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Monday, June 30, 2008
CD review: Los Lonely Boys - ‘Forgiven’
Alex Jones FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Los Lonely Boys
‘Forgiven’
(Sony)
There’s no question mark after the title of Los Lonely Boys’ third album, “Forgiven,” but it sure couldn’t hurt. The last time we heard from the brothers Garza, bassist JoJo and drummer Ringo were still dogged by assorted drug and assault charges. “Sacred,” the album they were promoting at the time, was rising up the charts, yeah, thanks to the carry-over popularity of the song “Heaven” from their self-titled debut, but it was hard not to feel disgusted by the air of moral decline.
Enter big brother Henry, who pleads their case on the new album’s title track. “Can you take it away, Lord?” he sings, “Help me change my ways of living.” He seems sincere (hey, we’ve all known a little moral decline), and the brothers are in rare form.
Indeed, Los Lonelys’ voices are glued together on harmonies honed under the tutelage of an exacting father. And Henry and JoJo’s lyrics preach virtue without being pedantic: their themes include self-affirmation, introspection and perseverance. The best yet is Henry’s shredding in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan, which is in full effect on “Heart Won’t Tell a Lie;” you can feel the song’s gigantic guitar intro percolating under Ringo’s congas from a mile away, but it still gets you every time.
“Forgiven” was recorded at East Side Stages in Austin, and includes Dr. John on three tracks, among them the funky “You Can’t See the Light.” Instead of a traditional studio environment, Los Lonelys re-created their live setup. That’s an approach that screams, “We just wanna forget everything else and play for the sake of playing.” And that’s exactly what “Forgiven” sounds like — done-good Texas boys playing their smooth “Texican” blend of rock ‘n’ roll, pop and the blues because they don’t know what else to do.
So, are they — forgiven, that is? Well, it’s not really a “yes” or “no” question.
Recommended tracks: “Staying With Me,” “I’m a Man.”
Los Lonely Boys play a free KGSR Blues on the Green show with Shawn Sahm and the Tex Mex Experience July 9 at Zilker Park.
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Live review: Boris at Mohawk
There’s something deeply funny about a smoke machine outdoors, especially when there’s a breeze of any speed at all, which there almost always is in Austin.
Just like the last time they played the Mohawk (Oct. 19, 2007), Boris broke out the smoke machine Saturday night. And also like the last time the Japanese hard rock band played the Mohawk, the smoke enveloped touring guitarist Michio Kurihara now and then before vanishing into the warm night. Ah well.
There were a lot of things that reminded one of the last time they played the Mohawk, in fact. Like then, The set alternated between galloping rockers and longer, dronier pieces. Once again Boris’ merch table was, frankly, slightly obscene, filled with various Japanese versions of CDs and LPs and T-shirts. (One LP box set rang in at $250; you have to wonder who bought it, though God knows Boris fans are collector geeks to the core.)
Unlike the last time, much of the set felt, well, too quiet, which is something one never expects to witness at a show by a b and named for a song by the crushingly heavy rock band Melvins. It dulled the band’s not-inconsiderable power, cutting off the riffs at the proverbial knees.
Openers Torche faired a little better. Their fantastically catchy rock was also influenced by the Melvins’ heft and tone, but this was a heaviness you could hum an hour later. Clearly, someone in the band is a big big fan of early 90s indie rock icons Superchunk and that’s not an influence you hear much these days. Which is too bad.
Click here to view A-List photos from the show.
(Photo by David Weaver FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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And the world’s greatest group is …
Alabama 3 covers Johnny Cash at SXSW in March
Why isn’t Alabama 3, the British techno/gospel/country/blues tribe who gave us the great “Sopranos” theme song “Woke Up This Morning,” the biggest band in the world? That’s the question yowled by “Hits and Exit Wounds,” a retrospective CD that drops July 8 like a sack full of serpents. Hearing, again, such numbers as “Hypo Full of Love (the 12 Step Plan),” the brilliant cover of John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” and “Ain’t Goin’ To Goa”- all from 1998’s overlooked “Exile On Coldharbour Lane”- as well as newer tracks like “R.E.H.A.B.” and “Up Above My Head”- makes my head spin until it feels like the top will fly off. This music speaks to me with a megaphone. Forced to call themselves A3 in the States because of that godawful country band Alabama, Bama Trey is everything I love about music- the hooks, the groove, the stomp, the darkness, the sway, the rebellion- all rolled into one dopefiend Pentecostal dance band.
No one has ever tied this many different forms of American roots music together and made them sound so new. Part “Wise Blood,” part “My Life In the Bush of Ghosts,” Alabama 3 puts weird and spooky on top of that big rumble of love, which is one reason they’re not huge. That and all the profanity in the name of salvation.
They played SXSW in March, but I didn’t go because I was afraid they wouldn’t measure up to their records. They were billed acoustic and they had a new female singer and I just ended up at something hipper. But then my friend Suzee said it was the best thing she saw at SXSW and I was kicking myself.
Redemption! I just booked a flight to see the full-on band in Chicago at the Cubby Bear on July 4 and the Rothbury festival in Michigan July 5. Yeah, that’s how much.
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Musicmania Top 10 for the week ending June 29
Lil Wayne ‘Carter III’ (Cash Money)
Plies ‘Definition Of Real’ (SlipNSlide)
Trae ‘Streets of tha South 2’ (Oarfin)
Three 6 Mafia ‘Last 2 Walk’ (Columbia)
Bun-B ‘II Trill’ (Rap-A-Lot)
Blood Raw ‘CTE Presents Blood Raw’ (Def Jam)
Lucky Luciano ‘Ahead of my Time’ (Dope House)
Usher ‘Here I Stand’ (LaFace)
Rick Ross ‘Trilla’ (Def Jam)
Marvin Sapp ‘Thirsty’ (Verity)
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Waterloo Top 10 for the week ending June 28
Alejandro Escovedo, “Real Animal” (Back Porch)
Reckless Kelly, “Bulletproof” (Yep Roc)
Coldplay, “Viva La Vida” (EMI)
Sigur Ros, “Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust” (XL)
Grupo Fantasma, “Sonidos Gold” (High Wire Music)
My Morning Jacket. “Evil Urges” (ATO)
Fleet Foxes, “Fleet Foxes” (Sub Pop)
Hayes Carll, “Trouble in Mind” (Lost Highway)
Eliza Gilkyson, “Beautiful World” (Red House)
Vampire Weekend, “s/t” (XL)
