PACIFIC UV
Pacific UV ( W.A.R.M.)

Expansive, hypnotic, and velvety soundwaves caressing the humming particles of the universe. This debut is a mellow, dimly lit effort recalling the dreamy unhurried sonic suspensions of Spiritualized and the deep tidal movement of Low. Recording only at night over 18 months, the Athens, Georgia quintet worked with Azure Ray vocalist Maria Taylor, Japancakes’ Heather McIntosh, and Wilco producer David Barbe. An introspective record incompatible with a cheery disposition. (John Stoehr)

PAJAMA PARTY IN A HAUNTED HIVE
BUILDING A BUILDING (SELF-RELEASED)

Pajama Party in a Haunted Hive are a Boise, Idaho trio who create what used to be referred to as college rock. I don't know, maybe it's still called college rock. Anyhow, the band's name is a tip of the hat to Beat Happening, and this brief 10 song album was recorded by Built to Spill's Doug Martsch. To their credit, they (usually) sound like neither Beat Happening nor Built to Spill. Instead, at their best, the group has the spastic charm of a stripped down Feelies or, as on the cuts when they are joined on vocals by Racheal Jensen, they can make like a basement version of X. Overall, though, the vocals are a little too raggedy, the lyrics a little too "clever" ("When I was born my parents made/a sign that said 'he's three days late'/ they put it in my nursery/and I think it put a curse on me") and the overall package a little too demo-ish for this one to seem like anything but a talented but embryonic group's first baby steps. (How does an embryo take baby steps, you ask? How the hell should I know?) Here's to hoping that these guys have big things in their future and this disc is insanely collectible one day. Because my copy will likely be remaining in mint condition, baby. (Matt Murphy)

PANSY DIVISION
That’s Entertainment! ( Alternative Tentacles)

San Francisco’s Pansy Division is a punk rock band that desperately wants to make great pop tunes. The unqualified kings of queercore came closer than ever before to realizing this tall ambition on 1998’s magnificent Absurd Pop Song Romance. Unfortunately, That’s Entertainment! fails to follow up in this regard. "Who Treats You Right" sounds like it was written to be an energetic power pop sing-along, but it never hooks you in the way a lead-off track should. The quartet valiantly attempts to channel some Motown mojo on "Too Many Hoops" and Nashville jukebox heartache on "First Betrayal," but neither manages to transcend the confines of punk. On the other hand, Pansy Division’s humorous take on gay culture hasn’t waned a bit, as evidenced by the disco-flavored condom anthem "No Protection" and the country-tinged "He Whipped My Ass In Tennis, Then I Fucked His Ass in Bed." As a result of these goofy greats, That’s Entertainment! probably won’t disappoint longtime fans. But in the wake of the band's high-water mark, Absurd Pop Song Romance, the album sounds like a step backward from a band that’s capable of more. (Greg Beets)

MIKE PARK
For the Love of Music (SUB CITY RECORDS)

Mike Park departs from his ska roots to deliver his first solo album, 11 tracks of deeply personal and stripped-down pop songs. It’s a touching, reflective, and pretty album tackling topics most folks like to avoid - racial strife, community upheaval, the oft-destructive wake of capitalism. The music snarls and snaps with punk energy, but suave melodies replace psalmic fist pumping. No soapbox sermons, just enough humor, wit, and subtle irony - i.e., the name of Park’s backing band, the Chinkees - to keep pedantry at bay. (John Stoehr)

GENE PARSONS & MERIDIAN GREEN
LIVE FROM CASPAR (STRINGBENDER)

Another missive from ex-Byrd Gene Parsons and partner Meridian Green is always welcome, and this live set captures myriad angles on the duo's deep Americana roots. Following up Parsons' 2000 solo live opus, I Hope They Let Us In, Live From Caspar--recorded in fall 1999--blends strategic covers and like-minded originals, with a few crowd-pleasers thrown in for good measure. Typical is their take on Jimmie Rodgers' "California Blues," which whoops and swings in Parsons' hands, with Green adding sympathetic backing vocals, and a sublime version of Stanley Carter's "Drunkard's Dream" that segues perfectly into a stately rendition of Steve Goodman's "Lookin' for Trouble." This passage, with Green's forlorn vocal and Parsons' spidery guitar, is reminiscent of Richard and Linda Thompson's more stable moments. As usual, you get Parsons' crystalline stringbender guitar foundation and tight harmonies. Live in Caspar is hardly groundbreaking, but it's not easy to dismiss this duo's masterful folk/blues/country melange. (Luke Torn)

JACO PASTORIUS
PUNK JAZZ: THE JACO PASTORIUS ANTHOLOGY (WARNER BROS/RHINO)

Sad tales aren't hard to come by in the music world, but few stories can match that of Jaco Pastorius for sheer tragedy. Exploding onto the scene in the mid 70's, Jaco, in the space of a few short years, completely rewrote the vocabulary of the electric bass in jazz. But by the early 80s he was beginning to display symptoms of a mental illness that would go undiagnosed and untreated. His illness rendered him unable to play and eventually left him homeless and panhandling, and in 1987 an overzealous bouncer viciously beat Jaco to death in a skirmish outside a Miami nightclub. Unfortunately the final hard years of Jaco's life and his ugly demise have often overshadowed the man's formidable musical accomplishments. This is at least partially due to the unruly nature of his discography, which consists of a bewildering array of solo projects and side gigs on a variety of record labels. This two-disc anthology is clearly an attempt to bring Jaco's recorded legacy into some form of order. It draws on every aspect of his all-too-brief but astonishingly varied career and includes several previously unreleased tracks, so it should satisfy the wants of both newcomers and completists. But don't be fooled by the anthology's title. Pastorius' music is about as far from the impassioned primitivism of punk rock as you can get. Jaco was truly a virtuoso on the bass, and seldom did he let you forget it. Wholly unconcerned with the traditional time-keeping duties of the instrument, his dazzlingly nimble and melodic runs up and down his fretless bass are almost more comparable in technique to that of a pianist. (The man must have had fingers strong enough to punch holes into cinder blocks.) He was an effortless fusionist, drawing naturally on elements of rock, funk, R&B, big band, and classical music in his playing and composing. His astounding chops enabled him to play with some of the biggest names in fusion: Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, and Joni Mitchell, all of whom are represented on this anthology. Unfortunately, though, many of the tracks here have not aged particularly well. Too many numbers feature synthesizers or other electronic instruments that were undoubtedly state-of-the-art in the late 70s but sound hopelessly dated and cheesy today. And it certainly doesn't help matters that, over the course of the past 25 years, Weather Report-derived fusion has been used as background music on so many infomercials, ESPN highlight reels, cable cooking shows, etc. that, despite the caliber of the playing, too often this stuff sounds just polite and unobtrusive enough to be completely ignorable. That's not to say, however, that this set is without highlights. The anthology kicks off with a tremendous solo bedroom recording from 1969, and then gives us a thoroughly enjoyable peep at some of Jaco's early work with funky R&B acts Wayne Cochran's C.C. Riders and Willie "Little Beaver" Hale. Later on, the Joni Mitchell tracks lay out the sophisticated femme-jazz-pop template that people like Alicia Keys and Norah Jones follow to this day. Disc #2 concentrates on Jaco's later solo work, including several live tracks from his impressive, under-recorded big band. Though some of these later songs feature too much of Toots Thielemans' harmonica for anybody's good, they amply display Jaco's skills as a composer and arranger as well as a player. And needless to say, Jaco's bass work is fantastic throughout both discs: check out his arrangement of Bach on "Chromatic Fantasy" and marvel at the incredible subtlety and agility of his playing. Jaco would have turned 52 this year if he were still alive, and there is no telling what he could have accomplished had he been able to defeat his demons. But very few musicians can truly be said to have changed the way their instruments are played forever. And Jaco Pastorius was without question one such musician. If you want to experience what those changes sounded like as they happened, Punk Jazz should be all the data you need. (Matt Murphy)

THE PHOTO ATLAS
No, Not Me, Never
Stolen Transmission/Morning After
You are forgiven for thinking that this record is actually a bunch of outtakes from a long lost At the Drive-In record. The songs seem to be uniformly high-strung affairs with quick tempos, strangulated vocals, and abrasively ringing guitars. It's done well but there is too little variation on this theme that was essentially played out about four or five years ago. Hopefully this band will find its own angle on this style and come back with future records that can't be so easily dismissed. --Andy Smith

Polly Paulusma
Scissors In My Pocket (One Little Indian)

Beautiful madrigal-lite playing opens the debut from Brit Polly Paulusma, an intense young songwriter who can register a mildly serrated edge, even on her softer ballads. Generally accompanied by acoustic backing, the guitars get animated here and there, and are sometimes augmented by horns, most notably on "Give It Back," a key track showing her appreciation of life as a blessing. She reflects with clinical introspection on "Perfect 4/4," its spare piano and subdued phrasing blossoming with a majestic organ arrangement. The closer, "Something To Remember Me By," sounds like Ani DiFranco on Paxil, which is appropriate for someone with a sharp cutting instrument in her pocket. All in all, not bad for a Cambridge graduate who's aiming for Joni Mitchell highs. (David Pyndus)

JOHNNY PAYCHECK
THE SOUL AND THE EDGE: THE BEST OF JOHNNY PAYCHECK (EPIC)

Best known for his stick-it-to-the-man anthem "Take this Job and Shove It," Johnny Paycheck apparently recorded a whole bunch of other songs, the kindly folks at Epic Records would like you to know. It's a shame that younger fans may not know that, given that much of Paycheck's work was obscured not only by the enormity of his monster hit but also his numerous brushes with the law, because in his prime, Paycheck was an innovative artist who, when not struggling with his self-destructive demons, made important contributions to the Nashville scene. This retrospective dredges up Paycheck's classic 1977 hit, along with 22 other lesser-known (but far richer) tracks with brilliant country and western titles such as "I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised" and "Barstool Mountain." But compared with the retrospectives of other Nashville luminaries like Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and George Jones (with whom Paycheck recorded early in his career), Paycheck's brand of country sounds more Top-40 slick than that of his colleagues, and the populist pathos that made Williams' and Haggard's songs so resonant seems canned here. This is ironic, given that Paycheck has the checkered past and hell-raisin' real-life experience to back up his tales of woe (including a stint in jail for shooting and injuring a man in a Hillsboro, Ohio bar). Still, the compilation is an important undertaking in that it establishes not only the depth of Paycheck's back catalogue but also his remarkable voice and indisputable influence on modern country music. (Amanda Cantrell)

The Pearlfishers
Sky Meadows (marina)

The Pearlfishers make pop music in a time bubble. That’s a good thing, especially for lovers of sixties/seventies soft pop like yours truly. Unaffected by the trends that implode regularly around them, this Scottish band (like many of their peers, e.g., Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian, BMX Bandits, etc) take the art of pop music beyond genre and fashion, strip it down to its very core to deliver sharp slabs of pristine sunshine pop that is virtually impossible to resist. Sky Meadows, the band’s fifth album (released in Europe in 2003) may be their most accomplished yet as David Scott and company dive headlong into a sea of influences that unabashedly includes Brian Wilson, the Byrds, Burt Bacharach, Nick Drake, John Barry, Phil Spector & of course, Todd Rundgren – with the track “Todd Is God” an obvious tip of the hat. Gorgeous songs like “Flora Belle,” “My Dad the Weatherfan,” “I Can’t Believe You Met Nancy” and “Saddle Sore” are the highlights in this veritable feast of heavenly harmonies, memorable melodies and intriguing instrumentation. --Kevin Mathews

THE PEPPERMINTS
SWEET TOOTH ABORTION (PANACIDE RECORDS)

It appears that the Peppermints want to be The Shaggs in overdrive. However, the Peppermints lack the Shaggs' charm, and amplifying the noise of the group's tuneless flailing adds nothing to the appeal. The cacophonous chaos will be of interest to some hardcore fans, but this can be dismissed by anyone looking for something memorable. (Tom "Tearaway" Schulte)

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
THE LAST DJ (WARNER BROS.)

Well, bless Tom Petty and his burning indictment of the corporate music industry! All the more ballsy when you consider that he's been a part of it for over 25 years now, and that his current blast is brought to us via AOL/Time-Warner. The title track is burning with truth about the death of radio as a voice of the people, which makes it oddly ironic when heard on the local corporate rock station (do radio guys and gals even read the lyrics, or do they assume that it's another song glorifying radio?). Then there's "Money Is King" about how corporate it is to go see a show at a big arena, with the VIPs at tables up front, chatting, while the real fans sit in nosebleed seats and watch "Johnny" on the giant screen, which is ironic if you consider that many of us just saw Mr. Petty under similar circumstances. Like Neil Young, however, he can be a living contradiction, because he's pretty much dead on, and he's also cranking out some of his best tunes when others from his era are happy to rest on past achievements. It's all kind of nice, though, the way you know you can still count on Petty for some things and he's still coming through. In his own way, he's very much like the last DJ, very much the last of a dying breed. (d.n.l)

PETTY BOOKA
LET'S TALK DIRTY IN HAWAIIAN: THE BEST OF PETTY BOOKA (WEED RECORDS)

While original album concepts and themes do become lost on greatest hits packages, the song selection on Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian is superb (and yes, Petty Booka have released concept albums). This record compiles diverse covers ("The Tide Is High," "These Boots Were Made for Walking") and Polynesian standards ("Ukelele Lady," "Tiki Torches at Twilight") culled from the prolific Japanese duo's 12(!) albums. Petty Booka's arrangements, talented backing band, and charming voices make them more than your typical flash-in-the-pan Honolulu-by-way-of-Tokyo ukelele girl group novelty act. (Susan Darnell)

PHASER
SWAY (PHASER MUSIC)

It's convenient that Phaser are based in Washington, D.C. That way, they won't have far to travel when they're called before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee to answer for their highly accomplished album, Sway, which you'd be forgiven for thinking was the work of a British band. What's in a name? Phaser. Pure Phase, a Spiritualized album. Sway. The title of a track by Spritualized from Lazer Guided Melodies. That exercise in word association isn't intended only as a backhanded compliment but also as a shorthand characterization of the band's beautifully wrought space rock/dreampop. The majestic "Are You There?" and the austere, droning instrumental "Northern Light" show Phaser to be adept at crafting lulling, atmospheric textures that ebb and flow, but the band doesn't just leave listeners floating in space.

Simple acoustic ballads like "Tess" are more grounded, and, on the anthemic, Verve-like number "Life and Illusion," intense walls of guitar jolt listeners from their reverie. Although 90s British guitar bands might be an immediate reference point, Phaser inevitably draw on the precursors to that generation of groups. "(Can't Get You) Out of My Mind" evokes the sort of acoustic tune transformed into a shimmering, orchestrated arrangement that Pink Floyd perfected in the early 70s, while the combination of pedal-steel twang, keyboards, and female vocals gives "Sweet Marie" the feel of a bluesy Rolling Stones ballad from the same period. Everything comes together beautifully on the title track, where Phaser pull out all the stops with gospel-style backing and strings to produce an eight-minute epic that wouldn't sound entirely out of place on Spiritualized's Let It Come Down. And since Jason Pierce currently seems to take about four years between albums, it's good to have something like Sway to tide us over. (Wilson Neate)

PHOSPHORESCENT
Hundred Times or More ( W.A.R.M.)

A one-man band Matthew Houck (from Athens, Georgia), enlarges his folk music with expansive textures overlaid by his slightly nasal, slightly frayed tenor. Lyrically, Houck finds profundity in the mundane: “a long time is what forever is” in “Salt & Blues.” In concert with melancholic, woozy, and feverish songwriting - that often build to a dynamic pitch - Houck’s clever lyrics recall the power of R.E.M. and even Bob Dylan. (John Stoehr)

PIKADORI
S/T (HOPE RECORDS)

Pikadori have plenty in common with fellow Pittsburghers IO. They share a label, often share billings, and even thank each other on their CDs. They also share a high energy level and youthful qualities such as idealism and social consciousness. From there, there's much in contrast. First of all, Pikadori's music is highly structured, very much in the tradition of Fugazi, and their lyrical approach is much more direct. Much of their rhetoric seems kind of thin, all this talk about changing your life by doing something with your life and of living better through music. They give us a "Mission Statement," an "Anthem," and "The Lesson" before all is said and done. It's mostly been said before, but then again I believed all of that when I was a young man in my twenties, so I can't really knock it. Looking past the lyrics, the music is really quite a treat, with a dual guitar attack that interlocks perfectly, flowing into place with the frenetic pace set by the drummer and bass player. I'd love to see this band live; their music and energy say far more than any words could. Find both Pikadori and IO at www.hoperecords.com. (d.n.l)

P!NK
Try This (ARISTA)

P!nk is the real deal. Not Christina, not Britney. And certainly not Mandy Moore or Jessica Simpson. It’s P!nk. Need proof? Try This. Following last year’s mega-hit “Missundazstood,” this disc tantalizes with its seamless mix of 80s rock riffs, So-Cal punk passion, billowy R&B. and lyrics as intimate as any heart-on-his-sleeve singer/songwriter. And to top it off, there’s P!nk’s formidable persona bursting with brazen sexuality and undeniable charisma. 4 Non Blondes’ Linda Perry, Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, and L.A. Reid helped produce. (John Stoehr)

ROBERT PLANT
DREAMLAND (MERCURY)

It's kind of sad, seeing my heroes from childhood getting older and older. It's almost as sad as seeing myself get old as well. With Robert Plant, however, the artist somehow seems to have hit a sort of musical fountain of youth. After the better part of a decade working with former Zep cohort Jimmy Page, he's back on his own again. He has a really decent band (which includes the Cure's Porl Thompson) and a selection of old favorites to reinvent. Playing homage to his blues and folk influences, he handles such classics as Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren," Bob Dylan's "One More Cup of Coffee," and Jesse Colin Young's "Darkness Darkness." He also does a sort of blues medley (it's more his tune with lines from various blues standards thrown in). Musically, his band should be highly regarded for finding interesting ways of doing already formidable material, and for making Plant's voice sound just as good as it did 30 years ago. Of course, with the passing of time, his voice is deeper, and his energy level isn't nearly what it was back then. Still, it's good to hear him finding his way through these songs. (d.n.l)

The Plastic Constellations
Crusades (Frenchkiss Records/2024 Records)
This record by the Minneapolis-based Plastic Constellations has received a lot of positive attention in early 2006. This seems more indicative of the current tastes in alternative music than of the quality of Crusades. The record is a tense, angular affair with a lot of jarring guitars and staccato rhythms as well as lyrics that show these guys to be well-read if lacking in any semblance of subtlety in their wordplay. Melodies are basically non-existent and syncopation abounds. If this had been produced a couple of years ago on a bigger budget, it would have been dipped in the digital crunch machine, although the fact that it hasn't makes it actually listenable. None of this is to say that this band doesn't show talent, and they will certainly appeal to a demographic of brooding young males, especially in the dead on winter in northerly climes. (Andy Smith)

PLEASANT
Awkward As A Beehive (POX WORLD EMPIRE)
Indie pop. The kind that this Chapel Hill quartet deals in really lives up to their chosen moniker. Pleasant. That’s a description as good as any. The guitars are atonal and understated, the bass is consistent, drums hold a strong back beat and there are keyboards under the surface. Not melodically obvious, with the vocals generally shy and innocuous. Back in the early 90s, this would have probably seemed extremely cutting edge and would be probably on par with Pavement and Superchunk. But, in the absence of a killer tune or creative shifts or hybrids, Pleasant comes across as a little bland and boring. There is a distinct lack of energy that permeates this album. There should be more on offer here but there’s just isn’t. --Kevin Mathews

PLEASANT
Awkward As A Beehive
POX WORLD EMPIRE
Indie pop. The kind that this Chapel Hill quartet deals in really lives up to their chosen moniker. Pleasant. That’s a description as good as any. The guitars are atonal and understated, the bass is consistent, drums hold a strong back beat and there are keyboards under the surface. Not melodically obvious, with the vocals generally shy and innocuous. Back in the early 90s, this would have probably seemed extremely cutting edge and would be probably on par with Pavement and Superchunk. But, in the absence of a killer tune or creative shifts or hybrids, Pleasant comes across as a little bland and boring. There is a distinct lack of energy that permeates this album. There should be more on offer here but there’s just isn’t.    --Kevin Mathews

THE PLUG UGLIES
The Plug Uglies (LAUGHING OUTLAW)
The real Plug Uglies were a vicious street gang of Irish immigrants that terrorized lower Manhattan in the 1800s. Half a world away and 150 years later, this Sydney punk/skiffle band banded together like their namesakes, like minds for a common cause. For six raggedly disorganized years their live shows had a large, enthusiastic following but by 1992 it all fell apart. Until now, their legacy was a few singles and EPs and fuzzy hangover stories. Laughing Outlaw has done a nice job cobbling it all together with lyrics, articles and liner notes from a couple of surviving members. Singer Roger Norris has a deliberate and affected tone reminiscent of a male Patti Smith. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that he and guitarist John Gorman formed the band after listening to Jesus and Mary Chain during an afternoon of drinking. Their songs evoke barroom poetry, love lost and lust found, propelled by hip-shaking rhythms and two snaking guitars. It’s cowpunk, skiffle, rock, and urban folk. It’s the pulse of many familiar bands, from Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Horslips to The Pogues and Fairport Convention. The type of band that would be hip enough to slide a few bars of “Pretty Woman” into the blistering stomp of “Hey Boy,” just for a nod and a wink. Wailing, ringing guitars in “Powerless Thing” juxtaposed with the Smiths-like dirge of “The Body Is Dirt.” Plug Ugly music conveys the warmth and camaraderie of a long stretch in the pub where, Norris says, “people met, drank, danced and went home and fucked,” and they were the soundtrack. Their history is littered with tragedy and missed opportunity. Original guitarist Johnny Gorman committed suicide as their first EP was being released; ironically his brother Michael (who later played lead guitar with the band) died before this compilation was finalized. One early member quit because he couldn’t keep up with the drinking. It’s been fourteen years since their last breath, but this nineteen-track collection serves as a great eulogy to a band that captured lightning in a bottle but never got the chance to show it off. --Bill Holmes

THE POEMS
Young America
Minty Fresh
Scottish popsters, The Poems, offer a breezy and loungy collection of songs on Young America. But with Robert Hodgens, a one-time member of the Bluebells (the poppiest of the 80's crop Scottish pop bands which included Altered Images and Aztec Camera) in charge of the songwriting, that is not surprising at all. Young America is an effortlessly tuneful and pleasant record. The opener "Sometimes, Somewhere, Someone Should Say Something" is a lovely lilting song with a lovely almost Esquivel-esque piano bit and heavenly harmonies. "See the Sunrise" has bigger guitars before breaking into a section that sounds like it came straight from the Carpenters' living room. But perhaps the record's real gem is the sadder "Blue Eyes Coming" with its excellent dynamic, simple melody line, and layered guitars. This is an easy, earthy sounding record that might leave you wishing for something with more edge by the time you get through it, but it will certainly leave you with plenty of wistful moments along the way. --Andy Smith

ROBERT POLLARD
Normal Happiness
Merge
With Guided By Voices disbanding at the end of 2004, you couldn't fault people who thought that Robert Pollard would hang up his guitar and retire to a comfortable chair in his Dayton, Ohio home the way a man of nearly 50 might be inclined to. But if you were one of those people, you were dead wrong as Pollard has released two EPs and two full-length records in the past 18 months. The most recent, Normal Happiness, finds him working with frequent collaborator Todd Tobias. The record is a loose and fairly stripped-down affair with 16 tracks that, with only one exception, don't last longer than three minutes and frequently clock in at under two. It lacks the epic qualities of much of the GBV catalog and doesn't have the same visceral appeal, but Pollard still has a gift for tunes, which is on full display on songs like "Supernatural Car Lover" and "Get a Faceful."--Andy Smith

POMPEII
Assembly
Eyeball Records
Pompeii plays a very earnest, heart-on-your-sleeve sort of music with some dynamic and arranging deftness. Vocalist Dean Stafford seems like a perfectly sincere fellow, although he certainly comes across as too twee at least once in every song on the record. It's hard to knock a guy who appears to be so sensitive, but unlike the singers he seems to be trying to emulate (Chris Martin, Gary Lightbody), he comes off pretty wimpy, which may sell a few records to equally sensitive teens but doesn't ultimately earn a guy much respect in the bigger rock world. Musically, Pompeii has some grace and skill, but the distinct lack of rough edges makes the whole thing pretty cloying and predictable by about the fifth song. --Andy Smith

Popstar Assassins
Moderne (Triangle Bullet Lines)
Popstar Assassins come from Seattle with an edgy, slightly angular sound. Moderne opens well with "Headache(s)," which has some really cool guitar playing, but as the record progresses, the rough DIY production keeps it from really going somewhere as the band seems to have difficulty consistenly matching the drum tracks to the rest of the instruments. It is obvious that the band has some really good ideas but might benefit from streamlining its songwriting to avoid overwriting certain songs. However, their approach does yield some great results on the slower, spacier tracks such "Past To You" and "For Robert Wyatt." (Andy Smith)

PORTASTATIC
Who Loves the Sun
Merge
Continuing Portastatic/Superchunk main songwriter Mac McCaughan’s development from a no-frills indie rocker to a legitimate composer of incidental film music, his latest foray into soundtrack work arguably ranks among his most ambitious work to date. Loaded with cheery pastels of strings, woodwinds, pianos, and acoustic guitars, the arrangements are undeniably effective as background music for a film but altogether less interesting as background music for your life. No doubt, McCaughan has a gift for stripped down, near-chamber pop arrangements, but the bittersweet pleasantness of the tracks leaves them indistinctive as stand-alone tracks. It’s a stark difference from the days when McCaughan would smother his hooks in layers of guitar fuzz and static crunch. Unfortunately, despite their complexity and craftsmanship, the tracks simply aren’t terribly engaging once the credits roll. – Matt Fink

PORTASTATIC
Be Still Please
Merge
Mac McCaughan is certainly a busy guy, what with Superchunk and Merge Records, not to mention the more subdued Portastatic. Be Still Please is the ninth Portastatic release and the second of 2006, following this past summer's lauded Who Loves the Sun. Be Still Please offers more of McCaughan's inspired songwriting and lyrical edge, all delivered in his now-familiar rough-hewn tenor voice. In many ways, this is a record of three parts. The first consists of the more uplifting material including the splendid opener "Sour Shores" as well as the catchy "I'm In Love (With Arthur Dove)" and the more offbeat "Sweetness and Light." Then starting with "Getting Saved," darker emotions creep into the songs as McCaughan vents in his understated, but effective way. The whole emotional arc ends on an upward with "Cheers and Applause" and "Song For a Clock," which ends the record with a flourish of strings and acoustic guitar. --Andy Smith

PORTUGAL. THE MAN
Waiter: You Vultures! (FEARLESS)
There’s a huge marketing campaign supporting this album. Hell, their label’s website even has a Myspace logo on their front page. Generally when I notice that I can’t blink without reading something about a band I’ve never heard of it almost always means that the album will be disappointing. Sure enough, Alaskans Portugal. The Man is yet another band in a long stream of mainstream rock bands posing as indie. Vaguely influenced by all the usual post-rock suspects – Radiohead, Blonde Redhead, etc. – Waiter: You Vultures!” is a decidedly irritating record on the level of other Fuse TV favorites Muse, The Mars Volta, and even AFI (John Gourley’s falsetto is awfully reminiscent of the latter). Portugal. The Man’s bloated album drifts from one cliché to the next until eventually arriving at its inevitably disappointing close, the 8-and-a-half minute electro-rock ditty, “Guns, Guns, Guns.” If you’re wondering why the record industry is failing then you’ll need to look no further. --Nick Hennies

DOUG POWELL
THE LOST CHORD (MUSE SICKLE/PARASOL)

Doug Powell first came to the public's attention as a protege of Todd Rundgren, before breaking off as a solo artist. He was the primary singer and songwriter in the short-lived, but wonderful indie supergroup Swag, and subsequently compiled and produced the fine tribute album to Jeff Lynne (ELO, Move, Wilburys), Lynne Me Your Ears. The Lost Chord is by far Powell's most accomplished solo work to date. The Nashville-based artist manages to sound alternately like many of his mentors and primary influences: Todd, Jeff Lynne, and XTC's Andy Partridge. Another way of putting this is that Powell is uncannily able to duplicate the incredibly complex pop stylings of three of the most unique and talented multi-instrumentalists, writers, and producers in the music business. And do it all himself--he writes, sings, plays, and produces all the tracks (with a lone drum contribution on one track). For a taste of pure pop perfection, sample "A Roar Boaring Alice," or "Baby Blue." Make no mistake about it, Doug Powell is a relatively undiscovered pop genius. (Kent H. Benjamin)

GEORGE PRENTICE
Long Story Short
self-released
It's always seemed a bit odd that albums like Marshall Crenshaw's debut (which was a hit, remember) didn't spawn a slew of soundalikes. George Prentice is a touring professional who's worked with heavyweights like Wynton and Branford Marsalis, recently relocated from New Orleans to San Antonio, and here's his debut album, and guess what? It's firmly in the Crenshaw early '80s power pop camp. There's 35 minutes of fast-paced pop bliss here, expertly written, arranged, and played. See also The Records, Rockpile, Walter Clevenger, et al. Go to his website and sample some outstanding music; especially recommended: "I Don't Know Her Name" and "You Think You Know Your Wife." This is a real fine, and an excellent debut album that deserves to find an audience. www.georgeprenticmusic.com     --Kent H. Benjamin

LISA MARIE PRESLEY
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN (CAPITOL)

We usually don't cover platinum selling pop artists at Pop Culture Press, but there's always the occasional exception. Presley's debut album is a really solid, accomplished work by a 'new' 35-year old artist who appears to have quite a musical future. The advance word was that it was good, but heavily influenced by Scientology in the lyrics. Thankfully, those sentiments seem to be limited to the title song. The lead single, "Lights Out" (a hit as this is written) is just superb. The album's opener "S.O.B." is terrific, barring some bad ideas on the backing vocals. "Sinking" is equally good. And the album as a whole really doesn't have any bad songs. Most important of all, it appears that it's Presley who's responsible for the album's quality, too, although she worked with rock-solid hitmakers like Glen Ballard (Alanis Morrissette's original producer) and Eric Rosse (ditto for Tori Amos). In fact, the worst thing you can say about theisalbum is that it's overproduced and slick. It succeeds in spite of the efforts of Ballard and Rosse. Next time out, let's hope we see Presley work with some ace Memphis cats with a gritty producer like Jim Dickinson at the helm. Then she might really reach her potential. (Kent H. Benjamin)

PRINCE
N.E.W.S (NPG)

The latest from the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince (i.e., he’s “Prince” again) fell way - emphasize way - under the radar last year for one very significant reason. Prince doesn’t sing. It’s four all-instrumental tunes that are each exactly 14 minutes in length. Titled “North,” “South,” “East” and “West,” the compositions attempt to cover a trans-global range of geography and styles - funk, jazz and blues - in the improvisational mode. Joining Prince, who’s on guitar and keyboards, is tenor and baritone saxophonist Eric Leeds, who provides warm, intelligent solos throughout. (John Stoehr)

PROTOTYPES
s/t
Minty Fresh
Protoypes' self-titled debut is the perfect record to use to annoy your Francophobic relatives. It has a tossed off, electro-pop sound with a herky-jerky, slapdash quality to it, reminiscent a little of the fine German minimalists, Trio. The singing is done by the self-assured Isabel Le Doussal, who sounds like she could care less if you want her to sing in English instead of French, and who also knows that you really do want to roll around in bed her, no matter how much you try to deny it. That sound combined with such attitude-laden songs as the splendid "Danse Sur La Merde" (or "Dance On the Shit") makes for some mighty fine Eurotrash lounge music. --Andy Smith

TONY PUCCI
Unfolding (HEYDAY)
When we last left him in his basement recording studio in Rochester, Minnesota in mid-2005, Tony Pucci was planning to slow his prodigious recording output, but soon enough, he had unveiled another self-released CD of new material (actually a double CD) as well as an accompanying book of poetry. But in the second half of the year, the totally DIY Pucci hooked up with the California-based Heyday label, home of the solo work of Church guitarist Marty Willson-Piper among others. Pucci's first Heyday release is entitled Unfolding and represents a massive step forward in terms of sound quality, which considering that his writing and playing is as stellar as always, is certainly a lesson in the wonders of professional mastering. Pucci's guitar playing is layered and shimmering with arpeggios and textures, but the improved sound lifts it out of the mix and gives it flight. Similarly, his vocals take on an added dimension of mystery and intrigue. The next step is for Pucci to figure out how to translate the sound of the record to a live setting and make the climb out of the basement and into the klieg lights. --Andy Smith

PUFFY AMIYUMI
Nice (BAR/NONE)

Japanese pop singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura release their best album yet, whose cover pays homage to Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s 1969 Bed-In For Peace. Pop hooks as big as Godzilla join monster melodies begging for a wild night of karaoke - in English. Ex-Jellyfish drummer Andy Sturmer produced the album, creating 13 songs featuring slick disco-like tempos, lovely ballads, aggressive guitar blasts, and upbeat ska.
(John Stoehr)

PUFFY AMIYUMI
Splurge
ToFu Records
Splurge starts off with a not so obscure reference to Def Leppard. By the time the opening track (“Call Me What You Like”) takes form, the guitar riffs, pop smarts, and genre-checking lyrics that define Puffy AmiYumi come to fruition. Blending an innocent, childlike vocal style with well conceived song structures, the duo of Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura have conquered fans in different countries and managed a TV show (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) on Comedy Central in the U.S. It is not surprising that Puffy AmiYumi has been around for 10 years now since their collective pop melodies are far from amateur. The duo’s latest album cheers, annoys, and then inspires through a series of gems. Their brand of J-Pop has been crying out for a higher profile for years and Splurge features celebrity guests: Dexter Holland of Offspring (no stranger to Def Leppard mentions) aids the ska-esque “Tokyo, I’m On My Way” while Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion) assists with both, vocals and guitar, on “Go Baby Power Now." There are occasional decaffeinated numbers (“Sunday In The Park” and “Cameland”) while “Missing You Baby” evokes the Supremes and even the Pipettes. But for the most part Splurge is an amphetamine friendly sprint that will leave the listener panting for more.      -- Adi Anand

Pure Dream Ladder
s/t (534 Records)
Pure Dream Ladder self-titled record improved with additional listens as the layers of its dense sound became more apparent. Like many other similarly minded bands, this New York City-band plays a sort of 80's retro-sound which may earn them attention on the heels of other bands with a big keyboard layered rock sound that echoes Brit Pop and the 80's sound of people like Simple Minds among others. The drawback for Pure Dream Ladder is that the production doesn't quite match the width and breadth of the sound, and the whole thing comes across as more muddled than it should. This band has also chosen a fairly sophisticated genre to explore and doesn't seem to quite measure up to the bands who have already blazed the trail. Still, there is obvious songwriting talent here, and these guys could just be one great song away from making a big splash. (Andy Smith)

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