Issue 2.3

ALBUM REVIEWS

The Dutchmen - Cobretti (Threat records)

Reviewed by Mark Oster

Rock and Roll....I don't write the longest reviews in the world, but I could go for a new record and stop right there and still give an accurate depiction of exactly what you're getting when you put on Cobretti. But the Dutchmen are a good band and have collectively, the best facial hair in Chicago. They deserve more real estate than that. So to go a little more into detail, you start with an AC/DC styled one-two stomp provided by drummer Dale Salentiny and bassist Joel Morgan driving most the EP. Mix in a big two guitar sound from Damon Ranieri and Gabe Schechter, falling somewhere between Thin Lizzy and the Stooges with gruff, swaggering lead vocals, and you have a testosterone laden "southern rock" sound that defines the Dutchmen. Like I said, rock and roll, or more accurately, rock and f'ing roll. The four songs pass way too quickly and leave you thirsting for more, but should be a staple in the collection of anybody who loves their rock with no b.s., best washed down with a domestic brew.

Longdistancerunner-Competition of Martyrs(LP-self released)

Reviewed by Theresa Killebrew

Longdistancerunner is that kind of band that you can't talk about without mentioning their live show. So while this is, in fact, an album review, I have to start by saying that they put on one of the best live shows on the local scene. Although frequently littered with technical difficulties like broken strings, the result of a little too much rock, the band has a knack for keeping up their energy with things like pick up versions of Eye of the Tiger, or some of the lamest and thus funny stage banter I have ever seen. Singer Emily Schambra is poised to become the next first lady of Chicago DIY, and the rest of the band isn't just along for the ride. It's hard to imagine that they haven't been signed yet. This CD was long awaited, and for those of us with bootlegged copies of demos and outtakes, the finished product is a strange thing to behold. With the departure of their first drummer Greg , the band lost it's scream-o element, something that I thought I wouldn't miss. Having had the demos for so long, I find myself filling in the juxtaposed screaming. Maybe it isn't the loss of the scream, but the loss of the dynamic that it created. Their songs are presented here with a high treble output, and not so much low end. It does seem like sometimes Mark Oster's basslines get swallowed up, but there is the bonus of hearing both guitars. This band is heavily influenced by Sunny Day Real Estate, At the Drive in and Fugazi, and it's easy to hear all three influences, but especially the Sunny Day aspects, on the mastered recordings. This is a perfect album for the getting angry and then recovering part of a breakup. I highly recommend adding it to your collection.

Russian Circles - December 2004 EP (Self Released)

Reviewed by Mark Oster

An interesting trend in the world of independent music these last few years has been the influx of complex progressive instrumental post rock. Enter one of the most talked about new bands in the city, Russian Circles. Consisting of former Dakota Dakota and Wolf and Cub guitarist Mike Sullivan, former Dakota Dakota bassist Colin DeKuiper, and Riddle of Steel's former drummer Dave Turncrantz, Russian Circles features three respected and familiar faces to followers of the regional indie rock circuit. Their debut, while only four songs, is true to the form, clocking in at almost a half hour. However, characteristically of the higher end of the genre, it does not get repetitive or lagging. Sporting an extremely powerful sound for a three piece, Russian Circles rarely retreads any ground in their songs, instead building on varying themes, while constantly introducing new ones, and taking the epic approach favored by many of their peers, at once engrossing and suspenseful. The real treat is to listen to these three gentlemen play their instruments. Sullivan's tone and delivery are pristine, creating captivating leads, DeKuiper coaxes his warm bass sound to create distinct lines of his own while thickening Sullivan's melodies. And if you're like me and are absolutely addicted to Riddle of Steel's Python, you know full well what Turncrantz is capable of, and he doesn't disappoint here, with fills that shouldn't work but do, and nimbly leading the band through quick tempo, dynamic, and time changes. So yeah, believe everything that you've heard, get this album, and anticipate watching this young band grow.

Starlike Collision-Starfish Conniption (EP-self released)

Reviewed by Theresa Killebrew

Flexing songwriting muscles gleaned listening to such Chicago favorites as Veruca Salt and Sarge, Starlike Collision is undeniably a Chicago band. Easily carrying off certain mid-nineties Champana band similarities, they still manage to bring in something fresh for 2005 (oops, 2004, this record has already been out for almost a year!) Justine Kope's lyrics and voice compliment the Nirvana style drums and grungy guitar riffs of her male bandmates, not always perfect or smooth, but appealing in that petite rock girl who will kick your ass way. Bringing up the low end is bassist Sarah Star. The opening track on Starfish Conniption, "All Over", would make a good addition to the soundtrack of a Tony Hawk skate video game, and certainly makes them a candidate for this summer's Warped tour. From there, Justine gets serious about needing a guy who isn't shy. The second song "Make Me Dance" incorporates 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' drums, heavy power chords and Justine growling, "come and talk to me if you think I'm hot". The album has its downer lyrics, with insinuations of bad childhoods and shitty relationships, but the music never hits that depressing valley, it maintains it's high energy all the way through. Starfish Conniption is six song ep, but it moves quickly. Most of the songs clock in just under or over three minutes, rounding up at around 20 minutes, finishing with the bonus 'Another Day Spent Recovering', a breakup ballad featuring Justine and a guitar. This is only their first EP, and it leaves them lots of room to grow and learn. I expect very good things in the future. For local music collectors, this will be a necessary addition. For people looking for fun, energetic songs to keep a driver going for the summer road trip, this is it. I would be happy to lend my copy to the L&L jukebox, or Simon's or any other bar that caters to my good friday and saturday nights.

Story of Everest - Consuelo y Mas(Self Released)

Reviewed by Mark Oster

Consuelo y Mas arrived to me waving as much of a no frills flag as possible. CDR, with a sticker, dropped in the cut off bottom half of a brown lunch bag with their name and album title stamped on the "front" and a printed out track listing and credits pasted to the "back". And the damndest thing...it looks good! The packaging has more personality than anything you'll find in a record store. As for the album itself, it's the kind of thing you'd expect to hear from a band with the words "story" and "everest" in their title. Folky-indie rock. From the sound of things, TSoE is Joey Faldulto (vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica) as those are the predominant, and sometimes only, instruments on this album, But other band members, Nick Faldulto (drums), Nick Nagowski (bass), and Dylan Slack (Keys and electric guitar), are credited as well as a handful of additional musicians. The banjo gives the album a bluegrassy feel, often recalling a more gritty version of Milwaukee's Decibully. The recording is tremendously lo fi, as it's easy to picture just a bunch of folks sitting around a cabin while a single microphone records their jubilation (though if Joey is playing all those instruments, this is doubtlessly multitracked.) So hopefully, you've gathered that this is not the most polished record in the world, but if you like Decibully or Pavement and those who followed, this may well be worth your time.