|
>
BANGTWISTER - "THE MOON ON A STICK"
DEAD MEADOW - "SHIVERING KING AND OTHERS"
DIXIE WITCH - "ONE BIRD, TWO STONES"
DRIVE BY TRUCKERS - "DECORATION DAY"
FIREBIRD - "NO.3"
>>MORE ROADBURN PICS: Part 2
|
|
|
BANGTWISTER
"The Moon On A Stick" [ CD Reissue - Beard of Stars ]
If I had one of those magical crystal balls we used to read about in fairy
tales, I would look in it to discover how many extraordinary heavy-psych
outfits like Bangtwister still languish in the UK underground running the
risk of prematurely disbanding!
After 6 years of drive spent in the absence of any decent exposure, the band
led by Gordon 'Go-Go' Brady [vocals and guitar] unfortunately split up just
before the releasing of "The Moon On A Stick" [2002] due to the departure of
bassist/vocalist Alasdair Mitchell. Originally released through Trepanner Headmusic in a limited edition
of 500 copies, the album is now reissued on CD by Italy's Beard of Stars.
Do yourself a huge favour and get a copy of this fantastic album coz' we are talking about
the spiritual testament by a prodigious power trio that [like its British brothers and sisters in The
Heads and Gorilla, and American cousins 500 Ft. Of Pipe] revamps acid rock formulas in vogue by the
end of the Sixties, blending the old 'Blue Cheer' dope with 'Stooges/MC5'-branded fuzz additive, to a new
and irrepressible lysergical subjection!
But in Bangtwister, the psych component follows wider trajectories, moving
out on a particularly deep melodical groove ("Control", "The Very Next Pop
Song"), with harmonies of a garage rock style which in "Birdman" and
"Rave-Up" collide with the acid-fuzz frenzies of guitars and the explosive
Keith Beacon's drumming.
"Sleepwalking" and "Super Heavy Black Number" [this last among the nicest songs we've listened to in recent years]
also show a predilection to epic refrains of great impact, emphasized by the choruses of
the two vocalists; and the psycho-funk of "Get On A Move" is comparable to
the hottest numbers of Black Moses. The hypnotic "Downside Up" is instead
enveloped within those same psychedelic coils squeezing mystery and madness
out of prime Pink Floyd...
I don't need any crystal ball to foresee you will unconditionally love "The
Moon On A Stick"! Fresh and original, Bangtwister blends the expressive
urgency of American acid rock together with the melody and eccentric
creativeness of British freakbeat. They play with their heads lost in the
paisley coloured Sixties... and with the moon miraculously and precariously
poised on a guitar neck!
luciano gaglio -roadburn, may 2002
|
|
|
|
DEAD MEADOW
"SHIVERING KING AND OTHERS" [ CD - Matador Records ]
Dead Meadow return with their third studio album and the first for Matador Records. On "Shivering King and
Others", Dead Meadow's seductive, gloomy sound that is so full of references to the seventies stays
intact, which is good news for the lovers of psychedelic, mysterious music with tangential connections
to the work of H.P. Lovecraft.
At first, "Shivering King and Others" does not sound radically different than their untitled debut or follow
up, "Howls From the Hills", one of my favorite albums of 2001.
But after a few spins their lengthy songs
start crawling into your subconscious and everything starts making more sense.
This album is more somber and depressing than their previous work -- witness song titles like "I Love You Too"
and "Me and The Devil Blues."
Dead Meadow have had a lineup change for this record. Stephen McCarty is the new drummer and he knows
his place well, because I hear no difference in the overall sound. Singer/guitarist Jason Simon sets new
standards in Hendrix-influenced spheres while his voice drags its way through the songs, while Steve Kille's
bass quietly fills the under layer with his woolly sound and short notes.
Summing up highlights is not an option when reviewing "Shivering King and Others." This record is not just
a collection of songs, it is a whole, and should be listened to as such.
Besides the Hendrix influences, Led Zeppelin's "III" often comes to mind. The muted, dark atmosphere and the acoustic drones on
both albums are quiet similar. Well, hail anyone that keeps the spirits of Jimi and Jimmy alive.
"Shivering King and Others" is Dead Meadow's best offering yet and that's the end of that. Life can be great
on the dark side of the moon.
xander77
|
|
|
|
DIXIE WITCH
"ONE BIRD, TWO STONES" [ CD - SMALL STONE ]
Dixie Witch' second full length, "One Bird, Two Stones", is musically just
as spectacular as the band's debut album, "Into The Sun."
"One Bird, Two Stones" is filled with great songs that showcase variety and
emotion you can feel through the speaker -- the intensity is a little less
this time around, but that's the only letdown though [it seems the lessened
intensity is partly due to the production, which is very low quality and
demo-like -ed].
On the other hand, it's almost impossible to capture both the band's
crushing and incredible live performance and the superlative talent of
drummer/vocalist Trinidad Leal.
Recorded in seven days and nights and produced by J.D. Pinkus of Butthole
Surfers-fame, Dixie Witch combines the heart of Texas with its entire
musical heritage --ranging from hard rock, to garage rock to psychedelic
guitar pyrotechnics, without sounding like any contemporary southern rock
band.
It's Trinidad's talent for emotive songwriting that sets Dixie Witch apart
from their peers.Although the songs and the sound are firmly planted in the
70's, Dixie Witch don't come off as a throwback experience.
It's the band's
use of vibe, dynamics and grooves and that keeps them firmly planted here in
the new millennium [it's too bad the recording quality doesn't reflect
that, or this would have to be considered one of the releases of the year
-ed].
walter
|
|
|
|
DRIVE BY TRUCKERS
"DECORATION DAY" [ CD - New West ]
To surpass their last effort, "Southern Rock Opera", would almost be
impossible for the Drive-by Truckers. The combination of southern Crazy
Horse rock and strong narrative element turned out be a perfect combination,
if a bit unexpected.
"Decoration Day" [their fifth] is that difficult follow-up album, and to
say it is as good as SRO would be a lie. But not one very far from the
truth. The songwriting is still up to par, but whatīs different from the
last album is that the songs now seem to be collected at random, the
cohesive element has gone missing.
The stories deal with booze, divorces and guns, the characters seem straight
out of a James Lee Burke Novel. And the music [dryly produced by Sugarīs
bass player David Barb] still sounds agreeably familiar. So the conclusion
is simple: if you like SRO, safely grab this one, if you are new to these
guys, start off with the opera.
jurgen
|
|
|
|
FIREBIRD
"NO.3" [CD - SPV ]
Born in 1999, Firebird is the brainchild of former Carcass guitarist Bill Steer. Taking his passion
for the likes of Johnny Winter and Jack Bruce, Steer submerged himself in rock [& blues] and laid
down two well received albums that ooze the sounds of the blues boom of the 60's crossed with
the hard rock of the heavy 70's.
Though Firebird is part of the stoner scene, the laid-back sound of the band's latest effort, "No.3", is
largely rock and soul based, drawing influences from bands like Humble Pie, Isley
Brothers, Terry Reid and Little Feat amongst others.
For "No.3", Bill Steer enlisted the help of drummer George "Jolle" Atlagic with Roger Nilsson handling the
bass duties. Once again, the basic tracks were laid down live as Steer wanted to leave
'the human stuff' on the album, and keep it all very natural.
In fact, "No.3" is Firebird's most honest sounding album to date. It's based on live performance, and Steer's
most mature songwriting yet. Whether it's the riff rock inspired "Cross The Line", the irresistible
hooks of "Tumbling Down" and "Station" or "Dream Ride's" blues-rock leanings, it's apparent that the
band has delivered another winner.
walter
|
[ BACK TO TOP | ROADBURN PICKS PT.II | RELEASE LISTS | BACK TO OVERVIEW ]
|
|
|
