Uptown Magazine Online - Winnipeg's Online Source for Arts, Entertainment & News

Uptown Magazine - Winnipeg's Online Source for Arts, Entertainment & News

July 3, 2008


	Get your copy! Find the Uptown Magazine pickup location nearest you.

2008-07-03

Blank & Jones

Relax: Edition Three

(Sound Colours)

Website: http://www.blankandjones.com

That this album bears the subtitle Edition Three leads me to believe there's either been a precipitous decline in quality following Editions One and Two, or Blank & Jones have simply added another double disc to their canon of crap. Mellow opening disc (Sun) is lethargic and wouldn't sound out of place in a dentist's office, while Moon (the second disc) quickens the pace but not the pulse. Electronic music of this ilk gives the genre a bad name - it's bland, uninspired, and completely forgettable stuff that could be described as inoffensive were it not for the fact that it left me feeling offended.
— Michael Elves

Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass

The Room Over Mine

(Rounder Records)

Website: http://www.dannypaisley.com

There is definitely something about this kind of hardcore, traditional bluegrass music that can send chills down your spine almost without warning. There is more than a geographic and family connection with this band - all their fathers played together in the same band at one point. Danny Paisley has pipes that conjure images of wild mountain mornings, lonely ghost-filled nights and pretty much every deep emotion in between. Thirteen delightful tracks that deliver from start to finish. An absolute must for bluegrass fans.
— Jeff Monk

Eliot Lipp

The Outside

(Mush Records)

Website: http://www.myspace.com/eliotlipp

Tacoma, Wash., native and Brooklyn-based artist Eliot Lipp incorporates heavy synths and dark, ominous tones into this skewed take on hip hop. On the title track, the beat skitters around a chugging bass line before the melody worms its way into the mix, with Lipp layering synths to great effect. Over a dozen tracks, Lipp crafts compelling synthscapes, each varied and deep enough to warrant repeat listens. Called The Outside, the album evokes the feeling of being furtively pursued in a nightscape of steaming manholes and burnt out streetlights; a scary and strangely invigorating experience.
— Michael Elves

JW Jones

Bluelisted

(Northern Blues)

B+

Website: http://www.jwjones.com

JW Jones plays honey-soaked blues guitar solos across frantic triplets pinging off the drummer's ride cymbal, and accented by big brassy horn accents. It's jump blues all right, and it's a big improvement from JW's previous recording, Kissin' in 29 Days. Cheatin' women, wasted lives and revenge set the tone on this disc. This is hurtin' music from the dark side of town. JW Jones and his band have been kickin' it live every night and they are a lean, mean, blues machine.
— Chris Brown

Mudcrutch

(Reprise Records)

Website: http://www.mudcrutchmusic.com

Mudcrutch was the name of the band that Tom Petty came out from Florida with and cast aside for The Heartbreakers. So this is either nostalgia for what might have been or a throwback to the heyday of Marshall Tucker, Allman Brothers, Flying Burrito Brothers and other redneck (or wannabe) rock 'n' roll cowboys. Scare Easy and The Wrong Thing To Do could be early Heartbreakers. Six Days On The Road lovingly rewinds Dave Dudley's '60s country hit for honky-tonk fun. Crystal River is a free-form, extended spacey jam out of a Grateful Dead time warp. There's a real live bar band feel that resonates with long-lost '70s country rock charm.
— Jim Millican

Watermelon Slim and the Workers

No Paid Holidays

(Northern Blues)

B+

Website: http://www.northernblues.com

No Paid Holidays is Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans' third album with his capable band The Workers, and just like its pair of predecessors, it's top-heavy with fine blues moments. Homans is strictly an old-school dude, right down to the fact that he doesn't keep all his teeth in his mouf when he sings. His wicked slide guitar and harmonica work are but gravy on the steak - it's his sympathetic band that really nails what can only be termed authentic, rocking blues of the blue-chip variety. Includes the near-classics Max The Baseball Clown, Call My Job and I've Got a Toothache. Rave on, Slim.
— Jeff Monk

Solomon Burke

Like a Fire

(Shout Factory Records)

Website: http://www.thekingsolomonburke.com

Solomon Burke is one of the few true-blue cats alive that can convincingly wrap his pipes around other people's songs and make them sound as glorious as if he had torn them from his own soul. Like a Fire is a welcome return for Burke. He's been on something of a roll since his career was kick-started a few years ago and thankfully, he shows no sign of losing his estimable groove. Like a Fire is an easy listen without being easy listening, and his band this time around includes Steve Jordan, Danny Kortchmar, Ben Harper, Keb' Mo', Larry Taylor and others. A sweet, subtle country-soul groover filled with passion and fire. It doesn't get much better than this from Mr. Burke.
— Jeff Monk

Pete Samples

The Jumper Cables

(Independent)

B+

Website: http://www.petesamples.com

Not only is The Jumper Cables a departure from his former label Vinyl Republik, it also represents a departure from the style Samples developed on An Unsent Letter (2004) and Yours Makes Mine (2007). I had to double-check Samples' website to ensure this was the same artist, as he eschews the pastiche-work of the past in favour of pop songcraftm with subtle electronic elements deftly incorporated into the song structures. The Jumper Cables could comfortably nestle between The Hylozoists and Beach House on a playlist. This is a surprising and interesting change in direction.
— Michael Elves

Wolf Parade

At Mount Zoomer

(Sub Pop)

Website: http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade

Disc of the Week

When I'm waiting for the sophomore record from a band I really like, I'm always filled with a mix of eager anticipation, insatiable curiosity and,well, dread. This release, however, was of particular concern since Wolf Parade is my second-favourite band of all time - and its 2005 debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary, is pretty close to a perfect record. Thankfully, the Montreal art-rockers didn't disappoint on this one. At Mount Zoomer never really freaks out like its twitchy, hiccupy predecessor; its chaos is a bit more controlled and executed with more panache. That's not to say that Wolf Parade has become polished - in fact, these tracks demand a more dedicated, diligent listener (see: the 11-minute prog opus, Kissing the Beehive). Still, as sonically frustrating as the record can be, it's not without its impossibly catchy keyboard hooks (as evidenced by disc standout Language City) and the beautifully weird one-two punch of vocalists Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug - both things that made Apologies... an indie rock classic. There's no sophomore slump here - At Mount Zoomer is one the most impressive releases of 2008.
— Jen Zoratti

Current Issue • Archive • What’s Up • Contact • Media Kit • Contests