3 comments about A Dead Horse.

1. 1989's "A Dead Horse," the fourth album from drummer Anton Fier's studio group The Golden Palominos, is an excellent album with very strong pop-rock of both the down-to-earth & the ethereal kind. Fier's two main collaborators this time out are singer-songwriters Robert Kidney (who handles the down-to-earth material) and Amanda Kramer (who sings the dreamier-sounding stuff), and they both do great, including Kidney's confident turns on "Wild River" and "Lucky," while Kramer (who sounds quite a bit like Natalie Merchant) works vocal wonders on such songs as "Shattered Image" and the stunningly beautiful "Darklands." Great songs and performances make "A Dead Horse" a solid offering from the ever-changing Golden Palominos.



2. I guess you gotta be in the mood. Alexandra Kramer's 4 songs sound like gregorian chants with a beat - spiritual, vague, and echoey. Robert Kidney's songs sound more like REM, but with lyrics that seem like to consturcted on the fly. Sometimes I am enchanted by this construction ("A Letter Back" in particular) but more often it seems boring. GP has done better.



3. 45 minutes of gut wrenching horrror for your listening pleasure, guarnteed to sour your stomach contents a high colonic of sorts.

1 comments about No Thought, No Breath, No Eyes, No Heart.

1. This CD is georgous. A remix of certain songs from the Golden Palominos's Pure CD, No Thought, No Eyes, No breath will put you into a blissful state of sensory overload. It's best to listen to Pure first, in order to hear where the songs originated from, but its still a great accomplishment on its own.

3 comments about Nicely, Nicely.

1. The Blake Babies are a forgotten relic of their era, best known for the band that launched the career of Juliana Hatfield more than anything else. Truth to be told, while later records would prove much more successful, their debug EP, "Nicely, Nicely", illustrates in many ways how that's a fair assertion.
   
   Essentially, the brief EP, clocking in at around 24 minutes, is nine pieces of poorly produced (from a technical standpoint) jangle pop, with a pair of songs recorded live. By and large everything is pretty much muddling midtempo jangle pop-- opener "Wipe It Up" is nice enough (albeit it could do better without the overdubbed vocals), "Better'n You", featuring Evan Dando, is a nice, mellow piece, and the live recording "Bye" is energetic and exciting, even if it sounds like Hatfield's hiding behind her mic. But the majority of the album is largely forgettable ("Tom and Bob", "Julius Fast Body"), lifeless ("Bye") or poorly conceived (the fantastically titled "Let Them Eat Chewy Granola Bars").
   
   Invariably, the future was far brighter for the Blake Babies. This is more a curiosity piece for fans, check "Sunburn" or "Earwig" for far better material.



2. I really love this EP, which is a must for any Blake fans interested in the early days of the group. Featuring the origanal bass player, Seth White, and long time Band friend, Evan Dando, as well as Juliana, John and Frieda this album captures the classic Blake Babies sound. When I listen to later Blake CD's, like "Innocence and Experience" or "God bless the .."
   I feel kind of sad, seeing as they're not around anymore and I was too young to experience them live, also as the way that later songs have a sad, regretful, wistfull quality of lament, but this record has a really innocent hopeful quality, almost looking forward to the band's success. All the songs on here are great, especially the two live harvard U tracks, as well as the genius "Julius Fast Body" and Great "Swill and the cocaine Sluts" and the classic "Rain" with Evan Dando vocals. Many reviews make scathing comments about boston late 80's indie-pop, but I challenge any one not to find something in this youthfull, exuberant and expectational band...



3. I received my copy Thursday, April 17, 2003 And I am very happy. I got it from a seller named Peter Kochiya from the "New and Used" section. The album is great and though it's only 23 minutes and 51 seconds long, it's well worth having because it's so rare. I received the re-released version on Mammoth records. I have been looking for this EP for 2 years and now that I have it, all is just fine and dandy! Thanks Peter! :)

1 comments about B Each B Oys See Dee +.

1. The song beach boy is quite enjoyable and the live tracks are okay. It has computer enhancements which are rather clever.
   "beach boy" and studio performances of the live tracks appear on the album "Raygun Suitcase", which after repeated listenings I find quite satisfying.
   incidently "Raygun Suitcase" does contain a very basic performance of "Surfer Girl" that wouldn't sound much out of place on the Beach Boys album "Wild Honey".
   This EP and the album are no longer in print, pere ubu and Tim/Kerr parted ways because of a legal dispute, someday they may be re-issued. Cross your fingers but don't hold your breathe, any album released since 1988 up to "pennsylvana" just doesn't seem to get back into issue once discontinued.
   Why the song was entitled "beach boy" isn't apparent to me as beach boy or surf references are not mentioned.

No comments about Superchunk.

1 comments about The Biggest Ass.

1. The mellow chords and soothing vocal melodies of Alice Donut will leave you in a state of perpetual Euphoria. The magical sounds will remain in your head days after the initial listen. The lyrics are American poetry at its finest. Pure Excellence.

5 comments about Tone Soul Evolution.

1. God Bless the Elephant 6 collective for putting out gems like this. This disc was actually the first from that label of wunderkinds that I ever got turned onto. Although the vocals are a bit boyish (not unlike Of Montreal), the disc stays pretty firmly in pop territory rather than some of the meanderings of other Elephant 6 groups. Check this out for sure. The first track is wildly infective: "Seems So"



2. The Apples in Stereo have always been the sunnier, psychpoppier side of the late Elephant 6 Collective, and they do what they do best in "Tone Soul Evolution" -- channel classic sixties pop music, with a slight fuzz edge, Beatlesesque vocals and enchantingly shimmery pop tunes.
   
   It opens with the sparkly guitar indiepop of "Seems So," a catchy little tune which features Rob Schneider singing like a long-lost Beatle. It also blossoms lyrically after a few stanzas, switching from late-night sightings to "When somebody sees to sky open wide/and rides the solar system/if he saw the moonlight pass him by/what would you think about him?" It finishes up with the lament of, "oh doctor, it seems so, I don't know."
   
   It's followed up by a steady "What's The #?," full grinding catchy guitar riffs and the occasional "country" sound. Their pop rock follows the same path -- sweet guitar pop, swirling psychpop about "my lucky star,"
   sharp-edged rockers, airy ballads, experimental songs full of footsteps and seagulls.
   
   It climaxes with the shimmering, shifting "The Silvery Light Of A Dream (Part II)," with its bubbling guitar and eerily all-over-the-place vocals. In this song, the album becomes much, much more than catchy psychpop -- it shows the pure talent that this band has.
   
   The Apples are in good form here -- not quite their best, but certainly better than their worst -- the rollicking kind of psychpop you can both enjoy musically and bob along to in the car. It does suffer a little from songs that sound just a wee bit too alike, with similar countryish riffs in several songs. Mix it up a little!
   
   But the Apples do have a knack for turning those guitars into any sound they want -- a swirling sound, a bubbling melody, a soft folky strum, and a brazen blare of rock'n'roll. It's backed by some soft synth and other scraps of instrumentation, and even a harmonica.
   
   Ron Schneider's voice is, as I've said, like that of a long-lost Beatle or Zombie -- smooth, pleasant to the ear, but with a sort of young sprightly edge. And he sings songs that are wonderfully evocative and a little sad sometimes ("Dreams come to dreamers at night/tell of the sights you have seen,/silvery light of a dream,/saw you last night and you seemed/lost in a dream...")
   
   The Apples sound like the long-lost love children of the Beach Boys, and in this album they show off how much they LOVE psychpop from the sixties. And if someone loves psychpop from the sixties, they're likely to love "Tone Soul Evolution."



3. This album references a multitude of great pop influences, but the songs on Tone Soul are highly original, beautifully produced, catchy and interesting. I've had this since it came out and I would never part with it.



4. Not sure how someone can call this "pseudo-60's crud." Dude, listen with your good ear! This album has so much going more going for it. Take opener "Seems So" is a wonderful look at a guy trying to explain an unusual phenomenon. A few listens and you finding yourself joining in his mystery. Yup-jangle-pop-catchy chorus-power pop, but The Beach Boys? Not in the few tracks, at least. Think more Badfinger. Personal is "About Your Fame," an mainly acoustic effort discussing a friend's changes.
   Okay a touch of Beach Boys here. "Silver Chain," "Tin Pan Alley," and album ending delight "Coda" are worth the price of admission. Don't miss this one.



5. Great, melodic album. Every song on it is good, and it's perfect to listen to all the way through in one sitting. If I had to pick singles they'd be "Seems So" and "Get There Fine."

5 comments about Starflyer 59 (Gold).

1. 
   Yes, its true. When thinking of what album I would listen to for all eternity, it was a toss up between Boards of Canada, My Bloody Valentine, or this Earth-shattering album from Starflyer. While Boards of Canada is definitely not a light listen, and new worlds open with each exposure, music with no words definitely has its limits. And while My Bloody Valentine has some masterfully crafted songs, some of them do drone on a bit and can become annoying. This album by starflyer however is 100% noise-pop goodness. The distortion sounds just right, the wall of feedback comes in at all the correct moments, and the lyrics are just nonsense enough to stimulate the mind. While every track on this CD is 5-stars (no filler! now thats a new concept!) I have to say my absolute favorite is "Indiana" ... reminds me of past loves. I recommend the deluxe edition however, as you get a few extra tracks from the "Shes the Queen" EP. I cant state this enough, that whether a Christian or not (I am not) this album NEEDS to be in your collection. 6-stars.



2. Starflyer 59 continues to put out original, sweet-sounding music album after album. The combination of guitar distortion and the laid back sound is truly original and is supplemented by the subtle vocal style. BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!!!



3. Most of the songs on here have the same basic sound to them, sounding like variations on the one that preceded it or whatever. It isn't a big deal though because they are still great songs in their own way. The opening track, 'A Housewife Love Song', is easily the best on the album with feedback and guitar squeakings everywhere. It is followed by 'Dual Overhead Cam', which is more subtle and dark with a nice bassline complemented by feedback and things. This is definitely an album to get.



4. I agree 100% with everyone here on this album. It's gut wrenchingly beautiful, sad, melodic, and a masterpiece. I've been a fan for quite some time and although I personally love their early days (I love shoegazing. check out Swervedriver and the Jesus and Mary Chain)Gold is my absolute favorite. Silver is great but a little too brief. On GOLD we see long guitar solos, beautiful harmonys, personal lyrics with a strong connection to each other, and Jason's sweet whispery voice. Check out the last 20 seconds of the last song, One Shot Juanita to hear a little confession. Breaks my heart everytime. You too will have a religious experience with this album as well. I remember breaking down into tears hearing this album, because it was so achingly beautiful, so sweet and tender. If I had only one album to sustain me on some deserted island, this would be it! Get this one at all cost, christmas is coming. Makes for a perfect gift... to recieve or give. I'm getting all giddy reading these reviews, me thinks a Starflyer 59 binge is on the horizon.



5. You just got dumped from your girlfriend, your life is a mess. It's time to put on Gold by Starflyer 59 and feel the pain. This album rates as my favorite by SF59, words simply can't describe how good this is. You will be blown away by "Dual Overhead Cam" and rocked to sleep by the melancholy goodness on each track. There's the beauty of "Indiana" and the very sad "One Shot Juanita." Jason Martin created this album with heart, and that's something you just can't buy. It's guitar droning and beautiful. Sad. Somber. Super. Masterpiece. What are you waiting for another Strokes album? Thanks SF59! Keep rocking!

1 comments about Generic Shame.

1. Here's what shows how great a great band really is - Nomeansno made an EP of the three "No One" outtakes, and any one of them could find its way onto an imaginary "best of" compilation. The first track is "Sex Is Philosophy", with metallic riffs which make it sound as if they covered Megadeth - and it's brilliant, along with excellent lyrics. The next one, "No Big Surprise", is nothing short of a masterpiece - 11 minutes long, with a drum solo, a mean, slow bass line, and some damn fine guitar work by the new guitar player (Tom, is it?), especially in the last minute of the song. Excellent lyrics, of course. And the last track is an intentionally idiotic ska-punk goof (well, not really punk, it's just real fast), with a yo-ho-ho uplifting feel and hillarious vocals by John the drummer. And the lyrics? Well, how about this: "I know you're worried, you're all distressed/You feel the tension then get depressed/But I don't squibble and I don't cry/'Cause I don't care and I'll tell you why/I get up in the morning, go to bed at night".
   So it's great, it's cheap, and it's smart. Get it.

2 comments about Year After Year.

1. Now that the dust has settled on the socio-musical phenomenon that was "grunge", the true innovators of rock music from the early '90s can finally claim their place. Idaho's debut album was a tour de force of concise songwriting, inspired vocal performance and ear-tingling guitar noise. Jeff Martin's vocals ranged from narcoleptic drones to impassioned howls, supported by a wall of overdriven guitar fuzz and feedback that has long since served as a blueprint for a multitude of welterweight rock pretenders. The album contains a generous amount of nihilism that borders on depression, and this alone will alienate many listeners. However, those that have the desire to venture beyond Idaho's gloomy facade will find a wealth of invigorating sonic delights.



2. it's a shame this is the record of idaho's that's out of print because it is the best. idaho sound genuinely, seriously bummed on this disc but what keeps it from being a misery-fest are the many moments when the songs just erupt in stunning howling melody ('here to go' is catharticly beautiful, really spine tingling). the guitars ring forever and the drums just drive ahead with druggy insistence while jeff martin croons like he's about to slide off his stool or bellows in abandon.

   lots of bands do the sadcore thing but this is the real deal! it's bracing and beautiful despite the bleakness, an incredible record.