SOUND CHECK.Hanson/``Middle of Nowhere'' Bubblegum bub·ble·gum n. also bubble gum 1. Chewing gum that can be blown into bubbles. 2. Slang A style of popular music designed to appeal to adolescents, characterized by bouncy rhythms and a generally cheerful tone. is back, and there's nothing you can do about it. But who'd want to change a thing, anyway? Oklahoma's chart-topping teen trio Hanson makes such a lively, fun pop noise on its debut disc and infectious No. 1 single, ``MMMBop,'' that you can't help but look forward to it coming on the car radio. Hanson's marvelous ``Middle of Nowhere'' (Mercury) recalls the Jackson 5 and the Raspberries with a trace of the Cowsills and Partridge Family thrown in for good measure. The album is packed with good old pop harmonies and clever songs, delivered by the angelic voice of 13-year-old Taylor Hanson without a trace of just-add-water angst. Thanks to a credit list that includes the Dust Brothers, Desmond Child, plus the Brill Building's Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, these three fair-haired kids have made a fine record. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Foo Fighters/``The Colour and the Shape'' A grandiose title for a mere sliver of an album. ``The Colour and the Shape'' (Roswell/Capitol), the second album from the endlessly overrated Overrated was a Horde World of Warcraft guild, based on the US Black Dragonflight Realm. On November 2 2006, the majority of the guild members were indefinitely banned from the game for use of (or directly benefiting from) a third-party "wall-hack", used to bypass content Foo Fighters, isn't much to get heated up about. Group leader Dave Grohl's voice has certainly gotten better, and the touch of producer Gil Norton (the Pixies pixies prank-playing fairies; mislead travelers. [Br. Folklore: Briggs, 328–330] See : Mischievousness ) is evident in the tight arrangements, yet there's little here to excite the senses. The album apparently deals with a fractured romance, but whether fans can relate to Grohl's pretentious idea of a concept album remains to be seen. Best song: ``Monkey Wrench.'' Worst: Most everything else. One Star ?13- Fred Shuster Sleater-Kinney/``Dig Me Out'' The hype machine has finally discovered Sleater-Kinney, a high-octane female trio named after a road near its hometown of Olympia, Wash. With ``Dig Me Out'' (Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in Olympia, Washington, United States, though it will be moving some of its operations to New York City and Portland, Oregon in 2007. ), follow-up to 1996's universally praised ``Call the Doctor,'' Sleater-Kinney has come up with another rewarding proto-punk collection fueled by singer-guitarist Corin Tucker's gigantic wail of a voice. The songs are equally good; tracks such as ``Dig Me Out,'' ``One More Hour'' and ``Little Babies'' show there's more to this band than your basic riot grrl roar. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Paul McCartney/``Flaming Pie'' Sir Paul's first solo album in four years is his best since ``Band on the Run,'' which admittedly isn't saying a great deal. With a little help from friends like Ringo, Steve Miller, Jeff Lynne and Beatles producer George Martin, ``Flaming Pie'' (Capitol) offers a sturdy collection of mildly interesting guitar-driven rockers and silly love songs that suggest McCartney still has a ghost of the old fire left. Two Stars ?13- Fred Shuster John Fogerty/``Blue Moon Swamp'' Ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival boss John Fogerty colors his ``Blue Moon Swamp'' (Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) ) with such rootsy instruments as bouzouki bouzouki Long-necked lute used in Greek popular music. Developed from a Turkish instrument early in the 20th century, it has a pear-shaped body and a fretted fingerboard. , sitar sitar (sĭtär`), fretted string instrument with a gourdlike body and a long neck, similar to the lute. It has from 3 to 7 gut strings, tuned in fourths or fifths (or both), and a lower course of 12 wire strings that vibrate sympathetically with , lap steel, mandolin mandolin (măn'dəlĭn`, măn`dəlĭn'), musical instrument of the lute family, with a half-pear-shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum. , guitars and dobro. The result is a surprisingly delightful country effort, from the pure pedal steel of ``Southern Streamline'' to the swampy ``A Hundred and Ten in the Shade.'' Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Mighty Blue Kings/``Meet Me in Uptown'' In addition to deep-dish pizza, Wrigley Field and the Bulls, you can now say the Mighty Blue Kings are another great piece of Americana to come out of Chicago. This seven-piece outfit, led by 24-year-old vocalist Ross Bon, can't stop having a great time delivering roots music that's the perfect blend of r&b, blues, swing and a little levity lev·i·ty n. pl. lev·i·ties 1. Lightness of manner or speech, especially when inappropriate; frivolity. 2. Inconstancy; changeableness. 3. The state or quality of being light; buoyancy. thrown in for good measure. ``Meet Me in Uptown'' (R-Jay Records) is a collection sure to surface on a few best-of lists come December. Three Stars ?13 - Stuart Levine Larry Coryell/``Spaces Revisited'' Jazz guitarist Larry Coryell's landmark 1970 acoustic album, ``Spaces,'' was one of the most resonant efforts to come out of the entire fusion genre. Instead of the Coryell/John McLaughlin duets of the original, the leader here enlists French Gypsy fret-shredder Bireli Lagrene, along with drummer Billy Cobham, on this welcome update. ``Spaces Revisited'' (Shanachie shan·a·chie also sen·na·chie n. Chiefly Scots A skilled teller of tales or legends, especially Gaelic ones. [Scots Gaelic seanachaidh, from Old Irish senchaid, variant of ) is a fine album. Guitar fanciers in particular will appreciate these fiery two-guitar collaborations as Coryell and Lagrene go fret-to-fret on each track. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Gus Gus/``Polydistortion'' Listeners to public radio KCRW-FM (89.9) are familiar with this low key Icelandic techno/trip-hip band with the unusual name. Utilizing electronics and samples to create an ominous but somehow friendly 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. , the nine-member Gus Gus collective has come up with one of the standout releases of the year in the electro genre. The strange, snowy territory of ``Polydistortion'' (4AD) will be welcome by anyone who can't get enough of Tricky and Portishead. Three Stars ?13- Fred Shuster Belle and Sebastian/``If You're Feeling Sinister'' The folk-rock gem of the year, ``If You're Feeling Sinister'' (Enclave) builds on the introspective in·tro·spect intr.v. in·tro·spect·ed, in·tro·spect·ing, in·tro·spects To engage in introspection. [Latin intr songs of Nick Drake and Love. At the same time, the mysterious Glaswegian septet Belle and Sebastian infuse in·fuse v. 1. To steep or soak without boiling in order to extract soluble elements or active principles. 2. To introduce a solution into the body through a vein for therapeutic purposes. cello, violin, trumpet and piano to create an idiosyncratic id·i·o·syn·cra·sy n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies 1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group. 2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity. 3. mix of sound that will seduce pop fans as well as those who prefer classical music. Even though singer Stuart Murdoch sounds a bit like Donovan, the band's material is so affecting, you almost forget the comparison. And the lyrics, sung in a Scottish accent, are as artful as the instrumentation. Four Stars ?13- Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 8 Photos Photo: (1) Pat Smear, left, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters have released their second album, ``The Colour and the Shape.'' (2--8) no caption (CD covers) |
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