Congrats guys. You did it. The Headlocks are the second musical act to receive an award from the Staten Island Dump, which I guess could be called a Dumpy. Dead Set on Destruction made a mad dash at first, coming up a few votes shy, but for now let me say some nice things about the champions, SI musical heroes, and second recipient of the Dumpy: The Headlocks.
Starting off as a bare bones folk group a few years back, Rob Carey, Frank Duffy, Frank Cavallo and some guy John on bass began the long arduous journey that brought them to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Mercury Lounge.
Last summer, the group was holed up in a Brooklyn studio trying to put together this release. Cuckoo Bird is both ramshackle hillbilly blues, tender American folk, gentle ballads, and shout-a-long Stones rock all crammed into one album. A gentleman named Million Dollar Bill helped produce this album into a stellar mix of instruments that goes down easy and clings to you with repeated listens.
There's an element of storytelling to these songs as well. In addition to the catchy sing-a-long chorus, "Driving in the Dark" tells the tale of a road trip gone wrong. "Freeze the Frame" asks us to step back an contemplate our surroundings. The song crescendos into a chorus that decries the local milieu with a half-scream "Never seen a scene so petty / getting in it's own way / wanna freeze the frame for a moment."
"Another Flood" is cheerfully upbeat with goofball lyrics and a wild harmonica lead that conjures Dylan's "Maggie's Farm." Cuckoo Bird descends on a somber note with "It's a Wonderful Life," an earnest reverie about the unavoidable toil of everyday experiences.
All in all, it's a wonderful release. Marked at times by humor and self-deprecation the songs are crammed with instruments but fall back on the inventive lyrics and songwriting of its core members. The Headlocks load the car up with gas and invite you along for the ride. You can't be sure where they're going, but there's only one way to find out.
Kids in the Pacific NW discovered Pablo when they accompanied indie crooner Kevin Devine on that leg of his tour and KEXP in Seattle has been blasting them ever since.
The band's gone through some line-up changes and other documented issues but their new release, There's Rope to Leave, is by far the best thing we've heard out of Staten Island all year.
The band, fronted by Paul Schalda and beautifully complimented by brother Will, comes from a legit musical background and relies and stellar songwriting and angelic harmonies to make music that is more Neil Young-inspired then Pitchfork-approved.
Songs like "Holy Whore" and "Hey Luci" soar on Paul's fragile vocals as they rise and fall with the crescendos of acoustic guitars, light organs, and more importantly, those subtle harmonies.
The band actually pulls in more of a crowd at the Mercury Lounge on Houston Street then they do in Staten Island, which is a damn shame. SI needs to appreciate their talent, lest they move to Greenpoint and grow beards.
Pablo - "Morning"
Tryptophan - Destroy Fashion
Did it really take this long for Tryptophan to get a proper release out? This exceptional display of psychedelic folk rock is long overdue and is a tribute to these four(?) musicians' prolific contribution to the SI music scene.
Destroy Fashion wallows in tripped out Dark Side of the Moon-esque riffs with elements of classic psych tropes from bands like 13th Floor Elevators. An added plus is front man Ron Hill's YouTube channel which marries their twisted tunes to vintage stock video.
Songs like "That Front" go on some Pet Sounds-type shit as the band adds some strings into the mix. Vocals are manipulated, layered, then fucked with again. Guitars are fuzzes out, yet clear as day. And each song bleeds into the next making it an actual album - in the pre MP3-sense. These albums aren't made anymore. It makes me miss my record collection.
Tryptophan - "Pancakes"
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Paragraph threw us a curve ball with their last release, which is heavy on the funk guitars, deep bass lines, and Prince-like falsettos. The band lost a valued drummer, ditched the indie rock stigma, and went full-on libido rock with one of the sexiest albums to ever come from of the forgotten boro.
Songs like "The Line" combine danceable riffs with double entendres, and even has a guest rap verse (damn smooth). "Body Part(y)" casually invites us to a make-out party with it's swaying open chords and drum shaker percussion.
Disclaimer: No Matter who you are, this album will get you laid.
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The Headlocks - Cuckoo Bird
The party pack from the North Shore somehow managed to cram all the instruments into a studio in Brooklyn and record the most ambitious albums from a local act in recent memory.
The biggest accomplishment of Cuckoo Bird was how Rob Carey and friends managed to layer all the elements together into cohesive structures and songs, instead of a jumbled mess of instruments.
The band included all the old-school classics like "Driving in the Dark" as well as some new additions like "Ways and Means" and "Me and You." These guys are not complacent either, I wouldn't be surprised to see big things to come from them in '10.
Rob Carey and Friends - "Outside Lookin' In"
Dead Set on Destruction - Bloody Noses, Dead Sparrows
Few bands can light up the back of Martini Red like this crew right here. In a music scene which has seen it's art grow -- let's say -- more mature, Dead Set On Destruction pays homage to the hardcore the Island is famous for but brings it into the new century.
The band's new album is true to form as they blend Husker Du-style riffs and shout-a-long vocals with pummeling beats. Lead singer Todd Currier's knock-down screams are powerful, yet melodic.
Dead Set is one of the only punk bands which have made a foray into the Island new scenesters, and they should get more recognition from the North Shore intelligentsia. Anyone can try to recreate the early-'90s and claim to be "keeping it real" but these guys hold onto the aesthetic without sounding stale or formulaic.
