 THE
MEASURE (SA) – Another Chapter In The
Book (Kiss Of Death)
This disc compiles an impressive slew of ultra-catchy
pop-punk songs released on 7-inches and split
EP’s by New Brunswick’s The Measure
(SA) over the last several years, and provides
ample evidence why the band deserves credit
as being one of the most entertaining and underrated
bands on the scene today. The formula’s
a simple one, for the most part: Excuse the
pun, but Lauren Measure’s alto vocals
remain measured on the verses – almost
declamatory, as if she’s speaking rather
than singing – then soar into a lovely
upper register on the singalong choruses. The
band consistently provides driving, bouncing
melodies and rhythms, while the lyrics offer
up a distinctively distaff view on the usual
pop/punk topics of romance and growing up. The
disc’s tracks – from the wistful
“Portland” to the nostalgic “Fourth
of July” to the 20-something romantic
angst of “The Moment You Said Yes”
- span a number of lineup changes and include
several songs that counterpoint Lauren’s
melodic vocals with the gruff yowl of now-departed
guitarist Mike Regrets (it’ll be interesting
to see if the current lineup, which now includes
Mikey Erg on drums, adds any of his vocals to
the mix.) It should be noted that the Measure’s
7-inches stand out not only for the consistent
excellence of the music, but for Lauren’s
distinctive artwork on the covers, a form of
collage that juxtaposes caricatures and silhouettes
made from newsprint against colorful backgrounds.
Get the singles because they’re groovy
things to own; get the CD so you can bring the
music with you through your day.
 MCCARTHY
TRENCHING – Calamity Drenching (Team Love)
McCarthy Trenching is Omaha-based singer/songwriter
Dan McCarthy, and yes, this is on Conor Oberst’s
Team Love label. But while McCarthy has collaborated
with or played as a sideman with almost any
Omaha band you’d have heard of (including
Bright Eyes,) he’s very much his own man.
No post-teen angst or emo sobbing here, McCarthy
writes witty, quirky, ambling songs in a down-home
alt-folk style with country overtones. Piano-based
songs like the self-pitying, self-deprecating
“Christmas Song” (“you don’t
have to be alone to be lonesome”) and
twangy guitar-driven numbers like the shuffling
“Thunderstorm Blues” recall the
laconic wit and gentle melodies of John Prine.
When he goes electric on tracks like “Scoop
Shovel Blues,” McCarthy invokes the post-Dylan
lyricism and drive of Ike Reilly. And when he
strips everything down to acoustic folk, as
on “Detritus,” McCarthy might just
remind you of the young Loudon Wainwright III
of “Motel Blues” and “Red
Guitar.” (And whaddaya know, those are
three of my favorite singer/songwriters!) This
is far and away one of the most enchanting and
rewarding discs I’ve heard this year,
and I’ll be looking for more from Mr.
McCarthy.
 imadethismistake
– It’s Okay (The Cottage Records)
Think of imadethismistake as the Bright Eyes
of Florida folk/punk, with Kylewilliam Campol
as its Conor Oberst. Anyone familiar with the
slew of holler-folk bands coming out of Florida
lately will recognize where imadethismistake
is coming from – ragged, declamatory vocals
sung, spoken, or spit out rapid-fire against
sloppy churning punk guitars and drums. There’s
something a little special about It’s
Okay though – for one thing, a consistently
dire worldview that infuses Campol’s lyrics
with biting epithets that ponder mortality,
anomie, and faithlessness that turn the album’s
title into a bit of an ironic one-liner. Gang
vocals and that Jawbreaker-ish feels-like-you’re-driving-in-your-car
backbeat bring the party vibe on tunes like
“O.C.D. Is B.S.” and “Shit
End Of The Wishbone.” Campol even plays
a real-life teenage psychopath on the crime
spree narrative “Tear It Off Proper (For
B, C, and J,)” that queasily suggests
an ungodly collaboration between Jim Carroll
and Conor Oberst. A few instrumentals serve
as filler, more to give this a “yeah,
we’re a band” vibe, I suspect, than
actually showcase the band’s chops; they
mostly serve to set this album off from the
solo work that Campol has released under the
imadethismistake moniker. Kudos also to Cottage
Records for its DIY initiative in releasing
this album in a variety of alternative formats
- a silk-screened LP, a cassette tape, and a
digital download.
|
