Vintage Album Review: Big Star [A-]

Artist: Big Star

Album: #1 Record / Radio City (double album)

Released: 1972 / 1974

Label: Columbia Records

Genre: Power Pop

Purchase date: 22 Aug 2010

Format: AAC files

Source: iTunes

Founded Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, Big Star was a critically-acclaimed and hugely influential band from the early '70s that never really caught on with the public. Chilton, formerly of The Box Tops (known for their 1967 #1 hit "The Letter"), was the primary creative force of the band. Their sound combined British Invasion and American '60s rock with dark and introspective lyrics. The resulting power pop sound beguiled contemporary music critics, but their label mishandled concert promotion and record distribution, and the band never caught on with the public. A few weeks after their third album was released in late 1974, Bell was killed in a car crash.

Big Star was one of the bands to pioneer the power pop sound: driving guitar rock with tight harmony vocals and a pop sensibility. While they weren't successful commercially, Big Star was a huge influence on other bands. It was so much of an influence that at times Big Star's music sounds overly familiar, or even deriviative, of late-70s power pop, when in fact it was an originator.

I first heard of Big Star about a year ago, when the news broke of the unexpected death of Alex Chilton just before he was scheduled to perform Big Star songs at the 2010 South by Southwest music festival in Austin TX.

Key tracks on this double-album set are "The Ballad of El Goodo," In The Streets," and "When My Baby's Beside Me" from #1 Record, and "O My Soul," "September Gurls," and "I'm In Love With A Girl" from Radio City.

I do recommend that everyone check out this neglected corner of rock history.

Rating: A-

Listen to "September Gurls"

Album listing at Amazon

Album listing at eMusic

Review: Faded Paper Figures: New Medium [B+]

Artist: Faded Paper Figures
Album: New Medium
Released: May 2010
Label: Shorthand Records
Genre: electronica / indie pop / synthpop

Purchase Date: 19 Aug 2010
Format: mp3 files
Source: eMusic

I first heard of this LA-based synthpop trio when the CD Baby Music Discovery Podcast played "Small Talk" back in July. Synthpop normally isn't my cup of tea, but I really liked this song, so I bought the album from eMusic on a whim.

This is another band with male-and-female singers who trade off the lead. It's an effect of which I'm rather fond. Their sound is like a cross between MGMT and Belle and Sebastian. It's reserved synthpop that still has a beat, but you probably won't hear it at a dance club.

I liked this album quite a lot, and it's currently on high rotation during the work day.

Rating: B+

"Small Talk" official video

Album listing at Amazon

Album listing at eMusic

Review: Railroad Earth: Amen Corner [C-]

Artist: Railroad Earth
Album: Amen Corner
Released: June 2008
Label: SCI Fidelity
Genre: Americana / country

Purchase Date: 19 Aug 2010
Format: mp3 files
Source: eMusic

I hadn't heard of this band before when I saw them perform at the 2010 Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in July 2010. They put on a wonderful and energetic show, and I really liked them. Their music is country-folk, with long on-stage jams. They kind of reminded me of a country version of Phish. I purchased and downloaded their most recent (at the time) album a few weeks later and was really looking forward to hearing their recording.

Unfortunately, this album showed once again that terrific live acts often don't translate well to recording. Amen Corner is lively enough, but over-produced, such that the sparks that the live act throws have been airbrushed out. I found the record to be kind of boring, which was a huge disappointment for a band that was so much fun live.

Rating: C-

Live performance of "Down This Road Before"

Album listing at Amazon

Album listing at eMusic

Review: Arcade Fire: The Suburbs [A+]

Artist: Arcade Fire

Album: The Suburbs

Released: August 2010

Label: Merge Records

Genre: chamber pop / indie rock

Purchase Date: 06 Aug 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

The Suburbs topped many critics' lists for 2010, and it was awarded Album of the Year for the 2010 Grammy Awards last week. I often get annoyed when underground sensations that I like go mainstream, but for once I have to totally agree with the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. This is a phenomenal recording.

I've been a fan of this Canadian band for years, and I snapped up their third full-length album four days after its release after hearing only one track. I was not disappointed. The Suburbs is a loose concept album about growing up in the suburbs, suburban life, and how the concept of suburban life ripples through the zeitgeist. As always, Arcade Fire's music is intense, complex, and tragic. Unlike their 2007 release Neon Bible, which dealt with the individual vs. overwhelming organizations like government and organized religion, The Suburbs' subject matter is deeply personal.

On the downside, the album is maybe two tracks too long, and Win Butler gets a little preachy at times ("...never trust a millionaire/ quoting the Sermon on the Mount. / I used to think I was not like them / but I'm beginning to have my doubt..."), but on the whole this record is simply brilliant. Even before the Grammys awarded it top honor, I knew it was going to be high on my best-of-2010 list. If you've never heard Arcade Fire before, this is a great place to start.

Rating: A+

"The Suburbs" official video

"The Wilderness Downtown" interactive film (using "We Used To Wait")

Album listing at Amazon

No longer available at eMusic

Review: Freelance Whale: Weathervanes [B]

Artist: Freelance Whales

Album: Weathervanes

Released: April 2010

Label: French Kiss / Mom+Pop Records

Genre: chamber pop / indie pop

Purchase date: 06 Aug 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

Weathervanes is the debut album from this unfortunately-named band from Queens. Their music is much more interesting than their hippy-dippy name (which came up on The AV Club's 2009 list of bad band names) would otherwise indicate. Their sound owes quite a bit to bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Belle and Sebastian, with a nod to the neo-folk-rock movement, but is just different enough to stand out. It didn't knock my socks off, but I liked this record.

Rating: B

"Hannah" official video

Album listing on Amazon

Album listing on eMusic

Review: The Believers: Lucky You [B-]

Artist: The Believers

Album: Lucky You

Released: April 2009

Label: Bona Fide Recordings

Genre: Alternative Country / Country Rock

Purchase date: 06 August 2010

Format: AAC files

Source: iTunes

I first encountered The Believers about four years ago as a live act at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY. (Yes, I already have Early Bird tickets for this summer's show.) The band is a duo from New Orleans, made up of guitarist/vocalist Craig Aspen and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Cynthia "Cyd" Frazzini. They self-describe as being "a rock band with a country problem." They have amazing stage presence and put on a wonderful show, and I do recommend seeing them live if they ever play in your area.

Lucky You is the band's third studio album. The album opens with the title track, a strong rock number with a bit of an edge and a touch of twang. Despite the rocking opener, the rest of the album has much more of a country sound, and while very good, doesn't return to the power of the opening track. While I found that a little disappointing, as their live act has a whole lot more energy than this album would indicate, I did still like this album, and do recommend it to country-rock fans.

Rating: B-

Listen to "Higher Ground"

Album listing at Amazon

Album not available at eMusic