Artist: The Babies
Title: The Babies
Label: Shrimper 160
Release Date: February 14, 2011

I purchased a couple of Babies singles in 2010.  Their “Meet Me In the City” b/w “Somebody Else” became one of my favorite singles of that year. The unaffected “Caroline” was a reminder that rock can be most successful at its simplest form. The same can be said for “Breakin’ The Law.” Its catchy-fuzzy noise pop with male/female harmonies brought to my mind the seminal underground band Black Tambourine. But there was more reckless joy in these songs.

I’d check back periodically at the Insound website to see if the Babies had more offerings and finally the full-length self-titled album appeared. The reason of the time between the singles and the full-length could be attributed to the band being busy with their other bands; Kevin Morby is in the Woods and Cassie Ramone in the Vivian Girls. I’m happy to admit that I was not privy to that knowledge prior to purchasing the band’s output. I approached it without pretense, not expecting the Vivian Girls or the Woods.

A commonality I discover in these noise bands is a general deadpan delivery of the melody surrounded by lavish layers of distorted music, sounding like organized white noise. The Babies move the guitar a little higher in the mix, bringing to mind the Velvet Underground at times (listen to “Caroline” and “Voice Like Thunder”). In addition, their voices are more generally more emotive. The opening track, “Run Me Over” sounds like something Nancy and Lee would do if they were 23 years old and recording in the new millennium.

The album contains both of the 2010 singles, but not the b-sides. It clocks in at about a half hour with two tracks lasting less than two minutes. I guess that supports the fact that the Woods and the Vivian Girls are rather busy, or is it punk sensibilities. I’ll say both.

Artist: Donnie Ray
Title: Who’s Rockin’ You?
Label: Ecko 1129
Released: January 11, 1011

My musical weak spot is Southern soul; a true combination of church, r&b and Southern culture. It’s more about the temptations of the secular world and their battles with the heart and mind. It’s down home philosophy combined with hip shakin’ seduction.

Give me the music from the studios of Stax or Muscle Shoals and it can bring me out of the deepest of doldrums or raise me to a higher plane of existing bliss.

Like most musical genres, they hold a place in time. Soul music had its reign in the latter half of the 60s. With change of culture, times and social mores, music evolves and the styles become outdated.

The thing about Southern soul is that it never truly died. There are still artists out there carrying the torch and keeping juke joints lit in pockets of the South. No, it doesn’t have the national attention, but it still is a viable entity where there are small labels in the South producing Southern soul.

The biggest change in the music from then to now is the lack of some of the crucial elements, like horns, a real drummer, or the budget to hire a string section. All these are easily replaced by synthesized sounds, which generally make the music suffer.

I easily dismiss many of these releases because of those factors, but Who’s Rockin’ You? transcends those shortcomings with great hooks, good songs and Donnie Ray’s performance.

The arrangements of these songs are so well done that these synth-tones sound more natural than ever. Take for example the ballad, “Lover’s Paradise.” The programmed drums would sound great with a conga player driving the sexy undertow of rhythm, but the layers of sound, with some synthed baritone horns and some fine programmed strings, and it sounds like an eighties r&b hit, drenched in the soul.

Maybe it’s that the synth beats have become so prevalent in music that it’s not bothering me as much anymore. I’m sure becoming more familiar with the sounds helps, but I still think it has more to do with the overall production of this project. But like I told one of my soul confidants upon hearing this disc, “If this guy had a real string section and a couple of horns, we’d all be peeing in our pants.”

Admittedly, the synth sounds tend to lead to a bit more of an uptown Philly Soul vibe, but the vocals and sentiments are all from the South. The opening track, “A Good Woman” Donnie sings the praises of his woman over a smooth post-disco rhythm. “She make me say uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,” hitting the “uhs” on the downbeat. The man is so I in love, he just can’t articulate the feeling.

The title track is a dance floor filler, a classic cheatin’ song about when you’re out rockin’ the dance floor somebody’s at home rockin’ your baby. Beware brother, beware! “I Almost Did It” is similar in sentiment.

“Too Many Mechanics” is in the blues tradition filled with double entendres. “I came by to give you a tune up / Just the other night / Woman I took my time / Made sure that I did it right / I even checked your oil / And I greased it up real good / I came by the next day / you had another man under your hood!”

And in the same style, is “Love Monkey.” You just don’t find songs in the mainstream like this anymore. Well, I got a Love Monkey on my back / It’s more addictive than powder, pills or crack / I’m no different than a dope fiend junkie / ‘Til I can get in the sack / I got a Love Monkey on my back.” It’s kind of corny but it’s so true to the genre.

The arrangements, production and Donnie’s crooning make this a great contemporary soul record with a nod to the past. Keep the fire burning, Donnie and all the people at Ecko Records in Memphis. The flame may be smoldering, but you keep fanning the fire.

Artist: Cake
Title: Showroom of Compassion
Label: Upbeat Records 99332
Released: January 11, 2011

And there’s Jimmy Fallon skating away on the cover of Rolling Stone. (January 20, 2011 RS1122) I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between that and the Springsteen on ice cover from February 5, 1981 (RS336). Maybe after thirty years, Rolling Stone thought no one was still paying attention or would have the brain cells to remember.

This lack of originality immediately brought upon my skepticism and tainted the contents of the magazine. When I came upon the review of the new Cake album. I saw they had given it three of five stars. I’ve never been a Cake fan. In their defense, I was basing my judgment on one song, “The Distance,” from their 1996 sophomore effort, Fashion Nugget. The song irritated me so that I never wanted to give them my time. My friends tried to advise me otherwise, but I never took heed. Nor was a three-star review going to change my mind.

A flip of the page and I saw a review of a Billy Joel re-issue, The Hits. It received four stars out of the possible five, thus making it superior to the Cake album by Rolling Stone standards.

Billy Joel, for me, was a great motivator. When I hear his music on the airwaves, you’ll never see me move any faster than when I jump to change the radio station. I was bombarded by The Stranger as a teen. I was tormented by requests for “Piano Man” as a hack dee jay in various bars during the 80s. “Uptown Girl” was an homage to the Four Seasons, another band I detest.

So how could this be? Something that sounded worse than a Billy Joel hits package? I couldn’t believe it. It was like Rolling Stone threw down the gauntlet. I bought Showroom of Compassion.

I had high hopes for this album. I wanted to prove Rolling Stone wrong. I wanted to like another band so I could buy their back catalog and discover more great music. But upon listening to the album, I found a more correct title to be, Showroom of Apathy.

On the first track, “Federal Funding,” John McCrea sings:

“You’ll receive the federal funding,
You can add another wing.
Take your colleagues out to dinner,
Pay your brother to come and sing.”

The song is obviously about political palm greasing and glad-handing. I do not have an issue with topical pop. McCrea’s monotone delivery bleats like a sheep as he stretches out the final note of the verse.

Is it a marvel in song construction, mimicking the sheep that we are in our willingness to follow our leaders? Could be. But it’s also fucking irritating!

It doesn’t get much better in the vocal melodies department. “Got to Move” has slight melodic resemblance to the The Mindbender’s “Groovy Kind of Love,” but it lacks any of the sweetness. McCrea takes the time to bitterly condemn someone he knows.

Side two opens with an instrumental that has the joy of a Scandinavian funeral procession. The number is called, “Teenage Pregnancy.” The song is then followed by the single, “Sick Of You;” one of the few up tempo tracks on the album, but not upbeat in sentiment.

“I’m sick of you / so sick of me / I don’t want to be with you.”

And then there’s the spoken interlude, a bit of a Cake trademark:

“Every camera / Every phone / All the music that you own / won’t change the fact / that you’re all alone.”

I don’t mind bitter songs, but the whole damn album has this feeling of loathing and apathy. There isn’t a break in the clouds. The track, “Easy to Crash” reconfirms it as McCrea sings, “We didn’t notice / We didn’t care / It would be easy to crash.”

“Moustache Man” has this sense of urgency with its pseudo-mariachi horn intro, driving like a spaghetti western. But as we approach the chorus, the message is, “I have wasted so much time.”

And it seems like a waste of time. If that’s what it’s all about, then Cake has created a masterpiece of dissipation of art. I find myself drained after listening to Showroom of Compassion. I feel empty. I can agree with there sentiments to a certain degree, but I find very little celebration in the album. If that’s their schtick, then they’ve succeeded. If not, Billy Joel sings in “The Stranger”,” “Don’t be afraid to try again / Everyone goes south every now and then.”

I could take the single, “Sick of You” outside the album as a little piece of nastiness, but I do not need a half hour of abhorrence and impassiveness. I should have just bought the single.

So is the Cake record worse than Billy Joel’s The Hits? Rolling Stone hit it right on with the exception that they should use a ten-star rating and keep the assigned grades for the two respective pieces.

Artist: Redondo Beat
Title: Meet Redondo Beat
Label: Dionysus 1233145
Released: January 11, 2011
Genre: Rock / Retro Rock

Redondo Beat is a German power-pop trio at their best. They were Sky Saxon’s backing band during his final European tour, so they have some grit. But this, their debut album for Dionysus Records, is more on the sweet side than the gritty. It may have fared better with some more grit.

“The Sweetest Sound,” opens the album with great promise. This track would fall between songs by the Knack, the Shoes, Dwight Twilley or the Records and you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s not thirty years old.

“The Spell I’m Under” is a catchy piece of pop rock, sounding like Shadow Morton got a hold of a Marshall Crenshaw rarity. But it begins to sound a little too processed when it switches gears into “My Baby (Knows How To Have A Good Time”). My sweet tooth is beginning to turn into a stomachache.

I’m now beginning to think I’ve heard these songs before. I’m hearing familiar riffs and I can’t concentrate on the song. Instead I’m racking my brain to figure out from where it was lifted.

This album has the elements I seek in power pop -catchy hooks, hand claps, background vocals, 60s sensibilities – but , I just can’t embrace it “I Can’t Wait Until Saturday Night” reminds me of “Shout” and “I’ll Never Let You Go” sounds like Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe.” I like the two originals better.

The sole cover on the album is the Gladiola’s “Shoop Shoop.” I never cared for the original that much, nor does Redondo Beat do anything to it to make me warm up to it.

A four-song EP of this containing, “The Sweetest Sound, “Full Moon Child,” “The Spell I’m Under” and “My Baby (Knows How To Have A Good Time)” would’ve been all that we needed at this point. It would’ve kept me wanting more. Instead, I can wait two more years for another release.

I wouldn’t stay away from this release. I’d suggest downloading the four songs I mentioned and you have yourself a pretty damn good power-pop extended play.

Artist: The Guess Who<
Title: Artificial Paradise
Label: RCA LSP-4830
Released: 1973

I like the Guess Who. I like, “These Eyes,” “Undun,” “Laughing” and a few more hits. I’ve never been a big fan of “American Woman,” or “No Time,” but I’m all right with the band. I like a solid bunch of their hits.

Randy Bachman left the band in 1970, right when the band was peaking. They kept stride with “No Sugar Tonight,” “Hand Me Down World” and “Share The Land” with the new twin lead guitarists, Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw.

1971’s So Long Bannatyne yielded two top 40 hits, but then the well went dry until “Star Baby” hit number 39 in 1974. During this dry spell, the Guess Who released three studio albums, Artificial Paradise, Rockin’ and #10. The personnel was basically the same group since Share The Land and they were working with their long-time producer, Jack Richardson, but the music took a new direction. In the case of Artificial Pardise, it took many directions.

The album opens up with “Bye Bye Babe.” It was an attempt at boogie-rock, like the sound of Humble Pie, early Foghat and 70s circa Status Quo. The rhythm was right but there was joy, unless you find humor in these lyrics, “Head down the road, look for a slimy toad / Nothing in your head you woman / Bye, bye, bye, bye babe.”

“Samantha’s Living Room” is the worst mimicry of Neil Young and “Rock & Roller Steam” brings up images of Spinal Tap’s Derek Smalls. It’s 70’s big moustache rock.

Burton Cummings’ first songwriting credit arrives with the Donovan-esque, “Follow Your Daughter Home.” The intent of the song was fatherly advice – keep an eye on your daughter – but Cummings comes across creepy when he sings the line, “Is she still a virgin / Follow your daughter home.” Plus, there’s a goddamned flute. What is this, the Pied Piping Predator? This song is just wrong.

Side A closes with “Those Show Biz Shoes,” whose opening line is “My girl’s got some solution that’s excellent for removing all the tuna and the oil / And though she laughs at the Constitution at least she’d end up owning up to being just my goil.” Yes, goil. Spelled out, right there on the lyric sheet. Stand tall there Burton Cummings! Stand tall!

And side B doesn’t get any better. “All Hashed Out” is typical sounding 70’s FM fare but once again we get a dose of great lyrics, “How can they look at you bleeding and tell you the dish ran away with the spoon?” My question is, how can you even attempt to pass such a line. Well I know how I’d pass it.

More nuggets of wisdom reside in “Orly,” a song about missing a plane at the Paris airport, and some free time observations. It comes off as an Allman Brothers song with a fiddle containing the line, “Better go to Rome and have a look at younger sister of my Dad” (That is not a typo).

“Lost And Found Town” continues with a free-man-in-Paris theme while Cummings attempts vocal acrobatics ala Joni Mitchell. And if the lyrics haven’t left you dumbfounded by now, the next number is called, “Hamba Gahle-Usalang Gahle.” I have no fucking idea what it means. After some verses of mumbo-jumbo it all comes together with the line, “Kiss a cousin givin’ a dog a bone.”

Befittingly, the album closes with “The Watcher,” containing the line, “All the people missed his message / When the band packed up / When the lights went out /And the band packed up and went home.

This album represents a damn near complete cross section of 1973-FM radio rock. It’s confusing as hell. Maybe they were attempting to find a new voice and were experimenting with other rock-genres. All and all, it’s a mess.

To make it more confusing, the album is brilliantly packaged as a direct mail campaign. My used copy I bought did not have the outer envelope, but it did have the insert that replicated an Ed McMahon-like sweepstakes, complete with photos of winners and a type written letter from the president of Artificial Paradise Ink, Marty Slick. Only on the outer sleeve is there a mention of the Guess Who and that is on the upper left corner as a return address.

Underneath the outer envelope there are graphics depicting a couple at the crossroads of failure and success. The caption states, “Are You Standing At The Fork In The Road?” Obviously the Guess Who were there too and they chose the wrong path.

Grade: D-. Musically it failed, but sometimes it is so bad, it’s funny. The packaging, on the other hand, deserves a higher grade, but it still is representing an Artificial Paradise. It’s the only element keeping this album from complete failure.

And at number two…

Artist: Hacienda
Title: Big Red & Barbacoa
Label: Alive 0106
Released: April 6, 2010

I thought 2008’s Loud Is The Night was an uncovered gem. But San Antonio’s Hacienda has mined another from the pit. This time it’s from a barbecue pit, as the title confirms. It’s a good balance of a spice rub and smoke.

Yes, the harmonies still exist, sometimes in the four-part form. But instead of floating on a cloud, they exist in a smolder of a fuzz bass, like on the opening track, “Who’s Heart Are You Breaking Now?” (Yeah, that’s how it’s spelled on the album.) The song moves like a camel walk with the Everly Brothers riding on top.

As you’re loping along in the groove, the band throws this weird beat at you in track two, “Younger Days.” It’s like a waltz on the wrong beat with some stinging guitar lines. It’s definitely a challenging number. When you deconstruct it you hear different elements of rock music. When you put it all back together again it is organized noise. I love it. Where as “Got To Get Back Home” on side two, is as straight as waltz can get in rock music.

And they follow it up with “I Keep Waiting” a Beach Boys type song with a muffled Duane Eddy-like riff. “Hound Dog” too shows the Beach Boys influence. Brian Wilson would be proud of these numbers.

“Prisoner” sounds like Los Lobos meets “Iko Iko,” and then side A ends with the instrumental, “Big Red” and side B with another, “Barbacoa.” The instrumental cut is a lost art. The inclusion and the placement of these tracks proclaim a vision of an album as a whole.

Of the twelve tracks on the LP, all are original with the exception of the Everly Brothers cover, “You’re My Girl.” It’s a gritty number by Everly Brothers standards, and the Villanueva brothers take it one step further.

The production work was once again handled by Dan Auerbach of Black Keys fame. (Hacienda was also his backing band on his solo tour.) His touch is present, but it is not overriding great songs, nor is it glossing over crap. The album still sounds honest, not manufactured but crafted.

And at number three…

Artist: Spoon
Title: Transference
Label: Merge 365
Released: January 18, 2010

After the release of two meticulously crafted alt-pop records, Spoon released Transference, an album that critics referred to as sounding like a collection of demos, using terms like spare, sparse and stripped. The term they ignored was space.

Spoon took the production reins into their own hands on this 2010 release. Yes, it was a departure from 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and 2005’s Gimmie Fiction. With a title like Transference, change was to be expected.

They still carry an early 80s post-punk sound, but with the prominence of piano. Even though the piano can carry a melody, it is a percussive instrument. With the drum a little higher in the mix than previous albums, it creates space in the music. There aren’t layers of bongos or liquid bass lines, but a congruence of rhythm. Although the album has a slow-to-medium tempo, it still exhibits a drive because of the space.

Melodically, it is narrow, with vocalist Britt Daniels being more conversational than canorous. But when he reaches down inside for emotion, it’s found more in the grunts, screams, oooohs and ahhhhs, coming off like a cross between Elvis Costello and John Lennon.

Lyrically it reminds me of the Talking Heads, somewhat simple, vague and disjointed but full of images. The interpretation is in the musical delivery. I don’t know how well they would survive on their own, but they are lyrics, not poetry set to music. “Trouble Come Running” is a good example.

Spoon did not abandon being fastidious; they just cultivated a new vision. It takes just as much forethought to anticipate silence as it does noise.

And at number four…

Artist: Galactic
Title: Ya-Ka-May
Label: Anti 87002
Released: February 9, 2010
Genre: Funk / R&B / New Orleans

Jazz-funk artists Galactic opened the doors to New Orleans musicians, inviting all sub-genres in the Crescent City from hip-hop to bounce to brass bands, to Mardi Gras Indians to classic R&B to funk.

The juxtaposing of the Rebirth Brass Band to Big Freedia, expose some of the roots of New Orleans bounce. So does the inclusion of the hip-hop tracks by Katey Red & Sissy Nobby and the bending of the genres by Josh Cohen & Ryan Scully from the now disbanded Morning 40 Federation. It once again shows that New Orleans is still a musical melting pot. Cohen & Scully’s “Liquor Pang” is a low riding cruise through the streets of alcohol, rationalizing a sense of hopelessness with lines like, “I’m making bad decisions with the money I earned” which rolls into “Ain’t no shame for a pang for some liquor, man.”

“Wild Man” featuring Big Chief Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias get some modern sampling treatment with some rock guitar riffs over a funk rhythm. While Allen Toussaint gets some updating, it’s still unmistakingly Allen, which cites what an influence Toussaint was on the New Orleans scene. No matter how you want to fuck with the structure of New Orleans music, give it a dose of Toussaint, and you can’t help but give him a stake in the claim.

But the artist that most benefits form this step forward in New Orleans music is Irma Thomas. Some national award faction should recognize Irma Thomas’ performance on “Heart of Steel.” The conviction in her delivery over the new material shows that she is still a force to be reckoned. Her reading surpasses all others on this album. Even if you don’t care for another melding of music, give Irma’s track a chance. It should be nominated for single of the year.

Paraphrasing the sticker that was pasted on the CD cover, “this ain’t your daddy’s New Orleans music.” Well, in many ways it is. This music would not exist without the contributions of the mothers and fathers of New Orleans R&B, nor would this CD be as successful with their inclusion.

And at number 5…

Artist: Seu Jorge & Almaz
Title: Seu Jorge & Almaz
Label: Now-Again 5068
Released: July 27, 2010
Genre: Brazilian

Seu Jorge entered the American mainstream consciousness with his appearance in the Wes Anderson film, Life Aquatic with Steve Zissos. He played the guitar strumming, Pele, covering David Bowie songs in Portuguese. His latest effort employs the band, Almaz, which provides a perfect backdrop for Jorge’s staging.

The band slides easily from samba to funk to rock, which Jorge can also do vocally. He can be refined on the samba covers or attack them, like he did on “Cristina.” He can also do both in the same song, like on Cain & Abel’s early 70’s funk-rock number, “Girl You Move Me.” He almost sounds plaintive as the song rocks over a bed of chunky guitar riffs, and then shifts into a more primal delivery.

Their cover of Kraftwerk’s “The Model” Jorge’s cadence is mechanical, which is a true reading of the song, while the band adds a life-giving vibe. Almaz drives these songs when Jorge’s voice can be come languid. On the Joao Donato cover, “Calo Boca, Menino,” the almost snotty, “nyah, nyah, nyahs” of the original, become this alluring “yeah, yeah, yeah,” where Jorge does his best Brazilian Barry White over the top of the music.

Jorge’s take on Roy Ayer’s “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” is a keystone on the album. It is song most people can identify, holding it all together and letting the other numbers waterfall into place. It is the exemplifying groove that gives the album vision and the listeners definition.