i write therefore i am

Treble's Best Tracks of the 00s: No. 18 - "I See Monsters" by Ryan Adams

2009-11-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

My Ryan Adams song review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Ryan Adams
"I See Monsters"
from Love is Hell (2203)
and Loft Sessions (2005)

I've recently discovered that the most terrifying images we experience are not found in any horror movie but what we see on the inside--our own personal demons. It's the voices and flashes of fear that stir inside of us until the moment it takes us over and paralyzes us with the kind of dread only our own minds can imagine.

This has happened to me three times in my life, once as an overindulgence of excess in New Orleans. Another time when I was in Paris, sirens brought back flashbacks of a near death experience with a hold up in the Garden District that I tried to bury inside of me. And, most recently, an experience in our apartment last week. I had gone through weeks of illness, depression, self-doubt and so many tests by doctors, aches and pains that I wouldn't want my worst enemy to experience. I thought it was all over but I was wrong.
Imagine for a minute you're trying to fall asleep so you can some prescription medicine to help you get drowsy. But instead of relaxing, you experience a panic attack. And not just any panic attack but the kind where, for a few hours, you're trying to not lose your place in your own mental universe. Your own existence is being questioned by your mind. All the memories, good and bad, that you have experienced are vanishing by the second. And all that's left are the flashes and whispering monsters in your head trying to take you away from the life and love that you have been cherishing for over three years.

When I hear the "I See Monsters" by Ryan Adams, it brings back and makes sense of that terrifying night that I experienced. What I recall most is towards the end of my ordeal having all those memories that I thought were gone come back to me at a fast pace in the middle of the night. Imagine reliving all the pain and agony of lost love, break-ups, betrayal, hurt all coming back at once. All of those emotions of hurt going through you in the matter of minutes. Horrifying is not even the word. I don't think there is one for what I experienced. But Ryan's incredible freaked-out guitar solo at the end of the Loft Sessions in his awe-inspiring version of Love is Hell's "I See Monsters" comes close. "And then after the song is over, you hear handclaps in the studio and one of Ryan's Cardinals says it best when trying to describe Ryan's solo, "It sounds like Monsters."

The incredible thing about Ryan's song is that he's lived through similar events in his life. In the song, Ryan's in bed with the one that he loves and in his mind, the demons are coming to life in the middle of the night. And these aren't the CGI creatures from your overindulgent horror films that we've all seen. No, these are monsters that live inside of us. They hold our fears and come out in the dark trying to paralyze us with our own personal fears. Something that no film or ghost story could ever emulate, Adams brings to life in the climax of "I See Monsters."

I do feel stronger having gone through this harrowing time. And "I See Monsters" has now become one of my favorite Ryan Adams songs. I used to think that "I See Monsters" was a beautiful song, but the Loft version is more than that. He understands. He almost whispers the vocal as if he's trying to ease himself to sleep. And then at the end he brings out his electric axe and slays his monsters for another night. After it's over, they will be back, but we're all a little stronger for living through these moments of trepidation.

Loft Session

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.03.2009

Review: Leonard Cohen: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970

2009-11-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

My review of Leonard Cohen's Isle of Wight 1970 can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Leonard Cohen
Isle of Wight 1970
Columbia/ Legacy
2009

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be one of the wasted wordsmiths like Jim Morrison and Hunter S. Thompson. Before moving towards a life of overindulgences in the French Quarters of New Orleans, I grew up a confused soul in the suburbs of Ann Arbor and San Antonio. I knew I wanted to take the road less traveled, so I followed the adventures excess of Thompson. But instead of Vegas, I went to New Orleans. I attempted to be like Hunter, but failed miserably. I was no drinker or aficionado of drugs. All it did was made me hung-over, sick and feel even more alone in the city of myths. Some of my favorite moments in New Orleans were when I was locked away in my room, writing all hours of the day. Even my neighbors knew my routine. When I would leave they would snicker, "there goes the poet to lock himself in his house for days. See you in a couple of weeks, dude." At the time, I was hurt by the snide comments. I didn't want to be a recluse. I lived to be the life of the party. I never was.

In reality, my life mirrored the romantic frustration of one Leonard Cohen. I wouldn't want to compare my writing with Cohen. If I could one day equal one of his eternal lyrics, just one line from one of his songs I would be grateful. Looking back, without the greatness, my life as a loner writer was like Cohen's. I experienced the lows and loneliness of bachelorhood and desperately searched for love in every siren I longed to be with. Most of the times those sparks faded to blue after a first kiss but still searched for her. It would take ten years to find my true love but all those years on my own taught me to keep writing and never give up.

To this day, I follow the reflective wisdom of Leonard Cohen. To me Cohen is a truth-telling troubadour who was born a sonneteer, a poet whose words reflected the pain and longing that scar us all from within. But even through all the hurt, after all of these years, and even in those early days of the 1970s, Cohen never lost his hope. And just like Cohen, what I leaned most from Leonard was his unwritten creative creed. He loved, lost and learned to write through the scars and sing through the agony. The thing is that his results are international treasures such as "So Long, Marianne" and "Famous Blue Raincoat."

Cohen sang a plethora of what are now classics during his legendary performance at the Isle of Wight in 1970. Cohen was awakened from a nap at 2 a.m. and followed the explosive set of Jimi Hendrix with his transcendental lyrical journey in front of 600,000 friends. At the time Cohen took the stage, he had released two albums: Songs of Leonard Cohen and Songs from a Room. A few weeks after, he would record his third album Songs of Love and Hate, which would include "Sing Another Song, Boys" from this same event at the Isle of Wight.

What makes his performance unique was the stripped, honest nature of each song. It starts with Cohen's voice who sings like a lover sharing his tales of lost love, proud of his scar-like choruses as a choir of backing angels harmonizes behind him in such songs as "Lady Midnight." The choice of "Lady Midnight" is a curious selection for it contains some of his most powerful religious imagery, like future wordsmith singers like Johnny Cash and Nick Cave, whose conflict with their personal faith is something you can hear them struggle with in almost all of their songs. To me "Lady Midnight" has more kinship with the myth of Orpheus that Cave himself sang about 30 years later. In Cohen's song, you hear his fair maiden calling out "You won me, oh Lord."

One of my favorite aspects of the Isle of Wight show was the way Cohen changed some of the lyrics of songs like "Bird on the Wire" if only slightly. But just like a master poet, once you replace a word with another one it changes the meaning completely. Instead of saving the ribbons Cohen switches that line with "I have saved all my sorrow for thee." It matches the reflective mood of his desolate life of unrequited love.

But my favorite part of "Bird on the Wire" is at the end of the second verse when Leonard updated his lyric from "and if I have been untrue/ I hope you know it was never to you, " to "and if I have been untrue/ It's just that I thought a lover had to be some kind of liar too." His one lyric was a reflection of my own past lies and romantic failures. Who else can do this? With one line he encapsulates a lifetime of heartache. This is why, to me, just like Dylan and Shakespeare, Cohen is one of the eternal lyrical geniuses.

Other highlights are the acoustic solo version of "The Stranger Song." In this performance, Cohen's words come to life. He was the stranger and with every chord he has mesmerized the crowd with his poignant journey. And Cohen became something more, a lyrical laureate of truth and love. I loved the emotional version of "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong" with Cohen playing what sounds like a flute-like instrument with his hands. You can see this on Murray Lerner's documentary of Cohen's concert. This version includes interviews with Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Kris Kristofferson as they recant their memories of Cohen's amazing performance. The film is remastered and looks beautiful, but not all the songs from the show are featured and for some reason Lerner edited them out of order. Seeing a young Cohen crooning to this conscientious crowd is a delight.

Comparing Cohen's Live in London live disc that was also released this year with this performance at the Isle of Wight, I prefer this one. This one is for the die hard Cohen fans. There were not many hits in this show and Cohen's young voice has yet to ripen to the lower register we have grown accustomed to. His emerging voice still sounds powerfully poetic as he sings the lyrical letter of "Famous Blue Raincoat." (Surprising this song was absent from the Live in London show.) To me this Isle of Wight rendition is my favorite and one of the best on this amazing performance. It has a flamenco guitar vibe that I still can hear delightfully in my head.

Leonard Cohen's Isle of Wight 1970 CD/DVD is an album that all music connoisseurs must own. There's something mythically inspiring by his performance during his magical show. Leonard Cohen has always transcended time and lyrical spaces with his songs. And this show is no different. Cohen may now be a middle aged crooner but looking back at this magnificent concert is like watching the master with new and unheard gems that he shares from his arsenal of artistic greatness.

Not only do you get the songs but you also hear reminiscences with poems and stories from his childhood. He tells a story about when his father would take him to the circus when he was younger. There was one part that the young Cohen always waited for, when a man at the circus would stand up and he would say "would everybody light a match, so we can locate one another…" Cohen then asks the crowd to light a match so "you can sparkle like fireflies at your different heights." He longed to see those matches flare.

Long after this performance, Cohen has been lighting the spark of inspiration in my life as a solitary writer and lover. Now on the cusp of my wedding, I can look back with the pride and glory of Leonard Cohen's young voice. Going back with his lyrics I have no regrets, just a lifetime full of memories that ring truth in the songs that have guided me throughout these years from the poet/singer that I still long to honor. Thank you, Leonard, for this beautiful and timeless lyrical gift. I will continue to reach for the moon. Your voice will guide me as my journey continues the same one that started in June, a year after your famous performance at the Isle of Wight. I am listening with matches that I light from within.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.03.2009

Review: The Dead Weather: Horehound

2009-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

My review of Horehound can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Dead Weather
Horehound
Third Man
2009

From the opening sounds of "60 Ft Tall" from Horehound, it's apparent this isn't your everyday super group. The Dead Weather creates cerebral, bluesy cock-fueled rock, using not just the tip but the whole entire head of their explosive arsenal. The difference is there's a luscious lady assassin who is the sensual leader of this operation, and her name is Alison Mosshart. Yeah, I know the brainchild of this group is Jack White III, he's the producer and plays drums, but The Weather would be limp and lifeless without the front-woman of The Kills. She slays, sulks and seduces you through this electrifying debut album. But she's no damsel; in fact Allison seems to have a desire for danger as you can hear throughout the very lustful and fiery "60 Ft Tall."

But this just isn't Alison's show—she's backed up by three prominent counterparts. The first is guitarist Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age. His riffs are the backbone to this 21st Century sound (think Hendrix-meets-Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zimmer, with a slice of Rage's Tom Morello) creating earth shattering riffs that are simply intensified greatness. Yes, the new single "Treat Me Like Your Mother" even has that Rage Against the Machine-meets-Southern Delta sound. Even Jack's vocals echo the living spirit of aggro activist Zach De La Rocha on "Treat Me Like Your Mother."

Speaking of Jack, our favorite axe-man has taken the sticks and is now sitting behind the drum kit. You may notice that the backbeats are turned up in the mix. This reminds me of a story of when Mick Jagger went to go visit Keith Richards during their much-publicized split during the '80s. Richards played Jagger tracks from his then new album Talk is Cheap. Jagger's one comment was that the drums were turned up a little high. Richards' response was that the drummer Steve Jordan was the one that produced the sessions. Jagger's response was, "There you go," and just laughed. As I mentioned before, White is the producer of Horehound so you will notice his drum fills louder than on most of his recordings. I love his Ringo-like opening count-out in the "Yer Blues"-inspired cover of Bob Dylan's "New Pony," one of the most original covers of a Dylan song re-imagined by a band I have ever heard. This rendition is simply a modern day classic.

At first, White's cranked up drums are noticeable but as you go further down the rabbit hole that is Horehound the other elements of the band—especially bassist's Jack Lawrence killer fills, Fertita's robust riffs and Allison's sultry vocals—all take you over. You are useless to resist the power of The Dead Weather.

I've never really been a fan of instrumentals but "3 Birds" is an all assault of riffs, fills and boisterous bass licks, with a sinister vibe that would make Portishead proud. Another highlight is the raga, hip-hop and organ-infused brilliance of "I Cut like a Buffalo." Jack's lyrics are hilariously wicked when he sings, "You know I look like a woman but I cut like a buffalo." But my favorite song is Alison's "So Far From Your Weapon." When she sings, "There's a bullet in my pocket burning a hole…" Alison sounds like an assassin savoring the moment right before she kills for the thrill.

I love it when Alison and Jack sing together—their voices merge perfectly throughout. On "No Hassle Night" hey sound like a futuristic Bonnie and Clyde on the run when they sing, "I'm looking for a place to go/ where the sun goes down…where I can lay low," leaving behind a trail of scars and broken hearts inside these saga-like songs. The one weak link on Horehound seems to be the faux electronic inspired backing beats of "Bone House." I have to admit this song seems out of place on this hot-blooded debut album. To me The Dead Weather's Horehound sounds like a soundtrack to an unmade, futuristic Western motion picture where these outlaws kill for the thrill, and live to sing about it.

Jack White's newest vehicle, featuring Alison Mosshart as his lyrical executioner, is impossible to resist. Dean Fertita is the unheralded all-star of this album. His riffs are the ones that bring White's 21st Century artistic carnage to life. White, Mosshart, Fertita and Lawrence are an ideal match that you must discover. Get ready to be hooked on Horehound. Death, blues and rock never sounded this good, buried in the mix together.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
07.16.2009

Review: Jeff Buckley: Grace Around the World

2009-06-12T10:34:00.001-07:00

My review of Grace Around the World (Special Edition) can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Jeff Buckley
Grace Around the World
Legacy/Columbia
2009

After reading Jeff Apter's brilliant bio, A Pure Drop, I was ready for the new compilation featuring our favorite rocking chansonnier Jeff Buckley, Grace Around the World. In theory, this two DVD, one CD collection looks tasty for the Buckley fan in your life. Finally we get the release of the documentary Amazing Grace along with a plethora of live performances Jeff and his band recorded around the globe during his very lengthy tour promoting his first and only album, Grace.

I'm no casual Buckley fan—I like to think I know a little about the life and music of one Jeff Buckley. He is the one we reach for during the peaks and valleys of our everyday lives. He's the imperfect soul who sang for our lonely souls, longing for true love. When he sung words like "She's the tear that hangs inside my soul forever," we felt every syllable as a reflection for the ones we once adored but have since left us with only ripples of lost legendary kisses.

Grace Around the World does give those of us who never had a chance to see Buckley in concert a glimpse into his live shows, which is the reason I loved the Live in Chicago DVD. So what's the deal with adding "Lover, You Should've Come Over" from that same Chicago show? Was there no other video of the band playing "Lover" in all the Buckley archives at Sony? This is the problem I have with this compilation—it has style but is missing the substance that we have come to value from most Buckley posthumous releases. We Buckley fans deserve better. We need more releases like the Live À L'Olympia show in Paris. I was in fact listening and loving this disc today, especially his rendition of "Hallelujah" with the Parisian faithful cheering him on with every lyric and his cover of Edith Piaf's "Je N'en Connais Pas la Fin," both of which are breathtaking editions to the ever evolving Buckley canon.

Even Amazing Grace was lacking. There was a BBC documentary, which you can watch for gratis on You Tube that is better, quality wise. It seems like the creators took footage from Buckley's videos and the Electronic Press Kit that is already available in the Legacy Edition of Grace and mixed it with new interviews. We've seen most of this footage there's nothing really new here to discover. I learned more about Buckley from Apter's bio than from Amazing Grace. Although, I must admit I did appreciate all of the artists who were inspired by Buckley and are influenced by his words on a daily basis within their creative canvases. There are some people interviewed in Amazing Grace that have business talking about Buckley. The majority of his most dedicated supporters still refuse to speak on the record to anyone about their friend that left us over ten years ago

I met one of his close friend's a few months back. I had a copy of Apter's book on display at the bookstore when she came in. She spent a few minutes looking inside A Pure Drop before being overcome with emotion. "He's been gone this long and it still hurts. I'm not ready," she told me before walking away. We talked about him, the real Buckley and his legacy which she claimed should be in better hands. After experiencing Grace Around the World I tend to agree with her.

Jeff Buckley deserves a Doors-like Bright Midnight label so the estate can release all of the individual shows that Columbia has gathering dust in the Sony archives. What are they waiting for? We are still waiting for an outtakes album with the official release of the "Flowers in Time" duet featuring Cocteau Twins vocalist Liz Fraser.

That's not to say the performances on the Main Program of Grace Around the World are lacking. His version of "Mojo Pin" that includes the introduction of "Chocolate on the Tongue" is similar to the one that was released on the Grace EP from a show at the Wetlands. In this one performance on this German TV show captures the essence of the voice within the voice, and the sound within our sound that we have come to love of Jeff. In fact this live version showcases the Buckley was one part Nina Simone and the other half Led Zeppelin.

It's been said that Jeff never played a song the same way twice and thankfully Grace Around the World is proof of this. My favorite part of this compilation is the memorable interview clips by good friend and photographer Merri Cyr that are intertwined between each performance. The first one shows the true goofy side of Jeff even before his band plays a note. There is a clichéd introduction where they mention Jeff's dad and at that moment Buckley sarcastically raises his hands in the air. I wish we had more glimpses of this kind of Jeff on Grace Around the World. Watching Jeff on screen you realize that we will never see culmination of his future greatness of this one-of-a-kind soul who never took himself seriously, but his music was his lifeline. Although I appreciate the intent, Buckley deserves better quality releases that will seal his legacy within the hearts and ears of music devotees everywhere.

Maybe I'm hard to please, and watching him on screen I realize that he's never coming back. In some ways it is difficult to come to terms that one of your favorite singer/songwriters will never write another new song ever again. At least we have Grace to give us hope. It may be over but we hold on we wait for something new to cling to like a message from an old lover that will spark the memories with a single note. This is what Buckley and his music means to me. At least with Grace Around the World we can drink up the sight and sounds of "Lilac Wine" and toast to the memory of the one that left us behind.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.12.2009

Review: Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Special Edition)

2009-04-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

My review of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Special Edition) can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Sinéad O'Connor
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Special Edition)
EMI/ Chrysalis
2009

Has it really been almost 20 years since the release of Sinéad's I Don't Want What I Haven't Got? I was 19 years old, just out of high school and started my extended run at a local junior college in San Antonio, Texas. Sinéad herself was only twenty four when she gave birth to I Don't Want with her husband, drummer John Reynolds. Most of the tracks were recorded with very few takes. The record company initially rejected the record because in their words it sounded like `…reading somebody's diaries.'

The personal nature of I Don't Want is what made Sinéad an international phenomenon. To me, being a young poet, I connected to her words. It takes a true artist to connect beyond their gender and age. Sinéad was this artist. All you have to do is listen to her lyrics, especially on "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance." Her words and vocal performance perfectly reflected the initial sound and emotions when heart shatters during the first moments of a break up. It starts off with Sinéad quietly whispering her vocal over her acoustic guitar. It climaxes with Sinéad finding her voice and becoming louder in a moment of empowerment. It's no coincidence of the song's placement at the end of the record. Sinéad's vocal in her anthem was the signal of her true nature. Sinéad was always an outspoken artist who told her version of the truth, no matter what cost. She was brave and uncompromising from the beginning, and it startled a male-dominated entertainment world.

It's hard to separate all of the events following the release of the album because in my memory they're tied together. I remember I was at the same junior college and proudly wearing my oversized, black Sinéad t-shirt with a huge portrait of O'Connor's beautiful bald head on the front during the height of her controversy. This was the time when even Frank Sinatra was condemning her. But not me, I never wavered even with all the looks and stares around this very conservative Texas city. I recall one of my history professors walking with me across campus admiring me wearing Sinéad's shirt during the time the public was turning against her. Looking back, I wish I still had that shirt.

It's amazing that the public so quickly rallied against the artist who only a few months back had a number one single written by Prince himself. "Nothing Compares 2 U" is what most will remember I Don't Want, but to me the legacy of Sinéad's second album is the legion of artists who came after her. By standing up to the status quo, O'Connor opened the door for Polly Jean Harvey, Tori Amos, Cat Power and so many more. Sinéad symbolically took the arrows for those future artists. I believe she laid the dynamic foundations for these women and their art to thrive during their respective eras.

I Don't Want is not just a singer/songwriter's manifesto and it's reflected in this newly released Special Edition. Not only do you get this now classic album remastered, but also a disc of live rarities, remixes and b-sides. One of my favorites is the Daniel Lanois-produced "Mind Games," a cover of the John Lennon song. and Sinéad's voice is perfect for this version. Lennon would proud of the way she sings the original title of the song, "Make Love Not War," over and over on the fade out. O'Connor also adds a little Jamaican flavor to a faithful cover of Gregory Issacs' "Night Nurse."

If there was any doubt about the greatness of Sinéad, press play and listen to the dynamic fire in her passionate voice in this acoustic version of "Troy" recorded live in London. Also available on the bonus disc of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, this is reason enough to buy the reissue. When she sings, "I'll remember it/ every restless night,"you are there reliving it all. Fucking amazing!

Let's not forget some of the gems from the original album that made I Don't Want an electric listening experience. Sinead brought the noise on the memorable rock anthem "The Emperor's New Clothes." (Listen for the killer bass lines from former Smiths member Andy Rourke.) We can't forget the sizzling "Jump in the River" with bullets firing the single that dropped before the album's release. Who could forget the time Sinead once claimed "Rap is the folk music of this generation." You can hear O'Connor incorporating a hip-hop feel with the James Brown back beat sample on the very lovely and potent Frank O'Connor poem "I Am Stretched Out on Your Grave."

I Don't Want was and still is a very diverse album that changed music within the confines of these timeless songs. We owe a lot to Sinéad. She proved to her label, the music world and every artist that writing from the heart, no matter how personal, will connect with every man, woman and child on the planet and she did with I Don't Want What I Haven't Got. She inspired me and continues to today. Sometimes it's difficult to reflect your own voice within your own personal canvas but Sinéad proved it's the only way to be true to yourself as an artist. This is still a bold and delicate album that grows stronger and more beautiful with age. More than a work of a vilified anti-hero on a t-shirt or on a video screen, I Don't Want What I Haven't Got is the album where Sinéad found her voice. It was not only hers but the voice of a generation who searched for love, honesty and devotion in an uncompromising nature that only Sinéad O'Connor could bring to life.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.27.2009

Review: PJ Harvey and John Parish: A Woman a Man Walked By

2009-04-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

My review of A Woman a Man Walked By can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

PJ Harvey and John Parish
A Woman a Man Walked By
Island
2009

Unfortunately for John Parish, fans of multi-talented Polly Jean Harvey often overlook his contributions when collaborating with the songstress. It's just a simple fact: the singer that gets most of the recognition. Look at Bright Eyes—songwriter Conor Oberst gets all of the laurels while instrumentalist Mike Mogis creates all the visually inspiring soundscapes for his singing counterpart to craft his lyrical magic. Oberst frequently acknowledges Mogis' role in the band, but for the most part Conor gets all the glory. The same goes for Harvey, whose A Woman a Man Walked By is not a proper solo album. We are so used to Polly doing it all on her own that when we hear singing, we assume it's 100 percent Harvey, all the time.

Multi-instrumentalist Parish has produced some of the most electrifying atmospheric sonic textures for Polly Jean to create her intimate lyrical rhymes. A Woman is a breathtaking effort with equally sinister and sweet, seductive sounds coming from my favorite siren. Parish brings the good stuff with his searing guitar riffs especially in the explosive opener "Black Hearted Love." When Polly Jean sings, "I'd like to take you to a place I know…" we, as her devoted audience, are sure to follow her. This is what makes "Black Hearted Love" the perfect introduction as Polly Jean's vocals invite us to follow them down the rabbit hole beneath this new rhythmic canvas.

Ever since the opening salvo of greatness was struck in her debut single "Sheela-Na-Gig," we devotees of Polly Jean have been with her every step of the way throughout the progression of her career, as heard in the dynamic Rid of Me, the dramatic Stories from the City, the cinematic Is This Desire, the bare melancholy of Uh Huh Her and the haunting melodies of White Chalk. Parish makes Harvey fans roar with gratefulness by reuniting Polly Jean's voice with his electric guitar. But A Woman is not just a ten song axe fest; think of this as Harvey and Parish following the Radiohead post-Kid A/Amnesiac method. Starting with Hail to the Thief the band reincorporated the guitar back into their repertoire, but didn't completely abandon the creative elements of their most recent musical experimentation. Parish gave Harvey minimalist musical textures in songs like "A Soldier," with Harvey's ghostly vocal that would have fit perfectly on White Chalk.

One of my favorite songs on A Woman has to be Parish's Krzysztof Komeda inspired rhythms of "Leaving California." This song has an eerie Rosemary's Baby-esque vibe which Komeda famously composed for director Roman Polanski's classic thriller in 1968. Harvey's poignant vocal reminds me of Mia Farrow's character from that same movie. "California" is very cinematic and one of Parish's musical triumphs. He should be writing music for films. Harvey even claims that his music for a college production of Hamlet is what inspired their first collaboration Dance Hall at Louise Point.

Fans of Harvey's classic Rid of Me will recognize the "50ft Queenie" shock from Parish's electric riffs on the climactic title track. Oh how we have missed that lusty seductress spitting vulgar rhymes of yesteryear. Parish then mixes the title cut with a locomotive-inspired instrumental, "The Crow Knows Where All the Little Children Go."

A Woman displays the ultimate blend of their strengths: Parish's melodic muscle and Harvey's lyrical intensity. "Pig Will Not" is another vintage Harvey track, with howling vocals and Parish supplying a cacophony of backing riffs and rhythms that match her lyrical fire.

The album closes with Harvey's very beautiful spoken word vocal on "Cracks in the Canvas." Parish's simple harmonium and single chords connect with Harvey's memorable lyric, "Cracks in the canvas look like roads that never end." And just like that the journey that was A Woman a Man Walked By ends. Within the confines of ten incredible songs, Harvey and Parish have surpassed the promise made with Dance Hall at Louise Point.

A Woman a Man Walked By is an unforgettable exploration with John Parish and Polly Jean Harvey as our guides. If A Woman a Man Walked By is any indication, I look forward to their next musical endeavor where Parish will continue feeding Harvey sonic dangers made eloquent by her lyrical genius. In the guise of these songs, these two artists find the way to constantly connect the passionate rhythms of human nature. The emotional resonance of lust and their revealing loves are brought to life by Polly Jean Harvey and John Parish. The ripples of these melodies will linger long after the cracks on their musical canvas have subsided.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.08.2009

Review: Leonard Cohen: Live in London

2009-04-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

My review of Leonard Cohen's Live in London can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Leonard Cohen
Live in London
Columbia
2009

I remember standing in the darkness of Tower Records in Lincoln Park, Chicago. We were about to close and walk out the door about four years ago, and I had just read the news that Leonard Cohen was coming out of retirement. Cohen was suing his accountant for embezzling his funds. I was so disgusted that I stopped and turned around to face my closing crew and said, "Who in the fuck would steal from Leonard Cohen?" They looked at me like I was crazy. "Whoever did is going to hell."

Four years later, because of this criminal, we are blessed in witnessing the return of a living legend. Leonard Cohen is touring again. If you're like me and can't afford to go see Mr. Cohen in concert because you're feeling the aching effects from this current financial crisis, you'll be will be happy to know that there is an alternative—a double live CD and DVD called Live in London. This may be the closest I will come to hearing or seeing Mr. Cohen on stage, but what a delight this live document is.

It's hard to believe that Mr. Cohen is 75 years old, because his voice sounds resurrected and alive in this London setting. You would think someone who has been robbed by someone he once trusted would feel some kind of animosity, but not Leonard Cohen; he has a graceful and humorous presence on stage. You can tell he's having the best time on the road during this time.

From the opening strands of "Dance Me to the End of Love," you realize that this isn't just another live album for the sake of album sales. I myself considered purchasing this concert collection, because four years later I can't believe that someone would steal from this saintly poet. Now that I have it, Live in London is one of the best live CDs I've ever had the pleasuring of owning. I have to say it's up there with Bob Marley's 1975 Live at the Lyceum, in the same setting in London. Those Londoners sure know how to appreciate the great ones.

All the old favorites from Leonard Cohen's vast and eternal canon are represented on Live in London. One of my favorites is Mr. Cohen's poetic recitation of "A Thousand Kisses." Sounding like a universal poet laureate, the way his deep voice recites this classic will send shivers throughout your musical soul. Cohen also shows the music world who originally wrote and recorded his classic "Hallelujah." Leonard brings it back home in the voice we know and have loved for all of these years. "Sisters of Mercy" soars angelically in this live setting. Speaking of angels, the Webb Sisters shine with Cohen as they take on "If It Be Your Will."

I do have a few complaints, however. Some of the backing vocals are turned up too much and at times may seem to be mixed higher than Mr. Cohen's voice. There's one too many sax solos. I would have loved to have seen and heard an all-acoustic show, but Cohen does have an awesome backing band whose arrangements equal Leonard's legendary vocal delivery.

So if you're not going to have the opportunity to go see Leonard in concert, you must go out and invest in the next best thing, this breathtaking double CD collection, Live in London. Just hearing Cohen's voice coming out of your headphones will soothe and inspire you as it makes your year. Powerful and poetic, Leonard Cohen returns, and we all are witnesses. Don't you dare miss out.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.07.2009

Review: Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come, Easy Go

2009-03-31T07:58:00.001-07:00

My review of Easy Come, Easy Go can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Marianne Faithfull
Easy Come, Easy Go
Naïve
2009

Throughout her elegantly infamous career, Marianne Faithfull has lived her life through songs with this creed: "Music is best when it's sexual…and if it's not there's something wrong." This is why I have adored her for so long. In my ears, Faithfull today is sexier than she has ever been. To me it starts with the voice. Nothing is sultrier than the voice of a chanteuse, and Faithfull is one of the originals. Since the '60s she's been taking on cover songs like "As Tears Go By" so fluidly, like slipping on the sexiest dress, she inhabits these songs and eventually takes them over, making them her own.

She hasn't stopped since her comeback with 2002's Kissin' Time, and its fabulous follow up, Before the Poison. Faithfull has become Bowie-esque by surrounding herself with modern day collaborators like Beck, Polly Jean Harvey and Jarvis Cocker. With her latest Easy Come Easy Go Faithfull has shown that she is a timeless siren, seducing us with her memorable vocal prowess that continues to excite and astound us with her unique style that oozes sensuality.

Easy Come Easy Go is Faithfull's collaboration with legendary composer, curator and producer Hal Willner. Willner orchestrated Marianne's first major sonic return with 1987's Strange Weather. More than 20 years later, Willner and Faithfull have teamed up to tackle a new set of songs, modern and classic alike to give them an everlasting feel with Marianne's alluring voice as our sensual guide.

With Willner's assistance, Faithfull set out to capture the feel of a collection of songs from her past and some post-modern selections to inhabit with her passionate presence. Easy Come Easy Go starts off with Marianne's very eloquent interpretation of Dolly Parton's "Down from Dover," but Faithfull's version becomes more than a country cover. With the help of Willner and his magnificent backing band it's more of a jazz-filled glory, with shades of bluesy guitar riffs that fuel Faithfull's vocal of luscious longing.

From the outset you will hear that Easy Come is quite the eclectic endeavor with Willner's decision to use an all star selection of session musicians to back up Faithfull with the grace and desire that her voice deserves. It's this dynamic combination that makes Easy Come a climactic success.

Not only did Willner pull together the best band, but he also assembled a collection of heavyweight vocalists. You may recognize the backing vocals of one Ms. Chan Marshall on Marianne's splendid cover of Neko Case's "Hold On, Hold On." Although I would have loved a straight and proper duet between Chan and Faithfull, just like she did on Beck's Modern Guilt album, Marshall's voice fuses perfectly with Marianne's throughout this organ-filled cover. It's incredible the way Marianne becomes the protagonist in "Hold On." Listen as Faithfull sings,

"In the end I was the mean girl
Or somebody's in-between girl
Now it's the devil I love
And that's as funny as real love."

You'd swear she's singing about her own life. But that's the power in her performance, the way she inhabits Case's words and reflects them with her own personal world. If you get the feeling that the arrangement has a Bad Seeds, end of the world vibe, you're right, thanks to the explosive electric violin solo by Cave's right hand man Warren Ellis.

Faithfull goes the classic route with her very voluptuous cover of Duke Ellington's "Solitude." Guitarist Marc Ribot's wailing guitar riffs match Marianne's tempting torch song vocal that's perfect for a late night candle-lit dinner for two. Put this song on, start a little slow dancing and you will feel the inspiration.

With help from Nick Cave, Marianne takes on The Decemberists' "The Crane Wife 3." Marianne's captures the emotional resonance of the songs theme when she sings "I will hang my head low." No offense to Colin Meloy, but her vocal delivery makes her the perfect candidate to sing this song. She makes this character come alive. She becomes real; you feel all of her vulnerabilities throughout Marianne's aching vocal. Just like Johnny Cash did with Trent Reznor's "Hurt," Faithfull's version is the definitive one.

Cash and his late creative resurrection with Rick Rubin is the perfect foil for Faithfull's current resurgence with Willner. Both singers took words from modern day troubadours and gave them their distinctive touch. Even songs that should be somehow out of their vocal reach became effortlessly flawless under their unique vocal direction. Cash did it with Danzig's "Thirteen," Faithfull does it with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's "Salvation." Sean Lennon's guitar and vocal escort Marianne on this exceptional cover. When Faithfull sings, "Do you feel alive?" this becomes more than a cover, it's a personal anthem and a symbol for her creative rebirth.

Unfortunately if you purchase the American version of Easy Come Easy Go you will not be hearing this cover and a plethora of others. The release on Decca U.S. only gives you half the story. I recommend you dishing out for the three-disc import version (2 CDs and one DVD documentary on the making of the album). My fiancée gave me this for Navidad. Eighteen songs from my favorite chanteuse reflect the best gift I got last year. Not only is "Salvation" missing but so is Faithfull's cover of Sarah Vaughan's "Black Coffee" and her incredible duet of "Somewhere (A Place for Us)" with Jarvis Cocker. Invest in the super deluxe edition, think of this as a directors cut, more Marianne for your money.

If you're on a budget like the rest of us, the American version of Easy Go does include covers of Morrissey's "Dear God Please Help Me" and her awe-inspiring duet with Antony Hegarty on Smokey Robinson's "Ooh Baby Baby." I can't forget her collaboration with Rufus Wainwright on "Children of Stone" and the countrified cover of Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home" with Keith Richards. "Home" sounds like two friends crooning this classic at an empty dive bar, ready to call it a night. It's a very intimate performance between two friends with who were closely connected professionally in the swinging '60s.

How do I love Marianne's voice, let me count the ways? The 18 songs on Faithfull's Easy Come Easy Go easily place it up there as one of the front runners for album of the year. Are ready to feel her sensual vocal touch? Dim the lights, pour a glass a wine and light a cigarette. She will ravish you from beginning to end of this spectacular album.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.31.2009

Review: Peter Doherty: Grace/Wastelands

2009-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

My review of Grace/Wastelands can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Peter Doherty
Grace/ Wastelands
Astralwerks
2009

At the beginning of the Libertines' short lifespan, Carl Barât and Peter Doherty had a motto, "It's either top of the world or the bottom of canal." Since the demise of their band, Doherty's public persona has been in the tabloid guise of the latter. The dream of being one of the greatest British songwriters disappeared with by the appearance of this media-fueled alter ego. I thought it was just me but even Mr. Doherty is baffled by his dark sided twin whom he calls the evil one. He told NME, "I call him my evil twin…I don't see it as me in a way, he's a media creation..." I was fed up with the acts of this doppelganger, I started to lose hope that he would never find Albion and would end up with a sudden Death on the Stairs. His evil twin had been taking all the promise away from the creative side of one Peter Doherty. Now that's he's dumped Kate Moss, finally gone clean and excised his overindulgent entourage, has Peter actually curbed his bloody demons? By moving alone to Paris, it seems that the evil one has at last gone into (permanent?) hibernation.

All of his trialed turbulence may have had much to do with Doherty's age and his raging exuberance. C'mon, Doherty wasn't the only rocker to fall prey to addiction. Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Adams and Trent Reznor have all had their battle with excess but Doherty's was more public. For years, police and judges tried everything to help Peter go clean but everyone knows you can't force an addict to quit cold turkey. Yet it appears that Doherty has finally seen his light and it's still not ready to go out, as of yet. I've been waiting all these years for this Peter Doherty to arrive. The talented poetic-singer, songwriter is finally starting to his spread his creative heights from Albion and beyond.

Babyshambles' Shotter's Nation was the first good step, but producer Stephen Street knew that Peter could go deeper. With his head clean of drugs, Doherty went back to some of his unreleased treasures and with the help from his friends like Street, Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, singer Dot Allison, Libertine lyricist Carl Barat and his carnales from the `shambles, Doherty's solo album is a fucking delight. Half the time, I don't know what the hell Peter is singing about, but just like the sub-cultured language in Irving Welsh's Trainspotting, Doherty's underground world of outcasts from the gutter longing for glimpses of love in the stars are simply fascinating. Case in point, the lyrics to "The Last of the English Roses":

"She knows her Rodneys from her Stanleys
And her Kappas from her Reeboks
And her tit from her tat
And Winstons from her Enoks"

Who is Peter singing about? It doesn't really matter, because his vocalized lyrics sound divine. You can hear a confidence in Doherty's vocals that reign supreme throughout Grace/Wastelands. It's as if overcoming his demons has lit Peter's creative fire. He hasn't sounded this alive since his days as a Libertine. We heard some shades of this in the last Babyshambles album, but songs like "New Love Grows on Trees" signal a new direction for Doherty, with the help of Coxon playing his best Marr-esque riffs, creating a Smiths-like template as a tribute to Peter's favorite band (with whom Street had the honor of producing in their heyday of The Queen is Dead.)

One shouldn't expect Freewheeling acoustic demos like those circulating online post-Libertines and pre-Babyshambles. You probably would have sampled some of these songs in their early incarnations. Those rough drafts were sketches and like the work of any good writer, a song is never finished, it only keeps developing. One example of this is very atmospheric "A Little Death Around the Eyes," co-written by Barat. I love the sweeping feel of this song; I imagine walking around the Seine in France. Doherty captures some the cultural feel on his new home city with the addition of the accordion on "Eyes." You hear a lot of texture and depth on all the songs from Grace/Wastelands. There's a vintage 1930s vibe on songs like swinging "Sweet By and By" and the aptly titled "1939 Returning." I am awed with the creative direction Doherty is taking. It shows the versatile nature in Peter's artistic arsenal. He can croon, seduce and even belt out rockers like "Fuck Forever." But it appears that he wants to go past his "Fuck Forever" phase and move into a more eternal and seductive mode of vocal style. This is a winner to my ears. Grace/Wastelands is light years ahead of some of tracks heard on Down in Albion. Doherty is not only growing but also evolving as a songwriter.

My favorite song on Grace/Wastelands has an infamous history; "Sheepskin Tearaway" has the distinction of being the only Doherty original to be included in Judd Apatow's 2005 film, The 40 Year Old Virgin. This version has vocals from Peter's lovely ex, Dot Allison. But it's that acoustic riff that I first heard on Virgin that's most memorable. Allison's and Doherty's tender duet make this a romantic jazzy number that you'll be singing in your daydreams.

I would love to call Grace/Wastelands a masterpiece but it's not, "Broken Love Song" just doesn't do it for me. To me it seems out of place on the album. This is the only song where Doherty's vocals sound drowsy and unmoving. I don't see why Doherty couldn't have left off "Broken" and replaced it with "Through the Looking Glass." Doherty eliminated this last minute Libertines original for the inclusion of the very personal "I Am The Rain." I speculate that "Glass" was slice of Peter's past and "Rain" is more of a poetic manifesto of who Doherty really is right now. Personifying himself as a symbol for rain, Peter sees himself as someone whose life and words have become inspirational and controversial. Although I really love the way "Rain" ends with a chorus of harmonies and sped-up melodies, I would have loved to have seen the guitar heavy "Glass" included on the album. Coxon's riffs really shine on this song that has been unfortunately relegated to b-side status on the album's first single, "The Last of the English Roses."

For some reason, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Jeff Tweedy refuses to understand why some of us cherish the music of Peter Doherty. All I can suggest to him is to listen to the magnificent wonder of Grace/Wastelands. There is a beauty and pain in his ever-evolving life, reflected on this impressive first solo album. It's good to have you back Mr. Doherty, let's keep the evil one inside the guitar case as you reach for the top of the globe. Cheers, lad!

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.24.2009

Book Review: A Pure Drop: The Life of Jeff Buckley: by Jeff Apter

2009-03-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

My book review of A Pure Drop can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

A Pure Drop: The Life of Jeff Buckley
Jeff Apter
Backbeat books
2009

Bono once described Jeff Buckley as "…a pure drop in an ocean of noise." I used to wish there was a book that could capture the complete life of Buckley just as succinctly as Bono's quote. But it seems that there's been a lack of candid biographies willing to sift through the amazing myths about the man. I don't know if it's because of the estate of Jeff Buckley, or the fact that so many of his closet compadres have been so protective of him. I don't blame them; many have refused to share any details about the friend they once knew intimately, professionally for otherwise.

Enter Australian scribe Jeff Apter, who spent five years as editor of Rolling Stone magazine in his native homeland. Apter is no stranger to the music industry, having already written acclaimed biographies on The Cure, Dave Grohl and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Apter had the challenge of uncovering the many lives of Jeff Buckley that included the loner, the lover, the dreamer, poet and other surprising aspects, even to longtime fans.

This is where I come in to the picture, the critic and a J.B. devotee who is such a follower that I've actually ended relationships with the women I was with because of their lack of respect to Buckley and his music. I was disappointed with David Browne's Dream Brother, a dual biography of Jeff and his father Tim that seemed an unfair portrait to the son's legacy. What Browne touched upon and Apter expanded on was Jeff's desire to exorcise himself from his father's creative and professional music career. So many critics and admirers linked him with his troubadour father, a mistake that first official Buckley biographer Browne should have known before taking on this very elusive subject.

Apter takes a different and more original path in dissecting Buckley's life. Every step of the way, even from the first chapter, Apter ties the younger Buckley's upbringing and past to his future exploits as an artist on the Sony label. This one of the aspects that I most appreciated in A Pure Drop. Unlike most critics and readers, I am not so much a fan of the early life of an artist. I love to get to the chase—cut out all the grade school and teenage crap and give me what I desire most, the artist on his peak of creativity. Apter's writing style is like a dramatic mystery where every little step of Buckley's life was a link to his eventful future. Even when describing the life of his mother Mary, his infamous father Tim and their life in California, the focus is always on Jeff and his artistic rise.

To Apter's credit, and unfortunately for Browne, he had more access to Buckley's closest confidants, including his Los Angeles comrade Chris Dowd, guitarist Gary Lucas, New York producer and music curator Hal Willner and, much to my surprise, Glen Hansard of The Frames and Once fame. They first met in New York when Buckley's band opened up for The Commitments touring band that Glen was on the road with. This led to a long friendship between Hansard and Buckley.

Another surprise was discovering the many sessions that Buckley had recorded for Sony and left in the can. Apter spoke to producer Steve Addabbo who spent time in the studio with Jeff before Buckley hooked up with Andy Wallace. Addabbo recorded some seven and half hours of Jeff doing some covers of The Smiths, Bob Dylan and early versions of songs that would end up on Grace. As I read this I literally screamed out, release these sacred tapes already will you Sony?

While I was reading A Pure Drop, I could not put it down. It was as if through every page I was watching the simultaneous coming of age of an artist and demise of an eventual legend. Get ready to bring out your Buckley CDs and rare songs like the unreleased duet with Elizabeth Fraser "Flowers in Time," because it's hard not to be drawn back to them as you read through Buckley's electrifying life.

The best part of Apter's book is that he gets past the myth, and what comes across is a true, imperfect human who's trying to find his voice and space in the world without giving up his integrity to the demands of corporate major label. Buckley hurt friends and fellow musician, and certainly broke hearts, but through out A Pure Drop you get a more complete sense of who Jeff really was. Buckley was a demanding friend who would wound you with words like he did with photographer Merri Cyr and would try to lure you back with his charming ways to make amends by his unpredictable behavior.

What I cherished about Apter's book was the little stories that bring out the amusing characteristics that made Buckley unique, like the way he would stalk dogs in New York City. The owners thought that this weird guy would be trailing them but in reality Jeff was following the mutt. He had this strange connection and fascination with dogs.

Jeff Apter's insight to the life of Jeff Buckley is rarity in this age of celebrity commercialism. He's not about myth making; Apter shows us the true Jeff, flaws and all, as he was from his beginnings in Orange County till his tragic end in Memphis, Tennessee. With A Pure Drop, Jeff Apter has done the legacy of Jeff Buckley right. He has managed to show us a complete portrait of the imperfect man within the gifted artist before he soared among the stars.

A Q&A with Jeff Apter

Treble: Why Jeff Buckley? What inspired you to write A Pure Drop?

Jeff Apter: I'd read so much about Jeff Buckley, especially since his death, that I was very keen to try and separate the man from the myth. Not to be iconoclastic in any way, mind you, I just wanted to understand him more clearly. I wanted to find out how it came to be that a guy who'd finished only one album in his lifetime engendered so much love and devotion from music fans, some who weren't even aware of his music while he was alive. That was my challenge.

T: Were you always a fan?

JA: As a music writer, I certainly took notice of Grace and the groundswell of interest in Buckley while he was alive — I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't. But I wasn't an enormous fan, no. On first few listens I actually thought My Sweetheart The Drunk was a disaster, but now that I understand much of the back-story, I find that album even more rewarding than Grace. I can't think of a vocalist who would rival him in the past 15 or 20 years, either: the guy could sing the phone book and you'd be asking, `My God, I wonder what's on the next page?' He was that good.

T: Jeff seemed to have a huge following in Australia. Did you ever meet him or see him in concert?

JA: If only. I was actually living and working in America at the time he toured Australia (twice). I was having unusual experiences with people like Patti Smith and Frank Black when Jeff was blowing away Australian crowds. But he did connect really strongly here and in France; I guess because he was very emotionally honest in his music and we respond well to that. Strangely enough, I was in Memphis soon after he took that fateful dip. I remember sitting near where he went in and thinking to myself, `You don't swim there.' And this from an Australian; we're born with gills!

T: Were you hesitant because of the myth of Buckley?

No, as I said above I was actually inspired by that, because from my experience — and I've now written 10 books — it's become pretty clear to me that no-one can live up to such an idealized legacy. A UK reviewer got it right when they said, and I hope you don't mind me quoting: `Apter resists mawkishness to reveal a difficult – if charismatic – man who doesn't quite match the idealized image of the gifted lost boy destroyed by fame and family.' I really thought that summed it up perfectly.

T: Did you have trouble getting some of Buckley's friends, colleagues and associates to talk with you? And a follow up, one slight criticism, a few spots in the book you attribute quotes to unnamed Buckley friends who wanted to remain anonymous. Did you struggle with that putting in quotes and words from people who didn't want to be recognized?

Not really. When I began the project some 10 years had passed since his death, so a few of those scars have healed, and those close to him could talk with a little more clarity about Jeff and his life than, say, if we'd spoken in 1997. Although I did have a few interesting conversations —where I'd be talking with someone on the phone for an hour, perhaps two, in some very heavy emotional detail, and then be told, `Oh, you do realize this is off the record, right?' Err, no.

T: While writing and researching A Pure Drop, what did you discover about Jeff Buckley that surprised you the most?

Many things, including his true and total love for such prog rock bands as Yes — `Never be ashamed about loving Yes' he told one friend. I was surprised at how canny he was, especially when it came to the business of music: he knew exactly who would be good for his career, and he gravitated to them whenever the chance arose. He was very tight with the McCartneys, for instance. He was goofy, too — `a real doofus,' according to photographer Merri Cyr — and genuinely funny. And he did indeed love the ladies, and they loved him right back. A very rounded and in some ways very flawed individual.

T: Favorite Jeff Buckley story or anecdote?

I do like the story, related to me by Danny Fields, a publicist who worked closely with Tim Buckley and also knew Jeff well, about a night at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame dinner. Danny was the go-to guy on the night, setting up backstage interviews and keeping the thing rolling. Jeff, who'd connected with some A-list people to swing an invite, spotted him — this was before Grace blew up. Jeff, who was decked out in a shocking pink Stephen Sprouse jacket, yelled out to Danny, then strode across the floor, grabbed him and planted an open mouthed smooch on the man, with the who's who of the music biz looking one, in absolute shock. He genuinely didn't give a rat's arse what they thought; he was just happy to see his friend Danny and maybe give him a thrill, too. He was an impulsive guy, no doubt about it — to his detriment, as it played out in the end.

T: Favorite Jeff Buckley song?

It changes all the time. In the wee small hours I gravitate towards "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" or "Everybody Here Wants You." If my mood is more upbeat it's hard to go past "The Sky is a Landfill" or "Vancouver," which has the most fantastic, propulsive guitar groove. And his unreleased duet with Elizabeth Fraser, "All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun," is golden.

T: What about the unreleased recording sessions and songs by Steve Addabbo, did you hear them? When are they going to be released by Sony?

I haven't, aside from the odd scratchy one-off on some bootlegs (incidentally, the Buckley bootleg industry is as active as that of the Grateful Dead). Hard to say when the label might drop that one; perhaps because there's a lot of covers in the mix it might be copyright clearance hell. Or perhaps those who control his estate don't think it's sufficiently commercial. A shame, because I get the sense that it would provide an up-close glimpse of an artist-under-development. However, the next release from the vault is something called Grace Around the World, another series of live performances, which won't really offer any new insights.

T: Looking back was there anything that was edited out of A Pure Drop that you wish you would have left in the book?

No, not at all. I was very lucky; some really good people gave me a lot of their time and input, even though they could have easily told me to shove off. It was a clear indication as to how much his friends, peers and colleagues hoped that the real Jeff Buckley would emerge from my book. And judging from the feedback I've received by many people who knew him well, I achieved just that.

T: What's next for you?

I've finished a study of the Australian country star, Keith Urban, called Fortunate Son: The Unlikely Rise of Keith Urban, which was published by Random House in Oz and should have a North American release soon. I'm currently chipping away at a biography of the Finn brothers, Neil and Tim, of Crowded House and Split Enz legend, with hopes of publication in 2010. I'm always drawn to both the story and the music: how did someone become successful? Who knows the real story? How did that song come to be? What was happening in their life when they made this album and how did it affect the music? Those are the constants, the big attractors, for me.

03.23.2009

Book Review: Ryan Adams: Infinity Blues

2009-03-18T11:30:00.001-07:00

My review of Infinity Blues can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Ryan Adams
by Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.17.2009

Ryan Adams described his first literary tome, "Infinity Blues as" "…the jewel of my life's work. Who I am is this book." Many of us like to think we know who Ryan Adams is by his confessional songwriting style that we adore from his memorable songs. Adams' writing technique is a very personal one where the audience can immediately relate to the pain and heartache Ryan is singing about in his most treasured songs. Who hasn't asked for their records back from an unfaithful lover as heard on "Come Pick Me Up?"

Ryan's words and especially his lyrics on "Oh My Sweet Carolina" are what made me an instant fan. I loved the way his words brought to life a loner, a virtual gambler, on the road who on searching meaning of home. At the moment I heard "Carolina," I was following my wanderlust, moving from city to city just like the character in Ryan's song whose disposition would one day also, carry me home. Even though I wasn't from Kentucky and I never built newsprint boats, I could relate to the outsider in Ryan's song. It was the way that Ryan sang the lyrics I felt like that character who never been to Vegas but has always gambled up his life.

All it took was "Carolina" and I was a follower of one David Ryan Adams. When I first heard about "Infinity Blues" I was elated. Ryan's foray into writing poems and stories would seem like a leap to some but not the rest of us his loyal fan base. To me it seems that with every record Adams is expanding his songwriting craft away from the traditional song structure and moving more into story like prose. Look at albums like Love is Hell and Jacksonville City Nights as examples of more poetic short stories turned into songs.

In preparing for "Infinity Blues" there was one album I kept going back to, and that was the very often overlooked 29. I hear 29 as Ryan's first unofficial collection of short storied poems in song forms. All you have to do is listen to songs like "Elizabeth, You Were Born to Play the Part" and especially in the epic "Strawberry Wine" and you will hear the way that Adams' writing has evolved. You can hear Ryan and his quintessential lyrics like "Can you still have any famous last words/ if you're nobody somebody nobody knows…"

Ryan won't have to worry about not being famous because after reading "Infinity Blues"—he'll be able to add triumphant poet and writer to his resume. "Infinity Blues" has the essential Ryan Adams writing style we've grown to love within the poems of this eclectic collection.

Not very many singer/songwriters can claim to have written an accomplished tome of books and short stories. Jeff Tweedy and Billy Corgan tried unsuccessfully, so Adams can join the likes of Dylan, Cohen and Lennon as artists who made the jump from songs to poems.

Throughout "Infinity Blues" you'll read Adams' Southern Gentlemanly charm mixed with his canny downtown bohemian insight inspired by his days on tour and his nights living in New York City. This dichotomy makes poems like "Time Ain't Nobody's Friend" and "Home Safe-Heartsickness" comes alive with Ryan's trademark literary wit and ear for explicit beauty and sadness.

One theme you will see throughout of "Infinity Blues" is Ryan's trademark search for love. Even though "Blues" was dedicated to her, pet name for his honey Bug, "Infinity" was written before his nuptials to his now wife Mandy Moore. Poems like "Snow Lady, I Wished You" and "Enough Rope" has Ryan penning his desires and romantic notions on the page with such lines as "I would lasso that moon down and deliver it you."

Scattered throughout "Blues" are 3 short, short stories that you will have to seek out, the best one being "27 Steps." This one about Robert from the docks reminds me of Dylan's writings in Chronicles. Just like Dylan, Adams has some vibrant descriptions it's like you're right there with this girl on the pier. Adams always has this knack of slaying me with his words, "27 Steps" is no different. My favorite lines have to be, "Claudia's voice mumbled through, in a steady up-and-down notation, almost a bird's song with words really. And you hear the coffee in her." "27 Steps" is like a snap-shot of a scene between two would-be lovers. My only complaint is that this story is too short. I'm dying to know what happens next.

We'll have to wait a year or two for Ryan Adams' true novel. He's got another poetry collection, "Hello Sunshine," coming out later on this year. "Infinity" is all about the poems. As poet, Adams is a natural. Although it seems that he may have fears about his own words. In my favorite poem, "Writing, Dying, for the Trying," Ryan writes: "I will be sitting here, with you, or not, buried inside this, almost alive, Talking to no one/ writing dying for the trying to get it right."

I don't know what Adams was worried about because with "Infinity Blues"—he got it right. The poems in "Blues" are some the best verses Ryan Adams has ever written, and this is just his first foray into publishing. What a beginning. If Ryan Adams said "`Infinity Blues' is who I truly am"— I'm glad to have finally discovered the poet inside the songwriter we have admired all of these years.

Available from Akashic Books

Review: U2: No Line on the Horizon

2009-03-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

My review of No Line on the Horizon can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

U2
No Line on the Horizon
Interscope
2009

Can you believe that it's been 18 years since U2 released Achtung Baby? It seems that U2 have been overshadowed more by the mystique of that Baby than any other album in their recent canon. Achtung Baby was the album that Bono claimed was the sound of U2 chopping down the Joshua Tree. Yet U2 has seemingly been cursed creatively since then? The band has gone through a successful string of albums, sales wise, but something has been missing. What I've been craving from U2 is a return to their unique, unbridled devotion to transform the sound of popular music with their dynamic sound. Since then, U2 have written some terrific songs but Baby was the album that signaled a change for the band away from pop sensibilities into the experimental depths of a lyrical canvas filled with painful darkness void of true love. To me, U2's dramatic legend has been unfinished since the notes of "Love is Blindness" faded out on my favorite U2 album.

"I haven't been with a woman, it feels like years/ thought of you the whole time, your salty tears…" are the lyrics reflecting lyrics recalling the aches of Achtung you can hear in No Line on the Horizon's finale "Cedars of Lebanon." Even in this war torn epic, Bono has yet to give up his search for the light of amor: "They're not at the beginning but when your story ends…." It seems like U2 has left me hanging there, waiting for their story arc that started back in 1991 to have a fulfilling dénouement.

My Moment of Surrender occurred during the third song of New Line on the Horizon. My wish finally came true throughout the sound of this post modern gospel gem. With Bono's heartfelt vocal I heard the light. The first great song on the album was written not only by Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry, but for the first time in their history, producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois get songwriting credits. You can hear it in the rays between rhythms. There's this new dimension to the U2 sound thanks to Eno and Lanois. It's subtle but you can feel it in the beats. It's in the cello in the mix below the organ and hand claps. And I can't forget Edge's bluesy guitar riff that lifts "Surrender" to a blissful conclusion.

There's a musical depth within the songs of Horizon, a maturity that's been missing from most of the last few pop sensible albums released by these Irish music pioneers. There's nothing wrong with a pop song like "Beautiful Day" or rocking out to "Vertigo." We dig a little of these styles but what made me a U2 devotee was their dive into substance-layered beauty within the canvas that we cherish in some of my favorites like "Running to Stand Still," "Love is Blindness" and "Stay (Far Away, So Close)." The classic dichotomy within U2's classic sound of taking complex themes with sonic simplicity is what made them one of the most innovative bands of our generation.

This is what I have rediscovered within U2 and the new post-modern songs of their No Line on the Horizon. Listen to the first single "Get On Your Boots." The song goes through so many changes rhythmically, something that The Beatles did so brilliantly in the sixties and Radiohead with "Paranoid Android." That's what makes "Boots" such a revolutionary punk song. They captured the punk spirit without imitating it like they did in "Vertigo." Not only do The Edge, Adam and Larry play incendiary rhythms but Bono's lyrics in "Boots" are… wait for it…legendary. "Boots" is a "Fly"-like song about love in this age of socio-political uncertainty. "You don't know how beautiful you are" is global call to arms for all of us let our hair down and feel sexy. Just remember when Bono sings "I don't wanna talk about wars between nations," it's a signal to turn down the rhetorical lights and feel the love again.

If Achtung Baby was the sound of the clock striking midnight of a broken affair, then Horizon is the dawning of a resurrected love—"It's not if I believe in love but if love believes in me/ oh believe in me." Those simple lyrics from "Moment of Surrender" reflect the essential theme of No Line on the Horizon. It's this transcendental exploration of the heart that U2 has been searching for since Achtung Baby. Songs like "Magnificent" with lyrics like "Only love can make such a mark and only love can heal such a scar" reflect U2 reflecting the lyrical antidote to those songs like "So Cruel" that ached with betrayal. Why did it take so long to get over the pain from those reflective melodies? The answer is in the lyrics to "I'll go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight": "A change of heart comes slow…We're gonna make it all the way to the light."

Adding another layer to their lyrical heart are the beats in between these quixotic melodies. Horizon showcases the band expanding their rhythmic pallet with atmospheric soundscapes layered with the help of Eno and Lanois. You can feel Eno's experimental flourishes in "Moment of Surrender" and "Fez-Being Born." Lanois can be heard with his trademark guitar and tender productive tones in the very eloquent "White as Snow." Listen for both of their reflecting backing vocals harmonizing throughout the halls of these breathtaking horizons.

I am not trying to dismiss any of the albums that came between Achtung Baby and No Line on the Horizon. All That You Can't Leave Behind holds a personal place for me in my corazon. It came out when I first lived by myself in my first bachelor apartment in New Orleans. That was the soundtrack of my rebirth. But there's something about Baby that makes it my favorite U2 album and the record of theirs that I keep coming back to. It's the vivid sound and the timeless feeling within the heartbreak of Achtung that reigns supreme. But I've been waiting 18 years for the cure and finally Horizon has distinguished Baby's blues.

Those hits from Pop, Behind and the Bomb may have been memorable but to me they were lacking the emotional depth found within the confines of the beautiful melodies of No Line on the Horizon. Just like your favorite novel or a film you have to watch over and over again, Horizon calls for repeated re-visitations. For every listen you will discover something you may have missed your first spin, fans of Behind may notice similarities in the "Walk On"-esque guitar part in Horizon's "Unknown Caller." U2 have finally come full circle with an album worthy of their legacy. Get ready to surrender to beauty in U2's post-modern treasure that you will need to savor over and over again.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.04.2009

Review: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan: Sunday at Devil Dirt

2009-01-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

My review of Sunday at Devil Dirt can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
Sunday at Devil Dirt
Fontana
2008

The Scottish chanteuse has returned with a sequel from her storied collaboration with Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age singer Mark Lanegan. Their pairing on Ballad of Broken Seas was more than just another conventional collaboration a-la Sonny & Cher, Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. In fact, Campbell and Lanegan's lyrical duets were more of a mirror of modern day love affairs. Lanegan is the wandering drifter on "Deus Ibi Est "who keeps his heart shielded on the road of loneliness. And from the distance we hear his muse and then he meets his lyrical partner in the form of Isobel Campbell.

Ballad of Broken Seas is the passion that comes from the couplings of two star-crossed lovers, in the studio, because in real life these two were just professional collaborators but their devoted lyrics echo otherwise. I liken this as two actors on stage or on screen who have such a chemistry that we as the audience would swear that these two belong together. It's this musical spark that made Ballad of Broken Seas a nominee for such luminary praise as the Mercury Prize in the UK.

Ballad of Broken Seas was such an electric pairing that it made critics and music diehards like yours truly respond in our best Lanegan voice, "Where have you been my friend(s)?" Just when we thought this musical coupling had flamed out on "The Circus is Leaving Town" comes word of Campbell and Lanegan's reigniting their fiery partnership on Sunday at Devil Dirt.

From the opening duet of "Seafaring Song" we once again are witnesses to the tender pairing of Lanegan and Campbell. The way these two trade lines like kisses and the cinematic strings in the background reflect two lost lovers reconnecting on the screen after years being apart. What is it about duets that set my musical heart to swoon? It has to be the reappearance of chanteuse Campbell because you can't have a successful duet without a sultry siren. What makes this collaboration soar is the darkened vocals of one Mark Lanegan. Lanegan isn't one to croon cliché love songs but when he shares lyrical rhymes on "Come on Over (Turn Me On)" with Campbell it's like these two singers are meant to be.

And this collaboration, that was never supposed to work on paper, is just like living examples other true romances. Campbell was born in Scotland, having first turned heads as a member of Belle and Sebastian until she went solo in 1999. Lanegan's myth is more legendary. He's like an outlaw singer/songwriter running loose in the underground until he comes face to face and lets loose with the fire and brimstone-like voice when inspiration finds him. You'll hear Lanegan's trademark vocal style on the blistering "Back Burner." Like a haunted campfire song with Native American percussive overtones, Campbell's angelic backing vocals make this a haunting yet memorable number.

If I was Lanegan and I heard Campbell sing the very sultry "Shotgun Blues" it would be hard to resist that kind of real life lyrical temptation. Could you? Sunday at Devil Dirt is like the couple that had a very passionate affair and is trying to turn their fling into full-fledged love. It's unfeasible to try to turn the sparks you feel in the dark and turn these emotions from fire into light, it never works, the flame ends up extinguishing as it turns you two blue and distant. But Campbell and Lanegan make their collaboration work on Sunday at Devil Dirt, even on the very romantic instrumental "Violin Tango."

I love the tender, countrified duet of "Keep Me in Mind Sweetheart" and the affectionate "Something to Believe," which showcase these two lovers attempting to make their sensual coupling last. "Trouble" appears and brings the light the emotional resonance in the difficulty of modern day affairs. But Campbell and Lanegan don't despair as they end up "Fighting Fire with Fire" with one of the five bonus tracks that are added to the American version of Sunday at Devil Dirt. Those extra cuts are five more reasons to follow the dynamic relationship of these two romantic singer/songwriters within the electric confines of these extraordinary songs.

"Rambling Rose, Clinging Vine" and the rest of Sunday at Devil Dirt are post modern love songs that reflect an honesty and devotion that are lacking from most heartless romantic songs heard on pop radio today. This is the way love should sound like. Sunday at Devil Dirt the soundtrack for a romance that's not supposed to work in real life, but sounds ideal in song. That's what make Campbell and Lanegan so essential in this era—two singers who desperately search for eternal love and make us grateful for the happiness in our private universes.

I can't help but think that everyone would love to ride off into the sunset with their lover as the slide guitar from "Rambling Rose, Clinging Vine" plays as the personal soundtrack, but it never really works out that way, does it? True love is hardly a storybook you can create with on solitary spark in the dark—it takes nurturing, understanding, patience and time. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan continue their lyrical explorations of the intimate complexities of romance on Sunday at Devil Dirt. Here's hoping that the collaboration of Campbell and Lanegan is everlasting.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.15.2009

Review: Cat Power: Dark End of the Street EP

2009-01-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

My review of Dark End of the Street can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Cat Power
Dark End of the Street EP
Matador
2008

In 2008, I not only saw Nick Cave and his magnificent Bad Seeds live this year at the Hollywood Bowl (a birthday gift from mi novia—thank you baby), Cat Power was there, Chan Marshall and her Dirty Delta Blues band, and played one of the best sets by an opening act I have ever seen in my life. Cat Power was the best not only because her one and only chanteusian voice, but because she has one of the best backing bands in the business. I was amazed how guitarist Judah Bauer and the rest of the Dirty Delta Blues band huddled around each other as Marshall sang at the front of the stage, as if they were gathering all the power in some sort bluesy séance for all of us at The Bowl to witness their rhythmic greatness.

You can hear intensity of the Dirty Delta Blues band that I saw in concert come alive on the Dark Side of the Street EP's magnificent cover of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Much Too Long." You feel the beauty in Marshall's sultry vocal as Bauer's guitar leads the band in a triumphant interpretation that builds slowly into a peaking climax that would make Otis smile from above. It's so hot that you'll need to open up a window, breathe in some fresh cold air and light a cigarette after listening to such a mind-blowing cover.

I was very hot and bothered by Marshall's voice throughout with Dark End of the Street. It's a continuation of the exceptional renditions she mastered on Jukebox, released early in 2008. The way I hear it, if you add the five songs from the bonus disc that was added on the limited edition with these six majestic covers, this makes the ideal version that I dubbed Jukebox: Volume II. I can never get enough of Cat Power, and these songs from the Jukebox sessions make my holiday season a little bit more rhythmically complete.

Another sexy cover here is Marshall's burning version of Aretha Franklin's "It Ain't Fair." Sometimes, on Dark End of the Street, Chan's vocal is so intimate, it sounds as if she's softly serenading you in your room as Bauer's bluesy riffs and Jim White's brushes reflect the aching inside this classic of unrequited devotion. One of the surprises is the acoustic version of The Pogues' "Ye Auld Triangle." I love it when Marshall and her Dirty Blues Band strip these originals down to the core with just Chan's voice carrying the melody. Her voice is the main instrument and the key that gives the Dirty Blues Band its passionate center.

Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" is one of my all time favorites, especially Nina Simone's incredible live interpretation that I wrote about in Treble's Best Songs Ever: Oscar Edition last February. Cat Power does a very minimalist version with just her voice and a piano. The keys in this version mirror the chords from "The Greatest." You feel it all, in this wonderful version that would make Nina and Sandy proud.

The string arrangement on "Fortunate Son" and backing vocals give this CCR cover an exceptional post-modern bluesy take on this vintage protest song. The title track is equally as memorable and adds to a package that makes Dark End of The Street an essential addition to your Cat Power discography. What you get here are six extraordinary covers by Chan Marshall, whose singing reaches out to you in voice that seduces you with an emotional honesty missing in this age of artificially souled-out radio refrains. If you want to feel and be moved by an artist Cat Power and her Dirty Blues Band take a long walk down this Dark End of the Street.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.14.2009

Top Albums of 2008: # 1: Portishead: Third

2008-12-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

Treble's Top Albums of 2008 and my review of Portishead's Third can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Portishead
Third
Island
2008

Third is wicked good, but Treblezine's Album of the Year? How could it not be? We have come to expect only the best from Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley and siren Beth Gibbons, and Portishead delivers on Third. From the start of "Silence" (originally entitled Wicca), the album opens with a sample of Claudio Campos, a Capoeira master, speaking in Portuguese, reciting a Wiccan precept of the Threefold Law which translates: "Be aware to the rule of thirds. What you give will return to you. You have to learn this lesson. You only receive what you deserve…"

We all were a bit shocked, weren't we? I myself didn't know what to expect but I know it would be challenging, timeless and pure Portishead. Besides, I wouldn't want to hear Dummy part deux. Who would? Third is an artistic achievement by a band that's been relatively quiet for ten years. To awaken from their creative sabbatical with this greatness is a gift from up above.

Gone are the now unfortunate clichéd trip-hop beats, which have evolved into futuristic soundscapes that include the tripped-out prog vibes of "Small," moog synths in "Machine Gun," freaked out cacophony of jazz horns on "Magic Doors" and otherworldly rhythms that perfectly back our favorite damsel of despair. If the back beats hint at an era of desolated isolationism, Gibbons angelic vocals brings some sense of struggle to find hope, in the quietly acoustic "Deep Water" as she sings "I'm drifting in deep water/alone with my self-doubting, again/try not to struggle this time/for I will weather the storm…"through the maddening soundtrack that surrounds her every one of her mesmerizing vocalized harmonies. When she croons "Oh can't you see/holding on to my heart/I bleed the taste of life" on "We Carry On," Beth mirrors our every day challenges to find some glimmer of promises in this age of bankrupt idealism.

If Dummy and Portishead were the sounds of the band during the Cold War/Spy era, then songs like "Machine Gun" show Portishead in the middle of sonic air assault. At times Beth Gibbons sounds as if she's embedded on the battlefield, her angelic vocals describing the chaos she sees around her.

Portishead have become one of the most important and influential artists of our generations. So much so that even Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood recorded an impromptu cover of "The Rip" as an homage to one of Radiohead's favorite bands. Portishead's Third is more than the album of 2008, this is a snapshot of our unknown future. I imagine Beth Gibbons outside on December 21st, 2012 when I hear the eerie siren-like sound towards the end of "Threads." "I'm always so unsure" is Gibbons once again singing our own insecurities. What will happen tomorrow, next year or here after? Who knows? We will find out together. What I hope is to have Geoff, Adrian and Beth there along to create the soundtrack for our everlasting uncertainty that prevails within us all.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.19.2008

Top Albums of 2008: # 27: Beck: Modern Guilt

2008-12-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Treble's Top Albums of 2008 and my Modern Guilt review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Beck
Modern Guilt
Interscope
2008

Why is Beck such a mystery in 2008? Beck Hansen is one of the most important artists in the last twenty years; he single-handedly molded elements of hip-hop, Latin, folk and rock into mainstream success of Odelay. But ask about Modern Guilt and most will say Beck, who? It's such a shame. Though Modern Guilt may be missing on many 2008 year end lists, here at Treble, we recognize the importance of this ever-evolving artist and his collaboration with Danger Mouse. Modern Guilt is an album that percolates inside and slowly takes you over. Songs like "Gamma Ray" and the title track captivate you with their addicting back beats. But it's the dark lyrics that linger inside: "Misapprehension is turning into conversation/ don't know what I've done but I feel ashamed." It's as if Beck feels claustrophobic inside of his persona and he's looking for a way out from the past that haunt him so. On Modern Guilt, it feels like Beck is slowly stripping away all of his sampled studio gimmicks that made him infamous. I'm looking forward to the next step in the evolutionary phase in Beck's career. Who knows where he's going, but if songs like "Volcano" and lyrics like "I don't know where I've been/ but I know where I'm going…" is any indication, we're starting to see the true Beck coming into light, and what we're hearing is luminous and incendiary.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.15.2008

Top Albums of 2008: # 49: R.E.M. : Accelerate

2008-12-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

My Accelerate review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

R.E.M.
Accelerate
Warner Bros.
2008

It's been difficult being an R.E.M. fan during these past few years. When I mention this to friends and music enthusiast amigos they roll their eyes in disgust. Since when did R.E.M. get such a bad rap? Don't tell me it's all backlash because of "Shiny Happy People?" I was one of the few who have stood by the band before their critically labeled resurrection on Accelerate. Songs like "Living Well is the Best Revenge" and "Man Sized Wreath" added a much-needed shot of adrenaline that was missing from the R.E.M. of recent years. There were some internal creative tensions that did permeate within this Athens, Ga trio during the last few years, which finally got resolved before Accelerate came to fruition. As a result, Accelerate showcases a rejuvenated R.E.M. that you hear in Mills' vibrant harmonies, Buck's electrified riffs and Stipe's more refined lyrics which come to light on the first single "Supernatural Superserious." The anthem for a teenage geek generation, "Supernatural" is one of my favorite songs of the year. I recall hearing it in Rome during a vacation this past Spring (those Europeans have taste). Michael Stipe sings "Music will provide the light/ you cannot resist" on the fiery finale "I'm Gonna DJ." You hear this flame burn throughout Accelerate, as some songs like "Houston" burn on low while others like "Man Sized Wreath" explode to eleven. Sometimes quiet and often loud, Accelerate sparks a new phase in the life of this dynamic and enduring entity whose future is thunderously bright. Now those same amigos understand why I've stood behind one of my favorite bands after all of these years. Back in the glow of glorious acclaim, this isn't a comeback—Buck, Mills and Stipe have returned to unleash Accelerate and reclaim their mantle of greatness on their road towards immortality.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.15.2008

Treble's Top Songs of 2008: # 33: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

2008-12-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

My Nick Cave song review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
"Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!"
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Mute/Anti
2008

"Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" is one of the coolest and most surreal singles released this year. In case you haven't heard, Cave said of the inspiration for the song, "Ever since I can remember hearing the Lazarus story, when I was a kid, you know, back in church, I was disturbed and worried by it. Traumatized, actually. We are all, of course, in awe of the greatest of Christ's miracles - raising a man from the dead - but I couldn't help but wonder how Lazarus felt about it." "Dig" is Nick Cave's retelling in the myth of Lazarus set in modern day America. The way that Cave writes it, "Dig" sounds like a Charlie Kaufman-meets-Terry Gilliam scene come to life. Just imagine Lazarus as a cool-ass zombie walking around in the world around us, breaking hearts. But what gets me about the song is the lyric in the chorus, "I don't know what it is, but there's definitely something going on upstairs," as if Cave is sympathizing about this poor soul being taken from the grave and put into this crazy, soulless techno/plastic surgery driven society.

Most of all, I dig this song because of the funky back beats with the heavy guitar riffs and choral backing vocals, along with Cave's distinct, empathically freaked out vocal. Seeing Cave resurrect the legend of Lazarus with his Bad Seeds on stage at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this year is something I will never forget. They are the most dynamically and electric band that I have ever had the honor of seeing in concert. Hearing and seeing Cave will change your life. Just ask Lazarus.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.09.2008

Treble's Top Songs of 2008: # 42: Review: Death Cab for Cutie: I Will Possess Yr Heart

2008-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

My Death Cab song review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Death Cab for Cutie
"I Will Possess Yr Heart"
Narrow Stairs
Atlantic
2008

I admit, until 2008, I never really was a huge Death Cab fan. My girlfriend would play Plans and Transatlanticism in the car during our dates, and hearing Death Cab in the car was one of those cosmic, kick-in-the-head moments when everything makes sense. Maybe I just wasn't ready to truly listen and appreciate Death Cab like I do this year. When I heard this first single from Narrow Stairs, from the opening piano chords through the long and winding instrumental section, I was hooked. The thing that I grabbed me about "I Will Possess Your Heart" was Ben Gibbard's lyrics and Death Cab's rhythms, as they create a soundtrack that mirrors our current or distant lives. We all can relate to the longing that Gibbard feels when he sings "How I wish you could see the potential/ the potential of you and me…" I'll even admit that I never was a fan of extended instrumental openings to songs, but I love the way that "I Will Possess Your Heart" builds and personifies the rush of approaching the one person that sets your emotions ablaze. It takes time and those moments before our first contact is brought to life at the build up to Ben Gibbard's first vocals.

Yet there is a flip-sided meaning to this song that can be viewed very sinisterly. "I Will Possess Your Heart" might also be a song about obsession, and its multiple meanings make it an instant classic. What makes "Possess" not as ominous as song as say, "Every Breath You Take" is the yearning vocal by Ben Gibbard. Most of us have been there and he brings these emotions of distant love affection to light in this very brilliant song.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.08.2008

Review: Coldplay: Prospekt's March EP

2008-12-05T00:17:00.001-08:00

My review of Prospekt's March can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Coldplay
Prospekt's March EP
Capitol
2008

Since I was the Trebbler who wrote about Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, I think it's fitting that yours truly should be the one who reviews Prospekt's March. Think of this EP as Coldplay's version of Radiohead's bonus In Rainbows disc that was released in that extremely expensive box set that has inexplicably yet to be released on its own. (C'mon Thom, you could learn a little from Chris Martin and his boys, release that bonus disc as an EP already!)

If you're one of the few that has yet to purchase the magnificent Viva La Vida, however, you can pick up a special edition with Prospekt's March added as a bonus disc. It's also available as an EP by itself. Listening to Prospekt's March and thinking back about Martin's comment about retiring after Coldplay's world tour, I can only conclude that it's a mistake. Hearing Viva La Vida and Prospekt, I feel like Coldplay have yet to cement their name and sound in the stratosphere of The Beatles or Radiohead. They are on the verge of the mountain peak that is eternal greatness timeless status, so why give up now? I have a feeling that their next album, if it ever gets made, is going to be legendary.

Okay, maybe the Jay-Z flavored Lost mix isn't exactly what I'm talking about, I could have done without that track, but the rest of Prospekt's March is worthy of inclusion in Viva La Vida. The debate will begin just like with In Rainbows, as to whether or not Coldplay should have added songs like "Glass of Water" and "Prospekt's March/Poppyfields" to their full-length effort. I say `hell yeah,' but I'm the type of musicologist who believes that the greater the number of songs available, the more fulfilling it is for my rhythmic soul. Think about The Beatles' White Album, what if they would have pared down the songs to one single album? It works as a masterpiece, albeit an imperfect one.

Since it's so brief, Prospekt feels like a coda to Viva La Vida. For those of us who didn't want the musical journey to end after "The Escapist," we get more from those sessions produced brilliantly by Brian Eno. I love the way that "Rainy Day" starts with some post-modern noisy rhythms and flows into some soothing strings in the chorus. It's a hopeful soundtrack to yr wet and dreary days. Even the title track sounds like a more optimistic version of "A Rush of Blood to the Head." I simply have fallen for the wall of sound remix of "Lovers in Japan." It sounds like an ode to romantics around the globe. I discovered an aura of positivism that shines throughout the lyrics and sound of Prospekt's March.

I feel like songs like the lyrical version of "Life in Technicolor," the acoustic beauty of "Now my Feet Won't Touch the Ground" and even the piano interlude of "Postcards from Far Away" would have made Viva La Vida an even more memorable album. Prospekt's March is a bold statement from Coldplay it continues all of the themes and sounds they started with Eno's on Viva La Vida. Prospekt's March and Viva La Vida mark the year when Coldplay became more than a multi-platinum band. Berryman, Buckland, Champion and Martin are on the verge of a magnum opus that has the potential of injecting a much needed post modern artfulness into the rhyme-less direction that is contemporary pop music. Don't give up; we need Coldplay now more than ever.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.05.2008

Review: The Fireman: Electric Arguments

2008-12-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

My review of Electric Arguments can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Fireman
Electric Arguments
MPL/ATO Records
2008

Having grown up an armchair Fab Four-ologist by reading just about every book on The Beatles, one of the myths that I've seen prevail throughout the years was that Lennon was the one into avant garde and Paul McCartney was the one who wrote the silly love songs. This was furthest from the truth. In reality, while Lennon was holed up in his Mansion with Cynthia and Julia, it was Macca who was the first one soaking in all the creative energies of the psychedelic era of the sixties. McCartney was friends with many artists in the London Underground, including experimental musician John Cage and poet Allan Ginsberg. Paul was the one who got Lennon to record the now infamous "Carnival of Light" song that may finally be released.

Paul has never strayed from these innovative tendencies throughout his solo career and even creating a solo project The Fireman in with former Killing Joke bassist and producer Youth. In 1993 The Fireman dropped their first release Strawberry Ocean Ships Forest and followed another release under the commercial radar with 1998's Rushes. Paul must have been impressed with Youth's production work with Alex Patterson's The Orb because The Fireman was conceived as Macca's foray into ambient dance music sounds. The Fireman wasn't the first time Paul took a dive into the dance floor, as "Ou est le Soleil," one of my favorite tracks from Flowers in the Dirt, must have inspired Macca to delve deeper into DJ culture.

Throughout the nineties Paul's experimentation with The Fireman remained veiled in mystery until 2008 when Paul and Youth finally admitted that they were the duo trailblazing with their dynamic moniker. Even with me being a die hard Macca fan, I have to admit I never cared for The Fireman's first two releases. What was missing from Strawberry and Rushes was the soulful inflection from "Ou est le Soleil." I enjoyed Twin Freaks more, Paul's partnership with DJ and producer Freelance Hellraiser. Macca hired Hellraiser to spin his decks for Paul's 2004 World Tour. McCartney was so impressed with Hellraiser's mixing abilities that he collaborated with Freelance on a double vinyl only release remixed album of Paul's solo song's mashed up by Hellraiser. I'm still waiting for Twin Freaks record to be released on CD.

But instead this holiday season, Macca fans get an even better gift from Sir Paul a new Fireman album. Electric Arguments is the first to have vocals from McCartney himself. This was the main problem I had with the first two Rushes releases. The samples were cool for the first few minutes, but I missed Paul's trademark vocals. Electric Arguments is more than just another experimental venture into dance music, Macca and Youth have evolved from that aspect of their earlier Strawberry and Rushes releases. This time, the dynamic duo have truly collaborated with Youth laying down some grooves, Macca improvising some lyrics like he did on Flaming Pie's "Really Love You" (with Ringo Star and Jeff Lynne). Macca then added more rhythms to their initial recording and gave each track a more song feel. Think of Electric Arguments as thinking man's groove music. Not tracks for the dance floor, a more transcendental moving experience with lyrical wonder brought to you by Paul McCartney.

"Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight" opens Arguments with a bluesy number that announces how much The Fireman have evolved from their Strawberry days into a resurrected more Electric feel. "Two Magpies" follows with a very acoustic beauty, one of the best solo songs Paul McCartney has ever written and recorded that would fit perfectly on 1970's McCartney or even 2005's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

"Sing the Changes" echoes the aura we feel in the word today. I first heard this modern day anthem on L.A. radio station 100.3 The Sound while driving to day job in Pasadena. Unbeknownst to McCartney, it sounds like Paul's lyrics are foretelling the emotions we all felt on November 4th when the world changed for the better.

You may recognize the mellotron that The Beatles used on "Strawberry Fields Forever" recycled with such a vibrant flare on "Traveling Light" which also features one of the tenderest vocals Macca has even record on any album, such a beautiful and moving song as he croons "I'll follow the bluebird to wherever she lies."

"Highway" sounds like an updated ramped up version of "Taxman" with McCartney rocking another number that most certainly could have found a home on last year's Memory Almost Full. I love the electric choir-like vocals towards the end of the song that shine along with Macca shredding his guitar like he famously riffed on Band on the Run. "Light from Your Lighthouse" is a Western pub song turned Gospel acoustic number with Paul taking on an old time preacher that would fit in soundtrack adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series.

"The Sun is Shining" starts off as another acoustic number with birds chirping in the back ground as Paul sings a modern day "Good Day Sunshine." "Dance `Til We're High" is not a club anthem, it's more a song for two new lovers coming together for the first time beyond sight and sound. A theme that Macca revisits on the very romantically tinged "Is this Love?" You will hear Paul sing for the new paramour in his life. It's nice to hear that after all that loss that McCartney's been through that he still believe in the magic of love.

"Lovers in a dream" has a "Ou est le Soleil" feel with a little Orb like ambient atmosphere as Macca adds a bluesy riff that lifts this dream into being just another Strawberry/Rushes sampled groove. I love the way each song flows into another. Paul layers some piano keys and guitar flavor to Youth's chill out vibes on "Universal Here, Everlasting Now." You can feel the beats with Macca's improvisational vocals building to a rhythmic climax as Paul's tender piano keys personify certain calmness after the intense electrified culmination.

Arguments closes with the epic "Don't Stop Running." Paul sings the very poetic "Silent lover/ angel smiling/ don't stop running." (You can hear the addition of the tabla, the Indian instrument the The Beatles made famous using during their peak Revolver and Sgt. Pepper years.) There's a bonus cut 8:00 minutes into "Don't Stop Running" which sounds like a Vangelis/Blade Runner-inspired tune with Macca whispering some backmasting (backward) lyrics in the distance.

I am impressed by the way Fireman has evolved from its early incarnation to this post modern collaboration between Macca and Youth. It was as if these two exceptional musicians finally realized the potential they had in the studio and harnessed their gifted energies into creating something like Electric Arguments that was worthy outside the dance floor and more into our collective consciousness. Electric Arguments will go down as one of the most eclectic and exhilarating albums in Macca's whole extraordinary canon.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.03.2008

Review: New Order: Technique (Collectors Edition)

2008-11-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

My review of Technique (Collectors Edition) can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

New Order
Technique (Collectors Edition)
Rhino
2008

Oh, how I was looking forward to the reissue of one of my favorite New Order albums, Technique. Originally released in 1989, the year I graduated from Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Bernard Sumner's lyrics mirror my isolationism in my life. Songs like "Loveless" and "Guilty Partner" reflected the beating loneliness inside this outcast.

"My life ain't no holiday
I've been through the point of no return
I've seen what a man can do
I've seen all the hate of a woman too…"

I know I'm not the only one, but my high school years were anything but legendary. As I've written so many times before, albums like Technique helped me get through the days and nights of being a shy stuttering teen who wished he could speak the words that Bernard sang and I could never say.

"I can't see the sense in your leaving
All I need is your love to believe in
And for you I would do what I can
But I cant change the way that I am."

Going to a very affluent high school made it difficult for someone like me to find compadres who truly understood the weirdness lurking inside of me. I was the one who was dubbed "hippie born to late" in the hallways with my tie dye Doors t-shirts, carrying my beaten up copy of Rolling Stone magazine and my Walkman with Technique cranked up in my ears, hoping that someone, anyone, would stop me, hear me and ask what I was listening to. No one ever did, they just laughed and kept walking which led me to keep on moving, faster, and I had been running ever since, until this past year.

So when I heard that Technique was being re-released, I was ecstatic. The album was the soundtrack of my Senior year in high school. When I opened up my copy of the reissue, dubbed `The Factory Years,' I expected these reissues to have the same care and content as the Joy Division re-releases of 2007. Boy was I surprised; disappointed is a better word.

Technique had all nine songs that I had engraved in my head from my final year at Churchill with a skimpy disc of remixes and instrumental oddities that left me aching for more. There was a poor excuse for liner notes with an essay that basically described New Order's recording experience for Technique as the band being 24-hour party people. What a shock, recorded during the heyday of the Acid House scene, it's no surprise that the Bernard, Peter, Gillian and Stephen were rolling on ecstasy and dancing all night long. What I wanted was more substance and some behind-the-music insight to some of my favorite songs form my teenage youth.

Why is there a computerized voice-Hal like voice saying "the past doesn't matter" on "Fine Time?" And was Barry White the influence for Bernard's low-pitched vocal for "Fine Time?" Was Technique really supposed to be Bernard's solo album, but Factory balked and wanted another New Order album? Was the riff on "Run" truly a blatant swipe of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane?"

I would have loved to read some kind of anecdotes on what inspired Bernard to write "All the Way," and one of the best New Order tracks ever recorded "Dream Attack."

What I can say is that all nine songs from Technique are perfectly sequenced. Listening to it, coming home from work, I realized how it seamlessly flows together like a treasured short story collection coming to life. An album like this deserves the best kind of reissue; alas this version does it no justice. This and the editions of New Order's first four albums—Movement, Power Corruption & Lies, Low-Life and Brotherhood are part of a re-release event that was supposed to cement the band's greatness with these remastered CDs. Instead, all of the faulty mastering and packaging issues tarnish New Order's legacy.

What I've always loved about New Order is that the band put poignant meaning behind their electric dance beats. It wasn't just dance music just to shake your ass to; Bernard's lyrics echoed my life beyond the dance floor. In many ways, songs like "Vanishing Point" gave my static life rhythmic colors with true faith lyrics that kept me going when I felt lost and a lonely soul during high school.

"And they gave him away
Like in whistle down the wind
By the look on his face
He never gave in…"

I never gave in because of albums like Technique. A personal one that deserves a better re-issue than the one New Order sanctioned with this inadequate re-release. We, New Order fans, all deserve more. How could Rhino do it right with The Sound of The Smiths, but fail us with their horrible mastering issues these Factory Years discs? Rhino would do right to follow the example of The Cure and Depeche Mode with their own remaster series with extensive liner notes, DVD videos and demos to see how a band rewards its followers with a true and faithful reissue.

"But I know that I'm ok
cause you're here with me today
I haven't got a single problem
Now that I'm with you…"

They were my musical friends; songs like "Run" are what I've always come back to. They are the ones who sheltered me with their rhythmic honesty when I needed some lyrical reassurance in my younger days. All I had to do is put on my cassette version of Technique and heed the advice of Bernard Sumner. The memory of these songs is everlasting, I used to find my peace of mind in songs like "Mr. Disco." I wanted a reissue that was equal to the powerful meaning that Technique had in my life. No thanks to the glitch-ridden package here, I'm still waiting.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.21.2008

Review: The Smiths: The Sound of The Smiths (Deluxue Edition)

2008-11-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

My review of The Sound of The Smiths can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Smiths
The Sound of The Smiths
Rhino
2008

I know what you're thinking, because I, myself, had these same infuriated thoughts: another Smiths compilation? Before you start quoting me the lyrics to that infamous song, track 8 to be precise, from Strangeways Here We Come, there's a reason for hearing out this collection dubbed The Sound of The Smiths. Johnny Marr supervised the mastering of the 45 tracks on this deluxe edition.

The Sound of The Smiths is like hearing my favorite Manchester band with new ears. The Smiths as nature intended. It takes me back to first time I ever heard The Smiths—some of you may remember I have written about it many times for Treble, in the back of mi hermano's car, as he was playing a cassette version of The Queen is Dead. The song was "There is a Light that Never Goes Out." And from the opening notes and lyrics of "Take me out tonight…" my life changed. It seems like every year since that moment, my connection to my beloved The Smiths grows more deeply and devotedly. They were the ones—Morrissey, Marr, Rourke and Joyce—whose music was there for me when I was a recluse alone in my room with only their songs as my only friend. Their songs are still the soundtrack to my younger days. Those times, although filled with days and nights of melancholy and longing, will always be a part of me.

As I have grown, The Smiths' music remains a constant in my ever changing blissful life. The Sound of the Smiths is exempt from my usual lambasting of compilations released by successful bands. It's the songs and the sound of these songs that save The Sound of The Smiths from being just another repackaged album. This remastering is something that needed to be done to the canon of one of my favorite bands. With The Beatles reissues looming around the horizon, The Smiths are equally as worthy of remastering, perhaps even more so. Being a product of their time, the '80s was an era of disillusionment, which The Smiths reflected in such songs as "Last Night I Dreamt that Somebody Loved Me" and "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore." The Smiths were our saviors from our sadness and static lives. Through Morrissey's lyrical dreams, The Smiths gave us hope through these songs that still remain as vibrant and timeless, more so than when we first laid ears to them many years before.

So what songs did Morrissey and Marr select for The Sound of The Smiths, you ask? It's every song from the magnificent Singles CD that came out in 1995 plus "Still Ill," "Nowhere Fast," " Barbarism Begins at Home," "The Headmaster Ritual" and "You Just Haven't Earned it Yet Baby" round up disc one. Disc two has some rarities, including a cover of James' "What's the World," as well as live versions of "Meat is Murder," "Handsome Devil" and "London" from live album Rank. You'll also find "Pretty Girls Make Graves" from the often bootlegged and unreleased Troy Tate album sessions. The title track from my favorite Smiths album "The Queen is Dead" sounds more powerfully poetic than ever before. You will hear the difference in: Morrissey's wailing vocals on "Hand in Glove" and "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side," Johnny Marr's echoing guitar greatness on "How Soon is Now," Andy Rourke's funked out bass lines in "Barbarism Begins at Home" and Mike Joyce's signature backbeat on the Peel Session version of "What Difference Does it Make?", all restored to their original sonic brilliance

But I must add, even though I am advocating purchasing The Sound of The Smiths, Morrissey and Marr have left out some of the rarest of gems. They're not all here. For instance, where are the complete Peel Sessions? What about sonic artifacts like "Jeanne" with The Smiths backing Sandie Shaw? What about the complete version of "Rubber Ring/Asleep," unedited in eight minutes of pure beautiful genius, as found on the original 12-inch single of The Boy with the Thorn in his Side? What about the rest of songs missing from the October 26, 1986 National Ballroom show in Kilburn as heard on the Rank disc (including my favorite "There is a Light that Never Goes Out")? What about the famed unedited `director's cut' of "The Queen is Dead" as described brilliantly by Simon Goddard on the definitive book on The Smiths, their songs and the recording sessions, "The Songs that Saved your Life?" And where are the complete Troy Tate Sessions?

Alas, I may be harder to please than your normal Smiths fan, but that's because of their status as one of the most influence bands of our generation. I expect only the best for us, the die-hard fans in Smithsdom. Besides the long rumored anthologized box set, what I'm really waiting for are the original albums, The Smiths, Meat is Murder, The Queen is Dead and Strangeways Here We Come, all four of these brilliant LPs digitally remastered like this stellar compilation. The Sound of the Smiths is the first step in cementing the legacy of one of my favorite bands ever. This is how they were supposed to sound, in all of their glory in these songs that continue to save our lives. Go back to the old house again and relive the splendor of our beloved The Smiths all over again.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.12.2008

Review: David Bowie: iSelect

2008-11-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

My review of David Bowie's iSelect can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

David Bowie
iSelect
Astralwerks
2008

My first ever memory of David Bowie was seeing him dressed up in the sorrowful pierrot's costume on Mars in the video for "Ashes to Ashes." He looked like an alien but there was something about his voice and the lyrics that stuck with me. He seemed otherworldly and strange. Bowie's eccentric persona struck a riff in the imagination of this very weird child. And I loved changing the words to the closing stanza of "Ashes to Ashes." I'd walk around our casa and sing at the top of the lungs, much to my Mami's annoyance, (with apologies to Bowie) "My mama said to get things done you better not fuck with major tom…" At the time I thought it was funny and to this day I feel like it fits better than "mess" but that's me and my childish imagination.

My admiration and devotion to David Bowie has grown throughout my years. From his '80s pop years of "putting on the red shoes and dancing the blues" through his aggro nights of Outside, the Nine Inch Nails-inspired "Hearts Filthy Lesson" and his Earthling jungle-filled days of "Little Wonder," all the way to my personal theme "Never Get Old" from Reality. The deeper I dig inside the canon of one David Bowie the more treasures I discover. The man is one of the most prolific singer/songwriters of our modern generation. What makes Bowie stand out is his chameleon-esque nature, as he incorporates post-modern rhythms and styles with his own personal artistic charm, and the results are constantly simply dazzling.

I'd love to say that I'm reviewing a new Bowie album but alas this is not the case. Instead, I just came across this compilation, yet another one, his twentieth, or… oh who knows I stopped counting after his last Best Of. But before I start going off on my clichéd diatribe about legendary artists releasing yet another hits album, I have to stop myself because iSelect is a different breed of compilation.

First released as a complimentary gift when purchasing the June 29th, 2008 edition of British's newspaper The Mail, iSelect, is a collection of songs personally chosen by Bowie himself. This is not a greatest hits per se, but in Bowie's own words, "I've selected twelve songs that I don't seem to tire of. Few of them are well-known but many of them still get sung at my concerts."

iSelect starts off with the very timely "Life on Mars." (I must quickly add that for years I have wrongly mis-titled this one "Life is Mars." Once again, my bad but doesn't change the connotation of song making it more cosmically mysterious. Maybe it's just me, I'm weird like that.) Alas, "Mars" is a song that Bowie frequently revisits in his live shows. It spawned a BBC hit series that has now debut in an American incarnation that takes the title of Bowie songs (watch the American version, it's worthy of Bowie's song name).

Bowie writes commentary on all of the songs he's selected. Think of this as a kind of storytellers/behind-the-song peek inside the mindset of where he was when said classics were written; time, place, etc. One thing that's not in the liner notes is that "Mars" was Bowie's attempt to rewrite "My Way" as an ode to Frank Sinatra. By the way, listen for the telephone ringing at the end of "Mars" kind of creepy goes along with the theme of the TV series.

Another one of the most requested songs, a perfect addition to iSelect, is "The Bewlay Brothers." At just about all of Bowie's shows, you'll usually hear some die hard fan scream out for him to play this classic. Bowie describes this song as a "palimpsest." He claims to have smoked something out of his Bewlay pipe, which inspired the late night recording of "Brothers." This one reminds me of an old flame I met in New Orleans, who was one of the biggest Bowie fans I ever met, and "Bewlay" was her favorite song. "Lady Grinning Soul" is one of my newfound beloved Bowie songs. This is a majestic one featuring the magical piano stylings of Mike Garson. Written for "a wonderful young girl whom I have not seen in over thirty years…a song…close to the past…that you can almost reach out and touch it." I adore the flamenco guitar strings over Garson's piano keys.

Is it just me or does "Teenage Wildlife" sound a little like "Heroes?" This is Bowie's attempt at Ronnie Spector. Listen to the dueling guitars by Robert Fripp and Carlos Alomar; simply splendid.

The rare find for all Bowie fanatics is the inclusion of the "Time Will Crawl (MM remix)." Originally found on Never Let Me Down with plastic drum machines having been replaced with real drums courtesy of Sterling Campbell. I also really fond the strings Bowie added to the song. It sounds as though "Time Will Crawl" has been resurrected, and is an apt theme for our current times.

The compilation closes with a track from Live Santa Monica '72 concert. If you've had the honor of seeing the Thin White Duke in concert, this live version of "Hang on to Yourself" captures the power of a Bowie live set circa 1972. Oh how we miss the electric guitar greatness of Mick Ronson—you can hear, as he shreds the riffs, that this right hand man to Bowie was the electric force behind Bowie's stage presence. The thing is that Bowie may have aged but he still sounds as lively and creatively challenging as he did back then. He may no longer be the same interstellar palimpsest I used to watch on the video for "Ashes to Ashes," but I will continue loving this alien. By discovering new treasures like the remix of "Time Will Crawl," iSelect is essential for the Bowie diehard in your life. He may change his guises but Bowie will remain the great one with the voice that will shine for me and all of us, beyond rhythms and all times.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.11.2008

Review: The Cure: 4:13 Dream

2008-11-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

My review of The Cure's 4:13 Dream can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Cure
4:13 Dream
Geffen
2008

If you were like me, growing up an outcast in the '80s, there were three bands that were the soundtrack of your lost, lonely and lustful life—Depeche Mode, New Order and The Cure. While, mi hermano was devoted to Robert Smith and The Cure, my lyrical corazon belonged to Mode and New Order. I admit I wasn't a diehard Cure fan like him. It was nothing personal against Smith or The Cure, it's just that albums like Disintegration were too depressing for my already lonely existence. That's not to say that I wasn't a fan, just wasn't as loyal as my older sibling. Songs like "Just Like Heaven," "Close to Me" and "Love Song" were staples on my mix-tapes dedicated to my many unrequited crushes that never came true.

It may sound sacrilegious to fellow Robert Smith devotees but my favorite Cure album wasn't made in the '80s or '90s. To me, 2000's Bloodflowers was the best album in their career. This was supposed to be the swan song for Smith; he was finally going to retire his famous moniker and go solo, something he had been threatened to do for ages. Bloodflowers would have been the ultimate finale, as the last chapter in Robert Smith's "heart of darkness trilogy" that began with Pornography, followed years later with my brother's personal best, Disintegration.

Yet there was a hint in "Maybe Someday" and even in "Out of this World" that maybe Smith wasn't ready to hang it up at the end of the song.

"One last time before it's over
One last time before the end
One last time before it's
time to go again..."

Four years later, The Cure returned with a disappointing album produced by Korn producer Ross Robinson. The thing about The Cure is that it felt forced and unfinished. It sounded like a Robinson's idea of what a Cure album should sound like. It sounded liked Smith gave up some of the control and The Cure suffered because of this. Worse still, some of the best songs were left off the American pressing of the album. Who knows why Smith refused to allow stellar songs like "Going Nowhere" and "Truth of Goodness and Beauty" on the album? It was a definite step back for Robert Smith and made me think he made a mistake for not hanging up and leaving us with the everlasting legacy of Bloodflowers.

Following the misstep of self-titled 2004 album, Robert Smith went back to restore the glory of The Cure. Robert Smith reportedly was going to drop a double album in the fall of 2007, as he had recorded more 33 songs for his new album. Gone was Ross Robinson, who I blame for the relative disappointment of The Cure. Thankfully the double LP idea was scrapped and 13 tracks made the album. Smith decided to release an EP every month, starting in May and ending in September, before the release of 4:13 Dream.

Initially, I had my doubts. Some of the songs and remixes I heard were more of the same vibe from 2004's Robinson-produced failure. But I did have a sense of hope because of the track "Please," which Robert Smith recorded with Orbital co-founder Paul Hartnoll. "Please" was pure Robert Smith; he hadn't sound this energized and alive in years. It's the kind of song that The Cure should be creating.

Is 4:13 Dream a nod to "10:15 Saturday Night?" It's as if The Cure had gone fallen under an endless sleep but was miraculously revived at 4:13 AM. The album was the result of all Robert Smith experienced during that dreamlike state. Just when you thought it was over, Robert Smith returns stronger and more vibrant than ever in the opening `Underneath the Stars."

"Underneath the Stars" is the best opening Cure song, save for "Out of this World." Unlike "Lost" from 2004's The Cure where Smith sang, "I can't find myself
I got lost in someone else." Looking back, one could argue these lyrics were not about love but referring to his regret for placing his faith in Robinson's abilities. It may be a stretch but compare "Lost" to "Underneath the Stars" and you immediately hear the difference.

Echoing "Pictures of You," Smith comes out sounding the most confident he has in years. With his echoing dreamy vocals, he invites us to enter his dream world, a welcome return to a more electrifying Robert Smith something that we've been missing from The Cure. "The Only One" is a modern adaptation of "High" and surpasses the summit reached by the original found on Wish. You can actually hear Smith sounding excited as he reaches those upper notes, like he did during his early Goth incarnations of The Cure.

The Peter Hook-esque bass line could be an ode to New Order on "The Reasons Why." (This wouldn't be the first time Smith honored one of his fellow English alt compatriots. In 1998, Smith recorded a tribute to Depeche Mode with a rousing cover of "World In My Eyes" on For the Masses.) By this part of the album, one begins to notice a recurring theme, with Smith singing about stars and dreams as metaphors for falling in love. "The Reasons Why" sounds like a fan writing a letter to Robert Smith, wanting to feel some kind of connection outside of the song. Smith takes the idea of dream and turns into a more classical Shakespearean meaning of eternal sleep of death.

"Freakshow" is a funk burst of energy recalling 1996's Wild Mood Swings. The freaky guitar riffs enhance the dream state illusions of a damsel who's shattering his heart by slithering away a chance for true love. "Sirensong," one of my favorites, is one of the shortest, sweetest and most personal songs Robert Smith has ever composed on this or any album. I adore the dreamlike vibe that has Smith personifying his muse into the guise of a dream girl.

"Tell me you love me
Before it's too late
She sang
Give me your life
Or I must fly away
And you will never hear this song again"

Just like inspiration, she appears and vanishes before you can grasp at her infinite beauty. Yes, "Sirensong" is this beautiful. The next song reverts back to the classic dark side of Cure that has Smith revising the myth of Snow White. "The Real Snow White" is a lusty number dedicated to someone that Smith desires beyond belief. "The Hungry Ghost" has some of the best guitar work of Robert Smith's career. His vocal sounds electric and impassioned, but the lyrics "No it doesn't come for free/ but it's the price/ we pay for happiness," are lacking the substance behind the stylish power of the song.

Doors fans may recognize the familiar theme of "Switch." With lyrics like, "Friends are as strangers/ And strangers as friends/ And I feel like I'm wired in a why/ Yeah my friends are as strangers," "Switch" sounds like a stirring modern lyrical interpretation of Jim Morrison's "People Are Strange."

"Sleep with the Dead" is vintage Cure with 21st Century zeal. Robert Smith has unearthed this one from The Head of the Door songwriting sessions. Continuing his eloquent imagery, he calls out "I'll sleep when I'm Dead/ you angels…before I lay me down to dream."

The thing that impresses me even with a few on the tracks that don't stir me, there's transcendent transitions between songs of 4:13 Dream. It is in constant flow, moving from one emotional peak of "Underneath the Stars" through the breaths of despair in "It's Over." Speaking of "It's Over," the song closes 4:13 with a fury that's been missing from most of the sanitized Cure albums of the not so distant past. Think the guitar fire of "Burn" mixed with the vocalized passion of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. As Robert Smith sings "I can't do this anymore" I am hoping that 4:13 Dream is only the next chapter, and he doesn't walk away from The Cure.

Robert Smith has resurrected the legacy of The Cure with an album that dedicated fans and ripe ones would both adore. It's not perfect, but overall 4:13 Dream soars beyond my miscalculated expectations. I was ready to bury The Cure after Bloodflowers. Once again, Smith and The Cure have proved me wrong.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.03.2008

Review: Pretenders: Break Up The Concrete

2008-10-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

My Pretenders review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Pretenders
Break Up The Concrete
Shangri-La Music
2008

My first introduction to The Pretenders was seeing Chrissie Hynde play the waitress, and her band the customers, in the early video for "Brass in Pocket." But the video that I waited to see over and over again was the one for "Tattooed Love Boys." Seeing Chrissie all dressed in black, caressing that guitar like a machine, in my excited mind that made into a soldier of lust as she seductively tossed out lyrics like "Little tease, but I didn't mean it/ but you mess with the goods doll, you gotta pay." That was only the beginning, but Chrissie Hynde and her Pretenders had already won my little rebellious heart over.

To me, Hynde always had an air of timelessness to her music and on-stage persona. She's always been my ultimate dream rocker girl. She's rarely shown skin but there's definitely something sexy about Chrissie Hynde. It has to be her enticing and powerful stage presence that's matched with her lyrical tongue that's sharp, sultry and cerebral. I've grown and now have fond romantic memories that are linked to Hynde and her songs with The Pretenders. Longing love is a theme that has been a constant in many of my favorite Hynde-sung songs. I have a connection to these lyrics that mirrored the pining for a romantic connection in my life. "2000 Miles" was the theme for a long distant flame that moved to Portland. "Back on the Chain Gang" was the soundtrack of a wintertime love that was sparked on a drive through Lincoln Park, Chicago. Her cover of Ray Davies' "I Go to Sleep" from Isle of View, my favorite Pretenders album, reflected the yearning of a distant San Antonio lover who kept her kisses at a passionate distance.

I do have to say the ultimate Chrissie Hynde love song has to "Hymn to Her." Written by Meg Keen, a childhood friend in Akron, "Hymn to Her" is her personal "Hallelujah." Her lyrics reveal a timelessness of love. There's romantic passion, from the "let me inside you" line and especially in the amazing vocal delivery by Hynde in naked harmonium version from Isle of View. That version matches the lyrical intensity of the "Remember when I moved in you…" lyric from Cohen's. Both songs deal with intimacy. It's as if the lyrics connect the emotions of being in the moment of vulnerability being tied to the eventual loss of love. You can hear this clearly when Hynde sings:

"…something is lost
but something is found
they will keep on
speaking her name
some things change
some stay the same."

This same evolution of love is a theme that is heard in The Pretenders latest, Break Up the Concrete. Throughout the lyrics of this dynamic release, Chrissie Hynde is on a lyrical journey searching for the reasons why she always ends up lonely within the arms of amor. The opening number sounds like Chrissie and The Pretenders have been hanging out at Memphis, Tennessee's Sun Records. "Boots of Chinese Plastic" is a rockabilly number that has a John Entwistle-like "My Generation" bass line with a rolling, riffing backbeat that echoes Pixies "Isla de Encanta." When Hynde sings "Every drop that runs through the vein always makes its way back to the heart again…"the lyrics reflect her searching for faith to help her find understanding of heartbreak.

You will hear the return of this rockabilly vibe on the title track in which reverberates within Hynde's optimistic mindset of being alone. "The Nothing Maker" has Hynde singing a sympathetic number for the typical man she attracts. This is an ode to falling for the Lloyd Dobblers of the world or as John Cusack eloquent said, in Say Anything, "what I want to do for a living - is I want to be with you." I'm paraphrasing but it has the same effect about a man who wants no other fate than being with the object of his affection.

Hynde still tries to cling to these dysfunctional relationships on the next track. "Don't Lose Faith in Me" is Hynde trying to hold on to a failed relationship, crooning with a bit of Southern soul as she sings "If you lose harmony, you won't need me." It sounds like some of these flames are jealous of the connection Hynde has for her creative music. All they have is the love for her. I imagine that these guys can't get over the fact that Hynde's a rock artist and her music becomes a contention within the relationship.

Even with a song like "You Didn't Have To," when Chrissie sings "thank you boy for the time that we wasted…the things that you said," it's still a celebration of another broken affair. It goes back to the advice she sung on the opening number, everything makes it back to the heart.

I've fallen for the slide guitar sound in "Love's a Mystery." This is the definitive song on Break Up the Concrete. The key line in this lovely song is "A multiple offender should learn from his mistakes/ I'm ready to surrender if that's what it takes." It sounds like after a number of failed marriages, Chrissie still believes in love. You can feel it in her voice, which sounds as alive and passionate as ever. It's as if Hynde wanted to capture the spirit of her romantic inspirations on tape. You can hear it on each of these vibrant songs.

My favorite song, however, is Hynde's lusty "Almost Perfect." She is telling her new lover to never change. You know that feeling—the spark of a new love—Hynde brings these emotions to life when she instructs him to "come inside my hive." I love the feel of this song; it has an almost jazzy arrangement reflecting the romantic nature of Hynde's lyrics. Listen for Chrissie clearing her throat before the last verse. It brings a sense of nervousness as she's trying to seduce her new flame.

Break Up the Concrete ends with the bluesy heartache of "One Thing Never Changed." Eric Heywood's pedal steel guitar is showcased once again in this aching number in which Hynde sings about the boy that she loved, having to "go back to a world where I don't belong."

That lyric is why after all of these years, the older I become, I will always be a devoted follower of Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders. Hynde doesn't just sing these songs, she's lived them. Her life has been all about reaching for something greater while falling in and out of love. When she sings, it's if her lyrics reveal the truth inside all of us. We hear the pain and pleasure in Hynde songs that are familiar tastes in our own lives.

Break Up the Concrete is an album about growing older and still learning about love in a voice and a feeling that's pure Chrissie Hynde. This is the same Hynde whose only consistent bond has been with the creative callings of her band The Pretenders. Traditionally, The Pretenders' sound is born from her two backgrounds—the classic American pop songs with a punk rock aesthetic. Hynde and The Pretenders have evolved into a band that has aged like a fine wine. After all these years, Hynde and her messages of Love are some of the most personal that I've consistently craved. One trip inside Break Up the Concrete and be prepared to fall once again. She's still the most passionate rocker I've ever had the pleasure to have grown up with. Since 1976, Chrissie Hynde has been someone whose lyrical heartstrings have been exposed in all that we desire within the glory of her songs.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.21.2008

Review: Nina Simone: To Be Free

2008-10-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

My Nina Simone review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Nina Simone
To Be Free
Legacy
2008

In the original era of 1960s political correctness when entertainers toned down their personal rhetoric to continue their careers as performing artists, Nina Simone could never be silenced. She was the voice of freedom. The original chanteuse channeled passionate reasoning and emotional fire to sing about growing up and living in a racially segregated United States of America. Nina stood on stage as a warrior queen with her sultry song whispering, moaning and roaring behind the piano. She held the keys to her independence during her concerts inside her protest songs that rallied against the injustice and mistreatment of her skin, her sex in the age of societal intolerance.

Throughout her multifaceted and ever changing career, Nina Simone was manipulated by record labels, mistreated by handlers, husbands and managers and wholeheartedly misunderstood and disrespected in her homeland. During her years in exile from America, this soulful siren had a spark that could never be extinguished by any type of discrimination. Any sign of exploitation only fueled Nina's rage and inspired her to sing out seductively louder and prouder than ever before.

As a confidant of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Nina Simone believed in his dream but the reality of coming of age as an outspoken African American female artist in the '60s was anything but luxurious. Fame eluded her and unfortunately infamy followed her everywhere she went. Nina's candid views were unheard of—she was a revolutionary ahead of her time. Even the Beatles refused to speak out against social injustice; Nina Simone considered it her duty to as a creative activist to criticize the powers that be about the injustice in America.

Throughout this tumultuous time and fueled by energetic fervor, Nina recorded some of the most memorable music of the 20th century. Prolific is an understatement; Nina Simone was a virtuoso on stage and in the recording studio. Between 1957 and 1973, Simone completed 27 albums for four different record labels. Unlike her personal heroine Billie Holliday, not only could Nina sing exquisitely, she, herself was a classically trained pianist. This made her a creative force as composer and lyricist. Because of this, Nina had a musician's ear and knew how to craft classic originals and adapt famous standards of her day.

It's the voice in such songs as "Wild is the Wind" that I first discovered thanks to David Bowie, "My Baby Just Cares for Me" and "I Want A Little Sugar in my Sugar Bowl" that first put a spell on me while living in the southern paradise of New Orleans.

I wish I could tell you that I've been a Nina Simone fan my whole life but in reality I first discovered her in the movies. Simone's music made her resurrected icon with songs that appeared in such films as Point of No Return, Stealing Beauty and the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Even then, it took Jeff Buckley's elegant cover of "Lilac Wine" and the appearance of Nina's spectacular rendition of Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" in the film The Dancer Upstairs to make me a full fledged Simone devotee while living in New Orleans.

The Mississippi River in the heart of America's South was the perfect place to fall for the voice that was Nina Simone. Even though she lived and recorded more than 30 years ago, her songs and vocal style are as timeless and legendary as ever. Unfortunately, the unspoken racism that existed in my modern-day New Orleans perfectly reflected the life and times that Nina Simone wrote and recorded about over three decades earlier. I saw it, lived it, and breathed in the silent stench of discrimination, poverty and disillusionment within the city that I loved so much. It was as if the world may have technologically improved but the bigoted traditions of the past were ingrained with the Southern culture of Louisiana. This was the type of inequality that Nina Simone sung and spoke out about. What would have been Nina's thought on America's passive ignorance towards New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast after the devastation left by Katrina?

"Mississippi Goddamn," the song she performed after Dr. King's assassination, would be the song that mirrors that outrage and disgust of post-Katrina New Orleans. This and many others are found in the new dynamic four disc (3 CD and 1 DVD set) To Be Free. Not only is this a collection of vintage songs written and recorded by Nina Simone, this is the soundtrack to American history from an artist that is unknown by the majority of modern music fans. It is a criminal shame that Nina Simone is rarely mentioned up there with Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, and Patsy Cline as queens of American music.

To me she surpasses all of those incredible singers because Nina composed the majority of the music and lyrics to all her originals. And Simone came up with the arrangements of her favorite artists that she covered, like Gershwin's "I Love's You, Porgy" Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quite Pas," George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" and Bob Dylan's "Just like a Woman."

Although To Be Free may not include all of my beloved Nina Simone songs ("Lilac Wine," "Sinnerman" and her brilliant cover of "House of the Rising Sun" among others are missing), you will hear live versions of "Wild is the Wind," the Langston Hughes-penned powerhouse "Backlash Blues" any my personal favorite "Who Knows Where the Times Goes." The 30 minute DVD, Nina: A Historical Perspective is a breathtaking insight inside the mind, the music and the voice of Nina Simone told in her own words.

Inside the music and film of To Be Free, you will see and hear why and how she inspired a generation of artists and bands. Thanks to Mary J. Blige, Lauren Hill, Alicia Keys, Cat Power, Bowie and Buckley, the legend of Nina Simone sings on within them, their vocal styles and covers of her originals. We must not forget the many films that have showcased Nina's voice and songs and helped introduce her music to a new generation of soulful enthusiasts. If you're a novice and searching for a place to start your education of Nina Simone look no further than To Be Free. This box set captures the beauty, power and essence of all that encompassed the artistry and myth that was Nina Simone.

We all have hurt, loved and lost but nobody knows this more than Nina Simone. To Be Free captures the passion, the glory and the pain of life, love and dreams. It's time to feel the spark that was as electric as the wind was wild. She was an icon. She was an artist. She was a lover. She was a fighter. She was a mother. She lived for the art of the song, and nobody brought the music of her time to life like Nina Simone. You will be moved. You will be seduced by a voice who sang for us with a soulful revolutionary spirit that thrives inside these heartfelt songs of emotional empowerment. We hope to one day rejoice in her sounds of freedom that Nina desperately desired to believe throughout her defiant life and beyond.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.14.2008

Review: The Jesus and Mary Chain: The Power of Negative Thinking

2008-10-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

My Jesus & Mary Chain review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Jesus & Mary Chain
The Power of Negative Thinking
Blanco y Negro / Rhino
2008

"Do you remember the JAMC?"

Who could forget those immortal lyrics sung so eloquently by Death Cab's Ben Gibbard on their song "We Looked like Giants?" Ben, like many of us who grew up JAMC fans, knew the importance of this band born from Glasgow, Scotland, whose feedback fury and three minute love pop symphonies shook our world from the mid-'80s and on.

Some of you may have first heard the name Jesus and Mary Chain in the film High Fidelity when Jack Black's snobby record store clerk Barry scolds a customer for not owning any JAMC albums. "They always seemed really great is what they really seemed, they picked up where your precious Echo (& the Bunnymen) left off…"

In all reality, the JAMC were created by the brothers Jim and William Reid because, "…we couldn't find records that we liked to buy." It reminds me of something pompous I used to say to too many ex-girlfriends: the reason I couldn't find any good books to read was because I haven't written any yet. Unlike me, JAMC put their foot to the distortion pedal and created a band with a sound both Reid brothers desired.

Unlike the way out cacophony of the noisy resilience of Creation labelmates My Bloody Valentine, JAMC didn't just blow the guitar amps to make sound crafted songs. The brothers Reid incorporated, "the pop sensibilities of The Shangri-Las with the production values of (Nick Cave's) The Birthday Party...and that's us…psycho and candy two extremes on the same record." Mix in a little surf guitar inspiration and you have the JAMC sound in full effect.

The Power of Negative Thinking is not a greatest hits collection. These 82 songs are b-sides, covers, alternative versions and unreleased songs make up the essence of the sound the Brothers Reid had in mind when they first formed JAMC. I've said it before and I'll state it again, you can tell the greatness of a band by the quality of their b-sides. You can trace the evolution from the Joy Division inspired darkness of the never before heard demo "Up Too High," acoustic versions of "You Trip Me Up" through blistering covers like Prince's "Alphabet Street." You will also hear one of their last songs created as a duo, "Easy Life, Easy Love" that preceded their much publicized spilt on stage at the House of Blues in L.A. There are hints of the up and coming dissolution of the band in the lyrics.

"Goodbye to fame and goodbye to Jane,
Goodbye to yesterday.
I've been around, I hit the ground,
There was a price to pay."

Even before their eventual demise, The Jesus and Mary Chain crafted pop songs were stoic and romantic by nature.

There are so many jewels on The Power of Negative Thinking. Those who believed that The Brothers Reid went soft with help from Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval on Stoned and Dethroned must have not been paying too much attention to the ever evolving careers of these Glasgow guitar gurus. You can hear sparks of their intimate stripped down flavor on the acoustic versions of "Teenage Lust" and "Taste of Cindy."

I, myself, love the Velvet Underground-inspired echoing beauty of "Psychocandy." It sounds like the best song that Reed, Cale, Tucker and Morrison never created. I can't forget the siren sounding and bluesy guitar ode brilliance of "Bo Diddley is Jesus." I dig the blow up of "Kill Surf City." What about two killer covers of "Surfin' USA?" There are so much more, the very romantic pop ditty "Till I Found You." I'm sure Leonard Cohen is smiling somewhere with JAMC's powerful cover of "The Tower of Song." I have to say "Little Stars" and the lyrics of "I'm gonna kiss your blues away" is my personal favorite.

There are way too many and with every other track I am finding new gems that I adore. I know I shouldn't have done it, gone out during these days of economic uncertainty but I had to buy this hefty priced 4-disc collection The Power of Negative Thinking. This is freaking JAMC, the band whose distorted pop crafted beauty was the soundtrack of my disorientated youth.

The brothers Reid inspired a generation of wanna be rockers to pick up guitars. You may have heard The Pixies cover of "Head On," but it's not better than the real thing. Crank it up, The Jesus and Mary Chain's b-sides and rarities will simultaneously blow your eardrums and mind. Take it from yours truly, fuck the stock market, make the wise investment by purchasing this soon to be classic The Power of Negative Thinking, and discover what you may have missed from their 21 Singles. The other side never sounded this beautifully sinister.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.06.2008

Review: James: Hey Ma

2008-09-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

My James review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

James
Hey Ma
Decca
2008

When one thinks of the music from Manchester, England, groups like The Smiths, New Order, Stone Roses and Oasis come to mind. James is one band that for years has been underappreciated and at time relatively unnoticed when it came from their birthplace of Manchester. James did acquire some notoriety in the early nineties with their 120 Minutes and college radio single "Born of Frustration." It wasn't until 1993's Laid that got them respect worldwide, thanks to the production of one Brian Eno. Laid is one of the most underrated albums and one of my top favorites of the '90s.

It was a shame that James didn't reach superstardom, because they were well on the way on the strength of the magnificent songs they created on Laid. From start to finish, it's their one masterpiece, imperfect as it was brought to life in a creative environment that flourished under James' secret weapon harnessing their revolutionary improvisatory nature on wax. Eno was a master of capturing their creative sparks on tape which one can witness on "Blue Pastures" from the misunderstood letdown, the follow-up to Laid, Whiplash. On that one song, Tim Booth's multidimensional whispered vocal uttered over a solitary bassline and distant atmosphere guitar echoes is brilliance in full effect.

Although James went on to find some commercial success on the other side of the pond with Millionaires and Pleased to Meet You, ever since the collapse of Whiplash they were unable to recreate the magic felt by millions on the classic Laid. After a much-publicized farewell show in their hometown of Manchester, James split and went their separate ways. After frontman Tim Booth released a pair of his own recordings (one with composer Angelo Badalmenti), in January 2007 it was announced that he would be rejoining James in a series of shows. The fruits of those concerts brought James back to life. The original line-up reconvened at Warzy Chateau in France where the band proceeded to build its own recording studio. This studio consisted on personal studios where each member could interact with producer Baker. This studio helped James go back to the spontaneous nature of recording which spawned the successful sessions of Laid.

Hey Ma was the result and what an album it is. "Bubbles" opens the record, their best lead song since "Out to Get You" first seduced us on Laid. Booth still has that lush vocal but this time "Bubbles" builds and by the climax as Booth exclaims "I'm alive," the band explodes in horns, guitars and drums announcing the glorious return of these Manchester greats.

If there was one word to describe Hey Ma it has to be `energetic.' Hey Ma oozes with vigor and passion never before birthed by James. You can hear the sense in resurgence of a band that was written off by American record labels long ago. The title track is the perfect example. As he sings, "Hey Ma/ the boys in body bags coming home in pieces," Booth unleashes a monumental lyrical moment in his career. He brings to life the images that the Pentagon refuses us to see. "Hey Ma" is not just an anti-war protest but a call to arms anthem and a coming together for all families affected by this unjust war.

The beat rolls on with "Waterfall." Inspired by an exhilarating swim under the Snoqualmie Falls, the same ones seen in the credits of Twin Peaks, Booth sings about being emotionally moved by nature's intricate beauty, something to which I could relate for I first heard Hey Ma on my vacation to Europe.

It's rare when you connect with an album, from the opening notes, that the music will take you to the place and bring up joyous memories in the place you first discovered it. To me, Hey Ma reminds me of that incredible vacation in Venice, Italy. The excitement of being in a wonderfully strange land was brought to life by the magic of this album. All I have to do is press play, close my eyes and I am there again.

"Oh My Heart" is Booth's plea to the heartbroken to "adore life." James comes alive in this electric number. The rhythms ascend thanks to Jim Glennie, Saul Davies, Mark Hunter, drummer Mark Hunter, and let's not forget the signature riffs from guitarist Larry Gott. We cannot forget the outstanding contribution by James as whole. As you will hear on Hey Ma, this isn't just Tim Booth's band. James are a unit, united to create a worldly sound to be shared by all of those enter.

Hear Tim's croon "Upside love, down side miss you, I'm here you are there" on "Upside," this uplifting lament echoing the feeling of being apart from the one that you love. James reflects these emotional resonating images like words kissing your face, with this rare sense of delicate honesty. I enjoyed the ironic urgency of "Whiteboy," the post-modern theme song for the game-lazy-boy generation. "I'm in awe of you/ we'll survive," Booth sings, continuing his musings of our disconnected society in the atmospheric grace that is "Of Monsters & Heroes, Men." Hey Ma closes with Booth letting his voice ascend by repeating the lyric "I wanna go home" as he created as a first jammer, and the result is this creation, a ballad about a man dying of remorse in a bar.

From the ashes of the Eno-lit creative flame that seemed to have expired long ago, Hey Ma resurrects the improvisational spirit that is James. It may have taken them more than 15 years but James has finally soared to greatness equaling the magnificent foundation of Laid.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
09.24.2008

Review: The Verve: Forth

2008-09-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

My review of The Verve can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Verve
Forth
Megaforce
2008

At 2005's Live 8, after describing "Bittersweet Symphony" as the "best song ever written," Chris Martin introduced the man, the myth and the legend they call Mad Richard as "The best singer in the world." That singer was Richard Ashcroft.

Ever since the release of that song and the album Urban Hymns, The Verve's career seemed bittersweet, as if one of the best bands of '90s Britpop was forgotten. Why is that? When critics and fans talk about the'90s, why do The Verve get overlooked on many top lists? The Verve was one of the best and most influential bands of that decade. But what made The Verve so powerful—the explosive dynamic of Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury's—was what eventually broke up the band. The last straw was a post gig bust-up by McCabe and Ashcroft during the subsequent Urban Hymns tour, which led to the disbanding of The Verve.

Although The Verve split on a high note, it seemed like there was still ammunition left in the creative tank from one of the most essential groups to come out of the UK in the last twenty years. And it seemed that even though "Bittersweet Symphony" was their hit crowd favorite, they still didn't have a rousing live anthem to play at their shows that could lift the crowd into a wild frenzy. Say what you will about "Symphony" it is a classic song but it's not one that gets you off yr feet at a show.

It seems as though The Verve have finally come up with the ultimate live song to bring their fans to their feet during their electrifying sets, that song being "Love is Noise." But I'll admit it; I didn't really love the "Noise" when I first heard it. In fact, before obtaining my copy of Forth, I thought that The Verve had made another mistake in the vein of the plethora of bands that reunite only to make a sub par album, attempting to regain the glory of their inspiring past. Can you name one band that reunited whose new album was worthy of more than one single spin? Besides James' Hey Ma which I will be reviewing soon, I couldn't think of any. Can you name the last classic Rolling Stones album? Steel Wheels? Voodoo Lounge? Bridges to Babylon? A Bigger Bang? Hear what I mean, I rest my case.

Seriously, it took a while to warm up to "Noise." But then one day I had the opening vocal sample stuck in my head. I went around all that day in our apartment, in the car and at work singing "wooo woooo woooo ooo, ah ah ah ah aha." I soon realized that "Love is Noise" is the song that The Verve had been waiting to create, a song with the style and substance missing from today's modern airwaves. It's classic Verve. Ashcroft's eternal lyrics are inspired by William Blake's poem `Jerusalem' with McCabe's vintage riffs and the powerful rhythms of Jones and Salisbury made to come alive on stage.

From the opening salvo of "Sit and Wonder," listening to Forth for the first time is like opening the pages of the book you've been waiting to read for the longest time. With each chapter, the anticipation in this mystery becomes a reality. When Ashcroft sings, "give me some light," this is a sign of the impending trip we are all about to experience.

"Rather Be" continues the magic of a "Lucky Man" with a twist. It's as if Ashcroft is singing about the volatile conflicts that simmer around the relationships within the band:

"Always livin' under some vow
Always on the eve of destruction
Make you wanna scream out loud
and as I watch the birds soar"

Ashcroft himself has admitted that the band has never really kissed and made up. The unstable energy may be one of the aspects that led to the creation of Urban Hymns and now this most incredible sound of Forth.

One of my favorites is the aptly titled "Noise Epic." Who else but Ashcroft can write about God, Jesus, Mother Mary, Georgie Best, Muhammad Ali and Steve McQueen in the same song? You will also find evidence of Ashcroft penning more lyrics reflecting the band's unstable yet fiery creative fuel as he sings:

"Why did I let you down?
Can I carry that cross for you?
Is there anything I need to know?
Did you let me down?
Why did you let me down?"

You hear this as McCabe, Jones and Salisbury all explode with furious energy behind Ashcroft's prosaic lyrics. The Verve thrives within the confines of their volatile nature. These are four distinctive people with four different moods, mindsets and ideas about what makes a song shine. Whatever element they use to put all of their energies together is the most perfect example of what makes them simpatico. You can hear it all around Forth; it's their strength and will one day be the band's fateful downfall.

You get the feeling that Forth may be the band's finale hurrah on "Columbo." Mad Richard's lyrical assault on lusting of fame over love is highlighted by McCabe, Jones and Salisbury coming together with Ashcroft's high pitched calls, united like never before. The way we have always imagined The Verve to shine is vivid as they do on the rhythmic "Columbo" and the introspective finale of "Appalachian Springs" Listen to Ashcroft ask the eternal question: "Does anybody know where we're really gonna go?" That lyric might just be a hint to where The Verve may be heading. If this is truth, than what a way to go out—Forth is an instant classic.

In fact, from start to finish, I believe as a whole that Forth is the best album of their career. It's hard to imagine any band to top the incredible brilliance that is Urban Hymns but The Verve has done it. After another much publicized public bust-up on stage between Ashcroft and McCabe, unfortunately, Forth may be the last sounds in the storied legacy that is The Verve.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
09.22.2008

Review: Tricky: Knowle West Boy

2008-09-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

My Tricky review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Tricky
Knowle West Boy
Domino
2008

I told one of my co-workers, a fellow music enthusiast, at my nighttime bookstore gig that I had picked up the latest CD from Tricky. He looked back at me with this blank stare. `You know, Tricky?' I responded. He had no idea who I was referring to. I brought up the fact that he started out with Massive Attack in the early '90s. Nothing, he still had no idea who Tricky was. I continued divulging the CV of one my favorite artists. He released a critically acclaimed debut and Mercury Prize nominated solo album Maxinquaye. Nada, I felt like I was getting nowhere with this guy who claimed to be an intellectual music fan.

I didn't stop there; I kept going, explaining to him that Tricky was Nearly God, and along with Portishead he was at the forefront of the Trip Hop movement of the early '90s before succumbing to Pre-Millennium Tension in 1996. In 1998, he co-opted the title of a James Cagney film in the dark Angels with Dirty Faces, which incidentally featured collaboration with one Polly Jean Harvey on "Broken Homes." In 1999, he went into Juxtapose hip hop mode with Cypress Hill producer DJ Muggs.

My co-worker recognized Cypress Hill but still no Tricky. But, as I explained, Tricky still wasn't breaking through so he recruited some high profile friends including Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist John Frusciante, Cyndi Lauper and Alanis Morrissette to help him Blowback in 2001. Those three he knew but Tricky, not so much. Alas, in 2003 Tricky became Vulnerable to his own creation that included two covers one of XTC's "Dear God" and The Cure's "Love Cats."

This leads us to his new album, Knowle West Boy. And by this moment in our conversation my co-worker was hardly as enthusiastic as I was for the triumphant return of the Tricky Kid. He shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Which is what many would have thought Tricky would have done with the lack of commercial success after Maxinquaye. But, he never packed it in, Tricky continued rolling up the songs and lighting them for the entire world to taste and savor the glory of his ever lifted creative endeavors.

What I should have told my co-worker is that Tricky's music is like the soundtrack to those old William Burroughs tripped out films of the 1950s. They're the sort of movies that show us pieces of ourselves the one's that we're all afraid to discover. The emotional lust and the fear of desire along with the desperate stench of hate as we hide everything deep down, drenched in paranoia. This is what Tricky brings to life on each of his albums since Maxinquaye and you wonder why this genius isn't a household name? For the most part Americans don't really connect with artists that make them think and ponder about their darkened despair that permeates within their relatively vacant lives.

This is what I respect about the artist formally known as Adrian Thawes. He is a singer/songwriter who challenges his audience to not only open their ears but open themselves out to the mirrors coming from his reflecting songs. Add to the mix that he sounds rather devilish, which is the reason that Tricky has recruited a number of famous sirens to contrast his darkest side. First there was Martina Topley-Bird who, herself, went on to her own quasi successful solo career. Then there was the already successful Allison Goldfrapp, Björk and the aforementioned PJ Harvey. Recently, Tricky has come to recruit unsigned talent on his albums—most recently he's discovered Alex Mills, Veronika and his former flame Lubna to sing on Knowle West Boy.

What makes Knowle West Boy his best album since his debut is the maturity in the sound. Tricky has a bit of help from former Suede guitarist and now producer Bernard Butler, who has helped sculpt Tricky's most diverse and eclectic album of his rather infamous career. "Puppy Toy" begins with a stripped arrangement of piano keys, some strings and a seductive back beat. It then explodes into a gigantic Butler-esque guitar riff before going back into the dynamic duet between two would be lovers, brought to life by Alex Mills and Tricky looking for a connection at a bar.

The album turns into a raga rap beat on "Bacative," starring Rodigan from New York. There's a mysterious female singer that Tricky and Butler slipped in beautifully between Rodigan's killer raps. What I love about "Bavative" and Knowle West Boy as a whole is that Butler has reeled in Tricky to create his most strict traditional song structures that he has ever attempted on record.

Listen to "Joseph"—the Tricky of old would have drowned the vocals of this unknown busker with atmospheric tripped out effects but for the most part Butler keeps each track at around the three-minute territory. The lone exception is the very climatic "Past Mistake." Butler helps Tricky turns these star crossed romantics featuring the vocals of Lubna on a doomed love affair that is distant and damaged from the start. Although, "Past Mistake" sounds like the anti-"Teardrop," "Past Mistake" would have fit perfectly on Massive Attack's Mezzanine.

There's no reason to worry that Tricky has gone Pop Idol on us as you'll discover on electric "Veronika" and the highly charged insurgent sound of "Collation." I prefer the stripped vibe of the very sensual "Cross to Bear." This is a new side to Tricky that features very sultry vocals of "Hafdis Huld." I love the way Tricky and Bernard mix the strings with Tricky's trademark tripped out beats.

One of the few missteps has to be Tricky's ill-advised cover Kylie Minogue's "Slow." This could have turned into a "Lovecats" surprise like cover that I so adored on Vulnerable but Knowle West Boy would have better off sans "Slow." It just sounds out of place in this very incredible but imperfect album.

Knowle West Boy closes with the acoustic beauty, "School Gates." It's Tricky's street-like version of "In My Life." Tricky sounds like someone who's comfortable in his own dark persona that created Maxinquaye but unafraid of reminiscing at those tender moments that inspired him to craft the Knowle West Boy that he is today.

With Portishead and Tricky releasing new endeavors and Massive Attack's new album on the horizon, this could well be the year of the resurrection of trip-hop. I know that I'll be putting Knowle West Boy on my top albums of 2008. Here's hoping that Tricky breaks through from the unacknowledged underground that has made him an unfortunate alias in the island of influentially unappreciated artists. Most of all, Tricky is the devil that we recognize reflecting the lies that we live in this age of post-modern impurity.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
09.15.2008

Best Albums of 1998: Review: Jeff Buckley: Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk

2008-08-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

My Jeff Buckley review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Jeff Buckley
Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
Columbia
1998

On the cusp of Y2K came the final release of original material by the late great Jeff Buckley. Buckley's death is one of remorse for all that could have been for this gifted talent. How is it that we only have one official album from Buckley and he is still considered one of the most influential artists of the '90s? Take your pick of any successful band or singer/songwriter active today and they will most likely say that Jeff Buckley influenced their life. Chris Martin, Fran Haley of Travis and even Bernard Butler said that after leaving Suede, "No-one else has come along who made me feel that natural and unafraid of being myself. . . He made me smile… and encapsulated a lot of things that I'd been longing for, achieving a kind of spirituality in music without it being frowned upon. He stripped away a lot of myths for me about what you should be." Yes, Jeff inspired countless others including well-known rock heroes like Jimmy Page and Elvis Costello, and even Bono dubbed him, "a pure drop in an ocean of noise."

At least he left us with one final collection of songs. Sketches, was just that, a plethora of unfinished songs that were blueprints for the planned future album My Sweetheart The Drunk. This is one thing about Buckley that I never really understood. He constantly doubted himself and his gifts. He could never decide on a certain song or performance. He seemed unsure of next musical path. This is why artists like Ryan Adams should get more respect. At least Ryan releases his sonic experiments as lyrical documents for a moment of time in his life. You record and release these songs and move on. Sometimes you may miss, but they're sonic reflections of times you'll be able to remember.

The worst thing I could say about Buckley was that he second-guessed himself way too often and it hurt his official creative output. Legend has it that these Sketches were never going to be heard. Buckley wanted his band and former Grace Producer Andy Wallace to gather in his new home in Memphis to ceremonially torch these recordings Jeff made with former Television founder and producer Tom Verlaine.

I don't understand this way of thinking—why Jeff? Why would you want to destroy these amazing recordings? As posthumous collections Sketches honors the lyrical gifts that Buckley was blessed with. There are some incredible tracks on these discs. I wonder what frightened Buckley and did the success of Grace haunt him so much that it hindered the next direction of his ever-evolving muse.

Who knows what Jeff was thinking? But what we do know is that the songs on Sketches were some of the most timeless music that Buckley created during his short lifespan as a recording artist. Opening with electric "Sky is a Landfill" where Jeff makes the profound statement regarding his past, "Moving with grace the men despise and women have learned to lose/ throw off your shame or be a slave to the system." At the time he was writing songs for My Sweetheart the Drunk, Jeff was trying to stay away from the sensitive guy serenading women. Ever since the New York Times first reviewed Live at Sin-é along with Michael Bolton's album it flashed fearful future marketing meetings at Sony. "Sky is a Landfill" and "Haven't You Heard," just like "Eternal Life" from Grace are direct reactions to Buckley's fear that his label Sony was trying to sell him as a heartthrob balladeer.

This is why I feel like Sketches is Jeff trying to rediscover his true voice. Just listen to the lyrics to the haunted elegance of "New Years Prayer." Jeff sings "Feel no shame for what you are" like a mantra as if he's trying to convince himself to follow his creative heart. He wanted to distance himself from Jeff that sung on Grace. This is why Buckley originally chose Television's Tom Verlaine to helm the sessions. He knew that it would frighten Sony. He wanted to take back control of his legacy. Jeff wanted desperately to try something new. He didn't want to be a puppet of a major label. Originally he wanted to have the sessions for Drunk a Two Ninas band project instead of Jeff Buckley but Sony balked.

Eventually, he relented and Jeff continued recording. Having moved to Memphis, he wrote a very moving love song, "Everybody Here Wants You" for his paramour Joan Wasser. One of the highlights on disc two is sultry "Jewel Box" as Jeff croons "You left some stars on my belly." Whether Jeff wanted to admit it or not, he was a romantic at heart. His lyrics and voice reflect this. But he wasn't so easy to pin down. He was a lover and a fighter and you can hear the dynamic struggle within themselves on my favorite song on Sketches, "Nightmares by The Sea."

"All young lovers know why
Nightmares blind their mind's eye
Your rube is young and handsome
So new to your bedroom floor
You know damn well where you'll go"

He sounds sinister but he's still trying to seduce you. It's a rock song with beats that even the luscious will swoon over. Speak of the swooning, "Morning Theft" has to be one of the most beautiful songs that Jeff ever recorded. He has some of the most incredible lines Buckley has ever written. Where do I being? "A heart that beats as both siphon and reservoir" is a highlight but my favorite has to be:

"You're a woman, I'm a calf
You're a window, I'm a knife
We come together
Making chance in the starlight"

By the finale it's difficult to accept the light that was Jeff Buckley has gone out and will never spark again. Thankfully, Buckley's mother ended Sketches with the song she played at Jeff's funeral. "Satisfied Mind" is Jeff Buckley. It's his creed, his ideal and describes the way that he lived, loved and left this earth.

"Money can't buy back all your youth when you're old
A friend when you're lonely, oh peace to your soul
The wealthiest person is a pauper at times
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind"

Jeff Buckley didn't create music to make money. He wrote and recorded because it gave him meaning. When he sung his soul and spirit soared. These Sketches were reflections of the dichotomy that was Jeff Buckley. He may have never really been satisfied with any take that he recorded; I hope he left this world the way that he soulfully sung this cover version, with a "Satisfied Mind."

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.21.2008

Best Albums of 1995: Polly Jean Harvey: To Bring You My Love

2008-08-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

My Polly Jean Harvey review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Polly Jean Harvey
To Bring You My Love
Island
1995

"I was born in the desert
I been down for years
Jesus, come closer
I think my time is near

And I've traveled over
Dry earth and floods
Hell and high water
To bring you my love"

To Bring You My Love was simply PJ Harvey's baptismal leap in the Delta water, before her storied commercial rebirth Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. Thanks to the stellar production by Flood and John Parrish you can hear Harvey dive inside the lyrics of her Southern-inspired tides, searching for creative salvation within the sinister soul of The American Blues. During "Down By The Water," as Harvey sings "Little fish big fish swimming in the water/Come back here, man, gimme my daughter," you can hear lyrical odes to one of her heroes while growing up, Leadbelly, particularly his classic tale "Salty Dog." And you can hear these same blues influence, throughout, that Polly Jean was reared on while growing up in Dorset, England.

But there's also a touch of post-modernism that lifts Harvey's style of into a twisted sort of 21st Century blues that's timeless, twisted and out of this world. Lyrically inspired by the dark prose of Tom Waits and soon to be lover Nick Cave, Harvey's lyrics lean toward serial killings in "Working for The Man," drowning of children in the already mentioned "Down by the Water," and deep penetrating sexual role reversal of "Long Snake Moan."

Some of my favorite numbers have a legendary acoustic Latin flavor. "Send His Love to Me" is a highly erotic plea to the heavens to send her back the Lover she so desires. To Bring You My Love closes with the Cave-inspired, western themed "The Dancer." In between orgasmic wails of affection, Harvey sings.

"'Cause I've prayed days, I've prayed nights
For the lord just to send me home some sign
I've looked long, I've looked far
To bring peace to my black and empty heart"

To Bring You My Love is a longing for a woman's independence and search for true love in a wasteland of misogynistic blues of despair and loss of God. You can feel this in her bloody and heart-clenching lyrics. These aren't the domestically spirited songs from last year's White Chalk. The incarnation of Polly Jean Harvey that emerged in 1995 is one of a siren sonically slithering around the tales of these desolated songs like an outlaw seductress. You feel her sensual spark oozing from her soulful croons as she attempts to lure her lover to bed in "C'mon Billy."

What I remember most of hearing To Bring You My Love for the first time is that Polly Jean isn't just trying to seduce us, she slowly lures us inside of her world of sex and death with a voice that sweats a scent that we cannot resist. The funny thing is that these songs aren't as commercially accessible as Stories from The City, Stories from The Sea but are equally as memorable.

I just remembering being so being excited and extremely turned on by Polly Jean and her sultry voice. It was no accident that she wore that scarlet dress in the video from "Down by The Water." Polly Jean was reincarnated from a tomboy songstress into a sexy siren. She was the imperfect dangerous damsel that I dreamed would take me away from my isolation. With every spin she sent me inside her songscapes of danger and desire.

I finally witness the dark world of To Bring You My Love come to fruition this past year when I saw Polly Jean Harvey live in Los Angeles. She opened with the title track, and the bluesy guitar riff that comes out of nowhere on the album came alive on stage as she stood there, elegant and stoic, minus the red satin dress from the video. As you hear on the album, Polly Jean came to bring us her love. The reason I love her so is that she's a daring and uncompromising artist that's unafraid to show us the dark side of her lusty soul. To Bring You My Love is the bravest example of this from her eclectic catalog. It's one that I frequently go back to, and has evolved in my ears from a young man's fantasy into a journey while discovering the true meaning of love, lust and dreams. To these ears, To Bring You My Love is the ultimate musical canvas brought to life so wickedly by Polly Jean Harvey.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.18.2008

Best Albums of 1993: Review: Suede: Suede

2008-08-14T09:46:00.001-07:00

My Suede review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Suede
Suede
Nude/Sony
1993

The grand rise and tragic fall of Suede was an era of my life as a music fan that I will not soon forget. Even before their first single was released, Melody Maker threw a hefty title to the band as they dubbed Suede the "Best Band in Britain." How could this be, you ask? Suede were anthem inspiring anti-heroes and lyrical saviors to Smiths fans searching for musical salvation after the demise of their favorite band. Lead Singer Brett Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler single-handedly took up the mantle that went missing when Morrissey and Marr split during the release of Strangeways Here We Come.

When Anderson and Butler placed an ad searching for a drummer in a UK music paper, guess who answered? Mike Joyce of The Smiths. This was not an accident—to my devoted ears Suede were The Smiths of the nineties. Brett Anderson made Moz-like declarations such as "I'm a bisexual without a homosexual experience." But on wax is where you heard the most similar vibes as Butler's guitar roared next to the gentle purring of Anderson's elegant vocals; it mirrors the way Marr's riff reflected the wailings of his counterpart's musings. Morrissey, himself, covered one of their b-sides "My Insatiable One" as an ode to these new British pioneers.

From the opening riffs of "Metal Mickey" you felt the power of Suede's glorious melodies. A legion of music fans and I were hooked from the beginning. Even from across the pond, in my own little world in San Antonio, Texas, Suede took me over. They hit a light that had gone out after Strangeways and turned me on with their muse. Suede were the first UK band of the '90s that I worshiped, and I went out and bought all of their UK singles. There was something about their songs that transcended their unique UK background. I connected with them instantaneously, like I did when I first discovered "There's a Light that Never Goes Out" a decade earlier.

Suede were far from a musical replicant of The Smiths. The Smiths and their music represented the growing malaise and madness of growing up in England during the Margaret Thatcher regime of the eighties. Suede had more of a glam-inspired glory that represented the beautiful brawn of the overindulgent '90s.

I waited for the debut album to arrive in America. I even went out and bought it on vinyl and CD as imports. All it took was one spin of Suede and I became an instant disciple. Just listen to the opening number as Brett sings, "Because we're young, because we're gone/ we'll take the tide's electric mind, oh yeah?" He did it for us, for all of us. Anderson wrote about for the lost, lonely and lustful freaks, like me, that were outcast in their individual cosmos.

"I was born as a pantomime horse
Ugly as the sun when he falls to the floor
I was cut from the wreckage one day
This is what I get for being that way"

The words that came out of Brett's mouth made each of us feel like someone out there understood us, how we felt in not belonging. We all felt Brett's heartfelt croon from the same song, the epic "Pantomime Horse." Brett, also, talks someone off the edge of suicide with the touching "Sleeping Pills." Anderson seems to have a knack for bringing to life the euphoric state of distant emotional attractions. "What does it take to turn you on?" he asks in "Animal Nitrate." You also can't forget the feeling of falling for the crush in the addictive chorus of "Slow down/she's taking me over" of "The Drowners." One of my favorites is the back beat rhythms through the soaring sensation of leaving the comforts of your friendly confines as you pack your bags in "Moving."

But to me, the memory of Suede remains from the closing number on their debut tour when I saw the band in concert before Butler left the group, as they played the last song on their self-titled album, "The Next Life." With Bernard playing the keyboards and Anderson singing his high pitched heartening pitches in a song about the end, "The Next Life" ended up being the lasting legacy that foreshadowed the eventual shattering of the relationship between Anderson and Butler.

I'll never forget seeing them together alone on the stage during that one song. To this day, Suede's performance of "The Next Life" will go down as one of the top five musical highlights ever. Even to this day, when I spin Suede I think of the promise of all that could have been. What if Butler hadn't left? Would Suede have been immortalized like The Smiths? In my mind, they were the best, and should have been the greatest band of my generation. This was the ultimate album from the sweet and the sour Brit Pop era that was the '90s. To me there was no other.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.14.2008

Best Albums of 1992: Review: Morrissey: Your Arsenal

2008-08-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

My Morrissey review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Morrissey
Your Arsenal
Sire
1992

When Johnny Marr left The Smiths, he didn't just abandon one of the best bands ever to come out of Manchester, England but he also put the future of Morrissey's music career in peril. Looking back everyone knew that Morrissey was the heart and voice of The Smiths, but he soon realized that Johnny Marr was the backbone and soul of the band that changed music in the '80s. Without Marr, Morrissey had seemed to have lost his confidence.

They say band splits have parallels to real life divorces between married couples. If you think about it, creating music between a select few is a very intimate experience. Morrissey, being a very private person, very rarely sans Marr allowed anyone inside his secret circle. So after The Smiths broke up, he had lost more than his guitarist, Morrissey lost his creative partner.

After trying and failing to try to keep The Smiths alive with Ivor Perry as Marr's replacement, Morrissey turned to producer Stephen Street and a new collaborator, guitarist Vini Reilly. His first attempts at creating music post-Smiths became an instant success. The lead single "Suedehead" and the album Viva Hate were hailed as masterpieces. As Johnny Marr struggled to find his own space in the music world, Morrissey seemed to strike success with his first try without Marr.

This sweetness would not last, for a familiar pattern of distrust that was apparent during the reign of The Smiths would rear its ugly head during Morrissey's illustrious solo career. Moz had a falling out with Viva Hate producer Stephen Street over royalties. He proceeded to dump Street and work with Madness producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who produced both single "November Spawned a Monster" and second album Kill Uncle, which many fans and critics dubbed a lackluster effort. The problem with Uncle is that Moz used session musicians to record the album. There seems to be spark missing from some these performances. Besides the fact that the album comes in at less than 35 minutes, everyone just expected more from Stephen Patrick Morrissey.

But the naysayers did not stop Morrissey from embarking on his first world tour without The Smiths. He recruited a proper backing band and took off to America. In the States is where Morrissey found the most love and adoration, so much so that Moz soon made his home in California. Despite the album's initial lukewarm reception, Kill Uncle's tour, thanks to Moz's new band, was a rousing success, and Morrissey went directly into the studio with former Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson to produce his third.

From the opening roaring riffs of "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side," one could easily tell that Your Arsenal was a new phase for Morrissey. Morrissey had the muscle and gang-like mentality of his new band members, which included guitarists/writing collaborators Boz Boozer and Alan Whyte. Because of Ronson and Morrissey's desire to steer his songs away from his trademark lyrical witticism, the music took center stage on Your Arsenal.

You could tell from the one two punch of "Side" and "Glamorous Glue" that this collection of songs was the finest of Morrissey's young solo career. Dare I say even better than Viva Hate? I believe so, there's confidence in all of his vocals on Your Arsenal. Even on the laid back brilliance of "We'll Let You Know," Morrissey has never sounded this proud and alive.

With Ronson at his side, it's no coincidence that the chord progression of Morrissey's "I Know it's Going to Happen Someday" sounds similar Bowie's "Rock and Roll Suicide." So much so, that Bowie honored Moz by covering the song on Black Tie/White Noise. You may also recognize the guitar lick from "Certain People I know" as being eerily similar to T-Rex's "Ride a White Swan."

I still believe the best song on Your Arsenal is "Seasick, Still Docked." This song gets overlooked by many fans and critics alike, yet to me the lyrics of "Seasick" reflect the true essence behind the emotional mindset that is Morrissey:

"I am a poor, freezingly cold soul
So far from where
I intended to go
Scavenging through life's very constant lulls
So far from where I'm determined to go"

Those lyrics foreshadow an unfortunate uncertainty in Morrissey's future. The joy that Morrissey felt while recording Your Arsenal with Ronson would not last long. Soon after the albums release Ronson succumbed to cancer. The sadness of this loss for Morrissey would inspire him to write and record the best album of his career.

The explosive musical force felt round the world was the spark heard on Morrissey's Your Arsenal. This album encapsulated one of the happiest times where Morrissey found a home in Los Angeles, and a band and a producer who understood his every creative need. It would be sweet but short lived. And just like most events in this Mancunian singer's life, change would be coming. The results would be extraordinary with in the voice we have come to adore. Morrissey and his glorious sound have always reflected the desired longing inside our very own heart looking for a home. Because of the creative realization of Your Arsenal, his next stand would cement Morrissey in greatness.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.13.2008

Best Albums of 1991: Review: Massive Attack: Blue Lines

2008-08-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

My Massive Attack review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Massive Attack
Blue Lines
Circa-Virgin
1991

We all were witnesses to the birth of trip-hop when Blue Lines was born in 1991. Back then, besides Public Enemy, I wasn't much of a fan of the new style of inner city rap because as Morrissey once sang, "it said nothing to me about my life." But there was something about Blue Lines that sent ripples around the music world. Massive Attack created a genre. Without Blue Lines there wouldn't have been Portishead or Tricky, and I would argue that U2's Achtung Baby, released later on that year, would have sounded different without the massive influence of this band from Bristol, England.

Blue Lines blends the magic of soul, funk, rap, rock and reggae all into one beautiful sound that, at the time, was revolutionary. Before Achtung Baby, Massive Attack was the first commercial band to reveal a major influence by Gulf War I. Blue Lines was a direct response to world on the brink of world war. The uncertainty of our future reflected on the sound of Blue Lines.

"Gunmen and maniacs
all will feature on the freak show
and I can't do nothing about that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate"

I remember that time, watching the bombings on TV. I myself had a fear that I would be drafted for a war that I didn't believe in. Sound familiar? Massive Attack took that fear and turned it into "Safe from Harm," "Five Man Army" and "The Hymn of the Big Wheel."

But I loved Blue Lines for Massive Attack's take on the politics of Love. And no song blends the sound of hurt and longing than "Unfinished Sympathy." This is a 21st century soul song with elements of dance, strings and that voice by Shara Nelson. She perfectly voiced the sound of ache that we all feel when love is on the edge of breaking down and falling out of our control.

Blue Lines also brought us two voices, polar opposites that I will always be thankful for, the vintage reggae vox of Horace Andy and the sinister rapping vocals of my main man Tricky. I connected with the title track, which sounds like a sleek, jazz-like rap number where trip-hop found its groove. My favorite line has to be Tricky's when he sings, "…Adrian mostly gets lonely/ how we live in this existence, just being/ English upbringing, background Caribbean." Those lyrics reflected how I felt during that year, alone with far of the future and the unknown and I connected with my namesake, Adrian "Tricky" Thawes.

Andy's voice is the anti-thesis of Tricky's. Horace's vocal of "One Love" is more of hope. This dichotomy makes Blue Lines a classic. It's not just a meditation on the end of the world, there's optimism with shades of despair sprinkled throughout this brilliant debut. Can you imagine our world now if Blue Lines never was released? There would have been no Maxinqaye or Dummy? And from there, so many other bands would never have been inspired to create music. Think of Massive Attack as The Velvet Underground of their day. Those who connected with this album started bands and made music that helped shape our and future generations.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.12.2008

Best Albums of 1990: Review: Jane's Addicton: Ritual de lo Habitual

2008-08-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

My Jane's Addiction review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Jane's Addiction
Ritual de lo Habitual
Warner Bros.
1990

My mental portrait of California was formed by song. The Doors and Beck brought to life images of Los Angeles that were beautiful and strange. But no band was stranger or more seductive, musically speaking, than Jane's Addiction. Oh how I loved myself some Jane's Addiction. They were our generation's Led Zeppelin. Jane's were the forefathers of the Alternative movement, and lead singer Perry Farrell created the Lollapalooza music festival that introduced underground music like Nine Inch Nails and Siouxsie and The Banshees that I adored so much.

Everyone gives props to Nirvana for changing music. Jane's lit the spark of the revolution that was started with 1988's Nothing Shocking. What a year, I was still a naïve outcast in high school. This was before the Internet when I would discover all of my new music endeavors on MTV's "120 Minutes" and inside of Rolling Stone Magazine. There's one such article that I read in Rolling Stone about a band that was recording their album when they rushed out of their studio to the streets of Hollywood to watch someone bizarre accident. Immediately after reading about this outlandish L.A. band I went out and picked up Nothing's Shocking.

The thing about Jane's, and why their music is so timeless, is that they blend various musical styles—funk, metal, vintage rock, acoustic and Caribbean flavors all mixed perfectly with the surrealistic lyrics written by lead singer Perry Farrell. To this day, spinning Nothing's Shocking is like setting off tremors of elation inside of me. It's electric, eccentric and defines the chaotic splendor of modern day Los Angeles.

Nothing's Shocking was an underground classic at my high school and among my circle of music geek friends. We adored that album and for two years eagerly anticipated the arrival of the new fix of Jane's Addiction. But the album kept on being pushed back. There was talk that it may never be released and this was even before of the drama behind Chinese Democracy. But it happened. One day after coming back from vacation I walked into to the San Antonio record shop, Hogwild Records, which my brother and I used to frequent every week to spend our pay checks on vinyl and tapes. That's when I saw the Holy Grail on the shelf; I discovered that Ritial de lo Habitual had been released while we were on vacation. Besides Pretty Hate Machine, Ritual is the one album that I have purchased again and again through out my young life. You know what happens you play out a tape; you scratch, misplace or sell a CD.

Ritual was the soundtrack to my summer of 1990. And to this day it's my favorite album of the '90s. From the opening salvo of female speech in Spanish, I knew that this would be my record. It was daring, controversial, sexy, loud, intimidating to outsiders, an instant classic. I so connected with this record especially the line "I am skinny bones, I am pointy nose but the motherfucker makes me try." Jane's Ritiual is the personification of my teenage angst coming to life. They reflected the pain and anger of how it was growing up an outcast in a world where I felt I didn't belong. And this was a band that felt like outsiders in Hollywood. They understood what it was like to be a freak. They were the kings of the freaks. And no one was freakier than Perry and his guitar-slinging sidekick David Navarro. Navarro's solo in "Three Days" was even nominated as one of the 100 greatest of all time. From start to finish, Ritual is simply the sound of decadence put brilliantly to wax. No other album better defines a generation of creative misfits than Ritual del Lo Habitual. To this day, I believe Jane's and The Doors are two bands that best define Los Angeles. I am eagerly awaiting the reissue, digitally remastered with bonus tracks. When you hear Ritual, you're listening to classic music from the '90s that will ultimately outlive us all.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.11.2008

Review: Conor Oberst: Conor Oberst

2008-08-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

My Conor Oberst review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst
Merge
2008

"…with the coming of Bright Eyes began the part of my life you could call my life on the road." The first lines from Jack Kerouac's On The Road can be seen as a fitting analogy for the creative life of Conor Oberst as a traveling troubadour in search of truth and meaning within the journey of song. I know that Dean Moriarty is the one who led Sal across North America but I believe it's Bright Eyes that did the same for Conor. And just like in that American classic, Conor himself has traveled from East to West Coast and found himself within the friendly mystical confines of Mexico.

There are parallels between the characters in Kerouac's novel and Conor's trip into Mexico. This time he's left behind his familiar moniker and band mates Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott. Conor gathered a few friends, a.k.a The Mystic Valley Band, in Valle Místico just outside the town of Tepoztlán and recorded his first solo album under his own name. The seeds to Conor Oberst came out of the inspirational visit to Cassadaga, Fla., and the experience that spawned the songs from the album of the same name.

Conor Oberst takes off with the very elegant "Cape Canaveral." Unlike most Bright Eyes recordings one is not treated to as surreal an opening number that's usually filled with sampled, spaced out sound effects as in Lifted's "Big Picture" and Cassadaga's "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)." You can tell that Conor's taking a different approach with this solo effort by letting you into his world from the opening chords.

To me, Conor Oberst sounds like his own version of McCartney, Paul's first solo album recorded away from civilization in a small cabin. Conor's first solo record has this same homemade feel—you can hear crickets in the background and Conor even recorded some of his own vocals while lying in a hammock. It has a relaxing and joyous feel that you connect with as Oberst serenades to you within these magnificent songs.

Conor Oberst's solo album isn't just an acoustic record, as with the help of The Mystic Valley Band, he plugs in on the very electric "NYC - Gone, Gone." There's the "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" era R.E.M.-inspired "Sausalito." But my favorite has to be "Souled Out." I love the lyrics, especially: "I woke up in the age of wires/ I fell asleep at the dusk of man… Fingers crossed in the promised land." I hear this song as a reflection of how far Conor has come from the Digital Ash days of Bright Eyes into the mystical valleys of Mexico. You can hear a sort of creative rebirth in his voice. There's a hints of a smile as he sings in "Souled Out."

Oberst's album ends with the very beautiful "Milk Thistle." You can hear within the lyrics how much Conor has grown. In the past it seems that he has been content singing about being lost in the darkness. Conor Oberst has him bathing in magical essence of Mexico:

"All the light and sound,
This little world's too fragile now,
And there's only one way out.
If you let me slide,
I'll do my best to make things right,
And I know where bound,
Keep going up and down,
Up and down."

Conor's still on a journey, and songs like the rockabilly-flavored, piano driven "I Don't Want to Die (In the Hospital)" reflects his resurrected spirit. This living for the moment and reconnecting with his natural surroundings, this is the spirit that I can truly connect with. It's been a long strange trip for Conor and me. For the longest time I wasn't a believer. Luckily I found someone who showed me the magic and power within his music. After seeing him live at the El Rey Theater, I became a convert. Even more so now, as his magnificent new solo album seals it for me. He is the real deal; a true singer/songwriter with the spirit of Dylan and Kerouac in his soul. Just like those anti-heroes in On The Road, you hear that Conor found his own magic land at the end of his magic road.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.11.2008

Personal Best Albums of the 90's: Review: Morrissey: Vauxhall and I

2008-08-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

My Morrissey review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Morrissey
Vauxhall & I
Sire
1994

It seems anytime after Morrissey has suffered a personal loss in his life, he makes a memorable album. After his musical collaborator Johnny Marr left The Smiths, in 1988, Morrissey made Viva Hate. After the rousing success of Your Arsenal, Morrissey was looking forward with a long lasting musical partnership with former Bowie stalwart Mick Ronson. But sadly, Ronson died of liver cancer after producing Your Arsenal. Two other close confidants died in the same year, and the emotional mourning Morrissey felt he poured into the making of Vauxhall and I.

Rumored at the time to be his last ever album, Morrissey contacted Steve Lillywhite, the producer who mixed the single "Ask" while Moz was in The Smiths, to work on the sessions for his final record. Vauxhall and I turned into Morrissey's opus, a musical triumph from start to finish. This is his Queen is Dead. After all the condemnation that Moz endured during the early years of his post life after The Smiths, he finally made an album that cemented his legacy in the greatness worth the weight of his talents as a solo artist.

I have to admit, as I have written many times in many reviews and columns, that effect Morrissey and The Smiths had in my young life. Hearing "There's a Light that Never Goes Out" changed me. But years later I unfortunately lost my faith in Morrissey. This was all due to a show in Austin, Texas that he canceled during his Kill Uncle tour. Even with the powerful glory of Your Arsenal with Morrissey coming to my town during that tour, I didn't want to see him live. But Vauxhall and I changed that for me. I still remember the day it came out, with the pink shiny cover, and Morrissey with a stoic-like grin on the cover.

I remember playing Vauxhall, at this record store I worked in at the time in San Antonio, and connecting to Morrissey and his voice for the first time in years.

"There's gonna be some trouble
A whole house will need re-building
And everyone I love in the house
Will recline on an analyst's couch quite soon
Your Father cracks a joke
And in the usual way
Empties the room"

Hearing the lyrics to "Now My Heart is Full" was like hearing a page out of my own life. I kept on listening, and when it came to "Billy Budd," based on Herman Melville's novel featuring a character with a speech impediment, was another song I could relate to. Then I heard the one song that nailed it for me, "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get." That made me forgive Morrissey for his past sins.

"The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is arguably Morrissey's best single since "Suedehead." (It's so good that this is the only song he added from his '90s output on his latest Greatest Hits CD). It starts off with a Johnny Marr-esque guitar and then Morrissey's eloquent vocal comes on.

"I will be
In the bar
With my head
On the bar
I am now
A central part
Of your mind's landscape
Whether you care
Or do not
Yeah, I've made up your mind"

I love that lyric. At the time and for years after this song, I was a barfly and this was my theme song. I love the image of having hope for being ignored by someone that you desire. That no matter what happens or how you interact your impression is everlasting.

Then there's the mysterious "Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning" which sounds like a song inspired by Kate Chopin's remarkable story "The Awakening." And then there's "Used to be A Sweet Boy," another song which mirrors the sense I had of myself at the time that I related with Morrissey's lyrics about someone who's not the naïve child anymore. And you hear this on the album. Vauxhall is Morrissey confident, in love, sad and in his prime. It's the true reflection of Morrissey. I think it's telling that Morrissey and Johnny Marr reconnected just before he made this album. And there were rumors of collaboration between to two but sadly this never came to fruition.

Regardless, with the finale of "Speedway," it is his most powerful and personal statement of his career. "Speedway" is Moz standing up for himself against all the ridicule against his detractors that he has felt during his own life. But what I love about "Speedway" is that this is an anthem of empowerment. When he sings, "And when you try to break my spirit it won't work because there's nothing left to break, anymore." It sounds like Morrissey's last hurrah. He was ready to leave us with this thunderous exclamation showing the world his true self and his brilliance one last time.

But it wasn't to be. Morrissey came back, and is still here. Vauxhall and I remains his best solo output of his career and even inspired Radiohead while they were recording The Bends. Besides the underrated Kill Uncle, this is my favorite Morrissey album. It's unlike any of his others because it's not sad in nature. Vauxhall is tender, telling and a timeless statement from an artist who's uncompromising spirit continues to inspire us. Whenever I start to feel any inkling of doubt for Morrissey and his amazing talents, Vauxhall is the album that I put on. Then I remember, oh yeah, this was the one that turned it around for me when I had written him off for the last time. I feel that Morrissey said it best when he sang "long may it last." And he still endures because it's his destiny.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
08.04.2008

Review: Patti Smith & Kevin Shields: The Coral Sea

2008-07-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

My Patti Smith and Kevin Shields review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Patti Smith & Kevin Shields
The Coral Sea
No More
2008

If you thought the pairing of Mark Lanegan with Isobel Campbell or Loretta Lynn with Jack White was a odd, then you are in for a treat with the spectacular coupling of Patti Smith and Kevin Shields. These two music giants from different generations have laid claim to legendary status in their respective generations. Smith took the mantle from the New York City punk movement and added a layer of poetic brilliance that lifted the rock scene into a rhythmic form of artistic expressionism. Shields created his Wall of Sound with feedback in one of the most influential albums of the last twenty years, 1991's Loveless.

While Smith's form of the spoken word is her voice of creation, Shields wields his axe by layering instrument over others to create a landscape of sound that reflect a multi-dimensional reality through the foundation of songs. The combinations of both highlight each of their own musical strengths and, together, are simply simpatico. Their collaboration fits perfectly with Smith's first public performance of the prose poem The Coral Sea, her ode to former collaborator Robert Mapplethrope.

There are two complete performances of The Coral Sea. One was recorded on June 22, 2005 and the other more than a year later on September 12, 2006. The 2005 performance on Disc One is more of a eulogized homage to Mapplethrope. Starting off with Shields' somber organ keys into Patti's voice through the first passages entitled "The Passenger M." It isn't until 5:45 into Part One when Shields picks up his trademark guitar. And this is where the spark happens.

Disc Two is more of a lyrical celebration. The second performance in 2006 is a more solid and seamless effort. On Part Three, "The Herculean Moth" reflects the fingered brilliance being created by Kevin Shields. You hear the familiar feedback and dense chords Kevin has been creating since Loveless. Those riffs mold eloquently with Smith's elegant prose especially on the finale "The Pedestal" as Shields presses on his atmospheric pedals. You can feel the wondrous alliance in the opening passages when Smith recites. "I will create mysteries…I will break apart new mysteries. I am here. "

They were there and with every selection you are pulled in to this tribute turned sonic exhibit with Smith and Shields joining forces with admiration and collaboration of splendor and truth. This is more than another live recording; The Coral Sea is a historical document that you must experience. Turn down the lights, light a candle, roll a smoke, pour a glass, lay back, close your eyes and let go by listening to Smith and Shields pay tribute to the late, great Robert Mapplethorpe. Two generations of creative outlaws come together to honor one of the most controversial artists of the 20th Century—a collaboration of music and sound that will move you within the power of The Coral Sea's graceful beauty and beyond.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
07.21.2008

Review: Beck: Modern Guilt

2008-07-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

My Beck review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Beck
Modern Guilt
Interscope
2008

A week ago, I was driving down 210 heading towards my nighttime gig listening to the radio and contemplating whether or not I should pick up the new Beck album. I've been a Beck Hansen fan since the beginning, I've already reviewed two of his albums for Treble but I wasn't really feeling the anticipation for another one of his releases. Then I heard a Beck song, "I Think I'm Love" from The Information, on the radio. It was a sign.

Soon after, I read that Danger Mouse, the same one who innovatively mixed backing tracks from The Beatles' White Album with raps from Jay Z's Black Album. That's all that it took. I made a pit stop and picked up my copy of Modern Guilt. One thing I've learned in my life is to always listen to the all knowing and holy sound of the music Gods.

The merging of Danger Mouse and Hansen is a wet dream for hip-hop and Beck fans. So just what would the result of a Danger Mouse produced Beck LP sound like, you ask? People looking for another radio hit single like "Crazy" have come to the wrong album. Guilt is an entirely new phase for Beck. Danger Mouse has Beck working on a strict, classic 3-minute song structure. The album is only 34 minutes long. After the epic length of The Information, Beck is kicking it with an old school Mellow Gold style of yesteryear.

Some music bloggers have mentioned the similarities between the cover of Beck's Guilt with Radiohead's classic EP My Iron Lung. I think that this is a little nod towards the band, and Modern Guilt is Beck's last album for Interscope. I have a feeling that Hansen's going to follow Radiohead's route to free agency. Modern Guilt is a signal to the future direction of Beck's career.

There are no "Loser" or "New Pollution" type singles on Modern Guilt. From start to finish, it is the most complete sounding album of his career. It's definitely, as a whole, one of the best. There are no filler songs. None of them drag. This is a record cut in the time length befitting of an album from the '60s. Just like Radiohead, many bands are releasing albums with a time format fit for vinyl. A change from the original modus operandi for the digital age when some artists like The Cure would fill CDs up to their 70-plus minute time limit. Albums like that tend to drag. The 30-minute format is perfect for classic music fans. It gives you time enough to absorb the album and take in all the nuances, beats and flavors with every spin.

Modern Guilt thrives under this condensed format. "Orphans" opens with an ominous beat echoing the Danger Mouse-produced Gorillaz album Demon Days, and then as an acoustic guitar strums, Beck sings "I'll stand beside myself so I'm not alone and how can I new again?" This is the eternal question any artist like Beck ponders throughout Guilt. Enter Cat Power who adds a layer of her trademark lush vocals, which blend smoothly with Hansen's. It sounds like they become one, and you have to listen closely or you'll miss her contribution on "Orphans" and "Walls."

Modern Guilt has this vintage essence that you can feel pounding throughout. This is what Danger Mouse brings to this project. He's a connoisseur of classic rock culture. Incorporating '60s Go-Go rhythms on "Gamma Rays" as Beck's spaced out harmonies echo in the background is a brilliant move. It sounds like Beck and Danger Mouse must have had a blast in the studio. I have a feeling they have the same appreciation for forgotten music flavors that went out of style. They bring them back with passionate zeal.

Listen for the "Mr. Blue Sky"-inspired ELO backbeats on the title cut. But I prefer the prog stylings of "Chemtrails." It's as if Beck is traveling through time picking up instrumental sounds and incorporating them naturally in this mix. Maybe this is what Modern Guilt means. Is this why he sings, "Misapprehension is turning into convention/ don't know what I've done but I feel ashamed?" Does Beck feel some kind of remorse from borrowing from the past? Perhaps, though I hear these samplings as sonic foundations he builds on with his psyche penetrating lyrics.

Danger Mouse backs these bewildering lyrics with the kind of beats that keep your body working to figure out the meaning with every mental step you take.

"Dead of winter in a logo town
Signs of life are soft and flickering
Need a bed to lay my body down
Deadweight to carry down
Some static is lulling me to sleep
Hang your clothes on a chain link fence
In a junkyard say Amen
Your mouth is full of wordless hymns
And run-on sentences"

Modern Guilt ends with Beck on the streets of "Volcano," on the same journey he started on "Orphans." Along the way he questions religion of "Profanity Prayers" and searches for the "Soul of Man." Throughout it sounds as if Beck is trying to discover the identity of his true shadow. As he is an artist with one step in the past and his mind in the stars, following Hansen on this voyage is half the fun. If Modern Guilt is any indication for the direction that Beck's taking, sign me up for the next one.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
07.16.2008

Review: Coldplay: Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

2008-06-25T01:23:00.000-07:00

My Coldplay review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
Capitol
2008

Life is but a dream. That little classic rhyme comes to mind when I listen to Coldplay's flawed tour de force, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. You can hear the creative touches inspired by producer Brian Eno throughout, starting with a dreamlike electronic coda on "Life in Technicolor" that leads us into this new journey which promised us a new and improved Coldplay sound.

Lately I judge albums on how the emotions they inspire. Viva La Vida is an uplifting trip by a band who, to quote Bono, went away trying make it up all over again. If you're expecting an In Rainbows-like leap from Berryman, Buckland, Champion and Martin, you've come to the wrong album. Coldplay is not there yet. Viva is a far improvement from the overproduced hooks from X & Y. They are learning to steal from the best. Who better to help guide Coldplay along the way that the legendary Brian Eno, the producer who helmed such classic albums from artists like Talking Heads, U2 and James.

But Eno can only do so much; he can help bring out the power in soundscapes as the band has to provide the creative colors in this canvas of songs. Coldplay does deliver, most of the time, they stepped up and reached for the heavens. My favorite song has to be "42." It starts off with a beautiful "Imagine"-esque" like piano and yet Martin slip's with an awkwardly rhymed "Those who are dead are not dead they're just living in my head." Whaa? Quit with the forced end rhymes, Chris, and use more of your imagination. The lyrics at times don't live up to the wondrous rhythms that the band sets up for Martin. He quickly makes up for it in the second half of "42" with my favorite lyric, "you didn't get to heaven but you made it close."

You may hear more of these throughout Viva La Vida. Sometimes they fall as in the cleverly pop song that is "Strawberry Swing." But even in these failures there are elements of greatness, like Buckland's tripped out world beat guitar riff.

Coldplay's fighting a solitary attempt to trying to put some substance on the airwaves. Martin says he's tired of the loneliness as he sings "When it started/ we had high hopes/ now my back's on the line/ my back's on the ropes." It takes guts for a band to take a foot off their commercial success and risk it all for some creative glory. Yes, they could've played it safe and wrote another "Yellow," but who wants to hear that again?

Viva La Vida is the sound a band searching for positive flourishes of elation in this world of static and soulless pessimism. Listen to the lyrics "Just because I'm losing doesn't mean I'm lost/ doesn't mean I'll stop." Martin & Co. stimulate us with their message of love and hope. There's not much of that coming from the mainstream these days.

Viva La Vida is their Unforgettable Fire. It's the wonderful mix of experimental rhythms and pop songs to lift Coldplay to a new level. They're getting there, just listen to the songs like the epic title track. "I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing/ Roman Cavalry choirs are singing." To me this is a sign of a band that is growing. The thing you have to remember is, unlike an indie band, every little misstep is magnified because of their presence on a world's stage. Of course, just because they want to be the best band doesn't make it so. It took Radiohead and U2 some time to become legends.

I'm looking forward to Coldplay's next album, that one is destined to be their great one. Could it be their Joshua Tree, OK Computer or their Laid? We'll just have to wait and listen. Though it's not perfect, if Viva La Vida is any indication, they heading in the right stratosphere. Let's just lay off the slagging. Coldplay was never cool. And yet they are lifting the sound of pop music to new heights away from the empty mindedness of corporate America. Give them a break. It will take some time but if this is the soundtrack of change, sign me up every time. With an ever-evolving sound Coldplay is the rising soundtrack to an increasingly perfect day.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.24.2008

Review: Radiohead: Best of

2008-06-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

My Radiohead review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Radiohead
Best Of (Special Edition)
Capitol
2008

I was torn when I heard the news about Radiohead's new The Best Of CD being released without cooperation from the band. Even though I am devoted to Radiohead, I can't help but feel conflicted about a compilation not sanctioned by the band. Perhaps EMI is sour about Radiohead parting ways for the uncharted waters of free agency. But this isn't the first time a label has released an artist's material without their blessing. The Beatles had problems with Capitol/EMI releasing haphazard collections in the '70s without the Fab Four's permission. Most recently, The Smiths' Very Best of disc and The Libertines' Time for Heroes: Best of collections were released without any input from either band.

The sad fact and the reason that many artists like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead are going label-less is because once you sign a contract, in many cases, the record label then owns the product. The artist owns the copyright and publishing. This is where bands make the most money on songwriting publishing. So even though Thom and the band wrote "Paranoid Android," EMI owns the songs and can release and re-release the song in any form of compilation.

Of course, this would all be moot if Radiohead had stayed at EMI. More likely the label would be asking the band for input on compilations like this Best of. So because they left and went indie, you could say that EMI is sort of sticking it to the band. But Radiohead still has the last laugh in a sense. Even though Radiohead didn't approve this release, and the reason they aren't telling their fans to boycott this collection, is because, at the end of the day, the band will recoup some money on this release.

Sorry for that long historical diatribe, but in terms of the compilation itself, the songs speak volumes of Radiohead's success during the EMI years. Regardless of the past, The Best Of is a stunning collection. Song after song it's an impressive compilation of stellar selections from a band that changed the landscape of music with their unique blend of supersonic brilliance. From The Beatles-meets-DJ Shadow epic "Paranoid Android" to Aphex Twin and XL Recordings inspired electronic wickedness of "Idioteque," Radiohead created a new form of otherworldly and revolutionary rhythms with an emotional touchstone we all can connect to.

I hate to say it but I got into Radiohead late in the game. I wasn't a fan of "Creep" when it was first released. If you were to ask me which band of the '90s would have lasted well into the next decade, I would have guessed Jeff Buckley and Suede. Even though the memory of Buckley will live on forever, I admit that I was way off. Nonetheless, this band went from a one hit wonder to exploding beauty and urgency of an artist searching for meaning and rhythm within their songs. The Bends' sound was influenced by records by two of the band's heroes, namely Morrissey's Your Arsenal and Nirvana's In Utero. You can hear the Nirvana influence on the chaotic guitar breakdown in the "Heart Shaped Box"-like riffs on "My Iron Lung." It is also known that that a Jeff Buckley live performance led to Thom Yorke's heart wrenching vocal on "Fake Plastic Trees."

The amazing thing about Radiohead, and unlike some novice rock acts, is that you rarely can pick out their influences on their music. For the most part, the band sound only like Radiohead which is what separates the great acts from sub par ones. You've likely heard the famous saying by Lionel Trilling, "Immature artists imitate. Mature artists steal."

As Radiohead matured the more evolved into their own distinctive sound. Listen to OK Computer and beyond, especially the brilliant "Karma Police." "Karma" is the first Radiohead song that hooked me. I remember, much to the annoyance of my co-workers and customers, playing that song over and over again, and turning it up louder and louder at this bookstore job I had in San Antonio. There was something about the truth and decadent exquisiteness of that song: the marching drum beats and cinematic piano keys, and Thom Yorke's lyrics, especially the lines, "For a minute there/ I lost myself, I lost myself," when I finally understood Radiohead. It was as if my life was separated between two distinct sections B.R./A.R., before and after Radiohead. I was blind, now I could hear clearly in a voice and a vision that was beautiful and strange to me in the same breath.

"Everything (was) In Its Right Place" when Kid A, Radiohead's next album dropped in 2000. To this day this is my most beloved album in the band's eclectic catalog. Along with "Everything," "Idioteque" and "How to Disappear Completely," the exemplary "The National Anthem" my favorite song off Kid A is featured on this double disc compilation. Colin's addictive bassline and Charles Mingus influenced arrangement mixed with a spaced-out, effects-layered backbeat make this the most freaked-out song in their canon. Thom Yorke's vocals foreshadow the fear that gripped our nations after September 11th.

Amnesiac has three of the band's most underrated cuts—the riffed intensity of "I Might Be Wrong," the killer induced and Johnny Marr influenced "Knives Out" and the piano-based splendor that is "Pyramid Song." Dubbed at one time by Thom Yorke, `the best thing we ever committed to tape,' their inclusion is essential on this compilation.

Hail to the Thief's "2 + 2 = 5" was supposed to announce to the world Radiohead's triumphant return to their guitar rooted glory. Even though the band incorporated more of their trademark killer riffs, Radiohead didn't abandon any of the electronic experimentation that they discovered in Kid A and Amnesiac. Listen for the percussive and mysterious lovesick "There There" and the guitar heroics of "Go to Sleep," which make the cut on The Best Of.

I was pleased to see the inclusion of the fan favorite "Talk Show Host" and the live version of "True Love Waits" on this deluxe edition. But why have three songs from Pablo Honey? I know if the band was involved we may have finally seen the release of the ever elusive "Big Boots" as heard on Grant Gee's extraordinary documentary Meeting People is Easy.

I have to say I am very impressed with this deluxe The Best Of collection. Thirty tracks from the most influential band of our lifetime—listening to this classic, I hope we have hundreds more. With the release of In Rainbows, my favorite album since Kid A, it's reassuring to know that Radiohead made the right choice by going forward with their sonic excursions and leaving behind the bottom line politics of major label business. Regardless, it's the songs and not the behind the scene bullshit that everyone will remember in the long run.

Review: Scarlett Johansson: Anywhere I Lay My Head

2008-05-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

My Scarlett Johansson review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Scarlett Johansson
Anywhere I Lay My Head
ATCO
2008

The seeds to Scarlett Johansson's debut album were laid down in road trip during her youth, when a father of a friend of hers played nothing but Tom Waits songs during the whole car ride. It was a trip that would mold this talented young woman and inspire her to pay tribute to one of the most unique and unmistakable growling voices in American music history.

Tom Waits is an anomaly. He is probably the most infamous American singer with a voice you either connect with or simply do not understand. I think of Waits as the Dylan for melancholy marauders who live for the shot at the spirit with one solitary drink. He's the poet of the barfly, a lyrical equivalent to his literary counterpart Charles Bukowski.

So why would someone like Scarlett Johansson, who lives a very non-Tom Waits-ish existence want to cover his songs? His songs are short stories for the downtrodden, the lost, the lonely and the lustful. Some just don't get Waits but Johansson, who has made a name for herself getting inside worldly characters in such films as Lost in Translation, Ghost World and The Prestige, is someone who relishes at the challenge to honor this American icon who changed her life.

She's got some courage to take on Waits for her debut album. I give her credit for not taking the traditional, easy route some actors in the past have made when releasing their debut albums (too many not worthy of mentioning). Here, it seems like Scarlett wanted to aim for the stars by selecting a man whose lyrical persona is famous for hanging in the metaphorical gutters.

I hear Anywhere I Lay my Head as a quintessential character for Johansson to cover. Tom Waits is somewhat like the equivalent of taking on a Shakespearean role on the stage offscreen. Played wrong, the man's words can make you sound lost, foolish and out of tune. But Scarlett's brave and is taking on Waits with her personal allure and her voice. The same voice that made waves a few years back when she covered Gershwin's "Summertime" on Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars. Her cover was simply stunning.

Upon first hearing about this project, I was anxious and optimistic. Then I heard the opening single "Falling Down," and unlike some critics from across the pond, my first reaction was anything but elation. What is this? What happened to her voice? I was shocked and initially disappointed.

You see, this was my first mistake. As I was talking to my buddy Derrick, a diehard Waits-ian fan, he suggested coming into Anywhere I Lay My Head with an open mind. You need to try to put Waits and his growl out of your head. And he was right. This is not a Tom Waits album. He's not there. It's Scarlett Johansson.

So then I went back to Anywhere I Lay My Head, and after a few spins it truly began to grow on me. The album is far from a masterpiece. There are some very vivid covers. And then there's a few that just fail with their overproduced glory. Overproduction is what's wrong with this album. And the fault or praise, depending on your tastes, goes to TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. The best songs are stripped and showcase Johansson's sultry voice and not buried deep inside a wall of sound production that would make Phil Spector proud.

Speaking of Spector, the opening number "Fawn" is a saxophone splendor of an instrumental, introducing us to Johansson's otherworldly interpretations. "Fawn" then merges effortlessly into "Town With No Cheer." I love the organ that plays along with Scarlett's vocal. "Cheer" is a good one and a great choice by Sitek to put at the beginning of the album. I like the contradiction of Scarlett's colorful vocal wandering around these dark images of this black and white town. She seems more like a true third person narrator than an out-of-place siren.

The first single "Falling Down" follows. What really bothered me about this song was the Kermit the Frog-esque banjo in the middle of the song. It sounds so out of place. But what works so well is Scarlett's loud and proud vocal, especially when she sings, "When you give a man luck, he must fall in the sea." What I've discovered what I adore about "Falling Down" is that it sounds like a cautionary tale from your best female on the true dynamics of modern relationships in a way that men will understand. And then there's the Thin White Duke who sounds Waits-ian in his backing vocals singing in unison with Scarlett. "Falling Down" has risen for me, which was once a misstep has become a surprise and now constant in my daily rotation.

The title track is next, and from the opening lyrics of "My head is spinning round/ my heart is in my shoes, yeah," Scarlett makes this classic, from Rain Dogs, her own personal lyrical lament. It's the sound of someone who's content with being alone because the place where she lays her head is home. It's a powerful image brought out beautifully by Johansson.

"Don't go down to Fannin Street" Scarlett warns but I do recommend revisiting this glorious cover again and again. You can really hear Johansson and Bowie duet in the chorus so clearly in this version, which is something I hoped that Sitek would have continued during the rest of Anywhere I Lay My Head.

"Song for Jo" is Johansson's only original song on the album and it's an acoustic beauty. This is one of the definitive highlights of the album. Sitek should've realized that less is more. He has the very elegant voice of Johansson to work with. Turn it up and let her voice sing towards the heavens. Why would you ruin in it with an orchestra of layered chaos? "Song of Jo" and "Green Grass" prove that you don't need it. "Green Grass" sounds like a wondrous Dr. Seuss-ian adventure with Scarlett as your guide.

My favorite song is the stripped, music box elegance of "I Wish I Was in New Orleans." Sitek perfectly uses this effect to turn "New Orleans" into a post-modern lullaby. A true ode to the city that I love, it makes me want to go back to the Crescent City.

I wish the rest of the songs were as stellar but the latter half is where Anywhere I Lay My Head is buried in that overproduction I had complained about earlier. Sitek turns "I Don't Want To Grow Up" into a sonic mess. He foolishly drowns Johansson's voice in a ghastly 1980's new wave back beat that sounds out of place. "No One Knows Where I Goes" suffers from Sitek's annoying music choices, as it distracts from Scarlett's soft-spoken vocal.

The album closer "Who Are You" is no better. It sounds like Sitek is doing his worst Waits impression overshadowing Johansson's vocal in their ill-fated duet. He should have brought back Bowie instead. I didn't pay to hear him and his agonizing production, what I wanted was Scarlett Johansson and not the egocentric studio trickery of TV on the Radio.

So while Anywhere I Lay My Head starts off promising, it unfortunately has a very disheartening conclusion. Dave Sitek almost spoils her debut effort but don't let that stop you from discovering this wondrous tribute to Tom Waits. It's far from perfect but still makes an amazing journey through the underworld of Waits' songs, starring Scarlett Johansson in the lyrical role of her lifetime. Not every song is raveworthy, but the package is definitely worthy of the price of admission. It's that voice that pulls you in, and even though Sitek at times tries to conceal her, Scarlett's jewel is rough as whole but sweet in all the precise sonic spaces.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.12.2008

Review: Nine Inch Nails: The Slip

2008-05-07T14:14:00.001-07:00

My Nine Inch Nails review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Nine Inch Nails
The Slip
Creative Commons
2008

Trent Reznor's first new album in, a whopping two months (has it been that long really?) is a super human oddity. During my first spin of The Slip, I was scratching my head trying to get a grasp on the album. I know I wasn't the only one. Chalk it up to getting used to the atmospheric laments of Ghosts. The first track "999,999" is a "Pinion" like instrumental preamble from Broken. Then at the final moment, Trent's voice comes out announcing "How did I slip into?"

From there, "1,000, 000" starts off with an "All Along the Watchtower" drumbeat and turns into vintage Nine Inch Nails aggro sounds a-la The Downward Spiral. Reznor sounds as if he's singing about a superhero: "I jump from every rooftop/ so far so high so tall/ I feel a million miles away/ I don't feel anything at all." At first listen it sounds as if maybe Trent's trying to get this song on a soundtrack to one of the Marvel motion picture adaptations. But I like to think he's talking about himself and his own band.

A better explanation for The Slip and "1,000,000" is that they're about how he feels about starting the music revolution. His voice is the one that jumps from rooftop to rooftop through this new and different channel. He is the ultimate underground idol to all of his fans. He is the savior to those who wait on his every move. Yet like a superhero, he keeps his audience at distance.

Nine Inch Nails is Trent's alter-ego; it's his lyrical suit of armor that he fits into, through which to release his super human songs. He goes on tour in this guise to appease his nation of a million fans. But do we really know the man behind the mask? Does it really matter? I think the enigma and mystery of it all is something that makes this man and his band invincible. With the release of The Slip they are breaking the rules and they are changing the game on their own terms. It's a powerful thing.

Speaking of power, check out the industrial strength noise fest "Letting Go." This is one of the most metal thrashers that Trent has ever released in his lifetime. Think Broken times ten. "Letting Go" continues the themes of government control that Trent first unleashed on Year Zero. This time with "Letting Go," he is letting all of his angst on to the legion of Americans who allow our leaders to steer us towards constant decline. The music sounds like sonic death march towards hell. It's a call to arms to a nation of young Americans to wake up to get up and stand up for their rights, lyrically and otherwise.

Next comes the first single, "Discipline" which is one the major disappointments of The Slip. It has all the elements to be a killer "The Hand that Feeds"-like single for Nine Inch Nails but doesn't really go anywhere. I just don't like the way that Alan Moulder mixed this song. I prefer the Centipede remix that you can find on NIN.com. By the way, this is a wonderful service that was created by Trent himself. He has allowed his fans to remix any and all of his songs. That way, if you feel you can create a better version of any of these tracks from The Slip or any of his other songs, he challenges you to remix and post them on remix.nin.com.

I sensed a New Order theme in the second half of The Slip. The drumbeat of "Echoplex" echoes New Order's "Thieves like Us." Maybe it was done on purpose as an ode to one of the godfathers of electronic music. I can definitely relate to the chorus of "Echoplex": "My voice just echoes off these walls." I live in a dungeon like room with no windows in the basement of a townhouse apartment. The sound of "Echoplex" reflects on how it feels to live in a world underground without light.

What I do find impressive on The Slip are all the little subtleties throughout the album. I love the way the music stops towards the latter half of "1,000,000" after Trent sings "I don't feel anything at all," and then picks up for the loud finale. In "Head Down" I like the little background voices echoing effects throughout. These elements add another layer that makes The Slip not just a cacophony of noise but shades and depths of another extraordinary statement from the artist that is Trent Reznor.

My favorite song is the very understated and piano based beauty "Lights in the Sky." Think the music of "Something I Can Never Have" with the lyrical intensity of "Hurt," yet stripped down to the core or unplugged if you will. This is Trent at his most exposed and heartfelt. "Lights in the Sky" sounds like an ode to someone close to him that has passed away. I love the piano sound in this song. Maybe he borrowed one of Tori Amos' grand pianos. As Trent sings "I am right here beside you." You can hear him whisper this intimate vocal as if he's the same room as you. This is the closest Trent has let us hear him. Usually the songs have these shields of industrial strength armor but "Lights in the Sky" is Reznor's voice naked and free for all to discover.

Two instrumentals a-la Ghosts follow "Lights in the Sky." This is where my favorite part of The Slip comes into effect. This says something about Ghosts, like I stated in my last review me not being a fan of instrumentals but "Corona Radiata" does echo the sound of Track 10 from that last, four part album of his. I feel "Corona" is the sound a soul makes after its final breath and before lifting off into the ether.

"The Four of Us Dying" sounds as if Trent's knocking on the door to the afterworld. And The Slip ends with Trent's ultimate track "Demon Seed" and I feel it's his magnum opus. Think of it as Reznor's personal version of Dante's "Inferno," his description of life into the great below and beyond. I love what Trent does with the vocals on "Demon Seed," especially the part when he stutters the line "t..t..t..tolerate you." At first it sounds whispered like from "Lights in the Sky." But then when he gets to the second stage of his inferno his voice gets louder and there's even a background harmony like in "All the Love in the World" from With Teeth. The guitar sounds very Bernard Sumner-esque. You can feel the decent into hell through all the stages of "Demon Seed."

The Slip ends in a grand and epic manor. You need to give the album a few spins. It's not perfect but that's part of its allure. The Slip is a perfect addition to ever evolving canon of Nine Inch Nails. I was impressed with his intentions with Year Zero but I admit that I didn't really connect with that album. It was missing the emotional intensity from The Fragile and With Teeth. Then came Ghosts and it was the mysterious splendor that restored my faith in Trent. He's not a superhero. He, to borrow a line from Blade Runner, is more human than human. He's imperfect, with revolutionary ideas of freedom that inspire us from afar.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.07.2008

Review: Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV

2008-04-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

My Nine Inch Nails review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Nine Inch Nails
Ghost I-IV
Null
2008

Listening to Ghosts I-IV, I am reminded of the eccentric ambient and electronic genius Richard D. James' alter ego Aphex Twin's 2001 album drukqs. Coming of age during the techno era of the '90s, I was a huge admirer of James and his various musical noms de plume that included Aphex Twin, AFX and Polygon Window. I loved the way James played with noises and sounds. To me James is a modern day Mozart. Ridiculed by many for creating intelligent dance music to some, in reality through his many guises James was creating the soundscapes to our future. There's no doubting that James was ahead of his time, mocked by the masses and respected by few.

One of those few, however, was a likeminded music soul mate from across the Atlantic, Trent Reznor. Reznor himself is an artist out of time that has been championed and condemned by the critics and his fans for his creative choices during his very eclectic and illustrious career. Who could forget after the top charting success of 1994's Downward Spiral, he followed up the hit "Closer" by distancing himself from the mainstream by creating the beautiful masterpiece of 1999's The Fragile. Even though The Fragile once again topped the charts, those who were expecting the sequel to Spiral were confused and somewhat conflicted. I wasn't. The Fragile was the soundtrack to my days and nights working in a cubicle as a special orders clerk at a bookstore in San Antonio. I hated my job so much that I annoyed my co-workers by playing my cassette version of The Fragile over and over again. Listening to it gave me the courage to walk away from a job and a city that was lifeless and stifling.

It seems that every NIN release equates to a life-changing event in my life. Ghosts comes in a time when I have found peace in L.A. I had been moving around trying to find my place in my world. Through out all of my many journeys, Trent's Nine Inch Nails have been there for me, from a distance, during many difficult periods in my life. So when I heard that Trent was releasing his first album without the confines of a record label, I quickly pre-ordered a copy and offered my support to this artist whose creations have influenced me for just about 20 years.

As I ordered Ghosts, I read that Trent's new album would be full of instrumentals, a soundtrack to daydreams. I was intrigued. Saying this and being a writer, I have to state a disclaimer that I am normally not a fan of instrumentals. I love words, especially grandiose inspiring lyrics that grab you as the soundtrack plays along with the rhythm that is the vocal instrument in the band.

Remembering how much I adored the wordless music from Aphex Twin, as I listened to Ghosts, drukqs came to mind. Each song from that album brought up scenes and emotions in my mind when I first heard it waiting at Louis Armstrong Airport terminal in New Orleans. What I started doing with each title-less track was naming each song. (This is something that my buddy Matt did for his copy of Ghosts.) With this concept in mind, listening to Ghosts is like contributing to your very own music version of Choose Your Own Adventure. The amazing thing is that everyone's foray into Ghosts will be a unique and personal experience.

The first track I dubbed "Distorted Stillness." I loved the way the solitary piano keys were invaded by echoing high pitched sound effects towards the end of the song. I recommend that you not only name that tune but listen to Ghosts with headphones, so you can experience every little sound that Trent Reznor and his crew have created for your lifted enjoyment.

Track two, or "Anticipatory Invasion," sounds like the eve of an invasion. It's like that moment leading up to a climax and you can feel something about to happen, the fuzzy noises clashing with the beautiful piano keys. A preface to the "The Day the Whole World Went Away" from The Fragile, track three is the first of many appearances by guest guitarist Adrian Belew. I dubbed this song "Ape Quest." It sounds like a modern day theme for an unmade Planet of the Apes movie. I totally dig Belew's funky riffs and the Middle Eastern vibe floating through out.

Track four "Solo Fury." The guitars sound like explosion of anger. This one conjures up the feeling when someone has pushed you too far, you're mad as hell and you just blow up with fury. Track five is "Stalking the Wetlands." The heavy breathing reminds me of the effect that Depeche Mode used in Music for the Masses "Little 15." That same breathing reminds me of a stalker watching someone outside from afar. The piano also echoes the same keys from "Closer."

Track 6 is "In Search of Fortunes." Track 7's "Zero Funk" sounds like an outtake of Year Zero. Track 8 is "Blizzard Fear." Imagine being lost in a blizzard with arctic wind and snow attacking your face as you struggle for breath. Track 9 is "Mourning with Pong." This one is like playing a video game after your father's funeral while listening to his favorite classical radio station in his honor. Track ten begins Ghosts II with the very eerie "March of Gothic Goblins." This one reminds me of this one track off a Ghostly Sounds album where the sounds of goblins would appear and scare the crap out of me. Track eleven is "Art of War Room Seduction." Track 12 is the "Last Taste by the Window." The feeling of watching your lover walk away as you savor their taste in your mouth while replaying the last time you were together in your head.

After a while your titles begin to tell the story for you. Track 13 is "Midnight Aphex Breath." Track 14, "Devo Redux," is one of my favorites; I especially love the shredding guitar solo by Belew. Track 15, "Tumbling Hash in Berlin." Track 16 "Delirious Downtown Chase." Track 17 is "underground fetish girls." Track 18 is "Autobahn arousal."

Ghosts III starts with Track 19 the very upbeat and percussion layered "Screams of a Dominatrix Scars." Track 20 is "Swarm of the Quarantined." Track 21 is "Japanese Scheme." I love the layering of instruments on Ghosts III especially on Track 22's "Cumpleaños Flashback" which actually includes a dulcimer in the soundtrack. You can feel the excited fury within the riled up riffs in Track 23 "Cumming's Revenge." Track 24's "The Bleeding of Head Hunted" brings back the Front 242-esque industrial rhythms that I loved so much back in the day with the movie sampled effects to match. Track 25 follows with "Rigor Mortis Frequency." Track 26 is "Free-bass Bust." Ghost III closes with Track 27's the guitar anthem "Blazed in Leather Boot Remission."

Ghosts IV begins with Track 29's acoustic guitar filled "Lack Water Blues." This one reminds me of the unplugged laments Trent made on Still, the bonus disc that accompanied the live document All That Could Have Been.

Track 30 is the very funky piano based "Howling Intruder." By this point you begin to recognize some of the familiar beats and sounds that Trent played with earlier on reappear on the last phase of Ghosts. Track 30 is the beautiful strangeness that is "Punch Stop Love." Track 31 brings the metal with "Nightmare Pesada." Track 32 is "Sudden Outbreak." Track 33 "Gavel of the Gods" sounds like an ode to Einstürzende Neubauten.

Despite its acoustic flourishes, Track 34 "Dummy Purity" echoes a kinetic influence from Portishead. As Adrian Belew once again shines his mighty riffs on Track 35's "Narcoleptic Shakedown," Ghosts closes with the very somber "Exhausted Vision Rise." The last track reminds me how wickedly the morning sky would look after beating the night and stumbling into bed wasted to the sound early morning light.

As the last notes of Ghosts faded away, it reminded me of that timeless quote from William Blake. "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom." If Aphex Twin's drukqs was a precursor to swallowing the excess than Ghosts is the ultimate trip. I'm sure even Aphex Twin himself, Richard James, would enjoy this rhythmic excursion.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.22.2008

Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!

2008-04-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

My Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!
Mute/Anti
2008

"Dig Yourself.."

These are the first words you hear from Nick Cave on Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. What a way to start a Bad Seeds album! You can always get a feel for what's up and coming on a Cave record by the first song. Abattoir Blues and The Lyre of Orpheus shot out with an uproarious gospel-like anthem "Get Ready for Love." Nocturama and No More Shall We Part each led off with melancholy piano based numbers. Dig welcomes us with the hilarious and wickedly cool resurrection tale of Lazarus.

Mi amigos, you are in for a special treat. Nick Cave trades in his mad man preacher vibe for ringleader of the elegant ruffians better known to you as the Bad Seeds. He's a post-modern lyrical gunslinger in a corporate gangster world. Instead of committing acts of indiscretions, Cave and his band of Bad Seeds create an atmosphere of mayhem and beauty likes of which has yet to be equaled in this modern music age.

Think about it, there is no band or artist that can match Cave's lyrical genius and the rhythmic intensity of the Bad Seeds. They are, bar none, the most dynamic band of our generation. And the sad thing is that the majority of the mainstream is clueless to their boisterous brilliance. Unfortunately, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! will not make anyone new converts to the Nick Cave camp, though this is not necessarily a bad thing. For the vintage Cave fans, Dig is the next step in a sonic journey that began in the seeds of a side project that bred the infamous foursome known as the Grinderman.

I like to think that Grinderman's roots came out of Cave's foray into screenwriting, which yielded the very explosive screenplay for the Australian bloodbath of a western called The Proposition. That movie told about the horrific crimes committed by the Burns brothers' gang. The remnants and themes of this storytelling made their way into the Grinderman project. The album is a testosterone-injected rock epic that bleeds the passionate fire inside of every starving soul that is a Grinderman.

In fact, you can hear the spirit of the Grinderman injected into Dig. Gone are the piano-based and violin-tinged love songs of Bad Seeds yore. This is a more of a plugged in, cranked up, adrenaline surging direction for Cave. His voice has grown more confident and animated. He seems like a looser lad who sounds like he's having a blast while singing on Dig. Listen as he slithers from line to line, I love the way he sings "Dog eat dog world" and "San Francisco Girl" on the title track. He sounds like a poetic pimp letting his beard down to funk it up with his boys The Bad Seeds.

Nick Cave's electric organ takes center stage on "Today's Lesson" as he sings "We're gonna have a real cool time, whoo!" You can feel Cave shaking and dancing while he sings these jagged lyrics. Especially when he sings "we are hypnotized, we are cross-eyed, we are pimped, we are bitched, we are told such monstrous lies…" I found myself laughing and fist pumping my yelps of approval throughout every adventure of Dig.

Cave and The Seeds put on a Doors-like pose on the very strange yet twisted and modern psychedelic funk twitches of "Moonland." I love the way Cave almost whispers "I'm not your favorite lover." We can relate to this outsider trying to find his shadow in this confused netherworld. Dig seems to consist of adventures of lost souls that are out of place in modern society. We have Lazarus from the lead track and then lonely lover of "Moonland." I can't forget the frightened wanderer of the very creepy "Night of the Lotus Eaters." With lyrics like "The dragons roam shopping malls/ I hear they're gonna eat our guts" and the electric loops and guitar wails," "Night of the Lotus Eaters" is a perfect fit for George Romero's Dead franchise.

Let's not forget Albert, of the guitar axe rocker "Albert Goes West," who is a traveler who has also lost his way. Cave's narrator is trying to find himself on the road in a world of "endless abstractions." A few songs later Cave tries to seduce a lover who longs for another as he croons, in the fast paced, "Lie Down Here (& Be my Girl)." And even in "Jesus and The Moon" as he sings "will it be me or will it be you? One must stay and one must depart," you can hear the narrator trying to find himself in a place and in love. Cave's characters are reflections of the man who is, despite his artistic greatness, at times an exile from mainstream culture.

One of my favorite songs on Dig is "We Call on the Author to Explain," a very noisy and riff layered anthem in which Cave takes on the role of fan and critic asking his favorite author to explain the meaning behind his words. It's a very ironic number that has Cave spewing out some of his most explosive lyrics like "It's fucked up/ he's a fucker, but what an enormous and encyclopedic brain." The thing that Cave masters on Dig is the perfect merger of the lifted lines of classic mythology with the lyrical slang of every day life.

Listen for the western influenced "Hold on to Yourself." I love the noisy sound effects in the background, something you will find on most of the songs along with the cool Manzerek reminiscent organ layered throughout. Continuing with the theme of outcast, "Hold on to Yourself" is a calling to all of those outsiders to not lose their individualistic spark in what Cave calls this "life and fire and lunacy."

Beginning with "I walk into the corner of my room and see my friends in high places," "More News from Nowhere" begins a sonic tale of Nick Cave naming all of these strange flames like Janet, Betty, Miss Polly, Alina and Deanna. The obvious link could be that these are all ex-lovers of Cave but I like to think that these women were all sources of inspiration for many of Cave's songs. It's an amazing concept having all of these spirits and songstress' appearing and haunt him in this bluesy number. This is what I admire about Nick Cave. He'll take just about any incident from his life, dreams or nightmares and create a song out of it. He's fearless artist who somehow seemingly has no trouble sharing his deepest desires with the confines of a classic song.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! is another explosive entry into the very extraordinary Nick Cave musical canon. Are you ready to be shocked, rocked and reenergized by this new electric incarnation of The Bad Seeds? Just plug in and let yourself go deeper inside the universe of chaos and disorder that no one other than Nick Cave can bring to life. He's a lyrical seer who's tuned into the unimaginable beauty and horror of it all, and so much more.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.21.2008

Review: The Breeders: Mountain Battles

2008-04-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

My Breeders review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Breeders
Mountain Battles
4AD
2008

The voice is back. The voice that won my heart, starting with her ultra sexy turn at the mic on Surfer Rosa's "Gigantic," is back. Kim Deal's one-of-a-kind throaty singing voice returns, ready for more sonic encounters with Mountain Battles. We all know how The Breeders went from indie darlings to modern rock stars with the release of Last Splash. This was primarily due to their magnificent lead single "Cannonball." Last Splash has the distinction of selling more copies than any of Pixies records. Sales aside, I really wasn't fan of Last Splash. My favorite Breeders album was actually their last one, 2002's Title TK. TKresonated more with debut Pod by turning away from the popular sensibilities of Last Splash. This is due to the return of Mr. Analog Steve Albini. You can really hear the lo-fi radiance in the beauty of "Off You." With just a guitar to back her, Kim Deal's low key vocal sounds like she's crooning to a lost lover over a long distant call.

When I think of The Breeders, it's Kimmie, as Frances Black so lovingly calls Deal, and her smoker/seductive voice that comes to mind. That voice returns loudly and is the first thing we hear on Mountain Battles' opening track. "Overglazed" sounds as if Kim Deal is standing on top of the mountain singing through a megaphone. It's her call to arms announcing the re-arrival of her magnificent Breeders.

Those who were expecting "Cannonball" part deux and were disappointed with Title TK will be happy to hear that Mountain Battles incorporates all of the Breeders' vintage sounds—the upbeat, lustful tones of Last Splash and the lush melodies from Pod and Title TK.

After "Overglazed" comes the funky backbeat number "Bang On." It's the closest the Deal Sisters will come to an all-out dance number. Relax, The Breeders haven't gone Prodigy on us now, but as Kim and Kelley sing "I love no one and no one loves me," this bass induced number is one that you'll be able to shake your thang to while your speakers go boom, boom in your car stereo. But before it becomes a full-on DJ explosion, during the break down "Bang On" leaves off the bass and a singular guitar riff appears along with Deal singing "I'm missing…" over and over again before the beat starts up again. Think of it as an out of time '60s boogie number with out the techno bells and whistles.

"Night of Joy" follows with a Title TK down beat style. Kim's songs sound as if each one is an ode to her imaginary lover that she's longing to discover. "I can't stop the wave of sorrow very mile that you go /give me this night…come home," she sings to the kind of soul lover who lives in her dreams and comes alive in songs like "Night of Joy."

"We're Gonna Rise" is the morning after, in song, Deal awakens alone to, "nothing you came to believe or what you decided last night/ still the sun shines/hits my shield and ignites." Another slow moving guitar based number that grows as Deals finding echoing strength as the sun like hope lights her face. "German Studios" follows as Kim and Kelley sing in their ancestral tongue of German. A very riff-layered, bouncy and enjoyable number that showcases the trademark Deal sisters' harmonies that I adore so much.

The songs on Mountain Battles follow the infamous loud-quiet-loud method that Kim's original band, The Pixies, made famous. I like to rock out like the best of them but I prefer the quiet ones like the Latin flavored "Regalame Esta Noche." One of my favorite songs on the album, the flamenco and Spanish licks highlight Kim singing romantic lyrics en Español. I love the way Kim Deal has not only been exploring new languages also adding new sounds to her versatile repertoire.

Mountain Battles finds Deal singing honest reflections from the front lines of the daily battle against modern day addictions. This is Deal's voice vulnerable and true, though I wouldn't call this a return to form. "Each day the long light dims and fades not lost but gone before." You can hear the ripples and scars through the country-like lament on "Hear No More." This sweet ballad continues Deal's theme of lovesick longing that lingers around Mountain Battles. "The light shines close echoes low of yr sweet voice I weep and mourn." With these lyrics and a traditional country strum, you can imagine Johnny Cash grinning with approval from above.

The album ends with a very low key and Title TK-esque title track. Some may hear this as a difficult listen. Mountain Battles is the sound of Deal rediscovering her voice through shades of shadows and sunlight, some of which are frighteningly unconventional like the Nico/Marble Index like solitary keyboard effect of the title track. Deal croons a heartfelt yet unconventional vocal as distorted guitar riffs mystically appear throughout. These lyrical confessions are view inside of her new life without lifted harmony. Whether you prefer loud, quiet or experimental resonance, Mountain Battles is an album worthy of your complete and unaltered concentration.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.14.2008

Review: Morrissey: Greatest Hits

2008-04-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

My Morrissey review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Morrissey
Greatest Hits
Decca
2008

I was all set to write a scathing review of Moz's latest Greatest Hits CD, his fifth if you count Bona Drag and World of Morrissey. I don't understand why we need another one. I was ready to quote another one of Moz's now all-too-ironic lines from "Paint A Vulgar Picture," but after a few listens of this Hits CD, something happened— Moz got to me. It was those classic songs and his distinctive voice that brought me back to the moment he single handedly changed my life as a teenager in San Antonio, so many years ago.

So I kept listening, song after song, on this Greatest Hits, and I found myself thinking aloud "'First of the Gang to Die'…that's a good track" and then comes "Irish Blood English Heart" and another one, Moz's cover of Patti Smith's "Redondo Beach." I started to hear a link between each of the tracks past and present. The old and the new flowed so smoothly together, I was actually impressed. It's been ages since I heard any of the songs off of the Tony Visconti produced Ringleader of the Tormentors. I can tell Moz is fond of that one; four tracks are showcased from that album, which was recorded in his new home of Italia.

Okay, I get it—these are amazing songs, most of them recent hits that may have been hidden away on recent releases. I can understand the desire to showcase tracks like "In the Future When All's Well" on a singles CD. But there are so many songs missing from this compilation. Why not add the collaboration with Siouxsie Sioux, "Interlude." That amazing duet has never been issued on this side of the Atlantic, it's more worthy of inclusion on an American Greatest Hits album. And what about "Sweetie Pie," the rare duet with now exiled Kristeen Young? "Sweetie Pie" is one of the weirdest and vividly experimental tracks Stephen Patrick ever put to wax. That is a song every Moz fan, young and old, needs to experience.

I was all ready to argue how unfair it was to subject broke American fans to shilling out serious money for another Hits CD. But Decca probably noticed that we are in the middle of a horrible recession. At least they were cool enough to include a bonus disc of live songs from a show at the Hollywood Bowl for die-hard disciples. Nice addition.

Okay, I'll give you props for the bonus disc. Ah, but wait, there's more—kudos on the most excellent remastering job. Because of the clear sound Greatest Hits sounds like the ultimate Morrissey mix tape featuring the `best' of classic and modern Moz. (Ahem, a recommendation, maybe next time have the fans vote on a song or two, to be added on hits compilation 7.)

Of the two new tracks, also bonuses for the fans, I prefer "All You Need is Me." Although I do adore Kristeen Young's "November Spawned A Monster"-esque howls on "That's How People Grow Up;" "All You Need is Me" is vintage Morrissey, when he croons, "There's a soft voice singing in your head/ Who could this be? I do believe it's me." Is this a message to his fans, critics…all of the above? Who cares, "All You Need is Me" a song worthy of inclusion inside the classic Morrissey canon.

Moz sings "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." And he's right, for now, I reach for my copy of his new compilation disc. I am looking forward to the digitally remastered versions of all of Moz's back catalogue, especially Kill Uncle, his most vilified yet underrated classic. Until then I will continues spinning his newest, Greatest Hits CD, a reflection of the man himself. Morrissey caught and connected to his glorious past with two feet shuffling as he croons toward the memory of the future unknown. With that voice we'll follow him just about anywhere. How many artists can you say that about?

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.02.2008

Review:The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely

2008-04-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

My Raconteurs review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Raconteurs
Consolers of the Lonely
Third Man/Warner Bros.
2008

The music revolution of the last six months started off with Radiohead. This was followed by Trent Reznor's project with Saul Williams (Niggy Tardust) and even his own Nine Inch Nails release Ghosts I-IV. Why you ask was this happening? Ed O'Brien of Radiohead said it best when talking on BBC radio, "after recording an album for a record label an artist has to wait sometimes up to six months to get some formal feedback about the record that they're so proud of. But why wait?" Radiohead, Saul Williams and Nine Inch Nails didn't. In fact all three artists all cut out the middle man better know as the record label. They did it their own way.

But The Raconteurs did one better. They not only released the album online but also got it in shops in record time. Their new album, Consolers of the Lonely was pressed, printed and released in seven days. The band recorded Consolers throughout the month of February. But instead of waiting the typical six months, they put out their pride and joy in a week.

But who cares, really? In a few years, no one's really going to remember or care how long it took Consolers of the Lonely to be released. All that matters what's on the wax. It sounds like Jack White, Brendan Benson and their dynamic rhythm section of Patrick Keller and Jack Lawrence are on a mission to kick out the jams with a traveling blues show that will rock your house from morning through noon and way past midnight.

The Raconteurs' follow-up to Broken Boy Soldiers blows its predecessor away. I'll be the first one to admit that originally, I was no fan of The Raconteurs debut album. I loved "Steady as She Goes" but the rest of the album, sans the tripped out "Blue Veins," disappointed me. I expected so much more.

But as I found out a week ago about the rush release of Consolers of the Lonely, I gave Broken Boy Soldiers a fresh, new spin. This time the album floored me. Who knows what I was on, but I now love this album. Soldiers has aged gracefully. What really struck me was how flawless and melodic White and Benson sound singing together. I was especially fond of the way these two traded lines on "Together."

In any case, not only do White and Benson sound better than ever on Lonely, but at times I have trouble telling them apart. Their voices have actually blended styles. Each of them feeds off the other. Benson has incorporated more of that `Stripes-like bluesy vocal style, as you can hear on the opening title track. What really surprised me was that it's Brendan's, and not Jack's, that is the first voice you hear on the record. But then Jack's high pitched wail comes in after the first chorus and yeah, that's the guy we all know and love, giving us all that blues we need and desire.

You'll notice the killer rock numbers throughout Lonely, something that I first realized Soldiers was lacking. First single "Salute Your Solution" brings out the fuzz with style. The Greenhornes duo Keller and Lawrence turn out to be the shining the stars of this record. We all know that White and Benson get most of the acclaim but those two make The Raconteurs' new album the powerhouse that it is. They are the best rhythm section in the business. Jack White pulled a Bob Dylan by asking two of the most underrated musicians to join his band, but just listen in between the vocal harmonies of White and Benson—your jaw's gonna smash as it hits the floor. They bring the funky rhythms lifting Lonely into classic realms.

But wait a minute, Lonely isn't a 24-hour rock party. Close, but there's a few Soldier-like, quintessentially down-to-dirt and memorably kick back songs. One of my favorites is the piano-flavored "You Don't Understand Me." Those harmonies have a sound of the '70s feel. Keller and Lawrence bring the songs in the modern age with their trademark backing rhythms. Listen for the pounding heartbeat drums and the "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" reminiscent piano chords during the climax of "You Don't Understand Me."

Speaking of the keys, another piano-based favorite is the short but sweet "Pull This Blanket Off." The riffs from the bridge make this one sound like it should be in a future Wes Anderson film. I can picture a Max Fischer-esque rebel planning his next move to this multi-sonic groove. This country flavored ditty has a White Album/McCartney inspired bass line that comes off clearly towards the end of the song.

There are more highlights, still. Listen for the acoustic "These Stones will Shout" and the album closer "Carolina Drama." Both songs start slow and explode by their grand finale. At first, during "These Stones will Shout," White channels his best Robert Plant but then, as you will notice the influence of Benson, his vocals throughout sound less Stripes shriek-like and more melodic. Thanks to Keller and Lawrence, "Shout" morphs into a prog rock explosion that is a pure delight. "Carolina" is more of a 21st century murder ballad that would make Nick Cave proud.

My favorite song, and one that I can totally relate to, is one that White and The Raconteurs may just regret putting on Lonely—"Rich Kid Blues." Thankfully The O.C. is off the air because Seth Cohen would have co-opted this song and made it his personal anthem. Listen as Benson does his best Dennis DeYoung while the band pays tribute to Styx in an epic that ends in a righteous style that's definitely The Raconteurs. I love the lyrics, especially when White and Benson croons, "Though I always play to win/I always seem to lose/That's why I think I got/ A rich kid's blues." It's all tongue and cheek but there will be some affluent lads that will take The Raconteurs' message seriously, which, if you ask me, is truly hilarious.

In all seriousness, The Raconteurs are back with an album that will rock your ass off. These guys enjoy turning up their amps way past eleven. Lonely is actually the first album in ages with which I was more enthralled with the rhythms than in the rhymes. The lyrics are as top notch than anything White and Benson have ever written in their perspective careers, and yet there's something about the complete sound of this band. The Raconteurs are an anomaly in today's music scene. They're much more than a modern Traveling Wilburys. They are four guys who have put their egos aside to form a band with a cohesive vision dedicated to the exploration of the art of rock. All the while, they're creating a new legacy that will be remembered in the annals of rock history.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.31.2008

Review: Cowboy Junkies: Trinity Revisited

2008-02-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

My Cowboy Junkies review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Cowboy Junkies
Trinity Revisited
Zöe-Rounder
2008

What is it about 1988's original Trinity Sessions that made an impression on a confused 17-year-old living in San Antonio? It spoke to the need as a misunderstood, wandering spirit searching for a connection with similar souls that could reflect and identify with that yearning that I was feeling inside. Listening to the Cowboy Junkies, it was if this band understood how I felt, being a loner and isolated in the world.

The Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Sessions made me feel less alone. Listening to Margo Timmins, the Canadian chanteuse, was like spending a night in a universe that's eternally dusk, where the stars of hope shine all day and night as she crooned the songs like "Blue Moon Revisited" sings your blues away. There was something about Margo's voice when she sang that reflected the endless yearning, which sent ripples straight through to my young stuttering heart. The song that first grabbed hold of me and shook me was the evocative cover Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane." But that was only the beginning. What kind of album stars off with an a cappella track? The kind of record that's recorded in two days at The Church of Holy Trinity in Toronto with one microphone like they did in the classic recordings in the 1950s.

The Junkies opened me up to a new world of true country standards like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Walking After Midnight" that I never heard as a scrawny bitter rebellious youth. I was intrigued. If it wasn't for Trinity Sessions I may never have begun my journey of appreciation for such artists as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams.

Trinity Sessions has that classic and timeless feel. If you close you eyes while listening to the album, you can picture yourself there inside the church that captures the sound of the Junkies, the reverberations still in the air, in your ears, capturing the once in a lifetime performance that has been immortalized in that memorable album. Instead of trying to recreate or re-record the album that made them famous, for the 20th anniversary, The Cowboy Junkies invited some of their famous friends to honor the memory of the Trinity Sessions with an intimate performance recorded in the spirit of the original album.

Trinity Revisited is the result of that amazing performance. Natalie Merchant, Vic Chestnutt and Ryan Adams along with multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird came along to pay tribute to the seminal album that influenced their lives. The songs that I first fell in love with have this way of coming alive at The Church of Holy Trinity some twenty years later. The addition of Merchant, Adams and Chestnutt give a new sinisterly seductive, bluesy vibe that reflects the aching from the original sessions.

I hear Trinity Revisited as a tribute to the day when the original sessions came into fruition. The opening number "Mining for Gold" soars just like it did in 1988 with Margo's beautiful a cappella voice letting us inside the aura of this atmospheric album. I believe "Mining for Gold" is about searching for love, which I feel is a theme of the album. Trinity is a solitary journey, a search for love through darkness with Margo and the Cowboy Junkies as our guide.

Natalie Merchant now shares vocal duties with Margo on "Misguided Angel" one of my favorite songs on the album. The song is about a tragic romantic trying to convince her family and friends her imperfect lover is the love of her life. I think it's more like she's trying to once again convince herself that this lover is right one. By the end of the song, Ryan and Vic add their soulful backing vocals to "Angel."

The melancholy classic "Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)" finds Margo trading heart aching vocals with Vic Chestnutt. If there was one surprise on this album, it's the appearance of Chestnutt himself. His vocals and acoustic strumming on "I'm So lonesome I Could Cry" are such that you can feel the hurt in his voice they add another honest layer of essence and depth to these intimate recordings.

Ryan Adams is all over these recordings. He sings lead in the Southern gem "200 Miles." His guitar and vocals can be heard on "I Don't Get It" and especially "Sweet Jane," which has now become a 21st Century bluesy jam that would definitely make Lou Reed smile a grin of approval.

If you're a fan of the original Sessions, I recommend taking the trip back and revisiting the trinity that was at one time holy to me. Trinity Revisited comes with a documentary and live recording of the sessions so you can so how these sessions came back to life. So make the pilgrimage back to Trinity and sing along to these classic gems in a new light to The Cowboy Junkies' everlasting resurrection reflected in your ears and life for ages to come.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.26.2008

Review: Beck: Odelay (Deluxe Edition)

2008-02-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

My Beck review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Beck
Odelay (Deluxe Edition)
Geffen
2008

Hearing the opening riffs of "Devil's Haircut" takes me back to time of my not so distant past. I remember staying late at this office in San Antonio, Texas, with a bunch of college compadres gathered together to work on our dream job, publishing our own magazine. Four of us Latino hombres in our mid-twenties, listening to Beck because it was the only artist we all could agree on. Two of the guys loved Prince and the rest of us loved alternative Brit Pop music. So we compromised by listening to Odelay over and over again, Beck's album becoming the soundtrack to our dreams.

To put it in terms of another great, influential piece of art, what I love about Odelay is the same thing I adore about my favorite passage from On The Road:

Guitars tinkled. Terry and I hazed at the stars together and kissed. "Mañana," she said. "Everything'll be all right tomorrow, don't you think, Sal-honey, man?"

"Sure, baby, Mañana." It was always Mañana. For the next week that was all I heard - Mañana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven.

Even if it was only one part of the book, at least it felt like Kerouac was honoring a part of me. It was the language, our language, and culture in my favorite book. This was something new to me, growing up in a largely Anglofied culture where our voices were rarely seen or heard in the mainstream of literature and popular culture. The late '90s was a time when multiculturalism was blossoming in mainstream society and culture, so reading Español in a classic book made me want to find my own voice on the page.

The same goes with Beck—just playing an album called Odelay, a hit during that year, was a huge victory for our culture. Beck was someone, like Kerouac, who appreciated our life and our language. It's amazing how this album was such an inspiration to us cuatro compadres trying to change the world one word at a time. We may have failed as our magazine went under but those dreams sparked on by those late nights still live on inside me and were lit by Beck's beats.

Odelay was an anomaly, part rock, part rap, part disco, part country and 1000% Beck. Beck Hansen grew up in Los Angeles and his upbringing en la ciudad de Los Angeles most certainly influenced the sound of Odelay. There are the rock riffs, disco beats and acoustic strummings and I can't forget Latin flavor that I've already mentioned. I believe that Beck was ahead of his era, a man with a creative multicultural mindset that was still years away. Music wasn't as integrated as it was now; Odelay is the sound of Beck tearing down the walls of music classification. In one song, "Hotwax" goes from electro beats to rap riffs with guitar licks, to a Latino flavored chorus mixed with the exotic samples from the Dust Brothers.

I can't say enough about the influence of the Dust Brothers on Odelay. These are the same guys that helped make Paul's Boutique a hip-hop classic for The Beastie Boys. They helped recreate Beck's personal version of Los Angeles by providing the soundscapes for Beck to sing and rap over. Listening to Odelay now, it's like taking a drive through Hollywood. Back when Odelay was first released the album sounded so universal but now I realize living in the west coast that it's idealized version of the city that Beck grew up in. It's amazing being in the city of "The New Pollution." You can feel the dirty streets, the eccentric people on those streets, the traffic, the smog and the sound from the gutter coming up clearly through the voice of this strange lyrical sage.

I, myself, in essence grew up with these songs. So listening to Odelay now is like reminiscing with an amigo about the old days. The classics are still as here but what I didn't recall was the laid back beauty in songs like "Ramshackle" which foreshadowed the greatness that Beck created in his future melancholy masterpiece Sea Change.

Odelay is the sound of an artist laying down the foundation of his future greatness by creating the vibes that you hear on the airwaves today. Beck always had one foot in past and the other one in sounds of mañana. Disc Two of the Deluxe Edition showcases the remixes, outtakes and B-sides of Beck's unconventional nature. Everything from U.N.K.L.E's 12 minute remix of "Where It's At" to the mariachi flavored version of "Jack Ass" that cleverly closes this two disc set.

We totally would have loved that Mariachi sound of "Burro" back at the office. I still remember all of us editing the newest issue of our magazine singing "Orale…Orale" along with Beck on our crappy old boombox stereo. It was like he was there, just passing through, with us in the room, rooting us on. At the time, Odelay was something so eclectic and strange. An album with a foreign titled that we knew the meaning of. Odelay was a gift to us, our voices, our culture and our sueños. Beck showed us that through words and our own distinct rhythms we could change the world and influence culture.

Each of us in our own way is continuing the tradition that was sparked in that one room over ten years ago. When I went to Amoeba con mi novia to pick up this deluxe edition of Odelay I was more than buying another CD, to me it was recapturing a moment in time that resonates on inside of me today. Beck's music will live on with the beats and breaths that live on past the page through those two turntables and a microphone—and beyond.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.19.2008

review: k.d. lang: watershed

2008-02-11T23:25:00.000-08:00

My k.d. lang review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

k.d.lang
watershed
nonesuch
2008

There is something about a singer, female vocalists to be precise, that have always touched and influenced me in my life. Maybe it was the fact that I was never really popular in the dating scene, and the female voice I heard in song, in my mind, was the closest I would hear to the musings of love in my neglected ears. Singers like Billie Holliday, Patti Smith, Tori Amos, Margo Timmins, P.J. Harvey and Marianne Faithfull, with their sultry croons, would relieve the pain in my naïve heart. It was in my many times of need throughout my young life that when I needed some healing, with a press of a button, a female chanteuse would appear in my headphones to sing my worries away.

I know I am not alone when I am thankful for singers like k.d. lang. Vocalists who share the gift of mending with their soulful voices appear from afar when we need them most. k.d. lang has been lighting our hearts with her timeless voice since the mid-eighties. lang grew up in Edmonton, Canada, idolizing famed country singer Patsy Cline. After a debut album steeped in Nashville tradition k.d. found salvation in a breakthrough hit—a duet in with the late great Roy Orbison on "Crying." That version of "Crying" was one of those songs that I would play after another misstep in dance of love. Whenever I failed in romance after falling for someone, I would play "Crying." Hearing k.d. Lang `s voice, so pure and strong, duet with Roy Oribson gave me faith in love. No matter how down and out I felt, "Crying" would give me hope.

Soon after, lang moved up into the realm of the sultriest torch singers. It wasn't until 1992 that k.d. found international success with the sensational Ingénue. Led by the worldwide smash "Constant Craving" and top ten salsa tinged single "Miss Châtelaine," lang was flying high. Although she would never again reach the heights of Ingénue, that success opened up doors for her artistically. She appeared on MTV Unplugged to perform her hits, including one of my favorites, the rarely heard treasure "Barefoot." She also was spotted duetting with Tony Bennett on his very own comeback Unlpugged special. This led to further successful collaboration album What a Wonderful World in 2002.

Throughout, k.d. has never wavered in recording a plethora of critically acclaimed albums and touring sold out shows across the globe. She continued recording some of my favorite songs, including late night sultry ballad "You're Okay," from the underrated All You Can Eat. I can't forget Lang's lush cover of Jane Siberry's "Haint it Funny" on 1997's smoke themed classic Drag, also featured in Pedro Almodavor's Talk to Her. Finally off of her 2001 Live from Request special is my favorite—her short but sweet cover of "Fever." I can't forget her perfect rendition of The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers/The End" on the soundtrack to Happy Feet. The best thing about this movie is this rarely heard number, a perfect tribute to the Fab Four with the grace and honesty as only k.d. can deliver.

What do all of those songs I mentioned above have in common? They all highlight the unique vocal stylings of one k.d. lang. Her voice is the focal point on all of those songs, from her aching wail on "Barefoot" to the low key sultry vocal style of "Hain't it Funny." The music accompanies her voice without overshadowing it. There is nothing worse than session musicians washing out the beautiful voice in my favorite modern day torch song singer. I have said this over and over again—enough with the multi-track productions, I am still waiting for the stripped down album where k.d.'s voice reigns supreme.

This brings us to Watershed. Is this the album for which I have been asking for years now? Not exactly, but with lang producing she makes sure that her vocals are the shining power source on these superb songs, her best and most complete album since Ingénue. From the opening notes and the lyrics "She arrives like autumn in a rainstorm," The voice that I have adored for so many years arrives from beyond to light the way. There's a country vibe, with the steel guitar and lush orchestration in the background, but k.d.'s voice of hope and reason lifts us in the blooming opening number "I Dream of Spring."

What a beginning! The dreamlike wonder of "Je Fais La Planche" follows with the "buoyancy of belief." There is something that I notice about k.d.'s songwriting immediately in Watershed. Unlike some torch song vocalists, lang writes most of her songs, and there's a sense of optimism throughout. Even if there are images of blue, jealousy, fear and pain just about all the songs end in a positive light. "Coming Home" starts off with clever, bouncy strings as k.d. sings "oh sweet sorrow/ let's write the book tomorrow." From the start she's taking the words of a sad song, and in the spirit of Paul McCartney, she's instantly making it better. k.d. never languishes in pools of melancholy, she splashes over them; the hurt might get her wet but she knows that they are just stains that will dry. k.d. doesn't let the anguish inside of her songs weigh her down. So you, as a listener, follow her lead home.

Just in time for the most romantic day of the year is "Once in a While," the perfect ode to the one in your heart. "I'll drive you crazy, baby/ once in a while." I love the fact that k.d. sings about the imperfections of love. Most of us enter romance with unbreakable goggles but "Once in a While" helps us to realize that there will be times that our loved ones will drive us a little mad. It's natural, its human nature and all the part of being in love. k.d. follows this theme of realistic love on "Thread," one of the many highlights of Watershed. "Thread" is one of the few numbers that starts off with a stripped acoustic guitar and follows with a flourishing orchestra strings that flow in and out of the mix without overpowering k.d.'s magnificent voice.

k.d. must have been listening to Mezzanine, because "Close Your Eyes" sounds very Massive Attack-esque. I love the slight trip hop-esque vibe that starts at the beginning. It's not as dark as Massive Attack, for this is a k.d. lang song, but "Close Your Eyes" is seductive number with a beating bassline that would impress Robert Del Naja and Daddy G.

Listen for the loungey title track and the stand-up bass flavored ode to everyone's favorite day of the week on "Sunday." Watershed ends with a stripped down number, "Jealous Dog." Similar to Nick Drake's "Black Eyed Dog," but without the heavy themes of death, k.d. sings about searching for faith through understanding. With just a banjo and a piano as her guide, k.d. lang leaves us looking for meaning through eyes of a jealous dog.

What a way to end this beautiful and moving album. Watershed is something that I myself have been looking to find. You see, I have been in mourning. With the passing of my late Abuelito I went searching for some peace and comfort in a singer. I went through my collection and nothing could cure the pain for the loss I was feeling inside. Last night I discovered the calming beauty of Watershed, which cured my sadness in the voice of one k.d. Lang.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.12.2008

Review: Samantha Tobey: Samantha Tobey

2008-01-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

My Samantha Tobey review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Samantha Tobey
Samantha Tobey
Heavy Folk Music
2007

Every once in a blue moon you discover a song, a song that soars, recurring lyrically and musically in your subconscious. "Eleven Shades of Red" is that song for me right now and L.A.'s very own Samantha Tobey is the artist to inspire the spark of a song that has been burning inside of me since I received a copy of her moving debut EP.

Now, I have been accused in the not so distant past of closing myself off to new music. A few years back, Bob Dylan gave an interview in Rolling Stone where he stated, "I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past twenty years, really…" and talking about the industry's complaint about downloading, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway." At that time, I really agreed with him, compared to the music from past even looking back at the '90s, the majority of the bands sans Radiohead and a handful of others had been largely forgettable.

The past year I have been falling in love with music again and discovering some new talent that would even make Bob Dylan smile. The sounds that I have been finding have proven Dylan's quote to be horribly wrong. All you have to do is read your daily installment of Treble (shameless pat on the back), or visit one of my favorite sites, The Hype Machine, and you will see that new music is alive and beating stronger by the minute.

On a local level, there seems to be a modern resurgence in the Los Angeles music scene, and Samantha Tobey is on the cusp of being the breakout artist of 2008. And this is all thanks to a show that has been largely seen online, that being Quarterlife. My newest obsession, Quarterlife was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick creators of three of my favorite shows Thirtysomething, My So-Called Life and Once and Again. Quarterlife follows the life of a group of twentysomething friends trying to find their space in this internet world of missed communications. The episode where I first heard Samantha's song was part two of the pilot. At the end of the episode, Lisa the bartender stands up and sings "Eleven Shades of Red" in front of her bar and friends. It's a huge scene for Lisa, this is the episode where she breaks out of her shell and shows her true self in the guise of Tobey's song.

The thing I love about "Eleven Shades of Red" is Tobey's universal message of trying to connect, which is why it's a perfect song for Quarterlife. She sings "I wrote this song for you/ I don't even know your name." From the beginning, Samantha brings us in as if she's singing directly to us. She personalizes the song by saying that she wrote the song for all of us. I love the lyrics, "I talk to myself/ stop stuttering/ you bring all this on yourself." This is me, the stuttering recluse, she someone connected to how it feels to be in my uncomfortable skin when I have trouble speaking and become a stuttering recluse.

Everyone knows that I am a sucker for harmonies and Tobey delivers beautifully throughout her self titled EP. Listen to the harmonies on the elegant acoustic number "Running," the perfect introduction to this artist, and produced magnificently at that. David Passerman, Timothy Hutton, Kevin Binova and Spanjew keep the focus on Tobey's majestic voice throughout by not overpowering it with too much studio trickery. They enhance her voice by layering just the right instrumentation throughout her dynamic EP.

There seems to be a yearning throughout the lyrics of Tobey's debut EP. You can hear the blissful power on songs like "12 O'clock." Tobey's song are neither too light nor too dark, she has the perfect blend of beautiful melancholy, especially on memorable closing track "Mumbling," which is impressive for such a new and up and coming artist. Keep your eye on episodes of Quarterlife on NBC and listen for Samantha Tobey. When the show finally breaks, everyone, everywhere will know her name. You read it here first.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.30.2008

Review: Sarabeth Tucek: Sarabeth Tucek

2008-01-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

My Sarabeth Tucek review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Sarabeth Tucek
Sarabeth Tucek
Echo Records
2007

"Here's something for you to put down…"

These are the first lyrics you hear from the enigmatic L.A. singer/songwriter Sarabeth Tucek. What a song that opening track, a memorable one it is, and it is one that I had heard years before when she was a member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. A few years back when she was working with ever-reclusive genius Anton Newcombe, Sarabeth collaborated with him on the track "Seer." I'll never forget the first time I heard "Seer," the lyrics "I've gone and left you a song" were shared with me by a former flame after she left. It's one hell of a song to give to a former love and to this day I'm grateful that she did. She knew how much I loved Brian Jonestown Massacre and adored the female voice.

When I put in Sarabeth's debut disc, and those first lyrics came on, I knew that song but in a different light. The song that I once knew as "Seer" has been stripped down, or de-Anton-ized if you will, and now called "Something For You." I prefer this version without the echo and effects. You can really hear Sarabeth's Nico-esque voice come through in this mix.

Nico is the perfect jumping off point when trying to pin point the sound of Sarabeth's voice. But Sarabeth goes much deeper than the former Velvet Underground vocalist; I like to think her vocals are a mixture of Nico and 10,000 Maniacs' Natalie Merchant. She's the perfect chanteuse that not many people have had the pleasure of hearing, though she has been fortunate enough to open for the likes of Bob Dylan, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Ray Lamontagne.

Speaking of Ray Lamontagne, his producer Ethan Johns, known for his work with Ryan Adams, along with Kings of Leon Luther Russell, helmed production duties on Sarabeth Tucek. Her debut CD is anything but your normal singer/songwriter acoustic album. Johns and Russell compliment Tucek's exceptional voice with just the right instrumentation. Just check out "Holy Smoke." Good choice to layer the backing track with feed-backing and rhythmic guitars. It sounds kind of like an amalgamation of Ryan Adams and The Velvet Underground with Sarabeth crooning "God said…I gave you a song…for you to keep for your own." Johns and Russell's riffs match the lyrical intensity of Tucek's fascinating prose.

"Hey You" is a sultry and smoky number that would sound perfect at a Jazz club. I love the Johns pedal steel guitar wails complementing Tucek's sexy vocal as she sings to a former flame. This seems to be the overall theme of Sarabeth Tucek; the songs sound like lyrical odes to an intense love that has since perished. The organ on "Come Back, Balloon" sounds like one you would hear at a procession at a church symbolizing the end of an affair. Then the banjo and harmonica comes out of nowhere and turns "Come Back, Balloon" into a beautiful alt-country lament over someone she left behind.

There's a lot of depth in Tucek's vocal that carry most of the songs into the realm of timelessness, and I do like the simplicity in some of the arrangements, like in the beautiful "Nightlight," especially the intimate piano keys playing in the background as a perfect accompaniment to Tucek's amazing lyrics. One of my favorite songs has to be "Hot Tears." It starts off with an acoustic guitar strumming along to Sarabeth's heart aching vocal and then turns into an electric number, when she sings "Then you'll lay me down/ don't let anyone come around," as those killer guitar riffs come in like a reigning flashback from a movie you want to revisit again.

Sarabeth Tucek's debut CD is more than a painful ode to heartbreak; I liken her songs to a soundtracked homage to love, a love that most of us yearn to experience. There's beauty, hope and pain layered through out this emotional and exceptional album. Sarabeth Tucek is a vocalist with a classic vibe and post-modern sound that needs to be experienced. When she sings "Guess you've always been the one…when there's no one left to call/ I'm blowing kisses as I fall," you long to be the one who's catching those imaginary kisses.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.29.2008

Review: Cat Power: Jukebox

2008-01-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

My Cat Power review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Cat Power
Jukebox
Matador Records
2008

"Start spreading the news…" this is the year of Cat Power. Chan Marshall has been on crooning her solitary heart in the underground since the mid-`90s. But it wasn't until 2006's The Greatest when the music world finally began to take notice of this largely unheralded chanteuse. The Greatest may have been Chan Marshall's introduction into the mainstream but Jukebox is her breakthrough. Marshall's sultry southern belle vocals and the Dirty Delta Blues Band dynamic rhythms shine bright in this stellar tribute album.

This is Chan's album. Her voice is the link that grabs you. You can't help but fall in love with this beauty while you listen to Jukebox. It sounds like she's serenading you especially on the Latin flavored bonus track, the Roberta Flack cover of "Angelitos Negros." Hearing Chan sing in Español sent shivers through me. I played Jukebox in my CD player, walking home from the indie record store where I purchased said album, and heard Marshall's vocals floating beautifully in my ears. I believe that this is the key for any everlasting artist—how the album sounds away from the friendly confines of your room. As I walked I felt like Chan and her angelic voice was right there with me, the soundtrack to my world. That is the mark of true greatness, in which a singer can take songs, and universally make them speak and sing for her audience, regardless of sex, color or creed. Very few artists can attest to what Cat Power has successfully achieved with Jukebox.

I, myself, love me some covers. But it's difficult to record a memorable cover song. Cat Power has never had trouble in that area. The mark of a truly brilliant cover song is one in which the artist pays homage to the original singer while making it her own, and Chan Marshall has been doing this throughout her evolving career. But there's something extra on Jukebox that surpasses any of those covers we may have adored before, and that is the addition of the Dirty Delta Blues Band.

The Dirty Delta Blues Band features Dirty Three drummer Jim White, Delta 72 piano and organist Gregg Foreman, Lizard Music bassist Erik Paparazzi, and Blues Explosion guitarist Judah Bauer. Bauer is the other shining star of Jukebox. His bluesy guitar riffs on "Ramblin (Wo)man" lift the cover into unforgettable territory.

Highlights? Wow, too many to name. The just mentioned "Ramblin (Wo)man" is a good start, though. I love the way that Marshall takes Hank Williams' classic and gives it her own spin. By changing the sex, it turns this song into the lament of someone who's trapped in her drifting ways. Chan's vocal makes you emphasize for her fleeting emotions and continue falling for this woman who will undoubtedly break our aching Corazon. Chan also covers herself with an updated version of "Metal Heart" which soars with the Dirty Delta Blues Band backing her up. These rambling musicians are the best thing that may have ever happened to her. They even found a way to amp up her own recordings with a power that lifts this Cat Power gem with an added brilliance that highlights the genius of this underrated songwriter.

I adore the largely acoustic "Silver Stallion," which shows Marshall stripped and seductive as ever, with Bauer's wailing guitar enhancing her sexy vocal. Speaking of, Marshall outdoes James Brown with an amazing rendition of "Lost Someone." You can hear the beauty and ache in Chan's voice as she calls for the one that she has lost with Bauer's guitar once again sending her to heights that only few singers have dreamed to discovering. But the one song that makes Jukebox the definitive classic has to be Cat Power's version of Bob Dylan's "I Believe in You." I had preferred Sinead O'Connor's take until I pressed play and hear Marshall and the Dirty Delta Blues Band's awesome rendition, with Bauer holding court with his addictive guitar riffs and White's killer back beats holding it up for Chan to take us home. And does she ever. Marshall does Bobby proud; I can imagine him smile when he eventually hears the next song, which is a definitive tribute to the Bard himself. You will believe me when you hear Marshall's original ode to Dylan simply called "Song to Bobby." A stunning number where Chan sings praise to The Bard, one of the many singers, that has helped shape her voice from a far.

It's also worth picking up the bonus disc, with five extra soon-to-be-classics including Chan's take on Nick Cave's "Breathless" and my favorite, Patsy Cline's heartbreaking jewel turned into aching acoustic epic "She's Got You."

Jukebox shows Chan Marshall honoring the artists and songwriters who influenced her unique and soulful voice. And what a homage it is—listen for the piano based beauty that is a definitive praise to Billie Holiday. Not only does Chan Marshall cover these songs, she takes them and makes them over with new arrangements that acknowledge the greatness of the original songs. They, like Cat Power, will live on eternally. Jukebox is the proof that Chan Marshall is here to sway our hearts with a voice that will live on soaring eternally inside of us. Cat Power has such a timeless presence that you will crave hearing this chanteuse serenading softly in your ears again and again.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.23.2008

Top 50 Albums of 2007: #1 - Radiohead - In Rainbows

2008-01-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

My Radiohead year end review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Radiohead
In Rainbows
TBD Rceords

The most Romantic Album of the Year award belongs to none other to my favorite band Radiohead. Wait, how did this happen? From the opening notes we all can feel the sparks that sent shivers down our eagerly-awaiting spines—pure unadulterated brilliance to my ears. I love Colin's sultry bassline on "Nude." This must have been what Thom was talking about when he said Radiohead wanted to make music to have sex to. Yes, "Nude" is quite beautiful and sexy, especially Jonny's equally seductive guitar riffs that even Al Green and Marvin Gaye would love to sing over. And let's not forget Phil's tender touches on the drums. The kind of gentle beats that would make Massive Attack want to sample on their next album. The lushly arranged "All I Need" is a perfect lyrical equivalent to the sound of "Nude." Thom has never written about love and intimacy as he does In Rainbows. Like a Romeo in black jeans, Yorke sings for all of us the romantics singing about the infinite complexities of relationships coming to life as Radiohead brings "All I Need" to its exciting climax. You can feel the emotions coming loud and clearer than ever before especially in songs like "House of Cards," as Yorke sings, "I just wanna be your lover/ No matter how it ends/ No matter how it starts."

In Rainbows is also the first Radiohead album in ages where we can actually hear the soulful vocals of Thom Yorke throughout. Who would have thought after releasing the electronics heavy solo album The Eraser, Thom would release his most heartfelt sounding songs in quite some time. It's the little things on In Rainbows that stand out to me, like the way that Thom enunciates every syllable in songs like "15 Step," such as the way that he says "etcetera." Another fun fact: the beats on "Videotape" mirror the sped up ones in the opening track "15 Step?" If you put the album on repeat it runs like a full-circle dream, which you can relive again, like watching your favorite film go on and on forever. Could this be the reason why the album begins with the lyrics, "How come I end up where I started?" Think about it and play it on a loop and see if you hear what I hear.

So when did Radiohead become such lyrical and rhythmic romantics? Hard to say, but for a band that's been called "cold" and "indulgent," they sound more human than ever, connecting with the love and adoration that we all want to feel.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.17.2007

Top 50 Albums of 2007: # 41- Editors - An End has a Start

2008-01-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

My Editors year end review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Editors
An End Has A Start
Kitchenware – Fader

With minimal airplay and the strength of their amazing debut album The Back Room, Editors became the Indie Darlings of 2005. They then returned this year with An End has A Start, which rivals The Bends as follow-up albums go, and puts them on the verge of being the next greatest band of the decade. So what exactly am I, and a legions of Editors fans, hearing that most of the music world is missing? An honest and beautiful darkness best displayed in the song "The Weight of the World." Beginning with triumphant drum beats, an echoing guitar riff signals the shadowy vocal by Tom Smith, "Every little of piece of your life will add up to one…will mean something to someone." More than mope rock, Editors have transcended the Joy Division and Interpol comparisons. Editors don't make music for the sake of sadness. I hear the optimism in singer Tom Smith's voice and the anticipation of enormous potential in band members Chris Urbanocwiz, Russell Leetch and Ed Lay's rhythmic brilliance, reaching for greatness with every beat and riff in their musical arsenal. I told an old friend that 2006 would be the year of Editors. I guess I just missed it by 365 days.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.17.2007

Review: The Libertines: Time for Heroes: The Best of

2007-12-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

My Libertines review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

The Libertines
Time for Heroes: The Best of
Rough Trade
2007

"Reissue/repackage…re-evaluate the songs…double pack with a photograph…with a tacky badge."

These immortal words by Morrissey on "Paint a Vulgar Picture" from The Smiths' last opus Strangeways, Here We Come have been an omen to the band and lead singer himself. Guilty of the crimes he had been seething about so eloquently in that infamous song. Morrissey, himself, is set to release yet another solo hits collection, his sixth compilation since the demise of his former group. The question I have to ask is why? Why is this necessary to subject such a bludgeoning to the fan base who's so devoted to you?

To be fair, Morrissey isn't the only one who's committed these acts against his legions of followers. Many artists are guilty of doing so, and with more annoying results. Even though I'm not a fan of such a practice, there are bands that justify releasing a "best of" by adding a track or two. But there's a fallacy to the act of adding new material to a hits compilation—those songs have never been heard before, what makes them worthy of being a "hit" or inclusion on a "best of" CD? I would love an artist to answer that question for me.

For now, my beloved Libertines get to hear it from yours truly. If Time For Heroes is truly a best of collection, what happened to "Music When the Lights go Out?" And, why no "Good Old Days," one of the most quintessential of Libertines tracks? Now boys, why are you doing this to us? I know that things are looking up for you but how about a little quality control over the release of your back catalogue recordings? Why would you try to swindle your fans with such a shoddy compilation? Why not add new or unearthed tracks? And don't even try to justify the release of Time for Heroes by saying that the addition of "May Day" from the I Get Along EP as an unreleased song. Nice try, but I am not buying it.

I know there has to be a rare track or two in the cans. The inclusion of the Bernard Butler produced tracks, including the re-recorded "Death in the Stairs," are lovely additions but not enough. Why not release some live tracks or some rarities like the acoustic X-Mas version of "Time for Heroes" from Jo Whiley's BBC show, where Pete sings "Carlos with his Santa Claus hat?" How about the official release of such classic gems as "Breck Road Lover" and "You're my Waterloo?"

I have loved The Libertines since the good old days; the brilliant music you have created has changed my life. Why not release a compilation worthy of your legacy of greatness? Here's hoping the next time you boys get it right. Until then, I won't hold my breath for a Libertines reunion, but I can at least eagerly await the next Dirty Pretty Things and Babyshambles releases.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.07.2007

Review: Bob Dylan: Dylan

2007-12-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

My Dylan review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com

Bob Dylan
Dylan
Sony/Legacy
2007

I've been on quite a Dylan kick recently since the release of Todd Haynes' magnificent anti-biopic I'm Not There. I would love to say that I've been listening to The American Bard, Bob, all my life but that would be far from the truth. Just like Shakespeare seemed to me in my younger days, Dylan was the one singer that I had to grow to connect with. It took many years to appreciate the infinite complexities and simple beauties that make up the many ballads, epics and lyrical anthems that he has written and recorded throughout his memorable career. It was actually after hearing U2's much criticized cover of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" on Rattle and Hum which got me curious about The Bard. (Incidentally, Dylan plays on a few tracks with U2 including organ on "Hawkmoon 269" and he co-wrote and sings on "Love Rescue Me.")

The first Dylan discs that I ever bought were Biograph and The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3 1961-91. But still it wasn't till I was living alone, out of my elements, in New Orleans when the words of The Bard finally began to make sense to me in my new surroundings. To this day, I remember hearing Dylan crooning the lyrics to "Love Sick" as I walked the French Quarter streets during my years as a solitary man. His voice resonated through me during my years as a starving artist. I came to appreciate the poet and the singer whom for me was once a stranger in an alternate universe. It's amazing when I finally connected with his music and words. I was reborn, everything changed to me. I looked at life as two distinct periods: before and after Dylan. Before I was blind and confused, and after my rebirth I was awake, aware with a sense of poetic amazement that was missing from my past life.

Yes, this is how much Dylan influenced me, as much as Henry Miller, Mark Twain, Hunter S. Thompson and Shakespeare himself inspired me in my ever growing ways as a writer in residence whilst living in New Orleans. I would disappear weeks on end, writing in my one bedroom Uptown Apartment with Dylan's voice echoing from my stereo as my fingers hit the keyboard. If my friends heard Dylan was singing from my apartment, chances are I was on my computer, and they knew not to bother me.

Times may have changed but my devotion to Dylan continued throughout my many moves around these past few years. The release of this new compilation, Dylan, will bring a new generation of wide-eared, earnest music listeners to the world of this musical marvel. You will find his words beautifully strange at first but listen, really, let him reflect his timeless voice through out you. You will hear shades of your own life, loves, fears, hopes and dreams throughout many of these tracks. The world you always wanted to live in. The girl you always wanted to fall in love with. All of this and more come to life when you press play.

Listening to Dylan is more than to hear a CD. It's an experience worthy of the Springsteen quote—You'll learn more in a three-minute record than you'll ever learn in school. You can bet The Boss was definitely talking about this timeless songwriter. Dylan is the perfect introduction to the School of Bob. This collection is separated in three CDs. The first showcases the Early Years, from 1962's "Song to Woody (Guthrie)" to 1967's "All Along the Watchtower." Disc Two focuses on the seventies, when Dylan's popularity hit its pinnacle from 1969's "Lay Lady Lay" all the way to 1985's "Not Dark Yet." The last volume in this superb collection is the Dylan of late from 1986's epic "Brownsville Girl" to 2006's "When the Deal Goes Down."

Is this the best collection available? Arguably, yes. Although I do tend to favor Biograph and the first Bootleg Series collection, Dylan is the best because of the mastering and the sequencing of the songs. Selected to stir and move you while reflecting on this amazing 3 CD set, you will discover why he is America's Poet Laureate of Rock. Throughout his many incarnations of folk singer, rock, alt-country and 21st Century rocker, Dylan has remained an artist looking forward, relented in searching for his muses through his many voices the results in this amazing collection are pure poetic gold.

So before or after watching I'm Not There, I recommend investing in this must-have document of The American Bard. Dylan will take you to places you have longed to discover inside of you. He sings for all of us in a voice sometimes not so easy to comprehend, but you will understand his message of life, love, faith and despair. Sing along and you will feel the resurrection shaking you into a personal state that reflects truth, beauty and hope that's pure Bob Dylan. Through the shadows of the past in a glimpse of the future that sounds like nothing before and after, you will be changed for the better. Believe Me—how does it feel?

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
12.05.2007