Holy shit, does this RULE. This is the sort of stuff we LOVE, and miss, and wish more bands could still pull off. And these guys at least, most definitely can. Heavy, heady, intricate, proggy, instrumental old school style math rock, the bass thick and distorted and low slung and massive, the drums wild and pounding and octopoidal, the guitars crunchy and chuggy one second slithery and spidery the next, the songs constantly shifting gears, from gnarled and frenetic to spacious and epic, locking into super propulsive post rock churn, before slipping into weird tangles of melody and then back again. The band compare themselves to Keelhaul, Mahavishnu Orchestra and ALL, that last one seeming out of place until you actually hear these guys, they lace their chuggy churn and dense mathiness with super catchy little melodies that do in fact sound a little like ALL (or maybe the Descendents), although if we had to come up with some sonic references, it would probably look more like this: Don Caballero, June Of 44, Rodan, A Minor Forest, Bastro, Dazzling Killmen, Breadwinner, Crain, Rumah Sakit, yeah, you probably get an idea of what this stuff sounds like, but maybe just not how goddamn good it sounds, or how good these guys really are, check the sound samples, if it was 1995, these guys would be THEE band, catchy and heavy and hooky, with a massive Albini style production, it takes a lot to keep instrumental rock from being boring, but there's NOTHING boring about the 3 long songs on this disc, so tense and intense, intricate and complex, but not simply for complexity's sake, all the instruments busy as fuck, but not overplaying, instead, just a relentless and dizzying blast of hooky heaviness and majestic mathiness, another record we have been listening to nonstop since we got it in, and one we're probably gonna regret not making Record Of The Week... So totally great!
Alison Statton (the singer for the Young Marble Giants) and Spike had worked together in the early 80s project The Weekend. This 1995 production showcases an interest in Tropicalia and Brazillian jazz along with their breathy pop minimalism.
Although their cd is on Bay Area label 125 Records, Statuesque hails from the distant land of London, England. Stephen Manning is the frontman and sharp songwriter behind this energetic UK pop band. Vigorously strummed jangle'n'crunch guitars propel his predominantly earnest and upbeat songs that get gradually darker and edgier as the album progresses. Overall it's very akin to those frisky Housemartins, but where the vocals are concerned, try imagining a cross between a positively perky Morrissey and Robert Schneider of Apples In Stereo. A baker's dozen fine pop confections.
Ever wonder what it would sound like if Tatsuya Yoshida, drummer extraordinare and mastermind of Japan's hyperkinetic Ruins, somehow collaborated with classic, keyboard-fronted prog rockers E.L.P.? Well, Steamboat Switzerland essentially provide the answer. This instrumental, avant-garde trio of drums, electric bass and Hammond organ say, "Hell yes!" to that concept.
From, yes, Switzerland (not sure how the Steamboat part of their name derives, though), these guys have several prior releases of crazy improv-jazz-prog that we've liked, and some others we still need to find. On this album, and not for the first time, they're doing all pieces composed by their colleague Michael Wertmuller, who knows a thing or two about extreme, insane music, after having been the drummer in the amazing '90s jazzcore act Alboth!, who along with 16-17 were basically Switzerland's answer to John Zorn's Naked City. Wertmuller is currently the drummer for Nohome, feedback guitar wrangler Caspar Brotzmann's new Massaker-like trio, whose debut we highlighted last list, and he also plays in Full Blast with Brotzmann's famous father Peter, among much else on his c.v. of course.
As mentioned in our Nohome review, Wertmuller is a pretty impressive percussionist, so you'd expect the drummer in Steamboat Switzerland to be darn good too, and he is - thus garnering the comparison to Yoshida at the top of this review, his octopoidal playing pounding and precise. Indeed everybody in Steamboat Switzerland plays with virtuosic passion and precision, presumably taking Wertmuller's music to the level he must have expected, and beyond. Zeitschrei is a spectacular attack of avant-prog, with bombastic organ frenzies ably aided and abetted by the energetic, ADD rhythm section. At its most dizzying, this is some intense, "Flight Of The Bumblebee" skree. Heck, the manic, choppy organ runs here would make Keith Emerson stab himself, not his keyboard! There's also some semi-ambient passages of high end droning and skittering drumscapes, but those moody pulsations are often, if not always, violated by sudden machinegun outbursts of volume and violence. So it's not a mellow listen, but it can be a gripping one. Imagine a bass-heavy mathrock mashup of spooky Hammer Horror / Carnival Of Souls soundtrack music. Or, like we said, Ruins with E.L.P.'s organ. Wowzers!
The '60s/'70s psych reissue label Akarma comes through once again with this gem! England's Steamhammer had a heavy name and lotsa chops, but never really made the big time. Their first three albums were British blues rock incarnate, real good at that but not our cup of tea really. THEN came "Speech", their swansong. Something happened (lots of drugs, maybe?) -- it was real different. This is an unusual album for sure. Probably not what Steamhammer fans at the time were expecting: Psychedelic doomy prog-tastic epic instrumental slaying, with fuzz fx, jazzy percussion, and emotive vox. It's not metal but it's got a lot of what we like about metal that's for sure, and kicks ass on most of what came out in '72. Fans of some of the real heavy underground bands from the era like the Groundhogs, Lucifer's Friend, Socrates Drank The Conium, even Il Balleto Di Bronzo ought to check this out for sure! Unfamiliar with those obscurites? Well just imagine Led Zep gone off the rails. Creative, deftly timed/structured songs full of psychedelic atmosphere. From quasi-religious 20th century avantgarde interludes to manic guitar rippage, from gorgeous vocal lamentations to jammy improv spaciness, this is AQ-approved prog weirdness for sure. The 22 minute "Penumbra" that opens the record erupts from a spooky three minute intro into sheer pulse-pounding rock trio shred, then dives into a bass-heavy dirge from which a vocal chorus emerges...and on they go. Everytime we play this for someone who we think *might* like it, boy, they *really* like it. This gets a big thumbs up from all the heavy/psych/prog heads here at AQ!!!
You were warned. We reviewed this Circle side project's insane debut ep a couple weeks ago. Now, here's the full-length follow-up. The battletoads are back!
Not Sacred Steel, Steel Attack, Ritual Steel, or Steel Assassin. Not Wooly Mammoth. Or Mammatus. Or Mastodon. Or Pelican's "Pink Mammoth". Not Titan Steele, or Virgin Steele, or Steeler. It's STEEL MAMMOTH!! A metal band, presumably? Well, no, not quite. It IS another example of the many flirtations our favorite Finnish prog-psych band (Circle, including offshoots like Pharaoh Overlord and Krypt Axeripper) has always had with the elements of heavy metal (sonic, visual, lyrical). But the high-concept of "Circle does '80s metal" that you might expect from the band name and cover graphics and band pics with spikes and leather isn't quite what you actually get here, these guys being too clever and creative and crazy to do the obvious thing. Really, if you want to hear Circle-goes-metal, they come a lot closer on certain songs from Circle albums like Sunrise and Tulikora, and the recent, ever so slightly black metal bewitched Katapult. Not to mention, way back on their debut Meronia, with all its Helmet-style heaviness. And probably the most metal they've ever been is on Pharaoh Overlord #4.
So no, Steel Mammoth isn't a metal band, or even a joke metal band (though there's definitely some tongue in cheek joking going on). It's pure WTF? weirdness in the guise of a metal band. More catchy than crushing, it's a hitherto unheard hybrid of Circle's trademark hypnotic pulsations, a relaxed pop sensibility, tossed off hard rock riffing, moody tension, and sensitive vocals delivering ridiculous lyrics. Lyrics that are so ridiculous they're genius, lyrics that would make Monster Magnet or Manowar laugh and crumple up their notebook page if they'd written them. For instance, lines like: "barbarian lords/we ride alone/until we're just a pile of bones", or "lonely banzai rhino blackout leather/volcano hideout of the mountain owl/masterplan suicide war machine/lady death on the steering wheel", or "black diamond thunder dragon/beast of vampire torture/silver locusts on the desert sky/acid rain wasteland"! We also hear about a "multiheaded lion", "switchblade messiahs of hate", "midnight witches", a "metal infant", and the "powersweat of the demonwolf" to pick some other gems at random. Wow. Death and destruction and kicking ass seem to be the themes... yet there's some thought and depth to it all, extending to a self-constructed cosmology for these "nuclear barbarians" on their journey to the center of the "atomic mountain", that's depicted in a schematic in the cd booklet. We even detect a sincere sentimentality to some of this -- when album closer and title track "Atomic Mountain" finds the band sweetly crooning "Down, down, down I go" you FEEL it on some meaningful level, really.
As for the music, most of the songs share a skeletal Judas Priest vibe, stripped down and mellowed out and infused with effects. The opener, "Black Team", reminds us more of a handicapped Rolling Stones, fronted maybe by Danzig, but odder even than that would be. Several tracks later, "Nuclear Barbarians" is reprised from the ep, not really sure why they did that, though it is a cool song -- love how they pronounce nuclear, "nuck-leeyer". But it's followed by something completely different, the 11 and a half minute "Commando Leopard", an instrumental that starts off with primitive krauty rhythms before entering into a long beatless stretch of atmospheric, electronic spookiness. Like we said, WTF? Or should we say, NWOFWTF?
Ohh yeahhh. All the Krypt Axeripper fans here have been waiting for this. Circle fans too. Same thing, sorta. Krypt Axeripper, you know, that was the very entertaining, brilliantly stupid, supposed "heavy metal" side project of our Finnish friends Circle, enshrined on a four song ep earlier this year. After Krypt Axeripper could the NWOFHM get any more ridiculous?? You be the judge, they certainly tried: ta dah, STEEL MAMMOTH!! Seemingly a similar high concept (that being, Circle's metal obsession goes too far?) but actually more confusional than you'd think. Sure the cd booklet is filled with awesome D&Dish artwork and pisstake photos of the truly chuffed band members posing in full leather and studs regalia. But then, check out the music. As with Krypt Axeripper, there's a quota of crotch-rock riffs but it's also so oddly poppy, more like some sort of twisted rock n' roll alternative to the alternative than anything really made of molten metal. English-language lyrics (about Satan and radiation, "metal blade warriors" and "scorpion wizards", and suchlike metallic subjects, 'tis true) are weirdly crooned over shuffling beats and guitars that whilst fully fuzzed aren't exactly wielded by Hanneman/King. It's absurd, and absurdly catchy. When they sing something about how "battletoads explode in stereo" you'll be humming along (if not quite headbanging) and won't even bat an eye.
Looks like the Steel Mammoth trio of Garfield Steel, Rema 7000, and Juicyifer (hmm) and their pal Krypt (all pseudonyms for Circle folks) have invented a new cartoony subgenre all their own, jokingly initiated perhaps but inadvertently (?) awesome. Extra dimensional, post apocalyptic, astral travelling silliness that's part pop, part metal, and yes, part Circle ('specially on "Slow Death" with its unmistakable motorik drumming). This first attack from Steel Mammoth clocks in at 5 tracks, 18 minutes. But get this, future members of the Steel Mammoth Army: there's a Steel Mammoth full-length album in the works now, too! Look out, the battletoads have only begun to explode in stereo...
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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This being Circle side-project Steel Mammoth's 4th disc, its mere existence pretty much answers the question about how serious they are, or not. Or maybe just creates new questions. If they're entirely tongue-in-cheek, then it's a really elaborate joke. If it's not a joke, then they're insane. Either way, we love Steel Mammoth! As always, they claim to be crusaders of the New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal, it says NWOFHM in big letters in the cd booklet. Where you'll also find some remarkable photos of the band cavorting around a campfire, or at least we think it's the band, though we're pretty sure that this makes 'em the first ever metal act to include a proudly pregnant lady in their ranks, decked out in what appears to be black leather heavy metal maternity wear! Meanwhile, one of the men is posing in a horned helm, massive and metal, apparently handcrafted, that looks very (ridiculously) medieval indeed.
So, Steel Mammoth are certainly bizarre. And silly, and Finnish, and, yeah, metal. Metal but not quite HEAVY metal. Steel Mammoth have a lighter touch for the most part. Sure, there's some distortion - but not always. The vocals are hardly ever, maybe never screamed, usually delivered in a weird rolling-r drawl, lazy and sinister. Heck half the time it sounds more like some kind of indie-rock pop, but all the awesome and not so subtle metal signifiers that infest the music and lyrics make it so much BETTER. But we probably don't need to tell you all this, if you're like us you have all their other discs already.
Nuclear Ritual, not to be confused with their debut ep Nuclear Barbarians, or for that matter their first album Atomic Mountain, is another killer set of tunes all right, catchy and confusional, from rousing opener "The Shakall" onwards. Some -titles- could be "ordinary" metal songs ("Sacred Death", "Cerebral Acid", "King Of The Damned", sure) but others would obviously be unacceptable to most metal bands ("Gargantuan Boom Boom" being the worse offender). And when one listens, none are ordinary. Some aren't even at all metal (the bulk of title track "Nuclear Ritual" is a meandering murky psych instrumental sorta in the mode of "Commando Leopard" from Atomic Mountain). Most of the tracks are kind of a hybrid of metal/not metal, like "Mammoth Sun Bacteria", which is sunny all right, in that it sounds like Iron Maiden gone bubblegum, bright and bouncy. Elsewhere, though, there is some convincingly authentic metal guitar soloing, and the distorted vocals on "Sacred Death" are almost scary. And that's the genius of Steel Mammoth, those vocals fit there just a perfectly as do the Doorsy Jim Morrison stylings that pop up on the track "Atomic Chainsaws".
Oh, and we've got to mention the last song, "Extinction", 8+ minutes long, boasting a lumbering stoner doom riff a la Witchcraft or Jex Thoth. The song eventually morphs into an extended lysergic jam worthy of Circle in its krautiness, with a bassline that Rick Rubin woulda loved on Bloodsugarsexmagic, that never seems like it will end and when it does you'll want to start it again... With results like this, Steel Mammoth are doing something right, even if they're playing metal "wrong". And anyway, when Japan's Metalucifer can make albums wherein every single song title includes the words "Heavy Metal", and still be taken (sort of) seriously, what is and what isn't a joke?
All in all, another highly entertaining, highly radioactive, album from the truly unique entity (well, along with all the other incestuous NWOFHM acts) that is Steel Mammoth!!
While these guys started out as a Circle side project (and not such a serious one, at that, judging by their name), by now they've definitely become their own entity indeed, with their own following. Whether they're "serious" or not remains an open question, but with our Finnish friends, such things are almost impossible to determine anyway. They're all pretty crazy up there in Finland. What IS possible to determine is, that Steel Mammoth rules. This is their fourth full-length (vinyl-only this time, sorry cd folks) and it's another unique slab of Steel Mammoth's "New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal" stylings... which, of course, isn't always all that heavy metal, actually. Well, ok, it LOOKS metal, in the most awesomely cartoonish way possible. And metal is part of their sound, sure. But so is some sort of weird alt pop. Well you know that already 'cause if you're an AQ customer, you're probably already a Steel Mammoth fan.
However, this new album, Radiation Funeral, might just be Steel Mammoth's most metal attack yet. PUNKmetal at any rate. Two sides, nine songs, 1/2 hour, utter "nuck-leeyr" mayhem, a record filled with "unglued screaming, harrowing guitars, violent drumfire and apocalyptic bass pollution" as they say. And yeah, it IS pretty thrashy and trashy, Steel Mammoth finally letting their helmeted skullface mascot rage with the likes of Motorhead's Snaggletooth. The vocals are shouty, mean, gargled. The songs rumble with heavy riffing, the guitars dirty and distorted, drums bashing away with abandon. You could probably play this for your most 'truest' metal buds, the ones with band backpatches on their faded denim jackets, and convince 'em it's something dragged from the depths of the European underground circa '86, some sub-Sodom speed metal German budget band or something. Maybe. Anyway it's cool to hear Steel Mammoth (aka Circle, mostly) really, really indulge their most metallic urges here. It's a headbanger, all right. Fans of the likes of Speedwolf, and heck maybe even Kvelertak, should really dig this.
And we give 'em props for one of their best more metal-than-thou song titles yet, "Deck Of Wild Cards". Another good one is "Endless Wolf". We figure they get drunk and try to come up with ridiculous/awesome metal titles like those, then write the songs. Who knows? It works. Check out their disturbing/amusing video for the catchy/chaotic "Torture" here on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmhIa-AcFdo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
The Steel Mammoth is back! Clanking across the frozen Finnish tundra, bellowing mightily... well no, not quite. This 'New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal' project from members of AQ faves Circle is not exactly what you might expect (unless you've heard them before). Despite the Satanic/Barbaric cover graphics, with cartoon death's heads grimacing in horned helmets in front of a glowing pentagram, and the various other oh-so-metal signifiers like the lyrics, song titles, stage names, etc., Steel Mammoth's unique brand of "metal" doesn't sound all that metal, though it sure is strange. These guys call it NWOFHM. In our review of their first full-length, we coined the term NWOFWTF? to describe 'em. Maybe it is a parody, but if so they take their joke pretty seriously (this is their 2nd full-length after all).
Ok, if you haven't heard 'em, but have heard Circle, imagine that band in leather and spikes (which they are known to wear anyway), having been exposed to strange drugs and radiation, as well as repeated spins of records by The Cult, Manilla Road, Voivod, uh, Dire Straits, the new Darkthrone, and Judas Priest's earliest, more psychedelic stuff (Rocka Rolla!). Then imagine something totally different as well. Right from the start they are deliberately NOT particularly heavy, playing boogie-metal riffs, yes, but in such a laid back, mellowed out fashion it's ridiculous, and ridiculously catchy. They do rock out a bit more on track two, "Black Gold Tyrant", picking up the pace further on the likes of "Steel Factor" and "Nuclear Gyration" (the latter really kicking up some heavily-effected dust), but those tracks are pretty poppy too.
Meanwhile, Steel Mammoth's "radiation rock" is adorned with drawled vocals, delivering amazing absurd lyrics that must be tongue in cheek - informing us that "flesh is weak, metal is forever" and singing lines like "crystal daybreak in the valley of blood/bone and steel crash forever non-stop/heads keep on rollin', battlecries die/corpses keep rottin', vultures take the sky". Yet even when you think the lyrics aren't serious, Steel Mammoth's music will take a turn into emotive, introspective moodiness that can't be funny, and you realize the singer is in fact crooning quite earnestly. Maybe. But there's definitely a method to their madness, one that involves a complex mythology of their own making, about atomic eggs and other cryptic mysteries. The moments of true beauty (like the lovely, sleepy "Waiting For The Goat") don't seem intentionally bathetic at all, even though grins and giggles are never far away. Let's face it, we're happily confused by Steel Mammoth, moreso even than by other NWOFHM efforts from Krypt Axeripper, Motorspandex, and related acts.
While we wish we could take it all completely seriously (or think that it was supposed to be taken completely seriously), knowing the Circle guys we also appreciate their strange humor... Heck it even says ON THE CD TRAY that this is their "disappointing second album". But we must disagree. No disappointment at all. We're lovin' it, from the moment we saw the cover art, through each of many, many spins.
Attention fans of '70s heavy hippie rock!! Another primo proto-metal reissue from the fine folks at Rise Above Relics, who brought us the fantastic Bang boxset we listed not long ago. 'Tis a band/album well deserving of the deluxe treatment given here, especially welcome since only other Steel Mill reissue we've seen in the past was somewhat shoddy looking. THIS, though, is really nice, packaged with an elaborate illustrated 32 page booklet, in a slipcover adorned with new art (while the original, quite effective, surreal cover painting remains preserved within). They've renamed it too, the original lp from 1971 (there it is again, brothers and sisters, Nineteen Seventy Freaking One!!) was called Green Eyed God, this gets a new title of Jewels Of The Forest (Green Eyed God Plus) on account of all the bonus tracks included, and the remastering job, and other improvements.
So, with a name like Steel Mill, you'd expect this British band to be industrial-strength HEAVY, maybe even coming close to Black Sabbath territory. Well they do... and they don't... heavy, yeah, but opting for artier, more progressive atmospheres a lot of the time. Opener "Blood Runs Deep" is a good example, combining big, loping, rather urgent guitar riffage with passages of much mellower, jazz-inflected psychedelia via languid saxophone. Give that one a listen, and if you're like us, you'll know you want this right away. That "jazz" element, represented by what sometimes seems like pagan riot of horns, gives Steel Mill a vibe of mystic, exotic grooviness, putting 'em rite in there with underground tribes like Comus and Cromagnon. Some of these songs sound like rock rituals, like "Treadmill", with its fuzz and (literal) grunt.
Ultimately, they're an excellent, eccentric "heavy progressive" outfit, a la early King Crimson (you can be sure they loved "21st Century Schizoid Man"), Gnidrolog, Gravy Train, Tucky Buzzard, Wild Turkey, Sweet Slag, Steamhammer, East Of Eden, Murphy Blend, Amon Duul II, Culpeper's Orchard, Blackwater Park, Necromandus, etc.
Their acid rock guitar solos and lumbering riffs lean towards the Sabbath, but there's also gentle ballads ("Turn The Page Over") and fluttering flute (featured on the moody "Black Jewel Of The Forest", and elsewhere). Not that, as we've pointed out before, Sabbath themselves didn't indulge in some of their own flute flutter now and then! Steel Mill balance the light and heavy with aplomb, often in the same song. Darkly dreamlike and outre, yes, but also heavy enough for any proto-metal head. If someone were crazy enough to try and compile a collection of 1971's heaviest riffs, they'd definitely have to give Steel Mill some attention. (Er, although technically, some might quibble, as while this was recorded in '71 and the "Green Eyed God" released as a single then, the lp itself was apparently not released until 1972, and then just in Germany, with a UK release only appearing in '75.)
The original album is great all by itself, but we're also digging the bonus tracks. There's 9 of 'em, including songs from a 1972 single, as well as five unreleased studio demos of garagey popsike recorded in 1970. And, one last song - a new one, recorded by a reunited Steel Mill in 2010, "A Forgotten Future, A Future Past". And you know what, it's pretty good! Better than you might expect, actually, fitting in remarkably well. Nice how a lovingly done reissue like this can give an long lost band a new lease on life.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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Vinyl version of their major label debut (and finale).
"You were hired by a bitch to find scum!!" That striking dialogue taken from a '60s private eye thriller (Harper) begins the song "Misty Mountain Blowtorch" here, deep into side two, before the track launches into an especially distorted & catchy riff, and that combo somehow sums up the attitude/aesthetic of this album and this band. Heavy, noisy, grungy rock action laced with lots of cool/weird samples, it's an hallucinatory and head caving mix for sure!! As the label that did this necessary reissue put it, Tulip is a "twisted noir detective story on a bad acid trip". Damn right. Psychedelic, metallic, chaotic, freaked out, heavy as heck, full of surprises, and strangely hooky and melodic too, as it explosively lurches through a delirious daze of surfy, sludgy sounds and strange non-sequitur samples.
A little while back, you may recall, we we listed a warehouse find, the first lp by Milk Cult, Milk Cult being the sample-based side project of one of San Francisco's best ever bands (by way of Bozeman, Montana), Steel Pole Bath Tub, back in the late '80s / early '90s. Hopefully that piqued your interest if you weren't already into these noiserock madmen, the trio of Dale Flattum, Darren Mor-X, and Mike Morasky. They were sort of a surreal, soundtracky, noise-noir version of their pals The Melvins, in a way, also using and abusing samples as alluded to above. The kind of band that would do both Black Sabbath and Sonic Youth covers (they have - not found here though). Certainly a band that anybody into the Melvins back then would also have liked, and did, a lot. Stuff on Trance (like Pain Teens) and AmRep also comes to mind. SPBT even managed to eventually wind up, albeit briefly, on a major label (like so many unlikely, underground bands during the '90s alt-rock boom). Their bulk of their career more or less predated our "list", so we never wrote a review of this great album when it was originally issued back in 1990, their sophomore release. Thus it's especially exciting that this has been reissued on vinyl, at long last, and we can list it, finally. Probably our favorite record by these guys - though they made a bunch of good ones. There's just something about this one that's the complete package, the perfect witches brew of their unique sound, immediately compelling and highly entertaining.
Gatefold sleeve, with new jacket art, and an 8-page booklet with photos, art, and new liner notes by Henry "Chunklet" Owings, Noah Landis, and Tom Flynn, plus stuff from the members of the SPTB as well. Nice!
It's a crying shame that these recordings were made in 1996 and never saw release until 2002, but what are you gonna do when you've signed to a major label, only to have the idiot higher ups pronounce your demos "unlistenable"? (Hence the name of this record, heh.) Then again, considering how fresh and good and utterly *now* this album sounds, it really shows how much ahead of their time SF's late great Steelpole Bathtub was. Hard to believe that it was made mostly in Mike Morasky's living room when you hear the thick gooey distorted guitar flangeing in and out, the effected, growling vocals, the squealing guitar solos, the trashcan percussion, the macabre surf-y tone alternating with Melvins-y sludge. There're even two ferocious Cars covers and one hidden track. If you have never heard Steelpole before, this is a great place to start -- in fact, bandmember Darren Mor-X claims these are Steelpole's best recordings. Also, if you've never heard Steelpole but are in love with their side project and major AQ-alltime fave Milk Cult, then get this record now! There's not the sampling and electronics found on the Milk Cult record, but the incredibly well done pacing and tone and weirdly accessible heaviness is all there. Recommended.
Okay if you're a No Doubt fan (and we know there are a bunch of AQ friends out there who are... at least secretly so!), you've probably already nabbed Lady Stefani's solo debut. Heck, it's really not a whole lot different from recent recordings of No Doubt. And if you're not a ND fan, well, you still might wanna give Love Angel Music Baby a spin. For instance, if the shiny sleek dance pop of Kylie Minogue's Fever album had you in a giddy disco tizzy a couple of years ago, Ms Gwen is makin' it known that she's here to keep the funky fashionista party rollin'. L.A.M.B. is super punchy, pouty and fun without descending into complete vapidness. At times the gloss and glitter are in such abundance, she almost can't contain it nor herself, but that's what's so great about this gal. She's not afraid to go totally overboard. She dons seemingly clashing clothing patterns and musical styles with absolute fearless flair. Likewise, she proves herself to be a pretty smart cookie enlisting a different yet altogether appropriate producer for each song (Andre 3000, Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, and her bandmate Tony Kanal to name just a few) and bringing in her pal Eve for a number. That song is "Rich Girl" (with borrowed lyrics from the musical Fiddler On The Roof), and she picks right up where Madonna left off with "Material Girl" and "Dress You Up". C'mon, don't be a hater, wind up that rump and get it bumpin'!
It's no secret that our pop sweet tooth has a serious soft spot for Gwen Stefani, in fact a few years ago we even made No Doubt's best-of collection our record of the week! We were pretty smitten by her solo debut and we've been anxious and curious to hear what this new batch of pop-hits might sound like. There are definitely a few killer tracks here, songs that whether you admit it or not will be stuck in your head and have yo shaking it just a little when no one is looking. But with the follow up to Love.Angel.Music.Baby she seems to have fallen a bit behind. In the short time she was away, other artists have been turning out some highly addictive pop that is way sweeter and way catchier than almost anything on The Sweet Escape. Parts of The Sweet Escape actually kind of sound like a watered down version of Beyonce's amazing new record or like a wannabe Fergie, join the small club of white girls going for L'Trimm gold. So yeah, a couple winners, but overall, we're a little disappointed.
Stellar Om Source is a one woman sci-fi space-synth, cosmic (or kosmische?) sonic starship piloted by Christelle Gualdi, a fusion of droned out minimal krautrock, raw private press naive electronic experimentation, Carpenter/Goblin influenced retro soundtrack synthscapes, and percolating analog atmospherics, all woven into lush landscapes of low-grade futuristic synthdrone kraut drift mystery.
Culled from three long out of print cd-r's: Ocean Woman, Alliance and Crusader, Trilogy Select gathers up a handpicked greatest hits, and assembles them into something resembling a proper album, a woozy, amorphous drift through dark starlit skies, through vast crumbling futuristic cities, evoking the landscapes of low budget late night science fiction B movies, blocky shapes and neon colors split into jagged sine waves and square waves, kinda like Tron meets Logan's Run scored by John Carpenter as performed by Oneohtrix Point Never (who collaborates on one of the tracks here!). Totally mesmerizing and spaced out, the tracks slip from hushed droney blur to cascades of Riley like repetition, soft cacophonies of layered synth swirl, to sun blasted upper register ur-drone bliss, hazy ethereal new age shimmer, to muted textural thrum, always infused with some sort of dark pathos, and dramatic tension, all very cinematic and atmospheric, hypnotic and totally mesmerizing.
Absolutely essential psychedelic space synth drone music for anyone into Oneohtrix Point Never, Emeralds, Dylan Ettinger, Caboladies, Pulse Emitter, Innercity and other like minded sonic cosmonauts...
Comes with a download coupon as well!
So lovely! This is a reissue of a '60s Indonesian guitar pop record that Warren Defever of His Name is Alive stumbled upon at the Salvation Army. Attempts to locate the members of The Steps proved unsuccessful, so he reissued it himself on the Time Stereo label (for folks who care, it�s a cd-r). Pastoral instrumentals with a classic, rounded 60s guitar tone. Everytime we play this in the store, someone buys it! -- Yes, it�s that pretty and that unusual. Highly recommended!
Ohh La La! You can always count on Stereo Total for absolute pure fun served up with sass and sparkle. With their love of suave and sassy French pop this German duo have long delivered perfect cocktail party jams over the years and with Baby Ouh! they show they still have their mojo working. It's hard not to just let go and have a carefree great time when you hear their electronic beats and snappy vocal delivery. Whether paying homage to Divine and Andy Warhol or covering Kraftwerk and Brigitte Fontaine, this is a record that shows you can translate great taste into infectious pop music. In lots of ways Stereo Total are like the musical equivalent of our favorite boutique thrift stores, immaculately picking the best parts of the past with snazz and style and bringing excitement and new life to those aged artifacts. So fun!
From the album title to the album's music itself, Stereo Total are pulling no party punches. From the get go, they vault themselves into the bubbliest, brightly hued, campy heights of electronic dance pop -- dishing out covers (of the Rolling Stones, Serge Gainsbourg, Nico & Velvet Underground among others), remixes (by the duo themselves as well as Thieves Like Us, Vredus, Justus K�hncke, Echokrank, Munk and Mad Professor!), new versions of songs from their last album Do The Bambi and more likeminded fare. They once again season each of their songs with a bit of space age lounge, a dash of spy movie, and tons of sticky, chewy, rubbery goodness. Soooooo deliriously fun!
Yay! Yay! Yay! It's time again for some stylin' Euro fun 'cuz StereoTotal have just unleashed a new album. It's called Do The Bambi, baby! Careful tho' you might go into sugar shock from this sparkly kooky multilingual electro-pop explosion. Lead singer Francoise Cactus has perfected the pout in her coquettish '60s Ye Ye Girl vocals, while her ST partner Brezel Goring once again does his best Monsieur Gainsbourg. A whopping nineteen wonderfully silly and gleefully playful songs packed with lots of cheesy Casio-style beats... nay, Bontempi-style beats churned out by a vaguely named "rhythm machine". They close the festivities with a cover of The Velvet Underground's "Chelsea Girls". Party guests include Hawnay Troof and Felix Kubin. Yay!
NOTE: Again, there's a street date of 1/25/05 on this puppy, so we can't sell 'em 'til Tuesday...but you can go ahead and order it if you're doing mailorder.
When we first encountered Stereo Total back in 1999 with this album (originally released by Bungalow Records), our initial reaction was a rather perfunctory "Stereo-Total are Stereolab meets Musical Youth with herky-jerky female vocals you will either love or hate." Over the years, the duo have certainly improved and endeared themselves to a few of us... or maybe back then our hearts were just colder. Now that the folks at Kill Rock Stars have reissued two of the duo's early albums, we've been spurred to revisit 'em. Y'know what? We've been having a grand ol' time kicking up our heels and tapping our toes to this album and its also-reissued follow-up My Melody (with which we were already smitten the first time around). While we can't say that we luv Francoise Cactus' pouty cooing vocals, we sure don't hate 'em either. They make a great companion to Brezel Goring's droll Gainsbourgian delivery. We're happily humming along even if we haven't a clue what they're singing about in French, German, Japanese and Italian! If you dig '60s French Ye Ye girls, bubbly electronic pop, and all things Euro-cute, Stereo-Total is sooooo for you!
Another Euro-pop swingin' shimmy-shake affair from the very cosmopolitan Stereo Total. Once again, a lyrical cocktail shaker of French, German, English and... Turkish! Many moments that would make obscure, eccentric '60s lounge-y/ad jingle composer Charles
Ooooh la la! This was the Stereo Total album that really caught our ears back in late '99 -- especially the irresistible ultra-kicky tune "Vilaines Filles, Mauvais Garcons". Clearly it caught the ears of the Kill Rock Stars folks too 'cause they've reissued it domestically (it was originally released by Bobsled Records) along with their previous album Juke Box Alarm.
Here's what we said the first time around: Quirky German, French and English vocals frolic over a mish mash of tinkly, woobly melodies. A dash of Pizzicato Five, a sprinkle of Francoise Hardy, a pinch of Thee Headcoatees. This is the soundtrack to your next pyjama party, wear your pinkest of lipsticks and fluffiest of pjs... Or perhaps, this is the soundtrack to your next Sanrio soiree, wear your battiest of lashes and froufrou-est of frocks. Go go go!
Making music that is fun is actually a lot harder to pull off then one might think. There is a fine line between playful and charming and kitchy and annoying, and thankfully Stereo Total are one of the few groups who have consistently proven they know how to walk that tricky tightrope. The title of their latest outing pretty much sums up the locales that have shaped so much of their sound. Being from Berlin of course they've been influenced by the rich electronic roots from that country's rich electronic music history and there's no mistaking how fond they are of the irresistible and sassy sounds of French Pop, as this isn't the first time they've covered a Serge Gainsbourg song. Stereo Total are a DJ's dream as there aren't many other bands you could throw on seamlessly between Jane Birkin and Nina Hagen without losing a beat. As always they switch off singing in German, French and English, but no matter what the language, it always sounds fun and more importantly, so damn good!
Five remixes of the instant classic that Stereo Total has been performing live for the past four or so years, only recorded recently for their latest long player, "Musique Automatique". Remixers include Candie Hank (aka Patric Catani of EC8OR, Audio Chocolate, Flex Busterman, et al), Felix Kubin, Christopher Just (producer of a handful of Chicks On Speed tracks), Bis and Brezel
This is easily the best pop record we've heard in a while. Super commercial and catchy, but still crunchy and a little punk rock. When I was in Europe a few months ago, I kept hearing this band over and over again played randomly in punk rock mixtapes and over club P.A.s and couldn't for the life of me understand why all these punk rockers were digging this ultra commercial pop. Maybe it's because they're on the punk rock label Feuled By Ramen? Not that I'm complaining, it just seems a bit strange. Allan and Jeff both think it sounds like Journey, but they both listen to it incessantly. I think it sounds like Y&T, but that probably doesn't mean much to anyone but me. Imagine super glossy production (courtesy of Jawbox's J. Robbins) and unbearably catchy songs. The slow(ish) ones sound like Weezer or Sloan. The fast ones sound like pop punk, but without most of the punk. The new record No Traffic is a lot more glossy and FM radio, VERY Weezer, but I think the one right before it, Three Hundred is better, a little more raw and really rocking. Just buy them both.
We have been so excited for the release of this record. We were kind of late discovering the Stereo, but it took no time at all for their last two records to instantly become way too played, in the store, at home, in the car. Perfect kick ass power pop. Just the right balance of cheesy seventies FM radio catchiness and thick guitars, amazing harmonies, and hooks galore! So I have to admit to being a little bummed when I first heard this. It seemed much less catchy, and a LOT more Journey/REO Speedwagon. And while a few other Aquarians still feel that way, I wasn't about to give up that easily. And boy, was I ever rewarded for my tenacity. This has to be THE pop record of the year. You know how some records immediately hook you and you play the shit out of them until you almost can't stand to hear them anymore? And then there's some records (like the most recent Anniversary for instance) where on first listen, there's not the obvious hooks to hang onto so you sort of dismiss it as 'not as good' as their other records. But often when you return, you realise that albums like that often slowly reveal themselves to be the sort of records that become totally essential, and end up getting listened to way more than those immediately catchy ones. So what I'm getting at here, is that this is definitely the best Stereo record yet, and quite possibly the best pop record this year. The songs are more complex and more subtle, but they still rock, and still have amazing hooks! And this time around there's all sorts of extra unexpected additions: weird production, strange synthesizers and crazy drum programming. But those new elements only add to the pop brilliance these pop punkers can conjure up at the drop of a hat. I swear I have not gone a day without blasting this record since it came out. Think the Posies, Jellyfish, the Anniversary, the Get Up Kids, Superchunk, Weezer, Redd Kross, Silver Sun, Sloan. Totally good time, big guitar, clap along, driving with the top down, mix tape for that girl you like PEFECT POP. Buy this or you'll make Andee very sad.
Comprising ten years of Radio 1 performances (mostly John Peel and Mark Radcliffe show appearances) from '91 to '01, this is a tasty collection of *thirty two* Stereolab hits. Yes, all your favorites are here, from "John Cage Bubblegum" to "Metronomic Underground." While you might expect that these versions might be like the more fired up renditions Stereolab routinely delivers in their live performances, most of them are more thoughtful, slightly slowed down, careful takes. This is excellent, and not only a handy colleciton for the Stereolab fans amongst us but also a fine place to start for the non-Stereolab-initiated. Recommended.
MPEG Download: "Tomorrow is Already Here" [/audio/stereolabtomorrow.mp3]
MPEG Stream: "Tomorrow is Already Here" [/audio/stereolabtomorrow.m3u]
Drag City swears that there is no discernable difference between this pressing and the Duophonic pressing of this record (although we'll do our best to get the rumored future Japanese version that'll be comprised of colored vinyl, a glitter 7", stickers, and a Tshirt in a box.) Regardless, this is a monstrous collection in fold-out packaging consisting of disgustingly rare,out-of-print singles, compilation tracks, and even the tracks for Stereolab's soundtrack to artist Charles Long's Music for the Amorphous Body Study Center. The tracks are from the period in between Mars Audiac Quartet and Emperor Tomato Ketchup and the whole package flows together quite well. Better than Dots and Loops by a mile.
While they released some great 7"s that were compiled onto one disc a couple years ago called Fab Four Suture, it's actually been over four years since these swirling pop masters have released a proper full length. Chemical Chords finds them in top form and while there are still plenty of keyboards, organs and electronics the album's real magic comes from the rich and layered string, brass and horn arrangements. This is Stereolab at their most lush and catchy. mining the gold out of of their love and rich appreciation of '60s French pop, Motown, exotica, and psych-pop. Chemical Chords is filled to the brim with songs that get right to the point and the band effortlessly keeps them filled with the brightest colors and most vivid of sonic shapes throughout. While we're not always crazy about High Llamas records (although we do like some of them) we have to say that the Llamas' Sean O'Hagen's contributions to this record are so striking (he's responsible for all the string and brass arrangements). Like all Stereolab records it's important to remember that it takes several listens for the songs to really reveal themselves and start sinking in. It's easy at first to say this just sounds "like Stereolab" which of course it does, but sounding "like Stereolab" means being one of the best pop bands of our time and Chemical Chords is one more great record to add to their already impressive catalog.
The first batch of these come with a free 7" with two non-album tracks, while supplies last!
For all of the championing we may give to unheralded or unappreciated artists and our cynical (and often contradictory) attitudes to the major label artists, there isn't anything we can say to sway an audience about Stereolab. It seems that critical thinking just goes out the window when it comes to the Groop, so when a record like 'Cobra and Phases...' comes out we'll just say it's out, and let you sort it out. (This means some of the AQ-staff really like it, and some think it's rehashed Mutantes-y stuff, and some think both of those things! We're all agreed, however, that it's better than 'Dots and Loops'.) We'll obviously keep you informed when / if any UK, Japanese, or Tahitian versions of this album come out with bonus tracks, different artwork, etc...
1972 has been on a Stereolab vinyl reissue roll and we're finally catching up. We missed out on reviewing Mars Audiac Quintet and Transient Random-noise Bursts with Announcements (both presumably still available if you'd like to order them), but we thought we better get to these next two, Emperor Tomato Ketchup from 1996 and Dots And Loops from 1997, since they mark the group at both their highest creative and commercial peaks.
Emperor Tomato Ketchup was a summation of all the influences they had been building off of during their first four years together: krautrock, minimalism, avant-garde, lounge exotica, jazz and French pop arranged into a fully formed working unit that exceeded beyond said influence into something wholly original. Seventeen (!) years later and little has changed in our opinion about Stereolab's classic 1996 album. While the groop have made plenty of great records since, this is still the go-to record that we can hear over and over and never get tired of. A timeless multilayered and wide-ranging experimental pop candy headtrip that has it all. If you're looking for *the* Stereolab album though, this is it!
Dots And Loops from the very next year, show the band not resting on their laurels and embracing the (then) future of electronic music. Collaborating with Tortoise and Mouse on Mars, Stereolab veer towards their avant-garde tendencies without leaving their pop qualities too far behind. Mixing bossa nova, electronica, freeform post-rock and even drum and bass (on one track) in a glossier cooler sheen than what came before, one might think that Dots And Loops might not date very well, but the group have always rigorously aimed for a timeless sound despite their retro-futurist leanings and Dots And Loops still holds up as one of their best records. So glad to have both of these classic records on vinyl once again!
Wherein the 'Lab collaborates with the Tortoise and the Mouse on Mars folks, with freeform, lounge-y results. Less pop-song oriented than Emperor Tomato, more emphasis on experimentation. The vinyl should be arriving from Drag City within a few weeks. And yes, we are Trying Really Hard to somehow find a source in England to help us obtain their other, more limited Duophonic releases. We don't like the idea of you guys having to pay Mod Lang's outrageously-inflated prices ($16 for a 7"!), but until the powers that be are convinced, we've got no source. sob sniffle
1972 has been on a Stereolab vinyl reissue roll and we're finally catching up. We missed out on reviewing Mars Audiac Quintet and Transient Random-noise Bursts with Announcements (both presumably still available if you'd like to order them), but we thought we better get to these next two, Emperor Tomato Ketchup from 1996 and Dots And Loops from 1997, since they mark the group at both their highest creative and commercial peaks.
Emperor Tomato Ketchup was a summation of all the influences they had been building off of during their first four years together: krautrock, minimalism, avant-garde, lounge exotica, jazz and French pop arranged into a fully formed working unit that exceeded beyond said influence into something wholly original. Seventeen (!) years later and little has changed in our opinion about Stereolab's classic 1996 album. While the groop have made plenty of great records since, this is still the go-to record that we can hear over and over and never get tired of. A timeless multilayered and wide-ranging experimental pop candy headtrip that has it all. If you're looking for *the* Stereolab album though, this is it!
Dots And Loops from the very next year, show the band not resting on their laurels and embracing the (then) future of electronic music. Collaborating with Tortoise and Mouse on Mars, Stereolab veer towards their avant-garde tendencies without leaving their pop qualities too far behind. Mixing bossa nova, electronica, freeform post-rock and even drum and bass (on one track) in a glossier cooler sheen than what came before, one might think that Dots And Loops might not date very well, but the group have always rigorously aimed for a timeless sound despite their retro-futurist leanings and Dots And Loops still holds up as one of their best records. So glad to have both of these classic records on vinyl once again!
Lovers of both Stereolab and vinyl records, your fave band has offered up another trio of fine 7" singles! Two new tunes a piece, each is limited to 4000!
In many ways singles are the perfect way to experience just how good Stereolab still are. It's so easy to take this group for granted and yes they do have a sound that for the most part they stick to but when you get to hang out with just a couple songs at a time, you really get to appreciate the intricacy and continual level of excellence of their music.
The 'a' side goes along at mid pace until about three quarters into the song when they burst into one of their great krautrock inspired instrumental jams. The 'b' side fizzles with all sorts of great bubbles, time changes, and sequence segues. Two more very nice additions to the Stereolab legacy.
Note: Multi-format fans (and Stereolab completists) please be aware that all of the songs on these three records also appear on Stereolab's current singles compilation cd, Fab Four Suture, along with those that were on the previous three 7"s.
Lovers of both Stereolab and vinyl records, your fave band has offered up another trio of fine 7" singles! Two new tunes a piece, each is limited to 4000!
In many ways singles are the perfect way to experience just how good Stereolab still are. It's so easy to take this group for granted and yes they do have a sound that for the most part they stick to but when you get to hang out with just a couple songs at a time, you really get to appreciate the intricacy and continual level of excellence of their music.
"Eye of the Volcano" is full of their tasteful horns, playful moog and breezy vocals with the great last line "we treat our bodies like machines, fascism from within." The 'b' side almost sounds like Stereo Total in its opening seconds and carries out with a song that sounds like something off of Dots & Loops.
Note: Multi-format fans (and Stereolab completists) please be aware that all of the songs on these three records also appear on Stereolab's current singles compilation cd, Fab Four Suture, along with those that were on the previous three 7"s.
It's oh so easy to take Stereolab for granted at this point; but when it comes down to it, their mandate continues to be about excellence. For those of you vinyl impaired, this is a collection of the onslaught of 7"s and 10" releases that they've released over the last couple years since Margarine Eclipse came out. There is an energy and poignancy in these songs that proves that they are nowhere near being past their prime or irrelevant. Bright and bouncy elegant and breezy cool and confident all sides of Stereolab shine through on these recent singles. They continue to make really smart sounds without ever getting too smarty pants for their own good. There is a belief in their sound and aesthetic that is too often missing in modern music. They've done a really nice job too of bringing the singles together on the cd to make a cohesive record from start to finish.
Stereolab continue to produce records as more of a commodified fetish object and less a piece of music with this new, and dreadfully boring 7 song ep. As of May 19, 2000, there have been no announcements of any other versions or pressings of this record that may have extra tracks, articles of clothing, medical waste, or alternate packaging. What does the music sound like? Who cares. We'll be watching the skies for the sign that the Japanese pressing will be released as a 36 volume box set of 7"s, complete with 144 petri-dishes filled with virulent strains of E-coli, a full haz-mat body suit with Stereolab logo, and of course that one extra track. And some poor sap will buy it on ebay for $42,000.
Newest ep from everybody's favorite Neu! worshipping modern krautrockers. And lucky for us, not much has changed. Propulsive rhythms, bubbling synths, angelic vocals, sun dappled and sparkling, hypnotic and soothing, dreamy and blissed out. Like Neu! meets the Free Design, Enoch Light fronting Can, an easy listening Faust or Tortoise playing the Agitation Free catalog. Lovely as always.
Hurrah, some new Stereolab songs! The band sure seem to have turned over a new leaf where their limited edition collectibles are concerned -- re-endearing themselves with their legions of fans. Perhaps it's been spurred in part by the new partnership between the band's own label Duophonic and Too Pure? Dunno, but after years of frustratingly small run, insanely pricey special releases, they recently offered up the cool Oscillons From The Anti-Sun 3cd/1dvd box set, and have now released these three nicely priced, no frills 7" singles with two songs a piece. Each is a limited pressing of 1000.
This is the punchiest, krautiest pair of their new half dozen, but it's still super pretty. "Interlock" particularly stands out with its groovy bassline, staccato singing and chiming keyboard lines.
Hurrah, some new Stereolab songs! The band sure seem to have turned over a new leaf where their limited edition collectibles are concerned -- re-endearing themselves with their legions of fans. Perhaps it's been spurred in part by the new partnership between the band's own label Duophonic and Too Pure? Dunno, but after years of frustratingly small run, insanely pricey special releases, they recently offered up the cool Oscillons From The Anti-Sun 3cd/1dvd box set, and have now released these three nicely priced, no frills 7" singles with two songs a piece. Each is a limited pressing of 1000.
This one features a pair of very similar lulling numbers with breathy non-word vocalizing (cycles of ba-bas and aaahs) atop subdued drumming and understated instrumental backing that alternates between two notes. Some might call the two parts of Kyberneticka Babicka hypnotically cyclical while others might find them to be somewhat maddeningly repetitive. It definitely contrasts with the more pop-side of Stereolab featured on the other two records which feature prominent and abundant singing from Laetitia.
Long awaited new full length from everyone's favorite psychedelic, French-philosophied kraut-pop lounge groop Stereolab. Their first since the tragic death of member Mary Hansen. But fear not, no maudlin melancholia or dirgey requiems for a lost friend here, just glistening, bubbly effervessence, honoring their lost comrade with transient random noise bursts and space age bachelor pad music. The sound is quite similar to the last few albums, their motorik Neu!-isms tempered by groovy loungey bounce, occasional sputtery drum machine and space-y swoop. Ever present of course are Laetitia's breathy French vocals, Tim Gane's shuffling chiming guitar and the groop's prefectly studied, effortless nonchalance. Nothing new, but who cares, when it all sounds this yummy and dreamy?
We were lucky enough to get this Japanese import back in stock. Great remixes by The Automator, Autechre and Kid Loco.
