Our pop/dance reviews section is changing format. From
now on, although there will be some specific reviews, mostly
there will be a running commentary with various acts
mentioned ... or maybe none at all! And maybe some months
we won't say anything at all because some months, despite
the histerical wheezings of the pros in this line of things,
there really isn't anything worth commenting on, or where
there is, it's better covered in an interview or in our
music news section.
And if you'd like to have your say here - saying, for instance,
how we've completely missed the joys of some genre or other,
just contact us.
So, without further ado we or rather, I, will launch into
this month's edition. As always, there's interesting stuff
around the edges. The Knife are a Swedish club act with a
penchant for dark menacing getups and some interesting
sounds. We have an interview coming up with them. This month
there is a podcast talk with Allan from Low which amongst other things explains where their
website domain name came from. Trivia collectors need this
information! Low are a good example of people who are a
little off the beaten track (in terms of genres du jour)
who've managed to keep going and loose their day jobs along
the way. Their rich slowhandedness of guitar and voice have
actually acted as an inspiration to some other people. The next
Low album is expected next year. They're on Sub Pop now.
Protokoll from
Boston look like being interesting although talk of the
"Boston Scene" by some people would seem to be a little
over-inflated given some local comment that's already
appeared in Mstation. But maybe things have changed in the
last months.
The EarlyMan from Nonstop is a soul-tinged EP with
some nice grooves, a sprinkling of hip-hop and a nice after-hours feeling in some of the tracks.
Louie Austin from Tirk brings us his old-line croonerisms
over the top of funky now grooves and soul-like brass stabs. It's
actually pretty cool stuff.
Coming along with guests Angie Stone, Estelle, and Stevie
Wonder, Omar's LP, Sing (if you want it) from Ether Records
is something you'd expect to have a soul thing going, and well
it does. It's mostly for late, with slow grooves and
tasteful phrasing.
This month also sees a re-release of The Triffids Born
Sandy Devotional album plus the single Wide Open Road.
Domino (Arctic Monkeys etc) is the label. The Triffids came from
Perth, Australia in the mid-eighties and brought a lyrics
rich, storytelling kind of nicely played and produced pop
that had quite a few fans in its day. There are still
plenty of people around who like this sort of well crafted stuff
so it should find its way out of the shops quite easily. The
big Aussie band at that time was Midnight Oil I think or were they
a bit later?. The
Triffids are their equal in general craft but the Oils are more
exciting for me.
Some fun, dancey electro came along from a new label called
Hypnote started by David Rothblatt in NY.
The artist sent along was Wolfgang who is apparently a nice
looking retro-robot. The tunes have a nice pop sensibility and
will no doubt get a few feet moving over the next few months.
Vocoder haters won't like it much.
(Thunderfinger)
Mstation Pop etc Commentary, Reviews
pre Dec 04 reviews are here
Thu, 01 Jun 2006
