Jurassic 5 “Quality Control” Interscope
Records
Imagine everyone’s favorite Peanuts character and the best
canned fish on the shelves. With a name like Chali 2Na, why would
you need the help of five other guys to sell records? When
listening to Jurassic 5’s full-length debut, the overall
sentiment expressed does not seem to rest on commercial gain. In
fact, their message is unity and harmony ““ unity in rhythm
and harmony in rhyme. The spirit of Jurassic 5 also evokes
sentiments of unity and harmony in the world at large. Their
prescription in “How We Get Along,” is that people need
to listen to one another. The hope invibed in such positive
messages rings true in the track itself through a solid harmony of
voices. The Los Angeles natives command respect through lyrics that
embody their fun and confident spirit. Sharp metaphors captivate
listeners and their “hypodermic vocals” leave them
infected. The hip hop collective does not forget its roots, with
MCs and DJs combining all the right elements to call attention to
the beats and the lyrics in their music. Rapid rhymes from
freestylers Chali 2Na, Marc7, Zaakir and Akil lend “Quality
Control” a poetic momentum and spontaneous energy that
ceaselessly drives the album. Though varied in harmonies and tempo,
the album’s colorful tracks are united by smooth transitions.
The skillful turntable work of DJs Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist weave
samples from various musical flavors into an all-you-can-eat buffet
for the senses. The rappers’ freestyle flows and the
DJs’ innovative sampling collides in a unique album offering
beats you can move to as well as tunes you can sing along with.
Jurassic 5 also indulges in an element of self-consciousness. In
tracks like “W.O.E. Is Me (World of Entertainment)” and
“Lausd,” they explore the music industry and the
half-life of fame. As proven in their latest lyrical journey,
Jurassic 5 is a of crew poets, not preachers. They’re on a
mission to deliver their message, but they still know how to have a
good time.
Emilia Hwang Rating: 8
Billy Bragg & Wilco “Mermaid Avenue Vol.
II” Electra Records
In this age of bubble-gum pop and hip hop nations, the day of
the singer/songwriter has become a thing of the past. With the
release of “Mermaid Avenue II,” folk-rockers Billy
Bragg and Wilco do everything in their musical power to remind us
of the importance of that underappreciated position. The album is a
continuation of the acclaimed “Mermaid Avenue,”
consisting of lyrics written by the legendary Woody Guthrie, who
passed away before he had a chance to record them himself. These
compilations are all the more impressive given the fact that
Guthrie did not leave accompanying notes to any of these songs;
Bragg and Wilco put his words to music decades later. This album
has just about everything. Jeff Tweedy, (lead singer/songwriter for
the up-and-coming rock band Wilco,) with his raspy voice and
irresistibly catchy tunes, presents the perfect complement for
Bragg’s grungier, hard-edged sound. The opening track of the
album, “Airline to Heaven,” is a great start. With its
Bob Dylan-esque sound, it is a throwback to the kind of rock
‘n’ roll that just is not being made anymore. Natalie
Merchant lends her silky vocals to their effort on “I Was
Born.” This song’s soft semblance to a nursery rhyme
serves as a nice little reminder of the simple pleasures in life,
in contrast with some other, more pointedly political (although no
less appealing) tracks like “Against th’ Law” and
“All You Fascists.” Another exceptional song is
“Secret of the Sea,” a light folk ballad that ponders
over the “footprints of the lovers that come here to love, /
By the tides washed away forever more.” Over the years, Woody
Guthrie has been the subject of numerous tributes. The aspect of
this album that sets it apart from the others comes in its flawless
collaboration. The vocals, the rhythms, and the lyrics, all combine
perfectly to make a melodic masterpiece.
Leila Mobayen Rating: 9
The Best of Star Trek, Vol. 2: TV Soundtrack Various
Artists GNP/Crescendo,
After all these years, Star Trek has still managed to grab onto
generation after generation of audiences like an old family friend
that just won’t go away. What is it about Star Trek that has
allowed it to continue to seem familiar, though the cast changes
with each spin-off? Is it just the solid colors of the uniforms
introduced in the original series that connect each consequent
series? It is not merely the appearance of the show that endures
old and new generations alike. It is the music. The familiar music
that says: the show has changed, but not to worry, the music
hasn’t. In “The Best of Star Trek, Volume Two,”
Star Trek’s familiar theme and variations for the spin-off
series culminates. In the opening themes from the original
“Star Trek,” “Star Trek the Next
Generation,” “Deep Space Nine” and
“Voyager,” the composers Alexander Courage, Fred
Steiner, Dennis McCarthy, Jerry Goldsmith and David Bell manage to
maintain the characteristic Star Trek sound through it all. The
opening music to each of the series, perfectly personifies the
character of the whole show. For instance, cheesy lounge music and
the macho Captain Kirk reflect the period of the original Star
Trek’s inception. The opening theme in “Star Trek: the
Original Series,” which started airing in 1966, begins slowly
with the xylophone, an instrument that provides sounds
characteristic of that generation. The introduction for “The
Next Generation” has a similar-sounding slow theme but with
strings instead. Like the sparkles of a star in the black universe
that the Starship Enterprise silently traverses, the sounds to the
original as well as to “The Next Generation” both prick
the air with their beauty. Then confidently, the music shoots
through the air like an explorer come to conquer any obstacle that
gets in his way. There are also pieces of music on the CD for
specific episodes. A bonus track from the “Deep Space
Nine” episode, “His Way” features Nana Visitor
delivering a rendition of “You Give Me Fever,”
originally written by J. Davenport and E. Cooley. The song has a
more galactic sound to it than the original, but is not as strong
or as appealing. Perhaps Star Trek’s appeal does rest solely
on the fact that it has proven itself through the ages. Both the
show and its music have survived in such a way that they just stick
by you. Although the album provides good music, the people who
would really find it worthwhile to purchase the soundtrack are the
die-hard Trekkies who would be able to appreciate the evolution of
the show and its music. For milder Star Trek fans, just watch the
shows.
Grace Uriarte Rating: 6