completely of the zeitgeist in its references to the i-generation. attacks on crunk. lazy hip hop and clueless record label types keen to cash in on the current emo scene. Guaranteed to make even the moodiest MySpace-teen smile. (Camilla Pia)
ART ROCK PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES Elan Vital
(Matador) no.
It would be tough for any band to follow 2003's magnificent The New Romance. let alone one whose vocalist has been ordered to play it safe after doing damage to her vocal chords. And while this third LP from Pretty Girls Make Graves finds a much more toned down performance from lead singer Andrea Zollo. its hurricane riffs and ' thundering rhythms are I as fierce as ever. i Combined with a more . experimental attitude to I instrumentationincluding , the use of pianos. strings. horns and ‘ accordions and a new I found dirty groove. Elan ' Vital is easily the Seattle i quintet‘s most significant i work to date. and its musical twists and turns will keep you coming back for more. ; (Camilla Pia)
ALTERNATIVE VAmous ) Surface Textures Volume One
(Gdansk/Surface l Pressure) 0000
A collection of previously vinyl only releases and remixes. Sun‘ace
Textures marks the
coming together of Edinburgh's Surface Pressure and Glasgow’s Gdansk independent labels and presents a l lush and invigorating selection of undeservedly g underground peaches. I Remixes come courtesy ( of Granufunk and Sonar ! Kollektive's Dimlite but l
\ (:1 '
°Cleor
66 THE LIST 13—27 Apr 2006
also a monstrous turn
from Fence's Deaf Mutes stirring the pot of understated local cool. Expect folk-tinged pop. sulphuric soul. cinematic hip hop and one or two more experimental. electronic numbers, each ; revealing a myriad influences and
approaches to popular mUSlC but sharing a coherent thread and an attention to detail that stretches beyond sound ; and into design. - (Mark Edmundson)
I'm Not Dead!
l POP : PINK ) (SonyBMG) 000 I
‘II I.
~ .4- '/ ‘HUT UV. ‘55 '
Pink has never quite managed to comfortably establish herself as either a platinum teen icon or serious adult artist. This means her albums tend to be bi-polar affairs and this. her fourth, is no different.
When it works. her pop froths and parps in all the right places. 'Stupid Girl' is excellent. while some of artful Strokesy rock of ‘Who Knew‘ and the Sheryl Crow-isms of ‘The One That Got Away' are surprisingly effective. And thankfully. those moments when she drifts into that vapid musical hinterland where tosh like I Garbage reside are kept to a minimum.
(Mark Robertson)
ART ROCK SEMIFINALISTS
Semifinalists (V2) one
It's hard to trust a band touting strange stage- wear and occasionally bloody noses, however Semifinalists are proof that oddballs are often
ALL CD‘S WERE REVIEWED ON A SYSTEM SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED BY LOUD & CLEAR
the most talented of the bunch. The London- based trio's stunning debut contains some of the loveliest. slightly skewed electronics- tinged guitar pop around as ex-lntense Dudes and the Poverty Jetsets prolific noisenik Ferry Gouw shares vocal duties With Adrianna Alba to magical effect.
From the incredibly catchy ‘Show The Way' to the orchestral swirls of “Short Acoustic Song'. ‘I Saw You in the Hall's unexpected thrashy tendencies and the deliciously delicate ‘Your Heart'. you should think Mercury Rev meets Bis on Mars . . . which is a good thing . . . clearly. (Camilla Pia)
CHILL
BREAKS CO-OP The Sound Inside (Parlophone) «0
As Breaks Co-Op. Zane Lowe and Hamish Clark released the sampler enabled Roofers in their homeland of New Zealand in 1997. After a hiatus in which Lowe became the extremely recognisable voice of Radio 1 and MTV Europe they have seen fit to return to the project.
The recruitment of British falsetto lyricist Andy Lovegroove complements this more organic outing, a soulful lap against their gentle folk rock. They have also retained a ghostly electronic edge and occasionally punchy drums that excites on track such as ‘Wonder’ and ‘Settle Down' but fails to draw The Sound Inside from its
accomplished but
essentially bland path.
(Mark Edmundson)
EXPERIMENTAL PARK ATTACK
Half-Past Human (Textile) on
Anyone sloppily attempting to pinpomt a post-Franz Glasgow sound should listen to Park Attack. This Optimo-endorsed. off- kilter quartet blow any such theory out of the water with their compelling collision of random blips. shrieky vocals. clattering drums and scratchy riffs.
Debut record Half-Past Human may not be for the melody-loving music fan but its deranged and discordant shambles will have early Sonic Youth- aficionados and general noisecore enthusiasts frenziedly flailing around from start to finish. The darkly discordant ‘The Racket' is an undeniable highlight. as are the tribal. twisted drone of ‘Beak As Tool' and ‘Hot Dog”s itchy twitchy assault. Shamelesst shambolic and all the better for it. (Camilla Pia)
METAL MENDEED
This War Will Last Forever
(Rising Records) on
Playing classic metal with a modern twist, Scottish metallers Mendeed deliver thrashing riffs. screamed vocals and Iron Maiden-style lead breaks. which has won them press coverage and high profile support slots. Their sound is technically proficient and achineg en vogue but that is also its greatest flaw. So. while they might tick all the right boxes. it's nothing that hasn't been heard before.
Art a time when Mastodon and System of a Down - metal acts that truly try to push creative boundaries - are not only infiltrating but shaping
the mainstream. Mendeed's approach to metal feels occasionally run of the mill.
(Andrew Borthwick)
TECHNO HOUSE ISOL
Western Store (Playhouse) 0000
Isolee by name. Isolee by nature. the electronic dance music of Germany's Raiiko Miller is definitely in a league of its own and this collection of EPs proves it. MUIIer understands the value of space and lets his music breathe. his bass lines and kick drums striking dark. heavy pulses. while a rich tapestry of pops. clicks. hisses. buzzes and whirrs lend colour and light alongside fragmented techno
melodies and M , . 3. ' isalf .
mm!” .’ 51an I
.'./.' ' ./..(!‘ ’
occasionally - quite brilliantly - songs. The instrumentals aren't all as good as the vocal treats. but MUller rarely hits a groove for long without tossing a funky new rhythm or fresh sound into the mix. Dub. disco. electro. techno. house. pop - it's all here: a mesmerising, late-night soundtrack. Why can't all dance music be this good?
(Andrew Richardson)
JAZZ WOLFGANG MU'I’HSPIEL Bright Side (Material Records) on.
The Austrian guitarist has earned a deserved reputation as one of the leading exponents of his instrument in contemporary jazz. and
this fine trio recording
With tWIn brothers Matthais (bass) and Andreas (drumsl Ptchler simply confirms that perception.
Muthspiel's inventive playing conjures a deliCiously delicate range of colour from his instrument. augmented by a lovely touch and beautifully preCise pitching and intonation. while the young rhythm section prOVIdes excellent support. With the exception of a cover verSion of Charles Mingus's ‘East Coasting‘. the mu5ic is all by the guitarist. and underlines his considerable talents as a composer as well as player.
(Kenny Mathieson)
ALSO RELEASED
Sonic Youth] Clccone Youth] Thurtson Moore Sonic Youth/The Whitey Album/Psychic Hearts Reissues (Geffen) Sonic Youth's back catalogue is as sprawling as one of their mid-gig wig-outs and these reissues draw together a typical mix of tremulous wonder and dissonant squall. The Chaflatans Simpatigo (Sanctuary) Worryingly pedestrian retro rock from these resilient if uninspired veterans.
Be Yor Own Pet Be Your Own Pet (XL) Shouty teens with tunes for a change. Like what you wished Juliette and the Licks sounded like if they » weren't all cheesy and Hollywood. § Various The Brazil/ian Funk Experience (Nascente) What do you reckon is gong on here then? Any Kaiser Chiefs? Any Arctic Monkeys? All the big. bold. bouncing Brazillian beats you could ever want.