The O-town Scene

New Music Notes|By Mark Boshnack 'Idle no More' shows King Khan's still Got It One question I never thought to ask was, what do you get when you cross a psychedelic, and garage influenced band with R&B? However, I recently found the answer while examining the Top 10 college radio list in the latest Rolling Stone. It can be found on King Khan and the Shrines latest, "Idle No More." The first five songs on the album are so powerful, it rose to the top for this month's column. The last time Arish Khan recorded with this group of top jazz musicians as a King Khan's latest album, horn section was in 2008. 'Idle No More' Since then he has dealt with the death of three friends and his resulting breakdown. But as he said in a recent Spin online review, "It was almost like you had to burn down the whole ship and wait for the phoenix to rise out of it." The top songs are some of the hottest cuts I have heard in a long time, the rest range from emotional to fun. For a number of listens, I was stuck on the first track, "Born to Die." With its psychedelic swirls, filled with fuzz and wah-wah, I was left thinking of one of the most underrated songs of the '60s, "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five. The new song is about Khan's experiences through his troubled times, ending with a note of lyrical optimism. It is a theme that is repeated on a number of songs. But this one gives the band a chance to show its big sounds, including horns and even strings. It's high-octane performance. You can hear a little more of the R&B feel in "I'll Bite My Tongue," which also talks about coping with the injustices of the world. Its mixture of early '60s and garage band sounds, keeps it from getting weighed down. "Thorn in Her Pride" has echoes of Love, and other seminal '60s bands in crafting another solid tune, filled with horns, solid drumming, and strings. Don't miss the shout out to Lou Reed towards the end of the song. " Luckiest Man" was heavily influenced by "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell and the Drells and James Brown. 4 O-Town Scene Nov. 7, 2013 King Khan's latest album, 'Idle No More,' If you have a chance to spend some time on YouTube, catch the band's "full performance." It's an opportunity to see them live, in a set inspired by James Brown, filled with that sound and energy. The record shifts momentum with "There is Darkness," which again shows the James Brown influence, this time with the slower feel of "It's a Man's Man's World." Other standouts on the album include "Bad Boy," and "Yes I Can't." It all makes for an album that delivers on several levels and demonstrates the cliche, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." King Khan has used his adversities to write music that deals with adversity and redemption, through the prism of some solid musical influences, Can you ask for anything more? Mark Boshnack is a reporter for The Daily Star, and a music fiend. He can be reached at mboshnack@ thedailystar.com.

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