»Uly 21.2000 » IM S oart;3g
Art You Can
Live With
So strong
Sinead O’Connor’s back,
Towa Tei’s bouncing,
the Haggard’s bold,
the Aislers Set’s best
by
European Inspired
Fine Art Gallery, Gifts
and Custom Framing
K aty D avidson
"Together Again"
4 2 2 9 NE Grand Ave $14 9 ,9 5 0
L ast C entury M odern
Towa Tei • Elektra
owa Tei really seems to have his shit
together.
Since his DJ job with the dance group
Deee-Lite (famous for the rump-wiggling
hit “Groove Is in the Heart”), he has quietly
released three quality solo records with quirky
samples, assertive beats and all-around creative
production.
His latest, Last Century Modem, is the
soundtrack to the life of a lounge lizard who
likes to hang out by the pool a lot. As the title
suggests, Tei stirs up a collection of current
interpretations of classic styles, such as jazz,
funk, R&.B and lounge.
The title track is the most creatively pre
sented song on the record; it’s a stew of sounds
(accordion, strings and piano) that seem to
inhale and exhale together. “A Ring,” the sec
ond song, is the most catchy. Tei rips his quin
tessential lounge riffs and rolls them out over a
framework of loopy beats and foreign lyrics.
The product is a loose grid of sensual sound.
The beginning of “Angel” sounds a little
too much like Stereolab, but Tei ends the piece
with an amazing, unique rhythmic jam.
“Stretch Building Bamboo” first sounds like a
robot thinking really hard, then later sounds
like a robot thinking really hard underwater.
The record is not flawless. It’s a hit boring
and predictable at times, hut its thread of fresh
ness makes it a worthy pickup.
BRIAN M ARKI
Fine A rt Sc F ra m in g
2 2 3 6 NE B roadw ay
I 0-6 N on.-S at.
/
2 4 9 -5 6 5 9
[
he most surprising thing about Faith and
Courage is it’s actually good. More than a
decade has passed since Sinead O ’Connor
released her best record, / Do Not Want What 1
Haven't Got,
and she has
kept her fans
crossing their
fingers for a
while, hoping
this new one
wouldn’t he the
kiss of cheesy
death.
Fortunately
for those hang
ing on, Faith and Courage is as energetic and
peaceful as a newborn baby. It feels as though
O’Connor has lived inside the music for many
months and finally has been set free.
“I have a universe inside me / Where I can go
and spirits guide me,” she sings on “The Healing
Rcxim," the hymnlike opening track. “There I
can ask on any question / I get the answers if I
listen." These lyrics set the tone for the rest of
the record, making it apparent O ’Connor seeks
her religion within, not in the stars.
The album’s first single, "No M an’s
Woman," is primed to he a future lesbo anthem
based on its title alone, but it’s also a tmly
inspirational song with a rad message. O ’C on
nor asserts: “I never wanna be no m an’s woman
/ 1 only wanna be my own woman / I haven’t
traveled this far to become / N o m an’s
T
" 1 0 yr. Tax Abatem ent!"
Riche rd Vow . GUI
CENTURY 21 PENINSULA REALTY
503-804-9424 Cell/VM 503-286-5826 Office
[0
1%
Music M illennium
R e c o r d s , T a p e s
Towa Tei
woman.” The song is upbeat, and it revolves
around a chord progression I seem to remember
the Spice Girls using a few years hack. (Note:
The term “wanna he” is also in the chorus.)
The middle of Faith and Courage is filled
with quite a few quality tracks, but the last
three songs are the most calming and beautiful
on the whole record. “If U Ever” not only
brings back the “U ” made famous in “Nothing
Compares 2 U” hut also is constructed around
an elegant Irish flute melody. “Emmas Song” is
a lullabylike love song that builds slowly and
nicely. The album’s final track, an interpreta
tion of “Kyrie Eleison,” is everything you ever
would hope for O ’Connor to deliver.
Fans need not cross their fingers any longer.
O ’Connor is hack, and she isn’t completely
cheesy yet.
i
and
C D ’ s S in c e 1 9 6 9
E d it. Rortland
32nd & E Burnside
(503)231-8 9 ^6
NW Portland
23rd & N W Johnson
(50 3) 2 4 8 -0 16 3
Rock» Folk» Jazz» Country» Soundtracks» Soul» Gospel» New
Age» World» Bluegrass» Blues» Easy Listening» Oldies» Local»
Cajun/Zydeco» Lounge» Rap» Broadway Cast»
Classical and Much More!
I
:
;
a rau
. . i n _________
T he L ast M atch
The Aislers Set • Slumberland
F aith and C ourage
Sinead O ’Connor • Atlantic
N W /P e a rl District Alternative 3 bd, 2 ba, Family
room, 2 0 7 0 sq ft Row houses, w / hardwoods, tiled
accents, vaulted ceilings, gas fireplace, deck
Only minutes to Downtown.
r jx fs ü ju y ts iü M
more ingenious album will not be released
all year.
How, you ask, can I make such a sweep
ing judgment in mid-July? Listen for yourself:
the thumping bass drum and wavering guitars
on “The Way to Market Station," the tri
umphant, wintry vocals of the new-wave “Hit
the Snow," the heartbreaking storyline of
“Chicago New York,” the singalong chorus of
“The Red Door,” the Pet Sounds-like composi
tion of “Bang Bang Bang,” and the melodies!
The melodies! The Aislers Set’s melodies are
way, way better than even No Doubt’s.
The Last Match is second in my heart only to
the Aislers Set’s haunting 1998 record, Terrible
Things Happen. Buy both on vinyl, and don’t lis
ten to anything else for at least six months.
jir J
D 'J
T 0 Ì Pjj]
A B ike C ity C alled G reasy
The Haggard • Mr. Lady
"hank God for liner notes. If the Haggard
didn’t list the lyrics to its stings in the CD
jacket, you might not realize how gcxxl a
conscience ("For Matthew Shepard”) or sense
of humor (“Tampons”) these two Portland-
based dykes have.
They perform with such ferocity, the lyrics
often get buried by their gruff style. This is the
point, though: to rock out hard and loud and
fast and tough. And smart. And humorous.
!)] } 'JAL
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K aty D
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225 - 5555+4600
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