The Morphizm Mash-Up: December 2003

Lyrics Born, Later That Day
There's a point in Lyrics Born's ambitious solo disc, Later That Day, where he calls Quannum label-mate Gift of Gab for a heart-to-heart after getting smacked down by an automated teller for not having "any fucking money." He's weary, pissed off and slightly amazed (the song he has to sit through while he's waiting on the phone is a slow R&B jam sung by his domestic partner and Quannum regular, Joyo Velarde, moaning about some "asshole" who won't let go), the banality of Everyday Life having caught up with him full-force. In LB's words, the "personal shit" has gotten to the point where he doesn't have any control over his life. By the time that his duet, "Cold Call," with Blackalicious' Gab is over, Lyrics Born (AKA Tom Shimura, once known by his Solesides fans as Asia Born), has hung up the phone on his close friend, the interruptions and annoyances having pushed him to the limit.

Although "Cold Call" is, on its surface, is a slam on telemarketers, the song nevertheless is a metafictional climax of sorts for Lyrics Born's Later That Day -- with his homies busy with various distractions business and personal, Shimura ends up alone with his frustrations, thoughts and sequencers, ready to explode at the world but still wanting to bring the real funk back into his life. That might be thinking a bit too hard about an album that, in the solid hip-hop tradition of the Solesides and Quannum collective (which counts LB, Blackalicious, Joyo, DJ Shadow and more among its membership base), just wants to rock the party and forget the troubles of daily life.

But Lyrics Born has spent the last several years on his own putting this relatively diverse offering together, and it shows in every song. Joyo and Constance Lopez pop in continually on the aptly named "Stop Complaining" to tell him to do the same. "U Ass Bank" -- a hilarious skit in the tradition of those found on the brilliant De La Soul is Dead -- shows how (financially or spiritually, it's your call) broke he is. "Love Me So Bad," a silky duet authored by both Tom and Joyo, is about how the former keeps acting "irrationally" because he's got so much "baggage." After letting out a wearied sigh, LB's acapella intro to "Before and After" offers a snapshot of a troubled mind -- "This is hard for me to write/It's difficult to express this/This is heavy on my shoulders/And the weight gets tremendous/A story of brothers in a beautiful friendship/And how relations get strained with pressure and tension," he rhymes -- cornered by the real world, where friendships come and go like colds.

It is this kind of borderline solipsism that makes Later That Day compelling; by the time, it's over, you'll be torn between also wanting to tell LB to "Stop Complaining" and bobbing your head to the bottom-heavy funk of "The Last Trumpet" (a duet with fellow Quannumite and Latyrx pal, Lateef the Truthspeaker, that sounds ominously like "Storm Warning" from the Spectrum release), the braggadocio stomp of "Pack Up," or the soul-stirring jam, "Bad Day." LB has always been capable of wielding language like an AK over crackin' beats; in fact, Later That Day features some of the Quannum crew's best, which is a feather in LB's production cap, since he basically made this thing on his own.

BUY LATER THAT DAY HERE

But it's hard to remember if he's ever been this introspective before. Although Lyrics Born has always worn his heart and mind on his sleeve, Later That Day feels like a catharsis of sorts, sometimes to the point that you just want him to get the exorcism overwith and happily move on, secure in the knowledge that he's partially responsible for the organization, administration and artistic output of indie rap's most interesting collective this side of Def Jux.

After all, cats in Iraq have shit to complain about. Rap artists? Don't we hear them bitching enough as it is?

Yet LB does play it safe in the end, keeping this ship from running aground on rampant self-absorption. His rockin' turns on "Pack Up" and "Bad Day" and his high-density raps on "Love Me So Bad" and "The Last Trumpet" serve notice to a one-dimensional hip-hop landscape dominated by one-note pretenders that will be yesterday's news tomorrow.

In other words, unless his friends and neighbors turn bitch and completely bail on him, the hyperskilled Lyrics Born will be here later this day, that day or whatever day, until he's too old to physically rhyme or sing anymore. In that, perhaps he can take some solace, dropping that "baggage" off at the door in the process. -- Scott Thill

My Morning Jacket, It Still Moves
This Kentucky quintet is a refreshing break from music as usual. It’s nice to hear something that just sounds natural for once, instead of the standard jerky, forced, too-hip-for-the-fans rock, the kind that is becoming all too popular these days.

My Morning Jacket’s songs seem to say “Come on, let’s just have a good time.” Their third album, It Still Moves, is perfect for a rainy night -- or even a clear one -- under a starry sky; it could also function as a perfect soundtrack for a vertiginous mountain flyover, because something about this album lends itself to the natural world. It has an almost timeless, traveling feel to it. You can hear the influence of older groups like The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, and The Band wafting through the constructs of their songs, mingling, lingering and teasing you with the bittersweet taste of the past.

But there are a few modern day comparisons as well. Some of the guitar and vocal work (especially the harmonies on “Just One Thing”) are reminiscent of everyone’s favorite indie rockers, The Flaming Lips. Quite a few of these high lonesome tracks on It Still Moves -- “Master Plan” in particular -- also proves that these guys have probably listened to their fair share of Radiohead, Galaxie 500, and Wilco. Which is a good thing, because it proves the band can wear a variety of traditional hats at once; It Still Moves is an amazing exercise in melody when it wants to be, as well as a sonic explosion when it wants to be.

BUY IT STILL MOVES HERE

But if soul-shattering lyrics the likes of which are found in the songs of Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Nick Cave, and Leonard Cohen are more important to you than musical composition, then this band may not be your cup of tea. While It Still Moves sounds like a flawless record because the instruments and vocal delivery come together perfectly with the heartfelt sincerity of yesteryear's folk singers, the lyrics are hard to decipher just by listening, and a quick glance at them will tell you why. Simply, they're somewhat disappointing, an uninteresting string of cliches more at home in a high-school journal entries than a confident third album.

To be fair though, there is a line in “One in the Same” that's bound to resonate with an indie faithful looking for comfort: “To all the people I’ve loved/ Don’t think poor of me/ It wasn’t till I woke up/ that I could hold down a joke or a job or a dream/ but then all three are one in the same.”

On the whole, My Morning Jacket's third time out is a solid, satisfying album that should not be overlooked by fans of sincere rock music.. -- Jeff Pearce

01 December 03

GET	MORE	MORPHIZM
Environmental Awareness Too much noise, not enough introspection. In a world at war, classical music would seem to have no place. But Rachel's, thankfully, is here to save us. And not just because they've created one the most compelling musical movements this year, but because they want to intersect. With you . . . MORE	The Greatest Show on Television Now that we've watched whiny brats complain about living together, gold-diggers chase alleged millionaires and celebrities literally turn into puppets, how can we redeem ourselves? By watching Adult Swim, the only show on TV brave enough to push the envelope and take no prisoners . . . . MORE	Perpetual Motion The hype generated by Outkast already reached critical mass before their ambituous double album experiment, Speakerboxx/The Love Below had even hit the shelves. After all, reinventing hip-hop is a lofty goal that's going to be met with a fair share of scrutiny. But no one really expected it to go this way . . . MORE

He's the Nigga You Love to Love By the time the 1992 L.A. riots were in full swing, Ice Cube already had two gangsta rap classic under his belt. Plus, he had foreseen the uprising from as far back as NWA's "Fuck the Police". So we're glad that he's finally getting the reissue treatment reserved for classic rock icons . . . MORE

"The Future Does Not Exist" Serj Tankian might be the thoughtful headbanger behind L.A.'s System of a Down, but he also has an ear for world music. Especially the kind that his Serart companion, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, can play on something as boring as a crockpot. As Serj says in our interview, the instrument that can bring you joy can eventually set you free. . . MORE

Feeling Raw Quentin Tarantino has been away from the game he helped unleash on Hollywood after Reservoir Dogs. But is he a one-trick pony? Kill Bill, Volume One is finally here to put those questions to rest. But first we're going to need a Hong Kong action cinema handbook and a gurney to clear all the dead bodies away. . . . MORE