SOUND CHECK.FRANZ FRANZ France, Australia and New Zealand (pact) FERDINAND: ``Franz Ferdinand'' (Domino) - Three stars Named for the Austro-Hungarian archduke arch·duke n. 1. In certain royal families, especially that of imperial Austria, a nobleman having a rank equivalent to that of a sovereign prince. 2. Used as a title for such a nobleman. whose assassination Assassination See also Murder. assassins Fanatical Moslem sect that smoked hashish and murdered Crusaders (11th—12th centuries). [Islamic Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 52] Brutus conspirator and assassin of Julius Caesar. [Br. sparked World War I, this cheeky pan-European combo makes artfully arch pop that immediately recalls last decade's universally ignored, badly named, occasionally brilliant An Emotional Fish (whose records command starting bids of 8 cents on eBay!). Franz Ferdinand's jagged, delightfully noisy, highly evolved songs are playfully clever but never so you think they're putting you on. One favorite among the Scotland-based quartet's enjoyable 11-track debut is ``Michael,'' an indie-rock-disco answer of sorts to David Bowie's ``John, I'm Only Dancing.'' Witty, stylish stuff, soon to get a big push from Sony Music, which signed the group last week. - Fred Shuster ROY HAYNES Roy Owen Haynes, born on March 13 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts, is an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Haynes is one of the most recorded drummers in jazz and in his over 60-year career has played in a wide range of styles ranging from swing and bebop to jazz fusion : ``Fountain of Youth'' (Dreyfus Jazz) - Three and one half stars An aptly titled disc if ever there was one, the ageless Haynes leads a band of young lions through a set of explosive covers recorded live at New York's Birdland two Decembers ago. Haynes, 77, has long been one of jazz's strongest and most inventive drummers, having played with everyone from Coltrane to Miles and Monk. Here, saxophonist Marcus Strickland Marcus Strickland (born 1979) is a jazz saxophonist originally from Miami, Florida. He has lived in New York City since 1997. He plays tenor saxophone and on occasion soprano saxophone in what is termed a "Neo-Bop" style. , pianist Martin Bejerano and bassist John Sullivan
John Sullivan (b. February 17 1740, Somersworth, New Hampshire – d. help pay homage to some of those legends (there are three Monk tunes and a version of ``Greensleeves'' that will bring to mind Coltrane's classic rendition) with an energy and enthusiasm that's contagious. Throughout, Haynes rides herd, proving again that some things get better with age. - Glenn Whipp GREY DE LISLE: ``The Graceful Ghost'' (Sugar Hill) - Four stars You may be familiar with De Lisle's deceptively childlike whisper; she does voices for TV cartoons. But the traditionalist singer-songwriter packs a powerful, womanly wom·an·ly adj. wom·an·li·er, wom·an·li·est 1. Having qualities generally attributed to a woman. 2. Belonging to or representative of a woman; feminine: womanly attire. ache into this collection of ballads and lullabies built, for the most part, around the topic of severe separation anxiety. To evoke that 1800s sound, Autoharp and music box fit prominently into the acoustic, home-recorded mix. Ethereal and weighty all at once. - Bob Strauss USHER: ``Confessions'' (Arista arista (ä·riˑ·st ) - Three stars Call it a love story for the times. For his latest set, Atlanta's r&b crooner Usher 'fesses up about the trials and tribulations of being a so-called player. When boys' night out leads to infidelity (``Yeah!''), the story begins to unfold - all drenched in sweaty club beats, retro '70s vibes, sweet soulful melodies and funky grooves. Hearts break (``Throwback''), babies come into the picture (``Confessions Part II'') and, well, we don't want to spoil it for you but - needless to say - it all works out in the end (``Follow Me''). Out Tuesday. - Sandra Barrera JACKSON BROWNE: ``The Very Best of Jackson Browne'' (Rhino) - Four stars Unlike many of his contemporaries, this new inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music industry, particularly in is still creating vibrant and relevant material. The heady arena-rock days of ``Doctor My Eyes,'' ``Take It Easy'' and ``Running on Empty'' may be gone, but such songs on this outstanding collection as ``I'm Alive,'' ``The Barricades of Heaven,'' ``Looking East'' and ``The Naked Ride Home''- released over the past decade - show that Browne has retained the same poetic and personal touch that marked his earlier works and made him one of the best and most influential singer-songwriters of his generation. This two-disc best-of set also includes politically charged tunes from the '80s like ``Lawless Avenues'' and ``Lives in the Balance.'' Browne appears tonight at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is a performing arts and administrative center located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was built in 1994 on the former site of "Jungleland" at a cost of $63.8 million. . - Rob Lowman CAPTION(S): 6 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Franz Ferdinand) (2 -- 6) no caption (CD covers) |
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