Casual Listening Extra 10-26-07

Casual Listening

Extra!

October 26, 2007

American Idol Contestants Make Good Music

Although I’m proud to say I’ve never seen the show, I’m beginning to think American Idol is a force for good in modern music. Both Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice drop albums this week, and they’re both surprisingly good. The music isn’t especially innovative – Underwood sings country with a rock edge, and Bice sings rock with a country edge – but the singing is fantastic. Singing tends to take a back seat these days to production, so it’s refreshing to hear two artists whose strongest selling point is the raw power of the human voice.

Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II (rock)

Of the many sides of Neil Young, this one taps the vein of straightforward, rootsy rock that’s been his bread and butter for most of his career. There’s nothing here as vulnerable as the Harvest Trilogy, nothing as loud as the glory days of Crazy Horse. Still, he comes through with some decent rockers that’ll satisfy long-time fans.

Ween – La Cucaracha (rock)

Serious music with goofball lyrics. Each song mimics a specific musical style, from 80’s pop to classic country to dub reggae to an acid rock ballad complete with voice modulator. Worthy of a spot on the spoof rock continuum somewhere between Spinal Tap and Dr. Demento.

Casual Listening 10-26-07

Casual Listening

a review of cool new music

by Jeff Pinzino

October 26, 2007

* West Indian Girl – 4^th & Wall (Rock)

Sparkling pop music with choral vocals, slinky synths, and the occasional handclap or tambourine. It’s all the rage these days to pay tribute to the retro pop sound, but West Indian Girl brings the sunshine far stronger than its acclaimed bretheren. Your face will hurt from smiling.

* Robert Plant & Allison Krauss – Raising Sand (rock)

The year’s most unusual collaboration: the frontman from Led Zeppelin, the queen of modern bluegrass, and the producer of “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” Sweet harmonies over folk-rock hidden treasures from the Everly Brothers to the Byrds to Townes Van Zandt. Not every track hits, but those that do are drop-dead gorgeous.

The Family Elan – Stare of Dawn (folk)

Trance folk string band. The group’s sound centers around a lute with a mesmerizing drone that’s halfway between a dulcimer and a sitar. Violin and Mandolin add to a set of extended spiritual jams.

Dwight Yoakam – Dwight sings Buck (country)

One of today’s maverick stars pays tribute to the 60’s country hitmaker. Buck Owens sang catchy songs in an uptempo honky-tonk style which Yoakam ratchets up a notch.

Deep Blue Organ Trio – Folk Songs (jazz)

A classic Hammond organ sound in masterful hands drives this collection of blue jazz grooves. A style that appeals to non-jazz fans as well as aficionados.

Yea Big and Kid Static – Yea Big and Kid Static (rap)

A reminder of all the reasons you started loving hip hop in the first place – crazy beats, clever lyrics, and mischief based on wits, not warfare. The sci-fi motif adds an additional level of nerd-cool.

In the blog this week: American Idol Contestants Make Good Music, Neil Young, Ween.

* highly recommended

! highest recommendation

Check out the blog at http://casuallistening.blogspot.com . To subscribe or unsubscribe, or just to say hi, send an e-mail to jeffpinzino@gmail.com.

Casual Listening Extra 10-19-07

Casual Listening

Extra!

October 19, 2007

Molotov – Eternamiente (Spanish Rock)

The abrasive Mexican punk unit splintered to write their own songs, then duct-taped it all back together for this album. You get a sense of the four personalities that come together to create the band’s sound, although the group sounds more or less interesting depending on who’s responsible for the songs. The back half of this album is where I found the most compelling stuff.

Casual Listening 10-19-07

Casual Listening

a review of cool new music

by Jeff Pinzino

October 19, 2007

* Wayne Gorbea’s Salsa Picante – Introducing Wayne Gorbea’s Salsa Picante (Latin)

Old-school Nuyorican salsa. Before the manicured music you hear nowadays from club DJs came into style, salsa was rough around the edges with big horns and lots of percussion. Wayne Gorbea never stopped playing this style. Crank this and dance around your room. Caliente!

Octopus Project – Hello Avalanche (rock)

Dance-driven electronic pop. The album boasts happy instrumental tracks with a live rhythm section and a lead synthesizer. Sonic soup that’s fun to swim in.

Thrice – The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water (rock)

Thrice have crafted an album that perfectly balances yin and yang. Six tracks of punk metal fire-themed songs precede a half-dozen ambient water creations. Either side could stand on its own, but it’s the juxtaposition of the two by the same band that makes it remarkable.

Behold…The Arctopus – Skullgrid (rock)

This one’s for all the jazz metal fusion freaks out there – you know who you are. Daring guitar harmonics punctuated with a double-kick drummer help make this album a seamless epic voyage. Challenging, but ultimately a rewarding listen.

In the blog this week: Molotov.

* highly recommended

! highest recommendation

Check out the new blog at http://casuallistening.blogspot.com . To subscribe or unsubscribe, or just to say hi, send an e-mail to jeffpinzino@gmail.com.

Casual Listening Extra 10-12-07

Casual Listening

Extra!

October 12, 2007

How Much Should You Pay for the New Radiohead Album?

6£

It’s a Brit site, so you pay in pounds, which are a fraction past two dollars each. You’ll pay a .45£ service fee, which puts the total at about $12.99. That’s 30% more than what you’d pay for an album on itunes. The music is worth it. Be warned that it’s a little shorter than most new CD’s, with 10 tracks and about 42 minutes of music. It’s still worth it.

Full disclosure: I paid 4.5£, having no idea what the album would sound like.

Casual Listening 10-12-07

Casual Listening

a review of cool new music

by Jeff Pinzino

October 12, 2007

! Radiohead – In Rainbows (rock)

The rock album of the year. The title is apt, and listening is like swimming in a kaleidoscope of sound. Melodies ache across tumbling prisms with stylized drums and arching guitar lines. Multiple listenings each reveal new visions. Mind-altering music.

* Robert Pollard – Standard Gargoyle Decisions and Coast to Coast Carpet of Love (rock)

Pollard is the Pete Townsend of the indie rock world, with an unusual gift for writing songs that are both epic and catchy. Solid rock with a progressive twist. Taking a break from his band Guided by Voices, Pollard releases two albums this week. If you’re a fan, you’ll want them both. If not, flip a coin – you can’t go wrong.

Café Tacvba – SiNo (Spanish rock)

If Talking Heads were Mexican…okay, we won’t go there, but this is impressionistic art-pop that doesn’t take itself too seriously. From revved-up fun-punk to languid ballads, this’ll give you a sense of what the cool kids south of the border are listening to.

The Paschall Brothers – On the Road Right Now (gospel)

A capella gospel. The brothers take pages from the old hymn book and lay them bare with tight 5-part harmonies.

Slidin’ Slim – One Man Riot (blues)

Traditional delta blues slide guitar with distinctly un-traditional arrangements. Samples and electronica make up part of his backing band, yet manage not to distract from some fine fretwork.

In the blog this week: How much should you pay for the new Radiohead album?

* highly recommended

! highest recommendation

Check out the new blog at http://casuallistening.blogspot.com . To subscribe or unsubscribe, or just to say hi, send an e-mail to jeffpinzino@gmail.com.

Casual Listening Extra 10-5-07

Casual Listening

Extra!

October 5, 2007

Bruce Springsteen -- Magic (rock)

The E-Street band is back with big arrangements of mid-tempo guitar rock. Piano, xylophone, and tambourine help to evoke the sound of teenage yesteryear. There’s no top 40 hit here, but plenty of the kind of urban portraits that make Springsteen the musical Norman Rockwell of working-class white America.

Annie Lennox – Songs of Mass Destruction (rock)

The ex-Eurythmics vocalist shares another set of mature songs of the heart. Her band tends toward epic pop, with everything from gospel singing to accordion and strings woven into the mix. The strength of Lennox’s soulful, self-assured singing sells the package.

Casual Listening 10-5-07

Casual Listening

a review of cool new music

by Jeff Pinzino

October 5, 2007

* Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights (soul)

Classic-styled soul so authentic you’d swear you were listening to outtakes from Martha and the Vandellas. Jones is a charismatic frontwoman, and the Dap-Kings are a pitch-perfect R&B machine. If you’ve got a pre-set on your car stereo for the oldies station, you’re gonna love this.

* Chicago Afrobeat Project – A Move to Silent Unrest (world)

Afrobeat is a Nigerian style of jazz-heavy dance music, and Chicago Afrobeat Project brings these deep groves to life stateside. Low saxes and Hammond organ drive a cool, jammy, cosmopolitan sound.

P. J. Harvey – White Chalk (rock)

Spare, haunting, and dark. Harvey’s gauzy soprano steps across simple piano flourishes and brushed drums. Gothic beauty chills like a flower after the first frost.

For The Kids – Three! (kids)

A collection of uber-hip bands doing songs for the younger set. Moby, Of Montreal, and Rogue Wave are among the contributors of original material, as well as familiar tunes. Be prepared for your little one to endlessly repeat Over the Rhine’s chorus of “Poop goes in the potty.”

Aaron Stout – Queens Live in Caskets (rock)

Rootsy, opaque songwriting on a warm blanket of electronoise. Sometimes jarring, but with strong songs and a sound that grows on you. Folk music deconstructed.

Mason Casey – Sofa King Badass (blues)

Turbocharged blues-rock. Casey has a Tom Waits voice that bellows along with electric harmonica and guitar. There’s a wide range of rock, roots, and R&B styles, but the mood is unmistakably blues.

Other good stuff this week: Bruce Springsteen, Annie Lennox. Check the blog for these reviews.

* highly recommended

! highest recommendation

Check out the new blog at http://casuallistening.blogspot.com . To subscribe or unsubscribe, or just to say hi, send an e-mail to jeffpinzino@gmail.com.