Back on track.
Plenty of new music to be had this week from Laetitia Sadier and Storefront Church, Six Organs of Admittance, Able Noise, Yui Onodera, SML, Clinic Stars, Austyn Wohlers, Build Buildings, Zelienople, and Lea Thomas, plus some older tunes by Farah, Guy Blakeslee, Jessica Bailiff, and Richard H. Kirk.
Lake in Girdwood, Alaska by Johnny.
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The fittingly but awkwardly titled Pre-2000 Singles and Comp Tracks Part Onebrings the listener back to Flowchart's earliest days, starting withthe first 7" recorded by the trio of O'Neal, Brodie Budd and CraigBottel and released in 1994 under the name Heroine. "High Phidelity"features the single-note guitar riffing and droning organ that led tothe Stereolab comparisons that dogged them for the next couple ofyears, while "Pronoun-U" is a noise-pop gem with an unmistakable MyBloody Valentine vibe. A name change to Flowchart quickly followed, asdid a slew of singles and compilation appearances, with the majority ofthose from 1994 to 1996 featured on this volume. Most of these werewritten and recorded by the original trio, with the work of thatline-up fitting pretty comfortably into the mid-90s space-rock andshoegazer cubbyholes, and generally comparing favorably to most othersimilarly minded artists from that time frame such as Stereolab, Fuxaand Windy & Carl. Around the two-thirds mark of the disc, we hitthe point where the group became a solo project for O'Neal, and thesound starts to vary considerably, ranging from twee guitar pop tonaïve stabs at atmospheric electronica. The set is wrapped up nicelywith an echo-laden cover version of The Sundays' "Here's Where TheStory Ends."
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An ideal appendix/companion to the first Pre-2000 volume is Evergreen Noise Is Flexible/The Spirit of Kenny G,a disc that brings together two EPs that were originally released in1996 on either side of the membership shake-up. Evergreen features fourdrone-rock tracks from the O'Neal/Budd/Bottel trio (joined on twotracks by Bill Nace), and the 12-minute title track holds an especiallystrong whiff of mid-90s Stereolab with its hypnotic guitar line,motorik drum rhythms, waves of moody organ and synth, and breathyvocals that are barely discernable beneath the swirling instrumentaldin. The point on this disc where Evergreen ends and the Kenny Gmaterial begins is an easy one to spot, as the second EP kicks of witha funky, "Theme From Shaft"-style guitar riff and clear baritone vocalsintoning the strange statement "And I write my diary / In the spirit ofKenny G." Like the later tracks on the Part One anthology, this wesbasically a Sean O'Neal solo record, and the five tracks veer in toneand style from the punchy "E-Flare Pop" (a pretty humorous ode to goingto a rave and tripping on a combination of Ecstasy and Vapo-Rub) to theatmospheric ambient-drone of "Glorious and Prosperous" and "DrunkenMini-Musik."
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The third CD in this retrospective trilogy is Pre-2000 Singles and CompTracks Part Two,a disc that gathers widely scattered tracks from 1997 to 1999. Thefirst two tracks provide a solid link to the previous volume. "RainbowHotel" is a quirky pop number recorded with a full band and "BasementNoise is Flexible" is a somewhat fractured sounding outtake from thegroup's original line-up. Things change considerably from track threeonwards, as O'Neal is joined by new partner Erin Anderson and theguitars are pretty much abandoned in exchange for electronics andsamples. At first, the naïve melodies and repetitive vocal samples thatappear on the bulk of these tracks are cute and fun, but the formulasoon wears thin, and "cute and fun" quickly becomes "trite andannoying". They were probably fine when they were taken in small dosesas 7" singles and compilation appearances, but 45 minutes of tracksthat are so simple and saccharine is just too much to take at once.Thankfully, the "cute-tronica" mold is broken towards the end of thedisc with a couple of pieces that are very ambient and atmospheric intone, setting the stage for the more satisfying sounds that Flowcharthas been responsible for from the year 2000 forward.
Inducing the Sleep Sphere opens with some warm electronic humsthat bend around the ears in a pleasant way, before being joined bygently melodic electric guitar, drums, and a wall of fuzz guitaratmospherics. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Unfortunately, this iswell-mined territory. The melodies, the swirling Kevin Shields guitarnoise, the atmospheric production: it's been heard all before. It'svirtually impossible to discuss The Land of Nod without comparing themto My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Spacemen 3 or a gaggle of otheratmospheric shoegazer bands that did it first, and did it better.Though they are obviously talented instrumentalists, The Land of Nodsimply refuse to reveal any personality or originality that would makethis music more than just the sum of its influences. "A Sequence ofSpeed" is so indebted to the motorik beat and punk-light melodies ofkrautrock band Neu! that it seems like Michael Rother and KlausDinger—and not The Land of Nod—should be credited for the song. "LooseContact" is a lone bright spot: a cavernous ambient piece that soundslike Jimi Hendrix riffing on "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the bottomof a mine shaft. "Le Sommet a Mont Venoux" is actually nothing morethan the tune of "Frere' Jacques" repeated ad nauseum with lots ofreverb and French dialogue samples. The rest of the tracks are tepidretreads of Mogwai-esque drone-rock boredom, with some predictablypretty melodies lifted directly from Durutti Column. This music reallyis capable of inducing sleep, and for all the wrong reasons.
As an introduction to the music of Dirk Dresselhaus, this EP doesn't work so well. The music is whimsical and entertaining, but out of the six songs that make up 6 Peace, three are remixes and one is the original version of "Reality Check" from the Zoomer album. The two videos that are included on this CD ("Frogtoise" and "Reality Check") can be found online at Schneider TM's website along with two free songs. If it's an introduction that is needed, Schneider TM's website is the place to go.
Four of the songs on this EP are excellent, though. "Frogstears" is an acoustic rendition of "Frogtoise" that has a more open and poppy feel than the original. "Chotto Matte" was originally on the Binokular EP and is a dance and chamber music influenced song full of life and flighty melodies. "The Light 3000" is a remake of the The Smith's "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" that manages to exist as a sullen and uplifting song simultaneously. Dresselhaus' ability as a composer and arranger stands out here; his slightly vocoded voice fits perfectly against the electric background of swirling and reversed melodies that swarm over the rhythm. The last track, a remix of "Reality Check" by Mogwai and David Jack, is a dynamic and more violent mix than the original and features an excellent breakdown at the end full of hullabaloo and chaos. Schneider TM's music is rich, full, and happy and is definitely worth looking into, but I wholeheartedly believe that his website is a better introduction to his music and that the Binokular EP and Frogtoise single are worth seeking out so that they can be heard in full. The music is great and the videos are gorgeously animated and/or refreshingly goofy, but this just seems like a pointless release considering that much of this music is easily available or even free. 
Giddy, cute, charming, sexy, and fun songs fill this full-length album.A mishmash of smooth production, traditional instrumentation,electronic flourishes, and about five different vocal styles makes foran afternoon well spent dancing about or doing chores in the housewhile boogie-ing down. Ské is a group of song-writers and performersfrom Iceland that know how to write a good hook and keep thingsinteresting. While some of the music with its child-like vocalpresentation (see "Julietta 1" or "Julietta 2") is a little too cute oradorable for me, songs like "Stuff" and "Cowboy" are great rock songsfull of energy and feeling. The acoustic guitar plays a central rolethroughout most of the album, but all the little additions sprinkledabout the music really make the album that much better. "Stuff" is avocal- and rhythm-led song, but the symphonic elements that float inthe background work subtly to create a completely self-sufficientmusical environment that stands extremely well on its own. "Le Tram" issound as silk. The music is simple, the arrangement gentle and flowing,and the vocals almost story-like. It's as if I'm being lulled to sleepeverytime I hear it. The final portion of the album throws a soniccurveball and starts playing things out a bit more heavily. "LeckMeinen Stiefel Ab" is a great mix of heavy, distorted percussion and anaccordian that sounds like its about to spasm into a thousand tinypieces. "Lola" closes things out in a very lurid and dramatic mask.Imagine a beautiful woman in one of those red dresses that flower outat the bottom swirling around in a candle-lit restaurant at night andthen associate that picture with a sort of French/Spanish music thatmakes it easy to move the shoulders and hips about. It even starts outwith a rather suggestive sample: "This is called Lola... the naughtyLola." 
I'll never forget the first time I saw Love and Rockets live. I was a teenager and the clash of psychedelia, black leather, loud guitars and pumping beats was as sexy as it was cool. I'll also never forget the last time I saw Love and Rockets live. A new album was out but the feverish energy seemed such a thing of the past. They felt like they were reluctantly performing their older songs. The closing remark will always stick in my mind: "Buy our albums so we can keep doing this." Maybe the band thinks that Lift was some of their best material, but they haven't convinced me yet.
Moving to Los Angeles often results in the band turning into crap (see: Skinny Puppy, Duran Duran, Sebadoh, etc,...) Compromising big hits like "All In My Mind" and "Motorcycle" or singles like "Waiting for the Flood" and "If There's a Heaven Above" for tracks like the boring album cut "Shelf Life" and crappy single "Holy Fool" makes me question the 'Best of' tag attached to the CD release. Best of collections are rarely for fans and often end up in somebody's collection who doesn't buy much music to begin with. "Oh I liked that one hit single they had with the girls with long legs," would probably be the common mentality. Fans already have all of these songs so as a real 'Best of,' I'd have to say it still truly doesn't exist for Love and Rockets (just buy Express).
The companion DVD collection, however, is a fantastic archive for fans to finally have in their grubby mitts. Sorted! is (almost) completely sorted with the entirety of the original VHS tape, The Haunted Fishtank and a bubble-load of extra stuff. It's a collection of nearly all of their videos and some audio tracks, including the wicked cool Bubblemen audio material, interviews, solo videos like David J's "I'll Be Your Chauffeur" and four from Daniel Ash. The only thing omitted that I can think of is the "If There's a Heaven Above" video but I'll live. I now have "The Bubblemen Rap" and don't have to play my beat up old 12" single any more!
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This is a record imbued with a kind of subtle beauty that I've simplynot heard in a long time. I've never paid much attention to Mouse onMars and my experience with this album was akin to my first experiencewith Sonic Youth; multiple listens reveal multiple dimesions of soundand with each listen the music becomes more and more enjoyable. Glamwas originally released as a limited edition vinyl in 1998 and wasintended to the be the soundtrack to a movie about love and drugs;appropriately the music is claustraphobic, hazy, and joyous. Denselayers of amorphous sound creep about the air like a fine mist; this ismusic that can be breathed in, it leaves a shiny dew on my skin afterI've listened to it. "Port Dusk" starts things off on an almostbeatless level and weaves a blanket with warm peals of sound andunwavering showers of heavy drones. There are beats throughout most ofthe album and many of them force my foot to tap and my head to back andforth, but the rhythms are almost subliminal. They more or less form aperfect seam with the short stabs of melody and robust undercurrentsthat run beside them. "Flim" and "Tiplet Metal Plate" are twonoticeable and exceptional anomalies. "Flim" is a plain ofrhythm-driven butterflies that meander about carelessly while "TipletMetal Plate" is more akin to a hammer falling on and through my skull;it's a punchy, schizophrenic, and completely ecstatic kick to the face.The bonus tracks included are completely hit and miss. "Snap Bar" is aworm-filled endurance test that simply goes nowhere while "Pool, Smoothand Hidder" is a rolling sonic highway and "Heizchase Nailway" feelslike an undulating mass consuming everything in its path. The last twoaren't bad, but when they're taken out of the mix and Glam islistened to in its original form, the album seems to have a more fluidcontinuity that makes it more enjoyable. These are minor complaints,however.
If anyone could make something as dry and academic as Musique Concrêteinto intense, ferociously sexy ear candy, it would have to be PeterCristopherson and John Balance. This release is the duo's contributionto Beta-Lactam Ring Records' terrific Lactamase series: a subscriptionseries of twelve 10" vinyl records by some of today's best andbrightest underground, avant-garde and esoteric musical projects. Theseries has included some amazing releases from Edward Ka-Spel, Volcanothe Bear and Tony Conrad, but the most highly anticipated release iscertainly Coil's masterful grand finale to the series. Coil's two-sided10" occupies a unique place in their discography. It is a trulyawe-inspiring tangent into the rarefied realm of musique concrêteabstractionists such as Iannis Xenakis, Tod Dockstader and Luc Ferrari.There has always been an element of these musical progenitors in Coil'smusick, but their penchant for structured, vocal-driven "songs" haveprevented them from ever fully engaging their abstruse tendencies. Bothsides of the 10" use the same basic sounds and techniques, but thesculpturing takes different forms on either side. Side A, or "TheRestitution of Decayed Intelligence I," introduces the sound palette: achorus of digital buzzes, stutters and skips that occupy the soundfieldat different pitches and volumes. This music is very dimensional,seeming to fly into one's ears at a myriad of different angles. Soon,the high-end stutters are joined by a series of quasi-rhythmic metallicthrobs, like the alternating whirr of a flying saucer engine. Theseelements are then edited, overdubbed and sculpted into dramaticconvergences of sound that alternately pierce, arouse and frighten. Somany faintly recognizable sounds can be heard in this midst of theseabstractions, but the listener cannot discern which are placed thereintentionally and which are an accident of subjectivity. A chorus ofbone saws, a squeaking hinge, high-pitched shrieking, a mutated voice,swooping metallic shards, granular static: all of these sounds sneakout of the noise over the course of the piece. Side B, or "TheRestitution of Decayed Intelligence II," uses the same set of auralphenomena, but this time snatches of recognizable melody become obviousas the piece unfolds. Jhon Balance's warped vocal hiccups from tracktwo of The Remote Viewer are re-used, albeit in a completelyinscrutable form, sounding like a swarm of bees frantically trying tocommunicate with the human race. Halfway through, there is a shockingincrease in volume and intensity as the piece gains momentum. It ishere that we see Coil's personality come through; this piece, howeverchaotic, has the same epic sweep as their Love's Secret Domain-era acidhouse excercises, and all of the dark, hedonistic atmosphere. This 10"manages to be both a brilliantly mature dip into abstract electronicmusic, and twisted, uber-Pagan ritual musick. After more than 20 years,Coil is still perfectly balancing this strange dichotomy and creatingsomething wholly unexpected and wonderful with each new release. -
There are certain things we encounter, as humans, that are completelyout of our control. It's like when the cat pukes on the carpet and thecleanup time causes a tardy departure for work and every traffic lighton the way seems to turn red right before you get to it, only to get towork to be subjected for hours of douchebag clients who treat you likeass and equally frustrated co-workers who also didn't pay tens ofthousands of dollars on education only to end up working brainless jobsfor shit pay. Noise provides a multilateral theraputic escape. Ikebanaisn't about high-brow high-gloss music periodicals spin doctoring theart value of Japanese perverts, it's about that certain release thatparents accuse teenagers of by listening to loud rock music. This trulyis noise, and, thankfully to light-hearted masters, it's as enjoyableas it is regenerating. With all due respect to Will Rogers, I never meta Merzbow remix record I didn't like. It's no surprise that MasamiAkita's noise works well when in the hands of competant and relativelyinteresting audioheads. 29 tracks is a lot to digest, but thecollection does have its golden moments. Pluderphonic commandersNegativland offer a humorous re-take on a 1950s radio warning with "AnActual Attack," (mucous is certainly a word which is never usedenough), Alec Empire returns to his big beat armed assault roots with"Digital Hardcore," and Bola both mimic the painful sounds of tinnitusand provide belly shaking beats of "Klunk" from Bola. I'm also partialto the jiggy Atari 2600-drum 'n bass of The Drummer as "Luxus," thesymphonic studio storm of Jack Dangers' "Available Memory," andHrvatski's thumpy humpy bumpy ride, "Toru Pup." Lowlights are few butthey do include AMT's Kawabata Makoto's seemingly endless loops offeedback hiss "Revolved Jane" and DJ Porky that Subliminal Pig's clichehip hop scratch opener "Takemitsu." Whether it's enjoyed in the car athigh velocities or at loud volumes at stoplights while the chump in theVolvo in the next lane is confused, noise presented like this—in avariety of relatively small spurts in alternating styles—is an auralmassage. It helps to put the chaotic mess of a life aside for a certainmoment, leaving behind the frustration of feverishly digging through adrugstore for a goddamned antacid while Diana Ross/Lionel Richie duetsplay and welcomes warm comedic memories of filling up at a gas stationwith young college boys staring at the engine of a VW Jetta (see linkof the week) like monkeys at a Rubik's Cube while only the girl in thecar is the one who can both check and change the oil. By the time I gethome, I have left my work at work. I feel jubilant and renewed andready to do an 8-ball off a squeaky clean pair of large boobies andhave sex with somebody who thinks I'm ten years younger.
Showcasing his repertoire on the keyboard, sampler and mixing consoleunder the alias of A Grape Dope, Chicago-based drummer John Herndon(Tortoise, Isotope 217) presents six new varying tracks that make uphis latest EP. No stranger to the producer's chair, in recent yearsHerndon has provided re-mixes for other artists, while also releasing afew of his own dub-influenced compositions via the Hefty Records Immediate Actionseries. "Action: Showered Us" leads off the disc with its infectiouslive samba school-styled rhythms and muted basslines that kick thetrack into high gear, complete with handclaps. From the Hip Hopcollective Anitcon, Dose One lends his distinct, multi-layered vocalsto the bouncy "Red Hat Attack" over busy programmed machine beats,staccato low-end and near dissonant organ drones. The compositionalsounds and juxtaposition of car crashes and toddlers-in-the-park themesmake for an odd yet very interesting track. The disc's biggest surpriseand definite highlight is the soulful ballad "I'll Spread It" whichfeatures Herndon's emotional vocoder stylings along with some tenderbass and chord progressions that lilt and sway just beautifully. Theunderlying purr of additional electronic elements round out thecomposition nicely. Herndon's interesting compositional style andshifting rhythms draw from several different influences, yet still comeacross as distinct in their own setting. The strong, at times angularcompositions on Missing Dragons should dispel the myth that drummers are only capable of counting and hitting stuff. 
The second full length album from Mr. Schnauss acts as an amazing springtime soundtrack, as all the trees are budding and the grass is turning a vivid green (with the exception of "Blumenthal," which can easily be music for an ice skating couple illuminated by Christmas lights).
"A Letter From Home" and the opener, "Gone Forever" almost act like bridges between the similar thoughts and sounds from the last album, with guitar work heavily influenced by Cocteau Twins and shuffling hip hop-inspired beats. Other songs like "On My Own," "Clear Day," and "In All the Wrong Places" are considerably faster paced than most of the existing Schnauss repertoire, and the results are warmly welcomed. Those familiar with the two tracks on Blue Skied an' Clear shouldn't be surprised that Judith Beck has donated her vocals to a number of songs this time around. Adding vocals is a perfectly natural progressive move that a number of instrumental artists find themselves doing, but there are times when the voice seems like a crutch when there's a lack of a strong enough lead instrument or sound. Fortunately, Schnauss's drum programming skills and arsenal of sound effects are far more advanced here than on the stunning 2001 release, Far Away Trains Passing By, but on the vocal tracks I often feel there is a sort of an emptiness where a lead instrument could or should sometimes be. Loops and side melodies may act as nice decorations but push the parsley aside, I want some meat. Lucky sods in the UK have the opportunity to have Mr. Schnauss play (or even stay) with them. Check the CCO website for venues and dates. 
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With a warning on the disc advising of potential damage to certain audio systems (headphone use not advisable), the self-titled second release from Chicago avant-rock quartet Sterling lets loose a hybrid of compositions that could be the bastard child of jazz, classical and metal, conceived during a Dario Argento flick.
Driven by syncopated, jazzy drumming that gets heavy-handed when called for, weaving, distorted bass and twin guitars that have that fat hollow-body tone, the disc's eight untitled, angular compositions evoke a soundtrack sensibility for something somber left to the imagination. The liberal use of tastefully played piano, at times drawing from the lower register, adds that extra dimension that not only enhances the building tension, but also heightens the anxiety that goes along with it. Although some of the tracks can be lengthy, the interesting and explorative compositions move seamlessly throughout sections with at times a pregnant pause which gives way for an explosive return to the earlier motif that kicked the whole thing off (insert pronged rawk hand sign here). The rough moments of overdrive occurring in the production department characterize the aforementioned warning, while at the same time becoming an almost integral part of the existing track. If the band's hometown is said to be the birthplace of post-rock, Sterling have taken their imaginative musical vision into an area of post-mortem rock. Beware. 
