Ok, I admit, the new godspeed release might not be the bestnew album of the year. However, it may just be the best album of theyear.The material released on 'Lift Your Skinny Fists' isnothing new to me. Instead, through live mp3s that have beencirculatingaround on the internet and via CD-Rs distributed by the band's mailinglist,I've heard the vast majority of the music collected on the two discs.While itcould be said subsequently that the disc is nothing more than anofficialrelease of already known songs played during their more recent tours, Ihaveto interject that the versions presented here benefit from their studiorefinement and the great production. More than their first album, thisalbumsshows the band's maturation and missing are the long, stark ambientsegmentswhich may have seemed like filler between the bands more dynamicmoments. The album starts off with the franglais title track "levez vosskinny fists," a benefitingoverture to this collection of these tracks, which are both symphonicandexpansive in nature. Perhaps the album's most remarkable moment occursat thebeginning of the second disc, when the wailing guitar of "Monheim"seems tohauntingly filter across a stark background and eventually build into amilieureminiscent of "Moya," from last year's 'Slow Riot' ep.Another highlight is "World Police," which shows the band at their mostfundamental, finding equilibrium and running with it, consuming intheir pathall the dynamics and rhythms the band members can muster. Even if youhave themp3s, caught them on their recent tours, it is highly recommendedthat you pick up this document of this innovative band coming to age.samples:
Boy am I in a weirdposition with this disc. First off, I'm thinking, "Am I the only onewho doesn't find it great any more? The formula has been used by theseguys for four albums and the songs aren't getting any stronger at all."From the first few songs (try 11) I feel strangely like I've heard thisentire album before. In fact if anything, it seemed as if this grouphas completely run out of ideas. Most of the songs start up incrediblypromising but become way too repetitive all too soon, going nowhere inthe end. But I listen on, remembering that I have liked their albums inthe past, and this group does indeed put on an incredible live show[hint: if they ever get off their asses and do a proper tour ratherthan small industry showcases, they might gain some fans outside of thecritic community]. The kitch-and-moog combo has become stale this timearound, and loads of extra session musicians hasn't seemed to help. Nowthat you've hoarded all this vintage analogue gear, learn how to writesome good songs with it, folks! The saving grace almost arrives at theend with the epic closer "The Regent Is Dead," and I'm thinking "wow,one great song!," but it's already too late. They pull the old "let'sthrow in 10 minutes of blank space after the song's over" routine,completely ruining this album for me once again. Sorry folks, you'rejust not 'cute' anymore.
Anti-Pop Consortium are the NYC based MC trio of Beans, Priest and M.Sayyid and producer/engineer Earl Blaize. "Tragic Epilogue" is theirdebut, 3 years in the making, and is obviously the product of learnedmen - former art students and serious hip hop fans who've paid theirdues in the underground spoken word and writing scenes. Anti-Popdon't seem concerned with the mainstream but they do expose all ofit's weaknesses out of necessity. Old school influence embraces theafter-future, musically and lyrically, to create something I've neverquite heard anyone do before. The complicated, tongue twisting rhymesof each MC calmly flow out of the speakers in a mind numbing yet beatprecise manner and may at times require a dictionary, thesaurus and afinger on the rewind button to decipher. Topics are far from limitedto the usual MC-isms and the occasional disses make most every otherdis you've ever heard sound generic in comparison. Blaize's productionis a fittingly sparse foundation of melody, low end and beats rich withalien atmospheres and interstellar sound bytes. Think minimal hip-hop.Think New York City. Think intelligent, imaginative and uniquely odd,minus the usual contrived genre cliches. "Tragic Epilogue" might bechapter one of the future of hip hop, or at least I hope it is. Thedigipack includes sharp liner notes by Greg Tate and a bonus cd-romwith some software and a slick quicktime video for "Sparadic" by 75 ArkRecords (75ark.com) label mates Encore. Also available from Anti-Popare remix singles for "Lift" and "What Am I? / Laundry".
You'll find the usual Cologne suspects on the list of Dankes in the notesthe latest Joe Zimmerman release. But as the cover art (a circle oftraditional Teutonic dancers caught in a mid-air leap) visually suggests, themusic is brighter and poppier than the output of most his A-Musik labelmates.Like much of Sclamm's previous work, 'Augenwischwaldmoppgefloete'(Eyeswipeforestflute or somthing like that) takes a flighty, melodic bent,sounding more like a video game soundtrack than any type of hip pomo pastiche:it's more Alex Kidd than Kid 606. (Actually, the opening track"Konfliktfickfahig" is more Super Mario than Alex Kidd). This aesthetic senseof unity and seamlessness is what characterizes most of the Cologne crowd andsets them apart from imitators, and Schlammpeitziger takes it even further withan almost naive simplicity of bouncy rhythms and Casio bleeps. Rather thansounding pedestrian, it's refreshing to the ears. If you liked any of hisearlier stuff, you'll dig this one.
Jake Trusell's firstfull-length release through Varunee compiles two of his 12" singlespreviously issued on his own Bliss Recordings label. The disc howeveris divided up into three sections: Roots consists of the songs"Carrot," "Radish," "Turnip," and "Beet." All of which are somewhatmedium paced, musically conscious, beat heavy gems. Wreck is the nextsection featuring four lengthy decontructed dub-influenced serene,hypnotic numbers. Remix rounds out the collection, featuring Jake's ownremix of "Percussive Wave" from the 'Wreck' portion and an outstandingglimmering remix of "Carrot." [Hey Vat-boy, when's the next fuckingalbum???!!] What separates Jake Trusell from many of the other viciouselectronica upstarts is his ability to incorporate fine melodies intohis interplay. All too often electronic beat-oriented artists will gofor the cutthroat dancefloor stuff which will be forgotten once thehangover clears. Young Trusell here appears to be more focused onmaking albums for listening and pulling from the shelves to hear longafter the current trends are forgotten.
Every thirtynothing andtwentysomething was a teenager once, many were in their youths in the80s and weren't exposed to good music for a long while. Hence, manyfans of indie rock, post-kraut, electronic and other stuff that broughtyou to this website were into very bad popular metal in the 1980s. Mostare too embarassed to admit this private and personal matter, exceptfor the Fucking Champs (formerly known as the ch43p5). "IV" rings inwith a sound all too familiar, thankfully the worst part of the 80smetal (the makup and lead singer) are left out of their formula. What'sleft are pure, raw steaming wanky guitar power and drum solos, readyfor the Yngwie Malmsteen fan we left behind. Look for them on tour withPole and Red House Painters next spring. 
Borrowing the title fromHafler Trio's "Four Ways of Saying Five," this tribute CD from Hushushis divided into four equal 15 minute parts and arranged alphebeticallyby artist. Featured here are Aube, Lilith, P.A.L. and Propeller. Thefour selections are both tributal and derivative. Much like HaflerTrio's work, all are very spacious, intoxicating, compelling anddreamlike, pulling the listener into a trance and then yanking the rugout with a sudden change. They are cold-calculated and devious,everything is intentional. These pieces are in no way easy to digestnor do they rest well with the listener, which make them all the morefascinating, much as Hafler Trio's work. Perhaps this is why I've saton this disc for months now without saying a word. Listen to the tracksand judge for yourself.
Volcano the Bear returnswith their second full-lengther, this time without the help of StevenStapleton. "The One Burned Ma" is a collection of 4-track recordingsand is truly stellar in parts, downright bizarre in others. What wouldyou expect from a surrealist rock band? Violins, organic samples,electronic fuckery, unconventionally played guitars, creepy melodieswhich might make more sense on hallucinogens, this one's got the works!Each song gently glides into the next making it quite an adventurouscollection which is allegedly a compilation of 4-track recordingsspanning four years. The disc was released on the small, NY-based Misalabel, yet it still has the emotional support from the World Serpentcrew. Don't miss this group on the road in the US right now as I haveno idea what to expect. Dates are posted at the 
As if Low haven'treleased enough music this year, Tugbot releases this single of threenew songs in the UK this week. "Dinosaur Act" carries the title with asong the group has been performing around the country recently, soon totouch down in Europe. Most definitely the most muscular track on thedisc (others might say 'the strongest') the song jumps in louder andmore distorted than what the Low sound is used to possessing, but oncethe vocals begin and song develops, it's clearly nobody else."Overhead," the middle child is by no means a mediocre track, butclearly rests between the strength of the other two. It's a thunderousLow track where it seems as if the glorious vocal harmony has beenyanked from its original music, and dropped in a sea of sounds echoingand building off each other. "Don't Carry it All" ends the disc withone of those Low tunes you can't believe a young group came up with - asong which could easily be destined to become a rock and roll standardfor years to come. Once the disc ends however, I can't get this damnedsong out of my head for the rest of the day. Small but powerful, thisis one of my fave singles of the year.
