Reviews the Freaks Country-Fried Numbers and Sunny, As Opposed to the Extended Solos Sweet Pop Rock Tunes
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Alex Bleeker & Reviews The Freaks country-fried numbers and sunny, as opposed to the extended solos sweet pop rock tunes. When Bleeker typical of Jaga’s previous live output. gets it right, his songs are absolutely The end result is a significant lovely—the gentle, shuffling “Home I expansion of Jaga’s deep and Love” and the uptempo “Who Are modernist take on jazz. Wayan Zoey You Seeing?” are a musical spring afternoon, chirping birds and all. Mystical Weapons At times, that haze bogs down the Mystical Weapons CHIMERA album’s flow—“Time Cloud” is On their self-titled exactly that, three minutes spent debut, Mystical in a cloud without any momentum. Weapons, the thrilling How Far Away is not bad by any instrumental improv trio stretch, but it’s so feather-light that of Deerhoof drummer it just floats away. Justin Jacobs Greg Saunier, multi-instrumentalist Sean Lennon and video artist Martha The Black Crowes Colburn, explore a variety of aural Wiser for the Time Rich’s sprawling slide solo, and a ideas. The crunchy, bashing “Goddess SILVER ARROW/MEGAFORCE version of “She Talks to Angels” Terence Higgins’ Curlers” hews close to punk. “Silk Farewell tour? pumped up with the kind of Swampgrease II Screen Eyes” meditates on mallet Thankfully, two decades emotional drama and musical Rage ‘Til Sunrise percussion. “Dirty Neon” is ominous, weren’t enough for intensity that the Crowes bring on GRIS GRIS BAG ENtertAINMENT featuring ringing ivory tickling and The Black Crowes. their best nights. There are more It’s been half a century subtle drumming. And with its spooky Celebrating their peaks than valleys, with highlights since New Orleans organ and sobbing underwater guitar, relaunch, Chris and Rich Robinson including an ambling “Smile;” a gave birth to funk the psychedelic ballad “Distant City” and their mostly long-running backwoods-stomping “Garden Gate;” music and if the could perfectly score a nightmare. bandmates are releasing 26 tunes a boozy, bluesy “Darling of the work of groups like Other pieces cycle through multiple from a five-night New York City run Underground Press;” a gospel- Swampgrease are any indication, moods. “Gross Domestic Happiness” from the band’s half-acoustic, half- charged “Soul Singing;” a nicely then the genre is as alive as ever in the seizes on a dark but catchy bass line electric 2010 tour—the tracks are crunchy, distortion-edged “Exit;” Big Easy. The band, led by drummer that leads to punishing kit work—a available on four vinyl LPs and via and an aptly raucous “Tied Up & Terence Higgins (Dirty Dozen Brass hypnotic section that recalls Pink digital download. Some hits are here, Swallowed.” Wiser or not, the Crowes Band, Warren Haynes Band), finds a Floyd’s “On The Run”—cathartic with an unplugged “Jealous Again” still bring the revved-up R&B and way to flirt with all sorts of styles guitar wailing and a big, hateful riff spiked with honky-tonk piano and rawk. Philip Booth while keeping things grounded in that swaps itself out for peaceful filthy, funky grooves. “Destination” electric piano. Brad Farberman pays tribute to old school R&B, “Rage ‘Til Sunrise” explodes like rock and Mark Kozelek & ESSENTIAL ATHENS ROCK roll dynamite and “Def Of Fusion” Jimmy LaValle showcases extended interplay that Perils from the Sea CALDO VERDE Dead Confederate would put plenty of jambands to Perils from the Sea could In The Marrow SPIDERBOMB/REDEYE shame. Those tracks, along with a prove to be the most Dead Confederate’s latest album In The Marrow myriad of Meters-inspired tunes, intriguing album of maintains the psychedelic/grunge/early-‘90s alt-rock make for a dense record. There’s a 2013. No matter who mash-up found on the Athens, Ga.-based band’s first two lot going on for sure, but with Higgins makes a more musically full-length albums. However, it abandons the raw anger at the helm it’s all smooth sailing. adventurous one—or who writes that drove their 2008 debut Wrecking Ball and restores Sam D’Arcangelo catchier songs—it’s unlikely that any the personality lost on 2010’s Sugar. Most of the eight tracks are down- non-hip-hop album will tell as many tempo, angst-driven, haunting rock ballads that build with intensity. Jaga Jazzist stories in such a conversational Opener “Slow Poisons,” a high point that originally appeared as a demo Live with Britten Sinfonia context. The lyric sheet that comes on the band’s Sunday Archive Series, sounds like being stuck in the NINJA TUNE with the album is a necessary friend. desert—desperate, delirious and alone. The hypnotic song puts the The live album isn’t It unravels the mumbled lines of Sun listener in a trance as drawn-out vocals melt into distortion. Other anything new in the Kil Moon’s Mark Kozelek that often standout songs include the upbeat, guitar-heavy tracks “Vacations” world of jambands. sneak behind the synthesizer chords and “Bleed-Through,” both of which sound almost euphoric compared Normally, they serve as and muted beats of The Album Leaf’s to the darker tones that tend to overwhelm the rest of the album. a document of how Jimmy LaValle. Some tunes are Sarah A. McCarty bands stretch and manipulate their truth barely altered, such as songs in real-time before an audience. “Gustavo,” which pays odd and Futurebirds Rarely is any material rearranged for funny tribute to Koz’s errant general Baba Yaga FAT POSSUM a live document, let alone composed contractor, while “You Missed My Your typical alt-country bar band audience isn’t going to specifically for a given performance. Heart” is a tale of murder and death be all that enthralled with frictionless, esoteric fare, just Jaga Jazzist buck all of those trends as poetic fiction. For Kozelek, there like your average psychedelic, art-rock crowd isn’t going on their latest effort. Recorded at isn’t anything he can’t rhyme or to go gaga for thoroughly down-to-earth music. Two EPs Rockefeller in Oslo, and performed make into song. Lavalle’s occasional and a pair of albums into their career, Athens, Ga.’s with accompaniment from Britten upbeat arrangements kick him past Futurebirds have a pretty solid grasp on how to split the difference. Sinfonia, this album features his slow and steady comfort zone Baba Yaga—their first Fat Possum release—has a little something for selections from Jaga’s three most for a few well-deserved surprises. everyone who’s ever found anything to like on The Byrds’ iconic 1968 recent Ninja Tune releases, plus Rob O’Connor album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Baba Yaga unfolds at a languid pace “Prungen,” an new original written by without losing its rock attack. Some of the shaggy, occasionally surreal bass clarinetist Lars Horntveth for Peter Rowan songwriting even makes room for red-blooded, countrified hooks. But this collaboration. The older songs The Old School COMPASS it’s the spindly Telecaster figures and the crystalline arcs of steel guitar— clock in at up to twice their original Although he’s all of it positively doused in reverb—that do the most for the album’s length—save for the already heavily occasionally veered and allure. Jewly Hight orchestrated “Toccata” and the experimented, Peter compact “Oslo Skyline”—thanks to Rowan’s comfort zone the symphony-friendly arrangements, has always been pure, 90 | WWW.RELIX.COM | JUNE 2013.