The Wax Conspiracy

Not So Live Music

It can boil down to the question on whether or not the distillation of the raw energy of sound in a open space competes well with that of the closed session. It may even determine the movement of the masses or the travel of the bits downstream to the many peer-to-peer network jackers. Jacked in and into the stream of consciousness that can be given and taken from the aural stimulants found breathing and pulsating on the shiny side of things to come. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, regrets and misgivings for the future to come.

Crass - Christ-The Bootleg

Belvedere Jehosophat - Tuesday, January 4, 2005

This was meant to be the first in a Top Ten Live CDs That I Purchased in 2004. Unfortunately, as you can see, I became inconsolably bored and stopped at one.

This concert was recorded live on 5/2/84 during Crass’ last tour. I was but a sprat of four years when this gig took place.

Read the rest of Crass - Christ-The Bootleg review

Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain

Belvedere Jehosophat - Monday, December 20, 2004

Viktor Vaughn is MF Doom - MF Doom is Viktor Vaughn

I shot some savage craps when I bought this CD, and I guess I did pretty well; Vaudeville Villain probably isn't the classic that people are making it out to be, but it's probably one of the best hip hop CDs to have been released in 2003.

Read the rest of Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain review

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One

Belvedere Jehosophat - Friday, October 29, 2004

I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, which looks something like this:

has got to be one of the most frustrating CDs that I have ever bought.

Read the rest of Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One review

Crass - Best Before... 1984

Belvedere Jehosophat - Thursday, September 23, 2004

Dedicated with much love and much respect to [-o-].

Though the title suggests that this is a "best of" album it is in fact a collection of b-sides, singles and rarities.

Read the rest of Crass - Best Before... 1984 review

Greenland - The Prisons of Language

Jimmy Weasel - Wednesday, August 4, 2004

An ironic title for an instrumental album. To be sure, Greenland has no vocals at all. And initially, it's a bit weird to listen to, as it seems as though there's something missing. Like a phantom limb or invisible siamese twin that you can *feel* should be there, but isn't. But this twin isn't necessary. In fact, you were strong enough without that deadweight holding you back.

Admittedly, I first baulked at this album, thinking it too ambient. But I can't stop listening to it now. Its got moxy. And quite a lot of "build," and you just don't really experience that in enough songs these days.

Read the rest of Greenland - The Prisons of Language review

Smog - Burning Kingdom

Belvedere Jehosophat - Sunday, June 6, 2004

you don’t know any of them, they are total strangers

Read the rest of Smog - Burning Kingdom review

Mclusky - The Difference Between Me and You is that I’m Not on Fire

Belvedere Jehosophat - Tuesday, May 25, 2004

From what I can tell, the Albini School of Record Production is little more than turning everything up and letting the band go for it, and, from this, I can safely conclude that he gets paid for doing pretty much nothing.

Frankly, I have to say that I admire the man—either he’s a recording genius or a charlatan who, by fluke alone, has managed to produce some of rock’s greatest albums— Surfer Rosa, In Utero, the Mclusky stuff, and, of course, his own Big Black output.

Whichever way, the man does good work, good fucking work.

Read the rest of Mclusky - The Difference Between Me and You is that I’m Not on Fire review

Probot - Probot

Belvedere Jehosophat - Tuesday, May 11, 2004

What we are dealing with here is a very strange beast, a very strange beast indeed. Essentially, rock 'n' roll's biggest geek, Dave Grohl, has crafted 12 authentic-sounding '80s underground metal-thrash-punk songs, and then invited the luminaries of those genres to provide the vocal tracks.

There is absolutely nothing in this CD that is in any way groundbreaking; the Lemmy song sounds like a Motorhead song, the Max Cavalera song sounds like a Sepultura/Soulfly song, etc.

Read the rest of Probot - Probot review

Big Black - Songs About Fucking

Belvedere Jehosophat - Sunday, May 9, 2004

Big Black blasted into my consciousness about 4 months ago with the same speed and brutality of that diamond bullet that hit Kurtz back in his Vietnams [sic].

My first introduction was with The Rich Man’s Eight Track Tape, which collected the Atomizer LP, the Headache EP and the Heartbeat 45.

Read the rest of Big Black - Songs About Fucking review

Plug - Drum 'n' Bass for Papa

Belvedere Jehosophat - Sunday, April 25, 2004

Generally speaking, I don't have much in the way of time for drum n' bass – it can get pretty tedious and often doesn't have much going for it dynamics-wise. Also, if you listen to it long enough, it starts messing up your circadian rhythms and suddenly sleeping and eating become a chore.

However, what we've got here is drum n' bass put together by the ever talented Luke Vibert, who I may, in fact, have a crush on.

Read the rest of Plug - Drum 'n' Bass for Papa review

Future Kings of Spain - Future Kings of Spain

Belvedere Jehosophat - Tuesday, April 6, 2004

It's a sad state of affairs when the only redeeming quality of an album is the colourful picture of the rhinoceros on the cover.

The Future Kings of Spain wear their influences proudly; it’s not hard to pick out the Pixies or Dinosaur Jr in their songs. However, while the Future Kings of Spain are on their way to recreating the signature sound of those bands, they’ve completely missed the streak of experimentation and daring that made them seminal.

Read the rest of Future Kings of Spain - Future Kings of Spain review

A Collection of Songs Representing an Enthusiasm for Recording... By Amateurs...

Belvedere Jehosophat - Monday, March 22, 2004

or The Accidental Career... The Flaming Lips 1984-1990

The rather elaborate title refers to how The Flaming Lips vocalist, Wayne Coyne, explains his band's career — or that they managed to have a career at all.

Read the rest of A Collection of Songs Representing an Enthusiasm for Recording... By Amateurs... review

Incubus: A Crow Left of the Murder

Jimmy Weasel - Saturday, February 21, 2004

Le Weasel: i paid for the new incubus

Funkmasta: sap

Read the rest of Incubus: A Crow Left of the Murder review

 

Music reviews from the vault

Flick through all the other music reviews ever written at The Wax Conspiracy.

1 2 3 4 »5« 6 7 8 9

class=hst

The Wax Conspiracy to your pocket

Finagle with our bagel and keep a fresh and up-to-date eyeball on our latest reviews, articles and filthy somesuch. Mmm doughy.

Other reviews

class=etc

 

Articles and all that more wordy stuff

Where in Kentucky - Mammoth Cave National Park
Monstrously, and seemingly neverending, sitting under the home ground of Colonel Sanders, the world's largest cave system. Yucatan comes nowhere close. Not even Cocklebiddy poses a threat. No comparison. Small holes looking up at a big fat long one. Sadly, with possible age and lack of food, no minotaurs to be found within the lime walls.
Homebrew Diary - Wheatbeer of misery
If what can turn a foul mood around becomes the harbinger of the foul mood, what happens next? Turn it into a learning experience. And when that learning curve makes a late break over the plate, you'd better start to swing away.
Homebrew Diary - Blackrock IPA + Hops
It doesn't take a big man to admit that he drinks. It takes a big man to get wasted and perform impromptu sermons naked from a balcony; raving upon the ravages of the insanity of stata bylaws and noisy offspring in adjoining arpartments...

class=grimm

id=vonnegut

For lovers of reviews on music, books and theatre with advice and fiction on life and evolution.

Creative Commons License

© Copyright 2002-2008 The Wax Conspiracy

The Natural Wax T-Shirt for sale

Nipple protection from the elements?
Armpit hair needs a lair?
Bellybutton catching too many flies?

Then grab this comfy chest covering and other kinds of T-shirts at The Wax Sweatshop.

id=ufo