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One Block Radius: One Block Radius

September 12, 2008 / Jeff Giles

This California trio boasts solid alt-rap credentials – Marty James and MDA were a Grand Royal act when they went by Scapegoat Wax, and the first One Block Radius sides were dropped courtesy of Oakland’s Hieroglyphics – but you wouldn’t necessarily know it from listening to their self-titled sophomore release; though One Block Radius boasts flashes of unexpected humor and solidly lyrical flow, wide chunks of the record are wasted on tracks devoted to the same old shit. Tracks such as “Dead Man” and “Stand Up” rely, for the most part, on the standard-issue gangsta clichés that were dried up in the mid ‘90s, and nothing here reflects the originality that made 2005’s Long Story Short such an enjoyable listen. It isn’t a total loss, though; while too much of the album is too self-consciously mainstream to make much of an impact, they do occasionally manage to focus their strengths. Songs such as “Shoplifta,” “Screwin’ It Up,” and the wonderfully juvenile “Choc-O-Lot” (sample lyric: “Underneath that sundress / She got cheeks, oh yes”) offer a few moments of smartly crafted hip-hop in between the all the formula. Begging to be cherrypicked, One Block Radius is an iTunes album if ever there was one. (Mercury 2008)

One Block Radius MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Hip Hop

White Lion: Return of the Pride

September 11, 2008 / R. David Smola

It’s been 17 years since White Lion’s last record, Mane Attraction. With only original vocalist Mike Tramp left in the fold, the Lion is back with a nice chunk of progressive anthem rock called Return of the Pride. Playing the part of original shredder extraordinaire Vito Bratta is the very capable Jamie Law, who shows a few chops of his own on this surprisingly good record. Tramp’s lyrics are heady as he questions religion on “Sangre De Cristo” and examines Custer’s last stand on “Battle of Little Big Horn.” “Dream” is a big-ass song with swagger and licks to spare. Tramp’s raspy vocals sound spot-on as you can feel the arena…well, maybe the small club rocking, but they’re still big in Belgium. (Or is that Citizen Dick from “Singles”?) Get your lighters ready for the balladry of “Never Let You Go” and the first minute of “Set Me Free” before it settles into a big rock groove.

There is nothing incredibly innovative about the album; it’s just well executed, thoughtful, and extremely well played big rock. Keyboards and acoustic guitars fill the spaces between guitar virtuosity and layered backing vocals as Tramp and co-producer and bassist Claus Langeskov know how to get the most out of their sound. It sounds like an ’80s record, but in a good way. There is enough space to hear the instruments, as opposed to just a deafening set of the higher end with no bass or drums. It is crowded inside the White Lion sound, but clear. Listen to the snarling bass line in “Battle of Little Big Horn” and try to keep your toe from tapping and your head from banging. Return is a welcome and pleasant surprise. The inclusion of live versions of their two biggest songs, “Wait” and “When the Children Cry,” are unnecessary. It should be okay for a band to evolve and move forward even if celebrating their past in the spirit of their sound, especially with a record as strong as this one. It’s okay to move forward, boys. Really. (Airline)

White Lion My Space page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, External Music, Metal, Rock

Cypress Hill: Playlist – The Very Best of Cypress Hill

September 10, 2008 / R. David Smola

Through a hazy funk of giant blunt smoke emerged the revolutionary sound of Cypress Hill in 1991, rap pioneers who blended trippy funk elements into the hip hop formula to create an unmistakable and infectious sound. Playlist culls tracks from each of their seven studio releases, with heavy reliance on the self-titled debut and the second release, Black Sunday (8 tracks of 14.) They talked tough and fronted the gangster attitude, but the delivery and the music never really felt menacing. You never got the feeling that they could snap themselves out of the ganja-induced haze to blow someone away as described in “How Could I Just Kill A Man.” The material is delivered as if hatched in a post pot party lyrical contest entitled, `Can you top this?’ The exception is “Looking through the Eyes of a Pig,” which could be the theme song for Vic Mackey, the anti-hero of “The Shield.” This song is a searing indictment of law enforcement; there is not a chuckle to be found. “Tequila Sunrise” is a stellar track featuring some eloquent Spanish guitar and horns as guest Barron Ricks trades rhymes about crime and droppin’ your enemies. I dare you to listen to “Insane in the Brain” without having it trapped inside your head for days. If you don’t have any Cypress Hill or own a greatest hits collection, this is must for you to add. (Columbia/Ruffhouse/Legacy)

Cypress Hill My Space page

CD Reviews, External Music, Hip Hop, Rap

Rick Astley: Playlist – The Very Best of Rick Astley

September 9, 2008 / R. David Smola

Does the world really need another greatest-hits package (this appears to be the thirteenth) from a guy whose output has been fairly sporadic (6 albums) over 21 years? Granted, the Playlist series does an excellent job of giving you a cross section of the artist’s work along with an essay, some pictures and credits. Astley had one ridiculously huge hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” and several other singles that charted, but his output and his career could only be categorized as an underachieving one, suggesting that the Playlist treatment may be unwarranted. The first nine tracks tend to blend together and sound like one soulless ’80s dance number. The man possesses an incredible set of pipes, but so much of his career was spent crooning bland dance songs. The production and music feels sterile; his voice is soulful, but the material and execution of it is not. Only on the balladry of “Hold Me in Your Arms” or “Cry for Help” can you trace some sincerity in Astley’s delivery. That material engages him becasue he isn’t selling the synthesizer dance floor thing. “When I Fall In Love,” the Nat King Cole staple, is another good track from the collection. His future as a balladeer is where he belongs as the end of the disc clearly proves, should he get around to making more music anytime soon. (RCA/Legacy)

Rick Astley My Space page

CD Reviews, Dance, External Music, Pop

Blind Melon: For My Friends

September 8, 2008 / R. David Smola

Don’t spill the bong water. One has to be careful while dancing in a Woodstock-like manner to the incredibly pleasant and surprising For My Friends, the new record by the formerly disbanded Blind Melon. It didn’t seem likely that after the death of lead singer Shannon Hoon to an overdose, that the Melon had any more shelf life. The loss of their comrade and friend left the band rudderless and they decided to go their separate ways. This is their first studio release since 1995’s Soup. It is an excellent blend of laid back mood pieces that evoke smoke rings and late night pizza like the wonderfully subtle title track and “Sometimes,” while containing enough muscle to move the mood up a couple notches like “Wishing Well” and “So High.” None of these songs is going to get a speeding ticket but the album offers enough variety to be an excellent 50-minute listen. No one quite sounded like Shannon Hoon, but Travis Warren sure has a similar delivery. He will be able to pull off all the Hoon tracks live while not sounding like just a clone voice. The album is spectacularly produced and mixed by bassist Brad Smith and guitarist Christopher Thorn (and Blind Melon as credited in the album notes.) They layer a lot of the vocals (which serves the uniqueness of Warren’s voice well) while the mix of guitar (both electric and acoustic) and occasional Wurlitzer piano is fabulous accenting each when necessary. There may not be a career defining track like “No Rain” on the record, but this is a consistently hummable piece of work. (Rocket Science)

Blind Melon My Space page

CD Reviews, External Music, Rock