Page 288 of 583

Pictures and Sound: Pictures and Sound

August 15, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Former Blue Merle frontman Lucas Reynolds has always looked cooler on paper (raised in a geodesic dome by a woodworker; spent time as a river guide and cattle rancher before moving on to music) than his music has suggested. For all their off-kilter promise, Blue Merle frequently sounded like nothing so much as Coldplay lite – a damn shame for a Nashville buzz band with a mandolin player and a violinist in the lineup. Now that Blue Merle has bitten the dust, Reynolds has moved on to Pictures and Sound, and adjusted his sound accordingly: this 10-song set sounds like what might happen if Bob Schneider collaborated with Citizen Cope. That’s a good thing, in case you were wondering – although Pictures and Sound lacks the “raw energy” Reynolds claims to have been aiming for, it boasts unobtrusive production and plenty of hooks to go with his butter-soft vocals. Highlights include the instantly memorable “It’s You” and “100 Directions,” as well as “Every War,” which combines remedial peacenik poetry with a wonderfully left-field appearance from Willie Nelson. If you have a significant other who’s been tormenting you with Jack Johnson records, swap ‘em out for this. You won’t be sorry. (Vanguard 2008)

Pictures and Sound MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

What Laura Says: Thinks and Feels

August 15, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Dumbest band name of the year? Maybe, but once you listen to the Phoenix quintet’s marvelously messy debut, Thinks and Feels, it almost makes sense. There’s nothing conventional about this outfit; even by experimental post-rock standards, they’re too weird to fit in, because you never know when they’re going to ditch the alien arrangements and whimsical time shifts in favor of some Marvin Hamlisch piano, Beach Boys vocal stacks, Neil Young space travel, or good old-fashioned classic rock. Calling them Menomena meets My Morning Jacket isn’t really accurate, but then, neither is pretty much any other point of reference you could come up with for this stuff. What matters most is whether or not it sucks, and Thinks and Feels decidedly does not. Woe to the listener who tries to absorb any of it out of the record’s context – this isn’t a pick-and-choose type of album – but give it a few front-to-back spins and feel yourself slowly being drawn into the weird, wonderful world of What Laura Says. Give them an “A” for originality, and join us in wishing best of luck to Terpsikhore when it comes to promoting any of this. (Terpsikhore 2008)

What Laura Says MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Computer Vs. Banjo: Computer vs. Banjo

August 15, 2008 / James B. Eldred

King Kong vs. Godzilla, Alien vs. Predator, Freddy vs. Jason. These are the eternal battles that have captured the imagination of the American public. Now you can add Computer vs. Banjo to that list of epic duels. The computer half of this musical duel is Johnny Mann of the little-heard Nashville funk band Gran Torino. The banjo is represented by Beau Stapleton, formerly of the slightly successful southern jam band Blue Merle. To be honest though, there isn’t much in the way of “vs” on the duo’s self-titled debut. Much of the album is simply a low-fi electronic album, songs like “Low” and “Outer Space” have nary a country influence in them. On the flip side, country ballads “San Joaquin” and “2Heavy2Hold” don’t have much a computer presence to them. When the two do team up, the result is more like a Grandaddy album than something that you would expect from a name like Computer Vs. Banjo. Where’s the 21st century version of “Dueling Banjos”? What about a hardcore rave anthem with some line dancing influence thrown in for good measure? This is a good album, but there’s a lot of untapped potential here. Hopefully Mann and Stapleton will really embrace their novel concept on their next album and truly give us a battle between the technological majesty of electronic music and the down-home charm of classic country. (Diagram 2008)

Computer vs. Banjo MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Electronica

David Ford: Songs for the Road

August 15, 2008 / Mike Farley

When David Ford released his 2006 album, I Sincerely Apologise for the Trouble I Have Caused, we gave him a pass. That’s because his brooding folk/pop was novel, and it was fun to hear a guy like so pissed off showing us just how anger could translate into humorous yet powerful songs. Kind of like, “Take that, bitch.” But this time around, Ford’s Songs for the Road, while more of the same fare, just comes across as, well, bitter. And you’ll be like, “Dude, shut the hell up already.” The British singer/songwriter knows how to craft a song, so we’ll give him that. But this time around, Ford is like an angry James Blunt—well, slightly cooler than Blunt but a little less fucked up than Amy Winehouse. Songs for the Road has two tracks that especially bring out Ford’s inner bitter—“Go to Hell” and the musically uplifting yet slap-in-your-face “Nobody Tells Me What to Do.” Anything beyond that, and you’re going to wish this dude would just go away. And the sad thing, really, is that you know that if David Ford fell in love and wrote some heartfelt songs that reflect that, he could be amazing. But for now, dude just needs to lighten up. (LABEL: RED/Independiente)

David Ford MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Rock

David Benoit: Heroes

August 15, 2008 / Mike Farley

Pianist/arranger and smooth jazz veteran David Benoit continues to celebrate 30-plus years of making music, and with his new Heroes album, pays homage to those who have influenced him over the years. Benoit, not surprisingly, takes songs by the likes of piano legends such as Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Dave Brubeck. But then he lets his guard down a bit, and takes on a few of his pop idols — Michael Jackson, Elton John, the Beatles and the Doors. You might think the result is akin to elevator music, but when you realize how masterfully Benoit arranges songs like “Light My Fire” and “She’s Leaving Home,” you can’t help but give the guy props. As with most of the smooth jazz genre, this is great for Sunday mornings, quiet dinners or just relaxing. The rest of the time, you’re better off with the original versions. (Peak 2008)

David Benoit website

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Jazz, Pop