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Come have your pet’s
picture taken with Santa
while supporting a great cause!
QQ Saturday, December 11th
JJJ 10:00am - 2:00pm
| Memorial Part
| *7 for 1 pic, $10 for 2,
*5 for each additional photo
Proceeds benefit Athene Canine Rescue,
a non-profit volunteer network at teeter
homes in Athens, Georgia.
Foe more info,
. athenscanii
FRANHEALY
Wreckorder
Rykodisc
Here's hoping Scottish pop act
Travis (“Why Does It Always Rain on
Me?' remember?) hasn't been cast too
tar into the depths of stateside obscu
rity lor frontman Fran Healy to warm
a tew hearts with this unexpected,
delightful solo debut
Melodies have always come eas
ily to Healy. and here once again he
demonstrates his McCartney-esque
knack tor earworms and minor chord
mood. Sir Paul himself even makes
an appearance on the record, adding
an understated bass line to the heart-
tugging track “As It Comes." Neko
Case also does her part to boost the
album’s protile, stealing the spotlight
with her smoldering croon on “Sing
Me to Sleep.*
While Healy’s vbice is sweet
and silky as ever, the overall tone of
Wreckorder \s surprisingly solemn.
String arrangements far outnumber
guitar riffs, adding a sort of cinematic
sophistication to the record
Unfortunately, that sophistication
is not always extended to the lyrics,
and Healy s weakness for easy rhymes
makes for a handful ol nonsensical,
cringe-worthy moments. The main
offender (no pun intended, Travis fans)
is “Fly In the Ointment’ with lines
about beinn "high... in the sky’ and
the recurring, awkward pairing of “oint-
menl* wilh ’appointment’ (to which
he is constantly being made late even
though he is just “sitting on a wall').
And when you expect him to say he’ll
propose to the lady in ‘Buttercups.’
he instead sings that it he had a
diamond ring, he'd “wear it through
his nose.* But, you know, pop music
was never really meant for explication,
and I'm sure Macca would agree that
we can never have too many silty love
songs—especially when they are as
charismaticalty delivered as these.
Michelle Gitzenrat
Fran Healy is playing at The Loft in
Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 8
Terrordactyi Fzce
Independent Release
“How did those guys get power
tools to sound tike such a party?" Such
is the first question that comes to mind
when listening to The Nice Machine's
new album, Terrordactyi Face. The Nice
Machine adheres to a mantra of repeti-
tion-as-good-thing throughout the nine
very short tracks ol this record, 100
percent to positive effect Album opener*
“Cop Rex’ is fast, hectic and precise,
letting buzzsaw guitars and syncopated
surf ritts dominate the 2*23 track time.
By the end ol that tune, by which time
you've barely had a chance to chug a
single sip ot your Jolt Cola, the tone
of Terrordactyi Face has been set. You
know not to listen for lyrics (there aren't
any) and also that you now own sonic
Prozac— Terrordactyi Face is that god
damn upbeat Like Georgia brethren
The B-52s and Mari or Astro-Man 7 .
The Nice Machine plays particularly
American surt-pop music, reminiscent
of pulpy 1940s and '50s Hollywood
(think Buck Rogers, Ed Wood flicks
and Raymond Chandler novels). As
evidence, look to the song “Love and
Gravity.* Amid stinky reverb and—do I
hear a Theremin?—the zombies/space
mcnsters/black lagoon creatures ot
yesteryear putter around, inviting you
to join their little freakfest It's alright,
friends You can party with them.
Mark Sanders
The Nice Machine is playing at
Hendershol's Coffee on Saturday,
Dec. 1t
HOT NEW MEXICANS
Hot New Mexicans
Houseplant/Recess
Now would be a good time to
revitalize the tired term ‘pop punk'
such that its use indicates a band like
Hot New Mexicans rather than Hot
Topic tashion tragedies pumping out
half-hearted "whoa-oh-oh* choruses
over SoCai leftovers. The Mexicans
pull melodies from the whole history
of rock and roll and make surprisingly
good use of surprising influences like
The Who and Bruce Springsteen.
Although the record begins with a
discordant stomp of a rhythm (“Start
With A Maybe*), this is quickly over
and the track Hows into a terrific pub-
rock chorus. Stand-out track Dumpy
Day* features a lead guitar that lifts
liberally from the vocal melody of Elvis
Costello’s ’Radio Radio* while still
retaining its own identity. Ever since
house-show-punk took a hard left
turn about a decade ago, picking up
acoustic-guitars and embracing melody
as its right, it has been exciting to
witness the development of bands like
Hot New Mexicans. Sure, the band is
fuiiy electric on this album, but most
of these songs could go campfire-style
at any moment The Mexicans are a
good head or two lyrically above their
contemporaries, also.
Some tracks fall, in a good way,
into total anthem territory (“This Is to
Be,' “Through Windows') and others
feel like accidental eavesdropping, in
particular, closing track *No Rest Or
End* is a beautiful piano and voca!
meditation in which the melody disap-
pen completely after two minutes and
is replaced by ambient sounds of life
punctuated by absurd toy music. This
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careful and observant—not to mention,
vulnerable—audio-painting is part
and parcel of Hot New Mexicans' brand
of pop{ulisit) punk. Automatic for the
people, indeed.
Gordon Lamb
s-/.'Mi
PEPPER RABBfT
Beauregard
Kanine
If Beauregard makes one thing
clear, it's that Xander Singh and Luc
Laurent—AKA Pepper Rabbit—know
a thing or two about musical arrange
ments. From the album's opening
clarinet notes to the horn-laden closing
track. Beauregard weaves a myriad
of orchestral instrumentation into the
band's core avant-garde reverb-heavy
sound that lies in the vein of Grizzly
Bear and Fleet Foxes.
The Animal Collective-esque
“Song for a Pump Organ* is lush,
swirling organ ballad with a hypnotic
vocal melody overtop a slow bass and
kick drum stomp The band switches
instruments, however, in nearly every
song: “In the Spirit of Beauregard*
opens with an accordion and piano
duet, and then evolves into a sort of
cut-time circus jig before erupting into
a soaring chorus with a vocal melody
that smacks of David Bowie. Yet despite
the diverse instrumental orchestra
tion and arrangements. Pepper Rabbit
manages to keep a coherent sound
throughout the album.
In the ocean of reverb-obsessed
guitar bands fighting for attention
these davs. Pepper Rabbit stands out
from the crowd by infusing organic
timbres into the very foundations of the
compositions. The songs are haunting
soundscapes, the instrumentation is
beautiful and the sound is calculated
without sounding forced. Deservedly.
Beauregard is already turning some
heads in the industry, and hopefully
Pepper Rabbit’s upcoming tour dates
with Freelance Whales. Passion Pit and
Ra Ra Riot will garner them the serious
attention tney deserve.
John Granofsky
VNumutir
The Fool
Rough Trade
The debut full-length alturp
from Warpaint fashions a dreamy
soundscape, pitotodby ghostly vocal
harmonies and hazy' guitar sounds. The
ail-girt quartet from Los Angeles wields
Emily Kokafls voice, a pretty little
feather that floats atop a cloud of reverb
exhaust left by texture-geared guitar
parts and post-punk drumbeats
But Theresa Wayman and Jenny
Lee Lmdberg's unique backing harmo
nies are what truly define Warpaint's
sound The Fool is ornamented with
impressive vocal rounds and overlap
ping vocal melodies that make it a
more engaging album than what I •
initially took it to be: good background
music lor a meditative bubble bath.
There is only one minor annoyance
on the record, and that’s the guitarist’s
affection.for the chorus pedal, as evi
dence in the introduction of the song
"Warpaint “ A chorus-garbed post
grunge riff emerges from a swelling,
machine-like pulse, and I am immedi
ately reminded of something oft of the
Scorpion King soundtrack. Thankfully
Emily Kokal’s voice steps in for 12
Stone's Paul McCoy, and the song nar
rowly averts the foreboding shit storm,
transforming instead into what sounds
like a hypnotic premonition.
There is no doubt that the vocals
are what set The Fool apart. They are
delivered with a finesse that propels
Warpaint through the haze, giving
the album a level of intimacy that will
attract a broad range of listeners.
Alexander McKelvey
SAD BRAD SMITH
Love Is Not What You Need
Independent Release
When a barety-heard-of recording
artist lands a gig penning the song tor
a major motion picture starring George
Clooney, it’s generally considered
the pinnacle of his/her career. For
Chicago native Sad Brad Smith, it was
merely the jumpstart to a promising
profession just outside the spotlight
Originally, some feared Smiths single
“Help Yourself* being featured on the
soundtrack of Jason Redman's Up In
the Air would overshadow the release
of his album Love Is Not What You
Need. However, the pre-album success
gave hima much needed boost above
the overly saturated indie singer-
songwriter circuit. Using vocal blends
comparable to Thom Yorke and cutesy
sarcasm reminiscent of tate indie
media darlings The Unicorns or Neutral
Milk Hotel. Love Is Not What You Need
is a marriage of melancholy wit and
easy-listening.
The album features 12 keyboard,
ukulele and soft percussion-driven
tunes that will break *our heart—in a.
good way. Simple and reflective songs
tike ‘Old Days Are Here Again* and
“Home Sweet Home* echo Simon arid
Garfunkel while the title track could
have fit comfortably on a Jeff Bucktey
record. Smith takes the weii-wom
themes of loneliness and unrequited
love, dusts them off and slaps on a..
fresh coat of exaggeration The result
ing sound ta an instant classic. Loveu
IsNotWhatYtaNeedisMsatitaic
and genuine— a gem of an album that
will have you chuckling one minute
and sighing wistfully the next
Carrie Dagenhard