European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Page 8a stars and stripes m id june 2007 new on cd Epiphany Spain Jive trains Sophomore cd is called Epiphan but the biggest revelation present on this Effort is the Florida consistent ability to Supply undeniable club when he followed up his 2005 first single in sprung with in n Luv wit a Spain seemed like a two nit wonder at but his digitally processed which recall Roger Trout mans voc derived Melo have proven to be trains calling that signature electro soul sound is what drives its also what makes songs such As first buy u a so ubiquitous on Urban Spain churns out Catchy Hooks such As on the flirty Tipsy and his ode to the underappreciated part of the female to he explains aint nothing More than when that stomach yet when he attempts to mimic the senti mentality of his de Facto mentors Kelly and Spain Falls suicide is a guitar driven track about contracting his through unprotected but it gets buried amid the discs largely single minded subject matter hitting on trains better suited to commons than social As he says on in looking for somebody to talk to and show me some love if you know what i throughout he makes it quite Brett the a big dog daddy Toby Keith Snow dog this its meat and potatoes for Toby Keith with the fat and nothing unexpected filling out his after experimenting with rhythms and Otner new sounds on his previous the big shouldered oklahoman gets Back to basics on his new big dog country rockers like pump Jack and the current hit High maintenance woman flex their manliness and Wink with double Enten dres Over Catchy guitar the ballads balance Roughneck political philosophy me if you with lyrics that glorify Good women know she Hung the and take it like a Man when it comes to on night ers Wanna be and the end of Long relationships it with big dog the country Star also continues his move toward Complete control of his music and the second album released on his own record its also the first in which he produced the bulk of it he enlists co production help from guitarist Tom Bukovac on two of the hard est rocking hit it and the title but otherwise goes it Keith Rose to the As this is his most consistently Strong album since 2002s As he branches into acting in running his own restaurant Chain and managing his own record Keith proves once again that he works Best when Given the most Michael the a Era vulgaris Queens of the Stone age inter scope never again will i repeat Queens of the Stone age main Man Josh homme promises on Era in and while the fifth Totsa album As features a changing cast of including old buddy Mark Lanegan and new friends Julian Casablanca and Trent Reznor hardly constitutes a whole new homme again changes up his hard Rock moves with great Era vulgaris revels in depravity and brings the All whether its the Jackhammer Shakedown of run pig run or the lockstep crunch of Battery but homme who also plays Drums in eagles of death is a California desert Rocker who has a Knack for insinuating melodic Hooks into his Power Drill and the Singer guitarist is also Slick with his takeout music As he impressively pitches Al on make it wit Chu and offers his hand to Lead his intended into the Dan Philadelphia inquirer eat drink me Marilyn Manson inter scope often lost beneath his Industrial Roar to say nothing of breast Black con and an Absinth soaked sexuality is the realization that Marilyn Manson is trying to say i in addition to the fact that Hes a and what Hes discuss ing on his Raggedy is something easily relatable to not vampires or mutilation As a form of though there rather the very Public loss of one unique love a wife Dita von Teese and the finding of another Evan Rachel divorce and new Pas Sion delivered Manson style wont remind anyone of Dylan blood on the but you can recognize obsession rubbed raw throughout mansons least still Catchy choruses and Gru Giest ringing As he croaks lovelorn senti ments like i cant turn my Back on you Are walking away carpet Manson nails Plain old emotion speaking of the Black humor of pins and Needles never sounded so Apt As it does on the Loli Aesque hear shaped inspired and the mechanical animal shows he has Philadelphia inquirer carry on Chris Cornell sound Garden fell and Audi slave crumbled under creative so its fitting that Chris Cornell Long overdue second Solo disc is entitled carry the enigmatic Singer songwriters first Solo 1999s experimental euphoria morn was celebrated by critics and won him a Gram but fans didst appreciate that it sounded nothing like As those who disregard his past will see Cornell latest introspective adventure for the joyously Eclectic journey it he brings a Light touch but loses none of his and the disc does Rock hard in several places the versatile no such Poison Eye and a fantastic your soul today will please even the harshest he shines brightest on the personal particularly the Bluesy lament Safe and sound and colourful acoustic tracks like finally forever and disappearing Cornell most powerful instrument re Mains his voice passionate and command ing but also soft and his grinding cover of Michael Jacksons Billie Jean would have seemed an amusing aside in lesser but is Sung with such straight faced conviction its oddly Conta carry on proves Chris Cornell remains a vital lets Hope he stays on his own for a few More creative John lies for the liars the used reprise its Normal to be different things to differ ent hardly anyone behaves the same around grandma As they do around a boy or a buddy or a so theres nothing unnatural about the used projecting so Many personalities on its new lies for the Trie band from merely acknowledges the diversity of its fans with a collection of songs for music the perpetually angry and Starr eyed As the group jaunts from scream to Power pop to flirting be tween formulaic Hooks and confounding lies for the liars takes on an air of and that will leave some listeners feeling like the produced by John who also produced the bands 2002 self titled debut and 2004s in love and lies for the liars is Rife with tracks such As the pretty handsome awk Ward and the Bird and the worm Are in eternal states of impatient Evolur swinging from thrashing riffs to whispered vocals to electronic jags to string All Over rhythmic the effects Are from a hackneyed bag of but at least theres a sense the used is intent on surprising its audience a sign the group wants to plus the songs work in a Slapdash kind of thanks to the Slick work of other tracks Are pure sellouts schmaltzy stuff like with me find a Way and smother me and Lead Singer Bert Mccracken is thoroughly unconvincing As a the used Doest seem to know what it let alone what it wants to Chuck Howard country Singer Toby Keiths latest album is called big dog