Sound Off

Untied States

'Instant Everything, Constant Nothing'

(Distile)

There is a sense of adventure in much of the music on Untied States' new CD, "Instant Everything, Constant Nothing" that equates to speeding along in a car driving on a crooked mountain road.

The ride is thrilling, and is made even more so by the fact that the driver seems to be in danger of hurtling off a cliff around the next blind curve.

Untied States never veers out of control, but the Atlanta-based band sure had fun getting the music up on two wheels and testing the definition of what modern music really is.

It is easy to hear the influence of bands such as Sonic Youth and Fugazi in songs such as "Not Fences, Mere Masks" and "Grey Tangerines." But dig deeper and you'll also find hints of the more punk rock side of Devo, the darkness of Nine Inch Nails, and even Philip Glass (check out the dysfunctionally brilliant sounds of "Take Time for Always").

Standout tracks on this CD include "Gorilla the Bull," "Not Fences, Mere Masks," and "Holding Up Walls."

To call these guys original is a gross understatement, and while Untied States' music may not appeal to everyone, you have to admire the walls of sound and wild musical flourishes that mark each of the songs.

Download These: "Gorilla the Bull," "Not Fences, Mere Masks," "Holding Up Walls."

Santana

'Supernatural (Legacy Edition)'

(Arista/Legacy)

Nothing will call your attention to how fast time rushes by than a re-issue of a popular album.

When Carlos Santana released his comeback album, "Supernatural," in 1999, he had just been resigned to Arista by Clive Davis after being without a record label for awhile.

The 1990s hadn't exactly been friendly to Santana's career, but when "Supernatural" was released, the album shot to the top of the charts, thanks to collaborations with younger artists such as Dave Matthews, Everlast and Lauren Hill.

One track in particular, "Smooth," featured Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas crooning what would eventually become one or the biggest hits of the year. Now Legacy has seen fit to re-release this landmark album with a new two-CD version of the album.

The first CD contains the original album, completely remastered with Santana himself supervising.

Disc two is where things get interesting though. Of the 11 tracks on the second disc, eight were not included on the original album and seven are previously unissued. Add in a 24 page booklet, and one has a collection that should please even the most hard-core Santana fan.

Download These: "Put Your Lights On," "Smooth," "(Da Le) Yaleo"

Luke Bryan

Doin' My Thing

(Capitol)

"Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky." Those just might be the most amusing country music lyrics I've heard since Brad Paisley sang about wanting to check his girl for ticks a couple of years ago.

In this case it is up and coming country singer Luke Bryan singing "Rain is a Good Thing." His sophomore release, "Doin' My Thing," kicks off with that amusing tune, and Bryan, who co-wrote most of the songs, manages to keep up the momentum throughout the CD. I'm normally very critical of modern country music, but Bryan seems to have found the fine line between country and pop and stayed on the correct side.

Many of the songs on "Doin' My Thing" seem tailor made for radio, including "Do I," "Someone Else Calling You Baby," and the title track. Particularly amusing is "Drinkin' Beer and Wastin' Bullets," which will likely become the anthem of every deer hunter out there once it hits the airwaves.

Bryan's star is definitely on the rise, and I will go out on a limb and predict that in a year or two he just might be one of the bigger names in modern country music. I still think most of that genre is simply pop music with fiddles, but at least some folks are making an effort to keep country country.

Download These: "Rain is a Good Thing," "Do I," "Drinkin' Beer and Wastin' Bullets"