Abra Moore On The Way is ready to hit the stores on June 12, 2007 but before it does let me warn you about too much of a good thing. Abra's soprano voice is too sweet to be just a voice. Think of it as another instrument that can pronounce words as well as carry out musical riffs that would be more like soft trumpets or strings. The CD opens with probably the best cut on the entire CD which makes you think that your ears are in for a fantastic treat. Into The Sunset introduces you to Moore's soft wispy vocal style as she sings no, make that breathes a whisper, about a young boy who takes his shirt off in the rain and then at midpoint in the song Will Sexton carries the melody for a few short bars giving it back to Moore for the ultimate musical ending. At this point you find yourself doing a mental Ahhhh! That was pleasantly astounding. Unfortunately on a first time listen to On The Way, you may find yourself going into sugar shock. Too much sweetness needs some getting used to. My advice is to switch to another CD and then come back. It’s like clearing the pallet for a taste of fine wine.

Now check out the track number three, Sugarite OK, the title even sounds sweet, but here in the distant background Abra puts her voice through some amazing runs that sound not unlike some Native American flute artistry. The Jazz/Folk combination sits well on repeat listens. Pay attention to the orchestration and you will realize this is some of the smoothest flowing mixtures of sounds that you may have ever heard. It is clean, airy and refreshing as soft cool raindrops in the heat of summer. Don't forget I warned you, prolonged listening will cause your ears to become significantly overweight.


MSP    

This CD takes a more traditional approach with "Be Thou My Vision", "He Touched Me" the Bill Gaither standard, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" the Ethel Waters classic, "The Old Rugged Cross", an accapella version of the Ray Price, Red Foley, Jimmie Davis classic "Mansion Over The Hilltop". I would love to see this version on Southern Gospel Radio or Country Radio but that won't happen in the foreseeable future. Alan has an incredible voice too and just to make this CD interesting is the song "When Jesus Calls My Name" which Alan sings traditionally then on the 21st and final track Alan remixed this song as the Purly Gatez Dance Mix, I was so unprepared for this shocker, but as the shock wore off it was really good. You just don't hear disco in church! but as I stated if it reaches young people go for it. Alan is an incredible artist and musician as well as producer, so if you chart historians want to buy these two cd's they are available online. Five Stars


CBM    

Elvis Costello once said that “writing about music is like dancing about architechture”. I’ve never felt that more apparent when sitting down and trying to put into words what an experience Alex Delivery’s Star Destroyer is. Should I talk about it’s Krautrock leanings like Faust, Can, and Neu!? Or do I focus on how they take those themes and explore them in ways their forefathers never could? There are moments on Star Destroyer that take instrumetal bleakness and turn those moments around into a quasi-new wave demands to jump up. On the albums first track Komad, Alex Delivery take an annoying synth sting and build a song around it, turnings the synthesizers sharp sting into an anchor in which to hold. The vocals momentarily let this piece become a song, but not for long. At Komad’s meaty ten minute length, the tracks sharp synth becomes the center as the music at first drift away before pulling into rhythmic bliss around it’s halfway point. When that familiar synth sounds alters into a strong melody, Alex Delivery’s styles have shifted greatly in just one half of one song. Much of Komad’s greatness (and Delivery’s) hinges on the rhythm, cementing their ties to the German music of the early seventies

The album opener is just the beginning. Rainbows finds the band ditching the sound from the first track and moving themselves into a cross between The High Llamas and dark noir, an odd combination to say the least, but they more than pull it off. It is a pretty straightforward song until they take the Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch to it for the last thirty seconds of bleep blop heaven. It all seems nessacary, like Alex Delivery are just a few steps ahead of the listener, and the closer you get the more you realize that they are controlling the distance at all times. The slithery techno jazz sliegh ride of Milan set Destroyer off on one of its most bountiful missions. Another song around the ten minute mark, four minutes in Milan finds itself become more and more poppy out from the murky waters in which the songs began. The thing that makes this album so great is that the band doesn’t often add new instruments or arrangements to change the songs. Like all great minimalist composers, Alex Delivery are always working with a musical theme. Sometimes it is not apparent at first, but when the songs reach their upbeat destinations, it is not forced or farfetched; it is inevitable.

Scotty sounds like an orechstrea of the dead are tumbling down the stairs as they lock into place with an eeire mandolin and ‘um-ba-ba’ brass making the whole affiar seem like the carnival out of Bradburry’ Something Wicked This Way Comes. Even at the Scotty’s short two minutes, it is one of the more memorable of the album’s six tracks. After the nightmare concepts of Scotty, Sheath-Wet drops it’s 16-bit sounds right into line and the rythem arrives immediately on the song, something that usually is introduced later on during Star Destroyer’s longer pieces. Sheath-Wet is the best of Star Destroyer’s Glitch-rock and puts the album batting 1000% heading into the last inning. Closer Vesna finds Alex Delivery at their most controlled, recalling the traveling band of ghost musicians on Scotty. Vesna’s back half heads into whimsy and the song pulls out of its intitial dark territory and becomes an optimistic ending to a well balanced and original work of art that is Star Destroyer. Nest week I will be dancing to the work of I.M. Pei.

Check out Alex Delivery rocking out Sheath-Wet live:




Justin Scro    

Recently changing their name to the unfortunate Ha Ha Tonka, Amsterband first came to notice via my wonderful girlfriend who had seen them open for Soul Asylum this fall. The band’s album Buckle In The Bible Belt is surprisingly good. At their worst, the bands sounds tailor made to be the soundtrack to a show on the WB. At their best the sound like the finest in southern rock traditions. Opening track Up Nights breathes comfortably in that space between pop and rock. Amsterband sound like Kings Of Leon would have if they weren’t indie crowd darlings. The albums continues in an upward direction throughout. It is no surprise as the band released this album on their own. Still, the production is top notch and this album could show up on the radio at any moment and I would not be surprised. Every song fits Amsterband’s sound, yet none of them seem repetitive. On of their best traits is the harmonies they sing together, having the natural instinct to beef up the chorus.

Covering the traditional Hangman (made popular as part of Led Zeppelin’s Gallows Pole) finds Amsterband in accapella territory. It works so well that it makes this cover the strongest track so far on Buckle In The Bible Belt. The gentle memory of that song makes way for the albums best track overall, Cure For The Common Cold which finds the band sounding like a mix of themselves the previously mentioned Kings Of Leon and…Interpol? It’s true and it works, the vocals are all Kings, the guitar playing is all Interpol, but the sense of melody is strictly Amsterband. All the compliments mean nothing in comparison to how much I love this track. It elevates Amsterband past any band that remains unheard in America today. The song is catchy and creative in way that sheds great light on where this Illinois band can go.

The rest of the album is very good, but is left somewhere in the middle of all the bands talents. Sometimes an amazing song can burden an album and after the epic Cure For The Common Cold, the last four tracks seem a little tame. Its hard judging a band against itself and I would not want to encourage an artist to retread old ground and try to rip themselves off, but there it is not the sound that makes Cure For The Common Cold so great. It is the dynamic and sense of excitement that they create on. Even still, this band’s album is something worth tracking down.

Here is Amsterband’s video for St. Nick:




Justin Scro    

One of the biggest hypes of recent have been Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, and the have lived up to everything that they have been built up to be; sharp, extremely young and extremely talents. While their first album had some uneven moments, while tracks like When The Sun Goes Down and I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor that gave Monkeys their edge, it was Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’s closer A Certain Romance that exposed a band of young man that could outdo their heroes and influences The Strokes as far as sincerity and story telling went. The lyrics of Alex Turner that make Arctic Monkeys as irreplaceable current as they are, but that is not to say that the band doesn’t pull their weight as they make each song an exciting experience for Alex to use as his page.

Album opener Brianstorm is a short and full on assault. Being the single, it is catchy and direct with it’s subject of an careless Brian and his accidentally on purpose trendsetting ways. Teddy Picker eases up a bit and lets the Monkeys fall into a tight groove in opposition to Brianstorms mechanical rhythms, The songs lyrics are a varied experience, peaking with Alex paraphrasing Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon. D Is For Dangerous suffers from sounding very close to the previous track, though since both are such songs and both quite good, it is forgivable. By fourth track Balaclava it seems the Monkeys have discovered the sophomore slump like many great bands before them. Seeing as the albums came out only a year apart with non-stop touring in between, the Monkeys have made an on the road coke album. The first four songs reveal a band that needs a break. Coming at just the right time is the albums most impressive track so far on Your Favourite Worst Nightmare Fluorescent Adolescence, On this track the lyrics roll off Alex’s tongue showcasing not only what makes his lyrics great, but displaying the delivery that makes Turner a force to be reckoned with. Fluorescent Adolescence makes good on the promises that the Monkeys first album offered.

Thing slow to an ambient opening for the Bowie ballad Only One Who Knows, This track taps right back into the greatness not only of the previous track, but of the Monkeys best song, A Certain Romance. The drums kick back in on the Spies Who Surf-esque Do Me A Favor, feeling like a lost track off of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. Luckily enough, the middle of Your Favorite Worst Nightmare makes the similar tracks that opened the album seem like a mere prelude to the rest of its content. When Do Me A Favor explodes, it immediately joins the ranks of the best songs that Arctic Monkeys have produced in their short career. It is the first song on the album that warrants making a mix cd based on its inclusion.

The Bad Thing ushers in the albums closing three tracks aping on the Monkeys ability to create anthems. The song runs off of the greatness of its short, but tuneful chorus and tight bridge. The albums closing track has the hardest task of facing off against Arctic Monkeys WPSIATWIN closer A Certain Romance. 505 fairs pretty well with the boys again using there guitars in ways not present on their previous effort, but as it was on Do Me A Favor. It is not a bad territory for these young men to be in. While there are moments that feel repetitious, Your Favourite Worst Nightmare’s better moments out weigh its weak and the album gives us some highly memorable tracks such as 505, Brianstorm, Do Me A Favor and This House Is A Circus. As young as they are, there is much more to come from Arctic Monkeys.


Justin Scro    

Some artist takes their whole career to make that album that defines who they are. Billy Bragg let the world know who he was with only seventeen minutes worth of music he recorded on his own. Being one of the shortest albums of all time, Life’s A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy is more memorable than any double disc or full album by 99% of the bands out there. As legend has it, Billy Bragg heard DJ John Peel say that he was hungry so Bragg brought him mushroom biryani and made his way into the BBC to give it to him. A pleased and surprised Peel than asked what he could do for Bragg, Bragg simple gave him the recording of his classic A New England. The song became an instant hit and went to #1. The rest is history. “I don’t want to change the world, I’m just looking for another girl”, Bragg sings backed only by his electric guitar. There is not another sound on the entirety of the album besides Bragg and his electric guitar, making this album a singer/songwriter affair for the punk and politico set.

The song The Man In The Iron Mask captures the sufferings and sacrifice of the middle class cuckold in way that had never been exposed before. “Where you’ve been, I will not ask. For you I will be the Man in the Iron Mask,” Bragg sings with such depressed conviction that you can actually feel how much he needs this woman and understand why he allows himself to be made a fool of. There were moments when I still was an assistant at a school and I would listen to this album three times in a row on my lunch break while I would nap in my girlfriends van. Somehow, that setting and that state of mind brought this album write to my heart. Every song on Life’s A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy is a classic in introducing the world to the talent that is Billy Bragg.

“Just because you‘re better than me doesn‘t mean your better than me. Just because I‘m dressed like this doesn‘t mean I‘m a Communist. -To Have And To Have Not


Justin Scro    

Drummer Billy Martin and organist John Medeski take a step outside of their popular trio Medeski, Martin and Wood with MAGO. The first track is an off kilter freeform piece that at times succeeds and at others tends to be a little showoff-y. These men are very talented and any avid jazz enthusiasts can appreciate the complexities of what Introducing Mago is doing, but I fear an average music listener would simply skip the track. And what they would find next is the great (and approachable) Crusaceatron. This track take elements of MMW with a much darker nature than the duo’s trio is used to. The song is a great listen for lazy afternoons, but it also works well as a paranoid thriller, not a usual combination, but either are Medeski and Martin.

Mojet fits right in with MMW’s signature sound. The piece is a rolling mix of Booker T and The Mgs and Combustible Edison, jazzy, but in a way that is signature to the sound of John Medeski’s Hammond organ. Bamboo Pants is a tighter song than the previous few tracks on Mago. What defines these gentlemen’s sound can also be what hold them backs. Sometimes the songs tend to blend together as the instruments do not change. On the other hand, the listener is in good hands. Far from ambient, Mago still makes for good background listening. Even though the band which these two greats come from has become with the jam band circuit, Medeski Martin And Wood have always seemed more at home in the seedy underbelly’s than in the middle of a field. The urban tendencies flood Mago and create a distinct feeling of city life, which is a great accomplishment for an instrumental act.

L’Aventura ends MAGO the same way it began. Again opting for chaos, it actually works a lot better than it did at the beginning of the album. After forty some minutes of tight grooves, it is refreshing to hear M&M fly off the handle. Though this track will probably be deemed un-listenable by someone like my father, it is not without its merits. Overall, Mago is a must for any fan of Medeski, Martin And Wood, but beginners are better of picking up a copy of MMW’s classic Shack Man.


Justin Scro    

Blake is similar to Gretchen Wilson, the male version that stands alone in style. You know Blake has that voice that is easily recognizable and this CD is not your typical "cookie cutter" Nashville platter as I like to put it. Blake puts grit and vocal power into all his songs and that makes him unique among all the newcomers. Some of these 11 tracks were written by Blake and there are no duds here. He used higher caliber songwriters. Tracks include "This Can't Be Good", "The More I Drink", "Don't Make Me", "She Don't Love Me" and my favorite tune "The Last Country Song" featuring none other than John Anderson and George Jones. Blake, if these two legends believe in you enough to join you on this CD, then Blake, you've arrived.
Five stars
JDH    

Conor Oberst has done a lot with his time. A real lot. He has recorded more the a handful of albums as Bright Eyes and collaborated on just as many other albums in addition to being the figurehead of Saddle Creek records. After his last outing, releasing two albums in one year (Digital Ash In A Digital Urn and I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning), Oberst returns with his first album of original material in two years, Cassadaga. The album opens eerily with a recorded conversation about the communal Cassadaga. Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed) is the perfect example of how far Oberst has pushed his sound since his breakthrough record, Fevers And Mirrors. The orchestration is full and the arrangement is as strong as the work of film composer Bernard Herman as well as the chop edits of a woman talking about Cassadaga (or at least that’s where it starts). While Clairaudients sounds like a cinematic acid trip, Oberst fires back to center with the down home Four Winds. The music is catchy and Oberst’s voice continues of the direction of sounding more polished on each of his outings.

Hot Knives immediately recalls the work of Neutral Milk Hotel, though in a completely complimentary fashion. Here Oberst laments over a constant rhythm and the overdriven guitar backed up by an acoustic guitar (the Neutral Milk Hotel In The Aeroplane Over The Sea era sound). The song always moves forward, pulling itself to its climactic choruses. The best thing about this song is how much it sounds like a Bruce Springsteen number without actually sounding like one of his songs. Unlike Arcade Fire and The Killers, there has always been a touch of Springsteen’s working class heroism in Bright Eyes and it is not a new turn, but part of the bands already dense tapestry. The band channels, well The Band on the great Soul Singer In A Session Band. The songs lyrics bounce around the song with lines like the “felt the quickness of pity like a flash in the pan” and “the room is on fire cuz he painted it red”. Never being a big fan of the band, I must admit that this album has been the tipping point for re-investigating Bright Eye’s early work. The maturity of the song writing on Cassadaga is certainly its strong point. What makes the album seem mature is the laidback fashion in which most of the songs are delivered.

The album plays out wonderfully as one of Bright Eye’s finest efforts. The genre jumping here seems less theatrical and more of a necessity than it has before with the band’s albumsin the past. If Cassadaga is a communal place, Bright Eye’s and their ever rotating guest appearances are the group to parallel it.


Justin Scro    

Ameican Idol Pretty Boy Bucky Covinton debuts his first cd. Lyric Street lets out this 11 track Cookie Cutter platter from of course Nashville. Our competition has this at no. 1 but if you add the creativity and songwrighting to the equation, it ain't even close to the top. It'll sell tons of CDs to the young ladies and some guys who love the pretty cover. The album is well produced and professional but theres not a song that stands out. Its like listening to a 30 minute infomercial. The song "A Different World" is probably the single and that title sums it up for me. This is not # 1 material. The best song could be "the Bible and the Belt" and if Bucky had gotten the belt maybe he wouldn't have taken up singing and as the good book says "make a joyful noise" well...............Two stars
JDH    

Brooklyn based trio Cinema Cinema have a wide range on display with Viva! With influence such as Jeff Buckley, The Mars Volta and Sonic Youth apparent, Cinema Cinema play hard and takes those bands and blend them together with a sound of their own creating something very new. Keeping the songs tight and melodic, Cinema Cinema avoid falling into any category easy and this is a good thing. While most bands sounds can be traced to Blink 182 and the year 2000, Cinema Cinema draw a little influence from many genres. The vocals of EV Gold sound like MV and At The Drive-In’s Cedric Bixler Zavala, yet other times it takes on a more Eddie Vedder quality. At its most gentle time, Gold voices inhibit’s the same space as the above mentioned Jeff Buckley, no easy or unimpressive feat.

Viva opens with Four Alarm, at first gentle but then evolving into chaos. Cinema Cinema have no problem keep the songs interesting as their musical chops are at all time tight and ready for action. Four Alarm fits in a nice lineage with the better half of the 90’s alternative movement, it is both heavy on lyrics and very musically dynamic. Born In NYC is a great song and reflects a true feeling of New York, residing somehere between Interpol and Sonic Youth. The song is another exciting event, full of explosions and long vocal runs. The music on Born In NYC sees tangles with Gold’s vocals, creating a whirlwind of sound that furthers the themes of the song. With these first two songs, Cinema Cinema have set the bar high for their sound of contolled chaos.

SunBurn Eyes is another strong alternative song and seems like it would be Viva’a best choice for a single. For the first time on Viva, SunBurn Eyes takes a step back in overall tone and energy. It comes just at the right time and is a welcome breather in between the non-stop action of the albums other tracks. 343 Miles Per Second is another song in that lays in the area of the previous track. Instead of choosing to close on a fast note, Cinema Cinema end the album almost sounding like a different band than the one that started it. While the last two melodic mid range tunes are very nice, Cinema Cinema’s talents really shine on the heavy and faster paced songs that opened Viva. Like any band caught between sounds, it is up to them to choose what direction that must travel in. Four Alarm and Born In NYC are enough to get the band attention for Viva, but SunBurn Eyes and 343 Miles Per Second are not enough to hold it, even at this EP’s short length.


Justin Scro    

Long time collaborators Darol Anger and Mike Marshall reunite on the delightful Woodshop. Taking highly complex pieces designed for the studio, Woodshop put the duo center stage with its perfect musicianship and well trained craftwork. As the album opens with a short intro, Peter Pan is Woodshops first proper track. Sticking to what made their 1985 album Chiaroscuro so charming, the focus lays on the Marshall’s mandolin playing and Angers violin. The pair are perfectly matched and however meticulously songs may be planned out, the give each piece a feeling of life and possibility. Fifth track Borealis lets these men dig deep and the track allows them the time to move around there themes with ease. While these men have had great success in their own right, a teaming with a more progressive ‘jam’ band would expose their talents to more younger listeners like myself.

With Woodshop, Anger and Marshall’s “message from the frontier”, the listener gets both a feel for the past and the present. While their playing and recording is modern, the style and unspoken messages do hearken back to the frontier days of our beloved country. Each track sounds uniquely new while retaining how these instruments can pull on the heart strings of our collective heritage. Mike Marshall’s mandolin playing is pure inspiration, opening up each track with the rustic fervor were a guitar might be commonly place and tells us just why the mandolin remains very underrated. All of his work on this album would not be as able to soar if it were not for the violin playing of Darol Anger. Whether he lets the stings softly hang in the background or gives them the Cajun kick up, it is his playing that alters the mood and feeling of each piece.

These two men keep enough tricks up their sleeves to make Woodshop a terrific listen. There are moments of excitement, relaxing phases of tranquility and plenty of tunes that will play out nicely as the spring gives way to the summer.


Justin Scro    

This reissue of David Sanborn’s Heart to Heart is a great example of why he is considered to be a contemporary saxophone artist, and not a Jazz artist. Sanborn was basically the Kenny G of his era and we should all ask Pat Methany what the academic jazz world thinks of Mr. G. From the first track to the last Sanborn shows us how an incredibly talented saxophonist with great chops can still do nothing to make “elevator music” more engaging.

In a contemporary frame of mind track 1 and 2 are nice ballads that explore the whole range of the saxophone. Track 3 is slightly more up tempo and has some cool licks and riffs over the staccato sections. Track 6 is a great tune laced with a bluesy feel and definitely some of the best sax soloing on the entire disc but still does nothing to explore the sonic potential of the horn. Overall the collection of songs is pretty weak and I’ve heard Sanborn do much better than this. I’d have to give this album a gracious 2 stars just because I know Sanborn is capable of much better.
DSW    

David Thomas Broughton is a unique bird to say the least. First of all, all of his recording on The Complete Users Guide To Insufficiency was done in two takes live in a church. Secondly, it is only David, his guitar and a seemingly endless amount of loop stations. The thing that makes Broughton so special is he is not using these loop stations to create extra parts for the songs, say the way Keller Williams does, but instead Broughton lets the songs fold over itself several time, making a hybrid version of noise rock. The key to all of this is David’s voice. Sounding somewhere between Antony Hegarty and Devendra Banheart, David Thomas Broughton’s voice is so different and beautiful that it brings his abstract lyrics into another realm. In Execution he sings “I wouldn’t take her to an execution. I wouldn’t take her to a live sex show. I wouldn’t piss or shit on her would I? Cuz I love her so.”

Creating your own sound is special, but an artist must also be the master, even if they are the only occupant. For being record in only two tries, the album is a feat. Brought makes no noticeable mistakes and for an album that is full of swells and overlapping guitars, it seems no easy feat. Broughton likes to let the guitars build and build, creating a music in the space between the crammed chords and sometimes backwards melodies. They build until the listener is taken to a new plane, and then he lets things drop right back to a gentle hush with his acoustic guitar picking. Each song is a dense journey not only through the psyche of David Thomas Broughton, but into the possibilities of music itself.

The album’s last track is its finest. Ever Rotating Sky begins with Broughton singing “You snapped my body into true definition.” When Brougton delivers the line “My face screws up into delight,” he stretches his phrasing on the word ‘delight’ and it becomes the centerpiece for this nine minute epic. The sound of his unique voice against the arrangement of music is made only better by him doing his own vocal wailings in the background. It is the wailings that makes the listener connect and find deeper meaning inside the music, as if it is the indescribable language of humans throughout time.


Justin Scro    

Sometimes when old J.D. reviews a CD such as this one, he's at a loss for words. Theres not a dud on this 12 track disc. A very enjoyable bluegrass trip with Doyle and Quicksilver delivering some of the best pickin' and vocals that are hard pressed to find these days. Songs include "Sadies Got Her New Dress On", "More Behind the Picture Than the Wall", "Ocean of Teardrops", "Can You Hear Me Now", and "Can You Hear Me Now" Retro 1938. Shere Perfection. Five Stars
JDH    

This is how this review is going to start and this is how it is going to end; Electrelane are the greatest female rock band of all time. Sure, there are the Go-Go’s and the Slits, the Raincoats and so many more, but Electrelane finally hit their mark after taking a stab at that title in 2004 with The Power Out. Electrelane are fast proving to be one of the great bands regardless of their sex, but they are an all female act who write, play and produce their work. It is no secret that rock and roll is a boy’s game and I find it refreshing that a band of women propel themselves on pure talent alone. There are no pictures of the band on their albums nor have they ever used their female charms to further themselves. They came up and started just like any other band through the ranks. Their talent and raw power is proper grounds for inspiration in young women and men alike in this time of the overblown starfuckers that our media produces. Rock and roll, whether it be mainstream or indie is dominated by men and it is nice to see there is a band from the other side of the gene pool that can out play and out create the rarely challenged rock boys.

It is apparent here on No Shouts, No Calls that Electrelane have a secret well of energy and have been storing it up. Letting loose like light a million tiny rays of light, Electrelane reveals there is a sliver lining to the gray clouds. The album opens in a quaint way, very similarly to their other releases. As opener "The Greater Times" pulsates and begins to rise, the listener is immediately tipped off that this album is just what they were waiting for. While it does not change the construct of Electrelane’s sound or disassembles it like they did on Axes, No Shouts, No Calls perfects Electrelane's sound. Something that makes them special is that they are not spectacular players as individuals; it is that they work so well together that they create something unique enough that you can not imagine one piece of the puzzle missing. What really shines in ways is has only hinted before is the 'bored angel' singing of Verity Susman. It now seems natural for her to sound optimistic.

Sounding like ? And The Mysterians versus Devo, Electrelane’s instrumental nature hasn’t been as strong as it is on track "Tram 21" since their amazing "Only One Thing Is Needed" on The Power Out. "Tram 21" again shows off Electrelane's common theme of unexplainable hope. Cutting back for the first time on the album, "In Berlin" exposes the listener to another great and cherish able side of Electrelane. "In Berlin" has the members of Electrelane harmonizing like a choir from the great beyond. Sounding both beautiful and cryptic, "In Berlin" is the result of calculated apprehension and warning.

The pulse quickens on the Metallica driven guitar riffing of "Between The Wolf And The Dog". The guitar rips through the song violently before dropping everything but the bass and drums half way through. The song rides along quietly, awaiting the eminent return of destruction. When the guitar claws its way back into the mix, it is joined by a synthesizer that changes the entire dimension of the song. Just when the songs seems it can not stretch itself any further, the beautiful voices of the Electrelane erupt in harmony, this time sounding like a doo wop group…from another world. Taking a heavy metal riff and mixing in these elements showcases why this band cannot be contained under any label of music other than the generic Alternative (as in alternative to any thing bad or mediocre).

Using mandolins to find the right vibration, No Shouts, No Calls tenth track "Cut And Run" finds Electrelane in completely brand new territory. The song is light,airy, relaxed and breezy, an area Electrelane does not often visit. The experiment is a complete success and the song is an easy standout on an album full of potential classics. The experimentation of "Cut And Run" is just a prelude to the krautrock explosion only one track away. Closing out No Shouts, No Calls is the cuckoo clock madness of "The Lighthouse". Part Philip Glass, part Can, and part Del Shannon, "The Lighthouse" is the only track on No Shouts, No Calls that really sounds like what the band was doing on their last album, Axes. I like this number as the closer, as if Electrelane are telling the listener that while the may have crafted some tightly knit songs here on No Shouts, No Calls, they can still kick out the jams like any great avant-funkster can. Electrelane can do what ever they want; they are the greatest female rock and roll band of all time.

Here are Electrelane performing The Greater Times live:
Justin Scro    

Everything Is Energy takes alternative music to surprisingly new heights on their latest self-titled release. Part of this is due to the fact that this was a band that grew around the best acts of that time, such as Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Pearl Jam. Front man and songwriter Chris Shinn began getting attention in the now defunct Unified Theory, play then with former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen. Everything Is Energy now includes former live performers with She Wants Revenge, Ours and The Rolling Stones. It all shows on Everything Is Energy as the playing it amazing, the songwriting is crisp and well directed. Amongst all of this, Everything Is Energy ride the thin line between entertainment and art, the hardest line to be on. At times the band recalls a more radio friendly versions of Portland’s avant alternative greats The Standard, other times the band easily dances over to heavy hit makers The Deftones.

Hut opens Everything Is Energy with a band, letting the listener into what kind of experience this album is going to be. Chalked full of heavy guitar licks, Shinns voice shines through the dense array of music to create a contrast with the beauty of his voice amidst the heavy riffing. The outcome is perfect. As most bands that can be traced back to the alternative explosion that latest nearly ten years, Everything Is Energy is the only newer band that does so without aping on the movements most accessible and worst qualities and does not sound like a band ‘trying’ to be certain way. Everything Is Energy’s sound is not contrived in the slightest and this gives them a feeling like they were part of the original scene with Screaming Trees, Temple Of The Dog and Soundgarden instead of sounding like the bands that were influenced by them.

Taste Of The South takes the middle of Everything Is Energy into dark territory. Here Shinns voice ranges from violent to graceful without missing a note. Sounding like here like Jeff Buckley, Shinn lets his voice soar over the eerie textures the music is creating on Taste Of The South. Album closer Dave’s House finds the band at their most experimental. The result is the albums best track, which actually says a lot for a band with such a strong singer as Dave’s House is instrumental. Taking the time to let the music unfold, Dave’s House runs over seven minutes and yet it never feels long. Part Talk Talk, part instrumental Pearl Jam, Dave’s House is the perfect ending to Everything Is Energy, letting the listener know where the bands capabilities can take them and just where they can go if they choose to.


Justin Scro    

For anyone remotely familiar with this genre called true Bluegrass Music, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys are legends beyond measure.

For years ole J.D. would put aside every Saturday afternoon on WIS TV in Columbia, S.C. and watch the black and white episodes of the Flatt and Scruggs show. Heck the sponsors Martha White Flour and Pet Milk gained National attention from these shows and the in house commercials. I remember in the mid 60's a popular joke at Christmas time was to give someone a golden spoon and you knew right away it was from this show when Lester Flatt delivered the commercial in his unique Southern drawl "You start cookin' with a golden spoon when you start cookin' with Pet and with a Pause that seemed to last a minute stretch the word evaporated milk.

For over 40 years it was thought the Flatt and Scruggs shows didn't survive and were taped over a complete history lost between 1955-1969. Then in 1989 a discovery of 25 films then an additional 12 came to light and this little bit of history began to come back to life. The Country Music Foundation spared no expense in remastering these tapes to the absolute best quality you could get considering the age of the source.

This is the first installments of these historic shows. There are three shows from 1961 and one from 1962. The 1962 show is for all purposes a true diamond, of the finest quality featuring the mother of Country Music, Mother Maybelle Carter as special guest. Her first song is the Carter Family classic "Wildwood Flower" and later in the show Earl switches from banjo to guitar to join Mother Maybelle on autoharp with the "Liberty Dance". This was a pure delight.

Hylo Brown appears as special guest on one of the other shows. Classics performed on these 56 tracks include "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" which later appeared as the theme from the film "Bonnie and Clyde", "Fireball Mail", "Shortnin' Bread", "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy"

Thoroughly entertaining and it brought back a lot of memories for ole J.D., a Saturday ritual from a more simple time and damn, I do miss the innocence. Sometimes when old J.D. reviews a CD such as this one, he's at a loss for words. Theres not a dud on this 12 track disc. A very enjoyable bluegrass trip with Doyle and Quicksilver delivering some of the best pickin' and vocals that are hard pressed to find these days. Songs include "Sadies Got Her New Dress On", "More Behind the Picture Than the Wall", "Ocean of Teardrops", "Can You Hear Me Now", and "Can You Hear Me Now" Retro 1938. Shere Perfection. Five Stars
JDH    

Freddie Hubbard is one of the most distinctive and influential trumpet players in the history of jazz. Following in the footsteps of Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan, Freddie helped to advance the language of hard bop while still illustrating astounding versatility. He could play complex harmonies at lightning speeds yet still play the most heartfelt ballad. Freddie was omnipresent in the jazz world and can be found on several landmark recordings. This Hubbard reissue from Mosaic encompasses the many shades of Freddie’s decorated career.

One of the best parts of any good jazz album is the supporting cast. Since Hubbard was one of the best, he was able to surround himself with the best. In all of these tracks Hubbard shares the stage with Joe Henderson, Hubert Laws, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter and George Benson; some of the finest jazz musicians to date. With an all-star cast one can only expect an all-star performance. Thankfully, these cats don’t let us down!

The opening track, Super Blue, has a funky and driving feel with solid horn arrangements. Hubbard shows us quickly with his thick tone how versatile he really is while transitioning from quick to smooth passages with ease while giving us a taste of his trumpet range. Track 2 opens up with George Benson on guitar laying down a very laid back groove. Later in the track he adds a unique, yet still impressing guitar solo while Hubbard smokes through with his fabulous articulation and varying melodic structure. For the sax enthusiast, Track 3 has Joe Henderson taking a glorious ride over the changes. Both Henderson and Hubbard take this quick and up beat song and lace it with wonderful jazz vocabulary. Track 4 brings in another jazz great to the forefront, the great jazz flutist Hubert Laws. Laws adds so much texture to this track. It’s catchy and almost bluesy feel is a great medium for Laws and Hubbard to cut-loose. Track 5 is a great ballad with Hubbard at his lyrical best and track 6 gives us one last chance to hear Henderson and Hubbard really go at it. Two giants of their time laying down mammoth ideas.

This collection of Freddie Hubbard is great from start to finish. Even the alternate takes are really worth checking out. Hubbard, Henderson, Laws, and Carter really jive well together. This is a great add to any jazz enthusiast’s collection no matter what instrument he calls his own. There’s something for everyone on this disc! This album delivers and requires every bit of 5 stars.


DSW    

Gatecrasher continues delivering the techno goods on their latest release Christopher Lawrence Live In Moscow. While it does no reinvent the wheel, this double disc certainly keeps it spinning. The double disc opens with Activia’s Perception. It is a great choice to start a show with as it is packed with the all the elements that makes a rave or great dance album work; heavy beats, an upward moving synthline and non-stop motion. As the album progresses, Vibrasphere’s Landmark takes the first disc to it’s early high. More noir than dance, the track exposes Lawrence’s darker tendencies while still keeping with the progression of music he has selected. Eighth track on disc one is the space jam Offender. Sunrize Vs Magnettikfusion takes disc one to a new level as it is the first track where melody overtakes the rhythm. It is a wise choice at this point in the album as dance music must often loosen its grip on the percussion to let the melody soar.

Pledians’ Vimino ends the first disc much like an intense game of Spy Hunter. Like all progressive music, this song is constantly moving forward. What makes it great is it feels like it is moving forward because it is being pursued, giving it an element that the genre usually lacks; purpose. Gatecrasher’s key to success is that they make you want to be their at the party, even if you hung your glow sticks up years ago, they bring the sounds of a great time. Disc two doesn’t let up from there. Picking it back up with Nuclear Device’s New Technologies things are right back on track. The song keeps the movement rolling forward and upward. Christopher Lawrence makes an appearance himself on the standout Beyond The Light. It must have been am easy choice to through this track into the mix as it is the finest out of both discs. But the rest of the second disc fairs as well as the first. While it may not stray, dance music always has the listener in mind at all times.


Justin Scro    

The cover to Gretchens new CD ought to sell a ton of CDs to all those men under 40, and the horny young teenage guys. The label knew where the heart is. Now if you're married better ask the Mrs. permission or heck she might love the CD if she compares herself to Gretchen. This 11 track collection is granted, typically material that goes with Gretche's persona. It is lively at times and I don't believe I've heard this much alcohol material in some time. At one time radio began banning drinking songs but I guess thats back in style. Since Gretchen co-wrote all of the songs, whiskey adds flavor. This new release is definitely better than previous new country reviews. Songs include "One of the Boys" "Heaven Help Me", "If You Want A Mother", "Painkiller" and "There Goes The Neighborhood'. A great CD to listen to from the one female country singer that today stands alone in style.
Four stars
JDH    

Renowned as the most important electric bassist of all time, this compilation reissue is everything the world “Ultimate” describes. This is truly some of Jaco’s best work and with a supporting cast that includes Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, Wayne Shorter, Randy Brecker, and Melton Mustafa one can expect nothing less than spectacular. These select recordings definitely give listeners a taste of how Jaco revolutionized his instrument in jazz, rock, and popular music.

From the first note of Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee”, Jaco effortlessly burns through one of Bird’s most challenging melodies at breakneck speed, and then solos over the changes with an amazingly horn-like fluidity. Track 2 and 3 are from Jaco’s time with the Weather Report and is a true representation of what Jazz/Funk is supposed to be. The recordings from “The Birthday Concert” (Track 8 and 9) are by far the most impressive display of musicianship on the album. With the help of Michael Brecker and a list of others; Jaco and company pump out riveting grooves and give us solos that leave every musician asking, “How did he do that?” This album is pure Jaco and could receive nothing less than 5 stars!
DSW    

Jarvis Cocker, known to hipsters as the front man of Pulp and to children as one of the Weird Sisters in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, has finally released his long awaited solo album. Teasing his audience with cameos on Scott Walker’s The Drift and Air’s Pocket Symphony, Cocker come equipped to deliver on Jarvis. Coming from the Brian Ferry school of ‘it’s so taxing so be so cool’, Jarvis Cocker brings his familiar charm to the album Jarvis and uses it to step away from his groundbreaking Britpop work with Pulp.

Officially opening with Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time, Jarvis gives his advice to a young woman, telling her that she may go do all the things she needs to with this man, but don’t let him waste your time. Here Cocker comes off as both a father figure and much like Humbert Humbert in that way that even though he doesn’t say outright, but he just might want to save this young lady for himself. On the next track, Cocker pulls off something that is almost unthinkable; he sings his own song over the essential chords of Tommy James and The Shondell’s irreplaceable Crimson and Clover, even keeping the backing vocals. The odd thing is that is works so well. This use of the familiar mixed with the new make the song Black Magic an instant classic. The song seems as if Jarvis is narrating over our own collective memories. It was a ballsy move for sure, but it works all to well.

The track Stormy Weather finds Jarvis casting his image to the side and coming forth with a very nicely arranged pop song. Stormy Weather builds quietly to a roaring chorus, but it is the most ordinary track on the album so far. Picking the ball back up and running with it, I Will Kill Again puts Cocker’s songwriting front and center, connecting to the observational lyrics that made Pulp so interesting to listen to. On this ballad, Cocker tells his listener “Don’t believe it if I claim to be your friend because given half the chance, I will kill again.” over a bed of calming strings. Also present are the lyrics that make Cocker belong to our time period alone lines like “Log on at the night time, drink a half bottle of wine, buy a couple of records, look at naked girls from time to time.” In this stroke, Jarvis has painted a picture of the common alienated modern man, happy or sad. (Shit, that’s pretty dead on for my life!) The next track continues I Will Kill Again’s gentle nature with the lullaby Baby’s Coming Back To Me. With marimbas twinkling in the background, Baby’s Coming Back to me is both laidback and cinematic.

The intensity gets cranked up on the rocker Fat Children, the first track off of this album that truly sounds like the heyday of Britpop. With its funny story of being killed on the streets by fat children, the song has the catchy melody and is the albums most upbeat track. It would easily fit in on the radio or in a commercial (though that is a compliment not a put down). From A To I brings the lights back down on Jarvis and lets his electronic tendencies dance around in the background. Big Julie is the most orchestrated piece on Jarvis as well as having the most complex dynamic. Going from a quite number to a Broadway stomper, Big Julie has some of the best moments of Jarvis wrapped up in its four minutes. The album seemingly ends with Quantum Theory, the last of the slower songs on Jarvis, with Cocker repeating “Everything is going to be alright.”

Now, on the UK edition there is a hidden track and on the US release it is listed as track fourteen, but the album’s absolute hit song is secret closer Running The World. This song is not only the best sounding musically, but it has some of the best and spiteful lyrics Jarvis Cocker has ever written. With its infectious chorus and gentle delivery the refrain of “Cunts are still running the world” makes for the best sing-a-long of the young 21st Century. (Now please keep in mind that Cocker is British and that cunt is our equivalent of calling someone an asshole) The songs best line is its opener, “Did you hear there is a natural order. Those most deserving will end up with the most, that the cream can not help but rise up to the top. Well, I say shit floats”. It is no wonder that this song was chosen to play over the end credit to the recent film Children Of Men. The guitar celestially floats in reverb, sounding more like bells than itself. The song is a wonderful protest song without point the finger at any group in particular. When Cocker belts out the ending of the song it is pure inspiration. If this song is any indicator of where Jarvis is still capable of going, he has years of relevance left in him


Justin Scro    

History is made with this issue of Cashbox. Debuting at # 35 on the Cashbox Inspirational Chart, this gay Christian duo has laid the ground rules and we at Cashbox say "Jesus doesn't just love some of us, but all of us."

This CD comprises some of the best Contemporary gospel and folks these guys can sing. Their vocals are equal if not better than most of their Contemporary Christian counterparts. They deserve the chance to be heard and with all the shunning their faith has remained strong and acceptance is slowly but surely taking root. The old adage applies here "the Christian Army is the only Army on Gods celestian ball that shoots its own wounded" but it no longer applies here. These guys have held their heads high with utmost integrity to their faith. If you have a problem with this CD, simply don't buy it or listen to any samples, then go pray for yourself. Songs include "Fields of Mercy", "I Need You To Survive", "I Need You More", "Here I Am To Worship", "You Are My Hiding Place" "Jesus I Love You", 12 great songs in all.

Editors Note:

A lot of discussion went into these two reviews and how we at Cashbox would handle it. These two artist are historical for being the first to enter this genre of music that till now has been most prejudicial towards change. We all got together and decided to review this as we would normally review any and all new releases we receive.


CBM    

Opening up with tough guy actor/footballer Vinnie Jones doing a spoken word piece over background noise, Introducing Joss Stone sidles up against the listener like a warm body. Joss’s polished voice and the Girl They Won’t Believe It shows how greater Joss Stones musical boundaries span. Even though Joss Stone is still quite young, she has grown greatly over the three albums during her career. Introducing Joss Stone might seem like a redundant phrase since it would be hard to have avoided her this long, but it is taken in reference to her finally getting to take more control and better represent herself artistically.

With Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse around, Stone is the only saucy Brit with an attitude. She fares pretty well against the new competition, but the same outlandishness that makes Allen and Winehouse seems outspoken on their albums makes Stone seem tame on hers. Allen and Winehouse were both surprise success as to where Introducing Joss Stone was excepted to sell millions before it even had a title. Stone’s voice is great, that isn’t ever in question, but it is the content that seems more aimed to please everyone. The lowest common denominator makes the hits stick out, the cameos (including erstwhile Lauren Hill) are cute but don’t ever further the music, and the obligatory slow jams play out predictably. Of course, the playing on the album and the production are top notch, but that is what you should be guaranteed on a high end production major label release. Some songs fair better than others. Stone’s inner diva slides around with gentle grace on Arms Of My Baby, but her charms seem forced on a track like Headturner, with lines like “Ladies, we gotta do like we do”.

Given her high profile at such a young age, it is unfortunate that Joss Stone has to feel like she has to define herself by the age of 20, something no one should put upon themselves. While it is not without its merits, Introducing Joss Stone would be a entirely forgettable affair without its last two tracks. Baby Baby Baby is the upbeat number that the album was stressing to find in its first half, What We Were Thinking is the ballad at its best and is delivered with the even mixture of substance and style. In compariosn to her other albums, it feels like we have already been introduced to Joss Stone at this point, but she is twenty years old. She will find herself and when she is happy we will truly see what she has in mind.


Justin Scro    

Lifeline are taking the Chicago music scene by storm with their blend of melodic metal/hard rock tunes. What defines their sound away from the others in the genre is the dramatic use of Rebecca Faber and her amazing violin skills. Her playing elevates the music from it’s Evanescence leanings and takes it to a brand to level. That is not to say the band is not just as good. The vocal performance from Ryan T. Hope is on par with any major label act, and his emotional delivery never falters of feels forced. What ever he is tackling, Hope addresses his subjects with grace and passion. The guitar playing of Eddie Yonushatis gives Lifeline their hard edge and saves their sound from become too soft with his heavy chops and distorted power chords made good by the rhythm section of Patrick Cloud and Lonni Lane.

Beginning opens For All Who Triumph as a brief intro into the sound of Lifeline. Building into the albums first full track, Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, the song unleashes the full band on the listener and immediately pulls them into the band’s own world. The production by band member/songwriters Rebecca Faber and Ryan T. Hope is pitch perfect, capturing the best of each of their talents. The only fault in their work is that they may suffer from propelling the vocal and violins to be constantly above the bass, drums and guitar, but even still, their style of production works very well with their style of music. Track nine’s Moth To Flame finds Lifeline in a more tender moment. The diversity of this track brings a much welcome change to the established sound of the album. It is a slower song and the music is more laid back kind of intense and this affords the opportunity for the lyrics to take center stage. It is Hope’s most controlled vocal performance and also his best. There is much to look forward to with Lifeline as they continue there rise as local artists into an national act.


Justin Scro    

The sun shines bright on London with Lily Allen’s debut Alright Still. After reviewing and enjoying Amy Winehouse, I was told by many that I had to check out her rival Lily Allen. Firstly, the only thing they have in common in that they are British women who sing. Lily Allen is the bright shiny day to Winehouse’s dark nights. I find that they can coexist rather well together. Lily Allen is sixties era Carnaby Street to Amy Winehouse’s Motown. I give Allen and lot of credit to flying her Union Jack high and not aping on other cultures music, though the album tends to come off a little too bubble gum at times. The lyrics are a little too topical, but Allen’s charisma pulls it off for the most part.

On the album opener, the single Smile, Lily Allen introduces herself to the world with her sassy attitude and modern girl lyrics. Going over the well covered territory of singing about relationships, Allen avoids the obvious balladry that comes with the territory and delivers this up feeling tune about smiling through her troubles. It is an impressive little song and it is easy to see how the single got her all the media attention and record contract that ensued. Continuing with her sass and British viewpoint, Knock ‘Em Out is so uniquely English that it couldn’t come from any where else. Running though her list of excuses to refuse a man her attention, Allen comes off a little wordy and the melody sounds much like Spice Girls song…not that that is the worst thing in the world.

On the album’s second single LND, Lily Allen embraces her undeniably upbeat nature with one of the album’s best tracks. The song is sunny (how many times am I going to mention the sun in this review? Maybe it’s because it’s raining today). LND is a cross between Len’s Steal My Sunshine and Fatboy Slim’s Gangsta Tripping, being both poppy, but danceable enough to were it will probably end up remixed for the dance floor. The album tends to sound a little repetitive, but it is Allen’s style the whole way. Lily Allen is perfect for teenage to mid-twenties girls that don’t just buy into the modern trends of music and don’t want to swallow down the cute boy bands of the day. Both Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse are major label acts that have the appeal that they are all your own and that they are singing directly to you. These ladies like to tap into anger of the young women, but yet their best way of communicating it is just by saying ‘fuck’ a lot.

Six tracks into Alright Still, Lily Allen diverges from the formula for the first time on Friday and the music is the best it has been the whole album, though Allen herself does what she has on every song; deliver every line like she is bouncing up and down in a sundress. The instrumentation sounds is laid back and dub heavy, the guitar sounds like a cross between The Specials and Ennio Morricone. The next track slows things down even more and introduces some chill bursts from the brass section. While the music has been changing, Lily Allen sounds the same on every song. Her vocal approach lacks range. She basically talks over each song and then sings over the chorus. The back half of the album sags, until Take What You Take (god forbid I have the wrong track list again, ie Modest Mouse debacle). The song is very catchy both in it’s vocal and arrangement. However, the lyrics are straight down the middle of the road. Allen seems right at home on the charming closer, Alfie, while she sings to her deadbeat little brother. This track along with Friday Night and LDN give hope that there is more to Allen than appears.

Mixing her pop sound with a watered down version of Reggae, Lily Allen’s Alright still is an alright listen. It doesn’t stray far from the formula it lays down on its opening track, but the music is cheery and Lily Allen is, well cute and it comes through in her singing style and lyrical approach. Now that she has broken through, everything lays on her next effort to see if she is willing to step it up and deliver something with a little more depth next time around


Justin Scro    

This 13 track CD cannot be described fully without first stating these tracks were all written by Mary Chapin Carpenter and this is next years Grammy winner in whatever category it is placed. This is one of the best cds ever and I emphatically said EVER. The absolute beauty and clarity of the vocals is unprecedented, this is the ultimate folk album. I'm so amazed at this CD, I would recommend anyone who loves music, of any genre, add this to their collection. The songs sometimes take on a political stance, such as "Houston" and "On With the Song" dedicated to the Dixie Chicks and the incredible beautiful songs "the Calling", "Twilight", and "Bright Morning Star".

Incredible songwriting. This album is one of those rarities you won't see in Cashbox reviews, maybe for 10 or more years because I give it the rare distinction of earning six stars. This album will forever stand out as one of the best 10 albums of all time.


JDH    

"Michael Buble woke up Wednesday morning to learn his new album, Call Me Irresponsible was the #1 best selling album on the planet." Released on May 1st it has gone to the top of the charts in Canada, Australia, South Africa, Europe, Singapore, Holland, Germany and the USA. This week his CD is on top of the Cashbox and Billboard Sales Charts simultaneously. Call Me Irresponsible is also #1 on the Internet, Traditional Jazz and POP charts and the momentum keeps growing.

Just a little background for what I am about to say. From the first note on the CD (Michael's Voice) "Out of the tree of life I just picked me a plumb" added to the snap of his fingers and you know this is going to be good. Bang the orchestra slams in with trumpets, strings, and everything that was hot about the big band sound that Sinatra made famous. Except this time the sound is cleaner, hotter, and even bigger than what "ole blue eyes" had laying in the vinyl groves. This is what music should be with the technology that we have today and Michael and his band are ready to let you have it and they do.

Buble is bridging the gap between multiple generations, everyone loves this stuff when it is this good. The Best is Yet to Come, Me and Mrs. Jones, Comin’ Home Baby (duet with Boys II Men), Lost (a Buble original) Call Me Irresponsible, (Eric Clapton’s) Wonderful Tonight, and one of my favorites You Were Always on My Mind are just a taste of the fine listening you will enjoy when Michael let’s loose on all 13 songs on the CD.

The CD is a throw back to a bygone era that never really left us and it appears that with more and more artists doing the old standards, it will be around for a long time to come. Michael really is the leader at this point and all the other artists will get in line behind him. Check it out you will enjoy this one.
MSP    

Here they are, the rolling people and they are alive and well with Milk. Recalling the greatness of late era Verve and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Milk stand tall in the long lineage of bands both British and American alike to take the 90’s shoegaze movement to rockier heights. Hailing from Los Angeles, this five piece took their album all over the world, first recording parts in Liverpool as well as promoting the album in mainland Europe. (I got this CD and press kit postmarked from Paris). Milk newest release was helmed by recording engineer Fran Ashcroft who had previously worked with Gorillaz and The Dandy Warhols. The result is dead on and the music is placed in a way that gives it a nostalgic sound. Opting out of overproduction, Milk allows some songs to drift into fuzz and the unexpected blending that occurs with letting a mix dive into a low-er fi sound.

Opening track Fly rips the album open, setting the tone for the rest of the affair. Fly walks the thin line between parallel thought and imitation to the Verve’s Urban Hymns. The upbeat chorus keeps the song on the safer side of that line and the song remains strong. The best part about Milk’s sound is that you could play this album for your friends and make it seem like you stumbled upon a great lost band from Brittan in the early nineties. Knowing and having friends that this practice is commonplace, I mean that previous statement as a deep compliment. To the average American reader being compared to bands like Lilys, Slowdive, Arab Strap, Suede, and Happy Mondays might not be of much relevance, but to those who like to dig deeper on both sides of the pond, they will know that this is the sign, the mark that means “check out Milk”. So, check them out!

Settling the mood down after the album’s first two rollicking tracks, Monochrome sets the band into more melodic territory. Being the first song that the lyrics are put up front, it shows off the vocalist’s talents as a singer as well as a lyricist. Monochrome is definitely a mix tape must. As a compliment and a complaint, Monochrome seems ready for prime time TV or to be included on the soundtrack for a motion picture. Each song on Milk unravels to reveal a new level of greatness to the bands sound. After Monochrome, Milk moves away from the hazy fog of a shoe gaze sound and continues their Brit-Pop curiosities with Parallels. The fifth track, Perverse now lets the beautifully delayed guitar lead come to the forefront, sound like Pink Floyd meets The Farm’s Groovy Train. Again, the song is another hit right on target.

Despite being produced by someone with great experience, my only complaint with Milk’s album is its uneven production. The fuzz isn’t fuzzy enough and the parts that need gloss lack it dearly. The playing is perfect, as is the arrangement, but something about the production misses the mark, however closes it might come. Put in the hands of Tim Friese Green or Gil Norton, Milk would find their music being propelled by the production instead of being held back by it. Going with a professional engineer usually doesn’t leave an album sounding like one of Anton’s home recorded Brian Jonestown Massacre albums. It is possible that the band chose for the album to sound this way, in which case they need to hear from an outsider that their music is grander than the treatment it was given here. Luckily, their musical charm escapes this album 100% in tact and there is much to look forward to from this up and coming band.


Justin Scro    

The one track progressive album Reminisce by Ms. Delusion sticks to it’s guns hard. Opening by dropping the beat straightaway, Ms. Delusion sets her intention for bring bodies to the dance floor. Keeping with the genre, Delusion takes what has come before her and makes it her own. By two minutes into this 48 minute set, she has already introduced several elements that make Reminisce something more interesting than most DJ’s are up to today. By dropping Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Relax, Ms. Delusion show the listener that she is not above including something they may have heard before. This is a great and rare quality in a progressive DJ and most of them seem to strive on spinning the newest freshest thing they can get their hands on. People who go clubbing no that this can sometimes be a drag if the DJ hasn’t found some really great stuff. One of Ms. Delusion’s greatest talents is her fearlessness to mix both new and old together to create something that works best, not that is just the most clever or fresh.

Building up to the middle of the Reminisce twenty two minutes in, the album breaks into a frenzy on the dance floor. Put dance cd into works is not as easy as I thought it would be, but I can say this, I’d rather be out at the club than sitting here writing about this. Everything about this set is filled with energy and vigor. Ms. Delusion’s penchant for 80’s New Wave strikes a special chord. Anyone who can still make people move to Kajagoogoo is cool with me. As her set chills out after a nice apperance by Dee-Lite, Reminisce cools down at thirty eight minutes before revving up for its final approach. A dirty guitar appears and takes the tone of the piece into a darker direction. It is a welcome change and makes the last eight minutes of the set something great. Anyone looking for a great way to spend forty seven minutes at home or on the dance floor best pick up the latest release from Chicago’s Ms. Delusion


Justin Scro    

Former Bright front man Mark Dwinell explores all of a loop stations possibilities on his second album under the name Nonloc with lush Between Hemispheres. The album immediately recalls its influence as they are so strong that there are very other artists that have had such success with minimalism, even still, Between The Hemispheres delivery a wide array of sounds, taking for all and not just some of the artists that came before Nonloc. The first track Corpus Callosum is mostly acoustic guitar, piling layer upon layer, the song becomes a dense jungle, turning melody into rhythm. On the albums second track, Dwinell does what no other minimalist composer would on Candide; he sings and well.

Blurring the lines between John Adams, Voodoo Child, Terry Riley and Scotland’s guitar and loop specialist David Thomas Broughton, Nonloc’s Between Hemispheres is entrancing. From first listen to tenth, Between the Hemispheres creates such dense sounds capes that the listener is giving the opportunity to navigate their own way through each of the album’s twelve tracks. Something simple that most in the genre are guilty of are letting tracks go on for ten to fifteen minutes. One strongpoint of the choices made on Between the Hemispheres was to keep the songs relatively brief with the longest composition coming in at roughly six minutes. Processional is full of oboes and other woodwind instruments, recalling perhaps the world’s most renowned minimalist composer, Chicago’s Philip Glass. The song is shockingly short, but it leaves an impression even after its brief minute and a half.

Dwinell’s Nonloc bounces back with The Golden Apple Pie starts off in a very folksy manner, but then evolves into something that sounds quite Eastern, The advantage of looping here are very present. Each small contribution steers the song in a slightly different direction. This song sounds like something off of Fred Frith’s loop anthology Prints. Moving away from the guitar and towards the keys, Piano Stream has the most personality of any song on the albums front half. The uplifting Piano Stream sticks to Nonloc’s intention while moving further along than any other of the previous four songs. Sentry At Eleusis takes the Eastern flavorings and combines then with a sixties era Rolling Stones psychedelic vibe, with Dwinell singing again (and looping that cleverly as well), this song is surprising reminiscent of something off of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request.


Justin Scro    

Chicago based natives NYCO impresses on their debut album Two. Releasing their second album in June, we take the time now the look back at their first release. The album’s finest track is the single worthy English Song. It is catchy tune, concise and well produced with a great vocal performance. The album on a whole is well balanced and has moments that are excited and unexpected. However, it seems as if they were just getting in their skin and their upcoming release will find them more comfortable.

The biggest drawback to NYCO mainstream rock sound is that it leaves them in the middle of everything. They are still too rock to be all out Maroon 5, but too John Mayer to be called alternative. This hard to peg space can be a benefit for some, but for NYCO it has them coming off like a great opening act for a more developed artists. This is not to say technically as all of the players on this record are top notch (one of them quit the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to play in NYCO), but creatively the band offers song after song that seem like they are written to be in contention for the theme song for the new teen drama on Fox or The WB. While there are some great moments on Two, like the piano swank of Pissed Off or the needed experimental 2X2L, it seems like the band will have to push harder to move past the place they now occupy. The great thing about NYCO is they feel like they are right on the verge of making that change. Their best bet would be to head in the direction of their extremes and eliminate the middle of their sound.

With all of this said, Two is a very good album and I am judging NYCO on their potential. Taking Two at face value it is a good record, but it is very hard to separate it from its contemporaries. In part, this will help NYCO gain a wider fan base as they are close enough to their influences to not let anyone down, but that proximity can be an issue when looking for something more original. As far as being a debut album, NYCO’s Two is a better effort than most independent artists conjure up their first time out.


Justin Scro    

Parts & Labor do not know how to start a song simply, the only seem capable of catapulting their infectious rhythms directly at the listener, hitting the mark each time on Mapmaker. Blurring the lines between punk, new wave, experimental and straight up rock , Parts & Labor’s music is armed t o the teeth. Similar in energy to Philadelphia’s Man Man, Parts & Labor’s Mapmaker is a creative album that is also entertaining as hell. As mentioned before, each songs is thrust at the listener as if they have just awaken to find themselves running as they can.

Fractured Skies opens Mapmaker with a great drumline that gives way to a bountiful chorus. The vocals seems far off, yet the surround the song. Fractured Skies continually erupts, climax with the addition of horn around 2:30, taking the songs great guttural quality to anthemic heights. Brighter Days opens much in the same way as its precursor, but after the initial burst of drums, the song lets the vocals come up front. There is something eerie in the voices of Dan Friel and BJ Warshaw, but it makes it unique and endearing, giving the rambunctious songs a center and heart. Vision Of Repair finds the trio tackling their punk leanings, even almost crossing into contemporary punk sounds. Even though this songs is only the third track on Mapmaker, Vision Of Repair’s approachable sound mixes well with the other songs, creating a diversity within their construct. The energy never lets up on the song, nor does it on any of Mapmaker’s tracks.

As the albums enters it’s second cycle of songs with The Gold We’re Digging, Mapmaker teeters on the edge of becoming repetitive. The melodic vocal approach keeps the song interesting as the music seems fairly the same of pieces of the previous songs. I would never fault a band for sounding too much like itself on one album, but Mapmaker’s strongest moments leave a deep impression and after many listens it seems like some tracks are reflections of those strong moments. New Crimes starts off with a Galaga battle scene before, yes, exploding. This time, however, it is the guitar that gets to take center stage and erupts with its overdriven fast as light picking and cutting tone. A lot of Mapmaker sounds like Fugazi fell into a blender with Naked Raygun and Brian Eno. Meaning that as a compliment, Parts & Labor have taken their influence and injected a sound so original it is amusing to try to piece together where they take the sounds of those before them and how they make it theirs. It is no surprise that they do total justice to the Minutemen on their cover of King Of The Hill. Swapping the guitar line for a twitchy synth, Parts & Labor have no problem making this song fit in with their album. If someone were not familiar with the Minutemen, it would be easy to assume that King Of The Hill. This song even has lingering elements of Devo to take the song further away from its origins.

Fake Rain continues the bands fascination with electronic as well as all things fast. With the vocals upfront again and a Miserlou guitar riff to boot, Fake Rain furthers Parts & Labor’s quest for urgency. Keeping the album at a moderately short length, Mapmaker plays though (and over and over) as one complete experience with the songs growing further apart from each other which each pass. From the intensity of the album I am moved to seek out Parts & Labor’s early work as well as trying to catch them live as soon as possible.


Justin Scro    

Not many albums start creating buzz nearly a year after they are released. Few efforts come to mind, Sigur Ros’s Agetis Byrium and The Hives Vini Vedi Vicious and Peter Bjorn and John’s Writer’s Block. After their amazingly catchy single Young Folks was featured during a key scene in the television show Grey’s Anatomy and an in various commercials, the band are starting to get their due. I could not think of a more appropriate band for it to happen to. Genre to genre and listener to listener, there is something in Writers Block for everyone.

To understand the musical genius of the band I will dissect of few of their songs form a technical standpoint. Putting Young Folks under the microscope, it is not just the beautiful voices of Victoria Bergsman and PB&J’s Bjorn Yttling that give the song its eerie grace. As the song begins, the bass and drums are moving full speed ahead making the songs seem like it will be a fast-paced number. Suddenly, the soon to be classic line of whistling appears in a minor key and the song is two things at once. Fast with the rhythm and slow with the melody. It is pulled off very well and the arrival of the key vocal line cements this all into place, as if Young Folks are bored passengers on a fast moving train.

Amsterdam was the first Peter Bjorn and John song that my brother played for me. Midway through the song I found myself signing along. I cannot remember another time where a song was so catchy that I could and wanted to follow it before even hearing the song one full time. This song works like Young Folks but backwards. The drums and bass are slow and dreamy, but the vocal delivery is fast and nonstop. This technique again proves successful. Using whistling again, Amsterdam lyrically takes Writer’s Block to the next level of casual cool. The recording style is nostalgic and it works so well for this great band that combines the sounds of 60’s pop infused with their own modern take. Up Against The Wall find the arrangements sparser than the other songs on the album, keeping it to just to the basic dynamic of the band. Their catchy rhythms and laidback delivery of Yttling make each song on the album a unique experience while still feeling like they all came from the same band. If anything, Peter Bjorn and John have created their own sound and will be able to stay within their parameters without being criticized for not moving on and experime