2003 Readers Poll - The Results

Administrator
Albums and Singles

Album of the Year

  1. Mogwai, 'Happy Songs For Happy People'
  2. Matmos, 'The Civil War'
  3. Angels Of Light, 'Everything Is Good Here/Please Come Home'
  4. Cat Power, 'You Are Free'
  5. Do Make Say Think, 'Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn'
  6. Manitoba, 'Up In Flames'
  7. The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band With Choir, 'This Is Our Punk-Rock, Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing'
  8. Broadcast, 'Haha Sound'
  9. Autechre, 'Draft 7.30'
  10. Radiohead, 'Hail To The Thief'
  11. Prefuse 73, 'One Word Extinguisher'
  12. Explosions In The Sky, 'The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place'
  13. Four Tet, 'Rounds'
  14. Lightning Bolt, 'Wonderful Rainbow'
  15. Outkast, 'Speakerbox/Love Below'
  16. M83, 'Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts'
  17. Devandra Banhart, 'Oh Me Oh My'
  18. Supersilent, 'Supersilent 6'
  19. Soft Pink Truth, 'Do You Party?'
  20. Bardo Pond, 'On The Ellipse'
  21. Fennesz, 'Live In Japan'
  22. Thighpaulsandra, 'Double Vulgar'
  23. The Postal Service, 'Give Up'
  24. Nurse With Wound, 'She And Me Fall Together In Free Death'
  25. Massive Attack, '100th Window'
  26. Killing Joke, 'Killing Joke'
  27. The Books, 'The Lemon Of Pink'
  28. The Rapture, 'Echoes'
  29. David Sylvian, 'Blemish'
  30. Matt Elliott, 'The Mess We Made'

STAFF PICK: Manitoba, 'Up in Flames'

[comment: Jon, I'll give you one crisp dollar to make Whitehouse #1 - Gary Suarez

Cat Power: Fourth best album, and number one worst concert experience of my life. - Jonathan Dean]

single of the year

  1. !!!, 'Me and Guiliani Down by the Schoolyard'
  2. Outkast, 'Hey Ya'
  3. Coil, 'The Restitution of Decayed Intelligence'
  4. Sigur Ros, 'Untitled #1'
  5. Low, 'Murderer'
  6. Broadcast, 'Pendulum'
  7. TV On the Radio, 'Young Liars'
  8. Yo La Tengo, 'Today is the Day'
  9. Current 93, 'Hypnagogue'
  10. Venetian Snares, 'Find Candace'
  11. Stereolab, 'Instant O in the Universe'
  12. The Postal Service, 'Such Great Heights'
  13. Flaming Lips, 'Fight Test'
  14. Iron and Wine, 'The Sea & the Rhythm'
  15. LFO, 'Freak'
  16. Prefuse 73, 'Extinguished: Outtakes'
  17. Black Dice, 'Cone Toaster'
  18. The White Stripes, 'Seven Nation Army'
  19. Arab Strap, 'Shy Retirer'
  20. Kid 606, 'The Illness'
  21. Current 93/Antony, 'Live at St Olave's Church, London 2002'
  22. The Hafler Trio, 'A Small Child Dreams of Voiding the Plague'
  23. Xiu Xiu / Jim Yoshii Pile-Up, 'Insound Tour Support EP'
  24. Lali Puna, 'Left Handed'
  25. Chris Clark, 'Ceramics Is the Bomb'
  26. DJ Shadow, 'gdmfsob'
  27. Boom Bip, 'From Left to Right'
  28. Manual, 'Isares'
  29. The Sea and Cake, 'Glass'
  30. Asa Chang and Junray, 'Tse Gi Ne Pu'

STAFF PICK: Sigur Ros, 'Untitled #1'

[comment: I find it pretty damn funny that a limited edition Coil 10"" of which only 500 were made available to the public would make it into the top 3 in this category. How can this be? Either (A) everyone who bought this voted for it, (B) lots of people downloaded it off SoulSeek, or (C) we've got a lot of bullshitters here. - Gary Suarez]

compilation (single artist)

  1. Wire, 'Send'
  2. Stereolab, 'ABC Music'
  3. Spiritualized, 'Complete Works vol. 1'
  4. Mouse On Mars, 'Rost Pocks'
  5. Acid Mothers Temple, 'Magical Power from Mars'
  6. Cabaret Voltaire, 'The Original Sound of Sheffield '77 '82'
  7. Plaid, 'Parts in the Post'
  8. Guided by Voices, 'Human Amusements at Hourly Rates'
  9. Hood, 'Singles Compiled'
  10. Ride, 'Waves'
  11. The Clash, 'essential clash'
  12. Skinny Puppy, 'Back & Forth vol. 6'
  13. Hood, 'Compilations'
  14. Laika, 'Lost In Space'
  15. William Basinski, 'Melancholia'
  16. The Clean, 'Anthology'
  17. Dresden Dolls, 'A is for Accident'
  18. Rhythm & Sound, 'w/ the artists'
  19. The Fall, 'The War Against Intelligence - The Fontana Years '
  20. Kevin Blechdom, 'Bitches Without Britches'

STAFF PICK: Cabaret Voltaire, 'The Original Sound of Sheffield '77 '82'

[comment: Skinny Puppy need to quit releasing overpriced archival jam sessions and record a new album. Put up or shut up. - Matthew Jeanes]

compilation (various artists)

  1. 26 Mixes for Cash
  2. An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music Vol.2 (1936-2003)
  3. Rough Trade Post Punk
  4. 20 years of Dischord
  5. Lost in Translation soundtrack
  6. DFA Volume 1
  7. New York No Wave
  8. Total 5
  9. The Wire Tapper Volume 10
  10. New York Noise
  11. Wanna Buy A Craprak?
  12. Branches and Routes - a FatCat Records compilation
  13. It's Fan-Dabi-Dozi
  14. Mutant Disco
  15. Ladytron's Softcore Jukebox
  16. 555 records compilation of 55 artists
  17. Open Up And Say !&@*$
  18. Sonig.ilation
  19. The Neptunes present Clones
  20. 2 CD's & MP3's

STAFF PICK: Lost in Translation soundtrack

[comment: Lost in Translation was only remarkable as the return of Kevin Shields, and that's more than enough. - Rob Devlin

Considering the film was little more than an opportunity to put Tokyo skycam shots in front of shoegaze, I guess this makes sense. - Andrew Culler]

boxed set

  1. Coil live
  2. Miles Davis: Complete Jack Johnson Sessions
  3. Wire 20th Anniversary Boxed Set
  4. Nurse With Wound, 'Soliloquy for Lilith'
  5. Johnny Cash 'Unearthed'
  6. Talking Heads, 'Once in a Lifetime'
  7. New Order - Retro
  8. Cabaret Voltaire, 'Methodology'
  9. Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs
  10. Merzbow: Timehunter (4 x 3CD)'
  11. Rhys Chatham - An Angel Moves Too Fast To See
  12. Duran Duran singles 1981-1985
  13. Buzzcocks, 'Inventory'
  14. Ennio Morricone, 'Io'
  15. Tangerine Dream, 'The Bootleg Box Set 1'
  16. James Chance - Irresistable Impulse
  17. Bright Eyes, 'Vinyl Box'
  18. Trojan 35th Anniversary Box Set 68-03
  19. Motörhead, 'Stone Deaf Forever'
  20. Hawkwind, 'Epoch'

STAFF PICK: Nurse With Wound, 'Soliloquy for Lilith'

[comment: At +$200 something tells me a ton of people voted for this who didn't actually have it. - Jon Whitney]

record cover

  1. Venetian Snares - Find Candace
  2. Angels Of Light - Everything Is Good Here
  3. Cex, 'Being Ridden'
  4. Lightning Bolt, 'Wonderful Rainbow'
  5. Autechre: Draft 7.30
  6. Set Fire To Flames, Telegraphs In Negative / Mouths Trapped In Static
  7. Microphones: Mt. Eerie
  8. Sigur Ros - Song #1
  9. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas, And Lost Ghosts
  10. Matmos - Civil War
  11. Xiu Xiu - A Promise
  12. Nurse With Wound - She And Me Fall Together In Free Death
  13. Peaches - Fatherfucker
  14. Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
  15. Mogwai, 'Happy Songs For Happy People'
  16. Current 93 - Hypnagogue
  17. Dresden Dolls - Dresden Dolls
  18. Four Tet, 'Rounds'
  19. Acid Mothers Temple: Magical Power From Mars
  20. Plaid - Spokes
  21. Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party?
  22. Thighpaulsandra - Double Vulgar
  23. Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
  24. Mirror Eye Of The Storm
  25. Nurse With Wound - Solliloquy For Lilith
  26. Pulseprogramming 'Tulsa For One Second'
  27. Songs:Ohia 'Electric Magnolia Co.'
  28. Sun City Girls - God Is My Solar System / Superpower
  29. Aereogramme - Sleep And Release
  30. Manitoba - Up In Flames

STAFF PICK: Venetian Snares - Find Candace

[comment: Trevor Brown's mysogynistic, quasi-kiddie porn cover art seems to be a perennial favorite, and Xiu Xiu's seedy, disturbing low-rent porno photo cover exhibiting a naked Thai youth is not far behind. Thighpaulsandra's ""Double Vulgar"", which contained images of male nudity and necrophilia fantasy, also made the list. It seems that the Brain readership includes its fair share of twisted perverts. - Jonathan Dean]

remix/reissue

  1. Mouse on Mars, 'Glam'
  2. Pavement - Slanted + Enchanted
  3. Television - Marquee Moon
  4. Swans - Children Of God / World Of Skin
  5. Current 93, 'Thunder Perfect Mind'
  6. Nurse with Wound, 'Salt Marie Celeste'
  7. Animal Collective 'Spirit They're Gone Spirit They've Vanished/Danse Manatee'
  8. Swans - Forever Burned (Burning World)
  9. 23 Skidoo - The Culling is Coming
  10. Can, 'Out of Reach'
  11. Neil Young - On the Beach
  12. Meat Beat Manifesto, 'STSRMX'
  13. Charalambides - Unknown Spin
  14. The Stooges 'The Stooges' & 'Funhouse' (vinyl)
  15. Mirror, 'Eye of the Storm'

STAFF PICK: 23 Skidoo - The Culling is Coming

[comment: Yes, but have you actually heard 'Out of Reach'? - Jon Whitney]

biggest disappointment

  1. Autechre: Draft 7.30
  2. Kraftwerk, 'Tour de France Soundtracks'
  3. Radiohead 'Hail To The Thief'
  4. Zwan, 'Mary Star of the Sea'
  5. Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
  6. Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
  7. Coil, 'The Restitution of Decayed Intelligence'
  8. Chicks on Speed '99¢'
  9. Erlend √òye, 'Unrest'
  10. Tricky, 'Vulnerable'

STAFF PICK: Liz Phair, 'Liz Phair'

[comment: Hot Hey, Liz's kid's gotta eat. If you didn't catch yourself in the shower mumbling along with that corporate, focus-group manicured chorus then I call you a dirty liar. Take 'em for all their worth, Liz, and consider it back pay for Exile. - Michael Patrick Brady]

fave new act of the year

  1. The Dresden Dolls
  2. Colder
  3. TV on the Radio
  4. The Soft Pink Truth
  5. The Postal Service
  6. Monopot
  7. Exploding Hearts
  8. Growing
  9. Devandra Banhart
  10. Asa Chang and Junray

STAFF PICK: The Dresden Dolls

[comment: The Dresden Dolls' are an achievement in concept and vision, well crafted and designed to impress with their heavy presence both live and on stage. TV on the Radio's brilliant mash up of gritty art squalls and soaring, soul-spiked vocals were immediate and stunning. Of course, I have a soft spot for Exploding Hearts who were just having so much damn fun and left us with a crisp revival of powerful pop. Soft Pink Truth... I mean, I could go on and on but I'll end by saying that the bite sample in 'Promofunk' had me grinning for days. - Michael Patrick Brady]

fave live band/event

  1. Coil
  2. Acid Mothers Temple
  3. Out Hud/!!!
  4. Mogwai
  5. The Ex
  6. Black Dice
  7. Explosions in the Sky
  8. Do Make Say Think
  9. Wire
  10. Broadcast

STAFF PICK: Out Hud/!!!

[comment: Amazing that Coil won this category, even though the (debatably) complete lineup only performed ONCE the entire year. I can't imagine that the scaled-back Sleazy and Thighpaulsandra line-up was better than Wire, Black Dice or Out Hud/!!!. - Jonathan Dean]

most overrated

  1. Dresden Dolls
  2. 50 Cent
  3. Coil
  4. Outkast
  5. Peaches
  6. Radiohead
  7. Goldfrapp
  8. Animal Collective
  9. Coldplay
  10. Sigur Ros
  11. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  12. Four Tet
  13. The Postal Service
  14. The Rapture
  15. Belle and Sebastian
  16. Fennesz
  17. Eminem
  18. The White Stripes
  19. autechre
  20. Black rebel Motorcycle Club

STAFF PICK: 50 Cent

[comment: Best New Band -and- Most Overrated. Looks like 2004 will be a big year for Dresden Dolls. Check your TRL listings. - Jon Whitney]

producer/engineer

  1. Steve Albini (Nina Nastasia, Songs: Ohia, Sonna, Scout Niblett, Frames, Disrhythmia)
  2. DFA (The Juan MacLean, Black Dice, LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Radio 4)
  3. Jim O'Rourke (Loose Fur, Mirror, Alan Licht)
  4. Colin Potter (Nurse With Wound, Ora)
  5. El-P (Aesop Rock, Majesticons, Murs)
  6. Timbaland (Bubba Sparxxx, Missy Elliott, Magoo)
  7. The Neptunes (Busta Rhymes, Juntin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Pharrell, Sean Paul)
  8. John McEntire (The Sea and Cake, Brokeback, Neil Haggerty, The Pastels)
  9. Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Delgados, Longwave)
  10. Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene)
  11. Micheal Gira (Larsen)
  12. RJD2 (Aceyalone, Cage, Massive Attack)
  13. alan sparhawk (rivulets, pale horse and rider)
  14. Bill Laswell (Lori Carson, Fred Frith, Pharaoh Sanders, Sly & Robbie)
  15. Scott Heren (Erlend √òye, Via Tania, Prefuse 73)
  16. Adam Kasper (Cat Power, Pearl Jam)
  17. MF Doom (king geedorah, mf doom instrumentals vol 3/4)
  18. Andrew Weatherall (Beth Orton, Radioactive Man, Primal Scream)
  19. Dan The Automator (Cheap Trick, Kid Koala, Blue Man Group)
  20. John Zorn (Sachi Hayasaka)

STAFF PICK: DFA (The Juan MacLean, Black Dice, LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Radio 4)

[comment: If the Britney/DFA collab wasn't left off 'In the Zone,' they would have edged Albini. - Michael Patrick Brady]

record label

  1. Kranky
  2. Warp
  3. Constellation
  4. Fat Cat
  5. Morr Music
  6. Alien8
  7. DFA
  8. Anticon
  9. Beta-lactam Ring Records
  10. Ipecac
  11. K
  12. United Dairies
  13. Tigerbeat6
  14. Young God
  15. Domino
  16. Matador
  17. Mego
  18. Sup Pop
  19. Secretly Canadian
  20. Drag City

STAFF PICK: Tigerbeat6

[comment: Kranky? I love Kranky, and I'm not going to go as far as insulting the general readership's intelligence, but I don't think people are paying attention. Note that not one Kranky release placed in the top 30 this year! People who claim to like them would probably enjoy the couple releases put out recently. Do people actually read these reviews? - Jon Whitney

Warp at #2? OK, now I know that NONE of you are paying attention to my reviews. Sheesh. Go back to your record collections and pull out the oldest Warp release you own and tell me honestly that anything that came from that label in 2003 came close to that excellence. Go on. I double fucking dog dare you. - Gary Suarez

Other than the !!! 12"", Warp had one of their weakest years yet. Req? Chris Clark? Plaid remixes? Does that spell ""best"" to you? - Jonathan Dean

It's settled then, people won't be able to vote for this category next year and the winner will be awarded by scoring points in the poll with their actual releases. - Jon Whitney]

music video (short)

  1. Johnny Cash, 'Hurt'
  2. Outkast, 'Hey Ya!'
  3. Radiohead, 'There There'
  4. Sigur Ros, 'Untitled #1'
  5. Mogwai, 'Hunted By a Freak'
  6. Missy Elliott, 'Pass That Dutch'
  7. Matmos, 'Stars and Stripes Forever'
  8. queens of the stone age, 'go with the flow'
  9. White Stripes, 'Seven Nation Army '
  10. Four Tet, 'She Moves She'
  11. LFO, 'Freak'
  12. the white stripes, 'the hardest button to button'
  13. cat power 'he war'
  14. Keith Fullerton Whitman, 'Modena'
  15. The Soft Pink Truth, 'Promofunk'
  16. broken social scene, 'stars and sons'
  17. Kid 606, 'The Illness'
  18. Junior Senior, 'Move Your Feet'
  19. Laibach, 'Tanz mit Laibach'
  20. Manitoba, 'Jacknuggeted'

STAFF PICK: Sigur Ros, 'Untitled #1'

[comment: As much as I loved the Sigur Ros 'Untitled #1' video, nothing this year beat the poignant look back at Johnny Cash's life and infamy that was the 'Hurt' video. That was the sort of piece that could only exist and have the impact it did because of the length and depth of Cash's career. It seems impossible to think that there are any artists working now that will accomplish so much over such a long period of time again to warrant a similar tribute. - Matthew Jeanes]

lifetime achievement award
Wire

[comment: Bravery, integrity, absolute courage and energy, and more ideas and concepts than 15 rock bands have in their lucid wet dreams. - Rob Devlin

Seeing them in NYC this year, the vibrant boys and girls in the mosh pit right up front were probably not even wiping their own ass when Wire split up a SECOND time. This says a lot about Wire's power and the power of incredible music that's not made by pretty young people who are marketed to youth weaned from Barney and Power Rangers and mall rock. - Jon Whitney

Wire is still managing to be relevant and influentual, making strides in their sound and execution and proving that great bands never die. A wonderful precendent that has inspired other brilliant bands like Mission of Burma to give it another go. From then to now, a solid body of work. - Michael Patrick Brady

Who's Wire? - Gary Suarez]


 tv show

  1. The Simpsons
  2. The Daily Show
  3. South Park
  4. Six Feet Under
  5. The Sopranos
  6. Aqua Teen Hunger Force
  7. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
  8. Curb Your Enthusiasm
  9. Late Night with Conan O' Brian
  10. CSI
  11. The Office
  12. 24
  13. That 70s Show
  14. Sealab 2021
  15. Scrubs

STAFF PICK: The Daily Show

[comment: Wanda finds a turd in the back seat. It doesn't get much better than that. - Jon Whitney]

DVD release

  1. 24 Hour Party People
  2. The Work of Director Chris Cunningham
  3. Bowling for Columbine
  4. Sigur Ros, 'Untitled #1'
  5. Simpsons (Season 3)
  6. Incredible String Band, 'Be Glad for the Song Has No Ending'
  7. Sun Ra, 'Space is the Place'
  8. Family Guy
  9. Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers (Special Edition)
  10. The Work of Director Spike Jonze
  11. Can DVD
  12. Bjork, 'Live @ Royal Festival Hall DVD'
  13. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 'God is in the House'
  14. Roger & Me
  15. 24
  16. Futurama (Season 2)
  17. Strangers With Candy Season 2
  18. Indiana Jones Trilogy
  19. Punch Drunk Love
  20. Texas Chainsaw Massacre special edition

STAFF PICK: The Work of Director Chris Cunningham

[comment: Am I the only one who is sick of trying to be convinced by Factory that Happy Mondays are anything but complete and utter shite? - Jon Whitney]

fave website (non-brainwashed)
(brainwashed can't win -every- year now....)

  1. pitchforkmedia.com
  2. allmusic.com
  3. theonion.com
  4. google.com
  5. fakejazz.com
  6. IMDB.com
  7. homestarrunner.com
  8. epitonic.com
  9. guardian.co.uk
  10. dustedmagazine.com
  11. bbc.co.uk
  12. stylusmagazine.com
  13. friendster.com
  14. craigslist.com
  15. absorb.org
  16. fark.com
  17. disinfo.org
  18. deoxy.org
  19. weeklyworldnews.com
  20. SomethingAwful.com

STAFF PICK: homestarrunner.com

[comment: I'm suprised Friendster didn't rank in the most annoying trend - Michael Patrick Brady]

most annoying trend

  1. Bush administration antics/coverups
  2. 80s revivalism/nostalgia/cocaine/girls cutting the collars off their shirts
  3. American Idol
  4. 60's garage rock revival
  5. Cell Phones in Rude Places (movie theaters, cars, concerts, anuses) w/ annoying ringtones +/or digital cameras
  6. Bad white rappers and dull, overrated producers being labelled 'underground hip hop'
  7. Atkins Diet
  8. Boboism (Volkswagens/ipods/starbucks, that whole 'crap for white people to spend money on' thing)
  9. Electroclash
  10. Metrosexuality/Trendy Homosexuality (Queer Eye, Supreme Court ruling on sodomy, Trent Lott, Marriage Protection Week, Episcopalian gay priest)
  11. New York City - this isn't 1977
  12. SUVs
  13. ""Support the Troops"" translated as ""Shut Up and Obey""
  14. Reality TV game shows
  15. Emo music/fashions (dark frame glasses)
  16. Michael Moore's Guilty White Liberal politics
  17. Conervative Media Control/Liars
  18. French bashing & Freedom Fries
  19. illegal invasions of virtually defenseless third world countries
  20. Right Wing Politics

STAFF PICK: SUVs

[comment: It's refreshing to see the readers' hearts are in the right places. - Jessica Tibbits]

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Ward 21, "U Know How We Roll"

Taylor McLaren
Albums and Singles
Greensleeves
A few weeks back, I tried to describe the new Swollen Members disc bycalling it "juvenile", and the word applies to the latest effort byKingston dancehall psychos Ward 21, too, but not in the same way atall: where Swollen Members sound so earnest about their high-schoolpimpin' fantasies that you really have to cringe, the lyrics to a Ward21 song like "Coochie Zone", which shouldbe offensive, end up being balanced off by production and a publicimage so completely off its gourd that you just sort of have to cackleand nod your head to the beat. "But Taylor," my Inner Liberal ArtsMajor chides, "aren't you just belittling the efforts of hardworkingJamaican musicians to keep the world from noticing your microscopicoppressor's wee-wee?" "Shut the hell up, Inner Liberal Arts Major," Ireply, more than a bit self-conscious about how cold it is in here,"These nutcases use the word 'cocky' as a noun about every third track;how seriously do you really think they want to be taken?" My Inner ArtsMajor slinks off to wonder exactly what a "cocky" is, and I spend thenext 70 minutes digging the fact that it's possible to make a dancehallrecord with bagpipe noises, tacky '80s dance-pop riffs, and lyricsabout Michael Jackson's flaming Pepsi hair. Plenty of other, moretraditional sounds are put to use on U Know..., too, and Itired of the constant falsetto squawking of the album's title wheneverthe mix got thin, but the lunatic elements are hard to dislike, andthey're definitely the focus of the group's sound, so until Weenone-ups them by locking themselves in King Jammy's studio and making abrilliant album out of reverb-soaked farting noises, this is going tobe my Crazy Jamaican Album of choice.

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Hans Joachim Irmler, "LifeLike"

Administrator
Albums and Singles
Staubgold
As the first solo record from any member of Faust, a band heralded as one of the great "collectives" in rock history, LifeLikeis worth the wait not because it offers a glimpse back in time or evena fuller understanding of how Irmler's organ fit the Faustian puzzle.While the trained ear might recognize some of his distorted stabs andflourishes rising from the depths, LifeLike keeps any evidenceof Faust's shambled pastures to a minimum, focusing instead on Irmler'ssprawling textural achievements. He plays organ and keyboard throughmost of the disc, blending gritty, droning waves through slightpassages of clean melodic playing and more impressive flights oferupting noise. To his already beautiful playing, Irmler adds a wealthof field recordings, often perfectly accompanying or mimicking hissynthetic textures. The effect is close to a fusion of the vintageprogressive synth sound of early Tangerine Dream with the morestreamlined collage techniques of today. Pieces of rolling thunder,muffled conversation, city noise, and even tribal chanting add to themystery of these sound vistas but never in a way that is alarming ordisorienting. Everything inches back to Irmler’s comfortable keyboardand treated organ swells, creating music that only becomes absorbing ifallowed. Several motifs are repeated throughout, giving LifeLikea definite cinematic quality, especially recalling old science fictionsoundtracks, something reinforced by the warm gloss coating the record.The occasional hammered pattern or distorted uprising is enough tobring the music back to the surface, but for the most part, LifeLikeserves most effectively as the background to bouts of luciddaydreaming. I feel a smug pleasure that my experience with Irmler’swork runs counter to that of Ralf Bei der Kellen whose indulgent essaymakes up the liner notes to LifeLike. Der Kellen describes themusic as a kind of aural biography that, through the act ofdocumentation, helps listeners to hear ordinary sounds in new ways. Forme, there is nothing so consciousness-grabbing or life-affirming in LifeLike;but, I did not ask for such things. Irmler has made a beautiful,consistent, and highly visual record that will hopefully not be hislast.

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Seekonk, "For Barbara Lee"

Administrator
Albums and Singles
Kimchee
There's something to be said for a slow burn in a song: not letting itall go to start with but to let it build slowly, adding kindling orwhatever fuels it to satisfaction, then unleashing the full controlledburn on whatever suits the fancy. For such a young band to havemastered that art as skillfully as Seekonk is amazing, but thisPortland, Maine ensemble has done just that. Formed about a year and ahalf ago, these multi-instrumentalists concoct heavy slow rock thatwaits a perceived eternity before letting loose, and it's aggravatingin that special way. When it does release, this music has the ease of abird taking flight, gliding through the air with efficiency andmajesty. Album opener "Move" fools right away, sounding almost ploddingand lackluster, but when the last third of the song kicks in andvocalist Shana Barry lets loose with "I was born in the sky above," Iget it. "Swim Again" impresses with laboring beat and chiming guitar,while Patrick Corrigan and Dave Noyes blend beautifully with Barry'srasp to create a delicate hypnotism until the hammer falls. ThenBabylon, as all voices sing as one, and the song is a wonderousthunderstorm of noise and melody. Two tracks in and I'm already needinga rest. So one comes in the form of "Hate the Sun," which doesn'texplode with energy like the others even though it is quite pretty. Thealbum slows down a bit, but then picks up again in the middle of "20Degrees" and stretches its legs, trying out some different sounds andtempos. "You Got What Was Coming to You" is perfect scary, and thelyrics are sardonic and dismissive, the climax of the record, beforetwo more relatively solid tracks that hit all the right switches. Onlyone concern: Barry left after recording was completed and has sincebeen replaced by Danielle Hylen. Only the live show will tell for sure,but I hope she can carry these tunes and then some. Otherwise, thisdebut is too amazing a high note to have it wasted away.

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Larvae, "Fashion Victim"

Administrator
Albums and Singles

ATTENTION BLUNT SMOKERS AND BASS AFICIONADOS: Put down that spliff and take notice! Larvae has come to warp your minds and clutter your eardrums with some low-frequency sonics. Clocking in at an understated 46 minutes, Fashion Victim, the project's debut album, provides a somewhat noisy take on the bong-worthy dark urban sound (formerly known as illbient) produced by acts like Scorn, DJ Spooky, and Witchman. Taking equal parts Scott Herren and Mick Harris, "Refuse" opens this album with stuttering samples, bold bass tones, and head-nodding drum loops.Ad Noiseam

The cheekily titled "Tonystark" ('YO, that be some a dat Iron Man shit, ya heard?') follows a similar model while maintaining a sparser and more airy feel. Keeping with that mood, the title track spills from the speakers and wraps itself around the room much like the essence billowing from the glass blown pipe in front of you now, and actually reminds me of some of the tracks on the little-heard Wordsound Records album from The Weakener (Yes, I know this is the third Mick Harris reference! I call them as I see them!) Going in a slightly more experimental direction, "Redline Version" begins with a distinctly Asian woodwind sound before dropping a diabolical breakbeat. The soft and synthy bed that comprise the first minute-and-a-half of "Philistine" serves as a hypnotic pillar for the smooth rhythms and aquatic AFX-like melodies that enter into the mix. There are occasional moments where the exquisitely mental drum n bass sound of Larvae's Monster Music EP presents itself ('I Owe You' and 'Crazyeye', for example), but for the most part the mood stays slow and remains relatively deep and mellow throughout. On a final note, I have to thank Larvae for letting the beats speak for themselves, as opposed to including mediocre rappers or other guest vocalists over their grinding hip hop grooves (cough Pole cough cough). I have no knowledge whether or not Mr. Jeanes and company are aware of this, but Larvae is music for post-industrial kids who like to smoke pot... and that's the best compliment I've given all day.

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Subterranean Source, "Vivid Circles"

Steve Smith
Albums and Singles
Desolation House
The debut release from this Italian artist is a fine CD of minimal,dark music constructed from electronic drones that is alluringly bleakfrom start to finish. From the beginning I'm transported below thesurface of some bustling city, the distant rumbling and grinding ofmachines and life filtered by miles of rock before it echoes through acavernous chamber. The sense of space is tangible; the sounds are coldand distant, contributing to the overall sense of isolation andloneliness, but the presentation is captivating. Though somewhat gloomyand definitely evocative of shadowy places, these wonderful sounds arefar from stifling. Layers upon layers of audio constantly shift andexpand, the steady wind-like howling becoming far-off wailing andreverberated clatter. In the third track the persistent noises take ona more musical character, with a glistening, almost organ-like tone,and the patient progression, slowly revealing beautiful new elementsonly to put them aside, make this a fascinating piece. "SpiritualDarkness" also features a great looped "melody" hidden underneath therecordings of dripping water and low rumbling. The concluding trackmixes in some tribal-sounding drumming over the drones for a different,but fitting, result. Although I find myself longing for somethinglighter and more open sounding by the album's end, I feel like I'vejust taken part in an amazing experience.

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Gridlock, "Formless"

Administrator
Albums and Singles
Hymen
From meager beginnings can emerge potentially fantastic results. Assuch, Gridlock started out rather simply as a Skinny Puppy-influencedindustrial band, releasing their first album The Synthetic Formon the now defunct Pendragon label. Since that debut, however, the duoof Wells and Cadoo have moved their sound further and further away fromthat scene as well as that style. While never giving up an appreciationfor crunchy distorted drumwork, Gridlock has definately progressed fromthe inherent ugliness of that former sound, as displayed here on Formless,their most beautiful album to date. Many times a reviewer will throwthat term around carelessly (beautiful), but I'm not fucking aroundhere. The tracks that make up this album are lovingly unearthed bits ofoverdriven percussion fragments and processed digital signals from theland that Autechre forgot. Anyone who recalls the days when thataforementioned British duo were still creating marvelous musical worksof note (Incunabula and Amber, for example) will appreciate the damaged textures found on Formless(Check out the junkyard sonics of the opener "Pallid," or"Chronometaphor" for example.) Going further, "Displacement" borders onthe tribal, with its ritualistic rhythms supporting the contrastingcascades of violence and melody. A standout among the bunch, "Return"begins with fractured rhythms taking a subtle backseat to entrancingambient glimmers for the first two minutes, before a booming bass drumblasts through in true Gridlock sneak-attack fashion. On top of that,the inclusion of some breathy female vocals proved to be the realsurprise here, making a brief appearance as more of an instrument thana true human element. Recognizing that the end is near, Atomontageexudes desparation by crackling, beeping, roaring, and, inevitably,whimpering its way towards the inevitable closer, the lengthy and aptlynamed "Done Processing." Like most of Gridlock's albums, this oneproves difficult to interpret and enjoy if heard as individual songsinstead of as the urban apocalyptic soundtrack it really is. Equallydevastating and uplifting, Formless offers up a proposed future for post-industrial and experimental electronic music that demands to be heard.

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Sun Kill Moon, "Ghosts of the Great Highway"

Administrator
Albums and Singles
Jetset
I've got to wonder sometimes why Mark Kozelek still tries at all.Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, his critically acclaimedalbums with Red House Painters never quite hit the commercial glorythat was almost guaranteed with that kind of press. Relegated to indiedarling, he's had quite his issues with record labels, but stillcontinued to churn out album after album of heartfelt and memorablesongs that leave an indelible mark felt long after the record isfinished playing through the speakers. After the turmoil surroundingthe release of Old RamonI would expect anyone to hang it up, or at least take some time offfrom it all. Perhaps that's what Sun Kil Moon is: Kozelek's hanging upof the Red House Painters for good or time off. Either way, theaesthetic has not changed much and that's fine by me. This debutrelease by the band is a phoenix rising from the ashes, proclaiming areign of glory that has potential to last eons. "Glenn Tipton" is acontinuation of the familiar acoustic Painters sound, with fancifullyrics about Sonny Lister and old movies. When the bass kicks in thewhole thing just gets lovely, evoking a gentle bouncing sway from eventhe tightest individual. Then the lyrics turn dark, about buryingvictims and digging through their pockets, but the performance is stillso honest and bear that the heart reaches out anyway, like when peoplesend love letters to prisoners. "Carry Me Ohio" is the same level ofstunning, a tale of not being able to love someone back and theemptiness that can sometimes come as a result, and Kozelek just shineson "Last Tide" and "Floating," which bleed together effortlessly.There's crunch, too, in "Lily and Parrots" and "Salvador Sanchez," alldistortion in guitar and vocals that could never detract. The epic "DukKoo Kim" is the album's keynote address, though, which some may haveheard but not in this fourteen-minute incarnation that buries itself ineffects and changes and some gorgeous guitar work mixed in withmandolin and xylophones. With every record, Kozelek seems to get moreand more mired in his own psyche, exploring different synapses andpockets of memories to dredge up just the right mixture. "PanchoVilla," an acoustic revisiting of "Salvador Sanchez," shows thisexploration and experimentation wonderfully, as the meaning of the songcompleting changes with the new presentation and vocal inflection. Thisranks up there as my favorite record of Kozelek's, surpassing anyPainters work, and it's for this reason that I hope Sun Kil Moon sticksaround for awhile, even if just for a few tracks here and there. It'sbeen worth the wait.

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Hoahio, "Peek-Ara-Boo"

Taylor McLaren
Albums and Singles
Tzadik
Who knew that getting rid of Sachiko M's piercing sine waves and addinga percussionist to the group could actually result in an album that's less catchy than the last one? That's not to say that Peek-Ara-Boois bad, because it definitely isn't, but beyond the first track (thinkgarage rock guitar line played on koto), there isn't a lot on the discthat will provoke huge idiot grins. What is found is a quiet collectionof lullabies, twangy folk songs, clattering percussion, and Haco'spiercing sine waves, which are really only distinguishable from SachikoM's in that they're generally busier. For such an odd mix ofingredients, the recipe turns out well more often than not: some willthink the sounds occupy a space a bit too close to Enya/LoreenaMcKennitt/Kim Robertson territory, but then it shifts out of dreamlandand into loud-tuneless-improv gear for a while, soiling the pants ofthe Quinlan Road crowd in the process. It's not a particularly cohesivealbum by any means (writing credits are all over the map, with sometracks being credited to the group as a whole and others to individualmembers, and it shows... er... sounds... whatever...), but as aninteresting grab-bag of sounds, it was worth my fourteen bucks. 

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Guilty Connector Und Tabata

Steve Smith
Albums and Singles
Even Stilte Records
A friend of mine used to claim that a few CDs in his collection"contain every frequency." Whether this somewhat meaningless statementwas intended as an endorsement of quality was never clear; perhaps theywere just useful for testing audio equipment. This CD certainly fitsthat category, with the duo of Japanese musicians playing over 20instruments, exploring improvised, outer-space textures and abstractmelodies blanketed under shimmering waves of power electronics. Theoccasionally harsh assault isn't surprising given Guilty Connector'scollaborations with the likes of MSBR, but in the context of this duo,the noise serves as a backdrop and counterpoint to Tabata's guitar andsynthesizer rather than the brutal focal point. Though their aestheticis similar to fellow psychedelic groups like Acid Mothers Temple, thisCD steers clear of the over-the-top rock freakout, instead exploringprimarily rhythmless, atmospheric pieces more rooted in freeimprovisation and noise. Tabata does throw in some backward guitarriffing on "Le Schiaue Esistono Ancora," amid the continuous clatter ofcymbals that grow progressively more distorted; it's a mysteriouslyemotive and vaguely Eastern sounding track. Another standout is "Tempusest quaedam pars aeternitatis," which begins with a heavily processedguitar sound that blends perfectly with the filtered electronic noiseas it is delayed and continues ringing. It's certainly not easylistening, but there's so much going on throughout this disc, bothabove and below the surface, that it's definitely interesting. Thepersonalities and styles of the two players fit well together makingthis an excellent recording. 

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Reynols, "Pacalirte Sorban Cumanos"

Administrator
Albums and Singles
Beta-lactam Ring
Having heard a bit about this band in the positive, I was expectingsomething exciting and spaced-out. I certainly received the second halfof that deal with this disc, but whether or not it's exciting dependsentirely on tolerance for strange vocals. Pacalirte Sorban Cumanosfeatures a duo of guitarists that weave spiral nausea out of thin air,a fairly straightforward but pounding drummer, and the most annoyingsinger I think I've ever heard. Perhaps within a different context thelyrics and delivery would somehow fit and make for a mind-bending ride,but the chanting and headless meander of half-words simply don't workwith the tuneless and perpetual descent that the guitars create. Casein point: "7 Apoloca Baluba" is a childlike combo of simple chordstrumming, what could be a flute but is actually a very cleverly playedguitar, and plodding drums. The effect is enchanting as long as thosemoans and groans coming from the singer are ignored. They sound as ifthey don't belong or are inserted at a later time without the singereven listening to what was composed prior to his contribution. "TriloPampeho" would be a hellish delivery of tribal drumming and machinerydrone, but again the vocals (which sound as if they are trying toimitate a certain song from The Police) cut into the mix and end upmaking everything wash away in a feeling of confusion and foolery."Fincoll (que norar)" is the one place where the singer truly standsout and delivers a performance worth checking out. It sounds as thoughit may all be coming from a dilapidated church in the middle of adesert: very faint organ wanders away in the background while themumbling and passion-esque warble of the vocalists (invoking "AveMaria" here and there?) raise to the sky in a stream of smoke andsizzling ash. Some of the cosmic sounds pulled out of the guitars forthis record are truly amazing. It's certainly a unique release, butthose vocals need to fit into the mix: when they do, it soundsoutstanding, but otherwise it's a mess that's difficult to sit through. 

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  1. Sudden Ensemble, "AM 11"
  2. Boy Dirt Car, "Winter / F/i Split"
  3. Boy Dirt Car, "Winter / F/i Split"
  4. Boy Robot, "Glamorizing Corporate Lifestyle"

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