Album Reviews

PUFFY AMIYUMI
Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi: Music From the Cartoon Network Series
(Epic)
I should hate this with a passion, as I usually have no patience for cutesy gimmick bands. But the two young women who comprise Japanese pop phenomenon Puffy Amiyumi could charm the pants off Antonin Scalia, if this collection of tunes from their Cartoon Network TV show is any indication. Besides having strong, appealing voices and the tightest harmonies since Abba, the duo also has the services of ex-Jellyfish singer Andy Sturmer as producer, songwriter and instrumentalist. Sturmer's superior sense of melody proves to be a perfect match to the ladies' giddy effervescence on high energy power-poppers like "Planet Tokyo," "Sunrise" and the almost transcendently high-spirited "Friends Forever." The Puffys even take the old Jellyfish tune "Joining a Fan Club" out for a ska/punk/pop spin. The half-dozen cuts produced by the duo's Japanese homeboys take a more eclectic approach, from the swing rock of "Boogie-Woogie No. 5" and the arena pop of "Into the Beach" to the Bacharach breeze of "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N" and the ELO tribute (complete with vocoder) "True Asia," Puffy's very first single. The disk is bookended by twin TV themes, the bubbly "Hi Hi" from the duo's show and the rollicking "Teen Titans Theme." All of it is catchy and delightful and too cute for words. Look up the word "irresistible" in the dictionary and there should be a picture of Puffy Amiyumi. Michael Toland [buy it]

ROTOR
Rotor 2
(Elektrohasch)
Germany isn't the country I most associate with psychedelic rock, but with bands like Colour Haze, Sula Bassana and Liquid Visions around, that's an assumption I have to revise. Add to that list Rotor, whose second album is a frenzied celebration of the more hallucinogenic attributes of the electric guitar. Whether you prefer the spacy caresses of "Ruhig Blut," the ass-kicking battery of "Supernova" or the light/dark double penetration of "Erdlicht," Rotor has platefuls of your dosed, bloody meat. Rotor 2 probably wouldn't convert the uninitiated, but for psychedelia fans, it's immensely satisfying. Michael Toland [buy it]

DARRELL SCOTT, DANNY THOMPSON & KENNY MALONE
Live in NC
(Full Light)
Multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Darrell Scott has written or played for a variety of Nashville star acts, so you'd think his solo records would color inside Nashville lines. But his three studio records boast an eclecticism borne of a boundless imagination. His impressive instrumental facility and rich voice help. These things are also on display on Live in NC, on which Scott is accompanied by Nashville session king Kenny Malone on the kit and British folk rock legend Danny Thompson on the upright. Scott strips down his usual arsenal of stringed and keyboard instruments to just acoustic and electric guitars, highlighting his jazzy blues chops. Scott performs fine, expanded versions of some of his most notable tunes, including "Helen of Troy, PA," "It's the Whiskey That Eases the Pain" and "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive," as well as Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt covers. Unfortunately, he stretches them out a bit too much at times; there's really no need for "River Take Me" to be over 10 minutes long, or for "Wayfaring Pilgrim" to zoom past the eight-minute mark. Still, Live in NC is a good snapshot of the live Darrell Scott experience, irrefutable proof that there's much more to Scott than just being a studio or session wizard. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE SEX SLAVES
Bite Your Tongue
(Radical)
The New York trio the Sex Slaves sounds exactly like you think it would: sleazy, leather 'n' chains hard rock. Bite Your Tongue sports songs like "All Night Long," "See You Naked" and "2 a.m.," which are about, well, duh, do I have to spell it out? General partying also gets its due in "Me & My Friends" and "We're Going Out Tonight," alcohol gets a shout-out in "Thank God For Jack Daniels" and the group bares its stained soul in "One More Night" and "Kiss Me." Fortunately, the band's music is closer to the Ramones and Kiss than Poison and the hair metal bands that seem to be its most obvious antecedents, and the hooks hit home with accuracy. Michael Toland [buy it]

SNATCHES OF PINK
Stag
(MoRisen)
The followup to Hyena, Snatches of Pink's amazing comeback, Stag is a sneering, snaggletoothed beast of a record, asking for no quarter and giving none. Having apparently mainlined his Royal Trux records, bandleader Michael Rank takes SOP's distinctive sound and drags it through a puddle of muddy nails, letting the riffs and rhythms raucously ramble across the room like randy rhinoceri. "No Station," "Judas" and "Painted Gun" shake their arrangements until the loose change falls out of their pockets, then lazily lean over to scoop it all up. "Snakes" and "Tooth" smack Rank's enigmatic lyrics around until they stand up for themselves and fight back. Harmony vocals pass each other in the hallway but do little more than nod hello; nasty feedback envelops nearly everything like a haze of cigarette smoke. Stag is a challenging record, and not for SOP beginners. Longtime fans, however, will ultimately find it darkly compelling. Michael Toland [buy it]

SOUTHERN BITCH
Snake in the Grass
(Captiva)
Why doesn't it surprise me that Southern Bitch comes from Athens, home to new blood Southern rockers the Drive-By Truckers and indie rock giants like R.E.M. and Pylon? On its second album Snake in the Grass, the firebreathing quartet certainly lays the rock & roll hammer down, as bandleaders Adam and Wendy Musick whip their axes into a frenzy with enough riffs and solos to satisfy any Molly Hatchet fan. At the same time, Adam's keening voice steers clear of grit, sounding like Jeffrey Lee Pierce without the intonation issues. Adam's songs also split the difference between the hip and the hairy, as his anthemic melodies support lyrics that are almost stridently political ("Don't You Think It's Time," "True Born Leader," "Tell Me/I Won't Follow," "Mark of the Beast"), with a few turns toward love ("Could It Be") and self-examination ("Free Man Now"). Of course, a lot of folks will ignore the libretto and just keep on rockin,' and that's cool, too. Whether it inspires you to get out your lighter or your voter's registration card, Snake in the Grass is an exciting, brainy scorcher. Michael Toland [buy it]

SULA BASSANA
Dreamer
(Elektrohasch)
The plush psychedelia of Dreamer should come as no surprise when one realizes that Sula Bassana is the nom de rocque of Dave Schmidt, formerly of Germany's leading psychedelic light Liquid Visions. Schmidt fills the mostly instrumental tracks here with all manner of acid textures, from the fluid guitarscapes of "Dealer McDope" and "My Blue Guitar" to the electronic exotica of "Ananda" and "nervenlähmung." No matter what kind of fuzz or ephemera cloaks the tunes, Schmidt always puts the melody first, making Dreamer some of the most accessible psych rock you're likely to inhale. Add a striking cover and a groovy, atmospheric cover of Pink Floyd's "Baby Blue Shuffle in D Major" and you've got a winning slab of electric dreams. Michael Toland

SUZUKITON
Service-Repair Handbook
(Crucial Blast)
Apparently the members of Alabama Thunderpussy have nothing better to do when ATP isn't on tour except form other bands. Suzukiton is the instrometal side project featuring ATP drummer Bryan Cox, and it's a doozy. Like everything any of these guys get involved in, Service-Repair Handbook packs a brick-to-the-face punch, but there's more going on than sheer impact. Tunes like "New Blood," Rogue Mechanica" and "Todd Song" practically bleed riffs, bolstering the interlocking guitar parts with uncommon rhythms that make this math metal swing. It's amazing that music this spiky and gnarled can be so instantly appealing, but that's the essence of Suzukiton: comfort through noise. Michael Toland [buy it]

SWÅP
Du Da
(Northside)
Swedish and British folk musics have a lot in common melodically and instrumentally, certainly as regards a preference for the fiddle. The convergence finds its most comfortable home in the Anglo/Nordic quartet Swåp. The darker textures of Scandinavian folk keep the melody lines of Celtic from getting too sweet, while the more upbeat feel of the British stuff drags the Nordic notes into the sunlight. "Dalpilen" and "M&aauml;ster åslund" highlight the band's nimble touch with danceable instrumentals, but for my money the killers are tunes like "Fattig &Aauml;nka" and "Brudpolska Från Orsa Efter Minu Per," which feature the sonorous singing of fiddler Carina Normansson. Fans of both strains of Eurofolk will want to shake hands with Swåp. Michael Toland [buy it]

TOTIMOSHI
?Mysterioso?
(Crucial Blast)
Totimoshi revels in its power trio status on Mysterioso?, a reissue of its 2001 second album. The Oakland combo pounds and thrashes away at "Oblivian," "Screwed" and the instrumental "Dirt Farmer" with the skewed sensibility of the Melvins and the raw power of Black Sabbath. There's more to Totimoshi than just BOOM!crunch, though; bassist Meg Castellanos keeps a healthy groove rolling under the amp-fucking riffage, and the brief opera pisstake "Viterol-A" displays an irreverent sense of humor. Cool. Michael Toland [buy it]

ABIGAIL WASHBURN
Song of the Traveling Daughter
(Nettwerk)
Singer/banjoist Abigail Washburn has a story worth filming. As a college exchange student, she spent time in China, developing a deep appreciation and empathy for Chinese culture. This in turn led her to come back to American and more thoroughly explore her own culture, especially folk music. Suddenly, having never considered a musical career before, she found herself performing American and Chinese folks songs, as well as her own originals, and signing a record contract. Song of the Traveling Daughter is the result of her journey. Tunes like "Eve Stole the Apple," "Halo" and "Rockabye Dixie" explore Americana visions that lay just out of reach and out of sight, while "The Lost Lamb" and the title track, both sung in Chinese, do the same for Chinese folklore. Traditional American songs like "Backstep Cindy/Purple Bamboo" and "Nobody's Fault But Mine" take on new, luminous life in her clawhammer hands. Prodded by the give-and-take of Ben Sollee's cello, Washburn sings and plucks her banjo like a reluctant storyteller, hesitant at first, but quite loquacious once she opens up. Song of the Traveling Daughter is a tale that will last the ages. Michael Toland [buy it]

CHRIS WHITLEY
Soft Dangerous Shores
(Messenger)
Two things I love about Chris Whitley: he's extremely consistent and he's not afraid to experiment with his own music. Soft Dangerous Shores, his twelfth album, shifts from the rootsy tack he's taken on his past couple of records, adding beats both electronic and human, drawing from dance music without aping it. Producer Malcolm Burn's electronic glitter never interferes with the essential organic grit of Whitley's tunes—it's a production aesthetic that mixes the best of the artist's Living With the Law and Rocket House albums. The pulsing groove of "Her Furious Angels," "City of Women" and "Medicine Wheel" entwines its naked limbs around Whitley's National steel guitar in a sensual, shameless love dance. The more aggressive, overtly sexual throb of "Last Million Miles" brings the music to a shuddering climax, while the title track, though placed near the beginning of the record, gently massages in the afterglow. Few artists conjure up eroticism the way Whitley does without resulting to vulgarity. Just as few can go for nearly two decades and still make music as fascinating, mesmerizing and vital as Soft Dangerous Shores. Michael Toland [buy it]

SOUNDTRACK
Searching For the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
(Luaka Bop/V2)
Searching For the Wrong-Eyed Jesus is a surreal, perplexing and ultimately compelling film that allegedly tries to discover why so much American art (music especially) comes from the South. The soundtrack features some interesting choices: New Yorker Johnny Dowd on a creepy "There I Was," recorded in a beauty shop; Chicago's Handsome Family with their wonderful "My Sister's Tiny Hands;" New York Doll David JoHansen's rough, soulful cover of Geeshie Wiley's "The Last Kind Words;" Denver's David Eugene Edwards doing "Wayfaring Stranger" solo in a forest and "Black Soul Choir" with his ex-band 16 Horsepower. Oldtime singer Lee Sexton's "Little Maggie" and Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson's "Coo Coo Bird" provide genuine Southern voices, and the project is held together by the tunes of the Florida-bred Jim White, who also serves as the movie's host. The Yankees and Midwesterners fit in fine, their songs resonating with the culture the film attempts to document (though it should be noted that some of their most memorable performances in the flick didn't make it to disc). I've seen Searching For the Wrong-Eyed Jesus only once, so I'll reserve judgment on whether or not it succeeds in its artistic goals. In the meantime, though, I'll happily listen to the soundtrack. Michael Toland [buy it]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Sugarlumps
(Hard Soul/Acid Jazz)
Now here's a method to a psych rock comp that's so obvious I have to wonder why no one else has done it: mix new tunes by underground bands with acid rock rarities straight from the original period. Sugarlumps has cool new cuts from Groovy Ruben, Smashing Time, Soul Hooligan, the Standing 8 Counts and the duo of Andy Lewis and Andy Ellison, the latter building a bridge betwixt ancient and modern with his membership in 60s cult act John's Children. But it's also got classic freakbeat rarites by the Factory, the Argonauts (produced by Barry Tashian of Barry and the Remains) and the Nole Gilpin Emporium, plus "Candlelight," the ultra-rare single from Grantchester Meadow (rumored to be a certain psych icon). One of the shiniest gems is "Early Roller Machine 444," a previously unreleased track by Quiet Melon, AKA the Faces, featuring singer Art Wood duetting with Rod Stewart. Every song here is catchy and melodic, making this collection appealing to more than just psych fans. It's been a long time since I've heard a compilation that's this listenable and fun all the way through. Michael Toland [buy it]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
XIT: Ten in Texas
(Icehouse Music)
When supposedly "knowledgeable" people talk about the influence Texas has had on music in America, it seems they rarely know what they are talking about. Finally someone has put together a Texas tribute album that actually acknowledges some lesser known, but equally important Texans. Of course Willie and Gary P. Nunn both have a place at the table, but producer David Gardner has included work from Asleep at the Wheel, Joe Ely and Ruthie Foster to give a more well-rounded survey of Texas music. These are Texans singing songs written by Texans and more than anything our songwriters have been our greatest musical export. Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark and Billy Joe Shaver are represented and the best track on the disc is Ely singing Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down." It is about time Texas gets an album worthy of the talent the state has produced over the years. Lance Looper