Daily Staff Writer

Jane’s Addiction

The long-awaited latest release from the seminal rock band Jane’s Addiction has finally arrived, and it is definitely worth the wait. The CD delivers a couple of unreleased gems, a few studio outtakes, some newly recorded material with Red Hot Chili Pepper’s bassist Flea and a lot of live material.

The unreleased material is fairly interesting. “My Cat’s Name is Maceo,” about vocalist Perry Farrell’s cat, is one of the better songs. “Maceo” is catchy and melodic, especially with its slow, burning, lounge segments and the addition of horns into the mix.

“Slow Divers” should have been on the group’s self-titled debut album but somehow got lost in the mix. This version is live from the Roxy in 1986 and comes complete with a nice, acoustic feel and a laid back atmosphere.

“Had a Dad” is subdued and raw compared to the released version. However, it is really decent, especially with the addition of vocal harmony and bells to the chorus. “Mountain Song” adds vocal distortion and an epic buzz to the original version; it is also more psychedelic and trippy in sections.

The live material is also top-notch. The four songs — “Three Days,” “Ain’t No Right,” “Up the Beach” and “Stop” — recorded at a 1990 Hollywood Palladium performance are enjoyable. “Three Days” especially sticks out because the venue’s echo adds a lot of depth to it.

The new songs with Flea are also particularly good.

“Kettle Whistle” is a slower song reminiscent of Porno for Pyro’s material.

“So What!” has great lyrics, an extremely funky rhythm and a surreal feel to it. Although the vocals are somewhat fuzzy, the rest of the band more than makes up for it.

The best song on the CD is a live version of “Jane Says” recorded during Lollapalooza in 1991. This version adds an acoustic intro that only helps to make the performance more magnificent and heartfelt.

This song, along with the rest of the material, helps to make “Kettle Whistle” one of the best CDs released this year.

5 stars out of five.

— Ben Jones

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“The Muzapper’s Mixes EP”

Latyrx

Clocking in at nine songs and 35 minutes, this EP of special mixes from the self-titled Latyrx album is longer than some full-length LPs.

This album includes a variety of different versions of the song better known as “Aim for the Flickering Flame,” an ode to achieving your goals despite the odds.

The remixes, such as the “Cloud #9” version, feature different combinations of singing vocals and samples, which as rapper Lateef says produces “a whole new approach to it” as though seeing a classical painting in a new light.

The new song produced by DJ Shadow called “Lady Don’t Tek No” is also stunningly good. As one might guess by the title, Lateef and Lyrics Born have created an ode to strong-willed, independent women.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of the whole album is the “Recalibration” mix of “Aim for the Flickering Flame,” on which Born produces a track that sounds like metal pipes banging on drums and features ethereal organ sounds in the background.

There are no lyrics in this version — just four minutes of instrumental wizardry and turntable tricks to flip your lid.

Once again, Latyrx scores with an ode to just how creative hip-hop can be — turning even one song into an almost full length album of musical inspiration.

4 stars out of five.

— Steve “Flash” Juon