DEBBIE LOVES DISCS

THE BIG CREAK: College radio contenders with a healthy track record, Columbus’ own The Big Creak, gets the ladies to shake their money-makers with their newest album, Makeshift Sessions, Volume One (Sick). It’s an LP cleverly disguised as an EP, with 3 of the 10 tracks listed as “bonus material.” Sick is an amalgam of musical styles that touches on the auditory expressions of Dave Matthews Band and other top-ten friendly groups. At times, it even takes a turn down the well-travelled road paved by true funk-rock pioneers. Even with all the comparisons that automatically spring to mind, the boys of The Big Creak bring their own spirit and energy to the pre-existing genres, making for a buzz-bin album that’s sure to get your pop jollies off well into the wee hours of the morning.
TITONTON DUVANTÉ: Tucked away in a corner between DJ Cam and The Kronos Quartet, Titonton Duvanté seduces and frightens with his latest release, Selections For Intercourse. This album is musical storytelling at its best. Along with the aesthetics of the modern DJ, it also employs the talents of several string musicians and vocalists. Minimal, yet layered, Selections,.. spins you through joyous dance samples one minute and swallows you down in a whirlpool of deep, haunting cello/violin pieces the next. In addition to the instrumental creepiness, there are these eerie, nondescript opera vocals that spook you from the fringe, like a circling poltergeist that knows it doesn’t have to attack its victims head-on to gain the desired effect. From the rapid-fire bump of “Jen Will Tell Ya Different” to the street wandering introspection of “Never Letting Go,” Titonton and company take control of the back and forth action with ease. A brilliant step forward in the realm of mixing turntables with classical sensibilities, Selections For Intercourse is a concerto 18-wheeler fueled by its fearless ability to play on mood and emotion through sound.