Comments

There are no comments yet. Click here to start the conversation!

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Printer friendly

More Music News

• Who's afraid of puberty? Not Justin Bieber
• Fred Eaglesmith happy to keep rough edges in shows
• Jo Dee Messina's music is no longer held hostage

Share and Enjoy

TUNED IN

By CHUCK CAMPBELL

‘Black John’ singer’s material rises above his inspiration

“BLACK JOHN,” The Soul of John Black (Electro Groove)

John Bigham, lead singer/guitarist of the Soul of John Black, freely admits his act’s new “Black John” was inspired by the blaxploitation film “J.D.’s Revenge,” but that doesn’t negate the artistry of the release.

Bigham and company fully embrace the kitschy context of the film genre, but “Black John” is deliciously cheesy, a far more engaging interpretation of life on the streets than typical gangsta-rap shlock.

In fact, it’s flavorful enough to be consumed a la carte, separate from corny blaxploitation associations.

Although Bigham warns, “You play with knives and you’re gonna get cut” on the title-track opener, the earthy R&B/funk arrangement gives a celebratory feel to the ostensibly violent message.

Elsewhere, Bigham explores his lusty side, obsessing via the refrain, “white dress, black drawers” on the swampy, organ-laced “White Dress” and driving his hormones through lines such as, “A hot cup of coffee, can you please lay some sugar on me?” on “Betty Jean.”

Also, he may keep his pimp hand strong (at least figuratively) with the droll, clip-clopping “Bottom Chick,” but he’s a softer touch in the melancholy, glowing aura of “Holiday Inn,” the sweet, acoustic-guitar framed “Thinking About You” and the dirty-blues “Last Forever,” where he ruefully sings, “Like a bad cell phone, she liked to roam.”

“Black John” may be a concept album based on a B-movie, but the deft execution and smoldering atmosphere are top rate.

Rating (five possible): 4

Nous Non Plus fakes it, with charm

“MENAGERIE,” Nous Non Plus (Aeronaut)

“Menagerie” is a perfect title for the new release by Nous Non Plus, a New York City-based faux-French band that claims “Celine Dijon” as its lead vocalist.

The erratic group of mostly Americans zigs and zags through all manner of nostalgic and contemporary pop and rock, alternating between French and English lyrics and switching out singers. There’s no choice for listeners but to strap in and let the barrage come, no congruent atmosphere, no focal point.

But the indie spirit runs rampant on the playfully chaotic collection from these rhythmic rascals. Their Moog-laced eccentricities, dished out in a fashion that’s entirely too self-aware, surface repeatedly as “Menagerie” veers from campy cool revisionist disco (“French Teacher”) to a baroque apocalyptic romp (“Mais Maintenant Il Faut Danser”) to aural softness that bears resemblance to a quaint country ambience (“Toi et Moi”).

Also along the way, Nous Non Plus delves into the surreal folkishness of “Sunlight Yellow Noise,” the rollicking “Claque Claque!” and a few failed missions into choppy rock. But it isn’t until closer “Bollinger” that the group conjures a loungey sound that might be expected from a reality-blurring would-be French retro-modern band.

In spite of the many fine tracks, “Menagerie” is less than the sum of its parts due to the act’s inconsistencies and seeming indecisiveness.

Some aural adventurists may find it easy to hang with so many variables, but no one could be blamed for spurning such self-indulgence.

Rating: 3-1/2

Point Juncture WA softens its point

“HEART TO ELK,” Point Juncture WA (Mt. Fuji Records)

Point Juncture WA is practically a French singer away from being the next Stereolab or Ivy.

Although the Portland, Ore., band’s vocalist Amanda Spring doesn’t have the je ne sais quoi (i.e. accent) of Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier or Ivy’s Dominique Durand, she shares with them a cool detachment while her band plows through sometimes-furious, albeit muted, arrangements in contrast to her delivery on their new “Heart to Elk.” And as the drummer, Spring contributes to the mayhem behind her calm vocals.

Meanwhile, the indie-but-polished act has a male counterpart to Spring in keyboardist Victor Nash, who turns in a few cases of effectively soft male vocals — and one clunky one, on the experimental “The Kings Were Good” driven by irregular, and uncomfortable, rhythm.

Yet Point Juncture WA’s most noteworthy weapon might be vibraphonist Skyler Norwood, whose deft handiwork gives “Heart to Elk” a glow that distinguishes the band better than any other instrument or voice.

The group’s otherworldly sound fuses rock and lounge music, resulting in an clash of disparate elements that ultimately smooth out in a settled package despite foreboding lyrics, simmmering guitars and hustling beats.

Trouble is, apart from the urgency and distortion of a more direct “Biathalon,” “Heart to Elk” runs out of tricks, and momentum, as it disintegrates into repetition — a problem that could have been alleviated with judicious culling of a few tracks.

So while the release works its way under the skin with beautifully designed early cuts such as “Rocks and Sand,” “Once Tasted Ever Wanted,” “New Machine” and “Sioux Arrow,” it eventually festers with redundancy and loses its impact.

Rating: 3-1/2

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
Want to use this article? Click here for options!