Radio Moscow: The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz

 

     While looking up the history of this band, I found a Pitchfork review of one of Radio Moscow's old albums.  The author tore the band apart, making references to generic southern bar bands schwilling crappy beer in the mountains.  Apparently Pitchfork is too far above straightforward rock and roll, and homage to simplicity is uncool and lowbrow.

      The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz is a tribute to the classic era of Rock and Roll.  When indie artists are polishing their sound and slicking their image, Radio Moscow strip down to raw power.  The psychedelic blues-rock of The Great Escape gives the listener monster riffs, the likes of Hendrix and King Crimson, and exchanges subtle textures for balls.  In an era where creative music is predominantly based of ethereal soundscapes, it is extremely refreshing to hear some good ol' fashioned rock tunes, filled with rattling drums and sloppy guitar solos.

       There are some minor contentions with The Great Escape, however.  This band is clearly influenced by the classic rock legends.  The only problem is, put simply, they are not as talented.   While a band could never be faulted for not meeting the level of Hendrix and Sabbath, reaching for this level and falling short makes Radio Moscow sound like they are trying to imitate a more generic form of 70s rock, after its peak.  The band follows a traditional blues rock formula, which can sometimes become mundane, especially when the listener isn't in the mood for 50 minutes of fairly consistent effects and tempos.  Similarly, epic solos without epic talent such as that in the song "Speed Freak" can sometimes feel a tad overindulgent. 

     The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz is an album built for rock and roll purists, nostalgic of the glory days.  It is a fun album for people tired of the inundation of indie rock, and ready to let their hair down.  It may not be Jimi, The Stones or The Who, but it will do.

 

Back in the Saddle

     

     This morning, Kenny Williams shocked White Sox fans by hiring former All-Star 3B Robin Ventura as the Chicago White Sox new manager.  Ventura will replace Ozzie Guillen, who was released after serving as manager for 8 seasons.  Ventura has a lot to live up to, as Guillen led the team to hte playoffs multiple times, and brought a World Series championship to the Windy City for the first time in 88 years. 
     Chicago met the Ventura deal with mixed reactions.  To say that the third baseman was loved while in Chicago would be an understatement.  Beyond his exceptional play, he was a voice of reason in the clubhouse, and advocate of team camaraderie, and all-round nice guy; it goes without saying that Sox fans are happy to see him once again don a White Sox jersey.  Additionally, Ventura has always claimed Chicago as his baseball home, and his loyalty to the team is rock solid.  There is no person tied to the major leagues who would put more effort into the making the team strong.  In terms of this, Kenny Williams made a smart decision to keep it in the family.
      Robin Ventura, throughout his career, was consistently known as a nice guy;  quiet and subdued, and easy to get along with (save for one highly publicized run-in with a certain Texas pitcher.)  His demeanor is a stark contrast to the outspoken, highly visible personality of Ozzie Guillen, whose style was endearing at the beginning, but was grating towards the end (in some fans' eyes.)  Ventura and his personality will certainly be a breath of fresh air and a perfect change for a good team who is concern is lacking in direction, rather than talent.
      The 800 LB elephant in the room is Ventura's obvious lack of experience.  There were many candidates, such as Davey Martinez and Sandy Alomar Jr., who were also brought up in front room discussions.   Many people also thought that newly unfettered Terry Francona,  two time World Series Champion manager for the Red Sox, would sign with the Goodsox.   The fact of the matter is that there were lots of candidates for the manager position, and Ventura had less experience than all of them.  He has never been at the helm of a team, and there is no empirical evidence of his potential.  This does not necessary mean failure though, as the talent is on the field for October play.  What the team needs is someone who is capable to motivate them to perform their best.  Ventura is a person who can do that.
     Clearly the hiring of Ventura is a risky move, and this multi-year deal could prove to be nothing more than a failed experiment.  At this point, however, the Sox have very little to lose.  Morale seems to be low, and any change, at this point, would be for the better.  Fans will always love Ozzie, but its time for the moon to change phases, and Ventura is a good person to take the reigns and bring the best out of the team.   

WIlco: The Whole Love.

     Wilco has unnofficially been dubbed the best American band of the new millennium.  Only the mythical Radiohead has so consistently released genius albums. Few would argue that their landmark 2001 album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,  is on the list of history's greatest albums, and the soundtrack to post 9/11 Americana.  The only minute downfall of this band may be that they have rested on their laurels for the last (arguably two) albums.  Their last effort, Wilco The Album seemed unambitious and formulaic for the band who set the world on fire multiple times in the last decade.  It was not a bad album, necessary, but the band seemed to follow the blueprint they designed with the release of YHF.
     The Whole Love opens with the 7 plus minute "Art of Almost," which is a bold statement of change for the band.  With its glitches, pecking keyboards, and synthetic sounds and distortions, Wilco shows that they are not afraid of change or experimentation, and they refuse to rely on their fallback sound.

       "Art of Almost" is definitely most pervasive example of the bands direction with the album, but their willingness to open up is peppered throughout several songs on this LP.:  "Capitol City" seems to take significant influence off the Beatles, and the occasional keyboard synths compliment the saloon style tempo and melody.  The album mood quickly changes as "Standing O" blisters through high energy rock and roll. For Wilco traditionalists, all the key elements of the band remain true.  They have retained their intelligent rock/ alt country sound, and fear not....The Whole Love is unmistakably Wilco, in all its catchy, singable glory.

      The album is not without flaws, most notably that mentioned in the first paragraph of this blog.  While they have worked hard to show a new direction, fans and critics are still waiting for Wilco's "next big thing."  The world has come to expect greatness from Wilco, and The Whole Love seems low-stakes.  The best way to enjoy this album is to ignore and overlook any possible comparisons, and just enjoy it for what it is.  It will not be remembered throughout time, but it truly is a worthy album.

Girls: Father Son, Holy Ghost

    

     Indie Rock seems to move opposite the weather.  Beginning in the East (Brooklyn) and tapering off as it moves west, with pockets of action scattered across the United States.  It seems shocking then, that one of the years best indie rock albums comes from Girls, a band based out of San Francisco.   The groups latest effort, Father, Son, Holy Ghost echoes all sentiments valued by good urban rock, but is honest in its California roots.  The opening song, "Honey Bunny," is filled with upbeat jangly guitars, and a surf rock vibe peaks through the indie rock quirkiness throughout the entire album.    All the components of modern rock are there, such as the heavy instrumentation and sad lyrics,  but it still retains a sound that independent of the "typical" indie scene.  The quick alteration in musical styles can sometimes seem scattered, as it does, indeed, move between surf rock, psych rock, and folk rock, but this is easily forgivable for a band this ambitious (not to be confused with narcissistic), and for an album this good.