Café Accordion Orchestra
Cinema
Self-Released
cafeaccordion.com

If Homer Simpson can ask the organist at Isotopes Stadium to play “Baby Elephant Walk” with a reggae beat for his Dancin’ Homer routine, surely the Café Accordion Orchestra should be able to pull it off with a gypsy flourish, right? Dan Newton and his intrepid old-worlders tackle songs from the movies on this, their sixth album. Recorded in a clean and no nonsense fashion, Cinema winds through selections from Mancini (the aforementioned “Baby Elephant Walk” from the film “Hatari,” as well as “Moon River” from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”) to Dick Dale’s take on “Miserlu” from “Pulp Fiction,” which is returned here to its Middle Eastern routes by way of the gypsy trade routes.

The Chinch Bugs
Unglued
mpls ltd
thechinchbugs.com

Though their band name has some nasty connotations (the chinch is more commonly targeted in the old saying, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite ...”), the Chinch Bugs have followed up their debut album with a collection of songs that are easy on the ears and refreshingly fun. The plucked guitar parts and surf’s up rhythms conjure images of afternoon beach picnics and summer night, watering hole love affairs, while touches of oboe and distortion keep their sound bouncing between rock eras. Most tracks are sung by drummer Jimmy Sexton, whose straightforward, unfaltering vocals tell tales about such subjects as clones (“Repelling the Clone,” followed by “Revenge of the Clone”), pretentious musicians (“Don’t Touch the Rock Star”) and guys lazing around in the sun (“Monday Afternoon”). No matter the subject, Sexton remains engaging with catchy melodies and narrative lyrics reminiscent of They Might Be Giants or Frank Zappa. Guest appearances by guitarist Joey Molland of Badfinger, singer Brian Tighe of The Owls and The Hangups and local guitarist Charley Dush (who also produced the album) make for fuller tracks than on their previous recording, and bright harmonies by the girls in the band keep the music upbeat. Tactics like short, repeated choruses and call-and-response shouting between guys and girls—which can seem cliché in the wrong band’s hands—are pulled off effortlessly in songs like “Why Ya Hate Me?” and “Frustrated,” and it seems that going back to basics has helped the Chinch Bugs to refine their sound and claim it as their own. ANDREA MYERS

The God Damn Doo Wop Band
Broken Hearts
Afternoon Records
myspace.com/thegoddamndoowopband

What happens when three squirrelly Uptown barristas work the espresso machines together, discover their mutual love for ‘50s doo-wop and team up with a bunch of local punk rockers? Why it’s the God Damn Doo Wop Band, one of the more inventive acts to captivate the local scene this year. Placement in the Best New Bands of 2005 Showcase at First Ave last January secured their spot as a Certified Local Buzz Band, and their debut album, Broken Hearts, handily shores up that accolade. The disc is chock full of catchy, silly melodies, and they take the classic pop form to a new level with heaps of attitude and snark. Picture The Temptations being thrown off stage by a Joan Jett posse clad in ripped satin prom dresses, add in a sassy saxaphone and subtract all the pretenses, and what’s left is a band that takes girl power to a whole new level. With stellar tracks like “Talk Too Much” and “Rooftops of Bangor,” the ladies of the God Damn Doo Wop Band want you to know that the best way to dish it to a guy is to give it to him straight. If he won’t listen, punch him in the chin. And if nothing else gets the point across, remember that even the most painful messages are sweeter when delivered in three-part harmony. The band recently signed to local label Afternoon Records, whose increasingly diverse roster of hot young bands ought to earn them the title of Best Local Buzzmakers for 2006. ANDREA MYERS

Jeremy Messersmith
The Alcatraz Kid
Princess Records
jeremymessersmith.com

Since his brief yet memorable appearance at the Rock For Pussy III concert back in April, Jeremy Messersmith has been somewhat of a musical legend in my mind. During his cover of Bowie’s “Starman,” Messersmith’s voice was both haunting and heartbreaking, and I have been trying desperately to learn more about the singer-songwriter ever since my ears had the pleasure of making his aural acquaintance. It was a delight to find, months later, that Messersmith is ready to unleash his first full-length solo album, and though I had only heard him for a few minutes I was convinced that the collection of songs would justify my increasing anticipation. His record, easily one of the best local releases of the year, proves that his songwriting abilities measure up to the beauty of his captivating, ethereal voice. Messersmith follows in the footsteps of many great Minnesota songwriters before him by providing listeners with a candle to carry during the dark months of the impending winter. Like a safe haven hidden away beneath a snowbank, his voice is pliable and comforting, with music tucked into so many layers that new sounds unearth themselves with each listen. And it’s not just my imagination (or frustration with the August heat) that The Alcatraz Kid carries such wintery themes—on “Snow Day,” Messersmith yearns for a break from the mundane and an excuse to go out and play in the white fluff, while “Day Job” laments the 9-to-5 shackles that keep him from leaving the state all together and heading toward sunshine. Other standout tracks on the album like “Novocain” and “Scientists” feature intimate lyrics that beg to be taken away from the drone of the overworked air conditioner and fed a hot cup of cocoa. As a complete package the album is introspective and delicately hopeful, providing the kind of warmth suitable for all seasons. The CD Release Show is on Sat., Sept. 2 at the Acadia Café with Chris Koza. 8 p.m. $5. All Ages. 1931 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls. 612-874-8702. ANDREA MYERS

The Slats
Boom Patrol
Latest Flame Records
theslats.com

When I was growing up, three of my favorite things were superheroes, dinosaurs and karate, so you’re gonna have a hard time getting on my bad side with songs called “Ironman,” “Stegosaurus WrxxX” and “Ninja III: The Domination.” Making the most of a semi-traditional power trio lineup (Brian Cox plays four-string guitar and sings while Mark Tietjen mans the drums and Jon Hansen splits duties between regular six-string guitar, keys and vocals), The Slats bounce all over the indie rock map, but the songs seem to have one thing in common: In one way or another, they obliquely dovetail into disparate but distinct influences. “Ironman” finds its abstract roots in Black Sabbath’s “Ironman,” although the Slats’ superhero seems to be having a much better time (“Eating batteries / Pissing gasoline / My fists are plated in gold / and these arms move like tornados”). “Call My Telephone” evokes Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309 (Jenny)” both musically and in subject matter, right down to a shouted phone number (“319 / 1-2-3-4!”). “Stegosaurus WrxxX” sounds like Devo getting carjacked by post-punkers Burning Airlines. In the end, comparison to individual bands seems futile; The Slats occupy a space on the underground rock map labeled “Here there be dragons.” Matter of fact, they could probably put together a song with that title without too much trouble. Boom Patrol doesn’t drop until Oct. 3, but you can catch them at the Hexagon on Thu., Aug. 31 with XOXO Judy and the Teddy Boys. It’s billed as the CD Release Show, so maybe you can get a copy there. 9 p.m. Free. 21+. 2600 27th Ave. S., Mpls. 612-532-3688. STEVE MCPHERSON

U Joint
Cars Make Lovely Cages
Self-Released
myspace.com/ujoint

If you’re going to get the chance to write your own swan song, you may as well make it a fully-cocked, shambolic battle cry, right? Taking a page from the rock cliche handbook, the boys in U Joint are opting to burn out rather than fade away with the release of Cars Make Lovely Cages, killing two birds with one rocking show that’s both a CD release and a farewell. They smartly open the album with a feint: the gently strummed first verse of the title track lasts all of 27 seconds before sharp angular guitar stabs send it off the rails. Engineer and co-producer works his bedroom magic all over this disc: the vocals are up hard in your face, and the impact of spit on the windscreen is palpable, but the weary wit of the lyrics belies the music’s sharp edge. With songs with titles like “Tired of All My Clothes” and “We Need More Luxury Condos,” and lyrics like “I dreamed that I was cupid / Oh please don’t think me stupid / shooting broken arrows that bounce right off the marrow / and land in someone’s dog,” it’s not hard to see that singer/guitarist Jeff Schuller is well past rage at the state of the world. He sounds fed up and punchy, as willing to dedicate a song to the virtues of Kurt Vonnegut as to the blight of newfangled housing developments, and this leavening of his bile with lightness makes for a charming heart-on-sleeve lyrical voice that’s reminiscent of The Promise Ring’s Davey Von Bohlen. They lose a little momentum by the final quarter of the disc (“Two-Stroke Mind” trades their bittersweet chainmail exterior for a hollower plate mail bluster that’s an ill fit), but that doesn’t make it any less bracing on the whole. I’ll be sorry to see them go, and just as we were getting acquainted. Their release/farewell show is Sat., Aug. 26 at the Turf Club with Superhopper and Rank Strangers. 9 p.m. $5. 21+. Corner of University and Snelling Aves., St. Paul. 651-647-0486. STEVE MCPHERSON ||