Jadakiss "Kiss of Death" (Ruff Ryder/Interscope) Sounds Like: Dr. Dre chilling out more. B+
In today's world of mainstream rap it seems like it is all about ignorant yet club-ready chants (Lil Jon) and over-the-top gangsta action (G-Unit). So is there any way you can make a club-ready record by avoiding simplistic chants and unrealistic and excessive claims of violence and still be popular? Well, Jadakiss makes a really good try at it on "Kiss of Death." Although "Kiss of Death" is thick with drug references, Jadakiss shows an unusual sense of responsibility and honesty that is so uncommon in mainstream rap. "Kiss of Death" also has some great jazz-driven beats that don't completely rely on using older songs on fast-forward (sorry Kanye!). Speaking of Kanye West, he actually makes an appearance on "Getting It In," a humorous send up of girls trying to get into clubs with famous rappers. "Kiss of Death" also features great cameos by Pharrell, DJ Quik, Mariah Carey and, of course, Nate Dogg. The worst cameo by far is Eminem, who has failed to be good in anything recently. Overall "Kiss of Death" isn't revolutionary but it is catchy and stands out from the rap pack by showing as much maturity as a big time rapper can. -JORGE DEL PINAL
Various Artists "Take Action Volume 4" (Sub City Records) Sounds Like: A lot of independent labels pushing new bands B-
Another year, another "Take Action" CD. This two-CD set features 41 up-and-coming and well-established artists from the punk, emo, indie, metal and hardcore worlds who all support the Take Action program, which advocates for suicide prevention among teens. The most well known of these are Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Pedro the Lion, NOFX and Shadows Fall. As with the previous Take Action records, most of the songs featured on the record aren't really geared toward suicide prevention, but are more of a show of support for the program from the music community. The CD is really more of a platform to showcase new bands than it is to prevent suicide. This is further confirmed by the fact that only 5 percent of the retail price goes to preventing suicide. Another problem with the record is that most of the songs featured aren't exclusive and can be found on the artists' CDs. Despite this, there are many good songs from up and comers like Boys Night Out, Hawthorne Heights, Underoath, the Early November, Hidden in Plain View, Brazil, Haste and Mae. Overall "Take Action 4" seems like a new artist sampler disguised under a nice idea. Despite not really doing anything for the prevention of suicide, the two CDs do have some great songs and is worth checking out if you are looking for new bands to listen to. -JORGE DEL PINAL
Jimmie's Chicken Shack "Re.present" (Koch Records) Sounds like: The guys who sang "Do Right" decided they wanted to be a harder band. C+
For those of you who remember Jimmie's Chicken Shack from their catchy single of many years ago ("Do Right") and the funny looking singer with the dread locks, prepare for a new band. This time around, the band takes a darker and more melodic tone to their music with their latest release, "Represent." "Falling Out" leads off the album, featuring Aaron Lewis of Staind and has a very Tool-esque feel. In "Ghettoverit," the group returns to the Shack we all know in their version of "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)." It's a catchy song that sings of rides breaking down, getting dissed by your bros, and hangin' with the hos. Most of the tracks are generally heavier, but some contain an aspect from the last look at the band. If the rhythms are more upbeat then the vocals are really heavy. If it's a darker melody, then the vocals are lighter. "Re.present" is not very musically strong. It depends on exceptional singing or complicated guitar riffs that aren't there. The vocals are average and the melodies are conventional. It's a very average record at best. -ALICIA KRAWITZ
The Exies "Head for the Door" (Virgin Records) Sounds Like: Radio-friendly post-grunge without the vomit, or if bands like Hoobastank and Trapt didn't suck. B
The Exies sound destined for success in the U.S. market. "Head for the Door" is the rocking follow-up to the Exies' underrated 2003 debut "Inertia." This sophomore release is overall heavier and darker, more in the vein of last year's hit single "My Goddess."
Taking their name from John Lennon's term for art students, the quartet possesses the uncanny ability to craft flowing post-grunge rock grooves that are short and sleek enough for the radio but at the same time more musically complex than many other Nirvana-influenced bands. Lead singer Scott Stevens has a nice range, and is able to keep a sense of melody while yelling and still sound capable while crooning in the band's quieter moments. The Exies' best songs feature driving and extremely catchy rhythm guitar riffs. The opener "Slow Drain" sets the album's charging mood immediately, climaxing in a screaming guitar solo. The crunchy next track, "Splinter," quickens the pace all the more. Later on, "F.S.O.S." ("False Sense of Security") incorporates a fun punk-rock beat that's hard not to bob your head to.
Virgin Records probably chose "Ugly" as the first single because it sounds the most like what's on the radio today. It's average at best and may put off those who fear being associated with anything mainstream.
That said, the real stinker on the album is "Tired of You." The Exies have a tendency to get a little clich? when they get sensitive, and "Tired of You," the only truly low-key song on the album, sounds like "The Reason" by Hoobastank with the lyric "the reason is you" replaced by the equally lame line "not tired of you." Be thankful for the skip button on your CD player. But "Head for the Door" is a great album of straightforward modern rock 'n' roll. The Exies are great at keeping things simple and lively, yet blow most radio-friendly hard rock bands out of the water. -ADAM BENDER
Daniel Johnston & Assorted Artists "The Late Great Daniel Johnston Discovered, Covered" (Gammon Records) Sounds like: Daniel Johnston originals, and his contemporaries covering them. A-
Daniel Johnston's music is off-key, childish, repetitive, simplistic and more than a little grating. It's also kind of brilliant. Johnston's career as a songwriter, musician, and artist over the past 20 years has always been a delicate balancing act between high ambition and severe bouts of manic depression. "The Late Great Daniel Johnson" is two disc set, with one disc serving as a "Best of " compilation while the other features top independent recording artists covering the exact same songs. Johnson's performance of his own music relies heavily on over articulation, but manages to be sincere and inviting. The tracks selected for the disc of Johnston singing are compiled from crude bootlegs tapes and more polished albums. "Story of an Artist" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievance" in particular encompass the themes of Johnston 's work and life, the juxtaposition of child-like wonderment and painful alienating sorrow. On the same disc is an amazing gallery of 150 of Johnston 's drawings, detailing his obsession with comic book heroes and bright pastels that can be accessed on a PC drive. The disc of covers might one of the best compilations to come out in years. Tom Waits, Guster, Death Cab for Cutie, T.V. on the Radio and Beck and many others successfully lend their voices to Johnston's words, fleshing out their talents in a decidedly low-fi atmosphere. Like Bob Dylan, the limitations of the Johnston's s range and perspective allows his music to be covered easily. With this advantage, they all do justice to Johnston's sentiments paying homage to his themes rather than trying to claim his life's work as their own. -NEAL FERSKO
The Icarus Line "Penance Soiree" (V2 Records) Sounds like: Over dramatic, moody rawk with entirely too much 'tude to function properly. D
The Icarus Line try really hard to be in your face, squeezing as much hard-rock posturing into a set as possible. If you've ever had this misfortune of seeing them live, then you already know this. You listen to the record, and you hear the same formula used by everyone on the hard rock/blues-metal circuit these days: mid-tempo pseudo-dirges that go nowhere, MC5-esque hollers, and general uninspired noise that the band can look cool to. The songs all sound the same. Singer Joe Cardamone is always belting his high-pitched melody-less lines, trying in vain to conjure up some soul; the guitarists pound away at these boring bluesy riffs. Everything drips of fuzzy distortion that distracts more than anything.
What the Icarus Line doesn't realize is that loud squawky guitars and rawkin' guitar god poses does not a good music make. Bottom line, The Icarus Line lack substance. Maybe if they got rid of their goth boy uniforms and get pull their heads out of their nether regions they'd be alright. -CHRIS DeWITT
