R
Radiohead&emdash; OK Computer (Capitol US, Parlophone
UK)
Opinions of this record have pretty
much been 50/50. The reason why so many people dislike it is because
they think it's too pretentious and art wank for the band's own good.
But that's precisely the reason why I dig it. It's just far enough
out there that the songs still retain their pop structures, but it's
not your run of the mill Brit indie either. And yes, Thom Yorke's
still writing those catchy hit songs - see "Paranoid Android" for
proof. Radiohead have done it again. "OK Computer" is a most
brilliant album indeed. (DW)
Redd Kross- "Show World" (This Way Up/Mercury)
I LOVE this band. I think they're the
greatest thing since sliced bread (or for a more recent reference,
the importation of Hooch into this country...) But I can't figure out
why more people don't agree with me... These guys have been churning
out brilliant creations for ages now and loads more individuals
should cop on to their highly addictive, power pop-infested punk
rock. And although I prefer their last effort, "Phaseshifter", to
this one, I still can't stop listening to "Show World". The McDonald
brothers have done it again. (DW)
Red Stars Theory- "But Sleep Came
Slowly" (Rx Remedy)
If you think this record contains the
angstiest elements of Lync and Modest Mouse, you have another thing
coming to you bucko. This recent effort by a Northwest supergroup of
sorts is a mellower, relatively tense-free soundscape into the
lovelorn minds of these four guys. ("Thick With The Paint Swaying" is
a fantastic little wankfest though.) James Bertrand of the sadly
missed Lync takes the helm, backed by the fantastic drumming of
Modest Mouse's Jeremiah Green and two Satisfact(ers). I bought the
record on Sunday, and have listened to it five times already. It's
Tuesday only and I just can't get enough. (DW)
S
Seahorses- Do It Yourself (Geffen)
A lot of people have found fault with
this album, disappointed that it doesn't sound more like The Stone
Roses. But what else would you expect from a bunch of people, still
bitter over the fact that "The Second Coming" was a major letdown?
But, "Do It Yourself" isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to
be. But by the same token, a lot of work still needs to be done. A
few of the tracks, especially "Blinded by the Sun," are strong, but
vocalist Chris Helme needs a little something extra to match up to
John's powerful guitar riffs. Still, I dig the record. But I guess
I'm not as critical as most others. (DW)
764-Hero- "We're Solids" (Up/Suicide Squeeze)
When track one 'Comb the Carpet'
kicks in you're well aware of the fact that this guy's got a bee in
his bonnet about something. However, the screaming soon gives way to
a more melodic angst that is a lot more pleasant to listen to.
(TW)
Silver Sun- "Silver Sun" (Polydor)
Two words : relentlessly poppy. Half
very punky slam of guitars, half happy guitar strumming. Attempts at
perfect pop-style harmonies that hit a high pitch very frequently.
Lyrics that may have more 'bite' than their delivery suggests. And
everything's at or below the 3:30 mark, with the basic
verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus til fade set up (with the
exception of "Animal's Feet", their shot at a piano ballad).
Actually, it sounds like the Beach Boys on speed. (Don't believe me?
Try listening to "Lava" or "Julia".) Tongues are planted firmly in
cheeks, and this isn't supposed to be anything but fun. Put it on and
just TRY not to bob your head around. (I tried and didn't bob my head
around...-eds.) (AE)
Sloan- "One Chord To Another" (Enclave US)
I think by now, we're all quite aware
of how much I love this band, championing them since the early days.
But they've returned after a short hiatus (read: breakup) and have
released a most phenomenal cd indeed. Sure it's laden with Beatles
inspiration, but it's brought to life by a style that's all their
own. They're truly brilliant and by all means, Chris Murphy should be
a superstar. So Run! Run! to your local record shop and buy a copy
already. (DW)
Space Monkeys - "Daddy of Them All" (Interscope US, Factory
UK)
Manchester 1997 circa 1992. This
debut album from Space Monkeys recalls the glory days of rave, when
Happy Mondays, Stone Roses and Primal Scream's "Screamadelica" were
all the rage. It's the updated version of baggy with a late 90s hip
hop groove - all meshed together with a Mancunian lager lout vibe.
When I first put this album on, I looked at my Stone Roses poster and
sighed. Because no matter how hard Ian Brown and John Squire will
attempt to win back the old school fans, they'll never make Roses
diehards as happy as when they listen to "Daddy of them All".
(DW)
Spectrum - "Forever Alien" (Reprise US)
Pete Kember&emdash;or as I still like
to call him, Sonic Boom - is one interesting, complex, and well,
fucked-up individual. But, he is also most definitely a genius. His
latest effort is more than ample proof. On each and every track, no
ground is left unexplored. Sounds and experimental tones come at you
from every direction - dark, spacey drones, vintage analog synths...
Minimalist and slightly experimental, "Forever Alien" is a welcome
change to the hundreds of indie bands churning out derivative rock
(not that I don't love my fair share, but...). 54 minutes of
soundscapes that transport you to another, higher level. It's one of
the most intriguing records I've heard lately. Leave it to Sonic to
challenge us and entertain us at the very same time. You will be
transported to another world. And on Sonic's planet, we are all
aliens. (DW)
Stereolab- "Dots and Loops" (Duophonic
UK, Elektra US)
It's warm & fuzzy, it's poppy,
it's...Stereolab? Where are all the quirky blips &
from-outer-space sounding instruments? Well, they're still there, but
in moderation. The use of (wait for it) acoustic guitars more than
suggests a change has happened. Not so much a move towards
accessibility but toward focusing on the tunes, the melodies, rather
than the weird instruments used to create the sounds. After listening
to it, you remember the actual songs, not the weird sounds that
popped up occasionally; always a good sign. As you get further into
the album, the quirk returns slightly, but even that feels like
there's a bit more emotion attached. High point of the album is
"Refractions in the Plastic Pulse," for being a whopping 17 minutes
without being boring - it actually sounds like several different
songs, all of which have a common thread linking them, but none are
just repetitions of the previous. And for band that used to seemingly
get off on being as out-there experimental as possible, for that to
be the only real "dabbling" and have it be successful gives them a
lot of credit. There's no mistaking it's Stereolab, but it's a more
user-friendly Stereolab. (AE)
Stereophonics- "Word Gets Around" (V2)
Three Welsh guys doing songs about
small-town life. Thankfully, it completely lacks the condescension
that would make you think "Britpop" in seeing the subject matter of
the songs. Also, comparisons to "another Welsh band" (you know, that
currently-hugely-popular group, member disappeared a few years
back...) go away once you hear that the songs are intensely personal,
but not in the MSP-style; no Nazi prison camp comparisons or songs
about self-destruction. Here, life's just frustrating and tedious.
With strong, heartfelt vocals, pounding guitars, some crankingly good
tunes (esp. "Local Boy In The Photograph" and the nearly-chirpy "More
Life In A Tramp's Vest") this is more than "a good debut album."
They've found a strong style early on in their recording career that
doesn't feel over-the-top or like a put-on, and makes me think this
band might be, along with worth listening to now, worth watching in
the future. (AE)
Strangelove- "Strangelove" (Food UK)
This, Strangelove's third album,
isÉwell, strange. The first two albums showcased a band that heartily
embraced gloom, moodiness & a whole lot of angst, mainly courtesy
of their singer, Patrick Duff, possessor of a set of vocal chords so
good that he could get away with the glum/angsty posturing.
Something's obviously changed in Strangelove-land, because the angst
is pretty much gone. Instead of introspection, there are abrasive,
up-front displays of emotion that seem to feel false. The music
follows suit, replacing the dramatic tension, swells & build-ups
of previous albums, with a sludge-fest of guitars. Exceptions to this
are a weirdly poppy "The Greatest Show On Earth" and the nicely muted
ballad "Jennifer's Song". Strangelove's previous albums seemed to be
emotionally charged to a point where you felt like they were dangling
on the edge of "losing it," and this earned them the scorn of some
folks who weren't fond of whingeing. Now, they've switched, replacing
the old, more engrossing feelings with something that resembles anger
that's more "acceptable" - they just sound pissed-off in the same way
everyone else does. But, on them, it feels false.(AE)
Suede- "Coming Up" (Nude UK, Columbia US)
Losing your principal songwriter must
be a true bitch. Having everyone write you off as a result of the
loss, another bitch. Having to follow up a very orchestral, dramatic,
possibly overblown album (with equally overblown lyrics) that
positively screamed 'epic', still another bitch. Under these
circumstances, this album really should have been awful (should have
been? surely you mean is-eds). Surprise, surprise, this isn't as
dreadful as it could have been (Really? - eds). It's a return to the
form of the first album, with Brett Anderson's previously pretentious
lyrics replaced by 'life-around-me" lyrics that are logical and
(since they're about him and his friends) friendly. There are a few
choruses that are definitely crowd-pleasers (wisely, these have been
chosen as singles - "Trash", "Beautiful Ones", "Lazy"). It almost
feels like they read all of the harsh words about their last album
and acted on them; it's back to the glammy, 70s sound that got them
noticed in the first place.
I'd love this album except for one
problem: the vocals sound awful. I'm not sure if they sound metallic
(in a recorded in a tin can way) or are just pushed too far back in
the mix. But despite the fact that Brett can hit the tried-for notes,
it ends up sounding whiny, which isÉwell, a bitch (expected surely -
eds). (AE)
Suede- "Sci-Fi Lullabies" (Nude UK,
Columbia US)
"B-sides", as a general rule, tend to
fall into two categories: wacky little ditties & well-intentioned
songs that just didn't quite make it on to the album. Suede could
NEVER be considered a wacky bunch, so the first theory's not
represented here, a collection of nearly all of the "other songs from
the singles" (Suede don't call them "b-sides," don'tcha knowÉ). This
covers Suede's history in 2 CD's: the early days when their gauche,
glammy style was something entirely new and everyone who was anyone
fell in love with them (define anyone-eds); the mid-section when
Bernard Butler's head started to creep up his own posterior (as
lovely as the music isÉ"self-indulgence" was the order of the day at
that point); the "re-vamped" Suede who have achieved new success at
the hands of Brett & "The Young One" as co-writers and a more
straightforward approach to songwriting. The songs fit nicely into
either the guitar-wailer or piano-based melodrama categories, as
befits Suede's constant desire to take things seriously. As a
long-standing Suede fan, revisiting some of these songs does serve
the purpose of allowing you to "remember where you were when you
heardÉ{insert name of song}" Ébut I suspect this release is "for the
new fans" more than an attempt to convert naysayers to the wonders of
Suede or allow loyal from the beginning fans a stroll down Musical
Memory Lane. If this sounds a tad cynicalÉit is: while I understand
the desire to want to give "new fans" the chance to hear the older
singles, it still strikes me as being a "repackaging" con to separate
fans from pocket money. Putting that asideÉ as a collection of songs,
it perfectly represents all of the stages of Suede, with no songs
that had that little extra bit of magic like the ones that seemed
like natural choices as singles. SoÉno howlingly awful, embarrassing
skeletons in their musical closet, but no overlooked treasures
unearthed here. If Suede makes you want to put your fist through a
wall, you'll give this a miss as you've given everything else a miss.
If you love the band but don't have all of the singles, buy with
abandon to complete your Suede collection. If you've got themÉnothing
on here's worth owning twice. (AE)
The Sundays- "Static and Silence" (Geffen)
Since the beginning, The Sundays have
been a decidedly non-threatening band. With sweet, school-girly
singing, gentle guitar strumming and chiming melodies, this album is
the musical equivalent of sipping hot tea with honey - very warm,
pleasant and soothing. Completely devoid of sonic blasts, rock-out
moments or angst-filled diatribes, there's nothing exciting or
groundbreaking here, but I can't think of a better word to describe
it than "comfortable." For people who were familiar with The Sundays
before, this album's like running into an old friend and discovering
that nothing about them has changed - it may be a little
disconcerting at first, that sameness, but ultimately it's
reassuring. (AE)
Superchunk- "Indoor Living" (Merge)
Oh, I just don't know about this one.
As much as I love this band, it just seems as if they've lost some of
their edge that made all their past efforts so damn great. Is Mac in
love again? Are they no longer bitter? Are they all grown-up and
content? Okay, "Indoor Living" is not as bad as I'm making it out to
be. In fact "Nu Bruises" is a pretty stellar song. It's just that it
appears as if they didn't put their whole heart into the effort -
some songs just appear to be half-assed. It's too bad because they
really are a brilliant band - better luck next time.
(DW)
Symposium - Symposium (Infectious UK, Red Ant US)
An introduction for Americans to a
very, very exuberant five-piece. A lot of people have likened them to
Ash, probably because they're British, very young and share the same
UK label, Infectious. Although Symposium are as enthusiastic as Ash,
they take more cues from ska than Sonic Youth. Nonetheless, they are
a band to keep your eye on, They'll probably make a fortune with
their likeable formula. (DW)
Symposium- "One Day At A Time"
(Infectious UK, Red Ant US)
To make the comparison to the band
they may most resemble, this is the Symposium equivalent to Ash's
"Trailer" EP - a collection of Symposium's singles to date (minus
one) before they hunker down & record their first "proper" album.
Like Ash, this is a YOUNG band - all under twenty, except a doddering
22 year old. Also like Ash, they are extremely... exuberant. Really,
REALLY exuberant. Not a lot to speak of in the way of
thought-provoking lyrics (there's one song that has a chorus that
begins "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eightÉ" - no weight
of the world matters here), but that's made up for an intense
enthusiasm. They may be young, but they're going to be really fun to
watch grow up. (AE)
back to
albums
T to
Z
home
Send us mail!!! HeyHula1@aol.com
This page hosted by 
Get your own
Free Home
Page