Reviews

belle academe - Shimmer

This is a band that, in the past, has shown some distinct avant-garde tendencies but those leanings have been toned down for this CD in favor of a more mysterious, smokey, bittersweet quality. It's kinda like good Scotch; deep, rich and smooth, but with an underlying kick.

Blitzen (Swingerland SLR 1607-2), the EP that preceded this disc by aprox 2 1/2 years is more raw, radical and unpolished. It endears itself to me because of this; I'm a radical unpolished sort of a guy. Nicole Bahuchet (ne: Christensen) is the common thread between the two discs. It is her voice and writing style that links the two, it's what makes them both belle academe.

Shimmer blasts out of the chute with "Christine's White Noise", a molten slice of sizzling singalong guitar pop. They want to hook you with this one and it worked on me. This sounds good even on a computer, today's equivalent to an AM transistor radio.

Now that they have your attention they move into the slow burn of "Trigger Happy" and "Sunstreak". "Sparkler" is a potential hit single. "Truth Is...", "Don't Fade", "Everlasting" and "Damaged" are standouts among the moody blues. Shimmer has nuance, complexity and depth rarely found on pop recordings these days. It hits you from every angle, enough rocking to get to your butt, a bit of mystery to make you wonder and sensual enough to tickle your fancy.

Nicole makes excellent use of her angelic childlike voice but there's still a dark, cloudy, surreal undercurrent running through this CD, like pop noir. There are subtle little finishing touches on every song revealing a thoughtful and meticulous approach, yet rocking hard all the way. The musicianship is supurb, the transition from song to song is excellent, seamlessly flowing from 'Christine's White Noise" to the lapping ocean waves that close "Pretty Goodbye". The last tune, "Shine", is another hooky slice of sonic explosion that will leave your head buzzing.

So often bands tend to blow their wad the first time out. While this is an outstanding debut it gives me the feeling that there is a lot more where this came from, that it is only a crevice, a crack leading to a gaping maw of creativity that will astound us even more in the future. belle academe have great potential for longevity. This is like a great pasta dish with a fine Chianti Reserva wine, more satisfying, more lasting than a sugar pop high. Shimmer is an appropriate title but there is much more going on here than a dazzling blinding light.

bmodern

All I can say is WOW! Why record companies aren't beating down dragster barbie's door, I cannot understand.

This florescent pink acid candy is really easy to swallow but will rip your guts out if you bite down too hard.

This has wormed it's way into my ear, and onto my CD tray, with increasing frequency and it just sounds better and better everytime.

The three featured hot picks on this CD; "He's a Vegetarian", "Heavy in Numbers" and "No Sense" were all produced by Ed Stasium, a knob twister of no small pedigree. In the past he has worked with no less than the Reverend Horton Heat, the Ramones, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and the Smithereens, among others. With dragster barbie he has achieved a great blend of the basic pop posture of the songs and the rock'n'roll crunch needed to carry them beyond the soft and sweet twinkie stage. The sonic sophistication of Amy Hartman's 1965 Sears Silvertone guitar is present and well accounted for. The bottom, handled by Teresa Cowles on black enamel engine rumble bass and former Wednesday Week drummer Kelly Callan, is real meat and potatoes with gravy. Thick, rich and juicy. Sweet Teresa also lends her spot on harmony to the mix and serves as fashion police for the band.

"Nail Polish", "Daredevil", "Psycho Swami" and "Jetsetter" reveal Amy to be a prolific songwriter with a sensibility that is both lollipop sweet and worldly wise. This chickie babe ain't nobody's fool.

demos, live, more has more hooks than the average fishing tackle box and at once embraces and disdains kitschy Americana. These melodies will leech onto your brain like a tattoo. This is a band that has all the talent, chops, humor, personality and looks to be huge. I have had this disc just a couple of weeks and I'm already lusting for the full length release AND the double live album. dragster barbie is not just a pop tart girl group, they are a rock'n'roll band. Spin this a few times and you will be singing along and playing air guitar in no time.

dragster barbie also have a couple of great songs, "Breathe" and "Love Sissy", not included on this demo, that you should check out at http://highlandgrounds.com/audio/.

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This was an in-store promotion at the Record Exhange on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh on October 6, 1998 for the 'Jets major label debut, the Scott Litt and Cris Stamey produced Lucky Eye. After 14 years of slogging through the rock'n'roll mud here they were on the cusp of the "big time". One o'clock in the afternoon seemed to be a strange time to be seeing Dex and Crow out in public but there they were. It was the first of two shows they were to play on this day, still it was unusual. The first thing I noticed was that the Strat that sat in the back waiting for some attention was no longer to be found. Dexter later revealed to me that he now had three of the model 1448 Danelectro Silvertones (the amp-in-case model) that he has been playing for years.

Once they started playing the most obvious departure was the dog-house bass. For as long as I can remember it has just been Dex and Crow, and that was enough. Dex said the record company thought they needed the bass player and that his name was Aaron. They DID sound great with that added punch in the bottom but the talent, the chutzpah, the reason for the major label interest is one John "Dexter" Romweber. Dexter doesn't PLAY rock'n'roll, Dexter IS rock'n'roll, he is the MAN. Dexter has an incredible voice that is reminiscent of Elvis and Iggy while remaining all his own. Despite the early hour Flat Duo Jets turned in a vintage performance, introducing key slices of rockin' Billy from the new CD like "Lucky Eye", "String Along", "Dark Night", "Lonely Guy", "Blues Wrapped Around My Head", "Hot Rod Baby", "Sharks Flyin' In" and "Love Is All Around".

If you have known the 'Jets for any length of time the first thing you will notice about Lucky Eye is the strings. Strings on a rockabilly record? Yeah, strings. What many do not, will not, realize is that Dex has a much wider range than the psychotic rockabilly cat we have grown to know and love. Dex has style. Dex has grace. Dex has it all, but has never been in a position to show it before. Scott Litt and Outpost Records has given him the chance to stretch out, too expand the base. The manic crazy cat bop is still there for the purists but a bit of romantic crooning and a little instrumental showcasing is scattered through to give this CD a more round, a more fleshed out, a more universal appeal. Another side trip is the Chris Smith penned "Little M" that closes the record. This song is really good and has great potential as a single. Crow breaks out, pay attention! The Flat Duo Jets have a winner here, don't miss it.

For more on Dexter Romweber and Chris "Crow" Smith visit http://www.flatduojets.com.

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