Soft Collective (Animal Machine): The Nein

The Nein, Luxury, Sonic
Unyon Recording Co. [2/20/07]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this album as I'd never heard the Nein before. And I hate the muddled cover--see the bottom of this post for graphic. Once an art major, always an art major. If you're gonna combine drawing with photography and two different typefaces, you've got to find a way to tie it all together.

All I knew was that Steel Pole Bathtub's Dale Flattum, who's since left, was a member at the time of this recording. For all the effects--tapes, samples--he contributes, Luxury is still rock. And I'll always be a traditionalist at heart. I wouldn't say the North Carolina quartet sounds like the Beta Band (R.I.P.), but they do remind me of the great Scots in that their songs are conventional in nature. Of course, Beta tunes may have been complete studio creations. It's just that they always sounded as if they'd been mapped out before being run through the Beta processor.

That said, I was expecting something noisier and more aggressive from a band with a German name like the Nein (the "No"). I wasn't expecting the stentorian tones of a Rammstein from these four regular-looking blokes, but simply something harder. I'm not disappointed. On the contrary, while never "soft" or "pretty," Luxury is the ideal Sunday morning listen. Other perennial weekend favorites include Air's Moon Safari and Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister. Instant good mood.

Aside from the Betas, I was reminded of Soft Machine, circa 1966-1976. That's right, there's something rather British going on here, but I haven't put my finger on what it is yet. Luxury isn't psych, jazz, or even prog-rock, but there's a similar sort of push-pull between noise and pop.

Like Robert Wyatt, Finn Cohen also has a gentle singing style. A little more forceful, but only just. I wasn't reminded of any other contemporary acts until closing track "A Landscape," which parallels Animal Collective at their most melodic (Tung Songs, Feels). Then again, the distance between the Soft Machine and Animal Collective--40-year gap aside--isn't really that far. I'd never noticed until I listened to the Nein. Recommended to fans of any of the artists I've mentioned. I realize I've been a little vague, as I'm still processing this recording. Suffice to say: I like it.

Endnote: Images from Sonic Unyon Recordings (2004's self-titled EP, Luxury, and band snap). The official label site includes two MP3's (2004's "War is on the Stereo" and 2005's "Faint Sounds") and a Quicktime video ("War is on the Stereo").

I'm Shipping Up to Boston: A Look at the Soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Departed

Various Artists,
The Departed,
Warner Brothers
[original soundtrack]


When punk group Dropkick Murphys composed music for Woody's lyric "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" for their 2005 al-
bum The Warrior's Code, they had no idea it would end up be-
ing featured in Martin Scorsese's...The Departed, featuring
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg.
--From the official Woody Guthrie website

I picked up this collection because I like the music, which works well with Scorsese's expressionistic visuals (though Lennon's "Well, Well, Well" is conspicuous by its absence). I don't buy ev-
ery soundtrack I like, though, so there's more to it that. Most of these songs are by artists I wouldn't want to listen to over the course of an album, so instead I get to enjoy them in small doses.

I'm referring to latter-period Beach Boys ("Sail On, Sailor"), Roy Buchanan ("Sweet Dreams"), the Allman Brothers ("One Way Out"), the Human Beinz ("Nobody But Me"), LaVern Baker ("Tweedle Dee"), and Dropkick Murphys ("I'm Shipping Up to Boston").

That said, I do own long-players by Van Morrison ("Comfortab-
ly Numb" with Roger Waters and the Band), the Rolling Stones ("Let It Loose"), and Badfinger ("Baby Blue"). I don't own any by Patsy Cline ("Sweet Dreams of You"), although I probably should--she's one of my mom's favorites. That leaves two pleasant, but innocuous instrumentals from composer Howard Shore, "Beacon Hill" and "The Departed Tango," featuring Marc Ribot on dobro.

There are some soundtracks that are essential, i.e. they're so good that the movie becomes superfluous. Examples include the first Casino Royale with Burt Bacharach with Dusty Springfield and The Harder They Come with Jimmy Cliff. I like those motion pictures, and yet I bet plenty of people who own The Harder They Come have never seen the film. No matter. If you're looking for one of the best reggae compilations ever made, look no further.

The Departed doesn't fall into that category. You may like the music anyway, but I bet you'll like it even better after seeing the film—assuming you like it. Scorsese's inventive Irish-American take on 2002's great Tony Leung-Andy Lau original [right] is one of my favorites of the year, and I've always liked the way he uses music in his movies. I also own Taxi Driver for Bernard Herrmann's final haunting score and Goodfellas for the compelling combination of rock, blues, and soul.

Arguably, the Celtic hardcore of Dropkick Murphys makes for an awkward fit with the album-oriented rock that predominates, but their boisterous track, a repeated motif in the film, is the highlight. The song is also expertly deployed in the trailer, as is "Comfortably Numb." It's partly why I had to have this release—although a little Murphys goes a long way. As with Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto, listening to The Departed is like tuning into the director's conception of the ideal Irish radio station.


Dropkick Murphys - "I'm Shipping Up to Boston"

“We've heard our songs in movies before, so I didn't think I'd
be that excited. But, I got to tell ya, sitting in the audience at
the Boston premiere, when you hear your song in that movie...
it's pretty cool.” --Ken Casey, Dropkick Murphys

Endnote: The Departed's companion release consists of the original score. Casey interview from INsite Atlanta, which notes, "As a result of increased exposure for 'I'm Shipping Up To Boston,' sales for The Warrior's Code and the band's entire Hellcat Rec-
ords back catalog tripled when the movie came out in October."

Video from YouTube, Infernal Affairs and The Departed
stills from OutNow. As much as I love the latter, note that
Leung and Lau cut more iconic figures than DiCaprio and Dam-
on, i.e the dark hair, dark outfits, and more "artistic" framing.

January 2007 Reviews

All is quiet on New Year's Day 

A world in white gets underway 

I want to be with you 

Be with you night and day 

Nothing changes on New Year's Day 

On New Year's Day. 

--U2, "New Year's Day" (1983)

The reviews and other assignments I'm working on this month. 

Amazon: Happily N'Ever After (Shrek wannabe), New Year's Day (David Duchovny's first film), Shottas (Scarface-inspired "rastaploitation" flick), Seven Swords (Tsui Hark's over-long, if stunning actioner), KT Tunstall - KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extra- vaganza, The Animation Show - Vol. 1 & 2 (theatrical series from Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt) [two-disc set], Two-a-Days - Hoover High: The Complete First Season (MTV documentary series on high school football), [three-disc set], The Golden Girls - The Complete Seventh and Final Season [three-disc set], Border Radio - Criterion Collection (first film from Allison Anders!), and The O.C. - The Complete Third Season [seven-disc set].

(I am the queen of the teen soap! See also Beverly Hills 90210, Grosse Pointe, One Tree Hill, etc.)

Resonance: Re-wrote my profile of the Brothers Quay and interviewed David Lynch.

Seattle Film Blog: The Treasures of Long Gone John, Sherrybaby (Maggie Gyllenhaal's first starring role since Secretary), 51 Birch Street (best documentary of the new year), and Le Petit Lieutenant (ace policier with Nathalie Baye, above left).

Steadycam: I contributed my top 10 to their year-end poll.

Endnote: I realize it isn't cool to like U2, and it may not be 1983 anymore, but they meant a lot to me then. And Paul Greengrass's decision to use a live version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" over the credits to Bloody Sunday, his film about the Derry massacre, was a masterstroke. Obvious perhaps, but perfect. (According to Wikipedia, "New Year's Day" concerns the 1981 suppression of Solidarity in Poland. Hey, who knew?) I like few of the "anthemic" bands U2 has influenced--or to which they've been compared--the Alarm, Big Country, etc., but War will always hold a special place in my heart.

New Review for a New Year with the Willowz

 

The Willowz, Chautauqua, Dim Mak [3/20/07]

Another line-up change, another label. Not to worry, the Willowz still sound like the Willowz. 

The Anaheim aggregate still rocks hard, Richie Follin still sings at the top of his range. Hey, it worked for Geddy Lee, it worked for Fred Cole--it worked for Jeffrey Lee Pierce, too. The Willowz may sound more like the White Stripes as a quartet than trios like Rush or Dead Moon, but you get the idea. 

Guitarist Follin and bass player Jessica Reynoza form the core of the band. As with Chicago's Ponys, a garage-punk group founded by a couple, I'd imagine that these two are an item (Reynoza's always been the only female member). According to their website, guitarist Aric Bohn and drummer Loren Humphrey are the new members (Tony Mann plays drums on the album). As with ex-couple/former Sympathy labelmates the White Stripes, the Willowz also alternate between hard and soft. While the Stripes base their sound in the blues, the Willowz enter country-rock territory when they turn the volume down. At these junctures, Neil Young comes to mind (he likes those high notes, too).  

As much as I enjoyed 2005's Are Coming, a revamp of their 2004 mini-album on Dionysus, and Talk in Circles (also 2005), I didn't love them. I'm not sure why. I'm a sucker for melodic garage-punk with bursts of feedback frenzy. Chautauqua is, essentially, more of the same, but it's better somehow. I haven't put my finger on the reason yet. 

I guess it's because the sound is fuller--a little piano, a little brass--and Follen's voice is, relatively speaking, stronger. On the other hand, this release works better as an album than as a series of singles. That's sure to come as good news for some listeners, bad news for others.

Video to come: The Willowz - "I Wonder" (dir. Michel Gondry)

Incidentally, their name might not ring a bell, but if you've seen The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Science of Sleep, you've heard the Willowz. Michel Gondry, a big fan, hasn't just featured their material in his movies, he's also directed videos, like "I Wonder," for the band. In addition, they appear, during the end credits, in the new film about Sympathy's anti-mogul, The Treasures of Long Gone John. If you like LGJ-approved acts like the White Stripes, the Gun Club, and the Stooges, the Willowz are definitely worth a listen. I'm hearing a lot of Blue Cheer on Chautauqua, too, and that's always a good thing.

Here's my Tablet review of their previous album: 

The Willowz, Are Coming, Sympathy for the Record Industry (B)

Anaheim trio the Willowz are like several garage bands at once. Guitarist Richie James's high-pitched vocals evoke Dead Moon’s Fred Cole, though he's not at that level yet. Then again, James is a few decades younger--he's got time. When he duets with bassist Jessica Reynoza, the Willowz sound more like a ragged Raveonettes. 

Reynoza isn't a great singer either, but she equals James in attitude. Are Coming is an expanded version of the Willowz' self-titled debut and includes "Something" and "I Wonder," both featured in Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 

Click here for my review of Talk in Circles and here for my review of Greg Gibbs' documentary The Treasures of Long Gone John.

Endnote: The Treasures of Long Gone John opens at Northwest Film Forum on Jan 5. Ghost on the Highway: A Portrait of Jeffrey Lee Pierce opens on Jan 8. The current issue of Resonance features my timeline of Gun Club co-founder Kid Congo Powers (for the next issue, I take on Ari Up). Images from the official Willowz website and the IMDb (Gael García Bernal and Alain Chabat in The Science of Sleep).

When the Shillelagh Meets the Hood: Part Seven

When the Shillelagh Meets the Hood 

Part Seven: A Bundle of Contradictions 

I'm a little black boy 

and I don't know my 

proper place 

I'm a little black boy, 

get my head in its 

space 

I'm a little black boy, 

I just play my bass 

I'm a little black boy, 

it's no disgrace. 

-- Thin Lizzy, "Black Boys on the Corner" (1973)

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

I considered presenting a paper at next year's Pop Conference, but for various reasons, decided against it. See below for my proposal. Frankly, I don't think it would've made the cut, and Phil Lynott means too much to me to risk it. At some point, I'll write something up for this site, but I still have a lot of reading to do. 

Over the past year, I've acquired Stuart Bailie's The Ballad of the Thin Man and Mark Putterford's The Rocker, but haven't had any luck tracking down an affordable copy of Philomena Lynott's out-of-print My Boy, and it's an important piece of the puzzle that was Phil Lynott, since his mother cast a big shadow over his brief life.  

[video]

Thin Lizzy - "Whiskey in the Jar" (1972) [short version] 

Vagabond of the Western World: The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Phil Lynott 

Black, white, Irish, West Indian, bastard, bass player, punk, poet, ladies man, husband, drug addict, and dad. The late Phillip Paris Lynott (1949-1986) was all that and more: A bundle of contradictions. All of which served to shape his music, both solo and as the leader of Ireland's enduring Thin Lizzy. Nowhere are those contradictions more apparent than on 1973's Vagabonds of the Western World, an album that tanked upon release, despite the fact that it arrived in the wake of one of Lizzy's biggest hits, a prog-rock version of Irish traditional "Whiskey in the Jar" (now part of the album, it was originally only available as a single). The staggeringly diverse recording also features an ode to Lynott's grandmother Sarah, ballads influenced by heroes Elvis Presley and Van Morrison, trade- mark—downright silly—stomper "The Rocker," and the heaviest funk jam of his entire career, "Black Boys on the Corner." All of which is to say that Lynott's work was the product of a specific time, place, and sensibility, yet continues to gain resonance with each year, from the inclusion of his songs in literally hundreds of movies and television shows, and even an upcoming big screen biopic. By taking a song-by-song look at Vagabonds, I will outline the contradictions that defined Phil Lynott—and make his music more relevant than ever.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

I am your main man if you're looking for trouble

I'll take no lip 'cause no ones tougher than me 

If I kicked your face you'd soon be seeing double 

Hey little girl, keep your hands off me 'cause I'm a rocker.

--Thin Lizzy, "The Rocker" (1973)  

Endnote: Part six in a series. Click here for previous entry. I also have many CDs yet to explore. In the past year, I've picked up Vagabonds (natch), Jailbreak, and Solo in Soho. And of course, I own Johnny Thunders' heartbreaking So Alone, on which Mr. Lynott—along with his pals in the Pistols—lends his expertise. Card image and lyrics from Lynott's official website, The Roisin Dubh Trust, T-shirt design from DJ Tees, and video from YouTube.

Brooklyn in Da British House (By Way of a Mouse)

Danger Mouse, The Grey Album, Bootleg [2004]

I pray I'm forgiven
For every bad decision I made
Every sister I played
Cause I'm still paranoid to this day
And it's nobody fault I made the decisions I made
This is the life I chose or rather the life that chose me
If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is wack
Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black.
-- Jay-Z, "December 4th"

*****

By now, everybody knows about The Grey Album. The thing is, not everyone has actually heard the record, since it was never--and will never be--officially released. Brian Burton, AKA Danger Mouse, had been kicking around the fringes of the music world for years before he put this thing together. In one fell swoop, it made his rep, leading to Danger Doom, Gnarls Barkley, and production work for the Gorillaz and the Rapture, among others.

The concept is simple: Combine Jay-Z's Black Album (2003) with the Beatles' White Album (1968). Brilliant. Well, I have a confession to make. Up until now, I was familiar with exactly one Jay-Z track, "99 Problems," and that's only because it's on the Mark Romanek DVD. Yeah, I realize that makes me the lamest of the lame, but my taste in hip-hop runs towards the indie/alternative stuff. That said, I know the Beatles. Who doesn't? So, I find it easiest to evaluate this recording from a pop-rock perspective.

I don't hear any Beatles on the first track, "Public Service Announcement," but the second, "What More Can I Say," makes extensive use of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." The third, "Encore," opts for "Glass Onion." Track four, "December 4th," is built around the break from "Cry Baby Cry." Wow. This is where things really come together (as the Beatles might say). Shawn Carter, AKA Jay-Z, recites his biography over one of the Beatles' loveliest melodies. In a perfect world, this would've been released as a single.

This brings us to Rick Rubin-produced slammer "99 Problems," pretty much the polar opposite of the track that precedes it. This jam still sounds more like Rubin than Danger, as the latter stitches Jay-Z's rap to the guitar line from "Helter Skelter" and some big-ass beats (according to the AMG, Rubin swiped those beats from Billy Squier). It's the logical successor to those Aerosmith/Run-DMC and Public Enemy/Anthrax rap-metal mash-ups of yore. If not for EMI's legal team, this could've been released as a single, too.

On track six, "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," Danger Mouse slices and dices "Julia" into such tiny slivers that I could barely recognize it.
I had an even harder time identifying the Beatles songs in the remaining tracks: "Moment of Clarity," "Change Clothes," "Allure," "Justify My Thug," "Interlude," and "My 1st Song."

[video]
Jay-Z - "99 Problems" (dir. Mark Romanek) [Clean]

The biggest question I had about this CD before listening was this: who predominates, Jay-Z or the Beatles? Or does Danger create something so new that it transcends his source material? Because Jay-Z's relaxed, yet authoritative voice is the first and last thing I noticed--many of the samples are barely recognizable--I would say that The Grey Album is mostly for the hip-hop heads. I guess that isn't too surprising. What would be really cool, however, is if Danger created a sequel in which the White Album is in the forefront and The Black Album is in the background. The Grey Album makes me appreciate the producer's talents behind the boards and the rapper's skills on the mic, but it also makes me miss the equally resonant voices of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

*****

I did this project because I love the Beatles and Jay-Z.
I knew when I produced The Grey Album that there might be questions and issues that this project would bring up, but I
really don't know the answers to many of them. It was not
meant to be anything but an artistic expression, and I still
hope that that is the way it's perceived.
-- Danger Mouse press release, 2/23/04

Endnote: Images from the AMG and the NME, lyrics from A-Z Lyrics Universe, and video from YouTube. Please click here for more information about Danger Mouse, here for the history of The Grey Album, and here to download your own copy.

The Supergroup, the Power Trio, and Polly Jean: Dungeon Family, Sadies, and PJ Harvey

Dungeon Family, Even in Darkness, Arista [2001]

They don't use our music
to get high / They use
our music to get by.
--Dungeon Family, "Follow the Light"

Ever wonder what would happen if Outkast joined forces with their Atlanta counterparts, like Goodie Mob? If so, you've probably already given this disc a spin. Well, another chart-topping duo, Gnarls Barkley, has me digging through the Cee-Lo Green archives for more treasures to excavate. (Even in Darkness also pre-dates Outkast's phenomenal Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.)

As with Parliament-Funkadelic, many players make up this supergroup. Fourteen may be a crowd, but the music isn't as messy as that number indicates. There are some great P-Funk-style jams here, like "Trans DF Express" and "Follow the Light." There's also a fair amount of filler, but it all goes down pretty easy.

Since I'm not familiar with the other acts (Organized Noize, et al), I can't say how this one-off compares. All I know is that I like Big Boi, André 3000, and Cee-Lo, and I like Dungeon Family, too.

Sadies, Tales of the Rat Fink, Yep Roc [original soundtrack]

Known to back Neko Case on occasion, Vancouver trio the Sadies bash out the rockin' score for Tales of the Rat Fink, which was released earlier this year. You don't have to be a soundtrack aficionado to dig it, however, as they've designed the disc as a stand-alone effort, with every number named after a venue they've visited: the Borderline, the Bottom of the Hill--even Seattle's own Crocodile. There are 26 zippy tracks all together.

The clubs may have little to do with Ron Mann's Ed "Big Daddy" Roth documentary, but it's still a cool idea. If I didn't know otherwise, I'd swear these instrumentals were recorded in the 1960s. They sound like Link Wray jamming with the Ventures combined with a few hot rod and buzzing fly sound effects.

Please click here for my review of the Tales of the Rat Fink DVD.

PJ Harvey, The Peel Sessions: 1991-2004, Island

John's opinion mattered to me. More than I would ever care
to admit, for fear of embarrassment on both sides, but I sought his approval always. It mattered. Every Peel Session I did,
I did FOR HIM. It is with much love that I chose these songs,
in his memory. A way of saying "Thank you" once more.
-- PJ Harvey's Peel Sessions liner notes

What distinguishes the true artist from the workaday model is that artists take risks. PJ Harvey's debut, Dry, knocked me out, and I secretly hoped she'd make the same album over and over again. That's not what artists do. And I haven't embraced everything she's done, but I always respect the effort, because it comes from the heart. Since Harvey eschews trends, her music will never date, like this 12-track collection, which celebrates her career as much as that of the BBC's John Peel. The late DJ features prominently in the CD packaging. Clearly, the admiration was mutual.

As for the sessions, they stem from 1991, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The final selection, "You Come Through," was recorded in tribute to Peel, while the only cover is a fiery version of Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle," which is also the highlight. The Peel Sessions may be less essential than Dry or Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, but it's a fine overview of a remarkable artist.

Please click here for my review of the PJ Harvey DVD,
On Tour: Leave Quietly.

Note: Image from the AMG (Jonnathan Mannion), video from YouTube. Still to come: The Grey Album and Cee-Lo solo.