Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis - Two Men With The Blues

Who would've thought that Willie Nelson (the VERY accomplished country musician) would be making a live Jazz-Blues album with composer/trumpeter Wynton Marsalis? The album is full of life, and energy. Pulling a few covers from Ray Charles, Louis Jordan, Spencer Williams, and others- it sounds like a solid, yet bewildering experience.





"Bright Lights Big City" kicks straight off, and the entire band starts up without a notice. While Willie Nelson begins to sing, you can really see how multi-dimensional his voice really is. The song has a very upbeat, happy feeling that fits this record almost perfectly.


"Night Life" starts with a simple upright bass, and Wynton Marsalis chimes in with his trumpet, giving a wonderful performance for any trumpeter in quite a while. When Willie Nelson's vocals kick in with the piano and jazz drumbeat. The song is very good on it's own, but superbly showcases Wynton Marsalis' trumpeting abilities.


"Caldonia" is a very swing, blues song. Full of lively trumpet, trombone, and saxophone. While the vocals hit over a nice portion of the song, the rest is filled with various live solo's from members of the bands, including a lengthy Harmonica solo.


"Star Dust" comes off as a very heartfelt piano ballad, that has a very contemporary pop sound to it. Near the three-minute mark, Wynton brings out the trumpet and woos the crowd with his admirable abilities.


"Basing Street Blues" is a very well delivered song from Willie Nelson's side, as it shows of his dynamic and chemistry with the band behind him. Hearing the song can instantly take someone to New Orleans in their mind, and see the French Quarter- and the various musicians playing there.


"Georgia On My Mind" is a classic. Everyone has heard it at some point or another in their lives. The song is beautifully composed, and the band playing it on this record delivers the performance just as amazingly as Ray Charles did. You can hear obviously parts of how Wynton added his own flavors to the classic song.



"Rainy Day Blues" is a very soulful blues song, that gets the crowd up and clapping. The song shows how the band functions well together, and often feed off of each other for the chance to shine. It seems that the stardom between Wynton (and his band) and Willie Nelson seem to make the song sound simple, and give the efforts of their life to make a song song so soulful.


"My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" is a very Memphis-blues influenced song. Marsalis' and Nelson both use the song to show off their instruments of choice; giving Nelson one (of the few) guitar solos that works well with the song, and only gives the rest of the band to play off, and when it seems like the song can't peak anymore- Marsalis sings a few lyrics and hops right back to his trumpet. Near the songs end, it becomes almost percussion oriented- and the drums hit, cowbells are banged, and crowds are delighted.


"Ain't No body's Business" is just that. It's the band carrying their tune, and their song without even paying attention to the band, bringing their egos down to the same floor, to share the same tune. The dark, bluesy song is carried very well with Willie Nelson's vocals, resting perfectly over the band as they play, to give a stellar sound.

"That's all" feels like a perfect, swinging end to the record. It keeps the upbeat nature going, with background vocals proved from previously unheard voices. While the song clocks in at over six minutes, it keeps the power moving all through.

It's odd to think that this combination would ever work. Willie Nelson, a well revered country musician... would make a live, jazz-standard record with a well accomplished composer, and trumpeter like Wynton Marsalis, but it does. The record fulfills, and never lets down at all.

The only negative thing foreseeable in this record- is the fact that it's ALL covers. There are no originals (though, one or two songs previously written by Nelson), and it'd be interesting to hear the entire band play original songs together, and see the obviously chemistry blend even further.

Final Score: 8.5 Giraffes Out Of 10.

Beck - Modern Guilt

Beck could be considered one of the better (if not the best) songwriters of this generation. His catchy lyrics, and genre-jumping extremes have earned him a place in music history. From the intensity of his slide guitar antics on "Mellow Gold", to his infectious organ keys on "Odelay!", Beck knows what he's doing when he releases his music. His newest record, dubbed "Modern Guilt" is to be released July 8th in America (which also shares Beck's birthday), and to be produced by the great producer; DJ Danger Mouse who has already made name for himself over the past few years. The new album is said to be a mix of the classic Beck and 60's Brit rock.


"Orphans" is a song that is scarily catchy. The song has so much happening (musically) that you couldn't ever find yourself walking away humming it as much as you do. With verse and chorus over-singing by Cat Power- it makes this song VERY complicated, but very likable and distinct for what the rest of the record has in store for you.

"Gamma Ray" has a very "driving down a secluded highway in a Shelby Mustang" feel, it feels like Beck is properly incorporating (not replicating) the Brit rock feel. When Beck's vocals begin, you get a warped, mixed feeling that sounds like the character of "The Man From Another Place" from the TV show "Twin Peaks. "Gamma Ray" song really shows off how DJ Danger Mouse influenced the record, with his trademark eerie keyboard vocal overtones.

"Chemtrails" was the first single, and first released song from the new album. The song starts with very elegant ambient keyboard and bass, while Beck begins to sing over top of it all. The song kicks kicks in with an impressive drum beat that brings complete life to the song. While the song shows of the experimentation of the album, it doesn't feel completely like it belongs on the album. It feels like it could most certainly be a B-Side of sorts... but, the album wouldn't be tarnished without the existence of this song.

"Modern Guilt" which plays the role of the title track, is also one of the catchiest songs from the album. The song even FEELS like it was written to be catchy, even including "da-da-da's" into parts of the song. The bass and drum are rather prominent through the song, with the guitar chiming in more loudly during the chorus- while the Piano and Keyboard are featured pretty much throughout the entire song to fill in and give life to the song.

"Youthless" sounds like it fell directly out of Beck's previous effort, "The Information". With a hip-hop bass line, and lots of synth and minimalism- it seems to blend perfectly with what is in the rest of the record, which- could be considered a bad thing, if you're looking for tracks that stand out to the ear, and make you envision what you're hearing.

"Walls" is the second song on "Modern Guilt" in which Beck is accompanied by indie-pop musician Cat Power. Like the previous song with Cat Power, it boils down to her singing quietly under Beck's vocals, while the different drum beats and orchestrations stand out. The song works well and seems to follow along the same emotional feel of the record.

"Replica" has a spastic, shattering drum-beat, and an impressive guitar riff that sounds like it fell directly out of an "Explosions in the Sky" song. This song shows off yet another branch of creativity that Beck is known for- minimalist aspects, and cultured music.

"Soul of a Man" takes a more classic Beck approach to songwriting. Filled with a heavy guitar riff, and infectious grooves- it feels like one of the first Beck-revival songs in a long time (Though to place that Beck has a paticular sound is rather redundant in of itself).

"Profanity Prayers" begins with a very orchestral synth intro- then spouts directly into a rough, radioheadesque garage sound. at about the 2:40 mark, it lashes into an intense drum beat, with an acoustic guitar over top- just as quickly as it happens, it's over- and back into the song. The last 30 seconds are a barrage of weird, low-volume synths hitting over top of the previous garage sound.

"Volcano" is the last track on the record, and it doesn't let down. The second the vocals kick in over the acoustic guitar, it can take anyone (familiar with Beck at least) back to the Sea Change era. Even the chorus has the weird hyphy sound from the beginning of "Lost Cause". With the emotional nature of this song, it makes a perfect closer to the album.



Beck could possibly be considered one of the most innovative, provocative, and spontaneous musicians of this (or any) generation.

The fact that he decided to work with such an acclaimed producer like DJ Danger mouse (who already has an impressive portfolio himself) says that he takes his music seriously.

When you look at who he was, and how he wrote his early records like "Mellow Gold" and compare them to this one- you can note how he's grown up in front of everyone (musically, at least).

He went from being an anti-folk superstar that writes about how Mountain Dew Fucked with his head, to writing heartfelt songs about emotional breakdowns.

The music in "Modern Guilt" often feels like "The Information: Part 2", because many of the songs feel like they fell exactly from that era.

This record is in NO way a dud, but- it's to listen to THIS Beck, when you know that "Odelay!" is out there.

Final Score: 8.5 Giraffes out of 10.

Immortal Technique - The 3rd World

Following a five year absence from making records, Immortal Technique comes out with his newest album/mixtape; "The 3rd World", produced with none other than DJ Green Lantern... but don't let the deter you, he's still hitting with hardcore-political hip-hop with an angry focus, and a militant agenda concerned with freedom of speech.



"Death March" starts with an introduction from DJ Green Lantern... directly after his introduction- the song starts straight up in "Immortal Technique" fashion, with impressively written, impressively laid-down, and extremely angry.

"That's What It Is" is a song about the roots of hip-hop, how about he started, and where it's gone. In the course of the album this song lyrically stands out, it's a call to many "rappers" who have simplified the game. People like "Soulja Boy", "Lil Wayne", "Arab", and "Hurricane Chris" are rather prime examples of the over-corporatism of rap music- How the main concern over the music has left from making a change... talking about how it was hard growing up, to songs like "Crank Dat", which is simple, mindless drab.

"Harlem Renaissance" is about the era when Harlem was exploding with culture; Music, Art, Poetry, etc... and how it's reflected as being a completely different place today, questionably because of the Government.

"Lick Shot" paints a vivid picture about the coming revolution, and how it would be perceived by certain people- shooting the President, painting the White House black, and city the being run by gangster rappers.

"Mistakes" is a song about just that, Mistakes- how we make them, how we move on, and how to live with them. The beat polluted with this one is actually very catchy, something surprising to find in an Immortal Technique album. The song tells a sort of story about how he got put in prison and how he gets out.

Immortal Technique is a very angry man. He's pissed at the world, and it's interesting to hear his perspective, and how he finds this country to be messed up.

The music is VERY thought provoking, and it's easy to get wrapped up in it, but the fact that he's more political than Jello Biafra rivals what makes a good song, and after releasing two previous records, It seems as though it's about time to put some more change into the material. The songs where he talks about how hard it was growing up, and the things he saw while growing up, they seem to be the ones that actually reflect who he is, instead of all of the material about murdering big business. 3/4 of the songs on "The 3rd World" are probably about wanting to kill the president, and cause the revolution, which is fine- those are the thought provoking songs, but after a while... you've kinda said all you can say with that.

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10 Giraffes

Reviews

So, there haven't been too many reviews in this past week- so I'm kinda changing up my format thereof.

Instead of doing a new review every day- I'll probably start doing three or so expanded reviews per the week.

I think it'd just help with my poor managing.

Keep reading :)

- Josh

Sigur Ros - With a Buzz in Our Ears we play Endlessly

One of the more famed and acclaimed bands from Iceland, "Sigur Ros" will be releasing their new record " With a Buzz in Our Ears we play Endlessly" on June 24.



If you've never heard of "Sigur Ros", then you must not be too familiar with Post-Rock. They rank among the most notable Post-Rock bands along with Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Slint, and Mogwai.

Their newest album "With a Buzz in Our Ears we play Endlessly" gives a new turn for the band, and allows them to experiment, and play under a new light.

With their previous (and often highly acclaimed) efforts, they've went for the same method, and the method has been morose, slow, steady, and somber-the new record is completely different, and unlike anything they've ever done.

The first few songs; "Gobbledigook", and "Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur", showcase the ability that "Sigur Ros" has to write genuienly soulful, emotional, and catchy songs.

The song "All Right", is their first song written, and played in English- but it doesn't falter their abilities any.

While the new record shows some of their best songwriting... one of the downfalls of Post-Rock bands is the length of their songs, and often the unbearable nature regarding it.

As an album, "With a Buzz in Our Ears we play Endlessly" provides amazing songwriting, song-structure, and some of the best post-rock material that has been heard in quite a while, though the downfall is that the length of the songs, and the inability to speak or understand their language can create a bit of a barrier.


Final Score: 8.0 out of 10 Giraffes.

Fake Problems - How Far Our Bodies Go

Casually, the albums reviewed here are from the current (year), but occasionally you'll find rare albums that irk your interest even though they're not the target demographic (new music).




As the album opens up, it starts with a little acoustic riff, while the raspy singing overlaps it with chorus singers in the back, after the song starts up and the entire band kicks in- you can get the feeling that they know what they're doing- and they have done this hundreds of times... but you also get the feeling while listening to it that they have small bits of themselves in the song, and all of their songs for that matter.

"Born and Raised" is an angry, catchy tune that sticks with you, and sounds very reminiscent of folk-punk, and it's possibly one of the best tracks on the album.

The more, and more you get into this record- the more it all sticks with you. It's all just catchy, but... different. It's not like anything you'll hear right now, but it's obviously the most well written stuff on any market (independent and mainstream), and it continues to impress even after first listen.

This is music for people who like music- by people who actually like music.

Final Score: 9.5 out of 10 Giraffes

Less Than Jake - GNV FLA

Less Than Jake's new album "GNV FLA" (releases on June 24th) attempts to bring back the ska-core they seemed to have missed and lost with their 2006 effort "In With The Out Crowd".



When the first track "City Of Gainesville" comes on, it's a familiar, upbeat ska-core song about enjoying the nights being broke. The song looks like a good omen for the future of this record, sadly- I don't think so.

As the album continues from the first track... it's all kind of hit and miss- you have good ska-core songs like "Handshake meets Pokerface", "Golden Age of my Negative Ways", to more punk-oriented songs like "Summon Monsters", and "This Ones Gonna Leave a Bruise".

The album itself- but it's not Less Than Jake. It's not their better records like "Anthem", or "Pezcore"... but it's not as bad as "In With The Out Crowd"... it falls slightly in between mediocre and annoying.

Final Score: 5.5 out of 10 Giraffes.