more odds and ends... the 00's
Artists reviewed on this page:
All That Remains - Arcade Fire - Bamboozled Soundtrack - bEkAy -
Miri Ben-Ari - Alec Berlin - John Brodeur - City High - Coheed And Cambria -
Dreamgirls: Music From The Motion Picture: Deluxe Edition -
Due North - Lauren Ellis - Franz Ferdinand -
Go-rin-no-sho - The Holy Goats -
Killswitch Engage - Lamb Of God - Murphy Lee - Jana Losey - M.I.A. - The Mandolin Wind Project - Mastodon -
Mineral Kings - Ms. Dynamite -
Petey Pablo - Parx-e - A Compilation Of Independent Music - Plastic Soul -
Power Of Soul: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix - Pushcar -
Pyramids Of Giza - Rihanna - Roadside Zoo -
Romeo Must Die Soundtrack - St. Lunatics -
Jill Scott - Remy Shand - Shawnna -
The Showgoats - SixToEight Mathematics - Sparkles The Bahamian Diva - Spymob -
Standing In The Shadows Of Motown - Tig Wired -
A Tribute To Joni Mitchell - Tweet -
The Unseen Guest - A Very Special Christmas 5 - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This section includes artists with their first release in 2000 or later, and movie soundtracks from the same period. Reviews of Alicia Keys, N.E.R.D., Nelly and St. Lunatics, Bubba Sparxxx and Kanye West have been moved to their own pages.(DBW)
 All That Remains, The Fall Of Ideals (2006)
If you gave up on heavy metal a decade or two ago, I have two things to say: 1) I don't blame you, and 2) It's safe to come back.
A Massachusetts post-thrash band that took off after vocalist Phil Labonte left Shadows Fall, All That Remains has the bare-knuckled power of metalcore bands like Lamb Of God crossed with the technical proficiency and multi-part, riff-based songwriting of thrash.
This third release isn't as sharp as Trivium's contemporaneous disc, but it's in a similar vein: Labonte shifts from death metal grunts to upper-register clean singing to startling effect ("Whispers (I Hear You)").
The opening "This Calling" packs heavy riffing, stop-and-start dynamics, a melodic chorus and blistering drumming into three and a half minutes, and the other songs are similarly concise ("We Stand," which makes nice use of harmonized leads; "Six"). Apart from tireless drummer Jason Costa, the instrumentalists don't stand out - though guitarist Mike Martin does play some extended solos - but they make good use of what they have ("The Air That I Breathe"); the dull "Empty Inside" is the disc's one loser.
Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz.
(DBW)
 Arcade Fire, Neon Bible (2007)
This Montreal indie septet is possibly the worst, most overhyped critics' fave band I've ever heard. I mean, at least the guy from TV On The Radio can sing.
Lead "singer" Win Butler has no range or projection - he sounds like Lou Reed without the accent - and he's probably the best thing about the group.
Pretension factor is through the roof with turgidly deep lyrics (title track) and pompous orchestrations (the pseudo-Springsteen "Black Wave, Bad Vibrations").
Meanwhile, musicianship is beneath the floorboards, with rote chord progressions ("Keep The Car Running"; "Antichrist Television Blues") and plodding tempos ("Intervention"; "My Body Is A Cage") - the band members play a zillion different instruments, but find nothing interesting on any of them.
The two passable tunes are the typically overblown "No Cars Go" and the uptempo Franz Ferdinand-style rocker "The Well & The Lighthouse": they're still worthless melodically but at least have some energy.
(DBW)
 As I Lay Dying, Shadows Are Security (2005)
The term "metalcore" originally meant a cross between heavy metal and hardcore punk, but it's gotten to mean a watered-down, unambitious metal - with repetitive thudding power chords in lieu of riffs, a minimum of solos and tuneless screamed vocals - dismissively called "mallcore" for its presumed appeal to listeners too young to know better.
Some bands labeled as metalcore - All That Remains, Trivium - are actually quite versatile and skilled, both as instrumentalists and composers, but San Diego's As I Lay Dying exemplifies the stereotype. Their volume and distortion can be cathartic, but the production and songcraft are shockingly simplistic.
Since every song is in C, nearly all the riffs are built on the second and third of the scale, and they're all at the same tempo, you're forgiven if you think you're listening to the same song twelve times in a row.
Produced by lead singer Tim Lambesis with guitarist Phil Sgrosso, and they do try a couple of changeups - an auto-wah guitar effect on "Losing Sight"; harmonized leads on "Reflection" - but when the main course is this unappetizing, it doesn't matter how nice the tablecloth is.
(DBW)
 Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
The fourth full-length from the Huntington Beach metal quintet softens their post-thrash sound with occasional keyboards ("Almost Easy"), strings (the annoying, sneering, mock-romantic "A Little Piece Of Heaven"), and even a little kid singing ("Unbound (The Wild Ride)").
Lead vocalist M. Shadows has backed away from the metalcore screaming of the band's early releases, but his singing voice is too thin to project either emotion or menace, and often sounds downright wimpy on the melodic choruses.
Meanwhile, The Rev's drumming is speedy but lacking in power, a cripping weakness in what's usually the center of a modern metal band.
The end result is rather like Green Day with heavier guitars ("Gunslinger"), and the weak political diatribes ("Critical Acclaim") only increase the similarity.
Guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates do come up with some juicy riffs ("Scream"; "Afterlife"), and the band's willingness to experiment (steel guitar on "Dear God") would be nifty if the tunes were better to begin with.
(DBW)
 Various, Bamboozled Soundtrack (2000)
The soundtrack to Spike Lee's attack on Hollywood stereotyping of black people occasionally chokes on its own message. The usually reliable
Stevie Wonder miscalculates on his two takes on the subject, delivering labored history lessons with unfocused
melodies - "Some Years Ago" sports a full orchestra that isn't given much to play, while "Misrepresented
People" starts with modest harpsichord backing and expands into a by-the-numbers synth and drum track.
Prince is even more didactic on "2045 Radical Man," ranting about his pet theme - artist ownership of master
recordings - as if it were the most important issue facing humanity, and not bothering to create any tune at all.
A remake of Public Enemy's "Burn Hollywood Burn" seems almost unavoidable given the subject matter and the
group's association with Lee, but the Chuck D./Roots collaboration dies whenever Mr. Self-Righteousness Zach de la
Rocha starts yelling.
However, many of the tracks do deliver: the opening "Blak Iz Blak" featuring Mos Def, Canibus, Charli Baltimore, MC Serchy, DJ Scratch,
muMs and Cano Grills is terrific, with pointed rhymes and a rapid-fire chantable chorus. muMs also contibutes a blistering a cappella
rap, "Ploylessness." Goodie Mob scores with the remarkably low-key "Just A Song."
Erykah Badu adds vocals to Common's fine hip hop love song "The Light," and contributes an ill-advised cover of
Rufus's "Hollywood" - her voice just can't compete with Chaka Khan's depth and richness. Angie Stone
does a much better job of channeling Chaka on her own composition "Slippery Shoes," with a subtle, similarly retro R&B groove. The album's
best soul diva, though, ends up being smokey-voiced newcomer India.Arie: she's marvelous on "In My Head" - in a weird promotional move, five snippets from her 2001
debut Acoustic Soul close out the CD.
The weirdest choice is Bruce Hornsby's typically morose "Shadowlands," which doesn't bear any apparent relationship to the plot or
anything else on the disc.
(DBW)
Behold... The Arctopus, Skullgrid (2007)
A highly technical, all-instrumental Brooklyn threesome that mixes heavy metal textures with atonal licks and a random approach to composition that seems to change course every thirty seconds... They turn on a dime so often it would give Frank Zappa a headache.
Rather than strain to avoid a Buckethead comparison, I'll just give in: they cover much of the same ground as Big B, and produce a similar mix of wonder and frustration in the listener, as you wish they'd skip some of the lamer riffs and build actual songs out of the better ones. Guitarists Mike Lerner and Colin Marston - who plays something called a Warr guitar (!) - have tons of ability and an ear for unusual melody ("Transient Exuberance"); drummer Charlie Zeleny zips right along. On the rare occasion that they lock into a groove, they can be terrific ("Canada"); the rest of the time their music is easier to admire than to enjoy.
(DBW)
bEkAy, Hungry, Broke + Determined (2003)
A white rapper from Brooklyn, and though he says repeatedly that he doesn't want to be compared to Eminem,
it's hard to resist considering that his record overflows with jokey pop culture references, nursery rhymes ("How U Make A Hit"),
and misogyny ("My Bitches"). That said, I like bEkAy's act better: his one-liners are rapid-fire and often hilarious, so when he sticks to a
topic he can be devastating ("Sick," "Backwards"). He's still more compelling when he stops bragging and gets vulnerable on the gut-spilling
"Sorry" and "The Way Shit Goez" - more of that, and less complaining about his trouble getting a recording contract, would have been even better.
The music ranges from simple keyboard/bass loops ("Alphabet Assassination") to Wu-style morose strings ("Tryin' 2
Survive"), and it's mostly very effective, though a few tracks are dull (the would-be dance number "Scream," the Eurythmics-sampling "These
Street Dreamz"), and "The Tribute," which briefly samples a parade of hip hop classics, is flat though well intentioned.
My copy of the CD doesn't have composer or producer credits;
maybe they'll eventually appear on his web site.
(DBW)
 Miri Ben-Ari, The Hip-Hop Violinist (2005)
Ben-Ari's dazzling multi-tracked violin parts - as catchy as they are technically impressive - have usually been the
highlights of the albums they've appeared on (most notably Kanye West's debut), so it's not
surprising she got a solo project out. What's surprising is how solid all the non-violin tracks are: brother Ohad
Ben-Ari shows a knack for propulsive percussion loops and heavy keyboard vamps ("We Gonna Win").
There are only a couple of instrumentals ("Chillin' In The Key Of E"), so the number of guest vocalists is huge - rappers
include West, Fabolos, Scarface, Fatman Scoop; singers include John Legend, Lil' Mo
(an overwrought "Hold Your Head Up High") and Anthony Hamilton ("Sunshine To The Rain") - and their multiplicity of approaches keep the album from stagnating.
Still, the focus remains on the violin, whether she's getting startling special effects or just spinning memorable
hooks, from the Eastern European fiddling of "Jump & Spread Out" to the massed chorus of strings on "4 Flat Tires."
A couple of songs are built on samples (West's "Fly Away" is based on the George Duke song of the same name) and there's a
cover of "The Star Spangled Banner" (with Doug E. Fresh beatboxing);
otherwise, most of the music is by one or both Ben-Aris.
She clearly missed an opportunity, though, by not calling the record The Queen of Hip Hop Violin a la
Mary J. Blige.
(DBW)
Alec Berlin, Beauty, Grazing At The Trough (2006)
Berlin's a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter who also happens to play a mean lead guitar. His economical rock and roll sound, and especially his voice, bring early Elvis Costello to mind, and at his best, his lyrics are as wry but funnier: the crisp rocker "Everything I Want" is absolutely brilliant, a song I wish I'd written myself. "Calling Plan" and the rockabilly "My Baby Likes To Eat" are in the same vein, though less insightful. But there's a lot of padding.
Lyrically, he indulges in a lot of bitter lost love anthems that aren't particularly gripping ("I Know The Truth"). And many of the melodies are familiar or repetitive ("Crawl"; "Goner") so often there's not enough to listen for while you're waiting for the guitar solo. Bass is by Jeremy Wilms or Ben Zweinn and the drummers are Nikolaus Schuhbeck and Clancy, with a sprinkling of keyboards and horns.
Hear Berlin at his MySpace page.
(DBW)
John Brodeur, Tiger Pop (2000)
It's refreshing to find a young rock singer/songwriter who sounds more like the Zombies than the Beatles: the uptempo "Infected (So In Love With You)" and mournful "Remains Of A Heart" reflect both sides of the
Zombies' aesthetic, with pristine tunefulness, joyful harmonies and basic rock instrumentation.
Brodeur even has a touch of an English accent (or affects one: his contact address is in upstate New York). To blunt the nostalgic edge,
though, he lays on some heavyhanded synth and production gimmicks, which probably detract from the songwriting. And the lyrics don't venture
far from the usual romantic themes ("Remains Of A Heart"). But his tunes are so good it hardly matters (the irresistable, sneering "Sucker"),
and some of the arranging tricks pay off, as on the funk bass-meets-slide guitar "Easier."
Produced by Brodeur and John Delehanty, who also added a few instrumental tracks though almost everything was played by Brodeur.
He has a web site, which promotes his new band The Suggestions. Too bad he hasn't sent me a copy of
their EP to review.
(DBW)
City High (2001)
A New York City hip hop soul trio made up of Robby Pardlo, Claudette Ortiz and Ryan Toby; Ortiz and Toby do most of the singing, Pardlo does
most of the rapping, and Pardlo and Toby do most of the songwriting (Ortiz's only co-write is on "City High Anthem," a surprisingly bitter
dressing down of the previous generation).
The musical arrangements are basically retro-70s instrumentation supplemented by loops and programmed drums, on the mellower end of the
neo-soul spectrum, and the vocals are solid but similarly derivative: Ortiz and Toby have listened to a lot
of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, respectively. What sets the project apart is the memorable melodies and
lyrics that are sometimes incisive ("What Would You Do," a surprisingly sharp, moving contrast of worker and consumer viewpoints on
stripping) and sometimes just loopy ("15 Will Get You 20," a cautionary tale about accidentally committing statutory rape - surely one of the
key issues of our time) but never ordinary.
It's a bit weird to hear a chorus consisting of a woman bragging about her looks (the hit single "Caramel"), but I guess it's inevitable
given all the male rappers bragging about their money, and more importantly, it's an irresistable vocal hook.
Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis exec produced and produced four tracks including "Why" and yet another cover of Leon Russell's
"A Song For You."
(DBW)
Coheed And Cambria, No World For Tomorrow (2007)
One the best rock bands ever to come from Nyack, Coheed And Cambria is the brainchild of Claudio Sanchez, who writes the songs, sings lead, plays guitar, and named the band for the main characters in a space opera he wrote. Each album tells a chapter in the adventures of the two characters, and I'll admit I'm not even attempting to follow the story. Sanchez sings in a high, clear falsetto which has brought comparisons to Rush's Geddy Lee. The band is usually classed as progressive rock, presumably because of the grandiose album and title concepts ("The End Complete IV: The Road And The Damned"), but apart from a few long running times the tunes are actually fairly standard hard rock ("Feathers"), without the keyboards or experimentation usually associated with prog. Their best tunes are high-energy rockers with unexpected breaks and carthartic choruses ("The Running Free"; title track), and the guitar duels between Sanchez and co-lead Travis Stever often lead in fun directions ("Gravemakers And Gunslingers"). Ultimately, though, the record is excessive, bloated with second-rate songs (the seven-minute, Floyd-like "On The Brink") and not enough variety.
Bassist Michael Todd is solid but doesn't get any time in the spotlight; Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins filled in on drums for this release, bridging the gap between the outgoing Josh Eppard and replacement Chris Pennie. Produced by
Nick Raskulinecz.
(DBW)
Dreamgirls: Music From The Motion Picture: Deluxe Edition (2006)
It took twenty-five years to bring the Broadway show to the big screen, but when it was done it was done right, and the same goes for the soundtrack album (I got the two-CD Deluxe Edition; there's also a single-disc version). Producers Harvey Mason Jr. and Damon Thomas tackle nearly every form of black music from the 50s through the 70s with striking success, from nightclub jazz ("Big") to disco ("One Night Only"), and keep the arrangements flexible and exciting even on the story-advancing filler ("It's All Over").
Curiously, they're weakest at recreating the Motown Sound itself: supposed hits like "Cadillac Car" and "Dreamgirls" fail as completely as they had on the original 1982 soundtrack.
The stars are also exceptional: Eddie Murphy shines as a cross between Jackie Wilson and James Brown on "Fake Your Way To The Top" and "Jimmy's Rap"; Beyoncé accurately emulates Diana Ross's clear, calm precision; Jennifer Hudson easily ranges from Patti LaBelle-style belting ("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going") to Aretha Franklin's mellow early-70s sound ("I Am Changing").
Four new tunes were added to the original book, of varying quality: "Love You I Do" is an irresistable upbeat pop song, while "Listen" is a typical Beyoncé ballad (also included on her 2006 solo album).
(DBW)
Due North, Follow Me (2001)
Hard-core heathen that we are, we don't review a lot of religious music, but I got the debut from this Oklahoma City
Christian soft rock duo in the mail, and there's a lot to like about it. Anna Jordan contributes all the singing and lyrics,
and she has a lovely pure alto. Bradley Ford writes the music, plays guitar and keys, and programs the drums: he has a
good ear for melody, and his electric guitar solos have a spirited economy recalling Lindsay Buckingham.
Several songs are based on acoustic guitar, and they're fun ("Hold Out Your Hand"; "You'll Find Your Way Home").
The lyrics are mostly of the smiley-faced "love songs to God" variety, not particularly preachy,
which I guess suit the music better than fire and brimstone would.
The problems come when Ford relies on bland synth washes and vaguely Latin percussion:
there's an important difference between soft rock and New Age, and Due North goes way over the line on the concluding
"Faithful Love" and "Stand Up," with droning chords and little guitar riffs that shoot for hypnotic but settle for dull.
And occasionally the tunes are just obvious ("Change Of Heart"). For more information, check out the band's
web site.
Home recordists take note: the CD liner has the lyrics and basic info, while the more detailed recording notes
(what inspired each track, how they were recorded) appears only in a separate promo pack - that's the way to do it.
(DBW)
Lauren Ellis, Feels Like Family (2003)
I'm not a huge fan of countrified roots rock singer/songwriter/slide guitarists - heck, I haven't even reviewed Bonnie Raitt - but Lauren Ellis is the real deal. She handles a range of guitar
styles (backwoods lap steel on "Afraid To Love"; straight rock soloing on "When I See You"), while her weathered voice easily ranges from good-time rock to anguish.
But what's more valuable and rare, she's also a strong songwriter, from bluesy riff tunes ("Dry As A Bone") to heartfelt
love songs ("Shades Of Blue");
she wrote everything here except for "Just To Be With You" by Bernard Roth, and the pedestrian "Extra Mile" by Jodi Siegel and Danny Tims.
Her lyrics are functional but not brilliant, mostly concerned with romance ("End Of Our Line") except for the title track - a
meditation on chosen vs. birth families - and the quietly seething "Setting Son."
Musicians vary but usually include Rick Lonow or Kenny Malone (drums), Viktor Krauss or Ed Cain (bass), and
Catherine Styron Marx (keys); self-produced
The CD comes with a DVD remixing the whole album in 5.1 stereo, plus some extras like videos and interviews.
(DBW)
Franz Ferdinand (2004)
I have nothing against retro when it's well done, and this much-hyped Scottish foursome is certainly capable of that.
Usually they put garage guitar hooks over bassist Robert Hardy and drummer Paul Thomson's disco rhythms, sounding like Back To The Egg-era Wings: the terrific, tempo-shifting hit "Take Me Out"; the less memorable "Auf Achse."
Unfortunately, on a lot of tracks they have more energy than ingenuity, blustering and flailing in an attempt to cover for a lack of actual melody ("Dancing To The Matinée," strongly reminiscent of "Hava Nagilah").
Frontman/guitarist Alexander Kapranos and lead guitarist Nicholas McCarthy write the songs, and the tunes are better than the lyrics, which are overly distanced takes on romance: either tongue-in-cheek (the homoerotic "Michael") or self-consciously clever ("Come On Home").
Produced by Tore Johannson.
(DBW)
Franz Ferdinand, You Could Have It So Much Better (2005)
No change from the previous record's blueprint, but it's more consistent, with only a couple of dull tracks ("Walk Away," with a twangy guitar lick that escaped from Blondie's "Atomic"), and they make more use of vocal harmonies ("The Fallen").
Again the guitar hooks are mixed ridiculously far forward (leadoff single "Do You Want To"), the tempos range from fast to faster ("This Boy"), and the tunes are short, simple and catchy ("Evil And A Heathen"). They use some unexpected shifts a la "Take Me Out," though that backfires on "I'm Your Villain" when they trade a terrific riff for a subpar one. And they stretch into Beatles homage with the chorusy piano and drugged vocals of "Fade Together."
The lyrics are more direct and honest ("Well That Was Easy"), though they're still not going to be confused with Joni Mitchell.
Produced by Rich Costey and the band.
(DBW)
Go-rin-no-sho, Inner Light (2000)
Go-rin-no-sho is a rapper/producer from East New York, and in contrast to most rappers who say they're describing drugs and
violence on the streets only to teach kids to stay straight, you get the impression that he really means it. In fact,
he's so sincere he sometimes comes off like a well-meaning guidance counselor who doesn't realize no one is taking him
seriously ("One + One"). His press kit states, "This is the record that you can buy for your kids, family members and
friends, whether they are liberal or conservative," apparently not realizing that you can't take a meaningful stance on
social issues if you're trying to please everybody. Fortunately the "positive message" didacticism is accompanied by a
forceful, fast-paced but smooth delivery, reminiscent of KRS-One.
The record's best feature isn't played up in the promotional materials at all: the pleasantly understated grooves, which use familiar elements like laid-back
piano and drum loops and female backing vocals (slyly delivered by Keisha Hoggard and Kenya Speller of 2-Xquisite), but
seem organic rather than Wu grafts. There are even some tracks where Go-rin-no-sho's
not preoccupied with uplifting the masses, and they're fun ("Feel The Rhythm"). More variety from track to track would
have helped, but overall this is an enjoyable alternative to the musical and lyrical excesses of much of today's hip hop.
You can order the album at the Troupe Records home page. (DBW)
The Holy Goats (2002)
What is it with unsigned bands and goat puns? This New Jersey fourpiece is yet another Stones
wannabe: they even subject us to a wimpy jam-band cover of "Stray Cat Blues." They're not as annoying as Blues Traveller
(no endless tunes or harmonica solos) but even more generic, with a lead singer (also the songwriter) who manages to be overemotional yet undistinctive,
and totally unmemorable songs, except for some direct ripoffs ("Rock N' Roll Thru My Head" = "I Want You (She's So Heavy)").
The players - lead guitarist Deek Mason, bassist Michelle Eckert and drummer Steve Crawley - are perfectly competent, and I'm sure their eighth-generation blues-rock
goes down just fine when you've got some beers in you, but who could want to own the album?
(DBW)
Killswitch Engage, As Daylight Dies (2006)
The most popular band to emerge from the Massachusetts metalcore scene, Killswitch Engage was formed from the remains of Aftershock and Overcast at the end of the 90s, and soon made an impact with its high impact heaviness. Though guitarist/producer Adam Dutkiewicz has overseen other projects with a lot of stylistic range, on the band's fourth LP he serves up one lumbering sonic assault after another: "This Is Absolution"; "For You"; "Desperate Times."
The revved-up thrasher "Reject Yourself" and "Eye Of The Storm," which slows down enough to generate some actual menace, are the standouts, but mostly the record's dull despite the vigor and volume.
With no rhythmic variety, no memorable licks, and almost no articulated riffs or solos, it feels like you're being beaten to death with a blunt instrument, which may be the idea.
Vocalist Howard Jones can scream but usually sings clean, often sounding like the 80s British crooner with whom he shares a name ("My Curse") - supposedly the lyrics would be uplifting, if I could make them out. Bassist Mike D'Antonio is more prominent than usual for metalcore, while drummer Justin Foley is less; I can't tell what guitar parts are by Dutkiewicz and which are by Joel Stroetzel, since they're both essentially rhythm players.
(DBW)
Lamb Of God, Sacrament (2006)
From Richmond, Virginia, Lamb Of God is what's known as a post-thrash (or groove metal) band: heavy, drop-D guitars banging out one chord in syncopated rhythm (alternated with machine-gun riffs), a minimum of solos, barked Satanic-sounding vocals, and unrelenting brain-battering drumming. It's ground that was first explored by Sepultura circa Chaos A.D., and can easily get dull and/or forced in the wrong hands.
But on this band's fourth studio album (not counting an independent release when the group was known as Burn The Priest), they conjure up an endless series of complex licks, with guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler often playing in close harmony ("Again We Rise"), as drummer Chris Adler matches them fill for fill. It's a thrilling, aggressive rush from the opening mock-heroic
"Walk With Me In Hell" through to the closer "Beating On Death's Door," with only a couple of ho-hum retreads like "Forgotten (Lost Angels)" in the mix. The basic formula doesn't change much, but there are some frills - a guitar solo on "Requiem"; offbeat structure throughout - to keep things from getting too predictable.
Areas for improvement: vocalist Randy Blythe doesn't bring much to the party, just low-register screaming and a Sopranos-level vocabulary, and bassist John Campbell can be hard to hear.
I have the 2005 live release Killadelphia, and it's also quite solid, though the live setting removes much of the sonic variegation; I also saw the band in early 2007 and reviewed the show here.
(DBW)
Jana Losey, Bittersweet (2006)
Losey is louder than your usual singer-songwriter but not as loud as your usual roots-rocker - sort of an indie Fleetwood Mac at their most vigorous.
At seven songs and twenty-four minutes, this is a very long EP or a very short album, and either way it's solid work, packed with catchy melodies (the singalong "(S)He Loves Me"), reflective lyrics ("Messy Little Happiness"), and a sober eye combined with a healthy sense of fun (title track).
Producer Melanie Peters co-wrote the songs (except for "Little Sister") and plays guitar and bass, while Losey plays keyboards; other players include Dave Uosikkinen (drums), Charlie Shew (percussion), and Harry Aceto and Maria Beahan (bass). As has become common, Losey's MySpace page is the best place to find current info.
(DBW)
M.I.A., Arular (2005)
Sri Lanka-born, London-raised rapper M.I.A. became an overnight sensation with this widely praised debut, which blends electronica and hip hop with a low tech, industrial sound.
The album is named for her father, a Tamil guerrilla leader, and the lyrics use a lot of revolutionary imagery ("Sunshowers" was banned by MTV for a reference to the PLO), but she also relies so heavily on non sequiturs it's hard to tell what her political agenda (if any) is ("Bucky Done Gun"). She shares some characteristics with comtemporary Ms. Dynamite - omnivorous approach to genre, raps often delivered in a sing-song, freewheeling but not frivolous persona, hit and miss sloganeering - but her cut and paste, everything/nothing sensibility goes further. And like Ms. Dynamite, M.I.A.'s quirky vocal hooks can be irritating ("Pull Up The People") or fascinating ("10 Dollar," one of the catchiest choruses I've heard in years).
The disc is notable for its insistent percussiveness: regardless of who produced each individual track (honors go to Steve Mackey and Ross Orton, Bruckner and Byrne, Diplo, and Richard X among others), any melody is produced by tabla ("Fire Fire"), steel drums, music box ("Amazon") or a synth representation of same. M.I.A. is something different, and she's got talent, but beneath the surface, there's not much going on: she's not a storyteller, never expanding beyond fragments ("Hombre"), and the sound collages catch your attention but rarely reward it.
(DBW)
The Mandolin Wind Project (2003)
A side project of two Oklahoma City musicians - Dewayne Grissom (mandolin) and Bradley Ford (guitar
and everything else) - that falls somewhere between soft rock and light jazz, with a dollop of bluegrass.
Mandolin usually get drowned out in big ensembles, so it's a treat to hear it plucking out melodies -
Grissom mostly plays acoustic, though he breaks out the electric mandolin on "Thunderchief."
The drums and bass are mostly programmed, but Ford uses them sparingly enough that they fulfill their function without
being distracting.
All the tunes are co-written except for Ford's "Mirage"; they're catchy ("Austin," the good-time "Three Roses"),
intriguingly structured, and varied enough that the record never seems monotonous ("Cotton Belt Route," with Gary Riley
adding a lengthy sax solo).
"Oakland Mills" is a standout, building from a tender acoustic opening to a loud but exquisitely lyrical electric guitar
solo, then quieting down again.
There's not a bad cut here, but Grissom sings three numbers ("Autumn Days"),
and his quavery, vaguely Cat Stevens-like voice is a bit jarring.
Anna Jordan, Ford's partner in Due North, sings backup on two tunes;
David Short adds violin to a few tracks (the decidedly un-Scottish "Scotland"), including a radical electric solo on
"Thunderchief."
For more information check out Windspread Records.
(DBW)
Mastodon, Blood Mountain (2006)
Atlanta-based Mastodon is sort of a cut-rate Tool, a "progressive metal" purveyor of pretentious lyrical themes ("Sleeping Giant") and the usual "unusual" time signatures: 7/8 ("This Mortal Soil"), 12/8 ("Hand Of Stone") - though (thankfully) the running times are kept under control.
They have the form of epic metal down, but not the content: the production is suitably heavy, and the song structures are complex, but almost none of the music is actually good: who cares how fast they can jump from blah riff #3 to blah riff #4 ("The Wolf Is Loose," which also bites Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle")?
Lyrically a concept album, using an incoherent mishmash of Native American and Eastern religious images to urge us to live in harmony with nature... like the bad dream of a World Religions student after watching that Al Gore movie. And in case you weren't already irritated,
the record closes with a Lynyrd Skynrd-style Southern rock tearjerker ("Pendulous Skin") featuring atrocious lead vocal emoting. There are a couple of solid tunes - the conventional thrasher "Colony Of Birchmen"; "Siberian Divide" - and sometimes all the showoffy meter changes are at least unsettling ("Capillarian Crest"), but mostly this is the kind of band you pretend to like to impress your friends, not the kind of band you really listen to.
Produced by engineer Matt Bayles and the band.
(DBW)
 Mineral Kings, Metropolis (2002)
First off, there are a couple of trends in self-released homemade recordings I'd like to put a stop to.
DON'T write liner notes explaining how and why you wrote your songs: if world-famous artists don't expect us to care about
those details - and they don't - how can you think your listeners will be interested in how many bourbons you had before you wrote the
chorus of "North Beach Drifter"? And if you are going to write about your songs, DON'T hype every tune with pseudo-rock crit raving
("a superb way to turn out the lights"; "almost preacher-like urgency"; "a haunting feel redolent of Pink Floyd"; "a true-life experience
enveloped in a spider's web" - yes, those are all direct quotes). I read the text before I put on the disc, so maybe that's why I dislike
the music so much. Middle of the road rock and roll, brightly recorded, featuring precise but emotionless guitar from Art
Forte and Tony Morosini (also on bass and drums respectively) and aggravating, self-important tenor vocals from Carv Tefft ("A Lot Like
You" is the worst of a bad bunch). The tunes are memorable only when they're grating, often repeating a single chorus line until you're
ready to scream ("Jack O'Lantern").
Three guys who've been jamming on Beatles and Stones songs so long
they would instantly reject a new sound if they happened to stumble across one: a home-studio Journey.
For more details, check out their web site. (DBW)
Ms. Dynamite, A Little Deeper (2002)
A British singer/rapper with a Blige-derived blunted belt, an omnivorous approach to production - electronica,
reggae, neo-soul - and loads of the anti-drug, anti-gun "social consciousness" so treasured by music critics reviewing black artists.
When it all comes together with a good tune, the effect is magical, as on "Put Him Out" - a clever "get rid of that zero" number with a
memorable melody and Santanaesque lead guitar - while on "Gotta Let U Know" she addresses a subpar partner
with tender ambivalence.
Other highlights include the gentle love song "Brother" and the synth-string anthem "Afraid 2 Fly."
"Krazy Krush" isn't as sharp, but the syncopated squeaky synth backing is still a pleasant change from the hip hop norm.
When the hooks don't work the results can be dull ("Dy-Na-Mi-Tee," with an irritating hook based on Musical Youth's "Pass The
Dutchie"; title track), but her persona is still engaging: she almost succeeds in making a preachy a capella number bearable ("Watch Over Them").
Producers include Punch, Salaam Remi, Tony Kelly and Dave Kelly; Kymani Marley duets on "Seed Will Grow."
(DBW)
Petey Pablo, Diary Of A Sinner: 1st Entry (2001)
A rough-voiced, forceful rapper from North Carolina, Pablo's a beneficiary both of the commercial infallibility of rap from the Dirty
South (see Bubba Sparxxx and St. Lunatics) and of his association with wonderproducer
Timbaland.
Pablo touts his versatility, and there's some truth to that: two highlights are the self-produced squeaky dance tune "Funroom" (with
vocals from Tweet, another Timbaland protege I'll catch up with soon) and the love song "Fool For Love," with nods to Marvin Gaye and Al Green; "Test Of My Faith," with gospelly backing vocals and an O'Jays
sample, is intriguing though not really gripping. But there are too many dull boasts based on stale catchphrases and off-the-shelf hooks
("La Di Da Da Da," "Y'all Ain't Ready," "919").
Meanwhile, Timbaland has reached the stage that The RZA hit around 1998, using his name to hype
a record but only producing a handful of cuts; his "Raise Up" is head-snapping, sweaty Southern Bounce, but "I" and "I Told Y'all" are
unimaginative attempts at same. The other main producers are Chuckie Madness and Buddah & Shamello; Eddie Hustle, Huck-A-Buck, Punch
and the team of Abnes Dubose & Eric Sadler produce one track each.
(DBW)
Petey Pablo, Still Writing In My Diary: 2nd Entry (2004)
Sounds more like the B-side to me: the same mix of styles and subject matter as his debut, only without any audible hits.
On the single "Freek-A-Leek" and "Jam Y'all" (quoting Funkadelic) producer Lil Jon tries to ride the squiggly synth groove that made his "Yeah" a huge hit for Usher, but it falls flat (the bonus track, "Vibrate" is more of the same).
Timbaland produced only "Break Me Off" (with Elliott) and "Get On Dis Motorcycle" (with Sparxxx), both of which strain too hard to get your attention with abrasive but dull hooks.
Pablo produced a couple of cuts himself ("Let's Roc," with a sly banjo sample; "Stick 'Em Up"); Kanye West contributed "I Swear" (a memorable love song which doesn't use his trademark sped-up soul vocals).
Otherwise, it's a bunch of lesser lights like Q, Focus, Honky Kong (whose "What You Know About It" cleverly samples Chicago) and Sholar, and since the music is mostly drab, you're forced to notice that Pablo doesn't have much to say ("Let's Roc").
(DBW)
Parx-e - A Compilation Of Independent Music (2007)
Let me start by saying that compilation CDs are the wave of the future for independent labels: thanks to MySpace and low-cost recording,
the market is more flooded than ever and it's impossible to a listener or critic to even attempt to get a fix on every new band coming out. It's a perfect opportunity for a sharp-eared entrepreneur to skim off the cream of the crop and promote some deserving artists who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
So Chris Parke is on the right track by rounding up nineteen different unknown acts from the US, Australia and New Zealand (plus Stapleton, from Scotland).
And I won't fault him just because some of the tunes don't float my boat (Fourth Four Collapse's sleepy U2 imitation "Another Push"; Jessica McPherson's shapeless Sade knockoff "Flow").
The problem is that Parke doesn't have a thematic or stylistic focus -
there are too many plaintive alt-country singer-songwriters (Katie Brianna's "The Devil Came Back For You"; Joe Rohan's "Pair Of Horses") for fans of pop-metal (Highroad No. 28's "Drugeater"), and vice versa - so the collection just sounds haphazard. Most of the best tunes here are power pop, from the Brightwing's joyous "All I Need" and the Wellingtons' "She Gave Up" to Pine's sly "Hosanna," so perhaps Parke should hone in there and drop the mediocre quiet (Shannon Curtis's "Boomerangs & Seesaws") and loud (The Scissor File's punkish "Reason To Run"). I'm oversimplifying, of course: Rebecca Loebe's "As I Tell You So" makes wonderful use of harmonized vocals, The Beatiful Burn ("Introduction") is worth checking out for fans of Coheed And Cambria,
and Agent's catchy funk-metal "Crave" is my favorite song on the disc.
(DBW)
Plastic Soul, Channel Ninety-Two (2000)
I'm so in love with Brent Bodrug's producing and arranging style I want him to produce an album
for me. As he did with Warm's 1998 debut, Bodrug here gets a sound that's pristine without being sterile, with lead guitar
(by Andy Russell) running the gamut from funk scratches to power chords, crisp drumming (by Dan Wiedenbeck) that's heavy
enough to carry the rhythm but never overbearing, and rubbery bass (by Alan Colicchia). Bodrug (who also added keyboards) rocks.
But Plastic Soul, a four-piece Buffalo power pop band, is boring as hell: leader Gerry Love's songwriting is imitation Beatles circa '65,
as should be evident from the group's name, with trivial romance themes ("Girl Next Door") and repetitious refrains
("Empty Woman," "Mary") that occasionally degenerate into obnoxious nonsense ("One Inch Soul").
Coming off a 1998 self-produced debut, the band didn't have much song material, but rather than wait a while, they knocked out
this EP of seven brief songs (not counting the corny tape loop intro and hidden cut-and-paste bonus track).
At their best, they're like Oasis without the drunken swagger - which isn't a strong recommendation in my book.
But then, I don't like the band's professed idols (The Kinks and The Small Faces) either.
You can get ordering info and more at the band's own web site.
(DBW)
Power Of Soul: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix (2004)
No, I didn't learn my lesson from the last Hendrix tribute album.
Once again, the interpretations stick close to the originals, so even when they're done well - Cee-Lo's "Foxey Lady"; Eric
Gales' "May This Be Love" - they're trivial.
This time there are a bunch of R&B A-listers: Chaka Khan ("Little Wing," with a grating, noisy
solo from Kid Rock guitarist Kenny Olson), Earth, Wind & Fire ("Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"),
Prince (the over-arranged "Purple House" - too bad he didn't contribute one of his great live
performances of "Villanova Junction"). But aside from Bootsy Collins and George Clinton (the funked-up title track),
and Sound Of Blackness's jive, gospelized "Castles Made Of Sand," they don't move out of a rock context.
Lenny Kravitz's piano-based "Have You Ever Been" is surprisingly effective, though,
with an affecting backing vocal from Tawatha Agee.
The disc is padded with previously released material:
Santana's "Spanish Castle Magic" and Sting's "The Wind Cries Mary" were
on another tribute album, while John Lee Hooker's "Red House" and Stevie Ray Vaughan's
endless "Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun" medley have also turned up one place or other. And I don't know when
Eric Clapton's
sluggish "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" was recorded, but it was a while ago, because all of Chic is on it
including the deceased-since-1996 Bernard Edwards.
Though the exterior packaging doesn't indicate it, I got a bonus disc with Seal's oh-so-sincere
"Wind Cries Mary" and Vernon Reid's fun take on "Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice" - your luck may vary.
Overseen by Janie Hendrix and Sheldon Reynolds, who adds imitation Jimi solos to several tracks.
(DBW)
Psychostick, The Flesh Eating Rollerskate Holiday Joyride (2007)
Don't you love it when a joke band plays better music than most of the real bands? From Tempe, Arizona, Psychostick is the mock metal side project of Evacuate Chicago, and their Christmas EP beats most of the other metal I've listened to this year. The opening "Holiday Hate" has pounding riffs and weird meter shifts to go with a taut anti-commercialism message and a pile of one-liners. "Jolly Old Sadist" is a solid shot of sing-a-long comedy before shifting into a briliant, brief doom metal parody. Not to mention the sad-but-true reminder of failed resolutions, "Happy Fucking New Year."
Guitarist Joshua "The J" Key seems to be the primary songwriter, but lead singer Rawrb Kersey, bassist Mike Kocian and drummer Alex "Shmalex" Preiss each got some licks in.
Though there are just five songs (plus three quick interludes), and the emo sendup "Red Snow" is a bit too accurate, every one is Yuletide gold.
(DBW)
Pushcar, Apartment D (2000)
Written, performed and produced by two guys (Jim Saunders and Chris Farrell) in an apartment in Santa Monica, but you'd never know it was a home recording from the excellent production values
- detailed pop-rock arrangements making good use of layered keyboards, sound effects, vocal harmonies and some clever cut-and-paste dynamics changes.
But the vocals are thin ("Out Here In The Sun") and the compositions are depressingly routine: the best are Beatles knockoffs
("Halo Effect" is "Dear Prudence" practically note-for-note), while the rest lack any clear melody and are often sluggish:
the 80s-style moper "No Waste Of Space," the noise-substituting-for-emotion "Defiant Song."
Plus Saunders occasionally overuses effects like bullhorn vocals ("Limbo").
Each song has does have its own little icon/pictogram, which I think is pretty cool.
Other musicians include Robert Gregorio (who wrote "Garliguy"), Anthony Mondello and Robert Bonilla on guitar, Damon Marshall on drums, David Kim on keys, and
Paige Farell, Stephanie Saunders and Paul Katami on backing vocals.
Based on how far they take this tired batch of tunes, I bet the duo could really shine producing other artists.
For ordering information, check their site.
(DBW)
Pyramids Of Giza, C.L. & D. Boogie - Ryan Stiles (2000)
With all the mail the Post Office loses, why couldn't they have diverted my promo copy of this disc to some other unlucky recipient?
A couple of frat boy rappers with an erroneously high opinion of their wit, and occasional jazz backing ("Jazz & Poetry") - Beastie Boys meet
Digable Planets, only much much stupider. C.L. stands for Cunning Linguist, which should clue you in as to the mental level of the
proceedings. The rhymes are an endless stream of lame pop culture references, most backing tracks are built on ineptly played guitar licks ("Principal"),
and the production is full of annoying gimmicks (the distorted human beat box on "Frisco"). Have I left anything out? Oh, they actually
sing on the amazingly lame rock ballad "Killin' Me."
But don't take my word for it: check them out yourself at MP3.com.
(DBW)
Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
This young Barbadian singer is the hottest thing in R&B, but I couldn't tell you why from her ordinary, predictable third album. Rihanna uses the same au courant producers as everyone else: Timbaland, Norway-to-New York transplants StarGate ("Don't Stop The Music," an unimaginative sampling of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"), Ne-Yo ("Question Existing"). Most of the material is hackneyed and predictable ("Hate That I Love You" - you don't say?): "Shut Up And Drive" is a Pink-style faux rocker. Even Timbaland's contributions are a letdown apart from the lovely "Rehab" (not the Amy Winehouse song). "Breakin' Dishes" is an exception, as producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart uses simple building blocks - a basic beat, a childish keyboard lick - to build a novel, arresting track.
Rihanna herself sings like Beyoncé without the individuating mannerisms ("Push Up On Me").
She comes across better on the mellow tunes (title track; "Question Existing"), but even there she doesn't show much personality: the most interesting thing about her is that she pronounces "umbrella" as four syllables ("Umbrella" with Jay-Z, a huge #1 single with a solid, hypnotic backbeat).
(DBW)
Roadside Zoo, Caleb Coolville (2004)
Unsigned bands send me CDs regularly, and usually I don't review them unless I like them... I figure, why warn you to stay away from an act you've never heard of? When I started listening to the disc from this Ann Arbor four-piece, I didn't think I'd ever be writing this review, because their brand of funk is totally lacking in subtlety and invention, and the singing is terrible ("Funky Song"; the reggae-fied "Jesus Lives On The Beach"). The lyrics are obvious ("Take A Stand") and even the better grooves go on too long ("Smilin'"). But when they calm down a bit, they play some very tasty mellow rock ("Species"). Guitarist Daryl Prudich gets straightjacketed on the uptempo tunes, but he's very fluid on the closing instrumental "Caleb Floats"; Cole Devilbiss coaxes a wild variety of sounds from his keyboards (the gentle "Getaway"; the otherwise lame "You Can Get Down Too"); Chris Ramos is solid on bass; flexible drummer Dave Mallozzi is probably the most impressive of the bunch. The band's college-age fans might revolt if they abandoned their good-time funk in favor of chilled-out mood music, but that's their strength.
Recorded by Pat Smith, who produced with the band.
Yes, they have a web site.
(DBW)
Various, Romeo Must Die Soundtrack (2000)
Timbaland put a minimum of effort into this soundtrack, handing off many of the tracks to other producers and sticking to his usual conventions - tight, syncopated
bass and snare, spare techno keyboards - without pushing
himself to find new sounds or truly affecting melodies. The long running time is split evenly between sung and rapped tracks (the distinction between hip-hop and R&B doesn't apply, since the
backing tracks follow the same approach in either case).
Aaliyah, the film's female lead, has four songs, and many of Timbaland's other proteges also turn up: Ginuwine,
Playa, Magoo. Aaliyah and Ginuwine - his two solo singers - seem to be moving in opposite directions: while Ginuwine oversings "Simply Irresistable" to death,
she's so reserved on her tracks she might as well be talking (Missy Elliott's "Are You Feelin' Me?"). Her approach does work on the catchy opener "Try Again," thanks to
Timbaland's slippery, insidious synth groove - it's the one cut here that's really worth tracking down. (Aaliyah also gets top billing on "Come Back In One Piece" - based on a sample of
Parliament's "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" - but she only sings the chorus, with DMX handling all the verses.)
Static (of Playa) seems to have replaced Missy as Timbaland's main lyricist, writing about half the songs; I honestly don't notice much difference, though I suspect Elliott pushes Timbaland harder
on the music end of things. The tracks Timbaland didn't produce vary from pleasant (Chanté Moore's "This Is A Test") to pointless (Destiny's Child's "Perfect
Man"); the only surprise is "Swung On," with Stanley Clarke cooking up a unpredictable groove on a variety of live instruments, plus cogent rapping from Politix.
(DBW)
Jill Scott, Who Is Jill Scott? Words And Sounds Vol. 1 (2000)
Jill Scott's a Philadelphia poet-turned-singer who got attention for a guest shot on "You Got Me" by The Roots, who I really should review
one of these days. Anyway, this debut's gotten a lot of positive attention, but for all I can hear it's immensely boring.
Nearly every track has the same combination of Rhodes piano block chords and simple drumbeat, with next to no melody, while Scott
alternates between "jazzy" singing (i.e. meandering among notes that have no relation to the backing track, without much presence or power) and pompous Sonia
Sanches-style poetry recitation ("Exclusively"). Her lyrics are largely simple tales of romance ("He Loves Me," "It's Love," "Love Rain")
and when she tries to get more profound she ends up with silly word games ("One Is The Magic #") or paranoia ("Watching Me").
Producers include Darren Henson, Andre Harris, Keith Pelzer, Jeff Townes, Vidal Davis, Carvin Haggins (all for A Touch Of Jazz Productions)
and Ted Thomas Jr.
(DBW)
Remy Shand, The Way I Feel (2002)
Exec produced by neo-soul svengali Kedar Massenburg, and it's easy to spot the influence of Stevie
Wonder (in truth, Shand sounds a lot like the guy from Jamiroquai imitating Wonder), Prince
("Burning Bridges," which builds to a moving climax), Smokey Robinson ("Everlasting"),
et al. Live drums, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, wah-wah... all that is par for the course: what's surprising is that so many of the tunes are memorable ("The Second
One," the single "Take A Message") - he has a gift for casual melody, something like Gaye or Mayfield, but without copping their style.
Shand mostly focuses on romance, but sometimes veers into heavy funk ("Liberate"; the Ernie Isley-like guitar solo on "Everlasting").
One of the things I like about the record is its rough edges, even occasional sloppiness... Shand plays all his own instruments
(except the horns on "I Met Your Mercy") even when he isn't very good at them, and frequently mixes something a lot louder than you're
expecting, which keeps the sound from getting predictable.
And thanks to the dense arrangements, even on the less arresting songs there's always something going on (dueling synths on the otherwise
dull "Looking Back On Vanity"). The problem is, the disc has a central lack of personality: Shand shows us what he can do, but gives no
sense of who he is - and not in a mysterious-cipher way, either.
Written, produced, engineered and so on by Shand.
(DBW)
Shawnna, Worth Tha Weight (2004)
Don't tell Ben Taylor or Louise Goffin I said so, but musical talent doesn't usually run in families. Chicago rapper Shawnna is Buddy Guy's daughter, but she inherited none of his taste or emotional range, to say nothing of his technical skill. Her voice is in the same register as MC Lyte's ("Kick This One" plays on the similarity, sampling Lyte's "Kickin' 4 Brooklyn"), but she doesn't do anything with it except recite - in a slightly pissed off tone - tired lines about hangin' on the street and bangin' in the club.
Exec producers Ludacris and Chaka Zulu do a good job of mixing things up, assembling a variety of backing tracks from mellow sax-based grooves ("Super Freak" produced by Terrace Martin) to weird violin squiggles ("Weight A Minute") to Timbaland-style tabla ("Block Reincarnated"), in addition to the usual synth bounce numbers ("Let's Go" by Just Blaze)... it's mostly serviceable, but not nearly enough to make up for the fact that Shawnna brings no excitement or interest to the proceedings.
Guests include Jermaine Dupri ("U Crazy"), Twista ("R.P.M.," where his hyperspeed delivery provides practically the only enjoyment on the disc)
and Missy Elliott ("What Can I Do").
(DBW)
The Showgoats, Catfish Saturday (2000)
There are a ton of musicians out there who have good ears and respectable chops, but are missing a distinctive spark to make
them stand out from the crowd. And many of those musicians are cutting their own self-distributed CDs and mailing them to
me. North Carolina rock five-piece The Showgoats cranks out catchy three-minute country-influenced tunes that are pleasant
enough, with decent riffs ("Holding Ground") and some nice downtempo arrangements ("Broken Receiver"). But it doesn't add
up to much, at least to my roots-rock-saturated ears: you've heard all the chord progressions and guitar licks before
("Nowhere Fast"), and they don't appear to be in the service of a unique artistic vision.
Producer/engineer Jamie Hoover gets a great shimmering sound out of the guitars, but apparently he fell in love with
the instrumental tracks so much that he mixed Mark Degnen's lead vocals down to a nearly inaudible level.
When you can hear him, Degnen generally sticks to a low-key, unemotional delivery that makes me think of REM
("Cowboy Song" also shares a melody with "The One I Love"). But if they lack artistic
ambition, by the same token they avoid pretension and self-indulgence - they're basically a bar band, but they're good at it.
Find out more at www.theshowgoats.com.
(DBW)
SixToEight Mathematics, Drive (2003)
Funny how influences work: the frontwoman for this Jersey punk act, Alana Quartuccio, credits Kat Bjelland
and Green Day as her main inspirations, but she's way more fun: catchy sing-a-long
choruses ("If That's Me"), simple but effective rhythm guitar riffs, and an unpretentious attitude.
The band's co-leader is drummer Mike Random, who sings lead on the wonderfully snide, gradually building "L.A.Y.S."
and backing vocals on most of the rest; bassist Melissa O'Connor doesn't stand out much except on her composition "Bed."
I'd like more consistency in a record that's just seven songs and twenty minutes long (Random's "The Way" is kind of a bore)
but there's plenty of promise. Recorded and mixed by Jeff Brogowski.
Since releasing this album, the band has replaced O'Connor with MaryBeth, and added Ali McDowall as second guitarist,
resulting in a thicker, more propulsive sound... I've seen them live a couple of times and I'll review their new disc when I can get my
hands on it. (DBW)
Sparkles The Bahamian Diva, Diva Feva (2003)
Sparkles approaches junkanoo - a variant of soca, a fast 4/4 dance music, sort of a cross between merengue and calypso - with an infectious good-time attitude. Her boisterous high spirits carry straightforward "let's dance" anthems - "Gimme Junkanoo"; "Blow Ya Whistle" - and self-promotion ("Bahamian Diva") alike; even the kiss-off "U Gat Issues" crackles with humor.
She brings the tempo down for two ballads, "Am I Capable" and "Heartbreak Unaware," which are pleasant but not as distinctive or attention-grabbing.
Produced and partly co-written by K.B., who is sort of a one-man island record industry as a performer and producer.
Her 2007 single "I'm On A Budget" - a ridiculously catchy repudiation of overspending, which shouldn't be lost on a nearby superpower with a negative consumer savings rate - is not available on album yet, but you can download it at her web site.
(DBW)
Spymob, Sitting Around Keeping Score (2004)
I got interested in this Minneapolis rock four-piece because of their extraordinary backing on the first N.E.R.D. record. Shorn of that absurdist cut-and-paste sensibility, Spymob is just another earnest pop/rock band with 70s synth patches (title track), but they're pleasant enough. Keyboardist John Ostby is the head honcho, singing lead and writing all the lyrics, of which some are clever (the defensive pre-date confession "I Still Live At Home") and some sophomoric ("It Gets Me Going," from the perspective of a pet dog). He also drives most of the songs with pounding eighth-note piano ("Fly Fly Fishing Poles," reminiscent of "Lady Madonna") or burbling synth ("German Test Drive," which also features his Sting impression).
The rest of the group -
Brent Paschke, guitar; Christian Twig, bass; Eric Fawcett, drums - stays in the background, adding fills here and there but never taking any solos. Most of the tunes are moderately catchy, holding your attention while they're playing but not a moment after ("2040"), with smooth harmonies ("National Holidays") and Ostby's voice is similarly effective - reaching into falsetto whenever he wants an emotional payoff - but unremarkable.
Produced by Stephen Lironi, aside from a couple of tracks overseen by Alex Oana.
(DBW)
Various, Standing In The Shadows Of Motown (2002)
The soundtrack to the movie based on the book about Motown's
unsung studio musicians, and most of the tracks are from a concert with guest stars fronting what's left of the label's
60s-era house band. Since many of the key players - James Jamerson, Bennie Benjamin, Earl Van Dyke - had died, the lineup
is mostly the second string: Bob Babbitt on bass, Uriel Jones on drums, Ivory Joe Hunter and Johnny Griffith on keyboards.
Each guest artist gets two shots, and they're pleasant though never revelatory: Bootsy Collins
camps up "Do You Love Me" and "Cool Jerk"; Chaka Khan sings "What's
Going On" and duets with Montell Jordan on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough";
Ben Harper tackles "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Ain't
Too Proud To Beg"; Me'Shell Ndegéocello does "You've
Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Cloud Nine."
Gerald Levert (Eddie's son) does the best impression, ably channelling Levi Stubbs
on "Reach Out I'll Be There";
Joan Osborne ("(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave"; "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted," which
was originally recorded in L.A., not Detroit)
is the biggest surprise simply because I wasn't aware she could sing at all.
As a bonus, there are a few 60s tracks from the vaults: the hard-to-find "The Flick" by Earl Van Dyke and The Soul Brothers,
featuring one of the only recorded Jamerson solos, and instrumental mixes of "You Keep Me
Hangin' On" and "Bernadette." Harmless.
(DBW)
Tig Wired, Ne Obliviscaris (Never Forget) (2008)
A concept CD about working in construction, with lyrics by lifelong shutdown maintenance man Chris Campbell and almoost everything else - music, vocals, guitar, bass, production - by his brother Colin Campbell.
Colin is comfortable in styles from blues ("Shutdown Blues") to reggae ("A Happy Start"), classic rock (the Lou Reed-esque "You Give Me No Reply") and even synth dance ("After 20 Years"),
but he's at his best on midtempo, mid-volume tunes with lush choruses, driven equally by guitar and piano ("Gotta Be Safe," reminiscent of Joe Jackson in all the right ways; "The Colour Of Oil"). Everything's melodic and carefully arranged ("There's A Wild One Going On," with an amusing horn section), though some of the tunes are less than memorable ("Waiting For My Life To Begin").
The lyrics are often evocative and powerful ("Another Brother Down"), but just as often they're rather pedestrian reflections on working life ("It's This Job I Do") - yes, work is hard and you're on the road a lot and that impacts your relationships, that's not exactly a novel insight. Of course, I suspect the lyrics are intended to resonate with folks who actually live that life, not to educate some middle-class slacker rock critic.
For more details, get to their web site.
(DBW)
Various, A Tribute To Joni Mitchell (2007)
A succession of big names covering Joni Mitchell, some previously released (Prince's "A Case Of You") and some new (Emmylou Harris on "The Magdalene Laundries," the only non-70s tune tackled).
More interesting and enjoyable than the other star-studded 2007 Mitchell covers collection (Herbie Hancock's) because of the variety of approaches, from Brad Mehldau's fluttering solo piano turn through "Don't Interrupt The Sorrow" to Cassandra Wilson's intense acoustic blues interpretation of "For The Roses."
The nicest surprise is Sufjan Stevens remaking "A Free Man In Paris," as his goofy over-orchestrated one-man-band Americana routine suits the tune better than you'd think possible; curiously, Elvis Costello stumbles with similar instrumentation on "Edith And The Kingpin."
There are missteps, of course - Bjork's usual mannerisms ruin "The Boho Dance"; Sarah McLachlan's "Blue" is self-consciously tripped-out and arty. Most often, though, the record's as pleasant as it is uneventful: James Taylor's reharmonization of "River"; Caetano Veloso's percussive yet laid-back "Dreamland"; k.d. lang's lush "Help Me."
(DBW)
Tweet, Southern Hummingbird (2002)
Another Timbaland/Missy Elliott-backed female singer, but Tweet's debut doesn't sound like anything from Aaliyah or Nicole... it's actually closer to neo-soul a la India.Arie, with prominent acoustic guitars ("Always Will"; the stark, memorable kissoff "Motel") and gentle melodies (the mournful "Smoking Cigarettes").
Tweet produced much of the album herself, including "Best Friend," a Prince-like slow jam with duet vocals from Bilal. Her lyrics aren't complicated but they are spare and effective ("Drunk," an ambivalent contemplation of ambivalent contemplation).
However, while Tweet's voice is unfailingly pleasant, it's never rousing, and the album's mellow mood can get a bit stifling, despite a couple of club bangers ("Boogie 2nite").
The hit single was the masturbation ode "Oops (Oh My)," which does sound like a typical Timbaland production, with a bass hook that's simultaneously metallic and sleazy, and features vocals from Elliott; Timbaland also produced "Call Me," in his melismatic-hook-backed-by-tabla mode.
(DBW)
Tweet, It's Me Again (2005)
Another batch of hip hop-inflected neo-soul, but without the coherence and pointed lyrics that set her debut apart. So while there are a couple of brilliant songs (the "fork in the road" love song "Where Do We Go From Here?") and a lot of decent ones ("I'm Done"; "Iceberg" - both laments), the album as a whole is overlong, diffuse and stock (the collection of truisms "Sports, Sex & Food"). And when her lyrics don't stand out, her limitations as a vocalist do (the would-be torch "My Man").
Timbaland worked on the unpredictable but ultimately unsatisfying midtempo "Steer"; Elliott produced seven tracks and adds vocals on two ("Things I Don't Mean"; "Turn Da Lights Off").
Most of the rest was produced by Nisan Stewart ("Cab Ride," which samples the theme from Taxi); Tweet produced "Iceberg."
The tries-too-hard party anthem
"We Don't Need No Water" not only borrows the famous chorus of "The Roof Is On Fire," it also samples Mandrill's "Mango Meat."
(DBW)
The Unseen Guest, Out There (2004)
British pop with Indian instrumentation and influence has a long and distinguished history, and though this duo isn't near the gold standard, it's respectable. Declan Murray is the lead singer and lyricist, and he and Amith Narayan share composing, production and instrumental duties (mostly acoustic guitars, but including everything from slide guitar and mandolin to veena). The arrangements are intriguing, piling up string instruments to hypnotic effect ("In The Black"), and sometimes startling (the sudden violin flourishes in "Come On In"). But Murray's vocals are drab - nasal and overly detached - and his lyrics are self-important and arch ("Sandalista"... that wasn't a particularly clever phrase fifteen years ago when I first heard it). And the tunes are hit or miss, with too many ordinary melodies (the sing-a-long chorus of "Listen My Son"; the "Dear Prudence" retread "Mangala Express").
Percussionists Anil and Sumodh appear on every track; other guests include Joy (banjo and mandolin), Shah Jahan and Wadiyal (violin on "Come On In"), Lajjo G (harmonica) and Sunil Bhasker (harmonium); carefully recorded by Lijit. See unseenguest.com for more details.
(DBW)
Various, A Very Special Christmas 5 (2001)
The latest entry in the Special Olympics-benefiting series was mostly cut live at the White House in December 2000, supplemented with some studio tracks
(City High's take on "O Come All Ye Faithful," Dido's "Christmas Day," Eve 6's rock arrangement of "Noel"). Powder's smirking "alternative" version of Alvin and the
Chipmonks' "Christmas Don't Be Late" is irritating, but it's still an improvement on the original.
The live performers include old standbys - Jon Bon Jovi makes his fifth appearance in the series with "Blue Christmas,"
Sheryl Crow returns with "Run Rudolph Run," John Popper sings "Back Door Santa" with B.B. King -
and new faces - Macy Gray croaks out Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," Stevie Nicks contributes a surprisingly lifeless "Silent Night."
Stevie Wonder sings two duets, a very loose "Merry Christmas Baby" with Wyclef Jean (who also performs a ragged version of "Little Drummer Boy") and Stevie's own "I Love You More" with Kimberly Brewer.
And in tribute to Phil Spector's Christmas disc, Darlene Love renders "White Christmas" pleasantly enough but without her past enthusiasm.
(DBW)
Gretchen Wilson, Here For The Party (2004)
Country singer/songwriter Gretchen Wilson is part of the MuzikMafia clique that also produced Big & Rich; their take on country music incorporates rock and hip hop influences - there's a brief Wilson rap on "Chariot" - though they still rely heavily on traditional instrumentation like pedal steel and fiddle unlike artists like Garth Brooks and Faith Hill, who perform what amounts to pop music with a Southern accent. This debut was a smash hit thanks to the single "Redneck Woman," which staked out Wilson's defiantly trashy persona with an irresistable singalong chorus. The title track has the same zest,
and the hands-off-my-man "Homewrecker" (with a dirty guitar lick recalling Neil Young) is close behind. Depth, though, is not Wilson's strong point, so her ballads are dreary and predictable ("The Bed"; "When I Think About Cheatin'"), and the ode to her hometown "Pocahontas Proud" rings hollow.
Produced by Rich, Mark Wright and Joe Scaife.
Wilson's followup records were downhill from here, showing no growth: on 2005's All Jacked Up, the title track and "California Girls" (a sly comment on the Beach Boys song) are the only worthwhile numbers, amid trite horrors like "One Bud Wiser"; on 2007's One Of The Boys even the singles fall flat.
(DBW)
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever To Tell (2003)
I can understand why bands copy Sonic Youth's approach (heck, I've done it myself):
garage-rock immediacy and avant-garde hipness, plus if you go out of tune or hit a wrong note you can say it was intentional.
And indeed, the NYC three-piece is getting a lot of Next Big Thing attention, even though this debut album
(following a couple of EPs) has only one great song (the frantic, forceful "Tick"). For better or worse, churlish vocalist Karen O dominates the proceedings,
squeakily spewing insults ("Black Tongue") and non sequiturs, and for some reason her voice is processed to make it as tinny and grating
as possible, so she ends up sounding like Chrissie Hynde on helium.
Guitarist Nicolas Zinner is a Thurston clone, banging out crunching rhythms ("Man") or single note riffing ("Maps"),
and drummer Brian Chase ably handles styles from thrash to cocktail as the mood changes ("No No No"), but the sound is pretty thin.
The tunes get longer and slower toward the end of the disc, and things totally fall apart by the concluding dirges "Y-Control" and
"Modern Romance."
(DBW)
Stop the insanity.
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