
Single, OneTwo
If Funk is your street then Mr. James might be
for you: Big hair, big sunglasses, soft expressive voice and
a nice style of getting around the notes.
There are two songs and two remixes on the CD. It's
music for late.
(Dr Boots)
Moby has a new album out on 14 March and this single is out
on 28 February.
The single actually consists of a real single with two tracks
on it -- Lift Me Up and Mulholland, another five track CD plus
some mixing software to make your very own track (PC) and the
obligatory 12" vinyl offering with three tracks. The five track
CD has five versions of Lift Me Up.
The two tunes on offer are pretty nice. Lift Me Up is a
Moby-style anthemic thing with voices asking the question and
lots of riff-ridden background instrumentation. Mulholland is an
electronic groove which winds along slowly and insistently
and might conjure up some LA sunshine as you listen.
Husky Rescue, New Light of Tomorrow
various, Disco Heaven 24 tracks of get down, shake your thingy, discolicious,
funky house and US garage is what we have in these parts.
They feature the likes of Milk and Sugar, Michael Gray,
100%, Steve Anders, Inaya Day, Stonebridge, and many more.
It's good time party music with a clean white shirt
and slightly flared pants. Taking it seriously is not the
game here.
(thunderfinger)
Mstation Pop etc Commentary, Reviews
pre Dec 04 reviews are here
Tue, 01 Mar 2005
LP, Seriously Groovy
I love indy labels. Here beats the true heart of music as opposed
to marketing -- usually quirky but with feet kept somewhat on the
ground by the urgent need to actually pay for the release and
get to do more.
Emetrex hail from Rhode Island and while on this LP are a duo, we
understand that they frequently are a trio. The two on this LP are
Rick Lescault and Dave Mcglyn. It was produced by Dave Auchenbach.
And! Somewhere around here is an interview with Rick Lescault.
What we have here is good ole riff-laden guitar goodness mixed with
modern sensibilities as far as phrasing and dynamics are concerned, and
with a swirl of psychedelia as well.
There's guitar-heroe flailing and sparse, wandering chords.
There are riffs that could have graced Exile on Main Street. There
are ballads that turn weird. There's stoner stuff blowing by in
the wind. And it's honest.
Loved it.
(thunderfinger)
The Residents, Animal Lover
LP, Cryptic
Curiously weird are The Residents. There's a sort of cabaret
feel to some of these songs -- a fin de siecle feel that if the
end isn't nigh then maybe it should be (in their view).
At the same time there are bits of nice electronica and slowly
moving melodies that suggest that there could be love somewhere --
but where?
In the end, it's a little mystery for you to unravel.
(thunderfinger)
5 Track EP, Catskills Records
www.husky-rescue.com/
More strangely beautiful doings from Helsinki's Marko Nyberg. This track
is like a less bombastic Pink Floyd from the time of Echoes with soft
voice and round-edged wandering melody.
Last time we saw them there were twenty or so beings involved and next
time, I'm not sure, but there has been a five member band touring.
Here we have a radio edit, an evil 9 remix, intruigingly, a Linus Loves
electro remix, a Bonobo effort with his signature style, and a reprise.
All in all, there's quite a nice variety here.
(thunderfinger)
LP, Catskills Records
www.husky-rescue.com/
It opens, appropriately given the title, with some lap guitar
and a country feel ... and singing a little reminiscent of
Astrid Gilberto. Ah well, we're in Husky Rescue land where
soft strands are woven together to create a tapestry of
changing colour and mood.
The art of Kustaa Saksi on the CD gives us one view of what's
going on here -- the cover is an update of the sort of idyllic
landscape that appeared in Hippie art on covers such as the
Allman Brothers' Eat a Peach. It's an update in that the edges
are harder -- screen print not airbrush, and fine patterns
suggest urban complexity more than the Hippie ideal of catching
a donkey to the hills.
In other tracks on the CD there are round-edged grooves along
with soundscapey swirls and bassline-driven melodies. It is
pretty excellent stuff. Rebecca would like this.
(thunderfinger)
2 CDs, Hedkandi