High Bias Baker's Dozen

Brian Briscoe, Contributing writer

1. Varnaline, Songs in a Northern Key (E Squared/Artemis)
   The perfect bubble bath CD. Hey, either you get it or you don't. Anders Parker's long-awaited followup to Sweet Life doesn't disappoint, weaving achingly tender words and voice into a tapestry of echoes and shimmering acoustic guitars. Gorgeous stuff.


2. R.L. Burnside, Burnside on Burnside (Fat Possum)
   The kingpin of the mesmerizing North Mississippi blues scene (and the Fat Possum stable of talent) drones and hollers his way into your cranium. A joyful noise.


3. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985 (Epic/Legacy)
   This one gets kudos for the fascinating study of Vaughan's evolution as a performer, as well as the contrast between the booed first set and the triumphant second.


4. Chris Lee, plays & sings torch'd songs, charivari hymns & oriki blue-marches (Smells Like)
   A CD so uniquely soulful and alive that one has to wonder just what the recording sessions were like.


5. Ian Moore Action Company, Via Satellite (Hablador)
   While no one was watching, Ian Moore got damn good. He sings with soul and passion, he plays reservedly fiery guitar, and he knocks out a cohesive, musical journey of a set. Now if only he didn't have to open for Johnny Winter so often...


6. Sunpie, Sunpie (Louisiana Red Hot)
   From out of nowhere comes a captivating, Afro-swamp gumbo of exotic rhythms and Sunpie's ambient charm.


7. Boozoo Chavis, Down Home on Dog Hill (Rounder)
   Recorded barely a month before he died, Chavis' final album exhibits his quirky, inimitable form.


8. Tool, Lateralus (Volcano)
   Dense, angry, and user-hostile, this one may take years to fully appreciate, just like Aenima did.


9. Sean Costello, Moanin' for Molasses (Landslide)
   A young white blues prodigy shows talent, soul, and restraint. I'd sell my own soul for a chance to read the fine print on this guy's contract with the devil.


10. David Ball, Amigo (Dualtone)
    A honkytonk album the way they're supposed to be made: smart, genuine and danceable.


11. Pat Haney, Ghost of Things to Come (Freefalls Entertainment)
    If your mother ever told you she'd kicked out that abusive stepdad of yours for the final time only to bring you home from school one day to find him there and tell you "we'll all be spending a lot more time together," you'll appreciate this one.


12. Rainravens, One Last Saturday Night (Rainravens)
    Subtle, heartfelt roots vibes from Austin, which is still the soul of Texas music.


13. Various Artists, World Playground 2 (Putumayo)
    Perfect for grabbing your toddler by the hand and dancing like no one's watching.

"We Laugh to Keep from Crying" musical moments from 2001, in no particular order:

Releases:

Slayer's God Hates Us All (American Recordings) is released on September 11.

Mick Jagger's Goddess in the Doorway (Virgin) sells only a few hundred copies the day it's released in the UK. Punchline: Surely that was about triple the expectation.

The Cure's Greatest Hits (Elektra) double CD is released; oddly, it's not blank.

Performances:

Press about the Who's performance at the America: A Tribute to Heroes concert still makes sure to refer to Zach Starkey as Ringo Starr's son. Folks, any drummer who gets a gig with delightful curmudgeon Pete Townshend does NOT have nepotism to thank for it.

With the death of Leon Wilkeson, Lynyrd Skynyrd now tours with only two original members: Gary Rossington and Billy Powell. There comes a time to read the writing on the wall, boys.

Anachronisms:

Soul and hip hop continue to be a pointless waste of potential these days. Need proof? The Isley Brothers, whose career spans four decades, provided the only memorable moment with "Contagious" from Eternal (DreamWorks).

Naughty guitarists:

Guitarist Don Felder sues Eagles members Don Henley and Glenn Frey, claiming he was unjustly dismissed from the band. What ever happened to the days of smashing your beer bottle against the wall and peeling out in the parking lot?

Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland leaves the band for greener pastures. This still won't prevent people from coming up to him for the rest of his life and saying, "Limp Biscuit? Don't they have a pill for that now?"

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck is arrested at Heathrow Airport for assaulting crew members on a flight from Seattle to London. Suggested sentence: six months of performing "Shiny Happy People" in some English jail.

Cracking up:

Mariah Carey is hospitalized for "extreme exhaustion." Her film debut, Glitter, is destined to become this generation's Xanadu. Why in the world would that drive the flighty pop diva into the arms of medicated lunches and tight white coats?

Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh is admitted to a psychiatric hospital. It's somewhat reassuring to know that the "eep eep" vocals from "Island in the Sun" drove someone else past the breaking point.

And finally:

Two Dallas DJs are fired for falsely reporting that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were killed in a car accident. This is odd considering that Kramer and Twitch's show was neither convincing nor funny; who fell for this? All this did was raise their profile and get them a better-paying gig at a Detroit rock station.