Music nerds need to have fun some times. Unfortunately I think thoseare the only people who would find entertainment in the "irony" of thisrelease. No, this isn't a brand new full-length from the long-forgottenkickass On-U Sound dub band Playgroup from the 1980s (despite the onetrack which experiments with instrumental dub), it's the project byTrevor Jackson, owner of Output Records and former remix artist knownas Underdog. If there's anything to express on this recording, it's thefacts that #1: he's either got a ton of money or a lot of productionskills and connections and #2: he's a rather dull writer, with mundanelyrics, oversimplified beats and repetitious riffs that wear out theirwelcome 30 seconds into every track. The self-titled debut album isclearly a post-post-disco record: just a few years shy of making asplash. (Note: the trend has clearly moved onto the 1980s-retro, duh!)Months ago, I thought this was a seriously feverish heavy recording,but take my warning, that feeling fades quick. Further listens invarious environments show its limits, as it's really only heavy whenplayed in loud volumes with the bass turned way up. Some times a goodfeel gets going, but out-of-place guitar riffs, saxophones or othersounds almost always seemingly taint any attempt at purity. In manyways I'm reminded of the Malcom McLaren from 20 years ago: a whiteBritish music businessman and producer who regurgitated black cultureand was praised by the white music press and higher-brow music fans,but was never authentic enough to really break down the boundaries thatkept him an "artist" rather than the "superstar" he was shooting to be.Guest vocalists like Kathleen Hanna and Shinehead don't do the albummuch help and the cover of Paul Simon's "18 Ways to Leave Your Lover"is downright painful. I couldn't help but cringe every "yahoo" shout in"Front 2 Back" or each time some tough-acting guy spoke "bounce,""scram," and "uh huh," in between the sung lines of the ghastly PaulSimon cover. Jackson's got a great ear for production, a ton of supportfrom the highest paid music critics, and probably tons of managerstrying to land him TV advertisements, but at the end of the day I canhonestly say that I'm personally embarassed to own this record,nevermind play it around others or in the car with the windows rolleddown.samples:
Series 7 is a project on the UK-based label Bella Union, formed byformer Cocteau Twins Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde. Over sevenreleases, seven artists will take seven days to record seven songs. TheMeat Beat Manifesto founder/front-man's contribution is probably theclosest he has ever come to the Meat Beat sound while recording as JackDangers. While it's hypnotic and infectious and a much anticipatedsound, it's not, however, a Meat Beat record. The beats are here,Jack's production has without a doubt presented for our listeningpleasure that signature sound fans all know and love, but there'ssomething just not quite there. It could be the absence of sung orvocally sampling tracks, strong lead instruments, or heavy tune riffs.This isn't a bad thing, however, as it seems to be that the goals ofthis series is to harness what these few musicians are able to come upwith in a short time without countless chances to change, modify,retouch, etc... It's enough to wet my personal appetite for now whilewe wait patiently for the next big MBM offering.
The "5 Tracks" CDR, published in a tiny edition of 100 copies in abeautiful silver-on-black circular sleeve, documents a solo guitar andelectronics concert by improvising guitarist Giuseppe Ielasi in Athens,Greece. Ielasi's improvisations do not contain many typicallyinstrumental gestures; every track sounds like a composed piece of tapemusic, with careful attention paid to the stereo field and to suddenshifts in dynamics and texture. Only a few times do we hear arecognizable volume pedal or a hand rubbing some glass on a guitarstring. For the most part, the level of detail and patience here arethe kind most often found in meticulous studio creations. The highpoint for me is the fourth track, a lengthy piece that starts as hightones and feedback and very slowly (VERY slowly!) adds percussiveelements and crackling synthesizer; the sense of assured calm thatpervades every piece is rare, and just wonderful. There are certainlyaffinities between "5 Tracks" and Kevin Drumm's seminal "Guitar" CD,but I don't think any improviser with an interest in electronic musicwasn't inspired in some way after that album came out. 
Recorded after "5 Tracks', the "Right After" CD does not appear tocontain any guitar at all (at least, not according to the credits).Ielasi's partner on this album is Domenico Sciajno, formerly a bassistand currently one of the most musical and interesting of allimprovising laptop players. Sciajno's computer and Ielasi's electronics(a tableful of gadgets, I imagine) are integrated here into a seamlesssingle voice. I can only assume that the music is improvised due to thehistory of the publisher, Erstwhile Records, but if I had no suchbackground I might not guess as much. If "5 Tracks" only occasionallybelies its uneditted live and improvised nature, "Right After" does notat all. The high sine tones are out in force right from the start,which can be either exhilirating or annoying, depending on yourpatience for such things. The second half turns somber, with calm quietprevailing over the jarring cuts that open the disc. Much moreaggressive and strange than Ielasi's other recordings, "Right After" isalso one of the very best and most cohesive releases on the Erstwhilelabel. More info at 
A very different improvising group from Italy is the strangelypunctuated tu m'. There is virtually no information given on thepackage of tu m's debut CD, but it sure sounds like a laptop to me(that telltale digital high-pitched whine is unmistakable). The groupmoves carefully through six relatively beat-oriented improvisations.The pieces develop slowly and deliberately, with loops rising up andfading out, sine tones entering steadily and cutting out, muted beatstaking a place somewhere in the background and thump thump thumpingalong. Though the music is improvised, it sounds more similar to theabstract Mille Plateaux or Ritornell bands (Neina springs immediatelyto mind) than to what one might think of as "improv". The recordingquality is muddy at times, especially when tu m' brings out the heavybass, so many of the digital details are lost in an undifferentiatedmurk. This could have benefitted from a cleaner production, but theideas still come across. More info at 
Raised form the semi-ashes of Red Red Meat, Califone started as a soloproject of sorts for that group's Tim Rutili. Eventaully, however, hestarted to bring other people in to play, adding dimension and flavorto the sound, and, eventually, two of the other three members of RedRed Meat, Ben Massarella and Brian Deck. After the release of theircohesive and coherent debut LP "Roomsound" last year on Rutili andMassarella's own Perishable imprint, this year Califone reissues theirfirst self-titled EPs on Flydaddy and Road Cone on Perishable, addingtwo tracks and an official title. "Good Weather" is a view into theCalifone of before, and having heard "Roomsound," it's a great lookinto how jaunting and disparate their sound was early on. Yes, there isclearly a Bowie influence, as well as rural mountain geetar-pickin'.But work it all together with some driving percussion, samples andpiano here and there, and change direction on virtually every track,and what you get takes on a life of its own. You can almost hear aconscious shift between tracks 1-7 and 8-12, where the productionvalues went up, the vocal harmonies move to the front seat, and theinstrumentation is more varied. It's a fascinating listen, evolution ofsound-wise. Of the two bonus tracks, one is a remix of the earliertrack "To Hush a Sick Transmission" sans vocals, and the other is thebest Califone track you've never heard, as it's never been heard untilnow. All in all, a great reissue that shows the early potential of thisensemble considering where they are now. 
These two are the latest 7" singles in a series initiated by Tonschachtto showcase different strategies of contemporary—not necessarilyelectronic experimental—music. The design is the same as the previousreleases: a white typewriter font on black and vice versa on the infosheet enclosed. Nothing shall distract the listeners attention fromlistening itself. No. 009 features Auckland, New Zealand resident RosyParlane with "Kees.1" and "Kees.2". Side one sets a reduced breakbeatagainst an approaching intense swarm of electronic drones. On theflipside, "Kees.2" continues with an almost orchestral drone fadinginto distraction. Carefully selected sounds are introduced at first,while more sounds are seemingly randomly brought in, step by step,until a new structure evolves. As soon as the piece has completelymutated into something different, it stops. At first both pieces seemto be a bit short but each get to a point which gains and rewards yourattention without having to wait a full CD length for it.
Thebetter known Vibracathedral Orchestra from the UK grace No. 010.Working with a variety of more traditional instruments, they sound abit like an outtake of the fictive 'Industrial Unplugged' Series."Oblong Two" is the far darker and heavier one of the two. It's mood isan ambiguous drift leading your ears towards amazement. The title trackleaves the impression of optimistic ignorance in midst the wasteland.This is not really my pair of shoes but I'm sure lovers of freestylepost-everything will enjoy it. These editions are numbered and featureexclusive tracks and should be available at normal 7" single prices.For more info on this extraordinary series check out 
Burnt Friedman presents a smidgeon of material from Uwe Schmidt'smassive Rather Interesting back catalog for his own Nonplace label. Forthe 42 minute continuous mix, Friedman selects 14 of his favoritetracks from eight of Schmidt's many monikers (he's probably best knownas Atom? or Atom Heart). First off, I must confess that I don't own asingle Rather Interesting release. I figure this will be a good placefor me to start considering I'm an adamant collector of Freidman's workand the duo's collaborations as Flanger. Friedman's bright and spaciousaural imprint is all over the disc, either through his mixing, his ownoverdubbing or simply a like-minded approach. The main vibe is theirusual one of jazz and electronica de latina, a blurred lines blend ofsampled/programmed/played musica, sometimes at the mercy of glitchifiedhyper-editing. The rhythms vary from techno to tango and they neverstop as pianos and keys noodle, bass lines bounce and slide,electronics blip and bloop, horns and vibes dabble and faux audiencesclap in appreciation. At first it is indeed a rather interesting mix,always on the move and seamlessly sewn together, but after awhile it'sa tad too cutesy and/or bland for my taste and I start to loseinterest. What's missing is the dark beauty and black humor of some ofFriedman's solo output that I love so much. I just simply preferFriedman and Flanger's stuff over Schmidt's, simple as that. And thatgives me a sigh of relief considering the financial commitmentnecessary to keep up with Rather Interesting, not to mention all ofSchmidt's other endeavors. 
While I can truly say I have enjoyed Town and Country albums for years,I hadn't had such an incredible appreciation and awe for them until Ifinally had a chance to see them live. Friday night at the ZeitgeistGallery in Cambridge, the quartet performed a number of songs fromthis, their fourth release. While it's musically apparent that thisChicago-based drum-less multi-insturmentalist acoustic instrumentquartet have a serious history of improvisation, every song, every noteis cold-calculated and executed with the skillfullness of professionalperfection. I'm still marvelling at the amount of instruments whichcould actually fit in the tiny room. Through the night, the fourmusicians shifted around between acoustic guitars, double basses (yes,there was one song where two were played), bass clarinet, celeste,harmonium, cornet, and most impressively, a stunning set of handchimes. I couldn't keep my eyes off these things, as they had to berearranged between each song depending on which notes were used. Thesound was phenomenal, dreamlike, intoxicating and swirling and makes mevisualize the albums so much more than ever. To magically accent theevening, there was brief snowstorm outside which fit the second song onthe album, "I'm Appealing" almost perfectly, as the song is filled witha harp-like effect by rhythmically strumming what could possibly be32nd notes on two acoustic guitars. You can buy the album and get thesame effect but I highly recommend both doing that and going to see theshow if they're anywhere near you. Tour dates are posted at 
Whiskeytown is dead. Long live Whiskeytown! After the demise of North Carolina's infamous entry into the alt-country sound before their final album was released in 2001, the members went their separate ways, though at that point they really numbered only three: Mike Daly, Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary.
It's difficult to tell if Che-Shizu's leader, vocalist and kokyu (aChinese violin-like string instrument) player Chie Mukai, had everpicked up her instrument before the tape for this album startedrolling. Her solo kokyo improvisations (with which I am most familiar)do not rely on such conventions as tune or melody, so her atonal sawingnever sounded out of place to me before. On this, a CD reissue of herband's debut album from 1984, it appears that she either never tunedher kokyu, or else has no idea where the correct notes are, or else hadnever even seen or even considered the existance of stringedinstruments before deciding to play these songs. The tunes themselvesare downbeat Velvet Underground-like droning things with ocasional odd,sour attempts at klezmer and waltz. But Mukai's bowed monstrositysteals the show, always a bit flat or else way too sharp, and damned ifI didn't wince a dozen times within the first several minutes oflistening0. Sure, it's awful, but it's also really interesting. It's soconsistently bad that it's great. Know what I mean? I find myselflistening first in horror, then a second time to make sure I'm reallyhearing what I think I'm hearing (christ, she really IS off for theentire damn album!), then again because I like the songs and thebizarreness has worn off. Speaking of the Velvets, Mukai's voice has adeadpan quality that brings Nico (especially "The Marble Index") tomind. Her band's accompaniment is appropriately spare and mournful,serving mostly as a frame for the kokyu and voice; a determinedly na?vequality reigns, shocking in its spare directness. For more information,check 
For those who missed the limited release of Death Cab For Cutie's lastrelease "The Photo Album," DCFC have released the EP that came withthat release separately, calling it "The Stability EP." It's ultimatelyheavier material than that on the last LP, as these songs could almostcrush the listener with their subject matter and slow, driven music.The center piece is "Stability," a near 13-minute DCFC epic that couldalmost be described as "Death Cab For Post-Rock." Languid, lush,slowcore galore, the track is easily the closest the band will everapproach that genre. The track finishes with over 6 minutes of greatguitar melodies, a steady drumbeat, and keyboard swells and pulses withno clear vocals to speak of. Of course, there are vocals by BenjaminGibbard at the top of the track, as well as piano, and a fewMogwai-like edits. The second track is a Bjork cover, and a greateffort by DCFC, especially the hyper drumwork. DCFC are known for theirodd cover choices live, as an MP3 search even turns up a cover of theEurythmics classic "Here Comes the Rain Again." They pull off thisBjork classic with gusto and all sincerity, making it the highpoint ofthe release. "20th Century Towers" is classic DCFC, just a lot slower:meek vocals by Gibbard, intertwined guitar and bass, and just went youthink it will give up the ghost and rock out, Gibbard holds it all in.The only complaint is the crowd vocal towards the track's final third.I would have preferred to hear Gibbard solo or double-tracked, not whatyou expect in a drunken English pub crowd. All in all, not a bad threetracks if you got it with the record, but I don't know if I'd spend $10on it in the stores. 
I'm rarely disappointed by Novamute releases. Usually, they have enough intelligent and interesting tracks to keep me interested and sometimes produce modern classics (Speedy J's 'A Shocking Hobby' being the perfect example of the latter). 'The Mission Statement', S.I. Futures' debut album for the label, is no exception to the rule, but also no significant landmark in the Novamute catalog.
The band with the least pronoucable name since a:GRUMH... is actuallyone Douglas Benford (the ".db" is his initials), who has left drum n'bass behind to explore sunny dub rhythms on his latest CD for the fineDIY-techno Bip-Hop label. The tunes do not attempt perfect replicationof the Jamaican style, as does Twight Circus Dub Sound System or TinoCorp. Instead, Benford merely references the missing pieces andecho-laden beats of dub to turn in a pleasant, if light and airy, setof predominantly instrumental (save a sample here and there) tunes. Thefirst few songs are as enjoyable as this sort of thing can be, but theend of the set turns a bit sweet for my tastes. The best work of KingTubby and Lee Perry had an underlying heaviness and darkness thatBenford does not appear particularly interested in. The beginning of"Enthusiaist" contains some wonderful sections (particularly in theopening cut "Contaminile 2") which really stretch out and dig into thewarm expansiveness that dub techniques can produce. The album getspoppier as it goes on, though, and becomes progressively lessinteresting.
Add another awkward band name to your collection. After receiving newsof the forthcoming release of "Inception and Silence Undivided" onSteven Stapleton's United Dairies label, I was curious to find outabout the project. Matt Waldron has been recording and releasing musicas irr.app(ext.) since 1998. The first release, "an uncertin animal,ruptured; tissue expanding in conversation" has a matchinglysurrealistic sound and equally disturbing accompanying artwork (lots ofasparagus-esque vegetation and mutated muscle tissue). It was aco-release between Waldron's own Errata In Excelsus label and theIcelandic label, Fire Inc. I contacted Matt and subsequently receivedfive of his CDs, discs of which I was looking forward to digesting,dissecting and reporting about, but in the time I've had them, themusic just becomes more unraveling with every listen. It's no surprisethat Stapleton was interested in his work, which is essentially areinterpretation of the never before released on CD, long out of printand masters destroyed LP, "Insect and Individual Silenced" by Nursewith Wound. I haven't heard it yet, but after hearing hours of workwhich never wears thin, I'm highly anticipating it. Waldron's work isvery atypical of the volumes of CD-Rs that float around. It's advanced,sonically challenging, created from a collage of musically imitatingsounds both found and created, seamlessly constructed. Matt seems tohave an unchallengable ear for when to introduce pianos, clanging,backwards bits, cut-up sounds, digital demons, resurrective rumblings,and only an occasional pulse. Yeah, it's pretty dark. I find myselfgoing through evenings where I feel I want to just throw the discs allon, one after another, kill the lights and get a complete sensoryoverload. Maybe it's time to try some new drugs. Either way, theofficial irr.app(ext.) web site is still being constructed, but there'san email address on the bottom. 
The electropop revival has seen it's first casualty. With 'Alright OnTop' Luke Slater, revered for his techno-electro work under numerousmonikers, makes a significant step away from the dancefloor and towardsthe bargain bin. Not nearly as kitschy as Miss Kittin or Felix ThaHousecat, the tracks on here have none of the trashy hip glamour thathas been slapped to the backside of this new new wave. Rather thancopying what seems to be working for everyone else (or sticking to whathe does best and progressing a bit), Slater presents some bizarrehybrid of a mediocre New Order cover band and a 90's "electronica"one-hit wonder. In fairness, you do have to give the man some creditfor doing what he wants to do (and hopefully bracing for criticism fromhis fanbase) and paying tribute to music he truly loves. However, weaksongwriting (dubbed in true press release style as 'songtronica')accompanies uninventive and boring lyrics, making for an overallembarassment when compared to his strong backcatalog. To be honest, I'mhoping this electropop fad (or whatever you want to call it) pisses offand dies quickly like Detroit ghetto-booty music did. I'm not feelin'it... and it's already produced at least one awful album from aonce-solid producer. 
Okay, I know this dude's friends with the Fridge guys but the kickofftrack on this EP+video sounds too strikingly similar to "Kinoshita"from Fridge's 1999 single. Dan Snaith is a Canadian who's studies havelanded him in London, where he now makes his home and his muisc. 
If you're Icelandic, you're probably already aware of OlafurJosephsson's project, as his career got a large boost by opening forgodspeed you black emperor! last month in Reykjavik. His "band" nametranslates as Digital Hakon (Hakon the Good was the king of Norway inthe 10th century and has a long legacy of being name checked innumerous songs) and the music is probably the most amazingly producedCD-Rs I have ever received. 
David Edwards deserves an "A" for effort on his debut full-lengthrelease as Minotaur Shock. The interplay of organic piano and guitarwith electronic instruments and sampled beats blends nicely in thisshimmery recordng of tinkling melodies and sharp rhythms. When I sawthe names Fridge and Four Tet dropped in writeups on this album,naturally my interest was piqued, but seeing those names made me expectsomething somewhat derivative of the two. 
The scene is Brooklyn, NY. The time is present day (okay, 2001. This release came out last year, but I just found it for review). And the music is by... Hey! Who the heck are these guys? From Arena Rock Recording Co. comes this compilation of both unknown and well-known Brooklyn bands. And what better cause could there be but donating all the proceeds to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition? Arena Rock has introduced us to some superior rock bands in the past, and Brooklyn has a history of being the birthplace for impressive rock. And the results are astonishing. This is, quite simply, the best 2-CD multiple band compilation I have ever heard.
In the grand tradition of celebrities venturing forth from their meagerbeginnings to great acclaim and stardom, comes Claudia. Claudia, thelatest one name celebrity, the airline hostess, the actress (SaturdayNight Live, Sex and the City, and more), and now, the entertainer. Onher debut release, this CD single on Sourmash USA, Claudia introducesthe world to her voice, and opens her heart to us all. 
