Michael Franti is the one of those rare singers whose boomin’ growl can start a party as quickly as it can a protest (probably about time for him to update his 1992 cover of “California Uber Alles“). His latest Spearhead joint comes on the heels of his self-booked trip to Iraq, which is documented on the DVD I Know I’m Not Alone. His experience, which included performances for U.S. soldiers and Iraqi families alike, clearly shaped the album’s compassionate (“I Know I’m Not Alone”) and passionate (“Yell Fire”) flavors of rebellion.
Feathers
Raised on bands like The Pixies and The Smiths, Eddie Alonso’s musical boundaries broadened upon hearing Can’s Ege Bamyasi. From that point forward Alonso worried less about using his music to tell a particular story, and instead concentrated on mesmerizing the listener. With his work cut out for him Alonso honed his recording skills and hoarded music gear with his “Canned” inspired musical theory in mind. Writing music with his bandmates, Matt Crum and Eric Rasco, under the moniker Feathers, the trio merges all styles without working towards any sound in particular. What emerges are riveting instrumental tracks suited for a world where Esquivel and Bacharach are worshipped as pop idols.
Eskiimo
I usually try to avoid overdoing it with backstory, but Dear Eskiimo [ed. note: It’s now just Eskiimo; check out the comments] has proven to be so confounding that a little context feels appropriate, if only to relieve the mystery in my own mind. About three months ago we got a link in our suggestion box to an entertaining pop mini-mix that merged the mixers’ own tracks with showtunes, Depeche Mode, Gwen Stefani, PiL, Eminem, and more. Eskiimo’s original music was intriguing, if truncated, so I emailed them to solicit more music with which to share the sharing. We exchanged a couple of semi-cryptic messages and I waited for MP3s that never came. So…I go searching the other day and am reminded of Eskiimo, whose MySpace page now features two downloadable tracks. The group counts Gorillaz, Eels, and The Dresden Dolls among its friends on MySpace and it has major press representation, slick photos, and an attractive lead singer. They were apparently on Mercury Records UK when they released their EP last year and now, with a full-length debut on the way, the Dear Eskiimo website redirects to Universal Music UK…where there is no information on the band. Long story short: Dear Eskiimo appears to be a relatively unknown UK pop group that has everything going for it—major label support, cool “friends,†and solid representation. [Read the comments for a demystifying explanation of what’s going on with Eskiimo]
Oh yeah, and talent. Lead singer Katie lists among her musical tastes “good, un-crap pop music,†which is a great way to describe Dear Eskiimo, too. The trio make pop music that doesn’t hide its radio ambitions, but they don’t suffer terribly for it. Dear Eskiimo are quite unlike what we’ve been trained to expect from Manchester over the years, which makes them sort of mainstream outcasts. They merge well with Annie, Scissor Sisters, Zero 7, and other groups you’ll hear at hip clothing stores. And the mix of organic melodies and canned beats might bring back fond memories of, um, George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” and “Faith.” (Let the hater-mail commence.) “Pretty†is a chirpy number about…abusive relationships. The whimsical “Patience†sounds Broadway all the way—I have the sneaking feeling it’s a cover that I just can’t place. In fact, I have the sneaking feeling that Dear Eskiimo may just be “undiscovered†to me and that I’ll get plenty of emails from those in the UK who have been listening to them on the radio for a while now. Oh well. Whether they’re stars or a secret, Dear Eskiimo’s pop music sounds pretty un-crap to me.
Early Taste of New Earlimart
TRS-80 New Album + MP3
Winechuggers
This is my last Delicious Berries post, using bands from MusicalFamilyTree.com‘s Indiana indie compilation, and this one might be my favorite. Winechuggers have an easy-going rock feel, like all the Pavement or Sebadoh songs I realy like and none of the ones that I can’t stand. Good stuff, and on the MFT site there are about 100 songs from Winechuggers to sift through — “Long Circuitous Path” is just a little piece of candy. Thanks to Jeb Banner for putting together the site, the compilation, and for playing along in this bands as well. Good luck, Indiana!
So Many Dynamos
Finally! I’ve been sitting on So Many Dynamos for a little while now, trying to wait for their new album before posting about them. These St. Louis fellas have recently spent time as Emperor X’s backing band and extensively touring themselves. All that time on the road and all the shows have helped them find, focus, and refine themselves. The goal: to make you dance. The result: crashing drums, frantic vocals, equally frantic guitars, a horn section, a 30 member choir, carnival instruments, and lots of dancing in the living room.
Hot One
All the Catholics who thought The DaVinci Code was an assault on their religion might as well not even bother with Hot One. The opening track on their self-titled album, “Get Your Priest On!”, doesn’t present the clergy in a particularly flattering light. Social and religious conservatives, war hawks and politicians, parents, the timid and shy — none of these groups really fit the Hot One focus group of vulgar, disgusted and distracted fans of filthy glam rock, with a sarcastic political bent. I was blasting the disc while driving with all the windows down in my Saturn Vue recently, and it felt so right to be so wrong.
Lemonheads
(With all the excitement of Steve Martin in The Jerk upon discovering his new phonebooks…) The new Lemonheads is here! The new Lemonheads is here! My goose has been all up in a gander anticipating the new album. Evan Dando recorded it with reigning punk rock producer Bill Stevenson of The Descendents working the boards (and drums). J. Mascis’ guitar geniusly underscores this track. I know Lemonheads fans were hoping for a return to form. Sounds like they got it…