August 2007 | Art & Soul
Reviews
MUSIC
Dos
Culver City Dub Collective
(Everloving)
When dealing with a panoramic scope of talent, the results are guaranteed diverse. This is the underlying philosophy of drummer Adam Topol and guitarist Franchot Tone, who have assembled a few dozen musicians on this fierce and tempting full-length debut. As the third word in their name denotes, reggae solidifies the foundation, though not the outright definition of CCDC. When Winston Jarret adds a touch of lover’s rock to “Big Long Gun” and Matt Costa injects “Mr. W” with a hearty soul, the irie vibe is everywhere. It even sneaks through on the gorgeous “Crying Shame,” but that voice is undeniably recognizable: Jack Johnson emerges. Topol is Johnson’s stickman, so it’s no surprise that Ben Harper’s Weissenborn also scorches through “Elosie (Baghdad Remix).” Whereas a sliver of Arabia arises, “Makuta” is all about the samba vibe. Bottom line: whatever style or continent this collective visits, they prove themselves worthy globetrekkers.— Derek Beres
Gypsy Caravan
(World Village)
The excellent documentary Gypsy Caravan retraced the steps of five musical acts falling underneath the umbrella term “gypsy.” In 2001, Romania’s Taraf de Haidouks and Fanfare Ciorcarlia, Macedonia’s Esma Redzepova, Spain’s Antonio el Pipa and India’s Maharaja hit the North American highways to bring awareness of just how broad a term this is. This soundtrack proves as meaningful and inquisitive as the film. From the opening Gitano cries of the dusty, heartbreaking “Tientos Tangos,” through a bass-heavy remix of the harmonium- and tabla-led “Maro Jailo,” generations are traversed as quickly as styles. The blaring brass of Fanfare and bouncy cimbalom of Taraf highlight the two most famous orchestras of Balkan music. And the vintage sound of Esma’s sweet and poppy “Romano Horo” reminds one of a film highlight. Hearing Taraf’s classic “Carolina” in the midst of this exceptional collection guarantees the compiler to be of utmost awareness. This isn’t the companion of the movie; better put, it’s the sibling, as necessary and integral to a greater understanding of Rom culture as any visual stimuli can provide. — D.B.
BOOKS
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
By Barbara Kingsolver
(HarperCollins)
This book will leave you changed. Maybe you’ll get around to growing that veggie garden you always talked about, or finally start baking your own bread, or perhaps you’ll just go out of your way to frequent the farmers’ market more often. But after Barbara Kingsolver takes you on this hardcore adventure — lovingly and often hilariously recounting the year she and her family made a pact to subsist solely on foods they grew themselves or bought from neighbors — you won’t be able to resist taking conscious action in the way you eat.
The tale is delivered through the perspectives of Kingsolver, her husband Stephen, and their older daughter Camille. (Lily, nine years old, is a bit two young for narrating, so updates on her egg business are communicated through Mom). Each family member was allowed one exception to their food vows; Kingsolver chose spices, dad picked coffee, and the girls opted for dried fruit and hot chocolate. Among the beautifully executed family anecdotes, quirky facts on asparagus and zucchini, odes to canning tomatoes, shared recipes and tips for arranging love nests for turkeys, Kingsolver slips in eye-opening (and stomach curdling) statistics on topics like mad cow and industrial agriculture that are serious food for thought. — Jenny Rough
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