Ayria - "Plastic Makes Perfect" 2xCD

Silly synthy-techno for teens

On her 4th album, Canadian Jennifer Parkin crafts a solid, if, well, plastic set of melodic synthpop tunes with touches of trance, industrial, and ethereal gothic sounds. Call it "futurepop" or whatever, and you're in the right realm. Parkin's melodic vocals are certainly more "pop" than anything else, and the music (which features some production and programming from Icon Of Coil's Sebastian Komor) is edgy dance pop, with plenty of hard-hitting beats and Euro-techno sequences.

Tracks like "All That Glitters" could rope in plenty of teeny listeners, if not for the heavier beats. "Games" is purely dance pop, and could be almost mistaken for a Disney radio icon, to these jaded ears. Sure, Ayria's clean and crisp pop-dance sheen is well-produced and club-worthy, but there's just not much else of depth here.

The bonus disc of remixes (included only with the limited edition box version) ups the ante with some heavy-hitting names. Project Pitchfork deliver a clubby mix of "Missed The Mark", whereas Daniel B (of Front 242)'s complex and muscular mix may be the best track here. Aaimon's mix of "Games" is nicely ethereal, tempering the beats, but the rest of the cuts are just variations on the trance/dance club vibe. Of marginal interest, I'm afraid.

Alfa Matrix

Ayria site

Famous Underground - "Famous Underground" CD

Lost in the eighties butt-rock

Featuring former Slik Toxik members Nick Walsh and Laurie Anne-Green, Canadian hard rock act Famous Underground's radio-friendly rock/metal sound is straight out of the past. With wailing, melodic vocals that are purely Sunset Strip-style, Famous Underground are certainly adept at melodic heavy rock songs. "Dead Weight", for example, could be Guns 'N Roses if Axl hadn't totally lost the plot way back when. 

There are 11 tracks here, all well-produced slabs of clean and anthemic classic rock. Famous Underground have all the right moves and attitude aplenty, but as for content? I get nothing. Insipid lyrics ("Hell To Pay" a shining example) and a well-trodden sound do not a world-class band make.

Dust On The Tracks Music

Famous Underground

Jarboe - "Live In NYC" DVD

Stylish, dark, and enchanting former SWAN spreads her wings

For her first New York performance following her split from SWANS, Jarboe and band conjure a bewitching, elegant, and edgy presence for this 2000 show. Shot with several cameras in an intimate setting (the Knitting Factory), this 60-minute video showcases Jarboe's dark solo material as well as some re-tooled revisions of her work with Swans and (The World Of) Skin.

Opening with the esoteric art-rock of "Surrender" and "We Are The Prophecy", the band hits a crescendo with "My Buried Child". As well, "Euphoria/Demons Out" is a cathartic expression of reckless abandonment to a primal force, and features a wild on-stage appearance by the incomparable Kembra Pfahler (The Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black). "Dear 666" is a swampy blues number that showcases Jarboe's diverse vocal stylings, while the stripped-down and mournful "One Thousand Years" is a beautiful lament, remaining faithful to the original Skin recording.

"Live In NYC" is an effective look at Jarboe's live persona just post-SWANS, and any fan of her unique and beguiling blend of weird and personal musics will be glad to have witnessed it.

Atavistic

The Living Jarboe

A Secret Policeman's Ball - "Teenage Crimewave" CD

Silly name, cool post-new-wave indie

Well, I'd like these folks better if they would call themselves "Teenage Crimewave" -- much more fitting for this band's attitude. Anyway, it's a 4-piece out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but leave the regional thing out of the equation, as you won't hear anything necessarily "Tennessee" in ASPB. Indeed, this is heavy-duty modern rock with a big city swagger. Vocalist Nikki brings a nicer, melodic new wave sound, then steamrolls it with an incisive rock shout that can hold it's own against prime Kat Bjelland or any other "chick screamer" you can conjure. "Try To Find Shon A New Hat" showcases this screamy side, with an old-fashioned hardcore noiseclot that runs for around 40 seconds. Love it!

Songs like "A Flock Of Beagles" do present a tinge of 80s-inspired shoegazey rock, while (the likewise wonderfully-titled) "A Young Stephen Dorff", smacks of Blondie fronting Interpol, if you can imagine that. ASPB have the new wave-meets-indie sound down well, and their dynamic may throw off some folks, but I like the schizophrenic nature. Excellent!

MVD Audio

A Secret Policeman's Ball

"The Phantom Father" DVD (director: Lucian Georgescu)

Superb and intelligent Romanian indie film

This Romanian indie (thankfully, in English) has a lot going for it, namely a sparklingly warm performance by lead actor Marcel Iures. His portrayal of a an American professor who's given it all up to research his bloodline in rural Romania is quite enjoyable. "The Phantom Father" is a well-done film with charm and heart.

Iures' character, Robert Traum, meets Romanian archivist/librarian Tanya, who assists him along his journey. She becomes his sort of foil, and the two find common interests along the way. The cinematography is beautiful, acting natural and instantly believable, and the story is interesting and perfectly plausible. Superb work, and easily recommendable.

MVD Visual

Beer: Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale

SIERRA NEVADA (Chico, CA) - ESTATE HOMEGROWN ALE - 4.25

A 6.7%ABV IPA, Sierra Nevada's Estate was a limited brewing that was revolutionary in that it utilized only ingredients (mostly organic, too) grown on Sierra Nevada's estate locally in Chico.

Clean light amber in color, with a big, thick head of off-white foam. Gorgeous lace. Nose is moist, floral, pine hoppiness. A superb start! Taste is sharp and bold, with spicy and peppery hops and a thick malt presence underlying it, and residing at the finish. 

Very delicious, and a treat for IPA fans. Here's to hoping there's another harvest next year!

Sierra Nevada

Beer: Flat 12 Bierwerks and Sun King Brewing

Here we have several brews from local Indiana brewers, and some fine work, indeed! Both Flat 12 Bierwerks and Sun King Brewing are based in Indianapolis, and though distribution seems limited on both counts, they can be found into Southern Indiana, for sure, and are all worthy of checking out. Remember that beer ratings run from 1 (awful) to 5 (awesome). Anything over a 3.5 is a winner, so taste and prost!

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS (Indianapolis, IN) - FLAT JACK PUMPKIN ALE - 3.5

Flat 12 has produced some solid beers, though this one didn't impress me much.

Pours all suds! Gradually, as it all subsides, lace is pretty spotty and erratic. Color is cloudy light amber. Nose is spicy, with plenty of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Inviting! When the overcarbonation settles down, the flavor is more of this spice and plenty of hoppy bitterness. The actual pumpkin is subdued and the body is light. Gets better as it warms, and more character is brought out. 

Still, as it is, not among my favorite pumpkin brews.

SUN KING BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - SUNLIGHT CREAM ALE - 3.75

Sun King is a respected craft brewer, and their larger offerings aren't bottled, but canned in cool pint cans. Their "light" beer isn't a kolsch or lager, but a cream ale!

Pours a semi-cloudy golden from the pint can, with thick carbonation, but no lace.

Nose is pleasantly light, grainy, and malty, with a hint of buttered sweet corn. That's not to say it's bad, though. Actually it's pretty refreshing. Taste is, expectedly, light and creamy. This one is sooo smooth and malty, but very drinkable and, as the can imparts, approachable. Sunlight Cream Ale wouldn't turn away lifetime macro drinkers, but has plenty of easy-going flavor for craft nerds, too. 

A solid and totally session-worthy brew here, not too complex, but smooth and well-crafted to style.

SUN KING BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - OKTOBERFEST LAGER - 3.5

Pours from the pint can a clean, clear amber, with substantial head. Thick 2-finger lace. Lovely! Nose is malty grains, even earthy. Nice. Flavor is malty and sweet up front, with a slowly-developing citrus hops accent toward the finish. 

Totally solid, but I still prefer their Osiris Pale Ale.

SUN KING BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - WEE MAC - 3.5

This Scottish-style ale pours from the pint can a ruby-amber in color. Virtually no lace here. Aroma is malty sweet. I get a toasty toffee kind of vibe here. Not bad. Taste is mild and sweetly malty, with more toffee tones and some nuttiness. 

Not a very compex flavor profile here, but very drinkable and session-worthy.