Music

CD Review Revue

With a legendary career that stretches from the '50s to his current American Records series in the '90s, Johnny Cash is the quintessential American icon: The Man in Black. His signature baritone, stark musicianship, and stoic image transcend country music and have permeated the American imagination for four decades. In the '90s, his albums for American Records solidified his reputation and reiterated his themes, returning him to a spare, uncompromising sound. American III: Solitary Man follows 1994's American Recordings and 1997's Unchained, all produced by Rick Rubin. It is a collection of newly penned songs and specially chosen covers. Opening with Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down," in which one hears Cash facing down, refuting, and accepting his own mortality, Cash also covers Neil Diamond, U2, and David Allan Coe. Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat" and Will Oldham's "I See Darkness" are highlights, with Cash cutting to the core of each song. The strongest songs are Cash's own compositions, especially "I'm Leaving Now." While not as consistently and thematically cohesive as his two previous American Records releases, Solitary Man is still a striking cycle of interpretations and originals that are given Cash's existential and spiritual stamp. NATE LIPPENS

IDAHO
Hearts of Palm
(Idaho Music)
***1/2

Jeff Martin, Idaho's singer/songwriter, is a master of the subtle gesture that reveals the entire life. On Hearts of Palm, Idaho's fifth studio album, Martin strums his custom four-string guitar and sings in his raspy Neil Young/Bill Callahan tenor about life's unsolvable mysteries, and times to be savored but not possessed. The minor-key ruminations especially shine on the piano-driven opener, "To Be the One," gaining steam and weight with each verse. The songs carry the structure of an elegy: lament, consolation, bad news followed by good. Since 1996's feedback-fueled Three Sheets to the Wind, Idaho has quieted down without quelling its demons. The rotating cast of players is a duo on Hearts of Palm, with Dan Seta on guitars and Jeff Martin playing all other instruments. The album is like one of those deep, prolonged dreams in which moods and images hang together with a kind of emotional logic and continuity. NATE LIPPENS

THE REVOLUTIONARY HYDRA
Antiphony
(Elsinor)
***

At a point in time when most indie rock trumps Tylenol PM as a sleep-aid, Antiphony, the brand-new album by the Revolutionary Hydra, is not only refreshing, it's downright exhilarating. The Hydra toss off deceptively simple gems the same way George W. Bush spews out gaffes--frequently, matter-of-factly, and brilliantly. Dreamier songs, like "Astoria Larking" and the title track, glimmer with the same unselfconscious genius as more upbeat, Pavementesque numbers like "Egg Toss Frequency" and "Pinball Blizzard." Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla outdoes himself production-wise, seamlessly stitching together fragments of songs, sounds, and an ever-changing collection of conspirators into a beautifully realized work of lo-fi art. If you'd written indie rock off as dead, prepare to have your faith restored. BARBARA MITCHELL

T. VALENTINE
Hello Lucille... Are You a Lesbian
(Norton)
**

I wish I didn't have ONE thang to say 'bout T. Valentine... what he do defies ANY words my mind could ever invent! Hmmmm... I can say his boogie chillun ain't silly cheeky like Screamin' Jay Hawkins'... uh, I guess T. Valentine is just an honest to GOD freaker who understands the Rivum and the Bloos. "Hello Lucille..." is absolutely fucking NUTS. Fuck, the man don't know shit 'bout nuthin' called "in key"... but he sho' can HOLLER! I reckon who needs rules when you do best make up yer own! Be mindful THIS is not for the weak of heart. MIKE NIPPER

DJ GRAEME
Illectro City
(self release)
**

Though pleasant, this CD adds nothing to electronic music that the listener hasn't heard before. It's laden with bass, beats, and samples straight out of the '80s-era Limelight. DJ Graeme starts his glorified mix tape with an electro-funk beat from around 1989, and travels backward through that decade to end up with an incessantly static rhythm, space-like sounds, and robot-voiced samples à la Grandmaster Flash. But, regardless of the been-there-done-that feel, what's enjoyable about the CD is that it doesn't jar the mood as does many a hideous collection of electronic sounds and beats. Instead, it's a record designed to evoke the feel of what life in a retro-futuristic space station might be--a more mellow and relaxed time and place than our own. Late at night, in a softly lit room, this CD would be a good choice, perfect for the enhancement of that floaty feel we all want so badly. CHARLES REDELL

RONI SIZE REPRAZENT
In the Mode
(Island/Def Jam)
***

The year 1997 was a long time ago. Back in those heady times, Mr. Size was king of the jungle (barring the dentally spectacular Goldie, of course), gathering critical accolades, including the coveted Mercury Prize, like a fat kid hordes Christmas candy. Nearly four years later, drum 'n' bass is the "edgy" stuff of hair salons, car commercials, and, still, mid-week theme nights--which means Roni's got a whole new battle on his hands: convince the jaded masses to give a shit. His response? Bring on the guest stars, baby. The stuttering, bumping bpms remain, bolstered on this go-round by human beatbox Rhazel and former Machine rager Zack De La Rocha, all of whom blend seamlessly into Reprazent's tight, snare-happy productions. The highlight? Method Man's shout-outs on "Ghetto Celebrity" to Erin Brokovich, Mennonites, and Vaseline Intensive Care--the repeat button was made for him. LEAH GREENBLATT

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