More CDs assessed:
The Adored - A New Language [V2/Sheridan Sq. 2006]
Peppy New Wave/pop-punk. Catchy. A keeper for the while.
Ray Lema - Tyour Gnaoua [Buda/Tinder 2001] Gnawa / Congo for a Western audience. Buda has distributed the Ethiopiques series and Tinder a good batch of African material (though erring on the watered down side). Its hard to tell right away whether this is watered down.
Racine - Number One [PiaK 2004] Wendy James (Transvision Vamps) latest (all her own work), and surprisingly strong, since the sexy indie singles from her prior band felt manufactured. A keeper.
Various - Ride & Pride [Rhino 2000] Initially looked good. Erasure, Depeche Mode, Alison Moyet, BT, Saint Etienne covering Neil Young - mainly in club mixes. In practice, tedious after the first two minutes. Prefer the originals.
Alien Crime Syndicate - Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal [TOCP Japan 2004] Rockin' good. Worked fine as a soundtrack for packing boxes of LPs.
Skinnyman - Council Estate of Mind [Low Life 2004] The Streets-ish white UK rap. I like the sample of the skinhead movie "Made in Britain". Makes me want to rent that rather than play any more of the CD. The gangster-thing, even UK flavor, doesn't appeal.
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Olesi: Fragments of An Earth [Stones Throw] New soul informed by free-jazz, poetry-slams, black rights, and hip hop from clearly talented singer, multi-instrumentalist-producer. I struggle to really connect with old soul, so new soul, with the digital, hip-hop influence is even more challenging. The trendy label, Stones Throw, caught my attention. No doubt beloved of Other Music, Straight No Chaser, Gilles Peterson etc., which I've come to realize is rarely my thing.
Zodiac Mindwarp - Rock Savage [2005] Likeable hard-rock. Reminds me of hearing them on the Top 40 radio show in the late 80s. Delightfully straightforward and big sounding.
Shed Seven - One Hand Clapping - Demos 2001-2003 [Taste/Japan 2006] Second-rate Brit-indie, but thought demos might be a way to hear something raw. And I'm a sucker for Japanese editions, with the exotic Japanese script on the obi, and exclusive extra tracks. Last hope, the four acoustic tracks...nope. The songwriting just doesn't make an impression on me.
Daara J - Boomerang [Wrasse 2003] What a relief after Shed Seven. Senegalese hip hop, and now while I still can't connect to the songwriting (its in Wolof or whatever), musically this is vibrant. That said, I'll pass. I'm not enjoying rap, even in this fascinating context.
The Open - The Silent Hours [Polydor 2004] Blah rock. Gone.
The Audreys - Between Last Night and Us [Warner Australia 2006] Solid country-folk. A keeper.
The Adored - A New Language [V2/Sheridan Sq. 2006]
Peppy New Wave/pop-punk. Catchy. A keeper for the while.
Ray Lema - Tyour Gnaoua [Buda/Tinder 2001] Gnawa / Congo for a Western audience. Buda has distributed the Ethiopiques series and Tinder a good batch of African material (though erring on the watered down side). Its hard to tell right away whether this is watered down.
Racine - Number One [PiaK 2004] Wendy James (Transvision Vamps) latest (all her own work), and surprisingly strong, since the sexy indie singles from her prior band felt manufactured. A keeper.
Various - Ride & Pride [Rhino 2000] Initially looked good. Erasure, Depeche Mode, Alison Moyet, BT, Saint Etienne covering Neil Young - mainly in club mixes. In practice, tedious after the first two minutes. Prefer the originals.
Alien Crime Syndicate - Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal [TOCP Japan 2004] Rockin' good. Worked fine as a soundtrack for packing boxes of LPs.
Skinnyman - Council Estate of Mind [Low Life 2004] The Streets-ish white UK rap. I like the sample of the skinhead movie "Made in Britain". Makes me want to rent that rather than play any more of the CD. The gangster-thing, even UK flavor, doesn't appeal.
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Olesi: Fragments of An Earth [Stones Throw] New soul informed by free-jazz, poetry-slams, black rights, and hip hop from clearly talented singer, multi-instrumentalist-producer. I struggle to really connect with old soul, so new soul, with the digital, hip-hop influence is even more challenging. The trendy label, Stones Throw, caught my attention. No doubt beloved of Other Music, Straight No Chaser, Gilles Peterson etc., which I've come to realize is rarely my thing.
Zodiac Mindwarp - Rock Savage [2005] Likeable hard-rock. Reminds me of hearing them on the Top 40 radio show in the late 80s. Delightfully straightforward and big sounding.
Shed Seven - One Hand Clapping - Demos 2001-2003 [Taste/Japan 2006] Second-rate Brit-indie, but thought demos might be a way to hear something raw. And I'm a sucker for Japanese editions, with the exotic Japanese script on the obi, and exclusive extra tracks. Last hope, the four acoustic tracks...nope. The songwriting just doesn't make an impression on me.
Daara J - Boomerang [Wrasse 2003] What a relief after Shed Seven. Senegalese hip hop, and now while I still can't connect to the songwriting (its in Wolof or whatever), musically this is vibrant. That said, I'll pass. I'm not enjoying rap, even in this fascinating context.
The Open - The Silent Hours [Polydor 2004] Blah rock. Gone.
The Audreys - Between Last Night and Us [Warner Australia 2006] Solid country-folk. A keeper.
posted by David Poole at 8:01 PM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the recommendation. Will have to check out Racine - I've always liked Wendy James in spite of the manufactured leanings of her previous band's work. Somehow this one had escaped my attention.
Oh, sorry, wasn't meant to be anyonymous.
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