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CD's by Wallet ,The Max Power Trio reviewedby Atilla Horvath - 02/21/2001
Listening to Rock On Independent One is as painful as watching a bad episode of Saturday Night Live. You know the sketches are supposed to be amusing, but the jokes keep falling flat. You find yourself waiting--and waiting for something to justify your attention.
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The album shows some promise with danceable cuts like "Same Old Song" and "What's Happening With My Hips." Likewise, "Help, I'm In Love With the Butler" is melodic and mildly funny--the first time you hear it, anyway. If you're into casino lounge swing tunes about barnyard theft, "We Won't Steal Any Chickens (But If We Do It'll Be Just One)" is custom tailored to suit your unique tastes. But too often, the acceptable art-folk rock that Wallet produces degrades into throwaway novelty. From the fishy metaphors of "Halibut" to the fuzzy recollections of facial hair in the two versions (!) of "Neckbeard," these otherwise palatable tunes just leave you with a strange, unpleasant aftertaste.
The lowlight of Rock On... is the title track--a musical experiment in singing flat over top of muddled recordings of feedback and other garbage, with the added bonus of a production value achieved with the built-in microphone of a garage sale boom-box Is this track supposed to be a satirical slam of modern lo-fi and indie rock? After about a minute all, desire to discover the song's true meaning was lost. I had to force myself to listen.
Perhaps Rock On... could be sold not as a musical experience, but as an exercise in will power. But, then again, maybe Wallet is onto something big? One can hope.
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I've been wondering out loud about the death of reggae bands in Athens for quite a while now. It doesn't make any sense. After all, Schoolkids Records sells plenty of reggae discs and posters. There's an annual Marley Day in the spring that draws a respectable crowd from around the region. And if dreadlocks and boob drape blouses are any indication, there is no shortage of potential concert goers walking the streets of our fair city. So where dem reggae songs?
Turns out they're right under our noses, in the form of Max Power Trio. On their self-titled disc, recorded right here in A-Town, singer/songwriter J. Barr has teamed with Marc Subel on bass and drummer Luke Fannin to man an upbeat band that deftly incorporates blues, jazz, and funkiness. Hopefully these guys will keep playing out. After hearing this album, I am ready for more.
