Record Reviews
Ya Boy Brell
originally published June 28, 2006
Jabriel Winfrey isn’t pictured acting out the title of his album on its cover; rather, he sits on the edge, staring out at you. He could jump off. It just doesn’t seem like he wants to right now. Maybe the title means something along the lines of cutting the apron strings, moving away from home and striking out on your own, which would be appropriate for a debut.
As is usual in rap, in an effort to display every skill he has, Brell puts too many tracks on one disc. At least, however, out of 17 only two can be classified as skits, and they feature a conversation between an older man, who used to sell marijuana, and a younger man (Brell) about the virtues of being “old school” and how things aren’t so hot these days. Does a less-nostalgic rapper necessarily have to sound like 50 Cent? One would hope not.
Anyway, Brell does have talent, and you can see it most on “Call of the Wild” (rainstorm, vaguely African chant and drums, flute), “It’s You” (soul sample) and “Uncut” (based on a lovely little relaxed jazz piano riff coupled with a simple quick and quiet beat, and occasionally broken up by something that sounds like a drill), all of which display his ability to move at a good pace without losing comprehensibility. There’s a little bounce in there, too, a kind of reticence that makes the listener want to move in closer, and that’s about the only thing that could give him away as Southern, let alone Athenian, aside from the celebratory lyrics.
Brell needs to find more variety in his vocal lines - and production team T-Nebula could stand to chill on the woodblock - but he’s worth keeping an eye on, with his street ball rhythms and loose demeanor.
Hillary BrownRecord Reviews
The Rewinds
originally published June 28, 2006
Given that the obsolete “rewind” button on your old boombox was used primarily to replay that catchy part in, say, some great Cheap Trick or Flamin’ Groovies cassette, Birmingham’s Rewinds have chosen their name accordingly. The quartet neatly lays out sugary, fun-filled - and very digestible - summer melodies. In fact, this debut is so coalescent that it comes off sounding like the Auer/ Stringfellow songbook (or is it Chilton/ Bell?) as arranged for a band of modern pop-minimalism like The Strokes or Kings of Leon.
But somewhere around the third or fourth tracks (for me, it was on the idle haze and backyard harmonies of napper “Killing Me”), the record takes on a unique identity of its own, despite how blatantly on-the-sleeve its influences are worn.
Calling one track on The Rewinds exceptional would be to cheat the other 13, since each of the 14 here sound effortlessly conceived and jovially recorded. That ease carries over directly to the listener. Insta-hit “Everytime” uses all its traits - gritty, New York-style production, an obnoxiously overstated guitar strum and a tight disco beat - in deceptively simple style to bolster an unchallenging choral melody. In kind, using a strong element to support a weaker one seems to be The Rewinds’ stock in trade.
When vocal melodies don’t entirely carry the song, as is the case on “Fascination,” a meaty guitar line swings in with an I-beam of support. And so goes just about every note on this magnificent introduction to any pop fan’s Utopia (Rundgren reference implied). A must for fans of The Posies, Ambulance LTD or Sloan.
Andy Stokes The Rewinds are playing at Lunch Paper on Thursday, June 29.Record Reviews
Brightblack Morning Light
originally published June 28, 2006
Sex music comes in all shapes and sizes. There are the old R&B standbys (Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Luther Vandross); disco ushered in the classic porn soundtrack era, complete with wank-a-chank guitars; and of course, there are myriad jazz and blues standards that seem custom-made for procreation.
Brightblack Morning Light’s self-titled debut charts new territory in the getting-it-on genre.
Alternately sweet and dirty, Brightblack main contributor Nathan Shineywater sings so languidly that this album may’ve well been recorded while he and his band were under hypnosis. Droney drums fill in the space not occupied by Shineywater’s voice or bandmate Rachel Hughes’ omnipresent Fender Rhodes organ. Hughes is essential to the group’s slow and minimalist sound, since without her '70s-era electric piano riffs (reminiscent of Idlewild South-era Allmans), Brightblack wouldn’t come across as so damn Southern. Shineywater and Hughes, California transplants from Alabama, make the most of their heritage, coming up just short of sounding hammy.
Just as critics called the Kings of Leon “the redneck Strokes,” Brightblack, encompassing the wall-of-sound textures of My Bloody Valentine as much as anything Skynyrd-related, will get written off as stoner-redneck-screwin’ music. But then, there are worse things to be called.
Mark Sanders Brightblack Morning Light is playing at the Caledonia Lounge on Saturday, July 1.Record Reviews
1000 Gramz
originally published June 28, 2006
Just a suggestion here, dudes. If you’re going to call your album Straight Off Kampus (and we’re not even going to talk about the K spelling), you might not want to take the photo for the cover in an obvious on-campus location. It leaves an opening for mocking. Still, Athens' 1000 Gramz (of the Renegadez) and DJ Konan manage to do a decent job with this debut album, despite less-than-polished recording quality and guest spots that encourage skipping to the next song. Even if the latter’s in effect, you’re not going to run out of tracks quickly, as there are 22. At just an hour’s running time, though, they average out to less than three minutes each, but it’s still a lot to process, and wild unevenness doesn’t help.
Another suggestion: mix B. Marley’s mic a little lower. The songs on which he appears, and a lot of the others where someone’s shouting in your left ear, can get grating in a hurry. Also, listeners are definitely advised to skip “Let’s Do It,” which makes no attempt at subtlety (lyrics: “Let’s do it / Because I want to fuck you”; repeat over and over and over).
But there are some highlights here, including the first track, “Campus Goin Wild,” which has good pacing, sweet flow and lyrics about financial aid that name check FAFSA. This is your niche, guys, and it shows. On campus beats off kampus.
Hillary BrownRecord Reviews
Various Artists
originally published June 28, 2006
I bet you could guess without seeing it what beer is pictured on the cover of the first release of this new local record label. If you’ve spent any time in Athens, you know the standard for cheap brew and good times, consumed by townie, frat kid and the older countrified folk alike.
Gathering songs by The Bearfoot Hookers, Tishamingo, Brian Connell & the Dickens, Connor Rand & the Red Dirt Band, The Chasers, Andrew Nelson & the Shotgun Lovers, Ken Williams & the Communion Winos and Last Picture Show, the CD hits most of the subgenres of the drinking song - rollicking, mournful, resigned, recovering - and even creates what may be a new one. Connor Rand’s “Alcohol and Adderall” could be the theme song of all the college kids who couldn’t exactly graduate on time because, dang it, Athens is such a great place to hang out. What do we call that? The slacker drinking song? Or just the theme song of the town? Either way, it’s a hooky little thing with mega-charm. (Go ahead and ignore that Rand is the only non-Athens act on here…)
Most of the tunes are more on the rock side of honky-tonk, from tempo to instrumentation to vocals, but then, that’s where country is right now, and at least these are more straightforward and less wrapped in Nashville than most. Sometimes (and I feel a little guilty here) it would be nice to have someone with a voice like Randy Travis or Dave Marr truly selling the tunes, but that would also detract from the low-budget-and-proud-of-it vibe that’s crucial to Athens. What’s that beer on the cover again?
Hillary BrownRecord Reviews
The Futureheads
originally published June 28, 2006
By choosing to utilize thicker production skills that enhance the light, shadow and atmospherics of the band, The Futureheads have managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. And though News And Tributes rarely reaches the caffeinated highs of the 2004 self-titled debut album, this is a different enough beast to make that not such a bad thing.
“Skip To The End,” “Cope” and “Worry About It Later” come close to the earlier bouncing, out of control swing but even with interesting detours such as the thrashy, garage sound of “Return Of The Berserker” and the acoustic-based “Face,” this is not as instantly gratifying as the first record. You have to dig deeper here. And maybe that’s the point. On the band's debut, everything seemed to be happening at once and its flat recording gave every sound equal importance. It was overwhelming and a blast of energy. Here, the ear-bending harmonies are even denser and the music takes a back seat to the vocals, bringing the lyrics way up to the front. And since the songwriting has matured so much, that approach is warranted.
Heartbreak, separation and loss have taken the place of garages and going out on the town. Thankfully, even with more darkness than energy permeating the album, the band’s trademark angular, sputtery sound is intact. I don’t believe that News And Tributes is as essential an album as The Futureheads' first, but the growth of the songwriting along with the willingness to experiment sonically hints to News And Tributes being an ultimately satisfying bridge to the next must-have Futureheads release.
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