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NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER
Editor, Michael James McGonigal, associates of amazon.com,bn,tower,cdnow
Home Page
PREVIOUS REVIEWS
POSTED 31 JULY 2001
One CD that we eagerly anticipate, "Someday My Blues Will Cover the
Earth" is the first de facto His Name Is Alive release in 10 years.
It's not only a totally great CD but it's a complete change of
direction for Warren Defever's mostly one-man band. Dropping much of
the ethereal art rock that characterizes HNIA's early recordings,
these funky and stripped-down postmodern soul songs are essentially
vehicles for the sensuous and hypnotic singing of gospel diva
Lovetta Pippen. It's a fascinating, gorgeous, and genre-spanning
disc.
Read more
...available here.
NEW AND NOTABLE
"Damn That DJ Made My Day"
Richard Humpty Vission
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.98
...available here.
Richard Humpty Vission's style of DJ'ing is, above all else, fast.
It's amped-up house music spun by an octopus with eight hands
dropping needles on a relentless barrage of vinyl. On last year's
"Shut the F*** Up and Dance," Vission squeezed 54 songs into a
single disc and somehow made it all flow; his latest, "Damn That DJ
Made My Day," pulls back just a notch, blowing through 34 tunes in
less than an hour. It's the ultimate upper, an energetic, chaotic
freakout session for those particularly long nights of wild youth.
"Wonder Wonder"
Edith Frost
Our price: $14.22 | You save: $0.75
...available here.
Have you ever heard Edith Frost? She's this exceptionally talented
singer-songwriter who's been quietly working in Chicago for years.
Her subtle, idiosyncratic songs explore the netherworld between
alt-country and indie rock; we think her new album, "Wonder Wonder,"
lives up to its name. The production alone, courtesy of rising star
Rian Murphy, is vibrant, inventive, and warm, with touches of Van
Dyk Parks-ish whimsy. Melancholy melodies have rarely sounded so...
melodic.
"Just a Song of Old Kentucky, Vol. 2"
Monroe Brothers
Our price: $14.49 | You save: $1.48
...available here.
Before Bill Monroe made his name as the chief architect of the
driving, high-lonesome bluegrass sound, he and his brother Charlie
made a landmark series of wonderful close-harmony duets of old-time
and gospel songs. "Just a Song of Old Kentucky," the second volume
of the Monroe Brothers' collected recordings, has fewer sacred songs
but no less drive and spark, and it ought to please hardcore fans
and newcomers alike.
"Hot Shots II"
Beta Band
Our price: $12.99 | You save: $3.98
...available here.
While their new record, "Hot Shots II," may not quite reach the
stoned-slacker bliss-pop standards set by the Beta Band's deservedly
lauded early recordings, it has many moments of cracked charm that
will certainly please fans of this inventive Scottish crew of
musical miscreants.
"Bait & Switch"
Andre Williams
Our price: $14.49 | You save: $1.48
...available here.
On "Bait and Switch," the great, underrated soul singer Andre
Williams plays raunchy rhythm and blues like he invented it, which
he sort of did. Williams speaks with authority on the
autobiographical "Soul Brother in Heaven and Hell": "If you stick it
in / You gotta take it out / Everybody knows what life is about."
Cool collaborations like those with Ronnie Spector and Robert Quine
invigorate Williams, accelerate the pace, and push him to further
extremes. And, as anyone who has heard his records with the Sadies
and Jon Spencer knows, he revels in it! Sassy, boozy, and yes,
extremely fun, "Bait and Switch" is the perfect accompaniment to
your next outdoor barbecue party.
"Braille Night"
Ida
Our price: $14.22 | You save: $0.75
...available here.
Is slow, sad, and beautiful your thing? Do the Rain Parade, Low,
Nick Drake, Rainer Maria, Joni Mitchell, Magnetic Fields, and Dirty
Three comprise your ideal rainy-day soundtrack? Then we are certain
you'll be down with the Brooklyn-based band Ida. Their new
collection, "The Braille Night" (recorded at the same time as "Will
You Find Me"), brims with lush and heavenly pop music.
"Can Our Love..."
Tindersticks
Our price: $12.99 | You save: $3.98
...available here.
The fifth studio album from a band that has spanned nearly a
decade, "Can Our Love..." is another achingly tender but far less
ornate effort by the Tindersticks. If you're a fan of Palace, Belle
and Sebastian, Leonard Cohen, PJ Harvey, the Flaming Lips, Cat
Power, and Fred Neil, then this is a CD for you.
ALTERNATIVE ROCK SPOTLIGHT
"The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978)"
Radio Birdman
Our price: $15.19 | You save: $0.80
...available here.
Have you ever heard the great Australian proto-punk band Radio
Birdman, whose power-chord-heavy, snarling, and tightly woven tunes
have caused the pulses of record collectors the world over to soar
dangerously high? Sub Pop has compiled all the essential tunes from
their first two albums and thrown in a few rare live tracks to boot
on the truthfully titled collection "The Essential Radio Birdman
(1974-1978)."
Read more
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LOPY/ncdn">...available here.
RECOMMENDED
"White Blood Cells"
White Stripes
Our price: $11.97
...available here.
A customer from Clinton, South Carolina, recommends "White Blood
Cells" by the White Stripes: "After two great records, this coulda
been White Stripes' major-label debut. Instead, Jack and his sister
stayed with the one that brung 'em and turned out this beauty. Some
might complain that the Stripes have smoothed out the edges a tad,
but that's just nit-picking. The passion is still the same, the
tunes have hooks like Mike Tyson, and your feet can't fight the
feeling."
Read more
...available here.
FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
The Ramones are the Beatles of punk rock. Their music sounds as
fresh today as it did when they debuted over 20 years ago, and not a
single pop-punk band since has surpassed their brilliance. Download
a handful of Ramones tracks, including four rare demos.
Go to download
...available here.
One CD that we eagerly anticipate, "Someday My Blues Will Cover the
Earth" is the first de facto His Name Is Alive release in 10 years.
It's not only a totally great CD but it's a complete change of
direction for Warren Defever's mostly one-man band. Dropping much of
the ethereal art rock that characterizes HNIA's early recordings,
these funky and stripped-down postmodern soul songs are essentially
vehicles for the sensuous and hypnotic singing of gospel diva
Lovetta Pippen. It's a fascinating, gorgeous, and genre-spanning
disc.
Read more
...available here.
NEW AND NOTABLE
"Damn That DJ Made My Day"
Richard Humpty Vission
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.98
...available here.
Richard Humpty Vission's style of DJ'ing is, above all else, fast.
It's amped-up house music spun by an octopus with eight hands
dropping needles on a relentless barrage of vinyl. On last year's
"Shut the F*** Up and Dance," Vission squeezed 54 songs into a
single disc and somehow made it all flow; his latest, "Damn That DJ
Made My Day," pulls back just a notch, blowing through 34 tunes in
less than an hour. It's the ultimate upper, an energetic, chaotic
freakout session for those particularly long nights of wild youth.
"Wonder Wonder"
Edith Frost
Our price: $14.22 | You save: $0.75
...available here.
Have you ever heard Edith Frost? She's this exceptionally talented
singer-songwriter who's been quietly working in Chicago for years.
Her subtle, idiosyncratic songs explore the netherworld between
alt-country and indie rock; we think her new album, "Wonder Wonder,"
lives up to its name. The production alone, courtesy of rising star
Rian Murphy, is vibrant, inventive, and warm, with touches of Van
Dyk Parks-ish whimsy. Melancholy melodies have rarely sounded so...
melodic.
"Just a Song of Old Kentucky, Vol. 2"
Monroe Brothers
Our price: $14.49 | You save: $1.48
...available here.
Before Bill Monroe made his name as the chief architect of the
driving, high-lonesome bluegrass sound, he and his brother Charlie
made a landmark series of wonderful close-harmony duets of old-time
and gospel songs. "Just a Song of Old Kentucky," the second volume
of the Monroe Brothers' collected recordings, has fewer sacred songs
but no less drive and spark, and it ought to please hardcore fans
and newcomers alike.
"Hot Shots II"
Beta Band
Our price: $12.99 | You save: $3.98
...available here.
While their new record, "Hot Shots II," may not quite reach the
stoned-slacker bliss-pop standards set by the Beta Band's deservedly
lauded early recordings, it has many moments of cracked charm that
will certainly please fans of this inventive Scottish crew of
musical miscreants.
"Bait & Switch"
Andre Williams
Our price: $14.49 | You save: $1.48
...available here.
On "Bait and Switch," the great, underrated soul singer Andre
Williams plays raunchy rhythm and blues like he invented it, which
he sort of did. Williams speaks with authority on the
autobiographical "Soul Brother in Heaven and Hell": "If you stick it
in / You gotta take it out / Everybody knows what life is about."
Cool collaborations like those with Ronnie Spector and Robert Quine
invigorate Williams, accelerate the pace, and push him to further
extremes. And, as anyone who has heard his records with the Sadies
and Jon Spencer knows, he revels in it! Sassy, boozy, and yes,
extremely fun, "Bait and Switch" is the perfect accompaniment to
your next outdoor barbecue party.
"Braille Night"
Ida
Our price: $14.22 | You save: $0.75
...available here.
Is slow, sad, and beautiful your thing? Do the Rain Parade, Low,
Nick Drake, Rainer Maria, Joni Mitchell, Magnetic Fields, and Dirty
Three comprise your ideal rainy-day soundtrack? Then we are certain
you'll be down with the Brooklyn-based band Ida. Their new
collection, "The Braille Night" (recorded at the same time as "Will
You Find Me"), brims with lush and heavenly pop music.
"Can Our Love..."
Tindersticks
Our price: $12.99 | You save: $3.98
...available here.
The fifth studio album from a band that has spanned nearly a
decade, "Can Our Love..." is another achingly tender but far less
ornate effort by the Tindersticks. If you're a fan of Palace, Belle
and Sebastian, Leonard Cohen, PJ Harvey, the Flaming Lips, Cat
Power, and Fred Neil, then this is a CD for you.
ALTERNATIVE ROCK SPOTLIGHT
"The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978)"
Radio Birdman
Our price: $15.19 | You save: $0.80
...available here.
Have you ever heard the great Australian proto-punk band Radio
Birdman, whose power-chord-heavy, snarling, and tightly woven tunes
have caused the pulses of record collectors the world over to soar
dangerously high? Sub Pop has compiled all the essential tunes from
their first two albums and thrown in a few rare live tracks to boot
on the truthfully titled collection "The Essential Radio Birdman
(1974-1978)."
Read more
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LOPY/ncdn">...available here.
RECOMMENDED
"White Blood Cells"
White Stripes
Our price: $11.97
...available here.
A customer from Clinton, South Carolina, recommends "White Blood
Cells" by the White Stripes: "After two great records, this coulda
been White Stripes' major-label debut. Instead, Jack and his sister
stayed with the one that brung 'em and turned out this beauty. Some
might complain that the Stripes have smoothed out the edges a tad,
but that's just nit-picking. The passion is still the same, the
tunes have hooks like Mike Tyson, and your feet can't fight the
feeling."
Read more
...available here.
FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
The Ramones are the Beatles of punk rock. Their music sounds as
fresh today as it did when they debuted over 20 years ago, and not a
single pop-punk band since has surpassed their brilliance. Download
a handful of Ramones tracks, including four rare demos.
Go to download
...available here.
POSTED 12 JULY 2001
"White Blood Cells"
White Stripes
...available here.
Why are the White Stripes, a stripped-down blues-punk duo from
Detroit, on everyone's lips as "the next big thing?"
Singer-guitarist Jack White and his standup-drumming ex-wife Meg
sure look great in their color-coordinated red-and-white outfits,
but their music is the true source of the freakouts. Their new
album, "White Blood Cells," bursts with terrific pop songs that
combine sancitified blues and dirty punk rock, all delivered with
garage-band grace.
"Avalon Blues: A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt"
Harper, et al
...available here.
The exquisite country-blues and finger-picked guitar bliss that
Mississippi John Hurt doled out in his 73 years of life has
influenced and charmed entire generations of roots-music lovers.
"Avalon Blues," a Hurt tribute album featuring Chris Smither, Steve
Earle, Dave Alvin, and Taj Mahal, is a vital and compelling
testament to that fact. Tapping into the old master's timeless
melodies and dignified disposition, this varied cast succeeds by
showing that Hurt's music was both essential and utterly universal.
"Ovalcommers"
Oval
...available here.
Markus Popp, the German laptop musician and software developer who
is the wizard behind Oval's digital curtain, is fond of slinging
heavy theory about the meaning of that work. But you don't need to
know any of that stuff to get a kick out of his latest disc,
Ovalcommers. Popp sculpts static and complexly textured tones into
crunching riffs and delicate melodies, then sets them to beats
fashioned from skipping CDs.
"Storm Still Rages"
Rhonda Vincent
...available here.
Rhonda Vincent, the International Bluegrass Music Association's
reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, has returned with the superb
"Storm Still Rages," which showcases her vocal prowess across a
balance of new songs and covers of classic country and bluegrass
material.
"Cold Vein"
Cannibal Ox
...available here.
With Company Flow's El-P at the production helm, it's no surprise
that New York's Cannibal Ox have put out a challenging, dissonant
rap album. Though it makes for uneasy listening, "The Cold Vein" is
also one of the most interesting and apocalyptic albums to come out
of the Big Apple in a while. MCs Vast and Vordul mix grimy street
commentary with vivid surrealism, injecting El-P's lumbering, eerie
production with more vividness.
"World Won't End"
Pernice Brothers
...available here.
"World Won't End," the second album by Joe Pernice's bright-eyed,
decadent pop band, tackles themes of magnificent love, desperate
frustration, and spirit-mangling depression. This is oddly uplifting
music, however, with nods to Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, and Big
Star. The Pernice Brothers wrap the 11 tracks up in a gorgeous whirl
of pedal steel, violin, and cello that's elegant, cathartic, and
really nice to listen to when the sun's out.
"Double Figure"
Plaid
...available here.
"Double Figure" took electronica pioneers Plaid three years to
make, and it definitely is well worth the wait. This album brims
with pleasant melodies, zippy beats, and playful, clattering sounds.
They may not exactly be pushing the edge of contemporary sounds the
way they have in the past, but who can blame them for wanting to
frolic awhile in the fanciful sonic playground they've taken so long
to create.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
"Soul Strike"
Calypso King & The Soul Investigators
...available here.
Do you like your greens with pork, your Hammond with B-3, your
chicken chicken-fried, your soul with more soul? Does it take the
thick, funky, and brutal instrumental soul of the Meters to really
get your mojo working? Then you have to hear Soul Strike! by Calypso
King and the Soul Investigators. This booty-bumping, retro ride is
the latest release on the fabulously cool Soul Fire label.
DANCE & DJ SPOTLIGHT
"Go Plastic"
Squarepusher
...available here.
Raised on jazz and informed by electronic music's cracked
turntablist edge, Squarepusher, a.k.a. Tom Jenkinson, is continually
redefining what the fabric of techno can encompass, pushing the
limits of rhythm with manic, jittery arrangements and bizarre
musical textures. Sped up and cranked to 11, the new record, "Go
Plastic," is a return to the drill & bass sound of his earlier
"Big Loada," but it's devoid of easy classification; songs like the
quirk-pop single "My Red Hot Car" represent new ground in
Jenkinson's particular twisted genius. You'll break something if you
try to dance to it, but if you have a good pair of ears and the
ability to get excited by innovation, Squarepusher's juiced-up brain
twisters can be a revelation.
OUR CUSTOMERS RECOMMEND
"Double Nickels on the Dime"
Minutemen
...available here.
A customer from Cary, North Carolina, recommends "Double Nickels on
the Dime" by the Minutemen: "Nothing escaped the Minutemen's power
of observation, from gangster capitalism and overseas intervention
to leaky apartment ceilings and the youthful jams of aspiring punks.
In the Minutemen's world, heartbreak and humor both held squatter's
rights. Make no mistake: D. Boon (guitar), George Hurley (drums),
and Mike Watt (bass) were the children of punk. Still, it's almost
pointless to categorize Double Nickels because of its stylistic
sprawl, its welcoming embrace of pop's idiomatic diversity (there
are covers of Steely Dan, Creedence Clearwater and, on the original
vinyl, Van Halen), and, of course, its ideological thrust. As
Reagan's revolution continued to torch the working class, Boon was
killed in an automobile accident at the end of 1985; Double Nickels
stands as their finest hour."
ONE FROM LEFT FIELD
"Fixed::Context"
Labradford
...available here.
The cryptic title of Labradford's sixth album, fixed::context,
offers clues about the trio's changing music. The CD's four
instrumentals focus on the evocative melodies articulated by Mark
Nelson's twangy guitar and the textured keyboard work of Carter
Brown. This is solemn, inventive music, the perfect soundtrack for a
solitary stroll down damp and deserted streets.
FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
"From Dream to Daylight" unwinds slowly, lulling you into a
hypnotic state via the interplay between the serene violin playing
of Alexander Balanescu and the electronic minimalism of To Rococo
Rot and I-Sound. The song is taken from the CD "Music Is a Hungry
Ghost."
Go to download
...available here.
"White Blood Cells"
White Stripes
...available here.
Why are the White Stripes, a stripped-down blues-punk duo from
Detroit, on everyone's lips as "the next big thing?"
Singer-guitarist Jack White and his standup-drumming ex-wife Meg
sure look great in their color-coordinated red-and-white outfits,
but their music is the true source of the freakouts. Their new
album, "White Blood Cells," bursts with terrific pop songs that
combine sancitified blues and dirty punk rock, all delivered with
garage-band grace.
"Avalon Blues: A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt"
Harper, et al
...available here.
The exquisite country-blues and finger-picked guitar bliss that
Mississippi John Hurt doled out in his 73 years of life has
influenced and charmed entire generations of roots-music lovers.
"Avalon Blues," a Hurt tribute album featuring Chris Smither, Steve
Earle, Dave Alvin, and Taj Mahal, is a vital and compelling
testament to that fact. Tapping into the old master's timeless
melodies and dignified disposition, this varied cast succeeds by
showing that Hurt's music was both essential and utterly universal.
"Ovalcommers"
Oval
...available here.
Markus Popp, the German laptop musician and software developer who
is the wizard behind Oval's digital curtain, is fond of slinging
heavy theory about the meaning of that work. But you don't need to
know any of that stuff to get a kick out of his latest disc,
Ovalcommers. Popp sculpts static and complexly textured tones into
crunching riffs and delicate melodies, then sets them to beats
fashioned from skipping CDs.
"Storm Still Rages"
Rhonda Vincent
...available here.
Rhonda Vincent, the International Bluegrass Music Association's
reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, has returned with the superb
"Storm Still Rages," which showcases her vocal prowess across a
balance of new songs and covers of classic country and bluegrass
material.
"Cold Vein"
Cannibal Ox
...available here.
With Company Flow's El-P at the production helm, it's no surprise
that New York's Cannibal Ox have put out a challenging, dissonant
rap album. Though it makes for uneasy listening, "The Cold Vein" is
also one of the most interesting and apocalyptic albums to come out
of the Big Apple in a while. MCs Vast and Vordul mix grimy street
commentary with vivid surrealism, injecting El-P's lumbering, eerie
production with more vividness.
"World Won't End"
Pernice Brothers
...available here.
"World Won't End," the second album by Joe Pernice's bright-eyed,
decadent pop band, tackles themes of magnificent love, desperate
frustration, and spirit-mangling depression. This is oddly uplifting
music, however, with nods to Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, and Big
Star. The Pernice Brothers wrap the 11 tracks up in a gorgeous whirl
of pedal steel, violin, and cello that's elegant, cathartic, and
really nice to listen to when the sun's out.
"Double Figure"
Plaid
...available here.
"Double Figure" took electronica pioneers Plaid three years to
make, and it definitely is well worth the wait. This album brims
with pleasant melodies, zippy beats, and playful, clattering sounds.
They may not exactly be pushing the edge of contemporary sounds the
way they have in the past, but who can blame them for wanting to
frolic awhile in the fanciful sonic playground they've taken so long
to create.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
"Soul Strike"
Calypso King & The Soul Investigators
...available here.
Do you like your greens with pork, your Hammond with B-3, your
chicken chicken-fried, your soul with more soul? Does it take the
thick, funky, and brutal instrumental soul of the Meters to really
get your mojo working? Then you have to hear Soul Strike! by Calypso
King and the Soul Investigators. This booty-bumping, retro ride is
the latest release on the fabulously cool Soul Fire label.
DANCE & DJ SPOTLIGHT
"Go Plastic"
Squarepusher
...available here.
Raised on jazz and informed by electronic music's cracked
turntablist edge, Squarepusher, a.k.a. Tom Jenkinson, is continually
redefining what the fabric of techno can encompass, pushing the
limits of rhythm with manic, jittery arrangements and bizarre
musical textures. Sped up and cranked to 11, the new record, "Go
Plastic," is a return to the drill & bass sound of his earlier
"Big Loada," but it's devoid of easy classification; songs like the
quirk-pop single "My Red Hot Car" represent new ground in
Jenkinson's particular twisted genius. You'll break something if you
try to dance to it, but if you have a good pair of ears and the
ability to get excited by innovation, Squarepusher's juiced-up brain
twisters can be a revelation.
OUR CUSTOMERS RECOMMEND
"Double Nickels on the Dime"
Minutemen
...available here.
A customer from Cary, North Carolina, recommends "Double Nickels on
the Dime" by the Minutemen: "Nothing escaped the Minutemen's power
of observation, from gangster capitalism and overseas intervention
to leaky apartment ceilings and the youthful jams of aspiring punks.
In the Minutemen's world, heartbreak and humor both held squatter's
rights. Make no mistake: D. Boon (guitar), George Hurley (drums),
and Mike Watt (bass) were the children of punk. Still, it's almost
pointless to categorize Double Nickels because of its stylistic
sprawl, its welcoming embrace of pop's idiomatic diversity (there
are covers of Steely Dan, Creedence Clearwater and, on the original
vinyl, Van Halen), and, of course, its ideological thrust. As
Reagan's revolution continued to torch the working class, Boon was
killed in an automobile accident at the end of 1985; Double Nickels
stands as their finest hour."
ONE FROM LEFT FIELD
"Fixed::Context"
Labradford
...available here.
The cryptic title of Labradford's sixth album, fixed::context,
offers clues about the trio's changing music. The CD's four
instrumentals focus on the evocative melodies articulated by Mark
Nelson's twangy guitar and the textured keyboard work of Carter
Brown. This is solemn, inventive music, the perfect soundtrack for a
solitary stroll down damp and deserted streets.
FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
"From Dream to Daylight" unwinds slowly, lulling you into a
hypnotic state via the interplay between the serene violin playing
of Alexander Balanescu and the electronic minimalism of To Rococo
Rot and I-Sound. The song is taken from the CD "Music Is a Hungry
Ghost."
Go to download
...available here.
reviews excerpted are copyright © 2001 amazon.com & associate ncdn and CDnow, TowerRecords, Barnes & Nobel associates