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By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
Rock hall inductee, restaurant owner, singer- songwriter, Akron native Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders are gearing up for the Sept. 23 release of an album dubbed Break Up the Concrete (she's talking to you, Akron Innerbelt). Hynde might not drive a car or be particularly fond of ''progress'' when it comes to the urbanization of her hometown, but she ain't no fool.
To get fans excited about the band's first album of new material since 2002's Loose Screw, the Pretenders and their new label Shangri-la Music have been giving away free MP3 downloads of songs with the help of an array of ''media partners'' (get to know your industry jargon, folks), including AOL's Spinner.com.
In subsequent weeks, downloads will be available through Apple QuickTime's site, ClearChannel.com, CMT.com, iLike, iMeem, MP3.com/Download.com, MSN Windows Media, VH1 Classic and Yahoo.
This week's tune, Don't Lose Faith in Me, is the third release in the ''MP3 countdown campaign'' (there's more jargon for ya) and is available atC/Net's download.com.
The tune is one of those I'll Stand by You-style Hynde torch songs with a bluesy edge and some floating pedal steel from Eric Heywood. Last week's song was The Nothing Maker, which I, unfortunately, ummm, missed (one of the IDE connectors on my motherboard died and it seems to be spreading its disease to all of my PCI slots . . . oh, never mind).
Song No. 1 was an up-tempo rockabilly tune called Boots of Chinese Plastic, with Hynde doing a Middle of the Road-style rap/sing. Judging by these two songs (and the press release), Break Up the Concrete is going to be a relatively short and back-to-basics rock record. (Yeah!)
It was recorded in 10 days with a newish band of Pretenders, including English guitarist James Walbourne, the aforementioned pedal steel player Heywood, recent Pretenders bassist Nick Wilkinson and legendary session drummer Jim Keltner. Chances are when the band hits the road, the always busy Keltner will be holding down the groove for someone else, so original drummer Martin Chambers will probably get to keep his job.
R.I.P. Isaac Hayes
If you are familiar with the late Isaac Hayes only as Chef on South Park or as the singer who pondered ''who is the man, who would risk his life for his brother man?'' in his Oscar- and Grammy-winning theme from Shaft or as ''Duke of New York . . . A number one!'' in Escape From New York, then you are getting only a smidgen of the picture.
Actually, I'll bet you know more Isaac Hayes tunes than you realize if you are familiar with Stax Records classics written with David Porter, such as Soul Man, Hold On, I'm Comin, You Don't Know Like I Know, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby and Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One).
You are at least familiar with those, aren't you?
Anyway, since it often takes the death of an artist for folks to pay attention to his artistry, here's a quick list of Hayes' albums and a few of the soulful jams on them that you should check out. If you're a youngster, be forewarned: there are actual musicians on these albums playing actual instruments and Hayes, an actual musician, songwriter and producer, wasn't afraid to let those musicians sit on a groove for the bulk of an album side.
There will be no hot 16 bars from your favorite rapper, no samples (though you might recognize a few samples among the tunes) and no easy-to-digest hooks to ensure maximum ring-tone sales.
Sit back, relax and let Hayes' smooth baritone and the funk he laid down flow through you.
Hot Buttered Soul (1969) — Hayes' second album features his hit version of Walk on By and By the Time I Get to Phoenix, plus the heavily sampled, funk jam Hyperbolic- syllabicsesquedalymistic.
To Be Continued (1970) — Contains the first of Hayes' many monologues aka Ike's Rap, along with the full version of Walk on By and his soulful and much-sampled take on Medley: Ike's Mood I/You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.
Black Moses (1971) — Contains his boudoir-priming cover of Never Can Say Goodbye and a nice version of Curtis Mayfield's Man's Temptation and Gamble and Huff's Never Gonna Give You Up all funked up.
Shaft (1971) — Duh, it's got Shaft plus Do Your Thing, another extended funk jam awash in wah-wah guitar craziness.
Joy (1973) — The main reason to buy this album, err . . . CD? . . . digital download is for the 15-minute title track — a big, over-the-top jam that has also been pretty popular with hip-hop producers.
Tough Guys/Truck Turner (1974) — This double disc compiles the soundtracks to a pair of blaxploitation flicks starring Hayes. Like Shaft, they are a funky collection of songs and instrumentals with plenty of orchestral strings sawing, horns chugging and a lot of great rhythm guitar from Hayes mainstays Michael Toles and Charlie Pitts. Together they make a good soundtrack for spring cleaning or yard work and their accompanying films are pretty entertaining, too.
Branded (1995) — This is the first and better half of two simultaneously released comeback albums (the other was the mostly instrumental Raw and Refined) that found Hayes hooking up with old buddy David Porter and a few of the session guys from the Stax days for a surprisingly satisfying, slightly updated take on his classic sound.
At Watt Stax (2003) — This is Hayes' headlining set from the Watt Stax concert at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 20, 1972, and he's in full control of all of his powers and the crowd. Backed by a hard-grooving band, Hayes lays down some of his raps and gives you Shaft, the socially conscious Soulsville and a smoking medley of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine (with Hayes on alto sax) and Lonely Avenue.
Red to play at Musica
Musica keeps rolling along and bringing in national acts to rock Akron.
This week, it has Christian hard rock band Red, which had a hit with the song Breathe Into Me. Red's debut album, End of Silence, garnered a Grammy for best rock or rap gospel album in 2007 and a rock recorded song of the year (as opposed to nonrecorded?) at the 2007 Dove Awards.
The band is working on its second album, so perhaps it'll whip out a few new songs, too.
Opening for Red is Akron hard rock band Drenalin, a quintet that also traverses squarely in the ''active rock'' format (one last bit of jargon, meaning that its sound is a mix of classic and current rock) that many rock radio stations are finding profitable.
Frankly, both bands remind me a bit too much of the gaggle of post-grunge/post nu-metal bands such as Seether, Three Doors Down and Godsmack, but those bands are all very popular and Drenalin's self-titled 2007 debut (available at CDBaby. com) proves it is talented and melodically strong enough to stand next to any of those bands.
If you're a fan of the aforementioned bands, then Drenalin should have your head banging and fists pumping.
The concert also doubles as a gallery show called Rock the Canvas and will feature paintings by artist Josh Byers.
Lock 3 Live
Fans of Celtic rock and pets should go to Lock 3 Park this weekend in downtown Akron.
The Celtic Club will host St. Pet's Day, a lunchtime Irish concert at noon Friday, featuring the Mickeys, the O'Hare Irish Dancers and Irish poet Merle Mollenkopf.
Animal lovers can donate pet food to various local shelters.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, Canadian Celtic rock band Great Big Sea, touring behind its album Fortune's Favour, will perform with fellow Canuck singer/songwriter Jeremy Fisher, whose video for his song Cigarette has had more than 2 million views on YouTube.
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
Rock hall inductee, restaurant owner, singer- songwriter, Akron native Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders are gearing up for the Sept. 23 release of an album dubbed Break Up the Concrete (she's talking to you, Akron Innerbelt). Hynde might not drive a car or be particularly fond of ''progress'' when it comes to the urbanization of her hometown, but she ain't no fool.
Get the full article here.
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