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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Super Seven CD Reviews
Wednesday 22 January @ 12:01:56 |
 by Celeste Tabora
You heard it here first, folks: Seven important new albums, a bunch of which have yet to hit the stands. Celeste will keep you in-the-know.
Joan of Arc
So Much Staying Alive And Lovelessness
(Jade Tree)
Release date: February 4, 2003
This is JOA’s fourth full-length album release. Fans of this band may have noticed a two-year dry spell from this Chicago avant-garde staple (not counting members’ side projects like Owen, Owls, Friend/Enemy). Two years in the making was two years well worth the wait. This is this band’s most cohesive album to date, staying true to its strange roots but making it more listenable and digestable. Just check “Perfect Need and Perfect Completion” or “Mr. Participation Billy,” the latter of which has a wonderful piano part. If you are looking to accept JOA into your life but have been warded off by the previous release’s weirdness, this is a good one to experiment with.
Seville
Take Me Home…
(Purple Skunk)
Fave: “Elise”
Isn’t it strange to find a totally radio friendly, catchy alternative rock disc put out on a very indie label? Seville are from Virginia and would be a great purchase for you indie-pop-rock fans who couldn’t get enough of the poppier side of Cadillac Blindside, The Stereo, or Ted Leo & The Pharmacists.
Cat Power
You Are Free
(Matador)
Release date: Feb. 18, 2003
It’s been so long since we’ve heard Cat Power. Sure, you can count The Covers Record. But that wasn’t Cat Power now was it? This long awaited disc is so satisfying, you’ll forgive the tantrumatic Chan Marshall for taking her sweet time in letting us peek into her musical prowess once again. “I Don’t Blame You” is driven by a few chords on piano: it is simplicity at it’s prettiest. “He War” shows a rockier side of Cat Power, perhaps inspired by working with engineer Adam Kaspar . (He has perviously worked with Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters.) Miss Marshall has produced another great album: it’s certain to be one of the best of 2003, if not beyond.
Grand Mal
Bad Timing
(Arena Rock Recording Co.)
Your first impression of Grand Mal might be that of a garage band inspired by Gospel music and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” (Think “Time Warp.”) By the third track, however, they mellow out and become sweet and loveable rock. The vocals seem somewhat flimsy, the melodies are kinda forgettable and weak, but it wouldn’t kill you to hear this disc. Sorta ho-hum.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nocturama
(Mute/Anti)
Release date: February 4, 2003
C’mon people—they’re legendary! It’s Nick Cave! It’s The Bad Seeds! This twelfth record, another beautifully dark and moody disc, is just a continuation of this man’s & band’s musical genius. The sessions took place in early 2002, when the band decided to use free time on an Australian tour to try out new compositions. They ended up learning and recording the album in a week. The idea was, says Cave, to record with the same time constraints they used in the old days. He wrote each [song’s music and lyrics at a shot, without reflecting on them thereafter. The result is an honest, raw, and alluring album.
The Shipping News
Three-Four
(Quarterstick)
Release date: Feb. 18, 2003
Shipping News formed as a result of Jeff Mueller and Jason Noble writing and recording music for the NPR program “This American Life.” They were joined later by Kyle Crabtree, completing the band. “Three-Four” is a collection of three perviously-released EPs; but with three new songs as a bonus, this is still an important disc for Shipping News fans. The music is heavy, driving, dim, and hard-hitting—romantic and sexy in the way David Lynch’s films can be. Buy now or forever hold your ears.
Dirty Three
She Has No Strings Apollo
(Touch & Go)
Release date: Feb. 18, 2003
A friend once said that The Dirty Three never change—that every album sounds more-or-less the same. I agree, however I must add that every Dirty Three release has been exceptional, far exceeding those of other bands that employ as imilar sound. She Has No Strings is the sixth album from this Australian band, and like all of their previous critically-acclaimed releases, it delivers D3’s trademark sepulchral passion, as performed on Tolkien’s middle-earth-like instrumentation.
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