WFHB Music - Bloomington Community Radio

Sunday, August 26

CD Reviews -- Cathi 8-26-07

Dykes, Omar/Jimmie Vaughan – “On The Jimmy Reed Highway” (Ruf) A

Ooowee, every once in awhile you get a real plum and this one is it. The Austin big-timers got together and did a love record – Jimmie Vaughan (Thunderbirds etc,), Kim Wilson (ditto), Omar Dykes (Omar & the Howlers), LuAnn Barton, Gary Primich Derek O’Brien, James Cotton, Delbert McClinton –yeow. It’s all a tribute to Jimmy Reed, most tunes sung by growly-voiced Omar, and some by LuAnn –kick your behind-Barton. Raunchy blues in the chunka-chunka line – like Jimmy probably played after a couple of martinis. YES YES YES

Ellis, Tinsley – “Moment of Truth” (Alligator) B+

This is the electric sizzle/rock of Tinsley’s repertoire with an occasional touch of really cool acoustic (as on Gary Nicholson’s “Shadow of a Doubt” #12). Excellent musicianship marked by excessive sustain and disortion. Great for rock-blues lovers. No many for morning mix.

Ford, Robben – “Truth” (Concord Music) B+

Master guitarist Robben Ford has turned in some serious blues and some serious pop. Here he seems to mix them as he has increasingly done on his discs, and the result is some interesting listening, even though I really favor the blues cuts. He’s a crossover artist for sure, but no one can doubt his incredibly virtuosity. All cuts are done with excellent musicianship.

Harris, Corey – “Zion Crossroads” (Telarc) A-

Corey Harris has been making a musical journey. His first introduction to a mass audience was his interesting take on the blues, but he has matured and moved from that basis into solid reggae on this disc. A collection of tunes with social consciousness, he really pulls off the whole in the Marley pocket…interesting tunes that say something and do it while skating on a beautiful collection of beat. A fine work.

Logan, John “Juke” – “The Chill” (Mocombo Records-reissue) A-

This is a re-issue (+ two more tracks) from Juke’s first disc issued in 1992. He has an arsenal of LA stars on this disc and the musicianship shows it. Players that have since become stars in their own right—David Hidalgo, Rick Holmstrom, Jr. Watson, Denny Freeman, Brenda Burns, Janiva Magness, etc. etc. Very hip urban blues with some jive-talking by Juke when he isn’t playing is harp or keys. (Harp player for “Roseanne” among many other things. Good fun.

Popa Chubby – “Electric Chubbyland” Volume 1 (Blind Pig) B

Popa Chubby has been locked up alone in his room too long. He’s on a Jimi Hendrix rush right now and pulling it off pretty well. The music demonstrates his guitar proficiency a la Hendrix, but the vocals sure don’t have the nuance and tone of Les Master Hendrix. Chubby clearly is getting his rocks off and the live audience agrees. Pretty cool – made me want to pull out my Hendrix records. Probably better live.

Popa Chubby – “Electric Chubbyland” Volume 2 (Blind Pig) B

Popa Chubby has been locked up alone in his room too long. He’s on a Jimi Hendrix rush right now and pulling it off pretty well. The music demonstrates his guitar proficiency a la Hendrix, but the vocals sure don’t have the nuance and tone of Les Master Hendrix. Chubby clearly is getting his rocks off and the live audience agrees. Pretty cool – made me want to pull out my Hendrix records. Probably better live.
Stuart, Alice & The Formerlys – “Freedom” (Country Con Fusion) B+

Stuart, Alice & The Formerly's -- "Freedom" (Country Con Fusion) B+

Northwestern Blues gal of note—good songwriter and plays a tele like a pro. Jim Gaines produced this disc and it has that professional feel she’s been attempting for a few years. Musicianship excellent, and I just love the change-up in tempo/styles she pulls off. Most are originals and they have a special feeling that is missed when she covers others (Dylan #13 for instance). Very good tunes for all mixes.

0 Comments:

Friday, August 17

international electro-jazz, Hawiian soul, and hip-hop

Vieux Farka Toure remixed:
UFO’s Over Bamako
: To follow up his early 2007 debut album, Vieux Farka Toure’s N. African Sahara Desert blues sound has been re-mixed into electric rhythms by re-mixers like Cheb I Sabbah. Songs are said to pay homage to his late father, Ali Farka Toure (who appears on a couple of these tracks). The concept of UFO’s Over Bamako, is to create an international dance floor and by doing so, songs’ rhythms are repetitious and contain elements of electro-jazz.

comments / tracks of interest:

#1: rhythmically relaxed

#2: twangy sound

#3: trumpet accompaniment

#6: beautiful flutes added

Paula Fuga
Paula Fuga
Listening to this woman sing, I feel the vibration of her vocal resonance inside my chest. Where is soul without the love? Paula Fuga brings it right to you in a sweet jar of jams called Lilikoi. The songs are about love and she sings them with power. Musically, the sound sometimes has a reggae rhythm but it’s hard to focus on anything outside of THAT VOICE!

comments / tracks of interest:

#1: acappella

*#2: a reminder to, “speak yr. mind even if yr. voice shakes.”

#3: ROMANTIC

#4: message questioning violence

#6: reggae rhythms

#7: soul bound journey

#8: Ukulele accompaniment lament about love

#12: nose flute

Mala Rodriguez

Malamarismo

: It’s been three years since Spanish rapper, Mala Rodriguez has released an album and it has been well worth the wait. Produced by Javier Plaza and DJ Rectangle (who has worked with Eminem & Xzibit), the musical backdrop is rhythmically sparkling. I appreciate the way she raps; strong yet not melodramatic. And I (almost) always enjoy hearing female rappers, a delicacy in the hip-hop culture…AND how global cultures appropriate the music.

comments / tracks of interest:

#1: sweet vocal hook (R&B)

#2: heavy rapping over full hip-hop riffs

#3: thick base line w/ fluttering vocals

#5: staggered rhythms

#8: another booming beat w/ singing lyrics & male rapper

#9: political rap

#10: tough guy rap

#12: violins & gypsy vocals

#13: galloping rhythm to a cool sound

0 Comments:

Friday, August 10

2 from Cuba, 2 from the dead

Robert Fonseca's Zamazu:
Having toured with the Buena Vista Social Club, Roberto Fonseca also co-produced and played music on Ibrahim Ferrer’s latest release, Mi Sueno. The first a capella piece, Misa Popular is sung by his mother and the rest of the album is full of passion and other jazz-rooted experiences. Fonseca performs with the piano, and is accompanied by various artists playing bass, drums, sax, flute, and clarinet. This is a refreshing listen to jazz

comments / tracks of interest:

#1: mother’s message (short)

#3: a rumbling storm of jazz

#5: fast and furious finger work

#6: Yoruba orisha, Chango…the father of the thunder, of the sky

#8: love song

#10: homage to Ibrahim Ferrer

#12: sad happiness

#13: Brazilian rhythms

Various Artists perform in the CD release; Si, Para Usted...the Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba (volume 1):
Dan Zacks of Waxing Deep Radio put together this Volume (1) of communist funk. Because of popular demand, he re-mastered tracks from their original dusty form, once kept in the Cuban government’s warehouse. This CD features various performing artists from the late 70’s early 80’s, whose music “ranges from son, beat, jazz, & funk, and abounds with psychedelic influences, electronic experimentation, and a heavy dose of soul.” The electronic element is light, leaving plenty of room for authentic Latin instrumentation and fully funky Cuban music.

comments / tracks of interest:

#1: instrumental

#2: layered instrumentation & vocals

#6: title track, male vocals, med. Tempo, flute

#7: flute compliments male vocals, med. Tempo

#8: Stereolab inspiration

#9: orchestra w/ soulful male vocals

#10: instrumental

#11: instrumental w/ subtle organ & syncopated rhythms

#12: funky guitar lines, male vocals

#17: Middle Eastern influences

Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Dub Qawwali
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, devotional Sufi songs. In Nusrat’s case, singing Qawwali wasn’t only a passion of his, but for generations of the men in his familial linage. Qawwali singing has been an unbroken tradition of Nusrat’s family for the past 600 years. This album is like a reincarnation of his music meeting Reggae. London-based producer/artist Gaudi blended old recordings Khan’s Qawwali songs with Jamaican dub in celebration of the 10^th anniversary of Khan’s death (August 16^th 1997). The compositions of these songs are smooth, offering messages of peace and love.

comments / tracks of interest:

#1: darkness comes before the dawn

#7: vocals carry a tabla element

#10: folk song feel

0 Comments:

Friday, August 3

Cuba, U.K., and Brazil...represent

Los Zafiros (the Sapphires)
Music from the Edge of Time (soundtrack)
“In the height of Cold War, and against the backdrop of the Bay of Pigs Invasion & the Cuban Missal Crisis, 4 youths from the tough, musical district of Cayo Hueso decided to form a vocal group.” And they called themselves Los Zafiros (aka the Sapphires). This album explores the history of the Sapphires through a musical documentary that follows the two surviving Zafiros and their memories. The sound is raw and humanistic Doo Wop/Afro Cuban rhythms partnered with son, salsa, and other Latin forms. 5, 6, &7 make for an excellent textured play through.

comments / tracks of interest:

all are air-worthy…here are what I find exceptional:

#6: very rhythmical, but short

#14: Doo Wop w/ zill calls

#15: vocals & guitar

#17: Doo Wopy w/ a “woo” of a drum rhythm

*#18: instrumental

*#20: good e.g. of Latin Doo Wop

#25: reminds me of Roy Orbison

Secret Stealth
Hooked on you
Listening to Secret Stealth, I am reminiscent of the stealth of the Jackson 5. The sound comes under great electronic influence at times. With repetitive beats, some tracks represent acid house, drum and bass, & “cosmic disco.” Other tracks vibrate a fair amount of soul, funk, and R&B. These Nottingham, U.K.-natives strive to make you dance, and there are seemingly no tricks up their stealthy sleeves.

comments / tracks of interest:

tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, &12 are instrumental

#1: a take off of the Ohio Players’ Rollercoaster

#4: bouncy beats and foreign tongue

#6: a love jive

#8: another love jive, smooth-lined

*#10: rapturous female vocals and groovy beat

#12: jazzy instrumental

Clara Moreno
Meu Samba Torto
In her youth, Clara Moreno sang back up vocals in the children’s choir for musicians like Milton Nascimento. Today she sings Bossa Nova. She has had a steady supply of parental support for her own artistic endeavors, because her mom and dad are also performing musicians. Meu Samba Torto is Clara’s decision to share the feeling of growing up in Brazil. She covers songs by her parents and other Samba artists, but does so through her modern view. Get ready to cool down in the heat of the hot hot summer sun.

all tracks are cool, here are three that stand out to me:

#7: whistles

#10: snappy

#12: Jorge Bem cover

0 Comments:

Thursday, August 2

WFHB ADDPOOL REVIEWS JULY 2007

7.03.07
DATE: 7.2.07
ARTIST:Hackensaw Boys
TITLE:Look Out! Nettwerk
GENRE: COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW:This is their best album to date. The current Lineup features Jesse
Fiske on bass, accordion, harmonica and guitar; Jimmy Stelling on banjo
and fiddle; Robert Bullington on mandolin and guitar; Ferd Moyse on fiddle
and bass; Ward Harrison on guitar and Justin Neuhardt on charismo, spoon
and Saw. (You have to love a musician that plays instruments you can buy
at Home Depot.) The first song Look Out Dog, Slow Down Train is front
porch stomp reminiscent of previous releases. Also, in keeping with old
time tradition the album includes a revenge song, Oh Girl. There is also a
great rendition of the traditional gospel tune Gospel Plow that musically
doesnt sound very gospel at all. A lot of the songs on Look Out go in new
directions but the album doesnt lose its edge or become too polished as it
explores other influences. In fact, the album has a very live feel. In the
end the Hackensaw Boys are what they always have been and hopefully always
will be. A group of great musicians that have party will travel.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2,3,5,7,9,11
REVIEWER: twangville.com

DATE: 7.2.07
ARTIST:John P. Strohm
TITLE:Everyday Life Superphonic
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: John Strohm's rich recording career spans over twenty years: a
founding member of Boston's beloved Blake Babies, an on-again/off-again
drummer and guitarists with 90's alterna-rockers The Lemonheads, frontman
of Antenna, solo artist with two acclaimed solo albums. Everyday Life, his
first album in nearly seven years (and first for Superphonic Records) is
the record Strohm has hinted at for years. A wry meditation on the
futility and transcendent beauty of everyday life, delivered via Johns
trademark pop hooks that stay with you long after the record is over.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: I LIKE 'EM All
REVIEWER: www.smartpunk.com
local note: If you did not know already, John is a Bloomington native. He
moved to Boston to form Blake Babies, then he lived here for quite awhile
in the mid-90s while front the bands Antenna, Velo-Deluxe and hello
Strangers.

DATE:7.2.07
ARTIST:Jason Isbell
TITLE: Sirens of the Ditch New West
GENRE: rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW:For longtime fans of his work with the Drive by Truckers, Sirens
will be both familiar Isbell style and a departure as well. Brand New Kind
Of Actress is a catchy power pop song that gets more and more engaging
every time you listen to it. Then the slithering bar song Down In A Hole
follows with a count in and mellows out the tone. Next comes the mid tempo
straight up rocker Try, with its' bombastic guitars that slip in and out
of the mix. The piano centered Chicago Promenade follows with double
tracked v0cals on the chorus, revealing even more of Jason's pop side, on
what is surely one of the best tracks on the record. Dress Blues, a song
about a guy he went to high school with, who went in the Marines and
didn't make it back from the war, comes next and is certainly the
highpoint of the record. Grown is a mid-tempo song filled up with acoustic
guitar, piano, drums, and bass. Another focal point of Sirens is the Randy
Newmanish Hurricanes And Hand Grenades, which is a contemplative tune that
sounds like it was written at closing time at the bar while the chairs
were being turned upside down, and everyone else had to leave. There is
still some magic to deliver as the stunning In A Razor Town mixes
interplay between slide, acoustic guitars, and soft spoken vocals. Shotgun
Wedding returns to pop with more hooks and loud guitars. The Magician
takes us home again with its' tinges of bluegrass and "beat it on down the
road" feel. Sirens closes with the meditative The Devil Is My Running
Mate, and leaves questions and the feeling that nothing is known.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,2,5,7,9,10
REVIEWER: parasitesandsycophants.com

DATE:7.2.07
ARTIST: Beastie Boys
TITLE: The Mix-Up Capitol
GENRE: FUNK/SOUL
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:The Mix-Up, released during the grueling 11th hour of the Bush
administration, and suddenly they're mute? Has their nigh-unto-Moby
sanctimoniousness finally led them to take a vow of silence? After the
spare techiness of Boroughs, are Mix-Up's old-school funk breaks a return
to the adolescence of Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head? Did Ad-Rock
finally lose his voice? Whatever the case, the fully instrumental The
Mix-Up feels like an attempt to provide the sampling template for one of
their own albums somewhere down the line. Still, it's hard not to see this
as a more fitting summer tribute to the Big Apple than was Boroughs; it
calls to mind hot pavement, piss-fuming sewer grates, and subway platform
B-boy floorshows. "14th St. Break" doesn't seem so much a song title as it
does a request to RSVP, and basically every other song on the album takes
you to a familiar place, one with plenty of off-kilter drumming and
lilting organ noodlings. For an album that truly has nothing to say and
risks suggesting nothing more need be said, The Mix-Up sounds merely
satisfactory now, but I can't wait until some turntablist uses it to drop
the science.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2,5,7,8,10
REVIEWER: www.slantmagazine.com

DATE:7.2.07
ARTIST:Steve Forbert
TITLE:Strange Names & New Sensations 429
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Middle age is different / Now youre someone else, sings the
52-year-old Nashville resident in the opening line of Strange Names & New
Sensations, his latest album. Spiced by horns and a bubbling electric
guitar reminiscent of the South Africa township style used by Paul Simon
in Graceland, it portrays a man who realizes hes grown into someone hes
pleased to beeven as he realizes that time is finite, that he doesnt know
everything he thought he knew, that theres less time dedicated to having
fun and that he has a better idea of how the rest of his life will unfold.
Beyond the theme of aging, the record expresses both the idea that love
gives life meaning, and that there are few things as purely joyous as a
catchy melody. Nearly every song floats with the buoyancy of balloons in a
paradethe sonic equivalent of a big, natural smile. But Forberts too wise
and witty, his roots-rock too well crafted to come off as a Pollyanna.
Instead, it conveys that hes a fairly fortunate fellow doing his best to
acknowledge his blessings amid the curse of advancing age.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1,3,4,8,9,12
REVIEWER: popmatters.com

DATE:7.2.07
ARTIST:Kendel Carson
TITLE:Rearview Mirror Tears Train Wreck
GENRE:COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Carson has had a somewhat varied musical career, despite her young
age. She started playing violin at the age of 3 and has been a member of
the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and a featured guest soloist with
the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. More recently Carson has been playing
fiddle with the Paperboys and has toured extensively with them. Its not
the strongest debut ever released. Its probably not even the best debut
album released so far this year but as an introduction to what will very
soon be a familiar name on the Americana / Roots circuit it works really
well. Its always good to be in at the beginning of an artists career;
especially when you just know that, as good and as solid as their debut
is, there is without a doubt even better to come. Thats the feeling one
gets from listening to Rearview Mirror Tears. Apart from being so
obviously talented at playing the fiddle Carson also shows over these
thirteen songs that she is a vocalist worth keeping an ear out for in the
future. This is one young woman who is going to be around for a long time.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2,3,5,8,10
REVIEWER: www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk

DATE:7.207
ARTIST:Xavier Rudd
TITLE: White Moth (Anti)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Thanks in large part to the blithe surf folk of Jack Johnson, the
world is now safe for barefoot-sounding singer/songwriters who produce
breeze-flavored songs and simple, nights-under-the-stars takes on
world-music rhythms. But for this strong third record, Xavier Rudd adds an
element by taking up the plight of Australia's indigenous people, in what
he clearly imagines to be his "Graceland." In fact, vocally, Rudd owes a
debt to Paul Simon to a degree that veers from subtle to something that
could probably result in an intellectual-property lawsuit, but such an
earthy style is a perfect fit for the sweet, melancholic sounds of tracks
like "Better People." Rudd seems at his strongest when at his simplest:
Songs like "Land Rights" and "Whirlpool" work his world-music influences
into a cohesive and original-sounding whole without overdoing it. Jeff
Vrabel
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 6, 8, 10, 13
REVIEWER: allmusicguide.com

also added this week, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
The National Boxer Beggars Banquet
Dobet Gnahore Na Afriki Cumbancha
John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band Music Maker

7.10.07

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST:The Magic Numbers
TITLE:Those the Brokes (Astralwerks)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT/UK
GRADE:
REVIEW:This band took their native UK by storm with their debut album in
2005 and throughout 2006, they became a fast favorite in North America and
made their mark as a continued presence in festivals and concert circuits
touring with the likes of the Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Feist, Bright
Eyes, and more of your favourite bands. For those of you who havent heard
their music, think wistful like Nick Drake or Death Cab for Cutie, but
much happier la the Flaming Lips and altogether sweeter (they are two
sets of siblings, after all). Those The Brokes follows the bands
award-winning self-titled smash debut album and is a quieter, warmer and
more intimate album as the band sifts through intense emotional themes of
love, loss, desire, and temptation. Although most of the themes on this
album go skin deep to hit some nerves, it is by no means draining. It is
captivating and emotionally raw and the bands signature melodies and
lyrics will likely have you whistling to these catchy, pop perfected tunes
almost instantly, even if they happen to be about heavy-loaded subjects.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9
REVIEWER: venuszine.com

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST:Stars
TITLE:Do You Trust Your Friends (Arts & Crafts)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT/MONTREAL SCENE
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Do You Trust Your Friends? is a song for song remix/cover album of
Stars 2004 orchestral-pop gem Set Yourself on Fire, with a clever name.
Interesting concept (what would it be like to produce your own tribute
album, handpicking which artists you want covering your work?) or simply
cheap filler until a band can release original material? For Stars fans,
its probably a combination of both, what with the varied results from some
of their friends whove either opted for a strict remix (Junior Boys Sleep
Tonight) or cover (Jason Colletts Reunion). In fact, that latter cover is
probably one of the most exceptional reinterpretations of the Stars'
quietly beautiful pop as the Broken Social Scene alumnus transforms the
song into swaggering 70s blues rock. Theres also the Apostle of Hustle who
makes One More Night into a lost Matthew Sweet track, albeit one with lots
of samples, and Final Fantasys remix of Your Ex-Lover is Dead, which keeps
the original vocals intact but dumps the instrumentation in favor of soft
strings and piano in order to highlight the dramatic orchestral movements.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 7, 8, 13
REVIEWER: venuszine.com

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST:The Polyphonic Spree
TITLE:The Fragile Army (TVT)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE:A
REVIEW:From beginning to end, the albums lyrics are happy and hopeful
exactly what one would expect from the Polyphonic Spree, and exactly the
opposite of what one would expect from an army. The Fragile Army uses the
same optimistic themes as The Beginning Stage Of and Together Were Heavy,
but takes the music to a whole new level. Running Away, the first single
from The Fragile Army, starts with a blast of electric guitar, horns, and
drums before DeLaughter and the choir take over. Between the layered
harmonies in the choir, random shredding and melodic scales on guitar, and
flute trills, its hard to keep track of everything going on, but it all
comes together at the end with a Brady Bunch-like unison chorus. The
albums title track starts off slow with DeLaughter and a piano, then
slowly pulls in other instruments before pausing to go into the second
movement, where the army lets loose into a theatrical circus of racing
horns and siren-like sound effects. The beginning of We Crawl sounds like
the beginning of a cheesy, lets-all-live-in-peace middle school choir
song, starting with a delicate piano solo and the warm plucking of a harp.
But even so, its the prettiest song on the album. While We Crawl will have
fans waving their lighters, Mental Cabaret will get them on their feet
dancing. A polished version of the psychedelic opener on the Sprees Wait
EP, the toe-tapping track has a synth-heavy, Scissor Sisterslike feel,
complete with handclaps. The new version has bigger choruses, a fuller
sound, and more depth. Following the electronic theme, a synthesizer and
steady drum-machine beat kick off Light to Follow, a catchy track with the
repetitive, unison chorus of Everyone needs their own light they can
follow. After a buildup of wailing guitar solos and simple drum rhythms,
it fades away to a melodic sigh from the choir. The Fragile Army
definitely sounds best when listened to all at once, because each song
flows perfectly into the next without a second of wait time. While the
Sprees previous albums have been more on the mellow side, The Fragile Army
ups the tempo, adds more variety, and finally secures the bands spot as
more than just a novelty act.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9
REVIEWER: venuszine.com

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST: Augie March
TITLE: Moo You Bloody Choir
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM/AUSTRALIA
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: Australia's great export Augie March will be releasing their
record Moo You Bloody Choir on August 7th on Jive/Zomba records. There are
a lot of treats on this record which has some really good singles, but
serves better listened to as a whole. The largely magnificent pop number
One Crowded Hour starts off slow and builds to a powder keg ignition that
refuses to let up. The Cold Acre is one of the best songs with its
mysterious tone and good chord changes. The solid song writing of Mother
Green falls somewhere between The Waterboys, Blue Aeroplanes, and David
Gray on a good day. The Honey Month changes the tone, beginning with a
carnivelesque intro which follows into a smokey saturated reverbed-out
feel, which shimmers, captivates, builds and finally destroys. The raving
Just Passing Through comes out of nowhere and is like a speed train that
just builds in intensity, never letting up with its stark vocal effect and
driving beat. Thin Captain Crackers is reminiscent of Skylarking era XTC,
with its wondrously swirling chorus and numerous hooks. Bottle Baby has a
much more indigenous and personal feel, serving as both call and
proclamation, and turning into one of the albums most emotional numbers.
The Baron Of Sentiment is a song of country flare and end of the night
drunken goodbyes. Of course in terms of sentiment, the record climaxes
with the heart wrenchingly stellar There Is No Such Place which
incorporates spare arrangements to magnify the feeling. Clockwork goes a
different direction entirely, sounding like a cross between the band Low
and especially the band Acetone in another reverb laden song. Auggie March
leave us with Vernoona, which is all in all a joyous, triumphant, and
celebratory finale. Moo You Bloody Choir will surprise you the first few
times around. It is full of well constructed songs that convey feelings in
a multitude of manners, and surely there is something here for anyone that
likes good popular music.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13
REVIEWER: somewhere on the internet....

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST:Rasputina
TITLE:Oh Perilous World (Filthy Bonnet)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: As Popmatters once noted, Rasputina balances Edward Goreyish
Victorian trappingsreimagined traditional folk songs, lurid frontier
narratives, sampled field recordings and other vaguely period
embellishmentshammy dramatic reading gorgeously spooky openers, and
manages to sneak a catchy melody into all the eerie atmospherics. Well, at
least on the last record. This time round, Melora Creager haunts history
again, though opting for a post-goth, gobbling-eyed
fantasy-meets-speculative fiction ode to 1816, the year without summer,
the mini-ice age, in which Mary Shelley holed up in a cold home and sired
Frankenstein just to lift her spirits and the volcano Tambora burst
hellfire. Andy Whitman of Paste magazine scribes this partial lyrical
synopsis with clarity and gusto: In Old Yellowcake utilizes imagery of the
destruction of Fallujah. This is coupled with the albums overall narrative
of Mary Todd Lincoln as Queen of Florida, with her blimp armies having
attacked Pitcairn Island, where Fletcher Christians son Thursday emerges
as a resistance icon, before the records grand end and subsequent
denouement. Thats a mouthful. The album spins a world worthy of Pirates of
the Caribbean sequences, with deliriously dramatic surges that gel Kronos
Quartet angularity with Tori Amos vocal squirminess.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11
REVIEWER: leftofthedialmag.com

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST:The Chemical Brothers
TITLE: We Are The Night (Astralwerks)
GENRE: ELECTRONIC
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Approaching their sixth album, the Chemical Brothers may have felt
like James Murphy did on LCD Soundsystem's Losing My Edge - that "the
kids" are coming up from behind. With young pups Justice and Digitalism
currently white-hot in dance circles, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have a
lot to prove if they are to live up to what their album title claims. They
do so brilliantly on Do It Again, a subterranean romp with east-London
hipster Ali Love questioning his hedonistic pursuits; and the Klaxons hint
that there will be life after rave as the new Blur on All Rights Reversed.
On an album already steeped in psychedelia, it seems a given that The
Pills Won't Help You Now will be about a bad batch of ecstasy; this
Midlake collaboration is emotionally taut and heartfelt. With their
reputations at stake, the Chems have conjured their most brilliant work
since 1999's Surrender. Losing their edge? Not a bit of it.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 5, 10, 12
FCC: 7
REVIEWER: guardian.co.uk

DATE:7.10.07
ARTIST: Spoon
TITLE:Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:Britt Daniel, Jim Eno, and company keep finding ways to challenge
themselves and their listeners by working within the same basic,
streamlined sonic framework they crafted on Girls Can Tell, adding a few
new twists here and there with each album. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga just might be
the most winning update on this approach since Girls Can Tell itself: each
song is as carefully and creatively pruned as a bonsai tree, with nothing
fussy or superfluous to mar the clean lines of the songwriting or
arrangements. The band maps out Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's territory within the
first three tracks. "Don't Make Me a Target" is a sleek yet gritty
prologue designed to draw listeners in like Fiction's "The Beast and
Dragon, Adored," and its seductive pull only heightens the impact of "The
Ghost of You Lingers." "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"'s homage to blue-eyed
soul delivers them in abundance. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's songs are svelte,
especially compared to Gimme Fiction, yet they're far from starved.
Interesting details decorate the margins of these songs, whether it's the
studio chatter that revs up "Don't You Evah" or the fascinatingly
fragmented lyrics of "Eddie's Ragga" ("there ain't no getting over Joanie
Hale-Maier"). Jon Brion pops up bass, chamberlain, and production duties
on "The Underdog," one of Spoon's bounciest, brassiest nods to classic pop
in a long time, and a perfect contrast to the exotic, spooky minimalism of
"My Little Japanese Cigarette Case"'s shivery kotos and Spanish guitars.
Concise and lively ("Black Like Me" is as close as the album gets to a
ballad), Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a remarkable blend of focus and creativity;
even if Spoon's modus operandi seems overly regimented on paper, the
results are just as elegant as they are fun.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10
REVIEWER: allmusicguide.com

DATE: 7.10.07
ARTIST: Crowded House
TITLE: Time On Earth (ATO)
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Coming together over the 2005 death of original drummer Paul
Hester, the guys thought that it was as good a time as any to give it a
whirl again. So they picked up what was originally planned as another Neil
Finn solo disc, dusted off some of the old magic that made them
international stars in the 80s and came out sounding like they havent
missed a beat in the 14 years since the last official Crowded House album
saw the light of day. Finns chops remain the perfect mix of sweet and
sentimental, riding along the dreamy pop-rock that goes from the swaying
hooks of Nobody Wants To to the perky-yet-ultimately depressing She Called
Up. Who knows how this would have turned out as a solo record, but from
the sounds of it, getting the band back together expands the parameters of
where Finn goes musically. Standout Pour le Monde is like a post-Beatles
Lennon classic; hushed vocals and sweet strings demand that you focus on
the sadness of You Are the One to Make Me Cry; while Dont Stop Now and
Even a Child get a little extra gas thanks to the guitar work of
legend/new Modest Mouser Johnny Marr. British soul singer Beth Rowley even
injects a little of that magic into Transit Lounge.Tragedy may have been
the impetus for this, but at least the Crowded House guys can confidently
say their time on Earth is currently well-spent.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12
REVIEWER: filter-mag.com

DATE:7.10.07
ARTIST: The Bongos
TITLE:Drums Across the Hudson (Cooking Vinyl)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT/early 80s
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: This was one of my favorite albums of the early 80s. Taut,
angular, hooky pop/rock songs with great vocals and distinctive guitar
lines. The live tracks and the Moby remix are coo, but nothing
ultra-special. To me, the original studio tracks stand up to the test of
time.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB

7.17.07

DATE: 7.17.07
ARTIST:Mark Ronson
TITLE:Version (RCA)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: London-born, New York-bred Mark Ronson went from in-demand club DJ
to hotshot producer with credits for Nikka Costa, Chicago rapper Rhymefest
and, most recently, potent British exports Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen.
The concept for "Version" is so particular, however, that it would be
absurd to describe it as a solo record. It's really about Ronson defining
his production aesthetic, which he derives in a large part from ska, '60s
soul and '90s big-beat dance music--with flashes of old-school hip-hop.
"On Version," Ronson marries cover tunes, mainly Brit pop-rock from the
likes of Coldplay, The Jam, Radiohead and Kaiser Chiefs, with pop
singers--not just British ones--and wraps em in his unabashedly retro
arrangements. Phantom Planet guest on Radiohead's "Just," which seems too
easy a fit. The Dapking Horns play "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" and
turn it into something off a swinging spy soundtrack. The best moment
comes with Brooklyn duo Santo Gold's guest spot on a vaguely Afro-dubby
"Pretty Green." Winehouse's turn on the dreamy, Bandstand-worthy "Valerie"
sends us out on a high note because it's basically a bonus track from her
excellent album.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
REVIEWER: livedaily.com

DATE: 7.17.07
ARTIST:Suzanne Vega
TITLE:Beauty and Crime (Blue Note)
GENRE:ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE:
REVIEW:Beauty and Crime is a lengthy meditation on the city of New York,
the place she calls home. These songs glide like a harlequin's ghost
through the hearts and minds of city residents past and present, on its
streets, in its hotels, apartments, in every corner of the city. There is
more than the hint of memory on Beauty and Crime. The album is dedicated
to the memory of her brother Tim, who lived on "Ludlow Street" -- the name
of the set's second cut, a searing and simply moving tribute to him -- and
cites as muses in part "...Edith Wharton and all her heroines...and Frank
Sinatra and Ava Gardener for their passion," and who have songs named for
them here. In doing so, 9/11 itself cannot be left out of the equation,
and the album's final two cuts deal with personal versions of this story,
one of which is informed by her brother-in-law Angel Ruiz, a New York City
cop stationed at Ground Zero after the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Most of these songs look at life in the interim, or remembering what the
city was like in the '70s as on the cut "Zephyr and I." Musically, this is
easily her most adventurous record ever; yet it is also more accessible
than any album since her debut. The dreamy soundscape contains layers of
guitars, percussion (organic, electronic and live, in one case) strings,
reeds, brass, and backing singers (including daughter Ruby Froom who
appears on a couple of cuts, and KT Tunstall who appears once). But it's
the sound of Vega's acoustic guitar on all these songs that is
unmistakably at the top and provides the album's anchor.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11
REVIEWER:~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

DATE: 7.17.07
ARTIST:Papa Grows Funk
TITLE: Mr. Patterson's Hat (Funky Krewe)
GENRE: LOUISIANA/NAWLINS FUNK
GRADE: A
REVIEW: The third studio album by this popular New Orleans funk/jam band
is in a sense their first studio album the first devoted to five-minute
songs instead of the long grooves they do on stage. Its also their first
post-Katrina studio album, and that means a change in their usual
party-band vibe. The disc is about holding onto the spirit of New Orleans,
whether theyre saluting the Mardi Gras Indian tradition or an admired
local character (Im glad hes still around, goes the chorus of John Brown)
or just playing a lot of old-school, Meters-derived funk. Tootie Montana
is indeed funky, but its also the most serious thing this band have yet
done. Based on the story of an Indian chief who died of a heart attack
while testifying about police misconduct during Mardi Gras, it addresses
both that incident and post-Katrina violence with the insistent chorus
This has gotta stop. Along with the equally topical Walk in Our Own Shoes,
its a song that could become a Crescent City standard. The instrumentals
here are fun but less exciting the band sound a bit reined-in, and
leader/keyboardist John Papa Gros gives almost all the solo space to
saxophonist Jason Mingledorff, leaving too little for himself. Still, it
should provide fuel for those live workouts.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13

DATE: 7.17.07
ARTIST:Various Artists
TITLE:Healing the Divide (Anti)
GENRE: hard to classify due to artist variety/so let's call it folk...
GRADE: A
REVIEW: A wild variety of artists recorded at a 2003 benefit concert for
Tibetan causes. Any album that opens with the Dalai Lama and ends with Tom
Waits has a wide range. In between are exotic items such as
chanting/throat-singing Tibetan Monks, Anoushka Shankar, Philip Glass with
Foday Musa Suso. The highlight for me though are the four tracks of Tom
Waits with Kronos Quartet. Kronos is all stripped down and minimal, which
helps them dig into the taut rhythms at the core of Waits' songs. Waits
himself is in fine form, snappy and growling.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3(Shankar), 4(Glass/Suso), 6, 7, 8, 9 (last 4 Tom
Waits)
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB

DATE:7.17.07
ARTIST: M. Ward
TITLE: Duet for Guitars #2 (Merge)
GENRE: rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Just because the likes of Post-War helped solidify his place on
the musical map should not discount Ward's early work, though. In fact,
most of the pieces are already in place on Ward's debut Duet for Guitars
#2, originally released back in 2000 on Howe Gelb's Ow Om label. If Ward's
subsequent albums explored antiquated sounds by way of artifice, Duet for
Guitars #2 came about the vibe naturally: it sounds ragged and lo-fi
because it is, recorded on a shoe string but not necessarily the worse for
it. In fact, the by-default austerity adds a lot to songs like "Good
News", "Were You There?" and "Who May Be Lazy", though "Look Me Over" and
the too-short "Fishing Boat Song" would have benefited from the clarity a
better studio provides. There are certainly some lo-fi cobwebs draped over
"Beautiful Car" and "Not a Gang" as well, but the dusty atmosphere works
fine for what Ward is getting at. Elsewhere the two "duet" songs, "Duet
for Guitars #2" (which starts the record) and "Duet for Guitars #1" (which
ends it) even reveal a bit of the John Fahey fascination that bore strange
fruit with Ward's appearance on the Fahey tribute I Am the Resurrection.
The folk underpinnings of Duet for Guitars #2 point forward to what Ward
most recently achieved with Post-War, just as every moment of Post-War
(and each Ward disc in between) looks back to that first album, where he
began.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16
REVIEWER:popmatters.com

DATE:7.17.07
ARTIST: The Gourds
TITLE:Noble Creatures (Yep Roc)
GENRE: country/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: With the release of their ninth studio album in 10 years, the
Gourds have hit a rewarding midlife crisis. Noble Creatures ponders both
domestic yearning and ribald wandering, tempering contentment with want
and regret with disillusion, all woven across a typical Gourdian knot of
oblique allusions and wide-ranging roots styles. Buttressing the balance
is the Austin group's foray into balladry, announced with the spectacular
pining of "Promenade." "Last Letter" and "Steeple Full of Swallows" follow
suit, though more cryptic in their longing. The Gourds have hardly
mellowed with age, however, romping through the Cajun fiddle of "Cranky
Mulatto," banjo holler of "Flavor on the Tongue," and unexpected pop spin
of "The Gyroscopic," which advises "Save Ulysses for another day the
sluts are comin', the big orgy just one day away. Wake up with Beatrice in
the bushes; only in horniness will we prevail." After all, what's a more
middle-aged denial than shunning Joyce's everyman and apocalyptically
shagging Dante's beatific ideal?
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 11
FCC: 4, 12, 14
REVIEWER: austinchronicle.com

DATE:7.17.07
ARTIST:The Born Again Floozies 7
TITLE:Deadly Sinners (Triple R)
GENRE:
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: TBAF is an odd (bordering on novelty) band from Indianapolis. They
feature a tuba, two tap dancers and a songwriting approach that combines
frontier dancehall atmospheres with modern themes. Crazy, man. Recorded by
Steve Albini.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB

DATE:7.17.07
ARTIST: Joan Osborne
TITLE: Breakfast in Bed (Time Life)
GENRE: SOUL/r&b
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:On Breakfast in Bed, Joan Osborne tackles a crop of hand-picked
soul and R&B favorites with equal parts sass and sensitivity. Long an
underappreciated artist, Osborne is a performer with the wisdom to
exercise vocal restraint for an effect that's more Dusty Springfield than
Christina Aguilera. Her fine previous outing interpreting soul standards
was aptly titled How Sweet It Is, and witness her contribution to the
terrific 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, where Osborne's
astute readings of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Heatwave"
outshone performers like Ben Harper and Gerald Levert (happily, both songs
are included here). The title track and Hall and Oates' "Sara Smile" are
both canny choices that play to her strengths in delivering credible
blue-eyed soul, and six new Osborne-penned songs fit neatly into the
record. If her compositions pale a bit next to the classics she covers
(with the sultry and slithery exception of the excellent "Eliminate the
Night"), give Osborne credit for bravely placing herself side-by-side with
songwriting luminaries like Holland-Dozier-Holland and Bill Withers.
Breakfast in Bed makes for a leisurely listen on a sunny Sunday morning,
so put up your feet and stay awhile.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 7, 9, 15, 16
REVIEWER: --Ben Heege allmusicguide.com

DATE: 7.17.07
ARTIST:John Vanderslice
TITLE:Emerald City (Barsuk)
GENRE: rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: John wrote the bulk of his new album, emerald city (out July 24),
while knee-deep in legal limbo after a visa application for his
girlfriend, a French national he met in Paris, was rejected by US
Immigration. The songs and themes are fueled by an era of deep insecurity
and paranoia; they develop in front of a backdrop of ritualized and
mythologized current events. Lyrically, JV's characters and storytellers
track Manifest Destiny from burning wagon wheels to two-bedroom homes with
full amenities in Bakersfield, California. Along that rough road, there
are bewildered commemorations, peace-lovers and revenge-lusters, psychotic
reactions to unnamed episodes, and the grief-stricken and the
vengeance-hungry wrapped up in the same skin. Weaving throughout the
entire album is the ever present danger of opposition. But at its
simplest, emerald city is made up of JV's love songs confused and angry,
afraid and defeated. The red tape tie-up for JV and his girl remains
unresolved.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9
REVIEWER: barsuk records PR

DATE: 7.17.07
ARTIST: Johnny Irion
TITLE: Ex Tempore
GENRE: folk/ss
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: This is quite a switch from Johhny Irion's previous solo work and
his duo work with sarah Lee Guthrie, which hangs in the general area known
as Americana. There's a sense of American roots music on Ex Tempore, but
much moreso a plaintive lonesome vibe enhanced by lush arrangements and
very little twang. Johnny's voice hangs even higher than the young Neil
Young.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB

7.23.07

DATE: 7.23.07
ARTIST:Over the Rhine
TITLE: The Trumpet Child (Stereophonic)
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Over the Rhine just gets better all the time. Especially the
singing of Karin Berquist. There is a creative intensity to Karin and
Linford's work that undoubtedly comes from the fact that they are married.
Sometimes this intensity leaps out but ost of the time it's a slow, subtle
burn. Song styles range from country-ish to jazzy.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11
REVIEWER: Jim Manion

DATE: 7.23.07
ARTIST:Minnie Driver
TITLE: Seastories (Zoe)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Leaning toward roots Americana, with blues and folk flourishes,
"Seastories" is the solidly crafted new album from Minnie Driver. Yes,
Minnie Driver the actress from films such as "Good Will Hunting," "Gross
Pointe Blank," "The Governess," blah, blah, blah. But this is no glamour
project for the Oscar-nominated actress. She adds Ryan Adams and his band,
the Cardinals, for four of the 12 songs, and guest vocalist Liz Phair for
the fare-thee-well tune "Sorry Baby." Thematically, the material stays
close to love and its many heartbreaks, demons, disappointments, etc. The
important thing is that this is no karaoke coalition. Driver can indeed
sing, and her soulful, smooth voice lends itself well to the material. She
is both believable and adept as a singer and as a songwriter. Her best
ground for legitimacy, however, is that most of the album was captured
live in the studio, some tracks in one take. The lack of dubbing and
multitracking is very noticeable as it retains a warm, personal quality
devoid of the pretension one might expect from a celebrity. There's even
good advice in tracks such as "How To Be Good," (hint: love yourself
first). The advice isn't always for the brokenhearted; sometimes it's
intended for potential loves as in "Stars & Satellites," a midtempo,
alt-country piece one might expect from Neko Case or Jesse Sykes that,
over a slight slide guitar, advises a beau to ask the right questions. The
most up-tempo the album gets is "King Without a Queen," a country-tinged
piece of boogie with some western scuttle painting its underneath.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11
REVIEWER: www.seattlepi.com

DATE: 7.23.07
ARTIST:Gogol Bordello
TITLE:Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
GENRE:INTERNATIONAL/GYPSY PUNK
GRADE: A
REVIEW:The latest record from Eugene Hutz and his multicoloured, ragged
troupe of gypsy punks, sounds at once instantly familiar and quite unlike
anything youll hear this year. Based in New York but blowing in from
anywhere, via Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Florida, and Scotland, Gogol
Bordello might not have quite broken into the worldwide charts last year,
but a bit of radio airplay here and there, some sweaty, swelling live
shows, and a handful of festival stealing appearances, saw their
moustached cultural revolution pick up considerable momentum. Certainly
not since The Pogues staggered, smashed, and broke hearts all over the
world, has a band taken the spirit of their traditional folk music and
whipped it up into such a ferociously exciting storm. Super Taranta! sees
no let up, or easing off the tested Gogol formula of theatrical immigrant
eastern punk and, in truth, its even more of a slap in the face than Gypsy
Punks: Underdog World Strike. Things kick off with Ultimate, surely the
most immediate blast of the Gogol Bordello sound possible. Wonderlust
King, with its almost sing-a-long pop chorus, and the gridlocked Manhattan
cool of Zina Maria, adds to an exhilarating opening trio of songs. Its
also apparent straight away that Eugene Hutz remains one of the most
fantastically mentalist frontmen in rock and roll. More like the
ringleader of an unruly circus that a vocalist, he rants and raves with
manic conviction, even when the broken, tumbling words dont actually seem
to be making any sense. Super Taranta! is, at heart, a riotous, utterly
bonkers, brilliant party album from one of the worlds greatest dance
bands. What more could you want? RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 14
REVIEWER: allmusicguide.com

DATE: 7.23.07
ARTIST:Mick Harvey
TITLE:Two Diamonds (Mute)
GENRE:rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Although you might not recognize his name, his work has been an
essential part of The Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party, supporting the
massive talent that is Nick Cave. He supported Simon Bonney in Crime and
the City Solution, and has even made a decent living scoring films to make
a director's vision come true. With Two of Diamonds, his fourth proper
solo effort, Harvey continues what's made him almost-famous: Working with
other's ideas. Two of Diamonds doesn't stray too far from expectations, as
Harvey pulls out the dark, lush and sophisticated pop/rock arrangements of
his days with The Bad Seeds. Harvey lets his ear for erudite pop guide him
through an album of Leonard Cohen-like atmospheres filled with just enough
snark to reveal Harvey as a card-carrying Bad Seed. "Walk on the Wild
Side" puts roots guitars in a shadowy twilight world where an organ has
one foot in the nightclub and the other in the funeral parlor, as piano
and standup bass slither between after-hours jazz and sophisiti-pop. "Sad
Dark Eyes" and "Everything is Fixed" share an obvious aestheic with the
Seeds as well as a more buttoned-down sound that'll find willing listeners
in fans of The National. "I Don't Want You on My Mind," "Home is Far From
Here" and a shot at PJ Harvey's "Out of Time Man" show a mournful, almost
tender side, that belies the creepy-crawly reputation that comes with The
Bad Seeds.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 12
REVIEWER: www.aversion.com

DATE:7.23.07
ARTIST:Bob Marley
TITLE:Roots, Rock, Remixed (Tuff Gong)
GENRE:REGGAE/REMIXED
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Some say it's a sacriledge, others say it's brilliant, this
remixing of Marley classics by modern techno/dub knob twiddlers. I guess
it depends on whether you appreciate the concept of remixing itself. If
you do, you'll find lots to like here. The remixes are fairly radical,
yet retain the original flavor of the songs.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 12
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB

DATE: 7.23.07
ARTIST: Teddy Thompson
TITLE:Upfront & Down Low (Verve Forecast)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Given Teddy Thompson's talent as a songwriter and the cool,
intelligent folk-rock leanings of his first two albums, he would hardly
seem like a likely candidate to record an album of covers, especially one
devoted to interpretations of old-school country classics made famous by
the likes of George Jones, Ernest Tubb, Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard.
But that's just what Thompson has done with his third album, Upfront &
Down Low, and while the arrangements occasionally refer to the honky tonk
roots of these songs, for the most part Thompson strives to give these
tunes a fresh interpretation, and the secret theme of this album seems to
be one songwriter paying homage to gifted colleagues in his field.
Thompson's voice is essentially devoid of any southern twang, and his
phrasing owes little clear allegiance to traditional country styles, but
he clearly understands the emotional weight of the songs on this album,
and his performances allows these classic tunes to be heard by fresh ears
in a new context. While you can't take "She Thinks I Still Care" away from
George Jones, and Ernest Tubb will always be linked to "Walking the Floor
Over You," Thompson's renditions cast them in a new light, and his clear,
unforced but emotionally resonant performances offer a striking reminder
of how strong and timeless they really are.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11
REVIEWER: www.allmusicguide.com

DATE:7.23.07
ARTIST:Fionn Regan
TITLE:The End of History (Lost Highway)
GENRE: FOLK/SS/IRELAND
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: In terms of the folk singer or singer/ songwriter thing, many
attempt the masquerade, however few artists go the distance. The dividing
line is authenticity. It really requires little investigation to tell if a
singer means what he says. From the moment Fionn Regans The End Of History
(on Lost Highway Records) begins with Be Good Or Be Gone, it is obvious
that this is going to be a good one. The music ranges from folk style to
more straight forward songs which seem a little too heartfelt to be called
pop, no matter how melodious they are. Overall, all of the songs have an
emotional characteristic which will draw the listener into the tune. Album
closer "Bunker or Basement" starts with a riff on the acoustic and then
the piano comes in to adorn Fionn Regans voice on this bittersweet slow
burner. When I first heard Fionn a few years back I was drawn to the
guitar playing and the lyrics, but the voice is great, because it has this
serious but hopeful tone that glides over the music. Finally, if I had to
file Fionn Regan somewhere it would be in the Ive kind of got a heavy
heart, but I can definitely see past this nonsense section.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12
REVIEWER: parasitesandsycophants.blogspot.com

DATE:7.23.07
ARTIST:The Section Quartet
TITLE:Fuzzbox (Decca)
GENRE:CLASSICAL/ROCK
GRADE: A
REVIEW: With FUZZBOX violinists Eric Gorfain and Daphne Chen, violist Leah
Katz and cellist Richard Dodd have strikingly re-imagined tracks by
Radiohead, the Strokes, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, David
Bowie, The Postal Service, Failure, Soundgarden, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Muse.
Helmed primarily by celebrated producer/songwriter Linda Perry (4 Non
Blondes, Christina Aguilera), FUZZBOX is a shining example of why The
Section Quartet has become the string ensemble of choice for progressive
underground artists, chart-topping rock bands, and even pop divas: their
unique approach. "We think of ourselves as a rock band that just happens
to play classical instruments. We bring the rock & roll attitude to the
table," says Gorfain. On FUZZBOX The Section Quartet's versions of
Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" and Queens of the Stone Age's "No One Knows" are
massive and hard-rocking, while their interpretations of Soundgarden's
"Black Hole Sun" and Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" prove epic and
enveloping. With Perry producingshe has worked with the quartet ever since
her production of "Beautiful" for AguileraThe Strokes' "Juicebox" and
Muse's "Time Is Running Out" are ballsy and innovative.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
REVIEWER:ALLMUSICGUIDE

also added this week, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
B-Side Players Fire in the Youth Concord Picante
Marie Knight Let's Get Together M.C. Records

7.30.07

DATE: 7.30.07
ARTIST: Sam Baker
TITLE:Pretty World (Sam Baker Music)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A+++
REVIEW: Devastatingly beautiful. That's the best way to describe Sam
Baker's Pretty World. And the superlatives don't end there. "Odessa" just
may be one of the finest songs I've ever heard, intricately interweaving
the traditional "Hard Times Come Again No More" with the tale of an oil
baron whose besotted self-indulgence takes the life of his young love.
It's a loss he never can shake, despite growing riches from the
ever-flowing West Texas crude. And it's a rich novella, told in under 6
minutes. As on his 2004 debut Mercy, Baker celebrates humanity in all of
our sacred-and-profane intricacies. "Pretty World" and especially "Sweetly
Undone" border on the artfully erotic. Yet darkness lurks in the sadistic
taskmaster of "Psychic" and particularly the haunting memories of "Broken
Fingers". Baker was seriously injured in a train attacked by Peruvian
guerrillas in 1986, and in the years following he worked on recovery both
physical and spiritual. He refined his storytelling, learned to play
guitar with his left hand, and, through vocals irreparably altered by the
bombing, began to share his wonder at the beautiful complexity of life.
His songs are meticulously crafted and almost Cormac McCarthy-ian in their
restraint. There are no wasted syllables; there is no wall of sound.
Instead, we simply hear a man with an acoustic guitar and a scraggly
voice, backed by occasional guitars, strings, and drums. The music is
absorbing, the lyrics moving. Forget concentrating on anything else while
the album plays. Pretty World has dominated my listening for nearly two
months now, each session embedding it a little deeper into my soul. Let it
into yours, too.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10
(Although, they are all good. Not since Townes Van Zandt have I heard such
songs.
JM/WFHB)
REVIEWER: thisistexasmusic.com

DATE: 7.30.07
ARTIST: Kelly Willis
TITLE:Translated from Love (Rykodisc )
GENRE: COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: On Willis first album in five years, she tackles Lust for Life-era
Pop and completes an album of simple beauty ("Stones Throw Away and Sweet
Little One") and friendly beasts ("Teddy Boys and Success"), winding up
with the most unusual album of her career. That the beasts trump beauty is
the fun. The faux ferociousness of Teddy Boys is not a likely single for
Willis in 2007, which is why its wickedly ideal. You might call it plain
bizarre, as if her rockabilly band from her early days has returned,
although the song carries a more powerful punch than her Nashville
recordings from the early 1990s. Elsewhere she sings of rocketships and
doing the twist, although she offers traditional bluegrass ("Losing You")
and aching ballads ("Stones Throw Away") to accompany the
rockabilly.Losing You is bolstered by Greg Leisz on pedal steel and banjo,
while the country blues waltz Stones Throw Away is a standout with its
delicate steel and Willis matter-of-fact pleading. The Tosca String
Quartet, the Austin ensemble that brings cool to every project, sweetens
both songs with cello, viola and violin.
After a respectable sabbatical to tackle the hardest job in the world
(raising children), Willis own songwriting has not lost any of its
exacting charm, but the choice of covers elevates her sixth album beyond
the usual.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
REVIEWER: popmatters.com
(Chuck Prophet fans should note that Chuck produced and co-wrote much of
this material.)

DATE: 7.30.07
ARTIST: Linda Thompson
TITLE:Versatile Heart (Rounder)
GENRE:FOLK/SS
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: Linda Thompson needs no introduction to savvy folk and rock fans
of the last 3 and half decades. As one half of an eponymous folk duo
(Richard & Linda Thompson) they scorched the folk scene of the early
seventies and then burnt the pages with their searing breakup album. She
toured alone until 1985 when she retired with a career threatening throat
disorder and only came back in 2002 with the highly regarded Fashionably
Late. There is a confidence here that is palpable from the first track; a
simple guitar instrumental , then the title track starts with a beautiful
(dont be scared!) colliery band before morphing into the deeply affecting
heart of the song ; next up a delicate duet with Martha Wainwright shot
through with melancholy and regret. Both tracks written in collaboration
with son Teddy Thompson. Then Beauty a string driven lament/commentary
which is just exquisite in its production and in the vocal interplay with
Antony (without his Johnsons). Then the traditional folk of Katy Cruel
followed by the dry, guitar driven Nice Cars. There is a Tom Waits cover
and oh so much more. This CD is a revelation and a triumph; so many styles
and yet such consistency and quality. This reviewer is not easily given to
hyperbole but Versatile Heart is a beautiful , important album. Deeply
lovely stuff.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13
REVIEWER: americanauk.com

DATE:7.30.07
ARTIST: Soulive
TITLE: No Place Like Soul (Stax)
GENRE: SOUL/FUNK
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:With their sixth studio LP, No Place Like Soul (Stax), the New
York-based jazz/funk trio Soulive looks to further distance itself from
the jam band scene. In an attempt to push its sound in a new direction,
the band has added a new member, Boston-based vocalist Toussaint, who
appears on most of the albums tracks. While the addition of vocals
certainly makes the album more appealing to mainstream music fans, they
may turn off music aficionados who listen to Soulive for the arpeggios.
Regardless of whether the addition of a permanent vocalist was a good
move, Soulive does deserve some credit for the new albums genre surfing.
Whereas you could throw on some of the bands earlier releases as
background music and not notice when one song ends and the next begins, No
Place Like Soul does have some variation. Outrage is a fine example of the
Soulives traditional guitar-driven instrumental funky jazz. If This World
Were a Song is a soulful reggae jam. Morning Light, is a chunky soul jam
that makes good use of Toussaint. And Yeah Yeah channels George Clinton
while Bubble is an epic instrumental with a huge sound.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 6, 7, 9, 10, 12
REVIEWER: allhiphop.com

also added this week, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
Zap Mama Supermoon Heads Up
Bishop Allen & The Broken String Dead Oceans
Yesterday's Universe Prepare for a New Yesterday Stone's Throw
Nicole Willis Keep Reachin' Up Light In The Attic
Billie Holiday Remixed & Reimagined Columbia Legacy
Budros Band Budros Band II Dap-Tone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Manion - Music Programming Director
WFHB 91.3/98.1 FM - Bloomington Community Radio
108 W. Fourth Street Bloomington, Indiana 47404
(812) 323-1200
Music Tracking: 1-3pm Eastern on Wednesday - (812) 330-1905
email: ionman@bluemarble.net
listen online: www.wfhb.org
WFHB Music Blog: http://wfhbmusic.blogspot.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Playlist-- 07.31.07 3pm-5pm Afternoon Mix

My radio show playlist from 07.31.07:

Flaming Lips – The Gash // The Soft Bulletin (WB) 1999
Boo Radleys – Giant Steps (Columbia) 1993
Elf Power – All Your Experiments // Vainly Clutching At Phantom Limbs (Arena Rock) 1995/1999 lp
Elliott Smith – Independence Day // XO (Dreamworks) 1998
The Sundays – don't tell mother // DGC Rarities Vol. 1 (DGC) 1994

Low - I Could Live in Hope

Low – Lazy // I Could Live in Hope (Vernon Yard) 1994
Timonium – Self Evidence // Suspende Animation (Pehr) 1996/1999
Vic Chesnutt – Unlike Joni Mitchell // V/A: WUOG 90.5 FM Live in the Lobby (WUOG) 1999

Calexico – Panic Open String // Garden Ruin (Quarterstick) 2006 request
Nick Drake – Tomorrow Is A Long Time // Family Tree (Bryter Music) 2007 compilation
The National – Racing Like a Pro // The Boxer (Beggars Banquet) 2007
The One A.M. Radio – Echoing Airports // This Too Will Pass (Dangerbird) 2007

The White Stripes – Little Cream Soda // Icky Thump (WB) 2007
The Russian Futurists – The First Five Times // V/A: Do You Trust Your Friends? (Arts & Crafts) 2007
Fridge – Comets // The Sun (Temporary Residence) 2007
All Smiles – Moth in a Cloud of Smoke // Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird) 2007

Fridge - The Sun

Dinosaur Jr. – I'm Insane // Hand it Over (Sire) 1997
Galaxie 500 – King of Spain Part Two // This is Our Music (Ryko) 1990/1997
Sleater-Kinney – The End of You // The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars) 1999
Versus – Glitter of Love // Secret Swingers (Caroline) 1996

Built To Spill – Goin' Against Your Mind // You in Reverse (Warner Brothers) 2006
Guided By Voices – My Valuable Hunting Knife // Alien Lanes (Matador) 1995
Johnny Cash – The Man Who Couldn't Cry // American Recordings (American/Sony) 1994

Belle and Sebastian – Electric Renaissance // Tigermilk (Jeepster / Matador) 1996 / 1999
Aislers Set – Mary's Song // Terrible Things Happen (Slumberland) 1998

Not on the show (but maybe should've been?):

Labels: Community Radio, Independent Music, Music, Playlists, Radio, WFHB

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