Mission: Control! - Burning Airlines (DeSoto, 1999)
Burning Airlines was a post-Jawbox project from J. Robbins, producer extraordinaire of a lot of seminal/popular albums in emo/post-hardcore/punk/indie rock. Mission: Control! was their debut, and it is phenomenal. While Robbins certainly knows his way around a melody or hook, these songs aren't of the typical pop song structure. They are heavy, complex (with some truly insane but completely rock solid drumming), and yet still, very catchy. Mission: Control! is a melodic, technical rock 'n' roll record of the most excellent type. If you like jagged, distorted guitars, intricate drumming and pop melodies, this record is for you.
Top jams: "Wheaton Calling," "Pacific 231," "Scissoring," "The Escape Engine," "3 Sisters," "Flood of Foreign Capital," "Sweet Deals on Surgery"
Gone Glimmering - Chavez (Matador, 1995)
I hesitate to call Chavez math rock, as they were quite a bit more melodic and accessible than, say, Don Caballero. So, I will describe them as heavy, melodic, technical rock. A couple years ago my bud Julian called me crazy for not being familiar, and now I understand why. The sounds on Gone Glimmering are not unlike those of Hum, Shiner, Burning Airlines, etc. Huge guitars, vocal melodies akin to J. Robbins and Allen Epley, and impressive, intricate drumming that somehow is both focused and aimless (and also big). This record is right up my alley, and I regret not realizing that until now.
Top jams: "Break Up Your Band," "Laugh Track," "The Ghost by the Sea," "Peeled Out Too Late," "Wakeman's Air," "Relaxed Fit"
Porcupine - Echo & the Bunnymen (Sire, 1983)
Last year, I got way into Echo & the Bunnymen's 1984 masterpiece, Ocean Rain. This year, it's their prior LP, Porcupine, that is completely slaying me. While the highlights on Porcupine aren't quite as obvious as those on Ocean Rain, they are two equally stellar albums. Porcupine is brighter, louder and more full (more electric guitars and upbeat tempos), but, there is still a goth element to these songs. I wouldn't be surprised if I come to prefer this to Ocean Rain. This band was really good!
Top jams: "The Cutter," "The Back of Love," "My White Devil," "Clay," "Heads Will Roll," "Ripeness," "Higher Hell," "Gods Will be Gods"
Dear You - Jawbreaker (DGC, 1995)
I've known since high school that I am supposed to care about Jawbreaker, and I just never had. That was until I came across a used copy of an awesome vinyl reissue of Dear You at Underground Sounds in Ann Arbor a year or so ago. I've been listening to the record pretty frequently of late, and it's about damn time, right? I don't know that I would agree with those who throw the band under the emo umbrella, though I also do recognize that these songs have some elements of that genre. However, Dear You is simply a dark, melodic punk record with plenty of pop sensibility. The first three tracks here set the tone with Blake Schwarzenbach's thought provoking storytelling and excellent sense for melody. "Accident Prone" is one of the more emo jams, with all of its drama and dynamics. "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault," a straight up pop punk song, takes the title for best moment on the album, though. I am very happy that I've finally come around.
Top jams: "Save Your Generation," "I Love You So Much It's Killing Us Both," "Fireman," "Accident Prone," "Oyster," "Million," "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault," "Sluttering (May 4th)"
No comments:
Post a Comment