Reviews of three new releases   Various Artists Eugene Blues:An Anthology Vipertoons Productions Of related interest: Any of the many, many House of Blues compilations       Though best known as the gathering place for social-science students and long-lost hippies, Eugene also has a reputation for being a blues burg. I vaguely recall many nights sitting on the booth backs at Taylor's, downing pint after pint and soaking in the sounds of local and visiting blues bands. This 17-track collection documents the current state of the Eugene blues and even contains a couple of red-hot gems. The Olem Alves Band gets things rolling with the spirited, shuffling arrangement of "Late at Night," and Alves' voice sounds as if it's seen more casks of whiskey than years. J.C. Rico slows things down over the next two tracks and shows his love of the Drifters before a couple of yawns pass by. The Vintage Blues Band's "My Real Cool Baby" gets things smokin' again via tried-and-true delivery, complete with passages of talking harmonica. David Jacobs-Strain uses his lovely steel guitar and rich voice to glide us into his "Cottonwood Grove," while Walker T. Ryan takes us straight down into the Delta. The Vipers deliver a four-pack, the best being "It's Raining Everywhere," which is a gently staggering, expressive ditty featuring Eagle Park Slim, whose voice is as bluesy as they come (and who was my favorite local busker). The collection comes to a tasty close with a polished, crackling instrumental piece from Don Latarski and Rue de Blues. I'm missing Taylor's already. Scott D. Lewis     Draco Enter the Draco Team Slabco Of related interest: Land of the Loops, manga       The label best known for debuting indie dance gang Land of the Loops offers Draco, a Japanese duo with an exotic blend of beats and glutinous pop aimed squarely at big-shoe-wearing kids hiding under those floppy Gilligan's Island hats. Results are mixed, with good grooves and beats facing off against terrible cheese. Somehow "The Slacker" is reminiscent of the '80s radio hit "One Night in Bangkok," and "First Buckaroo vs. Summer Alien" views the musical landscape of the Mississippi Delta through Japanese goggles. Draco's aping of '60s bossa nova paragon Astrud Gilberto in the song "V-A-C-A-N-T" seems to clinch their status as master pop scientists. Left at that, Enter the Draco would be a stunning debut. Sadly, there's more. The song "If You Want to Mek It" is pure adult-contemporary dreck--no fun at all. Other numbers fronted by vocalista Miyuki evoke moms pushing baby strollers to the Lilith Fair. How you say...boring? Luckily, though, regardless of a few rotten apples, Enter the Draco stands as a strong debut. Maybe next time the duo will stick to the snare drum and leave the acoustic guitar at home. William Long     Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Spanish Dance Troupe Mantra/Beggars Banquet Records Of related interest: Super Furry Animals, the Elephant 6 collective, Belle & Sebastian           Some albums are just easy. You put them on, and you like them from the get-go. You don't love them. They will never be your new best friends. Yet you'll probably let them hang around for a couple of months. Thus Spanish Dance Troupe, the sixth effort from Welsh group Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. This is a fabulous record to while away the days between winter and spring, with their alternating bursts of sunshine and rain. Many of the tracks are moody interludes, brief flashes of instrumentation leading from one real tune to the next. When the Gorky's machine does deliver a song proper, it delivers in style: the goofy "Poodle Rockin'," complete with barking; the melancholic, dreamy "Faraway Eyes"; the childish glee of the title track. Each move has a certain finesse--they never quite boil over, but they never understate to the point of obscurity. It's great, classic pop with faint hints of Western flavor. Fine for right now, filling the gaps between the moments until the sun comes out for good. Jamie S. Rich   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published April 26, 2000