DISClosure: The Velvet Crush • Total Stereo • Johnny Dowd

DISClosure
CD Reviews Of A National Scale

The Velvet Crush
Free Expression

by Mark Bennett Brown

The Velvet Crush are back with a new label and an honest attempt for more of the ear candy that has earned them the respect of many in the alternative-pop world. Following their break-up with Sony in the late 1990s, the duo of Ric Menck (drums) and Paul Chastain (vocals, bass) have survived to put out their fourth album on the small Bobsled Records label. Free Expression is co-produced by The Velvet Crush and Matthew Sweet (who also co-wrote two songs and plays on the album) and continues their endless tribute to Big Star, The Byrds, and (of course) Matthew Sweet. The songwriting on Free Expression is a bit watered down, but sometimes hits do happen. Check out "Between the Lines" and "All Together" which feature a sloppy, yet effective, horn section. Unfortunately, their influences can sometimes overpower the strengths of the band. "Gentle Breeze" may sound a little too much like "Blackbird" and even goes so far as to dub bird noises in the intro. The final track, "Ballad of Yesteryear," gives the album a nice wrap-up, highlighting the band’s ability to write catchy, yet melancholy ballads. This album is probably a must-have for diehard pop fans that can’t wait for the next Matthew Sweet record to come out.

(Bobsled Records, P.O. Box 6407, Aurora, Illinois 60598 bobsledrecords.com)

Total Stereo
My Melody

by Diane McDonough

Upbeat, vivid and outrageous, the Trans-Atlantic band, Total Stereo, lands like a six-pack shaken all the way across the ocean. The band takes full advantage of the lyrical pop stylings of band leaders Francoise Cactus and Brezel Goring to shake, rattle, and roll in five languages and a typewriter. Driven by a solid beat and borrowing from hip-hop, the Beatles, and improvisational bands in back alleys, My Melody is a fun recording that defies sitting still. Definite dance music, lent an exotic air by lyrics in five or six languages, this is music that should be played really loud to drive insane spouses, children, pets, and neighbors.

Stringing together bells, whistles, and the voice of Cactus, the group takes full advantage of technology, presenting tongue-in-preferable-pierced-cheek tunes to shatter eardrums and preconceived notions about German techno and modern pop. Rounding out the group, along with Goring and Cactus, are an Italian bass player, Angie Reed and keyboardist San Reimo. They add to the general air of cosmopolitan fun that seems to be the band’s signature style.

The only drawback to the album is the lyrics are sung in a variety of languages. It is hard to tell if the group is serious, having fun or poking fun, but that’s where the art of listening comes in. When in doubt, make it up. That’s definitely the Total Stereo style.

(Bobsled Records, P.O. Box 6407, Aurora, IL, 60598, bobsledrecords.com)

Johnny Dowd
Pictures From Life’s Other Side

by Ed Yashinsky

Since releasing his first record, West Side of Memphis, two years ago at the age of 49, Dowd has generated more media coverage from the alternative press than the country press, drawing numerous comparisons to Nick Cave for his dark country ruminations built around primitive acoustic guitar. On his second release, Pictures From Life’s Other Side, Dowd continues digging up fragments from life’s down-trodden side spewing haunting tales of murder, mayhem, and violence across a whitewash of subdued guitar riffs, carnival keyboards, stripped-down percussion, and striking harmony vocals from Kim Sherwood-Caso. Musically recalling Jim White, Sixteen Horsepower, or Tom Waits, and lyrically sounding a bit like Robbie Fulks, Dowd breathes life into each song on Pictures From Life’s Other Side with distinctive vocals and enough unsettling imagery to make anyone feel a little uncomfortable. Pictures From Life’s Other Side will receive scant coverage from traditional media outlets, but Johnny Dowd should rest easy knowing that he is creating some of the coolest music for the often-overlooked, down-on-their-luck trailer park contingency. Pick up a copy of Pictures From Life’s Other Side and start feeling really good about your own life.

(Koch Records, Koch Entertainment LLC, New York, NY, 10003)