Band of the Moment: The Welcome Wagon

by Jeremy on December 30th, 2008

Without knowing the backstory, The Welcome Wagon’s debut album, Welcome To The Welcome Wagon is an intriguing slice of contemporary folk – a collection of old songs with a vague sense of the American gothic. In fact the cover art, depicting Reverend Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique is slightly reminiscent of the Grant Wood painting, “American Gothic” except he’s wearing a rather natty straw hat and she is clutching a simple leather bound bible – no need for anything as brash as the horrible, glowing Neon Bible of… you know who.

Just like Al Green, Vito Aiuto really is a reverend. He’s a Presbyterian pastor and his wife really does tote a bible, but before you rush to judge them, give me a chance to explain a few things here. Although their music is influenced by and seeped in their Christian belief, their musical champion is the always-interesting doyen of the nu-American folk movement, Sufjan Stevens, who has helped to turn this collection of folk songs, hymns and confessionals into a collection that is as soulful as it is good humoured.

Sufjan’s production is as unfussy, raw and honest as the sound of their cheap guitars and plastic glockenspiels. He creates swirling choral music that has all the wooziness of the Polyphonic Spree, but without their pretension. The band attack The Smith’s “Half A Man” and The Velvet Underground’s “Jesus” with the same simple intensity and passion they bring to hymns like “Up On A Mountain” and “Sold! To The Nice Rich Man”. At times they are reminiscent of The Handsome Family, but despite any comparison this is something unique and the result is one of the most uplifting, committed albums you are likely to hear this, or any other, year.

-Barry Barnett

Sharp Reviews: The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke, and the Comeback of the Century

by Jeremy on December 24th, 2008

There is a line in The Wrestler that says about as much about the film’s main character as it does about the man who plays him. Randy “The Ram” Robinson, the fading pro wrestler played by Mickey Rourke, is talking to an over-the-hill stripper, played by Marisa Tomei, in a New Jersey bar. The two reminisce about the music of their glory days, bands like “Crue” and “Def Lep”, and agree that Kurt Cobain pretty much ruined everything. “The ‘90s sucked,” says the wrestler. “’90s sucked,” agrees the stripper.

Read the full review at Sharpformen.com

Band of the Moment: Jeffrey Lewis

by Jeremy on December 23rd, 2008

The comic book, die cut, fold out sleeve of Lewis’s latest album, 12 Crass Songs, makes it one of the year’s best packaged albums, but the dozen songs ensure it is worth more accolades than that. Don’t let the label fool you, these are not crass songs, they are Crass songs; a dozen songs written and originally recorded by hardcore ‘70s anarchists, Crass.

Using a full panoply of 21st century lo-hi recording technology, New York City-based Lewis deconstructs these old rants. In true punk sensibility, he plunders what he wants and rewrites the rest forging them into urgent, angry observations on issues ranging from urban isolation and the war in Iraq to mortgage repossessions and Sex & The City.

His eclectic, freewheeling approach has all the sincerity and spirit of a true punk sensibility but the sound is totally modern. In fact, “Demoncrats” may turn out to be the missing link between punk and the imminent 70’s prog rock revival – and it’s not likely to get more punk rock than that for a good few years yet.

-Barry Barnett

« Previous Page — Next Page »