Vivian on 3/2/2006 at 12:54

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This week I have been stuffing the following down my ears:

Soul Coughing: Irresistible Bliss

This CD is wicked bad. It sounds like a collision between red snapper, chicago jazz, an organ grinder and that bug-eyed guy with the hunted look you've seen hanging around in coffeeshops. I found it in a charity shop for £3 a few months after I accidentally went to see Soul Coughing at the Reading festival (Literally: I was pissed and got lost on the way to the toilet. They were playing all the stuff off 'el oso' and they rocked) and I've been in love with it ever since.

PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love

I got this for christmas, and like all PJ Harvey records its a fucking marvellous collection of terrifying shrieking and grunting set to decently heavy guitar work, suprisingly delicate arrangements, and some abstract electro-ish beats. If I were a woman this album would make me want to climb a tree naked and howl at passers-by. As it is, it just makes me wish PJ Harvey would climb trees naked near my house and howl at me.

MF Doom: MM... Food

Its taken me a bit of a while to get into this: Its a lightly wierd album from a man who dresses up as Doctor Doom to hide the fact he's Zev Love X from KMD, and on the first few listens it didn't really grab me. Mainly because the best song on the album is at the end - 'Kookies', which sounds like 50's car-chase music interspersed with sesame street samples and doom going on about wanking. Once I determined you had to listen to the album in reverse, and loud, it all went swimmingly - I would recommend this to any fans of Kool Keith/Dr Octagon-style rap who are looking for something that mentions rectums a little less often.

Squarepusher: Budakhan Mindphone

I think this album was the first time I realised Squarepusher could play the bass. I dunno what made me dig this out, as I've had it for years. I think it fell off the shelf onto my head or something. Anyway, I realised that I hadn't actually listened to it properly beyond the first track (Iambic 5 Poetry: A simply gorgeous, laid back summer reverb of a tune. If clouds actually were giant floating cows, this is the sort of melodious mooing they'd make) as the rest of it seemed impenetrably wierd at the time. Given the benefit of age and wisdom, the rest of this album is fantastic - it ranges in style from the paranoid dub-ish techno swelling of 'Fly Street' to the cinematic 'The Tide' and the frankly unsettling 'Gong Acid', which sounds like a bunch of ADD kids in a bucket shop. I recommend for anyone with an interest in... I dunno. Drugs?

Mr Bungle: California

I really don't know what happened with this one. I think Faith No More splitting up must have finally got to Mike Patton, because after the previous albums morass of farting noises, screeching and gongs, this is basically a pop album. And a fucking great one, at that: 'Pink Cigarette' and 'Retrovertigo' both have a chorus that Bacharach would be proud of, and 'The Air-Conditioned Nightmare' sounds like the Beach Boys being chased by a monster. Also 'None Of Them Knew They Were Robots' is possibly my favourite song title ever. I would recommend this CD to anyone with ears and taste.


What you been listening to?

Vivian on 3/2/2006 at 14:48

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Yeah, but are they any good? What do they sound like?

Vernon on 3/2/2006 at 14:54

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The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers

Eponymous debut from Boston protopunk group fronted by Jonathan Richman - wicked raw production, sounds like they only did a couple of takes as there are still mistakes in his lyrics, which he covers up with a weird dry sense of humour. You can definitely hear the roots of punk here, but that isn't where it ends - there is some Doors style organ, hints of reggae and some really brilliant singalong sections. He has this fantastic deadpan way of singing and it brings across the subject matter really well - growing up as a young adult in the city, girls that run off with drugged-up hippies etc. All in all a fantastic album and well worth your time - a contender for my album of the year.

The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth

I was kinda worried about this album all last year - there were tracks leaked onto the radio and the internet and speculation about this being the one that proved the cynics correct. Well as far as I'm concerned, they knocked the journos for six. This is a fantastic album that departs greatly from their previous two. The first track lets you in easily, being the most similar to the anthem-style songs on 'Is This It?' and 'Room on Fire,' but from the leaked track 'Juicebox' in, this is certainly different stuff. Producers David Kahne and Gordon Raphael have put Julian Casablancas right at the front of this album, and pressured him about his lazy-arse vocals. He's actually singing properly now, not just moaning and whining about New York and girls. Check 'Vision of Division' for some fucking crazy guitar from Nick Valensi on his big ol' custom Epiphone. The guy is off the wall. Ask Me Anything is probably the prettiest song they've ever written, too. Anyway, great album.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

The so-called 'next big thing' from Sheffield, England, even the Stones are pimping these guys. Their first album is a snapshot of chavvin' it England and takes you from small towns to the clubs in the cities and everything in between. For me, this is how I remember growing up as a young scally in Liverpool - running away from the police, underage drinking etc. The pinch is that these guys are getting hugely hyped up in the UK and US press - I just hope they don't go down the path of the Libertines (drugs) or Oasis (sold-out lager-lad anthems ). Best lyric: 'There's only music so that there's new ringtones'

Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash

I don't know if the TTLG guys who are into Aphex Twin have heard this, but it is certainly one of his more casually diverse compilations. Remix probably doesn't describe these works very well, but he's basically reworked everything from Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie & Philip Glass, Jesus Jones, Saint Etienne, The Beatniks, DMX Crew, Luke Vibert (well, no surprises there) and Mike Flowers Pops. If you're a fan of this guy's music, get your headphones and put this on.

Briareos H on 3/2/2006 at 15:11

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Samael - Ceremony of Opposites [Black Metal] 7/10
Slightly better than Exodus, the last Samael album before their turn to a more electronic sound (which I love BTW). Very good but a bit repetitive.

Haggard - Awaking the Centuries [Symphonic (?) Metal] 10/10
Haggard - Eppur si Muove [Symphonic (?) Metal] 11/10
I've discovered Haggard some years ago with Awaking the Centuries, and I can't help but listen to these albums repeatedly. This band is fucking sex <3 <3.
Basically, metal & doom metal mixed with REAL classical music with REAL instruments and REAL singers. German bands at their best. Latin / English / Italian / German / French languages :D

Anorexia Nervosa - Redemption Process [Symphonic (?) Black Metal] 9/10
Wikipedia sez Epic & Melancholic. I say fucking genius. I usually don't like Black Metal that much, but THIS, this is fucking great. A french band singing in english and french.

Orbital - (Discography) [Electronic] 6.5/10
I quite like orbital. Inequal albums but good overall. Go for the long live sessions, they usually rock.

Yoko Kanno - Ghost In The Shell : Stand alone Complex OST 3 [Electronic] 8/10
Better than OST 2, same level as OST 1/+ : excellent work.

Punish Yourself - Sexplosive Locomotive [Metal Hardcore :U] 7/10
Well, take 'hardcore'. Take 'metal'. Take talent. Mix them. Very appealing for both metal and electro fans. Love it.

Nobuo Uematsu - FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC [Game Soundtrack] 10/10
A symphonic OST for Final Fantasy VIII. To me, the best FF OST so far. If you like FF music, this is a MUST HAVE.

SubJeff on 3/2/2006 at 15:57

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No albums as such but a random compliation as selected by iTunes and put on my iPod. I'll list a few that have necessitated use of the "back" button.

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd: Yeah, you all know the smooth melodiousness of this dark but somehow uplifting track. And if you don't you should. Vocal superiority in here and less focus on guitar-ness, although the solo/outro is truly electifying and satisfyingly long. No match for the simple choral pleasures though.

Spiralmind - Ozric Tentacles: Typically meandering (wank, too, if you believe Noid) electro-guitar psychedlia, likely 'shroom fueled if their covers and the organic sound is anything to go by. But that's just the band. This track I find interesting because the bass, rather than being the backing instrument, leads it for alot (whilst aaaall the other stuff is happening). A good intro to the Ozrics if you haven't heard them before. Over 10 minutes long btw. Par for the course then :P

Dead Souls - The Joy Division: Superior guitar laden gloom that's somehow jangly. Fantastic build up that's somehow lo-fi and yet very cleverly arranged imbuing a real sense of tension. Far, far better than the NIN cover both musically and vocally.

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins: Pure coincidence that I'm into GTA:VC right now, but I so like Phil. This is a much darker track than his usual and is a great, great night driving accompanyment. If you always found Phil lame listen to this, forget who it is, and realise that you've been wrong all along. Wonderful build up, dramatic drumroll into the climax and if you ever saw the Miami Vice episode but never really listened to the lyrics then do so - the synergy between it's use and it's reality is poetic.

Auf Der Maur - Followed the Waves: The only single off the album that was aired in the UK and the reason I asked my EMI contact to get me the CD. Girl rock of a most pleasurable type. Not genius by any means but she has a bone to pick and does it with much guitar gusto. I liked the trousers and heels too.

Rebirth of the Cool - Afghan Whigs: Mellow and groovy. A bit funky. I don't really like this band because I find that cool beginings of tracks often lead into mediocrity. Not so here. It's not remarkable but it's nice to groove along to. Another night driving choon. Why on earth does it remind me of Fool's Gold?