The Daily News

Music
TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2012

Living Section
Section

PS I LOVE YOU, Death Dreams (Paper Bag) Be advised that if you cant wrap your mind around the often-polarizing sub-genre of noise pop, then Canadian duo PS I Love You probably wont be your cup of tea. Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson make music thats raw and dirty and much of the time (seemingly) bereft of discernible melodies. Yet after a couple spins of latest fulllength Death Dreams, I found the platter to be kinda fun. Songs like Sentimental Dishes, Toronto, Future Dontcare, Princess Towers and First Contact are growers that start off a little off-putting before growing on you. Not for all tastes. (JS) ( COLE WILLIAMS, Out of the Basement, Out of the Box (self-released) Brooklyn-raised pop/R&B songstress Cole Williams is a fixture on the Big Apple music scene and is looking to expand her fan base with the release of limited-edition double EP Out of the Basement, Out of the Box. Disc 1 is comprised of the six-track Out of the basement Part 1 EP, originally released in 2011. Disc 2 is a five-track collection of new songs and the weaker of the two. Tunes like Little Me, I Aint Sweet on Him, Selfish and Good Thing are the standouts on Disc 1, while Disc 2s keepers include The Box, I Dare You and Save Me. Williams exhibits great promise (and inconsistency) on Out of the Basement, Out of the Box. With a bit more seasoning, Im betting theres a great record in her future. (JS) ( MARTHAS TROUBLE, A Little Heart Like You (self-released) 12 I first succumbed to the indie folk charms of husband-and-wife duo Marthas Trouble when they released the stellar Anchor Tattoo last year and was more than a little intrigued when this 10-track collection of lullabies came across my desk a while back. A Little Heart Like You features four original tunes, four traditional songs, a mash-up and a series of bedtime prayers set to music. Jen Slocumbs vocals are ideally suited for the project and husband Rob keeps the arrangements simple, yet effective. My favorite song is Slocumbs Lullaby, Marthas Troubles pitch-perfect mash-up of Joe Cockers You Are So Beautiful and Brahms Lullaby, and their renditions of You Are My Sunshine and Jesus Loves Me are almost as good. Among the originals, Goodnight Sweet Child and A Little Heart Like Yours are the standouts. This is an album for parents and younger children to enjoy together. (JS) ( ROYAL HEADACHE, selftitled (Whats Your Rupture?) 12 Having spent their formative years cranking out hardcore punk music, Australian outfit Royal Headache have refined their sound on this surprisingly effective self-titled debut. Now boasting more of a garagepunk sound with elements of R&B sprinkled in for flavor, Royal Headache score with this 12-track release. In true punk fashion, the album whips by in just 26 minutes, but thats more than enough time to sink your teeth into keepers Never Again, Surprise, Psychotic Episode, Two Kinds of Love, Down the Lane, Wilson Street and Pity. Cant wait to hear more from these four Aussies. (JS) ( BRANDEN DANIEL & THE CHICS, Keep Em Flying (self-released) 12 Branden Daniel & the Chics (formerly Branden Daniel & Everybody Gets Laid) have developed a loyal following in the Pacific Northwest with their riff-heavy brand of bluesy hard rock. Debut album Keep Em Flying should go a long way toward expanding the trios core group of fans beyond their hometown of Seattle. The 10-track slab gets off to a slow start with the middling All Things Chic, but Daniel & the Chics soon hit their stride with keepers that include personal favorite Missionary, Hey, Howie, Only the Heavy, the title track and Not Like Anything. Keep Em Flying is a solid album that grows on me a little more with each and every spin. (JS) ( JOHN FULLBRIGHT, From the Ground Up (Blue Dirt) As an unabashed fan of indie folk, it should come as no surprise that I find John Fullbrights From the Ground Up to be a completely enchanting album. With

Its not really news that Paul Thorn has it covered on new CD

On Thorns side

PAUL THORN, What the Hell Is Goin On? (Perpetual Obscurity) On a steamy August night in 2004, I was at the Station Square venue then known as the Chevrolet Amphitheatre to see 80s icons Huey Lewis & the News perform. Yet what I remember most about that night was the impact unheralded opener Paul Thorn made on those of us in attendance. Armed only with his Mississippi drawl and an acoustic guitar, Thorn stole the show and Ive been a big fan ever since. Thorns latest collection of Americana tunes is cover album What the Hell Is Goin On? Here, Thorn puts his own stamp on songs written by the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard (Snake Farm), Lindsay a sound that belies his 23 years, the native Oklahoman earned raves for his performance at the South By Southwest Festival in March and this stellar debut should continue

Buckingham and Stevie Nicks (Dont Let Me Down Again), Buddy Miller (Shelter Me Lord), Wild Bill Emerson (Bull Mountain Bridge), Eli Paperboy Reed (Take My Love With You) and Donnie Fritts (personal favorite Shes Got a Crush on Me). I enjoy Thorns witty songwriting and the memorable characters he creates, but he shows nice interpretive skills on this terrific slab. (Jeffrey Sisk) ( of Happiness and A Love Story. With that voice, Brannan could impress by singing just about anything. That his writing is so strong is just icing on the cake. (JS) ( JANUS, Nox Aeris (REALID) Windy City hard rockers Janus dont deviate from their melodic metal formula too much on sophomore full-length Nox Aeris, but theres enough energy on this 10-track release to keep their fans happy. It seems evident the quartet is eyeing mainstream success (and theres nothing wrong with that), but lets give Janus credit for not taking the Nickelback/Hinder/Seether path of least resistance. Songs like In Flames, Lifeless, Promise to No One, Waive, Numb and Always Rains will sound great on a warm spring/summer day with the windows cranked down, and there are plenty of catchy riffs to keep air guitarists everywhere in business. Nox Aeris is not an essential album, but its not a bad one, either. (JS) ( AMY CORREIA, You Go Your Way (self-released) It wont take more than a single spin of Amy Correias delightful You Go Your Way release to see why the album was nominated for three Independent Music Awards. The 11-track release finds Correia on top of her game with her bluesy vocals and ear-pleasing arrangements. Things get off to a stellar start with the title track, Love Changes Everything and Powder Blue Trans Am. After treading water on Took Him Away, Correia regains her footing with a series of standouts in Carolina Rail, City Girl, O Lord, the string quartet-boosted Old Habits and Broken/Open. Good stuff. ( (JS) DRY THE RIVER, Shallow Bed (RCA) 12 Having earned comparisons to the likes of Mumford & Sons (dont hear it) and Fleet Foxes (maybe a little), London-based indie folk/rock outfit Dry the River try to take the United States by storm with full-length debut Shallow Bed. There are some nice moments to be found on the 11-track release, but its a little too inconsistent to be a must buy. Opening track Animal Skins is a nice scene setter, and Dry the River also soar on Shield Your Eyes, History Book, Bible Belt, personal favorite Weights & Measures and Lions Den. Frontman Peter Liddles soaring vocals anchor Shallow Bed and he manages to remain captivating for much of the 51-minute running time. Still, lopping off a song or two might have resulted in an even better record. (JS) ( ANIMAL KINGDOM, The Looking Away (Boombox/ Mom+Pop) 12 The first time I spun Animal Kingdoms sophomore full-length The Looking Away, I was tempted to

the buzz. Opener Gawd Above sets the tone and segues into standouts I Only Pray at Night, the jaw-droppingly awesome Satan and St. Paul, All the Time in the World, Me Wanting You and Daydreamer. Fullbright is the real deal, folks. (JS) ( ALO, Sounds Like This (Brushfire) 12 Having been pretty ambivalent about jammy California rockers ALOs last two albums 2007s Roses & Clover and 2010s so-so Man of the World I didnt know what to expect on latest effort Sounds Like Fun. Im happy to report that the 10-track release is my favorite ALO slab to date as the band effectively brings some of their renowned live energy into the studio. Songs like Dead Still Dance, personal favorite Blew Out the Walls, Speed of Dreams, Storms and Hurricanes, Cowboys and Chorus Girls and Bark of a Tree are flat-out fantastic. They more than make up for the indulgences of Room for Bloomin and Reviews, the never-ending closing tracks that clock in at 19 minutes combined. (JS) ( SIMONE FELICE, self-titled (Team Love) 12 I loved him as a member of the Felice Brothers and as the founder of the Duke & the King, but Simone Felice has saved his best for this remarkable self-titled solo debut. And thats saying something. This 10-track release is nothing short of spectacular, as Felice weaves vivid tales about people whose lives have lost all direction. The songs are sad on the surface, but theres a sense of optimism that bleeds through each of the low-key, beautifully simple arrangements. Opener Hey Bobby Ray sets the tone, and Felice additionally scores with New York Times, Courtney Love, Charade, Gimme All You Got, Ballad of Sharon Tate and Splendor in the Grass. Felice has set the bar high for anything he does from here on out. (JS) ( JAY BRANNAN, Rob Me Blind (Nettwerk) Its been four long years since singer/songwriter Jay Brannan graced us with an album of original material. His 2009 covers album In Living Cover was nice, but Ive been waiting to hear more from the guy who opened eyes with his 2008 Goddamned debut. Rob Me Blind marks a welcome return for Brannan, whose tenor voice has never sounded as good as it does on these 10 uniformly enjoyable tracks. Accompanied mainly by his acoustic guitar, Brannan has crafted an album of simple melodies and razor-sharp lyrics. Among the many highlights here are Everywhere Theres Statues, Beautifully, the title track, Greatest Hits, La La La, Myth

dismiss it as a pale imitation of fellow Brit bands Coldplay and Snow Patrol. On subsequent listens, however, it became clear that my first impression was off the mark. Animal Kingdom put their own spin on a familiar formula and the results are quite nice. The dreamy pop melodies get started right with The Wave and Get Away With It, before the band launches into the albums best track, Strange Attractor. The rest of the 10-track release is a little spotty, though Animal Kingdom hit all the right notes on Glass House, The Art of Tuning Out and Everything at Once. This album flirts with greatness. Perhaps the next one will achieve it. (JS) ( KIP MOORE, Up All Night (MCA Nashville) Country newcomer Kip Moore was riding high even before debut album Up All Night dropped. Thats because first single Somethin Bout a Truck went gold in mid-April, whetting the appetite for more music from this up-andcoming artist from rural Georgia. The rest of the 11-track release is equally compelling, giving every indication that Moore will have some real staying power. In addition to Truck, Moore scores with album opener Drive Me Crazy, personal favorite Beer Money, Crazy One More Time, romantic tandem Where You Are Tonight and Hey Pretty Girl, as well as the title track and Fly Again. Enjoy, yall. (JS) ( THE TOWER AND THE FOOL, How Long (Run for Cover) Late last year, Americana newcomers the Tower and the Fool gave us a taste of what was to come with the release of two-track EP XIII. Stellar full-length debut How Long shows the Rhode Island-based sixpiece are more than capable of filling out an entire album with first-rate songs. This 10-track release has no weak links and will appeal to fans of Wilco, Ryan Adams and any other artists who deliver their rock with a hint of twang. The Tower and the Fool get things off to a terrific start with Diver Bar, which bleeds into personal favorite Scoliosis. The fellas also score with Fade Away, Valentines Day and Who Does She Think She Is? Wisely incorporating both songs from the EP Die Alone and NYC, an acoustic track that gets fullband treatment here as My Heart Is Dead in NYC the Tower and the Fool have one of the years better debuts. (JS) ( SILVERSUN PICKUPS, Neck of the Woods (Dangerbird) 12 On their third album, Californias Silversun Pickups sound a little less immediate and concerned to make an impression on you. There is nothing here that screams radio hit, and thats fine. What we have is a nicely crafted, interesting record, where the songs get to breathe and develop, thus revealing the bands true, immense talent. Songs such as opener Skin Graph, Make Believe, Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) and New Wave-flavored The Pit also should distance the group from all of those Smashing Pumpkins comparisons and establish Silversun Pickups as one of the finest modern rock, for lack of a better term, groups going. Neck of the Woods is a fine piece of music, better digested as a whole, that only should bolster their status. (Brian Krasman) S. CAREY, Hoyas (Jagjaguwar) 12 On an pleasing little EP that follows his All We Grow full-length, S. Carey sounds content to be himself and let his music soak in tributaries. Yeah, you can hear some of the rub-off from playing in Bon Iver (those Autotuned vocals are a nice Justin Vernon trick), but S. Careys style is far different from that of his day job. We get but four songs on this minirelease, and all trickle into each other quite nicely. Two Angles is cool and easy, and when trumpets gently pump in toward the close, they feel like theyve arrived just in time. Avalanche bubbles and blips like Postal Service, while Inspirir gets a little trickier, reminding a bit of Radioheads Kid A experiments. (BK)

CONCERTS
Gameday Regulars: 6:30 p.m. Tues., Smiling Moose, South Side, 412-4314668 Pierced Arrows: 9 p.m. Tues., 31st Street Pub, Strip District, 412-391-8334 Angela Easterling: 7 p.m. Tues., Brentwood Library, Brentwood. Free

Run for your life Not awesome Not too shabby Pretty sweet Awesome