Category: Rock (Page 13 of 241)

The Jayhawks reissues, Part I: Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass

January 17, 2011 / David Medsker

RIYL: Flying Burrito Brothers, early Wilco, Gram Parsons

We say Part I because Jayhawks guitarist Gary Louris personally told us that there are plans to reissue the band’s remaining three albums with American and Lost Highway before the end of the year. Insert fist pump here.

It sure seemed like the planets were aligned, on several occasions, for the Jayhawks to become a much bigger band. They were discovered in an only-in-the-movies fashion, as American Recordings A&R chief George Drakoulias was on the phone with the president of Twin Tone Records and heard Blue Earth, the band’s 1989 sophomore album, in the background. He quickly signed them and produced their first two major label albums. They sold well, but beneath the ‘next Black Crowes’ hype they were tagged with at the time, which was a silly tag to hit them with in retrospect, but you know how the music business works, even when it’s counterproductive to a band’s long-term health.

And ultimately, that inability to break through to the next level cost them in more ways than one. Singer and founder Mark Olson left the band shortly after the song “Blue” failed to take off the way they had hoped it would, and Louris took over the band for three more albums before quietly calling it a day. Then something strange and wonderful happened: Olson realized that he and Louris had unfinished business. The two made a quiet album together, 2009’s Ready for the Flood, and before they knew it, the definitive Jayhawks lineup was playing together again and are currently putting the finishing touches on their first album in eight years. As an appetizer, Sony Legacy has reissued the band’s first two albums for American Recordings along with some hard-to-find B-sides and basement tapes that were the stuff of urban legend. Dig in.

Hollywood Town Hall

Modern rock radio was still in its infancy when Hollywood Town Hall came out in late 1992, and you can’t help but think that the fact that they received support from modern rock stations actually cost them airplay on the traditional rock stations. Whatever the reasons, it deserved to do better, because this is one solid rock album, thanks in no small part to the blossoming of Louris as a songwriter. The Jayhawks were Olson’s band in the beginning, but he would never have written something like “Waiting for the Sun” or “Settled Down Like Rain,” and it’s no coincidence that both of those songs were tapped as singles. The harmonies are as tight as ever, and the inclusion of piano and organ fleshes the songs out and gives even the more countrified moments a rock flavor. For a band that began as country rock act, Hollywood Town Hall is certainly far removed from their roots, yet the band’s essence remains intact.

The bonus tracks are just as good, too, particularly “Leave No Gold” and a raucous version of the gospel standard “Up Above My Head.” Many of these songs never saw the light of day in the US (and two of them were never released at all), so their inclusion here is a big, big plus.

Tomorrow the Green Grass

Here is all you need to know about Tomorrow the Green Grass: when the band announced that they had reformed and were doing a mini-tour, and would be dedicating certain nights to playing one of these two albums in its entirety, the shows where they were playing all of Tomorrow the Green Grass were the first ones to sell out. With keyboardist Karen Grotberg involved in the recording sessions (she came on board after the band had finished recording Hollywood Town Hall) and the band ready to experiment with different sonic textures, songs like the string-kissed “I’d Run Away” soared like no Jayhawks song had ever soared before. “Nothing Left to Borrow” is the best song the Byrds never wrote, and “Blue” practically started its own religion. It’s pop in the best sense of the word, melding a myriad of influences (check out the rockin’ “Real Light”) to create something wholly unique. Tomorrow the Green Grass is in a class all its own.

And look what Legacy dug up to go with it – the so-called Mystery Demos that Jayhawks fans gossiped about for a good 10 years on message boards. Comprised of two sessions between Olson and Louris (one of which featured a violinist), several of these songs wound up on Tomorrow the Green Grass, but the stark versions here are just as memorable, particularly “Red’s Song” and an almost fully formed “Nothing Left to Borrow.” Of the tracks to receive the deluxe recording treatment, the Grotberg-sung “Last Cigarette” and the stomping title track are highlights. We eagerly await Round II of the Jayhawks reissue campaign, not to mention the band’s new album, their first in eight years, later this spring. For the first time in a long time, it’s good to be a Jayhawks fan. (Sony Legacy 2010)

The Jayhawks official website
Click to buy Hollywood Town Hall from Amazon
Click to buy Tomorrow the Green Grass from Amazon

Alternative, Americana, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Eat Sleep Drink Music Gary Louris George Drakoulias Hollywood Town Hall Jayhawks CD review Jayhawks reissue CD review Karen Grotberg Marc Perlman Mark Olson The Jayhawks Tim O'Reagan Tomorrow the Green Grass

Duran Duran: All You Need Is Now

January 13, 2011 / David Medsker

RIYL: Duran Duran’s first two albums, Mark Ronson

It’s funny how people can surprise you even when you think you know them better than they know themselves. After spending a good decade releasing albums that ranged from underrated (Medazzaland) to underwritten (Pop Trash), Duran Duran reunited the Fab Five lineup early in the 2000s and dropped Astronaut in 2004. It was the closest the band had come to their trademark sound in 20 years, and they were rewarded with some of the best reviews of their career. But old feelings die hard, and guitarist Andy Taylor bailed on the band again the middle of making the follow-up to Astronaut. That album, titled Reportage, was supposed to be a back-to-basics affair, an angrier, more aggressive album. Rather than finish the album, though, the band dissolved their partnership (we’re guessing that’s a money move, so Andy would no longer be involved in any revenue sharing) and started over from scratch…

…with Timbaland and his hack protege, Danja Hills. Ye gods.

The ensuing album, 2007’s Red Carpet Massacre, was a gigantic step backward, filled with wonky synthesizers and the worst drum sounds a rock band ever put to tape (and that includes Missing Persons’ Rhyme & Reason). The whole modern-day hip-hop production didn’t suit them at all, and the worst part is that there were ways that Duran Duran could have modernized their sound without looking silly; Timbaland was not one of them.

And clearly the band realized this, because midway through the tour for Red Carpet Massacre, they teamed up with UK It Boy Mark Ronson and asked him to remodel their hits. The collaboration proved to be fruitful, as Simon Le Bon would go on to sing on Ronson’s (great) 2010 album Record Collection (the title track, no less), and keyboardist Nick Rhodes contributed a song. Ronson returned the favor by producing the band’s new album, All You Need Is Now, and with that, they found their new Colin Thurston and released their best album since Rio.

Let’s qualify that best-album-since-Rio line, though. It’s their most consistent album since Rio, no question, with nary a duff track in the bunch. But it’s surprisingly lacking in the ‘killer hit single’ department. The title track is a gem, and “Runaway Runaway” captures the essence of the band’s glory days better than anything here, but as good as these songs are, it’s an album full of songs on par with “Anyone Out There” and “My Own Way.” There isn’t an “Ordinary World,” “Planet Earth” or even a “New Moon on Monday” to be found.

There is, however, a new “The Chauffeur” buried in the album’s final third. “The Man Who Stole a Leopard” is a masterpiece, but its run time (over six minutes) and tone will make it a hard sell for release as a single. Beginning with a flanged keyboard, string accents (courtesy of Arcade Fire’s Owen Pallet) and minimalist percussion, the song slowly builds into a melancholy dance track not unlike Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy,” with haunting call-and-respond vocals from Kelis. Easily the best song the band’s done since “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone.”

It looks as though something good came out of Red Carpet Massacre after all. The band realized that chasing the pop charts is a fool’s errand, and that the best thing they can do at this point in time is simply be themselves. All You Need Is Now could be better, sure, but Duran Duran hasn’t shown this kind of focus in nearly 30 years, and that alone is reason to be cheerful. Well done. (Skin Divers 2011)

Duran Duran MySpace page

Alternative, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Pop, Rock

All You Need Is Now All You Need Is Now CD review Ana Matronic Duran Duran Duran Duran CD review Eat Sleep Drink Music Headlines John Taylor Kelis Mark Ronson Nick Rhodes Roger Taylor Simon Le Bon

2011 Song of the Year Candidate #1: Duran Duran, “The Man Who Stole a Leopard”

January 10, 2011 / David Medsker

Welcome to a new column here at ESDMusic, which I created for the sole purpose of talking about new songs that make me giddy. First up: my boys from Birmingham, Duran Duran.

Last time we heard from Duran, they were, well, royally pissing me off. They had just shelved an album that was reportedly a harder-edged back-to-basics affair, modeled after the Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party, two bands that Duran bassist John Taylor loved. Why would they do such a thing, you ask? Because Andy Taylor had left the band, again, because the band expressed interest in adding one more song to the album…featuring Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. Now, I can see where a guy like Justin might appeal to them, but Timbaland? Really? Do they know what he does to the people he produces? He makes sure they all sound like him. You will use this drum machine; you will use this keyboard sound. And you will let him say “wicky wicky” at some point. Is there any place for that on a Duran album? Answer: no, and Andy knew it, so he bailed.

So the band started over from scratch, using the Timbaland collaboration not as a one-off but as a starting point (!). The end result: Red Carpet Massacre, where Duran Duran traded in their identity for one last attempt to remain relevant to the pop charts. The single stiffed, the label dropped them, and Duran went about making things right by doing what I’ve been wanting them to do since 2007: work with Mark Ronson. The band’s new album, All You Need Is Now, released on their own Skin Divers label – a curious name, considering it’s the name of the failed Timbaland collaboration – is the most traditional-sounding Duran Duran album since Seven and the Ragged Tiger (and is actually better than Tiger). And tucked away in the album’s back half is one of the best songs they’ve ever done.

“The Man Who Stole a Leopard”… Jesus, what do you say about this? It builds slowly, a la “The Chauffeur,” and features this gorgeous call-and-response vocal from Kelis that borders on haunting. The lyrics, based on an idea of John and Nick’s (and inspired by the 1965 Terence Stamp movie “The Collector”), tell the tale of a man who, you guessed it, kept a leopard in his apartment, and how his obsession with said creature fulfilled him like nothing else, but also led to his undoing. Ronson tones down the drum tracks some, making for one of those melancholy dance tracks along the lines of “Enjoy the Silence” or “Unfinished Sympathy.” With a run time of over six minutes, “The Man Who Stole a Leopard” is not likely to be among the songs chosen for release as a single, but you can bet that it will – and if the YouTube comments are any indication, already has – become a fan favorite. Give the video one listen, and see if you’re not running to the iTunes store seconds later.

Alternative, Artists, CD Reviews, Deep Cuts, External Music, Pop, Rock, Songs

All You Need Is Now Duran Duran Eat Sleep Drink Music Headlines Kelis Mark Ronson Seen Your Video The Man Who Stole a Leopard

Steal This Remix: OK Go, “White Knuckles”

December 17, 2010 / David Medsker

It’s been kind of quiet here in ESD Land, and that’s intentional – everyone has stuff to do during the holidays, and we’re only happy to wind things down so we can get our shopping done. But here’s a little pre-Christmas treat for you all, courtesy of the people behind what my daughter calls the doggie video, OK Go.

Like most remixes these days, the majority of the original song didn’t survive, but there are a few lines from the song and a keyboard riff here and there. And hey, it’s free. Can’t beat free. Happy holidays, everyone. See you in 2011.

OK Go – White Knuckles (Sam Sparro remix)

Alternative, Artists, CD Reviews, Downloads, Me Myself and iPod, Pop, Rock, Steal This Song

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Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums and Songs of 2010: Associate Editor Will Harris’s picks

December 7, 2010 / Will Harris

I don’t even know why I’m here, frankly. I think it’s pretty well documented that all I do these days is write about television and interview people ’til the cows come home. Once upon a time, though, I used to be a music critic, dammit…and once you’ve had opinions about music, you’ll always have opinions about music. As such, here are my thoughts on the albums and songs that grabbed me this year. This may be the first time I’ve actually written about most of them, but you can damn well be sure that I’ve spent plenty of time listening to them.

Favorite Albums

1. Tom Jones: Praise & Blame
It’s a pretty consistent tradition that my #1 slot on my Best Albums list of any given year belongs to an artist whose career I’ve followed for quite some time, but Sir Tom earned his spot fair and square. Kicking things off with a stark cover of Bob Dylan’s “What Good Am I?” which will leave listeners spellbound, the Welsh wonder goes gospel with this record, and while it’s admittedly not the sort of career move that generally results in the shifting of mass units, it’s a creative success, one which befits a man entering his seventies far more than, say, another retread of “Sexbomb.” Having already secured legendary status (not to mention a knighthood), our man Tom can afford to step outside of people’s perceptions, and for those who’ve been paying attention, that’s what he’s been doing for the past several albums, including 2008’s 24 Hours and his 2004 collaboration with Jools Holland. But while Praise & Blame is a continuation of an existing trend, it’s also arguably the first time Jones has made absolutely no commercial concessions. There’s no wink-and-a-nudge cover of “200 Lbs. of Heavenly joy.” There’s no song by Bono and the Edge nor uber-hip production from Future Cut. There’s just Tom Jones, age 70…and, by God, he’s still got it.

2. Glen Matlock & The Philistines: Born Running
It isn’t as though it’s surprising that John Lydon’s the member of the Sex Pistols who’s gone on to have the most successful solo career – he was, after all, the frontman for the group – but it continues to be equally eyebrow-raising that so few of the band’s fans have kept their ears open for the consistently solid material emerging from Glen Matlock‘s camp. It’s not quite as punk as the Pistols – which makes perfect sense if you believe the story about Matlock supposedly getting the boot from the band for liking the Beatles a bit too much – but the songs on Born Running still pack a fierce wallop.

3. Brian Wilson: Reimagines Gershwin
The older I get, the less I allow myself to feel guilty about enjoying an album that I could easily peddle to people my grandparents’ age. All things considered, I’d much rather have a full collection of new originals from Mr. Wilson, but the way he takes these Gershwin classics and arranges them to match his traditional sound is still music to my ears. Then, of course, there’s the added bonus that he’s taken on the task of completing a couple of previously-unfinished Gershwin songs. Unsurprisingly, they sound just like Brian Wilson compositions…not that there’s anything wrong with that. At all.

4. Farrah: Farrah
There’s Britpop, and then there’s power pop, but you don’t tend to find bands who can manage to comfortably keep a foot in both camp; I’d argue that Farrah succeeds at this task, but given that they don’t have a particularly high profile in either, I suppose it really all depends on how you define success. For my part, though, if an artist releases an album which contains a significant number of catchy-as-hell hooks, it’s top of the pops in my book, which means that this self-titled entry into their discography is yet another winner for Farrah.