Ill Bill "What's Wrong with Bill?" (Psycho Logical Records) Hip-hop
***
Ill Bill is the second solo album by the artist of the same name from the critically acclaimed underground hip-hop group Non Phixion. Bill is no stranger to controversy. As a part of Non Phixion, he has helped stir up controversy during the last few years and has surpassed his efforts as a solo artist with alarming regularity. His first single was perhaps unsurprisingly named "How to Kill a Cop." Despite the rigors both he and Non Phixion have faced from difficult record deals, Bill has a large cult following and an international fan base. It is appropriate then to ask if this new release is all controversy and hype.
"What's wrong with Bill?" shines when it comes to originality, and it's easy to see why this album will extend Bill's reign over the underground, but whether Bill will be able to break through the ceiling of the sub-airwave world remains to be seen. The music is more radio friendly than previous Ill Bill releases, but when you listen closely it's clear that Bill hasn't changed that much. The music is just as edgy and laden with profanity. The subject matter is raw and has, in this release, developed an improved sensibility to the flow of the beats. There is no doubt that the influence of Necro's production skills has aimed to cater to their current fan base. All in all, Bill and the Psycho Logical crew, which is heavily featured on the album, have taken the right move with "What's Wrong With Bill?" If this album doesn't increase its fan base then it is merely a reflection of the sad reality of the music industry. Ultimately though, it doesn't matter if this album doesn't blow up. Tracks off of the CD like "Unstoppable" and "The Final Scene" will make their mark on the cult consciousness.
-AHMED NZIBO
The Clumsy Lovers "After the Flood" (Nettwerk Records) Bluegrass
**
Noted for their distinctive fusion of eclectic music genres, the Clumsy Lovers have produced a collection of songs that defies any quick attempt at accurate description for its seventh album "After the Flood." The characteristic brand of raging bluegrass Celtic rock offered by the Lovers on its latest release is also accompanied by even more improbable hints of reggae and funk. However, the strange mix of musical styles is more overwhelming than playful, and the album unfortunately lacks any sense of coherence.
The Lovers are at their finest on innovative instrumental numbers, such as the traditional "Highland Skip," featuring dueling melody lines between fiddler Andrea Lewis and banjo and mandolin player Jason Homey. Homey, who won the Western Canada Banjo Championships both times he entered at ages 15 and 16, is perhaps the band's best asset, as his expressive and sometimes furious banjo-playing drives The Lovers' tunes, and his lilting melodies even provide a certain depth to the band's occasional ballads.
While the album is listenable, some of the Lovers' original lyrics seem a bit forced and prosaic. Though "After the Flood" easily serves as a testament to the Clumsy Lovers' versatility, the band might also do well to develop songs within just one or two genres to produce a less jumbled sound.
- JENNIFER ZUREK
Washdown "Yes to Everything" (Lookout! Records) Punk
**
Washdown's "Yes to Everything" comprises 11 decent tracks. The bouncy rhythm section makes many of the songs on this album danceable, while still maintaining a decidedly raw post-punk sound overall. Lead singer Ryan Hess shrieks stream-of-consciousness vocals throughout the record, except on "Pull. Out. Work. Space.," a strangely placed instrumental track, the inclusion of which is questionable.
In a world where the Strokes reign supreme, people will eat up anything that sounds vaguely like it was produced in a garage. The best songs on the album, "Say When," "Awful Truth" and "Killing Word," are the most successful at achieving this style, and also display the talent of Washdown's members. The rest of the tracks tend to meld together, which does not mean the band is sticking to a distinct sound - it just isn't being as creative as possible.
Washdown's debut doesn't disappoint. It just makes listeners hope for a more creative, edgy sophomore release.
- SARAH REED
Keb' Mo' "Keep It Simple" (OKeh/Epic/Sony) Blues
** 1/2
Keb' Mo' is a breath of fresh air, and "Keep It Simple" is a companion of meandering moods and textures designed to accompany a life less tortured. With the already satisfying sound of Mo's blues, he mixes developed sensibilities of bluegrass, gospel and even folk. His lyrics come as a surprise. He sings about subjects from the mundane to the utterly ridiculous. It's a style that is reminiscent of Wesley Willis, although not as prodigally inspired as the genius of the late Willis.
"Keep It Simple" is also pop-palatable. This is Mo's third album, and admittedly Mo' has come to be drawn to mainstream sensibilities. His awareness of this, though, is a plus. Somewhere between his last album and this album, Mo's lyrics have developed away from the edge of the dangerously "kumbaya"-style campfire sound that had threatened to ruin this album.
Mo' is not what most would think of as a bluesman. He is no B.B. King or Ray Charles and sadly lacks that edge that would make his music something to share. It is sophisticated and polished music that most of all communicates mood.
- A.N.
Decahedron "Disconnection Imminent" (Lovit Records) Punk
* 1/2
Decahedron is interesting. By interesting, though, the band is disturbingly intriguing like a cool scar or an unsightly growth. In "Disconnection Imminent," the aesthetic approach is based on a good sense for the synthesis of all the sounds.
This album exhibits great technical beauty, but it just doesn't have that necessary draw. It is a record that shows signs that the band listens to its own work with a critical ear, paying heed to complex arrangements that will appeal to many listeners. It is, however, missing an element that is difficult to describe. Without this charisma (for lack of a better word), the remaining elements, as rich in their qualities as they are, stand like tragic redundancies of style.
It is tough to appreciate this album,although many may disagree with that. There is the possibility that, in due time, the music could grow on you, and if any album could, this would be the one. Ultimately, the cost of this distinction is just too high on "Disconnection Imminent."
- A.N.
Ani DiFranco "Educated Guess" (Righteous Babe Records) Folk
**
Ani DiFranco's new album, "Educated Guess," is all Ani. Literally a one-woman show, this alternative self-described "little folksinger" writer wrote, sang, played, recorded and mixed every single track; the album was even released by DiFranco's own record company, Righteous Babe Records. The do-it-yourself approach speaks volumes about DiFranco's talents, but it is seemingly appropriate, matching the honest, intimate lyrics that give the disc an unpretentious simplicity of just a woman and her guitar. Unlike some of her newer releases that feature a band and funky, jazzier tracks, "Guess" consists of a retro-Ani style, uncomplicated acoustic guitar and straightforward, personal lyrics. However, it lacks a serious amount of linearity, and the music suffers. The tracks meander back and forth between song and spoken word, and while her rhythmic, wordsmith work is impressive, the sound often lags and even suffers.
In tracks like "Bodily" and "Animal," the lyrics are nearly nagging, as if begging to be turned off. The lyrics are powerful, but the disjointed guitar often detracts from the flow of the song. Always the indignant protestor, a DiFranco album wouldn't be complete without her reproachful criticism of mainstream anything. She attacks gender, consumerism, even American pride. The title track, which coincidentally is the album's only redeeming quality, betrays the staccato sound of most of the songs with its groovier jazz sound.
Ani DiFranco sets the bar high for provocative creativity, and has established her own indie folk groove time and time again on previous albums. While the independence of the album is impressive, "Educated Guess" is a letdown to DiFranco's previous standards.
- MEGAN SLACK
Bob Dylan "Live at Philharmonic Hall October 31, 1964" (Columbia Records) Classic rock
****
The Bob Dylan Bootleg Series issued by Columbia Records has given longtime fans of Dylan performance releases thoughts not soon to be forgotten. This particular performance is volume six in the series, and captures Dylan as we all want to remember him - young, reckless and ready to take on the establishment.
A year before he revolutionized music and went electric with "Highway 61 Revisited," this two-disc set shows a 23-year-old Dylan playing fast, loose and political with littleknown classics as "John Birch Society Depression Blues" as well as familiar songs such as "Mr. Tambourine Man."
The performance is almost purely folk with a good amount of power on the tracks featuring Joan Baez, particularly the strong anti-war statements in "With God on Our Side." If you're the type of listener who digs heavy lyricism with bluesy harmonica chords and light acoustic guitar riffs, this is your album
- NEAL FERSKO
Preservation Hall Jazz Band "Shake That Thing" (Preservation Hall Recordings) Jazz
*** 1/2
With "Shake That Thing," the Preservation Hall Jazz Band proves why its reputation as the gatekeeper of the New Orleans Jazz legacy is well observed. The music on display here is sometimes silky smooth, other times thick as molasses, but always entertaining and never over the top. The inclusion of "Eh la bas" is a good toe-tapping tribute to the French Quarter, while "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" harkens back to the spiritual roots of jazz and its importance in the evolution of gospel. Add to those tracks traditional standards like Gershwin's "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," and you have an almost perfect introduction to the legacy of New Orleans and the vitality of its music scene to this very day.
- N.F.
