Tom Waits Mule Variations (Epitaph) The evolutionary hat trick of Tom Waits’ transformation from offbeat singer-songwriter to hipster beatnik poet to howlingly dark performance artist took a grueling couple of decades. In the process Waits concocted some of the most amazing and maddening music of this generation without a second…
Mojo Nixon & the Toadliquors The Real ASock Ray Blue! (Shanachie) An even dozen years have passed since Mojo Nixon and his erstwhile partner Skid Roper presented to the world an anthem to close the ’80s. The pure manic rockabilly energy groove of “Elvis Is Everywhere” captivated everyone from Graceland…
Olivia Tremor Control Black Foliage: Animation Music (Flydaddy) Picking a song out of an Olivia Tremor Control disc for critical examination and singular praise is like choosing your favorite spot of color in a Seurat painting. To narrow your focus is to lose sight of the bigger picture. You can’t…
The Make-Up I Want Some (K Records) Exchanging pith for pizzazz, three former members of the clever hard-core-renaissance quintet Nation of Ulysses joined with ex-Frumpies bassist Michelle Mae in 1995 to create the shtick-laden soul of the Make-Up. Considering the rudimentary R&B of the band’s early singles, few could expect…
Burning Airlines Mission: Control! (DeSoto) Almost a supergroup of superunknowns, Burning Airlines reunites the rhythm section of Washington, D.C., ’80s punk band Government Issue: drummer Peter Moffett (who later joined Wool) and bassist (now guitarist) J. Robbins (who also fronted Jawbox), as well as Jawbox guitarist (now playing bass) Bill…
Adrian Belew Salad Days (Thirsty Ear) Adrian Belew is the Jimmy Stewart of rock, a genuinely nice guy who does consistently great work across a variety of styles. Belew brings a wealth of talent and experience to each successive project that features his name on the marquee. Belew’s resume is…
Ani DiFranco Up Up Up Up Up Up (Righteous Babe) After nearly a decade and an even dozen releases, Ani DiFranco is not about to start sucking up to the recording industry for approval or legitimacy. By the same token, she’s not prone to begin pandering to her fans by…
Various Artists The Moment of Truth: The Emo Diaries, Chapter Three (Deep Elm Records) Now on its third installment, Deep Elm Records continues to document the ill-defined posthardcore genre known as emo. The term itself comes heavily loaded — most bands that fit the description won’t cop to being an…
Peter Himmelman Love Thinketh No Evil (Six Degrees/Koch) In the five years since Peter Himmelman’s last studio effort, he’s obviously had a chance to carefully study his Elvis Costello collection. Not that he’s copping EC’s wave by any stretch of the imagination — Himmelman has always had a well-defined sense…
Big Head Todd and The Monsters Live Monsters (Reprise) The live album is inherently problematic. Some bands that are good in the studio are great on stage, but, when the fire of a stage performance is translated back into the recorded medium, the results rarely satisfy. In all of contemporary…
XTC Transistor Blast (TVT) In the rarified world of brainy alterna-folk-pop, no absence has been more sharply felt than that of XTC. Six years have passed since the band failed to make a significant impact on American audiences, much to Geffen’s consternation. Still, the label forged ahead with an excellent…
Various Artists for the MASSES (1500/A&M) Certain signs indicate that a band is aging: Instead of new material, it releases “best of” compilations, B-side collections, rare recordings, and the obligatory live album; at least one member goes through either a 12-step program or rehab; and earnest up-and-comers obsessively cite the…
