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THE CHICKEN SLACKS
Slaxtrax Records
Can You Dig It?
13-song CD
The Chicken Slacks, appropriately dubbed “Boston’s hardest-working funk and soul band,” do not disappoint with their latest release. Having just celebrated the third anniversary of a Thursday night residency at the Cantab Lounge, the Slacks are renowned for their incomparable energy. Can You Dig It? captures the essence of their live performance. The album alternates smoothly between catchy simple structures geared towards dancing and slower sensual grooves. Music aficionados will instantly recognize the opener: lead vocalist Diamond D’s harmonious rendition of Captain Beefheart’s “Too Much Time.” There’s also a stunning take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light.” Playful, tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo is offered in “Going to the Shack” and “I Wanna Take a Shower With You,” which was penned by drummer Justin “Pops” Berthiaume. The most defining track of the album is without a doubt “Funky Way.” Clocking in at over three minutes, this little gem embodies the Slacks’ beloved, signature sound. The Chicken Slacks bring funk to a whole new level; hell yeah, I dig it. (Julia R. DeStefano)

SARAH RABDAU & SELF-EMPLOYED ASSASINS
Say It With Scissors Records
Sara RabDAU & Self-Employed Assasins
12-song CD
It is a moral imperative that you add this album to your library. Sarah RabDAU and Self-Employed Assassins self-titled album is an audiogasm to be experienced. Joined by a number of friends playing alongside her as well as drummer Matt Graber, RabDAU’s music blends the tenacious strength of Sheryl Crow, the frenetic passion of Amanda Palmer, and the deeply sensuous vocal range of Jewel. The album touches on a number of genres including the hauntingly hypnotic “Autumn Spills,” the cabaret-pop story of “Jackie” who took 40 years to get a song on the radio, and a Viennese waltz-sounding homage in “San Francisco.” She shows off her rock chops with “Riots and Revolutions” before sending the listener drifting off with the title track. Throughout the album RabDAU’s uber-gorgeous voice exudes the fragility of a crystalline fairy posed precariously on a fault line just before the quake as she melts the ears singing “my heart’s filled with chocolate so rich I’ll melt for anything…you’re a craving I myself can satiate,” in “Queen of the Castle.” (Rick Dumont)

COMMON THRILL
The Great Escape
4-song CD
This is not your father’s Common Thrill. It seems the band has eschewed its Doors/Kurt Weill-meets-Jeff Buckley roots for the sake of making a collection of hit singles. With Anthony Resta at the helm, this EP is much more about production tricks and wizardry than the band that I have come to know and love. Although this is not a terribly, horrible thing, I do believe something of what makes this band so great has gotten a little lost in the translation. Imagine having heard only U2’s Boy and then jumping right to Achtung Baby. While there is certainly a quantum leap in production, the sound is generic to the point that virtually any band could have made this record and that saddens me just a little as a fan. (Joel Simches)

HAVE NOTS
Serf City USA
12-song CD
Now here is something to get excited about, as Have Nots have created one of the best local punk releases of the last several years. Purposeful and passionate, righteous yet nuanced and sometimes poetic, these ska-loving punks are the rightful heirs to Operation Ivy. That’s the easy and obvious comparison, but it’s also the right one. Songs like “Poisoned Antidote” and “SBC” are so catchy that I have actually found myself waking up in the middle of the night singing them, and topical numbers like the veterans’ plight of “One in Four” touch on familiar topics with depth and intelligence instead of empty sloganeering. The highest point is “Used to Be,” a brutally scathing attack on those who have strayed from their roots, which is propelled by a fist-pumping chorus. My only quibbles are minor, such as the album being a little frontloaded and the title track not quite being the anthem it wants to be. This is the type of album that gets a band headliner status really quickly. (Kevin Finn)

HIT FACTORY
Party Animal
7 songs online
Hi, this is the bluebird that hops outside Slimedog’s apartment and from what I’ve seen peering inside, there are things that, birdie eyes let alone human eyes, should never see. Such depraved debauchery, unsavory use of food items and unlicensed use of power tools I’ve never seen! With a title like Party Animal I was expecting maybe Iggy Pop fronting Motley Crue but instead this is floating, lilting music that flits through the air like a bird soaring. Maybe a touch of Stereolab here or a dab of Air there but really this is pretty original stuff—experimental, trippy, psychedelic in sound but concise in form. This CD is for those who don’t want to fly with the flock. Those looking for the traditional hard rock will feel this is for the birds but I give it two wings up. Tah, tah I’m off for the skies. (Slimedog)

COUPER BROTHERS
Couper Brothers Records
Memory File
15-song CD
According to one source, Couper Brothers are “best known for their heavy rock sound, excellent songwriting and accomplished musicianship.” Memory File is a solid, quality offering of a collection of tracks recorded between November 1988 and February 2005. As veterans of the scene, having performed alongside Jon Butcher and Denny Laine, and as longtime members of the Cantab Lounge’s Fatback Band, Scott and Jay Couper mirror classic rock of the ’70s and ’80s. The crunchy guitar riffs of the album’s opener, “Worst Enemy,” are reminiscent of Van Halen, namely 1984’s “Panama.” With a sing-a-long, fist-pounding chorus, it is instantly likeable, as is “Tequila.” As the album progresses, each song is just as heavy as the next, if not heavier. Powerful passionate vocals explore a wide range of themes, including depression, cynicism and of course, heartbreak. “The World Wakes Up with a Broken Heart” is easily up to par with rock ballads of decades past. As stated in their one-sheet, “Memory File is a blistering testament of determination, perseverance, and downright stubbornness to keep rock ’n’ roll alive! Enjoy at top volume!” (Julia R. DeStefano)

COMA COMA
Red Tide Records/75 or Less Records
Does Your Remote Control Have A Remote Control?
6-song CD
While there is very little that’s new or unique here, angular indie rock bands influenced by Fugazi and the Minutemen are always winners, especially late at night after smoking the last of that swag, looking for something interesting to pop in the CD drive. There are loads of interesting musical moments, and for this type of music, the production is crisp and the energy is immediate and organic. The vocals leave something to be desired, but are well forgiven, given the genre. This is not just your typical collegiate fare. Coma Coma plays really well and writes intelligent songs that could just as easily find their way into mainstream brains. (Joel Simches)

PETER C. JOHNSON
High-n-Dry
Peter C. Johnson 1978-1981
16-track CD
Short backstory: Singer-songwriter works the artistic treadmill for the obligatory several years, is handed his lucky break, takes his lucky break, and breaks it in two. In this case, literally: Many of the tracks collected here are from two major-label releases (A&M and CBS), long (and criminally) out of print. There are some misfires ("Kaboom") and pieces of strictly period appeal (the funky “9:00”), as well as near-misses (the jazz-pop shoulda-been-a-hit “Georgio's Dilemma”). But the gems are outstanding: labyrinthine mysterioso soundscapes like “Sandman”; wondrous symphonic miniatures like “I Can't Paint for You”; and genial goofs like “Catch a Falling Star.” These are exemplary works of art, and no wonder: Johnson works with a distinguished crew of sidemen, including John Payne (of Astral Weeks fame), Nils Lofgren, Bonnie Raitt, and Andy Pratt (guesting on a brilliantly executed, ice-cold version of “Pale Blue Eyes”). This is lost music from a lost time, and the best songs on this magically seductive compilation-cum-reissue provide a much-needed remedy to fill a historic gap in the canon of local recorded music. (Francis DiMenno)

ABBIE BARRETT
Abbie Barrett/Beige Bomber Records
Dying Day
10-song CD
At first listen, I considered comparing Abbie Barrett’s solo debut to that of Sarah RabDAU & Self-Employed Assassins, or even to the Dresden Dolls. Although she has elements of each of these artists and more, Barrett best belongs in a category all her own. Still, I am positive I have heard something like this before. There is something strangely familiar about her music and yet, this does not detract from its uniqueness. Barrett is refreshing, a bright light among others of her genre. This is evident through compelling vocals, ever-changing chord progressions and spontaneous melodies. The album’s opener, “Bang” is a venture into a deeper, darker realm of cabaret. Exquisitely crafted, the track is sensual; setting the tone for the rest of the disc, which is at times positively upbeat and at others morose, but never predictable. “Start a Fire” manages to run the gamut of emotions, as it alternates back and forth between intimate acoustic to a full band, while “Night Driving” echoes Kathleen Edwards. All in all, Barrett’s diversity keeps me guessing… and I like it. (Julia R. DeStefano)

THE LIZ LARSONS
Cosmodemonic Telegraph
Talk Like A Male Artist
13-song CD
Singer, songwriter, vocalist, and guitar player extraordinaire Liz Larson (not to be confused with the band itself, named THE Liz Larsons) sings the lyrics “I’m not gonna make it as a superstar to you” during the opening seconds of Talk Like A Male Artist and I have to admit, she is correct. However, I can also admit that her purposeful moaning really does have some legitimate punk moments. With influences from the Swirlies, Courtney Love, and the ’70s TV show Hee Haw, the Liz Larsons rock on in the face of the commercial capitalist mainstream pig. Their signature indy-rock sound takes me back to last call at T.T. the Bear’s on a Monday night (R.I.P. Jeannie; we’ll miss you). I can taste bar tequila and smell the sent of unwashed MIT students. The sound of strumming telecasters, tambourine, and claps remind me of a genre almost forgotten. The Liz Larsons’ cynicism is relentless during all 13 tracks. Liz’s voice wavers sarcastically from note to note as the band jangles and marches fearlessly onward. The Liz Larsons’ new release is a modern soundtrack for the spun-out masses. (Lance Woodward)

SIX STAR GENERAL
75orLess Records
Spaceship to Planet Cookie
13-song CD
The DNA of this likeable band seems rooted in the American indie rock detailed in Our Band Could Be Your Life. Strains of Fugazi, Dinosaur Jr and Mission of Burma can all be heard in this trio’s brand of heavy rock. As is often the case with those bands, the bass is quite prominent and the vocals are often treated as just another instrument, buried deep in the mix, allowing the guitar to create the landscape and carry the melody. It’s generally when the guitar stands out that things work the best, such as the Mascis-like explosion of noise in “Drowning in Garbage.” The album suffers when the lyrics, seemingly an afterthought in many cases, get pushed to the fore during the quieter moments. Whoever is penning the words in this band ain’t exactly a Strummer or a Bragg. Still, there’s an energy and an enthusiasm to these songs that make Six Star General worthy of some room on your iPod. (Kevin Finn)

MICHAEL OAKLAND
TTM/Outermost
Witness Tree
10-song CD
When I first looked at Michael Oakland’s new CD, Witness Tree, I thought, does he mean Jehovah’s Witness tree? Even after listening through the entire CD I feel that the music and lyrics suggest themes of a spiritual if not religious nature. Track 6, “Witness Tree,” has some fantastic gospel background vocals as well as some great flute work. Michael’s own struggled-sounding vocals remind me of, dare I say, Tom Waits. His soulful crooning awakens my awareness, softens my eyes and breaths life into my sacrum. Witness Tree is loaded with expert classical guitar work and island influences. There is also enough skilled saxophone work to keep even Kenny G. happy. As far as the title, Witness Tree and the image of a guitar and a tree forming a cross, I suppose it is possible this collection of soft-spoken tunes is part of the Christian music movement. Either way, all ten songs provide a perfect soundtrack as you ride through the elevators of life. (Lance Woodward)

ADRIEN & THE FINE PRINT
Honey and the Bees
5-song CD
Have you ever been at a gig at an Elk’s hall or someplace like one and some elderly person comes up to the band and asks, “Don’t you people know any nice songs?” Sure you have. It happens to everyone, right? Well, I am convinced that it never happens to Adrien & the Fine Print because they are a band who only plays nice songs. Their songs are friendly and unassuming. They aren’t trying to be fashionable or trendy. They write and play nice songs that you will be humming in your head for days and tapping your tap thing to. This collection of five songs is presented very simply, without any “production.” What you hear is some nice people playing folksy acoustic-driven music without overdubs or pretense. This is music for a less hectic pace… music that would go great with lemonade… and those little frosty cookies. (Joel Simches)

ERINN BROWN
Don’t Forget About It
11-song CD
Ah, yes, Mrs. Slimedog here, world-renowned serious music critic, displaying vast musical knowledge and exquisite nails. Now, I hear some of you think Slimedog really writes these reviews, and I’m just a pigment of his imagination. Ha, like he has any. Truth is, I write his so stick that in your pope and stroke it. “Love is A Peace of the World,” is the first song, not to be confused with Slimedog’s tune, “Love is A Piece of Ass.” This CD is all R&B, jazzy, and she sings “sultry” and “fuses folk, blues/rock and funk” and then I guess it blows up. Slimedog says it does blow, but I think he is being dirty again or maybe just sultry. Ms. Brown went to that Japanese college, Berklee School of music, and she does that Japanese blue music on “Apartment Blues.” This is all very tasteful, but I have to agree with Slimedog, it’s also very dull. I guess you’d have to be Japanese to truly appreciate this, not me, nuh-uh. (Mrs. Slimedog)

ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Mutable Sound
Good or Plenty, Streets & Avenues
9-song CD
Kevin Micka has apparently found a niche in his tidy one-man array of loops modulated with effects pedals. And my heart went bwang-shang-a-lang because I was actually really digging his portentious-slash-foreboding number "What If They Are Friendly". (Is that a genius title, OR WHAT?) But—and correct me if I'm wrong—doesn't just a LITTLE bit of distortion, fuzz, overdrive, reverberation, wah-wah, flanging, phaser, pitch shifting, et al., go a LONG way? If I were some kind of fucking Philistine, I'd say that making the very sound of such modulations the rationale behind, rather than the seasoning of, admittedly repetitive instrumentals (howsoever melodic) is rather like a week's worth of dining on three meals a day of hot mustard and relish, with a single lacklustre crouton on the side. But I'm no dummy, no siree: I was born before 1973 and remember well the impact of good ole Fripp 'n' Eno, only I beg to know, in all ernestness: where does THIS go from THERE? Umm... not nearly far enough. For God's sake, please—make it new. (Francis DiMenno)

SONIC DISORDER
Sonic Disorder
10-song CD
If you’re into that cheesy nu-metal they play on WBCN, you’d probably like this band. They’re an amalgamation of every other radio metal band. I actually had to Google the lyrics to make sure this wasn’t a cover album because everything sounded so familiar. Maybe I shouldn’t dislike a band just because I can’t stand the particular style of music they’ve chosen to play, but it just sounds exactly like Shinedown or Godsmack or Staind—you know, the kind of music all my girlfriends’ lame ex-boyfriends listen to. I normally try to appreciate a band for what they are and not let biases about certain genres get in the way, but I just can’t do it here. Sure, they play pretty well for a band within their genre (despite being incredibly typical and unoriginal), but I really can’t get past the genre to appreciate this band. (Emsterly)

GENE DANTE & THE FUTURE STARLETS
Omnirox Entertainment
The Romantic Bass
11-track CD
OH GOD. Right from the get-go I'm hearing pompous pooping bass and petulently emotive vocals and lowbrow-trying-to-act-pretentious lyrics. What gives? There's a place, I suppose, in this crowded carnival called the world for an ersatz Rock Opera fronted by a Bowie-manque, but in just the same way that Colonel Sanders once rather grudgingly admitted that there's a place for the KFC extra-crispy. Call me a hater, but good God, man, I already OWN copies of “Stay,” and “God Save the Queen,” and “Roxanne,” and “China Girl,” and “Killer Queen” and “Sweet Jane.” And, like, what was entertaining when another artist did it first becomes like warmed-over Grauman's Chinese on the second go-round. In a word, kind of... gruesome. You say it's high concept, but I say it's pastiche—and I say to hell with it. And, er, this rather begs the question, but riddle me this: What does one do for an encore—when practically the entire act is a reprise? (Francis DiMenno)

THE HONORS
Ghosts EP
7-song CD
It’s pretty clear that the Honors want very much to be Coldplay when they grow up. While Coldplay has sold over 50 million albums and have songs that will be played in Oxfam PSA’s for the rest of time, I will have forgotten all about the Honors by the time I hit eject. It’s not that I don’t like this EP. In fact, I really do. It forever saddens my soul that a band with so much talent and musical potential of their own can never just be their own thing. It is bands like this that might get their 15 minutes but then can’t sell their back catalog at Goodwill. I would love nothing more than to be able to hear this band and go “Wow, check out that song by the Honors!” The problem is that they haven’t written one of those yet, at least not on this EP. (Joel Simches)

WINTERPILLS
Signature Sounds
Central Chambers
12-song CD
Winterpills, an acoustic guitar driven quintet, slam a melancholy dose of delight into this rich sounding release. Within the first few minutes of this fine recording I find myself digging through my things looking for something to compliment the fields of strawberries crooning out of my speakers. Philip Price, formerly of ’90s pop act the Maggies, and Flora Reed’s voices go together like peanut butter and jelly. There are enough creepy melodic nuances infused into these songs to make Simon & Ganfunkel proud. “Gentleman Farmer,” track six, incorporates influences from such greats as Radionhead, the Beatles, and Pink Floyd. Central Chambers is chock full of orchestral arrangements and witty lyrics. I really like the liberal use of piano and distorted drum tracks. The ’70s style track fade-outs are a nice touch too. Track 9, “Wire,” could easily be played at a wake. The moody vocals eerily glide into my ears raising my cerebral awareness. Needless to say, Central Chambers is an enjoyable walk through the darkness peering into the light. (Lance Woodward)

DETROIT REBELLION
Detroit Rebellion
14-song CD
Wow, this is one of the most annoying albums I’ve ever had to review. It’s just one guy with a terribly irritating voice, accompanied only by a twangy acoustic guitar. I think it’s the lyrics that drive me crazy. I first listened to this album while I was baking cookies and it came up on iTunes—I couldn’t skip tracks because my hands were too covered in flour and cookie dough to touch anything, and let me tell you, it was torture having to listen to this whole album all the way through. There’s one song where he just keeps repeating, “Well I was doing my job, taking down the numbers.” Something about it makes me want to bang my head against the wall. That said, he is a very impressive guitar player, but the monotonous, half-spoken vocals coupled with pointless lyrics are really just painful to listen to. (Emsterly)

VON DOOM
75 or Less Records
The Descender
10-song CD
This is one of those albums that really doesn’t leave me with very much to say. It doesn’t thrill me, and it doesn’t offend me. Von Doom plays a safe form of classic indie rock that is moderately brawny and catchy, but never enough so that any of the songs really stick with you after they are done playing. There are some high points, such as the peppy “Freedom of Choice,” the twangy “Minerva,” and the Crazy Horse-ish guitar work in the otherwise tiresome “Hopeless Motherfuckers.” Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of those moments and way too many middling ones, particularly on the maudlin ballad “Red Pens” and the overly repetitive “Get Away.” (Kevin Finn)

JAKE HILL
Plimro Records
Heave To
10-song CD
Greetings, Zortar here, alien from another planet riding my ice cream truck through the ice and tundra of the streets of Boston. Oh, what a joyless task it is inhabiting the debauched, power tool infested body known to you as Slimedog. This CD has pleasant vocals. It has pleasant whistling on the first song, pleasant horns on the second. The acoustic guitar is strummed pleasantly throughout. The third song has a pleasant country feel to it. The fifth song is about West Virginia and it sounds like a nice, pleasant place indeed. Why, oh why, then am I compelled to stick a screwdriver through my eye (or, Slimedog’s, sorry about that) and run naked through the streets screaming, “I am Justin Timberlake’s uterus,” while setting small shrubbery afire? I would recommend this CD highly for those who seek a pleasant musical experience. For me, I guess I would rather choose to stick a screwdriver through my real eye than to experience this again. (Slimedog)

EVER UNDER
Ever Under
3 songs online
When I received Ever Under’s album to review, I didn’t find their CD inside the case, but rather the I’m Your Man soundtrack by Leonard Cohen. So, that leaves me to discuss the three songs provided by the band on their MySpace page, and that’s okay, since I’d assume the band would only put its best selection on the Internet. Unfortunately, I’m not finding their best to be very impressive. They’ve got plenty of energy and enthusiasm, but the vocals are weak, the lyrics don’t stand out, and the choruses are mostly indistinguishable from the rest of the songs. “On the Door” is the clear frontrunner of the three—it’s actually pretty catchy and has a decent guitar line and group vocal thing going on. “Habit” is fun and fast-paced, but not memorable even after multiple listens. “Fever,” is your average noisy garage band rock. So, I’m not too upset that I missed out on the band’s full repertoire, but hey, on the plus side, I really like the Leonard Cohen CD. (Emsterly)

NATURE/NURTURE
Red Tide Records/75 or Less Records
EP001
4-song CD
The band describes themselves as a bar fight between Shellac, Minus the Bear, Isis, and At the Drive In “minus all the screaming.” The problem with this is that screaming, or even spoken lyrics might have been helpful in rounding out this sonic picture. The four songs on this disc are like well-constructed sentences without punctuation. The bed of musical ideas lacks a melodic focal point and perhaps that is the object of the music. Also distracting is the piercing amount of high end on this recording. This CD was mixed and mastered by someone who can’t hear. The result is a very tinny record, which sadly cheats the listener of the impact I am sure this music would have in a live setting. As much as I love the musical ideas on this EP, listening to this makes my eyebrows hurt. (Joel Simches)

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