Music Reviews: December 2005

Ahhh. The holiday season. So nice and sticky. The first few installments of the Cylinder were met with a wide range of emotions, so let me make a few comments.

1) To the lovely lady who questioned my use of “The Bravery” and “sucks” in the same sentence, I reply that these words were meant to be used in close proximity. However if you read it in context you’ll see that it was not I that made the claim. Now get back to boozin’, ya mooch.

2) To all of the other bloggers who responded to my efforts in linking to their blogs, thank you for rolling out the red carpet. I mean you no harm and come in peace. We can co-exist like frank and beans. Touché.

3) You'll notice the addition of audio to the Cynlinder. Edison would only have it as such. Now you can hear what I’m screaming about. I got enough butter to spread around, so baby come back.

Now, the reviews....



Mara Carlyle – Baby Bloodheart EP (Accidental)

I’ve got to admit, I bought this 4-song EP based on a mash-up. That’s right. Some Jay-Z, Linkin Park shit. Holla! Not really. More like Mara singing Amerie’s “1 Thing” over a Pixies track (named “Piximerie”), which, unlike the Hova rhyming over a sea of anger & Ritalin, works brilliantly. However, there are 3 more songs on this jammie, so if she can pull off that slice of randomness, there might be something else here… I do some research on Mara to find out that she released a record called “The Lovely” on Herbert’s label. If you don’t know Herbert, he did a record called “Bodily Functions,” where he sampled the sounds of his body (no farts, jackass), which serves as the percussion tracks for his record. (Quick Herbert review – get it). She produced and arranged her record (the anti-Britney) with the help of trip-hop, electronica stalwarts Plaid (Plaid quick review - get “Not For Threes), shared the stage with Bebel Gilberto and, most importantly does not like Dido. (She has a track called “I Blame Dido.”) I love this girl already. Now on to the music – the title track, which was taken from her record “The Lovely” is intoxicating. A soothing torch-like voice that weaves in and out of an eclectic, endearing trio of upright bass, jazz drums with simple brush work, a ukulele and a smattering of organic keys. “He Makes My Day” is a little syrup-y, but the simplicity of an acoustic guitar, beautifully written lyrics an infectious melody keeps me around for the 3:31. “He just has to smile to blow my cares away/he just has to touch my hand to make me stay.” Mmmm. Nice. Rene wants to touch Mara’s hand now. The last song, a cover of Jamie Lidell’s “Game For Fools” (see the November review of Jamie’s record) is the jem here. Broken down to a bare-bones bed of bass and ukulele, Mara sits her sweet little ass down on a porch in the Delta and gets the sistas in a twist. She loosens it up, hits some high notes (damn girl!) and then some sicko sneaks in with a theramin! Who is that guy? I want him on Goulet’s team. The sistas get inspired and join in - - they drop some gospel knowledge in the background, start clapping, shouting and testifying for the cute lil’ white girl who can BRING IT.

Get these: it’s a 4-song EP, just get the whole damn thing, skippy!
Wax it if you like: Kate Earl, Edith Pilaf, not liking Dido





Rewind! Vol. 4
Original Classics, Revisited, Rerecorded and Rewound (Ubiquity)

God DAMN this is a hot record! Rewind! Is a collection of tracks – some obscure, some not – covered by a random selection of artists that you’ve probably never heard of. Unless you’re Matt Pinfield. Isn’t he cute and shiny? Look, I love a good cover, but so many times they come off as straight kitsch. Take Nina Gordon’s cover of N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” – funny at first, but the idea of a skinny white girl saying the “N” word is like Gilbert Godfried poppin’ and lockin’. I’ll take Crazy Legs, thank you. And if I hear it again I’ll call the NAACP. This comp, on the other hand, is pretty ace. The Sharon Jones cover of “This Land is Our Land” makes me think of a campfire with BBQ s’mores and a wood paneled love-nest where the naughty counselor holds court. Holla! “Evil Vibrations” by Rebirth is tight neo-funk – you might remember the sample from De La’s “A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays.” The “7 Nation Army” cover has been floating around for quite some time on 12”, so here’s your chance to hear Alice Russell channel her inner-Janis in a broke-down Mississippi shack. Strictly buttttah. Wills’ rendition of “Word Up” is truly a gem that wasn’t mined in shackles. And Shawn Lee doing Nick Drake’s “River Man?” Thank you sir, I’ll have another. Yes, there are a few dull moments, but not enough for me to put down this gun that I’m holding to your head right now, with a bullet that says “buy this, cocheese.”

Get these: read the review, skinny!
Wax it if you like: hmmm. Well-done covers???





Cheikh Lo – Lamp Fall (World Circuit)

Simply put, this is my favorite album of the year. Period. Yes, it is way outside your typical, run-of-the-mill MTV shit. However, I’ve found that there is actually amazing music that exists beyond our pre-packaged, force-fed, format-driven American music culture. I swear. You just have to look for it – and that’s what the Cylinder is all about, g. Cheikh Lo is a vocalist/instrumentalist from Dakar, Senegal – the same country that made Youssou N’Dour and Baaba Maal international stars. Cheikh is undoubtedly next in line for the crown. Senegal is known for the musical style mbalax, a driving, melodic pop sound that’s anchored by the best percussionists (and musicians, for that matter) in the world. That’s right. The world. If you’re not familiar with African music, you’ll find that each country and region has it’s own distinct style – reggae in the Ivory Coast, high-life in Ghana, Afrobeat in Nigeria, etc. However, a lot of these styles have either relied on staying rootsy while forsaking innovation or, at the other end of the spectrum, become a bit polished in order to appeal to a more international audience. Along comes Cheikh, breaking every one of these molds. He draws on influences from across the region & the world – Salsa, Rhumba, Soukous, Merengue, Reggae, Samba, Jazz and Folk – and puts them together with astonishing results. The percussion parts are staggering, led by the crack of the sabar drum, a staple in mbalax. Cheikh sings in a style reminiscent of Baaba and Youssou – soaring melodies, infectious hooks that float over a bed of lush acoustic guitars, funky electrics, organ, vintage keys, pulsating horns and bubbling bass. All done with an ease that makes his songs seem like ongoing conversations. Somehow you can understand what he’s saying regardless of the language barrier. What I love most about this record is the production. It sounds like Cheikh and his band set up in an old, analog studio somewhere in the middle of Dakar, plugged in, opened the windows and started playing. Over the course of the session, the streets outside of the studio filled with kids, families and the assorted town drunks, who all joined in the party. Kind of like the spirit behind the Buena Vista Social Club. No judgements, no critics, no bullshit. Just music. Fucking magical. Get this record.

Get these: “Kelle Magni,” “Bamba Mo Woor,” “Senegal-Bresil”
Wax it if you like: Buena Vista Social Club, venturing outside of your familiar surroundings





Neon Blonde – Chandeliers in Savannah (Dim Mak)
Raawwwwwkkk!!!!!! I just listened to this CD and I think I want to bash something. Oh, look what we have here! A Bright Eyes CD! Farewell, sweet Conor. Damn that felt good. A side-project of the Blood Brothers (raawwwk), Neon Blonde’s debut reminds me of the movie Grease re-interpreted by England’s The Young Ones. (Yes, the TV show that used to play late-nite on MTV in the 80’s, smiley. Before the MTV started spewing shows like “Next!” which is simply a guilty pleasure of mine.) I could probably pull something from my overflowing river of musical knowledge and tell you who influenced these guys (Spin says Bowie, but that’s like saying a bear shits in the woods), but here’s something in more accessible terms: these guys burned plenty of ants with magnifying glasses in their kiddie days. And they somehow took that sound of a screaming insect and managed to lay it down on tape. In fact, this record would be a perfect score for a twisted high school science class. Mr. Vargas up in the house!!!! Now wasn’t that useful? Neon Blonde is completely original – and once you’ve managed to digest the relentless falsetto of Johnny Whitney, you’ll find intricate arrangements that would make King Crimson proud. The songwriting and arrangements? Brilliant. The title track is like Benny and the Jets covered by The Mars Volta (haha Spin. I one-up’d you). “Headlines” gets under your skin like a fuzzy little tapeworm named Sweetness. The production? Twisted. Static drum machines, warm pianos, woodwinds, paint cans, typewriters, Altoids dispensers, pipe bombs and whipped cream. I think. But I must forewarn you – this is not a record for the passive listener. This is strictly for the aggressive nut job that keeps me up all night on St. Marks Place.

Get these: “Black Cactus Killers,” “Chandeliers in Savannah,” “Headlines”
Wax it if you like: Mars Volta, Arcade Fire (with iron-clad balls)



Out Hud – Let Us Never Speak Of It Again (Kranky)

Out Hud is an outfit that consists of members of !!! (ChkChkChk), vocalists Phyllis Forbes and Molly Schnick. If you’re not familiar with !!!, they’re part of the punk-funk movement that has been led by James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, etc. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and probably be lambasted by the H.P.B. (Hipster Press Bandwagon), but this “movement” just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not saying it completely sucks; I actually like a few tracks from that camp & I think Mr. Murphy is talented. The genre just seems to be more about it’s anti-image than the actual music. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I like songs, hooks and melodies. But most press people are too damn busy praying to the altar of this “new” sound to know otherwise. I heard James crapped in a bag, postmarked it from Williamsburg and NME gave it a 10. That’s dubious, unless it was indeed an epic dump. OK. Enough poopy jokes. Suffice to say that the association with rhythmically challenged white indie kids does not do Out Hud any justice. They’re actually quite enjoyable. The production is really thick, relying on dubby, electro-disco beats, chunky bass, strings, guitars, and enough synth-poppy sprinkles to amply cover all the junk in Nell Carter’s trunk. And how many bands feature a harp on an entire track? The songwriting is impressive as well; while the vocals at times border on the electro-kitsch of everything Larry Tee, et al, the tracks are not linear exercises in monotony like so many others of this so-called “camp.” And p.s. to the HPB – Fishbone is punk-funk. Recognize, son.

Get these: “It’s For You,” “How Long,” “A Zillionth Watt”
Wax it if you like: the idea Annie fronting New Order, Fun Boy Three w/Bananarama, Le Tigre on a good day




Alice Russell - My Favorite Letters (Tru Thoughts)

Alice where have you been all my life? I want to have your children only so you can sing them to sleep every night. And so I don’t have to read that stupid-ass Blue’s Clues to my kids. Them Smurfs is scary! This girl has soul – she’s released some pretty funky tracks on the Tru Thoughts label over the past year, including a pretty randy version of “7 Nation Army” (see 1st review). While I think this record is pretty solid, the production can get a little stale. Almost acid-jazzy. (Ouch! Jamiroquai alert!!!) I kind of wish that Alice hired Ike Turner’s band and rubbed some dirt up in these joints; something about two older brothas that toured the world with the Motown Revue just makes a drum loop sound, well, loopy. Regardless, there are some keepers here – and her vocals are so damn tasty! The opening track, “All Else Can Wait,” is an obvious nod to Mr. Steveland Morris. Precious. “Humankind” is straight out of the Miss Dynamite “It Takes More” songbook, with equally impressive results. “Munkaroo” sounds like the O’Jays rammed thru a Fela Kuti filter. This track drives like Danny Bonaduce on steroids. What the hell does that mean? Dunno. But it’s hot. And I met Danny last week. He’s cuddly. “High Up On The Hook” sounds like Ella Fitzgerald remixed by Koop. Calm down, playa - I’m not saying she sounds like Ella; I’m just sayin’, ya know??? Now come over to my house and make some babies with Goulet, woman!!!!

Get these: “Humankind,” “Munkaroo,” “All Else Can Wait”
Wax it if you like: Miss Dynamite, Estelle, Sia Fuller in a good mood