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Even if you're into Red HousePainters, Low, Will Oldham or the Innocence Mission, you're not goingto get much out of the album if you dislike John Denver's songs. WhileI do like these bands and these songs are very good, there's not muchaction going on here. I somewhat feel let down as there were morethings these artists could have done to the songs. Perhaps it's just awee bit light for me. But don't take my word for it entirely,please....samples:
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For this album, Tietchenshas been picked up by Ritornell - Mille Plateaux's 'minimal' label.Unlike the drones of modern minimalists, he draws on various differentgenres and influences from classical to process music of some of themid 20th Century electronic composers. Tietchens achieves somethingrare in modern minimalists - a balance between high and low end sounds,where everything has its intentional place - nothing sounds random orhaphazardly assigned. Every sound develops and becomes solid in thelistener's mind. While there is a clear flow to the music, it simplydoesn't go in one ear and out the other. Listen to the sounds below butkeep in mind the crummy computer speakers combined with MP3 compressionwill not give you the rich listening experience and depth yourentertainment room or even a great pair of headphones could.samples:
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Peace Orchestra is essentially Pete Kruder (ofKruder & Dorfmeister fame) and this full-lengther is a serene dublounge journey. With organic drums, bass guitar and lightly treatedorgan sounds, the illusion of a full band on groove mode is well-kept.Droning "ambient" noises and sound effects coupled with the emotionalbasslines could easily make this disc a strong contender for some Lynchfilmwork. Shuffling rhythms combined with spacey keyboards on othertracks would be much appreciated by any Laika or Orb fan. Without askip of a heartbeat, each song flows into each other without steppingon themselves or fading into the distance. (I sincerely hate songswhich end prematurely or get drowned out by a new song fading up.) Myrecommendation: get this disc before your next low-key small gatheringwhere everybody sits in the livingroom after dinner, playing games,talking and ingesting their favorite chemicals or minerals. As an addedbonus the CD comes with a bandage stuck to the front - behind thebandage on the booklet is a small cut!samples:
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Jello has helped expose the evils ofcorporations and government for over 20 years through spoken word andmusic. This past December, Biafra and makeshift band Krist Novoselic(Nirvana, Sweet 75), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) and Gina Mainwal (Sweet75) performed live, amidst a sea of cops and tear gas, for some of the40-18,000 protesters at the "Battle in Seattle". The introductory trackis a fifteen minute spoken ramble by Biafra explaining the importanceand details of the protest and various other related tangents. Of the 4songs, 2 are new and 2 are old. The band, who were raised on old schoolpunk, do justice to the Dead Kennedy's classic "Let's Lynch theLandlord" and the 16+ minute Biafra/D.O.A. epic "Full Metal Jackoff".The new songs "New Feudalism" and "Electronic Plantation" are fast punkrock anthems that lyrically attack the WTO and big business practices.The 26 page booklet contains all the lyrics (some updated for the year2000), liner notes of the happenings by Biafra and Novoselic,information on the WTO courtesy of the Institute for ConsumerResponsibility and photos of the band and protesters in action. It's ashame there isn't any multimedia footage of the band and/or protest onthe cd itself. The NO WTO Combo helped make a little bit of history, instyle, and this cd does a great job of documenting it and informing thepublic (myself included) beyond the agendas of the mainstream media ...samples:
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Most of the 7 or so membersappear identical, dressed in black with shaved heads and blue headpaint. For those not fortumate to see them in NY, Boston, Chicago orLas Vegas, you might recognize them from one of their numerousappearances on the Tonight Show. "Audio" is their debut cd with nearlyan hour of 5.1 surround sound mixed, instrumental future 'tribal-rock'music featuring their own instrument inventions (which are pictured anddescribed in the insert). Percussion is the driving force on mosttracks as the group utilizes a wall of drummers with traditional setsas well as their own PVC tubing and metal instruments, plus 'airpoles', Chapman Stick and various guitars. The tracks range from 2 to 8minutes and are often dramatic and cinematic with alternating mellowand busy sections. Unfortunately, there's nothing too terriblyspectacular about the music itself. There are plenty of great soundswithin the tracks but the group chooses to keep them within astructured and often unimaginative rock song context rather than fullyexploring a more experimental path. The guitar in particular detractsfrom the unique and wonderful PVC tube thumpings, air pole whooshes anddulcimer strikes. And even the rhythms get tiresome by the end due to alack of variety. While the music of The Blue Man Group certainly isn'tbad, it's too conventional and a huge waste of potential. It'sultimately much more interesting to watch and listen to the Blue ManGroup than it is to just listen to them. I suggest they put out a liveperformance DVD next time rather than another audio cd ...samples:
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It's nice to see that inKid's ripe old age of 20 he has no plans of slowing down. This is thefirst full-lengther from electronica's most obnoxious little brother tosurface this year (there are now rumors floating around about a fulllengther from Warp and one for Mute in the upcoming months). "Down withthe Scene" has been released through Mike Patton's new Ipecac label andit is not a light effort. The 18 second opener, "Chart Topping RadioHit" is just an indication of some of the surprises about to come, youplop the CD in, turn it up and the shock of the blast can easily wreckyour speakers. What follows is nearly an hour's worth of mayhem andsample madness, drum and bass nightmare, kitch and creativity, soul andsin, ending up with the classic crowd pleaser, Hrvatski's remix of "MyKitten" (which appeared on 606 and Friends Vol. 1 earlier this year).samples:
- Luke Vibert Can Kiss My Indie-Punk Whiteboy Ass
- Juvenile Hall Roll Call
- Catstep/My Kitten/Catnap Vatstep - Hrvatski remix
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Discovered at a South By Southwest shmooze fest, they have released their debut in the UK on Bella to a warm response in the UK. While I've got mixed feelings about SXSW, I don't have any about this CD. It's sweet and endearing, a pop record which will have a tough time cracking any pop charts over here due to its almost naked no-frills production and honesty. Vocal melodies, appropriate harmonies and a rich sound are created by this basic group of guitars, bass and organic drums. Vibes play on various tracks that are well-equipped for serene college radio programs. The more I listen to this disc, I hear influences of (excuse the music critic cliches) Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, but through the eyes of kids raised in good Southern homes. Folks who like a little twang accompanying their Low, or finde the idea of John Denver crossed with Stephin Merritt appealing would probably find something enjoyable in the Czars.samples:
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Perhaps it's because I saw Zipperspy playing with him, twiddling knobs on the most recent Boston show, perhaps his hearing impairment has forced him to use different sounds and techniques. Regardless, it's a fine offering, hypnotic and enjoyable, blonky and blippy in parts, with more high pitches and stabs than clumsy warbling bass frequencies. This results in the bulk of the album having a generally quirky and happy feel. Music to smile along with is nice. The album is almost entirely electronic with very little usage of samples that remain close to their original sound. The only slight hints of unoriginality come in on the album's closer, a cover of the Tammy Wynette tune, "Stand By Your Man," and I only say this because it's a cover tune. Dave Wright's choices on the tune were quite original and entertaining. Don't let the Invisible Records stigma hold you back, Wright's a true American electronic gem.samples:
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"Bad Times" is a groovalicious spacey jam with Margaret talking all about the dangers of what the Bad Times virus will do to you. It's entertaining and the music is produced with that signature Laika rhythmic feel. Laika don't wander too far from what they do but they do it well enough that you can trust every release from them (until you get bored of the sound of course!) The other two tracks are perfect examples. "He Knows" and "Longwave" might have been left off the album but in no way are they inferior tunes. Much like the first single, "Uneasy," the cover's a semi-reflective job so this accompanying scan doesn't do it much justice. A full review of "Good Looking Blues" will be posted here sooner to the US release date. For now, enjoy the singles while you can still get them.samples:
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Arovane, aka 35-year-old German Uwe Zahn, has in the past few years produced a split 7", several 12"s, an EP, remix work (Various Artists "8,8.5,9 remixes" - Arovane's 'amx' is one of my personal favorites) and now, two full length albums: the debut "Atol Scrap" on Din and "Tides" on the new City Centre Offices label.
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"Atol Scrap" is 64 + minutes of blissful electronic ebb and flow that finds a balance somewhere between the mellow IDM of the early '90s (think Aphex Twin "Selected Ambient Works 85-92"), the quirky rhythms of more recent IDM (think Autechre) and the repetition and attention to detail of the Chain Reaction minimalists. The key to most every track is dreamy synth pad and bass melodies, accentuated by mostly gentle, abstract rhythmic sounds and fuzzy atmospheres. The mid to latter section of the album has a few tracks where the percussion is much more pronounced and abrasive, which is somewhat of a disappointment as the melodies are no longer the obvious focal point. But, he's rather good at that style of track too and it helps create a good variety throughout the album.
With only 1 album under his belt, Zahn has apparently already decided to change direction. "Tides" is 40 minutes in length and although it's recognizable as Zahn's work it's also very different from "Atol Scrap". As the title suggests, the album is inspired by visits to the sea and the memories of waves wash ashore in several tracks. Here Zahn utilizes some slow motion hip hop styled beats for his cloudy/fluid melodies and atmospheres, adding various samples (water, bits of voice, chirping crickets, sea gulls, bell tones, etc.) and clean electric guitar played by fellow Berliner Christian Kleine on 4 of the 9 tracks. The 3 and 1/2 minute guitar and wash loop that is "Seaside" captures the entire feel of this album and just might receive my 'most beautiful track of the year' award. All of Zahn's music is a bit sullen and relaxing in a subtle and beautiful way, no matter how he produces it. It's hard to believe that these are his first 2 albums as they are quite impressive. He's another electronic artist to definitely keep track of in the years to come ...samples:
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