The Weekly Jive
0
Posted
July 24, 2008 in
Music
Scars on Broadway—Scars On Broadway (Interscope)
It was easy to assume that vocalist Serj Tankian was the mind of System Of A Down and guitarist/singer Daron Malakian the metal. That is until, with SOAD on open-ended hiatus, Serj Tankian unleashed a surprisingly rockin’ solo record (last year’s Elect The Dead) and now Scars On Broadway—Malakian and System drummer John Dolmayan—have crafted a harmony-heavy, sometimes delicate disc which, while not without big riffs, also references The Beatles, Sex Pistols and traditional Old World folk. Malakian is no Tankian in the vocal department, but his impassioned timbre veers from a Rotten monotone to boyish vulnerability and is capable of warbling, warming sustain. There’s fury, sorrow, loss and laughs here, with Malakian tackling lyrics including many of his favorite topics—Charles Manson, the Armenian genocide, drugs—with an impish grin and counter-culture sneer. Dolmayan’s drums still roll in like a tropical squall but don’t detract from a lovingly sincere and original album that you can utterly lose yourself in on headphones—which may well be just what Malakian had in mind. (Paul Rogers)
Rick Springfield —Venus in Overdrive (New Door/UME)
Forget your preconceived notions and pay attention: Venus in Overdrive is the best thing Rick Springfield has done this decade. Yes, you read that right. Believe it or not, the former teen heartthrob continued to record fresh and compelling material after that long run of big ’80s hits. 2004’s Shock Denial Anger Acceptance was a raw, hard rock-leaning song cycle with quite a few keepers. If mainstream radio programmers get their heads out of the sand, they’ll find plenty more on this one. “What’s Victoria’s Secret?” contains a similar chord progression as “Jessie’s Girl” and will bring a smile to diehard enthusiasts’ faces. “God Blinked (Swing it Sister)” is a soulful, horn-driven party. There’s a reggae lilt to the rockin’ title track, while “Oblivious” and “Saint Sahara” pay tribute to a young fan that died last year from a brain tumor. Far from downers, they’re actually celebrations of life. Elsewhere, an edgy “Mr. PC” takes lying politicians to task, while the harrowing “3 Warning Shots” is an open letter to killer Mark David Chapman (inspired by the Jared Leto indie flick Chapter 27). Speaking of John Lennon, “She” and “Nothing is Ever Lost” revisit Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles territory with winning results. Another blast from the past: Springfield is back on ABC’s General Hospital portraying Dr. Noah Drake and the character’s rock star alter ego, Eli Love. Some things never change. (George A. Paul)
The Maine—Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (Fearless Records)
Arizona quintet The Maine are young and new (this is their debut full-length), with three members who look like brothers but apparently aren’t—and they offer living proof that we’re running out of band names. If I tell you that their chief influence seems to be on-hiatus Warped Tour fluff-weights The Starting Line—hardly bastions of originality themselves—and that as you read this they’re opening for Boys Like Girls and Good Charlotte, you’ll know that Can’t Stop Won’t Stop isn’t a life-changing affair. The disc is worryingly inoffensive pop punk (but much more the former than the latter), with pedestrian tempos, ‘80s anthem-y melodies, a great impersonation of Starting Line vocalist Ken Vasoli and endless adolescent angst lyrics about girls. It’s all decently put together, and things are kept vaguely interesting with acoustic guitars, keys and strings, but ultimately Can’t Stop Won’t Stop conjures images of suburban malls on Saturday mornings—proceed accordingly. (Paul Rogers)
Scars on Broadway—Scars On Broadway (Interscope)
It was easy to assume that vocalist Serj Tankian was the mind of System Of A Down and guitarist/singer Daron Malakian the metal. That is until, with SOAD on open-ended hiatus, Serj Tankian unleashed a surprisingly rockin’ solo record (last year’s Elect The Dead) and now Scars On Broadway—Malakian and System drummer John Dolmayan—have crafted a harmony-heavy, sometimes delicate disc which, while not without big riffs, also references The Beatles, Sex Pistols and traditional Old World folk. Malakian is no Tankian in the vocal department, but his impassioned timbre veers from a Rotten monotone to boyish vulnerability and is capable of warbling, warming sustain. There’s fury, sorrow, loss and laughs here, with Malakian tackling lyrics including many of his favorite topics—Charles Manson, the Armenian genocide, drugs—with an impish grin and counter-culture sneer. Dolmayan’s drums still roll in like a tropical squall but don’t detract from a lovingly sincere and original album that you can utterly lose yourself in on headphones—which may well be just what Malakian had in mind. (Paul Rogers)
Rick Springfield —Venus in Overdrive (New Door/UME)
Forget your preconceived notions and pay attention: Venus in Overdrive is the best thing Rick Springfield has done this decade. Yes, you read that right. Believe it or not, the former teen heartthrob continued to record fresh and compelling material after that long run of big ’80s hits. 2004’s Shock Denial Anger Acceptance was a raw, hard rock-leaning song cycle with quite a few keepers. If mainstream radio programmers get their heads out of the sand, they’ll find plenty more on this one. “What’s Victoria’s Secret?” contains a similar chord progression as “Jessie’s Girl” and will bring a smile to diehard enthusiasts’ faces. “God Blinked (Swing it Sister)” is a soulful, horn-driven party. There’s a reggae lilt to the rockin’ title track, while “Oblivious” and “Saint Sahara” pay tribute to a young fan that died last year from a brain tumor. Far from downers, they’re actually celebrations of life. Elsewhere, an edgy “Mr. PC” takes lying politicians to task, while the harrowing “3 Warning Shots” is an open letter to killer Mark David Chapman (inspired by the Jared Leto indie flick Chapter 27). Speaking of John Lennon, “She” and “Nothing is Ever Lost” revisit Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles territory with winning results. Another blast from the past: Springfield is back on ABC’s General Hospital portraying Dr. Noah Drake and the character’s rock star alter ego, Eli Love. Some things never change. (George A. Paul)
The Maine—Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (Fearless Records)
Arizona quintet The Maine are young and new (this is their debut full-length), with three members who look like brothers but apparently aren’t—and they offer living proof that we’re running out of band names. If I tell you that their chief influence seems to be on-hiatus Warped Tour fluff-weights The Starting Line—hardly bastions of originality themselves—and that as you read this they’re opening for Boys Like Girls and Good Charlotte, you’ll know that Can’t Stop Won’t Stop isn’t a life-changing affair. The disc is worryingly inoffensive pop punk (but much more the former than the latter), with pedestrian tempos, ‘80s anthem-y melodies, a great impersonation of Starting Line vocalist Ken Vasoli and endless adolescent angst lyrics about girls. It’s all decently put together, and things are kept vaguely interesting with acoustic guitars, keys and strings, but ultimately Can’t Stop Won’t Stop conjures images of suburban malls on Saturday mornings—proceed accordingly. (Paul Rogers)
