30 Second Reviews from 6/17

Record Reviews: Eels, Leslie Mendelson and More

Leslie Mendelson
Swan Feathers
SOUNDS LIKE: Earnest New York lady of pop singing airy tunes polished to inspire coffee-house dwellers.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Like a Maxwell House commercial—steaming coffee in pajamas.
FOR FANS OF: Carly Simon, long baths.

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
SOUNDS LIKE: A Seattle trio inspired by the Jazz Age, weird psych rock, 11 people onstage.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Beirut slammed Robitussin and lost some of the pretense.
FOR FANS OF: Flaming Lips, Sufjan Stevens trying drugs.

Stardeath and White Dwarfs
The Birth
SOUNDS LIKE: Norman, Okla.’s Dennis Coyne (nephew of Wayne) debuts his brand of drug rock, acid and weed.
FREE ASSOCIATION: We’ve opened for the Lips and stuff, but we’re different!
FOR FANS OF: Starlight Mints, British Sea Power

Eels
Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire
SOUNDS LIKE: A seasoned songwriter making a pile of songs about loneliness from slow and sad to dirty and loud.
FREE ASSOCIATION: A hint to improve your love life, E: trim beard, lose glasses.
FOR FANS OF: Beck, Modest Mouse

Amazing Baby
Rewild
SOUNDS LIKE: Hipster Brooklyn quintet’s debut, they’ve been opening for Phoenix with a louder, more rockin’ sound.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Despite its aura of clone, this album sounds original.
FOR FANS OF: Allright!, yeah—MGMT.

Tiny Masters of Today
Skeletons
SOUNDS LIKE: Sophomore (?!) LP from 13-15-year-old sister/brother garage-punkers
killing it and ignoring shit pop punk.
FREE ASSOCIATION: You’re too young for skinny jeans and greasy hair!
FOR FANS OF: Sesame Street, St. Marks Place.

Placebo
Battle for the Sun
SOUNDS LIKE: A new drummer, Tool/Muse producer, a shot at a theme record and another forgettable emo-glam rock disc.
FREE ASSOCIATION: If only you could put eyeliner on that nasally voice.
FOR FANS OF: Fingernail polish on men.

Pterodactyl
Worldwild
SOUNDS LIKE: Awesomely whacked high-energy spaz-rock from Ohio dudes. Think Oneida, but much better.
FREE ASSOCIATION: So good you’ll want to freak out and/or explode!
FOR FANS OF: Slow appreciation, sick drumming.

The real deal.