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 ROTATION Ice Cube Mars Volta Rachel's Space Team Electra Rob Swift Apples in Stereo Jurassic 5 Sleater-Kinney Nirvana Sonic Youth Amon Tobin Dirty Three Cat Power Pixies Fugazi Frank Black Breeders Three Mile Pilot Mogwai DJ Shadow Chuck D Shipping News Black Heart Procession White Stripes Built To Spill Los Straitjackets Jon Spencer Blues Explosion AND MUCH MORE! 
 "In
a segment that seems designed to honor yet another one of rock and roll's
seminal yet fallen heroes, MTV just can't help talking about why it,
not Nirvana, mattered so much."
 "There's
a scene in Richard Link-later's Waking Life where the protagonist
crouches down to read a note in the street that says, 'Look to your
right,' which he does, only to come face to face with a speeding car
aiming right for his head. That's what it's like to listen to Mars
Volta's De-loused in the Comatorium for the first time. " "Even
though Sonic Youth grabbed Cobain by his hypodermic needles and helped
foist him into the spotlight, alterna-fans du jour didn't return the
favor when the New York noisemakers lobbed this bottom-soaked missile
their direction."
 "You
need gas money and a car that works. Of course, my preference is to
do it in the middle of the night! Leave them little presents, you
know what I'm saying? Like the Easter bunny."
 "Gregory
Peck, in what may have been divine justice died comfortably in his
sleep. His soul, like his formidable legacy, was one of peace, so
it is poetic that he left this world in such a manner. But the times
he has left behind for his unknown sons and daughters resembles
the dystopia of Boys From Brazil more each day." |
The Morphizm Mash-Up: October
2003 Albert King,
Talkin' Blues Albert took his last name from B.B. King after the latter's "Three O'Clock Blues" became a hit (the former's real last name was Nelson), which tells you a bit about blues culture -- its braggadocio (that would help form the foundation of funk and hip-hop), its shared mission, its sincere desire to make a name for itself in a predominantly white dominant culture. Albert accomplished much of this after leaving legendary Stax Records in the mid-'70s, but by then disco, funk and the Sugarhill Gang were moving street music away from the guitar, Albert's signature instrument, to the beat and the bass. Even now, in our new Pro Tools-dominated millennium, it takes a conscious, committed cat like Mos Def to even drop his name on a hip-hop joint, even though Albert helped shift the culture smoothly forward. After all, we're talking about a left-handed guitarist who, unlike Hendrix, didn't even bother to restring his axe; he just played it the way it was made, bending downward rather than upward when he needed a pitch change. The fact that American pop culture can still neglect something amazing like that while Clapton makes millions on tour is a brain-teaser than can drive musicologists to drink.
But Thirsty Ear's refreshing release feels like a solution to that ever-present conundrum. Half a live set delivered forcefully to the Chicago faithful in 1978 and half a sermon on the blues to Thirsty Ear's label manager, Peter Gordon, Talkin' Blues turns out to be King's sonic dissertation on what the form is all about. "I tell all young groups that's playing, be sure to add some blues sound to your music," he explains on the disc. "Don't miss that, if you intend to stay in the business long. Because if you don't, you'll be copping behind someone else and you'll soon run out of ideas. And it'll all be over for you." The blues, as he explains, "is all in your head." But it's also all on the fretboard, when it comes to King's work, and Talking Blues features some of his blistering best. "I'll Play the Blues for You" is an incendiary, horn-saturated romp stacked with meaty fills that King slows down just enough to allow him to interact playfully with his appreciative audience. "You're a very pretty girl, where you live?" he asks one attendee, right before excusing himself and launching into a fiery solo that Clapton based his entire career around. The aforementioned "Born Under a Bad Sign" is an interactive barnburner, crackling with audience energy and King's hard-luck baritone and raucous chops. One of King's strengths has always been the slow burn, and there are a few on this album that really fit the bill. "The Very Thought of You" careens between Otis Redding soul and King's standard blues jam, while the eleven-minute "Please Come Back to Me" is an over-the-top, epic elegy for a lost love, filled with King's left-handed dexterity. "Blues at Sunrise" is a simmering, sweaty classic; King even relays the song's backstory -- one that name-drops the underrated Buddy Miles and the well-known Janis Joplin -- while he's playing it. And it's that historical bent that makes Talkin' Blues a collector's item. Hearing King play is one thing, but hearing him talk about the musical form that he spent all of his life honing, perfecting and disseminating is what really makes this disc worth the dough. While many of today's acts talk about the hard road to success, King's insights into the genre's neglected past and uncertain future really put everything into perspective. And this piece might be preaching to the converted -- what are the chances that anyone but blues fans will be reading an article on Albert King, after all? -- but, as King explains in Talking Blues, the effort is worth it. "I'm just as far from being rich as you are," he says, "but we manage to pay Uncle Sam. And that's all we worry about." -- Scott Thill
Hieroglyphics,
Full Circle Full Circle sounds the same as all of Hiero's stuff since then, but it really should be aiming for something new. The standout tracks, "Fantasy Island" and "Flutes", are keepers; in fact, the whole album is lyrically solid. With the exception of a few corny choruses, Full Circle is a remarkable entry for a time, like ours, when hip-hop's articulation seems to be regressing. (At this rate, rap lyrics will consist of syncopated grunting by 2005.) It is Hiero's wordplay that salvages most of the predictable sequencing. But the one seriously troubling aspect of the album of Full Circle is the presence of R&B vocals that were so far entirely absent from their catalogue. And even if there were a context for their belonging, it isn't to be found on this album, which is unexpected from a group that has, until now, strictly adhered to a stripped-down, purist formula. The Hiero faithful should appreciate the bulk of Full Circle, especially Del's freestyle interlude and everything that comes out of Pep's mouth. But the uninitiated should probably be find their introduction to the Hieroglyphics' genius via any other album. -- Todd Heasley
Logic Will Break Your Heart sets the stage for what unfolds as a testament to the aches and pains of love. Logic really can break your heart -- when your heart longs for a love lost, but your head tells you that it's just not meant to be. The album marches head-on into the world of the lovelorn and love torn, with dark vocals and poetic, lovesick lyrics, and danceable pop beats that attempt to induce a drugged-up bit of happiness. And what other genre better to unfold such danceable brooding as the sounds of the post-punk, new wave '80s?
Hopping aboard the current trend of '80s revival is a good place to be. With samples, effects and synths expanding their sound, the Stills masterfully unfold songs that make you want to dance and cry at the same time. Songs like "Still in Love Song" and "Changes are No Good" bring back Breakfast Club beats and the brooding, lovesick notions of bands such as the Cure and Joy Division. But, although dark, jangly post-punk pop tunes dominate, the Stills throw in a few surprises, such as the EP's disco remix of "Still in Love Song" and the short but sweet folk-pop diddy "Talk to Me." Other highlights include the clean, commercial-pop structure found on the LP's "Lola Stars and Stripes"; the LP's fast-paced guitar jam "Allison Krausse"; and the scratchy, rough-edged rock feel on the EP's "Killer Bees." The Stills' debut
is promising. Although not pioneers of the '80s new wave revival by
any means, they have secured solid footing in a very marketable genre.
And, playing shows with hot topics Interpol, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, the
Rapture and the Moving Units should provide a crucial amount of exposure
to launch from, if they continue to prove they have what it takes.
-- Nancy Hunter 28 October 03
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Copyright 2001-2003, Morphizm.com. All Rights Reserved. |
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The
Stills, Logic Will Break Your Heart
