The Fosters / Not Much to Me EP / KAT Records (7")
A four song EP-7" that showcases this California band's pop punk leanings with a slick male/female vocal delivery -- reminiscent of the Muffs, without that terrible Shattuck shrieking. As a matter of fact, it's quite the contrary, as the vocal harmonies and melodies are what propel these songs over the slew of zillions of other "undiscovered" 7"s. Solid production, packaging and four pleasantly catchy pop tunes, all for the price of a measly 7" record! --
Freaky Chakra / Year 2000 EP / Astralwerks (12")
Great late night club fare -- four smooth, bass-pumping deep house cuts that hover around the 120-130 BPM rate. The rhythms are straightforward, the melodies intricate and lovely, the samples entertaining without being obtrusive. I think my favorite, even beyond the stellar "Love from San Francisco Mix" of the title track, is "Dreams" -- largely because it features a noise that sounds distinctly like Herve Villechaize (Tattoo of "Fantasy Island" fame) being trod on. --
Arkarna / Fresh Meat / Reprise (CD)
Recent radio saturation (at least in my neck of the woods) of "House On Fire" resulted in my approaching Fresh Meat with a certain pre-disposed skepticism. After hearing the CD in full, however, I'm forced to admit that there are parts of it that I really like. "Eat Me", for example, is a truly tasty blend of hardcore and dance music concepts. It is electrified by Ollie Jacobs' "Perry-Farrell-esque" vocals. While I'm not sure that I would spend my own hard-earned CD cash on this one I'm glad to have had a chance to hear it. --
CyberShadow / The Birth of Future / Flaming Fish (CD)
The music here is brilliant and beautiful -- a combination of darkwave/industrial stuff circa Skinny Puppy's heyday, and Euro-synth new wave (think Ministry's With Sympathy), with a clear knowledge of classical composition. Unfortunately, Jess Macintyre, who pretty much is CyberShadow, combines with with vocals that are alternately over- and under-processed. The lyrics are 50% thought-provoking insight, 50% angst-ridden Poetry 101, with the latter half spawning some awkward vocal rhythms. However, I recommend The Birth of Future despite its weaknesses -- the strength of the music makes it clear that we'll be hearing a lot more from Macintyre in the future... --
Paul Krassner / Brain Damage Control / Mercury Records (CD)
Most spoken word / comedy records fall into a familiar crevasse -- they’re consistently one dimensional. After five tracks, the same vocal delivery and presentation style tend to become more of a nuisance than an amusement. Paul Krassner fuses his historical perspectives (he was a member of the Chicago Seven for example), with some comedic bursts of liberalist satire, turning in a relatively solid performance that discusses topical concerns on "The Yippies," his publishing stint for Hustler and conflicting agenda problems with parenting in "Teenage Daughter." Sassy and full of raillery that catechizes while you cachinnate. --
David Poe / David Poe / Sony/550 (CD)
Poe's got breathy, introspective vocals, and his music has a restrained, acoustic sound that skirts the borders of jazz at odd moments. The songs here never really get rocking, so we never hear David push his voice beyond the husky near-whisper that dominates the disc. I see him doing well on that Adult Album Alternative radio format, but I can also picture him getting through a live gig without ever breaking a sweat. The intentions here are good, and the disc is an unassuming listen, but it seems like the sort of disc that's intended to "penetrate a target demographic" rather than simply to be enjoyed. --
Fork / Alien Fairies / Bigfoot (CD)
For punky, slightly-darker-than-Pixie-esque, indie-pop shove Alien Fairies into your CD player. Be warned that, although it's plenty quirky and "pop-y", its also fiendishly gloomy in parts. "I Will Stand" is virtually gothic with its eerie chord changes and reverb-drenched atmosphere. The first track, "I Surrender", is perhaps more indicative of the rest of the disc, a kind of grungy "this-is-our-own-personal-take-on-punky-pop" track (hyphen-man is back!) --
Uilab / Fires EP / (CD)
Stereolab and Ui collaborate! You'd never guess that from the name, would you? The primary focus here is four takes on Brian Eno's "St. Elmo's Fire", a fairly traditional piece of Eno-skewed pop. The radio mix is warm and straightforward (more so than Ui or Stereolab would be on their own), while the "Red Corona" mix is mostly rhythm and chewy keyboard bits, with the vocals popping up briefly at the end. The "Spatio-Dynamic" mix packs in a vague breakbeat and various analog synth trappings, creating a busy mix that's like Stereolab on speed. The "Snow" mix strips things down to basics -- a rhythm, a few slow-moving keyboards and the vocals. The other tracks -- "Less Time" and "Impulse Rah!" -- are equally intriguing, if not quite as engrossing. --
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