Music Reviews: February 2006

Little Barrie – We Are Little Barrie (PAIS)

How good is this record? Well, I was blasting this earlier today and my neighbor knocked on my door. However, she didn’t want me to turn it down. She wanted to know what it was. Seriously. Now read on…

White kids from the UK have been co-opting the sound of the Mississippi Delta for 50 years, all with varying degrees of success. Led Zeppelin & the Stones nailed it in the ‘60s. Little Barrie takes it one step further in ’06. This debut from the Manchester three-piece is ACE!!! Simple, rootsy, organic, bluesy rock with hooks galore. Singer Barrie Cadogan, who sounds like a cross between Donovan, Van Morrison & Dylan works his way through well-crafted lyrics and tight, funky arrangements. Wayne Fullwood and Lewis Wharton lay down loose, bouncy grooves and producer Edwin Collins (from Postcard and Orange Juice) sits in on a number of tracks. The mix on this record is so damn crispy that it makes me wonder why Edwin Collins isn’t taking some of Paul Epworth’s gigs. My prediction? These guys will open for U2 next year. Put your ass in a drop top and bump this record immediately.

Get these: every last one, chico
Wax it if you like: Van Morrison, Donovan, The Blue Van, G. Love

Check out "Free Salute"

or download it:
Little Barrie - "Free Salute"




Bettye LaVette – I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise (Anti)

Bettye LaVette has been around the block. She’s recorded with Otis, toured with James Brown and dropped a fair share of records over the years that you’ve probably never heard of. Although she had a few hits, she never reached the heights of Aretha, Tina, etc. But she never gave up. Now in her 60s, Bettye was recording a few records for a small European label when fate walked through the door. His name was producer Joe Henry. While Henry is much younger, he won a Grammy for reviving Solomon Burke’s career in 2002. Oh, and he’s Madonna’s brother in law. In true Rick Rubin/Johnny Cash-style, they decided to make a record of covers that Bettye could make her own. But here’s what gets me: had I not read the liner notes I would have thought that Bettye wrote these herself. Until I got to Fiona’s track. Hollaback Girl, Interrupted!!!!!! Backed by minimal, Stax-style production, Bettye sings her heart out as if each song were pulled from past heartaches as she scraped her way through the music business. The emotion is so real that it makes the original versions seem like half-hearted covers. This record is astonishing.

Get these: all of them or Bettye will beat your ass
Wax it if you like: Betty Davis, Aretha, Ike & Tina

Check out "Joy"

or download it:
Bettye Lavette - "Joy"





Urbs – Toujours le Même (G-Stone)

Ah, the froonch. You know, Rene Goulet is froonch, so I will try not to be biased toward my crepe-loving friends. Touché mon ami! As described in the press release, “The music of Toujours le même film is a haunting tale of love lost and found. A majestic soundtrack to a film that would be Paul Nawrata’s (a/k/a Urbs) life.” The record was co-produced by Peter Kruder (of Kruder & Dorfmeister/Tosca fame), and although I thought this was a recipe for K&D-style downtempo tracks, I was definitely surprised. First off, the artwork, which looks like a Jean-Luc Godard film poster represents the music perfectly. (And the guy kinda looks like a cross between Marc Jacobs and Jason Schwartzman macking on a young Angelica Houston, the original rump-shaker.) Employing a three-piece cocktail band for most of the record (drums, upright bass, piano), the tracks come alive with lush string arrangements, tweaked grooves and warm electronic textures. The first track, “So Weit” is hypnotic. It sounds like it came straight out of “Belle Du Jour” right after Catherine Deneuve turns her first trick. Girl works hard for the money, ya feel me? “Tu Moi Aussi” takes a dramatic twist, with heavy bass, beats, string hits and a beautiful piano melody. The rest of the record goes through an entire range of styles, covering everything from the Baroque take on Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur” to the French 60s spy-pop of “The Incident.” If you like French cinema of the 60s, this is your record. If you don’t, you need to NOT watch Old School for the 101st time and get some damn culture, son! Sacré bleu!!!!

Get these: “So Weit,” Tu Moi Aussi,” “The Chauffeur”
Wax it if you like: Tosca, RJD2, Rob Dougan

Check out "So Weit"

or download it:
Urbs - "So Weit"




Clearlake – Amber (Domino)

Ahhh. More music from da Brits. I knew nothing about these guys before hearing this record,, so I won’t bore you with comparisons to their past work. I’m just going strictly on what I hear. Alright, champ? The first thing that strikes me is the left-of-center instrumentation. Dense, distorted guitars fill most of the tracks, complimented by haunting string arrangements, harps, pounding beats and subtle harmonies. Kind of like Coldplay. Ha ha. I’m just kidding. The tracks definitely have a Britpop slant, but the instrumentation adds a bit of cinematic drama that keeps it fresh before ultimately losing fluidity. “No Kind Of Life,” the opening track, is infectious. Kind of reminds me of REM had they run everything through a fat distortion pedal. “It’s Getting Light Outside” takes a left turn - - but damn (!!) this dude sounds like Morrissey! From Michael Stipe to Morrissey? Cheers, mate. “Good Clean Fun” is another sonic orgy - - imagine Blur’s Song #2 mashed with the Jan and Dean. There are definitely some nods to Oasis in here (“Finally Free,” “Neon”), but hey, at least it’s not Coldplay. No you didn’t! Yes I did.

Get these: “No Kind Of Life,” “It’s Getting Light Outside”
Wax it if you like: Oasis, The Doves

Check out "No Kind Of Life"

or download it
Clearlake - "No Kind Of Life"




Tiga – Sexor (PIAS)

Tiga was the poster boy for the electro burp, and here we see Tiga rocking a mullet while trying distance himself from the soulless kitsch of electoclash. I admit I was psyched to check this record out; after his amazingly camp cover of Nelly’s “Hot In Here” I thought that Tiga’s record would break a few boundaries and offer something fresh. Not quite. After an intro skit (?) that announces “imagination rules the nation, rain washes you clean and sexy lightning always strikes twice” Tiga breaks into some cutesy schtick that almost sounds like Dave Gahan singing over Giorgio Moroder beats. This is not to diss the production; it’s quite nice actually. “You Gotta Want Me” featuring Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) is a nice electro-pop effort and “Louder Than A Bomb” lets loose an old-school Newcleus-style workout that will bump clubs around the globe. Then comes “Down In It.” Nooooo!!!! Think LL Cool J’s “I Need Love” sung by a fledgling preschooler with a casio piano. No joke. Now put on your dunce cap. While “Sexor” has a few tracks that will work great in the big room, as an album it suffers from taking itself too seriously. And I read that this record took three years to record. I guess this is acceptable. If he was only allowed to record on the 10th day of every sixth month, that is.

Get these: “You Gotta Want Me,” “Louder Than A Bomb”
Wax it if you like: Soho Dolls, Mylo

Check out "You Gonna Want Me"

or download it:
Tiga - "You Gonna Want Me"