These four gals have been raising a ruckus 'round town for a couple years now. You might recognize two of them as being former members of the short-lived SF synth-wave band Clone as well as 7 Year Bitch. Live, they've had their hot nights and ones less so, but when they're 'on', their shows can be a super sassy time with equal parts sweat and lipgloss. Really, a major part of what makes them cool is also what can be their downfall, and that is their unbridled swagger. 'Cuz of course when you're rockin' the blues you can't be all uptight, but you also can't be so loose that you're downright messy. Now on record, they've successfully captured the feel of one of their fiery, saucy good nights on tape. When taken sans vocals, Von Iva rock out a straight-ahead by the books dance punk sound with their two-note arpeggiated keyboard and basslines. However, add in the ballsy soulful female vocals and it's quite a different animal. They definitely provide the distinct personality to this band. A flamin' cocktail brewed up from an ample shot of blues rock, a dollop of disco, a scoop of new wave and a dash of batcave.
In case you hadn't heard, Von Sudenfed is the collaboration between Mark E. Smith and Mouse On Mars. Given that Smith had once quipped that The Fall could involve anybody's grandmother on bongos accompanying Smith and his cantankerous slurred vocals, it's a bit surprising that this isn't considered a Fall project. Nonetheless, Tromatic Reflexxions is clearly the best album that Mark E. Smith has been part of in years. The same goes for the Mouse On Mars side of the equation. We're not going to stray too far from the conventional wisdom regarding Tromatic Reflexxions, as we basically agree that it really does sound like LCD Soundsystem, even though Mark E. Smith wants nothing to do with any of those comparisons. Musically, the combo produces a smarty-pants concoction of post-everything rhythms with dubstep density, disco-punk punchiness, and electro grooviness all mashed up into an infectious squelch, which clearly resembles the LCD Soundsystem singles of a couple years back. Smith is just as cranky, irritable, and insufferable as he's ever been on any give Fall recording. Perhaps not surprisingly, Smith's presence in an electronica context offers an obvious comparison to James Murphy's smug delivery on the LCD Soundsystem recordings. Many of us here hadn't thought that this collaboration would work in the least, but more than a handful have been clearly won over. In all likelihood, Tromatic Reflexxions will stand out as one of the best art-rock / electronica albums of 2007. Well worth checking out.
Found a few of these tucked away in the closet, one of our favorite records from this mysterious industrial martial folk neoclassical goth pop combo, 2001's E Pluribus Unum. While on all of the various VT records, the band does get seriously industrial, that side of their sound is balanced by their tendency to craft sort of woozy dour gloom pop that at its songiest sounds like some hybrid of the Doors, Spacemen 3, This Mortal Coil, and at its most abstract sounds like some darkly chilling soundtrack music, to some forgotten Dario Argento thriller, or some classic German art film.
The record starts off with tolling bells, and then a guitar riff, wait, it's AC/DC's "Hell's Bells", sampled, and looped, over and over and over, but instead of launching into the song, the riff becomes a weirdly mesmerizing groove, that main riff wrapped in strummed acoustic guitar, and softly swirling effects, laced with pounding martial drumming, all supporting a dreamy dramatic crooned vocal. Fans might remember the track on their Sacrificare record, where they took the Who's "Pinball Wizard" and similarly transformed it into their own weird sort of industrial goth pop.
The rest of the record is more traditionally neoclassical / neofolk, with mournful strings, swirling synths, militaristic drums, haunting samples, snippets of speeches, occasional gouts of crumbling distorted guitar, or growled demonic vox, it's a darkly gorgeous pseudo historical soundscape, a mysteriously varied, epic and majestic collection of otherwordly war songs, hazy sonic propaganda, and blackened doom pop.
A long overdue reissue of this miltaristic ambient industrial folk, cinematic masterpiece originally released in 2000. Very much in the vein of Folkstorm, Toroidh, Der Blutharsch and the like, the music of Von Thronstahl was conceived, in the band's own words, with the idea of making "music & art which would be more attached to a real European heritage and not to a freemasonary, anarchic tradition of false liberty, which means lawlessness and rootlessness." Oof. Heavy. Well, no need to agree, or to even understand to dig this record. An expansive, orchestral, dark hued journey through European History, Fascism, War, life and love and loss. Huge sweeping minor key strings, over mournful melodies, plaintive piano, martial percussion, snippets of found sounds, snatches of old songs and speeches, ominous whispered vocals. Very intense and ominous and emotional, and weirdly reminiscent of UK outfit In The Nursery with the big strings and occasional pounding militaristic percussion, and even some once-in-a-while playful gipsy melodies. But the occasional lighthearted vibe aside, Imperium Internum is a raw and harrowing record, majestic and epic, but ultra personal, full of sorrow and misery, darkness and light. So great.
A dark and thick and beautiful as a scrying pool of molasses! This is the third solo album from the formidable Steve Von Till (Neurosis, Tribes Of Neurot). He sounds like a man mustering his last shreds of battered hope and dusty breath as dreams fade with the sunlight into dusk. On the surface it may seem quite akin to many other somber country and folk contemporaries, however much like that of his band (whose music traverses terrain so far beyond the bounds of the 'metal' genre in which they are usually slotted), Von Till's music evokes something more -- an expression beyond common man world weary melancholia. The hushed strum of an acoustic guitar offers some comfort as the haunting slink of slide guitar threads its way around Von Till's bristly deep voice cresting into ominous swells of electric guitar grit and distortion. Recommended.
This is the first solo record from Steve Von Till, guitarist/vocalist for bay area tribal teutons Neurosis (in fact I think it's the first 'solo' record by anyone in Neurosis). It is a dark and somber affair, as you might expect, but what might surprise you is it's restraint and fragility, just voice, acoustic guitars, and occasional strings. The sounds on this record were hinted at on the last Neurosis record; droning and hypnotic, whispery balladry, replete with cellos and violins (courtesy of Amber Asylum who definitely share some sonic qualities here). Steve's voice is a gruff whisper, abrasive, but subtley melodic, bringing to mind Michael Gira, Nick Cave and Tom Waits.
You may be accustomed to hearing this gritty growl of a voice on Neurosis records, or maybe seen Steve Von Till onstage with them -- he's the scary looking Viking guy (although his pals here at AQ prefer to think of him as a teddy bar slash garden gnome) playing guitar. This second solo album treats us to a glimpse of Von Till's folksy side. With only the sparest of accompaniment -- a single fiddle, or acoustic guitar, or Hammond organ -- he whisper-growls tales of barren fields, blood red moons, howling beasts, broken anvils. The pace is very slow, the chord changes warm and emotional, and the mood is despondent. Reminds me at times of former Swans leader Michael Gira's recent solo work. Fans of Black Heart Procession might even take a risk on the metaller side of sensitive. Includes a Neil Young cover and a few minutes of Von Till's grandfather reciting verse.
We reviewed a super limited tape a while back by Ben Wildenhaus, former guitarist from Northwestern garage rockers Federation X, and an occasional collaborator with members of the Reeks And The Wrecks, and as we mentioned in the review of that tape, Wildenhaus has since transformed into a bit of an avant guitarist, now living on the east coast, and managing the Instrumental Quaalude blog, on which he weekly posts new recordings, always instrumental, always under 5 minutes. That tape, Great Melodies From Around, has now been reissued both on cd (and yeah, a real cd, not a cd-r), and vinyl, with a download coupon, and while there is new artwork and the curious addition of 'Von' to Wildenhaus' name, Great Melodies From Around is presented in these new formats, sonically identical to it's early cassette tape iteration...
Great Melodies From Around seems, in fact, to be an extension of Wildenhaus' Instrumental Quaalude blog, as it is a moody and sonically surreal collection of similarly dark, gorgeously instrumental excursions, assembled from lush layered drones, Appalachian style steel string guitars, woozy twangy slide guitar, strange murky percussion, bits of vocals (NOT singing) employed as more texture, wheezing organ, sinewaves, minimal drumming, subtle electronics, bits of glitch and hiss, amp buzz, a little noise here and there, the occasional sample... The sound is smokey and dark and ominous, dreamy and hauntingly lovely, a distinctly Lynchian soundtrack vibe for sure, late night, lights low, everything dusty, and dark, and lonely, and lit by the streetlights outside, hazy, gauzy, fuzzy, and totally and fantastically lovely.
Never before released live recording from Von Zamla's 1983 European tour, taken from two dates in Germany. Featuring Michel Berckmans [oboe & bassoon], Eino Haapala [guitar], Lars Hollmer [keyboards], Hans Loelv [keyboards], Wolfgang Salomon [bass], Marten Tiselius [drums], and performing tracks from No Make Up, Zamlaranama, and a Samla track. Challenging yet still filled to the brim with toe-tapping melodies and great playing.
Wino-esque doom from Germany.
Rocky Votolato's debut EP has been out of print for ages... until now! Yes, let's holler a big "Hooray!" 'cause it's been reissued with new artwork. Then let's settle down to enjoy his gentle, subdued Spartan folksy pop stylings. If you share our love for his full length titled Makers which came out on Barsuk Records in 2006, you've probably been on the look out more mellow, restful Rocky. Fortunately Second Nature Recordings felt the same way releasing this seven song EP to satiate our craving. So good...
Ahhh, the lonely ballad of the singer songwriter. A lone troubadour, pouring out their heart and soul, naked and alone, with no band to hide behind, no crashing guitars and pounding drums to shield their delicate psyche.
There was a time when being called a singer songwriter was a badge of honor. But now, we might just as well turn tail and run. Sure the legacy of singer songwriters is a mighty one, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot, Janis Ian, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Donovan, Bruce Springsteen, but you'll notice a serious dearth of more -modern- musicians in that league. That's not because there aren't singer songwriters anymore, it's just that now, we typically equate singer songwriters with commercial radio, faceless pap, bad top 40, coffee houses, guys who couldn't start a band so decided to just 'do it themselves'. We're definitely generalizing, sure. There have definitely been some notable exceptions, Iron And Wine's Sam Beam, Damien Jurado, Edith Frost, Elliott Smith, Joel Phelps, Devendra Banhart, Cat Power's Chan Marshall, Simon Joyner, Fiona Apple, Jeff Mangum, Sufjan Stevens, Will Oldham, and now you can add Rocky Votoloto to the list. Now the funny thing is, as we mention again and again and again, if Votoloto had chosen to release this record under the name Waxwing (the name of his previous band) it probably wouldn't get lumped in with the singer songwriters at all, and might eeven get a bit more attention, even if it sounded exactly the same. That's why it's always better to make up a band name even if it's just you. We've said it before, we'll say it again. No matter how cool you think your name is, unless it's Van Halen or something like that, think again! Try this out: "I'm going to see John Smith". Or "I'm going to see Black Dungeon Firefly". Or "Strangle Flanger". Or whatever. You get the idea.
Anyway, before this review loses any more of its momentum, let's just say this is one of the most beautiful records we have heard in ages and mere months into the year has most definitely secured a spot on some of out 2006 top ten lists!
Votoloto has a gorgeously husky, whiskey soaked voice, and has an amazingly deft touch with melody and harmony. The first track is a dead ringer for Iron And Wine, delicate steel string guitar, hushed breathy vocals and sweet sweet harmonies, but the rest of the record is not nearly as restrained. Votolato's vocals are too rough and raw and powerful to be tiptoe-ing and shuffling sad boy style. No, the rest of the record sounds more like that Nirvana Unplugged record, Votolato's vocals the centerpoint, raw and ragged, but thick and warm and completely intense and emotional, more raspy and sandpapery like Cobain or Spoon's Britt Daniel or even Pete Searcy from Squirrel Bait. Not to say that he can't get all smooth, cuz there are plenty of dark and delicate tracks, where the vocals glide smoothly over sweet mournful melodies and hushed melancholy moments. But as with all "singer songwriters" (sigh) it's all about the songs, and this record is so chock full of amazing songs. Dark and dreary, warm and weary, folky and twangy, hushed and indie, a perfect mix of Iron And Wine, Ryan Adams, Elliott Smith, Uncle Tupelo, Spoon, and all that stuff we love. Acoustic guitars, harmonica, lapsteel, organ all woven into perfect chunks of dark and dreamy pop and twang.
One customer thought this was Jeff Tweedy, while another could have sworn it was Ryan Adams, but no, it's Rocky Votolato! He might be a bit lesser known, but in addition to the vocal resemblance we'd also venture to say that his songwriting chops are pretty on par with those two fellows' too.
Hell, as far as we can tell Rocky's not prone to sonic experimentation nor alternate identities, which makes him generally more even-keeled temperamentally and stylistically speaking than both of them.
As you may well know, we absolutely loved his last album Makers -- it was our record of the week back in January 2006 -- and we recently got in the reissue of his debut ep A Brief History. So we were primed and ready to hear some new Rocky tunes. We'd heard there were a few changes brewing with his new album, but despite its title, don't be expecting The Brag And Cuss to fill your ears with expletives and exclamations. No, it's nothing but hushed earthy twang pop... an ol' reliable! Whereas Makers was considerably barebones and intimate, this album was recorded with a full band featuring James McAllister (who also plays with Sufjan Stevens), Bill Herzog (who is also in Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter), Pedro The Lion's Casey Foubert and Rick Steff (who also accompanies Cat Power and Hank Williams Jr.). They play together beautifully, complementing each other with nuanced performances. There's definitely more heft to the production, but it doesn't crowd his songs. If anything the company adds to the emotional gravity of his lonesome words. Real good!
Somewhere in France, sometime in the '80s: a radical independent underground micro-scene peopled by creative teenagers who grew up listening to Kraftwerk, Throbbing Gristle, A Certain Ratio, Metal Urbain, and Cabaret Voltaire, making their own synth- and sample-based music, with heavy beats and noisy dubbed out FX, that's like a post-punk/industrial hybrid of old school hiphop, Detroit electro, and tape-splicing musique concrete experimentation, releasing it themselves on artfully packaged cassette tapes and occasional pieces of vinyl, in limited editions heard only by the most dedicated international networkers in that pre-internet age. Sound good? It is! That's what this release documents, remarkable DIY music that's been aptly described as "like Wild Style on dust". Or imagine some other underground '80s industrial experimentalists from France, like Le Syndicat, toning down the noise (a little) and trying to make tracks like Afrika Bambaataa.
And please don't get confused, either, 'cause noted turntablist, producer and crate digger Cut Chemist's name is on the cover. This isn't a DJ mix, or remix, or collaboration, or anything like that. Cut Chemist doesn't himself have anything to do with the music of the two closely related bands on here, Vox Populi! and Pacific 231, other than having discovered 'em on one of his record-buying excursions (specifically via finding Vox Populi!'s track "Megamix" on a rare compilation LP called Alternative Funk, released by VP!'s own Vox Man label), and then making it his mission to find out more about them and get their stuff reissued - which he did, after many years of research, and friendships forged with both Vox Populi's leader Axel Kyrou and his colleague Pierre Jolivet, whose own project Pacific 231 ran parallel to Vox Populi!, and was also an important part of the collective described above.
So, thanks to Cut Chemist, whose imprimatur will hopefully help get this music some additional well deserved attention, we've now got this fantastic anthology of twenty VP! and P231 tracks rescued & remastered from rare cassette and vinyl comps, eps, etc., with plenty of previously unreleased material too. It's a real treasure trove of headnodding, mindblowing, utterly rad stuff, what could be indeed called, "alternative funk". Make that, alternative WTF? funk. These wide-ranging tracks contain, in varying combinations and degrees, all manner of frizzled blip bloop electronics, propulsive drum machine rhythms, subversive cut-ups, spanking funk bass, gothic cold wave vocals, ambient synth trances, crazed echoing dub effects, and reel-to-reel tape manipulation (the DJ "scratching" sounds you'll hear). All we can say is, upon hearing this, we immediately understood Cut Chemist's obsession!
Musically, the French always seem to have their own unique, unusual take on things, whether it's disco or prog or black metal, and the hard-to-define genre this represents is no exception.
The thick cd booklet (or big lp insert) is full of detailed liner notes, graphics and photos, which should give one a good sense of the exciting artistic/cultural/musical milieu these folks inhabited. Highly, highly recommended. (Note, the double vinyl version comes with a bonus 7" of extra tracks, which are also included on the cd.)
Folks have been asking for Voxtrot lately, and we're happy to oblige. They've had a handful of eps released over the last few years which have amply whetted appetites across the nation for a full length debut... and here it is! Our initial impression of this Austin, TX band is that they're sorta like a hybrid of The Arcade Fire and a more stable Fiery Furnaces, but with perhaps an even broader appeal that at times is quite reminiscent of The Kinks circa "Lola". Super exuberant and catchy! We predict this'll surely be blasting outta the hip kids' boomboxes at the beach all summer long.
Words can't describe how fuckin' happy we are to see this! Finally, The VSS's long out of print (and pretty hard to track down even when it was in print!) 1997 album Nervous Circuits has been remastered and reissued... and how! The new edition is bursting at the seams in sound and visuals with tons of bonus historical documentation packed on the cd and dvd!
The VSS = a short-lived yet incredibly influential and genre defining band from Southern California / Colorado in the mid-90s.
The VSS = Josh Hughes' deeply textured apocalyptic air-raid guitars, Andy Rothbard's lithe double fisting of snaking bass guitar and Juno 60 synthesizer, Dave Clifford's fevered muscular drumming, and Sonny Kay's clenched spewed vocals delivering cryptic wordplay and caustic socio-politically charged lyrics (mind you, due to his impassioned expulsionary singing style they're pretty unintelligible, you'll need to refer to the lyric sheet!).
The members of The VSS surfaced from the ashes of legendary post-punk band Angel Hair, burned incredibly hot and bright for only a couple years, and then later went on to other mighty bands Slaves, Pleasure Forever, Year Future, Rabbits, Red Sparowes and solo projects (Andrew Douglas Rothbard!) and an independent record label (Gold Standard Laboratories).
These days on paper, the marriage of post-punk, hardcore, synth-wave, electronic rock and metal is nothing short of commonplace. It's become a hip lifestyle genre, but this wasn't the case back then. And even so, this album still sounds fresh and immediate eleven years after its original release! Seeming at once wild and untethered and totally in control, it's a remarkably composed aural assault with plenty of quick shifts in mood, atmosphere and tempo that still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.
The dvd offers what criminally few were able to witness in person back in the day... a young band who absolutely slayed in the live setting! There's nine song clips from various stops on their '97 U.S. tour as well as three sets in Brooklyn (six songs), Boulder (seven songs) and Berkeley (four songs). Be forewarned though, the quality of a lot of the footage is pretty poor -- having been culled from many fans' handheld home camcorder vhs tapes -- but our eyes have become accustomed to this sort of grainy, shaky stew a la murky cellphone-shot YouTube clips. Nevertheless a welcome electrically charged video document.
Yeah, definitely recommended!
A re-issue of this 1996 collection of 7" tracks by the amazing but unfortunately now-defunct VSS. Not quite as excellent as their full-length "Nervous Circuits" (which is rumoured to be on it's way to a re-issue also. Fingers crossed!), but definitely offers many a glimpse at the awesomeness of this band. The sound? Dissonant, angst-y and very Roland Juno 6 synth-driven. Totally furious and ass-kicking. FYI: Andy, Dave and Josh are now the excellent Portland based Pleasure Forever (formerly SF band Slaves), Sonny now heads the very label on which this release appears.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
So good! An awesome textured guitar and thick Roland Juno 6 synth attack combined with some very angsty vocals sputtering out peculiar thoughts and phrases. This rocks.
Vue are a five piece from San Francisco who previously went by the moniker The Audience. Very much of the retro 70's sweaty, bluesy rock ilk, this record sounds so much like the Rolling Stones it's eerie... in a good way, all high energy and sexed up. Rex is an awesome frontman. They're definitely good at what they do, but it's hard because what they do falls into this vein of music
San Francisco kids Vue (formerly known as the Audience) have taken their 60s inspired rock sound to Sub Pop following a brief stint on the indie style makin' label Gold Standard Laboratories. Raw, feisty blues rock riffing with sinewy keyboard lines. On this their debut album, Vue deliver a quite good Suicide cover, Phil Ek production, and a sound that fans of The Make-Up might really dig.
"The hottest Psych - Prog - Garage - Punk reissues are on Radioactive", or so say the stickers that adorn the cover of each and every release on the Radioactive label out of England. Well, it's true they have uncovered some good ones, like The Nova Local and Francisco, but really out of what seems like the hundreds of "rare collector's items" they dig up out of the vintage vinyl graveyard every month, only a small handful seem all that worth bothering to reissue at all... some things are rare and obscure for a reason!
Vulcan's Hammer, though, we feel is should get a mention, as this British band's 1973 private press LP is actually nice to have on cd, if you're into acoustic hippy trad UK folk of the era a la Pentacle, Steeleye Span and Mellow Candle... Very rustic stuff, with both male and female vocalists singing in harmony, doing traditional tunes as well as their own material in a similar vein, as for instance on track 11, which has lyrics about hobbits and Gandalf! We love that sort of thing. Sadly, Radioactive didn't bother to include the track listing anywhere on this package (we don't know, but we'd assume the original LP must have had a track listing) so we don't know what that song is called. Or any of others here either. But they're all pretty nice, putting us in the mood of some of the material on the Wicker Man soundtrack, without the sinister undertones...
On first listen, this sounds like the ultimate aQ record. Crumbling processed blackened vocals, strange electronics, stumbling synths, fractured riffs, damaged drum programming, all wound up into some freaked out super fucked up electronic black metal weirdness. Bursts of furious electronified black buzz, bursts of furious gabber, stretches of new wavey synthesizer, pounding blackened dance music, all a serious what-the-fuck.
If it was some mysterious one man band from Finland or Japan or Tasmania, who lived in a shack, with nothing but a 4-track and a bunch of busted electronics, we'd very likely be going on about how we just discovered the most awesomely retarded metal record ever.
But actually, Vvervvolf Grehv is in fact the work of the dude from Nebraska synthwavers The Faint, with a studio full of gear, doing his best fucked up black metal. And to be fair, this is pretty fucked up and weird, and appealing in its random electronic black metalness, but it's hard not to be predisposed to NOT like it. Some hipster dude slumming it, and making his own brand of electronic metal. But we experience this stuff all the time, we'll get some record, and someone sort of likes it, but then we wonder, "Well, what if it was some all girl group from Japan? Or some Swedish dwarf? Or some invalid who has never left the bedroom where he makes this music?" The answer is usually, "well then it would be the best thing ever?" But how much should that stuff have to do with the music. Theoretically none. A good record is a good record, whether it's on a major label, or an indie, whether it's a band or one person, whether everyone hates them or they're hugely popular. But it's easier said than done. We're all predisposed to dig certain things and hate others. We've joked about having a record store with NO album covers, and NO band names, just everything in plain white sleeves, filed by number, where you base EVERYTHING on the sound. No personalities, no band discrimination, just purely music for the sake of music. Some day maybe.
So that all said, this record is actually pretty cool. Definitely WAY freaked out and fucked up. Black metal fans might find it to be way more electronic than metal, but there's enough bizarre riffing, pounding blast beats and demonic howls, to offset the buzzing synths, the squelches and glitches, the groovy dancefloor throb. Fair warning, it's a bit maniacal and intense and borders on some serious Steven Schultz territory (Busuchan, Puny Humans, History Of Vats, Stalin Claus Superstar!) a la Mr Bungle / Zappa ADD relentless freakout spazzcore, but if you can handle it, this is most definitely the weirdest electronic black metal what-the-fuck record you're liable to hear, maybe EVER.
Many of you probably remember a strange release from a group called Throne Of Blood, that we reviewed years ago. Beyond the music, the packaging was ridiculous and amazing, a rubberized dvd style case, with evil looking faces and vines and flowers and a unicorn, complete with a glass eye, all molded into the cover, Evil Dead Necronomicon style. At the time we thought no bad could live up to that crazy packaging, but somehow Throne Of Blood did. A furious grinding noise metal juggernaut with wild splattery drumming and shrieked vocals, short sharp bursts of fuzzy, fucked up lo-fi Melt-Banana like noiserock math metal which KILLED. And then to seal the the deal, the second half of the record was just the first half in reverse, which transformed the sound into a tripped out metallic psychedelia. We had often wondered what happened to ToB. And now we now what happened to at least one of them, they ended up in this warped, twisted outfit, a duo called Vvltvre, whose sound we had seen described as sludge/doom, and while much of this is, some of it is way more fucked up and far out, in fact, most of it is. Just check out the opening title track, which spends its first few minutes unfurling some sort of creepy ritual, all tinkling chimes, distant drum pound, weird breathing, seriously demonic vocalizing, the sound growing increasingly more agitated, louder and more caustic, the drums becoming more tribal, the vox weirdly processed, resulting in something that sounds like a way more damaged and demented and blackened version of No Neck / Sunburned Hand / Avarus, until about 7 minutes in, the song explodes into a churning blackbuzz dirge, the black buzz provided by what sounds like an insanely distorted bass, while the tribal drums pound away underneath, think The Body crossed with Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, a sort of blacknoise doom, or a noise rock sludge, when the band lock into these dense looped rhythms, it almost sounds like a Lightning Bolt 45 spinning at 16 rpm. The opening track gradually begins to revert to the opening, like some sort of doom sludge palindrome, the sound getting more abstract, the rhythms more spare, a death march pound, over rumbling crumbling low end, laced with some cool tripped out backwards effects.
The B side follows a similar pattern, beginning with some ritualistic ambience, chanted vox, soft focus chordal shimmer, barely there percussion, then the drums come in, and it remains hauntingly tribal, like some ancient sonic ritual, and then eventually, the track again splinters into some seriously harsh heaviness, reminding us a bit of Monarch for sure, but with a definite Whitehouse vibe, the sort of droned out buzz beneath near hysterically shrieked vox, which again eventually erupt into some pounding noise rock dirgedoom mathiness. The third side mixes things up by foregoing the heaviness completely, and instead offering up a sprawling rhythmscape, all abstract drum pound, gurgling low end, subtly employed effects, lots of dark drones and washed out thrum, a gorgeous bit of meditative abstract ambient doom minimalism, which gives way to the closer, the 15 minute D side, which is all bass drone for the first 6 minutes, super minimal and hushed, before the drums creep in, beneath clouds of cymbal shimmer, the bass growing more distorted, the final few minutes, a strange lurching, stuttering feedback drenched, super dynamic slo-mo math doom that ends WAY too soon.
WAY recommended for fans of Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, Khanate, Moss, Bunkur, Gnaw Their Tongues, Monarch, Wicked King Wicker, Wolf Eyes, Otesanek, Habsyll, Human Quena Orchestra and other purveyors of slow, low sonic sickness.
Fantastically packaged in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, with some super striking artwork, while inside lurks a gorgeous handmade 32 page booklet, hand painted and glitter-ed, LIMITED TO 500 COPIES.
New on John Dwyer's Castle Face label, the debut from W-X, which is actually the brilliant Tim Presley from garage popsters White Fence doing a wonderfully f'd up, sprawling solo set that's a messy lo-fi explosion of quirky, catchy, electronics-distorted grooves not entirely unlike John Dwyer's own Damaged Bug project. Full of bizarre, beat-heavy, echoing FX-laden foot tappers galore, from 16 second snippets to super stoned sounding songs, the album's an off-kilter jimble-jumble of damaged loops and sunny jangle, like riding on some crazed carousel. Real nice, fun and freaky.
Accurately described as "Cash meets Clash", Chicago's Waco Brothers bestow their fifth release on the world. A twangin' country party of a band featuring Mekons leader Jon Langford along with members of Pine Valley Cosmonauts, KMFDM and Jesus Jones(!), Waco Brothers actually sound a lot like a more focused Mekons -- which is a very good thing, especially if, like me, you think the Mekons started to suck right after their amazing early albums "Honky Tonkin'" and "Rock 'n Roll". Lots of sublime pedal steel and mandolin augment the bright electric guitars. Full of whiskey-soaked energy!
A tome focused on the progressive metal music genre has been long overdue... perhaps in part due to the fact that the genre is so expansive and there are so many debatable definitions. Author Jeff Wagner (former editor for Metal Maniacs magazine) has taken the bull by the horns, focusing the spotlight on prog metal heavyweights Rush, Queensryche, Voivod, and Meshuggah - all very deservingly so - but we take a bit of issue with his grouping Dream Theater in with those true pioneers (yeah, we're going to catch some flak from DT fans for questioning their inclusion amongst those ranks, aren't we?!). Wagner presents the five bands as the standards by which pretty much all others covered in this book are held. Indeed, most of the other bands he features were inspired by one or more of those abovementioned innovators. Many nail 'the sound' very well, but break little new ground themselves. So we ponder, can they truly be permitted in the progressive metal arena? Hmmmm, 'tis something of a quandary when trying to define something which is supposed to be ever exploring, innovating and evolving. Nevertheless, if you are new to the genre (and would prefer to read a book than scour the internet to get yourself up to speed on the subject), this book is a terrific starting point... especially for the revisiting of the truly unique trailblazers Fates Warning, Thought Industry, and Celtic Frost. Particularly useful are the lists of recommendations in the back of the book to get any neophyte up to speed or to flesh out the collections of older fans. Oh, and the book features original cover artwork by Michel "Away" Langevin of Voivod. 400 page paperback. ----* ----* In Stock, Not Yet Reviewed : ----* If you want to order one of these, just click on the buy button and it will be added to your cart! ABRAHAMSSON, CARL "Fanzinera" (Trapart) book 37.00 ACEPHALIX "Deathless Master" (Southern Lord) cd 14.98 ADVANCE BASE "A Shut-In's Prayer" (Orindal Records) lp 12.98 AQUARIAN, DJIN "Destiny Of Aquarius" (Global Recording Artists) cd-r 14.98 ARARAT "II" (Elektrohasch) cd 16.98 BALTHROP, ALABAMA "We Have Electricity" (End Up) lp 14.98 BATTLES "Dross Glop" (Warp) cd 16.98 BLACKQUEEN "March Of The Obsidian Triumvirate" (Silentium Spells) cd ep 6.98 BLACKQUEEN / THE FAMILY CURSE "split" (Fainting Room) 7" 6.98 BLOWFLY "Disco" (Weird World) lp 14.98 BLUE PHANTOM "Distortions" (Kismet) cd 17.98 BUNKUR "Bludgeon" (Nuclear War Now! Productions) cd 10.98 BURIAL HEX "Book Of Delusions" (Cold Spring) cd 17.98 BURZUM "Umskiptar" (Back On Black) 2lp 38.00 CAN "The Lost Tapes" (Spoon / Mute) 3cd box set + book 32.00 CEYLEIB PEOPLE "Tanyet" (Vault) lp 16.98 CIRCLE "Serpent" (Ektro) cd 17.98 CODEINE "When I See The Sun" (Numero Group) 3 x 2lp + 3cd box set 83.00 COFFINS "March Of Despair" (Hammer Heart) cd/lp 12.98/17.98 DECEASED "Surreal Overdose" (Shrieks From The Hearse Records) cd 10.98 DELTA FUNKTIONEN "Traces" (Delsin) cd 17.98 DIIV "Oshin" (Captured Tracks) lp 16.98 DISTAL "Civilization" (Tectonic) cd 12.98 DJIN AQUARIAN & PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND "Save The World" (Prophase) lp 17.98 EL POLEN "Cholo (OST)" (Lion Productions) cd 16.98 EMERSON, DONNIE & JOE "Dreamin' Wild" (Light In The Attic) cd/lp 14.98/19.98 FATHER YOD "Ya Ho Wa's Morning Meditations" (Global Recording Artists) cd-r 25.00 FATHER YOD & THE SOURCE FAMILY "The Thought Adjusters" (Drag City) lp 22.00 FENNESZ, CHRISTIAN "Aun: The Beginning And The End Of All Things (Soundtrack)" (Ash International) cd 15.98 FLESH LIGHTS "Muscle Pop" (Twistworthy Records) lp 12.98 FORKBOY "1993-1999" (Kaos Kontrol / Arkisto) cd 13.98 GARY WAR "Jared's Lot" (Spectrum Spools) lp 22.00 GAY CAT PARK "Synthetic Woman" (Medical) lp 19.98 GRUMBLING FUR "Alice" (Latitudes) cd/lp 14.98/19.98 HAWKINS, SCREAMIN' JAY "Rare, Unissued or Just Plain Weird" (Rumble) lp 24.00 HELPFUL SOUL, THE "First Album" lp 19.98 HIGH SPIRITS "Another Night" (High Roller) lp 17.98 HOUSTON, PENELOPE "On Market Street" (Glitterhouse) lp 19.98 JESUS & MARY CHAIN "Stoned & Dethroned" (1972) lp 15.98 JOHANNSSON, JOHANN "Copenhagen Dreams: Music From The Film By Max Kestner" (NTOV) lp 21.00 KREIDLER / TARWATER "split" (Bureau B) 12" 12.98 LEOPOLD, PERRY "Experiments In Metaphysics" (Guerssen) lp 28.00 LES OLIVENSTEINS "s/t" (Born Bad) lp 21.00 LIARS "Wixiw" (Mute) lp 17.98 MAGIC TRICK "Ruler Of the Night" (Hardly Art) cd/lp 11.98/14.98 MANTRONIX "King of the Beats" (Warlock Records) 2cd 23.00 MARSHALL, OWEN "The Naked Truth" (Jazzman) cd/lp+7" 17.98/17.98 MEDITATIVE SECT "Laceration Points" (Merz Tapes) cassette 8.98 MONYPENY, DEREK "Limerance" (Underwater Experiences) cassette 3.98 MORKOBOT "Morbo" (Supernatural) cd 17.98 MOUNTAIN GOATS, THE "The Hound Chronicles & Hot Garden Stomp" (Shrimper) 2cd 15.98 MY BLOODY VALENTINE "Isn't Anything" (Sony) cd 27.00 MY BLOODY VALENTINE "Loveless" (Sony) 2cd 31.00 NAZORANAI (STEPHEN O'MALLEY + KEIJI HAINO + OREN AMBARCHI) "s/t" (Ideologic Organ) 2lp 32.00 NAZORANAI (STEPHEN O'MALLEY + KEIJI HAINO + OREN AMBARCHI) "s/t" (Ideologic Organ) cd 16.98 NIKE7UP "Lucky!" (Light Lodge) 7" 8.98 NILE "At The Gate Of Sethu" (Nuclear Blast) cd 15.98 NILES, JOHN JACOB "The Boone - Tolliver Recordings" (LM) cd 14.98 NO JOY "Negaverse" (Mexican Summer) 12" 15.98 NORTHERN HAZE "Sinnaktuq" (Supreme Echo) lp 24.00 OBITS "Let Me Dream If I Want To / The City Is Dead" (Sub Pop) 7" 5.50 OCTAVE ONE "Revisted: Here, There, And Beyond" (430 West Records) cd 17.98 OH NO "Ohnomite" (Five Day Weekend) cd 17.98 OLD MAN GLOOM "No" (Hydrahead) cd/2lp/cassette 14.98/28.00/12.98 OUTER SPACE "Akashic Record (Events: 1986-1990)" (Spectrum Spools) lp 22.00 PACO SALA "Ro-Me-Ro" (Digitalis) lp 19.98 PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST "Transparent Winter" (Silentes) cd 14.98 PEACOCK, ANNETTE "I'm The One" (Future Days Recordings / Light In The Attic) cd/2lp 15.98/33.00 PLANKTON WAT "Spirits" (Thrill Jockey) lp 15.98 PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. (P.I.L.) "This Is Public Image Limited" (PiL Official) cd/2lp /29.00 REPEAT AFTER ME "From The Mountaintop" (For Once Records) lp 9.98 RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR "The Revolution" (Sub Pop) 7" 5.98 ROOT "Heritage Of Satan" (Agonia) cd 16.98 SAINT VITUS "Die Healing" (Hellhound) cd 15.98 SCHEIDT, MIKE "Stay Awake" (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98 SCOTT, RAYMOND QUINTETTE "Radio Music" (Doxy) lp 26.00 SEPULCRAL "Anthrophagy Of Doom" (Razorback) cd 10.98 SICULICIDIUM "A Rothado Viragok Szinuket Vesztik" (Valse Sinistre) cd 13.98 SOEBARDJA, BENNY "Gimme A Piece Of Gut Rock" (Strawberry Rain) lp 28.00 SOEBARDJA, BENNY "Night Train" (Strawberry Rain) 2lp 35.00 SONNY AND THE SUNSETS "Longtime Companion" (Polyvinyl) cd/lp 12.98/15.98 SPACE VACATION "Heart Attack" (self-released) lp 8.98 SPIRITUALIZED "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light" (Fat Possum) cd/2lp 13.98/19.98 SPOERRI AND BETHA SARASIN, BRUNO "AX+BY+CZ+D=0 (aka Kunst Am Computer)" (Dead-Cert) lp 26.00 STEREOLAB "Mars Audiac Quintet" (1972) 2lp 25.00 STEREOLAB "Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements" (1972) 2lp 25.00 SURVIVE "s/t" (Light Lodge) 10" 10.98 T-REX "Tanx" (Fat Possum) lp 14.98 TALK TALK "Colour of Spring" (Parlophone) lp 44.00 TASTE OF DECAY "1984-1986" (Mannequin) cd 17.98 TENDERIZOR "Touch The Sword" (SickSickSick) lp 9.98 THOMAS, HENRY "Bull Doze Blues" (Mississippi / Little Axe) lp 13.98 UGLY CUSTARD "s/t" (Relics) cd/lp 17.98/17.98 ULAAN MARKHOR "s/t" (Soft Abuse) cd/lp 11.98/15.98 ULVER "Childhood's End" (K-Scope) cd 17.98 UTON "Echoes In The Wonderland" (DNT) lp 17.98 V/A "Eat The Dream: Gnawa Music From Essaouira" (Sublime Frequencies) lp 21.00 V/A "Wizzz Volume 1" (Born Bad) lp 21.00 V/A "WTNG 89.9 FM: Solid Bronze" (Numero) cd 11.98 VERGE "Sex & Violence" (Descending Towards Damnation) cd 10.98 VOCODER "Cuadro Sinoptico" (Dark Entries) 12" 11.98 VOWELS "Hooves, Leaves & the Death / As December Nightingales" (Sun & Moon) cd 13.98 WET HAIR "Spill Into Atmosphere" (De Stijl) lp 19.98 WHEELS, THE "Road Block" (Big Beat) cd 14.98 WHITE, EMILY JANE "Dark Undercoat" (Important) cd/lp 12.98/12.98 WHITE, EMILY JANE "Victorian America" (Talitres) 2lp 24.00 WHITE, JACK "Blunderbuss" (Columbia) lp 27.00 WICKED LADY "Psychotic Overkill" (Guerssen) cd 17.98 WINO & CONNY OCHS "Heavy Kingdom" (Exile On Mainstream) cd 16.98 WITCH MOUNTAIN "Cauldron Of The Wild" (Profound Lore) cd WOUNDED KINGS, THE "Embrace Of The Narrow House" (Eyes Like Snow) cd 17.98 YOUNG, LARRY "Larry Young's Fuel / Spaceball" (Arista) cd 19.98 YOUNG, NEIL "Americana" (Reprise) cd 13.98 YOUNGS, RICHARD "Amaranthine" (Mie) lp 25.00
A while back we reviewed the self titled debut from Ethiopian-Finnish guitarist/vocalist Mirel Wagner, released on local label Friendly Fire, and we were pretty smitten, a haunting collection of lush, almost murder ballads, the sound crystalline and clear, but the vibe and the mood murky and ominous. Not sure what we were expecting, but it definitely wasn't something nearly that bleak and dark. And with a jump to Sub Pop, we were perhaps expecting Wagner to deliver something more polished, less intimate, less sonically harrowing than that debut, but we're beginning to think this is just where she wants to be, and while it sounds like a frightening, heart breaking place to be, she manages to make it sound strangely inviting.
Right from the opener, Wagner conjures up a mysterious world of sound, one that's mostly just guitar and vocals, the guitar generally spare, the vocals deep, and smokey, "1 2 3 4" is almost like a lullaby or a nursery rhyme, but one of those cautionary tales, that warns children what terrible end awaits if they disobey. "The Dirt" is a bit folkier, but has the same sort of sinister vibe, a dark slo-mo folk-blooze, that again, seem to be all about loss and death, the sounds as spare as they are, wreathed in clouds and shadow, and emotionally overcast, and soul baring threnody.
And even later in the record, when the sound blossoms, and the production follows suit, the music stays dark and mournful, every track some kind of lament, and when the subtle strings surface, it only adds to the pretty pathos. The rest of the record finds an uneasy balance between darkly psychedelic dreamfolk ("The Devil's Tongue"), haunting chamber folk ("Dreamt Of A Wave"), and moody almost country ("What Love Looks Like"). The more we listen, the more it makes sense that this record ended up on Sub Pop, as it wouldn't be entirely out of place on your shelf somewhere in-between Fleet Foxes, Red Red Meat, Iron & Wine and Codeine, although wherever it ended up, would darken that corner of your collection considerably. Haunting, harrowing and pretty goddamn fantastic.
As long time readers of the aQ list no doubt know by now, we definitely have a thing for Finnish music, and Finnish music of all stripes, be it freaky forest folk, churning metallic hypnorock, twisted outsider cabaret, or progged out whatthefuck weirdness, but not all Finnish music is so flat out twisted, there's plenty of other amazing stuff going on, a lot of which we're not always hip to. Which is why we can thank local label Friendly Fire for introducing us to Ethiopian-Finnish folk singer Mirel Wagner, who conjures up a darkly haunting soundworld of bleak murder balladry, and grim blackened doom folk, her voice gorgeous and mysterious, childlike at times, but definitely with a chilling world weariness, perfectly accompanied by Wagner's spare skeletal acoustic guitar, the sound alternatingly clear and crystalline, murky and deeply reverbed, but always lush and lovely, hypnotic and tranced out, the vibe bleak and brooding, the soundtrack for shadowy late nights, for vast expanses of wind swept emptiness, the sort of mysterious songsmithery you might expect to discover next to a campfire, in some post apocalyptic otherworld, a dusty cloaked figure, hunched over the fire, face obscured by shadows, fingers deftly moving along the neck of a battered old guitar, the music drifting heavenward, through clouds of fireflies bleeding into fields of glimmering stars, Wagner's music like some end of the world lullaby. So gorgeous.
This started out sounding like any post rock record, good enough, but just not all that remarkable. Until a few minutes in, when the whole thing explodes into a crushing frenzy of howled vocals, rumbling low end, and very un-post rock metal! Then for the rest of the record it's a battle to the death between metal bombast and subtle textures, between thundererous pummel and delicate, complex rhythms. Fucking great.
Hello Martha! Here's another member of the Canadian musical family Wainwright (her brother Rufus and their folks Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle). However, she's sure not riding on anyone's coattails, she's garnered quite a bit of attention for herself. Did ya hear/see her on tour recently opening for Stephen Malkmus? There's plenty of fine traits running in this family, she definitely shares a flair for the dramatic with her brother and a grounded earthiness with her mother. That said, her voice fits somewhere between Tegan & Sara, Joni Mitchell and Mazzy Star. While we're not so sure about her song "Bloody Motherfucking Asshole", we're sure about the fantastic duet with her brother "The Maker". Splendid!
It's been about three years since Rufus Wainwright released a proper album, but the wait seems to have been worth it, with possibly his most emotionally engaging and honest record yet.
Way stripped down, the entire album is just Rufus and piano. There is a stark and poetic nature to these songs that find him being a bit less snarky and clever than in the past instead opting for something more bare, mournful and sincere. We have always loved Wainwright's records, and are always in awe of his grandiose arrangements, but it's so cool how even with just his voice and piano he is still able to create such elaborate and interesting songs. We're also struck with what an amazing pianist he is, his playing both sparse and dizzying, lush and intricate, subtle and melodic. At times it's almost like this amazing version of piano virtuoso Lubomyr Melnyk joined by Scott Walker or Leonard Cohen. It's always a good sign when you can't think of many contemporary peers an artist has, showing how unique and singular their vision is. Besides maybe Antony & The Johnsons and Fiona Apple (by the way where are you Fiona, we miss you!!!) we can't think of many modern folks who have the same kind of talent and ability to create such dynamic and emotional songs.
And while on past efforts, there was usually always a song or two that try to get all rock and always seem a bit forced and out of place, on this album with only him and piano, there is no room for rock n' roll posturing, as he really zones in to what is at the core of his songwriting. Emotional, dramatic and richly crafted songs that have the power to leave you frozen in your tracks as you sit stunned and moved by these songs' bold and devastating honesty.
Wow! This is one heckuva fan pleasin' dvd. It really is packed oh so generously with all you really do want! Over three hours worth of Rufus! Where do we start? Well, there's a frank and intimate documentary about Wainwright's life story thus far, there's a baker's dozen wonderful live performances, four music videos, some Wainwrights' home video footage, a bunch of interviews with Rufus, his family (sister Martha and mom Kate McGarrigle) as well as with a number of his celebrity fans such as Elton John and Sting. And the cherry on top? A spiffy new song titled "The Maker Makes". Whew! Need we say more?
The sad voiced, troubled troubadour of the moment is... well... probably Radiohead's Thom Yorke. If Jeff Buckley were still alive he'd be releasing his fourth album around now and *he* would be the man. But I know that AQ customers are musically large-hearted
There's dobro, mandolin, ethereal girl backup singers, french horn, soaring violin, cello, piano, Wurlitzer and Hammond organs and much more. The music plays off his voice so beautifully and he's got lyric talents too -- spitting out lines like "whiffs of freon", and "three cubic feet of blood and bone and meat" and "all the pearls of china fade astride a volta".
All songs written by Rufus, except for one which was written by his dad, the legendary Loudon Wainwright III. Yes, he comes from an exceptionally musical family -- in addition to dad, his aunt and mom, otherwise known as Kate and Anna McGarrigle, are musical legends in their own right who were last seen enhancing Nick Cave's most recent record. Come to think of it, fans of Nick Cave might actually like this record too. Check it out for sure. Contender for record of the year.
Here we have another beautiful record from Mr. Rufus Wainwright. The album's opening track asks "Do I Disappoint You?" The answer in regards to his latest effort is (not surprisingly) absolutely not. Release The Stars might be Wainwright's most personal and frank work to date, and in that spirit, let us be frank with you, we're not sure Rufus Wainwright's music could disappoint. Ever. He may be the only artist who could write an entire song dedicated to Tulsa, OK including the line "you taste of potato chips in the morning" and later cram the words "antique shop that I want to go back to and visit when it's open" into a chunk of music far too short for that much verbiage, AND get away with it, because well, his voice melts your heart and delights your soul no matter how silly the lyrics may be. Fortunately, silly moments are few and far between and obvious pop hits are replaced here by his richest orchestral arrangements to date, lush and layered over gorgeous piano. His signature velvet croon comes through as rich and expressive as ever as he navigates through themes like stardom, love, and leaving and sometimes the intersection of all three. In "Leaving For Paris No.2" he describes these crossroads with unapologetic frankness stating: "I'm leaving for Paris/No I don't think that I'll see you/I pray you won't follow like so many who have known me/And when I get there, I will lose the ring you gave me/take care of yourself/goodbye." It's been a joy watching Wainwright boldly catapult his unique baroque pop into the spotlight. He's taken full advantage of this new found attention, by collaborating with a slew of interesting guests including Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant (who is also the album's executive producer) and AQ fave Sharon Jones. This one's not to be missed!
On its own, Rufus Wainwright's voice can take you away better than any ol' Calgon bath salts. Positively swoon-inducing, he's fully capable of performing gloriously stirring renditions of just about anything... a grocery list, the alphabet, 99 Bottles of Beer? Okay, we're exaggerating, but there's no question that Wainwright is more than just a very pretty voice. Fortunately for the music lovin' world he's using it for 'good'... which is, finely crafting sophisticated chamber pop songs a-plenty that are unmistakably his own. On Want One, the assemblage of instruments surrounding him is lusher than ever, but it doesn't crowd him. His oft-flamboyant cabaret piano stylings rub velvety shoulders with the sweeping orchestrations - certainly not shying away from grand theatrical flair. Sure to please his legions of adoring fans and make him a fair number of new ones too.
Sir Rufus has always had a refined flair for the dramatic, and for the most part his music thus far has been draped with velvety elegance and cabaret candlelight. His has been the music that could appeal to both your young NY hipster cousin and your grandmother alike. However, on Want Two he dares to stick his neck out a bit farther, delving into more adventurous and flamboyant territory, squarely addressing his status as a gay icon, and thus challenging himself and his audience. Whereas it predecessor Want One was a lush chamber pop album that featured Wainwright in full gallant knight regalia on the cover art, Want Two is perhaps his most un-pop and most empassioned album of his career. The photo this time shows him dressed as a distraught maiden figure. At times his highly stylized ballads and operettas reach grandiose heights filled with over-the-top spiralling orchestral runs and soaring backing vocals, only to immediately follow them with achingly direct moments stripped bare of any excessive accoutrements with just his unmistakable voice and a strummed guitar or cascading piano. An absolutely sumptuous, gorgeous work. Plus, there's an added attraction, and quite a fabulous bonus it is! A dvd of a stunning Rufus Wainwright performance at the Fillmore here in San Francisco.
For many of us the debut by Rufus Wainwright still stands as the shining light in his entire catalog. With arrangements and production by Van Dyke Parks this was the record that totally captured the lavish and grandiose drama and decadence of Rufus at his greatest. It's easy to forget that when this came out in 1999, it really had no scene or peer group to be placed with. This was a few years before full blown orchestrated pop made a renaissance in the indie music landscape. This was a trailblazing record in so many ways. It was still not the norm for a good looking heartthrob major label artist to be totally out of the closet. It also wasn't the norm for a pop record to come out that was filled with intense and colorful piano, stunning orchestration and such confident, romantic and tragic male vocals. Songs of yearning, unrequited love, and monumental memories delivered with such sweeping and riveting flair. So nice to have this one on vinyl now!
Approaching 30 years of making music, Tom Waits presents two wonderful albums at once, Blood Money and Alice. This collection, actually recorded many years ago but only now seeing its proper release, richly evokes particular moods and sounds of a world long gone, yet also captures a pure timeless beauty just like that of the Lewis Carroll tale. After all these years, it's truly a pleasure to see that he's still quite the wise, eccentric and immensely romantic fellow. There's such a consistency to all that he does, and that is made no clearer than when you stack these two albums up against one other. Alice is a mournful, weathered variety of songs one might just as fittingly hear coming out of a shady speakeasy or from a roaming band of minstrels. Twisting strings, subdued horns and piano, plodding rhythms and his unmistakably sandpaper-raw, billy goat's gruff voice. Smoky, sinister jazz and blues numbers entwine with looming, somber waltzes and darkly creeping, gutwrenching ballads. Although the music is definitely much more fleshed out than his great works like the Spare Change or Swordfishtrombones, this album offers many moments reminiscent of those releases. So enveloping and theatrical, if anyone's music can transport you spiralling down rabbit holes or indeed through the looking glass, his most definitely can. Recommended.
A compilation of Tom's favorite songs ("Hang On St. Christopher," "Downtown Train," "Temptation," etc...) while signed to Island, handpicked by the artist himself... [Plea: If you have a video copy of the Tom Waits episode of Fishing With John, please get in touch!]
Now also on very reasonably priced vinyl! Here's what we said about the cd:
Of Tom Waits' two freshly released albums, I think the needle of my recommendation meter is leaning towards Alice rather than Blood Money, but that's mainly because his slow, dream / nightmare ballads (which I personally prefer) outnumber his more cacaphonous numbers full of craggy howls and shouts. More weary sighs than strange, wizened grunts and mutterings. However, that's not to understate the strength and beauty of this release. In fact, I'm sure neither of these albums is gonna disappoint. He so very seldom does. Once again, he co-wrote and produced all the songs with his wife and long-time collaborator Kathleen Brennan. So wonderfully carnivalesque. We catch glimpses into the shadowy, tattered tents of circus freak shows. Often unsettling and sinister, Blood Money scrapes and scratches at the dusk's scarred underbelly with its tumbling piano and marimba, squelching harmonica, madman beat poet bongos, and sweet melancholic clarinet. Recommended.
Because his live concerts are so few and far between (and usually in Europe or Talahassee or some such place), Glitter and Doom, the new live Tom Waits cd, is a blessing from the heavens above. The man himself still sounds amazing and imaginative, even after all these years; that gravelly voice digging deep and soaring into high falsetto, channeling Howlin' Wolf and cracking jokes. Old favorites like "falling Down" and "I'll Shoot the Moon" sound as fresh as ever, their arrangements and instrumentations altered slightly, while newer classics like "Get Behind the Mule" and "Make It Rain" are executed with more energy and finesse than on the original recordings. Though it would be nice to see Mr. Waits' extraordinary facial expressions while he sings, his voice and the incredible musicians he assembled paint such a picture in the mind's eye to make the lack of a visual element negligible.
The second disc contains 35 minutes of Mr. Waits at the piano telling stories and relating obscure facts to a live audience, usually about animals or etymology. It's like a stand-up comedy routine, only he's sitting down....
