Primus - Green Naugahyde

Don’t you just love those few-and-far-between bands? They’re truly like no other. Sure they have a hint of this or a touch of that (other band) in them, but for the most part they are one-of-a-kind. Even if it’s not your cup of tea as far as genre is concerned, it’s always impressive to hear it and what separates it from the pack. For me, Primus is this band.

Even though one might need a graph to keep the members straight, one thing has remained the same: Primus has made some of the most unique music to ever hit the hard rock/metal scene. Founding (and constant) member Les Claypool (bass/vocals) has all of the best characteristics. Bizarre, angry, funny, and exceptional, he is inarguably the foundation of this group of misfits. Joined by guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde (1989 – present) and drummer Jay Lane (1988, 2010 – present), they are a combination of sounds and talents genuinely in a league of their own.

Green Naugahyde, the trios seventh full-length studio album and first in almost 12 years, is an extension of the Primus of old and brings an energy that is refreshing and, at the same time, somewhat disturbing. All the elements of old Primus are there. Claypool is an all-star on the bass–an absolute mastermind ala Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorious and Geddy Lee, bassists that transformed the its role in music. Slapping, strumming, picking, bowing, Claypool brings the bass from the background to front and center, taking over the lead of tunes with jaw-dropping creativity and accuracy. LaLonde does a superb job of keeping up, complimenting Claypool at every turn, while simultaneously adding his own chaos. And the “team player award” goes to Lane, laying down a steadfast foundation for all of this madness and never staggering on sick lick after sick lick.

Although, the most stand-out characteristics of Naugahyde may be its lyrics. An overt statement on current American society, it seems to leave no stone unturned. Pop culture (“Eyes of the Squirrel,” “Moron TV”), the environment (“Last Salmon Man”), capitalistim and economic woes (“Eternal Consumption Engine,” “Hoinfodoman”), and movie stars (“Lee Van Cleef”), Claypool pops the cork on all of the emotions he’s bottled up over the past decade, and to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about it. He avoids going all-out political and focuses more on the man rather than the machine. For the post part, I’m in his boat, but there’s something odd about it…something unsettling. Maybe because it’s so overt. Maybe because that exactly what he wants. Who knows. Let’s just say, you probably won’t walk away from this with a smile on your face. But did you expect to?

That aside, for those new to Primus, Green Naugahyde is as good a place as any to start. It’s hard to expect anything quite as good as Sailing the Seas of Cheese–like Pink Floyd after Darkside–but Naugahyde does fit well in the catalog and is hopefully a sign of more to come. Primus is just too good of a thing lose.

Rating
Overall: 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Production: 4/5
Listenability: 4/5

Trombone Shorty - For True

A great friend once told me, “If you don’t like mushrooms, don’t eat mushrooms.” I’ve found myself employing this life motto for many years since. If you don’t like something, don’t sweat it. Just don’t do that thing. But sometimes, you just need to give mushrooms another chance. The same could be said for Trombone Shorty’s newest work, For True (Verve Records). Some people just aren’t horn people. But sometimes you need to give them another chance, and this album would be a great place to start.

Raised in the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans’s 6th Ward, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews took to music with the seemingly greatest of ease. Starting at the age of three with drums, then trumpet and eventually landing with, you guessed it, trombone, pretty much all you need to know about Troy’s childhood can be summed up in one picture. Yes, that’s real. And yes, that’s how he got his nickname. Strolling the streets of New Orleans, barely big enough to hold his trombone, Shorty’s musical life story took form, and in the short 25 years since has included more than most musicians could hope for in a lifetime.

Living with an unceasing love for all things music, Shorty has explored the ins and outs of virtually every genre, while never abandoning his roots. Gigging with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, U2, Green Day and Galactic, all while penning seven albums of his own, Shorty has immersed himself in music and everything that’s a part of it. The results? Well, besides accolades like Performer of the Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Performer (Offbeat), he has the honor of, at age 23, being the youngest artist ever to be pictured on the official poster of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The next youngest: Wynton Marsalis…when he was 41.

You can hear everything that has gone into Shorty’s musical experiences in almost every track on For True. There’s those hints of his time with Kravitz in “Encore,” while also touching on the blues with a guest appearance from blues-rock guitar great Warren Haynes. You can find the Galactic funk in “Buckjump” and “For True” and hip-hop in “Mrs. Orleans.” “Then There Was You” brings in some r&b, and, well, there’s jazz everywhere. But above all there is always that little taste of gumbo that he can’t, and shouldn’t, get away from. It’s in his blood, after all. Parts one and two of the aptly-named “Lagniappe” take you straight down to the French Quarter, and not that spring break one, the classy, cultural and historic one.

Clearly nothing is off limits for Shorty. But don’t be confused, For True is not mismatched. In fact, it’s all put together quite nicely. It will definitely grab you and shake you around a bit, but it doesn’t leave you confused. There is an amazing maturity to it that you might not expect of people twice his age. His writing and playing are tactful, cultured and graceful on one hand and bold and expressive on the other. The only thing it leaves you wondering is what he might possibly accomplish in the next 25 years of his life.

So, yeah, you might not like mushrooms, but before write them off entirely, try this portabello.

Rating
Overall: 3.5/5
Originality: 4/5
Production: 3.5/5
Listenability: 4/5

Mike Doughty - Yes and Also Yes

Mike Doughty is kind of an anomaly. Listen to his work with Soul Coughing and you’d guess he’s a hard-edge cross between alt-rock and hip-hop. But listen to any one of his nine solo albums and you’d think that, while not entirely soft, he’s more of a have-guitar-will-travel emotionalist. The funny part is, when you break it down to its roots, there isn’t much difference between the two.

If you’re entirely unfamiliar with his solo work, think Cake, G love, Beck, Eddie Vedder (especially his Into the Wild soundtrack) and Glen Hansard (The Frames). Yes and Also Yes, his latest foray into the solo world, is a mostly-acoustic, non-complicated but pleasing look into this aforementioned softer side. The album is filled with introspective tunes that get back to his folk roots, while at the same time, not entirely abandoning the rock of Soul Coughing.

While there isn’t necessarily a stand-out track on the album, there are subtle and sometimes obvious facets of almost every song that make it original and pleasing to the ear. It’s the bitterness in “Na Na Nothing,” the delayed strings in “Dive into the Un,” and the contrast of the hip hop verse and Jack Johnson-like chorus of “Day by Day” (not to mention the sweet and subtle Rhodes accents).

With sleigh bells and a duet with Rosanne Cash, “Holiday (What Do You Want?)” has the makings of a traditional Christmas tune, but amazingly it’s not. The blend is just right to instead make it feel appropriate right where it is, in this middle of an album that is anything but Christmassy. And to follow it with the driving drums and punk guitar of “Strike the Motion” and “Have at it,” he clearly doesn’t just want to hem and haw over sappy memories.

It’s comforting to know that Doughty has admitted that “Makelloser Mann” is “just a bunch of random, peculiar phrases,” since that’s all it sounds like anyway. But “The Huffer and the Cutter” is a little clearer, bringing back that bitterness and resentment we heard at the beginning. “Telgenic Exes, #1 (Hapless Dancers),” along with its later partner, are the only true solo tracks on the album. They’re also where the Vedder characteristics really come through.

So very close to the end, “Vegetable” lays down some surprising funk that is almost the perfect combo of solo Doughty and Soul Coughing. And closing with the second of the “Telgenic Exes,” is a good way to bring it back down and send it off with just Doughty and a 12-string.

It’s rare that you can listen to a solo/acoustic album and come to the conclusion that it really will appeal to most musical preferences. There’s truly something for everyone in Yes and Also Yes, with a blending of folk, rock, hip hop, punk, and funk throughout. At some points it’s in the forefront and at others dancing in the background, but it’s there nonetheless. And while it’s often hard to be blown away with originality on a solo album like this, Doughty tries his best and does manage to show some inventiveness. So, whether you love or hate Soul Coughing or haven’t heard of it or Doughty, take time to give Yes and Also Yes a try. I bet you’ll find something you like.

Rating
Overall: 3.5/5
Originality: 3.5/5
Production: 3/5
Listenability: 4/5