Rosanne Cash: The List
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Some of the gifts we receive from our parents are intangible, and when Johnny Cash gave his daughter Rosanne the list in 1973, he gave her much more than just the names of 100 country songs he felt she needed to know. In essence, Johnny was shaping his daughter’s musical vision and creating a strong foundation for what became a highly successful and acclaimed career. Thirty-eight years later, she finally acknowledges his gift. On The List, Cash and her husband, John Leventhal, deliver a dozen of these songs — a broad but representative sample of the finest in country music. Her voice has never sounded better, while Leventhal’s amazing guitar work and production give each song a golden polish. And with guests such as Bruce Springsteen (”Sea of Heartbreak”) and Elvis Costello (”Heartaches by the Number”), each song stands as a classic. Some gifts truly last forever. (Manhattan Records) 5 stars out of 5
Talk about a warped sense of songs structure. To put it simply, DD/MM/YYYY’s Black Square is a jittery mashup of post-hardcore and lo-fi/sci-fi pop craziness that happily jibes when butted together on this cassette/digital offering. To call the Toronto five-piece a noise band undermines the group’s obvious mastery of fast-paced, captivating rhythms, exhibited in such songs as “Bronzage” and “Sirius.” To call it an experimental band implies that the balance of prog-guitar intricacies and lopsided melodies in “Infinity Skull Cube” and “Birdtown” are not meticulously crafted. On the surface, every bit of sonic clutter and damaged harmonics bleeds into a tangle of sounds that feels like chaos. But take a closer look and it all ties together with glorious and hallucinatory detail. (Impose Records) 3 stars out of 5
Before vocalist Jeremy Enigk found God, and before Nate Mendel (bass) and William Goldsmith (drums) found the Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate’s second album, LP2 (aka the Pink Album) hit alternating highs and lows for the harbingers of emo. From the onset of “Friday,” there’s more girth in the guitars, drums and bass — everything but Enigk’s whiney ruminations. Where his piercing wail gave ’94’s Diary character, here, his dramatic pronunciations of such words as “Matrimo oh nay” are just plain annoying. Enigk’s cheese factor was previously tempered with palatable, rainy day longing. But on LP2, a certain rasp in “Theo B” and “5/4″ grates the ears. “Waffle” finds Mendel, Goldsmith and guitarist Dan Hoerner congealing with chemistry like never before. Regardless, Slint did this sort of thing so much better. (Sub Pop) 3 stars out of 5
Blame Sunny Day Real Estate for emo’s rise to commercial accessibility. With its 1994 debut Diary, the Seattle foursome gave a pretty boy makeover to a genre that previously resided in the tortured noise and obscurity of hardcore. From the passionate swoon of “Song About an Angel” to the shadowy piano waltz of “Phuerton Skuerto,” SDRE spills its guts in an outpouring of everything but rage, creating a sound where the emotionally victimized could relate with their conflicted sentiments. “Round” and two untitled and previously unreleased tracks show some viscera through Hüsker Dü-like crunching guitar melodies; and it’s the terse, distressed melodies unraveling over vocalist Jeremy Enigk’s high-end wail that create the album’s tension. But Diary is a release for those who would rather commit suicide than homicide. Fifteen years later, it’s still a compelling album, despite the procession of sad sacks for whom it paved the way. (Sub Pop) 4 stars out of 5
By L. Michael Gipson
Box Elders’ debut Alice and Friends opens with “Jackie Wood,” a dirty pop anthem that lays all the cards on the table. Yes, they’re from Omaha, Neb., but the group’s stylish warble is imbued with such a gut-wrenching balance of giddy and unpretentious rock, haphazardly delivered, that each song teeters on collapse. The noisy concoctions of surf and ’60s pop inflections in “Stay,” “Necro” and “Talk Amongst Yourself” will inevitably draw comparisons to the Black Lips, but beyond the murk and garage riffs, ramped-up pop energy drives the record through to the end. “One Foot in Front of the Other” and “2012” are dark and aggressive, while “Death of Me” is a legitimately timeless nugget amid this grand unveiling of the group’s beautiful, jagged sound. (Goner Records) 4 stars out of 5
Bluegrass and acoustic music are experiencing intriguing paradigm shifts as old-guard traditionalists like Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin pass on, and crews of youthful, energetic musicians bring their contemporary ideas into the mix. Somewhere near the top of the mountain stands Calhoun, Ga., trio the Lovell Sisters, who’ve made a significant mark on the scenes over the past few years. With Time to Grow, the Lovells solidify an already potent body of work. Individually, Jessica’s pure-toned fiddle, Megan’s twangy dobro, and Rebecca’s nimble mandolin demonstrate musical mastery. Collectively, they create an original sound that blends traditional bluegrass sensibilities with risky modern jazz-like variations. Whether it’s one of Rebecca’s award-winning tunes such as the moody yet uplifting “Distance,” or a traditional gospel number like “In My Time of Dyin’,” the Lovell Sisters’ innovative country stylings have earned them their rightful place as the genre’s new standard-bearers. (2DefPigs Records) 5 out of 5 stars
Simon Joyner has reached an apex with Out into the Snow. Or maybe he reached it in ‘06 with Skeleton Blues. Or perhaps it was with 2004’s Lost with the Lights On…. . The point is Out Into the Snow is another link in a chain of crystalline, post-Dylan perfection. Flawed characters wandering aimlessly throughout a bucolic Midwestern backdrop fill Joyner’s songs. “The Arsonist” and “Ambulances” are intimate looks into these lives that glow with memories. “Last Evening on Earth” is a dark and drunken dirge, and “Sunday Morning Song for Sara” is recorded with such stark clarity it captures every nuance of every quivering breath and every stroke of guitar. These details add rich depth to the album’s lush arrangements of horns, strings and Joyner’s imperfect wailing, creating one more chapter in a beautifully resigned body of song. (Team Love) 4 out of 5 stars
Circulatory System’s third record is a mess of noisy and bombastic experiments that remain true to Athens’ Elephant 6 collective’s psychedelic pop ethos — at least in spirit. Former Olivia Tremor Control leader Will Cullen Hart is at his hallucinogenic best when focusing on melodies and songwriting, but he rarely allows Signal Morning’s songs to exist free of layers of sonic clutter. “Woodpecker Greeting Worker Ant” sets a tone of tangled majesty where defining structures and rhythms bleed into the warped sound of a lonely mind working overtime. “This Morning (We Remembered Everything)” and the raga-like clusters of horns and chiming minimalism in “Tiny Concerts” swing between massive and microscopic detail, while “Overjoyed” is complete sensory overload. The layers of instrumentation, rhythm and sound fit together here with a convoluted sense of erratic genius. (Cloud Recordings) 4 out of 5 stars
Much of the Pinx’s Look What You Made Me Do builds on the thump of a kickdrum, riffs and bass to underscore the feelings of elation that dominate the album. But visceral hooks are the guiding light here. Opening number “The Desert” swells with guitar bombast while the band members play as if their lives depend on it. Rock exuberance a la Sabbath, Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age puts an emphasis on skewed pop, which comes across in the bellow and chug of frontman Adam McIntyre on “The Owl” and “Killing Me.” The only down point is “Change Me,” a broken-hearted, Billy Corgan-style downer, but it’s only a momentary lapse in a maelstrom of tight, hard rock songs that burst with melody. (Self-released) 4 stars out of 5
The title of Killer Mike’s new compilation album featuring local MCs is a little misleading. After all, many of the artists who appear on Underground Atlanta — like recent XXL cover boys OJ da Juiceman, Gucci Mane, Shawty Lo and Soulja Boy — are household rap names who have received plenty of national exposure. Still, the two-disc set is charming and solid all the way through, and features highlights from such lesser-known talents as Rich Kidz (”Bowling”) and Prynce Cyhi (”Don’t Go Outside”), as well as winners from veterans including Pastor Troy and Trillville, whose “I Be Off Dat” recalls the group’s crunk-era glory. Killer Mike pops up periodically, usually to great effect, on such tracks as “N*ggaz Down South (Remix),” which also features T.I. and honorary Atlantan Bun B. A project like this is long overdue, and Mike’s ability to unite this diverse group of folks demonstrates his wide-ranging influence around these parts. (SMC Recordings) 4 stars out of 5
Michael Jackson’s death and the 50th anniversary of Motown Records’ founding has renewed focus on the pioneering Detroit label, making Smokey Robinson’s latest solo CD, Time Flies When You’re Having Fun — his first in three years — well-timed. Though Robinson’s name is practically synonymous with the imprint, its signature soul and pop sounds are nowhere to be found on this work, which skews toward contemporary R&B and smooth jazz. Tracks like “Love Bath,” “You’re the One for Me” and “Time Flies” are particularly overproduced, but most everything here is department store elevator-ready. Robinson’s cover of Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” immediately indicates what demographic he’s pursuing — one that’s old, wealthy and unadventurous in its tastes. So perhaps it’s not fair to compare the album to the earlier, innovative entries in his catalog. Nevertheless, finding something to appreciate about such a lifeless, passionless CD is a tall order, indeed. (Robso Records) 2 stars out of 5
If hip-hop were a track meet, it would be hard to find a four-man squad that could beat Slaughterhouse. Composed of critically respected but commercially unheralded underground MCs Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5′9″, Crooked I and Joe Budden, the group’s self-titled debut serves mainly as a platform for each man to attempt to one-up the others through punchlines, dexterity and flat-out velocity. Lyrically, there are about as many hits (”Where’s your head nigga?” raps Crooked I, “I got the guillotine”) as misses (”Nothing to hide,” puts in Royce, “the jimmy covers up my Tommy Lee”), but much of the fun is simply listening to them spit outrageously fast. Some critics have complained that there is little unity here, that the album feels like four combined solo efforts rather than the work of a cohesive group. Fans of pure, old-school one-upmanship, however, likely won’t find anything superior this year. (E1) 4 stars out of 5
Dan Sartain’s latest release sheds the rock and roll troubadour fare to offer up two numbers that find the Alabama wild man wondering into darker terrain than he’s explored in the past. On the A-side, “Bohemian Grove” glows with skeletal, moonlit arrangements. Adam Renshaw (Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause) lays down drums over a minimal and motorik piano plod courtesy of Jack White (the White Stripes). There’s a devil-as-crooner quality to it all, and what really gives the song girth is White’s glassy production. On the flipside, “Atheist Funeral” is a sly, heretical anthem that feels out of time and out place in a David Lynchian way. It could have been written in the 1950s but it sounds like the here and now — and for Sartain it’s a refined and captivating change of pace. (Third Man Records) 4 stars out of 5
Jagged sounds and riot grrrl sneers provide the backbone to the primitive, rapid-fire rhythms that churn with imperfect sway on Finally Punk’s debut full-length. Released by Deerhunter bassist Josh Fauver’s Army of Bad Luck label, Casual Goths consists of a handful of singles. Jittery tension and no-wave aesthetics are noisy and contemptuous on “Henry” and “Penguin,” but the girly elements turn obnoxious as “Missile” and “Boyfriend App” feel like cutesy little pillow fights. A large part of the record’s charm, however, is in the dichotomy between a sassed-out number such as “Penguin” and the cool plod of “Primary Colors.” There’s a labyrinth of reactionary, anti-pop tension in these grooves, but most of all their shambling cover of Nirvana’s “Negative Creep” will win over the hardest of hearts. (Army of Bad Luck) 3 stars out of 5