Hits and Misses

Michelle Malone

Strange Bird Vol. 3

3/5 stars

This album is just what you might expect from one of the Indigo Girls' favorite musicians - a collection of 14 tracks that range from angry grrrl rock to soulful acoustic crooning. Recorded live over the course of a year, Strange Bird is an eclectic compilation of styles and sentiments. The transition between tracks is not always the smoothest, but something tells me it captures Malone's spirit pretty accurately.

To Malone's credit, she manages to have her moments of all-out rage without being as jarring as you might think. "On My Way" is one of the loudest tracks, but it's still tolerable. Malone really gets to shine on this album in the songs featuring just her with an acoustic guitar. Tracks like "The Edge" and "My Green Thumb" are the crowning achievements. While she lacks the lyrical genius of other female folk-rockers like Ani DiFranco, the spark is there. It just hasn't been realized yet on Strange Bird Vol. 3.

-Kristen Keneipp

The Comas

3.5/5

Given that The Comas originally set out to reinterpret the "alt country" genre a few years ago, one might not expect the work of art that is A Def Needle In Tomorrow, their last full-length studio effort. Traditional rock elements occasionally mingle with keyboards, the occasional sample, and violins - but the influence and talent of the group's four musicians is always present, in force.

Def Needle is a pleasure to listen to, as it bounces like a sonic pinball between the influence of so much alternative and indie rock. With dragged-out vocal harmonies ("Tired"), 'stretchy' guitar sounds ("Rancor"), bouncy drum machines ("Sister Brewerton"), sing-along choruses ("Tiger in a Tower"), occasional-but-emotive keyboard solos, and enough variations in tempo to confuse even the most talented interpretive dancer, Def Needle's content could be traced back to Pavement, Built to Spill, and a thousand other indie bands. But its recipe is uniquely Comas.

Looking for something new? This could be the place to start.

-Rob Bellinger

Matt Zane

1 star

Matt Zane is revered in the adult film industry for his artistic innovation. His bio claims he was "the one who took pornography and brought it kicking and screaming into '90s on such video classics as Cherry Poppers and Backstage Sluts." Though this detail is not directly relevant to Zane's latest effort - a rumbling, deep-voiced spoken word/poetry/short story recording - it does offer some explanation as to why listening to Words as Carriers might make you feel guilty.

Essentially, this album is unpleasant. It's unpleasant to hear and unpleasant to think about. There might very well be a few nuggets of wisdom scattered within this album, but you'll have trouble finding them. The album is simply too grating to allow normally adjusted adults to withstand more than a few minutes. Zane touts this effort as "art without boundaries" and that's a pity, for Words could surely have benefited from a few.

-Rob Lott