MOTOSIERRA
Life In Hell (Beatnik Moon R&R Crafts)
Just a quick mention for a cool Spanish thing I received, Motosierra cranking a Hellacopters manic good time, sung a bit awkwardly in English, even though ya don't notice, given the killer rough roar of Marcos on vox and the crazy energetic punk metal steamin' off the pressed aluminum. Bright metallic production values complete the electrocuted circuit, letting the action-packed drumming of the thing pound home the party. Seriously, if you dig Hellacopters or Turbonegro, this will slap you in the face harder than you've ever been whacked. See beatnikmoon.net for more.
Rating 7.5
CHRIS & RICH ROBINSON
Bothers Of A Feather: Live At The Roxy (Eagle)
As with Velvet Revolver, I can't separate the bad vibes surrounding the Black Crowes from the music anymore, successfully enough to enjoy it and extol it as highly as I did during those magical times, ecstasy-filled at the second and third record. There's no middle ground: Chris and Rich, in my petty mind, toggle left an' right as either America's greatest living bluesmen or fake. And on an acoustic record (well, there's electric guitar, but no rhythm section), with black girls singin' and such, and Chris stylin', I settle in disgust, in fake. Or at least in arms-crossed grumbles at not being sold. I mean, there's something sweet and na•ve when Jeff Keith and Tesla do this, but get these two black clouds on the case, and on a stool, and it's like the second coming of Woody Guthrie and Brian Jones on one worn wooden stage. The crowd's going to clap along, and you know they're going to hoot when Chris holds a long note. Is it welcome and wisdom one ascribes to hearing the great Lowell George's 'Roll Um Easy' or does one, again, scrunch up and fold up the arms at the audacity? A bunch of this album sounds fully southern gospel in fact, but all I can think of is that a faith healer has entered the room and is about to pass around the basket. I dunno, enough ranting... it's all wrapped into a weird zone I've had about the height of music fan maturity supposedly being this vein of critically acclaimed roots music - it's the height of pretense and offensive to fans of... well, the hard stuff, to name one slagged avenue.
Rating 4.5
