Disco Biscuits’ ‘Planet Anthem’ Sits Between Highs and Lows

The genre-crossing jam outfit Disco Biscuits spent years in the studio between tours and while the process didn’t produce an album in a timely fashion, the often-delayed Planet Anthem finally became a realization right in the midst of their most recent tour.

Picking from a multitudes of genres, the Disco Biscuits are a group known for blending a fusion of trance, electronica and rock and putting it together in one jam band package ranging from tight studio-produced tracks to lengthy, extended live jams.

Planet Anthem represents that variety in genre that the Disco Biscuits are able to easily touch upon. But in the form of a studio album, it becomes a sort of double edge sword. While the variety in style is most welcoming, the album hardly flows seamlessly, as the transition from the trip-hop inspired track “Rain Song” to the rather standard and unimpressive rock tune “Fish Out of Water” is somewhat strange.

From there the back end of the album turns right to the track “Sweatbox,” where vocals come in the form of a hip-hop style instead of the Weezer-like verses sang in the previous tune. These awkward transitions show the band’s range to play all genres, but it doesn’t sit well when listening to the album from start to finish, especially on an initial listen. After a few listens it certainly begins to grow.

The album does have a few really interesting and catch tunes, such as charged-up “On Time” and the more downplayed album opener “Loose Change.” The first video single off the album, “You and I,” is the albums quickest dash of enjoyment.

But after the highs and lows of Planet Anthem I still sit on the fence with the Disco Biscuits. Nothing ever stands out and nothing ever disappoints. Since my jam band love sits with groups like Phish, Grateful Dead and Umphrey’s McGee, it might just be that the Disco Biscuits are a bit too electronic for my tastes. That or they’re simply an average band better built for the live stage.

Jaga Jazzist Brings Forth A Creative Balance In Latest Album

Never have I heard so much Frank Zappa since the late mustached man played his last note.

Save for cover bands, tribute bands, the remaining members of Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and Dweezil Zappa’s channeling of his father’s music via Zappa Plays Zappa, Norwegian jazz and experimental band Jaga Jazzist can’t help but make one think of the more experimental and strange side of the legendary musician.

Title track “One-Armed Bandit” seriously sounds like a forgotten B-side that might have been lost among Zappa’s countless recordings. The song screams to make you think of Zappa’s classic “Peaces en Regalia,” among other tunes.

But even with such comparisons, Jaga Jazzist front man Lars Horntveth is a brilliant mind of his own. Not straight jazz, not straight anything for that matter, the 10-piece instrumental band’s latest album is an influx of electronic beats, keyboards, trumpets, tubas and also the more standard guitar and bass. Tweaked with a hint of progressive rock as well as a classical base, Jaga Jazzist is a boldly original sounding group. A sound they’ve been evolving ever since their acclaimed debut album A Livingroom Hush was released in 2001.

The album reaches a Philip Glass-sounding level with their effectively repetitive track “Toccata,” a piece that builds up in strength like the most polished and planned might.

Also standing out is “Prognissekongen,” a track whose opening notes reminisce of great progressive rock bands like King Crimson or Yes. Soon thereafter the track molds into Jaga Jazzist’s own style, complete with the pounding addition of trumpets and tubas. The album comes to a chilling end with the slower beats of “Touch of Evil.”

The complex sounding One-Armed Bandit in the hands and ears of a inexperienced listener might sound like nothing. Fans of this sort of stuff will absolutely listen in trance, as Jaga Jazzist is surely one of the most impressive nu-jazz/experimental groups out there.

Peter Gabriel Delves Into Covers By Way of Orchestra

While Phil Collins went on to bring Genesis to mainstream fame, I always found Peter Gabriel to be the more interesting and talented of the two.

Of course, Gabriel’s bizarre theatrics and strange lyrical content was always going to clash with the audience Collins’ succeeded at securing. But let’s be frank, Gabriel is the lyrical master behind Genesis’ Foxtrot, one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time, and that alone makes his solo work worth looking at closely.

And his latest project is no more of a strange endeavor and concept than we’re used to getting from the brains behind such masterpieces as the 23 minute progressive rock piece “Supper’s Ready.”

Scratch My Back features the theatrical Gabriel covering tunes from well-known artists both young and old. But instead of being the typical cover album, Gabriel does his recreations with the help of only an orchestra and no guitars, basses or drums.

The finely seasoned and honestly veteran voice of Gabriel still holds up while belting out his version of David Bowie’s “Heroes” or Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is a Cage,” the latter of which turns out to be one of the most powerful tracks on the album.

While I wasn’t familiar with the original style and sound of every cover on the album, there were a few I had already been accustomed to and a fan of. His cover of Talking Heads’ “Listening Wind” is vocally brilliant and his version of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” is an eerily worthwhile listen.

The backing concept of Gabriel’s Scratch My Back is that in turn, the artists he covered will scratch his back, covering a song of his in return. Now as much as I would love to see the legendary Talking Heads reform and cover a Gabriel tune, it’d be nice to see even David Byrne do a Gabriel rendition. Not to mention Lou Reed and Neil Young.

This album is strong enough to appeal to fans of Gabriel, the artists covered and music as general. It doesn’t get nearly as weird as the costumes Gabriel used to wear when he was the front man of Genesis.

On the other hand, unless you really enjoy orchestral music, the album won’t last in terms of replay. Its luster wears off as a one and done, go back for your favorite track type release. Still, Scratch My Back is a worthwhile recording from a legendary vocalist.

Legendary Trip-Hop Duo Massive Attack Returns with ‘Heligoland’

A new studio album from trip-hop group Massive Attack is as significant as the most important artist in your favorite genre releasing a new album. And for Massive Attack, the widely-considered giants and trailblazers of the trip-hop genre, Heligoland is their first non-soundtrack release in seven years.

It’s like clockwork the way musical guests join the duo behind Massive Attack, Daddy G (Grantley Marshall) and 3D (Robert Del Naja). The two, who are perceived as the absolute brain trust behind the project, don’t work all alone, inviting guest singers and musicians to join the hip-hop rhythm and very soulful and electronic mood their sound has been shaped into over the years.

The most notable voice found on the group’s latest album is probably Tunde Adebimpe, better known as the lead singer of TV on the Radio. His vocals kick off the album with “Pray for Rain,” a track that most closely represents Massive Attack and thus remains as one of Heligoland’s most impressive tracks.

The rest of the album is a strong audio adventure through the duo’s most experimental sounds of the trip-hop kind. Daddy G and 3D have always paid great attention to the atmospheric collection of sounds throughout their albums and while Heligoland is no different, much of that atmosphere feels like more background noise than substantial work worth paying attention to.

Still, this album is no waste. It’s just hard to compare to their most impressive work Mezzanine. “Splitting the Atom” features the vocals of both Daddy G and 3D, as well as the often-seen collaborator Horace Andy. The absolute sublime and deep style of vocals engages deeply. “Rush Minute” features 3D alone as the vocalist and complete with hooking beats does a lot for the later half of the album.

I’ve got to say, I’ve never ventured too far into the trip-hop genre, but it’s easy to see why the innovative and influential Massive Attack is considered one of the pioneers of the hip-hop and dub-based genre. Even from an album such as Heligoland, which doesn’t rank among their most brilliant work, can you hear and feel the absolute creativity Daddy G and 3D, along with their numerous guests, throw into their music.

Album review: Pelican – What We All Come to Need

I find it somewhat difficult to express how I really feel about Pelican. Instead, the four-piece instrumental band from Chicago prefers to constantly make its post-rock sound laced with metal collide with my senses, leaving me with no room to function.

What I really love about Pelican and their sludgy, sometimes droning, but always engaging music, is how it absolutely always cuts to the chase. There is no fooling around here, no need for an unnecessary and sometimes anti-climatic buildup technique other prominent bands inside the post-whatever genres make use of. And the band’s fourth album What We All Come to Need is one of the best examples of this yet.

“Glimmer” opens the album, grabs you, and makes a point that it isn’t going to let go of you. All four members of this band are simply incredibly competent in letting their instruments do the heavy speaking. Sibling rhythm section of Bryan Herweg on bass and Larry Herweg on drums keeps the music flowing consistently while the band’s dual guitarists Trevor de Brauw and Larent Schroeder-Lebec place biting and harsh riffs on top of it all.

“The Creeper” and “Ephemeral” stand out as two favorites of mine. They both have this uncanny hooking ability thanks to the quartet’s ability to work and feed off of each other. The rest of the album is simply more of the same.

Before all is said and done with the pulsating eight track album, diehard Pelican fans will be hearing something different on the eighth and final track. Fans might be surprised to hear vocals on “Final Breath”. It’s true, you aren’t hearing things. Ben Verellen of Harkonen provided vocals for what is the first Pelican song to ever feature vocals, and the experiment avoids disaster.

Not much more can be said for a band like Pelican. You’ll either love it or hate it. There’s no catch to their straightforward sound, but at the same time it ends up being satisfying and addicting. They might just be the most accessible band inside the many post-rock genres, and What We All Come to Need is more proof of that claim.

Album reviews: The Flaming Lips + Buckethead

The Flaming Lips
Embryonic
Warner Bros.
October 13, 2009

In a true change of the pace, weird rockers The Flaming Lips reverted to the strangeness that gained them a boatload of fans on the cult level. When you consider that Zaireeka, the album before their switch to a more standard sound, was an album with four compact discs that when played simultaneously on four audio systems the four CDs would produce a harmonic or juxtaposed sound, you’d understand how normal their weird sound is to them.

Embryonic is definitely weird but ultimately still an accessible album. I’d hate to say that if you jumped on the Lips album with The Soft Bulletin and never became familiar with their earlier work, you might feel a little let down. But those who love the band’s strange, sometimes ambient interludes, freaked out and extended jam-like sessions that are all over the place might fall in love. Or if you love strange things in general you should find a place inside of lead singer Wayne Coyne’s mind.

Definitely favorites for me from the album are tracks like “See the Leaves”, a pulsating psychedelic track and “The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine”, which feels like a companion sister track to the aforementioned one.

In the category of just plain weird falls “I Can Be A Frog”. Help here is given from Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The lyrical content here reminds me of classic Lips work like “Moth in the Incubator” or “She Don’t Use Jelly” from their Transmissions from the Satellite Heart album.

I’d encourage people to try this album even if they are only familiar with their last three albums in The Flaming Lips’ discography. And it isn’t that the band’s last three albums before this weren’t good, they’re excellent albums and good entry points into the band in general. It’s just that they’re different, and listeners should be prepared for that to able themselves to make the best judgment of the band’s most excellent latest work.

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Buckethead
Needle in a Slunk Stack
TDRS Music
September 24, 2009

I’m never going to stop listening to and loving Buckethead. But something is amiss in his last few albums, and this continues into his latest offering, Needle in a Slunk Stack, his twenty-eight studio album.

Don’t get me wrong, like all his albums, this one shreds, and does so in the most experimental ways. And while the technical ability of Buckethead is still to be found, the playful fun of his older work isn’t. Giant Robot was the first album I ever listened to from the guitar virtuoso and that album, unlike his more recent efforts, is one I do find myself going back to more often.

I don’t know, maybe nostalgia is getting to me. Yes, nostalgia of four years. I still just don’t think Buckethead’s latest work is as enjoyable for me as his earlier stuff. I personally don’t think he’s had a truly classic and great album since Inbred Mountain came out back in 2005 and Crime Slunk Scene in 2006, even though he has produced a plethora of work since then.

But don’t take this as a negative review for this latest offering. It’s simply more of what we Buckethead fans love the guy for. He shreds and does so different than anyone else in the game can. And for that, a never ending respect and appreciation of the artist forms, even if at times I yearn for something else.

Perhaps more experimental than most of his other recent work, Needle in a Slunk Stack is vastly different than the most beloved albums from Buckethead such as Colma or Population Override. Tracks like “Interview With The Double Man” and the two-part “Wormwood’s Workshop” are most definitely welcome pieces.

The worst thing I could do here is be unappreciative of this artist. He loves music, loves his fans, and shows it by his nonstop releases of explored styles. I’ll take all I can get from Buckethead. Is there a limit to how much one can take? Probably, but I don’t think we’ve reached it yet.

Album review: Alice in Chains – “Black Gives Way to Blue”

After the death of iconic singer Layne Staley, it seemed that the identity of Alice in Chains had been lost forever. Staley’s rough, recognizable voice and dark, meaningful lyrics were two of the centerpieces of the band.

But the return of Alice in Chains sounds a lot like what made them famous with Staley. And why shouldn’t it? The driving musical force behind the band remains, with Jerry Cantrell still on guitar and providing vocals, Mike Inez still on bass and Sean Kinney still sitting at the drums. It’s not hard to sound like you do, even with the loss of an influencing and lead band member.

Cantrell and company added singer and guitarist William DuVall to the mix, whose voice automatically clicked with the band’s heavy metal tendencies and dark lyrical content.

Fans were reserved their right to be skeptical of the band’s return to the studio, but they might as well throw those reservations away, because Black Gives Way to Blue is an absolute time machine, transporting listeners back to the heyday of Alice in Chains. All that’s missing is everyone’s favorite lead singer.

And as far as the new goes, DuVall fits in perfectly. “Last of My Kind” works as one of the heaviest songs on the album and proves to be DuVall’s initiation to the band. The song is both lyrically and vocally impressive, as DuVall finds what will be the song that will make even the sternest Alice fan accept him.

It’s safe to say that Cantrell is the leader of the band. Much like on the band’s first three albums and numerous other recordings, Cantrell appears as both the main vocalist and as a dual vocalist to accompany DuVall. What was one of the most significant and recognizable components of the Alice in Chains style were the unique vocal harmonies between Cantrell and Staley of sometimes overlapping content. All of that is reborn with DuVall at Cantrell’s direction.

Cantrell’s guitar playing is up to par as well. The Wah-wah effect and absolutely heavy metal playing complete with soaring solos is noticeable just about everywhere on the album. Cantrell’s riffs have always pummeled at the ears of its listeners, and is does so here too, just give “A Looking in View” a listen. Melody wise, no one really constructs a song like Cantrell does, and this dark, brooding style is one of the best parts of Alice in Chains.

Where you won’t hear those particular Cantrell solos and riffs are on the bands slowed down acoustic tracks. Either I’m crazy or “Your Decision” sounds just like “Nutshell” or another classic Alice in Chains acoustic work. “Black Gives Way to Blue” features the unlikely teaming with Elton John on piano, but it really works, and proves to be a beautiful exit for what is a thunderous album.

My winner on the album is “Private Hell”, a morose ballad that might be the most similar to old track on the album. The “Ahhhhhhhhh’s” belted out by Cantrell and Duvall doesn’t do anything but make me imagine Staley singing a track as great as this one.

As far as content goes, it’s all here. The lyrics are mostly dark, totally relatable and memorable, and the music gives you a taste of the past. The album is the way heavy and hard rock should be done, and I’m glad one of the greatest bands to play the genre of rock has returned to show the rest how it’s done.

Black Gives Way to Blue is a tremendous ode to lost singer Staley and good music and general. The debate about whether or not the guys should have changed the name of the band might linger, but I don’t care, if you can point me in the direction of a better return to brilliance than this, I’d love to hear it.

Album review: Porcupine Tree – The Incident

Consider the fact that progressive rock band Porcupine Tree has found itself testing the waters of almost every related genre. From their early pulsing trance induced tracks to spacey Pink Floyd-like psychedelic rock to their later heavy metal influenced work, the band has woven itself a collective work as vast as one could imagine.

And then listen to The Incident. In what can only be described as a great culmination of their works, the band’s latest album, which works as a 55-minute song cycle, draws from a bit of everything the band has been known for.

The album does replicate the feel of the band’s last few albums more than anything else, and there’s certainly nothing as strange as what’s found on the first cassette founder and front man Steven Wilson ever released, Tarquin’s Seaweed Farm, but the legacy and groundwork of this band can be found in some way or another all across this ambitious and surreal concept album.

Wilson found the concept for the album after realizing how detaching the commonly used word “incident” was for situations that were really so destructive and traumatic for the ones involved. The strong theme carries straight through all 14 parts of The Incident as each song, although very different, has apart of another inside it as the entire 55-minute experience seamlessly flows by.

The album certainly has its inspirations, perhaps most prevalent on the album’s longest track, “Time Flies”, which feels a lot like Pink Floyd’s “Dogs” right from the start. Of course, the two songs are very different, as each are made up of a different kind of musicianship. Meanwhile, instrumental “Circle of Manias” is about as heavy as the album gets, and perhaps draws from experimental progressive rock artists like Meshuggah. And rightly enough this track goes right into the deliriously beautiful “I Drive the Hearse”, a contender for best somber Porcupine Tree song. Self titled track “The Incident” might very well be the most impressive track on the album while the preceding track “Drawing the Line” hits hard with a powerful refrain from Wilson.

Playing as tight-knit as they ever have, the musicianship of Porcupine Tree continues to be one of their most impressive aspects. Drummer Gavin Harrison continues to prove why he deserves to be considered one of the best and most influential drummers alive and Colin Edwin’s bass and Richard Barbieri’s keyboards and synth fill up the atmosphere. And it can almost go unsaid, but Steven Wilson is still himself with guitar in hand, his spacey but heavy riffs give the band a true identity.

Dare I say that The Incident is Porcupine Tree’s undisputed masterpiece? It just might be. While I’ll forever always love the band’s early and mind intruding work such as The Sky Moves Sideways as much as anything else the band puts out, The Incident could be looked at as being their defining work and perhaps as the greatest example of their brilliant musicianship when all is laid to rest.

Album review: Muse – The Resistance

You might listen to Muse’s latest album The Resistance and ask yourself, “Where did all the guitar riffs go?” Well, they’re still around, there’s just not as many and they come in different forms.

This the fifth studio album from Muse, a band who’s more popular in the United Kingdom than you could ever imagine, brings the best of the old and a few shining spots of great new to create a new organic listening experience for the band’s diehard fans.

Both rhythmically rocking and symphonically constructed, The Resistance is a turn in a different direction and a change of intent for the trio of unique musicians that make up Muse. At the same time, the album is both strikingly different but all so ever familiar sounding.

The Resistance sheds influences of classical composures with the ending of “United States of Eurasia” being an arrangement of a Frédéric Chopin piece, subtitled “Collateral Damage”, a track that begins more similar to Queen than anything else. It’s this variety that in the grand scheme of things makes for this absolutely swooping collection of songs, hitting all spots of genuinely heart pounding musicianship.

A track like “Unnatural Selection”, “Resistance” or “MK Ultra” might ring more true to the origins of Muse with catchy choruses and heavy electronic based guitar riffs, but this all eventually turns into the albums closure, the three part “Exogenesis”, a true Muse symphony. The dynamics of adding an orchestral touch to the end of this booming album is a beautiful touch.

The album isn’t all perfect. The lyrical portion of Muse has never been something I’ve been blown away by, but with the way lead singer Matthew Bellamy presents what he’s saying, he could be singing about whatever he wants to and I’ll still fall under the spell of his up and down falsetto style.

A few tracks hit low marks, such as the R&B inspired “Undisclosed Desires”, a track that is too far from what makes Muse great to really hold in high regard. And the worst song on the album is “Guiding Light”, a strange, far too synthy and almost 1980’s ballad piece complete with a soaring but for some reason cheesy solo.

But those are a few negatives I’m willing to put aside for a great chance. I’m not sure I’ll ever love this version of Muse as much as I love the Absolution-era band, but this certainly is a beautiful and captivating album, and one brilliant modern orchestral composition.

Album review: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – One Day in Brooklyn

This new getup seems to be working like a charm. Ever since Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey made the lineup change gathering the likes of Chris Combs, Matt Hayes and Josh Raymer, the odyssey has been flying at new heights. Original founding member Brian Haas called it gradual, but the new sound is anything but that.

One Day in Brooklyn is another output of the group’s recent machine-like push through 2009. They already released one album for free and have been touring nonstop like madmen. They’ve even got a few gigs opening up for Mike Gordon of Phish.

This latest EP is both a debut of two new original compositions and another ode to their hometown inspirations. The twangy Tulsa, Oklahoma sound of Chris Combs’ lap steel makes for an eerie and recognizable addition to the methodical and energetic piano playing of veteran Haas.

The group’s six track offering pays tribute with unique renditions of The Beatles’ “Julia”, Thelonious Monk’s “Four In One” and Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Imam”. Haas also constructed a medley of two Rahsaan Roland Kirk compositions “A Laugh For Rory” and “Black & Crazy Blues”, which was dedicated to legendary jazz producer Joel Dorn. JFJO breathes a new kind of soulful energy to each rendition and in a way only they can, puts their own touch on the classic tracks that nearly make it their own.

But perhaps the most exciting items on the track are the two impressive original recordings. “Drethoven”, which Haas describes as a combination of their two favorite composers, Dr. Dre and Beethoven, is an absolutely killer sounding feast that completely hooks onto your ears and steals you for all seven minutes.

The evolving Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey seems to be heading off to regions unknown with their fused blending of conventional jazz and avant-garde style. See this band live just once, and you’ll realize their limitless potential for exploring your mind.