Daily Staff Writer

“El Oso”

Soul Coughing

Hip-hop honed with the beatnik spirituality of the ’50s is the first description to come to mind when referring to Soul Coughing.

At least that is how the band’s first two albums, “Ruby Vroom” and “Irresistible Bliss,” could be described.

Soul Coughing, in its brief time of popularity, has been cutting through the contemporary mold for what pop music should be like, and it has been doing it with a vengeance.

The band’s latest effort, “El Oso,” still taps into that vein of the avant-garde, but it is formulated more for MTV fans.

That’s not to say “El Oso” doesn’t have moments of that signature Soul Coughing poetic inspiration.

Singer/songwriter/rapper M. Doughty can still write the most unordinary song phrases and seem to push them to point where he wants them to become part of the English vernacular.

The opening track, “Rolling,” gets a little too redundant, even for Soul Coughing, with the continuously repeated lyrics “I’m rolling, I’m rolling,” but the song is saved by verses like “I got the souped up car and what you call/Tripping on the boom bap etymological/I ride the fader and I ride it low/I’m gonna slip into the field like Han Solo.”

Then Doughty takes a lyrical nosedive with “St. Louise is Listening.” It’s hard to imagine that Soul Coughing could actually produce a half-baked track with words like “I could be your babydoll/I could be your doll baby/I could be the things you want/I could do it all for you.”

If anything has changed for the better it would be the instrumentation the rest of the band contributes.

Sampler/computer guy/keyboardist Mark De Gli Antoni offers more than just sound bites, throws in some complex, Euro-pop beats and even gets psychedelic on several songs. Upright bassist Sebastian Steinberg also brings fatter, distorted frequencies to the album.

These combinations help save “El Oso” from being a total bombshell, while at the same time making it stand alone from the previous records. But with most bands, the true appreciation comes with the live concert, and that is the context in which Soul Coughing is at its best.

3 stars out of five

— Brendan Greiner

“Supernatural”

DC Talk

Pop. Rap. Soul. Rock. Punk. In its nine years together, DC Talk has cycled through all these styles.

With “Supernatural,” the group’s sixth album, the trio of Kevin Max, Michael Tait and Toby McKeehan has created a multi-styled disc that defies definition.

Despite this lack of continuity, “Supernatural” checks in as an adequate — though not outstanding — follow-up to the band’s 1995 smash hit, “Jesus Freak.”

By far the strongest tracks on the album are those that showcase the group’s strength — getting “freaky.”

The chorus of “It’s Killing Me” thrashes with guitar and drums, an intense sound that is fairly unique on this album. The only other similar song is the title track, which opens with an expectant bass line that transforms into an exuberantly loud refrain.

“Wanna Be Loved” is a funk/blues tune that hints at an Earth, Wind and Fire-like ’70’s sound. Another song that breaks the mold is “Since I Met You,” a fast-paced mix of ska sans horns and Green Day.

“My Friend (So Long)” is a tongue-in-cheek poke at those who say DC Talk has sold out to the secular world.

Half of the remaining eight tracks are musically insipid, though their lyrics are powerful as usual. The talents of DC Talk are better served by loud and proud Christianity, instead of this reflective elevator rock.

Still, “Supernatural” is a solid album, with sweet vocal harmonies throughout.

3 1/2 stars out of five

— Luke DeKoster

“Shum Ticky”

Laura Love

Music these days is starting to get pretty boring. How many times can an “artist” copy the styles and sounds of the really innovative musicians who came before them?

Laura Love brings a cure to the blandness of modern music with her second album, “Shum Ticky.”

Love’s vast mix of musical styles comes from her African, European and Indian roots. The wide cultural influences are displayed prominently as she combines African chants, rap, nursery rhymes and even Middle Eastern melodies.

“Mahbootay,” a song which pays tribute to Love’s “bootay” through humorous and straightforward lyrics, is the most catchy of her tunes. Love sounds strikingly like Ani DiFranco as she pulses through the words, “I clothe it/With the trousers/I feed it/With peanut butter/I watch it/I watch it growing.”

“The Clapping Song,” a jazzy cover that features Sir Mix-A-Lot, is another ear-worthy tune on the album. It’s an eclectic array of genre-blending as Love mixes powerful yodeling with Sir Mix-A-Lot’s hip-hop grooves.

Love is an excellent musician, having picked up the bass at age 25, and has learned to slap like a pro. Her talent is showcased in the groovy “Woe Is Me” that earned her a musical description of “Afro-Celtic.”

She puts down the bass and gets personal on the emotional ballad “Punctured and Hissing.” Her sweet voice quivers and wails, giving the song an indescribable emotional impact.

Perhaps the best song on the album is “Longfellow Creek.” It comes across musically sounding like the Dave Matthews Band without Matthews’ nasal singing. It almost sounds like a jump rope chant sung between young girls on a quiet street in the summer.

“Shum Ticky” is a very exploratory type of album — like an experiment with the result being the discovery of something new and wonderful.

4 stars out of five

— Kevin Hosbond

“You’ve Got The Fucking Power”

Various Artists

“You’ve Got The Fucking Power” is quite possibly the worst compilation ever assembled.

Filled with poor showings of techno noise-rock, this record leaves your mind wandering in a sea of confusion.

The only “big” band on the disc is Atari Teenage Riot with the tune “Get Up While You Can.” What is the verdict? Too much noise without a hook.

While noise rock can and frequently is a good style, bands such as the Melvins and Vertigo are much better examples of the genre.

Shizuo, EC80R, Patric C and The Curse of the Golden Vampire have a lot to learn from other established noise-rockers.

The main problem with “You’ve Got The Fucking Power” is there is not one catchy riff on the entire compilation.

It is a prime example of a record distributed in hopes that the public would mistake lack of intelligence for genius.

0 stars out of five

— Chad Calek

“Bon Voyage”

Bon Voyage

Powerful guitars and solid drumming are the trademarks of Bon Voyage’s latest self-titled release.

The band is made up of the husband and wife combo Jason and Julie Martin. They, along with their anonymous bassist and two additional instrumentalists, take influences from early ’90s grunge pop.

Although Bon Voyage is signed under a Christian label, BEC Recordings, lead singer Julie Martin’s lyrics seem empty, disappointing Christian music fans. Most of the songs lack a common theme, leaving you searching for meaning within the song.

However, the record is very solid musically. With female vocals and pop rhythms, audible influences from bands such as The Breeders and That Dog can be heard.

Lead guitarist Jason Martin tosses in some surf guitar on a few tracks, drawing up even more similarities to That Dog’s heavy yet carefree style.

Bon Voyage is not limited by its grunge rock influences, however. While the album definitely has a modern pop sound to it, a couple acoustic ballads add needed flavor to the album and allow Martin’s sweet, high voice to swoon the listener to sleep.

Overall, “Bon Voyage” does provide a change of pace for the Christian music industry. But keep in mind that, lyrically, the album is far from life-changing.

3 stars out of five

— Sam Johnson

“Hooray For Tuesday”

The Minders

Maybe you’ve never heard of The Minders, and there is a good reason for it. The band’s new album, “Hooray For Tuesday,” is one of the worst records of all time.

After the success of the band’s first three E.P.s, “Hooray For Tuesday” is its first full-length album on the Elephant 6 label. If the first three were anything like this one, how the band made it this far is unbelievable.

Frontman Martyn Leaper had a goal for his band to return the ’60s British sound he grew up with. The group sounds pretty much like what he wanted to accomplish — only it didn’t do it right.

With the exception of the title track, which has possible Phish-head appeal, the CD is complete crap. With its corny ’60s-style beats, it sounds more like the Brady Bunch meets Cake than classic British music.

While the group does have talent and the music is somewhat unique, The Minders are unbearable to listen to.

1 star out of five

— Erin Pierson