In 1987, the acid house movement exploded in the UK, sparking an underground dance movement that would become the global rave scene. It wasn't until a year later in 1988 that I was introduced to this scene as an exchange student in Belgium, and it wasn't until 1989 that this music dominated underground dance clubs in the United States. But back in 1987, some of this music did make it onto mainstream American radio - "Theme From S-Express" by S-Express, "Pump Up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S, and later "This Is Acid" by Maurice and "We Call It Acieed" by D-Mob. In 1987, it was all about "Beat Dis" by Bomb the Bass, a young deejay out of London named Tim Simenon. There was nothing else on the radio like it. Strong rhythm and heavy bass line "bombed" with scratches and layers of samples. The song commanded us to "Keep this frequency clear!"
By 1988, I was fully into the acid house scene, and my first purchases on vinyl were the singles "Superfly Guy" by S-Express and "Beat Dis" by Bomb the Bass. I loved that it mixed a disco era vibe with the urban sounds of hip-hop. I went onto purchase Simenon's first album, "Into the
Into The Dragon
Dragon" which is still one of the best records in the genre. It was a good time for Simenon. He went on to produce and mix "Buffalo Stance" and "Manchild" by the underrated Neneh Cherry, two of the greatest hip-hop singles of all time, in my opinion.
As all fresh scenes do, acid house burned out quickly, but Simenon never quite disappeared, producing several more ambient records as Bomb the Bass, but acting as a producer for several acts including Massive Attack, Bjork, Sinead O'Connor, and Depeche Mode.
In 2013, he remixed his his two biggest hits - "Beat Dis" and "Megablast" - in honor of their 25th anniversary in a compilation called "Mega Dis", which I am reviewing, These songs have been remixed repeatedly by other artists, some of these remixes I myself own. But Simenon remixes these songs himself, using digital technology that didn't exist back in the day. He mashes the two songs into one almost ten-minute opus. The basic structure of both songs remain, along with some of the more familiar samples. But, if I may say, this remix is almost more acid house than the original with its electronic chirps and tweets. But he succeeds in making it sound new and fresh. My teen boys love the remix, one saying that it reminds him of something out of a superhero movie.
On the side, Simenon also remixes his 1994 single, "Bug Powder Dust" in the same vein - the robotic rap set with a new veneer of updated electronica.
It was a good walk down memory lane to listen to Bomb the Bass again. I'm sure that Tim Simenon will be around a while - whether behind the scenes or in the front line, tagging us with his musical graffiti.
I have always been kind of proud that I share Northern Arizona with Maynard James Keenan, the legendary singer/ songwriter of two of my favorite bands, Tool and A Perfect Circle, as well as the frontman of the electro-psychedelic pop experiment called Puscifer. Keenan roams my old stomping grounds of the Verde Valley. He owns two shops in the old ghost town of Jerome (several buildings there renovated by personal friends) - a wine shop selling his own brand - Caduceus Cellars as well as a merchandise store for his band, Puscifer. He owns a home in the artist community of Sedona and grows grapes in the small town of Cornville, where I wandered as a nineteen year-old, pretending I was a hippie. Perhaps I feel that it gives my region some cred to have someone like Keenan see the same thing in rural Arizona that I do. Many a time, I have fantasized about going to his wine shop and having a conversation with him. But I always fall short. His is notoriously private and quite eccentric. After showing my wife some interviews with Keenan on YouTube, her observation is, "He's a nerd. An artsy nerd, but still a nerd."
He certainly does not stick to any conventions, but that is what I love about his music. People always tried to classify Tool, and the band always resisted any label. Hard rock yes, but far more transcendent. The same was true with the ethereal sounds of A Perfect Circle.
But I do have a confession. Even though I am a fan, since their inception back in 2007, I had never listened to a single song by Puscifer. I was very aware of them, having read several articles about them. I'm not sure why. I think that I am always afraid that my favorite artists will have their creative spirit eroded away by age and fame. Perhaps it was the way they marketed the band - Keenan doing electronic dance music with raucous and rowdy themes. I mean, their first album was called "V Is For Vagina".
To this date, I have never listened to their first two albums. But after reading about Tool's explosive performance in Tempe, Arizona this past Halloween, and Puscifer's wild show two days later at the same venue, I decided to check them out.
I'm glad I did. Puscifer's third album, "Money Shot" is the best album I have heard in a long time, Not only is it the best Keenan record to date - right up there with Tool's "Lateralus" and A Perfect Circle's "Mer de Noms", but it is the best record of 2015. And I will tell you why.
There is nothing bawdy or juvenile about this record. It is deep and contemplative, having the same esoteric and mystical quality, yet also containing tongue-in-cheek humor that all of Keenan's work has. He proves that it doesn't matter what genre he is dabbling in. As a songwriter, the Force is strong with him. Yes, most of the songs are ambient and electronic, and other people have said that this is darker and moodier than Puscifer's other releases. But there is still the exquisite musicianship that is trademark to all of Keenan's endeavors. Keenan also knows that relying on the gifts of other artists is key to making great music. Not only is his smooth-as-silk voice prevalent, but Carina Round's angelic voice flits through all of the songs. There are also a round of guest musicians, including Tim Alexander on drums, who formerly performed with, not only Primus, but Major Lingo, another Northern Arizona favorite from Verde Valley.
The album starts out with an electronic pulse on the first track, "Galileo", fraught with interplay between guitar and vocal harmonies with Keenan and Round. "Agostina" is a beautiful ode to Keenan's newborn daughter. "Grand Canyon" is an epic song, kind of reminds me of the track at the end of "We Were Soldiers". I'm sure you know the one. I'm not sure if Keenan is singing about standing at the precipice of Arizona's best known National Park or at the edge of the human psyche. Either way, it is a grandiose tune capped off by Round's voice soaring like an eagle over Angel Point. "Simultaneous" is an enigma. It starts out with a man narrating a story about meeting an eccentric bum at a punk festival. I have tried to find a backstory on this. I haven't been able to find one. But the song ends with Keenan philosophizing, "Find a way. Through, around or over." All while a guitar buzz-saws in the background.
The title track, "Money Shot", is the only song I don't like on the record. It is loud and obnoxious, like a turd in the midst of resplendent jewels. It's as if the record company wanted Keenan to put the obligatory hard rock song in there, but it doesn't fit the quiet contemplation of the rest of the record. It's out of place, being vaguely reminiscent of Butthole Surfers. But maybe that's what he was aiming for. The album resumes with perhaps my favorite track, "The Arsonist", which starts out with electronic chimes and softly builds up to a strong climax. "The Remedy" is a great single from this which captures Keenan's sardonic side, as he sings, "Yes, we're being condescending. Yes, that means we're talking down to you."
"Smoke and Mirrors" reflects the moody atmosphere of this record with a kind of Pink Floyd vibe. Another favorite track of mine is "Life of Brian (Apparently You Haven't Seen)". The vocal arrangements at the end of this piece are extraordinarily beautiful, almost medieval, and the album finishes off with the somber "Autumn", one of the saddest songs I have ever heard.
I can't rave enough about this record. I have been listening to it for two months and am not tired of it. Every single song is good, and I recommend it to anyone searching for good and new music. Moreover, I have bragging rights. 2015's best record came out of Northern Arizona - recorded and released! What?!
Since I first discovered them last year, I have become obsessed with this band. Especially in the last few weeks since I have been preparing for this review. I always look for new and innovative music. And Los Angeles's Warpaint is just that.
For this review, I am reviewing their 2008 debut EP, "Exquisite Corpse", and their 2014 eponymous second album.
How do you describe their music? Haunting, minimalist, atmospheric, dreamy... Their sound is dominated by strong bass rhythms, a sandpaper wash of percussion, and raining, subtle guitars. Emily Kokal is the primary vocalist, and yet all of the band members lend their voices to create breathy harmonies that wash gently over the arrangements. They definitely have a strong female vibe, the kind found in other bands like The Bangles or Throwing Muses.
"Exquisite Corpse" was produced and engineered by former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, John Frusciante with guitars and drums added by current RHCP guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer. I love when well-established musicians will go out of the way to discover and promote up and coming musicians. And this EP is a strong start for these ladies.
"Stars" opens the EP and is one of my favorite tracks, starts muted with no drums, the guitar notes falling like a sprinkle of spring rain, the vocals hushed, and then it gradually tightens and mounts slowly, wistful longing swaying from the voices, never quite giving in to frenzy. "Elephants" scratches away in an insistent manner that shows that these artists understand psychedelia. The haunting "Billie Holiday" is a moving piece that consists of the band spelling out the title of the song. It is so catchy that I would say, not only is it my favorite song, but a favorite of all my kids, from younger to older, who walk around the house singing this song. "Beetles" demonstrates how versatile these girls are, complete with several delicious shifts in tempo. The other songs - "Burgundy" and "Krimson" are just as delectable.
Their debut album, "The Fool", came out in 2010. I don't have it yet, but I have listened to a couple of tracks like "Shadows" and "Composure", and I like what I have heard. Honestly, this album will be my next download.
Their second album, "Warpaint", is just as ethereal and ambient. Although the band relies more on smoky electronic drumbeats and languid electronic loops to sustain their vibe. It works, though, in songs like "Hi", "Disco // very", and "Feeling Alright". But their signature sound is there - the torrential vocals, the smoky guitars, all sounding like something out of "Twin Peaks". My personal favorites are "Keep It Healthy" and "Love Is To Die". The first time I heard these thoughts, I immediately thought, "This is my kind of music."
I am very glad to have discovered this band. They are simply refreshing, and you would be remiss if you did not join their war party and head into their mystic, sonic landscape.
It's been a couple of years since I reviewed Chvrche's debut album, "The Bones of What You Believe". Initially, I had given these darlings of Sirius Radio a good review. But it was so sickeningly sweet that it eventually went saccharine. Truthfully, I wasn't that excited to check out the sophomore release, "Every Open Eye". But my own personal music guru, Nikki, said that it was really good. So I decided to check it out. And I am glad that I did, as this has become one of my favorite albums this year. In fact, my kids have complained that I keep playing it in the car.
Not much has changed. This music is straight up synthpop, taking a page from Vince Clark, from the early Depeche Mode days, but more from Yaz or Erasure, but without the throaty vocals of Alison Moyet or Andy Bell. Instead, Lauren Mayberry's voice is still angelic and waifish, reminding me a lot of Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays.
Except that this time, it works for me. This upbeat and crystal clear pop music transports me back to prom on a warm spring night in some John Hughes movie.
The album has spawned three riveting singles, the opener "Never Ending Circles", sounding like an anthem to teen angst, as well as "Leave A Trace", showing the band's strength is relying more on the surprising power of Mayberry's vocals and placing the synths in the background. The third single, "Clearest Blue", has that Erasure vibe that I was talking about, starting out shimmering and effulgent, then ending in a groovy rhythm and celestial harmonies.
There are a lot of songs on this record, so it took me a while to get familiar with all of them. My personal faves are "Keep You On My Side" which is furious, Mayberry complaining about a jilted love, a familiar theme on "Empty Threat". The somber and languid "Down Side of Me" is probably my favorite song, especially when it plays with layering vocal tracks towards the end. "Playing Dead" is a fantastic example of how this band spins such a huge sound bound up with so many swirling feelings with only three musicians.
The whole album is really great. As I listened, I had to refrain fro going on Facebook every five minutes to rave about it. Hopefully, the novelty doesn't wear off after a bit of time, like Chinese food, like the first album. Hopefully, this is one that will have me coming back for more.
This is another late review. But, right off the bat, I will say that this was my favorite album of 2014. It is ethereal and dreamy with trip-hop-y electronic sounds mixed with feathery, swirling guitars frosted with Sara Barthel's breathy vocals. Phantogram have so much as admitted that Cocteau Twins are one of their main influences, and that makes me like them right off the bat!
In 2013, I reviewed their self-titled EP, and you can read about it here. Shortly afterwards, their second album, "Voices", was released. The new album featured all four songs previously released on the EP - the spooky "Black Out Days", the New Order-inspired "The Day You Died", the upbeat "Celebrate Nothing", and one of my personal favorites, "Never Going Home". sung by Josh Carter, that starts out subdued like "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Colins, and then ends with a wash of sound that is reminiscent of Cocteau Twins. These songs really are the backbone of the album, although there are some other really good songs on here.
"Nothing But Trouble" was the second single off this collection, It is harsh and biting, and, really, a bit gothic. "Howling At the Moon"is a hook-laden exploration of lunar bliss. But my personal favorite song is "Bill Murray", which makes it onto every CD mix I do. It is, by far, their most Cocteau of songs. Sweet and gentle, chiming guitars held together with a buzzing bass keyboard, and Barthel does vocal gymnastics that would make Elizabeth Fraser proud. It is a beautiful song.
This band has a really great sound, and I am glad to see them do so well in the mainstream. Proof that good music can and does come out in our present day.
If you have ridden for extended periods of time with me, you know. If you have ever have received the ubiquitous CD mix from me, you have probably figured it out. Metric is one of my favorite bands. The ultra new wave "Fantasies" is probably in my top ten albums of the the last ten years, and I gave "Synthetica" rave reviews a few years ago. Metric really measures up on their sixth studio album, "Pagans In Vegas", released on September 18th.
And how do I measure an album? Before the review, I download the whole album to the phone, and, when I am done with my critique, I delete everything save the songs that I like. I will be keeping this whole album on my phone. Metric has done it again.
The record starts out with a finger-snapping jam named "Lie Lie Lie" where Emily Haines (who also performs with Broken Social Scene) sings the bitter, sarcastic lyrics with a sickly sweet voice. The harmonies make it even more dangerous. "Fortunes" begins mid-tempo with a Casio-sounding keyboard. Only a band like Metric can make that sound work, and only Metric can load their songs full of hooks like their main single, "The Shade". "Celebrate" explores their penchant for electronica with its sweeping chorus. "Cascades" is probably my favorite song on the album - pure synth pop, complete with robotic vocals, yet avoiding sounding too cheesy, and actually turns out to be quite a beautiful tune. "For Kicks" is their New Order rip-off, complete with a high-end, Peter Hook-style bass line. Yet they pull it off, so we'll forgive them. "Too Bad, So Sad" is their quintessential "Pagans In Vegas" song. It sounds like a night out on the Strip. If Metric gave a nod to New Order, then "Other Side", featuring James Shaw on lead vocals, is their homage to early Depeche Mode from their "Speak & Spell" days. "Blind Valentine" is another Vegas song, except this one imagined in the bedroom. "The Governess" once combines Haines's delectable harmonies with saucy lyrics. The album finishes out with "The Face Part I" and "The Face Part II", two ethereal instrumentals.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make the perfect album. Metric is well-versed in crafting the rich and full-flavored pop songs. They proved this a long time ago, and I have known this since I discovered them six years ago. Metric makes new wave much more cool than it was in the '80s. At this point, they can rub our noses in it - they are good. And they know it.
So this was another one of my downloads from last year that I never reviewed. And, quite honestly, I didn't even listen to it at all until yesterday. Why? I was afraid that it would suck.
In the last decade, Coldplay was one of my favorite bands. I absolutely loved them, right from my first listen of "Don't Panic" and "Yellow" off their debut, "Parachutes". The first time I heard "Politik" off of "A Rush of Blood To the Head" with its shoegaze-like Cocteau Twins sound, I was hooked. That album was a masterpiece, and "X&Y" was their magnum opus. But then, like many bands, they started settling into a slump. "Viva La Vida" - while one of the band's most popular releases - was only "okay" to me (whereas their "Prospekt's March" EP was genius). And "Mylo Xyloto"? Ugh. Don't even get me started. There were only one, or two, songs that really grabbed me on that one.
So yeah, I was afraid to listen to their sixth studio album, "Ghost Stories". I had already heard the album's two singles - "Magic" and "A Sky Full of Stars" - and, frankly, I was underwhelmed. (I don't mind them now.)
So after my first listen my fears were both confirmed and baseless. This record does not have the innovation of "Rush of Blood", and it doesn't have the passion of "X&Y". But it is still not a bad album. It's very subtle. Nowhere does it get loud and wild. It's not going to clear any rooms, but it will stand insistently in the living room, clearing it's throat incessantly until you notice its fine points, which are.. subtle. It has an understated pop vibe that reminds me of '80s act, The Blue Nile. Much of this album is full of nocturnal washes of hushed ambient sounds with Chris Martin's quiet vocals pairing in a way that really makes me think of Sigur Ros.
The album is strongest on "Ink", a catchy little tune, and on the dreamy "Another's Arms". My absolute favorite song is "Midnight" with its faint rhythm and computerized harmony that gives it an Imogen Heap vibe.
So, all in all, not a bad record, bit certainly not their best. Coldplay is in the studio now, finishing up their seventh and, what they say will be, their last album called "A Head Full of Dreams". They say it will be their "last Harry Potter book" of an album. I will definitely be reviewing that when it comes out. I hope they go out with a bang.
