Wednesday, February 28, 2007
So yesterday was one of the more devastating NHL trade deadline days in recent memory. Not only have the oilers thrown in the towel for the season by trading their heart and soul, but since the end of game six of the Stanley Cup final, they've regressed to the point where they're back to where they were four years ago. I don't think I can bring myself to watch an Edmonton game for the rest of the season...the events of Tuesday have left me sour. At least my Habs are still alive. Barely.
The best solution for hockey trade woes: good tunes, and there's no better tune to listen to right now than "Weapon of Choice", the killer new song by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Stream it here.
I've got three new reviews to mention, two of which are about albums that are pretty darn enjoyable, and the other, well...Anyway, the two new CD reviews are a couple more 2006 releases I've been catching up on. United in Regret, by melodic death metalers Arsis was a hugely anticipated release from late last year, and it doesn't disappoint. Not only is it some surprisingly accessible extreme metal, with loads of clever guitar harmonies, but it has some very above-average lyrics. Usually death metal lyrics tend to be quite boring, focusing on the usual bleak, nihilist, or gory themes, but Arsis gets both emotional (without sounding emo) and poetic, much like what Opeth does. And if you want to see something really cool, take a look at their collaboration with New York's Ballet Deviare.
Also appearing is my piece on the latest disc by Detroit metalcore band Walls of Jericho. They tend to get lumped in with all the other kiddie bands out there, but the band has actually been around for quite a while, and know a thing or two about compelling, dynamic songwriting. It's fast, it's heavy, it's got shout-along choruses, it's got a killer ballad, and best of all, they're led by vocalist Candace Kucsulain, who can teach her male counterparts a thnig or two about vocal presence. Good little album.
Lastly, there's my review of the first two installments of the DVD series Metal's Darkside, hosted by metal fan (among other things) Jasmin St. Claire. Not quite as amateurish as that detestable Detention Lounge DVD I reviewed a short while back, but it's still pretty mediocre, despite Ms. St. Claire's love of extreme metal. She means well, but she has to a) give the series a more professional look, b) improve her interviewing skills, and c) make the series more about the bands she's profiling, and less about her.
Today I'll be writing my review of a certain heavily-hyped Canadian album, which should be appearing very soon, so watch for it.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Two more reviews! Up today at PopMatters, at long last, is my big review of the overhauled 2006 version of Meshuggah's great album Nothing. At long last, because although I got the CD in late October, I had no chance to settle down and spend some serious time with the album until a few weeks ago. For those of you who don't know the story, Meshuggah originally put out the record in 2002, but were very dissatisfied with the final product, so they went back in the studio and re-recorded all the rhythm guitar parts. The new version is very different, but not radical enough to detract the power of the songs themselves. For my review, I took a similar approach, and improved and expanded upon my original 2002 review, which was actually riddled with factual errors (though none of which any writer knew at the time, which was really annoying). So in the end, a much-improved review of a much-improved album. Both versions of the CD are excellent, but I do think I prefer the massive guitar tones of the 2006 edition, which despite coming at the expense of the drum sound, sounds as brutally heavy as the band originally intended.
Over at Static os my review of Spencer Dickinson, an interesting 2001 collaboration between Jon Spencer and Luther & Cody Dickinson, two thirds of one of my favourite bands, the North Mississippi Allstars. The first half hour is a really good fusion of blues and punk rock, but unfortunately, a tone of extra tracks were tacked on, turning it into a 74 minute slog. When you have Spencer doing his Elvis gimmick for that long, the dude gets tiresome, and that's what happens here. So it's best to download before you decide whether or not to buy. I gave it a mild thumbs down.
I'm less than impressed with the new Jason Isbell tunes. Not that they're awful, it's just that they're so darn bland. Every single one of his Drive-By Truckers compositions are terrific, but these three songs sound lifeless by comparison.
This past week I finished my biggest ever feature for Decibel, a piece about Eyehategod, the excellent Eyehategod tribute album, and the bands that contributed to it. It was a huge, week-long project, but everything went well, especially my interview with the inimitable Mike Williams, and after I finished it last night, I found I had an even deeper appreciation for one of the most influential American bands of the last 15 years. The piece is going to be in the May issue, so I'll post the link sometime in April.
Around New Year's, I hated that Mika song. Loathed it, in fact. But now it's sort of grown on me, and I'm going to give the album a spin sometime soon. I'll post my thoughts in the coming days...I'm curious as to whether or not this guy is that smarmy over the entire disc.
Geek moment of the week: finally getting five stars on Cream's "Crossroads" on Guitar Hero's hard setting (that's not my clip, by the way). Building enough strength to alternate pinky finger-ring finger notes (yellow to blue in the main riff) has been a real obstacle for me, but I'm finally making progress.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Two new reviews to mention today, one album that's been out for over a year, another album that's been out for six months. It took me a while to get around to giving the new Lambchop album a spin, but when I did, I was struck by how good it is. I've enjoyed Lambchop ever since I got Nixon in 2000, but in the last couple years, I'd sort of forgotten about Kurt Wagner and his merry band of 16 or so musicians. It's one of those cases where an artist is so consistently good, you wind up taking them for granted, and coupled with the fact that I was so extremely busy for four months straight, I arrived to the Lambchop party horribly late. It's a wonderful album. I know that now.
Also up is my review of Bleeding Through's 2006 album. Why review a CD that came out 12 months ago? Well, simply put, Trustkill Records sent me a pile of 2006 releases back in late December, so I'm returning the favour by gradually reviewing the lot. Metal scenesters like to heap scorn on labels like Trustkill and Ferret because they tend to cater toward the kiddie metal crowd, but Trustkill especially has some strong bands, including Bleeding Through, who for all their predictability, is turning into a pretty good bunch of songwriters. The secret ingredient? Keyboards.
Speaking of Ferret Records, I got a very cool new CD by a band bearing the very weird name Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, and it turns out to be quite the smokin' blast of Southern rock and post-hardcore. The band is led by former Underoath vocalist Dallas Taylor, so that alone has led people to labeling the band as "Christian", but I don't detect one Bible-thumpin' note on here. It's all about secular swagger, as II is equal parts Skynyrd, Clutch, and Neurosis, booze-fueled blooze licks offset by monstrous breakdowns. Also, this appears to be a concept album about Ma Barker, which is a cool idea. Not anywhere near as creative a blend as Every Time I Die, but a very appealing package overall. Actually, on the more rockin' tunes like "Darkest of Kin" and "Raised By the Tide", Taylor sounds a fair bit like Patterson Hood. Anyway, head on over to their MySpace page and give it a listen. I'll be reviewing this one (very favourably) sometime in March, for sure.
Friday, February 16, 2007
I've been very busy since Monday with writing commitments, and will continue to be swamped for the next ten days or so, but I have to pop in here to give this page one massive update, as I have no fewer than eight new slabs of writin' to mention.
This month's issue of Decibel is a big one for yours truly...not only do I have seven pieces published (a new record), but at long last, my Therion feature has appeared. It was the culmination of my big Sweden trip, and despite being severely exhausted from the journey (snowstorms, uncomfortable flights, medieval featss, metal tunes, interviews, yachts, four hour bus rides, mansions, haunted rooms, a half-mile sprint through Arlanda airport, a two-mile sprint through Schipol airport, three hours in Minneapolis, lost luggage, an exhausting five-hour drive home...yikes, it's amazing I survived!), I actually had a fun time writing the article, and quite frankly, it's probably the best thing I wrote in 2006. I'm very proud of it. Oh, and the guys in Therion are nowhere near as scary as they look in the photo.
As for the album reviews, I reviewed the new (you guessed it) Therion album, a CD which I continue to enjoy...I actually got the double CD yesterday, so I can finally scrap that truncated 99-track promo CD. The album really works well over two discs instead of a big 79 minute CD, it makes it seem less of a slog (those big long CDs can be torturously long sometimes), as two 40 minute discs make it seem easier to digest all the music. Then there's the upcoming Clutch album, which I'm loopy over. I wrote the review about 12 hours after I had it rushed to me on December 27 (right smack in the middle of holiday craziness), and although it turned out well, what really sticks in my craw is that DRT sent me the wrong tracklisting. So when I mention "the raucous 'Child of the City'", the song in question is actually "Electric Worry". I found out about the error a few weeks ago, which was obviously too late to fix. Oh well. "Child of the City" is sort of raucous, I guess.
The new album by Architect was a really pleasant surprise, a ferocious disc of politically-conscious crust-doom. I had zero expectations for the Fairyland CD, but it turned out to be some very solid power metal (the rating was actually bumped up from my original 6 to an 8). The album by Vancouver one-man band Soulscar is enjoyable, while the new one by Mnemic is a bit of a disappointment. I was looking forward to Passenger for quite some time, as I enjoyed their last one a lot, but that sense of adventurous isn't there on the new disc, and I prefer their old singer to the new guy. It's like they took the easy way out. I was pretty harsh in my review, but I think it needed to be said.
Lastly, and I do mean lastly, is my review of a new DVD by Detention Lounge, a collective of New York Hardcore musicians who thought it would be a good idea of they wrote and starred in a comedy TV show modeled after Hee Haw. It was far from a good idea. This DVD was 123 minutes of torture. Dudes, I grew up in small town Saskatchewan, where we had two TV channels...I saw Hee Haw, and I hated it, but at least it made an effort to be funny. You folks are not funny. I'd trade the DVD in at the used store, but I don't want some unknowing hardcore fan spending money on this. It's going to go beside my copies of the re-recorded Ozzy albums, never to be played again. I consider this a small public service.
So the Scissor Sisters returned to the Brit Awards, and again delivered a knock-out, show-stealing performance. Their last album was a bit on the 'meh' side, but still, I love this band. Oh, and Oasis played a fun, four-song set.
Audioslave breaks up...a nation weeps. Or perhaps not. Good riddance.
So Wolfmother, Dimmu Borgir, and Black Label Society are the latest in a growing number of bands that are skipping Saskatchewan. We're missing out on some choice shows here, and it's disheartening. Especially BLS, that would sell really well in Toon Town.
The new album by Pelican sounds alright. Likeable instrumental metal, but I think I still prefer Isis.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Last month when the lo-fi, transcoded rip of the new Arcade Fire album leaked, I was all over it of course, and although I mostly liked what I heard, I withheld my opinion until either I'd gotten the actual CD in the mail, or when a proper version had leaked, whatever came first. Well, the whole shebang leaked on Friday, and the internet went all cuckoo over it, and after three listens to the real thing, my opinion has swayed even more to the positive side. I'll articulate everything in my upcoming PopMatters review, but I'll say rather bluntly that it's a very worthy follow-up to the great Funeral. In fact, it's pretty darn incredible in places. I was hoping the production would be a bit more rich than Funeral, and Neon Bible is a significant improvement, as we get a better sense on record of just how powerful this band can be live. Also, all the orch pop trappings and extra percussion they love to toss into the musical mix are much clearer. When they came around here in 2005, they played Bruce Springsteen's "Mr. State Trooper", and like the Killers and the Hold Steady before them, there's a definite Springsteen vibe going on here, but it's a bit more subtle, like the brooding piano and bassline on "Ocean of Noise" (it's so mid-70s E Street), those recurring glockenspiels, and the modern day folk balladry of "Antichrist Television Blues". "Intervention" and "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" are clear early standouts; "Intervention" combines funereal organ with uplifting melodies, but it's more bittersweet than euphoric, while "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" is a bizarre four minute suite that begins with a wonky first half sung by Regine, and ends with a powerful, ominous, portentous second half sung by Win. If there are two songs that sound far better than on the original leak, it's the rambunctious "Keep the Car Running" and the post-punk tinged (Cure, perhaps?) "The Well and the Lighthouse". I was a bit wary of the re-recording of "No Cars Go", but it destroys the original from the debut EP, sounding just as potent as it did in concert. Aside from the first half of "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations", Regine doesn't have any solo turns, and I'm fine with that, her hubby's songs hold up just fine on their own. The only song that sticks in my craw is the title track, but it's more of a quick interlude, a two-minute bridge between "Keep the Car Running" and "Intervention". Another thing I've noticed is how there are none of those seemingly arbitrary codas that came at the end of so many songs and blindsided us. Such starry-eyed tactics worked on the audaciously joyous Funeral, but on the considerably more sober neon Bible, they've clearly moved beyond that gimmick. People are complainging that the lyrics seem more direct and trite than before, but I need to live with the album a bit more before I can assess that part of the record. Nothing's bugged me thusfar, and I doubt it will at all. Overall, a very enjoyable album. Album of the year? Much too soon to tell, but if anything, I can see this growing on me even more as the year goes on.
Back to all that Pazz & Jop/Jackin' Pop stuff...the ever-obsessive The War Against Silence blog has combined the results for an even more comprehensive look. Tons of statistical fun.
Hey, Exclaim. If you want to reduce your normally stellar Aggressive Tendencies review section to one measly page and direct your readers to find the rest of the reviews online, perhaps you might want to have a website that isn't the MOST POORLY ORGANIZED REVIEWS ARCHIVE ON THE INTERNET. What a waste.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Another year, another Pazz & Jop. And yes, I voted in it again. Even though the Voice has gone corporate, even though they canned Robert Christgau and Chuck Eddy (the two guys in charge of P&J), and even though I contributed to the rival Jackin' Pop poll, I still voted, for sentimental reasons primarily. I've been reading the poll avidly since 1995, and it's still really cool to be asked to send in a ballot. So who am I to say no?
Interestingly enough, there are some noticeable differences between P&J and Jackin' Pop. P&J, with Dylan topping the album poll (just barely over TV on the Radio, who won by a wide margin at Jackin' Pop, has a bit more of a geezer feel to it, with more safe or predictable titles placing higher. Jackin' Pop is definitely more cutting-edge (I won't say "hip")...artists like Peter Bjorn & John, Love is All, Beirut, Liars, Girl Talk, Mastodon, Junior Boys, and Destroyer all placed much higher than on P&J. On the other hand, older, more mainstream artists placed much higher on P&J: Elvis Costello, Roseanne Cash, New York Dolls (!), Raconteurs, Johnny Cash, Beck, and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. So is there a point to all this? Not really, it's just a bunch of nerdy blowhards like yours truly making themselves feel that what they do is a noble cause, but many folks read these polls to find some cool new music to listen to (like I did before I fell into this writing gig five years ago this month...wow, five years!), and if you ask me, I think Jackin' Pop does a better job of it this year.
The Juno Award nominees were announced yesterday, and again, it's a day to feel ashamed to be Canadian. Of the five nominees for best album, Nelly Furtado is the only artist with any merit. The others? Screamo bores, outdated post-grunge twits, kiddie punk band, saccharine crooner. Still, it's not as awful as last year, when we had a saccharine crooner, a Christmas album, two Canadian Idols and freakin' Nickelback up for top album. Seriously, if Billy flippin' Talent warrants an album nomination, why not Alexisonfire, who actually knows how to write memorable songs? And whither Junior Boys, Final Fantasy, Destroyer, Sunset Rubdown, etc. etc. in the Alternative category? Malajube had better win, because they're easily the best of that lot. And no Cadence Weapon in hip hop? Ridiculous. And it's pretty funny the overhyped MSTRKRFT didn't get a nod in the electronic category (though Seripop did get a deserving nomination for best album design for The Looks). Anyway, the thing that bugs me most about this farcical show is that the nominees in the major categories are all based on sales, yet the winners are all voted for by CARAS. Artistic merit is not rewarded...it's clear now that's what the Polaris Prize is for, and believe me, whoever wins it this year will be far more deserving than Nelly, who should sweep the show in Saskatoon.
Sugababes have collaborated with Girls Aloud for a charity single. How can it get any better? Well, they've covered "Walk This Way", and made a killer video to boot. Watch it here, and enjoy it in all its high-gloss glory.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
More new writing! Things are finally starting to pick up. My new column has appeared today, and it's a good one. When you're in a funk, coming out of the big October-December year-end writing madness, nothing gets you going like a veritable avalanche of awesome CDs that arrive in the mail, and this past month has been incredible, as I've touched on here. I review five of the finest metal albums of 2007 so far (plus another five in capsule form), including the End's big breakthrough, Melechesh's latest foray into mystical Mesopatamian metal, Rotting Christ's stately, goth-tinged black metal, and the one album that's really floored me, Screech Owl, by Saskatchewan's own mighty Wold. It's an indescribable album (though I did spend about 500 words trying to do so), extremely, extremely noisy, disturbing, harrowing, yet it possesses an hypnotic quality that very slowly uncovers just the tiiest hint of warmth under its frigid, evil exterior. It all depends on whether you're able to sit through the first 15-20 minutes, which is so scary, it's as if Dante had created another ring of hell just for this CD. Once you let it settle in, its depth becomes fascinating. It's abrasive as all get-out, but like I said, it's hypnotic...when I first played it, little dog Maggie (who likes Simon & Garfunkel and hates Radiohead and Slayer), was fast asleep, not four feet from the blaring floor speaker. I can't praise this album highly enough, and judging by similar recent reactions here and here (all three of which coincidental), I'm definitely not alone. It's a black metal variation on Metal Machine Music, one that will be polarizing listeners all year long.
Also appearing today is my review of the new album by Brooklyn's Titan, a really cool space rock outfit that plays some of the catchiest extended jams you'll hear. I first got an advance copy back in December, plunked it into the stereo and thought, This is okay, but last month I got the actual CD, and once I let it settle in, I soon started liking it a ton. It's a bit of an odd album at first, because it starts off with a horrendous freakfolk acoustic intro, but that's just an aberration, as the rest of the album goes into (interstellar) overdrive, the band sounding equal parts Hawkwind, Comets on Fire, Uriah Heep, and Malcolm Mooney-era Can. And the psychedelic art inside is especially cool. It took me ages to realise the album credits are hidden there! Those crazy hippies.
So what do you get when you combine a 19 year-old Chicago singer-songwriter with an obvious (and borderline unsettling) love for Marc Bolan and David Bowie, a former member of Wilco, and a studio full of goodies used on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? Well, in the case of young master David Vandervelde, you get one of the best albums by a singer-songwriter in quite some time. It's an album steeped in classic rock history (STEEPED! Sorry, Tim Horton's ruined that word forever), yet has an odd Amercana/orch pop/freakfolk twist to it all...needless to say, by that descrition alone, you can probably tell it's an eclectic album. "Nothin' No" carries itself with a glossy T. Rex swagger, while the acoustic-tinged "Jacket" (mp3) combines downbeat sentiment with a loping tambourine-punctuated beat. A couple of songs ("Corduroy Blues", "Moonlight Instrumental") go for a Jon Brion-esque, grandiose feel, and "Wisdom From a Tree" is especially neat, alternating between a lively T. Rex groove and spacey Bowie/Beatles instrumentation. "Can't See Your Face No More" and "Murder in Michigan" are arguably the two best songs on the eight-song, 32 minute CD, the former loaded with 60s pop hooks, the latter a heartbreaking lament. It's a tremendous album, a real pleasure, its short length working to its advantage. If you're still not convinced, you can stream the album here.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
New reviews! That's right, finally some new album reviews to mention here. Two up at Static, to be specific. Written in November, to be even more specific. There's my review of the gorgeous album by El Perro del Mar, which I've mentioned in the past on this page. Swedish singer-songwriter Sarah Assbring is sort of a female Jens Lekman, witty yet self-deprecatingly so. The big difference is her obsession with the classic early-60s pop of Phil Spector and the girl groups of the era, only its delivered with hushed, minimal arrangements and her own sweetly fragile voice. Watch the video for "God Knows (Gotta Give to Get)", my #3 single of 2006, here.
The other review is of the monstrous recent album by the Melvins, a CD that really caught me offguard, because I hadn't been very impressed by the band's output lately. Well, King Buzzo and Dale Crover found a couple of youngsters to help out, namely the noise-rock duo Big Business, and they bring heaps of energy to the album. The songs are concise, massively heavy, yet shockingly accessible, but best of all is the dual-drummer set-up, which sounds absolutely huge. A really, really good CD, one of the year's more pleasant surprises.
There's still plenty of writing due to appear soon, including my new column, which is a big one, and focuses on five of the finest new metal albums of the new year. Watch for it.
I just finished an incredible graphic novel called Stagger Lee, which focuses on the story behind one of the most famous American folk songs off all time. The first variation of "Stagger Lee" I heard was the Clash's "Wrong 'em Boyo" on London Calling, but at the time, I had no idea of the song's significance. It wasn't until I heard Frank Hutchison's version on the Anthology of American Folk Music (titles "Stackalee") in 1998 that I learned that tale of the two combatants, Stagger Lee and Billy Lyons, how they got into an argument over a Stetson hat, and Billy Lyons was shot dead. Not long after, I heard Nick Cave's profane rendition on his Murder Ballads album, but I had no idea how many people have covered the song, not to mention its murky roots. It's not easy to trace the origin of a folk song, especially one like this one, which had so many variations, but the authors Derek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix do a fantastic job depicting the story, fictionalizing part of it liberally, but always staying true to what historic facts remain. it also explores the various incarnations of the song, from Ma rainey, to Leadbelly, to Woody Guthrie, to Hutchison, to Lloyd Price's 50s rock 'n' roll hit, to the Grateful Dead, to the Clash, to Dylan, to Nick Cave. It also delves into the history of St. Louis in 1895, and the trial of 'Stag' Lee Shelton, with a couple of engrossing secondary storylines that end up interweaving at the end, as well as a hypothesized life story of Shelton, including placing him smack in the middle of the origin of the song "Duncan and Brady", which was a neat touch. Anyway, I don't know if this little write-up makes any sense, but I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you like old American folk songs, it's especially enthralling. For some mroe info, take a look at this recent post at Largehearted Boy.
I was never one for videogames, other than vintage arcade games and charmingly primitive old systems (my Pong keychain is awesome), but after getting a PS2 so I could play Guitar Hero (the greatest videogame of all time), I thought I might as well ask for some others for Christmas. One that caught my eye was Bully...it looked like Grand Theft Auto at a prep school, and atfer reading the rave review at PopMatters, I wanted to see what it was like. So I did get it for Christmas, and last night I finished it...well, the main storyline, anyway. And it is indeed a really fun game, very funny at times, and viciously satirical. The hype surrounding the game makde people think that all you do is terrorize people at random, basically acting like a juvenile delinquent, but while your character Jimmy Hopkins does engage in plenty of illicit activity, he's a good kid trying to survive school, and your job is to manipulate all four student cliques (nerds, preppies, greasers, and jocks) to keep them from harrassing you and anyone else. And not only that, but you have to attend classes regularly (and pass them), avoid the prefects, run various errands, earn some pocket money, and get your sleep. I'm not the best gamer around, but I managed to improve gradually, and found that the biggest obstacles occur midway through (bike races and liberating the nerd compound were by far the most difficult for me). The final level, in which you recruit the townies to help you take over the school, which has erupted in riots, is actually relatively easy, and the most fun part was probably running around dressed as the school mascot, being forced to do an insanely stupid (but hilarious) dance, and playing pranks on the football players. The story itself is well-written, and it comes to a very satisfying climax. As someone who hated school with a passion (and basically got nothing out of the final five years other than a deep disdain for the institution), this game was oddly cathartic.
What could possibly be better than the Superbowl? How about pudgy former Grim Reaper Steve Grimmett appearing in one of the commercials? Oh, and Colts win. You heard it here first.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Yikes, long time, no update. That's basically because there weren't any new reviews on either webzine (weird, I have about six or so in the can), and also because I've been crazy busy with the deadlines, churning out five Decibel pieces (last one to be written today) and trying to get a massive column done (done Monday, hopefully). There were a few new arrivals in the mail, most notably a Manowar DVD that will likely be the basis for my February column, but albumwise, aside from a handful of decent discs, nothing really earth-shattering.
Saturday, though...that was a fruitful day, for it's Superbowl weekend for Saskatoon music geeks, that being the annual CD/record sale at the local community radio station. Had a good haul, too, picking up eleven CDs for 22 bucks...they always have tons of new metal releases, which are always sneered at by the hipsters, but gladly scooped up by geeks like yours truly, and I found plenty of heavy nuggets, my big find being the recent Damone album, the MP3s of which I've been playing repeatedly over the last couple weeks. Seriously, what's not to love about a Hilary Duff sound-alike singing robust pop metal anthems and power ballads? I also stumbled across Lone Justice's Shelter, an album that was horribly overproduced at the time, but has some songs that cannot be ignored, the title track, especially. Still, it was a shame the band went all corporate pop on us, and an even bigger shame that the move was a flop. At their most rambunctious, they were fantastic.
Making the Coldest Two-Block Walk of My Life (it's like that every year with this sale...FREEZING) back to the downtown mall, I zipped into HMV, and quickly glimpsed at the 'C' section like I've been doing for the past couple months, hoping the Jarvis Cocker album would appear, but knowing it wouldn't: Tom Cochrane...Joe Cocker...wait, Jarvis Cocker???" yeah, the album has come out in canada after all, so in a rare extemporaneous burst of fanboyism, I scopped it up, and bought it. Glad I did, too, I still think it's one of the best albums of 2006 (#15 on my list, which sounds about right where it should be). It's nice to finally have the whole package to look at, too...although it's not a Pulp album, it still has that unmistakeable Pulp vibe, from the music (Steve Mackey and Richard Hawley join Cocker on every track) to the design and presentation of the lyrics. And in true Cocker fashion, the actual disc has an hilarious instructional guide, including a dryly funny sentence Pulp fans will find comfortably familiar: "On The Use of This Album: Warning! JARVIS should not be used as a sedative or an accompaniment to exercise. You may sit if you wish - kneeling is not really necessary. JARVIS can be broken into convenient bite-size pieces but probably works best when swallowed whole. Do not adjust your tone control, it's meant to sound like that. It's not LoFi or HiFi - it's MyFi and hopefully YourFi, too. A song isn't really a song until somebody hears it - so thanks for listening. Remember! As always, please do not read the words whilst listening to the recordings."
If you haven't heard solo Jarvis, here's his new video.
I had no idea until just a short while ago that Carl Wilson took my snarky comment in the Eye poll and wrote an amazing analysis of the whole "relatability" trend. I do agree that my comment vs. his was put together by the editors for comedic value (and I did laugh)...Wilson's comments are a far more eloquent analysis of Joanna Newsom than I could have ever come up with, and I actually agree with what he says. Only I don't think the album is worth purchasing, as I just can't see myself revisiting Ys enough to warrant spending 20 bucks on it. 12 bucks, maybe. Anyway, he raises some fascinating points in the piece, something I didn't expect a silly 16 word sentence of mine would inspire.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Another review went up on Friday...this time, it's the amazing recent album by Brooklyn's Made Out of Babies. I kind of liked their first album, but this one is such a huge step up, thanks to two people, one being the great Steve Albini, who Big Blacks this band up something awful (in a good way), and most importantly, the hugely talented singer Julie Christmas, who is ALL OVER this sucker. It's a schizophrenic performance to say the least, as she coos, croons, cries, caterwauls, and, uh, I dunno, caws her way through the entire CD. Interestingly enough, Christmas's little girl voice on the album is directly inspired by recordings of Frances the Badger books. Oh, and the rather startling cover photo is of the band's guitarist right after he was hit by a car when he was little. A fine disc, to be sure, well worth sampling, at the very least.
We all knew it was going to happen soon, but it's still sad to see CBC radio's great latenight show Brave New Waves be put to rest. I haven't listened to the show much lately (my only times being latenight drives home after concerts), but in the early 90s, from around 92 to 96, the show was a huge, huge influence on yours truly. In the late-80s and early-90s, I was starting to branch out musically; I had enjoyed a lot of college rock during my metal-obsessed teen years, from Love and Rockets, to the Hoodoo Gurus, to Sonic Youth, to Billy Bragg, but it wasn't until I grew out of my teens that I began to focus more on the non-metal music out there. Along with Much Music's City Limits, I started listening to CBC's Nightlines every weekend. Hosted by the extremely knowledgeable David Wisdom, it was where I first heard the names of such bands as The Fall, Pere Ubu, and the Rheostatics. I didn't think much of the Fall and Pere Ubu at all at the time, but at the very least, the seed had been planted. It wasn't until I started tuning in the radio on late weeknights that my musical education started to, erm, blossom. Sorry. That's metaphorically tacky.
By the time I had started listening to Brave New Waves, I was ready and willing to devour any music I had never heard before, and what a time the early-90s was for new music. American indie rock, trip hop, jungle, electronica, nascent Britpop, industrial, hip hop, it was all exploding at once, and I was there collecting it all, making mixtape after mixtape. Armed with a hi-fi VCR that was able to record FM simulcasts through cable, I recorded the show every night, used the clock timer to note all the best songs, and then recorded them onto cassettes, all of which I still have.
Along with great music, the show had a couple of great hosts, in particular, one Brent Bambury, a witty, smart DJ who not only played countless great records, but had a real knack for compelling interviews. His conversation with James Kelman inspired me to buy his incredible book How Late it Was, How Late, his interview with Barbara Manning was both charming and hilarious, and most amazingly, he conducted the greatest John Lydon interview I have ever heard. The show's artist spotlights were especially enthralling, as they did hour-long features on a wide variety of talent, the single most important of which being their Pavement spotlight, which made me an instant fan. Bambury's successor, Patti Schmidt, did a great job after Bambury left us indie geeks for the greener (and nerdier) pastures of CBC TV's Midday, and as her hosting tenure went on, the more eclectic the show became.
Around that time, I started to drift away from BNW, mainly because I had moved to a place that didn't receive CBC FM. I missed it dearly, and the move subsequently ushered in a period where I relied on MTV and MTV2 for new music. Between 1997 and 2000, I was admittedly lost without BNW, and I had clearly missed out on some great albums by such bands as Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and the Flaming Lips. By the time I moved back into a city, I tuned in from time to time, learning about such bands as Sigur Ros, Chicks on Speed, Peaches, Madlib, Antigone, Kieran Hebden, and Dan Snaith, but the age of the MP3 definitely had an effect, as did my burgeoning music writing, as I just didn't have much time to devote to the radio anymore. Still, it was always reassuring to know that show would be there, hosted by Schmidt, who would intone quietly in that perfect-for-latenight voice of hers, talking about some weird new artist on Ninja Tune. I have a lot more other sources for good new music these days, but back when I didn't have the foggiest idea who Jad Fair, Slint, or the Raincoats were, Brave New Waves pointed me in the direction of some of the best music I would ever hear, and for that alone, I am extremely, extremely grateful. So long, BNW.
Here's a list of my five favourite artists Brave New Waves introduced me to:
1. Pavement
2. Elvis Costello (really, it's true)
3. Guided By Voices
4. Liz Phair
5. Archers of Loaf
And here are my ten all-time favourite BNW mixtape songs:
1. Mary Lou Lord - "Some Jingle Jangle Morning (When I'm Straight)" (Kill Rock Stars 7" version)
2. Archers of Loaf - "Web in Front"
3. Bikini Kill - "Rebel Girl"
4. Pavement - "Box Elder"
5. Veruca Salt - "Seether"
6. Guided By Voices - "Tractor Rape Chain"
7. Massive Attack - "Karmacoma"
8. Velocity Girl - "Rubble"
9. Superchunk - "Slack Motherfucker"
10. The Spinanes - "Basement Galaxy" (yes, that's where I got this blog's name!)
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Eye Weekly's 2006 Canadian Critics' Poll is up today, and this marks the first time I've contributed to it. I've been reading the poll annually, so it's an honour to finally have the chance to take part, not to mention contribute a couple comments (I like how my snarky Joanna Newsom comment serves as a blunt rebuttal to the wordy paragraph by Carl Wilson). Anyway, the albums list is interesting...Canadian writers obviously still adore Neko Case. No surprise, as we Canadians were the first to embrace the budding genius back in 2000. It's a good list overall, but I have to say that the Dears have no business being in the top ten. Ah well, at least Mastodon placed at 15, just behind Scott Walker, who I squeezed on my ballot a couple weeks ago (I had to do it, it's a phenomenal album). So go take a peek at the rest of the results here and here.
Speaking of Ms. Honourary Canadian Neko, my review of her sorta-new live CD has appeared. Sorta-new, because it's basically the soundtrack to her 2003 performance on Austin City Limits, which, as it happens, was just released on DVD a few months ago, which makes this thing a little pointless. The CD is good and all (how can a live CD with Neko Case not be good?), but if you own the DVD already, there's no point whatsoever in owning this, and if you don't have either, there's no point to not just shell out the extra few dollars and buy the DVD. But hey, as a live document, it's a good one, with the intimate setting, the stripped down accompaniment, and of course, that amazing voice. Although the choice to see Slayer last July in Edmonton instead of seeing Neko in Saskatoon on the same night was an easy one (and one I'd repeat in a heartbeat), I still regret missing out on her show. She doesn't visit Western Canada very often anymore, which is sad, but an inevitability when an artist becomes popular.
I forgot to mention March's big concert, the one that's not coming to Saskatoon. Heaven and Hell, which to everyone except Sharon Osbourne, is Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio singing, is hitting Regina, with Megadeth and Down opening. So not only is this a great chance to see one of the greatest metal singers of all-time front one of the greatest metal bands of all time (it's the Mob Rules lineup, with Vinnie Appice on drums), but it's also a great chance for me to finally see Megadeth live, after missing out on a few opportunities over the years. No word on when tickets go on sale, but this is a show I cannot miss.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
It's new review time again, kids, as my piece on Wolf's The Black Flame has surfaced. That review was a long time in the making, practically written on fumes in early December, then I sat on it for a month because I couldn't bear to proofread my horrible, obviously exhausted sentences, and finally got around to polishing it enough to make it readable. Anyway, it's up now. Not a bad album, as I've always enjoyed how the band pulls of early-80s metal so impeccably, but in no way is it the fourth bext metal album, contrary to what Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles would have you believe.
I knew that week of stalled mail delivery thanks to That Darn Blizzard would catch up to me, as this week I've been absolutely inundated with new CD and DVD arrivals. And not only that, but featuring several excellent albums, and one truly GREAT one, that being the new album by Brampton, Ontario metal dudes The End, who have pulled off the most shocking transformation since All That Remains last year. Their 2005 album Within Dividia was an admirable exercise in Dillinger Escape Plan-style math metal, but although its technical prowess was nothing to sneeze at, I thought it lacked personality, that X-factor that separates the copycats from the innovators. Well, have they ever made a quantum leap on Elementary. In fact, I don't know where to begin, it blows the last album that far out of the metaphorical water. There are complicated sequences, but they're used sparingly, serving to enhance the compositions instead on completely overwhelming them. There are the odd metalcore riffs that hearken back to Botch, but there's also a very strong, brooding undercurrent, with spacious Isis-style moments and dreamy melodies reminiscent of the Deftones. The rhythm section alternately resembles that of Tool and of Neurosis, and vocalist Aaron Wolff effectively screams and sings, his clean vocals sounding very strong. Just an incredible album, through and through. Hard to believe just two weeks into the month, but ladies and germs, we already have our first contender for metal album of the year. Maybe even a spot on my Polaris Prize ballot.
Saskatoon's Planet S city paper had a great article that basically begs the city to behave itself during Juno Week, and not fall over itself trying to impress the record industry weasels that will descend on the city in just over two months. "Nobody wants to party with a city full of weiners," is the line I remember the most. Anyway, I wish I could link to the story, but for some inconceivable reason, the paper doesn't have a website. Guys! It's the 21st century. Join us, won't you? Anyway, I'm half-intrigued, half-dreading this CanCon spectacle/debacle. After all, this is the show that nominated Michael Buble, Diana Krall's Christmas album, some Canadian Idol puppet whom everyone has forgotten already, and freakin' Nickelback for album of the year a year ago. Nelly Furtado as host is a marked improvement over Pam Anderson, but we'll have to wait and see who the performers and nominees will be. I wonder if I can get media credentials...
Friday, January 12, 2007
Yet another review! They're coming fast and furious now. The new Totimoshi album, to be specific. I mentioned it the other day, a very good exercise in roots-tinged stoner metal. It's arguably the most accessible thing Crucial Blast has put out in 2006, so if you're a bit wary of the more avant-garde music they put out, you might want to give this one a spin. I'm amazed the indie hipsters haven't glommed onto this band.
I suggest you also go take a look atPopMatters' second annual Slipped Discs feature, which gives us writers a chance to plug albums that didn't make the Best of 2006 list. My contribution is the first title listed, and if you haven't heard that album yet, find it at once.
Leaked Arcade Fire tracks are starting to trickle onto the internet (four, at last count), and Neon Bible is shaping up to be much, much darker than its predecessor. I don't want to say, "mature," that's a lousy way to describe an album. More like, "sober." Very sober. Funereal, nowhere near as uplifting as Funeral, ironically. I like what I've heard, but I can already tell the album is going to be a grower.
You know what new album is not a grower? The new Apostle of Hustle. Very, very likeable, instantly engaging, charming as all get-out. Not as acoustic-oriented as Folkloric Feel was, with more upbeat, electric songs, but that Cuban influence is still there, giving the album that celebratory air that makes Andrew Whiteman and company so enjoyable live. The title track is actually a song Whiteman has been performing with Broken Social Scene for quite some time. Big thumbs up for this one. Have to remember this title come Polaris time, if I'm voting again.
Oh, and thanks to Steve for pointing yours truly towards the hilarious Best Scenes From The Wicker Man, a two minute montage of Nicolas Cage yelling at girls on bikes, punching random women, walking around in a bear suit, punching women while wearing a bear suit, and among other things, screaming in pain while being assaulted by CGI bees ("AGGGGH, NOT THE BEES, NOT THE BEES!!!"). It's a must-see.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
25 hours. 25 hours of the fiercest blizzard I have ever seen. Luckily, I didn't have to be anywhere on Wednesday, but others weren't so fortunate, as the internet is full of many horror stories of drives in Saskatoon that normally take 15 minutes, but took five hours yesterday. Highways closed, police on ski-doos, people stranded overnight at Costco; what a weird, crazy day. Yet the Canadian media didn't seem to notice...despite having the worst weather in the country by far, CBC news focused on Vancouver and Edmonton's cold weather with only a token nod to Saskatchewan, and CTV ignored us completely. No regard. No respect, either, to quote Larry Burns. At least the school board caved and gave the kids a snow day today. Snow days rule.
After that 25 hour stormapalooza, it was finally safe enough to go outside (seriously, you couldn't even see in front of your face out there), so I went out to assess the damage. We fared quite well, under the circumstances. Deep, dense snow on the walkway, but only half the driveway was covered, as the rest blew across the yard. I did some 1:00 am shoveling (I'd rather shovel snow in the middle of the night), so the only big obstacle is a massive four foot drift smooshed against the garage door. I'll be spending the entire afternoon out there with the snow scoop, tacking the big drift.
New review again, but this one's a bit strangely timed , as I was really hoping it would go up before Christmas. But that's okay, I'll just have to tell you how shockingly enjoyable Twisted Sister's Christmas album really is. I was so ready to hate it, it's a horribly tacky gimmick for a band to employ, but they approached the whole idea with a very appealing combination of sincerity and humour. The idea of singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" to the tune of "We're Not Gonna Take It" should in no way work, but it does, which sums up the entire album. Just a big, goofy blast of holiday fun.
And still more reviews! I haven't gotten the new issue of Decibel yet (we blizzard-bound folks here might be without mail for a bit), but the site has been updated, and I have four reviews, apparently. There's the debut CD by Burn to Black, a very good thrash band from Toronto, the creative grindcore insanity of Quebec's Shaolin, the very impressive debut album by UK proggy goths To-Mera, and the new Scars of Tomorrow CD, which is a complete and utter failure, one of the worst metal albums of 2006. If I was to pick the best of the four, it'd be To-Mera and Burn to Black, both are fantastic, in quite different ways.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Well, Saskatoon has been brought to a standstill by the craziest blizzard I've ever seen. Haven't been able to see across the street for seventeen hours and counting. They're telling people to avoid driving and go home from work early, and every main thoroughfare in my side of the city is closed, yet the schools forced the kids to attend. Really nice, you sadistic idiots. Give the kids a snow day, darnit!
Okay, enough of that. I usually don't resort to such empty-headed, self-indulgent blogging nonsense (the average reader couldn't care less), but when you're stuck in a storm like this, there isn't anythnig else to do. I do have a new album review to mention, however. I never thought I'd ever write a review of a Loverboy album, let alone a positive one, but a few months ago I thought it'd be a fun departure from the stuff I usually cover. And indeed, hearing Get Lucky reminded me just how good the band could be. Tacky, you bet, but joyously so. Try listening to "Working For the Weekend" on your own, not on classic rock radio...it's a great pop song. Anyway, I'm actually very happy with the piece, I think it's one of the best reviews I wrote in 2006. Surprising, because I wrote it in the middle of a really exhausted period.
It's crazy, I keep hearing albums I should have placed prominently on my year-end list. The latest is Tom Waits' three-disc masterpiece Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards...the last album of his I really enjoyed was Mule Variations in '99 (I put it in my top ten, if I can recall), but his more recent stuff, didn't interest me much at all, especially Real Gone, which I thought was a bit of a snoozer. So when I first heard of his new collection of odds & sods, I thought it'd be one of those fan-pleaser sets, something that couldn't quite compare with the actual albums, but when the rave reviews started to surface, I started to wonder if I'd missed out on something. So I ordered the set with a Christmas gift card, and indeed, I am completely blown away by just how great Orphans is. In fact, I think it's one of the best albums he's ever assembled. It's neatly divided, which greatly enhances its appeal. Brawlers is heavy on the roadhouse blues stompers...if you loved Bone Machine (and how could you not?), you'll love this one, with such cool originals as "Low Down", "Road to Peace", and "2:19", as well as incredible covers of the Ramones' "The Return of Jackie and Judy" and the pop standard "Sea of Love". Bawlers, meanwhile, puts more emphasis on Tom Waits the balladeer, as croons raggedly away on contry, jazz, folk, and waltzing numbers, highlighted by the fkat-out gorgeous original "Long way Home" (previously covered by Norah Jones), "The World Keeps Turning" (from the movie Pollock), and another Ramones cover, a second End of the Century track in fact, that being "Danny Says". Bastards, however, is where the real demented genius of Waits surfaces, as we get a tune from the Brecht-Weill musical Threepenny Opera, a Disney cover transforned into a dirge ("Heigh Ho"), spoken word pieces, recitations of Charles Bukowski poetry ("Nirvana"), a couple doses of Waits's hero Jack Kerouac, an astounding, truly frightening cover of Daniel Johnston's "King Kong", and capped off by a pair of hilarious hidden-track monologues. 55 songs, 30 of them new, some re-recorded, and they all span nearly every form of American popular music, from jazz, blues, dustbowl folk, to outsider music and beatboxing. It's an awe-inspiring collection, and had I gotten it a couple months ago, it would have been an album of the year contender. Better late than never, though. This set is going to keep getting better as the year rolls along, I'll bet.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
After a rather inactive several weeks (end of year blurbing and blogging takes a lot out of me), I'm starting to pile up the CD reviews again, and the first piece of the new year has sprung up, my little piece on the recent concert DVD by UK metal legends Diamond Head. The band has changed to the point where lead guitarist Brian tatler is the only remaining original member, but the replacements are more than capable, especially singer Nick Tart, who brings some much-needed energy, while not sounding that different from original vocalist Sean Harris. Now, we all know this band's finest hour was their highly influential 1980 debut Lightning to the Nations, and suitably, most of the record's songs are performed. The new material sounds alright, but it's all about the classics, and they sound good on this night in London from late 2005. Not much to the DVD, but I quite enjoyed it, as will anyone else who is interested in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
Idolator's inaugural Jackin' Pop poll made its debut on Friday, which I was more than happy to contribute to. After the Village Voice sacked its music staff last year, including Robert Christgau and Chuck Eddy, who oversaw the famous Pazz & Jop critics' poll, many were left wondering if the increasingly corporate rag would continue with it, and while they indeed are assembling this year's edition (I voted in that one, too), the folks at Idoaltor got a headstart, intending to supplant the P&J as the definitive music critics' poll. And indeed, it looks very, very impressive, everything's nicely organized, and it has some really cool options, such as allowing you to view the results by demographic (critics under 31 liked Clipse, critics over 31 preferred TV on the Radio), or showing which titles got the highest average score (for instance, Mastodon's Blood Mountain placed 24th, but placed second in average score, meaning those who liked it - including yours truly - loved it). Anyway, I love how the whole thing is arranged, and the essays are all well-written, so I strongly suggest you spend some time perusing the lists, if only to see what us geeks think you should be listening to. And we'll see just how similar or different the Pazz & Jop list is when it comes out next month. Here's my ballot.
Expect to hear this refrain a lot from me as the year goes on: "I should have put Scott Walker's The Drift in my top ten." And I'm not the only one who's been recently blown over by the Scariest Album of All Time; the guys in Opeth have recently discovered its brilliance, and said on Bruce Dickinson's BBC show this weekend that they want to make their next album sound just as creepy. The prospect of an Opeth album with the astounding production of The Drift sounds extremely tantalizing.
Friday, January 5, 2007
After about seven months of waiting, I finally read Alison Bechdel's amazing, highly praised graphic novel Fun Home yesterday. I find most memoirs tiresome, but done comic book style, I just devour it, and this one in particular was fantastic. A fascinating family tale, fraught with tragedy and buried secrets, but not overwrought and syrupy, presented with tasteful artwork and some charming, dryly funny storytelling courtesy Ms. Bechdel. I still think Charles Burns's Black Hole is the best graphic novel I've read in the last couple years (the Louis Riel biography likely my all-time fave), but Fun Home is right up there.
Doing some late-2006 catching up, I finally got around to giving the new Totimoshi CD a bunch of spins, and I'm liking it quite a bit. I got the reissue of their 2002 album ¿Mysterioso? back in 2005, and Ladrón is much more advanced, as the Oakland trio take the crushing stoner metal of the Melvins and throw in subtle little hints of gothic-tinged Americana. There are moments where the band gradually launches into a huge, careening, High on Fire pace, but more often than not, the overal delivery is measured. Helmet's Page Hamilton produced it, and he brings a really intimate feel to the mix, the drums downplayed, the accoutrements minimal, allowing the sound to breathe more. They sound like a trio, not a trio magnified to godly propportions, it's tight, focused, and never takes a wrong turn. The album came out on Crucial Blast a few months ago, but the band's on a new label now, so it'll be re-released soon. If you haven't heard it, it's well worth seeking out.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Well, three days into the new year, and everything's in full swing. At last count, I already have about 20 2007 albums. It never ends! In case you're wondering, my Best Albums of 2006 list has been archived. December was another exhausting month, as I was completely unable to type another word after the 27th, but I think I'm ready to get back into the game.
Sad news about James Brown's passing on Christmas Day. PopMatters has an excellent obit piece. Soul and R&B are two genres I need to learn more about, but I've been slowly catching up as the years have gone by...that said, one can't not acknowledge the impact Brown had on modern music, right up there with the Beatles and Dylan. The stunning box set Star Time and the legendary Live at the Apollo are essential, essential listening. I remember hearing a story about how during the Apollo recording, someone placed a microphone near a girl who just wouldn't stop screaming, and you can hear that ecstatic reaction during the ten minute performance of "Lost Someone". Personally, I think his late-60s/early-70s funk is especially astounding, Brown's most thrilling musical period..."Cold Sweat" with Maceo Parker, especially. Hoo, boy.
Back to my 2006 albums for a sec...when I compiled my big list of 100 picks, there were two titles I had in the early 50s that really deserved to be ranked about 20 or 30 spots higher. I had downloaded The Knife's Silent Shout nearly a year ago, and that album just hung around all year long, to the point where I was seriously getting into it around late November, especially the single "We Share Our Mother's Health" (video), to the point where it all sunk in early last month. I thought I'd moved beyond the electro revival, but the Swedish duo puts such a fresh spin on the sound, combining smooth pop hooks with a really enigmatic, artsy feel, avoiding sounding pretentious in the process. It's still not the album of the year, but that's not to say I minded Pitchfork's effusive praise one bit. Great CD.
Another title that blindsided me in December was Scott Walker's The Drift. The only thing I knew about him was that he was a popular singer in the UK in the 60s, and that he produced Pulp's great We Love Life, and it came as quite a shock to see his new album in Decibel's top 40. Solely based on the recommendation of the mag I write for, I sought out the album through dubiously legal means, and was instantly awestruck, so much so that I bought the CD after stumblnig across it on Boxing Day. It is by far the scariest, gloomiest album I have heard in years, a gothic tour de force along the same line as Lou Reed's demented The Raven, but much more taut and focused. It might not be metal per se, but it's easy to understand the rationale behind Decibel's nomination...it is truly extreme music. Extremely, extremely dark. It's deeply disturbing, peppered with wry social commentary and dry humour, and immaculately produced, possessing a sound that out-goths every single goth band live, and the fact that the 63 year-old Walker croons smoothly while singing songs about Mussolini's public hanging and Elvis Presley's stillborn brother makes it all the more unsettling. I'm trying to describe the music, but it's virtually indescribable. Read the rave reviews at Metacritic, download some tracks via Hype Machine, and find out for yourself. The Drift is so spellbinding, I modified my top ten list for the Eye Weekly Critics' Poll, just to make room for this morbid masterpiece. You need to hear this, dear reader.
As for the new music, the first 2007 album to blow me away is Clutch's From Beale Street to Oblivion, which I was able to review for Decibel, and hits stores in March. It's a killer album, continuing where Robot Hive/Exodus lefto off, only this time, the stoner riffs have been toned down in favour of pure blues/boogie licks. There are still plenty of rockers, but the guitar tone is considerably cleaner...blues and soul dominates this time around, and it suits this band perfectly. Current favourite tracks include "Power Player", "When Vegans Attack", and the amazing "Child of the City", which segues into a slammin' rendition of the blues standard "Electric Worry". Is it the best Clutch album to date? Well, it's definitely the most complete, the most consistent and cohesive record they've ever put out. Neil Fallon's lyrics are still clever, but don't overwhelm the songs, and his singing has tons more range than it did five years ago, and his added subtlety allows the rest of the band to step up. Not only that, but the production tops the last disc, boasting more of a punchy live sound. I've only had the album for a week, but I give it top marks, and if this somehow doesn't make my best of 2007 list, then you can rest assured that it's been an incredible year for new music. 2007 sure got off to a blazing start!
