RATING: 2.5 (out of 5)
Rod Stewart
The Best of the Great American Songbook
It seems even Rod the sod didn't like Vol. 4 in his American Songbook
series. Only one of its cuts appears on this 14-track comp of his five-
disc (so far) series. If your grandma hasn't already succumbed to the
inexplicably irresistible lure of Stewart's lounge-lizard shtik, this
is certainly a far less painful gift than the complete set -- and it
has a bonus cut, for whatever that's worth.
Download: You'll Never Know; Bye Bye Blackbird
RATING: 1.5 (out of 5)
Billy Joel
She's Always a Woman: Love Songs
Just in time for Valentine's Day: A whole whack of Piano man Billy
Joel's wimpiest songs, all on one CD. Granted, with 18 cuts from
throughout his lengthy career -- including a couple of sorta-rarities,
plus a handful of lesser-known album tracks and oddities -- it does
give you plenty of whatever-the-opposite-of-bang-is for your buck. So
in the end, he may be right; I may be crazy.
Download: Travellin' Prayer; This Night
RATING: 2 (out of 5)
Bossa Nova Around the World
Various Artists
You don't have to be named Jobim or Gilberto to play bossa nova. The
syncopated Latin grooves, dreamy sophistication and breezy vocals of
this Brazilian musical export have found their way around the world,
judging by world-music label Putumayo's compilation of contemporary
examples by artists from North America, Europe, Scandinavia, Serbia
and even South Korea. Go figure.
Download: Monla's Railroad; Bïa's Jardim
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
DOWN/STREAM
Datarock
Catcher in the Rye
Rock Steady Freddy Saroea and his tracksuited Norwegian electro-
rockers deliver a slightly late (or ridiculously early) Christmas
present: This funky single from their upcoming USB stick that features
105 songs, 1,500 photos, 20 videos and an hour-long concert film.
Phew. No wonder they call it The Most Extravagant Single in History. I
call it a decent little Talking Heads knockoff.
xmas.datarockmusic.com
Dr. Dre
I Need a Doctor
If I had a buck for every time Dr. Dre's Detox CD has been delayed, I
could probably afford a pair of his overpriced headphones. Word is
that the superstar rap producer's Chinese Democracy will finally
surface this year. I'll believe it when I hear it. But while we wait,
we can listen to this so-so midtempo track featuring old pal Eminem,
singer Skylar Grey and very NSFW rhymes.
hypem.com
The Game
Purp & Patron
Speaking of rappers who can't quite get their acts together, former
Dre protege Game has been slowly working away on his R.E.D. album for
a couple of years now. But he found the time to drop this sprawling 29-
track free mixtape jammed with VIPs like Snoop, Lil Wayne, Pharrell,
Rick Ross, Ashanti, T-Pain and plenty more. Methinks somebody needs to
get their priorities in order.
www.livemixtapes.com
CDs
... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Tao of the Dead
The word epic is overused these days. But it's the only term that does
justice to these Austin art-rockers' ambitious seventh disc. Having
clearly absorbed nearly all the great concept albums of the '70s into
their DNA, they recombine the strands into a massive two-part hybrid
of soaring arena-rock bombast, proggy intricacy, psychedelic
elasticity and cacophonous mayhem. Epic win.
Download: Radio Free Cosplay; Summer of All Dead Souls
RATING: 4 (out of 5)
Sonic Youth
SYR9: Simon Werner a Disparu
These New York avant garde icons might not seem like the go-to band
for a soundtrack to a French thriller about missing teens. Turns out
to be a piece of inspired casting. Between the atonal improvisations,
ominous atmospherics and unsettling noise, some of these instrumentals
create more than enough dread and paranoia to fill the bill. Here's
hoping the movie is half as effective.
Download: Chez Yves; Escapades
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Matthew Friedberger
Solos: Napoleonette
And so it begins. Fiery Furnaces multi-tasker Friedberger kicks off
his much-ballyhooed eight-LP subscription series with this solo album
of piano prowess and musical idiosyncrasy. The former comes via fleet-
fingered keyboard work poised midway between bop, boogie, Bach and
blues. The latter shows up in his glammy crooning and eccentric
lyrics. All told, he's off to a great start.
Download: Hey Chief; What a Weird Weird Weird Weird
RATING: 4 (out of 5)
Sean McCann
Son of a Sailor
Home is where his heart is. But not where he is. Sandy-voiced Great
Big Sea member McCann's second solo CD in a year was cut primarily on
the band's bus. So naturally, its rootsy rockers and acoustic ballads
bear GBS's musical stamp -- though his lyrics tend to be bittersweet
tales of sailors, soldiers and lonely travellers on life's long road.
Seems somebody needs a holiday.
Download: Simple Song; Hard Living Life
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
Cut Copy
Zonoscope
Ignorance may be bliss. Beatitude need not be brainless, however. The
Aussie electro-popsters' joyful third disc runs on pumping disco
beats, hazy vocals and synths that shimmer, whistle and squiggle.
Luckily, there's also enough pure pop songcraft in the mix --
exemplified by infectious Afro-Cuban grooves and Beach Boys harmonies
-- to suggest they're also using their noodles.
Download: Need You Now; Where I'm Going
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Amos Lee
Mission Bell
Friends are nice. And soulfully scratchy troubadour Lee has lots --
Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson and Iron & Wine's Sam Beam top his
fourth CD's guest list, along with members of Calexico (whose Joey
Burns produced). Pity that neither Burns' glowing southwestern sonics
nor all that vocal support can overshadow Lee's generic, inconsistent
songwriting. Mission unaccomplished.
Download: El Camino; Jesus
RATING: 2.5 (out of 5)
Crowbar
Sever the Wicked Hand
The bearded beast has awoken. Six years to the day after his last
brutal Crowbar attack, Down riffmeister Kirk Windstein has finally
emerged from the Louisiana swamp with his latest lineup -- and, far
more importantly, with his ninth offering of dinosaur-stomp savagery,
volcanic intensity and grim imprecations bellowed with the fury of a
homicidal Neanderthal. Raise the devil horns.
Download: Sever the Wicked Hand; Let Me Mourn
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
DVDs
Heart
Night at Sky Church
Old broads rock. Or at least these old broads do. The Wilson sisters
show they can still kick it out on this 2010 live outing taped in
Seattle. Powerhouse vocalist Ann hits all the notes on their Zeppish
'70s folk-rockers and bombastic '80s power ballads, Nancy shows off
her guitar-goddess chops, and the 88-minute set includes a handful of
new cuts and a cameo from Alison Krauss.
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
Ian Tyson
This is My Sky
At 77, Canadian country legend Tyson feels he's "coming to the end of
the trail." So, in this low-key doc, the cowboy retraces his steps,
reminiscing about Dylan with ex-wife Sylvia, jamming with pals like
Gordon Lightfoot and David Wilcox, and playing his classics in a
Calgary church with the help of Rhonda Vincent and John Hiatt. As
honest and down-to-earth as the man himself.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
GARAGE BAND
Jason Cliche
www.myspace.com/jasoncliche
Jason Cliche: It sounds like one of those old-school punk handles from
the '70s, doesn't it? Surprisingly, far as I can tell, it's the dude's
real name (though he rhymes it with Sheesh). And he's no snotty punk.
He's a standard-issue singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar, a
lightly gritty voice and the usual handful of roots-rockers (which are
passable) and folk ballads (which are ZZZZZ) -- one of which opens with
the words, "Here I sit, broken-hearted." Sheesh, indeed.
VERDICT: "Living up to his name."
RATING: 1.5 (out of 5)
UPCOMING
Feb. 15
The People's Key
Bright Eyes
Degeneration Street
The Dears
Go-Go Boots
Drive-By Truckers
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Mogwai
Dynamite Steps
Twilight Singers
Feb. 22
21
Adele
Rock 'n' Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul
Jeff Beck
Bootleg 2: From Memphis to Hollywood
Johnny Cash
Beast
DevilDriver
Smart Flesh
Low Anthem
Rough & Tumble
John Waite
