5 comments about Oh Holy Fools: The Music of Son, Ambulance and Bright Eyes.

1. I purchased this cd as a Bright Eyes fan, having only heard one or two songs by Son, Ambulance. I loved Bright Eyes, and from what I heard of Son, Ambulance, they were alright. But Bright Eyes didn't steal the show here. The Son, Ambulance tracks were just as wonderful. I remember the first time I listened to "Brown Park", I was so shocked that I had to listen to it again. It was that good, probably my favorite track off the disc. This stayed in my car cd player for weeks. For me, the other Son, Ambulance stand out is "Kaite Come True". The Bright Eyes tracks are all of impecable quality, standing out in my mind are "Kathy With a K's Song" and "Oh, you are the roots that sleep beneath my feet and hold the earth in place", but the others are about just as good. The price couldn't really be beat either. I could have downloaded the album for only a dollar less, but the cd does come with lyrics, which is where this music really shines. Great songwriting, probably one of my top ten albums.



2. Before you mark this as an unhelpful review please read it. I'm a fan of both of these bands. Hell I'm from Omaha it's almost required. But originally I didnt expect much out of this joining of self obsessed frontmen. It's honestly a wonder that it got off the ground. Props go to Presto studios in Lincoln Nebraska and more specifically Mogis for keeping these two egos in check.



3. This litle record is a perfect hand in glove with two minimalistic, but so strong musical expressions.What more to say? Saddle Creek have got something innovative. Oberst is oveiously only one of the diamonds! Very good! I would give 4,5....



4. what an excellent split!
   if you have a special place in your heart for conor oberst, as i do, this is a sure thing. i wouldn't recommend this for someone who isn't previously aquainted with saddle creek and the kind of stuff they put out, but for a fan of bright eyes, this is a great addition to your collection. before i bought this cd i hadn't heard "son, ambulance" and was pleasantly suprised. their songs are a good balance to the sometimes gratuitous despair and helplessness exhibited in the bright eyes even tracks. track 4 is quickly becoming one of my favorites for bright eyes and "no lies, just love" is just incredible song writing.
   this is a great buy. you won't be disappointed!
   my hat's off to you saddle creek! rock on



5. i have just bought "Oh Holy Fools" and think its great, maybe if i didnt have "Lifted" or "Fevers" i would have rated this 5 stars, nontheless "SOn Ambulance" was a surprise, with very solid songwriting, after the 2nd time listening to this cd i was hooked, both bands represent themselves well on this album and i would reccomend this to any bright eyes fans cause its definately worth buying

5 comments about Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things.

1. As much as I'd like to believe otherwise, I have no choice to admit that Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things is a cut below Scott Miller's output with Game Theory. It'd be wonderful to say that the Loud Family's debut expands on Miller's already prodigious songwriting talent, incorporating the finest aspects of Lolita Nation and Big Shot Chronicles into a more cohesive and satisfying whole that stands as the California musician's definitive statement. I would love to say that the depth, emotional impact, and melodic genius of such masterpieces as "Erica's Word," "Together Now, Very Minor," and "Throwing The Election" are on full display here. I want to be able to say all of that because that would all mean that Scott Miller's finest moment would actually be in print. The sad truth is, Miller's masterpiece is still Lolita Nation, and a CD copy of Lolita Nation still costs something in the neighborhood of a hundred bucks.
   
   But I guess I shouldn't complain too much. This may not be as good as any of Game Theory's finest moments, but the truth of the matter is that very few things are. Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things is still a marvelous album in its own right. It's a beautifully conceived continuation of the sound that Miller developed with Game Theory. The melodies are gorgeous, the lyrics are literate and emotive, and the production is experimental in a surprisingly unpretentious manner. The songs aren't Miller's best (Trust me. Scott's best compositions, when played in the right setting, can kill.), but they're still superb.
   
   What's more, the album's availability and accessibility make it an excellent introduction to Scott Miller's sound and style. Its jangling guitars, unforgettable melodies, bristling intelligence, paisley flourishes, and emotional impact should be all that anybody needs to become a Miller fan for life. A few listens to this puppy and you'll be chomping at the bit to immerse yourself in such classics as Two Steps From The Middle Ages, Real Nighttime, The Tape Of Only Linda, Big Shot Chronicles, and, if you can find a copy, Lolita Nation.
   
   I mean, you can't argue with great music, and there's plenty of that here: "Inverness" is sweet and sad and playful and stunningly melodic, while "Idiot Son" and "Slit My Wrists" are as barbed and bitter as their titles imply (thankfully, the latter isn't nearly as whiny or angst-ridden as you might think). "Take Me Down (To Halloo)" sounds like a collaboration between a more melodically gifted Elvis Costello and Jimmy Buffet with all of the bad parts taken out. "Some Grand Vision Of Motives And Irony" is a startlingly beautiful ballad. I don't even mind Miller's raspy voice. Plus there's "Last Honest Face," and "Aerodeliria," and "Jimmy Still Comes Around." And "He Do the Police In Different Voices," which contains one of coolest references to Un Chien Andalou since the Pixies' "Debaser."
   
   The other songs aren't as good. They're not terrible, but when combined with the Game-Theory-colored glasses that I use to view the Loud Family's output, they conspire to knock it down by one star rating. But I still want you to buy this album, because it's still wonderful.



2. At one point in my life, my job consisted of listening to an ungodly amount of music: approximately 2,000 albums a year, plus 20-30 live sets a week.
   
   I also worked directly with bands writing and recording their own music ...
   
   ... and then this popped up. I still listen to it, all the time - it is truly one of the best rock records ever recorded. The techniques and choices in recording could take up many pages of description, but at the end of the day, pop music boils down to a few things:
   - melodies
   - emotion
   - vocal performance
   
   The melodies are unforgettable, the feeling jumps out of the speakers (from despair to joy, and many more subtle and nuanced stops in between).
   
   If it was ever possible to OD on music, or become jaded, I would qualify. This album still makes me feel excited to pick up a guitar, hell, to take it out of the jewel box.



3. Rumors were Aimee Mann was going to sing in re-mixed versions of Scott Miller's songs. The True Gamesters fansite has her covering "Inverness," but I have not heard any more about this planned re-make re-model. That song is closer to her style than Miller's. If you have heard his music, you know what I mean: hyper-clever, kinetic, intricate, arabesque, and sometimes either truly annoying or damned funny, usually in that sardonic way that Mark E Smith might share.
   
   The Loud Family's apparently his attempt to shake off the new-wave power-pop tag that (see All Music Guide) still dogged Game Theory at the end of the 80s. All new line-up, which seems usual every few albums anyway (as with The Fall), under one consistently idiosyncratic and stubbornly lovable singer-songwriter who does not make that occupation an embarassment. Still, with Mitch Easter again manning the studio, there's a familiar obsession with building up layers of sound, found and invented. I like this bricolage.
   
   The songs, when you have 19 (that last bit shows a typically annoying bit of Miller's impishness), will be uneven. Anyone who listens to this album or any Miller album honestly would probably agree. This one provides possibly the most accessible introduction to his later, post-college radio mid-80s, stage. He seeks to plunge you into his funhouse. Distortion's a given. But, with songs such as "Inverness," a lovely and straightforward detour (!) into pop, Miller shows he can play by the industry's rules and do well, also. But that's an uncharacteristic song.
   
   However, the chugging "Idiot Son" sounds less ironic than usual, if only in its musical direction. It could be the more rocking counterpart to cheerier ditties like the assured "Give In World," the lyrically enigmatic but carefree "Take Me Down," or even the eccentric pop of "Second Grade Applauds." "Spot the Setup," contrarily, seems a ringer for the irritating tune pro forma, and an instrumental like "Rosy Overdrive" wanders without enough concentration across its relatively long allotted six minutes.
   
   There's lots to pick and choose from among what remains, but that's for you to discover. While it does continue the Mitch Easter-directed studio trickery of GT's "Lolita Nation," it also furthers the last GT album, the overlooked "Two Steps," whose greater integration of a softer undertone can also be heard in the more accessible tunes among the expected experiments and extravagance. While not my favorite LF album, it's one I'd recommend if you are entering the world of Scott Miller and mates.



4. I was a huge Game Theory fan, though I came late to the party. It was around late 87 - early 88 that I heard Lolita Nation and it was like heroin (not that I've tried that!) I was hooked. When Two Steps from the Middle Ages came out, I was in the fan club. I was writing Scott Miller irritating fan letters. I got a tape of the (one of) the last shows featuring the Michael Quercio line-up through Scott himself. Then, it all fell apart. Scott would send stuff out on occassion, insisting he was doing something.
   
   Suddenly, in a weird turn of events, this album came out and just floored everyone I knew that heard it. It was louder and heavier than Game Theory, though it was the same for all intents and purposes. Almost every track is a classic (apart from the non-Scott songs ... sorry, they just don't hold up). "Sword Swallower", "Jimmy Comes Round" and "Last Honest Face" are songs that will remain in my head forever.
   
   I hope Scott comes back with something ... another rebirth. "As if we'd ever let that hour of opportunity go by."



5. This is the definitive Scott Miller Loud Family moment; see Distortion of Glory for the definitive Scott Miller Game Theory moment. Great lyricist who pens great tunes; how can you go wrong. That there is substance behind the lyrics only adds to the intrigue. So many great songs on this cd. Start with Aerodeliria, Jimmy Still Comes Around, Idiot Son, Inverness, Slit My Wrists, Isaacs Law. This Cd doesn't literally rock; it rocks literally. Probably still one of my top 30-40 albums (of thousands I've bought or have). If you like to think while you're singing along; pick this one up.

No comments about New Picnic Time.

2 comments about Sympathy for the Devil.

1. Laibach are the undisputed experts at taking mundane songs we hear on the classic rock stations and injecting them with enough histrionics to make Jim Carrey blush. SEE Laibach turn the carefree, bouncy "woo-hoo" of the 'Stones song into a high-stepping military march! SEE Laibach recite Mick Jagger's stoner lyrics with the growling seriousness of a United Nations oration! SEE Laibach turn the song into a funked-out disco song complete with a daffy chorus of German girls who can barely pronounce "sympathy"!



2. The nazi propaganda family on the cover is just a primer for all the twisted humor you're in for with this CD. All three covers by Laibach are absolute riots. The one by Germania (track five) is probably the best of all, complete with well-placed Mick Jagger samples. I wonder what the Rolling Stones would think if they heard any of this. The other tracks are, well, strange. Punks and Goths are conformers. THESE guys are FREAKS.

5 comments about Ride the Tiger.

1. you've heard of YLT... don't know which album to buy... sometimes a band's first album is arguably the best... such is not the case for this YLT album. buy anything later than 1990 and you'll hear why lotsa people dig 'em.



2. I agree with what other reviewers have said; this is an excellent, fascinating album, enhanced by a listener's experience of later YLT. However, the CD I bought is mixed so strangely that I feel compelled to ask if others have the same experience--the vocals are so distant that they are almost impossible to hear. Buried beneath the guitars. This is not similar to other YLT, not a hallmark of their sound, so I wonder if I just got a bad disc?



3. ...even though I didn't know this album when I was growing up then. I guess it distills alot of elements of some of the music I was listening to at the time. Or rather, it's the one album I SHOULD have been listening to alongside the Meat Puppets, Camper Van Beethoven, the Feelies, & the Dream Syndicate. Yeah, I suppose YLT only got better with time, but don't look this one over, it's a great album! Dave Schramm's voice isn't very uh, refined, but the 2 songs he sings are awesome! (Five Years & the Way Some People Die) Plus his very skillful, lush finger-picking guitar style really adds alot to the wistful, melancholy feel of many songs here. Despite Ira Kaplans' kinda self deprecating liner notes, I believe YLT were already quite acomplished by the time they put this out. All of their signature elements can be found here: jangly pop, the contrast of tender ballads alongside more rocking songs with manic guitar solos, and great cover choices. How many bands can put covers of the Kinks and Love alongside their own, and make it sound seamless? Not many, I should think.



4. Pleasant...what other word could you use to describe this? This is a very safe, tame mid-'80s kind of indie-rock album. It's hard to believe this is the same band that virtually defined iconoclastic indie cool (non-grunge division) in the '90s and beyond.

   But that's not meant as criticism. This is the sound of a band arguably recorded too soon--it was still shy and learning to play. And Ira Kaplan's liner notes in the CD reissue admit this, and then some. The album is no worse than forgettable folk-rock/pop, but it's rarely more than that, and few songs stand out ("The Evil That Men Do" the most because it hints at the noisier YLT to come). Even this Tengo diehard has probably played it less than 10 times over the years, because it mostly inspires me to take it off after about four songs so I can hear some of their later, better work instead.

   The curse of many rock bands is that their first album was by far their best, and the rest of their career is a slow (or sometimes, fast) fade. Yo La Tengo is unique in that they've just gotten better with time, and this album is the main proof. So enjoy it as a pleasant historical document, but don't expect too much.




5. The original four-piece Yo La Tengo, formed by a fromer Village Voice music critic and Velvet Underground/Kinks fan and his wife, present some of the best power pop of the 1980s in this offering. Originally released in 1986, "Ride the Tiger" presents a sharp-edged jangle which is equally at home in complete melodicism and noise. The tunes run from originals like the immediate and powerful "The Pain of Pain" and "The Way Some People Die" to the Kinks' "Big Sky" and Pete Seeger's "Living In the Country". This is the only release to feature Dave Schram as a member (he later went on to form the DIY pop band the Schrams and also appears as a guest on Yo La Tengo's 1991 release, "Fakebook"). The playing is immediate and unforced, the vocals without pretense. Newcomers to Yo La Tengo will hear parallels to R.E.M., the Velvet Underground, the Kinks, Neil Young, the Feelies, and like-minded bands and solo artists. This is one of the best CDs of the 1980s, bar none.

5 comments about The Tape Of only Linda.

1. Not a bad album, but it has very good songs among others more pedestrian. A lower 4 stars, if this could be calibrated on Amazon. Every LF album has astonishing moments and bewildering ones. Each album that Miller has ever done contains also mundane stretches, and annoying bits. It's, as he will explain on the next LF album, his "philosophy." "Tape" remains my least favorite CD only by comparison with the other 4 LF discs, you understand. If a newcomer to the band, I would buy this only if you have liked the first "Plants" CD. The vocals, the words, the complexity are not your eager power-pop. No twinkly new wave. Harsher, meaner, if not leaner. With LF, you're blitzed with an overload of psychic stimuli.
   
   Not counting the diffused 2006 effort half-credited to LF, this is closer to Attractive Nuisance in its mix of more direct, economical (if only by comparison), and tighter tunes with Scott Miller's signature sound of expansive, swirling, mini-epics full of vocal twists, musical filigree, and lyrical legerdemain. A quieter tone, it takes awhile to sink in. Its best songs insinuated themselves, however, much more quickly than usual. I tend to have to listen quite awhile to LF albums for their charms to fully sweep me away.
   
   "Tape" has should-have-been-hits and nice-try-near-misses, even though it follows the template laid down by most of Miller's efforts with Game Theory and LF. He writes and sings most of the time; another band member often guests on one or two songs, taking over the mike. The efforts of the other musicians are to be applauded for their own effort, and Miller for his democratic generosity. But, they usually pale by comparison. Like Ringo's generally did, I suppose.
   
   The strongest songs open and close the record, which hits a lull in the middle after some promising tunes on "side one." Soul Drain ramps up from a mid-tempo to a punishing hard-rock sound fueled by stuttering guitar. It fits the frustration of its words well. It's also a pleasure to hear LF turning up the amps. The first album "Plants [etc.]" tended towards little bits of studio fun and solid pop-oriented, if admirably quirky, songs that managed to express a lighter emotional and lyrical approach that expressed itself in a brighter set of diverse songs-- sort of like a mini "Lolita Nation." On "Tape," the band sounds restive and ready to break out of its soundboard and software processed hibernation.
   
   "My Superior" sounds like a "Tape" item. It's bouncier, and lighter in attitude, but it does lurch about in typically unpredictable style, if it seems a bit clumsy in the attempt. "Marcia & Etrusca" has the type of double-meaning that Miller delights in. (As in the song and album titles he selects, not to mention the sly cover art on "Tape."). More percussive than usual, it displays this album's tendency to burrow deeper into a denser terrain than that of "Plants" or his GT albums. Pop culture collides with ancient Rome, and beyond. The usual erudite touch to transform, Midas-like, our media detritus. It's a clever song, as to be expected from the words, and it also seeks, as with the first two I mentioned, to shift gears halfway through, dissolving into a neo-psych parody of far-out voices and effects.
   
   "Hyde St Virgins," if hits were made from Miller's songs, would be one. It's hummable (not always a Miller trademark!) and catchy. An alternative universe, as he might well agree from his own scientific career, may well rank this as a classic pop ditty. After this, the songs become more workmanlike. "It Just Wouldn't Be Christmas" is a rarer type of a Miller song, a topical one addressed at a particular class of people rather than at or about an individual. Social satire suits him as well as personal invective! Like "Hyde," it has a lighter style that allows it to float more than wedge in the listener's consciousness.
   
   As with the best songs on "Tape," the last one rescues the disc with aplomb. "Ballet Hetero" provides a litany of wistfulness and regrets, mostly romantic ones failed or accomplished, as the title would lead you to expect. It too leaves its poppier start behind for a stretch at altered tempo that allows the melancholy sounds to yearn and reach farther than on any LF or GT album. It tries to soar, freed from Miller's anguished voice. That's how the album ends, with this ethereal longing.



2. Nobody ever accused Scott Miller and the Loud Family of being direct or easy for casual listeners to get into, but this CD may be the closest he's gotten. It doesn't have all of his best tunes or even printed lyrics (a must with his work - it needs reader's guides as much as Finnegan's Wake), but Tape of Only Linda has some knockout songs that stand up to his work with both Loud Family AND Game Theory. The only problem with the record is the length - 10 songs is fine for many bands, but with Miller you always want something a bit more sprawling. By the way, the title is a reference to a tape of Linda McCartney's vocals isolated from a live mix - pure unintentional comedy.

   Best Tracks:
   "Soul Drain" - Good opener, very alterna-catchy.
   "My Superior" - Classic rock updated by indie kids, this is one of my all time LF songs. Great guitar riff, just the right amount of synths - a hands down winner.
   "Hyde Street Virgins" - Jangle Pop 101...more like Jangle Pop 495. Advanced study for those who already mastered the form and moved on.
   "Still It's Own Reward" - Cute and singsongy, this is an overlooked gem on this album. It may be a bit too sweet for the hardcore alternative/psychedelic fans but I think it's a keeper.




3. Let me first of all say that again as my review of Plants and Birds and Rocks and things im Zachary Smiths daughter. therfor making my reivew a tad bit biased. yet I know what I like and i do like this. It is not good all over but some songs really stick out like "Soul Drain" "Hyde Street Virgins" "My superior" (written by my father by the way). Please buy this CD and give the loud familly a try or another one for some ppl



4. When this came out, many Miller fans found it a little over-polished and moaned about the appearance of songs by other members of the band. Miller's never, in 20+ years of pop song genius, allowed anything less than wonderful to have his name on it, and this is no exception. Song structures and melodies are perhaps less skewed than on Interbabe Concern or even Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things (both of which are "better" albums to old fans), but the production (Mitch Easter) is luscious and a joy to listen to. Years later, this stuff is still catchy and fresh, and some of it ranks among Miller's best-ever songs. A fine second or third LF purchase for the new fan.



5. The music is pretty direct and the playing fairly brutal. What makes this work to some degree is the brilliance of the songs. "Soul Drain", "Wouldn't Be Christmas", "My Superior", and "Baby Hard-to-be-Around" are particularly inspired.

5 comments about Burning Kingdom.

1. Probably the best standalone four-song EP I've ever heard, Burning Kingdom it's as incredible as it is depressing. These songs are dark and sad, somber to the extreme. But Bill Callahan's black sense of humor works its way even into these most serious-sounding of songs. Truly magnificent.



2. I bought this CD along with another Smog album, never really having heard his stuff before. I wasn't expecting the nearly raucous first track (in a low-key way, at least) but I've been won over by how bitter the song is. The rest of the album is almost as strong but one of the later tracks can grate slightly as it is slow and dirge-like. This does not help on an album of just six tracks. In all, this dark, brooding (sorry, terrible cliche, I know) album is well worth a listen, and I'll definitely have a look at some other Smog CDs soon.



3. At only about 25 minutes, this CD has more raw angst and gloom than many full-length CDs. Blistering guitarwork, pained vocals, and gut-wrenching lyrics combine into a funeral dirge straight into a black pit of darkness that defies categorization. Absolutely stunning.



4. Many CDs are too long, this one is six tracks of perfection. I have it on my top shelf of 42 (by the way I own over 2000 and have sold 8000+)

   Other SMOG stuff can be weak and wayward but Burning Kingdom is an essential for any collection of alternative rock. Comparisons can be made to Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev even Guided By Voices.

   Buy it - it's a bargain!




5. It is amazing that 20 minutes can have such a profound effect on your mood! Over the course of six songs, Callahan makes you confused and a little sad at the same time, but you don't really know why. The fidelity of this recording is pretty bad, it doesn't sound like a four-track, but the sound is comparable to Beck's "One foot in the Grave." Callahan uses the services of a violin and cello to great effect, particularly on the first track, where the combination of distorted guitar, cello, violin and tom rolls make a splendidly gloomy atmoshpere before the song actually starts. All the other songs are just as effective, using spare but effective instrumentation and placing Callahan's voice low in the mix a la Stephen Malkmus in "Slanted and Enchanted." "Renee Died" features Cynthia Dall on vocals and guitar, and the two harsh acoustic guitars on the track contrast with dall's frail voice. Overall this 6 song ep will leave you feeling emotionally raw, listen to it straight through at night with headphones just before you go to sleep, interesting music to fall asleep to....that's for sure. Overall a wonderful disc, with plenty of emotional moments.

5 comments about Here Be Monsters.

1. Ed Harcourt is a gifted songwriter with a pleasant voice and a knack for writing great melodies. he had some hype leading up to his recording (which cn be misleading, at times) but thankfully, Here Be Monsters is a solid deut album. the influences of Beatles, Big Star, Jackson Browne are all pretty good reference points, but Harcourt has his own sound and has a few surprises up his sleeve. most noteably in the mini-epic "Heart Of Darkness" song, which features a strange and noisy interlude that segways back into the song's spooky melody. "She Fell Into My Arms" and "Shanghai" are perfect pop songs with impeccable timing and irresistable hooks. there's really not a bad track on here...some are moody and sad, some are upbeat but it's all a joy to discover.



2. "Here Be Monsters" is an inventive set from this prolific English songwriter. The calling card for the CD is the silly & addictive "Shanghai" with its music hall piano parts, electric guitar jabs, and sighing harmonies, "Let's move away together, go interplanetary, maybe in Chinese weather where it's sanitary." "Those Crimson Tears" with cello and piano is one of the saddest songs, but beautiful for its profound grief. Harcourt is tremendously interesting for his melodic inventiveness and the vast range of instruments he uses to evoke different moods & feelings. "Beneath the Heart of Darkness" shows his expressive vocals and offers an Asian-flavored melody, "The roots of the house are cracking, caving in; There's no way out, it's trapped in." While all of the tracks don't work equally well, "Here Be Monsters" is never boring. Enjoy!



3. I first found out about Ed Harcourt when I read a review in some magazine. It made an impression and I looked for the album but couldn't find it in retail stores. I forgot about it. A year later a friend sent me a CD-R that he said I had to hear. The name rang a bell and so did the title. I really, really liked it. It combined elements of prog, alternative and a unique soup that had its own taste. It was "Here Be Monsters" by Ed Harcourt.

   Harcourt's rich melodies and unusual arrangements make this album a unique experience. While it doesn't sound like anything by Brian Eno, it sounds like something Eno might have done if he had thought of it. Harcourt's whisper of a baritone voice with hints of the smokey qualities of Chris Rea immediately draw you into the melodies and the lyrics he's singing. The music is deceptive on the surface; many of the songs are as calm as a pool of water on a still, winter day while others have the undercurrent of a raging river.

   I purchased this album and the follow up. It's no wonder he was nominated for the Mercury prize. He didn't win which is a crime but, unlike many of those artists that win Grammys as "best new artist" that disappear within weeks of winning, Harcourt's music will continue to improve and make an impression even if its on a small hardcore group of fans. I can't describe Harcourt's music any better so listen to the clips to get an idea of what you'll be missing before you forget.




4. This is the stuff of religious proclamations! Top draw stuff, sad piano, up tempo horns, some cool loops and great lyrics...awaiting sphers with baited breath. I would compare (although not in style) to Sea Change by Beck for album greatness.



5. Harcourt fits very nicely into the Bacharachian (like Bacchanalian?) singer-songwriters - those who know how to use trumpet flourishes, glockenspiel and tack piano refrains, and harmony vocals correctly. Though well-received in Europe and a Mercury Music Prize nominee, Harcourt seems to have had difficulty breaking through in America with little critical acclaim and hasn't amassed anything more than a cult audience. His opening spot for Neil Finn's club tour this summer should help him out as the two have similar melodic and rhythmic ideas. "Hanging With The Wrong Crowd" could've been written by Finn himself. Fave tracks: "Something In My Eye," "Apple Of My Eye," "Like Only Lovers Can." (originally written May 2002)

5 comments about The Dirt of Luck.

1. Another Helium masterpiece. There are a few songs that also appear on the Superball import, but still a solid album in its own right.



2. Saw these guys on the 2nd stage at Lollapalooza in 1995. I was taking a break from watching the hip-hop bands they had thrown into the mix, and was mesmerized by these guys. It's pretty rare I see a band live that I've never heard of -- to hear that band and be blown away, I couldn't believe it. I bought the CD immediately, and didn't stop playing it for 2 years.

   It has great lyrics, great music, great mood, great atmosphere, and just rocks. Mary Timony has such a unique sound, I still think mesmerizing is the best word for it.




3. Not to sound flippant or anything--I absolutely adore this record; it's one of my all-time faves. It also has eliminated the need, at least for me, to own several alt-rock classics--"Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine (who's austere, celestial guitar haze is evoked expertly on " Baby's Going Underground" and "Silver Angel") "Slanted and Enchanted" by Pavement (the dolorous, understated twang n' hiss of "Honeycomb" , a track which also niftily does away with the need for Mazzy Star) and "Dirty" by Sonic Youth ("Pat's Trick" and "Medusa" are effortlessly dead-cool--a perfect blend of distaff snarl and urban grit offhandedly intoned from behind Velvets fly shades). Lots of young bands wear thier influences proudly, especially on debuts, but Helium distill thiers in such a way that they end up with something fresh and thrilling. "The Dirt of Luck" is the sound of one young woman (Mary Timony-- the medieval indie-grrl of my dreams) getting together with a couple of friends, plugging in the distortion pedal, and deciding to rule the world--so long as they get done in time to hit the thrift stores before the wannabe-hipsters raid all the courderoy from the factory-seconds rack.



4. I love early Helium and this CD as far as I am concerned is the best. My favorite track is "medusa" which exemplifies riot grrl rock. The lyrics hit heard and Mary Timony's trademark gravely voice is splendid. Buy this C.D. if you love riot grrl music, want to get into good riot grrl music, or if you've never heard Mary Timony before.



5. This CD by a relatively little-known band, is truly amazing. People who listen to this CD love it, even if they dislike in general this kind of music. I am personally not at all a fan of alternative/rock etc. music but this is the best alternative CD of the 90s that I have heard, and one of my all-time favorite CDs.

   Too bad it looks like Helium is not making any more music. Their last CD, "Magic City" is OK too, but it lacks the magic of "the dirt of luck".

   I have heard them once live in Middle East. They were too noisy, not as good as the CD.

5 comments about Eyes Adrift.

1. eyes adrift debut album featuring curt kirkwood[meat puppets]
   krist novoselic[nirvana] bud gaugh[sublime]
   the supergroup from 2002
   krist novoselic after the suicide of his former band's lead singer kurt cobain
   novoselic turn his back on the music business
   apart from an album with an band called sweet 75
   novoselic went head first in the world of politic's i tip my hat to the guy,for making a diverse change in perception,
   
   now 8 years after the death of kurt donald cobain,
   i'm talking from 2002 not present day,
   novoselic gets an band together to make,
   country, acoustic rock with an dizzle of grunge here and there
   too keep things grounded.
   
   krist novoselic
   bass vocals
   3,6&12
   krist novoselic vocal ablity, takes a few listen to get used to his tone and delieverence, but once you do, he has an quite an good voice..
   
   bud gaugh drums percussion
   synthesizer on "pyramids"
   
   curt kirkwood
   guitar
   vocals
   1,2,4,5,7,8,9,10,&11
   
   noqw if you've ever heard snow, kurt kirkwood's new solo album,
   which was released after this album in 2005, and you though about venturing into the world of eyes adrift then you can't go wrong,
   because both albums have the same mature delieverence and beauty, that's missing in the world of in your face emo bands
   
   this album has beauty oozing from the speakers
   an classic with three icons of the past, ready to cerment
   an new decade, with, an album far away from their former glories



2. This record really bores the heck out of me. The music just seems so mediocre. The obvious problem is people are looking for some sort of Nirvana brilliance to rub off on this record; after all, you've got Nirvana's co-founder and bassist on it, and in addition, a guy that played with Nirvana on unplugged, one of Nirvana's most successful feats.
   
   Me, I'm a hardcore Nirvana fan from way back, and one thing about Krist that was always great was the way he'd sing these freak out jam songs, all crazy with that high-end, sometimes out-of-tune voice. Take their infamous 'Dazed And Confused Jam' as a perfect example of that. It was always a bit ridiculous and a bit awesome. Plus he was always very witty and humorous and the crazy stuff that would come out of his mouth really added to the greatness. Even Kurt Cobain would complain that Krist Noveselic's humour outshined his own.
   
   Now if Krist would make some freak out music like that old stuff he used to jam on, he'd be back in the game. He'd never be as big as Nirvana but I could totally see him touring with bands like Sonic Youth (obviously) if he could put together some sort of freak out jam band. Maybe that'd be too close to his Nirvana days for him. Or maybe he never realized that besides his bass playing, those silly jams were his musical strength. But either way I hope he returns to music some day. The political world needs people like Krist Noveselic in it but the rock and roll world does too!



3. I NEVER splerge on a CD that I've never heard.
   But I did.
   Well ok I did hear "Alaska" & "Inquiring Minds".
   Well as soon as I popped this cd in with my friends we drove out to the beach and played it all the way through, my friends who are die hard SLIPKNOT fans had 2 remarks:
   1. This is good!
   2. I want to buy this album
   This cd compliments a beautiful day on the beach.
   The best song is "Pasted" sung by Krist Novoselic (who does a good job) I loved it sooo much that I'm buying the single to "alaska" because it has a song called "Son of Pasted" which I believe is a different mix of my favorite song.
   It's such a shame that Krist Novoselic has left the music business.
   Recently I heard that Krist is pondering a solo cd, that is great news considering my favorite tracks on this cd (besides 'Alaska' & 'What I Said') are with Krist Singing.
   
   In my opinion this is better than the Foo Fighters.
   I buy a Krist Novoselic solo CD in a second.



4. To call this album dull is a monumental understatement. I love Folk and Blues, and this album ain't neither although it tries its hardest to act, sound, and reek of it. But in all actuality, the only thing Eyes Adrift reeks of is disc rot from being left on the shelf unbought in music stores across the country. I never cared for Nirvana very much (except for Unplugged), but you'd figure a little bit of Kurt's folk sensibility would have rubbed off on Krist after all those years of them living together. Too bad the only thing Krist was inspired to do was make the worst possible career move a musician of his level of former-fame could make; Krist Novoselic became a politician. And nobody likes a politician. Especially when he's a drunk and a stoner like good 'ol Novie. After claiming he didn't quit Eyes Adrift and music altogether because of the money and popularity this record failed to bring him, he then proceeded to whine about how poorly it sold. What, did you actually expect a politician to give a straight answer and not flip-flop? Me neither. The moral Krist leaves you with: Trade in your bass, your music career, and your soul for a shot at political campaigning. Wherever Kurt is, I'm sure he's is disgusted, as anybody with an ounce of feeling in their being should be.



5. Eyes Adrift is an excellent band/album. How can you go wrong with ex-Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, ex-Meat Puppet Curt Kirkwook, and ex-sublime drummer Bud Gaugh? This is even better than the Novoselic album Sweet 75. I'm glad to see that at least one of the surviving members of Nirvana has kept his integrity. It seems as though ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters is interested in nothing more than writing boring pop-sounding songs. This is a truly great album and the best song is the Novoselic-sung Inquiring Minds about Jean-Binet Ramsey. Who knew that Novoselic actually has a good voice? It's is hard to tell from his only vocal from Nirvana - "Come on people now, smile on your brother everybody get together try to love one another right now" at the beginning of Nirvana's song Territorial Pissings. Of course, he was actually singing that line into a pickup on Kurt Cobain's guitar which was faulty in that it picked up sounds other than the playing of the guitar. If you listen to the samples of this album or buy the album try to have an open mind. Don't expect to hear Nirvana reborn or The Meat Puppets or Sublime. Just some very good music. It is really a shame that this album has sold poorly and that, according to a recent interview with Novoselic, the tour the band did constantly ran in the red causing Novoselic to decide that he wants to leave the music biz for good. If you are interested in Novoselic check out his website "The Murkey Slough" where it is evident that his primary focus has shifted from music to politics.