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Ernesto Diaz-Infante and Rotcod Zzaj / Bluer Than Blue / Zzaj (CD)
Will the insidious improvisational talents of Diaz-Infante and Rotcod Zzaj never be still? I certainly hope not. Roiling keyboards and percussive guitar are combined with semi-audible dialogue, creating a free-jazz fever dream that occasionally sounds like an outtake from the "Twin Peaks" soundtrack. Groovy! Both Diaz-Infante and Rotcod Zzaj are quite capable of sculpting highly listenable works on their own, and their prior collaborations have proved that they work well together; as a result, their give-and-take makes the randomness of Bluer than Blue more aesthetically pleasing. --
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Jake Andrews / Time to Burn / Jericho (CD)
Austinite Jake Andrews arms himself with one of the most dangerous sounding blues-based guitars in quite some time, deftly balancing between rockin' grooves and burnin' solos. Easily surpassing most of his peers in technique as well as in crafty songwriting, Andrews smartly avoids producing a masturbatory guitar-solo-fest, as tunes like "Just You and Me" and "Time to Burn" have the embedded soul of Sam and Dave and the Fabulous Thunderbirds emanating from every riff and vocal "call and response." Blues fans take note: this 18-year old not only plays well, but provides some well-produced, beer-accompanying tunes too. --
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Justin Mikulka / Consumer / One Mad Son (CD)
To make Mikulka's songs any more raw, you'd have to take away his amp and limit him to two tracks, and then punch him a couple of times to get him in the right sort of mood. Other than the occasional vocal overdub, sound effect or moment of unobtrusive keyboard assistance, Justin Mikulka's grunge-folk tunes are purely the One Man and His Guitar variety. And let's make one thing perfectly clear: he's pretty angry. These eleven songs crackle with frustration and hostility, and if it's possible to strum a guitar pissed-offedly, Mikulka does it. While the music breaks no new ground -- and let's face it, how much can one man with a guitar do that we haven't heard before, especially if he's trying to concentrate on singing? -- the sheer immediacy of his performance should connect with your emotions. Whether you'll be stirred or discomfited depends upon your own tastes. --
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Ken Fletcher & Rotcod Zzaj / .calm / Zzaj Productions (CD)
Now, I've listened to a fair amount of weird music in my time, so I feel that i'm qualified to say that this is one weird CD. Sound manipulator Ken Fletcher and keyboard improvisor Rotcod Zzaj seem to have set out to put the podge back into hodge-podge, and well, they've succeeded. They've got sound effects, old movie dialog, snippets from news reports, occasional goofy vocal tracks, drum machines, 80's basslines, synth strings, pan flutes... the list goes on. And on. And on. You name it, they used it. On top of it all is an odd blend of jazzy keyboard stylings and sampled sound cutup/manipulation techniques that sort of ties it all together. I can't say that I enjoyed everything on the CD - a good portion of it strikes me as more basement noodling than finished product, -- but when it works, it's quite nice, and there are some lovely, strange moments that make for an absorbing listen. --
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Vivian Slade / Vivian Slade / Human Art (CD)
I approached this album with the trepidation born of reviewing one two many Tori Amos wannabes and vapid Lilith Fair third-stagers. How nice it is to be wrong! Performing a concatenation of folk, rock and jazz, Slade is no self-absorbed whiner; rather, she's a clever and erudite lyricist whose songs come across as miniature scenes and character studies, not tepid gender-rallying cries. Vocally, Slade is a cross between Meryn Cadell, the Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins and a mellowed out Melissa Etheridge. Her music's jazzier elements -- as heard on "I Don't Do It" -- come perilously close to the dreaded Smooth Jazz, but Slade's presence keeps it appealing. If you've burned out on female vocalists lately, Vivian Slade offers a breath of fresh air -- check her out at a Borders near you... --
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Fleming and John / "The Pearl" b/w "Don't Let It Fade Away" / Universal (CD Single)
Fleming and John call their music weird pop. They are associated with Ben Folds' Fear of Pop project and have toured with Ben Folds Five. I offer this by way of background; Fleming and John don't sound much like Ben Folds, but they do have a unique take on pop music. "The Pearl" is an up-beat tune that reminds me of Fleetwood Mac. "Don't Let It Fade Away" is a more tender number, down-tempo with acoustic guitar and gushing strings. Both songs benefit from Fleming McWilliams' flexible and nuanced, classically-trained voice, although I think she focuses too much on the gritty and not enough on the pretty in her voice. I like Ben Folds better than these guys. In a way they sound like a rougher version of Saint Etienne, but to each his own I guess! --
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Various Artists / Fat Music Volume IV: Life in the Fat Lane / Fat Wreck Chords (CD)
Whether you've suddenly become consumed by curiosity -- i.e. "Fat Wreck Chords? what's up with that?" -- or simply want to know the state of the Fat Wreck union, Life in the Fat Lane should answer the hottest of your burning questions. You'll get eighteen tracks of top-shelf punk from the US and abroad -- everything from angry, sweaty hardcore to snot-nosed skater anthems, with only a few tracks clocking in beyond the three-minute mark. If your music collection is criminally bereft of the likes of Lagwagon, Frenzal Rhomb, The Ataris, Snuff, Screeching Weasel or Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Life in the Fat Lane can be your first step towards remedying that omission before someone calls the authorities on your sorry arse. --
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Big Meteor / Wild River / Big Meteor (CD)
A peculiar, country-tinged rock effort with a remarkably bouncy beat to it. Primary (and presently, only) member David Wimble weaves his personal tales to the beat of some soothing yet intricate music, in which varied instrumentation (from mandolin to piano) cleverly spices up the tunes. Although he's based in Ottawa, Canada, you'd almost swear Wimble makes his home in the Good Ol' South, as his slight twang and the album's genuine steel pedal guitar parts have a certain authenticity that's unmistakably country, producing a triumphantly solid recording. --
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Bad Boy / Best of Bad Boy / SurgeLand (CD)
Once upon a time in the '80s, Bad Boy was a top draw in and around Wisconsin. Their music was the epitome of '80s hard rock: thumping basslines, squealing guitars, testosterone-charged lyrics. I have to admit a certain soft spot in my heart for this record -- due in large part to nostalgia, I think, but also to the fact that Bad Boy really was a good '80s band (in the sense that they do what they do well). They're just one of many credible bands that never made it big. If you're looking for period music (headbanging optional) on period instruments (V-shaped guitars) then Best of Bad Boy is a good buy! --
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