Doleful Lions - Song Cyclops Volume Two CD
Song Cyclops Volume Two, the sequel to Song
Cyclops Volume One (released in 2000), finds the
Lions not-so-Doleful, in fact much more upbeat and "pop"
than the last 2 DL albums: 2005’s Shaded
Lodge and Mausoleum, and 2002’s Out
Like A Lamb. One of the reasons for this is that
this collection of songs, 22 in all, were recorded in 1999,
soon after The
Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! was released.
It almost sounds as if Jonathan saved all of his "pop"
songs for this volume, which isn’t exactly the case.
Essentially SCV1 and SCV2 were released
in the order they were recorded. There are some quiet and
slower moments on this record, but nothing like the first
volume. Take a song like the "Warriors End Table"
which is total lo-fi Ramones/Cheap Trick worship (and was
written so Jonathan, when he played live could announce that
the next song is called "Warrior" and everyone would
think they were about to play the Scandal/Patti Smyth song
from the early 80s), or something like "Oriental Spike",
a get in and get out (1 minute 20 seconds), full-on pop song,
which is incidentally about Jonathan’s favorite pro
wrestler of all time, Terry Gordy, 1/3 of the Fabulous Freebirds,
whose killer move was the Oriental Spike. This album, like
volume one, is a Jonathan Scott solo album, save for a couple
of songs recorded in 2006 (Oriental Spike, Wallflower, The
Head Of The Shade Antichrist) with his brother Robert. At
this time, as all the time, it is hard to say if Robert is
a permanent member of the Doleful Lions, he quits almost everyday,
and they both constantly fight, but they are brothers so what
do you expect? There are also 5 cover songs on this volume,
songs by The Crystals, The Descendents, The Beach Boys (late
70s era at that), Close Lobsters, and The Misfits, a window
into Jonathans disparate influences, and proof that a great
pop song can come from just about anywhere, maybe even from
here...
Current Praise:
PITCHFORK:
"Volume Two consistently yields pop gems by the barrelful.
Dusty, nostalgic melodies spew forth so steadily throughout
"The Warriors End Table" and "Freezing Breezes"
that the Phil Spector-penned Crystals cover "There's
No Other (Like My Baby)" seamlessly succeeds those tracks,
devoid of the legendary producer's signature wall of sound
but retaining the "gee whiz" innocence all the same.
Scott even flexes some genre-hopping muscle on numbers like
"Ghost Town in the Sky", a tinny, histrionic number
reminiscent of MBV's early proto-shoegaze days. "Oriental
Spike" is an unapologetically curt pop song that puts
Scott's playful sense of lyrical obtuseness on display, not
to mention the cartoonish synth blindsiding the melody midway
through the song..." (Adam Moerder)
DAGGER:
"Wow, I never paid much attention to any of
the previous D.L. cds and now after hearing VOLUME TWO I fee
like an idiot. This is great and should catapult band leader
Jonathan Scott and his co-hort brother Robert (not the guy
from The Bats) to making out with women who once made out
with Stuart Murdoch or something (or maybe Steve Albini).
Tasty, lo-fi pop nuggets that you can listen to again and
again. Like if Robert Pollard of GBV were influenced more
by The Beach Boys (rather than Genesis or The Who). 22 songs
shove each other, then scratch each others backs and finally,
end up tickling one another all in the name of love (and a
great pop tune) ! Not only that but Scott had the good sense
to cover a few of my favorite punk tunes of all time (for
my benefit, Im sure) . Youll hear muh-muh-mellow versions
of Silly Girl (The Descendents) , Astro Zombies (The Misfits)
plus Beach Boys and Close Lobsters covers as well. Gerald
Ford just died , can I vote for Jonathan for President ? Oh
wait" (Tim Hinely)
AMG 'Under The Radar 2006':
"Jonathan Scott hasn't been well served by the
studio, or by other people for that matter, over the span
of the Doleful Lions' career. He really needs to be alone
in his bedroom to come up with lo-fi pop magic. This collection
of tunes was for the most part recorded in 1999 and is bursting
with great songs, charmingly cheesy synths, rickety drum machines,
and Scott's slightly creepy, slightly dreamy croon. His original
compositions are wonderful but what really makes the record
go are the amazing covers, especially his slight of hand that
turns the Descendants' fluffy pop-punk classic "Silly
Girl" into heartbreaking gold." (Tim Sendra)
AVERSION
'Unsung Heroes of 2006':
"It sat rotting on a studio shelf for so long
everyone probably forgot about it, but when Jonathan Scott
pulled it from the vaults where he iced it for five years;
he showed the Lions had nothing to hide. Reverting to the
lo-fi pop of The Doleful Lions' earlier days (it was recorded
simultaneously with its Song Cyclops Volume One counterpart
in 2000), Volume Two marshals influences as wide-ranging as
The Beach Boys to The Misfits. Somehow, Scott ably pieces
them together with enough pizzazz to make any pop disciple
give thanks that this one finally made it into stores."
(Matt Schild)
FUFKIN:
"What is critical is that Scott sounds utterly
sincere, regardless of the subject matter. Whether he is waxing
tenderly about a "Wallflower" ("she's a wallflower/and
I'm gonna make her mine." - aw, shucks!) or penning a
paean to "The Head of the Shade Antichrist", there's
no irony or distance. Everything is real and, accordingly,
comes to life. That "Antichrist" is a snappy little
ditty is all the better..." (Michael Bennett)
MOJO:
"Kaleidoscopic pop kings, Doleful Lions are
based around Jonathan Scott's conceptual vision, and his ambition
to deliver smiles, vibes and harmonies."
In-magazine liner-notes for the Brian Wilson Tribute CD with
issue #158/January 2007
STYLUS:
"Lyrically, Scott is as divergent as his music styles,
with themes running the gamut from Dungeons and Dragons rule
manuals (Field Folio) to professional wrestling (Oriental
Spike) to that universal theme, introverted love (Wallflower)...
This doesnt take anything away from the songs: the key here
is melody, which is something Scott has in abundance."
POPMATTERS:
"The sequel is usually never as good as the original.
But Jonathan Scott hasn't really done anything that seems
usual. The result is a very good collection of "throwaway"
songs few would consider anything less than great... Doleful
Lions might continue to get back to their adventurous, dreamy
and lush brand of rock. But for this album, theyve returned
to a timeless, surefire format that ages as well as a bottle
of wine. And its an extremely expensive bottle, of course."
(Jason MacNeil)
THE
TRIPWIRE:
"There are a ton of great songs on this album... Scott
sounds just like Alex Chilton and many of the songs here could
have been Big Star songs. But he does it better than anyone
I've ever heard... "The Warriors End Table" sounds
like Rogue Wave covering Olivia Tremor Control. "Wallflower"
sounds straight off #1 Record, and "Chrome Submarine"
is one of the best songs I've heard all year... Song Cyclops,
Volume 2 is one of the best albums of this year so far. No
questions asked. It's songwriting at it's best. It's singing
at it's best. It's fucking different. THANK GOD!!!!!!!!"
(Jeffrey Thrope)
ALL
MUSIC GUIDE:
"The Doleful Lions' Song Cyclops, Vol. 2 is a proudly
lo-fi, intensely melodic album recorded at home in 1999 by
main Lion Jonathan Scott. (Though three of the songs, "Oriental
Spike," "Wallflower," and "The Head of
the Shade Antichrist," were actually recorded in 2006
with Scott's brother Robert helping out.) Every song sounds
AM-radio-ready, with instantly hummable melodies, sharp and
insistent hooks, and Scott's angelic vocal delivery..."
(Tim Sendra)
MTV.COM:
"Doleful Lions obsess over pro wrestler Terry
Gordy on "Oriental Spike," featured on their album
Song Cyclops Volume Two, which also features Beach Boys and
Misfits covers." (Kurt Orzeck)
POSITIVELY YEAH
YEAH
YEAH
(syndicated):
"Psychedelic pop compilation of songs from 2002
and 2005, featuring an intriguing handful of covers from Phil
Spector's “There's No Other (Like My Baby)” and
Brian Wilson's “She's Got Rhythm” to The Misfits'
“Astro Zombie” and the Descendents' “Silly
Girl”." (John M. James)
AVERSION:
"Painting with the broadest of pop-rock strokes, the
Lions forge another batch of songs that should push all sorts
of pop lovers' buttons... No matter which section of his record
collection (which, if Song Cyclops, Volume Two is any measure,
is pretty sweet) provides grist for the Doleful Lions mill,
Scott runs everything through a maze of cross-influences and
bizarre pop-cultural references that make this album more
than the mere sum of a voracious listener: It's another gem
from the amazingly consistent Doleful Lions." (R. Paul
Matthews)
AVERSION
INTERVIEW...
HIGH
BIAS:
"Scott is still a master of winsome psych/pop melodies.
“Fiend Folio,” “Eskimo Wizards” and
“Xanax & Windsprints” would provide eargasms
even if they were about sacrificing kittens to Baal. Scott
also indulges in revealing covers of some of his influences,
including the Beach Boys (“She’s Got Rhythm”),
the Close Lobsters (“From This Day On”), the Descendants
(“Silly Girl”), the Misfits (“Astro Zombies”)
and the Crystals (“There’s No One”). All
of them are consumed by Scott’s four-track psychedelic
sound, as if he’s not aware he didn’t write them
himself." (Michael Toland)
Past
Praise:
PITCHFORK MEDIA:
“Doleful Lions aim to purr and meow their way onto your
lap in the damned most adorable way possible.”
UNCUT
MAGAZINE:
“Neo-psychedelic orch-pop, with chiming guitars and
close vocal harmonies. The sound of dreams."
ALL
MUSIC GUIDE:
“At this point, singer/songwriter Jonathan Scott and
studio rat Dave Jackson are masters of mini-orchestration
that can turn any song of their choosing into a swirling snow
globe epic.”
CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES:
“Doleful Lions make a rather gorgeous whisper of sound;
guitars picking out starlight bathed in swathes of keyboards;
a rolling distant thunder of drums and voices that tiptoe…
It’s vaguely psychedelic, where thankfully the psychedelia
is more the gentle thrill of Sagittarius than, say, the electric
overdose and histrionics of a Hendrix or Cream. This is rock
that doesn’t rock at all, but sways, lost in summer
breezes and the mythology of Smile bootlegs.”
GEAR MAGAZINE:
"Prodigiously smart, criminally catchy indie pop"
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