Reviews: Music/Comedy Recordings

Not many bands based out of New Mexico can make Balkan music rivaling that of gypsies and still have twenty-somethings waltzing on a Monday night. However, not all bands have the character or innovative quality of Beirut.

Animal Collective is not a band I would normally go to for deep lyrical meaning or self insight, but the band’s latest record, Strawberry Jam, released on Sept. 10, shows definitive growth as musicians and most strikingly, lyricists.

The process that transforms an indie rock band into an arena powerhouse is one of glory for its members- but may lead to confusion for their grassroots fans. Interpol’s new record, Our Love to Admire (Capitol, 2007), has begun to propel them into the realm of stardom, and seeing them live at Madison Square Garden, which has hosted the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel, just didn't seem right.

There are some musical creations out there that are so captivating, so absolutely perfect, that they belong in any serious fan's collection. These are albums that feature no filler, no missteps and no songs you could do without. In short, they are masterpieces. Fortunately, the Stony Brook Independent has dug these gems out of obscurity and is ready to present them to you in what we call "The Indy Rewind."

Before listening to Sammy Hagar's latest release, Livin' It Up, one thing must be understood: Sammy is now in this business to please himself. He's not trying to win new fans, he's not trying to break new ground - he's simply trying to do what makes him and his dedicated following of "Redheads" happy. And given that basic premise, Living It Up can certainly be considered a success.

Finding a new band that can actually produce good music is a rarity these days. In a market saturated with over-produced pop, cookie-cutter rock and other assorted atrocities, finding a new release worth laying down roughly twenty dollars for is no easy task. Luckily, there are bands like Wolfmother to make the search a little easier. As their self-titled debut proves, rock and roll is still alive and well in 2006.

Few artists have as consistently reinvented themselves as Pearl Jam has. Over the span of their sixteen year career, the band has also kept both its fans and the general public on their toes, always changing up their sound in subtle yet brilliant ways with each successive album. While other acts that surfaced in their wake have come and gone with little to no fanfare, Pearl Jam are still at it and are still a tremendous success. Their latest effort, the simply titled Pearl Jam is another step forward for the band and proves that they are one of rock music's most valuable acts to date.

The Flaming Lips have been one of the few bands keeping music interesting in the last decade or so. With so many corporate rock and pop acts cluttering the market for a quick cash-in on the latest trends, The Flaming Lips have been a constant diversion, taking new leaps and bounds with each successive release. Their last two full-length albums (1999’s The Soft Bulletin and 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots) have been testaments to the power of successful experimentation, blending traditional instrumentation with blindingly original sounds and textures. So it’s no surprise that their latest release, At War with the Mystics carries both high expectations and great anticipation with it.

For years, fans of the Black Crowes have been pining for an official video release from their heroes, yet nothing had seen the light of day. Sure, there was the excellent documentary "Who Killed That Bird Out On Your Window Sill?" from 1992, but that is long out of print and shows little footage of the band doing what they do best: performing live. Besides, the band was still embryonic at that point, not yet having released "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion" and really coming into their own. Luckily, the band has answered the call and unleashed their first in-concert DVD, "Freak n' Roll...Into the Fog" this month. And, as it turns out, the wait was more than worth it.

The cover of Paul McCartney's latest release, Chaos and Creation In the Backyard, is a picture of the former Beatle playing guitar in a typically English back garden. The McCartney in the picture is clearly very young, looking just as he did as his original band from Liverpool was about to take over the world with thier fresh and irreverent musical style. There is no title, nor mention of the legendary artist's name. It's an image of McCartney before all the hits, all the controversy, all the infighting, all the pretense. It's Paul before a good majority of the things that made him Sir McCartney were even close to happening. 
One listen to Chaos and Creation in the Backyard explains the choice for the aformentioned cover art.

Nice Talking To Me, the new album by the Spin Doctors is two things. One, it is the first instance in which the band (in any of its various incarnations) has released new music since 1999. Two, it is a reunion gathering, featuring the original band for the first time in just over a decade. Normally, these two factors would be enough information for anyone with good sense to stay away from the album. After all, reunion rehashings very rarely pan out. Instead of the band recapturing their past glory with a strong set of new, forward-moving material, most acts opting to head down the reunion trail see fit to rely on the nostaglia of their heyday alone. The usual problem with that is the band is usually not up to the challenge, the peak of both their creativity and their ability clearly in their rearview mirror.


Such is not the case for the Spin Doctors, however.

When listening to a later-era Rolling Stones album, there is one fatal mistake that virtually anyone can make: comparing said album to earlier, "classic" releases. And while the band's first album in almost a decade might be alot of things, it is not a sweeping artistic statement like Beggar's Banquet or Sticky Fingers. But that is okay, given what A Bigger Bang really is: a straight-ahead rock and roll showcase that shows the Stones in a very accomplished place.

Jim Norton is one of the best and most fearless comedic minds in the business, a man who knows little to no boundaries and never fails to take the most drastic risks with his act. His 2003 independent release "Yellow Discipline" proves these facts about Norton, providing a perfect snapshot of his on-stage performance at that time. But like any good comedian, Norton and his act have grown by leaps and bounds since that debut recording hit the market, as well as the man's popularity with audiences nationwide. Luckily, this growth is also captured on album, with the release of Norton's sophomore effort "Trinkets I Own Made From Gorilla Hands."

Just when it seems the music world is completely devoid of any valuable "new blood," along come Coldplay. The band has been keeping the music world on its toes since their debut in 2000, with the startlingly good album "Parachutes." Proving they were not a mere flash-in-the-pan, Coldplay then outdid themselves with their sophomore effort, "A Rush of Blood to the Head," which was regarded by many reputable publications as the best release of 2002. Now, in a year that has offered virtually nothing in terms of exciting new music (save for the latest from Soundtrack of Our Lives and Oasis, as well as the debut from Ray Lamontagne), here comes Coldplay to save the day again. Their latest effort, "X&Y," is a brilliant collection of songs that takes risks, sets its ambitions high and undoubtedly comes up a winner.

When you put "The Adventures of Jodelle" CD into a Mac, Itunes comes up and tells you that it is a rock CD. Now, I have to say, this CD is definetly not the kind of rock I was expecting.