CD Releases: Billy Talent, Eagles Of Death Metal, Dashboard Confessional And More!
Tuesday June 27, 2006 @ 01:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

BE YOUR OWN PET Be Your Own Pet (Ecstatic Peace/Geffen/Universal)
"I'm an independent motherfucker," shouts Be Your Own Pet singer Jemina Pearl, "and I'm here to steal away your virginity." Yelling with reckless abandon, Pearl's not talking about popping any particular cherries, just those within hearing range. Be Your Own Pet's self-titled debut is full of statements like these. The sneering attitude is matched note for note by bold, Stooges-influenced punk. The music is wild enough to give the original Sex Pistols a run for their money, and though it's ultra-aggressive and somewhat volatile, it's also irresistibly catchy. Any one of the album's 15 tracks will have you shaking your hips, at the very least. Songs rarely breach the two-minute mark to avoid becoming stale, but, while they last, you won't find a punk album as instantly gratifying this year. Shehzaad Jiwani

BILLY TALENT Billy Talent II (Atlantic/Warner)
This is an aptly titled record from the Juno-winning Toronto quartet. Billy Talent II plays just like a Hollywood sequel. It has higher production values and a few more slow tracks that are sure to become MuchMusic staples, but it still has balls. At its core, it's not all that different from their debut. However, who said that was a bad thing? What the album lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for with great hooks and serious punk fury. "Red Flag" is 10 times catchier than "Try Honesty," and "Pins And Needles" is a slow number that isn't nearly as grating as "Nothing To Lose." There's more diversity within the tracks, but overall it's the same frenetic, sneering pop-punk we've come to love, with frontman Ben Kowalewicz screeching over Ian D'Sa's jangling guitars. Sure, it's somewhat formulaic, but who cares when the formula's so damn good? Shehzaad Jiwani

DANIELSON Ships (Sounds Familyre/Sonic Unyon)
After a pile of scattershot albums filled with brilliant ideas and somewhat grating execution, Daniel Smith has finally achieved full potential on Ships. The key is Smith's decision to tone down his screechy falsetto and use his lower octave, which was always the better option. He backs up this excellent decision-making with stellar songwriting and an orchestra of noisemakers, who produce a stunning dreamscape of freaky folk. "Cast It At The Setting Sail" starts with Smith playfully whispering "Come on!" and steadily builds momentum until there's a full chorus of instruments and voices. "Did I Step On Your Trumpet" is a chilling little call-and-response number. The real bonus is that, unlike other Danielson records, the quality doesn't peter out halfway through. On Ships, Smith's excellent storytelling and melodies are consistently great from start to finish. Noah Love

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL Dusk And Summer (Vagrant/Universal)
More than a year ago, Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba announced that his band would re-record their fourth full-length album, saying that the original version would only appeal to hardcore Dash Con devotees. Those same fans were panicked that Carrabba would abandon his signature songwriting formula (metaphors about struggling + overuse of the word "summer" + the girl who got away = hit) for an even more cliched style. In actual fact, the new Dashboard isn't very different from its forerunner. Sure, the guitars are a little distorted on "Reason To Believe" and there's more of an emphasis on the backing band on the rhythm-heavy anti-war cry, "Slow Decay." Carrabba's lyrics are still sometimes embarrassing ("You have stolen my heart" is the chorus of "Stolen") and he still can't really hit those high notes, but there's something for everyone here. Dusk And Summer is both accessible and personal. Allegra Shepherd

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL Death By Sexy (Downtown/Warner)
There isn't an original note or sound on Eagles Of Death Metal's sophomore record, and that's just the way everyone likes it. Longtime friends Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme beef up the EODM sound on the tongue-in-cheek "I Gotta Feeling (Just Nineteen)," and "Cherry Cola" might be catchier than anything on Peace, Love, Death Metal (except the untouchable "Speaking In Tongues"). Both Hughes and Homme treat the project as a bit less of an ironic compilation this time, and it suits them on the positively vicious "Don't Speak (I Came To Make A BANG!)" and the bluesy "Poor Doggie." It's a little unclear if, in time, Eagles will be shuffled under the rug like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or if their superior songwriting will keep them afloat. But if you want a rock record for your deck party this summer, it doesn't get any better than Death By Sexy. Noah Love

JOLIE HOLLAND Springtime Can Kill You (Anti/Epitaph/FAB)
Jolie Holland is perhaps her label's stab at zoning in on the fanbase shared by Norah Jones, Beth Orton and their ilk. Calm melodies, tasteful piano-based arrangements and longing vocals typify Springtime Can Kill You and all told, Holland puts together a pretty compelling package. While the subject matter is slightly sinister on such tunes as "Crush In The Ghetto" and the title track, Holland's voice has that unique warming quality that's both honest and comforting, handling serious subject matter with delicate kid gloves. Springtime Can Kill You is definitely a grower. Even after a half-dozen listens, it's tough to truly differentiate Holland from the scads of other female singer/songwriters currently trolling the marketplace. However, repeated listens reveal added levels of subtext and songwriting prowess, making Holland an artist to keep an eye on. Cameron Gordon

LOSTPROPHETS Liberation Transmission (Columbia/Sony BMG)
Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins once compared their style to a mix of The Clash and Bon Jovi. A more accurate comparison would have been Kaiser Chiefs meets Hoobastank, as their latest effort panders to fans of both trendy dance-rock and mainstream radio, which are pretty much the same anyway. The band have eschewed the metal riffs and screams that characterized their first two records and in their stead use over-simplified riffs and uninspired melodies. Where there was once a reckless attitude, now there is only a sprinkle of sass, as Watkins has smoothed over the edges in his voice to become a vocalist lacking any defining characteristics. Bob Rock's overproduction notwithstanding, Liberation Transmission seems like a calculated attempt to conquer the North American market. Shehzaad Jiwani

THE MINIATURES Dead Flowers (MapleMusic/Universal)
This quartet of musical mayhem makers return with a finely crafted follow-up to the critically lauded Coma Kid. Dead Flowers sizzles from the opening crashing of cymbals and explosion of guitars. This is definitive guitar-driven rock with melodic hooks and carefully constructed lyrics. Scott Shields and ex-Junkhouse guitarist Dan Achen co-produced the disc, which was recorded at Catherine North Studios — the old church in downtown Hamilton owned and operated by Achen and Glen Marshall. "Any Day Now," with its jangly guitars, hooks the listener from its opening rawk riffs. "A Life I Had In Mind," where lead singer Ian Smith's falsetto soars to new heights, is the musical climax amongst these Miniatures masterworks. After a decade of toiling the rock 'n' roll road, Dead Flowers should be the record that brings these Kitchener-Waterloo boys to a wider audience. David McPherson

THE NEW CARS It's Alive! (Eleven Seven/Universal)
I was supposed to review The New Cars' June 21 show at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre, but their tour with Blondie was cancelled after guitarist Elliot Easton broke his clavicle (though slow ticket sales may have played a role as well). So this mostly live album will have to suffice. When the formation of The New Cars was announced, with Todd Rundgren replacing Ric Ocasek on vocals, it looked like an attempted cash grab by the other Cars and seemed rather pointless. The Cars put a commercial face on new wave in the late '70s and released a string of memorable hits, most of which are included here. The musicianship is solid and Rundgren's voice is fine, but the question remains: Why? The irony is that since Ocasek wrote 13 of these 18 songs, he'll likely end up profiting more than anyone else. Steve McLean

VARIOUS ARTISTS Four Tet: DJ-Kicks (!K7/Outside)
Kieran Hebden, a.k.a. British master DJ Four Tet, has finally succumbed to the pull of German label !K7's gimmicky DJ-Kicks series, which is designed to replicate the DJ sound in your home stereo. As such, something gets lost when it's just the music minus the experience of the huge rave-up that's supposed to go with it. Four Tet does, however, still manage to drop a decent mix of beats. Standouts are the tracks that normally wouldn't make for typical DJ fare, such as Madvillain's "Figaro" and Heiner Stadler's jazzy "Out-Rock," but the rest of the record is a bit too sleepy. This album fulfills its mission to be a pre-recorded DJ, but that just means it's suited for your next trendy party and not so much for casual listening. Caitlin Hotchkiss

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