Cool Spins
Every week, the editors of Mix review new CD and DVD releases from a "sound" perspective. Scroll down for more of this week's reviews, or to search the archives of "Cool Spins" from our Website or from the pages of our print edition.
FEATURED COOL SPINS
CD Review: Exene Cervenka Somewhere Gone (Bloodshot Records)Exene Cervenka, the co-leader (with John Doe) of my favorite punk band, X, shows her poetic side on this solo release. Of course, she has never not been a poet; that’s one of the things that have made X so great: They’re loud and powerful, nasty sometimes, with off-kilter harmonies and rockabilly guitars, but they are never stupid.... |
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CD Review: Smokey Hormel Smokey’s Secret Family (Afro Sambas)It’s not like Smokey Hormel was in any danger of being pigeon-holed. I mean, this superb guitarist has shown in the past that he’s comfortable working in just about any style—hence he’s got a discography that includes Johnny Cash, Beck, k.d. lang, Tom Waits, John Doe, Emmylou Harris, Justin Timberlake and the Dixie Chicks, to name a few.... |
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CD Review: Dex Romweber Duo Featuring Jack White—“Third Man” (Bloodshot)According to the press on this single, Dex Romweber, who with his sister Sara formed the Dex Romweber Duo, has been a major sonic influence on Jack White. It doesn’t seem like a stretch. Romweber has more dark rockabilly soul in his little finger than most of us will ever hear, much less have.... |
BLAIR'S DVD WATCH: Two Shades of Cool—Chris Isaak and Jeff Beck
DVD Review: Threshold of a Dream—The Moody Blues Live at the Isle of Wight Festival (Eagle Vision)
For five days at the end of August, 1970, some 600,000 people descended on the tiny Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England, for a music festival that has come to be regarded as one of the greatest ever staged. In size, it far eclipsed Woodstock a year earlier, and most would argue that the lineup of talent also was better than that of its more famous American cousin. This was actually the third Isle of Wight Festival—the inaugural event in 1968 drew about 100,000 and was headlined by Jefferson Airplane —but by far the biggest. The Saturday, August 29 show alone had a lineup that included Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, Emerson Lake & Palmer (in just their second appearance), The Doors, The Who and Sly & the Family Stone. The final show, Sunday, August 30, was headlined by Jimi Hendrix, and also featured Donovan, Free, Jethro Tull, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and the subject of this fine concert documentary, the Moody Blues, who were at their commercial peak at that moment....
AES 2009: Slate Pro Audio Trigger
Upgrading Studio A at Santa Barbara Sound