SHAWN’S THE YEAR in MUSIC 2007
I’ve found that it’s hard to classify an entire year’s worth of music as “good” or “bad”. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to do so without the benefit of hindsight. Who knew at the time that 2001 would prove to be such a banger? Anyway, on to the countdown…
Greetings and welcome to the new ShotgunReviews.com. Since 1999, we’ve done our best to give you worthwhile (and often funny) reviews and columns, and it’s time to shake off the rust and do it a little differently. We’ve kicked around a few ideas regarding how we’d do this new thing, and we hope you like what you see.
The new design comes to us from Barb Hallock, a student of mine with the appropriate attitude for this place (that is, bad). The more bloggish format puts us more on par with the current landscape. After all, we’ve been doing this almost eight full years. It was time for a big change. I think that you’ll agree that the new format, with a huge list of categories and easy searching, is a good one.
As part of that big change, we’ve brought in an influx of new talent from a variety of places. The entirety of our Best Shots team, responsible for the Best Shots column that runs every Monday at Newsarama.com, is now operating here in several capacities. You’ll also meet several talented young writers, including Barb herself, who will be tackling a variety of topics.
However, if you’re one of the rare folks that has read us since 1999, don’t get too worried. Shawn Delaney will still grace us with terrific music reviews, as will Jonathan Birdsong and the Lyrical Lounge crew. The Russ is back on wrestling coverage in full force. L.I. Rapkin’s already kicking in some culture. Eric Barker’s already opened the film vaults. And they aren’t the only familiar faces lurking around.
In the next few days and weeks, you’ll see the roster expand a little more and you’ll see some new recurring columns and features that we hope will become favorites. If you want to check out the old stuff, the old site currently still exists in its full glory under the archive button. If you want to talk about any of the stuff, old or new, visit our newly established forums.
So there’s my big speech. Enjoy yourselves, express yourselves, and invite friends. ShotgunReviews.com never went away, but we are most certainly back. Thanks for your time.
Scarling. - Sweet Heart Dealer
Review by : Shawn Delaney
Rating: 4 out of 5 Shoes
“The Heaviest in Swirl-Rock”
Mar 23, 2004
I took a try on Scarling. because I’d heard that they compare favorably to 90’s shoegaze faves Lush, as in “Lush on steroids”. I’m not sure that’s the best description of this 5-piece LA band; to me they’re more like “Babes in Toyland with guitar pedals”. One could also describe them as a more muscular version of dreampop group Alison’s Halo. Which is to say, female vocals which move from caressing to wailing, paired with dark, noisy, heavy, phasey, swirly guitars, all with a slightly gothy hue. Suffice to say Scarling. pretty much rocks the proverbial house.
I’m not familiar with singer Jessicka’s former band Jack Off Jill (is anyone?), but she, along with guitarist/musical mastermind, Christian Hejnal, make up the backbone of the group. Jessicka evidently felt it necessary to get her lyrical points across with highly bizarre song titles and vocal content, which isn’t to say that she doesn’t have a killer set of pipes, because she does…check out the terrific range of voice and emotion on album epic/centerpiece ‘Alexander the Burn Victim’ (which, incidentally sounds a lot like Velour 100 on, ahem, fire).
‘Crispin Glover’ is the best tribute to one of my favorite freakshows since the immortal Warlock Pinchers’ ‘Where the Hell is Crispin Glover?’. “Crispin Glover, save us all!” indeed. It sounds corny, but in the context it’s really freakin’ cool. Especially if you like Crispin Glover, as you all should. Both the mighty opener ‘The Last Day I Was Happy’ and ‘Black Horse Riding Star’ feature some swell face-tearing distorted bass, although there are a few too many “f you’s!” featured in the latter for my taste. Single ‘Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole’ is a fine track, although when Jessicka sings “say hello to my little friend” I can’t help but think of Weird Al’s UHF. Ah well.
With a stingy 7 tracks and barely 30 minutes of music, it’s hard to call Sweet Heart Dealer an LP. (How about an ELP?) Some might say that Scarling. is ostensibly trying too hard (or maybe just too pretentious; check out the period at the end of their name). To those people I say, stop looking at their goofy long-haired bowl haircuts and silly makeup and just crank the album already! Even with some initial strikes against them, Scarling. puts on a hell of a beautiful racket, as well as several albums worth of great, noisy tunage.