Austin, Texas has been the breeding ground of instrumental outlaws and various cosmic cowboys for nigh onto a decade now, ever since the city’s identification as a musical mecca in the early ‘70s. The current class of artists reaching for that ever-elusive brass ring includes such talents as Zeitgeist and True Believers, a band whose self-titled vinyl bow is sure to create unparalleled aural excitement in the uninitiated.
True Believers offers up an energetic blend of roadhouse blues, country-honk, and guitar band histrionics (the Believers featuring not one, not two, but THREE competent axemen!). There’s not a dull moment to be found within these grooves, with this writer’s personal faves, the melodic cover of “Rebel Kind” and the lyrically-haunting original “The Rain Won’t Help You When It’s Over” representative of the depth of talent to be found in True Believers. The band’s sincerity, the intensity of their music, and their sense of roots proves that rock ‘n’ roll lives outside of London or Los Angeles. (EMI America, released 1986) Review originally published by Nashville’s The Metro magazine...
Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™,
June 1999
BLINK 182 Enema of the State There are those who say that punk is dead, crushed beneath the
contradictions of the genre’s underground status and its commercial aspirations.
Then there are others who say that punk’s still alive, bubbling beneath the
mainstream while it gets back to its “roots.” Although I don’t know which side
of this discussion to come down in favor of, I suspect that punk’s more alive
than dead. The thousands of kids who lined up to shell out their hard-earned
coin for a copy of Blink 182’s Enema of the State during its first week
of release, placing the disc in the Billboard “Top Ten,” might agree with
me. Blink 182 are unabashed punks, Enema of the State delivering its thrills in
the form of punky power pop cranked out in a vein similar to Green Day or
Offspring. The by-product of hundreds of shows in front of crowds of various
thrashers, skate punks and hardcore wannabes, Blink 182 has honed their sound to
a surgical edge. Songs like “Aliens Exist,” “What’s My Age Again?” or “Anthem”
cut to the bone, showcasing more teen angst and sexual frustration than you can
shake a stick at. Enema Of The State doesn’t break any new ground, nor
will it be mistaken for any great work of art. It rocks, though, and sometimes
that’s enough… (MCA Records)
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO Bourbonitis Blues Through his 1980s work with Rank & File and the True Believers,
Alejandro Escovedo has become a sort of “spiritual godfather” to the whole
alternative, “no depression” insurgent country movement. To be honest, though,
his solo work has always seemed to me to be closer to the sort of left-handed,
wrong-side-of-the-tracks, introspective rock ‘n’ roll as practiced by Tom Waits.
Passionate, troubled, insightful, and highly personal, Escovedo’s best material
will always leave you ducking for emotional cover. Bourbonitis Blues does
nothing to shake this illusion. A fine collection of songs, Escovedo’s musical
and lyrical milieu as showcased by Bourbonitis Blues is nevertheless a
somber, sobering artwork. That’s not to say that Escovedo is incapable of
creating great beauty – “Irene Wilde” is a wonderfully moving and bittersweet
tune, while “California Blues” is a spry tale of life on the road. Escovedo
blends elements of roots rock and country with folkish lyrics and a little blues
around the edges to create a heady musical elixer that is as authentic as it is
sincere. A singular, visionary work, Bourbonitis Blues probably isn’t for
everybody. But if you like a musical challenge that is full of life,
intelligence and nuance, then you owe it to yourself to discover Alejandro
Escovedo. (Bloodshot Records)
GORDON Gordon Britpop never really grabbed the imagination of American listeners on the
same level as it did in the homeland. Of all the genre’s practitioners, only
Oasis managed to crack the tough nut that is the U.S. market while also-rans
like Blur, Pulp, Dodgy, and others have to be content with cult followings and a
modicum of stateside critical acclaim. Although the music – itself inspired by
1960s “mod” acts like the Kinks or the Who – never caught on in the same way as,
say, the Backstreet Boys, that isn’t to say that it wasn’t influential. Witness
Gordon, who hail from Southern California and sound like as earnest a bunch of
anglophiles as you’re likely to hear, with self-titled debut sounds more British
than many of the Queen’s subjects. Gordon, the album, is a charming and
lively collection of pop/rock tunes that offer witty lyrics, catchy hooks and,
well, just a refreshing lack of either pop pretensions or rock ‘n’ roll gloom.
There are several radio-ready cuts here that would make great listening on a
summer’s day, songs like the hilariously-optimistic “Could Be Worse” or the
thoroughly engaging “Fortified Grapes”. Producer Brendan O’Brien adds his usual
deft touch to the material, creating an open atmosphere for the band’s lush
arrangements and delicious harmonies. Perhaps the best British band to ever come
out of the United States, Gordon is worth checking out. (FiftySeven Records/Sony
550 Music)
MIKE NESS Cheating At Solitaire As frontman for Social Distortion, one of the more revered punk outfits
to ever crash a stage, Mike Ness garnered a reputation as a fierce six-string
player and no-nonsense performer. With an image that was equal parts snarling
punk and surly tattooed greaser, Ness brought a fair degree of attitude and
charisma to the role. Even a band as respected as Social D has its limitations,
however, which is why Ness has stepped out into a new role as solo performer
with Cheating At Solitaire. Bringing to the forefront some of the
artistic influences that had crept into Social D’s latter day material, Ness has
expanded his musical vocabulary to include influences as diverse as Hank
Williams and Bob Dylan.
Ness gives up none of the energy or passion that he’s known for, however,
Cheating At Solitaire nonetheless making a good effort of stepping away
from Social Distortion’s legacy with songs like the western-flavored “Rest of
Our Lives” or the bluesy “No Man’s Friend”. Ness is a brilliantly visual
songwriter – that is, he paints his lyrics with vivid imagery and phrasing in
telling his tales of crime and debauchery, hope and betrayal, love and loss.
Although showing a degree of uncertainty, covers like Dylan’s “Don’t Think
Twice” or the classic “Long Black Veil” are still played with no small amount
of respect and empathy for the material. There are even a number of guest
appearances here, including nods by Bruce Springsteen, Brian Setzer and Billy
Zoom. As a first solo effort, Cheating At Solitaire does not
disappoint, calling on Mike Ness’ punk roots even as it strikes out into
uncharted musical territory. It’s a strong first step that will leave the
listener waiting eagerly for the next Ness album. (Time Bomb Recordings)
VARIOUS ARTISTS No Boundaries A recent poll showed that only about 25% of the American people
followed the war in Kosovo on a regular basis. Although I won’t get into the
ramifications of this tragic indifference towards what is a travesty of
American foreign policy, I will say that I’m glad that there’s some folks
among that small percentage who actually care about the toll being paid by the
average person in the former Yugoslavia. No Boundaries is a benefit
compilation created by some of those people who do care, musicians who have
donated their time and artistic efforts to try and make a difference. Proceeds
from the disc go to organizations like CARE, Oxfam America, and Doctors
Without Borders that are providing humanitarian relief in Kosovo. It doesn’t
hurt that the cause that there’s a lot of powerful music here, either. Pearl
Jam open and close the disc, Eddie Vedder lending his unique vocals and rock
star presence to an unlikely pair of covers: the sixties chestnut “Last Kiss”
and Nashvillian Buzz Cason’s vintage “Soldier of Love.” Vedder and PJ pull off
the effort, bringing a resonance and passion to the popish material that
seemed beyond the band’s ability. There’s other good stuff here, too,
including cuts from Rage Against The Machine, Tori Amos, Indigo Girls, KORN,
and Black Sabbath, among others. For the collector in all of us there’s a
number of previously unreleased tracks and obscurities on
No Boundaries, including inspired live performances from Neil Young,
Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan. No Boundaries is a solid musical
compilation and an important fund-raising effort, showing the power of rock
‘n’ roll to change lives. (Epic Records)
More musical goodness than one person can handle is coming your way in September, and if last month didn't bust yer bankroll, you just weren't trying! Take out a home loan or hit up your local neighborhood loan shark 'cause this month brings new albums by folks like Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Eric Lindell, Richard Thompson, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, R&B legend Swamp Dogg, and the great Alejandro Escovedo that you know you're gonna want. Throw in CD and vinyl reissues and archive releases from talents like J.D. Souther, Moby Grape's Skip Spence, Bob Seger, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Tom Petty, and the Ramones and you'll be raiding your kid's college fund before the month is through...
If we wrote about it here on the site, there will be a link to it in the
album title; if you want an album, hit the 'Buy!' link to get it from
Amazon.com...it's just that damn easy! Your purchase puts money in the
Reverend's pocket that he'll use to buy more music to write about in a
never-ending loop of rock 'n' roll ecstasy!
SEPTEMBER 7
Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions BUY!
Mike Farris - Silver and Stone BUY!
JEFF the Brotherhood - Magick Songs BUY!
Lenny Kravitz - Raise Vibration BUY!
L7 - Hungry for Stink [vinyl reissue] BUY!
Eric Lindell - Revolution In Your Heart BUY!
Paul McCartney - Egypt Station BUY!
Mirah - Understanding BUY!
Pentangle - Sweet Child [vinyl reissue] BUY! Bob Seger & the Last Heard - Heavy Music: The Complete Cameo Recordings 1966-1967BUY!
Paul Simon - In the Blue Light BUY!
Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt BUY!
Swamp Dogg - Love, Loss and Auto-Tune BUY!
SEPTEMBER 14
Eric Burdon & the Animals - Winds of Change [mono vinyl reissue] BUY!
The Doors - Waiting For the Sun: 50th Anniversary Edition BUY!
Alejandro Escovedo - The Crossing BUY!
Hawkwind - Road To Utopia BUY!
Malcolm Holcombe - Come Hell or High Water BUY!
Low - Double Negative BUY!
Monster Truck - True Rockers BUY!
Jorge Santana - Love the Way: The Solo 70s Recordings BUY!
Richard Thompson - 13 Rivers BUY!
Uriah Heep - Living the Dream BUY!
Various Artists - Chicago Plays the Stones BUY!
We Were Promised Jetpacks - The More I Sleep The Less I Dream BUY!
Paul Weller - True Meanings BUY!
Ann Wilson - Immortal BUY!
SEPTEMBER 28
All Them Witches - ATW BUY! King Crimson - Meltdown In MexicoBUY!
Mudhoney - Digital Garbage BUY!
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - An American Treasure [box set] BUY!
Skip Spence - AndOarAgain [3-CD reissue] BUY!
U2 - The Best of 1990-2000 [vinyl reissue] BUY!
Tony Joe White - Bad Mouthin' BUY!
Release dates are subject to change, so don't blame us...
Album of the Month: The Textones' Old Stone Gang...after better than three decades, Textones' frontwoman Carla Olson put the original band together (sans Phil Seymour, R.I.P.) to record a few tracks and see if the old band magic still exists (hint: it does...). The result was Old Stone Gang, the Textones’ third official studio album and their first in 30+ years. If you were ever a fan of the band, you definitely need to hear this 'cause it's really like they never left!
