SMASH MAGAZINE
10/06/05
CD REVIEWS
Artist: sigur ros
Album: Takk…
Label: geffen
So I’ll come right out and say it. I’m a NERD for this band. To be into this group there’s gotta be some kind of nerdiness or faux intellect or something going on in there. It’s out there, that’s for sure. The new record stands in favorable comparison to 2003’s untitled release better known for the parenthesis ( ). Sigur Ros continues to build epic, orchestral landscapes that sweep the room, car, wherever else the disc is heard. Someday the world will grow hip to this band and nomads will travel the planet in search of the next time earth’s headliners perform.
Artist: curlupanddie
Album: the one above all, the end of all that is
Label: revelation
There’s still a fire, a fury that burns at the very soul of the Vegas natives. Front man Mike Minnick (rumored to recently have been renamed Peter Parker) and crew find a certain beauty in the chaos of their latest effort. Produced by Alex Newport (ATDI, Mars Volta, etc.) the new release finds heavier uh…heavy-ness and softer…um…softness. It’s kinda difficult to describe something that’s going where no one else has ever taken it. Sure there are parts that are reminiscent of other acts while the sound is still unmistakably CUAD, but this is CUAD on a whole new level. This record is like fudge in the sundae shop, so hot its cool. You are not ready.
Artist: ill nino
Album: one nation underground
Label: roadrunner
Why these dudes aren’t the biggest thing on rock radio across the country is a myth to me. Tribal drums, crunchy riffs, and soaring melodies continue to soften the brutality that is the other 70% of an Ill Nino record and this time around is no different. One Nation Underground includes a foray into programming that compliments the first single “what you deserve” and still finds time to rock down to the fundamental sound you’ve heard on prior releases. Buyer beware, very little new ground is broken on this record. Hostile music and searing vocals still cut through to the bone.
Artist: project 86
Album: and the rest will follow
Label: tooth and nail
Southern California’s P86 steps out on what can probably be best described as a culmination of past works. Somewhere slightly less punk and mellow than Songs to Burn Your Bridges By and yet nowhere near the intensity of Drawing Black Lines, P86 continues the search to find out just who they are and what it is they sound like. There’s something for everyone on this record from the slower, darker, heavier, “From December” to a nearly garage/stoner rock spirited approach on “My Will Be a Dead Man.” If you’ve got a favorite P86 record, you’ll find something on this disc that’s sure to compliment it nicely.
Artist: From Autumn To Ashes
Album: Abandon Your Friends
Label: Vagrant
Seems that everyone is cashing in on the metal sound these days and FATA’s been right there from their inception. Abandon is still angry, it just seems distant. The in your face approach and speed em-etal have all but vanished, leaving a striped down band to sound easier on the ears. Any record that makes Nathan from BSF’s top 5 on the year cant be half bad yeah?
Artist: Sonic Youth
Album: Goo (Deluxe Edition)
Label: Geffen
No-Wave sophisticates Sonic Youth see the re-release some 15 years later. Originally released in June of 1990, Goo served as the follow-up to the brilliantly applauded Daydream Nation. On this, the deluxe edition release, you’re invited in to hear all the “parts” that made the record what it is. From demo’s to b sides this one is a surefire lesson in what’s set the foreground for the college and indie-rockers of today. Featuring 5 different unreleased songs/versions of songs this is a must have for any fan.
Artist: Gang of Four
Album: Return the Gift
Label: V2
Speaking of old people, haven’t these doods been around since the Kennedy administration? It makes no difference. Whether you’re Electric Six or Franz Ferdinand, meet your maker. So they got together earlier this year for a round of dates including last spring’s Coachella Festival and while they’re rumored to be hard at work on new material, the band has re-recorded new studio versions of some of their old classics. Just remember, these guys had current trends billed more than two decades ago and for that alone you should be paying attention…and the $13 for the cd.
Artist: Stretch Arm Strong
Album: Free At Last
Label: We Put Out
Have you ever known how great this band is? Aggressive music with a positive message is at its best on Free At Last. Lead vocalist Chris McLane says on the label website: “…a lot of you have picked it up and written us telling how much you love it and how it has inspired you to do great things, become a better person and has made you at peace with yourself. There has been, however, a few of you that have written in to tell us how much you hate the record and how you have officially written us off for this year and probably forever. To that all we can say is thank you for buying it and we hope you burn in hell. Kidding!” Read Chris’s piece on Vegetarian cuisine for the holidays then go buy his record and a tofurkey for added good karma. This record is the perfect blend of scream and sing. Nuff said.
Artist: The International Noise Conspiracy
Album: Armed Love
Label: Epitaph
Hey guy how’s it going. Just one thing, you don’t live here, your politics are about a place you rarely go and issues on which you have nothing nice to say. That said kids, educate yourselves and believe in what you will. We’ve all got our hot buttons. On the lighter note, TINC did a record with Rick Rubin. It’s awesome to hear them cleaned up with a tweak to the sound that has materialized in the past few years since the demise of the previous group which shall remain nameless (I understand he’s not too stoked to talk about them). Rubin has made a very rock yet protest spirited record akin to what your parents might have listened to if their artists ran on hundreds of thousands of dollars in gear, pro tools rigs, etc. (I have no idea whether they actually used the computer or the tape but you get the point). Sarcasm, rants and raves aside, this really is a good record. Personally I find it to be the best TINC record yet.
Artist: Eddie Spaghetti
Album: Old No. 2
Label: Mid-fi
It’s a fact. Eddie Spaghetti is simply the man and the rest of us just take up space in his world. Apparently he’s been in Seattle thinking about penning something new with a few friends. Nothing too serious, just something that can find the escape from the Bro-diculous world that we’ve become. ON2 isn’t just for Supersuckers fans, this one can be enjoyed by anyone comfortable with basic, easy going, good music. ON2 is the result of 4 days in the studio working on simple, bluesy rock music and as the label says: “Remember, it’s not hi-fi, it’s not low-fi, its mid-fi and it’s pretty good.” Bingo.
Artist: Ringworm
Album: Justice Replaced By Revenge
Label: Victory
Voted most likely to need hugs and role models this issue would be Ringworm in a savage release on Victory records. Justice Replaced By Revenge is filled to the brim with angry music by angry people. A force to be reckoned with when passing through the mid-west, Ringworm will continue with this record to pursue world domination through devestation.
