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Check out
this week’s
online CD reviews by our
music staff |
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Perfect
Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe
(Ryko)
D
Website: www.rykodisc.com
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Four simple words:
Reform The Replacements now! It just makes sense when you
view the facts. Paul Westerberg scrapes deeper rock bottom
by releasing crappy album after crappy album, hoping that
there are still a few less jaded members of the ’Mats
fan club who will actually purchase one of his lame efforts.
“Folker?” Please. Slim Dunlap must be available.
And if anyone can help get Troublesome Tommy Stinson’s
head out of his own butt, it would be a miracle. Perhaps it’s
not his fault that this late-’90s fiasco is finally
being released to coincide with his new solo outing, but it’s
doubtful. It’s been said that Stinson lives and breathes
rock ’n’ roll, but hitching his cart to the Guns
N’ Roses train wreck proves he’s got more than
bad taste in boring hair-metal outfits. He just doesn’t
get it.
Jeff Monk
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Bane
The Note
(Equal Vision Records)
B-
Website: www.banecentral.com
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The Note is the
long-awaited follow-up to 2001’s Give Blood! Give
Blood! Give Blood! Sorry, things went all hardcore there
for a minute. It’s tough not to shout along with the
10 tracks on this disc, but it’s also hard to be totally
consumed by them. This is edgy, aggressive hardcore by one
of the genre’s finest bands but — hometown pride
aside — The Note doesn’t stand up to comparisons
with Comeback Kid’s Wake the Dead. Where CBK feels
motivated and vital, Bane feels just a little tired. Perhaps
that’s due to the weak production, because these guys
are all balls live. Nevertheless, The Note is a good record,
complete with the breakdowns and shout-along choruses hardcore
is known for. Pot Committed is a highlight of the album
and will get fists pumping and windows breaking.
Mike Warkentin
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The
Get Up Kids
Live! @ Granada Theater
(Vagrant)
B-
Website: www.thegetupkids.com
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The sticker on
this CD said “The Get Up kids as they were meant to
be heard… live.” I couldn’t agree more.
I was never a huge fan of The Kids, so I was surprised by
how much I enjoyed this album. Unfortunately, we won’t
get a chance to see a live set as the tour from which this
album comes was The Kids’ last as a band. Live! was
taped recently at the band’s 10-year anniversary in
its home state of Kansas, and the hometown crowd definitely
supports its boys. In the background of virtually every
song you can hear tons of people singing along with the
band’s indie-pop-punk lyrics. In fact, the audience/band
relationship is the best aspect of this recording. The Kids
are clearly having fun, and the crowd is throwing the enthusiasm
right back at them.
Brodie Sanderson
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Total Devastation
Reclusion
(Firebox Records/PHD Canada)
A
Website: www.totaldevastation.org
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There are a lot of
ways to kick the crap out of someone. Probably thousands of
ways. One of the cooler methods is to lace some heavy-as-shit
death metal riffing with gritty production and bowel-shaking
rhythms. Then throw in some violent vocals and the occasional
screaming harmonic. As bait for the beating, work in a hint
of melody, some effects and a few industrial, computer-generated
samples. If you can do all this, you might be able to pummel
people with the raw power of Finnish sextet Total Devastation.
This is the second full album from these mofos, and you need
to have it if you like heavy and senseless brutality that
still maintains a method to the madness. Pull the pin on this
badass disc and step back — way the hell back.
Mike Warkentin |
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Still Remains
Of Love and Lunacy
(Roadrunner Records)
B
Website: www.stillremains.com
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Still Remains sound
like they’ve been listening to a lot of Gothenburg metal
and hardcore CDs. The mix makes for something that can be
summed up in two words: Killswitch Engage. Yes, there’s
not much difference between the two bands, except that Killswitch
is better. That’s not to say Still Remains is bad, though.
In fact, fans of KE will love this CD because of its crushing,
if unoriginal, heavy metal assault. There are a few subtleties,
however, that keep Of Love and Lunacy from being a ripoff.
The keyboards are a nice touch and prevent the songs from
getting monotonous. Similarly, T.J. Millers’ screams
boast a Gothenburg quality that sets him apart from KE’s
Howard Jones. It all makes for one good by-the-numbers album
— and maybe that’s exactly what you’re looking
for.
Jared Story |
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Hal
Hal
(Rough Trade)
B+
Website: www.halmusic.com
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Not too many new bands
can boast that ravenous record company A&R sharks travelled
to their dad’s house in rural Ireland for the group’s
first showcase gig. Fast-forward to Hal’s thrilling,
unimaginatively titled debut and you likely have a ‘flavour
of the month’ seedling ready to germinate. Consisting
of honey-throated sibs Dave and Paul Allen, keyboardist Stephen
O’Brien and guests, Hal puts a few extra brilliant rays
into the sunshine pop genre with this short slice of Gael
gold. Keep Love as Your Golden Rule is as convincing a soft-pop
number as probably ever existed — and that’s considering
glittering classics from the likes of Bread, The Raspberries,
Wings and The Beach Boys. That Hal has elements of all these
groups tightly knit into its pleasing melodies is most likely
by design, but the uplifting delivery sounds rather lacking
in pretense, which makes it all sound wonderfully wholesome
and beguiling.
Jeff Monk |
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The
Kings of House
Compiled and Mixed by Masters at Work
(BBE)
D
Website: www.bbemusic.com
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Imagine a castle
made of trash with a protective moat made of sludge. This
is the castle where Masters at Work duo Kenny Dope and Little
Louie Vega live. They wear tin-can crowns and spin endless
hours of crappy ‘classic house’ music to keep
all evil armies away. You’ll want to stay away, too.
It’s time for these Kings to step down. Consisting
of full-length “monster vocal anthems” and “uplifting
house,” this 2-disc set is monotonous and will make
you wonder why you ever liked house music. Both discs contain
plentiful amounts of classic vocals and jazzy house, but
LLV’s track selection — which includes Cajmere’s
Brighter Days and Blaze’s You Should Need a Friend
— is slightly more appealing than that of his royal
crony.
Shannon Ander
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The
Starting Line
Based on a True Story
(Drive-Thru Records)
F
Website: www.startinglinerock.com
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Starting Line hails
from — BLAAARGH, hack, burp. Sorry, I just puked. One
listen to this disc and you’ll be blowing chunks, too.
Like most emo bands, these guys wear their hearts on their
sleeves, which makes sense because somebody probably ripped
them out of their chests after one listen to this childish,
annoying music. Check out these lyrics off opening track Making
Love to the Camera: “This is the distance between point
A and B/Thus a completion meeting the goal we’ve achieved/and
is the best thing to ever enter my life.” Jeez. Lyrics
aside, there isn’t any musical redemption to be found
on this album. Not even one note. Maybe I’m being too
hard on this band. I’m sure its fan base of 15-year-olds
just loves it. I just hope the Starting Line is finished soon
— BLAAARGH!
Jared Story |
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Gorillaz
Demon Days
(EMI)
B+
Website: www.emimusic.info
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When Gorillaz released
their debut album, critics wondered about the life expectancy
of an imaginary band. Four years later, the creepy cartoon
quartet — made up of 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and
Russel Hobbs — still holds the world record as the most
successful virtual band. Drawing inspiration from horror films,
zombies and cartoons, Demon Days is a deeper look into the
brain of Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn — yeah, that
British guy from Blur. Collaborations abound and go from awesome
(De La Soul’s funky Feel Good Inc) to absurd (Dennis
Hopper’s spoken word track Fire Coming out of the Monkey’s
Head). The little hip hop weirdos even convinced Ike Turner
to play a piano solo on Every Planet we Reach is Dead. MF
Doom raps it up on November has Come, and Roots Manuva gets
his turn on All Alone. Lock up your children, the Gorillaz
are on the loose!
Shannon Ander
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