John Strohm
Vestavia
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John Strohm
Vestavia
Flat Earth, 1999
RiYL: Matthew Sweet, Guadalcanal Diary, The Connells, Lemonheads |
Along the way, he played on Mike Watt's musical wrestling match ball-hog or tugboat? and pulled separate stints on drums and guitar for the Lemonheads. But while strong are his songs, strong too is his will. Most of his ventures don't last for more than a year before the restless Strohm throws in his cards and heads out on the rock and roll road again.
Just as the millennium was fast approaching, Strohm came out of Alabama with guns ablaze, wielding his solo opus Vestavia. Neither a departure nor a stagnancy for the artist, Vestavia is full of classic nuggets, comforting and familiar yet original.
Being self-sufficient -- Strohm plays most of the instruments on the album and displays his given name on the marquee -- has brought confidence to the forefront of his music. While the tunes may not be the most revolutionary ever offered at rock's table, Strohm's persistence must be admired. Vestavia's tight pop hooks are delivered with more swagger than most current radio darlings can summon. Strohm plays a straighter Jon Spencer -- good ol' rock and roll verve tailored to fit our era.
Given his track record with the buying public, this album may not solidify Strohm's place in the pop world. But it certainly won't be his fault - any of the first three tracks would sound perfectly in place blasting from thousands of car stereos this summer. And "Eva Braun" is one of the most stick-in-your-head things Strohm's ever written. Indeed, Vestavia is inches away from shining brightly. But so were Velo-Deluxe's Superelastic and Antenna's Sway, only to end up forgotten by too many people.
With this album, though, Strohm seems to have found a way to avoid this fate (if you're the only person in the band, the band can't break up). Granted, Strohm still has to find people to play with him to perform these songs -- as if that's a concern for him. And with the albums, he doesn't have to worry about people not associating the name with the effort. You see, If somebody sees a Blake Babies record, the name "John P. Strohm" doesn't instantly come to mind.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.