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The future of rock? Joe’s Comforters
Nothing' I...
giggles of Joe’ I
Release of the fortnight must go to the rlebut four track EP b1. London-based Joe's Comforters The selfrpuolisheo "Policies Of Joe'
'Joescomforters abtinternet,com WI sets out the guartet‘s agenda: energetic. eccentric. occasionally melodic leftfield tunes driven by a tight guitar sax b; ss ‘n' drums tron/y
[ dinbur‘gh based Jimson Trance’s aisc self published fine tracker. 'Keeii It Together" i... though this female vocal indie guitar outfit is probably better sampled live . . . Staying in the 'Burgh. trip hop rock ‘n'
i, is similarly Jaunty.
rollers Mystery Juice are busy auditioning for the next David I ynch film with the moody Open My Mouth And [)o
l Scuba Z's ‘lnstant Whip' (Odd Records 0.. on the ear hip hop mix of the Madchester' sound and (50s kitsch . .
i is an easy . The same
can't be said for gr'i/xled rockers Raging Speedhorn. whose "The Gush‘ (Zi‘l
i is for those who find the sound of a chainsaw melodic.
Air are giving us more of the same. i.e. retro electronic pop (no bad thingi wrth
‘ltadion I ' (Source 0...
and so are Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds With
now ageing angst on "I ifteen l eet Of Pure White Snow' (Mute O... l . . .
murrythehump's 'Don't Slip Up' (Too Pure .00
l sounds like Nick guest
vocalising on the Pixies single that never was: and it's not at all bad . . . Over-rated moody popsteis Arab Strap do. however. attempt something a little different With 'lurbulence (remixesl' (Chemikal Underground...
the cake ..
l. of which the Bis mix takes . and how about The Divine Comedy's new direction? New direction
bollocks. 'Bad Ambassador" (Parlophone .00 l is the same ol' same ol' vocal
flights. orchestral strings and (30s guitar riffery . . . You can still trust lovely northern lass Lisa Stansfield to churn out soul less pop: lust listen to let's Just Call It
love' (Arista CO (Grand Royal 0..
l . . . Curtis Mayfield guests on BranVan 3000's ‘AstOunded' l. which I wasn't.
Here we go Wlill a few shamefully offhand write—offs: Rodney Crowell's ’Why
Don't We lalk About It (Sugar Hill Records 0. JJ72's ‘/\lger'ia' (10th Planet .0 Bright Eyes' "Drunk Kid Catholic' (Wichita Records 000 January's ‘l'alling ln' (Poptones COO . and. finally. Dido's 'Thank You' (Warner Chappell O
duty . like. And so we arrive at worst release of the fortnight; this one's sooooo bad it's good: Friendship 7's absolutely anaemic ('lisco—tronic cover of the Morrissey Mari classic 'l'her'e Is A light That Never Goes Out' (Pure Stirling l. Awesome. (Miles FlOlClOTl
If this is the future Christ help us: Friendship 7
l is sub-Nick Lowe power pop. l is grunge rock wrth shouty female vocals.
l wannabe Eels.
l is Many Star but wrth a bloke on vocal
l? Dildo. more
COUNTRY VARIOUS ARTISTS Shoeshine Records Sampler (Shoeshine) COO
Geixiraphically Nashville's quite a stretch from Glasgow but after listening to this bargain sampler (E‘t .99!l from the Scottish City's acclaimed indie pop label. You'd think it was
1 12 THE LIST Tut-4.31 Mat.
just next door. Label boss Francis Macdonald (of BMX Bandits. The Pastels. Teenage Eanclub fame) has achieved this miraculous neighbourhood swap by incorporating indigenous Americana imprint Spit & Polish and its steel guitar wielding. thigh-slappin‘ good ‘ole cOuntry boys Paul Burch, Michael Shelley and Ben Vaughn. Where these artists plough more of an old-COuntry furrow. Glasgow's leading lights in the janeg guitar tradition cover old ground in a modern fashion to glOrlOUS effect. most notably on a
..t tli
dreamy cover of the Byrd's classic ‘You Don't Have To Cry'.
(Catherine Bromley)
WORLD
CESARIA EVORA Sao Vicente di Longe (BMG) OOOO
The one person missing from Madonna's Dornock wedding was apparently Cesaria Evora. invited but unable
to SllO‘.'.'. 'Discoxered‘ in mid-lite. this smaii. round woman in ner 50s ‘.'.lilt the nest capti'-.ating but saddes of xoices. has put Cape Verde. a illh island in the middle of the Atlantic. on the map Each disc she has made is a coIIt-zctor's item. including this new gem wrth low-profile appearances from Caetano Veloso (Br‘axil. and Cuba's (as; supremo Chucho Valdez and Orchestra Aragon. Something unavordably reassuring inside these bittersweet sounds. languid ballads and seductive dances worked either on a root of brass and rustic strings or /ingy big band orchestra and chorus. makes Evora irreSistible. (Jan Eairleyi
WORLD ORLANDO ‘CACHAITO’ LOPEZ
Descarga (Circuit) em.
The most innovative disc out of the Buena Vista stable brings you a Havana night-club 'Descarga' re. a jam session. The core exchange is between bassist Orlando ‘Cachaito' Lopez (of the dynasty including his famous uncle lsrael 'Cachao'). multi-conga perCLissionist Miguel ‘Anga' Diaz. timbale maestro Amadito Valdes and do-wop guitarist Manuel Galban.
Raised in percussion culture. Cachaito's approach to the bass is unique with he and ‘Anga” swapping the sacred drum exchanges of the Cuba's 'Orisha' gods. With stunning violin and brass improvisations, from the late Pedro Depestre. Pee Wee Ellis. and Hugh Masekela and my favourite from Jimmy Jenks — the most thrilling Cuban sax player around. All this and remixed tracks from DJ Dee Nasty and a song from Ibrahim Ferrer. this is ace. (Jan Fairleyl
R8iBi POP DESTINY’S CHILD Survivor (Columbia) .0
In a recent MTV speCial. we were taken inside the palatial home of Destiny's Child en famr’l/e. During our feur.
lead singer songwriter Beyonce flopped onto her cushioned bed claiming ‘here's wherel write all my songs‘. Seems to me what really needs to happen on that bed is her getting laid and having her heart broken a couple of times. Maybe then we'd have some lyrics worth listening to. Instead we get this bland. naive. empty selection of tunes. beautifully sung but lacking any real heart. Last year they were looking for someone to pay their ‘Bills. Bills. Bills' this year they're ‘lndependent Women'. Make your mind up girls.
(Kelly Apteri
JAZZ EDDIE SEVERN
Moments In Time (Caber Musicl O...
Eddie Severn is a significant figure on the Scottish jazz scene. His debut album is a showcase for both his fine trumpet and flugelhorn playing and his increasingly mature compositions. as well as another quality addition to Tom Bancroft 's Caber roster. Severn has developed steadily since his arrival in Edinburgh over a decade ago. and his current progress in both Europe and the USA comes as no surprise in the light of his lyrical. imaginative playing here. The disc mixes his own tunes with well-chosen standards and iazz tunes by Bill Evans. Harold Land and Herbie Hancock. The band. featuring Paul Harrison (piano). Mario Caribe (bass) and Tom Bancroft (drumsi. is further bolstered by Phil Bancroft (saxesl on two Cuts. (Kenny Mathiesoni
\I‘hen it came to choosing a name.
A'tierit‘an tirun‘irner Peter Erskine, French- Vietnamese guitarist Nguyen Le and Algt-rian bg ssist Michel Benita clearly felt that initials wereenough. lllt" combined CVs are certainly |llt[)l(?f§t§l‘.r", and the music they make on this disc Justifies therr hiin standing in contemporary \.'.orld (an. The delica'e colours, instrumental textures and intricate interweaving generated by the three musicians is both impressive and yen. musical. and recording engineer Jan i‘rik Kongshaug. the man behind the famous LCM sound. captures it all in crystal-clear fashion. This disc may net be for those who like their (a// erther raw or straightahead. but it is likely to please fans of any of this distinguished international trio.
(Kenny Mathieson)
ALSO RELEASED
Crash Test Dummies / Don't Care That You Don't Mind (V2) More deadpan tongue-in— cheek Arrierican observations from the baritone crooner.
Brian Eno and J. Peter Schwalm Drawn From Life (Virgin) The king of ambient electronics returns for a collaboration wrth this German percussionist and DJ.
Kai Motta Picture That (Some Bizarre) Rap/Folloblues/ rock amalgam from young London one-man band, Sebastian Teller L'i'ncroyab/e veri'te (Record Makers; Eccentric inaugural release from Air's new label.
Various Artists DTP/v7 (Obsessrve) Miguel Pellitro and Alan Thomson mix up deep and funky house for this Sunday clubbing institution.