Blogcritics Category: Music: International

CD Review: The Rough Guide To Bhangra Dance

gypsyman — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 16:47:18 EST

When I review music, I try to place it within some sort of context. This enables me to judge its merits based on more than just my personal opinion of the work. Of course, whether I like it or not is going to enter into my judgement of the material, but in some cases, my opinions are pretty much irrelevant to the material.

There are musical styles from other cultures that are beyond my ken, so how could I fairly say I like them or not? I haven't developed a body of knowledge sufficient to appreciate what the performers are doing. It's one thing to write a review about music that's been part of your culture and heritage both consciously and unconsciously for your whole life; you have gained an appreciation for when the work is done well or poorly.

What do you do when faced with music that has its roots in a culture that you either know very little about, or are just starting to learn about? You admit up front that your knowledge is limited and that your opinions are based on an awareness that has nothing to do with what you're reviewing.

This is exactly the situation I find myself in reviewing World Music Networks latest edition in its Rough Guide Series: Bhangra Dance Having begun making my own investigations of Indian House Music by listening to Asian Dub Foundation and groups of a similar nature, I was expecting something along those lines. While there are some similarities, the differences, to my ear, are more obvious.

Bhangra music hails from the Punjabi region of India. Like most of what we would refer to as "folk" music, it has its origins in community festivals. In this case, the music and the accompanying dance were part of both harvest and New Year's celebrations. (Usually the same event in most cultures except for ours, but I'm not sure of that in this instance. All I could find out was that it was used for both festivals. I'd be grateful for a comment that could clarify that matter for me.)

Bhangra translates as hemp, which is one of the major crops produced in the Punjabi. The dance steps that accompanied the music were actually stylized representation of daily farming activities like planting and harvesting. It's transition from almost ritual status to popular music came about via Indian immigration to Great Britain after World War Two.

As generations of Indians started being born in England and other Western environments they of course came under the same cultural influences that everybody else growing up in those regions felt. It's only natural that their traditional music would begin to feel the influence of the popular music that the young people would be listening to in their daily life.

Such was the case of Bhangra in England. It was already dance music, so I guess it was only natural that it would cross over into the world of Western dance music easily. Electric guitars, and keyboards were the first instruments added, and as dance music went from disco to reggae to rap to house, and hip hop, all these were added to the mix.

All the while, it maintained its grip on the traditional instruments, and language of the Punjabi, creating music that was both faithful to its roots and reflective of the people's new surroundings. On this disc alone, you can hear reggae, disco, and dub effects along with a variety of other Western pop influences making a seamless blend with traditional instruments.

While some of the tracks on this disc are representations of the pure sound of the Punjabi, "Mehndi/Madhorama Pencha" is music for a ceremony that forms part of a traditional Punjabi wedding where the bride has her hands and feet painted with henna decorations, the majority demonstrate the modern adaptations. Performers have taken on rap-sounding appellations like "Juggy D", or "Binder" and wear the ever-present baseball caps, athletic clothing, and "Bling" that have become the uniform of rap the world over.

While there are exceptions, the majority of the music sounds just like so much of everything else out there in pop music land. For too many of the songs included on this album the only difference seems to be the language and the choice of instruments. Bland pop/dance music is bland pop/dance music no matter what language it's sung in or what instruments it's played on.

Unlike other musical hybrids that have come out of South Asia, judging by the tracks included on this disc, the Bhangra dance music that is being played in clubs in England is just as bland and formulaic-sounding as dance music does in any country. Once the novelty of the language and the instruments wore off, I was no more impressed with it than I would be if it were in English and sung by whoever is the flavour of the month in North America.

That being said, for those of you who like dance music and are looking for an introduction into something different, this compilation is perfect for that. The Rough Guide To Bhangra Dance is up to World Networks' usual high standards of presenting a wide variety and selection of what's out there in this genre.

Not only that, but the enclosed information booklet supplied nice biographies of each performer represented on the disc, and substantial background information on Bhangra itself. (All the background information for this article came from that booklet.) If you put the CD into your computer and open it through your CD-Rom drive, you can access a data file that supplies even more information on the music and the performers.

This is a very well-produced package and provides a good introduction to the world of Bhangra dance music. Unfortunately, I found Bhangra dance music itself, to be well produced but unlike this disc, of little or no substance.

CD Review: IR2 - The Fire This Time (Various Artists)

gypsyman — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 11:57:35 EST

Occasionally something happens, or you come across something, that snaps your head back and makes you just say "Wow." That happened a few months back for me when I came across the site put together by The Fire This Time.

Now anyone who has read anything I've written on a consistent basis will know that I'm pretty hard line when it comes to the issue of Native and Indigenous Peoples' rights. For me, benefit of the doubt is always ceded to the Native people. But if I thought Canada was bad, compared to how indigenous peoples are treated the rest of the world over, we're damn saintly.

We don't burn them alive in the streets for fun anymore, we've stopped appropriating their land, and have actually even started giving back some of what we stole. You can't give back the sense of pride in self and people that was stolen, but at least we can give back the means to hopefully develop a new pride in themselves. If the new government in Canada honours the commitments of the previous one, agreements reached in the last year with the provinces and First Nation leadership will go a long way to redressing that imbalance.

But from Fiji to Brazil, and Chile to Indonesia, there has been little or nothing done to redress the imbalances of the last 500 years, or more, of oppression. Homelands are still being given away or stolen with government complicity. Peoples are living lives of such poverty and desperation, it has earned them the honour of their own designation: Fourth World.

Aside from their living conditions, the biggest obstacle facing these people is the complete indifference of the world to their fate. Aside from the occasional celebrity using them as colourful backdrops for soon-to-be-forgotten photo shoots and press conferences, and the occasional "Indian Uprising" like the Zapata in Mexico, they pretty much fall into the category of 'out of sight, out of mind.'

The Fire This Time (TFTT) is seeking to change this. Using music, video, visual arts, and direct involvement with the affected communities and peoples, they are working to give the silenced a voice. IR2 (Indigenous Revolution) is the music project they have developed as a step in that direction.

It was a link from one of the participants in the IR2 project, the group Asian Dub Foundation, that led me to the TFTT site in the first place. Along with members of Asian Dub, some of the leaders of the Dub music scene from around the world have pooled their talents to create music and lyrics for this album.

Individuals like Adrian Sherwood, Chuck D, and members of groups like Underground Resistance, 3 Generations Walking, Soma Mestizo, and a host of others have offered up their services to either provide production skills, lyrics, or music. But where this differentiates from the usual "celebrity" benefit album is how individual songs are constructed.

Take for example track #3, "Indigenous and Sacred", which features the words and music of elders, musicians, and singers from the Solomon Islands and Sosiakamu, plus Soy Sos of 3Generations Walking and Christiane D. of Soma Mestizo. The musicians are based on three separate continents, which made it hard for them to work in the same studio together.

All the tracks had to be emailed back and forth between three locations around the world. The music and words from the Solomon Islands and Sosiakamu formed the core of the song. Soy Sos and Christiane D. had the job of incorporating their music into a mix that allowed the original music to stand out.

Dubbing techniques of repeating samples to emphasise certain phrases musically and lyrically are utilized to keep bringing our focus back to what is important. The language barrier disintegrates as the voices of elders chanting for calm and tolerance are repeated. Sounds elicit an emotional response as readily, if not more so, than actual words, a fact borne out by the impact of this track.

All of the songs on this disc are of a similar construction. Whether it's music underpinning a spoken word essay on the murder of Brazilian Indian Galdino, burnt alive by four wealthy teenagers for a joke, or the lyrics of indigenous Fijian women and music from Brazil on the track "Revoluta", these songs are all true collaborations involving countless emails, remixing and changes as each party strive to strike the right tone to best reflect who they are working with.

The songs and lyrics on this disc are unabashedly revolutionary. They see injustice in the world and demand change for the oppressed. But unlike the hypocrisy of hearing these words come from the lips of a multimillion dollar grossing recording star, they come from the people directly involved in the struggle to survive.

Unlike the new age, "native" discs of peace and tranquility you can find in your supermarket, these are songs of unrest and disquiet. You're not going to receive any spiritual guidance from this music, but if you are willing to listen, you will get an education and a sobering reminder that people are dying every day just because they are indigenous.

The music on this disc is superlative, but there's more reason to listen to it than just the content. Some of the best Dub performers have contributed their talents and technological expertise to make this great musically. It's one of those rare occurrences where the music hasn't suffered to get the message out.

Unfortunately, this disc is not available to be purchased. No label has yet to express a willingness to release it. They have no problems selling music that advocates misogyny, violence, and drug use in the ghettos of North America, but seemingly balk at a little truth-telling.

But you can download various versions of some of the songs in MP3 format. Even more uniquely, TFTT has made available for download the individual tracks that have gone into making up some of these songs. There are chants, a cappella vocal tracks, and music tracks in MP3 format that can be downloaded for utilization in making your own music.

From the Green Isle comes a foursome where talent and harmonies abound. The Corrs latest album, Home, is a blend of music and story, as all good Irish songs are. Here Andrea, Sharon, Caroline, and Jim combine instrumental path with traditional storytelling in what comes out to being the new way of Irish folk rock. Home is an array of images described in song and melody that forms vivid daydreams of plush green valleys and white rolling hills with friendly people to meet you at every pub.

The Irish language itself has a rhythm all its own, and here the Corrs have taken that element one step further. "My Lagan Love" is the first breeze to blow off the album with its marching-drum beat and lone piano. "Like a lovesick lenanshee/She hath my heart in thrall/No life have I, no liberty/With love is lord of all". Here the Celtic rhythms of speech, along with the drum, joins with the gentle sounds of the string instruments to form a choir that echoes the sorrows of the past, yet brings about the hopes of today.

"Black Is The Colour" is the fourth song on the disc. It has a less traditional sound in the melody, yet the words of the song keep the old rhythm. "I write him letters just a few shor' lines/And I suffer death ten thousand times". Here the wordsmithing brings the sorrows of the old Ireland to the realm of the new Ireland. Haunting and sadness is at the root of this song and Andrea's voice holds strong the whole way through. Just as it is on "Heart like a Wheel," another song of Irish sorrow, that can only be told by Andrea's sweet voice. As the piano plays gently with a few violins backing them up, "Heart Like a Wheel" touches anyone who's been in love.

"Buachaill On Eirne" and "Brid Og Ni Mhaille" are two tracks sung entirely in Gaelic; don't worry, the liner notes have the translations, but why bother. Both these songs have a beauty all their own. "Bucachaill On Eirne" is about a cocky Irish lad who would likes to charm the ladies, while "Brid Og Ni Mhaille" tells once again the sad Irish tale of love. These lyrics have no chorus, they simply tell a tale as the music sweetly rolls along. "Old Hag" is the only instrumental on the CD, and it is rooted in the old Gaelic style with whistles, drums, violins, guitars, and what sounds like a banjo. It reminds me of the fight scene in John Wayne's movie The Quiet Man. "Old Town" is the only non-traditional sounding song on the whole CD. It's up-tempo beat gives it a pop sound. It's a nice song with words in the "storytelling style" but it lacks the roots of the "old Irish" sound that is throughout the rest of the disc.

The Corrs have intertwined their pop-rock sound with ideas and images of their homeland, and that is why Home is a perfect name for this album. At home we know the hills and the valleys, the dirt roads and the busy streets, and like the Corrs our hearts yearn to be there. Home brings not only the Corrs back, but it takes us along for the ride.

This is Fumo saying..."Erin Go Bragh"

CD Review: Rhapsody - Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:34:05 EST

I always thought I listened to a wide selection of bands, granted most of them were in or around the main stream. Since I have started writing, over the past couple of years, I have been exposed to many bands that I have never heard of. Some of those qualify as main stream and some don't. The latest band to join that list of previously unheard by me bands is Rhapsody. I saw them described as "film-score metal" and I knew I had to hear them.

As the music began to emanate from my speakers, I was instantly reminded of three bands that Rhapsody reminded me of. Those bands are Savatage, Blind Guardian, and Dream Theater. The music presented during this live set is fantastic and Rhapsody has most definitely won themselves a new fan.

Live in Canada was recorded at the Metropolis in Montreal, Canada on June 14, 2005. The recording captures over 60 minutes of musical intensity. The disk is much more than the music, you can picture the stage show. I am not, generally, a big fan of live albums, there are some very good ones, but there are also countless live releases that just should not have been. Also, when it comes to choosing between a live CD and DVD of the same show, I will always go for the DVD. With the DVD you can not only listen to the show, but watch it and imagine yourself in the crowd. This CD almost bridges that gap.

As I listened to the music, and the fantastic crowd interaction and participation, I could see myself standing in the crowd while my face blistered from the tight, precise, assault force that was staking claim to the stage in front of me. This is a band that has made peace with its theatrical aspirations, the music they create is bombastic, larger than life, and I loved every note of it.

In my musical journeys over the past 17 or so years I have come to learn something about my tastes. First, metal will always be my genre of choice, this includes the subcategories and labels that get thrust upon the varying styles. Secondly, and possibly more importantly, I like music that is structured, meaning I tend to shy away from many of the hardcore/screamo/punk styled acts in favor of more power metal/progressive metal/and what has become the red-headed stepchild of metal, nu-metal. What does this have to do with my listening to Rhapsody? Listen to them. Intensely precise music that just grabs you and doesn't let go.

There is only one problem with this disk, I wanted more! Much like going to see a favorite brand in concert, when they are done, you want more, always more. This setlist contains an addictive element, the music is infectious. It gets in your brain and swirls around in there getting caught in the folds of gray matter. From the opening insanity of "Unholy Warcry" to the sprawling epic of "Erian's Mystical Rhymes" to the brilliance of "Emerald Sword", this is all A list material from start to finish.

The CD comes in 2 flavors. First there is the CD-only edition, then there is a limited edition that comes with a DVD. The DVD contains a 10 minute peak at the upcoming live DVD. There is some concert footage as well as interview footage, this amounts to little more than a tease and a promise that you will be spending some more money. Secondly, the DVD also has the entire concert, audio only, in a 5.1 mix, so if you have a nice home theater setup, pop this in the DVD player and listen to the expanded mix.

Bottomline. Rhapsody, you have a new fan in me. This is an impressive excursion into progressive power metal. Tight musicianship with that theatrical bent is enough to suck me in. This is a must have for fans, and a nice introduction to the world of Italian film-score metal. Oh yeah, there is some narration from actor Christopher Lee!

Highly Recommended. **** / *****

CD Review: Trigun: The First Donuts

Sterfish — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:18:05 EST

The anime series Trigun, based on the manga by Yasuhiro Nightow, takes place on a desert planet that resembles the Old West. The show revolves around Vash The Stampede, a gunslinger who has a $60 billion "double-dollar" bounty on his head. Despite his infamous reputation, Vash is actually a nice guy who hates violence, sometimes acts incredibly goofy, and has a love of donuts. Just as Vash represents extremes (a man who must have done something incredibly bad vs. a man who wants to do nothing bad), so does the first soundtrack to this anime series. Trigun: The First Donuts is an eclectic soundtrack that combines rock, jazz, electronica, and blues in wild and unexpected ways.

Some of the music from Trigun has been previously released in the United States. A few years ago, TOKYOPOP released Spicy Stewed Donut, a compilation of music from the show's two soundtracks. Now Geneon, the company that first released Trigun on DVD back when it was known as Pioneer, has finally brought over the show's first soundtrack in its entirety.

Musician Tsuneo Imahori composed 18 of the 20 songs on The First Donuts. Imahori is no stranger to anime music. He has served as guitarist on several soundtracks by Yoko Kanno including those for Cowboy Bebop, Arjuna, Wolf's Rain, and Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. As far as I know, his work for Trigun is the only time he has composed music for an anime.

If there is one unifying element across The First Donuts it is the guitar. It figures heavily on much of the soundtrack. "NO-BEAT" opens the album with a deft combination of rock and electronica. Most attempts to combine rock and electronica fall flat because one genre seems to overpower the other. However, "No-Beat" achieves a balance that makes the song immensely enjoyable. "H.T.," which is the opening theme song of Trigun, is a guitar lover's dream. This track is a short burst of hard rock fury that, unlike most anime theme songs, has no vocals to dilute it. "Knives" is a fun song that is only enhanced by multiple types of percussion. "Blue Funk" has an infectious, downhome feel that perfectly fits the show's dusty setting.

There is also a lot more to be found than guitar-heavy tracks. "Big Bluff" is a smooth piece of funk with light electronic elements that make it stand out. "Permanent Vacation" combines jazz and blues into a catchy piece that's not even two minutes long. Jazz and electronica converge on the fast-paced (but supremely relaxed) "Philosophy in a Tea Cup." "Cynical Pink" has a whimsical charm to it while odd chants and percussion dominated the goofy "Winners." "Sound Life ~ REM," one of the two songs not composed by Imahori, is a wonderful piece of soothing pop. However, the most surprising track on the album may be its closer "Perfect Night." It's an incredibly dark and heavy piece of electronica that's genuinely creepy at times. This song may plod along to its ending but the journey is well worth it.

Overall, The First Donuts is a very good album and one of my favorite anime soundtracks. It combines disparate genres in unorthodox ways while managing to be a fun, enjoyable listen. Tsuneo Imahori proves that he is an interesting, creative composer in his own right. I don't know what other solo work he has done, but I am interested in hearing it.

Fernando Delgadillo: Mellow, Melodious, and Mysterious

Diane Kristine — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:08:19 EST

There are artists that fill an emotional niche for me, and Mexican singer-songwriter Fernando Delgadillo is my go-to guy when I'm in a mellow, pensive mood. Or, if I'm just feeling nostalgic for some Spanish tunes to remind me how much of the language I've forgotten.

Unfortunately, the independent artist's music isn't easily accessible outside his native Mexico, but Amazon.com stocks his live albums Febrero 13, Volumes 1 and 2, which are a good introduction to his emotive voice and lush acoustic guitar. Actually, a better - and free - introduction is the downloads at Delgadillo's website. If you're hooked after that, the rest of his many CDs can be ordered directly through that same site (click on Tienda) ... but you have to really, really want them to go through the hassle of the offline ordering process (the instructions for which are only in Spanish).

If you decide not to take up that challenge, with Febrero 13 you're at least getting best-of albums that contain a great sampling of Delgadillo's talents, with two of my favourites on Volume 1 and available for download at his site: "Julieta," sweet nostalgia for a childhood crush, and "Hoy ten miedo de mi," about ... um ... his passion for a woman? Or something.

But if you're willing to brave the experience (or manage to find it through other means) the album I can't get out of my head - or my stereo - is Campo de Sueños, especially the hauntingly beautiful melody of the song "Visiones." Each song on the album paints a whimsical picture, from the little boy of "Aguacate" who struggles with school and fitting in, to the greenhouse-loving friend who literally turns into a plant in "Conducta Herbal."

The lyrics are poetic and filled with intriguing imagery and allusions, which I can't pretend to fully understand. But as with many other artists who are presumably singing in English, of course you don't have to understand what he's saying to appreciate his music.

My boyfriend at the time, who introduced me to Delgadillo's lilting voice and guitar, was wary of my efforts to decipher the lyrics. It was part of my attempt to get more comfortable with the language - the same reason I started reading the Harry Potter books in Spanish, mitigating any reluctance I might have had to pick up a kid's book. Hey, it was educational. But as the boyfriend said: "He's very poetic. Spanish is my first language and I don't understand what he's talking about."

This is the same guy who encouraged me to speak English to him, which I suspect was motivated more by horror at my accent than the stated, also valid reason, that we were most ourselves in our native tongues. Our bizarre bilingual conversations at least half fulfilled my language lessons, and my quest to understand Delgadillo's lyrics was half successful.

A translation would suck the poetry out of them. Well, that's not fair. My translation would suck the poetry out of them. I find "Visiones" vaguely reminiscent of Lady of Shallot romanticism and Icarus imagery, but the emphasis would be on the "vaguely." The cold nights are keeping the narrator inside, where his music and imagination provide the visions he relates, including of a man learning to fly, falling and kissing his hands because they were wings. Or something.

Echeblahblah — Thu, 9 Feb 2006 16:53:55 EST

How do you embrace music that has been missing from your system after a long absence and having the thought it may never happen again? Simple, by singing "Welcome Back." It's an anthemic, charging song that announces the return of five genius musicians who play and write songs with depth, wisdom and drama and the discordant sound for which they are famous. These lads are known as the Trashcan Sinatras.

After eight years of struggle and triumph, the boys are back to share music that fell through the cracks when they were dropped by indie label Go!Discs. The dismissal left the band with nothing, forced to pick up the pieces and start all over again. Happily, the guys were more than ready for the challenge.

The result is Weightlifting, TCS' fourth full-length album . It flaunts 12 carefully crafted, thought-provoking songs with lush harmonies that engage the listener's emotions. The album reflects the band's growth and gradual evolving and offers much to enjoy and cherish. From the love-letter-to-love-song "Got Carried Away" (featuring Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub on backing vocals), a heartfelt and sad song that manages to sound hopeful.

Another gem is "All the Dark Horses." The song features the dextrous mixing of Andy Chase (IVY) along with a tender acoustic guitar sound tangling with electric riffs. The narrative lyrics' glowing effect is very well-tuned; a twist of pop in the tune inspires sobs and smiles, as does the cut "Leave Me Alone." Gentle as it may sound, "Trouble Sleeping" uplifts with its cradling orchestration, while also managing to remind the listener of what really happened in the band's quiet hometown of Irvine. And the overwhelmingly moving and discerning "What Women do to Men" hauntingly describes relationships straightforwardly: "Did you suppose your lovers' quarrel would bring renewal of your love and forget to make up?" The song reminds us not to take everything for granted.

If one song best embodies the CD's tranquil theme, it would be "Country Air," though the message may be anything but peaceful, its melody communicates serenity, as do all of the album's 12 tracks. Lastly, the title track bears witness to the way in which TCS' members stood up with great effort and learned to love themselves again. The music simply floats, and empathy and admiration flow through lines like "Don't become a burden / Say the word and be free."

In its entirety, Weightlifting is a heathery sensation you can relive over and over. Its gentle sound encourages listeners to relax and enjoy the view (think the Highlands of Scotland). Though this may not be Trashcan Sinatras' masterpiece (that would be Cake, but that's another review), after the long wait, it's gratifying to hear that even through adversity, the band didn't lose their beauty and essence. It's lifted its flag once more, "Easing your mind, a great weightlifting."

Welcome back to the most underrated band in the world! (Pau T)

CD Review: Metropolis Shanghai - Showboat to China

Stephen V Funk — Wed, 8 Feb 2006 09:37:40 EST

Is there a classier record label than Winter and Winter?

Nope.

Everything about their releases -- from the look and even the feel of the packaging to the music itself -- communicates love and respect for the entire experience of discovering and enjoying good music. In this age of MP3 downloads, bit torrents, and iPod playlists, you can especially appreciate Winter and Winter's devotion to the pleasures of pulling a CD off the shelf, absorbing the artwork and notes within, and actually listening to the entire album.

Metropolis Shanghai: Showboat to China is another installment in the especially unique and enjoyable Winter and Winter "AudioFilm Edition" series. These releases seek to transport the listener to another place and/or time with music and sound, and have included such marvels as the nostalgic Sidewalks of New York and rollicking Rio (both "directed" by Uri Caine); Schumann's Bar Music, which is the most perfect dinner music record of all time; the engrossing audio travelogue Orient-Express; and the epic 5-CD masterpiece Cuadernos de la Habana, a sprawling musical tour of Cuba that leaves those Buena Vista Social Club "revival" albums in the dust.

Described as "the sound story about the Paris of the East in the 1930s and 1940s," Metropolis Shanghai immerses you in an varied and eclectic sound world that I would have never explored if not for this album. It is a unique mixture (not clash) of cultures that draws from Asian folk song, European classical and salon music, traditional Jewish and Klezmer styles, and even some American jazz.

You will hear foghorns and ships at port, hustle and bustle in the hotel bars and markets, soldiers marching down the street, temple bells and chants of monks, and "four old women playing Mah Jong" as a young girl sings "Shanghai Nights." She returns later humming the same song under the shower, and in the meantime you hear a "piano bar" version of the tune as well (played by Fumio Yasuda, the apparent designated house pianist of the AudioFilm series.) Shots are fired during the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War as "a shellac rotates and rotates" playing a Chopin Nocturne.

This is the pure genius of all of the Winter and Winter AudioFilms -- you aren't just listening to a series of compositions meant to teach you about multiculturalism in Asia (as with the Silk Road Project)... instead you are actually immersed in the entire sound world of this time and place and treated to a truly complete and rewarding "sound story" with a beginning, middle, and end.

Sound quality, production, liner notes, artwork, and attention to detail are of course impeccable and it goes without saying that I strongly recommend Metropolis Shanghai and just about every other Winter and Winter AudioFilm release (and plenty of their other CDs too...!)

To know Winter and Winter is to love Winter and Winter... go ahead, you deserve it.

[from serenade in green]

CD Review: Xenn - The Eleventh Hour

Chris Beaumont — Wed, 8 Feb 2006 06:53:23 EST

Xenn is a rock trio hailing from the island nation of Trinidad. Wasn't sure what to expect when I slipped the disk into the player, but I had a few suspicions of what they would sound like. The results were a little mixed. On one hand, I expected a rock sound with a decent mix of some island textures, what I got was a more straight up rock sound. That isn't a bad thing.

The Eleventh Hour is full of tight music and interesting textures. It is simultaneously original and accessible, something that is missing from a lot of what you hear on current pop radio. It is always good when a band comes along that brings a little originality to the table.

The album starts off strong with "Ungrateful," opening with a lilting bit of guitar before breaking into rock riff, finally bringing in the vocals. This is one of the stronger songs on the album. The lyrical track follows a man who gave everything to a woman who essentially took it and him for granted before walking away. That is followed by "Out of Love," another track of love lost.

None of the songs really stand out, yet they all have a groove that keeps you listening. It is that rock sound, but with other undertones which make the album as a whole step away from the norm. I also noticed that stepping away from the album for awhile, in favor of my usual haunts, and then coming back has revealed even more from the album.

The strongest part of Xenn are their guitar textures. The rhythms are easy to get into and have a great sound to them. They are backed by a sharp, simple drums. I don't mean simple in a negative way, but they are to the point and fit the music well. I would have to say that my biggest problem with them is the singing--at times it just sounds bad. The vocals are fine when he keeps singing in short bursts, but anytime he holds a note it inevitably turns into a warble, and at times takes me out of the music. Over the course of the album, I found it to be a detriment to the music.

Bottomline. This is a good album that has some very good rock songs too it. Strong guitars and sharp drums are the highlight, not to mention some fine song writing. Xenn is definitely a band worth checking out, if you're in the mood for a little something different.

Recommended.

Visit Xenn at their website.

CD Review: The Essential Ravi Shankar

Triniman — Sat, 4 Feb 2006 06:28:50 EST

The Essental Ravi Shankar
Columbia/ Private Music/ Legacy 82876 71610 2
152 minutes

Into his 6th decade as a professional musician, 85 year-old Pandit Ravi Shankar is sometimes described as the father of world music and, "...his genius and his humanity can only be compared to that of Mozart's," according to Yehudi Menuhin. His impact on the music world, with his 90-something recordings and decades of touring, including sold out shows during his current tour, is absolutely immense. If there's someone else currently alive who has been an international influential virtuoso for as long, I cannot think of their name. Miles Davis would have belen close but he passed away 1991. I'm also disappointed to see that on his upcoming tour, he's playing several Canadian cities, but not Winnipeg, where I live! He's selling out 2000 seat concert halls and could easily do the same here.

This two-CD set is actually more thoughtfully compiled than I imagined. Among my favorite recordings of his would be the 1990 album "Passages" - a true desert island recording - with Phillip Glass (1937). I assumed that album was too esoteric to be represented here, but it is, by two selections on disc 2. Disc 1, entitled "Out Of The East", features mostly ragas, spanning the decade from 1957 - 1967, from notable albums such as The Sounds of India (1954), The Genius of Ravi Shankar (1957) and India's Master Musician (1963.) Into The West is the title of disc 2 and its 13 tracks, not surprisingly, feature Shankar performing with the likes of violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), George Harrison (1943-2001), guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and minimalist composer Phillip Glass.

I happen to like the traditional ragas but also the newer, easier-to-digest material, such as the George Harrison collaboration "Village Dance" from 1987's Tana Mana.

Disc 1:
1. Introduction to Indian Music
2. Dádrá
3. Kafi-Holi (Spring Festival of Colors)
4. Raga Des
5. Raga Palas Kafi [Excerpt]
6. Sitar Todi
7. Dhun: Fast Teental [Excerpt]

Disc: 2
1. Swara-Kakali
2. Discovery of India
3. Vandanaa Trayee
4. Village Dance
5. Raga Miniature
6. Sandhya Raga
7. Memory of Uday
8. Shanti Mantra
9. Ragas in Minor Scale
10. Chappaqua
11. Friar Park
12. Vaishnava Janato/Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram
13. Offering

At the beginning of disc 1, Ravi Shankar narrates a 5-minute introduction to Indian classical music and at the end suggests best how Western listeners can enjoy it.

What I like about the music on disc 2 is, I will shamelessly admit, the ease of remembering the music and being able to identify it during subsequent listens. Some of the tracks have taken on a soundtrack feel to them, which will not please those who prefer traditional ragas.

By and large, you don't listen to Indian classical music hoping to get the same experience as you would from most other forms of music, including European classical music. You let yourself get lost in the experience, the journey, and forget about repetition and familiarity. You can listen to a 15-minute raga and hear something new each time. The music is too rich to be absorbed in one listening and there's no way you can pick up your instrument of choice and repeat the entire raga that you have just listened to. For those with a fertile mind, the melodies are truly heaven sent.

I'm always skeptical when record companies package compilations since they are rarely completely satisfying with their obvious omissions and inclusions of new but usually weak material. Columbia has tackled Ravi Shankar with a liberal representation of his works, but it won't necessarily please everyone. For those with broad tastes who are not Shankar experts, it's a great collection to have. Included in the liner notes is a brief but enjoyable article by Hank Bordowitz.

Sat, 4 Feb 2006 06:28:50 EST

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Sat, 4 Feb 2006 06:28:50 EST