The Break and Repair Method "Milk The Bee"

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So where do you go when your group has sold millions of albums (Matchbox 20)? If you’re drummer/guitarist Paul Doucette you put out a solo album that breaks the mold of his typecast role. The Break and Repair Method is full of lush arrangements and Doucette’s vocals have an earnest intensity that rivals Matthew Sweet. Opening with “This City is Bound To Do Us In” has a casual pop sense and it uses Doucette’s rasp to great effect. The obvious single here is “You Won’t Be Able To Be Sad” – it has great anthemic hook and lots of passion in the melody. Doucette receives a little help from his friends (Nina Gordon and Tracy Bonham among them) and his wife (Moon Unit Zappa), who help round out the sound.  The keyboards are a front and center here, and it works to great effect on “Calling All Electric Prints” which recall both Jeff Tweedy and Paul McCartney. The guitar work returns on “I’m At A Low” with a very jazzy riff that carries the song along. The piano/guitar combos that fill the song “Your Numbered Days” and”Won’t Get Worse” will bring up comparisons to XTC and other Beatlesque bands here. Fans of  Matchbox Twenty will certainly enjoy this album but keep in mind this a definite departure from the norm of that band. It’s a smart and subtle album that deserves repeat listens here.

Break and Repair Method Website | MySpace | itunes

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The Brigadier "Rhymes For Rainy Days" EP and more!

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Often artists come up with seasonal discs and The Brigadier is one of them. After the dazzling full length album this past May, we have two audio goodies to listen to. “Rhymes for Rainy Days” is group of reflective and fun songs about Autumn.  Opening with “To go on Holiday” it combines a 10cc sense of jovial cheer to the rhythmic synths, where he wants to “…get away from all the British people.” It provides some autumn chuckles. “Guy Fawkes” is whimsical instrumental that leads us to the somber “The Same Old Sunday,” sung in a near whisper.  The very pastoral imagery and cool vocal of “What happened to Autumn?” combines the provincial XTC sound with Lou Reed’s “Wild Side.” The other songs are quiet reflections (“No One’s Ever Here”) and don’t have as much punch, but are highly compelling to listen to.

I love a good Christmas album and “Six Christmas Tales” with The Brigadier (Matt Williams) plays like an intimate concert in your living room. The album has just enough Ray Davies’ English humour and lounge theatrics to make this a nice holiday album. “Santa Claus” is a soft shoe ballad to the jolly one himself, full of hope and corny sentiment (the stuff that Ringo used to do so well). “Christmas Ain’t Just for Kids” has a richer instrumentation and is very much like an XTC single with Brian May guitars in the background, and it’s a lot of fun to listen to. The fun of shopping is part of “The Christmas List” with it’s cheesy lyrical schedule of shopping “to-do” items and a solid guitar solo. There’s loads of talent Mr. Williams has displayed here. Thank goodness we have original holiday music here without the same old boring holiday chestnuts (Silver Bells, anyone?). Even though it’s low key and understated, it suits the weather and makes me look forward to the holidays.

Brigadier Website | MySpace | CD Baby (Rhymes for Rainy Days) | CD Baby (6 Christmas Tales)

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The Very Most "Congratulations Forever"

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The Very Most opens with the upbeat, perky “Good Fight Fighting” where both the vocals float like The Beach Boys meets Belle and Sebastian – not since The Davenports or The Heavy Blinkers have I heard a such a wonderful light pop approach. The Very Most are an indie-pop band from Boise, Idaho. As an indie band with the help of a small group of musicians they carefully constructs layers upon layers of guitar, bass, drums, synths, percussion, piano, synths, bells and sound effects. Their music is dense, catchy, and has a decidedly positive, lyrical viewpoint. “Sod Off” is another sweet mid tempo synth and guitar song with Kris Doty’s sweet vocal. Another standout “Polygraph” uses modern indie pop elements, but retains the wonderful pop melody and has a great hook (even using castanets!). The follow up, “Neuron” has a slow yearning vocal, similar to the Smiths, but also great percussion work and a touch of child-like simplicity and innocence. “Bleess” is a very Colin Moulding (XTC) sounding song, with a guitar strum that hooks your brain immediately. Another gem, “Spilt, Spilt Milk” recalls those early REM ballads in a way with a sweet female harmonic chorus. “Profoundly Imperfect” has an even more REM-like tone and actually rocks the hardest on this album.  It’s hard to find a bad track here, although a few tracks wander on a bit long (“Love At Home”) – this album will grow on you in a very good way. Even the ending track “Congratulations” ends on a very positive note with a not so hidden track called “Hidden Track” that is a very Brian Wilsonesque piano tune. Fans of The Shins, Belle and Sebastian, The Heavy Blinkers will not want to miss this one.

The Very Most Website | MySpace | CD Baby

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A moment of zen from "Animals"

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Minilogue – Animals from ljudbilden on Vimeo.
Sometimes you just see a fun vid. And you wanna chill out – knowwhatimean? I love the animation and use of color here. Note: Do not take acid and watch this, you could see these “animals” come out of the computer and crawl all over you.

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Team Genius "Team Genius"

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For those looking for a indie campfire sing-along, I give you Team Genius, who released the Hooray EP earlier this year and have now put out a full length CD. If you are into funky falsettos, blissful choruses, tonal experiments of some fairly primitive music, you’ll have a lot of fun with this group. But that doesn’t mean they don’t create some addictive pop too. Team Genius provides irreverent indie pop for the ipod generation. The opener “Take Me Home” showcases it’s strength in melody and instrumental skill similar to Matt Mahaffey (Self). This is followed by the GBV-like “Surely The Sun Will Explode” another excellent pop song that weaves together vocals of Drew Hermiller and Emma Firth. It then plays a catchy campfire sing-along with “Sing Song” with a strained shout of vocals that reminds me of the Proclaimers at a forest jamboree. “The Wise Ones All Give Up” is almost like a Talking Heads tune, and a few other tracks merit a listen but the album runs out of gas slightly by the end. The group is really close to breaking through, but some songs are quirky beyond accessibility. The band’s strength is it’s geek bravado and diverse use of instruments (cello, ukulele, harmonica, bells, percussion) as well as Firths angelic vocals. Fans of Magnetic Fields, Talking Heads, and newer Brooklyn quirky pop will love this one. Others would be advised to jump in the pool as well. The water’s fine.

Team Genius Website | CD Baby

Listen to the “Sing Song”

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