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Doc's Da Name: 2000 Redman (Def Jam) Of related interest: EPMD, Def Squad, Method Man Levi's Sno-Core '99: Everclear, Soul Coughing Redman, DJ Spooky Salem Armory 2320 17th St. NE, Salem, 224-4400 7 pm Sunday, Feb. 14 $26 Doc's Da Name: 2000 welcomes you to Newark, N.J., dwelling place of the Funk Doctor Reggie Noble, better known as Redman. In the face of hip-hop's "get money" trend, Redman rocks it for the forgotten B-boys and B-girls, moving crowds with flawless mic control. Wannabe critics don't understand the hoodied-down, jeans-dropping, Timbo-wearing, heat-holding nuhs, so they write Redman off as apolitical and perverse. Redman is a weed-obsessed, shit-talking brother, but he hits the funny bone with sharp examinations of urban life. Erick Sermon provides the majority of the funk for Doc's Da Name: 2000, with a few contributions from Redman's alter-ego producer, Reggie Noble, and a sick jungle beat from Roni Size. Redman mixes in new flavor with his standard steelo, introducing a new call of the wild on "Let Da Monkey Out." But it is the subtle message of the hook in "I'll Bee Dat" ("My first name must be 'He ain't shit'/ cuz every time I'm in my car/ Bitches be like 'He ain't shit'/ I'll bee dat...") that resonates with headz, especially cats dealing with haters daily. Doc's Da Name: 2000 is the joint for those in need of a laugh. H.V. Claytor Jr.
Mad Cowboy Disease Herman Jolly (self-released) Of related interest: Sunset Valley, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams Inside Herman Jolly lurks a chaps-wearing, range-roaming cowboy just croaking to get out. Taking time out from his usual spot leading the pop-centric Portland band Sunset Valley, Jolly indulges his every twitch and twang. But even when he delves headfirst into a wild-west fantasy, he can't shake his aching melodies. Like Neil Young's music, no matter how far a Jolly song wanders into pomp and circumstance, at its core it remains a tender acoustic song. On "Gin Kicks In" Jolly becomes a hick from the sticks who hangs out in backwoods saloons playing poker and getting drunk; if you listen closely, you can actually hear "yee-haws!" in the background. Under every twangy word and steel-stringed note on this record lies a tune that could rouse even the drunkest of cowboys to song. Alyssa Isenstein Crow Little Sue (Cravedog) Of related interest: Lucinda Williams, Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris Plenty of singer-songwriters cite country music as an influence, but few flaunt true country roots as proudly or convincingly as Portland's own Susannah Weaver (a.k.a. Little Sue) does on her second CD, Crow. There's nothing "alt-" about this record. From the gently rollicking first track, "Down to You," it's clear that Little Sue has found a musical home. Her distinctive vocals alternate between a high, playful trill and a lower, no-nonsense style. Like contemporaries Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, Weaver balances fireside warmth and harsh worldliness in both her singing and songwriting. The title track is dark and mysterious, like the desert at night; the listener is guided only by sparse percussion keeping time like a horse's footsteps, haunting guitar stretches and the beckoning of a distant fiddle horizon. "Warning Trains" is reminiscent of the Jayhawks with its mournful melody, pretty harmonies and gritty Crazy Horse guitar stylings. The list of Crow contributors is over 20 names long and includes local veterans Marilee Hord on fiddle, Kevin Richey on banjo, Nancy Hess on backing vocals and guitar and Warren Pash on Wurlitzer. While the addition of so many layers could have bogged the songs down, the production forms them into a perfect frame for Weaver's stand-out vocals. Liz Brown - - - - - - - - - - - -
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