Cex - Role Model (CD, 2000)

I have never been a fan of electronic music, but I got turned on to some decent "IDM" by a friend at work last year, and this was about as far as I took it.

In all honesty, I listen to this disc (and the few other Cex CDs that are forthcoming) only when I need some instrumental music to keep my head filled while I'm doing busy work on the computer and I don't feel like listening to any of my Tchaikovsky records. (I don't know a thing about classical music, but I know I like Tchaikovsky. If that makes me sound pompous, so be it.)

This disc is full of blips and synths, and like I said, it's not something I would normally be drawn to. But this guy's clearly a little crazy, and I don't mind going down that road every once in a while.

Plus, the Dismemberment Plan remix on here is pretty sweet.

"Wall Street Kid"

Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine (2xLP, 2004)

Somebody didn't like the direction of Cee-Lo's first LP. Whether it was Cee-Lo or the label (my knee-jerk reaction is to blame the label, or one of the "suits" somewhere), there was clearly a decision made to make his follow-up a lot more palatable.

You don't even have to listen to a song to see what's going on. When you see the names Timbaland and Pharrel on the back of an LP, you know the deal. Somebody's banking on some hits. Add "featuring TI" and "featuring Ludacris" to the mix, and it's looking doubly true. So, about a quarter of this album is smellin' like it's fresh from the hit factory.

The good news: the Pharrel tracks are actually decent. I've never cared for that dude as a rapper (and especially as a "singer"), but he can put a track together if he doesn't go overboard. The couple songs he produces with the Neptunes here are absolutely fine. "The Art of Noise" works some slight pop angles, but never starts beating you over the head with how likable it's trying to be. And the hook isn't stupid. "Let's Stay Together" sounds a lot like the title, a throwback soul number that makes for a solid cut deep into the album.

"I'll Be Around," the track produced by and featuring Timbaland, is about as crappy as any other Timbaland number. Thinly veiled sexual innuendo, overpowering bass, and melodies that have been used a hundred times. Cee-Lo's raps on the track are dope as shit, but he can't save it. "Childz Play" with Ludacris is about the same, a half-baked club jam that is tolerable until Ludacris comes in and starts sucking all over the place. And TI? Gimme a break. It's embarrassing that he's included on a record as otherwise legitimate as this.

That bullshit makes me like his first LP even more, even if it's strictly for the lack of big name ringers. But, he still gets weird on this one, even if the beats are almost all a lot cleaner. I am always so happy to see Big Rube's name on the back of a record. Dude can rap-talk better than anyone, and for some reason, I could listen to him ramble on about whatever nonsense he's spewing for days. It's why "Scrap Metal" ends up being one of the best songs on here. Rube kicks some knowledge at the beginning, the beat is dark but leaves plenty of room for vocals, and Cee-Lo sounds crazy angry on the hook. It's pretty sweet.

And there's plenty of other songs like that throughout the record. Seems like Cee-Lo gets back to rapping a little bit more, and by letting some other producers in on the action (especially Organized Noize), this record sounds a lot more diverse than his first one. I'm still not sure it's better, but it's different, which is good.

"Living Again"

Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2xLP, 2002)

Cee-Lo ended up being the Andre 3000 of Goodie Mob, the guy who grew tired of the confines of Southern rap and wanted to strap on a wig and get freaky. Fair enough.

The dude's got a versatile voice, good for rapping and singing. He does both on this LP, and though it's not quite as good as he wants you to think it is, it's way better than anyone could have predicted. The beats are a mix of old soul and modern-era Dungeon Family, heavy on the horns and hard with the drums. Cee-Lo knows his way around music like this, and when it comes to writing a hook, he doesn't have any problems.

The usual subjects are covered (fucking, spirituality), and though his lyrics are often rehashed versions of classic cliches, he mixes it up by throwing in some straight up weirdness and vamps that are bizarre and entertaining. And, like I said, he can rap and sing. His raps are sparse on this one, and when he gets into 'em, it's a different vibe than he carried with Goodie Mob or his guest spots on Outkast songs. He even says "I am not one of those thug rapper guys" on "One for the Road," a song that seems to both lament and attempt to breathe life into the current state of hip hop.

So, he's sort of all over the place, but honestly, that's what I like the most about this record. Here's what I don't like about this record:

- It's long. Almost 75 minutes. It's a lot to take in.

- There are 21 tracks listed, but five of 'em are "breaks," the longest of which is 22 seconds long. No need to list those as songs. So, really there's 16 songs. That's averaging almost five minutes a song. So, I guess I'm restating my "it's long" point. And I don't mind long records. But some of the better songs on this one are tucked away at the end, and it's a shame.

- "Country Love" featuring John Popper. Really?

- No Outkast. But Big Gipp makes an appearance, so that's pretty good.

Overall, a good record. But, you get the vibe Cee-Lo fancies himself some brand of madcap genius, and at some point, it's really off-putting. He's a good singer, a decent lyricist, and the guy can write a song. Let's not get carried away...

"Gettin' Grown"

Cat Power - The Greatest (LP, 2006)

I'm not a Cat Power purist, and if I were, I might not like this record as much as I do. Chan took her songs to Memphis, hired some slick studio cats, and polished the shit out of 'em. Sounds like it shouldn't work. For me, it does.

Things start slow, with the title track easing you into the new sound, before things get full-blown on the second cut, "Living Proof." The production is sufficient enough to mask how much is actually going on: there's piano, organ, guitars; a lot more than you'd hear on a "normal" Cat Power record. It somehow sounds right, though. You start to realize her voice is made for this kind of Southern sensibility. A song like "Lived In Bars" has a genuine timeless feel to it.

I'm a big fan of "Could We," a song that is the most blatant in its attempt to mirror the sounds of 60's R&B, and also the most blatant in its attempt at some pop appeal. It's about a minute too short for me, but the running time goes right along with the whole vintage-single feel. Things get a little slow after that, but it comes back around at the end.

"Hate" is out of place on this record, sounding like a lost song from the You Are Free sessions. It's dreary and noodly with the guitar, like a lot of good Cat Power songs. "Love & Communication" is a mix of both styles, taking her initial approach and throwing some small string parts on it.

Like I said, I have no attachment to the "real" Cat Power stuff. So, I don't have a problem going down this road, which I'm sure a lot her fans viewed as a huge sellout. But that's me, I'm without scruples.

"Living Proof"

Cat Power - You Are Free (LP, 2003)

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I was late to the Cat Power game. I had heard her (Chan Marshall, if I didn't mention her actual name before) stuff before, but this was the first record that I really listened to. My girlfriend at the time had picked it up, and it was on repeat in our apartment for a good few weeks.

I think I was initially drawn in by the infectious hook of "Free," the second track, but once the song ended, I found myself listening to the rest of the disc. "Free" is one of the more upbeat numbers, but it's really no less sad and affecting than the rest of the songs. It's not surprising that the tone is morose, but she manages the difficult feat of having songs that are both depressing and strangely uplifting. Sometimes it's one or the other, but tracks like "Shaking Paper" manage to accomplish both.

I always ended up back at the beginning, and I slowly became infatuated with the first song, "I Don't Blame You." Whether this song is about Kurt Cobain or not (I have a hard time believing it's not, though it's never been confirmed), I found it really hard to resist. My 90's coming of age has left me powerless against any sentiments aimed at Cobain (he still remains one of the only things I cornily hold sacred), and if that is part of the reason I love the song so much, than so be it. It remains, for better or worse, my favorite Cat Power song.

I picked this LP up sometime in the last year, after not hearing it for a few. I've sunk right back into it. But it can leave me a bit depressed, so I dole it out in small doses.

"He War"

Cat Power - Moon Pix (LP, 1998)

She put out a few records between her debut and this one, so going from there to here is like night and day. The arrangements on this record aren't complicated, but they're clean and well conceived, making a great background for her vocals.

I'm not going to act like I know this record too well, because I don't. I haven't owned it very long, and I've probably listened to it the least out of all the Cat Power records I own. I do know that I really like "He Turns Down," but I couldn't tell you why that one in particular sticks out for me.

So there you go.

"Cross Bones Style"

Cat Power - Dear Sir (LP, 1995)

I was late to the Cat Power game, though I always heard folks (and girlfriends) rave about her. I just never took the time to listen. I caved when I heard You Are Free, which we will get to here pretty soon. So, I'm still in the process of retroactively buying some of her records.

This is the debut, a short collection that is lo-fi, but really likable once you give it a chance. Having the advantage of listening to it after knowing where it's all going, it sounds like exactly what it is: someone finding their voice. The piano is nowhere to be heard on this one; it's all poorly tuned guitars and vocals that alternate from whispers to yelping. It's sloppy, but once you accept that, there's some nice tunes to be found.

"3 Times" and "Rockets" are both songs begging to be fleshed out past their bleak treatment here, but as they are, they're still plenty convincing. "The Sleepwalker" sounds a bit too much like PJ Harvey to me, but it fits the overall mood of the songs well.

This reminds me a bit of The Breeders' debut, Pod. You can hear the promise, but all the details just haven't quite been figured out yet. She'll get there.

"Rockets"