WFHB ADDS FOR 11/28
DATE:11/28/05ARTIST:Ashton Allen
TITLE: Dewdrops (Livewire)
GENRE: rock/alt/ss
GRADE: B+
REVIEW: There is a movie out now called “The Man Who Copied”. I have not seen it but the title reminds me of Ashton Allen, for he is the man who copied Elliot Smith. Which ain't a bad thing. In a way it honors Smith's singular musical vibe that was with us so briefly. Dewdrops is a good album. Sometimes it is quiet, sometimes it rocks. All the way through it makes me miss Elliot Smith.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,2,5,8,9,10,12
REVIEWER:Jim Manion
DATE: 11/28/05
ARTIST:Various Artists
TITLE: Screaming Masterpiece (One Little Indian)
GENRE:INTERNATIONAL/ICELAND/
GRADE: A
REVIEW: A soundtrack to a film about Iceland's usic scene. Herre is a review excerpt on the film from iofilm.co.uk : Screaming Masterpiece gives an overview of the cutting edge of contemporary Icelandic music, from the post-rock stylings of Sigur Ros to the intellectual - well, they say they are - rap of Quarashi to the beatbox folktronica from Bjork. It's a fairly wide focus for an 87-minute documentary and is devoid of external input, composed mostly of interviews with Icelandic musicians, talking about the music they make and the influences that go into it. Many cite religious music, whether Christian hymns or ancient Pagan poems and folk songs, as the aural basis for their music and the bleak, bitterly cold Icelandic scenery for their lyrics, but almost all speak of trying to find their own voice, trying to create something that becomes uniquely Icelandic. The film explores the analogy between the geographical location of the island and its cultural position, a long way from the US, neither in Europe, nor Scandinavia, drawing influences from all of them, yet not conforming to anywhere.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,2,3,4,5,6,9,13
REVIEWER:
DATE: 11/28/05
ARTIST:Texas Tornados
TITLE: Live from Austin TX (New West)
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM/TEXMEX
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: Loose but priceless, here are The Texas Tornados rocking out and having fun in their prime. All the TTs shared the spotlight (although Doug Sahm always hogged the microphone between songs to tell you about the tunes) so there are good doses of Sir Doug, Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez and Augie Meyer to be found here. Find your fave and let it roll. Play it Augie!
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2,3,5,10,12,13,16,17,18
REVIEWER: Jim Manion
DATE: 11/28/05
ARTIST:Kate Rusby
TITLE: The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Compass)
GENRE: folk/ss
GRADE: A
REVIEW: For a decade, Rusby has built up a reputation for having a voice (and live, a sense of humour) that's easy to fall for. Her gentle tones have a beguiling quality that draw you in and never let you go. They also have the ability of disguising her less-successful tunes. Regular cohort (and husband) John McCusker adds his vast talents to Rusby's simple vocals and guitar, aided by a host of musicians on harmoniums, double bass, flutes, whistles and even euphonium. Thankfully, the results are remarkably uncluttered, bringing uncomplicated backdrops to Rusby's renditions of both traditional and self-penned tunes. Particular attention is deserved for the opening traditional tale of gambling, The "Game Of All Fours", the jigging twitch of "The Elfin Knight" and the beautifully cute bonus track, "Little Jack Frost", written for one of the BBC's Christmas shows last yuletide.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,2,4,7,10,12
REVIEWER: excerpt from Chris Long's review at bbc.co.uk
DATE: 11/28/05
ARTIST:The Southland
TITLE: Influence of Geometry (Ruffworld)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: B-
REVIEW: A bit derivative of Cure and other “alt/rock” Icons of 80s and 90s, but Southland fuses it all up well when they are on it in tunes like “Shadow”, “Miles”, an odd but likeable cover of “I Only Have Eyes for You”, “Shining Sun” and “Creatures”.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,3,5,7,8
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB
DATE: 11/28/05
ARTIST:Neil Diamond
TITLE: 12 Songs (Columbia)
GENRE: rock/mainstream
GRADE: B+
REVIEW: From the opening notes of "Oh Mary" you know that this is going to be very different from Neil Diamond's more recent recordings. Using the technique of back to basics that was so successful with Johnny Cash, Rick Rubin strips Diamond back to the essence of singer/songwriter; cutting back on the musical flourishes that often threaten to overwhelm Diamond's compositions. There are some stunning pieces here, the starkness "Oh Mary," the appropriately titled "Delirious Love" a song that captures the emotional resonance of love as well any Diamond has ever recorded(with the addition of Brian Wilson on the added cuts version), The pure folk of "Evermore," and the coolly confrontational "I'm On to You" all stand with Diamond's best work. Sure there are a few misfires here; the cutesy "We" sounding more like a Van Dyke Parks outtake than Diamond and the over the top "Create Me" that reaches back to the overproduced Diamond are two examples. However the weaker songs here are just part of the charm of the work. Diamond puts just as much effort into each song, making for an emotionally honest work and an artistic return to form.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,5,6,7, 8,9,10
REVIEWER: amazon.com
DATE: 11/28/05
ARTIST:Shawn Amos
TITLE: Thank You Shirl-ee May (Shout Factory)
GENRE: rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Amos, son of '60s singer Shirl-ee May, was in the dark about his mother's early career as a singer on the New York nightclub circuit. After discovering demos, publicity photos and articles about his mother, who chucked her promising career to start a family, Amos decided to make a record in her honor. Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a concept album, but there are no guitar-toting elves or marching hammers here; Amos simply uses his memories of his mother, along with information gathered from her past, to create songs that detail the rise of her musical career and the gradual lapse into mental illness that ultimately destroyed her. The funky "Make It" mixes disco-era strings with R&B rhythms, and chronicles Shirl-ee May's relationship with shady music industry executives. Amos goes for more depth on the harrowing alcoholism tale "The Bottle Always Brings Me Down". This, and the album's only cover -- Joseph Arthur's "Dear Lord", a piano-heavy ballad that Amos laces with southern-fried soul, including gospel-style backup singers -- gives listeners a better glimpse of Amos's feelings about his mother's life. Thank You...'s songs combine classic jazz elements with occasional modern flourishes: saxophones squawk and brushes drag slowly across snares, but you'll also hear guitars and electronic beats. Amos neither directly mimics any particular influence nor pushes any musical boundaries, but his biggest departure is the rock-tinged "You're Groovy (For Boy Blue)", which trades brass instruments for guitar riffs, and the jazzier "Bubble Hill"; together, they form the halfway point in his mother's struggles. "Thank You Shirl-ee May" is naturally fraught with sappy sentiment, but Amos's intentions are pure -- and that's what matters most.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2,4,5,6,7,10
REVIEWER: David Cobb splendidzine.com
ALSO ADDED AT WFHB THIS WEEK:
Okkervil River Black Sheep Boy Appendix Jagjaguwar
Various Artists Impulsive! Impulse!
David Holt Let It Slide High Wind
posted by WFHB Music @ 2:13:00 PM
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