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05 March 2007

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The debut album from the latest Bad Seeds off-shoot is a breath of fresh air compared to the recent stodgy and MOR output of Nick Cave. What the Bad Seeds did years ago with the blues, Grinderman have done with garage rock. Eleven songs of no bullshit and no fucking about with song structures or melodies have resulted in an exciting album. To paraphrase Cave, Grinderman is old farts making music for old farts (and Martyn P. Casey's "I love Status Quo" haircut certainly backs up this statement). Well if this is growing old, then I cannot wait for my bus pass to arrive!

Mute

The album screams off the starting line with the two singles, "Get It On" and "No Pussy Blues." Both songs are shambolicly heavy but with heavy doses of humour peppered throughout. Pulverising, overdriven bass and guitar drive both songs home with a ferocity that has long been absent from Cave’s music. It is unfair of me to label this as being Cave’s music though, it as much the work of the other musicians as it is his. This becomes obvious once the CD starts spinning. This is the sound of four men in a rehearsal room jamming out the stress of the week into a burst of pure escape from their normal musical roles. Gone are all the orchestrations of their day jobs with Cave and instead there is a vibrant sense of adventure.

It is easy but misleading to compare this album to early Bad Seeds or even The Birthday Party; Grinderman are a very different entity. Even at their most tongue in cheek, the Bad Seeds never made me grin as much as the songs featured here and the heaviness is far enough removed from The Birthday Party’s storming style to discount that comparison altogether. From the tacky cover art down to the lyrics and the playing, there is a playfulness here that makes this album instantly loveable. Cave’s twisted humour comes through strongest during “Go Tell the Women” and the aforementioned “No Pussy Blues.” His funny side is sometimes lost with the Bad Seeds but shines through here like a beacon.

It is not all giggles and smiles though, Grinderman have a serious side too. Dedicated to the recently late Alice Coltrane "Electric Alice" is a furiously sad piece of music. Warren Ellis' violin is looped and processed while the rest of the group sketch out the rest of the song over it. Later on, "When my Love Comes Down" is a slithering, hormonal groove that is one of the highlights of the album. The album finishes with "Love Bomb," which sounds like the afterbirth of The Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray." Although instead of searching for his mainline, Cave is "searching on the Internet."

I was afraid that this album would not have the depth that brings me back to other albums by all these musicians but I think my fears are unfounded. Apart from the occasionally awful bit of remedial guitar playing by Cave, I find little fault with Grinderman. Some of the songs I can see myself skipping unless I am in the mood but I honestly think that future emphasis should be on Grinderman and not the Bad Seeds. Comparing this with the recent live box released by the latter, there is no contest here between them. It is not often I immediately restart an album after it finishes but I cannot stop listening to Grinderman.

samples:

05 March 2007

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Albums and Singles

Kevin Barnes becomes a glam-rock icon named Georgie Fruit on this record, or so he claims. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? has been described by Barnes as a conceptual project for just this reason, but no matter how many cultural references he might make in his lyrics I don't keep coming back for them, nor do I find them particularly appealing. Of Montreal's latest record is enjoyable because it's catchy, not because there's anything special about Barnes' brand of peculiarity.

Polyvinyl

Satanic Panic in the Attic begins with "Disconnect the Dots," one hell of a catchy opening number: its appeal is immediate and the lyrics, delivered as strongly as they are, are almost impossible to forget. Barnes nearly outdoes himself on his newest album with "Suffer for Fashion," an opening song so strong that it is followed by a wimpy minute-long song that serves more as a transition into "Cato as a Pun" than anything else. Had these two songs sat next to each other, it might've been a pop overload almost too sweet for even the most ardent fans of sugary goodness to enjoy. Of Montreal can churn out memorable melodies with ease and it's almost no surprise that Hissing Fauna is filled from beginning to end with them. Despite that fact, it is somehow less satisfying than Satanic Panic in the Attic and I think it must have something to do with Barnes and this whole "conceptual record" business.

The band's bizarre stage presence and storied past seem to be catching up with them: it is as though they've decided their unique and almost always entertaining take on pop isn't enough to keep them afloat anymore and so they've decided they need something extra, something special. Everyone has heard stories about their live performances and it isn't difficult to surmise that Barnes is a pretty unique character, but it's as though those facts have stifled the song writing process, interrupted the band's natural creative efforts, and replaced them with bits of kitsch that simply aren't as enduring. The previously mentioned songs on this album are fantastic, up to par with the group's past efforts, and brimming over with catchy hooks, none of which rely on simplicity or dumbed-down performances. On the other hand songs like "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" and "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger" sound flat, the verses existing only so that the chorus can come into play and get stuck in people's heads. They're fun to listen to, but become old very quickly, even with their brief durations. I get the feeling it must be because Barnes wanted everything on this album to fit together nice and tight, part of some greater idea that never becomes explicitly clear on the record. I don't care who Georgie Fruit is and I can't imagine why anyone else would: the thrust and groove of "The Past is a Grotesque Animal" is far more interesting and a bigger virtue to the record than any imaginary transformation that might be taking place throughout the record (if one takes some liberties with the lyrics).

Once all the flash and awe associated with the word "conceptual" seeps away from the record, Hissing Fauna... shows itself to be a flawed record with moments of brilliance. Beyond the previously mentioned tunes, "Labyrinthian Pomp" and "Faberge Falls for Shuggie" showcase Barnes' ability to play with genres and to twist them into a pop framework successfully. This tendency in his writing, to take influence from anywhere whatsoever and to use those influences well, is unique enough to make Of Montreal a great band. Keeping that in mind, all this extra fluff surrounding this record and Barnes' recent internet activity merely detracts from that fact. I will be happy when all the attention the band has been getting passes: perhaps then Of Montreal will return to their songs and give them all the attention they need. As it stands they're wasting it in unnecessary ways and their art is suffering for it.

samples:

28 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

CSR81TS (16th March 2007)
Merzbow Vs Nordvargr | Partikel T-Shirt

We are very proud to announce the release of a stunning new shirt to compliment and celebrate the Partikel trilogy! White print on heavy-quality black shirt. Sizes: Girlie, Medium, Large and Extra Large.

Shipping 16th March

Pre-order here at a special pre-release price.

Over `n out

Justin / COLD SPRING

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.coldspring.co.uk

26 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

This compilation of Harvey's various works for film mostly covers his work for obscure German and Australian indie films (most of which I have never heard of let alone seen). Harvey has an exceptional amount of skill that is hidden much of the time, even on his own solo albums. Here he explores palettes and tones of a much more subtle manner compared to his day jobs. The emphasis is, of course, on mood and tension. Not all of the compositions are brilliant but most of them are prime examples of Harvey firing on all cylinders.

Mute

There is little emphasis on Chopper as the full soundtrack is already available so it can be safely glossed over. The three pieces from it included here provide enough of a glimpse into that soundtrack without extending to unnecessary repetition. Instead there is plenty of room to explore Harvey's far more unknown works. The opening piece "Two Guitars," taken from the film Lighting Fires, is a far cry from any of Harvey's work that I have heard before. As the title suggests, the music is made up of two guitars playing with each other, making a glorious, glistening and minimalist start to the album. The refrain is revisited later on "Three Guitars" (taken from the same film), the simple and stark beauty of these two pieces is astonishing. Not to say that the rest of the album is any less good but Harvey definitely had his "I'm writing a fucking great piece of music" hat on when he did Lighting Fires.

The album does dip around the middle with the material from Frank Hurley – The Man Who Made History. I think if I saw the documentary I might be of a different opinion as Hurley's photography is strong enough on its own without the need of a musical accompaniment. It is a daunting task to soundtrack them. It feels like Harvey is holding back as the pictures on the screen should speak thousands of word. However, without the imagery to with the music I find it hard to connect with what I am listening to. The brevity of these pieces also adds to difficulty in enjoying them on their own; they very easily fade into each other and into the background.

The album is well laid out. Most of the time music taken from the same film is all grouped together but in the case of Lighting Fires and Chopper the pieces are scattered throughout the disc. In the case of these last two, this arrangement stops the repetitive nature of film music getting in the way of the quality of the pieces. The other films do not tend to have as obviously repetitive themes or at the very least blend into each other better so it is not such a problem for them to be grouped together.

Overall, Motion Picture Music '94-'05 is a wonderful and varied album that covers some of Harvey's best work as a solo artist. I hope he continues to make such interesting music outside the Bad Seeds as I would love to hear more material like this. It is hard to find soundtrack music that exists just as powerfully without a film to go with it but Harvey's attempts can be appreciated on their own merit very easily.

samples:

coming soon

26 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

This 2CD and 2DVD box set is much better than expected. Not being a fan of the last Bad Seeds album made me think twice about buying this but despite focusing heavily on songs from The Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus double album, this is a nice addition to the Bad Seeds back catalog. It is by no means the best of Cave's live albums or DVDs but it is still well worth investigating.

Mute

On the audio side of things, The Abattoir Blues Tour 2004 CDs are good. Performance wise these discs are not a patch on previous Bad Seeds live albums such as Live Seeds. However, many of the newer songs sound much better here than on their respective studio albums. "O Children" and "There She Goes My Beautiful World" are invigorating and powerful, each one is 10 times the song that appears on The Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus. The same cannot be said of "Stagger Lee" or "Deanna," the former now with bonus extra verses that were cute the first time I heard them but with repeated listens "Stagger Lee" proves to have lost most of its menace. I feel Cave could have picked a better setlist; there are many of his older songs that would work better with his gospel backing singers (although I must say, the version of "Lay Me Low" featured here is brilliant).

The two DVDs cover a show from the tour for The Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus and another from the Nocturama tour. The sound and video for both discs is excellent (although I cannot comment on the 5.1 mixes as I have only a lowly stereo set up). Some of the shots are beautiful, especially the ones focusing on Cave's silhouette on the wall; it looks like a giant shadow version of Cave is picking its way through the crowd. The rest of the band get a healthy amount of screen time although with so much happening on stage it feels like I am missing out on something no matter where the camera is pointing.

The first disc containing the newer show is unsurprisingly dominated by songs from Cave's last studio release with a handful of crowd pleasers thrown slapdash at the end. The same problems and highlights from the audio discs make their appearances here. Three songs not included on the CDs are included here, all from The Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus. At this point I must vent my frustration with Cave’s insistence on including “The Ship Song” at every possible opportunity. It is a great song but there are dozens of songs in his back catalogue as good if not better that never get an airing. Plus with this appearing on so many releases I am fatigued by it, what was once a beautiful and moving song is now a lighters in the air sing-a-long special.

The show from the Nocturama tour on the second DVD features a much more balanced set. I felt that Nocturama was a flawed record but that some of the songs were up there with Cave’s best. In particular "Wonderful Life" is a firm favorite of mine and the rendition here is superb. From here on, the band dips into different parts of Cave's back catalog and even includes a Birthday Party song, an electric version of “Wild World” where Warren Ellis replaces Roland S. Howard’s guitar with some sublimely overdriven violin. Unfortunately the set is far too short; I could have happily watched more from this concert.

The videos included on the second DVD fall into two categories. The first is the instantly forgettable videos of The Bad Seeds miming to the song on a soundstage or a regular stage (like "Nature Boy" and "Get Ready for Love"). The second is the funny Nick Cave video category. "Breathless" is like the makers of Bambi made a cartoon especially for Cave; the sight of the cutesy bluebirds flying around the band is hilarious. Equally humorous is the video for "Babe, I’m on Fire" (which was originally included as a bonus with Nocturama) where the band act out the parts of the dozens of characters listed in the song. Also included is a behind the scenes documentary of The Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus which could have been more informative and could have been edited better; the answers given by the interviewees seem to be hacked together.

For the money, this is a pretty nice release considering there is so much material included. Anyone who liked Cave’s recent work should love this and, even as someone disappointed with his recent work, I found this to be a highly enjoyable set that I will probably come back to a lot.

samples:

"Nature Boy" from the Brixton Academy show, 2004:

"Wild World" from the Hammersmith Apollo show, 2003:

26 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

With their fourth full length, Dälek leaves the noise and skree of Absence behind them and offer up instead a more contemplative effort. This album demonstrates that you don't need to clobber people over the head with sonic violence to get the point across.

Ipecac

While I've been an unabashed fan of Dälek's work for years, even I found their last outing for Ipecac, Absence, to be something of an acquired taste. It's an impeccably produced onslaught of angry, dense noise that makes its point, but it's not a record that I have returned to a lot because listening to it tends to take a toll on my state of mind.

Dälek had been on a trajectory towards that violent, monolithic sound for some time, and Absence represented the logical conclusion to a path where every track got bigger and louder than the last. Starting with 2006's Ad Noiseam 12", Streets All Amped, Dälek seemed to be easing their way back out of that dense, noisy corner, and now I think they've found a new direction. Abandoned Language winds up saying all of the same things and hitting on all of their favorite themes, but with a subtlety that wasn't possible with everything cranked past 11.

Here, Dälek have gone back to the more straightforward sound of their early work like Negro Necro Nekros, building around old school beats and dead ahead rhymes. The Dälek production style is still evident in layer after layer of discordant drones and samples, but Abandoned Language is full of space, melody, and detail too. Stripping out some of distortion allows Dälek's voice to rise to the surface and turning the volume down from time to time gives the album a dynamic range that Absence lacked.

This might be Dälek's most accessible album to date, but it's no less angry or direct than anything else they've released. On the surface, this might seem like a band that is mellowing but in fact, I'd say just the opposite is true. Abandoned Language works in ways that a bombastic onslaught can't; it's a kin to the difference between fighting with fists and fighting with words and I think that Dälek is proving that the subtle, calculated fight can be more effective than brute force.

samples:

26 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

Nathan Michaels' music could be nothing short of massive. Aphotic Leech is no happy experience, but it is a commanding piece of music with no shortage of powerful moments.

Utech

The delicate piano performances transform into ominous war drums with time, the guitar sounds like the sick wheezing of some mutated monster rotting away in a subterranean prison, and whatever other manipulated instruments Nathan Michaels employs are dim, wrecked shadows of their former glory.

"Aphotic" is an adjective meaning "having no light." It can also describe any part of the ocean where light from the sun cannot reach. It's useful to think about the types of creatures that live in that part of the ocean for the purposes of imagining what portions of this record sound like. Though it begins with the seemingly innocent striking of rather unaltered piano melodies, the album quickly dissolves into a murky wash of thickly distorted guitar and other resonant, full sounds. The image of a leviathan swallowing up the ocean floor isn't an inappropriate one as the music seems to rumble by; the music doesn't simply emerge from the speakers and pass into the air, it exerts a physical presence on my ears and presses the warmth right out of the room.

Amid all the darkness, however, are some finer, brighter moments where Michaels' talent for powerful arrangements really stands out. The beginning of the record is fantastic, the music emerging from a hail of static and sizzling electronics. It sounds as if the album will be meditatively dismal for some time, the fuzz sounding like nothing more than a minor detail. A xylophone or some kind of hammered instrument makes a brief appearance, bringing to mind the work of Bohren und der Club of Gore. The careful introduction of added noise and the piano's slow decay flesh the album out perfectly, juxtaposing two extremes tastefully while holding two rather disparate elements of the album together. Michaels' moves quickly: in the first six minutes of the piece he has already developed a natural crescendo and plunged the album into a quiet, brooding place. By the time the guitar erupts, it feels natural, an explosion resulting from a natural increase in pressure.

That sense of a natural progression, which permeates the entire album, emphasizes just how subtle and powerful Michaels' is as a composer. By staying within the parameters of a few effective and complimentary instruments, he manages to craft an entire world of sound with viscerally effective moments. Half Makeshift is a name I'll be looking out for in the future and, with any luck, James Plotkin will be on board again to handle the mastering job: the clarity and immediacy of the sounds on Aphotic Leech stand out in my mind. Despite many of them being heavily processed, they sound full and vibrant on the record, adding an extra punch to an already impressive record.

sample:

Aphotic Leech

25 February 2007

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We all know Kieran Hebden is a big jazz fan, nearly all of the samples used in Four Tet recordings originate from jazz records, but it's undeniable that he has continuously made his mark in the pop framework. This third collaborative release with drummer Steve Reid explores the more pop side of things with ten tunes that average between the three and six mintue mark, ripe with riffs, and just about ready to be turned into hit singles.

Domino

Like the first two releases, Tongues was recorded live at The Exchange with no overdubs or edits. The major difference is that between April 2005 and February 2006, Hebden and Reid have had considerable more time to play together, touring the world, finding out more about themselves as well as what works and doesn't for them and their audiences. Four Tet fans who may have found the first Exchange Session volumes hard to get into will find an easier time here but Tongues is by no means a Four Tet record.

With 10 songs, the record covers a lot of ground. While more vigorous workout/freakouts like the "People Be Happy" and "The Squid" are more of the norm with aggressive drumming and whimsical electronics, the album launches with the record's two jams with the most commercial potential. "The Sun Never Sets" and "Brain" each initially exploit an almost techno-pop riff, backed by steady but unoppressive drums until each musician pretty much lets loose. Retro-alien sounds mark the bumpy "Superheroes," while lulls like the echoing chimes on their interpretation of the traditional "Greensleeves," and the proverbial harp on "Our Time" allow for some breathing space. What the two have found together over the time playing together is a way to both go nuts and rope things back in without letting a song get way out of control or go on too long. "Left Handed, Left Minded" finishes off the album, opening with some hypnotic malleted drumming accompanied by vinyl surface noise, joined soon by the whirring of digital mixing, but here, things don't let loose and the album tactfully quells to a close instead of ending with some cut at the height of excitement.

While the Four Tet brand is more or less on an unofficial hiatus, it would be great to hear these jazz records between Hebden and Reid destructed and reconstructed by people like Jason Forrest, Kid 606 or others who recycle recorded music only to pull some completely new pop tunes out the other end. Although Tongues is still pretty damn satisfying on its own as is.

samples:

25 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

When I saw Yellow Swans back in August of 2004, at the late, great Schoolhouse in Hadley, Mass, I liked their performance well enough to pick up a couple of their records. Unfortunately, those records, and the wave of hype that soon followed, left me feeling pretty lukewarm towards the band. They have grown a lot in the past two and a half years, however, and this particular trilogy of recordings shows that off.

Live during War Crimes (Release the Bats)

The Yellow Swans are one of those bands, like Sunburned Hand of the Man and Wolf Eyes, that ALWAYS leaves the tape recorder on, and, for better or worse, release most of it. A lot of this comes out on short-run CDRs on their Jyrk label. Live During War Crimes 1 and 2 are 'best of' compilations of some of those live recordings from their intense touring. Live During War Crimes 1, recorded during May and June of 2004, shows the more rhythmic, proto-industrial side of the band. Primal and grim, the sound of this disc hides the peace-loving, harmonious spiritual unity (hippy) ethos of the band. From the first track on, there's a fist-in-the-air thud and clamor running down the back bone of this album’s sound. Beats made from skittery, broken electronics, the most guitar riffage I’ve heard on any of their recordings, and a seamless flow from one track into the next gives these 45 minutes a hypnotic density that took a couple listens, but totally won me over.

Live during War Crimes #2 (Release the Bats)

Live During War Crimes #2, recorded in January and February of 2006, delves more into the Yellow Swans’ psychedelic-drone sound. The recordings are pretty lo-fi, too. You can hear in the sound the resonance of the speakers and the over modulation of the microphone recording. Especially on the second track, as the drones and feedback swell, you can feel the electricity of the room they’re playing in. Through this mud arises a very clean, or at least unprocessed, guitar, plucked and strummed incidentally, either dancing with or fighting against the walls of noise building beside it, finally being overtaken and drowned out, as the recording gets skuzzier and grimier. Even at low volumes, this track is deafening. The third and fourth tracks fall a little flat compared to the opening two, but the closer returns to the opening’s momentum, but with a much tighter hold on the tension between the wall of noise and the improvised guitar. It lumbers along, ominous and foreboding, not so much the violent ballet of the earlier tracks, but more a sober denouement to the album, a dark shadow creeping from an alley way.

Psychic secession (Load)

Yellow Swans' debut on Load is the paramount studio album. At first, the opener, "True Union," clocking in just over 20 minutes, seemed a little stale, but after a couple listens unveiled power and a deft knack for building tension that I didn't pick up on until I listened to LDW#2 alongside it. A lot of the depth of the recording didn't even show up until I put on my headphones. Co-produced by Gerritt (Or Misanthropic Agenda fame), his intense digital processing can be heard added to Yellow Swans' own wall of feedback and effect loops. Sparse, raspy, almost black metal screams bleed into the mix as high-end oscillations swirl and howl. This track sets a good tone for the album: dark, very evil, and strong enough to make the hair on the back of the neck stand on end.

As "True Union" fades away, the title track steps in, with an eery vocal intro reminiscent of the late John Balance, soon overtaken by more feedback and squall, but rhythmic this time—not just an intense anti-climatic build. Hard pulses are set off, driving more raspy screams and oscillating feedback. From there on, Psychic Secession stays more rhythmic than the two Live During War Crimes CDs, and seems very intentional, even composed. The album definitely climaxes with I Woke Up, starting off with harsh glitch and more heavily processed screams fighting though barbed-wire-like drum machines, finally giving way to a foot stomp and hand clap rhythm track backed by a throbbing bass line. I Woke Up moves from heavy static to a rousing tribal-industrial dance, all the while Yellow Swans are balancing their sense of tension in their live feedback-drone and the multi-track layering of the studio.

I don't think there could be a better result from this band in the studio. Yellow Swans moved from being another run of the mill drone/feedback/hippy noise group to showing a definite talent for sound work and more than capable of creating important studio works.

samples:

23 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

photo courtesy of Baron Wolman

Betty Davis
LITA 026 CD
UPC: 826853002622
Originally released 1973

They Say I'm Different
LITA 027 CD
UPC: 826853002721
Originally released 1974

1. If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up
2. Walkin Up The Road
3. Anti Love Song
4. Your Man My Man
5. Ooh Yeah
6. Steppin In Her I. Miller Shoes
7. Game Is My Middle Name
8. In The Meantime

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS (1974)
9. Come Take Me
10. You Won’t See Me In The Morning
11. I Will Take That Ride

1. Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him
2. He Was A Big Freak
3 Your Mama Wants Ya Back
4. Don’t Call Her No Tramp
5. Git In There
6. They Say I’m Different
7. 70’s Blues
8. Special People

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS (1973)
Record Plant Rough Mixes
9. He Was A Big Freak
10. Don’t Call Her No Tramp
11. Git In There
12. 70’s Blues

If Betty were singing today she would be something like Madonna, something like Prince only as a woman. --MILES DAVIS		She introduced Miles to Hendrix's music and got him interested in the hardcore rock stuff. --HERBIE HANCOCK

Betty was a G for real. --ICE CUBE		When I first saw her album cover, I fell in love. --RICK JAMES

Warning: She is pure uncut funk way ahead of her time. --PRINCE PAUL (De La Soul, Handsome Boy Modeling School)		She was the first Madonna, but Madonna is more like Marie Osmond compared to Betty Davis. Betty Davis was a real ferocious Black Panther woman. You couldn't tame Betty Davis. --SANTANA

First official Betty Davis reissues
Mastered from the original tapes (first time since the ‘70s!)
Previously unreleased bonus tracks
Ice Cube, Talib Kweli, and Ludacris have rhymed over these tracks
Betty recorded some of the finest punk-funk of all time, introduced Miles to Hendrix, and inspired generations
Each CD release includes an elaborate digipak and deluxe 32-page booklet
New notes from Oliver Wang (O-Dub/Soul Sides), including Betty’s second interview in over 25 years!

HER STORY:

One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can't be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.

There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago - we live in an age that's been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn't get sexy with their "Lady Marmalade" for another year while Millie Jackson wasn't Feelin' Bitchy until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty's fierce style wasn't completely out of Ike's shadow until later in the decade.

Ms. Davis's unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song "Uptown" for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late '60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix -- personally inspiring the classic album 'Bitches Brew.'

photo courtesy of Baron Wolman

But her songwriting ability was way ahead of its time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty's career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn't fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal.

In 1973, Davis would finally kick off her cosmic career with an amazingly progressive hard funk and sweet soul self-titled debut. Davis showcased her fiercely unique talent and features such gems as "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name." The album Betty Davis was recorded with Sly & The Family Stone's rhythm section, sharply produced by Sly Stone drummer Greg Errico, and featured backing vocals from Sylvester and the Pointer Sisters.

Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I'm Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie's science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him" (later sampled by Ice Cube). Her follow up is full of classic cuts like "Don't Call Her No Tramp" and the hilarious, hard, deep funk of "He Was A Big Freak."

Tragically, these days Betty Davis is dead broke, living in the Pittsburgh ghetto. For the first time, her critically adored first two albums are being lovingly re-mastered from the original master tapes by Light In The Attic Records to sound as ferocious and revolutionary as they did when they first sprung on an unsuspecting world in the early '70s. These reissues mark the first time that Betty will receive proper royalties for her music on CD.

In addition to the restoration of the incredible original cover art, the compelling and heartbreaking liner notes written by author and respected soul music scholar Oliver Wang (O-Dub/Soul Sides) include her second interview in many decades, making these essential reissues for any soul, progressive punk, or funk-rock collection.


Light In The Attic Records P.O. Box 31970 Seattle, WA 98103 p (206) 706-6715 http://www.lightintheattic.net

23 February 2007

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Albums and Singles

This is a case where the cover definitely matches the book. Upon seeing Seldon Hunt's artwork for this release my first thought was "it looks like prog rock meets black metal." And while it doesn't quite sound like the paring of Rick Wakeman and Malefic, it does have that mix of lush symphonic electronics combined with metal riffing. The duo of Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff have created another successful release on the always excellent Archive label.