NEW YORK - Having been a long time music writer and editor of a music magazine, and given that said magazine--the New Review of Record/Music Media and More--was born at this time of year in 1989, I think I'll plug a few friends and acquaintances' releases. I miss the chance to stroke those I know who are deserving not only of my personal attention but also of critical support.
Soul Coughing's Pumping Charge
Best known to the world's audience (though least known to me) is M. Doughty and his band, Soul Coughing. As a fan and as one who has shared a few pithy moments with Soul Coughing's writer and lead singer Doughty--I've promised before to write about them--I can assuredly say this band gives heart to the value of being a band close to the New York scene. On their third release, "El Oso" (Warner Bros.), Soul Coughing mixes funk with a gritty guitar edge and the anguished Doughty vocalizings, to verge on the avant-garde and cutting edge while retaining a rocking, pumping charge.
Employing deceptively simple story-telling with the same ingeniousness and intelligence that informed the lyrics of the Talking Heads, this quartet floats ideas out on thick slabs of funkish rhythm almost displaying the kind of Alpha band friendliness and outreach that has made the Dave Matthews Band a success; but like good New Yorkers, the the Soul Coughers wear both heart and intelligence on their sleeves.
Bibi Farber: Boho Chanteuse
Another artist harkening back to those grand ol' boho days on the downtown New York scene is Bibi Farber. With "Firepop" (Glow Time), Bibi handily demonstrates the richness of an association with such a past. She not only recalls Debbie Harry's (Blondie) lustrous warble, but she also has avant-rock demi-god Richard Lloyd (the other guitarist of Television) imbuing this solo debut with his twang-bar infused glories. In no way does the fine overshadow the strength of Bibi's writing and lyrics, though.
Having known Ms Farber since the days she shared a band with sister Celia (a long time Spin writer), as well as shepherding her along while she also wrote for New Review, I stood by her through many days of uncertainity about music and her skills. She suffered through those dues-paying sessions well and now has emerged to deliver this unassuming yet forceful indie release.
Mars has Liquid Soul
I find myself waxing enthusiastic over the latest release of Liquid Soul not only because I spent many a night hanging out with leader and saxophonist Mars Williams (in his more decadent days as an instrumentalist with the Psychedelic Furs), but also because I'm such a fan of this robust jazz inflected soul/funk. "Make Some Noise" (Ark21) is the kind of stuff that made the Average White Band such a cross-over success in their day. Liquid Soul has now embraced the mantle of leading multi-racial funksters. It's danceable, listenable and downright invigorating in an overwhelming way --well-versed craftsman vie for dominance from tune to tune with rich arrangements and rollicking solos.
Hell, these records we're so good I don't have to apologize for giving unabashed endorsements to old friends whose careers germinated in The City.
