Arthur Killroad
The things you should know how to do
July 30th 2008
Unigned
Arthur Killroad- This is Something Witty
Arthur Killroad-Breaking Everything in Sight
I’ve listened to this record over and over again and I can’t help think about my little brother, a two time Iraq War vet who loves to sing and wears his heart on his sleeve. He has steeped himself in the idiosyncrasies of indie music, while still harboring his guiltless pleasure of belting out every note from The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most while driving to get a burrito from Amigos. Similarly, Arthur Killroad’s 2008 release The things you should know how to do (the most?) captures the definitive sense of familiarity, intimacy, and disappointment. The music is steadfastly structured in acoustic pop—forceful open chords decorated with a voice that is gruff and masculine, yet sincere and emotionally wrought with plain spoken pleading. Sounds great eh?
Though the truth is that just like our bipolar moments of mania and displeasure, we are sometimes caught in an unflattering light. Rather than tactically avoiding looking contrived, Killroad seeks to make the telling of mundane moments his anchor. He criticizes the motifs and worn tropes of classic romanticism instead favoring the tactile objects of relationships—gifts, guitars, and shaving blades—trinkets of those quick moments between the archetypical peaks and valleys, unions and break ups. Known as Mike Petruccelli to his mother, Arthur Killroad is extraordinarily adept at addressing these experiences.
Like any Midwest punk cum everyman’s troubadour, Killroad can be confronted with his fair share of criticism. The metaphors can be dumb and the vocabulary can be dry. He runs the risk of forever being attached to the inexperience amassed during college. Some might say that the novelty of the scenester with sad eyes and sad words wore off somewhere around 2001, or that the verbal marshmallows created by Killroad’s songs may be everyman, but they are not important…they are notBukowski—just a kid bitching about a life short lived. Is it arrogance that he expected real happiness before he even graduated college?
Killroad then confronts this abasement by, what else, writing a song about it. The Starving Artists Convention is a reflexive monologue asking if Mike, Killroad the person, is truely a douche bag. The answer taken away from The things you should know how to do is no. However, along with his noble attempt at emotional exposure, he gets caught in uncomfortable moments. The opening words of Robots and Zombies, speaking to a deep sense of alienation, sets up and unravels a trivial metaphor. Killroad is at his best when he writes about common things in plain terms. Two songs particularly stand out among the rest. This is Something Witty, which ironically tells the critics to take a long walk, is Arthur Killroad‘s manifesto.
“I’m not apologizing; I’m only describing things and saying how I feel about them.”
This track distills what is best about Killroad, both in attitude and style. Breaking Everything in Sight succeeds because of the technical recording choices, from the simple introduction built upon with layers of vocals and an epic grand piano, making a powerful aside to the acoustic power pop tracks.
In all honesty, I have to write about this record from a measured distance because I simply would never have picked it up on my own. The record’s range of artistic value is great. In contrast to the remarkably well arranged songs mentioned above, others like Harvard on the Hocking come so close to Eve 6 that I am convinced Killroad just wanted to make his track list reach 10, no matter the consequences. Who would do that to themselves without a good reason? While I may just have to take a long walk, I know that Arthur Killroad has defined a specific place for himself and is comfortable with his songwriting methodology, and he obviously loves the process of recording his music as documented on his Myspace page. In all Mike Petruccell’s song writing skills are his greatest asset. While the use of an alias cannot insulate him from the criticism he duly receives when he takes the road most traveled, he certainly makes it clear that he is capable of going anywhere he pleases.
Dead Leaf Echo
Pale Fire EP
May 6, 2008
Year of the Gallon
The moody mix of over-the-top affected vocals offered on Dead Leaf Echo’s 2008 EP, Pale Fire, takes an extraordinarily long time to digest. The band so openly attach themselves to the ethereal sprawl of shoegaze that it begs the question, are they…really? Elastic lazy vocals and saturated tremolo does not a shoegaze band make. Nothing illustrates this more completely than the emphasis the band has placed on their collaboration with Ulrich Schnauss who has previously worked with bands such as Depeche Mode and Cold Play. Schnauss mixed the title track to great effect. Other bands in the past such as Elliot have utilized cavernous gothic melodies and effeminate Morrisseian vocals to produce magnificent records, ones with no interest in misplaced comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, to which Dead Leaf Echo has no relation what so ever. Rather than a wall of noise, every track on Pale Fire, save Schnauss’ mix, is washed over with waves of transparent reverberation. The difference between the Schnauss assisted track and the rest of the record is stark.
It would be appropriate to take a moment to mention that Dead Leaf Echo is very talented. The EPs title track perfectly alchemizes the instrumentation and shapes the vocals masterfully. It is not a lack of force and or unbalanced production that depresses Pale Fire’s greatness, rather it is the presence of a track with such superior qualities that the others pale in comparison. I would entirely expect anyone who listens to 80’s post-punk and shoegaze to at enjoy the EP, especially as the band promises greater attention to detail, song structure, and production. Pale Fire’s title track can be seen as a down payment on a more intensive sound. It seems as though Dead Leaf Echo have all the raw talent and material to create truly brilliant music, now they simply need the direction and perspective to do it. On April 4th they release their newest work, Truth, mixed by another heavy hitter by the name of John Fryer who has worked with Nine Inch Nails and, you guessed it, Depeche Mode. I am eager to hear if they too heard and understood not only their shortcomings, but also their immense potential.
National Snack
Apply Machine EP
December 8th 2008
Scatty Cat Records
National Snack- Working for the Devil
There is something offensive about a lofi band with fuck-you aesthetics. London based National Snack exudes this ethos unapologetically. Their music is a messy discharge of rock and roll not meant for paradigm friendly genre definitions. Listen people, they are called National Snack—you think they care what you think of them? I am barely able to write a review that doesn’t simply mention that they exist. Not because they aren’t distinct or impressive, but because their music is made entirely on their terms; listen and think of them what you like. National Snack have no problem making sexually solicitous songs. Their guitar is fuzzed over and basic. Loud gristle is the only concern for these mungrel music makers. The band is fronted by singers Gemma Storr and Joe Carlo, both of whom guiltlessly execute their tracks. They aren’t here to induce awe or weigh the heavier philosophical quandaries of life; they want to be loud, energetic, and foul mouthed. Although, “We are the disillusion, too well fed for a revolution” from Self Conscious is a pretty damn good line.
Apply Machine is a mixed bag. The opening track Mischief is all funk-punk energy, but something about it sinks below board. I love all the talk about mouths, but there are times when Joe and Gemma vocals are poorly intertwined. Disjointed, it certainly does not prepare the listener for what is to come. The four tracks that follow Mischief are what make Apply Machine succeed. Had Working for the Devil been a single with three bonus tracks—Self Conscious, My Head Hurts, and This is Not Enough—the release would have been perfect.
From the moment My Head Hurts begins, it is entirely apparent that this band’s idea of a national snack is piss and vinegar. Their angst against life is tempered by self assertive declarations.
“Cause every fucking day, it’s all the fucking same.”
-This is Not Enough
Gemma’s center pieces—Working for the Devil and This is Not Enough—are the glitter of Apply Machine. These tracks are excellent, showcasing National Snack’s best qualities. The EP retires with Rock n Roll, a track full of punchy guitars and clever melodies. Again though, Joe and Gemma’s vocals do not seem to work the way they were intended. Perhaps what alliviates this concern is that while there are thousands of bands that will spit in your face as much as look at you, few show the potential of Gemma and her boys. They are funding the release of their full length by selling space on the back of their record for £10. If it tells you how many of contributions the band needs, and indeed are receiving, to finish their record- you get a magnifying glass with your contribution so that you can amuse yourself at parties by telling other people that you helped develop this British trio’s album art.
Heroes & Villains
What Keeps Us From Sleeping at Night
March 21st 2008
Self Released
Ah…a concept album. Do you know how much we love them? On the back of the What Keeps Us… from Montreal’s Heroes & Villains, there is written a story, which goes as follows.
“Bennie is a private detective. Lalo, a long-time friend, writes post cards for a living. The pair originally bonded on a cross-Atlantic flight, over a common interest in actor Val Kilmer. Lalo has had troubles with authorities in his early twenties, in particular due to his involvement in climate change prevention riots. The two compadres always had a plan: they would both move to Dakar at 32, never to turn back. Bennie after investigating endless cheating cases, is convinced the even he is, somewhere deep in his heart of hearts, betraying his lover. Soon enough he’s driving around the city, desperately looking for himself in the exact same vehicle, heading nowhere fast. After months without any news from Bennie, Lalo moves to Dakar.”
Where to begin? Well this is clearly a wishful soundtrack to a movie with dialog and narration written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. The story of Bennie and Lalo sounds as if it were thought of right after watching The Royal Tenenbaums. With all sincerity, the concept of this record is contrived and all too familiar to be of interest. As for the music, it is often sloppy with drum fills smashing into chord changes, seeming to barley emerge from the incident in sync. The recording quality nicely borders on lo-fi, but the vocals never quite seem to manage an integrated presence within the songs, the lead guitar is often unpleasantly jerky, and the bass guitar is distracting. That being said, Heroes & Villains have written an intensely catchy pop record that deserves a second look.
As emerging artists go, Heroes & Villains have great potential. While their record might have plenty of flaws, it has a lot of excellent moments as well. The songs are incredibly well written. Their style switches from 60’s pop to Pavement-esque indie rock with ease. There are short instrumentals called segues that break the album up into sections. These little pieces are delicious, even if Segue Uprise is a direct and unmistakable rip off the verse structure of Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes; I mean there could be a law suit here. Other tracks such as A Letter manage to incorporate seamlessly all the elements that at one time or another on the record seem out of place. Sonically unique among the rest of the songs on the record, the best track is called Black Iceberg. In this song Heroes & Villains exhibit the extent of their potential as an indie band with plenty of creativity to expend. What Keeps Us… is a well written and enthusiastic record. Even though Heroes and Villains at times misstep, they clearly know that they are on the right path and headed in the right direction. I’d welcome a dose of indie-pop from these guys any day.
Worst Case Ontario
Burning Politely
Fall 2007
Unsigned
Burning Politely comes out of the gate swinging. The first track, You’re Glib, is packed with melody laden pop-rock super senses. It is a short jolt of candy cane crafted guitar riffs melded with a vocal style reminiscent of lazy mouthed song writing demigods like PaulWesterberg and Stephen Malkmus. What separates Worst Case Ontario from the rest is the contrast between Sam Weisberg’s hands and his lips. His voice is a specter of late eighties college rock while his hands play heavy pop riffs as a zippy guitar solo fast-forwards the songs into late 90’s alternative rock radio. The contrast can be heard most explicitly on the track Discouraging Things Happen at Recess. It truly compresses an entire decade into a single song.
Eugene Levy Unbilled is perhaps the album’s best track because of its consistency. I am a sucker for inconsistent music, but Worst Case Ontario is at their best when they bust out their stuff under 2:35. They aim to satisfy the nerdy late eighties college student in everyone. Unfortunately, they interject that influence with trite guttural “rawk” in songs like Purge. The vomitous vocalizations are meant to illustrate the song’s vomitous theme. The illustrative effort leaves the overall splendor of Burning Politely muted and diluted, not slanted and enchanted. Worst Case Ontario’s lyrics are not particularly interesting, complex, or witty, and they could certainly drop a few tracks off the record for a condensed and delicious EP, but they have a style that sets out to reinvigorate a sound that once dominated mixed tape nights everywhere.
When this band signs a deal, they will certainly find that their strength is not the replication or echoing of the various artists who have come before them, rather they will remind us why the slacker spirit will never die. It is not who they sound like, but why they sound the way they do. This may seem to be a line blurred beyond distinction, but the difference is important. Although they will create new music and structure it in new ways, Worst Case Ontario is the kind of band that will charmingly never venture too far from the indie heroes of yester year. That would simply be too much effort. While that sentiment may not be unique, it will always have a universal appeal in the world of independent music.
Akron/Family
Love Is Simple
September 18th 2007
Young God
Break out your peyote people, on record three from Akron/Family you are invited to travel down a road paved with the psychedelic blood and bones of hippie herb chiefers and the aspiring legions of rustic commune dwellers alike. What does this all mean? It means that if you love The Beta Band and Rusted Root, chances are you consider Akron/Family an amazing addition to your already stellar collection of tunes. I secretly think that the outro of Ed Is a Portal was written and performed by The Beta Band, but that The Beta Band then lost a bet to Akron/Family when they failed to inhale the dared amount of Nitrous. If John Cusack would have told Jack Black to watch the reaction of his Wicker Park shoppers as he instead turned up Don’t Be Afraid, You’re Already Dead at around second 51, indeed I submit that a phenomenon would have been born.
In fact I’ll go a step further and insist that Akron/Family derives some of their naturalistic spirit from the likes of the ultra obscure and infinitely cool Australian folk band Outback. I know I can never prove it, being that I think I own the only copy of their intrepid aboriginal hit collection Dance the Devil Away, but there is no doubt that there are micro moments of noble savagery steeped within every digital crevice of Love Is Simple. At times, particularly after I’ve Got Some Friends, I expect a folkie reprisal of the disco-tech track Cotton Eyed Joe. It could happen.
Love Is Simple approaches the soundscape from multiple angles, not all of which jive with one another. It is not that the music is bad or unimaginative; its problem is the unsuccessful use of cacophonous instrumentation fused with four part harmony. The electro-beats aren’t particularly interesting and the altruistic lyrics are at times a little too sugary. That being said, the core elements of their music are totally appealing. The collectivity of the music reminds me of eating drugs with my 10 roommates on the North Shore of Boston, spontaneously breaking out into (yes, I’ll invoke the phrase here) a drum circle and singing in whatever semblance of harmony we could muster with our THC soaked lungs. This was a good time…a long, long time ago. Nicely nostalgic, Love Is Simple shuttles me back to those perfect moments.
Akron/Family is an enjoyable band, but even more so than most, their music is limited to a very specific niche that audiences occupy. They belong in a past in which I now find it difficult to insert them. As these times are looked at in retrospect, as we sat in that black light lit New England apartment, the guy beating the pots and pans didn’t necessarily compliment the guy on bongos, and the girl with her freestyle vocal harmonies, was more an indicator of my chances of getting laid than of the cohesiveness of our communion. Don’t be mistaken, Akron/Family do not sound like a bunch of amateurs. They are professional stoners who know how to make music. The draw back is that I am convinced that the process of making their music was infinitely more enjoyable than listening to it. It is this disparity that prohibits me from entirely supporting this well crafted effort.
Au Revoir Simone
The Bird of Music
March 5th, 2007
Moshi Moshi
“Au Revoir Simone is like Blonde Redhead without talent,” My fiancée Hillary said while listening to The Lucky One, the first track off of Au Revoir Simone’s second album The Bird of Music. The song had just taken a shocking turn from being a simple synthesized piano piece with a certain measure of beauty and composure to a sing-along bore-fest (look out for 2:29 on the track timer; it may shake your very foundation). While I think Hillary will admit that her judgment was a bit premature, and that the Blonde Redhead comparison goes no further than a few notes in a few songs, she has a point. At first listen, this album is a little vacant. “So let the sunshine, let it come…to show us that tomorrow is eventual.” The phrase repeats, each round becoming brighter and more hopeful. Yuck!
The second track, Sad Song, has been compared to something from Postal Service’s electronic pop opus, but any association with that record is best arrived at through Jenny Lewis. Rilo Kiley fans everywhere might be excited or viscerally offended by this record after listening to the intro of Fallen Snow. Why did I even buy this record? The album art made me do it. I persevered, slightly enjoying I Couldn’t Sleep, A Violent Yet Flammable World, and The Way to There, while slugging through the rest. After my first encounter The Bird of Music didn’t seem to have much in the way of musicality or depth, and I was left altogether uninterested. Like all albums however, a subsequent listening is rarely the same as the last.
I needed alone-time with Au Revoir Simone. I took out my headphones and listened again. Although I still cringe after 2:29 on The Lucky One, I realized that I love the line “Cause nothing’s worse than seeing you worse than me” from Fallen Snow. I was touched…really touched. The music is much more intricate than I had previously given credit. While it still suffers from a glossy-pop veneer, the textures of the synthesizers and beats breathe a creativity into what otherwise could be mistaken as lifeless drivel. However, you just might miss it if you don’t give the music your undivided attention. Even if you lack patience, you might simply dig it for its pop qualities.
Turn up the volume and have your 5.01 Dolby Digital speakers ready. This record fails to really reach out to the listener. It is shy, expecting you to make the first move. The lyrics are generally poetic and the vocals are gracefully feminine, even if it was hard at first to hear what they had to say. I am rooting for this Brooklyn based trio. The Bird of Music is a collection of electronic pop that has more to offer than it first lets on.
