Rockin'
in the Free World
Creative Loafing music editor makes the rounds at South Southwest
AUSTIN, TX -- The confluence of the South By Southwest music conference hitting its 20th year and this Texas town's reputation as a bohemian haven and key music capital meant that, above all, the 2006 SXSW lived up to its reputation as a summer camp for music heads. The event, held last week, totaled five delirious days, 1,400 bands and 65 official stages; industry legions partying to excess; music critics giddy at the prospect of show-hopping nirvana; and moments of artistic poignancy and pulverizing weariness. Some of the hottest moments came courtesy of Charlotte acts like soul man Anthony Hamilton and indie-rockers The Talk.
As songwriter, musician, actor, cool icon and Texas legend Kris Kristofferson was being honored during the event, his lyric "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose" came to mind. Into this musical bacchanal, I wandered with freedom and the articles of sonic faith on my mind:
DAY ONE:
My first-day highlight was crossing the picturesque Colorado River with Blogging While Black panelist George Kelly. We were headed to a screening of Alex Hinton's Pass The Mic at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The film documented the burgeoning gay hip-hop movement (aka homohop) and centered primarily on the Bay Area scene. It featured black and Afrocentric homohop pioneer Juba Kalamka (who has done vital archival work on behalf of the community and nurtured scores of artists) and his Deepdickollective bandmate and spoken-word artist Tim'm T. West, whose West Village travelogue is priceless. Hinton, who hails from around Spartanburg, SC, was on hand for a Q&A session.
Later in the evening, we entered the singer-songwriter zone, with the BMI showcase of Stephen Stills' son Chris delivering one of the finest performances I witnessed during the festival, not an easy feat when most acts have roughly 40 minutes to display their work. Backed by a rhythm section, Stills seamlessly switched between guitar and electric piano. His newer songs show a good deal of evolution, channeling the jazzy swing of Tim Buckley's early Elektra records. A promising direction for one of roots rock's younger lights.
My first of many pedicab rides then took me to Austin's famous Antone's blues club to catch Canadian hip-hop artist k-os, who closed out the night on an odd note. He started late, only mentioned special guest Melissa Auf Der Maur (ex-member of Courtney Love's Hole) toward the end in making reference to a recalcitrant bassist, and abruptly cut his set short while announcing the end of his relations with Astralwerks Records. Rather unprofessional, but k-os is a quite gifted MC whose sung rhymes and band kept the audience hyped.
DAY TWO:
My last festival serendipity was a front-row seat my hero Kris Kristofferson's interview session. The songwriter discussed a range of topics, including his struggles in Nashville and his film career. Most riveting was his exploration of the tension between growing up in a Texas military family and his outlaw convictions. The first song he recorded in Nashville was "Vietnam Blues" by Dave Dudley. Kristofferson's current release This Old Road (New West), featuring key track "The Burden of Freedom" (long time since "nothing left to lose") may be his best recording since his classic The Silver Tongued Devil and I. Claiming freedom is a necessity of life that's also a double-edged sword, Kristofferson sings, "He didn't beat the Devil, but he tried."
Racing to Antone's again, this time to catch California folk-rock veteran Richie Furay, challenged my assumptions that his show would be woefully under-attended amidst the flood of young buzz bands. Every Boomer on earth was already in line it seemed (including former '60s groupie Miss Pamela DesBarres), alongside numerous twenty-something Austin locals who must've caught wind of rumors that keynote Neil Young might sit in. I was giddy from witnessing two members of my all-time favorite band, the Buffalo Springfield, in one day. Young did not appear, but Furay was in fine voice and his multi-generational band offered very hot pickin', blending old and new Americana tradition. Furay warmly referred to his old podnahs Young and Stephen Stills before singing six Springfield songs, including the great "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing."
Among several Austin debuts, the best included an appearance at La Zona Rosa by Charlotte's own Anthony Hamilton. Appropriately, I walked in on a groovin' rendition of "Southern Stuff." As with most urban-themed festival shows, black Austinites outnumbered festival badge-holders, but the mixed crowd was definitely eating out of Hamilton's hand. A nine-piece big band held down the mix of soul grit, gospel and cool jazz, as Brother Anthony worked the stage. Sadly, he didn't offer "Lucille," but Hamilton was gone to church and tore it up testifying and exhorting call-and-response during "Preacher's Daughter."
Lacking energy to fight throngs of teens for admittance to the Morrissey show at Austin Music Hall -- or the wheels to check out Raleigh's Tres Chicas and Chatham County Line across the river -- I opted for Gogol Bordello at the club Emo's. This Rama-punk outfit has been on the come-up in New York City since my departure.
The band had a late start and at first it seemed the thinned-out crowd was too tired to act. But more revelers arrived and the group stunningly tore the roof off the sucker. This was almost literal, as frontman Eugene Hütz was swinging from the rafters while crowd-surfing on a drum head supported by one of his dancing girls. With every stroke of the fiddle fit to make Paganini froth in his grave, an audience full of pasty indie-rock types waved their hands in the air and jigged like they were throwing down with the Zampoughi. Everyone sweated and levitated as one.
DAY THREE:
Las Manitas is the well-liked local Mexican restaurant on Congress Street where I met up with the members of Charlotte MoRisen bands at an industry party. I spoke briefly with Justin Williams of The Talk about his South-By expectations; he professed his main aim was to simply have fun and take advantage of catching other bands. The Sammies and Elevator Action were on hand, too, to celebrate the coup of their showcase the following night at Nuno's Upstairs on 6th Street. Fresh-faced lads (and laddette), they all offered up beer-enhanced smiles and a warm Southern vibe to the perpetual overcast chill that hung over Austin the whole week.
Hours later, after Bettye LaVette's cancellation at La Zona Rosa and a long wait at Antone's to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, tensions and fatigue were starting to run high. My impulse to duck in and catch a few minutes of the Denton, TX, act Centro-Matic at Maggie Mae's provided some fleeting restorative. With my friend Shonna Tucker of Drive-By Truckers, I watched her husband Jason augment the quartet on guitar. It was nice to see a crush of folks assembled for the room's last show of the night, wowed by what's been described as Centro-Matic's 'country twang meets emo,' notably on the sublime "Patience For the Ride."
DAY FOUR:
Saturday was spent mostly away from the main drag. I went straight from the hotel to the 30th anniversary screening of Jim Szalapski's documentary Heartworn Highways at the Hideout on North Congress. Observing a score of Austin-based singer-songwriters in 1975, the film includes performances by Guy Clark, the Charlie Daniels Band, a 19-year-old Steve Earle and David Allan Coe at a Tennessee prison. Of note are a recording session by South Georgia singer-songwriter Larry Jon Wilson and hilarious scenes touring the late, great Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt's homestead.
Getting to the Town Lake Stage on the Colorado River for the New Orleans benefit was challenging. Fortunately, we caught a free shuttle in time to sample some jambalaya and red beans 'n rice in the VIP suite before the Dirty Dozen Brass Band started its set. The Dozen brought their usual uncut funk and party vibe to the stage and kept the audience completely motivated to throwdown. Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk held the Second Line, mixing originals with well-picked covers like Parliament's "Unfunky UFO," which gave my shot left knee some trouble.
The set's shining moment involved the dual meaning of one song's message taking on a dual meaning: newly-minted Austinite Cyril Neville led the band on a show-stopping take of Curtis Mayfield's "This Is My Country." As Cyril Neville ad-libbed lines about America's debt to New Orleans and centuries of African slavery, I was moved to make like Tommie Smith and 'nem at the Mexico City Olympics.
The sheer level of mastery continued with living legend Allen Toussaint. Dapper as ever in suit and tie and consummately regal, he expertly led his band through his back pages, including "Lady Marmalade" and "Yes We Can Can," which got the bloods and the hippies freaking out. At one point, Toussaint claimed, "If there'll be one man left to wage battles in New Orleans, it's going to be me!"
At Club One 15, Arrested Development founder Speech was calm and collected as he took the stage backed by two acoustic guitars and drums. He served as a good ATL ambassador, spreading positivity to the small but packed house. The crowd responded most to AD classics "Tennessee," "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal." But folks also showed respect for his current solo material from The Vagabond (Bluhammock). Best amongst these tunes was "The Harvest," a largely sung composition dedicated to his family that indicates the 37-year-old Speech is at the vanguard of providing music for the mature hip-hop listener weary of bling and bullshit.
I then moved on to witness the first half of the MoRisen showcase back on 6th Street. Label head Chuck Morrison and publicist Amy Barefoot were kicking it at Nuno's, as were The Talk's C.R. and Justin, and Elevator Action's Laurie Ruroden. Photographer Daniel Coston was also chronicling the action. When the Sammies took the stage, they rocked out before a pretty full crowd considering their debut doesn't drop till this summer. The Sammies presented themselves as "beer-drinkin' music for beer-drinkin' people," which of course gathers anyone with a taste for hops. Their fresh take on post-modern Southern rock and unaffected enthusiasm was infectious. Before Elevator Action's set, the crowd had thinned out somewhat as it was past 1am. But the hometown trio made the best of it.
It's a good thing Elevator Action's raw, snarling pop-punk had it going on since my last gig of the festival, Black Moses at the Ritz' Blender balcony, made my ears bleed. Rock & soul may wax and wane in quality and relevance, but belief in its sonic power had brought several Charlotte acts and myself halfway across the country to Texas, the belly of the beast itself. America's heart-worn highways haven't lost the spirit of liberation yet.
Austin
Chronicle(Sleeper
pick)
12mid,
Nuno's Upstairs Oh-five was a break-out year for these Charlotte, N.C., pop-rockers.
Their single "N.Y.L.A.," off
The Sinners of Daughters, was featured on The OC. Currently touring as a
fourpiece, the Talk owes as much to Cheap Trick as it does to the latest
batch of British Invaders. – Dan Oko
Elon
Pendulum
The Sinners of Daughters
The Talk blends many genres into one unique flavor
Sinners of Daughters combines a wide assortment of stylistic ingredients into one delicious musical taste
Conor Britain / Reviewer
Listening to The Talk is like ordering an ice-cream and finding you've been served with sprinkles added on top. You were given something extra that you didn't expect, but you like it nonetheless.
In Sinners of Daughters, The Talk takes you through a rock album that throws traces of 60s punk at you after luring you in with a straight indy-rock sound that, even if you didn't ask for it, makes the experience all the better.
Following their first full album, It's Like Magic In Reverse, released last year, The Talk takes the listener on an eclectic rock journey, often throwing spices of different rock styles into the pot that is Sinners of Daughters. They pull sounds from all eras of rock in the last few decades, resulting in varied and interesting tracks throughout the album.
However, The Talk doesn't try to confuse the listener with too many sounds. They feature a lot of movement on guitars and drive the bass to create a strong, yet light, feel throughout the CD.
Jeremy Holcomb, drummer, has a lot of control over the many different beats in the album and often plays a large part in distinguishing the different tracks.
The Talk's vocalist, Justin Williams, sounds like a John Lennon gone punk rock. His whimsical, British-sounding voice is largely responsible for what makes The Talk such a unique experience.
Sinners of Daughters opens up with "Queen (She's Leaving Robe)," a track laced with muddy distortion, a driving beat and quirky, flowing vocals, setting the stage for the rest of the album.
"I Don't Wanna Choose" follows in an upbeat style, which is quite reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria's "Blood Red Summer." The third track, "N.Y.L.A," was featured on the Dec. 1 episode of Fox's "The O.C." It is a fun, exciting song with sharp guitars and a powerful bass.
The album then makes a shift with "The Search," where The Talk starts incorporating more of the punk-rock genre and the drums truly begin to shine.
After a few more punk tracks, the album makes another surprising, but excellent shift in "With Guns in Our Hearts." The track is like ska on Nyquil, with relatively slow horn sections and lazy vocals laid over what can only be described as a punk beat in slow motion.
The album's last three tracks go back to a more alternative rock feel. "Man Narrates" is played in an 80s sounding style and relies on vocals more than the other tracks on the album, showcasing the smooth, albeit, slightly haunting side of Williams' vocals.
Sinners of Daughters closes out with "Any Other Day," which lacks the fun, eccentric riffs featured throughout the album in exchange for a longer, moodier and overall catchier track.
The Talk has followed up It's Like Magic in Reverse with a sophomore album that's flat-out fun to listen to. The Charlotte, N.C. based band has put together a solid half hour of rock and roll. However, it's the added punk rock flavors that make the album something special.
Punk Planet
The Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
Talk, the - The Sinners of Daughters, CD
This Charlotte trio offers a shimmering mass of pop rock that harbors all the vitality of edgy indie rock while displaying an appetite for crunchy hooks and Beatle-esque vocal melodies. With Brian Paulson working the faders, you're guaranteed the record packs a sonic wallop lesser engineers would fail to muster. The inventive recording of fairly formulaic guitars can feel invigorating but the sudden appearance of trumpet and trombone is pushing it a bit, don't you think? (JV)
Scratch Magazine
The Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
The Talk have added a member since the release of THE SINNERS OF DAUGHTERS, but they functioned pretty well as a trio. The Charlotte-based group wields a heavy 1960s influence, with The Beatles-meet-The Apples in Stereo vocals and sunshine pop choruses. Tracks like "These Swollen Eyes" and "The Search" swerve into a punkier direction (which might interrupt the album's flow for some). Apparently, the band's music has landed a spot in the sitcom WILDFIRE. (I can't claim to have seen it, but good for them.) Good band, solid release. It's good to know that something besides crappy metal-core is going on in Charlotte. -David Barker
Creative
Loafing
Real
Life Top 5 Band of the Year: The Talk
Published January 11, 2006
Shoot, we're still reflecting on 2005, when we let several worthy local rockers, including an Avett Brother, an Alternative Champ, a La Rña and those rising siblings in the Barnettes reel off the five things that rocked their world. We wish them and all local artists much good fortune this year, but for helping increase Charlotte's sonic currency, we'd like to salute one CLT act in particular: them around-the-way boys of the fine MoRisen Records punk-pop trio The Talk, featuring one-time Real Lifer Justin Williams (vocals, guitar), CR Rollyson (bass) and Jeremy Holcomb (drums). In addition to all the other good news from Charlotte's music scene in 2005, The Talk did extraordinarily well, rocking CMJ in New York City and having songs on The O.C. The band's most recent album, The Sinners of Daughters, is still garnering critical praise from here to El-Lay. As for the five of us geeks in CL's music orbit, well, we'd just like to raise a glass with the boys over yonder at The Bird. Here's our five different takes on The Talk, who truly are rockin' our world:
1. John Schacht: "Onstage, Justin Williams and Co. veer between transcendent and trainwreck, and are wise enough to know that the tension in between is where all the fun is."
2. Chris Parker: "Whether channeling the Buzzcocks for the kinetic punk-pop punch of last year's It's Like Magic in Reverse, or sporting the dark, spiky new wave veneer that dominates the more recent The Sinners of Daughters, Williams decks the halls with serrated hooks and bountiful melodicism."
3. Samir Shukla: "The Talk play oh-so-catchy melodic rock, the sort that hammers home the notion that guitars will never go out of style."
4. Mark Kemp: "These three fellers are so damn rock & roll they're practically a cliche. OK, they are a cliche - a big, fat, rowdy, tuneful rock & roll cliche. Just like the best of 'em."
5. Kandia Crazy Horse: "In the grand Dixie tradition of Big Star, The Talk applies British Invasion and glam building blocks to rebel swagger on songs like "With Guns in Our Hands." While looking back to powerpop and early postpunk, this trio still fashions the stuff of Southern rock's next classic wave."
KANDIA CRAZY HORSE'S TOP 25 ALBUMS (Creative Loafing)- The Talk, "The Sinners of Daughters"
Columbus
Ledger-Enquirer - Best
Music of 2005
The Talk, "The Sinners of Daughters" --
That this album is not as frenetic and terse as the previous outing, "It's
Like Magic in Reverse," is a fault in my book. But the Charlotte,
N.C., act's record still has flashes of brilliance: The guitar squalls
on opener "Any Other Saturday," are tsunamic, and the horn section
on "With Guns in Our Hands" is a much needed slice of fun to
keep the band from sounding too dour. These hook-filled post-punkers
seem destined for greatness. I'll never forgive myself for missing them
the one time they played at SoHo.Charlotte Observer - People to Watch
in 2006
Charlotte Observer - People to Watch in 2006
This Charlotte indie rock quartet, The Talk, already has an edge-of-success resume: They have three top-notch albums. They've appeared at the music industry's biggest showcases including South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. They have songs in independent films and television series such as Fox's "The OC" and ABC Family's "Wildfire."
The Talk's name was even tossed about last spring by music fans on the Coachella message board, rumor site for the two-day California desert music festival that's been a steppingstone for bands the Killers, the Arcade Fire, and M.I.A. This year The Talk is among thousands competing in MySpace.com's online contest to perform at the 2006 Coachella Festival, but they may make it by buzz alone, not online votes.
With help from Charlotte-based independent label MoRisen Records, The Talk has employed top producers including Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and Brian Paulson (Beck, Wilco), completed a stint on 2004's Warped Tour, and clocked TV time with videos on MTVU and extreme sports channel, Fuel TV.
However, their infectiously punky, yet increasingly progressive catalog is their strongest asset. The group (above, from left): backup singer Laurie Ruroden, C.R. Rollyson, Jeremy Holcomb, Eric Gilstrap and songwriter/frontman Justin Williams (He records solo as 12,000 Armies). -- Courtney Devores
The
Big Takeover > top-ten
Mick Lewis’s Top Ten — December
11
by Mick Lewis
11 December 2005
The Talk – “The Worst Chest Pains”
Charlotte, NC’s The Talk first caught my ear (and eye) when I saw it
perform “The Worst Chest Pains” on Fearless Music. Upon checking
out the band’s site, I found the LP version of the song, as well as
a video. In some ways, I prefer the Fearless version, without all of the
busy production, but either way, it’s a great piece of pop-punk with
buzz-saw guitars and impassioned vocals by lead singer Justin Williams. Hopefully,
The Talk’s new LP The Sinners of Daughters will measure up to this
high standard.
Amplifier
Magazine
The Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
A sturdy trio with a crunchy rhythm section and a singer clearly influenced
by British pop, North Carolina’s The Talk take their own brand of punchy
new wave and punctuate it with big rock choruses, trumpets, and trombones.
On paper it may not be your typical pop recipe, but these guys pull it off.
The arrangements are big swirling canvases of twitchy keyboards and grinding
guitars that somehow careen and glide through each number, while singer Justin
Williams works his way across the album in a sweet delivery with big pop
swings. The choruses here are pretty massive (“Any Other Saturday,” “Man
Narrates”) and drummer Jeremy Holcomb keeps it all unified with some
of the most muscular drumming you’ve heard all year. “The Search” is
a percussive burner that finds Williams rapidly delivering his lines over
a prowling beat, “These Swollen Eyes” has a scorching appeal,
and “It Comes With The Territory” positively cooks. In just over
a half hour, The Talk rip through ten numbers in breathless bursts of pop
urgency. The results are truly exhilarating.
Performer
Magazine
The
Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
It has often been noted that there is nothing new in the realm
of music. Everything up to this point has already been done, and
everything done after is merely "clever
plagiarism.” Whether or not this is true is a subject for debate. Few musicians,
however, would dispute that it is getting increasingly more difficult to create
music that is both unique and relevant, or at least unique and enjoyable. Enter
Charlotte, NC's The Talk.
Following up the critically-acclaimed It's Like Magic in Reverse with their second MoRisen release, the Talk’s The Sinners of Daughters may not sound immediately original. Sometimes vocal phrasing and guitar tones sound downright reverse-engineered from classic albums. However, the originality lies in the way those diverse elements are combined. The resulting album includes some memorable songs that are familiar without sounding tired. The Sinners of Daughters shows that The Talk are good at more than just coming up with cryptic (bordering on pretentious) album titles. Much like Queen and Cheap Trick before them, the Talk draw from several different musical genres, such as power-pop, punk, new wave, and progressive rock. Mostly, the band tries to maintain consistency in quality while reaching out to new styles and ideas.
The musicianship featured on the album is impressive. Vocalist/guitarist Justin Williams' vocals seem to be inspired by British Invasion groups of the ‘60s and Ziggy-era Bowie. The singing works well within the context of the song arrangements, but equally important to the album's success is Williams' guitar playing. Sometimes, the guitar is used to drive the song forward on tracks like "I Started Running.". At other times, it is used for more textural effect. Bassist C. R. Rollyson and drummer Jeremy Holcomb form a tight rhythm section and don't spoil the fun with gratuitous fills and flourishes. "These Swollen Eyes" shows the Talk moving into heavier territory, showcasing their power and steadiness. The song's avalanche of driving guitars and pummeling drums creates an effective climax for the album. (MoRisen Records) - Matthew Scott Maynard
Itunes
music review - (Waiting Soundtrack - The
Talk / Snatches of Pink / Alternative Champs)
INSANELY
FUNNY 5 STARS - Awesome CD. some tracks aren't in the movie,
but they are hilarious! my favs are: spoon, alrternative champs,
and of course REO SPPEEEDDD-Wagon!
Indie-Music.com
The Sinners
of Daughters
MoRisen Records
"There's
no need to analyze it -- this is classic punk rock in
every respect."
By Kenny Hart
You know you're headed for the stars when hit network TV shows pick up on your music. Pop punk band The Talk is riding a rocket straight up into the cosmos. The hit ABC family show Wildfire featured both "Good Songs" and "Hold Your Money Well" (July 25 episode) from The Talk's album It's Like Magic in Reverse and "Any Other Saturday" from their latest release The Sinners of Daughters in the July 11 episode. Reportedly, "NYLA" will be featured in the Dec. 1 episode of The OC on Fox. And though I still haven't quite figured out the significance of the album's title (should I even care?), I am deeply affected by the powerful, simple melodies and straightforward lyrics woven into every track.
The Sinners of Daughters, produced by veteran rock producer Brian Paulson of Wilco, Beck, and Superchunk fame, isn't an album that you listen to for subtle messages; it's all about raw emotion. And there's plenty of that here. The lonely, angst-ridden "Any Other Saturday" starts things off. Follow that up with the somewhat cheeky "Man Narrates," then the openly antagonistic "I Started Running," and you soon begin to feel like you're riding in an emotional demolition derby car. But, hold on, what's "With Guns In Our Hands" all about? The vocals are somewhat buried in the mix (is that intentional?), but there is no mistaking the tag line, "Oh, goddamn; oh, goddamn," that seems to jump right out at you.
By this time, I was so into the sound and the ride that I just went with the flow. There's no need to analyze it -- this is classic punk rock in every respect. It has attitude. It has riffs. It has the driving bass and in-your-face mix that you expect. But it also has a quality that sets it apart from many other punksters: it has true musicianship. The guitars are in tune, the vocals never waver. The aesthetic isn't lost in distortion and dissonance. Truly professional. Kudos to Justin Williams on guitar and vocals, Jeremy Holcomb on drums, and CR Rollyson on bass. I look forward to hearing more from you guys. And I'm sure I will.
Amplifier
Magazine
The
Sinners of Daughters
MoRisen Records
A sturdy trio with a crunchy rhythm section and a singer clearly influenced by
British pop, North Carolina’s The Talk take their own brand of punchy new
wave and punctuate it with big rock choruses, trumpets, and trombones. On paper
it may not be your typical pop recipe, but these guys pull it off. The arrangements
are big swirling canvases of twitchy keyboards and grinding guitars that somehow
careen and glide through each number, while singer Justin Williams works his
way across the album in a sweet delivery with big pop swings. The choruses here
are pretty massive (“Any Other Saturday,” “Man Narrates”)
and drummer Jeremy Holcomb keeps it all unified with some of the most muscular
drumming you’ve heard all year. “The Search” is a percussive
burner that finds Williams rapidly delivering his lines over a prowling beat, “These
Swollen Eyes” has a scorching appeal, and “It Comes With The Territory” positively
cooks. In just over a half hour, The Talk rip through ten numbers in breathless
bursts of pop urgency. The results are truly exhilarating.
-ALEX GREEN
Cantedview.com
Album
of the Month - June
It's Like Magic in Reverse
Let
me first say that North Carolina had a kick ass indie music scene long
before indie music became the biggest marketing campaign in the music world.
Look at the Merge roster if you need a reminder--Lou Barlow, The Buzzcocks,
The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Polvo, & Superchunk. Sure some
of those guys came on in the last couple of years, but it has been happening
for more than a decade from a hub around Chapel Hill far far away from the
control of the LA & NY labels that practically manufacture the stuff
these days. From this environment comes a band that you should be listening
to -- The Talk.
I have had this album in my possesion for over a year now, when the band's drummer Jeremy Holcomb slipped it to me after a proformance at a small club in South Carolina. Since then, I have listened to it nearly 50 times and not tired of it. It's fitting to be reviewing now that it is commercially available after an intentional staggering of its release by the band's North Carolina label, Morisen Records. From the opening words of "Imaginary Lines" to the closing track "Hold Your Money Well" the album holds up...no fluff and no typical sophmoric missteps. On first listen, Magic In Reverse seems like a collection of purist post-punk rock anthems. The great thing about the album though, is how well it scales for casual listening. It's Like Magic in Reverse provides a solid listening experience from start to finish without need for the stuff to come blarring through a 10,000 Watt PA. Sure these tracks should be played on megaphones as kids take to the streets to topple statues of George W. Bush, but they are remarkably well suited for the the more likely role they will serve, getting played over college airwaves everywhere for students traveling to shows or studying in their dormitories. The band's sound may seem at times rehashed from a list of other (great) bands, but what makes the The Talk unique is that they are managing to do what few other bands are these days--make rock n' roll songs worth listening to. The difference in production quality between their debut, No You Shut Up, and this release, is notable--the former was captured in one 24 hour studio session, while Magic in Reverse was recorded with the help of Mike Mogis (Azure Ray, Bright Eyes, Broken Spindles) over a week spent in the Saddle Creek studios. The band has been maturing musically from constant touring over the last few years and my hunch is that Magic in Reverse's sound benefits as much from the band's own well honed musicality as it does Mogis' studio magic. Still, the partnership is a great match and if it continues even as the boys stay connected to Morisen, it is just a matter of time before the band gets the proper exposure it deserves and The Talk puts the North carolina indie scene back in the limelight it has enjoyed in past years.
Dive
Online:Music Reviews
Review: The Sinners of Daughters
BY
WILLIAM FONVIELLE
STAFF WRITER
September 07, 2005
With
their latest album, The Sinners of Daughters, The Talk may very well be the Mickey
Rooney of rock music.
Adopting
Rooney’s endearing “Let’s put on a show” zest
that marked him as the prominent child actor of the ’30s and ’40s,
the band serves an expert, seamless blend of indie rock, punk and pop
that aspires to do nothing more than keep our feet tapping and our faces
grinning.
MUSIC REVIEW THE TALK THE SINNERS OF DAUGHTERS
Although
this goal may not be lofty, it is far from unworthy.By recording an album
that tops off at about half an hour, they ensure that
not a moment of downtime exists. With a couple of exceptions, they’re most
comfortable in the arena of three-minute tunes, and each number showcases a throbbing,
eager intensity that would feel perfectly at home either in a live venue or on
an album.Translation: No matter where you listen to it, this music is as exciting
as a barrel of monkeys at a pie-eating contest. While, as previously mentioned,
The Talk might not aspire to great heights, they are far from lazy. The music
isn’t wholly original, but it’s definitely not uninteresting, which
is even more critical. Like a wide-eyed boy begging for candy, the three chaps
that make up the band are effortlessly charming. Frontman Justin Williams has
the melodic, crunchy guitar hook down, and he rides that pony as far as it will
carry him. And if this album represents The Talk at the top of their game, that
destination is probably to the top of the college radio charts. Williams’ primary
strength obviously lies in his skills as a guitarist. He also supplies lead vocals
that, while not dazzling or even at times comprehensible, are competent and at
times feel legitimately soaring. He could hold his own on “Rock Star: INXS.” Similarly,
bass player C.R. Rollyson and drummer Jeremy Holcomb might or might not be the
next big thing in their field — only the future will tell. But for the
time being, they are more than capable of supplying a fast rhythm section to
keep up with the album’s relentless pace. No song really exists as the
standout on the album, as they adhere to more or less the same formula. This
merely means that all the tracks are consistently solid, with the exception of “These
Swollen Eyes,” a selection that taxis down the runway but never quite takes
off. They aren’t afraid to occasionally veer slightly off this formula,
however. “With Guns in Our Hands” is an infectious, even jolly number
that even features a trumpet in the opening bars. Representative of the album
as a whole, it captures pop-punk at its pure, unadulterated best. With
their latest release, The Talk has crafted a record that is all heart and no
pretension — a joyful, raucous party that earns them a hallowed place among
rising bands to watch. It
is punk for people who didn’t think they liked punk, pop for people who
didn’t think they liked pop, and melodies for people who didn’t think
they knew how to dance.
Mickey Rooney would be proud.
Lost
at Sea
The Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
MoRisen Records
Rating: 7.5/10
The word “buzz” hasn’t passed through my lips in a long time
when describing a band from Charlotte, North Carolina. Perhaps a lack of truly
inspiring rock ‘n’ roll has left me cold, or it’s the simple
fact that I've lost the lust I once had for cornering new and fresh-sounding
independent musicians. Maybe it’s because I come from a town where an overabundant
amount of Dave Matthews clones command, mall-core mirages as originality and
funk-metal hybrids seem to be in reign of musical governing power. Indie rock
is a dying minority against a backdrop of unoriginality and laziness - with exceptions
few and far between.
The Talk’s latest offering, The Sinners of Daughters, almost seems out of place; it is a conglomerate of collective musical mass that is aware of its boundaries, carried by a band that uses its limits to produce some truly vigilant and interesting rock epics that stand out from the benchmark mediocrity that seems to plague this city - it seems too much to ask for.
The Sinners of Daughters relies more on melodies and emotions more in common with Bob Mould’s Sugar; distinctly different from The Talk’s last proper album, It’s Like Magic In Reverse - which was mostly compromised of hyperkinetic punk rock bombast that foamed at the mouth - the band has newly formed a more comforting distinction between impacting urgency and alleviating the listener into a state of solace.
“Any Other Day” opens
the album with this sort of ease. A tranquil, harmonic
ring resounds over Justin Williams’s unusually dark voice; it evokes
a feel
akin to latter day Sunny Day Real Estate. An almost progressive rock piece,
it screams 'album single' and could very well catapult this rather unknown
band onto the heels of the indie rock elite.
The first half of The Sinners of Daughters takes an approach of real comforting efficiency and reinforces it with “Man Narrates”, a song filled with so much visceral imagery and ambience it lifts the melody into a sensory overload with its comforting wake. The track drifts along like a ship being carried away by an active current of water; it is slowly carried to sea and loses sight of existence, only to be appreciated by the gathering of onlookers who wave their goodbyes.
Unfortunately, pretentiousness becomes evident after the third track, “I Started Running”, where lyrically, Justin Williams fails miserably with lines that include, “I started running because you won’t walk away/I’m loosing my mind playing these games/I thought I told you to get out of my face/You must understand I don’t feel the same way anymore.” It feels like junior high school all over again, and musically the band isn’t as effective at creating a stable emotional grasp. Although the remaining songs on The Sinners of Daughters, especially “With Guns in our Hands”, “The Search” and “Queen (She’s Leaving Robe)”, do well with thoughtful depth and clarity, “I Started Running” is just one of only a few hindrances that keep this album from being a card-carrying, stellar release.
The ingredients of The Sinners of Daughters consist of the following: minor
chord progressions for a dark, brooding sound (this helps pull at the
listeners’ heartstrings, and The Talk are masters at this), turgid
drum
interplay (which gives the album complex depth) and my favorite - and th
most effective element - the faux British accent that singer Justin Williams
uses to convey his love for Anarchy in the UK.
NASCAR may bigger than anything punk rock has ever meant to North Carolina,
but The Talk prove that in a city that embraces Dale Earnhardt Jr. and
costly light rail, there can also be room for a socially shunned,
underground reign of stadium-ready rock ‘n’ roll; they are on
the forefront
of the gradual development of rare, precious acceptance.
Reviewed by Mark Taylor
A senior LAS staff writer, Mark Taylor is a 27 year old father of a three
year old son and husband to a wife of four years, living the simple life
in
a small suburb of Charlotte, NC.
Pucknation
The
Talk
Graham Bailey 9/17/2005
Music Review
"The
Sinners of Daughters"
2005 MoRisen Records
Score: 9 (of 10)
After coming out with the mind-blowing It’s Like Magic In Reverse…
Charlotte, North Carolina’s The Talk is back with their new album The
Sinners of Daughters.
Like The Talk’s previous efforts The Sinners of Daughters is an incredibly
strong album. Stylistically the band combines pop, punk, garage rock and
experimental indie-rock. The Talk is to pop punk what The Flaming Lips are
to indie-rock, innovative, original and genuinely pleasurable. The Talk
display a great sense melody, the songs are simple, yet catchy. Songs like
“Any Other Saturday,” with its groovy bass line and good beat,
display The
Talk’s strong rhythm section, while the horns and atmospheric guitars
on
“With Guns In Our Hands” show a different, though equally catchy,
talented
side of The Talk.
Justin Williams, whose voice is on the higher side, handles the vocals on
The Sinners of Daughters quite well. His voice accompanies the music well,
and sounds especially good when accompanied by a female vocalist on “Any
Other Saturday.” The lyrics are just as catchy as the music, such as
on
“With Guns In Our Hands,” which features the urgent chorus: “I
can’t stand
this/ I can’t stand you now.”
Overall: The Talk has released another great album with The Sinners of
Daughters, which features great songs played
incredibly well.
Hour
Magazine (Montreal)
Jamie O'Meara
The Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
MoRisen
I'd
like to hear Delays' Greg Gilbert in a no-notes-barred vocal duel with
The Talk's Justin Williams, because these two big boy singers have two
big girly voices. They'd sound like Cocteau Twins in a catfight. When not
bobbing for Adam's apples, Williams brings a distinct presence to this
third release from an otherwise unassuming, on first glance, Charlotte,
NC three-piece. But there is nothing stripped down about a sound that dresses
up direct melody lines reminiscent of Hüsker Dü and
Sugar (These Swollen Eyes) with keyboards, horns (trumpet and trombone)
and several tracks of guitar, often recalling the educated-class glam of
Manic Street Preachers (The Queen in particular). There is adventure, pathos,
unapologetic enthusiasm, unbridled despair, mischief and a child's sense
of play in these 10 different tunes, like a treasure chest buried in a
sandbox. Dig it.
Creative
Loafing
The
Talk
The Sinners of Daughters
MoRisen
There's no denying the Beatles-induced pop influence in The Talk's The Sinners of Daughters. The trio is led by singer/guitarist Justin Williams, and his melodic howl is peppered in all the right places by a cohesive rhythm section. The Talk is proof that a classic guitar/drums/bass line-up is alive and well in rockdom. It's the type of record in which nudging up the volume a notch or two makes life feel sunnier.
Rating: 4 stars.
Charlotte
Observer
3.5 Stars out of 4:
The Talk
“The Sinners of Daughters” (MoRisen Records)
The Talk’s third album in as many years shows the Charlotte-based trio branching out from the punky, urgent, indie rock of its previous albums. The sugar-coated pop characteristics are still here, veiled in a gleam of reverb and delay, but The Talk doesn’t sound as hurried.
New found moodiness and varied tempos and influences emerge on these 10 new songs. From chief songwriter Justin Williams’ British-inflected vocals to expansive, building choruses and echoing guitar lines, influences from The Beatles to The Cure are evident. And with the aforementioned veil of fuzz, The Talk sounds like the indie punk band that veteran alternative rock label 4AD never signed.
It’s easy to imagine The Talk saddling up next to The Killers or The Strokes on the charts with touches of of ‘80’s synth, handclaps and catchy garage pop, which it puts its own spin on. With the locomotion-like drive of “The Search,” the members manipulate a predictable Social Distortion-like rockabilly rhythm into a punchy, atmospheric rock song. And surprisingly, they subtly re-use elements without sounding a bit retro. The production of Brian Paulson, who has worked with Beck and Wilco, doesn’t hurt, adding a bit of gloss while remaining true to the band’s sound. But The Talk’s charm boils down to the chemistry of the players and Williams’ skill as a songwriter.
Impact
Press
It’s
Like Magic in Reverse”
From
the get-go, this is a super, melodic, pop rock romp. The vocals led me
to, initially, believe the band is from the UK. But, hark, wrong is me.
They're from Charlotte, North Carolina. Regardless, this quartet's second
full-length album is an impressively crafted bit of joy. Produced by Mike
Mogis (Bright Eyes, The Faint), his previous project involvement comes
through on this release, with at least a few tracks sounding reminiscent
of Bright Eyes and The Faint, as well as Conor Oberst's (Bright Eyes) side
project, Desaparecidos. The resulting 12 tracks are a guitar rockfest with
plenty of sweaty, feedback-happy pop.
Music
Review - "The Sinners of Daughters"
Jennifer
Review and Research
Upon
hearing the first track of this album, I decide to that the band fits into
the genre of indie/punk rock the best. Their music is reminiscent of musical
acts from the last 40 or so years. I hear an influence of The Beatles to
The Ramones to relatively new rockers on the scene such as The Shins. Although
the band is from North Carolina and has made a strong impression in that
region of the country, I can see them gaining popularity in larger areas – such
as Los Angeles or New York. I can picture them being regulars at the famous
CBGB’s in New York. I think the band has the ability
to appeal to college students and those who are aged above. I can’t
really see the band appealing to a younger crowd, because their music is
very mature.
The song that stands out the most of the album is “NY.LA”, a song with catchy melodies and memorable lyrics. This song, along with other songs on the album, is pretty upbeat and seems to be musically credible. I mean that in the sense that their music has depth, and isn’t boring. It seems like the band tried extremely hard to make interesting music. Without a doubt, The Talk will gain critical acclaim at the least.
Music
Review
Graham Bailey
" It’s Like Magic In Reverse…"
2004 MoRisen Records
Score: 9 (of 10)
Who the hell is The Talk and how did they produce such an awesome album? The Talk is a band that has only been together two years, and is releasing their first album It’s Like Magic In Reverse…which is easily the best, most original album since The Network’s debut.What makes this album so good? It is hard to say; as cheesy as it sounds, it seems that The Talk really just has “it.” There really are not many things that one can say about this album other than the fact that it is amazing. The band plays an almost indescribable amalgam of music; it is some combination of indi-rock, pop punk, and experimental music. A comparison might be something like The Flaming Lips if they played strange indi-pop-punk music.The music is great, slightly ambient and experimental, without being too out there and strange; it is rooted in pop, indi rock and punk, so it is all pretty catchy. The vocals are all catchy, though at times what is being sung is not easily discernible and the lyrics are not particularly well written.Overall: This is the type of album that does not come along very often; incredibly original, fun, well-written and played music.
Skratch
Magazine
" It’s
Like Magic In Reverse"
What irks me most about pop-punk is the lack of depth. The Talk, on the other
hand, can pull off being lighthearted and upbeat without a hitch. Their duo of
guitars creates a full and rich sound that is electrified by light, perky melodies.
This fast-paced rock 'n' roll nearly brings me back to the better days of Green
Day, who supposedly are making a comeback. But while you're waiting around for
that to happen, go ahead and see what all the talk is about The Talk.
-Mabel Lam
Adequacy.net (Delusions
of Adequacy)
The
Talk have so much talent that they could safely hang out with the punkiest
bands around, sit back with the hottest indie-rockers on the scene
without ridicule from groupies, and take a trip back in time to have
a beer with 60s and 70s popsters. And if they all got together for
one huge, raucous party, you can bet that The Talk would provide the
soundtrack and everyone would leave happy.A
sputtering keyboard at the beginning of “The Worst Chest Pains” sets
the tone for the next two and a half minutes of the song – hyperactive,
frenetic, and definitely uncontrollable. It’s got blisteringly tight
guitars, awesome “Baba O’Reilly”-esque keyboarding, and
drums that pound and throb like a panicked heart when the singer shouts
the chorus.If
you manage to dance throughout the whole song without keeling over from
sheer exhaustion, I salute you. Infectious, exciting, and fun as hell,
The Talk truly rock.:
Connect
Savannah – a
preview regarding SELLOUT show at The Jinx (1/28/05). By
Jim Reed:
Every
once in a great while, a record comes across my desk that seems
destined for some sort of greatness. That might wind up being
breakthrough success, or merely the type of quiet acknowledgement
meted out by music writers in tiny papers and mags the world
over. It’s Like Magic In Reverse is one such record.I
could get into specifics, but that would take away some of the
surprise – which was so key in my discovery of the band.
Suffice it to say that if you appreciate the sort of relentless,
manic, guitar-driven glory of Cheap Trick’s first 4 LPs,
or the kind of hopped-up revisionism found in great abundance
on The Posies’ Amazing Disgrace CD, then you’ll flip
for The Talk. All
the ingredients are there for this group to occupy a special
place in the heart of folks who’ve pretty much given up
on any truly worthwhile bands coming along that aren’t
either trying too hard to ignore the past or too hard to recreate
it. I don’t know if The Talk live comes close to The Talk
on disc, but if they even make it halfway, this should be one
of the best local shows of the year. Fri., The Jinx.
Ambitious-Outsiders.com
N.
Carolina rockers The Talk had me fooled when I thought that they were just
another flavor-of-the-week emo band. After a couple of listens to "Good
Songs," a track from their forthcoming album It's Like Magic In Reverse
(MoRisen Records), this foursome is getting nothing but good marks in the AO
book. Lead singer Justin Williams belts out punked-out pop verses such as: "Oh
go, so merry on your way, if that will make your day full and exciting I'll
just stay here writing these notes." The riffs on this song are equally
alarming as guitarist Scott Werner demonstrates in this 2-minute, 30-second
wonder.
Interestingly
enough, this album was produced by none other than Mike Mogis (Bright
Eyes, Cursive, The Faint). He should be proud to have these Carolina
boys on his roster. Maybe one day they'll be the talk of the town. But
until then, you heard it on AO first. - Chris S.
buzz
From
the SE Music Edition of Creative Loafing – The
Talk are named the best “indie rock” band in Charlotte...
" these guys pack more rock into one song than some people do on entire
albums."
“A
strong contender for album of the year and I don’t care that
is only March”
-
Columbus Ledger Enquirer
"Buzz Band of the Week" - FMQB, November 13, 2003
"The Talk's version of punk-laced rock combines infectiously poppy
melodieswith an indie rock sensibility" - DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN,
James Schneider -January 22, 2004
"The Talk play oh-so catchy melodic rock, the sort that hammers the notion
that guitars will never go out of style." - CREATIVE LOAFING
"The Talk have stormed their way onto the FMQB charts,
and for that we are impressed ... even more impressing is their 12-track
debut album No, You Shut Up! ... a testament to straight-up Rock laced
with Punk...enough Punk to wire even the most discerning fans. Take
the fast-paced guitar riffs and add in the energetic melodies and lyrics
that we have come to expect from such legends as The Ramones and what
you come out with is something to talk about." FMQB - Drew Kondylas, November 6,
2003
"These guys sound like Cheap Trick in their prime. I mean, if I heard
'FineMiserable Day' or 'Bad Scenery' on the radio, I would bet money it
was Zander and company making a comeback. You should give it a listen. I dig
every track and how often can you say that." - EAR CANDY
InMusicWeTrust.com
It's Like Magic In Reverse (Morisen Records)
By: Alex Steininger
Recorded and mixed by Mike Mogis, the man behind the Saddle Creek (aka Omaha)
music scene, The Talk's It's Like Magic In Reverse automatically earns cool
points with hipsters worldwide. But, does It's Like Magic In Reverse deliver
on the hype, if only the hype created by Mogis' involvement? In one word:
yes.
It's Like Magic In Reverse is a slab of guitar-based indie-rock, propulsive
and energetic, straight-to-the-gut, but laced with enough melody to keep it
from stagnating. Here is a band that can play to rock 'n' rollers, punk kids,
and the indie hipsters, while all are in the same audience, too, without disappointing
any of them.
They have the looks, the chops, the style, and the cred. And now they have
the album in It's Like Magic In Reverse that will make everyone turn their
head and go, "Damn, here's a rock 'n' roll band that plays loud and proud,
but doesn't leave anything out in the process". And they'd be right.
I'll give it a B+.
ESP
Magazine
The Talk
By Jaysen Buterin
Rock
and roll stories are an integral — and often legendary, if not lucrative
— ingredient in the rock and roll equation, with some becoming urban
legends and others becoming the legendary urbane. Most bands often have a
compendium of twisted tales involving (but not limited to) the timeless tawdry
trio of sex, drugs, and/ or rock and roll.
One such narrative went the opposite way on the decadence scale when The Talk
booked and promoted their own cross-country tour. They had to rent a van and
because venturing across the Mighty Mississippi River would double the rental
rate, the band told a little white lie to the rental company when they said
that they were a church group just heading to Memphis to perform. Upon returning
the van with a few extra miles (give or take 7,000) on it, they told the rental
company that the church event was so successful that they asked the band to
come back several times and they felt obliged to do so.
Call it what you will — divine intervention, or perhaps rock and roll
recidivism — but the rental company didn’t seem to mind, nor did
the legions of fans and followers that Charlotte’s own rising stars,
The Talk, acquired on their last tour. Now with a new album just recently
released from MoRisen Records, another cross-country tour currently running
amok all over this great land of ours, and hopefully a new van (sans the cardinal
sin), The Talk will hopefully be bringing their punk-laced melodic brand of
pop-rock back to the Triad (they recently graced the stage of Ace’s
Basement in Greensboro)
Like their fast-paced songs, The Talk have progressed at breakneck speed
since forming in December of 2001, with a musical style that would encompass
all that is good of ’70s punk, ’60s pop, and late ’80s/ early
’90s indie rock. The Talk, who consist of Justin Williams (vocals, guitar),
Scott Werner (lead guitar), C.R. Poole (bass), and Jeremy Hollcomb (drums),
decided not to waste any time. They recorded a wicked debut album, No, You
Shut Up!, in 2002 with their own money in just under 24 hours. Their original
intention was to use it as a demo to send to clubs to book gigs — while
the reality was actually 10 tracks of sugary-sweet- punk-coated, back-to-basics
rock and roll loaded with hot-wired guitar riffs and a blistering backbeat
that would be outshined only by their insanely infectious melodies and keen
lyrics.
Not content to simply ride on talent, their dedication has already led to
a self-promoted and produced coast-to-coast tour, a strong local following.
The foursome received “Best Band” honors from Charlotte’s
Creative Loafing in 2002, and studio time with well-known and unquestionably
talented producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Sideshow).
While their debut album was still climbing college radio charts across the
land, The Talk began revving up for the release of their second album, It’s
Like Magic in Reverse, released on April 20th, just nine months after their
debut’s premiere. Powerfully proving that the band’s first outing
wasn’t a fluke, It’s Like Magic... channels the kind of trailblazing
rock and roll spirit that strikes with breathless abandon.
While the lo-fi production of “Sucks Just to Feel” makes its lyrics
as hard to understand as an underwater opera, there’s no mistaking a
vocal melody that’s stickier than bubblegum on hot asphalt. The song’s
densely packed guitars and bass, along with the additional synth melodies,
make for a tune that has all of pop’s charms without any of its condescending
simplicity.
The sharp, harping guitar tones in “My Isolation Drills” suggest
indie pop, but the band knocks the hell out of its instruments with punk abandon
in a wild free-for-all. “The Worst Chest Pains,” although hampered
with a clumsy synth-pop hook, bangs and clangs with all the noisy exuberance
of three-chord rock but leaves its snotty grin in its teenage past.
Heck, “Ribbons They Tear Right in Two” could sound like an off-the-rack
pop-punk sleeper if clumsily produced. Instead, it explodes with powerful
pop-punk noise. Tracks such as “Good Songs,” “Hold Your
Money Well,” or the album’s raucous opener, “Imaginary Lines,”
have all of the invigorating rowdiness of the best of the ’80s combined
with a knack for songwriting soulfulness, a full-on rock and roll blitz of
sheer exuberance completely void of excess which is how The Talk comes to
tell story after story. l
Creative
Loafing/ Charlotte
Walking The Walk
The Talk's Justin Williams strips songwriting down to basics
BY CHRIS PARKER
When Justin Williams set about forging The Talk, he did so with Occam's Razor
in hand, shaving his musical language down to the most basic terms. The result
is a rush of pure adrenaline, a hopped-up concoction of machine gun rhythms,
buzzing guitars and punk rock urgency whose hell-bent-for-leather spirit
harks back to UK bands like the Buzzcocks, Vapors and Vibrators circa 1977. "I
kind of stripped down the way I was writing songs, and just wanted to do something
a little more simple," says Charlotte native Williams. "A lot of
bands end up doing a little more guitar work, or a Sonic Youth type of thing
where it's not so much chords as it is you're writing to separate guitar parts
that go together and singing on top of that. I love that but for us, I'd rather
just play some chords and sing to it and let (guitarist) Scott (Werner) riff
over it." Growing up in the area, Williams felt the influence of the
region's early 90s indie rock reign when acts such as Polvo, Superchunk, and
Archers of Loaf were darlings of college and alternative rock. "I was
definitely more like NC indie rock before. I was playing a lot more detailed
guitar parts, and I kinda wanted to get away from that for a while. So we
started The Talk where we basically play fast punk songs," Williams says
from his Charlotte home. "They're fun to play in a band because it makes
you feel young to play fast rock like that. It's where my heart lies, though
my heart lies more with slower, little poppier type of stuff. I'm a big Big
Star fan." That Williams favors the ringing melodies of Alex Chilton's
old band should come as no surprise to anyone who's heard The Talk's new album,
It's Like Magic in Reverse. Chock full of enough hooks to open its own bait
& tackle shop, the songs bounce like a wall-rattling two-year-old on a
serious sugar buzz, plunging forward like a brakeless semi on a mountain road:
there's no stopping their momentum. Equal to the furious pace is Williams'
downcast lyrical ken, expressing that "as far as I can see/Our lives
here are diseased and fake...you all should feel ashamed and plagued/Your
deaths won't be enough" on "Imaginary Lines," or "I take
a look around and I see all your faces/You just remind me how much I fucking
hate this place," on "I Don't Need a Lot of Things Around the World."
Williams even pens a pair of songs -- "My Isolation Drills" and
"The Ties Everlasting" -- in which suicide plays a prominent lyrical
role. Who does he think he is, Nick Cave? "At least one of the songs
suggested (suicide) wasn't such a good idea," Williams says, chafing
a bit at the characterization. "They're just the way I feel. I'm a bit
of a nihilist I guess. But you could call me a recovering nihilist. I'm on
a twelve-step program." While definitely bearing the imprint of the aforementioned
UK punk pioneers, the new album also has Mike Mogis' fingerprints all over
it. A part of the Saddle Creek collective in Omaha, Nebraska, Mogis is the
label's in-house producer working with everyone from Rilo Kiley and Desaparecidos
to Cursive and Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes. A genius when it comes to rich
sonorous arrangements, Mogis complements the punchy, high-paced songs with
a humming wall of noise -- the guitars and drums sharing the same level in
the mix as the churn of off-beat organ and synth sounds. This adds texture
to the songs and a fullness to the straight-forward, throttling attack. "My
ex-girlfriend knew Conor and Mike (Mogis) and all of them, and so I met those
guys at a show in Cleveland, and partied with them," says Williams. "So
I called Mike when it was time to do this record. I really wanted to get out
of NC. That was kind of the main thing. Not even that I didn't want to work
with (Chapel Hill Producer Brian) Paulson, because I think Paulson is going
to do our next record." "We went out of town for close to a month,
so it was great. It was what I needed, and I think the record wouldn't be
the record it is without Mike," Williams says. "I told him I basically
wanted to approach it like a punk rock Grandaddy record. That's why it's got
the keyboards all over it. I was like, "I want to have those noises that
they use, but incorporate them into, like, punk rock songs,' because I hadn't
really heard a lot of bands doing that." It's a cool sound and helps
distinguish the album, but to Williams' thinking it would be far too limiting
to sit on this rather novel approach. "I think you can't tie yourself
down to one thing because you'll eventually get -- not bored so much as you
want to do other stuff," Williams suggests. The Talk's already written
and demoed their next album, and Williams says they hope to go into the studio
when school starts back up in September, as part of the band's plan to record
(though not necessarily release) a new album every eight months, "so
we're on top of the game." Part of the problem is that Williams writes
songs like some people eat snack cakes -- daily and voraciously since he was
in 4th grade. He means it when he says that if he wasn't a songwriter he doesn't
know what else he'd be doing. "Instead of going out and fighting someone
or joining kickboxing, or whatever people do to let their stress out -- songs
are the only thing I do. I write about a song a day because I need to. It's
the way for me to release what I feel. They're not all good, but they do their
job in my life," says Williams. "That's why I need to record. If
I'm in the studio I'm happy as shit, because it's like closure with the song,
and it makes me feel lighter, instead of carrying all those songs around with
me." If the new album is any indication, it's a burden the world will
be glad to share.
The Talk play the Room on Saturday, July 21.
Enigma Online
It's Like Magic In Reverse
MoRisen Records
Here we are the last review of the week. I have always wanted to say this
- Let's see if the Talk can walk the walk. Or if the walk can talk the talk
can walk whatever, let's just get to the music.
Interesting, very interesting. After the first song, I thought I was dealing
with another Emo band. However, I think we may have a different animal on
our hands here. This is nÕt your typical punk-ish band. Granted, they
are by no means a purely punk rock band, but they do have some tendencies
in that direction. The Talk has a very 60's pop feel but with some very noticeable
punk influences throughout their sound. I really enjoyed the music, but moreover,
the smart, witty, and keen lyrics caught my attention more than anything.
They sing about everything from something fun and light-hearted to a very
serious with an intelligence that has been lost in recent times. I don't want
to make them out a preachy because they are anything but that. A few of the
standout tracks were "Cross Examinations", "Good Songs",
and "The Ties Everlasting" . Overall, I think this one should definitely
be considered as an adventure pick for the week. It's fun, catchy, and a
great listen. What else do you need? Check it out! See You Later.
- Bill Schlitz
INDEPENDENTLY WEEKLY
6/21
The Talk It's Like Magic in Reverse ... (MoRisen Records)
Listening to The Talk's new album, you'll want to ask what business these
British expatriates have in Charlotte. The quartet, of course, doesn't hail
from across the pond, but their sound sure does, drawing from the furious,
pumping pace of '70s English punkers such as The Buzzcocks, Vapors and Vibrators. Caustic, observant critics of the world around them, they unleash heartening
thoughts like, "As far as I see our lives here are diseased and fake/You
all should feel ashamed and plagued/Your deaths won't be enough" (off
"Imaginary Lines"), or "This human race ain't all that great,
so why do we fake it, let's face it/It's not all about you and me girl"
(from "Science Don't Mean Shit"). And when the world fails
to inspire their dark wit, they're able to turn out "Good Songs"
about the very craft they're engaged in, singing "Not even getting high
can give me butterflies like masterpieces, classic pop releases." Such
lyrical playfulness is matched by the fast, furious and fun guitar attack,
which bubbles with the childlike enthusiasm and energy of a three year old
on a sugar buzz. Definitely worth checking out.
--Chris Parker
Razorcake Magazine
(Issue 20 – May 2004)
THE TALK
“It’s Like Magic in Reverse”
By Jimmy Alvarado
Punky power pop in a Vapors vein. I’m willing to bet there were
a lotta high-fives and smiles around the room the first time they heard the
final mix, ‘cause they’ve just about nailed a perfect combination
of good hooks and edgy delivery. A very good, very welcome surprise.
Greensboro
News & Record
The Talk
"It's Like Magic in Reverse . . ."
*4 Stars
Most bands release an album and then spend the next year (at least) touring
constantly to promote it. That is, unless your album is creating such a large
buzz that it's best to go back in the studio. Just nine months after their
MoRisen Records debut, "No, You Shut Up!," Charlotte's The Talk
released their sophomore effort on April 20. "It's Like Magic in Reverse.
. ." continues the same revved up rock n' roll found on their debut.
Toss in a little maturity and a punk rock edge, and you've got the makings
of something great. It's no surprise that the band's favorite hobby, aside
from playing music, is skateboarding. This is the kind of music that you'd
expect to see on a Tony Hawk video game. The biggest disappointment on the
CD is the time — 12 tracks that come in at 30 minutes total. While the
music gets off to a powerful start with "Imaginary Lines," the next
thing you know, you've heard the final chords of "Hold Your Money Well." My
other gripe is the occasional sound of one of those Green-Day-we're-not-from-England-but-we-sometimes-sound-like-it
accents. It simply comes down to quality over quantity. The Talk offers a
solid sophomore performance that ensures more good things to come. Most bands
are lucky to put out one solid album, but in a short span of nine months,
The Talk has already released two.
— Jeffrey Hahne
Univ.
Of Alabama/Birmingham Review
The
Talk produces amazingly magical CD
Vincent Cusimano
Staff Writer
April 27, 2004
Un-F#$%'N-believable. That's probably the best description of The Talk's
new album. What they have done is seamlessly blend four decades of
the most unlikely music together and form it into their own…masterpiece.
The album, "It's Like Magic in Reverse", shows elements of
The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Green Day, Kings of Leon, and the list goes
on and on. Track one, "Imaginary Lines", bursts on the scene
and takes the listener by storm. The percussionist's energy and talent
on this track, not to mention the entire friggin' album, is abundantly present.
It's hard to imagine what this band would sound like with any other
drummer. Track two carries on where track one left off…blowing
everyone's mind. Then, like Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind",
track three blows in and cools everything off. The name of the song,
ironically, is "Good Songs". And what a good song it is. This
is by far my favorite and certainly a lot of other people's too. "Good
Songs" comes the closest to capturing the essence of The Beatles through
the glistening vocals and the harmonic church bells used on the chorus. The
rest of the album just takes off after that. There's no reason in giving
away too much more because I might ruin the fun of discovering this album
for any man, woman, or child who values music as an evolution and not some
mound of processed meat. As far as the musicians who make up The Talk…talented
is no where near good enough of a word for these boys. Spectacularly
talented might be closer, but still not quite. Justin Williams' vocals
sound like the most even and complete mixture of Johnny Rotten(Sex Pistols)
and John Lennon that could ever be produced. It's most prevalent in
track three. Scott Werner and C.R. Poole provide the flames of this
forest fire of rock throughout the entire album and never let it die.
They somehow make the passion in this music grow and expand for thirteen songs.
Yes, the album only has twelve songs listed, so guess what that means.
Finally, the fuel that is provided for the fire comes from one man.
Jeremy Holcomb, maybe the greatest drummer who has ever lived. Okay,
probably not the greatest…at least not yet. Holcomb is a pipe
bomb, exploding everywhere and leaving no survivors. His talent is
far too reaching and uncontrollable. Only one image came to mind when
listening to Holcomb on the album…Keith Moon. It's been a long
time since I was this excited about the new stuff coming out. The Talk
will certainly be the talk of town in a short time and I, for one, consider
myself privileged to have been able to be one of the first to hear them.
They are extraordinarily talented, brilliant, and…Un-F#$%'N-believable!
Birmingham Post Herald
The
Talk
"It's Like Magic in Reverse . . ."
With a sound like Cheap Trick playing speed metal, The Talk manages to revive
all the musically cool things about the 1980s on its latest CD, "It's
Like Magic In Reverse." The band writes songs that pay homage to the
founding fathers of punk, as well as modern day acts like Green Day. And they
blaze through each of these 12 tracks with non-stop, full-tilt abandon. Even
their musical interludes are fast-paced, and the arrangements have an upbeat
energy in the spirit of bands like The Ramones and Bad Religion. The Talk's
lead singer and guitarist Justin Williams and drummer Jeremy Holcomb can usually
be found at the skateboard park when they're not playing. And their love of
speed combined with skill translates well into their musical performance.
Their first CD, "No, You Shut Up!" was recorded in an amazing 24
hours. It included 10 tracks intended as a demo, but caught the attention
of producer Chuck Morrison. He used their song "Valentine's Day"
for the MoRisen Records' "Underground Radio: Volume High" compilation
and signed them to label. Producer Mike Mogis (Azure Ray, The Faint) decided
to stick with a proven formula on "It's Like Magic in Reverse,"
steering away from a sterile studio sound. Instead, the CD captures the rare,
wonderful feel of a live band warming up, building momentum, and frantically
giving their all to rock'n' roll. "Good Songs" is the most pop-sounding
track in this collection, with an infectious chorus propelled forward by hammering
drum rolls. The lyrics are well-written as well, with lines like "Every
tone/ It's like a family member's place in a photo." The last track "Hold
Your Money Well," is a more complex piece of music, but executed with
professional enthusiasm. The song is a commentary on society, and includes
the words, "These TV screens/ are missionaries to our teens/ No discussion/
Just a talking box/ And the truth of it/ This is all just one big mess/ Every
opinion/ Is just a guess."
— Sonja Franks
Metrotimes Detroit
The
Talk
"It's Like Magic in Reverse . . ."
How a band that’s smart enough to have such a great name can also be
dumb enough to have such a lousy album title is beyond me. Have we really
slunk so slow in the creativity department that today’s pop bands have
to resort to naming their records after inverted lyrics from old Queen songs
(1986’s “A Kind of Magic”)? I mean, what’s next? Manslaughtering
King? Aren’t We Contrary Losers? Fortunately for the Talk, you can’t
judge an album by its title and this one just happens to have enough of the
right ingredients in place to quite possibly make you believe in the power
of pop again. Now these talkers may sound like some kinda new mix of the Buzzcocks
and the Vibrators, but they’ve got a lot more sonic tricks up their
sleeves. Just imagine if there had been tubular bells on “Orgasm Addict”
and you might get the picture. From the chunky Mott-meets-Ramones attitude
of “Imaginary Lines” to the cascading velvet mosh pit of “Sucks
Just To Feel” to the shimmering go-go rhythms of the aptly-named “Good
Songs,” you should give this disc a chance because after a few plays
you’ll have it involuntarily committed to memory before you know it.
Then, just when you think it’s all over, a hidden track pops up that
sounds like classic Lennon and McCartney wailing away on acoustics, as received
out of the ether on a short wave radio. And while they’re not yet as
good as the Everyothers in the ’70s nostalgia sweepstakes, they’re
coming ’round the clubhouse turn with a full head of steam under the
hood and a blinkered eye on the finish line. So get yer yak-yaks out because
the Talk rock the rock, and they know that second place is first loser.
killthenoise.net
The talk's 2nd full length is one of those records that's impossible not
to like. playing pop songs at dangerous punk rock speeds, this north carolina
band have a sheer vibrancy likely to force smiles on the most shitty of days.
the melodic and upbeat sound of opener 'imaginary lines' sets the pace for
the album, which never slows for a second during the 12 tracks on here. the
songs are kept short and sweet, and put out the kind of super-positive vibes
that andrew wk specialises in. their abundance of energy is also seemingly
matched by their creativity - there is just a 9 month gap between this and
their previous album "no, you shut up!". aside the obvious pop generalisation,
the talk's sound could also be placed in the indie rock genre. the songs often
brush on a melodic punk-indie sound ('hold your money well'), and strangely
enough at these times they are reminiscent of desaparecidos. that is, it's
weird up until you find out that saddle creek's mike mogis produces. so multiply
desaparecidos by 3 times the speed, add 50% sugary poppyness, and you may
be able to imagine the bouncy noise the talk generate (oh, make sure you add
splattering of frantic synths and a certain retro feel too). cheerfulness
in the guise of catchy rock/pop songs delivered at breakneck speeds - if there
were such a thing as "anti-frown" music then this would be it.
matt b
Relish
If you like: The Buzzcocks, Robyn Hitchcock
Song to download: "The Worst Chest Pains"
The members of The Talk live in Charlotte, but the band makes music that
has much in common with the best British bash 'n' pop of the late 1970s.
Not to insinuate that the band performs with faux Cockney accents or any
such pretentious hornswoggle. Rather, the band's songs are intelligent and
propelled in a way that is agreeably loud, fast and snotty in a manner common
to the British. Such songs as "Good Songs," "The Worst Chest Pains" or
"The Ties Everlasting" boast the sort of hyper-melodic hooks common
to power-pop, but these songs, and others, are delivered at high speed with
roaring guitars, forcing vocals to push to be heard. Pop in form, punkish
in delivery, this disc draws from a variety of influences, flaunts none, and
comes dangerously close to creating a sound it can call its own. Nothing is
overproduced, amazing considering the amount of incidental noise and trickery
that is introduced to virtually each song as it speeds by. Great songs, cool
performance ? man, it's good to hear that loud, fast and hummable music can
again rule with confidence. • Ed Bumgardner
relish staff writer
ESP
By Jaysen Buterin
Stories are an integral — and often legendary, if not lucrative
— ingredient in the rock and roll equation, with some becoming urban
legends and others becoming the legendary urbane. Most bands often have a
compendium of twisted tales involving (but not limited to) the timeless tawdry
trio of sex, drugs, and/ or rock and roll. One such narrative went the opposite
way on the decadence scale when The Talk booked and promoted their own cross-country
tour. They had to rent a van and because venturing across the Mighty Mississippi
River would double the rental rate, the band told a little white lie to the
rental company when they said that they were a church group just heading to
Memphis to perform. Upon returning the van with a few extra miles (give or
take 7,000) on it, they told the rental company that the church event was
so successful that they asked the band to come back several times and they
felt obliged to do so. Call it what you will — divine intervention,
or perhaps rock and roll recidivism — but the rental company didn’t
seem to mind, nor did the legions of fans and followers that Charlotte’s
own rising stars, The Talk, acquired on their last tour. Now with a new album
just moments away from release from MoRisen Records, another cross-country
tour lined-up, and hopefully a new van (sans the cardinal sin), The Talk will
bring their punk-laced melodic brand of pop-rock back to the Triad when they
take the stage of Ace’s Basement in Greensboro on Wednesday, April 28,
(along with special guests Alli with an I, Candor, and Guff) for a hump-day
evening of musical mayhem from the MoRisen mischief makers. Like their fast-paced
songs, The Talk have progressed at breakneck speed since forming in December
of 2001, with a musical style that would encompass all that is good of ’70s
punk, ’60s pop, and late ’80s/early ’90s indie rock. The
Talk, who consist of Justin Williams (vocals, guitar), Scott Werner (lead
guitar), C.R. Poole (bass), and Jeremy Hollcomb (drums), decided not to waste
any time, and recorded a wicked debut album, No, You Shut Up!, in 2002 with
their own money in just under 24 hours, with the intention of using it as
a demo to send to clubs to book gigs. In reality it was 10 tracks of sugary-sweet-punk-coated,
back-to-basics rock and roll loaded with hot-wired guitar riffs and a blistering
backbeat that would be outshined only by their insanely infectious melodies
and keen lyrics. While their debut album is still climbing college radio charts
across the land, The Talk have been revving up for the release of their second
album, It’s Like Magic in Reverse, due out on April 20, just nine months
after their debut’s premiere. Powerfully proving that the band’s
first outing wasn’t a fluke, It’s Like Magic... channels the kind
of trailblazing rock and roll spirit that strikes with breathless abandon.
Tracks such as “Good Songs,” “Hold Your Money Well,”
or the album’s raucous opener, “Imaginary Lines,” have all
of the invigorating rowdiness of the best of the ’80s combined with
a knack for songwriting soulfulness, a full-on rock and roll blitz of sheer
exuberance completely void of excess that will shine through at Ace’s
Basement on Wednesday, April 28, when The Talk comes to town to tell another
story.
Creative
Loafing
"IT'S LIKE MAGIC IN REVERSE" (MORISEN RECORDS)
With some 80 minutes of CD time available to a musician
these days, it's always somewhat refreshing to get a briskly paced record you
can be in and out of in under the time it takes to watch a King of the Hill rerun.
After all, canvases come in different sizes, as do written works -- the short
story, the novella, the novel. It's Like Magic in Reverse, the sophomore
release by The Talk, clocks in at a mere 26 minutes for 12 songs. This is low-carb
rock at its finest: no fat, no long instrumental interludes, and lots of meaty
hooks to satisfy one's bloodlust. Singer/guitarist Justin Williams' Anglo-fied
delivery is often placed back in producer Mike Mogis' (Bright Eyes, The Faint)
wall-of-noise mix, but the lyrical candor -- coupled with a refreshing lack of
woe-is-me histrionics -- simultaneously skewers any Emo association with Mogis'
Nebraska/Saddle Creek clique while also one-upping anything Cheap Trick (another
frequent comparison) has done in the last 20 years or so ("The Flame," anyone?). Never
does the instrumental maelstrom overshadow the song, however, making this record
a quantum leap up from their last (but still rather good) release, No, You Shut
Up. To paraphrase James Brown, this Talk might be loud, but they're also saying
something. (www.the-talk.com)
Grade: A --Timothy C. Davis
Amplifier
(Issue 42 / May-June 2004)
"IT'S
LIKE MAGIC IN REVERSE" (MORISEN RECORDS)
Although It’s Like Magic
in Reverse is The Talk’s second album, in many ways if feels like their
first. The band’s 2003 debut, No, You Shut Up!, was recorded
fast and cheap as a demo to attract bookings and inadvertently became their
first album. For Magic, the Charlotte, NC quartet traveled to Lincoln,
Nebraska to record with Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Cursive) and the sonic difference
is palpable. Mogis wisely chose not to mess with The Talk’s breathlessly
propulsive pop/punk approach (these 12 tracks clock in at less than 26 minutes). The
Talk’s basic dynamic remains intact, with Magic once again offering
the band’s love of classic ‘60s/’70s pop with their obvious
allegiance to indie punk of the ‘80s/’90s, like a breakneck blend
of Cheap Trick (“Hold Your Money Well”) and the Circle Jerks
(“Sucks Just to Feel”). The Talk rock with purpose while
retaining the distinctive buzz of fun that should always accompany pop and
punk.
-Brian Baker
On
Tap
"IT'S
LIKE MAGIC IN REVERSE" (MORISEN RECORDS)
Big things are afoot for
Charlotte, North Carolina's The Talk. Their second MoRisen recording, It's
Like Magic in Reverse, has the kind of punkish energy that keeps them on
the indie charts but retains a melodic sense that keeps you humming along.
Singer Justin Williams sounds like Robin Zander on speed, but in a good way
(and with better lyrics) on catchy pop songs like "Good Songs," "Hold
Your Money Well" and "The Worst Chest Pains." The guys know
how to play guitar rock and bash the power chords accordingly, but the rhythm
section really lifts these arrangements and keeps the energy up. Pop songs
are the highlights but the lads also show their skills with some less accessible
but more interesting syncopated nuggets like "My Isolation Skills." Mike
Mogis' production brings out the natural grit of theses songs while adding
some necessary polish. The vocal treatments and jittery synth touches are
a little distracting at times but overall the disc succeeds as a memorable
energetic pop collection. It's just "indie" enough to stay interesting
while catchy enough to make a strong impression on rock radio, a combination
that should keep them on the radar for the foreseeable future. -Jeff Jones
Aversion.com
"IT'S LIKE
MAGIC IN REVERSE" (MORISEN RECORDS)
There’s always something
endearing about a band that throws out all formulas and preconceptions in
an effort to just bust down the doors and rock out without having to fool
around with anybody’s scene. The Talk’s It’s Like Magic
in Here does just that. It forgets everything it ever learned about punk
to and buzz with a four-on-the-floor energy that’s part spazzed out
indie rock. Taking cues from The Thermals’ high-energy, lo-fi assault,
the mad-hornet guitars of The Buzzcocks and The Posies’ and Nirvana’s
ear for melody, It’s Like Magic in Reverse snaps with the rare combination
of all-or-nothing conviction, an ear for the unconventional and a reliance
on rugged individualism that even Herbert Hoover could appreciate. While
not startlingly innovative or imaginative, The Talk’s spazzed-out pop
punk nonetheless wins simply on the basis of its uncontrollable enthusiasm
for what it does.
Many a punk neophyte’s attempted to win the world over only on the merits
of enthusiasm and failed with miserable three-chord equivalents of a colonoscopy.
What sets The Talk apart from those bands is it has the talent to make its enthusiasm
work for it. Songs blast along with over-amplified guitars, grainy vocals and
a “finish the song before the neighbors call the cops” vitality that’s
so wonderfully rambunctious, it might be tough to pin down the band’s chops.
They’re there, however. While the lo-fi production of “Sucks Just
to Feel” makes its lyrics as hard to understand as an underwater opera,
there’s no mistaking a vocal melody that’s stickier than bubblegum
on hot asphalt. The song’s densely packed guitars and bass, along with
the additional synth melodies, make for a tune that has all of pop’s charms
without any of its condescending simplicity. The sharp, harping guitar tones
in “My Isolation Drills” suggest indie pop, but the band knocks the
hell out of its instruments with punk abandon in a wild free-for-all. “The
Worst Chest Pains,” although hampered with a clumsy synth-pop hook, bangs
and clangs with all the noisy exuberance of three-chord rock but leaves its snotty
grin in its teenage past. Heck, “Ribbons They Tear Right in Two” could
sound like an off-the-rack pop-punk sleeper if clumsily produced. Instead, it
explodes with Thermals-esque noise. The Talk makes the pack of pop-punk acts
look like a bunch of chumps with It’s Like Magic in Reverse, because it
ignores every pop-punk convention in the book. The band purposely keeps production
values low, buries melodies under a swath of distortion instead of putting them
on a pedestal, and it shows little, if any, concern for the Vagrant, Fat Wreck
and Drive Thru honor rolls. More of a noisy tangent to the genre than a true
addition to it, It’s Like Magic explodes with the freewheeling ease of
the long forgotten days of Spiral Scratch and Milo Goes to College.- Matt Schild
Charleston
Post & Courier
"IT'S
LIKE MAGIC IN REVERSE" (MORISEN RECORDS)
It would be easy to dismiss the Charlotte-based band The Talk as just another
snotty punk band, except for the fact that these guys have a distinct talent
for crafting a catchy (albeit angry and edgy) melody. Sounding more like something
from the deepest, darkest reaches of New York City's punk scene, The Talk recorded
its 2002 debut, "No, You Shut Up!" in just 24 hours. The band originally
planned to use the CD to book gigs in the Southeast, but then the CD fell into
the hands of the head of MoRisen Records, and the label ended up signing the
band in less than a year. Now comes The Talk's follow up recording, "It's
Like Magic in Reverse," which, in addition to featuring one of the year's
best album titles, proves that the band's first outing wasn't a fluke. Picture
a sound that is equal parts The Strokes and Cheap Trick, with a punk edge that
punches up both of those acts. The result is rapid-fire songs such as "Imaginary
Lines," "My Isolation Drills" and "Ribbons (They Tear Right
In Two)" that average about two-minutes apiece. Probably the catchiest tune
on the CD is the appropriately titled "Good Songs," which makes the
most of singer-guitarist Justin Williams' mock-British punk delivery. This is
definitely a band to check out if you are into no-nonsense yet catchy punk albums that clock in at under a half-hour. (B+)
Indie-music.com
"No,
You Shut Up" (MORISEN RECORDS)
By Genevieve Will
So I listened to The Talk’s new album No, You Shut Up on Valentine’s
Day. And then I listened to it again. And again and again. And if you develop
a growing pit of dread in your stomach nearing the Big V-Day, nausea rolls over
your body and you randomly explode into tears/ violent hatred toward all mankind,
you would have this album on eternal repeat as well. With an original rock-pop-punk
sound outside the syrupy tradition the genre has become, The Talk resurrect the
old-skool punk sound, append a pleasant catchiness and then pour on the dissed-in-love
lyrics of The Cure. The appropriateness of the track titled “Valentine’s
Day” was not lost on me either, and as I considered the many merits of
this album, I could only wonder if Cupid was taking aim with one of his more
bittersweet arrows on this Hallmark holiday. The song truly raises some questions
about social constructs such as holidays and human nature when it pleads “All
I want is a Valentine/ One damn card and a peach is fine.” Enough delving
into useless philosophies…back to the band. Citing 70’s punk, 80’s
pop and 90’s indie-rock as influences, I’d say the band does well
staying true to its roots. Justin Williams’ vocals could not be more flawlessly
ideal for The Talk’s sound and subject matter. Strong but simultaneously
slightly pitiful, his voice emotes a response from the listener solidly corresponding
to the lyrics themselves, not to mention his guitar playing. And for all talk
of bad breakups and bad relationships on their website, band members Scott Werner,
guitar; Jeremy Holcomb, drums; and CR Poole, bass apparently work well enough
with others to achieve a concrete blend surprising to the time they’ve
been together. Although “Valentine’s Day” (their current single)
does hold a special place in my heart, I can’t help but mention “Ammunition
for a Love” and “Fine Miserable Day.” The first confesses its
mutual affection for and hate of love itself, while the second, fitting, given
the title, is overtly grouchy. Talk The Talk even if you can’t walk the
walk.
THIRTYFOURTH STREET MAGAZINE
Hello, Is Anyone There?
The Talk talks to Street
By James Schneider
January 22, 2004
Frontman Justin Williams, who has "been playing in bands since [he] was
14, traveling since [he] was 15," joined The Talk about two years ago. The
26-year-old Williams always wanted to be a skateboarder and was sponsored at
a young age, but "let it go" when he started drinking too heavily.
Now, "pretty much sober," Justin is focused on playing better music
and growing with each album.
The Talk's version of punk-laced rock combines infectiously poppy melodies with
an indie rock sensibility. While not consciously emulating other bands' styles,
Williams admits to being strongly influenced by '80s and '90s indie rock such
as Dinosaur Jr., Guided by Voices, Superchunk and Archers of Loaf -- several
of which originated in North Carolina, Williams' hometown.
No, You Shut Up -- essentially a demo recorded in order to "get shows" and
released as an album in 2003 -- encompassed all of the band's material to date
at the time. Chuck Morrison, the owner of MoRisen records, heard promise in the
band's material and felt compelled to release it, though Williams maintains "I
never thought we were gonna do anything with that [album]." The blistering "Valentine's
Day" has garnered some local airplay, but the band's -- and Williams' --
focus is on the future.
Williams is currently looking to add production for a poppier feel with his forthcoming
release It's Like Magic In Reverse - thanks to Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo
Kiley, Azure Ray). "It's not so raw. It's a little more produced. It's a
little punk rock; it's a little indie rock, with weird keyboard noises." He's
also committed to smarter lyrics. While the first album features a song about
killing a hooker, the new release weighs in on more pertinent issues: "We're
in the middle of space and we don't have any idea what we're doing here. Just
stupid stuff like that." He explains, "As little as something like
falling in love with somebody is, it can improve or ruin your life at the same
time, you know."
He respects the perseverance of bands that keep making music, despite never making
it big. "Ultimately, I'd like to be a support act for [a band] maybe a little
bit bigger that I like... maybe do five shows with Guided By Voices....I know
that's huge, but I just want to play with some people I like." Later he
says, "It's better to just put out records and record what you like to record
and play shows, and if people like your shows they'll buy your record." In
front of an audience of anywhere between 3 to 400 girls, he's paying his rent
with music and skateboarding whenever he can.
FROM
FMQB
Friday Morning Quarterback -Radio First
Nov. 6, '03
Submodern Buzz
This week we examine a little known group from Charlotte, North Carolina, that
promises to grab the attention of music gurus across the country. The Talk have
stormed their way onto the FMQB charts, and for that we are impressed. What’s
even more impressing is their 12-track debut album No, You Shut Up!. This album
is a testament to straight-up Rock laced with Punk ... enough Punk to wire even
the most discerning fans. Take the fast-paced guitar riffs and add in the energetic
melodies and lyrics that we have come to expect from such legends as The Ramones
or Rancid and what you some out with is something to talk about. Listen to the
album before you know its history and you will be even more impressed. Rumor
has it that the entire disc was recorded in less than 24 hours. For the quartet
from Carolina, that means the music is pure. "To me, doing it in one day
gave it more legitimacy," says vocalist Justin Williams on the band’s
web site. "It’s 100% guts with no bells and whistles…just straight
from the heart rock ‘n’ roll." Want proof? "Valentine’s
Day," an FMQB panel favorite, fits into everything we’ve talked about
(oh, and its just 1:18 long). The rest of the album is fast-paced as well, but
you will always find a dozen reasons to listen again and again. Make sure you
take a peak at their space www.the-talk.com ... and while you’re connected
check out www.morisen.com too!
~Drew Kondylas
The
Johns Hopkins Newsletter
New Vibrations
The Talk -- No, You Shut Up! Morisen Records Aug. 26, 2003
By John Lichtefeld
November 07, 2003
On The Talk's Web site their bio describes their music as "tastefully
fast." It's hard not to agree that the Charlotte, NC group's debut "No,
You Shut Up!" is fast, with 10 full songs in the miniscule total time
of 25:35. However, within this relatively short record, The Talk establish
themselves as the progeny of the UK class of '77 (i.e. The Buzzcocks, The
Clash etc.) Eschewing the Buzzcocks' flair for a tightly written punk song
with pop sensibilities and the Ramones' speed, the Talk have the ingredients
for one hell of a band. Unfortunately, this album never fully pays off. It
does have some great stand out tracks, like the single "Valentine's Day"
and my personal favorite "All I Do is Love" especially, but as a
whole the album doesn't quite hold up to the greatness of its influences.
This is partly due to the shortness of the album but musically as well, there
are minor tendencies to stray into pop punk and "alt rock" territory
that kill a lot of the power found within the strict "77 style" songs.
Ignoring those pesky little attempts to garner a mainstream audience, and
they are few, this album is of quality. The musicians are all talented, particularly
the drummer Hollcomb whose heavy beats are the driving force behind the band's
best songs. With this offering, the Talk bleed '77 punk but keep their love
of good melody at heart; quite nice for a debut.