SATURDAY’S RADAR KILL ALL THE DJ’S NATIONAL RECORDS

Out of Austin comes Saturday’s Radar. They seem to draw their inspiration from The Sex Pistols, Smashing Pumpkins, and Kiss — all in the best way possible.

Lead singer Jamiey Hill has got a very Billy Corriganesque voice and the songs have a free-form rock/punk sound to them. In pieces it’s sloppy punk and at points Brian Meyerdirk’s guitar sounds like it’s playing an arena rock anthem. Carey Best on bass and Brad Schmerbeck on drums rounds out the band.

Kill All The DJ’s is a forty-minute ten-song album that is easy to listen to in one sitting. The title track kicks off the album well… is there such a thing as melodic punk? “Dry Your Eyes” is a radio-friendly rocker that has a 70s anthem feel to it. A twist in the album comes in the seventh song, the acoustic-guitar- and-vocal-only “Valley of the Dolls.” It highlights the softer side of Saturday’s Radar.

One of the standout tracks is “Holiday” a three-minute jam with a guitar line that Ace Frehley himself would be proud of. “She’s seventeen and rich as a queen. She don’t know what it means. She just might have to dream about it.”

If you’d like to see Saturday’s Radar live, they are playing Room 710 on July 21, 2005. For more information about the band…or if you just want to see an interesting model on hegemony (you’ve got to look this one up to understand), visit http://www.saturdaysradar.com. (B) SC

LYNDA JONES TANGLE OF LOVE

For her debut album, English teacher turned songstress Lynda Jones wrote the lyrics to every song.

The title song, "Tangle of Love", is about the kind of relationship that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives, whether we will ever admit to it or not. It is about falling in love with the wrong person — forbidden fruit — living the-grass-is-greener lifestyle — or is it really about meeting the right person at the wrong time?

I really enjoyed this CD for the variety. For instance, "When All You've Got Is Love" is a perky, upbeat, fun, folksy song.

Then there is "My Baby Makes My Little Light Shine" which brings to me a mental picture of living in a cabin in the woods with someone sexy like Grizzly Adams (minus Ben…of course). I see horseback riding by day, and drinking tequila and making love under the open sky by night. Well, it doesn't hurt to dream.... Then there's "Beethoven Had A Lover" which, lyrics aside, sounds like a good background song when you are strolling through the woods, along a peaceful trail, holding hands with your lover, or just listening to the relaxing sounds of nature.

There’s a pleasant variety of sounds, from folk, to country, to something very mellow. If I had to say which radio stations this CD should be played on, I wouldn't be sure. But that's all the more reason for you to get your own album, available at Waterloo or online at: www.lyndajones.net. Also, if you’re in Wimberley, TX on July 14, 2005 she’ll be performing at the Cypress Creek Café. A (AB)

SARAH GLYNN TO SWEETEN UP

This album has been sitting in my CD player for the last few months. I’ve been meaning to review it, but everytime I try to start writing something about it, I can’t find the words. It’s a very good album…but describing it is much harder than any album I’ve ever heard to date. It was released last September, so I’ve got to take my best stab at it this month.

To Sweeten Up is singer/songwriter/producer/ multi-instrumentalist Sarah Glynn’s sophomore effort. The twelve-song album launches through a couple of styles, always well… from a Yaz , to a U2, to a Cure, to a Belinda Carlisle feel. Glynn plays just about every instrument on just about every song too.

Opening with the guitar-driven “Don’t Say No,” this album proves that it’s not the runof- the-mill local release. Glynn’s voice has a certain British quality to it that throws me for a loop (she was born and raised in Richmond Indiana).

The title track is an infectious song that belongs on a radio station in heavy rotation. “Full Badge Bar” reminds me of Juliana Hatfield’s “My Sister” which is one of the few songs from my teen years that I would put on my iPod. The instrumental “Cromwell” ends the album nicely.

Overall this album is a nice listen. If you’re into catchy indie-pop you’d do well to search this one out. (B-) SC

BOJONES ST

Anyone wondering what Rob Thomas might have sounded like in high school should check out the vocal chords on Nick Greer of Bojones!

This trio of high-school aged boys from Houston will sweep you off your feet with their innocent dreams of today and tomorrow. Within the first ten seconds of listening to their first self-titled release, the progressive blues-rock droning of Bojones will put your favorite American Idol contestants to shame.

Although the lyrics in the first couple of tracks can get a little repetitive, Bojones has managed to make their album an overall poetic and lyrical masterpiece with tracks like “Wait” and “And You.” As if the astounding vocals were not enough to impress, Bojones has gone all out on this album, showing off an exceptional aptitude for piano-playing that reminds you at times of the masterful Ben Folds.

The multi-talented group offers something everyone can enjoy from lovesick “Summer” to angst-ridden “Get Out,” showing they will and should be taken seriously, despite their age.

Bojones attributes much of their inspiration (and the idea behind their name) to one of the greatest rock bands of the 21st century, Aerosmith, but their unique style and sound speak for themselves, that this is truly one talented group of kids.

As an interesting side note… these boys have live music in their blood! Two of the members of Bojones are twin brothers Louis & Chris Messina, sons of the renowned Louis Messina, concert advocate and president of PACE concerts.

Not impressed yet? Just listen to the final almost twelve-minute track “The Soldier and the Holy Ghost.” The combination of melodious vocals, spiritual lyrics, a skillful pianist, a creative guitarist, and an aggressive percussionist will make you want to keep this disc on constant replay.

To find out more, visit Bojones online at: http://www.bojones.net/. (A+) BR

THE HOLD STEADY SEPARATION SUNDAY (FRENCHKISS) CLASS: POWER CHORDS, BAR TALES, AND SIX PACKS

Rock writer Jon Landau famously wrote that he’d seen the future of rock-n-roll, and that it was Bruce Springsteen. An audacious prediction back in 1975 (and one that led to Landau managing Springsteen’s lucrative career), the Boss became the subject of massive publicity, critical acclaim, and then subsequent backlash. He also ended up on of the biggest rock stars for three straight decades. So what could the Hold Steady possibly have in common with Springsteen?

A lot, actually: 70s-sized rock anthems, chomping guitar hooks, imperfect vocals, and literate lyrical wonderlands that speak to a generation of hipsters without any snobbish irony. Separation Sunday has so much going for it—an abundance of great songs, a radio-ready spirit, and infectious energy—that it’s tempting at times to join in the chorus of critical praise that has greeted this album and impulsively align it with the classics. On first listen, it’s simply that good.

It’s only after repeated listens that the wrinkles reveal themselves, the sheen wears off, and the undeclared moments of brilliance either fuse to your brain or escape entirely. Singer Craig Finn’s voice, with his Eric Bachmann (ex-Archers of Loaf)-meets-Bob Mould holler, has all the passion of Springsteen without the messiah complex but it seems more a stage instrument than one of the studio. The garage-ish power chords that propel these songs are lively but ancient. And the more you listen, the less Finn’s stories uncover about the human condition. All these signs suggest that Separation Sunday isn’t an immediate classic, but that hardly distracts from its immediate appeal. (Dean’s List) JD

DROPKICK MURPHYS THE WARRIOR’S CODE (HELLCAT) CLASS: BLUE COLLAR PUNK ROCK WITH BAGPIPES AND POWER CHORDS

In the months leading up to the release of The Warrior’s Code, the Dropkick Murphy’s latest record, the band was quoted as saying this album would be a more straight forward punk rock release with less bagpipes and strings this time around. The warnings, thankfully, turned out to be untrue. Like Blackout and the slew of other records before it, The Warrior’s Code find the South Boston gang still leaning heavily on their blue collar Irish roots to craft another unmatched punk rock landmark. In the tradition of The Pogues, the Dropkick Murphys use traditional Irish instruments to turn out a deeply original sound while sidestepping the tag of novelty band. Lyrically the band has always had a sharp sense of humor and stick to themes they’re comfortable with like looking for a fight and a drink, (not always in that order) and the Red Socks (more on that later). On “Wicked Sensitive Crew,” the band turns its attention to tough talking pop punkers with neck tattoos, while “Citizen C.I.A.” finds the band spouting off on politics while still keeping the wit sharp.

Which brings us to “Tessie,” The Warrior’s Code closer and so far the best argument for how the Red Sox managed to take the World Series away from the Yankees last year? The official anthem of the team, Tessie was an old Broadway tune that used to be sung at Sox games in the early 1900’s. The band updated the song, recorded it in time for the ball team to make the play offs and eventually run away with the World Series. Rowdy and loud, it manages to fit quite nicely on the tail end of The Warrior’s Code. (A-) JM

CAESARS PAPER TIGERS (ASTRALWERKS) CLASS: STRAIGHT FROM THE IPOD COMMERCIAL’S DEPTHS

Caesars are Sweden’s latest rock export to the U.S., and are also iPod’s latest ad whores – let’s thank Apple in advance for allowing Jet to poison our airwaves. We’ve all heard that keyboard-driven, Primal Scream-stealing “Jerk It Out”, a song catchy enough to force itself into your brain, even though you know it sucks. That song, however, was recorded a couple of years ago and sounds out of place on Paper Tigers, which mines late 80’s/early 90’s college rock rather than Madchester – a form that Caesars explores competently, but without any distinction or unique ability.

Being Swedish, a comparison to the Hives is unavoidable and unfortunate. While the Hives are true originals, the Caesars are totally derivative – frontman Cesar Vidal’s voice is a dead ringer for Liam Gallagher’s, he looks just like the Happy Mondays’ Bez, and the band’s guitars steal everything from 60’s pop to Husker Du. Both Caesars and the Hives amusingly mangle English (is “Jerk It Out” really about masturbation?), but the former band tries too hard to sound normal, which exposes a line like “It’s not the fall that hurts/It’s when you hit the ground” for the lame cliché that it actually is. “Spirit” shows that the band can write more than one catchy tune, but nothing here is special, and nothing propels Caesars past, “Hey, this sounds like [insert band here]” familiarity. (C) SB

SCREAMING TREES OCEAN OF CONFUSION 1990-1996 (EPIC) CLASS: GRUNGETASTIC

Remember the Screaming Trees? Probably not, since they only released three albums and their only “hit” (“Nearly Lost You”), while a great song, is fairly indistinctive from, say, all the other bands who were trying to personify that coveted “Seattle Sound.” In fact, maybe we can blame Nirvanamania on the Screaming Trees: the Trees were one of the first grunge acts signed to a major label in the Pacific Northwest, and if they didn’t become famous in their career, at least they have that to put on their tombstone.

Of course, these guys didn’t fade away without trying to burn out first. Legendary for their drinking, fighting, and disappearing, the tracks collected here don’t give justice to the hit-or-miss career that always seemed to be on the verge of failure. It’s fairly even draw from the catalog, but with “Nearly Lost You There” stuck right in the middle, the compilation never recovers—the Screaming Trees never had a better song and the sequencing inadvertently reveals this. It’s too bad because the band frequently strayed from the Black Sabbath template into more psychedelic avenues, and Ocean of Confusion never lets on as much.

Mark Lanegan’s primal howl hasn’t aged well—it’s presented as a force of nature and perhaps it is. But a dozen or so other bands copped the vibe outright, so if he’s got the chops it’s hard to say whether they’re even his or not. Luckily for Lanegan, his post- Screaming Trees work is more varied and compelling; back in the day, he was pretty easy to pigeonhole. And so his band suffers the same fate, a pretty solid band but one without enough distinction to warrant an anti-downloading measure like Ocean of Confusion. (C+) JD

AT THE DRIVE-IN THE STATION IS NON-OPERATIONAL (FEARLESS) CLASS: FRUSTRATING RETROSPECTIVE FROM EMO-PUNK STALWARTS.

Like how Son Volt and Wilco came from the splinters of Uncle Tupelo, Sparta and The Mars Volta formed from the ashes of At The Drive-In, one of most respected, if slightly overrated, bands of the nineties. Oh sure, “One Armed Scissor” was freakin’ Mozart compared to the rest of rock radio’s 2000 playlist, but there’s something offputting about the band’s habit of repeating its short choruses over and over and over again – it sounds like they had little to say when they actually had plenty to say.

ATDI’s one truly great album, Relationship of Command (buy it, now), met their dynamic potential, but they imploded right after its release. The Station is Non-Operational does the band’s legacy no favors by ignoring most of that album (and other great songs like “300 MHz”) in favor of inferior b-sides and early tracks. ATDI’s template is simple – LOTS of noise, screamed vocals (courtesy of Cedric Bixler, now leading the Mars Volta), and occasional bits of inspired instrumentation (dig those bongos on “Enfilade”). At times, the band’s fury approaches Fugazi’s, but even Ian MacKaye knows that noise needs a song to be effective, a point that ATDI sometimes forgets in their early work (see “Lopsided” and “Chanbara”). They had an daring experimental side to them as well, shown here by the electronica of “Autorelocator” and “Rascuache” that approaches Aphex Twin’s inspired madness; the band even includes a shockingly straight cover of “This Night Has Opened My Eyes”, one of the Smiths’ most subtle songs. The band’s best moments are its most focused – the power of “One Armed Scissor” and “Enfilade” (complete with its creepy phone intro) have a power that’s almost unmatched in modern rock. The latter song rants about a freight train that’s coming to destroy all in its path. ATDI’s train, unfortunately, never arrived and it’s a damn shame, and including more of the band’s best work here would have made that point even more clear for the newbies who don’t yet know. (B-) SB