Spring Break
De la Rocha returns triumphantly, DiFranco sounds tired
Stephen Mason
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Features
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DiFranco's appeal has always been more associated with her words than the actual music. In the 90s, she was a young woman braving the world of men while lending her unapologetic political insights, but now the world has changed and so has DiFranco. The changes ripple through her newest CD, Red Letter Year, and not in the best ways. Her political shtick is downsized and uninspired. Her love songs are empty and insincere. The problem is that DiFranco can never say a lot with a little. Instead, her lyrics are long and extended, and while they may get the point across, they've absolutely no fervor. She sings, "You'd think at my age I'd have thought of/Something better to do." Agreed, Ani. Agreed.
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line (Barsuk) 4 out of 5
Comparisons to Vampire Weekend are unfair, and it's certainly a lazy reference, as Ra Ra Riot has their own brand of indie rock. They have colorful string arrangements and driving beats, headlined by front man Wes Miles' soft tenor voice. It starts with a bang on "Ghost Under Rocks," and the blast of energy is never lost, even on the practically classical piece "Winter '05." To top it off, they may be the only band in recent history to turn an E.E. Cummings poem into coherent lyrics. The Rhumb Line may sound to some like Neon Bible's lesser cousin, and to some extent it is, but Ra Ra Riot have already cemented themselves as one of the most exciting debuts of 2008.
One Day As a Lion - One Day As a Lion EP (Anti) 4 out of 5
Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine paired with ex-Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore may be one of the best pairings in recent music history, maybe more so than Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse. The concept is simple and stupendous: a stripped-down, drum-and-keyboard alternative hip-hop approach filled to the brim with spiteful political rhetoric. Theodore's drumming is outstanding, not only developing an effective, unique beat for each track, but for taking a central stance in filling in a lot of sound. Likewise, de la Rocha's keyboards blast like sirens, and his message hasn't changed. One Day As a Lion is an explosive, start-and-stop album, and de la Rocha has shown in his lyrics that he has matured over time - but still has all the fire he did back in 1994.
Apollo Sunshine - Shall Noise Upon (Headless Heroes) 4 out of 5
Shall Noise Upon doesn't try to act like something new. From the beginning, the band and the listener acknowledge that the idea is to emulate late 60s psychedelic rock. From the Beatles to Cream, from Hendrix to the Byrds, there isn't any style that they've missed. It's not exactly copying; none of the music sounds like its been directly lifted from anything else, but songs like "Singing to the Earth" are easily identified as George Harrison-esque pop tunes while "The Funky Chamberlain" is a fantastic blend of Pink Floyd prog and Galactic funk. This isn't a statement of anything new, it's only for entertainment, and since there's no one who is unaware of this, Shall Noise Upon works wonderfully.
This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Hah
posted 9/11/08 @ 10:36 PM EST
Unexpectedly, the most interesting story of the paper today.
Been waiting for Zack to get off his ass and put out a real solo album.
Proceeding immediately to store for purchase. (Continued…)
S. Mason
posted 9/14/08 @ 11:55 PM EST
Considering other comments you've made on articles, I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or a somewhat clever swipe, equivalent to saying "Today's paper was so bad (and believe me, it was) that this piece of shit was the best thing in it. (Continued…)
Hah
posted 9/15/08 @ 9:53 AM EST
:) A sense of humor here, what a breath of fresh air.
No, in fact, that was an honest compliment, though my keen journalistic rapier may be dulled by the fact that you reviewed one of my favorite artists of all time, making me less likely to criticize. (Continued…)
S. Mason`
posted 9/15/08 @ 3:10 PM EST
RATM have been touring since 2007; they toured America in 2007 and have played festivals all over the globe in 2008. However, this year they've only performed in the States three times, the most recent one being September 3rd. (Continued…)
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