He's taken the torch of Coltrane and thrown the damn thing into an active volcano.
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THE KUSF REVIEW FACTORY 1.29.02
edited by Cactus
The Detroit Cobras: "Life Love and Leaving" (CD)
Oh my. I love garage rock, and I'm a lover of old soul music, combine that all together, and this album is a winner. Rachel Nagy's voice makes Celine Dion wish she never took up English, as she combines a taste of maybe Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, and Mary Wells. Every track is a winner--sure they're covers, and this album has been out since May 2001, but it's well worth the purchase and dare I say, almost better than the originals. Watch out for the Detroit Sound, baby! (Terror Bull Ted)
Nathaniel Merriweather Presents Lovage: "Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By" (CD)
Soft, sensual, and sexy. Oh, are those words too heavy for your virgin or uptight eyes? Well, that's the only way I could describe this tripped-hopped sexiness project from Dan "The Automator" Nakamura (so many projects--isn't Gorillaz enough for him? Apparently not.). Helping him out on the croonings is Mike "Miquel" Patton (Bungle, FNM, Fantomas...you know, THAT guy), the oooh soo easy on the eyes and the ears Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields), and a host of others, but Jennifer and Mike dominate most of the tracks on this platter of erotica. Sexy goodness is all I have to say about this, and if it ain't your bag...guess you're not getting enough loving, or maybe you should find some ways to better "pleasure" yourself. (Terror Bull Ted)
Randall Smith: The Ear Sees (CD)
Brilliant soundscapes. A retrospective of stuff he made in the 80s and 90s. None of the pieces sound dated in the least. Really engaging sound collage, that is alternately spooky, dreamy, psychotic, and droning. This is another fine musique concrete release on the excellent Emprientes Digitales label from Canada. Forget that music crap. Get this, son. (Cactus)
Einsturzende Neubauten: 1991-2001 (2xCD)
The German industrial music pioneers. A retrospective of the last 10 years of work, with a lot of unreleased and live and obscurities, and it holds up quite nicely. Not as harrowing (obviously) as their early pure noise pieces, but no compromise, either. Their work might best be thought of as ass-kicking radio theatre, using guitars, bass, sampling, and a ton of percussion and scrap, and then on top is the gripping and blistering narrative, usually delivered by the singular, blood-curdling voice of Blixa Bargeld. This is typically great, and you are a fucking idiot if you cannot see their plain and obvious genius by now, chum. (Cactus)
Zeke: Death Alley (CD)
More of the same gameplan from the incorrigible lads in Zeke. Fast, hard, scumbag punk rock, perfect for drinking 40s to. The themes are predictable, the lyrics unintelligible, and the rock competently rendered. Good 4am try-to-stay-awake driving music, after you have smoked entirely too much weed. (Cactus)
Steve Roach: Structures From Silence (CD)
About what you'd expect from the man. Soothing and droning ambient sheets of sound that are carefully placed over your head before the noose tightens around your neck and the floor drops out. He lulls you in, and then severely creeps you out with his beautiful electronic washes. Like Rapoon, Vidna Obmana, and a few others, this guy is a proven ambient genius, and is musically so far beyond most of the talentless nerd wankers who've put a coupla samplers on their AMEX Gold Cards that I must now stop writing, and put that CD back on to calm down. (Cactus)
The Upper Crust: Once More Into the Breeches (CD)
Hilarious period-costumed garage rockers in tights. Picture Adam and the Ants playing New York Dolls, and you're in the ballpark parking lot. Actually, they sound closer to AC/DC. The whole aristocrat rocker image is swank and sassy. I regret to admit that I have yet to witness the whole gone-wrong spectacle, but I have my peepers peeled. (Cactus)
The Damned: Grave Disorder (CD)
They're back, and yep, the ubermensch Captain Sensible is on board the ship, and so this record gets a hearty endorsement. The Damned continue to rock in damn respectable manner, though this is no Strawberries, or Machine Gun Etiquette, mind you. But few bands of that classic era of punk have aged as gracefully. TSOL, maybe. The Damned continue to maintain a kick arse machine. Catch them live, comrade. (Cactus)
David S. Ware Quartet: Corridors and Parallels (CD)
Another absolutely killer and essential release for your pathetic and puny music collection from this seemingly possessed avant-jazz giant of the sax. He's taken the torch of Coltrane and not just carried it, but he threw the damn thing into an active volcano. Ranges from hellacious scree to tender melodicism. Forget about loudmouth nitwits like bop-necrophiliac Wynton Marsalis--this man is the bringer of serious noise, you get me? (Cactus)
Ex-Girl: Back to the Mono Kero! (CD)
More hyperactive, Japanese-injected, angular avant-pop/punk. Much stop/start, off-kilter crashing about, and revving up, and skittering to a stop. Amidst the chaotic and highly charming pop destruction are placed hooks, which will cause your head to jerk slightly to one side, like a dog hearing a very high pitched sound that humans cannot. Why can't we have Ex-Girl and Melt Banana and The Boredoms and the 5,6,7,8's on MTV instead of Mandy Moore and No Doubt and Creed and Destiny's Child? Well, you already know the answer to that one, now don't you? (Cactus)
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