The Howling Hex
Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex
Drag City Records

Neil Michael Hagerty is something of a legend in the genre of the music commonly referred to as indie rock. Starting in the ’80s with Pussy Galore, with fellow indie-legend-guy Jon Spencer, Hagerty cemented his hipster status by forming Royal Trux with Jennifer Herrera in the ’90s. Their drug-frenzied noise-fests were the stuff of legend, and the music was pretty good too.

But now it’s the 21st century and Hagerty has gone solo. In the two years since the Royal Trux’s apparent demise, Hagerty has already made three albums. His latest, The Howling Hex, is an epic (21 songs) hour-long album that includes distorted horns and live tracks. The album sounds a bit like old mid-’70s rock on some tracks, and there is a lingering bit of fear that the recent success of The Strokes and The White Stripes might have influenced Hagerty. That he’s doing songs at all is surprising, considering the type of music the Royal Trux played.

The songs on The Howling Hex are as diverse as they are rockin’. The tracks that stand out the most are “Gray” (an incredible lo-fi mini ballad on an acoustic guitar) and “I’m Your Son,” which has a guitar melody on it that simply kills.

The Howling Hex also comes with a lengthy anti-narrative in the liner notes. This stream-of-consciousness story, apparently called “The Howling Hex” and written by Neil Michael Hagerty, is about as decipherable as Hagerty’s earlier music.

Hagerty’s “anything goes” style of music may turn off as many as it turns on, especially when it comes to Royal Trux fans. But if this album doesn’t grab ya, I’m sure next year’s will.

—JS

Body Kiss
The Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley aka Mr. Biggs
Dreamworks Records

If the members of the Isley Brothers stopped making music tomorrow, they would still be remembered as pioneers in R&B music. Perhaps they should just top now. Their new album, Body Kiss, shows the old masters back at work, but doesn’t add anything to their legacy.

The Isley Brothers have been around for a while. Originally formed in 1954, members have already made more than a mark on the history of R&B. Their biggest claim to fame is penning the call-and-response classic “Shout” and the supa-funky hit “It’s Your Thing.” They were also one of the first groups to cover The Top Notes’ “Twist and Shout,” preceding The Beatles.

	The Brothers Isley would like to enquire as to whether or not you would like to get freaky. If your answer is in the affirmative, do not hesitate in your endeavors to purchase Body Kiss from your local compact-disc merchant.

The lineup of the Isley Brothers has changed a lot since the ’50s, often incorporating two generations of Isleys. In this outing, the Isley Brothers are Ronald (lead vocalist since Vernon Isley’s death in 1955) and little brother Ernie. However, like today’s more colorful hip-hop artists, Ronald Isley has changed his name to Mr. Biggs on this album, and the cover features him dressed like “The Pimp of the Year.”

All the songs on Body Kiss were written by R. Kelly, which is obvious from the first track. A good majority of the songs are about “gettin’ freaky”, but the Isley Brothers use strange metaphors to describe how sweet their girls be. In “Lucky Charm,” inspired by R. Kelly watching his daughter eating the cereal of the same name, Ronald Isley’s honey voice sings painfully obvious metaphors that incorporate the subject of the song. “You’re magically delicious, baby.” The lyrics sound like they’re from a really bad Dave Chappelle skit.

It’s admirable that the Isley Brothers are able to get their freak on at such an old age, but it’s hard not to be a little disturbed by the idea of a 60-year-old man dressing like a pimp and getting it on with Lil’ Kim. Also, it seems Ronald Isley’s old-fashioned ways played a part at certain words being cut from the album. There are no clean or dirty versions of Body Kiss, but on the song “Busted,” Isley actually mumbles certain dirty words during the song’s chorus. Even Lil’ Kim’s normally filthy mouth has been muffled when she goes into too much detail.

Because of the lack of swear words, though, any LDS sex machine might want to consider buying Body Kiss.

—JS