Choice Cuts: July 2002 - Page 2

Highlight Tracks: "Uniforms" and "Reveal Love"

For More Info: Visit http://www.kenstringfellow.com or http://www.manifesto.com

Artist: My Morning Jacket

Album: Chocolate and Ice EP

The Scoop: You may not expect it listening to the aching loneliness of some of MMJ's songs, but their live show is a wall-rattling blast of sonic energy and guitar squalor that measures up to Crazy Horse. Frontman Jim James, fittingly, possesses an entrancing voice that sounds like Neil Young shyly hiding behind several layers of reverb (not to mention those long locks of hair). In concert, though, James stepped out from behind the mic and stood on the edge of the stage, letting his unamplified voice echo in the chamber of the Knitting Factory. It made for an unusually poignant moment. The band is at its best when it resides in this sad southern dreaminess. Not so successful is the kitschy 24-minute "Cobra," and I'm sure the answering machine message that serves as Track #4 cracks the guys in the band up, but it had me reaching for the skip button even the first time around.

Highlight Track: "Can You See The Hard Helmet On My Head?"

For More Info: Visit http://www.mymorningjacket.com or the label site at http://www.badmanrecordingco.com

Artist: Norman Blake

Album: Old Ties

The Scoop: Norman Blake's reputation as a supporting actor comes before him. He was a sideman to Johnny Cash for years. He recorded and performed with Joan Baez and Kris Kristofferson. He played on Dylan's Nashville Skyline. But what of his solo work? Continuing with their excellent Heritage series, Rounder Records has collected some of Blake's many highlights in this compilation. Some fans will recognize Blake from his work on the still-hot O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. As mentioned in the liner notes, Blake's stature in bluegrass and folk hinges not so much on technical mastery as something less tangible, some depth of feeling that renders Blake's songs a little richer than those of most of his contemporaries. Old Ties is a near-perfect starting point for new fans, while completists will be delighted by the previously unreleased "O'Malley's Tune."

Highlight Tracks: "Randall Collins/Done Gone" and "Fiddler's Dram/Whiskey Before Breakfast."

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

Artist: Orbiter

Album: Sparks on a String

The Scoop: A lot of bands flounder where Orbiter sails. The formula is well-used: take a guy who knows his way around a bunch of instruments and the studio, add a female singer with sexy, breathy vocals, sprinkle some miscellaneous electro-effects into the background and watch the Portishead comparisons come floating in. For starters, Orbiter doesn't sound like Portishead. More importantly, they rise above the droves of like-minded bands, thanks in large part to Harris Thurmond (formerly of Hammerbox), who wrote and sang the album's best tracks. With that said, Orbiter is a much stronger entity now that it is a full band and not just Thurmond hibernating with a closetful of sounds (singer Fiia McGann was also part of the original design). Thurmond fleshed out the band for live shows, the chemistry stuck, and the new songs are more evolved as a result. Orbiter's sound is synthetic, yet there's soul underneath, a very definite live pulse. Sparks on a String offers plenty of laid-back, trip-pop cool for the midnight hour. And, to judge books by their covers, the band just looks like a fun bunch to grab drinks with - always extra credit points in this reviewer's grade book.