Album Reviews

PHONOCAPTORS
Call It What You Want…
(Pro-Vel)
St. Louis' Phonocaptors cut the crap on their debut album, playing leader Jason Hutto's straightforward pop/rock tunes with a minimum of fuss or muss and a maximum of attention paid to the melody and Hutto's dry, uncomplicated singing. "Her Lover Tonight" and "Crazy on You" (no, not that one) put one man's heart on the bar stool and buy it a cold one, not to get it drunk, just to make it, y'know, loosen up a little. Pop music has plenty of room for elaborate arrangements and complicated productions, but it's cool to hear a band that focuses simply on the tunes and the performances, letting the song carry the sound. Michael Toland

THE PSYCHEDELIC AVENGERS
and the curse of the universe
(Fünfundvierzig)
According to the back cover of this mostly European collective's first disk, and the curse of the universe is the soundtrack to "your very own imaginary space, psych, teen, mutant, love, trash, porn, noize sci-fi movie." It's a deliberately diffuse mishmash of psychedelic space rock and electronic ephemera, with song titles like "In which the Decterian Blood Demons take bloody revenge" and (my favorite) "In which young space pilot Lex Hunter finds out that a beta booster sound system, two teenage psycho nymphs from Bebulas 5, three orgasmatron pills and zero gravity can make a pretty good party." It's too dependent on synthesizers at the expense of other instruments for my taste, but if you're looking to take a European B-movie inspired trip without the aid of pharmaceuticals, give this a shot. Michael Toland

HUGO RACE + TRUE SPIRIT
The Goldstreet Sessions
(Spooky)
Hugo Race is a major figure in the Australian music scene, but known in the States, if at all, for his frequent guest appearances on Nick Cave records. A shame, that, since The Goldstreet Sessions shows an artist with a distinct vision worthy of more attention. Sedate full band arrangements and a languid pace frame Race's atmospheric guitar swells and startlingly Leonard Cohenesque vocals. The songs dig deep into the subconscious musings of a wide variety of folks, both misfits and everyday people. Haunted, gorgeous tunes like "Hush Money," "LSD is Dead" and the towering epic "Is Your Love Strong" exude not so much doomed romanticism as a sort of sublime stoicism, letting emotions wash over the protagonists but not through them. That's not to say this music is cold—far from it, in fact—but Race's characters roll with the punches and keep on keeping on, rather than succumb to fatalism or despair. A unique, challenging and stimulating record. Michael Toland [buy it]

ROCK STAR SCIENTIST
Rock Star Scientist?
(Radio Flier)
For those who get annoyed by the long-winded pomposity (or the perception of same, at any rate) of progressive rock lyrics, North Carolina's Rock Star Scientist presents its self-titled EP, three songs of keyboard-driven prog that makes melody its purpose and wanking a dirty word. "Brain Check" runs composer Eric Rissolo's piano and synths through their paces with generally nifty results, though the most impressive track is "Oblivion," which reaches epic status without becoming the least bit overblown. Economy isn't usually a hallmark or even a virtue of prog, but it suits Rock Star Scientist just fine. Michael Toland

LINDSAY SMITH
Were You Prom Queen?
(Radio Flier)
"I've always wanted to write a song that I felt had something to say." This is not a timid way to start a record. Were You Prom Queen? is rife with smart aleck lyrics and sharp wit, but Smith actually seems disinterested in her own songs. Prom Queen is holding back and shows limited range against the arrangements. The disc starts off with the promising rocker "Basically Good," but goes flat after that and never quite recovers. Lance Looper

THE SUNDAY DRUNKS
On the Prowl
(Dead Beat)
It does my twisted little Texan heart good to know there's a band like the Sunday Drunks prowling around the Lone Star State. The Dallas-based Drunks, who grew from the ashes of the much missed ne'er, e'er-do-wells the Mullens, sound a lot like Johnny Thunders if he had a keener pop sense and grew up with a Texas twang. That's not to say the band is overly derivative, mind you, just that the trio has as much a sense of rock & roll history as it does a panhandle's worth of snotty attitude. Don't worry, though; these guys will be happy to buy you a beer after they knock your sorry ass into the dirt. Michael Toland

TEXAS TERRI BOMB!
"Your Lips…My Ass!"
(TKO)
It's good to hear an old-fashioned punk rock record once in a while. Not that hyphenated punk is necessarily a bad thing, but an album like "Your Lips…My Ass!" that all about aggression and a bad attitude, with just enough melody to keep things interesting, can be a refreshing change from micromanaged niche-punk. The leather-lunged Texas Terri's most obvious predecessor is the infamous Tex of Tex & the Horseheads, though Terri can at least carry a tune far enough to beat the shit out of it. With guests including Dwarves/Motochrist string-slasher Marc Diamond, Runaways frontwoman Cherrie Currie and the great Wayne Kramer, you already know tunes like "Dirty Action," "Mafia" and a take on Thin Lizzy's "The Rocker" are gonna burn the speakers down, and that's pretty much Terri's policy for the entire record: scorch the earth and piss on the ashes later. Michael Toland [buy it]

VIVA VERTIGO
Viva Viva
(Bad Afro)
Danish songwriter Simon Beck recorded this record with friends like Sune Rose Wagner (the Raveonettes, also Viva Viva's producer) and Mick Grondahl (Jeff Buckley's bassist) back in 2002, but it's only now seeing release under the name Viva Vertigo. Wagner, unsurprisingly, tries to make Beck sound like the Raveonettes, using the same fifties rock-as-played-by-the Jesus & Mary Chain aesthetic. But Beck is too versatile a writer for that, and cool cuts like the rocking "Sugar Cane," the pop-friendly "Songs on the Radio," and the pretty ballad "Satellite Song" sound more like himself than anyone else. "Waltzing With Sin," however, does a spot-on impression of the Verve. Michael Toland