Weekly Listening Roundup #4

This past week I didn't get very far in the alphabet at all. However, the alphabetical stars did align in such a way that I listened solely to records that I consider "emo," or at least have ties to that late 90s midwest scene (well, not including a few 2009 releases I checked out). And I mean "emo" in the good way. You know what I'm saying, right?


Hey Mercedes EP - Hey Mercedes (Polyvinyl, 2000)
I often wonder if this EP, Hey Mercedes' debut, is comprised of what would have eventually been Braid songs. The first two songs for sure sound in line with the last thing Braid properly released, the Please Drive Faster 7". While not as complex, this EP consists of some solid, somewhat technical, really catchy indie/emo. I loved the flaw's and insecurities in Bob Nanna's voice before, and they are nowhere to be found here. This is not necessarily a bad thing; his vocals for Hey Mercedes are really good, and his melodies are even better. I still think Frame and Canvas is the best thing Nanna, Todd Bell and Damon Atkinson (plus Chris Broach) have ever done (seriously, it was life-changing for me), but the opening track here, "Bells" is totally on par.
Top jams: "Bells," "St. James St."


Everynight Fire Works - Hey Mercedes (Vagrant, 2001)
Hey Mercedes' debut full length, also their first release for controversial emo/pop punk mega-giant Vagrant Records, is very much a continuation of the EP. Only different and more songs sets it apart, which is to be expected. I remember initially being a little bummed by it at first, only enjoying about half of the songs, and discovered that I actually can appreciate it a little more now. I think that's because I have a better grasp on the concept of good melodies, and Nanna sings them in spades here. My favorite moments are the pretty finger tapping guitar part on "Let's Go Blue" and Atkinson's incomprehensible drum fill to begin "Que Shiraz."
Top jams: "Every Turn," "Eleven to Your Seven," "Que Shiraz," "What You're Up Against," "Let's Go Blue"


They Love Those Who Make the Music - The Jazz June (Workshop, 1997)
The Jazz June hailed from Pennsylvania, and their second full length, 2000's The Medicine, is one of my favorite emo records of all time. This being said, going back and trying to make it through their older stuff is a REAL CHALLENGE. Their 1997 debut, They Love Those Who Make the Music, which is one of the most ridiculous and hilarious album titles I've ever heard of, is kind of a trainwreck. For one, the recording sounds like shit. It doesn't help that the drumming is messy as hell and with three guitars, the album just sounds way too busy. The whiney vocals are mostly off key. There also is an element of pop punk in a few of the songs that is completely unappealing. Thankfully there are two redeemable diamonds in the rough that show some real promise.
Top jams: "Transinstrumentalism," "La Villanelle"


The Boom, the Motion and the Music EP - The Jazz June (Workshop, 1998)
This 1998 follow-up to They Love Those Who Make the Music is a little easier to swallow, but not really by much. The recording is considerably better, but most of the songs are still a mess. The EP opens with two of The Jazz June's best songs, which entirely justifies my ownership of this CD.
Top jams: "When the Drums Kick In," "Burn in Hell"


How Memory Works - Joan of Arc (Jade Tree, 1998)
I don't know that I have enough confidence to fully consider Joan of Arc emo, but that is definitely where their roots are, thanks to several members (Tim and Mike Kinsella and Sam Zurick) having been in complex, upbeat, early 90s emo stalwarts Cap'n Jazz. Some characteristics carried over, like the chimey, intricate, waterfall guitar picking and Mike Kinsella's bubbly and flawless drumming. Some of this shit is just weird, though. There is enough of that emo throwback to keep my attention, and I kind of enjoy the task of wading through all the bizarre noise (and Tim Kinsella's terrible yet somehow attractive voice) interspersed throughout.
Top jams: "To've Had Two Of," "This Life Cumulative," "White Out," "A Name," "God Bless America"


Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain... - Joan of Arc (Polyvinyl, 2004)
Here is a completely different look at Joan of Arc. There is virtually no trace of that signature emo sound anywhere on Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain..., with the exception possibly being the acoustic "Apocalypse Politics," which is really pretty. What you can find throughout the record is some jazz-inspired pop, interesting electronic experiments, and some insane post-modern spoken word shit. The best way I can think to describe this is a really creepy circus. It's not so obnoxious as that, but almost everything is completely wacky. The album has a more rotating cast feel to it, featuring different members of the JoA crew on each song, including Bobby Burg, the Kinsellas' cousin Nate (both play in Make Believe, with Tim Kinsella and Sam Zurick) and Aloha's Cale Parks. Lastly, a few notes: opener "Questioning Benjamin Franklin's Ghost" is my favorite Joan of Arc song and features some of the best drumming I've ever heard. Also, "Fleshy Jeffrey" is a really funny song title.
Top jams: "Questioning Benjamin Franklin's Ghost," "Apocalypse Politics," "Gripped by the Lips," "Fleshy Jeffrey," "Abigail, Cops, and Animals"