Poverty Level
Willmore City
© 2003 Howard Whitright/Norina Predisik (881027400123)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
Traditional and Loud: mostly acoustic, multi-instrumental, strong rhythm, good rhyme.
tracks
- 1 Willmore Wipeout
- 2 Aquaman
- 3 Brand New Day
- 4 Dr. Thompson
- 5 I, Rodan
- 6 Dead Brother
- 7 Beneath Me
- 8 Take it Back
- 9 Thunder
- 10 Don't Want to Be Like That
- 11 Devil Boy
- 12 For the Life of Me
- 13 Smiting God
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notes
Poverty Level (now known as "Good Citizen") is a rhythm-based, pop trio from Long Beach, CA. They have been compared to Elvis Costello, X, and Richard Thompson.
Veterans at blending voice and instrument, Poverty Level has been writing, singing, and playing together for 19 years in various incarnations. Gene Whitright plays upright and electric bass, banjo, dulcimer, and sings. Dina Predisik plays guitar, accordion, piano, and sings. Carrie Coleman play Saxophone, tin whistle and sings. They explore paranoia, frustration, lust, politics and their intermingling and subsequent separation.
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Review from OC Weekly
June 27, 2003
Review by Chris Ziegler
There's a place musicians go when they've been around; too bad there's hardly any drummers there. But Long Beach duo Poverty Level can do without, plucking out minimal acoustic guy-on-bass/girl-on-guitar pop that's as refined as one of those top-shelf bottles of whiskey.
They like Elvis Costello and X and show it. Fortunately or no, bassist Gene Whitright has a voice that dips from a strident Costello to a twitchy David Thomas of Pere Ubu fame ("I Don't Want to Be Like That" sits down on the happy side of "Sentimental Journey" or "Humor Me") or Frank Black to -- and we hate to say it but we know the masses need a reference -- Tenacious D's Jack Black. But unlike Tenacious D, Poverty Level makes real music that's funny to your brain, not just your bonghole.
Songs like "I, Rodan" or "Dr. Thompson" might be portraits of people hanging by their fingertips, but it's still precariously hilarious -- who knew your drab, frustrating life had so much in common with a movie monster? And penultimate "For the Life of Me" shuffles together the Blue Orchids post-industrial (the society, not the genre) blahs with Camper Van Beethoven's bleary-eyed kind of blues. "Underground music is the new disco, quiet is NOT the new loud, kiss my ass I'm going out for a smoke, it's the last real vice I have left," sings Gene. One day we'll be that dignified!
reviews
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- author: angela
This is one of the few cds that I like to keep on me at all times. Songs like "I, Rodan" and "Devil Boy" stay with you for days. I often find myself craving the music. Willmore City is a great blend of rock, folk, pop, and clever song writing. I look forward to future releases from this duo.
1UP
author: staticmerryThe most interesting and addictive sound I have heard in a time
Power Pop Duo revisits Surf City and California Dreamin'!
author: Macready LawesPower pop with a punch! Shrewd lyrics explore and subvert several flavors of urban angst, while this inventive duo crafts a range of rock and folk-tinged soundscapes. Willmore City is the original name of Long Beach, California, and these sun-baked vignettes capture what's left of both Surf City (as in the Dick Dale-inspired "Willmore Wipeout," escapist "Aquaman," and wistful "Dead Brother") and California Dreamin' (the biting "Brand New Day" and savage gospel of "Thunder"). If Raymond Chandler and Richard Thompson had ever collaborated (with Philip Marlowe alternating on rhythm guitar and dulcimer), the results wouldn't have been stronger than this. One standout is "Beneath Me"--an unsentimental, genuinely uplifting expression of resolve in the face of deprivation and fear. These Mean Streets are made for dancin'!