Reviewed by Lisa Hood-Anklewicz
Although ...auto-pilot is a simple 5 track EP, don't count out Arrica Rose; she is carrying a heavy load of potential in this short production. ...auto-pilot is Rose's third release, and she stills seems to be trying to find her niche in her musical adventures, moving from solo folk and blues in her self-titled debut, to an experimental project inspired by a keyboard, drum machine and megaphone in her follow up EP, The Tone Bank. Rose has now moved in with a full band and cozied up with a bit more of a contemporary jazz sound.
The music of ...auto-pilot is incredibly melodic, and very easy to get caught up in. Rose's songwriting capabilities are potent and she doesn't hold back. Her lyrics are beautiful and strong, delivered with by an enormous vocal presentation. Rose's songs have the ability to leave you thinking, a quality that isn't always easy to find in modern music.
The songs are rooted in the simple, every day living of the average person, without over dramatizing events. "Yeah, it's all in your mind / no you can't just leave it all behind / Nothing like a simple phrase to rain upon any perfect day."
However, there are two faults with ...auto-pilot. The arrangement of the EP comes off slightly awkward; the tempo of the songs don't flow easily together, dipping and peaking too often. The other problem is that once "The Cigarette Song" ends, you find yourself checking to be sure there isn't more. Perhaps that isn't a fault after all; perhaps that is just Rose's way of being sure you stay tuned for more. Hopefully, the potential evident in Arrica Rose won't be completely lost out there in the music industry, and we will have the chance to hear more sooner than later.
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Belle & Sebastian - Push Barman To Open Old Wounds Jeepster/Matador
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
If you only know Belle & Sebastian from their six full-length albums, you only have half the picture. Belle & Sebastian spent 1996-2004 on the small European label Jeepster Records. Jeepster allowed the band to release singles that were not album tracks, something that few other labels would even consider in today's record industry. Over that time period seven EPs were released and only one song appeared on both an EP and an album.
I'm not going to lie; I'm a fan of Belle & Sebastian. They're one of my favourite bands. I own all of their EPs, and I had to buy this CD because I can't have holes in my collection. I considered buying a new copy of their first three EPs when Jeepster made them available in one package for a "new low price", until I found out I could buy the new sleeve for £1 directly.
Dog On Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane, 3...6...9 Seconds of Light, This Is Just A Modern Rock Song, Legal Man, Jonathan David, and I'm Waking Up To Us contain some of Belle & Sebastian's best material. Though these releases are sometimes hard to find and always overpriced, they were always worth the hunt. "I'm Waking Up To Us", "Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It", "Lazy Line Painter Jane" and "String Bean Jean" are among the best that Belle & Sebastian have ever released and deserve a valued place in your collection, and this compilation should help.
The first four tracks on this set were recorded when Belle & Sebastian was only Stuart Murdoch. These songs perfectly show what makes Belle & Sebastian so good: Murdoch's songwriting. Though other band members get their chance on these 7 EPs, it is mainly Murdoch's uneven voice you will hear. Stuart David has his moment with "A Century of Elvis," Isobel Campbell shines with "The Gate", and Stevie Jackson sings a tale of a love triangle in "Jonathan David." Though good songwriters in their own right, it's Murdoch's whimsical lyrical play and his contrasting music that will keep you entertained. The bouncy music to "The State I Am In" is perfectly contrasted by lyrics like "My brother had confessed / he was gay / it took the heat off me for a while."
The two disc set has many songs that you'd have never otherwise heard including "I Love My Car," a silly song that has one of my favourite Belle & Sebastian lyrics, "I love my Carl / I love my Brian, my Dennis and my Al / I could even find it in myself to love / Mike Love." The usual self deprecation that makes Stuart Murdoch so endearing, "Sebastian you're in a mess / you had a dream, they called you king / of all the hipsters, is it true? / or are you still the queen?"
The album contains all the artwork and liner notes from the individual releases and doesn't add any lame rejected songs to entice people to buy what they don't need. The worst I can say about this album is that some of the material is a B-Side for a reason. "Judy Is A Dick Slap" and "Marx and Engels" are among the worst material Belle & Sebastian ever recorded, but "Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie" and "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song" are among their best.
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Ben Folds - Songs for Silverman Sony
Reviewed by Dan Crosby
Throughout his solo career, Ben Folds has been nothing if not experimental. While his late-90s band Ben Folds Five was known for relatively typical light pop-rock (well, as typical as a band without a guitarist can be), pianist/singer/songwriter Folds has tried the horrifyingly bizarre (Fear of Pop vol 1), subdued vocal-driven pop (Rockin' the Suburbs), and the inexplicable (producing and co-writing William Shatner's Has Been. No, I don't know, either.) Folds even experimented with leaving behind the traditional album format, releasing several four-song EPs through his web site and on the iTunes Music Store in the past few years, which were surprisingly good. With Songs for Silverman, he is back to a more traditional format, but the music has not lost its edge; in fact, it may be the best work of his career.
It might seem odd that an entirely piano-and-vocals driven artist could convey much energy-after all, with the Five at least Folds was supported by the other two defining elements of an alt-rock band, the bass and drums. Somehow, he has created even more, here, with the piano completely dominant over his support band. Folds is simply a piano genius, and he's made it much more active and sophisticated than on the 2001 Rockin' the Suburbs. Even better, Folds has really come into his own as a vocalist. He always wrote compelling lyrics-if your only exposure to his work so far is the sappy and atypical 1997 hit single "Brick," don't be scared away-but his voice is not exactly the greatest in the world. He's learned to use it effectively and very pleasantly, especially in the first single, "Landed," and despite exceptions such as "Jesusland."
It's really the first half of the album that shines. The second half, beginning with a mutilated version of "Give Judy My Notice," which had been quite pretty on his Speed Graphic EP, is far less compelling. Until then, though, one finds the strangely dark but wonderful "Trusted" and "You to Thank" alongside the charming "Gracie" and pop-rock "Landed." My personal favorite, though, is the opening track "Old Bastard." Folds has gotten much better at keeping the meaning of his lyrics mysterious since "Brick," and every time I try to figure this one out, I get lost in the piano and forget what I was trying to do; it's great fun. All in all, Folds has only grown from the already excellent Rockin' the Suburbs.
Unfortunately, the story doesn't end here. You see, I would be enjoying this CD a lot more-if it was a CD. Instead, Sony Music has chosen to release Songs for Silverman in DualDisc™ format, where one side is supposed to play on a CD player, and the other side is in DVD format with 5.1 surround sound. Now, releasing albums in higher quality format should be A Good Thing; I was even willing to pay a bit more for it with Beck's Guero last month. However, Guero included two separate discs, so that the CD format disc was really a CD, following the CD spec. Songs for Silverman is not. I don't know what other changes they made to the spec, or why, but the back of the disc includes the "may not play on all CD players" warning, and sure enough, Sony's DualDisc wouldn't play on my CD player. MY BRAND NEW SONY CD PLAYER. Neither exchanging the disc at the retailer nor contacting Sony has thus far brought a fix, and quite frankly I'm ticked. The great irony is that these formats are usually designed to help fight digital music piracy, but the one place the disc worked fine is ripping onto my computer, so I have a perfect copy that does play correctly. Releasing bastard formats like this is asking for trouble. Not that they will, but: Listen up, Sony and the rest of the Big 5! Releasing physical discs that your customers cannot use does not discourage piracy-it encourages it! Why buy a disc that you can't use? So stop it! Ben Folds has made a great album. Let people buy and listen to it!
Rant over. Ben Folds has made another great, gutsy album, as long as you can play it.
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Reviewed by Chris Catania
"The present is a gift and I just wanna be," Common peacefully explains in the opening track on his fifth and most ambitious album, Be. From start to finish, the eleven tracks are a journey across the introspective terrain over which Common has traveled during the last three years. His hopes, fears, and joys have all been exposed, for fans and critics to examine and maybe even learn from. Nothing is held back. The lyrics inspire and the beats groove as Executive Producer Kanye West has brilliantly melded his Grammy winning producing and rhyming with Common's raw rapping power, clearly inspiring his fellow Chicago native to explore new ground and dive into new creative waters. There is an obvious evolution in Be from Common's previous records; Be is more compact and focused. Common's strength, which is to adapt to a producer's style and vision with each record, has allowed him to make yet another successful progression in his career. For wondering fans: he has not changed, only grown, matured and taken the proper time to slow down, regroup and make the kind of record an artist can make when inhibitions are released, the inner critic is silenced, and the soul is set free to tell the truth about what is going on within the heart and mind.
After a three year break from his last, highly criticized, album Electric Circus, Common is still a poignant storyteller. His glowing smile on the album's cover is a solid indication of the type of material that is stirring on the inside; while on the back of the album cover a more introspective Common sits beneath a picture of Malcolm X, staring intently out the window, letting his fans know he is still pondering the state of the world outside and how he might relate to it, impact it, influence it.
Guest rappers The Last Poets jumpstart Be with the thrusting and throbbing "The Corner," asserting Be as a socially aware, Chicago-centered album. What follows is a suggestive escape to fantasy in the third track "Go!," followed by "Faithful," a double edged spiritual metaphor which showcases Common's strength in honesty. Then comes "Testify," a haunting melodrama about a woman who is fighting to save her wrongly accused lover from being locked away in prison.
The middle three tracks, "Love is...," "Chi-City," and "Food (Live)," are a vivid stroll through a Chicago ghetto tribute. With all the chaos surrounding Dave Chappelle, hearing him pop up on the live "Food" track-taken from one of his shows on which West and Common appeared-is humorous, considering his current circumstances.
Remaining true to the core spirit of hip-hop, the album is full of classic samples, smooth mixes, jerky stops and starts and nimble scratches of the vinyl. West pulled from the work of Marvin Gaye, Linda Lewis, Dwayne Julius Roger and a slew of others to complete his vision for Be. John Legend's contribution makes "They Say" one of the album's best tracks. "Real People" might be the only track that is lacking but it's hard to pick even one that could've been tossed.
Be is a simple album as the title and the blissful mood of Common at the onset suggest; but it is also a complex mix that grows deeper and deeper with each listen. It's hard not to think about life's struggles and joys when listening to it. Common's gift for lyrical juxtaposition forces you to think about relationships, race, love, even your own existence in ways that other rappers can't. It's just that he's so honest, a rare occurrence in hip-hop today.
The journey ends with Common's father "Pops," who makes another last track appearance on the piano-based "It's Your World part 1&2." His poetic message-which might appear racially slanted or narrowly focused-is really, after a closer listen, transcendent, wide sweeping and for all ears. It's also impossible to forget the hopeful children as they voice their "I wanna be"'s during Part 1.
This is the kind of album that can change lives, and hip-hop, if hearts are open to hear what Common, West and the rest of the crew are saying. Pops says it best when he encourages all to "...BE the author of your own horoscope..." and he might have been prophetic about the album's impact when he finishes with the resounding fade out, "...BE eternal..."
Two editions of the record were released on May 24th and if you can afford the extra five bucks for the Deluxe Edition, it's worth it. Included is a DVD full of interviews with Common and West discussing the vision and creation of Be, a look at the evolution of Common's career and some classroom and concert footage which any Common fan would enjoy.
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The Coral - The Invisible Invasion Sony/BMG
Reviewed by James Tyler
Like a Scouse bullet through the night sky, like a freight train carrying hobos and moody gold watches, like a weed-addled guitar session hell-bent on invoking the Gods (or the 13th Floor Elevators, whichever comes first), The Coral touch down with another album in quick succession. Cranking out schizophrenic Mersey Beat with the youthful aplomb of the Beatles in Hamburg, The Coral have refined their sound over their three previous albums, creating a likeable mix of troubadour flair and hypnotic guitar/organ portions served over solid, dynamic drums.
It's frantic. It's worthy of underground karaoke. It's eclectic. Uplifting melodies abound in songs like "So Long Ago," a 3-minute foot-tapper that rattles through a tale of nostalgia and memories, and first single "In the Morning," where a catchy xylophone hook and Beach Boys chord progression teach us that there's nothing to be afraid of. "When the morning comes, it will be alright," chirps lead singer James Skelly, and I've no reason to disagree.
Fulfilling their role as Merseyside pop generals, their moodier side creeps out on "Far from the Crowd," guided by twelve-string guitars and low, hushed vocals. Songs like "Leaving Today," a harmonica-addled farewell, or "Something Inside Of Me" that swells with the ghost of Joe Strummer and Madness, fill you with the same sensations you get when you first heard Echo and the Bunnymen or Gerry and the Pacemakers - you know you've heard it before, but you can't place it. The pleasure comes in the familiarity, the rendezvous, the re-acquaintance.
It doesn't deviate too much from territory past, and yet that isn't too much of a problem - given that they grew up smoking weed in shacks at the seaside, practicing Oasis covers and listening to Atom Heart Mother, we want to hear them explore their collective cultural selves instead of cranking out the next Kid A. The Coral are not a band that strays far from the line, sticking to simpler concepts and structures, but that is hard enough to do and do properly. The Invisible Invasion is proof of that: cheeky and persistent, engaging and addictive from start to finish.
Their style is addictive and fun, and it's a slow burner. Stick with it a while. Spend an afternoon driving from Times Square into the Catskills, and let The Coral ride with you as the urban sprawl evens out, drifting away from concrete and onto winding, thick-wooded roads. With sun shining and windows down, their Liverpudlian atmospherics and storytelling form a more-than-adequate passenger.
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Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Ablum is kind of like candyfloss. On the first bite it is sweet and delicious, but by the time you finish that last bite you begin to wonder why you were so excited about it. Ablum is so sugary sweet, that once you get your fill, the appeal starts to fade and nausea sets in.
That's not to say I don't like it. Ablum is a lot of fun, and the ideal connection between children's music and alternative pop/rock, which makes sense given the demographics of the group.
To call Duplex! an unconventional supergroup would be a huge understatement. For one thing, it's doubtful that you would have heard of the bands which its members come from (The Beekeepers, The Neins, p:ano). There's also the fact that the age differences among the group are staggering. And I don't mean Traveling Wilburys staggering; the eight members of Duplex! range in age from 37 down to 3. Yes, that's right, 3. Hence the inclusion of such masterpieces as "pooing and peeing."
Then there is the pair of 11-year-olds. Saoirse Soley and Sierra Terhoch sing and play songs about the things kids their age don't like ("The Salad Song") and math ("Multiplication Treehouse"), often to the tunes of old nursery rhymes. Cute and funny at first, but not exactly stuff you're going to play again and again. And really, that's the overall flaw of Ablum. A great number of the songs are not really songs at all. "I am a Robot" is a recording of three-year-old Abe Caruso saying "I am a robot, my name is doo-dot" before blowing in and out of a harmonica. As adorable as that is, by second or third listen you grow tired of it. The same is true of "The Best Little Boy In The World," on which Annie Wilkinson sings "You're the best little boy in the world," to which Abe replies "am not!" Again, cute, but not a song.
But enough being negative. Thanks to the more experienced (read: older) members of Duplex!, Ablum has some great, catchy songs. Matt Caruso, who plays guitar in The Beekeepers and is the father of Abe Caruso, contributes a few of the album's best songs. "DNA" is a fun ode to cloning that is probably the song that is the most replayable. He also contributes "Hanu," one of the many songs on the album about an animal of some kind (see also "Mr. Slim (He's a roamer)" and "Freaky Rhesus"). There's also a gorgeous cover of the Schoolhouse Rock song "Figure 8."
So, flaws aside, Ablum is a fun record to have around the house, especially if you have any young relatives visiting. Besides, I know you're all dying to hear "pooing and peeing."
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Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations Vagrant
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Death and mourning have served as an influence on many classic albums. Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, the latest album by indie-rock band eels, may be the best one of these since Neil Young's Tonight's The Night, but as a double album, it is bound to get the criticism that many receive; it's just too long.
For those readers new to the eels, the group is actually not a group at all, but rather a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist named E (well, his real name is Mark Everett), who has released a score of albums loaded with credibility and critical acclaim, starting in 1996 with Beautiful Freak.
The latest album, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations extends back to the losses of E's mother, who died of cancer, his sister who committed suicide, and most recently, his cousin who died on September 11, 2001. She was a flight attendant on the plane which crashed into the Pentagon.
With all that tragedy, you'd think that Blinking Lights would be a depressing album to listen to, but that's not true. Like the aforementioned Tonight's The Night, the musical and lyrical focus is not on depressing the listener, but rather, healing oneself through music. E expresses his pain through song, much like he did on 1998's Electro-Shock Blues, the eels' first soundtrack to tragedy. Sometimes the lyrics are more obvious than others, but throughout the album it is the mood that matters more than the words, as well-written as they are.
Since it is essentially E's healing process on disc, I feel unsympathetic when I say that I agree with the criticism that Blinking Lights is bound to receive. Despite having long been a champion of the double LP, I feel like Blinking Lights could have been condensed to a single disc release. Really, at 90 minutes, the album isn't that long, but at 33 songs, it seems like a lot to digest. And it also seems repetitive, despite being musically and thematically varied.
That's not to say the album isn't good. It's really good, actually. From the lighthearted opener "Theme from Blinking Lights" to the horn-driven anthem "Son Of A Bitch," which tells the tale of a son who stays devoted to his mother despite her ill feelings toward him. The lyrics only hit the listener hard when they know what the album is about. Once you know that E had a relative die on September 11th, the lyrics to "Blinking Lights (For Me)" suddenly gain their meaning: "Blinking lights on the airplane wings, up above the trees, blinking down a morse code signal... especially for me." Like Elliott Smith, E pairs tragic lyrics with lighthearted melodies. It is the listener who plays close attention who will get the most out of his music.
Some songs are just plain fun, though. "Going Fetal" is fast and upbeat, and features special guest Tom Waits, who provides the voice of a crying baby as well as growling a growling series of "hey!" Disc 2's "Whatever Happened To Soy Bomb" is not about that bizarre Bob Dylan Grammy appearance around the time of Time Out Of Mind, but seems framed around a specific time and place in the narrator's history. This is one of E's strengths, and his music has always seemed like a time capsule.
Despite my claim that the album isn't a depressing thing to listen to, I could feel my heart breaking at times. Tracks like "Ugly Love" are achingly beautiful, and when you take into account the tragedy that inspired the album, you lose yourself in the music. Even if the album is too long (and that's only my opinion, one I'm prepared to forget over time), it's definitely one with "masterpiece" all over it.
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Elvis Costello - King of America Rhino
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Although Rhino's excellent double-disc reissues of Elvis Costello's back catalogue have, up to this point, been issued in threes, the label and artist decided that for this installment they would let 1986's King of America stand on its own. A bold move, certainly, but King of America is undoubtedly one of the finest albums in Costello's long career, so it doesn't need backup.
The first of two Elvis Costello albums to be released in 1986, King Of America was recorded without the Attractions, the band who backed him on every release since 1978's This Year's Model. Instead, Elvis hires out an impressive lineup of players, including Jim Keltner, jazz legends Ray Brown and Earl Palmer, as well as T-Bone Burnett, who also assists in the album's production. Most notable, however, is the use of several musicians who played a crucial role in Elvis Presley's backing band late in his career; guitarist James Burton, bassist Jerry Scheff, and drummer Ron Tutt. Variations of this combo appear on several of the album's tracks. Overall, despite the strength of Elvis' singing and songwriting, it's really the musicians who make the songs on the album work. As capable as the Attractions are as musicians, one couldn't even begin to imagine a track like "The Big Light" without the rockabilly skills of Elvis Presley's former backing band. The Attractions do appear on the album, however, contributing to "Suit Of Lights," a definite album highlight.
The album contains many other great performances. "Brilliant Mistake," "Indoor Fireworks," and "Poisoned Rose" have all become some of Elvis' acoustic best, and lesser known tracks like "I'll Wear It Proudly" and "American Without Tears" prove just as exhilarating.
As far as the reissue is concerned, however, I am slightly let down by the offerings on the bonus disc. The disc is marvelous, and contains many great studio outtakes (particularly Elvis' duets with T-Bone Burnett, "The People's Limousine" and "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me") and live tracks. But for those of us who owned the double Demon Records 1995 reissue of King Of America, many of these tracks were already available to us. All that's new that we are left with are a few acoustic demos, and while those certainly hold their appeal, I guess I was hoping for a bit more.
Still, Rhino always impresses, and while the bonus disc has given me mostly music that I already had, it's still a lot to get excited about, especially if you've never heard King Of America or haven't since you wore down your vinyl in the 1980s.
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Gorillaz - Demon Days Virgin/EMI
Reviewed by James Tyler
Like Vanilla Coke, South Park, Kids In The Hall, Brain Candy and my 14th birthday, Gorillaz is a novelty that has managed to outlast its own shelf life. Capable of a great deal but formerly stuck behind their cartoonish image, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have managed to escape.
Perhaps it's because of the guest appearances and co-conspirators that swarm all over the album. Perhaps it's down to the thoughtfulness behind each song, the care and vision that goes beyond a simple sing-a-long. Perhaps it's because the songs are darker. All I know is that there is something more to it than the graffiti cut-and-paste comic-book appearance. It grows on you, like acne and armpit hair, creeping up slowly and taking root. After a while you forget its emergence entirely and accept that it's here to stay.
Demon Days carries over the playfulness of the eponymous first effort and gives it something more - gone is Dan the Automator, replaced by DJ du Jour DJ Danger Mouse. Appearances by MF Doom, De La Soul, Roots Manuva and Mancunian-Psych alum Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays, Black Grape) put a bit more meat on the bones. It comes across as more legitimate, and Albarn's talents are not as overstretched as before. There are some quality jukebox tracks on here; opening single "Feel Good Inc" is fused with a dream-like synth and some juggling beats, over which Albarn's careless Cockney affectations float.
The genius masterstroke of the album, if we're talking about novelty here - think Ben Folds plus William Shatner - is the track "Fire Coming out of the Monkey's Head." Albarn and Danger Mouse get the rugged and careful inflections of Dennis Hopper, talking his way through a bizarre urban folk tale about the Strange Folk and the cautionary tales of exploiting something pure. Kooky plastic organ and guitar lines pluck against his coarse baritone.
Odd instrumentations and the snap-pop layered style of Danger Mouse come together to produce an album that admittedly isn't bad. It's danceable to a degree, and will have one wondering just where the novelty will go next.
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John Prine - Fair & Square Oh Boy! Records
Reviewed by Zayne Reeves
The past nine years have been busy and productive ones for John Prine. He's given us a top-shelf live album, a flawless set of country standards recast as duets with the likes of Iris Dement and Connie Smith among other luminaries and a warm, relaxed batch of his early classics rerecorded that, quite frankly, outstrip many of the original studio performances. He's toured regularly, managed his exemplary Oh Boy! record label and even found time to act in Billy Bob Thornton's overlooked Daddy & Them, which was shelved for years over a dispute between Miramax and Thornton. Most importantly though, Prine has enjoyed his private life while gently easing into his role as a respected elder statesman of folk music. Just about the only thing Prine hasn't done during this time is put out a "proper" studio album of new material. Well, now you can check that one off too as Fair & Square proves that the great man still has plenty of wit and wisdom to dispense when it comes to life's little ups and downs.
Kicking things off is the rollicking "Glory of True Love," a straightforward paean to adult romance (no, not the kind found in the back of your local video store) that serves notice as to what Prine considers important these days. "Lord, I thought I had it all/I could have my lunch in London/And my dinner in St. Paul/I got some friends in Albuquerque/Where the governor calls me 'Gov'/You can give 'em all to Goodwill/For the glory of true love." Prine wears true love well and Fair & Square goes a long way to dispel the notion that artists need to be miserable in order to produce inspired work. "Crazy As A Loon" is a classic cock-eyed country number about chasing the other end of the rainbow and should be covered immediately by one of country's new wave (Dierks Bentley would be ideal) because it has serious crossover potential. Granted, it's hard to imagine Bentley matching the resigned melancholy in Prine's sandpaper voice but it sure would make for some richly deserved royalty checks.
Prine has commented on how his battle with throat cancer had one unexpected benefit which was that it altered his singing voice, rendering it lower and giving it a character that it didn't have before. There was always a high lonesome catch to Prine's voice that separated him from the rest of the folk scene but it still took Prine awhile to transform his vocal limitations into one of his greatest strengths. Listen to his 70s albums where he often sounds stilted and then compare it to In Spite of Ourselves where he bobs and weaves around a great singer like Patty Loveless until he makes his side of the story the only one you want to hear. In his voice you can feel every slow drag on a post-coital cigarette and it's that kind of personality that enriches songs like "The Moon Is Down," where verse after verse gently falls on your ears like a John Ford haiku read by a slightly boozy Henry Fonda.
The songs off Fair & Square have a way of pulling the rug out from under you in the nicest way possible. Initially, "Morning Train" seems like a pleasant enough tune until you get to the doozy of a final verse, "Constantinople/Is a mighty long word/Got three more letters/Than mockingbird/You put me on a morning train." Now you're left feeling sucker punched and you have to go back and listen to the song again. And again. "Some Humans Ain't Human" delivers a hard uppercut in the final verse by getting very specific about who Prine is cheesed off at. "Or you're feeling your freedom/And the world's off your back/Some cowboy from Texas/Starts his own war in Iraq." It's his most explicit protest statement since "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" off his much loved debut.
Underrated as an interpreter, Prine tackles "Clay Pigeons," a song written by the late Blaze Foley, and makes it his own. At first, the song's dense, cascading verses seem an odd pair with Prine's deliberately paced voice but Mr. Sweet Revenge has a few tricks up his sleeve as he rushes into the song headlong while sacrificing none of his natural sweetness. The way he wraps around a line like "I'm gonna find that lady with two or three kids/And sit down by her side/And ride 'til the sun comes up and down/Around about two or three times" is a minor revelation and it gives the poetic lines the kind of weight they need to stay grounded in a flesh and blood world. It's a spirited standout on an album full of confident performances.
Fair & Square features Prine's bandmates Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques, regular cohorts such as Dan Dugmore, Phil Parlapiano and Pat McLaughlin and guest turns by Alison Krauss, Mindy Smith and Shawn Camp among others. Prine has gotten away with recycling the same three chord melodies for quite some time now and, guess what, he gets away with it here thanks to the talents of the other musicians as well as his increased savvy inside the studio. It's an album that longtime fans should gobble up as well as one that can serve as a great introduction to neophytes. So here's to a wait that was well rewarded with what will surely stand as one of the year's very best albums.
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Lucinda Williams - Live @ The Fillmore Lost Highway
Reviewed by Zayne Reeves
In some ways, I think I was very fortunate to be underwhelmed by Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. Don't get me wrong; it's a terrific batch of songs that deserved to go gold, and I'm very glad that it has given its creator a measure of commercial leverage not normally afforded to her alt. country brethren. But I have always found it to be slightly airless and lacking the kind of bottomless mystery that makes for a truly great record-qualities possessed by both Essence and World Without Tears. After the breakout success of Car Wheels, it seems as if a lot of music critics would have preferred Lucinda's muse to remain encased in that particular amber. Essence showed us an artist growing more confident in her voice (she practically turns the word "back" into its own song with the way she stretches the syllables out) and whittling her words and music down to little embryos of pain, sex, loss and obsession. World Without Tears featured Lucinda rapping ("Sweet Side," "Atonement") and touching on politics ("American Dream"), and while it's slightly uneven compared to Essence, Tears has a heroic quality to it, and it also allowed Williams to further hone her blues mama persona. For me, these albums have the kind of personality and risky edginess that Car Wheels simply lacks. So, imagine my elation when I found out that her new double live CD was going to lean heavily towards her last two records.
"Ventura," off World Without Tears, is the song that gets this show on the road, and special mention must go to band member Doug Pettibone, whose steel guitar work here adds immeasurable depth to a song that already fairly pulsates with yearning. Her entire band is absolutely top notch but it's the way that Pettibone sends his licks careening into Lucinda's impassioned vocal that really makes this song click. Williams has caught a lot of shit for toning down the southern gothic storytelling that she so often incorporated in all of her albums up to Car Wheels and it's a shame because a song like "Ventura" is proof positive that lyrics need not be dense or inscrutable to be poetry. "I got out with a friend/Maybe a little music might help/But I can't pretend/I wish I were somewhere else." What more does she need to show you? Her phrasing, once a weak spot in her arsenal, is captivating here as she has the same special genius that Dylan does for finding just the right word to emphasize. On "Fruits of My Labor," the way she moans out "I've been TRYING to enjoy all the fruits of my labor" and makes "trying" louder and coarser than every other word speaks volumes as to just how frustrated the character in the song is with the way life keeps interrupting her ability to stop and smell the roses.
"Out of Touch," a standout from Essence, is arguably the highlight of disc one. The song tells the sad story of two former lovers who can't find it in themselves to connect with each other enough to have a normal conversation even though they pass by each other from time to time. Whatever hurt they experienced by the other's hand is a distant memory and so, sadly, is their ability to extricate themselves from the awkwardness of no longer having anything to say to someone who was once so close. "Changed The Locks," from her self-titled album, is the only song off disc one that isn't from either Essence or World Without Tears. A bold and defiant song about kicking out Mr. Wrong for good and then making damn well sure that he can't find you again, it almost plays like something Loretta Lynn would have written after throwing a skillet at "Doo" for flirting with their waitress a little too shamelessly. The song starts off with the narrator telling us that she's changed the color of her hair and the make of her car before going into grander territory by informing us that she has also "changed the tracks underneath the train" as well as "the name of this town." It's a stunning achievement that rates among her very best and it is given a menacing, rocking workout that easily bests the studio version.
Disc two has a few more pre-Essence songs ("I Lost It," "Pineola," and "Joy") on it although Williams makes it very clear that she is focused on the here and now. "Righteously" and, especially, "Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings" are sleazed up, meat off the bone piledrivers while the slower songs such as "World Without Tears" and the closing "Words Fell" bring the room down to a hushed still as you can't help but hang on this woman's every word. Ultimately though, two discs prove to be a little too much given the fact that Lucinda Williams, for all her genius, is not exactly the most prolific of songwriters. This is not to say that prolific is better because her batting average for writing great songs is astronomical, but the problem is that she has about five albums which are considered major works while her earlier records (Ramblin' and Happy Woman Blues) are seen in retrospect as the work of an artist struggling to find her voice. And while I agree with her decision to put her last two releases at center stage, giving WWT eleven slots was probably a little much. Both discs were culled from a three night stand at the legendary Fillmore, and apparently Williams was displeased when she learned that all of the live record would be taken from just those three shows. This is understandable because, while her gloriously ragged voice is in fine, tough as nails form for the most part there are definitely spots where you can't help but wonder if a better recording of a better performance should have gone in its place.
Relatively minor carping aside, this is an extremely enjoyable document of her current live show and well worth your time and money. Live @ The Fillmore features a sticker on the plastic wrapping with a blurb by none other than Lucinda's recent labelmate, Elvis Costello. Costello writes that Williams is the closest thing we have to Hank Williams, Sr. in terms of writing songs that come straight from heart. He's absolutely right, and we should all thank our lucky stars for that.
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Madvillain Remixes - Four Tet
Madvillain Remixes - Koushik
Reviewed by James Tyler
In the pipeline for some time and held up due to the precocious output of MF Doom, the remixes of Madvillainy finally see the light of day, hitting the ear with two different interpretations of the original, one of 2004's best albums.
Through Four Tet's eyes, beats-sculptor Madlib is but a distant dream. Kieran Hebden's offerings are the definition of "remix": his signature imprint is unmistakable, his passion undeniable, the quality almost indescribable.
Perhaps better known for gentler, more introspective ambient work, Hebden asserts his everything-but-the-kitchen-sink homemade approach in a manner befitting the material, infusing the scratchy, nasal rhymes from MF Doom with an aggressive procession of synth hits and layers of electric squeals, hisses and scratches over a hop-step beat. Each track has an identity of its own - Hebden's beats define the emotion behind the words and match them accordingly.
"Great Day" rattles off a tambourine/guitar loop that feeds off the hopeful and yet realistic lyrics. It grows into a snare-filled frenzy, taking a cue from Doom's intensity and confidence. "Money Folder" takes the grandeur of the gaudy late-90's "All about the Benjamins"-era rap and turns it inside out, giving the big bills talk a sense of humor. "Accordion" becomes more haunting, hiding behind walls of blissed-out bells and complementing the paranoia and menace in his voice - somehow, with the lullaby behind it, we can relax knowing that it's all a dream.
Koushik's approach is more respectful, which is not what I look for in a remix project like this.
A Stones Throw protégé (much like Madlib, whose many side-projects are at home on that superb West Coast label), Koushik Ghosh has a knowledge of music as deep as any self-respecting mixologist. Fusing the sounds of the psychedelic 60s with playful TV homages, Motown/California Soul and quirky instrumentations, this EP does not, in my eyes, do him justice.
The perspective Koushik shares with Madlib is a little too close, and his mixes don't really contribute anything new or entirely different to the existing material. Aside from certain stylistic flourishes, the shared wavelength between himself and Madlib restrains him somewhat. As well as his song selection, the beats he throws down barely get a chance to kick in before he slaps a conclusion on the end - teased to the point of frustration, MF Doom's lyrics bookend an entertaining but reserved method of revamping Madvillainy.
Respect is one thing, but when the opportunity's there to let loose, it has to be seized, else our attention span has no chance. Snapshots win the day compared to Hebden's slow focus, and the 2nd EP falls short in the process. It's engaging and funky, but it's over before it's begun like so many good things, and with hunger high, Koushik needs to provide a full meal.
In all, Four Tet and Koushik, friends, collaborators and innovators, have put together two EPs worthy of the MF Doom ethos. The idea, the thought, the patterns merge and bring fresh life to an album in no danger of expiration, and yet the DJ who lingers longest wins the day.
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Mark Bilyeu - First One Free Mayapple Records
Reviewed by Todd Mincks
Admit it; you take pride in finding and listening to music of which the masses are wholly unaware. You like to find artists that have more talent than the chart-topping, studio enhanced clones can comprehend. The more obscure the artist, the better, right? It's like digging for a hidden treasure in the sand-swept desert. Feel free to stop shoveling now; you just struck it rich.
Mark Bilyeu hails from Missouri, where the locals began to take notice a decade ago, with the emergence of his band Big Smith. In sharp contrast to the commercialized and homogenized Ozark Mountain music of Branson, Big Smith offered authentic slices of roots music steeped in family tradition and tempered with a modern perspective. It wasn't so much alternative country, but more like alternative hillbilly.
With First One Free, Bilyeu steps away from Big Smith and in turn makes a startling musical departure. It seems Mr. Bilyeu has decided to rock a bit. As it has done for many other artists (most notably Bob Dylan), this more progressive approach gives Bilyeu the freedom to stretch out musically and lyrically. Where Dylan plugged in, using the blues as his touchstone, Bilyeu seems to mine from the country rock movement of the 70s. Under the surface, however, the influences mount. A quick list would include Neil Young, Richard Thompson, Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and did I mention Dylan? While countless musicians have the same list of heroes, there are precious few who spin the influence into something truly original. Add Mark Bilyeu to that short list.
There are only five grand themes when it comes to writing songs: Love, God, Mortality, Politics, and The Human Condition. Bilyeu nearly covers them all in the lead-off track, "Antique Dreams." A cross between "My Back Pages" and "Like A Rolling Stone," the song soars and stings as many beliefs, ideas, and notions are allowed to fade away. In many ways, it sets the tone for the album. Bilyeu has some questions and complaints, and he isn't going to be satisfied with the company line. At the same time, Bilyeu displays enough optimism to assure us he isn't just another cynic.
There isn't any filler on this record, but there are several stand-out tracks. "Home In The Country," "Don't Need So Much," and "Paint" all succeed brilliantly. "Backwater," which grooves with the Mississippi flair of Cary Hudson's slide guitar, explores Bilyeu's love/hate relationship with Midwestern, small town culture. With a wink and a smile, it also deals with the current sense of self-righteousness that permeates many red states: "You might go to heaven, you might go to hell/ You might go to Wal-Mart or maybe Taco Bell / Pull out the wires and throw away the solder / You won't find no hotline to God here in this backwater."
The climax of the record has to be "Burn Brightly." With Bilyeu and Cary Hudson trading guitar licks, the song is an anthem of inspiration. Amidst an album full of hard questions and poignant observations, this song pays tribute to the human spirit and those who have made a difference. It has to be heard in its entirety to be fully appreciated, but it should be noted that this might be the first rock song in history to specifically pay tribute to Carl Sagan, among others.
So go ahead and dig up the treasure, because music this good deserves to be heard. From the stellar guitar playing to the outstanding song quality, First One Free is a gem. Tear off the cellophane, open the jewel case and enjoy one of the best records of the year, obscure or otherwise.
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Mint Condition - Livin' the Luxury Brown Image Entertainment
Reviewed by Quawana Charlton
Live music in R&B is back in a big way! It's the return of the hugely under appreciated Twin Cities band Mint Condition. This new CD includes a DVD with interviews of the guys in their hometown and concert footage. Those who have not had the pleasure of seeing Mint Condition live can get a glimpse of how dynamic they are on stage and all of the energy that they put forth.
Livin' the Luxury Brown is their first release since 1999's Life's Aquarium, but this album is a sort of continuation of the feeling we got from 1996's Definition of a Band. That feeling is rock and soul and then some. Mint Condition (which now has 5 members, due to keyboardist Kerri Lewis' split from the group) has brought back what they have been contributing to R&B all through the 90s; real music with real lyrics. By default Mint Condition is an R&B band, but you quickly realize that they cannot be boxed or branded. This CD opens with the creatively titled "Mindtrolude" and gives you the feeling you are sitting in on a jam session. Since the early 90s they have infused their sound with soul, rock, salsa, reggae and jazz, creating a genre-full festival of music. Each interlude on this album is indicative of that.
Livin' the Luxury Brown provides the usual Mint flavor, but this time features more of a focused appreciation for the black experience, relatable to anyone who has struggled regardless of race. This is especially true on songs like the uplifting "My Sista" which celebrates women, and the title track "Luxury Brown" which celebrates not having much but love to keep a family together. No Mint album would be complete without their signature love songs. Women are always in high standing with Mint Condition, though they are prone to messing up every now and then. As "Half an Hour" suggests, it doesn't take very long to screw up a good thing. This song, though reminiscent of "What Kind of Man Would I Be" off their 1996 album "Definition of a Band," actually is better musically and lyrically. As mentioned before this album features a rock edge, more so than their other albums. Songs like "Doormat," "Runaway," and "One Wish" prove these men can get down in any setting. "Runaway" in particular speaks of the pain of drug abuse and features a hard-hitting rock ballad feel.
Aside from Prince and New Power Generation, Mint Condition is the only major R&B group that is actually a band and in the business of real music (each member of the band plays multiple instruments), but unlike with Prince and NPG, they are continuously slept on by listeners. But maybe we want to keep it that way, if it's going to mean the difference between quality and timelessness or halfway decent songs that you won't remember even five years from now. Surviving basically on a cult-like following, Mint has been able to bless us with four albums and one greatest hits collection. They have definitely come a long way, but you have to really listen to enjoy all their musical benefits. The colors, sounds and emotions exhibited on each album coupled with front man Stokely's ever extraordinary vocal ability is the meat of the Mint Condition experience. Enjoy!
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Sleater-Kinney - The Woods Sub Pop
Reviewed by Violet Howard
Sleater-Kinney fans: brace yourselves. They are back, and back with a record so vital and immediate, they can be forgiven for the dorky and heavy handed One Beat, released in 2002.
The Woods harkens back to the urgency and nervous tension that was predominant on 1997's Dig Me Out. The band has created the most fully realized album of their career, without toning down the elements that define them. Corin Tucker's caterwaul is in full effect here, and although most listeners unfamiliar with the band might find her vocal style too shrill, Woods' producer David Fridmann defiantly sets the vocals front and center in the mix.
I've always thought the key to Sleater-Kinney's brilliance is their ability to engage the listener in an emotional journey that is musically evocative and lyrically honest, oftentimes painful. "Jumpers" is reminiscent of "Was It a Lie" (from All Hands on the Bad One), although instead of a death on the train tracks, we are led through a suicidal person's final moments on a bridge. Sleater-Kinney are incredibly sympathetic to the hostile and pathetic world they write and sing about; it makes the bursts of joy like "Rollercoaster" so much more welcoming.
Some critics have remarked on this album as being an experimental departure, but I don't agree. Sleater-Kinney have been together a long time, and have suffered from the indie rock curse of terrible production (remember the drumming errors on their eponymous CD, or the guitars that sounded like mush on Call the Doctor?) and a lack of pressure from an admittedly compromised recording industry. There's always been something beautiful about punk outfits sticking it to the man, but what you get are a lot of terrible sounding, yet ambitious records.
On The Woods, something great has happened. A producer sits behind the board who has a keen understanding of how to balance and clarify the dynamics of the Sleater's dueling guitars and enhance the low end with Janet Weiss' arena rock drumming. I stood up and yelled 'Yes! Someone knows how to mix them!'
You'll see what I mean on "Let's Call It Love," a lengthy aural masterpiece that showcases Carrie Brownstein's unusual take on guitar solos. She's been playing along with her Hendrix records-gone are the meandering, powerless leads that freckled their earlier releases. Her guitar work on this record finally matches the power and ferocity of Tucker's spirit yelling. Brownstein's a full on rock goddess now; it's as if all that Townshend posturing on stage has bled through to her fretboard.
It's good to see that ten years later, the strongest bands to emerge from the riot grrl movement such as Le Tigre (with former members of Bikini Kill) and Sleater-Kinney are still making consistently good records.
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Sloan - A Sides Win BMG Music (Canada)/Koch Records (U.S.)
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
CD:
DVD:
Sloan's career since the early 1990s has been one of varying success and varying quality. From their grunge rock debut EP Peppermint to their 60s pop influenced One Chord To Another, the 70s rocker Navy Blues to the art pop Between The Bridges, and most recently the all-out rocker Action Pact.
This collection showcases the radio friendly sounds of Sloan. Everyone has a turn at the mic. Jay Ferguson sings sweetly about a suicide on "The Lines You Amend," and drummer Andrew Scott straps on a guitar and sings about the "People Of The Sky." The rest of the collection is pretty evenly divided between Chris Murphy's pop and Patrick Pentland's rock songs.
Rock anthems like "If It Feels Good Do It" and "Losing California" might hook the audience on first listen, but songs like "Coax Me" and "500 Up" are the ones that keep you coming back. Sloan has had the ability to create some great dynamic and layered songs throughout their career. Though often borrowing heavily from their influences, they still manage to create a distinctive sound.
Sloan's choices of singles have never represented their albums very well. Someone who is only used to Sloan through radio will never have heard Pentland's soft side with songs like "Stand By Me, Yeah" or "I Can Feel It." They'll never had heard Ferguson's ballad to Rufus Wainwright, "Take Good Care Of The Poor Boy" or teenage love song "Snowsuit Sound." They'd have missed Scott's perfect blend of two songs in "Suppose They Close The Door" and the brilliant song that this compilation steals the name from, "A Side Wins." Not to mention Murphy's lyrical charm in "Autobiography" or his tragic love song "Bells On."
This collection will not give you the perfect career overview of Sloan, but it's a good first step for fans that always liked what they heard on the radio. Tacked on the end of the record are two new songs recorded specifically for this collection, Pentland's "All Used Up" and Murphy's "Try To Make It." Neither are great songs, but "Try To Make It" is perhaps the best song Murphy has contributed to the band since 1999's Between The Bridges. These two songs aren't worth the $18 for those who already own their records.
So if you've already got all the songs and the news songs aren't very good, what makes this collection worthwhile? Buy the copy with the DVD! The DVD contains every video Sloan ever made, including the original version of "Underwhelmed" and the alternate video for "People of the Sky." A Ken doll with his head replaced with a duck's head; Patrick Pentland the referee; Andrew Scott crying after Pentland pushes him away from the mic; me (yes, me, Adam M. Anklewicz) as an extra; Ian McGettigan spitting flames, and much more.
Also included is a "documentary" which is really just interviews with the band discussing all their videos. Ferguson will give you the facts, while Pentland will tell you about the guitars. Scott won't tell you much, and Murphy will flesh out the details. There are lots of laughs throughout this section and if you're Canadian, you'll remember why you loved it when Sloan would take over shows on MuchMusic.
The next section is live performances of all the songs on the disc, including early performances of "Underwhelmed" with the band rolling around on the floor. There are also performances at the Junos, MuchMusic Intimate & Interactive, and on Rita McNeil & Friends. Most disappointing however is the omission of the televised Halloween performance on the Mike Bullard Show, for which the band was dressed as large animals.
Rounding out the DVD are the extras. Included is a terrible video for "All Used Up" and televisions commercials for two of their albums. This collection is well worth the price of admission. Whether you've been a fan of their singles or an avid fan that owns all their records, you'll love this collection.
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Reviewed by Mark Pittman
Spoon is one of the most exciting bands of the past five years, and Gimme Fiction had the promise of being yet another in a series of brilliant albums. Spoon's album Girls Can Tell (2000) took the moody sounds of early 80s pop and reinvented it into something startlingly new. Their album Kill the Moonlight (2002), like Wilco's Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, sounded like the work of a band fueled by the excess energy generated by Radiohead's Kid A. Kill the Moonlight showed Spoon experimenting with-and mastering-numerous experimental production techniques and song styles. For me at least, Kill the Moonlight proved that Spoon could do no wrong. Spoon's new album, Gimme Fiction, makes me somewhat less certain about their future.
I'm not saying that Spoon has done wrong with their new album. If Gimme Fiction is an attempt to loosen up and be less introspective, then it works. Instead of early 80s mood pop, it sounds like Spoon decided to reevaluate John Lennon-inspired, late 80s pop: sunshine, happiness, and big gestures. Unfortunately, unlike the excellent Girls Can Tell, is doesn't sound like they've done anything new with the older style.
The first half of the album contains the most songs in the "new" style: upbeat, mid-tempo tunes with lots of space. Where Spoon's songs on the last two albums seemed crammed with details, these first several songs on Gimme Fiction consist more of open, airy grooves for the singer to vamp on. Everything is light and even your mother wouldn't get too upset at Daniels' occasional atonal guitar that fills in the blanks. There's even a retro/disco number three songs in called "I Turn My Camera On" which was probably considered a joke at some point (Britt Daniel sings the whole song in falsetto), but in actuality sounds merely accurate, funky, and bad.
Because Spoon plays so strongly and Britt Daniel sings so enthusiastically, it's hard for me to tell if they actually meant to sound more commercial or if it just happened. That's to their credit. This kind of music has been done far worse many times before. Any band could have written "Sister Jack," the best song in the first half of the album. It sounds like Spoon's conscious attempt to write a hit single, their "September Gurls." In fact, if "Sister Jack" doesn't become a hit or at least become a featured track on some popular TV show this season, I would be very surprised. With its bouncy rhythms and ringing guitars it sounds like anyone but Spoon, and for that reason I almost feel guilty liking it as much as I do. There's enough of these upbeat songs present that Gimme Fiction might just turn out to be this year's summer soundtrack. I'm just not sure I ever wanted to see a Spoon album become that.
The second half of Gimme Fiction sounds slightly more like the old Spoon we know and love. The production is thicker and songs have more of a mood. But as with the first half, there's a looseness to the songs that make them seem longer than they are. There's very little in particular to get excited about, and few of the songs or even parts of songs stick in one's memory. "Was It You?," for example, starts with a nice slinky vocal line that sits well on top of an 80s style dance beat, but for long stretches the singing disappears and all we're left with is a dated beat and occasional goofy effects. The other songs in the second half have even fewer highlights.
The one exception to this-and the best song on the album-is "I Summon You." If you've never heard Kill the Moonlight, this track will show you how good that album was. "I Summon You" doesn't sound like any other song I know of, the vocal lines are constantly surprising, and there's a nice melancholy feel to it all that's completely missing from most of Gimme Fiction's other songs. The arrangement and production, too, is near perfect, as it was for all the tracks on Kill the Moonlight.
I keep going back to Gimme Fiction, playing it over and over so that I'll fall in love with it the way I did with Spoon's two previous albums. But whenever I put in Girls Can Tell or Kill the Moonlight and compare it to the new album, I can't ignore the huge difference in quality. Maybe Gimme Fiction is Spoon's transitional album, like R.E.M's Document. Maybe they're getting ready for the big leagues. Maybe it's the start of Spoon, the feel good, summer festival pop band.
I for one hope not.
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Team Sleep - Team Sleep Maverick
Reviewed by Ivan Fernandez
Extensive waits for music albums are typically reserved for those music groups that have cemented their reputation with a powerful, previous release. For example, there was a six-year gap between Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile and With Teeth. However, it is very uncommon for a band's side project to receive the same amount of attention and anticipation. Such is the case with Team Sleep.
Team Sleep is the brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno, leader of Sacramento rock group The Deftones. He and high school friend Todd Wilkinson used to record loops and samples on a four-track recorder. The duo would later add DJ Crook as an assistant to the creative process.
It wasn't until around 2001 that the group's experiment would take a more serious turn. The trio added bassist Rick Everett to the lineup and embarked on their first tour. It was also around this time that an early mix of their work leaked on the Internet (of which I have a copy). Miffed by piracy, the work was shelved until one of their songs, "The Passportal," formerly known as "Appollonia," was licensed for use in the film The Matrix: Reloaded in 2003.
Reception to the song was overwhelmingly positive and Moreno and company returned to the recording studio once again. Team Sleep's debut album hit store shelves on May 10, after numerous delays and scheduling conflicts.
Although Team Sleep is mainly Moreno's baby, any musical influence from his day job is absent from the record. The only song that remotely sounds like The Deftones is opener "Ataraxia." It could be mistaken as a b-side to the group's album White Pony. From that point on, the rest of the album is purely Team Sleep territory, marked by guitars that channel Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher and a palpable fog of electronic drum loops and samples.
Moreno is in charge of the majority of the vocal duties on the album. He uses the melodic energy of his vocal chords throughout. Fans of his trademark scream-on-the-verge-of-crying will be disappointed. Pinback's Rob Crow takes over the vocals on tracks "Princeton Review," "Our Ride To The Rectory," "Ever Since WWI" and "11/11."
"Tomb of Liegia," which at one time was simply known as "Liegia," features the haunting vocals of Mary Timony (Helium). In the song, she sings about a lover she murders and her time spent in prison.
"King Diamond" is the scar on an otherwise flawless figure. Moreno and Timony trade vocals in a musical sparring match that becomes annoying immediately. Timony's vocals weren't in the original mix and feel tacked on like a last minute Christmas tree ornament.
"Live from the Stage," a.k.a. "Natalie Portman," is a great example of the evolution of songs from the original to the final mix. "Natalie Portman" was five-plus minutes of dreamy ambiance, thanks in part to delayed guitars and echo vocal effects. "Live From The Stage" starts off similarly but sweeps and soars a third of the way through thanks to a rising guitar and rhythm section.
Sadly, my favorite song off the original mix, "Kool-Aid Party," didn't make it into the final cut though there's a strong possibility that it will be featured as a B-side on the next single. The song featured Mike Patton crooning like a demonic Frank Sinatra doing his best drunken sailor imitation.
It is rare when a side project can live up to a musician's main body of work but Team Sleep stands on its own two feet incredibly well. The usual complaint concerning a side project ("sounds just like the singer without the band") can't be made here.
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The Wallflowers - Rebel, Sweetheart Interscope
Reviewed by Todd Mincks
With the arrival of their debut album in 1992, the safe assumption was that the Wallflowers would fade and wither away fairly quickly. After all, Jakob Dylan probably got his record deal based solely on his last name, and such novelties rarely have staying power. In 1996, the group came back with Bringing Down the Horse, which surprisingly spawned three hit singles. "One Headlight" was so good people started forgetting about the Dylan family name, concentrating instead on the quality of the music. Awards and critical acclaim followed. The Wallflowers seemed to be in full bloom.
Three albums and nearly a decade later, the band is still producing great music, but the musical landscape has changed. For the time being, the masses have forgotten about the band; it's their loss. With Rebel, Sweetheart, the Wallflowers have created an intelligent, melodic record that holds up from beginning to end. What is clear now is that this band is capable of building a song catalog that will, unlike much of today's music, hold up over time.
The driving force of the band is Jakob Dylan, who has developed into a rather consistent and unique songwriter. On Rebel, his use of imagery and metaphor is often striking, even as he sticks to the timeless themes of God, love, and war. In the beautiful and aching "God Says Nothing Back," Dylan sings: "Seems like the world has gone underground / Where no gods or heroes dare to go down / As teardrops from a hole in heaven come / Overhead like ravens dropping down like bombs." That's Dylan for you, Jakob Dylan, that is. The fact that clarification is necessary, says a lot for the current state of his songwriting skills.
For better or worse, Dylan seems completely uninterested in writing hit singles. Although the catchy melodies are abundant here, the lyrics aren't your typical hit fodder. There are no straight ahead love songs, or even simplified political statements. "Days of Wonder" clearly deals with a conflict that is fought "under seven different shades of grey," and contains a stark "Happy Birthday to the war." Even so, this isn't any anthem to which activists are likely to cling. Like most of the songs on Rebel, it's far too complicated and layered to be a probable hit single. Not that the charts couldn't use a touch of complexity. It would be wonderful to see and hear "I Am a Building" climb the singles charts with lines like "I am looking through / A thousand windows spread across / A thousand floors / There in a landfill / Where Eden was before / But not anymore / I am a building / Here without doors." Can everyone hear Jessica Simpson say "What?"
If the idea of an actual roots rock band with catchy and intelligent songs sounds appealing, Rebel, Sweetheart is an album you want in your collection. Brendan O'Brien does a splendid job of producing, and Jakob Dylan has written some of the best songs of his career. In the beginning it seemed a long-shot that the Wallflowers would endure. With Rebel, Sweetheart, they prove they deserve to be around for the long haul.
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Weezer - Make Believe Universal
Reviewed by Dan Crosby
Weezer can't win. Many of their fans have raved about Pinkerton, Weezer (the Green Album), or Maladroit, but rarely all of them, and sometimes none. What they all have in common is an adoration for the 1994 Weezer (the Blue Album), the band's come-from-nowhere debut record. And why not? The Blue Album, with its 70s-revival guitar rock sounds and lyrics that evoke emotion despite their simplicity (or sometimes triviality) that borders on childishness, was one of the great albums of the 90s. Poor Weezer has suffered the sophomore jinx ever since. This is despite putting out some decent stuff-I happen to like even the oft-criticized Maladroit.
On first listen, I was ready to stamp Make Believe as a half-successful attempt to satisfy the fans and return to the Blue Album sound. I know why I thought that. This record has heavier, "rock"ier guitars than most of their post-Blue Album stuff, without following Maladroit's much-maligned metal. The lyrics are sad and self-deprecating, without the self-loathing or pretension of Pinkerton. Just listen to "Peace" or "We Are All on Drugs" to see what I mean. But then I went to check something, and had a revelation. When you start to listen to the second track on the album, "Perfect Situation," it will sound way too familiar, so I went to track down which Blue Album song they had copied their intro from and so criticize poor Rivers Cuomo's unoriginality. But lo! They have not mercilessly plagiarized their own Blue Album, but "Simple Pages" from their own Green Album instead! Cuomo still deserves my criticism here, but this convinced me of something unexpected: there is a Weezer sound beyond the Blue Album, and it had already entered my subconscious as "what Weezer sounds like," and it's pretty good, and this album is its best instantiation! Eureka!
Despite the consistent downer-tone of Make Believe-contrast with the upbeat Green Album or the damn-it-all-and-like-it Maladroit-there's a surprising amount of variety here. Most surprising, and pleasantly so, is the Brit-pop sound of "This is Such a Pity." If you had always wondered about Cuomo's affected English accent, now you can hear it finally fit in. The aforementioned "Perfect Situation" becomes pretty original after all, with more muted guitars and focusing more on the vocals. The album's first single, "Beverly Hills," is just okay, but maybe I'm biased; I find the preference for that snobbish society over the band's own Culver City home to be inexplicable. "My Best Friend" is the rare upbeat track on the record, and it's a strong one. The rest of the album is listenable, but not terribly memorable. And for the love of all that is holy, isn't it time for Weezer to grow up and get some sophisticated lyrics? The Blue Album was charming and all, but these guys are in their 30s now; can't their Ivy League-educated songwriter do better than "And you show up late for school/'cause you think you're really cool"?
Make Believe is a good album. Fans of any of the band's older stuff should find something in here to enjoy. I hope Weezer has finally found the sound they're comfortable with, and that we'll be hearing more of it.
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Youth Group - Skeleton Jar Epitaph/Anti-
Reviewed by Brighid Mooney