Sound Bites
Blake's eclectic mix still rocks
Jamie Blake
(A & M)
Mix one part Jewel, two
parts Juliana Hatfield, stir in some loud guitars and female angst, and
what do you get? The answer: Jamie Blake. Her self-titled debut album
is not as weird as such a mix would seem, but still, there's really nothing
here to distinguish Blake from other current female singers, with the
exception of her voice. When she wants to, Blake can really have a set of
pipes, and impresses on that aspect alone. Blake doesn't fit into the
softer side of current "chick rock" -- Blake wants to rock, and doesn't
hide it. It's going to be very
difficult for her to make a name for herself, though, for this album could
be mistaken for one of many, and kind of leaves you with an empty feeling.
B--- Clay Marshall / Staff Writer
B>Talk ShowTalk Show(Atlantic)With Stone Temple Pilots
frontman Scott Weiland doing his own thing right now, the remaining three
members of the band hooked up with 10 Inch Men lead singer Dave Coutts to
produce the self-titled Talk Show. Surprise, surprise; the end
result sounds a heck of a lot like STP.Atlantic Records and STP's
camp maintain that the group is only taking a break from recording together
and has not, repeat, not broken up. It's not like we didn't see this
coming. After Weiland's tumultuous battle with heroin addiction and the
subsequent on-again, off-again tour to support its last album, Tiny
Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, it's no wonder that the band
has found a different vocalist for the moment.With all the hubbub
surrounding Weiland's troubles, we forget that the guys from STP (guitarist
Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz) really are
competent musicians in their own right. Weiland, as the primary lyricist
for STP, consistently provided lyrics that were veiled with oddball
references. (And you could always count on him for the eccentric song
titles. "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" anyone?)Most of the words on
Talk Show are provided by Coutts (who, in fact, does STP proud by
providing non-linear lyrics). He doesn't do a bad job; he just never fully
becomes anything other than "Weiland's replacement."As a side project for the
band, Talk Show isn't bad. Now, when is Weiland's solo album going to come
out? C-- Keith Caulfield / Staff Writer
Square
(Minty Fresh)
Formerly known as Allen
Clapp and his Orchestra, the Orange Peels produce light, airy pop with a
little bit of nostalgia mixed in. Using bright guitar chords that resonate
and slightly discord, they produce 14 songs that sound pleasant, although
they all seem to sound the same. The first two songs are
supposed to their high-profile tracks, but for some reason, the last half
of the album seems stronger. What is more important to this album, instead
of melodies, is the atmosphere. Whether it's the swinging cool of Dean
Martin or Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, the songs try to reach back to
a certain time when they would have been relevant. It's a noble attempt at
a soundtrack for the postmodern hipsters. B--- Joseph Boo / Staff Writer
Fig Dish
When Shove Goes Back To Push
(Polydor)
The latest album from
Chicago quartet Fig Dish is about as generic as it gets. The "MTV
alternative" (i.e. mainstream) sound is tiresome from the opening note,
which can pass for the Counting Crows; later, the noisy guitars recall
Better Than Ezra. The distorted sounds and
whiny vocals make this album less and less tolerable as it goes on, and it
seems that as the album progresses, the band's talent regresses. Just when
you think they've found themselves, as on "Bend," they lapse back into
generic band mode, and it sounds as if they're straining to go through the
motions. The group's chunky power-pop sound comprises less-than-memorable
arrangements, up to the point where they live up to the title of the
record's next-to-last track: "Sinking Feeling." C- -- Clay Marshall / Staff Writer