Blackalicious - The Craft

Anti/Epitaph

Xavier Mosley (Chief Xcel) and Tim Parker (Gift of Gab) came together to form Blackalicious way back in 1991. "The Craft" is the first Blackalicious release to not be on the independent label they founded themselves, Quannum Projects. The group is now part of one of the more diverse indie labels. They now Share the Anti-Epitaph Records roster with Tom Waits and he hippest band in grindcore, The Locust. "The Craft" has been accurately described as "State of the art hip hop." This album is all over the place. These are not your usual beats. Its some of the most sythesizer oriented hip-hop I have ever heard.
The track "Powers" sounds more like garage rock than hip hop, standing somewhere in the middle of R&B and the Who. Somehow they manage to pull the track off with crunching guitar and heavy synth. The album steers away from this quickly and towards the funk inspired song "Lotus Flower" that features the P-Funk all-star George Clinton himself. "The Fall and Rise of Elliot Brown" is the epic tale of an incarcerated boy's transformation into a leader in his community.
There are so many artists trying to combine the old and new with the art of hip hop and failing at it. Blackalicious is an exception. Listening to the "The Craft" feels like time travel. If I had no previous knowledge of Blackalicious I would have a hard time telling if some of these cuts were made now or back in the seventies. As an album "The Craft" is one of the most innovative records I have heard in a long time. If you have a love for hip hip but are itching for something different this album is for you.
Nick's Single Of The Week: Blackalicious' "Powers"

Erika Jo - Erika Jo

Universal South

"Nashville Star" is basically the country version of American Idol. She is the first female star ever to win the top "Nashville Star" prize in the history of the reality show and it's youngest contestant ever. This earned her a record deal with Universal South. At eighteen years old, she also just earned her high school diploma. The album is full of romantic ballads, some somber breakup songs, positive girl power affirmations and sweet love songs.
Her innocence is a bit heartwarming, but take a step back for a second and detach this record from all the hype and personal ties reality voting shows connect to an artist. We basically have a television star with an album full of songs that she didn't even write herself. No matter how hard I try, I can't ever seem to get into something like this. I can't call it art; it is pure industry. This young girl's dreams of stardom are simply the vessel for it. The songs are a bit catchy, but that is all they are. The voice carrying them is powerful, but it is one of an actress not a musician.

Dion - Bronx in Blue

The Orchard (release date: October 25th)

Dion came onto the scene in 1958 towards the tail end of the Doo-wop era. The very name of the man will put a spark in the eye of any doo-wop aficionado. His classic group Dion and the Belmonts managed to land themselves seven Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1960, the most famous being "Teenager in Love." The Belmonts disbanded in 1960 and Dion went on to have a successful solo career, keeping his name on the charts throughout the late sixties.
Although Dion's roots are in the Bronx, his musical ones are in the blues and country. These songs are nothing like the sweet love songs of the Belmonts. "Bronx in Blue" features Dion playing the songs of Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Rogers, Bo Diddley, Hank Williams and many more. These are the songs Dion himself grew up on. The very music that he credits as his inspiration. Dion notes that "When i was a kid there was no Rock & Roll... For me putting country and blues together - that is what i call Rock & Roll." The record opens with one of the most covered blues ever, Robert Johnson's "Walking Blues." This a cover that puts the others to shame. My editor wonders "why he still must be a 'teenager in love,'" With the cuts he chose to cover I would guess he is heartbroken. This album is tribute to some of the biggest names in blues and country by a man who is a legend himself.

Sub-Division - The Primos

(ep) Hard Soul/Burnside

Sub-Divion is a four-piece led by brother and sister Amira and Amed Balthazar who oddly enough are the children of first cousins. It sounds like ambient incestual new-wave to me. The songs are dark, but not in a typical sense. This isn't just suburban boredom. Their sound is sedated. Each song drones onward with just about everything looped and delayed. Amira's voice is so childlike and distorted that its hard to tell exactly what language she is speaking in or if she is creating her own. At moments it sounds like English but the sounds buzz in and out of the mix so often that it is hard to tell. Their upcoming ep is set to be mixed by Phil Vinall, known best for his work with Radiohead and Placebo. "The Primos" is an interesting ep. It is not groundbreaking, but it is odd enough to make me want to keep an eye on what comes next with the help of Phil Vinall.

The Ventures - Alive Five-O: Greatest Hits Live

Ventures/Varese Sarabande/Universal

The Ventures formed in 1959 and since then they have gone on to release over 250 albums. They are the biggest-selling instrumental group of all time. Their instrumental sound meant that there was no language barrier to hold them back. This led them to become one of the first US bands to break big in Japan. Their album covers defined what the rock & roll combo should look like by inventing the slick style of solid body fender guitars and matching suits. The Ventures were so successful that they went on to release many instructional albums through a "Play with the Ventures" series that helped shape the playing of many future stars.
"Alive at Five-O" consists of 37 live tracks by these surf rock gods and includes all their hits such as "Walk, Don't Run" "Hawaii Five-O" and even their own take on Duke Ellington's "Caravan." These recordings cover some of their greatest performances in the past decade, predominantly in Japan and also in Seattle. "Alive Five-O" is proof that even three decades later, the Ventures are still on top of their game. It easily serves as a great introduction to a band that has helped shape rock 'n' roll.

Crystal Gayle - Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael

SouthPaw/Vtone/Compendia

It is rare that Crystal Gayle ends up in the studio these days. When she does, it proves to be a worthy project such as taking on the timeless tunes of one of the greatest composers of the American Pop song, Hoagy Carmichael. He differed from the others in that he was also a fine performer. The man wrote more hits than most of us even realize such as "Stardust," "Heart and Soul," "Ole Buttermilk Sky" and "Georgia on my Mind" which is best know as performed by the late Ray Charles.
Crystal Gayle is one of the most popular and widely recognized country singers of her time. She is the sister of Country star Loretta Lynn, but managed to make her own name in the industry aside from her sibling relations. This album is a break from Gayle's usual country style and a step into Hoagy's world of jazz inspired show tunes. Carmichael's melodies and Gayle's voice come together brilliantly. Her cover of "Georgia on my Mind" will make you homesick for the South, even if you never lived there. My personal favorite is "Two Sleepy People," a charming duet with Willie Nelson which captures the essence of the song the way Carmichael must have envisioned it. This record will take you back, way back. Most of these songs were written in the 1930s and you can hear it. They are a staple of our culture. This release gives them a new voice without sacrificing their authenticity.

Robert Walter - Super Heavy Organ

Magnatude

The title "Super Heavy Organ" is more than fitting for an album based around what has got to be the most infamous keyboard in rock 'n' roll. The Hammond B3 Organ is known wide and far for it's sheer weight alone. Horror stories of trying to move these beastly instruments can be told by anyone who has toured with one. The Hammond B3 used on this recording consists of two sets of keys, four sets of draw bars, eighteen changeable presets and some of the smoothest reverb out there. Walter is a master of the Hammond, playing like he is from a time that has long since passed.
"Super Heavy Organ" is over an hour of soulful organ based jazz recorded in the heart of New Orleans. It gets better the longer it plays. The track "Criminals Have a Name for It" showcases Walter's writing abilities as he juxtaposes acoustic piano and the hammond by layering think organ tones over the piano's soft rhythm. Shelton claims, "If the booking agent puts him up to play in front of the big shots in New York City I would guarantee the man the Grammy he deserves." I would have to agree; Robert Walter is the real thing.

Keith Sewell - Love is a Journey

Skaggs Family

Keith Sewell has spent years refining his talents as a backing musician and a songwriter for others. Shortly after high school he moved to Nashville from the small town of Duncanville, Texas to pursue a life as a musician. He toured backing many of the greats such as the Dixie Chicks, James Taylor and the bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs. It is no wonder that Skaggs ended up cutting Sewell a record deal. "Love is a Journey" fuses the boundaries of bluegrass music by giving it a contemporary touch while sticking to tradition.
The bluegrass epic "Shambles" is almost five minutes of frantic banjo and fiddle under Sewell's soft melodies, bringing just as much emotion in his voice as there is skill in the picking. The rest of the album has a slower tempo with a very personal feel to it. Sewell isn't trying to play the role of the tough guy classic cowboy. His heartaches are clear, and he is not ashamed to show it. Nothing about Sewell's music is safe. He is putting his heart out on a platter, and its great to see someone in country music actually take a risk.

John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt

Fanatic/Barsuk

The thing I honestly find most interesting about this record is that it was edited and co-written by John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. Darnielle is a genius in his own right and creates some of the most honest and raw songs of our time. "Pixel Revolt" is nothing like Darnielle's solo work, but you can still feel his part in it. Vanderslice, on the other hand, is a bit of an equipment nerd. All his work is littered with vintage synths and cheap casios. Don't let this scare you away. Some of the tackiest tones are meshed together so well that it sounds at some times like a video game and at others like a symphony.
"Pixel Revolt" is conceptual, with each track being based around a seperate short story. "Angela" for example is based around Vanderslice's idea that "if a lost bunny can't survive the mean streets, maybe we can't either." Lyrically, Vanderslice is as vague as can be. If it weren't for the two sentence song descriptions they might seem like cluttered words or descriptions of photographs, not short stories. The strength in Vaderslice's work is not the lyrics anyways. It is his elaborate layering that creates a fog of sounds. His voice and his lyrics are just another layer, and they shouldn't stand out anymore than the rest of the album.

A Bluegrass Tribute - Pickin' on Rod Stewart & The Faces

CMH

Before launching his solo career, Rod Stewart had already established himself as an icon of the '70s rock scene as a member of both The Jeff Beck Group and more famously, The Faces. He was an integral part of both of these bands which featured past and future members of Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Rolling Stones. He defined 'sandpaper elegance' with his good looks, stylish clothes and his signature granite throated crooning. Whether you are a fan of the bar room rock & roll sounds of early Faces tracks like "Ooh La La" or a connoisseur of the more refined and elegant Rod, displayed on such songs as "Maggie May," you will undoubtedly find this a treasure to add to your Rod Stewart collection.

Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists

Reprise/Warner Bros.

Disturbed formed in 1996, but it wasn't until their 2000 release of "The Sickness" that they really broke into the land of new metal stardom. Personally, I found the single off that album "Down with the Sickness" hilarious. The growling vocals just seemed a bit too over the top. I guess 3.4 million people didn't agree, because somehow, that is the number of copies "The Sickness" sold. I can never bring myself to enjoy this style of metal (biased I know) but I will say this much: For a new metal band, Disturbed do it right. The frontman David Drainman's style of singing is obnoxious, but it is solid. This record is heavy and melodic all at once. Drainman goes between practically rapping and growling to belting out choruses in an almost operatic manner. The Iron Maiden esque solo in the song "Stricken" makes me realize that these guys are getting a little bit closer to what metal is really about as they dive deeper into their career.
What strikes me about "Ten Thousand Fists" are the handful of songs concerning the occupation of Iraq. The songs "Sacred Lie," Forgiving" and "Overburdened" all confront the horrors of war and the toll it takes both physically and spiritually. The track "Deify" begins with a sample of George W. Bush's 9/11 speech and challenges our tendency to elevate our leaders to a Godlike status. The chorus rallies "You're no immortal, I won't let them Deify you, they view you as the new Messiah." I don't get into their music, but I am glad to hear Drainman sing with urgency about the state in which we live.

The 101ers - Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Revisited)

Astrawerks/EMI

God damn. Right from the beginning this record is amazing. The 101ers were the late Joe Strummer and friends playing straight, gritty, R&B style rock 'n' roll. This is before the Clash, and before punk rock exploded. The 101ers were little known until the Clash's success brought the disbanded group into the spotlight. In the mid-70s the music scene was next to dead. The bar scene was one of the only places underground acts like the 101ers could really play, and eventually, the crowds grew. The Sex Pistols opened for the 101ers and soon everything changed. Strummer went off to form The Clash and the rest was history.
"Elgin Avenue Breakdown" was the only album by the 101ers, and was not released until after they disbanded. Originally, it had a pressing of just 2,000 vinyl copies. They went fast and bootlegs have been floating around between Clash fans ever since. After all these years of living in obscurity, this release is finally available to all and very well worth the listen. Along with the original album, there are eight never before released live and studio recordings. This is literally everything they ever recorded. "Elgin Avenue Breakdown" is inspiring. The sound is simple but its big. You can hear great things to come.

Arthur Godfrey - Amen

Stampman

Somewhere between Neil Young and Tom Waits lies a man by the name of Arthur Godfrey. The first track "East Side of Town" begins with Young style picking and a not so subtle harmonica, but the plot twists quickly when Godfrey's whiskey toned voice crashes into the mix. This album is such a breathe of fresh air from the overproduced disgustingly perfect sounds of today's music. This is a result of Godfrey having complete control over this record. He released it on his own label, Stampman Records.
This is raw; it is nothing like what i would expect from an ex U.S. postal worker. "Amen" sounds more like Godfrey must eat cigarettes for breakfast, and that is a good thing. The lyrical content covers subjects such as his own divorce, his daughters marriage, child abuse, and his own childhood. The most emotionally bold track "It's all Part of the Story" is sung from the perspective of a sexually abused child. Godfrey whispers over his acoustic guitar and a shaking hammond organ the words "I'm much too weak to fight this fight, I lie in wait. Please not tonight."
Santa Cruz based Americana station KPIG was one of the first to ever play Godfrey. Inside the booklet a quote from Hunter S. Thompson reads "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." KPIG proves to be one of the few exceptions, and played a big role in helping expose such a powerful artist.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

3 Fox Drive - Listen to the Music

Koch/Nashville

Kim, Joel and Barb Fox were introduced to bluegrass as children by their parents. By the late eighties they had established themselves within the northeastern bluegrass circuit, being known for their intricate vocal harmonies and compelling original songs. As the years went on the trio ran into label troubles, picked up three more member and have now made it back on their feet with the release of "Listen to the Music." My favorite pick of the album is "Short Walk to the Moon." A soft ballad where the fiddle punctuates the verses so elegantly. I love a song with a message and "An Eye for an Eye" is the direction I wish this album had steered in. It is the story of a man who turns a tragedy into an even bigger one by reacting too quickly to the death of his son. As a whole, "Listen to the Music" is a good album, but that is all. This is a bluegrass album with country vocals. Its nothing different or groundbreaking, but it is sold as a rock.

Desire - Piano Tribute to U2

Vitamin

U2 is the source of many of my arguments in life. I think they are amazing. My friends don't. Maybe i just need better friends, i don't know. I mean sure they have gone sour in their later years with such releases as Pop and taking part in embarrassing iPod commercials, but who doesn't? Any band that good has to try and taint their career with some horrible attempts at experimentation after they reach their peak. The Edge's cascading guitar combined with Bono's towering vocals were delivered with such passion and integrity in their early years and for that I will always respect them.
The "Piano Tribute to U2" captures their essence so well. It is an instrumental greatest hits featuring such classics as "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Where the Streets Have no Name" and "All I Want Is You" to name a few. The power and emotion of U2 is converted into clean smooth piano ballads, proving that U2 are great songwriters. The piano covers are as epic as the originals. My only complaint is that hearing the piano emulate Bono's melodies makes me desire to hear them sung by Bono himself.

Buffy Sainte-Marie - Best of the Vanguard Years

Vanguard

Trying to compile the best of Sainte-Marie's 1960s releases into a single compact disc is quite a challenge. In her first six years with Vanguard she covered a number of different genre's from simple folk tunes to orchestrated art songs, mainstream country, electric psychedelia, cabaret ballads and dirty New York rock. Her confrontationaly passionate vocals and distinctive vibrato made her stand out in contrast to the sweet, more intimate styles of Joan Baez and Judy Collins.
Lyrically her songs often addressed the plight of the Native American. Two songs that generated a good deal of controversy "My Country 'Tis of Thy People Your Dying" (a song concerning the intentional spread of smallpox within Native American communities) and "Now That the Buffalo's Gone" are included on this compilation. She also addresses less specific themes of war and justice with "The Universal Solder" and "Until It's Time for You to Go." Buffy Sainte-Marie was one of the more powerful voices of the late sixties, a singer never given enough credit, probably due to her straightforward and less gimmick-based approach. It is good to see a mix that finally does her justice.

Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire - Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs

Righteous Babe

This release is full of plot twists. It points you in one directions and then it runs the other way. I would argue that the middle ground between folk and indie rock has been reached. His style of singing is the only aspect of his music that doesn't seem to take many risks. Bird rarely strays between more than one octave, but i don't mind. Andrew's soft voice and acoustic guitar is accompanied by strings, some impressive whistling, and an array of innovative sounds. Andrew Bird keeps throwing in subtle studio tricks that make me wonder how some of the noises on this album are even possible. These little tricks only help to accent his complex yet catchy and entrancing compositions. The lyrics and song titles are as odd as the sound. "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left" begins with the line "over prescribed under the mister. We had survived to turn on the history channel and ask our esteemed panel why we are alive."
Strangely, Andrew Bird attributes his odd song structures to his listening to a lot less music than he used to. He says that, "The ear is not a very discriminating organ; it'll soak up whatever it hears and spit it back out. I've been aware of that, and the less I listen to music, the more weird the music that comes out of me is." For a release that has stemmed from an attempt to push away musical inspiration, it came together like a genius' medley of so many different elements.

Lina - The Inner Beauty Movement

Red Ink/Mood Star/Hidden Beach/Epic/ SONY BMG

The name of this album comes from two of Lina's personal experiences. One occurred during a Hollywood party she attended where she wondered whether some of the scantily clad women attending "knew they didn't have to try so hard on the outside because they had an inner beauty inside." The other factor makes more sense to me. A childhood accident left her with scars that prompted hurtful teasing. Her parents told her this didn't matter due to the classic comfort of "inner beauty" she had. Im sorry, but that is so cheesy, it almost makes me want to vomit. It is all true, of course, but as the basis of an album? I don't think that really cuts it.
Don't worry, the content of the songs stretches a little bit further then the title does. Lina says "I am an instrument of God, here to help people realize themselves." An instrument of God? Her message seems pure, but I definitely wouldn't take it that far. "Smooth" is a song about what lovers will rightfully and wrongfully endure to keep a struggling relationship alive. Its a slick R&B song with a timeless feel to it like a song from the past. Take note of the fact that I said "song" not "hit." "The Inner Beauty Movement" is a melding of R&B, jazz, and hip hop. This is a mix that seems all to common these days, and she doesn't explore it very deeply. The sound feels recycled and tired to me.

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.

"Corpse Bride" is Tim Burton's stop-motion animation follow up to "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It is the story of a romance between Victor, a melancholic boy with the voice of Johnny Depp and a living corpse. Sounds pretty endearing right? The soundtrack features four original scores composed by three time Oscar nominated Danny Elfman, who is best known for his time spent as the front man of Oingo Boingo. The songs Elfman wrote are dark and upbeat with a broadway jazz feel to them. Most are performed by himself.
"According to Plan" is performed by none other than actors Albert Finney and Tracy Ullman. The other tracks sound like the "Halloween Sounds" tapes or cds you'd find at a your local costume shop this time of the year. They are eerie tunes; but to put it bluntly, they are boring. They are meant simply as the background of the film, and would work well as that. This soundtrack is well done and if "Corpse Bride" becomes even half the cult classic that "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is it should be a hot item.

James McMurtry - Childish Things

Compadre

You will never find McMurtry in the front of record stores, on ClearChannel's controled radio stations or on MTV. That is why you need to check us out every week. We are not afraid of Americana, in fact we love it. James McMurtry was born in Fort Worth, Texas on March 18th 1962. He grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, a place that he describes as neither North nor South. James' novelist/screenwriter father, Larry, gave his son's demo to rock star John Mellencamp while they were working on a film in hopes that Mellencamp would end up recording him. Instead, Mellencamp produced McMurtry's major label debut on Columbia Records. As a child he was able to witness performances by Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, whom he cites as some of his early influences.
James McMurtry is honest, not commercial. The song "Childish Things" speaks of how McMurty has given up his belief in heaven. But McMurty confronts much more than his lack of belief in God. "Can't Make it Here Anymore" is one of the most bitter tunes I have heard this week. McMurtry raves against his boss, "Some are workin'? two jobs and livin'? in cars. Minimum wage won't pay for a roof, won't pay for a drink. If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO. See how far $5.15 an hour will go. Take a part time job at one of you stores. Bet you can't make it here anymore."

Otis Taylor - Below the Fold

Telarc

Otis Taylor is one of the greatest and most relevant blues artists of our time. He is definitely in his own league of bluesmen. He was born in Chicago, in the year 1948, but left as an adolescent to Denver after his uncle was shot to death. This is where his interest in blues and folk grew and was cultivated. He began picking on the banjo and had moved onto the guitar by his mid teens. His sound has appropriately been described as "trance-blues" due to his ability to somehow tie psychedelic sounds with the classic delta style.
On "Below the Fold" he picks a unique choice of instrumentation. Most of the tracks feature a cellist as well as organ, banjo, and fiddle. This is also his first release to have drums on several tracks. The result is a heavy and hypnotic sound carried by Otis' deeply distraught voice. Leave it to Otis Taylor to cover heavy issues such as murder, homelessness, tyranny, and injustice and reflect them so well in song. "Hookers in the Street" and "Moma's got a Friend" are proof that even after all these years his songs are just as urgent as they ever were. Most artists seem to slip as they grow older. These songs showcase how Otis has refined and explored his sound as the years have gone by. This man can still do no wrong.