Barenaked Ladies - Hits From Yesterday & The Day Before

Barenaked Ladies – Hits From Yesterday And The Day Before
2011, Rhino Records

It takes some moxie to last in the music business for twenty years.  It takes real chutzpah to not only survive chart-topping single and still be making music more than a dozen years later in spite of losing a principal songwriter and vocalist, But above all it takes talent; something the four remaining members of Barenaked Ladies have never run short of.  On September 27, 2011, Rhino Records will release Hits From Yesterday And The Day Before, Barenaked Ladies second greatest hits collection.  This career-spanning collection will seem mostly redundant if you already own Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits, but will be an ideal starting place for new fans.

Cited by no less than Sir Paul McCartney as one of the most interesting bands in rock and roll today, Barenaked Ladies have long blended a singular musical talent with a nerd-rock aura and boundless energy.  The divorce of co-founder Steven Page from the band in 2009 might have meant the end for some bands, but Ed Robertson (vocals/guitar), Kevin Hearn (vocals/keys), Jim Creeggan (bass/vocals) and Tyler Stewart (drums/vocals) set their eyes upon the future and have refused to look back.  Hits From Yesterday And The Day Before closes the book on the first two decades of Barenaked Ladies, and shows a marked development of sound, style and maturity over the years.

Classic Barenaked Ladies hits are featured mostly in their original, recorded forms.  Songs such as “If I Had $1,000,000, “Brian Wilson (live)”, “The Old Apartment” and “One Week”, as well as moderately successful radio singles such as “Pinch Me”. “Another Postcard” and “It’s All Been Done”.  Very little representation is given to the last three BNL Albums (Barenaked Ladies Are Me, Barenaked Ladies Are Men, All In Good Time), most likely due to these albums being released independently by the band, whereas Rhino owns the rights to much of the material presented here.  The only track here not previously available on CD is the full version of the “Big Bang Theory Theme”, which mixes Robertson’s sometimes frenetic talk/sing style and classic BNL kitsch. 

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Barenaked Ladies fan, then Hits From Yesterday And The Day Before isn’t likely to hold much appeal.  You’re going to have all of the tracks here already.  But for new fans just acquainting themselves with the band, it’s a tremendous collection-as-introduction.  What’s more intriguing, and somehow still secretive, is the deluxe edition of the greatest hits collection, also supposedly due on September 27, 2011.  Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before is rumored to be a two-disc set that includes the greatest hits disc plus a second disc of never before heard songs.  No track list has been published to date, and no listing has yet to appear on major retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, FYE, CDPlus or CDUniverse.  This is the collection that will cause long time fans to open their wallets. 

In the end, Hits From Yesterday And The Day Before is a solid collection for beginners, but probably not worth shelling out the money for if you already own several BNL albums.  The “Big Bang Theory Theme” is certainly worth hearing, but isn’t enough of an upgrade, in itself, over Disc One to make it essential.  Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before, if it makes it to market, will be a must have for all the die-hard fans out there.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

(Note: In this case, the rating is more of the collection than the music thereon.  There just wasn’t enough new material here to justify a second greatest hits package, but the music itself is fabulous.)

Learn more about Barenaked Ladies at www.barenakedladies.com or www.myspace.com/barenakedladies.  Hits From Yesterday And The Day Before is available for pre-order via Amazon.com both on CD and as a Download.  Preorders are also available via iTunes.

Be sure to check out the new video for the "Big Bang Theory Theme", featuring members of the cast of the show!

Review: Ben Rusch - Oh, Yes!!

Ben Rusch - Oh, Yes!!
2009, Ben Rusch

Ben Rusch is a London-based award-winning singer/songwriter. You might not have heard of him if you don’t live in Western Europe, but he’s cranked out 16 full-length albums as an Indie artist, won or nearly won several major songwriting awards, and enjoys extensive radio airplay in Germany. Rusch draws on a wealth of influences and perspectives to create nuanced, balanced Rock N Roll that not only entertains and provides great melody but also tells a story. Nowhere is this clearer than on Rusch’s latest effort, Oh, Yes!!

Rusch opens with Fissile Isle, featuring an intriguing piano-based Rock sound that's not too many steps removed from Ben Folds. The low-energy vocal style is a matter of necessity for Rusch, but works perfectly with his non-conventional writing style. The Daily Mail displays so highly inventive song construction and a brilliant keyboard solo during the bridge. The Daily Mail might not grab you on the first listen but will keep picking at you with each successive spin. Ray By Ray is an absolutely gorgeous tune framed by piano and guitar. These two instruments create a safe space for a melody that will haunt your subconscious to come out and play. It's a love song that eschews current trends and revisits love as a romantic concept in terms of time and place.

Ode To Your Body is a brainy love song, ala Big Bang Theory. This song is ridiculously catchy. As Good As It Gets will sound familiar to anyone who’s ever involved with someone whom you've suspected is secretly psychotic. Lost any time lately? This song will frighten you. Metaphor Pilot is a love song ensconced in deep imagery that doesn't neglect the more difficult aspects of love and relationships. The song is wonderfully written.

The Lament of Catskin Arnold is a collegial lament for the prodigal son, where the family is the cast of characters at the local pub. The Ghost Of You Is In The Heart Of Me is a highly personal and literate memoriam in song. It's the Poet Laureate of Indie Rock at his most explicit. Maud's Ecstasy At The High School is a transcendent song. Rusch casts aside the petty whims of genre to create magic. This is one of those tunes you never shake; twenty years from now you'll be walking down the street somewhere and this melody will suddenly run through your head. You might not remember who Ben Rusch is or where the song came from, but the song is utterly brilliant. Rusch gets inside what might have been the crowning moment in one woman's young life with a prescience that's mystifying.

Rusch hits a wonderfully angular sound reminiscent of Ben Folds on Parachute Of Sound before sliding into a satire of the "American Idol" culture and the one-dimensional pop stars it engenders on The Pop Diva Trajectory. Rusch is too smart for his own good and funny to boot (and it's not a bad arrangement either!). The next two songs might indicate a serious penchant for the band Yes. Bass Guitars in Heaven finds Rusch channeling Chris Squire on what sounds like a Yes outtake. The End Of Time features Steve Howe-style guitar work in rhythmic pop tune about how to spend the waning moments of life. It's a great listen. Rusch winds things up with The Masochist Song, a humorous tidbit from a wonderfully disturbed mind. This one dances right over the edge of novelty, but it's definitely worth dancing on the edge for.

Ben Rusch brings high-brow Pop music to the fore with a collection of stultifying and illuminating songs on Oh, Yes!!. Rusch manages to build things up even as he tears them down, taking things apart and song and subtly rearranging them in your understanding. Humor, intelligence and deviously good song craft inform the process in one of most original albums I've had the honor to listen to lately. Make sure Oh, Yes!! is on your to-do list.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ben Rusch at http://www.benrusch.com/ or www.myspace.com/musicwithininstruments. You can purchase Oh, Yes!! as a digital download from Amazon.com.

Review: Marc Gunn - What Color Is Your Dragon?

Marc Gunn – What Color Is Your Dragon?
2008, Mage Records

Marc Gunn is known the world over for being one of the biggest promoters of Celtic music in the business. His “Irish and Celtic Music Podcast” (3,000,000 downloads on iTunes) and “Renaissance Festival Podcast” are popular downloads on the World Wide Web. He is also known as the lead vocalist of the Brobdingnagian Bards, who have frequented Renaissance Festivals and Fairs for a number of years now. He is a regular performer at Dragon*Con, the largest Sci-Fi and Fantasy fiction convention in the world. He was even tapped to headline a Lord Of The Rings Oscar night party. Late of Austin, Texas, recently relocated to New Orleans to be part of the city’s musical renaissance. Gunn sent us a copy of What Color Is Your Dragon?, his 2007 release to check out. So what are we waiting for?

Gunn has certain themes that recur throughout his music that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Much like the guys from Big Bang Theory, Gunn is fascinated with The Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, dragons and innuendo. All of these subjects are delivered in the classic style of an Irish or English bard, the sort who would travel from town to town in Medieval times to bring news, stories and songs to the working and farming classes in exchange for food, drink, lodging and perhaps a few coins. Gunn kicks things off with the humorous Don’t Go Drinking With Hobbits; implying that the pint sized anti-heroes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic series might just drink you under the table. A Rabbit For Halloween is an interesting tale in music about rabbits, witches and brooms. It’s highly entertaining and a perfect example of the Bardic style Gunn lives by.

Samwise Gangee is another trip to Tolkien’s Hobbiton. It’s very well done but likely to appeal only to hard core Tolkien fans. The Virgin Diet (How To Have Fun Losing Weight) is absolutely hilarious, although perhaps not entirely PC. Dub this style Geek-Folk if you want, but this is the sort of song that used to earn Bards their bread and butter. How Do You Tell A Woman You’re In Love is an interesting turn, with Gunn sounding vaguely like Gordon Lightfoot. It’s a solid tune that sounds like it could have its genesis in a Renaissance Fair musical production.

From the drinking game category Gunn comes up with the Pleasant Pheasant Plucking Song. This tricky bit of musical alliteration is ripe for slips of the tongue that would send the censors into fits of apoplexy. It’s a party song that gets more and more debilitating the more you miss, but the highlight of the record is Lusty Young Sith. In classic bard style, Gunn tells the story of a light saber battle that’s full of sexual tension and innuendo. Each stroke and thrust of the ensuing battle is lovingly detailed here. If I Were A Horse takes on another function, winning the award for the most creative use of the word snot in a song. It’s an entertaining ditty, particularly after a flagon or three.

My other favorite from the CD is The Last Chicken Of Dublin, which details the dangers of running a-fowl of authority. This song is entertaining and bold without going over the top. Gunn visits Tolkien’s world twice more: The Nazgul Song and Gollum Blues. Both are fun to listen to but are likely to be a bit much for non-fans of The Lord Of The Rings. Gunn takes one amusing and off-beat crack at opening up the Harry Potter narrative with a song in the voice of the son of Professor Lupin and Tonks: My Father Was A Werewolf. This one will appeal to fans of J.K. Rowling’s classic series as it is faithful to the spirit of Harry Potter without being stale. Other highlights include Monkeys Over Mongolia, Pig’s Song and I’ve Saved The Earth.

Marc Gunn pulls this music off as more than just a novelty act because he sells every note of every song. There is a fair bit of novelty value here, but Gunn is a serious musician who chooses to have fun with his material. What Color Is Your Dragon? Is a lo-fi classic, getting at the Celtic roots of folk music like few others in the genre. This CD will appeal heavily to Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fans, SCAdians and other Renaissance Fair folken. Beyond that, anyone who likes singer-songwriter styles may recognize this is it in its rawest, most basic form. Even if you’re skeptical of the subject matter, sit back, relax (as you might) and give it a fair listen. Marc Gunn will charm you, make you laugh and perhaps even make you think. Somewhere along the way magic happens. What Color Is Your Dragon? Is a classic; a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don’t pass it by.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Marc Gunn at http://www.marcgunn.com/. You can purchase a copy of What Color Is Your Dragon? at www.cdbaby.com/cd/gunnmarc5.

Review: Article 66 - Article 66

Article 66 – Article 66
2008, A66 Music/Pinnibus Headdibus Records

Miami’s Article 66 are unique on many levels. Formed by a group of law students, the band creates raw, emotionally charged songs that can’t be ignored. Add in the fact that Article 66 comingles rock and rap in a way that almost no one else does well, and you have something worth checking out. Article 66 released their debut album, Article 66, on June 6, 2008 (6/6). The band has been through a number of personnel changes but continues to thrive. Tony “T-Bone” Tomas plays guitar and provides the rock vocals on the album, while DJ Jam is Emcee, providing sublime rhymes against the backdrop of heavy guitar, drum and bass. Listen up!

Article 66 mixes elements of Rap, 80’s hard rock and modern rock into a wonderfully geeky combination that’s part hip-hop and part head-banger love fest. Juxtaposing rap rhymes and rhythms with heavy guitar (sometimes bordering on thrash), Article 66 creates a rap/rock hybrid few bands have explored. Lyrically they can run from serious to funny to bizarre (sometimes in the same song). The end result is a generally entertaining mish-mash of sounds and styles. I would advise checking out the song Misread, which is incredibly commercial and listenable. Astronomy Teacher is Hot For Teacher for the Big Bang Theory generation. It sounds sort of like Weezer on anti-depressants. The American Nightmare is a catchy rap/rock mix that’s right in Article 66’s musical wheelhouse. Hershey Squirt recalls the sort of lyrical content you might expect from early Ween, although with less subtlety (if possible).

Article 66 is an interesting listen. There’s no doubt about it, you’ll either love them or hate them depending on your personal musical proclivities. If you enjoy bands like Weezer, Ween or Devo then Article 66 will definitely appeal to you. For rap fans this is entertaining light fare, but Article 66 gets major points for melding two styles in a way that hasn’t been done well often, and getting it right (most of the time). It’s a decent listen for the adventurous of ear.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Article 66 at http://www.article66.com/. You can purchase a copy of Article 66 at www.cdbaby.com/cd/article66.