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Various American Folk Blues Festival 62-65 (Evidence) Originally released as a five CD set in late 1995, Evidence has compiled the best of the box set and gives us all killer and no filler on this "highlights" edition. Although all 62 minutes of blues and R&B is nothing short of spectacular, Lightnin' Hopkins' take on Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go" is simply magical, as are the Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf selections. Live and gritty, this compilation will have you doing the wang dang doodle all night long. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins) Subject 13 Present the Black Steele Project (Selector/Crammed/Fusion III) Ooh, the café's are gonna luuuuve this one. The opening track on Subject 13's artcore-ish drum & bass swinger is called "Dinner Time Jazz," and it's all in the name for this one, folks. Ages away from the jungle, very close to places that have framed photos and stainless steel decor in the bathrooms, it's all crispy breakbeats ("Mystical Flyte"), tickled ivories, deep houser vocals ("Just 4 You") and sexy femmo sympathies. Could sweep you off your Badu/Sade bootleg remixes smoothly enough. 8/10 (Mireille Silcott)
The poetess is back on track. Peace and Noise marks Patti's second great album since her musical hiatus throughout the '80s and part of the '90s. It shows nothing has been lost. Patti's haunting vocal delivery has never sounded so intimate, perfectly framing her words. The long-overlooked Lenny Kaye really shines with some amazing guitar work. Some people just never age. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Making the jump from AmRep to Relapse's more appropriate experi-metal stable, Nashville's Today is the Day unleash all the bile that's been bubbling in their guts since inception. Colonel Steve Austin has picked up two new satanic swingers to help better slay(er) the weaklings. Although "Crutch"--with lines like "My ass bleeds for you sincerely"--goes down as the most repulsive love song ever written. Yeah, sure, hail the dark prince... 5/10 (Lorrie Edmonds)
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Patti Smith Peace and Noise (Arista/BMG)
Today is the Day Temple of the Morning Star (Relapse)