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Choice Cuts: August 2001 - Page 2

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Featured Track (and take that, 16 Horsepower): “Modranicht” is a cry to dance in the night, in the middle of the night, in the candlelight. And, oh yeah, the dancing women have been perverted by the devil. The music, meanwhile, is a mosh pit dream. I’m in.

Honorable Mention: Sam Skraeling writes lyrics as angry poetry. This is most evidenced in the spoken-word tracks that conclude the album, but also in tracks like “Don’t Go!” a police brutality piece with just the right amount of repetition to make it a mantra. “It’s a party, not a war.”

For More Info: http://www.alternativetentacles.com

Artist: Delbert McClinton

Album: Nothing Personal

The Scoop: How can you argue with McClinton's track record? The guy taught a Beatle how to play harmonica before they were important enough to keep track of which one was which, for crying out loud. And, after four decades, McClinton is as strong as ever. Nothing Personal has all the blues and all the balls you could hope for.

Featured Track: "Nothin' Lasts Forever" probably won't tell you anything you don't already know, but it's a damn good tune anyway.

Honorable Mention: "Livin' It Down" kickstarts the album with bluesy attitude, while the relaxed trumpet-enriched closer finds Delbert content just "Watchin' The Rain."

For More Info: Visit http://www.newwestrecords.com

Artist: Patti Rothberg

Album: Candelabra Cadabra

The Scoop: Patti has gone “big label” and lived to tell about it. Having traded in the now-closed EMI Records USA for the upstart Cropduster Internet label, Rothberg shows that little else has changed, bringing much the same sound that she won critics over with in her debut Between the 1 and 9. The music is a blend of edgy alternative and softer ballads. Rothberg is a playful storyteller and the vocals are delivered with a smile and a wink, even if the subject matter isn’t always the happiest fare.

Featured Track: The big rock of the title track harkens back to the glory days of alternative. You may even find yourself dusting off your patented headbang technique to the irresistible refrain of “Candelabra cadabra / Abre la puerta Nirvana.”

Honorable Mention: “Shadows of Me” is an excellent illustration of Rothberg’s matter-of-fact brand of storytelling. Careful, it’ll get you itching to take that road trip across America you were always meaning to get around to.

For More Info: http://www.pattirothberg.com and http://www.cropduster.com

Artist: Maquiladora

Album: White Sands

The Scoop: An adventurous trio who formed in San Diego but have found a sound that seems to have been plucked from a desert ghost town. The genres shift throughout the album, passing through some familiar ground (Tom Waits, Neil Young) but then straying into a region of Maquiladora’s own.

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