earpollution album reviews [page 2] - issue 2.11, november 2ŲŲŲ

33.3 - Plays Music
At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
Bassland - Bassland
The Black League - Ichor
Christian Marclay/Otomo Yoshihide - Moving Parts
Cradle of Filth - Midian
The Cure - Bloodflowers
Dead Voices on Air - Frankie Pett Presents the Happy Submarines Playing the Music of Dead Voices on Air
Floater - Burning Sosobra
Hate Plow - The Only Law is Survival
Ice-T - Greatest Hits: The Evidence
The Januaries - The Januaries
Laura Cantrell - Not the Tremblin' Kind
Live Human - Elefish Jellyphant
LL Cool J - G.O.A.T.
Mark Spybey/Mick Harris - Threesome 2: Bad Roads, Young Drivers

Micronaut - Io
Motive - Damned If You Do...Dead If You Don't
Peter Murphy - Wild Birds
Photek - Solaris
Pinback - Pinback/Some Voices
Radiohead - Kid A
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Schema - Schema
Shyne - Shyne
Therapy? - So Much for the Ten Year Plan - Retrospective 1990-2000
Turbonegro - Hot Cars & Spent Contraceptives
Underworld - Everything Everything
Various Artists - Latin Travels
White Skull - Public Glory, Secret Agony

Micronaut Io Positron Records		The party continues at Chris Randall's house. You would think after a few years he'd grow tired of thumbing his nose at his old record label, but evidently the man's got a few more ticks and tricks up his sleeves. Playing the point-counterpoint game, he's come back with a new release under his Micronaut moniker, delivering a wicked hour of house grooves. Elements of his techno fascination cropped up in the last Sister Machine Gun album, but the Micronaut releases are a guilty pleasure that he leaps to with complete abandon. Io is a seamless movement of beats that isn't just a bored DJ dropping his needle at 104bpm and checking out for a beer or two; Randall understands the importance of variation and melody above the four-on-the-floor techno beat. It's his love for the funk which keeps this fresh and, as the tracks slam into one another and your bootie just keeps wiggling, you love him for it. There's nothing better than hearing a man find his stride after being shackled to a major label for so long. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Motive Damned If You Do...Dead If You Don't Links: Motive		Oooh yeah! Now this is what I call quality extreme metal. Huge, meaty, rumbling like a limp rubber band bass riffs filtered through the pounding, rhythmic attack of enormous, loudest in the mix, absolutely perfect drums. Kudos to Jue Secody on bass and Joel Whitfield on drums. They are well on their way to the rhythm section hall of fame if they can keep up this mind-meld rhythm machine. The "vokills" by just about the entire band but Whitfield, are quite adequate; falling into a niche between Machine Head and Motörhead. The guitars of Bill Garcia and Steve Buschart are extremely technical and will tickle pink the average guitar dude. However, nothing will ever overshadow the fantastic drums, but keep trying anyway. Damned If You Do...Dead If You Don't can be compared musically to a cross of Machine Head (Burning Red-era), Sepultura, and Meshuggah with just a little dash of Napalm Death (mostly in the bass). It kicks off with a trio of scorchers that will send your spine into spasms--"Expose the Lies," "Spiral Fracture" (tops on the disk) and "Religious Intent." Then it slows down, maybe just a hair too much, for the next four songs. They still rock in sections, it's just that there are slow parts too often. The title track has just a touch of a Soulfly vibe that adds interest. Real cute naming the second to last cut "Almost Over." The finale, "Liberty," is so strong and fast that it will give you a spinal fracture. These unsigned Arizonan metallers are willing to creep out of the desert for tours; labels and promoters should be outrunning the tumbleweeds to their door. If you love drums half as much as I do, you need to contact Motive for a disc. You certainly are damned if you don't. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Peter Murphy Wild Birds Beggars Banquet Links: Peter Murphy		Peter Murphy's new Wild Birds CD is a well-comprised compilation that spans his entire solo career from 1985-1995--after Bauhaus, and Dali's Car. Truly awesome selections, such as "Final Solution" and "Jemal," from his relatively obscure first solo CD, "Should the World Fail to Fall Apart" (1986) are featured. Moreover, the bulk of the CD spins several classic songs off of what I consider his two finest albums--Love Hysteria (1988) and Deep (1990)--such as "Indigo Eyes," "Dragnet Drag," "All Night Long," "Cuts You Up," and "Deep Ocean Vast Sea" amongst others. In addition, Wild Birds includes some of his best songs from his later releases (1992's Holy Smoke and 1995's Cascade), such as "Hit Song," "Subway," "Huuvola," "I'll Fall with Your Knife" and others. Also included in the CD is a fantastic biographical insert that discusses Peter Murphy's career, growth and influences as a musician. Peter Murphy is truly a powerful presence onstage, and his music is certainly his own in terms of expression and feel. One thing I appreciate about Peter Murphy is the power in his music, and his philosophical outlook and influences that seem to guide him toward profound and dynamic heights. Also, I think after hearing the selections from Cascade I will go out and get it, since I truly did not like Holy Smoke (apart from the CD's artwork) and lost track of his music after that. This compilation is certainly a good assortment of some of Murphy's finest works throughout his solo career. Moreover, if you have never heard his early songs "Final Solution" and "Jemal," it is well worth purchasing this CD for those songs alone. *-Jennifer Johnson* [ top of page ]
Photek Solaris Astralwerks Links: Photek		Rupert Parkes is making a prison break. He's climbed the wall and is poised at the top of the brick, crouching in the line of jagged glass glued to the stone. He's about to jump out of the jungle prison and make for the realm of freer beats. A couple of years ago his first real album, Modus Operandi, landed with a mad clatter of samurai beats to announce the arrival of precision drum and bass to the mainstream. Replete with incredibly dense and calculated drum signatures and a late-night fetish for Kung Fu Theater, Modus Operandi heralded a road mark along the techno landscape that had to give one pause. You had two choices after that: go faster or get out. Some did and you wandered through drill and bass on your way to Bogdan R's bedroom. Rupert, on the other hand, realized there was something slightly impersonal in all those mathematically graphed beat arrangements. It lacked, well...soul. He jumped the wall. Putting all that behind him, he has turned out a surprisingly colored album of near and dear house music. It's not nearly as spastic as his earlier works and, in doing so, loses some of the furious precision which made him stand above the other programming wunderkinds, but the gain is that he's making new friends with the easy groove of Solaris. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Pinback Pinback/Some Voices Ace Fu Records/Tree Records Links: Pinback		Pinback is, at the core, Rob Crow and Armisted B. Smith IV. The two have been creative mainstays for over a decade now from the Southern California town of San Diego. Crow has remained prolific over the years, from forming Heavy Vegetable which in a way evolved into Thingy to the toycore Tin Pan Alley stylings of Optiganally Yours. A.B.S. IV is the bassist/keyboardist from Three Mile Pilot (yes,they've been said to have reformed). Now, I've always been a fan of the individual bands of each of them. Prior to first listening to this record, I found the pairing a wee bit odd. How would the seizure-inducing pop and the brooding melodies mix? Very nicely, mon frere. I'm continually stunned by the seemingly endless flow of brilliant songs these guys can crank out. This album is based largely around guitar, bass and keyboard. They swap on and off a little and dabble in a bit of programming. It took a while for me to figure out why the drum intro to "Hurley" sounded so familiar, it turns out to be a loop from the Minutemen's "It's Expected I'm Gone." A minimalist feel is achieved but there is so much going on. I do enjoy a lot of bands that try to actually "sing," but it's nice to listen to a band that actually can. Crow and Smith have great voices and they know how to use them. Their voices, soft yet strong, weave in harmonies carefully placed and executed. Every aspect of this album chimes with beauty. The Some Voices EP continues with more pleasantries. Added is their touring drummer Tom Zinzer (also of 3MP) on two of the four tracks. "June" was a standout song when I'd first seen them live; piano and cello drive this somber tune to its arrestingly catchy peak. The seaworthy rock of "Manchuria" reminds me a lot of Three Mile Pilot with its Supertramp-like keyboard. Fantastic, really. It's about time these guys are recognized for the geniuses that they are, and it looks like it's happening. Sold out shows, NPR features, and many tours. Please, do yourself a favor... *-Tiber Scheer* [ top of page ]
Radiohead Kid A Capitol Records Links: Radiohead		There's been a lot of ink spilled about this album already, a lot of reviewers chewing up column space trying to get a lock on just where it is that Radiohead has wandered. I'll cut to the chase and tell you: they've gone north, far north, taking their guitars and Thom Yorke's melancholy voice and a box of electronic gear, and venturing past the Arctic Circle. This is the soundtrack of a man wandering ("ice age coming..") in the distant snowbound wilderness and he's still lost and alienated. This album bounded into the Billboard charts in the number one slot--an amazing feat for a record that can hardly qualify as a rock album. And, as much as the music is swollen with sweet sadness, this is a sign of hope for all of us. None of you should be spending any of your time reading about this album, you should be spending your time listening to it. It isn't inventive--there are too many pieces that echo bands gone this way before--the Moody Blues, the Pixies, Sonic Youth, Autechre, Pink Floyd, Björk, Aphex Twin, Biosphere--but Kid A is innovative. It heralds a paradigm shift in the streams of music. Get out and immerse yourself in it. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Ryan Adams Heartbreaker Bloodshot Links: Ryan Adams Whiskeytown		Dear Mr. Adams, I wanted to hate your solo album. I wanted this to be Bryan Adams instead of Ryan Adams. I wanted to be able to sell it used and collect my $3 towards another used CD...perhaps one of the 40 or so compilation albums that have exclusive tracks crafted by your usual band...you know, Whiskeytown? Oh yeah, I guess I also wanted this album to be a three story plummet headfirst into a thumbtack so that I could curse you for all the recent talk about leaving Whiskeytown, the baddest country band ever to shed their peace on the land. But instead, my listens have revealed nothing worth my spit and bile. You've once again got me helplessly listening to stories like a fawn watches an F-150 bear down at 12am on a mountain highway. Your songwriting is still a concoction of surprising maturity and awful pain and anguish. I've read some of the other reviews. They're all piling on the praise, pointing to Dylan and Guthrie and Gram Parsons, but what impresses me the most is how raw and underproduced Heartbreaker is. I thought you'd stick with the pop-tart production that kinda marred Strangers Almanac, but this album sounds like it was recorded in a living room in front of a mic, which just happens to be perfect for your voice and romantic style. Your acoustic touch is still delicate, and your chops are still sound. And these songs? They make me cry. I wear my own boots, and I have my own "Amy," and your songs make me realize all those wounds aren't as scabbed over as I thought they were. Put another way, these songs make me believe you actually considered using the rat poison you are shown purchasing in the photograph on the back cover. A heartbreaker of an album indeed. Don't get me wrong. I still think the idea of leaving Whiskeytown stinks. I think the scope of the band pushes you to write volatile material with an altruistic frame of mind, and that this type of setting is where your brilliance finds true relevance. That said, it's necessary for me to point out that Heartbreaker comes off a tad self-indulgent. That road seems to eventually lead to airplay, but it also leads to VH1. Please, please don't let it be so. Sincerely, *-Al Cordray* [ top of page ]
Schema Schema 5 Rue Christine		"Don't call it a side project, we've been doing this for years." No, that's not what LL Cool J said, and Schema haven't, either. This album sounds as if they have, though. Comprised of Sadie, Ric and Campbell of Hovercraft and Mary Hansen of Stereolab, the collaboration is a not-so-odd one. The sum of their parts is exactly what they are: Singsong atonal melodies coupled with frightening dynamic space rock excursions. The guitar scree of "Unde" floats over the pensive relationship between rhythm and voice. The ebb and flow spiral into a chaotic blister of speed and then out. "Far from Where We Began" is the most Stereolab-esque song on this album; the chromatic melodies and driving repetition would not be out of place on one of their records. I've always liked the way Hovercraft records sound--they sound like a live band. The sound on this record has some pretty awesome production and none of the grit is lost. Regardless of your familiarity with either band, this album stands well enough on its own. I do believe they're gonna tour too. Hmmm. *-Tiber Scheer* [ top of page ]
Shyne Shyne Bad Boy Records		So just how good is Shyne, Bad Boy Records' latest and most notorious new artist to hit store shelves everywhere? Your first clue is all the misguided comparisons by media types between him and the late, great Notorious B.I.G. History lesson time: Hoop fans will remember back in 1995 when a North Carolina alumnus by the name of Jerry Stackhouse was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (third pick overall). Media types quickly took to comparing Jerry's high-scoring, above-the-rim game to another North Carolina great, Michael Jordan. As we all know by now, Jerry Stackhouse has proven to be no Michael Jordan, and although Shyne shows promise on his debut, I can safely say he's no Biggie Smalls. Biggie had a charisma and charm that disarmed you and made you put aside his transgression-filled past and openly embrace his larger than life, King of New York persona. Part teddy bear, part Al Capone, Biggie was loved by many, feared by some, and respected by all. His rap delivery was effortless, his tales of life as a hustler captivating. The sky was the limit for this gone-too-soon rap prodigy-turned-martyr. Shyne has talent, which is best displayed on joints like "Whatcha Gonna Do," "Bad Boyz Anthem" and "That's Gangsta," but comparisons to Biggie seemed throughout the CD to be without merit. Other than similar choices in topic matter, the two seemed worlds apart to me. He has the potential to maybe one day be Vince Carter to Biggie's Michael Jordan, but even that seems a bit far-fetched for now. *-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake* [ top of page ]
Therapy? So Much for the Ten Year Plan - Retrospective 1990-2000 Ark 21 Links: Therapy?		I'm usually apprehensive about "Greatest Hits" albums, because more often than not it's a road sign that the band in question has passed its creative zenith and is relying on a back catalog to pay for green fees at the local golf course. But in the case of Therapy?, who are still fighting the good fight ten years on from the start of the race, So Much for the Ten Year Plan ain't so bad. In fact, for a band who over the years had claims against them for changing their musical approach on each album (like change is wrong and should be discouraged), the songs on this retrospective flow rather seamlessly when taken as a whole. What's noticeably different between the tracks is the distinctive snare cracking of former drummer Fyfe Ewing, whose drum stool was filled a few years back by the quite capable Graham Hopkins. Not a buzz killer, just one of those things you notice. So Much for the Ten Year Plan boasts two new tracks, "Fat Camp" and "Bad Karma Follows You Around"--the former a snarling feedback fest and the latter sounding a bit like the garage punk of Sweden's The Hellacopters (a similarity I noticed on a few tracks off of T?'s previous release, Suicide Pact - You First). Word has it that the mighty Therapy? will be recording a new album in January with the legendary Jack Endino manning the control board, which is definitely something to look forward to. In the meantime, So Much for the Ten Year Plan is a nice nugget of filler that should tide you over nicely, and further remind you why you should have their entire back catalog in your collection...including all those pesky singles that they so seem to love releasing. *-Craig Young* [ top of page ]
Turbonegro Hot Cars & Spent Contraceptives Bitzcore Links: Turbonegro		Hot Cars & Spent Contraceptives is a reissue of the "Birth of Death Punk"--I always thought this tag went to T.S.O.L. Well, I could be wrong with these strange freaks from Oslo, Norway cracking my skull open with their guitars. But, in all seriousness, Turbonegro is in my opinion the best all-out punk band of the '90s! If it weren't for them living in Norway and being somewhat inaccessible for U.S. consumption, Turbonegro would have flattened all in their path. Think about who you would have as the best punk band of the last decade. Well, simply push them aside because you have to watch out for the fireworks display that comes out of Turbonegro. What do you need? Third chords of ferociousness, maniacal vocals and a fucking kick-ass rhythm section? You get this with these guys and loads more. It would be very hard to compare the different parts of this band: Were the earlier members better than the latter ones? It just doesn't matter. Turbonegro will rip your head off and puke on your gray matter. Pick any of their albums--Ass Cobra, Apocalypse Dudes, or this little gem I'm listening to right now--because they will not fail you. You can take your New Bomb Turks or whatever and place them in the recycling bin because this death squad from Norway puts them all in second place. Go find Turbonegro material--I don't care how you obtain it, just get it and play the fucker loud! Your punk ears will not be disappointed. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Underworld Everything Everything V2 Music Links: Underworld		Hey techno/house/dance music lovers! Don your party clothes, sprinkle the glitter, and break out those favors to enjoy while moving freely to the beat of Everything Everything in your venue of choice. Play it appropriately loud and erase all thoughts from your mind but dancing as expressly intended by the temper of the music. Karl Hyde's vocals, with a captivatingly European flair, will pave your way using repetitious lyrics to complement the steady pulse of techno mastery present throughout each track. The live sound recording will further enhance your aural experience by allowing direct access to the physical energy flowing from the entranced crowd in response to Underworld's live stage performance. All elements combined will offer your limbs no choice but to surrender control to the music. Even if you're unlikely to succumb to the stylized electronic sounds representative of Underworld, Everything Everything has the affinity to cross all musical boundaries with universal appeal, especially given the right place and the right time. *-Tricia Haber* [ top of page ]
Various Artists Latin Travels Six Degrees Records		Six Degrees has recently become a label to watch. Melding a love of classical Latin rhythms and instruments with a complete adoration with modern electronic and dance structures has brought a number of fantastic players to the umbrella of this label. Latin Travels is the latest of their groove-fest compilations mixing the rumba, bossa nova, and salsa with the hot dance tricks of the last few years. You end up with tracks like Robin Jones and João Bosco de Oliveira (instructor of Latin percussion and rumba guaguanco vocalist respectively) teaming up with Fila Brazilia to produce a "Royal Rumba" that sings and dances around you. Señor Coconut (Atom Heart's Latin alias) leaves us wiggling with "Supertropical," an electronic version of a playful salsa. St. Germain's "Soul Salsa Soul" is another whirl on the salsa stick wrapped around the deep house beats that he's been refining for the last decade. Yugoslav expatriate Suba has been tearing up the dance floors in Sao Paulo with his unique interpretations of the local music scene; remixed here by Phil Asher, "Voce Gosta (Restless Soul Peak Mix)" is a disco throwback that makes you fondly remember that parts of that decade weren't all that bad. Bob Holroyd travels the world recording ethnic rhythms, and brings back an infusion of Afro-Latin rhythms to his "Drumming up a Storm" that easily blend the echoing patterns of distant cultures with his own urban sprawl background. Zuco 103's frenetic multicultural sound (that would be the Dutch, German, and Brazilian backgrounds of the players) is perfectly poised between the hot sweaty dance music of the 1950s and the science fiction turntable beat minimalism of the future. Get your fancy pants on; there's a party happening here. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
White Skull Public Glory, Secret Agony Nuclear Blast Links: White Skull		Honestly, last year's Tales from the North didn't appeal to me. Public Glory, Secret Agony is a humongous leap forward in quality and appeal. Their cover art is always great, but this one is better than Tales. Check out the little skeleton soldiers. Darn cute. Public Glory is far harder, based more on power metal than Tales. B. B. Nick Savio and Tony "Mad" Fonto contribute the faster-than-a-shark, razor sharp Italian power metal guitars that tend to dominate the disc. Duly noted is the fine drumming performance turned in by Alex Mantiero. Frederica "Sister" de Boni adds her operatic vocals to the mix and even aces the raspy Pat Benatar-styled vocals throughout the disk. The symphonic influence appears on far fewer songs than on Tales. The powerful guitar sound may have given them a harder edge that truly complements the Roman/"Cleopathra" [sic] theme of Public Glory, Secret Agony. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]

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