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Please forgive my indulgence. It's not often I'm given free reign over an entire issue of C-Ville. The responsibility is breathtaking. How do I fully exploit this unprecedented boon? Even now, a lifetime's worth of mad schemes are slowly creeping into focus as I sit here compulsively wringing my hands and cackling like a Tim Curry-inspired lunatic scientist. (Albeit a considerably less gay one.) Ah ha ha ha haaaaa!
Oh the power! Drink deep with me the nectar of its intoxicating, exotic musk. Yes! At last, I have risen! At last, all of Hoo-ville will tremble at the spectre of my awesome majesty. At last, I will... review some local CDs.
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Many people still believe that the Dave Matthews Band is the only "important" musical act to gestate in Charlottesville. (Oh yeah, like the Beatles were the only important band to come out of Liverpool. Yeah, right.) While Mr. Matthews and Co. are certainly poised to rank permanently as the biggest box office success we've ever spawned, there remain some other very significant artists in central Virginia. For instance, Williamsburger Bruce Hornsby visits regularly to see his brother (you remember Bruce-- he had a big hit "The Way It Is" and then went on to introduce the accordian to the Grateful Dead. Nut.), and Mary Chapin Carpenter recently hung her cross-over country hat in Batesville. John McCutcheon, a long-time Locust Ave. resident and multiple Grammy nominee was, until very recently, the most prolific artist on Rounder records, one of the most respected folk labels on the planet. And then, of course, there are the unstoppable neo/retro blues stylings of Corey Harris, a man who deserves to win a Grammy and make love to your mammy. (I would like to apologize in advance to anyone offended by this last remark or any that might soon follow.) As it stands, he seems happy to keep his Monday radio show on WTJU and chill with his family... when he's not touring, of course.
But that's not all of the worthy music rolling off our assembly lines. If you're looking for something region-specific (that's Charlottes-centric) to pad your favorite buddy's Holiday gift haul-- just to show 'em that we're not all about Famous Dave, not just a bunch of Prancin' Yancies or Flippin' Willies, or whatever-- then here are a few suggestions culled from a growing pile of local discs I've been long neglecting. In a random stab at diplomacy I've outlined some of their pros and cons, selected my favorite track and then assigned them a number of "quacks," 5 being perfect. Easy enough, right? (By the way, most of these discs can be obtained at any of the usual CD outlets (Spencer's 206, Plan 9, you know the drill...), or better yet, go to their gigs and show 'em some love in person.)
Now, behold the power......
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The Counselors/The Elderly
split 7"
PRO: Fun, fun and more fun from the area's two rippinest nut-bag punk acts.
CON: Recorded at the Elderly's home studio, it sounds pretty much like crap.
PRO: It's punk rock, what'd you expect?
CON: I expect the Beatles, drunk as sin and really pissed off.
PRO: It's printed on red vinyl.
CON: You'll need a turntable to enjoy watching it spin.
PRO: Collaborations this powerfully cool come around only every so often...
CON: ...when the bands involved are too broke or poorly-motivated to cut records independently.
PRO: Charlottesville's angstful fun-loving punk scene certainly does represent.
CON: What, it is hard to say.
FAVORITE TRACK: The Elderly's "Dangerous Erection" -- Need I say more?
3.5 quacks
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Karmen
Good Alien
PRO: Subtle and sparse-yet-lush first effort lovingly produced by Lauren Hoffman.
CON: Too alternative for folk lovers and too folky for alternative rockers.
PRO: Thoughtfully frames Karmen's predilection for irony through poetic cross-pollination.
CON: May come in under the radar of listeners not in tune to the delicate intricacies of bisexuality and the more feminine aspects of love and identity.
PRO: A young woman's power, strength, and vulnerability displayed in nobly quiet poise on a dreamy acoust-industrial CD.
CON: Soft and somewhat darkly clever, this extended girl's lament and ascent may sound like semi-precocious alterna-pop audial potpourri to some.
PRO: With killer arrangements and string parts by her own band, the Fridgean Mode, first efforts don't come much better than this. Definitely a disc to be proud of.
CON: Occasionally suffers from studio virgin syndrome: under-sung parts too "girly" in places where a stronger "womanly" vocal approach might have been more commanding.
FAVORITE TRACK: #3 "The Cassanova Song"- Simple and elegant, I can't resist the sudden, harsh, and colorful imposition of Vietnam and love and the way it plays out in the tune's epic central tenet: "it's not the win, it's the worth it-- you've got to decide." Folk for a new millenium.
4 quacks
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The Larry Keel Experience
self-titled
PRO: High marks for this rag-tag record showcasing Keel's various irreverent but unbeatable bastard Appalachian styles.
CON: The semi-rough homestyle recording reveals a little more of the band's loose ends than was probably desired.
PRO: A couple of cool studio-generated tune-segues make for a delicious, almost psychedelic listen.
CON: The band's third and probably best CD, this still isn't the pristine Nashville-style record that Larry needs to secure his rightful place as one of the meanest six-string slingers ever to pick an axe.
PRO: The disc is stocked with classic tune choices from John Flower's "Culpepper Woodchuck" to David Via's "Corn Liquor" to Keel's own "Tombstones."
CON: Many of these tunes range thematically from dark to illegal to just plain-old adult-oriented. and therefore might not be suitable for the whole family. (I, for one, prefer my bluegrass with a strong whiff of moonshine and piracy.)
PRO: Features Snake Oil Medicine Show's Jason Krekel on mandolin and Magraw Gap's Will Lee on banjo.
CON: Larry seems to find maintaining a regular line-up a little tricky, so the performers on the record aren't necessarily the ones you'll see with him live.
FAVORITE TRACK: #9 "Lonely" -- This Keel-penned instrumental sweeps for its maturity, solemnity and downright purtiness.
4 quacks
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Worth Proffitt, Tim Reynolds and Michael Sokolowski
Offering
PRO: A deep, freaky, way-out-there re-release of a live performance recorded May 24, 1991 at the Prism Coffeehouse.
CON: May be too spacey for some people.
PRO: A truly unusual setting for the three fusionoid musicians-- a session of raw ambient improvisation on a sensual and moody mish-mash of acoustic and electric instruments.
CON: Will definitely be too spacey for some people.
PRO: Tim Reynolds (of TR3 and Dave Matthews Band fame) can be heard in his middle-eastern mediation fusion period spacing out handily on violins, guitars, slot drums, and a number of musical religious artifacts.
CON: It's really spacey.
PRO: These three manage to conjure more layers of dynamic, interactive sound from a live (and mostly acoustic) session than most musicians can produce in an elaborate multi-track studio environment.
CON: Really, really spacey.
PRO: Features a new 24 minute bonus studio track recorded earlier this year.
CON: It's spacey, too.
PRO: Brian Eno would be proud.
CON: Bloody spaceman.
FAVORITE TRACK: #6 "Sun Spot" -- To be honest, this whole record is really magical, and the only reason this jam stuck out at all was the sudden introduction of Worth Proffitt's nagging blues harmonica in the middle of an otherwise otherwordly jazz meditation. Great disc.
4.5 quacks
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Humble Sacrifice
New Roots Of Soul
PRO: This audially tight, alternately rough rockin' and smooth-jamming hippydelia smorgasborg of their groove-down hits and other jammy wonderbits derived from live-in-house sessions at Richmond's famous Sound of Music Studios, yielding a nice gelled feel from the group.
CON: The band broke up.
PRO: Parts of the band are back performing under the name De La Croix.
CON: It's an even sillier name than "Humble Sacrifice."
PRO: On the disc, they nicely repave the sprawler jam eccentricities of the Widespread Panic/Black Crowes highway of rock and restripe it with some rootsy funk and reggae.
CON: Been there, done that.
PRO: Brianna Litman sings her ass off.
CON: I don't think I heard a single meaningful lyric on the disc. (Except for maybe "One Last Goodnight's" end of party lament, which seemed to be speaking right to me.)
PRO: In the right setting, you will definitely want to dance to this.
CON: You will probably be high on drugs at the time. (Or at least wishing you were.)
PRO: Released by Planetary Records in Richmond.
CON: Yeah, so?
FAVORITE TRACK: #3 "Movin' On" -- What else? The white boys funk and get a little cheezy at the mikes while Roger Fox blows a wicked flute pipe-dream. Jamalicious.
4 quacks
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Walker's Run
self-titled
PRO: At last, the upstart U.Va. bluegrass jamstars release a CD showcasing their admirable Appalachian skills.
CON: It's a beautiful disc, but it sounds like the sessions might have been a little rushed, and some botched solo spots and jam sections were left on rather than rigorously dealt with.
PRO: Well-mixed and recorded by "Dobro" Bill Cardine at his country home studio, the disc gets a nice fat sound out of the band's extended acoustic meltdowns and fiery rock-out Appalachianisms.
CON: Unfortunately, being self-produced isn't always the best way to generate ideal performances. It's too easy to say "good enough" rather than "do it again."
PRO: The band is reinforced for the record by Randall Ray on guitar, Will Lee on banjo and Steve Hoke on fiddle.
CON: Even these seasoned super-pros turn in some spotty work.
PRO: Gary "Cud" Ruley's wintery old-time vocals lead a couple tunes.
CON: A blistering version of "Salt Creek" sounds a little rushed for the squad. Like they coulda used some coffee or something.
PRO: Features four of Brennan Gilmore's originals and a Russian tune (with Russian lyrics) that's been reggae-ified.
CON: Dude, relax your throat, emote and stop straining for that country lilt. Silly cracker.
PRO: Still a great freshman effort, fans of bluegrass will definitely appreciate it.
FAVORITE TRACK: #3 "Star of the County Down" -- A slow ballad, whimsical and spacey, this traditional number came out "just right."
4 quacks
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Navel
Weight In Gold
PRO: Fatly recorded '80's fusion-glam metalhead silliness on purpose.
CON: I still wonder if, even as tongue-in-cheek as they are, they're not taking this just a little too seriously.
PRO: Musically well-conceived and executed power-trio thump-n-rap metal damn near fit for a Flash Gordon soundtrack.
CON: Vocals are a little dorky/boyish for the sprawling sci-fi powermunch they're otherwise pulling off rather handily.
PRO: Some very heavy covert musicianship driving past enemy borders on secret nightraids to deliver uncertain cargos.
CON: Singing about puppy love and confusion.
PRO: I believe they are honestly in it for the sheer fun of it.
CON: Could be dangerously heavy or seriously hilarious, but failing to choose, aren't quite either.
PRO: Features Stuart Gunter on drums (as does Karmen's Good Alien).
CON: Not burning as hot as I've heard him in other contexts.
PRO: When they play live, Navel sometimes wear spacesuits or shiny pimp costumes their mom makes.
CON: Nothin' wrong with that.
FAVORITE TRACK: #10 "Distant Queen" -- Yes, Virginia, cello does rock. Slow ballad spacey, sad and beautiful. Gets you right in the belly.
4 quacks
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Chris Keup
The Subject of Some Regret
PRO: Beautifully produced at Richmond's Sound of Music studios and locally at Virginia Arts, this smooth, smoky, dark, folk-pop wonderwork is one of the highest-quality regional releases of the year.
CON: Keup's whispery 1.5-octave dirty Tom-Waits-meets-Nick-Drake-while-rummaging-through-Van-Morrison's-opium-stash vocal vibe can get old kinda quick.
PRO: The record features spots by a legacy-worth of regional music heros, including, at various points, the entirety of the Agents of Good Roots (Brian Jones and Stewart Myers provide rhythm for most of the record) to John D'earth (trumpet), to Anne Marie Simpson (violin) and Kristin Asbury (backing vocals).
CON: Keup's surreal-ish cinematic lyrical style doesn't always work like he seems to think it should. Songs are often composed like obscure little one act plays ("Last Piano" even has cinematic instructions in the liner notes), which is interesting in theory, but the tunes don't make as much sense on their own.
PRO: These lyrical "sketches" are kind of darkly romantic and sexy, and alot of people will enjoy the otherworldly flavor of Keup's ghosty vocal style.
CON: The guy can just barely sing audibly. He makes the Agents of Good Roots' Andrew Winn sound like a high tenor.
PRO: This is about as fresh as a bottom of the heap superchic rock/folker can get. An invigorating (but mellow) approach to songwriting, performance and production. All in all, very cool.
FAVORITE TRACK: #5 "Cut Up" -- Featured on the WNRN compilation Station Break, this creepy love dirge is too sexy to resist.
4.5 quacks
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Unit F
A Friend Of Sorrow
PRO: A solid sampler of the punk/metal temple lord's monster thump-n-grunt anthems.
CON: Few people realize how difficult it is to record instruments this loud without turning them into mid-range sludge, which is what almost happened here. The result is a somewhat "garage-y" tone with poorly defined bass, rather than the super-thick, kick-down-your-doors metal tone this band deserves.
PRO: Still some of the most epic-sounding anthemic punk to come out of our repressed little burg.
CON: The project-studio-grade production left some spotty vocal performances too obvious in the mix. Double-tracking the voice might have covered this up.
PRO: You'd never notice this when they play live.
CON: Thematically introspective, occasionally prophetic, somewhat vindictive, and tainted with a measured but definite angst, this record might unnerve some people.
PRO: Released on Bella Morte's Some Wear Leather label, the disc hints at some of the Morte's trademark Charlottesville gothic production tones, especially in chanting group sections and during JDavyd's dark keyboard piece "An Angel's Sign."
FAVORITE TRACK: #11 "Helpless F*cks" -- I, too, am a sucker for a brilliant, pissed-off, two minute hunk of raw punk beauty.
4 quacks
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Hackensaws
Get Some
PRO: Home-style old-time banjo/washboard/harmonica/fiddle and group sing-along kinda good-times gritty grainy-ass fun record.
CON: Nuthin' fancy 'bout it.
PRO: It's got a whole lotta character.
CON: That character is Elmer Fudd's second cousin Jeb.
PRO: When it comes to recordings of old-time traditional-kinda music, it's really refreshing to hear a crew who refuses to take itself seriously and yet still delivers a tight, focused, intentful group sound.
CON: Alot of this stuff is really silly.
PRO: We need more silly stuff in this world.
CON: I don't think that these guys are real hillbillies.
PRO: It's got a picture of Sidney Tapscott inside.
CON: He's probably looking to score some free tobacco off of you for sweeping the sidewalk.
FAVORITE TRACK: #1 "Whiskey, Momma" -- If this lost and lonesome jam-down doesn't make you wanna sing along, you might need to seek professional help.
4.5 quacks
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Buzby
Live Roanoke College 9-9-00
PRO: Live recording reveals the group as a solid and somewhat uncommon pop/rock combo with aspirations to a big, almost psychedelic jam.
CON: The disc suffers from medium-fi show capture fidelity syndrome. A cassette release would sound about the same.
PRO: Tight arrangements start and stop on dimes, ducking nicely between pop idioms.
CON: There is some cheese involved.
PRO: Todd Herrington is a masterful freak on the electric bass.
CON: He's stuck in a stylistically not-so-avant nor lyrically adventurous crew.
PRO: The band can play very well and there are some ripping sax and guitar solos on here.
CON: It's not that well mixed-- the rhythm section sounds like a fuzzy thing in back , and the lead instrument (especially guitar) is a bright, hot, uncomfortable thing way up front.
PRO: For what amounts to a straight-ahead pop band, these guys are a cut above stylistically.
CON: They're probably not quite "hip" enough for modern rock radio nor quite stock rock enough for WWWV.
PRO: Frontman Brenton Hund charms the crowd between tunes.
CON: They shoulda edited that crap out. There's a science to crowd to response. Rule #1: If you're not a brilliant public speaker, shut up. Don't force it, lest you risk looking the fool.
PRO: The last two tracks are recorded here in town at the Outback Lodge, and the mix is a good bit fatter, getting us closer to drummer Joel DeNunzio's daring sprawl.
CON: The disc contains three covers:"You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Tangled Up In Blue," and "Superstitious," all of which were banned by the Good Taste Accord of 1989 wherein it was decided that these and approximately 200 other predictable rock tunes had already been way overplayed by two decades of cover bands needing "filler."
FAVORITE TRACK: #6 "Anything Like You" -- Heartfelt rock balladry with pumpin' funky bridges. Well-crafted and direct, this newer one comes off strongly.
3 quacks
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Jay Glick
I Play
PRO: A very honest and, I thought, rather exceptional good-little-hippy kinda folk record (Californian/British folk, not Appalachian folk) with a nice heart-wide-open family vibe ideal for the holidays.
CON: Explorations of the harder aspects of being a stranger in a strange land (especially during his time working in Kenya) darken parts of the record.
PRO: Recorded during a controlled live session/party in a local church, it sounds far better than many self-produced larger budget studio records. Behold the power of less-is-more!
CON: Jay's acoustic guitar work is occasionally a little rough.
PRO: A loving portrait of the light Donovan vocal stylings and dream journal musings of a romantic with a slightly tarnished soul of gold, featuring a cast of nicely-orchestrated and very capable acousticians on cello, flute, mandolin, voices, percussion and lots of love.
CON: Who is this wussy, anyway?
PRO: So sweet even your Christian neighbors are gonna love it.
CON: So sweet even your Christian neighbors are gonna love it.
PRO: Includes Glick's gorgeous adaptation of Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening."
CON: What is this, summer camp?
FAVORITE TRACK: #6 "Kwenda" -- For its yummy full orchestration and the lyrical paradox of wanting/not-wanting aquaintance leading to the ironic "good-bye" sequence where the author ponders "since when has [bye] been good?"
4 quacks
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Mando Mafia
Get Up In The Cool
PRO: Old time, world folk, old-timey blues, ragtime and yes, reggae mixed up by a cool squad of laid-back middle-age mandolin fetishists.
CON: Perhaps not the tightest, fastest nor strongest squad doing it.
PRO: "Fast" not being the ultimate accolade in old-time circles, this brotherly crew fuses together some really elegant arrangements of a variety of traditional acoustic musics, and if you give them a chance, you'll probably start liking bluegrass and stuff.
CON: Hippy kids and rednecks like bluegrass. And George Jones.
PRO: Old-time blues flavors led by Piedmont bluesmaster John Jackson beautifully capture that classic old-time record tone that's all too rare anymore.
CON: Rick Friend kinda sounds like he's kidding when he sings lead.
PRO: The liner notes not only tell you the names of the tunes, where they learned or first heard the tunes and which buddies joined them on what for the tunes, but they're friendly and pretty funny, too.
CON: This is summer camp, isn't it?
PRO: It takes a grand master to find and perform a cover of the caliber of the campy 30's hit "Jo Jo The Cannibal Kid."
CON: They also work up "All Along The Watchtower," another tune banned by the Good Taste Accord of 1989 (see Buzby review above). Dave Matthews didn't even get away with that one.
PRO: The Mando Mafia actually kinda pull off "Watchtower," managing to breathe some fresh life into it by crossing it with another tune. Pretty neat.
FAVORITE TRACK: #11 "Josefin's Waltz" -- Despite the essential-listening playfulness of the John Jackson-fronted blues tunes on this record, my heart melted for the harmonies in this waltzing instrumental lullaby. Simply beautiful.
4.5 quacks
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Greg Howard Band
Lift
PRO: One of the foremost spokesman and instructors for the amazing Chapman Stick, Greg Howard has teamed up with a group of musicians stylistically empathic to the Stick's future-world ambient/jazz art rock overtones.
CON: They're a bunch of Europeans, and as such, this is a high-brow Euro/jazz fusionoid King Crimson uber-rock super bomb/dreamscape episode. (I half expected Jan Hammer to do a cameo.)
PRO: It's good and jammy, with lots of heavy soloing over deep lush pockets leading into thoughtful changes and deft orchestrations. Really quite an intense mix of world tones and spacey jamsmanship.
CON: It's also got some almost tiresomely long beautiful music on it too. (Yech! Beautiful music! It's so... jazzy!)
PRO: The jams will grab you by the boobee-- really heavy stuff.
CON: Uh huh.
PRO: Recorded in the Netherlands, where people are realistic about their vices.
CON: Right.
PRO: One of a small batch of local bros who are true peers to Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews, laying out a matured brand of deep, expansive and powerful music.
CON: Dave Matthews?
PRO: Yes, Dave Matthews. Greg sat in on Remember Two Things and Before These Crowded Streets.
CON: Wow. So does he know when the new Dave album is coming out?
FAVORITE TRACK: #2 "Cross Country" -- Smooth like waking up inside a dreamsicle, the mellow upbeat vibe and sprawling Latin-esque percussion groove almost remind me of some late Mickey Hart-inspired Grateful Dead stuff. Deep and pretty.
4.5 quacks
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