http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 1 Jul 2007 11:27:13 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, 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. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/01/112713.php ZombyboyHere's a question for the mini-masses that might come through: is there anyone in the world making better family movies -- animated or otherwise -- than Pixar? I honestly don't think so.Pixar has found a magic formula for family films, and Ratatouille continues their tradition of excellence. Pixar has figured out that movies for kids don't need to be so dumbed down that adults don't enjoy the show. They understand that "for kids" doesn't mean automatic potty humor. Most important, they understand that there has to be a sense of wonder and magic that is only brought out with exquisite art direction, superb storytelling, and characters that, while perhaps not quite complex, have enough depth to be compelling.The most natural comparisons for Ratatouille are to other Pixar movies, so here is the quick rundown before talking specifics. Ratatouille isn't as funny as Finding Nemo or as action packed as The Incredibles, but it is as heartwarming as Toy Story and more satisfying than Monsters, Inc. Last year's Cars was a solid entry in the catalog, but Ratatouille is something closer to to a classic.The story, about a rat who wants to be a cook, is far better developed and more involving than I had expected. Forgive me for doubting director Brad Bird of The Incredibles and The Iron Giant -- the man has a wonderful touch with light drama and a sense of comedy that most Hollywood directors could only wish for. His consistency is astonishing.Another thing that Pixar does is cast great voice talent. From Ellen DeGeneres' hilariously loopy turn as an absent-minded fish in Finding Nemo to Dave Foley's ant with grand plans in A Bug's Life, Pixar chooses the right voices to fill their casts. Patton Oswalt, as our hero Remy, strikes the right tone of an eager young man (ahem, "rat") without ever becoming irritatingly earnest. The casting coup, though, is putting Peter O'Toole's voice to the character of critic Anton Ego. Not only is Ego rendered perfectly, but O'Toole's voice gives him a brooding presence and flavor that makes him one of the more memorable characters in any recent animated feature.The artwork on the movie is breathtaking. The views of Paris -- at times misty and dark or gorgeously lit at night -- raise the art of animation another notch. While I hadn't thought that an animated film could do better than the underwater scenes of Finding Nemo, there were moments in Ratatouille where the scenery looked as real and as solid as any photograph. Little touches and details abound (take a look at Anton Ego's typewriter) that keep the scenery not only lovely but constantly interesting. The animators employed by Pixar are, like the rest of the crew, simply brilliant. These men and women are artists.Ratatouille is a wonder -- it's family friendly entertainment that hasn't been watered down for the kids, that's safe for most families (I noticed one - arguable - profanity and there are a few tense moments early on when Remy and the rest of the rats are chased from an old woman's country home), and that has a great message for anyone who pays a little attention. While it drags just a bit in the third act, and isn't quite as funny as some of Pixar's other films, its message, acting, and astonishing beauty make it well worth the price of a ticket.And Peter O'Toole's big moment, with a commentary about critics, is simply perfect. Video65947@blogcritics.org Sun, 1 Jul 2007 11:27:13 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/04/12/084820.php ZombyboyPerhaps the best thing about SoSoHuman's release, Twentiy-Six, is that they produce such a powerful, full sound without overdoing the production or the melodramatics. It's strictly straight-forward hard rock -- the kind that is good on disk and even better live.Stylistically, the sound is more System of a Down than Metallica. At their best, though, they have arguably better vocals than the former and far more energy than Metallica's recent releases. The opener, "Weakened and Scattered" makes a promise that not all of the rest can quite live up to, unfortunately. Hitting "Homeless" four songs into the CD is like hitting a speedbump in the flow of the music. It saps energy without the kind of emotional payoff that a slower song should carry. Instead of providing contrast it begs to be skipped. Luckily, that's offset by songs like "Threat of Rain" with it's speed changes and prog rock bent.Best of the bunch for anyone wishing that the Seattle sound of the 90's still ruled radio is "Anthem". Musically a very obvious nod to Nirvana, it's a pounding dose of near grunge assault with a scream-along chorus that must have been written specifically for concerts. Tasty.The closer, "PIrate Song" leaves the thing on a down note with over nine minutes of a boringly repetitive tune and the sound of a band that ran out of ideas but not disk space. A pity because it overshadows some of the better songs -- exactly the wrong impression to leave listeners with at the end of their CD.It's a decent album that proves that SoSoHuman might well have something great still waiting to get out. For hard rock fans, it's another band to watch and a CD to listen to when in the mood for a taste of something different.Available through iTunes. Music62416@blogcritics.org Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:48:20 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/11/30/220543.php ZombyboyQuestion: How do you put John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton in a movie directed by Harold Ramis and end up with something less appetizing than uncooked tofu? It's a serious question because it takes special talent to ruin those ingredients.The Ice Harvest tries to be a black comedy/crime caper in the same style as the far superior Fargo. It starts with a simple crime job that quickly grows complicated, is splashed with more than a touch of violence, and ends up with a respectable body count. But it isn't funny and it doesn't seem to have much to say about crime, criminals or family.Cusack is serviceable as a dirty lawyer, rotten ex-husband and nervous criminal. Thornton is reasonably convincing as the town smut peddler and the vicious animating force behind the crime. But, really, who cares? The scenes with their respective families are so truncated as to seem to be afterthoughts and neither of them has that fun-loving criminal aspect that might encourage the audience to root for them regardless of their felonious activities.People show up; people die; people occasionally do vaguely humorous things and then the movie ends. Perhaps the problem is that this entire genre has been pretty well mined in recent years; it was hard to escape a feeling of over-familiarity with the characters, the plot and the jokes. Or maybe the problem is that the script isn't particularly witty or interesting. The worst possibility--and one that may, sadly, be spot-on--is that Ramis' direction is pedestrian. The Ice Harvest really isn't his style.Whatever the cause, one of the only consistent bright spots in this disappointing film is Oliver Platt as a pathetic, loudmouth drunk. He's the only character to get much more than a chuckle, but, given his limited screen time, it's a sad commentary that he manages to steal the spotlight.For a genuinely funny movie with a high body count, see Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. For a movie with more of a moral edge, see the superb and underappreciated A Simple Plan. But don't bother wasting your time on the tepid, uninspired The Ice Harvest. Video40322@blogcritics.org Wed, 30 Nov 2005 22:05:43 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/11/16/152521.php ZombyboyI'd never heard of children's' book author Sandra Boynton before I heard about Mark Lanegan's contribution to a just-released book and CD combo. Mark Lanegan--the man who writes odes to heroin, whose songs explore death and broken relationships in some of the most stark and melancholy ways imaginable.That Mark Lanegan was going to be singing music for kids (along with a cast of other oddballs). Of course, there was a strange level of excitement in happening upon the book at Barnes and Noble this past weekend. But it was excitement tempered by fear: would his song make children cry or shudder in fear? And, just as disconcerting was the idea of a duet with Weird Al and Kate Winslet. Before I jump into a full review, let me just say that one of my fears was well founded and one completely baseless.The book doesn't actually present a story--it's a collection of songs with corresponding lyrics and illustrations. While I have little room for judging how successful the presentation will be with kids, I can say that it is quite successful with adults. Just sitting on my desk at work, in an office of just ten people, there were three people who said they were going to order the thing--one for his son, another for a friend's children, and the last for her husband.If kids like it as much as their parents do, Dog Train should be pretty successful.The book is broken into three parts with the first being big illustrations and partial lyrics, the second part with music and complete lyrics, and the third comprising a little information about each of the artists. For example, Mark Lanegan, we learn, is an "evocative, infinitely cool singer and songwriter, much sought after for his distinctive low-down voice, and his remarkable vocal and stylistic range." Which sounds about right if you aren't going to write about jails and rehab.As a package, it's fun stuff. The music is the thing, though, isn't it?And the music is good. It starts out with the Spin Doctors' tongue in cheek "Tantrum" and goes through a series of songs ranging from utterly outrageous to simply beautiful. I found myself giggling during John Ondrasik's disturbingly catchy "Penguin Lament" when he croons, "Little legs cannot stride so we rock side to side, side to side, side to side, to move. We can't even fly!"Just as good are Blues Traveller singing the title song, "Dog Train," Alison Krauss' gorgeous "Evermore," and the light bluegrass "Dragonfire" sung by Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian. In fact, while the songs trend towards simplicity, this isn't just dumbed down kid entertainment, and that is all the better. I can't help but think that some parents will rejoice simply because this is kid-friendly music that they won't mind playing.The range of performers is impressive, the laughs genuine, and the sound quality good.But what about Mark Lanegan and the strange Weird Al/Kate Winslet pairing?The duet, "I Need a Nap," is out of place on this disk. It comes across as a parody of Disney movie music--and that isn't meant in the nicest possible way. The rest of the songs are funny and original with, perhaps, the exception of "Boring Song" by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, which is short and good-natured where "I Need a Nap" is merely tedious. That's the bad news.The good news is that Mark Lanegan, if he weren't covered in some pretty odd tattoos, could probably moonlight singing kids' songs. His voice is warm and light, his tone is wry but not overdone, and the song (as, I believe all of them were, written by Sandra Boynton) is charming. It's a bluesy tale of a bear and his sneakers--an addictive song with a funny punch line.I bought the CD because I'm a completeist, but I was happily surprised by the music and the humor. I don't know that I would recommend it to any adult who has overdosed on irony or cynicism--the urge to sneer would be too great--but for any grown-up who wants their children to listen to good music or who can enjoy kid flicks unashamedly, this could be a quality Christmas gift this holiday season.Kid friendly, Zomby approved.Visit Boynton's Web site. Editor's Note: This has been syndicated to Advance.net, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers around the country. Music39639@blogcritics.org Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:25:21 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/28/135223.php ZombyboySerenity achieves something that I wasn't sure was possible: it should end up appealing to fans of the show Firefly as much as it does to people who didn't even know that it was derived from an unfortunately short-lived TV show. The early exposition is kept to a minimum and even provides a little bit of background that will keep the fans happy, and, with just that tiny bit of fuss, the viewer is launched into Joss Whedon's Western-tinted science fiction world.The plot is fairly typical: fugitives from a secretive, scary government are sheltered by a group of (mostly) good-hearted outlaws. The group is hunted across the galaxy and share wild adventures. But that isn't the half of it.The script is smart and funny and quick-witted, the characters are sharply drawn, and it manages a few emotional tugs along the way (tugs that will be enhanced for fans of the show). From the very beginning, there are surprises and the action moves with impressive intensity. This movie is, almost literally, one that will have the crowd sitting on the edge of the seat, eyes wide, and wondering what's going to happen next. This is good stuff.For as action packed as it is--and the action makes the thing move fast--it never seems stupid or gratuitous. In fact, some of the more casual and brutal violence makes the most sense in the context of the story. It isn't overly bloody, it isn't sickening, and it isn't over-the-top; it's a movie where the violence simply makes sense.The characters--from Jayne with his hilarious, mercenary self-interest to River with her mysterious past and to the Captain, Mal, with his conflicted worldview--all bring something unique and interesting to the show. They never feel like stock characters that would fill out any other script or story--they are a product of Whedon's well-conceived universe.Sure, there are a few moments where the sets feel like sets and the special effects don't rise far above Firefly's (admittedly solid) TV type effects. For that matter, some of the Old West meets space opera dialog stumbles as it tries to rise above affectation. But those are minor quibbles about a movie that feels this fresh, this fun, this exciting, and this surprising.This one deserves a big following and the hope that Whedon either brings the TV show back to life or gives us a few more feature films to keep us happy. Brave the crowds and go see this one soon--it's worthy of the big screen adaptation.Others: The Vodka Pundit view. Instapundit. Internet Freedom Trail (where the writer hadn't seen Firefly). Combs Spouts Off has a great review. Booklore. Misplaced Keys has what can only be described as a very happy review. TBOTCOTW has a great review, too. After the movie I had dinner with Matt, his lovely wife, and a few other companions. You really shoulda been there. Dorkafork (another of the dinner companions) has his own review with bits that border on spoilers but don't quite go over the edge. And, if you look carefully enough, he also has this: He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family -squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal on a three hour tour. A three hour tour." Which made me giggle.Note: I'm doing what I can to weed out the reviews that contain full on spoilers. The movie deserves better and so does the audience. Video37010@blogcritics.org Wed, 28 Sep 2005 13:52:23 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/08/154921.php ZombyboyThis is the kind of music you put in the CD player after you just made her dinner and you've lubricated the wheels of more intimate social interaction with a few glasses of good wine. Yeah, it's that kind of CD.Wade O. Brown's new release, All Night, All Love, is heavily influenced by the 70's R&B giants. A bit reminiscent of Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye, Brown's voice isn't one of the neutered, whiny voices of contemporary R&B. It's a full, deep voice singing over easy, seductive grooves. While the music isn't particularly complex, its simplicity works well in context.The disc starts hitting stride with the second track, "Put This On," a song that sonically and lyrically promises a heavenly night. Like the rest of the music, this one isn't explicit in any way, choosing to be suggestive and smooth instead of outright raunchy, and it is much the better for the comparative subtlety.Unfortunately, not all is well. A few of the songs (most irritatingly on "Maybe") sport burbling electronic sounds in the background that revive not only a Luther Vandross vibe, but a sort of Pac Man nostalgia, too. I don't think that's really the kind of stimulation listeners are looking for. It's a good thing that these noises don't pervade throughout the entire disc; this could have been a very different review. Surprisingly, "Maybe" By the time "Maybe" is fading from memory, the disc hits another high point. With a gentle little guitar and a steady beat, this one brings the music back to a happier place, and its follow-up, "Where Do We Go For Love (The Sexy Mix)" just might be the best of the bunch. Unless the best song is "So Glad," a song that would have been a monster hit in the late 70's.Brown has hit on a good mix with All Night, All Love. The style suits his voice beautifully, and he has a real talent for a classic rhythm and blues sound. If not quite exceptional, it's a damned good effort that could point to even better things for the artist in the future.And you'd be hard pressed to find a better late night accompaniment this side of Marvin Gaye's Midnight Love. Music33837@blogcritics.org Mon, 8 Aug 2005 15:49:21 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/07/28/114447.php ZombyboyWarning: This CD isn't for the faint of heart. It isn't for people who went home after school and listened to Warrant thinking that they were actually listening to heavy metal. No, this is much stronger stuff than that.Shawn Macomber, fellow blogger and formerly a writer for the conservative magazine American Spectator, might seem like an odd choice for a hardcore screamer, but he does the job admirably on The Long Forgotten's first release, Divinity School Drop Out. With the music written by Bob Merrigan and the lyrics by Macomber, you can tell that these two listened to a lot of fringe metal bands growing up--you won't be likely to share this with your mother-in-law or your cube mates.The nearest immediate equivalent that I could think of was SOD's Speak English or Die, although SOD was much more of a thrash band, and The Long Forgotten stays closer to early eighties heavy metal roots. At times, the music occasionally calls to mind Iron Maiden (without the camp and negative connotations) or Slayer's Seasons in the Abyss. If you like Atreyu or Lamb of God, you'll probably like this.That isn't to say that The Long Forgotten are just playing in someone else's sandbox. While the influences and the style are familiar, the band has a unique sound. It helps to have songs like "Song for the People of Belgium (Circa 1914)," a defiant vision of Belgium in the face of the imperial powers before being dragged into World War I.Macomber has the perfect, howling voice to sing a line like "Proud we stood our ground/ bitter that we could never win." This is good stuff--and a perfect marriage of talents. Merrigan writes great hardcore music and Macomber writes (and screams) just the right kind of provocative, rebellious lyrics that never sound preachy or overbearing. If there is a cohesive message, it's probably summed up best on "I Wasn't Born to Follow"--a kind of declaration of independence that makes no apologies for its hard turn away from dogma as soon as Macomber shouts, "It's not free thought if the price is fealty to ideology." Put it this way: this makes the "punk" of bands like Green Day look weak and studied. Green Day's rage on American Idiot is sanitized anti-American pop music wearing a punk mask, but The Long Forgotten is the real thing. Hard, fast, a little rough around the edges, and with a hell of a lot less make-up.Bad Religion would be proud.Visit the band Music33272@blogcritics.org Thu, 28 Jul 2005 11:44:47 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/07/06/145209.php ZombyboySpielberg isn't to blame for everything that's wrong in this movie. I've always thought that the abrupt end to the story is an unavoidable let down, so I don't blame Spielberg for the anticlimactic last bit. Beyond that, though, it's all on him.The action is intense, it managed to startle the g-phrase with a few good scares, and Tom Cruise (for a man who appears to be mildly insane) fit his role about as well as Dakota Fanning, who was truly impressive. The special effects are some of the best that you'll see this year--truly worth seeing on the big screen in a much larger than life setting--and the sound work is spectacular. In many ways, it's the perfect summer flick: big, dumb, action packed, and pretty.So, how is it that I was so disappointed? It's because Spielberg made the mistake of frontloading the movie with all the good stuff--almost completely opposite his buddy's Revenge of the Sith. For the first twenty minutes of ROTS, I was convinced that the movie wasn't going to rise above the first two prequel episodes. After that first twenty minutes was up, though, I was sucked into the energy and motion and even the quiet, little emotional bits. By the end of the movie, I had a smile on my face, I had mostly forgotten the first act, and I was a satisfied customer.Through the thrilling first two thirds of the movie, I did my best to ignore inconsistencies and plot holes. The ride was far too enjoyable to worry about little things. Then I watched hordes of refugees storming up a hill toward major combat, pulling along their children. This didn't make sense.Let me pain the picture for you further: the explosions are almost teeth jarring in the movie theater, there are combat aircraft screaming overhead, helicopters are moving in for the attack, a stream of Army vehicles, including a main battle tank, are moving up that same slope toward the aliens. And all the refugees are moving with them toward the eerily glowing sky and the sounds of destruction. Well, that didn't make much sense.I squirmed a bit in my seat, but resolved to get back into the flow of the movie. Spielberg wouldn't let me.The next bit, after said refugees start running away from the hill that they had just been climbing, was even worse. The random-seeming series of scenes with Tim Robbins (doing a fine job as a pleasantly creepy ambulance driver) didn't work well. Without giving away any of the surprises during his cameo, I will simply say that I didn't think any of it fit terribly well with the rest of the movie and whatever suspension of disbelief I had worked up was dealt a few more serious blows.Minor spoiler alert: if you don't know how the story resolves, it is revealed in the following paragraph. Read at your own risk.From there on, the pace slowed, the movie made less and less sense, all up until the anti-climactic climax where the tripods catch colds and start dying--a point at which I was really wanting to leave the theater. The refrain kept playing through my head: are we there yet? Unfortunately not, though.End spoiler.The worst part of the movie is couched directly between the demise of the invaders and the wonderfully voiced epilogue. As a sappy, Christmas card ending, it rivals the ending to Spielberg's AI for being ludicrous and out of touch with the rest of the story. Hideous.I walked out of the theater, mostly having forgotten all the good bits up front, happy to be leaving, and not particularly satisfied. Still, there is much to be said for those first two acts and a lot of enjoyment to be had in those special effects and all-engrossing sound effects that make the invaders seem remarkably realistic and terrifyingly otherworldly. In the end, I didn't feel like I had completely wasted my money.There was a point, toward the beginning, where I thought that I'd want to buy the DVD; by the time I left the theater, that urge was gone. It could've been much better. Video32119@blogcritics.org Wed, 6 Jul 2005 14:52:09 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/12/155833.php ZombyboyCritical darling, Closer, doesn't deserve the praise. As an adaptation of a play, it fails on nearly every level to be a good movie: its characters are unlikable, its dialog not even vaguely resembling real life, and its emotional outbursts carefully manipulated until they have only a tenuous connection to ongoing events in the movie.Jude Law and Julia Roberts come out of the wreckage reasonably well. They play a couple of people with serious personality and fidelity issues who do their best to ruin their own lives and the lives of those people around them. Clive Owen, a fine actor, has moments where he is not unutterably bad, although some of the worst emotional ping-pong moments belong to his character. Natalie Portman has no such redeeming moments. She is miscast, her performance is poor, and her character is written ridiculously.It is hard to blame the actors when the script is truly hideous. The dialog is stilted and unintentionally hilarious. At one point, well into the film, Natalie Portman's is tasked with asking, "Do you still fancy me?" The line may have worked well on a London stage, but from her mouth it simply sounded goofy and overdone. Ditto the "do you desire me/ no I do not desire you" exchange even later in the movie.Sometimes dialog can be unrealistic while remaining compelling. The characters in The Royal Tenenbaums, for instance, often sound nothing like real life people having a conversation. Yet the dialog is clever enough, and funny enough, that the conceit comes across well. Closer has neither the charm nor wit, and the writer didn't have the talent, to carry off the stylized dialog.Instead, almost every line is a reminder that this, which may have worked wonderfully on stage, is just a bad adaptation. Stage plays have a kind of cadence that is anything but natural, and Closer never feels anything close to natural.The movie is empty of moral depth or happiness, preferring to be cynical and knowing and utterly unpleasant. It is populated by an incestuous, manipulative group of selfish children, untouched by anything outside of their insular little foursome. Dumb, reprehensible, shallow, poorly done, and miserable.Please, don't bother. Video28073@blogcritics.org Tue, 12 Apr 2005 15:58:33 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/03/29/125247.php ZombyboyOn Good Friday, the g-phrase and I attended what was probably the best concert that I will see this year.Benders Tavern is a bar and small concert venue that sits in the building formerly occupied by the Goth bar, Onyx. Where it used to be dark and gloomy, with its TVs showing a mix of stylish and campy cult films, Benders is a brighter space with more buoyant colors. It was the first time I had been in the bar since before it had changed ownership, and the experience was a little disconcerting.The part that made it so strange wasn't the new style, though, it was that some of the clientele didn't seem to have changed all that much. Pierced and tattooed people still attended, wearing their uniforms of black PVC and leather, carefully cultivating their ironic detachment and sartorial separatism. At least one of the concertgoers was a former Onyx employee who wore a familiar starter Al Jourgenson Goth cowboy getup. I was surprised to see them at the comparatively happy Benders and even more surprised to see them attending a Christian rock concert.But that's precisely what was happening. The scene was the people--the tiny shot girl with the pink, wool bunny ear cap and an unsettling, vampiric smile; the cocktail waitress with the exaggerated, cat's eye granny glasses; the cocktail waitress with what looked to be tatts covering her entire torso and arms. Scattered throughout was a smattering of people like me: jeans and sweaters type people who looked more out of place than the guy with plugs in his earlobes.Again, let me stress, that they had all come for a Christian concert on Good Friday. That isn't to say that many recognized the timing or even that they were Christians themselves, but the music of David Eugene Edwards, both in 16 Horsepower and, as tonight, in Woven Hand is a powerful experience. It's never anything less than Christian, although it would be safe to say that the largest portion of the fan base would be unlikely to identify themselves with the fire and brimstone Nazarene religion on display.Edwards makes music that has its roots in a dark, country vision. It's rumbling sounds, odd and ancient instruments, and unforgettable tunes coupled to a voice reminiscent of a more controlled, more versatile Jeffrey Lee Pierce. My first exposure to him was from a song called "Heel on the Shovel" from 16 Horsepower's release, Sackcloth 'n' Ashes. The opening is a pure country guitar building to that unsteady vocal on the first pair of lines: "I'm diggin' you a shallow grave / and to the sun your face I'll raise..."I was hooked.Edwards has only grown better. Woven Hand, without the backing of his 16 Horsepower band mates, is a more pure expression of his musical vision, although the overall sound doesn't stray far from that path. Until this Friday night, though, I had only heard the CDs--and the concert experience is something entirely different.Woven Hand, the band, is impressive. The drums are tight and explosive, the bass line is a deep, rumbling that resonates in your stomach, and Edwards' guitar (and banjo and, I believe, balalaika, although I didn't get a good look at the instrument) play is brilliant. Songs that seem quiet and introspective on a CD become urgent and nearly overwhelming in concert. The music--admittedly loud music--is entrancing in its rhythms and hooks, the lyrics a darker testament in a smoke-filled room.Most of the night is devoted to Woven Hand songs, but a couple of 16 Horsepower tunes make the cut, too. An older song like "Black Soul Choir" slips in with the newer "Tin Finger" seamlessly, creating one perfect sermon where Edwards shows us the world from his own point of view.The best moment of the night comes during an extended version of "Down in Yon Forest" where Edwards became a frighteningly animated figure on the stage, attacking the song and his acoustic guitar with a furious power. I've been to the loudest, fastest, hardest heavy metal concerts, but I don't know that I've ever seen a more intense and passionate performance (or an audience quite so transfixed). His sleight body flailed, his voice was a whisper and then a howling terror. And this audience, this strange mix of people, went absolutely crazy as the final, quiet of the song descended and he sang, "I love my lord Jesus above everything."And his voice is a surprising thing. On recordings, he sounds good, but live he sounds amazing. His range, his control, his charisma are all seemingly increased ten fold. He also has a slightly shy manner, a goofy smile, and a genuine appreciation for the support from the crowd.The funniest moment of the night came when the band came back out for the encore. A few people started shouting out requests for their favorite songs. One voice rang out asking for "Holy Diver"--the entire place laughed along with Edwards.Happy little songs with easy faith and bland music are what rules popular Christian music. Edwards' music is anything but bland, the songs may have elements of happiness but aren't ruled by sappy sentiment, and the faith is nothing like easy. His is a faith of hard choices, temptation, and submission--and his delivery is more the wild-eyed passion of our popular view of John the Baptist instead of the tepid packaging of, say, Amy Grant.Woven Hand is all passion and strength combined to a unique musical vision. It cuts across bounds not because Edwards is compromising in his message, but because he is uncompromising in the musical expression of that message. Christian music could use more messengers like this.Not only do I suggest buying the CDs (especially Blush Music, Consider the Birds, Folklore, Secret South, and Sackcloth 'n' Ashes) but I can't overstate the value of seeing this band in concert. For the $10 ticket cost, I was lucky enough to see one of the best shows of my life. What the band lacked in social skills (there wasn't much in the way of banter or conversation with the crowd) was made up in exquisite music and a brilliant performance. I honestly regret all of the 16 Horsepower concerts I've missed along the way--and I won't be missing any more Denver shows.Visit for news, images, and tour dates. Music27430@blogcritics.org Tue, 29 Mar 2005 12:52:47 EST