Album Reviews: 03.31.09
»Album Reviews For Release Date: 03.31.09
by Joshua Krage
A slightly hipster buddy of mine recently told me he never got into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs because he was put off by “Maps,” saying it was too repetitive and annoying. I honestly didn’t know what to tell him; they’re one of the most creative and stylistic bands on the market, but that song is pretty representative. That’s just one of the bands out this week with head-scratching new artistic directions, but theirs actually works for them. Others? Well, read on:
A-Trak
Aceyalone
Chris Botti – smooth jazz trumpet maestro and Sting sideman, live in Boston CD/DVD
Bow Wow
Stephen Brower
Leonard Cohen – this Live in London release is a bit of an opportunity for any of you uninitiated out there to get a tasty bite of what this prolific and peerless songwriter would pick as his best work to perform. Each track is a master-class in perfect, uncluttered arrangement, astute, wry literary prowess, and heart-rending emotional expression. There are already upwards of 6 “best-of”s from this timeless enigma, so cut through the looming tower of songs and get the top picks from the source – if it be your will to have someone to pick his best, he’s your man.
Gavin DeGraw
Filter – best of
The Flatlanders
Flo Rida
Jim Gaffigan
Ian Gillan – yes, the voice of Deep Purple is one of the few examples of a classic rock vet frontman who knows how to distance his side job enough from his day job. Surprisingly decent album, good rock without taking the Purple route too much.
Gomez
Great Lake Swimmers
Al Green – hits & reissues from the Reverend of Soul
PJ Harvey & John Parish – any fan of Polly Jean knows she doesn’t make music to please anyone but her own love-crushed muse, and this new album with frequent collaborator John Parish employs her subtle, sharply literate teeth to tear apart romance in tattered celebration as only she can do.
Jedi Mind Tricks
Diana Krall – stylishly smooth bossa nova from the empress of sultry modern jazz
Lisa Lampanelli
Malajube
Chrisette Michele
MIDIval PunditZ – a beat-savvy electronic duo with heavy Indian raga usage and strong traditional culture roots, and some of the best world-dance grooves this side of the Ganges. Ace cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Four Sticks” on the new LP, amongst other goodness.
Ministry
MSTRKRFT – I liked their first album and loved DFA1979, but they took the tongue out of their cheek and it just isn’t fun anymore, instead it gives me a headache, especially with the hugely random guest-spots that show up just to sing a few words and lines which end up being looped/repeated ad nauseum. They could’ve done so much better.
Stevie Nicks – live (Soundstage Sessions)
OST – Fast and Furious
Other Lives
Peter, Bjorn & John – for some reason, this stylish threesome of indie rock Swedes decided to move away from the hip mopey-indie-kid pop sound of previous releases and towards a stark, stripped-down, beat-driven template more akin to hip-hop than to rock and roll. Plenty of vocal harmonies, though less sunny and psychedelic and more colorlessly anodyne in approach, in keeping with the minimalism of the overall album concept. For an album called Living Thing, PB&J bring more of a twinkling midnight desert than a lush rainforest full of indie rock wildlife– but to their immense credit, they definitely didn’t try to cash in on their “Young Folks” popularity by bringing any sell-out, radio-ready pop candy. Their direction might be puzzling, but it’s definitely their own choice and a unique one.
Prince – from everything I’ve heard, the Purple / Web-unsavvy One maintains the standard of his recent releases (i.e. sexy, modern issue-oriented funk with scene-stealing guitar awesomeness) on his 3 (yes THREE) new albums, all out this week. Un4tunately, since his web-squad is the new Nazi regime, there’s nowhere online 4U2 hear a track sample (closest I’ve come is his 3 decent Leno appearances, which I found here.). U can nab them at Target, or U can take a crack at deciphering his horrible, horrible website and see if UR able 2 hear the music after smashing ur cranium against the nearest well-built wall or door.
Queensryche
John Scofield
Silverstein
Tangerine Dream – a mountain of reissues from the dynamic new age pioneers
Maria Taylor – this former folk component of Azure Ray and Saddle Creek refugee danced a bit out on the plains for her last couple albums, but on this new one (titled Lady Luck), she puts her roots firmly into the soil of windswept americana, which frames her vulnerable alto gracefully. Lush arrangements, sweetly lamenting songcraft, and a Michael Stipe guest spot are but a few of the many highlights here.
thenewno2 – this is the long-unpublicized music project of duo Oli Hecks and Dhani Harrison (of the Quiet-Beatle Harrisons), a deft and experiment-fueled foray into eerie, consciousness-tickling fringe-rock. Thankfully undaunted by looming lineage, the 2 traverse some genuinely original territory, duly influenced by trip-hop and Brit-pop in proportion. I hate to make the comparison, but it really does sound a bit like George Harrison over Massive Attack beats, which sounds f*ckin’ sweet and refreshing to my rerun-soaked ears.
Thunderheist
UGK
Keith Urban
The Whitest Boy Alive – Norwegian electro-acoustic savant Erlend Oye (former King of Convenience) had displayed some major techno-dance jonesing on his last couple albums, so the massive body-moving component of his German-born foursome is no shock to anyone paying attention. Surprisingly stripped-down sound, more indie rock than Euro-electro, but regardless of which side of that fence you fall, it’ll get your booty shakin’ in a sweet down-tempo euro-disco way, especially surprising for a band with such an awesomely un-hip moniker.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – plenty of bands have mined the new wave 80s for material, but when this style-setting NY art-punk trio go there for new LP It’s Blitz!, you know they’re not headed there for grand theft; their mind-controls are set for creation. Guitar zenith Nick Zinner splits his instrumentation between his trademark guitar loops and newly augmented synth madness, and producers David Sitek and Nick Launay find perfect balances between looming, dusk-dusted ambience and neon-emblazoned dancefloor groove all over the album. Singer Karen O’s signature frenetic energy is well-present, but as in all previous efforts, it’s their quiet moments which most impress me, where their literate and emotive side comes out to shine. If you’re planning on buying the full album, you’ll see this particularly if you get the bonus track version, with 4 acoustic versions of album cuts (breathtaking). Overall sounding like a moderately more mature Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing with synthesizers and turning them into heart-felt dancepunk gold.
I’ve had the new YYYs album for a while (it’s been available digitally for a few weeks), but that Dhani Harrison project is really sticking with me; might just have to pay the cash money for it. If there’s anything I missed, or anything you really like (or really DON’T!) here, drop a line.
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