New Releases
Some new listens and a musing on one of todays popular genres:
1. I would normally not mention Tracy Chapman, as she hasn't really been worth mentioning since her sophomore release Crossroads, but the latest, called Where You Live, is produced by Tchad Blake, which automatically raises at least one eyebrow. Tchad is responsible for some of the better efforts from many artists: Wendy & Lisa, Soul Coughing, Tom Waits, Los Lobos, Suzanne Vega and Pearl Jam. His recording style is a heterodoxy of stripped down rock aesthetics with weirded out studio wizardry.
2. Trauma is the newest from DJ Quik, but whether it proves the assumption that rap is a young mans game is up for grabs. The last time I heard Quik do anything really ear grabbing was a decade ago guesting on a Toni Tone Tony record, so what he has to offer may be past its sell-by date. There are quite a few guest spots on this one; some good (Ludacris), some lame (Chingy), but I'd at least give it a test spin.
3. The debut by H.I.M. is being re-released for US markets. Why? Aren't the 15 minutes for this ridiculously bad, hamfisted, lovechild parody of the Sisters of Mercy and 5 Hanoi Rocks fans in gothic drag up yet?
4. Meanwhile, on the list of albums actually worth listening to, Jazzanova has released an album of remixes from the Bluenote Records vaults. It needs no explanation. It is simply by design a good thing. The cuts they select to work with are from some of Bluenotes finest: Herbie Hancock, James Moody, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham, and Bobby Hutcherson are all there with quite a few others. Get tripped.
5. I did not even know that Gavin Rossdale (aka Mr. Gwen Stefani) dissolved Bush and started a new band, Institute. While that in and of itself would not really make much news for me, the fact that their debut is produced by Helmet's Page Hamilton does. This may be very worth looking into. Rossdale has an interesting voice, but most of the material of his days in Bush was derivative and uninspired to these ears. Hamilton's penchant for stripped down, full throttle, spineshanking aural crushing may be the jolt needed. The album is Distort Yourself.
6. In the please retire department, we have Paul McCartney making yet another hackneyed attempt at something relevant with Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. The man has not been able to muster an album worth stomaching for ages, and the last one of any real merit was 1989's Flowers in the Dirt (which had the benefit of Elvis Costello helping in the songwriting department). I have zero hope for this record, as Macca's triteness has gone from an occasional softheaded moment to the standard operating procedure for his output. Shut up Paul. P.S. it's Lennon/McCartney, not the other way around.
7. Queen return with vocalist Paul Rodgers (ex-Bad Company, the Firm). I have not heard anything about this one way or the other, but I admit I am quite curious as to what such a pairing would produce. Return of the Champions may be a cheeky title, but I actually hope a marriage of this kind actually works.
8. Soulive are one of the best things to happen to the b3 organ in many a year. Their latest funky affair, Breakout, moves further away from their instrumental organ trio roots, and finds them using numerous vocalists. Their previous studio album had Dave Matthews and Amel Larrieux, and this one has Chaka Khan, Corey Glover, and the funky New Orleans growl of Ivan Neville. Definitely a looker. Apparently they also guest on a forthcoming release from Dar Williams, which strikes me as odd, but potentially fun.
9. Santi White first gained some attention for her solid writing contributions to the debut by Res, but her own tendencies are more towards a stripped down punk, funk and garage rock style with her band Stiffed. Their newest, Burned Again, is produced by Bad Brains low end maintenance man, Daryl Jenifer. It is a damn fine collection of sharp music.
10. There is a DVD of Stéphane Sednaoui's videos out in the wild. You know him for his work with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bjork, but he has done a wide array of videos by a wider array of lesser-knowns, all of which are worth eyeballing.
1. I would normally not mention Tracy Chapman, as she hasn't really been worth mentioning since her sophomore release Crossroads, but the latest, called Where You Live, is produced by Tchad Blake, which automatically raises at least one eyebrow. Tchad is responsible for some of the better efforts from many artists: Wendy & Lisa, Soul Coughing, Tom Waits, Los Lobos, Suzanne Vega and Pearl Jam. His recording style is a heterodoxy of stripped down rock aesthetics with weirded out studio wizardry.
2. Trauma is the newest from DJ Quik, but whether it proves the assumption that rap is a young mans game is up for grabs. The last time I heard Quik do anything really ear grabbing was a decade ago guesting on a Toni Tone Tony record, so what he has to offer may be past its sell-by date. There are quite a few guest spots on this one; some good (Ludacris), some lame (Chingy), but I'd at least give it a test spin.
3. The debut by H.I.M. is being re-released for US markets. Why? Aren't the 15 minutes for this ridiculously bad, hamfisted, lovechild parody of the Sisters of Mercy and 5 Hanoi Rocks fans in gothic drag up yet?
4. Meanwhile, on the list of albums actually worth listening to, Jazzanova has released an album of remixes from the Bluenote Records vaults. It needs no explanation. It is simply by design a good thing. The cuts they select to work with are from some of Bluenotes finest: Herbie Hancock, James Moody, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham, and Bobby Hutcherson are all there with quite a few others. Get tripped.
5. I did not even know that Gavin Rossdale (aka Mr. Gwen Stefani) dissolved Bush and started a new band, Institute. While that in and of itself would not really make much news for me, the fact that their debut is produced by Helmet's Page Hamilton does. This may be very worth looking into. Rossdale has an interesting voice, but most of the material of his days in Bush was derivative and uninspired to these ears. Hamilton's penchant for stripped down, full throttle, spineshanking aural crushing may be the jolt needed. The album is Distort Yourself.
6. In the please retire department, we have Paul McCartney making yet another hackneyed attempt at something relevant with Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. The man has not been able to muster an album worth stomaching for ages, and the last one of any real merit was 1989's Flowers in the Dirt (which had the benefit of Elvis Costello helping in the songwriting department). I have zero hope for this record, as Macca's triteness has gone from an occasional softheaded moment to the standard operating procedure for his output. Shut up Paul. P.S. it's Lennon/McCartney, not the other way around.
7. Queen return with vocalist Paul Rodgers (ex-Bad Company, the Firm). I have not heard anything about this one way or the other, but I admit I am quite curious as to what such a pairing would produce. Return of the Champions may be a cheeky title, but I actually hope a marriage of this kind actually works.
8. Soulive are one of the best things to happen to the b3 organ in many a year. Their latest funky affair, Breakout, moves further away from their instrumental organ trio roots, and finds them using numerous vocalists. Their previous studio album had Dave Matthews and Amel Larrieux, and this one has Chaka Khan, Corey Glover, and the funky New Orleans growl of Ivan Neville. Definitely a looker. Apparently they also guest on a forthcoming release from Dar Williams, which strikes me as odd, but potentially fun.
9. Santi White first gained some attention for her solid writing contributions to the debut by Res, but her own tendencies are more towards a stripped down punk, funk and garage rock style with her band Stiffed. Their newest, Burned Again, is produced by Bad Brains low end maintenance man, Daryl Jenifer. It is a damn fine collection of sharp music.
10. There is a DVD of Stéphane Sednaoui's videos out in the wild. You know him for his work with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bjork, but he has done a wide array of videos by a wider array of lesser-knowns, all of which are worth eyeballing.
posted by theloniusfunk at 1:14 AM
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