This is a continuation of the July edition.

Echo and the Bunnymen- Echo and the Bunnymen

76

I'm fairly new to Echo and the Bunnymen, getting into their first 4 albums over the past 7 months or so. While I like each of their first four albums, none of them blow me away. Their self-titled album from 1987 is much the same. Ian and Company opt for a poppier approach this time around, resulting in a slicker, more catchy sound. Nevertheless, the album doesn't have the quirks of their earlier work. Porcupine and Ocean Rain are still my favorites, followed closely by Crocodiles.

Funkadelic- Maggot Brain

88

Holy shit- the title track is blisteringly amazing and emotional. I can see that Prince took quite a few cues from the master axe-work laid down here. Since hearing it for the first time today, I've listened to the title track nearly 10 times in awe. The rest of the album is solid as well, if not as mind-boggling. "Hit It and Quit It", "You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks" and "Super Stupid" mesh funk and rock at their finest. The only track I struggle with is "Can You Get to That" because it a bit to folky for my taste.

Gorillaz- Gorillaz

74

Last month, I fell in love with Demon Days over a short period. Since the last thread, it has climbed the ranks to earn at least a 90. While Gorillaz is an intriguing debut with definitive highlights, it doesn't hold together as an album as well to me. Singles such as "Clint Eastwood" and "19/2000" are undeniably wonderful, while more experimental tracks such as "Punk", "5/4" and "Double Bass" are interesting indeed. Regardless, the album hasn't grabbed me yet like Demon Days.

Grace Jones- Portfolio

62

I couldn't resist buying this when I was in crazy-Grace mode and saw it cheap. It is every bit the standard disco offering I expected. While "La Vie en Rose" blows me away completely, most of the other tracks are merely average to decent. I like the way the album gets stronger towards the end.

Mötley Crüe- Dr. Feelgood (Remaster)

85

I have long been a fan of this album- it was one of my childhood favorites. I never got around to buying it on CD until I found this remastered version. It was quite the welcome addition to my collection and has given me a great trip down memory lane. The singles all hold up well to this day, while the other tracks aren't too far behind. The demos offer a cool glimpse into the genesis of some of the tracks as well. I'm glad that to some extent, Mötley Crüe was able to avoid the massive hair-metal backlash that turned their contemporaries into bad jokes. Over 15 years later, Dr. Feelgood still delivers.

Roxy Music- Viva!

78

I got into a bit of a Roxy Music kick lately and decided to buy this live release which includes performances from 1973, 1974 and 1975. While a bit disjointed due to the different eras, the album holds up pretty well. "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" really shines in its extended fury here while "Do the Strand" carries its energy quite well to a live setting, sounding like a crowd favorite. What I figured to be my favorite, "If There Is Something" is a little disappointing but still worthwhile here.

The Stooges- Fun House

85

I immediately liked Fun House more than their debut as it is more raucous and sprawling. The guitars roar with more confidence and Iggy's rants sound more intelligent and seductive. The album is full of classics like "Down on the Street" and "1970", not to mention the cacophonous closer "L.A. Blues". Nevertheless, my favorite is the spooky "Dirt", which crawls along rife with tension and even beauty. Once I get more familiar with it, I feel that this album will continue to rise up the ranks.

Suzi Quatro- Can the Can

74

I saw this for $3.50 and thought, "Why not?" Plus, it has a song called "Rockin' Moonbeam" so I couldn't resist. I had long wanted to explore her catalog a bit and this was my first buy. Call and response choruses, crunchy guitars and proto-Joan Jett piss 'n vinegar are here in abundance. It is all-around a solid release, albeit a bit samey. None of the tracks struck me as "great" but all were decent enough.

Vive la Fête- Nuit Blanche

92

Wow. I never thought I'd like an album by a non-English speaking artist this much. I wrote a full review on this thread. Needless to say, it's exactly my style- dark seedy 80s synth pop with teeth.
[Edited 8/4/05 1:30am]

Moonbeam said:

Get their BBC Sessions.

Moonbeam said:

:clearsthroat:

Stereolab

GangstaFam said:

Moonbeam said:

Just listen bitch!

GangstaFam said:

I'll let you do all of the exposure.

Moonbeam said:

I love you. But not like that!

GangstaFam said:

That's what you told me about Vive la Fête.

Moonbeam said:

Don't quote me!

i've always been a little afraid to listen to this because i thought it would be fairly generic disco, though i do own the record on vinyl because it has a really fun gatefold sleeve design. maybe i'll give it a spin sometime...

Anxiety said:

Is that the one I suggested you cut up and turn into an Andy Warhol?

GangstaFam said:

that would be the one.

Anxiety said:

Didja do it?

The last 5 I got -

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (4/5)
Nico - Chelsea Girls (4/5)
Shakira - Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (3.5/5)
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (4/5)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (3.5/5)

I've only purchased 2 discs this month so far an here goes...

SHOOTER JENNINGS-Put the 'O' Back in Country (Rating....8/10)

I was all over '4th of July' for the last month and finally broke down and bought this album. It's so refreshing to hear whiskey drenched, ass-whoppin' country like this! He sure is following his parents tracks (Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter) as an outlaw badass! Kid Rock could only dream to be this real. Some suprises include the Stones-inspired 'Southern Comfort' with none other than FAITH EVANS doing her gospel thang in the background...mos def one of the albums many highlights. The presence of Country legend George Jones also gives the album an extra kick...there's even a sample of his own classic 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' which makes me want to run for the first bottle of Jack Daniels I could reach. The albums been praised my many but overlooked by the industry..as he puts it in Track 3 "I'm too redneck for Hollywood, and too Country for Nashville". If you love good and real country music...you should check this one out!


FAITH HILL-'Fireflies' (6.5/10 on first and only listen)

Though I'm a fan of REAL country music.....I'm also a sucker for some of Nashville's crossover songbirds like Faith and Martina McBride...a great voice with a great crafted song can also be good. Even if it's not meant to be deep. Faith Hill returns with 'Fireflies'...her first album since 2002's 'Cry' which was mainly a pop crossover album. It was because of this album that she recived much critisism from Nashiville for abandoning her country roots (even though Nashville did that long ago) and omitted her from being nominated for any CMA or ACM awards (as was Shania). 'Fireflies' finds Hill attempting to bring back the country with a little fiddle and twang. With help from country revolutionaries Big & Rich, Hill whips through some radio friendly tunes telling us how she never left the country and she'll always be a 'Mississippi Girl'....pretty much her version of 'Jenny From The Block'...the thing is..unlike fake as J-Lo....Faith Hill seems to have remained a pretty genuine woman who loves her husband (Tim McGraw) and daughters. So I buy her story....she's too cute for me to resist and at first listen this album is clearly not as great as her earlier records...but I'm sure some of it will grow on me. My favorite track is the obligatory Hill/McGraw duet 'Like We've Never Loved At All'.....



peace!

Scud Mountain Boys – Massachusetts I’ve meant to pick up this album for years, as I’ve always loved Joe Pernice’s voice and his ability to write quality songs. This album is more folk/country than his recent work as part of the Pernice Brothers, who tend toward more straightforward guitar pop. Massachusetts is a uniformly excellent album that would satisfy anyone who enjoys the more traditional elements of alt-country.

The Chills – Soft Bomb I’d stayed clear of this album as I’d always heard it was a disappointing follow-up to the Chills’ excellent 89 album Submarine Bells. I stumbled across it in a second hand shop last week and have found that it is relentlessly mediocre as I’d heard – too many songs with predictable, dull melodies and similar tempos, and a bland production that removes any bite these songs might have had. The only stand-out I’ve been able to discern so far is the fairly kick-ass title track.

Old 97s – Fight Songs This was the Old 97s ‘sell-out’ album, after a couple of fairly rootsy alt-country records on indie labels. It is slickly produced (louder guitars, punchier drums, almost no twang to be found), and some of the songs have flat out pop choruses that remind me a bit of Matthew Sweet or Fountains of Wayne, which is not a bad thing in my book.

Chris Rea – The Road to Hell I replaced my rickety cassette version of this album last week. Does this count as a guilty pleasure? It does sound uncomfortably like Dire Straits at times, but I still love it. Very professional, commercial sounding blues-rock that’s extremely easy to listen to.

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society 3cd deluxe edition. I finally replaced my vintage vinyl version of this record. This reissue is a model for all others – stereo and mono versions of the album, loads of quality non-lp tracks from this era, slick packaging and an informative booklet. The album itself is fantastic, one of the great unheralded classics of the later stages of the British invasion.

The Bats – Daddy’s Highway This is an excellent jangle-pop album from one of the kings of the New Zealand indie scene. The entire lp is relentlessly and effortlessly melodic: the only thing that keeps this from being a total triumph is a slightly shoddy and cheap sounding production.

Thievery Corporation – The Cosmic Game I’d noticed this record was receiving a lot of strong reviews, so I picked it up even though I haven’t really been bowled over by anything I’ve heard by this act. Perhaps I need a little more time with this, but right now it sounds like a rather long, monotonous and dreary album. Even though there’s a wide array of vocalists here (Flaming Lips guy and David Byrne for starters), every track seems to blandly drift along with the same mid-tempo light electronic groove and keyboard washes.
[Edited 8/6/05 18:03pm]

have you picked up sufjan stevens's latest, "come on! feel the illinoise!"? its so freaking good! much more similar to michigan than seven swans but more intense...a little more complex i suppose. hands down the best cd i've bought in 2005.

SassyBritches said:

i've been digging on this for a few weeks now, and i like it so much that i picked up tickets to see him at the metro next month. how could i turn down sufjan doing an album about illinois at a concert set in illinois? i think he should serve us cake.

GangstaFam said:

didn't have the heart to cut up grace. couldn't do it. i might get an LP-shaped picture frame for it, though.

Anxiety said:

have you heard seven swans or greetings from michigan? he is a damn good artist! i can say i'm not mad about a sun came (some good songs, some bad songs) and i've only ever listened to enjoy your rabbit once or twice but the other three are perfect records!

my boyfriend and i are going to the show in september with a couple friends. perhaps i will be able to enjoy an adult beverage of some sort with you while watching the show!

rabbits, clinkety clinkety clink edit.
[Edited 8/7/05 22:25pm]

SassyBritches said:

i have 'a sun came pt.2' in my mp3 player...the wrecka stow accidentally put it in my cd case when i bought 'illinois' so i saved it before i took it back and complained. i like it. there are a few obnoxious tuneless crap things on it, but mostly it's pretty nice. i love illinois. i really wanna hear the michigan album. i think his show next month is going to be a sold-out mess, i can't wait.

damosuzuki said:

I've been wanting to explore the Kinks for a long time now but have NO idea where to start. Is this what you'd suggest?

Anxiety said:

i just like that he sings a song called Jason in which he proclaims Jason is "the only one." puts my lips right into a smile each time, lol. i think the record starts out well enough but it goes into a wierd bad noise jazz thing. not too wild about all that.

i've no doubt the show will be sold out. once i saw him on the cover of the reader i had to call my friend lacy and be sure she already bought the tickets! now that rolling stone, q, and some other mags have all been blowing him up its gonna sell out for sure.

Anxiety said:

Do it! Do it! Do it!

She'd want you to.

Cheek's latest ones:

Iggy Pop - The Idiot


Iggy Pop - Lust For Life


Coldplay - X&Y


U2 - Zooropa

Cheek said:

I'm surprised you didn't have these already.

GangstaFam said:

I've known these records for ages but the time has come to get them!


[Edited 8/8/05 1:52am]

Cheek said:

Gotcha.

Moonbeam said:

I found it priced at $22.00 CDN, which is roughly $18.10 US - an absolute steal for any 3 disc set, never mind one as good as this one. If you can find it at a similar price, definitely snap it up.

BUT - if you're looking for a good entry point, there are quite a few budget-priced compilations of their early years. Most of them feature the obvious hits plus a few ringers, but if you buy one of them and couple it with Kinks Kronikles, you'd have a very good overview of all of their sixties output. Kinks Kronikles covers 66-70 excellently (though it only features one song from Village Green...that album has always been overlooked). My sister had a vinyl copy that I borrowed from her years ago and have quietly managed never to return. (I know, that's terrible - I really will quietly slip it back into her collection one day). That's all the Kinks I had for years excluding a few 2nd hand albums I picked up here and there, and it satisfied me quite nicely.
[Edited 8/8/05 16:19pm]

GangstaFam said:

[Edited 8/9/05 0:25am]