Glam and shades of new wave live in John Petkovic's post-Death of Samantha project
Cobra Verde. The band behind
Guided by Voices'
Mag Earwhig! has its own history as an unwieldy Cleveland garage band with political activist and radio announcer Petkovic as their fearless frontman. But the music is anything but public-radio serious; entire musical phrases are lifted, like
David Bowie on "Conflict" and
Iggy Pop and
Roxy Music at once on "Crashing in a Plane." "What Makes a Man a Man" is over-the-top cabaret; "Between the Seasons" is a symphonette.
Cobra Verde should have written the score to the glam-rock tribute film Velvet Goldmine. Instead, they've got their own high-drama project, its varied moods as timeless as an old "art-rock" record. ~ Denise Sullivan