Some Reviews
I haven't blogged in September but then I haven't really done anything in September except stay at home, editing and writing and transcribing interviews for the new Jersey Beat... not terribly glamorous, I'm afraid... but here are a couple of reviews of new releases. I also highly recommend Butch Walker's Letters which just came out on Epic.

KYNDUVME – Recipe For The Sunshine (www.kynduvme.com) This Long Island quartet (pronounced, so I’m told, “kind-of-me”) proved to be one of the happiest surprises I had putting this issue together, an indie-pop juggernaut with throaty, in-your-face vocals, big catchy hooks, and brash, confident guitars. This self-released 12-track debut, which includes extra’s like videos, unreleased MP3’s, and a link to a secret website for fans, reflects influences as diverse as the Beatles (lots of shimmery psychedelic 60’s guitar parts), the Foo Fighters, and to my ears, the early, pre-ballad Goo Goo Dolls. Not only does every track here rock, but the songwriting’s top-notch too, from metaphor-couched political commentary (“That Famous Southern Mystique,” which takes an oblique swing at Confederate flag-waving good ole boys) to short stories set to song (“Those Violet Begonias,”) to straight-ahead power-pop (“Strawberry Kisses.”) I was singing along with half these tracks before my first listen was even over and couldn’t wait to play the whole thing again. Check out their website for MP3’s (I doubt you’ll ever find the CD); I bet you’re gonna like this band. – Jim Testa

PALOMAR – Palomar III: Revenge Of Palomar (Self Starter Foundation) This CD – yes, the third full-length from these Brooklyn indie-popsters - was supposed to come out a year ago on Kindercore, but the label’s sudden bankruptcy put the project on hold. Now it’s finally being (virtually self-)released through Brooklyn’s Self-Starter Foundation. Fans of Palomar’s first two CD’s will immediately notice that the familiar battery of Sasha Alcott on bass and Matt Houser on drums has been replaced by the far more sedate rhythm section of Sarah Brockett and Dale Miller. Gone are the frenetic tempos of yore, as well as the hyperkinetic call-and-response vocal gymnastics between lead singer Rachel Warren and Houser and the other band members; replacing them are more rounded melodies and far fuller vocal harmonies. Slowing down the pace and sweetening the vocals haven’t dulled Palomar’s edge though; this is a band that still screams “Brooklyn” (although perhaps not as harshly as it once did,) with song titles and lyrics that cut with razor-sharp wit and irony (to wit, “You Dance Bad” or “Not Earned.”) But even that’s changed a bit; it’s hard to imagine the Rachel Warren of Palomar II reacting to being stood up (as she is on the delicate, introspective “Liquor Store”) without kicking her absent boyfriend in the balls. The self-referential “Fried Palomari” is the closest throwback to the “old” Palomar, with its skittish tempo and Rachel’s delightful one-string guitar solo. Make no mistake; I still think this is one of the most tuneful, intelligent, and entertaining bands in Brooklyn; hopefully it won’t offend anyone that I just liked the old Palomar a little bit more. – Jim Testa

PARIS TEXAS – Like You Like An Arsonist (New Line Records) Jumping from the reliable indie Polyvinyl Records to the almost-major New Line Records, Paris Texas has amped up their sound and goes for the jugular on every track here. Where their songs used to have one big hook, now every track seems to have three different sections that burst into an anthemic, singalong catchphrase. It’s all overdriven guitars and throttling drums and manic vocals, AC/DC crunch and Goo Goo Dolls choruses and lots of feverish New Wave flailing around, and when it works, it’s one hell of a formula. But the whole thing’s been mixed with a glossy sheen that strips the humanity from Scott Sherpe’s vocals and personality from Nolan Treolo’s lead guitar, and makes you think someone looked at these skinny Madison, Wisconsin college boys and saw another Strokes, a decent new-wavey pop band that could be molded into a hit-making goliath. When my high-school buddies and I first started drinking, somebody discovered Peppermint Schnapps. A shot at a time, that stuff was a great introduction to alcohol; but nobody in their right mind would drink a whole bottle of it. The songs on Like You Like An Arsonist remind me of that experience; individually, there are some yummy tracks here, but listening to the whole album left me with a headache. – Jim Testa