Album Review: David Lowery: Fathers, Sons and Brothers

1989s Key Lime Pie by Camper Van Beethoven may be my favorite album of all time. 

The previous album, 1988s Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart is more critically acclaimed (as is their 1985 debit Telephone Free Landslide Victory, and I do like both of those records quite a bit) but Key Lime Pie always seemed the perfect record to me. 

I was dumb and abandoned David Lowery when he went to Cracker. In those days, bands selling out was a big deal. The cliché was REM signing to Warner Bros. Even almost 40 years, I can’t think of anything that comes to mind as the prime example of “selling out”. (2008s Sonic Youth compilation which was sold exclusively at Starbucks is the only other thing comes to mind) 

Fortunately, I dispensed with that notion quickly, as Cracker came to play live in my town and they won me over. So like everyone else, I bought those first two Cracker albums. 

Cracker stayed busy but radio was no longer playing their new stuff. I heard some songs off the Camper Van Beethoven reunion album 2004s New Roman Times (incidentally off of Pandora, which is one of a few streaming services Lowery has fought tooth and nail over the years). While the album did not get rave reviews, it scratched my particular itch. 

In 2011, Lowery released his first solo album The Palace Guards. It’s quite a good album with some of that Camper wit, and may be my favorite of his 21st century albums Two more California themed records by the reformed CVB came in rapid succession-2013s La Costa Perdida and 2014s El Camino Real. Both are quite good. 

From what I understand, Lowery has been busy but his albums have only been released online through Bandcamp and via CDs through his website (a limited release of 1000 which have sold out). So there was 2020s In the Shadow of the Bull- covering his family and stories involving them. 2021s Leaving Key Member Clause- covering the years of Camper Van Beethoven through that third Cracker album and 2023s Vending Machine which covers a bit of everything from the passing of Mark Linkous, fleeting fame and air travel. 

These three albums are seeing a wide release as a two album set in 2025 as the autobiographical Fathers Sons and Brothers. Though I have to admit that it didn’t grab me at first, it has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. 

It doesn’t hurt that Lowery is such a fantastic storyteller and these real stories sound like the stuff of fiction. Songs like Disneyland Jail and How Does Your Sister Roller Skate sound less like a book and more like classic Camper. Opening tracks like “Frozen Sea” and “Super Bloom” are essentially an Lowery origin story. “It Don’t Last Long” is my favorite song. There are a few self referential songs in regard to how Lowery feels about his art and the fans. This song does that but in such a great way of talking about fame. It’s an insightful song in the way “Ballad of Mott the Hoople” was. 

There is even a song called “I Wrote A Song Called ‘Take the Skinheads Bowling’” which certainly deserves a chapter (“you haven’t heard of him and you’ve barely heard of me”) At the risk of repeating myself, I just want to say this body of work does what it sets out to do- in a weird way it is a Lowery autobiography. As someone who feels passionately about his work, it seems to cement Lowery as one of America’s best storytellers. He’s not the only guy who was a critical acclaim in his late 20s that has been able to pull off work just as good in his mid 60s, but that list surely has to be short. 

There are a few songs that are more traditional- the title track of the collection feels like a 1960s soul song augmented as it with help from the BellRays. There are a couple of songs like this that mix fine with the more satirical tracks. “Roll Down That Hill” is both a song that could be a Cracker single and details the night David met his ex-wife. 

This is a standout album of the year for me and if you ever were a fan of Lowery, check it out.

Album Review: Jonathan Richman- Only Frozen Sky Anyway

In 1992, Jonathan Richman released his fourth solo album I, Jonathan for the Rounder Records label.

I am not certain if this was my introduction to “Jojo” but it was either just prior or in quick succession to checking out his previous work. Specifically, the two very different albums released in 1976 that are titled “The Modern Lovers” and “Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers”. 

he former is a masterpiece that not only was part of the recipe of punk rock (“Roadrunner” was covered by the Sex Pistols among others; "Pablo Picasso" by Burning Sensations would make the Repo Man soundtrack, and be a John Cale staple) but created a genre of geek rock or "neurotic rock" that would inform The Violent Femmes, Pavement and Weezer. But it wasn’t the music Richman wanted to make. That was the latter- an album almost always described as “childlike” with songs like “Here Comes the Martian Martians” and “Hey There Little Insect”- it’s surely close to a five star album in its own right. I was immediately a Richman fan but “I Jonathan” did help accelerate it.

It seems a perfect album. While it is well in line with the second incarnation of Modern Lovers, some of that original Jonathan is there too in the observational song “I Was Dancing in a Lesbian Bar”(what has likely become his most famous non- Modern Lovers song) and the friend drama of “You Can’t Talk to The Dude” as well as the love for raw pre-punk rock n roll on “The Velvet Underground” and “Parties in the USA” Produced by Brennan Totten who had produced his previous record and would produce his next, I love the clear sound and how intimate it feels. 

1995s You Must Ask the Heart follows a similar pattern- there’s a song about early baseball legend Walter Johnson, an upbeat cover of Tom Waits’s “Heart of Saturday Night”, “Let Her Go Into the Darkness” is a bit of the drama, a Spanish ballad and even a cover of “The Rose”. Looking at Wikipedia, the contemporary reviews are quite harsh but I think that while it is not as good as I, Jonathan, it belongs in the same conversation. 

Richman has never stopped making records but his career seems to be a difficult one to follow. I would always try to check out his new album but often would not have known about them until they showed up in some kind of Year- End conversation. Although I have my disagreements with Pitchfork.com, they seem to have consistently reviewed and championed Richman. Recent releases are hard to find though. Richman moved from Rounder to Vapor (home of Tegan & Sara and Acetone) and then to the small Blue Arrow label. 

I did a fairly good job keeping up with 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2010 records. They were typical Richman fare- more mellow and less immediately accessible than I Jonathan, but that’s my problem not his. 2016s Ishkode Ishkode and 2018s Sa we’re under my radar, but it’s not just me, their online presence is negligible.

In some ways. 2025s Only Frozen Sky Anyway seemed significant from the moment it was announced as a rare July 4 release. This came in tandem with the announcement that Richman’s albums were coming to streaming services. Not just the recent two largely unheard records but all of his 21st Century albums (Most of which, if not all, had not been online). Only Frozen Sky Anyway is a fantastic album. It follows a similar template to those great 90s albums. 

There’s a couple of songs that sound like classic Richman like “O Guitar” and “The Dog Star”. There’s the Spanish language “Se Va Pa’voler”. The album is bookended by two songs of Richman zen- the near album title opening track “I Was Just a Piece of Frozen of Sky Anyway” and closers “The Wavelet” and “I Am the Sky”. There’s biographical fare like “David and Goliath” and is that a cover of…. The Bee Gees’ “Night Fever” which sounds like an old Richman classic. 

Richman’s current band is Jerry Harrison, the ex-Talking Head who was part of the proto punk Modern Lovers from 1971 to 1974 with Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins who’s been with him since 1996. The album is also dedicated in part to Andy Paley who produced the albums Rockin and Romance and Surrender to Jonathan and appeared on many of Richman’s albums through the years Only Frozen Sky.. is one of the truly great records of the year and though there are some serious moments, 

I can’t help but think there is something ageless about Richman. He seems perpetually on the cusp of middle age- the intersection of youthful innocence and elder wisdom. It felt that way on his Bezerkley Records debut when he was merely 25. It felt that way when it was quite accurate on I Jonathan at 41, and it still feels that way though on the new record now that he has reached 74 years of age. 

Album Review- Half Man Half Biscuit: All Asimov and No Fresh Air

Half Man Half Biscuit are one of my favorite “recent” discoveries. Though they are going on over 40 years since forming, 

I have to admit that the name and style was a bit of a barrier to me. But like so many worthwhile bands, they were worth the extra time.

Album number 16 is All Asimov and No Fresh Air, and it is the first new offering from them in three years. Prolific and fitting in some kind of slot that is wit but not humor, I can’t help but compare them to Sparks. On paper, they should have been out of new ideas long ago but continue to delight their core audience. All Asimov.. starts with the difficult to love “Horror Clowns are Dickheads”. While I agree with the sentiment Pennywise is no Edgar Allen Poe, and I tend to agree that people who like Horror Clowns (as well as people who say they hate clowns) are well…you know. 

But things have settled to normal on the second song where our hero tells of the time he saw Badly Drawn Boy in a badly parked car with a badly grazed elbow. 

While it’s not the masterpiece of the year, there is a lot to like about this album. For starters, you can be funny but if the songs aren’t fun to listen to repeatedly then what have you got? And All Asimov is strangely satisfying. One would think the initial shock of “Falmouth Electrics” would be lost after the first listen and yet I am always compelled to hear this story of the ventriloquist’s dummy who looked “like Peter Murphy a bit” and couldn’t pronounce the letter B (“He said his name was Gary I said: “Do you mean Barry?” He said: “Yeah”) It strikes me that there is a bit of a comparison to Luke Haines’s recent work. HMHB are full of wit but they still seem to put the song first. 

I have glommed two things from online reviews and that I would agree strongly with both. One is the album is back loaded. The album reaches its stride with “National Album Day” and then takes off. “Going out of my Mind to get into Yours” follows as a frenetic rocker. 

Also, the album isn’t an immediate classic, it’s a grower. It’s not a lot of things. It’s not their best album. It may not be the best album they are capable of making right now. It’s not like those latter-era The Fall albums that serious people will write serious words about. But at the same time, I can’t think of many albums that came out this year that I will likely enjoy more than this one. Long may the Half Man Half Biscuit banner wave.

Album Review- Butler, Blake and Grant- self-titled debut album

If you know me, you might know I am a huge fan of the British band Suede (called the London Suede in the US). 

Though they never quite made a huge impact here, they did have a brief moment. Conventional Wisdom always wanted to paint singer Bret Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler as a next generation Morrissey and Marr. 

That reputation probably doesn’t do them a lot of favors. Almost immediately after the release of their second album 1994s Dog Man Star, Butler left the band. Although I do think Dog Man Star is the best moment, they continued to make great music when Richard Oakes took the job of lead guitarist. Oakes gets pushed out of the limelight when Butler is mentioned, but he has had some great moments. Coming Up and Headmusic are pretty strong in terms of a band’s third and fourth records. But equally, Butler made two solo albums - 1998s People Move On and 1999s Friends and Lovers that are fantastic. They did do well in the UK, but would make great “hidden” albums if you missed out on them. 

Not glam like Suede, but 70s style rock with influence from blues and Psychedelica a la Spooky Tooth or the Small Faces. Butler had had an interesting post Suede career. He teamed up with soul singer David McAlmont which had a Top 10 UK single, joined (at least for a couple of days) the Verve, and became a producer with a solid resume. With Welsh singer, Duffy, he enjoyed Worldwide Success. But he also produced Aimee Mann, the Veils, Sons and Daughters, Black Kids and many more. He also produced the first Libertines single. 

 It took until 2024 for a third solo album, but before that he made collaboration records with Suede mate Anderson (2005s Here Comes the Tears), Catherine Anne Davies who releases music as the Anchoress (2020s In Memory of My Feelings) and actress/singer Jessie Buckley (2022s For All Our Days that Tear the Heart) I am likely leaving stuff out, but let’s get to the present.

In 2022, Butler, Norman Blake and James Grant performed together at the Celtic Connections Festival. It was so well received that in 2025, we now have a Butler, Blake and Grant album. It’s an impressive resume. Blake has fronted the great Scottish band Teenage Fanclub as well being in BMX Bandits. I am not as familiar with Grant who led 80s band Love and Money. I know that particular band as it was one that was loved by my peers as I was a teenager discovering British new wave bands. I also immediately think of them as contemporaries with the similarly named Love and Rockets. They even scored a hit on the US Hot 100 with 1988s Hallelujah Man 

 The album isn’t a 80s/90s indie rock affair despite a nice track dedicated to the latter decade. It reminds me a bit of an updated Crosby, Stills and Nash (the Uncut review leads off with this comparison but it’s hard not to think of), and it also feels in line with Butler’s work, which seems to be the dominating force. Even then, while Butler contributes some great songs, Blake perhaps contributes the best in “One in One is Two”. Butler’s “The 90s” and “The Old Mortality” are top tracks, but “One and One…” sounds like a lost CS&N or Byrds classic. 

While I would much prefer a harder rock sound, I hope this album gets to an audience who appreciates it, as it is a great example of this type of melodic, acoustic guitar pop. 

What I am Listening To : Keith Hudson

Though there is an online pressure to like every single genre of music, I don’t know that I find it is necessary to me. 

Still, I try to listen to all the relatable genres and “dub” seemed to be one that resisted me. I am not quite sure why. I love reggae (and ska). I am surely one of the genre’s most unlikely fan. I used to go to a record store which staffed by a Rasta, but I can’t picture ever chatting him up for recommendations (there’s probably not a chance that wouldn’t have been awkward). Instead I read the British music press of the 90s which at that time mostly covered Britpop. That newsstand market opened up for import British magazines like Mojo and Uncut. Those magazines would feature a monthly CD, and often they might feature classic Reggae from Studio One or Trojan Records. 

There always has been pressure to “listen” to certain albums. Surprisingly, I would say it’s even worse now than when I was a teenager. I am not saying it isn’t a bad idea to take an ambitious shot at listening to new stuff. Still, the online pressure to enjoy “Pet Sounds” or “Kind of Blue” or “brat” is ridiculous. Almost every other day I see a post of someone trying to force themselves into liking someone like the Swans. While I count myself one of that particular band’s biggest fans, with their immense popularity on sites like AOTY and RateYourMusic, I laugh at the idea of having to listen to them over and over again like a jigsaw puzzle. So I try to make my listening as organic as possible.

When I was younger, I would definitely search out new-to-me artists, but I don’t really do that anymore. That said, I do listen to outlets that might introduce me to new sounds.

For example, the local public radio station which is where I probably first heard Keith Hudson. I wasn’t necessarily going to seek out a King Tubby record or a Scientist disc, but when I first heard Hudson, it was a bit of a revelation. 1974s “Pick A Dub” is an album that has become one of the most well regarded Dub albums of all time. I have to admit that reading the five star Allmusic review of the album, I have some idea why I enjoy it. Some of the typical Dub gimmicks like space and explosive sound affects are missing - with a deference to a stripped not overproduced sound. I also admit I love how he uses vocal snippets in his dub songs. I really find him quite appealing. 

Pick A Dub has an all star cast with Carlton and Aston Barrett of Bob Marley’s Wailers, Augustus Pablo, and vocal cuts from Horace Andy and Big Youth. 

I have also been spending time with 2004s The Hudson Affair compilation - a collection of songs, dubs and production work that is a Who’s Who of Jamaican music- Ken Boothe, U-Roy, I-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, Delroy Wilson and Alton Ellis. Though I don’t worry about such things, that album is on The Guardian’s 1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die”

Brown sadly died young of lung cancer aged 38 in 1984. I don’t recall hearing much about him but clearly his work has only been more appreciated in the ensuing years. What I found interesting as I was checking out his Wikipedia page was that Ian Curtis was a fan. To the point, New Order chose to cover “Turn the Heater On” for their 1982 Peel Session recording. 

2025 sees the re-release of the 1979 album Nuh Skin Up Dub credited to Hudson and the prolific Jamaican band Soul Syndicate released on the German label Week-End Records. It scratches my particular itch for some one who thought they would never “get into” Dub music.

Talking about Iowa's Sumpin Doo

One thing that surprised me about Iowa is it seems to have a deep love for the Blues. It is surely surprising but sure enough the Central Iowa Blues Society (and the various festivals and Hall of Fame that go with it) seem to be one of the healthier area club organizations. There have been at various times enough people to support an all Blues nightclub in Des Moines. 

he city is the size that it can’t always support such niche ideas (while there currently is not a Blues club here, there is a Jazz club downtown). It’s not the only part of the state either. Other festivals around the state feature blues, and Kevin Burt is the latest Blues Legend to hail from Iowa City 

Like anywhere, there are plenty of local events with live music. Rarely worth a mention, they provide steady income for musicians. I do have to admit that when the band is one of the state’s top notch blues bands and not just the standard cover band, I do take note. And when it’s a band I know friends like (that I hadnt yet seen) like Sumpin Doo, it’s enough to get me off the couch. 

Sumpin Doo is the blues band of Iowa Rock N Roll Hall of Famers Gill and George Davis augmented by New York via Des Moines jazz pianist Jesse Villabos. Though there were plenty of popular standards like “Dock of the Bay” and “Take Me to the River”, the band could definitely hold their own on any Blues stage. 

No surprise that the band was good, but I often go down rabbit holes and found a really good one for the Davis Brothers. First off, they had chart success. In 1963, the golden era of doo wop, George and Gil Davis sang with the Blendtones and their single “Lovers” went to # 3 on the Billboard R&B charts. Online remembrances adds that the band was popular as they toured the West Coast, got strong airplay in Los Angeles from influential DJ Dick “Huggy Boy”Hugg and the song was only kept from the top spot by R&B classic “Just One Look” and the number one “Fingertips” 

 I often say we would probably be shocked to know the back story of people we meet and sure enough, the Davises have an incredible backstory. Relocating to New Jersey, they joined a band called the Chosen Few which had a saxophonist named Clarence Clemons. Davis’s bio even includes recording with Springsteen. I could not find details on where but since Garry Tallent joined The Boss in 1972, I assume it would be on pre- Greetings from Asbury Park recordings, but given their documented history with the Big Man (and lack of details on those early recordings) I don’t doubt it.

Album Review- Pulp- More

Pulp’s 1995 album “Different Class” took over my listening that winter. In retrospect, it still holds up and I would say that not only is it a personal favorite, it’s a bonafide classic. 

I have no problem comparing it to something like Who’s Next. Since I played it to death, it might have lost impact but even then, I probably still would prefer 1998s This is Hardcore. If Class was the Saturday night party, Hardcore was the Sunday morning hangover. Oh maybe I won’t proclaim it better, but I love it just as much. 

Pulp had formed in 1978. It took until 1994 with His N Hers to even make a ripple in the US. Then it seemed a novelty. But being allowed to marinate, they really were able to make a timeless album. In retrospect, it’s easy to see that the moment was gone by 2001s We Love Life. That CD never left my player. The band picked their hero Scott Walker to produce. Though, they will never eclipse the success of Different Class, I think this album was quite good. There are moments in that album that are some of the band’s best like “Bad Cover Version”. Lest we forget, we were now in the era of The Strokes, the White Stripes and System of a Down. The time had now gone but I still loved that record. I hoped that we would get one more out of Jarvis.

I followed his every move post-Pulp and it was an unexpected path. While I never found his solo albums essential, they had moments. For example, “Don’t let him Waste your Time” is as good as anything he ever wrote. Within solo albums, soundtracks and unlikely pairings (like with Canadian producer Chilly Gonzalez) there is one album that I do hold in high regard. 2003s A Night With.. Relaxed Muscle almost got passed me but this electronica variation on what Pulp did best was a duo of Jarvis dba Darren Spooner and Jason Buckle of the All Seeing I (with Richard Hawley on a couple of tracks). None of the reviews seem to be positive but what a fun “lost album” it is. I am not sure where you can find it now but some of the songs have been uploaded to YouTube I also think it’s worth mentioning Serafina Steer who was championed and produced by Cocker and has released some great music on her own, specifically 2013s The Moths Are Real. (Steer and Buckle are major cowriters and musicians in the Jarv Is project) 

More is the new Pulp album we thought we may never get. Of interest, Gonzalez, Buckley, Hawley and Steer make appearances. More feels a lot like their last album in that there’s quite a lot of what made Pulp great here. It’s not the beginning to end classic that Different Class was but it does feel like a solid listen. “Tina” and “Got to Have Love” are immediate additions to any Pulp playlist- at once new but recognizable. But the B-side to the manic energy is the world weary Pulp which can be found on “My Sex” and closer “A Sunset”. 

Overall, I have to say I am more than satisfied with the album. Of course, I want more and like the Pitchfork review of this disc, one can rhapsodize about Jarvis growing into a postmodern Leonard Cohen for the decades to come. But even if we don’t get it, it’s a nice addition to a splendid catalog.

Concert Review- Dehd w/ Starcharm

I first heard Dehd on local public radio in 2024 (from their most recent release- last year’s Poetry album) and was immediately interested. 

When they came in town for a tour, I immediately put it down as a possible date. 

Dehd are somewhat hard to describe. Allmusic uses a combination of Jesus and Mary Chain, the Gun Club and the B-52s. While they don’t particularly sound exactly like those bands, the description is otherwise strangely accurate. 

Reviewers also tend to find a surf influence or a similarly to the Flying Nun bands. I can’t put my finger on it, but I hear these too and I am sure that is why I like them better than some of their peers.

I generally don’t go to shows alone, so there is an aspect of selling other people to going to see a band. I am probably overthinking this but I know the reason I like Dehd is that they remind me of bands like Yo La Tengo or Superchunk, to name a couple, from the glory days of indie rock. In those days, there was a clear line between college radio and mainstream radio. These bands made a catchy pop rock sound that existed in a parallel universe to what was on Top 40. Fifteen years later, (roughly the age difference of me and my friend) Pop was no longer a dirty word. Artists like Carly Rae Jepson, Robyn and Taylor Swift became critical favorites. Gatekeeping never went away, it just changed, but “indie” became a more of a description of the music than a label designation. 

I am simplifying (my friend, like my old college roommate is an expert in multiple genres) but Dehd feel like they would easily fit in the Lollapalooza/120 Minutes landscape of my young adulthood but also are going to appeal to The Needle Drop/Pitchfork/Tiny Desk crowd that exists now. 

The band is even better live. I saw good Internet buzz but it’s accurate. They are a top tier live band. On record, the band splits vocals between bassist Emily Kempf and guitarist Jason Balla. In concert, they seem to be a couple like few others.

 

I can’t help but think of the band X. Yes, Exene is probably the lead singer but it’s impossible to separate the duty she shares with John Doe. Likewise, calling Emily or Jason lead singer and the other secondary in the way you might differentiate Tanya Donnelly in Throwing Muses, Lou Barlow in Dinosaur Jr. or even say Mick Jones in the Clash. The interplay is one reason that they are so good. They don’t sound like X but I can only imagine if Exene and John had formed their first band in this decade, they would sound like this. 

One may even catch on a song like “Lucky” that Dehd would be a great alt country band if they chose to ditch the noise. There is no doubt either front person could lead a band, but they are better together. Kempf could be (and let’s just state as a fact- is) as an elite level front person. Her voice is incredibly strong. Her presence more magnetic than the bands promotional materials imply. 

Balla is incredibly energetic as counterpoint. He’s Townshend level committed to rocking the stage. Closer to Blink 182 and Green Day energy than probably most of their peers, without ever feeling like rock n roll cliche. Eric McCreedy is the third member of the trio and compliments them with Velvet Underground/White Stripes minimalist percussion Dehd has definitely hit the mark with some singles - “Dog Days”, “Bad Love” and the kind of sound that can go viral, but they also put on one of those shows that might convince you they can save rock n roll.

I didn't plan on posting video but I took a 20 second snippet of the encore (where the band switched instruments) and the sound was so clear.  
 

Opening act was Chicago band Starcharm. This all female trio are just starting out. This is their first tour and they really only have one song on streaming platforms, Bandcamp and YouTube.

I see a lot of potential in this band and a lot of the words I used to describe Dehd fit here too. Strong frontwoman. Minimal percussion. A mix of 90s indie rock and 80s/90s dream pop but also a good mix of modern day confessional indie pop a la Mitski or Clairo. There’s not a ton out there on Starcharm but I would not be surprised if they took off.  Check out the new single here

Also the benefit of seeing these bands in a town that is a bit off the main route is seeing them in a small venue and even getting to briefly talk to Dehd’s Balla and Starcharm singer Elena Buenrosto. Although a bad experience wouldn’t affect what I think of the music, I found both of them charming and accessible. Good luck to both bands, though with their talent, I don’t think they will need it.

Album Review- Xordox- Terraform

JG Thirlwell had a revolutionary career as an early participant in the industrial genre. Recording under various pseudonyms- his albums as Scraping Foetus Under the Wheel particularly 1984s Hole and 1985s Nail are well respected. 

While he was quite prolific for a time, his art is all over the place and outside the two aforementioned albums, you will see different opinions though everyone will agree there’s good work in the catalog. I personally think 1995s Gash is a top record - a surprising “of the time” signing to the major label Columbia Records. (Online talk tends to prefer the more aggressive “Thaw” from 1988.)

Foetus recorded less often in the 21th Century but he’s still put out quality product. It became much harder after Gash to find his records and I resorted to Amazon but I can say I have faithfully purchased everything. 

2001s Flow is an amazing end-to-end record if pushed to plug one here. But Foetus seems to be on the back burner now. 2013s Soak was the last album we got from the Foetus moniker. 

While juggling Foetus projects and various collaborations, he’s had three split off bands that have kept him busy. 

There’s Steroid Maximus - three albums from 1991 through 2002. A take on spy movies and crime noir with over the top action and big band sounds on steroids. Although no one knew it then, it created the perfect route for what has kept Thirlwell busy in recent years (and surely his largest paychecks) by soundtracking the cartoons The Venture Bros (collected in two volumes as JG Thirlwell in 2009 and 2016) and Archer (released in 2024). 

There is Manorexia- a much harder to classify Freeform project that Wiki calls Modern Classical. There are four albums which were exclusively offered through his website from 2001 through 2011

Finally, there’s Xordox. As much as I love Steroid Maximus, I think Xordox is even a funner listen- all synths providing a science fiction sound. For those who haven’t checked on Thirlwell in awhile, it will likely be a nice discovery. Terraform is the third album, following albums in 2017 and 2021. 

While it would be easy to throw it in with video games soundtracks, songs like “Anthrobot” seem to have a bit of a punch that you might not expect. “Moonrise” is a climactic motion picture without the motion picture. “Planet Xordox” harkens back to Gary Numan, Afrika Bambaataa and Fad Gadget - those early 80s visions of the Future, except with modern synth technology.

Album Review- The Chop Tops- Fabrikate

The Music Industry has changed so much in the last couple of decades. While undoubtedly it’s been bad for some, I am also impressed by some of the changes that could be seen as positive. 

One of those is that it is probably easier in general for bands to get heard. Getting the sound of your garage (or these days, bedroom) to a listener who could be located anywhere on the planet. On Pandora (or any number of similar sites) you can make a radio station based on your favorite artists. Or genre. Or mood. There are infinite variations of discovering new music. Websites spit out “similar artists”. Algorithms churn out streaming radio on stuff you like. Lest we forget, albums are more available than ever before. 

A recent news item said there’s more albums released in one day now than in the whole year of 1989. I don’t know if the Chop Tops has any of this in mind when they reunited and decided to release album number seven Fabrikate after 15 years since their last new studio album. 

 The Chop Tops are proudly sponsored by Murray’s Pomade- the only other band to win that endorsement was the Stray Cats. The Strays are a good starting place but the band throws in some horror and surf influences. Fabrikate shows some unusual detours- there’s a cover of the classic (made famous by Led Zeppelin) “Gallows Pole” and maybe the only Rockabilly song to be based on Nick Cave’s “Stagger Lee” (called “Bucket of Blood”). Surf, blues and horror punk inform the proceedings when it strays from Rockabilly. 

 Here’s a band who recorded their debut in 1997, recorded their second album with Adele Dickerson in 1999 and played on a Brian Setzer album in 2001. Now recording and touring again, may they find additional audiences.

Album Review- Iggy Pop- Live at Montreux, Jazz Festival 2023

A friend gave me his copy of “Metallic KO” the famous 1976 Iggy and the Stooges live record that was allegedly from their final concert (Side 2 is from that final 1974 concert. Listeners would years later find out Side 1 was actually from a separate 1973 show) I found it then (and still now as) the most captivating live punk album of all time. 

Of course, it seems like almost every Stooges live performance seemed to find its way to disc. Iggy, like his fellow punk godfather Lou Reed, is almost as defined by his live albums as his studio work. There’s plenty of the Stooges stuff (up to 2005s much loved Stooges reunion album Telluric Chaos). Although not official releases, I would run into (and repeatedly bought on CD and vinyl) the concerts from the Ritz in New York 1986 and The Channel in Boston 1988, both seeing mass distribution starting in 1995. 

Corresponding to albums that have since fallen off the radar -86s Blah Blah Blah and 88s Instinct- freed from slick production from David Bowie on the former and Bill Laswell on the latter, the songs are rough as the classic pre punk songs they sit by on the setlist. I won’t go into a deep dive of other Iggy live releases which are so numerous that I am surprised that Discogs and Allmusic can keep up, and nearly all eras and years can be found. 

I will say I do particularly love the songs off of the 1977 tour with Bowie (like the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland show in March of that year) which were finally given the cleaned up treatment in 2020. I also saw Pop in the 90s and still consider it one of the best concerts I have ever seen. That said, it certainly felt like he was at least 60 years old then- the godfather of Punk. But he was younger then than this writer is now. He was in his late 40s but still had the energy of someone half that age. 

We probably don’t need a new live Iggy album but “Live At Montreux Festival 2023” comes out to rave reviews and it’s a nice addition to the catalog. Iggy is backed by guitars, bass, drums, trumpet and trombone. He hits an expected Stooges heavy playlist with nods to the Berlin period (“Mass Production” from The Idiot being a nice representative of that time) and the most recent album. (“Frenzy” and “Modern Day Ripoff” may be even dumber than songs like “Tuff Baby” and “Squarehead” from that Instinct-era setlist but it doesn’t matter when it’s all about aggression and energy. 

 The brass instruments on Search and Destroy does give some “Iggy in Vegas” vibes but nothing can tame that song, and more often than not it gives a nice Fun House vibe on songs like “Loose” or augments the proto-industrial sound of “Mass Production” Artists evolve over the ensuing years but it’s hard to believe Iggy ever did. On “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, as tensions increase, Iggy baits the crowd with as much intensity as he did when he was a Stooge. This is without the question, the same guy from Metallic KO from over 50 years back. 

I also don’t want to discount that “Iggy in Vegas” would be a bad thing. There’s never really a chance to reel him back in. This is the perfect Compact Disc length setlist. There’s a nice mix of Stooges, Berlin era and Solo songs. Where do you even cut? I mean I love American Caesar and Post Pop Depression which get no tracks here. To be honest neither do popular moments like Brock by Brick or anything from 1980 on that isn’t the new album. That said, it’s nice to see the underappreciated New Values get its two songs and you surely can’t cut out stompers like Gimme Danger. 

At this point, fans probably have as many Iggy albums as they need. This one is a pretty great “career capper” though that is worth the price of admission.

Album Review- Pete Doherty- Felt Better Alive

The Libertines remind me a bit of the Strokes. Formed a year earlier, their debut released 15 months later. Critics could have no issue with such blatant ripping off of their on-their-sleeve influences. Yet in many ways, it felt fresh and there was no denying their melodic ear. It was a rip off of 70s/80s NYC and 70s/80s UK fashion and sound but it was so cool.

One suspected Pete Doherty was either going to die an early death or if he survived find himself a Costello or Morrissey style respected elder lyrical statesman. Neither really quite panned out. Doherty was hard to love for awhile but he seemed to find some middle aged magic. 

His fifth (by most counts) solo record comes off two well received works- 2022s Frederic Lo collaboration Fantasy of Life and Crime and 2024s Libertines reunion All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade. 2025s Felt Better Alive comes out to some glowing reviews. 

As a fan, I agree with the take that he’s making some great music. I am less enthralled by the new record though. That’s probably explainable -11 songs at a mere 28 minutes. Doherty always was capable of just plugging in a guitar and churning out an enjoyable half hour and that’s what this feels like. But I also think it’s an odds and sods album. (At least I thought I read that at least a couple of songs were previously heard. Danged if I can find that now). 

Most songs feel like fragments. “Pretre de la Mar” is a standout with its sea shanty-ish charm. “Pot of Gold” offering happy domestic life. These are highlights that could fit on any Doherty playlist- rarely but sometimes making it past the three minute mark. The goofy “Fingee” is one I would skip but it seems popular so what do I know. Which may be where I land. 

Most reviewers think more of this album than I do. I am not willing to bump many of Doherty’s other albums off my favorites list for this. That said, it’s still a decent listen if you’re a fan.

Album Review- The Burning Hell - Ghost Palace

I am not sure where I first heard the Burning Hell but I know I was intrigued and wanted to search for more. The Canadian band has been around close to 20 years and new album Ghost Palace is album # 10. Still, they feel incredibly fresh to me. 

One of those bands with sarcastic literate lyrics that has one foot firmly planted in that post-Pavement slacker rock, and maybe that other foot is somewhere close to anti-folk- those observational stories that can be sung. But with deadpan vocals, witty lyrics and ukulele in tow, I can’t help but make some mention of Magnetic Fields. (Last FM’s “Similar Artists” page does little to shine some light on this topic except they are obviously Canadian). 

I don’t know that the band is named for the oddball REM song off Dead Letter Office, but it seems appropriate. The band’s most famous song is one called “F—- the Government. I Love You” 

Ghost Palace brings the science fiction with “Luna FM” (a breezy melody hides lyrics about a moon based Deejay who is forced to keep playing “Space Truckin’” and “Planet Clare”) but also more mundane topics like “Bottle of Chianti, Cheese and the Charcuterie Board” which hides divorce and death among its seductive lines.

“The Summer Olympics” is surely one of the great songs of the year. As with so much of this album, there is a sense of impending doom hidden by a sense of blasé. Life is a resort but the only things you can get is “Brazil Nuts and Blue Caracao” on that same titled track. We can be famous but only when we are “Celebrities in Cemeteries” as we join Gram Parsons, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison in the opening track. 

“The Birds of Australia” in a The Far Side style scenario are singing sweetly while wishing our death. Although ostensibly a project for Mathais Kom, like Merritt, it’s best when he shares vocals with band member Ariel Sharratt, who at various times provides drums, bass and woodwinds. I have only sampled the band’s previous output in bits and pieces so I don’t know how this album ranks in comparison but on its own, it’s a quite enjoyable listen.