Make Phantoms – Make Phantoms (Stranger Than Fiction)
Make Phantoms are a local group with a keyboard-based, melodic indie sound that, at its best moments, is reminiscent of XTC mixed with Death Cab For Cutie. Their production is a bit overdone, but if you can look past the extremely slick sound, there are some great songs here.
Make Phantoms – Make Phantoms (Stranger Than Fiction)
Make Phantoms are a local group with a keyboard-based, melodic indie sound that, at its best moments, is reminiscent of XTC mixed with Death Cab For Cutie. Their production is a bit overdone, but if you can look past the extremely slick sound, there are some great songs here.
Pete International Airport – Pete International Airport (Custom Made)
First solo release from Dandy Warhols guitarist Peter Holmstrom. It’s the same sort of psychedelic power pop that his band is known for, and while it’s not offensive, it’s not that great either. Bland and forgettable overall, which, for that matter, is basically how I feel about the Dandy Warhols.
Ratt – Infestation (Roadrunner)
A new album by one of the original wave of Sunset Strip glam metal bands is surprising by its very existence in the year 2010. Even more stunning is how good it is. Somehow, 25 years after their glory days, Ratt are still in prime form. Don’t miss out.
Slash – Slash (Dik Hayd)
This album is much more like what I’d expect from a glam metal star trying to be relevant in 2010. Guest vocals on every track, indiscriminately mixing legends (Lemmy, Ozzy) with losers (Fergie, Kid Rock). Bland overproduction. Boring pseudo-blues riffing. Not uniformly terrible, but not good by any means.
Tokyo Police Club – Champ (Mom & Pop)
On their first album, Tokyo Police Club stood in the middle of the pack of Libertines imitators then holding sway over UK indie. Somehow, two years later, they sound more like The Weakerthans, which seems random but makes more sense if you know they’re actually Canadian. But who knew that?
Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza – Danza III: The Series Of Unfortunate Events (Black Market Activities)
This record seems like musical time travel; it takes us back to 2003, when TDTE were just starting out and fast, spastic tech-metal was a common genre. Danza III is a reminder that that sound was worth preserving, and on this album, TDTE do a great job of resurrecting it.
