Music

CD Review

***
If the electroclash scene is dead, nobody told Felix da Housecat. Once a Chicago house DJ who was huge in Europe and barely noticed in the States, Felix arrived in 2001 with one of nouveau synth-pop's finest platters Kittenz and Thee Glitz. His latest CD, Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever, does not in any way divert from electroclash's familiar recipe of shiny synth rhythms and chirpy computer blips and bleeps. "Watching Cars Go By" is Euro-cool with a deft groove, including some undecipherable blabbing from a foreign girl that is vaguely sexy. The song sounds like an all-night romp through Hamburg's Reeperbahn with a hash and heroin binge thrown in. For the vocals on Devin Dazzle, Felix has assembled what the listener imagines is a glamorous group of exotic, Amazonian Euro-babes in leather body outfits, including the all-girl group Neon Fever, who he teams up with on three tracks. Almost every song is delivered with a wink, and the humor is subtle, but at the same time exceedingly silly. ADAM BREGMAN

THE FEVER

Red Bedroom

(Kemado Records)

***
The Fever's debut EP, Pink on Pink, was a firecracker. Its rapid tempo burned through the fuse of their skinny-tie, new-wave rock, projecting them through a short list of songs with the bluster and brilliance of golden sparks stinging stilettos into action. The New York band's follow-up, Red Bedroom, is much of the same--detonated, syncopated art pop paired with preening dance punk--with a couple of boozy, organ-driven ballads and sharp robodisco tracks thrown in for good measure. The Fever's angular tic beats in all the songs, providing a rhythm and attitude that jets between the '70s, '80s, and naughties with elegant skill, cherry picking the best of everything to end up with a sound as playful as anything the Electric Shtick's Dick Valentine could hiccup up (although infinitely more textured, even if frontman Geremy Jasper is nearly as campy), with the cool sheen and staccato movements of the best Franz Ferdinand tracks. Red Bedroom does drag a little in places--compared to the leave-you-wanting-more of Pink--but it's still got the Fever spark that burns a hole in your dancing pants. JENNIFER MAERZ

CLAMPITT, GADDIS & BUCK

Nine Tracks

(Lelp Recordings)

***
In a genre of red-clay dirt country and blue-collar blues, Clampitt, Gaddis & Buck cover it all. Leaving on a train? Yes. A chorus of "get along little doggy"? Yes. Drinking songs? God, yes. The trio really lets loose and unbuttons the pearl snaps with its near a cappella cover of the classic "In the Pines," which sounds modern enough to woo the O Brother, Where Art Thou? crowd, while remaining authentic enough to please those who drink from jugs labeled XXX. While country standards like these have been done before, Nine Tracks is an overwhelmingly sweet and sincere record, just like sun-soaked Northwest summers full of porch drinking and rabble-rousing. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Garage Beat '66, Vol. 1: Like What, Me Worry?

(Sundazed)

****

Garage Beat '66, Vol. 2: Chicks Are for Kids

(Sundazed)

****

Garage Beat '66, Vol. 3: Feeling Zero...

(Sundazed)

****
Knowing most of the "seasoned" garage folks have switched allegiance to the contemporary faux-wave sounds, I may be preaching to the somewhat "uninitiated." Well, if so, y'all newbies, LISTEN UP! Right, kinda like them Nuggets boxes, this series of '60s garage rock comps is ripe for the pickin'... altogether 60 tracks of fuzz-faced, knock-down drag outs! Honestly, the songs are ALL keepers so I can't JUST praise ONE track, like, 'cause if I did it'd be like when you got busted with a snuck snack in school; you gotta have some yum for EVERYONE... dig? So, if you're new to this '60's garage THING, Garage Beat oughta provide solid, serious context for contemporary bands like... um, the Hives, or if you just want MORE fuzzed-out rockers, the GB is the way to go! MIKE NIPPER

Buy Tickets for Other Events