Slowfinger
Lito's Last Stand
(Beat You Like a Mule Records)

Two unshaven souls walk into a bar and order two Buds and two Fernets.
After countless toasts to perfect guitar tone and fictitious Native Americans
(“Dances with Barstools,” etc.), the minutes turn into hours and the buzz turns
into belligerent charm. Soon, the well-worn jukebox starts sucking in small bills
faster than a truck stop hooker and the red-eyed patrons are rewarded with the
relentless, anthem-fueled growl of Slowfinger’s Lito’s Last Stand.

Hard-hitting songs of lust, loss, ladies and liquor set to dueling
Southern-fried guitar solos, steamrolling drums and ass-shaking low end give the
buddies the ultimate soundtrack for their all-night bender. The 14-track car chase
of an album starts with “100 miles of Bad Road,” which sounds like police in hot
pursuit of a criminal in a demolition derby. “Rat Race,” a song about the band’s
good friend and bass player who passed away days before the completion of the
album, reminds us to live each day like it’s our last.

The two friends stumble out of the bar and are accosted by a crazy woman
who screams, ‘There are three buses in life: Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll.
Which one do you get on?’

‘We’re fixin’ on getting a transfer,’ they answer with a smile.

- Christopher Lautz

Last of the Blacksmiths
S/T

Calm tempos and energizing harmonies fuel hypothetical
sun-filled highway drives with the windows half down …
in the back of your mind you know you’re on the way to
somewhere great with Last of the Blacksmiths as the
soundtrack. This full-length CD (self-titled and self-released) by these locals teeters down a mostly mellow lane, rich with analog goodness, true honesty and soulfulness – a refreshing change in today’s louder-and-faster-is-better scene. Slow down, speedy people, and take in the indie-Americana vibe; there’s more beneath the surface than just twangy vocals and two-part harmonies. There is air between the notes and it is clear this band isn’t just in a hurry to get to the bridge like so many others. Last of the Blacksmiths conveys a misty Sunday afternoon in the Sunset at points but, not to corner this CD as rainy-day music, it makes me long for a sunny day on an empty beach with an umbrella and a lover. Call it indie-folk, lo-fi country, whatever. It’s beautiful, heartfelt American music made without Marshall stacks and refrigerator-sized amps. Last of the Blacksmiths pack more punch with their sparseness and looseness than most in-yer-face, loud-as-shit rock bands. Take out your earplugs and take that to the bank.

- Ben Tuttle

Halcyon High
Sampler

It’s easy to color your assumptions about musical content based on packaging, as I did with Halcyon High: A disco ball graphic on the CD cover and song titles like "Close Your Eyes and See the Light" made me wonder what flavor of squelchy trance-lite was in store ... an impression which proved, pleasantly, to be totally wrong. Halcyon High deals in psychedelia, but not the embarrassingly pretentious kind with "La-La-La" choruses and Americans faking British accents. If you're a fan of Spacemen 3 and their offshoots, The Verve's early albums or just beautiful noise and reverb-soaked electric psych/drone that's more fluffy clouds than deep space, this is right up yer alley.

The recording quality adds much to the appeal of these songs (per their website, "Made in a studio apartment using a bootlegged version of Cakewalk and a couple microphones"), which sound like smoky light filling airy spaces, translated as sound. Drums mostly absent, rhythmic duties are picked up by lilting guitars and delay effects, occasionally supplemented by chimes, sparse lyrics, and more effects. You can download seven songs for free at www.halcyonhigh.com, and if you ask me that's a steal. Consider this your complimentary stoned weekend afternoon/sunny window soundtrack.

- Eric Becker

The Rum Diary
We're Afraid of Heights Tonight
(Springman Records)

Straight from the heart of Cotati, The Rum Diary have been busy stirring the art into indie rock. Their new limited edition, vinyl-only release, We’re Afraid of Heights Tonight, reveals delicate instrumental tactics the band hasn't shown live. Moments of atmospheric art-rock fade into earnest Appleseed Cast-esque verses, then bulldoze into Slint- or Mogwai-like sonic tsunamis. There are pretty moments of stereo trickery with sustaining textures, echoed pianos and delicate harmonies. Some pulses are mellow, yet solid (shakers instead of sticks, à la Steve Shelley); other songs incorporate minimal sequencing and various electro-stuffs. The direction works well for the Rum Diary - it adds stylish, harmonic layers to their post-rock sound. Overall, the concepts remain within the band’s musical vocabulary, and despite a few electro interjections, the dynamic rock still stands. It’s a nice move for these dudes, and it feels like most of these songs will sound great live.

- Ben Tuttle

DJ Mark Farina
Mushroom Jazz 5
(Om Records)

To put it in TV terms, Mushroom Jazz 5 is more “Three's Company” than “24”: you don't need to have seen the last episode to know what's going on. Mark Farina delivers consistent product, and five-deep into the series, the formula still works. Warm, downtempo vibes kick it with indie hip-hop beats, and the blends make for no sharp edges.

J-Boogie starts the mix off low-key with "Afros in Ya," rocking the kind of hip-hop/jazz hybrid that could get an early A Tribe Called Quest record’s head nodding. Farina then ups the bounce with Colossus' "The Tribute" before blending seamlessly into the jazz-cat keys of the Soundproviders' "Autumn Evening Breeze." The DJ is the headliner, however, and on lone original "Cali Spaces," Farina hypnotizes with an array of layered vocal snippets and drum clicks, pacing the leisurely house to the steady bump of the bass. As he takes his time with an extended transition into the funk grooves of Blu Bizness' "Funky for You," you get the feeling he doesn't want to stop.

A sixth installment might be pushing it, but MJ5 still brings the good beats and the good blends.

-Rob Kirby