Indie and Lo-Fi music reviews

I give the music a 5, but I can't really rate the CD because I haven't gotten it yet. I've heard all the tracks (thank you mp3.com), but the CD is taking over a month to get here. I love the music because I have a soft spot for songs that deal with disillusionment in love. Oh, and the midwestern guitars are cool. Buy the CD, maybe if more people order it, mine will come sooner.

Of course I gave it 5 stars! Ok... this isn't a review... more like a posting. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone talking about "lo-fi pop 1.0"! We had a great time during the writing/recording process and will be posting more video and a new single VERY soon at thelyndales.com. You all ROCK! peace. Trevor/The Lyndales

"Lo-fi Pop 1.0" is a great CD. The sound of the guitars can only be described as amazing, I'm digging the melodies, and the lyrics are in a class by themselves. The CD has that signiture indie alternative rock/pop thing going on, but I think that most people can relate to the music through the words. The rhythm is subtle, but it will most definately drive itself through you and leave you wanting more. This especially rings true on the track, "Okay." So, this indie band escapes the superficiallity of the "cheap colored lights" and the lyrics ring true to the brokenhearted. Buy the CD.

Another gem from Lou Reed's deadpan bastard cousin, Bill Callahan, whose 2X4 baritone and ability to sound assured and vulnerable at the same time evoke a terse bartender packing heat in the world's unconsciously hippest saloon; there may be danger, and it could be your funeral, but everyone will dress sexy for it, and would you want it any other way? The usual Smog palette is in place: thoughtful, nuanced arrangements and understated, dry, poignant lyrics that avoid being maudlin. Pedal steel guitar anchors some of the lovelier harmonies, which are launched into orbit by a female vocalist (listen to "Feather by Feather" & the epic "Truth Serum", almost too short at only 7+ minutes); not as earthbound as his last "Rain on Lens", "Supper" aims for the ethereal sonic beauty of '97's "Red Apple Falls" with the incisive, laconic songwriting that marked "Dongs of Sevotion"'s austere power. Rather than uprooting you with the force of an earthquake, Callahan's songs usually feel like aftershocks, low-key jolts that will turn your head but still leave your house standing. As he sings (in the leadoff song): "When they make the movie of your life, you'll have to do your own stunts.....", you're struck by his prescience - songwriter or seer? That walk on the wild side may just land you in a pothole.

Along with M. Ward's "Transfiguration of Vincent" and Howe Gelb's excellent "The Listener", you probably won't find a better album this year.

A pleasant surprise. If you've never heard this guy, he's a cross between Lou Reed, John Cale & Willie Nelson. Interesting guitar playing (a la Nirvana, perhaps).

But certainly unique, despite my attempts to convey the style & sound through the work of others. I'd be interested in hearing more...

Smog's new full length, "Supper", is a masterpiece. From the beautiful and unpredictable "Butterflies Drowned in Wine", to the call and answer lyrical genius of "Truth Serum", Callahan flawlessly pulls off a new, more captivating sound. Never has one of his records represented his ideas so clearly. His songwriting is concise, intelligent and brilliant. (Smog) is in a league all his own stucture-wise. His songs on "Supper" are like a lovely rollercoaster ride. There's the build of anticipation, that ultimately pays off every single time. Also, you'll notice that any bad reviews of this work are about the fact that Callahan doesn't sound like he used to. All I have to say is that his old sound has absolutely nothing to do with the beautiful work he has produced now. An artist who remains the same throughout his carreer is an irrelevent artist. None of the bad reviews say anything about the record except that it's different. Last time I checked that wasn't a bad thing. "Supper" is an album unlike any other by (Smog) or otherwise. It is an acheivement.

There is some very distasteful and disquieting stuff here -- start with the insert cover which may be a toe-tagged corpse, follow that with the blasphemous-to-some Jesus Is My Girlfriend and Bad Shave, and then I Didn't Want to Wake You Up (not that he could have because the object of the song is quite dead, thank you). You get the idea. A couple other cuts miss; Atomic Soda in particular seems endless. I just hit the skip button for them and doing so still leaves eight or nine wonderful pop songs, twisted pop in a couple cases (Candy Girl and You're Gorgeous) but tuneful hooks and singable choruses abound. The CD closes with two wonderful bittersweet love songs, July and Baby Bird, pushing you out of this odd CD with a lingering taste of sweetness and, yes, innocence.

I first heard You're Gorgeous on the radio in the office. As soon as I heard the first line of the first verse I grabbed my pen and waited for the DJ to tell me who it was. My immediate reaction was Echo and The Bunnymen meets U2 with a splash catchy infection to top it off. Once I had Baby Bird scrawled on my memo pad I rushed out to HMV and bought the album.

Every song was great. The highly addictive riff of Candy Girl underlined the U2 - Edge influence which was a positive thing. I fell in love with the oboe on Deadbird Sings, laughed my head off at Jesus Is My Girlfriend and drowned happily in 45 And Fat. Of course, You're Gorgeous stayed infectious and still is to this day despite all the TV advertising overkill - they are seriously using it for baby's nappies now!!! Oh ek!

Somethings Going On was in the same league without the splash of catchy. Back Together is truely amazing. I havent heard any of the low-fi stuff (except Shop Girl - hilarious) but am wondering whether its worth splashing out on the box set.

I'd love to see him play live and eagerly await some new material.

cheers

babybird is amazing. excellent songwriting, excellent voice. it's, as i said, sexy & creepy, but also bouyant & uplifting. "45 & fat" will get stuck in your head for weeks.

There is some very distasteful and disquieting stuff here -- start with the insert cover which may be a toe-tagged corpse, follow that with the blasphemous-to-some Jesus Is My Girlfriend and Bad Shave, and then I Didn't Want to Wake You Up (not that he could have because the object of the song is quite dead, thank you). You get the idea. A couple other cuts miss; Atomic Soda in particular seems endless. I just hit the skip button for them and doing so still leaves eight or nine wonderful pop songs, twisted pop in a couple cases (Candy Girl and You're Gorgeous) but tuneful hooks and singable choruses abound. The CD closes with two wonderful bittersweet love songs, July and Baby Bird, pushing you out of this odd CD with a lingering taste of sweetness and, yes, innocence.

I first heard You're Gorgeous on the radio in the office. As soon as I heard the first line of the first verse I grabbed my pen and waited for the DJ to tell me who it was. My immediate reaction was Echo and The Bunnymen meets U2 with a splash catchy infection to top it off. Once I had Baby Bird scrawled on my memo pad I rushed out to HMV and bought the album.

Every song was great. The highly addictive riff of Candy Girl underlined the U2 - Edge influence which was a positive thing. I fell in love with the oboe on Deadbird Sings, laughed my head off at Jesus Is My Girlfriend and drowned happily in 45 And Fat. Of course, You're Gorgeous stayed infectious and still is to this day despite all the TV advertising overkill - they are seriously using it for baby's nappies now!!! Oh ek!

Somethings Going On was in the same league without the splash of catchy. Back Together is truely amazing. I havent heard any of the low-fi stuff (except Shop Girl - hilarious) but am wondering whether its worth splashing out on the box set.

I'd love to see him play live and eagerly await some new material.

cheers

babybird is amazing. excellent songwriting, excellent voice. it's, as i said, sexy & creepy, but also bouyant & uplifting. "45 & fat" will get stuck in your head for weeks.

As much as I wanted to believe that this was "the next pink moon," as one reviewer put it, this album is no more than a pleasant experiment. It is really just repetitive and slightly bland. However, it's good background music, and does contain some rich qualities. Both Arundels are a pleasure to listen to, and I Am Not Lonely With Cricket is a standout. I just don't think this album deserves the insane praise I'm reading here. It's an accomplishment, and David Pajo should be proud, but it's no Pink Moon or Music For Egon Schiele. Pick up a Rachel's or Pullman album over this one. I've heard Papa M's later "Whatever, Mortal," and it sounds a lot better than this. The song "London Homesick Blues" is far more involving than anything you'll find here. I think vocals would really help this album out. Don't get me wrong, Mogwai is one of my favorite bands and are famous for little or no vocals, but they have the talent and instrumental balls (for lack of a better term) to make their music lush, interesting, and moving. It's hard to distinguish between Papa M's songs. This album is good if you want music to paint your kitchen to, but there are better uses for your money. And pick up "Whatever, Mortal."

As soon as you put this one in your discman, you know it's not in a hurry to get anywhere. But for that very reason, it has become one of my favorites. It seems that any CD I immediately fall in love with tends to get old almost as fast. I was not immediately impressed with any track. So what's it all about? Mostly the basics, guitar, bass, and drums. Halfway through the cd you might start to think it's all sounding the same but that's not a bad thing! How many bands (and even some Dave Pajo stuff) throw in a bunch of extra garbage and "found sounds" just for the sole purpopse of making a song start differently from the last track? Sure, they throw in some non-traditional sounds here and there but they always lend something positive to the song instead of making you look behind your back because you think a truck is backing up. What you get here is honest music; guitar chords that make you want to read a music theory book. Drums that make you listen intently for every little hi-hat pulse. Every little reverb and echo takes me inside the studio, wondering if the floors were made of wood or carpet. Beautiful music.

This is, simply put-one of the most incredible albums ever made. I first heard papa m when opening for stereolab. From the first notes of their set I stood transfixed, stunned, amazed, at the beatuy and simpicity of their music. David Pajo (who wrote and performed all the parts on this Cd) is truely a genius, one of the most original and intelligent guitar players in any style of music. Also check out the s/t Ariel M album, sort of a little brother to this album....Btw-this IS NOT a live album.

My CD contains 'Propeller and "Vampire on Titus'' on one disk (only available for a short while; now they must be purchased separately), although I doubt that very many people would be particularly envious of this `coup'. Actually, its advantages are questionable, because the two albums combine for a total of 33 (!) tracks, which is overwhelming by anybody's standard and makes it doubly difficult to allow the songs to sink in.
Therein lies the basic premise of Guided By Voices, and the inherent problem with appreciating their music. Sometimes I get the feeling that I spend more time learning to appreciate it than they spend writing and rehearsing it. "Vampire on Titus" (the first 18 songs on my disk) is particularly guilty of this self-indulgence. Its low-fi aesthetic hardly ever lets up, and after five listens, I'm still waiting for the songs to gel into recognizable melodies.
"Propeller" (the second half of my disk, consisting of the remaining 15 tracks) is the superior disk of these two, consisting of a bizarre combination of extraordinary ambition and complete indifference. It opens with a self-reducing anthemic overture that sounds as though it could be inserted into a rock opera of some sort, and then quickly degenerates into the spastic, pointless incoherence of a song called (appropriately) "Particular Damaged." This particular damage is difficult to overcome, but the fragmented melodies of "Metal Mothers" (more `rock-star' fodder) and "14 Cheerleader Coldfront" leave you wondering if you might be missing something. You are. This album Is a Monster, and may be the single most important reason that Guided By Voices experienced such longevity. Flashes of brilliance abound everywhere, but it may take a new listener some time to sort this out.
Typically idiosyncratic arrangements clutter this disk, but the inherent charm (as I see it) of the band's work methods somehow manage to keep me guessing as to their intentions. Are they self-consciously ambitious or do they lack enthusiasm? A song called "Lethargy" displays this dichotomy perfectly, verbalizing the latter, while displaying elements of the former. It's a lot of effort for all of this stuff to sink in, but it does pay off. A - Tom Ryan

somehow robert pollard believed. no one else did. this little plaything could do something special. it not so much redefined the music scene as exposed it to what it had always been. not quite the classic album some would make it out to be, it is, though, a thoroughly terrific record, completely unexpected and paved the way for what would come. better than vampire on titus, but in no way as good as bee thousand or alien lanes.

All good kids must have this record. Simply the best of the GBV catalog, but Bee Thousand is the best place to start. You should buy them both, along with Alien Lanes and Under the Bushes and call it a summer. You will not need any other CDs because to appreciate the full range of value you will have to listen to them incessantly for at least 2-3 months. Best of luck finding the right type of work to allow for the listening and record buying you will need. At least the touring might slow now that Bob is solo, but probably not since I fear he has quit smoking.

If you like "Propeller" and "Bee Thousand," this set is worth purchasing just for the surprisingly excellent "King **** and the Golden Boys" disc, which is largly made up of outtakes from those sessions, including a demo of the best song Robert Pollard's ever written, "Don't Stop Now."

The rest of the material, comprising the four pre-"Propeller" Guided by Voices records, is hit-and-miss and pretty underwhelming overall. It wasn't really until the "Vampire on Titus" album that GBV really found their signature sound. On these discs, Pollard mostly sounds like he's worn out several copies of R.E.M.'s "Murmur" and is striving to recreate it as closely as possible. There are some minor gems like "Liar's Tale," "Captain's Dead," and "How Loft I Am?", but most of the songs fail to make much of an impression. It's an interesting but ultimately not-so-compelling look at a young band yet to hit upon the distinctive sound and style that would make their later albums so iconic.

So, this is a 5-disc set with one or maybe two discs' worth of material that's really worth getting excited about, even for a big Guided by Voices fan. But since it can be found new for around $30, it's still a worthwhile purchase if only for "Golden Boys." (Heck, "Indian was an Angel" is worth $30 all by itself!)

This is a big investment, and not one to be taken lightly. There is just not a ton of music in this package. The first four albums, each on a separate CD, average about 30 minutes a piece. The outtakes album is a little longer, but nowhere near the possible 80 minutes. Overall, we are talking well under three hours of music.

The first album, Devil Between My Toes, starts off really well, surprisingly well. Bob knew what he was doing from the beginning. The songs are quirky and charming at the same time. The second half gets a little dull however.

The second album, Sandbox, is typical sophomore fare, with fewer memorable songs but nothing particularly distasteful either.

The third album, Self Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia, gets more interesting. The band starts to take advantage of the studio with tape effects, noise, etc. Things start getting more experimental. When you first hear it, you will probably have a quizzical look on your face from time to time, but this one will grow on you just like any of the other best GBV albums.

I don't care for the fourth album, Same Place The Fly Got Smashed, at all. It is a concept album about drinking. Yippee. While it is the antithesis of everyone's favorite whipping boy, the Do The Collapse album, it is just as bad. I find it sloppy, rambling, and unfocused. For this reason, I suppose it is a good thing the CDs were kept separate instead of being combined together.

The fifth CD is a bunch of rarities from 1988, 1991, and 1993. The two 1988 songs compare favorably with anything on Sandbox and are as good as the best songs on Devil. The five 1991 songs are okay but I wouldn't go as far as to call them essential. The Bee Thousand outtakes from 1993 are really interesting. Some of the songs are good but might have sounded repetitive on the album. Some of them you will recognize as being cropped and spliced into other BT tracks. This is usually for the better. The songs do not quite hold up as well on their own. It was really a masterstroke by Bob to do it that way on the final version.

At the price being charged here, I would hardly consider this to be a gift to fans. It is just too expensive. However, if you have and like Propeller and Vampire on Titus, and are ready to take the plunge, go right ahead. Even if you are not getting your money's worth, you will still find some really good music that isn't available anywhere else.

This is simply a must have set,GBV fan or not. It gives you 6 albums of great music AND points the way to even more GBV triumphs yet to come. This collection contains the band's independantly released albums right up to Vampire On Titus plus it adds a disc of cuts that you can only get with this set. There are more valuable gems that exist here than in all of the diamond mines in the world. I choose this vinyl version,which has been like a best friend to me since 1995, only because you get Propeller as a bonus. 6 lp's of the finest music you will ever hear...yes Virginia there is a God!

Devil Between My Toes is Gbv's first full length release. Dropped in 1987 (!),this is the sound of a band searching for it's voice. Still, "A Portrait Destroyed By Fire","Dog's Out","Hank's Little Fingers" and "Captain's Dead" point to the ground the band would mine in the future. Listening to the band create their sound out of scratch is something any fan should hear yet it's a compelling listen in it's own right.

Sandbox was also released in 1987. "Every Day" and "I Certainly Hope Not" are the cream here but "Lips Of Steal","Drinking Jim Crow","Trap Soul Door","Long Distance Man" and "Adverse Wind" are among the other solid tunes. A fine lead into....

Self Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia is among the 5 best GBV album's yet released. "Paper Girl" and "Liar's Tale" never fail to find the express way to my heart. There are too many other good songs to list here but the band got it good here. I would have loved to hear this album in 1989 but I was a mid-teen convinced that Motley Crue and Aerosmith spoke to me. I doubt I could have found a copy had I tried but I sucked so much during this time that it's a moot point. Classic GBV.

Released in 1990, The Same Place The Fly Got Smashed is a concept album about drinking. Anybody who's seen GBV in concert knows that Bob likes his beer. As concept album's go, this is one of the best. It's a drunken Tommy. The down side of alchohol (and the craziness it can produce) run wild here: "Airshow '88","The Hard Way","Drinker's Peace","Mammoth Cave",When She Turns 50","Pendulum"(one of my faves from this set),"Blatant Doom Trip" and "How Loft Am I?" are the strongest tracks on a very solid album. It's not trying to tell you what to do, it's just telling a very good story. Listen and learn and just like Bob grab a beer and rock.Great stuff...

Propeller is included on this vinyl version but not on the cd set. It's jam packed with outstanding tracks but "Weedking","Particular Damaged","Exit Flagger","14 Cheerleader Coldfront" and "On The Tundra" stand out. If you get the cd version you HAVE to get Propeller on cd as well. You must...

How good was GBV during this period (1987-93) that lead up to it's 2 best albums (Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, the best in my humble opinion only-mind you)? Check out King S*it And the Golden Boys, a record of previously unreleased tracks from 1988,1991 and 1993. This record of "table scraps" is better than most group's greatest hits collections. "We've Got Airplanes","Crutch Came Slinking"(a great song),"Sopor Joe","Crunch Pillow","Indian Was An Angel","Don't Stop Now","Greenface","Death Trot and Warlock Riding A Rooster","2nd Moves To Twin","Scissors"(which makes a serious claim as being the best Tobin Sprout song of his GBV stint),"Postal Blowfish" and "Crocker's Favorite Song" are all songs that would have fit well on regular GBV albums. This is not an album of toss away's-it's an album of stuff they had no room for.

If you are building a collection of this band's work, then get this excellent box set to see the whole picture. Any fan will tell you that this is good,good stuff. This early GBV stuff paved the way to bigger exposure and a bigger sound (Do The Collapse and Isolation Drills) and as such it's a crucial document in the career of arguably the best rock and roll band that America has produced in the last 20 years. Steal it,harm people to claim it or prostitute yourself to own it.....just get it. Most (if not all) of your record collection will cower in it's shadow.

This cd starts off so promising, especially with the perfect "Drinking Woman" but falters later on in the cd when poor production value and shakey vocals begin to lose their charm and start to agrivate. Will Oldham is a wonderful musician, however he seems to be in a rut with this album. I don't regret buying this cd because the few songs that I like, I REALLY LIKE...but the others are rather skipable. If you are a major fan of Palace or Will Oldham, this is still a must-have, but for others who are unsure, you might be better off copying it from a friend.

Wow. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews for that CD, and that excites me. See, this is my first Will Oldham et al. CD, and if this isn't the pinnacle, then I can't wait to hear the rest! This was the only disc by Will, palace, etc. available in my area, so I picked it up and have been utterly fascinated by it ever since. It has a weird hypnotic quality to it... almost like lsitening to insects on a summer night... it's organic, spooky, endlessly mysterious. Each listen reveal a new wrinkle. I put this in the same category as the best works by Giant Sand, Richard Buckner, Magnetic Fields... There is a genuine mysticsm to it. I ordered a few more Palace and Will Oldham CD's, and I can't wait to hear what his "A List" stuff sounds like.

This is and artist I'm really glad I stumbled upon. There's a truly genuine, unrehearsed magic to the rough-cut gems. If you are a fan of Giant Sand, etc. I reccomend this CD very highly

This album isn't Lost Blues, no. While Lost Blues is the most direct Oldham-as-Palace release because it's the A sides of singles, this is a collection where he stretches out as a songwriter. There are loud songs, songs with fiddles, a drum machine and tape hiss. Between it all is arguably Will's most raw crooning! If you prefer Lost Blues and its like with the melodies of Bonny Billy, fair enough, but this collection is the flipside and just as frequently transcendent.

i thought this albulm was quite bad, which isnt to say that i didnt enjoy the earlier work. these songs arent nearly as exciting and dynamic. they are actually a bit boring and at times, the lyrics are terribly grating and make me feel embarrased. specifically, i am thinking of the song where the singer assures us that she isnt willing to sell herself for coolness through the application of material indie signifiers..yet, the albulm art design and the general image represented here point that argument in a different direction.

As much as I love Beth Ditto's voice, I must concur with the detractors -- this is an inconsistent, incomplete album. It differs from 'That's Not What I Heard' in that there are actual "songs" here, as compared to the "skits" that defined the first album. Because of the clarity of the production and the longer songs, The Gossip's flaws are more obvious here; the lyrics are bad (and yes, embarrassing at times), and The Gossip are yet to learn any sense of dynamics. It's a relentlessly loud, jarring, almost assaulting affair; with Beth belting, and Brace and Kathy "hammering" their instruments. For this reason, I can understand those that say this album is boring compared to the first one. It lacks variety, and it seems like The Gossip didn't put much effort into the songs; they are simply coasting on Beth's amazing voice.

That said, there are some good songs here. 'Nite' has a sense of urgency and longing, showcasing Beth's gospel tones wonderfully. 'Jason's Basement' is the strongest of the bunch, as it's the fastest, most swaggering and energetic. 'No No No' and 'Don't Make Waves' are decent. 'Yesterday's News' is a startlingly honest moment about Beth's ex-girlfriend. Beth's ambivalence and vulnerability here are unprecedented. 'Fire/Sign' is great, once again showing off the band's soulful swagger. The only real bellyflop here is 'Dangerrr', where Beth milks her "baby", "honey" motifs repeatedly, which is one of The Gossip's biggest flaws -- rather than creating inventive verses, they simply write a few lines and then repeat them for the entire duration of the song. I'm not sure about 'Lesson Learned', though, a song about being different and relishing it, featuring the common lyric "I don't ever wanna be that girl, saddest thing in the whole wide world."

Beth is supremely talented, but you can't help but feel like her talents are wasted on this. The Gossip's punk manifesto is actually the very thing that's holding them back - the instrumentation is sloppy (though less so than on the debut album), the lyrics are poor, and the liner notes are littered with typos. If The Gossip concentrated on writing great songs and being accomplished musicians, rather than simply justifying their flaws in the name of punk rock, they could make a great album. With that said, both Gossip albums have their virtues and are worth checking out if only for Beth's rich, sexy voice.

this album rocks my socks. although i enjoyed "that's not what i heard," movement kicked twice as much ass. more mature, more moody, more funky. Among others, "don't make waves" is amazing.
I'm really surprised to see the other reviewer's comments. Give it a listen, make your own decision

First, I am struggling to find a way to describe this kind of music. Avant-garde psychedelic lo-fi indie pop, maybe? Whatever it is, it isn't bad, but I just could not get into it no matter how I tried.

The music has its merits. The production is interesting, and the instrumentals and lyrics are occasionally captivating. But the slightly off-key vocals and lack of memorable melodies kept me from getting involved. I found myself getting impatient for this disc to be over -- not a good sign.

Again, this isn't bad, especially for fans of lo-fi pop. I really wanted to like this disc and would actually have given it 2.5 to 2.75 stars if Amazon would allow it. But I reserve 3 star ratings for albums I know I will be playing again and again. It could be that this kind of music is simply not my cup of tea. Then again, I can't help thinking this could have been a really compelling disc if only the vocals had been stronger and the songs had felt more developed.

I'd have to describe this album as lo-fi somewhat catchy guitar psychedelic pop. Does that make sense? There are some good songs and some boring uninspired ones on here. Elf Power uses a lot of sound effects and minimal production values, which I don't mind, but despite the sound effects, the songs are frequently not very interesting; they're very drony and rarely hooky (to me, at least). I don't find myself humming songs from this album very often. The best song is probably the Eno cover "Needles in the Camel's Eye". Other stand-outs: "The Secret Ocean," "When the Red King Comes" and "It's Been a Million Years". Some of the songs are just too darned minimalist and repitive to be interesting though. Overall, it's a pleasant enough album, but I think it lacks the creativity, wit and inspiration of other stuff.

It just makes me happy listening to it - That's all that counts!.....