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Ooooh, her music is so dreamy. And she’s not hard on the eyes, either.
The press release for Jem’s upcoming album Down to Earth threatens that it will be a disturbingly eclectic affair, using choirs, banjos, Latin beats and even Cut Chemist doing his thing. Her blog-approved song “On Top of the World,” however, is all about the blissed-out pop. Not that there is anything wrong with that. St. Etienne’s best-of receives near-daily play at Chez Medsker, so this sounds just fine to me. I will reserve judgment on the “funky banjo” track until I hear it, though. |
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Mugison is a weird dude. Of course he is, he’s an Icelandic musician. This is the country that brought us Sigur Ros, Mum and the queen of all things WTF, Bjork. But Mugison is a little different from his decidedly very different musical countrymen. While his compatriots prefer to dabble in the realms of experimental noise, electronica and whatever the hell Bjork is doing right now, Mugison seems determined to keep his decidedly off-center music firmly planted in American-influenced blues rock, making him slightly more accessible than the throngs of batshit crazy artists from the land of puffin. Slightly being the key word, because while Mugison’s latest release, Mugiboogie, is pretty bluesy, it’s still pretty damn weird. The title track, for instance, buries the blues riffs behind a sea of wacky keyboard sounds while the insanely freaky “I’m Alright” pairs up a soundscape of near-random noise with a shocking example of Cookie Monster death metal vocalizing by Mugison, who otherwise maintains a cool, slightly throaty, blues singing style through most of the album. When it all comes together, though, it works beautifully, the best example being the brilliantly abrasive “Jesus Is a Good Name to Moan,” in which Mugison angrily demands his girlfriend tell him who this Jesus guy is and why she’s yelling his name while they do it. Yeah, that may sound funny, but there is no humor in the surprisingly dark and powerful tune. Other highlights include the anti-government “The Animal” and almost-metal “Two Thumb Sucking Son of a Boyo.” This is one wacky album. Fans of Beck and Soulwax should definitely take note of this Icelandic kook. (Ipecac Recordings) |
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Former Blue Merle frontman Lucas Reynolds has always looked cooler on paper (raised in a geodesic dome by a woodworker; spent time as a river guide and cattle rancher before moving on to music) than his music has suggested. For all their off-kilter promise, Blue Merle frequently sounded like nothing so much as Coldplay lite – a damn shame for a Nashville buzz band with a mandolin player and a violinist in the lineup. Now that Blue Merle has bitten the dust, Reynolds has moved on to Pictures and Sound, and adjusted his sound accordingly: this 10-song set sounds like what might happen if Bob Schneider collaborated with Citizen Cope. That’s a good thing, in case you were wondering – although Pictures and Sound lacks the “raw energy” Reynolds claims to have been aiming for, it boasts unobtrusive production and plenty of hooks to go with his butter-soft vocals. Highlights include the instantly memorable “It’s You” and “100 Directions,” as well as “Every War,” which combines remedial peacenik poetry with a wonderfully left-field appearance from Willie Nelson. If you have a significant other who’s been tormenting you with Jack Johnson records, swap ‘em out for this. You won’t be sorry. (Vanguard 2008) |
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Dumbest band name of the year? Maybe, but once you listen to the Phoenix quintet’s marvelously messy debut, Thinks and Feels, it almost makes sense. There’s nothing conventional about this outfit; even by experimental post-rock standards, they’re too weird to fit in, because you never know when they’re going to ditch the alien arrangements and whimsical time shifts in favor of some Marvin Hamlisch piano, Beach Boys vocal stacks, Neil Young space travel, or good old-fashioned classic rock. Calling them Menomena meets My Morning Jacket isn’t really accurate, but then, neither is pretty much any other point of reference you could come up with for this stuff. What matters most is whether or not it sucks, and Thinks and Feels decidedly does not. Woe to the listener who tries to absorb any of it out of the record’s context – this isn’t a pick-and-choose type of album – but give it a few front-to-back spins and feel yourself slowly being drawn into the weird, wonderful world of What Laura Says. Give them an “A” for originality, and join us in wishing best of luck to Terpsikhore when it comes to promoting any of this. (Terpsikhore 2008) |
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King Kong vs. Godzilla, Alien vs. Predator, Freddy vs. Jason. These are the eternal battles that have captured the imagination of the American public. Now you can add Computer vs. Banjo to that list of epic duels. The computer half of this musical duel is Johnny Mann of the little-heard Nashville funk band Gran Torino. The banjo is represented by Beau Stapleton, formerly of the slightly successful southern jam band Blue Merle. To be honest though, there isn’t much in the way of “vs” on the duo’s self-titled debut. Much of the album is simply a low-fi electronic album, songs like “Low” and “Outer Space” have nary a country influence in them. On the flip side, country ballads “San Joaquin” and “2Heavy2Hold” don’t have much a computer presence to them. When the two do team up, the result is more like a Grandaddy album than something that you would expect from a name like Computer Vs. Banjo. Where’s the 21st century version of “Dueling Banjos”? What about a hardcore rave anthem with some line dancing influence thrown in for good measure? This is a good album, but there’s a lot of untapped potential here. Hopefully Mann and Stapleton will really embrace their novel concept on their next album and truly give us a battle between the technological majesty of electronic music and the down-home charm of classic country. (Diagram 2008) Filed under: Alternative and Electronica and Country and CD Reviews and CD QuickTakes Comments: None |
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When David Ford released his 2006 album, I Sincerely Apologise for the Trouble I Have Caused, we gave him a pass. That’s because his brooding folk/pop was novel, and it was fun to hear a guy like so pissed off showing us just how anger could translate into humorous yet powerful songs. Kind of like, “Take that, bitch.” But this time around, Ford’s Songs for the Road, while more of the same fare, just comes across as, well, bitter. And you’ll be like, “Dude, shut the hell up already.” The British singer/songwriter knows how to craft a song, so we’ll give him that. But this time around, Ford is like an angry James Blunt—well, slightly cooler than Blunt but a little less fucked up than Amy Winehouse. Songs for the Road has two tracks that especially bring out Ford’s inner bitter—“Go to Hell” and the musically uplifting yet slap-in-your-face “Nobody Tells Me What to Do.” Anything beyond that, and you’re going to wish this dude would just go away. And the sad thing, really, is that you know that if David Ford fell in love and wrote some heartfelt songs that reflect that, he could be amazing. But for now, dude just needs to lighten up. (LABEL: RED/Independiente) |
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Pianist/arranger and smooth jazz veteran David Benoit continues to celebrate 30-plus years of making music, and with his new Heroes album, pays homage to those who have influenced him over the years. Benoit, not surprisingly, takes songs by the likes of piano legends such as Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Dave Brubeck. But then he lets his guard down a bit, and takes on a few of his pop idols — Michael Jackson, Elton John, the Beatles and the Doors. You might think the result is akin to elevator music, but when you realize how masterfully Benoit arranges songs like “Light My Fire” and “She’s Leaving Home,” you can’t help but give the guy props. As with most of the smooth jazz genre, this is great for Sunday mornings, quiet dinners or just relaxing. The rest of the time, you’re better off with the original versions. (Peak 2008) |
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Toth’s psychedelic combo Wooden Wand provided a promising template for this, his solo debut, but despite his persistent croon and a decidedly dark ambiance, it’s far less cryptic than that previous project. Toth enlists a back-up band with considerable credentials – among them, members of Wilco, Deerhoof, Vetiver and Geraldine Fibers, as well as his wife and foil, Jexie Lynn. – giving him plenty of room to maneuver within their fluid arrangements. “Nothing Hides,” “Do What You Can” and “Midnight Watchman” seem somewhat innocuous on first glance, but there’s a sinister subtext in Toth’s tales, with shady characters, worrisome encounters and a general air of pervading doom tainting the atmosphere. Indeed, lyrics like “Cocaine and bourbon, pinball and pool – look in on me/Don’t leave me to face the slow death of a fool” and an inside cover photo of Toth cradling a revolver confirm his shaded intents. Swagger turns to stagger on the woozy ballad “Poison Oak” and the aforementioned ode to decadence, “Look in on Me,” but overall, this is a most assured collection and a distinctive one at that. (Rykodisc) |
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Toth’s psychedelic combo Wooden Wand provided a promising template for this, his solo debut, but despite his persistent croon and a decidedly dark ambiance, it’s far less cryptic than that previous project. Toth enlists a back-up band with considerable credentials – among them, members of Wilco, Deerhoof, Vetiver and Geraldine Fibers, as well as his wife and foil, Jexie Lynn. – giving him plenty of room to maneuver within their fluid arrangements. “Nothing Hides,” “Do What You Can” and “Midnight Watchman” seem somewhat innocuous on first glance, but there’s a sinister subtext in Toth’s tales, with shady characters, worrisome encounters and a general air of pervading doom tainting the atmosphere. Indeed, lyrics like “Cocaine and bourbon, pinball and pool – look in on me/Don’t leave me to face the slow death of a fool” and an inside cover photo of Toth cradling a revolver confirm his shaded intents. Swagger turns to stagger on the woozy ballad “Poison Oak” and the aforementioned ode to decadence, “Look in on Me,” but overall, this is a most assured collection and a distinctive one at that. (Rykodisc) |
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It wasn’t all that long ago that successful American female songwriters were a rarity – when Ann Ronell scored a hit with “Willow Weep for Me” in 1932, she broke a barrier that still remained mostly untested at the dawn of the rock era – but that certainly isn’t the case in the 21st century; by the time Ronell passed away in the early ‘90s, the novelty of a woman writing her own music had long since worn off, and these days, we’ve got a veritable glut of singer/songwriters offering the female perspective. All of which is sort of a shame for Anya Singleton, really – after all, if she weren’t one of a crowded pack, her debut full-length, The Other Side, probably wouldn’t sound so tired. Singleton has a great set of pipes, a solid band, and a terrific producer in Rob Arthur, but these 11 songs – most of them falling squarely into the “tastefully mid-tempo” sweet spot favored by baristas and soundtrack supervisors – don’t do a whole lot to distinguish her from any one of the two or three dozen other performers you can find plying their wares in any random bar or club on any given night of the week. The best thing about the album is undeniably her voice – from here on out, she’d do well to either attend some songwriting seminars or just stick to interpreting other people’s material. (Hybrid Music Productions 2008) |
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Ever wondered what it might sound like if Natalie Merchant fronted Evanescence? Yeah, us neither, but Sony’s betting we’re in the minority – and they might just be right, judging from the way soundtrack supervisors at MTV have taken to Mandi Perkins’ music, featuring the corseted Canadian’s melodramatic pop songs on shows such as “The Hills” and “The Real World.” One listen to Perkins’ major-label debut, Alice in No Man’s Land, is enough to let you know that she’s a perfect fit for the network’s teen-focused reality programming – the songs are larger than life and embarrassingly serious, just like the problems faced and emotions expressed by the shows’ stars. Of course, Perkins can only write what she knows – and give her credit, because the girl can really sing – but all the bombast gets pretty numbing after a while; you can’t listen to the whole record in a single sitting without feeling like you’re being beaten over the head with the overwhelming significance of it all. Her music isn’t without promise, but next time out, Perkins would do well to explore her dynamic range a little more. It might not get her music on MTV, but a little subtlety never hurt anybody. (Sony BMG/Victor 2008) |
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They may have arrived to the new-new wave party a little late, but RadioRadio still managed to build up a bit of steam after releasing its debut CD, Watch ‘Em All Come Runnin’, in 2006 – only to watch it all evaporate in a puff of frustration after three fifths of the band quit unexpectedly, leaving vocalist Greg Hosterman and bassist Paul Cristiano to sort out the pieces. RadioRadio’s still here, as evidenced by the new EP Alarm 1 Alarm 2 — but whether that strikes you as a good or a bad thing will depend heavily on your tolerance for dudes in skinny ties who do their damndest to evoke the early ‘80s work of well-coiffed Britpop heroes like Bowie, despite being, you know, American. The music’s still the thing, of course; it doesn’t really matter that these four Brixton-worshiping guys actually hail from Tulsa, just as it isn’t a crime for an Oklahoma band to name one of its songs “BBC.” No, the problem with RadioRadio is that its music is slavishly derivative, and the extremely limited thrill provided by like-minded bands such as the Killers wore off a long time ago. The songs have plenty of energy, and Hosterman sings as well as any Thompson Twins cover band frontman, but what’s the point? Just listen to the band’s inspirations. You already know the songs by heart. (Comprono 2008) |
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This six-song EP by singer/songwriter Nick Motil is sure to please fans of artists like James Taylor. In fact, Motil sounds enough like Taylor on “Butterflies” here that you’d almost have to double-check whom you were hearing if you didn’t know beforehand. Motil’s music is tasteful, acoustic-based stuff that will easily tug at the tender heartstrings of music fans who yearn for something that reminds them of yesteryear. While it’s nice to hear Motil do his thing, it’d be nice to hear him stretch out a bit more. After all, not every tune needs to run at a slow canter. But that’s what you get here, a handful of slower-paced tunes that are well produced, well sung, and are completely contemporary. It’s hard not to imagine females everywhere swooning for the likes of “Cliche” and “Try Harder.” But will the guys like it? It’s hard to say. James Taylor had legions of fans, so it’s probably a safe bet that Nick Motil can capture the ears of anyone out there as well. But again, it would have been nice to hear him do something a bit more adventurous - even just one song, even - instead of staying in his comfort zone for the length of this disc. (self-released) |
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The sticker affixed to promo copies of Blind Pilot’s Three Rounds and a Sound promises “something like a wistful mix of the Shins with a bit of Iron & Wine folkishness,” and that isn’t just idle hipster-baiting – if the Shins and Iron & Wine had a baby, it might sound a lot like these 11 songs. If it did, though, it wouldn’t be a particularly gifted child. This is not to say that Blind Pilot rides the short bus of melancholy, folk-tinged indie popsters – just that there isn’t anything particularly moving or profound about this album. It hits all the cues it’s supposed to, right down to the smudged pastels in the cover artwork, but if you’ve ever spent any time listening to any (or, God help you, all) of the bands that sound like this, there isn’t a single bit of Three Rounds that you haven’t already heard someplace else. Of course, there really isn’t anything new under the sun, and if you’re going to be slavishly imitative, you could do a lot worse than tearing pages out of this particular playbook. Great for background music, and fine for those who enjoy puzzling over lyrical non sequiturs (“I buried a bone / And darling, you don’t know him / Just where you are might be the right place”), but this little patch of ground is starting to yield withered crops. Next time out, some sharper material could work wonders. (Expunged 2008) |
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A band’s press release almost always relies on a simple “A + B” statement to define their sound, and usually the equation involves two bands of such regard that the results are laughable. It’s always the garage band from Gary, Indiana who considers themselves to be the magic combination of Radiohead and Led Zeppelin. Middle Class Rut ambitiously describe themselves as a combination of Jane’s Addiction, Refused, Rage Against the Machine and the Foo Fighters. Now that is a ballsy statement. Not only is Middle Class Rut comparing themselves to three of the biggest bands of the ’90s (and Refused, a hardcore post-punk band from Sweden) with the release of their (somewhat) self-titled debut, they also hold the ideal that people actually want to hear another band that is wearing said influences on their sleeves. Surprisingly though, that ridiculously hyperbolic description is spot-on. And the fact that the result isn’t half bad is even more surprising. “Let It Go” and “All Walks Of Life” recall the anger and energy of their influences, with a hardcore punk edge that explains the somewhat questionable inclusion of Refused in their equation. Sure, they may run out of steam later on, with “So Long” and “I Don’t Really Know” feeling a bit too much like Jane’s Addiction for their own good, but this is one of the only bands who have managed to draw influence from mid-’90s alternative rock and not suck outright. And for that they deserve something. Also with ten songs (one secret) and over 40 minutes in length, this has to be the longest EP ever. (No Label) |
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