MUSIC 'DiBenedetto' by Rich Bennett

This avant guard artist Rich Bennett is back and more ethereal than ever! Wow. Seriously, if you are on holiday in a classic car like a Fiat or a Alfa Romero both from the 60's climbing through the alps with a great (I mean a really great) sound system, you will need this to be playing. The songs are each a mini-movie of some sort. In fact, I put on the Anton Corbin movie 'Linear' on the youtube but muted the sound but let 'DiBenedetto' play instead and it is Magnificent! Try it!

Linear - Anton Corbijn

It is like the Pink Floyd and the Wizard of Oz!

It is hard to talk about individual tracks. Track four soars with the melodies of such guitar greats like Eric Johnson and Guy Mann-Dude's more subtle work. Some of the bass playing is very reminiscent of an 80's Tony Levin, or maybe a Pino Palladino's work on Don Henley's 'Sunset Grill' or perhaps the fretless stylings on 'Ten' of Jeff Ament. If I were you, I would dig out that old Boss Chorus pedal and be ready for the comeback because this album is going to bring it back in style single-handedly! Ha ha!

The last song is the stunning 'Oss' which features a delicate piano. If there's a track yearning for a vocal on this EP, this would be it, although I can't imagine what that vocal might be in fact so maybe I'm in error. This song brought up some strange emotions in me so I listened to it intently, and more than once, but mostly because it is quite short in duration.

 Another amazing release by Bennett, and certainly leaves the listener yearning for more.

MUSIC! 'On Holiday' by Rich Bennett

Friends, my most certain apology for being away for so long. My cat Merphis suffered an emotional trauma after a close run-in with a pastry truck when I was taking him to a Stockholm specialist in feline fibromyalgia. Merphis is ok but it was me which suffered some syndrome issues for which I have seen many doctors but am now okay. As it is a new year, I am reinvented as a writer again! So here I am!

This record is nice. It came to me some time ago and it's not exactly an easy record to put in any sort of type of box. There is overall the feel of relaxation to this. There are moments of cowboy wonderings and yearning for the perfect sunset perhaps. The sound of the album overall is amazing, very pleasing and everything in just its correct spot. Very beautiful, very calming, very nice. The equalisations and things are perfection in many respects as a soundtrack to a beautiful day.

The song for example to take is 'Back Around'. Now with Rich Bennett sings a woman as well and it is pleasant. There is also the sounds of the old west, reminding me of the days as a young wee in Norrköping at my pappap's yak farm slowly chewing on long stems of wheat and nodding along with the goats before milking time.

Then Rich Bennett throws a curve with a song called 'Wild Ride'. This is good! In some ways, this is very lively. Synthesizer bubbles a la Devo or maybe a light Depeche Mode but with Rich singing very much like Peter Murphy or perhaps Eric Avery's post Jane's Addiction album 'Deconstruction' which long time readers would know is a favorite, so nice job, Rich.

There is much whistling. Then there is a song called 'Peak' which is very oriental in sound, like entering a restaurant with raw fish or perhaps meat being cut at your table. The track is an adventure with interesting percussion accompanied by a Stereolab like breakdown and some ethnic 'oh's' to help close it out.

I believe 'Night Part 1' to be my favorite track on the album. Buoyed pleasant guitars with triangle and shoulders-left-to-right rocking rhythms. Just as the song begins to tease, a tremendous saxophone solo approaches and flows like a rose opening in the morning a la 'Kokomo' or perhaps 'The Heat Is On' and I am transformed to Margaritaville or perhaps the Hotel California.

It has been written that the luscious contours follow flowing lines. While I laugh at this and am not in the market for a new auto, if I were, I would want Rich Bennett's 'On Holiday' as the soundtrack for every test drive! It is just that smooth.

MUSIC! 'Mojo' by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

So this is Tom Petty. For a long time, this guy has been around. Now he's making another record. He really rips off a lot of people. The Strokes, he ripped them off for his song 'American Girl'. Also, the Red Hot Chili Peppers song he ripped off when he wrote 'Mary Jane's Last Dance'. He just not an originator I suppose. Still his hits are always a pleasure to my ear.

Now this record: you may recall sometime ago I tried to watch 'Phish 3D'. Some of this record reminds me of this type of band. The second song starts with a very nice guitar riff. Then it goes off into 'Free Burrito'-ville. You can almost picture the light show. I think Jerry Garcia himself may have taken the solo. Even this very talented guitarist I think now has dreadlocks, so you can see where this is going. The next song is called 'Running Man's Bible'. Now first of all, I did not know the AOL logo guy was religious. Having said that, the music sounds like something you might hear on a radio station in America that asks for money all the time. I'm getting a little sleepy I think.

Now I get to 'Candy' this song sounds like the riff from 'Sesame Street'. Can you tell me how to get... how to get to the next record I'm going to review?

'I Should Have Known It'. Now this is a rocking song. It's a bit angry. He sounds a little tougher. It's a big band sound. Still, it's a little lame I think. It sounds like... well it sounds like he's gotten old I guess. Not that this is a bad thing. But I think I'll listen to his older stuff maybe instead of this 'Mojo'. In fact maybe it's badly named I think. Or perhaps in calling it 'Mojo' he was asking for it to come back maybe.

'Taking my time... I'm slowing down a little bit' he sings.

Yes.

MUSIC! 'Deep Sea Treachery' by The Exeter Popes

There's a whale on the cover of this recording! Then I think I hear the whale at the beginning of the record! It is like the Moby Dick! The Exeter Popes recording 'Deep Sea Treachery' is like a very nice musical journey by sea. By track two 'New Moon' I am very into this. There is harmony vocals but not too sweetly. I believe they are talking about Vespas. My grand father often would drink a lot and ride a Vespa. He would have liked this Exeter Popes record after a few drinks and driving home poorly.

'Senegal Son' is much like most of the recording. There is very competent drumming and music. The singer is breathy and full of air and melody. There's a very cool drum like from the African places on this song. Just when I am in the middle of the journey, some mechanical beats and keyboards show up on the song 'idwgh'. I am not sure what word this is, and I cannot pronounce it without sounding like I have a mouth full of spettekaka! Never the less this song falls in line of the others even with the electronic flourishes. In fact I think the Exeter Popes should pursue this sound more often perhaps. It's very nice.

Everything on this record sounds very good for an indie band in fact very, very good. 'King Waltzer' is full of nice dancing feelings. The bass player is very smooth. The drumming then comes in on 'Hintorain' like the Phil Collins kind and is very powerful. This is something this band does very well which is put louder and more expanding elements together with more melodic and softer things on top. It is a successful mix of heavy and soft, which some bands cannot achieve without sounding very not so good and ballad.

I think the last song may be my favorite. It is a longer 'jam' type music with a bass line that reminds me of Jane's Addiction (big props to Eric Avery yes!) and the sound of it really makes you listen in like you are swimming in it a bit. By the time it gets louder I am hooked like the big whale grabbing a gigantic worm and being pulled up by a crane that shaped like huge fishing rod! It is the sea and I am swimming in The Exeter Popes!

MUSIC! 'I Don't Want To Dream' by The City & Horses

So I put this on. This is by the band The City & Horses from Brooklyn. It's breezy at first, there is some vocal octave melody. It's peppy! There's a sort of 1980's clean feel to it, maybe like Marshall Crenshaw or a more effeminate Elvis Costello, at first. Then the second song comes on, 'Little Finland'. I will say that I can't agree as I feel Finland is a small land mass, but this is not important! Ha ha! The music is sort of an R.E.M. with clean guitar and strums. Vocally, it's kind of more high. And there is a flute!

By song three it is a little bit of early Modern Lovers but a little lighter in delivering in the performance and singing. This singer is far better than The Modern Lovers. If maybe Gordon Gano and Jonathan Richman had taken vocal lessons. It's very pleasant to be sure. The rhythms are very 50's 'Peggy Sue'. The sound is very clean. 'I Love The Girls' is sort of more down the road of the aforementioned bands. Then there's a girl singing (maybe this is the girls about he is singing?) It is very competent, but it is also very smooth.

'Russian Military Badges'. Now this I really like! A lot going on here, almost Beatle-esque, some nice changes and arrangement. It's got some edges to it, although there is the girl singing again! He loves the girls! Ha ha! These lyrics are very high. Overall, lyrically it is very strong, there's much whimsy. 'I Am Such A Drag' also has a nice flow, almost like a Reggae song in some way. 'Your Father's Factory' starts like some Culture Club, then it moves into a new zone. It is 80's too! In fact there's a lot of that decade around on this. 'Pierre the Arab' is a classic closing number that really reminds me of a better sounding Dead Milkmen.

Overall, this is a very pleasant recording. I must say, on second listen, the straight ahead songs with more pep are now more appealing to me. Sometimes there's a lot of instruments. I like the lower angrier type singing as well, but that doesn't mean the other high parts are not good. There's a few different bands in here, I would say, also not a bad thing overall.

It would be something to hear the band go stripped down and more sharp angle maybe. In fact, the album is a lot like one of the lyrics: 'I love coffee and I love tea!' Sometimes it is peppy and hot. Sometimes it is breezing and relaxing. Some records are very good like this.

There is a secret rocker in the singer Marc and he's got many of the awesome talent of some of the great 80's punk and indie musicians it seems. He also can write. So maybe on the next installment could be more coffee and let the caffeination do the talking!

MUSIC! 'Something For Everybody' by Devo

Oh No it's Devo! Before I begin this review I should full disclosure that I am a Devo fan. Some people just do not have the capacity of them. I understand this. Devo are somewhat different than many American rock bands in their presentation. This is because Devo is not a traditional band of its time wanting to talk about sexual intercourse and party things. This band came from an angle of commentary on the society of the United States.

They also were very visual first before MTV. Sometimes in art when something starts something that becomes popular it is overlooked as its originator. As the known Ghandi once said: 'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win'. Of course he was portrayed by the excellent Ben Kingsley, and apparently he was not very nice to his woman, but as Ghandi isn't even perfect we can all breathe a little easier!

Now the first Devo record is still in my heaviest plays. It was recorded with the great Eno. It contained many songs that many people have secretly copied. This is a blueprint sort of record. In this way, many of the bands after it came in the 1980's in America were heavily influenced by it. This is important in the 'Devolution' of Devo, the band. In fact by the time album number three 'Freedom Of Choice' was arrived, they hit their commercialness with 'Whip It' which featured a video with an attractive Asian who was cross-eyed.

If we hit the switch to now, we have 'Something For Everybody'. This recording is the first Devo recording in 20 years. This is apparent. Some of this record tries very hard. Now, it's not a bad thing, and I have listened to this for many times already, which I do not always do before I write. Some of these songs are not only good they are great. So far, 'Fresh' and the very amazing 'Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)' are easily immediate classics. The singer and brain of the band Mark Mothersbaugh is writing the lyrics he is born to sing. The band is not too over the top.

The song 'Somethin' is that cynical but smart voice with the drums reminiscent of 'Whip It' provided by the newer drummer (although not so new it seems as he began the live show in 1995) Josh Freese. Josh is great. He was in the Nine Inch Nails and a friend is sending me a copy of his recording which I will review at later time. 'Later is Now' is also a quick classic for this band, which is written by the other brain of it Gerald Casale.

I would like to take a moment to discuss the cover art as well. It is a woman eating in a sexual manner a small blue version of the classic Devo hat. First of all, no one should ever judge an attractive woman negatively. Beauty should always be a celebration. Second of all, there is nothing about the cover that would let you know it is a Devo recording EXCEPT the hat. This to me says this album is for the fans, and those in the known about them. However, the other side of this is that it is a sexual picture. It does fit into the Devo philosophic angle of having both a pleasant and easy to approach flavor but still has some cryptic undertones.

The issue which it brings me to as I suggested above is this: so much of modern music in the dance times as computers and electronics became apparent was a natural and sometimes unnatural branch of the Devo tree. Here we are in 2010 and Devo is back with a recording and in some ways I think they wanted to say 'Hey, we started this stuff, and look here we are'.

There is nothing wrong with this. But on many of the songs, there is a lot of things that seem to be a little too put in their places. In fact, the singer Mark has his voice often sounding like a robot or perhaps like a GPS voice too often for what I would like to listen. Again, this is an album with a lot of depth, so I am going to let some of this embellishment take on its own place in the record because the songs and the lyrical themes are still amazing. Sometimes when a band has too much covered up on their vocals I am turned away. There is something that makes me feel it's just gimmick or insecurity. At some points on this record, there is that feeling of Oingo Boingo or Goldfrapp (I reviewed their record not long ago and it all sounds like a car commercial) and this is only because of the parts that seem to not be aligned with the core of what the message is. Perhaps this is a result of still being on a major label, or maybe because it is their first recording in so long, I don't know.

But I will say, if they ever were to read this review (Ha!), don't be afraid to be Devo! Life is too short to break the news to the people gently! However, overall, this is a far, far better recording than most new bands, and the music and words are still top notch. I would bet that live the songs are perfection without all the additional things that sound a bit odd. Who knows, this may be something I enjoy with each additional spin of it.

In fact, I will go make an Absolut cocktail and put on this record now, and for the future!

MUSIC! 'How To Destroy Angels' by How To Destroy Angels

Trent Reznor has gone and married a girl. After his band the Nine Inch Nails departed after a very great few years of tour, he had told his people he'd be making something sort of new and this is the first result. I will be completely honest it's not very common that I think it is good for a musician to create with his lover or wife. Some exceptions of course can be brought to brain (Sonny and Cher, WHAM!) but mostly these types of collaborations don't bring out the better of any of the artists.

The first time I listened to these 6 songs I was like 'It's musical like Trent but it's got this girl singing' and it was hard to get over this exit ramp. But then something happened about when I'm over the second way through: it was like wow. She is at first the sound of Nine Inch Nails on a chalkboard or some whining sorority babe, then it hit me that she wasn't either of those two. She has a lot of presence and is breathing longer than Trent Reznor would if he was the person on the microphone. More of a percussion type singer in the vein of a Phil Collins or even a Chuck D maybe, but she is actually holding out the notes longer and more appealing with the similar anger managed percussion and drum bass sounds underneath.

The second song is actually more like a NIN song with Trent and Kewpie Doll singing at the same moment, and it's pretty great. I found more that I listened the more I was drawn to listening in again like maybe later Neu! or mid-period Wire maybe? I don't really know. It's kind of it's own sound, something unusually in the times. 'Fur Lined' is a lot like the song by Trent called 'Only' in fact I'd bet he used the same drum box for the production sounds. She is growing on me. At seven minutes, the EP closer 'The Drowning' is exceptional on headphones and very closer in sound to some of Reznor's last few recordings. I think this is a great start for a 'new' band and I hope they don't get tired of fucking so they can make new music (rumor is a baby is next, that's kind of interesting! I hope it's 'Head Like a Hole! haha!)