SPAZ Reviews DOG TRUMPET's Medicated Spirits!

DOG TRUMPET

MEDICATED SPIRITS

BUY at IMPORTCDS.COM

BUY at DEEPDISCOUNT.COM

For a quick rundown on Dog Trumpet, please see my earlier post about them HERE.

         For over 35 years, Reg Mombassa and Peter O'Doherty have been creating some of the most distinctive music in Australian history.  While they were two-fifths of Australian legends Mental As Anything from 1976 to 2000, they were crucial to that band's success. Martin Plaza (guitar and vocals) and Greedy Smith (keyboards and vocals) may have been in the spotlight a bit more, but Reg's slide guitar and Peter's inventive bass playing helped to create and fuel the Mental's unique sound.  The fact that Reg and Peter wrote plenty of songs for the band only solidified their standing as two of Australia's premiere talents.  When The Mentals went on hiatus at the end of the '80s, Reg and Peter formed Dog Trumpet. Their debut album, Two Heads One Brain (1991), continued in the Mentals tradition of expertly produced Roots Rook/Pop.  The Mentals got back on track in the mid '90s but that didn't stop Dog Trumpet from releasing their next album, Suitcase, in 1996.  Reg and Pete left Mental As Anything in 2000 in order to focus on Dog Trumpet and their art projects.  The duo released three more albums from 2002 to 2010 (Dog Trumpet, Antisocial Tendencies and River Of Flowers), all of which were gloriously unique and inspiring. 

Now, three years on from River Of Flowers, Reg and Peter have released their masterpiece - Medicated Spirits.

While it's not entirely different from their last few albums, the duo have come up with their finest batch of songs to date and released in as a double album... on two CDs! It doesn't get much better than this, to be honest.  19 songs and every one of them a gem. Reg and Peter don't just write Pop songs - they paint aural pictures that they fill in with different shades, colors and genres. But with that being said, the tracks are still very earthy and warm. The charm in Dog Trumpet's music is that there is such beauty in their simplicity.  Dog Trumpet sound like no one else and that is a rarity in this day and age. The album is awash with acoustic instruments and delicious harmonies that offer up an almost magical feel to each track. This isn't music created to shift units - it is music that connects with the listener on many different levels.  Shifting units is just a plus. Fans of Alt-Country, Pop, Rock 'n' Roll, Blues and Folk would do themselves a favor by clicking on one of the links above and buying Medicated Spirits immediately

Highlights: 

     The album's opener, the instrumental "Elizabethan", is similar in spirit and style to some of Paul McCartney's early '70s instrumental pieces on the McCartney album. Yes, it's that good.  

     "Speed Of Light" kicks things up a notch with it's heavy fuzz bass and Psychedelic Folk groove. Peter's affinity for Psych-influenced melodies is immediately apparent here.  

     Reg's "Made In The World" is a catchy Blues/Folk ditty with a keen Pop sense to it  You will find yourself singing this track to yourself and your friends for weeks afterwards (and MY friends can verify because that's just what I've been doing since I first played the album!)

      "Bored Wife" has been one of my favorite Dog Trumpet songs since it appeared on an EP two decades ago.  They've re-recorded it for this project and it has lost none of it's emotive power in this new updated version.  It is touching and melancholic, although a bit more raw and loose.  

     "Ray Davies And The Kinks" sounds nothing like Ray Davies and The Kinks although the lyrics paint a glorious picture of a road trip listening to Ray and the boys, and that is just as fun.  More Muswell Hillbillies than Kinda Kinks, its a track that will earn repeated listenings on your next road trip.  Who needs Ray when you have Reg?

     "Methylated Spirit" has a wonderful hook that is accented by some fantastic harmony vocals that sound almost other-worldly. 

     "What Falls Away" is a splendid Pop song from top to bottom.  Again, the backing vocals really help make the song the perfectly constructed recording that it is. 

     "Camel Rock" features fantastic lead vocals by band member Bernie Hayes, a performance that now has me trying to track down his two solo albums. Hayes gave a stellar vocal performance on "Bloomsbury Birds" from their album Antisocial Tendencies as well.  

     "Broke In Many Parts", "Tell Me" and "Moon And Star" have some of the prettiest melodies that Peter has written.

     While they don't sound like old Mentals recordings, songs like "Telegraph Pole" and "Arriving At The End" wouldn't sound out of place on their albums Get Wet and Espresso Bongo. 

     I could go on and talk about every single track on the album, but my goal here is to inspire you to run out and buy Medicated Spirits, not to bore you with my personal love affair with this double disc delight.  Dog Trumpet have recorded the best album of their career thus far as well as one of the best albums of the year.  Not bad for a couple of fellas who've been doing this for nearly 40 years... not bad at all!

Peace, love and puppies,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee

10 Reasons Why You Should Be Excited About A NEW Album From DOG TRUMPET!

DOG TRUMPET 

Is

REG MOMBASSA

and 

PETER O'DOHERTY

Dog Trumpet has a NEW double (2CD) album due on August 12th, 2013. It is called Medicated Spirits. You can purchase it through their website HERE. 

Why should you care?  

Here are 10 very valid reasons:

• Because Dog Trumpet features two enormously talented singer/songwriters who also happen to be two of Australia's finest artists. 

• Reg did the artwork for PiL's Greatest Hits album!

• For 20+ years, Reg and Peter used to be members of one of Australia's finest Pop combos, MENTAL AS ANYTHING. 

•  Mental As Anything did THIS song (btw, that's Reg on slide guitar and Peter on bass):

• Reg and Peter are brothers. 

• Reg Mombassa is one of the coolest names in Rock. But alas, it is not his real name.  I reckon those who have known him since he was a wee lad probably still call him Chris O'Doherty.  

• Peter O'Doherty is NOT Pete Doherty, the drug addicted dickhead from The Libertines and Babyshambles.  Peter O'Doherty is the melodically-gifted basshead from Dog Trumpet. And formerly of Mental As Anything. 

• Dog Trumpet has already released five albums:

Two Heads One Brain (1991)

Suitcase (1996)

Dog Trumpet (2002)

Antisocial Tendencies (2007)

River Of Flowers (2010)

• Their 2013 release, Medicated Spirits, is a double album (on two CDs). Not many bands have enough quality material for one album, let alone a double.

• Dog Trumpet has released some amazing material in their 20+ year career.  Including songs such as these: 

So, what are you waiting for?  Time to head over to www.dogtrumpet.com and order Medicated Spirits.

You can purchase it through their website HERE. 

SPAZ's Top 20 for '10!

SPAZ's Semi-official Top 20 list for 2010

Well, 2010 has come and gone.  Wow.  It doesn't feel like a year just passed by, does it?  I'm feeling like it was only 365 days...but that's just me.  Anyway, I usually don't like to put together lists of my fave albums of any given year because I always forget certain albums.  Even though this last year is pretty fresh in my mind, I still have the feeling that I'm forgetting something.  And one of the worst things is that I know that there are plenty of great albums that were released in 2010 that I haven't heard yet! 

So, with that being said, these are the albums that made my list as of January 1st, 2011.  The first 5 or 10 are definite top picks but everything after that are all pretty much tied, so please feel free to mix and match...

The Top 10

1. Findlay Brown/Love Will Find You

While his first album was your typical singer/songwriter fodder, this is something entirely different. With producer Bernard Butler at the controls, Love Will Find You sees Findlay creating an album that sounds like one Roy Orbison would have recorded in England in the early to mid ‘60s. Every song is a worthy addition to a mix tape (and I should know because I’ve made plenty of them!).

2. Holly Miranda/The Magician’s Private Library

I love music that is both melodic, hypnotic and atmospheric (although not too dark or pretentious). This album sounds like it was influenced by the more melodic side of Cocteau Twins mixed with a folky edge. The melodies are beautiful and this album won me over on the 2nd listen.

3. Red Box/Plenty

It’s been 20 years since their last album, but Red Box have lost none of their pop smarts. Although they are no longer quirky and infused with World Music rhythms, the melodies are stronger than ever. Leader Simon Toulson Clake has always had a way with his melodies and this time, they are more mature and focused. He’s not a young pop star anymore and he knows it. So he just does what he does best and writes some wonderful songs. Pop and folky at the same time, but still based in classic British songwriting.

4. One Night Only/One Night Only

I was extremely worried when I heard this the first time. On their debut, they sounded very much like The Wombles and The Kooks, but on this sophomore album, they come out sounding like a completely different band altogether. Very produced, very clean and very commercial, the songs won me over and I cannot get enough of this album. Britpop with a healthy dose of modern Alt-Rock…

5. Paul Collins/King Of Power Pop

While I’m not entirely convinced that the album title was a good choice, it does speak the truth. For over 30 years, Paul Collins has not been the most prolific of artists but his albums are filled to the brim with great melodic guitar Pop. None of his contemporaries have stayed as true to the Power Pop genre as Paul Collins.

6. OMD/History Of Modern

Finally, a new OMD album featuring the original line-up. Sounding as if they never went away, this is a fresh approach to the classic OMD sound. Using their classic Architecture & Morality album as a template, this really is the sound of a band that has plenty more to say, musically. Synthpop has rarely sounded this good in the new millennium

7. Dan Black/Un

This one came out of left field for me. The new British Electro Pop brigade intrigues me, but most of the acts leave me cold. Dan Black, the most under-rated of them all, really sunk in deep and grabbed hold of my attention. While this album may not scream ‘POP’ like the over-rated La Roux, Dan Black mixes classic Synth Pop with a bit of Hip Hop and modern Electro and creates a sound that should have shifted quite a few more copies than it did…

8. Eli Paperboy Reed/Come & Get It

While Eli Paperboy Reed may be a young white boy, this album is as hot and explosive as James Brown trapped in a microwave! Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse and Duffy have traveled similar roads, but Eli takes the neo-Soul genre and shakes it on it’s head. While the production if far cleaner than purists may prefer, the songs and performances are top notch. This sizzles with excitement.

9. The Pipettes/Earth Vs. The Pipettes

OK, so when the Pipettes’ debut album came out, it seemed as if they had stepped out of the ‘60s and straight into the millennium. Their girl-group sound was a pop dream come true. But then 2/3rds of the trio left (with only one replacement brought in) and they disappeared for a while. Finally, they have re-emerged with an entirely new sound (welcome to the ‘80s, girls!), great songs and a fresh, new lease on life. Let’s just hope that the public accepts their delicious new direction… Perhaps the pretentious Pitchfork crew may not go for it, but I'm certain Pop music lovers will drool over this one!

10. Elvis Presley/Viva Elvis

When Cirque du Soleil announced they were going to do an Elvis show, I was excited and hesitant. How would they treat the actual MUSIC? Would they try to create something new and exciting like they did for The Beatles’ Love? Well, they had plenty to work with… And Viva Elvis not only updates the King’s music, it does manage to be both new AND exciting. With all new musical backing and arrangements, Viva Elvis takes even the most overplayed Elvis tunes (“That’s Allright, Mama”) and makes them interesting again. The tracks may not replace the original recordings, but it’s fun nonetheless.

The Next 10

 

11. Asia/Omega

When the original Prog/Rock supergroup reunited with all four original members, it was cause for celebration. Their Phoenix album from 2008 was a stupendous return to form. While Omega doesn’t scale the same heights, it’s proof positive that John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoffrey Downes and Carl Palmer haven’t lost their knack for creating wonderful music.

12. Francis Rossi/One Step At A Time

While Status Quo have barely caused a ripple in the U.S., they remain a Rock ‘n’ Roll institution in the UK, Europe and Australia. With One Step At A Time, Francis doesn’t move away from the winning Quo formula but offers up a platter of great tunes that, while Quo-like, didn’t make it onto any of the band’s albums. Well, apart from the new arrangement of their classic “Caroline”. Rock ‘n’ Roll, yes. But melodic pop tunes galore. And even some Country fans might take a liking to it!

13. Dog Trumpet/River Of Flowers

Ever since Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty left Mental As Anything, they’ve been creating low-key Pop/Rock/Folk albums that feature all the right elements including melody, humor and a love of making music. While River Of Flowers may not contain a song that would make the Top 40, it does feature a glorious batch of quirky songs that should appeal to real music fans looking for something intelligent and unique.

14. Wig Wam/Non Stop Rock & Roll

Many of my friends are at a loss when I tell them I love the new generation of AOR bands. Sure, the songs are filled with Rock clichés (musically and lyrically) but that’s what makes it FUN. Shame that some of the bands take it far too seriously. Not Wig Wam, though. They have fun and that is what it is all about. Imagine Poison, Def Leppard and classic ‘70s Glam all rolled into one tortilla… and you’ve got one heck of a meal!

15. Hot Chip/One Life Stand

Probably the only album on my list that will appear on many other ‘best of’ lists this year. Electronic Pop outfit Hot Chip are experimental yet melodic as sin. They don’t create music for the masses: the masses come to them (and that is pretty damn cool if you ask me). Mixing Kraftwerk, OMD and The Korgis might not sound like a recipe for success, but that is what I hear in their sound. And it works extremely well.

16. Jackie Leven/Gothic Road

There are very few artists who have worked in the business for over 30 years and still have plenty to say: Jackie Leven is one of them. From his days fronting the British band Doll By Doll to his prolific solo output during the ‘90s and ‘00s, Leven takes Folk music and turns it on it’s head. He’s truly an original, capable of knocking out some amazing melodies and lyrics. While Gothic Road is not his best, it’s loads better than most other singer/songwriter crap out there.

17. Justin Currie/The Great War

Yet another truly original singer/songwriter….. Justin Currie used to front Del Amitri (but I’m not sure if they are defunct or on hiatus). His lyrics are amazing, his vocal performances stunning and his sideburns are to die for. Currie is probably the best lyricist since Chris Difford (Squeeze) and Elvis Costello. And this album really should have been embraced by all who love a great melody and a witty turn of phrase…

18. Easton Corbin/Easton Corbin

What? Spaz listens to Country Music? Let’s get him to an E.R. quick because there must be something wrong!!! In all seriousness, this album hit me on first listen, which is a rarity in any genre. Many folks have complained that he sounds too much like George Strait, but I don’t care. Badfinger sounded ‘too much’ like the Beatles and that didn’t stop me from loving them, right? C’mon, I’m a little more Country than that!

19. Lucky Soul/A Coming Of Age

I love hook-filled Pop music and Lucky Soul know their way around a snappy little tune. This female-fronted outfit faintly recalls other great Chick Pop bands like The Primitives, but they mix so many influences (from the ‘60s to the ‘90s) that they end up sounding unique. I cannot wait to see what they have up their sleeves. Such a wonderful slice of Pop Heaven…

20. Modern English/Soundtrack

So, you only know them from “I Melt With You”? I don’t blame you. They had a pair of great albums (After The Snow and Ricochet Days) and spent the next 20+ years in the wilderness, occasionally releasing an album that didn’t measure up to their past work. Well, Soundtrack is the absolute best thing they’ve done since their heyday and should be heard by all of their old fans and anyone into British Rock/Pop…