Be With
Stones Throw
B
This compilation of Koushik’s first three EPs adds up to a perfect hazy afternoon album; slow, dreamlike vocals and instrumentation are coupled with heavy bass hits that keep you moving. The lazy, warm vibe makes me want to dress up like one of the Stone Roses, indulge in a smoke and nod my grinning head to the beat. —Nathan Walker
Knuckle Down
Righteous Babe
B-
Ani DiFranco recordings are socially provocative and politically conscious. “Knuckle Down” is no exception as DiFranco weaves abstract metaphors into personal anthems of a woman confronting anything from the uncertainties of falling in love to the final acceptance of buried issues with her family. The only real surprise comes by way of DiFranco’s first-time allowance of an outsider—singer songwriter Joe Henry—to co-produce one of her intimate self-portrayals. This 12-track set easily rivals any of her past projects; just don’t expect anything terribly innovative in substance or style. —Tony Engelhart
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Clutch’s Graceland show July 3, 2004 easily makes the top five or six in my list of all-time supreme concerts. And I’ve seen a lot. These two discs are a documentary of the music played on tour that summer. Not for the first-time consumer, but for those who already worship at the altar, this is Clutch’s marathon “An Evening With,” set from the working class sanctuary of the Machine Shop in Flint. While impossible to totally capture the live energy that is Clutch, this release is as close as it gets, rife with the accustomed Gibson magic and charismatic mastery of the English language. Dan holds down the thickness of this weird-ass Appalachia-core as usual, and JP throws the beat on us so hard he should be arrested for homicide—his hits KILL. And while not usually one to appreciate keyboards with my metal background, new friend Mick Schauer’s presence on the Hammond would scare Richie Blackmore (of Deep Purple fame).
This live collection highlights much of 2004’s “Blast Tyrant” material, while rarities and the oft-bootlegged classics have been refined with more accessible pacing and snap. There is some sick mixing and sound quality—not high falutin’—and the experience and musicianship are obvious. Both CDs are enhanced with still photos and video—truly my album of the year. Just when we figured it would be a while before they swing over this coast again, we get the big news they are to play a mini-leg, just TWO dates… where? Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Are they returning just to honor our worthiness? Because our alfalfa is so sweet? To record a DVD? Whatever the account, we thank thee. —Wendy Colton
Clutch will be playing February 4 at El Corazon (formerly Graceland) for the Seattle venue’s grand re-opening.
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On this album, Sea and Cake guitarist Archer Prewitt has recorded some of the dreamiest folk pop ever heard; think whimsy, kite flying and making love in the sunshine. It’s a fine line Prewitt walks between beauty and kitsch, but trust me, he never steps one toe over it. Paul Simon and Cat Stevens fans have found a new torchbearer. —Nathan Walker
Come Across
Nonzero
A
From the use of warm white noise in the album’s first song, “Scouthall,” to the next track’s Robert Quine-esque guitar solo (R.I.P), every song seems to be warding itself against death. Yet even in the darkest corner there is a subtle current of hope. Songwriter Jamie Hutchings and company channel everyone from Calexico to Aimee Mann, but even the influences at their most obvious have been turned and tinted by Bluebottle Kiss’ unique vision. —TL
Agnes, Queen of Sorrow & No More Workhorse Blues (CD Singes)
Palace Records/Drag City
A
Bonnie “Prince” Billy is Palace, AKA Will Oldham. And while these CD singles are covers of earlier Palace music, other than the lyrics and the unmistakable broken tones of Oldham’s voice, they sound nothing like the originals. From his latest LP, “Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy sings Greatest Palace Music,” these Palace covers are done with the accompaniment of some of the finest studio musicians in Nashville. For fans, these are definitely worth owning, but if you’re not a fan of country or were confused by Oldham’s autoharp and tight, white pants when he opened for Björk, you might want to wait until his next release. —Josh Davis
Tepid Peppermint Winderland
Tee Pee Records
C+
Love ‘em or hate ‘em is pretty much the only reaction heard about Anton Newcombe and his band. Well known for crazy antics at live shows, “Tepid Peppermint Wonderland” (a two-disc retrospective) attempts to show the world that Newcombe should be remembered for more than punching his bandmates. Now, I may love ‘em but this compilation of hits lack the passion and fury that builds as you listen to an album like “Strung Out In Heaven” in its entirety. —NW
Horus
Secretly Canadian
C-
Like Pamela Anderson’s breasts, the music on “Horus” is perky and fake. Although the songs are solidly constructed, it feels like half the band showed up at the studio because they owed a favor. Fittingly, songs like “Putrefaction” are superficial, with no depth, emotions or hooks to recommend them. The two songs memorable enough for mention, “The Will” and “Survival,” overcome their deficiencies and assuage doubt by upping the beat and outrunning the listener. —TL
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Ever since the dissolution of Faith No More, Patton has turned himself into quite the chameleonic singer working with artists as disparate as Dan The Automator and John Zorn. On this disc, Patton is able to combine his ability to croon with the chilling wordless tones he conjures up over the soundscapes of Norwegian native John Kaada. Kaada is able to stitch together rhythms and instruments in dramatic and cinematic ways that invoke sonic wunderkinds like Ennio Morricone and Nurse With Wound. Creepy, stirring and unforgettable. —Robert Ham
Mouthfeel
Daemon Records
B+
Jangling in on bare chord riffs and three part harmonies, Magnapop has perfected that hazy garage rock that has vaulted lesser bands to stardom. You’re not listening to songs like “Satellite” for technical mastery; you’re listening because there’s something sweet, wise, and sorrowful in the way those voices join up to sing the chorus. —TL
Constant Evolution
Grey Label Recordings
B-
Hip hop’s not dead. It’s just in need of a blood transfusion. LA Producer Todd Mumford is contributing his part with his cadre of various underground emcees, and while this disc isn’t quite a transfusion, it’s a needed progression—definitely medicinal. The tracks are slightly uneven, but the inclusion of downtempo and house elements had me hooked. The styles are all over the map, but there are more than a few certifiably fresh selections. Mum’s the Word ain’t no doctor, but they bring a little life to the game. —KM
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Sole’s new release is not, as the title suggests, a live recording from a show in Italy. It is a distress call from the fumbling Baby Huey known as the US, and is certainly Sole’s most impressive work to date. With lines such as “after the next earthquake hits/this heart will be the only thing left standing/I built it with my fingernails,” “Live From Rome” features a bleak and apocalyptic view of the future, yet Sole is struggling to salvage some form of humanity from the myriad of blind, patriotic America. A brilliant release. —Robert Hanna
Get Off the Ground If You're Scared
Kringle Recordings
B-
From the first notes of this debut LP, one might be reminded of Death Cab for Cutie, but upon further listen, much more uniqueness is heard. Like DCFC, leadman Chis du Bray has a knack for weaving enchanting lyrics and delicate vocals through aerial-lullaby melodies. But du Bray’s voice also has a nice David Pirner quality to it, and it meshes wonderfully with Rachel Bowman’s backing vocals and cello. The rest of the crew is very adept, providing rich tones including fresh keyboard parts and tight drumming. I have a feeling this band has just gotten off the ground, ready to explore their vast musical possibilities. —Brian Kidd
The Cosmic Game
ESL Music
B
Everything you’d expect from Thievery, but not more… which isn’t bad at all. Maybe what you didn’t anticipate was the inclusion of the Flaming Lips, David Byrne and Perry Farrell, but they all fit perfectly into the Corp’s style. Coming straight out of the heart of Babylon (Washington, DC), this is a needed antidote to our stagnant times. Not overly political and definitely not bombastic, Thievery weaves a distinctly anti-war theme into the multi-culti beats it’s known for. But most of all, the music is best when you’re high (naturally). —KM
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Sparse melodies and angular leads populate the low-key world of Treasure State. Distorted guitars are shunned and lyrics are impressionistic and open to interpretation. Drums loop in the background and the vocals are high and ragged with sincerity, their intermittent cracks infusing the proceedings with an added sense of inscrutable vulnerability. And while the minimalist songwriting wears thin sometimes and the middle third of the album occasionally suffers from a lack of any dynamic structure, “Migration” has a subtle charm lurking behind the chiming guitars. —Brian Graham
Deep Throat Anthology: Parts 1 & 2
Light in the Attic Records
B
When I got this CD, all I wanted was some good, sleazy, fun-to-fuck-to action. I had visions of the pizza guy or the disorderly orderly with mirrors on the wall and a microphone in the frame. What I got was not the music that filled the foreplay, the fuck scenes and the facials, but the actual theme songs to the infamous porn movies themselves. Though not quite what I was hoping for, this collection can easily hold its own against some of the best blaxploitation and action film/TV series songs of the ‘70s. —JD
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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Original Soundtrack)
Hollywood Records
B
“Rushmore” may be Wes Anderson’s best soundtrack (and movie), but “The Life Aquatic” scores points for taste and originality. I ask, how can he lose with choice cuts from David Bowie, Iggy and the Stooges, Scott Walker, and the Zombies combined with lively instrumental doodles from longtime collaborator Mark Mothersbaugh? (Answer: He can’t.) But what really sets this soundtrack apart from most—including Anderson’s own “Bottle Rocket” and “The Royal Tenenbaums”—are Brazilian artist Seu Jorge’s lo-fi acoustic versions of early Bowie hits like “Starman” and “Rebel Rebel.” —Kathleen C Fennessy
Worst CD of the Month
She Like Electric
Pattern 25
X
Smoosh is a novelty act, nothing more. They get heaps of praise because they are two young girls, but if they were 22 and put out an album of such half-assed pop no one would give a shit. The novelty of their age has gotten them a record deal and a bunch of good shows, both things that much better local musicians deserve more. I hope their 15 minutes are about over and people can start paying attention to bands that rock again. —Dan Halligan