SOUND CHECK.Soundtrack/``Vanilla Sky'' (Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .) Cameron Crowe calls upon his good musical taste in this enjoyably eclectic contemporary time capsule. Mixing well-chosen electronica (Radiohead, Chemical Brothers), intimate alt-rock (Red House Painters Red House Painters is an alternative rock group formed in 1989 in San Francisco by singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek. They are described, along with American Music Club, as one of the linchpins of the slowcore movement in alternative rock. , Josh Rouse Josh Rouse (born 1972) is an American folk/roots pop singer-songwriter. Biography Born in Nebraska, he moved to various places in the Midwest during his childhood due to his father's military occupation. ), prog v. i. 1. To wander about and beg; to seek food or other supplies by low arts; to seek for advantage by mean shift or tricks. [ imp. & p. p. os> ( ) r>. p. pr. & vb. n. os> McCartney, Sir James Paul McCartney ), the ``Vanilla Sky'' soundtrack is cinematic and seamlessly sequenced. Most impressive are gems like the Red House Painters' gentle ``Have You Forgotten'' and the Chemical Brothers' furious ``Where Do I Begin,'' which fit unusually well alongside such gorgeous oddities as Radiohead's ``Everything in Its Right Place'' and Sigur Ros' ``Svefn-G-Englar.'' An effective mix tape should always take a slight detour into charming and familiar territory, which is where Gabriel's ``Solsbury Hill'' and McCartney's warm title song come in. Other timeless moments include Jeff Buckley's ``Last Goodbye,'' Todd Rundgren's ``Can We Still Be Friends'' and Bob Dylan's ``Fourth Time Around,'' all of which benefit from the new context. Although the film garnered mostly negative reviews, Crowe's musical direction here is flawless. Three and one half stars - Fred Shuster Smash Mouth/``Smash Mouth'' (Interscope Records) Guitarist Greg Camp once described Smash Mouth as ``California in a can.'' After listening to the band's head-bobbing self-titled third release, Camp still has a point. The new album's sunny, Farfisa-driven power-pop is as melodic as it is nostalgic. From the show tune-shuffle ``Disenchanted'' to the disco-laced single ``Pacific Coast Party'' to the upbeat rendition of the Neil Diamond-penned Monkees hit ``I'm a Believer,'' which was all over radio last summer thanks to the motion picture ``Shrek,'' the album's memorable tracks will have listeners walking in the sun all over again. Three and one half stars - Sandra Barrera Mountain Heart/``The Journey'' (Doobie doo·bie n. Slang A marijuana cigarette. [Origin unknown.] Shea) In 1998, Mountain Heart earned the International Bluegrass Music bluegrass music: see country and western music. Association's Emerging Artists of the Year designation. As deft and versatile an acoustic ensemble as it is, though, this new, all-gospel album is most memorable for the boys' smooth, intricate, sky-shaking three- and four-part harmonies. From a cappella renditions of the Southern traditionals ``Travelin' Shoes'' and ``Gospel Train,'' to old-timey hymns and mountain spirituals, the voices stir and bring shivers as readily as the pickin' does. Some time in heaven indeed. Four stars - Bob Strauss Jann Browne/``Missed Me by a Mile'' (Plan B Records) Shelby Lynne's got the P.R., but Orange County-based Jann Browne is the real deal: a refugee from Nashville's drivel driv·el v. driv·eled or driv·elled, driv·el·ing or driv·el·ling, driv·els v.intr. 1. To slobber; drool. 2. To flow like spittle or saliva. 3. factory who's conjured up a perfect, independent combination of country, soul and singer-songwriter rock, and turned it all into her own distinctive, expressive sound. Beautiful, wise and optimistic love songs share the disc with kiss-offs, such as the title tune, witheringly specific enough to give any man a lifetime of regrets. Yet Browne neither wallows in bitterness nor expects more than is rational - all in a warm but experienced voice that indicates a world of possibilities within those pragmatic parameters. Available at www.planbrecords.net. Four stars - B.S. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 4) no caption (CD covers) |
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