It's been a while. But here's a guest post from over on RMD Musicblog. My review of the new Dusted album, Total Dust.
http://rmdmusicblog.com/2012/09/10/album-review-dusted-total-dust-indie-rockfolk/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yifZZKbAccg
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Reissues - Sugar's "Copper Blue" and "File Under: Easy Listening"
Bob Mould is probably one of my favourite musicians ever. It's funny though, I seem like more of a casual fan of his work. I'm happy to sample his work here and there and don't collect it obsessively like I do with the Elvis Costello back catalogue. Mould has a sense of what makes a great pop song, but also knows what it takes to truly destroy a song with fuzzed out, over-distorted guitar. He's truly a multi-dimensional musician.
Back in the 80s, Mould was the lead singer for the seminal post-punk/hardcore band Husker Du. After that band broke up in the mid 80s, Mould tried his hand at a solo career, releasing two solo albums for Virgin (most notably, the mostly acoustic Workbook in 1988, still an amazing album). But, the lure of being in a band was strong for Mould, and he formed the band Sugar with David Barbe and Malcolm Travis. The band only put out two full lengths, Copper Blue in 1992 and File Under: Easy Listening in 1994, with an EP called Beaster filling the gap in 1993, then a posthumous double disk b-sides collection called, appropriately, Besides. All the albums came out on the Rykodisc label.
Sugar was largely Mould's reaction to grunge. While Sugar was chunky and growling like grunge, it had Mould's penchant for pop melodies that grunge lacked. Copper Blue is a near perfect slab of pop-tinged rock, tinged with punk's fury. "Helpless" was the lead off single, a smooth but snarling power pop gem. Mould crafted soaring pop tunes like "Hoover Dam", and the plaintive "If I Can't Change You're Mind", along with more menacing tunes like "The Slim". Copper Blue is easily in my top 10 albums released in the 90s, and I consider it one of the most important album released in the 90s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUf1sObmhr8
The follow up EP Beaster was a very different animal, if you excuse the pun there, from Copper Blue. just 6 songs long, the EP weaved a vague narrative of a world dominated by the religious right, with grinding Husker Du style guitars behind it. The single "Tilted" was pretty representative of the sound here:
http://youtu.be/0H0bNt9_Znw
File Under: Easy Listening was a stab at a more polished sound, with more shimmering pop tunes with less of a punk edge. The album is less enjoyable than Copper Blue and seems to lack a bit of the fire that's usually in Mould's belly. Several songs are worth the time to listen to though, including the whimsical "Gee Angel" and the more acoustic "Believe What You're Saying".
http://youtu.be/RPT251GNbBI
Sugar broke up soon after FU: EL and Mould was back at his solo career, which continues on to this day. He's released many great albums under his own name, espeically 2008's District Line. Sugar finished up with Besides, a two disc compilation of rarities and live takes.
Merge Records have lately been a home to many of the great of the 90s indy rock explosion. They've remastered and re-released both Sugar full lengths, tacking Beaster onto Copper Blue, and including many of the better songs from Besides with the discs as well. Check them out for a great look at a band that deserves a bit more time in the limelight. Mould's latest solo effort, Silver Age, is out in October on Merge.
http://youtu.be/dDnNr6lNxvc
Back in the 80s, Mould was the lead singer for the seminal post-punk/hardcore band Husker Du. After that band broke up in the mid 80s, Mould tried his hand at a solo career, releasing two solo albums for Virgin (most notably, the mostly acoustic Workbook in 1988, still an amazing album). But, the lure of being in a band was strong for Mould, and he formed the band Sugar with David Barbe and Malcolm Travis. The band only put out two full lengths, Copper Blue in 1992 and File Under: Easy Listening in 1994, with an EP called Beaster filling the gap in 1993, then a posthumous double disk b-sides collection called, appropriately, Besides. All the albums came out on the Rykodisc label.
Sugar was largely Mould's reaction to grunge. While Sugar was chunky and growling like grunge, it had Mould's penchant for pop melodies that grunge lacked. Copper Blue is a near perfect slab of pop-tinged rock, tinged with punk's fury. "Helpless" was the lead off single, a smooth but snarling power pop gem. Mould crafted soaring pop tunes like "Hoover Dam", and the plaintive "If I Can't Change You're Mind", along with more menacing tunes like "The Slim". Copper Blue is easily in my top 10 albums released in the 90s, and I consider it one of the most important album released in the 90s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUf1sObmhr8
The follow up EP Beaster was a very different animal, if you excuse the pun there, from Copper Blue. just 6 songs long, the EP weaved a vague narrative of a world dominated by the religious right, with grinding Husker Du style guitars behind it. The single "Tilted" was pretty representative of the sound here:
http://youtu.be/0H0bNt9_Znw
File Under: Easy Listening was a stab at a more polished sound, with more shimmering pop tunes with less of a punk edge. The album is less enjoyable than Copper Blue and seems to lack a bit of the fire that's usually in Mould's belly. Several songs are worth the time to listen to though, including the whimsical "Gee Angel" and the more acoustic "Believe What You're Saying".
http://youtu.be/RPT251GNbBI
Sugar broke up soon after FU: EL and Mould was back at his solo career, which continues on to this day. He's released many great albums under his own name, espeically 2008's District Line. Sugar finished up with Besides, a two disc compilation of rarities and live takes.
Merge Records have lately been a home to many of the great of the 90s indy rock explosion. They've remastered and re-released both Sugar full lengths, tacking Beaster onto Copper Blue, and including many of the better songs from Besides with the discs as well. Check them out for a great look at a band that deserves a bit more time in the limelight. Mould's latest solo effort, Silver Age, is out in October on Merge.
http://youtu.be/dDnNr6lNxvc
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Forgotten Bands of Grunge - Tad
As with almost every music scene, for every band that bursts out of a city, there were five bands toiling away with little or no recognition. It's a combination of talent and catching lightning in a bottle, a random factor that influences the music tastes of the time, that makes a band famous. It was Nirvana's combination of slugdy 70s rock, punk sensibilities and distortion that made them famous. And it was Eddie Vedder's voice, good looks and his bands sense of melody that made Pearl Jam starts. But what about bands like Tad?
Tad was one of the many incestuous bands that roared out of the Seattle grunge era. Featuring members from historical Seatlle bands like Bundle of Hiss and Skin Yard, Tad was fronted by vocalist and guitarist Tad Doyle. They formed in 1988, just as the Seattle scene was starting to explode. They served as Nirvana's opening act on their Bleach tour, and shared space on the legendary Sub Pop label with Nirvana. Tad had more in common with Nirvana in their love of 70s sludge metal and melodic punk, though they were much heavier than Nirvana. I always loved the band's early tagline, "Tad puts the sheet back into metal."
Tad's first album was 1988's God's Balls, was produced by Jack Endino, who produced a lot of early grunge albums. It was a crunchy and loud effort that flew under the radar. It featured the wonderfully sludgy "Sex God Missy", which also appeared on the scene-setting Sub Pop compliation Sub Pop 200:
http://youtu.be/ryDelBsVSDY
Their second album, 1990's Salt Lick, produced by the legendary Steve Albini, began to get the band noticed. By 1991, the band had a solid, melodic, heavy sound, and they produced 8-Way Santa, which included the track "Jack Pepsi", which is a good encapsulating of the band's sound: Heavy, abrasive and decidedly redneck.
http://youtu.be/il066mCId1s
As grunge began to go mainstream, Tad found themselves unlikely major label signees, signing to Warner sublabel Giant, and putting out 1993's Inhaler. They served as Soundgarden's opener during this time. While the album failed to turn the band into stars, it had several well received songs, including "Leafy Incline", heavy and melodic at the same time:
http://youtu.be/f97blSGbM_4
They were dropped from Giant due to poor record sales, then released Live Alien Broadcasts in 1995, then followed up with Infrared Riding Hood for Elektra Records. The album was melodic and sludgy, typical for the band:
http://youtu.be/4focJ9et2sY
Grunge was well past it's expiriation date by the mid 90s. Tad released a single or two before finally breaking up in 1998. Tad Doyle went on to form Hog Molly in the early 200s.
Tad was one of the many incestuous bands that roared out of the Seattle grunge era. Featuring members from historical Seatlle bands like Bundle of Hiss and Skin Yard, Tad was fronted by vocalist and guitarist Tad Doyle. They formed in 1988, just as the Seattle scene was starting to explode. They served as Nirvana's opening act on their Bleach tour, and shared space on the legendary Sub Pop label with Nirvana. Tad had more in common with Nirvana in their love of 70s sludge metal and melodic punk, though they were much heavier than Nirvana. I always loved the band's early tagline, "Tad puts the sheet back into metal."
Tad's first album was 1988's God's Balls, was produced by Jack Endino, who produced a lot of early grunge albums. It was a crunchy and loud effort that flew under the radar. It featured the wonderfully sludgy "Sex God Missy", which also appeared on the scene-setting Sub Pop compliation Sub Pop 200:
http://youtu.be/ryDelBsVSDY
Their second album, 1990's Salt Lick, produced by the legendary Steve Albini, began to get the band noticed. By 1991, the band had a solid, melodic, heavy sound, and they produced 8-Way Santa, which included the track "Jack Pepsi", which is a good encapsulating of the band's sound: Heavy, abrasive and decidedly redneck.
http://youtu.be/il066mCId1s
As grunge began to go mainstream, Tad found themselves unlikely major label signees, signing to Warner sublabel Giant, and putting out 1993's Inhaler. They served as Soundgarden's opener during this time. While the album failed to turn the band into stars, it had several well received songs, including "Leafy Incline", heavy and melodic at the same time:
http://youtu.be/f97blSGbM_4
They were dropped from Giant due to poor record sales, then released Live Alien Broadcasts in 1995, then followed up with Infrared Riding Hood for Elektra Records. The album was melodic and sludgy, typical for the band:
http://youtu.be/4focJ9et2sY
Grunge was well past it's expiriation date by the mid 90s. Tad released a single or two before finally breaking up in 1998. Tad Doyle went on to form Hog Molly in the early 200s.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Latest Earshot Reviews
I'm finally back on the wagon reviewing more music for Earshot Online. Here's the latest reviews:
Bill Evans - In Good Company
Hermetic - Civilized City
The Plain Steel - Folk 'n Roll
S* + KK - Glyphs of Erebus Sublime
S.K. Robot - S.K. Robot
Solar Year - Waverly
Bill Evans - In Good Company
Hermetic - Civilized City
The Plain Steel - Folk 'n Roll
S* + KK - Glyphs of Erebus Sublime
S.K. Robot - S.K. Robot
Solar Year - Waverly
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