The Context CD (band c/o L.D. Beghtol, P.O. Box 1532, Madison Square
Station, NYC 10010, www.mothwranglers.com; Magnetic Motorworks
(label), P.O. Box 460816, San Francisco, CA, 94146-0816, USA, www.magneticmotorworks.com)
L.D. Beghtol and Chris Xefos put their
beards together and came up with an eclectic masterwork.
With a veritable Who's Who of unknown superstars (Jonathan Segel and Victor
Krummenacher of Camper Van Beethoven; Stephin Merritt and Claudia
Gonson from Magnetic Fields; Ken Stringfellow of the Posies,
etc.), the Bearsy Boys are sure to delight, challenge and confuse.
The CD opens with a
disturbingly dark cover of the Carter Family's "I Never Will
Marry", which is, of course, a gay song when sung by a fellow, even in the
pretty, pure tones of Mr. L.D. For that matter, another cover,
"Souvenir" by OMD, is made almost unbearably lovely by paring
and slowing down the beat and rendering it nearly entirely with acoustic
instruments. As to the end of the album, the rather morbid "Over and
Out" provides some decidedly sick laughs and humour.
In between, there is: the jolly country of "Turnabout", concerning a
British serial killer/cannibal; the various-guitar-noises dirge of "Six
Page Letter"; the acoustic Nashville pop of "Miss Fire"; the
languid, female-sung "Counts for Nothing"; the strangely campy oompah
of "Figure Ground"; the downright sexy, stripped-down Latin/Tango of
"Let Go, Let Me", vocalized by the dreamy Mr. Merritt; the
close-to-poppy ballad of "Record"; and the intricate longing of
"Yet Again".
Certainly a sad record – but a handsome one (despite the blasphemy against
Beardom that is the centerfold of the CD booklet *grin *).
Chris
Xefos from King Missile on accordion, guitar, percussion and vocals; LD Beghtol
from Flare and Magnetic Fields on vocals. When two Bears meet, it is a humbling
experience. The addition of bass and strings from two former Camper Van
Beethoven fellows simply multiplies the 'stun' factor.
I first
encountered MusicBear on a self titled CD a few years back, on which he did
sensitive folky stuff. Then he found his inner dancin' bear, which I briefly
found disconcerting (though I absolutely ADORED his song 'Teddy Bear' - well, I
would, wouldn't I? :) ), because of my deep prejudice against disco (which I am
trying to overcome, if only because one of my close associates is a disco
fiend/scholar whose passion impresses me).
This, however, is one fun record, if only for its covers of “If I Only Had A
Brain/Heart/Nerve” (I'd forgotten it said 'and then I'd woof some more'!) and a
song I did not know but want to find, “It's Only A Wee Wee”, by Peter Alsop. I
could have done without “Any Dream Will Do” - I mean, I can appreciate a
showtune (yes, take my Bear card away...), but I draw the line at Webber. :)
However, the reworking of his earlier “Music Makes A Man of Me” as a
rhumba still sends shivers down my spine in the new version, and “Daddy and the
Coach” (which is really about a boy encountering homophobia - the sick side of
me hoped it was about a Daddy and a Coach in another context, but, hey! you
can't have everything...) is too close to home, but still touching. His vocals
make even the most perky dance floor number distinctive. In short, two woofs up
in a polyester suit with wide lapels, and a paw up in the air aiming at the
disco ball...)
A
Bear after my own heart - that is, if the Otter currently occupying it were to
move on (I certainly won't be kicking him out).
This
CD is full of sweet, gentle songs, sung in Ray's (aka MusicBear) lovely, silky
voice, mostly accompanied by guitar, with occasional strings and mandolin
tossed in (the one song, "Mantronic", with a 'rock' backing doesn't
work well to my ear - though the gently swaggering 'Red Hot Fire', an ode to a
drag queen, is very bluesy and sexy).
Song
after song, beginning with "Music Makes A Man of Me" (I can relate,
brother Bear), tugs at the heart - particularly numbers like 'The Magic Isn't
There' or 'Dream On'.
It
is NOT a uniformly sad collection, but it is certainly pensive and emotional -
this is not the work of some butch ol' Bear trying to be 'hard' (emotionally -
out of the gutter, okay? - the rats need the space :) ).
For
those romantic moments - which is why I'm glad my Otter will be back home from
San Francisco soon... there is much snuggling to be done...
On this,
the follow up to Slow Burn Avenue (2001), Andy Northrup goes for
slightly more ambitious arrangements, but without losing the rootsy qualities
that make his music compelling (that little twang, the subtle touch of vibrato
to his voice, and, well, his downright woofiness (actually, his bass player and
drummer also register high on the Bear-o-meter, though I suspect Ed Garrick,
the bass player, would prefer that his wife not hear that, and I don’t know how
Gordon Marshall, the drummer, swings his sticks…).
“Sometimes”
(both in the original version and the slower take that is the CD bonus track)
has a nice pop-folk chime to its existential day-by-day-romance tale, while
“These Hands” starts simple and gentle and opens out to a complex web of
harmonies and (I presume) electronic orchestral touches in its accounting of
the life of a man in crisis. “It Ain’t
Easy” and “Only Trying to Understand” are the topical numbers at hand,
addressing homophobia and terrorism without being heavy-handed diatribes. In fact, his subtlety is one of Andy’s
best traits as a writer – while I agree with Stevie Wonder that
“Apartheid Is Wrong” and with Billy Bragg that “There Is Power In A
Union”, the most effective art shows rather than tells.
To
my mind, one of the most interesting things about this CD is that the songs
date from 1998 to 2004 – a sign that he thinks about his material and crafts it
carefully (though also an indication of his busy life in theatre and film as
well, and the fact that independent artists often DO have to think in the long
term, for economic reasons…).
Andy Northrup, Slow Burn Avenue CD (R New House Up
North Publishing, 11421-91 St., Edmonton, Alberta, T5B 4A6, CANADA, upnorthr@shaw.ca , www.anorthrup.com )
This is my cue to say that
the fact that this fellow is gay, Bear-identified, Canadian and possessed of a
country-tinged voice (maybe it’s an Alberta thing) on the low end of the scale
had nothing to do with my liking the CD; however, as anyone who has had the
misfortune to do drama with me knows, I’m clumsy at hitting my marks.
Therefore…*WOOF, EH*!
That being said, I will
say I can see no reason a straight could not appreciate him (some of my female
co-workers do J ), and that only three of the
eleven songs reference queerness in any specific way, and, since one of those
is through my filters/reading, you may disagree.
Things kick off nicely
with the catchy guitar riff and rolling drums of "One Another", a
stirring song about camaraderie, friendship and the bond between folks. The
title track follows, with its moving meditation on
self-destruction/self-directed aggression, fueled by moving harmonies and
elegant yet subtle piano fills. ‘Leave It Behind" has a lovely slide
guitar part and vocal gymnastics, but I couldn’t see the "you" in the
song clearly – possibly because I’ve never had a relationship break up (yet).
"Being The Joke" has neat minor harmonies and a dubby bass part,
which is not all that surprising, as the bass player on the record arranged the
track, not to mention a stinging guitar solo which balances between blues and
jazz – this would be the track I am reading as queer, but it could apply to
other outsiders as well. Both lyrically and musically, "Normal"
sounds like one of Elvis Costello’s countryish numbers.
"Conspiracy" is the most "gay" song, and had me laughing
out loud (while I’ve never thought the mothership was coming to get me (I
remember wishing I was a changeling, though), I do think it’s funny to
infiltrate and destroy, such as the time at the bar I used to work for that I
told a bunch of guys who were ragging someone for drinking light/’fag’ beer
that, actually, gays drink pretty much the same brands they do…).
A very tasty, folky,
rocking record, and I hope to hear more from this fellow as time goes on.
This
album was inspired, if such can be said, by the tragic events of September 11,
2001, especially the somber title track (darkly romantic piano chords
periodically interrupted by washes of noise). It is in a glitchy style, with
distorted sounds, crackles, turntable manipulation (that may or may not be
created using real turntables - it's hard to tell) and electronic elements.
It's certainly not technopop or aggressive dancefloor grooves - it is highly
ambient (a largely useless word, as, I mean, if you played Einsturzende
Neubauten in a machine shop, it would be ambient, because the noise of metal
and saws would fit in...but, as it has come to mean somewhat unobtrusive and
enveloping, I am using the term in that context...) and gentle, though not
soothing, given its origins. Still, an accomplished and moving piece...I found
the title track caused me to tear up when I first listened to it, I am not
ashamed to admit...
Graham
Start, Mental Expeditions CD (downloadable at http://www.yousendit.com/login.php?es=128&rcpt=&ufid=45DCAAF160670699)
I
confess to knowing the artiste, and that I have been, along with various other
breathless Bears, been hearing snippets of this Toronto gentleman’s work for
years now, eagerly anticipating the finishing of the album.
And
now it’s here. Well, wasn’t that
disappointing!?
Oh,
I’m KIDDING. In the words of
difficult-to-listen-to electronic pioneers Silver Apples: ‘oscillations
– oscillations –electronic evocations’.
There are ping-pongy bass lines, stringy patches, catchy percolating
riffs, some dark atonal/musique concrete moments worthy of Miss Wendy Carlos
and the obligatory groove-thing beats (though nothing is quite so crass as, oh,
the dance remix of Celine Dion’s Unison (yes, Graham, you may
beat me for referring to that now!)).
Mind-expanding stuff which is well summed up in the title – and the
cover photos are breathtaking too.