Zip Records Delivers the Rock World!

You’ve heard it before, the rock sound coming from the artists on Zip Records. However, what is compelling is that the rock sound is coming from around the world. It’s like going to Coca-Cola World in Atlanta, tasting the Coke from other places in the world. It’s all called Coca-Cola, but the formula subtly changes to suit the tastes of certain countries. Zip Records lets you step up to the drink dispenser to taste rock in its subtle variations around the world.


Garage Rock: The Chevelles, Sunbleached EP
We begin down under in Australia. The Chevelles present bright, fast-acting rock. There’s a jangle reminiscent of the Gin Blossoms, a few guitar slides like the 80’s Minneapolis scene (Husker Du, the Replacements), and the vocal harmonies of Teenage Fanclub. Being in the Gin Blossoms’ proximity in the Spectrum puts them near the Goo Goo Dolls as well—recalling Goo Goo’s acoustic-strumming jams.


English Rock: Viva Brown, The Nowhere Land
Think sunny, 60’s pop rock, except it isn’t from California. Viva Brown in the midst of torn apart Yugoslavia spins out tunes that would seem to accompany those car commercials featuring some little European model drive through the twisting European mountains by some little European model with a scarf wrapped around her neck flying in the breeze. In the company of the Housemartins, the Blue Aeroplanes, the Free French, and Spearmint, Viva Brown takes up residence in the English Rock section. Known as Eva Braun in Yugoslavia (Viva Brown is a U.S. moniker), their EP The Nowhere Land recorded in 1999 (4 songs in English, 1 in their native tongue) has a probing title, perhaps referring to the troubles in their own land, but the music style and lyrics have a casualness not hinted at by the album title. Perhaps this is one reminder that even in a nowhere land of war that there is still love, fun, trivia, and pop music.


English Rock: Dorian Gray, The Sounds of Dorian Gray: There is a Light single
The opening of “There is a Light” swings like a Jesse Harris, Jazz-influenced Rock tune, but a full rock chorus crashes right through that. Given the 3-song snapshot on the single from Dorian Gray’s full length album, The Sounds of Dorian Gray, there are plenty of brooding hooks from this Swedish band. “The Only Way She Knows” has that Oasis feeling where the song could either be a barroom rocker or a heart-revealing anthem. The rock sound that comes through, even on the mellower tune “Wasted,” is definitely Oasis.


Folk-influenced IRE/UK Rock: Per Bergkvist & the Sourgrapes, Decidely Mellow
It’s tempting to put Swede Per Bergkvist’s solo album in the Spectrum near fellow Scandinavians a-ha, but there’s little motivation for that except geography. The Church’s Marty Willson-Piper’s solo album, Art Attack, comes to mind, because it originated in Stockholm. However, Bergkvist turns in a much less experimental collection than Wilson-Piper. While the music isn’t similar, Marty Willson-Piper probably came to mind, because you can sense that Decidely Mellow is Bergkvist’s chance to explore territory separate from the Virtues.

Therefore, aside from similarities to the Waiting (American Band Rock) on “Sunshine Stories,” there’s mainly a Folk-influenced IRE/UK Rock sound coming through Decidely Mellow—a step beyond Duncan Sheik and American Music Club in being a little more pop, next to Cerveris without so many changes in direction, near Teenage Fanclub for the more rockier “singles” on the album, not far from the Byrds epicenter without the tight harmonies.

Definitely this is another way to hear the world through the common language of rock, Bergkvist’s Sweden painting these songs blueprinted in the tradition of Britain and America, built with personalized, finishing touches in Stockholm. (Courtesy of Crying Bob Records)


English Rock: The Virtues, Ruminate
Turn now to Bergkvist’s main outfit, the Virtues, which is still drenched with Bergkvist’s voice which is at once similar to Cerveris’ while also at times opening up to a throatiness reminiscent of Bowie or Richard Butler from the Psychedelic Furs. The Virtues mainly keep up the more pop rock side of Bergkvist’s solo work. A step back from Bowie, Kim Fowley, and the Furs in the Spectrum are the Kinks. The Virtues’ “Matchday” could be 60’s Kinks reappearing—upbeat, ready to tear something down, tight pop, doubled-vocals. While I still think the Virtues could also fit near Teenage Fanclub, putting them next to the Kinks, near the Glam Rock subsection, recognizes the power pop song. The Kinks threatened to bust out of the pop song with blistering guitar distortion, gender-bending, and electric energy. Glam Rock mainly tapped into the gender-bending, while also pushing the pop song through twists and turns, never quite landing in the same sound style. The Virtues take the power pop song with less threats to burst beyond it, but there’s certainly energy, freedom, and a “come join me on this stampede” attitude.


Garage Rock: Thirst, From Mouth to Skin
Finally, pull open a garage in Portsmouth, UK, to find a band jamming out with rockers to put them in the company of Mother May I. Tracks like “Kissing Mr. Easy” and “Collapse” speed down the street without losing control of the songcraft. Here they’re just a few driveways down the alley from the more skater thrash of the Rosenbergs, Relient K, or Deathray. The other way down the alley brings you to the loading docks of the Goo Goo Dolls, Soul Asylum, and the Replacements, heard in the ability to pull out a country-influenced, slower tempo song from the more chaotic rock, as on “Silly Astronaut.” Flinging themselves further out, “State of High Piss Off” actually grooves with funk while also bouncing back to an even harder-edged sound. This bouncing groove-to-metal song structure perfected by Jane’s Addiction. “High Piss Off” also has little hints of the Doors’ improvisational breaks—sputtering and testing the song’s boundaries before landing back into the full speed attack. That’s a lot to find in a garage, but Thirst isn’t afraid to take you riding in their Volkswagon Beetle-turned-Ford Econoline-turned-Chevy Camaro-turned-woody station wagon-turned-double-decker bus. Thirst’s sound reminds me of a crammed full compact car, a broken down van, a California hot rod, dad’s old car, and dragging amps onto public transportation.

Thanks to Zip Records for the review copies.