Ky-Mani Marley - Radio

Ghetto Youths International/Vox/Purfek Storm/Reality

Yes, this is the offspring of Marley. But don't expect a rejuvenation of Legend or any other Bob Marley album. Rather, the offspring of Marley is just that: the soul and heart of the legend, but the music of another's life. Ky-Mani, unlike most of the other 11 Marley children, grew up in the ghettos of the USA, living in what many people in this country exist in: a 2 room apartment, housing 8. Ky-Mani followed his fathers ideals, but not his direction. His original calling was sports, which he actually continued with most of his life. Finally, after a collaboration with Pras of the Fugees, Ky-Mani Marley started his musical career. Now, years later, he's opening for the reunited Van Halen (with the joke that is David Lee Roth), and making Radio fully accessible to all.
Radio is a woven fabric of hip-hop mentality, intertwined with the roots and sensibility of his father's legacy. He takes on the mentality of universal equality, along with vague strains of reggae progressions, but these are not the norm. Instead, we have an instrument-infused hip hop album. Marley's songs are well developed and well produced, unlike 90% of the new hip hop coming out these days. His choice in song topics are what Marley might have done today: "The March" is an anti-war/anti-street violence connection. While I'm sad to see him opening for such a pathetic excuse for a band, it's great to see someone with some talent getting recognition in the mainstream.

Hanne Hukkelberg - Rykestrasse 68

Nettwerk RELEASE DATE APRIL 4TH

So the first thing I want to address is that Hukkelberg was a member of Funeral: the band that actually invented Funeral Doom. While probably every reader here will have no idea what I'm talking about, this is one of the best bands to come of out Norway, in my opinion. Yes, that is a heavy load for such an unknown band, but the band changed a lot of sounds in the world of Doom metal.
As for Rykestrasse 68, we don't have slow, heavily distorted guitars or pounding beats of depressing melody. I take that back. We most certainly have depressing melody. But no metal. I swear, no metal. Hukkelberg lies instead in that small vein of awkward female indie-fuzion that has blown up over the last 10 years: Joanna Newsome, Regina Spector, Bjork, and so on.
It isn't something that anyone can do: the music creation is just as much the artwork as the actual finished project. Rykestrasse 68 is a haunting blend of a thousand vocal tracks that should have come out of an Elfman piece and a strange form of jazz that I couldn't, for the life of me, put a label on. Her voice is quiet but self assured, and is so suitingly perfect for this recording. Instruments on here include toy pianos, cellos, acoustic guitars, typewriters, kitchen utensils, a cat purring and a spinning bicycle wheel. Wow.

Garth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits Double CD and DVD

Pearl

Love him or hate him, Brooks is a legend. So big, in fact, that he needs two persona's. Ha ha. I know. I'll stop with the bad music geek knowledge jokes. So Brooks, not only having two recorded personas, is also the highest grossing solo artist in history, beating out Elvis Presley with 123 million records sold in the United States alone. He's won award after award, notable mention after hit album, yadda ya after yadda ya. He has the power of kings with how much he's done, and all before he's 50. I don't think there is a person on Earth who isn't at least a little envious of his career.
The Ultimate Hits is exactly that: another stop on the marketing train. It's a new best of collection, taking all of his highest grossing songs and putting them on two CDs. "Friends in Low Places", what some consider his signature song, is the second track on here, and the beginning of an incredibly solid portrayal of his work throughout the years. Complete with this is a DVD collection of all of his music videos - 33 to be exact. With an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart, it's no surprise that this album is already 5x platinum.

Meryn Cadell - Angel Food For Thought

Bongo Beat/Burnside

In 1991, Angel Food For Thought was released, only on cassette. Those ancient pieces of musical technology that sounded worse than Myspace streaming audio and hadn't been given the technology yet to skip tracks. Not that you'd need it with this album. You might, but only if you're an idiot. This record is, as I commonly talk about, like being on a lot of drugs. A not-so-delicate concoction of slam poetry (long before the movement made itself mainstream) and strange indie rock, Cadell showcases the best of her local Canadian musicians (Bob Wiseman of Blue Rodeo and Jim Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies among others).
This album is actually sort of insane. It'll start to seem fluid, coherent, and like a straightforward song for 30 seconds, and then bust into a blunt and sometimes humorous monologue about everything. While I say everything, I mean mostly gender relations. Cadell, who himself is a F2M transgendered individual, talks heavily about love, how much it sucks, and a bit on being a woman. Hilarious, and at times creepy, Angel Food For Thought is a record that has to grow on you. When it does though, it is one of the most interesting releases you'll ever own.

Perry Farrell's Satellite Party - Ultra Payloaded

Columbia/Sony BMG

Jane's Addiction and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell has a new project. Ultra Payloaded is a concept album, in the roughest terms possible. The story is essentially un-followable, somehow incorporating a secret "save the world" organization, getting arrested and hospitalized, and partying. All in one story. I have no idea what on Earth he is talking about.
To be honest, I don't really get this record at all: mediocre 80's indie rock with psychedelic moments, and nothing really to fully grasp on to. Satellite Party's music is pretty dreamy, but no real soul, or essence. I didn't like Jane's Addiction either, so maybe it's a personal thing, but this just does nothing for me.

Bob Brozman - Post-Industrial Blues

Ruf

A man of many instruments, Bob Brozman is a musical genius of sorts. On Post Industrial Blues, he plays the standard acoustic guitar, Hawaiian guitar and ukulele, banjo, dobro, Okinawan sanshin, the Green baglama, 22-string chaturangui, and a 14-string gandharvi which originated in India. So the man knows stringed instruments. So before the songs were even written, Bob Brozman's record was already destined to be set apart from other blues albums.
Brozman makes the instruments work within the context, using each in ways that just seem to blend into the delta blues. His voice is straight out of the time period: gruff, low, and not what the mainstream would call "pleasing to the ears". I strongly disagree, but that's nothing new. This record contains new sounds you probably have never heard before, a genre you certainly haven't heard enough of, and enough interesting music that it would take years to listen to and fully grasp.

Velvet Revolver - Libertad

RCA/Sony BMG

Velvet Revolver. Super group of ridiculous 90's hard hitters. Well, mostly. We have 3/5 of Guns & Roses, a former Wasted Youth/Suicidal Tendencies guitar player, and singer of Stone Temple Pilots. Quite the washed up super group we have here. I can't say I don't like this band. I mean, this is Slash we are talking about. You can't fully hate him. Just like you can't hate Osbourne.
Libertad is their third album, and probably the most personal. The album is dedicated, and focuses heavily on the death of Weiland's younger brother, who died of an overdose shortly before the writing of this record. Songs such as "The Last Fight" are explicitly dealing with the issue of surviving after intense situations like this: "Break the chains of featherweights and giants/With the stain of forever lasting liars/They're afraid of when we spit out the fire/And start living".
If you aren't yet in the know on this band, the description of their music is actually incredibly simple: take 3/5 Guns & Roses, a single serving of Stone Temple Pilots, and a little bit of edge thrown in there also, and you have Velvet Revolver. This is the closest thing we got to modern day heavy metal, for better or for worse.
************LATE BUT GREAT***********

Rhonda Vincent - Good Thing Going

Rounder/Martha White/Shure

Critically acclaimed "Queen Of Bluegrass" has this new record, Good Thing Going, which is bound to get her that Grammy. Vincent grew up a musician, focusing heavily throughout her entire life on the mandolin. It's sort of the highlight of this album. A good majority of the record is bluegrass, straightforward and solid. The high end quality of recording is a rarity in the genre, but works, at least in this instant.
Her ballad work ("I Give All My Love To You") is much less impressive than her rejuvenation of the sub-sect of Country, almost too typical for pop artists. What I do appreciate is the other end of that statement: the non-ballad work, the fast and upbeat power-bluegrass is elegantly played, and keeps the feel of what live bluegrass is like. A half dozen musicians, all surrounding one or two mics, keeping time like it was their lifeline and such genius harmonies that even the most animate hater of anything country would at least partially enjoy this record.

Bluestone Co. - Self-Titled

Big Stone/Hip Land

Japan manages to do most things better. Electronics, horror movies, and now blues. Bluestone Co, an Osakan jam/blues rock band, made their way across America, in the company of Vaughn-esq blues rocker Chris Durate, leading to the creation of this recording. 5 of the 7 tracks features Durate, who doesn't skip a beat on fitting his own songwriting to an existing band. An unbelievable driving feel makes this band much easier to listen to than most other jam bands, and with more solos than anyone knows what to do with, Bluestone Co. are not only innovative and technically precise, their music is painfully good.

Zox - Line In The Sand

SideOneDummy

Zox describes themselves as "violin-laced reggae rock". I think the only part about that I agree with is the "violin" part. I would take this more as part of the '80s binge everyone has been on for the past few years, but with a bit of a modern feel. The drums are pretty similar throughout the entire record (I swear to god most of this recording has the same beat, at almost the same tempo), but seems to work in this instance. The violin is mixed in so that, for a majority of the record, it sounds more like a guitar with too many effects.
While I usually compare anything indie and dance-y to Hot Hot Heat, I think this comparison works well here. The singing isn't anything to write home about, but that's fine: the rest of the music here is hip-shaking enough that we can deal with something a little typical for the sake of keeping this record stable.

Peggy Seeger - Bring Me Home

Appleseed

It's really unfortunate that Peggy Seeger never got the same attention as her half brother. I know people will call this blasphemy, but I think they are fairly on par: both genius songwriters, genius players, and, well, essentially play the same songs. Younger than Pete by 16 years, and Mike by a few less, Peggy was born into music: musical parents, musical brothers, and a legacy to hold up.
She did well, let me tell you. Bring Me Home is the third in the "Home" trilogy: three albums worth of songs she learned when she was young, and re-imagined. She doesn't rely on fancy technology to make her music sound good. Most of the tracks star only her and her 5 string banjo or acoustic guitar, just how folk should be. "Hang Me" holds banjo playing that is a step up from phenomenal, and "Molly Bond" is strictly acapella, showcasing Seeger's slightly shaking voice which only adds more color to these recordings. I honestly cannot get enough of this!
****Shelton's Single of the Week: "Peacock Street"****

Alabama - The Last Stand

Cracker Barrel

Alabama are one of the most successful bands of all time. 73 million records, 21 consecutive number one hits and 42 number one singles, 5 consecutive "Entertainer of the Year" awards, and more than 150 country music industry honors. Holy smokes. That's celebrity status, folks.
One of the premier bands in their genre of country/southern rock, Alabama has a pop appeal that most of the other bands don't, which makes them far more accessible than other acts in the genre, along with a much lighter dose of honky tonk which makes the non-country fan more pleased with this band.
The Last Stand is a collection of live songs from their farewell tour in 2003. Included on here are such hits as "Jukebox in my Mind", "If You're Going To Play In Texas...", and "Forty Hour Week". As expected, I'm not a big fan of live albums. But, if you like Alabama at all, this is bound to be worth a few really good listens.

Keb' Mo - Just Like You

Okeh/Epic/Sony BMG

If you read this at all, you know how stoked I am about real blues. More so, things with real soul and the legitimacy that goes along with it. Keb' Mo' takes all of that on, and more. I can't say he is anything that was mind blowing to listen to; he isn't really anything super original. He plays blues, straight up and down. I'll go one step further: Keb' Mo' is the essence of what soul is.
The man is what blues is all about. Keb' Mo' is what I mean when I talk about legitimacy. He, like the millions of artists before him, write all of his own music, and performs it as such. You can hear as bright as day how much it means to him. From his own words, the more he was called Keb' Mo', the more he began to start being interested in blues. Today, he is one of the best. While not releasing much as of late, he is still around, still performing, and still doing what so many should be doing.

Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros - Diamonds In The Sun

Palo Duro/Fontana

The Mystiqueros are a band of songwriters, as they so humbly call themselves. 4 of the 5 members wrote songs for this recording, and each had a strong influence on the others. This band is most certainly country, but it would be constraining to call them just that. They play rock and roll, and they play R&B. They make it all flow in a homogenized mix: more original than most and most certainly more interesting.
When slide-guitar ballad "Diamonds in the Sun" ends, The Mystiqueros start it right back up again with "Get Me Gone," a bluesy/country driving song about being in a country band. You can tell when a band are more than just a bunch of studio artists thrown together, and this is most certainly not so.

Air Traffic - Fractured Life

Astralwerks

As the usual asshole that I am, I went into this expecting the next Cd of worthless music that I had to review that would inevitably lead to me to feeling angry and negative. As happens sometimes, I was proven wrong, and painfully so. This is one of those few groups out there who go beyond the lines of genres. Not only are they doing something not easily categorized, they also are doing something great.
Air Traffic's strategically planned songwriting makes waste of the barriers between genre's of rock music. On my first listen, I heard Queen. Second listen, I heard Ben Folds. Third, and I have no idea where I would put this.
Driven strongly by Chris Wall's brilliant piano playing, the band creates an operatic atmosphere behind their music. Operatic on top of indie rock. At points dancey (hit "Charlotte"), and sometimes slowing down to not-so-painful-to-listen-to ballads ("No More Running Away") this is hopefully what is to come in the rock world. Out of the way annoying hipster trash and obnoxious rap-rock, this is what the world needs! Catchy, intelligent, and technically well pieced together.

Ellis Paul - The Dragonfly Races

Black Wolf

When I first heard this, the only thing I could think of was Woody Guthrie's children's songs tribute that I reviewed not long ago. Well, that made sense when I found out that Paul really is a Guthrie enthusiast, actually invited to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a tribute to the legend. This isn't better nor worse than Guthrie's. Rather, this is a different look at the same thing. Similar songs and songwriting, but Paul is a different individual, with a different approach to his music. This is his 14th album, which is impressive until you see his tour schedule. The longest break he's had in 15 years is 6 weeks when his second daughter was born.
As a storyteller, it was only a matter of time before Paul did a children's album. Each song tells a different, cute little story about everything from road trips, rain keeping you inside, and a song about the birth of his daughter. I stick by my Guthrie comparison, but Paul ventures out a bit more than the folk icon. For instance, we have "The Bed Song,", a Paul Simon-esq reggae tune about not wanting to get out of bed, followed by "The Little Red Rose," which is an acapella number about world peace. This album is cute and intelligent: a rare combination.

Bella - No One Will Know

Mint

This band is really good. Really, really good. As if the '80s could be caught in a bottle, opened up 25 years late, and injected directly into a few indie kids aortas, bella is a modern incantation of Electro-clash, specifically the kind that doesn't suck. They take literally the best part of one of the most hated era's in music history and reinvents it. They steer clear of a revivalist feel, and rather just embrace what it is they do; there is no sense of irony here, only straightforward and genuinely genius songwriting.
After bella turned the reverb knob on their amps to 11, the band infused their music with a healthy dose of 80's drum beats and Joy Division-esq lead lines. The trading off on vocal duties between all members (two women and one man) is exactly what this band needs. If All Girl Summer Fun Band was to travel back in time, bella would have been born. Or, they could have just stayed here, and wait for bella, who more than likely would have done it better anyways, to come around and blow everyone else out of the water.

Buju Banton - Inna Heights: 10th Anniversary Edition CD and DVD

Gargamel/Penthouse/VP

Buju Banton is one of the most well known reggae artists around today. Inna Heights is a 10th anniversary reissue, a special treat for the fans who've been around for long enough to remember the original. And for those who haven't, a much better version of what was top quality 10 years ago. Now, this record comes with a brighter sound and clearer vocals, and 3 previously unreleased tracks: "Bad Boy," "Politics Time Again" and "Situations". Also included in the set is a stellar DVD, which amounts to about 40 minutes of live footage of the legend, and music video for his biggest hit to date, "Destiny".
With the green-black-and-red over his shoulder and the entire history of Jamaican-African heritage, Buju Banton is pure roots reggae. He has incredibly elegant backing music, complete with full chorus sections and a electronics DJ. What he is best known for is his shockingly gruff voice, so low and almost choked out that it takes a few seconds to get fully used to. My personal favorite song, on this album and otherwise, is "African Pride", a bit faster and fuller song than most of his, about, as you could guess, African-plight. While its hard for me to ignore his painfully offensive views on homosexuality, he is a legend in his own rite.
***So Nice, Gotta Do It Up Twice (Created by the Original NYC DJ, Jocko, 1955)***

Danny Weis - Sweet Spot

Marshmellow/Premier

Since leaving Iron Butterfly long ago, Weis hasn't done much on the front of putting out records. He's amended that, with strong red punctuation, reading "come back". As his first solo release, Sweet Spot is a showcase of what Weis wants to be doing. Completely instrumental, and with built in real soul, we have here a funky jazz album, relying almost entirely on Weis' lead lines.
He doesn't mess around. Right to the point, and no beating around the bush. We have a guitar genius here, having free-range to do whatever he feels. A good majority of this album is upbeat, with the few occasional slower jams ("Cat's Meow") to bring the mood down to elevator jazz, but edgy and incorporating elements of, well, porno funk.

Emerson Hart - Cigarettes and Gasoline

Manhattan/Blue Note/EMI

Continuing in the custom of solo records from ex-hit stars, Cigarettes and Gasoline is the first solo recording from Emerson Hart: front-man of early 2000's rock group Tonic. "If You Could Only See" awarded him and the group 2 Grammy nominations, along with national success. This new album takes on a very similar feel to his past work but with more personal feels to the song and lyrics. Laymen's terms? Slower songs, less catchy melodies, and lyrics about intensely personal subjects. A main theme here is the death of Hart's father, which he is still dealing with today. The name of the album came, as Hart says, as a memory he has of his father smoking and pumping gas when he was young.
Other songs deal with heartbreak, deterioration of a relationship, and the other things that solo albums bring about. The musical aspect to this is on the same par: upbeat songs, focusing mostly on vocals, but sometimes letting some instrumentation shine through. "I Wish The Best For You" adds color to the song with a heavy dose of piano, which is a little cheesy. Some of the songs have a more interesting sound to them ("Ordinary" reeks of Canadian alt-rock band Matthew Goode Band), but for the most part, the album is a winner.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu

Heads Up/Gallo/Telarc

Ladysmith Black Mambazo are quite a powerful group to listen to. They are acapella, which already adds an element of intensity to whatever they do. On top of it, they combine their native blend of African traditionals and christian gospel, leaving what is an experience that few can rival in the United States. They won a Grammy not long ago (thanks to the help of Paul Simon), and while have notable success overseas, are still rising here in the states, hopefully someday to the point of extensive commercial success. Joseph Shabalala, singer and founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, became christian in the '60s, and shortly after started his famous group.
Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu is a concept album about, as you can probably read, Shaka Zulu. Leader of the South African people before their colonization, Zulu lead tribes across southern Africa in unity. His legacy has been given credit for African people's resilience opposing the colonists of South Africa, and sheer might of will to live through the defacto slavery of then (and a lesser extent, now). Zulu, as Shabalala expresses, shares many parallels to Jesus, except Zulu was more akin to the sword than Jesus, but for whatever reason Shabalala prefers the less effective non-violent approach. For anyone interested in something new, please listen to this. Sounds of traditional African peoples, but with a bit of flair that makes it more accessible to the general public. center>

***If You Like Music, You're Gonna' Love This!***

Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!
Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!

Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!
Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!
Justice

Start your own currency!
Make your own stamp
Protect your language

Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you
Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you

[x4] Make your own flag!

[x6] Raise your flag! (Higher, higher!)

Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!

Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!

Damn colonists
Ignore their patronizing
Tear off their blindfolds
Open their eyes

Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!
Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!

With a flag and a trumpet
Go to the top of your highest mountain!

And raise your flag! (Higher, higher!)
[x5] Raise your flag! (Higher, higher!)

Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!
Declare independence!
Don't let them do that to you!

Raise the flag!

Political Article: How Oil Finds Its Way Into Your Starbucks Latte, and Other Good News By:Carla Wise Back To Top Oil prices recently hit 100 dollars a barrel, and the days of cheap oil appear to be over. Meanwhile, Starbucks is struggling with plummeting stock prices and falling profits. These facts are intimately connected, illustrating the dangers and opportunities ahead. Our food system, which provides us with massive amounts of low cost, unhealthy food, relies heavily on oil. As fuel prices rise, the food that depends on large energy inputs to grow, process, and deliver quickly gets very expensive. Rising food and fuel costs are already hurting Starbucks in interesting ways. More importantly, following the web that links fossil fuel prices to the falling fortunes of Starbucks illustrates how the end of cheap oil gives us an opportunity to transform our economy, our health, and the very sustainability of our farmers and farm lands. Problem number one: sales are down at Starbucks. Ever-increasing petroleum costs are driving up the prices of food, fuel, and other goods. Americans feel pinched, and some realize that a daily vente latte is actually a luxury, not a necessity. Starbucks is also battling competition from lower-priced coffee houses. Problem number two: costs are up at Starbucks, and if you look for reasons, they all lead back to oil. Milk prices rose more than 23% in 2007, but this doesn't mean dairy farmers are getting rich. Feed costs for dairy cows have increased 75% in the past few years, partly because corn is being diverted to ethanol production. Diesel fuel prices have tripled. Transporting coffee from all over the world is getting more expensive. My favorite tidbit about the oil up-Starbucks down connection has to do with disposable lids. I hate the fact that if you don't speak up quickly enough, the baristas put all drinks in disposable cups. It really bothers me to see all those people sitting in Starbucks drinking their lattes out of disposable cups with plastic tops, and then throwing them away as they leave. 50 million(?)But the plastic lids are a petroleum product, so they will cost more and more. My hope is that as oil prices keep climbing, Starbucks will find it cheaper to offer ceramic mugs to everyone. You could say that the end of cheap oil is spelling the end of Starbucks' meteoric rise. Over the last year, stock prices of the world's largest coffee house chain fell 50%. This, to me, is great news. Not because I hate Starbucks, which I do. But because it shows how everything is connected, especially to oil. Starbucks' plight illustrates how soaring oil prices are beginning to affect our food system in all kinds of fascinating ways. I see this as a possible path to our salvation. For about 50 years, our economic system combined with federal agricultural policy has worked in exact opposition to a food system that is healthy, safe, sustainable, and kind to farmers, livestock, and the earth we depend on. As a result, most of the calories we consume come from the industrial food chain. On any given day, a quarter of American adults visit a fast food joint. Eating this way undermines everything we know is good in a healthy agricultural system. These virtues include farmers' well being, care of land and water, our health, food safety, security and resilience. And now, as prices go up on all the products (not food exactly) made cheap by cheap oil and bad policies, the tiny bit of our food supply that comes straight from nearby farmers, practicing good husbandry, will become more and more economically "competitive" compared to the industrial one that now provides most of our calories. This is a great thing!

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