Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms: 20th Anniversary Edition

Warner Bros.

This album is going to bring Warner Brothers and Dire Straits a whole lot of money. The album was what brought fame to Dire Straits almost 20 years ago and made them the, well, household name that they are. The band was a quartet, but was definitely led by singer Mark Knopfler. He wrote the songs, sang them, and was the highlight of the band in every way possible. The band eventually broke up a bit later, never really did a whole lot more than rerelease their hits, and tour in support of the represses.
It's a treat listening to this again. Remastered, remixed, and sounding much better than the first time around. One side of the disc, which is the CD audio version, just sounds good. Now Brother In Arms sounds like Dire Straits hopped into the top quality studio that Madonna just used to record her latest album and laid down the tracks for this all over again, with Knopfler still in his prime. The other side is that hip new thing they are doing on most CDs: putting them in surround sound DVD audio. It sounds better, and really makes you feel like you are in the middle of their practice space, 20 years ago. "Money For Nothing", which the editor and I both swear is a song towards Communism, is still the best song Dire Straits has ever recorded, minus their fairly offensive lyrical content. With the original artwork still in tow, and a short written appreciation by Robert Sandell, collectors should definitely take note!

Gentle Giant - Giant For A Day: 35th Anniversary Edition/i>

Gentle Giant are crazy. They did a lot of drugs and lost it somewhere along the line. But then again, so did all of the greats, right? The album wasn't released 35 years ago, it was the start of the band. And it's not just this album being rereleased, it seems to be one out of their entire collection, including tons of unreleased material. Gentle Giants Did this for a long time, releasing over 6 albums, and seemed to have been huge in Europe.
I hadn't heard of them before this, but they have definitely gained a new fan. They are considered Prog-Rock, which is as broad of a genre as it gets. Their sound is unique. The first track, "Words From The Wise" is a combination of Freddy Mercury or Roger Deltrey, the guitar work of Rush or something of the like, and the keyboards of DEVO, which makes it something of a shock to listen to. It all fits together. It seems to make as much sense as peanut butter and jelly being introduced to a race who have only eaten...well, not that, their entire lives. Songs like "Spooky Boogie" warp your mind. It's, um, spooky. Think Scooby Doo meets Yes. This is one hell of a release, and I can only imagine their live shows. To add to this great collection, the back of the lyric sheets comes with a giant's face you can cut out and wear as a mask. A Giant for a Day, so to speak.
***Seth's Single of the Week: Gentle Giant's "Giant For A Day"***

Various Artists - Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970

Lost Highway (Dual Disc)

Stop. Imagine this setting: a smokey bar in the 50s. Smoke. Alcohol. And a band in the middle. A stand up bass, a piano, a drum set, a guitar, maybe some horns, and a singer. Now, imagine this thrown in a trash compactor and compacted to under a foot. Under half a foot. This is Night Train To Nashville. R&B when it wasn't something that the record industry wrapped around their fingers and conscewed into something high school kids would find appealing. R&B before it was as marketable as it is today. Racy, edgy, and all around amazing; Black liberation music.
This CD contains the best (I repeat, best) that Nashville R&B has to offer. Every single song is a jewel to make love too. I'm not joking. Lyrics include lines like "Wait little Daddy, if it takes you all night long." If this didn't start rock and roll, I don't know what did. It says that the CD ties in how country is interlaced with Rhythm and Blues, but I still don't see it. If this was alive today, hope would be too.

Kai Brown - Better Now

How Now Brown Cow

Kai Brown is living in the small surfer town that I spent most of my childhood. The place breeds this genre of music. And truthfully, this is better than most of it. It's more interesting. It resonates like Jacob Dylan's Wallflowers (Bringing Down the Horse era) with vocals of Matchbox 20 or Three Doors Down. With that said, it really seems a bit better than the rest in the genre. Brown adds musical ability that most bands of this culture seem to park at the door as a marketing tool. This is still marketable, but you can surely here that it's not a producer writing these songs.
Kai is an Australian native, growing up and spending his teens and 20's in Sydney. In 2004, he made the choice that so many wish they could but never do: pack everything they have and leave to somewhere far, far away to develop their dream. He very shortly after recorded this, his very first full length album, soon to be at every record store and radio station you know. The record will get him big, relying on personal experience for lyrics and these emotions to guide his song writing ability.

Kathy Hussey - Moments of Wonder

Raku

Kathy Hussey is not in it for the money. She's not in it for the fame. She's not in it to feed her ego. She's in it for herself, and you can see and feel it while listening to this CD. Every song is a tribute to something, be it about her history of a nomadic lifestyle, to social commentary on water rights, or even a song to a friend who is trapped in her job (who, after heard the song, quit). She is genuine and is really doing things for herself, which in a world like this is certainly commendable. This is her third CD, but she has been doing things outside of recording music. She helps with a number of events, among which being a director of a camp, a host of a writing conference, and organizing a festival. This is only the top of the iceberg for what Kathy Hussey is doing with her life.
Moments of Wonder is a folk album with a lot of experimenting. She adds a lot of bluegrass influence in a lot of her songs, as in great tracks like "Sing My Memory." She also dabbles in R&B and hip-hop on some tracks, combining it with her signature guitar playing to make what she is creating her own. Hussey takes influence from Joni Mitchell (who, personally I can hear a lot of in her songs) and Willie Nelson, among others in that general vicinity. And my favorite part of the album is the second insert, containing a personal description of all her songs and descriptions of the lyrical content. She has great personality and a sweet, sweet soul.

Missy Higgins The Sound Of White

Reprise

Australian jazz artist turned pop singer Missy Higgins releases her debut album. When I said "pop" in the first sentence, I had to cringe. "Pop" has such a stigmata behind it, making it sound boring, uppity, and probably what you might think when hear the name of the new teen idol. I could hope that Higgins would be the next teen idol, because, truthfully, she is much more worthy of respect than most. Her story begins with learning piano at a young age, and not experiencing the world of "pop." Next up was dormitory school, where her first piece "All For Believing", was written. She demoed it, and it got airplay. And, at the beginning of her career, she decided to go backpacking in Europe. This is surely a commendable thing, leaving your chance at stardom on hold for experiences worthy of multiple lives. Story goes typical from there: label hears her song, signs her, flies her to some American city and records her first album. Hopefully a fairy tale with a happy ending.
Remember earlier when I mentioned her not seeming pop? and that song "All For Believing"? That song is as far from pop as it could get. It's creepy, with dark harmonies and dark instrumentation. Dark, and almost depressing, but my favorite on the album. She plays guitar and piano, with the latter being her stronger point. She brings her jazz upbringings here and gives a different flow to the genre. Her overall sound reminds me of Tori Amos or something similar. Her lyrics are poetic, and full of emotion. This is truly beautiful. My worst fear is for someone this great to be a one hit wonder.

Joe Strummer - Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Walker"

Astralwerks/Virgin/EMI

Three years after his death, another album dedicated to the late Strummer has been released. This time, though, he composed it all. The movie, which I believe has long ago left theaters, seemed to be something set in the old west, but then again, I'm going off of three pictures here. Four if you include the cover, of a cowboy walking away from a burning town with a gun in his hand. It looks like this is what Clint Eastwood saw when he decided to become the western bad-ass that he is now.
As if it hasn't been said a billion times over, Joe Strummer is a genius. With his non-soundtrack work and this. Walker's music, similar to the shots I've seen, is something right out the west, with a lot of latin-feel guitar work and lots of percussion. A full horn section backs Strummer in the songs, with a few appearances by himself singing. The songs are incredibly well put together, especially for a movie soundtrack. Strummer will forever be missed.

Tremolo - Love is the Greatest Revenge

Flagship

Bands who have gimmicks seem to get fairly big. The Sex Pistols were pissed off and offensive, Johnny Cash was a bad-ass, and metal kings Gwar are...well, Gwar are Gwar. They shoot people out of fallaces that they take to every show. But Tremolo are pulling something a little, well, different. 50% of proceeds from this (which means he will probably make next to nothing on this) will go into a trust fund known as "Love>Revenge". This fund is there for his fans to decide what to be done with it. Be it aid to tsunami victims, research for cancer or aids, or even fans own ideas for organizations, the money from this cd will go to this. On his website, fans can gain exposure for the causes that matter most to them. While this might be the most audacious attempt at making it big I've ever seen, it's incredibly commendable.
Tremolo is Justin Dilon, who sings on the recording and wrote all of the songs. His voice kind of reminds me of U2's Bono, with music that is similar, yet not exactly the same. It's original, a little bit weird, but still very radio-friendly. Musicians on this recording include the drummer from Counting Crows and the keyboardist of JaneÕs Addiction. While I was very disappointed their song "Waiting Room" was not a Fugazi cover, the overall feel of the album is a positive one. It's pretty upbeat, fun, and has spunk to it.

Amber Rubarth - Something New

Independent

Amber Rubarth played at my coffee shop a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't there that day, but lucky for me, the Editor was and fell in love with her at first sight. She played, from what I understand, a remarkable set, with a small band accompanying her. After hearing the CD, I can only imagine. Her voice is that of an angel, and her guitar playing is that of a saint. If saints could play jazz guitar really, really well. A San Diego local, she is currently touring the U.S., hitting up small and large clubs alike.
Her voice hits highs and lows with seemingly little difficulty, jumping between registers as if they were mere stairs to her apartment. The instrumentation includes her obvious guitar and piano playing, but includes drums, acoustic and electric bass, cello, trumpet, so on and so on. Different each and every song. Like the music, which varies from jazz standards in one song, to a much poppier, upbeat, almost country tune on the next. She is independent, which strikes home with me and makes her an instant hit in my cd collection. Speaking of the CD, did I mention the case? It's steel. That's right, a steel tin, housing an interesting shaped lyric sheet and the glorious release that is Something New. Please, go to this underground musicians website and check it out. I promise, you will appreciate it. www.amberrubarth.com
Sheltons's Single of the Week: Amber Rubarth's "Drifting"

Adam Carroll - Far Away Blues

Blue Corn/ADA

Carroll has been described as "75% John Prine and one quarter Townes Van Zandt." I rarely agree with people's comparisons, but that is perfect. Carroll is a folk singer with a country swing from - guess it - Texas. He didn't start playing acoustic guitar until he was 18, which is impressive when you look at his skill and song writing ability. It is impressive. He decided to focus on his career from Junior College, which lead to his first 1998 release called South of Town. This lead to, what is quite a remarkable accomplishment, getting on SXSW. From here, it was only good things. Relentless touring, releasing another album or two, and landing where he is now, which includes a number of Austin Music awards underneath his belt.
He really knows how he wants his music to sound. The production is crystal clear, leaving his voice accented with quite a bit depth behind it. He is quite a talented guitar player, with melodies that can pick you up and lift you away. His voice is fairly monotone, which, while at times is fairly boring, is incredibly soothing. But what puts him in the seat he's in today is his lyrics. HeÕs a story teller, each song explaining a different experience of him or someone he knows. Lyrics include great hits like the track "All The Way" that goes "Doing five to ninety-nine, doing five to ninety-nine/All the way to Huntsville doing five to ninety-nine/Well the judge said I must have been blind but tried to tow the line."

James Hardway Collective - Over Easy

LunaticWorks/Sony BMG

When the album started, I thought this was Bjorks new album. The strange jazzish kind of beats with over-easy nontraditional vocals lead me to think she is collaborating with a new group. Wrong I was. James Hardway Collective isn't quite what Bjork is, but they are still very, very good. It's a jazz funk fusion with jazz-influenced hip hop vocals. The 'collective' started out as James Hardway and his wife Eyedentity, and eventually expanded to include collaborator of the Sugar Hill Gang and D Booker, who is the daughter of Brazilian jazz legend Flora Purim.
The music is definitely dance, and I guess jazz-funk fusion works as to fit it to a genre, but it doesn't feel right. I can't begin to think of what I could call it besides that. What I can think of is that it makes you want to dance. Or do drugs. And, how is I can't support anyone actually doing drugs, I guess the first suggestion might be the one you want to take. Funk loops are everywhere, with almost every song being fast paced and leaving you in wonder of "what exactly just happened?" I'm still wondering the same thing, after listening this for a while now.

Bumblebeez 81 - The Printz

Modular

I'm going to put quite a lot of money down on the table and see these kids are going to art school. The pictures all over it consist of artsy pictures of nonsense. Even the cover has a pictures of some sort of human-esq figure holding a 2 string bass. With no head. And vintage amps. Yup, definitely go to art school. There is almost no credits, except a few scribbles on the back cover, saying that the samples and music were all done by Christopher Colonna, and Vila wrote all her "raps."
Then I get to the music. Nonsense beats, out of tune guitars on repeat, computer generated drums, and weird funny sounds around every corner. The vocals are incredibly snotty, and the female especially. She seems to almost lack any presence on the recording. And with all this said, I have to conclude with this: I fucking love it. It's strange, silly, weird, and amuses me to no end. Somewhere they were described as 'rap-rock'. I'd go with Art-Rap.

Various Artists - Tropical Vibes

Rumba Jams

With little knowledge of latin music beyond Brazilian jazz, I entered a world that I likely will never return from: vibes, endless percussion, horns, and vocals mixed incredibly high. This is Tropical Vibes: a mix cd with 5 groups, 3 songs each, all exploding in their own version of Latin music.
Ricky Gonzalez is the first artist on the cd. It sounds like what Ricky Martin wishes he could be. A much more full sound than Martin could ever produce, and, without the soullessness and with much better written songs. George Delgado brings a mariatchi feel, putting me in the mood for some spicy food. Maybe some spicy tofu and beans. Los Soneros del Barrio is much more jazz than the predecessors, and makes me want to dance much, much more. Antony Blea y su Charanga carries with them a lot more flare, a lot more nontraditional feel, with much more harmonies. As said by the Editor: "This reminds me of my ex-wife, and the radicals of the city for the Puerto Ricans to strike for a lower rent, an end to the Vietnam War, and most of all, the conclusion of racism against Latin People. And I want to sing a song. A very short song: 'Que Bonita Banddera La Banddera Puerto Ricana." With that said, Big 3 Palladium Orchestra brings, you guessed it, much more orchestral feel. The vocals sound vaguely like that of the rat pack. This would definitely be my personal favorite. Again, the editor wishes to interject, and end the piece with a dedication. "A dedication, to a man, known only as Emiliano Zapata." Amen, brother. Amen.

The Ike Reilly Assassination - Junkie Faithful

Rock Ridge/ADA (release date: September 27th)

Ike Reilly, releasing his second record with his band "Ike Reilly Assassination," less than a year than the first record got released. For those out of the loop, Ike is a music genius. His guitar playing is original. Very twangy, very little distortion. His vocals, which highlight everything in this. Ben Folds maybe? It's very sarcastic sounding, with a kind of Jack White of White Stripes. Yeah, that fits well. But with a much less upbeat tone. Influences ranging from the Velvet Underground, and even some Iggy pop can be heard through it. Ike Reilly definitely is going to be playing Indie festivals soon.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Brooks & Dunn - Hillbilly Deluxe

Arista

Within the pop-country Neverland that exists on the other side of the moon, Brooks & Dunn are Peter Pan. Collectively. As one. As in, they have sold more albums as a duo than any other act, ever. Well, minus Simon and Garfunkel, but what's the difference between second and first, right? They have released countless amount of albums since 91, including quite a number of platinum and double platinum releases. They started when a record executive of some sort heard both, introduced them, pulled some strings, and got them their first album. Which, as it seemed, was the right decision, because it made all three parties very, very rich.
Their newest album, Hillbilly Deluxe, is a play off of mainstream hip hop albums, with them with a car that's worth more than all the money I will ever have combined, and 'homies' tagging their name behind them. They are trying to get the 'hip' look, as if they are 'down with the homies'. I guess if you sell that many records, you can steal others' cultures like that. Their music is that genre of watered down country that gets radio-airplay in every city in the U.S., regardless of the city's political affiliation. It's much closer to pop than country, but still has the blues guitar lines and texan accents. The songs, compared to their earlier work, have gotten much catchier. Tunes like "Whiskey Do My Talkin'" has not left my head since I listened to it. "Whiskey do my talkin'/Say all the things I can't/Here's to you my 100 proof friend." It really is incredibly catchy. This is undeniably Brooks and Dunn's best release to date, keeping true to their roots while polishing and refining their signature sound.

Flipsyde - We The People

Interscope

First, I thought it was the new DMX album. Then I thought it was Dead Prez reincarnate. But it's somewhere in-between. While Dead Prez has failed me personally since the release of their second album, this seems to do their new stuff better. Before they lost their revolutionary politics. But still has the beats and production of major label hip hop and, strangely enough, latin guitar work that seems like it may become popular again. They are four men: Piper, Knight, Lopez, and D-Sharp. They come together to make a collaboration where each gears fit in the next.
Lyrics are well thought out and most carry revolutionary thoughts connected to them. Revolutionary Beat, the fifth song on the album, even talks about the Zapitistas, which, while IÕm not the biggest fan of Nationalism, I commend any group that actually discuss ideas that are that far past the left. While their love for God seems to shine through on every single song, they are know most of what their talking about. One of my favorite song's on the album is "U.S. History", which personifies the nations of the world and shows the United States Of America's egotism towards the world at large. I hope I hear more from this band in the future. I'm personally not a huge fan of their dance beats, but their lyrics make up for any problems in the production.

Various Artists - Back Against The Wall: A Tribute To Pink Floyd

Purple Pyramid (Dual Disc, release date: September 27th)

I begin this review with a statement: covers are almost always a bad idea. Very few, ever, can pull of a cover. Ever. When I heard that Purple Pyramid were releasing a tribute to Pink Floyd, recreating The Wall, I assumed it was going to be horrible. The worst thing to happen since Tupac's murder. But, I must say, I may have been wrong. Okay, I was wrong. This is really good. It sounds exactly the same. Which, if you are looking for original, new covers from this, this is probably not for you. This is the same stuff, done today, with some of the hottest names in progressive rock. Don't believe me? Let me skim the iceberg of the raw talent that is poured into these two disc. Back Against The Wall contain members of: Yes, The Doors, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Asia, The Tubes, and Toto. Oh, and did I mention KING CRIMSON? But the list continues. This is just pure talent, almost as much so as the original pressing of The Wall itself.
Roger Waters is a genius, creating a masterpiece as he has. I don't think something of the sort will ever be released again. This is definitely a tribute to have. The vocals sound so similar to Walters himself that I swore at first that it was a sample and the real CD would click in soon. I personally am the biggest fan of Adrian BelewÕs (King Crimson) vocals. They just... match. Perfectly. They take the Wall from beginning to end, including the greats "Another Break in the Wall", "Mother", and "Hey You". There is not much to be said about this album that you couldn't say about the original. It's perfect.
If Shelton had a second pick of the week: Back Against The Wall, "Mother (Another Brick In The Wall Pt 2)"

Michelle Nixon - What More Should I Say

Red/Emergent/Pinecastle

Michelle Nixon and band are 5 incredibly talented and hardworking individuals trying to get their name out there. Well, this may be their chance. Nixon, you're band is great! Nixon and Drive play straight up bluegrass. It's mostly traditional sounding, but has some definite country and gospel influence.
All members show their true talents on this recording. The musician who stands out the most would definitely be Jason Davis, the banjo player. He completely leads the band in every single direction he decides. His up-tempos are lightning fast, and his slow-tempos are original. He is raw talent waiting to be unleashed. This isn't to minimize the rest. Nixon has a bag of pipes on her. She can sing you to the moon and back. Everyone is precise, and leads to a recording that is worthy of making it to the top.

Life of Agony - Broken Valley

Epic/SonyBMG

In 1999, Life of Agony called it quits after an album or two. They loved what they did, but went their separate ways. Then, in 2002, decided to play one last show. Which sold out without publicity. Than another show, which did the same. Eventually, they decided they had something good, and came back together to record Broken Valley. They continued what they started, refining their sound and making something they felt close to and loved.
Personally, I would take System of a Down over them, who they seem to idolize very much. Actually, the vocals at points seem like they are almost exact lines of Toxicity. Their other major influence, it sounds like, is Creed. Or maybe Godsmack. They are nu-metal for sure, with they catchy chorus lines, heavy breakdowns, and heartfelt lyrics about killing themselves and hating their lives. The vocals sounds pro-tooled, the music is fairly boring, and their photos on the back reek of being outcasts in high school because everyone remembers their dungeon and dragons days before they went 'metal'.

The Peasall Sisters - Home To You

Dualtone (release date: September 6th)

This is definitely the cutest thing on here. It's just...cute. The Peasall Sisters (Sarah, 18; Hannah, 14; and Leah, 12) are three sisters who play country with some bluegrass feel to it. They all sing, all play instruments, and all still have curfews. They have voices that match their ages, but are incredibly toned and precise. They don't miss a single note. LetÕs just hope they don't wind up like the Jackson family.
This is the second full length, and they have already managed to hit some major publicity. Major? I mean, winning a Grammy for their song on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. That is a great comparison. The Peasall Sisters are the personified version of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" And, not surprising, really love Jesus. They are country girls at heart, and seem to be the family that everyone dreams of having. And, to conclude, I must somehow again reiterate how cute this band is: on the back, Hannah gives a special thanks to Rascal Stu, who seems to be a squirrel that scared the 'bejeebers' out of Sarah when she was recording a vocal part.

Najee - My Point Of View

Heads Up

Do you want something to relax to? Something to play in the background while doing your work for the day, or even at the end of the day, past work? Something to just relax to? Something to ride an elevator to? Well, Najee is the man for you. He pioneered the "rhythm and jazz" genre which, as much as anyone can trash on it, is one talented genre of music. People say 'smooth jazz is not real jazz'. While I personally would take Davis or Coltrane over most of anything, I challenge just about any jazz musician to try something like this and make it sound as beautiful as Najee. I highly, highly doubt it will.
He plays woodwinds (specializing in soprano sax). His playing ability is phenomenal, being able to solo and improv better than any IÕve heard in a very, very long time. But it's nothing to his composition ability. His songs are incredibly layered, with amazing amounts of instrumentation, all doing something different and each adding itÕs own texture. He's no Stravinsky, but he definitely is doing something amazing. And, as his genre suggests, many of the tracks contain vocals. The vocals are in no way the highlight of the CD, but definitely add to the tracks. They seem to be just another instrument in Najee's overall plan for his art.