Music Review: Trailer Park Barbie's ''About Ready''
Date: Friday, April 04, 2003 @ 18:05:00 EST
Topic: Music Reviews
As Donald Rumsfeld has proven over and over again, you don't win many friends by assaulting people with your honest opinions (The truth? The Truth? You can't handle The truth!). Such is life for The Secretary of Defensiveness and a local music critic who finds it hard to love a band that reminds him of his dark and sticky past. With any luck, both of them will find some "Peace" and acceptance in the world. Read Mitch's review of Trailer Park Barbie's debut release "About Ready".
Band: Trailer Park Barbie
CD: About Ready (debut)
Recorded and Mixed at: Laud Productions
Engineer: Tim Lau
Band Members: Erin Schultz (vocals/bass), Kevin Thomas (guitar), Todd Anthony (drums), J.R. Lamb (added bass and vocals for live performances).
Compliments
At some point, every red-neck, working-class cover-band wonders what would happen if they stopped playing "Tush" and "Mustang Sally" for a weekend and wrote some originals. After all, doesn't everybody in their little pond tell them what big fish they are and how they should put out their own CD? Many cover-bands threaten (I was in several), but Trailer Park Barbie has made good on it. Their debut release, "About Ready", is a mix of bowling-alley bar-rockers, a couple of M.O.R. power-ballads and one drunken revelry ("Drink More Beer" track 9) that proclaims, over rotating power-chords,
"I'm going to drink more beer than I ever have before (chorus: TONIGHT!) / I'm going to vomit in your car like I never have before (chorus: TONIGHT!).
Thankfully, like their rural fringe contemporaries ( think Narrow 7 or Happenstance ), the Lansing-area based TPB (as they'll be known, perhaps, once Mattel™ files a threatened lawsuit) have hidden at least one semi-precious gem in nine unrefined chunks of coal on their first CD.
The title track. "About Ready" (track 7) is a spirited girl-rock anthem with a simple melody, an inspired chorus and back-up vocals that prompt you to tweak the volume-knob in a clockwise direction. Just don't pay too close attention to the lyrics; forced rhymes like 'I'm about ready to crank it up / just like a girl rocker / from the stars above' can cause an uncomfortable cringe (there's plenty more where that came from). But for the most part, this tune "rocks" and I can easily imagine it packing the dance-floor about halfway through the third set anywhere in Middle-America on a Friday night. Where's my Pabst!
Complaints
The technical performances and production on "About Ready" are as untidy as a midday sound-check at the corner-bar: an unrestrained lead guitar sputters mechanical "hot-licks" ; lazy drumming with a lame attack is delivered with questionable conviction; and a mumbling, inarticulate delivery from an un-remarkable voice tortures sometimes truly awful lyrics. Ok, call me Simon, but this record often sounds as if first takes were kept when a dozen or more were necessary. Unfortunately, tight budgets almost always trump much needed do-overs in the world of local indie rock.
First-time offerings from working cover bands rarely produce exceptional work. Usually, they're regrettable collections of bad musical ideas pasted together too quickly with painful cliche's, most of which should have been discarded during the writing process. The unfortunate tendency to include everything can ruin a record. That's why you hire a producer; to help separate the wheat from the chaff, steer the you away from cliche' and towards honest expression, inspire you to be more than you are. As I've said so many times before, I'd much rather hear a solid ep with three or four tasty morsels than a full-length release with more fat than meat.
Dude, What's Your Fu**ing Problem ?
I have to admit my biases here; the very concept of Trailer Park Barbie, a band that was created as ' a tribute to all those classy, trashy bar bands out there' is a uncomfortable reminder to me of where I come from and why I never, ever want to go back there again. It reminds me that I pissed-away my best years playing the same shitty cover-songs over and again ad nauseam (TPB's cover playlist is nearly identical to mine from a decade earlier) for the same crowds of tragic alcoholics and moronic beer-swilling twits in every little crappy bar that would have us. It dredges up bad memories of over-drinking, over-drugging, and nailing everything with a heartbeat and a hole just to reach the level of sedation needed carry on for another week. During my run, anything that was ever good and pure about the art and adventure of musical performance was mutated into bad habits and toxic regrets and I'm still repairing the damage. So, like an unflattering mirror, TPB's music reflects my past back to me - which makes it nearly unbearable for me to listen. I haven't quite attained the acceptance or "Peace" Erin Schultz sings about on track eight, but I'm working on it.
Yeah, I know, It's not about me (I plead subjective context). But the same dead-end reality of bowling-alley celebrity that caused my career-ending depression prompted TPB drummer Todd Anthony to threaten quitting the band once and for all unless they started writing their own music. The result of that threat is "About Ready." Good for him. Good for them. I hope they never plays another stupid-ass cover song for an ass-hole drunk who insists on hearing "Old Time Rock & Roll" or "Mony Mony" ever again. It's a miracle there aren't more psychotic, homicidal musicians out there. And it's a shame what we'll suffer for money.
Conclusions
The problem with cover bands playing originals is it often sounds like cover bands playing originals. If TPB's goal was to mimic that "classic cover sound", they've nailed it down to the very last lick. But if they're striving to create "original" art that can compete in a broader market, they're still too close to the bowling alley to see clearly. There are no Working Class Hero's on this record.
That said, TPB does not feign rural-chic, like a "stressed" John Deere Cap and a sleeveless flannel shirt ensemble bought at a Grosse Pointe Woods boutique. Trailer Park Barbie is the Real Deal, warts and all; reality music, if you will. They're about blowing off steam at the corner bar after a long week of blue-collar slavery, not pandering to the popular whimsy of urban scenesters looking for a quaint diversion. "About Ready" is the proper reward for all their die-hard fans who make it a point to see Trailer Park Barbie whenever they're in town. You don't get that kind of loyalty in the cold, cruel city.
Track By Track
1. I Don't Care - Good choice for lead-off track. This rocker has a good chorus but if I never hear another bull-horn vocal it'll be too soon. That effect wore out it's welcome in the nineties.
2. Oh Yeah - Clearly, some musical ideas should be discarded long before they every make it to CD.
3. Can't Get Enough - Bowling alley rocker meant for bustin'-a-move. Cat, Bat, Mat, rhymes are tiresome to the ear. All balls and rock & roll cliche'. Then again, it worked just fine for AC/DC.
4. Find My Way - Slow-dancing power-ballad replete with lead guitar (ala eighties' Bad Company).
5. Save Me - Lots of good musical ideas here but not much of a song. Sounds more like a vehicle for Thomas' modal investigations.
6. The Devil - Cow-punk rocker (on the order of the "King of the Hill" theme) with an intro that sounds like a traditional Irish tavern tune. Problem is, it sounds like singer Erin Schultz has a mouthful of cud. I can't understand a word you're mumblin' girl.
7. About Ready -The lone gem on this disc. Great tune. Great Chorus. Great arrangement. Sub-standard lyrics keep it from attaining priceless gem status, but it doesn't destroy this very fine song. I'd still put this one on my regular playlist just for it's optimistic vibe. Everything seems to come together for the Trailer Parkers here.
8. Peace - This ballad is probably the closest thing to a heartfelt lyric on this record. Schultz' back-ups work really well here and a keyboard string-patch adds much needed depth. Guitars over-dubs walk over each other a bit around 2:30.
* Drink More Beer - A jarring contrast from the previous ballad. According to their website poll (as of 3-29-03), "Drink More Beer" is their most popular song. That says it all, really. The more you drink, the better it sounds.
This article comes from Michigan Bands dot Com
http://michiganbands.com
The URL for this story is:
http://michiganbands.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=574
Date: Friday, April 04, 2003 @ 18:05:00 EST
Topic: Music Reviews
As Donald Rumsfeld has proven over and over again, you don't win many friends by assaulting people with your honest opinions (The truth? The Truth? You can't handle The truth!). Such is life for The Secretary of Defensiveness and a local music critic who finds it hard to love a band that reminds him of his dark and sticky past. With any luck, both of them will find some "Peace" and acceptance in the world. Read Mitch's review of Trailer Park Barbie's debut release "About Ready".
Band: Trailer Park Barbie
CD: About Ready (debut)
Recorded and Mixed at: Laud Productions
Engineer: Tim Lau
Band Members: Erin Schultz (vocals/bass), Kevin Thomas (guitar), Todd Anthony (drums), J.R. Lamb (added bass and vocals for live performances).
Compliments
At some point, every red-neck, working-class cover-band wonders what would happen if they stopped playing "Tush" and "Mustang Sally" for a weekend and wrote some originals. After all, doesn't everybody in their little pond tell them what big fish they are and how they should put out their own CD? Many cover-bands threaten (I was in several), but Trailer Park Barbie has made good on it. Their debut release, "About Ready", is a mix of bowling-alley bar-rockers, a couple of M.O.R. power-ballads and one drunken revelry ("Drink More Beer" track 9) that proclaims, over rotating power-chords,
"I'm going to drink more beer than I ever have before (chorus: TONIGHT!) / I'm going to vomit in your car like I never have before (chorus: TONIGHT!).
Thankfully, like their rural fringe contemporaries ( think Narrow 7 or Happenstance ), the Lansing-area based TPB (as they'll be known, perhaps, once Mattel™ files a threatened lawsuit) have hidden at least one semi-precious gem in nine unrefined chunks of coal on their first CD.
The title track. "About Ready" (track 7) is a spirited girl-rock anthem with a simple melody, an inspired chorus and back-up vocals that prompt you to tweak the volume-knob in a clockwise direction. Just don't pay too close attention to the lyrics; forced rhymes like 'I'm about ready to crank it up / just like a girl rocker / from the stars above' can cause an uncomfortable cringe (there's plenty more where that came from). But for the most part, this tune "rocks" and I can easily imagine it packing the dance-floor about halfway through the third set anywhere in Middle-America on a Friday night. Where's my Pabst!
Complaints
The technical performances and production on "About Ready" are as untidy as a midday sound-check at the corner-bar: an unrestrained lead guitar sputters mechanical "hot-licks" ; lazy drumming with a lame attack is delivered with questionable conviction; and a mumbling, inarticulate delivery from an un-remarkable voice tortures sometimes truly awful lyrics. Ok, call me Simon, but this record often sounds as if first takes were kept when a dozen or more were necessary. Unfortunately, tight budgets almost always trump much needed do-overs in the world of local indie rock.
First-time offerings from working cover bands rarely produce exceptional work. Usually, they're regrettable collections of bad musical ideas pasted together too quickly with painful cliche's, most of which should have been discarded during the writing process. The unfortunate tendency to include everything can ruin a record. That's why you hire a producer; to help separate the wheat from the chaff, steer the you away from cliche' and towards honest expression, inspire you to be more than you are. As I've said so many times before, I'd much rather hear a solid ep with three or four tasty morsels than a full-length release with more fat than meat.
Dude, What's Your Fu**ing Problem ?
I have to admit my biases here; the very concept of Trailer Park Barbie, a band that was created as ' a tribute to all those classy, trashy bar bands out there' is a uncomfortable reminder to me of where I come from and why I never, ever want to go back there again. It reminds me that I pissed-away my best years playing the same shitty cover-songs over and again ad nauseam (TPB's cover playlist is nearly identical to mine from a decade earlier) for the same crowds of tragic alcoholics and moronic beer-swilling twits in every little crappy bar that would have us. It dredges up bad memories of over-drinking, over-drugging, and nailing everything with a heartbeat and a hole just to reach the level of sedation needed carry on for another week. During my run, anything that was ever good and pure about the art and adventure of musical performance was mutated into bad habits and toxic regrets and I'm still repairing the damage. So, like an unflattering mirror, TPB's music reflects my past back to me - which makes it nearly unbearable for me to listen. I haven't quite attained the acceptance or "Peace" Erin Schultz sings about on track eight, but I'm working on it.
Yeah, I know, It's not about me (I plead subjective context). But the same dead-end reality of bowling-alley celebrity that caused my career-ending depression prompted TPB drummer Todd Anthony to threaten quitting the band once and for all unless they started writing their own music. The result of that threat is "About Ready." Good for him. Good for them. I hope they never plays another stupid-ass cover song for an ass-hole drunk who insists on hearing "Old Time Rock & Roll" or "Mony Mony" ever again. It's a miracle there aren't more psychotic, homicidal musicians out there. And it's a shame what we'll suffer for money.
Conclusions
The problem with cover bands playing originals is it often sounds like cover bands playing originals. If TPB's goal was to mimic that "classic cover sound", they've nailed it down to the very last lick. But if they're striving to create "original" art that can compete in a broader market, they're still too close to the bowling alley to see clearly. There are no Working Class Hero's on this record.
That said, TPB does not feign rural-chic, like a "stressed" John Deere Cap and a sleeveless flannel shirt ensemble bought at a Grosse Pointe Woods boutique. Trailer Park Barbie is the Real Deal, warts and all; reality music, if you will. They're about blowing off steam at the corner bar after a long week of blue-collar slavery, not pandering to the popular whimsy of urban scenesters looking for a quaint diversion. "About Ready" is the proper reward for all their die-hard fans who make it a point to see Trailer Park Barbie whenever they're in town. You don't get that kind of loyalty in the cold, cruel city.
Track By Track
1. I Don't Care - Good choice for lead-off track. This rocker has a good chorus but if I never hear another bull-horn vocal it'll be too soon. That effect wore out it's welcome in the nineties.
2. Oh Yeah - Clearly, some musical ideas should be discarded long before they every make it to CD.
3. Can't Get Enough - Bowling alley rocker meant for bustin'-a-move. Cat, Bat, Mat, rhymes are tiresome to the ear. All balls and rock & roll cliche'. Then again, it worked just fine for AC/DC.
4. Find My Way - Slow-dancing power-ballad replete with lead guitar (ala eighties' Bad Company).
5. Save Me - Lots of good musical ideas here but not much of a song. Sounds more like a vehicle for Thomas' modal investigations.
6. The Devil - Cow-punk rocker (on the order of the "King of the Hill" theme) with an intro that sounds like a traditional Irish tavern tune. Problem is, it sounds like singer Erin Schultz has a mouthful of cud. I can't understand a word you're mumblin' girl.
7. About Ready -The lone gem on this disc. Great tune. Great Chorus. Great arrangement. Sub-standard lyrics keep it from attaining priceless gem status, but it doesn't destroy this very fine song. I'd still put this one on my regular playlist just for it's optimistic vibe. Everything seems to come together for the Trailer Parkers here.
8. Peace - This ballad is probably the closest thing to a heartfelt lyric on this record. Schultz' back-ups work really well here and a keyboard string-patch adds much needed depth. Guitars over-dubs walk over each other a bit around 2:30.
* Drink More Beer - A jarring contrast from the previous ballad. According to their website poll (as of 3-29-03), "Drink More Beer" is their most popular song. That says it all, really. The more you drink, the better it sounds.
This article comes from Michigan Bands dot Com
http://michiganbands.com
The URL for this story is:
http://michiganbands.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=574