As 2011 comes to a close and Christmas approaches, new music releases are quickly lining the shelves. Some, like Toby Keith’s Clancy’s Tavern, will undoubtedly sell better than others and appear on countless holiday wish lists. Still, the contributions of underground artists like David Lynch cannot be ignored, and such musicians have been putting out just as much interesting material.
In Clancy’s Tavern, released in late October, Toby Keith seems to place more of an emphasis on lighthearted pop-infused country music than originality. Whether that’s a problem or not is a matter of personal taste; songs like “Made in America” and “Red Solo Cup” are undeniably catchy, and that alone makes the album very enjoyable to a large audience. Unfortunately, songs like “South of You” don’t really bring anything new to the heavily-explored subject of heartbreak and come across as dull. Ultimately, Clancy’s Tavern isn’t really going to attract any listeners who don’t want to hear music about patriotism, beer, and the southern United States, but it’s certainly respectable in its ability to cover those topics with catchy and popular tunes.
Trash Talk, a group from Sacremento, California, has once again proved in the early-October release of their EP “Awake” that they are capable of playing music with a sense of urgency rarely glimpsed in the mainstream. Although “polished” is far from the first word that comes to mind upon hearing Trash Talk, this record makes it obvious that their raw sound emerges from an incredibly well-rehearsed group. This disciplined talent is especially noticeable on “Awake” in Sam Bosson’s drumming, which is practically non-stop from the beginning of the title track to the album’s close. “Awake” is certainly not for everyone, but listeners who enjoy their music loud and noisy would do well to set aside the nine minutes it takes to listen to these five songs.
David Lynch has been performing music for some time, but the November 8 release of Crazy Clown Time marked his first solo album. Much like the films he directs, most of the music is disturbing and strange; “Good Day Today,” released as a single last year, is probably as conventional as the album gets. Other than “Pinky’s Dream,” which features Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the album is entirely the product of Lynch’s trance-like instrumentation and bizarre voice. Whether he is speaking philosophically about teeth in “Strange and Unproductive Thinking,” singing as if his mouth is full of food in “Football Game,” or taking on the persona of a stalker in “Speed Roadster,” he simultaneously adds character to the music and makes it incredibly unsettling.
Released in late November by Fearless Records, Punk Goes Pop Vol. 4 is a collection of songs by huge singers like Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars being performed by relatively obscure alternative bands. To anyone whose understanding of punk rock extends beyond the simplistic music of Blink-182, the compilation will probably sound fairly ridiculous. The metal-influenced versions of “You Belong with Me” and other songs are entertaining in their own way, but the songs on this album show almost no emotional depth whatsoever. This problem mainly surfaces in more serious songs; regardless of how popular Mumford and Sons are, their enthusiasm and originality show more punk roots than Tonight Alive’s droning vocals. Likewise, Go Radio’s cover of “Rolling in the Deep” sounds a lot more pop-influenced than Adele’s personal and emotional original performance.
