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Airwaves
Richard Julian
"Good Life"
Bold, original, smart, disarmingly truthful, wry, fresh. Lyle Lovett meets Paul Simon? I can't stop with the compliments. Richard Julian brings you vividly into his quirky life as an on-the-street urban songwriter, and it's a captivating experience: he introduces you to a colorful cast of urban street characters and strange, awkward late-night situations and lets you marinate in them.
It's not surprising that he's attracted piles of press and attention from musical luminaries - Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman and Norah Jones to name a few-over the past couple years. His "Good Life" CD may be the most unique and consistently enjoyable you'll hear in a while. I count at least 10 songs as nothing short of brilliant and amazingly fun.
Julian brings a lot to the party. Most singer/songwriters have one particularly strong quality-a standout voice, a poignant lyric ability, or an irresistible gift for melody. Richard's full-force creativity doesn't stop there. As the producer on this CD he goes to town, throwing colorful, unusual instruments and surprising twists into each song in ways that make them come to vivid life-you can almost see the unshaven faces and taste the late-night atmosphere.
"Please Rene, Not Now" is quirky and catchy, about an awkward moment with a dead-ended friend. "So you're down and drinking alone, please Rene, please Rene, so you found me by the phone, please Rene, not now." Another, "Miss You Bad," drops you-like an ice cube into a cocktail-right into a weird situation: "Pretty girls outside a karaoke bar, fire breathing gin, leaning in our carÉ"
Though the CD is jammed full of great songs, my favorite is "Trick Candle": "When the telephone rang, I was half asleep, it made a deafening noise, you were soft in my ear, you were down and deep, you had that catch in your voiceÉTrick candle, Trick candle, the flame keeps coming back..." The writing is great, and with cool bass clarinets strutting their parts suggestively, it sticks with you like bed sheets on a hot summer night.
Julian has just released a new 2006 CD called "Slow New York," received too late to review for this column. It's bound to be good too, but possibly different - since he's now with a bigger label. You can't go wrong starting with "Good Life:" it's brought him a ton of deserving attention.
Umphrey's McGee
"Safety In Numbers"
This fabulous Chicago band is called a jam band-a label for groups known to give exciting live shows full of extended improvisation. But to some people, the name can also conjure up images of meandering jams,
sloppy crowds and unfocused CDs.
Add to that a strange, old-fashioned name-Umphrey's McGee- apparently the uncle of one of the band members-and you might pass this band by on the CD rack.
Don't let that happen. Umphrey's is a fresh, super-talented, progressive rock outfit with a unique sound that's well-captured on CD. You'll hear more influences from Yes, the Police, the Dixie Dreggs, Toto, and sometimes Little Feat than the more typical, free-form jam bands sprung from the Grateful Dead. Because of its complexity and originality, this is music that grows on you each time you hear it.
This latest CD, "Safety In Numbers," is full of songs that stretch the boundaries of typical songwriting. They're often five- to seven-minute musical journeys with exotic instrumental development. The singing is good but don't expect to "get" the lyrics instantly - these aren't pop songs. Umphrey's McGee has a more expansive taste, and the music takes you on colorful, exciting excursions.
"Believe the Lie" is a smoldering Police-like affair with tight rhythmic guitar patterns weaving an intense musical conversation with the drums and keyboards. "Liquid," is another standout-a beautiful song about memories with waves of sound like rain which moves into a Toto-like chorus.
My favorite is "Women Wine and Song,"
a happy Little Feat-like number featuring their friend Huey Lewis on lead vocals. "Life's junk will suck the will right out of ya, hold on girl I can't do it without ya, Seems like a lot of gray in the worldÉ Women wine and song will make it all move along, to a lovely beat."
In a world of slogans, hooks and soundbytes, Umphrey's McGee gives you more substantial songs that are like short movies told with fiery musicianship and rich, beautiful soundscapes.
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John Farmer is a writer who moved from coast to coast and to Asia before settling
in Colorado with his skis and guitar.
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