Tenacious DThe Pick of Destiny(Epic)Like the movie, the album offers the odd jab of the madcap but fails to sustain the highs. This could be the moment obscenity became boring, proof of laziness. Jack Black’s repeated use of “fuck” irritates early on and never lets up, rendering most songs unplayable on the air and stripping […]
Doug Taylor
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Turbonegro
TurbonegroRetox(Cooking Vinyl)Concerns over what is “punk” or “metal” wash away with each power stroke from these Norwegians. Retox will remind you of Iggy and the Stooges before they were informed of their importance. That English is Turbonegro’s second language allows for some delightful song titles like “Hell Toupee,” “Alpha Male” and “Hot and Filthy.” There […]
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Various
Published August 25, 2005. Various The Best Blues Album in the World…Ever! Volume 2 (EMI) From the Delta to Chicago skinny white boys, around label conflicts, this collection lives up to its title. The weakest of these 32 tracks kicks the ass of 90 percent of today’s chart tunes and influences the other 10. What […]
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Sons of Maxwell
Published November 18, 2004. Sons of Maxwell Sunday Morning (independent) The well-known local bar band stretches its horizon with a dozen original numbers. Unfortunately, it sounds like brothers Dave and Don Carroll came up with the words first, then threw together the music as an afterthought. Opener “Uphill Battle” works the best, lyric and tune […]
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Mary J. Blige
Published October 23, 2003. Mary J. Blige Love & Life (Geffen) A variety show feel dominates the early part of this album. A couple of winners emerge in the deluge of rappers preening in cameo: “Not Today” with Eve and “Love at First Sight” with Method Man. Blige’s unique sense of combining old grit and […]
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Evangelicals
EvangelicalsSo Gone (Misra/Sonic Unyon)Red State rock can be strange. When surrounded by Republicans and fiercely creative, the desire to assert your separateness must be immense. Oklahoma’s Evangelicals lay on echo, tremolo and wispy vocals that trail off like fumes. “Psychedelic” is the term used most frequently in the band’s advance buzz, but its busy mix […]
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Norah Jones
Norah JonesNot Too Late(EMI)Though not shy about cutting loose in side projects, Jones’s languorous, vaguely jazzy music is a franchise. It sells millions more than any other artist who employs cello, trombone, B3 organ and pedal steel. Bassist/producer Lee Alexander also co-writes the numbers most likely to stick in the brain. “Sinkin’ Soon” works a […]