MAY 2004

.The Lilas : Out of the Sky, Into the Sea (Free Union Records).
A debut album for non-beginner musicians (Megiddo/From the Blue House) delivering 3 tracks and an acoustic version, with strings and accordion, of the eponymous song. The whole work gave me a Rainbirds/Walkabouts feelings. A fine, clean e.p., with delightful husky screams here and there.

.Catnip : Pink & Blue & Green (Feral Media).
Sliding along steel guitars on Hope Sandoval-like vocals, except for "Lullaby" that sounds more like Lisa Germano. Layers of discreet electronic effects add up to the serenity of the whole. This artist is an atmosphere designer. Imagine Alice falling into a rabbit hole to meet a gentle queen, asleep in a bed of Summer flowers in bloom.

.The Butchies : make your Life (Yeproc records).
Another brand new release, and the fourth (see the previous ones on MrLady rec) for the pønkrawking gurrrls with a big heart. I listened to it over and over, printed out all the lyrics to Make Your Life and went to work at the library. I was going to do some translation work with a student -probably not very interesting info to you and completely irrelevant here, but I was just trying to have some kind of defined context. Anyway, the student was late and I had this review to finish, so I started to read the lyrics more carefully. Of course, I ended up singing along. Well whispering along would be more accurate, I was at the library after all.... To polish my context, I should start with a little introduction of the band, maybe. I always wondered why the Butchies were not more popular, since they play this good power pop, tight, loaded with good vibes... but again, music without the business part would be probably more fair, so here we go: Kaia (guitar/vocals), acoustic singer/song writer+ a punk rocker, ex Adickdid, Team Dresch... Melissa (drum goddess), ex-Manacled, Sugarshock, Born Against, Vitapup, Team Dresch... she played for Tami Hart and Amy Ray. Alison (bass), in charge of the charming bouncing bass lines. The record opens on "Send Me You," a straight (not as in "not queer", mind you) pop track with a super catchy chorus and verses that give you the feeling you have in your belly when the swing is going back to a forward movement. The second you are beyond gravity. The guitars are responding to the vocals in a gradually intense way. As the latter toughen, the former become more electrically raw. Alternating between leading and backing vocals, Kaia's leaves you breathless, and yes, the girls leave you with a big itch, swimming in dizziness, falling in love and staying there. "She's so Lovely" but I never thought I could enjoy hearing "please, please, please me" again, especially with a drum machine opening ;). There is nothing you can do about it: the more you listen to that song, the more turned on you get. It's fresh, it's energetic. Your soul blooms into Spring, reminding you that you are responsible for your happiness ("Make Yr Life"). A simple message, but important to bear in mind... Other tracks are worth noticing, such as the darker, heavier "Trouble" or the heartbreaking romantic candlelight of "Everything and Everywhere." In all this fine pop rock atmosphere, I must say my favourite track (and best Butchies track EVER, in my opinion) is 17. I first heard it on KRS' compilation Fields and Streams, and it was love at first hearing. Besides the great attractive powers of the song, all drummers will be drooling at the sound of Melissa's tornado play (don't say you were not warned now!). “17” and you're back in the Breakfast Club. That when I realized I didn't want to be WITH the wild boy, that I wanted to BE the wild boy. That's when things started to go openly... queer. This is when I realized, by the angry looks, that I had been singing out loud in the library, but that is another story. "Lydia" 's part is still a mystery to me, maybe you can enlighten me, it's fast and angry, with puzzling lyrics... who the fuck is Lydia? Send us your interpretation, and of course just 'cause you're right doesn't mean I'm wrong. This album is full of life and heartbeats, full of Spring.

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