Month: October 2008 (Page 2 of 8)

Saiah: Evolution

October 31, 2008 / Captain Capm

I don’t know who Saiah is, but his new disc Evolution starts off with a remixed version of a tune called “Nobody.” It doesn’t really matter, because this wannabe rapper doesn’t have a whole lot going for him. The mix on this track alone is atrocious, with generic squiggly synth notes farted out against a skeletal beat, both of which are mixed so low behind Saiah’s boring rhymes that it doesn’t even register as background noise. On the lamely-titled “H8,” we have to listen to yet another hip-hopper tell us how tough it is while hilariously bad synth cello lines mope around in the back. And when Saiah sings “Don’t walk out on me, baby / ‘Cause I’m about to be famous” on “Famous” while it sounds like some kid is listlessly pushing on piano keys, you just can’t take this dude seriously. So don’t. It doesn’t seem like anyone else is, anyway. Besides, you can tell the whole thing’s not worth your time thanks to the sleeve art that looks like it was made with the usual cheapo graphics kit available in the bargain bin at your local Wal-Mart. (April Fool Records)

Saiah MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Hip Hop, Rap

Evolution Review Saiah CD Review Saiah Evolution Review

Steal This Song: Keane – “The Lovers Are Losing (CSS Remix Edit)”

October 28, 2008 / David Medsker

As if Keane wasn’t wearing their I Love the ’80s influences on their sleeves for their newest album, Perfect Symmetry, remix troupe CSS plays that angle up even further on their remix to the album’s second single, “The Lovers Are Losing.” Man, check out that fat keyboard sound. Is that from a DeBarge track, or the song that Lambda Lambda Lambda performs during Greek Week in “Revenge of the Nerds”? Either way, it’s a side to Keane that we have not seen before. We were beginning to wonder how long the band could churn out those devastating ballads before the urge to dance set in.

Ah, but don’t just take our word for it; Keane has offered us this song for you, dear reader, to download for free. So take it out for a spin, and shake that bootay.

Keane – The Lovers Are Losing (CSS Remix Edit)

Alternative, Artists, Downloads, External Music, Pop, Steal This Song

CSS Remixes Keane Keane Remix Keane's New Single Steal This Song The Lovers Are Losing download

Dear Mr. Fantasy: A Celebration of Jim Capaldi

October 24, 2008 / R. David Smola

In January of 2007, a very distinguished set of musicians put on a concert celebrating the life and work of Jim Capaldi, a founding member of Traffic who died in January of 2005 of stomach cancer at the age of 60. The DVD capturing the event is pleasant enough and features performances and contributions from musicians who worked with and were inspired by Capaldi’s spirit, songwriting and musicianship. The list includes Steve Winwood, Capaldi’s Traffic bandmate, who delivers a solid version of the Traffic classic “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” and other luminaries such as Joe Walsh, Paul Weller, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) and Deep Purple alum and keyboard genius Jon Lord. The house band supporting these stars during the show included Bad Company alum Simon Kirke on the drums and multi-instrumentalist and band leader Mark Rivera (Foreigner, Ringo Starr, Billy Joel). The artists offer competent versions of Traffic and Capaldi solo material while adding a wrinkle or two of their own. Islam sneaks in a refrain of “Wild World” during “Man With No Country” and Walsh, ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman and Jon Lord deliver a bluesy, soulful rendition of “Living on the Outside.” Solid, mellow and entertaining without a ton of bells and whistles, the concert delivers a fine tribute to a respected artist and his work from those who loved him the most. (Eagle Vision)

Click to buy Dear Mr. Fantasy: A Celebration of Jim Capaldi

DVD Quicktakes, External Music, Music DVDs, Rock

Bill Wyman Dear Mr. Fantasy Review Jim Capaldi DVD Review Joe Walsh Jon Lord Paul Weller Steve Winwood Yusuf Islam

Deerhoof: Offend Maggie

October 24, 2008 / Michael Fortes

Think what you will of Deerhoof – if you think of them at all – but know that whether you call them cute, noisy, awesome or annoying, you have to admit that they’ve got originality and ambition to spare. The San Francisco noise-pop darlings of the Kill Rock Stars roster are no less intriguing than usual on their ninth full-length studio album, with vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki sweetly cooing her regular mix of minimalist Japanese and English lyrics about a random assortment of topics (in this case, stalker boyfriends, God, and basketball, among other things), while her bandmates alternately churn out delicate yet forceful melodic thumpers (“Chandelier Searchlight”), prog-like dirges anchored by guitar arpeggios and piano a la Radiohead (“Buck and Judy”), and even a couple of fun stabs at a vaguely classic rock sound, straight out of Free’s “All Right Now” riff book (“The Tears and Music of Love”). The experiments with meager lyrics and unconventional song structures don’t always work – “Basket Ball get Your Groove Back” comes off like little more than an undeveloped fragment – but when they do, like on the album’s high point, “Numina O,” the results are nothing short of sublime. (Kill Rock Stars 2008)

Deerhoof MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Deerhoof CD Review Offend Maggie CD Review Satomi Matsuzaki

Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts: Temporary People

October 24, 2008 / Michael Fortes

Capping off a banner year for Joseph Arthur’s rabbit-like discography is this full-length collection of twelve songs, recorded with Arthur’s band, the Lonely Astronauts. What’s not surprising is that, unlike Arthur’s four EPs released this year, Temporary People maintains a consistency of sound from start to finish – warm, natural, like a live representation of a Lonely Astronauts performance. What is a bit of a puzzler, however, is the cover art – the red pen written across the band’s image looks tacky, to be nice about it. The black and white cover photo would have been just fine on its own. Get past that, though, and you get a solid collection of tunes employing choir-like vocal choruses (“Heart’s a Soldier”), eccentric and confident lead guitar sailing over solid rock rhythms, soulful organ (“Turn You On”) and even some frisky slide guitar and some Rolling Stones-like swagger and boogie on “Winter Blades.” The songs here are all (mostly) stronger than what appeared on the four preceding EPs, though the album as a whole never quite matches the artistic brilliance of Arthur’s third EP this year, Vagabond Skies, nor does it aim to. This is Arthur rocking out with his band, and everyone sounding happy to be doing so. It’s not quite the gold at the end of the EP rainbow, but then, expecting a grand swirling masterpiece was our problem, not Arthur’s. (Lonely Astronaut 2008)

Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts MySpace page