Shot Of Rhythm

2007-07-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Movin' on up

Friends and neighbors,

As of this week, Shot Of Rhythm is moving its business over to our good friend David Cantwell's wonderful website Living In Stereo. There, I'll be joining a small cadre of talented folk, whose company I'll do my best not to embarrass with my ramblings and ravings. Given the new digs, I'll be able to post music clips again, and I'll also be able to craft extended, more detailed pieces. These are both very good things, and I'm proud to be a part of the site.

For those of y'all who have been regular Shot Of Rhythm visitors since the beginning, fear not. The party's not closing down...it's just moving to somebody else's house. And, from what I hear, their house is nice.

I'll leave this site up, of course, so you can dig through the archives. See y'all over at Living In Stereo, where the beats keep knockin' all night long.

On the box right now: George Jones, THE SPIRIT OF COUNTRY, Disc 2.

Peace...

2007-06-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Learn the ropes

James Brown teaches you how to dance

Stevie Wonder teaches you numbers, the alphabet, and how to get to Sesame Street

Big news coming soon...

On the box right now: DJ Khaled, WE THE BEST. Khaled piles in verses from an unbelievable roster of hip-hop stars (mostly, though by no means exclusively, Southern), and manages to produce a few tracks - mainly the hit "We Takin' Over" and the surprisingly moving "I'm From The Ghetto" - which actually transcend the Night-Of-A-Thousand-Stars feel of the record, which makes it feel more like a stunt than a record.

Peace...

2007-06-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

Have you visited...

...our good friends David Cantwell over at Living In Stereo, Danny Alexander over at Take 'Em As They Come, Lauren Alexander over at Get Down Girl, Jeff Chang at Can't Stop Won't Stop, or the whole buncha cool cats at Holler if Ya Hear Me?

...the wondrous collection of soul, funk and hip-hop at Oliver Wang's Soul Sides?

...Shot of Rhythm's favorite hip-hop blog, Nah Right?

...the wonderful source of downloadable rare country/blues/rock 'n' roll LPs at Twilight Zone?

...the pop and R&B treasures buried at Muzik Bone?

...Shot Of Rhythm's current favorite music video, Avril Lavigne and Lil Mama - "Girlfriend" (remix)?

If not, why don't you spend a few worthwhile minutes giving those fine folks and finds a shout.

I'll be back in a bit...stay tuned for big news in the near future...

On the box right now: Johnny "Guitar" Watson, FUNK ANTHOLOGY, Disc 1. This has become one of my very favorite records right now. Too much fun...and funk...

Peace...

2007-06-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the star of our show

As longtime readers are aware, we at Shot Of Rhythm are huge fans of Jerry Williams, Jr., aka Swamp Dogg, the soul-funk-country-psychedelic-radical-nationalist-pop-rock trickster whose long, distinguished career ranges from cowriting Johnny Paycheck's "She's All I Got" to putting together the original Muscle Shoals Horns. Swamp's own recordings are totally great, up to and including his newest platter, Resurrection, a gloriously epic collection of songs that range from brutally-explicit political sermons (like the brilliant 12-minute title track, which is pretty much Black Nationalism 101, or the mournful "They Crowned An Idiot King," which is equally critical of President You-Know-Who and the society who elected him) to oughta-be-hits like the bluesy "Raw Spitt," which is just asking for a Toby Keith cover. Witty, wild and wonderful like the Dogg's classic material, RESURRECTION deserves your undivided attention...

As does this incredible treasure: a full-length live performance from Swamp Dogg, recorded in April in Amsterdam, and now available in crisp streaming video and audio over this Internet thang. Swamp Dogg visits all sectors of his legendary catalog, including his anthem, the blazing "Total Destruction To Your Mind," his fantastic cover of Joe South's "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home?," and a buncha tunes from RESURRECTION. He's in fine voice (a crystal-clear tenor that has never gotten its due credit), his band is smoking, and it's impossible to imagine a better glimpse of what makes Swamp Dogg your new favorite artist. (Trust me...he will be...)

On top of everything, you should check this out because it was recommended to me by Mr. Williams himself, who I spoke to last week and hipped me to the performance. So, for all those reasons and more, check it out:

Swamp Dogg, Live in Amsterdam, 4/24/2007

Country-soul in the house...

On the box right now: White Stripes, ICKY THUMP.

Peace...

2007-06-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Status report

Okay, here's what's going on. As of a couple weeks ago, the online space where I'd been posting tunes for y'all became no longer available. I tried to figure out an alternate solution (which is why I've had you "holding that thought" for so long), but none presented itself thus far. Until I can find a new way to post tracks, I'm gonna have to put that on hold.

Luckily, though, there's still plenty of other things I can post/write/link here, and I'm happy to announce that Shot of Rhythm will be resuming regular service as of this evening.

So, we're hours away from the relaunch, and I hope your patience will be rewarded.

On the box right now: Traveling Wilburys, COLLECTION, Disc 1.

Peace...

2007-05-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hold that thought...

I'll be back soon...

2007-05-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Gangsta boogie

I've recently realized that Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Gangster Of Love" is on the short-list of my favorite songs in the world. Funny, brash, assertive, vulnerable, and funky as hell. I thought I might pay tribute to the tune, and I can think of no better way of doing this than following it down its own path...

He first cut it in 1957, as a single for Keen Records. Like much of the blues, R&B and rock-n-roll from the period, the track sounds alive, awake and ready to roar.

"Gangster Of Love" (1957)

He then revisited it in 1978, in the heart of his grossly underappreciated funk period. This time, as befits a song twenty years down the line, "Gangster Of Love" sounds more like the Texas juke joints where Watson trained and made his name. The joy and jokes are still there, but this time Watson seems more willing to slow down the groove, and ride that pony all the way across the borderline.

"Gangster Of Love" (1978)

Of course, the way I first heard "Gangster Of Love" was through another mighty Texas guitar-slinger, Jesse Taylor, who used to do this number as a solo spotlight when he was gigging with any number of his famous employers. I saw him do it with Joe Ely in Austin in 1996, and - even though the entire show was good enough to remain one of the best I've ever seen - Taylor's version of "Gangster Of Love" was particularly smokin'. It was thus an unbelievably pleasant surprise to find a YouTube video of Jesse doing "Gangster Of Love," albeit at a different gig than the one I saw, and - just as I remembered hit - he captures the combination of love-machine boasting and laughin'-to-keep-from-cryin' humor that makes this song, ever more so, a pick to click in my neck of the woods.

Check it out...

ADDENDUM: I wasn't gonna post the Geto Boys' infamous "Gangsta Of Love," not because I don't love the track, but because it's not the same song as Watson's "Gangster Of Love." Of course, as Mr. C points out in a comment below, that's a pretty dumb reason to leave it off, especially since - like Watson - there are two versions of the Boys' raw blues, the first from their indie-label debut, and the second from their first Def American album. I'm not exactly sure why they switched the sample between versions - the first is based around the Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" (and its namesake lyric), the second quite brilliantly founded on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" - but the changeover in sound (and in the addition of Bushwick Bill to deliver the tune's second verse) makes the latter my favorite. The collected Geto Boys' "Gangsta Of Love"s are certainly less overtly playful, and more patently offensive, than "Guitar" Watson's, but they share the same trickster-ish sensibility and - most importantly - the blues' vulnerable braggadocio. Gangsta boogie, gangsta boogie!

Geto Boys - "Gangster Of Love"

Geto Boys - "Gangsta Of Love"

On the box right now: Johnny "Guitar" Watson, THE FUNK ANTHOLOGY, Disc 1.

Peace...

2007-05-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Summertime soundclash

Here are a few brand-new hip-hop cuts to help get the new season off to a grooving start. The Eve and Yung Joc tracks are both new singles, Eve's "Tambourine" a glorious return to form, and Yung Joc's "Coffee Shop" a surprisingly memorable follow-up to Joc's previous monster hit "It's Goin' Down." The Common and Obie Trice cuts are as-yet-unreleased. I'm not sure where Trice's graceful and beautiful "Detroit Summer" is gonna end up, but Common's "The People" is from his upcoming new album, FINDING FOREVER, which (like the last one) is produced by Kanye West, and which is highly anticipated around these parts.

Open those windows and turn it up...

Common - "The People"

Eve - "Tambourine"

Obie Trice - "Detroit Summer"

Yung Joc (feat. Gorilla Zoe) - "Coffee Shop"

On the box right now: Nick Lowe, AT MY AGE. Life is good...more later...

Peace...

2007-05-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Them that ain't busy bein' born...

For some reason, a rumor got started a couple weeks ago that Joe South, the legendary country-soul singer, songwriter and guitar player, had died. Now, I can't be sure that Mr. South - who's been living a life of relative exile in Hawaii for decades - is still walking among us, but absolutely no official confirmation of this dastardly rumor has been forthcoming, making me believe that it's just another urban legend. I sure hope it's just a legend, at any rate.

I thought I'd karmically counter-act these rumors by presenting a few selections from the very beginning of South's legendary career, when he was still a hungry young singer and session player for Bill Lowery's National Recording Corporation. Lowery's label is a fascinating, and far too obscure, corner of American musical history, and its small community of talented musical eccentrics included South, Ray Stevens, Jerry Reed, The Tams and Wayne Cochran, among others. A wonderful recent compilation, Kent Records' THE ROCKIN' SOUTH, captures National at the height of its powers, a transitional moment between 1950s rock-n-roll and 1960s rock-and-soul that demonstrates just how real, and yet how nebulous, the musical and personnel connections between the two eras really were.

Joe South is all over this disc, both as a performer (who, from the very beginning, struts his stuff as a fine interpreter of various genres) and session player. South's first single, "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor," is just as wonderfully cornball as its title implies, but the other two South tracks here - "Chills" and "I'm Snowed" - demonstrate the nuanced, effective way that he crafted both his vocals and his songcraft. (He didn't write "Purple People Eater..."; that classic of late-1950s cultural paranoia was penned by Big Bopper J.P. Richardson.)

On two other cuts, South demonstrates his talents as a session guitarist, the skill that gained him his first fame, before countless artists (and South himself) lit up the airwaves with his wondrous song catalog. Ric Cartey's "Scratchin' On My Screen" is a wonderful period piece, intense country-blues shot through the frenetic prism of post-Sun Records rockabilly and live gigs on the Southern "frat circuit." South and Jerry Reed provide "Scratchin' On My Screen" with its thundering acoustic boogie. Paul Peek's "The Rock A Round" is more pure joy from rock-n-roll's moment of awakening, and the musicians on the track capture National's eclectic alchemy at its most definitive: Joe South, Jerry Reed, Ray Stevens and the legendary Esquerita all add to the chaos.

Fine, prophetic stuff from the multitalented Mr. Joe South, who (I hope) remains alive and well at the country-soul crossroads.

Joe South - "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor"

Joe South - "Chills"

Joe South - "I'm Snowed"

Ric Cartey - "Scratchin' On My Screen"

Paul Peek - "The Rock-A-Round"

On the box right now: Amerie, BECAUSE I LOVE IT. It's gonna be hard for any single to be better than "Gotta Work"...

Peace...

2007-05-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Charming eccentricities

The world looks very differently when viewed from the perspective of idiosyncratic songwriters, whose poignant pen and wandering eyes/ears provide us with such interesting observations and stylistic alchemies. I've been digging on four such songwriters lately, distinguished gentlemen all...

-Jim Ford's biography is too wondrous and complicated to regurgitate here, but here are a few salient details: he managed to survive thirty years of being close friends with both Sly Stone and Bobby Womack...he wrote songs with Bobby Womack, for the Temptations and - he claims - "Ode To Billie Joe"...he raised Marlon Brando's children from a previous marriage...he once decided that both Joe Cocker's Grease Band and Brinsley Schwarz (featuring a young Nick Lowe, who now considers Ford his greatest musical inspiration) weren't good enough to use as his backing band...

There are a bunch more of those kinda revelations, but what really matters is how truly remarkable his limited body of released work is, country-soul material that sounds a bit like David Allan Coe backed by the Funk Brothers. Ford's precise songcraft, intense performances, and penchant for 100-proof honesty comes through in bright, brilliant colors on the new compilation THE SOUNDS OF OUR TIME, which features Ford's classic debut album in its entirety, plus a whole bunch of fascinating demos, unreleased singles and various other odds-and-sods. All of this is worth hearing, and - for my money - establishes Ford as a talent on the level of Joe South. (And, as somebody who considers South one of the central figures in this whole "country-soul" thang that I keep talking about, that's pretty high praise.)

Here's "Changing Colors," from the debut album, and a wonderful unreleased tune (co-written with Womack) called "Sounds Of Our Time," that manages to be politically passionate without sounding preachy or polemical. This one, like most of Ford's tunes, deserves several thousand cover versions. (I'm thinking Mavis Staples might be the first person to call...)

Jim Ford - "Changing Colors"

Jim Ford - "Sounds Of Our Time"

On top of several dozen hit country copyrights, John D. Loudermilk wrote a couple tunes that have become American pop standards: one, "Tobacco Road," deserves all its classic reputation, and the other - "Indian Reservation (Cherokee People" - is at least a noble, if slightly awkward, effort. Loudermilk's own recordings, however, deserve extended attention as well. Loudermilk prided himself on his blend of country, pop, folk and psychedelia, and - as I think you can here on both "Nassau Town" and "To Hell With Love" - Loudermilk's gift for intricate songwriting combined with his free-spiritedness into many little gems, which are compiled on a reissue from a couple years ago called THE OPEN MIND OF JOHN D. LOUDERMILK. Highly recommended stuff, which is - in its own way - just as gonzo as that of Jim Ford's.

John D. Loudermilk - "Nassau Town"

John D. Loudermilk - "To Hell With Love"

The late, great Warren Zevon is having a (relatively) good year: the reissues of EXCITABLE BOY, THE ENVOY and the monumental live album STAND IN THE FIRE are well worth picking up, as is the astounding biography I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD, which I'm a hundred pages into and absolutely cannot put down. The finest feather in the cap, though, is a startling disc called PRELUDES, composed of Zevon demos from his early years. While there are fascinating in-progress glimpses of some of Warren's most famous stuff (like a reggae take on "Werewolves Of London" that has Joe Tex "walking with the Queen" in that famous verse), the best revelations are the songs that, for whatever reason, slipped through the cracks in Zevon's catalog. One of these - "Tule's Blues" - he actually did record, but only on his semi-obscure debut album. Not only is that version not well known, but I think this intimate piano take trumps it on every level. Then there are cuts like "The Rosarita Beach Cafe," which are brand-spankin'-new to the public's ears, and - with their soulful, graceful fragility - serve as a noteworthy addition to the great man's esteemed musical legacy. At their best, songwriter demos really do sound like a window into the most personal dimension of musical creation, and the PRELUDES disc is absolutely in that category.

Warren Zevon - "Tule's Blues"

Warren Zevon - "The Rosarita Beach Cafe"

-Robbie Fulks is a frustrating case: I really love a lot of his material, particularly his great last album GEORGIA HARD, and I think he's one of the most entertaining live acts in the world. Still, I've found his recorded work both inconsistent and inaccessible to the uninitiated: I've made many more Fulks converts through taking people to his gigs. Luckily, perhaps even he understands this, since he decided to put out a double live-album, REVENGE, a few weeks ago. Of course, in typically inscrutable (but refreshing) Fulks fashion, he loaded this collection with a bunch of new songs, which - for the most part - stand up perfectly well with his previous material. In fact, the examples below - the simmering pop of "You Don't Mean It" and the broken-hearted "On A Real Good Day" - are probably gonna end up among my favorite Fulks tunes. Well done, sir...I'll see you next time you come through town.

Robbie Fulks - "You Don't Mean It"

Robbie Fulks - "On A Real Good Day"

On the box right now: Paris Bennett, PRINCESS P. Oh my god, was last season of AMERICAN IDOL better than this year.

Peace...

2007-05-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Old dogs, new tricks

Three recent releases to spotlight today, all of which indicate that the past is very much alive in each moment of the musical present.

-First is Mr. Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, who has quite literally emerged from seeming obscurity once again to remind the entire nation why he continues to stand at the spiritual and musical center of Washington, D.C.'s seminal go-go scene, a genre with an influence and importance far wider than has even begun to be understood. Mr. Brown returns in fine form, with an old-leather voice and rhythms that sound simultaneously timeless and fresh. What's really surprising, though, and what makes WE'RE ABOUT THE BUSINESS a most worthy addition to his catalog (or anyone else's, for that matter) is simply how good the songs are: this record has nary a weak spot, and several of the tracks immediately jump out as warm, friendly soundtracks for all yer summertime barbecues and pool parties. Sometimes a record is memorable because it reinvents, and sometimes it's memorable because it reminds. This one reminds, and more power to it.

Chuck Brown - "Block Party," from WE'RE ABOUT THE BUSINESS

Chuck Brown (feat. KK) - "Chuck Baby," from WE'RE ABOUT THE BUSINESS

-Ms. Mavis Staples is well on her way to being a national treasure, particularly if people like me and her eloquent fan David Cantwell have anything to say about it. On her new collection, WE'LL NEVER TURN BACK, the mighty Mavis tackles an album-length collection of "freedom songs." Now, my immediate reaction was "wait a minute, hasn't her entire career been freedom songs?" And I'm right, of course. (smile) Still, here she explicitly meditates on the music of the Civil Rights Movement, and - with the deft assistance of Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner and the glorious return of the SNCC Freedom Singers - she bridges the past and present with freshness, spirit and (occasionally) a stiff shot of anger. May we all grow so gracefully.

Mavis Staples (w/SNCC Freedom Singers) - "Turn Me 'Round"

Mavis Staples - "We'll Never Turn Back"

-Finally, on the reissue front comes the return of Ms. Betty Davis, Miles' ex-wife and a veritable funk auteur. As our friend Oliver Wang points out in his book-worthy liner notes, Davis selected her band (featuring veterans of Santana and the Family Stone, plus The Pointer Sisters and more), wrote all her own material, oversaw its arrangement and production, and then put it on fire in the vocal booth, and at her infamous live shows. With superb remastering (some of the best I've ever heard), Light In The Attic Records now unleashes Betty Davis' classic first two records, slabs of uncut funk that are raw, raunchy, righteous, and most-definitely rockin'. She pounds as hard as the Stones or AC/DC, sings with the intensity of Tina or Patti, and talks as unabashedly as world-wide-women from Bessie Smith to Lil Kim. Ladies and gentlemen, the star of our show...

Betty Davis - "Steppin' In Her I. Miller Shoes," from BETTY DAVIS

Betty Davis - "Shoo-B-Doop And Cop Him," from THEY SAY I'M DIFFERENT

See y'all down the road.

On the box right now: Warren Zevon, PRELUDES. Beautiful collection of early demos from one of the late greats.

Peace...

2007-04-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

EMP Thoughts

Since I realized that one person or another may stumble into this little corner of the world because of my recent participation in the EMP's Pop Music Conference 2007, I thought I'd offer a thought or two on the affair, which - though I was only there for about half of it - seemed a rousing, rowdy success.

Without giving short shrift to either the (many) highlights or the (occasional) lowlights of the weekend, I realized that one centralizing observation dominates my recollections. Namely, the hip-hop contingent came really strong this year, delivering a whole slew of smart, soulful presentations/screenings/etc., often in some sort of tandem. Jeff Chang once again came through like the MVP, doing several events over the weekend on hip-hop's roots and routes. (Although I literally couldn't be there for it, I figure I'm always gonna regret missing the panel Chang did with Joe Schloss, Garnette Cadogan, Ned Sublette and Oliver Wang, which - from what I hear - was unsurprisingly monumental.)

Elizabeth Mendez Berry delivered a heartbreakingly effective remix to her powerful "Love Hurts" piece (on the silence within hip-hop on violence towards women) from a few years back. Brian Cross and Henry Chalfant both screened parts of their compelling recent projects, Cross' "Brasilintime," and Chalfant's groundbreaking "From Mambo To Hip-Hop," both of which deserve the widest possible audience. Ali Colleen Neff and Roni Sarig brought the Dirty South, as did Shot Of Rhythm's new pals Dave Stelfox and Erin MacLeod, who tag-teamed a talk on Houston's pivotal chopped-n-screwed scene. Dave and Erin appeared on a panel dealing with local hip-hop that also featured a fine talk by one of Shot Of Rhythm's oldest pals, the mighty Wayne Marshall, who damn near started a dance party with his talk on the "zunguzung" meme in reggae, hip-hop and dancehall. There are more I'm missing, of course, but y'all get the point. In this post-Imus moment of confused, even destructive conversations, it was heartily refreshing to hear so much good, complicated talk about hip-hop's past, present and future.

Speaking of hip-hop's future, here's four more new tracks, picked up from around the cybersphere, all of which sound perfect for the summertime.

Tune in next time for Betty Davis, Chuck Brown and Mavis Staples...

Mark Ronson (feat. Rhymefest and Anthony Hamilton) - "Bout To Get Ugly"

Christelle Michelle - "Good Girl" (Spotted over at Muzik Bone)

Hurricane Chris - "A Bay Bay"

Nu World Era - "Fresh"

On the box right now: Jim Ford, THE SOUNDS OF OUR TIME.

Peace...

2007-04-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

Country-soul/soul-country

I'll be back with something more substantive soon, but here are a few of the greatest hits from the paper I gave at last weekend's Experience Music Project Pop Conference, titled "The Country-Soul Triangle: How Southern Soul Changed Country Music." There's gold in them hills...

George Jones and Johnny Paycheck - "You Better Move On"

Charlie Rich - "Life's Little Ups And Downs"

Irma Thomas - "Dance Me Down Easy"

On the box right now: Betty Davis, BETTY DAVIS (reissue). More on this later...

Peace...

2007-04-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

End of the Spring and here she comes back...

After this long winter's nap, it's finally starting to feel like summer's once again waiting just around the corner. Not only is the temperature (gradually) rising and the days getting longer, but I've been spinning a couple of those distinctive summer sounds that light up the warm days and cool nights of the fairest season. Of course, Timbaland - after ruling last summer (and fall) with Nelly, JT and the Pussycat Dolls - has emerged with his first great solo album, SHOCK VALUE, an almost overwhelming burst of production genius that, while occasionally suffering from a little redundancy, possesses enough musical creativity to fill anybody's tall glass of sweet tea. Below is the lead-off track, and - for my money - the album's best song, the whirring "Oh, Timbaland," which benefits from an absolutely ingenious manipulation of a Nina Simone sample. I've also included a bit of a bonus here, a remix of current smash-hit "Give It To Me." Actually, it just barely qualifies as a remix, since Timbaland's verse and the presence of a particularly funky-fresh verse from Jay-Z damn near makes this a different track. It's called "Laff At 'Em," and it's making its way around some of my favorite hip-hop blogs right now.

Timbaland - "Oh, Timbaland"

Timbaland (feat. Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z) - "Laff At 'Em" ("Give It To Me" remix)

Then there's Ryan Shaw, the latest Ricky Fante-style retro-soul prince who's brand-new album, THIS IS RYAN SHAW, is a wonderfully evocative burst of classic R&B/soul sounds. It probably won't end up being any kind of classic, but I can't help but think that me and my friends will find endless uses in the coming months for pulsing tracks like the two posted below:

Ryan Shaw - "Do The 45"

Ryan Shaw - "Mish Mash"

Here's to some hot fun in the summertime, y'all. God knows we need it.

By the way, if you haven't been checking out our buddy David Cantwell's ongoing, rich discussion of the Imus controversy (and its troubling fall-out), I really recommend you make a stop at Living In Stereo to join the conversation. We're all in this together, after all.

On the box: Sly and the Family Stone, STAND! Part of the absolutely wonderful reissue collection of all of Sly's prime work. Fantastic stuff. (Hi, hi, hi, hi there...)

Peace...

2007-04-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Southern comforts

2007 is proving to be about the fifteenth great year in a row for Southern hip-hop. Here are a few of my recent, bluesy-funky-soulful favorites from below the Mason-Dixon. Self-proclaimed king of Houston Lil Flip produces a cut, with guest Rick Ross, which is stupidly rockin', and actually makes the now-ubiquitous "I'm rich" imagery sound fresh, cocky, and vividly alive. The track from Baby Boy Da Prince, from New Orleans, is like lemonade spiked with tequila. Alabama's Rich Boy, with supple help from MVP John Legend, shows the soulful side of even the hardest gangsta-lean cuts. Returning to the Lone Star State, Devin The Dude - with help from Snoop Dogg and a never-better Andre 3000 (whose verse is seriously one of the better lyric sequences I've ever heard) - produces an instant classic, a bluesy meditation on the labors of art (and the art of labor) that raises the Dude's art/work to newly transcendent heights. Beautiful melody, too...

Lil Flip (feat. Rick Ross) - "I Get Money"

Baby Boy Da Prince (feat. Lil Boosie) - "The Way I Live"

Rich Boy (feat. John Legend) - "Ghetto Rich"

Devin The Dude (feat. Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000) - "What A Job"

On the box right now: Neil Young, LIVE AT MASSEY HALL.

Peace...

2007-04-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Missed it by that much

Oh, poor Taylor Hicks. Last year's AMERICAN IDOL winner has essentially disappeared from the national landscape, with relatively poor record sales (still trying to climb towards Platinum) and gigs that don't even come close to previous Idols. (For example, he's second on the bill - not even headlining - at a country-music festival in my neck of the woods this summer.) The reasons for this downward spiral are already being bandied about in the media, and - though factors like Hicks' stubborn individualism and Chris Daughtry's simultaneous smash success get brought up - the fact that the leader of the "Soul Patrol" suffered by releasing an album that, even in the terms of the post-IDOL debut, is pretty awful is pretty much consensus. Forgettable songs, scattered stylistic choices and the lack of a knockout lead single. I'm sorry, Mr. Hicks: even though I appreciated your gangly, passionate country-soul enough to actually cast a vote for you in the final week, I haven't listened to your weak-sauce effort in months.

What has been even more surprising to me, and in a very good way, has been the fact that several of the singers vanquished by Hicks have released shockingly accomplished and interesting music in the months since they too gained fame on the TV juggernaut. Not counting Daughtry, whose style I don't like but whose success I certainly appreciate, I've made room in my mix for four (count 'em) Idol also-rans. While I could've expected that several sparkling tracks by R&B princess Paris Bennett have caught my ear, it's more shocking to me that I'm digging cuts by Elliot Yamin, Kellie Pickler and - most of all - Katharine McPhee, the finalist whose bland histrionics seemed the obvious anti-Christ to Taylor's ragged glory. Still, I can't argue with several tracks off of McPhee's debut album: while I could've put the funky "Love Story" or almost-as-good-as-Beyonce "Not Ur Girl" up here, I thought I'd spotlight "Better Off Alone," on which McPhee finally finds a sound big enough to both contain and liberate her enormous voice. Elliot Yamin, whose duet with Mary J. Blige on the IDOL finale last season made me like him far more than anything he'd done previous to that, isn't quite up to the McPhee or Bennett level in the soul department, but his first single - "Movin' On" - is almost exactly the kind of tune that Hicks' debut so sorely misses. Finally, Kellie Pickler - whose aw-shucks persona masked a talent keen enough to perform Bobbie Gentry's "Fancy" and Sara Evans' "Suds In The Bucket" on IDOL's country episode - absolutely blows me away with "I Wonder," a truly epic weeper that Pickler herself co-wrote. I also hear buzz that Bucky Covington's upcoming debut is pretty decent, news made less gonzo by the track record created by the above artists. As incredible as this seems, I can't say I'll be surprised if Bucky, for God's sake, also surpasses Taylor in the coming weeks. Wow.

One more thing, possibly leading to more things if folks are interested: I don't think Sanjaya Malakar is anywhere near as bad as most seem to think he is. If he stuck to quieter ballads, and didn't try to either rock out or overact, I think he'd be alright. He's still quite obviously less talented than almost anybody else on the show, but he's better than Haley, who's also still around. Simon Cowell said that he's done with the show if Sanjaya wins. I am too, but only because a Sanjaya victory means that Melinda Doolittle lost. And that, my friends, would be too much for me to take.

But all that worrying's for later. Right now, just sit back and bask in the most recent entries to the rapidly-expanding recorded legacy of AMERICAN IDOL, a far greater and more varied canon than we had any right to expect...

Paris Bennett - "Ordinary Love"

Katharine McPhee - "Better Off Alone"

Kellie Pickler - "I Wonder"

Elliot Yamin - "Movin' On"

On the box right now: Anthony Hamilton, SOUTHERN COMFORT.

Peace...

2007-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hold that thought...

Sorry I've been so here and there lately...but I've literally been here and there, traveling around to a couple conferences and such. Tomorrow, I jet out to Boston for the Pop Culture Association meeting, where I'm giving a talk with some great folks on the way in which various jazz and blues musicians have manipulated perceptions of the "authentic canon" in both those genres. I'm focusing specifically on 21st-century blues musicians, of whom more later, but - to tide you over for the moment - here are three songs I'll be talking about at the gig.

Alvin Youngblood Hart - "My World Is Round"

Chris Thomas King - "Welcome To Da Jungle"

Toshi Reagon - "Just What I Needed"

Once again, lo siento for not being more consistent on updates. I promise that, next week, I'll be back on regular schedule.

On the box right now: Beyonce, B-DAY: DELUXE EDITION. I had a dream the other night where, out of nowhere, Ms. Knowles appeared and slapped me across the face. I can't say it wasn't at least somewhat enjoyable...

Peace...

2007-03-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Goliath will be conquered

Got back yesterday from the Bob Dylan Symposium at the University of Minnesota, a three-day event that was really fun, informative and thought-provoking. Great speakers, a couple nice threads of discussion and debate that linked the panels/keynotes, and an overall spirit of engagement and curiosity that made the thing sparkle, in the way that many conferences simply never do.

My talk was about Bob Dylan and the Civil Rights Movement, but I ended up talking as much about Dylan's relationship to gospel music as any more obvious aspect of his connections with the Freedom Struggle. (Of course, anybody with an understanding of the Movement will know how deep, and complicated, those connections are.)

Don't believe Dylan's got some gospel in him, even before the (in)famous "Christian" period? Check it...

Nina Simone - "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

The Staple Singers - "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"

Chicago Mass Choir (feat. Regina McCrary) - "Pressing On"

On the box right now: Devin The Dude, WAITIN' TO INHALE.

Peace...

2007-03-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

New release round-up

The last two weeks have seen a flurry of new picks-to-click, records that (for the moment) have made me feel much better about 2007's musical output. Even as the commercial side of the business continues to tank, the level of artistry on these newest arrivals to the Tower Of Song are more than reassuring.

-Even though her album came out last fall in Britain, Amy Winehouse's BACK TO BLACK has just exploded onto American shores. Now, I don't use words like "exploded" in this context too often, since they imply a promo-copy buzzword meant to convince people to buy something. Yet and still, judging by her artistic freshness, and the multiple people who have made "have you heard Amy Winehouse?" a standard point of conversation since the record dropped two weeks ago, I can't help but believe that Winehouse, with her bubbling girl-group/Motown/Philly/hip-hop productions and unflinchingly raw songwriting, that the term isn't appropriate. This lady is headed for a long-time presence in our mix. Plus, the first single - "Rehab" - is as intoxicating as anything she may have (over-)indulged in...

Amy Winehouse - "Rehab," from BACK TO BLACK

-Devin The Dude has spent the last decade putting out great records periodically, then falling back for just long enough to lull us into complacency. Once again, Houston's ambassador of weed, women and righteous funkiness as returned with WAITIN' TO INHALE, a jokey title that (although it reflects the self-deprecating hedonism that center most of the lyrics) doesn't do justice to the depth and textures of the sounds within: guitar riffs for days, beats that recall P-Funk, the Isleys, UGK and early OutKast, and satisfyingly catchy hooks. Indeed, even some of his lyrics transcend the jus'-playin' vibe, like "What A Job," where Devin - in tandem with the still-great Snoop and Andre 300 (who really oughta rap more) - describes the life of a professional musician with great honesty and empathy. (Andre's verse even makes me - and hopefully you - think twice about illegal downloading.) Beautifully rich stuff; the Dirty South at its finest.

Devin The Dude (feat. Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000) - "What A Job," from WAITIN' TO INHALE

-Rich Boy, the Alabama-based MC who currently knocks the club around with "Throw Some Ds," has produced an album that greatly exceeds my expectations. Although I knew that he'd provide a couple good club tracks in the style of "D's," I was not at all expecting the layered song-suite he puts together as the album's second half, exploring reggae, blues and gospel sounds and combining them with passionate, intelligent lyrics about humanity, struggle and survival which remind me a lot of Juvenile's most engaged songwriting. While not every track on Rich Boy's debut is great, the best stuff (particularly on that second half) is good enough to land it near the top of my current best-of-2007 list. "Ghetto Rich," with the always game-raising John Legend, is the main reason why.

Rich Boy (feat. John Legend) - "Ghetto Rich," from RICH BOY

-The Stooges came back with the wonderfully-titled THE WEIRDNESS, which - unfortunately - is pretty bad. I'm sorry - I love Iggy, and I didn't even mind the idea of reforming his greatest (and oldest) band, but the songs are uniformly underwhelming, and Iggy sounds uniformly tired...except on "My Idea Of Fun," the one track where Iggy's pissed-off polemic and the band's crunchy anarchy works perfectly in tandem. I'm not hopeless about future Stooges collaborations, but this one isn't even close to being as good as Iggy's last three or four solo albums. And that, my friends, is not the standard to fail in measuring up to.

The Stooges - "My Idea Of Fun," from THE WEIRDNESS

-Eightball and MJG have quietly (or maybe loudly) become staples of the hip-hop world, veterans who are about to either grow old gracefully (like Scarface, who's settled in to a comfortable groove of good records) or flame out embarrasingly (like, among a thousand others, Melle Mel, whose recent "comeback" sounds more like your uncle improvising over "Get Low" at a wedding). While their new album doesn't hit on all cylinders, I'm very intrigued by the invention - and sense of history - in "Memphis," which we can add to the long list of songs about their fair hometown that capture its funky-fresh vibe both lyrically and musically.

Eightball and MJG (feat. Al Kapone) - "Memphis," from LIVING LEGENDS

On the box right now: Devin The Dude, WAITIN' TO INHALE.

Peace...

2007-03-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Mary Black - "Song For Ireland" (live)

Black 47 - "Bobby Sands, MP"

Maura O'Connell - "Trouble In The Fields"

The Pogues - "If I Should Fall From Grace With God"

Thin Lizzy - "Whiskey In The Jar"

The Voice Squad - "The Parting Glass"

May the road rise to meet you...

On the box right now: Amy Winehouse, BACK TO BLACK. New release round-up coming soon.

Peace...

2007-03-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

Keepin' it knockin'

A while back, Dino asked me what was lighting up the clubs recently. Here are three of the latest drop-your-drink-and-hit-the-dance-floor cuts, all guaranteed to shake your foundations. Then, as a bonus, feast your ears on the new single from TLC vet Chili, who - now in tandem with Missy Elliott at are most outa-space - has launched her solo salvo with a spare, ballsy track that manages to sound simultaneously seductive and stand-offish. I've got no idea whether "Straight Jack" will achieve the popularity of the three hits here, but we can all hope, can't we?

Turn it to 11, and spin your partner round and round...

Beyonce (feat. Jay-Z) - "Upgrade U"

Rich Boy - "Throw Some Ds"

Jibbs (feat. Chamillionaire) - "King Kong"

Chili (feat. Missy Elliott) - "Straight Jack"

On the box right now: MC Lyte, VERY BEST. "Ruffneck" is still the bomb...

Peace...

2007-03-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

The queen B

After a banner 2006, which saw her release of B-DAY (one of the year's very best releases) and a starring role in DREAMGIRLS (where she, to be fair, was blown away by Ms. Jennifer Hudson), you'd think that Beyonce would sit back for awhile, resting on her SI swimsuit-issue cover and her increasingly glorious reputation in American pop life. Yet and still, if the new tracks floating around cyberspace are any indication, The Lady Miss Knowles is gonna squeeze a bit more juice out of her recent creative burst. Here are three tracks from the upcoming special edition of B-DAY, which will both reformulate the original album's track listing and add some fresh stuff. I'm a particular fan of "World Wide Woman," which manages to transcend its strained extended metaphor into being a most serviceable mid-tempo R&B jam, but I also must admit being quite taken by her two Spanish-language tracks. The alliance with fellow pop royalty Shakira on "Beautiful Liar" is - believe it or not - as good in actuality as it is in theory.

It's more than I can hope for to hear as much good music from Beyonce in 2007 as I did in the previous year, but - in what has been a very slow year so far, both creatively and (especially) commercially - I'll take what I can get. You must not know about me.

By the way, I found a couple of these tracks on a fine music blog called Muzik Bone, which you should visit on a regular basis.

"World Wide Woman"

"Amor Gitano" (feat. Alejandro Fernandez)

"Beautiful Liar" (feat. Shakira)

On the box right now: Wilco, SKY BLUE SKY. Yep. More to come...

Peace...

2007-03-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

A friend

Recently, I've been in a period of short-term happiness but long-term transition, which - musically - has translated to me finding the greatest pleasure in music that's both soothing (or at least reassuring), while also being slightly more tooth-y than the average "everything'll be okay"-type stuff. For some reason, or reasons, the solo work of Ronnie Lane has fit the bill most perfectly during this stretch. Lane's work with The Small Faces and The Faces has long won him a place in my thumbs-up column, but I'd never really given his later work much of a shake, save for ROUGH MIX, his spirited collaboration with Pete Townshend. I was missing out, since Lane's work is deeply warm and soulful stuff, awash in acoustic-based instrumentation and graced with Lane's fragile, sweeping post-Beatle melodies. In fact, Lane's stuff reminds me most directly of one of the Fab Four's solo flights, as I hear great similarity in the humanity and sheer gorgeousness between Lane's music and that of George Harrison.

So, for those of you who've got some miles to travel (and who doesn't?), here are a few songs to keep you company. Good company, too...

"Tell Everyone"

"Done This One Before"

"Anymore For Anymore"

On the box right now: Ruthie Foster, THE PHENOMENAL RUTHIE FOSTER. A very appropriate title.

Peace...

2007-02-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

Previews of coming attractions

Here are representative tracks from a few of the upcoming releases that have already found their way into the cyber-mix.

Hanson's track - which is the first single from their new record - is not only their best song since "Where Is The Love," but it's about as good a pop/rock single as I've heard in at least a year. The kids are alright...

Hanson - "The Great Divide," from THE WALK

Bryan Ferry is soon to release an album of Bob Dylan covers (titled, quite brilliantly, DYLANESQUE). Even though my tolerance for Ferry's trademark tremolo-heavy vocal style is middling at best, I must admit being quite taken with his fresh takes on songs that - for good reason - have become a central element in the rock-era Talmud.

Bryan Ferry - "Positively 4th Street," from DYLANESQUE

I was a big fan of the Kings Of Leon's debut album, but thought their last one was a marked step backward. Judging by what I've heard so far, their third release doesn't quite reach the height of their first, but is definitely a step in the right, soulful direction for these rocking Tennessee eccentrics.

Kings Of Leon - "On Call," from BECAUSE OF THE TIMES

Finally, Ozomatli returns not a moment too soon. DON'T MESS WITH THE DRAGON isn't quite the monumental achievement of their last full-length, but its communal vibe and musical creativity matches its lofty predecessor, and the Afro/Latin/Asian collective from Los Angeles make a further case for their status as the true sounds of the new American century.

Ozomatli - "Don't Mess With The Dragon," from DON'T MESS WITH THE DRAGON

On the box right now: Ozomatli, DON'T MESS WITH THE DRAGON.

Peace...

2007-02-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

Bring the noise

When I was the Teaching Assistant for a university course on black music history last year, one of my favorite class discussions centered around Public Enemy. Not only are the socio-political contexts surrounding the group's rise (and fall) as meaty as any in modern American race politics, but the class gave me the chance to lodge further entries in a few of my continuing pet projects, of which regulars on this blog are aware. First, there's my ongoing "Flavor Flav is not just a reality TV buffoon" campaign, which "911 Is A Joke" and Flav's mighty solo single "The Hot 1" usually help to dispel. Second, there's the amazingly widespread ignorance of PE's work among the young generation, even those of whom consider themselves hip-hop heads: out of 100 students, only a handful admitted to being Public Enemy fans, a situation that would've seemed flat-out impossible even a decade ago. Third, there's my strong-and-fast belief that PE is the greatest rap-rock group of all time, whose collaboration with Anthrax on "Bring The Noise" is the real birth of rap-metal crossover. (Sorry, "Walk This Way" is cool, but this is where the true sonic foundation of the blend was coalesced.)

In fact, when I was introducing this concept to the students, I made the rather glib, but very sincere, statement that Public Enemy wasn't only one of my favorite rap groups of all time, but they were also quite possibly my favorite heavy metal group ever. Noting the quizzical looks from around the room, I explained that the bracing, blasting mixture of chaos, anarchy and righteous indignation that makes PE's classics so damn classic, and made The Bomb Squad one of the most sought-after production crews in pop music for a few years, is as much informed by the fuzzed-out thrashing of hard rock as it is by the jazz-disco-reggae alchemy of early hip-hop. I played a few examples, and at least a few of the folks seemed to get my point.

Of course, I really wish I'd had this new PE live album, FIGHT THE POWER, as evidence for my skeptically-recieved argument. Recorded over the last few years, with the crucial element of having a powerful live band behind them, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and Terminator X are at full-blast, roaring through their greatest songs (from over the course of their career) with a fire and ferocity that belies every stereotype about the graceful aging of Chuck into the role of respected elder, as well as Flav's cartoonish insanity. This is big, bold music that - like all great rock and roll - is best played with speakers turned to 11. Even if this doesn't replace Public Enemy's classic work, it's a mighty fine memento of the full breadth of their roof-shaking assertion. And, on top of everything, it fuckin' rocks!

Tear the roof off the sucker...

"Son Of A Bush"

"Shut 'Em Down"

"Fight The Power"/"Soul Power"

On the box right now: Paul Simon, GRACELAND.

Peace...

2007-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

With Friends Like These, Pt. 3

Direct from Houston, Texas, I present Darian, the Young Hustla, a 14-year-old up-and-comer whose first mixtape, OFFICIAL HARDHITTING MIXTAPE, VOL. 1, displays as much promise and potential as any hip-hop I've ever heard from the young-teen demographic. Of course, I'm a bit biased, since her cousin is my friend, colleague and bandmate Tyina Steptoe, who introduced me to Darian's music last year, when she was just in the process of completing the work that makes up this first disc. Then, as now, I was immediately struck by just how good Darian's rhymes are: they're literate and heartfelt, managing to far surpass any low, she's-just-a-kid expectations, while still remaining specific to her experience as a young adult in the 21st century. The three tracks below are from the mix, which I hope you'll get ahold of as soon as possible, if only to say that you were there at the beginning.

"It's Goin' Down" (remix)

"Let Me Hold You"

"Leather So Soft"

On the box right now: Public Enemy, GREATEST HITS LIVE.

Peace...

2007-02-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

With Friends Like These, Pt. 2

A while ago, thanks to some mutual friends and associates, my band had the opportunity to play a gig with Christina Courtin's Running Kicks, an up-and-coming group from NYC that deftly bridges the gap between intimate, Norah Jones-style pop, the neo-cabaret of Nellie McKay or assorted Wainwrights, and the acoustic jazz of iconoclasts from Nickel Creek to Bill Frisell. Led by Ms. Courtin, whose wisdom of voice and lyric belies her young age, the band includes several virtuosic musicians, most regularly guitarist Kyle Sanna and percussionist Matthias Kunzli, and the assorted assemblage (performing mostly original material by Courtin) wraps up their songs in delicate, desloate beauty. At their best, on stage or on record, the Running Kicks transition seamlessly from spare, aching melancholy to full-throated intensity, with plenty of supple rest stops in between.

Two songs here from their debut EP, available through the website listed above. The EP features 5 tunes, along with 3 music videos, and is a tantalizing appetizer of the deep well of potential that, according to various well-sourced rumors, put big things in this group's future. I'm privileged to have hung out, jammed and shared a stage with these prodigious musicians, and I'm happy to help y'all get in on their ground floor.

"Someone Like You"

"Mulberries"

The third and final part of this hype-fest is coming soon. Contrary to what Nas might eloquently argue, hip-hop damn sure ain't dead, and I've got a primary source.

On the box right now: Patty Griffin, CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH. Another beautiful work from a legitimate MVP of the music world...

Peace...

2007-02-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

With friends like these, Pt. 1

Now it has come time to promote a few of the musicians who have, in one way or another, come into my universe through connections with friends, bandmates and colleagues, but whose artistic talent more than justifies their presence in anybody's airspace.

First is Amandla, an astounding funk-rock-soul project created by Claude Coleman, Jr., whose more famous gig as drummer for Ween shouldn't overshadow the restless creativity that Coleman and friends have put into Amandla's two albums, 2001's FALLING ALONE and 2006's THE FULL CATASTROPHE. Most obviously reminiscent of Shuggie Otis, Isley Brothers, P-Funk, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and any number of others, Amandla's soulful records also recall - at various moments - everything from country to punk rock, a bubbling musical stew united by Coleman's deft songwriting and intimate performances. Even though the group has yet to achieve any significant mainstream notice, hopefully the clock is ticking.

They're currently touring the U.S., and the latest line-up features my good friend and bandmate Dave Gilbert on electric guitar. (Full disclosure, dear reader, full disclosure.) Their shows should continue off and on for a while, and I'll be checking them out down in Chicago on Friday night, at the Cobra Lounge, where I'm quite expecting to be as floored by their live show as I am by their records. Buy their records, and go see 'em if you get the chance. Tell the guitarist I said hello.

Here are three of the choice cuts from THE FULL CATASTROPHE, plus one gem ("I Think I Don't Mind) from FALLING ALONE.

"Right Mind"

"Bustop"

"Backdown"

"I Think I Don't Mind"

On the box right now: Amandla, THE FULL CATASTROPHE.

Peace...

2007-02-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

History lesson

Just when most folks stopped caring about the Nas-vs.-Jay-Z feud, Nas came roaring back with one of the better hip-hop albums of 2006, and a fiery artistic statement that staked out territory of ideological and musical resonance (and relevance) that Jay-Z - and his Budweiser ads - was not in danger of topping. Now, as 2007 dawns with a refreshed book of rules, regulations and rhymes, Nas comes out swinging with one of the more impressive attempts to (re-)write hip-hop history: three remixes of "Where Are They Now?" which feature, respectively, semi-forgotten contributors to the 1980s, 1990s and the West Coast. Not only academically-sound history lessons for those who might be in danger of losing the memory, the various "Where Are They Now" tracks are straight-bangin' examples of fresh, improvisatory hip-hop lyricism at its finest, featuring a consecutive battery of MCs so impressive as to stop the traffic of anyone who cares about the music, culture or its history. Here are the three remixes, plus a mega-mix of the three versions, spotted at our friend Oliver Wang's brilliant blog SoulSides. And it don't stop...

Nas ft. MC Shan, Raheem (Furious Five), Doctor Ice (UTFO), Kangol (UTFO), Kool Moe Dee, Sha Rock (Funky Four +1), Tito (Fearless Four), Grandmaster Caz (Cold Crush Brothers), Lique (Isis of X Clan), Dana Dane, Pebblee Poo & Just Ice - "Where Are They Now?" (1980s Remix)

Nas ft. Redhead Kingpin, The Original Spinderella, Rob Base, Father MC, Monie Love, Mike D (of the Jungle Brothers), EST (of 3XDope), Positive K, Das EFX, Lords of the Underground, Dres (of Black Sheep) - "Where Are They Now?" (1990s Remix)

Nas ft. Breeze, Kam, King Tee, Candyman, Threat, Ice-T, Sir Mix-A-Lot and the Conscious Daughters (with scratches from DJ Bobcat) - "Where Are They Now?" (West Coast Remix)

Nas ft. A Cast Of Thousands - "Where Are They Now?" (megamix)

On the box right now: Guy Clark, OLD #1.

Peace...

2007-02-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

New release round-up

Well, despite the unusually dismal state of the record business this January (which has currently fallen to its lowest level of album sales in the Soundscan era), a few notable new releases are starting to trickle in from across the stylistic spectrum. Here are a few worth a second glance.

-Norah Jones' popularity is one of the few sure things that the music biz can count on anymore, a seemingly niche-less guarantee. Her new record, NOT TOO LATE, is an interesting third step on what has - so far - been her steady artistic progression, combining the smoky jazz/R&B of her debut with the country inflections of her last LP. Granted, with Miz Jones and bassist/boyfriend Lee Alexander writing all the tunes on NOT TOO LATE, the material is not as consistently solid as in the past, but it's definitely not embarrasing, and the highlights - like the reflective "Rosie's Lullaby" - demonstrate the somewhat astonishing power of Jones' melancholy, country-soul-jazz balladry. I kinda wish she'd indulge her admitted rock-n-roll tendencies one of these go-rounds, and she's yet to sound as playful on her own releases as she has on any number of guest appearances (OutKast, Peeping Tom), but I can't really complain about something so reassuringly consistent and soothing.

Norah Jones - "Rosie's Lullaby," from NOT TOO LATE

-Sunshine Anderson had a huge hit in 2001, with the kiss-off anthem "Heard It All Before," but then the promising R&B artist literally disappeared from the scene, neither hide nor hair of her seen for five years. Thankfully, she's made her return with SUNSHINE AT MIDNIGHT, a strong follow-up that, while it doesn't quite justify its long gestation, surely stands up with the high-points of her debut. "Wear The Crown" is a sexy, soulful bit of hip-hop blues that is easily my favorite cut. Welcome back.

Sunshine Anderson - "Wear The Crown," from SUNSHINE AT MIDNIGHT

-Bill Kirchen's long and illustrious career as virtuosic country-rock guitar player began with the mighty Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and has included stints with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and many others. Kirchen has also released a series of fine solo records for the past decade, which have recently shifted from the barrel-chested rockabilly of his earlier work to a more nuanced mix of rock, pop, country and R&B sounds that reflect a similar transition by his former boss and bandmate Mr. Lowe. On HAMMER OF THE HONKY-TONK GODS, Kirchen is in fact backed by Lowe, Geraint Watkins (another diamond in the rough) and Robert Trehern, who - with Kirchen - comprised Nick Lowe and the Impossible Birds, Lowe's smoking band of the mid-1990s. The personnel reflects the sound, as HONKY-TONK GODS sounds a piece with Lowe's creative renaissance, Watkins' underappreciated solo work, or Kirchen's recent stylistic experimentation. Kirchen's voice, a limited instrument, has never sounded better or more supple, the material (both original and covers of Arthur Alexander, Shorty Long and others) is consistent, and the band is still as fire-ballin' as they ever were. "Truth Be Told" is a beautiful, gospel-based country-soul ballad, and most directly reflects the artistic journey that has brought Kirchen onto such solid foundation.

Bill Kirchen - "Truth Be Told," from HAMMER OF THE HONKY-TONK GODS

-I approached ENDLESS HIGHWAY, the new tribute to The Band, with a mix of skepticism and optimism. I can count on one hand the number of tribute albums that were worth more than a damn, and I wasn't too excited about some of the talent lined up for this one (My Morning Jacket or Guster, for example). Yet and still, The Band's work has never been memorialized in this fashion, and the material is so damn strong that I couldn't imagine how the better members of ENDLESS HIGHWAY's roster (Lee Ann Womack, Allman Brothers, Rosanne Cash) wouldn't turn in performances that were at least acquittable. I've come to realize that both my initial impulses were correct: this 79-minute behemoth is too long and too ridden with well-meaning, boring versions by artists for whom I've never devoted much attention (like Jack Johnson, who manages to turn "I Shall Be Released" into something listless and lethargic). On the other hand, Lee Ann Womack rocks "The Weight," Jakob Dylan and Lizz Wright find the fragile soul of "Whispering Pines," and My Morning Jacket flat-out nail "It Makes No Difference." The similarity in voices between Rick Danko and MMJ leader Jim James works perfectly, and the strange majesty of both bands comes through.

My Morning Jacket - "It Makes No Difference," from ENDLESS HIGHWAY: A TRIBUTE TO THE BAND

On the box right now: Ronnie Lane, KUSCHTY RYE: THE SINGLES.

Peace...

2007-01-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

This and that

A few virtual treats from around cyberspace...

-Lil Mama has been getting a TON of online hype recently, showing up on nearly every hip-hop blog that I frequent. Even though I respect the sites that have been hyping her, I was dubious: I've seen one too many young future-of-hip-hop type folks to truly believe that each newcomer is the genre's next big thang. Yet and still, I'm damn impressed this time. Lil Mama's debut single "Lip Gloss," produced by DJ Green Lantern (***CORRECTION: Jamie "Groove" Chambers produced "Lip Gloss"), is one of those roof-shakingly great singles that is, if all goes well, sure to be ubiquitous in no time at all. The track is fresh and energetic, and Lil Mama's rhymes are both age appropriate in terms of theme (thank God) and snarly precociousness. A rock and roll heart nestled inside a hip-hop jewel, "Lip Gloss" may just be the sound of young America. Mark my words.

Lil Mama - "Lip Gloss"

-Speaking of young folks with soul, Joss Stone has always been better, for me, in theory than in practice; I love her spirit, sensibility, and choice of mentors (Betty Wright, first and foremost), but her recorded material hasn't yet equalled her potential...at least until now, since - judging by her new single "Tell Me 'Bout It" - Ms. Stone is ready and equipped to rock the block in 2007.

Joss Stone - "Tell Me 'Bout It"

-Wu-Tang damn sure wasn't nothin' to fuck with in 2006, and Raekwon seems poised to make this year no different. Built around The Dells' R&B classic "Stay In My Corner," Raekwon delivers pure Wu soul, with a solid-gold heart and an open mind.

Raekwon - "My Corner"

-Finally, we have a preview of one of my most anticipated releases in the year to come, namely Timbaland's first true solo album. After dominating the charts for the past year-and-a-half, pop's most infectiously creative producer calls on two of his most successful clients (Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake) to help him skitter and shake over another epedemically addictive beat, which follows Timbo's recent fascination with Middle Eastern sounds. Maybe not the best we could've hoped for, this track still sounds mighty good, and hopefully falls in the well-worn hip-hop tradition of dropping first singles that don't represent the record at its best. Of course, I will follow Timbaland wherever he may go.

Timbaland (feat. Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake) - "Give It To Me"

On the box right now: Sunshine Anderson, SUNSHINE AT MIDNIGHT.

Peace...

2007-01-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Tighty whitey

In spite of myself, I've really been enjoying VH1's latest addition to their growing "reality" canon, THE WHITE RAPPER SHOW. I say "in spite of myself" not because I'm not a trash-TV addict (which I am), nor due to the show's relatively impeccable pedigree (EGO TRIP producing, MC Serch hosting), but because of the fact that I - for one - have an inborn resistance to anything celebrating attempts by white folks to become successful hip-hop artists. I don't come to this opinion from some sort of ill-defined "authenticity" argument, of course; anyone who's been around me, either virtually or in real life, knows that the potential of interracial music is one of my greatest intellectual/spiritual loves. Naw, I'm just unconvinced that hip-hop's in need of the kind of white involvement that defined first ICE-T'S RAP SCHOOL (also on the mighty VH1) and now THE WHITE RAPPER SHOW, where black teachers help out the funk-deficient white folks to increase their value in the cool equation. Call me cynical, I guess.

But THE WHITE RAPPER SHOW is both really entertaining and surprisingly good on the complicated racial politics involved with being a Caucasian in the hip-hop nation. (Now, one of the best contestants, Persia, is observably Iranian, which calls into question the nature of "white" in the first place. But I'll let that one go.) Not that this is an essay on race and hip-hop culture of Jeff Chang or Mark Anthony Neal quality, but it's much, much better, and more ambiguous, than most of your standard "celebreality" fare. (I could get into examples, if you'd like, but I'll refrain from doing so for now.)

On top of which, the MCs are pretty damn good, on the whole. Nice mix of regional styles and artistic influences, interesting range of emotion and tone, and an overall respect for the importance of innovation (and musicality) within rap lyricism. The only thing I haven't seen thus far, oddly enough, is an attempt by the MCs to satisfactorily address their whiteness. Sure, they've tried - including in last week's challenge, when they were asked to rhyme about various aspects of being a white rapper - but nobody has gotten into the grimy mess that lives at the heart of American white supremacy, nor at the possibilities of transcending those entanglements, nor at the negotiation necessary to do so. They've offered a few platitudes, a few guilty confessions, and a couple rather misbegotten attempts to link "white trash" culture to hip-hop. None of them have said anything patently offensive or stupid thus far (except when Persia decided to wantonly throw the term "nigga" around, or John Brown's ongoing blubbering about the "ghetto revival"), but they haven't gotten anywhere near the real shit.

Which is funny, because Eminem has. Em's cultural standing has basically plummeted over the last couple years - a function of his lackluster output and increasing inability to shock his audiences - but I think, in this moment of musing, it might be worth revisiting some of his best stuff. Here is honest, unflinching, funny and literate material that acknowledges the complexity of the white hip-hop experience at a level that truly deserves to be called keeping it real.

"White America"

"Without Me"

"Stan"

On the box right now: John Mellencamp, FREEDOM'S ROAD. I like Mellencamp, but - on second listen - this ain't much.

Peace...

2007-01-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Beautiful

In this young new year, there are two new songs that have made a deep impression on me, each for similar reasons: they're drop-dead gorgeous. The first, Anthony Hamilton's "Struggle No More," is a pure-gospel plea from the soundtrack of Tyler Perry's new movie, DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS. The entire soundtrack has the warm glow of early-1970s soul, from stylistic texture to thematic material, and Hamilton's addition to the mix is yet more evidence that he works the Curtis/Withers/Al Green vibe about as well, and yet as freshly, as anybody since those giants. Heartbreaking struggle mixed with hopeful determination, "Struggle No More" fits smoothly, snugly on the gospel train.

Anthony Hamilton - "Struggle No More"

Speaking of gospel, and the blues, The Holmes Brothers have been killing copyrights for over a decade, and they've now worked their magic on - of all things - Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me," which the Brothers transform into straight soul music. Though such a move could reek of smirky gimmickry, this works incredibly well, probably because the vulnerability that was masked in Cheap Trick's driving, melodic angst has now been stripped of all potential mitigations, and listeners are left all alone with the depths of life and love. Between the aching vocals and the astounding piano part (which splits the difference between Monk, Chopin and Aretha), "I Want You To Want Me" is a stone cold stunner, worth playing over and over again.

The Holmes Brothers - "I Want You To Want Me"

Judging by these two, it might be a pretty good year.

On the box right now: Ronnie Milsap, ESSENTIAL, Disc 1. (Shout-outs to Michael Cepress and David Cantwell for getting me to listen to this guy much more closely.)

Peace...

Peace...

2007-01-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

Soul sister

I've been digging Rhino Handmade's recent Lorraine Ellison collection, SISTER LOVE: THE WARNER BROTHERS RECORDINGS, for a good couple weeks now. As with many comprehensive career compendiums (even those which bespeak the limited nature of the artist's output), not everything on SISTER LOVE is great, or even really good, but a significant portion of the collection's offerings do reach a level of quality that - beyond Ellison's classic, powerful hit "Stay With Me" - oughta be a surprise for anybody who hasn't spent significant time or energy geeking around in obscure R&B collections. In fact, even those listeners are rewarded, since - as usual, Rhino's dug through the vaults with arthroscopic precision, finding unreleased sessions with Leon Russell and the Muscle Shoals Sound (!), plus a remarkable third disc of songwriter's demos cut by Ellison; these spare tracks, usually backed only by piano, offer an important glimpse into the creative process of this striking vocalist, whose tremulous intensity seems well-suited to ballads, gospel and even the down-and-drrrty R&B that her graceful elegance would seemingly contradict.

I've only hit three of the collection's many highlights below: "Stay With Me" is easily her most famous cut, but it's most definitely revisiting here. Ellison's take on Jimmy Cliff's masterpiece "Many Rivers To Cross" both embodies and transforms the original version, and offers Ms. Ellison a perfect opportunity to apply the unique timbre and texture of her voice to a rich piece of source material. Finally, "God Can't Stop The Rain From Falling" is from that revelatory demo disc, and it works a pure-gospel combination of strength and vulnerability to the fullest

Here's to the late, great Lorraine Ellison. May we all have an epitaph so eloquent and beautiful...

"Stay With Me"

"Many Rivers To Cross"

"God Can't Stop The Rain From Falling"

On the box right now: Various Artists, TYLER PERRY'S DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS (soundtrack)

Peace...

2007-01-13T07:25:00.000-08:00

This, that and the other

January's a notoriously slow time for new records, although that's about to pick up in the next couple weeks, with offerings from Norah Jones, The Holmes Brothers and some other folks. Until then, though, there's always miscellaneous treats to be found for those who know how/where to dig for them.

-Over at Beware Of The Blog, a brand-new 365 Days Project of posting strange and unusual music kicked off on New Year's Day. The fine folks over there have already found a tremendous and bizarre selection of stuff, well enough to whet my appetite for the 350-some additions to come. As their second posting, the blog uploaded the entirety of the (in)famous 1977 special, Beatles Forever, in which Tony Randall, Mel Tellis, Dihanne Carroll and others paid tribute to the Fab Four with performances of Beatles classics that, unsurprisingly, have their own distinct flavor. Hardly classics, of course (except for Ray Charles popping in to sing "Yesterday"), but definitely worth a listen. I've posted the show's 11-minute opening medley here, and you can find the rest at the above link. (Thanks to the Practical Archivist for hipping me to this site.)

Tony Randall, Bernadette Peters, Anthony Newley, Mel Tillis, Dihanne Carroll and Paul Williams - "Beatles Forever 1: Introduction and Medley"

The crew over at Notes From A Different Kitchen, one of the better hip-hop music/culture/politics sites just posted a recent track from Stephen and Damian Marley, a strikingly fresh dancehall-based track that reinvents the wheel once again. I was a definite fan of Damian Marley's 2005 debut, and this track's got me looking forward to Stephen's upcoming full-length album. Everything is everything.

Stephen Marley (feat. Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley) - "Traffic Jam"

Finally, in our ongoing tribute to Timbaland, here's his latest triumph, "Ice Box," a pulsating hit for R&B singer Omarion, whose work is the very definition of "inconsistent," but who uses his aching vocal gifts perfectly here. Timbo will have to work very hard to have a better 2007 than he had a 2006, but - with more production duties and his solo, Magoo-less debut on its way - methinks that this one-man Congo Square has a shot at retaining his title.

Omarion - "Ice Box"

On the box right now: Norah Jones, NOT TOO LATE.

Peace...

2007-01-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

2006 In Review, Part 5: East Coast MVPs

After much contemplation, I figured that the best way to end this revisiting of the past year in music was to spotlight two of the most consistently interesting and rewarding artistic collectives of 2006: The Roots, and the combined solo membership of the Wu-Tang Clan.

The Roots delivered the best album of the year, GAME THEORY, and continued to prove that they're one of the best live acts in the business with another phenomenal tour. Besides those triumphs, they dropped a few bits-and-pieces around the digital universe that deserve to be collected for those of y'all whose appreciation of the World Famous Roots Crew is deep enough to require exposure to all available manifestations of their ever-fervent creativity. Here is a Japanese-only track, "Bread And Butter," that's easily as good as anything on GAME THEORY, plus a mixtape track, "Pity The Child/Come Together," that mashes the group with The Beatles, and their apocalyptic live reimagination of Bob Dylan's "Masters Of War," which blew away the audience at Radio City Music Hall's Dylan tribute earlier this year.

"Bread And Butter"

"Pity The Child/Come Together"

"Masters Of War" (live)

Wu-Tang Clan's still nothin' to fuck with, even though the proper group's basically disbanded, and trickster prince Ol' Dirty Bastard now laughs with the ancestors. Still, both Method Man and Ghostface Killah dropped career-best albums in 2006 (Ghostface even went ahead and released a second fine record), and ODB had a posthumous career year, with guest shots on Meth's album and this fine, surprising turn-up on Rhymefest's debut.

Ghostface Killah - "Be Easy"

Method Man - "Fall Out"

Rhymefest (feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard) - "Build Me Up"

By the way, be sure to check out Living In Stereo, which pays tribute to Elvis Presley's 72nd birthday with a fine, fine piece on The King by Daniel Wolff, a friend of this blog's and the author of fine books on Sam Cooke and the history of Asbury Park, NJ, as well as providing text for some beautiful books of photography by legendary Memphis artist Ernest Withers. (Some more of Daniel's writing can be found over at Holler If Ya Hear Me.)

Now that we've given 2006 a fitting send-off, I'll be back soon with the first new stuff of the year. Don't go changin'.

On the box right now: Omarion, 21.

Peace...

2007-01-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

2006 In Review, Part 4: Country-Soul

Another year, another group of notable journeys across the most malleable of all genre distinctions. Vince Gill triumphed, Amos Lee redefined himself, Kate Campbell and Spooner Oldham preached, James Hunter emerged, and Joan Osborne traveled to Nashville to record a veritable country-soul textbook. And, continuing a very welcome trend from recent years, more fine records emerged from Southern soul mainstays. The three I've spotlighted here - from Staton, Burke and Thomas - not only represent the best of the bunch, but also symbolize three different manifestations of this rich stylistic interchange. (Irma Thomas, for example, covers Arthur Alexander.) While there are a lot more records on both country and R&B sides that I could've included here, I figure that these Elite 8 should give you some sense of just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Sing it one time for the broken-hearted...

Solomon Burke - "Atta Way To Go"

Kate Campbell and Spooner Oldham - "If I Ever Get To Heaven"

Vince Gill - "Love's Standin'"

James Hunter - "Mollena"

Amos Lee - "Supply And Demand"

Joan Osborne - "What You Are"

Candi Staton - "When Will I"

Irma Thomas - "In The Middle Of It All"

On the box right now: Ice Cube, LETHAL INJECTION.

Peace...

2007-01-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

2006 In Review, Pt. 3: Old dogs, new tricks

This year saw a whole bunch of stalwarts put out their freshest sounds in years, revitalized and refreshed works that proved that there isn't much use in either burning out or fading away. Energetic, compelling, and often political work emerged from sources both highly unsurprising (Bruce, Dylan, Prince) and (only slightly) more so (Knopfler/Harris, Ice Cube). Los Lobos gloriously completed their transformation into a full-fledged R&B band, Prince found the firm grooves he's only occasionally snagged in recent years, Ice Cube came out swinging, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris brought out the best in each other, Paul Simon rediscovered his mojo (with the help of Brian Eno, of all people), Bob Dylan continued journeying through the past to address the present and imagine the future, Bruce Springsteen dropped a Sun Sessions for the new century, and Tom Waits blessed us with the contents of his recorded treasure chest.

A bunch of others could be here as well, from Alejandro to Neil to the previously-honored Scarface. I'll tackle a few of the obvious omissions - in the country/soul vein - next time.

Bob Dylan - "Thunder On The Mountain"

Ice Cube - "The Nigga Trapp"

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - "All The Roadrunning"

Los Lobos - "Little Things"

Prince - "The Word"

Paul Simon - "Outrageous"

Bruce Springsteen - "O Mary, Don't You Weep"

Tom Waits - "Down There By The Train"

On the box right now: XTC, COMPACT.

Peace...

2006-12-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

2006 In Review, Part 2: The Kings Of The South

Sorry, T.I., you're cool and all, but the competition for the crown down in the Dirrty remains at a fever pitch. 2006 was, oh, the fifteenth or so great year for Southern hip-hop, marked by simultaneous creative exploration, crossover entrenchment, and powerful reassertions of the region's signature musical and lyrical contributions.

Cee-Lo and Timbaland, perhaps popular music's co-MVPs this year, each made their mark on a variety of forward-thinking projects. Cee-Lo finally had his break-out success, with Gnarls Barkley, but - as the Amerie track shows - he also should be honored for his many guest appearances as writer, producer and singer, which also included turns with Kelis, P. Diddy and the Pussycat Dolls' hit "Don't Cha." Speaking of PCD, Timbaland - who literally never left the charts this year - strikes yet again, with the Dolls' latest hit single, which features (for my money) Timbo's best vocal performance yet. Harkening back to his Otis-and-Carla-style duets with Missy Elliott, among others, "Wait A Minute" is pure juke joint.

Amerie (feat. Cee-Lo) - "Take Control"

Pussycat Dolls (feat. Timbaland) - "Wait A Minute"

Then there's OutKast, whose IDLEWILD took a bunch of risks, which didn't all pay off, but which provided the template for perhaps their most adventurous and soulful sounds yet. Tracks like Big Boi's aching "The Train" give me great hope for their continued output (whether solo or as a group), and 'Kast still deserves a place at the top of any musical hierarchy.

OutKast (feat. Scar and Sleepy Brown) - "The Train"

I almost put a track from Pharrell's here-and-there solo album on here, until I realized that I was much more taken by Skateboard P's production work (with fellow Neptune Chad Hugo) on The Clipse's HELL HATH NO FURY. Combining their blips and bleeps with some of the smarter "crack rap" on the radar was pure magic, and - on hit "Wamp Wamp" - Houston's Slim Thug comes by to make it a true Dirty South summit.

The Clipse (feat. Slim Thug & The Neptunes) - "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)"

Louisiana was due for a good year this year. Between Juvenile's post-Katrina, straight-up blues "Get Ya Hustle On," and the continued ascendance of Lil Wayne, who's here in partnership with Birdman (and a sample from forefathers UGK) on the gritty soul of "1st Key," N'awlins proved that - even if hurricanes and hypocrites do their best to destroy the Crescent City - hip-hop will be there to provide a fitting second line.

Juvenile - "Get Ya Hustle On"

Birdman and Lil Wayne - "1st Key"

Finally, the real king of the South, Scarface, put out two fine albums this year, both of which saw him sharing the spotlight with some of his proteges and friends. The better of the two, SCARFACE PRESENTS THE PRODUCT: ONE HUNID, stands with the better work of the Geto Boys, with tracks like "Dead Broke" at the forefront.

Scarface (feat. The Product) - "Dead Broke"

See y'all in two days, with part 3...

On the box right now: The Clipse, HELL HATH NO FURY.

Peace...

2006-12-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

2006 In Review, Pt. 1: The idols

We're gonna ring in the new year by looking back at the old one. Now, I'm not even gonna try to be comprehensive, even within the 5 entries that I've got planned for the wrap-up, but instead I want to hit on some of the main sounds and styles that had my ear these past 12 months. If anybody's got any requests, or wants to revisit anything I've posted in 2006, let me know.

To kick things off, I thought I'd spotlight what was - to me - the year's most important musical trend: namely, the veritable renaissance of records from idols both teen and American. While there have been signs that such a blossoming was on the way, it was really only in 2006 when it came home to roost, with a bunch of remarkable music being made by folks who've graced many a glossy magazine page over their time. The records were mature, sexy, politicized, straight bangin', and - in the case of "Dreamgirl" Jennifer Hudson, who didn't even place in the Top 3 of AMERICAN IDOL when she participated - damn sure Oscar-worthy. Fantasia and Beyonce staked their claim as premier 21st-century blues women. Pink found The Clash and Woody Guthrie waiting at the dark end of the street. Taylor set the table for himself to pull a Clarkson-style transformation once he's free of IDOL's imminent shadow. Christina mashed up the last century of American music and forever left former rival Ms. Spears firmly in the dust. And Justin didn't just join with maestro Timbaland (of whom more later) to bring sexy back... Tim and Tim released the 2006 album that sounds most like the pop music of the future.

The kids are alright...

Christina Aguilera - "Candyman"

Beyonce - "Ring The Alarm"

Fantasia (feat. Big Boi) - "Hood Boy"

Taylor Hicks - "The Right Place"

Jennifer Hudson - "And I Am Telling You That I'm Not Going"

Pink (feat. Indigo Girls) - "Dear Mr. President"

Justin Timberlake - "What Goes Around, Comes Around"

On the box right now: Various Artists, AMERICAN MUSIC: THE HIGHTONE RECORDS STORY, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-12-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

We tip our hat

It seems unnecessary to say that James Brown's impact on American music (and American society) is incalculable. But, perhaps something so important deserves to be repeated ad infinitum in these scoundrel times. The Godfather rewrote the rules of rhythm to such an extent that it is almost inconcievable to imagine any - and I do mean any - of today's most prominent grooves and grinds finding their way onto any radio station or dance floor without Brown's music, which invented and reinvented itself with each release. His vocal style, both deeply rhythmic and straight outta church, made a similar impact, alternately stinging and caressing his onomatopoeic lyrics, which only seem nonsensical to people who have basically no fuckin' clue what's going on. His live performances, of course, set the intensity meter for everybody who came after him, and - as former blogista Mr. C told me a couple years ago - it's no surprise that Prince plays a loop of Brown's apocalyptic TAMI Show performance from 1964 before His Royal Badness goes on stage each night. (Indeed, if Brown has an heir in terms of live presence, it's gotta be the Purple One.) He paved the way for hip-hop on almost every level, as well, and - thanks to the copious use of Brown samples by hip-hop generations from old school to next school - anyone looking for JB's legacy need only rifle through any random sample of the best, most popular and most important hip-hop tracks.

Then, of course, there's the fact that Brown felt the funk on levels that extended from the musical experimentation (through which he introduced the world to genius musicians from Maceo Parker to Clyde Stubblefield), through to the blatant quality of his lyrics and subject matter. Sex, race, drugs and politics were always upfront, and the themes were about the only thing that Brown didn't dance around. Indeed, his politics deserve to be spotlighted, since they never fit cleanly into any easy (or white) ideological orientation, but the complex interplay Brown expressed between - on the one hand - radical assertion of Black Power, and - on the other - Republican-esque embrace of capitalism and self-uplift are a perfect encapsulation of the ambiguous nature of black-nationalist politics, as effective a manual as the speeches of Marcus Garvey. The fact that such strong, complex messages were combined with grooves that forced listeners (particularly, though not exclusively, white listeners) to find new avenues into understanding the heavy thang that Brown disciple George Clinton later described this way: "with the rhythm it takes to dance to what we have to live through, you can dance underwater and not get wet." Besides, all that aside, "Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)" is still one of the most important singles of the modern era, a proud and loving celebration of blackness that won't ever go out of style. We can't quit, until we get our share. For a man whose life began at the very bottom of America's socio-economic ladder, the triumph inherent in the snapping snare and insistent call-and-response of "Say It Loud" is affirmation at its highest personal and community level.

So much more to say; many books worth, literally. But I'm tired of talking, and I kinda got the feelin' to get on the good foot, bump Mr. Brown as loud as possible through the biggest speakers I can find, and try to release that pressure. So let's dance, y'all, in tribute to one of the most important Americans of the 20th century. (And I mean that shit.) Say it loud!

"Cold Sweat, Pt. 1"

"Get Up (I Feel Like Bein' A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1

"Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose"

"I Got The Feelin'"

"Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1"

"Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Pt. 1"

"The Payback"

"Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)"

As you might imagine, a few of our good friends around the virtual universe are posting other writing and music in tribute. Soul Sides, Nah Right, and Notes From A Different Kitchen are three I've checked out so far, but there are sure to be more.

Also, you may have noticed that I didn't post any live Brown on here, which is not a sad mistake on my part, but rather an attempt to get y'all to hop over to YouTube and check out the numerous great clips of the Godfather located there. Pay attention; you might learn something.

On the box right now: James Brown, 20 ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS.

Peace...

2006-12-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

We tip our Santa hit

More later on this, of course, but first...

James Brown - "Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas"

James Brown - "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto"

James Brown - "Christmas Is Love"

On the box right now: James Brown, FUNKY CHRISTMAS.

Peace...

2006-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season

The Crystals - "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

Alison Krauss - "Only You Can Bring Me Cheer (Gentleman's Lady)"

Chuck Berry - "Run Rudolph Run"

Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shante and MC Shan - "A Cold Chilin' Christmas" (spotted at Soul Sides)

Teddy Pendergrass - "Happy Kwanzaa"

By the way, check out a new link on the left, to the blog of our intrepid Practical Archivist. Informative and entertaining.

On the box right now: Big Star, #1 RECORD/RADIO CITY.

Peace...

2006-12-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hopeless romantics

A while back, a close friend and musical collaborator encouraged me to re-listen to the catalog of Ween, a band whose output has never made much impression on me, beyond the "wow, those guys are really musically talented" kind of reaction. In fact, I was so thoroughly put off by what I percieved as the super-smirking nature of the band's work that I was almost entirely unwilling to give them anything like a fair shake. Luckily, our friendship and his generally great taste in sounds won me over.

I'm glad I went back. I still think that Dean and Gene are a little (or a lot) too witty for their own good, and I'm nowhere near being a true follower of the Boognish, but I've certainly been greatly struck by the sheer depth of their abilities, talents which make their attempts at nearly any genre seem authentic, even loving, and - particularly after a smoking live show I saw this summer (on the advice of said good friend) - I've made more space in my consciousness for their humorous energy. Much more significantly, I've also found a few examples of the band's underappreciated sincerity, an earnest and delicate voice that (by both design and circumstance) has relegated the songs like those posted below to being very much unassociated with Ween's larger work or mindset. And that's too bad, since I'll put any of the three - particularly "I Don't Want It," from QUEBEC - on any pop/rock mix or radio program. The aching melodies and (seemingly) heartfelt sentiments would definitely fit in. If they ever decide to drop the college-rock irony and devote themselves to heartstring-pulling beauties like these, I'm sure said project would be a knockout.

Back with more soon. Stay out of trouble, y'all.

"Sarah"

"Baby Bitch"

"I Don't Want It"

On the box right now: Fantasia, FANTASIA.

Peace...

2006-12-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

Country-soul

Back to my original obsession...here are three tracks bridging the country-soul divide that have had my attention lately.

The Commodores - "Sail On"

Charlie Rich - "Rollin' With The Flow"

Dennis Linde - "Burning Love"

That last cut is the demo version of "Burning Love," performed by its writer, Dennis Linde. I'm a definite fan of this fascinating track, particularly since it sounds like John Fogerty backed by Booker T. and the MGs. As great as Elvis' is (and it is transcendent, if you ask me), this version possesses something far different from the King's take, and - to me - it makes this demo a worthy complement to the famous Presley release.

On the box right now: Fantasia, FANTASIA.

Peace...

2006-12-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

Idols

Today marks the release of two albums by previous winners of AMERICAN IDOL, Fantasia Barrino and current champ Taylor Hicks, and each of these records demonstrates a few things very clearly. First and foremost: the quality of the performances (like those of Kelly Clarkson) blows away - for my money - any remaining doubts about whether or not the Idols are a talented bunch deserving of recording success. Second, both Hicks and Barrino are, in different ways, demonstrating the way that the vanguard of commercialized pop music is, at the moment, looking back to an earlier, more soulful time.

Barrino's album is a near-triumph, with superior tracks comprising a solid half of it. Alternately funky and church-based, Fantasia's voice is in fine, supple form, and the arrangements around which she shouts from the mountaintop are perfectly-suited to her expanding vocal talent. I've already posted "Hood Boy" on the site, although I'll be happy to post it before, since the released version is different (and, for my money, less intense) than the one that leaked. I have picked two cuts that are very much in the "Hood Boy" vein, though, righteously funky R&B tracks that each oughta walk the terrain currently being carved out by "Hood Boy's" rise up the charts. With this album, Barrino rises to the level of Kelly Clarkson's last record, both in terms of assertive quality, and in the clear gesture towards the independent artistic voice that both women have used their Idol success to more fully expose. Right on.

"Baby Makin' Hips"

"Bore Me (Yawn)"

Then there's Taylor Hicks, the "country-soul"/"yacht rock" stylist whose victory in January surprised the hell out of me, and in a good way. It was nice to see the crown go to a professional musician (he played in clubs for nearly a decade before his TV triumph) who looked kinda ragged and dumpy (a.k.a. like a normal person) but could sing his ass off, and seemed clearly knowledgeable about, and in love with, the American R&B tradition. I agree that occasionally his influences were so deeply imprinted on his sleeve that it was hard to tell whether or not his performances were more intepretation or impression, but that's hardly a sin unique to Taylor Hicks. Now that the album's out, I can say that I'm relatively pleased. I wish there were a bit less A/C sheen, although I defy anyone to find an R&B album of the past twenty years that couldn't use a bit of grease in the wheels. I also hope that he one day overcomes his aversion to country music, since I see him as an obvious heir to Charlie Rich or Percy Sledge. Still, especially for the heavily-controlled debut of an American Idol, I can't argue with the song selection (which features covers of Marvin Gaye and Paul Pena), or the overall level of performance. Nice mix of sounds, and a definite indication that - in the next release or those to come - Hicks might achieve the artistic breakthrough that his predecessors Barrino and Clarkson have most definitely achieved. It's a soul thing...

"Wherever I Lay My Hat"

"The Right Place"

On the box right now: Nas, HIP-HOP IS DEAD.

Peace...

2006-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Good news

For those who've paid any attention to this blog over the last few months, you'll understand why this is some of the best, and in certain ways, surprising news I've heard in quite a while. For those who are newer visitors to the Shot Of Rhythm universe, check out previous entries on Inner Sleeve here, here, and here. These are by no means the only cases of Sleeve-based writing on this blog, but they'll serve the purpose well enough.

Thanks to Jeff Ash for pointing me in the direction of this news. More on music later today or tomorrow.

On the box right now: Nas, HIP HOP IS DEAD.

Peace...

2006-12-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

And you don't stop

I apologize for the relatively scattershot quality of recent entries, but I'm right in the middle of end-of-semester craziness, which makes more coherent additions a bit difficult to find either time or energy for. Luckily, there's been plenty of noise around the music world, which allows me to spotlight a few this-and-that kinda things that y'all should be paying attention to. Today, I present a bit of hip-hop, with another new Beyonce tune thrown in at the end for yer "Girl Power" pleasure.

First is Pigeon John, a Bay Area-based Quannum rapper who's carved out a comfortable niche for himself within the "conscious"/backpack rap community over the last few years. While my interest in that genre (even at its best) is relatively close to minimal, I've certainly been struck by a few of the cuts off of John's last record, THE SUMMERTIME POOL PARTY. It seems like he's aware of what so many "conscious" MCs fail to recognize: however good the lyric, however "uplifting" the message, the hook and beat better be good if anybody's gonna give a damn. This track, which I heard in a record store and caught me off guard, is the best example of that.

Pigeon John - "Weight Of The World"

Next is the mighty Mos Def, whose new album - TRU3 MAGIC - drops next week. Here's a brief preview, which suggests that - after the spotty NEW DANGER, which definitely had its highlights...and its lowlights - Mos might be a bit more back on track. The rest of the record isn't always as compelling as "Sun Moon Stars," but it seems that Black Dante is ready to settle into his sung/rapped, easy-rolling groove once again. I really believe that Mos has a couple albums in him that are even better than his masterful debut, BLACK ON BOTH SIDES, and - while TRU3 MAGIC isn't quite it - it's good enough to help me keep the faith a while longer.

Mos Def - "Sun Moon Stars"

Then there's Ghostface Killah, who's already released one fine album this year, and is about to drop another worthy effort. This track, which already leaked onto the web a couple months ago, is Ghost at his sunniest and most energetic, a vibe for him which gets lost in his starker atmospheres and lyrical themes, but which - for me - is just as interesting and worthwhile. MORE FISH drops next week.

Ghostface Killah (feat. Trife Da God and Mr. Maygreen) - "Good"

Finally, Beyonce continues her year-long winning streak with "Beautiful Liar," the origin of which I'm not sure of, but which is certainly good enough to stand with the best stuff on B-DAY, an album that sounds better to me every day.

Beyonce - "Beautiful Liar"

On the box right now: Taylor Hicks, TAYLOR HICKS. More on this later.

Peace...

2006-12-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

The club, the church and the war

Three more tunes floating around the World Wide Web, each of which has a newfound place en mi corazon.

-First is Ciara and 50 Cent's new single, the club-knockin', beat-rockin', sizzla-shockin' banger "Dope Boyz." If pop music has proven anything, it's that there are infinite combinations of melody, rhythm and arrangement to make you wanna shake something loose. While Ciara is not my favorite of the one-word-three-syllable R&B divas (Beyonce, Rihanna and the late great Aaliyah are certainly higher), she's definitely has her moments.

Ciara (feat. 50 Cent) - "Dope Boyz"

-Next is Paris Bennett, from AMERICAN IDOL, the combination gospel shouter/jazz stylist whose uniquely premature talent wasn't built to last on the Idol juggernaut, but which - given the right contexts - could become really interesting, even unique, within big-game pop music. And by the right contexts, I think I might mean something like this.

Paris Bennett - "Dreamin'"

-Lastly, and by far most importantly, here's The Roots' version of Dylan's "Masters Of War," recorded at a recent Radio City Music Hall Dylan tribute, which - according to basically every source - the world-famous Roots crew completely owned after this blistering, jazz-impulse take on Dylan's polemic masterpiece. Dig how, even after "Star-Spangled Banner" gets put through the looking glass, Questlove, Captain Kirk and the rest have room for "Machine Gun" and "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" in the 9-minute mix. In a year when The Roots have more than established themselves as second-to-none, a triumph of this magnitude is almost too much to take. (I said almost.) This is a mash-up of historical proportions, and my vote for the bootleg performance of the year...or maybe performance of any kind. Here's to the funky, funny, frightening truth.

The Roots - "Masters Of War" (live)

On the box right now: Mos Def, TRU3 MAGIC. The mighty Mos returns. More later...

Peace...

2006-11-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

Louder than a bomb

I'd just about given up on Public Enemy, after a lackluster 2006 release and the ongoing, ignominious exploits of Flavor Flav...and then I discovered BEATS AND PLACES, a basically unheralded release from the tail-end of 2005. (One of five PE-related releases in a year...eesh.) Hoping that it'd be fair-to-middlin', I was flabbergasted to find out that BEATS AND PLACES contains some of the group's best work in ages, the fiery blend of political assertion and heavy-metal-funk that made them worth a damn in the first place. I ain't saying it's anything like a masterpiece, but it might just be their best album in a decade...and, particularly after almost administering the last rites, I'm pleased to no end to be able to say that.

Here are a few tastes:

"Air Conditioning"

"Electric Slave"

"All Aboard The New Nighttrain"

On the box right now: Public Enemy, BEATS AND PLACES.

Peace...

2006-11-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

All God's children

Tom Waits' new odds-and-sods compilation, ORPHANS, has absolutely floored me. I've long been a Waits fan, and - as a songwriter and musician myself - I've always admired his ability to combine true musical idiosyncrasy with the kind of knock-'em-dead songs that oughta be popular for as long as there are voices to sing, hands to play, and ears to hear. All of Mr. Tom's many gifts are on display on this three-disc set, and - conveniently, but also very effectively - each disc is devoted to a particular aspect of his rich talents.

On the first disc, "Brawlers," Waits rocks out, with as much gusto and grit as he's ever displayed. From the opening rockabilly rumble of "Lie To Me," through to the guttural honky-tonk of "Rains On Me," this disc is like raw ore, strutting around rock's forms and functions with the cocksure swagger of a justifiably confident professional, yet with the aching vulnerability of the truly angst-ridden. On this disc, more than the others, I hear a panoply of influences, some of which I only now completely understand as part of Waits' eccentric palette. Johnny Burnette, The Faces and Sister Rosetta Tharpe (among others) join the usual suspects of Dylan, Dion, Howlin' Wolf and the Beat Generation. As with the other discs, a few covers are mixed in with the Waits originals, including - in this case - a supple Ramones tune ("The Return Of Jackie And Judy"), plus the urgent version of "Sea Of Love" from the movie soundtrack of the same name. Classic stuff, perfect for those long car rides in the dark, when the rain comes down in sheets, and the ghosts start whispering dirty jokes into your subconscious.

"Lie To Me"

"Sea Of Love"

The second disc, "Bawlers," is probably the most musically satisfying, an absolute showcase for Waits' seemingly limitless ability to construct the sweet-and-sour soul/blues/pop ballads out of which he's made a sizable chunk of his career. Over the course of the songs on this volume of the set, what becomes most evident is just how deep Waits' signature balladry can go, trawling depths of emotion (both physical and spiritual) that need only be explored by the truly adventurous traveler. Also, accordingly, "Bawlers" is a far more stereotypically "listenable" disc, allowing the sandpaper-in-Hell rasp of Waits' rocking (and weirder) work to take a backseat to his choirboy-drunk-in-church swells and swoons. Another Ramones cover ("Danny Says") appears here, as do spotless originals like "Long Way Home" and the stunning "Down There By The Train," which Curtis Mayfield smiles down on from Heaven.

"Long Way Home"

"Down There By The Train"

Of course, it wouldn't be Tom Waits without a sizable dose of impish weirdness, and the third disc - subtitled "Bastards" - fits the bill. There are a few Waits monologues, which are surprisingly arresting given their only semi-musical orientation, and the rest of the disc is populated with songs that range from the slightly unusual to the completely bizarre. (His cover of Daniel Johnston is symbolically fitting, though on the low end of the strange quotient.) "Dog Door," for one, is totally indescribable, and brings hip-hop/electronic instrumentation into Waits' homebrew. Of course, there's also "On The Road," influenced equally by Kerouac and Kimbrough, a boogie-'til-dawn thang that sends everybody out on the lost highway once again. Mama said knock you out...

"Dog Door"

"On The Road"

In conclusion of this delusion, I'm about ready to name ORPHANS one of my very favorite releases of 2006, as well as my single favorite Tom Waits release. A towering collection of music that seems both epic and intimate, the collection has gone a long way in both reconfirming and re-imagining what I felt about Waits, and - thanks to this set - I'm a bigger fan than I've ever been. (It's also a far more successful career reinterpretation than The Beatles' LOVE, but that's another story...) Unlike so many of these rare/unreleased compilations, ORPHANS is both a valuable historical document, and an incredibly enjoyable listen. Highly, highly recommended...and lowly, lowly understood.

On the box right now: Tom Waits, ORPHANS, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-11-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

Big ticket

Jay-Z's new album, KINGDOM COME, has landed in a rather unique position: on the one hand, the return of probably the most universally celebrated artist in hip-hop has provoked a certain degree of excitement, particularly within the communities for which his two-year retirement was merely an unconvincing blip on the radar. On the other hand, though, Hova's new effort has been the victim of relatively merciless pre-release naysaying, part of which has to do with the very "retirement" issue, and quite a bit of which stems from the relative wack-ness of the album's debut single (and accompanying video), "Show Me What You Got." Indeed, that song - and particularly its filmed counterpart - didn't have me all that excited, dropping as it did in the midst of much more impressive and exciting leaked material from Nas, Ghostface, UGK and other hip-hop heavyweights releasing material in the next month or so. Still, with something like hesitation, I tried to approach KINGDOM COME with an open mind.

I'm glad I did...sort of. Granted, it's not in even the top half of Jay-Z's catalog (a glorious position populated by REASONABLE DOUBT, THE BLUEPRINT and THE BLACK ALBUM), but it's also not the embarrasment that NASCAR drivers in the video, or Chicken Littles in the blogosphere, suggested it might be. (It also should be noted that, as our friend Tyina Steptoe points out, Jay's never been known to put out superior first singles: "Change Clothes" was the first off of THE BLACK ALBUM, after all...) What's most surprising about KINGDOM COME, and what's most likely to remain interesting on repeated listens, is the maturity with which Jay-Z conducts himself on this effort, maturity which plays out in both the content (he's unafraid to address his new executive status, but doesn't play into any easy romanticization or disaffection) and the musical textures. Indeed, as posted below, his continuing love affair with the sounds of the 1970s reaps great rewards once again. There's a fine Katrina track, too, on which Jay digs deep into the event's contradictions, both political and personal. On the down side, there aren't any great dance tracks, and the duet with Beyonce is as disappointing as his contribution to her recent album (a record which, on the whole, is far better than this). Still, none of the album's more potentially disastrous moments end up in catastrophe, not even the self-aggrandizing "30 Is The New 20" or the track produced by Coldplay's Chris Martin. While the record's highlights aren't as high as his best work, and while both Nas and Lil Wayne are likely to surpass Young Hov with their next releases, KINGDOM COME doesn't fall too far from the solid-career-entry work being done by some of hip-hop's most reliable voices, like Snoop Dogg or Scarface, and - even if it's something of a step down from Jay's "ruler's back" era, that's not a bad place to be.

"Lost Ones" (with Chrissette Michelle) (produced by Dr. Dre)"

"Do U Wanna Ride" (with John Legend) (produced by Kanye West)

"Minority Report" (with Ne-Yo) (produced by Dr. Dre)

On the box right now: Tom Waits, ORPHANS, Disc 2. Soon...

Peace...

2006-11-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

This and that

I'll have a more substantive post in a couple days, but - until then - here are three things that have been floating around cyberspace.

Mary J. Blige - "We Ride"

Common (feat. Will.I.Am.) - "I Have A Dream"

Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band - "Highway Patrolman" (live in Dublin)

On the box right now: Jay-Z, KINGDOM COME. One of the next two entries will be on this, and the other will be on the new, astonishing Tom Waits collection.

Peace...

2006-11-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Better half

Recently, thanks to the recommendation of a few friends with a very good track record in this area, I caught up on the first season of VERONICA MARS, the combination detective show/high-school drama that's currently in its third season. Apart from the fact that, once again, my trusted recommenders had come through (it's a damn good show, for those who haven't seen it), I was struck by a particularly cagey music reference. One episode deals in part with a lecherous history teacher who seduces his female students, and - in his romantic pursuits - said lech' uses the ballad-heavy second side of the Rolling Stones' TATTOO YOU as "mood music." This reference struck me as being mighty astute, even Hornby-esque, and immediately sent me back to TATTOO YOU, an album that has always been near the top of, though not quite all the way up on, my list of favorite Stones records.

In revisiting the famous second side, I realized that this might be among the single best sequences of music that the GreatestRockAndRollBandInTheWorld has ever recorded, and - even among post-1972 triumphs like SOME GIRLS and the underrated BRIDGES TO BABYLON, not to mention the other side of TATTOO YOU - is perhaps the closest (in quality) to their towering run of creativity from BEGGAR'S BANQUET to EXILE ON MAIN STREET. Unlike the riffs-and-rhythm of most of their signature tunes, the slow jams and pretty songs that make up TATTOO YOU's second salvo demonstrate that Mick, Keef and company are capable of great, grooving nuance, simultaneously free of irony and of over-eager sincerity; even Jagger's falsetto on "Worried About You" resists the urge for caricature, thanks in no small part to the tune's full-throated chorus. After listening and re-listening over the past few days, the five songs have become my current favorite 20 minutes of the Rolling Stones. I'm a particular fan of the last two songs: "No Use In Crying" is highly underrated within the group's catalog, a supple bit of honky-tonk funk (George Jones meets George Clinton) that aches with melodic, melancholic yearning. "Waiting On A Friend" is, appropriately, much more famous, and still deserves to be spotlighted as an example of the Glimmer Twins' sweetness and gift for pop songcraft.

So, below is the second side of TATTOO YOU, which I present not only to make my case, but also to suggest that - as (truly) great as the digital age has been for music, in so many ways - the loss of the album side (or EP) as a unit of artistic accomplishment is really too bad. Anybody have favorite sides of albums that, even when considered in context with the other half (or quarter) of the work, particularly stand out?

Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones...

"Worried About You"

"Tops"

"Heaven"

"No Use In Crying"

"Waiting On A Friend"

On the box right now: Beyonce, B-DAY.

Peace...

2006-11-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

Jukebox favorites

In the fine tradition of our friend Lauren over at Get Down Girl, I thought I'd post a few tracks that are lightin' up my airwaves the past few days.

-Everybody's been talking about the new Beyonce single, "Irreplaceable," and for good reason: it's a fine pop/R&B song that, unsurprisingly, has taken on anthem status with a growing number of our sisteren around the country. As much as I dig on "Irreplaceable," though, I'm still totally in love with the club bangers that make up the rest of B-DAY, including the one posted below, the straight funky (and straight Southern) "Suga Mama."

Beyonce - "Suga Mama"

-Christina Aguilera's album, like Beyonce's, continues to remain among my favorites of the year, and the below track - the nuthin'-but-a-she-thang grind "Still Dirrty" - is one of the main reasons.

Christina Aguilera - "Still Dirrty"

-The Pussycat Dolls are holding up way better than they should, and their newest single "Wait A Minute" - in collaboration with the ever-more-impressive Timbaland - is their best yet. In this year of a real pop renaissance, I hope that the Dolls take their rightful place with the artists above, as well as the other purveyors of full-blast creativity that have re-sparked pop's boundless energy and ongoing debates over sex, gender and honesty. Besides, Timbaland's never sounded better.

The Pussycat Dolls (feat. Timbaland) - "Wait A Minute"

-Now, sure, the Ying Yang Twins are ridiculous, over-the-top and sometimes flat offensive. But, I defy anyone to listen to the tune below, which leaked from their upcoming album, and not feel something start to bounce deep inside you.

Ying Yang Twins - "Jigglin'"

-From the ridiculous to the sublime: two newly leaked tracks from among the finest bunch of musicians that American music has at the moment. Each track is deep, righteous soul music, shot through hip-hop's post-modern kaleidoscope. The Roots have already proven themselves this year, with the finest album of the year, I can only hope that Snoop's new album is half as good as this track, and I hope that Dre and D'Angelo will both get back on their own wild horses really soon.

The Roots (feat. Zion I) - "Pity The Child"/"Come Together"

Snoop Dogg (feat. Dr. Dre and D'Angelo) - "Imagine"

See y'all around the Victrola...

On the box right now: Jay-Z, KINGDOM COME.

Peace...

2006-11-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Soul man

On this beautiful morning, when I feel like the world might not yet be spiralling into disaster, it seems like a perfect time to spotlight my favorite record of the past couple weeks, John Legend's ONCE AGAIN. I quite liked Legend's first album, particularly its rootsier moments, but wasn't quite ready to crown him the king of anything, in the fashion of some eager soul-heads. After this effort, though, I'm a few steps closer to the coronation. This is a rich, textured collection of material that manages to at once push against the genre's boundaries while maintaining a connection to its valuable component parts. Rather than circling the wagons around his debut's successful formula, Legend branches out into musical territory that can seem difficult at times (and makes ONCE AGAIN a more acquired taste than its predecessor) but ultimately, on multiple listens, reveals its many pleasures to the dedicated listener. It's also a much better collection of songs and performances than the first record, with Legend's voice sounding particularly supple and Hathaway-like on a few tracks. I've spotlighted three of those tracks below.

"Save Room"

"Slow Dance"

"Where Did My Baby Go?"

On the box right now: Birdman and Lil Wayne, LIKE FATHER LIKE SON.

Peace...

2006-11-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

Don't believe the hype man

When I'm not busy acting like I belong in a History PhD program at a top-flight university, I'm doing something a whole lot harder: I'm tutoring high-school students at an after-school program. These students, many of whom would be termed "at risk" for one reason or another, are - by and large - both pretty bright and pretty unfocused. A large part of my job consists of trying to get them back on one track or another, and I've found that I can make particular headway by trying to talk with them about something they actually care about, like music or TV. (Given my own significant interest in the subject, this is not too difficult.)

In one of these conversations, I realized something slightly disquieting: the kids love FLAVOR OF LOVE, the VH1 monstrosity starring Flavor Flav, who has recently completed his transformation from respected hype man and dangerous cultural insurgent to embarrassing buffoon, whose clowning has now reached the point of being almost offensive. As a longtime fan of Public Enemy, I can't help but shake my head, and wonder what the hell Chuck D thinks of all this.

On that day, when the students (and some of my undergraduate colleagues) started discussing FLAVOR OF LOVE's finer points, I couldn't help myself. Despite knowing exactly what would happen, and with all the irrelevance of hindsight, I said "you know, back in the day, Flavor Flav was blah blah blah," and you get the point. The reaction I got was similarly unsurprising: nonplussed faces, and several semi-indignant responses of "So?" Fair enough. What was I really expecting from the future generation? After all, people try to put them down just because they get around.

All of this made me all the more excited for Flav's recent solo album, which - released last week on the waves of his VH1 (don't believe the) hype - held some promise for me. I've always enjoyed the man's contributions to PE's records, and, as I once discussed on this blog, his briefly-released single from a few years back ("Git On Down"/"The Hot 1") was surprisingly dope. My hopes were raised even further when I saw that "The Hot 1," which is aptly titled, was included among the album's extensive track-list. Flav's a talented guy, and I couldn't help but be optimistic at the possibilities of finally having a solo soundtrack to go with his rapidly-dirtying cultural niche.

But the album sucks. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. It's 77 minutes long, sloppily compiled from what seems like eight years of Flav tracks and demos (at one point, he actually shouts out "1998!"), and packaged as cheaply as a bullshit tie-in oughta be. Flav does deserve credit for playing the instruments and producing most of the tracks, and - despite the fact that most of the sung ballads are varying degrees of lousy - he sounds in good enough voice to not make even the saddest efforts unlistenable. Among the muck, only two of the new tracks really stand out, "Let It Show" and "No Loot." The rapped tracks are competent and totally uninteresting, very unlikely to set any club knockin' in the way that "911 Is A Joke" or "I Can't Do Nuttin For Ya, Man" did with such effortlessness.

And then, the greatest travesty of all: they edited "The Hot 1." Whereas the rest of the album has plenty of explicit language, including multiple uses of "nigga," here the N-word is silenced, sometimes literally, creating a horribly jarring effect that damn near ruins that track too. I'm quite happy that I've got the unexpurgated version elsewhere, and I've posted it below.

It's a damn shame, Flav, and it doesn't do my continuing, futile case for your un-ironic importance any easier. I'll still fighting the good fight, of course, but I wish I had something a whole lot better than this D+ effort. Have fun on Channel Zero; I'll be over here, searching for something to rock the boulevard...

"Let It Show"

"No Loot"

"The Hot 1" (unedited version)

On the box right now: John Legend, ONCE AGAIN. I've got some stuff to say about this one, too, so I'll try to get to it soon.

Peace...

2006-11-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

Your move

Now, nobody's really paying attention to the Jay-Z/Nas beef anymore, if only because Hova's last few albums have thoroughly trounced his one-time competitor by every concievable criterion (sales, quality, impact, etc.). Even the combatants themselves seem to have made peace, with each guesting on each other's work in recent years, and even appearing on stage. Nonetheless, at least in the minds and hearts of hip-hop heads (who seem to pine for a beef once again based - at least in part - on artistry, rather than some other bullshit), the saga continues. Thanks to the Internet Gods, and in celebration of the upcoming simultaneous drop of Jay's "comeback" effort and Nas' latest, we once again have to opportunity to stack up two of the genre's most talented and celebrated MCs against each other.

What is most surprising about the tracks below, and what may certainly change in the context of their respective albums, is that Mr. Jones appears to have the upper hand. Jay's tracks - to me - don't leap out of the speakers the way Nas' do, and both seem more contrived and contained. And that kind of advantage shift is the only thing that can keep a half-dead rivalry interesting. Which ain't a bad thing, all things considered.

Jay-Z - "Kingdom Come"

Jay-Z - "Show Me"

Nas - "Hip-Hop Is Dead"

Nas - "The N"

On the box right now: Flavor Flav, FLAVOR FLAV. Don't get me started. Wait a couple days; then I'll start myself...

Peace...

2006-10-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

Papa

John Phillips' first solo record, THE WOLFKING OF L.A., was recently reissued, and its long-held hype as something of a hidden/forgotten gem seems well justified. Released just after the break-up of The Mamas and Papas, cut with a bunch of LA studio pros at the late-1960s height of their powers, WOLFKING has that woozy, ethereal feel and post-Byrds-and-Beach-Boys "California sound" that had such a brief, wonderful moment at the turn of that decade, before the Laurel Canyon malaise set in and the best parts of the hippie dream gave up, ceding control to the culture's darker, more self-indulgent elements. Phillips himself, while certainly an unqualifiably good-to-great songwriter, also finds himself in fine voice on this collection, finding the best and richest parts of his admittedly limited vocal palette, and weaving those already-wearied tones around a bunch of subtle, intricate songs, character portraits and scene studies that capture the late-60s in all their melancholy bliss, with every fractured angel and each glorious decay. In another universe, WOLFKING could've been held up as part of country-rock's founding canon, thanks in no small part to the unsurprisingly wonderful playing of rock 'n' roll guitar genius James Burton, in between gigs playing with Rick Nelson, Elvis Presley and about 500 other fine folks. While it's probably not a classic on a level with SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO, BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN or GILDED PALACE OF SIN, it's only one step down, ranking with the better efforts by Poco, Parsons, early Eagles, or the particularly simpatico solo work of Mike Nesmith.

Another diamond in the rough...

"April Ann"

"Malibu People"

"Mississippi"

On the box right now: John Legend, ONCE AGAIN. Sounds better with every listen...

Peace...

2006-10-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Rock steady

I'm absolutely loving the new Rhino Records boxed set, WHAT IT IS: FUNKY SOUL AND RARE GROOVES, four discs' worth of prime soul, funk and jazz cuts from the heyday of the pocket. As with most Rhino sets, the entirety of the package is excellent, from the liner notes (some by our friend Oliver Wang, from over at Soul Sides) to the song selection, which is mainly rare or obscure stuff. Here are four of my favorites, among many potential choices. Particularly noteworthy is "I'm Just Like You," a supple bit of bedroom country-funk from 6ix, AKA Sly Stone in the heart of his isolated-genius period.

Get sanctified...

Cold Grits - "It's Your Thing"

6ix (Sly Stone) - "I'm Just Like You"

King Curtis - "Ridin' Thumb"

LaBelle - "Moon Shadow"

On the box right now: John Phillips, THE WOLFKING OF LA. More on this very soon.

Peace...

2006-10-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

The man behind the curtain

Timbaland's had a helluva year, even considered among his decade-long run of artistic and commercial success. He produced two of 2006's best pop albums - Nelly Furtado's LOOSE and Justin Timberlake's FUTURESEX/LOVESOUNDS - off of which came, respectively, one of the summer's biggest singles (Furtado's "Promiscuous Girl") and fall's hottest tracks (JT's "Sexyback"). It comes as no surprise to me that, on each of these songs, Timbaland's rumbling, insistent vocals help complement his lead singer's theatrics. I've long felt that Tim is an underrated singer/rapper, particularly since his own solo records are polluted by the absurd wack-ery of Magoo, one of the weakest MCs to appear on major-label rap records in recent years. Timbaland's seductive growl and surprisingly nimble flow, characterizes much of his most popular work, yet he himself has yet to get significant performance props.

And that's too bad, since - as the tracks below hopefully demonstrate - he's worth the praise. His early work with Missy Elliot sometimes took the form of Otis-and-Carla-style duets between the two, on which the funky/freaky MCs from both sides of the gender line traded verses over the skittering beats. This strong, sexy tag-team of eccentrics should make a duet record together; think what they could do with a hip-hop version of the "Hound Dog"/"Bear Cat" debate...

"I'll Be Around," which Tim produced for Cee-Lo (himself having a banner year, and it's about damn time), is another playful demonstration of the producer's percolating artwork. Tim's verse is about his best rhyme yet laid on wax, and it's another reason why the track should've been a huge hit. Ah, well; they'll get 'em next time. (Or, maybe, they got 'em this time...)

Then, of course, there's Ms. Furtado's recent hit. It makes sense that Timbaland's next project is producing a new Duran Duran album, since - as both Furtado and Timberlake show - Tim's brand of pop/R&B music sounds so much like the future because of its creative reclamation of the synth-pop and Minneapolis sound of the "Me Decade" within a post-hip-hop alchemy. Even more than the previous cuts, Tim's vocals on this song's hook - to me - are a major reason why this was a hit, and one of its best elements.

Somebody get this guy a solo deal, tell Magoo to stay home (or at least off the tracks), and let one of music's most creative minds fully explore his many stylistic interests.

Missy Elliott (feat. Timbaland) - "Whatcha Gon Do"

Cee-Lo (feat. Timbaland) - "I'll Be Around"

Nelly Furtado (feat. Timbaland) - "Promiscuous Girl"

On the box right now: Hi-Tek, HI-TEKNOLOGY 2.

Peace...

2006-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

For he's a jolly good fellow...

As those of y'all who've been checking out Living In Stereo are well aware, today is Chuck Berry's 80th birthday. While David Cantwell and company (including yours truly) have been giving you an industrial-size dose of Mr. Berry's life and art, I figured I couldn't let the occasion pass without throwing in some tracks.

I figured I'd spotlight one of the least appreciated moments in Berry's career, 1979's ROCKIT album, which - just re-released - is wearing very well with age. Awash in country textures, and with Berry's verbal wit as keen as ever, the songs on ROCKIT are a surprisingly vital bunch. I include "Move It," "Wuden't Me" and "I Never Thought" because (apart from being great tracks), they display Berry's continuing interest in issues of race and power. "Oh What A Thrill" is simply a great track, later covered by Berry disciple Dave Edmunds on Rockpile's only band album.

Happy birthday, sir...many more...

"Move It"

"Oh What A Thrill"

"I Never Thought"

"Wuden't Me"

On the box right now: Vince Gill, THESE DAYS, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-10-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

We tip our hat

Freddy Fender died today. One of the great, unique American singing voices, with a career that stretched from the rockabilly/conjunto days, right up until only a few years ago. Here's two of his big hits, plus one of my absolute favorite Fender vocals, from his time with Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornadoes.

Adios, Senor Huerta...

"Before The Next Teardrop Falls"

"Wasted Days And Wasted Nights"

"In My Mind" (w/Texas Tornadoes)

On the box right now: John Legend, ONCE AGAIN.

Peace...

2006-10-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

A long-lost friend

I've been a huge fan of Rockpile-related records since I was in seventh grade, to almost an obsessive degree. Apart from the obvious, twin-tower appeal of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, I've always held a soft spot in my heart for Billy Bremner, the group's second guitarist, whose instrumental prowess grounds the band's furious monkey-beat, whose sky-high harmonies lift the Everly-influenced arrangements into the stratosphere, and whose songwriting bridged the gap between Lowe's sophistication and Edmunds' fierce energy. Throughout the band's brief, bright career, Bremner solidified the sound and sent it spiralling in directions that the creative tension between "Basher" Lowe and perfectionist Edmunds might not have otherwise provoked. Chrissie Hynde, among others, recognized Bremner's unique talents, drafting his ringing guitar for Pretenders work on "Back On The Chain Gang" and a few others.

Billy Bremner's newest solo album, NO IFS, BUTS, MAYBES, is only the third of his three-decade-long career, and - for my money - it's his best, far better than his last (the spotty, though occasionally great, A GOOD WEEK'S WORK) and even surpassing his famous '80s one-shot BASH, which produced the minor, Elvis Costello-penned hit "Shatterproof." This new record captures everything I've always liked about Bremner: the aching voice, the richly interlocking guitars, and the song-craft that pushes the limits of the 1950s/1960s form without losing their valuable essence. Bremner's probably never gonna get closer to success than he did in the early-1980s, which is a shame, but at least - somewhere in Sweden, I believe - he's making the kind of records that I could listen to all day long.

"Only The Sound Of My Heart"

"The Real Problem"

"No Ifs, Buts, Maybes"

"Where We Still Call Home"

Remember to check out Chuck Berry week at Living In Stereo, currently featuring my essay on HAIL! HAIL! ROCK AND ROLL.

On the box right now: Waylon Jennings, NASHVILLE REBEL, Disc 2. I miss Waylon...

Peace...

2006-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Check it out

Hey y'all, hop on over to Living In Stereo, where I've just contributed an essay on the fantastic Chuck Berry documentary HAIL! HAIL! ROCK AND ROLL to the site's week-long birthday Berry tribute. I'm proud of the piece, and even prouder that I get to join the discussion on one of the very best and smartest music sites in the known universe. Make sure you check out the other stuff that'll be posted there this week, including the post on Chuck and country already posted by site operator David Cantwell. Fine stuff.

And don't forget that Inner Sleeve benefit tomorrow night (see below)...

I'll be back with music again tomorrow, a few tracks off Billy Bremner's latest. I'll also do my own entry on Chuck Berry next week.

On the box right now: Elton John, THE CAPTAIN AND THE KID.

Peace...

2006-10-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Y'all come

This Saturday, I'm performing at a benefit for Inner Sleeve Records, which we've talked about a bunch on this blog. I'll be joined by a whole bunch of great, talented folks, many of whom are old friends, a camaraderie which should lend the affair a definite community vibe. Below are the details:

"Sing A Song For Mike": A Benefit For Inner Sleeve Records
Wausau, WI
University of Wisconsin-Marathon County Auditorium
Saturday, October 15th
7 PM
Suggested donation: $10, $5 for students

Performers include:
Ann Applegate
The Biscuit Brothers
Jim Carlson
Charles Hughes
Chris Jarvis
Rico Jaeger and Kevin Hartwig
Bryan O'Connor
James Rubino
Arnie Salley
Jon Shea
Dan Venne
and more...

If y'all are in the area, you should try to come. It'll be a great event, for a very, very good cause. Spread the word...

On the box right now: Billy Bremner, NO IFS, BUTS OR MAYBES. Rockpile's secret weapon returns. More on this later.

Peace...

2006-10-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

David and Goliath

Here's to Candi Staton, whose fiery brand of gospel-drenched soul nearly pulled a major upset last night. A few musically-inclined folks and I had a "soul showdown" of sorts, pairing Motown vs. Memphis/Muscle Shoals in a series of match-ups that the assembled crowd then voted on, choosing their favorite to advance to the next round. (We only got the first round last night.)

Candi Staton ended up drawing The Supremes, which seemed a nearly unsurmountable task. Apart from the fact that name recognition was about 99 to 1 in favor of Diana et al., the warm familiarity that continues to mark Motown's ubiquitous popularity in the culture initially appeared to overwhelm any potential of Ms. Staton pulling out a victory...

...but she almost won. The final vote was: Supremes 14, and Staton 13. Not a bad showing for an artist who only a handful of attendees had even heard of before the event. Of course, judging by the records alone, it's no contest in the opposite direction.

"I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than Be A Young Man's Fool)"

"Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man"

"Do Your Duty"

On the box right now: Howard Tate, A PORTRAIT OF HOWARD TATE.

Peace...

2006-10-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Alternative rock

A true pop/rock eccentric released an album today, but don't let anybody fool you: I'm not talking about Beck. Sure, Beck's had his share of idiosyncratic albums, complete with the requisite genre-hopping and ironic disaffection. But, although I'm a Beck fan, he can't compete - either in terms of singularity or musical talent - with Lindsey Buckingham, who also released his (long-awaited) new solo record, UNDER THE SKIN, today. Thanks to his time in Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham is one of the most commercially successful singer-songwriters still plying his/her trade, and - though his ubiquitous chart presence with "the Mac" has guaranteed him the kind of fame that's both freeing and limiting - Buckingham's creative palette has never ceased to be challenging, inventive and sometimes flat-out weird. He expresses a variety of influences, from the Beach Boys (whose devotion to unusual melodies and harmonic structure is evident throughout much of Buckingham's work) to bluegrass (a genre which makes Buckingham's guitar playing sound like he's actually working a banjo, as my friend Kevin McCool points out). While his early work with Fleetwood Mac is radio-friendly enough to still be welcome staples on the oldies stations, he increasingly sought more difficult musical terrain, which would eventually lead him into a series of oddly interesting solo projects, as well as more challenging contributions to Fleetwood Mac albums.

Nowhere was this brazen innovation more evident than TUSK, Fleetwood Mac's famously ambitious and coke-fuelled follow-up to RUMORS. Locked in a studio, high as a kite and in love with punk/new wave records, Buckingham recorded his contributions away from the attention of either the record company or some of his bandmates. While his strikingly different contributions to TUSK were partly (maybe mostly) blamed for the record's relative lack of success, current critical attention lavishes praise on the disjointed, spiky, yet still powerfully tuneful songs produced by Buckingham. Listening to these songs today, they still sound like the future.

Fleetwood Mac - "The Ledge"

Fleetwood Mac - "Not That Funny"

Fleetwood Mac - "That's Enough For Me"

On this new record, although age has dulled Buckingham's rambunctiousness a bit, he continues to make music that his unquestionably, only his. Thanks to his strong songwriting, the nuanced craft with which he constructs vocal arrangements, and his literally unbelievable virtuoso guitar work, Buckingham still sounds more interesting, important and different than Beck likely ever will.

Lindsey Buckingham - "Show You How"

Lindsey Buckingham - "Try For The Sun"

Lindsey Buckingham - "Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind"

("Try For The Sun" is a Donovan cover, and I was this close to putting his cover of the Stones' "I Am Waiting" in its place.)

On the box right now: Solomon Burke, NASHVILLE.

Peace...

2006-10-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

Coming attractions

There are literally hundreds of reasons for any music fan to heavily God-bless the Internet, and two of them emerged this week. These are two upcoming singles, that - judging by early listens - should both be huge, important hits. The Fantasia suggests that her potential is being fully realized (and with a very young-sounding Big Boi giving her supple back-up), and the track from the Shady/Aftermath crew is another piece of evidence that they might really be as good as they all say they are.

At the very least, even disregarding all potential impact and implications, these two cuts suggest that clubs will remain knockin' all through the fall. Save the last dance for me...

Fantasia (feat. Big Boi) - "Hood Boy"

Eminem (feat. 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Ca$his) - "You Don't Know"

On the box right now: The Roots, GAME THEORY. Yeah, I think this is the best album of the year...and it's gonna take a monumental accomplishment to replace it at the top of the heap.

Peace...

2006-09-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Country-soul

As any regular SHOT OF RHYTHM reader knows, we here are particularly interested in the many manifestations of "country-soul," as genre, interchange and mindset. Two of this week's releases absolutely qualify to be included in the esteemed company of the country-soul catalog, each for different - though ultimately linked - reasons.

First is an obvious one, Solomon Burke's NASHVILLE, on which the self-proclaimed King of Rock And Soul dips back into his original musical love, with the help of Buddy Miller and a staff of crack country players and songwriters. Befitting Burke's royalty, the album has great gravity and dignity, but - unlike many recent soul comeback albums, including some of Burke's latest work - Miller's warm production style and the inclusion of collaborators from Dolly Parton to Paul Kennerley keeps the affair bright and spirited. I've chosen to spotlight three of the album's more serious moments, mostly because Burke's voice (which is overrated) is at its most powerful when focused to the dull-roar nuances of the slow song. On "Valley Of Tears," he's joined by the song's writers, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and the three of them - with Miller adding a fourth harmony part - makes for quite a heavenly choir.

"Valley Of Tears"

"Millionaire"

"Til I Get It Right"

The second release comes from Alan Jackson, who - on his newest, LIKE RED ON A ROSE - temporarily trades in his normal role as king of the honky-tonks for a set of subtle, nuanced songs that mines Charlie Rich's terrain of country/soul/pop/jazz melange to great success. Jackson's muse on this record is Alison Krauss, who produced and helped find the songs, and whose band - the mighty, mighty Union Station - gives Jackson suitable back-up on several tracks. Krauss' recent, welcome transition from ill-defined "trad bluegrass" star to maker of richly textured, genre-less recordings mirrors Jackson's journey, and the pairing works wonderfully. While there isn't anything on here that will challenge the best of Rich's work, LIKE RED ON A ROSE recalls the Silver Fox's kind of softly bluesy songcraft in a way that would surely make him proud. It remains to be seen if Jackson will continue in this direction, or set off for adventures elsewhere, but - for the moment - he might just be the king of country-soul.

"Like Red On A Rose"

"Nobody Said That It Would Be Easy"

"A Woman's Love"

On the box right now: Various Artists, ECCENTRIC SOUL: MIGHTY MIKE LENABURG. Another in the wondrous series of "Eccentric Soul" reissues, this time spotlighting the production work of Lenaburg, who tried (and failed) to make Phoenix into the new Hitsville, U.S.A.

Peace...

2006-09-28T20:32:00.001-07:00

No laughing matter

I've long been a fan of his, but I honestly never thought that Weird Al Yankovic would be the subject of a Shot Of Rhythm post. However, his newest record, STRAIGHT OUTTA LYNWOOD, has rendered him more than deserving. Apart from the fact that it's the best, funniest and most consistently interesting album he's made in...well, ever, it's also a surprisingly political affair that contains a couple of the sharpest and most incisive political critiques that any satirist this side of Dave Chappelle has levelled at American politics in recent years. Yankovic has become a particularly biting critic of the politics surrounding downloading, file-sharing and the rhetoric of "theft" that, while complicated, has been inflated to such a degree that Yankovic need merely parrot the warnings and scoldings of the RIAA and their cronies to parody them. I would post Yankovic's sardonic pseudo-anthem "Don't Download This Song," but (as APS, from Holler If You Hear Me cagily pointed out) the video, which is directed by Oscar winner Bill Plympton, is even more effective. Here's a link to the video: "Don't Download This Song" video. (By the way, you can also download the song at Weird Al's official site and elsewhere.

My other favorite political track on the record is "Canadian Idiot," a parody of Green Day's "American Idiot," that on first glance appears to be a rather clumsy series of cliches about Canadian people and culture, but - on closer listen - actually reveals itself to be a satire of ugly-American stereotyping that ridicules Canadians while, as Yankovic points out, conveniently ignoring their national health care, clean air and gun control. There's an agenda behind "Canadian Idiot," but the care and nuance with which Yankovic places the song within a parody raises the form to high art. Brilliantly engaged stuff.

"Canadian Idiot"

I also feel it's my duty to post Yankovic's parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," which - though originally scheduled to be on the STRAIGHT OUTTA LYNWOOD album - was nixed by Blunt's record company (though not Blunt himself) only weeks before the album's release. Thankfully, and bravely, Yankovic leaked the song to several websites, and it has now become a firm entry in the Internet's democratized jukebox. It's also hilarious, somehow making smart fun of an easy target.

"You're Pitiful"

There's a bunch of other good stuff on the record, including a wonderfully precise R. Kelly parody called "Trapped In The Drive-Thru," and a Beach Boys/SMILE-esque tune called "Pancreas," but y'all can get that elsewhere. I'll just leave you with five words I'd never thought I'd say: Weird Al Yankovic for President?

On the box right now: Ron Wood, ANTHOLOGY, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-09-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Don't work too hard

Here's three songs to play when the heavy burdens of day-to-day drudgery get to feelin' a bit excessive. Two are from this year, one from two years ago, and all three have the distinct possibility of becoming my new national anthem.

Next time the boss gives you flack (and, for whatever reason, "Take This Job And Shove It" isn't available), just turn the speakers to "stun" let fly with these.

Amos Lee - "Supply and Demand"

Dan Reeder - "Work Song"

Todd Snider - "Lookin' For A Job"

On the box right now: Solomon Burke, NASHVILLE.

Peace...

2006-09-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Workin' on a building

A few new things you can point your attention to regarding the Labor Day arson at Inner Sleeve records, which I, along with a few other folks, talked about on this blog in recent weeks.

-First is a detailed report of the situation from Brian Leaf, another Sleeve devotee:

"The place is gutted,everything gone. There's a note on the door that says he's planning to reopen and that anyone who had ordered music can call him at home to pick it up. The door was open but Mike wasn't around. I left a note, declaring that I loved the campfire Northwoods smell in theplace and hoped he find a way to keep it in the store after it isremodeled.

Later, I stopped by his house. He was in the backyard, standing overa large garbage can full of broken jewel cases, pulling CDs out of damaged cardboard cartons and shucking them like pearl oysters. At this point, they are pearls to Mike -- used inventory to help relaunch. He's salvaging discs and liners that were ruined by heat or water and will sell them as used. Liner notes and cover art were hanging by pins on the clothesline. And he regularly sprayed his hands with cleaner so soot wouldn't soil what he was trying to save.

It will be a great sale when he reopens, tentatively mid-October, as his inventory was incredibly diverse. If he so chooses, he could get an early start. Dave Junion [a local photographer] has offered to let him use the blue housenext to his studio for free to help him get back on his feet andallow him to run his business until he can move back in. Mike is down, but not out. He's been down this route before. He saysthat there have been several times during the 30+ years that he'sbeen open that he believed he was just about to make it, thensomething unexpected would happen. Vinyl was dumped in favor of CDs, he was forced to move or now the fire. He's a survivor and a fighter. He says he's really moved by the reaction from the community and feels awkward taking their money. I told him that people who contribute to his rebuilding fund are doing so because of the value he and Inner Sleeve have added to their lives and their community by giving them a place to find music that they might not otherwise hear or be exposed to while giving Wausau a hip reputation around thestate as that music store that you could find stuff that you couldn't find anywhere else. He's so hyper humble."

-Next is a Wausau Daily Herald article about recent benefit activities

-Finally, connected to both of these, is the warm reality of at least two more benefit shows coming up in the next half-month, each put together by a community of people who believe the same as me, Brian, and the many other voices you've heard weigh on in this incident. While I, like everybody, have both positive and negative things to say about my hometown, I look upon the aftermath of this mystifying tragedy with tremendous fondness and pride. Sometimes, it turns out, you can go home again.

More details as they become available. Back to music in a couple days.

On the box right now: Cee-Lo, BEST.

Peace...

2006-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

New release round-up

Three nice things to spotlight this week, none of which are groundbreaking, but all of which are worth some much-needed pleasure in this weary world.

-Dan Bern's reputation as a "New Dylan"-esque writer of smart, witty epics is well-deserved to a point, but I - for one - think that his current trademark continues to obscure perhaps his true brilliance, which is as a big-voiced pop/rocker with the heart of a true romantic and a pen as sharp as any sword. His new album, BREATHE, features some of the "New Dylan" stuff, and it's good, but, as usual, I'm finding myself more appreciative of the poppier end of Bern's rich catalog. This guy deserves a spot in the 21st century Brill Building.

Dan Bern - "Remember Me," from BREATHE

Dan Bern - "Another Man's Clothes," from BREATHE

-Aaron Neville's new album of soul classics, BRING IT ON HOME TO ME, is entirely inessential, which may be the reason that I like it as much as I do. Putting Neville's singular vocal style together with some of the best American songwriting of the 20th century...or, hell, any century...is a comfortable and affecting combination.

Aaron Neville - "Stand By Me," from BRING IT ON HOME TO ME

Aaron Neville (w/Mavis Staples) - "Respect Yourself," from BRING IT ON HOME TO ME

-I've been waiting for a Jane's Addiction compilation for literal years, and Rhino's finally answered my prayers, with a disc that (in the best way possible) is the only Jane's disc most folks will ever need. A surprisingly accessible collection, which captures all of the band's eccentricity while coherently expressing their odd gifts, this disc is worth having beyond its historical value. Nothing unreleased on it, although the below version of "Jane Says" is from KETTLE WHISTLE, an odds-and-sods compilation from a few years ago.

Jane's Addiction - "Jane Says" (live), from UP FROM THE CATACOMBS: BEST OF JANE'S ADDICTION

On the box right now: Lupe Fiasco, FOOD AND LIQUOR. This one came out this week as well, but I'm just getting to it now. If it's as good as the hype (big "if," I know), I'll be posting something from it soon.

Peace...

2006-09-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

La alma

After listening to the new Los Lobos album, THE TOWN AND THE CITY, multiple times in the five days since it's release, I am ready to call it an absolute masterwork. The band's stacked up at least a couple classic albums over their storied career (HOW WILL THE WOLF SURVIVE and KIKO for sure, with other records having their partisans), but TOWN/CITY distinguishes itself from those classics in a surprising direction: it didn't immediately strike me as excellent. Make no mistake, it's damn good on first listen, but it's taken me those multiple listenings to begin fully unpacking its textured, nuanced grace. There aren't any instant-classic songs on here (which, from "Will The Wolf Survive" to "Good Morning Aztlan," Los Lobos have never lacked), nor is there the vibrant invention of "Mas Y Mas," "Kiko and the Lavender Moon," etc.

What there is, though, and in mass quantities, is superbly crafted music. A loosely-constituted meditation on the immigrant experience in America (particularly, though not exclusively, the journeys of Mexicans to and in the U.S.), TOWN/CITY rises and falls with the passions and ambiguities inherent in that potent thematic center. There are moments of great optimism, even satisfaction, related here, but there's also plenty of darkness, whether sadness or desperation. (A couple of tracks could best be described as articulating a kind of unease, perhaps the most affecting tone of them all.) The band doesn't make any overt "statements" over the course of the record, but (like their artistic hermano Alejandro Escovedo) the mere fact that they present the immigrant experience with such taste and complexity prevents these songs from playing, two-dimensionally, into either the romanticization or (for damn sure) the demonization both so prevalent in the immigration "debate." Los Lobos puts the human beings, as wonderfully complicated as humans are, at the heart of this story, with all the richness that implies.

This richness is fitting, since the band once again demonstrates that they are one of our most musically gifted ensembles. David Hidalgo continues to sound like God's own singer, particularly on the near-gospel of "The Valley" and the Band-esque moan of "If You Were Only Here Tonight," and the awesome power of Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas' intertwined guitars (sometimes joined by Louie Perez) continues to be their (semi-) secret weapon: "The Road To Gila Bend" is pure Crazy Horse, and should teach you everything you need to know about why guitar rock mattered in the first place. What particularly strikes me about this record is how fully the band has now embraced its recent dabblings with R&B and soul; what was always a heavy element in their vast musical gumbo is now front-and-center: I could've picked "Little Things," "Don't Ask Why," or the brooding closer "The Town" to spotlight this, but "Free Up" seemed most poignant. (I also didn't include either of Cesar Rosas' now-trademark cumbia numbers, but it wasn't for lack of quality.)

This album now firmly vies with OutKast, The Roots and (believe it or not) the collaboration between Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris for my favorite album of 2006. Like all three of the other contenders, TOWN/CITY is a multi-layered, somewhat challenging listen, the initial pleasures of which fully bloom into their true beauty only through repeated attention. It's music that requires true meditation, and - though I love a compelling single as much as anybody - I'm so glad that, in the age of the IPod (good), Clear Channel (bad) and MTV Cribs (ugly), there are more than a few artists like Los Lobos around to light the soul flame. Muchas gracias.

"The Valley"

"The Road To Gila Bend"

"If You Were Only Here Tonight"

"Free Up"

On the box right now: Los Lobos, THE TOWN AND THE CITY.

Peace...

2006-09-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Almighty

Today, I spotlight two more recent releases that have gotten regular rotation around my way: it seems fitting, to mark quite the contrast from the low-down bliss of ROGUE'S GALLERY, that these records are gospel.

The first finds folkie Kate Campbell collaborating with Spooner Oldham, the legendary writer/musician whose name and keyboard talents grace literally hundreds of classic soul, country, pop and rock recordings. In recent years, Oldham has become a finally recognized elder statesman of American music, and this recording - FOR THE LIVING OF THESE DAYS - is an intimate collection of spiritual material that recalls Oldham's recent work with equally-legendary partner Dan Penn. At its best, the collaboration between Campbell and Oldham (which encompasses both originals and wide-ranging covers) gently and powerfully speaks to faith's promise, limits and complications, with a musical elegance that matches its thematic gravity. Faith healing at its best.

The first rack, "If I Ever Get To Heaven," is an achingly beautiful statement of purpose, along with being the album's sole Campbell/Oldham collaboration. The second, "Would They Love Him Down In Shreveport?," written by country mainstay Bobby Braddock, speaks to the album's (perhaps) surprising political bent, echoed in this song as well as in versions of Woody Guthrie's "Jesus Christ" and a tribute to the Civil Rights Movement called "Faces In The Water."

Kate Campbell with Spooner Oldham - "If I Ever Get To Heaven," from FOR THE LIVING OF THESE DAYS

Kate Campbell with Spooner Oldham - "Would They Love Him Down In Shreveport?," from FOR THE LIVING OF THESE DAYS

The other side of today's gospel two-fer is another astounding compilation from Numero Records, whose ECCENTRIC SOUL compilations are but the most impressive of their super-cool reissue trawls. Their newest collection, GOOD GOD! A GOSPEL FUNK HYMNAL, is a similarly "eccentric" collection of rare gospel-funk, the wonderful and brief moment when riffs from JB, P-Funk, Philly and Memphis collided head-on with the age-old holy musical tradition from black America. As usual with Numero's records, GOOD GOD! is amazingly consistent for a collection of essentially buried treasures, and is both a church-rocking good time, and an excavated element of recent American musical history.

(Dig the Sam & Dave sample on "I Thank The Lord," itself a call-back to Sam & Dave's gospel roots.)

Preacher and the Saints - "Jesus Rhapsody," from GOOD GOD! A GOSPEL FUNK HYMNAL

Mighty Voices of Wonder - "I Thank The Lord," from GOOD GOD! A GOSPEL FUNK HYMNAL

On the box right now: Los Lobos, THE TOWN AND THE CITY. Wow, this one's good. Me gusta mucho.

Peace...

2006-09-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Pop music

I've been playing the new collection ROGUE'S GALLERY: PIRATE BALLADS, SEA SONGS AND CHANTEYS quite a bit over the past week. Produced by Hal Willner, the studious eclectic who's produced a series of similarly eccentric tribute compilations, the two-disc set is an astounding collection of music, not so much for its weirdness (which, compared to previous Willner projects, is at a relative minimum) but rather for the sense of easy connection invoked by the themes, lyrics and sounds of these songs, most of which haven't been anything more than curios for decades, if not centuries.

Throughout the 50-some songs on ROGUE'S GALLERY, which are performed by a ship-shape group made up of everyone from stars (Bono, Lou Reed) to niche favorites (Rufus Wainwright, Mary Margaret O'Hara), from keepers of the tradition (Martin Carthy, Baby Gramps), to even actors (Micky Jay, John C. Reilly), there emerge the same interests and desires which drive pop music to this day, from lewd descriptions of sex (apologies to Luther Campbell, but 2 Live Crew never out-dirtied the verses in "Good Ship Venus" or "Baltimore Whores") to the ongoing struggles against mortality and oppression. Here, with humor, pathos and an overriding sense of life, is the music that made up the daily lives of a pop-culture segment whose antiquity (and seeming "authenticity") makes them now a subject of scholarly and museum-based appreciation. This is good, of course, but I can't help but feeling that these songs are a little bit like a NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! compilation for the 19th-century Atlantic. Judging by the energetic, irreverent performances offered by the contributors, overseen by Willner, and musical directors that include Bill Frisell, it seems like all involved can feel me on that one.

It's impossible, in this space, to try and capture the breadth and depth of ROGUE'S GALLERY in a single entry, but I've tried to pick a cross-section that captures what I'm really responding to in the collection. There are two good drinking songs, each full of ragged spirit: John C. Reilly's performance on "Fathom The Bowl" is particularly noteworthy, and yet more evidence (after his performances in CHICAGO and PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION) that this man should make some records. ("Fathom The Bowl" is equalled by Reilly's non-posted performance of the anti-war ballad "My Son John," which Springsteen also recently recorded as "Mrs. McGrath.")

Then we have "Hog-Eye Man," a sea-faring tribute to the smooth motherfucker who alternately goes by the names of Back Door Man, Gypsy Davy, Jody, and countless others; English folk veteran Martin Carthy delivers a fine performance on that one. Finally is "Bonnie Portmore," an Irish anti-war/environmentalist song, which links the destruction of Ireland's Portmore Forest to the British occupation, and the need for timber for which Britain's military ripped the trees of Portmore from their roots. Lucinda Williams hasn't sounded better (or less sleepy) in years.

Three Pruned Men - "Bully In The Alley"

John C. Reilly - "Fathom The Bowl"

Martin Carthy - "Hog-Eye Man"

Lucinda Williams - "Bonnie Portmore"

On the box right now: Various Artists, GOOD GOD! A GOSPEL FUNK HYMNAL. More on that later...

Peace...

2006-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

For your information

Here's a couple good reads on the Inner Sleeve fire.

First is a thoughtul and well-written editorial from the Wausau Daily Herald about the impact of the incident.

Second, and much more importantly, is information on how to contribute to an Inner Sleeve fund set up through a local bank. Even for such a good cause, I'm not gonna turn this blog into a shill for money, but I'd really like to ask anybody who can spare it to contribute whatever they can. Anything would help:

Information can be found here.

(Thanks to Jeff Ash for the link info.)

On the box right now: Various Artists, ROGUE'S GALLERY, Volume 2. I'll be back to music-based posts tomorrow, and one of the first will be about this extraordinary collection.

Peace...

2006-09-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

From the congregation

These very nice words were sent to me by Jeff Ash in reference to the previous entry. Jeff's a regular visitor of Shot Of Rhythm and - as you see - a fellow traveler:

"My story is the same as yours, only from a different time. It's the town where I grew up, too. I remember the Sleeve starting out in an ancient gray wood building on Grand Avenue across from Pine Grove Cemetery (about where Kwik Trip is now), then moving downtown, sharing a building with a bike shop just north of Prange's.

Every 2 weeks from the summer of 1975 to the summer of 1977, I bought 2 or 3 albums when I got paid from my job at the Pizza Hut on Grand Avenue. For the next couple of years after that, I'd stop every time I came home from college. Likewise, I'd stop every time I visited my girlfriend when she worked at the Wausau paper in 1980 and 1981. I spent a lot of money at the Sleeve, and I still have almost all those albums, complete with their special vinyl sleeves, which Mike gave away with albums. I was friendly with Mike as any regular customer would be, and spent plentyof time there, but was not one to have hung around the store for hours, shooting the breeze. Another friend did, and you did, and your lives are that much richer for it. No regrets, though. I still have all that great music and those great memories."

Thanks, Jeff. Very nicely put.

By the way, there are already three benefit shows in the works, plus an Internet fund drive. More info here as it becomes available, but it does appear that there's an Ella Baker-esque "beloved community" emerging around this sad event. It seems that Jeff and I aren't the only ones with "great music" and "great memories" from Inner Sleeve Records.

On the box right now: Various Artists, ROGUE'S GALLERY, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-09-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Remembering

Early on the morning of Labor Day, this happened in the town where I grew up.

As I was growing up, I literally spent hundreds of hours in Inner Sleeve, hours that often consisted of nothing more than talking with the owner, Mike Capista, and many of my friends (and his customers) who made their way through the doors. Of course, I did more than just hang out: I bought a significant amount of my music collection at Inner Sleeve, including many of the records that I now consider my favorite. Like any good indie record store (and like so few big chain stores), "the Sleeve" helped shape me as a music listener (and musician) in ways that I've still probably yet to comprehend. Still, beyond the usual help, insight and willingness-to-special-order that defines such places for music geeks like me, I can honestly say that - in a city that didn't always allow a lot of fun, free spaces for non-drinking age folks like me - Inner Sleeve was a communal space, one of the spots where my childhood and adolescence took shape and meaning. It's almost unfathomable to think that someone, burglar or otherwise, would try to burn the place down. It hurts, and it pisses me off.

I hope Mike'll rebuild, but I'll understand if he doesn't. I hope that his friends and supporters in the community, particularly the musicians for whom he has always been such an ally, will do their part, and I'll be right there beside them. I can give nothing less than my best to a place that holds such fond memories for me.

Sorry if this seems self-indulgent...but I frankly don't care. My heart's full, and - as I learned so often on lazy afternoons with friends and sounds in Inner Sleeve Records - it never hurts to kick out the jams.

Here's three songs, from three artists, that I'll always associate with my days in that store, and in my hometown:

The Stills-Young Band - "Long May You Run"

The Velvet Underground - "Rock And Roll"

Foo Fighters - "Times Like These"

On the box right now: Kate Campbell (w/Spooner Oldham), FOR THE LIVING OF THESE DAYS.

Peace...

2006-09-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Attn, Hall of Fame: Part 3

This should be a no-brainer, but the fact that Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five didn't make it in last year, their first year of eligibility, does not bode well for the way the Hall of Fame is going to deal with the incoming ambassadors from the hip-hop nation. Artistically and influentially, there is simply no way that Flash, Melle Mel and the rest shouldn't be invited, and - if the Hall of Fame fails to acknowledge the significance of hip-hop's first great recording artists, and creators of "The Message," still among hip-hop's greatest singles - I fear that the whole thing will become increasingly irrelevant as the years progress. (Don't even get me started on the Hall's disco problem...I'll write about Chic next time I do one of these entries.)

Just to remind everyone...

"The Message"

"White Lines (Don't Do It)"

"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels Of Steel"

On the box right now: Various Artists, ROGUE'S GALLERY, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-09-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

New release round-up

Dylan's not the only release worth spotlighting this week...

-First is The Roots' GAME THEORY, which I've previously spoken of here, but which remains one of my favorite albums of the year thus far. As with all Roots releases, some of GAME THEORY is near-impenetrable in its jazz-based invention, but - again, as with the rest of their catalog - the high-point meetings of said jazz spirit with some of the finest hip-hop/R&B tracks recorded in the past decade makes for music of significant power. Despite the presence of quite a few Roots classics on GAME THEORY, I'm pretty sure that the supple "Long Time" is my favorite, a mix of deep-soul vocals, Philly Sound strings and trademark Roots beats and rhymes. Excellent, standard-bearing stuff.

The Roots (feat. Peedi Peedi and Bunny Sigler) - "Long Time," from GAME THEORY

-Another release that I've already previewed here, Old Crow Medicine Show's BIG IRON WORLD, is a worthy follow-up to their astounding 2004 debut. There's something so wonderful about a bluegrass/trad group that can simultaneously seem cutting-edge and firmly grounded in the roots, and O.C.M.S. fits that bill perfectly. Their musicianship and vocals are superior, but I think that the true key to this alchemy lies in the group's songwriting, which treads the fine line between timely and timeless with a skill that almost no other contemporary bluegrass artists (whether "traditional" or "newgrass") can even approach. "My Good Gal" is probably the best example of that on BIG IRON WORLD.

Old Crow Medicine Show - "My Good Gal," from BIG IRON WORLD

-Finally, although I haven't yet heard the whole album, the kick-off track from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's new song-by-song tribute to Marvin Gaye's WHAT'S GOING ON suggests that the full record is the affecting masterpiece that early reviews suggest. Complete with biting verses from Chuck D, this may be the best yet commentary on the Katrina disaster and ensuing national disgrace, and the fact that the Dirty Dozen has chosen such a rich musical template for this meditation is of little surprise.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band (feat. Chuck D) - "What's Going On," from WHAT'S GOING ON

On the box right now: The Roots, GAME THEORY.

Peace...

2006-08-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

The new, weird America

"The past isn't over, it isn't even past." - William Faulkner

It seems strikingly appropriate that Bob Dylan's new album, MODERN TIMES, would be released on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which - in its catastrophic aftermath - illuminatd so many of the contradictions, struggles and nightmares that Dylan's strongest work has always engaged. While the word "prophet" gets used about musicians, and Dylan specifically, far too much, it can't help but seem eerily prescient that, over the course of his last three albums (as well as the OH MERCY section in CHRONICLES), he's called up images of New Orleans, floods, Biblical-scale disasters and humanity's generally muddy existence. Even before the Katrina fiasco brought the point home, Dylan's been warning us about "high water everywhere" for years, using the musical textures and lyrical touches of the past to do so. Thus, it's no surprise that, on his first dispatch after the flood, Dylan continues this patchwork priesthood, not to mention his artistic winning streak.

Dylan gave up direct political commentaries a long time ago, but what's recently seemed like barely-masked, historically-disguised editorializing is now essentially on the surface, growling through "The Levee's Gonna Break" and weeping in "Workingman's Blues #2." Some Dylan fans have long bemoaned his relative distance from message-song reportage in the past few decades, but MODERN TIMES cements what many of us have long known: Dylan has applied his fascination with the sounds and themes of 20th century American music to a critique of present-day life in these United States, where the problems afflicting us should've probably been dealt with long before "modern times." Nonetheless, the same cries, screams and jokes issued from Charley Patton, the Carter Family and the like maintain their relevance.

Apart from the abstract importance of MODERN TIMES, it's simply a superior work of music. Dylan hasn't sung this consistently well in a long time, and his current band (including the important new addition of BR5-49 multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron) is among the sharpest he's ever worked with. Dancing between rockabilly rumbles, Tin Pan Alley pop, jagged blues and country/gospel balladry, Dylan weaves his tapestry around the musical foundations of "modern times," in order that his critiques and observations about said "modern times" become all the clearer...and more timeless. (This is the same strategy used so well this year by Springsteen, OutKast and - in her own way - Christina Aguilera.) While MODERN TIMES probably won't become a classic like HIGHWAY 61, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS or TIME OUT OF MIND, it's another chapter in Dylan's long and winding road through the (high) waters of our national consciousness.

Bob Dylan - "Thunder On The Mountain," from MODERN TIMES

Bob Dylan - "Workingman's Blues #2," from MODERN TIMES

Bob Dylan - "Nettie Moore," from MODERN TIMES

On the box right now: Chuck Berry, THE CHESS YEARS, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-08-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

He's the type of guy...

Who doesn't love LL Cool J? Hip-hop's most consistently popular star, creator of a whole bunch of classic tracks, and living proof that you can be a romantic and a hard-ass at the same time. Here are four of LL's best, from his Def Jam heyday.

"Around The Way Girl"

"I'm The Type Of Guy"

"I Need Love"

"Mama Said Knock You Out"

Back tuesday with some thoughts on the new Dylan.

On the box right now: OutKast, IDLEWILD.

Peace...

2006-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

When the new world is revealed

Every time Outkast has released an album, it's been one of the best and most interesting records of that year. IDLEWILD is no exception to either. A sprawling, messy piece of genius, IDLEWILD is going to take a long time to fully comprehend or appreciate, but it's immediate pleasures are intense enough to make the task more than worthwhile. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are now assuredly the Lennon/McCartney (or Davis/Coltrane) of hip-hop, composers (and I don't use the term lightly) capable of re-interpreting and re-imagining the nature and potential of pop music in ways that will reverberate for decades.

Musically intricate and endlessly interesting, the songs on IDLEWILD are particularly notable for their use of the entirety of the black musical tradition, even broader than 'Kast's usual genre-blending mixtures. 3000 plays acoustic blues/gospel on "Idlewild Blue," shouting out the blues' universality ("Even babies get the blues") and existential reality ("I'm fine...that's what I tell them, but I'm lyin'), all around a percolating groove that flows somewhere between "Wade In The Water" and "Wang Dang Doodle." "Morris Brown," the other debut single, is Big Boi fully cementing his reputation as hip-hop's P-Funk ambassador of jazz/funk alchemy: there are no less than four workable hooks in "Morris Brown," played consecutively and with no seeming segue. Hidden within IDLEWILD's deep grooves are the sounds of the rich, complicated African-American musical tradition, all soaked with the spirit of reinvention that has defined that tradition.

This connection with tradition makes OutKast's prevalent use of sounds from the swing era, along with their usual heavy doses of P-Funk and Prince, particularly striking. Recalling the freshness and opportunity (both musical and social) represented by the swing of the Jazz Age, the experimentation of P-Funk's Black Power gospel, and Prince's virtuosic priesthood, OutKast's latest work is an encapsulation of the restless creative spirit evident in all their source material. Even as the duo themselves appear closer and closer to separating for good, their body of work - including this important new addition - affirms that, wherever they personally or the music more generally goes next - they are prepared to continue giving us new possibilities and new ideas. They are, simply, visionary. And they're the best American musicians of the past decade.

I've chosen to spotlight four tracks that I haven't previously posted. (The three I put up before, "Idlewild Blue," "Morris Brown," and the Cab Calloway-based "Mighty O," are all readily available as singles.) Instead, I wanted to go with four tracks that, in different ways, more fully illuminate this big, complex story.

-It's tempting to hear "The Train" simply as Big Boi's break-up song, a goodbye to OutKast's previous glories that makes its wistful sonic melancholy sound achingly personal. I also, though, hear the determination of soul music (not to mention its deeply-felt musical textures) throughout this dynamically clever piece of music. This is strengthened, of course, by Sleepy Brown's beautifully-sung hook. I also think that this track makes an important point: even though Andre 3000's work has (rightly) been celebrated for its imaginative eclecticism, I find Big Boi's musical genius to be equal, if not superior, to his more iconoclastic partner.

"The Train"

-"Buggface" is another Big Boi showcase, this time a pure P-Funk homage, complete with his own Brides of Funkenstein offering insistent vocal response on the chorus. Big Boi's flow remains unstoppable, and - just like any good P-Funk release - I have absolutely no idea what it's about, but I'll be singing the chorus in my sleep.

"Buggface"

-I'm tempted to call IDLEWILD Big Boi's masterpiece, since a majority of my current favorite tracks are driven by Mr. Patton. Still, Andre 3000 hasn't gone anywhere, and - if the sparking "PJ and Rooster" is any indication - his further explorations will remain rewarding. Wonderfully constructed, from the pulsing horn charts to the percolating groove, the swing-driven track somehow gets to the core of what makes swing-era jazz so important, without sounding at all retro or redundant. It also makes a great complement to Christina Aguilera's "Candyman," which similarly looks to swing for its sonic foundation and overall tone. In addition, and importantly, "PJ and Rooster" makes me want to see the IDLEWILD movie more than any other track on the record.

"PJ and Rooster"

-Hidden away near the end of the record is this startling track, "Mutron Angel," sung by Whild Peach. Peach's aching performance, and the spacey backgrounds, make this sound like a collaboration between Mahalia Jackson and Prince, and the gospel-inflected lyrics (including a poignant reference to an unnamed "hurricane in New Orleans" and the archetypal freedom-song statement about a "the thunderous voice shoutin' there will be no peace/Until our people rejoice, where every boy and girl is freed") place OutKast's underappreciated gospel foundations, observable on tracks from "Get Up, Get Out" to "Church," front and center. The Eddie Hazel-style guitar in the background puts Funkadelic back in the mix, and - quite inauspiciously - OutKast speaks directly to America's troubled soul.

"Mutron Angel"

Well done, Mr. Benjamin. Nice job, Mr. Patton. Let there be more music from the two of you. Much more...

On the box right now: OutKast, IDLEWILD.

Peace...

2006-08-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Girls rule

Here are three of the latest from three of the most powerful female voices in pop music.

-This Beyonce single, the latest to leak from her upcoming album, makes me feel a lot better about her album than did her first single, the (appropriately) derivative "Deja Vu." Great beat, powerful performance from Ms. Knowles, and the use of sirens in this song is a lot less annoying than other recent appearances by the suddenly-ubiquitous sound effect.

Beyonce - "Ring The Alarm," from B-DAY

-Kelis' new album is spotty, but the high-points match anything she's done. "I Don't Think So" is pure hip-hop spunk mixed with early-80s aggro rock; it's not a stretch to hear Joan Jett or Pat Benatar having their way with this one.

Kelis - "I Don't Think So," from KELIS WAS HERE

-The third song is from a record that's totally blindsided me. Christina Aguilera's new double album is about as good a pop album as we're likely to get this year, filled with the same kind of jazz, swing and blues inflections that mark OutKast's IDLEWILD (which I'll get to, don't worry). On a set full of great singles, "Candyman" has got to be my favorite, and a definite contender for single of the year. Pure, infectious magic, that sounds like it could've been recorded at any point in the last 50 years or so.

Christina Aguilera - "Candyman," from BACK TO BASICS

Girl power! Next post: OutKast, then some more oughta-be Hall of Famers for your debate and perusal.

On the box right now: Christina Aguilera, BACK TO BASICS.

Peace...

2006-08-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Three voices

I've been listening a lot recently to three relatively new releases from three uniquely powerful vocalists. Thought I'd give you a taste...

-First is Ron Sexsmith, who has compiled quite a nice little career of good albums featuring a few great tracks. His newest, TIME BEING, has already been released in Europe, and is scheduled to emerge in the States next month. As usual, Sexsmith hasn't recorded a consistently fine project, but a few of the tightly-crafted songs, sung by Sexsmith with his trademark breathy emotiveness, deserve mention. "Hands Of Time" is a particular monster.

Ron Sexsmith - "Hands Of Time"

Ron Sexsmith - "Cold-Hearted Wind"

-Next is Erika Wennerstrom, leader of the Ohio-based rock group Heartless Bastards. Over their first two albums, the Bastards have emerged as the likely heirs to what makes PJ Harvey's best stuff so good: namely, her (seemingly) signature combination of fire, fury, tenderness and vulnerability. Wennerstrom's voice and songwriting are, without question, the Bastards' defining characteristic, as the intensity of the vocals emerging from the diminutive Wennerstrom are matched perfectly by the no-prisoners songwriting. On their second record, ALL THIS TIME, the raging garage-punk that defined their stellar debut is replaced by a more nuanced, piano-driven sound, although the brimstone guitars still make their appearances. Of course, Wennerstrom's voice would sound powerful even unaccompanied.

Heartless Bastards - "Into The Open"

Heartless Bastards - "Brazen"

-Finally, and hopefully needing no explanation, is Roy Orbison, whose series of classic Monument albums has just been re-released. What strikes me, listening to Orbison's legendary hits in their original context, and discovering interesting album tracks in the process, is how singular Orbison's vocal approach remains: his blend of operatic, Latin, cowboy and pop-ballad influences remains rarely-approximated and never-duplicated (except maybe for Raul Malo's best moments), and there's no better way to rediscover his deeply soulful music than these new reissues. I figure I'd spotlight a track I wasn't expecting (his unsurprisingly great cover of "Great Pretender") and a song the genius of which is worth endless repitition ("In Dreams").

Roy Orbison - "The Great Pretender"

Roy Orbison - "In Dreams"

On the box right now: OutKast, IDLEWILD. Much more on this to come...

Peace...

2006-08-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Attn: Hall Of Fame, Part 2

Gary "U.S." Bonds...let me count the ways...

-He is the source of a series of well-known party records from the early-1960s, part of the Virginia-based "beach music" craze that set a new standard for wildly energetic R&B.

-He, in partnership with the mighty Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams, wrote a string of fine country-soul songs through the late-60s and early-70s, including the Johnny Paycheck chart-topper "She's All I Got," which got Bonds and Swamp Dogg nominated for CMA's Songwriter Of The Year in 1970.

-In the early 1980s, Bonds returned to the charts with his collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt, two albums (DEDICATION and ON THE LINE) that not only mark Bonds' creative triumph, but help tell the story of how Bruce got from THE RIVER to BORN IN THE USA with a much different tone than NEBRASKA.

-Throughout his career, Bonds' powerful, versatile voice and uniformly deft back-up musicians made records that were as deep as any soul records and as cracking as any rock 'n' roll classic.

-He's still out there rockin', putting on consistently great shows...

Hear for yourself. "Take Me Back To New Orleans" is from his first heyday, "Rendezvous" and "Daddy's Come Home" from the E Street renaissance.

"Take Me Back To New Orleans"

"Rendezvous"

"Daddy's Come Home"

On the box right now: Gary "U.S." Bonds, ON THE LINE.

Peace...

2006-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Attn: Hall Of Fame

Had it in my head to do a few entries spotlighting overlooked artists who deserve a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Today, to kick it off, I figure I'd begin with Thin Lizzy, the Irish hard-rock band whose legacy continues to sound better and better. Tuneful heavy-metal with the precise songcraft of Phil Lynott and the now-ubiquitous, harmonizing twin-lead guitars, Thin Lizzy helps bridge stylistic gaps between hard rock, punk, New Wave, and even a singer/songwriter axis from Springsteen to Jackson Browne. With a raft of great records (both rockers and ballads), a legion of musician fans, and a unique place in the rock canon, Thin Lizzy deserves to be enshrined. Everybody knows "The Boys Are Back In Town," "Jailbreak" and "Whiskey In The Jar," but - as great as those tracks are - I thought I'd hit with three that, while just as good, are slightly less appreciated.

"The Rocker"

"Rosalie"

"Cowboy Song"

Coming soon...Gary "U.S." Bonds, Grandmaster Flash, Gram Parsons, Chic and more woefully ignored pioneers.

On the box right now: Roy Orbison, SINGS LONELY AND BLUE. One of three reissues of prime-era Orbison work. Fine stuff.

Peace...

2006-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

We tip our hat

Another day, another sad loss...word came down today that Arthur Lee, the founding spirit behind the genre-busting LA band Love, succumbed to leukemia. Love is, for my money, one of the more underappreciated bands in the rock canon, an interracial collective whose sound blended styles and atmospheres with the ease of Sly and the ingenuity of Zappa. There are few LA bands who sound more like the city's hazy eclecticism, and their mixture of chaotic noise-rock, good-vibes pop and smooth soul hits the mid-60s political moment with particular poignancy. Lee, apparently, was a rather difficult figure, who ran-in with the law and his bandmates on a regular basis, but there's no denying the music that he helped create. It's too bad that he's gone, just as it seemed that - with a couple successful tours in Europe after his last release from jail - Lee might be gaining some of the adulation that he so richly deserves.

Here are three of my Love favorites, capturing the range of their sound:

Love - "7 & 7 Is"

Love - "Alone Again Or"

Love - "Always See Your Face"

By the way, for another eloquent tribute by David Cantwell, this time eulogizing Sammi Smith, hop over to Living In Stereo. Beautiful stuff.

On the box right now: DMX, YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN.

Peace...

2006-08-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

New release round-up

Only one album worth spotlighting this week, the new DMX album that - thanks to the usually-prolific artist's three-year hiatus - almost qualifies as a comeback. Creatively, that label definitely applies, as there are a few moments on this record that stand with the best and most powerful music he's ever made. To me, DMX is one of hip-hop's truest hit-or-miss artists, with truly exceptional highpoints ("Who We Be" is among the 21st-century's best singles) and embarrasing lowpoints (nearly all of his last album). While the streaky nature of his work continues, there is no denying the intensity of the tracks below. "Come Thru" is pure club-banging bliss, with another great guest spot from Busta Rhymes, himself enjoying a recent renaissance. "Wrong Or Right" is probably my favorite song in the world at the moment, loud and proud with a bubbling creativity that (as our buddy Dave Gilbert would say) "totally sounds like a Funkadelic record." I've posted "Lord, Give Me A Sign" before, but its gospel fire is worth revisiting.

DMX (feat. Busta Rhymes) - "Come Thru (Move)," from YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN

DMX (feat. Bizarre Royale) - "Wrong Or Right (I'm Tired)," from YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN

DMX - "Lord, Give Me A Sign," from YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN

Oh, one more thing...I was hoping to spotlight a track from The Who's new EP, WIRE AND GLASS, a "mini-opera" meant to preview their upcoming full-length record. Unfortunately, I can't bring myself to post any of the tracks. It's not that they're outright terrible, but not one of them comes close to measuring up to even the top two-thirds of the band's previous work. Which is too bad. And it ain't just that they lost their mojo somewhere years back, as demonstrated by the track I have posted below, "Old Red Wine," which was released on a greatest-hits compilation after the death of John Entwistle. I was hoping for something of at least this quality from WIRE AND GLASS, but - at the moment - I find myself sorely disappointed.

The Who - "Old Red Wine"

On the box right now: The Roots, GAME THEORY. Can't stop listening to this one...

Peace...

2006-07-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

We tip our hat

Here is the late, great Jessie Mae Hemphill, the recently departed, "she-wolf" queen of the Hill Country blues, delivering an all-too-relevant sermon.

Jessie Mae Hemphill - "Lord, Help The Poor And Needy"

For more from Ms. Hemphill, check out Way Down In The Hole, which also has a nice tribute to Floyd Dixon, who also moved on recently.

On the box right now: The Roots, GAME THEORY.

Peace...

2006-07-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

New release round-up, part 2

The second half of our spotlight on the week's plethora of good new stuff spotlights the hip-hop/R&B world...

-First is the new Pharrell, on which the Neptune and N.E.R.D. steps out with a solo debut that tries, not always successfully, to survey Pharrell's broad artistic scope. Divided near-equally between R&B and hip-hop cuts, IN MY MIND is, as I said, not a consistently fine piece of work, but its best tracks stand alongside the best Neptune productions and N.E.R.D.'s spaced-out funk-rock. I was this close to posting both "Angel" and "Young Girl," but I couldn't deny this track, mostly because it benefits from having the record's best beat by far.

Pharrell - "Raspy Shit," from IN MY MIND

-Pastor Troy's been spending the last decade making some of the most intense Southern hip-hop currently escaping the Dirty South. Gospel-crunk at its hell-fire best, Troy's best cuts capture Southern hip-hop's power and energy at their very highest. This is easily the best cut on his new record.

Pastor Troy - "I Represent This (Can I Get A Witness?)," from BY CHOICE OR BY FORCE

-I've never been entirely sold on Jurassic 5, especially since they seem to be far more interested in talking about how they're here to "save" hip-hop than they are in actually making genre-defining records. (Besides, in an era of Kanye, 'Kast, Eminem and Missy, I don't know exactly what needs to be "saved.") Everything sounds the same, their records are some of the most easily mock-able in all the hip-hop nation, and - not irrelevantly - their audience is almost entirely white. Still, they do have their moments, and this track is one of them. (Leave it to J5 to make Dave Matthews the most valuable guest artist on their record.) FEEDBACK is seemingly an attempt to gain a wider audience, and - though I can't see that working - I admire their attempt to take their good intentions into the realm of actual artistic change.

Jurassic 5 (feat. Dave Matthews) - "Work It Out," from FEEDBACK

-LeToya Luckett was an original Destiny's Child, only to be unceremoniously dumped from the group at the dawn of the Beyonce empire. While nobody's dissing Ms. Knowles, LeToya has just re-emerged with a fine solo album that marks the best attempt so far to bridge the worlds of DC-esque pop/R&B with the flowering Renaissance of Houston hip-hop. In fact, although the album LETOYA starts a little slow, it hits a major stride in the middle, when Luckett utilizes a bunch of H-town's best (UGK, Paul Wall, Slim Thug among them) on a series of absolute club-bangers. After that mid-album salvo, everything else sounds better, including the below track, a should-be hit that is already on my list of favorite 2006 R&B tracks.

LeToya - "This Song"

At long last, there they are. I'm off tonight to see what should be the hip-hop show of the year: The Roots, Talib Kweli and The Pharcyde in Milwaukee. I'll be back in a couple days with something...

On the box right now: Obie Trice, SECOND ROUND'S ON ME.

Peace...

2006-07-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

New release round-up, part 1

Last Tuesday was a lollapalooza day for new stuff, so much so that I've gotta divide our regular recap into two parts. Today, I'm gonna spotlight some stuff from the rock 'n' roll world, and tomorrow I'll hit with some hip-hop/R&B.

-First is Raul Malo, who just released an album that, while certainly less adventurous than his previous work (either solo or with The Mavericks), possesses some of the best pure singing of any release this year. Unsurprising from Malo, who's gotta be in the Top 10 contemporary vocalists in any genre, but the vocals on YOU'RE ONLY LONELY are still notably powerful. On this track, a supple Randy Newman cover, Malo demonstrates the range and texture that makes his voice so unique, and - if there's any justice left in this world - he oughta get a hit record out of it.

Raul Malo - "Feels Like Home," from YOU'RE ONLY LONELY

-Tom Petty's HIGHWAY COMPANION is growing on me, although I'm still not ready to call it the return to form that some excitable reviews have suggested it might be. The songs are pretty good, and the singing and playing are suitable, but the whole thing lacks a playful or vibrant energy that marks so much of his best work in the past. "Big Weekend" is one of the few songs on HIGHWAY COMPANION to display that energy, and - for my taste - that makes it one of the album's highlights.

Tom Petty - "Big Weekend," from HIGHWAY COMPANION

-The New York Dolls just released their first album in 30 years, and it had absolutely no right to be as good as it is. Not that I don't love the Dolls, and the collected solo projects of David Johansen, but this record vastly exceeds my expectations. This is a mature, open-hearted collection of songs that serves as a tribute to NYC rock and roll from Dion to the Ramones, with everything in between. (The Spector-ian touches on a couple tracks are anything but anachronistic.) The track I chose is the kind of song that (though I love them) the 1970s Dolls would probably never have produced. The Stones-y crunch, R&B rhythms and fine Johansen vocal provide perfect musical counterpoint to the sagely humanistic lyrics, a theme of grabbing hold of life that emerges throughout the record. This is a fine, fun collection, and it's a prime candidate for the comeback of the year.

New York Dolls - "Take A Good Look at My Good Looks," from ONE DAY IT WILL PLEASE US TO REMEMBER EVEN THIS

-Finally, Flogging Molly released a splendid documentary, accompanied by a 10-song collection of acoustic and live takes on some of their best material. Even more than the Dropkick Murphys (whom I adore), Flogging Molly sounds and feels like the truest heir to the Pogues' signature brand of big-country Irish folk-punk, and (just like the Pogues) their raucous musical tapestry is accompanied by deeply emotional songwriting that makes them far more than just a good party band...though a damn good party band they are. This is my favorite from their new set.

Flogging Molly - "Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon" (acoustic), from WHISKEY ON A SUNDAY

See you tomorrow with some more new sounds...plus, coming soon, a tribute to Jessie Mae Hemphill.

On the box right now: New York Dolls, ONE DAY IT WILL PLEASE US TO REMEMBER EVEN THIS.

Peace...

2006-07-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Son of a gun

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm preparing an industrial-sized new release round-up to be posted over the next couple days (most likely in multiple parts), but - until then - tide yourselves over with some Hank Williams, Jr. I've been listening to a lot of Bocephus lately, mainly through the auspices of the 3-disc BOCEPHUS BOX released in 2001. It took me a while to really appreciate Hank, Jr., mainly because of all the cultural background noise, from Confederate flags to Monday Night Football, now so easily attached to his name, both self-inflicted and otherwise.

Once all the extra-musical bric-a-brac is stripped away, though, I found - and I think you'll find - that, at his best, Junior made quite a few great records over the years, with solid songwriting, an eclectic musical spirit, and a surprisingly versatile vocal instrument. He backs up the rowdy-friends hype with some great party songs, and is also perfectly capable of calming down for reflective, emotional balladry. (I've found myself playing the BOCEPHUS BOX back-to-back with a similar compilation of Jerry Lee Lewis, which makes a great deal of musical and thematic sense to me.) I'm not a fan of everything he does, particularly the pseudo-reactionary tripe that's tainted his legacy along with those of Charlie Daniels and others, but I can honestly call myself a fan. Which, thanks to my own bullshit and refusal to listen closely, I don't know that I could even six months ago. But, we're all in process, aren't we?

Here's three of my faves from the BOCEPHUS BOX. Coming soon: a big stack-of-tracks from the best release week of the year so far.

"O.D.'ed In Denver"

"All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" (alternate)

"The Blues Man"

On the box right now: Pastor Troy, BY CHOICE OR BY FORCE. More on him later...

Peace...

2006-07-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

New release round-up

Two records to spotlight today.

-First, the newly-freed Pimp C, one-half of Houston's mighty UGK and recent cause celebre among hip-hop artists from the Dirty South and elsewhere, returns with a fine collection of down-and-dirty H-town hip-hop, less reflective than might be assumed either by his recent incarceration or his association with Bun B, whose TRILL album last year featured some of the smartest hip-hop in recent years. The Pimp does, however, know how to work the gospel-esque celebration that marks so much Southern hip-hop, both lyrically and thematically. Combined with his new freedom, this energy permeates PIMPALATION, particularly on the kick-off tracks. "Free," appropriately titled and suitably energetic, is not only the best use ever of Tom Petty in a hip-hop song, but also far more interesting than anything on his upcoming, okay-not-great album HIGHWAY COMPANION. If Petty had sounded half this engaged on his last couple records, he'd still be one of the premier rock-and-rollers in the world. The second track, "Knockin' Doorz Down," is both a block-rocking H-town anthem, and a thinly-veiled statement of African-American solidarity that seems to advocate the union of both the hip-hop nation and the black community generally. Like the Peaches track I spotlighted last week, this is how politics should feel all the time.

Pimp C - "I'm Free," from PIMPALATION

Pimp C (feat. Pop and Lil Keke) - "Knockin' Doorz Down," from PIMPALATION

-The second record worth mentioning, Golden Smog's ANOTHER FINE DAY, totally snuck up on me. I've always liked this alt-supergroup's output, but (perhaps unsurprisingly) it's never approached the highpoints of the Smog's contributing groups (Wilco, Jayhawks, Soul Asylum and Run Westy Run). On this effort, though, Tweedy, Louris and the crew put together a fine collection of warm-and-warbly pop/rock that, at its best, stands with the recent work of the members' regular gigs. "Long Time Gone" is Tweedy at his melancholy best, "Corvette" is a wonderful escapee from the golden age of guitar pop, and "Cure For This" captures the group's gift for melody and harmony at its cascading, ethereal finest. Not everything on the album is great, but - particularly for a part-time "supergroup" that releases an album every eight years or so - I'll take it.

Golden Smog - "Long Time Gone," from ANOTHER FINE DAY

Golden Smog - "Corvette," from ANOTHER FINE DAY

Golden Smog - "Cure For This," from ANOTHER FINE DAY

I also added a couple links on the left, to blogs worth checking out: Ross Of Love, a nice, music-based blog run by Ross, who I met at the EMP conference, and Waxing America, a Madison-based politico-blog run by Mad City political legend Paul Soglin, which was kind enough to mention our little operation here in a post a couple weeks ago. Check 'em out.

I'd also point your way over to IckMusic, which recently spotlighted the friendship and collaboration between Joe Ely and The Clash. As usual at the site, the stories are supplemented with some choice tracks. Good stuff indeed.

On the box right now: Various Artists, THE TOMMY BOY STORY, VOLUME 1.

Peace...

2006-07-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Down Home In Dane County

I recently published an article (which can be found here) about the rich country-music scene currently riding the range in Madison, Wisconsin. I thought I'd celebrate the occasion by posting a few of the many great country tracks released by area artists.

-First is The Junkers, who - though now living only in memory and at the occasional reunion show - are still, in my opinion, the gold standard for Dane County country. The lead singer/main songwriter, Kenneth Burns (who can be found blogging his way into infamy at Back With Interest), is a superior vocalist and tunesmith, and the band found their deep "Maximum C&W" groove quickly, consistently and effectively.

The Junkers - "I Always Cry At Divorces"

-Next comes Pupy Costello and his Big City Honky Tonk, who have taken up that "Maximum C&W" mantle, quite noticeable on this rocket-blast cover of Roger Miller. Their album almost perfectly captures their live sound, in all its raucous energy and ragged glory.

Pupy Costello and his Big City Honky Tonk - "Kansas City Star"

-Cris Plata is perhaps the most woefully underappreciated talent in this town...or maybe it's the state. Tex-Mex country-rock with some really exceptional songs, Plata's music doesn't sound out of place next to any more famed or respected artist. This song is, for my money, Plata's current masterpiece.

Cris Plata - "Flag Day"

-Finally, we have Bill and Bobbie Malone. Bill C. Malone pioneered the study of country music, and - particularly in duet with his wife, and fellow scholar, Bobbie - he musically makes clear what he means. They've recently released a sweetly intimate album of some of their favorite songs, and - as a proud collaborator with the Doctors Malone - I can safely say that their record absolutely reflects the warmth of both their music and their spirit.

Bill and Bobbie Malone - "Wheels"

For more of this stuff, listen live, tomorrow (Wednesday the 19th) from 9 AM to 12 PM CST, to Bill Malone's radio show Back To The Country, on which - to connect with my piece - the good Doctor will be playing a full show of Madison country, featuring many of the artists that I featured, plus a bunch I didn't have room for.

On the box right now: The Roots, GAME THEORY. Comes out next month; more on this later.

Peace...

2006-07-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Politics

Leave it to Peaches, the techno-punk queen of the blues, to come up with our new political motto: "I'd rather fuck who I want than kill who I am told to." Amen.

Just like any good slogan, the line's delivered memorably and briefly, in this 46-second kick-off track to Peaches' new record. Coming soon to rallies and flyers...

Peaches - "Fuck Or Kill"

On the box right now: Various Artists, THE CHESS STORY, Disc 1.

Peace...

2006-07-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

New release round-up

I thought I'd spotlight the recent works of three fine songwriters, Guy Clark, Peter Mulvey and Rhymefest, all three of whom have released/are about to release new albums that demonstrate their work beautifully. The Clark tracks prove that the old dog's still got some new tricks, the Mulveys showcase the young talent's developing songcraft, and the Rhymefest cuts both prove the ebullient excitement of the hip-hop auteur/producer/MC that has made the last few years in the genre so exciting.

Guy Clark - "Magdalene," from WORKBENCH SONGS

Guy Clark - "Funny Bone," from WORKBENCH SONGS

Peter Mulvey - "Abilene (Eisenhower Blues)," from THE KNUCKLEBALL SUITE

Peter Mulvey - "Girl In The Hi-Tops," from THE KNUCKLEBALL SUITE

Rhymefest - "Devil's Pie," from BLUE COLLAR

Rhymefest (feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard) - "Build Me Up," from BLUE COLLAR

On the box right now: Arthur Conley, VERY BEST. Do you like good music? (Thanks, Mr. Kollath!)

Peace...

2006-07-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

Songbird got soul

Today, I offer up three tracks by Sandy Posey, most famous for pop hit "Born A Woman" and a few minor country hits in the 1970s. Posey is one of many underappreciated players in the story of country-soul, the fully-desegregated musical movement that brought an astounding number of important music and musicians under the same collaborative umbrella for two decades in Memphis, Muscle Shoals and Nashville. Posey, who began her career as the secretary at American Studios in Memphis, recorded with various important country-soul players and writers over the years, and - even though Posey's artistic achievements are scattershot - she offers her own roadmap of this rich, complicated interchange.

-First is a version of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham's first of many songwriting triumphs, "I'm Your Puppet," famously recorded by James and Bobby Purify. Posey recorded this in the Shoals, at Fame Studios. Covering Penn and Oldham hardly makes Posey unique (since damn near everybody who came through a Southern studio in the 1960s and 1970s did so), but it's interesting how easily this song translates to Posey's signature brand of vulnerable-yet-perseverant feminity. Another piece of evidence for my argument that Penn/Oldham had a notable talent among male songwritiers in writing for the female voice.

"I'm Your Puppet"

-Next is "One Man Woman," a Posey cut written and produced by Joe South, perhaps as true a country-soul artist as can be found. Interesting to note here how "Wall Of Sound"-esque South's production strategy was, as well as the way the bridge is clearly modeled after gospel in both melody and lyric.

"One Man Woman"

-Finally, here's Posey working with American Studios vet Tommy Cogbill in the late-70s, on a song that treads a fine line between country, pop, gospel, soul and even a little bit of disco.

"Why Do We Carry On (The Way We Do?)"

I've also added a link on the left to There Stands The Glass, a fine blog that y'all should check out.

On the box right now: Rhymefest, BLUE COLLAR.

Peace...