CD REVIEWS
Various Artists - Angola Prison Spirituals
Released Aug. 12
With the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield having just passed, KU students might be primed for a new American folk music release. To those who hunger for roots music, I direct you toward Arhoolie Records' Angola Prison Spirituals.
Louisiana's Angola State Prison has been the subject of several ethnomusicological studies over the years, as well as documentary films and literature describing the hard labor endured there on farms and chain gangs.
Harry Oster studied the ethnic music of Southern slaves and their descendants and made these recordings at Angola Prison during the late 1950s. The fruit of his research is the rich swath of spiritual melodies and work-related songs on this disc. The majority of the tracks feature guitar as well as vocals, with a few that are solely vocal. One finds that these solos are sung by men with voices so prodigious that they are likely better left unaccompanied. Roosevelt Charles' Let My People Go is so stirring in its lyrical content and the bass of Charles' voice so profound, they make you wonder how Southern racism could ever stand up to so strong a spirit.
Tom Dutson, another Angola prisoner, prefaces his contribution with, "Well, I'll sing it, I'll do the best I can... I don't know how it's gonna sound, though." He follows with a cheerful delivery of an anonymous religious children's song. Oster, labeling his recordings, titled the track simply Little School Song.
Whether instrumental or vocal, plaintive or playful, this CD is powerful in its entirety and gives the listener the opportunity to hear and feel the human experii-
ence of American history. Though conditions have changed, these songs will remain a tribute to the resilience of these people and their hope.
—Sam Hopkins KJHK host of "Transglobal Underground" 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Fridays Grade: A
Enon - Hocus Pocus Released Sept. 9
While only a casual fan of Brooklynbased Enon, I was utterly impressed with its new release. Hocus Pocus. Sometimes beating with a rhythm reminiscent of the Strokes, sometimes soft and electronically supplemented and often reeking of cute Japanese-girl vocals and vivacious melodies evocative of Blonde Redhead, these guys cover a lot of ground while keeping that raw New York style. Don't get me wrong though, even with these likenesses, Enon has definitely carved its own experimental niche with a variety of sounds that are allowed and embraced, resulting in an intriguing album with something for everyone, whether you want to do a little dance or chill out in your hipness.
—Natalie Yeh
KJHK DJ
3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays
Grade: B+
Lifesavas - Spirit in Stone Released July 1
Remember that smart dude that sat behind you in class? He always seemed one quick-witted step ahead of the game.
He could learn something one minute, and make an astute comment about it the next. He took some getting used to, but remember all that you liked about him? His optimism and quirky humor: always likable and approachable, yet a bit enigmatic.
If that familiar spirit were embodied in an album, it would sound like this. Intriguing, progressive, soulful. Spirit in Stone is everybody's Hip Hop. We already know the strength and potential in humanity, now we get to hear it in rhyme.
—Cornelius Minor, II KJHK host of "Voice Activated"
9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays Grade: B-
Matmos - The Civil War Released Sept. 23
This pair of San Francisco IDM icons and recent Bjork collaborators is back with a new album, and it's a huge departure from its last release, a collection of glitch-pop treatments of plastic surgery recordings. The Civil War is a concept album about the American and English civil wars and is comprised mostly by strange, glitchy interpretations of English folk music and Americana. The presence of archaic musical forms and instruments is very strong in this release, and Matmos' modern take on these ancient, often beautiful influences makes for an anachronistic, jarring and, ultimately, very interesting experience.
—Chris Shively KJHK host of "Superdisco Galactica" 7 p.m.to 9p.m. Fridays Grade:A
Town & Country - 5
Is it jazz? Is it classical? Is it some sort of mixed electronic compilation?
Whatever it may be, it is absolutely beautiful. The third LP of the Chicagobased quartet Town & Country, 5 is an experiment in instrumental sound. The best indicator of this album is the first song, Sleeping in the Midday Sun. The song begins with the tuning of different string instruments for about four minutes. The strings are then accompanied by the restless harmony of percussion stretching on to top it off at 10 minutes.
The album, containing six songs
despite the title, is instrumental ambient, but don't push it aside because of that. There are plenty of points when the ambiance is altered by the addition of other instruments in such a way as to keep your attention.
Listen to this album while trying to sleep, studying or walking across campus, but whatever you do, listen to this album.
—Collin LaJoie
KJHK DJ
4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesdays
Grade: A+
The Nappy Roots - Wooden Leather
Released Aug. 26
Kentucky's The Nappy Roots has everyone singing that the "whole damn world is country." Sticking to its roots, the group continues to hail its Southern heritage in its sophomore album, Wooden Leather. The best songs on the album, Nappy Roots Day, Roun' the Globe, are unfortunately the most radiofriendly, but the album has more to offer than its most trendy tracks. The group attempts a more R&B/soulful feel in Leave This Morning and Push On, while other tracks such as Work in Progress and These Walls develop a more underground sound. Overall, this second effort by The Nappy Roots is a worthwhile listen.
—Elizabeth Marvel
KJHK DJ 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. everyday
Grade: B
22 joyplay
thursday, october 2, 2003