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Frank Sinatra: Sinatra at the Movies

July 11, 2008 / R. David Smola

How many ways can we make money and exploit a dead star? We can keep releasing different versions of greatest hits, altering track order and omitting and including different songs. We can release groups of tracks from various record labels separately. We can also come up with new and interesting thematic collections, like songs from movies perhaps. Capitol felt the need to get some more Ol’ Blue Eyes product out there and compiled 20 tracks from his contributions to cinema. There is nothing wrong with compilations or Sinatra; in fact every American citizen should receive some Frank upon their birth, particularly Songs for Swingin’ Lovers or Strangers in the Night or if you want a compilation, try The Capitol Years from 1990. This collection has some of the well known stuff like “Chicago,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “Three Coins in a Fountain” and “Young at Heart.” It also showcases the man’s voice from different periods of his career so you can hear the deepening and richness in his vocals as he matured. However, it is an unnecessary collection in that this material is available elsewhere. Sure, you can throw this on and have a nice Fresca on the patio, but there are many other collections much more worthy of your time. (Capitol)

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Global Noize: Global Noize

July 11, 2008 / James B. Eldred

Global Noize is collaborative project between turnbalist DJ Logic and Grammy Award-winning jazz composer/keyboardist Jason Miles, and joining them throughout their self-titled debut are about a dozen or so other musicians. Some of the more notable contributors include Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Blues Traveler’s John Popper, singer Me’Shell Ndegeocello and legendary trumpeter Herb Alpert. In addition to those somewhat prominent names, jazz musicians Karl Denson, Billy Martin, Cyro Baptista and Christian Scott show up, as does Parliament/Funkadelic’s Bernie Worrell. That’s a lot of great musicians from a ton of genres; and they bill themselves as “the nexus of jazz, funk, world music and electronica,” so it’s really too bad that they sound like nothing more than a third-rate jazz act experimenting with a turntable and a sampler. This isn’t a record that has one foot in jazz while dabbling in other genres; it has both feet firmly planted in jazz while the occasional pinky toe dips into electronic music or rock for a second before quickly retreating back to the safe, soothing waters of modern jazz. If you’re looking for a successful blend of jazz and electronic music (two genres of music that go surprisingly well together) check out Sqaurepusher’s Ultravisitor or At the Center by Meat Beat Manifesto. This is nothing more than waiting room music with mediocre backbeats tacked on. (Shanachie 2008)

Global Noize MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica, Jazz

Val Emmich: Little Daggers

July 4, 2008 / Mike Farley

Val Emmich is a name you may not recognize, but here’s a dude (yes, Val is a man) that has released five albums and an EP, one on a major label and a few on indies. And years of touring with the likes of Butch Walker, Gavin DeGraw and Better Than Ezra has helped to shape Emmich’s current style and songwriting on his latest, Little Daggers. Emmich played most of the instruments on this effort, and it’s filled with anthems and rockers, heartfelt lyrics, and hooks that are sometimes subtle but usually engaging. It’s the kind of album you probably won’t hear on the radio, but you’ll find playing in some cool record store or, if Emmich is savvy at marketing, in a motion picture. You can take the songs on which Emmich tries a bit too hard, especially on “Hurt More Later” and “Darling Denise,” the latter of which sounds kind of like emo whining. But the bulk of the tracks are very good, bordering on really, really good. In particular, the first few rocking numbers, “The Lucky Ones” and “Get On With It,” will have you quite possibly dancing on the roof of your car, while the best track of all, “Down,” sounds like a cross between Butch Walker and a more somber Bruce Springsteen. Despite a few clunkers, this is still one of the better albums by an independent artist in 2008. (LABEL: bluhammock music)

Val Emmich MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

The Feelings Mutual: The Feelings Mutual EP

July 4, 2008 / Mike Farley

The Feelings Mutual is a power pop trio from San Diego, and having been together for less than a year at release time, this five-song self-titled EP is literally hot off the presses. But it surely does what every good EP does, which is to make you want at least five more songs. There are hints of quite a few things going on in the Feelings Mutuals’ songs, including garage rock (think The Strokes), ‘90’s alt-pop (think Better Than Ezra), edgy pop (think Butch Walker) and active rock radio fare (think Breaking Benjamin). But what’s most impressive is that these three dudes somehow tie all that together in a way that, while obviously unique, is still quite palatable. Once you stop trying to figure out how they do it, and just listen, the answer is simple — this is a damn good band. Blazing rocker “Monolith” and rock anthem “Ring Me Out” are the standouts on a fine debut. Now let’s hope the Feelings Mutual gets in a van, tours, lives some life, and makes some more music. (Ares Records)

The Feelings Mutual MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Kasper from the K: Whatcha Gondo EP

July 4, 2008 / David Medsker

Yes, his rhythmic style is little more than a combination of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg, but there is something charming about Kentucky white boy Kasper from the K (Timothy Hoggard to his mother). Maybe it’s the fact that he accepts that he’s a white boy, and forgoes the cliché hardcore gangsta scene in favor of sleazy club jams. And man, are these songs sleazy: there isn’t a moment on the Whatcha Gondo EP where Kasper isn’t talking or thinking about getting’ him some freaky. The super freak path is a slippery one, though; go too far, and you come off as a serial rapist, but Kasper is more fast-talking himbo than roofie-slipping perv. And with a calling card like the super-catchy, “Obsession”-cribbing title track, he is going to be up to his eyeballs in women for the foreseeable future. Isn’t that the primary reason why guys get into music in the first place? Sure, “Whatcha Gondo” might wind up as the “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room)” of the new millennium, but as long as it helps him score women, we doubt Kasper will care much about his long-term legacy. (EO Music)

Kasper from the K MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Hip Hop, Rap