Following their stellar, ultra-sexy 1994 album, "Orange," the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion return with a faster, noisier interpretation of the blues in "Now I Got Worry." While not quite as catchy or excellent as "Orange," the new album is nonetheless a pleasure to listen to and a worthwhile possession.
Commencing with a howl from vocalist/guitarist Jon Spencer in "Skunk," "Now I Got Worry" quickly accelerates into the band's unique hybrid of funk, punk, blues and soul, all the while sung by Spencer in his Elvis-like manner. Guitarist Judah Bauer and drummer Russell Simins back up Spencer nicely, as the trio tightly blisters through the rest of the album.
Some highlights of "Now I Got Worry" include "Chicken Dog," a collaboration with Rufus Thomas of "Funky Chicken" fame; "R.L. Got Soul," a tribute to Mississippi blues great R.L. Burnside, with whom the band collaborated for an album, "A Ass Pocket of Whiskey"; and "2Kindsa Love," a high-tempo song that's the best extension of the good times of "Orange."
- Aaron Rennie
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion released "Now I Got Worry."
September 67 is songwriter/guitarist Shannon Worrell and drummer Kristin Asbury. Under the watchful eye of producer David Lowery (of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker fame), and with the in-studio instrumental help of friends such as former Dashboard Savior Rob Veal, these two women have crafted a solid, folksy debut album.
Lyrically, Worrell details relationships, both familial and romantic, with a keen attention to subtlety and nuance. The often foreboding or troubled lyrics bubble just under the surface of the upbeat, hummable folk-pop melodies. Musically, their sound is much bigger than their numbers would suggest, augmented by several session players on bass, additional guitar and the occasional violin. The tracks "Hazel Motes" and "Poor Boy" are standouts, catchy but not fluff.
Overall, while "Lucky Shoe" offers little that is unique and certainly nothing remarkable, it is a solid debut.
- Anders Smith-Lindall
"Demonstrating My Style" is one of the most cliché and boring hardcore albums ever released. It's not just Madball's typical hardcore lyrics and old-school sound that are so terrible. When it comes down to the CD case, even that has to be bad. When one removes the disk from the jewel box, there is a picture of Hoya, the bass player, showing his DMS ("Demonstrating My Style") tattoo. Oh, boy ... it's on the interior of his bottom lip. How hardcore! Biohazard did the exact same thing on their "State of the World Address" CD two years ago.
It's surprising that "Demonstrating My Style" is such a weak album, seeing that three of Madball's members, Matt Henderson (guitar), Hoya (bass) and Will Shepler (drums) are all from the "infamous" Agnostic Front. It is simply a case of guys who have been a part of the hardcore scene for so long that they've lost their "style."
The only impressive aspect of Madball is its young and hyperactive frontman, Freddie Cricien, on the microphone. This guy can scream with the best of them, yet he can't even legally purchase alcohol.
The lyrics on "Demonstrating My Style" offer little to which its listeners can relate, learn from or enjoy. Almost every song is about Madball being "all grown up" now.
On the first track, "Demonstrating My Style," Freddie sings: "Give respect, where respect is due. To those who know what we've been through." It is a song about the plight of being rock stars.
Then, on "Pride (Times are Changing)," he shouts, "Thinking back when I was a kid, times have changed so much since then. All grown up, I gotta do for myself. I refuse to depend on anyone else." These lyrics sound like a song from Sesame Street, when Grover learns how to tie his shoes.
The absolute worst part of "Demonstrating My Style" is the song "Hardcore Still Lives!" It lasts for approximately three seconds as the whole group yells out, "Hardcore Still Lives!" Too bad it's dead with Madball.
- Brian M. Kemp
Madball thinks it's all grown up. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
As an extension of its third album, "Emit Ecaps," released a year ago, Spacetime Continuum has released "Remit Recaps," a collection of remixed tracks. Spacetime Continuum's first two albums delivered mainly an ambient feel; however, "Emit Ecaps" delved into more regions of a still-evolving electronic music scene, such as techno, jungle and drum and bass. Peers such as Autechre, Higher Intelligence Agency, Velocette and famous Detroit techno producer Carl Craig contributed their remixes of Spacetime Continuum tracks on this album.
Although this is a remix album, the 11 tracks blend together in a cohesive fashion. OST starts it up with its remix of "Simm City," an eerie track in the same vein as the Aphex Twin. However, the next track, Carl Craig's remix of "Kairo," is by far the most impressive on the album. This epic, 10-minute track combines a jazz atmosphere with that of dub bass to exemplify the innovation of electronic dance music today.
The Velocette mix of "Iform" develops among clatters of different synthesized sounds that would befit any dance club. Autechre mix "String of Pearls," an exercise in repetition, almost lulls the listener into a trance.
Other notable tracks include the Herbert mix No. 1 of "Movement #2," the Spacetime Continuum mix of "Swing Fantasy" and the Higher Intelligence Agency mix of "Funkyar," a stereophonic trance track.
While this remix album never really strays away from its feel, the album does offer better versions of the original tracks on "Emit Ecaps."
- Philip Son
Kim Pensyl best explains the nature of "Under the Influence": "I am often asked who has most influenced my music over the years. Describing the influence is often difficult, as I was exposed to many types of music in my childhood. So, the best way I can demonstrate it is musically. With that thought, I have decided to start a new series of records."
"Under the Influence" is the first of this series, a dedication to those who, according to Pensyl, "influenced me during my school years."
It is a compilation of both musical interpretations of well-known oldies (much in the tradition of Norman Brown, only Pensyl plays the piano and trumpet, not the sax) as well as some original pieces.
Voiceless musical wonder will surround you, as Pensyl's versions of such greats as Earth Wind & Fire's "That's the Way of the World," Stevie Wonder's "Love Light in Flight" and Al Jarreau's "Mornin" are pumped out of the CD player.
But even more remarkable are his original songs. Foremost is "Little Willy C.," a most lively tribute to the Doobie Brothers. His barroom-jazz laden "Casting Shadows" (Stevie Wonder tribute) and "A Short Walk from Home" (Steely Dan tribute) are as mellow as they are precise. And his tribute to Al Jarreau, "Morning Isle," will get you with sounds that hit faintly on that "Peanuts" theme vibe.
"Under the Influence" is a calm, collective album as smooth today as the people whose works Pensyl celebrates were in time past.
- Eugene Bowen