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PAUL STANLEY
Uve To Win
New Door
There are 10 songs on ihe sell-
produced Paul Stanley solo album
and every one ol the tracks is a hit.
Unfortunately, they’re not hits for
Paul Stanley! The KISS lead vocalist
and guitarist has instead released an
album of songs with which the likes
or Evanescence. Kelly Clarkson or
even Kenny Chesney could burn up
the charts. But Stanley’s over-emotive
vocal style and super-clean production
simply sound cut of place on the rock
charts of today.
‘Lift' is possibly the most
successful attempt at merging his
vocals with a current sound. II Amy Lee
and her crew latched onto it. this could
be huge. Meanwhile. Chesnev could
take the power ballad “Second To None’
to the top and possibly even cross over
to the pop charts. “Every Time I See
You Around* and ‘Loving You Without
You Now.* the other two ballads, should
go to the next couple “American Idol'
finalists. The problem here is with
Stanley’s delivery. And the sad thing is
that there’s nothing that can be done
to improve this album It’s perfect for
what it is Its concise, sounds great and
is full of well-written songs! If i f were
any time between 1986 and 1990. Uve
To Wm would be a classic pop-metal
album As it stands in 2006. however,
its a case of too little, too late
One thing is clearly evident from
listening to this album if Stanley were
to move out of the performer realm and
into the role of a pop-rock producer, he
could be a real contender He’s damn
good at that Unfortunately, his days
as a relevant recording artist appear
to be over.
Chris McKay
r
ISOBEL CAMPBELL
Milkwhite Sheets
V2
Former Belle & Sebastian member
Isobel Campbell s last album, a duet
with Mark lanegan, set her tissue
paper voice against his cardboard one
in the midst of roomy arrangements,
and people liked it. although paying
attention long enough to figure out
exactly v<hy— aside from the feeling
that pretty was being confused with
quiet—was a challenge Campbell left
her old band as it was changing into
a more muscular beast, as she likes
things quieter, which was a sensible
move, grven how easily her voice is
overpowered But mam B&S'er Stuart
Murdochs strategy of arranging for
Campbell was probably right her voice
needs to be driven along, nc! given
room, because if you give an inch, it'll
take a mile
Unfortunately, there's nothing on
Milkwtute Sheets but room, acoustic
guitar and an itinerant, ineffectual cello,
filled up with maybe one melody and
indistinct words, all conveying Ihe
impression ol someone taking herself
too seriously. There are things to like,
in theory It's almost a stripped-down
version ol freak-folk’s incantatory
mumblings, and Ihe simplicity and
directness of its approach may appeal
to folky types. There is one great track,
and surprisingly, it’s the obligatory
overly-long finale. “Thursday’s Child*
At eight minutes, it stops paying
so much attention to Campbell and
lets the instruments (here including
percussion, electric guitar and a cello
given permissi^ to zander) lorge their
own sleepy path through the nighttime
prairie. With a few more efforts like
this, the album could’ve actually
provided comfort to those wandering
lonely in the cold.
Michael Barthel
ARCHITECTURE IN
HELSINKI
We Died. They Remixed
Tailem Bend / Bar None
Remix collections are Ihe new
live albums: inessential placeholders
released mainly to remind everyone of
a band's existence when they take too
long recnrdmg their follow-up. (Labels
prefer them because remixes require
even less up-front expenditure than live
albums) But they have, at least, gotten
better Whereas a remix album used
to consist of five remixes each of only
two or three separate songs, and made
you weep for the future ol mankind,
the modern model offers one or two
remixes each of most of the songs
on the original album, comprising
essentially an alternate-universe
version ol the parent disc
However, they rarely justify their
existence, either by holding together
as an album or by surpassing (or
at least equajmg) the original. This
is because remixes are done for
one of three reasons practicality
(producing a version more likely to
cause and sustain dancing), creative
(seeing unexplored possibilities m
th* original and exploring them),
or self-promotional (“look, it's my
signature sound, but with someone
I’ve never met singing words I didn’t
write over i1!“). Since each remixer has
her own agenda, a collection of said
remixes will almost inevitably sound
disconnected, and since not everyone
chooses reason No. 2. there’s little
hope of a boost in overall quality
All that said, the Architecture in
Helsinki remix album We Died. They
Remixed does not succeed, but it
comes reasonably close, reworking
tracks from the album In Case We
Die The 33hz remix of “It's 5 r goes
straight for the disco jugular, and Hot
Chip's predictably excellent remix of
'Do The Whirlwind’ takes its parts
and sets them at different angles. But
even these lack the punch to grab your
attention and announce themselves
as full songs. Oddly enough, the best
remixes are the ones that take AiS’s
pretty indie-pop sound and emphasize
that prettiness rather than the songs
themselves. Qua's remix of “Maybe You
Can Owe Me’ comes out like a long-
lost Nancy Sinatra track, and the ones
that follow it conjure a welcome warm
and relaxed mood without abandoning
the spikiness that AiS favors. These
end the album, and instead of being the
filler, they're the highlights
It would be interesting to see the
remix collection taken more seriously
as an artistic form. Just as some bands
have taken to covering entire albums,
a remixer could take an album and
remix every track, with an eye less for
the songs’ individual impact than for
their coherence and the way in which
they play off the originals in productive
and illuminating ways. Sure, there was
that rash of album-length mashups. but
those lacked the access that a remixer
has to not only the a cappeltas. but
every individual track. Iti unlikely that
a band would offer someone else that
kind of freedom, and even less likely
that someone else would want to invest
the time necessary lo make it work. But
it sure would be interesting, no?
Michael Barthel
THE SKYGREEN
LEOPARDS
Disciples of California
Jagjaguwar
Eleven tracks, and thanklulty.
Anthony Kiedis is nowhere to be found
on Disciples ol California No traces
ol funk punk or Flea are present to mar
an exquisite example of redwood forest
neo-folk with sunny edges and surreal
religious undertones
Undoubtedly, this is a concept
album However, after repeated
listening, the deeper meanings of
what recurring characters and settings
represent and why, remains unclear
Perhaps the front porch by firelight
feel renders meaning meaningless
“Marching Band' and 'Golden Pilgrim’
are beautiful in their simplicity and
sloppiness, and listeners will feel
enlightened by the experience despite
ignorance of every allusion and
symbol Multi-instrumentalists and
songwriters Donovan Quinn and Glen
Donaldson and their Skyband move in
a motion slower than most—in rhythm
like beetle*: suspended in tree sap
Their vocal harmonies are the subtle
slur of a likeable (yel unfortunate) soul
prolonging a field sobriety test because
the outcome is certain, and a lew more
moments on the side ol a country
road delay arrival at a decidedly more
dismal destination
* David Eduardo
This is not your
grandfather’s blues’’
- M. Sjuslstad
Now that’s a guitar player
- the Clown of Slipknoi
Saturday, December 2
Chips Bar & Grill • 9pm • $10
In Winder, South off 316, on Patrick Mill Rd
Monday, December 4
Tasty World • 10pni,» $3 • Free CD
To hear Brandon’s music visit his Myspace -site
by googling Brandon Scott Sellner
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