Dd Nuts || September 27, 2007
Still haven't received the new Red Monroe record yet...c'mon, Chance! But I have gotten a few other discs and songs from quality DdFW acts as of late. I can't get to sleep, so here's the first in a series of posts that has been a long time coming.
Record Hop: RH guitarist Scott Porter was kind enough to send me three unmastered songs from the band's Steve Albini-recorded sophomore album. Holy expletives, man. First off, singer Ashlee Cromeens is a dynamo on all three songs, her singing vastly refined. Rather than the previous album's indistinct sing-screaming throughout, Cromeens elects to pick a side on every track, which means you'll hear a ridiculously sweet-sounding style in radio-ready "Maths," followed by her most unabashed attack yet--"WOULD YOU LIE?!" she howls in "Rocket Seance," only to moan out an evil-sounding whisper, "Take your time off to curse me," before getting back to her devilish side once more. All the while, the band's hard rock attack has only grown more confident, its immediate intensity dragged through muddy tunnels of intelligent composition for an eventual, sweet payoff of fist-pumping perfection.
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Sean Kirkpatrick: Not sure why Jesse Hughey sticks around with that bummer of a Dallas Observer music section--perhaps cuz it's easier to stand out in it now? Anyway, his review of Turn On The Interference, the debut solo record by pAper chAse pianist Kirkpatrick, is pretty on-point. Still, I tend to think that the full album is stronger than Hughey lets on, reminding me of the more jarring and compositionally aggressive pAper chAse material from their earlier records. At first listen, Interference comes across as a niche record--goth cabaret, maybe? But the album's minor key compositions, dependence on piano and lighter take on Nick Cave's speak-singing shouldn't scare off folks looking for a damn solid singer-songwriter album, one that strikes the tough balance between impassioned and serious.
Kirkpatrick proves himself a tremendous pianist on this album, not only in his play but also in his ability to write such towering songs. "Asking To Be Hijacked" is very representative in this respect, its poppy near-riffs paired with great choral hooks and a dizzying bridge of meandering piano notes that--dunno how--Kirkpatrick massages into the song's most memorable melody. If you've become jaded with this city's music and haven't bought a local record in a while, consider giving Kirkpatrick a chance to win you back over...for only $7 with postage included, no less, or he might have copies for sale at Secret Headquarters on Saturday, September 29 when he plays with Dd fave Chris Garver.
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If I don't post stuff about Mom's new EP, Silk Stocking's new album and Florene's impressive CD-R within the next few days, somebody hit me in the head, please. -SM
Record Hop: RH guitarist Scott Porter was kind enough to send me three unmastered songs from the band's Steve Albini-recorded sophomore album. Holy expletives, man. First off, singer Ashlee Cromeens is a dynamo on all three songs, her singing vastly refined. Rather than the previous album's indistinct sing-screaming throughout, Cromeens elects to pick a side on every track, which means you'll hear a ridiculously sweet-sounding style in radio-ready "Maths," followed by her most unabashed attack yet--"WOULD YOU LIE?!" she howls in "Rocket Seance," only to moan out an evil-sounding whisper, "Take your time off to curse me," before getting back to her devilish side once more. All the while, the band's hard rock attack has only grown more confident, its immediate intensity dragged through muddy tunnels of intelligent composition for an eventual, sweet payoff of fist-pumping perfection.
---
Sean Kirkpatrick: Not sure why Jesse Hughey sticks around with that bummer of a Dallas Observer music section--perhaps cuz it's easier to stand out in it now? Anyway, his review of Turn On The Interference, the debut solo record by pAper chAse pianist Kirkpatrick, is pretty on-point. Still, I tend to think that the full album is stronger than Hughey lets on, reminding me of the more jarring and compositionally aggressive pAper chAse material from their earlier records. At first listen, Interference comes across as a niche record--goth cabaret, maybe? But the album's minor key compositions, dependence on piano and lighter take on Nick Cave's speak-singing shouldn't scare off folks looking for a damn solid singer-songwriter album, one that strikes the tough balance between impassioned and serious.
Kirkpatrick proves himself a tremendous pianist on this album, not only in his play but also in his ability to write such towering songs. "Asking To Be Hijacked" is very representative in this respect, its poppy near-riffs paired with great choral hooks and a dizzying bridge of meandering piano notes that--dunno how--Kirkpatrick massages into the song's most memorable melody. If you've become jaded with this city's music and haven't bought a local record in a while, consider giving Kirkpatrick a chance to win you back over...for only $7 with postage included, no less, or he might have copies for sale at Secret Headquarters on Saturday, September 29 when he plays with Dd fave Chris Garver.
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If I don't post stuff about Mom's new EP, Silk Stocking's new album and Florene's impressive CD-R within the next few days, somebody hit me in the head, please. -SM
1 Comments:
I really like what Florene has posted. Good recommendation.
I need to write more enthusiastically, I guess. Kirkpatrick's CD is FUCKING AWESOME!!! It's grown on me even more since I submitted that review. My favorite local release of the year by a long shot.
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