BLONDE REDHEAD

Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons CD(Touch and Go, PO Box 25520, Chicago, IL 60625; TG216CD)

First they hang with Sonic Youth, then they sound like Sonic Youth. Next they hang with Unwound, then they sound like Unwound. Now that they've toured with the Black Heart Procession … well, don't let the slippery-slope logic seep into your noggin too fast, but this does actually sound like the chameleon has morphed again. BHP's Toby Christiansen lovingly contributes a few shopworn key strokes to the ‘Redhead’s meek, yet pervasive bemoan on “For the Damaged” and “Loved Despite Of Great Faults.” Hopefully Toby doesn’t take those pity-induced titles personally. I mean geeesh, he didn’t screw up that many times! Wipe those tears away though, little Tobias Nathaniel, because in the grand scheme of things, optimism once again saves the day here in a real “make lemonade” sort of way.

BLONDE REDHEAD

Mélodie Citronique CD5 (Touch and Go, PO Box 25520, Chicago, IL 60625; TG219CD)

Esteemed import discs like this justify their existence by indulging the listener with unreleased material or alternate variations on a previously released song (usually from the album). Mélodie Citronique fancies itself with both criteria. The difference here is that, although it looks like one, this CD is not an import. I’d be more set to call it a primed-‘n’-ready EXport with it’s cannons aimed directly at Europe. Two Italian renditions (one being a previously unreleased song), two french (one being an excellent cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Slogan”), and one British remix by Third Eye Foundation. I have often thought of the Beatles as being too laughable when they sang songs like “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in German (“Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand”). But Mélodie Citronique somehow makes the quixotic romance languages deadly serious, which is completely ironic. —Chris Woo

See Blonde Redhead at The Scene in Clairemont on Thursday, October 3, 2002.