Friday March 26, 2004 arts.michigandaily. corn artseditor@michigandaily.com eT11su m 8. "AXIMUMSECUIRIT1 Proficient live act fails to deliver on CD By Laurence J. Freedman Daily Arts Writer Music REVIEW -*I Particle's first record, Launchpad, glaringly demonstrates that artists are not necessarily entertaining just because they are celebrated. Its release finally allows the band to be viewed with proper perspective: as a very impressive novelty act. The Los Angeles quartet attacked the jamband scene in 2002 with a wild new sound displayed during a full schedule of high-profile, late-night gigs. Particle They certainly deserved the huge Launchpad buzz that followed. Or. Music Their music is funky but intense, like electronica. It is consistently psychedelic and almost never relaxing. Particle are the perfect group for someone looking to keep the party going past sunrise. They are the band that at the right place and the right time can make you forget that your night will inevitably end. During these moments, Particle delightfully smile back toward the sweaty crowd, as if in acknowledge- ment of how much it means to every- one that they continue playing louder, harder and most importantly, longer. They churn out beats and lines that dare you not to dance. They build up tension without changing dynamics and then release it, using that explo- sion as the basis for the next. The key here is that Particle make music that is best experienced, not lis- tened to on record. Maybe this is the truthful cliche that applies to most jambands, but it is definitely why Par- ticle's Launchpad is so boring. While the album has solid renditions of the band's core catalogue, these tunes sim- ply don't translate to your stereo very well. It was wise to bring in a talented producer like Tom Rothcock (Beck, Foo Fighters) to help out, but it might have been better for Particle to not release a studio album at all. Particle's story, until now, has been an almost perfect tale of a-band honing a sound and building a glowing reputa- tion through word of mouth from those who have heard about or actually enjoyed one of their shows. A poor record like Launchpad will only expose more people to Particle's sound in the wrong places at the wrong times, chipping away at the mystique that the. band has rightfully earned through unquestionably innovative live per- formance. Jazz pianist Mehldau releases more mainstream LP By Andrew Horowitz Daily Arts Writer past. Largo hinted at the possibility of Mehldau moving in an entirely new The jazz world has anticipated Brad Mehldau's next move since 2002's Largo. Produced by pop-god Jon Brion, Largo was Mehldau's most elaborate experimental album. The recording uti- lized rich orchestration, a rock drum- mer and melancholic studio-tailored arrangements. Furthermore, it created a new legion of young fans, those not acquainted with Mehldau's recorded' mainstream direc- tion. All this com- bines to make Anything Goes, the follow-up album by the Brad Mehldau Trio, an ironically risky Brad Mehidau Trio Anything a Goes Warner Bros. Mehldau. Deconstructivism and frag- mentism are key to his musical vocabu- lary. The trio maintains what some have termed musical telepathy, playing extremely complicated rhythmic and harmonic gestures entirely in sync. As in the past, Mehldau attempts a Radio- head cover as well. By far the most rewarding listens on Anything Goes are the tracks where Mehldau takes the most liberties. On the Cole Porter-penned "Anything Goes,' the trio utilizes a colorful four- chord vamp to frame the melody on top of 5/4 time. The solos sound fresh and inspired, and the players are equally matched in virtuosity. "Get Happy" is equally intriguing, pairing dissonant harmonies with an intense bass groove. There's also a fair amount of ballads, including the light Paul Simon medita- tion "Still Crazy After All These Years." Over the years, Mehldau has pro- duced a catalogue of trio records that may someday be considered classics. This recording, however, reveals noth- ing new, and will probably be remem- bered more as the follow-up to Largo. Nonetheless, Anything Goes is inspired, original and entirely Brad Mehldau. THIS WEEK IN DAILY ARTS HISTORY "WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, Spike PROVES THAT (ELVIS COSTELLO) IS THE GREATEST LIV- ING SINGER-SONGWRITER IN THE ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD. THERE YOU HAVE IT: ELVIS IS KING. -As quoted in the Daily's review of Elvis Costellov album Spike on Mar 22, 1989. endeavor. While most musicians safely record standards, Mehldau's departure from experimentalist to traditionalist repertoire on the new recording is a jolt. That's not to say Mehldau isn't still a0 *