Daily Staff Writer

“‘Six String Samurai’ Soundtrack”

Various Artists

If you haven’t heard of the film “Six-string Samurai,” it’s OK.

That’s just part of the normal cycle of living in the middle of a cinematic wasteland where access to adventurous film houses is restricted to the jet setting crowd.

Briefly, “Six-string Samurai” is an award-winning, independent, sci-fi, action-adventure B-movie about a post-apocalyptic America.

The world of the movie is one where Elvis Presley was elected King of Lost Vegas, the only remaining part of America, in 1958 after the Russians dropped the big one.

In 1998, Elvis has left the building for the last time and the call goes out for a new king.

Buddy is a sword-wielding, guitar-playing samurai who is crossing the wastelands to play a gig in Vegas and take his rightful place as King in opposition to the many Russians who stand in his way.

The soundtrack to “Six-string Samurai” captures this wild-ass ride perfectly.

It is a skillful blending of the two most important soundtrack elements — music (original score and songs) and sound bites, which are a sweet bonus to help you re-experience the flick every time you pop it into your CD player.

The Red Elvises provide the original songs that give this record its biggest kick in the butt.

Initially from the Soviet Union, this surf-a-billy band mixes elements of political oppression with the free-wheeling, life-affirming strains of ’50s rock ‘n’ roll.

The result is a truly singular, modern concept of what rock might have become if it had been frozen in the mid-’50s, freed from censorship and tempered with Russian sentimentality.

All of the tracks on this album are worth listening to repeatedly, most notably “Good Golly Miss Molly,” a doleful serenade in which the singer urges his sweet lady to just do him in the nicest way possible.

This leads straight into “My Love is Killing Me,” which is the funniest track on the album with lyrics like: “I can forgive you the bruises and cuts/I can forgive you the scars on my nuts/But there is only one thing I can’t stand/Don’t call me Chris, my name is Elvis.”

The rock-a-billy and surf music on this album is enough to satisfy the most ardent Dick Dale fan, too. In fact, “Surfing in Siberia” sounds a great deal like “Miserlou,” with a heavy Russian folk influence.

The score will not disappoint either as Brian Tyler has created a moody, yet lively vista for the imagination that will have you jumping off your couch and swinging a katana at imaginary cossacks, while playing the meanest six-string west of the Mississippi and crying “shooby dooby do!” at the top of your lungs.

The score is intermixed with the songs and while this is normally a drawback, in this case, it isn’t.

Tracks lead seamlessly from one to the next with sound bites for sutures.

“I hear you can kill 200 Russians and play a mean six-string all at the same time. Is that really true?”

Not since “Grease” has a soundtrack captured the essence of a film in the way “Six-String Samurai” has. If you don’t run out and buy it immediately, you will end up hating yourself for a long time and deservedly so.

Long live the king, baby!

5 stars out of five

— Greg Jerrett

“Hail Mary”

Mister Jones

From start to finish, the latest release from Mister Jones, “Hail Mary,” is a medley of feel good, bubble-gum rock, mixed with hip-hop, reggae and rap.

So where does a happy mix like this place a band like Mister Jones on the musical spectrum? Probably somewhere between the theme song from “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” and a Pampers commercial.

Immature lyrics and danceable rock-based beats are the name of the game throughout “Hail Mary.”

The opening track, “Destiny” is a definite foot-tapper with an adolescent outlook on life and dating. It brings the listener back to junior high and all of the foolish and hopeful emotions associated with being 13.

The band takes a step out of adolescence with its upbeat, rockin’ version of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.” The track is titled “Uncle Bill’s Ride” and is definitely radio-worthy.

Mister Jones adds some of its own flavor to the track by tossing in some rap, reggae and hip-hop twists. It is the only song which the entire band truly jams and all eight members get involved.

On “Right Hand Man,” the band takes a serious nose dive when lead singer Ali “9 inch” Dee explains, in unnecessary detail, reasons why his right hand makes a better date than any girl he knows. No more explanation is needed.

Thank you very much Mr. “9 inch,” but no thanks. Why don’t you stick to looking cute for the cheerleaders on the inside cover of the CD?

“Hail Mary” is a record that would have a definite appeal to ska fans or anyone who loves feel-good music. But the brutal truth of the matter is that the band’s happy-go-lucky mentality gets old fast, proving that too much of a good thing can definitely be a bad thing.

2 stars out of five

— Sam Johnson

“Last Grand Experiment”

Boy Genius

There hasn’t been a “good” rock band to break out of the confines of Knoxville, Tenn. since one-hit wonder Superdrag released its debut over a year ago. Incidentally, scene-mates Boy Genius are next in line for the status of one-hit wonderdom.

The band’s first E.P., “Last Grand Experiment,” may be the trio’s only experiment unless the group learns a little more about music.

The punk band isn’t all that bad, just a little monotonous. One standout song is “My Girlfriend’s In Love (With Superdrag),” about frontman Tom Appleton’s girlfriend being in love with a band member from Superdrag.

The song may have come a little late since no one knows who the heck Superdrag is anymore, but Boy Genius reminds everyone with the closing lines, “Look around/Would it bring somebody down if my girlfriend dumped my ass again,” a parody of Superdrag’s hit “Sucked Out.”

Boy Genius creates a pretty heavy punk sound with hard-driven drumming and intense guitar riffs that pound the songs into your head.

Unfortunately, the eight-song CD transforms from fast-paced fun into a manifestation of monotony.

“Man Of Honor,” a song about the plight of war veterans, is probably the most intelligent song on this simplistic album from these idiot savants with instruments.

Maybe with some smarter writing, and a little fine tuning musically, the punkster trio Boy Genius may surprise everyone by becoming the next Green Day.

2 1/2 stars out of five

— Kevin Hosbond

“Flight 16”

Flight 16

Flight 16’s self-titled debut release is a collage of rock ‘n’ roll sounds from the past, mixed with a little grunge of the early ’90s.

For those with an accepting ear of anything from Ozzy Osbourne to Collective Soul, this record may be for you.

Vocalist Dave Sears has a voice with no set style, sounding like Billy Corgan one minute, then evoking the throat of Faith No More’s Mike Patton.

While the music is reminiscent of anything from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to Soundgarden, the band lacks a certain style of its own.

A likable aspect of the record is its overall raw feel. With not a whole lot of post-production applied, Sears’ vocal emotions do come through on such songs as “My Only Love,” “If All The World Hated Me” and “Sleep.”

Beyond those three singles lie too many songs that seem loosely thrown together, without a concern of fluid musical texture.

Flight 16 has a lock on what was cool in the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, the problem is the group lacks its own sound for the present time of music.

Not a bad record, but nothing to keep in heavy rotation.

2 1/2 stars out of five

— Chad Calek

“Dope Box”

Jack Drag

Once in a great while, a work of art comes along that is so unique that it sets a new standard for the ages.

And then, there are albums that appear which are so unique and draw from so many sources that they leave you completely unimpressed with their ability to copy every one else’s material.

Jack Drag’s “Dope Box” is a lifeless little offering from a band which mixes electronica, hip-hop beats and heavy guitars in a fusion melange.

“Debutante” kicks things off with heavy beats and filtered vocals in a way that leaves no lasting impression.

“Psycho Clogs” follows up with the kind of sound effects that made The Beatles famous. The band filters too many of them through a voice modulator and tries to sound psychedelic, but only manages to sound derivative.

“Seem So Tired” made me happy … happy that I am not this band’s label because they aren’t getting their money back on this one.

It reminds me of nothing so much as the Brady Bunch kids with lame lyrics like “when sunny days feel more like rain and a blue sky has no sun/yeah, the greatest thing is when you smile it melts my heart it melts the sun.”

You can find better lyrics on old reruns of “Scooby Doo.”

The other tracks are equally unappealing, like “Dope Box,” “Best Friend,” “Tall Buildings” and “I Feel Really O.K.”

Avoid this album like the plague.

1/2 star out of five

— Greg Jerrett