TSUNAMI BOMB
THE INVASION FROM WITHIN
TOMATO HEAD RECORDS
With mysterious names and a penchant for antiquated horror movies, Tsunami Bomb are something of an oxymoron: a morbid, high-energy, pop-punk, ska-ish band (sans horns), which should satisfy all the old Skankin Pickle/Save Ferris/Mary's Danish fans who are wearing more black than plaid these days. They have pealing drums, fast-paced guitars, impossibly catchy hooks and pristine arrangements that keep their creative, addictive songs humming. “Lemonade” has a melody that sticks in your bob-bob-bobbing head for days, with harmonies traded between lead singer Agent M and keyboardist Oobliette Sparks that are sung sweetly through puckered smiles. “No Good Very Bad Day” has the appeal of a Blink-182 ditty dipped in milk chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, without sounding like a shameless NOFX knockoff (M belts out lines like “I burnt myself with coffee and my brand new doggie ran away/I don't have any money and I have to pay the bills today”). The title track boasts a creepy organ that conjures up a dramatic aura, but with its happy, poppy chorus, it somehow works. “You'll know when they have got you trapped/Everything looks cloudy and you feel like you're on fire,” moans M at one point. Maybe this is where that burning sensation is coming from. (Arrissia Owen)
TSUNAMI BOMB PERFORM WITH THE ATARIS, NERF HERDER AND NO MOTIV AT THE GLASS HOUSE, 200 W. SECOND ST., POMONA, (909) 629-0377. FRI., 8 P.M. $11.99. ALL AGES.
LANCE ANGELUS
EAST OF WEST
SONIKWIRE RECORDS
Looks like the folks over at Irvine-based indie Sonikwire (home to local ethereal faves Trespassers William) have come up with another winner. This time it's East of West, a multilayered EP from enigmatic singer/multi-instrumentalist and former Peoplemover guitarist Lance Angelus. Had the old LA “adult alternative rock” station KSCA not gone off the air, you get the feeling this guy would have been in heavy rotation by now. On “Green Pool Diving,” backward tape loops collide with Angelus' heavenly vocals, tremolo guitar and other assorted background noises to fine effect (think Daniel Lanois' eerie soundscapes). Elsewhere, the organ-drenched “Some Kind of Art (Everybody Knows)” chugs along like a long-lost pop gem from Neil Finn or Crowded House; a mournful “What Will Be” includes lyrics in French (you can tell Angelus has a lit degree), and “Hell Part 2” melds a hip-hop beat to a spoken-word intro and strange, ominous scratchy effects. I half-expected Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano to turn up at any moment on this disc—Angelus definitely shares a kinship with her, not to mention a knack for spooky desperation. (George A. Paul)
