Sound Bites

“Queen of the Damned” (Various artists)
Warner Bros.

This soundtrack is a very good starter set for what passes as
rock music these days.

Jonathan Davis of Korn fame has put material together for other
bands, like Marilyn Manson and solo performers Wayne Static of
Static-X, David Draiman of Disturbed and Chester Bennington of
Linkin Park, to play for the album. So, buying the CD as a non-fan
of any of these bands, Korn in particular, will result in a $17-$20
beer coaster. Other originals by Papa Roach, Tricky and Dry Cell
help keep the album nice, long and loud.

Most striking about the album is not what is on it, but what
isn’t- namely any contributions by the late Aaliyah, or any
hip hop or R&B for that matter. This will effectively cut off a
large audience that could have prospectively been interested in one
of the final performances the singer/actress will have to
offer.

A better buy might be the soundtrack to 1994’s
“Interview with the Vampire,” scored by Hans Zimmer,
which concludes with Guns n’ Roses’ cover of The
Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”

Still, if a band like Kidneythieves sounds appealing,
don’t hesitate: pick up the soundtrack now!

Christopher Cobb

“Concrete Dunes” Grandaddy
Lakeshore

According to Grandaddy’s Web site, the band has nothing to
do with the release of “Concrete Dunes.” Apparently,
the band’s old label re-released songs that were once part of
an album titled “The Broken Down Comforter Collection,”
along with b-sides, out of print and rare songs “”mdash; without the
consent of the band. Legal technicalities aside, this is a pretty
amazing record.

Singer Jason Lytle sounds eerily like Neil Young. The sounds
that emanate from the rest of this quintet add complexity and
depth, which complement the high timbre of Lytle’s poetic
voice. Listening to these Modesto, California rockers is like
eating lasagna. Their sounds are well textured and layered with
oodles of well-placed keyboard and guitar lines. This is covered
with a rich coating of sincere lyrics. Whether the lasagna was made
by grandma or by Grandaddy, it’s sure to leave the listener
feeling fuzzy and happy inside.

The dynamic range on “Concrete Dunes” varies a lot.
From acoustic guitar, piano and drums to analog synthesizers,
samples and distorted guitars, the components mesh together in a
wave of harmonic goodness.

The group may be compared to such acts as Radiohead, R.E.M.,
Pavement, Super Furry Animals and the Rentals, but Grandaddy also
stands alone in its simple yet deep and stratified style.

“Concrete Dunes,” Grandaddy’s fifth
full-length album to date, is an impressive effort and is
definitely worth dropping a few bucks to experience.

Ben Baroncini

“Fever” Kylie Minogue Capitol

Australian TV and pop star, Kylie Minogue, brings new meaning to
the phrase “lowest common denominator” in her latest
music release titled “Fever.”

Her music is reminiscent of bad ’70s disco-derived music,
the kind that was used as background music for shows like CHiPs.
Fortunately, Kylie is more pleasing to the eye than the old TV
buddies Ponch and Jon, but this is the only redeeming quality in
this pop-monstrosity.

Everyone’s had the experience of picking up a cheap
keyboard, and trying out the pre-set beats, such as “House
1,” or “R&B 3;” and by playing three notes
over it, thought they were a musical genius. It seems that Kylie
took this fantasy a bit too far and has hired some producers to
make her generic beats sound good behind her been-done-before
singing style.

With such innovative song titles as “Love at First
Sight,” “Love Affair” and “Your
Love,” Kylie certainly capitalizes on the appeal of love as a
theme in modern pop music. And if the love theme isn’t
obvious enough in her songs, she has taken the liberty to
“show” her fans how much she loves singing. In the CD
insert photos, she poses erotically with a microphone. In one scene
she seems particularly interested in the microphone, as it looks
like she’s about to “eat” it.

Without a doubt, the most humorous part of this shallow
expression of pseudo-creativity is the lyrics. Take the opening
lines from a song titled “Burning Up,” for example:
“Down to the disco, everything stops, walking in solo,
everyone drops.”

Wait for the next verse, it gets even better.

“Hey summer madness, totally cool, my heart starts
racin’, when I see you.”

This album may be devoid of depth or meaning, but at least she
rhymes … well, at least sometimes.

As a final coup de grace there are two bonus hidden tracks on
the album, which certainly are no bonus, and definitely should
remain hidden.

Ben Baroncini