- Bill Ryubin
- Albums and Singles
The debut release from Matt Hayden as Mindless Drug Hoover is a strangerelease from the more electronically-minded Deviant Records. Makingcomedy albums is a dangerous business, but Hayden's years of buskingmust have given him time to perfect these comic masterpieces. 'TopBanana' is a one-man-and-his-guitar affair, but the music is just thedelivery mechanism for his tales of smoking grass, being poor and evena love song (addressed to dried fruit on the glorious "Prune": "prune,oh prune/ you're a beautiful fruit, not just a laxative..").
Despite the fact he recorded it all over one weekend (probably in the bathroom of some English pub), he's actually pretty crafty when it comes to making a catchy hum-along tune. You know what to expect with song titles like "Pancreas," "Fag stealer," and the subtle "Fuck off." With over 20 tracks in 40 minutes, the novelties never overstay their welcome. The tracks are cheap and shambolic— and genuinely hilarious. Also included is a jazzified remix of the "The Reefer Song," by The Orb.
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Who else but Barry Adamson to bring blaxploitation soundtracks into the 21st Century? As with the previous album, 1998's 'As above, So below', these songs are predominantly vocal based, albeit steeped in familiar film noir trappings. For in Mr. Adamson's Murky World, Cinema is King. His fictional frames are backed with a deftly orchestrated mixture of genres, including samples of badass brethren like Ike Turner, Cypress Hill and John Coltrane. Concerning the fiery, fun funk of opener "Cinematic Soul," Adamson proudly declares, "this is the stone groove I've been dying to rock with all my life." Indeed! Even his enthusiastic young son can't resist joining in 'cause, after all, "what is a song if you can't sing along?" "Whispering Streets" follows suit with more dramatic funkiness as Adamson unconvincingly pleads, "I don't even know how the gun got in my hand." In the dreamy, strings soaked '70s soul styling of "Black Amour," he becomes the slicker than Shaft character "Satisfaction Jackson." SJ confesses, "I want you, I need you, I love you," nicely enough, but then adamantly insists, "hold my freaky hand." "Twisted Smile" is low and slow, hazy and lazy as the, "everyone is everyone," line loops in epilogue. Of the three (essentially) instrumentals, "Le Matin Des Noire," (Archie Shepp) is my fave. For over ten minutes an organ-flecked vibes groove vamps into the background as the hustle and bustle of Parisian streets becomes the foreground. "That Fool Was Me" sees Adamson diversifying his discography even further as horns and harmonica add Dixieland dynamics. Sweetly singing, "something about you baby and they all agree," Adamson then admits "only a fool would leave you and that fool was me". For the climax of the duet finale, "Cold Comfort," an inquisitive refrain of, "sugar babe?" is overpowered by mighty drum rolls and orchestral curtain call. Damn. Damn! Just another highly cinematic masterpiece, no sweat. Barry Adamson, the coolest motherfucker on the planet? Probably. 'The King of Nothing Hill' my album of the year? Probably. Check barryadamson.com for forthcoming European tour dates and other goodies.
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It was inevitable that the children who grew up with Barney the Purple Dinosaur and Power Rangers would eventually start listening to music. This is the only explainable reason why flocks of kids love this group while a number of critics poo-poo them. I'm not saying these kids don't have taste, but maybe they just don't know that music like this has been done far better for years and years. Take the vocals of Frank Tovey and Richard Butler, add a dash of Ride, mix well with the Smiths pretending to be any generic Factory label B-list band and hire any old 1980s producer who's not done much in a while (but will get the critics scatching their chins) and voila, a debut album is ready for a press campaign! While Gareth Jones's take on the group's recordings clearly sound miles ahead of their first EPs and mediocre live performances, even the most talented producer is completely unable to accommodate for atrocious vocals and downright painful lyrics. There are moments of reflection, like on the heavily reverb-effected "NYC" or the up-close and intimate "The New" but most of it is brainless jangly guitar-based minor key dance music like songs like "Obstacle 1" or Joy Division riff-ripoffs like "Roland." To their credit, the group does play well together, despite having numerous moments of one-note playing, but even they will eventually get bored of that.
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- Bill Ryubin
- Albums and Singles
Some of Palestine's gorgeous drones are now transferred to CD and remastered by Lee Ranaldo and Thomas Koner for the Netherlands-based Barooni label. The two have done a great job too: the sound is crystal clear. This opens with 20 minutes of near static drones and tones in "Two-Fifths".
 
It's so stripped bare that for a while it seems like he's just made a steady electronic pulse, but after a few minutes of saturation, waves and other half-heard fragments start appearing. He uses the piano to create a similar saturation effect on the next two, "One+Two+Three Fifths" and "Sliding Fifths," which relentlessly pound out a mass of sound. His insane ability to play about four rhythms at once keeps the music from ever drifting into the background. After the 40+ minutes of superb piano punishing, the closing electronic drone of "Three Fifths" is a little too empty and sparse to hold my attention. Most of the music here is so stripped down that it's hardly there at all, but there's a lot of strange things going on under the surface.
 
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Finally Eric Bachmann releases an album under his own name. The former singer of Archers of Loaf and current mastermind behind Crooked Fingers composed "Short Careers," as the score for a finished, yet to be released, independent feature called "Ball of Wax." The film has a frightening, chilling story, and it seems Bachmann has set the mood just right. The music fits right in between Bachmann's arty leanings with his Barry Black recordings and the more somber balladry of Crooked Fingers. Violin, cello, upright bass, piano, and guitar intermingle playfully throughout, despite the ominous tones of the revealing track titles ("Aspirin vs Arsenic," "Nosebleed," "The Mysterious Death of Robert Tower"). Bachmann's music never really seemed all that cinematic, though his lyrics have always told stories that are longer than life, so it deems him a rather odd choice for film scoring, particularly since that means there will be little in the vocal department. Add to that the fact that the movie is about major league baseball, and it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Luckily, the film was completed when Bachmann composed and recorded the score, so he had great freedom and inspiration—more than some composers get. The music is quirky enough while still serving a purpose, though not as much when heard on its own. It will probably have more meaning after the listener views the film, but on its own only a few tracks are truly stand-alone works ("Vision and Execution," "Ty Cobb," "Good Morning Sleepyhead"). This album is proof positive, however, that the former leader of a popular indie college rock band can score movies, and I'm sure he'll get more work for it in the future.
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Take this album's title as a hint of what to expect. While watching a meteor shower and listening to music, the most exciting thing will, of course, be the meteor shower itself. Tara Jane and Dan are probably two of my favorite current singer/songwriters in the North American rock scene. I've seen both live on a number of occasions with their bands, Ida and Retsin, and once, just recently, in which each did fantastic solo performances. (Dan played on a number of instruments including a couple on harmonium and Tara Jane even did a Bruce Springsteen cover!) Needless to say, when I learned of the impending collaborative release, I was very excited. However, the two people whose voices and lyrics I cherish have ironically recorded an album of almost entirely instrumental songs— songs which disappointingly enough sound like they were explicitly built for vocals. With the exception of "Ooh la la..." (with French [?] vocals), there's a general void of any strong lead instrument. It almost makes me want to organize a letter-writing campaign for the duo to go back and record some lyrics on this record. This soundtrack for getting a midnight snack could easily bore the most sexually inactive vegan cafe patrons. Don't get me wrong, there's no love lost for these two, as they're each still incredible musicians and songwriters. However, if it's their signature sound that you've fallen in love with that you're anticipating, you'd be better off saving your money on this one.
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- Abe Forman-Greenwald
- Albums and Singles
"Mali Music" is a collaboration between Blur's Damon Albarn and a groupof musicians from Mali, hence the title. A recent New York Times pieceabout the making of this album brought up the inevitable issue ofcultural piracy and whether Western artists can effectively play withAfrican musicians without somehow exploiting them or tainting thepurity of their music. I feel that setting strict boundaries like thatlimit the overall possibilities of musical creativity and to be honest,I wouldn't have bought an album called "Mali Music" if it didn't havethe added recognizable hook. And I'm glad I did buy it, for a number ofreasons. First of all, the music is really good and different from mostof the new stuff that I listen to; overall it has a much happier,organic feel to it than what's in my normal rotation. Also Albarn'sadditions help add texture, like the dubby bass he puts under the finaltrack, "Les Escrocs" and his minimal vocals throughout the album. Asidefrom his vocals in English on a couple tracks, mostly he stays out ofthe way and leaves it to the musicians from Mail to perform theirmusic. The Times article mentioned that he went to Mali armed only witha melodica in order to keep his role simple and unobtrusive. Hiscontributions are important though and help add a familiar structure tosongs that might otherwise become inaccessible. On the track "SunsetComing On" he expertly weaves his vocals into the instrumental withoutoverwhelming it. I enjoyed listening to the new (to me) instruments andfor most of the album they meshed well with the modern layers ofproduction underneath. Another thing that I liked about the album isthat the proceeds go to Oxfam, a hunger relief organization that helpedsponsor the collaboration. So even if you don't agree with my musicalassessment, at least you won't feel guilty about adding this CD to yourcollection.
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- Abe Forman-Greenwald
- Albums and Singles
For some reason RJD2 is offended by comparisons to DJ Shadow. Iunderstand that DJs who make instrumental hip-hop don't want to beaccused of biting another DJ's style, but if two people have similarmusical interests and both create sample-based music, there is a goodchance that the result will sound similar. RJD2 favors organic drumbreaks and densely layered instrumental tracks, and does a good job ofvarying the flavor of his samples from song to song. If you have heardother Def Jux releases and can't quite get into the abrasive,synthesized, distortion-laden beats then this could be the one for you.
The typical track on this album combines snippets of scratchy 70s soulvocals and instrumental samples like upright basslines to create asatisfyingly melodic whole. The album is somewhat of an antidote to theprogrammed, mechanical beats that have been dominating recent hip-hopDJ work. In other words, it's very un-Neptunes. Three of his trackshave MCs rhyming over them and each does a good job complimenting theDJ skills without overwhelming the complex instrumentals underneath.They also big up the DJs approach with lines like "RJ's thearchaeologist, diggin 'em up" . One of my favorite songs on the albumis "Ghostwriter," a perfect blending of layers of loops and vocals intoa head-nodding instrumental classic that never gets too repetitive. Ithink it was a great decision by Def Jux to pick up an artist likeRJD2, a talented DJ and master of the sampler who can produce musicthat offsets the label's darker tendencies...I guess he's not thatShadowy after all.
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P:ano started in 1999 in Vancouver as a collaboration between NickKrgovich and Larissa Loyva. Nick had been working on some songs whenthey started getting together to sing and play music, and they decidedto work on those songs by fleshing them out with more instruments.Later they added drummer Justin Kellam and Chris Harris, and the solidline-up was complete. "When It's Dark and It's Summer" is their debutrelease, recorded at Hive Studios and co-released on their new labelHive-Fi with Zum Media. As far as first works go, it's an incrediblyaccomplished batch of songs, with fully realized textures and melodies,that work towards a seemingly transcendent goal. This music is not justmeant to live in your ears for the short time you listen to it, it'sintended to invade the spaces behind. And it accomplishes that well,for the most part. P:ano's influences are clear, though anotherboy-girl dual vocal indie pop band to add to the mix could spell adisastrous future. However, the group also has enough originality uptheir sleeves to last. It's described as chamber pop, and that's prettyaccurate. The songs have classic pop structures, with hummable melodiesand understandable lyrics. They translate that simple structure withsparse arrangements that highlight the vocal power of the group.Krgovich and Loyva's voices blend well together with almost sickeninglysweet result, and the added flavors - strings, trumpet, clarinet - givethe songs that extra oomph. By the time you reach the penultimate track'Billions and Billions' (Carl Sagan reference, anyone?), whichstretches over seven-and-a-half minutes with an extended workout,you're hooked. A nice debut with real potential for the future.
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There's really a fine line between jazz-influenced electronic beats and sleepy nu-jazz telephone hold music and unfortunately, this album teeters a weee-bit too close to the undesirable.G-Stone
Kruder & Dorfmeister made a name for themselves remixing a number of people, which is why it's confusingly ironic that their stunning original products produce such mediocre remix efforts. First it was the dreadful Tosca remixes, now this. The 1999 eponymous Peace Orchestra full-length album is simply a must-have in your collection, but three years later, remixes have reinvented the subdued downtempo classic into a multi car crash of dismissable world jazz beat. Gotan Project opens the collection with the strongest track, the first of two appearances of "The Man" with new melodic elements provided by acoustic guitar, accordion, and Coil-esque electronic twitters. It's all downhill from there, however. Beanfield try too hard to be Herbie Hancock on their take on "Meister Fetz" while DJ DSL's reinterpretation of "Double Drums" gives me frightening visions of passing out on seedy hotel lobby furniture. By the time the false bass and 808 drum machine sounds of Meitz's version of "Marakesch" sound in, I'm aching to be listening to the original album in a big way. The remaining tracks, including remixes from Zero dB, Guilliaume Boulard and Chateau Flight are consistently also heavy on the cross between cheesy retro synths and clinical jazz soloists. While I don't doubt the talent of the number of remixers on display, the days of Harold Faltermeyer film scores should remain two decades in the past.
 
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The Makers have been recording since 1993, and this album furtherexplores their recent glam-rock concept album tendencies. Listening toit sounds a lot like the soundtrack to 'Manhunter' or 'Band of theHand', or like the band is desperately trying to recreate the sound ofthat awful band in the club scenes of 'Lethal Weapon'. "StrangestParade" sounds like it wouldn't be out of place in 1985-1987, theheyday of big hair metal, but a time when just as many glam rock bandswere recording on a smaller scale than those that were successful. Theywere better than their big ticket major label counterparts. Lead singerMike Maker, or Michael Shelley, sounds like a bizarre cross of DannyElfman and Robert Smith, and the band is as full of angst as ever. Thealbum is sprinkled with segues in between the actual songs that tend todistract more than help. Bands trying to sound like the undergroundscenes of previous decades have merit, but only when they add somethingto the sound. The Makers try alright, but then the songs just aren'tall that compelling. Their last album, 'Rock Star God' was as much aconcept record as this one, but it seemed more polished and heartfelt."Parade" split into two parts, with one part seemingly moreintrospective and the other more balls to the wall. The phone ringingthat appears early on "Calling Elvis, John and Jesus" would be anoriginal thought if it hadn't been done 1800 times by other bands, orif the song was stronger; but the phone seems to plays a huge part inPart One of the record, as though a person were calling someone to helpthem or waiting by the phone for someone to call and save them. Thelyrics leave something to be desired, as well, as all good '80s hairbands' did ('Laughter then violence/music then silence'). Part Twoisn't as long as Part One, and it has some interesting textures, butbands like Cobra Verde just do this whole retro sound better,concetrating more on the essence in the songwriting than a seeminglyempty concept. This just doesn't grab me all that much.
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