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(APRIL PODCAST COMING SOON) APRIL 2007 ISSUE #94 
Various
Artists The idea behind this compilation is a little odd, but the result is fabulous. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is given the seemingly insurmountable task of pulling together a collection of his favorite Trojan tracks. What does Radiohead (or Greenwood) have to do with reggae, you might ask? Nothing that I can ascertain, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that Greenwood has managed to do a pretty good job of compiling a number of semi-obscure tracks that are at the same time accessible to those just getting into the genre. Of course, there are a few of the usual suspects in attendance, including Lee "Scratch" Perry, Desmond Dekker, and Delroy Wilson, to name a few. Thanks to Greenwood's sequencing, the album maintains a consistent flow, only taking a few turns into left field. And, it's these little forays are what makes this album worth picking up; like the quirky sound effects that build up to a funky groove on the song Flash Gordon Meets Luke Skywalker, by Scientist & Jammy & The Roots Radics. The disc really hits its stride in the middle of the disc, when Greenwood throws in Junior Byles' incredible take on the standard Fever, originally made famous by Peggy Lee. This version takes the song to a completely different level, adding an aggressive feel with the unrelenting, driving rhythm. Thanks in no small part to the production of Perry, Byles takes ownership of the song and puts his own personal stamp on it. The liner notes are fairly extensive for a single CD compilation, giving a short historical blurb on each song so the listener can put the tracks into the proper context. This helps bring the collection into focus, as we can see what motivated Greenwood in his selections. To sum up, serious reggae fans will find this collection somewhat redundant, but newbies should consider this a marvelous way to get their feet wet. Watch out, because you'll be buying more. MISH MASH Mandate: OK Controller
While there have been countless Lee "Scratch" Perry compilations over the years, this one is a little different, in that Perry hand-picked each track on the disc. The compilation covers his decades long career, showcasing his solo work alongside his producing work for other artists, beginning in the mid 1960's and going up through 2003. The collection allows us to follow Perry's evolution, seeing how he developed and changed his approach over the years, from the simple sounds of early reggae to the whacked-out experimentation of dub. We also get to see first hand what an impact he had on the sound of reggae and dub as a whole, and of course leading on into the pop music of the past 40 years. The liner notes also give us a new perspective, as we're given direct commentary from Perry himself on the importance of the tunes he picked. In the notes, he states that "music is like a teacher", and this rings true while listening to his growth as the music moves along. MISH MASH Mandate: Cat Scratch Fever |
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Roxanne Potvin
Roxanne Potvin has the blues, bi-lingual style. The Quebec-based singer/guitarist is convincing in English and French, mixing up a unique batch of old fashioned R&B that is sure to please the most finicky of fans. Potvin has the perfect voice for the blues, middle-ranged with just the right amount of roughness around the edges. With plenty of genuine soul and grit, she moves from upbeat barn burners to quiet ballads with ease. It also doesn't hurt that she has some help from the likes of John Hiatt and Daniel Lanois. Hiatt and Potvin turn up the heat on A Love That's Simple, while Lanois provides the perfect French singing partner on La Merveille. With friends like that, you can't go wrong, and Potvin does everything just right. MISH MASH Mandate: Tres Bien
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American Cheeseburger
Imagine if The Fall and Refused got it on and had an ugly little thrash baby named American Cheeseburger. This quartet from Athens is bound and determined to make as much pissing noise as possible on a 7 inch, and boy do they get the job done. Somehow they cram in more than half a dozen manic tunes while the record spins at 45 RPM. The punk roots of American Cheeseburger are undeniable, yet the avant garde nature of their obtuse lyrics put them right in line with Mark E. Smith. It's easy to imagine him doing riffs off lines like "Explosive paradise nocturnal transmission", even though Cheeseburger singer James screams the words with sheer incomprehension. Add to that the sonic bombast of a guitar-bass-drums wall of sound, and you've got a recipe for tasty Southern thrash. MISH MASH Mandate: Can I Scream?
Here's a refreshing little album, just in time to brighten up your spring listening. The duo of Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg has done their homework, and their main area of study has been the British Invasion 101. They pass with honors, laying down track after track of original, well-crafted, catchy 60's-styled pop that will have you humming along at first listen. Innovative? Ground breaking? Not quite, but what does it matter? This one is fun and a joy to listen to, nothing more, nothing less. Not many artists can pull this off and do it so well. MISH MASH Mandate: The British Are Coming Juba Dance Orange Audio 8 13 song CD
Ben Lamar's Juba Dance is a musical adventure that winds its way through a host of genres, from hip-hop to latin to traditional blues to jazz. It's a crazy and wonderful mess, one that bounces from style to style, never settling into a single spot. Lamar truly is all over the place, and at the same time he avoids any semblance of pop structure or cliche. The sheer amount of diversity is the only thing holding it all together, creating a collage of sound that revels in defying your expectations. Sure to bring hours of listening bliss. Audio 8 Website goodandrecklessandtrue Vanguard Records 11 song CD
MISH MASH Mandate: Alternating Curent The Alternate Routes Website Gary B & The Notions Get Those Crazy Notions! Self-Released 7 song CD
© 2007 Mish Mash Music Reviews, All Rights Reserved
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