Also in this Issue
- She Bop It Didn't Start with Babes in Toyland: A Short and Eccentric History of Women in Local Music, 1931-Present (Cover Story)
- They Won't Grow Up Belle and Sebastian continue life in their own Never Never Land (Music)
- Beyoncé, "Check on Me"; T-Pain, "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)" (Radio Gaga)
- Low Lustre: Low Lustre (CD Review)
- Colonial Vipers Attack: Colonial Vipers Attack (CD Review)
- Stereolab: Fab Four Suture (CD Review)
- Orthrelm: OV (CD Review)
- More articles from this issue...
More CD Review Articles
- The Rogers Sisters: The Invisible Deck (Mar 1, 2006)
- Early Man: Closing In, The Sword: Age of Winters (Mar 1, 2006)
- Malachi Constant: Pride (Feb 22, 2006)
- Trampled By Turtles: Live at Lucé (Feb 15, 2006)
- Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat (Feb 15, 2006)
- The Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Feb 15, 2006)
- The Knife: Silent Shout (Feb 15, 2006)
- Various Artists: DUNation.com--Volume Won (Feb 15, 2006)
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High on Stress: Moonlight Girls
High on Stress
Moonlight Girls
OBT Records
At its worst, Moonlight Girls is a sleepy, predictable slab of alt-country heartbreak songs. But luckily the debut album from this four-piece demonstrates enough melodic chops and vocal aplomb to elevate it to something more interesting.
Nick Leet (formerly of Standard Thompson) is the primary songwriter, and he comes up with some lyrical nuggets, as on the opening track, "You Have Conversations with Jesus." "You're a freight train with understated makeup," Leet sings of a former girlfriend. The clever, enigmatic lyrics of "Eyeliner Blues" provide evidence that the band's been taking notes while listening to their Paul Westerberg records. "Cash Machine" is the catchiest track here, with its shout-along chorus, reminiscent of A.M.-era Wilco.
High on Stress make rare, but effective use of the distortion pedal, putting a felicitous charge into tracks such as "Postcard that Says Breathe." There are other welcome, unexpected flourishes throughout, like the organ jam at the close of "Sleeping in the Backs of Cars" and the banjo fills (courtesy of guest Mike Brady) on "1995."
But the track that puts this album over for me is "Minot," an irresistible poison-pen Valentine to North Dakota. "This is an ode to cover bands, and bad punk rock, and a town I can't stand," Leet snipes. More than a few small-town transplants will find the sentiment familiar.
About Paul Demko
From the Archive
- Charlie Parr's New Weird America Duluth's Charlie Parr plays music for gamblers, bar-fighters, and ordinary eccentrics (Arts Feature - Feb 22, 2006)
- Unsportsmanlike Conduct What do you get when you cross a former Viking and a failed business? A lawsuit (News - Feb 8, 2006)
- Will the Last Movie Fan Please Shut Off the Popcorn Machine? A six-figure debt. Feuding over the future. Can anything save the Oak Street Cinema? (News - Jan 18, 2006)
- The Last Place on Earth After the final remaining Hmong refugee camp in Thailand closed, Minnesota greeted five thousand new residents with warm words and closed doors. Now many are homeless and struggling to survive. (Cover Story - Jan 18, 2006)
- Big Ditch Road: Suicide Note Reader's Companions (CD Review - Nov 16, 2005)
- Forte's Fiefdom Four city of Minneapolis employees say their boss wanted them out of his way. Now they've filed suit. (News - Nov 2, 2005)
- Casualty of War No peace at the Pioneer Press (News - Oct 26, 2005)
- Short-circuited Minneapolis tried to cut its electrical inspectors. Then the union took it to court. (News - Oct 19, 2005)
- More articles from the Paul Demko Archive...
