As A People, Carpet Bomb Ballet. Adam Yas can sound a
bit like Thom Yorke, but his tortured, operatic style fits well with As
A People’s unsettled alternative rock: guitar lines that rise and fall
like mercury with the songs’ shifting dispositions; a dynamic rhythm
section that never lets the bottom fall out; and sinister, almost
insidious melodies in constant supply. (Umpteenth Records)
The Melatones, Go Like So. The Melatones formed in
1996 and this is their first album, meaning they’re either
perfectionists or procrastinators. The East Bay band says it’s finally
captured its true sound, the essence of which is modern, off-kilter
classic rock that makes no secret of its myriad influences. Not
perfect, but not lazy either. (self-released)
Stephanie Crawford, The Real Thing. Only a plump,
lumbering bassline accompanies East Bay jazz singer Stephanie Crawford
and her ethereal, breezily sweet vocals on the opening track, “Devil
May Care,” lending an air of the unusual to this batch of songs
recorded years ago in Paris. From there she moves toward more
traditional vocal jazz, but not without rare emotion and
sophistication. (StephFord Disques)
Collisionville, I Spied a Spider. Frontman Stephen
Pride hasn’t forgotten indie rock icons like Pavement, the
Replacements, and Hüsker Dü. But as Dinosaur Jr. and Built to
Spill taught us, an unhinged guitar is nothing without a sturdy song.
Pride’s range extends to country and blues, and a line like I’m not
looking for a paradise, just a cleaner jail proves he means it.
(Booplet Records)
