Found in the Shuffle: Tweaker - "Movement of Fear"

Song: Movement of Fear
Artist: Tweaker
Album: 2 a.m. Wakeup Call

Chris Vrenna's cover of Tones on Tails' "Movement of Fear" starts off like fairly typical darker-than-thou swill, but cooks into a densely orchestrated stew of sound by the end of the song. This one's a fine treat.

Review: Mingering Mike - Super Gold Greatest Hits

Label: eMusic

Released: June 17, 2008

DIY is a term often associated with punk rock, not soul, but soul artist Mingering Mike embodies that ethic as well if not better than the most serious punk purist. Super Gold Greatest Hits is a homemade album of Mike's soul songs recorded with only vocals and percussion (which amounts to whatever was around when he made these home tapes). To boot, he made these recordings in the late 60s, well before underground rock established the trend of bypassing traditional models in order to get your music out. Does Mingering Mike hold up next to his great contemporaries like Marvin Gaye? Of course not, but he doesn't have to. Mike's creativity is actually heightened by the limitations of his methods.

Interestingly enough, if there's any album to which I'd compare Super Gold Greatest Hits, it's Fugazi-bassist Joe Lally's There to Here. It's not that they sound the same, but they share a minimalist approach and a sense of understated soul that's ready to explode. So, while Mingering Mike's style is more along the lines of Motown, his heart is more in line with Dischord. The message of both is simple: If you want to make music, just do it.

There's nothing on here that's on par with "What's Going On," but Mingering Mike does have the power of soul mixed with the everyman nature of folk music that makes it clear that not only listening, but creating can be done by anyone. It's a tough listen in a lot of ways, but its creative and inspirational qualities make it worth the effort.

Ratings
Satriani: 4/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Caesars - Strawberry Weed

Label: Astralwerks

Released: August 19, 2008

From the opening seconds of Strawberry Weed, Caesars make it clear that they're not afraid to make noise. Committed to the mod tradition of the Who, they are loud, abrasive and willing to run wild, yet they never lose their raw pop sense. They tap into that point in rock history when bands realized they should play really loud before the equipment was ready for it. The music here is loud, but in anything other than a hard rock way.

Caesars beat bubblegum pop over the head with the title track and "Boo Boo Go Goo." They hit up garagey R&B on "Turn It Off" and go for the psych out on "Crystal." Even the brit pop leanings of the album's last few tracks ride on straightforward rhythms and rough-hewn energy.

Strawberry Weed embodies rock n roll's perfection of imperfection. If you have any wildness in your heart, this will appeal to you. It isn't about revolution or even rebellion, just about a desire to break out and be free.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Joe Jackson - Live 1980/86

Label: A&M

Released: 1988

In the liner notes of this album, Joe Jackson writes perhaps the best case for this album's greatness:

"I've always had two stubborn rules about playing live. Firstly, no matter how small the audience, how bad the acoustics, how smelly the dressing room, etc, every show is important. It's possible to play to about a dozen people throwing garbage and still be called back for an encore. Secondly, play what you want to play....My theory was that if I could still get excited about what I was doing, the audience could get excited about it too, even if it wasn't quite what they'd expected. After all, they could always go home and play the records."

Those words, it seems to me, should be the mission statement of all live performances and any live album worth the vinyl it's pressed on should convey that.

On Live 1980/86, Joe Jackson lives up to those goals entirely. Ranging from edgy new wave to reggae-infused rock to jazz and all things in between, Jackson is never short of the best a performer can offer. Whether he's angry, upbeat, sarcastic or melancholy, he shares that entirely with the audience. These shows are important and as a result, so is the album.

Jackson's performances span styles and bands (all of them top-notch, by the way), but nothing shows his desire to change things up and play what he wants to play, how he wants to play it, better than the three (count them, three) versions of "Is She Really Going Out With Him." The most mundane version here clocks in at over six minutes (almost twice as long as the studio version). The a capella version gives me chills. This is his best-known tune, the one everyone wants to hear whether they're a diehard fan or not, but he does it his way and succeeds in a way you have to hear to believe.

Often, live shows don't live up to their potential. Bands play the same set over and over. They fail to mix anything up to make the performance unique. Joe Jackson doesn't have these problems and the fact that it's clear on an album makes that album one of the greatest live recordings of all time and absolutely essential listening for everyone.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 10/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

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Found in the Shuffle: Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman"

Song: Black Magic Woman
Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Album: The Pious Bird of Good Omen

I never knew this was a Fleetwood Mac song before it was a Santana song. The Mac's version is dark and bluesy, kind of like "House of the Rising Sun." It's different than Santana's version, but it's equally as good.

Found in the Shuffle: Angry Samoans - "I Lost (My Mind)"

Song: I Lost (My Mind)
Artist: Angry Samoans
Album: STP Not LSD

The Angry Samoans are best remembered for the silly manic punk tirades of their first couple of albums, but they released an EP and an LP of cool, fun psych/garage/punk albums in the mid-to-late 80s that often get overlooked. This one comes from 1988's STP Not LSD which, for all of its lo-fi bumps and bruises, is my favorite of their albums. It's not pretty, but oddly perfect.

Review: Canine 10 - Don't Be Boring

Label: self-released

Released: 2008

Ah, pop punk the way it was meant to be played. No sappy, whiny singer fronting a band with all the punch of Muzak. No songs by a band more interested in posing as "sensitive guys" than in expressing discontent. No boring, fake sentiments. No calculations to "make it." Yeah, Canine 10 is the real deal. Infectious from the first seconds of "Sorry, Sorry" (the album's catchiest and best song), Don't Be Boring keeps punk's pop roots as well as its frantic edginess. The album does borrow significantly from the Buzzcocks (and the Adverts and Vibrators when they scale back the hooks a bit), but like their punk rock mentors, they represent a vision of punk disaffectedness that isn't overtly angry so much as it is sarcastic...and fun.

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

Label: SideOneDummy Records

Released: August 19, 2008

Finally, someone has married punk with Springsteen. On one hand, it seems like a daunting task and on another like something that should have been done long ago. Springsteen is, after all, one of rock's biggest artists, racking up bazillions in album sales and selling out arenas the world over. There's not much punk rock in that. However, he's gotten there by writing everyman songs and simple poetry that break down class barriers. He may be rich beyond belief now, but he has a working man's heart. Sure, he's become too much of an adult artist and it's been years since he's made an album worthy of the name he established 30 years ago, but that's all the better reason for the Gaslight Anthem re-energize his legacy.

The '59 Sound is a thoroughly punk rock album with tinges of rockabilly and Americana, but it also finds Springsteen in its heart. Part of that is the songwriting and another part is the vocal delivery, but it goes deeper. It even goes beyond their ability to capture both the bombast of "Born to Run" as well as the intimacy of "I'm on Fire." The Gaslight Anthem has that same strange ability to be poet to the rest of us, to turn clichés into truths. They connect, no matter who you are, so long as you have a heart that's ever been restless or broken.

With The '59 Sound, the Gaslight Anthem opened two doors: They opened punk rock up to Springsteen in a way that is free of adult-oriented, arena-playing rock stardom. They've also opened up a new channel for those Springsteen fans interested in more than just nostalgia. This is not an album that finds some small patch of common ground, but a plot so huge, it's amazing no one's discovered it yet.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Brooke Fraser - Albertine

Label: Wood & Bone

Released: May 27, 2008

I'm not going to write a record review of Albertine. If I were, the review would be short and sharp: generic Christian adult-oriented pop, blah blah blah, whatever.

But there's something great about this album that I can't dismiss with a handful of snarky words and superficial judgments. So instead of writing a review of Albertine, I'm writing a reaction. My reaction isn't to the music, but rather to the story behind the music. Specifically, to the story behind the song "Albertine."

On its surface, "Albertine" is a song about a tall and beautiful girl who survived the Rwandan genocide. That's what the liner notes say, so it must be true, right? But when you dig down and really think about the words that Brooke Fraser sings, and the experiences she describes that inspired those words, you realize this song is about much more than a tall and beautiful girl who survived one of the most horrible crimes that has happened in our lifetimes.

"Albertine" is a song about choices. It's a song about opening your eyes and possessing the courage to truly see your surroundings, even if -- especially if -- your surroundings are scary.

"Albertine" is a song about faith, and how once you have faith, it's impossible to believe that faith without deeds is sufficient.

Bob Vinyl was originally going to write this review. I think he would've written something really good, but I stole the CD from him and told him I wanted to write this one. I wanted to write about Albertine because Bob (and Brooke) is a Christian and I'm not. I wanted to write it because I don't have faith in the same things that give Brooke (and Bob) faith. I have faith, it's just different than theirs.

I wanted to write this review because, when Brooke wrote "Faith without deeds is dead," she wrote one of the most truthful and powerful statements about faith that I've ever read. And that's why I don't care that I don't like the music on this CD. Music only lasts for a few minutes, but faith is something that you carry with you your entire life. And the idea that faith without deeds is dead... well, that's an idea that I'm going to carry with me for a long time.

On its surface, "Albertine" is a song about a tall and beautiful girl who survived the Rwandan genocide. Really, though, it's a song about a whole lot more. Really, it's a song about faith, it's a song about hope, it's a song about love... and it's a song about deeds.

(If you want to learn a little bit more about the stories behind "Albertine," start by renting Hotel Rwanda and Sometimes In April. After you've sat through those, try reading Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak or Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on faith and/or deeds afterwards.)

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10 (Again, this is my reaction to the album, not a review of the album.)

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Review: New York Dolls - Live at the Fillmore East

Label: Sony BMG

Released: May 27, 2008

Live at the Fillmore East was recorded only a little over a month before I saw the Dolls play in Baltimore, so I had a good idea of the potential this release had. Despite my feelings about One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, I found the show to be warm, exciting and just plain fun. The question wasn't whether the Dolls were good live, but whether they could be captured on the album.

If Live at the Fillmore East has a fault, it's brevity. The album has only 10 tracks culled from two shows. They rely heavily on their first (and best) record while only taking two a piece from its follow-up and their reunion album. For those who found One Day It Will Please Us... refreshing, it may be a bit disappointing to miss "Fishnets & Cigarettes" or "Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano" and even I was a bit disappointed that the focus here was on the past. Nonetheless, the Dolls don't sound like old men here. They're excited and energetic and the album captures a good bit of the warmth they exude in their live show. Sure, much of the funny banter is missing (Sylvain is pretty funny), but human beauty (yeah, they're beautiful in their own way) is still there. The dedication of "Lonely Planet Boy" to Johnny Thunders is touching even (or as touching as a bunch of old punks can be).

Like any live album, this is no substitute for seeing the real thing, so get out there and catch these guys while you can. In the meantime though, Live at the Fillmore East should hold you over. And if you've already seen them, it serves as a great memory.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Moving Mountains on tour

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollface)
Moving Mountains is currently touring to support their fantastic Pneuma album.

JUN 21 - Yorktown Heights, NY @ First Presbyterian Church,
JUN 25 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft (Chance Theater)
JUN 29 - New York, NY @ The Mercury Lounge
JUL 11 - Croton-On-Hudson, NY @ The Black Cow
JUL 18 - Bellows Falls, VT @ Kyle's House
JUL 19 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey Bar
JUL 21 - Yonkers, NY @ The Haunt
JUL 23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Galapagos Art Space
JUL 24 - Worcester, MA @ Tammany Hall
JUL 25 - Peekskill, NY @ Peekskill Elks Lodge
JUL 28 - Washington, PA @ Citizens Library
JUL 29 - Bath, PA @ Brenda And Jerrys
JUL 30 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
JUL 31 - Trenton, NJ @ Mill Hill Basement
AUG 01 - New York, NY @ Fontanas
AUG 02 - Boston, MA @ The Middle East
AUG 03 - Torrington, CT @ Club Serenity
AUG 24 - Williamsburg, NY @ The Trash Bar
AUG 29 - New York, NY @ The Lit Lounge

Daily Updates

Video: Thomas Function - "Filthy Flowers"

Check out "Filthy Flowers" from Thomas Function's self-titled debut on Alive Naturalsound Records.

The Monocles - Out of Your Mind

Label: Loose Recs

Released: 2008

The Monocles tap into punk circa 1977 or so. Their songs consist of a single driving layer of frenetic energy, each of the three musicians moving in a single and deliberate direction at the same quick pace. Hey, it worked for the Adverts, right? And it works for the Monocles too, 30 plus years later. While none of the songs on Out of Your Mind blaze a new trail in punk rock, each effectively conveys the dissatisfied state of disaffected youth for which punk has long been known. And it's fun to boot!

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Dead Man - Euphoria

Label: Crusher Records

Released: May 5, 2008

For outsiders, prog rock really seems like a limited genre full of musicians whose musical narcisism takes center stage, relegating things like hooks, emotion and all things rock n roll to the background. That may be true to some extent, but prog has also expanded rock's palette in many ways. A band like Emerson, Lake and Palmer is heavy on the classical, while King Crimson incorporates angular jazz and Mahavishnu Orchestra is as much a fusion band as a rock band. Jethro Tull stamps their prog with a heavy gothic brand. Voi Vod puts prog in a fast and heavy format and the Mars Volta even approaches their music from a hardcore background. The really great thing about Dead Man's Euphoria is that it brings many of the things these bands did individually into a single package (okay, not the hardcore bit) and even add touches of hard rock and jam band folk (a lá the Grateful Dead). They are thoroughly a prog band, yet it is difficult to pin down just one or two influences.

The album is a dynamic ride with surprises around each corner. Occasionally, those surprises aren't so great (like when "Footsteps" had me thinking about fairies and wizards), but generally they keep the album out of the stagnation that plagues so many complex, technical bands. As a matter of fact, the playing on Euphoria is often quite understated, letting the music stand on its own rather than as a vehicle to show off the bandmembers' chops. The vocals, by prog standards at least, are flat at times, but it gives the album an earthiness that escapes many of its genre-mates. None of this makes the music any less grand. In fact, it comes across nearly as big as the classics of the genre. Dead Man doesn't transcend prog itself, nor do they extend its boundaries (except perhaps on the very country, yet very fitting "A Pinch of Salt"), but they do manage to add another album to the must have list of the world's thousands of prog rock fans. While it might be hiding behind many of the musical turns on the album, Euphoria does manage to put the rock in prog rock.

Ratings:
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Shuteye Unison

Label: Parks and Records

Released: Spring/Summer 2008

About six or seven years ago, I bought a 7" on whim. It was only a few bucks and on colored vinyl, so I couldn't go wrong. Still nothing prepared me for what I was about to hear. That 7" was Rum Diary's Mileage EP and the title song so rejuvenated my interest in music that I began buying more music based on wild guesses than on research. I even bought an extra copy (just in case, you never know). The promise of that little EP was tremendous, but, despite several really good albums, Rum Diary never fully delivered on that promise until 2005's We're Afraid of Heights Tonight...and then they broke up.

Needless to say the reunion of Rum Diary's Jon Fee and Daniel Mackenzie in Shuteye Unison was ripe with excitement for me. After all, it was going to be another chance to hear one of those beautiful unknowns. But time had past and the lineup had changed, so how would Shuteye Unison fit into the legacy?

Shuteye Unison shares Rum Diary's ambling indie approach with wild movement beneath the surface. It's full of odd time signatures and layers that work as counterpoint to each other, giving the album a very non-pop buoyancy and driving it into post-something/anything territory.

The album is flexible on many levels. It's complicated enough to be dissected if you're so disposed, but can just as easily be experienced as a passive ride. It's broad and expansive, yet simultaneously intimate. It is every bit as complicated as you want it to be, yet no more so than you'd like (no matter where you choose to draw that line). Shuteye Unison is one of those rare bands that seems poised for film scoring. They capture moods without being focused on hooks or cleverness. It's not a riff, but a feeling that this album burns into your brain.

So, does Shuteye Unison deliver on the promise of Rum Diary, embodied in that little EP I bought years ago? Yes, absolutely. But more importantly, it makes new promises, not tied to its roots, but to its wide open future.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Found in the Shuffle: Aerosmith - "Love in an Elevator" and Fugazi - "Shut the Door"

Song: Love in an Elevator / Shut the Door
Artist: Aerosmith / Fugazi
Album: Pump / Repeater

I'm not a Fugazi fan, but it's amazing how good "Shut the Door" sounds after enduring the first 27 seconds of "Love in an Elevator."

Chemical Brothers announce Brotherhood

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS ANNOUNCE BEST OF COLLECTION "BROTHERHOOD" RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 2

NEW DIGITAL SINGLE: "MIDNIGHT MADNESS" RELEASED ON AUGUST 19

Following their fifth consecutive UK number 1 album last year, the GRAMMY® award winning We Are The Night (Best Electronic/Dance Album), The Chemical Brothers return with Brotherhood a Best Of collection with a kick and a twist, set for release on September 2, 2008.

In a career that to date has spanned 13 years and accrued 9 million record sales Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have established themselves as true pioneers of electronic music and as The Chemical Brothers they have become one of the most popular dance acts of all time. Now seems the perfect time to take stock of their seminal output with the double disc celebration that is Brotherhood.

Brotherhood comprises 2 discs, the first is a collection of 13 undeniable benchmark singles from the band's immense back catalogue and new track "Keep My Composure" which features the shimmering flow of Baltimore’s Spank Rock.

The 2nd disc will feature exclusively Electronic Battle Weapons 1-10. Since 1996 Electronic Battle Weapons have acted as the laboratories for The Chems devious musical experiments and laid the rhythmic and melodic foundations for numerous tracks as well as providing some of the duos most formidable mixes. Until now Electronic Battle Weapons 1-9 have only been available on various limited formats and this is the first time they have been widely available.

Brotherhood will be preceded by the digital single "Midnight Madness", the full-length of which will be included on Disc 2. Derived and developed from Electronic Battle Weapon 10 "Midnight Madness" is The Chemical Brothers at their most infectious, euphoric, report to the dancefloor best.

TRACKLISTING:

DISC 1
01. Galvanize
02. Hey Boy Hey Girl
03. Block Rockin' Beats
04. Do It Again
05. Believe
06. Star Guitar
07. Let Forever Be (Featuring Noel Gallagher)
08. Leave Home
09. Keep My Composure (Featuring Spank Rock)
10. Saturate
11. Out Of Control
12. The Golden Path – (Featuring The Flaming Lips)
13. Setting Sun – (Featuring Noel Gallagher)
14. Chemical Beats

DISC 2
1-10 Electronic Battle Weapons

The Chemical Brothers will be bringing their iridescent live show throughout the European festival circuit and then to London’s Olympia for their biggest ever headline show in the UK capitol.

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Review: Means - To Keep Me From Sinking

Label: Facedown Records

Released: May 27, 2008

The metallic hardcore that Means offer on To Keep Me From Sinking has had a lot of practitioners over the last two decades or so and as expected, some do it better than others. The better bands are either tighter, more intense or occasionally even more creative. Means can compete with the best hardcore has to offer on technical skill and they leverage that in a cohesive way. The album may not have non-stop intensity, but when they kick in full force, they're a force to be reckoned with. It's really their creativity that sets them apart though.

Sure, Dylan Johnstone spends a little too much time growling and some of the riffs are common fare for the genre, but a lot of times they break free of the standard hardcore moorings. Their ability to incorporate melodic lines into the hardest hitting sections and to alter the pace seemlessly is remarkable. Even "Steadily," the album's ballad fits perfectly into place. Means manages to add delicacy without compromising (even if it occasionally strays a bit close to emo land) and they make a great case for hardcore being a living, breathing, changing genre.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Take It Back - Can't Fight Robots

Label: Facedown Records

Released: June 24, 2008

Can't Fight Robots, the debut album from Arkansas' Take It Back, finds a good mix between crunch and melody. It draws heavily on bands that defined the punk rock of the 90s like Pennywise and (ironically) Bad Religion and thickens that sound up with more hardcore tendencies. The vocals have a gritty power and the frequent addition of backing vocals outside of the choruses makes for quite a few singalong moments. The guitars might be a little too clean, but their melodic lines are the source of much of the album's catchiness.

Take It Back takes a few chances on the album. The slow churn of "A Struggle to Stay Standing" exhibits their ability to drive home the point just as much as its faster counterparts. The arena-leaning keyboard part in "Together Burning Bright" and a decidedly non-hardcore guitar riff and piano part in "Lights in This Town" both take a stroll outside the walls that have been constructed over the last 20+ years. Often when bands take these little walks, they seem forced, as if they're embarrassed to be who they are, but Take It Back seem to be simply following their muse where it leads them. They keep the energy level high across the album, but these little things provide enough variance to avoid being one-dimensional.

Perhaps Take It Back's biggest strength is their ability to create both hooks and sentiments that stick with you. This isn't fluffy pop-punk by a long stretch, yet the songs are as catchy as they are aggressive and the message is positive. They've created an album that's inviting because of its emotions, not in spite of them. Can't Fight Robots leaves us with these words in the final track, "Fill us with passion and burning desire, hearts that are holy." I think the band's prayers have already been answered.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Bret Michaels - Rock My World

Label: VH1 Classics

Released: June 3, 2008

Bret Michaels' stupid reality show (I guess it's redundant to call reality tv stupid) takes its name from the shallow lyrics of Rock My World's opening track, "Go That Far." Frankly, bad as it is, it's still the best this album has to offer. From there, it's all downhill into a series of rock clichés (did he really sing, "Gave her a diamond ring, now I want it back / Besides she sucked in the sack?"), ballads duller than the ones he did in Poison and failed attempts at expanding into other styles (I didn't need Bret's take on power-pop or country rock). Even the song he named after his daughter is about as emotionally honest as a lap dance.

Poison was simple and shallow. But in a simple, shallow genre, they stood out. Why? Perhaps they were more fun. Maybe their hooks were better. I don't know, but after listening to Rock My World, I'm pretty sure Mr Michaels didn't have much to do with it. This is supposedly the best tracks from his last two releases with three new songs thrown in. That means that his very best efforts from the last five years still add up to crap. It looks like romance isn't the only train wreck in his life.

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 1/10
Aretha: 1/10
Overall: 1/10

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Review: Dead Leaf Echo - Pale Fire

Label: self-released

Released: 2008

Dead Leaf Echo offers up layers of heavy reverb, subtle, fluid rhythms and ambling, mopey vocals in the true shoegazing tradition. At times, they find interesting ways to get the vocals to work in concert with the rhythms and it's strikingly good. They don't get there consistently, but when they do, they really shine.

The fuzzy punch at the end of "Thought Talk" explodes out of the song's quiet, changing the energy without changing the song. Pale Fire's title track is reminiscent of U2's "Out of Control," only pushed to the extreme. "Reflex Motion" taps into the carefully constructed moods of late Joy Division.

Dead Leaf Echo ambles through echoy, fluid and darkly trippy songs that give a strong nod to 80s guitar and noise pop and occasionally find some of the same ambient ground that Radiohead did in their mid-90s prime (albeit by a somewhat different route). Pale Fire is an album focused on flow, not hooks, and its charms take time to sink through the density of the sound. Be patient though, because the mood that comes with the album is quite vivid in its best moments.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Shin Jin Rui - Zutiqua

Label: Ex Libris Records

Released: April 14, 2008

With a lot of bands, it's fairly easy to discern their influences and use those influences to describe the band's sound. I could try that with Shin Jin Rui. At times I hear Gang of Four and at others the Stooges. Sometimes the Fall, Syd-era Pink Floyd, the Velvet Underground, Ziggy-era Bowie. I hear the Kinks, Flipper, Meat Puppets and the Talking Heads. I even heard a hint of the Clash at one point. Do you get the picture yet? I didn't think so.

What Shin Jin Rui does on Zutiqua is draw on just about every raw and wild rock n roll influence of the last 40 or so years and roll it into their own brand of cacophony that is under constant threat of disintegration, yet always manages to hold itself together. The album walks that fine line between live energy and studio sound successfully and that's a considerable achievement. Most importantly, there is a madness that runs throughout. It's not a dark and brooding madness, but more of the likable, happy-go-lucky madness of the Cheshire Cat. I just hope Shin Jin Rui doesn't disappear.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Thao with the Get Down Stay Down headlining tour dates announced

July 2008
19 - Columbus, OH @ Milo
20 - Newport, KY @ Northside Tavern - w/ Tune Yard
22 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway - w/ Tune Yard
23 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews - w/ Tune Yard
24 - Denver, CO @ Hi Dive - w/ Tune Yard
25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court - w/ Tune Yard
26 - Stanley, ID @ Pioneer Park
29 - Portland, OR @ Holocene - w/ Horse Feathers, Harper Simon
31 - San Francisco, CA @ Independent - w/ Horse Feathers
August 2008
1 - Irvine, CA @ Phoenix Grille @ UC Irvine - w/ Horse Feathers
2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour - w/ Horse Feathers
3 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah - w/ Horse Feathers
4 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture - w/ Horse Feathers
5 - Lubbock, TX @ Bash Riprock's - w/ Horse Feathers
6 - Austin, TX @ Emo's - w/ Horse Feathers
7 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada - w/ Horse Feathers
8 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline
9 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline
11 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg
12 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg
13 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg
14 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat - w/ David Schultz and the Skyline, Pepi Ginsberg

Thao, who released her much acclaimed Kill Rock Stars debut - We Brave Bee Stings and All - in January, is on a serious roll. She and her band, the Get Down Stay Down, have been on tour since March traversing the U.S. and Europe with such artists as Xiu Xiu and Rilo Kiley. They have had heavy support from NPR, KEXP, Interview, Washington Post, Brooklyn Vegan, etc . Thao's latest video for the single "Bag of Hammers" was recently featured on the front page of YouTube.

Review: Switches - Lay Down the Law

Label: Interscope Records

Released: March 18, 2008

Lay Down the Law is a collection of songs that is perfectly good in the moment. Their catchy 80s power-pop (filtered through more recent times via the Strokes) is pleasant enough, but it can't hold on to what it's caught. Even after multiple listens, there isn't a single melody here that sticks with me. Switches are the kind of crafty yet middling band that could probably play in any genre, yet truly succeed in none.

They have some very good moments like the vocal interplay on "Need to Be Needed," but more often they're simply shallow. "Drama Queen" is Switches taking on the Stones' awkward attempt at new wave a la Some Girls/Emotional Rescue. It's appropriate, because, like the Stones of that era, Switches are just plugging their songs into the genre-of-the-month. They try to plug in some credibility and edginess as well with a few drug references, but it's very superficial and disingenuous, just reinforcing how light the band really is. Lay Down the Law is just another example of how craft without heart is the perfect recipe for bad rock n roll.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 2/10
Overall: 4/10

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Review: The Briggs - Come All You Madmen

Label: SideOneDummy Records

Released: June 17, 2008

When British punk got into the hands of working class kids in the late 70s who married its anger to pub singalongs and soccer chants, Oi was born. It is a thoroughly British (okay, the Irish can pull it off also) phenomenon that American bands have had a hard time copying. Being able to trust the band is perhaps more important in punk rock than in any other genre and any questions raised about credibility or honesty can be tough to overcome. The Briggs music is so tightly tied to Oi that it's hard to separate the two. Because the band is from L.A. (and even sings an ode to their hometown on this album), it instantly raises the question of whether their music is true or just posturing.

Over the first half of Come All You Madmen, the Briggs churn out their energetic and infectious anthems. The songs, in fact, are so likable that I found it every bit as difficult to dismiss them as I did to buy into the Oi shtick. However, the second half of the album takes a very different tone. Musically, it's not quite as exciting, but lyrically it rings true. "Oblivion" and "Final Words" in particular have a sense of mortality and repentance that are human and genuine. True, the hooks aren't there down the backstretch, but this is the part I needed to hear to make the album one I could believe. Going back for a second listen, even their pub singalong about Los Angeles seems on the money.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Found in the Shuffle: Dashboard Confessional - "Dusk and Summer"

Song: Dusk and Summer
Artist: Dashboard Confessional
Album: Dusk and Summer

"Dusk and Summer" makes me feel how I felt during the summer between 6th and 7th grades, when I would sit in the front yard and stare at thousands of stars in the night sky and listen to "Don't Stop Believing" and dream of what it would feel like to be in love long enough to earn a broken heart.

Review: The Offspring - Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

Label: Columbia Records

Released: June 17, 2008

Punk rock made its way out of seedy clubs and into arenas over a decade ago, but that didn't always mean that the bands who made it just turned on the commercial rock and abandoned their roots. Green Day, perhaps the genre's biggest success story (unless you consider Nirvana punk), still really plays classic punk even on the ambitious American Idiot. They never really became a commercial rock band even if their music had become commercially viable. The Offspring, on the other hand, perhaps just by virtue of employing Bob Rock, have become a much slicker version of their former selves, evolving into something that might be called punk arena rock.

That leaves a serious question to be answered: Did they become more slick than punk? AOR-ish leads and choruses on songs like "You're Gonna Go Far Kid" and a couple power ballads (I had to skip through "Kristy, Are You Doing OK?") certainly point toward answering yes to that question. Still, those mersh moments aren't that prevalent through most of the album. Instead, they manage to meet Mr Rock's vision of rock n roll perfection (flawed as it is) without selling their soul entirely. Sure, it'd be better unadulterated, but if it has to be prettied up, this doesn't fall into the worst of the pitfalls. It's still more Offspring than Bob Rock and in the end that is the album's limited redemption. In their prime, the Offspring were more lucky than great, but entirely listenable. They're still listenable though even less essential now, but, a few real stinkers aside, they're also still kinda fun.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 5/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Found in the Shuffle: Blues Traveler - "Fallible"

Song: Fallible
Artist: Blues Traveler
Album: Four

If someone plays a wanker guitar solo on a harmonica, is it still a wanker solo?

Review: Spitfire - Cult Fiction

Label: Goodfellow Records

Released: April 29, 2008

There are two kinds of anger: one based on love and one based on hate. I've always found myself more attracted to the former. New Model Army's fury on "I Love the World" has always seemed both fuller and deeper than something along the lines of the Circle Jerks' "World Up My Ass." With that in mind, one look at the cover of Cult Fiction made it clear that it was going to be angry, but what type of anger would it be?

Spitfire convey themselves via a dynamic mix of brutal, churning hardcore and disturbing psychedelic passages. The breaks in heaviness never let up on the album's intensity though. In fact, it is the ability to change the pace and feel and intertwine the the elements (often with guttural screams running through the trippiness) that makes Cult Fiction such an emotional ride. It is an album for a world at war, a war both within ourselves and with others, an epic struggle between good and evil. For all of its extremes, this one is all about love though. The love of one who would lay down his life for his neighbor. The love that's angry about the world gone awry. The love that will fight rather than submit to despair.

Back in 1968, Peter Scholtes wrote a song called "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love" that expresses an ideal that dates back to the earliest days of Christianity. I thought of it when I learned after the fact that Spitfire was a Christian band. So much of the complaint about hypocrisy within Christianity has to do with this ideal being forgotten by many. But Spitfire has not forgotten. Mind you, their love is not nice, it's angry, it's downright furious, but it is indeed love and, on this record, it seems boundless.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

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DVD: Control

Label: The Miriam Collection

Released: June 3, 2008

As a long time Joy Division fan, I was very interested in Control. Ian Curtis is one of those enigmatic, sad characters whose mystery was deepened by an early demise. Because the film was based on his wife's memoir, I hoped it would provide insight into why Curtis burned so brightly and briefly, changing the face of rock music without even having the time to know that he had. Control proved to be all that I hoped...and then some.

As a film, it is nothing short of brilliant. Filmed entirely in black & white, the sharp shadows and stark scenes reflect both Joy Division's music and the suburb of Manchester from which they hailed (or at least Curtis' view of it). The depth of field is kept narrow throughout, reinforcing both the hollowness and the humanity of the story. There is an understated richness to Control's minimalism that mirrors Joy Division's music. The cinematography alone makes the film worthwhile, easing even those not familiar with Joy Division into the story. The dialog and acting is never gratuitous, allowing the drama of the story itself to find full fruition. Anton Corbijn has made a film that transcends the "rock movie" genre. Control stands on its own.

The fact that it is based on Debbie Curtis' story certainly raises some questions about the validity of the film's conclusions. The fact that this story doesn't vilify Ian Curtis though, should dispel those doubts. That's not to say that Curtis isn't a villain, just that the facts play that out more than Debbie Curtis' telling of them. The fact is that he abandoned his wife and child for a rock band and a girlfriend. Did he really come home, look down at his smiling daughter and just walk away? Maybe not, but that at worst is a bit of dramatic license that illustrates what he really did. Ian Curtis made one fatal mistake: He thought life should imitate art, not the other way around. He paid for that with his life and Debbie and Natalie paid for it with their husband and father. Annick, Curtis' girlfriend, paid for it with her 15 minutes of fame.

Having spent years with Joy Division, the movie may have ended my days with their music. My "Love Will Tear Us Apart" subway poster may never go back up on my wall. The movie is that good. The music is still amazing, but now I see that the human cost was just too great.

Rating: 10/10

Found in the Shuffle: Grateful Dead - "Dire Wolf"

Song: Dire Wolf
Artist: Grateful Dead
Album: Workingman's Dead

"Dire Wolf" finds the Dead at their best. The song's country-flavored, laid-back lunacy is the combination of their unique and distinctly American music and Robert Hunter's great gift with words. It's really cool how the story can exist on many levels.

Interview: Trever Keith

Trever Keith has worn many hats over the years. His band, Face to Face, was one of the best pop punk bands of the 90s and 00s. He mashed up punk and hip-hop with Legion of Doom. He even runs his own record label. I recently had the chance to get some of Trever's insights into all the facets of music that he touches.

RnRnMN: Face to Face has recently done some reunion shows. How has the response been? What's it like being reunited after five years apart?

TK: The response has been overwhelming. Such an amazing vibe coming back from the live audiences. It's like nothing we've ever experienced.

RnRnMN: You've played a number of roles over the course of your musical career: band member, producer, mash-ups, solo artist, label owner, etc. What are the ups and downs of each?

TK: The job descriptions that require creativity are the most rewarding (band member, solo artist, producer, etc) because even if they don't ultimately pay much, they are satisfying in their own right. The flipside is that criticism feels personal.

Owning a label is a lot like work. I pretty much hate it and I'm not sure how much longer I will continue to do it.

RnRnMN: You chose to release Melancholics Anonymous digitally. What went into that decision? Will the album ever have a hard-copy release?

TK: The "release" of Melancholics Anonymous is really not official. I look at it as more of a pre-release. I wanted to get the music out there to the fans first. Making it available digitally via my website allowed me to do that almost immediately after it was completed. I did also press up 1,000 hand numbered and signed limited edition CDs which I sold out on the road at the shows.

I plan a more official release of the CD with new artwork etc and most likely some bonus material.

RnRnMN: The price of digital music seems to vary widely. iTunes and Rhapsody want $0.89 a track (making a whole album the same price as buying a CD); A lot of digital releases fall into the $8-10 range; Radiohead let fans pick their price; some give it away for free. You're selling the new album for $5. How did you come up with that
price in a market that seems to have no real pricing standard?

TK: It seemed a fair price to me. I just asked myself what I would be comfortable paying for a download-able album.

RnRnMN: I was surprised that Melancholics didn't have a real pop-punk sound. Instead, you seemed to delve more into Brit pop influences. Was there anything you were listening to a lot of as you wrote the album that influenced its sound?

TK: I've been a long time fan of bands like The Smiths, The Cure, The Psychedelic Furs, Echo and The Bunnymen, etc. So I think this album afforded me the opportunity to sort of channel those influences in a way that F2F never could.

RnRnMN: The album's title certainly sets some expectation of emo leanings, but many emo bands can't seem to avoid being over-dramatic. Your album is emotional, yet avoids crossing that line. How did you accomplish that?

TK: Because I really have no idea what "emo" music means. I just wrote songs that reflected my own thoughts and feelings. I also don't think that any style of music has the market cornered on certain terminology in the English language.

RnRnMN: What's on the horizon for you as a solo artist? For Face to Face?

TK: A whole lot of live performances for the foreseeable future.

Website

Check out the review of Melancholics Anonymous.

Found in the Shuffle: Metric - "Police and the Private"

Song: Police and the Private
Artist: Metric
Album: Live It Out

"Police and the Private" takes the synth pop of Metric and infuses it with warmth. It's the first time I've heard a Metric song and immediately wanted to hear it again.

Check out Annabel

Kent, Ohio's ANNABEL self-released their fantastic debut EP, NOW THAT WE'RE ALIVE, earlier this year.

They play an infectious blend of indie pop with post punk dynamics. Echoes of The Get Up Kids, Superchunk and The Anniversary are present on the band's debut EP, Now That We're Alive. But, Annabel take the best from a number of different genres and forge their own unique path instead. Now That We're Alive was recorded, mixed and mastered by Aaron Rogers. The EP comes in beautiful, handmade, DIY packaging.

Annabel is fresh off a Pink Couch Session courtesy of If You Make It. You can check the band's acoustic performance of "Parade Rest" out here as well as an mp3 for their song "Boquet Mines" here.

Left Lane Crusier Hits the Road

35+ U.S. DATES CONFIRMED THROUGH AUGUST INCLUDING BOB LOG III/SCOTT BIRAM TOUR

Los Angeles, CA – June 2008 – Left Lane Cruiser has confirmed a summer tour in support of their debut Alive Records release "Bring Yo Ass to the Table." The band will be performing throughout one selected dates with the Black Diamond Heavies, Bob Log III and Scott Biram. Left Lane Cruiser, features just Joe Evans on slide guitar and vocals with Brenn Beck on one big-ass bass drum, harmonica and a toolbox full of percussive gear.

“R.L Burnside, Seasick Steve, trash cans, hub caps, meth smoking two dollar pawn shop mics and all sounding as cool as that all sounds” – Organ

LEFT LANE CRUISER summer tour dates:
Jun 14 @ Mid City - Fort Wayne, IN w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Jun 15 @ The Belmont - Detroit, MI w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Jun 16 @ Points East Pub - Milwaukee, WI w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Jun 27 @ The Brass Rail - Fort Wayne, IN w/ Jawbone
Jul 15 @ The Brass Rail - Fort Wayne, IN w/ T-MODEL FORD
Jul 20 @ Deep Blues Festival - Lake Elmo, MN w/ T-Model Ford, Black Diamond Heavies, Buffalo Killers, Bob Log III, etc
Jul 22 @ Ned Kelley's Pub - Green Bay, WI w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Jul 23 @ High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Jul 24 @ Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Jul 25 @ The Pike Room - Pontiac, MI w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Jul 27 @ The Boathouse - Saugatuck, MI w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 1 @ Harper's Ferry - Allston, MA w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 2 @ Jerky's Music Hall - Providence, RI w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 3 @ Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 4 @ Mercury Lounge - New York, NY w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 5 @ Southpaw - Brooklyn, NY w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 6 @ Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 8 @ Le Tractor Blues Festival - Aulnoye Aymerie, France
Aug 9 @ Le Tractor Blues Festival - Aulnoye Aymerie, France
Aug 10 @ Le Tractor Blues Festival - Aulnoye Aymerie, France
Aug 11 @ Riot Room - Kansas City, MO w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 12 @ Waiting Room - Omaha, NE w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 13 @ Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 14 @ Bar Deluxe - Salt Lake City, UT w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 15 @ Neurolux - Boise, ID w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 16 @ Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 18 @ El Corazon - Seattle, WA w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 20 @ Bottom Of The Hill – SF, CA w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 21 @ The Echo - Los Angeles, CA w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 22 @ The Casbah - San Diego, CA w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 23 @ Plush - Tucson, AZ w/Bob Log III & Scott Biram
Aug 29 @ Botanical Conservatory - Fort Wayne, IN
Sep 6 @ Mid City - Fort Wayne, IN w/ Orange Opera

Website

Review: Left Lane Cruiser - Bring Yo Ass to the Table

Label: Alive Naturalsound

Released: January 8, 2008

"Billy Gibbons, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways." That's likely what goes through Left Lane Cruiser guitarist Freddy J IV's head as he pines away for his guitar hero. Gibbons' influence on Freddy's playing is unmistakable and perhaps wearing his influences on his sleeve like that should count against him to some extent, but...well, how many people have imitated that fat, rich, dirty ZZ Top guitar tone? Not many. And done it this well? Perhaps none.

The bottom line here is that Left Lane Cruiser takes ZZ Top's Texas boogie (you know, the stuff they did on the early records, before the pop sheen of "Tube Snake Boogie" or "Legs"), strips it down to the lo-fi garage rock approach it was meant for and throws in a little bit of psychobilly craziness. True, it's somewhat limited in scope, but the sound fully fills its intended space.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

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Found in the Shuffle: The Jayhawks - "Madman"

Song: Madman
Artist: The Jayhawks
Album: Rainy Day Music

Why is it that the same people who celebrate the alt-country genius of The Jayhawks also dismiss The Eagles as being a bunch of fluffy baby-boom wankers? Listening to "Madman" makes me wonder how long will it be until someone from The Jayhawks releases a solo album called No Fun Aloud.

Ride the boogie - "Mustache Riders" mp3

Featuring Adam Tymn of VAUX and members of Arkham and Places To Park, Ride The Boogie is set to release their self-titled LP on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Tymn took the time to give some insight on the track "Mustache Riders" and the struggles of being both an artist and a parent.

"The song is about two guys, infamously known as the Mustache Riders, that go out on dirtbikes to camp in the desert and someway or another happen to run into these laser hot chicks," explains Tymn of the above track. "One thing leads to the next and the ladies go on a nice mustache ride. The song ends leaving one wondering if these guys just had too much of something bad or that they actually had the most incredible night of their lives."

Tymn also explains how the track was originally a faster number that had more of a hard rock feel to it. “Actually, I first demoed the song on the John Lennon Bus for free thanks to those guys,” says Tymn. "Glenn worked with the beat and now it has a particular shuffle and groove to it that the song needed. Kevin’s slide stuff definitely sleazes the song up nicely along with Billy’s cool guitar work throughout the song especially in the pre-choruses."

Although the verses were easy to pen, the chorus was a bit of a struggle. "I was trying hard to think of a way to make the chorus be that of a heroic cartoon theme. You know, big but simple with a catchy little melody," says Tymn, pointing out that vibe is more noticeable towards the end of the song.

Ironically the cartoon theme is the non-perverse interpretation of the story, that motorcycles were the only things being ridden. "It is hard being an artist and a parent at the same time," admits Tymn. "You have to be able to keep things over your children’s heads but still allow the older folks to dig it. I remember when we were recording this song and how everything that was being tracked was becoming very sleazy sounding."

"Mustache Riders" MP3

If you ask me, it doesn't sound like the best lyrical concept ever, but luckily, the music can make you forget the concept.

Myspace

Found in the Shuffle: Josh Ritter - "Kathleen"

Song: Kathleen
Artist: Josh Ritter
Album: Hello Starling

The opening line of "Kathleen" is one of the best declarations of love I've ever heard.

Found in the Shuffle: The Kinks - "A Gallon of Gas"

Song: A Gallon of Gas
Artist: The Kinks
Album: Come Dancing with The Kinks: the Best of 1977-1986

If this is one of the best songs The Kinks recorded between '77 and '86, I'd hate to hear the stuff that didn't make the cut.

Found in the Shuffle: Tim Armstrong - "Cold Blooded"

Song: Cold Blooded
Artist: Tim Armstrong
Album: A Poet's Life

When "Cold Blooded" started, my first thought was "Huh, this must be some King Tubby or Impact All Stars song that I never noticed. Cool." It's not King Tubby, though, and it's not Impact All Stars. It's Tim Armstrong. As in, Tim Armstrong, the dude from Rancid.

Could I have paid this song a higher compliment than thinking it was King Tubby? Absolutely not. Bravo to you, Tim. Bravo.

Found in the Shuffle: The Who - "Miracle Cure"

Song: Miracle Cure
Artist: The Who
Album: Tommy

Thank God this is only 13 seconds long. If it were longer, I would have to dismiss The Who as a bunch of Broadway-lovin', showtune-writin' saps. Which they were, but in a good way. Not this, though. This is capital-B, capital-A, capital-D. It makes me wonder if maybe Andrew Lloyd Webber was the secret fifth member of The Who.

Review: Man Raze - Surreal

Label: VH1 Classics

Released: June 3, 2008

A few months back, I heard a few pre-release tracks of this project which reunites Def Leppard's Phil Collen with former Girl bandmate Simon Laffy and brings in ex-Sex Pistol Paul Cook. The line-up certainly sounds like it could be flirting with disaster, but that preview raised my hopes that this would be a pretty good project. It mixed Collen's pre-AOR glam roots with a helping of punk rock swagger, removing the polish and safety that I would expect from any Def Leppard side-project. Sadly, the album in its entirety only delivers on that promise part of the time. Far too many songs stick to the regimented, overused AOR formula. The result is an inconsistent affair, occasionally delivering more than I'd hoped for, but usually being as dull as I'd feared.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 5/10

Website

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Bo Diddley RIP

Found in the Shuffle: Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars - "Seconds"

Song: Seconds
Artist: Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars
Album: In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2

This has great energy. It's obviously a U2 cover, but the All-Stars completely made it their own. Best of all, they made it African without compromising the basic Western roots of the song. I wish more world music was like this.

(By the way, Bob reviewed the full album a few months ago.)

Video: Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers

Here's a cool video from Thao's very cool We Brave Bee Stings and All album.