Category: CD QuickTakes (Page 81 of 149)

IAMX: Kingdom of Welcome Addiction

May 15, 2009 / James B. Eldred

Chris Corner is a member of the Sneaker Pimps, and seemingly not content be associated with the worst-named genre of all time (trip-hop) (Ed. Note: two words: riot grrrl), he’s branched out with his solo project IAMX into Electronic Body Music (EBM), the second-worst-named genre of all-time. Twitch-era Ministry and the work of Cabaret Voltaire and Front 242 are good examples of the genre, which is a dance-friendly hodgepodge of electro, industrial and synth-pop. It’s generally a pretty stupid but fun little subgenre, filled with over-the-top lyrics about sex and drugs and even more over-the-top synthesizers. IAMX embraced the sound with his first album, 2004’s Kiss + Swallow, but on Kingdom of Welcome Addiction he tones it down a bit, with most of the songs being slow, introspective ballads and mid-tempo pop songs that take the minimalist approach of trip-hop and transport them to a synth-pop environment with generally positive results. He seems to be going for an Imogen Heap vibe, a presumption made all the more accurate by Imogen Heap’s guest appearance on the haunting “My Secret Friend.” Even without the synth-pop diva to back him up, Corner usually keeps things going nicely, with “I Am Terrified” and “Think of England” especially standing out. Parts are uneven, and Corner’s vocals aren’t always up to task, such as on “An I for an I” where he weakly bellows in vain to match his throbbing industrial beats. Still, this is a surprisingly good and complex record that actually might make you yearn for a new Sneaker Pimps album. (Metropolis 2009)

IAMX MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica

Chris Corner IAMX IAMX CD review Kingdom of Welcome Addiction Kingdom of Welcome Addiction CD review Sneaker Pimps

Buckwheat Zydeco: Lay Your Burden Down

May 15, 2009 / Jeff Giles

It really says something about the enduring appeal of an artist’s sound when his 30th anniversary announcement is surprising not only because of how far he’s come, but because it seems like he’s been around much, much longer. Such is the case with Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr., leader of the venerable Louisiana combo Buckwheat Zydeco; his music is tied in so tightly with its rich traditional roots – but constantly brimming with infectious, life-affirming energy – that it’s never sounded anything but timeless. To celebrate his three decades in the trenches, Dural has enlisted a drool-worthy array of special guests for Lay Your Burden Down, including Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth, JJ Grey, and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews – not to mention Steve Berlin behind the boards (and sitting in with the horn section). With all that talent in the studio, it’d be a shame if Burden was weighed down with pedestrian material; thankfully, the album shines on that front, too – it kicks off with a cracking cover of “When the Levee Breaks” and keeps on strutting through a combination of solid originals and equally inspired covers (including Bruce Springsteen’s “Back in Your Arms” and Captain Beefheart’s “Too Much Time”). Typically stellar stuff from Buckwheat Zydeco, in other words. May Buckwheat’s accordion ring for another three decades. (Alligator 2009)

Buckwheat Zydeco MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Zydeco

Bruce Springsteen Buckwheat Zydeco Buckwheat Zydeco review Captain Beefheart Lay Your Burden Down Sonny Landreth Warren Haynes

Oleta Adams: Let’s Stay Here

May 15, 2009 / Jeff Giles

If you’ve ever listened to an Oleta Adams record, you know what to expect from Let’s Stay Here – namely, a whole bunch of smooth, tasteful tracks that run the slight gamut between gently grooving mid-tempo numbers and velvety ballads, all topped off with her warm, soulful vocals. Adams’ voice is a singular instrument – we’re talking, after all, about a performer who earned her shot at the big time with a performance at a Kansas City bar that just happened to be overheard by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears – and its strength has never been up for debate. What she uses that voice for is another question entirely; aside from a handful of pop and R&B hits (most notably “Get Here” in 1991), Adams’ solo career has mostly flown under the radar because her records, by and large, are one quiet storm after another: competently written, tightly performed, and extremely dull. Let’s Stay Here marks her return from a long break from secular recording, but she picks up right where she left off, for better or worse – aside from the moderately funky closer “Act of Forgiveness,” this is one long episode of “For Lovers Only.” It’s perfectly fine for draining a bottle of white wine, in other words, but don’t expect to remember much of it when you’re done – and like the wine, excessive consumption may leave you feeling headachy and nauseous. (Koch/E1 2009)

Oleta Adams MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, R&B

Curt Smith Get Here Oleta Adams Roland Orzabal Tears for Fears

Eilen Jewell: Sea of Tears

May 15, 2009 / Lee Zimmerman

Eilen Jewell doesn’t take anything for granted in her multi-faceted approach. As comfortable emitting a bluesy wail as she is in delivering a down-home croon, she eschews the folk singer format to take a more old-fashioned approach, one that’s as close to a rootsy template as any other modern singer has ventured nowadays. On this, her fourth album and second for Signature Sounds, Jewell asserts her seductive prowess and spans references ranging from Billie Holiday (“Everywhere I Go,” “Final Hour”) to Patsy Cline (“The Darkest Day,” “Codeine Arms”). In between, she varies her delivery from sassy to seductive, maintaining an easy lilt that’s melancholy and mournful without sinking to the depths of depression. An unexpected cover of “Shakin’ All Over” notwithstanding, Sea of Tears does reflect its title accurately, but given her comfort with the material, this particular sea allows her remarkably smooth sailing. (Signature Sounds)

Eilen Jewell MySpace page

Americana, Blues, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk

Eilen Jewell Eilen Jewell CD review Sea of Tears Sea of Tears CD review

La Forza: Dance Music for Your Mind Vol. 1

May 15, 2009 / Captain Capm

Back in the first half of the ‘90s, “dance music for your mind” was basically anything bouncing around the ambient and trance genres. To some extent, those charlatans known as Enigma would have also fit in there somewhere. In the case of La Forza (a.k.a. Divina Klein and Doug Mackar), though, the title translates into something more succinct as “cheesy desktop PC-created electronica.” Face it: if there’s one genre that is a completely hit-or-miss affair, it’s electronica. It might be because it’s so damned easy to create these days, or it may just simply be because there are no real “rules” to follow when making it. Whatever the case, this album is simply a snooze from start to finish. With titles like “Vision Quest,” “Approaching Levitation,” “The Sound of Clouds” and “To Connect to Eternity,” you can pretty much figure out what this is going to sound like before you even press play. Lots of listless, tranquil droning sound montages that never go anywhere “intended to support contemplation, incite imagination, and increase neuro-plasticity.” Sure, whatever you say. It’s probably safe to say that your imagination will be better sparked simply by opening your nearest window. And if you’re really concerned about your “neuro-plasticity,” you might want to crawl right out that window and get outside some more. Let’s hope there’s not a second volume in the works. (self-released)

La Forza MySpace page