Guster: Ganging Up on the Sun

Huh. Who would have thunk it? Guster grew up, and I like the adult they've become.

You, we docile listening masses, get the idea that this is going to a much more grown up place with the sampling we got off of One Man Wrecking Machine, the EP they dropped a few weeks back. I didn't realize how true that was until now.

Sun has a dark edge to it, musically. Singer/Guitarist Adam Gardner's vocals seem much more honed. Where, in the past, he went for loud and mostly in tune, he's quieted down (along with the tone of the album) and shown how beautiful a voice he actually has.

The album's production is of a much higher quality than any of their other's, which I feel is a mixed blessing. They get their fan base and energy from a certain unpolished edge, yet some of their greatest songs could do with a bit more polishing. For this collection, howevere, I think the production level is right on par with content: quite high.

Satellite is a funky tune with a great guitar sound; Manifest Destiny really reminds me of a Ben Folds tune with the use of piano; One Man Wrecking Machine is already the first radio single, and it's enjoyable, perhaps the most pop on the album; and Ruby Falls is, perhaps, their longest song to date, running just over 7 minutes, and it takes it's time to build beautifully.

In the End: This is Guster's most mature sounding, well-produced album to date. It's got more than enough to appease the long-time fans and bring in some new folks to the Guster fold.

On the Web: Learn all you can about Guster on Wikipedia. Also, archive.org is up to 228 Guster Bootlegs available, for legal, free download.

Technorati Tagged: Boston Music | Guster | Archive.org

Nelly Furtado: Loose

Into every year is born an album so plain, so boring, so uninventive, so uninfectious, it does not deserve to even be called "Pop."

Last year it was Madonna's 'Confession' album, this year, it is Nelly Furtado's Loose. I had high hopes going into this because she is talented, but the album ended up being a horrible Frankenstein monster of hip-hop, pop, and dance.

Besides the album as a whole, tunes to *AVOID* include Maneater, on the grounds that no one should have a song called that ever again; Hall & Oates perfected it. Promiscuous Girl fails musically, lyrically, and doubly so due to guest "singer" Timbaland. In God's Hands is a crappy pop tune that could possibly have been pulled of by guilty pleasure darling, Kelly Clarkson, but goes no where with Furtado. All Good Things sounds like it's the one tune that could have some real hope, but the implementation just destroys it.

In the End: Please. Don't even waste the bandwidth. Demand higher quality from artists who are so obviously talented, such as Ms. Furtado. This album is an insult to the music community.

On the Web: I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has a MUCH better version of All Good Things, with backing back Coldplay's Chris Martin. Also, Shoes Are For Work has Furtado's cover of the Gnarls Barkley Tune Crazy.

Technorati Tagged: Nelly Furtado | Coaster | Chris Martin

Zero 7: When It Falls

After the cry-fest of Six Feet Under, I purchased the second soundtrack album which contained a the Sia track, Breathe Me. After all of that, I figured, what could be better than even MORE Sia? Enter Zero 7. Zero 7 is really the combination of Henry Binns and Sam Hardarker, with a series of regular vocalists, including the lovely and talented Ms. Sia Furler.

The album, however amazing the participants are, is less impressive; It's not horrible, either. It's 11 tracks, just shy of an hour, plays in the back of your head, but never fully realizes itself.

None the of the tracks stood out as particularly good or bad, but the album did flow well. Or, at least, seemed to, when I noticed track breaks. The ambient nature, as well as the way the Binns and Hardarker play the sonics around the vocals, makes this album feel ethereal.

In the End: This is a great album to read to, work to, really, just about any task that requires thought. Like I said, the music will play in your head, but it will never distract you from the task ahead.

Technorati Tagged: Zero 7 | Sia | Background Music

Ellis Paul: The Speed of Trees

Like the masses, I was introduced to Ellis Paul as his music played in the Jim Carrey/Renee Zelweger vehicle, Me, Myself, and Irene. He'd been around for a while before, but got some major recognition from that.

Then there was a lull. Hadn't heard anything from him, until about two years ago, when the guy was playing at a coffee house/church in Marblehead, Ma. For 10 bucks, I had a nice, intimate venue. He played for 2 hours, joined everyone afterwards for coffee and cookies, and was a pleasant, approachable musician, happy to talk his trade with anyone who would listen or wanted to share.

Being obsessive compulsive, I went out and started buying his music. Speed of Trees was my first album.

Paul's pop-folk instrumentation, in conjunction with his soft, emotive voice, creates a soothing, wonderful sound that is both relaxing and enjoyable. The only thing that is disturbing about him is, that, from some angles, I *swear* he looks like Liam Neeson. Then again, if the worst thing you have against a musician is that he looks like a Jedi Master, you must be doing ok.

Maria's Beautiful Mess kicks off the album, slowly, softly, but with great, intimate sound; a musician and their guitar, what is better? Give In, Give Up makes wonderful use of an electric guitar in a folk setting. Roll Away Bed is a fun, pop-sounding tune about a the singer sharing a bed with someone who doesn't share so well. Breaking Through the Radio has a great, open-roads kind of feel; one listen and you'll agree.

In the end: Ellis Paul is a great, if well-kept, musical secret. His folk sounds, mixed with some pop and rock sensibilities and warm personality create a sound, a musical environ that makes you like his music and want to hear more.

Technorati Tagged: Ellis Paul | Soundtracks | Folk

Juliet Lloyd: All Dressed Up

Juliet came as a surprise for myself and for Sean. The same night we went to see Candice Jarrett, we discovered this new talent, Juliet Lloyd, was the night's opener. She put on a good show, even pulling off a Zep cover that evening.

The album, All Dressed Up, showcases her talents as well as her weak spots, but, in the right hands, these can be ironed out.

Dressed suffers from something I consider to be consistent in smaller musicians: over-zealous production. It's too clean. The vocals too clear. On almost every song, Lloyd's voice, while beautiful, completely overwhelms the instruments, and I find that to be a bug, not a feature. It should all work together. That being said, the album is a solid effort, if for no other reason than to get her name out there.

Ever After leads of the album with a jazzy-bluesy kinda tune about, you guessed it, love. Right after, we get a tune, Left Behind, that has a feel to it that gives me, anyway, an image of someone(s) at the end of a movie, perhaps romantic comedy, perhaps drama, driving down a highway, the camera panning out and you see them rolling on a long road. Sometimes I get great visuals with songs. Lullaby manages to be the tune that really gets the simplicity and cleanliness of the audio right, with Juliet and her piano being all that's required. Sun Burned Sky intrigues me, if for no other reason than the lounge/latin beat.

In the end: The album's lyrical and vocal content are great, but I feel the production leaves something to be desired. Maybe it's just that jazzy stuff doesn't really deserved to be recorded, just performed live. Maybe the producer was young. Or, maybe it was an anomaly. It's a solid disc, still, and deserves some attention, if only for young Lloyd.

On the Web: Photos from a Juliet Lloyd performan at the Paradise. Also, you can hear her music on her myspace page at myspace.com/julietlloyd.

Technorati Tagged: Juliet Lloyd | Jazz | Boston Music | Small Artists

Bad Ronald: Rad Ronald

Bad Ronald seem to straddle a line between rock and hip hop, with plenty of hilarity in lyrics. It's not the kind of thing you might expect me to listen to, but that's ok.

These guys came to my attention during a camping trip, and it was clear, from the get go that these guys were never going to be Grammy winners. And, if you're ok with that, then you'll be all set.

It's not entirely what one might call "worksafe" lyrics, but, to give you an example, let us show John the Marine's favourite line from I Need Love: "I need NyQuil and a blowjob to get me to sleep." It's funny. Inappropriate, but funny.

The lead off song Let's Begin manages to convey the feeling they did in the music video, that of a kid's program. Trust me, if you see the video, it'll totally make sense. Bad Idea, discusses some of the bad ideas men have had regarding sexual encounters. Hand on the Wheel really gives you that "leanin'-back-hand-on-the-wheel" kinda feeling. Bank just has this feeling to it, this smiling, happy feeling, and you can't help but groove to it, as though the singers are trying to sing you a smiler.

In the End: This album is ridiculously fun. The content may keep some people from listening to it, but if you can deal with people singing about sexual encounters and drugs, you can really enjoy some, if not all of this album.

Technorati Tagged: Bad Ronald | Rock-Hop

Kate Bush: Hounds of Love

I love Kate Bush. Ever since a fateful day in 1987 when my brother put Hounds of Love on the ol' turntable, I've been one of the faithful in the church of Kate (I avoided a very bad joke, yes).

Like all of her work, Kate bounces between, experimental and alternative, with hints of pop and rock. She likes to play with sounds, be they electronic, orchestral, or her own voice.

I don't know if Hounds of Love is her best work, but it is, far and away, my favourite. That being said, it's hard to pull out a few tracks to listen to, however, I shall endeavour:

Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), where the singer talks about making a deal with, you guessed it, God. Big Sky has a certain pop-appeal and a killer beat. Under Ice makes use of a very deep stringed instrument, perhaps even a standup bass to create a certain sinister (dare I say Russian?) feel. And Jig of Life runs at a pace akin to a nice Irish jig, making use of many of the sounds you'd find in one.

In the End: Kate Bush's 1985 album Hounds of Love managed to be created in the middle of the 80s and maintain minimal connection to the decade of big hair. It's experimental, but in a way that would work even today. This is a truly great album. At one point or another, I'm certain everyone's heard music off of Hounds. Give the rest of the album a chance.

On the web: You'll find a bunch of Kate Bush music linked to from The Hype Machine.

Technorati Tagged: Kate Bush | 80s Music

MF Doom: MM.. Food?

My enjoyment of rap and hip-hop increased ever since I found the DangerDoom album The Mouse & the Mask. Between Doom's rhymes and Danger's mixing, they are a perfect mix. So what kind of stuff does MF Doom come up with on his on? Some damn good work, actually.

Mm..Food? maintains two themes through out the album: On one level, we have a food theme (all songs are food titled, some deal majorly with food-related lyrics), and on the other level, We have a mixed/edited episode of an old Fantastic Four episode featuring Dr. Doom as background filler. The album runs fifteen tracks, coming in just under 50 minutes. And it's a lot of fun.

Hoe Cakes is the tune that brought this album to my attention, and it just has a great beat; Bonus points for a reference to King Koopa. Guinnesses is a great tune, just for the title alone; it's a slower track featuring Angelika, and it just makes you want to lean back into pimp pose. Rapp Snitch Knishes, keeping with the Dr. Doom theme, has Mr. Fantastik as a guest, and has a great sampled guitar riff running in the back.

In the End: This isn't going to appeal to everyone, I know it. But if you want to hear some good rap / hip-hop that isn't offensive but just GOOD, I would strongly suggest this album.

Technorati Tagged: MF Doom | Hip-Hop | Fantastic Four

Brandi Carlile: Brandi Carlile

After all of these albums, I've come to a conclusion: I am, apparently, the written word for my friend Sean.

Yet again, Brandi comes to my attention thanks to him, in the form of her opening for Train a few months back. I had been previously impressed with Train's live performance, and Sean couldn't stop extolling the amazing skill of young Ms. Carlile, and she did not make a liar of him.

Brandi's self-titled album has a sound, that, if it weren't so clean, you might think you were listening to someone from the singer/songwriter period of lte 60s and 70s. I hear Bobby Dylan, James Taylor, a hint of Joan Baez, and, is that Bonnie Raitt too? I think it might be. I'm not certain of her influences, but if Bonnie Raitt went to a Folk/Rock sound, I think her name would be Brandi Carlile.

Follow, the lead off track, is one of my favourites. It's constructed well, good lyrics, and a great sound. Closer to You has a slight country feel to it, but good country, not this modern country, and also earns high marks in my book. the darkness of Tragedy mixed with the simplicity of just her and her acoustic guitar makes for a very powerful song.

In the end: This is a quiet album; don't expect any song to make you want to throw the horns. But Carlile is a young and talented musician who I think has a serious chance to be something big and amazing. Be one of the people who can say "I remember when..." and give the album a listen.

On the Web: Some distant, so-so photos of Brandi and Train can be found on my fotki site Also, as with The Fray, I have a recording of Carlile at the WBOS Earthfest. Check it out:
Brandi Carlile: 2006-05-27 - MDC Hatch Shell, Boston, MA

Technorati Tagged: Brandi Carlile | Singer / Songwriter

Lewis Black: The Carnegie Hall Performance

With my particularly surly mood today, I needed someone who could rival my own rage, so I brought out one of my favourite Jews, Mr. Lewis Black.

On his latest comedy disc, Black takes jabs at the usual political idiots, social events and world events, gay marriage, and more.

The whole performance is not, I think, one of his better ones, but he hits a solid stride towards the end of the second disc, managing to connect from Gay Marriage issues to Terry Schiavo. Which, you have to admit, is a decent leap.

As Eddie Izzard points out, any comedian coming on stage is a "shit begininng." It's awkward, you're on a large stage, you've got to warm up a big audience. So it feels it starts slow.

Some of his better points come out during bits about Information (there's too much, and yet, simoultaneously, none due to the news channels), That's Fucked Up (How the President's facial expressions never match what he's talking about), and Terry Schiavo (the absurdity of the whole situation).

In the End: If you're going to listen to Lewis Black, I'd suggest starting with Rules of Enragement or The White Album. All of Lewis' stuff is excellent, but even in a list of excellence, some are better than others, and Carnegie starts off a lot slower than I have come to expect from Lou.

Technorati Tagged: Lewis Black | Comedy

The Clash: London Calling

The Clash's London Calling is an album I feel I took advantage of for years.

We've all enjoyed/heard/loved at least one track off of this album, be it the title track, Rudie Can't Fail, Lost in the Supermarket, or Train in Vain. We know these tunes. At least I know I do and I feel strongly that everyone else should.

After finally getting off of my ass, and dropping the whole 10 bucks on this a couple of years ago, I couldn't believe I hadn't owned this sooner. For the tunes we all know, it was worth the purchase, but also for the ones I (sadly) hadn't heard. Tunes like Jimmy Jazz, Spanish Bombs, Brand New Cadillac, and Lovers Rock.

In the end: Can you really say anything about this album but "smashing," "amazing," "shut up and buy it," and so on? This is The Clash. While not one of my desert island discs, this is one of those true classics. Up there with Clapton's Slowhand, The Beatles' Revolver, and so on.

On the Web: Over at The Hype Machine you can find tons of Clash tunes. Also, I've added to YSI a bootleg from 1980 (the year I was born!) at what labeled "Capitol Radio": The Clash: Capitol Radio 1980 Perhaps the show is this one?

Technorati Tagged: The Clash | Classic Albums

Van Morrison: Astral Weeks

After reading American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story for the 3rd or 4th time, I was really interested in what my favourite comedian/social commentator/satirist saw in this album, so I hit up Newbury Comics and grabbed it for 9 bucks. What a steal!

Astral Weeks turned out to be one of those amazing albums that I would classifiy on my desert island collection.

After his work with Them, Van Morrison headed off into a solo career and produced his best, yet least known, work. The music. The lyrics. The rise, fall, and rise again of things. The album, as Hicks found, is very cyclical. It is life itself, beginning with birth and ending with death.

On an 8-track album, it's hard to say "listen to these," especially when the album is meant to be listened to, start to finish. But, "Astral Weeks," "Sweet Thing," and "The Way Young Lovers Do" are all quite enjoyable outside of the context of the album.

In the End: If you've ever liked Van Morrison for "Moondance," "Bright Side of the Road," or "Brown Eyed Girl," then go one step further, please. We're talking a desert island disc, something I swore I would not use lightly.

Technorati Tagged: Van Morrison | Desert Island Discs

Candice Jarrett: Powerful Beyond Measure

Candice, as with so many of my other musical discoveries, came to my attention via the Pants, AKA, Sean. He dropped me a note and said we had to go to The Paradise Lounge and see this girl he found on myspace. Ok, I'm down with that.

What resulted was me discovering two artists I would quickly spend money on and drop to the iPod, only to listen to them over and over again. Candice and Juliet Lloyd.

Candice really impressed me with her musical talent and her ability to be just one person but make the stage feel smaller, more welcoming. Also, she is the first and only person I know to have covered Billy Joel's piano man... on an acoustic guitar.

On such a small disc, it's hard to say "listen to these tunes," but I would suggest pointing an ear towards these tunes:
Changing My Mind, if, for no other reason, this lyric - "there are so many songs about how you should yourself / sung by a girl who weighs 95 pounds"; 20-Odd-Years has that non-inspirational inspirational tunes; it makes you want to live with a lyric such as "it's been 20-odd-years since i've seen the sun rise / it's been 20-odd-years since i felt i was alive"; Take These Chances has an experimental kind of sound to an acoustic tune in the realms of some of Dave Matthews' guitar playing. And she scats a little at the end.

In the End: These are 7 superb acoustic tunes that show a talent on the rise. Support her, her music, and musicians like her. Please.

On the web: As many smaller artists do, Candice has a myspace page at www.myspace.com/candicejarrett with 4 tracks available for listening. Also, I have photos from her gig in boston on my fotki site.

Technorati Tagged: Candice Jarrett | Small Artists

The Bens: The Bens (EP)

It's a shame the Bens only put out a 4-track EP because this is a great super group. Ben Lee, Ben Kweller, and Shatner-producer extraordinaire, Ben Folds merge to form Voltron... errr... The Bens.

On a marketing point alone, this is great. Put together people with the same name and call the group that name (See: The Donnas). What's better is that each of these guys brings real talent to the collective. The end result is this beautiful piece of work.

Just Pretend is a sweet sounding ballad that, in my mind, harkens back to the days of radio where a few guys would huddle around a an old-timey microphone and sing. If you've seen Barenaked Ladies in the last few years, picture their acoustic interlude set.

Xfire (or Crossfire) has this weird, yet fun 80s synth pop rock sound that makes me want to pull out the day-glo.

Stop! plays with contrasting between chorus and verse, with the verses being very monotone sounding, almost flat, and then the group just kicks it up and rocks out on the chorus. It just think it helps to illustrate the fun these guys had.

Bruised Feels like a Ben Folds tune more than anything else, maybe because it features his vocals prominently. But it's a beautiful tune which states the obvious fact of "Love just leaves you bruised."

In the End: I'd love to hear more from these guys. They are oozing with talent, and it should be cultivated into something more than a measley 4-track EP. If it's all we get, GET IT. If you've ever liked any of these guys, this is must have. Otherwise, just listen and learn how a super group should be.

On the Web: Download a live track of the Bens covering the Divinyls tune, "Touch Myself" off of Mocking Music.

Technorati Tagged: The Bens | Super Groups

Aaron Brady: The Optimists

I feel like I gave Aaron the shaft last time I talked about an album of his. I know the guy and like his music but didn't want to seem that I was just praising his album because he's a buddy. I'm past that feeling now.

Aaron's latest release, The Optimists, is something I feel like I've been waiting years for. I've heard him perform some of these songs at an instore appearance last fall and heard a few more drift through his myspace page.

On Optimists, I feel like Aaron really brought his A+ game. There's a lot of heart and soul in these songs, a lot of energy, a lot of thought, and it feels like a lot of his self as well. He's crafted some great Top40 tunes (which are always key for smaller artists) as well as some deeply thoughtful tunes that show the man's talent.

I'm having a hard time limiting to "key tracks," but I'll give it a go:
What Are You Trying to Tell Me is the third track on the disc, and the first one that features him how I think he works best: acoustic; Living It Up is my hands down favourite track - it's got a great beat, fun lyrics, and is wonderfully infectious; We Don't Understand has a very percussive sound, but is so very beautiful (I get choked up a little, ok?); and The Optimists is Aaron's very "political track," as he told us before performing it last fall. Simply amazing.

In the End: This is an solid and intelligent entry into the Summer's pop-rock genre. With just a little push, this album could go from hidden gem to beloved summer rock album. Give it a listen, tell a friend. We spend all this time and money on talentless hacks, let's put some of that energy behind someone who actually has the talent to back the hype.

On the Web: Sadly, I know of no bootlegs / rarities / whatever on the web for a bonus browsing experience, but you can check out a few of the new tracks on his myspace page: myspace.com/aaronbrady.

Technorati Tagged: Aaron Brady | Best of 2006 | Small Artists

Nick Drake: Pink Moon

Everyone brandishes the term "Desert Island Disc" these days about so many albums, the phrase, I feel, has lost all meaning. I promise that I will try to use it respectfully in this and future writings, but, Nick Drake's Pink Moon needs to be on everyone's list.

What's really amazing is that the 11 tracks that come in just under 30 minutes, are more amazing than most of what's been produced in the last 10 years.

Pink Moon is from 1972, a decade when music was still music. You'll find nothing synthetic on this disc; only a musician and his guitar, my kind of music.

Music has mood. Music has emotion. Music has feeling. A guitar can convey so much without lyrics, and Drake managed to do that so well on this album. There's a certain sadness, sorrow in the notes he plays across the entire album, but it's not depressing. Just good.

Pink Moon, the title track, kicks off the album, and should be familiar to almost everyone as it has appeared in a number of commercials; Which Will has a very soothing, calming effect due to the beautiful intermingling of Drake's voice and his guitar; Know has a bluesy feel (as bluesy as you can get with one acoustic guitar) and contains only the lyrics "Know that I love you / Know I dont care / Know that I see you / Know Im not there;" and From the Morning feels as though it brings the emotion on the disc up a bit, an upbeat finish to this too-short work

In the end: This album belongs in the same pantheon of records as Zep's IV, The Beatles' Abbey Road, Dylan's Blonde on Blonde, and the Who's Who's Next. If you like music, good music, then you're missing out on something simple, pure, and beautiful.

On the Web: I'll dig up something from my archive later and post tonight.

Technorati Tagged: Nick Drake | Desert Island Discs

Guster: One Man Wrecking Machine (EP)

Local boys Guster threw out a 5 track EP, One Man Wrecking Machine, in anticipation of their forthcoming album, Ganging Up On the Sun. Is it worth the 7 bucks? Totally.

It's got a three new tracks, and two bonus tracks. The bonus stuff is worth it for the demo version of their hit Two At a Time, which has lots of fun casio keyboard effects at the beginning. The other bonus track, Good Feeling, I'm not familiar with, but it's a beautiful piece performed live.

The new tunes are:
One Man Wrecking Machine is a simple pop-rock tune. It'll need to be radio edited for airplay, but it shows how the sound of Guster has matured over the years.
Days reminds me of a number of Beatles tunes, but I'm hardpressed to come up with a name. But it's my favourite of the new tracks.
Ruby Falls is a long tune, especially for these guys, weighing in at 7 minutes. The thing that catches your attention on this tune is the emotion that the guitar is loaded with in the chorus.

In the end: If you want a cheap way to test the Guster waters, this is the way to go. If you're a fan, you should own this. Really, this is a great sampler of a great Boston band. You won't be disappointed, and it'll only cost 7 bucks. That's less than a martini and most Boston bars.

On the web: Archive.org comes to the again with 219 (and climbing) Guster bootlegs

Technorati Tagged: Boston Music | Guster

Francine: Forty on a Fall Day

Back in 2000, when I was just a wee intern at the Boston.com, I was working on the now defunct "mp3.boston.com" (don't try to go there). We tried to do what is, in theory, a wonderful idea, but in practice, was about 4 years too early. Bandwidth wasn't at the point where EVERYONE could download massive files quickly and home storage needs were just creeping into the triple digit gigabyte counts. But I digress.

A CD came across my desk, like so many others, of a local band, in this case, Francine. I gave every band a listen, even though I'd come to know that 98% of them just sucked. The harder a band tried, I noticed, the less impressive they were.

I popped the disc into my linux box at work, affectionately called oakgrove, and ripped it. What happened next gave me hope, a strong belief in local music:
Here were 16 tracks of a surf-rock nature, coming from a Boston band, and they were GOOD, with 5 out of the box, Top40-sounding-ish tunes that were fun. Needless to say, I listened to the album non-stop for a month.

My favourites include Set of Dune, which, I believe, actually has to do with someone's work on the set of the movie Dune; Trampoline, with an infectious, simple drum beat that just brings foot tapping to any party; Jet to Norway just opens with such a great guitar riff that you know you'll want to pull some air guitar; and Pop Warner, a story of taking a lady friend to a pop warner game, the song gets bonus points for lyrical reference to "Joan Jett's 82 version of 'Crimson and Clover'".

In the end: I felt this from the beginning, and continue to feel it now: This album has mass appeal. It doesn't sell out to the lowest common denominator, but even they would be hard pressed to find a track or two they don't like. Clayton Scoble's vocals compliment the feel of the music just right.

On the web: Grab this album, and their two others, at qdivision.com. Sorry, no bootlegs from them... yet.

Technorati Tagged: Boston Music | Francine

Anthony Stewart Head: Music for Elevators

For those of us who got our geek/sci-fi/horror fix from the WB in the late 90s and early 00s, the name Anthony Stewart Head conjures images of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Watcher exraoridnaire, Rupert Giles. And now you're thinking "Great, another actor who thinks he can sing."

The good news is, he can sing. The guy's got a great voice. The bad news is, however, this format is not the right venue for him.

Just shy of 70 minutes, Music, Head's vocals and George Sarah's synthetic compositions just don't blend quite right. It's really just a case of the parts being better than the whole.

Owning My Mistakes has some power to it, which gives you an idea of Head's range, but it gets lost in synthesizer hell; We Can Work It Out (a Beatles tune) is actually assembled fairly simple and haunting, but doesn't quite do the original justice; This Town in the Rain has a fun, jazzy beat which helps to make this one of the more enjoyable tunes on the disc; and Staring at the Sun (not a U2 cover) has a nice Moby-like quality which is also enjoyable.

In the End: This isn't something the average person is going to know about, or really, care about. If you're a fan, however, this is worth the purchase, strictly from a completist perspective.

On the Web: I dug up a bootleg from a few years back of Head performing at some convention:
Tony Head @ Motor City Banquet

Technorati Tagged: Anthony Stewart Head | Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Fray: How to Save A Life

Have you ever wondered what Coldplay would sound like with David Gray at the helm, all the while, bringing their sound up a few notches?

Wonder no more. I give you The Fray.

This band, from Colorado, and I believe currently based in Hell-A, blew through Boston a few months ago, and then again a few weeks ago at the WBOS Festival for the Earth. These guys put on a great, energy packed show, and are just starting to have their star rise.

That being said, let's look at the album:

Coming in at just over 45 minutes, "How to Save a Life" is a series of 12-piano driven indie-rock tunes with some punch, some heart, and a lot of enjoyment. It may not blow you away, but it will certainly impress. And, like I said, if you enjoy Coldplay or David Gray, this album's a no brainer.

She Is kicks the album off with a lot of gusto, energy, and the requiste piano-rocking. Following that is the big radio hit, Over My Head, and it sufficiently straddles pop-radio usefulness and musical integrity, which so few pop-radio tunes have. Heaven Forbid sounds frighteningly like a Coldplay tune, while something in the guitar for this song eerily reminds me of that Glen Frey tune, You belong to the City. The piano and vocals on Look After You are sweet and caring, and tug at my heart strings just a bit.

In the end: If Coldplay had matured it's sound, that name would be The Fray. Thankfully, they didn't, so we can enjoy these guys just a little bit more. Grab it off of Amazon or just go see these guys and get it signed, too.

On the web: I discovered a recording from the WBOS Earthfest back in late may, so I've converted it to MP3 and offer it to you:
The Fray: 2006-05-27 - MDC Hatch Shell, Boston, MA

Technorati Tagged: The Fray | Coldplay | Piano Rock

Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine

I had caught, on some interwebs radio station, the title track to Fiona Apple's latest, and really enjoyed the jazzy-lounge feel of the music. It evoked a feeling of Nellie McKay, and we all know how I feel about her. So I grabbed the disc, and have been very slowly digesting it for a few months now.

And my review is in: This is a great album.

The whole album, even on the fluffier-sounding tracks, has a very dark musical theme following Apple's sometimes angry, sometimes depressing lyrics. With her smokey, emotive vocals, the disc just comes together nicely.

Key tracks include the title track, Extraordinary Machine, the hip-hop-esque Tymps, Parting Gifts, which is very simple, just her and a piano, and it's absolutely beautiful, and the album closer, Waltz, a waltzy tune that just seems to bring an optimistic close to an album with such dark undercurrents.

In the End: Fiona Apple really seems to play with her instruments, either by adding more, or limiting herself to just the piano, and knows how to put them together magnificently. Being familiar with only her big radio hits, this was a pleasant, welcome, and enlightening find. If her other stuff is half as good as this disc, I may have to go drop a few bucks at Newbury Comics.

Technorati Tagged: Fiona Apple | Piano Rock

DangerDoom: Occult Hymn

At this point, anything that has "DJ Dangermouse" and "MF Doom" listed as participants is gold, 24kt gold. Just assume that, and you can't go wrong. I promise. This small collection of remixes, skits, and new tunes only adds to why these two guys rock.

The EP, really, in all its glory, pulls off two skits, 3 remixes, and 2 new songs.

The Skits: The opener features Master Shake just talking/singing over a beat. If you know ATHF, you know how much fun this guy can be. The second skit plays out like a short 40s/50s radio episode, chronicling the actions of the White Shadow trying to get DangerDoom to be a member of his crime cartel. It's a nice distraction, but would work better on a longer album.

The New Tunes: Perfect Hair II is a sequel, of sorts, to, you guessed it, Perfect Hair off of "The Mouse and the Mask." It's a mix of beats, rhymes, and spoken word, and is, perhaps, my least favourite of the tracks. Meanwhile, Korn Dogz is at the top of my list for tunes on the album. For all PH2 does wrong, KD does right. It feels like less of a throw away from the album and more that they just couldn't quite fit it, for time needs.

The Remixes: The mixes presented on this EP for the tunes release on "The Mouse and the Mask," El Chupa Nibre, Sofa King, and Space Ho's, definitely wouldn't have fit on the album, but are fun. They all have a certain ... 70's game show sound/feel. I know that's a real odd way to describe them, but, none the less, that's exactly how I would describe them.

In the End: This is a great album, but, really, only for those of you who are already fans of "Mask." If you've not heard that disc, this may feel a little disjointed and unimpressive.

On the Web: Download the album for free and LEGALLY from Cartoon Network: Occult Hymn.

Technorati Tagged: MF Doom | Dangermouse | Cartoon Network

Glen Phillips: Mr. Lemons

Glen Phillips, of Winter Pays for Summer fame, has returned to us with collection of 11 new songs, and all I have to say is: Thank the Gods.

Phillips, as you may recall was part of the The Weekly Review Traveling Road Show, which I happened to catch last fall. His brand of acousti-rock mixed with his vocal stylings help to bring Mr. Lemons from "just another release" to "great new album."

All that being said, the album does slow down a bit from his last one, but in this case, it is not a bad thing. Especially when Phillips gets to I Want a New Drug. Yes. *THAT* song. Glen's cover of the Huey Lewis and the News tune is inventive, enjoyable, and imaginative, giving an old tune new life.

Outside of sweet 80s pop-music covers, Glen's own Everything But You" leads off the album on the right foot, with an up-tempo, head-boppin' feel. The song really hooks you, and after it, you're more willing to take the musical ride Phillips creates for you.

Last Sunset is a wonderful tune with fellow Road Shower, Kim Richey, preaching the virtues of slowing down as this may be "our last sunset." You can't disagree with them, doubly so with the instrumental and lyrical simplicity they use to convey the message.

Also worth a listen, Waiting, The Next Day.

In the end: This is the guy's third album away from Toad the Wet Sprocket, and it really feels like he's just getting warmed up. If that's the case, he's got brighter horizons ahead of him. Pick this up, enjoy, and be happy in the knowledge you're supporting GOOD music.

On the Web: Live, legal bootlegs of Glen Phillips

Technorati Tagged: Glen Phillips | Toad the Wet Sprocket | archive.org

Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope

As seems to be the pattern these days, I picked up on this disc thanks to the almight power of the interwebs. One of the many music blogs I subscribe to had a few tracks by Ms. Spektor, and something about the tune "Us" caught my ear and my interest.

The lovely Regina has a sweet, slightly raspy voice that works with the electronic, rock, and softer piano that all accompany her on the album. At points, she almost channels aspects of Bjork, which, in this case, is *NOT* bad.

Fidelity, On the Radio, That Time, and Summer in the City are must-listen-to tracks off of Begin to Hope.

In the end: Any artist who has come out of no where to become a daily listen for me has got to have some skill, if I do say so myself. I've not picked up any other albums yet, but if this is any indication, I'll happily plunk more money down for her stuff.

On the Web: A few tracks are still available for download off of Good Weather for an Airstrike, including On the Radio, Summer in the City, and a great remix of Us.

Technorati Tagged: Regina Spektor | Piano Rock