 |
Applying thick electronic beats and supple keyboard-based rhythms,
producer Mike Thorne leads a well-produced crew through a disc that
balances precariously between snappy dance music and hazy post-goth
industrial dirges. The unbelievably outrageous cover of the Sex
Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" fuses horns, retro keyboard chords and female
vocals into a heated electronic offering that must certainly have Sid
twisting in his grave. Other standouts include the sexually charged
"Black Lace Shoulder" and the pulsating, multi-layered "Self-Imposed
Exile," both of which adequately display Thorne’s musical maturity and
enticing, complex rhythms. -- am
|
 |
Various Artists/Remixers / Electro-Lounge: Electronic Excursions in Hi-Fidelity / The Right Stuff (CD)
What a silly idea. The whole concept is incredibly suspect, isn't it? Do we
really need to hear what Today's Hottest Electronic Artists ®
can do, remix-wise,
with a bunch of extremely-loosely-grouped "lounge" classics? The balance
is never quite right -- either there's too much original and not enough remix,
or vice-versa. You'll ask yourself "Why? Why was this necessary?" over
and over again. I'm not denying that there's light-hearted novelty fun to be
had on Electro-Lounge, but like all novelties it wears out its welcome
in short order -- although if you're a DJ in a bar frequented by a lot of GAP
clientele, you'll get some mileage from the Tranquility Bass remix of Louis
Prima's "Jump, Jive an' Wail". -- gz
|
 |
Freak the Jones / Pass
the Salt / Rinky Dink (CD)
Freak the Jones is an Atlanta-based funk-rock trio. Pass the Salt is funky and rocky -- well-done if not altogether original (think Living Colour ten years too late). The album
thrives on funky drumming and down 'n' dirty, Hendrix-inspired guitar
licks. Vocalist Ben Hernandez does a good job at sounding like Corey Glover;
he's aggressive, almost angry-sounding. Don't get me wrong -- this is great
music to party to, I just feel like I've heard it before. -- nw
|
 |
Orbital / The Middle of Nowhere / London/ffrr (CD)
Orbital haven't lost it. They've still got killer instincts where melody and
rhythm are concerned. If someone put a nasty big crack through the middle
of my copy of The Middle of Nowhere, destroying all but track one
("Way Out") and track eight ("Style"), the disc would still be worth the price
of admission on the strength of those gorgeous, epic bookends -- especially
for the futuristic skiffy aura of "Way Out". That's not to say tracks 2-7 are
rubbish, either, lest your wondered. The Hartnolls still have a knack for creating interesting music -- the grand interplay of keyboard textures and the complex rhythmic patterns make lame linearity supremely unlikely. They may be stuck in The Middle of Nowhere, but Orbital are still on the map. -- gz
|
 |
NineDollarMelonBaller / I'll Give You Something to Cry About /
NineDollarMelonBaller
(CD)
With frenetic time changes and lurching rhythms, this Iowa trio
zips through rock-based tunes that rely heavily on the introspective,
catchy lyrics of Marc Barry. The superbly produced "Zen Book of Lyrics"
applies the art of funky guitar and bouncy percussion to some acidic,
witty lyrics, using just the right amount of repetition to lodge
into the side of your head. There’s definitely no sob story on "I’ll
Give You Something To Cry About," as NDMB finds the right niche for its
sound and smartly exploits a variety of rock sub-genres to keep things
exciting throughout the disc. -- am
|
 |
Limesix / Moontip Heroine / Cadmium (CD)
Limesix shoots for a simple, stripped-down pop sound on
Moontip Heroine, but they also wander quite a distance into
shoegazer territory. The music is dominated by bleary guitar
melodies, with vocalist Chris Rediske hiding his efforts deep within the infrastructure
of the mix. There's a great deal of attractive and energetic guitar
and bass interaction here, but the whole thing feels a bit constrained.
Whether a trick or a fault of the production process, Moontip
Heroine sounds like the aural equivalent of a blocked sinus
passage, with the music sealed inside a tightly-compressed container while
the listener remains outside. You'll either like the effect or find it
unspeakably irritating. -- gz
|
 |
AFI / Black Sails in the Sunset / Nitro Records (CD)
AFI has been playing hardcore/punk rock for almost a decade now, and their
considerable experience really pays off on Black Sails in the Sunset. The playing is super
tight, the production is clean and the tunes are strong. I have a pretty
low tolerance these days for a lot of the generic "punk rock" that's out
there, but AFI manages to keep it engaging and fun.
There's some sort of Gothy Jane's Addiction mating with early GooGoo Dolls
in there, and it really sucks you in. (I know they'll hate the GooGoo Dolls
part, but it's true!) These guys are on tour this summer,
and from what I've heard they're pretty great live. Check them out if
you can. -- ib
|
 |
Katharine Whalen / Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad / Mammoth (CD)
If you've a Squirrel Nut Zipper fan who wishes the band would add a few
more standards to their act, this disc is for you. One of a steadily growing
series of SNZ side projects (frontman Tom Maxwell has a solo outing in the pipeline too), the Jazz Squad gives Ms. Whalen the
chance to do what she does best -- belt out jazz standards in her
retro-affected style. If you're a jazz purist, this sort of thing probably turns your
blood to ice, but otherwise it's an enjoyable and inoffensive effort that ably
complements dimmed lights and a chilled gin and tonic. -- gz
|
 |
Smoking Catapillar / Out of the Cocoon / Catapillar Records (CD)
Smoking Catapillar (sic) calls its music "political shock rock", and they certainly touch on
all three words. They list Jello Biafra, Howard Stern and Bonzo the Dog as members of their
supporting cast, which should give you some idea of what they're after. Most of the
songs are mid-tempo guitar pop with some nice occasional guitar riffing thrown in.
None of the songs particularly grabbed me, but they're all well played and produced.
The band's focus seems to be its lyrics, which they range from goofy ("Sex with the Dead")
to touching ("My Myoung") to juvenile ("The Pussy God"). Sometimes it feels like they're
trying a little too hard to be shocking, but I guess that's better than being boring! -- ib
|
