Gamingforce Music Exposure Club™

Various Artist - The Funky Precedent
Label: Loose Groove Records
Year: 1999
Genre: Hip Hop / Soul / Jazz / Latin



DOWNLOAD LINK

1. Triple Optics (Live Funky Precedent Mix) -- Dilated Peoples
2. Concrete Schoolyard (Funky Precedent Edit) -- Jurassic 5
3. Musically Inclined -- Abstract Rude & Tribe Unique
4. S.N.T. (Live At Peacepipe) -- Cut Chemist & Miles
5. Journey To Anywhere (With Piano Bar Intro) -- Ugly Duckling
6. The Audition -- DJ Rhettmatic Of The World Famous Beat Junkies
7. Getcho Soul Together -- Breakestra
8. Cumbia De Los Muertos -- Ozomatli
9. Building -- Blk SonShine Featuring Masauko Chipembere
10. To The Outside -- Damon Aaron
11. Good Vibrations -- Miles
12. Ambiguous Figures -- Styles Of Beyond
13. Make It Plain -- DIVINE STYLER
14. Project Bliznaiznowed -- Aceyalone
15. Get Sober -- Black Eyed Peas
16. Save The Music -- Myka Of Freestyle Fellowship

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An outstanding compilation of Los Angeles-based hip-hop, Afro-soul, and funkdafied jazz, The Funky Precedent is more than just your run-of-the-mill underground comp. Its talent and diversity of sound captures the myriad styles of music that runs through L.A.'s Southland, from the rebellious riddims of Afro-Latin fusionists Ozomatli to the resurrected hardcore funk of Breakestra to the old-school/new-school hip-hop meld of Divine Styler. An album designed to appeal to more than just deep-underground heads, The Funky Precedent personifies L.A.'s past, present, and future.

With artists including Aceyalone, Jurassic , Rakaa-Iriscience, Styles of Beyond, Cut Chemist, Ozomatli and Divine Styler, "The Funky Precedent" stands as one of the best hip hop compilations ever produced. It came about through an attempt to raise money for Los Angeles-area inner-city school music programs, which had been long neglected. Throughout its funkdafied beats and jazzy grooves one finds an energetic, upbeat, and strongly consistent album. Give it a listen and take it back to the concrete streets...

...original beats with real live MCs
Playground tactics
No rabbit and a hat tricks
Just that classic
Rap shit from Jurassic

This shall be my second contribution, but my first of many to come, hopefully!

Si*Sé - More Shine
Label: Fuerte Records
Year: 2006
Genre: Downtempo / Latin Dance



Tracklist:
01. Sometimes
02. The Truth
03. More Shine
04. A La Bahia
05. Amiga
06. Agua
07. Brazillion
08. Changes
09. Wanna Know
10. Mariposa en Havana
11. Karma
12. Noche Azul

Mini-review:
I was on the search for this band's first CD when I decided after much thought to buy the second CD that they had released. My reasoning was based on that if I was taking so much time to find the first CD again (Which I did and will release here in the future soon), then they must at least have been able to put that same energy and vibrant life into a second album, as their first was much enamored by me. I picked the album up at Boarders Book store and took a listen when I got home. The album is not radio-friendly and that is not a bad thing at all. The first track starts out slow paced with a fast bongo drum beat. Carol C's melodic voice introduces the initial mood of the album with Violins and drum kicks.

The titular track starts out slow paced and builds up only after a few lines from Carol again. One of the most unique things about the band has to be either Carol's voice or the instruments used for the drum kicks. The reintroduction of violins adds yet again a Latin touch to the song. While the songs are not as a low key and 'relaxed' as their first outing, this album proves it has not lost the soul of the band, but merely brings it into a new direction. Tracks like "A La Bahia" and "Karma" reflect the past album's tone, and other tracks like "Amiga" and "Brazillion" introduce us to new sounds and sound schemes, of which I personally enjoyed. I can't say if its the product of reaching a wider audience but the only major Spanish track is "Mariposa en Havana", which sounds quite haunting in my ears, almost tragic as with the first track, but in an entirely different light.

I would certainly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a new experience and wants to relax while doing so.

Best Track IMO: "Karma".

Download:
[ Sendspace download link ]

Peter Gabriel - Melt (Remastered)
Label: Geffen/Charisma
Year: 1980
Genre: Multi-genred honestly



1. Intruder – 4:54
2. No Self-Control – 3:55
3. Start – 1:21
4. I Don't Remember – 4:41
5. Family Snapshot – 4:28
6. And Through the Wire – 5:00
7. Games Without Frontiers – 4:06
8. Not One of Us – 5:22
9. Lead a Normal Life – 4:14
10. Biko – 7:32

Favorite tracks include: No Self Control, I Don't Remember, And Through the Wire, Games Without Frontiers, and Not One of Us.

I've always been a fan of Peter Gabriel since I can remember recognizing music. What attracts me to his music is that he explores extremely varied instruments, sounds and rhythms. He doesn't keep with one ensemble of instruments for his songs. As a percussionist I am especially enamored with all the different instruments for that alone, in this album there are:

Snares, wood blocks, xylophones, timpanis, whistles, cowbells, tom-toms, congos and probably others i've missed.

Melt Megaupload Link
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Peter Gabriel - Security (Full Digital Recording)
Geffen Records
Year:1982



1. The Rhythm of the Heat — 5:19
2. San Jacinto — 6:34
3. I Have the Touch — 4:35
4. The Family and the Fishing Net — 7:07
5. Shock the Monkey — 5:28
6. Lay your Hands on Me — 6:09
7. Wallflower — 6:38
8. Kiss of Life — 4:17

This is probably my favorite Peter Gabriel album since there is something I really enjoy in every song. Signal to Noise (from Up) I've heard several mention as a great build up song, well I think they haven't heard Rhythm of the Heat, which is just spectacularly built up and given 1:30 of release of some of the best percussion I've heard.

This is followed by almost mystical song "San Jacinto", as a fellow poster on a PG fansite said "I remember reading a Peter Gabriel interview where he said that it is about (I’m paraphrasing) the elderly chief/shaman of a Native American tribe (the San Jacinto tribe of the Southwestern U.S.) who is slowly dying. As this Chief fades in and out of conciousness and in and out of a hallucinatory state, he passes on instructions to the last fewmen of the tribe. However, the death of the chief serves as a metaphor for both the slow dissolution of his tribe and the cultural death of Native Americans."

Next is "I Have the Touch" which is another mind fuck if you'd excuse me. This whole album exudes sociopathy, social injustive and primitive nature but the lyrics are never a give away, one has to work at them to figure out the song, which is what i love about PG. This song is about one man's desire for human interaction. "I Have the Touch" just reinforces the love I have for the way PG writes percussion into his songs.

The first time I listened to "The Family and the Fishing Net" I was creeped out. There are several interpretations of this song, it's one that is open to just about any theme. It centers around a marriage ritual but it's not so "happy."

Next is the popular "Shock the Monkey", even previewed in South Park (played by Stan). This is another that is left open to wide interpretations, from jealousy to drugs to impotence (and shock therapy). Despite all that, it's a great song with incredible trumpet sequences.

"Lay Your Hands on Me" is another build up song to a great conclusion of percussion, only this one includes a haunting chorus to go with it. Once again great percussion set up, with powerful timbales.

"Wallflower" I don't particularly like it as much as the other songs. But it's lyrics are empowering although it's a song about a poliical prisoner.

"Kiss of Life" is a tribute to women but is void of cliché and obnoxious lyrics. It's a light hearted song considering the rest of the album, a nice way to end actually. Ends with a great percussion ensemble too.

Security Megaupload Link

I'll probably put more in a few. But these two are more than enough to get some of you started.

Azam Ali - Elysium For The Brave
Label: Six Degrees
Year: 2006
Genre: World (Iranian)


Download Linky - Megaupload
Download Linky - Moon's webspace

1. "Endless Reverie"
2. "Spring Arrives"
3. "In Other Worlds"
4. "Abode"
5. "Forty One Ways"
6. "The Tryst"
7. "From Heaven To Dust"
8. "I Am A Stranger In This World"
9. "In This Divide"

Favorite songs: I Am A Stranger In This World, In Other Worlds, Forty One Ways, Endless Reverie.

Quote:

In a career which spans over a decade and includes eight collaborative albums and one solo project, Azam Ali has confirmed her place as one of the most prolific, versatile, and gifted singers on the world music stage today. Her dedication to defying cultural specificity in music, and her unwillingness to settle into one form of musical expression have earned her the respect of both her peers and critics worldwide. When one looks at her entire body of work, it is hard to deny Azam her rightful place among the best singers and composers in music today.

Elysium for the Brave (Six Degrees Records), Azam's second solo album, signals a new turn in her musical evolution. The album, her most ambitious work to date, brings together musicians from varied musical backgrounds performing in diverse permutations. Singing predominantly in English for the first time, the songs are based on lyrics written by Azam herself and reveal a poetic lyricism heard only in glimpses of her previous works.

review continued here

Si*Sé - Si*Sé
Label: LukakaBop
Year: 2001
Genre: Downtempo / Latin Dance / Genre-Fusion



Tracklist:
01. Slip Away
02. The Rain
03. My Sol
04. Bizcocho Amargo
05. Steppin' Out
06. Burbuja
07. Aire
08. Beyond Outside
09. Dolemite
10. Cuando
11. Sonrisa
12. I Want You To...
13. Lullaby

Mini-review:

Quote:

From the Site:

Formed two years ago by singer Carol C and programmer/DJ U.F.LOW, Si*Sé bring together the atmospheric vibes of electronica with the crackle of live instruments.

Their self-titled debut is a romantic stroll through the global barrio. Singing in both Spanish and English, stunning vocalist Carol C (whose family hails from the Dominican Republic) is at once sexy, smooth, soulful and completely unique. Programmer/producer/keyboardist Cliff Cristofaro aka U.F.LOW is a b-boy minimalist armed with a single MPC drum machine. But theirs is more than a beauty and beats story: Two viola players (Jeannie Oliver and Olivia Martinez), crack percussionist Neil Ochoa, spirited bassist Morgan Phillips, and live drummer Ryan Farley add an eclectic live punch to songs that range from deep drum ‘n’ bass to futuristic Latin ritmos and beyond.

Michael Mangini (Digable Planets) signed on to co-produce what would become their debut album: at once a vibrant orchestral production with real dancefloor potential. From Spanish-language jams like "Cuando" and the acoustic-guitar-meets-hip hop-funk track "Bizcocho" to their heartrending interpretation of Oran " Juice" Jones’ classic "The Rain," their debut is like a velvet hand grenade blasting through the walls of electronic pop, world music, and urban rhythms. Like the city they call home, Si*Sé’s music is a place of infinite possibility, where exotic traditions and tongues mingle with cutting edge daring and youthful energy. The next train is leaving soon -- and you’ve got the ticket in your hands.

I personally loved this album when I first heard it in a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Flagstaff, Arizona of all places.
This was several years ago when me, my mom and grandmother went on a trip up there. Listening to a few tracks via the in-store kiosk, I happily asked to get the CD and listened to it on the way home.
A while later the CD was sadly stolen, and only because of the awesomeness of the album did I actually buy it again eventually. I don't want the CD to sound better then it might be, but I would definetly recommend this and I hope that you enjoy it.

Best Track IMO: "Bizcocho Amargo", OR "The Rain".

Download:
[ Sendspace download link ]

Big Black - Songs About Fucking

Year: 1987
Label: Touch & Go
Genre: Noise Rock



From AMG:
Ever notice how rock bands tend to keep things interesting for themselves by pointlessly dragging out their songs and introducing awkward conceptual threads? Also, how many bands veil their subject matter in euphemisms to avoid being taken literally, to stay safe, or -- better yet -- to be "mysterious?" Big Black's final LP does the diametric opposite of both. Not only do the 14 songs here whip by with only one exceeding the three-minute mark, but each one is incisive enough to render a razor as effective as a butter knife. And, how could a title be more direct? The only band that had courage enough to be this direct was Spinal Tap, and that was for a song, not an album title. (Clue: it was a ballad in the saddest of keys).

Songs About Fucking brought about a definite sharpening of the band's sound. Steve Albini's mangled screaming is at its most bileful, his and Santiago Durango's guitars don't meander, and the rhythm section of Dave Riley and Roland is more taut than prior. Ugly characters line up in the songs like early arrivals at a monster truck rally. Most significantly, there's the murderer in "Fish Fry." Who else but Steve Albini could paint the picture of a man hosing out his truck after chucking a dead body from it into a nearby pond? His use of the first person can be misleading, but it's a necessary perspective for effect. Big Black left with more of a kling klang than a bang, bowing out with a reverent cover of Kraftwerk's "The Model." To sum up: yowl, ching, thump-thump-screech. [The CD version adds the B-side of "The Model," a swell cover of Cheap Trick's "He's a Whore."]


Personally, I don't think this record is as good as the band's debut EP, Lungs, but this is certainly a better introduction.

Tracks:
1. Power of Independent Trucking
2. Model
3. Bad Penny
4. L Dopa
5. Precious Thing
6. Colombian Necktie
7. Kitty Empire
8. Ergot
9. Kasimir S. Pulaski Day
10. Fish Fry
11. Pavement Saw
12. Tiny, King of the Jews
13. Bombastic Intro
14. He's a Whore

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Rapeman - Two Nuns And A Pack Mule

Year: 1989
Label: Touch & Go
Genre: Noise Rock



From AMG:
A supergroup of sorts, Rapeman came together as a unit in 1988 in Chicago, IL, consisting of Steve Albini (ex-Big Black) on guitar, David William Sims (ex-Scratch Acid) on bass, and Rey Washam (ex-Scratch Acid, Big Boys) on drums. The name for the band came from a Japanese comic book that Washam and Albini were equally obsessed with because of the bizarre, adult nature of its subject matter; for whatever reason, the title character spent most of his time raping women. Puzzled by the fact that such a comic book was an accepted part of popular culture in Japan, Albini, already swathed in controversy from his days as frontman for Big Black, decided it would be a clever name for his new project. This decision was not without consequences though; on their first American tour, there were picket lines at several shows that were filled with women who found the group's name to be offensive, sometimes accompanied by news crews covering the sensation that the group occasionally generated. In England, a show at a university was nearly cancelled because of a proposed boycott by students and members of the community. The ensuing publicity, however, drove hundreds to the rented hall and the show sold out. The band itself only lasted for two years, producing a limited-edition 7", the Budd EP (the title track here comes from a man named R. Budd Dwyer, former treasurer for the state of Pennsylvania who shot himself during a televised press conference), and the Two Nuns and a Pack Mule album. The group's songs were peppered with inside jokes (a track entitled "Kim Gordon's Panties" was named as such because the band thought the song sounded like a ripoff of a piece written by Kim Gordon's band, Sonic Youth, and Albini had seen Gordon throw her panties into the audience at several shows), tongue-in-cheek attacks on those Albini could easily infuriate (take the line "Why don't you stuff it, man? You plant-eating pussy" from the song "Steak and Black Onions"), and featured Albini's signature snarl and searing, trebly guitar attack. For personal reasons, the band broke up in 1990. Albini went on to form Shellac, Sims became a member of the Jesus Lizard with some of his former cohorts from Scratch Acid, and Washam later joined Ministry.

The sole full-length record from Steve Albini's razor-honed thrash trio (rounded out by Scratch Acid's David Wm. Sims and Rey Washam) varies in its attack in ways Albini's old trio Big Black never did; the demented rhythms constantly threaten to veer out of control, and Albini's guitar screeches like something rabid and bloodthirsty. Lyrically, the group displays the same warmth and compassion so evident in their choice of a name (taken, by the way, from a Japanese comic book character); songs tackle sex ("Trouser Minnow"), ethnicity ("Hated Chinee"), and classic rock ("Radar Love Lizard"); there's even a Sonic Youth 'homage' called "Kim Gordon's Panties."

Tracks:
1. Steak and Black Onions
2. Monobrow
3. Up Beat
4. Coition Ignition Mission
5. Kim Gordon's Panties
6. Hated Chinee
7. Radar Love Lizard
8. Marmoset
9. Just Got Paid
10. Trouser Minnow
11. Budd
12. Superpussy
13. Log Bass
14. Dutch Courage

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Mike Patton - Adult Themes For Voice

Year: 1996
Label: Tzadik
Genre: Experimental



From AMG:
Nothing could prepare anyone for the full-on noise attack of Mike Patton's Adult Themes for Voices, not even Mr. Bungle fans. There isn't a note of music on the album; it's essentially noise. Recorded in hotel rooms during a Faith No More tour, all of the sounds are created from Patton's voice, which is pretty darn amazing. The album doesn't contain traditional songs as such; it plays as a continuous piece, and hence there are no obvious highlights. For instance, the track "Wuxipian Fantastique" could be described as sounding like a dying person taking his last breath, accentuated by harsh scraping noises, squeaks, and underwater sounds. And since there are a total of 33 pieces, it seems to be never-ending. Most may find this album hard to take, but fans of original, hard-hitting experimental music will eat it up. If you're sick of melody and musical instruments, your savior may be Mike Patton.

Tracks:
1. Wuxiapian
2. I Killed Him Like a Dog... And He Still Laughed
3. Smog
4. Man in the Lower Left Hand Corner of the Photograph
5. Robot Sex (Neon)
6. Screams of the Asteroid
7. Robot Sex (B/W)
8. Porno Holocaust
9. Inconsolable Widows in Search of Distraction
10. Hurry Up and Kill Me... I'm Cold
11. Man Alone in Steambath
12. Guinea Pig 1
13. Guinea Pig 2
14. Guinea Pig 3
15. Guinea Pig 4
16. Woman With the Skin of the Moon
17. Lizad With the Skin of the Moon
18. Catheter
19. Fix It So the Bruises Don't Show
20. Robot Sex (Water Colors)
21. Ceremony of Senses, an Alibi in the Red Light District
22. Butterfly in a Glass Maze
23. Pajama Party Horror
24. Leper With the Face of a Baby Girl
25. One Armed Vs. 9 Killers
26. Pillow Bitter
27. Raped on a Bed of Sand
28. Violence
29. Red Mouth, Black Orgasm
30. Wuxiapian Fantastique
31. Smile, a Slap in the Face, a Fart, a Kiss on the Mouth
32. Private Lessons on Planet Eros
33. Pneumonia With Complications
34. Orgy in Reverb (10 Kilometers of Lust)

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David Thomas And Two Pale Boys - Surf's Up

Year: 2001
Label: Thirsty Ear
Genre: I honestly can't say



From AMG:
Though he's made his home in London for years, Pere Ubu frontman David Thomas has built the better part of his songwriting career exploring American themes that seem to hold a special fascination for him -- open spaces, the industrial Midwest, cars, and surf culture (he's written a song called "Beach Boys," covers "Surf's Up" here, and has covered or quoted "Sloop John B." on several occasions). In between Pere Ubu projects he has worked under his own name with various collaborators, including the interesting guitar and trumpet duo called Two Pale Boys. Guitarist Keith Moline and trumpeter Andy Diagram both make use of technologies that significantly expand the normal tonal and temporal ranges of their instruments, often making it sound as if there are five or six bandmembers playing simultaneously (in addition to Thomas' own occasional contributions on melodeon). As anyone familiar with Thomas' work both in and outside of Pere Ubu will expect, the songs on Surf's Up! are moody and strange, suffused with a twisted humor and sometimes sweetly melodic in ways that don't reveal themselves immediately. For example, "Man in the Dark" sounds shapeless at first, a muttered lyric over unnaturally low-pitched trumpet and distant shreds of guitar, but stick with it and you'll realize that it's really a three-chord pop song. The nine-minute epic "River" combines layers of digitally delayed guitar and Jon Hassell-ish trumpet with multi-tracked vocals and lyrics that may or may not speak of environmental apocalypse (Thomas has longstanding aversions to both careful enunciation and printed lyrics). The most rockish entry is the harmonically static and, frankly, not terribly interesting "Spider in My Stew." But the big curiosity, of course, is his cover of "Surf's Up," which is given an eerily beautiful and ponderously slow arrangement. As usual, Thomas essentially defies criticism by being utterly sui generis.

Tracks:
1. Runaway
2. Man in the Dark
3. Night Driving
4. Surf's Up
5. River
6. Ghosts
7. Spider in My Stew
8. Come Home/Green River

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Melvins - Electroretard

Year: 2001
Label: Man's Ruin
Genre: Electronic/Grunge/Metal



From AMG:
Their first release since the intense and ambitious Bootlicker/Maggot/Crybaby trilogy, the Melvins' Electroretard feels like a playful reward after a successful but laborious delivery. With the exception of the introductory "Shit Storm," four minutes of noise that sounds like a Melvins track recorded backwards, this album is comprised entirely of covers and revisions of older Melvins tracks. As the album's title suggests, the new versions have been completely re-recorded with a powerful emphasis on electronic effects. The revision of "Revolve," for example, which first appeared on Stoner Witch, replaces the chorus' impassioned vocals and driving power chords with a barrage of staccato electronic tones. In addition to electronic tinkering, King Buzzo's vocals are consistently more sedate on the revisions, as his impassioned and enraged primal screams are replaced with an equally emotional but more somber delivery. This difference is perhaps most pronounced in "Gluey Porch Treatments" (a revision, in fact, of "Bitten Into Sympathy" rather than Gluey Porch Treatments' title track). On the remainder of the album, the Melvins put their distinct signature on tunes originally recorded by Pink Floyd, the Wipers, and the Cows (bassist Kevin Rutmanis' alma mater), with tremendous results in every case. The Wiper's anthem "Youth of America" is particularly driving and maniacal in the Melvins' hands, while the Cows' "I'm Missing" (simply titled "Missing" on this album) is rendered somewhat haunting by King Buzzo's sedated vocals and the conspicuous absence of guitar feedback that was so prominent in the original. Those who have remained intrigued with the Melvins' tortuous stylistic experiments will find Electroretard rewarding, but those who find them at their best with the crushing onslaught delivered by an album like Stoner Witch may find themselves somewhat dismayed. While the revisions at times disappoint when contrasted with the originals, King Buzzo's vocal stylings on this album add yet another dimension to a band that's constantly refashioning itself. The electronic experimentation, on the other hand, is intrusive and difficult to assimilate at first, but easily becomes an organic part of the songs on subsequent listens. "Youth of America" practically makes this disc a worthwhile investment on its own, for seasoned Melvins fans and new listeners alike.

Tracks:
1. Shit Storm
2. Youth of America
3. Gluey Porch Treatments
4. Revolve
5. Missing
6. Lovely Butterflies
7. Tipping the Lion
8. Interstellar Overdrive

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Kalas - Kalas

Year: 2006
Label: Teepee
Genre: Doom Metal



From AMG:
Although they claim to be no mere "side project," it's hard to figure out just when Kalas members Matt Pike (of High on Fire and Sleep legend), Andy Branton (Econochrist), and Paul Kott (Cruevo) will find time away from their other musical concerns to, say, go on tour -- but then again, few side projects manage to deliver such a distinct-sounding and well-realized debut album as this one. Yes, Kalas clearly rely on the guiding footprints of Neurosis for inspiration (not surprising given their Bay Area origins), devising a similar sense of foreboding minor-key mystery with their songs' deep dynamic contrasts. Representative examples like "Monuments to Ruins," "Things Done and Undone," and "Mother's Tears" utilize mournful, gently plucked melodies to set up bone-crushing riffs (and vice versa) -- but then subtract any notion of Neurosis' industrial/electronic tendencies and shirk the mid-2000s obsession with epic song lengths in exchange for leaner songwriting. The resulting material is therefore not only far more organic in nature but, when coupled with the band's carefully thought-out arrangements, almost helps render these nine tracks into one fluid tapestry from start to finish, like movements of a single 50-minute piece of music. Also worth noting is that Pike only picks up his Les Paul for one number, the album highlight "Frozen Sun," elsewhere stepping out as band frontman for the first time in his career. Granted, he'll never be a Freddie Mercury, but longtime followers won't fail to recognize the unprecedented emotional range displayed by his unholy howls, nor the impressive caliber of his lyrics. These find him conjuring up wildly vivid fantasy imagery throughout -- even when tackling real-world issues like the war in Iraq ("Media Screws") and heroin addiction ("Pleasurable Prison") -- a feat most recently accomplished by the Hidden Hand's Wino, but not many others. Together with the evocative music that supports them, the lyrics help to imbue Kalas' debut with a surprisingly fresh musical outlook, so here's hoping this group really doesn't become a one-off side project.

Tracks:
1. Momuments to Ruins
2. Frozen Sun
3. Godpills
4. Media Screws
5. Things Done and Undone
6. Mother's Tears
7. Pleasurable Prison
8. Due Time
9. Voyager

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Thor - Only The Strong

Year: 1985
Label: Roadrunner
Genre: Heavy Metal



Jan Mikl Thor is an interesting guy. A professional bodybuilder, his stage antics include bending metal bars with his teeth and blowing up hot water bottles to the point of bursting. While musically more similar to Manowar or other warrior-obsessed metal acts of the 80's, Thor, a Vancouver native, toured extensively with hardcore punk mainstays D.O.A. and several other Alternative Tentacles regulars, and developed an unlikely cult following because of it. Also an actor, his so-bad-it's-good film Rock n' Roll Nightmare just got a DVD release, and he's touring again to promote it. Not a show to be missed.

Tracks:
1. 2045
2. Only The Strong
3. Start Raising Hell
4. Knock 'Em Down
5. Let The Blood Run Red
6. When Gods Collide
7. Rock The City
8. Now Comes The Storm
9. Thunder On The Tundra
10. Hot Flames
11. Ride Of The Chariots
12. Invader
13. Unchained

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The Rough Guide to Asian Underground

Released: 2003
Label: World Music Network
Genre: Asian Underground (Dance)



Tracklist:
1. Ananda Shankar - Streets of Calcutta
2. State of Bengal - Elephant Ride
3. Black Star Liner - Killah Connection
4. Joi - Fulfillment in Dub
5. Fun Da Mental - Ja Sha Taan
6. Uzma - Yab Yum (Sabres of Paradise Remix)
7. Orchestral World Groove - Pyar
8. ShivaNova - Sundance
9. Asian Dub Foundation - Debris
10. TJ Rehmi - Is It Legal?
11. Mahatma T - Jihad
12. James Asher - Nataraj Express
13. Sister India - Out of Place
14. Mo Magic - Mixed Vision
15. Bill ‘Ravi’ Harris & The Prophets - Path of the Blazing Sarong

Review (from here:

Quote:

The Rough Guide, a company better known for its guidebooks than for its ability to produce records has recently released a third South Asian themed album in its line of guides to international music. Following the release of the Rough Guide album to both Bollywood and Bhangra now comes the Rough Guide to the Asian Underground. Produced by the World Music Network in association with Rough Guides and New Internationalist, the Rough Guide to the Asian Underground is a 15-track compilation of both already released classics and other previously unreleased tunes from many of the pioneers of the Asian Underground genre.

Compiled by DJ Ritu, the famed British Asian DJ, who hosts her own show on the BBC's Asian Network entitled "In the Mix with DJ Ritu," the Rough Guide to the Asian Underground serves as an introduction to the sounds that have laid the foundation for the Asian Underground movement. For those interested in the history of the movement, DJ Ritu's experience and knowledge of the scene becomes clear as soon as one looks at the comprehensive liner notes available with the album. Chronicling her involvement with the movement beginning in 1990, the notes serve almost as a timeline of the major events discussing the various movers and shakers involved with the rise in popularity of these Indian classical and tabla infused electronic sounds.

Despite the comprehensiveness of the notes, it is unclear whether Ritu's intention was to select artists who represent the origins of the movement, or instead, highlight some of the better and more representative songs of the Asian Underground. While I question her exclusion of Nitin Sawhney, she does include tracks composed by such Asian underground mainstays as State of Bengal, TJ Rehmi, the Asian Dub Foundation (ADF), and Asian Underground poster child Talvin Singh (whose track is under the nom de guerre, Mahatma T).

While I felt the opening tracks were average, I was most impressed with the second half of the album, beginning with the Asian Dub Foundation's "Debris," through the sometimes repetitive "Nataraj" by James Asher. Fluctuating with hard Drum and Base on Talvin Singh's "Jihad," to mellow ambient electronica from Sister India's "Out of Place" the second half of the album shows the range that this genre encompasses. The ADF track with its political undertones represents an aspect of the British Asian movement that is not an overt quality in many of the American releases that are associated with the Asian Underground. The James Asher track I found unique as it was the first I had heard any Garba-Gujarati folk music-being mixed with Drum and Base.

With the exception of excluding Nitin Sawhney from the album, I think DJ Ritu's selection of artists represent a wide cross section of the various sounds that were part of the Asian Underground. From the the Orchestral World Groove's down tempo dub track "Pyar" to Fun-Da-Mental's electro qawwali rendition of "Ja Sha Taan," Ritu mixes it up quite well.

Overall, the Rough Guide to the Asian Underground is a strong album, primarily for its portrayal of diversity within the genre. It is a must-have for the die-hards out there, if not solely for the liner notes, then for the previously unreleased tracks unheard of in many compilation albums.

So yeah.

Get it

Kate Havnevik - Melankton
Label: Continentica Records
Year: 2006
Genre: Electronica/Alternative/Pop



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1. Unlike Me
2. I Don't Know You
3. Not Fair
4. Nowhere Warm
5. You Again
6. Serpentine
7. Kaleidoscope
8. Sleepless
9. Suckerlove
10. Se Meg
11. Someday
12. New Day

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Like Bjork? If yes, chances are you'll enjoy Kate Havnevik. While not as confusing and experimental as Bjork's work tends to be, Kate Havnevik provides the listener with a unique aural experience of her own. I first learned of this artist while watching Grey's Anatomy. I wanted to know what track was closing out the episode entitled "From a Whisper to a Scream" because it was beautiful and a perfect fit for the scenes. A quick trip to the ABC website provided me with my answer, "New Day" by Kate Havnevik. Another quick trip, this time to Oink's Pink Palace, and I had myself a great new album.

I imagine this would be a great album to zone out to. It's great for studying in the wee hours of the morning.

Review from The London Paper

Quote:

Originally an iTunes only album, Melankton finally gets a physical release. It was worth the wait. An icy but euphoric Scandinavian affair that’s sweet like raspberries and stringier than a bag of three-week-old runner beans.

Weedy boys and dreamy girls will melt at these soaring orchestral epics and potential Bond themes like the seductive It’s Not Fair. Producers Marius De Vries (Rufus Wainwright) and Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Madonna) give Norwegian Kate’s lovely voice a lush, twisted edge where electronic beats and effects face off against armies of violins. The 31-year-old had the luck/misfortune to gain fame in America via her gorgeous song Unlike Me which was used on the popular hospital telly show Gray’s Anatomy. She also wrote the closing track Grace, specifically for the second series finale.

Like Imogen Heap, this falls into the category of those who know it love it and those who don’t, er don’t. If you do give her a go, just try to block out that she also slightly resembles a certain English singer beginning with ‘D’ that sounds like an extinct bird.

Favorite Track: "New Day" - It's divine.

Hammock - Kenotic
(2005, Ambient)



Track List:

1. Before the Celebration
2. The Air Between Us
3. Through a Glass Darkly
4. Blankets of Night
5. Winter Light
6. Miles to go before I Sleep
7. Wish
8. Overcast/Sorrow
9. Glacial
10. Kenotic
11. Stars in the Rearview Mirror
12. You may Emerge from this More Dead than Alive
13. What Heaven Allows
14. the Silence
15. Dawn begins to Creep
16. Rising Tide

Review (from here):
The sixteen pieces chosen for Hammock's first release, entitled Kenotic, evoke endless sky and the open Southern landscape. Kenotic is all at once ambient, post-rock, dreamy, lush, melodic, and atmospheric, a soundscape inspired by stillness, beauty, emptiness and silence. This is a band and an album that makes you notice the world around you by filling up the space within you. And like the world outside-like the empty space within, this music overflows with beauty and tension, melancholy and hope. All equally abiding.

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I am Robot and Proud - The Electricity In Your House Wants to Sing
(2006, Electronic Pop)



Track List:
1. Electricity in Your House Wants to Sing
2. When I Get My Ears
3. Work
4. Save Your Neck, Save Your Brother
5. Scholars and the Travellers
6. Neil Lake
7. Me vs. Heidi
8. Good Sleep
9. Man That Runs Too Fast
10. Places We're Trying to Find
11. Center Cities

Review:
This is a rare find indeed, an album of great electornic complexity that fills the listener with simple delight. All of the tracks are very uplifting in a strange sense and is all and all a fun album to listen to. A great way to get de-aggro if you're not in the mood for the usual quiet, relaxing music.

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Morcheeba - Who Can You Trust?
(1996, Trip-hopesque)



Track List:
1. Moog Island
2. Trigger Hippie
3. Post Houmous
4. Tape Loop
5. Never An Easy Way
6. Howling
7. Small Town
8. Enjoy The Wait
9. Col
10. Who Can You Trust?
11. Almost Done
12. End Theme

Review (from here):
At its core an electronic record, this album also serves up a cocktail of blues-inspired slide guitars, writhing percussion, and slow grooves, wrapped in a smokey ambiance (and it ain't cigarette smoke either). By the time "Col" chimes in, you're convinced that you've been transported to a 1930's jazz club as Edwards torches her way through a sad tale of distrust and lost love.

Though the sounds that the Godfreys cook up really smolder, it's Skye Edwards' enchanting voice that wins you over. It's sexy as hell. The entrancing "Never An Easy Way" and shagadelic bump and grind of "Almost Done" are great tracks, but nothing in the Morcheeba catalog impresses to the degree that "Trigger Hippie" does. With guitars that borrow from'60's psychedelia and low-watt kinetic energy coming from the beats, Edwards' seductive and supple delivery provides the final piece of the puzzle. This is Morcheeba at their best -- an aphrodisiac for the soul.

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Mono - Under the Pipal Tree
Label: Tzadik Records
Year: 2001
Genre: Post-Rock



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1. Karelia (Opus 2) – 12:30
2. The Kidnapper Bell – 10:00
3. Jackie Says – 7:31
4. Op Beach – 5:48
5. Holy – 1:40
6. Error #9 – 12:30
7. L'America – 4:37
8. Human Highway – 9:05


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This is my first experience with Post-Rock and I must say that I'm impressed. This four member band has earned a spot high up in my play list. Needless to say, I disagree with the review. This album doesn't need lyrics to be enjoyable.

All Music review by Adam Bregman

Quote:

A two-guitar, all-instrumental band from Tokyo, Mono is into Sonic Youth big time, but as boring as some of Sonic Youth's albums are, at least they sing sometimes and have three different capable singers to keep things from getting too self-indulgent. But Mono's guitar playing on Under the Pipal Tree is mostly second-rate Sonic Youth. One isn't surprised that someone named Yoda is playing guitar, and the swirling, Sonic Youth-like guitars on "Karelia (Opus 2)," the epic, 12-minute-long song that leads off the album, are quite beautiful. But from there, it's more of the same, an incredible amount of repetition. Mono has its moments; obviously, the band impressed John Zorn, who is the album's executive producer. But it needs to come up with an original sound of its own, as there are too many bands stealing their ideas from Sonic Youth.

Portishead - Portishead
(09/30/97, Go! Discs/London, Trip Hop)



Tracks:
1. Cowboys
2. All Mine
3. Undenied
4. Half Day Closing
5. Over
6. Humming
7. Mourning Air
8. Seven Months
9. Only You
10. Elysium
11. Western Eyes

AMG Review

Portishead's self-titled sophomore album follows their critically acclaimed debut release, Dummy, one of the single most essential Trip Hop albums of all. So, how does Portishead stack up with the prior release? To be honest, I can't rightly be sure, since I've yet to hear Dummy. I will, however, give Portishead loads of credit for being damn good. Many of you might already be familiar with "All Mine" from a Victoria's Secret ad campaign that ran some years back and used the song to promote its bras. And why not? The sharp horn blasts and easy, straightforward rhythm is pretty sexy. Beth Gibbons has an incredible voice, which she uses to interesting affect on all of the tracks - on "All Mine", she sings as though she were a young child; on "Only You", she sings to break your heart; on "Elysium", her voice has a certain snarl that grabs the ear. Another part of what makes this album so great is how effectively simple instrumentation and themes are used to produce distinct and memorable tracks, each one different from the last. While the nifty rhythm and samples of "Only You" has a certain, swanky air, everything about "Humming" sounds like it came straight from an old film noir. Don't hesitate to give this one a listen - it's an album quick to grow on even the doubtful listener's ear.

Make this one "All Mine"


Boards of Canada - In a Beautiful Place out in the Country
(11/27/00, Warp, Experimental Electronica)



Tracks:
1. Kid for Today
2. Amo Bishop Roden
3. In a Beautiful Place out in the Country
4. Zoetrope

AMG Review

The real genius of Boards of Canada is how they manage to take cold constructs of metal, plastic, and electronics and create warm, rich soundscapes and environments. The magic is how they can take strange, simple elements and combine them into a solid, unified whole that evokes beauty, mystery, and color. Take the odd sound clip that provides the beat in "Kid for Today" - what is it, the sound of a tape clicking into place? Who knows. Should it sound good over and over again? No. Does it work? Why, yes, it works perfectly. The title track washes over you in waves of haunting sound, with clips of children laughing quietly accompanying, as a heavily modified voice chants the album's title - a strange, mechanical beauty is created in this way, as there seems a strange mix of robotic disaffection and utterly human, longing desire infused in it. Boards of Canada are very good at creating wonderful ambient music with just the right level of 'activity' - they fail to bore the listener as their music rolls around in the ear and in the mind.

Also, you guys had really better appreciate this. When I was doing an image search, I clicked on one link and instead of the album cover was a Goatse pic that stated "Hotlinking? My ass!" I'd never seen Goatse before.

Find your Beautiful Place