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From DallasVoice.com Music
"The Vertical Struts" Pop Echo When it comes to weird band lineups, drum-and-guitar duos are rare and with good reason. As numerous acts have shown, bands without bass is a tricky sound to pull off. That holds even truer for a duet, which lacks the luxury of a second guitar to keep time or make an extra racket. Latest to hop on to this small bandwagon are Alberta's The Vertical Struts. Pairing a straight boy and a queer one, this Edmonton duo dive headlong into their lo-fi punk experiment with aplomb. On their self-titled debut, the pair find a new wrinkle to their limited palette taking the drum and guitar sound for a cool spin.
In most cases, the two-person guitar and drum combo rely on a very noisy guitar to fill in any sonic gaps. Think of Jack White's endless use of feedback and distortion. Last year, when lesbian duo The Moaners released their debut, guitarist Melissa Swingle used bluesy slide guitar riffs to achieve the same effect. The Vertical Struts, however, turn this formula on its head. Guitarist R.E. Beisinger's riffs are barely processed at all, much less distorted. Instead, he and gay drummer Trevor Anderson work like a mini rhythm section, fueling their electric dervish with crazy rhythms and a whole lot of shouting. Throw in the incessant counting of tracks like "The Chief Fox" and the questionable time keeping on songs like "It's Just I Gotta Know," and you've got a group that harkens back to the days of two-chord punk. And it certainly doesn't hurt that Beisinger's dopey vocals are reminiscent of early Jonathan Richman. In spite of being decidedly unpolished and extremely noisy, there's just no denying how much fun "The Vertical Struts" sound. With only two tracks the ballads breaking the three-minute mark, the songs on this record hit and run before you even get a chance to tire of them. At less than half an hour total, Beisinger and Anderson's 11-track album leaves you wanting more. Before this record, many could have assumed that the days of no-bass bands were over, and bid good riddance to silly gimmicks. This album shows there's still much more to explore.
"The Breakthrough" Geffen Hip-hop has its share of talented rappers, but no one straddles rap and R&B as effortlessly as Mary J. Blige. Mining a traumatic past for her song material, Blige's street cred has never been in question, and her passion has always seemed more genuine than most. The rough and tumble days are well behind the singer, and she finds herself even more fulfilled by her marriage. But the tough times still remain her muse. Originally thought to be a retrospective, "The Breakthrough" doesn't feature a greatest hits collection, but does find Blige looking back again at her troubled past. Tracks with titles like "Baggage" and "Father In You" speak for themselves, while anthems like "Good Woman Down" find a wiser Blige dispensing advice to young women who've seen parts of themselves in her songs. Though she may have proclaimed "No More Drama" in 2001, drama is still what makes Blige tick. And on this record, it's what makes her shine. Gilbert Garcia
Move over, RuPaul. Take a step back, Madonna. Transgender plastic surgery heroine Amanda Lepore is an official disco queen. Ten remixes of her infectious ditties went up on the iTunes music store this week, and child, they are sublime, booty-shaking hits: "Champagne" and "My Hair Looks Fierce." With the help of underground queer rapper Cazwell, Lepore busts rhymes better than Busta Rhymes. WANTED: BLOWERS AND BANGERS Did you know that North Texas has its own drum and bugle corps? Formed in the summer of 2004 by gay executive director Chris Green, the Frontier Drum & Bugle Corps holds auditions at its open house on Saturday.
Green says about a third of the membership is gay and is open to musicians of all skill levels. Last year, about 55 members marched in the Drum Corps Associates Championships, which were held Sept. 2-4 in Scranton, Pa. Frontier placed 16th in the "open class" competition. For the past two years, Frontier has performed at the Turtle Creek Chorale's Christmas Concert series. This year, Green hopes to boost membership to 90 members. Green says most of last year's horn line hadn't touched their instruments in five, sometimes 20 years. The group welcomes beginning woodwind players and those learning brass instruments for the first time. "Talent isn't the basis for membership. Determination, hard work and a passion for music and colorguard is," Green says. Creekview High School, 3201 Old Denton Road. Carrollton. Jan. 14 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Audition fee $35, which goes toward season dues. frontiercorps.org
Though you wouldn't know it to see his press, Ricky Martin is one of the most successful crossover artists of the last decade. Mostly relegated to pop-fad status by critics, Martin has consistently scored where his fans are concerned. The sexually ambiguous singer recently ditched the pretty-boy image for a buffer, scruffier look and a new sound to match. On his latest, "Life," the former child star delves into everything from dancehall to techno, demonstrating a surprising range. Martin's continued popularity, particularly with Spanish-speaking audiences, has earned him sellouts in other Texas venues. Expect nothing but the best from this dynamic, crowd-pleaser as he blows through North Texas on Thursday. Gilbert Garcia Nokia Theatre, 1001 Performance Place. Grand Prairie. Jan 19 at 8 p.m.$56-$86. 214-373-8000.
The holiday season has passed, but like Christmas in January, celebrity babydaddy Kevin Federline is the gift that keeps on giving. Still working on his yet-to-be-completed debut album, the dancer-rapper-amateur sperm-donor recently had a second single from his oeuvre leaked onto the Internet. Titled "Popo Zao," apparently Portuguese for "badonkadonk," the track is almost so bad that it's good but not quite. Producer Disco D makes a decent effort with his Neptunes-meets-Brazilian-Baile-Funk groove, but K-Fed's complete lack of either style or substance steal the show. Track this no-hit wonder down only for your amusement, and pray that the poor girl paying for this absurd vanity project has a solid pre-nup. G.G. © Copyright by DallasVoice.com |
