Jeffrey Morgan’s Media Blackout

It’s time for the Champagne music of Lawrence Welk and his MB15! • Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians — Auld Lang Syne (Longines Symphonette) :: Happy New Year! • Valdy — Viva Valdy: Live At Last (Rack-On-Tour) :: The troubadour you can trust who gave us the enduring “Rock ’n’ Roll Song” is back with a double album that’s one side live, one side studio, and both sides wow. • Day Of Infamy — Red Autumn (DOI) :: The Everly Brothers meet Audioslave. Wake up, little snoozie. • Kasabian — Kasabian (RCA) :: Dylan joins the Strawberry Alarm Clock and records a trippy stoner album. • Skindred — Babylon (Lava) :: I’d rather hear Jar Jar Binks babble on than listen to this snore-bore in a grotty dread. • UPO — The Heavy (DRT) :: If the Home Shopping Channel ran a music network for zirconium metal bands, these guys would be No. 1 with a mullet. • Blue Öyster Cult — We’re Cooking For You (MEnu262) :: The Cult contributes recipes to a fan cookbook. I remember when they used to cook in the studio instead. • Dennis DeYoung — The Music of Styx Live with Symphony Orchestra (Grand Illusion) :: And with a donation to PBS of only $150, you’ll get a copy of the new double CD plus the DVD! • Eddie From Ohio — This Is Me (Virginia Soul) :: Literate lyrics, earnest songwriting, honey-flavored female vocals. • SPLATTER PLATTER OF THE YEAR: The Beatnuts — Milk Me (Penalty Recordings) :: I was gonna end the year by warning ya about this sexist cover photo which shows a lissome Nubian goddess reclining in a skimpy lime green bikini while thick creamy white liquid is poured all over her glistening ebony endowments but — wouldn’t you know it — I’m plumb out of room. • Be seeing you!

Jeffrey Morgan is a freelance writer. Send comments to [email protected]