MUSIC
THE SEA AND CAKE
Ovi
[Thrill Jockey]This
Chicago collective,
featuring ex-mem
bers of Shrimp Boat
and the Cocktails,
has reunited after
a three-year hiatus.
As on their previous
efforts, their mid
tempo ’guitar
noodlings waft by
thanks to slurred
melodies and a jazzy
but restrained
rhythm section.
The addictively
dreamy effect is a
pleasant, turbu
lence-free flight
to Mellowsville.
A- —Michele Ttomero
BJORK
Selmasongs
[Elektra] Like most
movie plots, the idio
syncratic Icelandic
chanteuse's expan
sive. experimental
soundscapes veer
toward the melodra
matic. So it's no sur
prise that her
soundtrack for Lars
von Trier's film mu
sical. Dancer in the
Dark [she also stars
in Dancer, and won
the Best Actress
prize at the Cannes
film festival], is fan
tastically cinematic
in scope. Whether
it's the classically
prand orchestration
of "Overture.'' the
clitter-clatter
rhythms of "Cvalda,''
or the gentle music
box melody of 'Scat
ter Heart," Bjork's
bold vision is cus
tom-made for the
bit; screen.
B+ —Laura Morgan
FASTBALL
The Harsh
Li^ht of Day
(Hollywood] The
Austin, Tex,, trio who
hit a home run in '98
with the No. 1 single
"The Way” blast off
their third album
with plenty more ir
resistible fare. Somgs
like "This Is Not My
Life," a rootsy slice
of pop-rock, and the
breezy winner
"You're an Ocean"—
with '60s survivor
Billy Preston pro
pounding—expand
the band's eclectic
poor dad unable to get tickets for his
favorite little princess.... Where
Where aren’t they playing? When
Through Oct. 19 Why So you can
find out if “Say My Name” sounds as
good with only three voices: After
missing several performances and a
trip to Australia, singer Farrah
Franklin was given the boot.
1
FORWARD SPIN
upcoming
releases
kitsch sound while
still saluting the mas
ters [Bacharach. the
Beatles. Costello].
Okay, the "meaning
ful” love ballad "Vam
pires" deserves an
eye roll. But Fastball
deliver prown-up
power pop—no bare
navels or choreogra
phy needed.
B+ —Beth Johnson
PHOENIX
United
[Astralwerks]]t's
hard to believe this
band is from France.
These Franco-friends
of Air and Daft Punk
have created a debut
album that sounds
remarkably like a
K-tel collection of
American Top 40 ra
dio circa 1983. Each
track is a lovingly
tweaked homage to
artists like Van Halen.
Michael Jackson, and
AC/DC. And there's
even an up-tempo cut
called "If 1 Ever Feel
Better" that's so sin
cerely woeful, it could
jerk a tear from Ca
sey Kasem. B+ —MR
RADIOHEAD
Kid A
[Capitol] On the title
track. Thom Yorke
mipht as well be de
livering a monologue
into a black hole. His
vocals are creepily
distorted, like an
alien distress call. On
"Treefinigers." any ev
idence of human im
print is scrupulously
shrouded in a sci
fi-inspired aural at
mosphere. But for all
their automated tin
kering. Radiohead
are indeed a band of
flesh and blood.
While this challeng
ing record is full of
sterile soundscapes
and surreptitious
intonations, it's also
brimming with
messy emotions—
though it's question
able whether OK
Computer-heads will
commit to the multi
listens required to
find them. B —
STEW
Guest Host
[The Telegraph
Company] Stew [n6
Mark Stewart], the
majordomo behind
one of the L.A. pop
scene's best-kept se
crets. the Nepro
Problem, steps out
and strips down.
“I'm still fascinated
by the mask behind
the mask." he sinps
on the ethereal “Or
dinary Love." and on
this lovely, pensive
album, he removes
mask after mask to
stand revealed as
one of the millenni
um's most arresting
nouveau trouba
dours. TNP's wippy
sensibility still peeks
throuph [cock an ear
to the '30s music-hall
pastiche "Man in a
Dress'], but this is
the sound of an artist
findinp his true
voice—a rare and
wondrous event, and
one to be savored.
A —Ti^rito l/epa
THE BANGLES
More than a decade after splitting up
(due to internal strife following the
success of 1989’s chart-topping and,
in retrospect, ironically titled single
“Eternal Flame”), the newly reunit
ed Bangles are taking their show on
the road. In addition to fan favorites,
the band will likely play some songs
from a new album it plans to release
sometime next year. Where Califor
nia, Chicago, New York City, Las Ve
gas, and Toronto When Ten shows
through the end of September Why
If for no other reason, just so you
can enjoy the spectacle of middle
aged people trying to walk like
an Egyptian. • • •
RADIOHEAD: RANKIN/RETNA
BJORK:
POYNTER/RETNA:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Ofl CampUS