REVIEW: Friends Of Dean Martinez, Retrograde (Sub Pop)

- Tracey Bleile

For those of you hipsters who enjoy good music that will outlive the five-minute hype surrounding the revitalization of lounge last year...Yes, swingers, the mysterious Southwestern supergroup making beautiful noise, Friends Of Dean Martinez, has slipped us a sweet little mickey with their further explorations of backdrop sounds that belong right in the front in Retrograde. It reminds me of the one and only shot of tequila I ever did, smooth and golden, with an immediate potent effect. Needless to say, I enjoy this release much more. No hangover.

Starting with the core members of Bill Elm, Van Christian and Joey Burns, who have graced the line-ups of high-caliber bands hailing from Arizona (Giant Sand, Naked Prey), Elm then calls upon his many Friends from the region to add their own talents. The guesting Friends as always, read like a who's-who of the region - Tom Larkins (Naked Prey, Gila Bend) on percussion and drums, Chris Cacavas (Green On Red) tickling his many kinds of ivories, John Convertino (drums and vibes - also of Giant Sand) and Woody Jackson (ex-Useless Playboys, guitar, clarinet) to name just a few. Retrograde offers up a whole new slew of gorgeous instrumentals that rely as much on steel guitar, violin, and saxophone (played with emotion and style by Ralph Carney of Tom Waits' band) as they do the vibes and goofy percussion sounds to produce a feel of something classier than your average lounge. It's the kind of band that belongs in the best little nightclub you know, a band that gets heard as much as it gets taken for granted as the perfect backdrop to a night out in the desert.

The sad and plaintive feel of many of the songs (even the effects drawn out by moog and keyboards only point up the campfire mood) is based around Elm's voice-like stylings with steel guitar and the willingness to use any appropriate instrument, including harmonicas and cellos to achieve this atmospheric feel - check out the great train-coming-on intro of "Westbound #11", and the growl of a big car disappearing into the desert night on the title track. But it can also turn sprightly and swinging in an instant, owing to the vibes backing up the high-twangy end of Elm's playing, setting a new standard for a jazz standard, as in "Monte Carlo", and a smooth key-drenched cover of the Beach Boys' "The Warmth of The Sun" - a subject these Arizona natives (although Bill Elm now resides in L.A.) probably feel awfully close to.

It's always a great thing when a side project can be completely different from what you normally produce as a musician and yet still be so rooted in where you come from, musically and geographically. Retrograde gets my wholehearted vote for the disc that gets plopped on at the end of a particularly great evening spent hanging out, and the after-dinner drinks have been poured. Savor them both slowly and with great enjoyment.

Further details on the band and the track listing can be found at Sub Pop Records' website, http://www.subpop.com