Bad Mother Trucker
Ten Foot Pole- Victory Records
As emo rock and pop-punk ease their way into the mainstream of radio
play, it becomes more difficult to distinguish the Sum 41’s from
the Jimmy Eat Worlds. So when Ten Foot Pole’s newest album, Bad
Mother Trucker, contains tracks that stand out from the crowd,
that’s remarkable. What’s not surprising, however, is the
album’s inconsistency, with a good measure of depth and songwriting
ability often outweighed by production shortcomings and run-of-the-ordinary
lyrics. |
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Songs like “Giving Gravity A Hand” and “Armchair
Quarterback” display a maturity and uniquely critical viewpoint
that prove this group can write good music. Why, then, do they begin
the album with “Plastic,” a comparatively shallow pop song
that contains the line “I want to last forever/Like plastic
in the landfill of your memory”? Sounds like the title of
a Billy Ray Cyrus song.
Ten Foot Pole’s chops are evident with tempo shifts and strong
guitar. The songs on Bad Mother Trucker are catchy, but for
every great track there’s a mediocre one. —Casey Adams |
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Soul Deep
Lee McBee - Pacific Blues Recording
Co.
If you like a little variety in your blues, Lawrence/KC singer, songwriter
and harmonica player Lee McBee is the man. His latest recording Soul
Deep mixes it up. On some of the tracks, he plays traditional blues,
as on covers "Ride with Me" and "It’s Your Voodoo
Working." On other tracks, he borrows from other musical traditions
to create a fresh blues sound. |
McBee has one of those whisky and honey voices that’s
never totally smooth or totally rough. At times, he sounds as authentic
as an original Delta bluesman. At other times, the vocals are a bit
too smooth.
His "Twelve Hours From You" combines warm blues guitar with
a bossa nova beat. The title cut "Soul Deep" depends on smooth
vocals and a feel reminiscent of ‘50s soul music.
With "Country Blues II," he gives a nod to the Mississippi
Delta, with high-pitched, twangy vocals and a plucky slide guitar, piano
and harmonica accompaniment. McBee’s originals "Woman Down
in Arkansas" and "I Don’t Understand" have roots
firmly planted in tradition.
If you’re a blues neophyte, this CD will give you a good sample
of the blues music’s many sides. If you’re a seasoned blues
aficionado, you’ll likely fully appreciate McBee’s versatility.
—Deborah Young |
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Revolverlution
Public Enemy- Slam Jamz and KOCH records
After a long and sometimes outlandish battle
with the recording industry, Chuck, Flava and the boys finally released
a new record in its physical form, rather than the internet-only enigma
that was 1999’s There’s A Poison Goin’ On.
Revolverlution may have broken the band away from its experimental
meddling with the industry’s status quo, but it may be too little,
too late for the originators of leftist hip-hop. Releasing their previous
album on an Internet-based format may have been an attack on an industry
that had done wrong in their eyes, but it was also an inadvertent
attack on a majority of their audience: those without ready access
to the information superhighway. |
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If Revolverlution was a remarkable
album, perhaps things would be different. But the disk plays like a
eulogy for an once-mighty music phenomenon, mixing a handful of mishandled
new tracks with fuzzy live and classic tracks obviously mishandled by
an assorted spattering of DJs.
The album’s only gem, the anathematic “Gotta Give The Peeps
What They Need,” stands out like a supermodel with a brutal left
hook: A furious political assault with the betterment of their “peeps”
in mind. But what is it they need? Mp3 players? CD-RW’s? —Ron
Knox |
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In Blue
Karrin
Allyson- Concord Records
A roller coaster ride of melodies with traces of Ella Fitzgerald fills
Karrin Allyson’s eighth album, In Blue. A definite win
for both the blues addict and novice, the vibrant, bouncing bass and
dancing piano compliment Allyson’s sweet yet sometimes sassy vocals.
Allyson’s seemingly effortless yet captivating singing speaks directly
to the listeners. Everyone can relate in some manner. |
The listener smells the smoky ambiance surrounding “The
Meaning of the Blues,” which Allyson also arranged. Oscar Brown
Jr.’s “Long As You’re Living” dances with its uncommon
yet striking 5/4 rhythm.
Stylistically, In Blue is not a traditional blues album; rather,
it simply contains songs that describe having the blues. She says of
“Hum Drum Blues” in the liner notes: “It’s about
being fed-up, sick and tired, but trying to find comfort — even
if temporary — in someone’s arms.” Although this describes
many tracks on the album, each song finds its own way to express itself.
—Jessica Chapman |
