V02I14 - 04041999
Tour dates are now available for the Tom Zé tour at the Tortoise website.
CONCERT REPORTS
This week, for some people starts a sort of marathon-concert schedule. Many bands have hit the road and there's a new section here for 'concert reports' - a couple sentences on a recent show - hopefully to let you know if you wanna check it out in your town or skip it and watch Simpsons reruns.
Just a reminder to change your clocks today - and don't hurt yourself trying to 'spring forward and fall back'.
IN BRIEF
The premise here is Chicago supergroup Isotope 217 handed over tapes with hours worth of live material to two local friends for a bit of Teo Macero cut-and-paste treatment. And they handed them over to able hands! Starting off is Commander Mindfuck's heavy percussion-laced number. Unlike many modern remixes that graft lame beats and noises onto the original, the Commander's only tricks consist of an EQ (which he sometimes uses poorly, burying the music under annoying drones and cheezy handclaps) and a good rhythmic sense. He layers two or three performances on top of each other, which in words sounds like it could be a sloppy AMM-sounding mess, but really comes across as, well, funky. It winds up with a piece of music that he wisely stepped away from, not cheapening it's chamber jazz-like beauty with effects or other trickery. The only problem I have with his (and Casey "Designer" Rice's) mix is that they both follow the same format: start with a funk jam, which winds down into a free-jazz-lite meditation, sew that onto a very spacy two-minute transition, and then go back into another tight group work-out. It would have been nice had they been laid out differently, but I'm not going to complain about small matters. While The Designer is not quite as adept as the Commander is at layering multiple performances, he is good at sequencing them to sound as though it's one seamless performance. Sly Stone-style funk, "Ascension"-like free group interplay, Chicago-brand post-rock ploddings, and bits of Jeff Parker's weeping guitar riffs all boil together in a funk cauldron that's still more "Hot Buttered Soul" than
"Hard Normal Daddy." He has seemed to have left the master tape in the rear window of his car on a sunny day, because parts of his mix are mired in warped and bubbly distortion. He too knows when to step back from the effects rack and let things end with a swinging motorik sort of beat. Swimming in a sea where other remix albums are dead in the water, this mini Lp from Isotope 217 and their friends will satisfy anyone who felt ripped off buying the (albeit wonderful) terribly over-priced Aerial M remix album.
- Jason Olariu
MOGWAI, "COME ON, DIE YOUNG"
I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I'm not impressed at all. I wouldn't flunk this record, but I would grade it a 'D' (for Drab, Disappointing and Drawn-out). After the dynamic brilliance of their last full-lengther "Young Team", we have this disc on Matador, which goes on entirely too long. The guest vocals on "Cody" by Arab Strap vocalist are horrible, sugar coated and uncalled for. The rest of the songs stretch out entirely too long and by the third song, I'm dying for the record to end. The most attractive element of the last record was their style of music going from a whimper to a roar but the mix on this one remains the same throughout the entire disc. There's no melodies here that I find either challenging or interesting. I'm left with the feeling that Mogwai have headed down that route that The Cure, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode took when they went from being every girl's boyfriend's band to every boy's girlfriend's band - meaning their music has become simpler, easily digestible and they're playing up the sensitive cute-boy charm. Do they want to sell lots of records, make good music or get chicks?
- Jon Whitney
AIR (FRENCH BAND), "MOON SAFARI"
Yes this album has been out since January of 1998 but I thought I'd give it a little mention. I heard this in a few places around and liked what I heard, picked it up, etc... At first listen I enjoyed the first track but the rest of it sounded like a Stereolab-lite. It's simple and pretty, a little spacey and airy. I'm not going to go into depth because it's really not a great album, it's just ear candy. A guilty pleasure.
- Jon Whitney
REPORT
How can you avoid Tortoise comparisons when you bring a vibrophone and two drum sets on tour? While the sound may be similar the feel is different. The two drummers playing together created a new dimension of break-beat type funk feel, usually found on Meat Beat Manifesto records. The absence of guitars was't missed and the multi-instrumentalists were fun to watch switch from trumpet to keyboard to drums and back again. Tour dates available currently at www.bubblecore.com. - Jon Whitney
THU, 4/1 - THE RESIDENTS
Although it has been nearly a decade since I actually bought and listened to a Residents record, I was quite impressed with the live show. It was an entertaining theatrical event, based on their latest album, probing the darker side and stories of the Holy Bible. Tonight's show, Easter Sunday, they're playing in Northampton MA of all places. I'd take a drive out there if it weren't for tonight's performance by Tom the Fish. Don't miss this show if it arrives in your neck of the woods. Tour dates available currently at Rez Web.
- Jon Whitney
FRI, 4/2 - OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL/SUPER FURRY ANIMALS
"I blame Jesus Jones" came to mind when Super Furry Animals were on stage. Cheesy Brits with beats and bad songs. It was nice as there was a massive Betty exodus as soon as they were done playing. Olivia Tremor Control, headliners, didn't impress me as much as I thought I would be impressed. The musicians were great but the songs were kinda weak. I much prefer Neutral Milk Hotel. Tour dates available currently at Olivia Web.
- Jon Whitney
SAT, 4/3 - LOVE AND ROCKETS/MISTLE THRUSH
I was excited to see hometown heroes Mistle Thrush on the big stage at Avalon. Great exposure for the band, but it still won't sell their records anywhere outside of Boston. Everybody needs a great producer. Love and Rockets were lukewarm this time out. Every previous tour has been phenomenal, but this time out they actually played new tunes, and many of them too. After about 7 or 8 songs they announced, "Those were new songs from our new record, now go buy the fucking album so we can go on tour." They only proceeded to do 4 older numbers. They look great for their age, not any different as they did in the "So Alive" video ten years ago! Tour dates available currently at Red Ant Records' website.
- Jon Whitney
SAT, 4/3 - SAM PREKOP/PAPA M
Papa M is Dave Pajo (of Aerial M) solo, with no backup band. The set was blissful, sound scaped guitar with on-the-fly loops and effects. It's something new to hear from Pajo and was never dull or boring, it had its moments of familiar Pajo-style melody and some new directions too. I'm anxious to hear the new record, but it will be a while. Sam Prekop (of the Sea and Cake fame) took to the stage as the headliner
Tour dates available currently at Thrill Jockey.
- Jon Whitney
RELEASES
Aphex Twin - Window Licker VIDEO (Warp, UK)
D.J. Rap - Learning Curve CD/LP (Higher Ground/Sony, UK)
Electronic [New Order side project] - Vivid 12"/two CDEPs (London, UK)
Freddie Fresh vs Fatboy Slim - Badder Badder Schwing 12"/CDEP (Eye-Q, UK)
Kretek - t.b.a. CD/2xLP (Downsall Plastics, The Netherlands)
Mogwai - Come On Die Young CD/2xLP (Chemikal Undergound, UK)
Slum - Twilight Mushrooms 7" (Warp, UK)
Orbital - Middle of Nowhere CD/LP (ffrr, UK)
* Underworld - Born Slippy two CDEPs [reissue of classic single, possibly with new mixes] (JBO/V2, UK)
TUESDAY
Roger Eno & Lol Hammond - Damage CD (Thirsty Ear, US)
Le Forbici Di Manitu - Play & Remix Lt. Murnau CD (Earthly Delights/Soleilmoon, US)
Front Line Assembly - Prophecy CDEP (Metropolis, US)
Gridlock - Further CD (Pendragon, US)
Irresistible Force [Mixmaster Morris] - Fish Dances 12"/CDEP (Ninja Tune, UK/Canada/US)
* Daniel Menche - Incineration CD [mid-price reissue] (Soleilmoon, US)
Mogwai - Come On Die Young CD (Matador, US)
* My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult - Sexplosion CD, 13 Above The Night CD and Hit & Run Holiday CD (RykoDisc, US/Canada)
Gary Numan - Strange Charm CD (Cleopatra, US)
David Sylvian - Dead Bees On A Cake CD (Virgin, US/Canada)
THD - Under a Statik Sky CD (Pendragon, US)
Thievery Corporation/Various - Abductions & Reconstructions CD (ESL, US)
We - The Square Root of Minus One CD/LP (Asphodel, US)
Gearwhore - The Picture 12"/CDEP (Astralwerks, US)
Saint Etienne - t.b.a. 12"/CDEP [with mixes Matthew Sweet, High Llamas and Add N to X] (Sub Pop, US)
WEDNESDAY
* Stereolab - Switched On CD [with bonus tracks] (Tokuma, Japan)
Trans Am - Future World CD [with Japan-only bonus track] (Tokuma, Japan)
Oval - Szenario CD [6 track Japan-only release] (Tokuma, Japan)
FRIDAY
Signaldrift - .060 CD (OMCO, US)
Various - Extracted Celluloid CD [tracks constructed entirely of music and sounds from movies] (Illegal Art/Seeland, US)
For a more comprehensive release schedule stretching far into the future, please check out the NEW RELEASES brought to you by Greg and Feedback Monitor.
REVIEWED
THE WATERBOYIt was cute, funny, light and entertaining. Adam Sandler delivers a performance which was basically an extended SNL skit which did work on a big screen for once. Unfortunately I watched this on a bus ride where like USA, TNT and other cable channels (but not prime-time network TV) the words were altered. Come on, you can say "ass," "bitch," and "god damnit" on prime time TV but why do they omit them from it's not necessary. God damnit that was annoying. - Jon Whitney
Subject: nuclear holocaust
where'n the hell's your damned t-shirts...ye scurvy dogs...i will rip out your hearts and dance to the beat...arrrrrr.....
?
Subject: brainwashed site mp3's
Hi,
Well you definiteley have the best collection of mp3 files on the whole net IMO and I thank you for that. On the other hand, the 60 second lengths make the whole thing a big tease! I understand you dont want to just *give* away the music but I already own alot of it and I need some mp3's to listen to at work.
If you know of any other websites with cool mp3 collections please let me know. Thanks
You can always try www.mp3.com or do a web search for MP3s of some bands you'd like to hear.
Subject: songs
I was turned on to Coil via LSD, and since, I've been a great fan of their music. I just had to let you know what a wonderful job you all are doing, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you've done to keep it alive. Keep up the good work, and Semper Fi!
Is 'Semper Fi' a good thing to see on an email comment?
OF THE
WEEK
Take a look at art history through the eyes of Barbie at www.erols.com/browndk/art.htm. Sounds kinda hokey but it's really well done.
LOSS FOR WORDS?
When was the last time you met a hot surrealist and didn't know how to woo them with compliments? Fear not, the Surrealist Compliment Generator will help you out at pharmdec.wustl.edu/cgi-bin/jardin_scripts/SCG.
CELEBRITY
OF THE
WEEK
BOBBIE BROWNNope, this isn't the guy who was in New Edition and married Whitney Houston. This girl is the multi-talented power-celebrity. Her big break was as "my cherry pie" in that Warrant video from the early part of this decade. She later went on to appear in TV shows like 'News Radio' and 'Married... with Children.' Everyone was banking on a blossoming film career with 'Last Action Hero' in 1993 but that movie nearly brought Arnold Schwartzenegger into the celebrity discount bin too. She now hosts late night info-mercials with shitty-music-we-keep-trying-to-forget collections.
YOUR CD
PLAYER?
Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Kraftwerk - Die Mensch Maschine
Pole - CD1
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Squarepusher - Budakhan Mindphone
- Mark, longtime fan
Brainwashed Data Processing
PO Box 7
Arlington MA 02476
USA