Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Before The List Edition

ANDERSON .PAAK – Oxnard
Dr. Dre executive produces, Kendrick Lamar guests, so .Paak is officially G-Funk/hip-hop royalty now. (7)

CHRIS CORNELL – Chris Cornell
Comprehensive posthumous 4-disc box set featuring tracks by Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, Audioslave, his solo career, rarities and 11 unreleased tracks proving that this guy’s voice was the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll weapon. A must-have even if you already own most of this stuff. (9)

CONCEPTION – My Dark Symphony
Well we don’t really have Queensryche anymore, do we? (7)

DAN REED NETWORK – Origins
Four new songs and four old hits re-recorded live in the studio by a band once described as “Bon Jovi meets Prince”, but here sounds more like “Chic meets King’s X”. (7)

JD McPHERSON – Socks
Fun Christmas-themed rockabilly originals by McPherson will surely bring a smile to your face. (7)

LARKIN POE – Venom & Faith
This is not your father’s blues record, it’s a wild stomp through the muddy banks of the Mississippi river with Dr Martens on. (9)

LAURA JANE GRACE & THE DEVOURING MOTHERS – Bought to Rot
Against Me! leader’s side project releases fantastic album combining her day’s job’s emotional punk with 70’s Bowie/Reed glam rock elements and her complicated personal life. Funny and devastating at the same time. (8)

MUSE – Simulation Theory
In case you ever wondered what would’ve happened if Giorgio Moroder had produced a Queen album between “The Game” and “Hot Space”. (7)

NEMANJA RADULOVIC – Baika
Classical music for people who don’t listen to classical music, Serbian star violinist takes us on a wonderful Eastern-flavored journey featuring compositions by Khachaturian, Rimsky-Korsakov etc. (8)

REO SPEEDWAGON – The Early Years 1971-1977
I have a soft spot for these guys and this 8-disc box set is a treasure for all classic rock fans – the band’s first 6 studio albums, some of them hard to find, plus 1977’s double live. Forget the 80’s ballads, this is the meat ‘n’ potatoes rock you cannot not love. (8)

SMITHEREENS – Covers
Vastly underrated and presumably sadly missed since Pat DiNizio’s death, The Smithereens’ likely swan song has the power-pop quartet covering its favorite songs. Previously available on iTunes, first time on CD, plays like the coolest jukebox ever. (8)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, November 2018

BLACKBERRY SMOKE – The Southern Ground Sessions
Acoustic versions of five songs off their last album “Find A Light”, plus a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky”. Amanda Shires guests. Fans will love this. (7)

DEAD CAN DANCE – Dionysus
A worthy addition to this great band’s discography, closer to 1998’s “Spiritchaser” than to any of their other albums. Oh, and it’s a concept album. (8)

DR. FEELGOOD – Live At The BBC
Legendary pub rockers in early-career live recording that just saw the light of day. It does capture their manic on-stage energy but if you’re a Dr. Feelgood newbie you’re probably better off checking out “Stupidity” first, their legendary hit live album recorded a couple of years down the road in 1976. (7) 

JULIA HOLTER – Aviary
The beautiful orchestral chamber pop of 2015’s excellent “Have You In My Wilderness” gives way to an impressionistic, complex, cacophonous 90-minute epic representation of the chaotic world we live in. An album much easier to admire than to actually enjoy. (7)

MARIANNE FAITHFULL – Negative Capability
She’s lived the fullest life possible and now at 71 she releases an album of meditations on death, eerily reminiscent of Leonard Cohen’s swan song. It’s fantastic, but the main reason I’m reviewing it is to point out that Warrior Soul’s Kory Clarke has always sounded EXACTLY like Faithfull. (8)

MAVERICKS – Hey! It’s Christmas!
Eight originals and a couple of covers on a very happy-sounding Christmas album blending country, swing, rockabilly and latin music, this will definitely put you in a festive mood. (7)

PISTOL ANNIES – Interstate Gospel
Top-notch songwriting, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes both at the same time. These ladies just released the finest country record of 2018. (9)

RODNEY CROWELL – Christmas Everywhere
This is not a happy Christmas album like the one by the Mavericks. This is a realistic Christmas album by one of country music’s lesser known true heroes, starring dysfunctional couples, depressed loners and drunken idiot relatives. (7)

STEVEN WILSON – Home Invasion: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
145 minutes of Steven Wilson live with a great track listing and amazing sound quality from the guy who, whether you like it or not, singlehandedly keeps progressive rock alive in the 21st century. (8)

THE OCEAN – Phanerozoic I: Paleozoic
Like a prog Neurosis but with a degree in Paleontology and less facial hair. (7)

TY SEGALL – Fudge Sandwich
Garage rocker covers an eclectic bunch of his favorite songs (War, Spencer Davis Group, John Lennon, Funkadelic, Neil Young, Gong, Amon Duul II etc.) and truly makes them his own. (8)

WARREL DANE – Shadow Work
Closer to the Nevermore sound than anyone would’ve hope for but it’s not the same without Jeff Loomis, is it? (7)

WHITEY MORGAN & THE 78’S – Hard Times And White Lines
Whitey Morgan sounds like he was born in a roadhouse, or at least like he'll die in one. (7)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, October 2018

THE HARDER STUFF

BEHEMOTH – I Loved You At Your Darkest
Probably the most despicably evil-sounding thing you’ll hear all year. (8)

DISTURBED – Evolution
David Draiman said that this is their own “Black Album” and I guess he means there’s ballads this time around. The heavier songs on “Evolution” are solid but the aforementioned ballads sort of suck, and unfortunately there’s too many of ‘em. (6)

HIGH ON FIRE – Electric Messiah
If you like Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Slayer, and smoking dope, then your favorite album for 2018 has just been released. (8)

SACRAL RAGE – Beyond Celestial Echoes
Excellent second effort from Greek tech-speed metal quartet, sort of a cross between Watchtower and Helstar that ends up sounding like Annihilator but better than Annihilator has sounded in 25 years. (8)

SATAN’S SATYRS – The Lucky Ones
Some ties to Electric Wizard but sounding more like Fu Manchu on this one. (7)

SHINING – Animal
WTF moment of the month is when you put on an album by an artist you know really well and love, and within seconds you wonder if this is a different band that just happens to have the same name. Saxophone gone, brutal vocals gone, experimental blackjazz gone, this is basically a party rock record. And a good one too. (8)

STEVE PERRY – Traces
Legendary Journey frontman returns a quarter of a century after falling off the face of the planet, but the songwriting simply does not deliver. Good to see however that the apostrophes in the song titles are still in place (Erasin’, Cryin’, Somethin’ etc.) (6)

THE BLACK QUEEN – Infinite Games
Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato in Depeche Mode cosplay. (6)

TOM MORELLO – The Atlas Underground
RATM guitarist ventures out of his comfort zone with a strange EDM/rock hybrid featuring gazillions of guests from DJ Steve Aoki to Marcus Mumford to Gary Clark Jr. to Killer Mike. It works, sometimes. (7)

TOURNIQUET – Gazing At Medusa
Self-described as “Beethoven meets Frankenstein”, this Christian prog-thrash band has deservedly earned a rabid cult following and releases another great album. (8)

UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS - Wasteland
Everything is vastly improved on the occult/vintage hard rock band’s new album, their best, except the guy’s vocals and the crap production which are just as annoying as ever. Nods to early Maiden welcome. (7)


THE OTHER STUFF

ARETHA FRANKLIN – The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967-1970
(10)

BOTTLE ROCKETS – Bit Logic
Best southern/country rock band around at the moment alongside Blackberry Smoke. (8)

COLIN STETSON – The First: Original Soundtrack Vol. 1
On the heels of “Hereditary”, yet another excellent soundtrack work from avant-garde saxophonist Colin Stetson – this time for a new TV series developed by the team behind “House Of Cards” and starring Sean Penn. (8)

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS – Look Now
A mostly welcome return to the chamber pop sound of 1982’s “Imperial Bedroom”. (7)

ERIC CHURCH – Desperate Man
A country star who grew up on rock ‘n’ roll, Church releases throwback to 70’s country rock from the Allman Brothers to Jackson Browne and it’s probably his best album to date. (8)

ESPERANZA SPALDING – 12 Little Spells
I’ve previously said that Esperanza Spalding is like Kate Bush and Jaco Pastorius rolled into one. Well, you can add Kurt Weill and Prince into that equation. Wow. (9)

JOHN GRANT – Love Is Magic
Grant goes full-on electropop and most of the time sounds like he’s taking the piss. Certainly less satisfying than 2015’s excellent “Grey Tickles, Black Pressure”. (6)

MARISSA NADLER – For My Crimes
You’ll like Marissa Nadler if you like Sharon Van Etten, but probably not as much. (7)

NENEH CHERRY – Broken Politics
Cherry goes political, singing about gun violence and the global refugee crisis over a soundtrack of mostly ambient electronic beats that sound like a cross between Massive Attack (whose 3D collaborates here) and Four Tet (whose Kieran Hebden produces). (7)

PHOSPHORESCENT – C’Est La Vie
You’ll like Phosphorescent if you like The War On Drugs, but probably not as much. (7)

SAM PHILLIPS – World On Sticks
You’ve heard Sam Phillips even if you don’t know it as her music is all over the best TV series ever. Her “Martinis & Bikinis” album is a Desert Island Disc for this writer, and her new one is another delightful slice of Americana. Oh, and “Different Shades Of Light” is the best song you’ll hear this year. (8)

THE CRYSTAL METHOD – The Trip Home
Very late-90’s sounding electronica, RYIL the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim etc. (7)

THE NECKS – Body
Ambient jazz trio discover their inner rockers on their 20th studio album consisting of one 57-minute long piece. Listening to the whole thing, feel the tension build up until the glorious motorik post-rock orgasm comes somewhere around the middle. (8)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews: Back To School 2018-19

AARON LEE TASJAN – Karma For Cheap
His previous album, 2016’s Gram Parsons-informed “Silver Tears”, might as well be my favorite record of the last 5 years. “Karma For Cheap” rocks a bit harder in Tom Petty mode, and it’s a solid effort compared to practically anything except its predecessor. (8)

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO – The Crossing
A fantastic concept album about immigrants in the USA. Now 67, Escovedo manages to release what is probably the best album in his distinguished, long career, coming across as a Tex-Mex Springsteen. Guests include Joe Ely and Wayne Kramer. (8)

EMINEM – Kamikaze
When did everyone start to hate this guy? I think he’s OK and in any case his flow is flawless. (7)

FUCKED UP – Dose Your Dreams
Ridiculously ambitious double concept album featuring strings, saxophones, choirs and J. Mascis. The verdict’s still out on this one as I need a few more spins, but it’s certainly bonkers. (anything from 6 to 9)

JOAN SHELLEY – Rivers And Vessels
One of the most interesting folkies currently around covers Nick Drake, J.J. Cale, Dolly Parton etc. on this EP also featuring guest duets with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Julia Purcell. (7)

MARC RIBOT – Songs Of Resistance 1942-2018
Adventurous journeyman guitarist plus guest vocalists attack Trump through protest songs from the US Civil Rights Movement, anti-fascist WWII tunes etc., also some originals. Tom Waits sings “Bella Ciao”. (8)

MARK LANEGAN & DUKE GARWOOD – With Animals
Mark Lanegan once released an album titled “Blues Funeral”. I’m officially launching an Internet campaign to demand that all Mark Lanegan albums are retitled “Blues Funeral”, it works for every single one including this one. (7)

ODETTA HARTMAN – Old Rockhounds Never Die
Plenty of artists today are trying to push the boundaries of Americana with production experiments but none is as out there as Hartman, whose songs manage to maintain a hypnotic quality while often sounding like snippets of genius ideas rather than finished tracks. (7)

PAUL SIMON – In The Blue Light
Simon revisits/reimagines 10 overlooked deep cuts from his back catalogue to coincide with his farewell tour. Fans will love this. (8)

RICHARD THOMPSON – 13 Rivers
An extraordinarily impressive return to his rock persona, on “13 Rivers” Thompson sounds more like Bob Mould’s twice-as-talented dad (and you know I’m a huge Bob Mould fan) than like Fairport Convention’s guitarist. A fantastic set of songs. (9)

SPIRITUALIZED – And Nothing Hurt
Sounds like a middle-aged version of “Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space” but that’s not a bad thing for a middle-aged reviewer such as yours truly. Space rocker Jason Pierce fought death and came out triumphant, and if this is (as rumored) his last album then it’s a perfect epilogue to his career. (8)

SUPERSUCKERS – Suck It
Not even cancer can stop Eddie Spaghetti – the Supersuckers are back with another excellent Motorhead-meets-Steve Earle rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut. Very funny lyrics too. (8)

SUSANA BACA & ARGELIA FRAGOSO – Quiereme
Peruvian Latin music diva meets Cuban Latin music diva on wonderful jazz-tinged easy listening album. I could listen to this on repeat for hours. (8)

THE DEVIL MAKES THREE – Chains Are Broken
Yee-haw! The Devil makes four, actually, now that they have a full-time drummer on board, and their rockabilly-flavored Americana has never been as fun as it is on this album. (8)

THE LEMON TWIGS – Go To School
WTF rock musical about a chimpanzee raised by humans. Features Todd Rundgren as the chimp’s father, Jody Stephens from Big Star on drums, and a couple of jokes about bananas. (7)

THRICE – Palms
Album #10 by post-hardcore Californians shifts the sound towards a more melodic approach. Can you imagine a cross between the Deftones and Hot Water Music? (7)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Heavy Edition

ALICE IN CHAINS – Rainier Fog
Grunge by proxy, metalheads deep down, on new release that will keep the fanbase happy. (7)

ALKALINE TRIO – Is This Thing Cursed
Pop-punk veterans still in pretty good shape. (7)

AUTHOR & PUNISHER – Beastland
One-man industrial metal band Author & Punisher and his handmade robot noisemakers return with yet another skull-crushing collection of Godflesh-meets-NIN tracks. (7)

CLUTCH – Book Of Bad Decisions
Textbook definition of what hard rock should sound like. A couple of songs too long though. (8)

ENUFF ZNUFF – Diamond Boy
Cult power-pop heroes erroneously marketed as glam metal back in the day provide another set of catchy Cheap Trick-esque ditties. Guitarist Chip also assumes vocal duties as singer Donnie is M.I.A. Not bad, but do yourself a favor and listen to their fantastic 1989-2003 albums. (7)

NASHVILLE PUSSY – Pleased To Eat You
It’s a Nashville Pussy album so what did you expect? Of course it’s about dope, guns, and fucking in the streets. (7)

PRIMITIVE MAN & UNEARTHLY TRANCE – Split
Imagine someone drilling a hole in your cranium with a Black+Decker but instead of, say, a normal speed of 1000 RPM, this drill operates at 4 RPM. (666)

SATAN – Cruel Magic
A combination of great guitar work and piss-poor production gives this album an air of NWOBHM authenticity, not that they need it. Jump right in if you’re into old-school heavy metal. (7)

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES – Still Cyco Punk After All These Years
I wonder what Dave Lombardo’s salary is, if Mike Muir is using him as the only selling point for rehashing old material. (6)

SUMAC – Love In Shadow
Crushingly heavy yet strangely melodic this will certainly appeal to fans of previous bands these guys have been in, the most prominent of which was Isis. (8)

10 Χρόνια Κομμάτια

Από εδώ ξεκίνησαν όλα.

Είμαστε οι πρώτοι κι ακολουθάνε αναστημένοι χίλιοι νεκροί / Νέοι καιροί ξημερώνουνε πάλι, να η φωτιά, να η ζωή

1977. Είμαι 9 ετών, η οικογένεια ετοιμάζεται να μεταναστεύσει, από τη Λευκωσία στο West Lafayette της Indiana. Ο πατέρας μου ζητάει από το δισκοπώλη της γωνίας να του γράψει σε κασέτες κάποιους δίσκους για να πάρει μαζί του στις ΗΠΑ, εγώ αναλαμβάνω να μεταφέρω τις παραγγελιές στο δισκοπώλη και να παραλάβω τις αντιγραμμένες κασέτες.

Ο μπαμπάς Ελληνικά ακούει αλλά δεν είναι του λαϊκού, μέχρι Ξαρχάκο φτάνει. Θυμάμαι εκείνες τις κασέτες: Σπανός με Αλέκα Κανελλίδου. Χατζηνάσιος με Μπέσυ-Πασχάλη-Ουίλλιαμς-Μαριάννα Τόλη (LP χτισμένο γύρω από το Γιουροβιζιονικό σουξέ "Μάθημα Σολφέζ"). Και το "10 Χρόνια Κομμάτια" του Διονύση Σαββόπουλου.

Στα γήπεδα η Ελλάδα αναστενάζει, στα καφενεία μπιλιάρδο, καλαμπούρι και χαρτί

Δύσκολες μέρες στις ΗΠΑ. Μόλις έχω αρχίσει να μαθαίνω Αγγλικά αλλά είμαι αναγκασμένος να πάω Δ' Δημοτικού σε Αγγλόφωνο σχολείο, μοναδικός non-native speaker στην τάξη. Στο διάλειμμα τα παιδιά παίζουν softball και american football που δεν ξέρω ούτε καν τους κανόνες, όχι ποδόσφαιρο ή μακριά γαϊδούρα. Όλοι οι συμμαθητές μου έχουν έγχρωμη τηλεόραση εκτός από εμένα, εμείς μόνο μια μικρή ασπρόμαυρη μπορούσαμε να πάρουμε. Bullying. Όλα μου φαίνονται ξένα κι εχθρικά, κάθε μέρα γυρνάω από το σχολείο και αποσύρομαι μπροστά σε ένα φτηνό κασετόφωνο, δική μου μουσική δεν έχω ακόμα αλλά οι Ελληνικές κασέτες του μπαμπά είναι η διέξοδός μου, μια χωροχρονική σκουλικότρυπα που με γυρίζει μερικούς μήνες πίσω σε ένα μέρος πιο γνώριμο και ζεστό, πιο ασφαλές. Αγαπημένη μου από όλες, αυτή του Σαββόπουλου.

Η ζωή μου έχει γεμίσει μυστικά, στους διαδρόμους ψευδομάρτυρες καπνίζουν / Και οι φίλοι με κερνούν ναρκωτικά, και το κόμμα με τραβάει απ' το μανίκι.

Μεγαλώνοντας στην Κύπρο χούντα δεν έζησα, και ειδικά στην ηλικία των 9 είναι φυσικά αδύνατο να συλλάβω τα βαθύτερα πολιτικά νοήματα μέσα σε αυτά τα τραγούδια, ή να καταλάβω σε τι στο διάολο αναφέρεται ο Σαββόπουλος στα μικρά λογύδρια ανάμεσα στα τραγούδια όταν μιλάει για τη συγκέντρωση της ΕΦΕΕ ή για νεκροζώντανους στο Κύτταρο και σκηνές ροκ. Ξέρω όμως ότι αυτά τα τραγούδια είναι πολύ διαφορετικά από ο,τιδήποτε άλλο στη μικρή δισκοθήκη του πατέρα μου στο West Lafayette, αναγνωρίζω ότι έχουν βάθος και μιλούν για πράγματα ΣΗΜΑΝΤΙΚΑ (κι ας μην έχω ιδέα ποια είναι αυτά) και δεν μπορώ να σταματήσω να τα ακούω.

Επί δώδεκα μήνες το '77-'78 πρέπει να άκουσα το "10 Χρόνια Κομμάτια" γύρω στις 500 φορές, κάθε μέρα, κάποιες μέρες δυο και τρεις φορές. Ο Σαββόπουλος ήταν ο φάρος και το σωσίβιό μου το 1977, ο Σαββόπουλος με έκανε να αγαπήσω τη μουσική, ήταν η πρώτη μου επαφή με το ροκ όχι μόνο ως ήχο αλλά και ως φιλοσοφία. Ο Σαββόπουλος μου άλλαξε τη ζωή. Ίσως και να μου την έσωσε.

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Summer Holiday Edition

AMANDA SHIRES – To The Sunset
Long before becoming Jason Isbell’s wife, muse and savior, Shires was already an established musician in her own right and this is probably her most inspired solo album. Isbell holds a supporting role playing guitar and uber-producer Dave Cobb plays the bass but this is definitely a rock band Shires leads here, not a country band. (8)

DARON MALAKIAN & SCARS ON BROADWAY – Dictator
Daron tries really hard but without you-know-who this ends up sounding like a somewhat incomplete version of the “Hypnotize/Mesmerize” SOAD follow-up that never was. (7)

JEFFREY FOUCAULT – Blood Brothers
Country rock troubadour delivers an album decidedly more subdued than his previous couple of releases, chock-full of wonderful melodies and introspective lyrics. Americana fans please take note. (7)

LUCERO – Among The Ghosts
The diversity of artists bunched up under the “Americana” label is so vast that’s it’s impossible to define the genre, so let’s just say that this falls more towards the Tom Petty end of the spectrum rather than the Alison Krauss one. (7)

MIKE PATTON – 1922 (OST)
Soundtrack for Netflix adaptation of a Stephen King novella. Haven’t read the story or seen the movie, but the music sounds like John Carpenter fucking Angelo Badalamenti in the ass. (7)

PUNCH BROTHERS – All Ashore
Progressive bluegrass (prograss? Avant grass? Post-grass?). Strange band, strange album, sometimes beautiful but also a bit cold and distant in its acoustic string instrument virtuosity. (7)

SCREAMING JETS – Gotcha Covered
The world’s third best band with a name starting with the word “Screaming” covers other Aussie bands (Easybeats, Radiators, Men At Work, Hoodoo Gurus, Radio Birdman, Angels, INXS, Dragon, AC/DC of course…) and provides ultimate proof that Aussie rock is the world’s third best rock. (8)

THE RECORD COMPANY – All Of This Life
Rocking like a harder-edged Black Keys and occasionally venturing into Foghat/Five Horse Johnson boogie territory with some monster slide guitar, these guys will certainly shake your booty. (8)

ULTRAPHONIX – Original Human Music
Soulful, bluesy hard rock by the unlikely combination of George Lynch (Dokken) and Corey Glover (Living Colour) plus a kick-ass rhythm section. (7)

WILLIE NILE – Children Of Paradise
Can’t believe this guy just turned 70, he sounds like a young Joe Strummer doing a “Born To Run”-era Springsteen impression. This is truly a kick-ass album, probably the best batch of pure rock ‘n’ roll songs you’ll hear all year, definitely the best soundtrack to your summer holiday. (9)