More Record Reviews
Return to the Janet Vodka Bio
(This web page digresses and reviews an album from a non-power pop band from our area.)
This is the easiest album review I've ever written. I mean, how do you review a full-blast party? You just hope to get invited to join in the fun.
First off, there is no person by the name of Janet Vodka associated with this band. Janet Vodka are Chris Sauer and Ron Caswell with supporting musicians who produce dance music with blazing horns and witty lyrics. Ron is also known as the sometimes bass player of Brooklyn's King Fly, and he puts his classical music training to use in producing Chris' songs.
There's a certain insanity going on here, reminiscent of David Byrne and the Talking Heads. Chris often shout-sings the lyrics, backed by maniacal choruses, giving the songs an uncommon urgency. I especially liked "Day Job", a musician's lament of time wasted on the job, the quieter "I'll Be Good" with beautiful keyboards, and the raunchy "Sweet Bitch" complete with a rocking guitar solo.
This album has a unique sound, puts fun into the music, and is highly recommended .
King Fly, "Aquamarine Scene"
This album took me by surprise. I would never have expected that musicians of such expertise as Doug Davis and Anand Gan would set up a home studio in my native borough of Brooklyn. It was in the "Fly Trap" studio that King Fly hatched their exquisitely crafted album. Two years in the making, I could just imagine how the songwriters, with the help of four other artists. layed down layer upon layer of sound to cleanly produce this ambient gem. Not power pop, but a gorgeous album of exotic melody nevertheless. Actually, my favorite track on the album is straight ahead power pop, "Mystery Girl". Other memorable cuts include the lead "January Row" with its shimmering guitars, and "Thought of it All" which features an expressive piano and vocal harmonies. Actually. most of the cuts are memorable.
King Fly is the best band to call Brooklyn its home since the days of doo-wop!
My favorite albums of 1999
1. Gigolo Aunts, "Minor Chords and Major Themes"
2. Jason Falkner, "Can You Still Feel ?"
3. Fountains of Wayne, "Utopia Parkway"
4. Guster, "Lost and Gone Forever"
5. Matthew Sweet, "In Reverse"
6. The Rosenbergs, "Ameripop"
7. Marcy Playground, "Shapeshifter"
8. Marshall Crenshaw, "#447"
9. Kelly Willis, "What I Deserve"
10. Dwight Twilley, "Tulsa"
