Category: CD QuickTakes (Page 105 of 149)

The British Columbians: The British Columbians

December 5, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

Forget any notions of lofty peaks and clear Canadian skies. These British Columbians mostly troll a darker underbelly that’s more akin to the swampy environs of the Mississippi Delta or points likely well within the devil’s tawdry reach. So while they come by their namesake through actual residency, their musical references couldn’t be any more disparate. Taking their cue from the stir-fried boogie and low, lonesome ruminations of the bayou country, they reference innumerable forebears, from the swagger and wail of Kings of Leon (Gasoline Handshake”) and Led Zeppelin (“Hail to the Rising Sun”), to the impassioned blues moan of John Lee Hooker and other down-home denizens (“Ain’t No Direction”). Happily for those alienated by plodding, monolithic stomps and other dervish-like frenzy, relief arrives via the album’s final two entries, “By and By” and “Going Out On You, rustic rambles that find more in common with the mellower Faces under the stewardship of Ronnies Wood and Lane. A promising and imposing debut, this eponymous effort reflects a band seemingly in search of a permanent musical habitat. (Rural Records)

British Columbians MySpace page

Americana, Blues, CD QuickTakes, Rock

Canadian band Kings of Leon The British Columbians The British Columbians CD review

RJ Cowdery: One More Door

December 5, 2008 / Captain Capm

Decent folk pop artist straddling the gaps between Americana, country, and straight up folk. Cowdery has a pleasant voice that doesn’t try to do anything it can’t. Her songs like “These Ties That Bind” and “Saving for Love” have a unifying theme of peace, humility, and hope. She’s best when doing softer tunes like “One More Door” than when she treads into too-familiar territory on a song like “I Believe.” “Down to the Water” is gentle and pretty, but “Shine on Me Again” drags a little, conveying RJ’s tales of personal strife in the same tones and melodies. Yet this is a pretty solid affair overall, and will certainly please those who like their music on the softer side with lyrics that can mean something from time to time. One More Door is certainly safe sounding, but then again it’s hard to imagine this artist getting too boisterous in her songwriting. (self-released)

RJ Cowdery MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk

One More Door CD review RJ Cowdery RJ Cowdery CD review

Aaron Beaumont: Nothing’s Forever (Not Even Goodbye)

December 5, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Maybe, as Aaron Beaumont suggests in the title of his recently reissued debut album, nothing is forever – no, not even goodbye – but some things do come awfully close, and on that list, tastefully ragtime-drenched piano playing and the smooth croon of a natural pop vocalist must rank awfully high. That’s good news for Beaumont, whose Nothing’s Forever (Not Even Goodbye) is filled with impeccably crafted, pleasantly retro songs that rescue piano pop from the arch snarkiness of late-period practitioners like Ben Folds – while avoiding the occasionally nauseating heights of seriousness attained by, say, Jack’s Mannequin. While Nothing’s Forever isn’t as consistent as it could be – obvious singles like the instantly charming “Julia” are offset by a handful of tracks that fade quickly into the background – it’s simply too smart and well-written to dislike, and since Beaumont had the extreme good sense to limit the track listing to 10 songs and just under 45 minutes, it’s too breezy to wear out its welcome. Matter of fact, this is that rarest of 21st-century beasts: an album that warms to the ear with repeated listens, rather than breeding contempt. In lesser hands, Beaumont’s extremely retro vibe would be nothing but a flimsy gimmick, but he’s clearly a songwriter who understands the difference between the strongly nostalgic and the simply timeless. Here’s hoping he gets the opportunity to grow into his aspirations. (Milan 2008)

Aaron Beaumont MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye) CD Review piano pop

Morel: The Death of the Paperboy

November 28, 2008 / James B. Eldred

Morel is an acclaimed remix artist who as worked with Pink, Depeche Mode, Cyndi Lauper and about a dozen or so other platinum artists. He’s also well known in house music circles for his club singles and his work with the dance music duo Deep Dish. But his career as a solo artist has been noticeably less successful, and The Death of the Paperboy probably isn’t going to change that. Too much of this album has Morel going away from his strengths, and experimenting with ballads and rock-driven pop songs. It occasionally works; “Anymore, Anymore” sounds like some fabulous combination of Erasure and Oasis, and the upbeat “Flawed” sounds like Hot Fuss-era Killers with a dozen or more synthesizers plugged in, but for the most part it all straddles the line into either generic dance music or down-tempo electronic pop. But let’s be honest, Morel makes music predominately for (gay) club play, and there are a few songs here that work great in that regard. But if that doesn’t interest you, then there is no reason to even glance at The Death of the Paperboy. (Outsider Music 2008)

Morel’s MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Electronica, Pop

Death of the Paperboy CD review Depeche Mode Erasure Morel Morel CD review Pink remixer

Rod Stewart: The Definitive Rod Stewart

November 28, 2008 / David Medsker

He is without question one of the most gifted singers in rock history, but there’s something depressing about The Definitive Rod Stewart; granted, 15 of the songs on this two-CD/one-DVD set were Top 10 hits, yet one can’t help but think that Stewart has spent the majority of his career squandering his talent, hit singles be damned. Fans will point to his versatility, but it’s more like bandwagon jumping, from mellow gold to disco to new wave to the inevitable unplugged session (his mining of the Great American Songbook, thankfully, is not included here). To his credit, Rod could sell ice to the Eskimos, which is why “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Infatuation” were such massive hits. Warner Bros. definitely picked all of the right songs for this set – though we would have included anything else from his catalog, even his cover of Free’s “All Right Now,” if it meant the exclusion of “Love Touch” – and the inclusion of a DVD featuring a bunch of his promotional videos is a nice plus. But the fact that this is Stewart’s definitive work is more damning than cause for celebration. (Warner Bros.)

Rod Stewart MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Faces Rod Stewart The Definitive Rod Stewart CD review