Robert Pollard-The Crawling Distance

Let me make this known: I owe a whole lot to Bob Pollard. Pollard was the long-time leader of Dayton, Ohio lo-fi kings Guided by Voices, the band that got me seriously into music and beyond the limits of the Top 40. And ever since 7th grade when I heard “I Am a Scientist” on a boom box in my teacher’s classroom, I’ve turned time and time again back to the music Pollard has created in his 25+ year career.

With more than a thousand songs registered with BMI, Pollard is up there with R. Stevie Moore as one of the most prolific indie songwriters of the last 50 years. He’s known for banging out great pop ditties at an incredible clip that have all the teenage longing of early Beatles, all the jangle of The Byrds, and all the concision and less-is-more attitude of Wire. In addition to his long run with GBV, which saw the release of Bee Thousand, a cornerstone of 90s indie rock every bit as important to the genre as Slanted & Enchanted, Pollard has released albums under his own name since 1996, and exclusively since GBV’s breakup in 2004. In his first release of 2009, The Crawling Distance, Bob brings ten more tracks of his trademark sound.

On the album’s opener, “Faking My Harlequin,” Pollard sneeringly poses a challenge to a lover as the music chugs and throbs along: “Try not speaking to me, my love.” The hooks come fast and furious on this release, and the surreal lyrics that never seem random or forced but never quite make total sense fit nicely. Pollard has a soft side, too, and “It’s Easy,” a haunting dreamy pop song that brings up comparisons to “I’m Only Sleeping,” confirms that this 51-year old former school teacher is still brimming with creativity. “Imaginary Queen Anne” may be the best cut on the entire album, the best jangle-pop Big Star never wrote.

For those unacquainted with Pollard and Guided by Voices, The Crawling Distance isn’t likely to win over any new converts. But for fans of Uncle Bob, it’s one more in a long history of excellent releases that does nothing to detract from the legacy.

MP3: Robert Pollard - "The Butler Stands for All of Us"

For more information on Robert Pollard, or to purchase his CDs, check here

Album Review: Margot & The Nuclear So and So's - "Animal!" and "Not Animal"

A couple weeks ago on October 7th Margot & The Nuclear So and So's put out two new albums entitled Animal! and Not Animal. At a glance, it seems like the albums are a set; essentially they are. Animal is the "original" album, and Not Animal is a glorified b-sides disc, in fact, five of the twelve tracks on Animal are also on Not Animal. These two albums are beautiful complements to each other.

These have both been well worth the wait, which has been a little over a year now if you don't follow the band. However the most important thing to keep in mind when first listening to this new material is that over time a band's sound will tend to grow and change. Margot is no exception to this general tendency.

These albums are certainly not The Dust of Retreat. Both releases are slightly noisier than the band's previous album and demos, and they're a bit more experimental as well. These are definitely not the kind of albums expected to be released by Margot, however the new sound is refreshing and an interesting departure from The Dust of Retreat.

Together these albums make an excellent set, but each album brings something unique to the table. Animal! is a bit calmer than Not Animal can get at times. Songs like "I Am A Lightning Rod" and "At The Carnival" bring a much more experimental and slightly ambient sound to the table than previously heard by the band while songs like "As Tall As Cliffs" and "Hello Vagina" bring back that same melodic sound we're used to hearing from Margot.

Each song on this album is something great; I couldn't pick a favorite even if I was asked to. However one track that deserves considerable attention is "A Children's Crusade on Acid." This is one of the more experimental tracks on the albums. The song starts with piano, guitar and percussion, that on their own give the song somewhat of a gypsy folk music feel, paired with a sample that sounds almost like cars passing on a freeway. Then the lead guitar comes in with an echoic riff that completely changes the feel of the song and it takes a turn for the creepiest. This song is on both albums and is definitely one to look for.

"A Children's Crusade On Acid" is accompanied on both albums by "As Tall As Cliffs," "German Motor Car," "Hello Vagina," and "Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes." So what does Not Animal have to offer? The answer to that would be seven more brilliant songs creating the better of the two releases. This album has many final versions of demos that have been floating around the internet including: "Broad Ripple" (Now called "Broad Ripple is Burning"), "Hip Hip Hooray," "Holy Cow," and "Ocean" (Now called "The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)"). The demos of these songs are absolutely fantastic if you haven't heard them yet, but the flushed out versions bring a whole new and invigorating feel to each song.

All-in-all each disc is worth picking up. They both bring a whole new sound to the Margot's repertoire. If you can only get one, then Not Animal is the way to go, this is the one that I can't stop listening to. If you've never heard Margot before, go out and grab one of these, or even their first album, the band is creating a solid catalog of music that is definitely a worth-while investment.

For more info on the band check out: http://www.margotandthenuclearsoandsos.com/

A few songs to wet your whistle:
A Children's Crusade On Acid (both)
As Tall As Cliffs (both)
Hello Vagina (both)
I Am A Lightning Rod (Animal!)
The Shivers (I Got 'Em) (Not Animal)

Deerhoof's Offend Maggie: Album Review

October 10, the San Francisco based group released their newest album, Offend Maggie. Interestingly enough, although the release is somewhat a departure from traditional Deerhoof weirdness, if you will, it does follow the trend of recent experimental bands recording significantly more listenable material (see Radiohead, TV on the Radio, No Age, etc).

Offend Maggie has managed to incorporate a new element of composition that has often restricted Deerhoof to a smaller audience: Melody. Although the record is still somewhat a sonic playground for theory nerds, this is ultimately the most melodic the band has has ever sounded on record. For the first time you can actually bob your head and tap your foot to a Deerhoof record without getting dizzy or feeling like an idiot.

"The Tears and Music of Love", the very first track, sets the tone of this new direction. Complete with heavy, swooping chords; the song progresses more like a classic rock anthem than the guitar tinkering of one of the most high profile art-rock groups in modern music. Satomi Matsuzaki's falsetto voice pirouettes above and balances out the new and heavy sounds of the rest of the band. The awkward end in a minor scale is almost an afterthought on this kind of album, not commonplace as it was in the past.

"My Purple Past" and "Snoopy Waves" might be the most commercial sounding songs on the record (aside from their names that is). In addition to building drums and four and five chord based melodies, the songs also incorporate the loud vs. quiet effect pioneered by bands like The Pixies and Nirvana and used by just about every major rock band today.

Two favorites of mine off the album are tracks 9 and 10 "Family of Others" and "Fresh Born" respectively. The former feels like a 60's acoustic piece with passive male vocals as opposed to Satomi's sometimes attacking vocals. "Fresh Born" opens with an acoustic intro and jumps into a hip-hop/funk/jazz inspired riff that lasts practically until the end of the three and a half minute piece. One can't help but think that if this song hadn't been recorded about 15 years too late, it would have been an easy pick for A Tribe Called Quest to sample.

Possibly the best song on the record is the title track, "Offend Maggie". Complete with Celtic-like arpeggios (almost bagpipe-like) and powerful windmilling chords, the piece is the best example of Deerhoof's new musical direction: strange, sometimes bizarre (especially the lyrics), but always melodically conscious.

Of course no Deerhoof album would be complete without the headscratchers (see "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back", that's all I'm going to say) but Offend Maggie is a delightful change of pace from what was/is an increasingly awkward and experimental band. If you have never listened to Deerhoof or perhaps the method behind their madness has always escaped you, now is an opportune time to start listening.

For more information on the Band/Album/Tour, visit http://deerhoof.killrockstars.com/