Corinne Bailey Rae's debut album reviewed

Corinne Bailey Rae Corrine Bailey Rae

An impressive debut effort that hopefully hints to an even better sophomore release.

As if releasing a debut album wasn't hard enough, it seems to be even tougher for female singer/songwriters, particularly in the R&B segment. An already crowded field, this genre has more one-album wonders (not to mention the one-hit wonders) than I'd care to remember. So, once again, we have another seemingly talented artist by the name of Corinne Bailey Rae. An import from across the pond in England, she already has a  along  hit single with "Put Your Records On," which hovers somewhere around the top of my feelgood singles of the summer, so in that regard she also follows many who came before her. However, there is a sense of genuine quality to her sound, which makes her more along the lines of India.Arie than other artists who tend to rely more heavily on slick production. If "Put Your Records On" isn't enough evidence of that, there's also the gorgeous opener "Like a Star," and the breezy and equally intoxicating "Breathless." While some of Bailey Rae's tracks run the risk of being somewhat generic and almost too mellow for their own good, there is a ton of potential here. Her status as an artist is already starting to blossom here, and will probably only get better as her name gets out, and by the time she reaches the brink it should be about time for her second-release that will hopefully showcase an even more mature singer/songwriter.

Overall Rating: 79

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Fuzzy Bits: June 22, 2006

Lollapalooza Schedule Finally Announced

For all of you planning to attend Lollapalooza this year, the schedule has finally been released, so start planning your days now so you don't miss anyone! Tickets are still available for $140, but if you don't act soon, prices will jump another $10. A full guide to Lollapalooza will be coming up in the next few days, but I have to say overall I'm very impressed by the scheduling-- I won't have to make as many critical decisions as I thought I would. That being said, the three tough choices will be choosing between the following bands: Secret Machines or Iron & Wine, Common or The Flaming Lips, Ben Kweller or Nickel Creek. An interesting side note, there looks to be a special guests that will be playing opposite The Raconteurs on Day 2, time will tell what that turns out to be (I know I'm setting myself up for disappointment by saying this, but I'm still holding out for a Smashing Pumpkins reunion).

Intonation Festival this weekend

Speaking of Chicago-related festival, the Intonation Music Festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday at Union Park (near the United Center). If it weren't for the unpredictable weather and the lack of in-and-out privileges, I'd probably be there, but nonetheless, here are a few artists that are performing: Bloc Party, The Streets, Ghostface Killah, Dead Prez, Jon Brion (yes, the guy that did the soundtracks to Eternal Sunshine, Magnolia, and I Heart Huckabees), up and coming star (and Chicago native) Lupe Fiasco, and Rhymefest. Obviously the theme is mainly hip-hop oriented, with more than a few wrinkles to keep you guessing, but it should be a very intriguing event.

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Cunninlynguists' latest reviewed

Cunninlynguists A Piece of Strange

The only strange thing about this album is how good it is.

Incorporating so many different genres while maintaining a strong tie to southern hip-hop is something that hasn't been seen since Outkast's early days (think Aquemini or a more organic ATLiens). To add to that solid foundation, the rhymes are so intimate and personalized they feel like a confessional, especially on tracks like "Hourglass" and there is no posturing to be found (thank goodness). The opener "Since When" incorporates rock guitar licks and an organ riff in a very timely matter, it never overpowers the rest of the production or the vocals for that matter, but rather set the tone for the rest of the album. More of this, particularly the rock influence can be found sprinkled throughout the album and in that regard, the heterogeneous nature of the music presented makes the experience all the more interesting, not to mention entertaining. Other highlights include the provocative "America Loves Gangsters," which deals with the issues of the iconic status that gangsters have carried in much of the media, and the centerpiece of the album, the atmospheric "The Gates." The latter track is probably the one in which all of the previously mentioned elements reach their pinnacle, as the avalanche of incredibly smart lyrics match perfectly with the sleek guitar and gospel based production. Overall this is yet another superb album from the southern rap group, and well worth the wait.

Overall Rating: 97

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Nacho Libre review

Nacho Libre

Mildly entertaining and endearingly silly, Jared Hess creates yet another quirky comedy with a heart.

If there's one major difference between Nacho Libre and Napoleon Dynamite, it's that Nacho Libre will never go down as being even half as memorable as its predecessor (and given how incredibly quotable the movie is even now, that could be considered a good thing). Despite that, there is still a similar cast of eccentric, well, outcasts, this time around though Jack Black is playing ringleader. While there are plenty of opportunities for Jack to work his magic, which he does admirably on more than a few occasions, there isn't enough from the supporting cast to really hold water. It's as if either Hess or perhaps Nick Movies were so focused on having a vehicle for Jack Black they forgot they needed the tires to go with it as well. Because of that, the movie isn't really what it could've been. Too bad really, as Ana de la Reguera (who plays Sister Encarnación) and Héctor Jiménez (who plays Nacho's trusty sidekick) are both very likeable in their own right. Pairing that with Hess' stellar as usual directing, and off-beat wordplay, (not to mention the admittedly cute interplay between the kids and Jack Black), there's about 3/4 of a good film here. It's that other 1/4 that's missing that really hurts what could've been the sleeper family film of the summer. Instead, it's a decent film, that serves well for its caricatures, comedic nuances and the overall fun that can be brought from seeing Jack Black enjoying his role as a friar-gone-wrestler, don't expect much more.

Overall Score: 72

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A Prairie Home Companion reviewed

A Prairie Home Companion

Altman and Keillor create easily one of the most fun movies I've seen in quite a while.

While they may be appreciated, APHC fans need not apply, this movie truly has something to offer beyond being a good-natured feature length radio show. The characters are incredibly charismatic, most notably with Guy Noir's (Kevin Cline) hilariously well-timed wannabe detective narration to the unabashed crude humor featured by Lefty and Dusty (John C. Reilly and Woody Harrelson), and the music also is some of the best heard since O Brother Where Art Thou? Like any other Altman film, the film takes its sweet time in unfolding and-- almost appropriately given the old-time subject of the film-- moves at a snails pace, but all the meandering is really just to get you further involved into each of the characters and to finally get a sense of what it is that they're all living for, that being the radio show. The inclusion of Virgina Madsen as the role of Dangerous Woman adds a flair of not only the supernatural but also brings to light one of the darker layers that can continuously be felt throughout the film. As an Altman fan, I would have to say that this is one of the best projects that he has been a part of, and everyone from Garrison Keillor to Lindsay Lohan do an outstanding job in their portrayal of a forgotten art form that's well worth hearing about.

Overall Rating: 98

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The Break Up and X-Men: The Last Stand (finally) Reviewed

The Break Up

An entertaining yet moderately underwhelming movie.

Everyone's talking about them, and if all this overexposure isn't going to get you to at least think about seeing the movie, nothing will. The Break Up, starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Anniston, really doesn't have much more going for it than said couple. Sure, there are elements of it being the great break-up movie that it claims to be, but it never really accomplishes that. The writing is incredibly inconsistent, almost as if the writers were arguing as to whether or not this should be a serious drama or a lighthearted comedy. Then as a last ditch effort, they drew straws and wrote each part on their own with total disregard to how it will fit in with the other writers' stories. On the upside, when it's good, it's very good. Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn are just as entertaining a duo as they've ever been (see Swingers and Made), and Jennifer Anniston even shows that she can act a little bit-- this being the best performance by far of her career (this may not be saying a lot, but it's still quite an accomplishment that should be recognized). Problems arise in the total waste of time spent on the families of the couple, and even to a certain extent their respective friendships. Outside of Favreau's character, nothing is really given as far as background, so it's essentially up to the audience to fill in the blanks. Where the depth lacks though, there is a lot of heart to make up for it, and that's really what makes it a charming movie. Between the relatively well-done acting, and a breezy yet occasionally effective plot and storyline, The Break Up is well worth the time if you understand what it is: A summer movie with a bittersweet twist.

Overall Rating: 67


X-Men: The Last Stand

A film that's as engrossing as it is inconsistant.

It isn't an accident that this film is rarely brought up without some passing mention of the major instability that came prior to even the shooting of the movie. While the project originated with returning director Bryan Singer, he left (and brought essentially everyone working behind-the-scenes with him) to work on the upcoming Superman film. Matthew Vaughn (long-time associate of Guy Ritchie and director of Layer Cake) then stepped in, only to back out 9 weeks later after deciding he would not be able to commit to the rigorous schedule needed to do the film. Finally, in came Brett Ratner, and just as it seemed that the dust would settle, Halle Berry essentially demanded that Storm receive a larger role in this upcoming film, thus causing a change in storyline to suit her request. All of this backstory gives a lot of insight to why this X-Men film, which is really the most pivotal in terms of plot, was all the more difficult to pull off, and trust me, it shows. The fact that this film is as good as it is really is quite an accomplishment for Ratner and company, as there was outstanding development not only of the main characters (Wolverine, Jean Grey, Storm, and even Magneto and Professor X), but also the "students" and a bevy of new characters get a chance to shine as well. Combine that with absolutely superb action scenes, a healthy dose of well-done CGI, and a few twists that will make any X-Men fanatic tingle, and you've got a very well done film. Of course, there are going to be problems in such an elaborate movie, especially given the said complications. The first problem is that Storm is in way too much of the film, and considering she was never really a major player in the series anyway, I don't see why Berry had to take it upon herself to decide that she should be the main character. The second problem, which is somewhat related to the first is that there were points in which the story seriously wasn't flowing as well as it needed to, wasting time on half-baked characters such as Angel (who is really an unfortunate waste in this movie). All that said, this is a relatively well-done movie that might be one of the first comic book films that sway more to the demands of fanatics rather than the causal fan, but should still be enjoyed by everyone.

Overall Rating: 75

Fuzzy Thoughts: June 2, 2006

What's going on in film?
While X-Men: The Last Stand's the success story of the week, there are a couple of major films that are out today. The first of which is The Break Up, which hopefully won't be ruined by Jennifer Anniston. Also coming out today is Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, which investigates global warming. Another noteworthy film that's coming out today that will particularly interest those looking for a fast-paced action flick is District B13, which was written by Luc Besson.

What's going on in music?
You might've also noticed I didn't do a Tuesday update. Well, in truth, there was nothing really to update as far as albums are concerned, but there were a few newly-released singles that are worth talking about that I was going to cover now. Fatboy Slim, the DJ that never goes away (for better or worse), is back with a new single entitled "That Old Pair of Jeans," that also features a nifty new video. Featuring Lateef on vocals once again, it sounds somewhere between "Wonderful Night" (which also had Lateef on vocals) and "Demons," but deals with a bit more of a serious issue from most other Fatboy songs as it's essentially a break-up song. Also out this week is the single "Kick Push" from Lupe Fiasco. You might remember him from Kanye West's "Touch the Sky," Lupe, like West, is from Chicago and his debut album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor is rumored to be finally released in August. The original release date was to be June 27, but since the original album has been leaked heavily on the internet, Lupe went back into the studio to record eight new tracks. If the skateboard influenced single is any indication, Fiasco's debut may very well be worth the hype. Muse is also back in action with their new single "Supermassive Black Hole." It's completely different from every other song I remember Muse releasing, with it's incredibly dense, almost Eurhythmics like techno-rock backdrop. It's a little creepy, especially if you watch the video (S&M anyone? Actually NIN's "Closer" and those creepy leather-clad 80's vids come to mind [for those of you at work though, it's definitely not explicit, just creepy]), but it's strangely addicting. The single is from their upcoming album entitled Black Holes and Revelations, which comes out July 3rd.

What's going on in the concert scene?
Well, last night I saw the Walkmen in concert with Mazarin and Rockwell as the opening bands. Needless to say, the Metro was a perfect venue for both Mazarin and even more so for the Walkmen, as the latter got even the most apparently uptight rocker going by the time they got to their third song "The Rat." Hamilton Leithauser's howling vocals are all the more impressive live, even if he begins to lose his voice on the higher notes (something that's a lot more forgivable than you'd think, as everyone else is so incredibly loud you'd be hard-pressed to really notice), and in general they played a very solid setlist. They stuck to playing mainly their harder songs, which worked very well, and only faltered a bit with their encore, which began with their two-minute song "They're Winning" and ended with "Louisiana."
The latter was surprisingly impressive and complete with horn and saxophone to back the band, which made it all the more fun, but it still seemed a bit unbalanced considering they performed their strongest and perhaps best songs so early in their performance. Overall though, this was a very, very good show, the energy that the Walkmen maintained was enthralling to say the least.