STACK Mar #137

92 / 99

LNZNDRF LNZNDRF
Maybe if The National weren’t so rightly adored we’d
find their collective talent insufferable. After a slew of
classic band albums, Matt Berninger came up with El
Vy, Bryce Dessner composed for the Kronos Quartet
and his brother Aaron turned producer/accomplice
for Sharon Van Etten. And that’s a mere sprinkling of
what they’ve been up to. Now the spotlight falls on
the quintet’s less celebrated siblings, Scott and Bryan Devendorf. On stage,
Scott’s role as bassist/rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist brings him to the
fore. Bryan, the quiet one, is a percussionist of immense, almost classical,
brilliance. On this outing they team up with Ben Lanz – best known as
trombonist and general creative with Beirut and The National. What we get
here is a psych-prog workout, recorded over two days in a Cincinnati church.
Reference points range from early Hawkwind (no, really) to the hazy ravey
days of Madchester. Cosmic jamming abounds on the likes of Hypno-Skate
and Future You, driven by Bryan’s insistent sticks. Then we get the daftly
catchy Kind Things and urgently melodic Beneath the Black Sea. The limits
of time seems to be a lyrical theme, but lack of space here prevents a full
disclosure of LNZNDRF’S dark matters. A mystic and joyous noise, like the
last great gig on earth. (4AD/Remote Control) GarethThompson
visit MUSIC REVIEWS
20 MARCH 2016
MUSIC
Violent Femmes (1983)
The impressive debut of a trio – singer/guitarist/
songwriter Gordon Gano, bassist/singer Brian
Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenz – which
started life busking in Milwaukee. Their amped-
up songs captured teenage and post-adolescent
discomforts and delivered them in short, snappy pop songs.
Includes Blister in the Sun , Add It Up, Prove My Love and Gone
Daddy Gone. A kind of 'greatest hits' debut.
Hallowed Ground (1984)
The debut part two in many ways, because most of
the songs were written before the first album. Now
with clout (and guests like avant-saxist John Zorn
and Tony Trischka on banjo), the music stretched
more – Never Tell is over seven minutes – and into
more jazz and dark country, and Gano's Christian
faith. A fine album which hardly sold, and includes Gano's
harrowing murder ballad Country Death Song.
The Blind Leading The Naked (1986)
Produced by fan Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) who
had an ear for what might appeal at radio, this third
album was their most successful in the States and
although the band were at the point of splitting up
(which they did shortly after, to re-form without DeLorenzo later)
this is a strong outing, notable for their cover of T. Rex's Children
of the Revolution . Guests include guitarists Fred Frith and Leo
Kottke as well as Harrison and one-time Stooges saxophonist
Steve Mackay.
Viva Wisconsin (1999)
A band that delivered their best when frenetically
live, they captured that energy on this 70-plus
minute collection pulled from shows in their
homestate in '98 (with drummer Guy Hoffman
replacing DeLorenzo). All the 'hits' and more, guest players
on horns and piano, and with their teen angst and the political
anger of the era all wrapped up.
And also...
Multi-instrumentalist Brian Ritchie – who has lived in Hobart for
almost a decade where he curates the excellent annual MoFo
music festival – recorded a number of interesting, experimental
albums for SST Records, notably Sonic Temple & Court Of
Babylon (1988) which defies most genres. He mentions
missionaries in New Zealand, not flatteringly, in Christian For
One Day. His solo career (he's a Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman and
world music fan) is worth checking out. It's... ummm... different.
For more interviews, reviews and overviews from Graham Reid
visit
They are back and touring, two-thirds of the
original band, so where to start with these
post-punk folk-busking rockers?
VIOLENT FEMMES
White Denim Stiff
Even though they always flow with
the tasty juice of amazing musos
dying to create, it’s cruel but safe
to offer that White Denim have
never been the same outfit after
becoming a four-piece. Gone is
the brutal urgency, and instead we
have multi-layered noodling akin to
early Santana meets southern rock
(no, really). A little like the Black
Crowes in a funk club; great on
paper, but you shouldn’t have to
read anything to enjoy the tunes,
eh? So much going on, with less
impact… how can this be? For
newbies to this amazing outfit
from Austin, this may indeed set
your cotton socks alight; for the
seasoned… it’s like Hootie and
The Blowfish. Sorry, it’s true.
(Create Control)
Chris Murray
Plague Vendor
Bloodsweat
This sultry little number is a
strong yet super seductive
slide into relatively mainstream
rock and roll for the severely
underrated Californian four-
piece. Blokey basslines in the
appropriately titled Jezabel
bleed into the distinctly creepy
lo-fi track Ox Blood which, like
Chopper , sounds like something
Jack White may have reluctantly
abandoned on the cutting room
floor. Credentials sounds like
Refused mashed with Queens
Of The Stone Age and it
becomes immediately apparent
that this is one of the most
refreshingly diverse-sounding
rock albums to ooze out of
California in years.
(Epitaph/Warner)
Emily Kelly