by Debra Au / Daily Lobo
Glue
Catch As Catch Can
Available Now
The members of Glue are big. They're bad. You best not be actin' a fool 'cause they're straight outta ... New Hampshire. Glue is the latest - and perhaps the only - rap group to hail from the Granite State. With an eclectic mix of old-school b-boy beats and turntable sampling, Glue attempts to revive an era of rap and hip-hop that was defined by the likes of Run-DMC and Public Enemy but falls embarrassingly short in its whiteness. If you ever wondered what Vanilla Ice would sound like if he did a guest stint on "School House Rock," Glue's album Catch as Catch Can gives you the best idea.
The music itself is not so bad - it's actually quite catchy. It just takes a downward spiral with its W.A.S.P.-esque correct grammar and pronunciation. Perhaps what makes the album worth buying is that it comes with an instrumental CD so that, if you really want to, you can spit your own
rhymes.
If you like this album, you might also
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enjoy:
As If We Existed - Solillaquists of Sound
Atlantis: Hymns for Disco - K-Os
Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell - Jedi Mind Tricks
Platinum Weird
Make Believe
Available Now
Pop and folk music can often fall victim to a formulized banality. Admittedly, everything sounds the same after a while, and the genre suffers as a whole. However, it makes it that much easier to point out the truly credible and noteworthy groups.
Platinum Weird is a band started by Dave Stewart - formerly of the Eurythmics - which is similar to the sound and culture of music that was contemporary with Fleetwood Mac. It brings this sound to a whole other generation that was primarily raised on empty lyrics and predictable beats. Make Believe can be
classified as pop music without the stigma of its predecessors.
Redundancy is somewhat of an issue, but each track is different enough so that there is a nice methodical flow to the album without there being low or dragging parts. Unfortunately, I feel that Platinum Weird won't see much commercial success because it is quite different than what is usually on rotation in radio stations, but it is worth hearing to experiment or to reminisce about how music used to be.
If you like this album, you might also enjoy:
Wire & Glass - Who
Under the Skin - Lindsey Buckingham
Modern Times - Bob Dylan
India Arie
Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationships
Available Now
India Arie is not her hair. Her soulful music speaks for itself. Her latest album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationships, may sound like a mouthful, but it more than accurately describes what you'll be listening to. The whole spectrum of life is covered: love, forgiveness, empowerment and yes, even her hair - or lack thereof.
Arie holds true to form by giving her signature smooth and calming sound to songs that beg to be put on a playlist of favorites. Every song stands out on its own and is more than able to become a hit single. My personal favorite is her cover of "The Heart of the Matter." This song will have everyone rediscovering his or her love affair with Don Henley. The album as a whole is upbeat and doles out as much reflection as it does optimism. She recounts her world travels and how they have reshaped her and her ideals.
If Arie does not win a Grammy for this album, I will have lost all my faith in the Recording Academy. Truly, she has been overlooked and underappreciated for years, and Testimony should be her ticket into the
limelight.
If you like this album, you might also enjoy:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae
20 Y.O. - Janet Jackson
The Breakthrough - Mary J. Blige
