Lucinda Williams - Little Honey

Lost Highway/Universal

30 years after her 1978 debut, Lucinda Williams has reinvented herself once again with Little Honey. The album is raw, eclectic, and uncharacteristically hopeful for Williams.
The songs are no longer simply about unrequited love, but also reflect a wisdom and wealth of experience that her age has provided her with. In addition to that, the sound of the album has also evolved from the moody country ballads that had previously characterized her sound.
While the ballads are still present (in 'Knowing' and 'Rarity') the album also embraces a bombastic rock edge. The opener 'Real Love' sets the tone that is sustained through numbers like 'Honey Bee' and the glam tinged album stand-out 'Little Rock Star.' Listening to this track, I was surprised to have visions of T-Rex come to mind.
Other highlights are the duet with Elvis Costello, 'Jailhouse Tears,' and the totally unexpected AC/DC cover, 'It's a Long Way to the Top.' The album is a powerful and substantial effort from Williams, who has proven once again, that she isn't going anywhere.

Ludo - You're Awful, I Love You

Red Bird/Island Def Jam

I don't know anything about Ludo's indie history, but their major label debut, You're Awful, I Love You is excruciating. This album is a sickening amalgam of every played out pop-rock clichŽ imaginable. Fall Out Boy pop punk attitude, Goldfinger pseudo-ska, and uninspired synth lines stolen straight from Weezer's Blue Album combine to create one nauseatingly saccharine radio-rock turd.
Ludo purports to live by the motto "entertaining people without making them dumber." I'm not entertained and the only reason I don't feel dumb is because I'm being paid. Ludo, you're awful, and I most certainly don't love you.

The Magnetic Fields - Distortio

Nonesuch/Warner Bros.

Stephin Merritt and Co. have done it again. This highly anticipated and aptly titled new disc takes The Magnetic Fields brand of indie-pop to a whole new realm. As the title would suggest, the record is marked by a dramatic inclusion of distortion. But not just any distortion, we're talking Distortion. Thick enveloping layers of fuzz and buzz and crumbling wash. Gauzy swathes of hissing feedback and cavernous reverb are draped over Merritt's perfectly catchy pop songs, making the album sound like some sort of monstrous Phil Spector recording experiment. It's pretty incredible.
Merritt's baritone crooning is a haunting counterpoint to the wall of sound that comprises the rest of the instrumentation. Imagine if Calvin Johnson (of K Records fame) got together with Strawberry Wine era My Bloody Valentine and decided to record a set of lost Ronettes singles. Yes. It's THAT good. Shirley Simms' clear and lovely voice is equally beautiful; a beacon of clarity floating above an awesome sea of noise. This album is quite simply incredible. A must for any fans of imaginative indie-rock or those fascinated by the role that aural textures can play in the sculpting of mood. A tremendous work.

Fontaine Brown - Tales From the Fence Line

Magic Penny/Manatee

Veteran mid-western touring musician Douglas Fontaine Brown has kept a low profile for most of his career, choosing to simply play live and to write songs for other musicians to record. Tales From the Fence Line marks a return to recording for Brown.
The album collects some of his favorites from his 200+ song catalogue, and presents them in a simple straight-forward manner. While the album isn't particularly remarkable, it is evident that it is a labor of love and for that alone it deserves credit. The musicianship is all solid and provides strong and often innovative bluesy rock backing for Brown's no frills singing approach. The melancholy "Closer to the Flame" is the standout track for me. All in all, this cd is a great representation of Brown's long and accomplished career.

Disturbed - Indestructible

Reprise/Warner Bros.

Ughhhhh.... I thought, or at least hoped, that the Nu-Metal trend had died out. Apparently Disturbed is still hanging onto it though.
I saw the cover of the new album Indestructible, featuring a ludicrous painting of a buff chain laden demon emerging from a fire and thought, "hey, at least that's pretty metal." I hoped maybe they were trying to turn over a new metal leaf. You know, try to take themselves more seriously or something... Not so. Its just as lame as ever. The whole album, lyrics included, just sounds like the back-up track to an Army recruiting commercial. "I am the indestructible master of war." Yep, those are the real lyrics.
No one needs to listen to this. Its just another album of dumb, macho, fake-metal, and there's already more than enough of those.

Kardinal Offishall - Not 4 Sale

Konlive/Geffen

I have to admit that at first I was skeptical. I didn't know what to expect when I saw the cover of Kardinal Offishall's newest album. I hadn't heard him before and knew only that he was Canadian. Forgive me for being so dismissive. "Not 4 Sale" is GREAT.
The album hits it off with a huge Dancehall Reggae/ Crunk fusion jam, "Burnt," and goes straight into a skit parodying ignorant gangster posturing and framing Offishall as a conscious rapper. By the time the skit wrapped up and the dark and ominous synth of "Set it off" had kicked in, I was won over.
The album continues like this, memorable song after memorable song, all with Kardinal Offishall's dynamic sense of style. The album features high-profile contributions from Akon, T-Pain, and Rihanna amongst others. I didn't expect to be so genuinely entertained, but this album's energy is infectious. If mainstream rap is your thing, you've got to listen to this.

Various Artists - Motown Collection DOUBLE CD

Motown/Time Life/UMG

Time Life just keeps doing what it does best with this hits collection. This album compiles standout tracks from across the Motown catalogue and provides a stellar document of early '70s funk and soul. None of these songs are new or exclusive to this release, but they are certainly timeless, and the CD is worth it for the convenience of having all of these songs together.
Motown created a sound with these songs, and jumpstarted the careers of countless legendary musicians. Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Jackson 5; they're all here. These songs are mandatory listening, so if you aren't familiar, now's the time.

Elbow - Live In London

Fiction/Geffen

This year's winners of the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in the UK, Elbow, follow up their award winning full-length, The Seldom Seen Kid with this, a live set recorded at the London Apple Store. This recording captures in remarkably high fidelity, Elbow's brand of mellow, Coldplay meets Radiohead style indie-rock.
The song, "Grounds For Divorce" recognizable from its presence in the Burn After Reading trailer, features Elbow showing off their American blues influence with its harmonica hooks. The most interesting point of the cd that is otherwise comprised of previously recorded songs, is the fan led interview of the band. It's rather informative, and one is able to gain a sense of the musicians' humanity, which is something I always appreciate as a listener. The cd is certainly worth a listen if one is curious to find out what all the buzz is about.

The Casualties - Made in N.Y.C. CD & DVD SET

SideOneDummy

The Casualties... what a band. These guys have been a street punk fixture since the early '90s and they are still at it. This live album captures the punk rock stalwarts in their ideal setting: a crowded and scummy punk show.
The CD pulls no punches and doesn't deviate a bit from the Casualties' formula, making it play more like a best-of collection than a dynamic live-album. Regardless of however straight-forward the CD itself is though, the package is worth it to fans for the inclusion of a bonus live DVD. Not only does it feature relatively well-edited footage of the band performing the entire set that is on the CD, but also showcases the band members talking about the band's formation in NYC, and about how their surroundings impacted them. It provides a degree of humanity that is often lost in their music and proves to be rather interesting. While this CD/DVD combo is certainly not for everyone, those who love raucous and ugly punk rock, might just be in heaven.
***MIGHTY MIGHTY***

Eli Young Band - Jet Black & Jealous

Universal Republic

This is the major label debut of the new Alt Country buzz band, the Eli Young Band. Having opened for John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, and the Dave Matthews Band, they have built a devoted fan base that transcends both country and pop camps.
Jet Black & Jealous is in keeping with this tradition, offering up a dozen squeaky clean, polished twangy pop songs. The tunes are formulaic and un-offensive, sure to appeal to a massive cross section of pop and alt country audiences. I guess they do what they do well... but beyond that I can't find much that appeals to me personally. I find the whole thing to be pretty vapid honestly. If alt country is your thing though, you'll probably find something appealing here.

Michelle Williams - Unexpected

Music World/Columbia/Sony BMG

Unexpected is an apt title for this new solo album from Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child fame. While Williams' soulful R&B roots are present, the release is notable for its, (here it is) "UNEXPECTED" inclusion of Euro-pop flavor. The production, courtesy of Rico Love features big saw-tooth synth leads that give the songs have a distinct early '90s European dance feel without making it seem too "retro" or compromising its modern relevance.
Euro-pop is something of a guilty pleasure for me, and hearing this album certainly satisfied my craving but thankfully without the mind-numbing effect that a less dynamic album might leave one with. As unexpected as it may have been, fans of pop music should be happy just the same that this album was made.
***LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL***

Danny Brooks - No Easy Way Out

Rockin' Camel

Acclaimed Canadian blues singer, Danny Brooks presents us with No Easy Way Out, his newest offering of rock and country inspired blues. The album reflects Brooks' troubled life and his faith in god as a reforming force. His voice is gravely and seems somehow more authentic than most guys that play this brand of bluesy rock.
Another aspect that wins me over to Brooks' side is the inclusion of lyrics and liner notes with the CD. These notes provide a depth of meaning to the lyrics that is often missing with albums like this. With Brooks' accompanying stories, the songs become real, not simply blues clichŽs. The songs are honest if unremarkable, and that alone is reason enough to listen to them, as honesty is an attribute sadly lacking in a lot of music these days.

Jeni & Billy - Jewell Ridge Coal

Jewell Ridge

Acoustic duo, Jeni & Billy's newest album, "Jewell Ridge Coal" is a sweet and melancholy listen. Sparse and haunting acoustic guitar backs up Jeni's simple and heartfelt lyrics about labor struggles and everyday life.
The granddaughter of Southwest Virginian coal miners, Jeni's lyrics throughout make the release something of a humble concept album about her ancestors' and the disappearance of their way of life. Definitely of interest to anyone who enjoys gentle Americana.

Barbara King - Perfect Timing

CCC

Barbara King's debut album is beautiful introduction to her warm and smoky voice. The songs on Perfect Timing are beautiful and soothing, a lovely fusion of classic jazz, inspirational music, and even gentle bossa nova ("Overtaken").
While the album doesn't offer anything particularly new, it does provide a welcome respite to one's weary ears. King's voice is perhaps comparable to Sarah Vaughan; and if that's any indicator, this could mark the beginning of a very successful career. There are no surprises here, simply soothing, soulful jazz.

Christopher Denny - Age Old Hunger

00:02:59

Wow. What an astounding debut. This release is a simple and superb effort. The production and instrumentation is perfectly understated and works wonderfully to showcase Christopher Denny's exceptional voice.
Denny's singing echoes the high-pitched warble that Devandra Banhart has recently popularized, but without sounding like a Marc Bolan rip-off (as Banhart does). Denny and his band perhaps sound most akin to "Like a Rollin' Stone" era Bob Dylan; but that doesn't do justice to the powerful originality that they are working with. This is a must listen album. For fans of folk, country, indie-rock, anything really. Check it out, do yourself a favor.

Diane Marino - Just Groovin'

M&M/Barking Dog/Alliance/Phantom

This album is a collection of smooth, contemporary jazz renditions of 1960s pop songs. From Burt Bacharach to The Ronettes to The Beach Boys, a wide variety of source material is drawn from. While a portion of the songs suffer from the new style, there are a number of others, the album opener, "Baby I'm Yours" for example, that shine in the light of the new arrangements.
All of the musicians on the CD are solid, and Diane Marino's voice is beautiful throughout. While the results are hit and miss, the inspiration for the album is a great idea, and when it does work, it works wonderfully.

Robin Thicke - Something Else

Star Track/Interscope/Universal

Thicke is back, with another helping of smooth blue-eyed soul. His brand of Motown inspired R&B is solid and totally convincing, doing a good job at living up to the title of "most soulful white guy on the planet" that People magazine awarded him.
The arrangements are spot-on and Thicke's voice is fantastic, at full voice and in falsetto. The CD is great, straight through, singles and support tracks alike. Quite simply, a phenomenal album. Check it out.

The Pussycat Dolls - Doll Domination (Deluxe)

Interscope

The sophomore effort of this Robin Antin masterminded pop phenomenon is a who's who of contemporary pop and dance music. Snoop Dog, Timbaland, R. Kelly, Dr. Dre, and even The New Kids on the Block all get production and collaboration credits on the release.
While the fact that the Pussycat Dolls' marketing enterprise seems to supercede their roll as musicians, the album does prove to be pretty great dance-floor fodder, as mindless as it may be. The beats are all catchy and relatively innovative and the vocal performances are certainly up to the genre's par. While it's hard to take the group serious, the album is mandatory listening for anyone interested in the evolution of contemporary pop music trends; and whether you like it or not, I'm sure you'll hear it if you plan to hit the clubs anytime soon.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Various Artists - Anthology of American Folk Music

Smithsonian Folkways/Koch

I always rave about Smithsonian Folkways' releases, but you have to trust me, it isn't hyperbole. They consistently release such vital documents of the wide world of music that exists out there.
And, in keeping with the Folkways tradition, this reissue of Harry Everett Smith's seminal collection is absolutely invaluable, not only for the unbelievable music contained on it, but also for the information and content regarding Smith himself.
Ethnomusicologist, experimental-filmmaker, and Magus, Smith originally released this record in 1952, inspiring an entire generation of folk revivalists. The album contains traditional blues, Appalachian folk, and bluegrass, performed by such greats as Blind Willy Johnson, the Carter Family, Dock Boggs, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. This album is indispensable as a record of early 20th century American folk music, and is mandatory listening for everyone. I mean it.

Hiromi's Sonicbloom - Beyond Standard

Telarc/EMI

Piano prodigy and student of both Oscar Peterson and Chick Corea, Hiromi has once again confounded expectations with her newest genre-defying release. Beyond Standard features renditions of Hiromi originals, Jazz standards (Rodgers & Hamerstein, as well as George Gershwin), and even a Japanese pop classic.
The styles contained on the album transition surprisingly seamlessly from smooth jazz, to funky fusion, to wild prog, to the inspired and frenzied solo piano playing of the album closer "I Got Rhythm." While there are down points in the album, other moments are so imaginative and exuberant that it is worth listening to for them. For fans of dynamic and innovative contemporary jazz.

Ahmad Jamal - It's Magic

Birdology/Now Forward/Dreyfus/Sony BMG

With his newest release, dedicated to friend and producer Jean-Francois Deiber, jazz great, Ahmad Jamal spices things up by adding percussionist Manolo Badrena to his standard trio. The results are fantastic, adding a layer of bubbling, syncopated rhythm to Jamal's always inspired piano playing and compositions.
The album features new imaginings of several older Jamal compositions as well as two brand new, never-before-recorded ones. It's evident that Jamal still has that spark that inspired and influenced so many great musicians in the past. In addition to the originals, three standards are tackled, including (one of my personal favorites) "The Way You Look Tonight," from the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film, Swing Time. The album is thoughtful and charming all of the ways through its nine tracks. Highly recommended. center>

***If You Like Music, You're Gonna' Love This!***

this year I'm gonna vote for the winner
no apologies - except I'm sorry
to be sick and tired of waking up
on the side of blame
in a rotten game
grumblin' 'bout the money and the lies
and the other guys
wanna close my eyes
and feel what it's like
to wake up in the morning
on the right side of the polls

[Chorus]

it's a winner take all democracy
you're free to leave if you disagree
i'm learning to love hypocrisy
here in America, land of the free

I'm gonna give it up for the spinner
don't give a damn for the truth
if lies make me rich or make me feel good
or feel afraid anything but shame
how about a little fame?
No tossing no turning no sleepless nights
no firefights until the dawn's early light
between the part of me that won't be fooled
and the part that doesn't give a shit

[Chorus]

It's not rocket science
B.F. Skinner could've told you that I'm trainable
a little hunger or thirst or envy or lust
any appetite you can ignite gets the best of me.
No doubts remain in this campaign
it's not insane to vote for a jerk
to wake up in the morning
on the right side of a smirk

[Chorus]

oh say can you see
hypocrisy?

Political Article: Afghans to Obama: End the Occupation' By: Sonali Kolhatkar Back To Top President Elect Barack Obama wants to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan. But the US/NATO occupation is less popular than ever. Eman, an Afghan woman's rights activist with RAWA tells Uprising host, Sonali Kolhatkar, that Obama must end the occupation. RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, is the oldest women's political organization in Afghanistan, struggling non-violently against foreign occupations and religious fundamentalism for more than 30 years. Sonali Kolhatkar: Many on the American left are celebrating the election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the US. But while he has pledged to end the Iraq war, he has also promised to increase troops in Afghanistan. What is your opinion of Barack Obama and his stated policy on Afghanistan? Eman: We can easily judge Obama from what he said in one of his recent interviews that he does not feel the need to apologize to the Afghan people. We do not consider this [the result of] a lack of information. But didn't he feel the need to apologize for the wrong policies of the US government for the past three decades in our country? Didn't he feel the need to apologize for the fundamentalist-fostering policies of the US government in creating, arming, and supporting these brutal, misogynist groups like the Northern Alliance and other fascist groups during the past three decades? Didn't he feel the need to apologize for the occupation of our country under the banner of democracy, the so-called "war on terror," and women's rights, but then compromise with terrorists like the Northern Alliance, who cannot be distinguished from the Taliban in the history of their criminal acts? In fact these murderers were the first to destroy our nation. And even after seven years of a very long and very costly "war on terror," terrorism has not been uprooted in Afghanistan but has become stronger and the Taliban are becoming more powerful. Plus recently [the US is] talking about negotiating with the most wanted terrorist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and with the Taliban, which is in contradiction with what they claimed and what their main objective was in occupying Afghanistan. From his statements during his election campaign, we don't think that Obama's position is different from the Bush administration; it is the continuation of Bush's foreign policy. As Obama's first message to our country was that of war, we cannot be hopeful about him. Kolhatkar: Do you think the troops should be withdrawn and if so, what will happen in Afghanistan if US/NATO forces leave Afghanistan? Eman: RAWA strongly believes that whatever happens, a withdrawal of foreign troops should be the first step, because today, with the presence of thousands of troops in Afghanistan, with the presence of many foreign countries in our nation, for the majority of our people particularly poor people in the other provinces of Afghanistan outside Kabul, the situation is so bad that it cannot get any worse. Today they are also suffering from insecurity, killing, kidnapping, rape, acid throwing on school girls (as happened just last week), hunger, lawlessness, lack of freedom of speech (with journalist Parwiz Kambakhsh being imprisoned), After seven years of occupation [the US] failed to bring peace, security, democracy, and women's rights that they claimed. I think seven years is quite enough time to prove that democracy and peace cannot be brought by foreigners. It can only be achieved by our own people by democratic organizations and individuals. It's our responsibility to become united as an alternative against the occupation, to rise up, to resist and to organize our people. Obviously it is very difficult. No one can predict how long it will take, how much blood, how much sacrifice, and what price should be paid. But this is the only solution, as RAWA has always emphasized. Right now our people are under attack from different sides. From one side we have the Taliban, from the other side are the US air strikes, and from another side are the Northern Alliance warlords in different provinces. We are in a political confusion. With the withdrawal [of troops] our people will at least get rid of one of these enemies. We believe that even with the withdrawal of the troops they have a moral duty towards Afghanistan as they have empowered these dangerous fundamentalist groups economically; and given them arms which were a big threat to the security of our country. If the US and its allies are kind enough to try to help us and they are honest in their claim of helping our people then they can prove it in other ways. They can prove it by the disarmament of armed groups. They can prove it by stopping any kind of support, help and compromise with any fundamentalist groups by helping our people to prosecute our war criminals of three decades. They can do this by supporting democratic voices. So they have other alternatives to help us if they really want to. Kolhatkar: Hamid Karzai's tenure is up next year and there are to be new elections. What do you think needs to happen before the elections, and is there any chance the elections could bring some positive change inside Afghanistan? Eman: We have two kinds of elections ahead of us: parliamentary and presidential. About the presidential election, everyone knows that the White House determines who is going to be the next president. Our public's votes are just used as a formality. But what we are sure of is that the next president will not be independent or a real democrat. So our people are not so hopeful about those elections. About the parliamentary elections, it is important to state that this election, like the last one, will be conducted under the shadow of guns, airpower and money. So we cannot call it a fair and free election. For a fair and free election to be held we think that disarmament of the powerful warlords which have private armies in different provinces, is a necessary factor. Otherwise it will be a repeat of the last election. For example, according to a law made by the Election Commission, warlords cannot take part in the elections. The last time, our people appealed to the election commission against criminal candidates and drug lords with evidence but nobody paid attention to them and these most-wanted murderers found their way to parliament. There were just a very few exceptions who were really elected by the people. The majority were well-known murderers, criminals, and rapists. Kolhatkar: In RAWA's recent statement on the 7th anniversary of the US war on October 7th, you say "Our freedom is only achievable at the hands of our people." How strong are democratic grassroots forces in Afghanistan, and are they capable of rising up and leading the country? Eman: Unfortunately the democratic forces are very weak due to many reasons. The two main reasons are, firstly, financial problems because there is no government support at all, and powerful international forces like the United Nations have never been interested in supporting democratic groups, individuals, and voices. Secondly they are weak for security reasons, which have always suppressed these groups. We believe that the main source of power lies with our people. Today they have become hopeless with false promises from the West of establishing democracy. And moreover people are fed-up of the fundamentalism of the Taliban, Northern Alliance, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, etc. So today if we witness demonstrations organized by our suffering and tired people, tomorrow they will be much more organized under the leadership of democratic movements. So we should not lose our hope. The groups are weak but they exist. I think it's the duty of democratic forces all over the world to support democratic movements in Afghanistan and they should show their practical solidarity with them. Kolhatkar: When we started our conversation, you weren't very optimistic about Barack Obama's stated policy on Afghanistan. What advice would you give President Elect Barack Obama, when he takes office in January? Eman: We believe that if the American government does not have any bad, expansionist, hidden intentions regarding our country then they have to accept and change their long-term mistakes and wrong policies in our country. In the early 1990s they supported the anti-democratic, anti-women forces and they still have not learned a lesson and still they rely on and compromise with the different fundamentalist groups, which makes the situation of our country even worse. So from one side they are still nourishing and working with those drug lords and warlords of the Northern Alliance. And from the other side they complain about drugs, corruption and insecurity which is a painful game with the destiny of our people, who do not want more troops and war. Our people want justice, peace, and democracy. As the US failed with spending billions of dollars on the presence of thousands of troops for the past seven years, I'm sure that they will fail even if they bring millions more troops as long as the American government does not change its policies in Afghanistan. Kolhatkar: Finally, what advice would you give the American anti-war movement on what Afghanistan needs from them? Eman: Since the US government has always supported fundamentalist groups and ignored democratic voices in our country, I think that the US government does not represent all American people. But there are great American people and great peace movements who have always raised their voice against war and defended peace with justice. History shows that these movements have always affected government policies, for example on the Vietnam war. So I think that they have a great responsibility to put pressure on their government and especially its foreign policy, to change the policy and to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. And they have to show their solidarity with the democratic movements in Afghanistan. It's very very important for us and we need their voices. But I just read an article that some parts of the US peace movements are supporting the Iranian government. We condemn this position because we consider the Iranian government a fundamentalist, fascist government. But as long as the peace movement is concerned, we need their solidarity and we are very happy to have their support.

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