Indie and Lo-Fi music reviews

Musically this record isn't too hot. Hell will freeze over before the Teasers become Pitchfork's darling of the month act. Take this musical mess for what it is: an amazing piece of junk!

I came upon this cd by chance, and based on one review I bought it. Though it was different than expected, I was pleasantly surprised. Piano accompanied by mature vocals and sarcastic lyrics make a brilliant mix. "Happy" is my favorite song, sounding similar to Dave Matthews or Matchbox Twenty. I highly reccomend this cd.

Rob Schneider can do it all, and he seems to be determined to. As well as fronting psychpop band the Apples In Stereo, Schneider has also managed to perform solo in two side bands. One is the ultrastark Ulyssess, while the other is whimsical odds-and-ends band the Marbles.

But with "Expo," Schneider seems to have decided to treat the Marbles... seriously. While the debut "Pyramid Landing and Other Favorites" was a chimey lo-fi mishmash, "Expo" is a slicker, colder, and far more polished effort. It's a fun listen, but lacks the unpretentious sweetness of the previous Marbles album.

This time around, Schneider goes pure pop, with nods to the eighties and a strong new wave influence. No lo-fi-ness here -- it's all carefully polished synth waves over gritty guitar riffs. Bu t there are some forays into whimsy: The title track is a one-minute solo, with interwoven little synth melodies that bounce like a sparkling ball.

When dissected, the music is actually pretty simple -- guitar melodies with sheets, waves and doodles of electronica over it. It's a pleasant enough listen, but it lacks the warmth of Schneider's earlier -- albeit sloppier -- work. One of the biggest flaws is that Schneider's voice is buried in the mix. Really, in the heavy-synth songs Scheider sounds like the illicit love child of Devo and the Beach Boys.

Don't get me wrong, "Expo" is fun to listen to -- it's catchy and sweet, in a slick candy-coated way. The instrumentals, if you can call them that, are a bit more eerie and less poppy. And "Hello Sun" is the most enjoyable song that the Polyphonic Spree never made, with Schneider letting rip with joyous calls of "Hello SUN!"

This is not the Marbles as you know it, but it is a fun, synth-heavy little psychpop album. But it may leave you longing for the next Apples in Stereo album, to hear Schneider at his best.