Ten CDs: I bet you thought I forgot about this feature
After about a month's hiatus, 10 CDs is back. I toyed with the idea of doing penance for shirking my duties by listening to 40 CDs (or at least 40 first cuts) in one day, but that's just madness.
New Rivals s/t
This sounds like every band from the turn of the century. You remember the sound: glossed up mall punk with a little bit of ska rhythm: Blink, Goldfinger (which, full disclosure, I could not stop listening to in the summer of 1999), those guys with the "Little Black Backpack" song, Eve 6, etc.
They're from Sayville. That kind of explains everything.
AM Syndicate "Liberation"
An indie band that seems a little confused about their sound. Are they mellow pop with electronica undertones? Sensitive singer/guitar music? Something's not quite gelling for me.
Putamayo Presents "Tango Around the World"
A step (or several) above those compilations you could buy at Old Navy (are they still doing that?), Putamayo is still scoffed at by serious music collectors. But for the casual world music listener, these collections are perfect. This CD makes me wish it was still 80 degrees outside and I was chillin' by the pool, sipping on a piña colada.
The tracks are very cinematic sounding, if that makes sense. Like, any one of these could be from a film score. For real life listening, I'm not entirely sure where they fit in. It's not dinner party music, but it's not party party music either. It is good seduction music, if you're not worried about coming off as too pretentious...
KT Tunstall "Holiday Collection"
There's so much to say about this album before I even press play. First off: ugh, Christmas music. I can't stand it (I'm sure you'll be hearing much more about this in the next two months).
Also, according to a promotional sticker, this album is available for $6.99 at Target; I don't know why, but that's the funniest, oddest thing I've seen all day. Like, why even have that sticker? If you're already at Target, you just need a price sticker. If you're somewhere else, well, the establishment you're patronizing doesn't need you to know the price of their competitor — unless they're offering it for cheaper, I guess. If you've received this album as a promo, well, price is irrelevant.
And, The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection is brought to you by NBC's "Sounds of the Season." This CD just weirds me out, and we haven't even gotten to the actual music, which, well, let me just reproduce the track listing for you:
1. 2000 Miles
2. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
3. Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas in Hawaii) [Seriously, Bing Crosby was an institution in our home growing up. My sisters and I can sing the whole album, including every throwaway aside Bing utters, from memory.]
4. Sleigh Ride
5. Fairytale of New York
6. Lonely This Christmas
Yes, you read that right. KT goes from "Sleigh Ride" to "Fairytale of New York" — one of the most depressing (if totally awesome) holiday songs ever written, even when it's not sung by a man with no teeth. I say, stick with the Stars version (or, of course, the original).
If you're curious, the lyrics are mildly censored on the "Holiday Collection," but that's really not surprising.
Overall, the record is mostly harmless and minimally annoying. It could be much worse, but if that's all you achieve, why do it at all? Did NBC really think we needed covers of modern standards in an inoffensive country-tinged style?
More after the jump...
I'm about to make myself sick with this admission, but this is my favorite Christmas song, really and truly. I've never told that to anyone before. And now I've told it to everyone. Now let us never speak of this again.
These Are Powers "Terrific Seasons"
This next selection brings us in a completely different direction. Proggy math rock that's just a little too dissonant, and it's making it difficult for me to concentrate on ... well, anything. Too distracting.
Rahim "The Shame"
A painless two-song EP, there really wasn't enough here to get a sense of the band. I think that they could be good. But, "always leave them wanting more" is usually a good strategy.
EndeverafteR "Kiss of Kill"
Holy Guitar Hero, Batman! This is some straight up cock-rock. It's less bad than the cover would suggest, too. Although, on their second track, "Baby Baby Baby," they seem to have lifted the main guitar riff straight from Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son."
The Harlem Experiment s/t
This CD is cooooooooool, man. There's no other way to say it. Jazz from above 125th Street, this album meanders funkily on an actual musical journey. Listen for yourself.
It manages to be accessible to the non-jazz fan without flattening the complexities that make the genre transcendent. And it doesn't take itself to seriously — see: Reefer Man.
The conceit is simple but brilliant: "take acclaimed musicians from a shared hometown but very different musical backgrounds, put them in a funky recording studio and have them create spontaneous art." Well done.
Say Hi "The Wishes and The Glitch"
Interesting. I don't really have much else to say. I could like these guys, maybe.
Beta Band The Three E.P.s
OK, I am totally cheating. I just didn't want to end this week on a bad CD.
2 for 10.
eh.www.amNY.com
