CD Reviews

by Andrew Matson and Darcy Caputo & r & The Mountain Goats & lt;a href= & quot;http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=rQy1MLe70wI & amp;offerid=78941 & amp;type=3 & amp;subid=0 & amp;tmpid=1826 & amp;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%253D179929022%2526id%253D179928729%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 & quot; & Get Lonely & lt;/a & 4 STARS & r & The man behind the Mountain Goats, John Darnielle, seems intent on not slowing down anytime soon, despite getting lonely. He is one of the multitudes of current (and prolific) American singer/songwriters, but where he differs from most is his highly unconventional singing voice -- which, at times, can grate like early Dylan. And like Dylan, Darnielle has a knack for spewing out long diatribes set to raw acoustic guitar. However, where Dylan (originally) stuck to political themes, Darnielle's tales focus on his own adolescence. He sings about broken homes, drug abuse and relationships gone bad -- of love lost and gone awry ("Blood on the Tracks").


This autobiographical trend continues on Get Lonely, his fourth record for the 4ad label and a triumph in its own right. When Darnielle repeats on the title track " I will get lonely, and gasp for air," it's plain what he's getting at. -- Darcy Caputo & r & Check Out: "Get Lonely"








& lt;a href= & quot;http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=rQy1MLe70wI & amp;offerid=78941 & amp;type=3 & amp;subid=0 & amp;tmpid=1826 & amp;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewArtist%253Fid%253D3629510%2526partnerId%253D30 & quot; & Kid Koala & lt;/a & Your Mom's Favorite DJ 3.5 STARS & r & Kid Koala has the requisite annoying charm to elevate turntablism into more than just a good idea. He seems hell-bent on proving that there are no bad sounds, just better or worse times to hear them. Like Q-Bert and Mix Master Mike, Kid Koala has the technical skills, but he moves in concepts, in grand schemes.


In Your Mom's Favorite DJ, Koala chops up old-timey blues and big band riffs; the idea is supposed to be that his source music is something your parents might listen to. Maybe, but he's aging himself with that one. Mainly, this disc is compelling because, two-thirds of the way through the first track, Kid Koala achieves what the Idlewild soundtrack did with lamentable stiffness: He chops blues music into a cool party jam. Koala does it with pure excitement, and his original 78s give a nice crackle to his formidable bed of pounding hip-hop and kinetic electronica. When the "Anchorman" samples cue the jazz flute late in the second song, listeners will have taken sides. -- Andrew Matson & r & Check Out: "Track 2"