Dosh
The Lost Take
Anticon Records, 2006

Despite the presence of around a dozen musicians on The Lost Take, Dosh is really Martin Dosh, a multi-instrumentalist and brilliant studio engineer. Electronic music is frequently dismissed as purely the realm of the dance floor, ignoring the potential of the genre to flourish as a beautiful and complicated art form. Dosh, however, embraces the opportunities electronic sampling provides, using loops of clarinets, saxophones, pianos, acoustic guitars, keyboards and beats to craft soundscapes that are both enrapturing and accessible. Dosh has managed a beautiful melding of classical and jazz sensibilities with sweeping synth pads and arpeggios. The occasional spoken word vocals and delicate ambiance that is present throughout helps make The Lost Take one of the more delightful listens of the year.

Exit Clov
Respond Respond
Livewire Recordings, 2006

Respond Respond marks Exit Clov’s fourth EP offering since 2003, and the local indie-pop group’s first on Livewire Recordings. Two of the tracks–“MK Ultra” and “Beast Simone”–are re-releases of older recordings, featuring slicker production quality and more full realized arrangements. The quintet’s songwriting is as charming as ever, delivering stark political commentary via gorgeous harmonies and skillful arrangements–most notably on the beautiful violin laced ballad “Violent Berries.” But Exit Clov continues to suffer from what I call “jam band syndrome,” in that they have a hard time fully capturing the dynamics and energy of their live shows on tape. Respond Respond is certainly a step in the right direction, but I still prefer great songs like “DIY” or “Moving Gaza” in their live format.

The Fake Accents
The Big Disconnect
Shady GrARR Music, 2006

Given that the Fake Accents admit in their liner notes that the songs on The Big Disconnect are “mostly ripped off of other songs,” I’m surprised how much I like this record. Why? Because I don’t care much for the songs they’re ripping off–bands like Guided by Voices and the Velvet Underground never did much for me. But the Fake Accents have made a believer out of me with tunes that would make Robert Pollard grin–take “Yr Like a Japanese B-Side,” with its awesome refrain celebrating, “baby, you’re so obscure.” So what if “Keep On The Grass” is a ringer for any Pavement tune? Fact is, I like it as much as anything Malkmus penned with his seminal indie-rock band. There are some missteps, but tunes like “1,000 Mirrors” more than make up for them.

Jette-Ives
In the Deep
Ova Records, 2006

DC newcomer Jette-Ives has made a record that you swim through, allowing it to swallow you whole and take you inside its world. Dark, mysterious and just bit dangerous, In the Deep is the walk home from a forbidden lover, lost in thought, rain glistening on the sidewalk as streetlights cast a golden glow into the night. Vocalist Jette Kelly is conflicted, empowered and sexy, but above all else, she is genuine, displaying a marvelous jazz range that wanders the scale effortlessly. With the enrapturing down-tempo electronic production of Holmes Ives backing Kelly’s sultry croon, In the Deep is an inescapable success that seduces the listener. Don’t put this on if you have anything to do for the next hour, as you will get marvelously lost in every second of love, lust, betrayal and heartbreak contained therein.

Hello Tokyo
Don’t Cry in Public
Self-released, 2006

Hello Tokyo newest EP, Don’t Cry in Public, is a throwback to a variety of styles that peaked in the mid-to-late 1990s. Vocalist Kat Mizani recalls Gwen Stefani or a higher pitched Annie Lenox, and her band takes cues from a variety of eighties and nineties rock tunes. “Waiting for a Change,” the EP’s dramatic centerpiece, borrows a cue from the Smashing Pumpkins with its long, dynamic build, while “Pull the Trigger” borrows heavily from the Cure’s “Pictures of You.” Though there is certainly talent and promise here, the EP suffers from some production foibles and generally poor distorted guitar tones, which come across as fairly muddy for the group’s pop aesthetic. With a greater investment in the studio, these songs could really snap.

Rob Hornfeck
This Is Exactly What I Planned
Self-released, 2006

I’m fairly sure that Rob Hornfeck has no aspirations to be famous; this killer guitar player simply wants to write songs that he and his friends are going to like. If he picks up some fans along the way, then all that much better. This Is Exactly What I Planned is a mash up of styles, all putting Hornfeck’s songwriting and guitar skills on prominent display. In some regards, Hornfeck comes across like an electrified Keller Williams or a more straightforward Les Claypool, with a soulful funk groove permeating throughout most of his music. Likely to appeal to jam band fans, Hornfeck is talented and accomplishes what he set out to do with This Is Exactly What I Planned. Ultimately, it is either for you or it isn’t–there is likely very little middle ground here.

Hotspur
Beta
Shine Bomb Records, 2006

I have to give Hotspur credit for achieving a very polished, produced sound on their debut record Beta. They have managed an admirable balance of their complicated aesthetic, which involves extensive keyboards alongside crunchy modern rock guitars and vocals. Despite the sheen, however, Beta is lacking in strong songwriting choices–mainly in the restraint department. Beneath the hooks, harmonies, synth blips, piano runs and rock riffs remains a band that isn’t sure what they want to be, and consequently, one that isn’t quite sure how to get their songs across. Beta is totally listenable, but not very memorable, indicating that Hotspur is a band that could benefit from some growth and a more solidified creative direction.

Running With Scissors
Smiles of a Certain Kind
Self-released, 2006

Ambition can be a tricky thing in music, as it is often tempered by the realities of operating budgets and recording capabilities. This is a double-edged sword on Smiles of a Certain Kind. At times–largely in the marvelous acoustic based numbers–the ambition works quite well. The Zeppelin inspired “Autumn Leaves” and the album’s closer “Sunrise, Sunset” put Aaron Barr’s soaring voice front and center to strong results. The Spanish flavored interlude “Explosion” is also a nice touch. In these instances, Running With Scissors’ ideas are matched by their capabilities. But most of the electric numbers–“A Ella, Que Llena El Mundo,” “Green Eyes,” and the album’s title track–sound restricted and muddy; not for lack of ambition, but probably for lack of budget.

The Third Programme
EP
Self-released, 2006

The Third Programme’s debut, simply titled EP, is the product of a band that has long been searching to define its sound. With the addition of vocalist Fidel Quintella last year, the group melded his unique tenor with the variety of musical influences that are present throughout. Unfortunately, EP doesn’t measure up to the group’s dedication to their moody, angsty songs. Aside from the first track, the pulsating “Atmosphere,” EP feels more like of a collection of early demos than a fully realized studio effort. Take “Replaced” as an example, where the interplay between the lead guitar riff and drum fills never seem to lock in with one another. More time in the studio with a greater attention to the details would have done the band’s songs more justice.