- Jon Whitney
- Albums and Singles
- Mark Robinson
- Albums and Singles
The first release onTricky's Durban Poison label, this album from English collective TheBaby Namboos expands the boundaries of trip-hop (a genre which hasbecome rather tired lately), presenting interesting pop songs, soulfulmelodies and just enough rap and reggae to keep you interested. Thisalbum actually suprised me with its quality, especially considering thepoor caliber of Tricky's last album. The actual music on Ancoats2zambiais actually more reminiscent of groups like Massive Attack (who've longbeen innovators in the trip-hop genre) than Tricky, although hisinfluence is evident. Comparisons aside, this album is pretty tight.Tracks like "Get Your Head Down", "Late Night Antics" and the titletrack are funky and have a slight reggae influence, whereas tracks like"Holy" and "Hard Times" are much more soulful. These more soulfultracks feature wonderful vocals by Auroraborealis, who sounds verysimilar to the various female singers Tricky (who does make a guestappearance on a few tracks) has used over the years. Her contributionprovides part of the same sort of juxtaposition between sung femalevocals and harsher raps that Tricky has thrived off of using for hisentire career. As a bonus, this disc includes two excellent remixes ofthe title track, one by Portishead's Geoff Barrow and the other byDillinja (whose origin I'm unsure about). Although this album is quitegood and an impressive debut, I wouldn't quite rank it up there withthe output of trip-hop innovators like Portishead and Massive Attack.samples:
- due soon
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- Marc Fallen
- Albums and Singles
Why review a Cure recordfor Brainwashed? Well, the powers that be have tried to make us believethat this latest record is a return to the good old days ofDisintegration or even Pornography, and I think a substantial part ofthe Brainwashed audience enjoyed moping to those records when they cameout about 10 and 20 years ago, respectively. However, don't letyourselves be fooled - it's nowhere close. Never believe marketingbabble, never listen to a man who still hasn't learned how to put onlipstick after 25 years of practice.Read More
- Mark Weddle
- Albums and Singles
Public Image Limited wasfounded in 1978 mere months after the chaotic demise of the SexPistols. John Lydon started anew with friends Keith Levene and JahWobble (arguably the finest PiL line-up ever) as a hybridpunk/improvisational/experimental/dub outfit owing as much or more toCan and Lee Perry than the Pistols or any of the UK punk rock of theprevious few years. They continually changed their sound, ideas, imageand purpose (not to mention band members, including: Martin Atkins,Steve Vai and John McGeoch) throughout the next 15 years successfullytouching on a diverse array of styles: unclassifiable, pop, dance andhard rock/metal, all graced with Lydon's caterwaul vocals. Much of thismusic sounds as fresh and original as it did then, decades after thefact. "Plastic Box" takes the 1990 "The Greatest Hits ... So Far" bestof/singles collection and expands upon it greatly with 64 tracks on 4packed cds that collect much of the output between 1978 and 1992,including several rarities. Discs 1 and 2 give you all of the debutalbum "Public Image/First Issue" (save for "Fodderstompf"), all of"Flowers of Romance", about 1/2 of "Metal Box/Second Edition" (PiL'sfinest moment!), 3 live BBC session tracks from 1979, a rarecompilation only track ("Pied Piper") and various 7" and 12" B-sides.Discs 3 and 4 give you all of "This is What You Want ... This is WhatYou Get", all of "Album/Compact Disc/Cassette" (save for "Bags"),various tracks from the less than stellar mid to late '80s pop/dancealbums, a soundtrack only song ("Criminal") and 4 more live BBC sessiontracks ("That What is Not" songs) from 1992. Thankfully, nothing isincluded from the mediocre "Paris Au Printemps" and "Live in Tokyo"albums. The real treat here is for the hard core PiL collectors likemyself: the BBC sessions and the B-sides which were previouslyunreleased and previously unavailable on cd, respectively. The BBCsessions aren't too terribly different from the album versions and abit sloppy in places but they're still worth owning and many of thesingle B-sides are the strangest, most experimental output ever fromPiL. "Plastic Box" is relatively cheap at ~$54 and is definitely bestfor completists. If you're new to PiL give the easy to find "TheGreatest Hits.." a try first. The packaging is really cool: a doublethick jewel case with 'plastic box' and PiL logos emblazoned on thefront and back (each of the cds has a brightly colored PiL logo aswell) in a plastic slip case cover. The 36 page booklet contains bandand memorabilia pics, liner notes by Lydon with brief comments on eachtrack and an interesting declaration at the end: "And by the way, thiscollection represents a comma not a full stop, I fully intend to carryon with P.I.L and there will be MORE IN THE FUTURE." Lydon is currentlyhost of "Rotten Radio" at eyada.com and "Rotten TV" on VH1 and has beenpromoting a few Sex Pistols documentary films ...samples:
- Don't Ask Me
- fff
- Flowers of Romance
- Love Hope (BBC Session version)
- Poptones (BBC Session version)
- Public Image
- This is Not a Love Song (12" remix)
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- Jason Hyde
- Albums and Singles
Through Piskidisk comesthis release from Rose MacDowell's Sorrow and various other relatedbands. The first two songs, from Sorrow, are very much in the vein oftheir pretty folk-influenced work, although with less of a pop (not aninsult) feel. A short folky instrumental followed by "The FinalSolstice," a more ambient, lovely piece with Rose's inimitable vocalsfloating over a lovely backdrop of keyboards, cello, and uiellaen (sp?)pipes. Very nice, but the next song, "Extracts from the Faery Queene,"features David Tibet's spoken vocals over minimal, creepy electronics,and it's absolutely brilliant. Judging by the title, I'd guess that thelyrics are adapted from the masque of the same name, but i'm notfamiliar with it, so i don't know for sure. Going from Strength toStrength, this is followed by Rosa Mundi's, "The Snowman," with JohnBalance doing the lead vocals and Rose providing ethereal backing. Thiscould easily be as wonderful as their version of "Christmas is DrawingNear." It makes me especially impatient for a full length Rosa Mundidisc. The Velocity Star (no details about this project) cover of "WarmLeatherette" is fun, yet nothing too spectacular, the instrumentationis very similar to TVOD's original version, with some noisier soundsadded. The final song, "Butterfly Hawk," by the equally mysteriousResonance, is superb as well, another beautiful piece very much alongthe lines of the Sorrow tracks. The only real complaint I have is thatit's a CDR instead of an actual CD. The cover art is nice, a simplewhite background with red paint thrown accross like blood and the titlein Rose's handwritten script. If you can still find this (as it'slimited to 500 copies), it's definitely worth picking up, especiallyfor Current 93 and Coil fans...samples:
- Sorrow - The Final Solstice
- Rosa Mundi - The Snow Man
- Velocity Star - Warm Leatherette
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- Jason Olariu
- Albums and Singles
San Diego's favorite sons offer up a marvelous return to form on theirlatest Ep. Forgoing the Saints/R&B-driven sound of their past twoalbums, "Cut And Play" is reminiscent of their awesome "Circa:Now!"style, all melodic rock noise. "If The Bird Could Fly", "Blood Robots",and "Hot Wired" all have that post-Husker Du sound of early RFTC, withthe guitars at 11 and the drums racing faster than a trucker on thehighway with a full bladder and thirty miles until the next rest stop."Waste It" pounds along at a steady pace, pretty much a generic RFTCtune, until the bridge, when all the instruments collide in a freejazz/improv beautiful noise pile-up. The last cut, "Who Let The SnakesIn??", features their trademark greaser punk-style horns, and could havebeen an outtake from "Scream, Dracula, Scream." Amazingly, these boysnever do less than thrill, even though their regular albums don't quitematch up in energy to their blazing vinyl output (kind of likeSquarepusher, right, Jon?).no comment - Jon
samples:
- see your mom at www.flappingjet.com
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- Mark Robinson
- Albums and Singles
Although I was only alivefor two years during the 70s, I can definitelyappreciate the annoyingness of overproduced 70s arena rock (mostlythrough the magic of those VH1 "Behind the Music" specials). This new3-song EP from Jello Biafra, Al Jourgensen & Co. aims to poke funat this very genre (well, at least the title track does). The 7-minute"70s Rock Must Die" contains just about every 70s rock cliche in thebook: the cheesy guitar riff, the cowbell, the tambourines, thefalsetto voice (which Biafra nails perfectly), the guitar-wanker solo,the chorus of "come on"s, the slow ballad-esque breakdown in the middleof the song, the kickin' drums, and just about everything else you everheard a million times in every Ted Nugent or Aerosmith song. The twoother tracks on the EP "Volcanus 2000 (We Wipe the World)" and "Balladof Marshall Ledbetter" are somewhat generic Lard songs, similar to thematerial on their last album, "Pure Chewing Satisfaction". They seemtacked on and unrelated to the whole 70s rock theme, but aren'tnecissarily bad either. If you're a fan of Lard (or loathe 70s rock),then this EP is definitely worth picking up for the title track alone(and for the excellent liner notes which, as usual, contain tons ofhumorous newspaper clippings and headlines).samples:
- see the Alternative Tentacles Website
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- Mark Weddle
- Albums and Singles
"Esperanza" is his 9th and most recent soloalbum, originally released in 1996. The entire back catalog of soloalbums were digitally re-mastered and re-released at domestic prices in1999 by Germany's Random Records, each with bonus tracks and newbooklets (in German). Rother's solo music is mellow, light and airywith a flair for new age synth pads, samples and piano. Every track isinstrumental and relatively simple, most with a subtle beat pattern.It's much closer to "Hearts of Space" than Kraftwerk or Neu! really.Rother has gradually shifted from guitar to electronic basedcompositions over the past 20 years and now seems to favor shortertracks, most clocking in at under 4 minutes. If there is any guitar onthis album I can't detect it. "Esperanza" is pleasant start to finishbut there's 8 or so of the 17 tracks in particular that stand-out dueto their beautiful melodies. I don't enjoy any of Rother's solo work asmuch as that of Kraftwerk or Neu! but this music does fill a niche forsomething soft and chilled out for bedtime or background listening. Iown most of the re-mastered back catalog now and have been listening toit frequently. Also, the "Chronicles I" compilation on Cleopatra is agood overview of Rother's solo career. Rother is currently on tour withDieter Moebius (of Cluster) and Dead Voices On Air in Europe and hisnew solo album is due very soon via Random ...samples:
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- Mark Weddle
- Albums and Singles
The Man in Black ... backwhen he was a real bad ass. "At Folsom Prison" was recorded on January13, 1968 and originally released later that year, then again on CD in1996 coupled with the '69 "San Quentin" live album. A quick, possiblylittle known fact: Cash was so big by the fall of '69 those two albumswere outselling the Beatles at around 250,000 copies per month. Thisre-release gives "Folsom" the royal treatment it deserves: 20-bitdigitally remastering, restored and uncensored original song order with3 previously unreleased bonus tracks and a nice new booklet. Cash isbacked here by the Tennessee Three (including Carl "Blue Suede Shoes"Perkins), the Statler Brothers and wife June Carter on a few numbers.The sound is the classic Cash two-beat in varying tempos and moods witha few by Cash solo. It's not really country music persay but more ablend of American roots, folk and gospel musics. And of course there'sthe one and only haunting baritone that deeply resonates throughout thehall. The 19 song set list is custom made for the captive (haha)audience of 2000 with serious and humorous songs filled with tales ofprison, drugs, crime, murder, death, mother, love, hope andspirituality. There is an amazing tension in the air but Cash distillsit with his songs and talk in-between and during songs. The prisonersloved it and so do I. The 24 page booklet is nicely done with the original "Folsom PrisonBlues" letter by Cash, brief liner notes by Cash and Steve Earle andnumerous photos from throughout the day of the show. What's reallyinteresting for me is listening to this album and looking at thepictures to get a small sense of what it was like to be there. Ifyou've never given this sort of music a real try, "At Folsom Prison" isone of the best possible places to start. Cash is currently workingwith Rick Rubin on his 4th album for American Records due out laterthis spring ...
samples:
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- Mark Robinson
- Albums and Singles
Anyway, this definitelyisn't your typical mainstream hip-hop album, despite the fact that it'sbeen getting play on lots of mainstream hip-hop stations. Not only canMos Def throw together some great rhymes, but he seems genuinelyinterested in creating putting together actual songs with some degreeof structure and progression. This is definitely a welcome change frommost other hip-hop artists today, who seem satisfied putting out tracksthat are really just 4 minutes of rhyming over the same repeating beat.The whole album is pretty damn good, but a few tracks in particularstick out. "Ms. Fat Booty" (yeah, I know, lame title), the first singlefrom the album, mixes some traditional hip-hop beats and rhymes withsamples of what sounds like an old, soulful female jazz singer. "Rock NRoll", my favorite song on the disc, starts out as a rant about howwhite artists have been stealing and profiting from black music foryears (remember the article in last week's Brain? It's along thoselines). The music starts out fairly laid back and funky and then all ofthe sudden turns into a straight-out guitar-driven rock song. Prettycool. The album closes with the funky instrumental "May-December",which features a nice keyboard melody played over some deep synthsounds, a vibraphone and funky bass line (the latter two of which wereplayed my Mos Def himself). In this album, Mos Def comes across as oneof those artists who's truly mastered their genre and is able tosimultaneously able to appeal to both mainstream fans and pickybastards like myself.samples:
- check back soon
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- Jason Hyde
- Albums and Singles
I loved the purityand simplistic beauty of Soft Black Stars, but those who didn't enjoythe last album will be pleased to know that this EP is nothing at alllike it, or really like much Tibet has done before. It's a 22-minuteexperimental electronic piece with lots of nice drones, disembodiedcut-up voices, occasional blips, and Tibet's surprisingly restrained,almost monotone delivery. The text by Ligotti is both creepy and cleverwith lots on nice wordplay and repetition. Tibet's voice seems to becoming from a tape recorder, and before each segment of his deliveryyou hear a clicking sound that I'm presuming is the sound of the tapebeing started. Some segments have the sound of the tape machinesqueaking as well. Overall, it sounds pleasantly primitive and vaguelyreminiscent of early electronic compositions from the 1950s. The endhas Tibet's electronically altered voice repeating twice. It's areprise of the first segment of the text, "when everybody you love isfinally gone,..." The artwork, a very colourful David Tibet painting ofsome sort of tentacled creature with a black section featuring thetitle in white over and over and over, is also wonderful... Highlyrecommended.samples:
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