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MUSIC
Conner - The White Cube
Once upon a time, somebody said, "There are no original ideas." This quote, in one form or another, has been exhaustively applied to several different things. In my mind, it attaches itself to music. Truly, there are some days when I give in to the mantra of "Rock is dead." And then sometimes albums come to me and kick my ass so hard that it forces me to sit in my room for days, tearfully apologizing to a picture of Chuck Berry and subsisting only on saltines and tap water. Conner's The White Cube did just that this summer.
At first glance, Conner's resume doesn't seem all that formidable when stacked up against today's critical darlings. Is their sound somewhat reminiscent of late '70s New York punk and post-punk styling? Indeed, Vocals that sometimes teeter on the edge of indecipherable? Check. Angular, stabbing guitar? Yes. But take a closer look. They started as a threepiece, which made bassist Phil Bonahoom take on the melody line, traditionally a guitarist's responsibility. They record with an array of vintage analog equipment, important to The White Cube's warm sound, noticeable on tracks such as "Have You Ever Been Asleep" and "She Tells No Lies."
"I'm partial to analog because of the characteristics of sound that are lost in digital," says guitarist Tom Wagner, who
also recorded the album at his home studio. "But that's more of an audiophile thing."
While some in Lawrence have been quick to pin the "garage rock" label on Conner, the band's love for the town hasn't waned. "Lawrence has been nothing but good to us," says guitarist/vocalist James Duft. "Our demo, even with the Strokes comparisons, did well here and people always come out to the shows." Which brings me to my last point: If you really want to experience Conner, see them live. They rock 'n' writhe with an attitude that would even make ol' Chuck smile.
Phil Torpey KJHK DJ 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. Sundays Grade: B+
Ludacris — Chicken -N- Beer
When viewed in the context of an industry where artists are pushing the boundaries of the hip-hop aesthetic away from women and parties, Ludacris does not push hard enough. But do we want him to? He's always been skilled at delivering lyrically complex and humorous tales of his carnal southern-fried escapades. With Chicken-N-Beer, he adds some self-reflection to the mix, and serves up a platter that is the best example to date of his champion wordplay and irrepressible intellect. Though he's no
Conner's next show, Halloween 2, is 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Ramada Inn, 2222 W. Sixth St.
Kweli or even Scarface, we have never looked to Ludacris to be those people. He claims that he is who he says he is, and he's good at that. There is a hint of complexity in Chicken-N-Beer, which tells us that he is and will be so much more.
Cornelius Minor, II Host of "Voice Activated" 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays Grade: B-
Lyrics Born - Later That Day
If you are planning a casual cocktail party any time soon, Later That Day is the perfect choice.
This album as a whole is, for lack of a better word, funky. At times it is mellow hip-hop that can act as background music to a conversation, and at other times it has a down-tempo funky beat which no one can resist dancing to.
On his first solo release, Lyrics Born worked with a many big names in underground rap and hip-hop. He worked with his partner from Latyrx, Lateef the Truth Speaker, Gift of Gab and Cut Chemist, the DJ for Jurrasic 5 and Ozomatli.
Lyrics Born's girlfriend sings many of the funky, diva-like background vocals. Some may think this additive is cheesy, but it simply adds a dimension of fun to the album. Lyrics Born's unique, and sometimes incomprehensible, lyrical style is strong and impressive.
-Collin Lajoie
KJHK DJ
4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesdays
Grade: B
Josh Ritter - Hello Starling
Sometimes an artist comes along with the knack for writing beautiful songs. Bob Dylan and Nick Drake were famous for capturing beauty with their no frills songwriting abilities. Josh Ritter mastered his influences to produce his own pure sound. Hello Starling follows his 2001 release Golden Age of Radio which received high acclaim among critics. Like all good songwriters, Ritter captures pure emotions in his songs. Incorporating intelligent lyricism, floating vocals and diverse guitar work, Ritter pulls your heartstrings and gets you tapping your feet for 11 tracks.
—Brent Stevens
KJHK DJ
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays
Grade: B+
Kid Koala - Some of my best friends are DJ's
Eric San, better known Kid Koala, is probably the least known artist that has his hand in about everything in the biz. A player in the Gorillaz side project of Blur front man Damon Albarn, touring with Ben Harper, Radiohead and Beastie Boys, and projects with Dan the Automator and Del tha Funkee Homosapien makes Koala a good person to be friends with. With everybody and their monkey trying to pull off being a DJ these days it is sweet relief to hear amazing beat, funk, jazz and scratch thrown down by a classically trained pianist from Canada. For all those fledgling DJs, build an altar and take a knee, it doesn't get any better then Koala. Also check out Kid Koala's early project/band Bullfrog on 2001 release, A little ropadope disc.
22 jayplay
—Brent Stevens
KJHK DJ
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays
Grade: A-
thursday, october 30.2003
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