THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2002
MUSIC
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3
Ragemore: Weird is good
By Janette Yost
jyost@kansan.com
Jayplay writer
"I awoke from one of the strangest, most lucid dreams I've ever had, where Aunt Bee and I were flying over Area 51 in an unmarked helicopter. When I went to the restroom, I looked in the mirror and noticed that I had unwillingly written something backwards on my face. It read 'Ragemore.' I immediately sat down, drank some water, and began designing what would later become Ragemore Records," said Jesse Atwell, Salina senior and the founder and producer of Ragemore Records.
Rooted in Lawrence, the new record label is looking for local artists who are making new music. That is, new music with some "weird" on the side.
"I want to put the weird back into music," said Atwell. "They got divorced a while back, and I want to get them back together."
Atwell has been designing the label for the last two years, planning diligently.
"I have a pretty good business plan written up,"he said.
Surveying Ragemore's Web site, www.ragemore.com, gives a feel for Atwell's plan. Though no artists are yet featured on the site, it appears to be ready for them. Links to artist information, tour dates and merchandise are waiting to be filled with details.
"Careful planning assures that Ragemore adopts and utilizes creative and unique marketing methods that are justified by reason while maintaining intimate relationships with its artists," reads the "Who We Are" page.
"The whole structure's set up," Atwell said. "All I need is talented people to fill in
the blanks."
The label is currently looking for interesting and creative talent to produce, publish and tour, according to the Web site. Atwell is looking for demos and/or press kits from local artists of any genre, which can be mailed to Ragemore Records, P.O. Box 4673, Lawrence, KS, 66046. Recording will take place at Verdi Record Company, Inc., in Salina.
Atwell's plan is to have four to five recording artists signed by this summer, with three or four published productions and two or three regular radio campaigns underway.
The label focuses on artist development, with the ultimate goal of getting artists signed to bigger labels after establishing a good regional track record.
Atwell wants to put Lawrence back on the independent music scene map.
"If there's one thing I'm serious about, it's music," he said. "The big red button is right there in front of me and I've got to push it soon — my fingers are itching."
In addition to producing artists, Ragemore has a joint-venture partnership with Subterra films, which is headed by avant-garde filmmaker Mark Gephart. He and Atwell are currently working on a film script and will advertise an open casting call in the next two to three months.
"I want the freaks, the geeks, the weirdos and the strange-looking." Atwell said about the call. He is already excited about the script.
"It's funny." he said.
For more information on the Ragemore Records label, e-mail info@ragemore.com. For information on the Ragemore/Subterra film or casting call, e-mail subterrafilms@ragemore.com.
—Edited by Sarah Hill
CDs: Mule, Björk, Foo
Gov't Mule, The Deep End, BMG/ATO Records
In the grand tradition of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gov't Mule revels in its own kind of Deep South rock 'n' roll with The Deep End, the two-disc tribute to former bassist Allen Woody. The disc features some of the most well-known bassists and keyboardists in rock'n' roll, including Phil Lesh of Grateful Dead and Chuck Leavell of the Rolling Stones.
Even with the array of talented musicians, The Deep End plays like a flawed imitation of Skynyrd: jazzier, yet more twitch-inducing. The guitar riffs may be pleasant, but most come off as a distorted twang, not a heart-pumping experience.
Most of the songs, such as "Full Moon" and "Lay of the Sunflower" are decent but fail to impress on any higher level. The Atlanta-based trio ventures into unfamiliar territory on volume one with "Effigy"—a slower version of "Only God Knows Why"—but they end up with a subpar result. The Deep End is good enough to listen to while alone in your car, but put it away when guests are around.
— Lindsey Remsey
Foo Fighters, One By One, BMG Records
Dave Grohl has now spent more years with the Foo Fighters than he did playing with Nirvana, and he has yet to disappoint his fans. Though his music will probably never be as groundbreaking as it was with Cobain, he continues to improve. The fourth and latest album from the Foo Fighters, One By One, has 11 solid rock songs that weave melody and raging guitar riffs masterfully, though it falls just short of being a great album.
Songs such as "All my Life" and "Comeback are fantastic songs, but the CD lacks that one great song with overpowering passion or a catchy hook that the Foo Fighters are capable of producing. The only other flaw in this otherwise impeccable album is that some songs such as "Overdrive" just won't end. Overall, One By One is a quality album and would make a worthy addition to any rock collection.
Justin La Mort
Björk, Greatest Hits, Elektra records
Björk's Greatest Hits is a tradition-defying, nonlinear collection that weaves through her impressive solo career the same way the Icelandic singer's voice flies up and down the scale.
The disc features a fan-selected tracklist, which makes it feel more like a mixtape than an official anthology.
Greatest Hits features selections from 1993's Debut to last year's Vespertine. The 15th and final track, "It's In Our Hands," is the only new song.
The video mix of "All Is Full Of Love," opens the album. Björk creates a sound that is naturally futuristic.
But Björk's instrument is her voice. On songs such as the Fluke Remix of "Big Time Sensuality," which is the most fun and danceable song of the collection, her voice is both pleasing and challenging to listen to.
Though Greatest Hits only features two remixes and one new song, its slick packaging and exciting tracklist provide new listeners with a good place to start and old fans with an appropriate bookend to Björk's stellar first decade.
Lucas Wetzel
DOCK BOYS
by Scott Drummond, for The University Daily Kansan
KJHK TOP 10
Artist Recording
1. Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around
2. Lemon Jelly Lost Horizons
3. Badly Drawn Boy Have You Fed The Fish?
4. Death Can for Cutie You Can Play These Songs With Chords
5. Foo Fighters One By One
6. Sights Got What We Want
7. Lot Six Animals
8. Belles Omerta
9. Chris Mills The Silver Line
10. Bright Eyes Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground