"MUSIC TO DULL YOUR SENSES!"
Not since 8-Bit have I listened to a new album this much...and sadly this is Atom's last Atom And His Package album. In fact this is a recording of the very last Atom And His Package concert which took place last year in Philadelphia. It is really hard to describe Atom's music. I guess you can say that Atom sings smart nerd rock/punk lyrics over an orchestra of amanzingly sequenced electronic keyboards and beats which can go from waltzes to punk to death metal in a heartbeat. Usually the songs are about some odd subject that facinates or bothers Atom and every one of his songs is a different experience. This album, which has been out for a few months, captures him in top form although there are some sound level problems on a few of the tracks which are explained in the booklet as coming from having to switch out the recorder at the last minute. Still, they do NOT get in the way of the feel of the album at all. In between songs like "Anarchy Means I Litter", "Me and My Black Metal Friends", and "If You Own the Washington Redskins You're a Cock" we finally get to hear Atom's stage persona which is another reason I'm sad I never got to see him perform live before he quit his own solo band as he is really funny on stage. The album opens with "(Lord It's Not Hard To Be Happy When You're Not) Using the Metric System" and he, pretty much, sets up the tone for the rest of the show by explaining the story behind each song before playing them. This comes in handy with the lengthy explanation for the song "Shopping Spree" which we learn was stolen from a band he saw in a bar that only had that one good song among a bunch of crappy ones (I've since learned to skip the intro on this one on my stereo). I can go on and on about this album, so I'll stop myself here, but you really should go out and get this album for something very different than anything you've heard before. As a bonus this CD comes with a bonus DVD with all sorts of Atom And His Package goodies so whattaya waiting for? Oh, the bus? You'll be waiting another 25 minutes my friend... If you had this album already, this would be great bus riding music.
God damn those Beastie Boys taking 6 long years to finally put out more than two songs. To be honest, I was starting to worry about the Beatsies when they put out that tame "World Gone Wild" song to protest the war (seriously, Zach De La Rocha put another protest song at the same time that blew theirs out of the planet). And to be honest, their last full length non-compilation album petered off as it got towards the end. Well, if you're a fan of the Beastie Boys, you'll be happy to know that this is a REALLY good album and I suspect that it'll have longer listening power than that one. There aren't any tracks involving the Beastie Boys playing instruments on this one. It's more in line with Mixmaster Mike's "Anti-Theft Device" than "Paul's Boutique" though. Strange samples and the best scratching on any of their albums yet on this one. You find yourself wanting to hunt down the source of every single sample used in this one. This is their tribute to post 9/11 New York and the songs each reflect a different aspect or opinion of the city. My favorite tracks at the moment are "Triple Touble" (which borrows heavily from Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight"), Ch-Check It Out" (which actually has a LOT of four letter words in it...in the chorus even...that you don't get to hear on the radio), and "The Brouhaha" which sounds like the rap version of putting fresh paint on a blank canvas. Seriously, I would love to direct a video for this one). You're going to hear all about this album all over the place, so to sum it up; get this album for your next party and bring a lot of friends cuz the bootyz is gonna be shaking tonight. (Be sure to keep the booty shaking so the people who eventually show up at your party next weekend get a chance to enjoy it too.)
On a typical comedy album, when you read track titles like "Certain Leaders In Government Look Or Act Like Certain Pop Culture References!", "Although Indigent, Rural Families Have Little to Say in the Matter, Third Rate Public Education Has Kept Them Ignorant and Thus, Great Sources of Ridicule!", and the magically titled "Women, Please Rinse Off Your Vagina and Anus!", you'd think that those are the subjects he is talking about on those tracks. On the contrary, that is one many examples where the comedy isn't just kept to the audio tracks themselves, but to everything on this album from track listing, to the thank you's, to a reprint of a political article that you aren't suppossed to open until you've listened to the CD. The follow-up to 2002's "Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!" (which we voted that year's album of the year), this CD continues David's honest and sarcastic take on all the horrible things going on in the world. The title of this album is perfect. This CD IS funny, but the things he is talking about really aren't. He can go from talking about how Bush insists his a whispery voice that terrorists attacked New York because "they hated our freedom" as if it were a secret to the hypocracy of the church and our government. These are all subjects covered in in his last album, but the material is all new and just as funny. While, this album isn't as epic as his last 2 disc album (and how could it?), this CD is good for many listens as you'll find yourself laughing over (this missing) many of the "jokes" found withing. I guess he doesn't really tell "jokes" as much as give us his observations on things, huh.
The Plastic Fantastics is the perfect name for this band. They sound familiar, yet different enough to peak your interest. A friend described them as "candy punk", but I¼d say far more accurate would be to call them new wave. I heard they have quite a regular following in New York already, so hopefully they have plans to invade the west coast someday soon. It sounds as though they would put on a positively energetic, pogo-dancing, romping-good-time of a live show. Overall, I hear major Love and Rockets influences with definite splashes of Tones On Tail, Devo, Ima Robot, Sex Pistols, and Thrill Kill Kult. My favorite songs on this ep are "Out To Play" and "With You Inside Me." Though the tale ofÝ "She's So Pretty" is quite enjoyable as well. I recommend this Cd to your collection for those moments you are in the mood to reminisce about the 1980's, but are sick of all the same old standard songs from that era.
This is the new one from the band Artichoke. While this one is alot shorter than their last one, it's also alot better. It's the same sound as the first CD, but the songs are just so much more polished and much better written. It also sounds like they use some different instruments here. So if you liked them before, you should definitely check this one out. The packaging of this is quite interesting and original...it's covered in sandpaper (hence the title 20 Grit). Weird, but a good idea. I was a bit confused by the track listing. The CD lists five tracks, but there are actually six. I know you're thinking it's probably a hidden track, but track five, titled "Thomas Robert Malthus" is a ten second backwards message. While track six is a complete song...and probably my favorite song on the album. So, what's this one called, guys? I'd like to know, but I guess it doesn't really matter since this is all so darn good anyway.
I don't even know how to describe this album and in this case, that's a good thing. From the dark-electro intro song (called "Introduction" as fate would have it) to the end of the album, this CD is filled with all sorts of fun moody noise that can go from making you dance to making you go into a corner where you curl up into a ball and weep. I was a little worried when I saw that there were remixes of a couple of the songs on this album, but they don't detract from the overall record at all. If anything, they add more richness to it as if they were reprises in a musical...a scary violent musical, but I think I've made my point. I think my favorite song on this album is "The Shakes", but I enjoyed every single song on this album. You can be sure that I'll be asking them to play on No-Fi "Radio" sometime this year. Oh, and the CD design is really good too. I love when that happens. Get this one for exploring a forest late at night.
Yep. This is still one of my favorite albums of all time. It's the long out of print final album of one of the most influential bands of the last decade, Jawbreaker. I'm not a religious man,Ý but I prayed for years that this would be re-released, since my copy had been played so much that it was starting to skip, and if you wanted to get it you had to pay over 30 bucks on ebay. But, my prayers were finally answered and here it is with new photos inside the booklet and 5 songs that weren't originally on the CD. One of the new pictures is actualy of Kurt Cobain wearing the 'salt girl' Jawbreaker shirt. And the new songs are as follows: "Shirt" "Into You Like A Train"(a Psychadelic Furs cover) "Sister" "Friendly Fire" and a different version of "Boxcar" (but I like the version on 24 Hour Revenge Therapy better). I can't forget to mention all of my favorite songs that were already on this album like "Fireman" and "Accident Prone" and "Million" and "Jet Black" and gosh...all of 'em.Ý After almost ten years I love this album more than ever before. If you already had it, get it again. If you never had it, get it now!! 
I first saw Susan Ramsey of Kitten On The Keys at Exotic World a couple years ago, but didn't see her perform her piano numbers until the Tease-O-Rama festival earlier this year. I was instantly a fan and was very happy when she sent me her latest CD which I am reviewing now. Ok, you all caught up? Good. Well the CD starts well The Sex Pistols' "Anarchy In The UK" in her baby girl voice on her toy piano and it pretty much sets the mood for the rest of the album. You know it's going to be fun and silly and it keeps that mood all throughout (save for her cover of The Cure's "A Forest" I guess). You'll find songs here about being a "Pony Girl" in training, lusting after a certain musical chubby man in lipstick known here as "Bob Smith", fetishes for people in animal costumes, to the funny but honest title track (It's Not A) Pretty Princess Day" where the funniest line has got to be when she realizes that she may need a toupee for her...well,...let's just say that it's a different kind of 'bed head' in the morning. I think at the moment, my favorite song on this CD is a toss up (choice words) between "My Girls Pussy" and the modern drama that is "Grandma Sells My Panties On E-Bay". I guess the only thing lost here is the live performance aspect of these songs. It really is a kick to see her on the piano and I think it would be interesting if she can put out a DVD in the future (heck, I'd love to direct a video for one of her songs) or put a live video file or two in the CD itself. Get this CD for dinner with fun friends.
Hide your brothers and sisters, Morrissey is back and he's got a gun! I've been a Morrissey fan since my uncle gave me a home taped copy of The Smiths' album Meat Is Murder. And just as I caught up by buying their latest album at the time Strangeways Here We Come, they broke up. But Morrissey came back and I was lucky enough to see him on all but a couple of his tours. Now many years after his last album, Morrissey has finally got a new album out on his own sub-label Attack Records and if you are a fan, it is a must have. If you aren't really familiar with Moz, you still should have this album. Every song is filled with the brilliance in song writing that I've come to know from this mopey hero. And that's another thing... This is Morrissey's happiest album yet. Another first is with Morrissey throwing out the S-Word in a couple songs (especially in the song "How Could Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel "). The flow of the album is great, but tracks 3 through 5 (the slowest songs) tend to me the ones I skip on short trips in the car. My favorite tracks at the moment are "First Of The Gang To Die", "All The Lazy Dykes" and the oddly upbeat "I Like You" which reminds me of something that could have come off his album Vauxhall & I, but still like nothing else he's ever done. In fact this album fits perfectly in a triangle made up of Vauxhall & I and Kill Uncle. Now I hope that the omission of the song "In Mexico" which he has played live the last couple years means that we can see it turn up on his next album instead of a single b-side. I can't wait another 7 years for a new Morrissy album. One or Two years at the most. Pleeeeease? Anyway, get this album for a drive through East L.A. or a long bath (...both at the same time if you can figure it out).
First off...cool cover by Mark Ryden! This makes me forgive him for any involvement he had in the film Monkeybone. I've been sitting on this CD for a little too long (actually that is a less complicated way of saying it, but ok). Anyway, be prepared when you put this CD in your stereo because the sounds that scream out of your speakers may make you do weird things. While not the kind of album I'd be into normally, the noisey, yet pretty, guitars would be enough to keep me listening. Luckily the songs are nice too. I definitely appreciate the spooky themed songs on this album, but they really won me over with their ode to No-Fi favorite Crispin Hellion Glover called, of course, "Crispin Glover". Not that it's the best song on the album, but just the fact they took the time to write a song about sharp clean man who once passed me in his old white car in Silverlake (I've heard he lives near our old place there). I'm getting away from the subject at hand here. This is a good album with nice songs and cover art (I'm not a fan of the photos inside though. They aren't bad at all, but the cover art really sets a mood that I think the photos should have continued...plus one of the band members does the same head pose on the two photos next to one another). While I can't see myself returnng to this CD very often, I think it would be a good gift for your Hot Topic shopping girlfriend. I'm not against Hot Topic, by the way. It's marketing of punk culture I do have a problem with, but better that than a million more girls wearing Hillary Duff T-Shirts. Get this album for dancing by candlelight.
Another album by a band that's better than the first. From the opening track "Rich" to the last one "Modern Romance" I was either rocking my head back and forth or dancing in my chair. The hit single off the CD, "Maps" isn't a good example of how this band sounds. It's a pretty sad song and also quite beautiful. The rest of the songs are beautiful in their own way, but they also rock your pants off.Ý Some of it reminds me a little of The International Noise Conspiracy. And Karen O sings like an angel. She sounds a little like Katie Eastburn from Young People on "Modern Romance". Beautiful. Karen even sounds like an angel when she's screaming "Boy you're just a stupid bitch and girl you're just a no good dick." which oddly enough is the only thing I could find that could have given this CD the parental advisory sticker on the cover. That's silly. Thanks,Tipper, for ruining another piece of interesting cover art. SO...I know...The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are all over MTV and most major radio stations, but this is one of those cases where the masses are right. This band's gonna be around a long time. Send Tapes, CDs, or Demos to: For any other information, E-Mail Chris Beyond at the link below.
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