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.
Jimmy Weasel - Wednesday, June 4, 2003
Any fool who knows anything knows that I have a slightly more than healthy craving for what Les Claypool has created. Nay, anything bearing his name, be it his own project, or a guest appearance on the worst rapmetal album created. His music is in all my favourite lists and has a very special place in my heart. As a result, this review is assumed to carry a little bias.
Admittedly, The Purple Onion was released in late 2002, but being a lazy bastard and knowing the ins (and some outs) of the p2p music trade system, I delayed the purchase until more recent times. The dollar has recovered moderately against the greenback so it now costs much less to get music such as this into my sticky fingers.
Read the rest of Tunes of The Strange: Purple Onion (The Les Claypool Frog Brigade) review
Belvedere Jehosophat - Tuesday, May 27, 2003
NOFX are one of the few "new school" or, to the new schoolers, "new skool" punk bands that I like. The reason for this is that they, NOFX, consistently (well, after Punk in Drublic anyway) make excellent, amazingly literate punk rock records.
The first single off the album was ‘Franco Un-American.' It's a new-wavy song reminiscent of ‘Quart in Session' from So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes, and it's an excellent choice for a first single because it sounds so very catchy. I'm sure that having a catchy first single is going to trigger hundreds of idiot-kids around the world to start labelling NOFX a sell-out.
Read the rest of NOFX - The War on Errorism review
Alex Yamakazi - Monday, May 26, 2003
Deep Confusion, bewilderment, nausea, fear, loathing and a personal crisis of my inner self.
After watching that I don't even know if I can dress myself anymore. Bright colors, lots of bright colors. Strange songs in strange tongues. The odd feeling of not quite knowing if something is cool or not. Songs that still use the word gay to mean happy. Odd sets reminiscent of Star Trek.
Read the rest of The Eurovision Song Contest review
Alex Yamakazi - Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Parker are an incredibly cool band. It's terribly, deep dish cool that they choose to play rootsy, alternative blues and choose to take it to cynical inner-city hipster audiences. Coolest of all they are such passionate musicians they are able to make it work. The fact that "cool" can take such an infinite number of forms never ceases to amaze.
Parker's Big Sharp Drifter ep displays a formidable depth of musical talent. File them next to Led Zeppelin, Black Crows and even Guns and Roses. (ok that Gunners comparison wasn't a cool reference but they do kind of sound like them at times, somehow they make it cool.)
Read the rest of Big Sharp Drifter (ep) - Parker review
Alex Yamakazi - Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Strangely enough most Goths you talk to deny the fact that they are indeed Goths. The Gothier they are the more vehemently they will deny their Gothness. Are they so Goth they are not really Goths anymore? Or do you need to actually piss black eyeliner to be a real Goth.. It's all too much for my inferior non Goth mind to ponder. But ask the same people formerly assumed to be Goths about music and they will deny that almost any given artist produces Goth music.. So it is with Placebo.
Ok eyeliner abusers anonymous, so they are not Goths. But they do belong in any sexually confused teenagers angst kit. Poppy Z Brite Novel - Check, Anne Rice Novel - Check, Placebo Album - Check. Placebo's latest offering Sleeping with Ghosts offers plenty of the bitchy, sharp, melodramatic, omnisexual brand of pop that has earned them their angstmaster cult following. What it also offers and what may begin to alienate them from their base audience is their increasing maturity. Brian has cut his long black hair and is hardly wearing a skerick of makeup on the album sleeve. His former glam has been swapped for an almost ascetic austerity. While Sleeping with Ghosts has tracks with the energy seen on Black Market Music and Without you I'm Nothing there are also many tracks showing genuine insight and depth.
Read the rest of Sleeping with Ghosts - Placebo review
Jimmy Weasel - Monday, May 19, 2003
The best way to properly "feel" an album (all pantless & rubbing jokes aside) is to go on a long solitary drive with the windows down and the speed up. Way up. Let the music take control of your hands and feet for 60 or so minutes while your brain processes the ins and outs of your latest purchase. Simply sitting still to listen to it yields restlessness and distractions are imminent.
I had no idea what to expect; I'd downloaded a bunch of songs through Blubster with the correct artist and album title, but I could feel in my bones that they were not Manson. Many tracks in this rank era of P2P death are poorly labelled, be it deliberate or stupid. Tim Skold, as the relevant newsgroup tells me, is easily distinguishable from Manson. But not to me. They sound dangerously similar.
Alex Yamakazi - Thursday, May 1, 2003
Correct me if I am wrong but I thought that music was somehow connected with passion and sincerity.
After watching Video Smash Hits last Saturday I am horrified by the sheer banality of the current top 40. I mean I know it is the mainstream but why god, why does the mainstream have to be such a talent desert? Sure the top 40 is dictated by the buying habits of 12 year old girls and raving homosexuals but dammit there is just so much good music out there! Why can't gays and 12 year olds have better taste?
Read the rest of Video Smash Hits - Sat 26th April - Oh the HORROR! review
Belvedere Jehosophat - Monday, April 28, 2003
Band: Warwick Moss
Album Title: If I Were A Ghost
Cost: $0.33
Read the rest of Bargain Basement Music Review 2: If I Were A Ghost review
Jimmy Weasel - Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Band: Thermadore
Album Title: Monkey on Rico.
Cost: $1.50
Read the rest of Bargain Basement Music Review 1: Monkey on Rico review
Jimmy Weasel - Wednesday, April 23, 2003
There are those who can be described as "musical junkies," buying up and filling their shelves with musical wonders and oddities; filling every vein and pore of their bodies with as many tunes as you can melt down and inject. But the trouble with music is that for every album that blows the listener’s mind, there are four that aren’t any good, and in this group of 4 there’s one that’s beyond hope. This one particular album can be found on the SALE table in front of all CD stores. The cover will be as odd as the music is bad, but the price is irresistible. Growing weary of paying $25+ for music, there’s a theory that many good artists are oft overlooked by the public, thus, these tables are scoured and searched for sonic gems. Most of the time, there’s a reason for 99c price-tags.
Who are we to criticize? We are The Wax, and are in possession of diverse musical tastes and backgrounds. Yet both the trained and untrained ear seem to meet in the same spot upon issues of talent and genius. Feel free to disagree with any opinion stated about the bands herein, but remember: you’re not dealing with idiots here.
Read the rest of Bargain Basement Music: Introduction to Cacophanic Haemorrage review
Belvedere Jehosophat - Sunday, March 30, 2003
I like hip hop. I hate skits.
Lord, do I hate skits. There is nothing worse than the flow of the album being interrupted by a pointless, moronic skit.
Read the rest of I Phantom review
Belvedere Jehosophat - Thursday, February 20, 2003
I am going to review Mutiny on the Bay by the Dead Kennedys because it is my least favourite Dead Kennedys CD.
Dead Kennedys - Mutiny on the Bay
Read the rest of Dead Kennedys - Mutiny on the Bay (Live) review
Belvedere Jehosophat - Sunday, February 2, 2003
I have an unfortunate tendency to discover bands shortly after they have either just finished a tour or have broken up.
I remember that I discovered Sebadoh soon after they’d gone home after supporting ‘The Sebadoh’.
I also remember my elation at having discovered The Psycho Realm. Elation that soon turned to complete disillusionment when I heard that Duke (Gustavo Gonzalez) had been shot and was paralysed from the neck down.
Read the rest of Slow Century - goodnight to the rock and roll era review
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