PUNK
THE OFFSPRING Greatest Hits
(Sony) 00
tiff l iHM‘iii‘M.
Hard to believe the Offspring are still going after all these years. Who'd have thought punk pop novelty had so much longevity? It's like My First Punk Record for tweenagers. all Sunny-D sacharine content and zinging Day-Glo riffs. There are a few cracking tracks — like the self-depreciating anthem ‘Self Esteem' and the crunching guitars of ‘Can't Repeat' - but once they hit ‘Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)’ in 1998. a huge world wide smash. things go all slapstick. Sure. it's a feel-good pogo but by the time you've b0unced through ‘Why Don't You Get a Job’?’ and ‘Original Prankster' the jokes are wearing Rizla thin. A huge dumb ass ska party of a record. (Henry Northmore)
ROCK PALOMINO Emmanuelle (Console Sounds) .0.
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Just as the Gulf Stream brings warmer temperatures across the Atlantic. so California seems Currently to be sending its blissful sun- drenched melodies direct to brighten up a dreich west of Scotland. In this case it's Clydebank's Palomino on the receiving end. who have the Byrds. Ryan Adams and Johnny Cash influencing backing. vocals and
Loud
$ °Cleor
lyrics respectively on their debut. I It's a minor variation on the Teenage Fanclub school of rock. then, but one that feels a little too diluted and limited in scope to be destined for anything other than musical wallpaper. The promise is there; f hopefully over time their skills will fully develop. (Emma Newlands)
JAZZ TANGALGO
La Zucca Barucca (Eachday Music) 0...
THNGKLGQ
LR (1993 EA 09911
Excellent debut album from the Edinburgh- based trio of Phil Alexander (piano). Mario Caribe (bass) and Mattie Foulds (drums). Their original and exciting approach to ‘the space between' jazz and tango avoids the clichés of the respective genres. and throws in several more influences for good meaSure. Phil Alexander's original tunes are interleaved with striking arrangements of compositions by the Argentinean ‘new tango' master Astor Piazzolla. a highly effective combination that works beautifully. and offers a wide variety of moods. Piazzolla's music is verging on being over- exposed these days. but it sounds fresh here. and their playing is imaginative and exciting on everything. Recommended. (wwwtangalgocouk) (Kenny Mathieson)
ROCK EDITORS
The Back Room (Kitchenware) .00
Editors may have to stand in line before they get to the front of the ‘Joy Division-type bands' queue. but the buzz around them — their debut single sold out on Monday and was on eBay by Tuesday — suggests the wait may
ALLCDS
be briefer than expected. Lyrics such as “People are fragile things you should know by now, be careful what you put them through.’ suggest emulating the success of sonic neighbours Elbow looks set to get nearer - or
punk funk with soaring urban pop and come up with an album as listenable as this. Like a mulleted Mike Skinner moshing to Stardust. Stars of CCTV is a rather incomprehensible sounding mix, but it somehow works, and rather wondrously at that. Try ‘Tied Up Too
I Tight' with its kid-
should that be C/oser’? —
all the time. Here‘s hoping they‘re similar to 908 Hooky project
Revenge in sound rather :
than longevity. (Emma Newlands)
POP
THE MAGIC NUMBERS
The Magic Numbers (Heavenly) O.
Either the Magic Numbers wrote and recorded their debut in California in 1967 (but due to an error in the space time continuum it has just popped through a worm hole) or this is just a dull Mamas and the Papas rip-off, with a bit of cleaned up Dylan chuckedin.
Single ‘Forever Lost‘ is where the band are at their best. a ponion of pop with a jingly-jangly hook perfect for days in the sun, or something. “Long Legs“ demonstrates an utter devotion to girl band backing vocals. which sound sweet coupled with country guitars. God. how twee? (Morag Bruce)
ECLECTIC POP HARD-Fl Stars of CCTV (Atlantic) 0000 Hats off to the Hard-Fi boys. Not many musicians could combine reggae, soul. electro. house. flamenco. disco and
m“
singalong chorus for starters. ‘Hard to Beat"s thundering bassline and ecstatic strings. or beautiful piano ballad ‘Move on Now'. complete with horn solo and snatches of harmonica. and you‘ll hear the sonically adventurous spirit of this Staines-based foursome at its best. Genre- bending stuff then, as impressive as it is infectious. (Camilla Pia)
SUMMER MIX UPS
VARIOUS
London Soul
(Unisex) eeee
Electric Soul: Summer Sunset
(Pias) 00”
DJ Snafu: Party Groove
(Mixtape) 00.
After an extensive tour of the US’ R&B scenes. the top class Soul Series touches down in swinging London to uncover a forward thinking hotchpotch of disparate approaches to contemporary and future soul. While some of the straighter productions wouldn't sound out of place on Unisex's NY, Phil/y or Call Soul releases — showing that Brits can pull off a golden summer sizzler as well as the next man — this
DVD ROUNDUP
With Glastonbury out of the way, the summer festival programme can start in earnest. Of course, outdoor pursuits are not for everyone. so those who prefer their home comforts can cease to wash, order in some sluttery vegan takeaway and settle down in front of Glastonbury Anthems (EMI) _. a half— arsed collection that celebrates the unadulterated majesty of the last decade's main stage action, throwing in a couple of dated films addressing its hippy credentials. Altogether more mouthwatering is a two disc rendering of the Spanish equivalent, Benicassim 2004 (PIAS Espana) me. . Intimate performances are backed up by cute wee tour bus interviews with a selection of the ultra-cool line-up (Scotland being particularly well represented) and lush extras that will have you hurriedly making arrangements to see it for yourself. Diminutive. self- proclaimed sex-bomb Prince's Sign’O’the Times (Network) is a helluva show that features the wee man thrusting and
strutting around his fabulous sin city stage set in all manner of cat suits and furs. while Spandau Ballet - Live from the NEC (Sony)
«0. similarly captures the glossy pop bravado of that golden age of pomp. A cut above, meanwhile. is the Pulp: Ultimate Live (Universal) 0000.. , featuring two of the misfits’ landmark concerts. The package
brims with all the character of the band and no small amount of Jarvis Cocker's self- effacing charm. A live phenomenon that doesn't emerge from the time capsule quite so pristiner is Public Enemy - London Invasion ’87 (Wienerworld) 00 . picture and sound recording — the scourge of live recorded hip hop - undermining the militants‘ message.
Of course. the band feature is equally variable. A fittingly considered and honest portrait of US avant garde indie troubadours Low and the everyday dealings of a European tour, Low in Europe (Plexifilm) m is shot almost exclusively in black and white on Super 8 and will no doubt delight fans while boring others to tears. Two filmic reissues of celebrated pimp about town, Snoop 0099. show up the then young pup as the untalented actor he was; Murder Was the Case and Da Game of Life (Urban Edge) 00 /0 being exercises in G- Rap narcissism. Better to spend some time with legendary, lanky drummer Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace and his rudeboy pals in
the 25th anniversary reissue of reggae monster Rockers (Wienerworld) eeee . a fantastically fun film that is as much about Jamaica and Rastafarianism as it is about the reggae, featuring an all-star cast of Rocksteady luminaries.
(Mark Edmundson)
REVIEWED ON , SYSTEM SUPPUED AND INSTALLED BY LOUD 8: CLEAR
68 THE LIST 7—21 Jul 2005