Todd Rundgren

Arena

HiFi Recordings, CD

    The coolest thing about Todd Rundgren is that you never know what he’s going to come up with next.  Arena continues down the path of self-examination that TR started with Lies, but with a lot more bite.  In addition to the great, layered vocals that you would expect on a Todd record, there are monumental guitar and bass riffs throughout.  Playing all of the instruments on this record, Todd’s no

slouch on the drums either.

    Arena has a big, fat, thick sound and it reminds you what a great guitarist Rundgren has always been.  Though you would swear that you could hear Kasim Sulton singing backing vocals, this record is all Todd, recorded in his studio in Hawaii. Arena has a fresh feel, but there are great grooves from past TR records that are remixed and lightly sprinkled in, causing you to revisit your other favorites when you are done with this disc.

    He’s certainly come a long way from “Can We Still be Friends”, lashing out at current gun users, when he sings “you better run, because I’m young, dumb and I’ve got a gun” on “Gun”.  Amazing how your perspective changes from your early 20’s to your late 50’s.

    This one’s a winner from start to finish and best of all, the sound quality is fantastic. Be sure to read my interview with TR and concert coverage in issue 18 of TONEAudio.  If Todd is in your town, go see him!  The current tour has been selling out everywhere.

Rebecca Pidgeon

Behind the Velvet Curtain, Songs From the Motion Picture Redbelt

Great American Music, CD

    I usually like to make fun of female vocal records in the pages of TONE, but when I find something a little bit different and tasty, I’m the first to admit it.  I hope Ms. Pidgeon won’t mind being put in the very tasty column.

    If you have enjoyed the last couple of records by Madeline Peyroux, you will love Behind the Velvet Curtain.  Produced by the legendary Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell) and mastered by equally legendary Bernie Grundman, this record defines dreamy sound.  Slip this one in the CD player, grab an adult beverage and relax. 

    Pidgeon’s voice just floats in and out of the huge soundstage that this disc offers up.  Accompanied by Larry Klein on bass and Dean Parks on guitar, this disc is a treat. The whole record has a samba-like character to it and Pidgeon’s talent as a singer/songwriter is easily the match of her acting skills.  The only clunker on the disc is her rendition of “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by the Beach Boys, but perhaps I’m being harsh as I’m not a Beach Boys fan.  In deference to Pidgeon, I thought the songs she wrote were much stronger. If you are looking for a new, enchanting disc of female vocals, put this one at the top of your list.

Holyhail

Independent Pleasure Club

Kanine Records, CD and LP

    The only thing we know about Holyhail right now is that they are from Brooklyn, NY and their MySpace page lists The B52’s, The Tom Tom Club and Sly and the Family Stone as a few of their influences.

    I’d call Independent Pleasure Club a lot more Tom Tom Club than Sly, with a heavy dose of 80’s techno and even a few drops of my favorite band from that period, Gruppo Sportivo thrown in, especially on the third track “Peep Show”.  But Holyhail makes it 21st century by mixing in a heavy dose of great samples to keep the party moving right along.

    Bottom line, this record is a ton of fun that will hook you immediately with its killer synthesizer riffs, clever lyrics and high energy. All of my daughter’s friends wanted to know where I got this one. Don’t let the bouncy rhythms fool you though, when you listen to this disc a second time, there’s some great social commentary lurking underneath.  IPC is like the Simpsons; it’s so cleverly crafted that you can enjoy it regardless of how deep you want to go.

Ry Cooder

Nonesuch, CD (limited deluxe editiion)

     Why buy a CD when you can buy a mini-novel to go along with it?

The deluxe edition of Ry Cooders latest endeavor is a gas, literally.  The deluxe edition comes complete with a 97 page story of adventure, intrigue, the songs of a band called Kash Buk and the Klowns and something to do with a very unique adhesive.  I won’t spoil it for you by saying any more.

     It’s all kind of trippy in a way.  The songs mix the usual Ry Cooder coolness from his last two records along with some gravely vocals that are somewhere between Tom Waits and Cooder’s Little Villiage project.

     The recording is very airy and etherial, with a lot of twangy guitars and Cooder’s son Joachim on drums.  If you enjoyed the tasty drumming on Buena Vista Social Club, there’s more to be found here.

     Even if you don’t read the story (though you should, it’s quite fun), you will get more out of the songs if you give it a read.  Put your feet up with your favorite adult beverage and you should just about get through the story by the end of the CD. —Jeff Dorgay

Destroyer

Trouble in Dreams

Merge Records, CD

     Another one of those random (but good) accidents, I recently picked up Trouble In Dreams.  Research revealed that Destroyer has been at it since 1996 and this is their eighth full length recording.

     It’s a very unique album with singer/composer Dan Bejar’s talking/storytelling delivery on top of some very cool musical textures. With very few vocal hooks or repeated choruses, Trouble in Dreams is more like a series of short stories.

     The album’s one single, “Foam Hands” is the closest to a traditional pop song with background vocals, memorable chorus lines and a glorious string arrangement.  Bejar’s lyrics are quite interesting along with some tight musical arrangements.  My favorite track is aptly titled “My Favorite Year” with clean, shoegazing style echoing guitars and rolling drums.

     Encountering a band mid or late career usually entices me to reach into their previous work, but Trouble in Dreams was enough for me.  I’ll just enjoy it for what it is.
—Sandy Greene

The Dodos

Visiter

French Kiss, CD

     Meric keeps the strings clean, occasionally adding a bit of tasteful distortion to the mix.  This effect is best realized on “Fools”  The songs have a definite folky vibe that goes from fairly dark on “Joe’s Waltz” to a more joyous frolic on “Paint the Rust”. 

     The Songs on Visiter vary in length from under a minute to over seven, but all possess a somewhat similar sonic pallette.  Regardless, sixty minutes never passed so quickly and this one is at the top of my list for 2008. —Sandy Greene

Nada Surf

Barsuk, CD

     Nada Surf are the Willy Wonka’s of pop music. They make the ear candy, mix it with love and make the music world sound good. Picking up right where 2005’s, The Weight is a Gift, left off with dreamy, catchy pop goodness; their new release, Lucky, grabs you with major pop hooks right from the first note on the opening track, “See These Bones” and it just gets better from there.

     Tracks two and three, “Whose Authority” and “Beautiful Beat” are the most radio freindly, floating on a jangly cloud. “I Like What You Say” (track seven) is more pop heroin, in the same vein as “Always Love” from their earlier album The Weight is a Gift.  If you are just perusing the iTunes store, these two songs could be your perfect introduction to Nada Surf, and you probably will get hooked on more!

     Though “Ice on the Wing” has one of the catchiest arrangements on the album, it tries too hard to be clever.  I just can’t sing along with “But baby, ice is growing on the wing/You rolled the dice but you didn’t know anything/Underneath the oxide it’s all the same song.  Otherwise, Lucky is a pop gem. —Sandy Greene

Coldplay

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Capitol/EMI, LP and CD

     If you’ve been watching TV at all for the last few weeks, you’ve seen that psychedelic colored iTunes ad featuring Coldplay.  Just the fact that Apple deviated from the standard monochromatic iTunes ad made me think that we might be in for something really big.  According to the chatter on the Internet (the record was released June 12 in the UK), the masses are very polarized about the current Coldplay project because it is a major departure from their past efforts.

     My favorite Coldplay album is still their first one; the two that followed it (X&Y and A Rush of Blood to the Head) never really gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling I got from Parachutes.  So kill me.

     Chris Martin is quoted as saying, “After the last record, we felt that no one would really want to work with us,” but their connection with Brian Eno is just what the doctor ordered.  Eno tore apart the way they did things and sent them back to the drawing board – and it works quite well.  Eno’s influence is everywhere; Vida bursts with texture and has an enormous soundscape that fills the room. The trademark Coldplay falsetto only shows up briefly on track four.  The dogs have indeed learned some new tricks.

     After listening to both the LP and CD versions, I think the LP wins hands down.  It has a much warmer tonal balance and is much more dynamic than the CD.  Those who purchase the LP get the best of both worlds, as a CD of the entire record is included as a bonus, so if you have any inkling of wanting both, just buy the LP. 

     Love it or hate it, Coldplay has definitely expanded their craft significantly with this record.  Mark me down in the “love” column.

     You can buy the HD download from muisic giants on July 17th here:

http://mgn.musicgiants.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?ALBUM=112250

 

     Or purchase the LP from our friends at Soundstage Direct here:

http://www.soundstagedirect.com/coldplay-viva-la-vida-or-death-and-all-his-friends-vinyl-lp.shtml

John Mellencamp

Hear Music, CD/DVD and LP

     Another big star goes over to Starbucks.  While you might accuse him of selling out, Mellencamp stays true to his rebel roots and offers us his latest release on CD and an extended resolution DVD along with an LP  “to address the analog renaissance”. (Quote from Mellencamp’s website)

     The sound quality is a solid A, even on the CD.  The DVD enclosed uses Burnett’s CODE format to put 24/96 audio on a DVD that can be read by standard DVD video players or you can download the hi-res files from MusicGiants in HD or Super HD surround, which is a MusicGiants exclusive.  Hard core digiphiles take note, this one is DRM free, so hats off to MG on this one!

    But enough technobabble, how’s the record?

    It’s damn good, to put it bluntly. I always felt the turning point in JM’s career was Whenever We Wanted. This record saw his songwriting mature and his talents as a musician and arranger took a quantum leap as well. With the help of T Bone Burnett, this record has a very stripped down feel, somewhat similar to Dance Naked.  You can tell that some of the creativity that started with his production of the recent Robert Plant and Allison Krauss collaboration is still in full force here.

    True to the title, we hear Mellencamp in a much more reflective mood.  Having kids and getting older will do that to you.  He says it all in the opening track, “Sometimes you get sick and you don’t get better”.  Pretty heavy stuff from the guy that gave us “Jack and Diane”. 

    This one’s at the top of my list. —Jeff Dorgay

The Parlor Mob

Roadrunner, CD

     Their website claims “You better latch onto these guys now before they take over the world, blah blah…”

     While not quite as texturally complex as Led Zeppelin, or as gritty as early Black Crowes these guys are definitely on to something.  They certainly come across as a lot more genuine than Jet, that’s for sure.

     Looking more like the Allman Brothers in their early days, The Parlor Mob belts out the dozen tunes on this disc with enough feeling and great guitar riffs to keep any hard rock fan happy.

     Who knows, if these guys had been playing clubs in England in the 60’s, they might have given Zep a bit of a run for their money?  But it’s one thing to make a good album; it’s another to write “Stairway”.  Keep these guys on your list and let’s see what they come up with next. —Jeff Dorgay

Modern Guilt

     Audiophile alert!  If sound quality matters in the least to you, step away from the CD rack and forget about this disc, it is very compressed and crunchy; the CD almost sounds like a poorly setup turntable that is mistracking.

     However if you’d like to indulge yourself on a somewhat fun “Beck meets Kraftwerk” album, go for it.  Collaborating with Danger Mouse (The Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley), Modern Guilt is definitely a lot of fun.

     Filled with a lot of techno beats and retro synthesizer beats.  The lyrics are as trippy as the sounds, with almost all of the titles only having one or two words.  The second you press play on the first song, you know what you are in for when Beck sings, “I think I’m stranded but I don’t know where. I got this diamond that don’t know how to shine.”

     WTF.  It’s good fun and worth the money because of it. You were expecting Duffy?—Jeff Dorgay

T Bone Burnett

Nonesuch, CD

     Tom Waits and T Bone Burnett, separated at birth?  Perhaps, but perhaps quite a bit more.  The record starts with the song, “Anything I Say Can and Will be Used Against You”, where Burnette sings “People tell me I look like hell, well I am hell” and you suddenly feel like this might be part of a collection of lost tracks from Tom Waits’ Mule Variations album.

     Jump ahead a couple more tracks and by the third track, “The Slowdown” this record has completely changed direction and takes on a Godley and Creme-esq feel.  Remember “Art School Canteen”?  Yep, this T Bone guy has wacky taste indeed, because two songs later we find ourselves in a hard core George Harrison groove.

     I’ll leave the remaining five tracks for you to discover.  If you like bizarro art-school music that has a very sparse, ethereal feel, executed to a T, this one should be right up your alley.  Definitely a disc that should clear unwanted friends out of your living room, or female vocal lovers out of your favorite hifi show demo.

     The hipsters will get it, though.—Jeff Dorgay

Motley Crue

Eleven Seven Music, CD

     Though I was well out of college by the time Motley Crue and their hair band brethren hit the hard rock scene, I wasn’t too old to enjoy a heavy band that played terribly loud and sang songs that centered around getting laid.

     The Crue were always fairly proficient metal heads, but they are starting to show their age.  Saints is definitely a decent album and if you are a hard-core fan you should pick it up just to show your solidarity, though I doubt they will widen their fan base with this record. 

     My favorite track on the album is “Chicks = Trouble” for obvious reasons, but listening to a bunch of fifty year old guys singing “I don’t want to go to school, I don’t want to get a real job”, just doesn’t wash. For the last ten years or so while these guys were bickering many of us have moved on.

     Marc Phillips’ sons put it best, “But they aren’t Tool.”

—Jeff Dorgay

Ojos De Brujo

Six Degrees, CD

     What could be completely different from a new Motley Crue album?  Ojos De Brujo!  However, this is on one level just a different kind of party music if you think about it.

     A nine-piece group from Barcelona, ODB describes themselves as “hip hop with a little flamenco”.  I’d call it closer to a 50/50 mix, with a healthy dose of cool R&B licks thrown in the mix along with a dash of electronic/dub beats to wind it up. (And I know these guys had to have grown up listening to Herb Alpert and Brazil 66 records!)

     This record is recorded live from their 2006 tour and is one of the best sounding live records to come across my desk in a long time.  If you are a world music lover, put this one on the top of your list.  ODB’s take on the Bob Marley classic, “Get up, Stand up” is sublime.

     Start the party with the Crue and cool it down with ODB.  Fantastic.—Jeff Dorgay

Tim Hockenberry

Back in Your Arms

About Records, CD

     Sometimes the postman leaves gold in the mailbox. Brought to my attention by Mike Regan, the guy that used to manage Jacqui Naylor, I had a good feeling about this.

     After a quick look at the jacket photo, I was not prepared for the voice on the disc inside.  Hockenberry looks a lot more like a movie star than someone with so much soul.  While he’s been compared to Joe Cocker, Hockenberry is a bit more accessible, without giving up anything stylistically. 

     Back in Your Arms is a mix of original songs and some pretty well known covers.  Considering the strength of Hockenberry’s originals, I hope that his next release is completely his own, this guy has more than enough talent to carry his compositions.  My favorite track was 100 MPH, a song about escaping a failed relationship.

     What makes this record such a success is the way Hockenberry, bridges the gap between tugging at you emotionally without being corny, combining a great feel on the keyboard with the slightest touch of twang creeping in now and then.  To top it all off, the recording is very tastefully done, with a lot of air and depth, so the audiophiles in the crowd will dig this one too.—Jeff Dorgay

Sandro Perri

Tiny Mirrors

Constellation, CD

     You can’t get further from that, as Tiny Mirrors is about as acoustic and natural as you can get… A wonderful mix of jazzy guitar, retro organs, light and airy woodwinds, with internationally flavored percussion, all recorded in a wonderful atmosphere that comes across as clearly as any I’ve heard on record.

     On Tiny Mirrors we get to experience Sandro’s elegant and authentic voice with arrangements provided by Perri and a cadre of local (Toronto) talented musicians who purportedly improvised most of the instrumentation.

     While it can be difficult to hear how an improvised approach by an original artist manifests itself on unheard songs; but there’s one cover track on this album, Fred Neil’s, “Everybody’s Talkin’” that gives the listener an idea of how imaginative and unique Sandro Perri’s taste really is.

     Track seven, “You’re The One” captures the vibe of Tiny Mirrors as one of those escapist/transporting albums with arrangements and instrumentation taking the listener to another time yet balanced with vocal and lyric styles as modern and distinctive as any today.—Sandy Greene

The Luyas

Faker Death

In Tone Audio Magazine’s Issue 16, I interviewed Secret City Record’s Andrew Rose. He recommended a few local artists to check out as well as a fantastic little record store, called Phonopolis, right on Parc Avenue in Montreal’s Mile End district. No surprise Andrew recommended The Luyas after hearing how much I enjoyed Miracle Fortress. Jessie Stein, the lead singer of The Luyas is a guitarist and backup vocalist in Miracle Fortress.

The tracks have the kind of dramatic scale and orchestration you would find in an Eric Matthews album.  Jessie’s soft vocals quivering to start, find some force behind bold brass and pounding drums performed by the rest of the trio, Pietro Amato and Stefan Schneider of local Montreal outfit, Bell Orchestre. Pietro is also former alum of Arcade Fire’s horn section.

Raw freshly strung and strummed electric guitar is driven by powerful semi-spastic drumming and accentuated by startling horn blasts and swells. The poetic lyrics are dark and painful, yet Jessie sings less with desperation and more with hope.

Faker Death is a beautifully ambient recording that throws the sound stage all over the room. It can get a little spooky as sounds come expectantly from in front, to spooky whispering just besides your ears.

If you like the quiet vocals and unique arrangements of the band Ida and are familiar with the similar yet slightly stronger songs of the band Tsunami, you will love Faker Death by The Luyas.  The arrangements on Faker Death are just a tad less stark than the average Ida track while the energy slots somewhere between the melancholy vibe of Ida and the more frantic vibe of Tsunami.

This is a hard to find album by a small Montreal trio that is completely worth checking out… I’m glad I took the blind chance on Andrew’s recommendation.—Sandy Greene

Bonnie “Prince” Billy 

Lie Down in the Light

Drag City, CD

     After 2006’s The Letting Go, I’ve been hooked on the music of Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy (the moniker he’s adopted over the last decade or so).  Oldham/BPB has one of the most unique voices in modern folk and independent rock, a tentative and shaky voice that replaces confidence with conviction, allowing the most vulnerable of emotions to slip through at inconvenient times. With Lie Down in the Light, Oldham returns to his roots in Americana and produces his most country-tinged record yet.

     Oldham relies on a large assembly of noted Nashville musicians (the album is produced by Mark Nevers of Lambchop) to provide amazingly refined arrangements, full of unexpectedly lucid contributions from banjos, trombones, clarinets and the occasional pedal steel guitar. Oldham’s modern aesthetics won’t remind you of the Grand Ole Opry, but these songs will show you just how vital and forward-thinking the Nashville music scene is, and why it’s currently such a haven for talent.

     Most BPB albums are paragons of consistency, which means that while Oldham rarely hits a manic and barely contained sense of exuberance, he never lapses into complacency either.  The quiet, almost spooky feel to “(Keep Eye On) Other’s Gain” is punctuated by Will’s humming and a slap or two on the side of his acoustic guitar, which actually serves to heighten the tension.  “So Everyone” may stir up a hornet’s nest of lust, however, as he asks his lady love “O kneel down and please me” right before he exalts “I’m a good person and free, and she loves me.”  Bonnie “Prince” Billy is good, very good, and with a few more gears
he might just hook a larger audience. —Marc Phillips

Columbia, CD

     Seeing Things was recorded in the Hollywood Hills home of producer Rick Rubin, which explains the aforementioned purity.  Rubin is famous for stripping down established artists and exposing their naked talents, and Jakob is up to the challenge. 
I always felt that while he was in the Wallflowers, Dylan clutched tenuously to some of his father’s vocal mannerisms as if he was providing a bridge to a new generation of fans.  On this collection of songs, Jakob’s voice is richer, deeper and clearer than his father, effectively diluting any comparisons. 

     This isn’t about a man and a guitar, however, like the American Recordings series Rubin did with Johnny Cash.  Dylan is backed up with a spare yet talented trio including David Ferguson, Jason Boesel and Z. Berg (all listed merely as “musicians”).  Sometimes Jakob goes it alone, however, playing bass and guitar on songs such as “Valley of the Low Sun,” and confidently evoking his father while calling out “Hold on for the slow turning/Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em boys/This is bottom hiding out.” When it comes to lyrical invention, Jakob isn’t quite his father, but at least he’s his father’s son, which at times is more than enough.—Marc Phillips

Fleet Foxes 

Sub Pop, CD

     If you’re one of those music fans who believe there’s nothing new under the sun and that truly original music merely consists of disparate elements thrown together, you might be more than a little challenged by the eponymous debut of the Fleet Foxes.   While this Seattle quintet calls their music “baroque harmonic pop jams,” I think it’s downright otherworldly, mixing a Weavers-style folk sensibility with Americana, country, ‘60s psychedelia and a touch of Gregorian chant.  Listening to this music is like looking over your shoulder, and reliving the basest and most impressionistic memories you had of music back when you were a small child.

     That’s the fun of the Fleet Foxes—trying to describe their charms to others.  (I know I’m supposed to be a professional, but that doesn’t make it any easier.)  One moment I hear the influence of Arthur Lee, as if this music was a 21st century answer to Forever Changes.  In songs like “Your Protector,” however, I’m reminded of the earnestly dramatic sound of mid-’60s Ennio Morricone soundtracks or even Scott Walker. Other times I hear a more sacred element, as if Fleet Foxes were a band of minstrels performing madrigals and hymns in an old abandoned church in the middle of a forest.  The sound quality is indeed that big, full of reverb and as wet as a drop of water at the bottom of the ocean.

     If you’re thinking that the Fleet Foxes may be the crowning achievement of the trailing end of the Nu-folk Movement, then you may be selling them a little short.  It’s that timeless quality, best displayed in mournful songs such as “Heard Them Stirring” or the upbeat and hopeful “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” that makes me, a true music fan, look forward to the arc of progression this fascinating band achieves in future albums.  If you’ve grown rather bored with the current indie rock scene and its refusal to bring anything new to the folk or Americana genres, this just might the antidote. —Marc Phillips

Elbow

Fiction  

    Imagine Coldplay with a young Peter Gabriel as lead vocalist (and lyricist...thank God), and you might have a general idea of the Elbow sound.  Huge and melancholy, the sound of this Manchester-based band has always been balanced by epic silences, caused by equally epic sighs.  Their fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid, introduces an element of playfulness that finally counters the regret, which makes this most satisfying and complex Elbow album yet.

    For instance, “Grounds for Divorce” is marked by a blues stomp that's equal parts Led Zeppelin and an Apache war dance.  “An Audience With the Pope” is slowly propelled by a cabaret-style piano that perfectly underlines the irony in such lines as “Sweet Jesus I'm on fire/She has the sweetest darkest side.”  With the hilariously sinister “The Fix Is In,” lead singer Guy Garvey sings a duet with Blur's Richard Hawley in an arrangement that is imbued with the lust-filled fever of a long-lost Yma Camus song.

    With these songs growing ever more complex, however, it's becoming harder and harder to distinguish Elbow the band from a Guy Garvey solo effort, especially when the instrumentation is so downright lugubrious.  The musical whole that is created is obviously the priority here, but I wouldn't mind if someone broke through the gloom and grabbed some attention.  It's hard to complain, however, when the result is so ghostly and dramatic.  If you haven't investigated Elbow yet, this is an excellent place to start (with their debut Asleep at the Wheel next on your list).

—Marc Phillips

Flobots 

Universal Republic

    I have an audiophile pal in his late 50s who still can't believe that I listen to hip-hop, and he clings to that antiquated and stubborn mind frame that there's no musical value in rap. Fear of a Black Planet didn't convince him, nor did Stankonia. Something tells me, however, that Fight With Tools might. This debut album from the Denver-based Flobots combines the highly political and social outrage of Public Enemy and Rage Against the Machine with a musical sophistication rare in hip-hop these days.  Not only do the Flobots avoid excessive scratching and sampling techniques, but even add generous doses of viola and trumpet to their traditional rock band complement.

    As sort of a What's Going On for the 21st century, Fight With Tools paints the band's moral indignation with typically broad strokes.  The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is mentioned more than once, as is the Civil Rights Movement, the legalization of marijuana and even Barack Obama (which, according to the song “The Rhythm Method (Move!)” is Arabic for “withdraw from Vietnam”).  While political awareness is far from novel in the world of rap, the Flobots sweeten the pot with a stunning musical palette, flowing easily from rock, rap and funk, sometimes in the same song.  This band has a unique and exciting signature that at times gave me actual goosebumps.

    The soaring highlight of Fight With Tools, however, is the single “Handlebars.”  Tracing the corruption of our innocence by ambition, and then hate and greed, we're taken from “I can ride my bike with no handlebars” to “I can end the planet in a holocaust” in an alarmingly quick three minutes, with violist Mackenzie Roberts plucking a delicate and unwavering melody throughout this hell-in-a-handbasket ride.  For me, this is that rare song that only comes along every few years where I have to play it over and over until I'm exhausted.  The rest of Fight With Tools is almost as astonishing.—Marc Phillips

Mercury

    It's hard to believe that it's been 14 years since I first heard the song “Sour Times” on my car radio and wondered who was responsible for such a distinctive, evocative sound, the type of music that might grace the beginning of a James Bond film if David Lynch had taken over the franchise.  Indeed, it's been 11 years since Portishead has released an album, and while that same feeling of espionage still soaks through every minute of Third, the result is a bit more weary, tortured and agitated.  In other words, it's unlike anything else out there.

    That seems like a contradictory statement, since the Portishead sound seems more relevant and timely in 2008, where genres such as hyperdub have gained traction in the modern music scene.  Musically, Third doesn't really venture that far from most of the work being done in UK clubs these days, save for a surprisingly gentle ballad (such as “The Rip”) or two.  What truly sets Portishead apart from its contemporaries, however, is Beth Gibbons beautiful yet mercilessly haunted vocals.  When she sings “I don't know what I did to deserve you” on “Nylon Smile,” you're left wondering what kind of weapon she's hiding behind her back.

    While Portishead could never quite be mistaken for Katrina and the Waves, Third is by far the
darkest of their albums, and you're left wondering whether Gibbons, guitarist Adrian Utley and multi-instrumentalist/producer Geoff Barrows are genuinely okay.  Whether this album's pessimistic atmosphere is indicative of even “sourer” times (“We Carry On” and “Machine Gun,” for example, sounds like they belong on the next Scott Walker LP), or if there's some silver lining to be found somewhere (such as in the ukulele-driven “Deep Water”), Portishead continues to be a vital if dour presence in modern electronica.—Marc Phillips

She & Him 

Volume One 

Merge

    The pairing of singer-songwriter-producer M. Ward
and actress Zooey Deschanel is more than a lark, it's a genuine revelation.  Acting as sort of an anti-Winehouse, Deschanel is able to evoke the sound of the '60s with her clear and surprisingly lovely voice, bringing out the sunny innocence of the times without having to wink to her audience and slip to the dark side.  While other singers seem to believe that being retro means sipping endless cocktails, chain-smoking Chesterfields and going a little heavy with the eye liner, Deschanel (with the gentle guidance of Ward) puts forth the kind of girl-next-door

charm that's at home on the beach, or even a cattle ranch.

    Zooey wrote all but two of the songs in this collection (unless you count the uncredited version of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” a hidden track at the end), but you'd swear she unearthed some lost collection of songs from 40 years ago.  In “Change Is Hard,” she feels blue after crossing paths with the new girlfriend of a lost love, singing “So don't brag/Keep it to yourself/I did him wrong.”  On “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?” she tries to attract a new love by complaining “Why don't you come and play here?/I'm just sitting on the shelf.” 

    Deschanel and Ward also cover a couple of classics, first providing a slow, brooding and sexy version of “You Really Got a Hold On Me” (probably the closest the album comes to downright lust), and a deep honky-tonk version of the Beatles' “I Should Have Known Better.”  Ward scores points by accurately rendering a sound that does make you question whether you're really listening to something new, or if this is really someone's lost master tapes that were accidentally misplaced by some unscrupulous recording engineer. The title of this refreshing LP indicates that more is to come...and I'll be looking forward to Volume Two.—Marc Phillips

Your Vegas 

Universal Republic

    While there are many bands today that evoke a sort of '80s retro sound (The Killers, Muse, Hot Hot Heat), most of their influences come from the pantheon of Goth Rock, most notably The Cure, Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees.  Your Vegas might be the first modern band I've heard that reminds me of the music I was actually listening to through college, so-called “Big Music” from the likes of The Waterboys, Wire, Simple Minds, Big Country and early (I'm talking October) U2.  Most of this genre was characterized by what Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn used to call “guitar heraldry,” or giant anthems full of hope and Gibson Explorers.

    In other words, this quintet from Leeds hides behind a surprisingly optimistic wall of sound on their debut album.  On “Aurora,” for instance, singer Coyle Girelli may sound a bit naïve when he claims that the “world is turning just for us,” even though these warm feelings are tempered with vodka lemonade and the expectation of disappointment. If there one downside to youth, it is this innocence and melodrama that may make a young man sing out “I'm sorry I said/It's just a feeling in my head” after making references to James Dean and Elma Green.

    Despite these simplistic and defiantly hopeful lyrics (at one point Girelli begs a friend to promise “that you'll live to 93”...why not 94?) Your Vegas offers the kind of heart-on-your-sleeve guitar-driven music that takes me back to my college days, when Reagan was early into his presidency, compact discs loomed on the horizon and Marvin Gaye was still alive.  After all of the hype surrounding neo-Goth (Love and Rockets is even planning a reunion), I'm all for this type of nostalgia.

—Marc Phillips

Scarlett Johansson

ATCO

    I’m not the first to say this, and I probably won’t be the last, but this one really blows.  I really hate it when big bucks movie stars get top shelf records produced because of their star power, when perfectly good musicians are starving.  (Don’t get me started on rock stars that can’t act, either)  When my pal Terry gave me this CD and told me to give it a chance, I did that because he has great taste in music. 

    Sorry bud, I can’t go there.  While Marc begged me to take it out of my car CD player after 15 seconds, I listened to the whole damn thing.  The sad thing is that the musicians on this record are quite good and the recording is awfully good.  If Anywhere I lay my Head only had a good singer.

    This record is a compilation of Tom Waits songs and I can’t understand why someone would go here for their record debut.  It comes off kind of like Julee Cruise on Quaaludes.  It’s like that feeling you get if you’ve ever heard a crappy garage band try to cover Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, you just feel really sorry for them.  Good thing Ms. Scarlett pulls down about 10 million a movie.—Jeff Dorgay

Dark Side of The Moon, The Bootleg Series

Ytsejam  Records

    Speaking of bands covering Pink Floyd, here’s one that makes you want to raise your hand with a lighter to the sky.  Dream Theater has become famous for playing a classic album in its entirety when they play more than one night in a row at a particular venue.  Fortunately for DT fans, drummer Mike Portnoy has been recording these and they have been out for distribution for some time now.

    While Pink Floyd is somewhat sacred territory to us boomers, Dream Theater does an awesome job of performing this legendary material, in many ways quite a bit better than some of the incantations of PF that only included part of the original members.  If you are a Dream Theater fan and didn’t catch one of these performances you will love it and I think even the most hard core Pink Floyd fan will appreciate what has been accomplished here.  If you like this one, check out their covers of Deep Purple’s Made in Japan and Metallica’s Master of Puppets.  I love you, goodnight!

—Jeff Dorgay

Jordan Zevon

New West Records

    Discussing this record with Jordan the other day, we were chatting about the generally good review that his first record has racked up and he said “But no ones’ given me five stars yet”.  Well buddy, here’s your five star review.

    If your favorites in the pop genre include Todd Rundgren, XTC, 10cc and Matthew Sweet, you are going to love this record.  All of the tracks on Insides Out are original compositions except for “Studebaker” that was one of his fathers previously unreleased tracks.  This is the only part of the record where Jordan sounds like his dad and it’s just fine with me.

    What makes Zevon a genius is that he borrows but doesn’t steal.  If you are a student of pop, you can definitely hear all of the influences on this record. (I swore he was channeling Badfinger on “Home” and “Camila Rose” really has a bit of a Something/Anything feel)  To top it off, the songwriting is fantastic, that perfect blend of clever and fun, without being smug. From the first chorus of “The Jokes on Me”, you will be hooked.

    This is my favorite record of the year so far.  Read the article in the upcoming issue of TONEAudio Magazine to get the rest of my conversation with Jordan.—Jeff Dorgay

Teddy Thompson

A Piece of What You Need

Verve Forcast

     Oddly enough, this record sounds a lot more like Warren Zevon than Jordan Zevon’s record did.  Teddy Thompson’s last record Up Front and Down Low had a lot more of a hard core country groove to it and this one has much more of a pop feel.  Thompson said “I think this is my pop record, but I’m not really sure, because I’m not sure what that word means anymore.” 

     I’m not sure he does either, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a very enjoyable record.  The recording is fantastic, with a very open and airy feel to it with some fan