The Rock Dose

Posted: 21 Jul 2009 12:40 PM PDT

If there has been one constant in the musical path of Wilco it’s been constant change. Since the band’s formation in 1994, only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remain from the original line-up. The band has not changed players since 2006’s Sky Blue Sky, with guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche rounding out the current roster.

With that said, Wilco (The Album) does contain many of the same sonic qualities that fans have come to recognize as constants throughout the bands experimental trajectory. The album starts with peals of feedback sustain over top a driving progression and gives a way to what could be considered a classic Tweedy vocal melody: both conversational and somewhat subdued. The punchy pluck of “Wilco (The Song)” gives way to the wistful tone of “Deeper Down”, a song which shows off Tweedy’s talent for writing emotional melodies.

The haunting and soaring textures provided by Cline are present, and as usual, provide beautiful melodic counterpoints to Tweedy’s vocal lines. This is especially true in songs like “Deeper Down”, with Cline’s guitar tracing chilling arcs of sliding tone throughout; and in “One Wing”, as the shimmering tremolo provides a pang of nostalgia to a song full of regret and goodbyes.

“Bull Black Nova” begins with a jumpy staccato progression that brings up memories of “Spiders(Kidsmoke)” from A Ghost Is Born and contains some clever guitar interplay. Unfortunately, Tweedy’s vocals in this song feel forced in an attempt to match the tension and atmosphere created by the guitars. This track might have done better as an instrumental. Thankfully, “You and I” features the beautiful vocal talents of Feist and some of Tweedy’s penchant for love songs. The two voices mate nicely, and the song carries a sunny disposition.

At this point in the album, most of the remaining songs seem to get lost between too much restraint and too much sonic nostalgia. Tweedy seems to be holding back on too many occasions with the prime example of this being “Country Disappeared”, a song in which Tweedy evokes a mildly depressive tone of reservation. However, there are some beautiful moments in the folky “Solitaire”, as Cline’s guitars compliment a simple vocal and some of Tweedy’s most poignant lyrics on the album as he pines: “I was wrong to believe in me . . . only”. With the pentultimate offering, “Sonny Feeling”, Tweedy provides a spirited vocal performance in a song that benefits from some great slide and space-chunk guitar by Cline.

Overall, the album is slightly underwhelming and suffers, at times, from the same overly-cautious restraint that was characteristic in parts of Sky Blue Sky. However, there are definitely some great songs here, and as usual, Cline’s guitars are a major highlight. Definitely worth a listen, if only for the handful of good songs mentioned in this review.

Photos: ZUMA Press

Post from: The Rock Dose

Kings of Leon to fill in for Beastie Boys

Posted: 21 Jul 2009 06:47 AM PDT

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys surprised and saddened the music world on Monday, when he announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, he also communicated that his prognosis is positive and that he should make a complete recovery after surgery and several months of treatment. As a result of Yauch’s illness, the Beastie Boys have canceled a number of upcoming concert dates and have delayed the release of their upcoming album Hot Sauce Committee, Part 1. The forthcoming album represents the eight studio release in the group’s discography and will be the first release since 2007’s The Mix-Up.

One of the dates canceled in light of this unfortunate news was the band’s upcoming headlining slot at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. When the festival announced performance times on its website on Monday, it was revealed that Kings of Leon would be filling for the Beastie Boys.

In the middle of an extensive tour in support of their latest album, Kings of Leon have seen enormous success as of late, with Only By The Night selling nearly 2 million copies at the time of this post.

Photos: ZUMA Press

Post from: The Rock Dose