Published November 25, 2004. Tony Joe White Heroines (Sanctuary) Best known for his 1969 smash “Polk Salad Annie,” White sounds pretty much the same as ever, except for an A-list of duet partners: Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Shelby Lynne. The mix of Louisiana drawl, wiry guitar and purring organ transports you to a lazy […]
Doug Taylor
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The Rude Mechanicals
The Rude MechanicalsCheckin’ for Squirrels (independent)You can take the band off PEI, but you can’t take the Island out of the band. Though recorded in Toronto, he Rude Mechanicals maintain a rollicking red-dirt road spirit. “Bill Lynch Girl” deserves a spot in any Maritime medley, even if you must explain who the carnival king is […]
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Various Artists
Various ArtistsThe Kings of Jazz (BBE)The Kings series is less definitive than its name might imply. Still, each arbitrary assortment has unearthed some beauties. Veteran jazz fans may find The Present, compiled by Jazzanova, a techy mellow soup of less interest than the sweaty brilliance on The History (Gilles Peterson). From the titles, you might […]
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Eels
Published December 08, 2005. Eels Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (Vagrant) Recent deaths in the family of Mark Oliver Everett, or E, have shaded his music before, but never so deeply. Worry about his mental state, only to be rescued as he uses rage to intensify elation at being alive. The disc nimbly dodges being […]
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The Donnas
The DonnasBitchin’Red EyeThis saucy, somewhat malevolent foursome is up to album number seven, so the jailbait years are over. Call the music formulaic, derivative even, but don’t sell it short on hooks or ideas. Clearly, suggestions to be more ladylike have not been heeded. The songs on Bitchin’ move past the lust and aggression of […]
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Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty) So much research and original thought drips from this tone poem to the state of Illinois, just grasping it requires several listens. Through sympathy for serial killer John Wayne Gacy, dreamed pep talks from Carl Sandburg and a sense of the state’s loss of status, what sticks is soaring arrangements […]
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Nancy Sinatra
Nancy SinatraS/T (Sanctuary/EMI)As records by aging stars go, Nancy Sinatra benefits from the length of its guest list. Jarvis Cocker, Jon Spencer, Pete Yorn and Calexico all offer up a song for this driest of divas to make her own. “Let Me Kiss You” melds Sinatra’s authority and phrasing with Morrissey’s articulation of desire, forming […]
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Elbow
Published October 16, 2003. Elbow Cast of Thousands (V2) What may initially strike you as screwing around soon becomes music that nestles into your cerebellum. The Manchester quintet is madly original, yet merits favourable comparison to everyone from Doves to Procul Harum. “Grace Under Pressure” enlists a gospel choir and the crowd at the Glastonbury […]
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Natacha Atlas
Natacha AtlasMishmaoul(Mantra)Though a variety of flavours has come to be expected from Atlas, she steps up as one of the most prominent singers in Arabic. Mishmaoul is not as food-court multi-cultural as her old band, Trans Global Underground. “Ghanwah Bossanova” finds accord between Middle Eastern phrasing and Brazilian tempo that has been heretofore inconceivable. Princess […]
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Various Artists
Various ArtistsBlack Snake Moan OST(New West)Maybe the producers of Black Snake Moan concocted some wild story about North Mississippi hill country just to deliver the area’s blues. Being chained to a radiator might chase the demons if one had some of these tunes to ease the pain. Samuel L. Jackson’s songs are unlikely to spark […]
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Floetry
FloetryFlo’ology(Universal)At its best, Flo’ology is nothing special. At its worst, it is so tedious you’ll wonder if the major labels laid off everybody in quality control. A stinker escaped. The two British gals, now based stateside, rate a cameo here by Common (on “SupaStar”) and did manage to shine when they were included on the […]
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Los Amigos Invisibles
Los Amigos InvisiblesThe Venezuelan Zing Son(Luakabop)For a Latin American band to register with Anglos, it needs to be 75 years old or indulge in some gringo tricks. You throw a record like this on to get the floor throbbing and the women into a tropical reverie of movement and clothes-removal. “Gerundio” sets up a theremin-like […]
