BOOKS: Shameless self-promotion, or, I, author

BOOKS: Shameless self-promotion, or, I, author

…So yeah, what with the 6,000-mile move overseas, quitting job, planning mega-road trip vacation, lunatic toddler, etc., I really should have enough to fill my time these days. But obviously not, so I wrote a book. Ta-dah!

"Spatula Forum: Greatest Hits 1994-2004" isn't actually an entirely NEW book, really – it's a collection of 130+ of the newspaper columns I've written in the last decade for papers in Mississippi, Nevada, California and Oregon. I've been wanting to do this for a while, gather my pre-blog rantings and ramblings in a more permanent form, but it wasn't until I discovered Lulu.com that it became feasible to do a print-on-demand version of my book. Basically, I slapped this together for myself and my family so we'd have something a bit more permanent than yellowing newspaper clippings, rather than with the intent of making a million bucks with it. (And thanks to Dave for helping walk me through using Lulu, which is a pretty nifty place for anyone who wants to publish their own book without spending a zillion bucks, and to Michelle for shooting a cover photo after I spent weeks agonizing on what to do for one.)

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with it. Got my proof copy in the mail Saturday and it looks nifty enough, 206 pages of shiny Nik-sculpted words and punctuation. As a souvenir of my so-called career, it'll do. I've written a couple hundred newspaper columns since I first got the itch as a college senior back in '94, and culled what I thought were the "best" of 'em into this tome. Everything from thoughts on Elvis, Hunter S. Thompson and my cat to travels to New Zealand, Alaska and Washington to drunken rambles to memories of friends, foes and more. Sometimes I was funny, sometimes serious, sometimes funny when attempting to be serious. Heck, some of you folks I've known for many moons might even pop up in the book (Note: I cannot be sued for libel).

So if you want a piece of the Spatula Forum, pop on over to my Lulu page and order a copy (I kept it fairly reasonable for a 200-page large-format paperback) or a download if you aren't into paper. Heck, if you're on the fence you can even read a 10-page preview of it online. I hope you dig it! (Edit: If the shipping costs seem extreme, for some reason they default to the most costly option - you can choose cheaper shipping by selecting other options.)

MUSIC: A trio of CD reviews

MUSIC: A trio of CD reviews

...Blogging likely to be pretty sparse for a while, maybe the rest of the month as we get closer and closer to leaving Oregon. Packing? What's that? Anyway, here's a few recent reviews I did over at BlogCritics about what I've been listening to:

Brit pop-punk rampage with Art Brut's "Bang Bang Rock & Roll"!

The sexy, fun debut CD from Eugene's The Ovulators

Reconsidering 'Journey's Greatest Hits.' No, seriously. Stop mocking me.

We're off to California for a few days later this week to move lots of boxes into storage at my parents'. Enjoy the rest of your week!

COMICS: At long last, I'm immortal

COMICS: At long last, I'm immortal

…Finally, I get to fulfill a long-held dream and become two-dimensional. Yep, my Portland comic-writing friend Jeff Parker has seen fit to give yours truly his moment in the spotlight. I wrote many a comic back in my 1990s small press comic series "Amoeba Adventures," but I've never been a character in a tale - until now. Yep, if you pick up a copy of "Marvel Adventures Avengers" #2 (the new all-ages Avengers title from Marvel Comics), turn the pages and you will discover a startling cameo appearance that – dare I say – might well shake the comics universe to its core!

Behold! The dazzling four-color debut of "Dirga," also known as Henchman #2 to the infamous Hulk villain The Leader:

…OK, so it ain't exactly a starring role (I do think artist Manuel Garcia nicely captured my essence, however). They've obviously capitalized on the inherent evil of my last name. Also a fun comic too, with some great humor, action and the Hulk beating up fish. (I might add that Jeff's also the writer behind the cool-sounding brand-new Marvel miniseries Agents of Atlas [unfortunately I haven't had a chance to pick up a copy yet, but I bet you it's swell!]) He's also with the nifty group of comics folks up in Portland who make up Mercury Studios.

But anyway, you ask, what is Dirga the henchman's ultimate fate? I can't tell you for sure without asking Mr. Parker, but it appears like all good henchmen, I end up getting punched in the face by Captain America. So much for my brief moment of comic bookery. Dare I hope there's a spin-off solo comic in the future for my humble Henchman #2? There's more to be told here! Vote with your wallets - write Marvel Comics today!

MUSIC: Play me the blues

MUSIC: Play me the blues

Busy busy busy. Besides, y'know, work, and trying to do a large review you should see sometimes next week, we're also getting ready for our ever-expanding mega yard sale set for a week from Saturday. So if you're passing through Southwest Oregon July 15, be sure to stop by! Say you read the blog and I'll give you a dollar discount. Unless it's on expensive stuff.

In lieu of original content, though, let me point you toward an interview I got to do this week with blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite, who's playing a free concert here next Tuesday. Always a pleasure to interview someone like Mr. M, who was gracious and eloquent on the phone, unlike his stumbling interviewer. Charlie's from Mississippi just like much of my family is so we had lots to talk about. He still wouldn't let me join his band, though. Anyway, if you're interested, go read my Ridin' with Charlie Musselwhite interview here.

Additionally, if you want to see the more refined version of my Superman Returns review (as opposed to the kind of rambling notes I posted last week), go hither. I'm still of two minds about that movie – flawed success, perhaps? worthy failure? – but it definitely tried to be ambitious, which you can't say about a lot of Hollywood summer movies.

Have a fine weekend!

MUSIC: "The Best of Survivor," or, how Nik lost all his street cred

....Spent some of the weekend catching up on various reviews for BlogCritics. Go hither and you can read:
• A review of the entertaining memoir 'Becoming Almost Famous: My Back Pages in Music, Writing and Life' by former Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres;
• Watch as I tie myself in rhetorical knots trying feverishly to link Sly and the Family Stone and the Stone Roses in my look at two new books in the fab 33 1/3 music-criticism series;
• Or, alternately, witness as I give in to '80s cheese-rock with this …

MUSIC: "The Best of Survivor,"
or, how Nik lost all his street cred

Survivor is one of those bands I'd never put in my personal top 10, but sometime in the summer of 1982 or so, they were the soundtrack of my prepubescent life. The song? "Eye of the Tiger," of course, from the soundtrack for that modern classic, "Rocky III."

Man, that slashing guitar riff that I'd air-thrash along to as it blasted out of my cassette player, imagining I was Rocky Balboa. I will still listen to it today without irony and bang my balding head repeatedly. It's the kind of chugging riff you just don't hear anymore, and gosh darn it, there's something wrong with that. "Eye of the Tiger" is still a cool song and I'll pull a Clubber Lang on anyone who disagrees.

What's surprising to me is that there're several other guilty-pleasure '80s songs I didn't even really register were also by Survivor, included on their new 12-track collection, "Best of Survivor." Mock their Members Only jackets and mullets in the vintage photos included in the CD booklet if you must, but Survivor had their nice little niche in '80s rock. They weren't just the poor man's Journey.

Like many moderately successful '80s bands, there are about a thousand different CD compilations out there for Survivor. This one has all you need for a little retro rocking, including the band's soundtrack hits, "Eye of the Tiger," the "Karate Kid" tune "Moment of Truth," and from "Rocky IV," "Burning Heart." Yeah, it seems like Survivor was the theme band of choice for mid-1980s rising-against-the-odds sports dramas, huh?

A tune like "Is This Love" isn't the world's most sophisticated expression of adoration, with lyrics like "I need to know that there's someone who cares / Could you be the angel to answer my prayer?" - yet, y'know, there's something urgent and appealing about it in Survivor's hands. Maybe it's just growing up with the band constantly on the airwaves, but listening to The "Best of Survivor" kinda felt like a homecoming for me. Some of the cheese-rock love songs on "Best Of" haven't dated as well, such as the weepy "Ever Since The World Began." Their best tunes come from the up-tempo rockers.

Curiously, Survivor actually switched vocalists in the middle of their fame. As a fair-weather teen fan at the time, I admit I didn't even realize this. Founding vocalist Dave Bickler, voice of the "Eye of the Tiger," had to step down due to vocal problems in 1983, and former Cobra frontman Jimi Jamison came on board for the band's later 1980s hits "High On You," "The Search is Over," and "I Can't Hold Back," all included here. Jamison is ultimately probably the stronger singer, with a go-for-broke vocal delivery that meshes well with Survivor's driving, straightforward arena rock.

Bickler returned to Survivor in the 1990s for a time, but Jamison was also still in play. Wouldn't you know it, the two dueling vocalists eventually led to two bands calling themselves "Survivor" out there, lawsuits and more. It was all settled and Survivor is still out there somewhere today, with Jamison on lead vocals. Their first new studio album in 18 (!) years, "Reach," just came out. What I like about Survivor is that they never pretended to be anything other than what they were — a blue-collar, rockin' 1980s band. Jamison's Web site biography notes, "He'll have your grandmother onstage singing 'Eye Of The Tiger' or he'll hold your toddler while he's singing 'High On You.'"

God love him. Would Bruce Springsteen do that?

MUSIC: A triple-threat of CD reviews

MUSIC: A triple-threat of CD reviews

Been a busy bee with the writing lately, even if it's not all posted on here. Wrote a 2,500-word profile of a local man who makes chocolate from the raw beans. And I ate chocolate. Will post link to it sometime soon. The story, not the chocolate.
Here's excerpted versions of three reviews I whacked out this week over at BlogCritics – head over there for the full rants:


The Raconteurs, 'Broken Boy Soldiers'
Are the Raconteurs "White Stripes version 2.0"? Not quite, but Jack White's new side project bears enough of his distinctive imprint that it's a must for Stripes fans. White has joined together with fellow Detroit singer-songwriter Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes' Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler for this new band – not replacing the Stripes, but as another avenue for the prolific White and pals to try something new. White's bluesy yowl and fingerprints are all over the album, and like most of the folks who'll pick this CD up, I admit I'm not really familiar with the work of Benson and the Greenhornes. But together, they make a solid band. The Raconteurs' debut, "Broken Boy Soldiers," is a trippy garage rock disc with a jones for the heavy '70s rock of bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. The first thing that hits you as the album kicks off is the broadness of the sound. It's a big change from the starker, two-person noise of the Stripes, with the welcome deep thump of Lawrence's bass guitar and Keeler's steady assault on the drums. For the first half of the album, it's an inspiration-drenched blast, with the catchy kick of the lead song, "Steady as She Goes," the Queen-meets-Robert Plant choruses of "Hands," and my pick for best track, the title song, "Broken Boy Soldiers," which has White nearly bursting his vocal cords over a clattering series of hooks and riffs. "Intimate Secretary" is a goofy fuzz-drenched blast, with silly lyrics like "This ringing in my ears won't stop / I've got a red Japanese tea pot." "Together" has the boozy morning-after feel of a '70s AM radio love song, with its optimistic chorus of "You've got to live and live and learn." White and Benson trade off vocals throughout the disc, although I admit I had trouble sometimes telling who was singing what. As the album winds down – and it's only a shade over a half-hour – it gradually runs out of steam. Some of the last few songs are unmemorable sketches, and the last, "Blue Veins," is a bluesy rock jam that doesn't quite ramble long enough to build up to a head. Is "Broken Boy Soldiers" a thrash-rock gem, or just some very enjoyable homages and bashing around? I'm not quite sure yet. It doesn't really have the primal blues-punk heft that I love about the White Stripes; but it's got a broader soundscape, and the welcome influence of Benson's songwriting, which feels more light-hearted than White's touch. For early-summer rocking out while driving down the long highways, "Broken Boy Soldiers" is just the ticket.


Grandaddy, 'Just Like The Fambly Cat'
Some bands bow out at the top of their fame; others bow out before they even make their first album. After 14 years, Modesto, Calif.’s Grandaddy is calling it quits as their cult fame builds, but they never quite broke through to the mainstream mass audience. Their fifth CD, “Just Like The Fambly Cat,” sounds like equal parts elegy and fond “see ya soon.” The band broke up just before its release, and frontman/lead songwriter Jason Lytle has announced his intention to move from dull Modesto to the wilds of Montana. Even novices to Grandaddy should enjoy the mellow space-rock groove of the album’s best songs. The album settles into a beautiful kind of haze with lonesome songs like “Summer … It’s Gone,” “Rear View Mirror,” or “The Animal World,” with its schoolboy chorus of “joy to the world / it’s the end of the world,” and a cheery singalong apocalypse feel. It all adds up to a kind of nostalgic cruise mix, the perfect soundtrack for driving the orchard-laden vast flat highways through the San Joaquin Valley, bidding farewell to Modesto for good. The album is divided fairly evenly between short and longer tunes, and it’s mostly the ones that stretch out to five, six or nearly seven minutes that have the best tone, given space to breathe. Lytle has crafted an album that’s constantly reaching for bliss and never quite finding it. “Just Like The Fambly Cat” captures that feeling of being caught between the possibilities, rocking with a kind of wistful tension.


Chris Isaak, 'Best of Chris Isaak'
Chris Isaak is a firm follower in the footsteps of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, with immaculate skill, style and a never-ending series of gorgeous, heartbroken laments. But he gives that old Sun Studios sound a distinctly modern spin. Isaak's first-ever career retrospective, The Best Of Chris Isaak, was just released, gathering together 18 of his finest tunes from his nine albums. It's a long-overdue look back at one of rock's most consistent talents, one who is best known for his classic 1990s ode to the broken-hearted, "Wicked Game." And make no mistake, "Wicked Game" is one of the greatest lonely songs you'll ever hear, but it's not all Isaak has to offer. "Best of Chris Isaak" is a well-chosen group of hits and should've-been-hits, such as "San Francisco Days," "Forever Blue," "Please," "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love" and more. Isaak's got a knack for singing sad songs that send chills down your back, with his versatile voice capable of soaring highs and burly lows. While everyone knows "Wicked Game," Isaak's crafted other tunes just as perfect, like "Somebody's Crying," which ambles along on a simple guitar lick, launching into overdrive with a cathartic, falsetto chorus. It's emotion that never feels faked. Casual fans might not be aware that Isaak doesn't just croon, he can rock as well. The sexy, throbbing "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" simmers, boils over and explodes with tension. The hit set is nicely balanced between the ballads and more up-tempo numbers. The CD is available by itself or in a bonus special edition that includes an hourlong DVD of Isaak's greatest videos. Even better, Isaak contributes an affable, frequently hilarious commentary over each of the 18 videos included. "I should have my own fragrance," Isaak jokes at one point as gauzy romantic images slide past. Well, why not branch out?

LIFE: Random ramblings

LIFE: Random ramblings

ITEM! Tuesday was primary Election Day here in Oregon, which is kind of like Christmas without the presents when you're a journalist. Lots of anticipation and stress; little payoff. I always sleep badly on election nights, because my idiot brain can't stop wheeling about the results; even if it's not a race I'm particularly invested in. Call it the journalist's disease. The county commissioner election here was particularly brutal this time, with lots of low-down, nasty feelings between supporters of the two main challengers. All politics is ugly, but this was particularly unpleasant. At the newspaper, you get to bear the brunt of the mudslinging, which kind of wears you out on the whole process. You're "biased" to everybody, which is code for "you're not catering to my biases." Ah well. Personally I felt we did a pretty good job of fair coverage. We're through this cesspool, and there's a few months of peace before the November election bickering begins...

ITEM! Man climbs Mount Everest without legs. Seriously, I couldn't do it on two legs. Kiwis are tougher than the rest of us.

ITEM! Have I mentioned yet that it's 5 months until we move to New Zealand?

ITEM! If you're looking for a good, morbid beach-blanket summer read, check out Kevin Brockmeier's novel "The Brief History of the Dead." A solid piece of end-of-the-world science fiction with a literary spin. Intricate plot and a page-turning prose style, juxtaposing the tales of the residents of a mysterious city with the survival story of a stranded Antarctic researcher. Moving and thought-provoking stuff.

ITEM! Want to hear me ramble on more about The Pixies? Go check out my review at BlogCritics of "Fool The World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies." Good readin'.

ITEM! Finally, Apple has announced their oh-so-sexy new Mac Book laptops, a more affordable version of their pricey Mac Book Pros. The baseline model starts at about $1,100, and I'll be first in line to get one. We've been talking about getting a new Mac for a year or two now, but I wanted a laptop (easier to take to New Zealand) and kept hearing rumors about the new models, so I waited... and waited.... Glad I did. These look fantastic. It'll be a quantum leap for us from our battered 1998-vintage iMac at home, which emits disturbing groans and wheezes now every time it's asked to do anything too difficult, I have to constantly delete files to make sure I don't run out of space and it boasts a barely-functioning CD drive. Yep, I'm getting ready to boldly leap into the 2000s! Figure on buying one next month sometime. Stay tuned for updates. Soon I will be hip!

ETC.: The roof, the roof is on fire

ETC.: The roof, the roof is on fire

...And now for a brief break in my non-posting. Work has risen up from the primordial depths and chewed a hole into my innards, and Toddler Peter is at Level 5 in toddler neediness at home, so I'm pretty likely not to post much this week. Besides several major projects going on and new reporters to train, this weekend we had a series of electrical problems that ended up with multiple power outages and fire trucks outside putting out the power lines on fire while we were trying to get out Sunday's paper. We don't just print the news, we make the news! Today we're shutting down the entire office for several hours while an ancient transformer is replaced. Last week I had 10.5 hours of overtime! See the blood, sweat and tears that goes into this newspaper? And ink?

I'm also depressed because our former cat, Luna, had to be put to sleep yesterday. About a year or so ago we gave her to a friend of ours because it turned out a toddler + two cats wasn't working out for us, and we didn't want to give up our other cat Kudzu. Anyway, Luna was old when we got her from friends who couldn't keep her back in 2001, and after we gave her to our friend Chelsea she started declining, ending up being diagnosed with diabetes and liver/kidney problems. She made it to 14, not young, but still bummed she had to be put down... Luna was a pain in the butt sometimes, extremely affectionate and skittish at the same time, and much more of a hassle for us to keep than the placid Kudzu, but I'll miss her a bit all the same.

In any event... Thanks kindly to everyone who wrote in for my blog-iversary last week -- after a complicated series of mathematical equations, geopolitical surveys, alphabet games and asking Toddler Peter for advice, I am hereby awarding Ash with a copy of my soon-to-be-created Great Songs I've Heard In 2006 So Far CD. Look for it in the mail, Ash!

To keep you occupied while I fight powerline fires and sit in the dark waiting for the power to come back on, here's a couple recent reviews I did for my buddies at BlogCritics --
• The essayist Hal Crowther is one of my favorite Southern writers. I look at his new book, "Gathering At The River: Notes From The Post-Millennial South." Them's good writings!
• Hey, ever heard of the Beatles? Here's a look at the new remastered box set, The Capitol Years Vol. 2.

Tonight we take Toddler Peter to the circus. Hurray!

ETC.: Keeping the faith

ETC.: Keeping the faith

...Oh thank the lord, it's Friday. Both my editor and city editor have been on vacation all week which basically means yours truly is theoretically in charge of putting out a daily newspaper. It's been pretty smooth, fortunately a slow week except for a political scandal or two, but I am ready for the weekend. Here's five things that kept me going this week:

1. Hurray for death and despair! Season 5 of "Six Feet Under" finally came out on DVD this week, and we've been burning through it at Netflix. Not being rich enough to afford the HBO, since Season 3 ended we've been forced to wait for the DVDs. What a bleak and beautiful show this is. The first episode alone features dead housewives, miscarriages, senility and gay adoptions! If it hadn't been one of the best written and acted shows on the air, it'd be just too depressing to endure. Now we finally get to see the final season! (Yeah, I've heard about the acclaimed last episode, but now I can see it.)

2. I love that 33 1/3 music-writing series, but "33 1/3: The Replacements' Let It Be" by Colin Meloy might be my favorite in the series so far, despite not following the series' typical parameter of being about the creation of and analyzing some of the best albums of all time. Instead, Meloy, the frontman for the cult Portland band The Decemberists, delivers a sharp, funny and poignant memoir of growing up in Montana and how music, including the Mats, helped save his life. Full of great little details of what it was like to be oddball and growing up in the early '80s, "Let It Be" is a fine read even if you've never heard the Replacements.

3. Another TV show that I hadn't caught on air but can now see through the miracle of DVD is Seth Green's bizarro "Robot Chicken" series from Cartoon Network. A ramshackle ode to pop culture with random offensive short skits featuring animated action figures, it's great fun. Not every skit is a home run, but I ask, how can you go wrong with "The Real World: The Super Friends," featuring a suicidal Aquaman? Or a "Cannonball Run" takeoff that ends with "Ponch" from "CHiPS" getting decapitated? Glorious.

4. Hurray, I finally got in the mail the new super-sprawling box set "RT: The Life And Music Of Richard Thompson", 5 jam-packed discs covering 30+ years of music by England's finest modern guitarist. I've barely dipped into the massive set, which is extremely well done by Britain's Free Reed Records – besides the five discs, almost entirely devoted to rarities and live takes of Thompson's best, it includes a huge 160-page book, plus a free voucher for a sixth disc of tunes to add to the set. In terms of doing justice to its subject, it's just about the best box set I've ever bought (closest runner-up being the Velvet Underground's "Peel Slowly And See," containing pretty much everything that band ever recorded). I'll be listening to this a lot in coming weeks getting ready for my date with Mr. Thompson May 9.

5. Post-comeback Roy Orbison. Man, you can't go wrong with his lonesome late 1980s tunes like "You Got It," "Mystery Girl," "I Drove All Night" and more. I've been soaking up the Orbison with the spiffy new "Essential Roy Orbison" 2-CD set, which I just happened to review over at BlogCritics this week. Go here and read the review; I'll be sitting here in the dark with my sunglasses on.

ETC.: It's Monday and my day off!

ETC.: It's Monday and my day off!

It's Monday and it's time for blueberry waffles! But first, some random bloggery:

• Peter's new favorite word? "Um."
As in, "Peter, did you jam Daddy's toothbrush down the bathroom sink?"
Peter: "Ummmmm....."

• I'm a reviewing machine! Two more reviews of mine for BlogCritics are online over there – Southern Culture on the Skids, "Doublewide and Live," and "Wolf Tracks: The Best of Los Lobos." Go read 'em and make me feel loved.

• This has been around the Web a few times, but it's still awesome. How to make "Garfield" over from lame gag machine into dark psychological drama -- take out all Garfield's words. And behold, you have a pseudo-zen comic about a lonely psycho who talks to his cat and never gets a response. Go check them out at the above link (scroll down to see more), and here's a sample.

Jim Davis can't sue me as this is protected under limited use for "satire." Er, I think.

• So one of the sites we read often is a New Zealand Immigration forum. A recent post by a Romanian-to-New Zealand immigant offers this insight which I had to share. I shall leave the author anonymous:
"The nature is NZ (otherwise not virgin or untouched) no doubt is fabulous… but there are some minuses. You may see gorgeous bitches and great see water…but you can only watch…the water is very cold even on the mid summer and laying down on the bitch more that 10-15 minutes can harm you as far as the NZ sun is very dangerous."
...Don't lay on the sandy bitches in New Zealand.

• Oh my lord, I have to read this comic someday. The Very Worst Batman Story of the Silver Age, which features the debut (and dare I say, only appearance) of the following: Batbaby. Y'see, Batman's turned into a baby by an evil criminal, and, well... OK, it was the fifties. Found at Silver Age Comics, who have enlightened me in ways I dare not speak of.

• Finally, I leave you with this: The Worst Web Site in the World. Found on Webpagesthatsuck.com.

MUSIC: Chieftains, Monkeys and Heads

MUSIC: Chieftains, Monkeys and Heads

Admittedly, there are worse fates than having a pile of new CDs you've been desperately meaning to review... But as I clear up the backlog, here's a look at a couple recent reviews I wrote for my second online home at BlogCritics and other ramblings...

The Chieftains, "The Essential Chieftains"
If there's a lack of green in your wardrobe, consider loading "The Essential Chieftains" on your iPod this St. Patrick's Day to celebrate your Irish side ... and avoid any unwanted pinches. This new two-CD, sprawling anthology features the best of Ireland's leading band. For novices unsure where to begin with the band's approximately 40 albums over the past four decades, "The Essential Chieftains" is the place to start. This compilation focuses on their work from the 1960s to 2003, collecting for the first time together their work on several different record labels. "The Essential Chieftains" is nicely split into two complementary discs: "The Chieftains' Roots," focusing heavily on more traditional instrumentals, jigs and reels, and Disc 2, "The Chieftains and Friends," which includes collaborations over the years with a cast of all-stars including Sting, Elvis Costello, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Jackson Browne and many more. If you're wanting that classic pipes-heavy, cheery Irish bounce, Disc 1 offers it in spades. Disc 2 has the sound of a slightly tipsy, mad all-star jam that lasts for hours, and the many voices contributing to the Chieftains sound gives it a nicely diverse feel. Particular highlights include Van Morrison's clarion voice on "Shenandoah," Irishwoman Sinéad O'Connor on the magnificently epic "The Foggy Dew," and Skaggs's countrified turn on "Cotton-Eyed Joe." You'll also find The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Béla Fleck and Nanci Griffith popping up on Disc 2. The Chieftains long ago reached beyond Ireland's borders for influences - you'll find guest stars like a Chinese ensemble in a track from 1987's "The Chieftains in China," or a Spanish flavor to the jaunty "Guadalupe," which features guest spots by Los Lobos and Linda Ronstadt. Chieftains aficionados will appreciate the survey of their career this 35-track set offers, but it's perhaps even better for newcomers — who can get a healthy sampling of one of the leading popularizers of world music. (Want the full review? Head over to BlogCritics and read it here)

Arctic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not"
Hype is a two-headed beast. It can bite you as easily as it can help you. Britain's The Arctic Monkeys are Exhibit A in this week's installment of The Hype Show. Their debut CD, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" has gotten enough ink to singlehandedly blacken the entire British Isles. These Monkeys have struck a chord in Britain, where they've become the country's fastest-selling album of all time. In the U.S., not so much -- they debuted at #34 in the first week. The hype probably is leading to a bit of an anti-hype backlash – I mean, NME, Britain's music cheerleader, had a poll of readers who named this album the #5 British album of ALL TIME – greater than any Beatles, Rolling Stones or Who album. Um, yeah, OK. So if you go in with that trivia factoid, you'll probably be disappointed by the Monkeys. But here's the thing – it's a decent CD, full of energy and raw talent. It's nowhere near worthy of the insane hype the British press put on it, of course, but it's a perfectly enjoyable collection of slamming punk-pop songs, taking equal cues from The Sex Pistols, Green Day and Franz Ferdinand to create a gritty, street-level look at being young and foolish in England 2006. It's all launched by crunchy angular guitar riffs, punkish sing-along choruses, and the nasal snarl of frontman Alex Turner's voice. Turner, 19, has that angry teen poet thing down, and his singing is snotty and packed with attitude. Yet there's also a current of sly intelligence running under the Monkeys lyrics. The booklet is filled with grey scenes of their Sheffield hometown, a dull, eternally overcast landscape full of kids with nothing to do. The propulsive first single, "I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor," is full of pogo-worthy guitar licks, while "A Certain Romance" mashes up punk rock with a Kinks-esque look at dreary old England. Will they succeed in America? I can't imagine they'll get beyond cult status, because they feel so very British that the iPod American generation might not identify with them. Yet "Whatever People Say" clearly speaks to a generation of English blokes in the same way that Green Day's epic "American Idiot" is tailor-made for a group of our kids. It may not exactly be novel – it's a brand of the same English angst that's been pimped ever since John and Paul picked up a guitar — but it gets your fingers tapping.

Talking Heads, "Remain In Light" DualDisc remaster
The Talking Heads' "Remain In Light" is often considered their finest moment, and 26 years after its original release, it still sounds as fresh and new as it did in 1980. Rhino Records has newly re-released the entire Heads catalogue on DualDisc, in gorgeously clear sound and with bonus tracks and DVD video extras. "Remain In Light" was called the fourth-best album of the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine. Its fusion of dank jungle rhythms, chirping electronica and fragmented chanting vocals have been influential on bands for years. "Remain In Light" came as producer Brian Eno, singer David Byrne and company were perfecting their mix of angst-ridden danceable pop. Nervous as hell, filled with hooks and innovation, it's a frantic masterpiece — in fact, I'd argue it was their creative peak, as co-writer and producer Eno moved on after this album, and the unique mix of energy was never quite the same in the remaining Heads records. The remastering here is fantastic. The primal African drumbeats that ground the album are crisp and you can hear every lick by the Heads' sterling rhythm section, led by bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Franz. And then there's the wonderful centerpiece of the album, "Once In A Lifetime." Über-critic Robert Christgau called this "the greatest song Byrne will ever write," and it's hard to argue when it comes to this witty and wise little tune that sounds more relevant to me every passing year, with Byrne's quizzical, stunned refrain: "And you may ask yourself — well ... how did I get here?" What may surprise newcomers to "Remain In Light" is how organically "Once In A Lifetime" grows from the jittery unrest of the entire album. There's also four "unfinished outtakes" on this reissue — "Fela's Riff," "Unison," "Double Groove" and "Right Start." They're kind of like sketches of finished songs, but provide a great insight into the band's creative process. If all you know of the Talking Heads is a handful of great songs, "Remain In Light" is the place to start to get the richer experience. (Want the full review? Head over to BlogCritics and read it here)