"Please Use Your Complimentary Headphones"
ARM OF ROGER "The Ham And It's Lily" CD
reviewed by Quin
How do I even begin to explain what is going on here? This band's web site will answer some questions for you and create some new ones, and probably make you think about things you never even considered. Is this album brilliant and ahead of its time or is it just complete mental retardation? I think both. Well, I guess it's no secret that Arm Of Roger is really Grandaddy. There is definately traces of Grandaddy on the CD. But, it'd kinda like if Grandaddy had a recording session with The Residents, Captain Beefheart, The Normal and Mr. Bungle...I do believe this is what would be created. I personally love it. It's funny- for example "The Pussy Song" and "You Know You're Fucked Up" and it's wierd- like on "Robot Escort" and "I Like Lo-Fi Recordings" and it's maddening- listen to "Band Synergy (A Peek Inside The Magic) and it's beautiful- close your eyes and dream to "Down With The Animals". Get this CD for those long nights in your padded cell.
Sweat Of The Alps, www.sweatofthealps.com
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE "You Forgot It In People" CD
reviewed by Chris Beyond
When I was in high school and even jr high, there was something my friends and I would do for each other that would come to effect my entire life. We would make mix tapes for each other. My friends would tell me about a really cool band they like and would follow it up with a mix tape of a bunch of their favorite songs. Without those mix tapes I would still be in the dark about many of the bands that I've come to love. Without Michelle Green I wouldn't have heard the Pixies as early as I did. Without my uncle making me a tape of his favorite punk bands, I may not have gotten into Black Flag, The Dead Kennedys, and The Dead Milkmen. These days I continue that tradition by making mix CDs for my friends. So along comes Broken Social Scene and their new album "You Forgot It In People" and I can answer their album title with the same statement right back to them. You see their new album, which isn't bad, is using the new "Copy Control Technology" which disallows most people from burning a copy of their own CD for use in Mix Tapes or in iTunes. Personally I think this is retarded. I'm glad they or their people thought of us enough to send us a copy, but I think to not let people make copies of tracks for themselves or their friends is really silly. I have hundreds of CDs and I can tell you that a big portion of them I bought because a friend passed on a mix tape to me containing a song or two from the bands in question. Do they or their record company think that this album is so horrible that they wanted to make sure that you would have to buy it before you figured out how bad it is? That is what they are telling me and you when they impliment this new "copy control technology". I would totally understand it if they did it to Madonna or Justin Timberlake because those artists are the musical equivalent of bad fast food or spam and people know it's crap and if you had the choice of buying crappy music or downloading it from Napster or Kazaa (or is it Kaaza? All I know is that I don't have it yet), they are going to download it because they KNOW it's not worth spending money on since it is so disposable anyway. This band isn't so disposable and their record company shouldn't treat them like they are. Another problem with Copy Control CDs is that they don't work on all machines. Check out what this guy had to do to get one of them to play on his own machine. I'm sure a google search would turn up all sorts of solutions that people came up with to solve this issue. Anyway get this album for a nice day at the park, but don't expect to make a mix CD with one of these songs on it because the record company thinks you and your friends suck.
Paper Bag Records / Arts & Crafts, www.arts-crafts.ca
THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE "The Battle Of Lake Erie" E.P. CD
reviewed by Quin
Sometimes we need to be punched in our heads for going so ridiculously long without reviewing a CD that a good band has sent us. In this case we actually have played this band on No-Fi "Radio" a couple times already. So, I guess that should let you know that we like it. And I have to comment on the work that went into packaging this CD for shipment to the No-Fi "Radio" studio...the CD was sent inside of a little art portfolio that fastened with velcro, and it had drawings on the outside of it. It definately caught my attention. And now a little about the music- I really like this guy's voice. It kinda reminds me a little bit of Spoon and I also hear a bit of Sensefield. Two favorites of mine from way back. The songs are big and full sounding but aren't too long. The longest track is the last one and it clocks in at just over 5 minutes. The perfect length for No-Fi "Radio" and for most of our attention spans here. My favorite song on here is "Not Like Dreams". It's one of those pretty tunes that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Get this CD for those cold cold, alone nights.
The Battle Of Lake Erie, www.thebattleoflakeerie.com
GRANDADDY "Sumday" CD
reviewed by Quin
I have had a copy of this CD for about three or four weeks now. And I have to say, I am really glad that I held off until now to review it. As some of you know, Grandaddy is my favorite band, and I have patiently waited for this album to be released. When I first heard it I honestly didn't really know what to think of it. It seemed a bit poppier and more accessible than previuos Grandaddy releases. So needless to say, my first listen was a little disappointing. But, then I just decided to start playing the hell out of it in my car stereo. That was when I fell in love with it. I have actually gone back to listen to Under the Western Freeway and The Sophtware Slump this week and I find myself saying, "no...I want to hear Sumday again." The album starts off with an upbeat, catchy tune called "Now It's On" then immediately moves into darker, sadder territory with "I'm On Standby". And that is pretty much how the entire thing goes. Up and down, happy and sad and I love it all. The songs that I find myself enjoying the most are "The Group Who Couldn't Say" and "Lost on Yer Merry Way" and I find myself singing along with "The Saddest Vacant Lot in All The World." That one may require some kleenex the first few times you listen. And as always Jason Lytle has provided his clearly very personal lyrics for you to read along with. So go out and get this CD for...oh I don't know, just go get it, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Just get it and listen to it alot...you will be very happy.
www.grandaddylandscape.com
www.v2records.com
Various Artists "Only In America Volume 2" CD
reviewed by Chris Beyond
My face lit up much like that of the cartoon guy's on the cover of this CD when I got this in the mail for review. "Only In America Volume 2" is a compilation of outsider and incredibly strange music with themes that range from poodles to cheese to various bugs. This album is worth it alone just to have a clean recording of Tangela Tricoli (known as The Jet Lady) and her song "Stinky Poodle". It has to be heard to be believed much like most of the other tracks on this album. "Chicago Policeman" is so weird, you WISH it were a joke, but you KNOW it isn't with it's pro-police brutality lyrics. Phil Phillips' "The Evil Dope" has always been a favorite of mine with some crazy guy teaching kids to stay off drugs in the most unintelligible way possible. Still, the highlight of this compilation for me is The Lucky Charms cover of "Wipeout" which is was aired on a radio talent show and it may be one of the WORST covers of any song ever produced in all history. Yee-ouch! Anyway, this is a great album to listen to on a long trip. Each track is tragically unique and the thought that the people who made this music may still be out there is enough to keep you awake behind the wheel during those late hours. This is a must-have for unusual music fans (like me!).
Arf! Arf! Records, www.arfarfrecords.com, P.O. Box 465, Middleborough, MA 02346, USA
YOSHIMI AND YUKA "Flower With No Color" CD
reviewed by Chris Beyond
I liken this album to a painting using lots of natural earthtone colors and done in the park just when the rest of the neighborhood gets up. Yoshimi And Yuka are Yoshimi from The Boredoms and Yuka Honda of Chibo Mato. Together they have made an album using natural and sometimes unnatural sounds evoking different moods with each track. Just like a painting, everyone is going to have a different opinion about it and personally I think this wood be a good album to listen to in the winter while trapped in a snowstorm. After seeing all that white snow around you for a while, you'll want to throw this album in to remind yourself of the Spring and Summer. It isn't very good car driving music and I imagine that it wouldn't be ideal to listen to it outside since it can blend with all the surrounding outdoors noise...or maybe that was what they wanted you to do. Check it out and see for yourself.
Ipecac Recordings, www.ipecac.com
REVIEWS FROM MAY 2003...
DESOLATION RADIO "The Universe Within E.P." CD E.P.
reviewed by Quin
This CD is really good. I still have not heard thier first CD so I really have nothing to compare this one to, but maybe that's a good thing. I hate to use that way overused word dreamy, but this CD really is that. I swear that is good though. I didn't really get a creepy vibe that I heard was found in thier first one. Just dreamy pretty music. The best song on here is called "shadows". Oh, and after the last song ends kind of abrubtly...sit tight and wait...cuz there's more. You should certainly check this out. And if you are as tired as I am right now, you should probably drink like 700 cups of coffee before listening because you might never wake up.
Desolation Radio, www.desolation-radio.com , P.O. Box 180, Running Springs, CA 92382
TOMAHAWK "Mit Gas" CD
reviewed by Chris Beyond
First off...what the hell?!?! This has got to be the most fanciest and ornate album cover that I have ever seen!!! Seriously, it looks like it must have been expensive, especially for a smaller record label. The thing is that you have to buy the album to actually see what I'm talking about since it folds out. Luckily that isn't a problem since this album is so good. This is Mike Patton's latest (one out of a thousand or so projects he has going) from his band Tomahawk. Also in the band are Duane Denison (of The Jesus Lizard), John Stanier (Helmet), and Kevin Rutmanis (Melvins). It's an all-star outfit, although they play that down on their website. The music is somewhere between Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. More accessible than Mr. Bungle, but not as "mainstream" as Faith No More. When they sent this album to me I must have listened to it 6 times in a row. It flows really well from track one to track eleven. It is hard to pick favorites, but "Rape This Day, "Mayday", and "Aktion F1413" all stand out to me at the moment. (but I'll probably pick something else tomorrow) Dark heavy guitars and bass along with Mr. Patton's always-interesting vocals, with random verses in Italian thrown in for good measure, this is a good music to play in a dimly lit room at 3 in the afternoon.
Ipecac Recordings, www.ipecac.com, P.O. Box 119, Alameda, CA 94501
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