China Drum
"Can't Stop These Things" 7" vinyl
Mantra. MNT 8.
by Scott Zimmerman.
April 30, 1996.
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Listening to angst-ridden, loud, male rock and roll bands with noisy
guitars and a similar array of effects boxes to this week's MTV Buzz
Clip band is not my normal listening pleasure, and no, China Drum
hasn't much changed that, but admittedly for the basic genre, this is
a pretty good single. So enough of the stereotypes. The two songs here
definitely have a pop sensibility to them, even if occasionally the
guitars and drums together sound a bit too reminiscent of the machine
gun fire of early Metallica.* Both songs are kept short, so there's no
drifting into areas better left unexplored. Of course, you're probably
still looking for a good reason to listen to this single. Here it is:
"Wuthering Heights." It's an all new take on the classic Kate Bush
song circa 1977. Certainly not your typical cover song. So if you're
one of those Kate Bush worshippers (look out, they're all around us!),
check it out, if even for the novelty. I've read that Kate Bush hates
her early work, but perhaps she'd appreciate this new rock and roll
interpretation.
* I take that line back. It doesn't sound like that at all.
Catatonia
"Sweet Catatonia" CD-EP
Blanco Y Negro. NEG85.
by Scott Zimmerman.
April 30, 1996.
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Out of Stock.
Stephen Street assisted in production of "Sweet Catatonia" so I guess
that gives Catatonia instant credibility in the UK pop scene, while I
would imagine also cementing the accusation of die-hard Welsh music fans
of having "sold out," an accusation that arose when this band that arose
from the ashes of Y Cyrff started writing songs in English, apparently
for reasons other then mere pity for the neglected letters a, e, i, o and
u. Anyways, catchy song, slick production, totally cool background vocals
and all that.
Too bad it sounds so much like product. In fact, it sounds like a rip off of a proven winner, the Primitives "Sick of It" (at least at the beginning). Ahh, maybe that's because Paul Sampson (maybe he's famous, too?) produced both songs! In fact, now flipping through all my Primitives records, I see that his name appears all over the place. So, if you like the Primitives' sound you may want to check out Catatonia. But on the other hand, since track two "Acapulco Gold" doesn't do much for me, and neither does "Cut You Inside (Demo)," maybe you'd be better off just completing your Primitives collection instead. Cerys's voice starts to get on my nerves, while I could listen to Tracey's all day.
Lush
Lovelife CD
4AD.
by Scott Zimmerman.
April 30, 1996.
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Out of Stock.
I like those slow, ethereal, weird effects-laden Lush songs just as much
as the next fellow, and...well, actually, who am I kidding? I probably
don't. Otherwise, Spooky would be locked in my CD player instead of
1994's Split and their latest effort Lovelife. I also might
choose to write a negative review bemoaning how the group made the
entirely wrong decision at the musical crossroads, by selling their
souls to the demons of catchy noise pop, or some such
"I was a fan before you were and this is the best way I know how to rub
it in your face" nonsense.
Lovelife features more of the plugged-in, noisy, quick-to-the-musical-point Lush, as featured on the last album by such tracks as "Blackout" and "Hypocrite" and on the present by "Ladykillers," "Heavenly Nobodies," and "Single Girl." Still, half the songs still do not feature particularly noisy guitars, leaving plenty of space for poppy handclaps, violin, cello, flute and more. It's quite a diverse and complex album, so before the album ever begins to get too loud, hot and sweaty, it will take a nice, refreshing swim in musical elegance. So, go right ahead and dive in, too.
the Presidents Of The United States Of America
The Presidents Of The United States Of America CD
Columbia. CK 67291.
by Scott Zimmerman.
February 1, 1996.
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Out of Stock.
I just read that the eponymously titled debut by the Presidents of
the United States of America was nominated for a grammy, and as I
actually own that album, and have heard it, I am honestly,
legitimately qualified to have my difference of opinion with
whoever it is who nominates these things, whereas I don't have
abundant knowledge of albums by such artists as Hootie & the
Blowfish, TLC, Coolio or whatever other likely dreck is up for one
of those embarrassing awards. Sure, I thought "Kitty" had it moments
(mostly with the groove towards the end of the song), and
"Lump" had a nice bit of raw, lo-fi energy, but the rest of this
album is just a collection of rather uninspired hokey, wanking
crossings of AC/DC and Primus. It's not repulsive, it's
just unremarkable.
Rocketship
A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness CD
Slumberland. SLR 40.
by Scott Zimmerman.
January 31, 1996.
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On A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, Dustin Reske continues to
write some of the freshest, most exhilirating songs of the decade.
Snappy guitar chords, and a bright organ define the more upbeat
songs, while layers of noise characterize the album's sadder moments.
All throughout are his faultless vocals, with idealized backing female
vocals. Though the slower numbers didn't hit me at first, as I was
really wishing for an album that sped like a rocketship all the way
through, they continue to grow on me with each listen. "I love you
like the way that I used to," and "I'm lost without you here," the
explosions of pop glee that initiate the A and B-sides of the album,
ought to rouse even the most cynical of music fans. They're
absolutely brilliant, but teasingly short, enticing you to
continually return for more. This is a classic.Various Artists
Track Star/Kid Dynamo split 7" vinyl
Chocolate River (Deconstruction). cr(d) 001.
by Scott Zimmerman.
January 31, 1996.
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Time trial number one, "Cashed Out":After 45 seconds of pure energy screaming, and guitaring, Trackstar crosses the finish line, out of breath, setting new records in noise-pop brevity! Rock and rolllll!
Time trial number two, "August":
With an elapsed time of 1:15, it looks like the group has already begun to sell out to the corporate sponsorship. Is that a Nike logo on the back of the shirt? A Warner Brothers cap on the head? Could be, could be. But hey, it had a great beat and you could rock out to it. Perhaps Trackstar can still yet have some guitar sprint competitions with Boyracer.
"We can play that song in... 30 seconds."
"Trackstar, play that song!"
For the B-side event, Kid Dynamo runs at a slightly less exhausting pace, with the song "Six-Speed." It clocks in at around 3:30. An epic, considering. Kid Dynamo sounds quite a bit like an automotive version of Trackstar, as you can feel the group rounding corners, hitting the breaks, then punching it through the straight aways, etc. Vrroom.