The Fall
Your Future Our Clutter
(Domino)
Your Future Our Clutter is something like the 819th release by The Fall. The cover makes it look destined for the cut-out bin, but Mark E. Smith and company have concocted a surprisingly energetic album busting with primal garage-rock energy. There’s undeniable snarl and swagger to songs like “O.F.Y.C. Showcase” which meld distorted guitar and organ riffs with buzzing electronics. The ferocious “Bury Pts. 1 + 3” is stitched together from lo-fi rehearsals and polished studio performances. There are new moves like the spaghetti Western “Cowboy George” and a left-field cover of Wanda Jackson’s rockabilly chestnut “Funnel of Love.” The heavily electronic “Weather Report 2” offers a reflective rumination on mortality. The album isn’t as catchy as, say, 2004’s The Real New Fall LP and a few songs overstay their welcome. But against all odds, it proves The Fall remains vital. —Jeff Jackson
Pavement
Quarantine the Past
(Matador)
From the opening strains of “Gold Soundz” to the slow-burning closer “Fight this Generation,” the poster boys of ’90s indie rock do things their way. As with most things Pavement, that equals a glorious mess. On their first best-of collection, the tracks range from fan favorites to rarities, and even include the group’s (so-called) hit “Cut Your Hair.” One would be hard-pressed to find a more affordable (if incomplete) introduction to one of rock’s most under-appreciated bands. Lyrically, singer/guitarist Stephen Malkmus employs clever images and imaginative wordplay. He’s also not above throwing in a “sha la la” or snide dig at more popular bands like Smashing Pumpkins. Consequently, a lack of fear is perhaps Pavement’s trademark. There’s neither a genre that scares them off nor a musical idea too absurd to try just once. Essential listening for indie kids the world over. —Michael Cimaomo
Dream Syndicate
Medicine Show
(Water)
Back in the ’80s, a vinyl copy of Dream Syndicate’s This is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album… Live! languished in the neglected portion of my record collection. The re-release of Medicine Show, which also includes that live EP, occasioned a revisit to the band’s catalogue, but alas, the album doesn’t hold up to the current hype it’s received (like REM’s Peter Buck declaring it an Exile on Main Street for the ’80s.) The group holed up for 12-hour days seven days a week for five months to create Medicine Show, so it’s all the more remarkable that, despite some compelling moments, the tracks feel torpid and unfocused. The guitars hit big chords, but those chords seldom seem to add up to compelling parts. Put with that guitarist/singer/songwriter Steve Wynn’s warbling, pitch-challenged vocals, and it’s not hard to figure why Dream Syndicate seldom visited the turntable. —James Heflin
