Music
Air
Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin, known as
Air, are a huge part of the "French Scene" which has been flourishing the
past few years. Their music is on the surface retro 70s atmospheric, Moog and
all, but further listening reveals the deep, multi-layered quality of 90s "trip
hop" music, replacing the schizophrenia of Portishead and Tricky with French
arrogance. The lyrics are the most original aspect of their creations, so
ambiguous that your mind has the freedom to make any connection or meaning to
the songs that you like. Despite their trippy, hilarious themes, they somehow
fit perfectly with the mood of the music! Best of all, Moon Safari was
their American debut, so if the trend of the best bands to become more refined
as they continue holds with Air, we can look forward to many more
fabulous albums from them.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Two-parts Bo Diddley,
one-part Beastie Boys, and one-part Jim Morrisson. What the hell are
three artsy New York white guys doing rockin' out like it's Friday night at the
Smokin' Crawfish Roadhouse in Louisiana bayou country?
Stereolab
60s Brian Wilson-esque pop, retro synthesizers,
French Marxist lyrics. Stereolab's sound truly captures the feel that their name
implies, experimental. Listening to them is like watching an old James Bond
movie, only this time the Russians win. "Oh 007, I'm afraid your decadent
capitalist friends cannot save you here in my underwater base!"
Urge Overkill
This three man band out of Chicago Illinois
brought a little bit of the 70s into the music scene of the early and mid 90s.
Their most popular album, Saturation, was from start to finish straight
forward heavy and hard but smooth grooves from that era of narcissism. They gave
the classic movie Pulp Fiction even more character with their opium
lounge rendition of Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon. Their last release,
Exit the Dragon marked their final transition into the decadent lifestyle
that they sung about. It was not as catchy as Saturation, but was much
deeper and soulful. After listening to Exit the Dragon, nobody should be
surprised at the band's decline into heroin burnout that marked their demise.
Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto is definitely not a J-Poop band. They
will never become the flavor of the month on Hey Hey Hey, never be on the
same stage with Speed or Dos, and they even write their own songs.
Hell, I bet they have even picked up an insturment or two! Made up of two
Japanese expats Miho Hattori and Yuka Honda, these gaijin have taken the now
predictable New York sound of the Beastie Boys, Luscious Jackson,
Sean Lennon, and all the others resting on their laurels in SoHo and gave it new
life with....FOOD METAPHORS!
Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin, a.k.a Richard D. James is a man
whose music defies categorization. It is electronic in origin but has a soul,
however unconventional it may be. He does not make songs in the traditional
sense, but non-linear sonic worlds that surround the listener and take him to
undiscovered realms of this universe.
Ween
"Smack dab in the middle of a situation overlooked
by fools. Tables turned, lessons learned u get burned for playin' by the rules.
Time is lost, that's the cost oh brother you got shit on in the end. Scrape 4 a
dollar, you'll die smilin' learnin' the same lessons once again."
Goin
Gets Tough from the Get Go
Mazzy Star
If you are the kind of person that associates
music with places and times, then Mazzy Star will probably conjure images of a
dark, moonless, gothic night in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Like
molasses, their slow, creepy sound takes some time to grow into the far recesses
of your mind, but once there does not leave.
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