Daily Staff Writer

‘And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out’

Yo La Tengo

In an era when doing it all for the nookie means everything, Hoboken, N.J. indie rockers Yo La Tengo decided to create an album of quiet, meaningful songs in spite of the opposition.

“And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out” is painfully beautiful, mind-clearing mood music put out by a trio that has gained more respect among music experts and critics than anyone in the industry.

How much this band varies from album to album would intensely confuse all the conformity-loving record execs and radio programmers who dominate the music industry. They wouldn’t dare touch these under-appreciated gems of songwriting.

With heart-throbbing drum work, tip-toeing guitar melodies and crooning vocals, Yo La Tengo’s 10th release is the kind of music you can clutch a pillow and lie around on the couch to, letting your mind travel into the realm of deep thought.

The record isn’t sprinkled with singles destined to ascend to the peak of the charts. It’s not plastered with pop hooks or gimmicky sound-bites. This is music in its purest form — without boundaries or limitations.

Occasionally the group sounds quite similar to the Velvet Underground, who the members of Yo La Tengo portrayed in the 1996 film “I Shot Andy Warhol.” With drummer Georgia Hubley’s echoing vocals, “Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House” could have easily fit in onto 1967’s “The Velvet Underground and Nico.”

Subtlety is what seamlessly holds “Nothing” together.

“The Crying of Lot 6” eerily takes on the feel of Minnesota radio personality Garrison Keillor with its easygoing, chatty vocals.

“Saturday” layers electronic sounds, bells jingling and a pervading bass hum that is interrupted by bursts of piano dissonance which snap the listener back into reality.

The symphonically gorgeous, 17-minute-plus final track, “Night Falls on Hoboken” sums up the album flawlessly. It floats through your mind, diverts your attention, and then nothing becomes everything you could ever ask for.

4 Stars

—Conor Bezane

‘Daisies of the Galaxy’

The Eels

When the Eels’ frontman E was faced with the death of his sister and mother all within a short period of time, he poured himself into his music, the end result being the dark album “Electro-Shock Blues.”

Yet somewhere along his musical journey after the making of that album, E eventually found himself at the point where resolution meets enlightenment. This spurred a creative buzz that resulted in “Daisies of the Galaxy,” an album that looks at life after death, more specifically the continuation of life for those left behind.

E, along with drummer Butch, combined forces with Grant Lee Buffalo’s Grant Lee Phillips and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck to record the album.

It opens on a very surreal note with “Grace Kelly Blues,” which peers into the subtext of America, and holds that feeling throughout the rest of the songs.

“Packing Blankets” revs up the record while at the same time addresses the act of cleaning out the empty house of a dead loved one. Not surprisingly, the album cover is designed after a 1950’s Greek children’s book that E found while cleaning out his late mother’s house, a symbolic act that also inspired the instrumental “Estate Sale.”

From the eerily developed “Flyswatter” to the touching “Selective Memory,” the Eels continue to journey into the human condition while at the same time penning such esoteric tunes as “Something is Sacred,” a song that is as much a social commentary as it is a soul search.

For the most part, the album has a light-hearted tone, and at times is almost laughable. For instance, in “Jeannie’s Diary,” after E has been singing about being a page in her diary, he gets this comical tone in his voice as he sings “Yes I am intense/Maybe quite obsessed.”

Then there’s the cleverly written “I Like Birds,” or even the beautifully crafted “It’s a Motherfucker.” How many piano tunes out there begin with a line of profanity?

Perhaps one of the better songs on the album is the title track because it lolls with a sincerely empty serenity, accentuated by the breakdowns mid-verse where only a single guitar and drums hold the song together.

The Eels pride themselves on alt-pop songcraft with finite melodies. The importance of this album lies in an intricate weave of the words and the music.

4 Stars

—Kevin Hosbond

‘Luaka Bop – 10th Anniversary: Zero Accidents on the Job’

Various Artists

What is Luaka Bop? It’s a lyrical name that is fun to say and has no real meaning. More importantly, Luaka Bop is a record label founded by David Byrne for the sole purpose of exposing the world to music he liked that was not widely available elsewhere.

It began with the release “Beleza Tropical” in January of 1989. This collection of Brazilian pop sold more copies than most artists’ first albums. Whether the average American realizes it or not, many of these songs have wormed their way into our collective experience through commercials and worldbeat nights at local clubs.

Byrne himself releases albums on this label and rightly so since his own style has been so heavily influenced by this decade-long love affair with Latin music.

“Luaka Bop — 10th Anniversary: Zero Accidents on the Job” is a double disc collection of 10 years of the best and most representative hits from this innovative label that puts out records the label wants to put out, not has to put out.

Disc One is titled “Steamy Hits” and it lives up to its name. “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop opens the door and is the only track one might wish the door to be slammed on. This song has been in the public’s face and ears way too much. While it may have been cool the first 50 or 60 times we heard it, it is so ingrained in everyone’s synapses that further listening is redundant. Still, it is virtually necessary that it be included in this compilation as an example of one of Luaka Bop’s hits.

Jorge Ben’s “Ponta de Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)” is a catchy little number that’s made its way into our heads, just say the part in parentheses and you will recognize it.

King Chango’s “Confession” makes even the most slothful and sedentary want to get up, get sweaty and move their hips while sucking down fruity drinks in dusky dance halls.

David Byrne and Selena make their way onto the album with their sticky sweet “God’s Child.” The two go together like cookies and milk with a shot of rum in it. A delicious buzz.

Disc two, “Slow Jams,” takes things up a notch while turning down the tempo. It has songs by Silvio Rodriguez, Susana Baca, Mimi, Tom Ze and more. Quite frankly, it is steamier than disc one. It should have been called “Even Steamier Hits.” These are songs to do some serious belly rubbing to. It is a great collection to get behind while you are getting behind it.

4 Stars

—Greg Jerrett

‘Aspera Ad Astra’

The Lilys

“Aspera Ad Astra” is a moody roadtrip through the dark woods of alt rock. Atmospheric guitars heavily laden with effects create a Bauhausian atmosphere where wolves proposition little girls and attempt to steal the goodies hidden beneath their aprons.

If the Brothers Grimm were alive today and wanted to release an album in English, it would sound just like this. It’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in slow motion without the screaming 10-year-olds. It is a walk through the freakshow without the accompanying nausea and none of the pesky moral questions.

“Elsa” is a beautiful reminiscence with all the power of sense memory behind it.

Simple in its instrumentation, powerful in its lack of pretentiousness, it does not try to blow you away with power chords and high-minded lyrics about the nature of undying love.

It simply and spectacularly demonstrates how a love song can get a message across without going over the top.

It sneaks in under the radar and achieves its objective with the precision of a stealth bomber at a fraction of the cost.

It sets the stage for “Coby,” which sounds like “Elsa Part II.” In fact, the album as a whole has a consistent feel like a miniature rock opera for the lithium set. It avoids manic highs and desperate lows.

This even-handed style doesn’t scale the peaks and valleys of emotional highs and lows so much as cruise along the night time highways between the two.

It does so with almost too much consistency.

Those looking for the ups and downs won’t find them here, but this is a matter of taste.

Sometimes it is nice to not get dragged along on some hipper-than-thou rocker’s emotional journey up and down the vistas of his drug-soaked existence. Sometimes it is nice to just go for a drive with a predetermined destination in mind and that is just what “Aspera Ad Astra” is.

This is cruise control indie rock with no agenda other than looking out the window and seeing the distant lights of people’s houses and wondering what it’s like in there.

Given enough time, this album gets under the skin and leaves a rash that is a pleasure to scratch.

3 Stars

—Greg Jerrett

‘Sold Down the River’

Larry Shaw and the Kings of Slow

There was a time when rock music was used as a powerful tool to communicate messages of social and political rebellion.

Following the Kent State shootings, Neil Young quickly penned the powerful “Ohio.” Along with Crosby, Stills and Nash, the song was recorded and available on record shelves in less than two weeks.

These days, most artists’ messages can be summed up with either “aren’t I cool,” or “buy my merchandise.” Larry Shaw’s EP, “Sold Down the River,” is a breath of fresh air.

The title song is a call to arms against the WTO and GATT. It encourages listeners to rally at the WTO meetings in Seattle last November. (The EP was released before the meetings.)

The liner notes provide extensive information about the negative effects GATT and the WTO have had on the people of the world.

Aside from providing valuable information to the public, the music on “Sold Down the River” is pretty good. The title track is a passionate folk song, reminiscent of the most militant work of Woody Guthrie.

“Just Needed to Borrow Your Saw” is a bit heavy-handed in its delivery, but “Dig Roads” has a strong sense of immediacy.

The last track, “Turn This Train Around,” is slow and contemplative while the other tracks are impassioned and clever.

Larry Shaw’s vocals carry the hurt and pain of the disadvantaged working man.

Along with Ani DiFranco’s work with Utah Phillips, Larry Shaw’s “Sold Down the River” is some of the most intelligent social activism in music today.

5 1/2 Stars

—Ben Godar