07/27/05 Matt Hursh
Githead - Profile
A spousal project (plus electronic artist Scanner) featuring Wire's Colin Newman and Minimal Compact's Malka Spigal, Githead is finely crafted dub-pop that works in spite of the protagonists' tag of producing largely “difficult“ music. This isn't the robotic punk that Newman's been playing over the last 3 years or so, and it's not Spigal's brand of darker Euro rock; this is rhythm driven rock with cut-up lyrics leaning towards postmodernism and it still manages to be accessible and infectious as hell. Whether this is a new direction for Newman or just a detour, “Profile“ is one of the most interesting and consistent releases of 2005.

07/27/05 Jon Keener
starflyer 59 - talking voice vs singing voice
14 albums in and these guys have created a little niche for themselves, pretty much picking up where later pink floyd left off. well produced dreamy longish cuts lull you into a state of catatonia the state to the right of nebraska. well played backround music for a very frustrating life ... mine; not yours.

07/27/05 David Douglas
Lee Perry - I am the Upsetter
Does the world really need another Lee Perry compilation? On the evidence of this Trojan offering, which covers Perry's pioneering productions from the period 1968 - 1978, the answer is an emphatic yes!
From rock steady, disc one moves to early reggae, “People Funny Boy,“ and skinhead instrumentals inspired by spaghetti Westerns, “Clint Eastwood“ and “Return of Django.“ Dave Barker (of Dave and Ansel Collins fame) doubles up as soul singer and funk deejay, and then it's on to roots from The Wailers and Junior Byles, with an early U Roy in Rasta mode and even a song advertising Perry's record shop, “Check Him Out.“ Disc two brings out Perry's absorption of soul influences, from Stax and Philly to Al Green and Millie Jackson (Susan Cadogan's UK hit “Hurt So Good“). There's also some quirky funk in the shape of “Bathroom Skank,“ and bona fide roots classics from The Gatherers and Junior Byles. The most astonishing track here, though, is “Cow Thief Skank,“ complete with it's original Staples Singers intro, a cut-and-paste collage that predates hip-hop by nearly a decade and remains one of the craziest records ever made! The third CD concentrates on the inimitable soundscapes created by Perry in his Black Ark studio in the latter half of the 70's, a period covered on previous Trojan and Island box-sets. While the originals are absent, there are versions of familiar tunes by Max Romeo and Junior Murvin. The last five tracks - notably Junior Delgado's blistering “Sons of Slaves,“ are all extended. The final CD consists of instrumentals and dub, including a track from the classic “Blackboard Jungle“( one of the earliest dub albums), another version of “Police and Thieves“ and a ten-minute Black Ark mix of “To Be a Lover,“ both featuring Augustus Pablo's melodica. There are plenty of Upsetter CD's around, but as an overview of Perry's unique contribution to Jamaican music, this has no rival.

Dubble D

07/27/05 Matthew “Funksoulbrutha“ Kurzman
Cafe Tacuba - Unplugged
I love this band, they are so much fun to see live. They're all over the place - rock, funk, ska, punk, polka, hardcore, traditional latin music. They once did an album of 9 traditional Mexican folk songs, but did each one in a different style. This performance from MTV Latin America really showcases their broad range of talent. All their classics are here: “Maria“, “Bar Tacuba“, and my favorite “El Baile y El Salon“. The CD comes packaged with a DVD of the performance as well.

07/27/05 Bill Stafford
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
The first saint of bop, the prototype of Ginsberg's angelheaded hipster blasting his inimitable way through the unlikely title track and setting that Sound of Music standard on it's head. Remastered and re-released in a miniature LP-style sleeve, this is one of the classics of this or any other genre and deserves space on any self-respecting audiophiles shelf. Plus, your mom will like it (at least mine did).

07/27/05 Brad Sigler
Various - Ten CDs you need
1. Editors - Back Room (w/limited bonus disc)

2. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll

3. The Departure - Dirty Words (Japanese edition, with bonus tracks)

4. Tom Vek - We Have Sound (one man, post-punk band)

5. The Cribs - New Fellas

6. I Am Kloot - Gods And Monsters

7. Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger (w/limited, live bonus disc)

8. The Brakes - Give Blood (British Sea Power, Electric Soft Parade members)

9. The Others - self titled

10. The Subways - Young For Eternity (Ian Broudie produced three piece)

07/27/05 JEFF 'THE RECORD' WEBB
Foetus - Love
J.G. Thirlwell finally takes some time off from his day job, scoring Venture Brothers for the Cartoon Network, to revive his Foetus moniker with a new CD, Love, his first in four years.
He's still using that dark orchestration, melding a lot of different styles such as classical, big band, industrial, and heavy rock into a unique style all of his own. It's like a soundtrack to a sci-fi or horror film as a backdrop for Thirlwell's twisted tales. And the use of harpsichord is always a nice touch for extra creepiness. It's his most melodic release (in spots),but don't worry, no less evil. Also included is a full length DVD with videos (including one by Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), live footage and more. He's been doing this for almost 25 years now. Hear why Trent Reznor, Al Jourgensen, and Mike Patton cite Foetus as a major influence.

07/27/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
TISHAMINGO - WEAR N' TEAR
Athens, GA based band Tishamingo have returned with their second album, Wear n' Tear. The sound on here pretty much picks up where their self-titled debut left off. These boys ain't afraid to wear their classic- and southern- rock influences on their sleeve, with a sound that recalls Free, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd (whose 'Poison Whiskey' they cover quite ably), and the Allman Brothers. Highlights include the jamming 'Hillbilly Wine,' the slow, smoky vibe of 'Magic,' which flows nicely into 'Rome,' a laid-back instrumental with some great guitar work from Jess Franklin and Cameron Williams. Then there's 'Smoked Mullet,' a great tune with humorous lyrics and scorching dual lead guitars. 'Legend Of George Nelson' has some great vocal harmonies and country inspired guitars, while 'Worn Out Soles' slows things down a bit for some soulful blues, with some great slide playing. There's also 'Ain't Got Time,' which sounds like J.J. Cale sitting in with the Allman Brothers, with more slippery dual guitar harmonies and a great jam at the end. The short 'Reprise' wraps things up. Those who read the last review I did for this band and checked it out (all three of you) will probably love this; the rest of you would be well-advised to check Wear n' Tear.

07/27/05 Matt Hursh
Mark Stewart - Kiss the Future
This is a compilation of tracks from the former vocalist from The Pop Group (who desperately deserve a reissue of 'Y'. Are you listening Rhino? Thought not.), and it's a varied offering that runs from exclusively evil punk-funk to experimental pop and dub. The cuts from Stewart's aforementioned band are an obvious highlight, but his lesser-known work with Maffia is a nice surprise, and still manages to sound a step or two ahead of the current musical landscape. The track order is effective too, as it abandons the ease of chronology in favor of a scattershot overview. The end result punctuates Stewart's experimentation. If there's any complaint to be made here, it's that we only get 12 tracks.

07/27/05 David Douglas
Various - The Future Sound of Jazz Vol 10
I'll have to admit to being a bit skeptical about vol 10 of this once great series, as the last few haven't been up to usual standards, but I'm here to tell you this is one of the best this series has ever put out! This vol mixes it up with a delightfully disparate line-up: house heroes Fred Everything, techno titans Ricardo Villalobos, retro hipsters Hot Chip and production legend Maurice Fulton as Syclops, and Michael Reinboth's reworking of Cal Tjader's “Los Bandidos.“ So give the new vol 10 of this series a try, it is certainly the hottest edition Compost Records have released in a few years. They've maintained the chill-out aesthetic of the series while still pushing the boundaries of the sound with panoramic producers.

07/27/05 Twoie Myers
Noise Unit - Voyeur
Noise Unit is one of the many side projects from the highly prolific Bill Leeb, most notably known for his work in Front Line Assembly. The aptly titled Voyeur, features spacious atmospheric melodies layered with flowing strings, whispered vocals, electronic noises and mutilations, along side bass-lines that range from a drum n' bass vibe to an aggressive industrial assault. Perhaps the best album from a FLA side-project since Delerium's Karma, Voyeur is sure to please fans of Front Line Assembly and Delerium, as well as all of those in between.

07/12/05 Bill Stafford
Deep Purple - Live in Stockholm
Blistering, Heavy, Dense soundscapes of guitar-bass-drum-organ thunderous cacophony. Deep Purple blister through this live set with the Atomic Bomb intensity of the contemporaries in Led Zeppelin, but also unleash a flood of thick noise that sounds like a precursor to shoegazers (though the idea of any shoegazer listening to this assault would probably make their shriveled goodies crawl up into their bellies). For fans of true blue rockin' out with your....yeah, you know.

07/12/05 Jon Keener
Chris Holt - Summer Reverb
Music for me is memories and smells. Your favorite songs will always remind you of where you were in your life, and most of all, who you were with. Chris Holt knows this, I know he does. His songs burst with memory, longing, lust, dreams (both realized and faded), but most of all, with the guarded optimism of summer itself. Rock is represented here in all its many forms and guises: stadium rockers (Are You Listening?), sad and lovely ballads (Koka), feel-good-by-the-pool music (Good Luck), and mind-searing exercises in layered harmonies (Smoke). Brian Wilson would collapse with envy if he heard this (!! - ed.). But best of all is Slightly Open Ears, with its lines “I won't be the same as before/I don't feel that way anymore“, both uplifting and heartbreaking. All songs are good, some are great - a personal and musical triumph.

07/12/05 Scott Hunerberg
Gomez - Out West
British rockers Gomez have release their first ever live album, Out West. The album was recorded live at San Francisco's famous Fillmore over a three-night stand, and draws from those shows. Obviously the fools at Virgin records have no idea just how much talent these guys have, or they would have given them a little more respect, instead of just unceremoniously dropping them because they failed to sell as many records as the Gorillaz (puke!) or turn into the next Oasis overnight (just how overrated can one band be?). Disc one gets off to a strong start with "Get Miles," from the Bring It On album, followed by "Shot Shot," from In Our Gun. Then there's a great "Hangover," from the awesome Liquid Skin album. They also do a cool version of Tom Waits' "Going Out West." Elsewhere there's "Do One," (from last year's Split the Difference), "We Haven't Turned Around," and "Revolutionary Kind." Disc two starts out with a great "Bring It On" that had me singing along, which is followed by "Nothing Is Wrong," one of the stronger tracks from Split the Difference. They also get in a nice version of Nick Drake's "Black Eyed Dog," which is coupled with "Free To Run." This in turn slides right into "Ping One Down," and they stretch out on here a little. Other highlights here include "Get Myself Arrested," which gets everyone singing along; the very catchy "These Three Sins," and the closing "Whippin' Piccadilly." Out West would be great starting place if you're just catching on to Gomez, or if you just want a cool sounding live show from these guys.

07/12/05 name='Jeff "The Record" Webb,
Eels - Electro-Shock Blues Show
This is a great live document of an Eels opening slot in England circa December 1998. Trying to win new fans, they chose more uptempo stuff, mostly from the just released sophomore CD Electro-Shock Blues (natch). Some of the versions are even better than their studio counterparts like the opener 'Cancer for the Cure' sounding more sinister, and 'Not Ready Yet' from Beautiful Freak throws in the 'Satisfaction' riff to great effect. There are also some surprises with an early take on 'Souljacker Part 1', 3 years before release, and Stevie Wonder's 'Fingertips Part III'. Not so surprising is obliging a fan who had been yelling for the hit 'Novacaine for the Soul', and closing with a Christmas tune. The disc also boasts five bonus tracks of the more acoustic side of the Eels recorded in various cities during the same tour. Of course, this is a must for any fan, and it's only available in select indie shops, like your friendly CD World.

07/12/05 David Douglas
Susana Baca - The Best of Susana Baca
There is apparently a new album from Susana Baca in the pipeline. Meanwhile, to coincide with her summer tour we get this 12 track compilation from her first three solo albums, plus “Mario Lando,“ the intoxicating track that first introduced us to her velvet-toned voice back in 1995 via the David Byrne-compiled “Afro-Peruvian Classics - The Soul of Black Peru.“ If you don't own her records, it's a fine introduction that reflects the winning simplicity of her 1997 debut album as well as the more adventurous tracks enhanced by the electric guitar loops of Marc Ribot from 2002's “Espirita Vivo.“ In the middle came her second album, “Eco de Sombras.“ It's stand- out track “Valentin,“ featuring the guitar of David Byrne, is included here, with a bonus video of the song on which Ribot, Byrne and keyboardist John Medeski join Baca's regular backing band. There is even a very cool jazz remix of “Afro-Blue/Zum Zum“ by Koop to further the sound's of Susana Baca, one of the greatest singers alive! Thanks again to David Byrne for introducing us to this incredible talent.

Dubble-D

07/12/05 Brad "Snack Sandwich" Sigler
Various - 12"/80s
As an unabashed lover of all things synth-pop and new wave, I can't recommend this three disc collection enough. There's some classic, extended versions (The Cure's awesome “A Forest“, ABC's “Tears Are Not Enough“), as well as rare mixes of songs (Siouxsie and the Banshees with “Spellbound“, Lloyd Cole's “My Bag“) and some Top 40 fare (Animotion's horrid “Obsession“ and Tears For Fears overrated “Shout“). But, it's the obscure and forgotten bands that are the real gems. Black, Monsoon, Pete Wylie (of Wah!), Hipsway, The Passions and Icicleworks all sound great even today. Even groups like Bauhaus, Japan, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Jam find their way into this mix. Each song flows seamlessly into the next, and while disc one is the best of all three, the entire set works. Pop the whole thing into your cd changer, hit random and try not to smile.

07/07/05 Chris Holt
White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
Go ahead and say what you will about them. Say that Meg's a terrible drummer. Haven't we heard that before? I'd agree, if I didn't think that she was perfect for the band that she's in...not unlike the great Ringo Starr. Wasn't he perfect for his band, too? I mean, how bad would the Beatles have sucked with, say, Neil Peart on the skins? You get my point. Meg isn't the one who matters, anyway. The one who matters is the man they call Jack. This guy's got something that the others don't have. He's a unique talent. In addition to his underrated mastery of the electric guitar, he's also developed some serious piano chops. And he's no slouch at the marimba, either. But what really kicks you in the teeth is his voice. The guy can sing virtually any style, and he's got balls. I have to say that I was a skeptic after hearing the first three albums. There were a few good songs here and there. Then “Elephant“ came along and I thought, “wow, there are a LOT of good songs here.“ And now, with the latest release, I'm becoming a serious Jack White fan. I could go on and on, but I won't. “My Doorbelll“, “Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)“ and “The Denial Twist“ are among the best songs he's ever written. Check this album out, even if you're a grumpy elitist skeptic. It just might change your mind.

07/07/05 JC
Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven up Here
Ian McCulloch's favorite Bunnymen record & also mine...enough said !! Following their more psychedelia-based debut, Crocodiles, and subsequent “Puppet“ single, Echo & the Bunnymen returned in 1981 with the darkest and perhaps most experimental album of their career. Heaven Up Here lacks the signature hooks and melodies that would make the Bunnymen famous, showcasing instead a dirge-like songwriting.Show of Stength could be the most brilliant opening track to an album & that is saying alot when you have the Soft Boys “I wanna destroy you“, & U2's “Where the Streets have no name“,& London Calling.Every few hundred years fate aligns a few people to find each other & make beautiful things together.That is what happened here; to fucking bad we will never hear anything this perfect or experience living in a totally new & authentic scene.This record is so precious to me i feel like you should wait for time travel & go back to 1981 Liverpool to hear & see it live if you haven't yet .

So much to answer for !!

07/07/05 Brad "Snack Sandwich" Sigler
The Bureau - Deluxe 2 CD Edition
It's amazing that this is the first time that The Bureau's 1981 debut album has been on cd. At least Warner Brothers did it up right by remastering the studio disc, adding four bonus tracks and a live album to top it all off. Featuring founding members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, it's an incredible fusion of soul, ska, post-punk and pop, complete with horn section. Every song on the debut is bristling with creative energy and never lets up for one second. The live album is every bit as good, if not just a little bit better. It ain't cheap as far as import cds go, but it won't disappoint you and you'll wonder how you went with out it for so long.

07/07/05 Matthew Kurzman
Red Walls - De Nova
You say you love the Red Walls? Well, they're back at it again. Why waste all that time and energy developing your own sound? There are so many bands out there who've already done the legwork, Just borrow their stuff. If the first Red Walls album was a cross between The Beatles and Bob Dylan, then this sounds like The Beatles meet The Black Crowes. Next up: The Beatles crossed with Lenny Kravitz. They were gonna try Zeppelin, but realized Lenny'd already done it. Two birds, ya know.

06/29/05 David Douglas
Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic
Remember that scene in The Wall when Bob Geldof goes nuts and destroys anything and everything in his apartment? Judging from the increased intensity of "Ecstatic" compared to his previous albums, you get the sense that's how Four Tet, aka Keiran Hebden, felt after reading 8,000 articles about him mentioning the word "Folktronica." Given the skittering, pounding and downright hellacious drums that dominate the mix throughout "Ecstatic," it's safe to say Four Tet won't be making a career out of the "f-word" heaped upon 2003's "Rounds." Not to say he's lost his fondness for upbeat melodies (song titles include words like "joy," "smile," and "sun") but the UK musician/DJ's gotten more aggressive and it works! "Ecstatic" may not be the warm follow-up some people were expecting, but it's an equally fascinating, engaging album that continues to blur the boundaries between electronic, and organic music.

Dubble-D

06/29/05 Twoie Myers
Project .44 - The System Doesn't Work
Ahhhh... good old Chicago industrial. This band sounds like what you would record after listening to too much Ministry - "A Mind is a Terrible"/"Psalm 69" era. There is a twist on it that makes it far from a clone... the band features Louis Svitek FROM Ministry, Charles Levi from Thrill Kill Kult, and Martin Atkins from Ministry, PIL, NIN, and Pigface. Loud, fast, angry guitar-based industrial that is neither "quirky" or "uplifting". Music made for those of us that don't want to wear white sheets and be happy all the time...

06/29/05 J.C.
the departure - dirty words
post punk revivalists and newest english fashion band release their debut full length, "dirty words". with all of the joy division,echo and the bunnymen,cure retreads out there from nyc or abroad the departure are the real deal. despite being brutally ripped apart by the english press these guys seem to have something. they actually sound more like a really poppy Bauhaus with the extreme flange & delay guitars. fuck interpol comparisions. just come in and listen for yourselves.
thank you !!

06/29/05 Matt Hursh
T. Rex - Born to Boogie DVD
Filmed at the height of Marc Bolan's fame, this weird (both weird-good and weird-goofy) film/concert documentary is one I never thought I'd see make it to DVD let alone with a deluxe two-disc treatment like this. It's definitely a product of its time (early/mid 70s), so there's lots of indulgent editing and general surrealism, but the music - virtually all is culled from Electric Warrior and The Slider - is more than worth the price of admission. The extras are superbly enticing, featuring more concert footage and a "making-of." My favorite part about T. Rex? Bolan helped kill the 60s.

06/29/05 JEFF 'THE RECORD' WEBB
Electrelane - Axes
Electrelane is another band worshipping at the altar of Krautrock. Think Stereolab with occasional bursts of Sonic Youth guitar with no side trips to France and you've got the picture. Axes is their third album, second for the great Too Pure label. It was recorded mostly live in the studio with Steve Albini. It's more improv and instrumental than last years poppier The Power Out, but still has plenty of soaring melodies and hypnotic grooves. If you're a fan of the early 'lab, check these gals out.

06/21/05 David Douglas
Bill Laswell Presents - Trojan Dub Massive vol. 1 and vol. 2
Bill Laswell's shape shifting career - as label chief, performer, and legendary producer - has never been anything less than broad ranging and masterful. With a discography that begins in the '70s, and shows no sign of slowing, Laswell's latest endeavor is a reinterpretation of choice selections from Trojan Records' historical archives, and as he achieved greatness on Bob Marley's "Dreams of Freedom," and Miles Davis'"Panthalassa," the results are stellar! Laswell reconstructs the treasured recordings of King Tubby, The Upsetters, Prince Jammy, Augustus Pablo, Gregory Isaacs, and well you get the idea, virtually all the great Reggae artists of the golden 70's roots rockers. With consistency as his forte, Bill Laswell's latest offering reflects his status as a fearless musician who prolifically tackles projects that most producers wouldn't dare touch-and probably couldn't even if they wanted to! Turn up the bass!

Dubble-D

06/21/05 Matthew Kurzman
The Office - The Office - Seasons 1 and 2 DVD
About a week ago I finally made it around to watching the first episode of this BBC comedy. I was hooked immediately and have watched both seasons in the last few days. David Brent is one of the funniest characters I've seen. I instantly felt I knew this guy. I mean, who hasn't worked for someone who is completely ineffective at his job, who just wants his employees to love him, and who is completely oblivious to the fact that everyone around him thinks he's a buffoon? The show is shot like a documentary, so the humor is not situation-based. Many of the best laughs come from moments of awkward silence.

06/21/05 Matt Hursh
The Machinist - The Machinist - DVD
Almost universally known upon its limited theatrical release as "That Movie Where Christian Bale Loses 800 Pounds," The Machinist is sure to gain a cult following similar to that of Memento or Donnie Darko now that it has found it's way to DVD. Think of a Cronenberg/Kafka-esque character trapped in a nightmare (as if a character described as such could inhabit any other space) albeit a nightmare where Jennifer Jason Leigh's giving it up left and right. Bale's character hasn't had a proper night's sleep for a year, and things start getting hazy. Reality and fantasy creep up on one another, but where's the line? And what's the resolution for a guy cursed by his paranoia and thus devoured by delusion? Good movie - well acted, nicely shot, and enough supplements to satisfy. This makes a perfect companion piece to the newly issued (and criminally underrated) American Psycho Special Edition.

06/21/05 Chris Green
AudioSlave - Out of Exile
This is the 2nd release from the Seattle superband. From the former members of Rage Against The Machine and the front man Chris Cornel from Soundgarden, "Out of Exile" is a big step for this supergroup towards making their own sound. "Be Yourself", the first single off of the album, shows that the band has come together for the long run; most supergroups only stay together for one album. The album starts off strong with "Your Time Has Come" and ends on a high note with "The Curse". They have staked their claim as one of the biggest acts in the world and they prove it with this album.

06/21/05 Twoie Myers
Alec Empire - The Futurist
Finally... a new Alec Empire album!!! (if this excites you, you either have an amazing taste in music... or you are a total geek... or both) The follow-up to 2002's "Intelligence and Sacrifice" follows the same direction which mixes over-the-top distorted jungle drums, thrash guitars, Merzbow-esque noise, and punk rock vocals. The only difference is Alec actually PLAYS all guitars/bass/and live drums on the album. The front-man of the electronic group Atari Teenage Riot is now doing a guitar-based rock band. Kinda strange, but it sounds amazing! This is good music for angry people...

06/21/05 JC
Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock n Roll
Art Brut is an art punk or "Art Wave" 3-piece from London who make laughably cheeky late 70's student type music. This band cleverly writes stream of conscience borderline silly 2 and a half minute tunes that sound utterly English and almost condescending because of the suspect subject matter.Take the Violent Femmes and Wire and slam them in the same practice space for 3 minutes and see what comes out. This could be the best most disposable record ever.

06/21/05 Scott Hunerberg
John Scofield - That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles
One never quite knows what to expect when John Scofield puts out a new album, what direction his music will go in next - funky grooves, experimental fusion, or traditional bop jazz. You just know that it's going to be interesting. That's What I Say finds him in a groove-oriented mode this time out, paying tribute to the wondrous music of Ray Charles. His band includes such top-notch players as Larry Goldings on Hammond organ and piano, Steve Jordan on drums, and bass legend Willie Weeks. He also gets some help from such special guests as Dr. John (who contributes lead vocals and piano to 'Talkin' 'Bout You / I Got a Woman), John Mayer (on 'I Don't Need No Doctor'), Melvis Staples (lead vocals on 'I Can¹t Stop Loving You'), David 'Fathead' Newman (tenor sax on several tracks), and Warren Haynes (vocals on 'What'd I Say,' vocals and slide guitar on 'Night Time Is the Right Time'). Highlights include the opening 'Busted,' 'Hit the Road Jack,' 'Night Time Is the Right Time,' and the timeless 'Let's Go Get Stoned'. There¹s also a cool take on 'You Don't Know Me,' which features Aaron Neville on lead vocals, and Scofield does a nice solo guitar version of 'Georgia On My Mind.' While this album isn't exactly a showcase for his amazing jazz guitar chops, he does get in some great licks and solos throughout. Where he'll go next is anyones guess, but for right now John Scofield sounds like he's having a lot of fun jamming with friends and reworking these old Ray Charles classics. If you're a Ray Charles fan (and who isn't these days) this should put a smile on your face and a groove in your step. At least, that's what I say. You can listen to this one on the Expand Your Mind player at either CD WORLD location.

06/15/05 Jeff "The Record" Webb
The Fall - The Complete Peel Sessions 1978 - 2004
Over the years, we Fall fans have been teased with a few snippets of their vast library of John Peel sessions. There‘s been a B side here, a 12 inch there, and a couple of compilations more recently. But what about the 60 or so tracks left? It's been rumored over the last few years that a box set was being compiled, and at long last the Holy Grail is here. The Fall, being Peel's favorite band, recorded more sessions than any other, 24 to be exact. 97 tracks that represent most of the incarnations of the band (and there have been many!). It's a great capsule history, of this most influential of bands closing in on 30 years. Most of their albums are represented, with the majority of songs being aired in their early form, months, even years before official release, with some different lyrics, tempo changes, and retitles. Every Fall fan will buy this, but what about those that just bought 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong? That's a great 2 disc compilation, but with only about 1 song per album, your appetite was wetted for more. This box set is perfect because a lot of The Fall's best songs are here, along with unreleased tracks, and even a couple of Christmas tunes! There's also a great booklet with full track annotation and lots of great photos. Sadly, with the passing of the great man last fall, there won't be any more of these sessions, but let me just say thanks John for helping make The Fall 'The band to which all others must be judged'.

06/15/05 Brad Sigler
Gene Loves Jezebel - Promise/Immigrant/Discover: Remastered & Expanded Editions
It's too bad that the brothers Aston got saddled with the “goth“ tag, because their sound is so much more. These three reissue cds, all remastered and expanded to two discs, show the boys had skill at pop, post-punk, straight ahead rock and yes - goth. Everyone knows the band primarily for the single “Desire“, which is included on 'Discover', the poppiest of all three releases. Yet, it's the early albums where the bulk of the best songs are. 1983's 'Promise' has the version of 'Wraps And Arms' from the first vinyl pressing. The second disc collects singles, mixes, rarities and unreleased tracks, including all of the tracks from the ultra rare debut EP, 'Shaving My Neck' which has never been re-issued since it's original vinyl pressing. 1984's 'Immigrant' consists of singles, extended mixes, unreleased alternate takes and two BBC session tracks, 'Waves' and 'Five Below'. A bargain at under $16 bucks each and will appeal to fans of Bauhaus, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and The Cure.

06/15/05 Twoie Myers
Knifehandchop - How I Left You
A great release from the Tigerbeat6 label (three of us out there are excited by that) that stays on par with the quality of music on this label. Cross drum&bass with industrial and some hip-hop and you get the mess that is Knifehandchop. Electronic music that is super-damn-catchy and made equally for shaking your booty or punching the people around you, yet too intelligent for your normal dance club. It is hard to pick a particular track as being the most stellar of the lot. All the songs are different and stand out from eachother, but work together to create a great listen from start to finish.

06/15/05 Bill Stafford
Graham Parker - Songs Of No Consequence
Graham Parker was one of the greatest songwriters of the late 70s to just slip through the cracks. While always a critical favorite, he never acheived any sort of long-lasting commercial success, and bopped from label to label throughout most of the 80s & 90s. However, despite never cashing in on his abundant talent, Graham never lost his songwriting chops & has slowly refined his craft over the decades until he is as fluent and literate a craftsman as ever spliced together an E A or G chord. “Songs of No Consequence“ is his latest and it shows that his biting wit and pointed lyricism has not been blunted as he matures. If you like your lyrics as acidic as a freshly opened battery then you'll gleefully wallow in the harsh nature of one of the “Angry Young Men“ who has remained as razor sharp as he was thirty years ago.

06/02/05 Jeff "The Record" Webb
Sleater Kinney - The Woods
Album number 7 finds the Olympia, WA. based trio on a new label (Sub Pop), and working with new producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev). They were born out of the riot grrrl movement of the early 90's (is that still around?). The Woods leaves that tag behind, being their most mature effort to date. That doesn't mean it doesn't rock, as you find out immediately with opener "The Fox" with its onslaught of rumbling, angry guitars, pounding drums, and Corin Tucker's inimitable wailing vocals. "What's Mine Is Yours" has a slight Zeppelin feel until the feedback laden Hendrixy solo at the end. I can almost smell the lighter fluid! Another great one is "Let's Call It Love" with its sexy beat and Tucker sounding like Janis if she was in a punk band. It ebbs and flows (at 11 minutes, it has a few of those), the second half featuring Sonic Youth-like guitar interplay between Tucker and Sleater-Kinney's other founder Carrie Brownstein. Lest you think it's all hard, "Jumpers" is an almost pop take on suicide, melodic, but still intense, and "Night Light"closes the CD on a spooky, but hopeful note. Buy it quick, because the first pressing comes with a DVD with 5 live tracks.

06/02/05 Brent "Peaches" Engel
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
This album is the second studio release for Okkervil River, and it does not ring true to the fabled "sophomore slump" that most bands achieve. The album cleverly fuses folk and post punk influences to create an energetic new breed of sound. The album seems to perfectly pace itself from ballads to more up beat tracks, not leaving the listener to lose interest in the album altogether. The lyrics on the album are open and honest with a bit of fantasy mixed in. Many an extended metaphor is used to relate certain characters in the album with Greek mythological items. Once or twice "golden fleece" is used, and the main character (the black sheep boy) has ‘perfect curls of envied hair‘ that seem to attract so many individuals in the album. The themes range from love to loss and somewhere in between you'll end up admitting to yourself that you honestly do like Okkervil River.

06/02/05 David Douglas
Nostalgia 77 - The Garden
A healthy funk movement is rippling through dance music these days. Live instruments seem to be making a comeback, and songs with raw emotion are emerging from studios around the world. Heading up this real music revolution is Tru Thoughts- a small outfit out of Brighton, England best known for introducing the world to Quantic. A young fabricator of funk, his“ Mishaps Happening“ album was one of 2004's most moving works (and was reviewed by yours truly!). California's Ubiquity Records is partnering with Tru Thoughts to spread their heavy sound stateside, and Nostalgia 77 is the next player in this old-school revival. Ben Lamdin is Nostalgia 77 : a former hip-hop producer having an intense love affair with jazz. “The Garden,“ is a haunting sonic world created by a crew of Brighton's finest players letting loose under Lamdin's direction. All cuts contain a deep, heavy groove that guides listeners into new territory, never losing their modern edge and delivery. A hard-hitting cover of The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army“ features the wailing vocals of British siren Alice Russell, bringing the album to a heated climax. And speaking of Alice Russell, she is also the featured vocalist for the new Quantic Soul Orchestra album “Pushin' On,“ which I will be reviewing very soon, so for now enjoy this new generation of jazz!

Dubble-D

06/02/05 Matt Hursh
Iggy Pop - Live in SF 1981 DVD
Iggy's solo records of the late 70s (The Idiot, Lust For Life, New Values) are thought of with increasing kindness as perspective adds up, falling just short of the inarguable greatness that was his Stooges output of the decade prior. Party, the album that's being supported within this new DVD, isn't on par with the aforementioned records, but the songs from that album in conjunction with Pop's earlier "hits" ("1969," "T.V. Eye," "Dum Dum Boys") make for a show that shouldn't be ignored. First of all, his backing band is fairly badass, featuring Mike Page, Clem Burke, and Bowie rent-boy Carlos Alomar. Beyond that, Iggy's in some form of trashy drag throughout the majority of the performance, which only adds to his trademarked manic stage presence. It's been decided on here at the store that there's no such thing as a bad Iggy Pop show. Ever. No matter the material. This DVD only supports that argument.

05/18/05 Bill Stafford
Nouvelle Vague - NouvelleVague
In a few hundred years the era we are living through might be known as the dawn of the bastardization of genres. From Hip-Hop producers who cut-n-paste pop hits and dance rhythms to Internet artists whose mash-ups are the hottest downloads, the past few years have seen an increase the cross-pollination of not just ideas, but of whole styles, of a sort of societal/textural patchwork quilt that brings forth new concepts through its interweaving of often widely divergent established genres. While most contemporary artists are using technology to form their audio gris-gris, Nouvelle Vague has done it the old-fashioned way, they just grabbed something they liked with both hands and reworked it into a new form. The two styles they have chosen to meld are the new-wave predecessor post-punk and the classic Latin style of bossa nova. The improbable juxtaposition of the angst and edginess of post-punk delivered as a sweet, lilting tune with a bossa nova beat is initially just a novelty, but soon the listener will come to realize that the initial shock gives way to a better understanding both of the lyrical intent of the original songs and of how diversely satisfying the bossa nova style itself can be. With fluffy sounding adaptation of PiL (This is not a love Song), XTC (Making Plans for Nigel), the Cure (a haunting version of The Forest... yes, you need it), and even the Dead Kennedys (a giggly version of Too Drunk To Fuck that redefines the song for the better), Nouvelle Vague has a great ear for tunes and the perfect ability to re-interpret them in ways that only seem to wonderfully obvious in retrospect. This is an instant classic that belongs on the shelves of fans of either (or neither) genre.

05/18/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
Soulive - Steady Groovin'
Blue Note Records has released Steady Groovin', the first compilation from jazz organ trio Soulive. They consist of Eric Krasno on guitar, Neal Evans on Hammond B3 and keys, and Alan Evans on drums. This collection includes tracks from almost all of their albums, plus a couple of rarities including their cover of Stevie Wonder's Golden Lady (previously only available on the Japanese version of Doin' Something). And there's also "All Up In It," from their guest spot on DJ Spinna¹s Here to There album. Other highlights include "Flurries," the funky "Doin¹ Something," which features Fred Wesley on trombone, and "First Street." This would make a great starting place if you are just getting into Soulive, or just want to have a good selection from all of their albums, this will keep you Groovin' all day.

05/18/05 Matt Hursh
John Fox - Modern Art
John Foxx was the original singer for new wave outfit Ultravox, who would achieve a modest amount of success after his departure and the inclusion of Midge Ure. Unfortunately, Midge Ure-era Ultravox, with its flaccid synth and predictable vocals/lyrics sucks. Foxx was (and is) a more complicated and interesting performer, and his departure from the band only exaggerated the creative influence he wielded. Foxx's solo career has been sporadic and fairly obscure, but Modern Art, a compilation/retrospective, does a serviceable job of representing the more engaging moments of his robotic, detached perspective. The first half of the disc has the highlights, with selections from Foxx's debut, Metamatic, but there's enough accessibility and b-side material to please devotees and neophytes alike. Think of him as a thinking man's Gary Numan or at least just think of him. It's worth it.

05/18/05 J.C.
Engineers - Engineers
Engineers are about to release their first CD here in the states. This record is full of dreamy & ethereal music comparable to elbow and Blue States. These guys are swimming in the old pond that some memeorable shoegazer bands bathed in i.e. Ride,Chapterhouse etc… They could be a very forgettable band, but only after you’ve run this record into the ground.
Thank you !! jc

05/10/05 Matt Hursh
Nouvelle Vague - Nouvelle Vague
An easy nominee for the "Album Least Likely That Matt Will Endorse, But Kind Of Does Anyway" award (still working on the award's title - it's a bit wieldy. Shut up.), Nouvelle Vague's debut is nothing but reinterpretations of punk and post-punk staples, funneling French pop and lounge cocktail mellow into the (often) glacial starkness of the most unforgiving of genres. More novelty, hmmm? Well yeah, it pretty much is just by definition, but the re-workings here are actually pretty inspired, turning something as urgent as Killing Joke's "Psyche" into a slinking horror show and something as widely recognized as Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" into an almost uniquely stand-alone melody. That's enough of a recommendation from where I'm sitting, but then there's the matter of the track listing itself - interesting choices all around. You'd expect to see The Clash or The Cure or PiL (and you will), but Josef K? Tuxedomoon? Damned if those aren't obscure, but mighty fine, choices. This isn't going to replace any of your favorite bands or songs, but it's not a disposable joke either. Good "social event" record.

05/10/05 Matthew Kurzman
VA - 5 things I found in the $4.91 bin this week
Geraldine Fibbers/Live from the Bottom of Hell EP -- promo only pressing of live show from now defunct band fronted by Carla Bozulich; country/rock performed with the intensity of punk rock

Ratat/Ratat promo - guitar based electronica; sounds like a less monotonous Daft Punk

Bob Dylan/Greatest Hits without the front cover-art - need I say more?

War/Best of without the back cover art - see comments for Dylan above

Black Light/Selector Sound - Dallasite Bud Bush recorded these 16 songs while screwing around at home on his 4-track; great, well-crafted songs; at times reminiscent of Calexico or an
Ennio Morricone soundtrack to a Sergio Leone spaghetti western; at other times reminds of Ween's GodWeenSatan

Don't forget -$4.91 titles are always 5 for $20. (ed.)

05/10/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
J. GEILS BAND - ANTHOLOGY: HOUSEPARTY
Well here's something that's not exactly new (it actually came out back in the '90's.) but it was just added to stock, and I feel that more people should check out this great, often overlooked band from the '70's. This cool little box set from Rhino has (arguably) all the J. Geils a person might ever need. It includes all of their well known hits such as “Looking For A Love,“ “Must Of Got Lost“ (both the original studio version and a killer live take which has Peter Wolf's ultra-funky intro rap), “Love Stinks,“ “Freeze-Frame,“ and their smash hit “Centerfold.“ All of their original studio albums are well represented by such tracks as “Southside Shuffle,“ “Cruisin' For A Love,“ “Detroit Breakdown,“ and “Love-Itis.“ In addition disc two has got ten smokin' live cuts pulled from their live albums (most are from the excellent Full House Live and Blow Your Face Out albums). Highlights from here include “Sno-Cone,“ “Hard Drivin' Man,“ “First I Look At the Purse“ (good advice for you guys out there!), “Pack Fair and Square,“ and Magic Dicks' harp showcase, “Whammer Jammer.“ There's also a very informative booklet that gives a full band history, cool pictures, and a discography. This is a great collection if you're just getting into the J. Geils Band, or just need some good old-school tunes to kick-start your next party.

05/10/05 Jeff "The Record" Webb
The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart
Robert Forster and Grant McLennan have been plying their craft of classic songwriting for over 25 years since their beginnings in Brisbane Australia. Oceans Apart is their third album since reforming after a 12 year hiatus. While the first two had some great songs on each, Oceans Apart deserves to stand with the best of their 80's classics. They've still got that great jangle-pop sound; equal parts Lou Reed and Brian Wilson with the poetic lyric style of Dylan. The opener Here Comes a City is a superb Forster rocker with a riff that sounds like a nod to the Talking Heads' Life During Wartime. The 6 minute Darlinghurst Nights, with its shimmering blend of acoustic and electric guitars contains some of his most moving lyrics. McLennan isn't usually as dark as his partner and the beautiful Finding You and the dream-pop of No Reason to Cry rank among his best. The first pressing has a bonus live disc with some of their old favorites including Streets of Your Town. This is music with class, and Oceans Apart is classic Go-Betweens.

05/10/05 Bill Stafford
Louvin Brothers - When I Stop Dreaming
Charlie and Ira Louvin were perhaps the finest harmony duo in country music history. The blending of their melodious voices, backed by some of the finest musicians the genre had to offer, was as breathtaking and beautiful as anything ever recorded. Razor & Tie records has collected together some of the best tracks from the brothers long career and assembled one of the greatest "best ofs" ever seen. From the opening track, "Broadminded", with its chorus reminding the listener that "broadminded" is spelled "S-I-N" you know that you are on a unique journey. With it's blending of Christian piety (to the point of scary fanaticism) and scary folk themes (their working of the classic murder ballad "Knoxville Girl" is THE definitive treatment of the tune) the Louvins combine disparate themes into impassioned tracks that will leave you humming the melody while simultaneously thinking deeply about the lyrics.

05/10/05 Jon Keener
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
second major label release from steven wilson and richard barbieri ex japan finds a far heavier approach than their last effort, in absentia. although trademark guitar work and vocal harmonies are present, overall musical effort is far more dense with less emphasis on effects and more on so called heavy riffing. not as accessable as in absentia but overall more rewarding.

05/10/05 David Douglas
Everything But The Girl - Adapt or Die : 10 Years of Remixes
In 1994, tender pop stylists EBTG (Ben Watt and Tracy Thorn) became radically transformed into dance music mavericks courtesy of Todd Terry's brilliant reconstruction of their single “Missing.“ The mix became that year's global dance anthem and mainstream crossover smash. its success would reinvent the chart-topping British duo and their subsequent full-lengths (Walking Wounded, Tempermental), while unearthing a desire in Watt to explore deeper into the underground of dance. Adapt or Die compiles 14 re-rubs of the pair's most well-loved songs from the latter period of their career (many rare and previously unreleased) onto one disc. It's hard to imagine that it's been 10 years since Watt was re-imagined into one of dance music's most dedicated disciples, yet this collection is a testament to that enduring legacy. Several new reconstructions from luminaries like DJ Jazzy Jeff (whose hypnotic soul reinvention of “Mirrorball“ is the perfect opener), King Britt, Kenny Dope, Todd Terry are highlights.But Adam F's sensuous jazzy drum'n'bass remix of “Before Today,“ Brad Wood's breathtaking recreation of the moody opus “Single,“ the brooding down tempo Pull Timewarp mix of “Tempermental,“ and the throbbing opulence of Jay “Sinister“ Sealee's remix of “Lullaby of Clubland,“ are the release's most potent and intriguing entries. Come check it out soon on our Pick's Player and celebrate a band I have been into for over twenty years now!

Dubble-D

05/06/05 Brad Sigler
For Against - Echelons & Coalesced

Nebraska band that never made it to the big time - Shame, since the band was a brilliant hybrid of Joy Division and jangle pop. These albums, a reissue of 1987's "Escelons" and 2002's "Coalesced", are a great way to get acquainted with their sound. They must have been listening to loads of UK post-punk, because that's what drives the sound here. Both albums are excellent and it's refreshing to see a band stay true to their sound for twenty years! Highly recommended to fans of Chameleons, Interpol and The Sound.

05/06/05 Jeff "The Record" Webb
Heavy Trash - Heavy Trash

This is a collaboration between Jon Spencer (of Blues Explosion fame), and Matt Verta-Ray, leader of Speedball Baby and member of Madder Rose. Instead of the punk-blues they're known for, Heavy Trash is an homage to early rock and roll and fifties rockabilly. They've recreated that vintage sound: raw and dirty guitars and lots of heavy echo. All the songs are originals by the duo with plenty of hooks throughout. "Dark Hair'd Rider" and "The Loveless" recall Gene Vincent. "The Hump"and "Justine Alright"are crazy handclapping rockers. "Under the Waves" is a great moody murder ballad. Doo Wop is also referenced in some of the background vocals. Of course, you still get Spencer's trademark yelping, half-spoken vocals. At least he's not hollering "Blues Explosion"! every five minutes! If they keep making CDs this good, I'll be shoutin' Heavy Trash! in no time.

04/27/05 Brett Engel
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
I know, It's an older record, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an amazing one. Every track on "Bone Machine" is pure gold. Waits riddles the album with themes of love, loss, and impending apocalyptic doom to create a dark but not completely hopeless landscape.
The album starts with a harsh shout from Waits' raspy voice "When the earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming" and finishes with the calm and reassuring feeling of "If there's one thing you can't lose, it's that feel". The album is extremely connected and coherent throughout and is relentless in it's display of raw power and emotion.
This album is definitely one of Waits' finest works, and a stunning one at that.

04/27/05 Scott Hunerberg
V/A - Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004
Sanctuary Records has released Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004, a double disc live document of highlights from the festivals' third year. This seems like it was compiled just for people like me who could never manage to actually make it to the festival itself for a variety of reasons, financial woes being chief among them.
Disc one gets off to a good start with Bob Dylan doing a nice version of "Down Along the Cove,"followed by Dave Matthews and Friends doing "Trouble." Although I‘m not a huge Dave fan, I did like this song, which has Friends Trey Anastasio and longtime DMB guitarist Tim Reynolds contributing some spacy sounding licks. Next up is the Dead with what is apparently a new song called "Self Defense;" this has some cool guitar work and all and may very well become a classic in its own time, but Mickey Hart's vocals just don't work that well for me. After that there's Steve Winwood doing a great version of his Traffic classic "Mr. Fantasy," with some brilliant guitar work that almost rivals the original. Gov't Mule kicks it up another notch with a blistering "Blind Man In the Dark," with Warren Haynes just tearing it up on the guitar as usual. Gillian Welch slows things down a bit with her folky stylings before Los Lonely Boys rock it up with their brand of Tex-Mex rock. My Morning Jacket rocks out with "One Big Holiday," and then the Black Keys do their thing with "the Breaks." Kings of Leon are next, and I find myself reaching for the next track button (Ive really tried to like this band, but the vocals just don‘t do anything for me). There‘s also a ripping track from Umphrey'sMcGee called "Nemo," and some cool piano jazz from the Bad Plus.
Disc two gets off to a cool start with Trey Anastasio's horn-fueled band doing "Curlew‘s Call," followed by David Byrne doing "Dialog Box." After that I'm afraid my finger got stuck on the track skip button for awhile until I hit String Cheese Incident doing a killer "Desert Dawn". There's also a great track from Gomez, "Bring It On," and moe. does a nice version of "Not Coming Down;" I know I'm not anytime soon, especially after hearing all of this!
Overall this makes for a great little souvenir of Bonnaroo '04, whether you actually made it there or not! Be sure to check this one out on the Expand Your Mind player!!

04/21/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
LOS LOBOS - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE
Los Lobos have released their first ever live album, Live At the Fillmore, and it's about time!! This album captures Los Lobos in their natural environment doing what they do best: rocking out and having fun. Things get off to a good start with the gritty "Good Morning Atzlan," which has some great guitar playing from David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas. Next up is "I Walk Alone," another tough rocker. There's also lots of old favorites such as "Kiko and the Lavender Moon," "Tears Of God," "The Neighborhood," and "Viking," which has more great fretwork. They also do a nice version of Marvin Gaye's "What¹s Going On" as an encore. The initial pressing also includes a bonus CD with three acoustic tracks including "Saint Behind the Glass," and "Maricela." Also recommended is the Live At the Fillmore DVD recorded at the same concerts. Anyone who has seen Los Lobos and knows how awesome they are live (Granada Theater last fall anyone?) won't be disappointed, and if you haven't this would make an excellent introduction. This is great party music, so crank it up!!

04/21/05 Chris Green
Buck 65 - This Right Here is Buck 65
While he is a little known Canadian MC from Nova Scotia, Buck 65 is starting to make a name for himself . With his latest release "This Right Here is Buck 65". This is a compilation of 9 tracks that were previously unreleased from his college radio days in Nova Scotia, plus 3 brand new tracks for this album. Buck 65 has a very unique style. He delivers his lyrics in a voice that isn't quite as gravely as Tom Waits, and with beats that have a slight country tinge to them . The new tracks start of with the highlight "Bandits" an apt Woody Guthrie cover of "Talking Fishing Blues". This is a very well rounded album that is fun to listen to.

04/21/05 David Douglas
Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal - Buena Vista Social Club presents Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal
This album will not be entirely surprising to fans of the World Circuit Cuban records from Buena Vista to Ibrahim Ferrer to the Afro-Cuban All-stars.The same great musicians feature, like Cachaito Lopez on bass, Carlos Gonzalez and 'Anga' Dias on percussion with Manuel Galban on guitar. The material consists of reworkings of the classic songbook of Arsenio Rodriguez, the revolutionary blind band leader who transformed the sound of Cuban music in the 40s and 50s, and this is the style of his great conjuntos of that era. This was recorded in EGREM Studios; label boss Nick Gold and Jerry Boys‘ production and recording are peerless. Guajiro Mirabel was a key figure on all the World Circuit albums. Now 71, he gets his first solo record, with his instantly recognizable, melodically fluid trumpet pushed to the fore, although other more familiar characters like Ferrer get to guest on several tracks, notably on "Me Bote de Guano", which features Roberto Fonseca's inventive piano soloing (the late Ruben Gonzalez plays piano on the quirky final track "Dombe Dombe", which he personally requested be on the album). The album has a warm feel, as you might expect from the mainly live recordings, intimate acoustics and a group of musicians utterly comfortable with each other. Demetrio Muniz's delirious brass arrangements are truly exceptional. Indeed, the playing, material and production are first rate. Surprising? Perhaps not. A fabulous record and one of the best of the World Circuit series? Absolutely! Dubble-D

04/21/05 JEFF "THE RECORD" WEBB
The Kills - No Wow
If you like stripped down rock n roll, look no further than bluesy punk duo The Kills. And their new second LP No Wow might even be rawer than Keep On Your Mean Side. Hotel's guitar crackles and spits out the dirtiest sound since Jon Spencer's in Pussy Galore. He doesn't sing much at all this time leaving partner VV and her sexy PJ Harvey moan to tell the tales. Most of No Wow has a mean, menacing tone. Gone are most of the poppier elements from the 1st LP, but "Rodeo Town" is perhaps the best gritty ballad the band has recorded. No sophomore slump here, No Wow is one of my favorite CDs of the year.

04/14/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
ACETATE - THIS BAND MAKES ME FEEL
From Sanctuary Records comes Acetate with their debut album, This Band Makes Me Feel. Featuring Dave Schools from Widespread Panic (bass, naturally), Kevin Sweeney on guitar and vocals, and former Counting Crows drummer Ben Mize, Acetate is a rather loose, raw sounding album. It basically sounds like three guys getting together to jam and crank up some rock tunes on a Sunday afternoon. The album gets off to a rockin‘ start with "Can‘t You Can‘t You," which has kind of a ZZ Top feel to it. This is followed by "Things Goin‘ Down," another rocker. "Pungeoned Again" shows off these guys classic rock influence, with some meaty guitar riffs. Other highlights include "Jacob‘s Ladder," which offers up more rock riffage; "Good Riddance," which has some nice, gritty slide parts from Sweeney; the churning riffs of "Time to Let You Go;" the tough, grinding guitar on "Captain Bringdown" (hey, that would be a great nickname for at least one of my coworkers!!); and "Out Of My Hands," which has, you guessed it, even more rock riffing, and a great chorus. The last song, "Nothin‘s Still Going On" starts out sounding like it was recorded after listening to some Metallica albums or something before it goes into a psychedelic guitar solo. This is not really an album that goes into a lot of jamming, but WSP fans should find plenty to like here. You can listen to this on the Expand Your Mind Player at either CD World.

04/14/05 Matt Hursh
Wire - The Scottish Play (DVD/CD)
Last year‘s release of On the Box, the only complete document (the only footage I‘ve seen at all, unfortunately) of the mighty Wire‘s first "phase" was cause enough for celebration. There they were - four guys stuck in punk, beyond punk, not giving sweet F.A. what you called them anything at all, playing largely unreleased songs to a roomful of confused Germans with a confident smirk. Never expected to see it officially, all sparkly and clean. The fact that the DVD was accompanied with a CD of the same performance was just gravy, and now it‘s proven that once, in fact, isn‘t enough with the arrival of The Scottish Play. A set from the third incarnation of the band finds Newman, Lewis, Gilbert, and Grey obviously older, arguably wiser, and angry. "Angry" isn‘t a reference to disposition in this instance more to the point that they‘re just playing the hell out of songs that were written to be played the hell out of. Fast and terse, chaotic and abstract, this isn‘t art rock/punk rock/whatever rock, this is a performance set on scalping speed. No banter, no time to breathe, no backwards glances save for an encore that does more to burn down four of the band‘s "classics" (see the 9+ minute version of "Pink Flag" or better yet the speed freak blink of "106 Beats That"). Newman presses a button on his smoldering effects module to end the set, and thus, the Send/Read & Burn era. Hopefully, that button was "Pause."

04/14/05 JEFF ³THE RECORD² WEBB -
Garbage - Bleed Like Me
Let me preface by saying that the debut from Garbage was my favorite album of 1995. It was a great blend of grunge, electronica, and pop with the added bonus of sexy vocalist Shirley Manson. Famed producer Butch Vig was also a member so the record sounds great. After the by-the-numbers Version 2.0, and a disappointing attempt at a more slick pop sound on Beautiful Garbage, I was apprehensive about the new CD coming 3 years later.
Bleed Like Me is a return to form. The guitars are beefed up especially on tracks like the great opener Bad Boyfriend whose lyrics suggest, along with several others, that Shirley has had a painful breakup recently. Maybe I still have a chance? I digress. The electronica elements are still there, just a little more subtle. While mainly harkening back to their first album, other bands/sounds are referenced also. "Sex Is Not the Enemy" could be a Breeders outtake, and "Why Don‘t You Come Over" is Blondie-style punk.
Even though no new ground is covered, fans (like me) will be glad they‘re back.

04/14/05 Brad Sigler
British Sea Power - Open Season
Finally a new release I can say will be in my cd player for a long time. British Sea Power‘s ‘Open Season‘ not only boasts two of the best songs of the year ("It All Ended On An Oily Stage", "Please Stand Up"), but also some of the best lyrics and production of any record so far in 2005. Comparing their debut to this album is not only silly, but shows that most people just want more of the same. Instead of going with a formula and duplicating ‘Decline‘, the band opted to make a classic pop record that has more in common with prime era Psychedelic Furs than early Echo & The Bunnymen. It‘s truly a stunner of an album from the beautiful second track "Be Gone" to the album‘s epic closer "True Adventures", this one grows better with each listen. Those wanting another post-punk noise fest need go elsewhere....will easily make my top 10 this year!

04/14/05 David Douglas
Boom Bip - Blue Eyed in the Red Room
Boom Bip has been producing emotive electronic music that bridges the gap between Boards of Canada, indieavant-hop and Aphex Twin for a while now. Coming up in the relatively unexciting Midwestern confines of Cincinnati, a recent move to the endless summer of Southern California has had a subtle but profound effect on his music. While tinges of IDM still linger (the Autechre-ish "The Move"), sun-drenched epics like "Do‘s and Don‘ts‘" reference TV on the Radio with spooky choirs and the vocals of Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals. "Girl Toy" even touches on electronica like Ultramarine with it‘s hypnotic feelings.Boom Bip can evoke a tangible humanity from his machines, especially on the dreamy "The Matter(of our Discussion)," where Nina Nastasia‘s clear, warm tones perfectly capture the song‘s melancholy mood. This album is an ideal response to claims that electronic music has no soul.

04/14/05 Twoie Myers
Damage Manual - Limited Edition
The Damage Manual are back- sort of. The follow up to the super-group‘s phenomenal debut has finally arrived! There are changes in the group‘s line-up on this one: Martin Atkins (PiL, Ministry, Pigface, NIN, etc) and Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pigface) are back, but Jah Wobble and Geordie Walker are absent. Stephen Seibold (Hate Dept, Pigface) is taking over guitar duties for the album. The album is post-punk noise made by old, snotty guys that started the genre. Flawless production and HUGE sounds make this album special. Martin Atkins‘ druming is amazing as always and Connelly spits venomous lyrics with incredible form.The tracks "Revenge Fiction" and "Mad Dialect" show off what the Damage Manual do and school younger bands trying to play in the genre.

04/14/05 Bill Stafford
John Fromage - Pieces of Hate
The legendary, long-lost third album sneaks out of Europe in a limited edition disc. Originally
a double-LP set, this single disc offers none of the bells & whistles that one expects from a contemporary re-issue, no bonus tracks, no expanded liner notes, no alternate cover or photos, thedisc doesn‘t even credit who might have helped Fromage assemble this forgotten masterpiece. Nevertheless, this is a welcome addition to any collection, as "Pieces of Hate" was as influential a record as was ever released. Starting with the ethereal tone piece "RazorShivers" (often credited as the inspiration for much of Brian Eno‘s late-70s works) and continuing to the epic "42nd Stre et VooDoo" (a side-length track that combines deep dub basslines and sinister guitar effects with distorted loops of zydeco-influenced keyboards) this album offers up one amazing song after another, tunes that will imprint themselves in your mind and heart like no others. Fromage would continue on to produce works that achieved more mainstream acceptance and sold more copies, but as far as altering peoples perceptions of how music could expand one‘s mind and re-shape the boundaries of sound, nothing would touch "Pieces of Hate"

04/05/05 Chris
Beck - Guero
Well it‘s been 3 years since the release of “sea change“ but unlike that release this one is more back to his roots with “Guero“. This album is a lot more like “mellow gold“ and “mutations“ where he obscures the lines between different genres of music. He teamed up again with the dust brother‘s on this album. This gave him an advantage going into the studio with producers that he is so familiar and comfortable with. There is no mistaking the distinct sound that he has created with the first single of the album “ E-pro“. This is a great album from beginning to end ending it with “Emergency Exit“. It has been awhile since he came out with a new album and he did not disappoint with this release.

04/05/05 Doug Shingler
Flesh For Lulu - Long Live The New Flesh (remastered)
Think solo Paul Westerberg backed by Flodland-era Sisters of Mercy. They had a minor hit in the 80‘s with the song “I Go Crazy“ when it was featured in the John Hughes movie “Some Kind Of Wonderful“. Finally this lost gem receives the Expanded, Remastered attention it deserves. Paul Westerberg even covered one of the tunes off this album for his Stereo/Mono effort. This is a must-have for you 80‘s-philes.

04/05/05 Twoie Myers
The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls
There is much to be said for a band that can do anything new and unique these days. The Dresden Dolls are one of the rare bands that manage to pull off being a one-of-a-kind bands that can cross genres. They mix Tori Amos-styled piano playing with German cabaret. Dynamics also play a big part in the music, where each songs goes from a whisper to a scream and back at the blink of an eye. The band is a two piece, with a female vocalist/pianist and a male drummer. They are also going to be on tour with Nine Inch Nails, so if you get a chance go see them!

04/05/05 David Douglas
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - Naturally
Sharon Jones‘ voice pours out loud and clear as she tells tales of life and love with vintage soul style. Solid, groove-heavy backing from the Dap Kings compliments Jones‘ hollers, wails and scoops, recalling an era of jive talkin‘ and long cool nights. Naturally is a honest-to-goodness rhythm and blues record that makes no excuses as it swings. Jumpers like “Fish In My Dish“ and “Your Thing Is A Drag“ dare hips not to swivel, while laments such as “Stranded in Your Love“ awaken the wistful. Naturally resists the tendency of throwback records to fall into parody‘ drawing the listener back to the days when music was pure. In today‘s saturated world of sugar-coated faux-soul and cliched pop singers, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings are a welcome foray into the meaty savor of our funky heritage! Dubble-D

04/05/05 Matt Hursh
Nick Cave - B-Sides and Rarities
Simple black and white box, crisp and stark cardboard sleeves inside, this triple disc set is straightforward in presentation, and (consequently?) priced to move. Following Cave‘s increasingly prolific career can be consuming on levels of time, finances, and patience (as Bad Saint Nick has gone from crazy out/feedback bluesman to brimstone puffing, Bible verse piano crooner and back again), but this collection rounds up a good deal of the now out-of-print singles and gives some overall perspective into the band‘s ambition, goals, and talent. Try the acoustic versions of “Deanna“ and “The Mercy Seat“ on Disc One, the “O‘Malley‘s Bar“ trilogy on Disc Two, or the spooky crawl of “Nocturama“ on Disc Three. There‘s 58 tracks in all here, and that‘s a whole lot of murkiness to take in at once, but it‘s also a set that will reward the dedicated listener for a long time to come.

04/05/05 Bill Stafford
Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South Tour: Live at the 40 Watt Club (DVD)
This is how a band like DBT seems most natural - in a small sweaty club, packed full of drinkin‘ folks who can sing every word back at the band. Recorded before an audience of the faithful in the legendary Athens, Ga. club, “The Dirty South Tour“ drags you into the beer and sweat and smoke of a blistering set by one of America‘s premier rock-n-roll ensembles. Featuring a set-list culled primarily from their two most recent albums, the band saves a few of the older fan-favorites for the encore. However, long-time listeners should use this as an opportunity to wallow in the majesty that is the new albums. Even without touching upon “Southern Rock Opera“ or earlier material, the band shows their formidable live chops and highlight the talents of all three (!count ‘em!) singer-songwriter-guitarists. The audience at the club is clearly enraptured by the performance, and you will be, too.

04/05/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
PROJECT Z - PROJECT Z
This is something that is not really a new release,(it actually came out back in 2000) but was just recently added to stock: Project Z, which features Jimmy Herring, guitars; Jeff Sipe, drums; and Ricky Keller, on bass. Those who know Jimmy Herring from any of his many previous groups (his resume includes Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz Is Dead, Phil and Friends, and the Dead - quite impressive, if you ask me!) are probably already aware of his jaw-dropping skills with a guitar. For those who aren‘t, Project Z should serve as an excellent introduction to his world, warped as it may be. The music here is all original, mostly improvisational, and at times very experimental. The album gets off to a great start with the appropriately named “Raging Torrent;“ from the beginning Herring‘s astounding guitar playing is on full display, as he rips off one amazing lick after another. After a short but weird interlude called “Guitargument,“ (there are many of these brief little moments scattered throughout the disc, and they add sort of a Zappa-esque quality to the whole thing) there is “Mud Bug,“ which features some nice slide work from guest Derek Trucks. More weirdness follows, and then we have “Agusta‘s Ankle,“ and then the truly bizarre “Psychic Flutter,“ which in turn is followed by the colorful “Rainbow.“ Other highlights on here include “Albright Special,“ which is a brief detour into bebop swing territory; the experimental “Genetic Drift;“ the ripping “Yachtz;“ and “Utensil Oceans,“ which starts out with some gorgeous piano playing, before moving into some jam-goes-prog sounds (or is that prog-goes-jam...hmmm.). The last two songs, “Seperated Gestures,“ and “Isolated Light“ also feature more of Herring‘s typically rip-snorting fret work as well. The term “shredding“ could definitely be applied to most of this stuff here, although Herring is also a player with a strong sense of melody. Guitar players and jamband fans should take note- this is very, very highly recommended!!

04/05/05 JEFF “THE RECORD“ WEBB
Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other?
Stereophonics showed some promise with their punk inspired debut Word Gets Around in 1977. Albums 2 through 4 had moments but lacked cohesiveness. This brings us to the new CD, number 5. This is the record they‘ve been trying to make all these years! Leader Kelly Jones has never sounded more confident, albeit raspier, having to sing over the raucous riffage. They‘re equal parts punk and classic rock with hooks galore especially the Oasis like “Dakota“, which deserves ‘hit‘ status. With a little luck, this Welsh trio might be ready to break through in the U.S.. Can‘t wait for the tour!

04/05/05 Brent Engel
The Locust - Safety Second, Body Last
What the hell is grindcore? In a culture that has a penchant for dividing and subdividing every genre, the locust stands as a shining beacon to all who have strayed from the typical category of “hardcore“. On the Locust‘s new album “safety second, body last“, the seemingly changeless wall of noise that this rawkus band creates has a definite new spin put on it. On the previous record “Plague Soundscapes“, the record boasts over 23 tracks and all of them clocking in under a whopping minute. The new album however has only two tracks totaling ten minutes. What gives you ask? Well it seems that out insect clad boys have grown up a little. The Locust, having currently been on tour with Mike Patton (Fantomas, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More) and being signed to the latter‘s label, are exploring the more experimental side of their chaotic sound. The album has the same old fun bursts of spasms, noise and screams that all locust fans have come to love them for in the past. However, in between these bursts there are prolonged instrumental interludes. This is definitely an album to check out if you are currently or not currently a Locust fan. And if you‘re not already a Locust fan, you should read the titles of their tracks…that alone is enough to convert you to their fanbase.

04/05/05 Matthew Kurzman
Calexico - Calexico (or highlights from my trip to South By Southwest)
This isn‘t a review of any particular album per se. Rather, it‘s a tribute to one of my favorite bands which doesn‘t get the appreciation which it deserves. Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Calexico is the best of what is often referred to as “desert rock“.
The best I can do at describing their sound is to call it lazy-paced Americana blended with Mariachi trumpets and guitar (usually played at a hush, but occasionally building to a frenetic pace). People often ask me which Calexico album I recommend, I can‘t really recommend one over the others, I can only offer the following conversation I recently had with my buddy, Stevie:

ME: It doesn‘t matter which album I put on, everytime I play Calexico in the store,
someone buys it.
ST: Except the first one.
ME: What, Spoke? I don‘t play that one.
ST: Yeah, it‘s the kid we don‘t talk about.

So, yeah, Spoke‘s not my favorite, but other than that one, you can‘t go wrong.

And live, Calexico is amazing. Their performance Friday night at Antone‘s was definitely the highlight (or, rather it was tied with Erykah Badu‘s Saturday night show at Austin Music Hall) for me at South By Southwest. There was a large Tucson contingent in the crowd off of whose energy the band was feeding. Furthermore, the band is gearing up to record their next album, so they played a slew of new material. Add to that, a lot of musicians were there to catch the performance, many of whom joined the band for a song or two. Neko Case‘s performance, in particular, blew me away. The girl‘s got an unbelievable set of pipes. After building the crowd to a frenzy, they broke into a mind-blowing cover of “Alone Again Or“ by Love.

Another highlight of my weekend at SXSW was an encounter with Sammy Hagar. After hearing of his interview at the Convention Center in which he declared his love of Austin and his desire to soak up the local atmosphere, I ran into the Red Rocker in the bathroom at Hooters, where he was truly experiencing the best Austin has to offer. I immediately took the free urinal next to him and struck up a conversation. After a couple of awkward attempts to break the ice, I asked him what he was doing in Austin, as he wasn‘t performing anymore. He told me the makers of Depends undergarments were trying to enhance their product‘s image by marketing it to aging rock fans, and he had been employed as their spokesman. I made some comment correlating the inability to drive 55 and the inability to control one‘s bladder at 55 to which he apparently took offense because he immediately zipped his fly and began muttering something under his breath as he headed for the door. Before he could make his exit I said, “That was pretty shitty of Eddie and Alex to invite Diamond Dave back in the band and then boot him again like that. You know, one minute he thinks he‘s got a career again and the next minute he‘s back to begging change again.“ At this the Red Rocker truly turned red. “For your information, me and Dave are working on a project together.“ “Really? Ya‘ll got a band called Kill Eddie or something?“ “We figured Rod Stewart‘s made a killing milking old standards, so me and Dave are working on a duet album of Porgy & Bess.“
Well, you heard it here first. Watch out for my next review in which I will somehow tie in the story of meeting Harry Shearer at Waterloo and badgering him into recording an outgoing message on my cell phone in the voice of Montgomery Burns.

03/29/05
Brenden Benson - The Alternative To Love
The sweet sound of Power Pop - Jellyfish, Raspberries, Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, Big Star - all extremely influential on today‘s music. Brenden Benson is just one of those artists, a young songwriter and musician with a knack for sugar coated melodies and catchy little tunes about love and loss. His style is that of Jon Brion (underrated) and Jason Faulkner (or the ever great Owsley for that matter) and on this his third album release, Benson seems to have a firm grasp on how to twist a song in every direction, to squeeze in every hook he can. Produced by the brilliant Tchad Blake, the album has a nice familiar feel to it, while always maintaining a solid identity of it‘s own. It‘s the best Power Pop release since A.C. Newman‘s ‘Slow Wonder‘ in 2004 and will most certainly be on my year end list.

03/23/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND - STOMPIN‘ ROOM ONLY
Not exactly a new release (it came out in late 2003) but just recently added to stock, Stompin‘ Room Only features the original Marshall Tucker Band playing live in their prime. Perhaps the most misunderstood of all Southern Rock bands, (for one thing, there ain‘t noone named Marshall Tucker in the band, just like Lynyrd Skynyrd) Marshall Tucker combined elements of blues, boogie-rock, country, western swing, and even jazz together to create something wholly unique. Things get off to a stompin‘ good start with the instrumental “Long Hard Ride,“ which has some great chicken pickin‘ lead guitar from the late, great Toy Caldwell. This is followed by a great version of “This Old Cowboy,“ a prime example of their western swing influences, with more tasty licks from Caldwell, and nice leads from sax/reed player Jerry Eubanks. Next up is “Fire On the Mountain,“ one of their many hits, with vocalist Doug Gray‘s vocals leading the way. Then there‘s “Searchin‘ For A Rainbow,“ another minor hit for MTB, which has more typically fiery lead guitar from Toy. But the real highlight here, IMO, has got to be the rockin‘ “Take The Highway,“ where the band just goes into overdrive behind Toy‘s blazing guitar licks. Hot Damn!! And if that ain‘t enough for ya, they follow it up with a great version of their #1 hit “Can‘t You See,“ with Caldwell on lead vocals and screaming lead guitar as well. Other highlights include the country-rocker “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky,“ “Ramblin‘“ and a cool cover version of “The Thrill Is Gone,“ which features guests Dickey Betts and Charlie Daniels on guitars for a real Southern Rock guitar army jam. This is great, jamming stuff from this often overlooked classic rock band. Those who always thought that Marshall Tucker Band was just “too country“ ought to check out this live document; they may be surprised at just how much they rocked out live. May the South do it again some day!!

03/23/05 Bill Stafford
Penn & Teller - Bullshit! (Second Season) DVD
If it‘s a fact that sacred cows make the best hamburgers, then Penn & Teller are fucking McDonald‘s. They gleefully and efficiently rip apart every myth, deconstruct every poorly thought out fallacy and abort misconceptions. They are street-punk, coyote-tricksters with an agenda to relieve you of the burden of living a life of ignorance, and they do so in a way that is clever and amusing, as well as accurate. Penn‘s bombastic, explosive presence, contrasted with Teller‘s expressive stoicism provides the comedic prestidigitators the ability to comment in a number of ways - if Penn ain‘t shouting himself hoarse about something, then often Teller‘s cocked eyebrow and impassive features can speak volumes. They spare no targets, from P.E.T.A. to recycling to the holy Bible, no one is spared. But don‘t think that P&T just tear things down haphazardly, if they find something accurate and worthwhile in the course of their investigations they report it - however, they thankfully tackle subjects that pretty much routinely wither before their flame-thrower assaults and need to be exposed as the frauds that they are. “Bullshit“ is the sort of show that you will gleefully share with friends - dragging the animal-rights activist over to watch the P.E.T.A. episode or your holy-roller buddy to try and dispute the Bible accusations , for instance - but it is also the sort that can genuinely help folks out in an informative way. And, hey, if you can get some chuckles out of it, too, I say “Why Not?“

03/23/05 JEFF “THE RECORD“ WEBB
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
What hath Franz wrought? It‘s another British invasion! What is it now, the seventh or eighth? This time it‘s danceable post-punk. All the usual elements are here: the Gang of Four angular guitar, the quirkiness of XTC, and what sounds like a close relative of Robert Smith on vocals. Throw in some Brit-Pop and a little new wave (on the slow ones), and you‘ve got Bloc Party. I‘m a sucker for this sort of thing and this is one of the better albums to come out of this movement. There‘s a lot of great hooks throughout. I‘m sure most of these bands won‘t make it past a couple of albums, but for now, keep ‘em comin‘!

03/15/05 Brad Sigler
Doves - Some Cities
First of all, let me incur the wrath of Radiohead and Coldplay fans by saying how much these two bands have ruined the face of British pop music. Both groups owe their sound to the dream pop and shoegaze of 4 A.D. and Creation Records, and in Radiohead‘s case, 70‘s Prog Rock. Yet, everyone has tried to compare other bands to their so called “sound“. So, here we have the third Doves release in five years, which will no doubt be dubbed with the “sounds like“ tag. It‘s a soundscape of sorts, a moody piece of work, every bit as good as “OK Computer“ (not as good as “The Bends“) and “A Rush Of Blood To The Head“ (Waaaaay overrated), but more soulful and beautiful than either of those records. It might take two or three listens for it to soak in, but once you get it, you‘ll hear how much is going on in every song (nice bit of “Heatwave“ used for the structure of “Black And White Town“), how much is happening, without it being cluttered, or annoying. It comes off as one long piece of music, rather than individual songs and it works just beautifully. The atmosphere is thick in here and I don‘t mind it at all. Nice to have a record to add to my top ten so early in the year...

03/15/05 David Douglas
Domenico + 2 - Sincerely Hot
David Byrne‘s ever reaching presence in presenting music from around the world has been going on for over 10 years with the crucial Luaka Bop label, and their latest release ( from Brazil), is Domenico + 2, “Sincerely Hot,“ and it will be sure to please.This is the second of three albums by Brazilian musicians Domenico, Moreno Veloso, and Kassin, with each member taking the lead on a different record. The first release brought a great deal of attention to bear on singer/instrumetalist Veloso‘s pan-national style. Now it‘s drummer Domenico‘s turn on point, and he accomplishes nearly the same feat! Opener “Alegria Vai La“ is a percussive-forward piece that only a drummer could conceive, and the hip-hop inspired samba of “Te Convidei Pro Samba“ is equally rhythmic. But “Possibildade,“ with it‘s happy-go-lucky flutes, guitars and trombones, proves that song craft doesn‘t play second fiddle to any particular beat. Kassin produced this whole affair, with his delicate synthetics never obscuring the core musicians, yet you can tell this would be a sleeper without his effect-laden touch. Looking forward to when he steps front and center on the final album, and thanking David Byrne for taking us on the journey!

03/15/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
THE MOTET - MUSIC FOR LIFE
From Harmonized Records comes the Motet with their third album, Music For Life. The band is Dave Watts, drums; Mark Donovan, guitars; Garrett Sayers, bass; Dominic Lalli, tenor sax; Greg Raymond, keyboards; and Scott Messersmith on percussion, with guest Jon Stewart helping out on alto sax. The Motet combines elements of rock, funk, jazz and even world music. Things get off to a good start with the horn driven “Cheap Sh*t,“ followed by the uptempo, Latin flavored “Power.“ Up next is the funky “Black Hat,“ which has some cool sax playing from Lalli, and some nice guitar work from Donovan. This is followed by “The Magic Way,“ which starts out kind of slow before moving into a fast, dance groove, with more tasty sax lines. Other highlights on here include “Corporatic,“ with its tight funk rhythms, and inventive keyboards, the jazzy sounding “Fearless,“ the jazz-funk (or is that funk-jazz? HmmmÂ…) of “What‘s the Purpose,“ and the closing “Them Or Us,“ which has more great keyboard work, and cool jazz guitar licks, as well as some very tight ensemble playing from the rhythm section. For those who enjoy horn-driven jazz funk with lots of Latin influenced percussion (think Santana, or Rusted Root), check out the Motet. Also just added to stock is their excellent live album, the Motet Live. This is available to listen to on the Expand Your Mind Player at CD World.

03/15/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
GONG - ANGELS EGG AND YOU
Virgin has reissued Angels Egg and You, two pivotal slices of pure psychedelic weirdness from ‘70‘s prog/psych-rockers Gong. The sticker on the cover of You proclaims it‘s “sort of like King Crimson on 10 doses of acid.“ Cool, and I believe it, too, especially after hearing these and looking at the cover artwork! Wow, Far Out, maaan! Fusing together elements of psychedelia, jazz, and space rock, Gong was one of the leading bands in the early ‘70‘s prog-rock movement. Angels Egg and You make up two-thirds of an elaborate trilogy involving gnomes, witches, Pothead Pixies, a strange character named Zero the Hero, Octave Doctors, and God knows what else. Angels Egg starts out with the spacey “Other Side Of The Sky,“ followed by the whimsically titled “Sold To the Highest Buddah.“ There‘s also the jazzy sounding “Flute Salad,“ and the slippery “Oily Way.“ “Inner Temple“ is an instrumental space-rock track with a jazz edge. The real highlight here is probably “I Never Glid Before,“ which goes thru several movements and time signatures and was most likely a great excuse for the band to stretch out live. The reissue includes four bonus tracks, which continue the weirdness even further into space. The follow-up album, You, would be the last album to feature founding member Daevid Allen (Guitar, Vocals), and found guitarist Steve Hillage playing a much more prominent role in the band. Highlights here include the jazz-oriented “Perfect Mystery,“ the instrumental “Isle Of Everywhere,“ and the closing “You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever.“ Very cool stuff from this long-forgotten prog-rock group. Just remember this: Gong rhymes with bong!

03/15/05 Bill Stafford
Various - Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story“ (DVD)
As anyone who has lingered long in the Addison store (especially when Your ‘umble Narrator and JT have been stretched to their limits) there was a recent exquisite compilation of tunes released called “Do You Know The Difference Between Big Wood & Brush? The American Song-Poem Anthology“ that highlights the little-known (and less understood) musical underground of song-poems. For those who are wondering what the hell a “song-poem“ is & why you should care, let me explain. Ever check out the tiny ads in the back of old comic books, or pulp magazines, or odd tabloids & see folks requesting your poetry ? Usually featuring come-ons such as: “Popular, Rock and Roll, Country, and Sacred poems needed AT ONCE! Send your poems today for prompt FREE EXAMINATION AND APPRAISAL.“ ... “We need new ideas FOR RECORDING.“ ... “Your songs or poems may EARN MONEY FOR YOU!“ - these ads served to lure the gullible (or desperate) into sending in their random doggerel in the hopes it would pan out as chart-topping gold. Then the suckÂ…pardon me, lyricist, gets their words welded onto some random tune banged out by session musicians who do HUNDREDS of these things in a couple days sessions. Not quite lovingly crafted by the finest composers around, but hell, “Louie Louie“ ain‘t Stravinsky & it charted, right ? So maybe one of these little gems from the heart will be heard by the right person & the masses will embrace it & life will be skittles & beer from then on for the songwriter. It hasn‘t happened yet, to any of them, but maybe this documentary, which serves as a bizarre (and bizarrely touching) look into this oddball subculture will allow them to share their songs with more than just their friends and families.
Now, don‘t get me wrong - these folks are not like the stinkingly desperate folks on “American Idol“ who want to be STARS!!!, no these folks are just people with much simpler dreams, dreams of having their art recognized. I sat down in front of this thinking it‘d be a hoot - kick the feet up, crack a cold one & just laugh at the rubes who produce such minor masterpieces as “Human Breakdown of Absurdity“, “Jimmy Carter Says YES!“, “I Lost My Girl To An Argentinean Cowboy“ or the Addison favorite “How Long Are You Staying (aka DISCODISCODISCO)“. What I found instead were some desperately touching moments. Sure, there are plenty of places to whoop & laugh (for god‘s sake the first song in the film is “Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers“ - featuring lyrics like “Thank Jehovah for Kung Fu Bicycles and Priscilla Presley“) but there is also a very sweet appreciation for these folks efforts. Yes, they might be delusional, they might have WAY too much time on their hands and they DEFINITELY could use some song-writing help, but there is no way you can just disregard them, ignore their efforts, deny their pain, even. The moment that Iowa Mountains Tour gets off the stage of their first live gig, you know that they have stared a bit too hard into reality‘s ugly face, and you sympathize. Here‘s a guy that all but has his dreams sucked out of him onstage, trying not to show it, trying not to be seen on camera being anything but up, but his pain, his heartache is real and vivid The filmmakers are to be commended for their understanding of the heart of this matter, they can laugh at the music without laughing at the people whose music it is. The DVD is crammed with extras and is a perfect companion to the “Song-Poem Anthology“ CD - come on in, pick them both up & start humming such classics as “The Moon Men“ & “Blind Man‘s Penis“.

03/15/05 Matt Hursh
Black Eyes - Cough
It‘s saying something - what, exactly, is up to debate - when you can say that a particular album from Dischord Records is unusually abstract and noisy, but that‘s a statement that applies to Black Eyes‘ second full length release. Their first, self titled, was a messy burst that recalled some of the artier noise of the early-80s while fitting nervously on the current musical landscape as well. Cough expands the sound, with Stooges-esque horns cutting through the layers and some nice, thick dub bass boiling on the spine. The vocals might be the biggest point of contentionÂ…the lyrics are existential (which is fine), but dude‘s voice can grate a bit. I suppose the same could be said for this whole record, but for those with a penchant for harder edge stuff that‘s not afraid to explore a bit more than three chords, there‘s plenty to be found within this record‘s just-right 30 minutes.

03/15/05 JEFF “THE RECORD“ WEBB
The Saints - Nothing Is Strange In My House
Australia‘s pioneer punk band, The Saints return with their first album in four years. These days (since 1980) it‘s been vocalist Chris Bailey and a revolving door of different members. This time there‘s a notable addition-Marty Willson Piper of The Church on guitar. His outstanding work transforms this latest batch of Bailey tunes into the best Saints LP since All Fools Day in 1986. It‘s the usual mixture of 1977 era punk, hard rock, and blues we‘ve come to expect, but Chris seems almost reborn. It‘s good to see these veterans still delivering the goods.

03/01/05 Matt Hursh
Deadwood - (Complete 1st season DVD)
This series, in combination with Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, and Carnivale, is more than reason enough why every other network - cable or otherwise - is eating HBO‘s poop. Deadwood is dark, foul, and perverse. If that‘s not enough of an endorsement right there, then how about this: it also features some of the most well drawn, interesting characters, vibrant dialogue (and yes, it‘s quite filthy, but I‘m not a baby, and chances are that neither are you, so get over it and focus on WHAT they‘re saying rather than HOW), and engagingly layered storylines that have graced the small screen in years. It‘s a period western that completely re-imagines and re-defines the genre; the good guys (who are far outnumbered) are caked in mud rather than decked in white, the damsels are still in distress, but they‘ve got guns, bad pasts and attitudes, and probably a handful of venereal hassles, and everyone‘s got an agendaÂ…namely their own. It‘s also a character actor aficionado‘s wet dream, featuring Powers Boothe, Tim Olyphant, William Sanderson, and Keith Carradine among others. The highlight, however is Ian McShanye‘s role as Al Swearengen, the evil, but entirely consistent and not entiiiiirely illogical, saloon owner who all but runs the ramshackle Black Hills settlement. I‘d write more, but I‘m on the season finale. Be seeing you.

03/01/05 SCOTT HUNERBERG
LOTUS - NOMAD
Harmonized Records has released Nomad, the second album from Lotus. The band consists of Steve Clemons, drums; Jesse Miller, bass; Luke Miller, guitars and keyboards; Chuck Morris, acoustic and electronic drums; and Mike Rempel, guitars. This is another band that blurs the lines between rock and techno/electronica, with a healthy dose of jazz thrown in. This is music that you can you can either dance to, or lay back and trance out on. Clemons and Morris provide a steady, pulsing beat that grooves along steadily, while Miller and Rempel provide layers of swirling keyboards, and clean-toned, jazz influenced guitar lines. Highlights include the opener “Suitcase,“ the fast-paced “Spiritualize,“ which has some very hypnotic guitar playing (I think it‘s Mike Rempel who does most of the leads, while Luke Miller plays rhythm and keys); “Plant Your Root“ takes things even further out into dance/electronica territory, with its fast break-beats and trippy keyboards. This is a good album to get lost in, perfect for trance-dancing or just spacing out late at night. Also recommended is Germination, their live debut album from 2002. Fans of house and trance, as well as today‘s jam scene should find plenty to like here. Be sure to check out Lotus on the Expand Your Mind Player!

03/01/05 Brad Sigler
The Field Mice - Snowball, Skywriting & For Keeps
Sarah Records put out some great records, from 1987-1995, by bands like The Orchids, 14 Iced Bears (Record and I believe THIS band to be more important, but whateverÂ…), Heavenly and The Sea Urchins. Yet, most critics consider the label‘s most important band was The Field Mice, a twee pop band that only put out a few records and a slew of 10“ and 7“ singles. Most of their output has been unavailable and LTM Records (the same label that puts out obscure 80‘s bands - The Room, Minny Pops, Stockholm Monsters, Josef K, Section 25 - on cd) has remastered their catalog and added bonus tracks over two cds. All the releases, ‘Snowball + Singles‘, ‘Skywriting + Singles‘ and ‘For Keeps + Singles‘ are brilliant from start to finish and essential listening for fans of Trashcan Sinatras, Close Lobsters and Trembling Blue Stars.

03/01/05 Chris Green
Aesoperock - Fast cars, danger, fire and knives
This is another solid release from Def Jux. I was very anxious to hear this album a few weeks ago. Now that the wait is over I can enjoy this underground hip hop masterpiece . While it is a short cd Def Jux did include a 88 page book including all of Aesop‘s lyrics from his previous 5 albums. Wich gives you great insight into his songs. “Fast cars, Danger, Fire and Knives “ is the first material he has released in a year and a half it was worth the wait. With tracks like “Holly smokes“ and “Rickety Rackety“ featuring CamuTao and El-P this album has realy set the tone for underground hip hop.

03/01/05 Matthew Kurzman
Thievery Corporation - Babylon Rewound
This limited-edition collection features 8 previously unreleased dub remixes from
The Richest Man in Babylon CD. Think chill-out gone reggae. Several tracks featuring sultry female vocals are reminiscent of Morcheeba and Zero 7, but with more riddim. The best comparison I can make is to Hi-Fi Killers‘ Jamaica, but more laid back
This disc is a great way to wind down at the end of a late weekend night. Turn the lights down, light one up, and chill.

03/01/05 JEFF “THE RECORD“ WEBB
The Waterboys - This is the Sea (2CD Deluxe Version)
1985 saw the release of the third album from Mike Scott‘s Waterboys. To me, it‘s his finest hour, where the “big music“ he had been striving for, became fully realized. In addition to Scott‘s guitar and piano, he was greatly helped out by Anthony Thistlethwaite on sax and Karl Wallinger (World Party) as a veritable one man orchestra. Scott‘s political, spiritual, and inspirational lyrics are among his best. 3 of my personal favorites of his are on here. The uplifting “The Whole of the Moon“ (his biggest UK hit), the pounding piano led rocker “Medicine Bow“, expanded on the 2nd disc with an insane 2 ½ minute solo, recalling the best of Mike Garson on Aladdin Sane, and the over the top anthemic title track.
Disc 2 has 14 more tracks including the aforementioned “Medicine Bow“. In addition to some b-sides, a Van Morrison cover (Astral Weeks is a big influence), and a great live version of “This is the Sea“, you get an albums worth of unreleased songs, many of which could have been worthy of inclusion on the original release. There are also fascinating liner notes from the man himself. Fans probably have this (it was released last spring), but if you‘re interested in one of the best songwriters to come out of the middle 80‘s, look no further than This is the Sea.

02/24/05 JEFF “THE RECORD“ WEBB
Low - The Great Destroyer
Low is an acquired taste. As pioneers of the “slowcore“ movement of the mid 90‘s, Low were a little too slow for me. I could appreciate what they were going for but I rarely played them. You had to be in the right mood for their sparse sound.
This new album changes everything. The Great Destroyer is Low‘s most accessible album to date. While it‘s a rock record in every sense of the word, the various styles still sound like the old Low is still in there. For one thing, the subtle harmonies of guitarist Alan Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker are still there, but when they do start off a song slowly or quietly, it usually builds to a full-on climax with distorted guitars or a choirlike chorus. You‘ve got dream pop, distorted guitar rock, gorgeous epics and even pop on here, something for everyone. The opening track “Monkey“ is my favorite with its distorted drums, organ, and guitar. Man, those lower frequencies make me wish I had a sub woofer! It‘s a long way until December, and records released in January tend to get forgotten, but I see a potential Top 10 in its future.

02/24/05 Matt Hursh
Donnie Darko - Donnie Darko: Director‘s Cut DVD
Achieving (widespread) cult status faster than any film in history - and perhaps not entirely unintentionally so - Donnie Darko gets the extended digital treatment with a Richard Kelly-approved cut. The movie‘s a tough one to encapsulate, and may even better served without an explanation, but its basics involve disenfranchised youth, time wrinkles, and a mal(bene?)evolent, human-sized rabbit. See? No expository justice for a film that deserves better. The direction‘s solid, and the Director‘s Cut slows the pace down without getting weighed down by pretension. The soundtrack‘s 80s memorable and appropriate, and the story is one of ingenuity and legitimate originality. If you haven‘t seen it before, now‘s the perfect time. If you haveÂ…you haven‘t like this. Donnie Darko: it‘s not just for 15-year-old girls dressed in black anymore.

02/24/05 Bill Stafford
Drive-By Truckers - Pizza Deliverance
Re-issued (along with “Gangstabilly“) DBT‘s second record shows how they were already adept at crafting lingering character sketches while still rocking out. All sorts of stories are spread throughout the disc, from delusional suicides on a bu