Short Bursts #3, October 2004

It’s time for another installment of Short Bursts here at Pop Culture Spectrum…

A group bristling with the edginess of post-punk and the brilliance of psychedelic rock, West Indian Girl’s self-titled debut is the record The Stone Roses never did make but should have.  “Still Lost” with its Eastern overtones is one of the most amazing songs I’ve heard in ages, and the sinewy voice of singer Robert James wraps around the words of “Trip” like the love child of Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips and Perry Farrell (from…oh come on!  Do I really have to tell you??).  If this is the new face of American music, West Indian Girl makes a wonderful impression, indeed.

(7/10)

The six-song EP debut from Chris Grace called Evidence is, in many ways, radio-friendly standard-issue moody pop-rock.  One place in which it excels, however, is in its lush production which is to some degree way more thoughtful than your everyday Top 40 track.  The pastoral sound of sensitive rockers Coldplay figures into “Leave the Light On” heavily, whereas “In Dreams” is quiet and spacious then morphs into an upbeat (but still sonically restrained) haunting track.  Not bad…Chris Grace shows major potential as a songwriter who could wow even the cynical kids.

(6/10)

The “lost” third full-length from techno-rockers God Lives Underwater (caught up in industry red tape since its original expected release date back in 2000) is called Up Off the Floor and—no surprises—is an absolute masterpiece.  It reconciles the heavy guitar sound of their debut Empty with the textural synthesis of their brilliant sophomore set called Life In the So-Called Space Age.  It’s a GLU fan’s wet dream—getting to hear “1%” (which appeared on a 1500/A&M ‘new releases’ comp around the time of its aborted release date) in its intended context for the first time along with outstanding tunes like “White Noise” and “Miss You More Than Anything”.  With the duo’s tragic history, it’s impossible to say if we’ll see another record at this point, so enjoy this gem.

(9/10)

Speaking of returns, how about the long-awaited new disc from Helmet?  Size Matters finds Page Hamilton’s musical baby a full-grown metal-supergroup with the addition of White Zombie drummer John Tempesta and former Anthrax bassist Frank Bello.  The group still retains a scrap of that lean, tight sound that made songs like “Milktoast” and “Unsung” so freakin’ awesome, but they temper it now with a degree of melodicism and pop sensibility (as on the opening “Smart” and the first single, “See You Dead”).  My favorite track without a doubt, though, is the trudging “Enemies”—its tense quiet moments in stark contrast with its nearly miasmic wall of distortion no doubt a holdover from Page’s brief stint in the legendary New York noise rock group Band of Susans.  It’s a noble return and in time might be considered a classic from the band.

(7/10)

One last burst for you courtesy of the incredibly prolific Metropolis label—the third album by EBMers Mindless Faith titled Momentum.  With elements that bear similarities to early Nineties Front 242 (think Tyranny [For You]-era) along with strong flirtations with industrial rock and club-worthiness, tunes like “This is the Last Time” and “Canaan” (here in two forms) bristle with intensity and will have many recovering rivetheads reaching into the closets for their old Wax Trax twelve-inches, FLA t-shirts and leather jackets.

(6/10)

 That’s it for this month!  Stay tuned!