I listened to enough Frank Zappa and "experimental" music in the past to know that I typically hate bands that just talk or moan over their music. Even Captain Beefheart bugs me on that level, sometimes. Excepter, however, prove to be an exception to that rule. Paired down to a four piece, the group's sensitivity towards atmosphere and rhythmic dynamism prove to be more than winning qualities on Sunbomber and it was all recorded in just one hour.
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This compilation is a showcase of contemporary French rock and roll. My first impression from it is that France has just discovered an up and coming band called The Stooges. All the bands featured play dirty, fuzzy garage rock to varying degrees of quality. The Kaiser Fucks the New French Rock demonstrates two things: the French are capable of rocking out and any band can play this style of music but only a few truly rock.
Contrary to what the title suggests, Jel's first solo full-length isn'tan overt political message (of any stripe), set to SP-1200instrumentation. While Soft Money isn't socially ignorant—it hits on anti-commercialism as well as theever-relevant war on terror—the Oakland-based producer instead letswhat he can do with the sampler take the stage. For most, it's a savvymove—there's plenty to occupy the right ears. But be warned: in thewrong hands Soft Money will be a snoozer.
Last year Richard James released eleven EPs over the course of a few months. The Analordseries was gimmicky marketing at its best. It looked like James wasspreading himself too thin, quantity over quality. This CD is acompilation of what James sees as the best cuts from the series. It’snot that inspiring and marks a step backwards for James.
There are no surprises here, but I don't suppose thelisteners of Growing are necessarily at the gates demanding precisely whatit is that the band's name teasingly implies: growth. This album could be The Sky's Run Into the Sea; it could be The Soul of the Rainbow andthe Harmony of Light. Up to this point, the realm of Elysian drones hasbeen well-trodden by this duo, but it doesn't hurt to retread some sweet-smelling fields or even lie down in the grass for a while.
If reckless enthusiasm and unabashed idealism in DIY ethics were a
college course, than the Mae-Shi would be its happy-go-lucky T.A. to
Fugazi’s stern, taskmaster professor. In a little over three years, the
L.A. quintet have put others to shame with their breathless recording
and touring schedule. And while it seems the band is laying low
following a second national tour and the release of the Heartbeeps EP
this past summer, the band has done their fan base a favor by releasing
another chunk of their spazzy, synapse addled spazz-pop, this time in
the form of a full DVD.
This Italian duo has recorded a good debut album but have cursed it with a terrible name. Judah are industrial journeymen, they aren’t setting the world on fire but at least they’re getting the job of writing enjoyable music done.
As Wolf Eyes continue to swing between incredible ‘weird shit’ andtypical ‘black tar noise’ releases, their presently MIA member AaronDilloway is eclipsing his sometime cohorts. Under this new strictlycassette pseudonym, and many other aliases, he has been honing hisprevious abattoir dregs noise bursts.
It's strange that near-legendary techno producer and Pure Plasticfounder Mark Broom feels the need to put out records on BPitch Control, a labelwhose buzzword, bandwagon status seems to have peaked in recent years. Explanation could be that the A-side of From London With Love is actually aremix of an out-of-print 7” track of Broom’s from last year on the UnxploredBeats label.
Emo vocals are to music as venereal diseases are to sex. St. Louis natives Derek Dobson and Josh Nissenboim might have had something going for them when they began recording this album, but their decision to include vocals can only be considered a lesson in how to spoil an already stumbling and poorly produced release.
