Some Songs Considered

“No Backbone” – The Lemonheads
(Words/music: Evan Dando and Tom Morgan, available on The Lemonheads, Vagrant 2006) 

For a while, Evan Dando slipped out of the spotlight.  When he brought back his Lemonheads moniker roughly a decade after their last record, Dando came out swinging.  He borrowed the rhythm section from punk legends The Descendents and tore through a collection of songs that seemed to reclaim the “pop punk” label from the mall punk popular during that time.  These songs worked well because they leaned on Dando’s strengths, particularly his gift for melody and his relaxed voice.  However, these tunes benefited almost as much from the Descendents’ paunchiness, giving Dando’s songs a snappiness that highlighted their melodies. 

For all its strengths, though, J Mascis’ guitar dominates “No Backbone.”  From the second Mascis puts pick to string, his nimble lead guitar takes center stage.  Even when it plays a supporting role to Dando’s vocals, Mascis’ fills seem to spur on the rest of the band.  Even without a punchy rhythm section supporting his songs, “No Backbone” would hold up with the rest of Dando’s upbeat compositions.  By adding Mascis to the mix, Dando ensures that his comeback set hit all the right notes.  Even if Dando had an eager audience willing to give any new batch of songs a try, it sounds like he wasn’t taking any chances with anything less than full speed ahead. 

More on The Lemonheads: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“Sugar Kane” – Sonic Youth
(Words/music: Sonic Youth, available on Dirty, DGC 1992) 

At no point in their career could Sonic Youth be described as “timid,” so it’s difficult to compare the band’s different albums in terms of confidence.  Their early records presented an uncompromising band delving deeper and deeper into noise.  A few albums later, noise still filled their songs, but shards of melody (however twisted or jagged they may be) started appearing.  By the time Butch Vig worked with the band on Dirty, Sonic Youth already started to put their spin on more traditional song structures.  Vig helped the band decide when to strengthen the structure underneath the layers of guitar and when to let the song start to bend and buckle under the weight of their noise.  “Focused” might be the more applicable word, but these songs have more of a confident swagger, especially when compared with the band’s earlier output.

“Sugar Kane” sounds particularly self-assured.  The guitar hooks aren’t as big as some of the other bands Vig produced (including Sonic Youth’s labelmates Nirvana), but the main riff is crisper and more defined than before.  Even the bridge has a moment where it feels like a tidied up version of “Schizophrenia” with the odd chords bending behind a drum fill.  Even Thurston Moore’s vocal delivery sounds clearer and more confident.  However, it’s the lead guitar that highlights the difference.   Where it might have hidden itself deeper in the mix, the lead line floats above everything else.  It still has the same twists and turns as before, but it sounds far more melodic than most other Sonic Youth lead parts, even overshadowing Moore’s vocal hook.  In fact, it sounds like a J Mascis lead part – technically complex yet bright and loud.  Like Mascis’s leads, the guitar on “Sugar Kane” deserves the spotlight that it commands.

More on Sonic Youth: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“Start Choppin” – Dinosaur Jr
(Words/music: J Mascis, available on Where You Been, Blaco y Negro / Sire 1993)

J Mascis plays guitar so effortlessly that it looks like he’s barely interested in playing.  When I saw Dinosaur Jr perform last fall, he barely changed expression whether he played chords during a verse or tore through a fast-paced lead section.  Two massive Marshall stacks stood behind him like his army of sonic assault, waiting for their stoic leader to give his orders.  Mascis, now draped in long, silver hair, seems more likely to be a war room tactician than a field general.  Nonetheless, he possesses a quiet command on stage, directing his guitar to replicate the precise tone, timbre, and volume at the blink of an eye.  Sure, Lour Barlow and drummer Murph are valuable allies, but Mascis is the Supreme Allied Commander in Dinosaur Jr, calling the shots and leading the way through an assault on our ear drums.

I prefer to think of Mascis as a sonic commander rather than just a guitar hero because he does more than just shred.   He understands his strengths as a musician (and his band’s too) and writes songs that play directly to his strengths.  “Start Choppin” shows Mascis range as a guitar player by moving between the playful opening riff, the weighty post-chorus chug, and the unhinged solo in the song’s second half.  Sure, Mascis could play at full throttle for three minutes and might make it sound exciting, but he prefers restraint in his songs by offering some contrast.  He also spins a solid melody, and even if Mascis will never sing like seraphim, he keeps it in a range that makes him sound quirky and casual rather than deficient.  Lou Barlow might have a (slightly) better voice, but Mascis needs to be front and center with his compositions.  Everything he does, whether it’s the casual vocals, the graceful shifts in texture, or the acrobatic guitar parts, comes across as confidently effortless.  I’m certain that Mascis became a virtuoso only through many years of practice, but his greatest gift is his ability to make what others might twist into complex compositions into simple blasts of distorted pop.  If Mascis says to start choppin’, I’m asking where to begin.

More on Dinosaur Jr: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“Backed Out on the…” – Kevin Drew
(Words/music: Kevin Drew, available on Spirit If…, Arts & Crafts 2007)

Dinosaur Jr wasn’t the first band I thought of when I heard Broken Social Scene.  Sure, both bands love distorted lead guitar lines, but Broken Social Scene’s larger than life songs and their affinity for shifting genres seems much different than Dinosaur Jr.  While efficient songwriting and the ability to make a power trio sound overwhelming are Dinosaur’s strongest points, many of Broken Social Scene’s songs seem aimless by comparison.  While the band pulls off a sort of Dinosaur Jr homage on “Almost Crimes,” it’s part of You Forgot It in People’s alternative rock kaleidoscope.  It was only when Broken Social Scene started inviting J. Mascis on stage at gigs (appropriately, to tear through “Almost Crimes”) that the connection seemed more relevant.

On his solo album (as part of the Broken Social Scene Presents… series), Kevin Drew generally works more efficiently in his arrangements.  He seems to know the best Dinosaur Jr songs well, as “Backed Out on the…” cuts the same way Mascis, Barlow, and Murph do together.  It’s so faithful that Drew brought Mascis in to play lead guitar.  If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what does it mean when you go out and recruit one of your idols?  In this case, it seems like a form of mutual validation; Drew acknowledges one of his influences by sharing the spotlight with him, and Mascis sends his blessing to a younger band he appreciates.  Even though “Backed Out on the…” shares the same shredding lead and driving feel as a Dinosaur Jr song, it retains its own distinct feel.  Specifically, the song sounds much looser and more jovial than most of the Dinosaur Jr catalog.  Mascis always sings in his somewhat deadpan voice that provides the calm eye surrounded by the instrumental storm.  Conversely, Drew gives his song a vibrant and sloppy feel.  He sounds like he’s having a great time, and he should – he’s proclaiming his dedication to individuality while being backed by one of his idols.   I’d want to enjoy every second as well.

More on Kevin Drew: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm