Black Heart Procession
Amore Del Tropico

Although Halloween comes at the end of October, there's no reason to sit and wait for melancholia to come to you. You can go directly to it, and the best place to start is with indie stalwarts, Black Heart Procession. While many bands claim to have a direct line to their broken hearts, few have devoted as much time to turning out somber masterpieces of morose but moving music celebrating the complexities of love and loss as Pall Jenkins, ex-frontman for San Diego's legendary Three Mile Pilot. Want proof? Their latest disc, Amore Del Tropico, contains three songs (not to mention a title) that include the word, "love", while the rest of its tunes -- such "Broken World", "Why I Stay" and "The One Who Has Disappeared" (see what I mean?) evoke similarly close-to-the-vest sentimental weight.

And although this newest Black Heart Procession release, available from Touch & Go on October 8, is somewhat of a sonic departure for Jenkins, Pilot-bandmate Tobias Nathaniel and a host of others, it nevertheless covers the same lyrical ground with Pall's unmistakably sensitive tales of missed chances, painful memories and sometimes self-conscious exercises in emotional exorcism. And the man is no dummy, either -- he has as much fun playing with his emotions as others might have laughing at the fact that he takes them so seriously. Couple this self-aware stab at emotional catharsis with arrangements featuring such poignant instruments as cello, saw, trumpet and xylophone (as well as the usual lap steel guitar, stand-up bass and organs), and you have a Halloween treat for your goodie bag.

Doug Martsch
Now You Know

Let's stay with the Halloween vibe a bit. Do you know what's really scary? Doug Martsch's guitar skills. The man is practically already a music icon due to his impressive work with the essential indie rock outfit, Built To Spill. And although Martsch's band may not be getting radio airplay, it's only because no one knows exactly where to place them. That's how good they are.

So while Built To Spill may not have another album out for awhile, fans can relax (no, they aren't breaking up), spin Martsch's solo effort, sit back and soak in the warm comfort of a musician in full possession of his own talent. Especially since he's abandoning the usual indie rock anthems for the jagged gravitas of blues and country. Songs like "Gone" and another Neil Young tribute tune, "Impossible" -- to add to the cover of "Cortez the Killer" featured on BTS' Live -- may feel different, but they are nevertheless the type of rough sonic diamonds that Martsch is used to unearthing, albeit with less instrumentation this time around. Which is to say that the obvious is being refreshingly restated here: Martsch remains one of rock's finest craftsmen. And he's only getting better.

Thievery Corporation
The Richest Man in Babylon

But sometimes you're in the mood to chill, especially after downing all that candy, right? Enter Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, the sonic entrepeneurs behind both Thievery Corporation and its independent label, Eighteenth Street Lounge Music (as well as their D.C. nightclub of the same name). Yeah, that's right, I said lounge music, and although that phrase tends to send most music fans scurrying for the bomb shelter, those who are fans of the drum will stay and defend the Thievery Corporation's home front. After all, how often is it that you find an electronica outfit that grew up on the Pixies and D.C. punk releasing vibe-soaked, internationally flavored beat music? Yeah, exactly.

While some may feel Thievery's latest bumps and grinds over the same ground exposed on their earlier efforts, the difference this time around are the substantial vocal efforts of their frequent collaborator, Icelandic diva Emiliana Torrini. Although reverentially sprinkled with reggae, Afro-beat, Indian and Persian flavor, The Richest Man in Babylon is at its most delicious when Torrini takes her sinuous, ethereal stylings to the track on tunes like "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" and the disc's finest track, "Until the Morning". It's a marriage made in electronic music heaven, one that might propel Thievery Corporation into the upper echelons of the adult alternative set. Check it out.

And if none of you want your peanut butter cups, I'll eat them. = )

© Melt Magazine 2002