New Music – CD reviews

by Andrew Napoli

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Chuck Dukowski Sextet

Reverse the Polarity

“Does my life propel my country’s evil?” This question from the song “The Whole World’s Evil Villain” is one we all should be asking ourselves. And this CD is filled with nuggets such as this one. They reveal the truth about our current condition here in the good old US of A. “Made of Grease” is a treatise on the evils of capitalism and its effect on art. It is a song that chips off the landslide of the crumbling music industry. The lyrics “Have more and think less, objects enslave you” from “Try to Feel Free” speak to our sleepy credit card society of greed, because the tragedies of war do not penetrate our avaricious slumber. Listen to the whole album. Read the lyrics and take stock of your contribution to the mess that CD6 describes. Chuck was the original bass player for Black Flag and his Sextet (there are actually four of them!) is a crack unit, tight and to the point. The music sounds like people playing instruments, not like an over-produced machine. The music is as real as the message. [http://myspace.com/chuckdukoskisextet] -AN

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Open Wounds

The everyday struggle

This is tight and fast hardcore. The rhythmic changes are ferocious and the sound of the snare bites like a rabid dog. All of the instruments are locked in place and these vocals could give Hannibal Lecter nightmares. The anger and self-deprecation are sincere and the lyrical content, especially in songs that microscope society, can be substantial. “Depth of Isolation” is a juggernaut about the atrocities in Darfur and indeed all across the globe. If you love metal, good riffs and a thundering double bass (and have a lot of pent up anger) then you need to listen to this. [http://myspace.com/openwounds_rip] – AN

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