Blogcritics Author: Dave Powers

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Music Review: Blonde Redhead - 23

Dave Powers — Thu, 5 Apr 2007 17:44:45 EDT

Sound: Intricate rhythms churn beneath collages of mystical, mesmerizing and ethereal guitars and synths. Then, above the dense layers, Kazu Makino’s angelic vocals float, coo, and whisper, while Amedeo Pace occasionally takes over with a creepier, more aggressive and forlorn male perspective. Overall, though, the mood on 23 is brighter, more wide-eyed and enchanting than their last album, the despondent Misery Is A Butterfly (my #6 album of 2004).Heavy Rotation tracks: “Silently”; “SW”Medium Rotation tracks: “Spring And By Summer Fall”; “Top Ranking” “The Dress”Recommended: 23 has the same hypnotic and captivating quality of the last two Blonde Redhead albums. This time around, though, the music isn’t quite as stunning. They sound relatively comfortable in their modern-day groove and don’t push the compositions into as many bold and challenging directions. Also, the album lacks the same level of knockout highlights as Misery Is A Butterfly (“Equus,” “Elephant Woman” and “Falling Man”) and my #5 album of 2000 Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (“Hated Because of Great Qualities,” “This Is Not” and “Melody of Certain Three”). On the other hand, 23 is consistently entrancing from start to finish with no lowlights until the final track. Blonde Redhead remains one of the most original and singular bands of the decade. Grade: B+

Dave Powers worked in production for VH1, MTV and MTV2 for 9 years. During his time at MTV2, he wrote/produced shows such as 120 Minutes, Subterranean, Hip Hop's Toughest Rhymes, Playlistism and more. Now he's a freelance television producer, music writer and runs the daily music blog New Music Nation.

Indie Rockers Making Family-Friendly Music

Dave Powers — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:35:41 EDT

When They Might Be Giants released their first children’s album No! in 2002, it wasn’t such a surprising career move. After all, their brand of oddball indie pop had always been pretty playful, silly and sometimes even educational. The band released a more traditional album in 2004, but returned to targeting a younger (and older… parents) audience with Here Come the ABC’s in 2005.Now, it seems, They Might Be Giants have helped inspire a trend to mix indie rock with more family-friendly music and lyrics. Little Monster Records is a brand new label that is leading the charge. Late last year, their inaugural release was a Barnes and Noble exclusive called All Together Now, which features artists like ex-Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle and Rachel Yamagata covering Beatles tunes with a bunch of kids. Later this year, they’ll put out a Medeski Martin and Wood children’s album called Let’s Go Everywhere and the exuberant and hyperactive frontman of The Apples In Stereo, Robert Schneider, will make his debut as Robert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine.Speaking of The Apples in Stereo, Little Monster’s next release has a similar quirky spunk to that band’s nerdy pop. On Tuesday, March 27th Gustafer Yellowgold’s Wide Wild Word, a CD/DVD combo that is the brainchild of illustrator/songwriter Morgan Taylor, will be available through Barnes and Noble. Both formats feature the same songs colorfully detailing the adventures of Gustafer Yellowgold, a creature from the sun who encounters an eel, dragon, pterodactyl, mint green bee and more. The DVD enhances the story by depicting the characters with Taylor’s animated illustrations and by spelling out the lyrics word for word on the screen. Next month, DeSoto Records (a label that’s released aggressive and political music from bands like Burning Airlines and Channels) will get in on the family-friendly fun. The Play compilation will be released on April 17th and the label says it’s “the first in a series of releases aimed at adults and young people who like kid-friendly music that can be listened to over and over again.” The CD features some instructional songs. Anna Oxygen encourages the listener to shake various body parts in “Born To Shake,” while Mary Timony prompts you to clap your hands, stomp your feet, and hop like a bunny in “Clap Your Hands.” Mudhoney may set a bad example with “I Like To Make Noise and Break Things,” but Mock Orange counters with “Holiday Dinner Song,” a champion of good eating habits and my favorite track on the album. There are also a few covers including Sgt. Major’s version of the 50s- cartoon-song-turned-early-80s-punk-hit “Nellie the Elephant,” Visqueen’s remake of John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” and The Cassettes “repurposing” of T.Rex’s “Truck on (Tyke)” as “Truck on (Truck).” Veteran rock musicians’ sudden interest in making more family-friendly music is intriguing, but it does seem to make sense. There are fewer traditional rock stars out there today and more career, underground/indie label musicians raising families. As today’s generation of musical parents spend more time with their offspring, you can’t blame them for wanting to create an edgier alternative to traditional children’s music. I think they’re on to something. In fact, the stuff on Play and Gustafer Yellowgold’s Wide Wild World is cool enough that indie-rock-loving, non-parents could really get into it. Download/Stream - Georgie James “Grizzly Jive” MP3 from PlayDownload /Stream - Channels with Damon Locks “Always Check For Holes” MP3 from PlayTrack List for Play:1. Anna Oxygen “Born to Shake”2. Channels with Damon Locks “Always Check for Holes”3. Georgie James “The Grizzly Jive”4. Sgt. Major “Nellie the Elephant”5. Mudhoney “I Like to Make Noise and Break Things”6. Mock Orange “Holiday Dinner Song”7. Mirah and Tara Jane O’Neill “Green Up Time”8. Young Fresh Fellows “Picnic”9. Mary Timony “Clap Your Hands”10. Soccer Team “I’ll Never Fear Ghosts Again”11. Supersuckers “Rubber Biscuit”12. The Cassettes “Truck on (Truck)”13. Ben Davis & The Jetts “Bouncin’ Party”14. Visqueen “Centerfield”Track List for Gustafer Yellowgold’s Wide Wild Word:1. Cooler World2. I’m From the Sun3. Tiny Purple Moon4. Your Eel5. My Dragon6. Pterodactyl Tuxedo7. Mint Green Bee8. I Jump On Cake9. New Blue Star10. Rocket Shoes (Bonus Track)

Music Review: Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Dave Powers — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:47:06 EDT

Note: This is the band’s first album with Johnny Marr (best known as the guitarist of The Smiths) as a full-time member.Sound: A beefier, more mainstream-rock-radio-friendly Modest Mouse. There are still plenty of their signature bendy guitars, twisted blues progressions, ragged hoedown stomps, and Isaac Brock’s dynamic vocal shifts from introspective to spazzy. But the cleaner and fuller production makes for a slicker, safer sound than usual. Oddly, the most daring tracks (the brassy, dance rock of “Dashboard” and the Yes-like prog pop of “We’ve Got Everything”) are also the most catchy, pop-friendly, and successful.Look For: James Mercer (The Shins’ frontman) contributes background vocals on three tracks (“Florida,” “Missed the Boat” and “We’ve Got Everything”). Heavy Rotation tracks: “Dashboard”; “We’ve Got Everything”; “March Into the Sea”Medium Rotation tracks: “Fly Trapped In A Jar”; “People As Places People”; “Missed the Boat”Recommended: It’s surprising that the '90s college radio band with a penchant for jammy, oddball indie punk could ever make something this accessible, but the more conservative sound actually allows them to stumble upon some exciting new innovations. It’s only when they revert to their bread and butter that they feel like they’re repeating themselves from time to time. Grade: B+

Chris Cornell to Tour, Career Retrospective, and Album Preview

Dave Powers — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:37:52 EDT

Last month Chris Cornell made it official - he is leaving Audioslave. The announcement merely confirmed months of rumors that one of the most powerful rock vocalists of all time was no longer interested in making music with guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk. The lack of a tour behind last year’s album Revelations was a strong indication there was trouble in the Audioslave camp. Talk of a Cornell solo album further fueled the likelihood of a split.A solo artist once again, the release date has been set for Cornell’s second album. Carry On was produced by Steve Liliywhite (known for his work with U2, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, Dave Matthews Band and many more) and will be released June 5th on Suretone/Interscope Records. With 14 tracks total (see complete list below) the record includes the first single “No Such Thing,” the European hit and main title song from Casino Royale “You Know My Name,” and a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”Cornell will be performing several of the new tracks during an 11-date tour (see all dates below) that starts April 6th in Las Vegas. He’ll also dig into his back catalogue for the first time and perform songs from all of his projects including Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave.Hearing the old stuff from the premiere voice of the early '90s Seattle explosion will undoubtedly be a special treat. This looks like a tough ticket to get. Do what you can to grab one.Carry On Track List:“No Such Thing” “Safe and Sound” “Scar On The Sky” “Finally Forever” “Disappearing Act” “Billie Jean” “Ghost” “Arms Around Your Love” “She’ll Never Be Your Man” “Killing Birds” “Silence the Voices” “Poison Eye” “Your Soul Today” “You Know My Name”Chris Cornell Tour Itinerary Fri April 6 Las Vegas, NV Vegas Grand PrixSun April 8 Minneapolis, MN First AvenueWed April 11 Chicago, IL Metro – Smart BarSat April 14 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert TheatreMon April 16 New York, NY Irving PlazaThu April 19 Boston, MA Avalon BallroomSun April 22 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of The Living ArtsTue April 24 Baltimore, MD Rams Head LiveFri April 27 Dallas, TX Palladium BallroomSun April 29 Austin, TX Stubbs Bar-B-QWed May 2 Los Angeles, CA Avalon

The Polyphonic Spree: New Look, New Album, New Label

Dave Powers — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 08:11:26 EDT

As the music world descends upon Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Music Conference this week, it’s a fitting time for some news on The Polyphonic Spree. After all, their performances at the event earlier this decade helped raise their profile considerably. Plus, I’ll always associate the Texas band with SXSW because that’s where I shot an episode of MTV2’s Subterranean with 26 members of the collective back in 2004. As you might suspect, it’s the only time in my ten years of television production that I put an interview subject that large on camera. It was a fun, memorable, and worthwhile challenge.The Polyphonic Spree will play the festival again this year as they gear up for the release of their third album, The Fragile Army, which will be released in June on TVT Records, their new label. Don’t expect to see their trademark robes, though. According to Little Big Man PR, they’ve “folded their robes up nicely and put them away for now.” Instead, they’ll be more “streamline for the future in their unified, military-style uniforms garnished with universal symbols for peace.”The new look ties in with a more political stance for the group whose mix of symphonic, choral, and rock elements has always had a pretty bright and uplifting feel. This time, though, they will address the war in Iraq and its repercussions here in the U.S. The title track, "The Fragile Army," is “basically an ode-to-Bush song,” according to frontman Tim DeLaughter. He says “it’s very specific in its agenda. I believe it’s our own battle cry.”I haven’t heard anything from The Fragile Army yet, but I’m definitely intrigued by The Polyphonic Spree’s new activist stance. I’m looking forward to hearing what that sounds like.In the meantime, here’s the tracklisting for The Fragile Army:1. Section 21 [Together We're Heavy]2. Section 22 [Running Away]3. Section 23 [Get Up And Go]4. Section 24 [The Fragile Army]5. Section 25 [Younger Yesterday]6. Section 26 [We Crawl]7. Section 27 [Oh I Feel Fine]8. Section 28 [Guaranteed Nightlite]9. Section 29 [Light To Follow]10. Section 30 [Watch Us Explode (Justify)]11. Section 31 [Overblow Your Nest]12. Section 32 [The Championship]

Music Review: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living With the Living

Dave Powers — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:41:49 EDT

Sound: Melodic punk with do-it-yourself passion, political conviction and a well-read vocabulary. As always, Ted and Company keep the spirit of The Clash, Elvis Costello and the Jam alive, but continue to carve out their own niche behind the strength of Ted’s powerful pipes – which can slice and jab or sweetly croon – his ideological poetry and the band’s well-rounded, top-shelf, and spirited musicianship.Note: After three albums on Lookout! Records, this is the band’s first release for the 25-year-old, underground institution Touch and Go Records.Heavy Rotation tracks: “Army Bound”; “Sons of Cain”Medium Rotation tracks: “Who Do You Love?”; “The Lost Brigade”; “A Bottle of Buckie”; “Bomb.Repeat.Bomb”Recommended: Living With the Living is Ted Leo and The Pharmacists most accessible album to date. Despite its hour-plus length and having a few tracks run into 5-7 minute territory, it’s a hooky, easy-to-listen-to record throughout. On the other hand, it’s their least challenging and innovative release, and it lacks the stunning, bona-fide hits of Hearts of Oak (my #9 album of 2003) or the same caliber of highlights as 2004’s Shake the Sheets. Regardless, Ted Leo’s still one of the most vital and talented artists out there. All of his music is good for your mind and soul.Grade: B+

America Waits Two More Months For The View

Dave Powers — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:34:47 EDT

This week was going to a busy one for Scottish band The View. Their debut album Hats Off to the Buskers, which debuted at #1 in the UK upon its 1/29/07 release, was scheduled to be released tomorrow, March 13th, in the U.S. In addition, they had a March tour of the States planned, including some much-hyped dates at this week's South by Southwest music festival. It all sounded like a solid strategy to introduce America to their punky/poppy sound, which has already prompted the NY Daily News to pronounce them this year's Arctic Monkeys. That is, until the band encountered unforeseen visa and immigration issues. The pesky red tape caused The View to have to cancel their March tour and push back the U.S. release of Hats Off to the Buskers to May 8th.Soon, I trust, we'll be hearing plenty about The View on this side of the pond. Columbia Records is backing the album and compared to like-minded artists such as The Libertines and The Kooks, I'd give The View the edge for writing better, loose-but-hooky hits...based on what I've heard so far.Hopefully the band gets their visa and immigration issues sorted out and are able to tour the U.S. in conjunction with the scheduled May release of their debut. In the meantime, here's an MP3 of the clean version of their track "Wasted Little DJs" to tide you over.Download/Stream The View "Wasted Little DJs" MP3 (clean version)

Music Review: The National Lights - The Dead Will Walk, Dear

Dave Powers — Sat, 3 Mar 2007 16:44:49 EST

Lyrics: Reflections on the murder of a lover filled with lots of blood, bones and burial imagery. Jacob Thomas Berns’ ability to sing such sadistic words in tender and relaxed tones can be comical…like a slasher movie’s tongue-in-cheek gore. The music is happy enough and the storytelling is poetic enough, however, that you have to really pay attention to pick up on the gruesome subtext on The Dead Will Walk, Dear. Sound: Light alt country/folk with lots of acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo, mandolin and understated keyboard drones. The mood rarely amps up beyond reserved and whispery and the sonic highlights are the rich and inspired male/female harmonies of Berns and Sonya Maria Cotton. Together, their voices can send chills down your spine, much in the same way a Conor Oberst/Emmylou Harris collaboration can.Heavy Rotation track: “Swimming In the Swamp”Medium Rotation tracks: “Buried Treasure”; “O, Ohio”; “Better For It, Kid”Explicit Lyrics*: noneRecommended: The songwriting on The Dead Will Walk Dear is fascinating, while the musical and vocal arrangements are warm and inviting. I just wish more of the songs developed past a single idea. With 10 songs in 27 minutes, though, this gentle record with a dark undertone never drags.Grade: B

My Brightest Diamond Gets Remixed

Dave Powers — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:55:20 EST

My Brightest Diamond’s debut Bring Me the Workhorse was one of the creepiest releases of 2006. Mixing rock, cabaret, and classical music, frontwoman Shara Worden unleashed some of the most chilling and ominous vocals since the Portishead albums in the mid-90s. Workhorse’s only drawback for me was that the tempo occasionally slowed down too much and made the unsettling dramatics overbearing. Well, My Brightest Diamond may be addressing that issue. On March 6th, they’ll release Tear It Down, which will feature remixes of all but one of the tracks on Bring Me the Workhorse. Each reworked version will feature a different producer - including Alias, Lusine, Murcof, Stakka and Gold Chains - and cover styles ranging from “drum-n-bass, to glitchy ambient, minimalism and get-your-booty-on-the-dance floor club music,” according to Asthmatic Kitty Records.So far, I’ve heard two of the tracks on Tear It Down. The electro beats on “Golden Star (Remixed My Alias)” show promising signs of how to amp up My Brightest Diamond’s music and maintain its mystique. On the other hand, “Freak Out (Gold Chains Panique Mix)” concerns me a little. The terror quotient is largely diluted. Hopefully most of the tracks on Tear it Down keep the spookiness and offer some sort of rhythmic boost or reimagining.You can sample those two tracks right here:Download “Golden Star (Remixed My Alias)” MP3Download “Freak Out (Gold Chains Panique Mix)” MP3And here’s a complete track listing for Tear It Down.Golden Star (Alias) Workhorse (Lusine)Freak Out (Gold CStrihains Panique mix) Disappear (Stakka) Dragonfly (Murcof) Magic Rabbit (Alfred Brown) Freak Out (DJ Kenny Mitchell REWIND 93 REMIX featuring nimnomadic) We Were Sparkling (Haruki) Something of an End (David Keith - NC47) Gone Away (David Michael Stith) The Good and The Bad Guy (Siamese Sisters) Gone Away (Strings of Consciousness) Disappear (Wheat to Whiskey mix by Cedar AV)

Music Review: K-Os - Atlantis - Hymns For Disco

Dave Powers — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:58:38 EST

Sound: On Joyful Rebellion (my #4 album of 2004) K-Os branched out far beyond his old school/breakbeat hip hop foundation to include reggae, r & b, swing and more. The results were stunning. On Atlantis he moves even further beyond his rhymin’ roots as rapped verses are actually less frequent occurrences than verses and hooks sung and crooned in either a soulful, spiritual, Caribbean, or folky style. Meanwhile, the music twists and turns in unexpected directions to incorporate things like a Motown bounce, rock guitar riffs, hippie jamming and dub-flavored echoes to name a few. Look For: K-Os’ fellow Canadian artists contributing guest vocals on “Valhalla” (Kevin Drew from Broken Social Scene and Sam Roberts) and “The Ballad of Noah” (Buck 65).Heavy Rotation tracks: “Electrik Heat – The Seekwill”Medium Rotation tracks: “Fly Paper”; “Born To Run”; “The Rain”Recommended: K-Os is a highly capable singer, but it is disappointing to hear him trim back on the rhymes so much. The constant blend of rapping and singing is what made Joyful Rebellion so exciting. Also, he impressively continues to shatter musical borders and invent new hybrid genres on Atlantis, but the songs don’t feel quite as focused or jaw-droppingly originally this time around. Regardless, you have to give K-Os massive credit for his limitless talent and fearless approach to music.Grade: B