Tha Carter III
Li’l Wayne
(UNIVERSAL/CASH MONEY)
Commercial success has largely eluded Li’l Wayne for most of his solo career. The second installment of his three-part series, Tha Carter, was received with open arms from fans and critics alike for its gritty street lyrics and big talk, but the two main singles, “Shooter” and “Fireman,” were largely overshadowed by the dance-rap phenomenon that pervaded major radio and TV outlets at the time.
Nearly three years later, after dozens of official and unofficial mixtapes, Wayne has honed his lyrical talent and released “Tha Carter III,” which as I type this, is on course to be the best-selling album of 2008, with one million copies sold the first week.
“Tha Carter III” is noticeably shorter than the previous two, but the album is also packed with heavier and more substantive material than the others. “3Peat” opens the album with some of Wayne’s most braggadocios rhymes and prepares the listener for the rest of the album, which is loaded with abstract punchlines and metaphors, some of which are just plain weird. Weird is good though, especially when every rapper wants to sound like Soulja Boy. Every rapper should want to sound like Wayne though, especially since he recently beat out Soulja Boy for the top-selling ringtone of all time with “Lollipop.”
Though it started out pretty small, “Lollipop” has grown to become one of the most popular singles of the year, and even if you’re not familiar with Wayne, you probably still know the infectious, R&B influenced “Lollipop,” featuring the recently deceased Louisville native Static Major. “Lollipop” essentially proves that the general public does not care how good of a rapper you are, as long as your single is catchy and easy to sing along to. There’s one part in the song where Wayne doesn’t even do anything for four bars except repeat “Yeah,” with his southern bullfrog croak. The beat backs it up though and most people probably don’t even notice.
If there’s one thing that “Tha Carter III” has, it’s incredible production from people like Swizz Beatz, Kanye West, and David Banner, probably one of the main reasons it’s taken the album so long to come out. Produced by the elusive Bangladesh, “A Millie” gets my vote for hottest beat of the year, and the second track, “Mr. Carter,” features some soulful production from Just Blaze and a guest verse from Wayne’s main influence, Jay-Z. One of Wayne’s rhymes in the first verse might turn away purists, but explains much of the newfound fascination with Wayne over the last few years. “I’m gonna need a coupe. I won’t need a roof/ Flyer than Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” shows that Wayne just doesn’t care anymore and that we’re going to have to take him as he is. These strange lyrics give Wayne a human appeal that most rappers, barring Kanye West, really don’t have anymore.
“The Carter III” isn’t all silly punchlines and club tracks though. “Phone Home” and “Dr. Carter” show Wayne mastering his concepts. On “Phone Home,” Wayne takes on the persona of an alien rapper, making for a pretty good song, something that up-and-comers will surely take notes on. But Wayne really shines on “Dr. Carter,” where he takes on the role of a doctor, whose duty is to revive dying rappers. Wayne’s delivery is near perfect on this track and lyrics like “Fast and exciting, my passion is frightening / Now lemme put some more vocab in your I.V.” show that the originator of “Bling Bling” has stepped his game up quite a bit since the days of the Hot Boys.
On “Tie My Hands,” Wayne and Robin Thicke collaborate once again and show that their chemistry in the studio is something not to be looked over. Wayne uses the soulful production on this track to his advantage and discusses the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in his hometown. His delivery and lyrics make this song one of the best on the album and when Wayne says “No governor, No help from the mayor/Just a steady beating heart and a wish and a prayer” with such raw emotion, you almost feel like you’re right there with him.
“Tha Carter III” is easily the best commercial rap album since Kanye West’s “Graduation.” However, there is one dismal failure towards the end and that is “Mrs. Officer,” where Bobby Valentino, one of the today’s most bland, faceless R&B singers, comes off of hiatus to help Wayne sing about having sex with police officers? This might be Wayne’s attempt at an abstract R&B-influenced “F*ck The Police” record, but it just comes off as a weird and misguided, not to mention that it’s just an awful beat to begin with.
The closer, “Misunderstood,” isn’t nearly as bad, but no hip-hop song should be nine minutes long, and Lil Wayne simply loses his passion about halfway through the rapping part of the song. The rest of the song is just Wayne rambling on about overcrowded jails, racist drug laws, sex offenders, and Al Sharpton, stuff that people who aren’t touring 300 days out of the year are probably already up on. It’s enlightening for those who aren’t though, so he definitely gets credit for trying.
I doubt if “Tha Carter III” solidifies Wayne’s self-proclaimed title “Best Rapper Alive,” but I think a more appropriate title would be “America’s Favorite Rapper,” just from looking at the ringtone and album sales. This is easily his best album yet, but I think he has some more tricks up his sleeve. If Wayne doesn’t go the way of Amy Winehouse, he definitely has a classic album in his future. After all, the guy is only 25 years old. —Aaron Frank
Friday, June 27, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Delicious: Postcard To My Sewing Circle
The Delicious
Postcard to my Sewing Circle
(JOYFUL NOISE)
I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical about how tasty The Delicious were going to be. But after listening only a few minutes, I’d say they are pretty scrumptious. At least they are welcome change from the monotony of pop music. At its best, Postcard to my Sewing Circle isn’t boring or predictable; it is witty and attention demanding.
Don’t let the light-hearted tone of the music fool you, or allow the disjointed lyrics to confuse you. The lyrics are clever and well written. But unfortunately, to appreciate them the songs might require a second listen. “Time and Energy” isn’t your standard “I want you back, baby” song. Also, much to my surprise, Hokusai and cryptozoological are both legit words and, they are used fairly correctly in their contexts. These guys know exactly what they are doing with wordplay.
The most disappointing aspect of the album would be that it only has five tracks. Just as I was getting into it, it was over. I suddenly had the sensation to flip it over like a cassette tape to listen to another side of tracks. –Cassie Book
Postcard to my Sewing Circle
(JOYFUL NOISE)
I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical about how tasty The Delicious were going to be. But after listening only a few minutes, I’d say they are pretty scrumptious. At least they are welcome change from the monotony of pop music. At its best, Postcard to my Sewing Circle isn’t boring or predictable; it is witty and attention demanding.
Don’t let the light-hearted tone of the music fool you, or allow the disjointed lyrics to confuse you. The lyrics are clever and well written. But unfortunately, to appreciate them the songs might require a second listen. “Time and Energy” isn’t your standard “I want you back, baby” song. Also, much to my surprise, Hokusai and cryptozoological are both legit words and, they are used fairly correctly in their contexts. These guys know exactly what they are doing with wordplay.
The most disappointing aspect of the album would be that it only has five tracks. Just as I was getting into it, it was over. I suddenly had the sensation to flip it over like a cassette tape to listen to another side of tracks. –Cassie Book
Live: Phil Lesh & Friends
Phil Lesh & Friends
Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
Columbus, Ohio
June 12, 2008
“I’ve never liked the studio experience or making records for some big company,” legendary bass player Phil Lesh once told LEO. “I’m more into the originality and freshness of every new performance."
When Lesh’s latest tour kicked off Thursday night in Columbus, it was easy to see what he meant.
Though a fast and furious storm forced opener Levon Helm off-stage after a mere three songs, Lesh, a veteran of Woodstock, Monterey Pop, and Altamont (sort of), was not shaken.
As the rains subsided and Lesh and friends finally emerged, it was clear that we were in for a wild ride with San Francisco hipster Jackie Greene at the wheel.
This inspired show featured a pair of Greene originals, a heaping helping of Dead-related staples, and the usual elongated jams. Throughout, Lesh was in fine form, the band (which also included Larry Campbell, John Molo and Steve Molitz) was spot-on, and the minor rain-related sound issues were easily overlooked.
The only disappointment was the brevity of Helm's warm-up set and the fact that he did not sit in later with the friends. In any event, Lesh’s portion of the concert unfolded like this (and definitely left us wanting more):
Set One: “Minglewood Blues,” “Doin’ That Rag,” “Gone Wanderin’,” “Dire Wolf,” “Mama Tried,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Bertha.”
Set Two: “Passenger,” “Don’t Let The Devil Take Your Mind,” “High Time,” “St. Stephen,” “The Other One,” “The Wheel,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “Sugar Magnolia.”
Encore: “Cold Rain And Snow.”
-Kevin M. Wilson
Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
Columbus, Ohio
June 12, 2008
“I’ve never liked the studio experience or making records for some big company,” legendary bass player Phil Lesh once told LEO. “I’m more into the originality and freshness of every new performance."
When Lesh’s latest tour kicked off Thursday night in Columbus, it was easy to see what he meant.
Though a fast and furious storm forced opener Levon Helm off-stage after a mere three songs, Lesh, a veteran of Woodstock, Monterey Pop, and Altamont (sort of), was not shaken.
As the rains subsided and Lesh and friends finally emerged, it was clear that we were in for a wild ride with San Francisco hipster Jackie Greene at the wheel.
This inspired show featured a pair of Greene originals, a heaping helping of Dead-related staples, and the usual elongated jams. Throughout, Lesh was in fine form, the band (which also included Larry Campbell, John Molo and Steve Molitz) was spot-on, and the minor rain-related sound issues were easily overlooked.
The only disappointment was the brevity of Helm's warm-up set and the fact that he did not sit in later with the friends. In any event, Lesh’s portion of the concert unfolded like this (and definitely left us wanting more):
Set One: “Minglewood Blues,” “Doin’ That Rag,” “Gone Wanderin’,” “Dire Wolf,” “Mama Tried,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Bertha.”
Set Two: “Passenger,” “Don’t Let The Devil Take Your Mind,” “High Time,” “St. Stephen,” “The Other One,” “The Wheel,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “Sugar Magnolia.”
Encore: “Cold Rain And Snow.”
-Kevin M. Wilson
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Vault: Ed Harcourt - The Beautiful Lie
The Beautiful Lie
Ed Harcourt
(Dovecote)
Nearly two years after its initial release in the UK, British singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt’s fourth solo album, The Beautiful Lie, has finally found a home here on Dovecote Records. Over the years, Harcourt has toured with the likes of R.E.M., Snow Patrol and Wilco, and since his humble beginnings in 2000, he has released four full-length albums and two EPs, of which nearly all charted in the U.K. Even though Harcourt has developed a faithful European following, commercial success has basically eluded him in the States, and, based on this record, will likely elude him for years to come.
The Beautiful Lie possesses many of the same qualities that have gained him loyal fans but fails to expand on any sort of innovative musical ideas. The result is a sappy, ballad-laden album that will find a comfortable home alongside Paul McCartney and Michael McDonald on the shelves of Starbucks. The album opens with an upbeat track, “Whirlwind In D Minor,” which turns out to be one of the best tracks on the record. Harcourt’s intense falsetto is invigorating, and the track takes on a catchy alt-country feel during the chorus. “Visit From the Dead Dog” takes on a similar feel, but it’s even more upbeat and catchy.
Though conceptually redundant, the first two songs are well-written, piano-pop jams that would fare well on adult contemporary radio. But the album takes a turn for the worse on “You Only Call Me When You’re Drunk,” — one of the more overdone lyrical concepts in recent years. The song is bland to begin with, but turns into an absolute train wreck during the breakdown, which sounds like it was thrown together at the last second. The following track “The Last Cigarette” would both fit perfectly on a score for a romantic comedy movie. “27 Dresses” anyone?
This string of sappy ballads continues on “Shadowboxing” and “Late Night Partner,” the latter sounding as if a 15-year-old girl wrote it, not a 28-year-old married man. Both rely heavily on orchestral accompaniment, perhaps to distract the listener from the average songwriting. The violins come on a bit too strong though, and overshadow Harcourt’s vocals. “Late Night Partner” sounds overproduced, but “Revolution In My Heart” is one of the redeeming tracks, bringing Harcourt’s Brit-pop tendencies back to the forefront.
On the latter part of the album, Harcourt’s piano ballad roots shine through, especially on “Rain On The Pretty Ones” and “Braille.” “Rain” suffers from the same overzealous orchestral backing, making the track sound like Josh Groban backed by John Williams and the New York Philharmonic. The deal-breaker on “Rain” are Harcourt’s sub-par lyrics. The song is essentially about an outsider coming to terms with his menial existence, but Harcourt uses analogies that aren’t poetic or creative. All well and good for an undiscerning audience, but I doubt anyone understands what “I’m the cuckoo that never flew south” means. Harcourt is a fairly likable guy, but many of the songs here sounds bland and uninspired — the kind of music you’re likely to hear in a hotel lobby sooner rather than later. —Aaron Frank
Ed Harcourt
(Dovecote)
Nearly two years after its initial release in the UK, British singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt’s fourth solo album, The Beautiful Lie, has finally found a home here on Dovecote Records. Over the years, Harcourt has toured with the likes of R.E.M., Snow Patrol and Wilco, and since his humble beginnings in 2000, he has released four full-length albums and two EPs, of which nearly all charted in the U.K. Even though Harcourt has developed a faithful European following, commercial success has basically eluded him in the States, and, based on this record, will likely elude him for years to come.
The Beautiful Lie possesses many of the same qualities that have gained him loyal fans but fails to expand on any sort of innovative musical ideas. The result is a sappy, ballad-laden album that will find a comfortable home alongside Paul McCartney and Michael McDonald on the shelves of Starbucks. The album opens with an upbeat track, “Whirlwind In D Minor,” which turns out to be one of the best tracks on the record. Harcourt’s intense falsetto is invigorating, and the track takes on a catchy alt-country feel during the chorus. “Visit From the Dead Dog” takes on a similar feel, but it’s even more upbeat and catchy.
Though conceptually redundant, the first two songs are well-written, piano-pop jams that would fare well on adult contemporary radio. But the album takes a turn for the worse on “You Only Call Me When You’re Drunk,” — one of the more overdone lyrical concepts in recent years. The song is bland to begin with, but turns into an absolute train wreck during the breakdown, which sounds like it was thrown together at the last second. The following track “The Last Cigarette” would both fit perfectly on a score for a romantic comedy movie. “27 Dresses” anyone?
This string of sappy ballads continues on “Shadowboxing” and “Late Night Partner,” the latter sounding as if a 15-year-old girl wrote it, not a 28-year-old married man. Both rely heavily on orchestral accompaniment, perhaps to distract the listener from the average songwriting. The violins come on a bit too strong though, and overshadow Harcourt’s vocals. “Late Night Partner” sounds overproduced, but “Revolution In My Heart” is one of the redeeming tracks, bringing Harcourt’s Brit-pop tendencies back to the forefront.
On the latter part of the album, Harcourt’s piano ballad roots shine through, especially on “Rain On The Pretty Ones” and “Braille.” “Rain” suffers from the same overzealous orchestral backing, making the track sound like Josh Groban backed by John Williams and the New York Philharmonic. The deal-breaker on “Rain” are Harcourt’s sub-par lyrics. The song is essentially about an outsider coming to terms with his menial existence, but Harcourt uses analogies that aren’t poetic or creative. All well and good for an undiscerning audience, but I doubt anyone understands what “I’m the cuckoo that never flew south” means. Harcourt is a fairly likable guy, but many of the songs here sounds bland and uninspired — the kind of music you’re likely to hear in a hotel lobby sooner rather than later. —Aaron Frank
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
The electro-pop sensibilities of the Ting Tings have propelled them from virtual unknowns to up-and-coming sensations in just under two years. Last summer, the British duo was largely unheard of outside of their native Manchester. However, they generated quite a buzz with their first single “Great DJ,” through private shows at the underground Manchester club called The Mill. The Ting Tings also had a breakout performance at Glastonbury in 2007. Later that year, newly appointed Columbia exec, Rick Rubin, saw the Ting Tings perform and signed them to a record deal. Fast-forward to 2008, and the Ting Tings are finally set to release their debut album, “We Started Nothing."
If you don’t like pop music, you probably won’t like the Ting Tings. The definition of pop has surely changed over the last two decades, but when I say pop, I like to think of 1980s pop, when the B-52s and Cyndi Lauper had the opportunity to become successful while still maintaining their quirkiness and individuality. The Ting Tings share few similarities with modern pop artists though. The album opener, “Great DJ,” combines that pop sensibility with strong post-punk and electronic influences. With a heavy kick drum on two and four, it’s no wonder that electro-pop wizard Calvin Harris remixed the track for the dance floor.
The second single “That’s Not My Name,” has less of a post-punk vibe, and it’s definitely more upbeat and radio-friendly. Though it’s arguably the most dance-worthy on the album, guitarist and lead singer Katie White makes the double meaning behind the song title abundantly clear in her lyrics. The line, “They call me quiet girl. But I’m a riot,” is a commentary on White’s typically reserved demeanor, which totally changes when she hits the stage. “Getting clamped up and sitting on the fence now” is likely a metaphor for her and fellow Ting Jules De Martino’s first band Dear Eskiimo, whose debut album on Mercury was shelved and never saw the light of day.
One surprise is “Traffic Light.” Mellow and melodic, it shows The Ting Tings’ knack for seamlessly combining various genres, including electronic and folk, which rarely get along like they do on “Traffic Light.” White’s soothing vocals are at the forefront, whereas the rest of the album strikes a near-perfect balance between her singing and De Martino’s clean production. “Shut Up and Let Me Go” is the most recent single from the Ting Tings, which you might’ve heard on the new iTunes commercial. It’s got a hint of disco, but the catchy guitar riff makes the tune work. White’s lyrics take on a double-meaning once again, as she describes both her will to get out of a failed relationship and trying to get out of Dear Eskiimo’s record contract with Mercury.
“Shut Up and Let Me Go” blends well with the next song, “Keep Your Head,” another upbeat track with a soulful breakdown. “Keep Your Head” shows the duo’s more skilled and intricate production techniques, especially at the end, when White grunts the lyrics over her own backing vocal melody. The heavy percussion and funk-inspired bass line of “We Walk” makes the most pretentious music snob tap his or her feet.
We Started Nothing isn’t without flaws though. “Fruit Machine” comes off manufactured, and “Impacillia Carpisung” lacks the catchy chorus and production quality that is ubiquitous on the rest of the album, and even the title track lacks energy and enthusiasm, and will likely leave fans of “Great DJ” at a loss for words. —Aaron Frank
If you don’t like pop music, you probably won’t like the Ting Tings. The definition of pop has surely changed over the last two decades, but when I say pop, I like to think of 1980s pop, when the B-52s and Cyndi Lauper had the opportunity to become successful while still maintaining their quirkiness and individuality. The Ting Tings share few similarities with modern pop artists though. The album opener, “Great DJ,” combines that pop sensibility with strong post-punk and electronic influences. With a heavy kick drum on two and four, it’s no wonder that electro-pop wizard Calvin Harris remixed the track for the dance floor.
The second single “That’s Not My Name,” has less of a post-punk vibe, and it’s definitely more upbeat and radio-friendly. Though it’s arguably the most dance-worthy on the album, guitarist and lead singer Katie White makes the double meaning behind the song title abundantly clear in her lyrics. The line, “They call me quiet girl. But I’m a riot,” is a commentary on White’s typically reserved demeanor, which totally changes when she hits the stage. “Getting clamped up and sitting on the fence now” is likely a metaphor for her and fellow Ting Jules De Martino’s first band Dear Eskiimo, whose debut album on Mercury was shelved and never saw the light of day.
One surprise is “Traffic Light.” Mellow and melodic, it shows The Ting Tings’ knack for seamlessly combining various genres, including electronic and folk, which rarely get along like they do on “Traffic Light.” White’s soothing vocals are at the forefront, whereas the rest of the album strikes a near-perfect balance between her singing and De Martino’s clean production. “Shut Up and Let Me Go” is the most recent single from the Ting Tings, which you might’ve heard on the new iTunes commercial. It’s got a hint of disco, but the catchy guitar riff makes the tune work. White’s lyrics take on a double-meaning once again, as she describes both her will to get out of a failed relationship and trying to get out of Dear Eskiimo’s record contract with Mercury.
“Shut Up and Let Me Go” blends well with the next song, “Keep Your Head,” another upbeat track with a soulful breakdown. “Keep Your Head” shows the duo’s more skilled and intricate production techniques, especially at the end, when White grunts the lyrics over her own backing vocal melody. The heavy percussion and funk-inspired bass line of “We Walk” makes the most pretentious music snob tap his or her feet.
We Started Nothing isn’t without flaws though. “Fruit Machine” comes off manufactured, and “Impacillia Carpisung” lacks the catchy chorus and production quality that is ubiquitous on the rest of the album, and even the title track lacks energy and enthusiasm, and will likely leave fans of “Great DJ” at a loss for words. —Aaron Frank
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Abbey Road On The River Featured On VH1
BY AARON FRANK
This past Friday night, VH1 began showing a 90 second segment dedicated to Louisville's Abbey Road on the River. The segment highlights one of the main performances, which was the 40th anniversary performance of The White Album in its entirety. The concert featured the first ever performance of the controversial Beatles song, "Revolution #9," and this is also covered in the new VH1 segment.
Abbey Road on the River just wrapped up its fourth year last weekend, and when all was said and done, the festival broke another record for attendance, drawing 25,000 concert-goers. The festival brings out Beatles fans and bands from across the world every year, and is the only festival of its kind, which brings together Beatles cover bands from nearly every background.
The VH1 segment on Abbey Road on the River debuted Friday night on VH1, so it will be shown sporadically during commercial breaks on the network. You can also check out the segment, when it goes online tomorrow at www.vh1.com.
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