With the release of Morcheeba’s new CD and the upcoming Portishead release, 2008 is shaping up to be a banner year for trip hop, the electronica subgenre of thick slow beats, jazzy samples, and dark ambiance. The genre’s definition tends to suggest a restricted sound, but many trip hop bands have expanded their sound, some bleeding into downtempo, while other moving towards a straight hip hop sound. Contrary to Portishead’s move into a fractured, industrial sound, Morcheeba takes a stroll into acoustic-driven ballads, and easy going beats, perfect for a coffee shop, but maintaining enough of an edge to make you perk your ears up and listen. Having parted ways with their regular vocalist Skye Edwards in 2003, the band has been bringing in other vocalists to work on refining their sound and taking into new directions. Dive Deep is a journey through various musical genres, all anchored by trip hop aesthetic. The CD starts with a lilting catchy melody, “Enjoy The Ride”. “Run Baby Run” will have you looking to make sure you didn’t accidentally download a Gordon Lightfoot song. The 70’s songwriter-feeling of the track is the last thing you would expect on a trip hop CD. Two tracks later, you get “One Love Karma”, with Korean-born American rapper Calm Cool Pete, closing the gap with hip hop. Variety is in abundance. It takes till Track 8, “Blue Chair”, for the classic trip-hop sound to appear. Anchored by veteran singer/songwriter Judy Tzuke, the song drives through quasi-pastoral melodies with a looping beat. It’s an atmospheric treat and a nice counterpoint to the earlier songs. “The Ledge Beyond the Edge” is another exercise in downtempo, a soothing ride through an electronic panorama. Two of the Thomas Dybdall tracks really throw a monkey wrench into the collection. The jarring vocals don’t blend well with the other songs. Sure the ability of a band to rise above their genre and expand is always an admirable move, but only if it works. In the case of “Riverbed” and “Sleep on it Tonight”, it doesn’t. It’s not taking anything from Dybdall, a Norwegian singer-songwriter, it’s just that Morcheeba might not be the best showcase for his abilities. It’s tough to give this CD a full recommendation. It’s uneven in pacing and uneven in song quality. There are a some of the better songs Morcheeba has ever done, and some of their weakest. I think it’s an interesting effort in looking at how the band has developed and their insistence on expanding outside the confines of genre labels. For longtime fans of Morcheeba, I think the feedback will be positive, but for casual fans, it might be best to start with the band’s catalogue before moving into Dive Deep.

Amanda plays with Boston Pops, Brian plays with Franz Nicolay World, meet No, Virginia, a kinda-sorta-companion piece to the Dresden Dolls’ 2006 album Yes, Virginia… (see what they did there?). Amidst four new tunes– "Dear Jenny", "Night Reconnaissance", "Sorry Bunch", and "The Sheep Song"– the set collects a handful of demos, unreleased cuts, B-sides, and compilation tracks. It’s due May 20 on Roadrunner Records. In other Dresden Dolls news, "Girl Anachronism" will turn up on the digital-only soundtrack to the third season of that "Weeds" show, due June 3. Amanda Palmer has a handful of solo gigs in the works, including a pair of shows with the Boston Pops in June. Brian Viglione joins the Hold Steady’s Franz Nicolay in Major General at the Music Hall of Williamsburg over the weekend. And there’s a full-blown Dresden Dolls tour on the way, with Stateside dates in May and June and a few festivals well into the summer. No, Virginia: 01 Dear Jenny 02 Night Reconnaissance 03 MouseAndTheModel (demo) 04 Ultima Esperanza 05 Gardener (previously unreleased take from the Yes, Virginia sessions) 06 Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner 07 Sorry Bunch 08 Pretty in Pink 09 The Kill (previously unreleased take from the Yes, Virginia sessions) 10 The Sheep Song 11 Boston (previously unreleased take from the Yes, Virginia sessions) Dresden Dolls: 05-18 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore 05-21 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre 05-22 San Diego, CA - House of Blues 05-23 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre 05-24 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre 05-27 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre 05-28 Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club (Outdoors) 05-30 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live 05-31 Dallas, TX - The Palladium Ballroom 06-01 Austin, TX - Stubb’s Bar-B-Q 07-03 Rothbury, MI - Rothbury Festival 08-15 Erfurt, Germany - Highland Festival 08-16 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival Amanda Palmer: 05-09 Providence, RI - Providence Piers 05-10 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion 05-16 Boston, MA - Sheraton Hotel 06-19 Boston, MA - Symphony Hall ^ 06-20 Boston, MA - Symphony Hall ^ * with Death Cab for Cutie ^ with the Boston Pops

Before Radiohead embark on their massive world tour in support of their fantastic, industry-revolutionizing In Rainbows, they’ve got a very special evening planned. On May 3rd, VH1 will be airing Radiohead_In Rainbows_From The Basement, an intimate live performance the boys filmed in the studio. In addition to songs from In Rainbows, they’ll also be playing some of your other favorites. Check back on Monday, when we’ll have a sneak peek of what you can expect.

Run Level Zero hit the music scene running back in 2001 with their debut album, Symbol of Submission. By 2002, the band had been heralded as 'Best Newcomer of the Year' at the Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards. Four years after their last album, 2004's Walk The Psycho[Path], RLZ is back to give us Arctic Noise. Those nostalgic for industrial music’s heyday are going to love Arctic Noise. This album could have stood shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Tactical Neural Implant and Front By Front. But those days are behind us, and Run Level Zero has created a new standard. Arctic Noise has set itself up to be the yardstick that all industrial/EBM to follow will have to measure itself against. This is a tighter and more focused album than earlier efforts. Where RLZ may have once stood on uncertain ground, they now stand confidently. The opening track, “Black Cinder” takes a hold of you and gives you a good shake. By the third track “Hitting Ground”, it becomes apparent that the music isn’t going to loosen it’s grip on you anytime soon. It’s hard to sit still during this album. The energy seeps into you and seems to take control of your body, compelling you to move with the insistent beats. Contrasting that is “Lies Told,” which is slower than the previous tracks, but somehow more powerful because of it. Too often it happens that the music is sacrificed to emphasize the lyrics, or the other way around. Neither is compromised here. And the expert use of samples highlight the album in just the right spots. Run Level Zero has hit the nail squarely on the head. Beginning to end, Arctic Noise might be the industrial masterpiece of the year. For more information, visit Run Level Zero's official website. 

With 1963’s Top Pops, Capitol assembled another selection of Nat King Cole singles to follow-up the release of 1952’s Unforgettable. Top Pops covers a set of tracks that had been released by Cole as singles over the previous 18 months. Containing some of the biggest hits of the previous two years, this compilation features songs that made an impact on the charts and are still highly regarded as some of Cole’s top tunes. With this CD, Collector’s Choice has selected four extremely rare bonus tracks, three of which are making their CD debut. One of the tracks, “When I’m Alone,” had only previously been available on an obscure British LP release, so this is the first time the tune has seen a U.S. release. Most of the stuff on Top Pops is classic Nat King Cole. Songs expand with poise as Cole’s baritone eases into place, allowing the radiance of the pieces of music to stand out. “Funny” is a wonderful example of this, as the modest backing instruments seem rightly suited for a piano bar on the edge of town, yet Cole’s warm vocals give the song a comfortable sort of value. “Because You’re Mine” sweeps into place like a movie soundtrack (it was used by Mario Lanza, after all) and the tender swing of “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” feels like a joyful experience from years gone by under a moonlit sky. “The Ruby and the Pearl” is a passionate track, flowing like a breeze through a darkened bedroom. And on “Hold My Hand,” Cole opines about the “spell of love” with such sporty consideration that one can’t help being enchanted by his observations of romance. Top Pops never lacks diversity, as the supple incarnations of starry-eyed balladry gives way to “Papa Loves Mambo” without so much as a sneeze of restlessness. The characteristic hard-swinger (“I’m Never Satisfied”) makes an appearance, too. Overall, Top Pops is another admirable entry in the Nat King Cole catalogue. The reissue from Collector’s Choice dependably maintains the uprightness of the original recording, making it a model starting point for those interested in some of Cole’s more standard works. It isn’t an overly audacious compilation, but it does capture a period of big hits in style.

Richard "Blue" Mitchell may not have been the best trumpeter in straight-ahead jazz but he's among the best who didn't become a household name. Mitchell didn't display the the sharp timbre and fanciful trips up and down scales like contemporaries such as Freddie Hubbard or Booker Little. He never developed Miles Davis' affecting, melancholy cadence. But as Orrin Keepnews put it, "players with a real, deep melodic sensitivity and richness of tone are a good deal harder to come by," and he accurately identified Mitchell as one of those rare types. Coming out of Miami in the fifties, Mitchell's career was helped along by his familiarity with fellow south Florida native Cannonball Adderley, who recommended that Keepnews check out a local live performance. Keepnews was sufficiently impressed to bring the young trumpeter back up to New York (an earlier stint at the Big Apple was short-lived). Soon, Blue was a member of a vital Horace Silver Quintet that thrived from 1958 until 1964. Mitchell soon afterwards formed his own quintet that featured a couple of young guys who went on to make names for themselves later on: longtime Davis drummer Al Foster and this piano player named Chick Corea. As for Mitchell's own budding career a few years earlier, his signing to Keepnews' Riverside label not only led to plum sideman work for Silver and Adderley, but began a short but fruitful batch of recordings of albums for the label as a leader that holds their own against some of the most acclaimed hard bop albums of the late fifties and early sixties. It's perhaps Blue's third album for Riverside that stands out as his best of his pre-Blue Note works: the 1959 minor classic, Blue Soul. It's on this outing where Mitchell achieves a critical level of confidence. What's more, he's backed more than ably by a cast of all-stars: Wynton Kelly (piano), Jimmy Heath (tenor sax), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Sam Jones (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Sam Jones was another Cannonball favorite from Florida who has been discussed on this space before as a vital Riverside sideman, as have the legendary Philly Joe Jones. Wynton Kelly was Miles' piano player at the time and when these sessions were cut, he was just weeks removed from the history-making Kind Of Blue recordings. Jimmy Heath, the brother of the Modern Jazz Quartet's Percy Heath, was at the time about to embark on his own recording career as a leader, but already getting a reputation as a fine composer. Curtis Fuller was a up and comer at trombone and had already appeared on John Coltrane's lone Blue Note-r Blue Trane. His already-accomplished technique was the unsung hero on that early 'Trane classic. Mitchell was one of the earliest musicians to recognize the songwriting acumen of saxophonist Bennie Golsen, having recorded the first version of "Blues March" the prior year. This time around, Mitchell adapts Golsen's delightful "Minor Wamp," which was only preceded by Fuller's read on it months earlier. Mitchell even brought in Golsen himself to arrange the tune. It's on this hard-swinging number where we first notice what a formidable front line Mitchell, Heath, and Fuller made. As a unit they provided a tight, full sound that sounds as substantial as twice as many horns. Mitchell's muted horn makes the most of the short solo turn, with every note being just right. Heath likewise is fundamentally sound, and Fuller cleverly throws in a "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" reference on his turn. Philly Joe is his usual, wonderfully reckless self and Sam Jones is laying down an indestructible foundation right from the opening notes. It's a lot of maximal bop compressed into less than four minutes.page 1 | 2

Well known as the guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Tom Morello also performs solo as The Nightwatchman, a folk music act reminiscent of and influenced by artists such as Woody Guthrie and early Bob Dylan. For two weeks in seven cities the “Justice Tour” will have Morello participating in a day of local social activism. The focus of each stop will be homelessness (Los Angeles); addiction recovery (New York), safe, secure, and affordable housing (New Orleans); a living wage (Asheville); peace and veterans care (Washington, DC); affordable healthcare (Boston); and labor organizing (Chicago). The local organizations partnering with the tour are People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), Road Recovery, Sweet Home New Orleans and Amnesty International, Just Economics, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), HealthCare-Now, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU). To help draw attention to his work, Morello and assorted friends are performing concerts in each city at the cost of $10, except for the New York date. Proceeds from each show benefit the local social justice partner. The Los Angeles show had an amazing line-up that sounds unbelievable to me even though I witnessed it. The three-hour show was very relaxed as the artists causally walked on and off stage and many delivered stunning performances in the small confines of the legendary Troubadour club. Morello as The Nightwatchman played “Flesh Takes The Day” on acoustic guitar, “St. Isabel” on drum and harmonica, and followed up his much-talked-about recent performances of “Ghost of Tom Joad” with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band the week before in Anaheim with an acoustic rendition. He then brought out the house band for Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” The first musical guest to join Morello on stage was drummer Stewart Copeland. They played two Police tracks with Carl Restivo on vocals. They started with “So Lonely,” which not only drove the crowd wild, but also Perry Farrell who hopped on stage to join in the chorus. After “Message In A Bottle,” the stage was given to individual performers. Pete Yorn played a couple songs, Jerry Cantrell played one, and Wayne Kramer played two silly songs, closing with a jazzy number about writer Charles Bukowski. Larger line-ups began to fill the stage. State Radio, an up-and-coming band with a rock/reggae sound, played three songs. Guitar whiz Steve Vai took the stage with the house band and played two brilliant instrumentals. Cantrell and Flea watched from the sidelines and were equally in awe of the sounds Vai made as was the audience. When musicians are impressed, you know you witnessed something spectacular. Farrell, his wife Ety, and Restivo are the remaining members of Satellite Party. They performed over recorded material, including weird-sounding dance versions of Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing” and “Stop” that only became recognizable from the lyrics. While I hesitate finding fault with anyone who gives their time to charity, the songs didn't sound good, made even more evident when Dave Navarro, Flea, and Travis Barker joined Farrell for Jane’s “Mountian Song. ” The crowd went nuts for the classic Jane’s sound, and even Farrell seemed more inspired performing in front of it.  They set the music bar very high.page 1 | 2

If I had to listen to one decade of music for the rest of my life, it would be the 80s. What’s not to like about Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order, Psychedelic Furs, early U2, etc.? According to Voyager One’s MySpace page, some of their many, many influences include The Human League, The Cure, Talking Heads and The Smiths — all excellent 80s bands. That’s why I thought it would be a no-brainer to review the Seattle band’s latest album, Afterhours in the Afterlife. Yes, I could hear the influences listed above, including some not mentioned, but in all, the effort was lost on me. For example, the first track, “Here,” has a clear Moby influence, but where Moby succeeds in creating dance/techno, Voyager One’s attempt quickly diffused into a mess of sounds that promptly gave me a whopping headache. There should be an advisory on this album: If you’re prone to headaches, don’t listen to it. After my headache dissipated, I continued with track two, “The Future is Obsolete,” which I did enjoy (although anything that didn’t give me a headache would have made me happy at that point). The track reminded me of rave party music, and it had a techno sound with clear similarities to Depeche Mode and New Order. It also had some really cool reverberation/blown speaker sounds, which I do like (I’m a big fan of Son Volt, so a preference for that sound is a prerequisite). Alas, like track one, it was about 90 percent music and 10 percent lyrics, so it’s not so much a song as it is simply music. Maybe it’s because I had yet to hear a Voyager One song, but track three, “I Remember Everything,” quickly became my favorite on the album. The first true song on the album, “I Remember Everything” echoed strains of the Psychedelic Furs and, again, Depeche Mode. While track four, “Ocean Grey,” was a mild (and bland) attempt at U2, I was surprised by the originality of track five, “Beautiful Wreckage,” which brought to mind Arabian nights. It was magical and mesmerizing (though not a radio-friendly track, nor the kind that I’d listen to repeatedly). The last five tracks started a downward spiral once again into noise with no point, much like the first track. “The Kids Take Control” was tolerable, in that I could again hear Depeche Mode’s influences in it. “Give” also echoed Depeche Mode, but it included a weird skipping/scratching sound that was highly annoying. That sound only got worse with the track (ironically titled) “Bed of Sound,” which continued the weird noise until I thought my speakers were going to explode. Hints of New Order (and, again, Depeche Mode) in “Darling O.K.” could not salvage the track for me, what with the ticking time bomb noise throughout. The album closed like it opened, with “Sine Waves,” full of annoying noise versus music and lyrics. Afterhours In The Afterlife, Voyager One’s fifth album created by bandmates Jeramy Koepping and Peter Marchese, may be enjoyable for fans of the band. But for a newbie like me, it just left me in need of an Excedrin.

Nine Inch Nails' main-man Trent Reznor continues to be one of the most innovative artists in the music industry today. It's a title that, in my book, Reznor has had a nearly constant grip on for nearly 20 years now. In 1997, the NIN track "The Perfect Drug" (from the Lost Highway soundtrack) made its debut on the internet, and was one of the first music tracks to be premiered exclusively via the internet. Now, over 10 years later, Reznor is making technological waves again. The NIN website was updated earlier this week with a cryptic message stating "two weeks." And Reznor had more tricks up his sleeve. Tuesday afternoon, he released a brand new NIN track (with vocals) titled "Discipline" to radio stations. "Discipline" was released to radio less than 24 hours after the mixes were completed by Alan Moulder. That same day, the song was made available as a free download, and the multi-tracks were posted for fans to make remixes. And Reznor promises "more news today." With the new single in hand, suddenly the cryptic "two weeks" starts to make more sense. A new NIN album is reportedly done, and might we have that album in two weeks time? Sounds like a good bet to me. These are exciting times for both musicians and music fans alike. Musicians like Reznor have found the way to insert excitement and anticipation back into music for music fans. One of the things that I lament occasionally with the internet, is the loss of anticipation that one used to have when an album release was upcoming. You couldn't wait to hear that new album, and spent lots of time wondering what was it going to sound like, what does the artwork look like, who played on it, etc. Now, with the control of the music placed into the artist's hands, you can once again enjoy the mystery of not knowing. I was at work yesterday when my boss from the radio station emailed me to give me a heads up that the radio station would be premiering a brand new Nine Inch Nails track in 10 minutes. I turned on the radio, excited to hear a new track from Nine Inch Nails that as of a few hours earlier, none of us had known was even a possibility!page 1 | 2

There is nothing like a Friday night and live music, well movies make a good substitute but that is a story for another time. With the spring weather beginning to hit, it seems that more bands are hitting the road and making passes through my town. This particular night saw the latest incarnation of Drowning Pool bring their Full Circle tour through Poughkeepsie, NY with their stop at The Chance Theater, the best music club in the area. While I cannot say it was the best night of music, it was definitely high energy, which I needed considering how tired I was heading into a night that featured five bands. The first act to take the stage was the local act Hyngd. I have seen these guys before, although it has been over a year. They hit the stage like a band with something to prove, playing tight hard rock and doing their part to get the small but growing crowd amped for the rest of the evening. They did a good job, however I have to admit to not being all that enamored with their music. It is not that it was bad, but it did fall a bit to the bland side, and the effects on the singer's voice gave his sound an odd tinge, I would rather have heard more of his voice without the effects. It was solid rock and roll in the Godsmack tradition, and it was played with power and conviction, just not a great amount of originality. However, the final song of their set did see them step up a bit and provide us with their best song of the night. Now, if they could play more with that sound. Next was an up and coming act from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, called Another Black Day. They are on tour promoting the upcoming release of their debut album. Lead singer/vocalist Matthew Wilcof came to the stage announcing their band name and saying: "You may not know who we are, but you will!" Following their thirty minute set, I am convinced that Matthew spoke the truth. This metal act impressed with their technical skills, blended with some nice songwriting, and plenty of energy. You know how you hear a band and you begin to think of other bands that they remind you of, I have noticed that the connections I make are sometimes more feel related than an actuality. To this end, Another Black Day came across as blend of Lamb of God and Black Label Society. They had a bit of that New Wave of American Metal sound, while also being deep into the heavy hard rock sound. However you want to listen to them, they have definite skills and will be a band to keep an eye on. The third band to take the stage was easily the most musically accomplished of the night. They are another up and coming act, their self-titled debut having been released this past April. Egypt Central came out with all guns blazing. Of all the bands that played this night, it felt as if Egypt Central had the most to prove and wanted to show just what they could do. The quality of the music from their album came through loud and clear on the stage, as they injected another level of energy into the songs. The crowd responded in kind. Egypt Central was a solid unit, playing in perfect synch, simply owning the stage. Still, their sound is a bit dated, and my own opinion is that this will hold them back from being all that they can be. That said, the album was recorded a good 3-4 years back, what they do next will likely be a better judge of their potential and continued success. Of the bands on the tour, they seem to be the best at showing their musical ability and getting the crowd riled up. Their high impact set came to a close with their lead single, "You Make Me Sick." It will definitely be interesting to see how they progress.page 1 | 2