pdf review

IT
BLITZEN TRAPPER,
“Black River Killer” (Sub
Pop) ✰✰✰✰ — Try as I
might, I was unable to fully
appreciate the back-to-back
critically adored albums by
Portland, Ore.-based alternative country rockers Blitzen
Trapper. Last year’s “Furr”
elevated the guys to indie darling level, but other than the
remarkable song “Black River
Killer,” I found the record to
be good but maybe a little
overhyped. After spinning this EP for the better part of two
weeks, however, I am a convert to the music of Eric Earley &
Co.
It helps that the seven-track release opens with the aforementioned awesomeness of “Black River Killer,” but the remaining six tunes previously were available only as a CDR Blitzen
Trapper has been peddling at their live shows for the past year
or so. Among those songs, “Silver Moon,” “Shoulder Full
of You,” “Preacher’s Sister’s Boy” and “Big Black Bird” are
the best of a very short-but-sweet bunch. Fans and newcomers alike are encouraged to get a copy of this 17-minute gem
— it’ll leave you longing for more. ((JS)
FELIX DA HOUSECAT,
“He Was King” (Rude
Photo/Nettwerk) ✰✰✰ —
Felix Stallings Jr. is a fixture
on the Chicago house music,
recording under his own
name as well as Aphrohead,
Thee Maddkatt Courtship
and, of course, Felix Da
Housecat. “He Was King”
is the latest in a long line of
well-received records aimed
at making listeners shake their
groove thing. Here, Felix
dabbles more with a Euro-dance vibe than usual and it mostly
works.
The clear-cut highlight of the record — and a tune so good
it’s almost worth the purchase price all by itself — is “We All
Wanna Be Prince,” an infectious, bouncy homage to the Purple
One that sounds like it could have appeared on the “Dirty
Mind” or “Controversy” records of the early 1980s. The rest
of “He Was King” is spottier, with a handful of keepers (“Do
We Move Your World,” “Turn Me On a Summer Smile,” the
title track) offset by an almost equal number of ho-hum entries
(“Plastik Fantastik,” “Elvi$,” “Kickdrum”). All in all, a pretty
good record, but we’ve heard better from Felix. ((JS)
THE PINX, “Look What
You Made Me Do” (selfreleased) ✰✰✰1⁄2 — Over
the past couple years, powerpop/hard rock trio the
Pinx (forgive the silly band
name and focus instead on
the killer music) have been
steadily building their fan
base. Initially a sensation in
their native Atlanta, the guys
— Adam McIntyre on guitar
and vocals, Joe T. Giddings
on bass and vocals, Jim
O’Kane on drums — have been expanding their musical sphere
of influence by playing anywhere and everywhere they can.
That road dog mentality (not to mention their very legitimate
chops) caught the attention of heavyweights Mastodon and
Ben Harper, and landed the Pinx profile-raising opening gigs.
On this first-rate debut, the guys give glimpses of the raw
energy that has made their live sets so buzzworthy. McIntyre
is an up-and-coming guitar wizard and he and his mates soar
especially high on keepers “Impatience,” “Change Me,” “That
Is Free,” “Killing Me” and “Can’t Shut Up.” The Pinx aren’t
a household name yet, but with a couple more albums as good
as “Look What You Made Me Do,” I’m guessing they will be.
( )
(JS
ZECHS MARQUISE,
“Our Delicate Stranded
Nightmare” (self-released)
✰✰✰ — A self-styled
prog/punk/groove band
featuring siblings Marcel and
Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez,
whose famous brother Omar
anchors the Mars Volta, Zechs
Marquise deliver this solid
15-track mostly instrumental
debut of psychedelia-tinged
rock. “Our Delicate Stranded
Nightmare” falls short of
being a great record, but there are flashes of brilliance that
make it a platter that’s certainly worth a couple listens.
After an underwhelming start to “Our Delicate Stranded
Nightmare” with “In Strange Love,” Zechs Marquise find
their groove with a series of killer tracks that include “Mistress
Abyss,” “The High Anxiety Arkestra,” “Rotten Candy,”
“Attack of the 40 Foot Wave” and “The Sounds of El Morro.”
Admittedly, a few other tunes fall flat — “Chase Scene,” “Lady
Endless,” “Wahaka Chop” — but the good outweighs the bad
on this enjoyable record. ((JS)
THE BLOODY
BEETROOTS,
“Romborama”
(Downtown/Dim Mak)
✰✰✰ — No one will ever
accuse Italian producer Bob
Rifo — better known in
club/house circles as Bloody
Beetroots — of being lazy.
Over the past 12 months
or so, Rifo has churned out
almost 30 remixes — plus the
excellent EP “Romba” —and
has gathered 20 of those electronica-tinged tracks for his “Romborama” full-length debut.
There are plenty of things to like about this record, which
includes guest appearances from the likes of Justin Pearson
(“Romborama”), the Cool Kids (“Awesome”), Steve Aoki
(“Warp 1.9,” “Warp 7.7”) and Vicarious Bliss (“Little Stars”),
as the Beetroots showcase a seemingly endless supply of new
and infectious beats. As is too often the case in the world
of house music, the songs grow a little stale when ingested
in one sitting — and it certainly doesn’t help matters that
“Romborama” clocks in at a way-too-long 78-plus minutes.
Had Rifo trimmed about half the track listing, he’d have had a
In Tune
Page 17
The Daily News
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2009
Lots of Fun.
If you’re a fan of playful,
quirky, Queen and ELO-style
rock textured by brass,
woodwinds and strings, you’re
ready to have some Fun. with
‘Aim and Ignite’
FUN., “Aim and Ignite” (Nettwerk) ✰✰✰✰1⁄2
— With “Aim and Ignite,” indie pop trio Fun. have
emerged as one of the front-runners for my favorite
album of 2009. This 10-track collection of insanely
catchy tunes is nearly perfect, with bandmates Nate
Reuss (The Format), Andrew Dost (Anathallo) and
Jack Antonoff (Steel Train) doing the best work of
their respective careers. Fans of ’70s stalwarts such
as Queen and Electric Light Orchestra are sure to
enjoy Fun.’s playful, quirky, layered brand of rock.
One of the things that make Fun. unique is the
addition of brass, string and woodwind instruments
to their traditional rock arrangements. By utilizing
trombone, oboe, saxophone, violin and cello on
many of the tracks, the band adds a depth to the
sound that sets them apart from their peers. Reuss’
vocals bear more than a passing resemblance to the
late, great Freddie Mercury and his ear-pleasing
tenor helps pull all the musical elements together.
Highlights abound on “Aim and Ignite,” with
Fun. setting the stage with intricate opener “Be
Calm,” only to follow with a series of keepers that
include “All the Pretty Girls,” “At Least I’m Not
As Sad (As I Used to Be),” personal favorite “The
Gambler” (which could end up as my favorite song
of 2009) and set closer “Take Your Time (Coming
Home).” Do yourself a favor and track down a copy
of this fantastic record. I promise you won’t regret
it. ((Jeffrey Sisk)
true gem on his hands. ((JS)
THE ROY HARGROVE
BIG BAND, “Emergence”
(Groovin’ High/Emarcy)
✰✰✰1⁄2 — Jazz stalwart Roy
Hargrove has accomplished a
great deal over the course of
a career that spans more than
two decades, but with the
release of “Emergence,” the
39-year-old trumpet virtuoso
has realized a lifelong dream.
It’s his first big band album
— the musical collective is 19
members strong —and in the
tradition of legendary outfits fronted by Dizzy Gillespie, Count
Basie and Duke Ellington, delivers a complex sound that figures to appeal to jazz lovers both young and old.
Comprised of 11 tracks — four Hargrove compositions alongside spirited covers and a few jazz standards
— “Emergence” is a fitting follow-up to Hargrove’s careerdefining 2008 release, “Earfood.” Among the highlights here
are originals “Valera” and “Trust,” standards “My Funny
Valentine” and “Everytime We Say Goodbye” and a wonderful
rendition of “September in the Rain,” in which Hargrove also
provides lead vocals. Fans of a bygone musical era will appreciate hearing the Roy Hargrove Big Band do its thing. ((JS)
MARIACHI EL BRONX,
self-titled (Swami Records)
✰✰✰1⁄2 — Fans of Los
Angeles-based punk band
the Bronx are well aware of
the group’s love of mariachi
music.
The guys often incorporate
mariachi into their live set,
giving fans a taste of Mexico
in the process. After churning
out three blistering self-titled
full-lengths in six years, the
guys are veering from that
familiar punk sound. Under the apt new moniker Mariachi El
Bronx, they have crafted a compelling record that demonstrates
a musical versatility that may surprise casual listeners, while
remaining true to the punk rock aesthetic.
This 11-track release is loads of fun, with mariachi horns
dominating the proceedings. There are plenty of keepers here,
from wonderful set opener “Cell Mates” to “Sleepwalking,”
“Silver or Lead” and “My Brother the Gun.”\
The novelty wears a little thin after a while — even at 40
minutes, the record seems a little bloated — but Mariachi El
Bronx have managed to blend two seemingly disparate genres
almost seamlessly. Ole! ((JS)
SALLY SHAPIRO, “My
Guilty Pleasure” (Paper Bag
Records) ✰✰✰ — Swedish
disco duo Sally Shapiro made
quite a splash in 2006 with
their oh-so-danceable “Disco
Romance” debut. (For the
record, Sally Shapiro refers to
producer Johan Agebjorn and
an anonymous singer, who
uses the Sally Shapiro pseudonym. Got it?)
Three years later, they
return with the not-quite-asgood “My Guilty Pleasure,” in which Sally Shapiro dabble in
trance, acid jazz and more euro-house music in addition to the
’80s disco they do so well.
When Agebjorn and his anonymous pal hit their groove,
“My Guilty Pleasure” is a delight. Tracks such as “Looking at
the Stars,” disc highlight “Let It Show,” “Moonlight Dance”
and “Dying in Africa” are toe-tapping delights and could stand
alongside anything on “Disco Romance.” Unfortunately, so-so
entries “Swimming Through the Blue Lagoon,” “Love in July”
and “Save Your Love” pop up every so often and prevent this
from being an essential addition to your collection. ((JS)
TIM BUCKLEY, “Live at
the Folklore Center, NYC:
March 6, 1967” (Tompkins
Square) ✰✰✰✰ — Though
perhaps not as well-known as
some of his late-’60s folk-rock
counterparts, Tim Buckley
packed a lot of quality music
into his 28 years on earth,
recording several records
before overdosing on heroin
and morphine in 1975.
Fans of Buckley’s music figure to clamor for this 16-track
live album from a concert at New York’s Folklore Center a few
weeks after the singer/songwriter’s 20th birthday.
Until now, none of the performance on “Live at the Folklore
Center” has appeared on any album. And to make things even
more enticing for Buckley completists, six of the songs — “Just
Please Leave Me,” “What Do You Do (He Never Saw You),”
“Cripples Cry,” “If the Rain Comes,” “Country Boy,” “I Can’t
Leave You Loving Me” — have never appeared on any studio
or live album.
Among the highlights are the wonderful “Song for Jainie,”
“I Never Asked to be Your Mountain,” “Troubadour,”
“Dolphins” and “Carnival Song.”
Although there have been as many Tim Buckley records
released after his death as there were before the fatal overdose,
“Live at the Folklore Center, NYC: March 6, 1967” is an
essential purchase for his fans. ((JS)
GRETCHEN PARLATO,
“In a Dream” (Obliq
Sound) ✰✰✰✰ — A rising
star among vocal jazz circles,
Gretchen Parlato’s unique
delivery almost certainly won’t
appeal to every listener. “In
a Dream,” the long-awaited
follow-up to her well-received
2005 debut, contains more
of what makes Parlato such a
compelling (or maddening, I
suppose, depending on your
perspective) vocalist. Her
arrangements contain plenty of scatting, mouth pops and whisper-soft lead vocals that occasionally require you to lean your
head close to the speakers in order to understand the lyrics.
The 10 tunes here are a perfect showcase for Parlato, from
the Latin-tinged take on Stevie Wonder’s “I Can’t Help It”
(made popular by Michael Jackson) to the remarkable vocal
rendering of Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” to the Brazilian
gem “Doralice,” plus pitch-perfect renditions of Wayne
Shorter’s “ESP” and Duke Ellington’s “Azure.”
Despite its often-quirky sound, “In a Dream” is a moving
record, which is exactly what Parlato was going for. “I sing
from my heart and soul and hope that people feel that,” she
said. “That could be joy or sadness, as long as it moves them in
some way.” ((JS)
GEORGE BENSON,
“Songs and Stories”
(Concord Records) ✰✰✰1⁄2
— Grammy-winning singer/
guitarist George Benson has
been on the scene, topping
the jazz and occasionally the
pop album charts, since the
mid-’60s and for good reason.
It was noted on the back
of his “Cookbook” album
43 years ago that Pittsburgh
native Benson has a musical
kitchen that’s full of ingredients.
Judging from his latest album, the pantry remains well
stocked.
Benson proves again on his new disc that average, even
bland, songs (remember the old version of “On Broadway”?)
can be delicious if served properly. This time he’s shedding
new, gentle light on tracks like “Rainy Night in Georgia,”
“Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” and Christopher Cross’
“Sailing.” Some tracks that were written for the album, like
“Family Reunion,” already sound like sing-along R&B classics.
Benson still has the voice of a young man and his playful
prowess on guitar is undiminished.
He’s backed on this album by bassist Marcus Miller, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, guitarist Jubu and drummer John
Robinson. Notable guests include guitarists Lee Ritenour (who
I assume plays the strawberry-letter sounding outro solo on
“Nuthin’ But a Party”), Steve Lukather (of Toto fame), vocalists Lalah Hathaway and Patti Austin and others.
This album is not groundbreaking — critical listeners will say
they’ve heard it before — but Benson fans will find it a worthwhile addition to the artist’s collection. (Eric Slagle)
★ — Run for your life ★★ — Not awesome ★★★ — Not too shabby ★★★★ — Pretty sweet ★★★★★ — Awesome