antiMusic.com: Causes 1 Review

Causes 1
by Dan MacIntosh

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It always brings a sigh of relief to find a benefit album with music just as serious as its cause. And Causes 1 on Waxploitation is just such a found jewel. There are 14 different artists represented, and not one of them is placed on the CD for commercial bait.

The first song that truly grabs you comes along quite quickly, as it is "Stay All Night" (album track number 2) by the wonderful duo, The Black Keys. While heavy rock blues is what this pair usually creates, this track mixes these influences in with a distinctly Bo Diddley beat, which is a nice new shade to add to their repertoire.

Most of these acts are relatively new ones. About as old school as this set gets is David Sylvian ("Late Night Shopping") and The Cure, with a live take on "The Walk". Instead, there are plenty of relatively new buzz bands, such as Spoon, The Shins, and Bloc Party. Of these three, Bloc Party's "Rhododendrons" is the best buzz-worthy entry. It sadly details the limited career path of a third world young man. The Shins' meandering cut ("Turn Me On") is simply not representative of what this melodic, jangle-pop group can do, although Spoon fans will almost certainly dig "Rhythm & Soul".

If you like oddball covers, by the way, just get a load of Death Cap For Cutie's rendering of the underrated Julian Cope's "World Shut Your Mouth", as well as Travis' closing John Lennon standout, "Gimme Some Truth". [The (International) Noise Conspiracy's "Washington Bullets" is not a Clash cover, by the way, but something original, instead].

The music alone is recommendation enough for this CD. But it also benefits Doctors Without Borders, which is especially needed in war-torn regions like Darfur. Buy it for the great sounds, and take some pride that your enjoyment is doing a lot of people good.

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Causes 1
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