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Nikka Costa: Pebble to a Pearl

November 7, 2008 / Jeff Giles

She’s a young soul singer who has worked with Mark Ronson and just happens to be Caucasian, but her name isn’t Amy Winehouse – and actually, Nikka Costa has been at this longer than her beehived tabloid-queen counterpart: her Virgin debut, 2001’s Everybody’s Got Their Something, featured some of the same old-school/new-school production that Ronson brought to Winehouse’s 2007 breakthrough, which has to grate on Costa a little, especially given that she’s now in her mid 30s, and has been delivering consistently entertaining music for close to a decade now with very little to show for it. If she’s bothered, though, it doesn’t show here: Pebble to a Pearl is her best effort to date. Not coincidentally, it’s also her Stax debut – free from the Top 40 pressures of her Virgin contract, Costa abandons any attempts to sound modern, focusing instead on classic grooves (supplied by Winehouse’s favorite backing band, the Daptones) to go with her earthy, supple vocals. It’s a match made in heaven – or Muscle Shoals, which is close enough for soul fans jonesing for new music with a timeless vibe. By embracing her retro side, Costa foregoes the inclusion of anything as nouveau-funky as her debut’s “Like a Feather,” and by deliberately imitating her new label’s classic sound, she invites unfavorable comparisons with artists she can’t come close to matching, but this set is much more Pearl than Pebble. (Stax 2008)

Nikka Costa MySpace page

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pH10: Well Connected

November 7, 2008 / James B. Eldred

pH10 is pretty much just Robert Betts, who was previously in a group called LD50, which is science-speak for the median lethal dose of a toxic substance or radiation. pH is how the acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured, and pH10 is has the alkalinity of soap. So if names are anything to go by, pH10 is probably a lot less abrasive than LD50 was. Maybe not though, since pH10’s debut Well Connected is a collection of hardcore drum ‘n’ bass/jungle tracks with bass lines so loud they’ll knock your neighbor’s fillings out. Betts knows what he’s doing here, and when pH10 sticks to basic drum ‘n’ bass, they can do no wrong. “Space Baby,” “Yiggplant” and “Serious Delirium” all rely almost solely on killer beats and rhythms, keeping the vocals relegated to the occasional sample. It’s dated and not exactly original, other acts have been doing this (and doing it better) since the early ’90s, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining and energetic. Things only go sour when the occasional MC shows up to rap over the already perfect beats. The worst of the bunch is Pete Miser, who on “BK United” proclaims he is so good that “even masturbating to me you can’t come close.” What the hell does that even mean? (Never mind, we don’t want to know.) Betts takes a step back stylistically on that tune too, trying an old-school rap style that just doesn’t work. Regardless, when ph10 sticks to the beats and bass they can’t lose, and thankfully that’s most of the album. This is a solid pick up for any DnB fan. (Helmutplex 2008)

pH10 MySpace Page

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Rebecca Pidgeon: Behind the Velvet Curtain

November 7, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

Rebecca Pidgeon’s first album in three years portrays more of her sensual, seductive style, one that reflects a Sunday morning sound and a somewhat overcast aura that dissipates only on occasion. Pidgeon, who’s also gained fame for her acting portfolio and the fact she’s married to playwright David Mamet, supplies the soundtrack for the film “Redbelt,” much of which extracted for Behind the Velvet Curtain, but any thematic thread is difficult to discern. In fact, the album is so uniformly low-key that any change in tempo or tone becomes practically non-existent. To her credit, she’s recruited an impressive roster of musicians to back her up – producer/bassist Larry Klein, guitarist Dean Parks, steel guitar player Greg Leisz among them – but Pidgeon’s wispy, willowy sway finds the proceedings rarely rising above a whisper (think Norah Jones at her most nocturnal). The only time Pidgeon and company gather any modicum of am upbeat tick is when they turn up the tempo on, appropriately, “That’s Life, That’s Hollywood” and a somewhat spunky cover of the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Otherwise, consider this a rather drowsy digression. (Hot Milk Records)

Rebecca Pidgeon website

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Keane Curate a Night for War Child

November 4, 2008 / David Medsker

Recorded last fall, Keane assembled a handful of friends to raise money for War Child, a charity dedicated to the welfare of Iraqi children. The list of bands on the bill is an odd one, beginning with Teddy Thompson, Findlay Brown and erstwhile Raconteur Brendan Benson before going to more Keane-ish bands like the Pet Shop Boys and Lily Allen. The set lists are tiny – no one but Keane plays more than two songs, and the Magic Numbers only play one – and Keane only plays four, not including the part where they back up Allen. The performances are good and the piece is judiciously edited so the next song comes soon after the previous one. But one can’t help but wonder what songs were played that night that didn’t make the cut; Keane, for example, played “Is It Any Wonder?,” one of their biggest hits, but it did not make the DVD. It feels like bad karma to kick around a charity DVD, but this set, while entertaining, feels incomplete. (Eagle Vision)

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Brendan Benson Findlay Brown Keane Curate a Night for War Child Review Keane DVD Lily Allen Magic Numbers Pet Shop Boys Teddy Thompson War Child DVD