The Black Keys found unexpected success with their 2010 breakthrough album Brothers, which earned the duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney three Grammy® Awards. While Brothers’ mix of psychedelic-tinged blues, rock, and soul music struck a chord with listeners, the album’s hit single, the groove-fattened “Tighten Up,” became ubiquitous, blasting from TV sets and radios across the fruited plains.
The Black Keys’ El Camino
The Black Keys have delivered a fast follow-up to Brothers in the form of El Camino, a solid collection that draws upon its predecessor’s timeless mix of styles with a pure-at-heart blast of retro-soul and rock ‘n’ roll. Unlike the band’s previous collaboration with producer Danger Mouse, 2008’s Attack & Release, which experimented in lofty sonic atmospherics, there are no loose musical threads here. Instead, El Camino hits fast-and-hard with inspiration that spans the decades, the Black Keys turbo-charging their trademark garage-blues sound with elements of soul, electric funk, and punch-drunk throwback rock ‘n’ roll.
El Camino cranks from the jump with lead single “Lonely Boy,” which sports a riff-happy melodic hook every bit as large and in charge as that on “Tighten Up.” Auerbach’s slightly-echoed vocals are overwhelmed by the song’s dangerously infectious sing-along chorus and Carney’s propulsive drumbeats. Infusing a bedrock of rock ‘n’ soul with a maddeningly effective recurring riff and plenty of engaging “whoa whoa whoa,” the song will stick in your brain long after you’ve heard it, like some funky brain chigger.
You’ll find no creative drop-off from the radio-friendly peaks of “Lonely Boy,” El Camino rolling through its eleven songs in a shockingly efficient 38-minutes, leaving the listener gasping for breath and wanting another taste. The martial rhythms of “Dead and Gone” belie the song’s melodic R&B heartbeat, while “Little Black Submarines” is a Zeppelin-styled folk-rock ballad with melancholy vocals and elegant, atmospheric fretwork. “Money Maker” is a raucous blues-rock stomp with muscular rhythms while “Nova Baby” revisits the retro-soul vibe of the opening track with a gorgeously melody and sticky chorus.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
The Black Keys have come a long way from their three-chord garage-blues origins as an ersatz Rust Belt White Stripes doppelganger, finding their own voice in a high-octane blend of styles that is as classic as it is contemporary. (Nonesuch Records, released October 12, 2011)
Review originally published by Blues Revue magazine…
Throughout their lengthy and illustrious career, the Rolling Stones have always been known primarily as a live band. Strangely enough, however, they’ve never really released a great live album. From historic shows like Leeds, Oakland ‘69 or New Orleans ‘78, their best onstage moments have always been caught on tape (and subsequently put on vinyl and/or CD) by bootleggers. Even Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, arguably the band’s best live effort, has been eclipsed now that the entire show, taken from the original acetates, has recently been bootlegged by Japan’s Stones-crazy Vinyl Gang. Unfortunately, the release of No Security, the Stones’ umpteenth live disc, will do nothing to add to the Stones’ live legacy.
The Rolling Stones’ No Security
Not that No Security is entirely bad, mind you. It doesn’t reinvent the band as the semi-live, semi-acoustic Stripped did, but it’s probably the band’s best live effort since Ya-Ya’s, which isn’t really saying much. Some of the performances here are golden – Mick’s duet with Dave Matthews on “Memory Motel,” the great Taj Mahal guesting on a cover of his “Corinna,” and Joshua Redman’s sax flourishes complimenting Mick’s vocals on “Waiting On A Friend” come to mind. “Thief In the Night enjoys a particularly soulful rendition.
Other cuts on No Security are luckluster enough to be sleep-inducing, however – Jagger cakewalks through a morose rendering of “Gimme Shelter,” a song that once held so much primal power and raw energy that people lived (and died) by it. The band just sounds tired on cuts like “Sister Morphine” and “The Last Time,” and the couple of songs included here from Bridges To Babylon are so unremarkable as to be practically anonymous. Part of the problem is that No Security was compiled from songs from five different shows, thereby losing whatever cohesion and continuity the performances had in the first place. Another part of the problem is that the Stones have always been a visual band, one best enjoyed while sitting right in front of them…an intangible that doesn’t translate well to CD.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
Mick, Keith, tell you what, boys – next time out (and there will be a next time, you can bet on it!) just record a bunch of shows, pick the best one and release it in its entirety, flaws and all. Either that or dip into the vaults and release a legitimate version of one of those often bootlegged shows. Until then, we’ll make do with No Security, the latest not-so-great live album from the world’s greatest live band, the Rolling Stones. (Virgin Records, released November 2nd, 1998)
Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 1998
Perhaps the greatest of the primal heavy metal bands that walked the earth during the early 1970s, Black Sabbath defied critical expectations and went on to become not only one of the most successful acts in rock music during that decade but also one of the most influential. From Guns ‘N’ Roses and Iron Maiden to White Zombie and Marilyn Manson, not a single one of them would have existed if not for Sabbath’s groundbreaking musical efforts. Although signature Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne would leave the band in 1980 to become a superstar in his own right, the band continued to carry on through the two decades to follow. Making both good records and bad, Sabbath trudged along under guitarist Tony Iommi’s guiding hand to become one of rock music’s most enduring legends.
Black Sabbath’s Reunion
Sabbath has now come full-circle as the original foursome of Ozzy, Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and bassist Geezer Butler got together again last December for a couple of live performances. The result is captured on the 2-CD Reunion, a long overdue live set from one of rock’s monster live bands. Unlike their contemporaries, Kiss, another recently reunited rock legend created by the fans rather than the critics, Sabbath didn’t attempt to knock people out with a set of new songs. No, they decided to give their fans what they’ve always wanted – red-hot live versions of some of their greatest hits. They’re all here, too, from “Iron Man,” which is still chilling after all these years, to the eerie “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and the crowd favorite “Paranoid.” Ozzy allows the audience to sing along on a wicked rendering of “War Pigs” while other Sabbath favorites also enjoy stellar performances, including “Fairies Wear Boots” and “Snowblind.”
As a result of the band’s impromptu reunion, Ozzy and Tony Iommi penned two new songs, which are tacked on as studio cuts at the end of Reunion. The first, “Psycho Man,” is a taut thriller with concertina wire-sharp guitars and ominously plodding rhythms while “Selling My Soul” offers a sordid tale of madness and confusion – sort of like a sequel to “Paranoid” – that is driven by Ozzy’s trademark wailing vocals. Perhaps a hint of things to come, these two songs showcase that Black Sabbath has forgotten more about “heavy music” than a lot of aspiring metalheads will ever know. A reunion tour is allegedly in the works, with a new studio album possibly not far behind. Regardless, Reunion captures the greatness that is Black Sabbath in concert, maybe not at their fighting prime, but not missing many punches, either. (Epic Records, released October 20th, 1998)
Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 1998
New album releases in 200 words or less… Marshall Crenshaw
– The Wild, Exciting Sounds of Marshall Crenshaw (Sunset Blvd
Records) American major labels are scouring the archives for uncut gems to pump up
their expensive “deluxe” anniversary reissues of best-selling back catalog
titles. These sets are often luxury purchases for well-heeled boomers and they
offer little in the way of value with their seemingly endless studio outtakes
and they-shoulda-remained-demo-recordings. The legendary
Marshall Crenshaw, on the other hand, delivers on the dollar, his
archival release The Wild Exciting Sounds of Marshall Crenshaw a
reasonably-priced two-disc set comprised of previously-unreleased live
performances. What do you get for your double-sawbuck? Disc one offers 16 tracks
with Crenshaw’s early band circa 1982-83 featuring delightful performances of
some of his best-known songs like “Whenever You’re On My Mind,” “Rockin’ Around
In NYC,” “Cynical Girl,” and “Someday Someway,” all of ‘em performed with energy
and youthful enthusiasm. Disc two stirs in a couple of lovely solo acoustic
numbers and a 1991 performance of “Walkin’ Around” with friends like Mitch
Easter and Brad Jones. Crenshaw lovingly covers the Bottle Rockets’ sublime “Kit
Kat Klock” before the disc closes with six songs performed with the Bottle
Rockets themselves and recorded by Eric Ambel (The Del-Lords), the engaging
performances sitting comfortably at the intersection of Beatlesque power-pop and
Americana.
Grade: A
BUY!
Crack The Sky – Between the Cracks (Carry On Records) Rust Belt rockers Crack The Sky have been dancing on the hard edge
of progressive sounds for better than 45 years now and, with roughly two-dozen
studio and live albums to their name (including this year’s wonderful Tribes),
CTS has a rather sizeable back catalog of music. Between the Cracks is an
odds ‘n’ sods collection of songs chosen by the band members, material they
collectively consider to be “sleeper tracks that fell between the cracks.” It’s
a heady collection, to be sure, with deep cuts dating back to the early ‘80s,
but the bulk of the dozen songs here are from the new millennium (my guess is
that they couldn’t license any of the 1970s-era Lifesong label tracks). What you
hear is a mature, veteran band with significant musical chemistry as shown by
songs like the mesmerizing “Zoom,” the ghostly Goth-prog of “We’re All Dead,”
the Kraut-rockin’ “The Box,” and the stunning guitars and biting
social-commentary of “Immigration.” Crack The Sky’s sound is equal parts
guitar-rock and proggy ambition, performed with imagination and no little skill.
Early CTS fans should check out Between the Cracks for a taste of what
this talented band has been doing in recent years.
Grade: B+
BUY!
Donna Frost – The Quarantine Sessions (self-produced) Like many of us, Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist
Donna Frost spent much of 2020 locked in the house, trying to avoid the
plague raging outside our doors. She did what a lot of restless musicians did –
she wrote and recorded a bunch of songs, five of which are featured on Frost’s
The Quarantine Sessions EP. With a gorgeous voice that straddles the line
between folk and country, Frost looks for the positive with songs like “I’m
Keeping the Faith” and “Love and Kindness,” her performances anchored by a
gentle guitar strum and unadorned, emotionally-impactful vocals. With
“Quarantine Blues” Frost displays a deft hand with Piedmont-styled blues guitar,
her spry inspired-by-real-life lyrics cleverly documenting America circa 2020
while “When This Is All Over” is an uplifting look towards the future.
The Quarantine Sessions closes out with “Welcome To Our New World,” a
frank appraisal of our predicament that is musically jauntier than the lyrics.
Overall, Frost faces the pandemic and quarantine with hope and humor with these
five carefully-crafted and entertaining songs.
Grade: A-
BUY DIRECT!
Donna Frost – The Quarantine Sessions, Volume 2 (self-produced) Sadly, the pandemic didn’t go away as quickly as a certain self-absorbed
segment of our political leadership believed, and singer-songwriter
Donna Frost experienced the loss of her mother to Covid. As such, the
nine songs on Frost’s The Quarantine Sessions, Volume 2 are a shining
example of faith in the presence of grief and tragedy. Frost’s wonderful vocals
are accompanied only by her guitar, both instruments displaying a greater sense
of urgency than previously with many of these songs. The positive lyrics of
“Here and Now” and “I’m Gonna Take This Day” are nevertheless plagued by the
same doubt and uncertainty that many of us are still experiencing, while the
bluesy shades of “Bitter But Better” are entirely appropriate considering the
song’s see-sawing emotions. Frost’s beautiful and touching “Mama’s Prayers” is a
wonderful reminiscence of a loving, supportive relationship that deserves a
place on country radio and, by closer “Press On,” the singer has regained her
determination to face down adversity. The songs on
The Quarantine Sessions, Volume 2 are more complex and pissed-off
performed more aggressively than its predecessor, but Frost’s lyrics still
display the hopefulness and optimism we’ll need to get through this three-ring
circus we call life.
Grade: A
BUY DIRECT!
Mark Harrison and the Happy Tramps
– Way Out! (Twister Records) With Nashville rockers Sour Ops, Mark Harrison and brother Price weld
Detroit sonic overkill with modern power-pop to create a fresh throwback sound.
Way Out!, the debut from Mark and his band the Happy Tramps, veers away
from the guitar-happy crash ‘n’ bang of Sour Ops in favor of a chill retro sound
that’s heavy on 1960s-styled pop-rock-soul atmospherics. Opener “Believe It Or
Not” melds Booker T-inspired pop-soul and a lush backing soundtrack to
Harrison’s trembling, emotional vocals. It’s a heady musical moment, one of many
on Way Out! Harrison’s vocals remind of Roy Orbison by way of Chris
Isaacs, songs like “Where The Wild” and “Want You” displaying haunting beauty
while tunes like “Mindbender” and “Shake It” roll down the tracks with a drunken
bluesy swagger (“Shake It” displaying some of Harrison’s fiery git-licks). “Down
The Line” and “Leaving Now” evince a sort of folkie singer-songwriter vibe with
an emotional heartbeat and those ethereal vocals. Harrison is a pretty good
lyricist in a Dylanesque manner, and it’s to his and the band’s credit that they
stamp their trademark on the disparate styles described above and, much like
Sour Ops, make it a sound uniquely their own. Highly recommended!
Grade: A+ BUY DIRECT!
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
– 662 (Alligator Records) Christone “Kingfish” Ingram turned more than a few heads with his
stunning 2019 debut, Kingfish. By the time of that album’s release, the talented
20-year-old guitarist had already performed at the Obama White House and opened
for legends like Buddy Guy and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. The ambition and beauty
of Kingfish does nothing to prepare you for Ingram’s spectacular sophomore
effort, 662 (named for his Clarksdale, Mississippi area code). Working
with producer Tom Hambridge, Ingram has delivered a mature, multi-faceted work
that shines like a jewel in the sunlight. The guitarist masterfully blends
contemporary blues styles with blues-rock and throwback R&B for a sound that
will have your stereo speakers jumping. The title track is a juke-joint rave-up
with flamethrower guitar while the socially-conscious ‘70s-styled funk-soul
sound of “Another Life Goes By” displays Ingram’s smoky, Curtis Mayfield-styled
vocals. The “bonus” track “Rock & Roll” is just hauntingly beautiful, with
languid vocals and elegant fretwork that sticks in your brain for days. Ingram
has upped his game throughout 662, his vocal phrasing meeting the needs
of each song and supported by his fluid, diverse, and electrifying guitar style.
Alligator Records’ founder Bruce Iglauer discovered a rare talent in Christone
Ingram.
Grade: A+
BUY!
The Rubinoos –
The CBS Tapes (Omnivore Recordings) Power-pop pioneers the Rubinoos shock and awe with The CBS Tapes,
a collection of demo recordings evincing an anarchic attitude and adorable
pop-punk energy almost two decades before Green Day and the Offspring made their
mark. Recorded at CBS Studios in San Francisco in 1976, prior to the band’s
signing with Berserkley Records (home to Earth Quake, Greg Kihn, and Jonathan
Richman), this eleven-track collection features the band’s original roster,
including guitarists Jon Rubin and Tommy Dunbar, galloping through a 30-minute
set that approximates their live show at the time. So, you get ripping original
tunes like the bouncy, glam-rock “All Excited” and the young, loud, and snotty
“I Want Her So Bad” delivered with the subtlety of a stick of dynamite alongside
cover songs both serious (The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and not (The
Archies’ “Sugar Sugar”). The band displays an unexpected instrumental deftness
on their cover of the Meters’ classic “Cissy Strut” while their take on friend
and labelmate Jonathan Richman’s “Government Center” is provided a sophisticated
pop-rock arrangement. The CBS Tapes preserves the sound of happy music
guys making a joyful noise. Reforming in 2010, the current touring band includes
three original members. Bravo!
Grade: B+
BUY!
Various Artists – Jon Savage’s 1972-1976: All Our Times Have Come (Ace
Records U.K.) After releasing a handful of personally-curated compilation albums
covering the essential years of the 1960s (one each from 1965 to 1968), British
rock critic Jon Savage jumped to a multi-year period for 2019’s Rock Dreams On
45 (1969-1971) comp. This year’s model stretches a little further, All Our Times
Have Come spanning 1972-1976 across two discs and 44 songs. This sort of
collection can be scattershot, but Savage has excellent musical taste and an ear
for primo-grade rock ‘n’ roll. Thus, you get the expected hit singles from folks
like Alice Cooper, Roxy Music, John Lennon, Andy Pratt, Blue Öyster Cult, and
Blondie as well as classic deep cuts from beloved rockers like the Byrds, Mott
the Hoople, Free, Lou Reed, the Sweet, Patti Smith, and Big Star. Throw in cult
rockers the Move (“Do Ya”), Flamin’ Groovies (“Slow Death”), Eno (“Third
Uncle”), the Ramones (“Blitzkreig Bop”), and Grin (“End Unkind”) alongside
lesser-known artists like Faust, Sparks, the Hammersmith Gorillas, the Count
Bishops, and the Wackers and Savage has once again assembled an entertaining and
electrifying period playlist. The diverse musical selection and a
profusely-illustrated 28-page booklet with extensive liner notes raise the set
miles above your average “hits” collection. Grade: A BUY!
By 1973, Alice Cooper was one of the hottest bands in rock ‘n’ roll. Featuring the flamboyant on-stage antics of lead vocalist and band namesake Cooper and a sound that was a cross between metal-edged blues, hard rock and camped-up show tunes, the band struck gold with their fifth album, 1972’s School’s Out. By the time that they would enter the studio to record what would become their masterpiece – Billion Dollar Babies – the band was on the verge of breaking up. Suffering from tensions created by constant touring, the ever-growing complexity of their stage shows and problems created by the extreme overuse of alcohol, the band nonetheless put together ten songs that would become the keystone of the Alice Cooper legacy.
Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies
Remixed by producer Bob Ezrin and reissued by Warner Archives and archival experts Rhino Records, Billion Dollar Babies was originally released in 1973 to overall critical acclaim and great commercial success. It became the band’s best-selling album, it led to one of the largest-grossing and spectacular tours in rock history and it inspired a legion of hard rock, punk, and heavy metal bands to follow. Today, nearly 30 years after its release, it stands out as a landmark of rock music. Cuts like “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Hello Hooray,” and the vastly underrated and oft-overlooked “Generation Landslide” stand as rock icons. “Elected” is every bit as funny and relevant in the new millennium as it was in the Nixon era while lesser-known tracks such as “Raped and Freezin’” and the macabre “I Love the Dead” did their best to launch the Goth and death metal genres.
Released by Warner/Rhino in two versions, those who merely want a taste of one of rock’s most unique and influential bands can go for the single-disc reissue of Billion Dollar Babies. For long-time fans or the curious, the “deluxe edition” of Billion Dollar Babies includes a second disc of live tracks and outtakes that is well worth the few extra dollars to buy. Featuring eleven songs taken from two Texas shows in April 1973, it offers killer performances of “Elected,” “Hello Hooray,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” It also includes live versions of older Alice Cooper faves like “I’m Eighteen,” “My Stars,” and “I Love the Dead” as well as a handful of outtakes from the Billion Dollar Babies sessions.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
Two years after the release of Billion Dollar Babies, Alice Cooper the band would break-up and Cooper the individual would start a lengthy and productive solo career that continues to plod along today. Along with his contemporary Ozzie Osbourne, Alice Cooper has been granted “rock godfather” status by today’s heavy metal kids. Through the years that followed, however, Cooper and his bandmates would never again make rock ‘n’ roll as primal, vital, and energetic as they would with these ten tracks. (Rhino Records, reissued June 6th, 2001)
Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 2001
When you’re the son of a bona fide Americana music legend, and named after one
of greatest songwriters of the genre (Townes Van Zandt), expectations are high.
With his full-length debut, The Good Life,
Justin Townes Earle
delivers everything expected of him in spades. Not content to merely mimic his
dad’s work, the younger Earle takes his impressive songwriting skills in a
number of diverse directions. Whereas his pappy’s music tends to draw more from
both rock and folk worlds, the younger Earle instead goes in the other
direction, pulling the best from the Tennessee and Texas hillbilly traditions.
Justin Townes Earle’s The Good Life
Growing up in a musical household, Earle had the opportunity to soak in all
sorts of influences, and it shows in his work. An eerily-mature songwriter
that is skilled beyond his years, Earle easily weaves together story-songs in
his dad’s image, but with his own voice and a widely differing soundtrack. The
title track from The Good Life is a delicious ‘60s-styled country
throwback that sounds like a classic Faron Young tune, while the heartbreaking
“Who Am I To Say” is reminiscent of namesake Van Zandt’s stark folk poetry.
Other songs on The Good Life showcase Earle’s mastery of a
diverse range of country styles. “Lone Pine Hill” is a haunting Western dirge
and “What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome” is a weepy Texas dancehall ballad.
“South Georgia Sugar Babe” is a bluesy, Southern rock/R&B hybrid with
gumbo-funk rhythms while “Lonesome And You,” with its mournful steel guitar
and slow shuffle, is the sort of honky-tonk country that Ernest Tubb could
crank out in his sleep. “Turn Out My Lights” is a delicate, finely-crafted
folk ballad…and about as close as Justin gets to sounding like his famous
father.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
The vocals on The Good Life are warm, certain and
soulful throughout, and producer R.S. “Bobby” Field’s deft hand and extensive
roots-music knowledge allowed him to bring out the best in Earle, perfectly
capturing the artist’s eclectic sound. With boundless ambition and loads of
talent, Earle easily ties together strains of roots-rock, folk-blues, Tex-Mex,
Western Swing, and traditional country in the creation of an amazing,
remarkable debut album. (Bloodshot Records, released February 1, 2008)
Review originally published by the Trademark of Quality (TMQ) blog...
Atlanta’s
Michelle Malone
is proof that you can’t keep a real artist down. After an ill-promoted, though
energetically rocking Lenny Kaye-produced major label debut in 1990, Malone has
spent the rest of the decade wandering from one indie imprint to another. During
this time, while fellow female folk rockers like Jewel, Meredith Brooks, or
Sheryl Crow have experienced varying degrees of career success, Malone has
remained an undiscovered gem.
Homegrown, Malone’s follow-up to
1997’s wonderful Beneath the Devil Moon, is unlikely to play beyond
Malone’s faithful cult following, regardless of how good it is. No longer a
diamond in the rough, years of playing and recording have polished Malone’s
former barroom growl into a multi-faceted and quite enchanting singing voice.
Malone can still rock out – witness the pop hooks on the album-opening “Avalon”
or the riff-driven “Brand New Dream.” Malone has developed range and depth as a
singer, though, illustrated by the country-sweet “Keeping Score” or the folkish
tale “Cheap One Star Hotel.”
Michelle Malone’s Homegrown
As a songwriter, Malone has always been at her best with semi-autobiographical
confessional lyrics, the kind of bread and butter that provides Tori Amos or
Alannis Morrisette with multi-Platinum™ sales. Unlike these chart-topping
“angry young women,” however, Malone’s material resounds with sincerity and
realism. Her anger has been tempered somewhat by humility, a point best shown
by Homegrown’s bittersweet title track. Looking back over the last
decade, running in place while the rest of the world runs by, Malone laments
“I’ve been sitting in this apartment waiting for my ship to sail/but the
canvas started rotting through and there’s rust upon the sail.” Springsteen
once asked listeners “is a dream a lie if it don’t come true, or is it
something worse?” Malone sings “this is my home – where my dreams began to
fade.” The physical place of “home” becomes a metaphor for an entire career.
Nevertheless, the song shows a glimmer of hope, Malone accepting the way
things are with a realization that she’ll carry on in spite of the cost.
Whether
Malone would like another shot at the brass ring with a major label or would
be content with a long-term home on a stable indie is beyond my knowledge. I
do know that I’ve been listening to Malone since her major label debut almost
a decade ago, and I’ve seen her continue to mature as an artist. Unlike many
more successful folks, I’ve never heard a bad Michelle Malone album. It’s a
strange coincidence, but Malone’s career parallels that of Kiya Heartwood.
Both were signed by Arista at roughly the same time – Malone with her Drag the
River band and Heartwood with Stealin’ Horses. Both released impressive,
critically acclaimed debut albums, both are Southern storytellers and Arista
had no idea what to do with either of them.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
While Heartwood has recorded sporadically since, most recently in a duo called
Wishing Chair, Malone continues to crank out fine music for whatever label
happens to like her at the moment. Michelle Malone is a true treasure, though,
and living proof that sales aren’t the only measure of an artist. You owe it
to yourself to discover her talents – I promise that the day will come when
Malone will be recognized as the artist that she is. (Strange Bird Songs,
released November 11, 1999)
Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 1999
Forever doomed, it seems, to working the cult-following fringes of the alt-country music scene, the Bottle Rockets return to the indie ranks with Brand New Year, a solid, if not spectacular set of songs. The band’s overwhelming appeal has always been in the songwriting skills of Brian Henneman and the shit-kicking country/rock hybrid that underlined the lyrics.
With Brand New Year, though, Henneman hides behind a co-writer on seven cuts out of the fourteen, kicking in only three solo songs. Contrast that with the eight solo cuts he wrote for 24 Hours A Day, arguably the Bottle Rockets’ best effort, and you’ll see where Brand New Year falls off. When Henneman is collaborating with folks like ex-Georgia Satellite Dan Baird or producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, the results are lively, with the writers working well off each other. Other collaborative efforts sound more strained and lifeless.
That’s not to say that there isn’t some good music to be found on Brand New Year – several cuts here will produce smoke and flames from that five-CD changer of yours. The Baird collaboration, “Nancy Sinatra,” is as funny as it is naughty, “I’ve Been Dying” shows more attitude than any dozen punk songs you’d care to name while the anti-technology cut “Helpless” paints Henneman as a joyful luddite. The powerful “Gotta Get Up” is a minimalist anthem for every blue-collar Joe whose life revolves around the 40-hour week. With cranked up amps, tortured guitars and brilliantly simple lyrics, “Gotta Get Up” effectively portrays the working class grind.
However, the flat spots on Brand New Year, especially the inane “The Bar’s On Fire,” detract from the album’s musical high points. The result is something I never thought I’d hear from the Bottle Rockets – an uneven album. Even a mediocre Bottle Rockets’ album is better than almost any other band you’ll hear, though, and Brand New Year’s best cuts still stand head-and-shoulders above 90% of the dreck you’ll find out there. (Doolittle Records, released August 10, 1999)
Ani DiFranco has made a good living by defying expectations and laughing in the face of conventional wisdom. When the major labels ignored her unique brand of punk-folk, she started her own label – Righteous Babe Records – and made it a great success. When the big boys finally came sniffing around, sensing that a buck or two could be made off DiFranco’s seemingly unlimited talent, she turned her back to the multinationals – hell, she didn’t need them as bad as they needed the artistic credibility she could provide. And when DiFranco made the decision to add an artist to her label’s exclusive roster, she didn’t go looking for some hot indie band, but rather developed a project with folk singer and political activist Utah Phillips.
Ani DiFranco & Utah Phillips’ Fellow Workers
Fellow Workers, the second collaboration between DiFranco and Phillips, is a wonderfully subversive collection of both original and traditional stories and songs with a sharp political edge. Phillips, an old school Industrial Workers of the World union member or “wobblie,” relates tales of the extraordinary feats of average people who propelled worker’s rights forward through activism, strikes and their own sacrifices. The forty-hour week, the eight-hour day, annual vacations, worker safety and many other rights that we currently enjoy can all be directly tied to the defiance of union members and “fellow workers” during the early part of this century.
DiFranco and her crackerjack band create an ever-moving musical undercurrent beneath Phillip’s storytelling, mixing musical genres from acoustic folk to organic ambience in support of the grizzled Phillip’s friendly vocals. Touching upon some of the labor movement’s most beloved figures, such as Mary “Mother Jones” Harris, as well as rank-and-file folks like Tom Scribener, the saw-playing musician, Phillips bring these folk heroes to life with his energetic sharing of these important stories.
A thought-provoking and valuable collection, Fellow Workers shows that, contrary to what the corporate media might say, there’s still a little life left in the struggle yet. Progressive politics doesn’t have to consist of boring intellectualism or corrupt unionism but can be lively, joyous and accessible. The songs and stories on Fellow Workers are about hope and the desire for a better world that includes us all, regardless of race or creed or how much money one has in the bank. With this collaborative effort, DiFranco and Phillips keep this hope alive. (Righteous Babe Records, released May 18, 1999)
