may 2003
P L AY P L AY
5
BY
APHEX T WIN: 26 MIXES FOR CASH (Warp) Years ago, Aphex Twin was approached by a record company and asked to remix a song by ’90s pop-punk band the Lemonheads. Weeks later, a courier arrived at his door to pick up the DAT, but Aphex Twin had completely forgotten to do the remix. In fact, he never listened to the source tape! But the courier was waiting, so he grabbed the nearest random tape and passed it off as the remix. He got $5,000 and the Lemonheads shelved the “remix.” If this tale doesn’t lend valuable insight into Richard D. James (better known as Aphex Twin) and his attitude toward remixing, then consider this two-disc compilation. Nowhere in the liner notes will you read something like “These are artists I enjoy and it was a privilege to work with their material!” As the title says, these were about the money. 26 Mixes for Cash sounds more like an Aphex Twin album that samples other artists to varying degrees. Aphex Twin’s opinion of the original determines what stays and what goes; he prefers the word “fixing” to “mixing.” He liked Seefeel’s “Time to Find Me” enough to allow the band’s distinct sound to move with few obstacles through his percussion. Nobukazu Takemura’s “Let My Fish Loose” retains the lush innocence of its acoustic instruments and child vocals. Conversely, is there one note of Jesus Jones’ “Zeros and Ones” in the ambient “reconstruction?” Both Nine Inch Nails–related pieces are 100% Reznor-free (debate rages on over whether or not this is a good thing; I say it is). Other standout material on this collection includes James’ own remix of SAW2 CD1 TRK2, the haunting splice job of Curve’s “Falling Free,” and his lounge-exotica version of Gentle People’s “Journey.” While rabid Aphex Twin collectors may be mourning money spent hunting down singles and white-labels, other fans, especially those disappointed by 2001’s drukqs, will find plenty to be pleased with. —Jessica Gluckman P.S.: The Lemonheads remix wasn’t included. THE BLACK KEYS: THICKFREAKNESS (Fat Possum) Since the inception of the Jack and Meg White magical, musical, rock ’n’ roll juggernaut, bluesy duos have been a hot commodity in the wonderful, wave-riding world of album sales. No exception to this attention is the Black Keys, two Midwestern boys with a penchant for garage-y, stripped-down blues-rock. Guitar and drums. Sound familiar? (Ignore obvious lack of a female presence.) They brought us The Big Come Up in 2002, and while
the album was incredibly earnest and raw, it lacked the staying power of a Stripes effort. Now the Keys come back, rather quickly, with thickfreakness, an album that, well, sounds a lot like the last one. Could their return be premature? Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney hail from mighty Akron, Ohio, and have learned, somewhere along the way, how to rock a lot like Howlin’ Wolf or a poor[er] man’s Credence. Auerbach’s gruff, starchy delivery packs a serious punch, and Carney’s vicious on the drums, challenging Auerbach’s ambling guitarwork with chunky beats that hit harder than any blues I’ve ever heard. Where the duo falls short is not in their competence, but in their inability to move forward with their basic punk-garage-Creamlike-swamphearted-blues formula. At points on thickfreakness, it even seems they’re slipping backward. Whereas The Big Come Up featured some vocal sampling and a great unexpected cover of “She Said, She Said,” thickfreakness offers no samples to break up the songs and only a paltry version of Richard Berry’s “Have Love Will Travel.” And while a few tracks definitely stand out, like the especially rollicking “Set You Free” and the album’s closer, “I Cry Alone,” the latter of which contains a striking Leadbellyesque sparseness, most of the album reeks of monotony. Recorded in a single 14-hour session, one begins to wonder if the Black Keys new effort is a bit unripe for the picking. The same riffs, the same beat, even the same song length; almost all my initial interest in the Keys’ sound was gone by track five. The Black Keys don’t have the range, or the desire, to be “the next White Stripes.” Thank God. What they do have going for them are their driving, catchy melodies and their keen ability to sound like Muddy Waters, which proves very handy, and very groovy. Their vintage approach is appealing, and thickfreakness is only disappointing because one gets the feeling the Keys could really push their rather straightforward approach further into a corner of the blues, or closer to the brash garage-punk so palpable in the album’s production. Either way, the Black Keys have seemingly chosen to rush past their laurels still fresh from last year, and thickfreakness has unfortunately suffered for it. —Andrew Rea VIC CHESNUTT: SILVER LAKE (New West Records)/ROSANNE CASH: RULES OF TRAVEL (Capitol Records) Songwriting is a craft. It must be nurtured and developed over time. A well-written song has the ability to transport the listener, causing him to reflect, cry, or even take a step back. Some people may never even write one good song in their whole career, while others are driv-
en to make words their nemesis. Two such artists who have been writing great songs throughout their careers are Vic Chesnutt and Rosanne Cash, and now both have released what may be considered their best work to date. Over the years, Rosanne Cash has had 11 number one singles and while walking her own path from Nashville to New York. She was never quite right for the country crowd. Her confi-
dence as a songwriter has grown, and may have reached its peak on the song “September When it Comes.” On the other hand, Vic Chesnutt has never had a number one single. His career, as his life, has had a few twists and turns. Through it all, he has been writing songs as a way to keep himself alive. His newest release, Silver Lake, is his warmest and most mature recording to date. These are two of the most literate singer-songwriters working today. Words alone will not carry a song, and on both releases, the balance between lyrics, voice, and music helps to propel these works. Both discs prosper from sparse production and warmth. The songs on Rules of Travel have a timeless quality to them, while Silver Lake feels more like a fresh breath that is meant to be enjoyed in the present. Cash is not afraid to work with other writers or to have people write songs for her. “Beautiful Pain,” the lead track on the new CD, is written
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