Music
Section By Jeb D.
TEENAGE DREAM 
Katy Perry
She likes to drink, fuck, and pass out. She cheerfully sings that she wants to see your “cock! cock! cock!” She also “wants to be a victim” and is “ready for abduction.” So, pandering much? I mean, I don’t doubt that she’s sincere (that’s actually a lie– I suspect she’d sing about grocery shopping if she thought that would get her some face time on TMZ), and if guys can say “fuck,” no reason girls can’t, too. But for god’s sake– does it need to be such overbearing, overdone Kelly Clarkson/American Idol pap? This album is like “Girls Gone Wild” set to the tune of an ad for McDonald’s. But, then, I suppose, plenty of people like both of those things.
TOMORROW MORNING
Eels
Mark Everett returns with ruminations on “The Mystery of Life.” Unfortunately, that title is a pretty good example of the blandness of his take on the subject, though now and again he manages to avoid the predictable (“I’m A Hummingbird,” “I Like The Way This Is Going”). There’s a certain self-serving desire to have it both ways (“The bad girls think I’m just too nice / The nice girls call me a dick“), and his occasional nods at self-deprecation ring are less convincing than his accusations that the girl who turned him down just doesn’t know what she’s missing. His singing conveys oddball better than it does sincere (“Oh So Lovely” is a bit of a chore to sit through, compared to, say, “The Man”), but the instrumentation is fairly inventive, whie the distorted Motown of “Looking Up” and pounding dance beat of “Baby Loves Me” provide welcome respite from the layers of faux-sensitivity. And he does manage to make “That’s Not Her Way” genuinely moving.
THE ORCHARD
Ra Ra Riot
When you credit the inspration for your album’s title track to both Anton Chekhov and Kate Bush, you’re either thinking way too much, or you’ve actually got something to say. Lyrically, I’d say these folks are walking a fine line in that department, but the atmospheric pop that ranges from dreamy (“You and I Know”) to driving (“Do You Remember”) carries its own lightweight conviction that occasionally trumps reservation. Honestly, this kind of light, keening pop is handled better these days by Delays, but they can’t even get their latest CD released over here, so you takes what you can get. I was vaugely disappointed, though, that “Massachusetts” turned out not to be a cover of the Bee Gees song; would seem a natural for these chirpers.
THE WELL
Charlie Musselwhite
For white musicians, the trick with the blues is always how to make it as personal a form as it was for its originators; in today’s musical environment, that role is more often taken by hip-hop, punk, and their progeny. So when this longtime sideman steps out on his first album of all-original material, you’re hoping to hear something more than just some tasty jams. And, to a surprising degree, that’s just what happens. Musselwhite, of course, isn’t your typical suburban bloozman wannabe; he’s a product of an old-time urban Chicago, and grew up with this music in his veins. Naturally, there’s some tried-and-true tropes here (“Good Times,” “Cadillac Woman”) that you’d never miss if you didn’t hear them, and the instrumentals like “Clarksdale Getaway” sometimes feel more well-worn than road-worn. But there’s a lifetime of hard living behind the music, including real-life stories of murder and jail time, and on songs like “Cook County Blues,” “Dig The Pain” and the lovely duet with Mavis Staples, “Sad And Beautiful World,” Musselwhite transcends the boogie to make the form his own personal statement, his voice dark and deep, his guitar dirty and sly. And the man still blows a harp like no one’s business.
Other Notable 8/24 Releases
JJ Grey, Georgia Warhorse. When you get both Derek Trucks and Toots Hibbert to guest on your album, it shows an admirably flexible definition of southern funk. I wish Grey had more to say about things like our “Beautiful World” or the “Sweetest Things”, but when he wants things to get “Slow, Hot and Sweaty,” he pretty much nails it.
Warp Riders, The Sword. This is evidently the band’s first concept album. It not only has swords, but arrows, dark riders, and a mysterious orb. You know, that Tolkien guy has a lot to answer for.
Little Big Town, The Reason Why. Country tropes? These kids got ’em: they wanna hear that song from way back when, go to the little white church, get misty over old family photographs, and sing a couple songs about trains. If there’s actually a “Reason Why,” though, I missed it.
Apocalyptica, 7th Symphony. Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is a brisk, exciting piece that Wagner called “The Apotheosis of the Dance.” Mahler’s 7th Symphony is a brooding, eerie journey through a soul’s dark night, from dusk to dawn. Apocalyptica’s 7th Symphony is loud. And Finnish.
Ronnie Earl, Spread the Love. I’ve always thought one of the great pleasures of Da Blooz was the interplay between voice and guitar, and the ability to write an engaging lyrical twist on an old theme, but if things like voices and words aren’t a priority for you, here’s 14 expertly-performed tracks, three of which demonstrate their authenticity by actually having the word “Blues” in the title.
Dale Watson, Carryin’ On. Watson’s another Merle Haggard disciple, and he can bring the low-key sincerity just like Hag. And even if he lacks the original’s vision and persona (and voice), he gets off the occasional winner (“How to Break Your Own Heart,” “Hey Brown Bottle”), though for every one of those we get one we really didn’t need more of (“You’re Always On My Mind,” “Heart of Stone”).
!!!, Strange Weather Isn’t It. Do you love that Bowie/Eno/Visconti “Berlin” sound? But do you nod off during the slow ones? Never fear. !!!’s latest, recorded in Berlin, kicks up those cool textures with impeccable dance grooves… not unlike hearing “Heroes” covered by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. And I’m kinda sorry that they caved in and made the obvious commercial move by giving their name an actual pronunciation.
Ricky Skaggs, Mosaic. To give some perspective, not even The Rolling Stones have been in the music business for fifty years (not just yet, anyway), but that’s what Skaggs is celebrating in his latest album. It’s a move away from the hard-core bluegrass of his last decade or so, with songs drawn from his memories of growing up listening to gospel music. While Skagg’s voice still has its down-home rootsiness, the arrangements that range from guest Peter Frampton to a 40-piece choir are making me miss his bluegrass period already.
Never Shout Never, Harmony. Is MySpace an actual musical genre these days? Does the idea that an artist got his start there suggest a sound, a tone, a mood? If so, trust me: that’s Never Shout Never.
Blind Guardian, At the Edge of Time. Why a German metal band is trying to sound like The Pogues (or maybe it’s Horslips) on “Curse My Name” is beyond me, but it’s a nice change of pace amid the wars and curses and valkyries and other silly shit going on here. Does hiring an orchestra make them prog-metal, or just a ramped-up Moody Blues?
Mogwai, Special Moves. These post-rockers have some great song titles, but it would be nice to be able to tell the difference betweeen, say, “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead,” “I Know You Are But What Am I,” or “I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School” without having to look at the digital readout.