Audio Vortex: 2006

9.23.2006

9.17.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.09.06 - file under life

This time, I'm gonna try it my way, I'm gonna live life my way. I'm trying to keep my back from the wall. Nothing really matters when you call out my name. I think about how long it would take them to blow us away, but I won't get me down. I'm just thankful to be facing the day. Crazy as it sounds, I need you around. Before the ocean I've prayed, and I said your name. All the things I tried to say, were never easy to explain, they were always meant for you. Our robot masters will know, how to clean this mess up, and build a better world. 54,000 claws digging and scratching. Does it really have to be so hard? Is there any way that I can be, to get you really to look at me? Are you really gonna let me go, you could put up a fight you know. I'm just your alibi, but I'd rather be your partner in crime. They say time heals everything, but I'm still waiting. I'm through with doubt, there's nothing left for me to figure out. I've paid a price, and I'll keep paying. I hope my little brother puts a call into me. I'm gonna break these wicked chains to protect me. It's a perfect sin, close your eyes and lose the rest, It's a perfect sin, close your mind and feel the best. I put gin in my milk, to kill all the drugs. I really like you, but I'm nothing like you. No-one gives a fuck about the values I would die for. (Now chill for a moment.) Last call, barhopping...we've gotten so far. So close to the edge, the edge, we're flipping a coin. I just want your love. I am an artist, I am an art bitch, I sell my paintings to the men I eat. I am so hardcore. See me driving down the street, I'm bored with looking good. The cops are coming. I listen to the music with no fear, you can hear it too if you're sincere. You say there's nothing wrong but I don't hear. I will burn your love letters. Just give us a moment and gimme the sound. I'm a seasick sailor on a ship of noise. Roar! Karma police, I've given all I can, it's not enough, I've given all I can.

9.16.2006

smoking popes - need you around

If I could see into your heart
Then would I know just where to start?
Because I'm lost and I need to be found
Crazy as it sounds
I need you around

If I could stand to be on my own
Then I would probably just leave you alone
But I'm gonna feel this way till I'm six feet underground
Crazy as it sounds
I need you around

Turning, tossing and turning
My love is burning me down

If I could change one thing in this world
I'd change your mind and make you my girl
Because I'm lost and I need to be found
Crazy as it sounds
I need you around

I'm gonna feel this way till I'm six feet underground
Crazy as it sounds
I need you around

8.07.2006

Lollapalooza - Day 3

Beware the hot sauce

R says that the way to avoid the rain is to carry an expesnive umbrella around with you. Given the way that the weather radar looked before we headed out today, she must be right.
Walking in, heard a little bit of Ben Kweller. Nothing too original sounding there.
Headed to the north end and caught the second half of the Nickel Creek set. They were okay, and earned some points for a cover of "Toxic" by Britney Spears. (Amusing since NC could be loosely categorized as alt-country.)
Today's sets were plagued somewhat by sound issues. This was unfortunate, since the first two days I thought the audio production was pretty good, all things considered (the naturally iffy acoustics of a big outside space, sound bleed-over from other stages, wind shear, etc.) Those issues started with the Andrew Bird set. He did play some good stuff, and his instrumental multi-tasking abilities are undeniable. But unless you had heard his recordings, the subtleties and originality of his work may have been hard to distinguish. Oh, well, it was nice to hear him anyway, and I wouldn't mind seeing him again.
Then we turned around to face the other stage for the Shins. Where Bird's set suffered from bad production, the Shins were plagued by blown speakers; the sound barely carried halfway across the field and even that required starining somewhat to hear it (as opposed to the previous day, when we could hear Manu Chao playing on that stage from as far back as Buckingham Fountain). We stayed for about twenty minutes of that, then drifted off for some food. R went to see Matisyahu, and reported back favorably on his set. I preferred to see Of Montreal. They were the highlight of the day. Dressed as brightly as anyof the random clowns walking around the fairgrounds and cavorting across the stage as if it were electrified, they were obviously having a good time and doing so in spite of yet more technical issues (the lead singer's guitar pedal crapped out about halfway through). I liked this band before, and even R, who liked some of their stuff but was a little iffy on them in general, confessed a new respect for them after seeing the latter half of their set.
Next we caught the end of the Poi Dog Pondering set; they were decent and put in a solid if not particularly energetic performance. And then Wilco, who were on the stage that the Shins had been on previously and where the sound issues continued. We put up with that for a little while before heading out, catching some of the Queens of the Stone Age set on the way out (I think they are okay, but their stuff all sounds like other bands to my ears).
Overall, I would grade today a C+
The whole festival gets a solid B; they did a good job mixing up the styles, and despite the sound issues, the production was decent most of the time. There were some unfortunate scheduling conflicts, but I did get to see the majority of the bands that I really wanted to see and that made it worth the price. Even though three days is a bit draining, I'll look forward to seeing what they come up with for next year.

8.06.2006

Lollapalooza - Day 2

Gnarls Barkley

If I had any intention of losing my voice at this festival, today would have been the day to do it. Crowd participipation, call-outs, say "yeah", sing-alongs, am I being redundant yet?
Lyrics Born got us started with the high energy, loud, wave your hands in the air theme, working the stage like we were all at the gym in an aerobics class. He did as well as one can do with an act that is better suited to the sweaty, reverberating confines of a club, and yes that is a compliment.
Gnarls Barkley picked up on one of LB's other themes, complimenting the ladies exhaustively and giving off the "how many of you nubile young women are gonna see me backstage" vibe. Dressed in suburban white tennis outfits, every song was tight and well choreographed but they blew their wad a little early, choosing to play "Crazy" about 2/3 of the way through their set. It was actually kind of sad seeing the exodus after that song; it just proves that they could have not even tried, they could have played 50+ minutes of crap and everyone would have stayed just to hear the hit single. (This is the stuff of a future rant about downloading singles versus hearing entire albums, if I can get in the proper frame of mind to write it.)
We caught some of the Blackalicious set next (unfortunately scheduled half against Gnarls; what the hell?) which continued with the call-out theme. Didn't see too much of them, but they were good.
Took a break to stand in line for food, then went over to see the Flaming Lips. Wayne Coyne decided it would be a good day to stand around and mumble a lot of incoherent nonsense, exhorting the crowd to sing along and seeming somehow put off by the rather weak response. Wayne, you can expect that when you're the headliner, but maybe everyone was so distracted by the twenty or so blue balloons bouncing around the audience and the two astronauts, alien, giant santa and santa chorus on the stage to really focus on what you wanted them to do. Just dig in and play the crowd pleasing back catalogue, man, give the people what they want. So yeah, even though I am amused by their theatrics, I have definitely seen better Lips sets.
We went back to the south end and grabbed a chunk of hill for the New Pornographers set. Once again, the 7:30-8:30 block of time yielded the highlight of the day, but Neko Case, sweetie, where were you? Carl Newman provided some amusing between-song banter, and the band was in lock-step, charging through the highlights of their catalogue. (An aside: We were highly entertained, during their set, by a little girl with one of those blue balloons using the entire hillside crowd as playmates as she smacked it back and forth to people. This kid had so much infectious energy, and I think she made everyone in that section smile.)
R and I finished up by checking out Manu Chao for a little while, and probably could have stayed for their set (what we heard was very good) but we were both tired at that point.
Overall, Day 2 gets a B-

8.04.2006

Lollapalooza - Day 1

Sleater-Kinney

Arrived in time to hear the end of the Cursive set. They sounded pretty good, though I didn't actually see them.
Next - Panic at the Disco. Decent, but not spectacular. They did a cover of Karma Police. Then I walked to the north side of Grant Park to see the Eels. They were kind of boring, which I was surprised about, because I was under the impression that their live sets were worthwhile.
Turned around to face the other stage for Stars, who played a lot of my favorite songs and turned in a decent if vocally shady performance.
Sought out some shade for a bit before heading toward the central section of the fest where Mates of State were playing and getting rapidly sunburnt. They put a lot of energy into it, and the crowd was better than I expected it to be for them. They also played many of my favorites. (Nobody else I know likes them, though).
Drifted south again to hear The Secret Machines, who were kind of boring.
Then back to the north end for My Morning Jacket. Their performance was strong, but seemed to drag out due to the anticipation of seeing Sleater-Kinney in what was one of their last ever shows. They were the absolute highlight of the day.
Hung around for a couple Death Cab for Cutie songs, but they sounded kind of flat and I was tired at that point, so I took off.
Overall, I give Day 1 a C+/B-

8.01.2006

Pitchfork Day 2

Union Park, Chicago
July 30th
Heat index: over 100 degrees

Met up at J & K's again; this time Milo joined us for the festivities.
The theme for today was "find a shady spot to sit down".
So that was the first thing we did, catching the end of the Jens Lekman set. Which, surprisingly (to me anyway) was not bad. He has more energy and swing in his live set, which would add a lot to his rather bland recordings.
Our primary objective was to see The National, so we staked out a good spot in full view of the sun's rays and silently took bets on whether the lead singer would make it through the set without imploding or bursting into flames. He didn't, but he did seem to harness the solar enegy and convey it via his strained vocal cords into a fireball of emotion emanating out into the audience. They played a couple new songs, both relatively mellow and sad but definitely good.
We wandered over to the misting tent for a break, then heard a bit of the Liars. They definitely bring a lot of energy to a performance, but I'm still not a big fan.
Prior to the Liars, we could hear a bit of the CSS set from the little south stage/tent, and it sounded pretty good. That's a band worth further investigation.
After another time-out in the shade with a round of beers, Mr. Lif and Aesop Rock were on. We lost Milo at this point. They did a good hip-hop/tag-team rap set, definitely one of the more fun and crowd-pleasing acts on the bill.
By this point we were all kind of tired and hungry, so we picked up some thai food (which was pretty good) and then browsed through the poster tents (I picked up another Jay Ryan piece, of course), then headed out.
Overall, a very well put together music fest, and something I'll be keeping an eye out for next year.

7.30.2006

Pitchfork Day 1

Union Park, Chicago
July 29th
Heat index: close to 100 degrees.

We walked over from J & K's around 4:30.
"Ready, Art Brut? Bang Bang Rock and Roll!"
They aren't the most original band, but Art Brut are fun and they do a good live set.
Krista loves their choice of band name.
We watched them for a bit then wandered over to a little stage in a tent at the far south end of the park. Soren joined us there as we heard some of the frenzied, echoes of early Beastie Boys stylings of Spank Rock. I may have to pick up some of their stuff.
Then we stood in the long line for the Ben and Jerry's ice cream truck. Missed Ted Leo and nobody seemed to mind.
Wandered around the arts and crafts/music tent for a while. I saw about a dozen things I would have probably bought on any other day, but I didn't feel like carrying around a bag of vinyl for the rest of the day, so I abstained.
After standing in the water mister for a moment, we staked out a chunk of grass for the Walkmen. They were good. Jeff remarked on the lead singer getting more and more reminiscent of Bob Dylan, and yes, I can hear it, and I'm not sure if that's a good direction in which to go. The Walkmen are a bit of an acquired taste, sure, but they have a good style of their own that they should stick to.
Drifted out of that crowd toward the other of the two main stages to find a clear spot to sit down for a while before the Futureheads. They were good, though it took them a while to get to what I consider to be their better songs.
I should note that we didn't watch any set all the way through, but that was okay, I kind of like the notion of being in the midst of such a wealth of good music that you can just wander off to another stage and be just as happy with what you are hearing.
We finished off day 1 with A-Track, a turntable artiste known for his work with the Invisible Skratch Picklz. It was a solid, high energy way to end the first day.
Returned to J & K's and had a refreshing glass of limoncillo liqueur on ice, and went home.
Overall, a good day musically speaking, with no sunburns and no detectable signs of overheating.

7.26.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.08.06 - minefield

Okay I admit, it is a very hit and miss mix thus the name thus the theme thus the thus thus thus. Some days I'm coherent and then perhaps tired and has this little project run through to the end? Seems like yesterday held more promise than it delivered is it a trick of the light is it a fatal misstep is it a smiley face cupcake with your name written all over it?

7.15.2006

Lyrics: Harrowdown Hill, Thom Yorke

Don't walk the plank like I did
You will be dispensed with
When you've become inconvenient
In the harrowdown hill
Where you went to school
That's where I am
That's where I'm lying down

Did I fall or was I pushed?
Did I fall or was I pushed?
And where's the blood?
And where's the blood?

I'm coming home
I'm coming home
To make it all right
So dry your eyes

We think the same things at the same time
We just cant do anything about it

So don't ask me
Ask the ministry
Don't ask me
Ask the ministry

We think the same things at the same time
There are so many of us
So you can't count

We think the same things at the same time
There are too many of us
So you can't count

Can you see me when I'm running?
Can you see me when I'm running?
Away from them

I can't take their pressure
No one cares if you live or die
They just want me gone
They want me gone

I'm coming home
I'm coming home
To make it all right
So dry your eyes

We think the same things at the same time
We just cant do anything about it

We think the same things at the same time
There are too many of us
So you can't count

It was a slippery slippery slippery slope
It was a slippery slippery slippery slope
I feel me slipping in and out of consciousness
I feel me slipping in and out of consciousness

7.03.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.07.06 - imitation (is the sincerest form of flattening)

I had a dream you sent me a letter postmarked tomorrow I opened it today. Inside blank the page was but I read it three times just to be sure. Now I will write you back in prose so flowing that the desert will yearn for it. Look for it in your mailbox yesterday.

6.26.2006

The Time Traveler's Wife - mix

When I read The Time Traveler's Wife a while back, a recurring thought was that I ought to make a soundtrack mix for the book. Aside from the wealth of location shots in the Chicago area, there are also plenty of references to specific songs or bands and crucial scenes that take place in venues such as the Riv and Aragon.

Here is my tracklist, complete with page numbers from the paperback edition and a note as to whether the specific song was mentioned or just the band (I tried to pick appropriately themed songs in the latter case):

1. The Beatles - When I'm Sixty-Four (p.65 -song)
2. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (p.85 -song)
3. Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong - I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good (p.128 -song)
4. Smoking Popes - I Need You Around (p.134 -band)
5. Aretha Franklin - Respect (p.144 -song)
6. Violent Femmes - Add It Up (p.154 -song)
7. Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone (p.155 -song)
8. Prince - 1999 (p.206 -song)
9. Beatles - Yellow Submarine (p.261 and 286 -song)
10. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Kill Your Television (p.316 -song)
11. Iggy Pop - Pussy Power (p.421 -song)
12. Iggy Pop - Funtime (p.421 -song)
13. Golden Palominos - A Divine Kiss (p.435 -band)
14. Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hell (p.492 -band)
15. Billie Holiday - I Didn't Know What Time It Was (p.500 -band)
16. Kinks - This Time Tomorrow (p.508 -band)

There are probably a couple I missed, and there are a few instances where the author runs through a list of specific bands that the lead characters enjoy; I left those off because they weren't specific enough.

6.13.2006

Summer Music Festivals

Going to either of these? I'll see you there.

Pitchfork (July 29-30)

Lollapalooza (August 4-6)

6.04.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.06.06 - denatured

You only want me to stop being me so that I can be someone else you don't want me to be. And if I die before I wake I'll have trouble explaining the mess in the kitchen, let alone why I painted all the knives yellow. But do not worry, do not fret, the best is yet to come. For I am a lapdog in your freezer, preserved for days on end, take me out and let me thaw and I'll jump in your lap again.

About - Bongo

A manic little trip through a Netherlandian sonic minefield, this album is full of catchy songs that will stick in your head like gum in your hair. In fact, if the voice were sweeter and the guitars less harsh, this might be some form of hybrid bubblegum pop. The lyrics are a little weak at times, and some of the songs don't work, but for the most part this is a rewarding album. Put it in-between the Go Team and early Liz Phair and you'll have a nice set.

Rating: flush.

5.24.2006

Books and Bands

This site is running a little contest in which you combine book titles and band names. Check out what they have posted so far and send in your ideas. Deadline is May 26. Here's what I sent in so far:

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxie 500
Old Possum Dixon's Book of Practical Cats
Their Eyes Were Watching Godflesh
Men are from Mars Volta, Women are from Venus Hum
KRS-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Very Persistent Gappers of Robert Fripp

4.27.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.05.06

Rise up and dance! Cleanse your soul of the world that threatens to crush the spirit out of you! Wake up little machine, and meet your fate, the long strange trip is done and soon you will be deposited in a dark corner, never to be turned on again. The days feel longer, the beats go faster, the rhythm drives you to a dry well and so you decide to drill down to the next level of the water table, hoping for something pure to spring from your efforts. And we who have fought the good fight never sleep, really; we are the ghost machines, constantly calculating, taking measure of the world and trying to make it feel like a time and place we would like to live in.

4.26.2006

wolf parade video

Check out this Wolf Parade video for "Modern World" (thanks 3hive).

4.09.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.04.06

the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck the long weekend mindfuck

v.o.r.t.e.x.03.06

And they cut open my head.
Scooped out my brain.
Put it in a fancy bowl.
Chocolate syrup on top.
I was a child, then.

4.07.2006

Touch and Go 25

A concert to keep an eye on...

So far:

The Black Heart Procession
Calexico
CocoRosie
Didjits
(all original members)
Enon
Ted Leo + Pharmacists
Pinback
Scratch Acid
(all original members)
Shellac

4.04.2006

Erasure - Union Street

Erasure - Union Street (2006). Imagine that you have gone to an Erasure concert. The boys walk onstage, and immediately you get the sense that something is amiss. Where are the synthesizers? And then they start to play...wait, is that a guitar? They have gone...acoustic?
Stop imagining now, because on their latest album they have done just that. Composed mostly of stripped down treatments of past work, Union Street is an interesting experiment, which in theory should lay the songs bare and expose their soul. And occasionally, it works, but for the most part I found it to be treacly and meandering. Perhaps if I didn't have the context, the internal radio memory of how the original songs sounded, I could hear this album with less bias. I don't know. A few tracks do work well in this context, most notably "Boy", Piano Song", and "Home". And I found myself curious about other tracks that do not appear here; I actually think that the entire Chorus album is one of their most consistently well written all the way through and wouldn't have minded a "Chorus Acoustic" release. As it is, overall this is a spotty effort, which will appeal to the most die-hard fans and perhaps be interesting to non-Erasure devotees if they should somehow chance upon it.
Rating: one pair.

3.28.2006

U2 vs Lyrics Born

Check out this little mash-up.
* Thanks, Jeff.

Leaked

The new Twilight Singers album has leaked. Yes, I will be buying it when it comes out, and based on what I am hearing as I type this, I will be more than happy to do so. An interesting side note regarding the new album, Powder Burns: Dulli has some collaborations with Joseph Arthur. I've been pushing this guy for a while; the two of them make some good music together. If they were to ever tour together, it would be one of the best shows ever, no question.

2.21.2006

Snapshot Reviews 2-18 (re-post)

The Knife - Silent Shout: Atmosphere! Imagine being trapped in a block of ice, with music being piped in somehow. It would sound something like this album. A score for the claustrophobic, this is, but I don't mean that in a negative way. It's easy to dismiss the sound they are going for after a brief listen, but once you listen to it all the way through a few times the combination of crinkly-pop synth beats and muted/stressed vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson seep into your brain, channeled like an icepick to the nerve centers that control your feet. Best tracks: "Like a Pen", "We Share Our Mother's Health", "Neverland", "F as in Knife". Recommended.

Ms. John Soda - Notes and the Like: This band is the lovechild of Couch and the Notwist. It sounds a lot like a logical follow-up to the last Notwist album, Neon Golden. The songs have a little more structure here than their last outing, and the album flows better overall. Will it make a dent on the American radio landscape? Probably not, and that's too bad; there are actually a couple possibly radio-friendly tunes on here. Though the pace can be a little timid at times, the tracking of the album is designed to keep any lulls froms lasting too long; a good move. Favorite tracks: "No. One", "Outlined View", "Plenty of". Get this one.

Belong - October Language: Instrumental, moody, dark, music to sit in a room and think about depressing things like the state of the world or the fact that you have a pile of laundry to wash. This record is getting some decent reviews [Pitchfork], [Prefix], [Barcodezine], and I am failing to hear why. Skip it.

2.05.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.02.06

...quite a bit and will as long as she plays the [noun], as a good [noun] only lasts about two weeks before it [verb] or gets too [adjective] to [verb] through. She'll [verb] each one and test it by [verb] through it without the [noun] attached; the [noun] it makes is pretty much beyond description.
And it is earlier than usual, but February is a short month, so let's jump in and wade around til the jello starts to stain us red; I haven't slept so soundly in years, my dreams have plots and stage direction, nobody appreciates sacrifice anymore, I am puzzled by the world.

2.02.2006

Name your stoner rock band

George started this thread today; here are the results:

Dorrito heaven
Lost remotes
Brant's locked out
cable warriors
the munchies
lighting field trip
the eagle has landed
driveway wallets
the california resins
i-pot 420
the gutter keys / hole in your pocket
yes officer?
Cone
Lost Car
3Footer
Espresso shake
bongwater
roach motel
keebler
baked out of my gourd
jota
The Brownie Bunch
just for reefer-ence
Blunt 182
the no seeds!
Spliff Attack
Soap Bar Heaven
Paki Black Sabbath
The Oversized Rolling Papers – aka Rizla Crew
Hubbly Bubblies
The Hyperventilating Rising Blowbacks
Pounded like a Turtle!
i'm the button dude...you're dead
D.J. Cloud & Shady
Grassyass
Second deck dealer
the slow wonder

1.18.2006

first impressions 1-18-06

Since I haven't been making time to do full reviews, I'll fluff this page up a bit with quick notes on what I have heard recently. Maybe I'll make time to review it better; doubtful, but maybe.

Coil - The Ape of Naples: I haven't listened to a lot of Coil in my life; I would pick it up here and there to see what they were up to because I recognize Coil as one of those "important" bands. This album, essentially an epithat for the band, is moody and dark, yes, dirgelike, yes, but not really depressing. It reminds me slightly of Nick Cave's Murder Ballads in that respect. This will get repeat listens.

Ian Brown - The Greatest: Ex-Stone Roses frontman recently released this compilation of his solo work. As with any best of, it is cherry picked and ought to be good, and it is. Arranged chronologically, it is a worthy introduction to Brown's post Stone Roses career; I admit to not having followed his career post-Roses, so this is actually a useful catch-up tool for me. Whether long time fans would agree, I don't know, but I think it works. This will also be on my playlist for a while.

Ulysses - 010: I remember this album getting pretty solid reviews a while back when it came out; it's a side project of Apples in Stereo lead guy Robert Schneider. Didn't grab me too much initially; I'll give it a few listens though. His voice doesn't do much for me, and the melodies seem a bit recycled from song to song.

Bound Stems - My Kingdom for a Trundle Bed: Interesting. Don't know much about this band. They put out this ep; another boy-girl vocal group. A garage version of Stars? Raveonettes with better lyrics? Of the seven songs, a couple jumped out at me the first time around, which is a good sign; we'll see if it holds up.

1.15.2006

v.o.r.t.e.x.01.06

A new year and a return to the timely creation of artistic works. How long will it last? How long does anything last, really? Yet we wonder sometimes about archaeologists two thousand years into the future (yeah, that's optimistic) digging through our piles of 20-21st century trash, marveling at the strata of shiny silicon discs that will soon be as accurate for historical dating as the rings of a tree. I have no answers, only questions and mood swings, sometimes at the same time.

1.14.2006

Cat Power - The Greatest

"Once I wanted to be the greatest."
Chan Marshall seems to exist in a space just outside the normal world. Her own little safe place, where she creates a batch of songs and then gives them to the world, hoping that someone will find them, appreciate them, care for them.
There is something gentle and quiet about her latest offering. She dabbles in a hint of country rhythm, random horns, meditations on loss and love that never really sound sad. It is her voice; confident, dusky, occasionally playful, never letting sentimentalism creep into it to the point of sounding sugary or bland.
The album starts out strong with standout tracks "The Greatest" and "Could We". It slips into a few songs that don't seem fully realized or just don't work; "Islands" and "After It All" feel light and overpowered by the better tracks that precede them, things really don't pick up again until a few tracks later. "Willie" starts the latter third of the disc, leading up to the solid finale of "Hate" and "Love and Communication".
Overall, Marshall doesn't reach the heights of Moon Pix or You Are Free, but there's enough here to satisfy Cat Power fans.
Rating: straight.

1.05.2006

!vOrTeX! 12.05

We look into the mirror, look into the past, the lines that creep up and the creeps that line up, waiting to take a shot at our conscious self, searching for the weakness to exploit. Nobody knows when a cold wind will come to take them, just that we trust the warm breeze too much and it cannot be helped; carry my soul to a place in the past, is it any stronger now than it was then? And thus we unveil the last submission for 2005, continuing a theme of looking ten years back, and what a surprise, most of our guests are still around. A little worse for wear, perhaps, but you get what you get.