The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams (2014)

Admittedly, I've always liked the idea of The Hold Steady more than their albums.  Which raises the question as to why I picked this one up -- was it front man Craig Finn's great cover of Hϋsker Dϋ's "Real World?  Some advanced praise that declared this "their best album" or some such hype?  Lack of impulse control?  (The answer is likely "d) all of the above.")

In any case, somehow I got there, and damn it all if this is not The Hold Steady album I've been waiting for.  It's less rough around the edges than other Hold Steady albums, and Finn sings more than the usual warbly spoken vocals I'm used to.  (Gentle readers, please realize that this sentence is probably why I'll love this album, but long-time Hold Steady fans might be jumping off the train at this station.)

The Hold Steady - "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You"

It's great, fun rock n roll with a lot of energy.  It drags a bit in the second half, but that's a quibble.  A fine album.

CD Placement Rating:  Portable CD Case.

- Snilch

Jad Fair & Danielson - Solid Gold Heart (2014)

Having heard only Danielson's great tune "Did I Step on Your Trumpet?", I felt compelled to check out this offering.  Sometimes that's just the best way to check out a creative, quirky band -- jump right in!

Other times, you wish you had looked before you leapt.  (Leaped?)  Unfortunately, this was one of those times.  

This offering sounds like high school garage band:  disorganized and sloppy, yet still full of itself.  What comes to mind as I listen to it is an audio recording of Schoolhouse Rock getting slaughtered by The Hamburgler.  I'm not quite sure what that means, but somehow it makes sense when I listen to this album.

It's too bad, but it's not good.  

Verdict:  Pile of Death.

- Snilch

2014 Notable Downloads

Just like I did for 2013, I'll be reviewing albums that were sent to me by various music folks (primarily Terrorbird, to be fair).  

My process:  at some point, I listen to all of it.  There is a first cut and a second cut; the Pile of Death ratio here is rather large, but I have no need to slam small, struggling bands if they are not my cup of tea.

So... from decent to great:

CD Rack

• Future Punx - I'm So Inspired EP.  To miss the obvious Devo comparison with these guys would be nuts.  But songs like "Forgive the Doubt" prove they can paint outside those numbers into a tribute to VHS or Beta as well.  If you have Devo withdrawals, or just like that style crossed with The Futureheads, check this out.

• Mr. Gnome - Heart of a Dark Star. Their last release had more highs and lows -- this is more consistent but lacks that really high-end epic song(s).  They are on the cusp once again; this band has supernova potential and hints at absolute greatness.  This album shows a Cage the Elephant-like sophistication.  Once they cross this album's consistency with their crazy imaginations, you'll see what this band really can do.

Portable CD Case

• Dinowalrus - Complexion.  This is a mixed bag, but only in that it varies between the sublime and the very good/decent.  On songs like "Tropical Depression," "The Ancient Stereo," or "Mispronounce," they are simply fantastic -- some kind of shoegaze meets shimmery guitars meets electronica meets Drivin' 'N Cryin.  This is definitely an album worth checking out.

Dinowalrus - "Wake Up in the Void"

• Katie Kate - Nations.  Finally, some damn hip hop I can get behind:  strong confident rhymes with great atmosphere oozing underneath.  It's not classic hip hop, but a fuse with pop that's pleasing, smart, and aggressive.  It's an extremely impressive performance that hits is at once both delicate and harsh.  In the end, this is a very strong combination.  

Katie Kate - "Canyon"

• Michna - Thousand Thursday.  It's electronica with a strong melody and continued variance throughout.  (That seems to be formula for my appreciation of music in this genre.)  It's very pleasing but fairly straightforward.  Sure, it lags in spots, but it's a fine listen, and nice background music for your somewhat-happening party.

Michna - "Solid Gold"

• New Myths - Give Me Noise.  The first impression I get vocally is Paula Cole. (Somewhere, Scott B. just shuddered.)  But imagine she had some type of hybrid rock/electronica band that occasionally throws in a saxophone.  Sound interesting?  It is.  It needs a slightly more live feel -- my only knock on this is that it's a little too polished -- but in general this is a very interesting listen.  A little less slick = Car CD Changer.  "Howl," "Out of Control," "Playing with Fire," and "False Gold" are highlights.

New Myths - "False Gold"

• Pompeii - Loom.  This is very "wave"-y -- it sounds like 2/3 Rogue Wave and 1/3 Longwave.  (See what I did there?)  Unlike Rogue Wave, which has moments of sublime brilliance but long stretches of tepid warmth, Pompeii is consistently good to very good but never great. My favorite is probably "Blueprint."  This band has the makings of something special -- and this is a solid, workmanlike start.

Pompeii - "Blueprint"

Car iPod

It's a short list.

• Kestrels - The Moon is Shining Our Way.  Sure, the opening riff sounds very, very reminiscent of Swervedriver, but... well, actually, that's a pretty good thing.  What hooked me, though, was the great juxtaposition of vocal tonality with the soaring sound of the guitars.  Sure, they sound very, very reminiscent of 90s grunge, but... well, actually, that's a pretty good thing too.  The title track is powerhouse guitar.  I'm not sure exactly what "powerhouse guitar" IS exactly, but when I listen to this track, that is the term that pops into my head:  it's heavy and yet accessible, full of fury and fuzz.  (Or fury and furry, if you will.)  Sonically, it's just awesome rock 'n roll.


Kestrels - "The Moon is Shining Our Way"

- Snilch

The 1980s... take 2. Or 3.

For some reason, 2014 was a year that a number of my old favorites (or at least names I was interested in) came back to the fore with albums.  This is their third, fourth, fifth comeback... you lose track when you realize you thought some these groups were old in 1993.  As you'd imagine, several of these groups have aged better than others.

• Billy Idol - Kings and Queens of the Underground.  I saw a Guitar Centers Session with Billy, who is still going strong after reuniting with guitarist Steve Stevens in 2005 (after essentially a 20 year split). Perhaps being in a audience-less studio threw him for a loop, as aside from "Rebel Yell," the performance for the first 45 minutes felt a bit old and tired (even on "Dancing with Myself").  Then came one of his new songs, "Postcards from the Past" -- he attacked it.  I got chills.  He was back in the moment:  you saw that glimpse of Billy Idol from 1983.  Based on that alone, I had to get the album.  Trevor Horn's production is great, and the album plays like a confessional.  Yes, his higher vocal range is pretty much shot, but it's fun listen.  I'll take off my snob blinders, sit back and enjoy.  Stevens is still a great player.  Verdict:  he's not reinventing the genre, but it's fun.  "Postcards" is clearly the highlight here.  Portable CD Case.

Billy Idol - "Postcards from the Past"

• Enuff Z'Nuff - Covered in Gold.  TC once called these guys the "Bon Jovi of the 90s"... which obviously did not come to pass.  But they should not be discounted:  they have created some great albums over the years and recorded some phenomenal music in relative obscurity.  This is a covers album, and some are quite good.  Covering a combination of "She Sells Sanctuary," "When Doves Cry," and "Tears of a Clown" is just the level of insanity that (based on principle alone) I must endorse.  Oh and did I mention the cover of "Believe It or Not" (the theme from The Greatest American Hero)?  Unreal.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case.

Enuff Z'Nuff - "When Doves Cry"

• Roddy Frame - Seven Dials.  Imagine you are Roddy Frame:  at 18, you write High Land, Hard Rain (under the band name Aztec Camera), only to spend the next 12 years failing to live up to that debut, then dropping that band name to do albums under your own name, then spending another 20 years still chasing that original brilliance as a solo artist.  And, unfortunately, failing.  I really feel bad for the guy, but Roddy's fourth solo album, while sunny in disposition, just makes me want to pick up and listen to the remastered, 30th anniversary version of High Land, Hard Rain.  Verdict:  "Postcard," "Into the Sun," and "On the Waves" save this from the Pile of Death.  Sorry, Roddy.

Roddy Frame - "Postcard"

• Night Ranger - High Road.  When I start a review with a comparison to "Winger" or "Great White," that's not a good sign.  They sound a little raw vocally.  "High Road" and particularly "Don't Live Here Anymore" (except for the drawn out finish) are great, and "I'm Coming Home" is good; but other than that, my guess is I will have to go back to the second of their three comeback albums (2011's Somewhere in California) to really get the true 80s throwback experience from this band.  One positive:  lyrically, they do seem stuck in adolescence. So there's that.  Verdict:  Sell-back 1.

Night Ranger - "Don't Live Here Anymore"

• Tesla - Simplicity.  Since their 2004 return, Tesla has released two albums of covers, and now two additional albums of original music.  To be blunt, they sound great.  It's pretty amazing that they have retained their blues/rock edge, but it's still there.  This one is a great driving album, which starts introverted, but picks up objectivity and steam with "Rise and Fall" and "So Divine."  Sure, there are some lulls, but overall this is a fun throwback listen.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case.

Tesla - "So Divine..."

- Snilch

Rise Against - The Black Market (2014)

The latest offering from the most intelligent thrash-like music you'll ever hear is very similar to their previous albums - uptempo, high energy, full of sound and fury, signifying something.  I don't know whether this is classified as "post-hardcore" or not; on the other hand, I don't really particularly care.  What separates Rise Against from their contemporaries is 1) the expert use of melody against sheer walls of sound and screams, and 2) the lyrics, which are those of a poet.  It's a pretty intoxicating combination.

Highlights include "I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore," and "Tragedy + Time." 

Rise Against - "I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore"

This is tremendous to listen to while driving.  If I'm going to nitpick, this album runs a bit long and gets same-y after a while -- some listening fatigue does set in.

Verdict:  Portable CD Case.

- Snilch

The Black Keys - Turn Blue (2014)

Akron natives The Black Keys broke through in a big way with 2011's El Camino, featuring the huge hit "Lonely Boy."  Turn Blue, their follow-up, is a crucial moment for the band:  should they try and move their sound forward in a new direction, or go to a formula approach and try and re-create their biggest success?

On the one hand, I commend them for not creating El Camino 2.0.  On the other hand, it's just not as inspired as El Camino was.

I really don't have much else to say.  Quite simply, I did not enjoy this album.

The Black Keys - Fever

Verdict:  I'll keep "Fever," at least provisionally.  Sell-back 1.

- Snilch

The Antlers - Familiars (2014)

I couldn't tell you a thing about this band, other than that this album was recommended by unknown people (i.e., I can't remember who).

The first sounds are sorrowful, almost mournful, with a plaintive horn accentuating the mood.  They build up, while still holding that same ambiance and tone -- emotionally, it feels like a yearning, a wistfulness, a melancholy.

As for the album as a whole, it's strongly measured, thoughtful, provocative, and purposeful.  While being low-tempo, the album is nonetheless a force that creates an emotional resonance.

The Antlers - "Palace"

Familiars sounds meandering; it's not.  It is meticulously spaced and the sounds are all well-placed throughout.  This is not the album that's going to keep you awake on a cross-country drive, but it IS the album that you'll play when you want to space out, chill out, or pass out, all while listening to something beautiful.

CD Placement Rating:  Car CD Changer.

Merch Rating (yes, I still do this occasionally):  borderline check out the back catalog.  I'll see what allmusic.com recommends and take a flier on at least one more album.  Money talks, people.

- Snilch