Trax
By Bliss 09/08/2011
BLITZEN TRAPPER, American Goldwing (Sub Pop): (4.5 stars out of 5)
More accessible than “Destroyer of the Void,” “American Goldwing” carries on the time-honored tradition of ’70s roadtripping rock with 11 songs well steeped in the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and The Band. Frontman Eric Earley’s lyrics are simultaneously thoughtful and mysterious, referencing small towns happily left in the dust and loves lost and mourned, while the band cuts loose with more roadhouse-friendly jams. By the time he promises “When I’m gone you’ll know me by the friends I leave behind” in closing track “Stranger in a Strange Land,” you get the feeling they’ll form quite a long funeral procession. Already in the front running for one of 2011’s best. blitzentrapper.net
CAPTAIN PLANET, Cookin’ Gumbo (Bastard Jazz): (4 stars out of 5)
The New York deejay (civilian name Charlie Wilder) follows up a trio of 12” EPs with this full-length platter of “gumbo funk,” 12 tracks of addictive dance grooves culled from far-flung corners of the globe and reprocessed through electronic filters and a forward-looking hip-hop sensibility. Lead track “Ram Ad Infinitum” is an Asian-flavored fever dream that should appeal to club denizens and Dengue Fever fans alike; elsewhere, LA vocalist Brit Laurén Christina Aguilera-esque stylings heat up “Get You Some” and “Burn Baby Burn,” while “Ningané” rocks Afrobeat tradition and “Speakin’ Nyorican” issues invitations dancers won’t be likely to refuse. Record release party tonight at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. facebook.com/DJCaptainPlanet
THE CREOLE CHOIR OF CUBA, Tande-La (RealWorld): (4 stars out of 5)
This vibrant 10-voice choir celebrates survival, the power of spirit and Haitian ancestors throughout this musically uplifting collection. Freedom songs, story songs, spiritual songs, love songs, protest songs and a once-banned voodoo song (“Fey [Faith]”) are delivered over Caribbean rhythms that tug at the body even as the full-throated vocals and complex harmonies stir the emotions. It isn’t necessary to understand Creole to be moved by the depth of feeling they express. realworldrecords.com/artists/the-creole-choir-of-cuba
NICK LOWE, The Old Magic (Yep Roc): (4 stars out of 5)
A wittily disarming, insightfully crafted collection of melodic tunes from the onetime New Wave wonder, with guest appearances from Ron Sexsmith, Jimmie Vaughan and Squeeze keyboardist Paul Carrack. Confessions from Johnny Cash’s onetime son-in-law like “I’m a sensitive man but first impressions could steer you wrong” bring to mind longtime colleague Elvis Costello, but the tinkling piano and light/hearted horn lines behind them evoke ’60s countrypolitan and romantic pop standards. nicklowe.net
More accessible than “Destroyer of the Void,” “American Goldwing” carries on the time-honored tradition of ’70s roadtripping rock with 11 songs well steeped in the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and The Band. Frontman Eric Earley’s lyrics are simultaneously thoughtful and mysterious, referencing small towns happily left in the dust and loves lost and mourned, while the band cuts loose with more roadhouse-friendly jams. By the time he promises “When I’m gone you’ll know me by the friends I leave behind” in closing track “Stranger in a Strange Land,” you get the feeling they’ll form quite a long funeral procession. Already in the front running for one of 2011’s best. blitzentrapper.net
CAPTAIN PLANET, Cookin’ Gumbo (Bastard Jazz): (4 stars out of 5)
The New York deejay (civilian name Charlie Wilder) follows up a trio of 12” EPs with this full-length platter of “gumbo funk,” 12 tracks of addictive dance grooves culled from far-flung corners of the globe and reprocessed through electronic filters and a forward-looking hip-hop sensibility. Lead track “Ram Ad Infinitum” is an Asian-flavored fever dream that should appeal to club denizens and Dengue Fever fans alike; elsewhere, LA vocalist Brit Laurén Christina Aguilera-esque stylings heat up “Get You Some” and “Burn Baby Burn,” while “Ningané” rocks Afrobeat tradition and “Speakin’ Nyorican” issues invitations dancers won’t be likely to refuse. Record release party tonight at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. facebook.com/DJCaptainPlanet
THE CREOLE CHOIR OF CUBA, Tande-La (RealWorld): (4 stars out of 5)
This vibrant 10-voice choir celebrates survival, the power of spirit and Haitian ancestors throughout this musically uplifting collection. Freedom songs, story songs, spiritual songs, love songs, protest songs and a once-banned voodoo song (“Fey [Faith]”) are delivered over Caribbean rhythms that tug at the body even as the full-throated vocals and complex harmonies stir the emotions. It isn’t necessary to understand Creole to be moved by the depth of feeling they express. realworldrecords.com/artists/the-creole-choir-of-cuba
NICK LOWE, The Old Magic (Yep Roc): (4 stars out of 5)
A wittily disarming, insightfully crafted collection of melodic tunes from the onetime New Wave wonder, with guest appearances from Ron Sexsmith, Jimmie Vaughan and Squeeze keyboardist Paul Carrack. Confessions from Johnny Cash’s onetime son-in-law like “I’m a sensitive man but first impressions could steer you wrong” bring to mind longtime colleague Elvis Costello, but the tinkling piano and light/hearted horn lines behind them evoke ’60s countrypolitan and romantic pop standards. nicklowe.net
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