STACK #129 Jul 2016

REVIEWS

MUSIC

Duran Duran Rio (remaster)

Jaakki Eino Kalevi Jaakki Eino Kalevi

Hey, Boy Band, yes you! Stop and listen; you don’t know shit. Before you were born, Simon Le Bon and co. were touring the globe, bedding supermodels and doing more drugs than Hunter S. Thompson; all the while delivering #1 tunes that didn’t rely on 'interpretive dance moves' to fill stadiums. They made video clips that were banned, made their own fashion, lived like artists in exotic locations and led bohemian, aristocratic, and eccentric lives like a very select few on the planet. They still look good, have hair, and can put on a live show that requires nothing other than amps. This is where it all began – Rio. It’s cheesy and awesome, and still guaranteed to have someone within your vicinity immediately dancing with wild

Finnish producer Jaakko Eino Kalevi used to be a tram driver in Helsinki, but now lives in Berlin, working from his studio. He’s still transporting people, metaphorically through his imaginative pop creations. Jaako’s self-titled debut album journeys through unique musical landscapes, spacious but richly detailed songs filled with soft-focus synths and electronic rhythms. There’s elements of jazz, new wave, and experimental pop throughout, all navigated with confidence and skill. When the trip is finished, chances are you’ll want to stay onboard and repeat the experience all over again. ( Domino/EMI/Universal) SImonWinkler

Saskwatch Sorry I Let It Come Between Us

And then there were six. Saskwatch are changing things up on their third album. A nine-piece band was always going to be a little unwieldy. And so it’s played out, with four original members moving on, and the band welcoming a new drummer, Sam Raines. Sorry I Let It Come Between Us also showcases a new

sound. “There’s just a million contradictions running circles through my brain,” the impressive Nkechi Anele admits on the seriously funky and defiant opening cut, I’ll Be Fine. Recorded in Philadelphia with Dr. Dog guitarist Scott McMicken, the new Saskwatch is more indie pop and less retro soul. If the first two albums displayed a group that was wide-eyed and dreaming – when even the gloomy moments sounded grand – this record depicts a band that’s truly discovered darkness. In the end, you get the sense that Saskwatch are just one hit single from superstardom. I’m not sure it’s on this record, but props to the band for not being afraid to experiment, and refusing to make the same record again. It’s going to be fascinating to see where they go next. ( Northside/Remote Control/Inertia) Jeff Jenkins

abandon. You need it. (Warner) Chris Murray

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The Getaway Plan Dark Horses

Jason Isbell Something More than Free Storytellers are few and far between; you could do far worse than this passionate fella, if you're looking for one. There’s a driving arrow into the heart of the matter when Mr. Isbell grabs your attention. Granted it doesn’t happen every track, but Flagship , How to Forget and Children of Children, as three tracks one after another, on this one album, is stand-up-and-clap worthy. “All the years I took from her, just by being born…” Folks, that ‘s a man who can write. Possessing country honk with a stretched-out understanding of groove, he’s fast becoming a ‘name’ – and for a good goddamn reason. (Spunk/Caroline/Universal) SimonWinkler

Dylan, Cash and The Nashville Cats A New Music City

Ratatat Magnifique

You have to hand it to The Getaway Plan: after a break- up,reformation, a nasty scandal involving a jailed tour manager (but not involving them) and half the original line-up decamping, they've emerged with their best record. Fret not faithful, this is not Getaway Plan's experimental jazz record, they're still fond of making an almighty and epic racket (just check opener Landscapes , or Battleships) . But they've found some serious smarts here as well: check out the reflective Baby Bird Effigy or the closer Exodus – it's a seven-minute epic that will be worth the price of gig admission alone. (MGM) Jonathan Alley

This is a companion release for an exhibition (of the same name) currently showing at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Both explore the many artists who travelled to Music City to record in the ’60s & ’70s, following the lead of Bob Dylan, the popular lure TV’s The Johnny Cash Show, and the rich talent pool of session musicians known as The Nashville Cats. Artists like George Harrison, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and many others were unable to resist a taste of the Nashville Sound – the era became a time of historic musical crossover, of pop, rock and folk, with the country music of Nashville. (Sony) Denise Hylands

Ratatat are as grabby as ever on their fifth album, with Mike Stroud and Evan Mast still mingling squirrelly synths and guitar solos. If Magnifique lacks the experimental bravery of 2010’s LP4 , it returns those standout guitars to the fore. Nightclub Amnesia adds the bleacher-stomping muscle of Sleigh Bells, while romantic pedal-steel guitar creeps into several tunes. The album can lose momentum as it swings between fist-pumping celebration and soul-searching meditation, but the duo’s twitchy, euphoric interplay thrives in both settings. ( Remote Control/Inertia) DougWallen

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