The Special Edition- Music - Page 2

Thanks for the shout-out to this week's column, Andrew (I'm taking my brother to see Tron:Legacy for his birthday today, and toying with the idea of going back for the midnight screening of True Grit).

It was actually a pretty slow week in music releases, but we've got a pair of gorgeous voices from England, a highly distinctive voice from Natick Mass., a generic voice from Hollywood... plus reissues of the banjo being defined and an Arkestra finding its audience.

This week, we wrap up the 2010 edition of The Special Edition with quick rundowns of a dozen or so worthwhile albums that either came out before I began the column in March, or that I just flat overlooked.

And farewell to 2010.

Well, the kinks are still getting sorted on the new version of The Special Edition: it's back to being all one big page, though that may change in  future weeks.

 

Anyway, if you're interested, Bela Fleck's missus gets simultaneously old-timey and new-fangled, Joe Lovano and an amazing ensemble bring new ears to the work of Charlie Parker, Cake is still amusingly snarky, and Wire is still alive (faint praise, you say, but look how many aren't these days).

 

Plus, I listened to something called Steel Magnolia so you didn't have to... jesus fucking wept...

For the time being, anyway, The Special Edition  continues as one big page covering DVD's and video games and music, so while you peruse this week's music rundown-- among other things, we get the major indie band who did NOT release an album last year, and the major white bluesman who did NOT release an album last year-- you can also see what the other guys think about things like Season One of Justified, plus find out if new downloadable Rock Band content from Stone Sour will set Justin's heart aflutter.

In this week's Special Edition: Is half of a Gang of Four just a Bunch of Two? Why can't Jack White mind his own business? Does Sam Beam need more iron, less wine? And what about Naomi...?

Very strong week for music over at The Special Edition. The (terribly-named) Civil Wars cover folk/country/blues in a style not that far removed from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, with gorgeous harmony vocals; The Go! Team does, in fact, go, and all over the place; Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebrates 40+ years of recording, and there's a fitting final testament from Bob Marley. And some other stuff.

 

Oh, and if (unlike me), you've actually got around to purchasing Rock Band 3, Justin celebrates this week's complete download of London Calling. MIght be worth checking the used bins for a copy, just to be able to play "Brand New Cadillac."

I can't see any point in cracking jokes about this week's Special Edition: the fact that it starts with Motorhead(!), continues through the old-timey harmonies of the Wailin Jennys, and culminates in Miles Davis blowing the doors off your ears... that's pretty damn funny right there.

Thanks for the kind words. I had my prog period in college (Soft Machine, Quiet Sun, King Crimson, Magma(!), a few others), but I guess it just wore out its welcome on me. I can acknowledge the skill needed to play a lot of it, but most of the time I'd rather admire it from a safe distance.

This week's Special Edition includes good stuff from Drive-By Truckers, good 'n' weird stuff from Bright Eyes, sad happy stuff from Telekinesis, and happy sad stuff from PJ Harvey.

It may grow on me with time; that happens sometimes when I have to write up a review with only a day or two of listening-- though some of the "war is bad" stuff isn't going to get any smarter with aging. It's staying on my player certainly.

In this week's Special Edition, we've got a big voice, a big guitar, a big recording studio, and a big box o' blues. Among other stuff.

This week's Special Edition features women growling with their voices and their guitars, some really loud guys and one quietly intelligent one.

Exene vs Avril Levigne? The Mahones vs R.E.M.? YOU make the call!

Thanks for the suggestion on the Farrar/Gibbards album-- never heard it and it sounds interesting. Queueing it up on Rhapsody next.

Thanks-- that was quite enjoyable, and I've added the film to my Netflix queue.

 

 Apropos of nothing, by the way, I have a good friend who has publshed a series of Young Adult novels about an eccentric family and their butler named Benway.

Big noise, big drums, big guitar, and the big heart of Mr. David Johansen highlight this week's Special Edition.

Angles, Panic, Fiction and Sophistication in This Week's Special Edition.

In this week's Special Edition, we've got a bit of a Foo Fighters discussion going, we see if Paul Simon and Alison Krauss deliver too much of a good thing, there's TV on the Radio, Talking Heads on the K.D.,  and Dixie on the bluegrass.

The Special Edition is undergoing a bit of a transition (and I fucked up the album graphics, so you'll just have to google Bootsy Collins in all his glory on your own), but this week the music section features new albums from some of the most important figures in modern Americana, funk, and jazz. Plus the usual snarky comments about some bands with dorky names.

This week's Special Edition is Fleet, Beastly, Dreamy, and... um... Sisterly?

 

Bonus review (that I accidently left off my final draft): Sixx A.M.: This Is Gonna Hurt. Talk about an album that reviews itself...

This week in the Special Edition, we go back and forth with music that's older than new, and newer than old, and a little bit in between. Plus, Bertie Wooster turns out to be one motherfucker of a piano player.

Depends, I guess, on what you expect out of a Moby album. At his best, he can be seductive and evocative, but it's a fine line he walks, and sometimes he comes down on the Muzaky side of things. And, to my ears anyway, this is one of those times.