Alternately ripping and melodic metal from Across the Sun

That's good enough for me.

As you regular readers know, I like my metal with a little bit of melody. Across the Sun rip and howl when they want to, but not because they have to. I respect that. Check out my review on AltSounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/114732-across-the-sun-pestilence-and-rapture-ep.html

The Friday mix: more deep cuts from classic artists

Little known classic rock.

Today I am returning to the theme from a couple weeks ago of some more obscure tunes from very famous classic artists. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to find gems like these on classic albums. Radio, being radio, doesn’t usually do a lot of mining for deeper cuts. I hope you like these and I would be delighted to look for your suggestions for songs by any of these artists I may have missed.

1. Dr. John – I Walk on Guilded Splinters
   This is a such a strange, oozy song. I love the work by the background singers. The only thing I can’t figure out is why you would go by a stage name (Dr. John) when your name is already really cool and memorable (Mac Rebennack).
2. Elvis Presley – Tomorrow Night
   This was recorded in 1954 when Elvis was just 19 years old. Just his sweet young voice and a quietly plucked guitar but it’s such a pretty song. This isn’t what you think of when you hear the name Elvis.
3. Eric Clapton & J.J. Cale – Any Way the Wind Blows
   Cale wrote some of Clapton’s biggest hits (‘After Midnight,’ ‘Cocaine’) but the two finally recorded together in 2004 for “The Road to Escondido.” This is what they mean by “sitting in the pocket.”
4. Foo Fighters – Baker Street
   So the Foos haven’t been around quite long enough to be “classic.” Happily, this old Gerry Rafferty song has. I always liked the melody and Grohl and company do a fabulous job with it.
5. Genesis – Back in N.Y.C.
   Most folks are familiar with Genesis sans Peter Gabriel. “Abacab” and “Genesis” were huge albums and they’ve put out a lot of great music after the split, but man sit down and give a listen to this twisted and brilliant concept album from 1974, right before Gabriel left the band. I think this is my favorite song off this album.
6. George Harrison – Let It Down
   This is off his hugely popular solo debut, “All Things Must Pass” and although you can hear ‘My Sweet Lord,’ ‘I’d Have You Anytime,’ or ‘All Things Must Pass’ every day on your local classic rock radio station, I don’t believe I have ever heard this on the radio. Fantastic song. I’d like to hear someone cover it now with the big horns and gospel choir background singers.
7. Gov’t Mule – Beautifully Broken
   So Gov’t Mule is an Allman Brothers side project they began in 1995. I have seen Levon Helm perform this song in person but I have to say this version, which begins with a ‘Doves Cry’ intro, is the coolest I’ve ever heard of this great song.
8. The Hollies – Pay You Back with Interest
   Radio still plays ‘Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)’ but you don’t hear this one  from 1967 very much.
9. The Jackson 5 – It’s Your Thing
   This one pops up from time to time on the radio, but I never really heard it a lot. It’s from when it was OK for Michael to like 11 year-old boys because he was one.
10. Janis Joplin – One Good Man
    Janis released this with the Kozmic Blues Band a year before her death. I actually have to thank Martin Scorsese for turning me onto this track on a blues mix he assembled.
11. Jeff Beck – Stand On It
    Regular readers may remember when I recommended this album. This song actually charted, but if you’re looking for a great one that’s more obscure, check ‘Big Block.’
12. Jethro Tull – Pibroch (Cap in Hand)
    You will never hear this one on the radio. It’s got a progressive rock experimental aspect to it and it rocks. Check it out. Honestly, this is the coolest Jethro Tull song you’ve never heard.
13. Jimi Hendrix – One Rainy Wish
    I don’t know why radio has ignored this song. This is one of my very favorite Jimi songs but I never heard this song until I picked up this album. And I live in Cleveland. This town is obsessed with classic rock. Give it a listen.
14. Joe Jackson – Invisible Man
    Joe Jackson is still writing great music. Check out this amazing performance of this song. It really sounds remarkably close to the studio recording from “Rain” in 2008.

Enjoy with a decent old wine, some aged cheese, or anything else old and delicious. Have a good weekend.

Appealing experimental pop from Gravity Wave

...or maybe U2 meets Tiny Tim.

Oingo Boingo meets Battles. Or maybe Blur meets Ween. If that means anything to you, you have a sense of how interesting this project is. You can read my entire review on AltSounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/114663-gravity-wave-gambol-album.html

Dark and powerful hard rock / metal from A Perfect Circle

Maynard James Keenan is a busy fellow. You probably know him best from his multi-platinum rock band, Tool. Songs like ‘Schism’ and ‘Vicarious’ are deep, heavy, and flat out fantastic. Keenan takes just enough from math rock to keep his songs interesting without losing the thumping feet of his listeners. Tool is my wife’s favorite band, and pretty high on my list. I saw Tool at Bonnaroo in 2007 and it was a highlight of that week. Here is a bad video of Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) playing with Tool that night.

Keenan has a solo project called Puscifer, which released “V is for Vagina” in October 2007. Keenan has had enough success now that he gets to work on projects doing pretty much whatever the hell he wants to and this is some weird stuff. Most of it rocks, but it’s weird. More on this one, perhaps, another day.

I think Maynard Freakin' Keenan is appropriate now.

Keenan is also the lead singer for A Perfect Circle, though it isn’t his project per se. A Perfect Circle was actually the idea of Billy Howerdel, a former guitar technician for Tool (and Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and Fishbone). While staying at Kennan’s place, Howerdel played some demos of his music. Keenan liked it and although he had originally wanted a female lead singer, Howerdel knew Keenan could do a good job with them and probably thought having a talented lead singer from an already popular band wouldn’t hurt his chances either. Their debut album, “Mer de Noms” (not LOLspeak for a giant bowl of cheeseburgers) hit the ground running in May of 2003, selling 180,000 copies in its first week, putting it at #4 on the Billboard 200. It went platinum in 5 months.

If you weren’t one of the many who bought the album, it’s powerful, dark, and excellent. I ripped 7 of the disc’s 12 tracks.

• Magdelena – This darkly prowling tune is ominous to start, but builds to a long and towering guitar solo.
• Rose – I never knew until today that Howerdel originally envisioned a female singer. I can hear maybe Amy Lee from Evanescence doing a great job with this.
• Judith – Great rocker. I love the way he hollers, “It’s not like you killed someone,” in the chorus.
• Thomas – The beautiful acoustic guitar intro lasts about 20 seconds before the electric power chords shock you awake. In contrast with ‘Rose,’ I can’t imagine another vocalist delivering the oddly rhythmic chorus as well as Keenan.
• Renholder – The gentle acoustic guitar lasts the entire 2 minutes of this eerie song.
• Thinking of You – I think this is my favorite song on the album. I know it’s my favorite video.
• Brena – This song sounds the most like Tool to me, except it isn’t in 11/12 time or anything like that.

I didn’t rip ‘The Hollow,’ which was the other single off “Mer de Noms.” What can I say? I didn’t like it, though a lot of people did, so you might too.

I mentioned Keenan is busy. He has performed improv comedy and done a little acting. He owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars winery, and owns a piece of Stronghold Vineyards, all in Arizona, where he lives. Oh, and he is also a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors. Oh, and owns a produce market and an organic market in Cornville, Arizona. By night, presumably, he fights crime.

Catchy oddball pop from Jookabox

You may have heard the two prior releases by Indianapolis, IN native David Adamson’s project, Grampall Jookabox. They have shortened their name to Jookabox for their third release, “Dead Zone Boys.” Already known for blending an eclectic mix of styles with imaginative beats and vocal stylings, Jookabox continues to plunge ahead into strange but appealing territory.

Straight up pop with a twist.

“Dead Zone Boys” opens with ‘Phantom Don’t Go,’ which is my favorite track on the disc. Thundering drums, odd, warbling keyboards, and a hint of Middle Eastern Qawwali vocals back Adamson’s halting, harmonized lead vocals. It’s a strange combination that undeniably rocks.

It is followed by ‘Don’t Go Phantom,’ which has familiar rock elements and another good vocal melody, but is given a strange feel by the backing vocals that are sped up to sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks. The song makes me think of some cross between Oingo Boingo and experimental rockers Battles.

Throughout the disc, Jookabox presents us with interesting pop melodies that are transported out of the ordinary by a variety of tricks and sound effects most often applied to the vocals. Adamson has good pop/rock sensibilities and writes appealing hooks, but appears to hate the predictable or formulaic and goes far out of his way to keep the tracks on this album from sounding mainstream or even radio friendly.

I was glad to discover “Dead Zone Boys” and ripped 6 of this disc’s 11 tracks to my iPod. Other highlights include:

• You Cried Me – An exuberant song with energetic acoustic guitar and near frantic backing vocals.
• East Side Bangs/East Side Fade – A relatively conventional melody with hooting backing vocals and siren noises added for color.
• Glyphin‘ Out – Another pleasing pop melody with vocals slightly sped up to a childlike pitch.
• Evil Guh – An eerie ballad about an “evil, evil, evil, evil woman” that somehow appeals in spite of the droning vocals and plodding pace.
• Light – Features sped up lead vocals and layers of cool harmony work in front of a danceable – almost rave-like – beat.

Some of the work on “Dead Zone Boys” is a little too weird for me, but even the stuff I didn’t rip is interesting. For me, saying an album doesn’t sound like anything else in my collection is high praise. Jookabox approach music with inventiveness and passion and achieve a sound that is fresh. I recommend you pick up this album. I will be going back to listen to Jookabox’s older releases.

Smart, carefully crafted pop from Minus the Bear

Minus the Bear was a library find for me. I was strolling through the Ms, and the both the name of the band and the name of the album caught my attention. (It has been said the band’s name comes from an inside joke about the 80s TV show B.J. and the Bear. Ahem.) Minus the Bear plays sophisticated pop with a bit of an indie influence. They remind me a bit of vintage Alan Parsons, partly because of Jake Snider’s breathy alto, but partly because the songs are smart, well-constructed, and feature a lot of keyboards.

You can take musicians out of junior high, but...

The album I picked up was “Planet of Ice.” I always love it when I pick up something cold with no idea what might be on it and discover something this good. The album has some slow spots, but it also has some outstanding pop. Check out my 3 favorites.

• Burying Luck – I like the vocal contrast they choose in this song. Jake Snider can hit every note sweetly, but chose to scream the high ones some of the time. There is good keyboard work on this track too.
• White Mystery – Follow this link to check out the lyrics or just listen, since he sings clearly. Now that’s a love song.
• When We Escape – This is just a solid pop song with a little bit of an indie feel. It’s complex and varied enough to hold your interest without challenging the ear too much.

Minus the Bear released 2 albums before “Planet of Ice.” I won’t get much into those today, but check out a single from each.

• Guns & Ammo – This is from “Acoustics” and might be my favorite Minus the Bear song. Might be. Cool lyrics and a beautiful melody.
• El Torrente – This one is from “Menos El Oso.” The guitar work on this track is alternately ambient and biting and the keys do some cool stuff.

I read today that Minus the Bear has recorded a new album and put out a single on iTunes called ‘Into the Mirror,’ but I haven’t heard it yet. The album is due in April of this year so I’m looking forward to that.

http://www.minusthebear.com/

Beautiful Indian / American fusion from Najma Akhtar

The week before last, on my Friday mix, I put on a song from Najma Akhtar, an English born Indian music star. She pops up doing interesting projects all the time. There is a great album by DJ Cheb I Sabbah called “As Far as a DJ Mix” that I may write up some time. She has a few tracks on that hip hop / turntablism project. I recommended a project Najma did called “Forbidden Kiss: The Music of S.D. Berman,” a collection of traditional musical numbers from Indian cinema. She has worked with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Nina Simone, Andy Summers, Jah Wobble, and more. She has a splendid voice and is incredibly versatile.

I love the Eastern / Wester music fusion and this is a winner.

Today, I want to recommend her latest release, “Rishte.” This is a fantastic disc with deep roots in traditional Indian music, but Western influences as well. I’ve always been a big fan of East meets West projects, and this is a good one. As I went through this disc, I was strongly reminded of the Toumani Diabate / Taj Mahal collaboration, “Kulanjan.”  Not that the sounds or songs are similar. It just had a similar feel and energy with traditional Eastern songs featuring very Western sounding guitar and even an American blues tune done from a completely Eastern point of view.

I liked the entire release, but if you want to cherry pick, check out these 6:

• Rishte – Straight up 6-string acoustic guitar and tabla back Najma’s ringing voice as she bends and wails notes.
• Fragrance – Acoustic guitar is joined by a little dreamy steel guitar as Najma does her thing in Hindi (probably).
• Behaal – This energetic song has some wailing electric guitar accompanying the ubiquitous acoustic guitar, complete with rock ‘n roll solo.
• Woh Dhin – This is a beautiful 8-minute composition is deliberate, atmospheric, and really beautiful. There is a lot going on in the margins. It may be my favorite on the album.
• Special Rider Blues – So here is the blues tune I mentioned. It took me a minute or two to recognize it as the blues, but it absolutely is, just a completely Eastern interpretation.
• Naya Dhin – Another beautiful song, this time with solo violin accompanying the guitar and tabla.

Najma’s voice is lovely and she improvises and bends notes in the Eastern scales, but on this album in particular, most of the instrumentation is Western. It’s a potent combination that is pleasing to the ear and engaging to the mind.

The Friday mix: artists you know and love; songs you might not know and will love

I was playing poker at a friend’s house this week and an obscure Pink Floyd song came on my iPod. He commented that it was probably his very favorite song and another guy at the table (a relative youngster) confessed he didn’t know it. It gave me the idea to put together a mix of classic rock band b-sides. You might argue with my calling some of these bands classic rock and you might also argue with my calling some of these songs obscure. Nevertheless, my goal here has been to put together a collection of songs you might never have heard by old and popular artists whom you have certainly heard.

1. Adam Ant – Antmusic
   I wasn’t a fan of Adam Ant back in the day. To be fair, ‘Goody Two Shoes’ was perhaps the only song I had ever heard by them. But then a few years ago I heard this song (and ‘Dog Eat Dog’) and totally fell out. This is a cool song.
2. Aphrodite’s Child – Take Your Time
   So do you remember Vangelis? The ‘Chariots of Fire’ guy? Well, before he was a new age composer, he was a keyboardist in a progressive rock band in the 60s. This is a friendly little folk rocker that I was glad to stumble across.
3. 

   So maybe April Wine won't make the Rock Hall, but you get the idea.

   April Wine – Crash and Burn
   I suppose this album didn’t really age well with the definite exception of this song. It’s clearly a product of the times but in my opinion it still rocks.

4. The Band – Chest Fever
   The keyboard intro sounds like Deep Purple, but then it reminds me of The Allman Brothers’ ‘Dreams’ once it gets going. Great song.
5. Black Crowes – Thorn in my Pride
   They’ve been around for 20 years. They count as classic rock, right? This one is off of “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” and is my favorite track off that album.
6. Blues Traveler – Defense & Desire
   Blues Traveler came out the same year as the Crowes so I’m counting them. None of my friends like “Save His Soul” as much as I do but it’s my favorite of theirs, in part because it has this great rocker.
7. Bob Mould – Again and Again
   Hüsker Dü put out 7 albums in 5 years in the mid 80s. Mould has continued making great music. Listen to the heartbreakingly honest lyrics of this beautiful song as Mould performs it on The Henry Rollins Show.
8. Bruce Hornsby – Sticks & Stones
   I’ve written about Hornsby before. Love him. He just put out another album with more great music on it.
9. Cream – As You Said
   This sounds like something off of Led Zeppelin 3. I can’t ever remember hearing this on the radio and it’s not that radio-friendly, I suppose, but I like it.
10. David Bowie – Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed
    Old, old school Bowie from 1969. Once the intro is over this song absolutely rocks out around an irresistible guitar hook.
11. Devo – Snowball
    This is my favorite song from their great album, “Freedom of Choice.” Sadly, the studio version isn’t on YouTube. Here is a vintage live performance. It takes 15 seconds for the video to come together and it’s quiet even then, but it’s cool to see these guys back in the day.
12. ELO – Mission  (A World Record)
    Jeff Lynne was about a decade ahead of everyone else in terms of production. Listen to how great this 1976 songs sounds even now. The lyrics really intrigued me as a little kid and I still like it, melodramatic or not.
13. Elton John – Where to Now St. Peter?
    This is from “Tumbleweed Connection” in 1970. It never made a greatest hits, but it’s one of those great melodies that John seemed to toss off so effortlessly.
14. Elvis Costello – Uncomplicated
    “Blood and Chocolate” was the first Elvis Costello album I ever heard, which is probably why it is still my favorite. I always reach for the volume knob and give it a bit more pressure whenever this comes on in the car.
15. Pink Floyd – Fearless
    Well, this isn’t my very favorite song, but it IS my favorite Floyd tune.

This is not an exhaustive list and I will return to the topic in the future. Enjoy with some scotch that is at least 20 years old. Have a great weekend.

Updated old school blues from R. L. Burnside

Often, when you hear a really soulful voice singing the blues, it’s some old, tinny mono recording that sounds like it was performed in a bathroom trashcan while unwrapping birthday presents. Today, I want to treat you to some old school blues with hip-hop production. The album is “I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down” by the late and truly great R. L. Burnside.

I hope he's sitting down playing a guitar.

Burnside was born in 1926 in Mississippi. He began recording in the late 1960s and had modest success until the 1990s when he signed with Fat Possum Records and began touring with some bigger acts, like the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. His older recordings are more traditional, but on “Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down” they pulled out all the stops and fully updated the sound around him. The percussion is crisp, the bass is so pure it won’t rattle your speakers – though it will rattle your fillings if you listen to it as loud as I do – and they’ve added scratching and effects that add tremendous color without distracting too much from the actual songs.

I can tell you from experience that this album is fantastic highway driving music. The entire album is stellar, but check out these four tracks to get a flavor for what they did.

• Hard Time Killing Floor Blues – From the opening seconds of this album, you know it’s going to be special. In this interpretation of Skip James’ song Burnside talks about his father, brother, and uncle who were all murdered in Chicago within the span of a year.
• Got Messed Up – In my opinion, this is the best track on the album. The oozy bass line backs gritty vocals. “I’m not afraid of being in pain. Been here too long and I’ve seen too much. I got messed up.” The harmonica on this is filthy and the scratching is just right.
• Miss Maybelle – I’ve heard numerous recordings of this song and several by Burnside himself. The great energy makes this my favorite version of this song. The samples and scratching are featured more prominently between the verses and you can tell Burnside is having fun with it.
• Bad Luck City – This is a moving song about when love isn’t a two-way street. I’m frankly stunned someone hasn’t picked this up to rap over it yet or at least put it in a movie. I haven’t heard it, anyway.

Burnside died in 2005 at the age of 78. While it was a sad loss, he did have a good run and left behind 9 sons, 4 daughters, 35 grandchildren, and 32 great-grandchildren A few of his sons are in the music business and have played with the likes of the North Mississippi Allstars, Joe Hill (Alien Ant Farm), Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers). The Burnside sons also opened The Burnside Café in Holly Springs, Mississippi. So between that and his body of work, Robert Lee Sr. left behind quite a legacy.

Deep and challenging post rock from Dragon Turtle

This cover is like the album. It is a double helix of burning books. It must mean something really deep, but I have no idea what it is.

If bubble gum pop and nickelodeon rock is at one end of the spectrum, Dragon Turtle’s new release, “Almanac,” is near the far end. I suppose the really chaotic, heavy thrash metal is more opposite. This stuff isn’t really heavy at all, but it is chewy as rawhide and very thoughtfully constructed. It’s not easy to digest, but it is good, if you like bands like Explosions in the Sky or some of Yo La Tengo’s less pop-oriented work. Read my whole review on AltSounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/114187-dragon-turtle-almanac-album.html