The Dwarves
Come Clean (Epitaph)
From the eerie organ strains of the opening track, "Press Gang," The Murder City Devils' noirish In Name and Blood transports listeners to an era when rebellious types poured out the contents of their tortured souls at dingy dives in front of an equally dangerous-looking crowd. The Devils offer a glimpse at what The Doors might have sounded like had they grown up on Stooges records and sworn off all recreational drugs, indulging only in a stiff shot or two nightly. Spencer Moody's throaty growl ranks among rock's richest, and new keyboardist Leslie Hardy adds a keen sense of melody.
Also surprisingly catchy is The Dwarves' Come Clean, an eclectic effort that ranges from punk to industrial grind to breezy pop, occasionally piling all of these components into one two-minute song. Spin readers voted this group's Blood, Guts, and Pussy as the sleaziest album ever made; although the songs remain focused on sex and violence, the hooks have become more memorable than the shocking lyrical content.
Live Records of the Year
Pennywise
Live at the Key Club (Epitaph)
Dance Hall Crashers
The Live Record (Pink & Black)
Pennywise (the L.A.-based quartet that used a series of complex scientific equations to discover the absolute speed limit at which a band can play without its tunes' disappearing into a blur of indecipherable noise) has finally released recorded evidence of punk's most explosive live show, and the album manages to bottle much of that show's lightning. From the group's manic trademark opening salvo, "Wouldn't It Be Nice," to its standard old-school cover (this time it's Minor Threat's "Minor Threat") to Byron McMackin's inhuman drumbeats to Fletcher Dragge's profanity-laced prodding of the crowd, every element of the Pennywise experience is well represented by this hometown performance.
While the members of Pennywise enhanced their reputation as live killers with a series of headlining stints on the Warped Tour, the Dance Hall Crashers have yet to attain such a high-profile slot, but The Live Record should go a long way toward establishing the group as a show-stopper. The harmonies between Elyse Rogers and Karina Denike, a big part of this peppy ska/pop outfit's appeal, remain crisp in the concert setting, and both singers enunciate clearly, ensuring that their tart lyrics pack a wince-inducing sting.
Eclectic Records of the Year
Calexico
Hot Rail (Touch and Go/Quarterstick)
Pizzicato Five
The Fifth Release from Matador (Matador)
Calexico's mariachi-flavored instrumentals and rootsy romps contain a distinctly cinematic quality: Close your eyes, and watch the tumbleweed dance across the bleak desert terrain. This duo scored the art-house flick Committed, but Hot Rail is the soundtrack to a film that exists only within the minds of the musicians and, subsequently, the listeners. Accordions, organs, vibes, and strings help establish the album's mysterious atmosphere, while the steady drums and bass keep the plot moving at a brisk pace.
Significantly sillier but no less engaging, Pizzicato Five's boisterous Fifth Release from Matador makes it abundantly clear why Spin described this Tokyo group as "what Hello Kitty might sound like." Like Ben Folds Five, P5 features fewer members than advertised (it's a duo), and the piano-powered hooks on Fifth Release prove that these acts have more in common than numerical fraud.
Orchestral Albums of the Year
Jimi Tenor
Out of Nowhere (Warp/Matador)
The Golden Arm Trio
Why the Sea Is Salt (Loveletter)
When big American bands team with orchestras, it's usually to record a self-serving, over-the-top concert album. However, Jimi Tenor, who has been described as "the Barry White of Finland," had something more ambitious in mind. Instead of conducting the 55-piece orchestra at his disposal through grandiose versions of his tunes, Tenor composed entirely new material. The slinky "Hypnotic Drugstore" offers a glimpse at trademark Tenor funk, but the rest of the album sees him using his resources to explore adventurous, and often bizarre, territory.
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