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| What's
on Disc by Thomas Schulte |
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| NEWS
AND VIEWS ***** |
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| SISTERS
ARE DOIN' IT FOR THEMSELVES |
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| Singer-songwriter
Rhonda Everitt has a warm, likeable voice that recalls Natalie
Merchant. She is the center of the band Rhe (http://rhesounds.com)
and is heard excellently framed by piano-based pop rock on Fairy
Tales and Happy Endings (Reach For The Sky)… Lisa Madison
offers pop colored at times with jazz and then blues and then rock
and then something else of the solid and very professional Kiss
The Sun (Rhombus Records; http://www.Rhombus-Records.com).
This includes a reggae-touched version of "Imagine". This
is a Microsoft HDCD recording and as such has peerless sound quality…
Vanessa Renée (http://www.vanessareneeonline.com)
recalls Tori Amos and Kate Bush in her own vocal-oriented
piano song. You can hear her rich trove of song on Stones
(Rising Siren Records)… Natalie Flanagan entertains with
intimate, personally delivered songs on the simply titled Let
(One Way Productions, http://www.onewayproductions.com).
Her AAA path is fringed with the rambling roses of country rock
for an unornamented for rooted style, plain and direct. Anny
Celsi (http://www.AnnyCelsi.com)
has a great pulp fiction theme in the packaging and liner notes
to Little Black Dress & Other Stories (Ragazza Music).
However, the aesthetic quality of the music is of a much higher
quality: that is, hit material folk pop. There is an especially
bright string of memorable songs in the title track, "Summer
Fling" and "Day After Tomorrow"… Bonnie Hayes
(http://BonnieHayes.com)
wrote songs for Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, David Crosby, Booker
T. & The MG's and more. Hear her performing her own, full, upbeat
pop-country songs on Love in the Ruins (Bondage Records;
http://BondageRecords.com)…
EG Kight (http://www.EGKight.com)
is a potent blues vocalist and guitar player that will win over
fans of Bonnie Raitt. Her CD Southern Comfort
(Blue South Records) is mostly swinging, upbeat electric blues.
It waxes especially poignant on her moving rendition of John
Prine's "Angel from Montgomery"… Kat Terran (http://www.katterran.com)
has a highly varied album of acoustic and electric pop rock with
stringed instruments in support (cello, violin, upright bass). This
excellent collection of songs is called Lion & Blue
(Little Roar Records)… Either Ani DiFranco has had that big
of an impact on the singer-songwriter scene, or she has had that
big of an impact on me. Either way, I hear a new compelling artist
each month that brings Ani to mind. This month, it is Allison
Tartalia (http://allisontartalia.com).
Allison is much more than an occasionally funky, hip neo-folk artist
with a snappy vocal delivery though. She also can sing in rich,
pop-blues style and adds a jazzy touch to her music with horns.
Check out her album called Ready (Make Haste! Records)… |
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| JULY
2003 REVIEWS >>>>>>>>>> |
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 Yeah
Yeah Yeahs
Fever to Tell
Universal Music/Interscope
http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com
http://www.umusic.ca
Siren vocalist Karen O leads her rock deconstructionist trio with
squealing delight. The punk-styled sexual energy makes the group
sound like a cross between the earliest incarnations of Blondie
and The Runaways. Their instruments could be trashcans and junkyard
guitars, the rock is so rugged on Fever to Tell. The Brooklyn
trio has no need of bass and makes due with a single guitar in their
unadorned punk rock that has hints of darkish Goth rock like the
rugged Australian punks bands The Birthday Party and such. There's
more to this band then Karen O's hip dresses and sexy bangs. Check
out the music, because it is all there. (4.5) |
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 Gossip
Movement
Kill Rock Stars
http://www.killrockstars.com/
http://www.gossipyouth.com
The second release from Gossip is a stunning gospel-soul-blues-punk
ruckus. Full of driving rhythm and undeniable energy this is as
impressive a sophomore effort as any. Movement is party music
for when you do not care if something gets broke and something gets
spilled. Put this in your CD player and press play, and you open
a whole can of fiery blooze punk with a mean, primitive bottom end.
(4) |
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 The
Bellrays
Raw Collection
Upper Cut Records
http://uppercutrecords.com
http://thebellrays.com
"Punk and soul" is the best way to describe the music from this
soul-styling, punked-up rock band. This retrospective is subtitle
"A collection of 7", 8", compilation tracks and occasional stray
dogs from 1995 to 2002." These "odds and sods" typify a muscular,
serpentine blend of the emotive (soul) and explosive (punk). Rather
than try to mollify this dynamic blend with nicey-nice vocals, lead
vocalist Lisa Kekaula deals it out just as unrestrained as the rest
of the quartet. Her husky delivery moves this band into the arena
of the early, '60's Detroit-Ann Arbor rock-n-soul of MC5, The Rationals
and The Up. Take "maximum R&B" of The Who's Live at Leeds
crossed with The Stooges Fun House and you have an idea of
what Raw Collection is. (4.5) |
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 Culper
Ring
355
Neurot Recordings
http://neurotrecordings.com
Culper Ring is a trio making ethereal, floating space music. The
supergroup trio is Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Kris Force (Amber
Asylum) and Mason Jones (Subarachnoid Space). This side project
has history back to 1997. One-day improv jams from 1997, 1998 and
2001 are the source material for this recording. Gentle, recurring
guitar themes tend to be the basis for length idyllic and untitled
tracks featuring sparsely scatter oases of vocals and environmental
sounds/noises. The calm and mysterious music is mostly instrumental
with vocals from each member at different times. The entire album
a grand experiment in sound from an experienced threesome is mastered
by the masterful Robert Rich, thus ensuring pristine sound from
the casual recordings made by Culper Ring. (4) |
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Gothica
The Cliff of Suicide
Cold Meat Industry/Cruel Moon
Italy's duo of Alessandra Santovito and Roberto Del Vecchio offer
majestically mysterious, creepy downbeat darkwave on The Cliff
of Suicide. The title song is also on the CD in an AVI video
with different arrangement. Sinister thoughts become enhanced by
the gentle but ghostly strains of keyboard horns and strings showcasing
Alessandra's voice. Sweetly melancholy, this gem was mastered by
Peter Andersson (Raison d'Être) assuring excellent sound. (3.5) |
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Les
Baton Rouge
Chloe Yurtz
Elevator Music
http://www.ElevatorMusic.com
This European post-punk indie rock band sounds to me like what would
happen if John Lydon took to producing indie rock bands today. Chloe
Yurtz is like a cross between PiL and L7. The guitar band is
also strong in vocals. The quartet is divided evenly between the
sexes, with, it sounds like, everybody contributing to vocals. The
women of Les Baton Rouge definitely take the lion's share of the
vocals and the group has a history of feminist activism. All this
lends toward a revival Riot Grrl sound. Energetic and fun, the band's
old-school feel is refreshing in this day and age. (4) |
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 Loaded
Dreams
In It But Not Of It
Loaded Dreams
http://www.LoadedDreams.com
info@LoadedDreams.com
Dream-pop from Loaded Dreams is a soft, hazy, bemusing spell that
fills a room with a warm, pleasant aura. Vocalist Lynda Kady sees
her vocals accented by the tasteful inclusion of brown-toned viola
on this album. Some of the music has a somewhat dark undertone,
like the Bauhaus opening to "Collide", but this is generally feel-good
music with a sunny atmosphere. Loaded Dreams is a more open, upward
looking and smiling descendant of the shoegazing sound. (4) |
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 Mari
Boine
Remixed
NorthSide
http://www.noside.com
Mari Boine gives modern interpretation to ancient, shamanistic music
styles of the Scandinavia's Samis in her music. These songs are
delivered in a chant-like, wordless style known as yoiking. On this
album, the music is further updated by being remixed through the
minds of Jah Wobble, Bill Laswell, Future Prophecies and more. Each
artist leaves intact the mystic, powerful spell of Boine's Laplander
magico-religious intonations. (4) |
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 Betty
Blowtorch
Last Call
Foodchain Records
http://www.foodchainrecords.com
While this is nominally a Betty Blowtorch album it really is a celebration
of bassist vocalist Bianca Butthole through rarities and live recordings
made with Betty Blowtorch and Butt Trumpet. (Bianca passed away
in a December 2001 car crash.) This is an incredible compilation
of great rock tunes from her history, certainly not anything thrown
together for a memorial. Collectors should take note that the Betty
Blowtorch Get Off EP (1999) produced by Duff McKagan (Guns
N' Roses) is heavily sampled here. This was a band that exuded power
and rock-n-roll attitude live and the extra helping of live tracks
is a bonus here, as well as the obscure demos and more. The full-color
16-page booklet has complete personnel listings and an overview
of Bianca's career. (4.5) |
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Flaming
Fire
Songs from the Shining Temple
Perhaps Transparent Records
http://www.PerhapsTransparent.com
http://www.flamingfire.com
The weird and wonderful world of Flaming Fire features the siren
call of two singing/screeching ladies (Lauren Weinstein and Kate
Hambrecht). It is a strange intersection between The Gruesomes,
The Fuckemos and Lynyrd Skynyrd. It is juke joint punk that changes
moods and styles so fast that unprepared listeners may be thrown
into the ditch and hurt at one of the hairpin curves. With this
is a heavy streak of '80s electro-pop, that is a wide vein of early
and edgy New Wave runs through this eclectic album. Throw equal
parts B-52s and Kraftwerk into the mix and we will just about be
there. (4) |
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_________________________________
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DID
YOU MISS ANY OF TOM SCHULTE'S REVIEWS?
BACK ISSUES:
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_________________________________
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Outsight
brings to light non-mainstream music, film, books, art, ideas and
opinions.
Published, somewhere, monthly since July 1991. Feel free to re-print
this article.
Ratings are (1) = :(, (5) = :)
"Don't be normal, be natural!"
Visit or Join Outsight's Web ring: http://d.webring.com/hub?ring=music1432
Outsight Radio Hours Webcasts
Sundays 6pm-8pm EST @
http://www.outsight.mu
NEW MAILING ADDRESS:
Tom 'Tearaway' Schulte,
5224 Shoreline Blvd.,
Waterford, MI 48329-1670
E-mail Outsight at: outsight@usa.net |
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_________________________________
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Get audiobooks through http://www.audible.com.
If you sign up, tell 'em "tearaway" sent you so I get a free book!
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