Beyond the Java Sea

Artist: Metal Flake Mother
Label: Scrimshaw Records
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 605451001325
EAN: 0605451001325
ASIN: B000005A7I

Release Date: 1997-04-22

Beyond the Java Sea

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| Rock | Styles | Music

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| Pop | Styles | Music

CDs $7 - $10

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Tracks:

Tongue Long
Wingtip Lizards
Wiggle Like A Wide One
Ballroom
Mean To Me
Open A Vase
The Inquisition
Fine Lady
Sutpen
Squash Beetle
Dance For Nails
Got A Lot Of Blood
Mr. Flavor
Our Love For The Bone
Moss Howl
Matador
Safer
Deem-On
Dream Flamingo
Scatchin'
Elsewhere

Customer Reviews:

An Overlooked Wonder.......2006-01-15

despite having a fairly ridiculous band name/album title, Metal Flake Mother's one and only full-length album is a treat for those who like weird pop songs with hooks and a slightly quirky and creepy edge. the music is full of unconventional melodies and creative arrangements; utilizing a surf guitar sound...full of that "round" rockabilly tone and dripping with reverb. in listening to this great cd, it becomes apparent that perhaps Metal Flake Mother was influenced by Pixies in both their guitar sound and their songwriting approach. and it works wonders, becasue i've heard alot of bands that try to ape the Pixies style; but Metal Flake Mother pulls it off by adding plenty of their own personality and elements that make them a band on their own. and the singer's vocals are great...sort of like a more glammed up Morrissey. they are flamboyant, tuneful, but never over the top; aways staying to the respectful range of the song. Beyond the Java Sea is a record that i have grown intimate with over the years; first discovering the cassette in a bargain bin many many years ago and wearing it out with repeated listens. and now finally being able to listen to it on cd...with some tasty bonus tracks tacked on, as well. discover for yourself what all the fuss is about...look past the band name, album title, and the dreadful cover art, and discover a secret masterpiece, much overlooked and underheard.

Get away! They're mine!.......2003-04-05

Ask any hipster about his all-time favorite bands, and you are certain to get a response including at least one brilliant, imploded group that never transcended local or regional prominence. Why this predictable response? Well, 1) because all hipsters know that the most interesting rock n'roll innovations happen in the clubs, "under the radar" of major labels, and 2) a band's relative obscurity allows for the kind of personal investment and connectedness --even a sense of ownership -- that music mavens value. MFM will (and should) be on the favorites list of any hipster who lived in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill in the late 80s - early 90s. MFM "belongs" to these folks. So why should others -- who may not be similarly intoxicated by nostalgia -- pay attention to MFM, a decade later? Because MFM still sounds fresh, resistant to the kind of categorization/labeling so prevalent on this and other sites ("others who purchased _____ recommend: The Strokes"), and CHALLENGING. Some reviewers here have noted that MFM's lone album still makes its way to their turntable/CD player on a regular basis. (Calling all fellow Seattlelites: anyone still listen regularly to their Green River albums? Yeah, they sound dated.) A challenging album such as "Java Sea" encourages return visits, and truthfully must be revisited to be appreciated for its staying power and relevance. Finally, it should be noted that few of those brillant, "obscure" bands leave behind a masterwork. Thanks to MFM for being a beloved exception.

The guitarist next door - Metal Flake M..................2000-05-23

The incredibly unpleasant lead guitarist of Metal Flake Mother, lived next door in one of 9 apartment rooms above a Chapel Hill / Carrboro restaurant in 1992, practicing the same damn riff over and over and over for nearly a year! All I and other bleary-eyed residents would hear blasting day and night was TUM TUM TUM TUCKA tum tum tum tucka TUM TUM TUM TUCKA tum tum tum. So I was surprised as hell when I heard the album, because it's actually damn good! Tight rhythms and weird vocals paint darkly amusing tales. They still played locally that year, then broke up. Then, he tried to take up alto sax - echh! I moved. Funny, members of Flat Duo Jets, The Bad Checks, Archers of Loaf, Little Kings, Crazy Dave, and probably others lived up there between '87 and '94.

A great overlooked treasure.......2000-05-15

Considered by many to be the best album to emerge from the Chapel Hill music scene, "Beyond the Java Sea," first released in 1991, has been criminally neglected compared to works by some the area's more well-known bands (such as Ben Folds Five, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, and others). It's a brilliant album by any standard, with soaring Pixies-like guitar riffs, thrilling vocals and harmonies, eccentric yet intelligent lyrics, and a creative musical energy that underscores the considerable and diverse talents of it's musicians. Sadly, Metal Flake Mother broke up shortly after this first album was released, all the more puzzling considering that fan and music-industry interest in the band was peaking at the time. As a result, "Java Sea" never received much exposure, and founding member Jim Mathus went on to form the entirely different sounding Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Nevertheless, the album is a stunning collection of confident, innovative songs that grow richer with repeated listening. Some standouts include "Wingtip Lizards," a Beatles-meets-surf guitar pop gem, the magnificent piano ballad "Open a Vase," and the grandiose yet wistful "Dance with Nails." There is enough stylistic diversity on the album to keep it lively and interesting from the opening Pixies-inspired "Tongue Long" to the closing torch ballad "Safer." For completeness, the CD reissue tacks on the band's earlier, and rather inferior, "Deem-On" 7-inch single.

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