THURSDAY,MARCH 13,2003
MUSIC
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 11
Mullets Rock! by Various Artists
The liner notes for the two-disc Mullets Rock! collection are quick to point out that Mulletheads have peerless musical taste—a point made beautifully by this ace anthology of stonking hard rockers from the '70s and '80s. Now, I'm no English major, but is stonking even a real word?
Reviewed by Aaron Passman apassman@kansan.com
To a point, Mullets Rock! is just like a CD of any classic rock radio station you've ever heard. Songs by Deep Purple, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Foreigner, Journey, The Doobie Brothers and more are all included, but there's also an element of '80s hair metal at work here. I've never really considered Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper or even Toto to be "mullet bands," but apparently the folks at Epic/Legacy records felt differently. But even if not all the bands live up to the full-on mulletude of Ted Nugent or Molly Hatchet, at least you'll get your money's worth—both CDs are well over 75 minutes each, reaching nearly the full capacity available today for CD production. "Two discs worth of all yer favorites—all louder and sweeter than ever," the CD declares.
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And if the cover illustration of Mullets Rock! wasn't funny enough to begin with (it also folds out into a massive illustration of mullets, monster trucks and other white trash goodness), the liner notes are definitely worth a read. Inside you'll find a definition of what makes a mullet, a list of mullet nicknames (ape drape, squirrel cut, the duck and cover, etc.), and a brief essay from Barney Hoskyns (co-author of) on the cultural significance of the mullet. "Short in the front, long in the back," Hoskyns writes, "this bi-level phenomenon is now a beloved phenomenon of trailer park tastelessness."
Mullets Rock! is the kind of collection perfect for summer days of rolling down the windows, turning up the car stereo and speeding down the highway.
But it ain't summer yet, so there's no need to hurry out and pick up your own copy. Besides, when summer does come, you can probably get nearly all of these songs by just choosing any random classic rock station on your stereo and recording a few hours of their play list.
Grade: C
Give Up by The Postal Service
Reviewed by Nate Harold nharold@kansan.com
Give Up, the debut full length by The Postal Service, is like setting up two of your friends with little in common on a blind date.
At first, you might be wary that they are too dissimilar for sparks. But, soon you see that their differences complement one another perfectly and you wonder why you didn't introduce them sooner.
On Give Up, the unlikely pairing consists of electronic pop artist Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Death Cab for Cutie vocalist Ben Gibbard. The duo create a near-perfect blend of manic electronic beats and subdued indie rock lyrics and melodies.
Standout tracks like "Such Great Heights" and "Clark Gable" utilize Tamborello's surprisingly effective hyper dance beats and new wave synth and Gibbard's understated vocal melodies. The lyrics tend to determine the overall feel of each song.
In "Clark Gable," Gibbard sings about his disillusionment with a former love and his seemingly hopeless search to find what he's
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On "We Will Become Silhouettes," Gibbard treats the end of a relationship like trying to beat an addiction, singing over a flawless Tamborello soundtrack complete with an oddly effective accordion sample. "I've got it covered with cans of food / filtered water and pictures of you / and I'm not coming out until this is all over."
Although the lyrics are usually wellcrafted and unique, they also are occasionally the weakest point of the record. "Nothing Better," a conversational duet between Gibbard and solo artist Jen Wood contains lines such as, "Will someone please call a surgeon / who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart." The sporadic use of questionable lyrics are the only negative aspects of this recording and are easily overlooked.
been looking for. He sings, "I've been waiting since birth to find a love that would look and sound like a movie."
Jimmy Tamborello has constructed fiercely original music for this project. Ranging from the droning, bass-heavy opening strains of "The District Sleeps
1. DJKRUSH... The Message At The Depth
2. DINKY ...Black Cabaret
3. REALISTICS ... Realistics
4. FISCHERSPOONER... #1
5. ELENI MANDELL... Country For True Lovers
6. BEANS Tomorrow Right Now
8. AISLERS SET How I Learned to Write Backwards
7. TALIB KWELI ... Quality
9. GLASS CANDY .. Love Love Love
Grade:A
Tamborello and Gibbard have created a unique and welcome pop record that gets better with each repeated listening. Both artists stray from their expected roles and seem excited to be trying to push their respective envelopes, all while not straying far from their highly developed pop sensibilities. You need this record.
Destination: Beautiful by Mae
10. SUPERGRASS Life on Other Planets
Alone Tonight" to the hyperactive keyboards of "Brand New Colony," which mimic the soundtrack to Super Mario Brothers, Tamborelo has obviously put a great deal of effort into complementing Gibbard's vocals while simultaneously producing instantly memorable beats.
Reviewed by Aaron Passman apassman@kansan.com
If Tooth & Nail Records has yet to put out a band that's truly worth a damn then I certainly haven't heard them. Even poppunkers MxPx (arguably Tooth & Nail's biggest band) and emo boys Further Seems Forever make records that are consistently inconsistent, with a few great songs scattered among an album of mostly filler. But these are all the reasons that Mae will probably fit in perfectly with most of the other bands at Tooth & Nail.
Mae's debut album, Destination: Beautiful is filled with what you'd expect to hear from just about any of Tooth & Nail bands a few decent songs, a lot of filler, a primarily emo sound and some Christian overtones. The Norfolk, Va., quintet's lyrics are vague at best and, for the most part, are without a specific sense of rhythm.
Vocalist/guitarist Dave Gimenez sings in a high, whispery, nasal tone and seems to be doing a terrific impression of nearly
every wussy emo singer you've ever heard. Aside from lyrics, the musical element to Mae is relatively strong, with the standard two guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. Even though their album is far from perfect, the Mae boys get some credit for playing something different than just the same four chords over and over again. Rather than stick with that more traditional formula, most of the songs are built around lead guitar riffs, as opposed to being all centered on the rhythm.
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But Mae is at its best when keeping it simple. The album's
standout track, "Runaway" succeeds above all the others because both the lyrics and the music are relatively straightforward and rhythmic-not to mention catchy. With more of this and less of everything else, maybe Mae's next record will be a more worthwhile effort.
Grade: D
Playing a show? Releasing a CD? If you would like to have your band reviewed reviewed, please contact Jayplay editor Brooke Hesler at bhesler@kansan.com or 864-4810.
be doing a terrific impression of nearly