Updated February 19, 2002

Chitlin' Fooks
Chitlin' Fooks
(Hidden Agenda) Records

Here’s the idea: You take two songwriters from poppy European groups, sit them in a room with a bunch of Hank Williams and Flying Burrito Brothers records, and see what happens. The result might surprise you. Carol Van Dyk is best known for her sugary-sweet melodies in the Swedish band Bettie Serveert, while bandmate Pascal Deweze hails from the Belgian band Sukilov. And by the sounds of their self-titled album Chitlin’ Fooks, you’d never know they were reared in the land of darkness and weinerschnitzels. Their self-titled album is an earnest homage to American country music, complete with a Jimmie Rodgers tune and a fashionable Gram Parsons cover thrown in to boot. The craftsmanship imbued on this record is something to take note of, while their knack for melodies survives the crossover from pop to country.

Chitlin’ Fooks doesn’t sound quite like vintage era country music, but it doesn’t sound like the pap that passes on the "new" country stations either. In songs like "The Battle", Chitlin’ Fooks creates a duet that is reminiscent of George Jones and Tammy Wynette—but makes it endlessly more palatable. On other songs, like "Mother’s Last Words to Her Son," they break down country to its awkward best. Indeed, Van Dyke and Deweze are a far cry from what they created in their respective bands, and have moved capably into another genre. The closest comparison would be to the alt.country starlet Neko Case, who has mastered the sound and the sorrow of classic country.

But while Chitlin’ Fooks may have got the sound down, they’re missing the sorrow. It’s no secret that country is similar to the blues, in that, it’s as much about feeling as it is about playing. Chitlin’ Fooks may be a little short on the emotional aspect of country music, but their melodies and musicianship do everything they can to make up for it. If you like classic country at all, this is a contemporary album you can’t miss. And if you don’t like country, this is the type of album that could win you over despite your strongest efforts.

Rating: 7

– Tom Scharpf

Bill Janovitz
Up Here
(Spin Art)

Bill Janovitz may not be the first name to spring to mind when you consider the alternative rock scene of the early to mid-90s. But as the primary singer and songwriter for the post-punk outfit Buffalo Tom, Janovitz has more than a small share of responsibility for the success of the genre. While his lyrics were not always intelligible, his passion and energy was almost impossible to miss. As a result, Buffalo Tom produced three of the most consistently pleasing records of the mid-90s, not to mention one or two of the decades most ubiquitous alternative songs. They combined energy, melody, and out and out volume to create a sound that was both accessible and powerful. Whenever the bombast threatened many of Buffalo Tom’s songs to end up sounding the same, Janovitz was always there to shift the mood with one of his haunting ballads such as "Taillights Fade" or "I’m Allowed".

In the past few years, Janovitz even noodled with the singer-songwriter genre, with mixed results. When he attempted this type of material on Buffalo Tom’s last album, Smitten, the product came off as a bit too schmaltzy for a band that was known for its aggressive power pop. In his first solo album, Lonesome Billy, Janovitz had a bit more success. There were glimpses of his potential, but an equal number of maudlin relapses as he attempted to draw the line between the genuinely sincere and the overtly sentimental.

On Up Here, Janovitz has just about straddled that line. His voice may be an acquired taste to some, but this album is hard not to like. The production is as bare-bones as it gets, with most of the songs being recorded in Janovitz’s basement. The mood created by this organic approach is set out immediately, and doesn’t let up until the last track of the album. Between the gruffness of his voice, and the production of the songs, the record is at times reminiscent of early Springsteen; with Janovitz pulling off a sort of Nebraska for love songs.

Even the subject matter has matured from Janovitz’s Buffalo Tom days, which is to say, the listener can discern what the subject matter actually is. On Up Here, Janovitz covers such topics as marriage and fatherhood as ably and maturely as they can be tackled. Sure, Janovitz stumbles a little bit over that line of sentimentality from time to time. But it’s refreshing to see that there are still artists who are willing to walk that tightrope. While a few lyrics seem like they could have used a second draft, there are others that couldn’t have been done better. To put out a batch of sincere songs, on an acoustic guitar, in this musical landscape takes courage. And Janovitz’s courage is rewarded in spades. You'll find it just as rewarding.

Rating: 8

– Tom Scharpf

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