Rhett Miller - 'The Believer' (full review)

When Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s released his solo debut The Instigator a few years ago, it was surprising how closely it resembled previous efforts by his band. Though produced by master popsmith Jon Brion, the effort rarely steered too far of the beaten path. True to form, the album was a solid, occasionally dazzling, effort, but fans (including myself) were no doubt left wondering, “So what’s the point?”

We now have our answer in Miller’s second solo album The Believer. If The Instigator was the Miller half of the 97’s distilled into its essence, this album has tossed that concoction in a shaker with a twist and poured it over ice with a splash of Midori. Surprisingly, it is L.A. uber-producer George Drakoulias, not Brion (who appears as a musician), who has squeezed this polished gem out of Rhett Miller. Drakoulias – better known for his meat-and-potatoes work with Tom Petty and The Jayhawks – shamelessly pours on the studio polish, enlisting a terrific group of musicians to help out (not unlike the impressive job he recently did on Tift Merritt’s Tambourine). Instead of a twanged-down Old 97’s, we get Miller at his romantic and pop-savvy best.

A good part of Miller’s inherent appeal comes from his sharp and insightful lyrics on the subject of failed love. That requires some suspension of disbelief these days - if you happen to know that Miller is married to a model and lives a seemingly idyllic existence in upstate New York (well, when he’s not recording or touring). No doubt, his solo career has provided some additional balance to his life as well. But if you think back to the gangly frontman of the Old 97’s circa '94-'95, it’s a little easier to reconcile the heartbroken loser of his songs with his current fashion-spread image. Showing a surprising kinship with the doomed Elliot Smith on the title track, Miller even bravely ties his own troubled adolescence together with Smith’s tragic fate. Elsewhere, Miller gets away with straightforward declarations like this (from “Meteor Shower”):

Love gets you in the gut,
Takes the top off of your head,
And makes you wish that you were dead.

Direct and brutal, but deceptively paired with some Ziggy-era Bowie production that lifts the song to spectacular heights. Likewise, “Ain’t That Strange” rocks as hard as anything in the 97’s catalog, but leans more heavily on T. Rex swagger than country-punk assault. “Fireflies”, on the other hand, mines a slightly more familiar country vein, coasting along on the sultry vocals of duet partner Rachel Yamagata. Throughout the proceedings, Drakoulias and Miller never shy away from committing alt-country heresy by plopping gorgeous strings and chiming keyboards all over the place whenever it suits their tastes.

The Believer sags every now and then – notably on two Old 97’s retreads “Singular Girl” and “Question” (probably one of Miller’s better known and best loved straight love songs) – but those moments simply pale in comparison to the considerable high points of the rest of the album. It's really gratifying to hear an artist pull off a solo record that really stands apart from, yet alongside, his best work with his regular band. The Believer also reinforces Rhett Miller's reputation as Ray Davies' closest heir, a true master of melodic hooks and memorable lyrics.

(I should note, in hindsight, that I think the Old 97’s “retreads” are pretty good, too. “Singular Girl” is, after all, a relative obscurity and receives a better recording here. I can see why “Question” fits thematically with the rest of the album, and the minor embellishments make it seem a bit more whole (the original version on Satellite Rides was entirely acoustic).

Look, I don’t want anyone questioning my fanboy cred. So I thought I should clear that up.)

Arctic Monkeys: More hype from the UK

You can sum up the value of British music exports this way:

Once or twice a year the English music press - in what has to be a carefully coordinated effort of groupthink - hypes some garage band and declares them the best thing since The Beatles or The Stones. In the case of Arctic Monkeys, the American press has declared that FINALLY one of these stupid bands is worth a shit.

Arctic Monkeys are worth a shit, but not worth nearly as much as the British believe. Somehow everyone got the impression that a semi-concept album about hittin' the clubs qualifies as genius, but the fact is that the Monkees, er Monkeys, just make nice catchy rock and roll. Nothin' wrong with that, and don't hold the hype against them.

But get real - when your biggest contribution to pop music in the last 10 years is fuckin' Coldplay, don't try to sell me more of your shit.

Rhett Miller - 'The Believer' (Feb. 28)

Fuck yeah! Rhett Miller delivers a solo record that reflects his Kinks-ian obsessions and sounds notably less like the Old 97's than his solo debut (The Instigator). Drizzle a little Ziggy-era Bowie on for good measure and The Believer is an early contender for record of the year.

Don't believe me ('cause you're not a Believer)? Check it out at Rhett's MySpace site here.

Teddy Thompson - 'Separate Ways'

If you’ve been lucky enough to hear “I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” from the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Teddy Thompson is country or alt-country – straight up, no chaser. But on his new album Separate Ways, Thompson proves himself to be instead one of pop music’s most interesting emerging artists. The ridiculously talented offspring of Richard and Linda Thompson (who both make cameos on the record) has crafted a heartfelt gem that exudes the warmth of a family affair.

In addition to Mum’s vocals and Dad’s guitar, Thompson recruits sibling pals Rufus and Martha Wainwright for vocal contributions, and The Band’s Garth Hudson adds keyboards to a couple of tracks. Though his debut album was packed with its share of highlights, Separate Ways raises the bar considerably. On several tracks, he favors pop-flavored arrangements, complete with chiming guitars and memorable hooks. These are balanced with some softer tracks - especially "Sorry To See Me Go" - that might not sound entirely out of place on the Brokeback soundtrack (minus the fiddle and pedal steel, however). Tying it all together is Thompson’s honeyed voice, which shares some traits with Rufus Wainwright but is a much less of an acquired taste. Regardless of his considerable talents as a songwriter, Teddy Thompson is indisputably a gifted vocalist. While his first record showed promise, Separate Ways fulfills it.

Finally, 2006 gets its first great album (noting that Neko's Fox Confessor is still on the way).

Drive-By Truckers - 'A Blessing and a Curse' (Apr. 18)

Let the countdown begin! The new album from Drive-By Truckers is due on April 18. You can find a download of a new track ("Feb. 14"), among other goodies, at this blog site set up by the band.

In the meantime, the Truckers' website has some updates, including new publicity photos by the great Danny Clinch.

AND - hang on to your Flying V - if you pre-order the album at Amazon, you can stream it in its entirety until after the release date!

New Neko download - "Hold On, Hold On"

Anti Records has posted another track from Neko Case's upcoming record. "Hold On, Hold On" has some of the coolest guitar work you'll hear this year. Download the song here.

Fox Confessor Brings The Flood will be released on March 7. Neko Case's website has received an overhaul, though it's just a splash page for the moment.

Another perspective

I recently stumbled on The Stranger, and I found this article on the Muslim cartoon outrage to at least make some well-reasoned points (running counter to my post below). But I think it still fails to weigh the outrage of offensive cartoons in European papers against the outrage of burning down embassies and threatening violence against entire populations. If I punch you in the arm, and you draw a gun on me, you immediately cede the higher moral ground. To be sure, there was some ugliness in the U.S. in the immediate days after 9/11, but nobody here managed to burn down the Saudi embassy.

I think Sanders draws a somewhat legitimate parallel. However, what he fails to notice or acknowledge is that our ultra-PC attitude in this country toward African Americans (particularly in the media) has sometimes stifled legitimate debate and discussion, no doubt to the detriment of blacks and other Americans alike. Do we all get along pretty well? I guess so. Does that mean that African Americans have achieved true equality? Probably not. Perhaps the path to true understanding is riddled with some necessary, albeit painful, potholes.

And believe me, there are plenty of Americans who find the United States' cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia to run counter not only to our claims on "spreading freedom," but counter to our deepest democratic principles.

Neko Case - 'Fox Confessor Brings The Flood'

If you pre-order Neko Case's new album at Amazon, you can stream the entire record until the release date (March 7).

I've listened to it about five times. I'll keep it short - if you're a Neko Case fan, this is the album you've been waiting for. Take all of the disparate elements of her previous records, take all of her strengths, take the stuff you most love about her music. Now put it in a blender. The result is Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, her most fully realized piece of work yet.

There is nothing here that screams "sellout" or "breakthrough" - it's simply the best, most complete work from an already substantial artist. Her songwriting continues to defy normal (i.e. boring) conventions, and she retains that "country noir" vibe that has defined most of her studio records. Neko was already a brilliant singer, but this album catapults her into the echelon of truly elite artists. But simply put, this is the finest Neko Case album so far.

Here's to 20 more just like it!

Welcome back, Politics! - Cartoon Network

So I have been utterly fascinated by the events of recent days. From my perspective, the fracas over the Danish cartoons has crystallized some dangerous truths about the motives and beliefs of those supposedly offended by the depictions of Mohammed.

Reza Aslan vents his anger over at Slate:
http://www.slate.com/id/2135661/

So let me use his measured – but ultimately backward – response as a basis for my own feelings on the matter.

“The fact is that Muslim anger over the caricatures derives not merely from their depiction of Mohammed. That may have upset more conservative Muslims, but it alone would not have engendered such a violent and widespread response. Rather, most Muslims have objected so strongly because these cartoons promote stereotypes of Muslims that are prevalent throughout Europe: Mohammed dressed as a terrorist, his turban a bomb with a lit fuse; Mohammed standing menacingly in front of two cowering, veiled women, unsheathing a long, curved sword; Mohammed on a cloud in heaven complaining that Paradise has run out of virgins. It is difficult to see how these drawings could have any purpose other than to offend.”

So apparently, the Danish embassy in Damascus was torched, not in retaliation for the cartoons, but in response to slights – perceived or real – at the hands of European society. Christians in this country often abuse the Old Testament philosophy of “an eye for a eye”, but what is this? Twenty eyes and ten bodies for a eye?

“One cartoon goes so far as to brazenly call the prophet ‘daft and dumb.’”

Truly, the mother of all insults. How brazen!

“…it's another manifestation of the ongoing ethnic and religious tensions that have been simmering beneath the surface of European society for decades, like last year's Paris riots and the murder two years ago of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh.”

Again, who are the ones rioting and murdering in the above scenarios? Oh yeah – the fragile and oh-so-easily-offended-but-prone-to-violence Muslim fundamentalists.

“Jewish groups were furious when the Chicago Tribune published a cartoon in 2003 that portrayed a hunched and hooknosed Ariel Sharon salivating before a pile of money doled out to him by George W. Bush, ostensibly as an incentive to maintain the peace process. ("On second thought," the avaricious Sharon is depicted as saying, "the path to peace is looking brighter.") And rightly so.”

Funny thing, I don’t recall reading about any Jewish rioting or burning or killing related to the cartoon from the Tribune. I guess Jews are just a bunch of Zionist weenies.

“…the protests against them turned violent only after extremists began circulating fabricated and far more offensive cartoons of the prophet (for instance, Mohammed with a pig's snout), which were not part of the original Jyllands-Posten bunch. Until then, the protests had been mostly contained to Denmark and the Netherlands and had taken the form of a reasonably peaceful and highly effective economic boycott.”

I commend you, Mr. Aslan, for pointing out this fact, one not mentioned in most of the news reports on the subject. Yet you still managed to place the blame at the feet of the “isolationist” Europeans. Where is your outrage at the “extremists” (who by the way were comprised of imans from Europe)? And precisely which part of the economic boycott has been “highly effective”?

“Of course, the sad irony is that the Muslims who have resorted to violence in response to this offense are merely reaffirming the stereotypes advanced by the cartoons.”

I hate to say it, but this is not a “sad irony” – it is a sad fact.

I hope none of my regular readers (hello – are you there?) would mistake me for a reactionary, crusading xenophobe. What this piece effectively illustrates is 1) the understandable frustration of Muslims the world over and 2) how horribly misplaced and destructive their anger can become, when fueled by the manipulations of extremists and theocratic governments.

The argument that “this is isn’t just about cartoons”, at some point, just becomes self-defeating. When is it NOT about something else? When is the Muslim rage permeating the Middle East not about the tyranny of The West (American or Europe or whoever deserves to have their flag burned)? When does it become about totalitarian governments like Syria who fan the flames of hatred by allowing their citizens to burn down embassies while ruling them with an iron fist? When does it become about “respecting” Israel enough to acknowledge its very real existence and not call for its complete eradication? When does it become about the way Islamic extremism has become the face of a peaceful religion and it makes Muslims so fucking angry that they riot in the streets?

This whole incident may become a tipping point for Europe, truly the new battleground in this fight. If Europeans typically fancy themselves a sensitive bunch (often regulating hate speech, while permitting it from Muslim extremists), they clearly regard themselves still as s freedom-loving bunch. Freedom of Speech (that’s right, in caps) is the cornerstone of democracy, and theocracy runs entirely the other direction. What influence do the citizens of, say, Saudi Arabia suppose to exert over a Danish newspaper? By holding governments responsible for content published in newspapers, the rioters – and boycotters for that matter – show just how ignorant and oppressed they are. Because when you live in a country where newspapers are controlled by the government, you obviously conclude that other governments do the same. For all of the kowtowing of the mainstream media in the U.S., the line still exists.

As a side note, I’d like to give special recognition to the utterly ridiculous comments of Bill Clinton and the State Department. The era of mindless PC responses to this sort of thing has long passed. You may be deeply offended by the cartoons – rightfully so even – but you are way out of line when you suggest newspapers and editors owe blind respect to religions. If circulation numbers drop? Well, that’s their mess to clean up.

And of course, you haven’t actually seen these cartoons, have you? Why? Because the ever-so-tasteful American media machine has decided to spare you the offense of seeing them, even though they are front-page news. So I open my Time magazine and see pictures of Muslims burning flags, rather than the focus of their ire. So who comes out looking good in that presentation?

Andrew Sullivan has been doing his usual exemplary job covering this issue on his blog:
http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/

The New Republic also published this compelling piece:
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w060206&s=peretz020706