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The Bird And The Bee
The Bird And The Bee

If it's true that everything runs in twenty-year cycles then The Bird And The Bee are jumping the 60's-revival gun a bit on their debut album, but that's alright because in ten years they have the bragging rights to claim themselves as 'pioneers'. What really matters though is that these two, Inara George (the bird) and Greg Kurstin (the bee), have recorded one of the finest quirky/psychedelic pop albums in years. They are Portishead filtered through an acid-trip in a late-60's lounge. The entire album is a complete throw back and creates an atmosphere of groovy daisies, bell bottoms and free love.

The hook here is Inara's vocals which the band not only wisely bring to the forefront, but also use as an instrument with many la's, bop's and other nonsensical lyrics to round out the songs. This has the benefit of making the songs instantly singable and even allows them to write a song called, "La La La". There will be the inevitable comparisons to late-career Everything But The Girl, which are easily made; however, the difference here is mood. The Bird And The Bee sound happy even when Inara is lamenting she is a broken heart. You wouldn't hear a French horn and other brass in an EBTG song.

However, The Bird And The Bee wouldn't be complete without the bee. Greg's instrumentation and choice of sounds really is the glue that keeps the songs together and the collection cohesive. Whether it's the Zombies-like keyboards in "La La La", the tambourine sprinkled throughout or his obvious love of the harpsichord in "Again & Again", "My Fair Lady" and "I Hate Camera", he creates the perfect sound to showcase Inara's light and airy vocals.

Don't worry though that this is nothing but a collection of songs right out of "Laugh-In". There are plenty of modern influences to enjoy as well. The fat bass of "Preparedness" owes as much to the Human League as it does to Timbaland. "Fucking Boyfriend" lends itself easily to the club and even deservedly hit number one on the U.S. dance charts last December. And don't forget to catch the fantastic 8-bit Nintendo-game break in "I Hate Camera". The Bird And The Bee is the culmination of two jazz nerds playing around and having fun. That fun even shines through in the beautiful "Spark" which closes this debut. Listening to The Bird And The Bee is like slipping into go-go boots and dancing in a cage. It's the feeling of enjoying the crowd while escaping into your own world.

Scissor Sisters
Ta-Dah

Jingly guitars, horn stabs, a beat that makes you strut while walking down the street — no, it’s not the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It’s the Scissor Sister’s back trying to buck the sophomore slump. How do they do? Pretty damn well, thank you very much. When they released their debut album it turned into a commercial hit in the UK and a cult hit in the US. It’s a searing blast of raunch, debauchery and warnings of living a hedonistic life that you could, as it happens, dance to. In other words, a very hard act to follow.

The first single from their follow-up, Ta-Dah, is "I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’." Not only does it deal with the Elton John comparisons, but includes John in on the song writing and playing. The same thing for the song "Intermission", which is exactly what it may seem on the surface, but listen to the lyrics and you’ll realize that the Sisters are a bit darker this go around. It also explains why the song sounds like "I Think I’m Going To Kill Myself" from John’s Honky Chateau album.

It’s quite obvious the Sisters love wearing their influences like glitter eye shadow; however, they also aim to surprise. Arguably the best song on the album, "I Can’t Decide," is a Dixieland jazz pop song complete with banjo. Again, it’s the lyrics that truly make the song rise above everything else. In fact, the song may not be about a relationship at all; Jake Shears may have his cross-hairs on fame: "It’s a bitch convincing people to like you/If I stop now call me a quitter/If lies were cats you’d be a litter."

There is no doubt that the Sisters’ lyrical bite is still in place; however, the music itself is a hodgepodge of glam rock, disco, pop, R&B, and 80’s power ballads. One of the more beautiful ballads has Shears emoting palpably for the first time. A truly emotional powerhouse, "Might Tell You Tonight" actually has Jake The Party Boy thinking about settling down with a man who may not be the one of his dreams, but one that he respects and adores. "Life seems so much slower/With your toothbrush by the mirror/Can I make this any clearer?" he sings before the song launches into its moving chorus that includes another banjo.

The rest of the album is filled with the dance songs you’d expect from the Sisters including a song strangely named "Paul McCartney" (complete with a B-52’s style break) which isn’t about the man, but seemingly his music set to a frantic beat. Elton John is on this album. Could they be vying for McCartney to join them on the next? There is no denying that would be an experience worth waiting for.

Still, Ta-Dah has enough of the naughty ("I ain’t got nothing but your seed on my face," for example) to let you know they want to continue to party, but also has a few more serious moments than their debut. Death comes to play a lot in the words, which makes sense as the woman who inspired the song "Mary" from the first album passed away this year. She was a great friend of the band and the loss hit them pretty hard. Not to say they are becoming maudlin; however, the loss gives the band a bit more complexity which garners more respect for the job they are doing and what the Scissor Sisters are becoming — a viable musical force.

The Weepies
Say I Am You

Remember Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy’s characters from A Mighty Wind? Their "Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow" was parody and it was as funny as it was cheesy; however, underneath the comedy was a song that perfectly fit the mood and tone of the 60’s and 70’s folk couples. Love was fresh and new. Nothing could stop the power of love. Listening to The Weepies first full-length album reminds me of those of The Carpenters, Sonny & Cher, The Mamas & The Papas, Captain & Tennille and, of course, Mitch & Mickey. As the songs sweep by, I find myself wondering where the hell the harpsichord is and why this will probably be my favorite album of the year.

The short answer is Say I Am You is pretty, simple, lush, catchy and emotional. Take my favorite track on the album, "Gotta Have You". Not only is it the one of the catchiest pop song this year, it’s the most sentimental without being schmalzy. Owe it to Deb Talan’s stunningly beautiful and charming voice whose instrumental conveys yearning with the slow-burning emotion that would make Karen Carpenter proud. Yet Deb doesn’t have the smooth alto Karen had. Hers is a mix of Sam Phillips’ nasal artistry mixed with Suzanne Vega’s deadpan. In other words, it’s hard to stop listening when she is singing.

It’s no wonder the other half of The Weepies, Steve Tannen, obsessed over Deb’s solo album (turns out the compliment was returned - Deb obsessed over Steve solo endeavor as well) before they actually met. Deb went to see Steve in Boston. Steve saw Deb in the audience. The rest is history. They began writing songs that night. Yes, it seems gag inducing, but it’s also very celebratory - that rare meeting of creative companions.

Steve’s songs on the album (he sounds a lot like Michael Penn) are the darker ones which make the album as a whole a well-balanced mixture of rainbows and thunderclouds. "World Spins Madly On," which has been featured in Friends With Money starts off with "Woke up and wished I was dead" and then goes into a dark, depressed pining. "Riga Girls" although catchy as hell ends simply with the words, "Oh, I wish I had someone."

Some of the best pop music is like that though — simple sounding with a happy arrangement and the dark lyrics which gives a complexity that is lost on most listeners. That’s too bad. This is a near perfect pop gem — casual and unassuming. Just the thing to listen to as the days grow colder. Say I Am You is the warm, fuzzy fleece you break out when you’re feeling the cold world outside.

Simply said, The Venture Bros. is a Johnny Quest spoof. Complexly said, it is the best satirical, homoerotic, gross, sardonic, violent, sexual comedy about two innocent boys ever made for television. The premise is just like Johnny Quest. Throw in one famous scientist (Dr. Thaddeus Venture is living off his father's fame), a beefed-up machismo body guard (Brock Sampson voiced by the hilarious Patrick Warburton), and two boys who often get into mis-adventures (Hank & Dean, both are Dr. Venture's sons). Include a robot, H.E.L.P.E.R., to replace Bandit and you've got yourself a situation with plots that can go anywhere.

And they do. Pirates, arch-nemeses, an unborn twin brother, the head of an amusement park empire and a villian modeled after a butterfly are some of the evil characters that show up in such exotic places as the Sargasso Sea, the Amazon, hidden scientific laboratories, Tijuana, a strip club and a yard sale to help increase the mirth; however, these stand only plots would be nothing without back story.

It has been a long time since I've enjoyed watching a show more the second time to pick up all the mythos. This show is dirty, stinking rich with back story which fills out the characters nicely, so watching it once is diverting; watching it twice is where you find your rewards. The writers, Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer, say in their commentary on the DVD that a lot of the back story was just filling in holes on the fly. Well, good job, boys! You've got a great cult hit on your hands with enough entertaining characters to last you -- eh, at least two more seasons.

You must watch it! If nothing else, to see and hear the overblown dialogue delivery of Dr. Orpehus (see sample below), the necromancer that is renting space in the Venture Compound with his daughter, Triana, who Dean has a crush on. Oh, it's gets even more complicated than that. Definitely worth the investment.

The Raconteurs
"Steady As She Goes" (Single)

Combine the talents of Jack White of The White Stripes with the power pop sensibilities of Brendan Benson (very Matthew Sweet. Check out his song, "Spit It Out" and you'll see), add Greenhornes as an actual band and you get what the music world has been needing for a while -- a super band.

The Raconteurs' first single and first song White and Benson wrote together is the catchiest song since Katrina And The Waves' "Walking On Sunshine" except "Steady As She Goes" adds a dark backbone with lyrics about someone who never meets the person of their dreams and is too emotionally scarred to change it: "You found yourself a friend that knows you well/But no matter what you do/You always feel as though you tripped and fell/So steady as she goes".

The combination of the simple guitar/bass/drum arrangement and a melody that refuses to leave your head make for the first song of the year that yearns to be cranked maddingly loud. You know, all the way up to 11. It combines the best of 70's crunchy guitars, 80's melodies and 90's grunge attitude all written and performed by some of the 00's (I like to call them the Naughties) songwriting elite. I'm sure the album, Broken Boy Soldiers (May 16), will not come close to the pop genius of "Steady As She Goes", but with White and Benson writing together for the first time, it will certainly be worth the price of admission.

Goldfrapp
Supernature

Wearing its glam rock influences on its sleeve, Goldfrapp has made an album that is pure pleasure through and through. Every lovely slice of pop that is served up is infused with all the ingredients needed for a raunchy, good time on the dance floor of your choice.

Supernature's appetizer is served extra raw. "Ooh La La" was the first single released in Europe and for good reason. It's the kind of song Peaches would love to write if she decided to be subtle for a change. Alison Goldfrapp draws you into her world of decadence, "I want to touch you/You're just made for love...I need ooh la la la la" and finishes it off with "I'll never walk again". All this riding on the only organic noise in the entire song, Alison and partner, Will Gregory, clapping hands to the rhythm of Gregory's electronic blips and beeps.

The next course, "Lovely 2 C U," is just served hot. It immediately hits you with the most grinding of fuzz bass lines. You can only give in to the hip-grind-inducing beats. The only thing to do is turn the song up louder especially during the over-the-top break where the bass completely takes over. If you aren't completely in love with the album at that moment, it's time to see the doctor about some Viagra.

The rest of the meal will leave you spent over and over again. "Let It Take You" gives you a break ("...they're singing/Filling my sleep"), "Slide In" tempts you to have more ("I'm waiting/Don't hold back"), "Koko" leaves you panting ("Stabs at happiness/Now we're having fun") and "Satin Chic" just makes you feel used ("On your telephone/Won't be comin' home").

Would you like coffee after your meal? You bet! Let's try the "Time Out From The World" blend. It's smooth & sultry and preps your appetite for dessert. And how you desire dessert. You want it in the worst way because you just know it'll be good. Oh, so good. "Number 1" has so much longing it's palpable, yet it's not just sexual. There is real emotion behind the cold electronics shimmering through in Alison's vocals and lyrics, "You're my favorite moment/You're my Saturday." That's love, baby.

If you aren't completely stuffed, the US Version does give you a bonus track, "Beautiful", but "Number 1" is still the best choice for final song on this nearly complete dance collection. It's that good. Supernature is so nearly hedonistic you may just have to mention it in your confessional tomorrow.

The iTunes version has yet another bonus track.

Belle And Sebastian
The Life Pursuit

Here is Belle And Sebastian's happy album, but don't let that scare you. It seems they have taken some lessons learned from Trevor Horn, who produced their last album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and incorporated them in an album that is chock full of their influences.

Most of the show is very 60's with some 70's harmonies (mostly The Mamas And The Papas) and keyboards thrown in with some 80's Housemartins songwriting and producing sensibilities. Just listen to "Sukie In The Graveyard" and "We Are The Sleepyheads" and you'll hear the sounds the Paul Heaton and Fatboy Slim (he went by Norman Cook while in the Housemartins) were doing almost 20 years ago.

Then songs like "The Blues Are Still Blue" and "For The Price Of A Cup Of Tea" could have been on any Zombies or Strawberry Alarm Clock album. They are all flutes, psychedelic keyboards and bubble-gum pop. "Song For Sunshine" is late-Beatles and ethereal but the keyboards are complete Stevie Wonder and the harmonies are Sowing The Seeds Of Love-era Tears For Fears.

Yet for all these wearing-our-influences-on-our-sleeves theatrics, the album is surprisingly agile and bouncy. The guitars are jangly, the rhythms have vigor and the songwriting is tight. They made the right move giving band co-founder, Stuart Murdoch, the majority of the songwriting responsibilities. Belle And Sebastian are expanding, maturing and exploring, and they need a strong person help make that metamorphosis clean.

If Dear Catastrophe Waitress was them emerging from the chrysalis, then The Life Pursuit has them with their wings dry and strong and ready to fly.