Jeffrey Lewis
12 Crass Songs (Rough Trade)
Quirky NYC singer-songwriter covers 12 songs by Crass, the 1970s political punk collective from the UK. Why this isn’t a disaster: Lewis’ orchestrations are balanced by his painstaking enunciation of Crass’ lyrics, which makes 12 Crass Songs sound like a folkier version of the Dead Milkmen. It doesn’t all work, and Lewis can’t top the original “Do They Owe Us a Living,” but I don’t think, say, Sufjan could have pulled this one off.
Blood on the Wall
Liferz (Social Registry)
When they played Emo’s back in 2006, two of the three members were wearing shorts. The NYC trio channels that early 1990s dark roots and chipped nail polish aesthetic not just sartorially, but also sonically. As on 2005 debut Awesomer, Liferz revels in the dingy, fuzzed-out skate-or-die anthem. Siblings Courtney and Brad Shanks, on bass and guitar respectively, trade vocals throughout the album, with Courtney’s drawl eviscerating “The Ditch” and “Lightning Song.” “Turn Around and Shut Up” is all Black Flag chords and pretty much sums up the whole album.
Times New Viking
Rip It Off (Matador)
TNV’s 2006 album, Present the Paisley Reich, was glorious, dirty Midwestern skuzz that was so lo-fi it sounded like 1983. So the speaker-blowing Columbus, Ohio trio signs with Matador to record their major label debut, and guess what? Rip It Off‘s sound quality has not improved whatsoever. Dedication. The simple synth, drums, guitar turned up to 11 formula works on opener “Teen Drama” and “RIP Allegory,” and the basement influence of Guided By Voices and the Clean shines through on “Mean God” and “Another Day,” both of which tighten their songwriting from Paisley Reich.
BIPPP: French Synth Wave 1979-85 (Everloving)
This collection of synth-based gems from an obscure era of French new wave yields some great curiosities. The robotic sexuality of Deux’s “Game and Performance” is entrancing and punishing in an almost German way and Casino Music’s ridiculously danceable “Viol AF 015″is almost too electric for this comp, but the vintage photos and haircuts are a bonus.
Doozy of the Month:
Hello, Blue Roses
The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty (Locust Music)
The title’s a doozy alright, but we’ve come to expect hyperbole and grandeur from Dan Bejar, aka Destroyer. Hello, Blue Roses is Bejar’s collaboration with partner Sydney Vermont, written on an apparent luuuvaah’s retreat in Spain. Take a Xanax instead, and pick up Destroyer’s upcoming album, Trouble in Dreams, in March.
This article appears in January 18 • 2008.