SOUND CHECK : ROCK.Powerman 5000/``Mega!! Kung Fu kung fu Pinyin gongfu Chinese martial art that is simultaneously a spiritual and a physical discipline. It has been practiced at least since the Zhou dynasty (1111–255 BC). Radio'' If you like your rock hard, energetic and sometimes humorous, look no further than ``Mega!! Kung Fu Radio,'' the major label debut from Boston's Powerman 5000. The quintet's leather-lunged vocals and sludgy power chords may be familiar, but what distinguishes PM5K PM5K Powerman 5000 (rock band) is an unusually light touch. Credit goes to the often funky arrangements that effectively utilize the group's rhythm section Noun 1. rhythm section - the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments percussion section, percussion section - a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class and percussionist. ``Mega!! Kung Fu Radio'' (DreamWorks SKG SKG Stichting Kwaliteit Gevelbouw (Dutch) SKG Spielberg, Katzenberg,and Geffen (DreamWorks Studios) SKG Thessaloniki, Greece - Thessaloniki (Airport Code) SKG Smith and Kraus Global ) hints at a Chili Peppers influence on a few tracks, including ``Standing'' and ``Tokyo Vigilante vigilante n. someone who takes the law into his/her own hands by trying and/or punishing another person without any legal authority. In the 1800s groups of vigilantes dispensed "frontier justice" by holding trials of accused horse-thieves, rustlers and shooters, and 1,'' but generally, PM5K offers an unexpectedly danceable noise that probably works magic in concert. The band, by the way, appears March 15 at the Palace in Hollywood. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Roger McGuinn/``Live From Mars'' On ``Live From Mars Live From Mars is a two disc live concert(s) release from Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals which takes tracks from unnamed venues throughout his 2000 tour and places them on either an electric (disc 1) or acoustic (disc 2) disc. ,'' laid-back ex-Byrds leader Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (known professionally as Roger McGuinn and born James Joseph McGuinn III on July 13, 1942) is a popular rock American singer-songwriter and guitarist of the 1960s and 1970s. tells the story of his life in word and song. He prefaces about half of the 30 tracks - some are little more than snippets - with frequently fascinating stories. For example, observations of the '60s folk scene, how the Byrds came together, and the development of McGuinn's trademark jingle-jangle rhythm sound are all worth the price of admission. The intimate feel of ``Live From Mars'' (Hollywood), which was mostly recorded live and boasts beautiful versions of ``Chestnut Mare,'' ``Bells of Rhymney'' and ``Eight Miles High,'' is among the disc's many strengths. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Lori Carson/``Everything I Touch Runs Wild'' Intense, aching, pouty and depressed, former Golden Palominos chanteuse chan·teuse n. A woman singer, especially a nightclub singer. [French, feminine of chanteur, singer, from chanter, to sing; see chant.] Lori Carson has never been happier. ``Everything I Touch Runs Wild'' (Restless) finds the singer-songwriter in her element - alone in an upstairs room with an acoustic guitar, a bottle of wine and her diary, in which she scribbles such shockingly original thoughts as: ``I don't want to cause you any pain/I just want to love you'' and ``the leaves are red and orange.'' While Carson is quite good at what she does, you get the feeling the leaves are always red and orange in her world. Two Stars ?13- Fred Shuster COUNTRY Kim Richey/``Bitter Sweet'' With her second excellent album, Nashville up-and-comer Kim Richey could make her expected breakthrough. ``Bitter Sweet'' (Mercury) has everything going for it: superior material written or co-written by Richey herself, terrific vocals and top-notch country-rock musicianship. Extensive road work during the past two years has paid off for Richey, judging by such lived-in standouts as ``Every River,'' ``The Lonesome lone·some adj. 1. a. Dejected because of a lack of companionship. See Synonyms at alone. b. Producing such dejection: a lonesome hour at the bar. 2. Side of Town'' and ``Wildest Dreams.'' If there's any justice in the wooly wool·y adj. & n. Variant of woolly. Adj. 1. wooly - having a fluffy character or appearance flocculent, woolly soft - yielding readily to pressure or weight 2. world of country, ``Bitter Sweet'' will end up in the top 10. Four Stars ?13- Fred Shuster SOUNDTRACKS Various/``Lost Highway'' Anything the dreadful Trent Reznor or his equally vapid friend Marilyn Manson are involved in should be approached with extreme caution. Somehow, these twin devils of deception have attained a lofty spot in the modern-rock pantheon. Reznor's so-called touch is all over ``Lost Highway'' (Nothing/Interscope), the tepid soundtrack to the new David Lynch film. Much of this CD is nothing more than sleepy synth-computer bleeps, peppered with dull electronic drums and Reznor's addled ad·dle v. ad·dled, ad·dling, ad·dles v.tr. To muddle; confuse: "My brain is a bit addled by whiskey" Eugene O'Neill. See Synonyms at confuse. vocals. They've also thrown in a few crumbs from Smashing Pumpkins, Lou Reed and David Bowie. In the middle of all this shallow murk murk also mirk n. Partial or total darkness; gloom. adj. Archaic Partially or totally dark; gloomy. [Middle English mirke, from Old Norse myrkr , for some nutty reason, is Jobim's ``Insensatez,'' easily the best thing here. One Star ?13- Fred Shuster JAZZ Thelonious Monk Quartet/``Live at Monterey Jazz Festival Debuting on October 3, 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It was co-founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons and his colleague, journalist Ralph J. Gleason. '63 Vols. 1 and 2'' When it comes to the late piano genius Thelonious Monk, one should forget about categories, names and genres. Monk's music deserves a label all its own. Put simply, the two volumes of ``Live at Monterey Jazz Festival '63'' (Mobile Fidelity) are events. Here, Monk's monstrously good '60s quartet - including Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), John Ore (bass) and Frank Dunlop (drums) - is in tip-top form as the players set fire to the Monk classics ``Criss Cross,'' ``Epistrophy,'' ``Evidence'' and the wonderful ``Well You Needn't Well You Needn't is a jazz standard composed by Thelonious Monk in 1944. Like another Monk standard, Epistrophy, it is notable for a chord sequence in which the root note moves by semitones. .'' It doesn't matter if you're into Leann Rimes, No Doubt or even John Tesh. Anyone can recognize that this is some of the greatest music ever made. Four Stars ?13- Fred Shuster r&b Al Green/``Anthology'' Another American original that nobody has ever come close to bettering is, of course, the great soul man Al Green. What a voice, what material, what musicianship! ``Anthology'' (Right Stuff), a wonderfully packaged four-CD set, paints the full picture, from Green's early efforts for the Bell label to his towering sides for Willie Mitchell's Hi Records to his still-cool gospel work in the '80s. While there are plenty of rarities here, including a stunning 10-minute live take of ``Love and Happiness,'' this is a greatest-hits album in its purest sense. Every single cut is a winner. Four Stars ?13- Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 6 Photos Photo: (1) Kung Fu Radio'' is the major label debut from Powerman 5000. What distinguishes the Boston quintet is an unusually light touch. (2--6) no caption (CD covers) |
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