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Outsight
Outsight: Cryptic Says Goodbye
NEWS AND VIEWS **************************
CRYPTIC SAYS GOODBYE TO ESD
After over fifteen years of working together, The Cryptic Corporation announced that RYKO Disc-distributed Eastside Digital in Minneapolis will no longer be marketing titles by The Residents. ESD will focus on the Scandinavian neo-folk that it currently markets under the Northside Digital label. In a time of shrinking retail opportunity, The Cryptic Corporation will examine the extensive catalog of titles by The Residents and make decisions about which titles should remain in print, which should go into occasional limited pressings, and which should be eliminated entirely. As of this moment there is no USA label for any Residents products, but look for a future announcement as talks with other labels continue. This should pave the way for the release of an album of new music in late 2003 or early 2004. ESD CD's will start disappearing from shops immediately. ESD will no longer be manufacturing any Residents titles, and have already stopped making a lot of them. Fill in the gaps in your collection now, which you can also do at Ralph America…
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FRONT 242
Two new CDs from this long-lived Belgian electronic group are out on Metropolis. Pulse is the first album of new material from the group in nearly a decade. The album is a near seamless flow of electronic beat music quoting every dance dialect of the genre: trance, techno, EBM, drum 'n bass and more…Six tracks from this recording that did not make it to the album are compiled onto the CD EP Still & Raw… Both albums show an interesting and effective synthesis of the early, post-disco New Wave sound that gave rise to this band and others in the early '80s with the new, efficient utilitarian, urban beat approach…
Listen to or Buy Pulse at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Still & Raw at Amazon.com
JAZZ
The album Melodic Miner's Daughter (A to Z Music) from the Abby And Norm Group strives to be all things. In this ambitious goal, the mostly instrumental CD succeeds very well. The album opens with the light, acoustic jazz homage to Canada. This is mostly guitar-based with prominent sax on four tracks by George Garzone… On Hada Hada (Libra Records) trumpeter Natsuki Tamura breaks from his acoustic free jazz past by playing with an electric quartet. The music is still unpredictable and experimental, but not too often challenging the listener. The stormy album is monstrous in sound, demanding to be played at full volume and can be downright scary… The Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra is a large ensemble based in Boston. On the Darrel Katz CD The Death of Simone Weil the group backs Rebecca Shrimpton singing a setting of the poetry of Paula Tatarunis. The group hearkens back to a Big Band sound while incorporating contemporary styles. An added track, "Like a Wind" is Shrimpton backed by the Abby And Norm Group singing passages from Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio… Niacin keeps the jazz fusion flame alive through great albums and significant touring. A long-awaited live album is out; Live - Blood, Sweat and Beers (Magna Carta). The potent trio charges through a dozen live tracks and two previously unreleased studio tracks… William Parker's new album Scrapbook (Thirsty Ear) shines with the exemplary and spirited playing of dynamic jazz violinist Billy Bang. Parker (bass) melds with Hamid Drake (drums) to provide a solid rhythm section to showcase Bang's precise and fiery talent… The next best thing to being there can be hearing what you missed. This is the angle of Vision: Live from the Vision Festival (Thirsty Ear). The highpoints on this CD and DVD release include a Billy Bang performance. Other exceptional instrumentalists captured here include Peter Kowald (bass, now deceased), Dave Burrell (piano), Douglas Ewart (reeds), Matthew Shipp (piano) and more…
Listen to or Buy Melodic Miner's Daughter at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Death of Simone Weil at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Live - Blood, Sweat and Beers at Amazon.com
HEAVY MUSIC
The members of The Exploited have mostly shaved their hair. The group removed much of the "hair" from its music, too. The new album Fuck the System (Spitfire) is violently anti-establishment with a tight, focused metalcore/speed punk sound…The high-octane new album Straight til Morning from The Midnight Evils on Estrus is a Tim Kerr-produced slab that embodies the excitement of driving big cars at high speeds…Also on Estrus is Get Knifed, the revved up alt-blues album with a sociopathic soul from Fatal Flying Guilloteens. Also produced by Kerr, this is for those that think Jon Spencer is too soft… From Smallstone Records comes It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity by Puny Human. This band has a muscular, serpentine hard rock that recalls White Zombie. (J. Yuenger produced the record.) However, the vocals are thin and seem artificially in front of the music. Is that the puny part to this record? … Sonny Vincent has experience creating heavy music, beginning with his two-guitar punk group The Testors (1976). He started making waves than and has not looked back since. The Good The Bad The Ugly (Acetate) includes many guests. Everyone from Wayne Kramer to Streetwalking Cheetahs' Frank Meyer are on the record. The album excellently synthesizes fast rock with an unpretentious use of melody, as on "Trans-Love"…Not only is Gallery of Mites heavy music, it is heavy to move the band's equipment around. The 10-member group boasts five guitarists. Gallery of Mites artfully uses these guitarists on Bugs on the Bluefish (Meteor City) for a surprisingly articulate and cohesive hard rock album from what one may think would just be a volume-over-structure wall of sound ensemble…
Listen to or Buy Fuck the System at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Straight til Morning at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Get Knifed at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Good Bad Ugly at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Bugs ont eh Bluefish at Amazon.com
A WORLD OF MUSIC
Canorous queen of ecstatic song Alessandra Belloni takes through Italian folk-song of magico-religious nature on Tarantelle & Canti d'Amore: The Songs of Alessandra Belloni (Naxos World). The mood ranges from the spirited, passionate tarantellas to gentle lullabies… For reflective, New Age acoustic sounds of Japan, Riley Lee and Satsuki Odamura teamed on Picture Dreams (New World Music). Australian Lee evidences his mastery of subtle shakuhachi impressions while accompanied by koto in these instrumental duet settings…Wimme continues to update the Finnish Sami vocal style known as joik by mating it with increasingly dance-like electronic beats. Bárru (Northside) is the most techno-styled yet presenting an interesting contrast between the far-away vocals of frozen Finland with the warm, pulsing beats… Of course this wasn't the first fusion of a sub-genre with world sounds. Punks were mixing up dub and punk since the beginning, arising as it was out of the fertile southeast England scene. All this is documented in beat-driven detail on the compilation Wild Dub Dread Meets Punk Rocker Downtown (Select Cuts). Featured artists include The Clash, Generation X, Killing Joke and Grace Jones… Amadou & Mariam have an album called Wati on Circular Moves. This is a fun blend of traditional African vocals with bright electric blues and rock guitar. This is amped up Afro-pop sung in French with an early R&B delivery…When it is all over take it to la-la land with the compilation Dreamland: World Lullabies & Soothing Songs from Putumayo. Ideal for nighty-night, meditation, yoga and other relaxing activities, this compendium draws from Australia, Scotland, Argentina and more…
Listen to or Buy Alessandra Belloni at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Picture Dreams at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Wimme at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Dreamland at Amazon.com
GOT BLUES IF YOU WANT IT
Nick Curran and the Nitelifes cranks it up on the swinging, upbeat Doctor Velvet (Blind Pig Records). His large, jump blues ensemble includes piano and a horn section… To hear a master of electric guitar blues, check out Talkin' Blues, the new album from Albert King (Thirsty Ear). The live album is from a 1978 Chicago performance and includes "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Blues at Sunrise" and more. Excellent production could make this a classic. However, Thirsty Ear chose to interweave interview portions between the tracks. While these are entertaining and illuminating exchanges, they disrupt the pace of the album… George Thorogood rose to prominence as a rocking blues musician in the late '70s. This and the fact that he is perhaps more popular with rock fans than blues fans make it seem odd that Rounder chose to do a Thorogood album as part of its esteemed Heritage Series. However, the album Who Do You Love? proves Thorogood to be a rooted player with an impressive body of material. This album concludes with the title track that is a previously unreleased live version of the title song… Savoy Brown has slimmed down its sound since the heady, bombastic days of the hard rock boogie sound. The group's new album on Blind Pig Records is Strange Dreams and shows Kim Simmonds and company delivering a tight, focused electric blues-rock… Mostly instrumental is I Feel Like Goin' On from Ronnie Earl on Stony Plain. This is an exquisite blues guitar album that focuses on Earl's fretwork ability and style like none other in his discography… Another upbeat, blues player on Stony Plain is David K. Wilcox. Rockin' the Boogie: Best Blues Boogie is a collection spanning his quarter-century career in boogie and blues and includes three new tracks… Another fine Canadian blues label is NorthernBlues Music. It is also an adventurous label, proving that again with the world-influenced acoustic blues of James Cohen on High Side of Lowdown. Approaching gypsy jazz, this is the intersection of flamenco and blues… Also acoustic, but getting real traditional is Doc Watson on Trouble in Mind: The Country Blues Collection (Sugar Hill). This album compiles material from Watson's past albums for an all-blues release and includes such tracks as "Stackolee", "Lost John" and the Jimmie Rodgers songs "Anniversary Blues (Blue Yodel #7)". This banjo-blues retrospective gets to the heart of the matter quick and is 17 tracks or pure, unadulterated blues of the southern Appalachia…
Listen to or Buy Nick Curran at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy George Thorogood at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Savoy Brown at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Ronnie Earl at Amazon.com
Listen to or Buy Trouble in Mind: The Country Blues at Amazon.com
DVD REVIEWS ****************************
Tom Green
Early Exposure: Raw Meat and Rare Treats
Video Service Corp./Eclectic DVD
Tom Green
Endangered Feces
Video Service Corp./Eclectic DVD
These two videos make up over two hours of Tom Green's outrageous video stunts, pranks and ridiculous harassment of ordinary people. Sometimes Green's antics are out-and-out hilarious but even when the humor value is lacking the fascinating thing becomes how far Green will go to get a reaction. These past episodes of The Tom Green Show include handling roadkill, playing with roadkill, blatant Lesbian airbrush art, men French kissing, garbage picking, silly songs and more. Endangered Feces includes extra features covering Green making a scene on other people's show as their guests. Green's confrontational comedy is a cross between RE/Search Publications' "Pranks!" and Coyle & Sharpe. (4)
More on Early Exposure from Amazon.com
More on Endangered Feces from Amazon.com
Mike Gordon
Outside Out
Cactus Unlimited/MVD
This is a new release of the film by Mike Gordon of Phish, released with enhanced sound and picture. Outside Out was the SXSW 2000 Audience Award Winner. Gordon appears in the film as leader of the band Ramble Dove with a Gram Parsons' "High Fashion Queen" wardrobe. However, this is a merely supporting role as the story is built around the original Outside Out guitarist, Col. Bruce Hampton (Fiji Mariners, Aquarium Rescue Unit). Hampton offers crazy wisdom and magical communications through a guitar instructional video to a teen confused about life. Hampton's message that guitar advancement can come through nonconformist philosophy and unlearning accepted technique finds fertile ground in the mind of the teen looking at the guitar as a glamorous career, but lacking discipline. Anyone that is going through or has ever gone through such a phase can relate to this story, The quirky character played by Hampton and his weird digs adds to the entertainment value of this offbeat tale about coming of age that is an expressionist rock version of Herman Hesse's "Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth". This is because a highly unlikely series of events turns to verify the alternate route the teen seeks for his school day aspirations. (4)
More on the DVD from Amazon.com
CD REVIEWS ****************************
Ursa Minor
Silent Moving Picture
Smells Like Records
In a time when experimental music is about dramatic effect, Michelle Casillas experiments with subtlety and sounds unusual as they are understated on this song-oriented after-hours album gem. Much of the texture here derives from the juxtaposition of Casillas' gently rolling piano and Fender Rhodes organ against the low-level but wildly distorted guitars of Tony Scherr (Sex Mob, Lounge Lizards, Bill Frisell). Another Lounge Lizard is on hard: cellist Jane Scarpantoni, as well as other one-song appearances by Yuri Lemishev (accordion) and Chris Brown (clavinet). Another feature of this album is the group's take on the songs "Summertime Rolls" from Jane's Addiction. (4)
Listen to or Buy at Amazon.com
Joshua Bayer
Lines and Grooves
Jazzheads
Fans of Bill Evans and Paul Desmond will appreciate this instrumental, basically acoustic jazz album done in a classic style. The quartet built around journeyman acoustic bassist Joshua Bayer includes Marty Nau on saxophone as well as Bob Sykes on piano and Rhodes organ with Luther Gray holding down the bottom on drums. Other than "Prelude" by George Gershwin, this album is all original material. This is a subtle, exquisite album that never seeks to jar the listener, but instead gently entertains. The point here is melody, not might; mood not majesty. Lines and Grooves goes with dim lights and fine wine, romantic moments and quiet times. (4.5)
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Zen Gardens
Zen Gardens
Clean Cuts
This is an album of impressionistic synth compositions, "music inspired by the temples and gardens of Kyoto." Fans of Steven Reich, later Tangerine Dream and Kitaro will appreciate these compositions of Wall Matthews. Several duotones decorating the CD picture render the well-tended gardens, picturesque brooks and stylistically furrowed sand that should come to mind when listening. Multi-instrumentalist Wall Matthews is known for his abilities in African percussion, as well as guitar and piano. While the mood here is distinctly Oriental and not African, there is a gently percussive quality that imbues a sense of rolling motion to the pieces. Matthews also composed dance scores for ballet companies and these pieces are evocative of the stage motions that make for effective choreography. (4)
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Edison Rocket Train
Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!
Steel Cage Records
Edison Rocket Train is an alt-blues root-punk band in the tradition of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Delta '72. The revved up rock album includes covers of ancient blues numbers as "Samson and Delilah" and "Your Dice Won't Pass". Even the original includes lyrical nods to country blues and early R&B, as in the title track and the "dust my broom" phrase in "Party Man Special". The band gets its drive and energy from rocking guitarist Mike Edison, but a lot of the style here comes from the saxophones and harp of Pete Linzell. Journeyman Linzell's horns and harps have graced albums by The Fleshtones, New Bomb Turks, Raunch Hands and more. (3.5)
Vic Bondi / Articles of Faith
Fortunate Son
Alternative Tentacles Records
Vic Bondi started as a protest singer and then formed Articles of Faith and other bands. His reaction to Operation: Iraqi Freedom was to go back to where he began and release new, rocking protest songs. Two appear on this split CDEP, one being a driving, over the top take on John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son". The two tracks by Articles of Faith actually were written 20 years ago, but are examples of politicized hardcore that still resonate today: "Buy this War" and "American Dreams". (3)
The Undead
First, Worst & Cursed
Dionysus
This is not the punk group that featured one-time Misfit Bobby Steele. This punk group sports the same B-movie styled punk with a greater sense of humor and preceded the later Steele ensemble by a decade. The group began releasing singles in 1977 and this compendium draws from the prolific period. Past of the Masque scene, this album is not only interesting as the groups earliest material, but as a window into the one of the manifold faces of West Coast punk during the fertile period of the late '70s when such varied and dedicated groups sprouted up. The thin recordings roll past in short songs of varying levels but each horror-schlock ditty is simple, catchy and stylized to fit the quartet of Sid Terror, Bond Cobby, Elmer Dud and Joe Dirt. (3.5)
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Andrew Drury
A Momentary Lapse
Innova
Andrew Drury is the composer and drummer behind this jazz quintet in every way. The music tends to be a frantic and perilous seesaw battle between violinist Eyvind Kang and the saxophones (Chris Speed and Briggan Kraus). Also figuring in prominently is Myra Melford in the piano. This avant-jazz supergroup is held to the ground by the bass playing of Mark Dresser. The instrumental, eruptive jazz pieces feature rock-like energy and attack. All this energy flows from a very hard-working acoustic ensemble. A Momentary Lapse is a significant and energetic recording that will appeal to fans of free jazz, Rock In Opposition, prog rock as well as creative music in general.
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Ani DiFranco
Evolve
Righteous Babe Records
Here is an excellent assemblage of a dozen new studio tracks from DiFranco's 5-piece band. She began working in this setting a few years back and focused on fusing melodic songwriting with attributes of funk. Evolve appears to be the culminating synthesis of these disparate approaches to music with ample similarity to her successful neo-folk sound of the '90s to satisfy purist fans. Ani DiFranco returned to performing solo, but fortunately for us she captured in the studio on new material the musicians she has melded with as a touring unit over recent years: Julie Wolf (keyboards), Hans Teuber (reeds), Jason Mercer (bass) and Daren Hahn (drums) as well as a three-piece horn section. (4.5)
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Todd Snider
Near Truths and Hotel Rooms
Oh Boy Records
On this live album, Todd Snider proves himself not only to be the court jester representative of "no depression" alternative country but an able performer of very solid material. "D.B. Cooper" is a triumphant ballad to the high-altitude-thief-as-folk-hero and "Lonely Girl" is a touching ballad. The album also features such down home howlers as the spelling lesson "Beer Run". Most songs are introduced with Snider's drawled patter, which seems to never grow old on this entertaining disc. (4)
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The Blood Brothers
Burn Piano Island, Burn
Artist Direct
They are calling this new generation of aggro "screamo" and The Blood Brothers are riding that wave for all it is worth. Already prolific, the group in 2003 has a five-title discography starting with the attention-getting 2001 release March on Electric Children. It is obvious from this output and the explosive, frenetic tracks of this album that the guys in this band are full of energy. Two dedicated vocalists screaming and carrying on unfettered by even so much as maracas are the main weapon in the arsenal of The Blood Brothers. Old school fans of post-punk aggro will see this noisy group, which features a lot of swing in their clamorous grooves, as a cross between Laughing Hyenas and Alice Donut. This is a sophisticated, intelligent take on hardcore that should not go unnoticed. (4)
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Bob Marley and The Wailers
Greatest Hits at Studio One
Heartbeat
Perhaps no other group did more to popularize reggae music than The Wailers. This mighty force in reggae had its starts as a trio produced by Clement Dodd in Jamaica's legendary Studio One. This collection takes us back to those seminal days when the group was a vocal trio: Marley, Peter Tosh and Neville Livingston. It was at this time the group recorded early versions of "One Love" and "Simmer Down", heard on this release. There is a proto-ska sound to these recording that includes backing musicians who later figured heavily in the ska movement: Tommy McCook, Lloyd Brevett, Roland Alphonso, etc. This is the sound influenced by American radio that emerged out of Jamaica and later diverged down two paths: ska and reggae. (4.5)
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Al Rose
Gravity of Crow
Monkey Holding Peach Records
Gravity of Crow is a very well produced album of great pop songs that will resonate with fans of Elvis Costello and Leonard Cohen. There is also a very Midwestern feel to tunes by this Chicago singer-songwriter, as can be heard on "Open Wide". Subtle backing and harmony vocals from Laura Blye adds a warm style to this exquisite collection of exquisite gems. Rose's band The Transcendoes always finds the correct balance between vocal and instrumental expression on these songs. This is especially true when Steve Doyle waxes melodic on the Dobro. The lyrics are included in the booklet, as they always should be when they are this good. (4)
Roberta Piket & Alternating Current
I'm Back in Therapy and it's all Your Fault
Thirteenth Note Records
Pianist and composer Roberta Piket steps out of her successful acoustic form with the electric project Alternating Current on I'm Back in Therapy and it's all Your Fault. Her combination of a vintage Wurlitzer electric piano with an array of effects pedals makes for a warm, personal sound on this instrumental album. (3.5)
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Outsight is non-mainstream music news and views. The content is wholly based on new releases and a focus on the the eclectic and overlooked.
