Aural Fixations

ROBBIE FULKS
Georgia Hard
(Yep Roc)
It's pretty obvious, but I never hear anybody say it: Robbie Fulks is one of the best songwriters in the world. There are precious few musicians on this planet with the lyrical skill of Fulks; his ability to distill complex emotions and clever ideas into couplets so impossibly smooth they go down like warm milk is simply astonishing. That he then rests these gems on damn near irresistible C&W melodies makes them sparkle even more sweetly. Georgia Hard is the Southern-bred/Midwestern-bound Fulks' latest gift to song-starved fans, and it's as good as anything he's ever done. (more)

BB KING
The Ultimate Collection
(Geffen)
BB King has been releasing records since 1948, so no single CD collection could possibly be definitive. Considering the sheer length of the man's career, each decade would require its own box set. But The Ultimate Collection is no half-assed midline compilation either. (more)

MICHELLE SHOCKED
Threesome (Don't Ask Don't Tell, Got No Strings, Mexican Standoff)
(Mighty Sound)
Michelle Shocked has a reputation for thinking outside the box and being a fountain of creativity. This summer she is exercising both characteristics with the release of a trilogy of albums for her independent Mighty Sound label. Don't Ask Don't Tell, Mexican Standoff and Got No Strings are three very different sounding records, at least when compared to each other. But the trio is a clear expression of Michelle's eclectic taste and adaptive style. (more)

JAMES BLOOD ULMER
Birthright
(Hyena)
If the blues is one of the perfect fountains of pure self expression, and I think it is, then James Blood Ulmer is one of its avatars. Known for classic free jazz/funk explorations like Are You Glad to Be in America? and Freelancing, he's also a dedicated blues hound. Indeed, he's concentrated on the blues since the turn of the millenium; Birthright can be seen as the conclusion of a trilogy delineated by the highly acclaimed covers albums Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions and No Escape From the Blues: The Electric Lady Sessions. (more)