4Play: 311, Kings of Leon, Street Sweeper Social Club, Seasick Steve

4Play: 311, Kings of Leon, Street Sweeper Social Club, Seasick Steve
Kristi Kates 9/21/09
311 - Uplifter - Volcano
Alt-rockers 311 roped in Bob Rock (Bon Jovi/Metallica) for their latest album, which was recorded at the band’s own studio-slash-residence The Hive in Los Angeles. It’s both a throwback to classic 311 sounds, and a small push towards a little band growth - a decently-balanced mix overall. The opener, “Hey You,” combines a reggae feel and some placid guitar riffs (perhaps the reason this one was selected as the first introductory radio single for the new set), while the rest of the album alternates between that more chill sound and more hard-rockin’ numbers like the rap-infused “India Ink” and the repetitive refrain of “Something Out of Nothing.”



Kings of Leon - Only By the Night - RCA
The Followill brothers and their cousin hail from the South, hence the origin of their popped-up brand of Southern rock along the lines of The Allman Brothers, if slightly more on the punk side of the fence. Whether or not this style of music is your thing, you’ve got to admit that this is a band that knows how to blend country-rock with today’s rock sound quite well, from the wide-ranging live-show attack of “Cold Desert” to the more complex “Revelry” and the more reflective “Use Somebody,” it’s apparant that while the band has taken their cues from their Southern contemporaries, they’ve firmly decided to break away from the stereotypes, and bring that sound into the now.

Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club - SSSC
Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello joined forces with Boots Riley to form this rap-rock side project, on which they rip through eleven songs with the help of Galactic’s Stanton Moore on drums. While Morello’s experience is apparant, the song structures here are surprisingly predictable, varying from loud to louder with few discernable dynamics; but those who like RATM’s brand of aggressive tunes and political shouting matches will probably dig this as well. “Megablast” pays homage to the likes of Public Enemy, “The Oath” pays homage to, well, RATM, and “Fight! Smash! Win!” is typical of Morello’s overall forceful approach to music.

Seasick Steve - I Started Out With Nothin’ and I Still Got Most of It Left - Warner Bros.
Seasoned bluesman Steve Wold may be one of the luckiest sixty-something musicians around, having worked on his sound (he’s famed for playing a 3-string guitar and stomping on a wooden box he calls his “Mississippi Drum Machine”) for years before garnering any attention at all - and then once he did, managing to get that attention from the likes of KT Tunstall, Nick Cave, and Ruby Turner, all of who collaborate with Wold on his second solo set. An entire band backs Seasick Steve on tracks like “Happy Man,” Wold duets with Cave on “Just Like a King,” and Wold’s bluesy guitar skills are showcased well on the title track, among others.

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