Soundbites

Mocean Worker
Cinco de Mowo!
Mowo, Inc.
www.moceanworker.com

The NYC musical native who calls himself Mocean Worker (pronounced “motion worker” if you were curious) has a pretty impressive jazz pedigree. As the son of Atlantic Records producer Joel Dorn, who worked with the likes of Mingus and Coltrane (if you don’t know who they are you can stop reading now…), Adam Dorn grew up listening to some of the best jazz ever created, and frankly has somehow managed to improve on it.

Cinco de Mowo! is a collection of 13 lush, layered jazz/electronica/disco tracks that run the gambit from sublime to booty shakin’ with an adult complexity that would seem to be from a far older man than Adam Dorn. In fact, right off the first beat of “Shake Ya Boogie” some Glutious-Maximus motion is necessary, and that action later contrasts well with the cool jazzy blues of tracks like “I Got You” (featuring some fantastic vocals from guest Morley).

Don’t be fooled, even this mighty music critic had to listen to this whole CD several time to get this thirteen course feast down, and that just might be too much work for the average Nickleback fan, but for the adult connoisseur, the sophistication here hits the spot.

Frankly, it’s nice to see someone updating jazz. While musicians rightfully love the classics, music is a living thing, and living things need to grow and change to survive, and Cinco de Mowo! does just that while retaining the utmost respect and honor for all those artists who can before, and showing that this worker indeed has some motion in his ocean. — Brandon Whitehead (posted 08/24/07)

Nodes of Ranvier
Defined by Struggle
Victory Records
www.victoryrecords.com

Self-described as “metal hardcore,” the seven-year-old, five member band called Node of Ranvier’s newest album Defined by Struggle is a well-crafted selection of rolling drums, flickering guitars, growling vocals and Jesus.

Yes, that’s right, Jesus (think that South Park episode where Cartman starts his own Christian band…). It takes a little digging to find the Christ mixed into the music, as Victory Records has very cleverly skipped the Christian messages here, instead using phrases like “…the album carries an uplifting message about the importance of dealing with life’s trials with faith and personal integrity intact.”

Really.

Well, let this little ol’ critic explain something to you guys about your “personal integrity”: Sending out Christian music as something else, no matter what genre you wrap it in, is a big, fat lie. It’s as big a lie as calling creationism “Intelligent Design” or those crappy “haunted houses” which turned into “Follow God or fear him” gimmicks like, five feet past the door (Gee, that’s a lot of lies for something that says it values “personal integrity” isn’t it…).

Don’t care if this is good music or not — ain’t even going to mention these jerk’s names ‘cause they don’t deserve it. Sure, they probably don’t even realize they’re gonna get watered down to fit in the mainstream until even they don’t remember what the original message they were trying to say was (kinda like organized religion, huh?).

Sorry, give this music fan plenty of Satan in his metal, thank you, because we’ve all got as much Jesus as we need, really.

Name’s stupid, too. — Brandon Whitehead (posted 08/03/07)

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