earpollution album reviews [page 1] - issue 2.1Ų, october 2ŲŲŲ

The Allies - D-Day
Attrition - The Hand That Feeds
Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast
The Berzerker - The Berzerker
Bill Horist - Songs from the Nerve Wheel
Björk - Selmasongs
Black Label Society - Stronger Than Death
Carrie Akre - Home
Cross My Heart - Temporary Contemporary
The Damage Manual - The Damage Manual
Damon & Naomi - Damon & Naomi with Ghost
De La Soul - Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump
DJ Cam - The Loa Project (Volume II)
Ex Aim Klemm - Ex Aim Klemm
The Fucking Champs - IV
Gardenian - Sindustries
Hammerfall - Renegade
Idaho - People Like Us Should Be Stopped - Live Volume One

Jane Siberry - Hush
Joan of Arc - The Gap
Living Daylights - Electric Rosary
Mark Kozelek - Rock 'n' Roll Singer
Mojave 3 - Excuses for Travellers
Nickelback - The State
Orphanage - Inside
ROHT - The Product of Indecision: Songs from Artistic Differences
Soulfly - Primitive
Spineshank - Height of Callousness
Superheroes - Igloo
Szkieve - Des Germes de Quelque Chose
Thievery Corporation - The Mirror Conspiracy
The Tremens - Belmont Smiling Racehorse Downtown
Various Artists - Immortalised 1986-2000
Various Artists - Xen Cuts

The Allies D-Day Asphodel Ltd. Links: The Allies		When I close my eyes and imagine hearing the typical turntablist CD, I hear gratuitous solos shredding the foreground with mediocre tapestries ambling along in the background. By no means am I hatin' on the art form, it's just that I'm old school and I believe a DJ's first and foremost duty is to move the crowd! Vitamin D did it with Table Manners 2. The whole time he was busy flexin' his skills on the one and twos, he was doing it over original rare beats and grooves that he, personally, dug deep in the crates for. Others, though, (who shall remain nameless) focus all their creative energy on turntable trickery and treat the background music as a true afterthought. Enter The Allies with their first release, D-Day, which comes as close as anyone since the X-Ecutioners (formerly the X-Men) to combining both elements. Grooves you can feel and turntablist artistry that's like, Whoa. Not only do The Allies make it hot, they move the crowd. Unsigned new artist Mayhem makes a guest appearance on DJ Spictakular's solo track "Gotcha Covered," shining like brand new platinum effects. If the kid has more where this came from, he won't be unsigned for long. There are a lot of impressive credentials among the group's members that alone make this CD worth checking out if you're a turntablist head, but what impressed this old school DJ most was they're putting it down to something I could feel. *-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake* [ top of page ]
Attrition The Hand That Feeds Invisible Records Links: Attrition		Over the years, Martin Bowes (with the appropriately classical and angelic contributions of Franck Dematteis and Julia Waller) has lent a certain gravid English coloration to the stable of gothic/industrial/ambient music that came from the Projekt label. Projekt was certainly a good home for the classically-bent sound of Attrition and, fortunately, as times and moods have changed, so has the sound of Attrition. In celebration thereof (or maybe just as a means for Attrition to find a home on the goth club dance floor), Martin has collected a number of reinterpretations of Attrition songs from fellow English artists ranging from ex-Throbbing Gristle members Chris and Cosey to the equally ornamentally-minded In the Nursery. Who knows? This may even be another example of Martin Atkins giving home to something on the Invisible label that will confound his audience's expectations enough that they'll listen and love without prejudice. The Hands That Feeds definitely strikes up the tempo in a rakish I'm-dancing-in-a-dark-room-wearing-dark-pants kind of way. Too much of Club Goth music is just thicker techno slathered with feedback and vocorded vocals. It's great to hear some fresh elements put to a tighter beat that should have the vinyl-wrapped voguing well past midnight. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Badly Drawn Boy The Hour of Bewilderbeast XL Recordings Links: Badly Drawn Boy		The UK's newest "next thing" warrants some excitement but, as usual, not the amount that the fallen empire has heaped upon it. (Note to self: I really should get around to selling my used Babybird and Manic Street Preachers albums down on St. Marks.) The first full-length from Badly Drawn Boy (aka Damon Gough) recently won England's Mercury Prize. This apparently means something--although a cursory look at past winners (Gomez, Pulp) and this year's competition (Richard Ashcroft) doesn't exactly increase my pulse rate. Nevertheless, The Hour of Bewilderbeast does establish this multi-intrumentalist from some Manchester bedroom as a formidable songwriter. The cello-soaked album opener, "The Shining," recalls Elliott Smith at his best, while "Everybody's Stalking" shimmies as devilishly as Ian Brown's post-Stone Roses work should have. The sly keyboard and dirty guitar stomp of "Another Pearl" is the sleaziest feel-good anthem to emerge from Manchester since Oasis rhymed "Supersonic" with "gin and tonic" in 1994 (before consistently sucking on their way toward bloated, Wembley-sized insignificance). The cocktail jazz lite of "Once Around the Block" is gorgeous, while "Pissing in the Wind" falls directly between John Lennon and Neil Young without shortchanging either. The bad news is that there's a good portion of throwaways on the hour-plus CD. "Body Rap" is a useless exercise in bedroom Moby. "Cause a Rockslide" degenerates into a sound collage that is unfortunately more "Revolution No. 9" than Faust. "Disillusion" even goes so far as to sound like some AOR crap that Clapton would have turned out in the mid-'80s. I could also do without such time killers as the organ interlude "Bewilder," the Syd Barrett speaker balance games on "This Song" and the human whistling on "Epitaph." All of this points to a real identity crisis--I have nothing against eclecticism, but I don't love sifting manure to find gems. Given time, Damon Gough could develop into one of England's finer songwriters (the bright moments on this album are that good). But then again, the British music press would never allow that, would they? (By the way, anybody in the market for some Cast or Suede albums can call me at...) *-Erik Hage* [ top of page ]
The Berzerker The Berzerker Earache Records		So this is the most extreme record ever put out by Earache. After Extreme Noise Terror, that may be telling us to look out. The first warning shot is fired. Round Two: They've had their video banned from MTV because the quick flashing images of autopsies was causing at least one case of epileptic seizure. Third shot: This "horribly offensive video" is on Earache's website so that you can watch it and see if you get to have a seizure. The fairy gods of promotion must have throttled this band. So much bad luck that it's good. The only fatal error is that the gods of promotion may have ignored the cardinal lesson: If it's good it will sell itself without cheap gimmicks, if it stinks you'll need cheap gimmicks. Whether it's true or not, it is the general perception of the press and society. The perception of the underground: if it sells, it has sold out. Musically, this is repulsive technodeathnoise with repetitive screams and tortured screeches and the rare break of music between techno-horror-soundbites. Go to the Earache site and watch the video, but don't blame me if you have a seizure. Personally, I think it's a tad overhyped. Techno kids might like it. Gabbercore fans may find it extreme and appealing. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Björk Selmasongs Elektra Links: Björk		It's quite fitting Björk's latest release is also the soundtrack for a movie in which she plays the leading role. Who better to produce music for artistic expression than the queen herself? With that said, Björk's Selmasongs, produced by her for the film Dancer in the Dark, is positively phenomenal, including the cameo appearance of Thom Yorke on the track "I've Seen It All." Can't make it to the big screen? Don't worry. The operatic symphonic aura of Selmasongs compensates for absent visuals with passion and energy of grandiose measures. Björk's familiar, eccentric vocals will take you on a special journey through beautifully orchestrated landscapes mixed with unique sounds of experimentation native only to her endlessly creative imagination. Along the way you'll encounter an emotional mountain range of happiness, sorrow and everything in between. Although you may feel spent when the music stops and the credits begin to roll, it will be in the most content and satisfying kind of way. *-Tricia Haber* [ top of page ]
Black Label Society Stronger Than Death Spitfire Records Links: Black Label Society		Black Label Society is alcohol-fueled by Zakk Wylde's philosophy, which states that "beer is basically the whole philosophy of everything." If you have a problem, just have a beer. If you still can't solve your problem then have another beer. Sooner or later something has to give, be it you or your problem. Zakk handles the bass, snarling mean guitar, and vocal duties accompanied by Phil Ondich's bombastic drumming. Zakk is not the type of musician to rest on his laurels. No man! Give him some beer and he moved on from his previous work with the Ozzman Ozzy, after having played guitar on No Rest for the Wicked and No More Tears. Black Label Society pours the molten metal right over the top of your beer can! They mix in the Sabbath-dark doom, bits of old industrial and a blast of good ol' Southern-fried rock to come out with one metal record that begs to be listened to with the volume turned up to "11." Zakk isn't all pounding metal, he slows things down with his deep Southern singing to passionately hammer out ballads. The Ozzy comparisons will be out in full force, but as Zakk states, "I'm the one who wrote those riffs." It seems he may have even taken a bit of the Ozzman's vocal style with him. Ozzy fans unite and follow the guitar man on his own drinking path. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Carrie Akre Home Good-Ink Records		After giving Carrie Akre's solo debut Home a few good listens I struggled to understand my lack of anticipated excitement. Then I yanked out some Hammerbox, the kick-ass grunge-era band she fronted for two years before they split, and it came to me in the form of a clip used in the track "Sleep" which aptly states "sometimes it appears that we are reaching a period when our senses and our minds will no longer respond to moderate stimulation." That's it! I have reached the point where moderate stimulation is no longer sufficient to pump adrenaline through my veins and ignite my senses. My ear-to-brain association is simply not familiar with this reserved, more conservative side of Carrie Akre--only the fervent emotions invoked when she rocks! Not to say fans of her distinct vocals won't find the mellow style on Home an easy transition from her rock goddess days of yore. In fact, her introspective, soulful melodies backed by guitar strums and relaxing downbeat tempos may be just what you're in the mood for at the time. Not me. I'm opting for the title track "Home," where a hint of her aggressive edge surfaces just long enough to inspire hope for the stimulation deprived. *-Tricia Haber* [ top of page ]
Cross My Heart Temporary Contemporary Deep Elm		The long-anticipated follow-up to last year's self-titled album, Temporary Contemporary is a complex piece of magnificent heartbreak, and one that has securely landed itself in my list of favorite releases of the year. Undeniably catchy music in the emo/sadcore vein, it delicately balances between the visceral intensity of the music and the despairing alienation of singer/guitarist Ryan Shelkett's lyrics. "Dreaming of my past life / Can't remember who I used to be / Now and then it hits me / Like a hurricane in my head / Your eyes said so many things / Never could decipher your code / Even now I know / The worst of a bad situation" ("Infinity Doesn't Live Here Anymore"). Shelkett's words play the Everyman here, delicately capturing the feelings of regret and self-loathing we've all felt before and secretly penned in the dark of night. The music buries deep into the subconscious and the songs feel like they have, at times, been your own. And like all great pop music, Shelkett's lyrics come exquisitely wrapped in catchy hooks and powerful guitar lines that float between hurricanes and whispers. Even on "happier" songs like "Angels and Gargoyles," the feelings are still shadowed in gloom: "Feel like a terminal case / But today takes a day from my face / My dear / You are the only one / You are the lonely one / My dear." Temporary Contemporary is one of those finds you don't come across too often, nor probably should. Both passionate and powerful, it's not something to be played when trying to cheer up your (or anyone else's) spirits. "And I have nowhere to go / And no one to talk to / My thoughts become my enemy / It might be years till I drink all my fears [...] Lost and lonely all these years / I haven't slept in days / You take all the shame / Sorry I'm alive / Promise I won't write" ("How Slowly We Forget"). Its melancholic beauty works like a drug, and every time you put it on and slowly let it slide in, your body shudders in guilty ecstasy; something so depressing shouldn't feel this good. File under: Post-Breakup Medication for the Disillusioned and Broken Hearted. And please, keep it dark in here. *-Craig Young* [ top of page ]
The Damage Manual The Damage Manual Invisible Records Links: The Damange Manual		No one in this band needs any introduction. If you don't know who they are, check out eP's review of their first EP, 1. 1 proved that this was not a reunion of any type, but rather a group of highly seasoned men who have become a slaughtering tribe. The new full-length album proves once and for all that this band has no peer. The Damage Manual is a sonic assault on so many levels that it's downright perplexing--how any one band is capable of so much music on one album is just not fair. Upon the first listen you'll think that the full-length isn't as poignant as the EP. But by the end of the second listen you'll reconsider that thought because you're so inextricably possessed by the swirling, soaring magic that The Damage Manual sets loose. I've heard this band called industrial, punk, rock, electronica...bring on your moniker. The Damage Manual seem to welcome this as they transcend every style and break down every musical formula only to reassemble it into glimpses of a divine musical light. This release will have everyone from Alain Jourgenson to David Bowie scratching their heads wondering how in the hell these four lads did it. So prepare to rearrange your lists, The Damage Manual is without question the best album of the year. *-Jeff Ashley* [ top of page ]
Damon & Naomi Damon & Naomi with Ghost Sub Pop Links: Damon & Naomi		To kill a cliché, Damon & Naomi didn't so much "rise from the ashes" of Galaxie 500 as stay in place to see out Galaxie's gorgeous, yet slightly skewed, mood-pop vision after singer/guitarist Dean Wareham acrimoniously left the group in 1991 (to create the consistently "pretty good" alternative supergroup Luna). In the meantime, D & N have produced three albums of icy, low-key elegance, constantly refining the Galaxie sound that seems to have no true inheritors (though Dean's chugging Velvetsy guitar style and Tom Verlaine-ish anti-vocals certainly showed the anxiety of influence). D & N have consistently proven that they were more than just the rhythm section to that group's uncanny sound. Damon Krukowski's spare jazz-inflected drumming lagged behind and stretched out the spaces of the song, while Naomi Yang's sweet, aching bass lines welled up out of the undercurrent, singing their own melody. That said, Damon and Naomi with Ghost is the finest Galaxie-related project since that band's starkly beautiful On Fire in 1989. D & N self-produced their last effort, 1998's Playback Singers, finally cutting the apron strings of longtime producer Kramer--a relationship that goes all the way back to Galaxie 500's debut album. They produce this effort also, and bring in ethereal Japanese psych-folk group Ghost to join them. (Ghost's Masaki Batoh also coproduces.) The template is pure Damon & Naomi, but Ghost prove to be more than able accomplices, giving the duo the boost they need to near that rare stratosphere once occupied by their former band. Like Galaxie's atmospheric dirges, these songs often creep along and then build to a crescendo; but here there is something almost ritualistic to the proceedings. On "Tanka," the tribal rhythm of the tune trudges along repetitively until a distant buzzing, like a squadron of wasps, heralds the arrival of a prog/psych guitar solo that picks up steam as pianos crash all around. Adding to the solemnity of the album are the lyrics, which are spare and strange, like tidbits of Eastern philosophy. "Mirror Phase" starts out cryptically, as an "angry god" throws stones that "stand like a frozen smile," but then the glistening, euphoric chorus kicks in, surrendering melody with "'Cause I'm in love with something I can't hold... / With all I've known I can't help it / I long to see you again," stirring up nostalgia for a time so beautiful and fleeting that it almost never existed. This can also be said of the music on Damon & Naomi with Ghost, whose strange beauty seems almost intangible. But the touches added by Ghost--including Baroque-sounding acoustic guitar and aggressive, melodic electric guitar--are just enough to anchor the atmospheric tracks. In fact, a slightly freaked-out solo in the middle of "I Dreamed of the Caucasus" sounds an awful lot like the howls and squalls of Dean circa 1989. *-Erik Hage* [ top of page ]
De La Soul Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump Tommy Boy Links: De La Soul		We are all familiar with the phrase "waiting to exhale," now imagine hearing that metaphorically through music and poetry--still with me? Good, now picture this being done with the kind of skill and artistry of a seasoned rap act like, say, De La Soul and you have Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, the first installment of the group's recently completed trilogy. If this first CD is any indication, rap music's original and most successful mad rappers are back and it would appear they aren't mad anymore. This is not to say they've found nirvana. No, rest assured, Plugs 1, 2 and 3 still harbor enough cynicism and dislike of the flashy, gun-toting trends of today's rap music to hold things down De La Soul-style. Track after track filled the rooms with goodtime vibes and catchy R&B hooks. Between my ass-wigglin' and head-noddin', it's no wonder I'm in need of weekly chiropractor visits. How The Source's Celine Wong can give Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump three-and-a-half mics, a rating that translates to "Dope," is beyond me. This album is four mics easy (or "Slammin' Definite Satisfaction"). If the double set can build on this release, a five mic classic could be in the works. Crazy you say? Remember, they did it before. How many other rap groups can say that? *-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake* [ top of page ]
DJ Cam The Loa Project (Volume II) Six Degrees Links: DJ Cam		There are some things that are simply cross-cultural and it is probably more of an observation of my American background than any true lineage when I say that DJ Cam is the metaphysical child of DJ Shadow and DJ Krush. After seemingly endless reprints of his earlier albums (which seemed to crop up under so many labels and titles), we've finally got something new from him. And, after all this time of thinking I saw something new to find out it wasn't, when presented with the The Loa Project (Volume II) I was sure that I had missed Volume I somewhere. Which is all just part of the mystique. Based in the traditions and rituals of voodoo, the reference in the title is to the spirits--the Loas--of voodoo that inhabit willing (and unwilling) supplicants to the religious experiences. As the music scratches and beats and slips into a ganja-filled room of indistinct persons, you can feel the presence of something working under your hips and getting your butt wiggling. Pulling from diverse sources like reggae, drum 'n' bass, crappy though seminal horror films like Candyman as well as horror auteurs who have forgotten how to lens a decent film (that would be John Carpenter), hip-hop, soul, R&B and cool nocturnal jazz, The Loa Project is a dark, mystical journey into the belly of the musical beast. We are mesmerized, hypnotized, and willingly give ourselves up to the spell which DJ Cam deftly weaves. It's all voodoo anyway, baby; with DJ Cam, we just go willingly. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Ex Aim Klemm Ex Aim Klemm Kranky		It's actually not quite what you'd expect from a collaboration between one half of Stars of the Lid and Labradford's Robert Donne. Yes, it's quiet. Yes, it's chock full of guitar textures and insect-like sounds. And yes, all the songs edge toward blissful oblivion. But there are some distinctions to be had. For starters, Stars of the Lid's Adam Wiltzie breaks his vote of silence during "Prue Lawarne," a song that I suspect is dedicated to the Bloomberg Television anchor of the same name. The sole lyric, if my ears don't lie: "Fate, anchor underneath withdraw again." A suspiciously tender thing to say to someone better known for her quick-fire questions to stock analysts. Wiltzie also "sings" during "The Girl With The Flesh Colored Crayon," which brings me to my second point: Few songs here built a layer at a time like Labradford's. Instead, they move in sectioned blocks. A clumsy keyboard follows Wiltzie's vocal in lockstep during "The Girl...," but he passes the baton over to an orchestral swell. Donne's signature fizz and pop winds things down for the song's last leg. Standout "The Luxury of Dirt" is a nod to the micro sound school. Its diffuse guitar turns into a rhythmic force, while faint clicks and bursts pile slowly to add some bounce. It may still not amount to something you can tap your foot to, but Wiltzie and Donne at least forego the endless reiteration of a short harmonic pattern. Besides, the duo saved their salvos for "3x2 (Exit)," which is quite nearly a house track, what with that thumping beat buried lightly under guitar washes that sound like sirens. Then there're the intangibles, such as the fact that for all its luscious sounds and minimal composition, Aix Em Klemm sounds more cheery than anything by Labradford or Stars of the Lid. Indeed, it's surprising how a record so closely resembling these bands strikes a different register altogether. *-Edgar Ortega* [ top of page ]
The Fucking Champs IV Drag City Records Links: The Fucking Champs		You'd just better watch what you call the music the Fucking Champs play. Writing them off simply as just another "metal" band could find your head lobbed off courtesy of a +10 long sword. The Champs play what they refer to as "total" music. Now this does and doesn't need explaining, but for the sake of the uninitiated...I'll try. The music is all-encompassing, they are true masters in the crafts of recording and performance, Baroque melodists breaking the laws and building the new ways. IV begins with a staggered riff that swells into the tidal wave that is "What's a Little Reign?" From there on in, the triumvirate takes you through riff after rhythm change after riff of "man, this is awesome!" This album is mostly instrumental save for the Lizzy-meets-Fate boogie of "Extra Man." Not much bass here either, nope. It appears they lost their bassist some time along the way and never replaced him (a practice I normally don't endorse, but they seem to know what they're doing). There's lots more stuff on their site and Drag City's, so check them out for more information. The trio of Smith, Green, and Soete will surely be coming through a town near you--only then will you know why they are The Fucking Champs. *-Tiber Scheer* [ top of page ]
Gardenian Sindustries Nuclear Blast America		I thought Soulburner may have just been a sophomore jinx, especially when they dropped the annoying singer. That one change alone is worth a million bucks from my ears. Thank you Gardenian. Now if only y'all could learn to sound a little less than sounding like an amalgamation of all prior bands, present bands and side projects. It may be original in one or two bands, but now it's getting stale. Time to shake it up. The members are more than talented, but they are trapping themselves in a musical timewarp. Overenthusiastic fans (practically all of theirs) and groupies of the following bands should buy this cd (and vinyl if available) to complete the collection: In Flames, Hammerfall, Arch Enemy, Sinergy and Children of Bodom. Others will probably wait until they do something different and exciting. Sure it's good, but who needs good when there are five thousand good bands and about twelve really great bands in the genre. It's hard to develop an interest when you don't drop a bomb on our ears. Still and all, I'll keep watching and hoping. There's a lot of potential here. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Hammerfall Renegade Nuclear Blast America Links: Hammerfall		I've always wanted to hear Hammerfall; they get terrific reviews and also have cool artwork. Yep, great artwork. Let's cut to the chase. This is technically superior, originality-stifled Germanic power metal that sounds like Iron Maiden playing Sinner, UDO, Accept and Primal Fear's songs fronted by that high-pitched freak of a vocalist from Journey (I think his name is Steve Perry). Pity I waited for this. Nice artwork. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Idaho People Like Us Should Be Stopped - Live Volume One Idaho Music Links: Idaho		People Like Us Should Be Stopped is not only an incredible live album--taken from shows in Scotland, England and Arizona during 1993, showcasing what this Los Angeles band is capable of onstage--it's also an amazing look into what was happening with the lives of the band (both individual and collective) at that time. As guitarist John Berry puts it in the album's liner notes: "It was a difficult and gloomy time." Half the band was kicking heroin, Berry had his pedal board nipped after the first show, others skipped dinner for six martinis on an empty stomach before playing, someone got into a fistfight with another band for eating his hotdog and would go on to play a show with a broken needle in his arm. Difficult and gloomy indeed! As one would expect after all that, there is some amazing musical tension here, and even though this album was remastered from bootlegged recordings whose original sound quality is suspect, People Like Us... is still an amazing glimpse into the all-consuming despair the band was going through at the time. While the between-song segues provide some of the more interesting musical collages on the album and Jeff Martin's voice stands out a bit naked and coarse compared to the lush textures of the instruments, this is an album that pulses with a dark vibrato and is well worth your time. *-Craig Young* [ top of page ]

1 2 Next->