SOUND CHECK.SHIVAREE shiv·a·ree n. Midwestern & Western U.S. A noisy mock serenade for newlyweds. Also called regionally charivari, belling, horning, serenade. : ``Who's Got Trouble?'' (Zoe/Rounder) - Three stars Five years after its acclaimed debut, the trio named for ``a noisy mock serenade for newlyweds'' and fronted by breathy singer Ambrosia Parsley picks up where it left off. This 11-track set is as wide-ranging as Shivaree's last, the acclaimed, unforgettably titled ``I Oughtta Give You a Shot in the Head for Making Me Live in This Dump.'' It flows from torchy torch·y adj. torch·i·er, torch·i·est Of, relating to, or typical of a torch song or torch singer. opener ``New Casablanca'' to the '60s surf-inspired ``I Close My Eyes.'' But the real magic is in Parsley's sweetly sultry vocals - especially when backdropped by blue notes and noirish horns in ``Lost in a Dream.'' Her words taper into meows in the 007-ish spy anthem ``Little Black Mess.'' And on ``Mexican Boyfriend,'' coos echo over a lush, sleepy Western-tinged soundscape sound·scape n. An atmosphere or environment created by or with sound: the raucous soundscape of a city street; a play with a haunting soundscape. . File under ``intoxicating in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. .'' Out Tuesday. - Sandra Barrera BETTYE SWANN: ``Bettye Swann'' (Honest Jons/Astralwerks) - Four stars Flirty, dirty and downright purty pur·ty adj. Regional Variant of pretty. Regional Note: Purty is probably the most common American example of metathesis, a linguistic process in which two adjacent sounds are reversed in order. , Swann is one of Southern soul's most enigmatic, under-recognized talents. And if you're not an r&b nut, you probably don't know she possessed as mellifluous mel·lif·lu·ous adj. 1. Flowing with sweetness or honey. 2. Smooth and sweet: "polite and cordial, with a mellifluous, well-educated voice" H.W. Crocker III. a delivery as O.V. Wright's was anguished. Coming on the heels of an equally enchanting Candi Staton anthology, this 22-track set unearths elegant '60s gems cooked up at the legendary Muscle Shoals studios. While most period r&b reeks of hurt and loss, Swann's voice is unexpectedly optimistic, and honeyed, genre-busting covers of country tunes ``Stand by Your Man,'' ``Today I Started Loving You Again'' and ``Just Because You Can't Be Mine'' make seamless sense next to the gritty ``Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me?'' and ``You're Up to Your Same Old Tricks Again.'' Magic. - Fred Shuster IRIS DEMENT de·ment tr.v. de·ment·ed, de·ment·ing, de·ments 1. To make (a person) insane. 2. To cause (a person) to lose intellectual capacity. : ``Lifeline'' (Flariella) - Three stars Eight years ago, Ozark baby DeMent, one of alt.country's most talented singer-songwriters, overreached with an album of strident progressive political screeds. She's apparently had writer's block ever since, and this collection of old gospel standards from her Pentecostal churchgoing church·go·er n. One who attends church. church  go ing adj. childhood is the best DeMent's been able to muster since. Half the disc - the more loping, rhythmic, guitar-strummed half, not the dirge-like, piano-accompanied hymns - is pretty good listening, even though she purposely loses control of that rich, nasal twang of hers in spots to evoke that old-time religion feel (it sounds more like alley cat ecstasy). The album's best cut, ``He Reached Down,'' is also the only DeMent composition; might be God's way of telling you to get back to the writing desk, Sister. - Bob Strauss VARIOUS: ``Autumn Thunder: 40 Years of NFL Films Music'' (Cherry Lane) - Three and one half stars Looking for something to get the testosterone flowing in anticipationof this weekend's opening slate of NFL playoff football? Thispigskin-packaged, 10-disc set of rumbling orchestrated explosionswill likely do the trick and then some. You've heard the best ofthese pieces before - even if you don't Even If You Don't is a single released by the band Ween in 2000 on Mushroom Records. Formats Enhanced CD single Includes the quicktime video of "Even If You Don't" directed by Matt Stone & Trey Parker of "South Park". know it - on ad campaigns fortelevision sets, credit cards and thick, manly man's soup. The songs -featuring evocative titles like ``Forearm Shiver,'' ``Pony Soldiers'' and``Ramblin' Man From Gramblin' '' - were originally used for NFL Films'syndicated ``This Week in the NFL'' highlights program. Listening tothem again now, a case could be made for Sam Spence as one of thegreat soundtrack composers of the 20th century. The man memorablymelded classical music with modern sensibilities (Spence had a fetishfor that wah-wah guitar sound, second only to his love for the kettledrum kettledrum, in music, percussion instrument consisting of a hemispherical metal vessel over which a membrane is stretched, played with soft-headed wooden drumsticks. ), perfectly capturing the beauty and brutality of the gridiron.(By the way, we nicked a half-star for the non-Spence material). - Glenn Whipp CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Ambrosia Parsley) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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