bedsitter23

I was recently reminded by a new social media friend how much I enjoyed Carter USM.

In fact, 1992:The Love Album is a record that I liked as much as any of its day.

But for whatever reason, Carter USM has faded from memory. Surely the product of a goofy name (the Unstoppable Sex Machine) and a genre that incorporated dance music into traditional rock.

I suspect the fact that they never had American success means they aren’t looked at with as much reverence as similar (and similarly named) bands of the day like Neds Atomic Dustbin, Jesus Jones and the Happy Mondays.

In 2014, the Guardian (upon the band’s dissolution) wondered why the band has been written out of 90s UK indie history) but was the same publication that in 2007 posited that no one will ever cite Carter USM as an influence.

If you can get passed the ridiculous name, ridiculous hair and the duo’s ridiculous sobriquets (JimBob and FruitBat), they were a clever band- very satirical and very informed.

One can’t help but think of things would have been different if they had arrived post-Radiohead. Would JimBob have fronted a four piece and maybe been a Guy Garvey kind of character? Would he have been characterized as an esoteric songwriter like Damon Gough? Or a lo-fi band in the golden era of ‘circa 2005’.

In any case, this one slowly snuck on my radar, but in 2020, the ‘return of JimBob’ is going to hardly be on the list of most surprising things to happen.

I am struck by two things. First, this is very much in line with what a Carter USM album should sound like. It is a worthy successor to the Love Album. Secondly, is how contemporary it is. JimBob hits 2020 and it’s all there (just look at the song titles for a start)- a 30 second blast called ‘2020 WTF!’, “You’re Cancelled and We’re Done”, “Ted Talks” and “#thoughtsandprayers”.

I hesitate to think if any songwriter tried to capture these most unusual of times, that they would err somehow - too cloying, perhaps or tone deaf or clunky. Which isn’t to say JimBob is perfect, but this is actually a pretty solid record. Which makes me think he might be the artist we didn’t know we needed, but I am glad he is here for us.

NSFW- There is one word on this song that is naughty, but I love this song so much, so I am going to post it unless someone complains.

Let it Come Down is the first major album from Producer/Shimmy Disc honcho Mark Kramer in some time. Kramer is known for a wide list of often-offbeat artists that he worked with such as Galaxie 500,Gwar, Ween, White Zombie, Daniel Johnston, Urge Overkill, King Missile, the Boredoms, Royal Trux, Pussy Galore and Naked City to name some of the many.

As a musical artist, Kramer's biggest contribution was as part of a duo with performance artist Ann Magnuson known as Bongwater. Being active in a few social media communities, people are still discovering this band from the late 80s and early 90s.

The four albums are weird mixes of psychedelia, samples, spoken word, sex, satire, FM Rock, and various other ingredients. Although the provocatively titled Power of Pussy is their most known piece of work, the slightly more accessible The Big Sell Out is my favorite piece of work of theirs. An album that I would at times past, rave about.

In many ways, Bongwater seems a product of their time, and yet, they were such an unusual group, I often think their music perhaps aged well, since it was not beholden to usual standards.

When Magnuson and Kramer broke up romantically and musically, the latter released an ambitious triple record called The Guilt Trip which referenced George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. It was incredibly self-indulgent, but it blew us indie-heads away. It is also the type of album I expected not to hold up nearly 30 years later, but it actually is still quite good in its quirky way.

I was a big enough fan that I picked up the next two Kramer albums, though they were a bit obscure. However, they didn't stick for me. Kramer remained prolific for a time. and I do enjoy the album he did with Penn Jillete as The Captain Howdy which is at least half-brilliant.

From there, I have tried to keep an eye on Kramer, though his releases seemed to dip even obscurer in the new century, with his focus largely on the Brill Building catalog or classical music.

So Let It Come Down is a welcome return with the most conventional and advertised Kramer album in years. The band is also a duo, this time with UK Singer/Songwriter Xan Tyler, though it won't be confused with Bongwater.

Yet in many ways, it does bear a certain resemblance sonically. Closer Three Wishes with its sample would not be noticed appended to a Bongwater release.

The song Forget chosen to be a 'single' to introduce the album to the masses would fit well on The Guilt Trip and has the Beatlesque sound we associate with the Producer.

The Pitchfork review compares the band to another of Kramer's 'discoveries', the band Low; and although Let it Come Down blazes a path beyond Bongwater, "The Guilt Trip" and Low, the are probably the three closest touchpoints for this band. Each song certainly could fit into one of those three sounds.

Songs We Sang In Our Dreams doesn't quite hit the highest highs of Kramer's career, but what is surprising is how close it gets. So an instant cult classic? Sounds about right.

If you know me, you know that I will take any chance I get to talk about Steve Earle.

Incongruous perhaps to my other tastes, I am a big Glenn Danzig fan.

The Misfits, of course, are hip, and Legacy of Brutality blew my mind from the first day I heard it; but I like the self-titled band as well.

They were a bit of an outlier in the 90s scene- neither glam nor grunge. Somewhat cheesy in retrospect, they seemed intellectual, a seemingly rarity in hard rock, as bands like Metallica and The Cult were starting to dumb their material down. Years later, the Danzig discography doesn't really hold up to the image I have of them.

I have always loved the second Danzig album (the bluesy Lucifuge), but besides it, I only rate the first and fourth albums- solidly put together by Rick Rubin, though I hardly revisit them these days. The fact is I follow every move the band has made.

I have practically given up on the band ever having a return of form. The closest they got was 2002's 777:I Lucerfi I which was a short lived partnership with Todd Youth (Murphy's Law/Warzone/Agnostic Front), Howie Pyro (D Generation) and long-time drummer Joey Castillo (QotSA/Mark Lanegan).

But the Danzig of the early 90s with guitarist John Christ and producer Rubin seemed poised for a long run. Danzig spoke of ambitious projects in those years, and we got them sometimes with 'Chinese Democracy' speed- a Misfits box set, a Samhain box set, an influences' covers album and lastly, an Elvis covers album.

Skeletons (the covers album) was released in 2015. It suffers from production values, that charitably make it sound like a 'bootleg'. It is another 'what if' in the career of a musician that seemingly has pushed away his biggest allies. It succeeds in bringing back Misfits-era Danzig to an extent, but feels like a disappointment.

Which brings us to 2020 and the unlikely arrival of Danzig Sings Elvis. Perhaps, the first thing one can say is that it is what it says on the cover.

Panned by many, it is certainly an unusual album. Elvis has cast a long shadow over Glenn's work- from the fantastic “American Nightmare” tune by the Misfits, to some of his latter day ballads to the perfectly themed cover of Elvis's “Trouble” from his 1993 live EP.

A good producer might have suggested a variety of tunes that fir in the mold of these previous successes. Instead, it's a ballad-heavy, sparsely accompanied set.

Less charitable critics will dismiss this album quite easily. Unfortunately, I wouldn't go that far, it just wasn't executed well. It's not that it's “cheesy”. It's just not that arresting.

These are largely lesser-known Elvis tunes. That's probably a good start. He probably should have avoided “Fever” which conjures up images of Peggy Lee and Madonna. “Always on My Mind” was probably a good pick, though it's been well-covered.

In short, too many ballads. The unlikely perfect “Pocket Full of Rainbows”, “Girl of My Best Friend” and the coda “Young and Beautiful” could probably hang on a stronger album. Why he didn't stick to more songs with accompaniment like “Girl”, I don't know. When he tries to rock, he picks the wrong material in “Baby Let's Play House”, though he had the right idea in indulging in a bit of rockabilly. The bluesy “When it Rains, It Pours” is too much of a throwaway at two minutes, and could probably have been fixed by a better collaborator.

In any case, I don't think anyone will be that impressed with a bunch of slow-tempo Danzig numbers with no rockers to offset. Danzig really isn't made to be a balladeer. Though surprisingly, his cover of the Everlys' “Crying in the Rain” was one of the best songs off Skeletons, he can't quite pull off the life of a Vegas lounge singer.

Those who know me personally know that I am a near-obsessive fan of the singer Morrissey.

In recent years, his words and actions have tarnished his reputation to all but his most dedicated fans. Were he born at a different time, he would have likely been like his antecedent Larkin likely found out only after discovery of letters after his death.

I admit to having a hard time boycotting work by artists who should be censured. My favorite artists of all my time were horrible at some point in their lives (Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, John Lennon), though we brush it off as 'being the times'.

It is rather easy to dismiss Morrissey of course. His recent work is absolutely inessential, and you can justify listening to the Smiths, as Johnny Marr appears to be an above-and-beyond great human being.

One wonders why after periods of great absence (1997-2004, 2009-2014), Morrissey picks now when his talent appears to be on the wane to be suddenly prolific.

For me, there's a clear drop in quality when Morrissey start working with producer Joe Chiccarelli (an incredibly diverse resume of Zappa, White Stripes, Alannis Morrisette, Cafe Tacvba, and The Strokes to name a few). It may also stem to this also being the point where Alain Whyte was no longer writing or contributing to the band. Whyte had been responsible for most of the beloved songs from the Mozzer from the time of Your Arsenal on.

Similarly, Boz Boorer is here but has become a diminishing presence and this is the first album without a Boorer credit in over 25 years.

Which isn't to blame the current band members- guitarist Jesse Tobias (stints playing with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Alannis Morrissette), keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Manzur and bassist Mando Lopes (who played with punk legends Fear in the 90s and Title TK-era Breeders) or Chicarelli. Chicarelli always makes the Mozzers voice robust.

His lyrics betray everything else. He sounds like he is using a rhyming dictionary and on "The Secret of Music" just listing off the names of instruments.

It is an album that is easy enough to dismiss with one listen, and I only suspect the diehards like myself will find anything more in it.

The album's lead single was a song called "Bobby Don't You Think They Know" which is the best way to capture the mess that the album is.

Presumably, Bobby's secret is sexual, though it is unstated, and Moz is joined by Thelma Houston (Yes, that Thelma Houston, best known for "Don't Leave Me This Way") as they build to an almost six minute later crescendo.

It will be ridiculous to many listeners. It is to Houston's credit that it builds up into something worthwhile. The combination of two voices is really a great thing. One wishes that they could have collaborated much earlier when the material to work with was better. Manzur's music is also to be credited. Somehow pulling from Gospel and the Stranglers, he actually pulls it off.

The album is front-loaded with the strongest songs. Tobias writes an anthemic tune in Jim Jim Falls and Mozzer is in fine form. It would have made a good single back before people dissected his lyrics in these current times. Of course, Luke Haines got to something like If you're going to Kill yourself...get on with it" first, but it is within the Mozzer's wheelhouse.

Manzur takes over with "Love is on its Way Out"- the lyrics could be from a Moz Generator. It's not a bad song by any means, but I doubt he used 40 words in writing it. It ends up being more of a fragment than anything- though once again, Manzur's music is nice.

"Bobby" is the third track and the title track is fourth. Like the much earlier Moz tune "Roy's Keen", it succeeds despite itself. The lyrics are close to comical. It helps to know Canada Goose is a clothing company that Moz got in a verbal spat with.

Tobias again provides a backing track that is quirky and builds. Moz's voice is in fine form, and if the lyrics don't make you laugh (unintentionally) then this is one of the better tracks on the album. As the song builds to its anthemic closing, one wonders why Moz chose "Louder than Blows" rather than the much better "Louder than Bombs".

"What Kind of People Live in these houses" is one of those problematic Morrissey tracks where you are wondering what exactly he is getting at. Tobias's backing track would probably be fine, but this one is largely forgettable. Here is a case where Moz has written too many lyrics, and would probably be better served with being economical.

Knockabout World is another minimal lyric song over a Tobias beat that evokes New Wavy synths meeting Orchestra; pop. It seems to have some promise, but is over before it goes anywhere. The ending "You're going to be okay with me" likely works fine in a live setting. As it stands, it still feels like a sketch.

"Darling I hug a pillow" has great trumpets, though Moz seems tapped. "Why can't you give me physical love" seems like a lyric written by an AI version of The Man. A tribute to the talented Danny Levin- American Music Club member circa 2008, has worked with everyone from GWAR to 21 Pilots and on Iggy's Post Pop Depression. It's a shame this one isn't quite up to snuff.

"Once I Saw the River Clean" is over an electronic Tobias beat so good that Morrissey could read a telephone book over it, and he just about does. It doens't mean anything but it is a nice song.

"The Truth About Ruth" starts off with a lot of potential to be a Marc Almond-style spanish guitar melodrama. The truth is that Ruth is John, and in Moz's mind, that is a horror. It's a sentiment that would have been a good plot for Morrissey's 60s idols, but seems a bit outdated, and Like some of Moz's earlier solo work, it's unclear whether he's fine with this fact.

I like the work Manzur puts in to make this so dramatic. It's a shame he couldn't have gotten this over to Steven Patrick some 20 years earlier, where it could be put to good use.

The Secret of Music is not good and too long at 8 minutes. It makes a play at the nightmarish, but there isn't anything there.

My Hurling Days is a typical Moz ballad to end things. It almost works. Tobias has the melody right and Chicarelli surrounds it with the correct drama, but again,it never lives up to its potential.

Critics have given this album all sorts of reviews from it's his best solo work in years to it's trash. I admit I wasn't enamored with it at first.

On the plus side, Mozzer's voice is as solid as it has ever been, and the music is certainly adventurous.

On the other hand, Moz is no longer a sympathetic fellow and it's hard to give him a fair shake. There hasn't been much in the last few albums to indicate that there is anything left in the cannon. Any chance of a late career resurgence like Cohen or Reed seems slight.


The world certainly doesn't need any more Morrissey albums, and this is for the hardcore fans only. As a hardcore fan, will I listen. Yeah, I will probably for a few weeks. It's better than California Son and likely as good or as better as Low in High School. The Moz was always destined for self-parody or worse if he continued. In the modern music industry, he will likely only see a flow of pennies from streaming and minimal album sales. I guess I can't quit the Moz.

I have to say that I came to the new Who release WHO with limited expectations. I don't remember being particularly grabbed by Endless Wire, and although the Wilko Johnson/Roger Daltrey album got rave reviews, It only had limited appeal for me.

At this point, I think we are so hungry for Daltrey and Townsend to get together, that we put aside any "are they the Who?" arguments. At least, for me, but as I said, it was going to take a bit to impress me.

It started off with a few cursory "this isn't too bad" listens to a quick feeling that they really did something special.

Like other heavyweights Queen and Led Zeppelin, the Who seem to have fallen into and out of favor over the years. That said, they were always one of my favorite bands.

It would be easy to string a strong single to some otherwise weak songs like their early 80s efforts. Instead, they really crafted a perfect album.

It sounds like the Who all the way through, but never derivative.

You feel like you could slip it in easily into their 70s output after Quadrophenia. The album reminds me a bit of that soundtrack as well as Who By Numbers and Who are You. Indeed, it is at least on par without records, if not possibly a better end to end listen than those records. With nods to the band's career throughout (a lot of nods to topics on Who Are You). "Got Nothing to Prove" dates back to 1966 and sounds like early Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy Who. "Rocking in Rage" feels like it could be easily tacked onto Quadrophenia.

Mileage may vary, of course, but it is to me, enjoyable to get one last Great Who Record. What's also interesting to me is the group behind the group.

Behind Daltrey and Townsend, it's an all star and varied cast. Zak Starkey has been the band's drummer for 25 years now. Simon Townsend (Pete's younger brother) has been around awhile now, too, and has built a strong resume now on his own.

Pino Paladino is a veteran of the band at this point as well, and brings his jazz and soul influences. He's been on a string of Top 40 hits (Clapton, Phil Collins, Don Henley, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Adele and countless more), but has also played with D'Angelo, Gary Numan, and Nine Inch Nails). You know Benmont Tench from Tom Petty, of course, and much more.

Where Zak isn't at, Joey Waronker or Carla Azar is. You likely know him from his work with REM, Beck, and Atoms for Peace. You know her as the power behind Jack White's recent work, Ednaswap and a stint in the Waterboys.

Interesting of all the guests is D Sardy. Production credits are shared with Townsend, Bob Pridden (who goes back with the band to Live at Leeds) and Dave Eringa (a recent constant collaborator with Daltrey, but also a long time producer for Manic Street Preachers). When I think of Sardy, I go back to where I first heard of him- leader of noise rockers Barkmarket. At this point, of course, he's done everything and is most known for his work for films. In any case, he seems the right pick to put the behind the boards here.

Pete Doherty was determined to be the Johnny Thunders of this generation, and he seems to have succeeded.

Not just because he has lived longer than any of us might have expected (Let's not forget, Thunders hung around a decade after the Mats recorded "Johnny's Gonna Die").

Like Thunders, it seems to come easy for Doherty. He is the embellishment of rock n roll, and unfortunately, helps reinforce those memes about self-destruction and authenticity. Like Thunders, it seems there is a tape machine every time he picks up a guitar. Finally, like Johnny, his discography is a mess. There's plenty of re-starts and iterations, and for the most part, a casual fan would be smart to cherrypick.

For me, the first Babyshambles album was an instant classic. Review tended to be mixed (as let's face it, it's a bit of a mess), but have come around over the years. It is as shambolic as the name implies, but with Mick Jones (BAD not Foreigner) producing, it also has a touch of that revolutionary feel of early Clash records.

From there, the path meanders. The follow-up Shotter's Nation is mostly solid. This time with Stephen Street producing, there's a solid single in "Delivery". For better or worse, it keeps the tone of the debut, with the focus much tighter.

Next, it was to a rebirth as Peter Doherty and a solo album. Hailed by many, it was also classified as a Bomb by Robert Christgau. I probably sided closer to Christgau at the time. I might be more charitable to it, these days, but despite it's ambition as a re imagining, critics on both sides could probably agree that it's a bit half baked.

We would get another Babyshambles record and another solo record. Sequel to the Prequel tends to come off as a few carbon copies in on the 'Shambles, trying to capture the commercial sales potential of say, Razorlight. Time hasn't helped that album much either. Hamburg Demonstrations has its fans. It falls just short for me, mostly hurt only by comparison to earlier records.

A Libertines reunion produced a very good record, although it seems to serve the notion that not only Carl needed Pete, but Pete needs Carl just as bad. .

Ironically, the hightlight of Doherty's post-Libertines out put (besides the first two Babyshambles records) is a bootleg that did its rounds on the blogs in the Wild, Wild West of the Internet - those early Web2.0 days, called "The Shaking and Withdrawn Megamix"- a collection of Pete songs recorded after he had just left the band. It has managed to remain around, getting a new face as "The Freewheelin' Pete Doherty".

In that bootleg, perhaps is the secret of Doherty. Someone with an ear for a tune, an angelic voice, and the genius to riff (and perhaps, rip) off tropes from The Clash and The Smiths.

Which is probably where you have to approach the self-titled debut of Pete Doherty and the Puta Madres. How are you supposed to take a seemingly thrown together album (boastfully recorded in four days in South America) by a band with an obnoxious name.

It is also my favorite non-Libertines piece of work by Pete since that second Babyshambles album. It has the elements of a bootleg with spur of the moment lyrics from Doherty stealing from the Velvet Underground and Oasis on "Someone else to be", and a love of gypsy music (as shared with Thunders), revealing the talents that brought you to Pete in the first place.

It won't change anyone's ideas. If you don't like Doherty's "sensitive artist" to date, it's unlikely to change your mind. At best, it seems even destined to be forgotten quickly. Still, for the die-hards, it's a nice addition to the collection.

The Violent Femmes story lays under the shadow of their debut album.

Really the exact definition of a 'cult classic', it was already achieving that status when I first heard it. The Violent Femmes I was introduced to, had released '3', and were one of thousands of college rock or modern rock bands of the day. Fine, if not exceptionable.

That debut, though. Wow! So good of an album that a song as good as "Gone Daddy Gone" is down to fifth on the most streamed list.

The debut has only grown, to the point that it is mainstream. Yes, you would always find a redditor who'd quote "Kiss Off", but "Blister in the Sun" is a bonafide staple of modern music.

It's hard to think of a band that is a more unlikely success story. I can think of bands that have edged closer into mainstream consciousness like say, New Order or the Misfits, but for the realm of success, Violent Femmes seem the most unlikely.

Anyway, I heard good thing about the reunion, so I was happy to check it out. I don't remember who, and time flies so fast, they might have even been telling me about 2016's "We can do anything".

I can't help but thinking of this reunion without thinking of 1994's "reunion" New Times, which was really disappointing at that time.

Perhaps, of course, I was wrong, then. It came after 1991's "Why Do Birds Song"- an album that is probably better than a 5th record has a right to be.

Indeed, the band remakes "I'm Nothing" (from New Times) on this record, and it's fantastic with the new treatment.

Hotel Last Resort is a really enjoyable record. If you are someone who ponders over such stuff, you may want to know how good it is.

I think that it is indeed a good set of songs. Also, maybe we have underrated the Femmes over the years. Maybe all of their albums have been as good.

If you want to split hairs between 'great' and 'very good', you could. I will settle for the fact that it is an album that I can listen to over and over again.

The album feels more important than some, what with immediate Femmes classics like "Not OK" and "It's All or Nothing", fun romps like "Adam was a Man" and "Another Chorus", and a worthwhile title track that brings in Tom Verlaine.

Age has served Gano's voice well. While he likely won't grow to be an elder Leonard Cohen character (though, "Paris to Sleep" suggests the possibility), he does have a gravitas that comes with seniority (check out the closing "God Bless America"); and it is easy to see him becoming an unexpected Jonathan Richman like singer who can make great albums for many years to come (a conclusion that you have already arrived at, even before getting to the 99-second "Sleepin at the Meetin" singalong.)

There are hundreds of great "unknown" artists on Bandcamp, I am sure. One I would like to draw attention to is Tracy Bryant.

"Unknown" of course, is a relative term. Bryant led early 201xs LA band Corners, and has now released three albums for Burger Records.

Still, I think he should be more well known than he is. An old press release that pops up often on Bryant compares his voice to Peter Murphy, the Cramps, and the Gun Club. Perhaps, he does have a voice suited for Goth, but his music is totally out of the garage.

The new album is produced by Kyle Mullarky, who has also produced the Allah-Las and the Growlers, certainly two bands that share the same spirit as Tracy. Garage with nods to surf and psychedelia. Dave Cooley who has worked with artists as disparate as Jimmy Eat World, J Dilla, Ziggy Marley, Ariel Pink and Animal Collective engineers and records.

I really loved 2016's Subterranean, and am excited to see that Hush is more of the same. He gets compared to the 90s folk indie crowd like Elliott Smith, too. Maybe, but definitely, if you like bands like Mystic Braves, check him out.