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REVIEWS LcVJJ I iuiKA •i . i !•. KEVN KINNEY The Flower And The Knife Caprice rn Freed from Ihe rock and roll expec tations that weighed down Drivin'N'Cryin', Kevn Kinney jumps head first into Dylan territory on his new solo album and shares tales ol isolation and loss in a world-weary voice that travels Irom the mountains to the delta to hell' and then to redemption. Re-imagined versions ol "Scarred But Smarter* and “Straight To Hell" are sure to spark the interest ol the D'n'C' crowd, but the album hits its high points on newer material. "40 Miles ol Mountain Road" is my personal favorite; the spooky. Mississippi crossroads vibe is enhanced and darkened greatly by the steel guitar of GovT MuleS Warren Haynes as it wails over the spare and tense rhythm providing no release from its vise grip. Td rather be a possum than a poor white man." Kinney croaks in a more melodic, desperate voice than his hero Dylan. “Whatever" is another minor key wonder with biting lyrics and a thundering kick drum that pounds the point home. Special guests abound on the album: John Popper (Blues Traveler) lends his considerable harmonica skill lo ‘Scarred But Smarter" and Edwin McCain provides a smattering ol backup vocals. The Allmans' Derek Trucks and Oteil Burbridge add to the swanky, flew Orleans feel of "Kerouac" with their lead and bass duties, and Haynes is all over the record. Haynes alsc did time as pro ducer, so that's no surprise. The Flower And The Knile is a sparse, muled, intense affair that allows the characters in the songs to tell their own stories. (83 Walton St.. Atlanta. GA 30303) Chris McKay Kevn Kinney plays at the 40 Watt Club on Saturday, August 19. KINGS OF CONVENIENCE Kings of Convenience Kindercore The music the Kings make is as cold as the country in which they make it and the songs are mostly minor-key affairs with near-constant harmonizing over subdued guitars. Kings of Convenience is a two- piece group from Bergen. Norway. Emk Glambek Boe plays nylon string acoustic guitars and sings most of the lead vocals, while Erlend Oye plays steel string acoustic and sings backing vocals. The band's '60s-styfe folk-pop is reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel in their more uptight, almost medieval- sounding moments, a la "Scarbrough Fair." The nylon-string acoustic also reminds the listener of Red House Painters' more simplistic songs from the album Songs For A Blue Guitar. The two Scandinavians harmonizing is spot-on and the interplay ol their guitars is as well crafted as it is catchy Three of the tracks feature simple drum lines to help propel them into somewhat more pop-ish territory, but most of the sengs tall into the plaintive folk-love ballad category. "I Don! Know What I Can Save You From" is the standout love song, with lyrics lamenting the way people change when relationships end and the avfcwardness ol re-acquainting yoursell with a former lover Some of the lyrical flights on this record find the Kings dishing out a common kind ol naive romanticism, as in. "Even though I’ll never need her/ even though she's always giving me pain./ I'll be on my knees to feed her/ spend a day to make her smile again." from "Winning a Battle. Losing the War." I could do without this kind ol • sappiness, although il does make a strange kind of sense in the context ol Ihe music. From what I’ve read. Ihe band made a pretty big splash in its first several shows, and quile a lew labels were mailing out contracts Their involvement in this record is definitely something ol which Kindercore should be proud; it's great io see a local label reaching all the way around the globe to find bands this good and bring them to an American audience. Kings 01 Convenience has its weak points, bul it's doing something inter esting The revival of '60s folk-pop infused with a dry. European sensibility reaches a hunger that cannot be entirely tilled by Belle K Sebastian (P. 0 Box 461. Athens. GA 30603) Brandon Butler Kings 01 Convenience play the "Kindercore Expo 2000’ at the 40 Watt Cluh on Thursday. August 10. VARIOUS ARTISTS Read Trip Soundtrack Dreamworks/SKG Why does Hollywood continue to do this to us all? This is just another mostly dispensable collection of songs with strictly mercenary intent Even the most notable artists here (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Supergrass, and Kid Rock) fail to deliver anything even worthy of a b-side. Luckily. The Eels' track ‘Mr E's Beaulilul Blues’ delivers a cool slice ol pop. Here, they cop the bass line from ‘Twist And Shout." add a Peter Gabriel- goes-bubblegum vocal, plus a dash ol profanity lo add some “edge" and come up with what Smash Mouth would sound like il it was ever worth hearing Weens funky. 70s-style ‘Voodoo Lady’ is also a highlight For me though. Ihe greatest contribution ol this album lo my existence was the realiza tion thal Run DMC's 1986 hit “IIS Tricky’ was just a rap version ol Tom Basil's “Mickey." How could I have nol noticed that before? Oh well, thanks for thal. Dreamworks, bul except lor a lew minutes, this collection, like most ol Ihe film itsell. is a complete waste ol lime (9268 West Third Street. Beverly Hills, C A 90210) Chris McKay MASTERS OF THE HEMISPHERE I Am Not A F'eemdoom Kindercore For an album on a label that prides itsell on its pop simplicity. I Am Not A Freemdoom is incredibly difficult !o enjoy. The songs all coincide with a convoluted comic book insert that recounts the story ol a dog named "Freemdoom" who takes over the island ol Krone Ishta with h*s sidek'ck Gorgar. Two island inhabitants. Mai and Edward, fight off Freemdoom and Gorgar with, among other things, a cybernetic arm, fumes of :he rasta root and the Eyeball of Truth. It’s all pretty clever, and Athens' Masters Of The Hemisphere deserve credit for ambition, but good God the album is a workout! I guess you could just try to enioy the immaculate production and wispy melodies, but unless you're working with some really spectacular hooks (which you’re not), pop music need: at least a little substance to back up the nonsense (and don't give me that "I Am The Walrus" crap because, unless you're dealing with The Beatles, it's just a copout). Here, any substantive themes that could make the comic relevant lo anyone outside a small circle ol friends (good vs. evil and the creature stuck in between? The potential for evil in us all? The value ol community?) gets lost in Ihe gimmickry. The mam theme on I Am Not A Freemdoom is that it sure would be fun lo be in on the |oke. II you're one ol the 50 or so in town who know the Masters personally then hey. great, what a clever record. II nol. Freemdoom seems like something that .vould be really imaginative and show some slar King potential il it had been made by a bunch ol seventh graders, bul seeing as il was made by a group ol legal drinkers ills just kino ol sad. (P. 0. Box 461, Athens. GA 30603) Travis Nichols Masters Ol The Hemisphere plays the “Kindercore Expo 2000‘ at the 40 Watt Club on Thursday August 10. JOHNNY CASH JOHNNY CASH Love God Murder Columbia/American/Legacy Although Love God Murder spans the 45-year career ol Johnny Cash, it would be a mistake to consider this three-CD set a retrospective in the strict sense. That purpose was served to with the fine 1992 boxed set. The Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983 Instead, this new collection—with songs personally selected by Cash—works in exploring the musical styles, recurring themes and contradictions within Cash's legendary career The title of the set sums up the three themes that have always defined his music. And the fact that the same man who sings a love song as lender as “Happiness Is You’ or a hymn as joyful as "My God Is Re?J" could also do a chilling murder song like "Delia's Gone" ("Found her in her parlor/ And I tied her to her chair.../ First time I shot her/1 shot her m the side/ Hard lo watch her suffer,/ but with the second shot she died") is one of the lasciiations ol this set It's part ol Cash's gifl as a commu nicator that sc.igs as disparate as these could all sound completely honest and convincing Musically, ihe set provides a nice complement lo The Essential Johnny Cash because rattier than stressing his best known material (mono versions ol "I Walk The Line" and ‘Folsom Trison Blues’ and ‘Ring 01 Fire" are probably the most familiar songs included here), Love God Murder digs deeper lor its material In addition lo several songs previously unreleased in the United Slates, many ol the songs were B-sides lo singles thal never found a home on an album unlil now. The collection pre sents Cash in just about every musical setting he has utilized over Ihe course of his career, from solo acoustic perfor mances that range from stark to sweet and warm, to tracks featuring sparse accompaniment ol bass and drums, to lushly produced songs accompanied by orchestra Because il doesn't attempt to be a greatest hits package. The Essential Johnny Cash remains the better collec tion for fans who want to hear his best known and most important songs. But this intriguing package may provide more insight and paint a more personal portrait ol the singer, songwriter, per former and the human that is Johnny Cash. (550 Madison Ave.. #1796. NY. NY 10022) Alan Scully FUTURE BIBLE HEROES I'm Lonely (And I Love It) Merge Apparently, 69 Love Songs weren't enough lo give all ol Magnetic Fields FLAGPOLE MUSIC DIRECTORY Flagpole's Music Directory provides effective, affordable advertising to studios, labels, bands, instructors and everything else musical! 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