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25 May 2006

Carey Ott, Lucid Dream (Dualtone)
Carey Ott's current piece of pop culture's pie is having his song "Am I Just One" recently appear on the television show Grey's Anatomy. And Ott's pipes are in the vein of Jeff Tweedy's and the softness of Ryan Adams judging by the fine and subtle opener that is, well, "Am I Just One". The former singer of Chi-town band Torben Floor also exudes a lot of confidence with the strong and Americana-tinged "Daylight" that even has some hints of the Fab Four. The Beatles' hues return during the sparse "Kickingstones" It's the other tracks that will provide some oomph to the album, although "I Wouldn't Do That to You" is a roots-y pop single that pales compared to the unforced and shining "Hard to Change". And the steady, delectable pop of "Shelf Life" ensures this tune having a long shelf life on its own. Fans of David Gray or Ron Sexsmith or even Ed Harcourt would suck these songs up immediately. Even on the rather ordinary Mraz-like feel that "You Got Love" has. It's the endearing keeper "Sunbathing" that makes it a keeper and Ott the real deal. [Insound]
      — Jason MacNeil
multiple songs: [player]
multiple songs: [MySpace]
rock  

Grogshow, Grogshow (Future Appletree)
Grogshow's first (and only) musical offering to this world is notable at least as much for its story as its music. Specifically, Mark Kisting, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist for the two-piece, died in 1996 at the far-too-young age of 26, of what Grogshow's short MySpace bio only refers to as a "sudden illness". All of the sales proceeds for the EP go to the Leukemia Research Foundation, however, so if you buy the disc, your money will go toward a good cause. This means that even past the EP's music, there's good karma involved here. The music itself is pretty decent if you're into the mid-'90s post-grunge indie rock sound, with strained-but-sensitive vocals and barebones production values. Kisting himself is a wonderful guitar player with a hand-picking style that simulates a dual-guitar or guitar-and-bass sound with a single instrument -- seriously, you'll hear some of these songs and swear that multi-tracking was involved, but there's nothing of the sort. The drums are adequate, the melodies are nice and rather pleasant, if a little forgettable, and the whole thing is over in just over 22 minutes. Honestly, there's more to love about the intent than the music (which occasionally reminds of Modest Mouse in a mellow mood), but it's a solid little disc for a low price and a good cause, so I can do naught but recommend it. [Insound]
      — Mike Schiller
"Arena Rok": [MP3]
multiple songs: [MySpace]
Indie / Folk Rock / Experimental  

Gat-Rot, Us Versus Them (Rotten)
Ever wondered what an album of Papa Roach b-sides would sound like? Gat-Rot has the answer. "No time to lose," the band insists early on Us Versus Them, but they're wrong: I lost 40 minutes of my life listening to this. Despite the turgid guitar riffs, unimaginative drumming that one could charitably call "minimalist," and some terrible bellowing by two meatheaded singers, the worst aspect here is the lyrics, which range from pollyannaish ("If at first you don't succeed/Try, try again") to highly unjustified 1984-era Run-DMC boasting ("Who are the masters of rock?/It's the almighty Gat-Rot!") -- and that's just on one song! There are also inept attempts at political provocation that don't bear quoting. Every so often the band works itself into a strained nu-metal lather, but this album is so uninspired that when a phone rang between tracks late in the game, I prayed it would be the Jerky Boys. It wasn't, but a bonus (if you can call it that) track does contain some feeble telephone hijinks at least as interesting as any of the songs. [Insound]
      — Whitney Strub
"Second Wind": [MP3]
multiple songs: [MySpace]
Metal / Hardcore / Punk  

Golden Ball, "Signature Abstract" b/w "Blank" [7-inch single] (Honeymoon Music)
Ever wanted to know how Elf Power might have turned out if an early '70s Bowie had fronted them? Now's your chance to find out! And as utterly trippy, freaky and, like, totally, far, way out! as that sounds, Philly's Golden Ball has produced something that actually is quite far from the psychedelic train wreck it probably sounds like on paper. Add a pinch of Robert Pollard's impenetrable psycho-babble ("said a message in the vortex of the discourse maelstrom broadcast / prance you sleek toy," etc.), and what you've got is a weird, interesting and somehow surprisingly tuneful concoction of neo-hippie rock existing in its own time and space continuum. Way too groovy, dude! [Insound]
      — Zachary Houle
multiple songs: [MySpace]
Psychedelic / New Wave / Folk Rock  

.: posted by Editor 7:56 AM