Choice Cuts: February 2003

Highlight Tracks: "Good Girl Smile" and "Christina"

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Artist: moe.

Album: Wormwood

The Scoop: Like any self-respecting jam band, moe. has been fairly prolific in their output (10 albums in 11 years). Like any self-respecting jam band, these releases included a mix of studio albums and live albums that attempted to capture the band in all its noodling and meandering glory. With Wormwood, then, the quintet attempts to join the two at the hip. Tirelessly polished songs stand side by side with straight-from-the-venue improvisations. The improv-styled "segues" that separate many of the songs-quick one minute or so snippets like "Organs" and "Rumble Strip"-will either make listeners feel like they're getting a piece of a live moe. experience or feel like they're being unduly interrupted. Rather than stopping at this, though, the band actually pulled tracks from their live shows, then edited, overdubbed, and re-jammed as necessary in the studio. Wormwood is a mixed bag at times-in both the positive and negative sense-but the hybridization alone makes the album worth a listen even to those averse to the "jam band." moe. strays from the beaten jam band path, anyway, at times channeling the reggae-love of Sublime ("Crab Eyes") or the harmonized pop of Incubus (the chorus of "Bullet").

Highlight Tracks: "Gone" and "Wormwood"

For More Info: Visit http://www.moe.org or http://www.imusic.com

Artist: Donal Hinely

Album: We Built A Fire

The Scoop: Hinely does Nashville proud with this baker's dozen of sharply written Americana. Hinely's most prominent talent is as a lyricist, rooted in the tradition of brilliant blue-collar observers like Springsteen and Earle. "4225 Wellington Arms" is an especially poignant, reflective piece that follows a man as he steps over Barbie dolls and toy cars after a tryst with a woman he knows he can't support the way he should. Hinely is joined in the studio by a few ace session players, most notably percussionist Ken Coomer (Wilco). These are tough luck songs, but they come together to make up a stubbornly romantic album. If the Donal Hinelys of the world could purge the Shania Twains from the music industry, Nashville and the world would be a better place for it. Of course, I don't know if I'd want to watch Donal dance around in the Super Bowl halftime show. Maybe there is room in this crazy world for all of us.

Highlight Tracks: "4225 Wellington Arms"

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