DUAL ALBUM REVIEW: Goodie Mob - Age Against The Machine

Today we have a special treat for you called a Dual Review. Occasionally, multiple contributors from IV have something to say about an album/movie/book/game, etc. and rather than just letting one person take all the opinionated glory, we decided to combine our thoughts into one piece. We were going to call it a Duel Review, but since Trey-K and I pretty much agree with each other’s conclusions, that won’t be necessary (this time…).

In full disclosure, you should know that I am a white, bearded, thirty-something male with musical roots mostly in rock and metal. Since Trey and I have been friends for as long as I can remember, some of our musical influences have rubbed off on each other. Dungeon Family’s Even in Darkness was the first hip-hop album that really struck a chord with me. Rappers were actually saying something credible, with eloquence, and without dropping the F-Bomb or the N-Word every other syllable. And on top of that, the songs were catchy, with each member’s style so distinctive, I could actually tell them apart.

I have such fond memories of riding around with Trey and listening to that album, I’ve always wanted to hear more from the same group. Well, here we are over a decade later with a new Goodie Mob album, it’s approximately one-fourth of the Dungeon Family members I care about, so what the hell, I’ll take it.

After one listen through of Age Against the Machine, I felt that it was both better than I expected and also disappointing. My disappointment comes from something that Trey mentions as well: the interludes/skits/mini songs. In rock, it’s best to have a tight knit album, a collection of solid songs from start to finish. Anything else in between is what we call filler. Filler breaks up the album, ruins the flow, like bad grammar pulls you out of a good book. On AATM, we get a collection of good songs crippled by filler. I feel like there is a solid EP right in the middle of this record with the rest being unfinished tracks or Cee-Lo solo songs. It’s possible that at the end of the Mob’s studio time in Jamaica, they just gathered what they had and splorked it onto the record with no concern for completeness or flow. It’s a shame because the good songs on here really are good.

I’m impressed how well Cee-Lo fits into this album, considering his recently found pop status. He doesn’t feel out of place when all the members are on the same track. He doesn’t shine above the rest or stick out like, “Oh, there’s Cee-Lo” as something separate from “those other guys”. It feels very natural and it’s good to hear Cee-Lo rapping again, even though he is an astoundingly good singer. There are a couple of instances where I feel he may have snuck into the studio at night and inserted some of his own solo tracks into the mix. While not bad, those songs do stand apart and don’t gel quite right with the album as whole, furthering the overall disjointed vibe.

The production here is excellent and I’m glad to see from a prog-rock perspective that these guys take some risks with the tracks, changing up rhythms and using odd sounds here and there. It’s an impressive effort that keeps the good songs from sounding too same-y.

At the end of the day, I’m glad I got the album. Big Rube’s voice on the intro track transported me back to 2001 and made me relieved that even as I get older and everything changes, some things still remain to take me back there again. I like this album purely based on nostalgia, but I also recognize the moments of actual quality that shine through from time to time. If you aren’t a fan of hip-hop, it probably won’t sway your opinion much, but you could do a lot worse. You could do a lot worse.

-Attikuh Isley

And now on to Trey-K and the main event:

Along with Attikuh Isley, anyone who knows me can say that I am a big fan of the Dungeon Family. Any release from them or even their affiliates will get my attention. Their track record is something that no one can dispute. The hip hop collective are responsible for some of the best albums in not just rap, but in music PERIOD.  OutKast, in particular, has one of the best album catalogs in rap music, but even as great as their albums are, I would put Goodie Mob's debut album Soul Food over all of their albums. When I say this to others, I get looks of shock and concern that I have gone crazy, considering how much of an OutKast fan I am.  Nevertheless, I stand by it.  What Goodie Mob crafted with their first album was a stripped down, raw portrait of the South, specifically Atlanta, filled with soulful beats and rhymes speaking on social consciousness, paranoia, spirituality, poverty, and even food. When music fans talk about hip hop soul and do NOT mention this album as part of that genre, they should have their mouths wired shut and their ear drums popped because Soul Food defines how soul music can mix with hip hop.  With this album and their follow-up Still Standing, the quartet of Cee-Lo, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp showed that the South not only had folks that can rhyme, but also that there was more to Southern rap than strip club, shake-your-booty music.

ALBUM REVIEW: Kanye West - Yeezus

There are 3 rules that I try to reconcile when it comes to reviewing albums:

1) Music is art, and it takes time to appreciate it in some cases.
2) Personal feelings about the artist must be put aside to fairly review the album.
3) The first impression is usually the right one in most situations.

Since I have been writing reviews, no artist has tested these rules more than Kanye West.  In my younger days, I passed on his earlier albums out of disgust for his unrelenting arrogance and ridiculous obsession with the limelight.  It was not until my wife forced me to listen to his first two albums that I realized that he is a talented artist.  He does deserve the accolades he receives for his music because he does have a great ear for music and can have some intriguing rhymes every now and then.  Of course, we all knew his talent from his production work for artists like Jay-Z, T.I., Common, Mos Def, and Alicia Keys.  Unfortunately, as his career went on, Kanye became more well known for controversy rather than music.  Sometimes it was courageous (his rant on George Bush and Hurricane Katrina relief in 2005); sometimes it was tragic (his mother's death in 2007 due to complications from plastic surgery), and sometimes it was completely ridiculous (his impromptu speech during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the VMA's a couple years ago).  Either way, controversy continues to follow him.  For his fans and for critics, controversy has not interfered with the quality of music, for his first 5 albums all had critical and commercial appeal worldwide.

However, critics were not as happy with his performance on the 2012's Cruel Summer compilation album.  The once-potent Kanye lacked focus and inspiration.  Much of the lyrical content fed into the glamorous superstar life without the typical introspective conflict that we are accustomed to hearing from Mr. West.  The radio loved a lot of the songs on off the album, but some fans hoped that his next album would rectify the shortcomings of Cruel Summer and put Kanye back into people's hearts, minds, and ears.  Kanye has shown his ability for redemption: after the auto-tune love-fest that 2008's 808's and Heartbreaks was, his 2010 follow-up My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was musical masterpiece and a trendsetter for rap music after its release.   People believe that Kanye will come with that fire.  His high-profile relationship with paparazzi fiend Kim Kardashian and his pending fatherhood would prompt him to change the game again and rule the airwaves, or at least not distract him from doing it.  Fans have faith in Kanye just like Christians have faith in Jesus.  Hmm, maybe that is why Kanye's new album is titled Yeezus.  He has been pretty consistent among all the rap artists who came out in the 21th Century, so why would he let us down now?

I don't know why, but for me, he did.  I have listened to his album 3 times this past weekend, and each time it has felt like a chore rather than a pleasure.  See what I am doing here?  I am trying to follow Rule #1 and give it a few listens to sink in.  As much as I loathe Kanye for some of the crap he says and does in the media, I know that he has the talent to make good albums.  He deserve a fair listen.  See what I am doing here?  Rule #2 is creeping in.  At the end of the day, Rule #3 triumphs over all: my first impression of the album wins.  I am not feeling it.

I would describe this album as the worst of 808's and Heartbreaks mixed with an half-ass attempt at trip-hop.  It is a shame that his collaborations with Daft Punk on 5 tracks are wasted here.  They do well on "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves," which happen to be the songs he performed on SNL last month.  The latter is probably my favorite track of the album, and it is far from the best song that I have heard from Kanye (Killer Mike and other artists been saying what Kanye was talking about for a minute).  Still, the grating sounds and explicit imagery makes Yeezus a tough listen.  Like I said, I listened to the album 3 times before I started this review and am currently listening to it now.  I will admit that some songs sound better on further listens.  The king Louie-assisted track "Send It Up" has a chorus that will creep up on you and get stuck in your head, and "Bound 2" sounds like a solid throwaway from Kanye's third album Graduation  (I mean that in a good way).  However, tracks like "Blood On The Leaves" shows how singing with Auto-tune can be a detriment to good song rather than a benefit (and I do not approve of him ripping off the chorus for Snoop Dogg's "Down For My N's").  Even in it better moments, there is nothing pulling me back to this record.  In fact, I have a hard time believing that this was actually the album after my first listen.  I kept believing that this version was for the bootleggers, and a better version would be released on the scheduled release date.  Well, after listening to the album on Spotify today, my beliefs were incorrect.

Perhaps I should not have considered Cruel Summer part of Kanye's catalog.  If not, I could listen to Yeezus with less skepticism and more of an open mind.  I appreciate artists that push their own boundaries as well as the boundaries of music in general.  When everyone tends to play it safe, especially with hip-hop, hearing an artist establishing their own lane and trying to set trends is refreshing.  The main reason why artists do not flex their creative muscles is because they run the risk of going so far into another zone that they simultaneously fail to catch the ears of new fans and alienate their core fan base.  It is a big risk/big reward decision, and it sometimes does not work.  Judging from the reaction that Yeezus so far, most of his fans and critics still have his back and are supporting this album.  I am sure that he lost a few, though, and for better or worse, Kanye does not seem too care.  So be it.  After looking this review over, I realized that similar to Kanye, I am contradicting myself with acknowledging delayed appreciation for art but going with my initial impression with this album.  Well, contradictions seemed to be the mantra for Kanye's career, so it is fitting for me to do the same.  This also could be Kanye's point with Yeezus - we strive to be the best but we end up falling short most of the time.  Interesting.  Still, I have a feeling that Kanye will bring me back on his next release, but for Yeezus, I gotta pass.

ALBUM REVIEW: Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

Kendrick Lamar has some balls.  He had already developed a huge buzz through his mixtapes and release an independent album Section 80 in 2011 that was critically acclaimed.  His label Top Dawg Entertainment inked a distribution deal with Dr. Dre's Aftermath and Interscope Records, allowing him to reach wider audience.  Hip hop mainstays Lil Wayne, Game, and Dr. Dre endorsed him as the "next big thing" in rap.  On top of that, Dr. Dre was going to add his magic touch to his first major label release as executive producer.  With all these elements lined up, Kendrick could have just made one hot single, get a couple Dr. Dre beats on there, and coast through the rest of the CD while benefiting off his powerful connections and endorsements.  It sounds so easy, but what does Kendrick decide to do?  He decides to make his major label debut a concept album.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City serves as a day-in-the-life of Kendrick Lamar as a seventeen year old kid living in Compton, California.  The album chronicles the coming-of-age of Kendrick as lust, comedy, crime, and tragedy shapes his development as the man he is today.  Well, perhaps the coming-of-age story has been done many times in multiple mediums.  Still, even though the story is not new, getting to the beginning to the end can still be entertaining.  The question here is this: can Kendrick Lamar release a concept album that tells an engaging, enjoyable story but still be accessible to the average fan who is not familiar with K. Dot's previous work?  Indeed.

The most impressive aspect of this album is that despite having a larger profile from being released on a major label, it is clearly Kendrick's show.  There is not a track on the album where Kendrick Lamar takes a backseat to the production or the guest artists and uses them to keep the listeners' interest.  It seems easy for Kendrick to hop into the backseat based on the people involved in the album.  Pharell Williams of the Neptunes adds his signature sound and vocals to the track "Good Kid."  Just Blaze puts together a California anthem with the track "Compton."  T-Minus comes through with the infectious hit single "Swimming Pools (Drank)." Scoop DeVille laces two of the tightest tracks of last year with "Poetic Justice" featuring Drake and "The Recipe."  Many of the other producers such as Soundwave and DJ Dahi and are not as well known but will soon be in demand due to their work on "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" and "Money Trees" featuring Jay Rock, respectively.  Surprisingly, Dr. Dre has no direct involvement in any tracks but makes two guest appearances on the aforementioned "Compton" and "The Recipe."  Another west coast rap legend MC Eiht makes an unexpected but satisfying appearance on "M.A.A.D City," which should make a new generation of rap fans say "geah" as if it is 1992 all over again.  Nevertheless, Kendrick makes its clear that he is the main attraction.  All of the contributors are in the passenger seat while Kendrick is behind the wheel.  Despite what they bring, Kendrick Lamar controls where the album is going.

What probably helps in Kendrick's command over the album is his clear vision and its flawless execution on the album.  He seems to have thought out every aspect in how the album is put together, and it makes every listen better each time.  I am always a sucker for the subtle moments that make an album intriguing, and there are plenty of them: the interplay of the music and K Dot's lyrics in "Sing About Me, Dying of Thirst," using a snippet of the opening track "Sherane aka Master Splinter's Daughter" to bring the story back to the beginning at the end of "Poetic Justice," the transition of K Dot getting into the backseat of his friend's car before moving to the track "Backseat Freestyle" - it is all there.  Even the interludes demand replay (the interludes with Kendrick's parents are definitely the highlights), and unlike some albums, the interludes help keep the album together instead of shaking up the album's flow.  No album that I have heard since OutKast's Aquemini has been able to achieve this feat so convincingly, and Kendrick should consider this a victory in itself.

Fortunately, Kendrick does not settle for just having an album that comes together musically.  He does not hit you with tongue-twisting, deep metaphors and punchlines.  However, Kendrick Lamar uses his words to weave his tale of youthful angst and loss of innocence to put you right there in the action.  The album cover states that the album is a short film by Kendrick Lamar, and that is exactly the feeling that you receive when you play it.  The highs and lows that one feels when watching a movie is apparent despite being in audible form instead of visual form.  There are still some moments that are surprisingly insightful even when you are likely having fun with it, such as the one on "Swimming Pools (Drank):"

Now I done grew up round some people living their life in bottles 
Granddaddy had the golden flask, back stroke every day in Chicago 
Some people like the way it feels, some people wanna kill their sorrows 
Some people wanna fit in with the popular, that was my problem 
I was in a dark room, loud tunes, looking to make a vow soon 
That I'ma get fucked up, filling up my cup, I see the crowd move 
Changing by the minute, and the record on repeat 
Took a sip, then another sip, then somebody said to me 

 [Chorus] 
Nigga, why you babysitting only two or three shots? 
I'ma show you how to turn it up a notch 
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it 
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it 
I wave a few bottles, then I watch 'em all flock 
All the girls wanna play Baywatch 
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it 
Pool full of liquor, I'ma dive in it

I am probably the only one who thinks this, but I think this song is as genius as Afroman's "Because I Got High."   Like Afroman, Kendrick makes a song that simultaneously glorifies getting drunk and criticizes getting drunk (he even calls it "poison" on the second verse).  You got to appreciate songs like these because it's so tough to get anyone to listen to a rap song with any sort of substance.  It is also tough to make a song with substance that is sonically enjoyable, and Kendrick pulled it off here.

Other artists have made similar albums, but I have not heard any rap album that was able to pull it off as well as Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.  Kendrick's vision and courage in making this album definitely paid off, and he clearly released one of the best albums in 2012.  I have no problem recommending this album as well as the deluxe edition to any music fan, whether they like rap or not.  After fully digesting this album, I imagine that when a new crop of rappers rise up 10-15 years later, they will point to this album as one of their biggest influences in their work.  Yep, it is that good. 

AUDIO SHAKEDOWN - Volume 5

Every time I wear headphones people are always talking at me, but they never seem to ask the only question I actually want to hear: "What are you listening to?" So welcome to the fifth chapter of the Audio Shakedown, my ongoing quest to answer the unasked question. I've spent a lot of time with these records recently, and what follows is my explanation of why you should as well.

Mudhoney - Vanishing Point - Grouchy, funny, swaggering, veering wildly out of control... It must be a new Mudhoney record, and the world is a better place because it exists. This is a very direct outing with bright, punchy production and no time for much subtlety, which plays to Mudhoney's strengths. Much of the record displays a Stooges-style groove and singer Mark Arm is in fine form throughout. If you need a straight-ahead rock and roll album, look no further.

13th Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere - Their debut record, The Psychedelic Sounds Of... is more well-known, but the follow-up release Easter Everywhere is the stronger of the two overall, even though there's not a song that reaches the heights of "You're Gonna Miss Me." Roky Erikson and company combine some wild psychedelia with quieter moments and come up with a winner, even doing a swirling cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue."

Clutch - Earth Rocker - Clutch are back, and they're revved up even more than usual. Album opener "Earth Rocker" is a paean to worshiping loud guitars and doing it live on stage, which is just a literal retelling of their career, which can now be measured in decades. Their last record was a bit slower and more subdued that one might've expected, but they're running on every last cylinder here; the tempos are quicker and the band is almost jumping out of the speakers. Whatever has Clutch so energized, let's hope they stick with it.

Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom - Sometimes you just have to go back and hit play on Mike Doughty's first long player of "deep slacker jazz." You have to feel those crisp, mellow beats covered with samples both wacky and orchestral, all topped with Doughty's hyperliterate stream-of-consciousness raps. His is a voice so distinct that you could play thirty 90's records at the same time and still pick him out of the crowd. Songs like "True Dreams of Wichita" show an off-beat sensitivity, and for some premium brain-melting weirdness, give a listen to "Bus to Beelezebub," whose nonsensical lyrics rub shoulders with a looped sample of "Powerhouse," which most people know only as "that cartoon factory music."

Various Artists - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era - In 1972, Jac Holzman (founder of Elektra Records) and Lenny Kaye (later a guitarist for Patti Smith) put together a double-LP collection of mid-1960's garage rock, which was later expanded to a four-cd set in 1998. The four-disc set is worth it, as it represents a nearly exhaustive account of the garage rock explosion of the 60's and contains the early seeds of punk rock. Sure, with four discs of material, there are some goofy novelty numbers, but the great-to-silly ratio is actually quite admirable in this collection.

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks - Some bands chase down sounds that are so unique that they become a genre unto themselves, like "Primus" and "Bjork." Van Morrison's record Astral Weeks just might qualify for the same recognition at the album level. Any classification you can think up will fall short of describing the music on display in these eight songs. It dips into soul, jazz, folk, and more, all mixed up with a mysterious and plaintive Celtic sensibility. 

AUDIO SHAKEDOWN - Volume 4

This edition of the Audio Shakedown comes to you from the depths of disease, for I have been ill, dear readers. My health lasted longer than anyone I know, but this winter will not relent, and I finally succumbed. Between bouts of delirium, I have managed to listen to some good music and formulate opinions thereupon, which I have laid out for you below at great expense to my aching, fevered brain. Enjoy, and may winter die a quick and agonizing death.

Traindodge - On a Lake of Dead Trees - Traindodge seems to occupy the space where Fugazi and the Deftones overlap. I'll let you read that sentence again before continuing. Barked post-hardcore vocals over cerebral rhythms and atmospheric heaviness. Music nerds will notice this record has a very specific sound that could only have come from the two or three years that started off this century, after rock music disappeared from the mainstream again, but before indie rock's muscles atrophied.

Shiner - The Egg - Their last and finest record, The Egg is where Shiner took everything they'd learned about both accessibility and obfuscation from their three previous releases and bolted it all together into a challenging, satisfying listen. There's a little bit of everything here, big guitar rock, electronic experimentalism, straightforward melodies, and mystifying soundscapes. Difficult to explain but hard to forget, The Egg is a little-known treasure.

KMFDM - Kunst - Look, this is KMFDM's eighteenth album. If you're not already on board, you've missed the boat. This release is, like all their post-reunion albums, a bit uneven and maybe a little overly familiar, but it's always nice to get a dose of their self-referential, less-than-serious take on heavy industrial. KMFDM is nearly as old as I am, and it's hard to imagine living in a world without them.

The Reatards - Teenage Hate - Jay Reatard, man of a million bands, may have gone on to greater notoriety with his later work, but to my mind, it's 1998's Teenage Hate that remains the most satisfying of his efforts. The first thing you notice about it is that it sounds pretty terrible, even for a punk rock record. There are very few rules of music recording and production that this album leaves unbroken, and yet the weird, trashy charm of the record comes through unobscured. If you can learn to accept the awful production quality, it becomes obvious that the wild, passionate punk gems found here just wouldn't be as good without it.

Toadies - Play.Rock.Music. - The Toadies should have been able to ride the success of their two hit singles "Possum Kingdom" and "I Come From The Water" straight into an equally successful second album, but Interscope rejected their follow-up to Rubberneck, and they lost momentum as the alternative boom faded at the end of the millennium. (Sidenote: that rejected follow up has circulated on the internet for years in various forms, and those Interscope suits dropped the ball, as it would've made a fine sophomore album) Nevertheless, the Toadies continued on to release several quality albums on a smaller scale as something of a cult band. The most recent of these is 2012's Play.Rock.Music., which once again proves that we shouldn't have taken our eye off of them.

Soundgarden - King Animal - I've been giving this record a lot of attention lately because I'm seeing Soundgarden live soon, but even if that's not true for you, this is still a record that deserves a lot of attention. Upon hearing of their reunion, I figured Cornell's voice would be the weak point of the deal. I mean, it'd been sixteen years since he'd sung the Soundgarden stuff, and there's a real physiological reason that even Robert Plant doesn't hit those high wailing notes these days. But Cornell pulls it off with aplomb, as does the rest of the band, sounding for all the world like it could still be the late 90's. The distinct sound of Kim Thayil's guitar has been missing in the world for far too long, and it's supremely gratifying to hear that the strange tensions and releases particular to Soundgarden's style of writing are still here in all their glory.

AUDIO SHAKEDOWN - Volume 3

Welcome one and all to the third installment of the Audio Shakedown, where a guy you don't know rambles on about records you might not even care about! This time around I've been stuck in the Nineties, a place I find myself quite often, musically speaking. I've been digging through my archives and listening to some forgotten classics, some oddball treasures, and some enjoyable new tricks by alternative rock's old dogs.

Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut and Downward is Heavenward - The very definition of a cult band, Midwestern spacey rock band Hum only released two notable albums, and just about anyone who remembers them loves them. On their earlier release You'd Prefer an Astronaut, you can hear Hum building an entirely different way of looking at the standard alterna-rock idiom, simultaneously chilling the sound with chorus and phaser and warming it with thick, blanketing distortion, while Matt Talbot found a way to inject a very human soul into his deadpan vocals. (Guitar nerd sidebar: For as amazing as the guitar tones are on Hum's albums, their guitar rigs were surprisingly simple. I'll take a few pieces of good gear over a giant complicated setup any day.) As strong as ...Astronaut was, it was on Downward is Heavenward that the Hum method crystallized into a masterful representation of what they were about as a band. Every ingredient in the sound is fine-tuned and plays off of everything else to form something very nearly perfect.

Meat Puppets - Lollipop - The newest release from the reformed Puppets finds them in fine form. Lollipop displays the band moving into new and interesting territories without ever sounding like anyone but the Meat Puppets. The trademarks are all still present, but the band sounds relaxed, like they're enjoying themselves making their own special brand of low-key, fuzzy rock. This is a great record to put on while you lay on your bedroom floor in a sunbeam and stare at the ceiling. (I realize that this is the second appearance by the Meat Puppets in the Shakedown, but I've been listening to them a lot in preparation for the upcoming show I will be attending. The next volume will be Meat Puppets-free, I assure you.)

Primus - Green Naugahyde - This is also a newer release from a beloved 90's institution. You know what you're going to get from Primus, mind-blowing musicianship, whacked-out sounds, and the bizarre humor and insight of Les Claypool, and Primus delivers all of that on Green Naugahyde. It's clear that Claypool brought some weird new tricks from his time away from Primus, and maybe a more meandering, jammy vibe, but if you dug Primus before, there's no reason not to check out this album.

Tad - Inhaler - There was a time in the (very) early 90's when people felt that something was about to happen in Seattle. Their music was getting noticed and it was only a matter of time before one of their noisy, heavy rock bands was going to make it big. At the time, many wondered whether it would be local heroes Tad, or those weird kids from Aberdeen calling themselves Nirvana. Destiny made its choice and Nirvana exploded, leaving Tad Doyle and mates to remain a footnote in rock and roll history, but listen to 1993's Inhaler and see just how good their footnote really is. It's got everything a great grunge album needs; it's catchy and heavy and the production by J. Mascis emphasizes their strengths. A shame that Tad had to find out just how fickle a mistress destiny really is.

Buffalo Tom - Let Me Come Over - Buffalo Tom's third album Let Me Come Over was their first without J. Mascis producing (yeah, he was busy in the 90's), and consequently, the first time they were considered anything other than Dinosaur Jr. clones. This record was a big shift for the band; they turned down the gain on the guitars a bit, introduced a little country twang, and stepped up the emotion in the lyrics and delivery. All the changes paid off, because the record turned out to be their strongest to that point and the standard against which all of their later albums were measured (though some of their later albums do give this one a run for its money quality-wise).

As I wrap up this edition of the Audio Shakedown, I will leave you with a disturbing thought I had while stuck in this 90's rock phase. We are now further away, temporally speaking, from Nirvana's Nevermind than Nevermind was from Led Zeppelin's IV. I find the idea that kids today probably think that Nevermind is as mysteriously historic as I found IV in the 90's a chilling notion.

AUDIO SHAKEDOWN - Volume 2

Buckle up for Volume Two of the by now world-famous (shut up) Audio Shakedown, where I give you a glimpse into what's been pumping through my headphones lately. This installment is a bit of a mixed bag even though my brain is still busy maintaining the delusion that it's summer outside. Nevertheless, open your head, peruse the musical quality below, and let it do stuff to you.


Thulsa Doom - The Seats Are Soft, But The Helmet Is Way Too Tight - Norwegian stoner rock band Thulsa Doom has managed to stand out from the crowd of fuzzed-out retro rockers with the help of some quirky songwriting and excellent vocals from singer Papa Doom, and while they've released three LP's, it's their debut that always jumps to my mind. Maybe it's the nasty, speaker-melting bass tone that does it.


Witchcraft - Legend - It would be easy to label Witchcraft stoner metal as well, and it's near impossible to read a review about Witchcraft without seeing the name Black Sabbath (though it's Pentagram that they more accurately resemble), but while many stoner rock bands give lip service to Seventies sounds, Witchcraft actually takes the "retro" thing to the next level. Brilliant guitar work, a singer who can actually sing, and fascinating production choices make this record, their latest, something of a feast for anyone who enjoys the sounds of hard rock and metal in its primordial age.


Santeria - Year of the Knife - Santeria are incomparable, in that I can think of no one to compare them to. They sound like nothing so much as the deep south itself. Bluesy and soulful, shot through with dirty rock and roll and touches of latin flavor here and there as well. If the linked track even kind of grabs you, definitely check out more. Their stuff is widely varied, musically speaking, but still of a consistent quality. In addition, their singer, Brother Dege Legg, has released solo material consisting mostly of some impressive dobro playing and his amazing voice.


Blackroc - Blackroc - I'm not sure why hip-hop seems to so often eschew live instrumentation in favor of electronic beats, because when it works, it works really well. For some reason I didn't hear about this collaboration between the Black Keys and a number of high profile hip-hop artists until well after it happened, but it does have a certain nocturnal charm to it. In the linked track, "Ain't Nothing Like You," Mos Def displays some singing chops while Jim Jones handles the verses.


New Bomb Turks - Destroy Oh Boy! - Does anyone remember when punk rock made you want to drive really fast and set things on fire and throw them off of buildings? Well I do. I like my punk rock dirty, loud, and filled with mayhem. It should sound like it's doing 200 miles an hour and barely on the rails. And if possible, it should also retain a sense of intelligence as well. That may sound like a tall order, if not downright contradictory, but not for the New Bomb Turks. Clever wordplay, interesting lyrical perspective, and best of all, speedy, filthy hijinks abound here on my favorite of their albums.


Meat Puppets - Too High To Die - A total classic from a long-running, but frequently overlooked band. The Meat Puppets of course began in the 80's, but this 1994 album is perhaps what they're most remembered for. On this record they smooth off some of the weirder edges from their earlier work and boost the fuzz to create something that lies on the edges of grunge, country, and psychedelia, and works better than it probably should. This album contains their best-known song "Backwater," but I've linked the stranger, speedier "We Don't Exist."