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Sound Off

Devin Grant, Special to The Post and Courier.

Milhouse

"A Collection Of Rare Birds"

(Independent)

Listening to "Sliding Doors," the leadoff track on the new EP by local band Milhouse, one gets the feeling that the writing and recording process for the CD took the band members to some interesting places creatively. The airy song sounds like a combination of Jars of Clay, Duncan Sheik and something else unidentifiable, and it sets a nice mood for the music that follows.

"Better Off" features some lovely cello parts courtesy of Lonnie Root, while the somber "So Long Farewell" showcases the power of Matthew Herring's vocals. "Gold Dust" is also particularly pretty. It is actually a shame this collection of songs is only EP sized, because all too soon it is over, and the listener is left wishing for at least a couple more lovely tunes such as the six that come to life on "A Collection of Rare Birds."

Check out the music of Milhouse for yourself Friday night as the band celebrates the release of "A Collection of Rare Birds" at the Music Farm, 32 Ann St. The $12 cover charge not only gets you into the show, but also scores you a copy of the EP. For more information, go to www.musicfarm.com or call 577-6989. (B+)

Download These: "Sliding Doors," "So Long Farewell," "Gold Dust"

Midnight Oil

"Diesel And Dust: Legacy Edition"

(Columbia/Legacy)

When the Australian band Midnight Oil scored a big radio hit with "Bed Are Burning" back in 1988, many simply wrote the band off as riding the wave created by fellow countrymen INXS.

Midnight Oil was a completely different type of band though, with a lead singer that looked like something out of "The Hills Have Eyes."

Actually, singer Peter Garrett isn't nearly that scary-looking, but the bald and often scowling Aussie does cut an imposing figure, and is known throughout Australia and the rest of the world as a vocal political activist.

While INXS sang about "What You Need" and "Suicide Blondes," Garrett and his band were championing the plight of the native Australian aborigines. The two biggest hits from "Diesel and Dust," "Beds are Burning" and "The Dead Heart," ooze anger and outrage, while at the same time celebrating the heritage of the continent's original inhabitants.

On the 20th anniversary of the release of the classic album, a deluxe package has been assembled.

Disc one features the entire album, which still holds up surprisingly well.

Disc two is a DVD documentary of the visit to various aborigine towns that ultimately inspired the music on "Diesel and Dust."

For fans of post-punk '80s music that stayed far away from the synth-pop cookie cutter bands that littered that decade's musical landscape, "Diesel and Dust" definitely deserves another listen. (B+)

Download These: "Beds Are Burning," "The Dead Heart," "Gunbarrel Highway"

Elf Power

"In A Cave"

(Ryko)

New Hope, Penn., has Ween; Brooklyn, N.Y., has They Might Be Giants; and in Athens, Ga., it seems that the long-term choice for a band that makes decidedly quirky music is Elf Power.

Sure, there is any number of original bands in the Georgia college town, but few have enjoyed the popularity and longevity of Elf Power. On its ninth album, "In a Cave," the Elephant Collective members turn out a satisfying collection of slightly psychedelic rock that is closer to Ween than They Might Be Giants.

Elf Power isn't nearly as goofy as Dean and Gene Ween though. Songs such as "Spiral Stairs," "Paralyzed," and "Owl Cut (White Flowers in the Sky)" demonstrate the band's fearlessness when it comes to experimenting with various sounds.

In fact, "In a Cave" sounds more like one of those CD samplers you get at record stores and in music magazines these days. Almost all of the 13 songs on the CD sound as if a different band played them. Don't let that deter you from hearing some good music though. Rock rarely gets this schizophrenic, which is a shame. (B+)

Download These: "Spiral Stairs," "Paralyzed," "New Lord"