CD REVIEWS
Feb 1, 2006 12:00 PM
BECK
Guerolito (Interscope)
The belittling of the Guero gumbo
Restraint has rarely been Beck Hansen's strong suit, but it's exactly this trait that has served him well on his albums during the past decade-plus. Last year's Guero was a summation of his chameleon-like tendencies, absorbing punk, funk, bossa nova, blues and barrio beats filtered through the Dust Brothers' vinyl-crazed production aesthetic. The result was a beautifully unhinged tribute of sorts to the last Dust Brothers collaboration, Odelay.
Whether a sales gimmick or art for art's sake, Interscope offered up Beck's vocals from Guero for remixing. There are some nuggets here: Homelife's “Ghost Range” treatment of “E-Pro” lifts some dust off of the Dust Brothers' compression obsession, while Boards of Canada transports “Broken Drum” into deep space, and El-P's menacing street take on “Scarecrow” also works well. On the flipside, Air's version of “Missing” resembles a lost Howard Jones session, Octet's “Girl” falls far afield of the Nigel Godrich — mixed original and Diplo cops out to lift the English Beat's “Twist and Crawl” for “Go It Alone.” These and others transform Guerolito into a car accident with appeal for only the more masochistic of Beck rubberneckers.
— Bill Murphy
AYATOLLAH
Now Playing (Nature Sounds)
MC-less NYC grit and soul
NYC beatsmith Ayatollah opts for strictly 1970s vinyl voices on this beats-only CD, and though the MC void is at times palpable on repetitive tracks, the strongest instrumentals merit centerstage. Powered by its soul-drenched female vocal sample, “Nag Champa” takes flight over layered, lush strings; horns; and a sure-footed drum kick, while “Hold U” flips a guitar-propelled rhythm nearly as infectious as Ayatollah's 1999 “Ms. Fat Booty” beat for Mos Def. “Kingston” then takes a successful stab at dancehall, flaunting agile turntable skills. No MCs, but the man's got the beats.
— Rob Kirby
BELLE & SEBASTIAN
LateNightTales (Azuli)
Perfect all-night flashback
Glasgow's Belle & Sebastian show their musical card on this latest LNT comp, which is typically eclectic yet never hip for hipness' sake. Culled largely from the '60s and '70s, the 26 tracks flow like mad, including a dubbed-out “Ring of Fire,” a gritty remake of The Meters' “Cissy Strut,” Donovan's bluesy folk, modernist slabs from RJD2 and Stereolab, Brazilian tones from Gal Costa and dinosaurs from Steve Miller Band and Big Star. Sweet classic soul from Mary Love and Ramsey Lewis balance absurdity from Múm, Space Jam and Novi Singers, giving the album a resonant wholeness.
— Ken Micallef
COLLABS 3000
Metalism (Mute)
Techno times two
Metalism is the first full-length release to emerge from Speedy J's 12-inch Collabs series. The original concept was to see what happens when Speedy J shares production duties with likeminded artists, including Adam Beyer, Literon, Chris Liebing and George Issakidis. Joining forces again on Metalism, Speedy J and Liebing have produced an album that comes off like a soundtrack to the apocalypse. Pulsing techno beats and creepy industrial noises equally display the talents of both producers. Particularly devastating is “Acid Trezcore,” an acid-infused techno track.
— Justin Kleinfeld
THE CRYSTAL METHOD
London: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Tiny E)
Drugs 'n' danger soundtrack
Movie soundtracks typically give composers a chance to stretch their skills and record labels an opportunity to place lesser-known acts. London sticks close to formula, as do The Crystal Method. Those enamored of their throbbing synths, head-kicking beats and siren sounds will not be disappointed. London often sounds like The Crystal Method phoned in their tracks or threw in tunes that didn't fit on their last album. Connie Price, the Out Crowd and The Perishers offer interesting diversions from the monotony, but it's too little, too late.
— Ken Micallef
FRED EVERYTHING
House of Om (Om)
S.F. grooves, French-Canadian flair
When it comes to climate and geography, Fred Everything's Montreal might be a long way from Om's address in San Francisco, but when it comes to music, the cities could be sisters. This series' fifth installment includes tracks by Om regulars Kaskade, Mark Farina and Everything (aka Frédéric Blais) himself. But Om's ambassador of the North also chose Magik Johnson's “Right Now” and the Troydon remix of T. Fuller's “Go” — songs that give Om's lounge-ready sound a welcome bump in tempo and energy, differentiating this mix from the generic grooves of every other bar.
— Genevieve Powers
B. FLEISCHMANN
The Humbucking Coil (Morr)
B. chill, yo
On this fitting tribute, Bernhard Fleischmann celebrates the dense, warm tones of a widely recognized electric guitar element. Instead of mimicking pill-addled late-Yardbirds progressions, he works in electronic/organic instrumental circles, with guest Christof Kurzmann's lethargic vocals on two tracks. “Broken Monitors” opens Coil in ornamental vibraphone and electric piano, with bits of slide guitar and sunny single notes. Its pleasantries only hint at the gem ahead: When some lovely clarinet graces the laptop beat and gentle daybreak hum(bucker) on “Static Crate,” it's bliss.
— Dominic Umile
J DILLA
Donuts (Stones Throw)
Soulful beats with sharp edges
Apparently, J Dilla (aka Jay Dee — go-to beat man for Common, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, D'Angelo and others) likes his Donuts both prickly and powdered. Dilla bakes up another batch of his signature soul-flavored goodies on this instrumental hip-hop album. It's just that now the sprinkles glisten with a menacing edge, adding teeth and texture to his sound. The industrial-strength alarm and unrelenting guitar tremolo bends of “Workinonit” may spike up adrenaline levels, but crisp, precision drumming, clipped tambourines and a hypnotic three-note bass line keep it tight and funky.
Yet make no mistake, Dilla mixes in enough soul croons, brass and strings to overwhelm a blaxploitation movie. “The New” chops up classic Beastie Boys vocals over a swinging horn groove and then cuts quickly to the deep diva vibe of “Stop,” which catches a '70s soul singer in full finger-wagging threat mode over a slow, bumping beat. The album's flow verges on schizophrenic at times, with just one of its 31 songs clocking in at over two minutes, but Donuts is vitamin-rich and filler-free. Dense, polished and immaculately executed, the beats are complete — no hype man or cameos required.
— Rob Kirby
JAMES F!@#$%^ FRIEDMAN
Go Commando (Defend)
Mental disco hopscotch
On Go Commando With James !@#$%^ Friedman, the ubiquitous New York media player cashes in on his cultural currency, building a motley coalition of willing global underground disco rockers. Sharply sequenced, Go jumps off with Annie's enraptured über-pop (“Me Plus One”), works up an angular new-wave funk via Black Strobe's Bloc Party remix and exits with Kaos' retro take on Tom Vek's electro-acoustic alchemy (“Nothing But Green Lights”). Snarky and referential, the set bops ahead on its Promethean hustle, bringing elite heat from dancefloors to the public at large.
— Jorge Hernandez
GHOSTFACE KILLAH AND TRIFE DA GOD
Put It on the Line (Koch)
Wu-Tanger and protégé stay hard
While the Stapleton Projects on Staten Island might not be high-life living, Trife Da God had the good fortune to reside in the same hood as Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. After a park-side audition, Ghost eventually tapped Trife for album projects. Rhymes about strip searches (“Them Drugs Ain't Mine”), drugs (“Cocaine Trafficking”) and hard living (“Gangster Shit”) make 718 pure street, with backup by hard, thwacking snares and old-school samples from producers Nottz, Jim Bond and others. It might not blow away the block, but it'll have it scared.
— Kylee Swenson
HIGH CONTRAST
FabricLive 25 (Fabric)
Saving drum 'n' bass from darkness
As the individual who has shed some light into the dark interior of this sound, High Contrast's Lincoln Barrett proves you can have some melody and still be considered a rude boy. On 25, he brings the true essence of his frequent gigs at that club to disc. Balancing bass-heavy melodies with hard-hitting beats, he rocks it without bashing you about the head with it. With choice selections from Adam F, DJ Marky, Cyantific and Matrix vs. Futurebound, this is the type of drum 'n' bass you can play to your nonbeliever friends and not be ashamed of your love for it.
— Lily Moayeri
ELIOT LIPP
Tacoma Mockingbird (Hefty)
Roller-skating beats
Eliot Lipp's spiraling synth-singed trips might roll over recognizable breaks, but the black-light nuances breathe new, modern air into the beats. Ironically, Lipp's second full-length is sugarcoated with deep, vibrant tones from his 25-year-old Korg MS-20. So if needed, he could always peddle his jingle-worthy ditties to Jordache Jeans. “Vallejo” is driven by bulky Moog swirls and snare-rim clicks, and closes out an album that began what feels like 30 years previous with the album's opener: “Glasspipe,” which harks back with waves of disco-ball minor-key organ chords. Happy New Year, 1978.
— Dominic Umile
MY LIFE WITH THE TKK
Gay, Black and Married (Wax Trax!)
Renegades hit the disco
Billed as their “long-awaited disco album,” My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult's latest recalls P-Funk or Juan Atkins more than Donna Summer. A clap-happy drone-dance of gasps and groans, throbbing analog synths and endless bump-bump beat, the album parties hard through period sounds. From the Vocoder swirl and Giorgio Moroder production of “One Nite Stand” to the crunchy clavinets of “Do You Wanna…” Thrill Kill Kult relive their childhood with sex-monger style intact. Recorded in the mid-'90s, the album sounds as oddly current as anything by Fischerspooner.
— Ken Micallef
OKTOBER
The Art of Raw (Raptivism)
Dark and funky side of urban life
Promising New York lyricist Oktober has long been garnering a buzz for his complex, yet accessible lyrics and distinct Big Apple delivery. His studio collaborator, producer Q-Tones, goes neo-early '90s revival with cracking snares, wailing vocal samples and loops chopped to cocaine-fine increments. “Muero Otro Dia” showcases such an aesthetic with Oktober shining on a bilingual narrative. David Andre guestproduces “Student Killz the Teacher,” a martial arts metaphoric s-word swinger that only New York MCs ever seem to bless correctly. A conventional but dope debut.
— Daniel Muessig
NEW ORDER
Singles (Warner Bros./Rhino)
Decades of dance-pop delirium
It's been 25 years since New Order rose from the ashes of Joy Division, and that can only mean one thing: time for a best-of collection. Singles rips through New Order's mighty back catalog and features every A-side single the band has released to date. New Order has touched on different styles of music during the years and was influential to the development of today's dance music. New Order's first post-Joy Division track, “Ceremony,” starts things off and leads to gems like the Arthur Baker — produced “Confusion” and pop smashes “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “True Faith” and “Blue Monday” (still the biggest-selling 12-inch single of all time).
The second disc ignites with the 1988 version of “Blue Monday” and doesn't let up, thanks to the danceable hits “Fine Time” and “Round and Round.” After the Top 40 hit “Regret,” the rest of Singles features cuts from New Order's more current releases, including “Crystal” and “Here to Stay,” while a Secret Machines remix of “Temptation” is thrown in as a bonus. These perfect pop songs fuse together multiple genres and stand the test of time due to catchy songwriting, open-mindedness and Peter Hook's signature bass lines.
— Justin Kleinfeld
POWER STRUGGLE
Arson at the Petting Factory (New Disorder)
Breakaway duo busts out
Oddjobs alums Nomi and DJ Deetalx give listeners a glimpse into America as viewed from a smudged van window. Deetalx handles the boards for the entire project, and as a result, he and Nomi are a powerful duo. Unconventional samples, naked guitar riffs and alternately thundering and absent drums support Nomi's throaty yet painfully wise voice. This is best seen on standout tracks “Kill Winter” and “Keep It Going Now,” in which Nomi's rhyming prose takes you to the scene of ideological and emotional collisions. The result is this moving piece of sonic wreckage.
— Daniel Muessig
P.O.S.
Audition (Rhymesayers)
Slight sophomore blues
There's a new kid on the Rhymesayers block. His name is P.O.S., and his sophomore release, Audition, is the MC's next step toward recognition. After Ipecac Neat's success, P.O.S. returns with a sometimes sluggish, sometimes smooth collection. While tracks like “Stand Up (Let's Get Murdered)” and “Bush-League Psych-Out Stuff” (featuring Atmosphere's Slug) portray an artist on the rise, there are still tracks that fall short of success, as seen with the anger-filled and invasive “P.O.S. is Ruining My Life.” Audition is a testing ground for P.O.S., leaving ample room for improvement and future achievement.
— Chris Clark
SIA
Colour the Small One (Astralwerks)
Simple Things and Six Feet Under
After high-profile exposure singing for Zero 7 and others, Sia should have a lot to be happy about. But you wouldn't know it from Colour. The record feels as though Sia's got her arm around your neck, pulling you close and whispering her most dismal secrets into your ear. Her voice is so heartbreakingly sad, it makes you hopeful, like you might be able to help her. Even when she's singing about eggplants and candy bars on “Sweet Potato,” Sia makes it sound poignant. In contrast, the orchestral strings on “Breathe Me” herald more triumphant, bringing you up with them.
— Lily Moayeri
STUNT ROCK
This is Stunt Rock Vol. 3 (Cock Rock Disco)
Hardcore and heavy metal mashed
With song titles like “I Will Make Up for a Lifetime of Fucking Chicks Poorly By Having the Most Diverse CD Collection in the World,” these 16 manic tracks of angry guitars and aggressive beats might offend some listeners, but William Flegal, aka Stunt Rock, doesn't care. Movie buffs will have fun trying to pinpoint dialog highlights: “Soundtrack for a Nonexistant/Imaginary Midwest Underground Hardcore Electronic Scene” sees Axl Rose screeching over Neil Young before Billy Joel chimes in with, “You just sit at home and masturbate.”
— Genevieve Powers
GECKO TURNER
Guapapasea (Quango)
Stick to the Afro-Cuban spice
Accomplished Spanish musician and producer Gecko Turner turns Stateside with his first U.S. release. But from smooth Latin jazz to reggae, Guapapasea leaves a slightly odd aftertaste. Turner covers songs like Bob Dylan's “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” which should have been left well enough alone, but with funk and jump-up salsa horns (“Limón en La Cabeza”) and island grooves (“Te Estás Equivocando”), Turner shows he's got an ear for world-beat amalgams. The mix-and-match dialects succeed slightly more than not, but standouts like the late-night jam “Dizzie” make the trip worthwhile.
— Kristopher Monroe
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Freshly Composted (Compost)
Sideways glimpse at the underground
Compost continues to throw out an increasingly varied selection of artists while retaining a sophisticated sound that runs slightly left-of-center. This comp reflects the label's broadening tastes, but it sounds disjointed. Though the tracks are great (barring the re-edit of “Heart of Glass” by Justus Köhncke), Ben Mono's radio-friendly “Protection” and the lilting cadence of Alif Tree's lovely “I Feel Blue” don't fit so well with Trüby Trio's angular “New Music” or the intense Laurent Garnier remix of Alex Attias' “10,000 Leagues Deeper.” Good, sure, but lacking focus.
— Christine Hsieh
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