Friday 12/20
TOP 15 ROCK RECORDS OF '02
Clinic > Walking With Thee
Faux Jean > Nature
Buffalo Daughter > I
Weezer > Maladroit
Sonic Youth > Murray Street
Radio 4 > Gotham!
The Flaming Lips > Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Interpol > Turn On The Bright Lights
Coldplay > A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Beck > Sea Change
Barry Adamson > The King Of Nothing Hill
Spoon > Kill The Moonlight
Death In Vegas > Scorpio Rising
Simian > We Are Your Friends
Primal Scream > Evil Heat
And the winner is.....
INTERPOL > Turn On The Bright Lights.I wasn't expecting this to be the one,but somehow it grabbed me and now it won't let go.For me it's definitely a nostalgia trip,filled with all the best bits of early '80's Brit rock,moody and mellow in some places and raging in others.A very memorable set of tunes,which I can't wait to hear performed live!
Tuesday 12/17
RIP Mary Hanson,guitarist from Stereolab.
LADYTRON and
SIMIAN are touring the US together this March.What a show!.I'm there.
Wednesday 12/11
I've put up the first draft of my 100 favorite records of 2002.It might change a little over the next few weeks,and I'll probably pick out a few of my EXTRA favorites to try and whittle it down some.Not a bad year...
Sunday 12/8
I picked up METRO AREA's self titled debut today,and on it's first spin it has me hooked .This is the duo of Morgan Geist and Dershan Jesrani,both artists in their own right -Morgan's remix of THE RAPTURE's House Of Jealous Lovers is one of my fave remixes from this year.This is a killer collection of 80's flavored instrumental disco that goes straight for what was good about that era,adding a bit of '70's flavor too.Unlike a lot of the current '80's fixated stuff,this leaves out all the cheese,and instead hits you with some seriously funky grooves & the classic '80's synths/handclaps/sounds.Well produced and arranged -check the strings on Dance Reaction,I think this one's a late addition to my best of '02.
I also bought my ticket for January's INTERPOL show -woo-hoo!
Saturday 12/7
There's been a slight change in format this week...one less page to wade through.
BLUR are back in action in the UK with a white label 7" single release called (Don't Bomb) When You're The Bomb.Limited to less than 2000 copies,it's causing quite a stir as it signals a big change in sound and style.It's quite minimal and also very electro,due in large to the production of Norman Cook.I think a large contingent of their fans are going to hate it because it's so different.I've listened to it a bunch now and the chorus sounds a lot like Blur chorus should,but that's about the only thing that does.It's all synths and beats.I like it a lot.Thanks to THE RUB for the hookup.
Monday 12/02
Tevor Jackson AKA PLAYGROUP has taken the mash up fun of 2 Many DJ's a step further with the release of Partymix Volume 1.This is an 56 minute mixed set of nothing but intros from some 200 or so mostly '80s tunes,averaging between 10 and 30 seconds long,It sounds like it might be kind of annoying to listen to,but it's actually a total rush.I think the logic behind it is that you get that "musical high" of recognition of the songs,and that usually only lasts about 10 to 30 seconds anyway,so why bother with the rest of the song?There's some Stones,Human League,Nu Shooz,Michael Jackson,old skool hip hop,Blondie and more littered through out the mix.A highly inventive offering that had me smiling the whole way through!Also,there's a challenge from Trevor himself on his website to come up with a definitive tracklisting (which isn't provided with the CD),and you could win a prize of his choosing.
Saturday 11/30
The folks are in town for the next week,and they're staying with me & the family so there won't be the usual Saturday updates this week...not enough time to do everything.Just a few quick recommendations...
PRIMAL SCREAM's Evil Heat,a nice blend of that goes from droning Kraftwerkian electro to speaker shredding raging rock.It features production from both Two Lone Swordsmen and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields.In my opinion an improvement on XTRMNTR...
If you're looking for some quality hip hop that's unafraid to experiment,check THE ROOTS' Phrenology,where you'll find a band on top of it's game,mixing rap,rock,electronics and even a little r'n'b.An amazing album!
BOARDS OF CANADA have allowed Warp Records to remaster and re-issue their hard to find classic Twoism...pity the poor peeps who forked over the hundreds/thousands of dollars on Ebay for the original version (released in '95).It's got the classic BOC ambient sound.Brilliant stuff.
Wednesday 11/27
A bit of Matador Records news...they've put up an mp3 of a tune from the forthcoming (in March '03) STEPHEN MALKMUS record for your listening pleasure.The other big news for me is that INTERPOL are coming back to town in January.Their album has been THE rock record of the year for me,so I can't wait to see'em live!
Saturday 11/23
I was a fan of both SOUNDGARDEN and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE,so naturally I was curious about AUDIOSLAVE.This is RATM with Chris Cornell on vocals,and you pretty much get what you'd expect.The band is as tight as ever,with the usual pyrotechnical playing from Tom Morello (check out Hypnotize),and Chris still has one of the best screaming rock god voices around,yet still capable of meIlower moments(I love the cool Middle Eastern vocal bit at the end of Show Me How To Live).I admit it was a bit odd hearing those RATM riffs without Zack De La Rocha's voice at first,but after a few listens I've grown to like it.You're not getting anything radically new here,but if you like a bit of good old rock 'n' roll this should do the trick.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES' 2 disc The Best Of... has some great oldies on it (Christine / Arabian Nights / Spellbound),and the second disc is remixes,some good and some not so.Hearing the older stuff makes me hope that their label will do some remastered reissues...
Tuesday 11/19
Dancing kitties make me laugh,especially when they're singing a Destiny's Child song...
A couple of big purchases today...I splashed the big bucks on an import copy of The Human League's DARE.It's the 21st Anniversary Edition,remastered and reissued with the seminal Love And Dancing album of remixes as a bonus.Crucial album,and it's never sounded better!
Yo La Tengo have released a single and it's their take on Sun Ra's Nuclear War.4 versions of rambling free jazz chanting?You betcha!And somehow it works,and makes me excited to hear a whole new album (2003 sometime).
Friday 11/15
Spooky Picture of the day ...do you dare look?
Thursday 11/14
PRETENDERS are back with Loose Screw,and I have to say that I'm impressed.First off,half of the album is reggae tunes,which isn't all that surprising because Chrissie has done reggae before.Her voice is as beautiful as ever & the rockers have a nice tight edge to them.This is the best they've sounded in years.Producers Kevin Bacon(no,not that one) & Johnathan Quarmby are best known for their work with Finley Quaye,who mixes rock and reggae too,so the record sounds pretty good.Chalk another one up for the Geezer Done Good Club of 2002.
MISSY ELLIOTT and TLC both released highly anticipated albums this week.Missy's Under Construction shows she is still miles ahead of her competition.It's a tribute to the old school of hip-hop,filled with old skool references,yet sounding like 2020.The first single Work It is already a huge hit,both critically and with the pop crowd,and you get 2 versions of it on here.Timbaland's best work is usually on Missy's records,and this one is no exception.Crunk indeed.
TLC's 3D is probably the last TLC record.I haven't had too much time to listen to it yet,but on a couple of spins it's sounding pretty cool.There's something weird about hearing Left Eye's raps,but there are some good ones (check out Over Me).Production is good as usual,with Timbaland,The Neptunes,Dallas Austin,Babyface & Rodney Jerkins all getting a piece of the action.Seems like a pretty classy way to go out....
Thursday 11/7
DOT ALLISON and DEATH IN VEGAS both have new albums out.Dot's We Are Science is out here,and D.I.V.'s Scorpio Rising is out in Europe(with no US release date yet).
We Are Science is a much more electronic sounding record than the debut Afterglow,and also rocks a little harder in places.The debut was all blissful ambient seduction,while this record has more of a bite.Production duties are mostly handled by Keith Tenniswood (AKA 1/2 of 2 Lone Swordsmen),someone skilled in crafting crunchy electro tracks.It's still dreamy in places,and there are a couple of cool remixes by Felix Da Housecat and Slam.
Scorpio Rising rocks,continuing the trend Death In Vegas started with The Contino Sessions.Dot Allison,Jim Reid(Jesus&MaryChain),Bobby Gillespie and Paul Weller are all on it as guest vocalists.There are a couple of more dance-floor oriented tracks on it,tho' they tend to be more Krautrocky than big beaty.Hands Around My Throat is my current fave,and is one of those Krautrock/electroclash grooves,with monotone vocals by Nicola Kuperus.Bring on the remixes!
Saturday 11/2
ADD N TO (X) appear to have lightened up a bit on their new record Loud Like Nature.Sure,there's still plenty of glam electro noise here,it's just that in between there are some other things happening.Up The Punks is cool psychedelic hip hop,while Electric Village and Lick A Battery are big and meaty beat tracks.A welcome addition to their sound,and a lot more fun to listen too.
SIGUR ROS are back with ( ).Pretentious?Sure,but then the best art rock usually is.This is a more vocal record than the last,and doesn't seem to rage as hard either.It is a thing of beauty tho',all dreamy melodies,deep and ambient.The singer continues to use the invented Hopelandic language,so it sounds like a bunch if gibberish,but unlike any gibberish you've ever heard.Oh,yeah...no track names or info on the record...just a lovely white emptiness.Art-rock-on dude!
*A funny related story...one of my co-workers piped Sigur Ros out to trick or treaters this week to great spooky effect!
Friday 11/1
Hidden tracks on CDs are a common thing these days,usually buried deep at the end of the CD.With my discovery of the hidden Soulwax remix of Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out Of My Head at the beginning of the 2 Many DJ's mix set,my interest was piqued.Then I came across a discussion of the Super Furry Animals,and was pointed to their album Guerilla as also having a hidden first track.Today I Googled 'hidden tracks on CDs' and came up with a bunch of pages.Welcome to my new obsession.So far I've found tracks on David Holmes' Bow Down To The Exit Sign,Boo Radleys' Kingsize,and 2 whole tracks at the beginning of the compilation Songs In The Key Of X.Some links to get you started?No problem...1 | 2 | 3
N*E*R*D won this year's Shortlist award.Looking at the competition I don't think I agree,as much as I love their record.