march 3. 2ÛOO '
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Mala and other
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Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Three new CDs fall short
of the mark, but do so in interesting ways
by
Nala is a three-year-old
fem ale eat with playful
energy and curiosity.
She loves it when you rub
under her chin and she is
intrigued by play toys.
Bring this cat hom e
with you!
K aty D a v id so n
Jou R ide the P ony
(I’ ll B e the B u n n y )
piack Kali M a • Alternative Tentacles Records
can’t put my finger on Black Kali Ma. Even
if Black Kali Ma were a piñata in a small
room and I had the biggest baseball bat in
be world, I think I would repeatedly swing and
niss until 1 became too exhausted and finally
ave up.
W ithout a doubt, these are the emotions 1
Experience when I listen to this hand’s debut
>D, You Ride the Pony (I’ll Be the Bunny).
Black Kali Ma is the newest creative outlet
lor Gary Floyd, a musician who has been
»round the punk rock block. Floyd once front
ed the seminal Texas-based band called Dicks;
■>ow he has joined forces with some of San
Francisco’s rootsy rock musicians to form this
Eaw new five-piece.
O ne weird thing about Black Kali Ma is
that, although the hand isn’t doing
jnything stylistically new or unique, its
ongs are still all over the map. T he
first three tracks are unforgiving rock
[tunes that anchor heavily in the blues
ool. However, w hen the fourth song,
“Wonderful,” cranks into gear, it sounds
notably m odem rock, kind of like a
gruff version of U2.
The next track, “Evil Clowns,” plays
like an indie rock follow-up to “W on
derful,” and it’s actually pleasantly
melodic for the first few measures, but
then it becomes muddled and crappy.
The disc ends with two anthem like
rockers that are riff-oriented enough to
make you believe Black Kali Ma is an
’80s hair band. O n the contrary, the
CD booklet sports a photo of the group,
crew cuts and all (for the most part).
Hmmmm.
Considering that A lternative Tenta
cles Records is know n for releasing hip
acts such as the dyke-driven Tribe 8, it’s
surprising they picked up this band.
Black Kali Ma seems a little outdated and clas-
sic-rockish for San Francisco’s young scene.
T he N ext B est T h in g
Various artists • Maverick Records
long, long time ago, way back in the
1990s, movie soundtracks started to make
1 a bigger splash than ever before. Holly
wood producers suddenly realized how much
untapped potential rested in the aural realm of
their latest blockbusters, then— boom! Star-
studded soundtracks started popping out of
record stores like hyperheated com.
However, after a while listeners began to
realize that the music always sounds much bet
ter in the theater w hen it matches up with a
story line, and that no m atter how you look at
it, a Top 40 song is just a Top 40 song.
The soundtrack to M adonna’s and Rupert
Everett’s new movie, The Next Big Thing, offers
no new hope for the future. It does have a few
shining moments, but on the whole it can be
lumped in the same “overhyped, undertalent-
ed” category into which the majority of block
buster soundtracks fall.
The beginning of this C D sounds like an
onomatopoeia party. First, Metisse seductively
lures the listener in with the Latin piano
melodies and smooth beats of “Boom Boom
Ra. T hen Manu C hao jump« the same smooth
OREGON
HUMANE
SOCIETY
vibe train with the next song, "Bongo Bong.”
Further on in the compilation, Madonna
herself (who is also the soundtrack’s executive
producer) contributes a condensed cover of
Don McLean’s long-winded classic “American
Pie” to the potluck that is this soundtrack.
This must be one of the weirdest recording
decisions made all millennium, and weirdly
enough, I somewhat enjoy hearing it. T he song
sounds like a folksy pop mixture stirred into a
slow-paced Atari game. If that’s not bizarre
enough, we’re treated to some surprise backup
vocals from Everett (who campaigned to get
the tune on the CD).
This soundtrack does have gems. But the
oh-so-distant ’90s taught us something impor
tant: Gems are never reason enough to hold
onto a soundtrack longer than the movie
remains in our memory. In time, these gems
will lose their shine.
1067 NE
Columbia Bfvd.
Portland, OR
97211
503.285.7722
www.oregonhQauae.coiii
<$§$§§#4 * . < » -‘ ¿ S v
¿
T h is a d c o u rtesy o f
ju s t ; , i ■
Betty DeGeneres
“ Unity through Diversity”
mother, author, speech therapist,
breast cancer survivor and
National Coming Out Project spokesperson
Saturday, April 1st, 7pm
McMinnville Community Center
Tickets $8-$26
info: (503) 434-2685
[■ ■ K n g ig g sii^ ^
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A i r T o U C H”
1 u u ^ n
_________________________________ ^ ______________________ Now you can.
t o d a y s
m u s i c
Let us
Create
your
P ieces in a M odern S tyle
William 0rbit • Maverick Records
:
W hat does any good pop musician do
when he can’t make up any good melodies?
A: Steal them!
William 0 rb it, the producer and song
writer most known for his collaboration with
Madonna on her last album, Ray of Light, has
just released Pieces in a Modem Style, an MTV-
friendly disc of remastered, reorchestrated clas
sical songs.
This collection plays like the Boston Pops
on a synth and reverb diet. 0 rb it’s first (ahem)
single, Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,”
swells with emotion and sentiment, and thank
fully is reproduced without too much techno
logical enhancement.
Pieces’ version of Pietro Mascagni’s “Caval-
leria Rusticana” is fueled by leftover Ray of
Light energy. Its timbre and presentation are
more than reminiscent of 0 rb it’s other work—
it’s catchy and fun.
If you’re numb to the classical music world
but you’re seeking an casy-to-swallow introduc
tion, 0 rb it’s disc may be a good pickup for you.
If you’re a classical snob already, you may find
this disc a little cheesy.
■ K aty D avidson is a Just O ut staff writer who
never sleeps and thinks she knows everthmg.
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