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Of Note: CD Reviews
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Bad Science Fiction
Therefore
Written by Frank Kocher

Bad Science
Fiction is making waves as a "new" San Diego band, with a live show that
includes go-go dancers with snakes and psychedelic lights, as well as a strange
sound that can't easily be labeled. The musicians are hardly newcomers, though.
Chuck Schiele, a singer/ songwriter in the acoustic Americana group the Grams,
wanted to plug in and rock, and Bad Science Fiction became a side project. In
2007 he was joined by friend and guitarist Mike Head (of Country Rockin'
Rebels), who became a partner in the project, which eventually became a band.
Other local musicians joined to record their debut disc, Therefore.
The 11-song
disc is produced by Schiele, with four instrumental tracks cowritten and
coproduced by Schiele and Head. Since both guys are experienced producers with
their own studios in Ocean Beach, the production is flawless. The sound is
designed to be unusual and is tough to peg; a sort of post trip-hop fusion of
electronic background noise overlaid with a pounding house beat, overdriven
electric lead guitar riffs, spacey keyboards, and clever lyrics. The dense
sound mix is so smooth that the multiple loops, computer effects, and
percussion fill the empty spaces perfectly without crowding the central vocal
and guitar focal points.
"Rise Up"
is a strident call to action with lead singer Schiele taking a political stand,
invoking Dr Luther King at one point. Hypnotic keyboards weave in and out of
aggressive, distorted guitar by Head. A lighter touch is given "92107 (yeah...)",
about OB, as Schiele sings about "another beautiful day" and Head answers with
some quicksilver licks. The next three tracks are "Candyman Suite," beginning
with the percussion instrumental "Ghetto Hash," and moving into "Work It Out."
This track plows forward with an almost straight-ahead guitar rock approach, a
highlight with a strong vocal by Schiele and more good work by Head. "Bad
Requiem" is another instrumental, the best on the disc, built around computer
effects, percussion, and a guitar riff; the next tune adds funny lyrics and
some funk chords to a similar structure for "Go James Brown." "Love Factory,"
which shares its title with the Grams' latest album, is more funk, with a big
dance beat and background vocals, while the vocals and instruments in "Judas"
seem to fade in and out of an electronic fog. Things get heavy on "Voodoo,"
another highlight that recalls late ‘60s psychedelia, with an almost
straightforward, bluesy guitar riff rock tune augmented by some nice acid rock
guitar touches and plenty of reverb; it is like a lost cut from a Love or
Quicksilver Messenger Service album.
Therefore has an experimental sound,
which samples freely from electronica dance music and heavy rock to form a
hybrid that succeeds on its own terms. Bad Science Fiction hasn't reinvented
the wheel, but has found a new and very enjoyable way to roll.
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Paper Moon
Little Venices
Written by Frank Kocher

In 1977,
jazz guitarist Al DiMeola invited flamenco player Paco de Lucia to sit in on an
acoustic number on his Elegant Gypsy
album, and the resulting flashy hybrid of gypsy jazz successfully combined the
souls of both Django Reinhardt and Sabicas. Since then, guitar enthusiasts have
never had a shortage of acoustic artists who could keep the flame burning. Many
of these sound like clones of the original nylon/steel templates of Acoustic Alchemy's
tame precision on the one hand and Strunz and Farah's riff-riddled jams on the
other. Little Venices, a new disc by
San Diego's Paper Moon, uses the same instrumentation but with a different
approach, to good effect.
Recorded
with Scott Taber on nylon string acoustic and Daniel Dever on steel string and
electric guitar (Joe Amato recently filled the second spot), Little Venices follows up the duo's 2006
offering, Miniatures. All but one of the 12 songs are originals and draw from
Latin, swing jazz, even a bit of blues-rock, and plenty of flamenco. The
compositions score points for variation of approach, showcasing the guitarists
in each song flashing a different side of their musical personality.
After sharp
unison playing on "Anthem," the title tune has Taber laying down some
Spanish-themed framework, onto which he and Dever add tasteful touches. The
uptempo "Cirque de la Song" has a swing feel, Django licks, and even speeds up
at the end. "Of Daydreams" is more straight-ahead bluesy jazz with Taber
evoking Wes Montgomery, his inspired playing giving way to Dever with an
electric rig firing off a rock-inspired solo. On "Hammerhead" a brisk brew of
harmonics, intricate finger picking, and fretless bass combine for a disc
highlight while "Latitudes" uses a brisk Brazilian rhythm, the closest the pair
comes to Strunz and Farah here.
The disc
was recorded at San Diego's Archival Sound, and the board work manages to
capture both guitars, giving each space and enough volume, without some of the
echo or excessive fret and finger noise sometimes heard in other acoustic
guitar recordings.
Taber lets
his fingers go on "Vignette" to create some impressive flamenco filigree. The
playing on the disc is generally subdued, but he proves here that he can put together
scales like Ottmar Liebert and Jesse Cook when the moment is right. For
"Needles" some fine interplay between Taber's jazz-funk picking and some string
accents by Dever lead into the complex unison scales of "Another Window," as
the two tunes combine for a satisfying musical statement.
Little Venices offers a mixed bag of
instrumental guitar music that is very well performed. It changes tempo and
styles a great deal, helping to keep it an interesting and enjoyable listening
experience.
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Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra
On Air
Written by Paul Hormick

On Air, a recording of a recent KSDS
"Jazz Live" performance broadcast of Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra
gives us everything that we've grown to expect from Palmer and her ensemble
through the years - some snapping fingers, tapping toes, and maybe a smile or
two.
Palmer's
forte is barrelhouse boogie-woogie, and for such music you won't find a better
piano player in town. Throughout this disk, boogie or other strong rhythms make
up the musical backbone, from the rocking "Mustang Sally" and "Big Boss Man" to
the up tempo "Sue's Boogie." Even Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues," usually given
a jazz treatment, is put through the boogie-woogie processor.
While
Palmer's background is the barrelhouse, the other musicians of the MSO have
obviously been steeped in other genres, such as swing, blues, and jazz. There
may even be a few reformed rock-n-rollers among the ensemble. You might expect
a cacophony from this musical amalgamation, but the effect is addictive in a
good way. During the performance the soloists have a playful tug-o'-war with the
rhythm section to see which direction the music will take. A little blues,
jazz, and maybe a little be bop come from April West, Jonny Viau, and Carol
Chaikin, who play the trombone and saxophones. And guitarist Steve Wilcox
channels some ancient Chicago bluesmen on his solos. It would be interesting to
find out about the time machine that he has, too. The one he uses go back to
1951 to buy those amplifiers that give him the best guitar sound possible.
While we're
concentrating on the MSO personnel we should mention that bassist Pete Harrison
and Sharon Shufelt hold the rhythm section together. Shufelt plays with verve
and spunk. There is not a livelier drummer in San Diego. Her sense of time is
so good that you can set your watch by her. Continuing her long association
with Palmer, Deejha Marie sings on a few of the tunes, including a fairly up
tempo rendering of "East of the Sun." KSDS radio personality Cynthia Hammond
joins in on a couple of the vocals as well. With about as much moxie as anyone
should be allowed to have, Lady Dottie steals the show on "Mustang Sally" and
"Big Boss Man," singing with the rough edge that those tunes call out for.
Never
showy, Palmer's playing and compositions are always clever and fun, and none
more so than "Swango." As the musicians make their way through a section of
said tango, the anticipation that they have to take the tune into the swing
section builds and builds. You can hear how much fun that they're having with
it. The ninth greatest composition in the history of Western Civilization is
Billy Strayhorn's "Take the A Train." No other tune mixes pluck and elegance
like this one, and the MSO performs it to a fare-thee-well.
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The Shambles
Forty One Sixty
Written by Frank Kocher

The term
"power pop" is attributed to the Who's Pete Townshend, and his 1965 song "I
Can't Explain" remains one of the earliest and best examples of the form. Other
originators were the early singles by the Kinks, Byrds, and the pre-psychedelic
Beatles; the two and a half-minute, catchy rocker with a hard but not heavy
beat will never go out of style.
San Diego
musician/journalist Bart Mendoza has been a fixture in the flourishing local
power pop scene as a songwriter and performer for nearly three decades. In the
Mod-revival group Manual Scan (1980-1992), and more recently the Shambles, he
wrote or co-wrote numerous songs. His influence on other pop artists is clearly
evident on Forty One Sixty: The Songs of
the Shambles, a compilation of 24 tunes by 24 different artists with one
thing in common: they love power pop.
Released on
Mendoza's Blind Spot Records, the performers are an international array that
includes no household names. No problem, the energy level starts high and never
lets up, thanks to the strong material and the earnest efforts of the bands and
singers.
The worst
thing that can be said for some of the groups is that they sound like
well...earlier, great, bands. There is plenty of music here, lots of variety, and
the 73 minutes flies by.
Locals
Static Halo blast into "The American Way," an opener that sets the tone with
some hard-rock attitude while keeping a pop edge. Mendoza wrote 21 of the 23
tunes, but Donaker-Ring's "Don't Know Where to Start," rendered by Mark Le
Gallez and the Eddies, will stay in the listener's head with an Oasis groove.
The most memorable slow tune here, and maybe the best song on the disc, is
Denmark's Liebling playing "Survive." Jeppe Riddervold teamed up to cowrite
this with Mendoza, and the track is beautifully produced. San Diegan (soon to
be New Yorker) Anna Troy contributes some Blondie flavor to "31968," and fans
of the Zombies will hear their sound in the Andersons' "Rain or Shine."
Mendoza has
a gift for capturing and distilling a lick. He also consistently avoids trying
for a punk attitude or studied grunge heaviness, which is refreshing.
Both
"Innocence Becomes You" by the Ringles and "I Believe" by Jeremy both could
have been sneaked onto a 1966 Byrds album and no one would have noticed.
"Change" is another Donaker-Ring song, and no wonder it made it onto the disc -
this version by the Hipnotes soars on a Paul Westerberg-feel guitar drone and
drives its riff home. The Eddies, sans Le Gallez, play "Jungle Beat", using
surf drums, great guitar buildup and a killer hook for another highlight. San
Diego's Truckee Brothers recall the Byrds' psychedelic phase with "The Waiting
Game,", wacky keyboards complementing jangling guitar.
There
really are no slow spots on Forty One
Sixty. For fans of the Shambles, Manual Scan, and anyone who enjoys power
pop or just plain great rock music, this is a must.
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Two Earth Hours
About Anya
Written by Jennifer Carney

"Geek"
isn't the pejorative it once was. These days, there's geek chic, geek pride,
and even a geek "mafia" (don't ask).
And then
there's geek rock, which may not be what you think. If you dig bands like They
Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, and Ben Folds, you're into geek rock.
San Diego's
own Two Earth Hours is doing geek rock up right. Their first CD, About Anya, is the pet project of Scott
Jackson and brought to life by producer/arranger David Randle and a host of
skilled musicians, including Tim Foley of Skelpin fame. Jackson doesn't appear
on the album; instead, he collaborated with Randle, allowing his work to be
interpreted through Randle's production and Foley's excellent vocals.
About Anya is a geek concept album in
the truest sense. It's a paean to a science fiction character of Jackson's
creation, the space-hopping Anya Turgenova. Anya
has all the hallmarks of what makes geek rock popular - songs about perpetually
lost love and an abundance of sci-fi references. Yet Jackson and Randle have
crafted a work that is very accessible. The lyrics are thoughtful and cheeky,
and the music is straightforward pop with unusual instrumental flourishes. The
overall sound is reminiscent of Third Eye Blind - if they sang love songs using
computer and math analogies.
Anya opens with "Walk," an uncomplicated
pop tune that starts the concept off with a lighthearted bang, flush with
unrequited lust. It's followed by a mid-tempo love song, "Horseback or Plane,"
which replaces the initial lyrical yearning with quieter infatuation,
accentuated by synthesized strings and acoustic guitar. "Space Blonde"
introduces the more overt sci-fi themes of the album, complete with wobbling
synth. "Dreams That Die" is the first glimpse we have of the doomed nature of
love; "Action Figure" picks up the mood a bit with an electro-Latin feel that
compares competition for a girl to dueling action figures of unequal coolness.
"Math and Science" takes the geek rock love song concept by the megabytes and
runs with it; "Alien" follows - another love song that replaces the math,
science, and computer analogies with straight sci-fi and a mellow rock shuffle.
"All About Anya" is the genesis of the project, written by Jackson in 2001.
It's another acoustic/electric ballad that begs for Top 40 play, despite its
unusual subject matter. A two-song suite follows: "Time for Time Part 1" has a
similar plaintive pop ballad sound; "Part 2" is more upbeat and electric. The
album rounds out with "His Masochist," an acoustic reality check as the object
of infatuation is finally seen as fallible. The "bounce, baby" backing vocals
give the tune a baroque feel.
This album
is a promising and ambitious project for Scott Jackson and David Randle. About Anya was long in the making, but
if this collaboration continues, San Diego might have another music scene in
the making.
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