Garage-y guitar driven for the most part, bands such as Woven Bones (“Spirits Roam”) and Dikes Of Holland’s “Little City Girl” would give Band Of Skulls a run for the money in the near future.
Two things that The Disco Biscuits have become famous for – indulgently stretched-out peaks and breakneck, trance-based improvisation – are noticeably absent on their new On Time EP. Part of a multi-release series building to the long-overdue March 16 drop of Planet Anthem, the band’s own Chinese Democracy, On Time delivers far more studio polish than the band has ever boasted, morphing this release into a sonic alter-ego. Sounding little like the band’s famed live performances, this EP provides a glimpse at a new side of The Disco Biscuits.
Transference remains a grower with its brooding underbelly, but once you get it, you’re thankful for the not-so obvious pop nods. The one catchy exception is “Written In Reverse,” where the ker-plunky piano and crashing drums make for another silent classic. With Transference Spoon is further cementing their status as cult survivor rather than a pop/blog flash in the pan, thanks to their intense consistency and only selling out to their fan-base, not the mainstream.
If you've never succumbed to the earthy yet cerebral music of The Doors, you're not likely to plunk down big bucks for a multi-CD box set, even if you find it half-price off or more at your local mega retailer. but if you know someone who got it as a Christmas present, take a listen to any one of the six CDs and see if the performance doesn't radically alter your perception and pre-conception of Jim Morrison and company.
The forces of nature, to which we know, all act in balance and in accordance to one another. Seasons change and adaptations occur to maintain equilibrium, and sometimes nature produces extraordinary events. In his new solo project and upcoming record titled Orchestrion, Pat Metheny creates a controlled universe where all acoustic and mechanical instruments work in synchronization together to produce the composed sound that is echoing in his mind.
Taped at the Waterhole (Saranac Lake, New York) on Valentine’s Day 2009, Zoograss (released Jan. 12th) is one of those live albums that will turn into a word-of-mouth sensation as the rhythm of time passes. The legendary music venue has come to be known as the headquarters of the gonzo bluegrass quartet. Filled with rowdy, foot stomping Adirondack locals (and plenty of drinks to drown a small army), the ambiance aligned perfectly with the overzealous approach of the Massachusetts group.
Sweet Release may be Velvet Truckstop’s debut album, but it sounds like the work of a band who’s comfortable in its own skin and knows what it wants to sound like. Constanten and Cage, being the pros that they are, step onboard only to serve the song; Sweet Release is a solid sample of Velvet Truckstop’s voice from beginning to end. They ain’t tryin’ to be nobody but themselves.
What John Coltrane ultimately did with the lessons he learned and taught himself, for the period from 1956 through 1958, is what elevated him to the jazz pantheon. The previously-released companion piece “Fearless Leader” arguably illustrates that aspect of his career more fully than this five CD box set, but this set demonstrates how even as he honed his chops, Coltrane was a commanding presence. Virtually all the music contained in this package is vintage jazz of the highest order, but when that readily-identifiable horn begins to sound, the music ceases to become mere background.
Tori Amos has made a career out of being unordinary, and most of her albums are better because of this fact. Here on Midwinter Graces, she’s still giving a max effort, it’s just that not much stands out. The holiday-themed album has a nice overall feel and flow, but it’s probably best served for background music at a party, something that can’t be said of any of Amos’ prior work. If you’re an Amos completist, by all means, get your copy—just don’t expect the magic you’re used to.
Led by vocalist Greg Prevost (who sounds like a cross between Mick Jagger and David Johannsen and looks like a cross between Chris Robinson and the late Johnny Thunders back in his New York Dolls’ days), the Chesterfield Kings are all about the rock ‘n’ roll and aren’t afraid to show their influences.
