Heaven Knows When I’ll Get My Voice Back Again

Matson Jones “Welcome Back, Mr. Audiotechnica” – Matson Jones write and perform like a post-punk/alt rock band who love everything about their genre except for the sound of guitars. All of the parts that would normally be played on guitar in a traditional rock arrangement is transposed to two cellos, but aside from the signature melancholy tone of the instrument, there is very little in the way of cello-ness to their recordings. (Read: This sounds nothing like Rasputina.) This reminds me of those Vitamin Records “string tribute” compilations in how the players seem to be going out of their way to be faithful to the rhythms and attack of rock guitar while still making a point of playing the music in a different arrangement. It’s a little like translating Jerry Seinfeld jokes into Korean but insisting on delivering them with exactly the same inflections and timing. It’s a little off, but the approach is interesting and appealing enough to push their above-average indie rock over into a higher level of quality. (Click here to visit the Matson Jones official site.)

Artanker Convoy “Crown Vic” – If I say that this sounds like Medeski, Martin, and Wood, I run the risk of scaring off the people who are (understandably) wary of college hippies. If I say that this is a little like Herbie Hancock, that might be too much of an overstatement. If I point out that this sounds a little like ’70s blaxploitation/cop/porn soundtracks, then I am just a sad, sad man resorting to cliche. This song is all of the above and I just cannot win today. (Click here to buy it from the Social Registry.)