Featured Articles

The Music of Juno (9)

Featured Releases

Alpha, Stargazing (15)

Whereas the recent The Sky Is Mine (12) may be a return to form for Alpha, Stargazing is that form. A bridge between the original Bristol trip-hop and the soul-infused downtempo of Zero 7, Alpha’s third album (not counting their Pepper remix EP) conjures up more expansive arrangements than its more straightforward predecessors and keeps the material fresh. Most likely candidate for a didn’t-know-that-was-them track is the slow burn “Elvis,” which has graced several chillout compilations.

Andrew Bird, Live at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2007 (11)

Since the days with his swinging Bowl of Fire, playing live has always provided Andrew Bird with more room to push the material. So it’s exciting to see that something approaching a full concert now appears in this Austin City Limits appearance, whereas other artists have only a couple tracks up from their ACL Festival showings. Now, where are those Fingerlings?

Brainbox, Primordia (10)

Brainbox is emblematic of an undercurrent in early 90s electronic music that was never well-captured in the multiplying subgenres of dance music or its populist offspring, electronica. It was not EBM, IDM, D&B, or among the hyphenates of techno, although the closest cataloguing might be in the ‘ambient techno’ family - somewhat akin to a medical diagnosis of a ‘nonspecific malady.’ Primordia combines elements of ambient, chillout, house, trance, jungle, funky breakbeat, worldbeat, and technopop that also appeared in more mainstream fashion from the likes of Opus III, Single Gun Theory, Soho, Stereo MCs and Sunscreem. Finding these albums is difficult because they are the Goldilocks of electronic music, containing something wonderfully warm, organic, and upbeat in the compositions that rescues them from close stylistic neighbors like the clinical experiments of Autechre (too tightly wound) to the sample-laden dubtastrophe of The Orb (too loosely arranged). Apart from Primordia, the Bliss album by Pelican Daughters, Inner Light by Exquisite Corpse, Biosphere’s Microgravity (9) and Patashnik (12) and parts of Floppy Sounds’ Downtime also contain unheralded gems. Just the opening coda from “The Lift” by Nightmare Lodge on the Sound From Hands compilation can give me shivers.

Brainbox is Tom Third, who previously recorded an album, Transcontinental Weekend, under the name of Brothers and Systems that is more deeply rooted in early crossover house/hip-hop and the forerunner of downtempo (soul vocals, organ jabs, light scratching). He also worked with Meryn Cadell on her breakout single, “The Sweater.” Tom himself is at a loss at how to describe the music of Primordia, settling for “cocktail music of the future” or “electronic listening music” or simply “music you can listen to when you have your friends over.”

Download, III (12)
-, Effector (9)
-, Eyes of Stanley Pain (14)
-, Sidewinder (8)

Download was started as a side project to Skinny Puppy, around the time of the troubled recording of The Process (at one point their purported last album). The lineup has changed regularly over the years, incorporating members of Dead Voices On Air and Psychic TV, and acted as something of an experimental forum for ‘post-industrial’ electronic music. Specifically, it can be seen as an outgrowth of the sound explored in the epic 11-minute closer to Skinny Puppy’s Last Rights, also called “Download,” which slowly segues from harsh samples and noisy musique concrete to calm, even melodic drones. While their first album Furnace was still relatively stark industrial, and their soundtrack to Jim Van Bebber’s film The Manson Family more of a sound collage, by the release of Eyes of Stanley Pain a distinctive sound had emerged. If you find beauty in the sound of engines ramping up (”Glassblower”) and dripping water (”Base Metal”), and were not the Puppy fan that cried foul at the changes in The Process as compared to earlier works, it’s an excellent next step.

The industrial base of distorted vocals, crunchy beats, and metallic soundbeds takes a backseat with the release of III. The tracks are more instrumental, less jarring (particularly the ambient “Beauty in the Eyes”), and closer to traditional IDM like Autechre. Effector continues this trend, moving even further into familiar territory with songs that could almost fit into a Chemical Brothers playlist.

(As a bonus, covers for three of these - Eyes of Stanley Pain, the remix EP Sidewinder, and III all feature the distinctive artwork of Dave McKean through his Hourglass studio.)

Halou, Wiser (11)

Second release by trip-hop couple Halou (are they always couples?), although their debut We Only Love You on Bedazzled was not widely circulated. Wiser came out on Nettwerk, which careful readers may have noticed are also responsible for releases by Alpha, Brainbox, and Download already featured. If you have already grabbed their subsequent Wholeness & Separation (14), you’ll find Wiser perhaps a little more stripped down, but still worthwhile.

Emily Loizeau, L’autre Bout Du Monde (13)
-, E.P. Bonus (7)

Found through her collaboration with Andrew Bird (a duet on “London Town”), Emily Loizeau performs that quintessential French style of pop that is simultaneously precious, timeless, and alluring. Whether based on simple piano melodies or jaunty jugband arrangements (are those spoons?), it’s hard not to be immediately charmed without even deciphering the lyrics, while the low-key melancholy of the title track could appear in the next Zach Braff indie film. Her English on “I’m Alive” also contains a hint of something like a light Texan accent, which is impossibly infectious (although nothing can top Jasmin Wagner’s drawling pronunciation of “satellite” on Heartbeat (13), adapted from the German original).

Sia, Some People Have Real Problems (13)

Although still probably known primarily as “singer from Zero 7,” Sia Furler has also worked with Jamiroquai, Massive Attack, and William Orbit and drew special attention for her hoarsely plaintive “Breathe Me” on the Six Feet Under soundtrack. Although the title and lyrics suggest that the songs are indeed tied to “real problems,” the music nevertheless manages to swing and shimmer and is better suited to pleasant musing than the moping which was more common on Colour the Small One.

Free Stuff

The Postmarks, By the Numbers (1)

Snowden, Licorice EP (4)

various, Daytrotter Sessions Vol. 2 (9)

See Also

Alio Die & Amelia Cuni, APSARAS (6)

Amber Route, Ghost Tracks (5)

A Pink Floyd vibe, and a value option in the almost-20-minute “Abyss of the Birds.”

Amiina, Hilli (1)

Barenaked Ladies, BLAM UK Tour - Glasgow 2007 (18+4)
-, BLAM UK Tour - London 2007 (11+9)
-, Ships & Dip Follie’s Lounge 2007 (14+10)

BT, The Technology EP (6)

Holly Cole, self-titled (11)

Torch jazz by the smoky-voiced Holly Cole, here billed without her Trio. Keep a lookout for her Temptation, which featured 16 interpretations of Tom Waits tunes.

Devotchka, Live at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2007 (1)

Freezepop, Fashion Impression Function (9)
-, Hi-Five My Remix (12)

Synthpop! Freezepop!

Gabriel & Dresden, Bloom (11+11)

Note that some tracks are instrumental, having been composed as backdrops for other artists, but are here denuded of vocals and sound a little hollow. At the least, you can pick up some stomping trance remixes of Sarah McLachlan’s “World on Fire” and Dido’s “Don’t Leave Home” (2 fellow Nettwerk artists they have so far apparently been reluctant to share on eMusic).

Indigo Girls, Live at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2007 (2)

Lalleshwari (aka Katie Jane Garside), Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness (16)

Katie Jane was the voice of Daisy Chainsaw - you may remember their college-radio hit, “Love Your Money” - and later went on to Queen Adreena, a side project called Ruby Throat, and a collaboration with Hector Zazou called Corps Electriques. Lalleshwari, named for a 14th century Indian poet, is a collection of home recordings.

Lovespirals, Motherless Child (6)

Mediaeval Baebes, Undrentide (19)

Founded by Miranda Sex Garden member Katharine Blake, the Baebes take a crossover approach to medieval carols, particularly madrigals as on MSG’s a cappella Madra, but with updated arrangements. Among its large ensemble is Katie Jane Garside’s younger sister, Melanie.

Mighty Lemon Drops, World Without End (15)

Mouth Music, Seafaring Man (8)

Mouth Music has been a moving target ever since the departure of Talitha MacKenzie, plus the dissolution of the subsequent quintet after Shorelife. The Celtic influences are sparser here, the mood less effevescent.

P.D.Q. Bach, A Little Nightmare Music (14)

Scanner, Spore (12)
-, 52 Spaces (11)
-, Scanner 1 (10)
-, Diary (9)
-, Accretions (5)

Robin Rimbaud, in his guise as Scanner, originally built the act around his namesake frequency scanner which he used to record analog cell calls over the air (before the advent of digital signals brought encryption to your mobile calls). He fit these into minimal electronic soundscapes, although the prurient appeal of eavesdropping into private affairs (écouteurism in place of voyeurism?) limited repeat listening. He incorporated this technique into live shows, picking up public signals and mixing them into impromptu audio cinema. Later releases expanded his sampling and became more independent of the source material, creating ambient pieces only punctuated by snippets of conversation and radio static. Outside of recording as Scanner, Rimbaud also composes works for dance and performance art, plus works as a music commentator on BBC Radio.

Single Gun Theory, Exorcise This Wasteland (14)
-, Like Stars In My Hands (12)
-, Flow River Of My Soul (12)

Alongside the less-heralded Nettwerk artists like Moev and Hilt, Single Gun Theory are an early experiment in worldbeat, injecting Indian and Eastern influences (tablas, chants) into dance-friendly electronic pop.

Skinny Puppy, Back and Forth Vol 2 (15)
-, Back and Forth Vol 3-4: BRAP (12+12)
-, Back and Forth Vol 5: Doomsday (14)

Back & Forth are a compilation series of rarities. The original BRAP included an interactive CD-ROM segment (remember those?), plus more artwork by Dave McKean.

Slap, Ghost Stories (11)

These Are Houseplants, Sidereal Time (10)
-, self-titled (8)
-, These Are These Are Houseplants (9)

I used to play “This” from Sidereal Time as a ‘local kut’ on my radio show at WRVU, albeit as a scratchy lo-fi cart recording. (Note that the track listing is messed up, at least for Sidereal Time, in case you’re looking for particular tracks like I was.)

Tiësto, In My Memory Remixes (4)
-, Love Comes Again (2)

Amon Tobin, Kitchen Sink Remixes (5)

Tribute Corner

Vitamin String Quartet, Tribute to Bad Religion (12)

As has been mentioned in past Picks, string quartet adaptations are really best limited to certain types of music. Bad Religion is not one of those. As much as I love them (I own - yikes! - 13 of their albums), I will readily admit that their songs are not big on melody but heavy on lyrical content, which are precisely two of the elements that befuddle the translation to acoustic instrumentals. Of the selections, the only one that really survives the process is “Struck a Nerve,” possibly their slowest, most radio-friendly single (it even featured Johnette Napolitano on backup vocals, when Mexican Moon was in heavy rotation). Another possible choice might have been “Anesthesia” from Against the Grain, although it’s only slow by comparison with the rest of that breakneck album. The rest simply are too fast in tempo, resulting in constant sawing of the strings, and suffer noticeably from the absence of Greg Graffin’s vocals and the group harmonies. Perhaps the most comical is the earliest, “[Fuck] Armageddon…This Is Hell” which is simply unabashed flailing punk and doesn’t have any real structure to build around. That said, punk is not immune to classical interpretation, as the surprising success of the London Punkharmonic demonstrates with the benefit of a full orchestra - the Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love” makes for hummable muzak.

Tryout

16-Bit Lolitas, Feel I’m Falling (3)

BT, LOOK Soundtrack (26)

Tyler Bates, The Devil’s Rejects (24)

Marco Betrami, 3:10 to Yuma Soundtrack (21)

Cinerama, Peel Session Season 2 (12)

EA Games Soundtrack

Quite a few game scores have been posted, including many of the Sims series, which generally contain well-designed background music for those marathon building sessions.

Michael Giacchino, Medal of Honor (18)

Before his laudable work on recent Pixar films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, Giacchino got his start working on videogames. His epic scores for the Medal of Honor series from EA were a significant part of its success in creating a “Hollywood movie” feel for the games, inspired perhaps by the involvement of director Steven Spielberg. His work on Medal of Honor caught the attention of J.J. Abrams, who brought him on to work on Alias, which has in turn to led to work with Disney redesigning the sound for Space Mountain and now feature films like Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek installation.

Junkie XL, SSX Blur Soundtrack (15)
-, Need for Street: ProStreet (10)

Nigel Kennedy, Nigel Plays Jazz (7)

A violin prodigy who’s helped popularize classical music, especially his interpretation of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” which set the Guinness record for best-selling classical album. Since then he’s played Jimi Hendrix on violin, so why not jazz? Although he’s recently (as of 2005) said he intended to spend at least half his time playing jazz, this album is listed among his earliest published works.

Nellie McKay, Obligatory Villagers (9)

Midival Punditz, Let’s Enjoy Soundtrack (9)

Amy Rigby, Live at Cat’s Cradle 2003 (13)

Shauna Rolston, Dreamscapes (17)

Another classical prodigy, this time on cello, Shauna was featured in the book Musical Prodigies written by her first instructor. By age 4 she was playing chamber music with her parents, and made her public debut at 16. She is now considered an innovator and a favorite for composers (although I must admit the only name I recognize is the minimalist Gavin Bryars). Based on the sculpted cheekbones prominently displayed on the cover of her Dreamscapes album, I can imagine the sheer delight of the art director at the chance to sexy up another classical release. Also notable is the lack of any listing for composers or included works, which range from Elgar, Mahler and Saint-Saëns to the titular 4-song cycle by a Claude Kenneson.

David Thrussell, The Fetid Fungi (10)

Ominous spoken word from a member of Black Lung/Snog/Soma.

Voice of the Beehive, Honey Lingers (10)
-, Let It Bee (13)
-, Sex & Misery (11)

Suffering at times from overproduction, there’s still some sugary nuggets of infectious pop in here, such as the single “Monsters and Angels” from Honey Lingers.

Marta G(ottfried) Wiley (9 albums) - also under Marta Wiley (29 albums)

Our third prodigy of this section, with a simply astonishing volume of output. Marta Wiley was enrolled in a series of magnet schools that developed her range of creative talents in art, music, theater and dance. She was introduced to painting at age 2 by her grandmother, a contemporary of Frida Kahlo in Mexican art, and has since produced over 10,000 works sold widely through galleries. As a musician, she started an all-girl band called WOMB (Warriors of Make Believe) with her younger sister and a childhood friend, which has released three albums…the first of 100 as of the end of 2005. As an example, eMusic now carries 13 albums just from 2003, before she picked up the pace. In her spare time, she has studied with Carlos Castaneda, studied ‘remote viewing‘ at Dr. Courtney Brown’s Farsight Institute (she reportedly contributes to missing person cases), possibly created a secret Masonic order, and started writing a book on alchemy.

From the sheer numbers involved, one might naturally assume that Wiley is churning out low-grade drek. Yet from sampling just the 2003 collection - a whole task in itself - her efforts are surprisingly diverse and quite listenable. The musical style ranges from hippie folk to alt-rock to dance, remaining largely consistent within an album. So, Womb To Tomb is PJ Harvey-ish guitar rock, God Is A Girl more dancepop, Mechanical Heart spooky alt-fuzz, Omega Theorem and the Fair Maiden Voyage upbeat techno, Flesh Flower acoustic folk-goth. A couple of albums show her political edge - WireHangerBaby is an aggressive pro-choice anthem, with straight up titles like “Republicans Are Evil” and “Back Alley Clinic”; while Environmental Terrorist has “Drilling in Alaska” and “Global Warming”. On the whole the production is decent yet lo-fi, and songwriting is sometimes limited to a hook and a repeated chorus, but she still puts even Prince to shame by the same measure. You can sample a swath of her albums on iTunes as well, if you’ve got the time to spare.

various, Maybe This Christmas Tree (12)

More Nettwerk! Holiday treatments by Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion, Ivy, The Polyphonic Spree, The Raveonettes, and others.

various, Neo Goth (18)

A mix of industrial covers and goth tunes from the churnmeisters at Cleopatra. Includes a decent cross-section of their varied tributes (Prodigy, Metallica, Marilyn Manson, the Sci-Fi Cafe collection) plus a mix of Spahn Ranch’s driving “Heretic’s Fork.”

Value

Alio Die & Martina Galvagni, Eleusian Lullaby (3)

Vicki Richards, Time In Between (5)