From the Vault: Bloc Party Silent Alarm

Not as much of a party as their name or contemporaries would suggest, but they're probably the best of the bunch

Riding the waves led by fellow 80's influenced rockers Franz Ferdinand and even to a degree the Killers, Bloc Party has for the most part flown under the radar, although they have a very formidable single in "Banquet" that has earned them some spotlight into the mainstream. Anyway, for those of you that don't keep track of every "Hot New Group" that NME, Pitchfork, or Spin are rushing into your laps, I present to you Bloc Party. First and foremost, while they are deeply rooted in 80's rock, they hardly compare to Franz Ferdinand, they're much too urgent, dark and brash. Instead a more ample comparison would be to look at Interpol's sharp and edgy guitar riffs, and mix that with powerful vocals that could only perhaps be compared Blur's Damon Albarn and add a touch of industrial edge that's akin to The Rapture or The Faint, and you have somewhat of an idea. What separates Bloc Party from everyone else though, is that while they can definitely match the others in exceptionally witty songwriting, Bloc Party is much more willing and able to pull off outstanding ballads such as "This Modern Love" and "Blue Light," where the vocals are much more hushed but never lose any sense of importance. This is also true on the beautifully anthemic "So Here We Are" that swells gradually until by the end of the song it's a wonderful grandeur of guitar with Kele Okereke repeating passionately "I can see it again" it almost feels like one of U2's finer moments. It's when you hear these songs that you realize that Bloc Party is in fact a much more complete band, able to go from the balls to the wall raucous of "Helicopter," the aforementioned "Banquet" and "Price of Gas" to the midtempo and also quieter songs. All the way through however, the lyrics and overall songwriting is never lacking, which is surprising for a group going through their first full-length album, because each lyric is sang with such importance that you really feel the presence of maturity. With albums like these from relative unknowns, it's easy to see how 2005 is looking more and more to be the ultimate year for rock music, so long as you know where to look. Exceptionally solid all around, Silent Alarm is worth serious consideration.

★★★★¼

Death Cab For Cutie Plans

While somewhat irksome in its new watered down flavor, there are still signs of brilliance to be found in their latest effort and first major release

Life gets a little bit harder when you make it big, just ask any indie rock band that's trying to overcome their inability to meet the increased expectations. The latest example is Death Cab for Cutie, yet another critically acclaimed Seattle-area rock band to come out of the late 90's. After constantly gaining fans from tours and subsequent word of mouth recommendations, Death Cab for Cutie's success would reach a peak with the anthemic and enthralling album Transatlanticism. Now, after signing a contract with the major record label Atlantic, DCFC has released Plans, an album that focuses heavily on being mellow for the sake of being mellow. The striking poignancy and sense of urgency in their earlier sound has been zapped, replaced, unsurprisingly, with a more polished sound that takes more away from them than it adds. However, with the extraordinary, foot-tapping pop tune of "Crooked Teeth," it appears that Death Cab for Cutie can in fact change directions without losing any spark. Fans of the older sound will be happy with the well executed "Different Names for the Same Thing" as well as "Your Heart Is an Empty Room" and the sharp "Brothers on a Hotel Bed." The latter finds Death Cab perfectly bridging the old with the new, as the sound is perhaps most polished on this song, but with the extensive drum patterns and poignant lyrics, it feels much more natural than many of their other tracks. "What Sarah Said" finds Death Cab for Cutie at their most anthemic as far as this album goes, and while it's a relatively decent track it feels much more laborious than any of their previous lengthy tracks. Overall, the "new sound" Death Cab is going to take some getting used to, especially for die-hards, but if nothing else this could just be a transitional phase where the members are simply just trying to find themselves again. Either way, this is a decent album, and while it certainly won't gain them any more acclaim, there are some songs on here that are well worth repeated listenings.

★★★¾

From the vault: Madeleine Peyroux Careless Love

(Editor's note: Oddly enough I was in the process of working on a review for this album when I received a comment earlier wanting my opinion on this breakthrough album from the latest Jazz vocalist (if you count Norah Jones as being Jazz anyway) to take the nation by storm. So in response to that, I decided to go ahead and post the review for this album. Enjoy!)

There's room for improvement, but this album shows a lot of promise for Madeleine Peyroux's future

Madeleine Peyroux is actually a talent that has been around for some time, despite that however, this is only her second full length album in her near decade-long career. Immediately upon listening to her album, you'll surely notice that her voice is indeed similar to Billie Holiday's, but that's really as far as I'll go with that comparison, as there are far too many interpretive differences between the two for her to be considered to be directly akin (or the 21st century version of, if you will) to Billie Holiday. There are a number of strong tracks on this album, such as the first two tracks "Dance Me to the End of Love" and "Don't Wait Too Long," which are both playful and relatively light, and then the much darker gem of "Weary Blues from Waitin'" which hardly sounds like the original country creation that Hank Williams originally wrote, but rather a very heavy, blues song. This brings up one of the more problematic areas of Careless Love as some of the covered material, well, mainly the cover of Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars" does not really work. On the surface it seems equally daunting, but after repeated or close listens, it feels somewhat empty. The cover of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" works with Peyroux's conversation-like delivery, but overall, as the song goes on it feels more of a forced effort than anything else. Another example of a track that works, and possibly shows Peyroux's greatest potential is the song "I'll Look Around" which finds Peyroux at her most intimate, as her velvet-like voice floats wonderfully over the soft piano accompaniment. While this isn't a pure jazz album, for contemporary purposes it brings an awakening to a genre that's been dormant for quite sometime.

★★★¾

Interpol Live at Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL September 24, 2005

The students at U of I welcomed Interpol with open arms (for the most part)

While Assembly Hall was nowhere near being sold out, those who did show up were in for a very nicely done, albeit short performance from the New York band. Unsurprisingly, the majority of Interpol songs played were from their second album Antics leaving fans of the older Turn on the Bright Lights somewhat disappointed. The general feel of the show was relatively laid back as the band swept through "Next Exit," "NARC," and "Take You On a Cruise." Things didn't start to pick up until the singles "Evil," "PDA," and "Obstacle 1," and from that point on the band and the crowd picked up the energy quite a bit. A couple of surprises were also in the setlist, as they played the unreleased "Specialist" and, as played as their encore, the beautiful "Untitled." One of the gripes of a few fans that attended the concert was that many that were present were sitting for the majority of the concert, and in general the crowd appeared to be more of a casual rock crowd, which isn't too surprising considering the tickets were only $10, so just about anyone could go without feeling ripped off. This wasn't always the case however, as in the moments mentioned earlier everyone was definitely getting into it, and the band even offered up an extended version of "Public Pervert" as the crowd clapped along to the beat provided by drummer Sam Fogarino, and displayed one of Interpol's rare moments of pure improvisation. Another great crowd pleaser was the aforementioned "Untitled" which many people, including me, were not expecting to hear at all, much less as the opening encore song. Overall, it was a good show, though not quite as even as some of their previous outings (including their Q101 Block Party show). The main disappointment was the short-ish length of the performance as it clocked out at just over an hour, and the meager two song encore that totaled about 5 minutes and seemed to catch everyone by surprise, and was most surprising to me due to them having not played their latest single "C'Mere." Other than that it was still a solid show, as each of the guys were in top form, and certainly well worth the price of admission.

★★★¾

From The Vault: Stars Set Yourself On Fire

"When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire..." or you could just buy this album instead

The quote mentioned above is spoken eerily (oddly enough by vocalist Toquil Campbell's father) in the opening seconds of the album before delving into the song "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead," giving you a pretty good idea of what you're in for. Yes, it's a semi-depressing subject (most of the topics on this album are), but they're also equally powerful and deeply philosophical, and that's what makes this most recent release from the Montreal band so good. Take one listen to the incredibly rich title song and you'll see what I mean. Each song and lyric is so well done that you can almost see that the group put detailed thought into every spoken word, as truly nothing is wasted. Despite what it seems, the pace of this album is by no means slow, as the band rocks out on tracks such as "Ageless Beauty" (which sounds a bit like My Bloody Valentine), and also implements a number of pop and theatrical characteristics on such songs as "Reunion," "One More Night" and "Soft Revolution." The great thing about each and every song on this album is the outstanding development of the storyline that is found within each of them to the point that you can easily picture the actions in your head. Using "Reunion" as an example, the lyrics begin with "in the year of my decline/sucking freezies in the rain/driving twisted to the suburbs/and then driving back again" while on the surface the words appear a bit simplistic, within the meaning of the song they can be seen as very poetic and powerful. On tracks like "The Big Fight" Stars show their more soulful tendencies that are more overt on their previous albums, same goes for the 80's electronica found on "He Lied About Death." For those of you who aren't familiar with Stars, do yourself a favor and get out and at least listen to Set Yourself On Fire as you'll surely be in for a very different and rewarding listening experience no matter what genre or type of music you generally listen to, there's something for everyone here.

★★★★★

From The Vault: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Cold Roses

Spellbinding and engrossing, this is the kind of album that Ryan Adams needed to make.

As mentioned in the previous article, Ryan Adams is quite familiar with criticism, both in regards to his albums and his performances. Even the harshest critic though will have a hard time finding fault in this sprawling two-disc album, as Ryan Adams' haunting vocals and genuine lyrics take you to a place rearely visited this constantly (on a single album) since he was the frontman of Whiskeytown. Each of the songs are very stripped and intimate, making Ryan Adams appear to be both vulnerable and as such there's a deep emotional connection felt through his music. A perfect example of this is on the bare "Meadowlake Street," which is primarily Adams singing along to his very subdued guitar playing. Yet another amazing feat is that among its nearly twenty tracks, there is hardly any filler at all, as the only outright tossable song is the seemingly half-baked rocker of "Beautiful Sorta," which feels mostly out of place, not only that, but Ryan Adams has done the same style of song much better. It's also refreshing that Ryan Adams has been able to make a complete album, one that takes you on a journey from beginning to end, something that can be rarely said about not only any of his previous albums, but really anyone's music today. Sure, the songs sound good individually as well, but you'll find a much greater appreciation for the crafting of each of the songs after repeated listenings and after hearing the entire CD through. The addition of a backing band in the Cardinals add a great amount of depth and contrast nicely to Ryan Adams style, particularly in the backing vocals provided by Cindy Cashdollar, Catherine Popper, and on two tracks Rachael Yamagata. While this is definitely a band effort (the entire band is given writing credits on every track), it still appears to be more of a Ryan Adams vehicle, though in a different sense. Instead of the incessant bravado that occasionally overbears the rest of the track, Adams instead sounds much more relaxed and comfortable in working with the rest of the band. This can be seen on tracks such as "When Will You Come Back Home," the powerful "Mockingbird," and the beautiful "Dance All Night" where the entire group really clicks and you can feel another element has been founded within Ryan Adams. Hopefully the band will continue to gel and if this album is any indication, the upcoming Jacksonville City Nights should be another great album for the year 2005.

★★★★¾

Quick hits: September 20, 2005

In what's already been a relatively successful year, Ryan Adams (pictured above) & The Cardinals aren't quite finished yet...

When the name Ryan Adams comes up, two thoughts generally come to people's minds. On one hand, particularly if you're a fan, you think of the creative genius that's often unfairly portrayed by media and others, and then on the other hand you may see a vastly overrated singer/songwriter who's immature tirades make him an even less intriguing (or likeable) person. While it's hard to argue with those that despise him for those reasons, I think a lot of it has to do with Ryan Adams simply being incredibly driven and passionate to the point that it's hard for him not to take criticism of any kind personally. Either way, one can't help but notice that Ryan Adams with his semi-newly formed band The Cardinals have been on a roll. They released their double album Cold Roses earlier in the year (a full review of that album will be up shortly), and despite it's excessive length, it actually comes together exceptionally well, unlike many other double albums, an opinion shared by many other Adams fans and (shockingly) music critics. As if that wasn't enough, Adams and company have not one, but two more albums coming up, with the greatly anticipated and more country-oriented Jacksonville City Lights coming out next week and then 29 coming out sometime in November. The single for Jacksonville City Lights "The Hardest Part" was released a few weeks ago and is very reminiscent of Adams' earlier work with Whiskeytown, with its bittersweet lyrics and twangy guitar part. It's a return to his roots as it were, seeing that Adams has come full circle in going from country to incorporating an increasing number of rock cues into his work, a trend that appropriately peaked on the rollicking Rock 'N Roll. Since then, Adams has stripped away layers of bravado with his release of Love is Hell and now with the aforementioned Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Lights it seems that Ryan Adams is continuing on this trend. Jacksonville City Lights will also have guest artist Norah Jones on the track "Dear John," which should make for an intimate duet, and is also interesting considering Rachael Yamagata made a guest appearance on the title track and "Let It Ride" on the album Cold Roses. While I love Ryan Adams' appreciation and interpretations on 60's and 70's rock, Adams is such a talented songwriter, especially when it comes to writing introspective and sincere ballads, that it can hardly be seen as a "bad" move.
While tour dates have not been announced in support of the upcoming album, I would guess that there would be one in the works for the winter months, or possibly next year, as the band might still be recuperating from their relatively hectic and taxing summer tour. Either way, with three albums, and lots of press-- positive press at that-- Ryan Adams & The Cardinals are surely going to be one of the more popular names mentioned by the time the year's over.

Fuzzy Five: September 16, 2005

While he's taking a bit of a break, it's the perfect opportunity to get to know Sondre Lerche's music.

Fuzzy Five: Artists That You Probably Haven't Heard Of (But You Should Get To Know)

With a bit of a gap in between major releases, this is generally the time of year where folks take out that budgeted CD money and get themselves an older cd that might've been recommended by a friend, or even just simply haven't gotten around to. With that in mind, here's a list of five artists that you may not be familiar with, that are definitely worth checking out.

1. Sondre Lerche
Mr. Lerche (pronounced Lur-KAY) won over critics from the very beginning with his excellent debut Faces Down and has continued to build on the reputation of being a superb singer/songwriter. He bends genres extremely well, ranging everywhere from country-tinged rock to folk to even musical-like pieces that create a sound that is practically timeless. At the young age of 22, Sondre still has a lot of room left to grow, which is scary considering how well received he is already.



2002
Faces Down
★★★★½









2004
Two Way Monologue
★★★★½











2. Josh Rouse
Although he's been around since 1998, Josh Rouse still has managed to remain relatively unknown, though with his brilliant album Nashville, it's hard to imagine that his fortunes will not change very shortly. Easily viable to fulfill the role once taken by Elliott Smith, Josh Rouse is exceptional when it comes to writing personal tales, and also benefits from being able to effortlessly change dynamics, as can be seen in listening to his soulful and funky 1972 back to back to the more recent and aforementioned Nashville. Incredibly gifted, he easily deserves the #2 spot on this list.




2005
Nashville
★★★★★









2003
1972
★★★★½










2002
Under Cold Blue Stars
★★★★¼













3. Los Amigos Invisibles
While bands such as Ozomatli and even Kinky have become relatively popular in the mainstream, this super fun band from Venezuela still has yet to break into the same fray of popular audiences. While the band has been together for well over a decade they have only released three US albums, two of which will be focused here. Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey Into Space perfectly illustrates how this band is able to have fun (sometimes almost too much), but still be exceptionally talented and quirky, as there are titles such as "Masturbation Session" that while seemingly vulgar, are actually quite playful and light-hearted. The other more recent album, The Venezuelan Zinga Son vol. 1 continues with much of the same although the band grooves a little bit more on this one and in some cases it's a little more discoteque-oriented. Either way you can't go wrong, be sure to check these guys out!


2000
Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey Into Space
★★★★¾








2004
The Venezuelan Zinga Son vol. 1
★★★★










4. Nic Armstrong & The Thieves
As I mentioned before in the full review, this is a very talented lot. Full of fun and energy, and with a very concise and easy going sound, these guys look to have all the pieces in place to really have a good thing going. "Broken Mouth Blues" is still one of the catchiest songs I've heard this year, and I don't even think that's half of what they're truly capable of.


2005
The Greatest White Liar
★★★★½









5. Kings of Convenience
Ending the same way we began, here's a duo that's once again from Norway and has been providing great 60's-based pop-rock music, much like Belle & Sebastian and even fellow countryman and previously named Sondre Lerche. Although they have released a few albums in their history, the one I'm emphasizing is their latest release Riot on an Empty Street, which has some really nicely written songs such as "I'd Rather Dance With You."


2004
Riot On An Empty Street
★★★★¼











Other Noteworthy Artists
22-20s
Art Brut
Andrew Bird
Blonde Redhead
Jon Brion
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Hezekiah
Kasabian
Erin McKeown
The Redwalls
Van Hunt

From the Vault: Coldplay X&Y

Kind of like Zoloft or a soft, fuzzy blanket...

Coldplay has been on such a hot streak, that it’s almost as if they can do no wrong. Since Chris Martin and company are currently on tour and also have garnered so much press, it seemed appropriate to take a look at one of the more significant releases this year. With the album itself, there are a number of positive aspects but there are also a few shortcomings, particularly with the songwriting that at times is even cringe-worthy. While Chris Martin sometimes showcases his gift for crafting songs, it appears that he sometimes spends too much time in the dictionary of clichés, often hindering the experience of the rest of the song. While “What If” is beautiful musically, if you pay even remote attention to the lyrics, you’ll probably find yourself skipping the track more often than not, which is really too bad. An even more unfortunate case is on the absolutely astounding track of “Fix You” which begins with: “When you try your best but you don’t succeed/when you get what you want but not what you need,” not exactly the most original lyrics ever written, but in looking past this, you find what is probably the most beautiful piece Coldplay has ever written, even if it is excessively sappy. Other standout tracks are “White Shadow,” which rides nicely along Will Champion’s solid drum/percussion work and along with “Talk” best represents some of the best aspects of Coldplay’s B-Sides in that they are generally edgier but also more dynamic and powerful (for example the Buckland’s guitar riff alongside Champion’s incessant drumming on “Talk” is nearly magical). A culmination of these aspects really comes through on the track “Low,” which is almost brooding and matched perfectly with Martin’s wide-ranging and emotional vocals. One of the other faults that’s worth mentioning about this album is how Coldplay’s songs have managed to become increasingly forgettable. Think about how many songs you can easily identify on Parachutes, then on A Rush of Blood to the Head, and then finally on this album X&Y and you’ll see that there’s not as much variety, or memorable songwriting for that matter to truly make anyone outside of a diehard fan connect with the album. Instead, with this album in particular, there are key moments within the framework of all of these songs that are simply beautiful (the chorus and orchestral interlude of X&Y is a perfect example), but outside of those golden nuggets of pleasure, you could very easily mix and match any of these songs’ parts and not know the difference. Coldplay is a band that appears to be going in two directions at once, on one hand they are honing they’re skills and evolving as it were, but on the other they’re almost getting so caught up in the warm and fuzzy that it’s almost numbingly dull. Cleary not their best work, but it’s definitely not a bad album, try to sample the songs if you can before putting your money on it if you haven’t already.

★★★★☆

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Howl

Sincere, intimate, and very well-written, this album shows leaps and bounds of maturity on BRMC's part

Immediately, as soon as the cd begins you notice something different. No walls of sound from the guitar, no brooding drums, no sense of balls to the wall exuberance. Nothing but a stripped-down, gritty and almost humbling chorus of “Time won’t save our souls”for the first twenty seconds of the opener “Shuffle Your Feet.” As unbelievable as it is, BRMC has done quite the 180, and the scary thing is that it sounds good, really good. As awesome as these guys have been over the years (and really, their previous album Take Them On, On Your Own was a stellar achievement, even if it did go unheralded), most of the songs on this album stack up really well and even beat out most of their other songs. After the wonderfully spiritual “Shuffle Your Feet,” is the heartfelt sorrow of “Howl,” and on this particular song, for the first time, the lyrics are what really take the forefront which is great as most of the times previously the lyrics were essentially secondary. In this matter, BRMC has matured immensely, and the album is essentially packed with very powerful religious imagery from beginning to end. Another beautiful moment is the hymn-like ending of “Devil’s Waitin’” which sends chills through the body with the well-executed vocals. The key with this album is that BRMC does not over-extend themselves or really even get that complex in their songwriting, which is a definite plus. Instead, they focus on simplicity, and each song almost grows continuously out of the previous one, and by the end of the album it becomes a fully realized ideal. Other highlights include the blue-eyed soul of “Promise” which features another surprise, as the song is essentially built around the piano and horns back up the passionate vocals, and also the mid-tempo rocker of “Sympathetic Noose,” a song that builds very nicely over the course of the four minutes, and is one of the two songs that could even be remotely considered upbeat, and that’s mainly because of the overall dark tone of the album. Overall this is a very significant album, not only for BRMC but also for rock music in general. There have been many bands that have touched upon blues and gospel before, but none have done it recently, or to the dark and sincere extent that BRMC has on this particular album. There’s no posturing or sneering here, just pure, unfiltered gospel/spiritual rock, and it’s almost as if they’ve beaten the White Stripes at their own game. Highly recommended.

★★★★½

Quick hits: September 13, 2005

The John Mayer Trio, ready for takeoff

The John Mayer Trio (I keep wanting to say Butler, but I'm well aware that's a completely separate group) officially released a couple of singles today, both of which are readily available on iTunes. For those that haven't been keeping up on what's new with Mr. Mayer, he's--for now, anyway-- ditched the acoustic rock sound that has made him oh so popular and going back to his roots of blues-infused rock. Now if you've only listened to him on cd, or only know of him, this may come as a surprise, but in reality, Mayer is heavily influenced by the blues and he likes nothing better than to rip a huge blues guitar solo, just ask anyone that's seen him live. This is also an area where, by going off and doing this blues thing, he could potentially be even more successful than he was beforehand. Granted, Mayer has practically done nothing but manufactured hits from "No Such Thing" to "Your Body Is a Wonderland" to the more-recent favorite flavor of "Daughters," but really, where is it that he could've gone from there? He's really just doing the same thing that the smartest pop stars have done, and that is, quite simply, reinventing themselves. By reinvention, that doesn't include those who force a new identity, but instead trust themselves enough to rely on whatever influence or change they might've had personally and use that to create their new sound. While Mayer's voice doesn't necessarily match the scruffy new sound that he's now enveloped himself in, or at least not yet, he doesn't sound pretentious or sound like he's out of his element. Overall, the lead single "Who Did You Think I Was" is a success in that it's very fresh and fits nicely within the blues/soul framework, but at the same time still sounds like an authentic John Mayer song, which makes a pressing case on what may be a developing parallel to another certain rock/blues artist by the name of Eric Clapton. Whether or not this holds up will surely depend on the path that Mayer follows for the rest of his career, but should he decide to stick to doing blues and then also work loosely on some of his more pop-oriented material you could see more and more folks making the same connection. The B-Side track, "Come When I Call" finds the trio playing much more traditional blues and once again calls for a consideration of the Clapton parallel made earlier, as Mayer almost effortlessly floats through the verses and adds an exceptional guitar solo to boot. The full fledged album, which will be entitled Continuum, will be released sometime early next year.
In related news, the John Mayer Trio will be releasing a live album based on the tapings from their upcoming House of Blues stint in Chicago (Sept. 21 and 22), which is due out in November, so be sure to check that out as well.

(Editor's Note: This is the first time trying out this segment so comments would be gratefully appreciated either through simply commenting here on the website or using my "E-mail Me!" link on the right hand side. Thanks for reading and for your continued support, and enjoy!)

From The Vault: Nic Armstrong & The Thieves The Greatest White Liar

You definitely won't feel like you've been lied to after getting this album

As soon as the guitar riff of the opening track “I Can’t Stand It” comes frolicking in, there’s a definite feeling that this album is something different. Much like how the Strokes made it cool to be in love with 60’s and 70’s rock again, Nic Armstrong & The Thieves could very well do the same thing for 60’s blues-infused pop. That might sound like a bold statement, but take one listen to the following track, “Broken Mouth Blues” and soak in the incredibly Dylan-like structure, complete with a harmonica solo, and then you’ll see there might actually be some truth to that. Unlike many other bands from England, Nic Armstrong & The Thieves have manage to avoid a lot of the hype, and are still relatively tucked under the radar, which for them may very well be a good thing. Unlike many of the poser-rock groups, these guys honestly grew up listening to each and every one of the artists that they recall, and it shows through their music. The lyrics, while not revolutionary, are still solid and never leave you cringing, and there’s an overall strength in the band’s general philosophy of simplicity in terms of their instrumentation. In a time when such a large number of bands these days are so heavily layered, this is a welcoming approach that’s hard to criticize them for because it quite simply works. The uptempo songs do tend to outshine the slower songs, mainly because they’re so well crafted and the band appears to have a better ear for making their catchier rock music, as can be seen on the cover of Alvin Robinson’s “Down Home Girl,” “The Finishing Touch” and Chuck Berry’s “I Want to Be Your Driver.” Not all the slow tracks suffer to being outshined though, since both “In Your Arms On My Mind” and the mellow rocker “Too Long For Her” are well done. Though far from perfect, this is still quite a showing, particularly for a debut album and it should be readily appreciated by many here in the States once the word gets out.

★★★★☆

From the Vault: !!! Take Ecstasy With Me EP

!!! still hasn't lost a step

The coolest band with an unpronounceable name comes released an EP with a couple of very well done, albeit unexpected covers. The first is the title track, originally done by Magnetic Fields, which finds the band relentlessly jamming over the very subdued vocals. Appropriately trippy, but also irresistibly catchy and also witty, this song really exemplifies all that is good about !!!. While the lyrics may be a turn off for some (or the eccentric cover artwork, as shown above), it’s still a very fun and listenable song, using an arsenal of drum patterns and beats to keep the energy going for the entire seven and a half minutes. The second song is a little bit more of a surprise as it’s a cover of Nate Dogg’s “Get Up.” Amazingly, !!! manages to avoid the typical “Look at me, I’m a white guy that can’t rap but I’m going to try anyway and make myself look stupid” shtick and instead turn the song into a clever, fun, and, let’s face it, pretty damn good groove that would even make Nate Dogg proud. The other impressive feat that takes place within this song is that !!! never betrays their personal sound at all, they instead morph the original into their sound so well, that many listeners probably wouldn’t even realize that it’s in fact a cover song. Here, the song’s success lies on the awesome baseline, guitar parts and then the exceptional experimentation of vocals clashing against the instruments towards the latter half of the song. While it’s only two tracks, this is still an EP worth mentioning as it’s surely going to be a very well sought after album, particularly for the club-hoppers whom !!! cater to so well.

★★★★½

OK Go Oh No

Oh Yes!

Not to take anything away from OK Go's first album, but their debut, for all of it's sweet bubble-pop goodness, caused most people to disregard that OK Go can actually rock pretty well with the rest of them. In their follow up Oh No this can be seen very clearly right off the bat with the razor sharp tracks of "Invincible" and "Do What You Want." While it's not the same mind boggling experience of listening to Phantom Planet's The Guest and their eponymous follow up album, where you're asking yourself "Is this even the same band?" but it will raise some eyebrows for those who didn't think that OK Go would be able to get much further than making a "Get Over It" redux. The refreshing aspect of this album is that at no point does the edginess sound forced or mechanical, and that's a key point at which many other bands fail, as they are so busy trying to fit a certain characteristic that they not only fall short but they also sound supremely flat. Instead, while the incredibly flashy and polished production by Tore Johansson (who worked with Franz Ferdinand) may have something otherwise, the album is a natural progression from where they were first time around, as the songwriting is tighter and they seem to be willing to explore a little bit more. This is exemplified particularly on the the Rolling Stones-esque "A Good Idea At The Time" which even features at the horns at the end, the very nicely done ballad "Oh Lately It's So Quiet" and the dance-rock of "A Million Ways" which actually sounds a bit like Franz Ferdinand (make what you'd like of that). Rocking out this time around, OK Go has released yet another solid album, that explores and still stays true to the fun loving sound that we're all used to. In the process, OK Go has avoided the sophmore slump that many were expecting.

★★★★¼

From The Vault: The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan

Somewhere Loretta Lynn is smiling

The White Stripes have always been full of surprises, but even for them this album is still awkwardly random. Don't let the single "Blue Orchid" fool you, because that's about as guitar-happy as Jack White gets on this entire album. In a stark contrast to their other albums where dense and rich layered sounds were the norm, on Get Behind Me Satan you find something that sounds, quite frankly, empty. Songs like "The Nurse" and "Forever For Her" feel half-baked and incomplete and then on the other hand, the piano heavy tracks such as "My Doorbell," "Denial Twist" and "Take, Take, Take" all sound basically the same. That's not to say that it's all bad in the land of White Stripes, "Blue Orchid" is still one hell of a track, as is "As Ugly As I Seem," and then despite it's weirdness "Red Rain" is also a relatively interesting track. No matter how you slice it "Little Ghost" is just strange, while on the surface it seems relatively traditional bluegrass, in the scheme of this album it almost seems sadistic, but maybe that was the point. While it's all fine and good that Jack and Meg White want to approach music in different ways, it doesn't seem logical for them to go so far as completely eliminating what each of them doing best. In Jack's case, that's playing his blues-influenced guitar licks, and Meg playing her primitive, but effective drum patterns. Otherwise it's just as good as The Rolling Stones going in and releasing 13 tracks of a capella songs, I'm sure it'd sound nice, but it's not really their strong suit. It seems that despite the effort, this album is more of a step back for the White Stripes than any real advancement, but maybe after producing Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose, Jack White needed to get some bluegrass out of his system. Let's hope he's back to typical form next time around.

★★★½

From the Vault: Spoon Gimme Fiction

Spoon releases one of the best executed rock albums this year

Spoon has always been a very good band, and for those that didn't know it before, they're certainly noticing it now. Spoon manages to keep it sounding fresh without completely abandoning their previous sound, crafting probably one of the few recent indie-rock records that isn't completely retro. Rather than playing a game of "sounds like..." you'll find yourself enjoying each and every track, from the dark intense moments found within such sangs as the opening "The Beast and Dragon, Adored," to nodding your head on tracks like the oddly funky "Turn My Camera On." By far the best track on here is "Sister Jack" which is a freewheeling rock track with stellar vocals and percussion that add up to three and a half minutes of perfection. Outside of the aforementioned "Sister Jack," the production and general soundscape is relatively dark and while certainly not melancholy, it does feel somewhat cryptic, which is particularly exemplified on songs like "The Infinite Pet" and "They Never Got You" which is actually recorded over a rainstorm. There really isn't a weak spot on the album, and while there's a wide range of styles and approaches throughout the album it never feels completely random and overall, the songs are organized in an excellent manner. If you're the kind of person that only holds out for the best albums each year, definitely be sure to pick this album out. While it's not a masterpiece, this is still an excellent album and should be the one that finally puts Spoon on the map permanently.

★★★★¾

The Constant Gardener

Extremely well done and superbly adapted, this movie is a great reward for those who tolerate the slow pace
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy, and Archie Panjabi
Written by: John Le Carré (novel), Jeffrey Caine (screenplay)
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles

The Constant Gardener works exceptionally well as it provides multiple layers of metaphors, all of which are all fully developed to create a singular focus that once realized, makes the movie all the more engaging. The film relies heavily on flashbacks from multiple perspectives, but mainly that of Justin Quayle's (Ralph Fiennes) character as he struggles to piece together the unsolved mysteries that his wife had been so desperately seeking. Because of the expansive storyline, the movie at first appears to be incredibly dense, and the growing psychological tension from within comes from these scenes in which there appears to be very little going on, but it is within these same scenes that many of the clues are revealed. Each of the actors does an incredible job in their roles, carrying the film very well in a matter that's as equally subtle as the production of the film itself. This is especially true of Fiennes, Rachael Weisz, and surprisingly Bill Nighy, who takes on a presence so great that it can be felt in scenes which he isn't even a part of. Unlike most other thriller/crime movies, this is not the typical fast-cutting adrenaline rush, but rather a very subdued, almost documentary-style presentation that always relies on the subtext of Africa. For those that are willing to spend the time and the energy to go along with the careful observations of the stellar cinematography of the film are definitely in for an amazing and enriching story, just be sure that you know what you’re getting into.

★★★★½

Transporter 2

Stupid and cheesy, I'd say make it a Blockbuster night, but I'd still be upset if I'd paid money to rent it.
Starring: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine, and Jason Flemyng
Written by: Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen
Directed by: Louis Leterrier

Welcome to the cruel world of movies in 2005, where movies like this one can be released and not be blasted off the face of the earth by reviews just because we're all so desperate that we try to make even the worst movies appear decent. The original Transporter, while far from perfect, was an incredible joy to watch with it's fast-paced action sequences and some of the best chase scenes in recent memory. In comes Transporter 2, a film which turns Jason Statham into a God-like superhero, who can magically dodge hundreds of bullets all at once, hang from an American flag (without it tearing mind you), and fall gracefully onto a Sea-Doo below, and much, much more. Starting to sound less like the Transporter, and more like a certain overseas martial arts hero right? Yep, apparently Jackie Chan now has a british accent. Between that and the horrid and laughable use of CGI during some of the most crucial scenes in the movie, it's almost hard to believe that this wasn't a B-rated action movie. Here's an example, during one of the car chase scenes, Jason Statham is forced to drive off of the top of one building and onto another; while something that's been done many times before, it always works well. However, rather than taking a real car and showing the stunt from multiple angles, a computer-generated car is instead used, making the whole scene look so incredibly fake that it made everyone in the audience either cringe or laugh out loud. That's pretty much the reaction during the entire movie quite frankly, and given that there are more holes in the movie than the most holey of Swiss cheese, it makes one wonder if those involved (particularly Luc Besson) even put any effort into the film at all. Yes, there are definitely some good moments in the film, as most of the fight scenes were very well done, and Jason Statham was excellent in his role as always. Another plus were the car chase scenes, and although they were few and far between, when they were happening, they definitely keep you at the edge of your seat. Another highlight came in Kate Nauta, who plays the evil vixen in Lola down to a T, and really made the film a bit more enjoyable. Everyone else, which is where the emphasis really is, you'll find yourself caring less and less about, and the more you think, the less happy you'll be with the fact that you're sitting watching the film. It's a sad year for movies indeed.

★☆☆☆☆

The New Pornographers Twin Cinema

Yet another immensely catchy album from the indie-pop group.

With all the press they've been getting lately, The New Pornographers are well on their way to becoming "your new favorite indie group." The only catch in the case of Twin Cinema is that it probably won't make anyone who disregarded the band in the past think twice about feeling that way again, much less win over any new fans. That's not to say that it's a bad album by any means, as you're immediately hooked into the super-happy pop world of The New Pornographers from the opening track. The problem lies in that the album isn't much different from any of their previous releases, and there's very little experimentation to be found. Granted there is a saying of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" but if you're in a genre of music where experimentation is key, where's the fun in staying on a linear path? Anyway, if you can get over that one flaw that exists within the album, you should be set for a very fun venture with highlights such as "Twin Cinema," "Jackie Dressed In Cobras," and the very well-written "Sing Me Spanish Techno." While there are technically no real weak points in the album, it almost seems to drone by the end of the album with weaker points in tracks like "Broken Beads," which sounds like a really bad 60's B-Side cover, and then to follow that up with the psuedo-punk "Three or Four" really nixes the generally easy-flowing nature of the album. All in all this is a very solid effort, and fans should undoubtedly be satisfied with the album, just hopefully next time The New Pornographers will have more tricks up their respective sleeves.

★★★★☆

Jamiroquai Dynamite

If this album doesn’t make you dance, you should probably check for lead in your ass.

Jamiroquai, whose fame can be easily seen overseas, particularly in Britain, is relatively unknown here in the states. While he has had many successful records here in the U.S., his most famous moment probably only comes from his song “Canned Heat” being the background music to Napoleon Dynamite’s famous dance routine. While it’s hard to say how successful Dynamite will be once it is released here (it doesn’t come out until September 20th), it’s easily the best album Jason Kay’s vehicle band has put out in at least a decade. The single and first track of “Feels Just Like It Should” can be immediately recognized as a huge departure from their typical sound, with it’s overdone funkified drum-kit and swelling guitar parts, it could easily be confused for an oddball George Clinton concoction. Things return to some sense of normalcy from “Dynamite” on, as the songs effortlessly flow from one to the next creating a non-stop groove that creates the ultimate club atmosphere for a party of one (or more if you’re playing it for others). Typically, a sense of redundancy is the weak-point in albums of this genre, a fault that Jamiroquai almost overcomes. Slow jams like “Seven Days In Sunny June” and the even better “Talullah” help break the cycle of otherwise very upbeat and danceable songs. Another very well done song is the rowdy “Black Devil Car,” which frolics along and strays closer to the rock-side of the musical spectrum, much like the aforementioned “Feels Just Like It Should.” All in all, Jamiroquai keeps it musically interesting, and Dynamite truly is a great album, if for nothing else, to have for those fun-filled weekend nights. Dynamite as an album can and should be also seen more than that however, as the group enhanced their sound ever so slightly out of the Studio 54 shtick to a slightly more contemporary soul/rock formula, which works very, very well.

★★★★☆

From the Vault: Dave Matthews Band Stand Up

As the song All Along the Watchtower goes, "No reason to get excited."

After the disaster that was everyday, DMB’s decision to completely change the way in which they approach their music couldn’t have come to much of a surprise to anyone who had been following them. What perhaps was a surprise, however, was that the band would look to acclaimed R&B/Hip-Hop producer Mark Batson to be the man overlooking the project. Batson’s influence, for better or for worse, are immediately apparent on the albums general feel, as this is probably the first time ever that a DMB album could in fact cause the windows of your car stereo to shake, let alone cause any more than a hum to come from the subwoofer. This harder edge to their sound likens the album in some ways to Before These Crowded Streets, although the overall writing and general quality falls, unsurprisingly quite short of that album. The album is very easy to pass judgment on, as most of the depth that is in the album is not readily or immediately apparent, but something that can only be appreciated on multiple listens all the way through. The opening song of “Dreamgirl” while undeniably sweet, becomes slightly cliché in it’s approach, and the first five seconds will have you believing that you’re listening to The Lion King soundtrack rather than an actual Dave CD. The airy jam of “Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)” is almost too catchy to deny, and though repetitive, it is an awful lot of fun to listen to, and probably demonstrates the best example of Batson’s influence through it’s looped violin-picked riff. By far the best songs on this album are “Hello Again” and “Louisiana Bayou,” which are both incredibly gritty, albeit somewhat grim and funky songs, and really shows why the DMB-Batson combination should work really well in the next upcoming album. Another very impressive song is “Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd” which is very heartfelt through it’s sparse arrangement, and is probably one of the few examples where DMB actually tried using a simple approach to their sound. Something else worth mentioning, if possible, be sure to check out some of DMB’s unreleased tracks, particularly “Trouble With You,” which like “Stolen Away” is very sparse in it’s arrangement, only being spiced up by it’s unusual rhythmic pattern, it sounds more like a B-side by the Police (and I mean that in a good way) than anything else. While Dave Matthews Band’s direction is even more uncertain now than it was before, this album should bring fans a lot of hope. Unlike Everyday, Stand Up is a full-band effort, putting other members into the forefront, particularly unheralded pianist/unofficial “sixth member” Butch Taylor. No, Dave Matthews Band isn’t the fun-loving jam band that many Daveheads are missing, and probably never will be, but this is a relatively solid effort, that ridiculously outshines Everyday and even does well against their make-up album, Busted Stuff.

★★★¾