Sound and Fury 2-22-2007

Sound and Fury 2-22-2007

by Indy Staff

Aqueduct
Or Give Me Death Barsuk; February 2007

If Aqueduct’s newest album can’t boast the highest quality in
music, at least it can’t be beat in the ingenuity category. The
one-man band mixes Ozzy Osbourne-sounding vocals with cheesy ’80s
synth beats, producing the musical equivalent of a
banana-and-peanut-butter sandwich. At first, the combo seems like a
great idea – as on “Keep it Together,” when David Terry happily
sings, “People never change/bitch, say that you’ll try.” But as the
album wears on with tracks like “Just the Way I Are” and “As You
Wish,” a ’50s-esque do-wop song about murdering a lover, you begin
to wonder why it seemed like such a good idea in the first place.
 – Sarah Hammill

Sondre
Lerche Phantom Punch Astralwerks; February
2007

Cosmetically speaking, Sondre Lerche seems poised to become your
mom’s favorite new artist. Like many of the doe-eyed
singer/songwriters who came before him, Lerche has a knack for
upbeat guitar strumming, stop-start melodies, and carefree
lyricism. This isn’t to say Phantom Punch falls completely flat.
Left to jam with backing band the Faces Down, Lerche seems most at
home barreling through songs like “Face the Blood” and “Phantom
Punch” with rock-star gusto. The slow-to-start “Well Well Well”
flirts with ’70s pop influences (à la Blue Öyster Cult) before
crashing to a reverb-heavy halt, while the simplicity of “Happy
Birthday Girl” succeeds by way of its culminating guitar solo.
 – Aly Comingore

Deerhoof
Friend Opportunity Kill Rock Stars; January 2007

Originally from San Francisco, the trio Deerhoof has come
together to introduce art-rock and experimental music in its truest
form. The band’s latest album – appropriately titled Friend
Opportunity – is extremely eclectic, bordering on weird but in a
beautiful way. Satomi Matsuzaki is the bassist/vocalist whose
childlike voice floats smoothly over harsh percussion, loud horns,
and experimental electronic beats. The band’s erratic rhythms
create a wonderfully disastrous and distinctive brand of music that
shouldn’t be overlooked. And with an invite from the Flaming Lips
and Radiohead to open for their tours, it looks like these guys are
on their way to the top.  – Alyssa Perry

The Higher On
Fire Epitaph; March 2007

Though sort of punkish in that clean, pretty-boy way, The Higher
may very well end up labeled power pop – and that’s not a bad
thing. As a punk album, lyrics like “I thought the way that she
moved meant the way that she tasted,” from “Rock My Body,” sound
kitschy. But in a pop context, lead singer Seth Trotter’s smart
delivery somehow makes it okay. And the album’s power chords and
harmonies set The Higher apart from the less deserving and
seemingly endless number of genre-similar bands. Add it up and
you’ve got yourself the quintessentially base – but embarrassingly
enjoyable – album to usher in the warmer months.  – SH