You may not know their faces, or even recognize their names right off the bat. However, if I said, for instance, that John Frusciante is a member of Red Hot Chili Peppers and that Stephen Malkmus was the front man for Pavement and that Reeves Gabrels performed in David Bowie's band Tin Machine, you'd be able to make the connection.
Far more accessible than I would have expected, To Record Only Water For Ten Days ( Warner Brothers ) by John Frusciante is almost downright pop, especially on the tracks "Moments Have You," "Going Inside," "Someone's," "Remain," "Away & Anywhere," and "In Rime." However, he can also skirt the fringe, as he does on tracks such as "Wind Up Space," "Fallout," and "With No One." But really, it's no more strange than Radiohead's Kid A.
A little more hard-edged and noisy is Ulysses ( E-Magine ) by Reeves Gabrels. The album's key component is a track titled "Jewel," on which Gabrels is joined by David Bowie, Frank Black and Dave Grohl, for a track that sounds like late-'70s Bowie. Also of note is "Yesterday's Gone," co-written by The Cure's Robert Smith and featuring Smith on vocals.
When a college-radio, MTV2-type of modern rock band such as Pavement has a minor hit single ( as they did with their 1994 song "Cut Your Hair" ) , that says something about the impact of what was once known as "alternative" music. As of 1999, however, Pavement parted ways and a little more than a year later we have Stephen Malkmus's self-titled solo disc by the band's former front-man ( and his new band, the Jicks ) . You can hear the influence of Lou Reed ( another musical trendsetter who went solo after fronting a cutting-edge band ) on "Phantasies" and "The Hook" and echoes of his former band on "Church On White." "Jo Jo's Jacket," with its spoken Yul Brynner sample is as weird and wonderful as you might expect a song about the bald actor to be. He's cute and he's a fan of the late novelist and short story writer Richard Yates, so won't you take a listen?
Jon Brion, who may be best known for his production work with Rufus Wainwright and Aimee Mann, has released an album of original pop songs and one cover ( Cheap Trick's "Voices" ) titled Meaningless ( Straight To Cut-Out ) . Slightly bent Beatle-esque harmonies and arrangements distinguish these songs from the usual sensitive guy singer/songwriter types singing in subway stations. The rubbery rhythms of "I Believe She's Lying" made my heart race a bit and the musically meaningful title track has the potential to become a pop classic. You can hear traces of Mann in "Ruin My Day" ( co-written by Jeff McGregor ) and the gorgeous "Hook, Line And Sinker," while "Walking Through Walls" ( co-written by Grant Lee Phillips of Grant Lee Buffalo ) sounds like a long lost Beatles out-take. "Her Ghost" is another notable cut.
David Byrne's post-Talking Heads work has consistently been just a little too esoteric and obscure for the mainstream, albeit notable for the risks taken. Look Into The Eyeball ( Virgin/Luaka Bop ) is no exception, although it does have a few songs that are more accessible. "Like Humans Do," for instance, has a Talking Heads quality to it that could aid in getting it some attention. The same can be said for "Walk On Water," while "Neighborhood" has a pleasant retro soul sound. Tracks such as "The Accident" ( with its gorgeous string arrangement ) and the rhythmic "The Moment Of Conception" are a good example of Byrne's more experimental side. Byrne continues to incorporate a Latin influence into his songs, as you can hear on "U.B. Jesus," "Broken Things," and the wonderful "Desconcido Soy" which could be a dance club sensation with the right remix.
Blues crews
G. Love & Special Sauce @ Riviera Theater on 5.5
It's not easy living in Chicago and not being a fan of the blues. I am heartened by a new generation of artists, such as Keb' Mo, Ben Harper, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Shannon Curfman, and even lesbian blues singer Gwen Avery, who don't get bogged down in the old time "woe is me" blues style and forge ahead, blues in tow. G. Love & Special Sauce use their blues to send out positive vibes, and include elements of hip-hop, reggae and other music genres to achieve that on The Electric Mile ( Epic/Okeh ) . Love sounds like he shares a spiritual reawakening with the aforementioned Harper, as you can hear on several tracks including the uplifting "Praise Up," the acoustic "Free At Last," and the funk infused title track.
Blues and hip-hop also meet at the crossroads on the song "Higher," from Time To Discover ( RCA ) by Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise. RBBS got some MTV exposure for the song "Once Upon A Time," from their 1996 eponymous major-label debut album and this follow-up disc was worth the wait, particularly for soulful explorations such as "Baby," "Mr. Tony," "Tramp 2" ( produced by Kid Rock! ) , and "Uncle John."
A few years ago, Holly Cole revealed ( and revelled in ) the torch song elements of the songs of Tom Waits on her album Temptation. On his album Wicked Grin ( Pointblank/Virgin ) , John Hammond brings the under-the-surface blues of Tom Waits songs to our attention with his versions of a dozen Waits tunes. Waits himself plays guitar on ten of the songs, including "Clap Hands," "'Til The Money Runs Out," "Shore Leave," and "Jockey Full Of Bourbon." That's Waits, also, playing a plucked piano on "Buzz Fledderjohn."
Mark Selby's More Storms Comin' ( Vanguard ) also scales the blues guitar/vocals heights over the course of the 11 tunes that Selby wrote or co-wrote. Fellow blues upstart Kenny Wayne Shepard co-wrote the opening track, "Don't You Throw That Mojo On Me" and Kim ( "Bette Davis Eyes" ) Carnes supplies the guest vocals on "Smoked."
