THE THEATER FIRE - "Everybody Has a Dark Side"

The newest disc from The Theater Fire is entitled Everybody Has a Dark Side, a statement many will take at face value, thinking of all the dark and messed up people they know before it occurs to include themselves in this categorical judgement. It seems The Theater Fire have poised themselves to observe this dark side displayed by their fellow men and women. From these observations of life gone askew they draw inspiration. There are a total of 13 (un)lucky tracks on this album - a healthy dose for any group to offer, but especially from The Theater Fire. Great songs, laced with some wonderfully vivid images and storytelling.
Opener, "Kicking Up the Darkness" evokes all things spaghetti western while remaining sincere. There's not an ounce of irony to be heard in the lyrics. This draws the curtain open for the songs that follow. "Fiddleback Weaver" is a latin-flavored, folk, drinking song that bobs in and out of your head. Surely this tune will make even the most staid gringo tap his toe. The dark lyrical imagery keep the song from becoming a silly exercise. "Barrel Riders" launches into a weird sort of AM radio pop groove, making this a very loungy country ode. Track four has long been a MySpace favorite for many and finds itself surrounded by a larger tapestry of place and feeling nestled amidst its sister songs. A laid back and very sultry hum-along tune that will, no doubt, find its way into heavy shower rotation. "Civil Warrior" is a riding song that details lost love and limb. Dark and strangely sweet. The knee-slapping thump thump of "Valentwine" evokes the sweet summer feel of classic 70s radio. "Dark Side," the album's lait motif, outlines everyone's varying degrees of acceptance of the demons within us all. The great storytelling doesn't stop there as "My Razor's Gone" testifies. Has the titular article been stolen, loaned or just run off of its own volition to fulfill some heavenly calling, some holy cosmetological crusade that only the narrator knows about?
To The Theater Fire's credit, they do an outstanding job of making even blunt biographical verse appear otherworldly. Every song sounds like a folk legend from some grand, esoteric myth cycle. "Land of Nod" could easily be a confessional pop number in the hands of someone else but, instead, it proceeds down the back streets of the mind, draped in dusty old-time religion.
The sequencing of the album should be applauded. It feels inspired, leading me to wonder how congruous their entire body of work must seem to initiates. The next track picks up the fallen hanky of the last cut and throws in a bit of knee-slapping, pulpit-shaking introspection and declaration. Testify indeed!
"Hey Jimmy" pumps from the speakers as an instant classic, a true pop gem. This song would stand out great with any instrumentation as the boys seem to nail the perfect blend of C&W and indie rock. "Cheater Liar" finds us out on the back porch with the other menfolk, crying and confessing our failings and misgivings into a mason jar of shine.
The final track has the unenviable distinction of having to wrap up a near flawless record. It does a great job, reviving many of the musical themes found over the entire album. They thank the listener and explain that there exists an invisible, though not impenetrable, barrier between the performer and the audience. Singer and song occupy the same space, with stories told of roads taken and life as it has been and will be lived.

-- Jason Manriquez
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine, Issue 2

THE MAD SCIENTISTS - "Geoparasitism"

A Denton, TX, trio with a penchant for finding familiar guitar effects settings (intro to "When Doves Cry," the guitars from "In the Flat Field") and taking their particular bag of music to the people. Brannon Barr on vocals and guitar (yes, I know that rhymes) tries very hard to show us his varied skills and styles of playing, ranging from pop to metal-esque. The bass and drums are handled by Kim Fry and Christina Cooper respectively, both doing a decent job, though the jazz bass stylings seem a bit incongruous at moments. The most disjointed aspect of the disc is Barr's vocal ability, a bit on the south side of good. He sometimes comes close to evoking the raw expression of rock and roll's more primitive side before resting too heavily upon the crutch of quirky (a la Devo), but still missing the mark.

-- Jason Manriquez
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine, Issue 2

AARON ROSE - "Wildflowers"

Seemingly chained to drum machine and click-track rhythms, without any apparent spontaneity, Aaron Rose plays every song on his favorite amp settings. Rather than let the melody dictate the pace and feel of a song, he labors under some confined notion of tempo. The title track affords a glimpse of a solo... sort of. All of the songs started to sound really monotonous after about halfway through. I'm not saying he should give up, but maybe he should just find a band he likes and mimic them really, really well for a while until something of himself begins to impose itself upon the sound. It just seems a bit safe and sterile, not loose enough to be lo-fi or anything else.

-- Jason Manriquez
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine, Issue 2

KEG - "Creatures of the Night"

A one-man, self-appointed, upbeat, punk, glam fiend, Kris Kegley (KEG) brings his own delusions of garage stardom to a genre overflowing with misconceptions. He starts out each track alright enough - there are some hooks to be found at various points during the record, but overall it was a disappointing ride. His many attempts at sounding like Mick Jagger or Joey Ramone all grow wearisome after only a few minutes of listening. His heart and focus seem to be in the right place and I don't doubt his drive. I'm sure his one-man live shows must be a lot of work.

-- Jason Manriquez
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine, Issue 2

ALAN MADEJ - "11 Love Songs"

I was a bit apprehensive of the title of this CD when I opened the envelope. I thought it was a promise of cheese to come. So I put off listening to it for a while. Then one day I summoned the courage to face the music - literally. The sounds that came through the speakers were pleasant and catchy. I liked what I was hearing and it did sound an awful lot like being in love, or at least that sticky-sweet feeling you get when you hold hands and giggle. Each song is arranged simply for acoustic guitar (and piano on "Bright Lights") and minimal percussion (usually handclapping), if any at all. The vocals are in a register that evokes early David Bowie, maybe even a bit of John Lennon. The music and lyrics cover a broad section of the introspection that one tends to endure during love in its beginning stages. Alan Madej sings and plays with the utmost sincerity, lending listeners confidence and room to relax and sit and take it all in.

-- Jason Manriquez
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine, Issue 2

SLOWRIDE - "C/S"

It has become very easy for me to dismiss anything that seems to resemble what is being played on the radio today. With only a few bars of a familiar-sounding riff I can pre-judge an entire song, that artist and their entire catalog. I was inches away from doing the same with the disc I received from Slowride's label, the band's latest - produced by Stuart Sikes no less. The first few notes came through the speakers and sounded like something I would be quick to switch off on the dial. But I pushed myself to go a little further in my listening and was pleased for having done so. There are some solid melodic frames on the record, reminding me of The Smithereens, but sounding more power than pop. Thunderous guitar work is backed up by a rock-solid rhythm section, mixed with a relaxed vocal style that makes it all sound so easy. There are definitely alt-rock influences to be found in the group's sound, ranging from the Foo Fighters and Sonic Youth to Yo La Tengo and The Strokes.

-- Jason Manriquez
Scissor Socket Shocker Zine, Issue 1