Marion James - Essence

Today’s soul ain’t got the same soul.  In fact,  I’ll go out on a limb and say most recent popular soul music is just plain crap.  

What passes for soul today is technique.   Soul music’s original inner city sound of the black American ghetto is now measured in the number of octaves the singer can sing and the note for note interpretation of good chart - all of it fabricated by a packager and producer.  Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone, Rihanna - they all have amazing voices and range. They sing modern soul, but it lacks soul.

The accompaniment for modern soul is slick and calculated.  It in no way reflects the innovative nature of church gospel and street corner rhythm and blues from which true soul music sprang.  Today, the singers are skilled but they are packaged in the same way - hi-hop, rap, love ballads.  It is performance art and the accompaniment is usually as bland as Lawrence Welk.

There was a time, however, in the not too distant past, when real soul music brought forth the struggle and emotion of an oppressed part of American society; where church going and alienated artists and street corner musicians innovated the sounds and techniques that gave it the soul for which the music genre is named.  It was about emotion, heart, struggle and it was sung and played by a new generation of poor aspiring musicians.  There was no Autotune.  Real soul music was from the soul.

 

Don’t believe me?  Try this.  First, go listen to Rihanna sing “Skin.” Technically perfect with a hip hop delivery and sexy, but soulful? Not really. Now, grab EllerSoul Records reissue of  Marion James’ 2003 album “Essence.” Listen to any of the thirteen tracks. Technically perfect? No.  Soul? Definitely.

Don’t know Marion James?  James had her first R&B hit, “That’s My Man,” in 1966.  She then spent the early 1960’s touring with a couple of musicians that left their own marks on popular music - her guitarist was Jimi Hendrix and her bassist was Billy Cox. The album “Essence” is a culmination, of sorts, of James’ life of blues, soul and jazz.  She came out of retirement in the late 1990’s to again write, record and tour the R&B soul style she pioneered in the early 1960’s.

For “Essence” James assembled a band that could almost stand up to her mid-1960’s touring band.  She is accompanied by Double Trouble keyboardist Reese Wynans, Allman Brothers guitarist Jack Pearson, Motown’s legendary bassist Bob Babbitt, and Isaac Hayes’ drummer Chuckie Burke.  You won’t find music loops, Autotune, or gratuitous soft porn here.  You will find the essence of Marion James and the essence of real soul and R&B music.

From the first track, “Tables,” a James Brown-type dance soul song with scorching guitar and heavy bass, to the saxophone laden Billie Holiday-like last track the jazz standard “I Want To Be Loved (But By Only You),” “Essence” is where you will find it.  It is soul.  Not just the music but the feeling.  Where does it come from?  Fortunately, the last track on “Essence”  gives all  a good idea of its origin. James provides a live interview wherein she discusses her life, the tutelage of Hendrix and Cox, and her relationships with other 1960’s icons. She even sings a couple of blues tunes alone as she plays the piano.  There is no band at all and the track was probably recorded in one take.  

If you want to hear real soul and R&B as it was originally intended, ditch Blige, Beyonce, Whitney and Rihanna.  Spin some James.  It comes from the heart - not from the computer.

- Old School

Buy here: Essence

Buy here mp3: Essence

Delaney & Bonnie And Friends - On Tour With Eric Clapton

 

Racer’s been sending me links for all kinds of cool digital promos of new music but I’m having trouble with the computer again. They installed some new systems on my box at work and it’s been slowing everything down. The past two weeks lots of things have been stalling on me and causing me to reboot. The upshot of all this is that a friend of mine loaned me this Delaney & Bonnie box set and I’ve been playing the hell out of it and it’s brought back some great memories.

Way back when I was first starting to get into rock music in the late 70’s I used to go to the local public library and borrow records to help me determine just what kind of music I liked. The rock section was pretty small so I would grab just about anything available. This is the reason why I know that I don’t like Steeleye Span at all and that I find Procol Harum a little dull. One week I stumbled across an album by Delaney & Bonnie And Friends called On Tour With Eric Clapton. I’d heard plenty of Clapton on the radio, some I liked some I didn’t but I brought it home and gave it a spin and fell in love with it. Through an older brother I had been exposed to a lot of soul music like Booker T. & The MG’s and James Brown as well as a healthy dose rock & roll originators like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. This Delaney & Bonnie album appealed to me immediately and I made a cassette copy of it that I played all the time. A few years later the tape broke and I had started my path to heavy metal madness and never bothered to pick it up again.

So about 30 years later I’m at a friends place and he mentions that he just acquired a box set of 4 complete shows recorded on the tour that produced the album with Eric Clapton and would I like to hear some of it. From the first note, memories came flooding back and the music sounded better than I remembered. Jeezus, what a band! In 1969 Delaney & Bonnie were touring as the opening act for Blind Faith. Eric Clapton was so smitten with them that when Blind Faith broke up he joined their band for their next tour and brought along his friend George Harrison. It’s easy to see why these British musicians would be so impressed. England has produced a lot of great players and bands but it’s pretty hard to compete with a rhythm section of American dudes from the south. The core of the band is Bobby Whitlock on organ, Carl Radle on bass and Jim Gordon on drums. Do those names sound familiar? George Harrison used them on his album All Things Must Pass before they formed Derek & The Dominos with Clapton. The horn section of Bobby Keys and Jim Price would later join the Rolling Stones. Even backing vocalist Rita Coolidge went on to be a pretty big star not long after this. Dave Mason and Leon Russell turn up from time to time as special guests.

The original LP was only about 40 minutes edited down from 4 concerts recorded in December 1969. This box presents all the shows in complete form. It’s probably overkill for most but that’s why it’s a limited edition box set. The Royal Albert Hall show is the longest of all 4 shows and captures the band in peak form. There haven’t been too many bands that have been able to blend soul music with rock & roll and blues this well. This is southern music but not “southern rock” although it does rock. They boogie like no other on the uptempo songs like “Things Get Better,” “Coming Home,” “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” and on Dave Mason’s “Only You Know & I Know.” Delaney and Bonnie’s vocals really shine on the slower ballads like “Poor Elija” and “Everybody Loves A Winner.” A highlight of most of the shows is a medley of the songs “Pour Your Love On Me/Just Plain Beautiful.” The band really smokes on this and there’s some great guitar interplay between all the guitarists. Most of the songs are repeated on each disc but there are some cool one time performances. A great version of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and a cover of Booker T.’s “Pigmy” are highlights of disc 4.

The original album is still in print and worth picking up if you’re low on funds, but if this sounds at all interesting to you go for the box. The packaging is very cool and it will probably be out of print soon. MP3’s from itunes do not due music like this any justice. Don’t be afraid to turn it up and get funky. And support your local library!

--Woody

Buy here: Delaney & Bonnie On Tour With Eric Clapton
Buy here mp3: On Tour With Eric Clapton

The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

(In my best Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson voice) Finally!! The Black Dahlia Murder!! has come back...to your stereo!! Yes Waiveriders, The Black Dahlia Murder is back! Detroit's resident death metal superstars bring you their new album Ritual. I've been waiting to get my hands on this album for months and now it is finally in my possession. Excited, yes I am!! Ritual is the 5th studio album from The Black Dahlia Murder and damn it is epic as fuck!

Before we get to the awesome music, let's touch on the awesome cover art. Back in the day, (when I purchased cd's every week) I would stumble into my local record store and buy metal albums based on how “cool” the album art was. If I was 16 again and saw Ritual on the shelf I would definitely be picking it based on cover alone. The amazingly talented Valnoir Mortsonge is the man behind the epic artwork. Some of you may recognize his work on passed Watain, Morbid Angel and Ulver albums. The cover to Ritual is made to look like a demonic book. Complete with Satan himself and your fair share of pentagrams and other demonic imagery. Awesome!

Now on to the music. “A Shrine to Madness” gets the death metal party started. “A Shrine to Madness” starts off very melodic. At the 53 second mark you are hit with the opening guitar lick and soon follows Trevor Strnad's unmistakable vocal structure, a combination of black, death and guttural vocals. Overall a great opening track.“A Shrine to Madness” flow seamlessly into “Moonlight Equilibrium”. “Moonlight Equilibrium has by far the most “classic” feel to it. It is very reminiscent of their early work but you can hear former Arsis axeman Ryan Knight's contributions clearly.

“Conspiring With the Damned” is by far my favorite track on Ritual. When Trevor screams, “CONSPIRING WITH THE DAMNED!!!”, it instantly sends chills down your spine. This song clocks in at just under 4 minutes. If you get a chance to listen to just a few tracks of this album, “Conspiring With the Damned” has to be one of them. This song has it all. Trevor's amazing vocal presence, Shannon Lucas' unrelenting drums, Ryan (Don't Call Me Bart ) Williams' signature bass style and Ryan Knight and Brian Eschbach's dueling guitars.

There is something about the 7th track on albums. The theory I have is it's always one of the best tracks on album. I don't know, listen to any of your favorite albums, I'm sure number 7 doesn't suck. “Den of the Picquerist” is no different. This song is awesome, it's almost punk like in how short it is. Clocking in under a mere 2 minutes. It has the urgency of a punk song with all the melodic death metal tendencies you would expect from the band.

The Black Dahlia Murder have been around for quite a few years now. It seems as though they are constantly one -upping themselves in terms of musicianship. They progressively get better and better with each album they put out. Always trying new things. Ritual is very much all of those things. Musically it's a great album, and there are lots of new things on the album. One, the much higher screams Trevor hits and Two, the addition of Ryan Knight. You really get the feeling they put there all into the album and it shows on all 12 tracks. If you are an old Dahlia fan or this is your first time hearing about them, you should definitely pick up Ritual.

This is an awesome year for metal! Ritual is one of the many great albums being produced this year. I'm personally looking forward to the new The Faceless album and The HAARP Machine. Get excited!
Oh and go check out this years Summer Slaughter Tour, a bunch of great bands will be on it. Including: The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Darkest Hour, Six Feet Under, Dying Fetus, As Blood Runs Black, Oceano, Power Glove, and Fleshgod Apocalypse...shit's gonna be sick!

--Cicatriz

Buy here: Ritual

Buy here vinyl: Ritual

Great Defunct Bands: The Devil and the Sea

From Austin "By way of Louisiana, motherfucker" Texas, The Devil and the Sea were potentially a Great Band. They broke up sometime in 2009.

A self-described "ghettotech/ healing and easy-listening/ metal" sludge act, there were ominous writings for some time on their myspace page ("...is deader than a door nail."), and when I emailed Chad from their label Acerbic Noise Development in August of last year, he unfortunately confirmed the unseemly death.

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" was their original name. They shortened it for copyright violation reasons.

Their first official full length LP, Heart vs Spine (originally released 1/29/08) was mastered by none other than Sanford Parker, and sounds like a Southern version of Yob, with some Sunn O))) worship going on in the background.

It's as cool as it sounds.

...and it sounds like mighty men, warriors in a longboat, shouting bravely and happily and gamely over the waves of Charybdis, a comparison perhaps not surprising because their of their original name...which was used in the same context as Scylla and company....

Criticism is not nay-saying, good versus bad, disjunctive categories: it's a method, ideally developed/ divined by the writer, given to you, the reader, to re-interpret something based on new perceptions, i.e., "this is why I liked it, this is how I see this band/artist: here's why you might also choose to perceive them this way...."

Good music "criticism" is allowing your perceptions to be bent, just enough to alter their trajectory and maybe put you in line with the music in question.

So allow me to point you at the Truth in vinyl:

Heart vs Spine sadistically out-waits you, it's aggressively patient... it refuses chord changes, long after you've forgotten that chords do that... after your descendants have calcified....

It's an oily, blackened, Bourbon County Stout of a sound--

Track one, "Batwing," its initial riff a combination of open chord and dissonant open notes....

"My Soul is My Abacus," (an instrumental all the way up to 4:30... the mutation of an ugly cancerous riff begins at 5:14, growing and pulsing and swelling into morbid riffosity) intros with definitely greasy bass, and vocals radio-ed in from the 1940s on a Bakelite tabletop radio... which totally works...

"Heart vs Spine" is 14 minutes, a huge part of which is one chord, played as an octave (A flat to A flat-- craaaazy detuned, babs), ride cymbal and distant howl of the probably- tortured... dig that sudden stop at 4:39 to remind you we're not a force of nature, jack, we're actually just three guys rocking the fuck out-- and we can stop, on a dime, whenever we want....At around ten minutes we start, oh, so subtly... slowing... grinding down... like the entropy of a doomed evolutionary line....

Overall, it's swinging heavily, rustily lurching sludge metal with a hint of Robert Johnson satanic blues... with ambient and industrial's space and fatness... and sludge and industrial's repetitiveness... it's nearly what you'd expect from sludge, yet as well contains those other elements....

Is it ambient that grooves enough to be sludge...?

Are they on some sort of heaviness continuum? Has TDATS merged through some forbidden door between genres...? Is that why they're so badass? Is that why we hear them as being heavy in the first place? Is heaviness really just "badassness" in audible form?

I'm a goddamned genius!

In 2006 they released a demo called...MMVI. It's responsible for their getting signed, and in and of itself is pretty cool. It also contains a slightly different version of "Monolith," but otherwise the tracks are distinct from Heart vs. Spine.

And get the t-shirt-- it's wicked soft and well-fitting and looks sinister (it really is, it's one of my favorites; this is the first time I've ever mentioned a shirt in a review)-- help out Acerbic Noise Development-- they were cool to me via email with absolutely no reason to be. Even Decibel's review of MMVI mentions the shirt... (I can't find the link; you'll have to trust me.)

--Horn

Buy here: Heart vs Spine
buy here mp3: Heart Vs Spine

TDATS myspace http://www.myspace.com/devilandthesea

Acerbic Noise Development: http://www.acerbicnoise.com/store/clothing/

K. Flay - I Stopped Caring In ’96

My legs dangled off the examination table swinging to an off-time rhythm.  I had been staring at the optics chart on the wall in front of me for the better part of ten minutes.  Other people might see boredom set in after awhile, but I was completely indifferent.  To be blunt, that feeling of indifference was in point of fact the main catalyst behind this well being check up.  Since neither I nor anything mechanical in my room was producing any noise, I was able to hear the doctor’s footsteps as she approached from down the hall.  The door opened and the doctor greeted me warmly.

“Good morning Mr. Penfold.  I’m Doctor Clinique.  This is your first visit to my office?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“Doc, I’m really not sure how to describe it.  I’ve simply stopped caring.”
“Mr. Penfold, I’m going to stop you for a moment.  You do realize that I am not a psychologist, yes?”
“I certainly do ma’am.  My troubles are physical in nature.”
“All right.  Do you remember when these troubles began?”
“Yes ma’am.  I’ve gone over my situation time and time again.  Although I cannot pinpoint one exact moment or event as the harbinger of my current predicament, I am absolutely certain about the timeframe.  I stopped caring about the world around me back in 1996.  This led directly to strange physical conditions that I’ve experienced ever since.”
“Can you elaborate on these physical conditions for me?”
“Of course, Doctor.  From early 1996 to halfway through 2000 I felt nothing.  Literally.  It was as if I were wearing a suit of heavy padding over my entire body.  My hands and feet gave very little tactile feedback.  I would hold an object in my hands, but without actually looking at the object I could not have identified it.  No nuance of the item’s surface would be gleaned from my touch alone.  Also, objects would impact my body with little or no immediate result.  My skin would bruise up after heavy contact like normal, but it was as if my nerve endings had gone to sleep.”
“I see Mr. Penfold.  Has that problem persisted?”
“No, ma’am.  The lack of feeling did stop, but a new problem took its place.  From late 2000 to the end of 2006 I felt everything.  I’m not just referring to the temperature or how hard or soft something is here.  No, I was hypersensitive.  The world was brought into sharp relief, and I was even able to feel other people’s emotions.  When someone spoke to me angrily it was as if their words were punching me in the stomach.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, when someone whispered something to me it felt like a feather running along the inside of my ear.”
“Very interesting Mr. Penfold.  You said these feelings ended back in 2006.  What happened next?”
“Well Doc, for a few months everything went back to normal and I felt fine.  But since the spring of 2007 I’ve been encountering stretches of time where I flip flop between my two previous conditions.  One day I feel nothing, the next I feel everything, and the next I’m normal again.  I know that you’re not a psychologist ma’am, but this constant turnabout has altered my worldview substantially.  I now strongly believe that everything is nothing.  While I’m not sure that I want that to change, I would certainly like my nerves to stabilize and give me a rest from this merry-go-round I’m stuck riding.  Can you help me Doc?”
“Mr. Penfold, I’m going to be honest with you.  I’ve never run across someone with your problem before.  If you’re willing to wait here for a few minutes, I need to make some phone calls to a few of my esteemed colleagues.  With any luck they will know exactly what can help you.  Is that okay?”
“Yeah sure, Doctor.  I’ve got some music to listen to while you’re away.  I’ll be fine.”
“Great.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

With the doctor gone I reached into my pocket and removed my mp3 player.  The earbuds went in my ears, the player was turned on, and the play button was depressed.  A bass heavy beat signaled the beginning of K. Flay’s new mixtape, coincidentally titled I Stopped Caring in ’96.  What followed was a nine track musical juggernaut.  If you’re looking for an interesting hip hop artist who offers something different than the norm, your search just ended.

What makes K. Flay different you ask?  Well for starters she’s a female emcee.  I’m not saying that there aren’t any other interesting female emcees producing music in the world, just that they are fairly difficult to locate if you’re using the mainstream media as your guide.  But hey, that’s why The Ripple Effect exists!  Another difference is that K. Flay doesn’t hide or downplay her intelligence.  Her lyrics jump from clever thought to clever idea with the clear understanding that the listener is either smart enough to follow along, or they will be left in the dust.  Speaking of her lyrical prowess, K. Flay utilizes a sick and varied lyrical flow which consistently captivates her audience.  Seriously, it’s borderline terminal.

I Stopped Caring in ’96 was released in three song increments, on three separate days over the course of the month of April.  The first block of tunes was entitled ‘I Feel Nothing’.  The three songs share feelings of detachment and disillusionment from the world.  ‘I Feel Everything’ came next.  As you might have guessed these three songs are more emotionally charged affairs.  “Doctor Don’t Know” happens to be my favorite song on the mixtape, and “Danger Starts” is harrowing.  The last piece to the puzzle is called ‘Everything is Nothing’.  This portion is fairly cathartic for the listener following the serious subject matter discussed in the earlier songs.  These last three tracks, including the standout “Elle Fanning” and especially “PARTY”, are far lighter in tone and content than the other six. 

I’m guessing at this point that you waveriders would appreciate a sample verse to help get a better feel for what to expect.  Happy to oblige.  This is the second verse from “Doctor Don’t Know”.

All these folks telling me I’m about to be something big, but you see joke’s on them / Sitting in a board room hella bored, can’t hear a thing though my amp’s on ten / Mind in a permanent state of flux, mental double dutch, had a bag of cheetos ate ‘em up / 3 PM and I’m still waking up / Wishin’ I could save myself but I’m not brave enough / Sick of all these handshakes, before knowing every morning bran flakes / How much bullshit can a man take, till she finally breaks? / The difference between getting what you want, and what they want, is nuance / So listen baby girl get your boots on, here’s something to chew on / In the end we might go to hell, or we might go to heaven, so you might as well / Cut it out with the crisis of faith, and then crushed in the dome like a vice to the face / And you might just escape all the time that you wasted, if you stuck to the basics / Get a grip, buckle up / Take a pill, what the fuck?

Mmmm, hmmmm.  By the way, this is a free mixtape.  That’s right!  There is absolutely no barrier to entry.  Simply surf your way over to K. Flay’s website, www.kflay.com, and get downloading.  The sooner you start listening, the sooner you can recommend K. Flay to someone else!  Waveriders, you all have your signed prescription sheets.  Disperse and be healed!

--Penfold

www.kflay.com

Blue Öyster Cult - On Your Feet Or On Your Knees

A band’s best music is not necessarily their most commercially successful.  Few bands have proven that adage better than Blue Öyster Cult.

There’s a long history to this ear-splitting, thunderous, arena rock group.  They started off life trying to be the American answer to Black Sabbath and for me, growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, they were. The band first hit the scene in New York under the name Soft White Underbelly, found a modicum of success and an interested major record label. Unfortunately, in 1969 their lead singer left during the recording of their first album and the label shelved the project.  The band continued to perform live as Soft White Underbelly until it received a bad review of a 1969 concert at Fillmore East.  Instead of letting the band slog through the critical review in order to find redemption their manager decided they should just rename the band.  For two long years the band changed names nearly every six months.  Then, in 1971, the band settled on Blue Öyster Cult which was based on their manager’s poem about a group of aliens who had assembled to secretly guide Earth's history.  Under the new name the band landed a recording contract with Columbia Records.

The band toiled in relative obscurity, sometimes even playing small venues as Soft White Underbelly, through 1975.  They had released a self-titled album in 1972 containing some of the hardest rocking hard rock of the day, that found a small loyal following, and followed it up with a 1973 release entitled Tyranny and Mutation that contained the first of many of the band’s collaborations with Patti Smith. In 1974 they released a third album, Secret Treaties, that earned them faint praise.  However, it was their constant touring that lured in a fan base.  Blue Öyster Cult live shows became legendary.

In 1975, the band released On Your Feet or On Your Knees, a live album that went gold.  It captured the essence of their live shows.  Here were band members Eric Bloom, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, Allen Lanier, and Joe and Albert Bouchard at their road-tested best  and earning their first taste of super stardom.   To this day I rank this effort as one of the best live albums ever produced.

The album cover sports an old ghostly stone gothic church in a murky fog fronted by a 1970’s black Cadillac stretch limousine. The back of the album has a photograph of hands in medieval gloves of an executioner holding a bible-like volume with the symbol of the band amongst the text.  The double album has two sleeves and the fold-out inside is festooned with a picture of an ornate gothic stage with a row of full stack Marshall amplifiers from stage right to stage left fronted by the band jumping into space playing electric guitars over the heads of their audiience.

The first disk starts with a live audience and a mysterious announcement to the gathered crowd - “On your feet or on your knees.  It is the amazing Blue Öyster Cult.” Then the band  immediately dives in to some of the hottest guitar rock leather band live performances of the decade.

The recording is comprised of three songs from each of the band’s first three studio albums and two cover songs. A dizzying array of guitar leads, pounding drums, electric bass and vocals permeate the rockers and ballads and leave the listener amped and asking for more.  "Subhuman," then "Harvester of Eyes," lead to “Hot Rails to Hell" followed by scorching versions of "The Red and the Black" and “Screaming Diz-Busters."  Then comes “Buck's Boogie," a veritable ear bleeding break the speed barrier bopper. A smooth arena rock ballad "(Then Came The) Last Days of May" slows the pace but only long enough for the band to reboot the sustain with “Cities on Flame," "ME 262," and the heart pounding "Before the Kiss (A Redcap)."  The album concludes with two cover songs - “I Ain’t Got You” (with modified lyrics) and the best version of “Born To Be Wild” you have ever heard.

Blue Öyster Cult’s greatest commercial success still was to come when On Your Feet Or On Your Knees was released.  Their biggest hit singles “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Godzilla” did not chart until 1976 and 1977, respectively,and, to be honest, are watered down versions of the band’s music tuned to appeal to a wider audience.

Blue Öyster Cult is still around and occasionally records and tours under that name.  However, if you really want to experience the music like it was, when they produced cutting edge rock and roll and not AM hits for mass consumption, look for a small notice printed on the back of a local throwaway free press newspaper that says that Soft White Underbelly is playing at a small bar venue. Go.  You won’t be disappointed whether you have to watch on your feet or on your knees.

- Old School

Buy here: On Your Feet Or on Your Knees
buy here mp3: On Your Feet Or On Your Knees

MC5 – High Time

When it comes to the MC5 I’m always ready to testify about any of their albums. If someone asks me which one is my favorite it takes a lot less than 5 seconds of decision. Kick Out The Jams rules and Back In The USA is great, too but High Time is IT. Always has been, always will. The MC5 are a prime example of what happens when very talented individuals combine forces and record collections in order to break thru the terminal stasis of boredom, classification and mediocrity. This can only be achieved through thousands of hours in the practice room and on the stage. Tons of weeed helps, too.

The history of the MC5 has been written many times before so there’s no need for me to recap it again for you. (Does anyone know what ever happened to Ben Edmonds’ biography No Greater Noise that was supposed to come out almost TWENTY years ago?) By 1971 the MC5 had proven themselves as a major force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, most people decided that their brand of mayhem was waaaay too much of a mellow harsher and they would rather not have the band spray their sweat all over them as they worked the stage. Ignoring the marketplace, the band created what was to be their final album High Time. Turns out it was creatively their most successful merger of pure Chuck Berry/Link Wray rock n roll, James Brown dynamics and the ferocious group improv of Sun Ra and the John Coltrane Quartet. Most bands can only attempt to move in one of those directions but the MC5 aimed high and went for a triple pronged attack.

Side one, song one - “Sister Anne” – BOOM! One of the greatest rock songs of all time. Starts off with a great, circular guitar riff and then the band comes crashing in with a monster boogie that makes the rest of your record collection seem kinda lightweight. At over 7 minutes, it never gets boring and you want it to keep going. Excellent lyrics written by guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith delivered with a lot of heart and soul by vocalist Rob Tyner. Great guitar solos from Fred and fellow guiterrorist Wayne Kramer, a harmonica solo from Rob and even the Salvation Army marching band at the end. It’s such a shame that classic rock radio has ignored this song for so many years. What would happen if they played one less Meat Loaf or Bob Seger song once a week and played this instead? Would someone die? How much advertising revenue would they really lose? Their mistake means we just have to play it louder with the windows down so everyone else can hear it.

After that monolith comes the hyper boogie of “Baby Won’t Ya,” another winner written by Fred. On past MC5 albums all the band members shared songwriting credits equally but High Time is the first one with individuals noted. Fred dominates with four songs, half of the album and some of the best ones. The other Fred songs are "Over and Over” and "Skunk (Sonicly Speaking)." "Over and Over” deals with the frustration of war, society and inequality. Rob’s extremely pissed off vocals let you know he’s not fucking around. On the other hand, “Skunk” is pure rhythm and who knows what the lyrics are about. Fred wrote this one to show off the skills of Dennis Thompson, one of rock’s greatest drummers. “Skunk” starts off with Dennis pounding out a furious beat and is then joined by a bunch of others (including Seger) pounding on cans, bottles, cowbells, etc until Fred fires up another one of his classic riffs. Dennis has always said his two favorite drummers are Keith Moon and Elvin Jones and he makes that obvious here. His technique is incredible but he never sacrifices passion for it, and vice versa. Monster fucking drummer. Dennis’ partner in the rhythm section, bassist Mike Davis, is no slouch either although rumor has it he doesn’t play on all the songs here. Unfortunately, Mike had some drug problems that eventually got him kicked out of the band but he’s still alive and well. Very nice guy and I was fortunate enough to spend about an hour talking to him after one of the DKT/MC5 reunion shows in NYC back in 2005.

Dennis returns the favor and wrote “Gotta Keep Movin’” to show off Fred’s speedy guitar leads. Everything about this song is awesome. It contains some of the best belligerent “get out of my way” lyrics ever written, a violent groove and burning guitar playing. You will get a speeding ticket listening to this one in the car. Pure Motorhead music about 5 years before Motorhead existed.

"Future/Now" is the lone composition from Rob Tyner but it’s a killer, too. A great bass line starts it off then a killer drum fill cues the rest of the band in. Rob’s been described as the philosopher of the band and the lyrics bear that out – “the future's here right now if you're willing to pay the cost.” Turns out most of the hippies in the 1960’s weren’t willing to pay the cost, which is how we wound up with Richard Nixon as president and  Fleetwood Mac ruling the airwaves.

Brother Wayne Kramer contributes two songs. “Miss X” is a piano driven ballad that I’ve never much cared for but I’m not big on ballads to begin with. I was very happy to hear it turn up in an episode of HBO’s East Bound & Down, though. (Wayne works as musical director on the show). His other song is more my style, a full blooded rocker called “Poison” with some of his most blistering guitar work. He later did a great cover of this song with the Melvins on one of his solo albums.

After High Time the band unfortunately fell apart and was not able to realize its full potential. The MC5 should have been packing stadiums and blowing away the competition for many years after 1971. Like most pioneers, they took the arrows and paved the way for everyone from Aerosmith to the Ramones. The MC5 are often credited as a “pre-punk” or “proto-metal” band but the truth is they go way beyond either of those categories. Most punk bands never had a rhythm section as tight or could offer up the guitar fire power as the MC5, and only the Ramones delivered the triple Marshall stack attack on punk crowds. Metal bands took the volume and powertrip spectacle but made things too rehearsed and downright silly. At the end of the day the MC5 were, to quote Duke Ellington, “beyond category.” If you have a stereo with a volume knob, High Time better be in your collection.

--Woody

Buy here:  High Time
Buy here mp3: High Time

Small Stone Triple Axe Attack – part II featuring, Suplecs, Lo-Pan, and Ironweed

I’ve been neglecting my pile of recent Small Stone releases lately. They’ve been sitting here for a few weeks now and every time I try to get around to writing them the demands of reality (ugh!) demand my attention and another day slips by. But not anymore! Here a triple decker of new stuff from the unusually consistent rock label.

Suplecs - Mad Oak Redoux


First up is the new one from Suplecs called Mad Oak Redoux. This New Orleans outfit has been going for about 15 years and show no signs of mellowing out. I’d never heard these guys before and really enjoyed their mix of classic influences like Black Sabbath and The Misfits merged with Soundgarden, Melvins and Nirvana. About half the songs are short and fast and they stretch out on some of the longer ones. “Stand Alone” reminds me a lot of forgotten Louisville titans Kinghorse with their mix of Sabotage-era Sabbath riffs with a big Danziggy chorus. “Fema Man” is a suitably pissed off song about hurricane Katrina and all the bullshit that went on afterwards. “Switchblade” and “2x4” are the longest songs, about 6 minutes each, and pound heavy. 10 songs, 40 minutes. Hit and quit it. Nice one.


Buy here: Small Stone

Lo-Pan – Salvador


If you keep your records in alphabetical order and have Thin Lizzy right next to Tool then chances are Lo-Pan is for you. Fast, heavy, pissed off music with strong vocals and plenty of good hooks. There are some great guitar freak outs that would make both Tommy Bolin and Piggy from VoiVod smile. Lo-Pan hails from Columbus, OH and try as they might they cannot escape the classic rock stranglehold that exists in that part of the country but they’re way too heavy for any commercial rock station. Good songwriting and plenty of dynamics keep some of the longer songs from getting dull. Maybe they can convince Eric Moore of The Godz to contribute to the next one.


Buy here: Small Stone

Ironweed - Your World Of Tomorrow


I always liked the name Ironweed and now that I’ve heard their music I like that a lot, too. Hailing from the New York state capitol, Ironweed are easily the best thing to come from Albany since Blotto. Ironweed are a straight ahead pummeling metal band. Two crushing guitars, pounding rhythm section and lots of good yelling, Ironweed remind me of another great Small Stone band Solace. Fans of anything hard n heavy ranging from vintage Judas Priest to D.R.I. will love Ironweed. Starving iron dogs will feast upon this bloody platter of raw riff metal.


Buy here: iTunes



It’s worth noting that all three of these releases were produced and recorded by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Boston. The sound is hard, clear and punchy and will definitely sound good in your car as flip off the slow pokes in the right lane.

-- Woody

The Bell- Great Heat

This album come to me at a most ironic time as I was shivering in beanie's and other cold weather gear. There will be people going, “It snows in Australia?!” and my response will be no. It was just five degrees (Celsius) and I was freezing...

Moving on to the album...

The Heat is The Bell's second release (their first being back in 2007 with Make Some Quiet) and the Sweden based trio have been getting some attention for this one it seems.

The Heat held its appeal for me because it sounds like the 80's music I was brought up listening to- electronic and a little trippy on occasion.

It all kicks off with “Dope Makes You”, smooth riffs, electronic sounds and cool vocals.
“Dope makes you just likes like other men”

“Holiday” is more heavy on the electronics with the vocals also being shrouded with synthetics. It is also relies on the beat more.

“I Can't Change” is one of my favourites as it opens right away with really smooth, and rhythmic sounds, before going into more electronic vocals for the chorus.

“I can't change,
I can't the world”

“The Sound” isn't as heavy as “Holiday” on the synthetics but the chorus opens up and becomes really big electronic rock. The electronic sounds are back in quantity for “Tell Us You're Sorry.”

Opening with smooth sounds “Throw Me A Bone” is another stand out on the album, cool rhythms, raw vocals, catchy lyrics, it is all there.

“I knew it was over,
When you were gone.
You gained independence,
But you don’t know what from.”


“Today” takes you back to the heavy electronics of “Holiday.”

“Today,
I don't want to wait another day”


“What Ever Did You Say?” is the single of the album. It is clean and has catchy lyrics.

“Around and around
With my head in the clouds
I was just about to tell you a lie
What ever did you say?”

Grouped with neat riffs, perfectly balanced synthetics and a good rhythm it is a great song. Well chosen for the single.


“You Fell Behind” goes back onto the heavily electronic. Although it keeps up with the lyrics you would expect.

“You fell behind,
So many times”


Despite being named “23 Seconds” it actually goes for a lot longer than that. It is also much, much cleaner than the other songs. The riffs are more audible now and the vocals are sweet but icy. It is a nice end to a great album.

“The page is turning,
The bridge is burning,
And ashes keep holding on.”


The Heat is a really great album. The Bell hit all of the right notes and buttons to create something that sounds 80's and electronic. Best savoured in cold weather.


-Koala

From the last album

Earth -Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1

Here's the thing:

There's an expression in creative writing circles: "Book characters should talk more like actual people, and actual people should talk more like book characters."

What I like about this idea is the exchange of expectation-- taking one idea (people in books tend to talk like poets, much more memorably that real people do) and trading it for another, opposite idea (people in real life should try to talk more memorably than actually occurs).

I apply a similar rule to listening to (and by extension, judging) music: I like all forms of music, but usually listen only to metal or jazz.

And I don't know if you're familiar with stereotypical metal versus jazz fans; they're usually polar opposites. Metal is often anti-intellectual ("Does it rock or not?!"), and jazz tends to be the reverse, overthinking everything ("I found his use of progressive thirds intriguing") and not generally concerned with whether Paul Motian's new album rocks (or swings, as they say).

I try to exchange expectations between criticism of these two genres. I try to get the "feel," the guts, of jazz (ignoring music theory unless it's relevant to the Rawk factor), and then analyze metal.

Jazz has plenty of people who'll analyze the shit out of a chord progression, but very few who'll try and rock out with it. Metal, on the other hand, has scads of leather-clad Visigoths who don't give a second thought to the most basic music theory tenets (for example, did you know that the main riff from "Raining Blood" is a diminished scale in E flat?), but will sure as hell tell you if the new Havok album "fucked my face off," as the terminology goes. The two approaches are due for an exchange.

And maybe you don't give a wildebeest's butthole about theory, and just wanna know if something rocks or not. If so, you should skip down a bit, because I'm about to go up my own butt on this motherfucker.

First, preamble: I listen to different genres of metal for different reasons. Thrash is for aggression and driving fast, black metal is for rage and catharsis, doom/sludge/stoner is for feelings of might, and drone music like Earth (or Sunn O))) or Alcest), while having stoner applications, is for darkness-- for a trance-like, sleepy state of relaxation.

Yup, relaxation. You can listen to Earth loud as shit (like Sunn O))) in concert), but it's still calming. Like standing on a heavy-breathing giant that you know has your back.

I call this doze metal. Dream metal. Lunesta metal.

And this music has a ton in common with jazz, specifically the type of jazz you probably think of if you don't listen to much jazz-- e.g., John Coltrane or Miles Davis. (Though notlike Cynic, Atheist, or later-period Death, which are more like jazz fusion, à la Weather Report). Coltrane and Davis, in addition, are both renowned (in part) for their modal jazz.

Short version: modal jazz sits on one or two chords for awhile. It tends to be slow and take its time. It gives a soloist time to spread out and relax into it, rather than having to sprint between chord changes (like guitar soloists in thrash metal would have do to, for example).

Earth, and their new Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (released 2/22) are modal metal.

Earth has time.

Earth has fuuuuuuuckloads of time.

They are not. in. a. hurry. to. get. anywhere. Sometimes, they don't actually "go" anywhere at all.

If you have the time, you will love this album.

If you're in a hurry, you will hate this album.

Earth's last record, The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (even their titles take time), was laconic to the point of petrification, and, with its undistorted heavy string guitars, often could've passed for background music in a Sergio Leone western.

The first four tracks off of Angels... follow a similar blueprint, though having evolved that sound without fundamentally changing it: a cello pervades the music, sometimes in the background, sometimes fore, and makes the sounds more gentle and more bittersweet than previously.

This is reminiscence metal.

The cello particularly, and the overall instrumentation in general, gives "Old Black," "Father Midnight," "Descent to the Zenith" and "Hell's Winter" a mournful whimper; the dominant, sometimes only chord in the songs lend themselves to single-tone singalongs, aka mantras and chants; Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 is an hour-long farewell, like ice in the sun falling from a roof.

The instrumentation is eclectic and impressive: cello, electric and acoustic basses and Dylan Carlson's twangy clean-channel telecaster. Promotional materials mention that Earth put "a greater emphasis on improvisational songwriting tactics," which help explain the sparse arrangements. It might also explain why the last piece, the 20-minute title track, is the most absorbing and clearest evolution in Earth's sound.

There are rarely drums in it, and the piece is rubato (without definite time) for much of its length. (Try and tap your foot to it.) It changes and morphs and slides in and out of time and then key; it's the musical equivalent of the goo in a lava lamp. Earth seem to love sevenths-- "tense" notes, that beg to be resolved and make it uncomfortable when they aren't. Like a very quietly argumentative man, who suddenly and periodically comes to some kind of angering conclusion (like the jarring string rakes at 10:50).

Frankly, just the fact that they used some degree of improvisation (like jazz) is reeeeeeeally cool.

Overall, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 is miraculously "blank." Very little happens, but (if you're patient with it) you won't want to stop listening. Soloing over it, it would be nearly impossible to find a wrong note or even a wrong sound; all are welcome.

On Earth©, this is the way the world ends: not with a headbang but a whimper.

--Horn

Buy here: Angels of Darkness Demons of Light 1
Buy here mp3: Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light 1

Joe Purdy - This American

There is a campfire in the White Mountains of Arkansas.  The sun is going down and a cool breeze comes up from the west.  The sky turns hues of red and purple as the day ends and twilight begins. Couples huddle around the fire, drinks in hand, as the evening winds down.  Joe Purdy pulls out his six-string, puts on a harmonica holder and sits down with the gathered campers.

He sings and plays fifteen passionate, contemplative, folk songs that reach into the soul.  Purdy is a modern day early 1960’s Bob Dylan with a better voice and as much to say.   He is a singing, songwriting, acoustic guitarist who also plays harmonica, with which he weaves tale after tale in the flickering shadow of firelight on “This American.”

Joe has played electric, rock, and with a band,  He has toured Europe and has sold an incredible number of downloads.  His music has been used in TV shows and movies.  But here, on “This American,” Purdy gently sings stories about the American experience. He treks the Oregon Trail, goes to Louisana, is a Pioneer and visits the Dustbowl.  Purdy captures the soul and mood of a people, teaches lessons about history, love and honesty, and regales us from the heart.

It is a difficult thing to do to play and record only your voice and your music, unprocessed - just, you, your acoustic guitar and your harmonica.  There is no drummer, no bassist, no click track.    To successfully solo is the sign of the true balladeer and that is what Purdy is - a modern day troubadour.  When I listen to the album I feel the heat of the fire, the chill of the evening and see the veiled images evoked by the storyteller.  I am calmed,  transfixed and warmed.

You can hear the entire album on Purdy’s website. Better yet, you can go there and buy “The American” as a digital download, CD or, soon, on vinyl with a digital download.  Then, turn on the fireplace, grab a blanket and transport yourself into the midst of the great American camping trip.  Let Purdy pull out his old Gibson, put on a harmonica holder and sing to you about “This American.”

- Old School





Buy here: This American
Buy here mp3: This American

Junior Wells & The Aces – Live In Boston 1966

Do you want the real thing? Well, here it is. The incredible Junior Wells is one of the very best harmonica players of all time and this previously unreleased live show captures him inebriated and rocking hard. Junior’s partnership with Buddy Guy contains some of his best work, but here he is playing a Boston nightclub in 1966 with an excellent bunch of musicians from Chicago. The great Fred Below is on drums joined by guitarist Louis Myers and his brother Dave on bass.

Goddamn, these muthers boogie like no other!  There are some great slow songs like “Worried Life Blues” and “That’s All Right” but where they excel is on the uptempo jams. They come out swinging with a killer version of “Feelin’ Good.” The band sets up an instant party groove and Junior is in great voice and you can tell that he really does feel good. When he says that they’re gonna boogie til the break of day, you know he means it. “Man Downstairs” has some great harmonica playing and keeps the boogie flowing nicely. The band really stretches out on “Junior’s Whoop,” a killer 8 minute workout that really rocks the house. There’s a high energy of the hit “Messin’ With The Kid” that gets everyone worked up.

A couple of blues standards like “Hideaway” and “Got My Mojo Workin” get the Junior Wells treatment and Louis Myers throws in a few nice jazzy guitar licks to keep things interesting. The crowd loves this band. In between songs you get to hear Junior talking to the rowdy audience and joking with the other musicians onstage.

Play this disc loud on your stereo and you really get the feeling that you are there. Bands just don’t cook like this anymore. The playing is lean and mean, tight but loose. Chances are these guys didn’t practice much together but they all knew the material so when they hit the stage they could jam together without things ever getting stale. The only excuse you have for not patting your feet to this great record is you don’t have any.

--Woody

Buy here: Live In Boston 1966

Buy from Delmark (and listen here)

http://www.delmark.com/delmark.newblues.htm

Random and K-Murdock - Forever Famicom

There are three words in existence that when put together create magic.  When read or spoken this incantation has the power to instantaneously transport any individual back in time.  Recollections vary from person to person of course, but in general the outcome remains the same.  Waves of memories and emotion will wash over the individual in an unstoppable flood of nostalgia.  Those three words are Nintendo Entertainment System, and this column is about two artists who combined forces to harness the energies summoned by those words to produce one magnificent album.

Only a short time ago in a galaxy exactly like our own a man named K-Murdock received a package in the mail containing two albums by a rapper named Random.  At the time K-Murdock was hosting an underground hip hop show on XM radio called SubSonic, and Random was hoping to get his music played on air.  One of the two albums, entitled Megaran, made a distinct impression on K-Murdock based on its use of music sampled from old Mega Man videogames.  In short order he communicated his desire to collaborate with Random on some new music.  It was at this point that Random realized that K-Murdock, host of SubSonic, was also the ace-producer K-Murdock of Panacea fame.  The two quickly bonded over their love of hip hop and videogames, and eventually the album Forever Famicom was born.

There are no two ways about it; Forever Famicom (which I will refer to as FF) is a special album.  Musically speaking, it holds a rather unique position.  While it is true that there have been other groups who have utilized classic video game music to flavor their own creations (for example Ripple favorites Urizen) as well as groups who perform straight cover versions of video game music (see the Minibosses), FF goes about things differently.  Historically K-Murdock’s productions have been labeled as “feel good music”.  This description holds true on FF where he expertly combines the sampled video game music in each song with drum beats, background vocals, assorted sound effects, and new orchestration to create lush soundscapes that envelop the listener like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer.  I guarantee that even people who do not recognize the video games the sampled music originally came from will find themselves involuntarily humming the tunes after only a couple of listens.  They are that memorable!  Once you get your head around the music, it’s time to address the other half of the equation.

Random is one of my favorite rappers.  He has been for a couple of years now, and he shows no signs of relinquishing his title.  Similar to K-Murdock, Random first came to my attention when I read a review of his Megaran album.  I recommended the album to a friend based on that review.  He bought it, listened to it, and immediately forced me to sit down for my own run through.  To say that I was impressed would be a massive understatement, and I have been buying up everything Random has put out since that day.  What I enjoy most about Random’s work is the same thing I enjoy about all other great lyricists’ work.  He not only has the ability to convey universal truths through autobiographical stories, but he can also deftly weave together fictional elements to create a story that sucks the listener in like a high end Dyson vacuum. 

The songs that make up FF effortlessly blend these strengths together to produce a work that can be appreciated by a wide range of people.  After reading my opening paragraph, did you immediately start listing off the great Nintendo games that you loved in your head?  Well chances are Random loved them too, and he conveniently runs down a cleverly composed list of titles on the song “Epoch”.  Instead of the classics do you fanaticize over current video games?  Listen to album standout “For the Gamers” where Random and featured guest rappers In80 and Schaffer the Darklord eloquently align themselves with the hardcore gaming crowd who strive for every gaming achievement to the detriment of sleep and their work.  Don’t like games at all?  That’s cool.  Songs like “Dream Master” or “The Girl With the Makeup” are there for you.  “Dream Master” tells the tale of how Random’s mother sacrificed and bought him a Nintendo Entertainment System in an effort to keep him off the streets of Philadelphia.  “The Girl With the Makeup”, my personal favorite song on the album, is about Random falling in love with the first girl he knew to wear makeup, only to foul up the relationship by desperately trying to be something he was not.  Everyone, without fail, can find something to relate to in both of these songs.  Still not satisfied?  How about something off the wall?  Try “Double Dragons” on for size.  That’s right.  A song about the events that unfold in the videogame Double Dragon, and it is just as awesome as you imagine!

I said it before but it bears repeating.  Forever Famicom is a special album.  It has established a near permanent spot in my music rotation since its release date last year, and it does not appear that it will wear out its welcome.  Was it my favorite album of 2010?  That depends on the day, but it was definitely my favorite hip hop album of the year, and I know for a fact that the album ended up on many other peoples year end lists as well.

Seriously people…there is a song about Double Dragon.  Who can argue with that!?

-- Penfold

Buy here:  Forever Famicom
Buy here mp3: Forever Famicom