CDS:
THE BE GOOD TANYAS - HELLO LOVE (Nettwerk Records)
I\'ve secretly hoped that, with each album they put out, they\'d lean less towards the easy listeningness they seem to possess, and more towards the gritty, rootsy music that influences them. Granted, their songs are still beautiful, with vocals more hypnotic than those three Sirens in O Brother, Where Art Thou? But Hello Love is still a little too \"easy listening\" for me.
RATING: TWO STARS
CLIPSE - HELL HATH NO FURY (Startrak)
When you really think about it, this is one of the weirdest album covers ever. I mean, really look at it. Crowns? A wall of money? An oven? Maybe I\'m missing something. Or I thought I was. Then I listened to the record, and for some reason, the cover made sense. I\'m still not sure why, but I\'m guessing all the Neptunes\' production helps.
RATING: TWO STARS
THE HEISE BROTHERS - THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE HEISE BROTHERS (CTL Records)
You know how Wilco fucks up potentially great records and shows with excursions into feedback and other boring musical masturbation? Maybe they should listen to this record. The Heise Bros. were once part of an experimental monster, and have since streamlined themselves without sounding like everyone else. They\'re like Cracker, with the balls of The Stones, and (cue the obscure musical reference) the rawness of Hater.
RATING: THREE STARS
LYRICS BORN - OVERNITE ENCORE: LYRICS BORN LIVE! (Quannum Projects)
Yeah, I know I\'m late. But if you\'ve never seen Lyrics Born live (and you should, because he\'s probably one of the best shows I\'ve ever seen), this will help fill the enormous void you didn\'t know you had. Pieced together from some Sydney, Australia performances, LB and his live band turn all your LB favorites into raw, loose live gems. And seriously, no one, and I mean NO ONE, gives 100% like Joyo Velarde does. She turns backup singing into an art form.
RATING: FIVE STARS
JOSH MEASE - JOSH MEASE (Self-Released)
I hereby officially start my \"Best of 2007\" list here. Josh Mease is Mease is responsible for one of the best records in my collection (Superiority Complex\'s I Can\'t Complain). And now, bandless, he\'s raised the bar even higher. Absolutely fucking beautiful.
RATING: FOUR STARS
PO\' GIRL - HOME TO YOU (Nettwerk)
I have a great fondness and sadness for where I grew up, and Po\' Girl now joins Juniper Tar and Two Cow Garage as one of a select few bands whose songs and sound sum that up. Especially \"Old Mountain Line.\" Whether they meant to or not, they wrote one of the most perfect \"drive home\" songs for me.
RATING: THREE STARS
THE SOUL OF JOHN BLACK - THE GOOD GIRL BLUES
This is hot Gospel sex moan music-- old ghosts moaning and hollering through a quiet modern messenger. John Black is John Bigham-- Fishbone alum, and onetime Miles Davis collaborator. A man who has the chops to battle with any of the best, but the soul to smite them all. And Good Girl Blues is one of the best records I\'ve heard in a LONG time.
RATING: FOUR STARS
KIM TAYLOR - I FEEL LIKE A FADING LIGHT
I only have 100 words to talk about this album. As unfair as that might seem, it\'s probably for the best. Any more, and I\'d come across like a raving lunatic of a fan. I Feel Like A Fading Light is a beautiful record, and one that will have you keeping a casual eye out for the follow-up. Kim Taylor\'s storytelling is strong, and complimented perfectly by the refreshingly unique music she sets it to. And anyone who can bounce from genuine sweetness (\"My Dress Is Hung\") to spooky ghost interludes (\"The Room Above\") is worth following for the long-haul.
RATING: FOUR STARS
VARIOUS ARTISTS - BEDTIME BEATS: THE SECRET TO SLEEP (Rhino)
Two discs of classical music compositions scientifically believed to lull your restless ass to dreamland. Does it work? If it can tame my restless ass, it\'ll probably knock you out. At least until your body adapts, and builds up some sort of defense against it. Then you can take to pills and booze again.
RATING: THREE STARS
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