Brown Study : Meditations on Mozzo

Of the records that will be released this year, Morrissey's Years Of Refusal (available February 17th on Lost Highway) is high on my list. I have always done a poor job keeping secret my love for all things Mozz. For better or worse, I'm old enough to have laid out hard-earned scratch (by collecting range balls at the local links, if you must know) for Meat Is Murder on vinyl. Following a brief mid-career slump, Morrissey's been on a roll as of late, and with song titles like Something Is Squeezing My Skull and One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell, not to mention a reported cameo by Jeff Beck, I'm expecting great things from Years Of Refusal. Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to sample the first single, I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris, as well as the newish That's How People Grow Up.

Until very recently, I would have been hard pressed to image what Morrissey would sound like if he lived in a Mississippi trailer park and played ukulele. Now, thanks to Dent May, I feel I have a pretty good idea. The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (available February 3rd on Paw Tracks) is a gem from out of leftfield, and the Wes Anderson-inspired video for Oh Paris! is turning some heads. May's music should have plenty of cross-generational appeal, so crack it out at the next family wake and turn those frowns upside-down! I keep waiting for the novelty to wear off and Mr. May's vocal styling to grate on me, but if anything, songs like God Loves You, Michael Chang and You Can't Force A Dance Party just keep gaining stream in my head. Allow me to be the first to request (make that demand) a Morrissey/May I'm Throwing My Arms Around Oh Paris! mashup.

Dent May - You Can't Force a Dance Party

Soon after Years Of Refusal hits the shelves, Morrissey will be packing up the kids for a little roadtrip that will last well into summer, and I'm assuming his protege, KRISTEENYOUNG, will be opening the proceedings (yes, that is her warbling at the beginning of That's How People Grow Up). Poor sound marred last year's Murat stop, but I will not soon forget Ms. Young's impressive pipes or her stage attire, a pseudo-futuristic little number which would have made Barbarella cringe. KRISTEENYOUNG's new release, Music For Strippers, Hookers And The Odd On-looker, is still awaiting a proper release date, but will certainly benefit from having the legendary Tony Visconti at the board. Our first taste comes courtesy of this duet with the less famous guy from Fall Out Boy.


Kristeen Young and Patrick Stump - That's What It Takes, Dear

One of the things I most admire about Morrissey is that he's a music geek at heart. Re-releasing lost records by Jobraith or lobbying to reunite the New York Dolls are things I would hope to do if I had any influence in the biz. Given his fanboy stance, it's hardly surprising that he enlisted Mick Ronson to produce his solo tour de force, 1992's Your Arsenal. If you know Ronson (that's Mick, not Mark), you probably have a few David Bowie records on the shelf, but if you are really looking for a hidden gem, dig up his posthumous solo release, 1994's Heaven Or Hull, which features appearances from many of Ronson's biggest fans, including Bowie, Ian Hunter, Chrissie Hynde and John Mellencamp, for whom Ronson arranged Jack and Diane. I'd give you a little taste of Heaven Or Hull, but the last thing I need is a major label gift wrapped cease-and-desist. Look for it in the used bins at your local record store.

Speaking of Ronson, his daughter Lisa has elected to follow in her famous father's footsteps and, recently dropped the Desolation Town EP with The Secret History, the band she co-fronts with ex-My Favorite leader, Michael Grace Jr. Now, I have no idea whether or not Desolation Town got any critics up on their hind legs, but for my money, it's a great listen and The Secret History is a band to be reckoned with. Take a little glam, add a little gloom, agitate gently and the result is likely the closest we'll ever hear to new new music that approximates Roxy Music. High praise, indeed. Desolation Town is available from Le Grand Magistery, but the band's MySpace page hints at a full-length release sometime in 2009, so keep an eye open.

The Secret History - It's Not The End Of The World, Jonah

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