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Attention: This is not
another glamorized pop star. At first glance you may associate the
appearance and radio-ready single of Vanessa Carlton with another TRL
one-hit wonder. The sound and sexy appeal may be there, but after listening
to her debut album, Be Not Nobody, you will have discovered a
musically and lyrically mature artist who is here to stay.
Carlton began classical training on the piano at age 2
½ and then composed her first piece at age eight. A true musician at heart,
her influences range from Mozart to Pink Floyd, as evident in Be Not
Nobody. The album combines classical elements and modern rock
power with a diverse and extraordinary vocal delivery.
Her A& M Records release features 11 tracks, all of
which she wrote with the exception of a keyed up cover of the Rolling Stones
classic, “Paint It Black.” The songs are blessed with the magical
tunes of her piano and the accompaniment of a full blown professional
orchestra. Several tracks on the album, such as “Unsung,” “Rinse,” and
“Sway” (one of my favorites), are reminiscent of the emotional melodies and
vocal complexity of Tori Amos. Listening to Be Not Nobody you can
experience the emotions in her music, inspirational lyrics, and sultry
voice, all of which are evident in “Rinse.” This song explains the need to
move on after the end of a relationship: “but everything happens for reasons
that she will never understand. / till she knows that the heart of a woman
will never be found in the arms of a man.”
While Carlton’s first single, “A Thousand Miles,” can
be heard non-stop on the radio and the awesome video is a staple on MTV,
every time I hear that familiar piano riff I just want to sing along. That
feeling can be said for most of the songs on this brilliantly produced
album. After hearing Be Not Nobody, I would walk a thousand
miles to get this CD, and I would walk ten thousand miles just to
see her. Listen to her soul; share her dreams, her thoughts
on love, and her appreciation of life. Take the journey.
You won’t be disappointed. -Todd
Wojtowicz
Links:
www.vanessacarlton.com |
Alternative Press Guide has labeled 2002 “the year punk
broke again.” However, it seems to me that the label should
read more along the lines of: “2002 – the year punk music became
preoccupied with radio airplay and record sales.” Since when
did supposed punk artists care more about making money than making
music? But hey – to each his own. I’m not trying to
bash those artists who are suddenly all over MTV. I’m simply
stating an observation.
However, if you’re looking for a punk album that
primarily focuses on the music and leaves “image” behind, go no
further than Say-Ten Records’ latest compilation, Ooohh, We
Punked You. With multiple bands and multiple raw tracks,
this compilation heads back to the DIY ethics that the punk
community was founded on. Each band on the album proves to
possess a sound unique unto its own, which in this age of pure pop
is quite refreshing.
Although each band is thoroughly enjoyable, I must say
that my personal favorite is Norristown, Pennsylvania’s The Swamp
Kids. Tom Collins’ voice inflections, Bryan Fischer and Mike
Renzulli’s guitar riffs, and Packy Williams’ drumbeats create a
passionate punk sound that can only be described as The Swamp
Kids. Other noteworthy bands include the energetic Left
Behind and The Pseudo-Dropouts. This compilation proves to have
something any punk can enjoy.
So, if you’re looking for a purely diverse punk sound
here it is: Ooohh, We Punked You. And the best part
is – it’s only five bucks! So head on over to the Say-Ten Records
site, purchase the compilation, and support DIY ethics. It
doesn’t get much more punk than this!
-Kristal
Austin
Links:
www.saytenrecords.com |
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Various Artists
Warped
Tour 2002 Compilation
Side One Dummy Records
Music Head Rating:
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The other day I asked myself, "What is the
purpose of Warped Tour?" Is it just an excuse for delinquents to rampage
to violent music, as the many uninformed believe? No. It's an annual
punk rock and hardcore music festival that is more than just mosh pits and BMX
bikers. It's an event that allows many to feel understood, and oftentimes,
overwhelmed. For several years now, adrenaline-fueled punk rockers have
swarmed to this event. They don't come for the stage theatrics many
mainstream bands pass off as entertainment. They come for the music and
the sheer energy of the entire experience. They come because of the fact
they feel they are among kindred spirits. It is with this mindset that I
sampled the Warped Tour 2002 Compilation.
While previous Warped comps have been able to
hold their own in terms of their ability to adequately represent their
respective tours, the 2002 release quite frankly blows them out of the water.
It features 50 different bands on two discs ("Stages 1 & 2"). I was
surprised that I had little difficulty listening to both discs straight through.
Even with compilations like Epitaph Records’ annual Punk-O-Rama releases
and Fat Wreck Chords' "Fat" series, I do not bother returning to many tracks.
This was far from true with Warped. The album features tour
“mainstagers” such as NOFX, Flogging Molly and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones as
well as relative newcomers like Sloppy Meateaters, M16 and Finch. There
are a few unreleased tracks, like The Briggs’ “ 3rd World War,” and a song by
NOFX off their “Surfer” 7-inch release.
The various songs on Warped showcase the wide
array of styles present on the tour. On one hand, there are upbeat and
melodic songs like Lagwagon’s “Dinner and a Movie” and No Use For a Name’s “Dumb
Reminders.” And on the other, one can find much harder,
testosterone-charged tunes in Reach the Sky’s “This Sadness Alone” and Glassjaw’s “Cosmopolitan Blood Loss.” The comp’s major strength lies in
the fact that, after a single listen, one has a genuine sense of what the tour
and the bands on it are all about. The Warped Tour is a chance for
everyone to turn off their radios and listen to what other music is out there.
If this comp is any indication, then this year's tour is definitely worth
checking out. -John
Tomas
Links:
www.sideonedummy.com
www.warpedtour.com |
With their latest release, the self-produced Steady As She Goes,
The Voodoo Glow Skulls have churned out more energetic, snarling,
“straight from the Barrio” party music. The Riverside,
California sextet’s first release on the primarily hardcore label
Victory Records packs quite a wallop. Twelve tracks (13, if you
count the hidden track, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’ “Little Red
Riding Hood”) full of searing horns, grinding guitars and throaty
growls from lead singer Frank Casillas refuse to let the
listener’s attention lapse. The band’s 14 years of
experience in the Southern California punk/ska scene, playing with
the likes of 311, The Offspring and The Dickies, is quite evident
throughout this, their sixth release.
“Voodoo Anthem” starts the album off ferociously, documenting the
experience of a Glow Skulls live show, complete with fans cheering
at the end of the track. Eddie Casillas flips between punk-anthem
guitar god and smooth ska technician on the title track, which
touches on the disloyalty of former friends. The chanted chorus
of “the grass doesn’t grow here anymore” and Jerry O’Neill’s
frenetic drumming propel the track “High Society” and its
ghetto-fueled message of equal parts: hope and despair. On the
track “Tell The People,” which rants against government
corruption, Casillas howls, “Tell the people what they want to
hear / Keep them quiet for another year,” while Joe Helios
Hernandez and Brodie Johnson’s horn section adds fuel to the
fire. Jorge Casillas’ bouncy bass line opens the Red Hot Chili
Peppers/Mother’s Milk era-inspired “The Basketball Song”,
which is a free form jam alternating between jazzy horns and
roaring-metal interludes.
After years of underground touring, as well as their
well-publicized 1998 stint on the Van’s Warped Tour, the Voodoo
Glow Skulls have proven themselves among the big boys of punk.
Fans will get a chance to see this infamous live act, as well as
listen to the band’s best album to date, during the Glow Skulls
summer tour that crisscrosses the U.S. -Wade
Peters
Links:
www.voodooglowskulls.com
www.victoryrecords.com |
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