Fairweather’s better than most emo punk bands – as are most of Equal Vision’s recent signings – and Alaska proves it yet again. Put together by J. Robbins.
It “dissolves the borders of rock, jazz, funk, and torch song balladry,” says the bio. Most indie-minded artists make such claims. The description is accurate.
The same delicate/emotional control as Travis and Poor Rich Ones, but they don’t put it to good songwriting. An album of cliched lyrics and mediocre melodies.
Not unlike Ramones and Cheap Trick’s appeal, The Apples In Stereo morph ’50s bubble gum pop into hurling piles of noise, maintaining their unmistakable hooks.
There are some catchy tunes, but the content is so watered-down and vapid that we’re left with punk with no anger, pop with no wit, retro with no irony, etc.
Not a bad song in the bunch. Rather than simply recording new vocals for this English-language version, many sound as if they were nearly or entirely re-made.
Squirrel Nut Zippers’ 15 minutes have come & gone. So the first reaction to Asylum Street Spankers would be “been there, listened to that, sold my tux already.”
They could gig with Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and be just fine. Clean female vocals, occasional organ fills, geeky squared-off rhythms, a bit of minimalist pretension.