LEND ME YOUR EARS
By Al Kaufman
Joe Jackson
RAIN
Rykodisc
For a man who claims he keeps moving forward, Joe Jackson has been doing a lot of looking back these past few years. He reunited his original 1979 band for his 2003 release, VOLUME 4, then went on to release some greatest hit and live albums before coming out with this year’s RAIN. And let’s not forget that “One More Time,” from 1979’s brilliant debut, LOOK SHARP, currently appears in Taco Bell ads.
While RAIN offers nothing more than a career retrospective, albeit with new material, one needs to remember what a magnificent career Jackson has had. The man has been able to morph from ska, to urban pop, to classical, and finally to jazz and swing quite effortlessly. The songs on RAIN, while providing nothing new musically, demonstrate the full command Jackson has over the music he plays. His voice remains strong and his piano playing as glorious as ever. He bangs the keys on “Citizen Sane,” then follows that with some tender twinkling on a typical Jackson ballad, “Wasted Time.” There’s some BEAT CRAZY-era music, with the likes of “King Pleasure Time.” The only major misstep is his attempt to blend jazz with ‘60s Motown on “Uptown Train.” The piano swings, but Jackson’s attempts at falsetto are grating. Much of this CD is loaded with the big sound that Jackson mastered in the ‘80s and ‘90s on CDs such as NIGHT AND DAY and BIG WORLD. They are songs that are able to rock, but grandiose enough that at the end you feel the need to exhale. Lyrically, he has become less pedantic and more introspective (which comes with being 53). But he certainly retains his sharp wit and self-depreciating humor. On the rich “Too Tough,” he describes himself thusly: “I’m just a diva with a tragic touch.” Vintage Jackson.
Monster in the Machine
BUTTERFLY PINNED
Emotional Syphon
Monster in the Machine is the first artist signed to Korn guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer’s label, Emotional Syphon. But don’t let that sway you. All similarities between Monster and Korn end there.
Monster is essentially the brainchild of musician and artist Shannon Crawford, who obviously grew up during the prog-rock heydays of the ‘70s. His trippy guitars and keyboards swirl and twirl as he earnestly pleads “Let me save you from your mind” on the opening track, “Fear of the Mind.” It’s the kind of stuff that Jack Black parodies so well in Tenacious D, but Crawford is as earnest as a James Stewart character. He chose the title of his CD to symbolize death for vanity, and somehow relates it to the war in Iraq. He spouts like a first-year philosophy major that you would like to agree with, but know that what he really needs is just a big reality slap.
But the music sure is pretty. Gently melodic, it offers a lush pillow for his sensitive lyrics. Yet Crawford is more chameleon-like than that. “Under Your Shadow” recalls the Church in their heyday, and it is followed by the Depeche Mode-inspired, melancholic electronic sounds of “One Way Trip.” There’s even some industrial noise on “Dog.” It’s all interesting stuff that deserves a repeated listen. Just don’t delve too deep.
Romantica
AMERICA
2024 Records
If Romantica prove anything, they prove that it takes a transplanted Irishman to make a true American record. While pining for days of playing cricket and soccer, Ben Kyle, who currently resides in Minneapolis, Minn., is able to eloquently convey the American desires of love, God and acceptance. Kyle’s voice and musical stylings owe a great deal to Jeff Tweedy and Wilco, the ultimate Americana band. Jesse Greene’s strings and Eric Heywood’s pedal steel guitar add to the richness of the songs, which sound like they come from deep in the heartland. “Just walkin’ round lookin’ for a melody/Or someone who could sell me the world” sings Kyle on “How to Live in the Modern World.” While he may not find the latter, he has found the former in droves. The songs are so accessible that they sound deceptively simple, but with each additional listen, they become more and more complex, and more and more beautiful.
God or Julie
THIS ROAD BEFORE
Trash Box Records
Don’t trust a CD by its cover. With their intriguing name and wonderful cover artwork that resembles Alice in Wonderland as done by Tim Burton, God or Julie looks like one of the most original bands to come along in some time.
Then the music starts and it becomes obvious that this is just another modern rock band that sounds like all the other innocuous bands played on the radio. Brothers Jon Paul and Adam Johnson were first influenced by blues legends like Robert Johnson. Then they unfortunately developed a fondness for Britpop and Marvelous 3, and all the soul they may have once had fell by the wayside. For this, their debut, the New York-based band chose David Bendeth (Vertical Horizon, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus) as executive producer and Aaron Johnson (The Fray) for additional production. The CD has that big, loud, polished feel. Punishing guitars abound, and Jon Paul’s wails soar above the cacophony. It’s nothing new. In fact, the opening riffs to “Waste Your Tears” are the exact same as those of The Knack’s “My Sharona.” But if you’re just dying for another loud, polished guitar band with a large-lunged singer, you could do worse than God or Julie.
Oh, and as for the name; that’s not even original to them. It seems they have a friend who only writes songs about God or his wife, Julie. That guy should name himself God or Julie, not these guys.
Alex Nackman
STILL LIFE MOVES
Long Road
For inexplicable reasons, lots of people like Coldplay. Alex Nackman must, too. Like Coldplay’s Chris Martin, what Nackman’s slightly whiney voice lacks depth, he makes up for it with his earnestness. Like Coldplay, most of the Brit-Pop influenced melodies on STILL LIFE MOVES are layered on a gentle piano and can best be described as “pretty.” Like Coldplay, many of the songs seem to have an intense, personal meaning. But mostly like Coldplay, all the music merges into one, ultimately forgettable song. Unlike Chris Martin, Nackman is a good songwriter, but he would benefit from some musical and vocal variation. But the biggest difference between Nackman and Coldplay is that Nackman doesn’t have a huge publicity machine forcing his way into our ears. Too bad. If the two bands changed places, few would know the difference.
Kim Kline
KIM KLINE
Self-release
It would be easy to dismiss Kim Kline as another bleached-blonde rocker, and you’d be right. But when it comes right down to it, women who write their own material and really know how to rock are a rare breed. We’re talking the Joan Jetts, Lita Fords and, yes, even the Pat Benatars of the world here. The high school girls want to be them, and the high school boys want to get spanked by them. Add Kim Kline’s name to that list. Yes, she can look and talk tough. “You wanna use me/I’ll use you, too,” she confidently sings to some poor boy on “No Fool.” Of course, every rocker needs their power ballad, and “Dreams” fits the bill here. It shows that under that tough exterior, Kline really is just a sweet girl from Texas. Nothing groundbreaking here; just a girl who likes to rock, and she does it well.
