November 2002

Lanterna

Eddie November 14, 2002 No Comments

For the better part of 10 years, the talented and gifted Henry Frayne has released several recordings under the moniker Lanterna. The latest recordings of Frayne, who is from New York City originally, exude the expanse of large, open countrysides. From acoustic forays such as the lovely and aptly titled “Fields” to the album’s opener, “West Side Highway,” Frayne and Steve Day—who provided the rhythm tracks on Sands—have created a number of soundscapes. Hints of Bill Frisell sneak in alongside dashes of Chicago post-rock, à la the Sea & Cake. When Frayne plays, his music does much more than fill dead air; his soundscapes twist ever so gently like a cascade of tide pools moving and shimmering against the backdrop of a fading sunset. Some albums yearn for the outdoors and beckon to be heard in privacy. Such is the case with Sands.
(SN&R)

Unearth

Eddie November 14, 2002 No Comments

East Massachusetts-based Unearth consciously has fused the stylings of European metal with American hardcore. Vocalist Trevor Phipps’ multiple vocal styles, the able rhythm section of drummer Mike Rudberg and bassist John Slo Maggard, and the dual guitar quandary of Ken Susi and Buz McGrath make some extremely effective and memorable songs on this short, four-song affair. This EP, a collection of three new songs and a rare demo of “My Desire,” makes a good introduction for those looking for hardcore that doesn’t sound retro or, like most new hardcore acts, haphazard and aimless. Comparisons to Swedish metal bands such as Soilwork, Hypocrisy and In Flames are inevitable. But, on further inspection, Unearth gives bands like Will Haven and Maharahj a run for the hardcore crown. It only took four years for Unearth to sound this good on record. Just wait till 2010.

(SN&R)

Jurassic 5

Eddie November 7, 2002 No Comments

As Interscope Records ramps up for a bombastic fourth quarter, its trump card comes via Los Angeles’ finest, Jurassic 5. Since 1993, this group has quietly conquered the hip-hop throne alongside such stiff competition as Mos Def, Talib Kweli and the Roots. Power in Numbers couldn’t be a more appropriate album title, given the J-5’s use of intelligently planned lyrics and abnormal rhyme schemes alongside soundscapes created by Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark. On tracks such as “What’s Golden” and “If You Only Knew,” Chali 2na, Zaakir AKA Soup, Akil, and Marc 7 set new standards for the genre and up the ante for aspiring MCs. Fans of early De La Soul and Rakim’s best material will welcome Jurassic 5’s latest and relish the attention to organic and not-so-organic rhythm tracks. Any group that uses samples from David Axelrod and Bill Cosby on the same album can’t be half bad. Power in numbers? Indeed.

(SN&R)

Such a Dall

Eddie November 7, 2002 No Comments

Former Sacramentan Cynthia Dall spent time in the indie-rock band Smog, which also featured ex-resident Bill Callahan. Her latest Drag City album, Sound Restores Young Men, reveals Dall is settling nicely into singer-songwriter mode. Such songs as “Be Safe With Me” and the sarcastic “I Play With Boys” display both her patience and aptitude, and her music creates the perfect melancholy backdrop for Sacramento’s overcast autumnal weather. Dall has made considerable progress since her first release in 1996, Untitled. She’ll play a handful of scattered West Coast dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Berkeley, in addition to Sunday’s show with Drag City label mates the Scene Creamers, which feature members of the Make Up. Fans of Hope Sandoval, Lush’s more depressing moments and Smog should find great reward in Dall’s opening set Sunday, November 10, at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Garage (1427 L Street), with a special surprise guest. Cover’s $7.

(SN&R)