this section doesn't really have anything to do with the band but i like to turn folks on to all the cool stuff i've been turned on to. some of this stuff is old, some is new. i pay for about 98 percent of this stuff with my very own hard earned cash so i have no hidden agenda. most of the stuff i write about is available on CD but i've been buying a lot of vinyl again so some of it may be out of print. please write and tell me about stuff that you think i might like.
december 2002
the black heart procession - amore del tropico - so i haven't really listened to this one enough to have a firm opinion. i heard a couple songs in a record store and it sounded like i would really like it. but when i listened to it at home all the songs started to sound a bit samey. i've only listened to a couple of times so far but i haven't been blown away like i had hoped i would be. coulda been my mood. it shares certain characteristics with music i like. minor keyed and slightly exotic sounding. and depressing which i tend to like alot. i didn't hate it by any means and i hope to come to like it more with some more listens. i guess this wouldn't really pass for a real review in a magazine or newspaper where the critic gives you a definitive opinion on a cd that he/she got that afternoon and fast forwarded through most of it but it's all i got. 2002.
beth gibbons and rustin man - out of season - this, on the other hand, i loved immediately. beth gibbons is the singer from portishead and rustin man is a guy who used to be in talk talk and orang. i am a fan of both portishead and talk talk so it's not too suprising that i like this combo but really this shit goes wrong all the time. beth does more with her voice on this album than the billie holiday impersonation that she usually does though she does that too. nice arrangements. soulful and spare a little folky in places. you can occasionally here the talk talk influence creep in a bit but not a whole lot. this record sounds great on first listen but i expect it to be a grower as well. 2002.
the flaming stars - the story so far 1995-2000 - english band i think. i bought this collection on alternative tentacles after numerous mentions on the big takeover mailing list. at times they remind me of both jesus and mary chain and tindersticks even a little jazz butcher sometimes. i really like it even though the feel isn't very consistent. but what do you expect with a collection? kinda derivative but i definitely want to here more. the singer used to be in gallon drunk for a bit which they also remind me of. fun stuff. 1995-2000.
francoiz breut - vingt a trente mille jours - french girl singer released on bella union the label started by one of that cocteau twins guy. they also put out lift to experience so there is your local connection. it's a neat mixture of the typical french girl pop stuff mixed with a more modern indie rock sound. i believe her boyfriend is a star in france and i think he had a lot to do with the songs and the production. but she has a great voice and interesting delivery. one of my favorite recent purchases. 2001.
introduction to the french nouvelle generation - cuisine non-stop - staying on the french tip this is a compilation of new french music on david byrne's luaka bob label. there's a couple of stinkers but overall it's pretty enjoyable and there are a few artists that i will try to find more from. once again most of the artists have qualities that you would think of as typically french but often they include the influences of hip-hop, electronic music and some indie shit. i can't remember any of the artists names but face it, i just listen to this stuff because i imagine that it will make french girls like me. i never even meet any french girls. check it out. 2002.
david cross - shut up you fucking baby - sub pop releases a comedy record and there probably is a better choice than david cross of mr. show fame. recorded live during his tour of rock clubs last year that included a stop in dallas. now i'm a real big mr. show fan and i liked david's hbo special the pride is back but this cd isn't as funny as i had hoped. david's stand up stuff is more like a series of rants rather than jokes. i found myself agreeing with most of the stuff he says but i didn't laugh as much as i thought i would. i'm guessing that in trying to avoid sounding like a typical hack comedian cross sometimes forgets to include the funny. other times he loses laughs by stumbling over lines. there are definitley some funny moments and he still seems like i'd like to hang out with him but i would have preferred to hear a little more craft. 2002.
queen - a night at the opera - this is a surround sound remix of queen's first super big album. backstory: i've always had a soft spot for queen as bohemian rhapsody was the first rock record that i ever bought when i was 9 or 10. cut to a couple of months ago when i noticed that there was a queen tribute band called queen for a day playing at club dada. normally i avoid club dada like the plague but this seemed like it would be for a laugh. i wasn't prepared to be blown away. i had forgotten how good many of queen's songs were especially if you like stuff that's a bit heavy on the dramatics. well, i like the divine comedy so you know i like the drama. anyways the singer in this tribute band absolutley nails freddie mercury. i mean the voice is perfect, the moves are perfect, everything except the buck teeth. so after i saw them i went a big queen jag and went out and bought a couple of cd's a video compilation on dvd. so to the point this record is actually better than i remembered it to be with just a couple of exceptions. deaths on two legs is really mean and tuff sounding, lazing on a sunday afternoon is a fun music hall pastiche and love of my life is a great ballad. this is one of the records that defined over produced but the songs are mostly great and freddie's voice is incredible. i'm sure that this is the kind of shit that the bands that would become my favorites were rebelling against but i love it and i don't care who knows. oh yeah, i didn't give too much of a shit about the surround sound remix. whatever. 1975.
Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Diabate, Ko Kan Ko Sata Doumbia - mali music - so white guy damon albarn of blur goes to africa to jam with a bunch of musicians from mali, records the jams, edits the jams into new songs forms and sends the tapes back to africa to be futzed with some more by the mali musicians and presto, you got an album. and it's suprisingly good. i am a blur fan but these kind of collaborations often turn out pretty crappy. whether driven by guilt or driven by a sense of intellectual superiority the white guy in these kind of projects usually sucks the life out of and yuppifies what was probably some pretty cool african music (see paul simon). but this actually seems to work. damon's sesnse of melody combines nicely with mali melodies. and even though i'm sure albarn messed with the recordings a lot it nevers feels "cleaned up". i'm not so sure i understand the term world beat but don't let your lack of familiarity with african music scare you away from this. nice. 2002.
joe strummer and the mescaleros - global a go-go - this one also has a little world beat influence though not as overt. that's nothing new though as the clash were never afraid to mix it up with funk and reggae and the like. i didn't care for what i had heard of joe's last album rock art and the x-ray style but it sounds like the band has come into it's own on this album. i had been meaning to pick this one up for awhile because i had heard it was good but i've learned not to expect too much from my former heroes so i put it on the back burner. i can't think of a singer who sings out of tune as well as strummer and it's a pleasure to once again hear him singing material that is worthy of that voice. still haven't listened enough to pick out favorites. incidentally, i've heard that joe is a paul simon fan. i'll forgive him. 2001.
the libertines - up the bracket - i'll continue to connect the cd's by mentioning that this one was produced by mick jones of the clash. i'd read a lot about this band and had even heard one song on the internet that i quite liked. this had all the earmarks for a record that i would really dig but i'm not too sure. i'm not quite ready to label it a disappointment but so far it doesn't quite add up to the sum of its influences (the jam, old blur, the strokes if the strokes themselves can actually be an influence). as a matter of fact some of the songs sound like direct strokes rips. granted the production and playing is much rawer. this also reminded me a bit of the only ones. the melodies were not immediately as strong as i had hoped but perhaps they will grow on me. it occurs to me that perhaps i should updates some of these reviews after i've lived with the records a bit longer. yeah, i'm sure i'll do that. 2002.
the coral - skeleton key e.p. - i've been waiting for a domestic version of their album to be released but for now this domestic e.p. will have to do. i bought this at the same time as the libertines cd and i think i would have been better off getting the full coral album at import prices rather than getting the libertines cd. the coral e.p. seems much more interesting and though some influences shine through they seem to have resulted in a unique sound that doesn't owe much to any currently hot groups. the singer sometimes reminds me of lee mavers from the la's (both bands are from liverpool) but musically the coral don't seem to share much with the la's. slightly psychedelic and willfully fucked-up. i hear these guys are all around 19 and 20 years old. fuckers. 2002.
gary wilson - you think you really know me - i'm not to sure what to say about this. i'm always a little unsure when commenting on stuff created by people who are real crazy (as opposed to faux crazy like most rockers). and in this instance i'm just assuming that the guy is wacked. but this cd and the pictures inside make a pretty good case. the music is pretty well played vaguely prince-like new wavey r&b stuff. since this was originally released in 1977 it would seem he was ahead of his time. the vocals and lyrics are where the cd gets kinda creepy. gary's voice is not what you call tuneful or good and the lyrics seem to be obsessed with making out. at least part of the appeal of a record like this is laughing at someone that seems so strange and that's what makes me a little uncomfortable. having said that the guy was obviously talented and his history listed in the liner notes lead me to believe that there may be more going on than i would have originally believed. despite the novelty aspect this is still and interesting and fun cd. 1977.
the band - music from big pink - yeah, i know. i'm kinda late getting into the band. but they've been on my list for a long time. it's both as good as i had heard and a bit of a letdown. it has rural sound but there are also some really forward thinking production and instrumentation choices. i like a lot of the songs but perhaps i expected something a little more life changing. having said that it is way better than most of the bands that cite them as a major influence. my copy is a 2000 remaster with a bunch of extra songs that might be more interesting if you are way into the band. i'll buy some more. on a side note - james (lcc guitarist) does an absolutely hilarious impersonation of levon helm narrating a vh1 documentary (legends) on the who. james' imitation hilights the incongruity of helms' deeply southern voice talking over the story of 4 young mods from swinging london. well ya got to hear it i guess. 1968.
electric light orchestra - el dorado - i like some elo but i'm not willing to defend their whole catalog by any means. or even most of it. but as it happens i heard this record at club dada the same night that i saw queen for a day. i recognized it as elo but i wasn't sure what album it was so i asked the soundman. the next day i owned my own copy. not as hokey as a lot of elo but it is a concept album. mostly i like the tunes. boy blue and poor boy (the greenwood) are especially good. can't get it out of my head is the only hit from this album and i like it too. this remaster has a couple of extras. 1974.
september 2002
The Flamin Groovies - Groovies' Greatest Grooves - part of me think's it kind of a cop out, buyin greatest cd's but sometimes it's the best way to find out if you even like a group that you may have heard of but not heard. or what era of the band you like if they changed a lot during their time. flamin groovies had been on my list to check out for a while when i finally picked this up earlier this year. san francisco band from the late 60's to the early 80's. british invasion mixed with 1950's style rock and roll and r&b. favorite song is slow death but lotsa great songs here including covers of absolutely sweet marie and river deep mountain high (which is one of my favorite songs and i'm trying to see how many versions of it i can find...such a great song and i have not found a version yet that i didn't like). haven't followed up with a non greatest hits purchase yet but will try to pick up teenage head soon. 1969-1979.
Ultravox - The Island Years - as a someone who was around when mtv first started, i am familiar with ultravox's vienna as one of the five vidoes that they played every hour. i had known that ultravox had a life before midge ure and his pencil thin mustache fronted the band but i hadn't really heard much from the time when john foxx led the band. much more guitar oriented and roxy music influenced. i would wager that damon albarn is pretty familiar with this era of ultravox from the sound of a couple of songs. even though i do like vienna and a couple of other midge era songs there is no doubt that the foxx era comes out on top. another compilation but i have since gone back and picked up a couple of the full albums on vinyl. 1977-1979.
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story - picked up a couple of rod's early solo records as well as ooh la la by faces and the greatness of these albums only serves to illuminate what a total waste of space he has been for the last 28 years or so. i know that he may exist in your mind only as the do ya think i'm sexy dude or as the skinny old man with stupid hair second only to mick jagger in the please stop embarrasing yourself department and it may be hard to believe that he used to have great songs and great musicians to compliment his soulful vocals but believe me kids, there was a time, there really was a time. i love the way the acoustic guitars mix with the drums that sound like they were recorded in your living roon. and you realize how wonderful maggie may sounds when it's not sandwiched between china grove and pearl necklace. 1971
Shannon Wright - Dyed In the Wool - i had never heard a single recorded song but i was absolutely fuckin blown away after seeing shannon live last april. she was one of the least self-conscious performers i have ever seen. she totally lost herself in her performance and she was great on both guitar and keyboards plus the songs all had a real sense of drama. surprisingly all that drama transferred pretty well to cd. can't wait to see her again. 2001
Kinks - BBC Sessions 1964-1977 - alternate versions of lotsa Kinks songs recorded for especially for broadcast on state run BBC radio. Most of the songs on disc one (which covers the 60's) are at least as good as their studio counterparts. even though the second disc isn't really as good it does have some interesting versions of songs like victoria, skin and bones and celluloid heroes. 1964-1977
The Ruts - Criminal Minds - i've always had a soft spot for late 70's british punk but i have my favorites so there are still a lot of bands that i have overlooked. i was unfamiliar with the ruts except for the song babylon's burning so i picked up this compilation. overall i'm pretty underwhelmed. they just didn't have the tunes or the energy that i feel some their contemporaries had. maybe it will grow on me but i get the feeling no. babylon's burning is still pretty good though. 1977-1979
Nick Lowe - The Convincer - i like this even more overall than dig my mood (which i loved). nick just sounds so in control of his voice. most of the songs are kinda mellow and soul influenced with really understated arrangements. and nick has mostly dropped the overly clever lyric writing style that could make some of his older songs seem kind of novelty-ish. it's really encouraging to hear a songwriter doing his best work this far into his career. 2001
The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone - a few of these guys used to be in johnathan fire eater who i really liked. you can hear the progression from jfe to the walkmen but (just like the reviews i read said) you can also hear some early U2 influence. the walkmen are one of those bands who will probably have a problem balancing attitude with delivering the goods but this album does have a pretty unique sound that falls (just barely) on the good side of pretentiousness. 2002
Fred Neil - Bleecker & Macdougal - folk guy from the 60's maybe best known for writing the theme to midnight cowboy everybody's talkin' (a hit for harry nilsson). he's got a deep baritone voice that can sound a little hokey if you're not used to it but it just sounds rich and warm once you get into it. much great acoustic guitar playing. i'm not a big folk guy (so far) but i like this album quite a bit. 1965
X - Los Angeles - rhino reissue of x's first album. i'm not a fan of their version of the door's soul kitchen (ray manzarek produced this album) and the bonus tracks don't do a lot for me but the rest of this album is awesome. especially cool are the title track and johny hit and run paulene. x were definitely one of the best bands of the early 80's and one of favorites from the LA scene (though i got a lot of learning to do) and i don't understand why their profile is so low these days. many inferior bands from the same time seem to cast a larger shadow on the punk kiddies of today. prolly cause their lyrics were never really on the goofy side. too adult for today's punks. god was billy zoom super guitar player. 1980
old reviews
