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33.3

The band has grown since its self-titled debut; it's now five strong. The addition of Joseph Grimm on trumpet and trombone adds pep and good a dose of color to 33.3's otherwise muted sound. William Noland's bass lines give a swagger entirely absent from the band's earlier efforts, and lend Dominique Davison more time on the cello; a winning combination altogether. The overall sound is not only richer, but when the cello doubles up with either the bass, as in "Joanne Will," or the horns during "An Open Letter to Buckminster Fuller," it's outright bewitching.

It's not just strength in numbers though. The ensemble's arrangements differ greatly from song to song, and unlike most of its peers, Plays Music never drags. You go from the orchestral largesse of "Power Failure at the U.N." to the chamber rock of "Three," seemingly a throwback to the band's early days as a cello, guitar and drums trio. Within seven minutes of beginning, they've made their way to the bossa nova. The self-indulgence of, say, Tarentel is happily absent here.

Perhaps the sole strike against Plays Music is its proximity to the slender grooves of The Sea and Cake, though that's hardly an impeachable offense. The menacing bass riffs on "Super Eight" would not sound out of place next to anything off Chicago's finest's Nassau. But the principal culprit on this front is "The Odds." The dainty but all-too-familiar bop barely manages to steer clear of sounding derivative thanks to Davison's cello.

That brings me to my next point: I'm rooting for 33.3 to single-handedly dethrone the vibes. In turns, the cello complements the bass, soars along with the horns or fills out the sound with deep chords. The vibes, on the other hand, just chime.

-Edgar Ortega
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At the Drive-In have long been developing a cult following. Their angular guitar chops, obtuse lyrics, blistering live deliveries and menacing afros are equally reminiscent of Fugazi and the Motor City 5. No surprise then that they should be championed by the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label and personally asked by Rage Against the Machine to tour with the band. Their Robinson/Grand Royal debut, Relationship of Command, lives up to even the most critical ear. In fact, there's not a misfire here in the entire bunch. Each song finds these furious five further stretching their musical vocabulary, and Iggy Pop's intro to "Enfilade" alone is worth the price of admission.

While words like "sellout" have been bandied about because of their newfound home at Grand Royal and the pressure of using Ross Robinson over the likes of Alex Newport, who engineered previous ATDI releases [Hey, have you read our Alex Newport interview? --Ed.], Relationship of Command finds the band and their music wholly themselves--confidently taking the next step on a road that will be interesting to watch.

-Craig Young
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See, I made the mistake of playing this album at the last eP meeting shortly after it had arrived in the mail. I'd given it the briefest of listens before the mayhem makers arrived, and so decided to give it a twirl for them as well. Everyone from Mr. Urban to Mr. Industrial/Techno to Mr. Ambient Sounds that Refrigerators Make anxiously peeled their ears away from the meeting and towards my stereo as the two-man collective known as Bassland pulsed and breathed. "This is great." "Who is this?" "Can I get a copy of this?" Ahh...there's nothing quite like having something that everyone wants a piece of, now is there?

The meeting progressed and we bantered and babbled as we poured over the eP Map of World Domination. After everyone had left and I was picking up I made the horrifying discovery that the Bassland was missing. Ack! Who the...? Frantically punching numbers in my phone I finally tracked down the guilty party. "You... You have my Bassland!" "Don't worry," Mr. [name deleted] smoothly replied, "you'll get it back. Maybe. Heh heh..."

This self-titled gem is the first full-length release from Alex Xenophon and Stuart Breidenstein, better known as Bassland. Originally starting off in '95 as a short-lived seven member tribe known as Bassland Prophecy, Xenophon and Breidenstein's electronic collaboration of beats and rhythms had garnered critical acclaim among critics and fans alike through a handful of singles and mesmerizing live shows. They've remixed for the likes of Kraftwerk, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and Gearwhore. In fact, on Bassland there's a cover of the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails' "Piggy."

And that's what makes this album so fantastic and why so many of the staff here were clambering over each other to get their grubby hands on it. There's too much musical diversity here to keep it mired in just one genre. Tracks like "Untitled," "World Away" and "Betty" groove along with the best rave music; "Balloon" could easily fit on NIN's Downward Spiral next to "Piggy" (which is what it appears after on Bassland); "Marad 3" and "Never Let You" fit nicely into the experimental category; while the haunting "Tomorrow," with its sparse vocals and soft acoustic guitar set against a backdrop of night sounds, steers completely clear of any electronic interference and closes the album with a quiet heartache.

According to Breidenstein, Bassland's mission from the outset has been "preserving the integrity of the experimental side of rave music." With their long-awaited debut, they've done much, much more than that. So it should be no wonder then that it's in such demand around the offices here. Definitely a keeper, so pick it up...and don't let the damn thing out of your sight!

-Craig Young
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The Black League

They have melded so many styles into their dark rock. I won't name the genre, let them do it someday. The easiest way to describe Ichor is to combine black metal, gothic rock, doom metal, industrial, progressive metal and power metal into one entity. Instead of basing the music in metal, gothic or industrial, its roots are firmly set in hard rock. This means that every song will have the most maddeningly addictive choruses based over traditional song structures (usually mid-speed, but occasionally it bursts into overdrive) and are just chock full of metal, gothic and industrial overtones, melodies and atmospheres.

Ichor is spellbinding from start to finish. Every time I listen to Ichor I hear sounds and riffs that I've missed before. These songs are finely crafted and more addictive than nicotine. The best Ichor tracks are: "One Colour Black," a bombastic anthem; "Goin' to Hell," a tough, rhythmic rocker that will stick in your head forever; "Avalon," an evil dirge with a catchy folk metal chorus; "We Die Alone," new wave-edged ditty; "Ozymandias," a Middle Eastern gothic dirge sporting spoken vocals and metallic bursts; "Ecce Homo," a fleet metal masterpiece; "Blood of the Gods," (get it--Ichor?) a scorching, searing metal anthem; and fittingly, the finale, "Night on Earth," a spiritual and soulful gothic exit. There is no fitting comparison for The Black League. They are in a league of their own.

-Sabrina Haines
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-Mark Teppo
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Cradle of Filth

Marketing, marketing, no band does the art of shock marketing better than Cradle of Filth. Disclaimer: I think Cradle of Filth is tongue in cheek (especially after watching their awesome video Pandaemonium), but there is the possibility that they really are this sick and twisted. Did I mention shock marketing? Dani Filth's (lead vocalist with the amazing pipes) screeches sound more human and less possessed leprechaun (a little bit better) on Midian, but he is really starting to look like Marilyn Manson in press photos. I'd do something about that photo and it would require a match, but I would never send it out all over the world. He looked much better in the video and in photos I'd seen previously. I wonder if he is contemplating crossing over to more commercially viable weirdness. I seriously hope not. Filth is very good at his style of ironic horror symphonic black metal. The closest competition is Dimmu Borgir and they've been swapping members lately.

The cover art is very pro-Mortiis looking--nice tribute. Oh yeah, they're releasing Midian on Halloween. Marketing. As for the music, Midian has less symphonic embellishments and more of a soundtrack atmosphere than prior releases. "At the Gates of Midian" and "Creatures that Kissed in Cold Mirrors" are instrumentals and have a touch of symphony in the soundtrack. The style that epitomizes Cradle of Filth allows Filth to dominate the music with his vocals and occasionally the band pops in front for a quick jamming metallic interlude and then they fade and go back to Filth. Most memorable songs are: "Death Magick for Adepts" with its frenetic pace; "Lord Abortion," Filth's showcase of screech; "Amor E Morte," a love song Filth-ily done and "Her Ghost in the Fog" which has Filth sounding like Pinhead from Hellraiser.

You already know whether you like Cradle of Filth or not and those who do are going to flip over this Halloween release.

-Sabrina Haines
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The Cure

However, if you have listened to The Cure over the ages, you'll notice a few things: They are very consistent in putting out well-produced and unique music that has great lyrics, and makes you want to laugh and cry at the misery it creates. Moreover, you'd notice that they will release an occasional CD that is totally off from the others (like The Top, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me or Wild Mood Swings). You know, something that just seems too damn happy, brassy and orchestral, and makes you smile and even feel uplifted (if you don't actually listen to the lyrics). Then they'll turn around and blast you with something exceptional, chilling, and depressing (like Pornography or Disintegration).

Bloodflowers definitely falls within the latter category, as it is the lovesick and wrist-slitting Cure that I adore. However, unlike the powerful Disintegration, pleasantly, this CD has the feel and simplicity of the early Cure, with the prominence of their quintessential lonely guitars and Robert Smith's mellow, droning, impassioned voice. Bloodflowers is about impossibilities, love running cold, fires going out, the longing of a broken heart for the love of days past, reflection, coldness, and similar hopeful and depressing classic Cure topics. Moreover, this CD has definitely grown on me in a great way--both musically and lyrically. If you love The Cure, you should certainly pick this one up, as it will certainly be remembered as one of The Cure's best.

-Jennifer Johnson
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Dead Voices on Air

It's all subterfuge and sleight of hand, really, and shouldn't keep you from honestly enjoying this disc. Much more ambient and melody-driven than some of his past work, Frankie Pett Presents is a refreshing break from some of the more challenging work that Spybey has released (as DVOA and under a number of other monikers). There are some swipes at IDM darlings (the "Bored of Canada" song for example), some Amber-era Autechre drifts, elements of Eno landscapes, and the instrumental swing of the Legendary Pink Dots. It's a gurgling, bubbling gleeful accompaniment to the passage of the happy submarines.

-Mark Teppo
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Floater

After seven years of the music business, Floater also appear ready to dispense with their accumulated garbage. With album number four, Burning Sosobra, they do so with their most energized effort to date. Here we have a mesmerizing mix of chunky, raging rock and beautiful trio tapestries. The axe of Dave Amador shines brighter than ever on guitar-driven songs "Here Comes the Dog," "Watched Over by Crows," "Albatross" and the bruising "King Rabbit" (which is arguably the heaviest song they've ever written). In balance with this clear growth are hordes of his signature accents that add psychedelia and funky brilliance to the paramount rhythm section of bassist Rob Wynia and drummer Pete Cornett. Cornett continues to deliver fresh tribal rhythms and mixes in several new special effects from the electronic section of his kit, while Wynia rises to meet Amador's challenge with another album's worth of vivid bass lines.

Lyrically speaking, Wynia remains a cryptic storyteller, and here proves willing to reference some familiar themes from older songs with progressive and resonant results. After a few listens, one might ask: What's with all the animal themes, and animals in the song titles? Your guess is as good as mine, but perhaps it's a tip of the hat to Roger Waters. Mr. Wynia certainly gives a hint towards that end on the Sublime-esque "Independence Day" where he sings "Was he the one, while I was gone who kept you busy?" with a bit of Waters' random precision. It seems it may also have reference to "the beast" Wynia attempted to keep feral yet contain in Floater's last album, Angels in the Flesh and Devils in the Bone. In any case, the struggles with faith and relationships remain at the forefront, and you get the idea that old infections must heal to make room for the new ones.

For a long time, Floater have flourished with a mainly bass-driven sound. With Amador's advanced role, the balance here is the best it's ever been. As for Old Man Gloom? "My candle burns at both its ends / it will not last the night / For all my foes and all my friends / it sheds a lovely light." Yeah. Burn him.

-Al Cordray
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It's not like the members of Hate Plow are amateurs; maybe Crazy Larry, but Rob Barrett (also of Cannibal Corpse), Phil Fasciana and Dave Culross (ex-Suffocation) are all in Malevolent Creation. What on Earth (don't blame other planets) could possess them to write this utterly awful tripe? Sure, it has speedy parts and slow parts, it's just that the overall tone is morose and monotonous--however, it is so noisy and staticky that you can't ignore it. Eventually you'll want to pawn this off on someone else, too! Maybe this time I should bury it, but I'm afraid it would keep reappearing.

-Sabrina Haines
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Links:
Ice-T

-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake
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-Tricia Haber
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On Not the Tremblin' Kind, Cantrell mixes her own compositions with covers of songs by excellent local players such as Amy Allison, The All-American Blue Jays' Jeremy Tepper, and Jay Sherman-Godfrey (who also produces the album). Also included is a heart-piercing take on the Volebeats' "Two Seconds." This album not only establishes Cantrell's excellent taste, but her formidable songwriting talent. "Queen of the Coast" and "Churches Off the Interstate" cruise along at a Merle Haggard clip, with that artist's same genre-defying sense of melody. (The mandolin line in "Queen of the Coast" even pays tribute to Merle's "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive.") Vocally, Laura Cantrell is the purveyor of her own brand of clear-eyed country: The singer in her songs seems more apt to look you in the eye and offer a firm handshake before sending you on your way, than to be constantly on the brink of unraveling (as with the rangy dynamics of a Lucinda Williams).

At times, Cantrell's sound and her tales--such as the aforementioned "Queen of the Coast," which unfolds the tale of a female country singer from a bygone era--sound like they could be squeezing out of an AM station in an old Cadillac or one of those little diner-booth jukes. The only question is why it took so long for this album to be released in Cantrell's native U.S. (Shoeshine Records, a Glasgow label, hipped the UK to her album earlier this year.) Thank Brooklyn's own Diesel Only records for releasing Laura's debut stateside and bringing her (yes) authentic sounds to us. It's hard to believe this is her first album.

-Erik Hage
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Live Human

Much as one sign of the good musician isn't so much the notes he plays as those he doesn't, it might be said that a mark of the good turntablist isn't so much the sounds he scratches as the ones he lets go. At this, DJ Quest excels; he is confident enough in the concept of the turntable as a legitimate instrument that he can just show you, rather than yelling for attention. This allows for rewarding interplay with the drumming and percussion of Albert Mathias, and the glorious double-bass lines of Andrew Kushin. Released from the necessity of a vocal chorus and hook, songs overflow with ideas and rhythm changes; even the mellow ambient tracks are loaded with peripheral noises if you listen closely. The joy of the sonic experience is alive herein; sounds are clipped, or drawn out, they fly by or buzz around your ear, providing a jungle of night sounds to evoke sense memories. At its core, Live Human makes chaotic noise that makes the body move, and lifts the spirits via Brownian motion.

-Paul Goracke
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G.O.A.T. is a pure adrenaline-styled hip-hop album. Gritty and raw sonically, it seduces the male ego and overwhelms the female sensibility with an overdose of lyrical male bravado and ego. When he's not busy licking his lips and making the ladies swoon with tracks like "Imagine That" and "You and Me," he's whipping heads into a fever pitch with chest-pounding, throat-slashing gestures like "U Can't F**k With Me" and "Queens." This isn't the first time LL Cool J has surveyed the competition and declared himself top dog. Years ago at a televised event called Rapmania, Mr. Smith took to the stage and challenged anyone in the audience, which consisted of mostly fellow rap artists, to battle him there on stage--none did. The live performance would later appear on his Momma Said Knock You Out LP appropriately titled "Murdergram." Greatest of all time? Who knows, but in my opinion he's the best so far, and he's showing no signs of letting up.

-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake
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Links:
Mark Spybey
Mick Harris

"Dschungel B-216" has the thick hip-hop beats that Mick has become fond of, woven beneath a haunted layer of drifting melodies and sparking shards of noise and glass. It doesn't threaten your speakers but rather accompanies you like a ghostly figure in the car seat next to you. "Institute good morning on bad and I mean bad roads" begins with the aftermath of a terrible car accident--horns blaring and engines churning as the cars try to extricate themselves from their chrome embraces with each other. Other tracks whistle and pop and thrum along; occasionally you hear the sound of an ambulance wailing in the background from an accident elsewhere on the highway--all the while you motor on, your car's wheels humming against the heat-sealed pavement. Hushush's Threesome series continues be more than a sum of the parts, transcending the more typical nature of collaborative ventures into grander travelogues of roads less traveled.

-Mark Teppo
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