The
pre-Christmas crush of superstar album releases is over,
with the winners (the still-puzzling-me-with-their-popularity
Creed) and losers (Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney) figuring
out what went right and what went wrong. The beginning of
each year is an interesting time in the music world, as
new artists and smaller-yet-established acts get a chance
to shine before the heavyweights return in the spring. In
that spirit, here are five albums worth investigating while
you wait for the baseball season to begin.
Willie
Nelson - The Great Divide (Lost Highway)
This long-delayed disc (it was first set to come out last
summer) seems to take a page out of Santana’s Supernatural
book (Rob Thomas sings on and co-wrote the lead single,
"Maria," and Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock guest on other tracks).
But Nelson is no newcomer to the duet game (hello, Julio
Iglesias) and Great Divide
succeeds because of his outstanding talent as an interpreter
of other people’s songs. His version of the Cyndi Lauper
hit "Time After Time" is as good as a cover gets. [ buy
The
Great Divide ]
Cracker - Forever (Back Porch/Virgin)
David Lowery and Johnny Hickman are entering their second
decade together as the only permanent members of Cracker,
and they show no signs yet of losing their creative spark.
Forever - their first studio
disc in four years and fifth overall - is filled with more
of those great twisted roots-rock gems that can’t help but
put a smile on your face. [ buy
Forever
]
Grand
Champeen - Battle Cry for Help (Glurp)
Austin Texas’s Grand Champeen bridge the gap between the punk
rock and alt-country scenes in the "live music capitol of
the world." Battle Cry for Help
is the sound of a band digesting much of the best indie music
created over the past twenty years and synthesizing a sound
that is completely their own. At times you think they’re in
the world’s greatest Soul Asylum tribute band ("Nothing on
Me," "Paper Rock Scissors"), but then they unleash a track
like "Sparks," which sound like it was recorded on a ranch
by real cowboys. This is one battle cry I can get behind.
[ visit Glurp
Recordsweb site ]
Candy Butchers- Play With Your
Head (RPM/Columbia)
Lead Candy Butcher Mike Viola delivers yet another album stocked
with pop treasures. Of course, with a song title like "My
Monkey Made a Man Out of Me," one realizes this isn’t the
typical batch of boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy and they live
happily ever after songs. [ buy
Play With Your Head
]
eels
- Souljacker (DreamWorks)
On their fourth album, eels mastermind E teams with John Parish,
who helped broaden P.J. Harvey’s sound throughout the mid-’90s.
Parish helps bring out the loud rock side of this usually
tame group in the title track and "Dog Faced Boy." This change
of pace makes the sweeter songs ("Woman Driving, Man Sleeping,"
"Friendly Ghost") seem that much more tender.
[ official
eels website ]
The
pre-Christmas crush of superstar album releases is over,
with the winners (the still-puzzling-me-with-their-popularity
Creed) and losers (Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney) figuring
out what went right and what went wrong. The beginning of
each year is an interesting time in the music world, as
new artists and smaller-yet-established acts get a chance
to shine before the heavyweights return in the spring. In
that spirit, here are five albums worth investigating while
you wait for the baseball season to begin. 
Willie
Nelson - The Great Divide (Lost Highway)
Cracker - Forever (Back Porch/Virgin)
Grand
Champeen - Battle Cry for Help (Glurp) 
eels
- Souljacker (DreamWorks) 
©
Figgle 2001-2003