Tag Archives: In The Red Records

CD Review, Music

CD Review: Strychnine Dandelion [2010]

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Band: The Parting Gifts
Release: 11/2010
Label: In The Red Records

1. “Keep Walkin” –  A-
2. “Bound To Let Me Down” – B+
3. “Strange Disposition” – B+
4. “My Mind’s Made Up” – B+
5. “Shine” – A-
6. “Born To Be Blue” – A
7. “Staring” – A
8. “Don’t Stop” – B+
9. “My Baby Tonight” – B
10. “Sleepy City” – A
11. “Don’t Hurt Me Now” – A-
12. “Hanna” – B+
13. “I Don’t Wanna Be Like This” – A
14. “Strychnine Dandelion” – A-
15. “This House Ain’t A Home” – A

Comments: Greg Cartwright is an accomplished musician from one of earth’s top mecca’s of garage rock: Memphis, Tennessee. Cartwright — known as Greg Oblivian when he was in The Oblivians — has a knack for crafting solid oldies pop songs. This collaboration reeks of roots rock: old country, rockabilly, trash rock, etc. The verses on “My Mind’s Made Up” are virtual rockabilly re-takes on the verses on The King Khan & BBQ Show’s “Too Much in Love”. Credit to Cartwright and Coco Hames of the Ettes for dating this thing. Take the lyrics on “Born To Be Blue” for instance: “It’s a lonely stand/When a girl loves two and she must choose. Please understand/I still love you, but he needs me, too.” Classic girl group stuff, which re-appears on “Sleepy City.” Fans of everything that I’ve mentioned (and more), please check this out. It’s one of the best records that In The Red has released this year.

Grade: A- (90)

CD Review, Music

CD Review: Nothing Fits [2010]

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Band: Tyvek
Release: 11/2010
Label: In The Red Records

1. “4312” – B
2. “Animal” – B-
3. “Potato” – C
4. “Future Junk” – B-
5. “Nothing Fits” – C
6. “Outer Limits” – C-
7. “Underwater 1” – B
8. “Underwater 2” – B
9. “Kid Tut” – C
10. “Pricks In A Car” – C+
11. “This One – That One” – C-

Comments: Every time I see “Tyvek” I think of Tyvek! The problem is I’ve never listened to any material from the band Tyvek…until now. Obviously, I was expecting some sort of lo-fi garage/punk/pop. In The Red has a reputation for releasing that kind of stuff. Listening to this, for me anyway, is like listening to St. Dad or the Homostupids. Tyvek is better, but they’ve got too much noise and screaming. My little ears can not really handle it. At their lightest (“Underwater 1”), they are like a hardcore Cheap Time. At their heaviest, they are like your average ’80s D.C area high school hardcore punk band.

Grade: C+ (78)

CD Review, Music

CD Review: Play It Strange [2010]

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Band: The Fresh & Onlys
Release: 10/2010
Label: In The Red

1. “Summer of Love” – B+
2. “Waterfall” – A-
3. “Until the End of Time” – B
4. “Tropical Island Sweet” – B+
5. “All Shook Up” – A-
6. “Be My Hooker” – B-
7. “Fascinated” – B+
8. “Plague of Frogs” – B-
9. “Who Needs a Man” – B
10. “Red Light Green Light” – C+
11. “I’m A Thief” – B

Comments: Initially, I’m  feeling like I did the first few times I listened to Album. The music itself is fairly pop-sensible, but on the weird side of things. Play It Strange reminds me of The Shins at their most upbeat. Unfortunately, for me, I’m not feeling the psychedelia. This is too creepy of an album. Listening to this is like watching an old Western. There are some fascinating parts, but most of it is like Congratulations minus the pop factor. They are a good fit as opener for MGMT.

Grade: B (85)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Be Brave [2010]

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Band: The Strange Boys
Release: 2/2010
Label: Rough Trade/In The Red

1. “I See” – A
2. “A Walk on the Beach” – A-
3. “Be Brave” – A+
4. “Friday in Paris” – A
5. “Between Us” – A-
6. “Da Da” – B+
7. “Night Might” – A
8. “Dare I Say” – A
9. “Laugh At Sex, Not Her” – A
10. “All You Can Hide Inside” – A-
11. “The Unsent Letter” – A-
12. “You Can’t Only Love When You Want To” – B+

Comments: Strange Boys: you either love them or hate them. You can’t fault them for their classic R&B and garage sound. Ryan Sambol, the lead vocalist, might wear you out with his scratchy middle school girl southern hollers, but for me it’s just tea in a kettle. Sambol’s vocals “suggest a young Bob Dylan had he spent more of his formative years in juvie halls than coffeehouses.” 2009’s The Strange Boys and Girls Club was a top 10 album for me because it “brought back the old times.” The first two dits are noice, but “Be Brave” is of unprecedented quality. I can’t remember everything, but I don’t remember organs and horns on Club. Those are on here. Country music never sounded better! I spent most of my formative years listening to 50 Cent and Nsync so if I sound unreasonably excited about albums like this, don’t get all uppity! Through and through, I don’t find myself dissatisfied. Familiar tricks are rehashed on this album, but that’s absolutely okay. I find Sambol’s discourse of intercourse on “Laugh At Sex” particularly amusing. “Sex is like laughter, you do it differently with different people, sometimes you feel sick after.” The piano on “The Unsent Letter” reeks of Daniel Johnston, whom the Boys have toured with. This record isn’t as prolific as the band’s debut, but it’s nice!

Grade: A- (92)