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| HOUSTON LIFE JUNE | 65 LOCAL BAND THE MCKENZIES Unfold, released in April 2008 and consists of 12 beautiful, powerfully written songs. The meaty guitar chords and angst-driven lyrics of “Fool” provide a nice contrast to “Spell’s” sober dancing of piano keys and Digby’s soft, ethereal voice, which creates a song that is truly magical. Her playfully romantic “Say It Again” receives plenty of air time and may just be the song that gets listeners hooked; however, the entire album is sure to leave one feeling calm, composed and smiling. —LS Bullet For My Valentine Scream Aim Fire Sony/BMG Scream Aim Fire is either a disasterous attempt by a Bristish metal band to sound as Californian as possible, or a brilliant display of a British band posing as a California band posing as an English band. Whatever the case, BFMV works itself around the genres of metal, screamo, emo and power balladry with smooth transitions and gas in the tank to spare. The influence of the early 1980s thrash scene—particularly Metallica before they went AWOL—can be heard on the one-two punch of the title track and “Eye of the Storm,” as metallized harmonic guitars clear the highway for chugging rhythms and melodic yet hefty vocals. “Hearts Burst Into Fire” is a gem that combines Scorpions-style Euro- guitars and the Foo Fighters radio-ready rock of thick choruses, translatable emotions and tear-jerking window seances for broken- hearted chicks. As with all immature bands, they feel the need to “fuck it up” by adding growling and other beastly noises. Scream Aim Fire is a schizophrenic record that has its share of meat and bones with some challenging points. If Bullet could lose the need to appeal to such a broad audience and let the audience find them instead, they could bury some of the tendencies to be everything to everyone. —HA Cory Morrow Vagrants & Kings Sustain Records I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Cory Morrow. Along with his buddy Pat Green and the inestimable Robert Earl Keen, those three gentlemen taught me in the late ‘90s—tainted from growing up listening to ’80s country—that country music was worth something, that it could be tuneful, well- written, and, above all, fun. And while the idea of “good country music” might be an oxymoron to some folks, what has always set Texas Country apart from the songs Nashville emits is that it represents this synthesis of ’70s outlaw country, classic rock, blues and folk that is unmatched by any other permutation of the country ethos around the world. So, though I welcomed the opportunity to review Vagrants And Kings, Morrow’s first studio release since 2005, and while it was good to hear his voice again, I was sadly underwhelmed. The same attributes that typically drive Morrow’s music—a wry sense of humor and a penchant for strong guitar- driven songs—are present, but everything feels a bit too muted and safe. There are some great tracks here, including the imminently danceable “All Said And Done,” a tribute to his favorite country songs; “Lord, You Devil,” a tongue-in-cheek look at the way life finds a way to resolve itself through the strangest of scenarios; and “Worth It,” the barn-burning finale. But in the end, this is an average album, at least compared to this singer- songwriter’s previous body of work. —APN Otep The Ascension Koch Records Through all that estrogen-fueled guitar fire, rarely has a fem-fronted band taken a boot to the crotch of Slayer’s blood reign with such an extreme political agenda. For all the “I am woman, hear me roar” ethos that was the riot grrrl doctrine, no one ever really strapped on the armor … until now. Of course, being a clenched- fist lesbian probably helps, but Otep and her band of male “underlings” deliver a thousand pounds of napalm sounds. From the opening gunfire of “Eet The Children,” Otep Shamaya continues the onslaught that garnered her last albums Sevas Tra and House Of Secrets global metal kudos and landed her on a steady road diet of Ozzfests and the European Festival circuit. “March of the Martyrs” and “Noose and Nail” are sonic preachings to the disposable masses that make up the nation—all sheep for the slaughter with the ease of a signature and a presidental seal. If anything renders The Ascension powerless, it’s Shamaya’s delivery, which embodies nuclear anguish with a languid tone that floats from track to track like poison lapsing the songs together. However, the one track where her inner Robert Smith comes forth properly is the intimate “Perfectly Flawed”—like Christina Aguilera with a metal overbite. The Ascension may not deliver a lone primal monster; it is a steady powder keg waiting to go off. —JP Underwear Wolves WORDS ALMA VERDEJO PHOTO AHN V. VU It’s not hard to find a band made up of the remnants of other bands. What is difficult to find is a band that has learned from their past trials—along with tribulations—and turned out a polished, well- fronted group of musicians. Turning from a duo to a full-fledged band within a span of nine months, these twenty-somethings show off sensitive lyrics with a touch of rock panache á la The Strokes or Weezer. Named after a lyric from The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” The McKenzies strive to bring about crazy antics and mountainous energy to their shows. Miguel Ponce and lead singer Jodie Gonzalez knew each other from their former endeavor, local band “The Late Nights”—which coincidentally birthed another band, The Factory Party. Ponce often wondered what a solo career would be like but soon realized that fellow singer, Gonzalez, could also add something else. “The McKenzies has always been my solo acoustic thing,” says Ponce. “And then she (Jodie) joined with me, and the original idea was to keep The McKenzies acoustic and name this something else.” But it didn’t work out that way; after all, Ponce was oft left wondering what a whole band would sound like. That’s where bassist Pete Garza and drummer Matt Garcia came in. Their sound is a mixture of melodic and catchy tunes with the vibrance of a show-stopping aura. “Actually, pop and garage and good indie,” describes Garza. “Not watered down pop,” adds Ponce, also the songwriter/guitarist. ”It’s like fast twang—like a little dirty.” A little dirty is something they definitely encompass, with the band’s lively personas transcending their shows. Ponce, the brains behind the band, cites Buddy Holly, Weezer and Roy Orbison as his main influences, indulging for a few moments on the creative genius that is Orbison. “It’s like he totally rips it up,” Ponce enthuses. This trademark enthusiasm resonates at their shows. Each one opens them up to different fans, such as one of their recent gigs at Austin’s Shady Grove, where the lead singer’s dog, Peabody, revved up an audience of crawfish-eating, flip flop-wearing fans. At another recent show at Houston’s The Mink, the band giggles about something that was hurled to the stage, with Gonzalez convinced that it was panties. “We get love for the drummer,” she jokes. “He’s kind of the Romeo of the band … or the Juliet.” The McKenzies play LunaFest on June 13 at Warehouse Live. Visit myspace.com/themckenzies encore_music_reviews_53H.indd 65 5/31/08 5:27:54 AM
