Las Catch Up - Album Review Edition
Mary Star Of The Sea - Zwan
Not being a great fan of Smashing Pumpkins I was surprised how quickly I took to the debut album of Billy Corgan's latest 'supergroup' featuring, amongst others, past members of Tortoise and Slint. The result doesn't sound that far away from prime Pumpkins but with an additional tinge of free-form experimentalism here and there (particularly on the epic title track) and a fair amount of joie-de-vivre. Despite its sprawling length and Corgan's limited vocals, the quality control on the tunes remains high and the record's listenability has remained astonishingly durable. Best track: Ride A Black Swan. BUY IT!
Killings From The Dial - Medium 21
Britain's most under-rated new band's debut longplayer was damned with faint praise by most press hacks, but it's definitely a record that gets under your skin on repeated listening. They take their influences from the best of indie heritage from both sides of the pond and have synthesised them into something distinctive, atmospheric and tuneful. They'll never be fashionable (they make Coldplay look like The Strokes) but this broody slow-burner demands attention on the quality of its songwriting alone. Best track: Daybreak Vs. Pride. TRY IT!
Danse Macabre - The Faint
Duran Duran-inspired electropop that has its moments, but already feels a little passe. Duran Duran were less self-aware, so less self-conscious, and had better tunes. Best track: Violent. (Unless you're a big fan of 80s electropop) WALK ON BY IT!
Beauty Party - The Majesticons
Takes the Old Skool/Bling Culture dichotomy from the last Missy album and makes it three-dimensional flesh with its concept of a mythical battle between The Infesticons and The Majesticons. But if the conceptual side of it goes over your head, rest assured the catchy tunes, witty lines, killer beats and guest appearances from the likes of El-P will still hook you in. The result: possibly the best feel-good hiphop album since Kurupt's Space Boogie: Smoke Odyssey. Best track: Dwarf Star Party. TRY IT!
Elephant - The White Stripes
It's easily as good as their previous three albums: is there really any need to say much more? A bit of bass here, Meg singing a little there, but essentially they don't vary that much from their tried and tested formula - all the more reason to be cheered then they sound just as fresh and vital as ever. Best track: (aside from single 7 Nation Army) the lust-crazed glam stomp of Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine. BUY IT!
Pig Lib - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Pig's Ear more like, as you're likely to conclude on first listening to this muddling effort from the former Pavement man. It does grow on you, and some silk purses emerge (Water And A Seat; Do Not Feed The Oyster; 1% Of One; Us) but I'd be telling you porkies if I said this was an essential purchase. Too often and for too long this record disappears up its own smoky, folky arse. Best track: Do Not Feed The Oyster. WALK ON BY IT!
Casting Pearls - Melys
Betws-y-Coed's finest Melys have (anti)fashioned a bittersweet concoction of old-skool indie (of the C86/Sarah Records vintage), primitive electronica and sweetly saucy lyrics. John Peel loves 'em, and if you've had your fill of bands trying to sound like The Slits, you might too. Best track: Baby Burn. TRY IT!
Life - Numbers
Enjoyably noisy (and commendably brief) record from the least-hyped of the current No Wave movemement, but arguably the best. Great titles ('We Like Having Things'; 'Too Cool To Say Hi') plus a spiffy cover, and all at mid-price too. These Numbers add up. Best track: I'm Shy. BUY IT!
Purely Evil - The Rogers Sisters
Possibly the most-hyped of the No-Wavers, The Rogers Sisters left me a little underwhelmed with this effort, sounding more often than not like The B-52s with the tunes sucked out of them. Difficult to see what the fuss is all about, although apparently they make a lot more sense live. Best track: I'm a Ballerina. WALK ON BY IT!
Phoenix - The Warlocks
Having been blown away by the group's live performance in Wolverhampton earlier this year, the album left me deflated on initial playings. But having started to listen to it in the right mood and at top volume I'm learning to fall in love with their songs all over again. Not for everyone's tastes maybe, but if you like trippy, hypnotic rock you really need to check these out. Best track: Hurricane Heart Attack. TRY IT!
Rounds - Four Tet
Fridge's Kieran Hebdon gets all warm and fuzzy with his third album under the Four Tet monikor, again producing instrumental magic so inclusive yet uncategorisable that it's a genre unto itself. Best track: compulsive single She Loves She. BUY IT!
Fever To Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Despite the initial disappointment at the absence of familiar classics 'Bang' and 'Our Time' the combination of that voice and those guitars and the incredible energy produced leads me to conclude: believe the hype. If you're not seduced by the time 'Maps' and 'Modern Romance' come on the scene for the album's killer coda I've got news for you: you weren't worth shagging anyway. Best track: Maps (by, ahem, a country mile) BUY IT!
Baby I'm Bored - Evan Dando
Having seemingly succumbed to drugs and alcohol, the former Lemonheads singer's career looked as dead as his namesake Jill, and yet from seemingly nowhere comes arguably his best collection of songs yet. Some of these tunes may well have been written by Ben Lee, but its Dando's beautifully weary singing that informs them with the necessary poignancy. The result: a record as careworn and comforting as your favourite leather jacket. Best track: Hard Drive. BUY IT!
Feast Of Wire - Calexico
The sort of genre-mangling record that turns the best of us into pretentious wankers trying to describe it, so I'm not gonna even attempt. Let me simply say this: it's breathtakingly beautiful stuff, an ambitious record but whose reach never exceeds its grasp. Best track: Quattro (World Drifts In). TRY IT!
Mary Star Of The Sea - Zwan
Not being a great fan of Smashing Pumpkins I was surprised how quickly I took to the debut album of Billy Corgan's latest 'supergroup' featuring, amongst others, past members of Tortoise and Slint. The result doesn't sound that far away from prime Pumpkins but with an additional tinge of free-form experimentalism here and there (particularly on the epic title track) and a fair amount of joie-de-vivre. Despite its sprawling length and Corgan's limited vocals, the quality control on the tunes remains high and the record's listenability has remained astonishingly durable. Best track: Ride A Black Swan. BUY IT!
Killings From The Dial - Medium 21
Britain's most under-rated new band's debut longplayer was damned with faint praise by most press hacks, but it's definitely a record that gets under your skin on repeated listening. They take their influences from the best of indie heritage from both sides of the pond and have synthesised them into something distinctive, atmospheric and tuneful. They'll never be fashionable (they make Coldplay look like The Strokes) but this broody slow-burner demands attention on the quality of its songwriting alone. Best track: Daybreak Vs. Pride. TRY IT!
Danse Macabre - The Faint
Duran Duran-inspired electropop that has its moments, but already feels a little passe. Duran Duran were less self-aware, so less self-conscious, and had better tunes. Best track: Violent. (Unless you're a big fan of 80s electropop) WALK ON BY IT!
Beauty Party - The Majesticons
Takes the Old Skool/Bling Culture dichotomy from the last Missy album and makes it three-dimensional flesh with its concept of a mythical battle between The Infesticons and The Majesticons. But if the conceptual side of it goes over your head, rest assured the catchy tunes, witty lines, killer beats and guest appearances from the likes of El-P will still hook you in. The result: possibly the best feel-good hiphop album since Kurupt's Space Boogie: Smoke Odyssey. Best track: Dwarf Star Party. TRY IT!
Elephant - The White Stripes
It's easily as good as their previous three albums: is there really any need to say much more? A bit of bass here, Meg singing a little there, but essentially they don't vary that much from their tried and tested formula - all the more reason to be cheered then they sound just as fresh and vital as ever. Best track: (aside from single 7 Nation Army) the lust-crazed glam stomp of Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine. BUY IT!
Pig Lib - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Pig's Ear more like, as you're likely to conclude on first listening to this muddling effort from the former Pavement man. It does grow on you, and some silk purses emerge (Water And A Seat; Do Not Feed The Oyster; 1% Of One; Us) but I'd be telling you porkies if I said this was an essential purchase. Too often and for too long this record disappears up its own smoky, folky arse. Best track: Do Not Feed The Oyster. WALK ON BY IT!
Casting Pearls - Melys
Betws-y-Coed's finest Melys have (anti)fashioned a bittersweet concoction of old-skool indie (of the C86/Sarah Records vintage), primitive electronica and sweetly saucy lyrics. John Peel loves 'em, and if you've had your fill of bands trying to sound like The Slits, you might too. Best track: Baby Burn. TRY IT!
Life - Numbers
Enjoyably noisy (and commendably brief) record from the least-hyped of the current No Wave movemement, but arguably the best. Great titles ('We Like Having Things'; 'Too Cool To Say Hi') plus a spiffy cover, and all at mid-price too. These Numbers add up. Best track: I'm Shy. BUY IT!
Purely Evil - The Rogers Sisters
Possibly the most-hyped of the No-Wavers, The Rogers Sisters left me a little underwhelmed with this effort, sounding more often than not like The B-52s with the tunes sucked out of them. Difficult to see what the fuss is all about, although apparently they make a lot more sense live. Best track: I'm a Ballerina. WALK ON BY IT!
Phoenix - The Warlocks
Having been blown away by the group's live performance in Wolverhampton earlier this year, the album left me deflated on initial playings. But having started to listen to it in the right mood and at top volume I'm learning to fall in love with their songs all over again. Not for everyone's tastes maybe, but if you like trippy, hypnotic rock you really need to check these out. Best track: Hurricane Heart Attack. TRY IT!
Rounds - Four Tet
Fridge's Kieran Hebdon gets all warm and fuzzy with his third album under the Four Tet monikor, again producing instrumental magic so inclusive yet uncategorisable that it's a genre unto itself. Best track: compulsive single She Loves She. BUY IT!
Fever To Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Despite the initial disappointment at the absence of familiar classics 'Bang' and 'Our Time' the combination of that voice and those guitars and the incredible energy produced leads me to conclude: believe the hype. If you're not seduced by the time 'Maps' and 'Modern Romance' come on the scene for the album's killer coda I've got news for you: you weren't worth shagging anyway. Best track: Maps (by, ahem, a country mile) BUY IT!
Baby I'm Bored - Evan Dando
Having seemingly succumbed to drugs and alcohol, the former Lemonheads singer's career looked as dead as his namesake Jill, and yet from seemingly nowhere comes arguably his best collection of songs yet. Some of these tunes may well have been written by Ben Lee, but its Dando's beautifully weary singing that informs them with the necessary poignancy. The result: a record as careworn and comforting as your favourite leather jacket. Best track: Hard Drive. BUY IT!
Feast Of Wire - Calexico
The sort of genre-mangling record that turns the best of us into pretentious wankers trying to describe it, so I'm not gonna even attempt. Let me simply say this: it's breathtakingly beautiful stuff, an ambitious record but whose reach never exceeds its grasp. Best track: Quattro (World Drifts In). TRY IT!
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