VARIOUS ARTISTS
Could You Wood? The Wooden Ball Compilation
San Jacinto RecordsRECORDED LIVE at the (more or less) annual acoustic music concerts at Club Congress, Could You Wood? includes a long list of Tucson artists: Black Moon Graffiti, Rich Hopkins and Luminarios, Phantom Limbs, Star Crunch, Rainer, Dan Stuart (Green On Red), The Drakes, Maggie Golston and many others (16 in all).
Favorite tracks: The crystalline growl of Joey Pena of Greyhound Soul on "Change"; the windy wail of Al Perry singing "She Thinks I Still Care"; Caitlin Von Schmidt, Gene Ruley and Chris Holiman (all formerly of River Roses) regrouped as Acoustic Flowers and making the listener happily melancholy with "Penitence and Pain"; and the soft, bright burst of pop from Paula Jean Brown and Robert Maché called "Girl Of The Falls."
The sound quality is generally very good and the whole album gives you plenty of reasons to be proud of the musical talent calling Tucson home.
--Michael Metzger
BUFFALO TOM
Sleepy Eyed
EastWest RecordsTHESE "ALMOST MAKING the big-time" power-punk-pop lads have been kicking around since 1989. Their last album, Big Red Letter Day, seemed like a commercial breakthrough of sorts for them--but the band has recorded their fifth long player in bare-bones fashion, with few overdubs and a distinctly raw "live" sound. This could pass almost as a well-recorded "live concert" recording, with its minimum of studio trickery and rough vocals. The first single, "Summer," featuring some tickling tremelo, grooving rhythm and anthemic choruses, sums up Buffalo Tom's brand of slacker pop. Will the cash registers ring accordingly?
--Timothy Gassen
SHANE MACGOWAN AND THE POPES
The Snake
Warner Bros. RecordsSHANE'S KIND OF rotted-teeth Irish-tinged-folk-pop leaves no middle ground. One either loves it (and grabs the bottle for a long swig) or simply shrugs with eyebrows raised. MacGowan's previous fame comes from his 1983-1991 run as the blurting front-man for The Pogues. On this "solo" outing, with a back-up band, he mines much of the same early Pogues soundings, crossing semi-traditional Irish tunes with pub-rock enthusiasm. "Roddy McCorley," "That Woman's Got Me Drinking" and the wonderfully named "The Song With No Name" all get MacGowan back to his roots. If you're still shrugging after a listen, then pass that bottle my way.
--Timothy Gassen
