Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Blitzen Trapper The Fratellis

Blitzen Trapper
Furr 2008 Sub Pop
The Fratellis
Here We Stand 2008 Interscope

The Beatles can be an incredibly vital influence to draw upon. They built blueprints for both pop songs and rock songs of which the reverberations are felt deeply even outside of those particular genres. However, they also happen to be one of those rare bands that is hard to emulate without lifting from them directly. As a result, bands attempting to do so will more often than not end up in one of two extremes. Either they fall short in a pitiful mess of things they truly did not comprehend, or they end up becoming a pale imitation, playing note for note certain sections but lacking any sort voice they can their own. Very rarely do they hit that perfect balance and actually build upon the great foundations laid before them.
Portland's Blitzen Trapper and Glasgow's The Fratellis have both released albums this year that bear many marks of The Beatles throughout them. Only one, however, has accomplished something admirable.
Two years ago I heard the Fratelli's disc Costello Music and was quite pleased. It seemed to be a much better version of the modern New Wave/Brit Pop peddled by bands like Franz Ferdinand, but without relying on repetition like so many others of the genre. There was brilliant tempo changes and clever production throughout. They laid groundwork in rock and roll but they laid Spanish folk, Irish drinking music and Punk rock within the layers drawing upon both the Beatles and the Clash equally. And it was raw. Raw and eclectic. I was very excited to see what they had in store next with their 2008 release, Here We Stand. Unfortunately what I found was that they had all but abandoned the eccentricities that had made them so intriguing and opted for a more homogenized and safe route. It is as if they had heard people praise their clever use of The Beatles' influence and decided to run with it. Gone are the brilliant, genre-jumping pop compositions which are replaced with tunes that can be jaw-droppingly similar to the legendary group. The biggest offender occurs near the end of the disc. "Lupe Brown" lifts note for note sections of "She Loves You" with vocals that sound to the letter like the harmonies of numerous other Beatles' tunes. I've shown many people this song and they listen in disbelief as it plays out. Normally the consensus is that they are not even trying to sound different. At such words, I lament the excitement I had to hear this record.
I had not heard Blitzen Trapper prior to hearing Furr and on initial listens I was inclined to write it off. However, unlike the Fratellis this band has actually pulled off what few have managed. They do manage, at times, to successfully weave something of their very own out of the blueprints left behind. Certain songs are very well crafted, weaving very well their own voice within the Fab Four's influence. And maybe it is because that is but a small piece on a much larger plate. Blitzen Trapper is without a doubt well versed in classic rock and Steely Dan, Tom Petty, the Eagles and Elton John leave their occasional mark upon the grander outcome. But even they fall victim to the pitfalls of such attempts. The outstanding offense is "Black River Killer" which is essentially a reworking of Tom Petty's "Last Dance With Mary Jane." But even the weak songs on Furr are much more diverse than anything on Here We Stand and the album is indeed enjoyable on certain occasions. I'll keep a watchful eye.
It is my hope that The Fratellis can recover from their slip up here in 2008 and return with something as vibrant and lively as its predecessor. Yes, I can respect and even like to see growth but maturing does not mean diluting what was great.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Happening 2008

No matter how many times I am disappointed by M. Night Shyamalan, I will always go see his movies. He is, after all, the master of the intriguing premise. After watching the trailers for The Happening I was interested yet wary. The debacles that were The Village and Lady In The Water were still fresh in my mind and I was not ready to trust the man just yet. But things I heard piqued my interest, namely the lack of a twist and giving an explanation for the phenomena, however vague it might be, fairly quickly into the story. Long story short, I eventually caved and saw the film and then instantly remembered that Shyamalan is also the master at destroying his brilliant premise with unnecessary bloat.
As is always the case with his films, it starts out strong and interesting, in this case a mass suicide epidemic at first thought to be a terrorist attack. But unfortunately, as the excitement of that passes, we are introduced to each of the main characters. And they are all highly reliable performers, Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo, but anytime they open their mouths in this film they spit forth the some of the most contrived, forced and downright mind-boggling dialogue I have ever witnessed.
Like I said, I loved the premise of this film, probably more than anything he has ever done. The idea of an entire planet rebellion, violently so, against it's parasitic inhabitants is something I adore and love the exploration of. And I get it, I get the message and I get the warning and I love it. The death sequences are appropriately creepy and unsettling, the use of the wind and the clouds was top notch but the sense of dread that should have been ever present was absent. And as confused as the characters were, it felt as if it was for the wrong reasons, like it was the performers themselves who were confused, reading through the script for the first time.
The personal back stories did nothing to add depth to the narrative and the most unbelievable aspect of the film for me was Wahlberg and Deschanel as husband and wife. Between them lay absolutely no chemistry and even a couple in turmoil like they supposedly were would have some semblance of a bond between them. The performers did not so much emote as they would merely say how they were feeling with awkward dialogue that seemed to be stuck in their mouths. In particular, it was quite hilarious how John Leguizamo was constantly throwing percentages around as if to remind us that he was a math teacher.
Ultimately, The Happening suffers from the same ailment as most disaster movies do, in that it starts out strong, but as soon as the human aspect of the film comes in to play, things just fall flat. In fact, the only film i can think of off the top of my head to play upon the disaster formula well was Deep Impact. There was a real sense of inevitability and desperation that the filmmakers really locked onto in a way that no one else has been able to do effectively. The people seemed real and worn down and there was a sense of urgency. Now I do realize that this film is taking a radically different approach than most of its kind and like I said, I love the idea. This would have been a great episode of The Twilight Zone or an even better novel where the inner dealing of each character could fully blossom. Here we have performers who are forced into doing the ailing will of an increasingly megalomaniac director who I have no doubt will continue to let me down over and over. But damn him, I'll still watch his movies.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Lenny Kravitz



Lenny Kravitz
It Is Time For A Love Revolution 2008 Virgin Records

I actually liked this album upon initial listens. Even now, I find that there are some strong, standout tracks to be heard, particularly "Good Morning," a melodious and booming ballad that draws heavily upon the Beatles, but in a good way. But upon further spins, it became more than apparent that aside from a few infectious and catchy parts scattered throughout, there were great amounts of blandness. And if I've learned anything from doing "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" at Karaoke, the man is not a very strong lyricist.
It all actually starts off very strong until we get a few songs in, it is quite the rocking album. However, I would much love to start a crusade against overly long albums, in particular ones that are brimming with filler. Love Revolution boasts a whopping 16 songs and that is simply too much Kravitz to take. Trim this down six or seven songs and you're golden.
As I said before, some of the tunes suffer from great choruses surrounded by a tremendous lack of thrill. It is something to be expected in pop songs and in some strange way, it can be forgiven. In rock music though, it is an insurmountable peeve of mine that drives the compositions down among the lowest common denominators of music.
If Kravitz has one strength it is his incredible knowledge of the various forms of rock and funk that when used wisely, create memorably great songs. Songs that can stand of to the best of the genres. Take "Will You Marry Me?" for example. He draws upon the best of James Brown, Grand Funk Railroad and Stevie Wonder to weave a perfect funk rock masterpiece. Real funk rock. Not the trash you hear at bars but the stuff you'd find Roy Ayers or the Ohio players creating. One the other hand you have "Uncharted Territory" and "Confused," the two songs that unfortunately close out the album. The former is a horrendous and typically American attempt at reggae that employs tactics that I absolutely deplore. It is a very easy genre to screw up and Kravitz does so with gusto. The other is a lazy and cheap attempt at the blues which does no respect to the form, not even to that played by the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Perhaps this is a case of the artist being a little too in control and that being said, if you want to keep this album good, limit it the number of tracks to about nine, forgoing most of the latter half.

Tilly and the Wall


Tilly and the Wall
O 2008 Team Love Records
This is without a doubt in the running for my favorite album of the year. It is at the same time lo-fi, edgy indie rock and sing along hippie folk. That may sound like the wort description ever bestowed upon a band but trust me on this one, it works. And really, how can you go wrong with a band who utilizes a tap-dancer as a form of percussion?
Each song is an entirely different section of the same magnificent animal. They start soft, with the heart-felt acoustic ballad "Tall, Tall Grass" that introduces us to the massive group melodies that will dominate the core of the vocals throughout the album and from there they split off in all directions the branches of a tree. We find traces all around of 80's pop and new wave, both contemporary and alternative folk, cabaret and show tunes, new york punk and even gypsy. 'Wall of sound' does not even begin to describe the production as every inch of space is occupied by various voices, instruments and other miscellaneous sounds. And what is even more genius about the whole affair is that it never, not once, feels too busy.
This album is one that conjures images. Even listening to it in a strictly aural fashion, the songs are quite visual. I swear that every time I listen to "Chandelier Lake," I imagine a group of festive people singing around a bonfire and swaying with the music. It is a rare thing that a band can ignite something like that within me and I cannot help but stand in awe of it. Tilly and the Wall really do trigger emotions and rather than simply compose songs, they paint pictures and scenarios through word and sound. O is an album that is worth every precious second you give to it.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Akimbo


Akimbo
Jersey Shores 2008 Neurot Recordings

Concept albums are dangerous things. They require a perfect balance of song and story, something composers of the Renaissance era called "Word Painting," and stray but a little in either direction and you could find yourself mired a sloppy mess. There have been many acts as of late who have attempted this formula, announcing brilliant concepts such as Leviathan by Mastodon which was based upon the novel Moby Dick only to have it crushed under its own weight. Concept albums have always been a chance for a band to expand and experiment with things they may not normally try, many times creating songs that meld the band's particular style with something far more operatic.
It has always been interesting to me that to most bands, the idea of the concept album means long drawn out sections of color and ambiance. I have no strong objection to this in most cases, but I do not think it has ever been written down as a requirement of the form.
With Jersey Shores, Akimbo gives us a concept we can sink our teeth into, namely a string of shark attacks that occurred in the year 1916 off the coast of New Jersey, the sames ones that inspired Peter Benchley's novel Jaws. In my own research into said attacks, I became even more entranced by the album for its historical accuracy, with songs titles sharing names with the key locations and victims of the events.
The songs are all over the place and for the most part that is a great things. There are beautiful stretches of quiet, melodic sections that are quite out of character for Akimbo but are executed perfectly and are precisely placed so as to erupt into the brilliant cacophony that they do so well. It sets up calm that helps you envision a pleasant beach day that can descend into complete terror at a moment's notice. The vocals are appropriate for each section, not simply the earth moving bellow that normally adorned past Akimbo efforts. They move like a tide, from melodious shouting to high pitched, blood-curdling screams as if becoming the shark, the victims and the witnesses all at once.
However, this cannot be called the most memorable of concept albums and I dare say that there are moments, however rare they may be, that descend into something bit lackluster. Case in point being the opening track "Matwan": Until the last two minutes or so, it stampedes perfectly along, luring us in quietly with impending doom and shouted warnings of power and ferocity. But we find it disintegrating into an uninspired mess at the climax that even carries over into the opening moments of the next track before being saved by brilliance once again in crisp waves of swaying melody.
But those are the trappings in attempting to create a worthy concept album and it takes something special to be willing to take such chances and move away from your musical comfort zone. I would say that Akimbo has achieved something highly remarkable for over 90% of this album, proving themselves to be a metallic force to be respected. Perfect, however, it is not and I would not recommend it to the casual Akimbo fan nor to the hardcore metal fan, who both may simply find it too odd. But even so, make no mistake that there is a place for this album in the hallowed halls of heavy music.

Dance of the Dead 2008


There is not much to this movie. There is no deep meaning that I can discern and the storyline is paper thin. However, it is full of laughs and full of gore and there is something very close to my heart about members of the sci-fi club saving their high school from a zombie-like invasion.
Basically the premise is simple: the dead, or something similar, rise up and attack a high school prom and the only people who can stop are the losers who couldn't get dates. Though the details are charming and clever I won't bore you with them here, but along the way they team up with cheerleaders, violent rednecks, a rock band whose music can soothe the blood lust of the creatures, and a belligerent and a well-prepared Gym teacher reminiscent of R. Lee Ermey. Its like Monster Squad for a new generation.
And notice that I say zombie-like and not zombies proper. They are fast and their resurrection is explained by the town being next to a nuclear power plant. These are Zombies in name only and if this were a movie to be taken seriously, it would be a major blemish but as it is, they could be fighting werewolves or vampires and it wouldn't really matter. The point is the fun of it all.
I'm fairly interested in watching the career of star Justin Kusnitz, who also starred this year in Otis as the smart ass stoner brother. This role is almost identical but he does play it well and hopefully he can get some chances to branch out in the near future.
For the most this isn't breaking any new ground, but there are enough good touches and witty satire to keep it interesting. So laugh it up and enjoy the gore.

Otis 2008



It is Last House on the Left for the Juno set and though I usually despise such descriptions, in this case it is appropriately applicable. It is all at once disturbing, funny and hip, but unlike Juno, the dialogue does not grate on your nerves (not that I disliked Juno, but the teen slang seemed desperate and contrived). How does one make an inherently anti-violence movie? By putting it all out in front with every gorey detail present. Last House on the Left implemented this ethos with disturbingly real results and brought the true price of violence and revenge to levels never before seen.
In Otis we do get that to be sure, but this time it is tongue-in-cheek and guiltily hilarious. Dennis Paoli, the screenwriter for Re-Animator, once said that there is a fine line between violence and comedy, pointing specifically to slapstick which is at it's very core incredibly violent. And so here we have a movie about a fat, anti-social man, abducting young women and forcing them to enact the strange, perverted high school fantasy that exists in his head. His desire is that it will all culminate in them going to the "prom" but things never quite go well and the girls end up being killed. There is nothing that should be funny about that. But director Tony Krantz does that and much more. As the title character lives out said fantasy with his next victim, Riley, a violent, funny and at times touching series of events occurs that is far more compelling than what seems to be at the surface.
One scene in particular has the bulbous Otis decked out in full football gear asking Riley, done up as a cheerleader, if she saw the great plays he was making in practice. It is awkwardly touching, implying he is more than just a monster and there is a deep seeded need within him to simply fit in. Scenes such as this and the pathetically funny prom scene propose that is is as if his evil and heinous deeds stem from a dream scenario he has elaborately constructed in his head. He merely wants it to go according to plan and no one has yet to simply follow along leading the all to their necessary end in his eyes. In no way dies that justify his actions, but it does give the character layers that most films do not dare to supply. So much so that you begin to feel for Otis, almost as much a you want Riley to escape his subterranean dungeon.

While the tale of horror is happening, on the other end we have the comical desperation of her family trying to track her down only to have an insufferable and somewhat inept FBI agent in charge of the case. Illeana Douglas and Daniel Stern are downright perfect as the parents and their frustration at the pompous imbecile who is supposed to be saving their daughter fills some of the funniest scenes of the film. You can truly feel the desperate hilarity of the situation: that they cannot believe the things this man is saying. Things like telling them not to worry as he has an 80% recovery rate only to be corrected by his colleague that in the case of one particular girl, they only recovered 60%. It is only a matter of time before they realize that they will have to take matters into their own hands and when Riley, through one part luck and one part ingenuity, escapes, they make certain that revenge will be theirs and theirs alone. But things do not go as planned.
To spoil is would be a crime but I will say that the transformation from pushing themselves to commit the most heinous of acts, to reveling in it completely and utterly, and then to understanding the gravity of what they have just done was executed with the perfect amount of wit, horror and humor.
Some have said complained of the pacing of the film, stating that it did not blend its parts together into a viable sum. While it is true that some scenes can fall into the realm of straightforward comedy, the moments when it does meld perfectly far out weigh the ones that may fall short. And more importantly, this really is more than anything else a sad story about a realistic social outcast. And not only does it warn of the high price the price of violence but also of the casting aside of those we deems unworthy, where they can brood hate and rage and destructive fantasy within them. If anything, you are compelled to believe while watching Otis subjected to verbal abuse by his brother, played by Kevin Pollack, that he had never really known love and that there was no where for him to go but to descend into the violent path that he did. You are compelled to believe that love could have steered him another way. Wes Craven, when asked about the legacy of Last House on the Left on said "The story, about the painful side effects of revenge, is an evergreen. The headlines are full of people and nations taking revenge and getting caught up in endless cycles of violence." That holds true in this film. A film that is both hilarious and shocking. A film that shows that sometimes the best way to protect yourself is with a laugh.