High Bias aural fixations
October 21, 2001

BODYJAR
How It Works
(Nitro)
The only thing puzzling about How It Works, Bodyjar's sixth CD, is its image. The cover, featuring two skinless lovers embracing, could pass for a Tool CD. "Bodyjar" is certainly a borderline gruesome name, and the band's bio drops names like Fugazi, Rancid, Korn, and Hüsker Dü. While singer/guitarist Cameron Baines does echo the occasional Bob Mould inflection and nasal drawl, Bodyjar are much too poppy for all the morbid imagery and aggressive associations. Not that there's anything wrong with poppy.

From the first notes of opener "Not the Same," it's clear what the formula is: tight bandwork, with constant vocal harmonies sung over a clenched fistful of chords. Baines' voice is a tenor that's perfectly suited in timbre and range to these pristine melodies. The whole band shares songwriting credits, so exactly who's behind the catchy hooks and whipcrack arrangements is anyone's guess. (Hell, maybe it's the whole band.) The lyrics touch on heartbreak, tragedy and addiction, though in a meandering, non-engaging (and non-distracting) way. The words work well as singalongs over head-bobbing riffage, but they don't generate much genuine emotional resonance. Bodyjar could certainly do worse than to craft these dozen seamless power pop songs that go down easy. It might behoove the band, though, to get a handle on exactly who and what it is. Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: The Wannabes, Foo Fighters, Lustre

DFA
Work in Progress Live
(Moonjune)
Though a favorite with progressive rock fans in 90s Europe, Verona, Italy's DFA (Duty Free Area) had no U.S. presence to speak of, outside of a few mail-order diehards. That changed with its performance at NEARfest 2000, when the quartet wowed a healthy crowd of prog lovers there to see more famous bands. That show is captured on Work in Progress Live. DFA specializes in a highly complex but richly melodic compound made of equal parts symphonic progressive rock and jazz fusion. Far from being the solo-happy wankfest it might appear to be from the description, the album is a testament to the band's strong ensemble work. The epic compositions, written by drummer Alberto De Grandis and keyboardist Alberto Bonomi, leave plenty of room for improvisation, but hew closely to tuneful outlines. Bonomi and guitarist Silvio Minella weave in and out of each other's virtuosity, creating a lush fabric of rich musical colors that never fails to engage. When either man solos, the break is equally impressive for its restraint as for its skill. De Grandis keeps the rhythm at a constant boil, with his jazzy cymbal work driving the sound as much as the kick drum; bassist Luca Baldassari holds steady, the pole off which the flags fly. "Trip on Metro," a piece that dates back to the group's early demos, shows a subtle Mahavishnu Orchestra influence, while "Pantera," "Caleidoscopio" and "Ragno" perfectly balance the blend of jazz rhythm, classical melody and rock firepower that is the hallmark of Italian progressive rock. Equally impressive and accessible, if this music is merely a work in progress, the final version will be drop-dead astonishing. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Return to Forever, Nathan Mahl

HANK HARRIS
Here
(Sunbunny)
Songwriter's songwriter. A man's man. How can the same word become a qualifier? How can something be more than it is? More than its distilled essence? The question begs an answer and I give you Hank Harris. He is a conundrum, sounding like Boz Scaggs (Silk Degrees) or Billy Joel (The Stranger) one minute, then twisting to perform like a Zen master the next. Sparse, stripped bare of artifice, his songs have the elusive quality of a koan or an aphorism, with just enough truth to tingle. With his understated lyrics and brilliant chord structure, Hank Harris is an unmined gem. "New Religion" conveys the obsession with a new love by equating it with states of science and religion. Track four, "Nothing at All," has the earmarkings of "Moonlight in Vermont," with loose noodlings from a vintage Les Paul and melancholy lyrics. I want to rest my cheek against someone's shoulder when I experience this tune. On the back of the liner notes he has a parable: "The master asks his students one question to see if they are ready for the next step on their spiritual path. The question is, 'Where are you?'" If you are looking for thoughtful, crafted, honed stories, the answer is here. Blythe Christopher

For fans of: early Billy Joel, Boz Scaggs, Cormac McCarthy

THE DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET
Not For Nothin'
(ECM)
Though the dapper British bassist is best-known as a sideman for artists as varied as Miles Davis, Chick Corea and John Abercrombie, Dave Holland has been an active solo artist and composer for 30 years. Not For Nothin', featuring his latest Quintet, is merely the latest in a long line of distinguished releases. Holland shares writing duties with his talented bandmates (innovative trombonist Robin Eubanks, saxophonist Chris Potter, vibist Steve Nelson, drummer Billy Kilson), and the five work so closely together that the tunes sound like the product of a playful, intelligent group mind. It's an aura reminiscent of that found on his former mentor Davis' mid-60s quintet recordings. From the solo-intensive epic "What Goes Around" to the swirling textures of "Shifting Sands" and the bluesy drive of the title track, Not For Nothin' exhibits a working band of exceptional skill as musicians, improvisers and composers. The members do what they do best in an egoless environment geared toward making the songs the best they can be. It's everything good about jazz—melody, improvisation, swing—wrapped up in one 72-minute package. Simply excellent. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Miles Davis' mid-60s albums, Charlie Haden, Brad Meldau

SOUNDTRACK
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
(Hybrid)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a landmark rock musical for several reasons, but one of the biggest is because of the songs. Songwriter Stephen Trask, formerly of Cheater and a veteran of the NYC rock scene, managed the neat trick of composing tunes that not only drive the film's narrative forward, but also stand as great songs in their own rights. Divorced of its context, this music holds up. Guitarist/keyboardist Trask knows how to navigate both the glam rock landscape, which requires catchy hooks and raw power, and the Broadway stage, with just the right balance of wit and pathos. John Cameron Mitchell, who created, wrote, directed and starred in the stage show and film, has a soulful, slightly melodramatic tenor, the perfect voice to bring Hedwig to life, and he clearly understands rock dynamics as well as Tin Pan Alley craft. Banshee backup vocalist Miriam Shor, who plays Hedwig's lover Yitzhak, and the sweet-voiced Trask, who sings the songs by Hedwig's rock star ex-lover Tommy Gnosis, make important contributions as well, and the band is augmented by Bob Mould on lead guitar and special guests Girls Against Boys.

"Tear Me Down," the vaguely blasphemous "Nailed" (a Tommy Gnosis song about fucking Christ that's barely heard in the film) and "Angry Inch" rip up the tarmac with punk fury and classic hooks, while "Sugar Daddy" is a witty, C&W-flavored seduction song even outside of the movie scene it accentuates. The pairing of "Hedwig's Lament" and "Exquisite Corpse" deftly combines Marlene Dietrich torch stylings with chaotic punk aggression, while "Box of Wigs" is a pull-your-boots-up set piece sure to induce a smile. The heart of both record and film, though, is the ballads, on which Trask's hybrid songcraft and Mitchell's emotional control truly shine. "The Origin of Love" lays out Hedwig's philosophy with resigned elegance, while "Wicked Little Town," beautifully sung in both the Tommy and Hedwig versions, is the kind of "I'll stand by you" love ballad we wish had played at the prom. "Midnight Radio" is simply exquisite, a punch-packing power ballad that's what Billy Joel was going for with "Captain Jack" but couldn't quite achieve. Only the Tommy Gnosis song "Freaks," a rather generic exercise in shock punk, falls below the standards set by the rest of the record, and then not by much. That lone misstep aside, this is as strong a collection of rock songs as any "regular" rock album you'd care to name. Even if you don't see the film (and you should), the soundtrack to Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a must. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Iggy Pop, David Bowie's Aladdin Sane, D Generation

Copyright © 2001 High Bias