SOUND CHECK.SYSTEM OF A DOWN: ``Mesmerize'' (American/Columbia) - Four stars Clocking in at a little over 37 minutes, the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley's System of a Down's most experimental rock set to date seamlessly juxtaposes shredding hard-core/metal and dance pop, syncopated syn·co·pate tr.v. syn·co·pat·ed, syn·co·pat·ing, syn·co·pates 1. Grammar To shorten (a word) by syncope. 2. Music To modify (rhythm) by syncopation. ska rhythms and operatic harmonies. The album - the first of the band's separate two-disc set ``Mezmerize/Hypnotize'' - also reserves scorn for political leaders. Take, for example, the track ``B.Y.O.B.,'' whose lyrics repeatedly ask: ``Why don't presidents fight the war?/Why do they always send the poor?'' - and you haven't heard the half of it. From sex and violence on television (``Violent Pornography'') to celebrity baseball (``Old School Hollywood''), this 11-track set is just a warm-up for what's to come six months from now when ``Hypnotize'' drops. But that's another review. - Sandra Barrera DAVE MATTHEWS
David John Matthews (born January 9 1967) is a South African, now naturalized American, Grammy-winning lead vocalist and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. BAND: ``Stand Up'' (RCA See RCA connector and video/TV history. ) - One and one half stars More than 35 years ago, an eccentric British combo called Jethro Tull released the album ``Stand Up,'' which remains the group's finest hour. We only mention this because you can bet Matthews' just-issued sixth studio effort of the same title won't be remembered quite as fondly, if at all, 35 years from today. Where Tull's second album was intriguing, groundbreaking, bluesy and unpretentious (with no thought anyone would take it seriously beyond its small U.K. audience), Matthews fashions carefully marketed product disguised not to appear so. But albums, tours and merchandising must meet sales projections. This ``Stand Up'' is the usual patchouli-oil-and-pot folk-pop, fleshed out with lyrics so bland it's hard to figure out what Matthews is purring purring a physiologically very complicated, semi-automatic, cyclic, controlled respiration involving alternating activity of the diaphragm and intrinsic laryngeal muscles in cats. The frequency of the alternation is about 25 times per second. about. On such proficiently played tracks as ``Everybody Wake Up,'' for example, he could be talking about Iraq - or his new Beemer. Who knows? It's all so sleepy. Yet, the stuff is inexplicably popular, so expect to get a snout snout the upper lip and the apex of the nose, especially of the pig. Called also rostrum. Has a specialized skin to survive the rigors of rooting, is supported by a separate bone (the os rostri), and also has a few sensory hairs. full at strip-mall coffee huts this summer. - Fred Shuster JOE LOVANO: ``Joyous Encounter'' (Blue Note) - Three and one half stars This disc picks up right where Lovano and his all-star quartet - pianist Hank Jones, drummer Paul Motian and bassist George Mraz - left off with '04's all-ballad ``I'm All for You,'' but then heads off into more diverse territory. After the shimmering shim·mer intr.v. shim·mered, shim·mer·ing, shim·mers 1. To shine with a subdued flickering light. See Synonyms at flash. 2. opener, ``Autumn in New York Autumn in New York may refer to;
adj. Affected with, marked by, causing, or expressing sorrow. See Synonyms at sad. sor  row·ful·ly adv. version of John Coltrane's ``Crescent''). Having played together on the road between albums, the quartet's interplay is magnificent. Highly recommended. - Glenn Whipp ROBERT EARL KEEN Robert Earl Keen, Junior (born January 11 1956 in Houston, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter. He is popular with traditional country music fans, folk music fans, the college radio crowd and alt-country fans. : ``What I Really Mean'' (Koch) - Three and one half stars On Texas' long roster of singer-songwriters, Keen deserves ranking right up there near Lyle Lovett. Witty and inventive as he is country authentic, Keen's 11th album goes from classic heartbreakers and anthems to misdirected passions to one-of-a-kind comedies informed by fairy tales, drunken silliness on the border and a fevered vision of finding Hank Williams alive and in drag. His growly vocals prevent matters from ever sounding too cute, the legendary Ray Price croons a few smooth stanzas, and it's all like some pleasant lost weekend spent halfway between Austin and Oz. - Bob Strauss CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (System of a Down) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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