Lawrence music
Album review: Toughies - Tough Enough
“I don’t want it if it’s just for fun,” sings Toughies vocalist Carl Smith. The lyric echoes throughout “What Are Hands For?”, the second track off the band’s debut EP. Ironically, Tough Enough is a great deal of fun, complete with indie pop chords, full-chorus sing-alongs, and an adorable fluffy cat featured on the back of the album art. Yet this lyric perhaps encapsulates the tone of the EP’s 6 tracks—though the music is catchy and bright, it’s not ‘just for fun.’ In fact, the band has produced something of meaningful substance.
The Lawrence-based quartet released Tough Enough in September of this year. In addition to vocalist Smith, the band consists of Brad Girard on guitar, Joe Gronniger on bass, and Caroline Lohrenz on drums. The EP’s opening track, “Sloane,” immediately introduces us to Toughies as a unified team. Listening to the strong vocals sung in unison supplemented with the image of a wandering cowboy on the cover of the album, one can’t help but imagine singing this song while sitting with friends around a campfire.
Tough Enough explores that in-between space traveled by so many trying to navigate young adulthood: the sadness of a break-up, followed by self-reflection, leading to sweetly sincere attempts to mend the heartache by winning that someone back. On “Birthday Party,” Smith sings from the perspective of a man who hopes an ex will show up to his party and witness how much he has matured over the past year of separation. It’s sentimental, comedic, and honest all at once. However, the somewhat tender nature of many of the lyrics by no means makes the music of Tough Enough cheesy or dull—this is indie-pop, after all.
“Horsefeather” provides a dose of funk halfway through the EP that shows off the instrumental strength of each member of the band, and “Cheek” is a favorite that closes the EP on a high note. Listen closely to the last few seconds after the music stops and you can hear one of the Toughies mumble “we can go” amidst giggles, half-jokingly implying the recording was so flawless there’s nothing left for the band to do to raise the bar. Tough Enough is a skillfully constructed and warm introduction to a band we’ll hopefully hear much more of.
--Mary Kennedy
Mary is a lifelong Bostonian learning her way around Kansas City. She can often be found in an art museum, checking out local music, or taking a nap.
You only have one more chance to catch Toughies before the end of the year—this Friday at Replay Lounge. They will be appearing with Oil Boom and Monster. Facebook event page.
Album review: Major Games - Major Games
From the retro ‘60s psychedelic album art to their wall of sound performances, listening to Major Games’ self-titled album feels like visiting a sonic circus. Released in the spring of this year, the first full-length album of the Lawrence-based band arrives 4 years after their 2011 EP (EP1, which was just re-released on cassette by This Ain’t Heaven Recording Concern), and each one of the eight new tracks is indisputably worth the wait. Those who have been enjoying their earlier release will not be disappointed—in fact, any fan of noise, shoegaze, or psychedelic will be excited to hear what Major Games has been up to, as will those interested in an introduction to the genre. Their previous five-track EP laid the foundation for Major Games’ seemingly effortless song construction and gritty sound. This new, self-titled album harnesses everything great about those songs and amplifies it into one cohesive Major Games experience: a larger-than-life rollercoaster of noise.
Major Games is made up of Jeremy Sidener on bass and vocals, Doug McKinney on guitar and vocals, and Steve Squire on drums. What immediately stands out on the album is the band’s ability to make a wall of noise sound elegant and cohesive—if you have any doubt, check out the first 50 seconds of “BDBDBD.” Although a solid addition to your road trip playlist, this music is made for hitting play, leaning back, closing your eyes, and soaking up the sound. Sidener’s vocals soar through each track, weaving in and out between layers of instrumental sound with impressive control and range. Lyrically, Major Games comes across introspective, however lyrics take a backseat to the sheer power of the instruments themselves. “Other Location” makes an impact alternating between lightly echoing guitar, and harder, droning noise, creating an unpredictable and layered quality that saturates through the whole album. Other favorite tracks include “Risk,” which will most likely get a crowd dancing, and “Burner,” featuring an unrelenting rolling bass and elaborate guitar work.
Despite its brilliant raw sound, the entire album manages to maintain a quality of precision and clarity. Producer Jim Vollentine, who recorded the album with the band at Black Lodge Recording Studio in Eudora, KS, deserves credit for capturing the force of Major Games' arrangements. Vollentine’s career includes production and technical work with bands like Spoon and White Rabbits. This album demonstrates serious confidence in their craft and inspired musicianship with no hesitations about breaking the mold. Major Games doesn’t sound like the band is coasting or playing it safe. Their album is a major achievement.
Major Games will make their next appearance on Halloween night at Replay Lounge in Lawrence, with BaioWolf, Young Bull, and Gnarly Davidson. Show starts at 9:00 p.m. Facebook event page.
--Mary Kennedy
Mary Kennedy is a lifelong Bostonian learning her way around Kansas City. She can often be found in an art museum, checking out local music, or taking a nap.
Album review: The Sluts - The Sluts
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
LFK darlings The Sluts’ self-titled second album is just what the doctor ordered. Assuming, of course, that you’re in need of a dose of brash, fuzzy, garage rock, most potent when chased with a shot of bourbon and some cheap yard beers. And let’s face it, you probably are.
The Sluts’ eleven tracks—four of which (“Let Me Go,” “Loser,” “Green,” and “Linger”) were previously released on last year’s The Loser EP (here’s our review of that)—are for the most part quite one-dimensional. This isn’t a bad thing. Ryan Wise (guitar and vocals) and Kristoffer Dover (drums) are not trying to overthink their craft, but instead are content to give listeners fun, mostly up-tempo ball-busters, lasting under three minutes.
The songs are a unique blend of early grunge and edgy punk. Think of Mudhoney joining forces with The Stooges. Wise’s slightly whiny, reverb-laced vocals are nearly as distorted as his chunky, drop-tuned guitar, and Dover’s relentless sonic booming is filled with crash cymbals. The result is a much larger sound than one might expect from just a two-piece band, although I would be interested to hear the added depth that a bass guitar might bring.
Three songs showcase Wise and Dover at their best. The crunchy “Green” is reminiscent of Alice in Chains, both vocally and musically. Dover’s tom rolls give it a defined groove, and set it apart from many other tunes on the album. “Be With You” is a fast, driving love song with interesting rhythm variations and guitar like a machine gun. The highlight of The Sluts is “Linger,” which begins with a catchy surf-like guitar hook, and becomes a thrashing, angst-ridden anthem. The use of fuller chords and incessant drumming allows it to have as much breadth as two instruments are capable of providing.
The album’s final track, “Simple Song,” is the only truly slow song of the bunch. At first it seems a bit out of place among the other ten turbulent tunes. However, there is a good reason for it to be included. It informs the listener that the thrill ride has come to an end, and that it’s okay to take a deep breath and relax. It’s like a much-needed lullaby being sung to a rambunctious, yet exhausted, child.
If you’re in need of some background music for resting, studying or a candle-lit dinner, you should probably avoid this album. If you are leaving work on a Friday, and are ready to roll down the windows and get mentally prepared for the weekend, by all means crank it up. The Sluts isn’t high art or even hi-fi. It’s rock & roll, baby.
Catch The Sluts tonight at a free in-store performance at Mills Record Company! Show starts at 7:00 pm.
--Brad Scott
Brad loves music, Boulevard beer, and his family. Not necessarily in that order.
Album review: Bloodbirds - MMXIII
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Twenty-year veterans of the LFK/KC underground music scene, Mike and Brooke Tuley have played with a number of bands familiar to local rock audiences. Best known for their time with Ad Astra Per Aspera, they established Bloodbirds in 2011 with the intent of cutting loose and shaking things up.
And they have. Dense, dark—equal parts Fun House (Stooges), Spacemen 3 and Black Angels—Bloodbirds’ newest release MMXIII may also be their swan song, given the departure of bassist Anna St. Louis for Chicago. In some ways, it is St. Louis whose playing defines the band. Forward in the mix, and by no means shy, St. Louis plays with punchy authority, reminding of some of the other great “lead” bass players like Jon Entwistle and Peter Hook. Brooke Tuley is a powerful drummer; her parts are simple, but dead-on. She locks perfectly with St. Louis. Mike Tuley plays on top of their aggressive foundation, a canvas for his arsenal of shimmering hammer-ons (“Modern Sympathy”), punishing riffs (“Did You Say”), and sometime dulcet tones (the comparatively clean Blue Mask jangle of “Convalesce”). Depending on the song, his sound can be metal harrowing or as ropey, surf-psychedelic as the theme from Repo Man.
About those songs: they’re functional, gripping, emotional soundscapes, not necessarily bound by pop hook conventions. They hit you with the shape-shift intensity of vintage heavy rock like Blue Cheer or modern darkness merchants like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Which is to say the focus here is not necessarily on hum-ability. Even allowing for that, it would be nice if the vocals had a dash less delay density and a bit more clarity in the mix. Lyrics and vocals on MMXIII are more about mood than meaning (or mood as meaning), stray lyrics emerging from the driving murk to arrest your conscious mind here and again.
The tough thump of “No Trains Coming Through” totally belies the song’s title. With Roky’s manic intensity, the song “Did You Say” features the ominous, repeated line “Did you say you want the end to come right now?” And the music echoes the sentiment. “Round Moon’s” cascade of guitar features some of Tuley’s most expressive fretwork, summoning up the incantations of bands like the Icarus Line and the guitar howl of the Stooges’ Ron Asheton. For an album that emphasizes a certain heavy-osity, MMXIII manages to shift mood and tone effectively.
Brothers and sisters, the Bloodbirds can make a show-stopping addition to anybody’s Psych Fest. Live shows may be few and far between, given the departure of St. Louis, but they have reunited in support of MMXIII occasionally and the members remain close friends and open to the odd gig. Go catch them if you have the chance.
—Steve Wilson
Album review: Heidi Lynne Gluck - The Only Girl in the Room
Back in the late sixties and early seventies, when artists like Emitt Rhodes, Todd Rundgren, and that Paul fella from The Beatles made records all by themselves it was a noteworthy thing. It’s been done plenty of times since.
Usually badly.
In her modest home studio, Lawrence’s Heidi Lynne Gluck made such a “solo” recording. On The Only Girl in the Room, Gluck sings and plays every note. And she made a terrific record.
Gluck has an extensive resume as touring and session musician, including a stint in the band Some Girls with Juliana Hatfield and recordings with Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos. A 10-year Lawrencian, Gluck played previously in The Only Children with her ex-husband, Josh Berwanger.
The Only Girl in the Room is a refreshing EP (the first of four slated for release on KC’s Lotuspool Records), a focused gem of songwriting and performance. With these five songs, three co-written with Kenny Childers, Gluck makes a persuasive case for her art.
Gluck’s melodies are both composed and natural. Her poetic but unpretentious lyrics reflect on relationships, and on identity and destiny. Gluck’s voice is not a powerful instrument, but it has character and quiet power. Her sensitive musicianship creates a discreet emotional undertow.
On the title track Gluck’s phrasing is subtly swinging, evoking singers like Rickie Lee Jones and Carol Van Dyk (Bettie Serveert), women who can pull off a smoky ballad better than the run of the mill singer-songwriter. The lyrics convey loneliness and isolation, but a certain pride and resolve at the same time.
Gluck’s chamber-pop production values are likely a product of both design and thrift; their economy gives the songs focus. “Target Practice” is a nuanced look at personal and social weariness and mistrust. Gluck’s admiration for Jon Brion—especially his production work with Aimee Mann—is evident here. “One of Us Should Go,” guitar-based and closer to the folk idiom than much of Only Girl, recalls Paul Simon’s early songs, with a bridge that tilts toward Brian Wilson melodically.
Gluck is a convincing multi-instrumentalist; perhaps most at home as a bass player. Her bass lines, simple and supple, give “Orchids” an affecting throb. She has a fine ear for details, images of “your perfect shoulders” and a timely shift to falsetto highlight the insinuating melody.
Only Girl closes with “Where Will They Bury Me.” Death and the deposit of one’s remains is not typical pop song material, but it’s stock and trade for blues and folk music. Gluck’s Rickie Lee- ilt, and a lyric worthy of Tom Waits, favors a meditation on family and origins–more than death per se. “Where” sucks you in with a chorus melody quietly evocative of the maudlin sixties hit “Last Kiss,” (J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers … or Pearl Jam?) a tragi-comic ditty about a dude losing his gal in a car wreck. It lends a familiarity, leavening the solemnity of the lyric.
The job of an EP is simple—to leave you hungering for an entire album of material from the artist. The Only Girl in the Room is a varied, inviting, and brief recital that introduces Heidi Lynne Gluck, and makes you want more.
--Steve Wilson
Catch Heidi Lynne Gluck with her full band next Saturday, June 27 at Lawrence Field Day Fest; they’ll be playing at Eighth Street Taproom at 10 pm.