Reviews January 2008 Reviews Page 6 Twink - Ice Cream Truckin’ (Mulatta Records) The idea behind this release is that Twink recorded simple songs on toy piano and distributed them to musicians and producers to rearrange, rework or remix. The outcome, according to the sleeve is ‘19 scoops of tasty toy piano tunes’. Opening with ‘Mister Softee Theme’ (c)1960 indicates that there is interest in this rather kitsch area of playground pop and the number of those involved backs this up. The diverse track list dips into various genres, such as euro-pop (‘Slush Bunny’), cut-ups (‘Sugar Cone’), techno (‘Plastic Spoon’) and even metal (‘Ice Cream Headache’) with varying degrees of sweetness, cringeworthiness or ecstasy (dependant upon viewpoint). At almost an hour it crosses boundaries of taste, novelty and sanity - even vague recollections of Vangelis and Ruichi Sakamoto could be evoked during ‘Fizzy Peach’... help!!! For fanatics of toy instruments and those with an eccentric sense of fun. www.mulatta.org Will F. - Various Artists: Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity (American Laundromat) Cinnamon Girl features 21 new cover versions of Neil Young songs by a first rate selection of female performers, including Tanya Donelly, Britta Phillips, Kristin Hersh and Jill Sobule (with John Doe). The material is drawn mainly from Young’s glorious first decade - ’69 to ’79 - and with the combination of imaginative arrangements and solely female voices, the songs are reinvented and imagined in such a way that in comparison, many other tributes seem woefully lacking. Of course, there are plenty of very good individual moments to be found scattered throughout this double disc collection. My favourites, at the moment, are Veruca Salt’s ‘Burned’ and Kristin Hersh’s sublime, slightly wobbly ‘Like A Hurricane’. Tomorrow there will be others. www.alr-music.com Rob F. - Aftershocker - Born to Rock (Independent) Maybe it’s a bit churlish to quibble with a band’s chosen name rather than concentrate solely on the sound they make, but to be honest the moniker ‘Aftershocker’ does throw you off the scent before you start. Which is unfortunate, because far from being the twee self indulgent jazz-prog combo you’re expecting these guys are occupying the same terrain as Aerosmith, AC/DC and Tesla, while throwing in plenty of individual touches of their own. Openers ‘Nasty Nancy’ and ‘Self Delusion’ are all riffs and roaring, while slower paced numbers such as ‘Three’ and ‘Ballad of the Beast’ show they can take on the odd ballad without turning to slush. Distinctive backing vocals and engaging flourishes of harmonica, sax and even accordion help this rise above the sometimes predictable classic rock format. Don’t be misled by what they call themselves and you’ll find ‘Born to Rock’ energetic, approachable, and well worth checking out. www.aftershocker.com Neil B. - Sir Oliver Mally’s Blues Distillery - Radio (ATS) There seems to be vibrant blues scenes all over the world, and Central Europe is no different. Sir Oliver Mally’s Blues Distillery are from Austria, but you wouldn’t know it unless someone told you. On Radio, their first release for 6 years, they mix their blues up with a host of other pop / rock styles, and it works very well. Let’s be honest, if you’re a blues band from Austria, there’s no need to get hung up about being purist. They’re excellent musicians to a man, and I’m sure they’d find favour in any of the discerning blues clubs of England. Try and track down their cover of Hendrix’ ‘Voodoo Chile’. www.sir-oliver.com Rob F. - Mike Rosenthal - Home (Freedom) Austin’s Freedom label is renowned for the Texas country-singer-songwriter albums they’ve released over the years. Mike Rosenthal is their latest find and he carries on that rich tradition with a record rich in gritty imagery, though he confounds expectations somewhat, by not being too country. Sure, there’s a pedal steel and there’s more than a hint of ‘high and lonesome’ in his voice, but for the most part these are intimate folk songs, sung by a man with his finger on the pulse on contemporary singer-songwriter pop. It’s a good album, and tracks like ‘Rain’ and ‘ Next Train’ deserve to garner attention. www.mikerosenthal.com Rob F. - The Waco Ramblers - S/T (Playground) They describe themselves as a glam bluegrass band, which I’m happy to report is ‘bout right. Their good-time string band antics are thoroughly entertaining - the sort of band you’d expect to see playing with Hayseed Dixie or The Sadies, and a great night would be had by all. Songs about lyin’, cheatin’ and big bad trucks are to be expected and are present and correct, and whilst it’s probably best not too approach this record absolutely sober, it definitely sounds best in the car. You’ll have to work that one out for ourselves. www.wacoramblers.com Rob F. Next Past Reviews: March 07, April 07, May 07, June/July 07, Sept/Oct 07, Dec07