Staff Reports
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 5, 1998

Music Meltdown

Arizona Daily Wildcat

The Seymores

1,000 lb. Grr'lla

(pitch-a-tent)

Same, same, same, same, different. So goes a commercial for one contender in the quest for fast food imperialism, a mantra which speaks to our desire to escape the fate of a homogenous diet. The very "same" phrase could be attributed to the feelings one gets when looking at many of the offerings in today's music world: alternabands are processed, mass-produced and packaged for an audience, with the hopes that our appetites have become dulled to the point where we can no longer tell the difference between a fried, greasy burger and a filet mignon.

The Seymores, a Richmond, Virginia foursome, have released their debut, 1,000 lb. Grr'lla, to the masses. The eight songs here are the work of two separate songwriters, Dave Fera and Joe Nio (with the exception of a cover of Joy Division's "No Love Lost"). The effect, though, is not a Lennon & McCartney kind of artistic contrast, but an inconsistency of sound which makes this record sound like a half-baked tribute to each writer's current faves. More aggressive tracks like "Sicker Than You" tread lightly on the ground laid by indie heroes like Sebadoh and Pavement, while slower, sadder tracks like "New Rollercoaster," fall somewhere on the Elliot Smith/Geraldine Fibbers side of the rainbow.

Most of these are good songs - catchy. But there's a lingering sense that The Seymores have yet to find their niche. There's nothing particularly wrong with playing within a yet-to-be-exhausted genre, but one should have something interesting and innovative to bring to the table. Otherwise, it's simply preferable to listen to the real thing.

-Laura Bond

Mark Eitzel

Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out Because I Love You Too Much, Baby (Matador)

Mark Eitzel's been going solo for some time now, especially since the 1995 break-up of his band, American Music Club. He's a master at his trade; his skills give the art of songwriting an industry standard. Eitzel has no gimmick. He's genre-less; he's been around too long for that stuff.

Caught in a Trap is Eitzel's third solo album, and it's part folky slow record, part pure rock. Even though he's calmly strumming an acoustic most of the time, it still has that slick rock 'n' roll quality to it - most acoustic folk guitar sounds rawer, more echoey and the vocals tend to be likewise. Eitzel's songs have the quality of a seasoned rock musician practicing in his home studio, not his bedroom - that would be too folky.

About halfway through the album, it starts to pick up. "If I Had a Gun" has hints of production wailing in the background behind the clean acoustic in the form of a distorted electric guitar. It's a slow progression - the bass and drums come in on the next track, "Goodbye," and by "Queen of No One," Eitzel's plugged in and rockin' out.

"Go Away" is an exhilaratingly beautiful song that feels like taking off in an airplane away from a city you love. "Sun Smog Seahorse" is like watching the rain turn the grass greener and the rocks redder. That kind of imagery is hard to create in music; listen to Caught in a Trap and be prepared to feel.

-Annie Holub

The Stereophonics

Word Gets Around

(V2)

Hailing from Wales, The Stereophonics have received a fair bit of acknowledgment in the past few months with the single "Traffic," a soulful yet uptempo pop masterpiece. When listening to the album, one might associate the sound with that of Manic Street Preachers, another greatly influential, yet controversial, Welsh rock outfit. The main difference between The Stereophonics and the Manics is the more lighthearted approach the former take. Instead of singing about pedophilia and rape, the Stereophonics deal with more user friendly topics.

The first track, "A Thousand Trees," could be a great driving song (I wouldn't know though, since I don't know how to drive), with its wailing harmonious lyrics, strong guitar and flowing style. The best track on the album, "More Life in a Tramps Vest," is a light, fun song with jumpy transitions and no real moral substance. Just good music.

"Traffic" is a heartfelt and urgent song which rings with an emotive and triumphant melody.

Basically, Word Gets Around is a great album which is in no way heavy or melancholy.

"Check My Eyelids for Holes" and "Last of the Big Time Drinkers" are shining examples of the humor that The Stereophonics apply to their music. With both these tracks, they pull off the feat of being serious musicians while not taking yourselves too seriously - definitely a lost art much needed in modern music.

-James Casey

Funkdoobiest

The Troubleshooters

(Buzz Tone)

Tomahawk Funk is gone. DJ Muggs is also absent, no longer influencing the LA-based Latino rap group he founded. Still, Son Doobie and DJ Ralph M. are able to hold their own on Funkdoobiest's third production, The Troubleshooters.

With the help of some up-and-coming producers and Son Doobie's perfect switching back and forth from Spanish to English without warning, Funkdoobiest's first album in three years shows a more polished side and an indication that the crew has grown artistically while still providing party jams and having fun.

Highlights of the album are DJ Rectangle-produced tracks, including "Papi Chulo," which uses "Hell" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers as a backdrop. Showing up on the track is Daz from Tha Dogg Pound, whose verse almost upstages Son Doobie himself, and adds an edge to the song; the album also offers a Spanish version of the song. Also produced by DJ Rectangle is "Act On It," which contains a sample of the ultra-old-school track "Jam On It" by Newcleus and a cameo by Kam.

Like most Funkdoobiest albums, along with the highlights come the lowlights. Here they include "Doobie Knows," a take off from Diana Ross' "Mahogany," and "The Anthem," which works off of Bill Wither's "Just The Two Of Us." Not only are these songs corny, they've been done recently by other artists, including The Luniz with "Just The Two Of Us" and Puff with "Mahogany."

Oh well. If you are not impressed with Son Doobie's work on Troubleshooters, you can check out his performance in his adult film debut, "Son Doobie Porn King." Seriously.

-Joel Flom