I had only scratched the surface of this CD when I began to wish that someone had scratched the surface of this CD so that I did not have to listen to it.

We’re All Safe by Few and Far Between establishes itself within the first seconds as a remarkably average post-grunge album. At its best moments it sounds like Foo-Fighters b-sides, which would be cool if you are into that sort of thing, but at its most dismal it sounds like Nickelback b-sides. It is quite exactly the very definition of mediocrity, according to Wikionary: “… having only an average degree of quality, skills etc.; no better than standard.” We’re All Safe is an apt title.

The production is slick, the quality of the sounds and tones are super profesh, but there is not a whole lot of substance beyond the polish. Original thoughts are few and far between on We’re All Safe. On the flip side, many of the things I would view as negative characteristics in music may work to their advantage. For example, my mother would probably think they were a nice band, maybe, and mistakenly purchase it as a Christmas gift. The possibilities are endless.

The attitude of the whole sha-bang is very serious, extremely emotional. Scratchy, grinding guitars over standard rock beats set the stage for multi-tracked, semi-agitated howls. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, pretty standard stuff. The largest deviation is an acoustic guitar here and there.

They are performing this stuff here in fabulous Detroit on Thursday, December 22nd at the Magic Stick with K.I.D.S. and Lawless Carver, I have no idea how much the cover is. Have fun you crazy kids!

House Phone is releasing their latest EP, Gift Catalog, today! The soul/rock quintet’s second EP, Field Trip, came out earlier this year (you can listen/download here), and Gift Catalog offers more of the subtly-funk-infused tunes Field Trip provided.

The five track EP includes an impressive cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Ooo Baby Baby,” as well as a song titled “Smokey Robinson,” a clear influence for singer James Linck’s emotive, falsetto vocals. “1000 Years” brings out the group’s rock influence, but I think I prefer the less guitar-driven songs like “Crayons”  and “Fire Hydrant” that allow Linck’s vocals to take center stage.

House Phone’s next show isn’t until the new year (they will be opening for Caveman and Hospitality at the Lager House on January 12), but hopefully we’ll be seeing them around more.

You can download Gift Catalog at House Phone’s Bandcamp page.

The Meltdowns are celebrating the release of Critical Mass, their debut record, on November 26th at PJ’s Lager House. The 12 song LP comes with a 16 song CD. Also appearing at the show will be the Sin-Bads, whose members include scene veterens Freddy Fortune (Fortune & Maltese, Freddy & the Four Gone Conclusions) and John Szymanski (The Hentchmen).

I don’t feel fanatical love for the album. It’s very from the heart brit-beat party-popped garage surf. The album is pretty average at some points, lackluster at other points, never bad. But it’s also very authentic. They’re laying down a toe tapping, head nodding rock and roll record. Drum rolls, heavy guitar riffs from vintage axes.

If this is your demographic, this is going to be awesome. Neurotic Bop put out the album – the team which has produced the 3-D Invisibles, The Volcanos, and The Hellbenders – and it shows. The songs average out to be about 3 minutes in length. No song overstays its welcome.

The Meltdowns do turn up the heat in some choice songs. My favorites on the record are “Critical Mass,” “Meltdown Stomp,” and “Go Too Far.” A few songs on the album seem a little undercooked. The album doesn’t take any risks, it doesn’t take a step out of what’s expected. It’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with it. I just wanted more of their own spin on it, rather than a by the numbers 60′s dance rock’n roll. I’m not trying to beat up on them because I feel like they made the exact album that they wanted to put out.

The Meltdowns – Go Too Far

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While psychedelic experiences are usually associated with warmth and the Summer of Love, some find a darker place. 2 years before Charles Manson made everyone’s trip go bad, the Velvet Underground released The Velvet Underground and Nico. If time is an illusion, V.U. might have run into Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor while they were bumping around those dark spirit places. Their sophomore album, Spectra Spirit, is a gritty, dark, and beautiful volume of psychedelic rock that surpasses their eponymous debut.

Untitled opens the album with a droning guitar note that works like a mantra to keep the thinking mind at bay. With apparent contempt, Morrow growls, “Lord, can you hear me? We’re all going down in style”. The moment where the rest of the band joins him is an exhilarating release of fun and furious rock n’ roll. Two short beats later, his guitar answers back with a dissonant note, as if to say, “this trip won’t be a smooth one”. Sawoscinski’s second layer of percussion hammers away at the end of the song to brilliantly punctuate the remark.

The first half of Spectra Spirit is dark and sometimes brutally heavy. Even the acoustic guitar in Howlers on the Roam does little to soften the grit. “All of your disease, all of your desire”, Morrow promises as we follow him into some arid wasteland.

Center of a Velvet Room starts with a cool tribal beat that springs fluidly from the end of the track before it. Morrow’s guitar is a little reminiscent of Thurston Moore while Oppitz’s bass line would fit well in a Slayer song. Here, they’re both genius. At about 1:50, they come together to make one of the coolest harmonies I’ve heard ever.

The Hole in Your Brain is an appropriately named mind-fuck that eventually leads us to the gorgeous and sticky-sweet Did You Hear the Lion Roar, Mr. Wig. Halfway through, a 12-string starts to chime and the song takes on a new feel. This is my favorite spot on the album.

Live in My Mind offers further relief from the darkness with its bouncing rhythm, jangly guitar, and sing-along chorus. This song has single written all over it.

Green Eyes and Dream is the perfect closer for the record. The instrumental break is beautiful and feels transcendent, except you can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. A dull thud that sounds like a body falling adds to the vague sense of menace. Eventually the song explodes into some sort of hellish carnival.

Dense sonic landscapes hang like fog and permeate the song structures. The band deftly executes parts that are as much about atmosphere as they are about notes. The lyrics are topical and surreal, favoring meditations on the Dark subject matter over a clear narrative. As a whole, it’s 9 songs and just over 40 minutes worth of well-written, well-performed and well-recorded music.

Listen to the album or pre-order here

Fingers and Brain, the self-titled debut, sounds as natural as its title suggests. The distractions of recording with digital technology are not easily ignored, but the reward for talented artists who can resist is an honest sound that people eat up.

Fingers and Brain was released in August of 2010 with most of the recording being done that same year. Patrick Minjeur, Francis Minjeur and Daniel Vought – all from Detroit – did most of the recording in Patrick’s L.A. studio apartment (Listeners really get the feeling of being right there in the room – headphones help.)

As members went their own ways to pursue academic endeavors, the group found its three Detroit native members sprawled out among California, Michigan and Florida. The future of this biologically mutualistic relationship looked bleak.

After months of an unsure future, the group had reunited once again in Detroit by April 2011. Fingers and Brain gained two new members in the process – Evan Gatny and Rachel Balanon. The product is a great sounding collection of songs by a reunited group of friends.

“The Trees (They Sway),” the first song of the album, kicks the collection off with quick humming, loose strings and a lot of natural harmonized lyrics. It’s a great way to introduce listeners to the group’s style, however, light background strings, shakers and finger picking also imply a sophisticated live act.

The Trees (They Sway) by fingers and brain

“Bears and Coffee,” which has an alternate version on Soundcloud, shows a bit of digital interest with a light beat playing continuously during this quick-rhythm epic. The fat echoing snare reflects the 650 sq ft studio apartment recording space, and the intimate sound of the album throughout.

Bears and Coffee Finished by fingers and brain

The open-chord guitar in, “I Fell In (To a Hole),” is surrounded by stunning harmonized strings and a muted bass from left field. The off stroke of the bass aligns with the natural sounds of the accompanying instruments. This is a great homage to a discreet and original use of the bass guitar. It’s not just for 80s pop apparently. I, and many others, stand corrected.

I Fell In (To a Hole) by fingers and brain

“The Borley Rectory (We Might Just Be Alone)” is easily the most production heavy song on the album (which is still not much). The ambiance of the synth produces most of the effects, along with a clean acoustic guitar. The vocals limb to falsetto and blend together with the circular movement of the whole track.

The Borley Rectory (We Might Be Alone) by fingers and brain

Fingers and Brain is a great testament to patience and reunion. The light styles are complemented by rooted rhythms and quick tempos. Not only is Fingers and Brain timeless, but also the recording methods are humble – and the songs remain contemporary. This is an album for any referential listener who loves to explore new ways of producing familiar sounds.