Indie and Lo-Fi music reviews

I really dont know what to say about this album... It probably has THE worst production I've ever heard. But on the other hand there are some good songs on the record, if you can get past the abysmal quality. If your looking for something very few people have heard, or can stand, then pick it up. I'll let you decide if you can get around the recording quality, I can occasionaly.

The Mezzanines self-titled record was created in the same vain as Guided By Voices "Alien Lanes", it was completely recorded on a 4 track tape recorder in a basement(GBV used and 8 track)in illinois(GBV are located in Ohio) by mainly one person. The sound quality is not that bad at all, if you actually listen to rock n' roll and realize that the best records ever made had arguably poor sound quality (audiophiles like to call it warmth and charm.) What Mark Baldwin achieves on a 4 track analog tape record is a true accomplishment (please listen to the multiple vocal harmonies, layered guitars and full drum sound. He only had 4 tracks! Amazing.) Anyway the song writing is incredible and virtually peerless. This classic record makes many references to T. Rex, Bowie, The Beatles, The Kinks, and many more. Check out "Talking to a Plant," "Man of Motion," "Pitiful Monk.." "Wizard's Hat," and "The Sun."
I love this record.

Having just seen this band do powerful versions of some these songs in Chicago, I have to wonder whats with this album's "boycotting the studio" in favor of abrasive cheap-sounding home production, juvenile inside jokes, sped-up vocals and toy synths sounds. Having spent years as either the brainiest garage band or dirtiest art band, are the mighty Country Teasers now set on reinventing themselves as the Ween of noise rock? But listen again and you'll find some new Teasers classics tucked in here among the navel-gazing tracks (check out EHWPSA, Please Stop F***ing Each Other, and Deaths).

On "Deaths," the fourth track on this new Country Teasers album, B.R. Wallers drunkenly slurs on the final verse, "There's no lyrics to this part of the song, make up your own so you can sing along." That sums up the Teasers perfectly. First off, it appears as if they are always drunk. They probably don't turn their 4-track on until they're all soused. It also doesn't appear that they care at all, about an audience, about musical prowess, about recording quality, about songwriting -- nothing.

Yet there's no way I could classify them as a novelty act. Sure, there's a bit of schtick involved, and often the music/lyrics are grotesquely hilarious, but like Ween, nothing ever seems forced or premeditated. The Country Teasers simply are what they are, and this new record, sporting two completely different titles, shows that they're nothing short of genius.

I don't think many people would agree with me, and trust me, I'm trying to dole out the 5-star ratings sparingly. But I've been listening to this album for months now, and it's simultaneously hilarious, disturbing, thoughtful, and always mysterious.

Jen Wood's songwriting has a problem with being highly repetitive, sometimes even monotonous. Her guitar playing, a low drone that suggests bass playing techniques, usually reserves itself to the low end, and her minimalistic arrangements (guitar/vocal) gets tiresome after a while.

Given that, she does have a nice voice reminiscent of Suzanne Vega, good harmonies when she indulges, and the churning strums of her guitar achieves a kind of moody appeal. It's just a shame that she doesn't vary her performances enough to sustain an entire album. Getting Past the Static corrects somewhat on these flaws.

Compared to his most recent release Supper and even by Julius Ceasar's standards this is a very primitive sounding album. Sewn to the Sky was originally recorded at home and it features a bunch of crude and chaotic songs. I must say after a few listens this album really grew on me. The album is definitely succesful in carrying a very isolated feeling which has a very familiar feeling to all of Smog's work but does so in a creepier way. It's an interesting one to turn to just to see how this guy got his start but definitely not one that's going to be in your player all the time.

This EP consists of one standout track from Smog's Dongs of Sevotion, as well as a reissue of one of Bill Callahan (who, for all intents and purposes, is Smog)'s earliest works, his 1988 cassette-only release Cow. These songs are interesting, if a bit disjointed, journeys into ambient lo-fi noise experimentation; with the aid of one guitar and a two-track, Callahan manages to conjure up some pretty compelling soundscapes without the aid of studio trickery. It's not for everyone, by a longshot, but fans of Smog's earlier albums like Sewn to the Sky and Forgotten Foundation will eat it up.

Then of course there's the title track, "Strayed." A magnificently low-key meditation on a relationship that may merit saving, it is one of Smog's finest songs to date. Still, as it's already on Dongs of Sevotion, this song alone can't justify the entire EP. If you're a Smog completist, or interested in the abstract side of lo-fi recording, though, then this is for you.

If close to 50% of a compilation disk makes it to one of my mix tapes, it's a winner. This CD will always stay in my collection. Winners are the tracks by Monkey 101, V-3, Sebadoh, and GbV (some of the others are starting to grow on me). The only drawback is that I wish the CD had more in terms of liner notes and artist info. You won't find these songs anywhere else.

Low-budget, fairly average DIY indie rock from the kind of band that's nice to have playing in a local scene, as long as nobody expects too much from them. "Kidney" is sort of sweet in a Miracle Legion B-side sort of way. "Chandra Mukhi" is another half-decent song in search of a good vocal. But there's this one song that makes this almost worthwhile: "Satch Carlson" is an absolute classic masterpiece of a song, a devastating, gorgeous in-joke for car-magazine obsessives. Definitely not a good album, but oh, that song.

A brooding yet melodic entry into the venerable medium of mope rock.

A decent comp summing up the Yo Yo A Go Go show from 1997. The music sprawls from folky (Jenn Kliese and Khaela Maricich) to heavy rock (Loud Machine 5.0). It is very inconsistant if you listen through the album in its entirity because of such the large variety of bands that performed. There are many standouts such as Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, Lois, and Modest Mouse. I would recommend this cd to anyone who is trying to complete their collections of included artists but that is as far as I would go.

this is THE WORST tribute cd i've ever heard. oh man! this is AWFUL! it's unbelievable that after these songs were turned in, some clueless fool ACTUALLY put this abomination out! it's all CRAP! even the television personalities and teenage fanclub turned in 3rd rate throw away muck! the other bands? - who cares! all SUPER LAME indie rock nobody morons. absolutely horrible. i wonder if ANY of these bands have actually listened to a LOVE album. this cd should not exist. do not buy this cd! stick with the first 6 LOVE albums: "love", "da capo", "forever changes", "four sail", "out here", and "false start".

I am a huge fan of Love originals, and I think you should buy _both_ this tribute album and the originals. They stand separately. Fans of the many popular artists on this tribute will enjoy the compilation, and Love fans can enjoy this as well. Remember that Love is also known for their cover of Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book" which caused quite a stir when it drastically changed the original.

In this compilation I love the Teenage Fanclub version of "Between Clark and Hilldale" (sp?), The Gamma Rays' "Softly to Me" is amazing, and I also enjoy Smack Dab's version of "Bummer in the Summer". Only missing is The Damned's version of "Alone Again Or".

It is not a replacement for the originals, but you can enjoy both separately or together. I do.

This tribute translates psychedelia to grunge. I LOVE this tribute. First of all it was one of the first of the glut of tributes. It seems that the bands all really were influenced by the band LOVE. Arthur Lee himself is really into this tribute and it's obvious that it wasn't done to take advantage of Lee's popularity. There's a refreshing niavity to it, I'm not sure they knew what they were doing or how impactful the medium of 'tribute album' could be. I love Love and while the originals are great, there's something to a group of inexperienced but passionate musicians forging ahead by paying homage to their roots. Enjoy...