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CD Reviews
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Written by Benjy Eisen
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Saturday, 18 November 2006 |
Cold War Kids
Robbers & Cowards
Downtown
You know those CD reviews that begin with, “Every once in awhile an album comes along…” and you just know that the rest of the review will be nothing but lavish praise? Well, that’s what this review is going to be like. Nothing but lavish praise, though well deserved. With their full-length debut, Robbers & Cowards, California’s Cold War Kids have laid down a start-to-finish disc that is crackling with raw energy and yet filled with a melancholic longing that betrays the idea that dance music has to be upbeat. Robbers & Cowards is a collection of tales about desperate characters begging for redemption—from an alcoholic facing his damaged family (“We Used to Vacation”) to an accidental murderer on death row (“Saint John”). Much like Arcade Fire, the music is driven by primal fuel while the lyrics stir a solemn area of the soul. If this is the sound of the next wave of American indie rock, then Cold War Kids are its champions.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 January 2007 )
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Written by Wes Orshoski
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Saturday, 18 November 2006 |
Tenacious D
The Pick of Destiny
Epic
While Jack Black and Kyle Gass’ previous, self-titled debut made sense as a stand-alone album, apart from the series of HBO shorts that launched the duo, The Pick of Destiny is wholly tied to our metal- and Satan-loving heroes’ long awaited feature film, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. Listen to the disc first, and you will be both confused and disappointed with Black and Gass’ recycling of certain D themes (burrito supreme, rockin’ your socks off). See the movie first, and you will not only understand why they’re there, but you’ll end up going back to the soundtrack endlessly to hear songs such as the three-part ditty that opens the movie and features hilariously awesome verses sung by Meat Loaf (Black’s father in the film) and Ronnie James Dio (his hero). Again, the songs rely on arena-rock clichés, but the way in which they’re meshed and performed is both gut-busting and endlessly clever. Nothing less than a sheer cross-media-platform event, the album’s highlights also include the Bach-based “Classico,” Black’s stupidly tender ballad “Dude, I Totally Miss You” and The D’s rock-off with Satan himself (Dave Grohl): “Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown).”
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 January 2007 )
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Written by Matt Walker
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Saturday, 18 November 2006 |
Peter Rowan and Crucial Country
Live at Telluride
There
Contributor of three tracks to Old and in the Way (including “Mid-night Moonlight”). Writer—and protagonist—of “Panama Red.” A 1969 hit single with David Grisman. Peter Rowan boasts some serious recording credits, but his live act is equally legendary, having played at least 20 Telluride Blue-grass Festivals. Often appearing with “back-up” bands like The Free Mexican Air Force or Tony Rice quartet, it’s Rowan’s need to collaborate that cements his place as a major influence. Live at Telluride time travels back to 1994 with cohorts Crucial Country, and the songs stick to the genre’s core themes and instruments. Tales of the devil, temptation, love and infidelity come to life over acoustic strings and stripped-down percussion, stand-up bass and sweet syrupy dobro, all poured into a perfectly crafted, jam-filled setlist. It’s proof that while studio sessions and sheet music may last forever, an artist’s best work is often fleeting—and fresh.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 January 2007 )
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Written by Benjy Eisen
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Saturday, 18 November 2006 |
Tea Leaf Green
Rock ‘N’ Roll Band: Soundtrack Album for the Film by Justin Kreutzmann
SCI Fidelity
Sometimes in order to really “get” a band you need to hear it in its element. The live setting is clearly where it’s at for Tea Leaf Green and Rock ‘N’ Roll Band is the type of document that could make anybody a believer. Although best viewed in its DVD form (directed by Grateful Dead offspring Justin Kreutzmann), this CD counterpart—sold separately—offers fans a varied setlist from the same show (Boulder, CO; 5/19/06). The songs are pleasant if not spectacular; they rollick along with a West Coast vibe and a piano-man hand jive. But when guitarist Josh Clark, “the real deal,” as they say, sinks his teeth into the jams, he pushes everything to 11. In the film, Clark states that he’s not ashamed of admitting his affection for “psychedelic jams.” There are several here that stretch past the ten-minute mark, but the true jaw-droppers are in the tighter corners, such as the frenzied climaxes of “If It Wasn’t for the Money” and “The Garden” suite. So let’s get it straight—despite the title, Tea Leaf Green isn’t really a rock ‘n’ roll band, is it? It’s a jam band. And, as this soundtrack proves, they happen to be rather good at it.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 January 2007 )
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Written by Mike Greenhaus
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Saturday, 18 November 2006 |
The Slip
Eisenhower
Bar/None
Just in case you lost track of The Slip shortly after the group released its last studio album, here’s a quick recap of what’s happened: In the past four years the Rhode Island-bred trio has toured with folk-poet Nathan Moore, suffered through George W. Bush’s second presidential coup, largely relocated from New England to Montreal, watched countless jamband message board dwellers age into indie-rock bloggers, and even reached its largest audience yet thanks to a spot on the PlayStation 2 smash hit Guitar Hero. Somewhere in there, the band also figured how to write a great song. The results of The Slip’s incredible transformation are documented on Eisenhower, its long- labored return to the studio and inaugural partnership with veteran producer Matthew Ellard.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 January 2007 )
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